It is common for companies to organize various informal events where workers can come with their partners. One of those... Egypt's foreign ministry expressed on Saturday its "deep sorrow" over the death of former United Nations secretary-general and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kofi Annan, describing him as "an icon and a source of pride for every African and lover of peace." "We deeply regret the departure of former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and extend our deepest condolences to his family and to the African and international community," foreign ministry spokesperson Abu Zeid said in a statement on Twitter. "[Annan] has left a mark for the causes of peace and development that will not be erased by the passage of time," Abu Zeid said. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has also expressed condolences to current UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres over the loss of Annan. The 80-year-old Ghanaian national died at a hospital in Bern, Switzerland early on Saturday, two of his close associates said. In Geneva, the Kofi Annan Foundation announced that he had died after a short illness, saying he was surrounded in his last days by his wife Nane and children Ama, Kojo and Nina. Annan served two terms as UN secretary-general from 1997 till 2006, retiring in Geneva and later living in a Swiss village. Annan and the United Nations shared the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize for efforts to reform the world body and give priority to human rights issues. Search Keywords: Short link: Trial at District Court : Revenge: Bonn man raided exs bank account Bonn It was a revenge campaign of an unusual kind, that a man from Bonn embarked on after his relationship with his girlfriend ended: Now he got the (quittance)sentence for that. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken It was a revenge campaign of an unusual kind, that a man from Bonn embarked on after his relationship with his girlfriend ended: Now he has got the punishment for that. The District Court sentenced him to ten months in jail. The 51-yer-old had not only raided the exs bank account with a fake signature, but he also subscribed to an online sex page with her bank details. He was accused of fraud, computer fraud and document fraud and now has got his comeuppance. He was sentenced to ten months in jail on probation. The accused had been convicted for fraud four times previously, said court spokesperson Gabriela Wester. But that didnt keep the Bonn man from committing more fraud to payback his ex-girlfriend. Despite being out on parole during the new crimes and having been released from jail only a few months previously, where he was imprisoned for breach of terms of probation. Nevertheless he faked his exs signatures on two bank transfer slips in May and June last year and remitted 1,000 and 1,500 Euro to his bank account. To escape notice he threw the forms in to the banks special letter box. The first transfer was done, but the second one did not go through: Somebody at the bank thought it was suspicious. The most perfidious coup he landed on June 8, 2017. He subscribed as man for certain hours with his profile picture on a sex contact page and signed up for a three-month contract for just under 90 Euro with her address and using her bank details. In October, he also signed a contract for mobile phone tracking in her name. The ex-girlfirend knew full well who was behind all this: The 51-year-old who couldnt handle that she didnt want a relationship with him anymore. She had some trouble because of him before, when he ordered stuff online with her her bank account details; even a debt collection company was after her to get overdue payments settled. In the course of revenge, the man even went so far as to disparage her at her employers. In court, the fraudster admitted everything sheepishly. He affirmed that he was sorry for what he had done and asked for forgiveness. When the court also imposed a payment of 1,000 Euro reparation to the victim, the 50-year-old woman had one request only: The court should not pass on her bank details for any repayment. Obviously she didnt trust the man and his apology at all. Original text: Rita Klein Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi extended on Saturday his condolences to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for the death of former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, according to a statement by presidency spokesperson Bassam Rady. "Annan's life represented an eventful and rich journey in which he made many vital contributions to achieving the goals of the UN," the statement said, adding that Annan played a vital role in furthering the causes of development and humanitarianism. Rady also said that El-Sisi extends his condolences to the international community and the African continent. The 80-year-old Ghanaian national Annan died at a hospital in Bern, Switzerland early on Saturday, two of his close associates said. Annan served two terms as UN secretary-general from 1997 till 2006, retiring in Geneva and later living in a Swiss village. Annan and the United Nations shared the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize for efforts to reform the world body and give priority to human rights issues. Search Keywords: Short link: Nigeria Is Better Off Without The Igbos - Babcock Varsity Staff Sparks Serious Argument Online kacylee at 18-08-2018 08:22 PM (3 years ago) (f) A Babcock University staff identified as Alaba Ajibola, is currently trending on social media after his rant against the Igbos of South-East Nigeria. A Babcock University staff identified as Alaba Ajibola, is currently trending on social media after his rant against the Igbos of South-East Nigeria. The Babcock University staff in a Facebook comment, stated that the Igbos should have been wiped out during the Biafran war. According to him, if this happened, Nigeria would have gone far off as the tribe is the most hated tribe in the world. Facebook user, Amara Nwoko who shared screenshots of the comment by the Babcock University staff, wrote; You see this fool.. This mad man who works with Babcock university.. Read what he said about the Igbos.. Coming to social media to say a whole nation should be wiped out because you hate them is the most crazy thing ever.. Youre happy the war happened and another will happen again.. Its high time we use this one to teach him you dont spill murder on every one.. He wants popularity and we surely will give him.. The life of Igbos in Babock university is seriously under threat as we speak and this is no joke.. #Babcockuniversity you must as a matter of urgency call this your staff who threatened to wipe out a whole tribe because he hates them.. He said theres a meeting going on to effect the extermination of igbos.. He should tell us what meeting exactly? This was how Hitler started in Germany, isis and other groups that have wasted lives of people.. Babcock university is a private university where you find students live in hostels.. Now, if someone with such bile is given to take care of students imagine the threat to life of students at #babcock University? if there are things we should never joke with is when someone comes up openly to threaten the life of another.. and even affirmed it again and again when told to stop.. Save the lives of students who hail from igbo land schooling at Babcock university today by calling out this tribal bigot who threatened that all igbos should be wiped out.. One of the screenshots below is babcock university hotlines and contact.. Every igbo on my list who loves our land and will not be glad to watch any of our children in that university die since a bile filled exterminator is one of their staff should call.. If you attend seven days Adventist.. Do us the favour and call them too.. This bigot and murderer in waiting shouldnt be let free like that This was how most killings started.. He said theres a meeting going on and it will happen soon.. He should tell us which.. The Babcock University staff in a Facebook comment, stated that the Igbos should have been wiped out during the Biafran war. According to him, if this happened, Nigeria would have gone far off as the tribe is the most hated tribe in the world.Facebook user, Amara Nwoko who shared screenshots of the comment by the Babcock University staff, wrote;You see this fool.. This mad man who works with Babcock university.. Read what he said about the Igbos..Coming to social media to say a whole nation should be wiped out because you hate them is the most crazy thing ever..Youre happy the war happened and another will happen again..Its high time we use this one to teach him you dont spill murder on every one..He wants popularity and we surely will give him..The life of Igbos in Babock university is seriously under threat as we speak and this is no joke.. #Babcockuniversity you must as a matter of urgency call this your staff who threatened to wipe out a whole tribe because he hates them..He said theres a meeting going on to effect the extermination of igbos.. He should tell us what meeting exactly? This was how Hitler started in Germany, isis and other groups that have wasted lives of people..Babcock university is a private university where you find students live in hostels.. Now, if someone with such bile is given to take care of students imagine the threat to life of students at #babcock University?if there are things we should never joke with is when someone comes up openly to threaten the life of another.. and even affirmed it again and again when told to stop..Save the lives of students who hail from igbo land schooling at Babcock university today by calling out this tribal bigot who threatened that all igbos should be wiped out..One of the screenshots below is babcock university hotlines and contact.. Every igbo on my list who loves our land and will not be glad to watch any of our children in that university die since a bile filled exterminator is one of their staff should call.. If you attend seven days Adventist.. Do us the favour and call them too.. This bigot and murderer in waiting shouldnt be let free like thatThis was how most killings started.. He said theres a meeting going on and it will happen soon.. He should tell us which.. Post Reply I have been reporting for several years now and I am very interested in visual news reportage with strong inclusion of photos and video multimedia. Posted: at 18-08-2018 08:22 PM (3 years ago) | Addicted Hero kaposky at 18-08-2018 08:36 PM (3 years ago) (m) OVER DOSE OF HARD DRUGS WORRYING THIS BASTARD, NA SO MADNESS DEY START Posted: at 18-08-2018 08:36 PM (3 years ago) | Gistmaniac OVER DOSE OF HARD DRUGS WORRYING THIS BASTARD, NA SO MADNESS DEY START Reply desmedu at 18-08-2018 08:41 PM (3 years ago) (m) Please my people I beg of u to not lose sleep over a nobody, I thank God we are the problem of a zoo, settled then, how is one ur problem and that same person begged, pleaded and still plead with you to let him go, yet u still cling to a problem, which man with his right senses do that. Well, all I want to tell the senseless fool (ajibola) and his fellow fools is that u can never do away with the Lord's chosen race, go ask those trying it with the Israelis. God bless the land of the rising sun Posted: at 18-08-2018 08:41 PM (3 years ago) | Newbie Please my people I beg of u to not lose sleep over a nobody, I thank God we are the problem of a zoo, settled then, how is one ur problem and that same person begged, pleaded and still plead with you to let him go, yet u still cling to a problem, which man with his right senses do that. Well, all I want to tell the senseless fool (ajibola) and his fellow fools is that u can never do away with the Lord's chosen race, go ask those trying it with the Israelis. God bless the land of the rising sun Reply deboalabi262 at 18-08-2018 09:11 PM (3 years ago) (m) That is democracy fro you. Everyone can vomit any shit whatsoever.... Who Jah Blessed, No Man Cursed...... Posted: at 18-08-2018 09:11 PM (3 years ago) | Hero That is democracy fro you. Everyone can vomit any shit whatsoever.... Reply crocatum at 18-08-2018 10:39 PM (3 years ago) (m) I strongly DISAGREE, everyone is highly Relevant, in their ways and patterns. Posted: at 18-08-2018 10:39 PM (3 years ago) | Gistmaniac I strongly DISAGREE, everyone is highly Relevant, in their ways and patterns. Reply crocatum at 18-08-2018 10:44 PM (3 years ago) (m) The leader just has to know how to make the best of people. Posted: at 18-08-2018 10:44 PM (3 years ago) | Gistmaniac The leader just has to know how to make the best of people. Reply mackojacko at 18-08-2018 11:47 PM (3 years ago) (m) My apology to the ibo Race,that Guy Ajibola must be under drug influence, what he said doesn't meet up with Yoruba culture nor tradition,.. Just forgive and forget,he's a nonentity...Yoruba people earnestly says sorry to entire Ibos home and abroad. Posted: at 18-08-2018 11:47 PM (3 years ago) | Newbie My apology to the ibo Race,that Guy Ajibola must be under drug influence, what he said doesn't meet up with Yoruba culture nor tradition,.. Just forgive and forget,he's a nonentity...Yoruba people earnestly says sorry to entire Ibos home and abroad. Reply slimber at 19-08-2018 12:11 AM (3 years ago) (f) Hmmmmm okooo Posted: at 19-08-2018 12:11 AM (3 years ago) | Hero Hmmmmm okooo Reply dopygenius at 19-08-2018 12:26 AM (3 years ago) (m) A wasted soul. Posted: at 19-08-2018 12:26 AM (3 years ago) | Gistmaniac A wasted soul. Reply Bebold at 19-08-2018 12:32 AM (3 years ago) (m) Quote from: mackojacko on 18-08-2018 11:47 PM My apology to the ibo Race,that Guy Ajibola must be under drug influence, what he said doesn't meet up with Yoruba culture nor tradition,.. Just forgive and forget,he's a nonentity...Yoruba people earnestly says sorry to entire Ibos home and abroad. You are a human with heart of flesh still intact as you feel for others so shall your ways be felt by many, good comment Posted: at 19-08-2018 12:32 AM (3 years ago) | Gistmaniac You are a human with heart of flesh still intact as you feel for others so shall your ways be felt by many, good comment Reply warribimboye at 19-08-2018 05:05 AM (3 years ago) (m) This dey under d influence of tramadol Posted: at 19-08-2018 05:05 AM (3 years ago) | Upcoming This dey under d influence of tramadol Reply Deprince3 at 19-08-2018 06:57 AM (3 years ago) (m) Quote from: deboalabi262 on 18-08-2018 09:11 PM That is democracy fro you. Everyone can vomit any shit whatsoever.... This no democracy this a direct threat to people's lives and should be treated as such.. Is very unfortunate that this clown is coming from Babcock where quite number of Igbo worshipers contributed their hard earned money to built. Posted: at 19-08-2018 06:57 AM (3 years ago) | Upcoming This no democracy this a direct threat to people's lives and should be treated as such.. Is very unfortunate that this clown is coming from Babcock where quite number of Igbo worshipers contributed their hard earned money to built. Reply Haso112 at 19-08-2018 08:04 AM (3 years ago) (m) AND THIS MOFO STILL HAS A JOB AFTER THIS WENT VIRAL? THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT THAT UNIVERSITY.... Posted: at 19-08-2018 08:04 AM (3 years ago) | Gistmaniac AND THIS MOFO STILL HAS A JOB AFTER THIS WENT VIRAL? THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT THAT UNIVERSITY.... Reply Wazubia at 19-08-2018 08:55 AM (3 years ago) (m) YORUBA IDIOT TRYING TO GET SMALL POPULARITY. SMELLING BASTARD. Posted: at 19-08-2018 08:55 AM (3 years ago) | Gistmaniac YORUBA IDIOT TRYING TO GET SMALL POPULARITY.SMELLING BASTARD. Reply uuuuuuuu at 19-08-2018 02:19 PM (3 years ago) (m) HE SIAD THE TRUTH BUT MY PEOPLE WE SHOULD NOT TAKE THIS WORD EASY LOOK FOR THE GUY AND PUT HIM WHERE HE BELONG SO THAT ANOTHER PERSON WILL NOT COME OUT IN THE NAME OF CLEMING POPULARTY Posted: at 19-08-2018 02:19 PM (3 years ago) | Upcoming HE SIAD THE TRUTH BUT MY PEOPLE WE SHOULD NOT TAKE THIS WORD EASY LOOK FOR THE GUY AND PUT HIM WHERE HE BELONG SO THAT ANOTHER PERSON WILL NOT COME OUT IN THE NAME OF CLEMING POPULARTY Reply uuuuuuuu at 19-08-2018 02:20 PM (3 years ago) (m) HE SIAD THE TRUTH BUT MY PEOPLE WE SHOULD NOT TAKE THIS WORD EASY LOOK FOR THE GUY AND PUT HIM WHERE HE BELONG SO THAT ANOTHER PERSON WILL NOT COME OUT IN THE NAME OF CLEMING POPULARTY Posted: at 19-08-2018 02:20 PM (3 years ago) | Upcoming HE SIAD THE TRUTH BUT MY PEOPLE WE SHOULD NOT TAKE THIS WORD EASY LOOK FOR THE GUY AND PUT HIM WHERE HE BELONG SO THAT ANOTHER PERSON WILL NOT COME OUT IN THE NAME OF CLEMING POPULARTY Reply fineboy77 at 19-08-2018 02:49 PM (3 years ago) (m) Quote from: uuuuuuuu on 19-08-2018 02:19 PM HE SIAD THE TRUTH BUT MY PEOPLE WE SHOULD NOT TAKE THIS WORD EASY LOOK FOR THE GUY AND PUT HIM WHERE HE BELONG SO THAT ANOTHER PERSON WILL NOT COME OUT IN THE NAME OF CLEMING POPULARTY He said what truth exactly?,you need your head examined. What is the color beneath your skin? Posted: at 19-08-2018 02:49 PM (3 years ago) | Hero He said what truth exactly?,you need your head examined. Reply fineboy77 at 19-08-2018 02:52 PM (3 years ago) (m) Quote from: Haso112 on 19-08-2018 08:04 AM AND THIS MOFO STILL HAS A JOB AFTER THIS WENT VIRAL? THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT THAT UNIVERSITY.... We always fight in our own little ways here,but when someone takes it to this extent,then his actions and words demands a denunciation from the Yoruba people. Unless we are to assume that he is giving us a piece of the collective Yoruba mind against the Igbos,because he also mentioned of a meting going on. What is the color beneath your skin? Posted: at 19-08-2018 02:52 PM (3 years ago) | Hero We always fight in our own little ways here,but when someone takes it to this extent,then his actions and words demands a denunciation from the Yoruba people. Unless we are to assume that he is giving us a piece of the collective Yoruba mind against the Igbos,because he also mentioned of a meting going on. Reply SweetDaddy1 at 19-08-2018 06:06 PM (3 years ago) (m) Maybe one Igbo man took your girlfriend or scam your life savings, you now hate all Igbos and wants them wipe out. If you hate all Igbos so much and don't like to see them, you should drink rat poison to cure your hatred sickness. Posted: at 19-08-2018 06:06 PM (3 years ago) | Gistmaniac Reply Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi ratified on Saturday a 45-article law combating extremist and terrorist organisations using the internet to carry out terrorist attacks. Law 175 in the year 2018, titled "Anti-Cyber and Information Technology Crimes," was published on Saturday by the official Egyptian Gazette. It prohibits "the dissemination of information on the movements of the army or police, the promotion of the ideas of terrorist organisations." The law's first chapter on penalties, from article 14 to 22, covers crimes of hacking information systems. Article 20 imposes a fine ranging from EGP 50,000 to EGP 200,000 and a two-year prison sentence on individuals convicted of hacking state information systems. The second chapter, from article 24 to 25, tackles crimes committed via information systems and technologies, and crimes related to emails. Those found guilty of creating an email, a private account or a website using the name of another person or institution can be sentenced to three months in prison and fined between EGP 10,000 and EGP 30,000. According to artical 7 of the new law, websites that publish material posing a threat to the country's security or economy can be blocked through a judicial process. The newly passed law was originally approved by the Egyptian parliament in May 2018. Search Keywords: Short link: Cyprus handed over to Egypt on Saturday Seif El-Din Mostafa who had hijacked domestic EgyptAir flight in 2016, said the Egyptian prosecution office. "A security mission from the Egyptian INTERPOL Police Department traveled to the Cypriot capital of Nicosia and received the suspect to extradite him to Cairo," the statement read. Mostafa is accused of hijacking an Egyptian domestic airliner en route from Alexandria to Cairo, brandishing what appeared to be an explosives belt before forcing the pilot to divert the flight to Cyprus. Egyptian Prosecutor Nabil Sadek ordered a probe into the incident, the statement added. The suspect was arrested and being held in Cyprus for the past two years. According to the prosecution statement, Egyptian authorities have filed a legal request for the extradition of the suspect from Cyprus. The Supreme Court of Cyprus accepted the request to extradite the Egyptian-national suspect. No passengers were injured in the incident and Cypriot police later said the belt used by the suspect was a fake. The Egyptian prosecutors extradition request cited an Egyptian-Cypriot 1996 agreement of extradition of criminals between the two countries along with other international treaties. Cypriot officials described Mustafa as "psychologically unstable" following a bizarre set of demands he made to police negotiators, including what Lambrianou said was a letter he wanted delivered to his Cypriot ex-wife in which he demanded the release of 63 dissident women imprisoned in Egypt. Search Keywords: Short link: In the race to win Amazon's second headquarters, states and localities have revealed just how far they are willing to go to win the online retailer's business. And it may be resulting in bigger-than-necessary payouts to Amazon.According to the latest data available from Good Jobs First, which tracks tax incentives, state and local governments have already promised a minimum of $1.6 billion in corporate subsidies to Amazon since 2000. The companys HQ2 search could easily double that amount. Arlington, Texas, was prepared to offer nearly $1 billion in state and local subsidies, while Atlanta and Columbus, Ohio, are reportedly offering more than $2 billion.This is basically Amazon's way of gathering a lot of information for free in a short amount of time and understanding the incentives those localities are willing to offer, says Kasia Tarczynska, who curates the data on Amazon for Good Jobs First.Take the Birmingham, Ala., metro area. It was one of hundreds that bid for Amazons HQ2 and didnt make the short list released in January. But just weeks ago, Amazon announced it would open a new distribution center there -- the first in the state -- and create 1,500 jobs. For doing so, the company will receive $51 million in state, county and local tax incentives, on top of an unspecified amount in local occupational tax incentives.The deal was hailed by regional leaders as a huge win. Whenever a company of Amazons panache enters a community, things improve, Jefferson County Commissioner David Carrington said in a press statement.But some have begun to question the price tag. Standing out in stark contrast to the deal in Alabama is one made just weeks before for a similarly sized distribution center in Tulsa, Okla., that will also create 1,500 jobs. That deal cost Tulsa just $2.3 million in reported local subsidies.Noting that Birmingham is the nations largest metro area without an Amazon distribution center, local businessman and former chair of the region's Chamber of Commerce David Sher questioned whether the giveaway was necessary. Birminghams the largest metro in the state, he wrote in an op-ed for the local newspaper. Did anyone think Amazon was just going [to] skip us?Furthermore, an analysis of tax incentive deals for similar-sized warehouses by thefound that the incentives awarded for the Amazon facility were far higher than the norm. Most other deals ranged from $5 million to $19 million, with the highest coming from Fresno, Calif., for $30 million.The wide range in offers between Birmingham and Tulsa reflects a larger disparity: Good Jobs Firsts Amazon database shows a huge variance in reported subsidies -- from $50,000 for a distribution center in Taylor County, Ky., to multimillion-dollar deals for facilities in Maryland, Michigan and Ohio, to name a few.Amazon isn't the only large company to benefit from Alabama's largesse . In recent years, the state has promised nearly $1 billion to Mazda and Toyota to build a car plant, and roughly half a billion to the pharmaceutical company Bayer for renovating and restoring a historic building in Birmingham.By comparison, Oklahomas major tax subsidies dont top $200 million on any reported deal. (TNS) Aurora officials are considering allowing informational kiosks throughout downtown that would operate on a smart media platform.The kiosks would carry public information, as well as private advertising, and would include a download on smartphones that would alert those with the app when they walk near a business that it advertises.City officials are proposing a deal with Smart City Media, of New York, in which the company would pay for installation and operation of the kiosks, with the city collecting some revenue for allowing them on public right-of-way.So the city doesnt have any financial responsibility, said Andrew Feuerborn, data and analytics director of the citys Information Technology Department. The city allows the locations so it gets some revenue. Overall, its a project to install kiosks for the public to interact with.The proposal came from the Mayors Office, and Mayor Richard Irvin has asked the council to expedite the process. He and other city officials started looking at the kiosks after attending technology conferences and getting a personal tour of similar kiosks in Kansas City.While aldermen on the Finance Committee this week seemed to like the concept, they declined to recommend it, largely because city officials did not have a specific contract to present. Feuerborn said that contract still is being negotiated.Officials could not even say how much money the city would get, although officials are asking for 25 percent of the advertising revenue. Feuerborn said city officials also are willing to give Smart City as much as a 10-year contract, in exchange for the company spending all the upfront money to install the kiosks.Aldermen held over consideration of the contract until a special Finance Committee meeting scheduled for 3 p.m. Aug. 21 in the 5th Floor conference room at City Hall, 44 E. Downer Place.Another reason aldermen wanted to wait to vote on the contract was to get more detailed information about Smart City Media. Aurora Chief Financial Officer Martin Lyons said the city researched Smart City and found them to be a Top 4 recommended company from an independent research firm.But Ald. Richard Mervine, 8th Ward, likened the situation to about 10 years ago, when the city entered into a deal with a company to build free Wi-Fi across the city. Mervine said while the concept was good, the companys model was flawed, and the city was left to clean up the infrastructure left behind.I really like this package; weve been talking about wayfinding downtown, and this fits in with that, Mervine said. The key here for me is that we want to make sure if it does fail, somebody can bring it back to square one.The sites city officials are looking at downtown include: the Transportation Center on North Broadway; the Water Street Mall in front of City Hall; the Development Services Center; RiverEdge Park; the Aurora Arts Center; and the Paramount Theatre. The one location outside downtown is the Route 59 Metra station.Officials said those locations have been suggested to Smart City. The company will check out the sites on a visit to the city, Aurora officials said.The locations have been factored in so theyre at the highest visibility locations, said Alex Alexandrou, the citys chief management officer. We really believe weve done the legwork.The spot on the Water Street Mall in front of City Hall is on a slab of dark concrete that was included in the malls renovations for just such a situation. The concrete is only two inches thick, and all the city connections, from electric to fiber to water, are underneath it. That way, it can be easily broken through for connections. (TNS) Within a year, 6-foot-tall smartphone-looking kiosks could start popping up around St. Louis.Theyd offer free Wi-Fi, directions to local businesses and attractions, public transit maps and emergency alert functions to pedestrians who pass by on the sidewalk. The kiosks, which are being adopted by other cities, could even measure air pollution and traffic.St. Louiss new and first chief technology officer, Robert Gaskill-Clemons, who was hired by Mayor Lyda Krewsons administration in March from the state of Washington, is spearheading the project. He described the devices as similar to smartphones, with touchscreen apps that let pedestrians quickly find the information they want .The St. Louis Development Corp., the citys economic development arm, will issue the request for proposals to select a smart kiosk and appoint a selection committee to evaluate the proposals.Gaskill-Clemons told their board Thursday that the initiative should not cost the city anything. The companies that provide the kiosks make their money selling advertising, but they do ask for long-term contracts, he said.Its one heck of an opportunity to start putting smart-city technology in front of the citizens of St. Louis, Gaskill-Clemons said.The kiosks have been adopted in big cities including New York and smaller ones, including Newport, Ky., a Cincinnati suburb. Gaskill-Clemons said he hopes to begin piloting the devices in some neighborhoods within the next four to six months and expand them after that.A contract with a provider will ensure they remove the devices should they not work, Gaskill-Clemons said, so the city doesnt get stuck with them if they dont perform as anticipated.Neighborhood organizations such as Downtown STL Inc. and those near Tower Grove Park have expressed huge desire for the smart kiosks, Gaskill-Clemons said. His project is an effort to get in front of the move to the technology and provide a city solution instead of individualized smart kiosks from different groups. Sport India and New Zealand look to keep semi-finals hopes alive with win in crucial T20 WC game Both New Zealand and India were defeated by Pakistan, which has put their semi-final chances in peril. India and New Zealand are paired with Afghanistan, Namibia and Scotland along with Pakistan. Pakistan, who have won all their three matches, are almost certain to play in the semis. The three other teams in the group are underdogs, two of them are not even Full Members. New leaked emails from the inbox of Egyptian-Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy indicate that Peter Greste, his former Australian colleague and cellmate, is preparing to sue the journalists former employer: the Qatari-based Al Jazeera Media Network. The two award-winning journalists were wrongfully convicted in Egypt in 2014 for fabricating news and belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood group, which the Egyptian government has designated as a terrorist organization. Many journalists and organizations dedicated to press freedoms considered the trialwhere the journalists received sentences of seven years eacha travesty of justice. Both journalists had been openly critical of Egypts clampdown on the press and the security sweep that left thousands of dissidents and many local journalists jailed in the aftermath of Egypts revolution and subsequent changes in government. From the outset, many analysts and prominent journalists said that the case likely had little to do with the work of the journalists themselves, and instead served as a manifestation of the vicious ongoing dispute between the current Egyptian government and the state of Qatar, which owns Al Jazeera and has been a major funder and backer of his Islamist nemesis the Muslim Brotherhood group designated as terrorists in Egypt, Russia, Syria, Bahrain, Saudi Arabic and the United Arab Emirates. Egypt has since increased its pressure on Qatar by boycotting the country directly as one of the quartet of Arab states to do so in June 2017. The Saudi-led coalition alleged that Qatar supported and financed terrorist groups like Al Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood, listing demands in order to end the ongoing blockade that included including ending support for terrorism, but also included shutting down the state-funded Al Jazeera media network, in part because of their hosting of several leaders of terrorist groups on its programs, including Yusuf al-Qaradawi an Egyptian Islamic theologian based in Doha, Qatar who once had his own program on Al Jazeera Arabic and endorsed suicide bombings on live television. Abu Muhammad al-Golani., the leader of Al Nusra Front, the former affiliate of Al Qaeda in Syria was interviewed and praised twice on Al Jazeera too. Israel followed shortly with similar demands for the closure of Al Jazeera, and a number of other countries withdrew or downgraded diplomatic ties as well. Consequently, the trial of Fahmy and Greste represent one of the first steps in an ever-larger interest in the region to shutting down Al Jazeera. Initially, however, Fahmy and Greste had diverging paths in managing their defense cases with respect to their former employer. Fahmy openly criticized Al Jazeera during the trial, refusing the legal counsel the network hired, and turned against his employer after he gathered information in prison from students affiliated with the Brotherhood who detailed their longtime relationship with Al Jazeera, which resulted in the prosecution adding them to the charge sheetwith the journalists---a case dubbed as the Marriott Cell by the Egyptian general prosecutor. These students, charged in the same trial, confessed to the prosecution that some of them had received funds for Al Jazeera video content they had filmed. Moreover, the interrogation transcripts indicated that the network had systematically cooperated with members of the group to work for them across Egyptinformation Fahmy obtained and read for the first time while he was held in prison during his trial. In contrast, Greste had been deported to Australia in January 2015, remaining on trial in absentia but physically outside of the Egyptian judicial system. Grestes Australian citizenship allowed him freedom of movement, whereas Fahmy was released from prison, but put on a retrial and was banned from travelling outside of Egypt. While Fahmy was ultimately pardoned after his first conviction and allowed to return to Canada in September 2015, when prominent British human rights lawyer Amal Clooney took on his case. The lawyer has criticized the Egyptian judiciary, describing it as a tool of repression, but also released a statement criticizing the Qatari channel: Al Jazeera should also respect the spirit of the Riyadh Agreement, which requires that parties should not foment hatred between groups but rather work openly and cooperatively with each other in a spirit of reconciliation. In May 2015, flanked by his Canadian lawyers, Fahmy announced in a press conference in Cairo that he had filed a lawsuit in the British Columbia Supreme Court against Al Jazeera demanding the network pay $100 million in punitive and remedial damages for its negligence which he believes had contributed to his conviction. Al Jazeera has challenged the jurisdiction of the Canadian courts over the case and has called for the litigation to take place in Qatar instead. In response, prominent legal experts, including former Justice Minister Najeeb Al Nuaimi, have submitted opinions that the Qatari courts are not independent and cannot adjudicate the case on a neutral basis. Al Nuaimi himself is currently banned from leaving Qatar by the countrys Attorney General for unspecified reasons. Developments Via Email Both Fahmy and Greste have written books about their remarkable experiences during this period and continue to advocate for press freedom worldwide. Yet until recently, it was unconfirmed whether or not Greste shared Fahmys views that their former employer should be held legally responsible for their arrest and detention. Fahmys hacked emailswhich he alleges Qatar obtained illegallyreveal that last June, Greste and his legal team in Australia acquired electronic files from Fahmys lawyers containing documents, witness statements, affidavits, and related material that had been prepared for the lawsuit submitted in Canada. The agreement signed by both journalists and their respected legal representatives for the transfer of the files states that Greste will use the material in any matter his legal counsel sees fit to assist in preparation of the legal proceedings or dispute resolution with the Al Jazeera Media Network. In a phone interview, Fahmy blamed Qatar and Al Jazeera for the hacks and explained how they had used advanced phishing techniques to access his emailan illegal breach of privacy whose process he vividly describes in his column in the Toronto Star. Fahmy explained to the author that, They hacked my email in 2016 and in 2017 and unfairly saw the affidavits written by witnesses supporting my casea crime I reported to the RCMP and added to the lawsuit against Al Jazeera. Fahmy added that Greste had agreed with Fahmy that Al Jazeera had committed a trend of grave systematic violations and breaches of the law, while keeping its reporters in the dark during their initial shared stay in an Egyptian cell in 2013. Nevertheless, Greste only recently chose to obtain legal counsel and has been silent about potential court proceedings, in contrast to Fahmy. Fahmy states: My former cellmate Greste is a highly ethical journalist and a pacifist by nature who chose to stay silent on Al Jazeeras horrific atrocities, thinking the network would compensate him if he asks politelyas he did several times. But Al Jazeeras management didnt care when they deployed him to Cairo and dont care now. They basically lied to him and everyone in that office at the time of the deployment about their illegal status in Cairo, the unethical and illegal newsgathering operation the Arabic arm had set-up with Brotherhood agents on the ground, and they ran [Grestes] video packages with Arabic voice-overs illegally on the Arabic channel. Grestes decision to move forward with legal proceedings would add to increasing legal action against the Qatari channel, both privately and at the state level. Most recently, Al Jazeera has been under hearings in the United States after a group of lawmakers called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to investigate how the news outlet is connected to the Qatari government. The current court case is reviewing whether Al Jazeera should register with the Justice Department a foreign agent under the Foreign Registration ACT (FARA). All of these allegations, along with the broader regional state boycott of the channel, are predicated on the claim that the Qatari government controls the direction of Al Jazeeras editorial line, and that the widely read news organization is its sponsored mouthpiece and foreign policy tool. 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe On Tuesday evening, Minister of Emigration and Egyptian Expatriate Affairs Nabila Makram attended the play Selfie Maa Al-Mout (A Selfie with Death) at Miami Theatre on Talaat Harb Street in Downtown Cairo. The play is produced by the Comedy Theatre Company and is written by and stars TV actress Nashwa Mustafa, who is back on stage after many years of absence. Also present was theatre company director Ahmed El-Sayed as well as a number of artists and media personalities. Minister Makram praised the quality of the show and its production values. She also applauded the brilliant performance by Mustafa, saying that she mastered the role. Makram also called for the show to tour Egypt's governorates in the near future, as it discusses a number of critical issues of importance to Egyptian citizens as well as challenges facing the country. The play has music composed by Khaled Dagher, decor by Ahmed Hashish, costume design by Dina Fathi, lighting by Abu Bakr El-Sherif, and is directed by Mohamed Allam. It is currently showing at Miami Theatre at 8pm every day except on Saturdays and Tuesdays. Search Keywords: Short link: Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. 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For the second time this year, police union officials have gone to the Board of Selectmen asking for the project to be moved along quicker. Lanesborough Ups Urgency In Police Station Renovations LANESBOROUGH, Mass. Selectman Robert Ericson has missed the deadline given to him to complete the third phase of renovations at the police station. The retired engineer took on the project after touring it in 2014. He is part of the town's energy committee and has headed efforts with the Green Community Act. In late 2014 the town approved the installation of a new boiler system for the poorly heated 1880 building. But it needed a lot more than a heating system and with Green Community Act grant money in hand, Ericson developed a plan to fully renovate the interior. Renovations to the Police Station were estimated to cost $100,000 and Ericson decided he could save the town a lot of money if he did the work himself. A storage unit was brought onto the property and police spent a day moving all of the records the department legally has to keep to the unit outside. In the southern end of the building, a new boiler was installed and Ericson, now in his 70s, insulated and built new walls behind it. That room also features an evidence storage area and lockers. The lockers were moved to what had been the garage. And Ericson has gotten to work on insulating that room. He plans to transform the former garage space into a usable area for the officer by framing and drywalling the existing concrete shell. He's replaced the garage door with a regular-sized door through which officers can bring detainees in for booking and questioning and he plans to build a new and more private interview room. In the next room over, he plans to renovate the officers' space, and in the fourth phase, the main entrance with a new public entryway, and a re-positioned and ADA-compliant bathroom. The chief's office will also have to be reconfigured somewhat. But in Phase 1, there wasn't a secure location for the evidence locker. So he couldn't move that until a secure space was available in other sections of the building. In the second section, he plans to connect the furnace to baseboard heating for the former garage area. To do so, he had to move the lockers into the unfinished boiler room area in Phase 1 and start working on Phase 2. Currently, most of the insulation work in Phase 2 has been completed. The new floors, however, are only partially built. Ericson said he has to lay down a few more 2-by-3s on top of the concrete floor, insulate, and then seal up with plywood. Then he can build out the interview room, connect the electricity and heat, and be able to move the contents of the area eyed for Phase 3 there to be able to work on that phase and circle back to the first phase. It is a project Ericson has taken pride in. The station was originally built by volunteers and Ericson sees his time and effort to continue that tradition as a way to give back to the community. But Massachusetts Coalition of Police Local 390, the Lanesborough Police Officers Association, is growing impatient and questions if Ericson alone can handle the amount of work that needs to be done. The union has voiced concerns about the condition of the station for years. It filed a complaint a few years back about air quality and mold that was somewhat rectified by the installation of an air purification system. Earlier this year, the union officials sent a letter to the board saying there are holes in the walls that officers have stuffed with towels to keep out the cold and that the smell of mold has returned despite the air purification system. There are few electrical outlets and power is strung together by way of power strips, they said, and there is exposed wiring and malfunctioning smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. A story one union members likes to repeat is that criminals comment on how disgusting and outdated the station is. The union says the station is "unsafe and unprofessional." Earlier this year, the union again sent a letter to town officials saying that while Ericson's work is appreciated, it questioned whether he had taken on too much of a project. The $20,000 Ericson had in Green Communities money allocated for the project is a third less than what the union's own engineer estimated for that amount of work. Ericson explained at that time that the project had gotten off to a slow start when he was securing money, getting an architect to sign off on the plans, and getting accounts set up to purchase material. He recruited Joe Trybus to help him out and Ericson said the project should move along more quickly. He said he'd be able to complete all of the first three phases by Aug. 1. On Monday, Town Manager Kelli Robbins received another letter from the union. "The deadline has passed by almost two weeks and not only is Phase 3 not done but Phase 2 has been not been met nor has been close to completion. It should be noted that Phase 1 hasn't been completed either. The union is concerned is that the construction timeline is unreasonable and unable to be met but the current manpower," the letter reads. "The officers represented by the union continue to work in an unsafe and unprofessional environment." The officers have been walking through what appears to be a construction zone to get to and from their lockers and the evidence closet for months now. The union is asking for that work to be expedited. Robbins has raised another concern -- money. She said the Green Community funds will only pay for the weatherization aspects. There is no additional money in the budget allocated for the project and materials for flooring, door locks, ventilation and a dumpster to get rid of old construction material, and the work of electricians to add outlet strips and plumbers are likely also outside of the scope of the grant. "We don't have any money allocated for it. There is nothing in the budget to cover the cost of the project the way it is currently scheduled. That's an issue with the way the project is currently going," Robbins said. Police Chief Timothy Sorrell added that a department credit card has been charged $175 a month for the storage unit since the records were moved in June 2017. But he doesn't have that money in his budget. He's been submitting the invoices to the treasurer's office but he doesn't know what budget the money for that unit is coming from. Time is running short because soon enough the building will need to be heated and the new boiler isn't set up. The Selectmen have now given Ericson another deadline and are calling in for some additional help. The board is leaning on what has become its go-to in recent years, the Highway Department. The Selectmen will be asking the department to have one of its guys help Ericson get the insulation portion of the project completed by Sept. 21. "These guys shouldn't have to keep dealing with this. It should have been finished," Chairman John Goerlach said. One of the problems has been that fixing one problem has often led to exposing another so the scope grows as the project moves along. Union President Ben Garner characterized it as "an onion of issues" and questions the ability for one person to tackle it all. Ericson gave an example of how he purchased a nail gun for the project only to find the concrete was so close that the nails fish hooked. He had get a hammer drill and that added time to the project. He added that the condition of the building reflects poorly on the department and the town. Union officials on Monday agreed to the new timeline. Ericson conceded he could use some help but that the small space limits the number of people who can work there. Trybus had helped out at least once but the pair had scheduling conflicts limiting the time he was able to be on site. Ericson said he thought he'd be able to recruit more help from townspeople on the project. "I've been trying to do it on the cheap because I am a volunteer and I am not trying to add to the budget woes on the town. I am dismayed additional people haven't come forward to help," Ericson said. The other selectmen, however, were also concerned about the liability of bringing in volunteers. The other board members were OK with Trybus because he is a contractor with experience and his own liability insurance. But other volunteers could put the town at risk. The Selectmen will be reaching out to Trybus again and sending a Highway Department worker to help Ericson finish the first three phases and at that point, the board is asking Ericson to put a halt on the project until a funding source for the rest is figured out. "We really can't go forward without money," Goerlach said. Following the union's February letter, state Sen. Adam Hinds took a tour of the building and agreed that it was in bad shape. He is supportive of helping the town find funding for either a new station or for a full renovation. Sorrell said there is town land right next to the current station where a new facility could be constructed. Hinds' interest nearly put a halt on Ericson's work as the Selectmen worried that the $20,000 worth of effort could all be for nothing if a new station was going to be constructed, but ultimately decided that no matter what that building will still serve a role in Lanesborough and needed repairs. Goerlach is suggesting the town get more serious in working with the state and federal partners to find funding. Sorrell said the department has been looking for grant funds to supplement the work but have come up short. The chief said there is a possibility of a low-interest loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture but that will also need upfront money from the town for design and engineering work. Sorrell is now looking to reach out to Patrick Carnevale, who heads Gov. Charlie Baker's Western Massachusetts office, and representatives from U.S. Rep. Richard Neal's office to talk about funding. Town officials, and so does the union, recognize that Ericson has the best intentions with the project but also feel he could use some help and money before patience runs out and the union takes its concerns to a higher level. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Businessman Terlok Singh was found dead Aug. 16 morning at the Park Deli and Grocery in East Orange, New Jersey, which he owned. The Essex County, New Jersey Prosecutors office is investigating the case and is calling it a homicide. (Twitter/unattributed family photo) It is a great honor for us to host the Congress for the first time in Moscow. The Congress will gather over one thousand professionals and academics from all over the world to exchange knowledge and experience, to present the results of scientific research and to discuss innovations in the mining industry. Top universities specializing in mineral processing, all biggest mining companies, the major leading providers of services and technologies will participate in the Congress. The International Mineral Processing Congress has been in existence now for more than sixty years. The very first congress was held in September 1952 in London, and with 39 technical papers and 332 delegates, it was indeed an impressive beginning of a series of ever growing congresses. The IMPC has been a major driving force for the promotion of scientific and technical knowledge in mineral processing and extractive metallurgy worldwide. It is the most prestigious event in the field of mineral processing in the world today. The congress has been truly international with delegates from all parts of the world deliberating on issues facing the mining and minerals processing industry globally. We are very pleased to welcome you to attend and we are sure you will enjoy the Congress from both scientific and social points of view. Looking forward to meeting you in Moscow! 16 18 September, 2018 Business program and Exhibition 17 20 September, 2018 Scientific program 20 21 September, 2018 Cultural and Technical tours August 17, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - An investigative journalist explained on MSNBCs Morning Joe that President Donald Trumps real estate business was essentially a money laundering front. Craig Unger alleges in his new book, House of Trump, House of Putin, that the president had been compromised by Russian intelligence for years through his ties to mobsters who pumped money into his familys real estate empire. I go back nearly 40 years, and I see essentially the greatest intelligence operation of our times, Unger said. It started off in 1984 with a man who has ties to the Russian mafia, and he meets with Donald Trump in the Trump Tower, the supreme moment of Donald Trump becoming a master of real estate in the United States and what we end up seeing is Trump Tower become sort of a cathedral of money laundering. That mob associate paid $6 million in cash for five condominiums, and Unger tracked hundreds of similar transactions over the following three decades. That sets off a pattern that goes on for the next 30 years or so, in which over 1,300 condos are sold in what appears to be money laundering, Unger said. They have two characteristics. One, they are all cash purchases. Two, they are shell purchases, theyre anonymous purchases. The records dont show who the true owners are. Unger said the illegal transactions had made Trump an asset of the Russian government and its president, Vladimir Putin a former KGB operative because he said there was no meaningful difference between the countrys organized crime network and its intelligence agencies. I cant get inside Donald Trumps mind, but hes meeting with this guy, Unger said. We know there are about 1,300 other operations in which hes profiting heavily from that. If he can go through that and doesnt figure that out, hes either inexplicably stupid or there is a legal concept of willful blindness, and perhaps thats whats going on. Home Search ICH The Goal of Propaganda is a Population that Polices Itself... ... or why the attacks on Jeremy Corbyn are not what they seem By MarkGB August 17, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Propaganda has reached its zenith when each member of the target population thinks the same; when they are afraid to think differently. At this point leadership may commit whatever atrocities it sees fitin the certainty that the population will either not see it, or will view the expression of criticism as a more heinous crime than the act being observed. This is achieved through cementing a false equivalence in the mind of the group. Such a false equivalence is being cemented in the UK right now the idea that criticism of Israels persecution of Palestinians is an act of anti-Semitism. The propagandist seeks to bend the group mind. Thoughts and actions consistent with the narrative are deemed to be socially acceptable & politically correctones that challenge it are regarded as socially UN-acceptable & politically IN-correct. Overtime this is reinforced through a dynamic that exists within every human grouping, and many species of mammal fear of disapproval. Ergo, the propagandist is employing a form of crowd control. When the fear of disapproval becomes so strong that ones sense of belonging, or even physical survival, depend on adherence to the narrativewhen failure to comply with it attracts immediate rebuke from other members of the groupthen the population can be said to be policing itself. That is how cults function, and more frequently than you might imagineits how intelligence agencies and other governmental figures attempt to work through the media. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter This is what Orwell warned of in the dystopia of 1984. The Party had achieved what we might call a maintenance state for the narrative society was policing itself. For example, in Oceania, children were taught to report their parents to the Thought Police if they demonstrated any sign of disloyalty to The Party. Disloyalty was considered a thought crime: Actions are held to be good or bad, not on their own merits, but according to who does them. There is almost no kind of outrage torture, imprisonment without trial, assassination, the bombing of civilians which does not change its moral colour when it is committed by our side. The nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them George Orwell, 1984 This process is happening now. The false equivalence of criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism is being inculcated into society in general, into the Labour Party in particular, and in its sharpest manifestation, into the smear campaign against Jeremy Corbyn. As you will already be aware (unless youve been trapped behind the fridge for several weeks) Corbyn is the target of a virulent campaign from a number of different directions, which have made common cause on the accusation of anti-Semitism. Here, for example, are three major Jewish Newspapers, competitors of each other, who made the extraordinary decision to agree a common headline and verdict on Corbyns Labour Party: And here is the Jewish Chronicle after Margaret Hodges attacked Corbyn in public with youre a fucking racist and anti-Semite: The mainstream media has not missed any opportunity to bash Corbyn either. Heres a relatively mild headline from the Sun, who selected a comment from one of Corbyns backbenchers, Wes Streeting: And to demonstrate that upmarket & downmarket means little when it comes to this stuff, heres a hysterical comment from the usually sober Telegraph: What you will probably NOT have seen, however, is coverage of a statement published by 650 members of the Jewish Community, who are passionately opposed to the narrative. Here is the statement from Independent Jewish Voices whose aim is human rights and a just and peaceful solution: Neither is it likely that you will have heard the following statement from a Jewish academic, a person Ive never met, but one who strikes me as a thoroughly intelligent and compassionate human being, Professor Annabelle Sreberney: Jenny Manson of Jewish Voice for Labourpic.twitter.com/Cyiuna4ewh LabourFanTV (@TheBirmingham6) April 24, 2018 At this point, let me spell out my personal opinion regarding Jeremy Corbyns alleged anti-Semitism: You have to be a propagandist, an opportunist, or a complete idiot to discount decades of evidence demonstrating that Jeremy Corbyn is an enemy of racism. Wake up and smell the coffee the guy stands up for the underdogracists, by stark contrast, are always bullies The reality I perceive, is not that Corbyn hates Jews, or loves Arabsits that he challenges injustice where he sees it and he sees it in the treatment that Palestinians receive from the State of Israel. The Propagandists in this situation must redirect the attention of the population to the false equivalence: Criticism of Israel = Anti-Semitism. The Opportunists in the equation are many: This is a wonderful distraction for a Tory government that couldnt run a kids party at Willy Wonkas The Blairites in the Labour Party whove been trying to get rid of Corbyn since Day 1, have been handed a much more powerful weapon than anything theyve tried up-to-now, and boy do they love it There are a number of other groups who would rather invite Dracula over the threshold than see Corbyn enter Number Ten. The banks and the Murdoch empire are two examples As for the Complete Idiotssadly careful thought is about as popular as listening, and to be fair to younger folk & millennials, this has been the case for the six decades Ive been observing my fellow talking monkeys. In short, propaganda relies on people not thinking theres a lot of it about. Now, lets look at some nitty gritty the everyday stuff. This isnt something that only happens in the newspapers its a real part of everyday thinking and discourse. Here is an example I encountered a few days ago, which will serve to illustrate the process: Context A Labour supporter on Twitter made an accurate observation that the BBCs coverage of Jeremy Corbyn is so biased that its painful to listen to. I will keep his identity confidential since I have no desire to embarrass him my purpose is to demonstrate false equivalence in action. Secondly, I should add that the Israeli Embassy has a fearsome reputation amongst journalists for making its feelings known if Israel doesnt get the coverage it feels it deserves. This is no secretand its not new. Here is Tim Llewellyn, former Middle East correspondent for the BBC, writing in The Observer in June 2004: The reasons for this tentative, unbalanced attitude to the central Middle East story are powerful. BBC news management is by turns schmoozed and pestered by the Israeli embassy. The pressure by this hyperactive, skilful mission and by Israels many influential and well organised friends is unremitting and productive, especially now that accusations of anti-Semitism can be so wildly deployed And here is a clip from a suppressed Al-Jazeera film, showing Israeli Embassy staff advising Labour activists about how to discredit MPs who support an end to the abuse of Palestinians: In early 2017, @AlJazeera found clandestine operations co-ordinated from the Israeli embassy to undermine @BDSmovement in the UK and Labour party MPs & campaigners who supported it... https://t.co/miayB7FXQB #antisemitism pic.twitter.com/aG363DYX8l Joel Benjamin (@Gian_TCatt) August 5, 2018 The conversation Labour Supporter: Will the Media ever accept Corbyn as the leader of Lab Party, No! Listen to Justin Webbs Masterclass in unconscious bias, in a short interview with John McDonnell he trundled out every Anti Corbyn narrative and the newest or oldest That Corbyn is like Trump MarkGB: When journalists at BBC interview Jeremy Corbyn, they repeat what they hear in the echo chamber of Whitehall, itself an echo of the fears of corps, banks & other lobbyistsbut the thing that scares the veritable crap out of the BBC is a call from the Israeli Embassy Labour Supporter: You know that sounds like Paranoia and to my ears Anti-Semitic. If we are going to convince the media to give us a fair crack of the whip and balance reporting we need to be careful in our use of language MarkGB: To your ears. There is no anti-Semitism in my tweet whatsoever. Dont buy the conflation between criticism of Israeli government policy and anti-Semitism, or if you do, dont try to pin it onto me. Theres none here. As expected, he did not reply. My comments So here is a guy who is so scared of being seen as anti-Semitic he does the following, albeit probably unconsciously Sacrifices truth on the altar of the need to be careful. I.E. dont tell the truth it gets us into trouble. It may bring me disapproval Projects his fear onto another, in this case myself, who is thus cast as the anti-Semitic oneso that people know that he isnt Imagines that there is the remotest possibility that the media will give Labour or Corbyn, a fair crack of the whip There is no way that Jeremy Corbyn or the Labour Party will ever get a fair crack of the whip on this issue. The narrative requires that Corbyns support for Palestinians goes awayif you are entertaining the possibility that there is any place for rational argument or objective reporting from or with the people driving this narrativeyou are deluding yourself. This is Propagandathis is how its supposed to work And it is workinghave you noticed how the media is utterly obsessed with talking about Corbyns anti-Semitismat the expense of the underlying issue he calls attention to Israels abuse of the Palestinian people? What then, is a person to do? The solution to this is not quick, and its not easy. However, one action that any human being can take, is to stay alert to the meaning of words and how they are structured. If the communication is verbal, also to the body language and vocal tonalities. Pay attention to what is really being saidand also notice what is not being said or skirted aroundand refuse to sacrifice your truth for an easier life. Do not let the false equivalence stand. As Gandalf said to the Balrog on the bridge at Khazad DumYou shall not pass. Propaganda is a thought virus. Speaking your truth is the antidote. Here is the antidote in action the splendid Dr Norman Finkelstein, giving an impassioned reply to an audience intent on using emotional blackmail to shut him up: Norman Finkelstein's Famous Speech: Do NOT use the Holocaust to try and justify the Israelis brutalizing the Palestinians. This is #Israel#Israeli War Crimes Ahed Tamimipic.twitter.com/cQ6nVOpwIC Ian56 (@Ian56789) July 29, 2018 Here is my personal response to this thought virus, and to anyone who tries to infect me with it: I dont care if you worship in a synagogue, a church, a temple, or a mosque. I dont care if youre black, white, yellow, brown or green. I dont give a monkeys what you eat for dinner & I dont care who you sleep withprovided its a consenting adult. I cannot abide bullies, liars and sociopaths. Benjamin Netanyahu and the current government of Israel are war criminals& your guilt-trip wont work on me. Finally, to those who are having thoughts like this is all a misunderstanding or common sense will prevail, or a few concessions is enough to fix thisit isnt, it wont, & it never will bethat isnt how this works. You cannot appease a smear campaign. The viewThis article was originally published by " Renegade " - s expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. ====== Note To ICH Community We are currently searching for a new comment system as we have run out of options on how to prevent the constant bickering and attacks by troll's, whose intention is to paint our website and newsletter as, anti-Semitic, anti-American, pro-Russian fake news. We can no longer afford to invest hours of our time each day, trying to have people behave in a manner befitting those who say they are concerned for others, while offering abuse and hostility to other ICH community members. When we have found such a comment system we will restore the comment function. We ask that you assist us in dissemination of the article published by ICH to your social media accounts and post links to the article from other websites. This would be a better use of out time than trying to prevent abuse of our comment system. Thank you for your continued support. Peace and joy Search Information Clearing House === Click Here To Support Information Clearing House Your support has kept ICH free on the Web since 2002. Click for Spanish , German , Dutch , Danish , French , translation- Note- Translation may take a moment to load. August 17, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - The evidence against Trump and Russia is huge and mounting every day, declared liberal celebrity activist Rosie ODonnell at a protest in front of the White House last week. We see it, he cant lie about it, she added. He is going down and so will all of his administration. The charge is treason, ODonnell declared. Protesters held held large letters that spelled it out: T-R-E-A-S-O-N. ODonnell is by no means alone in her sentiments. Trumps guilt in Russiagate is now assumed by much of the American left, and reaches greater levels of fervor with every passing day. This kind of partisan religiosity is not new. In the wake of the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, conservative pundit Ann Coulter accused war opponents of treason and insisted of Saddam Hussein, We know he had weapons of mass destruction. Coulter was confident and she wasnt alone. Virtually the entire mainstream American rightfrom pundits like Coulter and Sean Hannity to President George W. Bush and the Republican Congresswas deeply invested in the notion that Hussein possessed WMDs and that the Iraq war was justified based on that unshakeable premise. This belief was so ingrained for so long that many excitedly rushed to pretend that chemical weapons discovered in Iraq as reported by the New York Times in 2014 were somehow the same thing as the mushroom cloud the Bush administration said Saddam was capable of. Unfortunately for the right (and America, and the world), that premise turned out to be false. There were no WMDs. Today, only a minority of delusional, face-saving hawks and unreconstructed neoconservatives still parrot that lie. And far from being traitors, Iraq war opponents today are considered to have been on the right side of history. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter Now, Russian collusion could be becoming the new WMDs. The post-2016 lefts most dominant narrative is arguably their deeply held beliefwith all the ferocity and piety of yesterdays pro-war conservativesthat Russia colluded with Trumps campaign to undermine the presidential election. Many believe that the president and anyone who supports his diplomatic efforts like Senator Rand Paul are in the pocket of Russian President Vladimir Putin. I will meet not just with our friends, but with our enemies, said Barack Obama in 2008, and he did just that with Putin, as has every other president in recent times. But Trump-Russia relations have been spun into far-fetched conspiracy theories on the left. New York Magazines Jonathan Chait recently went so far as to speculate that Trump has been a Russian agent since 1987, a cockamamie idea on par with the Weekly Standards Stephen Hayes discredited conspiracy theory that Saddam and Osama bin Laden were in cahoots. It really was plausible that Iraq had WMDs in 2003 based on what our intelligence agencies knew, or purported to know. Today, it is feasible that American democracy really has Putins fingerprints on it based on things revealed by U.S. intelligence. But isnt it also possible that the left is reading far too much into Russiagate? The Nations Aaron Mate believes liberals are overreaching, and thats putting it mildly: From the outset, Russiagate proponents have exhibited a blind faith in the unverified claims of US government officials and other sources, most of them unnamed. The reaction to special counsel Robert Muellers recent indictment of 12 Russian military-intelligence officers for hacking of Democratic party servers and voter databases is no exception. Muellers indictment is certainly detailed. Most significantly, it marks the first time anyone has been charged for offenses related to Russiagates underlying crime. But while it is a major step forward in the investigation, we have yet to see the basis for the allegations that Mueller has lodged. As with any criminal case, from a petty offense to a cybercrime charge against a foreign government, a verdict cannot be formed in the absence of this evidence. Then the irony kicks in. Mate continues, The record of US intelligence, replete with lies and errors, underscores the need for caution. Mueller was a player in one of this centurys most disastrous follies when, in congressional testimony, he endorsed claims about Iraqi WMDs and warned that Saddam Hussein may supply chemical and biological material to terrorists. Noting Muellers 2003 WMD testimony is not an attempt to undermine him or his investigation, something Mate also makes clear. But it does serve as an important reminder that intelligence can be flat-out wrong. It reminds us how these scenarios, which so much of Washington and the elite class fully endorse, can be looked back on as lapses of reason years later. Mass psychology is real. Political classes and parties are not immune. Suppose, however, that all of the claims about Russian meddling turn out to be true, Mate asks. Hacking e-mails and voter databases is certainly a crime, and seeking to influence another countrys election can never be justified. He continues, But the procession of elite voices falling over themselves to declare that stealing e-mails and running juvenile social-media ads amount to an attack, even an act of war, are escalating a panic when a sober assessment is what is most needed. The U.S. could have certainly used less hyperbole and more sobriety in 2002 and 2003. And theres good chance that when the history books are written about American politics circa 2018, much of Russiagate will be dismissed as more Red Scare than Red Dawn. With Russia, as with WMDs, left and right have elevated slivers of legitimate security concerns to the level of existential threat based mostly on their own partisanship. That kind of thinking has already proven to be dangerous. We dont know what evidence of collusion between the Trump camp and Russia might yet come forth, but its easy to see how, even if this narrative eventually falls flat, 15 years from now some liberals will still be clinging to Russiagate not as a matter of fact, but political identity. Russia-obsessed liberals, too, could end up on the wrong side of history. No one can know the future. Republicans would be wise to prepare for new, potentially damaging information about Trump and Russia that may yet emerge. Democrats should consider that Russiagate may be just as imaginary as Republicans Iraq fantasy. Home Search ICH Syria - Pentagon Plants High ISIS Numbers To Justify Occupation By Moon Of Alabama August 17, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - The U.S. aim in Syria is still 'regime change'. The Pentagon has made it clear that it wants to stay in the country even after the Islamic State vanished. A little propaganda trick is now used to create a justification for its continuing occupation. The report by the UN Security Council's Sanctions Monitoring Team on ISIS, in parts discussed here, includes a number that smells of bullshit and manipulation: 3. Some Member States estimate the total current ISIL membership in Iraq and the Syrian Arab Republic to be between 20,000 and 30,000 individuals, roughly equally distributed between the two countries. Among these is still a significant component of the many thousands of active foreign terrorist fighters.2 Footnote 2 gives as source: 2 Member State information. The high number given by a "Member State" exceed all prior assessments. The original strength of ISIS was estimated as a few thousand and it swelled as it took more land and incorporated local auxiliary forces and newly arriving foreign fighters. In September 2014, when ISIS was near its peak, the CIA estimated a total of 31,000 ISIS fighters in Syria and Iraq. The number shrank as ISIS was kicked out of more places it earlier occupied while it lost ten thousands of its fighters to Russian, Syrian, Iraqi and U.S. bombs, artillery and other military means. In July 2017 the commanding general of U.S. Special Forces said that 60 to 70,000 ISIS fighters had been killed. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter The numbers in the UN Sanctions Monitor report simply make no logical sense. It is also contradicted by earlier estimates that put the number of current ISIS fighters in the low thousands. In December 2017 President Trump claimed that only "1,000 or so" fighters remained in Iraq and Syria. In a June 5 Pentagon press conference the spokesman was asked about the number of ISIS fighters left in Syria. He responded: As far as the numbers, there's -- there's been some numbers thrown out there over the past few months. You've heard the previous spokesmen range from 1,000 to 3,000. You've seen a lot of subject matter experts say something like that. I have nothing to add to that. What I will say is one ISIS fighter is one too many, and that's what we're pursuing. We're pursuing their defeat. But there must of course be a reason why "some Member States" would give the UN Monitor team such an absurdly high number. The U.S. is justifying its occupation of north-east Syria by claiming to fight ISIS under the legal cover of two UN Security Council resolutions. Now, as ISIS in Syria has shrunk to a few dozens of fighters, that justification is wearing thin. It is immensely important for the Pentagon to present a high number, as ISIS is its only legal justification to stay in Syria. It is doubtful that Congress would agree to a prolonged occupation if ISIS vanished. To publicize a high number the Pentagon used an old propaganda trick, fake "multi-sourcing". This trick was extensively used in the run up to the war on Iraq. Scooter Libby, the chief of staff of Vice President Dick Cheney, would call up pliant journalists, Judith Miller of the New York Times comes to mind, and tell them about a "top secret" assessment that Iraq bought aluminum tubes to build centrifuges for Uranium enrichment. (Experts knew that Iraq bought these tubes to make military mortars.) But the New York Times printed the 'nuclear' nonsense on page one of its Sunday edition. A few hours later Dick Cheney and other Bush administration members appeared on the Sunday morning talk shows and confirmed the story they had planted. The tale of the 'nuclear' aluminum tubes was then perceived to have come from two independent entities and sources, the New York Times, and Vice President Cheney and other members of the Bush administration. It was thus widely believed. We now see a similar scheme. A dubious fact, coming from a single source, is depicted as being multi-sourced. Another pliant journalist, this time Liz Sly of the Washington Post, is used to spread the fake news: The Islamic State may still have in excess of 30,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq and appears to have rebounded from some of its worst setbacks, according to two new reports that call into question whether the militants are as close to defeat as the U.S. military has suggested. ... The U.S. government report attributed its numbers to the Defense Department but acknowledged that such estimates have varied sharply among sources and over time. The report was delivered to Congress by the Lead Inspector General, an office created in 2013 to oversee the U.S. militarys operations overseas against the Islamic State. Quoting Defense Department officials, the report put the number of fighters in Iraq at between 15,500 and 17,100 and in Syria at 14,000. The second report was written by the U.N. Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, which monitors the impact of U.N. sanctions, and offered a similar figure. Quoting unnamed member states, it said there are believed to be between 20,000 and 30,000 Islamic State fighters across Iraq and Syria, divided roughly equally between the two countries. The Lead Inspector General report (pdf) says: The DoD estimated that 15,500 to 17,100 ISIS fighters remained in Iraq, although estimates of the numbers of ISIS fighters have varied sharply among sources and over time. ... 5 ... [B]y the end of the [2nd] quarter, ISIS was estimated to still control about 5 percent of Syria and to have roughly 14,000 fighters in the country, although estimates of ISIS force strength vary greatly depending on the source. 38 The footnote gives as sources: 5 DoD response to DoD OIG request for information, 7/11/2018. ... 38 DoD, response to DoD OIG request for information, 7/5/2018 The Inspector General is just repeating numbers the Department of Defense claims. A writeup on the IG report by AL-Monitor says that these numbers come from the Defense Intelligence Agency. It does not give any source for that claim. The numbers in the UN Sanction Monitor team report are sourced to a "Member State" which is most likely the United States. It is the only one that operates against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The numbers in its report are astonishing similar to the numbers the Department of Defense gave to the Lead Inspector General. Both reports were published in the same week. It is extremely likely that these numbers comes from the very same source, the Defense Intelligence Agency or someone else in the Pentagon who pulled it from Secretary Mattis' ass. It is well known that Mattis wants the U.S. to stay in Syria as long as possible to eventually achieve regime change by 'diplomatic' pressure means: In Syria, "We do not want to simply pull out before the diplomats have won the peace," Mattis said. "You win the fight, and then you win the peace. The Washington Post now sells these numbers, which contradict all numbers the Pentagon has previously given, as coming from "two new reports", when it is pretty obvious that they come from a single source. Some Post readers will see it as 'confirmed' information even though it is likely a wild ass guestimate which is based more on Mattis' wishes and intent than on logical thought or analytical rigor. The U.S. is expanding its military infrastructure and personal in Syria despite the ever shrinking ground ISIS holds: [T]he last hours witnessed the entry of more than 250 trucks carrying weapons, equipment, armored vehicles and machinery to areas controlled by the Syria Democratic Forces, where these shipments came from the Syrian-Iraqi border and headed to the military bases of the United States and the western forces in several areas east of Euphrates River, and the entry of more arms shipments comes after entering large quantities of similar shipments to the same areas during the past days and weeks, in addition to expanding the Coalitions military bases in the area. It will only take days until the freshly planted, confirmed but fake ISIS number will be cited as justification for these moves. The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. ====== Note To ICH Community We are currently searching for a new comment system as we have run out of options on how to prevent the constant bickering and attacks by troll's, whose intention is to paint our website and newsletter as, anti-Semitic, anti-American, pro-Russian fake news. We can no longer afford to invest hours of our time each day, trying to have people behave in a manner befitting those who say they are concerned for others, while offering abuse and hostility to other ICH community members. When we have found such a comment system we will restore the comment function. We ask that you assist us in dissemination of the article published by ICH to your social media accounts and post links to the article from other websites. This would be a better use of out time than trying to prevent abuse of our comment system. Thank you for your continued support. Peace and joy Search Information Clearing House === Click Here To Support Information Clearing House Your support has kept ICH free on the Web since 2002. Click for Spanish , German , Dutch , Danish , French , translation- Note- Translation may take a moment to load. Stephen F. Cohen, professor emeritus of Russian studies and politics at NYU and Princeton, and John Batchelor continue their (usually) weekly discussions of the new US-Russian Cold War. Previous installments, now in their fifth year, are at TheNation.com. August 17, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Cohen begins by putting the current bipartisan Senate campaign to impose new, crushing sanctions on Russia in historical context. Broadly understood, sanctions have been part of US policy toward Russia for much of the past 100 years. During the Russian civil war of 191820, President Woodrow Wilson sent American troops to fight against the emerging Soviet government. Though the reds were clearly the established government of Soviet Russia by 1921, Washington continued to deny the USSR diplomatic recognition until President Franklin D. Roosevelt established formal relations in 1933. During much of the 40-year Cold War, the United States imposed various sanctions on its superpower rival, mainly related to technological and military exports, along with periodic expulsions of diplomats and spies on both sides. ====== Congresss major political contribution was the 1975 JacksonVanik Amendment, which denied Moscow privileged trading status with the United States, primarily because of Kremlin restrictions on Jewish emigration from the Soviet Union. Indicative of how mindlessly habitual US sanctions had become, JacksonVanik was nullified only in late 2012, long after the end of the Soviet Union and after any restrictions on Jews leaving (or returning to) Russia. Even more indicative, it was immediately replaced, in December 2012, by the Magnitsky Act, which purported to sanction individual Russian officials and oligarchs for human-rights abuses. The Magnitsky Act remains law, supplemented by additional sanctions leveled against Russia as a result of the 2014 Ukrainian crisis and particularly Moscows annexation of Crimea. Looking back over this long history, there is no evidence that any US sanctions ever significantly altered Moscows behavior in ways that were intended. Or that they adversely affected Russias ruling political or financial elites. Any pain inflicted fell on ordinary citizens, who nonetheless rallied patriotically around the Kremlin leadership, most recently around Russian President Vladimir Putin. Historically, such sanctions were not problem-solving measures advancing American national security but more akin to temper tantrums or road rage, making things even worse, than to real policy-making. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter Why, then, Washingtons new bout of sanction mania against Moscow, especially considering the harsh official Russian reaction expressed by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who called the Senates proposed measures a declaration of economic war and promised that the Kremlin would retaliate? One explanation is an underlying, astonishing assumption recently stated by Michael McFaul, the media-ubiquitous former US ambassador to Moscow and a longtime Russia scholar: To advance almost all of our core national security and economic interests, the US does not need Russia. Such a statement by a former or current policy-maker and intellectual is perhaps unprecedented in modern timesand manifestly wrong. US core interests need Russias cooperation in many vital ways. They include avoiding nuclear war; preventing a new and more dangerous arms race; guarding against the proliferation of weapons and materials of mass destruction; coping with international terrorists (who are in pursuit of such materials); achieving lasting peace in Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East; fostering prosperity and stability in Europe, of which Russia is a part; promoting better relations with the Islamic world, of which Russia is also a part; and avoiding a generation-long confrontation with a formidable new alliance that already includes Russia, China, Iran, and other non-NATO countries. If McFauls assumption is widespread in Washington, as it seems to be, we are living in truly unwise and perilous times. A second assumption is no less myopic and dangerous: that the Kremlin is weak and lacks countermeasures to adopt against the new sanctions being advocated in Washington. Consider, however, the following real possibilities. Moscow could sell off its billions of dollars of US Treasury securities and begin trading with friendly nations in non-dollar currencies, both of which it has already begun to do. It could restrict, otherwise undermine, or even shut down many large US corporations long doing profitable business in Russia, among them Citibank, Cisco Systems, Apple, Microsoft, PepsiCo, McDonalds, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Ford Motor Co., and even Boeing. It could end titanium exports to the United States, which are vital to American civilian and military aircraft manufacturers, including Boeing. And terminate the sale of rocket engines essential for NASA and US satellite operations. The worlds largest territorial country, Russia could charge US airlines higher tariffs for their regular use of its air space or ban them altogether, making them uncompetitive against other national carriers. Politically, the Kremlin could end its own sanctions on Iran and North Korea, alleviating Washingtons pressure on those governments. And it could end the Russian supply transit to US troops fighting in Afghanistan used since the early 1990s. None of this seems to have been considered by Washingtons sanction zealots. Nor have four other circumstances. Sanctions against Russias oligarchs actually help Putin, whom the US political-media establishment so despises and constantly indicts. For years, he has been trying to persuade many of the richest oligarchs to repatriate their offshore wealth to Russia. Few did so. Now, fearful of having their assets abroad frozen or seized by US measures, more and more are complying. Second, new sanctions limiting Moscows ability to borrow and finance investment at home will retard the countrys still meager growth rate. But the Kremlin coped after the 2014 sanctions and will do so again by turning away even more from the West and toward China and other non-Western partners, and by developing its own capacity to produce sanctioned imports. (Russian agricultural production, for example, has surged in recent years, now becoming a major export industry.) Third, already unhappy with existing economic sanctions against Russia, European multinational corporationsand thus Europe itselfmay tilt even farther away from their capricious transatlantic partner in Washington, who is diminishing their vast market in the East. And fourth, waging economic war is one impulsive step from breaking off all diplomatic relations with Russia, this too actually being discussed by Washington zealots. Such a rupture would turn the clock back many decades, but in an era when there is no globalization, or international security, without Russia. Finally, what reason do Washington extreme Cold Warriors themselves give for imposing new sanctions on Russia? Most of them are in the US Senate, historically a body with at least several independent-minded distinguished statesmen, but no longer, with the apparently solitary exception of Rand Paul of Kentucky, who has demonstrated considerable wisdom in regard to US-Russian relations. Their professed reasons are various and nonsensical. Some say Russia must be sanctioned for Ukraine, but those events happened four years ago and have already been punished. Others say for Russias aggression in Syria, but it was Putins military intervention that destroyed the Islamic States terrorist occupation of much of the country and ended its threat to take Damascus, to the benefit of America and its allies, including Europe and Israel. Still others insist the Kremlin must be sanctioned for its nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the UK several months ago. But the British governments case against the Kremlin has virtually fallen apart, as any attentive reader of articles in David Johnsons Russia List will understand. Ultimately, though, the new bout of sanction mania is in response to Russias alleged attack on American democracy during the 2016 presidential election. In reality, there was no attackno Pearl Harbor, no 9/11, no Russian parachuters descending on Washingtononly the kind of meddling and interference in the others domestic politics that both countries have practiced, almost ritualistically, for nearly a hundred years. Indeed, whatever meddling Russian actors did in 2016 may well have been jaywalking compared to the Clinton administrations massive, highly intrusive political and financial intervention on behalf of the failing Russian President Boris Yeltsins reelection campaign in 1996. We are left, then, with the real reason behind the new anti-Russian sanctions effort: to thwart and even punish President Donald Trump for his policy of cooperation with Russia. And Putin too for having met and cooperated with Trump at their Helsinki summit in July. This bizarre, also unprecedented, reality is more than a whisper. According to a New York Times news analysis, as well as other published reports, a bipartisan group of senators, dismayed that Mr. Trump had not publicly confronted Mr. Putin over Russias election meddling, released draft legislation of new sanctions against Moscow. Passage of such a bill would impose some of the most damaging sanctions yet. Leave aside for now that it is not Russian meddling that is delegitimizing our elections but instead these fact-free allegations themselves that are doing so. (How many losing candidates in 2018 will claim their victory was snatched away by Putin?) Consider instead that for doing what every American president since Eisenhower has donemeet with the sitting Kremlin leader in order to avoid stumbling into a war between the nuclear superpowersin effect both Trump and Putin are being condemned by the Washington establishment, including by members of Trumps own intelligence agencies. If so, who will avert the prospect of war with Russia, a new Cuban missilelike crisis, conceivably in the Baltic region, Ukraine, or Syria? Certainly not any leading representative of the Democratic Party. Certainly not the current Russophobic bipartisan Senate. Certainly not the most influential media outlets, which amplify the warmongering folly almost daily. In this most existential regard, there is for now only, like it or not, President Donald Trump. Stephen F. Cohen is a professor emeritus of Russian studies and politics at New York University and Princeton University and a contributing editor of The Nation. The Edo state police command has arrested and paraded a 14-year-old girl, who allegedly killed her septugenarian madam in Benin, Edo State. The teenager reportedly smashed her head with a stone. The Edo state police command has arrested and paraded a 14-year-old girl, who allegedly killed her septugenarian madam in Benin, Edo State. The teenager reportedly smashed her head with a stone. Police arrested Anna Amos, a secondary school student on Tuesday , for murdering 71-year-old Hellen Adodo, whom she had lived with since March, 2018, as a house-maid. The teenager who was in tearsgave details on how she murdered her boss. Anna said the day she ended her bosss life she had made her bath water, served her food before she killed her. After that?, I packed the dirty plates outside to wash them. As I opened the door and stepped on the varanda, something just came into my body as if possessing me. I no longer know what I was doing and I abandoned the plates? I was supposed to wash. I stood on the stone, and later took it, went inside with it and hit it on her head, she narrated. I do not know what entered my body. It was a spirit. It told me to go and kill her. She did not offend me. she added. Initial report said the deceased was murdered by unknown persons who snuck into her residence on Guobadia Street, in Benin, at about 7am. The assailants suposedly blindfolded the teenage suspect before killing the septuagenarian. The thing that entered into me was controlling me, it told me that if I expose it, it will kill me. She later confessed her crime to the son of the deceased, who handed her to the police operatives. 19 Nigerians living in Umoja, Kasarani and Roysambu Estates within Nairobi have been arrested by Detectives in Kenya for engaging in electronic fraud targeting Kenyans. The suspects who were arrested in the early hours of today, reportedly initiate their scam with a simple Facebook request. According to detectives, after a target accepts the seemingly harmless request the fraudsters then initiate a friendly chat promising the victim goodies to be sent through DHL at the airport. The victim who receives a call from someone pretending to be an attendant at the DHL office the next day or thereafter, will then be asked for payment of clearance fees for the promised parcel. After the money is sent through M-Pesa, another call is made requesting for another payment for other documentation and taxes. Once the payments are done, the fraudsters never pick their victims calls again. Here are photos of the 19 Nigerians arrested in Kenya below; The All Progressives Congress(APC) has taken to its social media page to mock the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) for the low turn out of people, who welcomed Senate President Bukola Saraki at the airport. Saraki, who was at Akwa Ibom state on Friday to show solidarity to Gov Udom Emmanuel, was mocked by the ruling party for the small crowd that welcomed him at the airport. Senator Biodun Olujimi, Philip Aduda, Dino Melaye amongst others accompanied Saraki on the solidarity visit to the Akwa Ibom governor. However, APC says the PDP is in a state of extinction thats why Udom wants to leave. The APC said this via a tweet on Saturday morning as they shared photos of the crowd, saying that was all the PDP could muster to welcome their presidential aspirant. Heres what they wrote below: Ex United Nations Secretary-gen, Mr Kofi Annan, passed away in the early hours of Saturday leaving the whole world mourning. As the whole world mourn the Ghanaian diplomat who was awarded a Nobel Prize for his humanitarian work, Nigerian politicians are not left out. President Muhammadu Buhari, former president Goodluck Jonathan, Senate president Bukola Saraki and a host of others have expressed their condolences at Annans demise. See what they wrote below Muhammadu Buhari The President sent condolences to the wife of the diplomat, Nane Maria Annan and his family members, staff of the United Nations and the global organisations he was heading, like The Elders, founded by Nelson Mandela. Presidency Nigeria (@NGRPresident) August 18, 2018 Goodluck Jonathan I am deeply saddened by the death of @KofiAnnan , a world-renowned icon of peace and diplomacy. He was a distinguished and accomplished international public servant and one of Africas most prominent diplomats. Goodluck E. Jonathan (@GEJonathan) August 18, 2018 Even after leaving active service, Annan remained robustly engaged in promoting good governance, diplomacy, mediation, and humanitarian services. His demise is a sad loss to Africa and the World. -GEJ. Goodluck E. Jonathan (@GEJonathan) August 18, 2018 Atiku Abubakar On behalf of my family, I wish former military President Ibrahim Babangida a happy 77th birthday anniversary. A consummate pan-Nigerian and patriot, may Allah continue to grant him many years in good health and vitality. Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) August 17, 2018 Bukola Saraki Kofi Annan was a purposeful optimist who spoke for the voiceless, a diplomat who worked for peace in a tumultuous world, and a leader who dedicated his life to advocating for the liberty and freedom of all mankind. We shall miss him. pic.twitter.com/15MijiC29f Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki) August 18, 2018 Shehu Sani As you may already know, the deadline for the Continuous Voters Registration(CRV) is August 17. This means that, those who fail to register before the deadline will have to wait until next year. This, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is to enable the production of Permanent Voters Cards(PVCs) for distribution. INEC is to resume registration of voters after the 2019 elections. Public Affairs Officer of INEC in Gombe, Mr Mohorret Bigun told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the exercise would henceforth include weekends and public holidays to allow for more people to register beginning from Aug.1 with timing from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Sunday. Decide.NG, an initiative of Information Nigeria has decided to step in to assist citizens who are yet to register or collect their PVCs by providing useful information on their platform www.decide.ng. The platform provides answers to all PVC related questions as well as providing detailed information on registration points according to state and local government. With August 17 fast approaching the initiative has urged citizens to make due of this opportunity in securing their PVCs because the change we all need is in our own hands. Self acclaimed ruffler of the feathers of president Muhammadu Buhari has again attacked the president for his UK vacation. Reno Omokri, accused the president of being the brand ambassador of UK holiday. He noted that former presidents Goodluck Jonathan, Musa YarAdua, Olusegun Obasanjo all vacationed in Nigeria except Buhari. Taking to his Twitter account on Saturday afternoon, Mr Omokri said Buhari has never vacationed in Nigeria as president. He wrote : Yaradua was renowned for holidaying at Obudu Cattle Ranch even while sick. Obasanjo holidayed at his Ota farm. @GEJonathan holidayed at Otuoke. Yet @MBuhari, the man who promised change, is a brand ambassador for London holidays, and has never vacationed in Nigeria as President! Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) August 18, 2018 He also used the street phrase on every Nigerian youngsters lips these #na dem dey rush us, to further describe president Buharis constant holidays in the UK. He wrote : Vanguard Senate President Bukola Saraki on Friday paid a solidarity visit to Gov. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom and commended him for his selfless leadership in the state. The Nation The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is probing Senate President Bukola Saraki, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State and the Accountant-General of the state over how a N17billion bond secured by the State Government was spent.The anti-graft agency suspects that part of the funds may have been diverted into private use.The bond was intended tocover13 projects and loan refinancing package during the tenures of Saraki as governor and Ahmed,his successor. ThisDay Okon Bassey in Uyo Senate President, Bukola Saraki on Friday praised the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel for his maturity in the face of recent political development in the state, tasking him to be firm and ignore the defection of Senator Godswill Akpabio from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The Sun Benue State governor, Mr Samuel Ortom has been described as a failure. Former Lagos State Commissioner. Guardian Security expert, Dr. Ona Ekhomu, has commended the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Ibrahim Idris, over the administrative and operational measures announced to overhaul the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), following the directive of the Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, saying his prompt action showed that government was responsive to the concerns and complaints of citizens. Daily Times The Rivers State Governor, Barr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has alerted the public on plots by some politicians to import thugs and cultists to negatively influence Daily Trust A presidential aide, Sen. Ita Enang, has expressed concern over the National Assemblys silence on President Muhammadu Buharis request for consideration of security agencies budgets ahead of the 2019 General Elections. Leadership How Support For Saraki Divides Kano Electorate Kano tumbin giwa (Kano as big as the stomach of an elephant) best describes the sudden conversion of the political landscape, in the ancient city into a battle between those in support and those embittered with the embattled senate president, Bukola Saraki. The political warfare flagged off when hundreds of protesters marched to Kano State. Tribune A tweet alleging that the Federal Governments Social Investment Programme (SIP) is financing the activities of an online group, the Buhari New Media Centre (BNMC), created a storm on social media on Friday. A new study has shown that rich men love women with small br3asts, while the poor love those with big bust. Psychologists Viren Swami and Martin Tovee conducted a study, which investigated whether mens access to resources would influence their preferences for br3ast size in women. According to Metro UK, the duo carried out two experiments in which they tested whether men who lack material goods would find larger breasts more desirable than men who do have material goods. For the first experiment, they explored the relationship between financial security and mens preferences in br3ast size. They recruited 266 men from three parts of Malaysia that varied in socio-economic status low, medium and high. Each participant was shown animated female figures, each varying in breast size. They then rated them out of five for physical attractiveness and it turned out, men with a lower socio-economic status found larger br3asts more appealing than those with a higher socio-economic status. They then compared br3ast size ratings in a second experiment which reflected upon the evolutionary perspective of breast size being that it is a signal of a womans ability to bear and nurture a child. But this time, they did it based on a full stomach. They used 66 hungry male university students, and 55 with satisfied appetites to test whether the security of food had an effect on their preferences, participating as they either entered or exited their campus cafeteria between 6pm and 7pm. They also only used white males for this study, as ethnicity is known to influence br3ast size preferences. Again, they were shown five women with varying sized br3asts. And apparently, the hungry males preferred the bigger breasted women more than the satiated men. Nollywood actress, Tonto Dikeh has taken to her Instagram page this afternoon to react to an allegation that she was involved with controversial South African pastor, Shepherd Bushiri. In May this year, Tonto was in Bushiris church, Enlightened Christian Gathering church, where she spoke at the churchs Youth conference. However, two weeks ago, certain IG accounts accused her of sleeping with Bushiri, collecting N18 million from him and refusing to give a dime to the person that connected her to the clergyman. The story was reported in some section of the media. In the post she shared online this afternoon, Tonto narrated how she was contacted by the church to speak at the conference and how she shared the money given to her with her makeup artiste and the lady that contacted her from the church. Read her post below: A certain story has been brought to my notice. I was however, unable to respond due to my busy schedule. That was a particularly busy week for me as my focus was on several of my charity events. It was the World celebration against HUMAN TRAFFICKING week and as a NAPTIP AMBASSADOR I was actively busy. Firstly, I want to state that I do not write this in favour of anyone but to Make my son proud when he grows up ***** A while ago I was contacted by a church in South Africa through the churchs administration representative by name Brenda. I was contacted for a YOUTH seminar and I requested to bring along a couple of people with me which included my makeup artist @vugo24 , family and a friend who had always adored the gospel of this said church I was paid an appearance fee and out of the kindness of my heart, I shared a portion of my fee with Brenda, the above mentioned friend and my makeup artist. *** I gave what I could each person at a time,Job was done I packed up and left back to being a mother and a humanitarian.. **** I was never invited to S.A by any friend, nor was I introduced to the church by a friend in NIGERIA or outside the country for my visitation I really would have let this slide but I cannot be silent and have my good name tarnished and be linked with such horrible and shameful act I can not speak for anyone else but myself **** A warning to whosoever is behind this falsehood, peddling all these malicious rumours, I would advice you to stop. There are things I wouldnt take likely especially now as a mom. ***** I do not want to be roped in with the names of people who do this(Sleep with pastor) scandalous act I Go to church to serve my God and could care less about anyone else. Going to church is an avenue where I contact with my creator and not do otherwise I am a Christian, I am GROWING each day in GODS VINE yard but I wouldnt sit and watch my good name go up in flames over a malicious EVIL story ******* BEWARE TOO LATE TO FAIL NOW GUYS,GIVE UP!! A Liberal MP is under fire for presenting a "certificate of appreciation" to a man one Jewish advocacy group labels a purveyor of anti-Semitism. Liberal MP Iqra Khalid makes an announcement as Minister of Canadian Heritage Melanie Joly looks on in Ottawa on Wednesday, February 15, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle ALBERT LEA, Minn. A burn ban is in effect for Freeborn County. Sheriff Kurt Freitag says it will be in place until noon Sunday because of the Air Quality Alert covering much of Minnesota due to smoke from Canadian wild fires blowing into the state. No recreational fire or open burning will be permitted and violators could face 90 days in jail or a $1,000 fine. MASON CITY, Iowa Embezzling from the convenience store she managed results in probation for a North Iowa woman. Melissa J. Gott, 55 of Mason City, has been sentenced to three to five years on supervised probation after pleading guilty to 1st degree theft. Authorities say she stole more than $32,000 in bank deposits from the 4th Street SW Yesway store in Mason City between January 3 and January 14. As part of her probation, Gott must undergo a mental health and gambling evaluation and complete all recommended treatment. MASON CITY, Iowa - With summer wrapping up, kids are going back to school. And beginning next Thursday, Mason City High School students will be receiving their Chromebook laptops for the year. Principal Dan Long and other staffers are getting ready for the first day, which is in less than two weeks. And of course, that means issuing assignments, which are being issued online more and more often. With students having the option to rent a laptop during the year, some parents may be concerned about security and their intended purpose. But Long says not to worry, as there are plenty of safeguards in place. "We have additional programs that on one end, provides for some interactive ability to communicate between the teacher and the student, but also provides another layer of being able to monitor and limit certain websites that they're going to." The rental program will replace a program that allowed students to check out laptops in each individual classroom, with Long hoping the new program will teach students reponsibility. "From what we've heard in other areas is that we actually believe we will see the use of the devices improve, and the care of the devices improve because kids take more pride when they know that this is their personal device." The district recently sent out information to parents, including an agreement form and the technology handbook. If you have not received them, they can be found online at the Mason City Schools website. Pickup for Chromebooks will start next Thursday at 8 a.m. at the high school. Students must have both forms signed in order to receive one. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Unclaimed property booths to be set up at upcoming celebrations in Nebraska, millions yet to be claimed Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday mourned the death of Kofi Annan, the Nobel laureate and Ban's predecessor, saying that he will always be remembered. Annan -- who had led the United Nations from 1997 to 2006 -- was announced dead earlier in the day. He and the organization were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001 "Annan will always be remembered and respected for his vision and courage to keep the principle and idea of the United Nations," Ban said in a press release. Ban further said he offers deep condolences to Annan's wife and family, as well as all of his former colleagues at the U.N. (Yonhap) Korea Summit press pool. Visiting the South Korean embassy By Jacco Zwetsloot Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe The chance that Los Angeles might lose more of its already-constrained supply of natural gas and face an increased risk of power outages was averted Friday when SoCal Gas reached an agreement with the Morongo Band of Mission Indians. The utility and tribal government had been at a standoff over rights of way for the pipelines that carry one-quarter of the Los Angeles basin's supply of gas across Morongo land in Riverside County near Cabazon. Their joint announcement that they had reached an "agreement in principle" came just three days before the right of way on the second of three pipelines was due to expire. Another pipeline already went offline in March. Without a deal, two of the three pipelines could have been shut off. Losing the second pipeline could have increased the potential for sudden power outages during these hot summer months. During the hottest days, power plants in Los Angeles rely on a supply of natural gas to generate electricity. If a gas shortage occurs, power plants can be denied gas to preserve the supply for homes and businesses. L.A.'s gas supply is already constrained, thanks to other broken and closed pipelines, as well as a state-ordered limit on gas from the Porter Ranch storage reservoir after the 2015 blowout. SoCal Gas had started negotiations more than two years ago, but offered far less than the tribe wanted. The tribe countered by asking for $307 million upfront -- or $25 million a year for 50 years. It's unclear where the two sides ended up, as those details are still being worked out. Whatever the new cost of the right-of-way, it could be passed on to ratepayers -- if the state Public Utilities Commission approves. 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. 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 What started as a few cases of chicken pox among immigrant detainees at the Victorville federal prison has now spread, with as many as half those held there under quarantine. The union representing prison officers says there's not enough staff, including health care workers, to care for the detainees and attorneys have had to temporarily cancel sessions to inform the immigrants about their legal rights. Many are seeking asylum. Attorneys won a temporary injunction back in June allowing them to visit the detainees and conduct presentations to inform them of their legal rights. They've been unable to do so since last week Tuesday. "For the last week, we've had to suspend presentations, because there's been a quarantine in effect," said attorney Meeth Soni with Immigrant Defenders. The pro-bono law firm, along with the ACLU, sued the federal government to allow detainees access to legal counsel. Immigration officials transferred close to 1,000 immigrant detainees to the prison in early June after they were arrested at the southern border. Not long afterward, they were beset by an outbreak of chicken pox, followed by an outbreak of scabies, an infectious skin disease. Federal Bureau of Prisons officials would not comment on the ongoing health issues, citing pending litigation. But John Kostelnik, who heads Local 3969 of the American Federation of Government Employee that represents the guards, confirmed Friday that roughly half the detainees held at Victorville were under quarantine. He said the quarantine is due to multiple cases of chicken pox. Some have the disease, while others have been exposed to it. "Just in the past, I'd say, two weeks, we've had 10 or 12 additional cases ... we just found two more yesterday," Kostelnik said. "The chicken pox are kind of going out of control right now." Kostelnik said there is not enough staff to adequately screen and care for the detainees. Soni with Immigrant Defenders said she's been told the "know-your-rights" legal presentations will resume next week. She said this is the second major disease quarantine among the Victorville detainees since the outbreaks of chicken pox and scabies after they were transferred to the prison in early June. Soni and other attorneys have complained of unsanitary conditions at the prison. They say detainees having been forced to go without clean clothing for long periods of time. Earlier this month, the ACLU filed a second lawsuit alleging "inhumane" conditions at the Victorville center, including inadequate food and health care. The Federal Bureau of Prisons would not comment on the quarantine, health issues or conditions at the facility, saying they are the subject of legal proceedings. 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. The judge overseeing the trial of U.S. President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort says he has received death threats and is being guarded by deputy U.S. Marshals. U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis told reporters Friday the marshals "go where I go," adding, "I don't even go to the hotel alone; I don't give the name of the hotel." Reporters on Friday pressed Ellis to release the names of the jurors, but the judge rejected that request, citing security concerns. Ellis said if he released their names, the jurors could be threatened as well, and said he wants to protect their "peace and safety." Jurors ended their second day of deliberations Friday a half-hour early, without reaching a verdict. They sent a note to the judge asking to wrap up at 5 p.m. instead of 5:30 p.m. because a juror had an event to attend, the Associated Press reported. They return Monday morning. Trump said Friday that the trial of Manafort is "sad." "I think the whole Manafort trial is very said, when you look at what's going on there," Trump told reporters Friday at the White House. "He worked for me for a very short period of time, but you know what? He happens to be a very good person. And I think it's very sad what they've done to Paul Manafort." Trump was asked about a possible pardon for the 69-year-old Manafort, but the president declined to answer that question. The six-man, six-woman jury began their deliberations behind closed doors Thursday in a Virginia courthouse, during which they asked the judge four questions, including clarification of the meaning of "reasonable doubt." Under U.S. law, the guilt of the accused must be proven "beyond a reasonable doubt" or there can be no conviction. Other questions delved into specific details of the tax and bank fraud case. Reviews by Leah Ollman (L.O.). Openings Ink: Stories on Skin Exhibition focuses on historical and cultural aspects of tattoo art in Southern California through the decades. Museum of Latin American Art, 628 Alamitos Ave., Long Beach. Opens Sat.; ends Jan. 21. Closed Mon.-Tue. $7, $10; under 12, free. (562) 437-1689. Muse til Midnight Immersive late-night experience inspired by LACMAs 3D: Double Vision and taking place at various locations around the museum features live music and site-specific sound and visual installations; for ages 18 and up. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. Sat., 8 p.m.-midnight. $20, $30. (323) 857-6010. Childhood Left at the Station: A Tribute to the Children of the Kindertransport Photographs, artifacts and personal narratives recall the program that helped rescue thousands of Jewish refugee children from Nazi-occupied Europe during the early days of WWII. Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust, 100 S. The Grove Drive, L.A. Opens next Sun.; ends Dec. 31. Free; reservations required. (323) 651-3704. Critics Choices Shinique Smith: Refuge Smith works across media, typically in combinations of painting, sculpture, collage and installation. Fabric is the constant throughout, and much of the material she uses has already played a role in the world, sheltering or adorning a body. Here, the memory of its prior purpose merges with the promise, mostly metaphorical, of a new function, in support of this stirring shows assertion that acts of nurture and nationhood, art and humanity are profoundly linked. (L.O.) California African American Museum, 600 State St., Exposition Park, L.A. Ends Sept. 9. Closed Mon. Free. (213) 744-7432. Boots Riley has some serious issues with Spike Lees new film, BlacKkKlansman to put it lightly. Taking a page from Lee, a fellow outspoken cultural critic, the Sorry to Bother You director offered up a sharp critique of the content and timing of the film in a statement he released Friday on Twitter. BlacKkKlansman is based on the story of Ron Stallworth (played by John David Washington), a black Colorado Springs, Colo., detective who infiltrated a local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1970s with the help of his Jewish coworker (portrayed by Adam Driver). After acknowledging Lees huge influence on him Hes the reason I went to film school so many years ago Riley argued that, while BlacKkKlansman is billed as a true story, inaccurate additions to the film present Stallworth as a hero. Advertisement Without the made up stuff and with what we know of the actual history of police infiltration into radical groups, and how they infiltrated and directed White Supremacist organizations to attack those groups, Ron Stallworth is the villain, Riley wrote in his three-page missive. (Fair warning: As Riley noted, his critique contains significant spoilers about the film.) Ok. Here's are some thoughts on #Blackkklansman. Contains spoilers, so don't read it if you haven't seen it and you don't wanna spoil it. pic.twitter.com/PKfnePrFGy Boots Riley (@BootsRiley) August 17, 2018 Riley took particular issue with the real-life Stallworths infiltration of a black radical organization for three years. In the film, he infiltrates just a single event. Riley alleged that Stallworths actions were aligned with an FBI counterintelligence program that worked to destroy radical organizations fighting racism and oppression. Undercover cops in the program, he said, also organized assassinations of black civil rights leaders. Another fictitious detail in the film added to the positive portrayal of police, Riley said. Stallworths partner who infiltrated the Klan was not actually Jewish. This was a made up thing to raise the stakes and make it seem like the cops were sacrificing more than they were, the director said. For Spike to come out with a movie where... story points are fabricated in order to make Black cop and his counterparts look like allies in the fight against racism is really disappointing, to put it very mildly. Riley also pointed out that the New York Police Department paid Lee a longtime critic of the organization more than $200,000 to support a new policing program aimed at improving police relations with minority communities. Blackkklansman feels like an extension of that ad campaign, Riley said. As of Saturday afternoon, Lee had not publicly responded to Rileys criticisms. makeda.easter@latimes.com @makedaeaster Jail settlement: In the Aug. 17 California section, a headline on an article about a proposed settlement of a lawsuit over jail treatment of LGBTQ inmates suggested that they were incarcerated by the city of San Bernardino. As the article correctly said, the lawsuit involved inmates in the San Bernardino County jail system. Jeff Daniels: In the Aug. 16 Envelope section, the Gold Standard Emmys prediction column omitted Jeff Daniels from list of nominees for lead actor in a limited series. He is nominated for his work in The Looming Tower. Last week, Yea Ji Sea packed her life into a Prius and began the long drive home from Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio to Los Angeles. Before starting out, she searched for information on the internet about immigration checkpoints. Instead of taking the shortest route home, she veered a couple hundred miles north to take Interstate 40, which people online advised would be safer. She had served four years in the U.S. Army, but after the South Korean-born soldier was honorably discharged, Sea was left without a valid immigration status. One wrong encounter with law enforcement could mean being deported from the country where she has lived since she was 9. On Friday, Sea learned she will no longer have to fear deportation. After a lengthy delay of more than two years that her attorneys said was emblematic of the treatment of foreign-born soldiers under the Trump administration, Sea, 29, will be naturalized as a U.S. citizen. Advertisement The decision came after Sea sued the Department of Homeland Security this year for a determination on her immigration application. Immigration attorneys in different parts of the country have said they noticed a pattern of abrupt military dismissals of foreign-born recruits in recent months. Some of them were subsequently arrested or placed on house arrest, the lawyers said. A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the government to decide Seas case or offer a valid reason by Sept. 5 for the delay. After media reports, immigration authorities set a date for Seas interview for this week, according to her attorneys at the American Civil Liberties Union. Sea joined the military through the Military Accessions Vital to National Interest program, started under President George W. Bush to enlist foreign-born recruits with valuable skills to the military. The immigrant soldiers were put on a fast track to citizenship for serving the country. Seas application, however, was jeopardized because of a Koreatown immigration fraud case in which the operator of a language school conspired with a corrupt Customs and Border Patrol official to falsify records. The school owner, Hee Sun Shim, was sentenced to prison this year for what authorities said was a visa mill scheme. When Sea was 19, an attorney had made an application on her behalf for a student visa from that language school. The paperwork included a form stamped by the rogue Border Patrol official that gave an incorrect date for when she entered the U.S. At her first citizenship interview in 2014, Sea, who wasnt represented by an attorney, told immigration officials that the date was accurate. Her application was denied because of the false statement, but she was told she could again apply in a year. Youre not required to be perfect to become an American citizen. You just need to show good moral character for the required period of time, said Margaret Stock, Seas immigration attorney. Stock is a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve who helped create the recruitment program. Sea applied again for citizenship in 2016 and had remained in limbo ever since. In July, the Army honorably discharged her, finding that the fraud case rendered her student visa invalid at the time she enlisted under the recruitment program. As a healthcare specialist and pharmacy tech, Sea had served in Oklahoma, Texas and Camp Casey in South Korea, and received two achievement medals during her service. She had dreamed of becoming an Army doctor and researching Lou Gehrigs disease, which disproportionately affects soldiers. I know how much soldiers sacrifice, she said. Those people work hard every day, it definitely made me proud of what I am. From the moment she signed up at a recruitment center in a Torrance mall, through basic training in Oklahoma winters and after she twice failed her physical fitness test before eventually passing, she never thought about giving up, Sea said. It wasnt an option for me to fail, she said. I needed to stay here, at home. Now that her immigration case is over, Sea said she will explore her options to challenge her discharge from the military. She will be naturalized Aug. 24. victoria.kim@latimes.com For more California news, follow me on Twitter @vicjkim UPDATES: 6:10 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details about Yea Ji Sea and comments from her immigration attorney, Margaret Stock. This article was originally published at 4:25 p.m. Los Angeles city leaders and immigration advocates rallied in front of City Hall on Friday to criticize President Trumps decision to end protected status for hundreds of thousand of immigrants. Mayor Eric Garcetti, U.S. Rep Jimmy Gomez, Assembly members Wendy Carrillo and Miguel Santiago, City Councilman Curren Price and others helped kick off a 12-week national campaign intended to raise awareness for the Temporary Protected Status program, which allows some immigrants fleeing violence or disasters to stay in the U.S. The TPS Journey for Justice Caravan will stop at dozens of cities over the coming weeks to highlight the plight of immigrants aided by the program. Under the Temporary Protected Status program, immigrants from certain countries affected by civil war or natural disasters are allowed to enter the United States and live here until conditions in their homelands improve. Advertisement Department of Homeland Security officials regularly review whether conditions in countries under TPS have improved to the extent that people can safely return. Under the Trump administration, more than 400,000 people from countries such as El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua and Sudan have had their legal protections revoked and must leave the U.S. within 2 years. Los Angeles is home to a significant number of residents protected under the program, officials said, with refugees arriving from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras to escape political persecution and gang violence. Let me start with a message for every TPS holder in Los Angeles, Garcetti said at Fridays event. We will stand with you and we will fight for you. Because Los Angeles is a city where everyone belongs and you belong here at home. President Obama revoked TPS status for the West African countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone during his administration. Martha Arevalo, executive director of the Central American Resource Center, one of the caravans organizers, said her group was also critical of the Obama administrations actions. But she said Trumps policies were being made out of racism and out of an anti-immigrant sentiment. In an interview after the rally, Garcetti was asked about comments he made in an interview the previous day with the Associated Press in which he said Trump has done plenty of racist things. Garcetti, who is considering running for president in 2020, said Friday that Trump seems to regularly do things that are racist. His policies have a racist impact and he seems to be uncomfortable with people who have different backgrounds than himself. Garcetti also described the lack of African Americans working in the West Wing under Trump as structural racism. During Trumps campaign for president in 2016, Garcetti called the then-candidate racist. Asked why he wasnt using that term now to describe Trump, Garcetti replied: Ive increasingly said, lets not call people a specific name, lets call out their actions. dakota.smith@latimes.com Twitter: @dakotacdsmith Attorneys for a death row inmate convicted of a quadruple murder in Chino Hills say theyve obtained new evidence that could prove the mans innocence and are asking Gov. Jerry Brown to appoint a special master to reinvestigate the case. Kevin Cooper has long fought his conviction for the slayings of three family members and a young boy in 1983, claiming that law enforcement planted evidence and ignored statements by witnesses pointing to alternate suspects in the killings. His legal saga has attracted interest from judges and former prosecutors, including U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, whove called on Brown to allow for advanced DNA testing of evidence in the case. Coopers supporters, some of whom were spurred to action by a New York Times article about the case in May, have pointed to conflicting evidence in the case, including early witness statements that the attack was carried out by three white or Latino men. Cooper, now 60, is black. Advertisement In July, Brown said he would consider Coopers request to order additional forensic testing as part of the inmates bid for clemency. Coopers team says some key items recovered as part of the crime scene were never properly tested and should be analyzed using up-to-date DNA technology. In a 34-page letter submitted to Brown on Friday, Coopers lead attorney, Norman C. Hile, said he has secured a DNA sample from a man he suspects of being the real killer and whose profile has not been inspected in the 1983 case. The man, a convicted murderer, is still alive but not currently incarcerated, Hile said. Hile said he also has obtained three sworn declarations from people claiming to have personal knowledge of the alternate suspects involvement in the slayings. Hile doesnt identify the declarants, citing safety concerns. A prime piece of evidence in the case is a T-shirt with Coopers blood on it. After the blood was revealed to contain EDTA, a chemical used to preserve blood samples in police labs, Coopers team suggested the blood had been planted on the shirt. Coopers lawyers now think they can identify the person who was wearing the T-shirt during the commission of the crimes by testing the collar and underarm areas using more sensitive and accurate methods. Lab analysis was last done in the case in 2002 and 2004. Hiles letter was in response to questions from Browns legal staff about what the additional forensic testing might reveal. A spokesman for Brown said Friday that the letter is being reviewed. The San Bernardino County district attorneys office sent a detailed memo to Brown in May refuting Coopers arguments and requesting that he be denied clemency. On June 5, 1983, Doug and Peg Ryen, their 10-year-old daughter, Jessica, and an 11-year-old houseguest, Christopher Hughes, were found hacked and stabbed to death inside the Ryens home in Chino Hills. The sole survivor of the attack was the Ryens 8-year-old son, Joshua, who suffered a slashed throat and fractured skull. The boy initially told a sheriffs deputy and a social worker that his attackers were three white men, later saying he thought the killers were Latino. Joshua Ryen clarified his account, saying that he had seen three men come to his house looking for work the night before the incident, but did not see three assailants, according to the district attorneys memorandum. The survivor recently said he opposes any granting of clemency or further testing for Cooper, the document says. Cooper escaped from a prison in Chino two days before the killings and had been hiding in a dwelling near the Ryens house. He had a long history of arrests but was never convicted of a violent offense until the quadruple murder, his attorneys say. Cooper was convicted and sentenced to death in 1985. He lost his last appeal in 2009, when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear his case. He is being held at San Quentin State Prison. maya.lau@latimes.com Twitter: @mayalau San Diego Gas & Electric is not giving up its fight to pass on to ratepayers $379 million in costs related to the deadly wildfires that scorched the San Diego area 11 years ago. The utility has filed an appeal with the states 4th Appellate District in San Diego, calling on the court to review a decision by the California Public Utilities Commission that rejected SDG&Es request last November. The commission also denied the utility a rehearing on the case last month. SDG&Es attorneys said last years decision will have severe adverse practical consequences for privately owned utilities in California and, by extension, threatens to have ripple effects throughout the states economy. The CPUC has put utilities in a whipsaw, the 84-page filing argued. SDG&E wants the appeals court to vacate the commissions 5-0 vote and rule that SDG&E is entitled to recover payments from the 2007 San Diego wildfires. Advertisement San Diego attorney Michael Aguirre, who represented ratepayer advocate Ruth Henricks on behalf of utility customers in a lawsuit dealing with the 2007 fires and is a sharp critic of SDG&E, doubted the appeals court would take the case. They defer to the [CPUC] agency unless the agency did something gravely wrong, Aguirre said. SDG&E received very fair treatment by the CPUC and theres really no basis for this. This is really an act of desperation. Aguirre said parties to the case and the CPUC would respond to SDG&Es filing and eventually the appeals court will decide whether to hear the case or not. Terrie Prosper, director of the News and Outreach Office at the CPUC, said in an email to the Union-Tribune the commission will respond in due course to SDGEs court filing. SDG&E spent $2.4 billion to resolve more than 2,000 lawsuits related to the Witch, Guejito and Rice wildfires but the utility insists the blazes were ignited by factors beyond its control including extreme Santa Ana winds, a lashing wire owned by Cox Communications that hit an SDG&E power line and a tree limb that fell onto an SDG&E line due to high winds. The CPUC committed numerous legal errors including a failure to follow its own legal standards for assessing the reasonableness and prudence of utility management decisions and the application of a perfection standard that depends on hindsight bias, said SDGE spokeswoman Allison Torres in part of a statement. But the CPUC saw it differently. Acting on a proposed decision reached by a CPUC administrative law judge, all five commissioners turned down SDG&Es request, saying the utility failed to meet the commissions prudent manager standard. The CPUC concluded that the winds in October 2007 were not unprecedented and SDG&E should have foreseen the impact of the gusts that spread the wildfires that destroyed more than 1,300 homes, killed two people, injured 40 firefighters and forced more than 10,000 to seek shelter at Qualcomm Stadium. The SDG&E filing argued there is substantial evidence that the power company acted responsibly and the CPUCs application of the prudent manager standard was legally erroneous. The utility pointed out that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which regulates interstate transmission rates, granted SDG&E settlement payments through rates that eventually came to $80 million and found the record indicates SDG&E behaved as a reasonable, prudent utility in the maintenance of its lines prior to the wildfires. A large part of SDG&Es case turns on the legal doctrine known as inverse condemnation. As interpreted by courts in California, inverse condemnation holds that utilities can be held liable for damages related to a wildfire ignited by a power companys equipment such as a downed power line even if the utility followed accepted safety procedures. Utilities say such an interpretation, combined with the requirement that power companies provide electricity in areas at risk to wildfires, may lead them to bankruptcy. Defenders of inverse condemnation say the way its applied in California gives power companies extra incentive to reduce wildfire risks in their service territories and take extra precautions that their equipment and procedures dont spark conflagrations. The SDG&E appeal comes as a number of wildfires rip through the Golden State. Five of the 20 most destructive fires recorded in California occurred in 2017 and this summers Mendocino Complex Fire was recently pronounced the largest wildfire in state history, burning more than 378,000 acres. As of Saturday, the massive fire was 76% contained. Lawmakers in the final two weeks of the legislative session in Sacramento were considering several laws dealing with wildfires, including Gov. Jerry Browns draft legislation that would have altered the way inverse condemnation is applied. The states large investor-owned utilities, including SDG&E, maintain that the existing liability rules are too onerous and costly. But on Saturday the leader of the negotiations on crafting a new liability standard for utility companies said lawmakers had abandoned efforts to loosen the rules. Nikolewski writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com The Carr fire swept into the edge of this city without mercy, leveling two neighborhoods on either side of the Sacramento River. On the western side of the river, authorities began issuing warnings door to door in Keswick at least 30 minutes before homes started burning and up to 12 hours early for homes farther south. On the other side, residents in areas such as Land Park and River Ridge were told to leave with no time to spare, if they got any warning at all. It was in this area of Redding where a great-grandmother and two young children died when they simply could not get out of town. The difference in how evacuations were issued and the deaths that followed shows the huge challenge California is facing as fires get bigger, faster and increasingly destructive. Advertisement Officials said the system they used for evacuating neighbors in the path of the fire July 26 simply didnt account for the rapid change in its speed and behavior, which was marked by dramatic fire tornadoes that pushed the flames at more than 160 mph. On one side of the river, the fire behaved in ways officials expected, moving up and down hills at a pace firefighters were accustomed to tracking. But when it reached the other side, the blaze spread quickly in all directions at once, giving authorities little time to send out warnings and leaving residents running for their lives. Flames sprinted across the landscape, sapping oxygen and energy from everything in their path. The Carr fire, as seen at 5:21 p.m. on Thursday, July 26, 2018. (Morgan Gregory) The Carr fire, as seen at 7:28 p.m. on Thursday, July 26, 2018. (Morgan Gregory) The Carr fire, as seen at 5:21 p.m., left, and 7:28 p.m., right, on Thursday, July 26, 2018. (Morgan Gregory / Handout) It doesnt fit the conventional profile of a wind-driven fire. It was just bizarre. This thing had a mind of its own, said Eric Ohde, a former Redding firefighter. The blazes speed overwhelmed firefighters and the countys ability to alert people ahead of it when it jumped a 90-degree bend in the Sacramento River. It also comes less than a year after fires in the states wine country went into neighborhoods with little official warning and killed more than 40 people in the middle of the night. Many folks here said they suspect the Carr fire would have been just as deadly had it come through at a similar hour. The chaos surrounding the fires surge into Redding thousands of people fleeing as firefighters and police rushed to the scene has forced public officials to reassess their response to adapt to an age of increasingly fast and destructive blazes. There have been proposals in Sacramento to improve evacuation order protocols and improve technology. But the Redding blaze also showed the need to better understand how fires move. When you can identify errors, well correct them, Gov. Jerry Brown said at a news conference in Redding, where he surveyed the damage. This fire was different than any other fire, and the fire next year or next month will be different too. So we have to learn as we go. Ed Bledsoe holds a photo of his deceased wife, Melody Bledsoe. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Ed Bledsoe surveys his home destroyed by the Carr fire. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Morgan Gregory, 17, holds up her laptop at her home destroyed by the Carr fire. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Top: Ed Bledsoe holds a photo of his deceased wife, Melody Bledsoe. Bottom left: Ed Bledsoe surveys his home, which was destroyed by the Carr fire. Right: Morgan Gregory, 17, holds up her laptop at her burned-out home. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) The Carr fire was sparked by a malfunctioning recreational trailer being towed along Highway 299 about 1:15 p.m. on July 23, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The highway leads drivers west from Interstate 5, deep into the Shasta-Trinity National Forest between mountain slopes, before it forks north and south at the Trinity River. Every afternoon, westerly winds are funneled through those mountains and gust down toward Old Shasta and, beyond that, Mary Lake and western Redding, said Shasta County Fire Department Battalion Chief Troy Velin. In its first days, it was a fairly skinny fire oriented with that wind flow, Velin said. The fire moved into burn scars from 2008, where crews figured it would weaken. That was Californias worst fire year on record and a particularly deadly one in the Shasta-Trinity Forest, where 10 firefighters lost their lives. It was burning in areas that hadnt burned in at least 80 years. The conventional thinking at the time was that when it gets into that area that is 10 years old, it should start to drop out a bit, Velin said. But it was essentially the same. It didnt change. By July 25, the fire had reached the edge of Whiskeytown Lake and destroyed dozens of boats. At 2 a.m. the next morning, the blaze reached Benson Drive on the western edge of Keswick, Velin said. Flames crawled south and police and local sheriffs deputies raced through the neighborhood and warned everyone as the fire entered its fourth day. The only resident to not get out on this side of the river was Kathi Gastons 62-year-old brother. Daniel Bush had undergone quadruple-bypass surgery two days earlier and was recovering in his home on Market Street when the evacuation orders were issued. He was in really bad shape, Gaston said. With the neighborhood cleared out but Bush nowhere to be found, Gaston and family members pleaded with officers at roadblocks to let them in to save him but to no avail, she said. Bush became the first civilian victim of the Carr fire that day. His remains were found in the charred ruins of his bedroom, Gaston said. I doubt he even knew what was going on. He didnt have a chance unless somebody went in and said Come on, lets go, she said. I doubt he even heard them knocking. All I know is my brother didnt want to die and there was plenty of time. The fire took hours to march east and south through Keswick and over homes on Swasey Drive and Lower Springs Road on its way to a Mary Lake subdivision and the Keswick Dam, firefighters said. Morgan Gregory, 17, was watching the fires progress safely from her familys driveway across the river on a Land Park subdivision cul-de-sac. Many of Reddings firefighters and police officers lived in the neighborhood and had been giving informal updates to neighbors, she said. The area had a kind of block-party feel that afternoon, said Morgans father, Scott Gregory. Neighbors were gathered on driveways and in the middle of the cul de sac trading observations on the fires movements and theories on where it would go. Cal Fire crews pulled into the neighborhood about 4 p.m. with a bulldozer and began cutting defensive lines behind the homes, adding to the sense of safety, Gregory said. Morgan snapped a photo of the fire inching downhill on the other side of the river as the firefighters arrived and then another about 5:20 p.m. The blaze was still far away and hadnt jumped river, so she went to the gym while her family slowly packed up belongings just in case things got worse. There were firefighters saying Its not going to jump the river. Its going to be OK. Nobody had any idea the wind was going to shift like that. Its not their fault, Morgan said. Los Angeles Times Evacuations were being issued based on a series of triggers, said Cal Fire Deputy Chief Bret Gouvea. Officials considered where the fire was going, what fuel lay in its path and what weather they expected when they told residents to abandon their homes for their own safety. People near Mary Lake, for instance, were miles away from the fires edge when they were told to leave July 26, records show. But Morgans family and the thousands of others who lived on the east side of the river were afforded no such lead time. When the teenager arrived home from the gym about 7 p.m., her neighborhood was chaotically evacuating and the sky was thick with black smoke, the sun bathing the neighborhood in a red glow. Velin, the local battalion chief, said no one could have predicted that the fire would have transitioned from moving at a deliberate, predictable pace on one side of the river to a dead sprint into neighborhoods on the other. Ed Bledsoe had been keeping an eye on the fire from his property more than a mile inland when his wife gave him the OK to head into town about 7 p.m. to help his friend, a doctor. But within 15 minutes, she and the couples great-grandchildren were calling Bledsoe, pleading for him to come back and rescue them. I figured the Fire Department would come through here and knock on every door or somebody at least come on the PA system hollering Everybody get out, the fires coming! Bledsoe said. They didnt say nothing. About the time Bledsoe had left his home, firefighters said, the blaze rapidly transitioned into a plume-dominated one that became immune to outside winds or topography. Plume-dominated fires produce gigantic towers of smoke that reach 35,000 feet high and can be seen from space. They burn so ferociously that physics demand they create their own weather. Their smoke plumes climb into the sky with the rising hot air, forcing cooler air at lower elevations to rush in to replace it in the form of wind. That process, with time, begins to make the smoke plume rotate. When that happens, embers can shoot out in all directions and as far as a mile away from the fires front. In the case of the Carr fire, witnesses say it began to eject red-hot embers the size of leaves more than a mile away from its front. Thousands of those sparked spot fires on or near residential properties on Morgans and Bledsoes side of the Sacramento River, lined with dried oak, cottonwood, blackberry, grass and poison oak, according to firefighters. Morgan snapped pictures of the fires transition as she fled the neighborhood. The flames disappear behind a growing wall of black smoke that grew into a column. Plume domination is pretty rare, it doesnt happen very often. And the magnitude in which that plume develops, specifically this one, we havent seen one recorded at least in U.S. history that has been that fast or destructive, Velin said. The fire probably sucked in fresh air from creek drainages on the rivers west side then gained strength when it reached the patches of dry fuel on the other side, Velin said. He guessed that the spot fires added heat to the main column, and so did the burning houses eventually. Scientists are studying the event to see if there were any warning signs and lessons firefighters can glean for future battles. This is occurring more frequently, where homes are right in the outland and urban interface, said Cal Fire spokesman Gabe Lauderdale. So it is definitely something we have to be on the lookout for. Gouvea, the Cal Fire deputy chief, saw reports that as many as three fire whirls formed on the east side of the river as hundreds of homes in Stanford Hills, Land Park and River Ridge were destroyed. Ive seen a few fire tornadoes in my career dating back 29 years, but not to this extent, he said. Redding Police Chief Roger Moore was helping River Ridge residents flee when it developed. He said trees appeared to be levitating, and branches and sheet-metal roofs orbited the column. Uprooted objects launched into the air ignited midflight. Vegetation and homes hundreds of feet from the column also caught fire before the twister arrived. Depending on the final number, this might actually be the strongest tornado in California history, even if it wasnt formally a tornado, UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said by email. There have been a couple of marginal EF-3 twisters in Californias past, but this fire whirl was almost certainly longer-lived, larger in spatial scope and perhaps even stronger from a wind-speed perspective. Multiple people were suspected to have died in the vortex, including Redding firefighter Jeremy Stoke. His vehicle was thrown 600 feet off the side of the road, said Ohde, who was Stokes first captain with the Fire Department. Not all big fires are going to result in these big fire whirls, even in a future thats much hotter and drier, Swain said. This wont be the primary risk associated with wildfire, ever. But under the right atmospheric conditions, all else being equal, the increasing intensity of fires themselves will play a role in producing these localized fire weather conditions that can be quite extreme. Already a subscriber? Thank you for your support. If you are not, please consider subscribing today. Get full access to our signature journalism for just 99 cents for the first four weeks. joseph.serna@latimes.com | Twitter: @JosephSerna Additional credits: Animation by Jon Schleuss. Video edited by Robert Meeks. Produced by Kelly Corrigan. Times staff writer Ron Lin contributed to this report. Kofi Annan, one of the worlds most celebrated diplomats and a charismatic symbol of the United Nations who rose through its ranks to become the first black African secretary-general, has died. He was 80. His foundation announced his death in Switzerland on Saturday in a tweet, saying he died after a short unspecified illness. Wherever there was suffering or need, he reached out and touched many people with his deep compassion and empathy, the foundation said. It is with immense sadness that the Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation announce that Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Laureate, passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness... pic.twitter.com/NDOy2NmAAs Kofi Annan Foundation (@KofiAnnanFdn) August 18, 2018 Advertisement Annan spent virtually his entire career as an administrator in the United Nations. His aristocratic style, cool-tempered elegance and political savvy helped guide his ascent to become its seventh secretary-general, and the first hired from within. He served two terms, from Jan. 1, 1997, to Dec. 31, 2006, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with the U.N. in 2001. During his tenure, Annan presided over some of the worst failures and scandals at the world body during one of its most turbulent periods since its founding in 1945. Challenges from the outset forced him to spend much of his time struggling to restore the U.N.s tarnished reputation. His enduring moral prestige remained largely undented, however, both through charisma and by virtue of having negotiated with most of the powers in the world. When he departed from the United Nations, he left behind a global organization far more aggressively engaged in peacekeeping and fighting poverty, setting the framework for the U.N.'s 21st-century response to mass atrocities and its emphasis on human rights and development. Kofi Annan was a guiding force for good, current U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. It is with profound sadness that I learned of his passing. In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations. He rose through the ranks to lead the organization into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination. Even out of office, Annan never completely left the U.N. orbit. He returned in special roles, including as the U.N.-Arab Leagues special envoy to Syria in 2012. He remained a powerful advocate for global causes through his eponymous foundation. Annan took on the top U.N. post six years after the collapse of the Soviet Union and presided during a decade when the world united against terrorism after the Sept. 11 attacks then divided deeply over the U.S.-led war against Iraq. The U.S. relationship tested him as a world diplomatic leader. I think that my darkest moment was the Iraq war, and the fact that we could not stop it, Annan said in a February 2013 interview with Time magazine to mark the publication of his memoir, Interventions: A Life in War and Peace. I worked very hard I was working the phone, talking to leaders around the world. The U.S. did not have the support in the Security Council, Annan recalled in the videotaped interview posted on the Kofi Annan Foundations website. So they decided to go without the council. But I think the council was right in not sanctioning the war, he said. Could you imagine if the U.N. had endorsed the war in Iraq, what our reputation would be like? Although at that point, President [George W.] Bush said the U.N. was headed toward irrelevance, because we had not supported the war. But now we know better. Despite his well-honed diplomatic skills, Annan was never afraid to speak candidly. That didnt always win him fans, particularly in the case of the Bush administration, with which Annans camp spent much time bickering. Much of his second term was spent at odds with the United States, the U.N.'s biggest contributor, as he tried to lean on the nation to pay almost $2 billion in arrears. Kofi Atta Annan was born April 8, 1938, into an elite family in Kumasi, Ghana, the son of a provincial governor and grandson of two tribal chiefs. He shared his middle name Atta twin in Ghanas Akan language with a twin sister, Efua. He became fluent in English, French and several African languages, attending an elite boarding school and the University of Science and Technology in Kumasi. He finished his undergraduate work in economics at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn., in 1961. From there he went to Geneva, where he began his graduate studies in international affairs and launched his U.N. career. Annan married Titi Alakija, a Nigerian, in 1965, and they had a daughter, Ama, and a son, Kojo. He returned to the U.S. in 1971 and earned a masters degree at MITs Sloan School of Management. The couple separated during the 1970s and, while working in Geneva, Annan met his second wife, Swedish lawyer Nane Lagergren. They married in 1984. Annan worked for the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa in Ethiopia, its Emergency Force in Egypt and the office of the High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva before taking a series of senior posts at U.N. headquarters in New York dealing with human resources, budget, finance and staff security. He also had special assignments. After Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, he facilitated the repatriation from Iraq of more than 900 international staff and other non-Iraqi nationals, and the release of Western hostages in Iraq. He led the initial negotiations with Iraq for the sale of oil in exchange for humanitarian relief. Just before becoming secretary-general, Annan served as U.N. peacekeeping chief and as special envoy to the former Yugoslavia, where he oversaw a transition in Bosnia from U.N. protective forces to NATO-led troops. The U.N. peacekeeping operation faced two of its greatest failures during his tenure: the Rwanda genocide in 1994 and the massacre in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica in July 1995. In both cases, the U.N. had deployed troops under Annans command, but they failed to save the lives of the civilians they were mandated to protect. Annan offered apologies, but ignored calls to resign by U.S. Republican lawmakers. After becoming secretary-general, he called for U.N. reports on those two debacles and they were highly critical of his management. As secretary-general, Annan forged his experiences into a doctrine called the Responsibility to Protect, that member countries accepted at least in principle to head off genocide, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing and war crimes. Annan sought to strengthen the U.N.'s management, coherence and accountability, efforts that required huge investments in training and technology, a new whistleblower policy and financial disclosure requirements. In 1998, he helped ease a transition to civilian rule in Nigeria and visited Iraq to try to resolve its impasse with the Security Council over compliance with weapons inspections and other matters. The effort helped avoid an outbreak of hostilities that seemed imminent at the time. In 1999, he was deeply involved in the process by which East Timor gained independence from Indonesia, and started the Global Compact initiative that has grown into the worlds largest effort to promote corporate social responsibility. Annan was chief architect of what became known as the Millennium Development Goals, and played a central role in creating the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the U.N.'s first counterterrorism strategy. Annans uncontested election to a second term was unprecedented, reflecting the overwhelming support he enjoyed from both rich and poor countries. Timothy Wirth, president of the United Nations Foundation, which disburses Ted Turners $1-billion pledge to U.N. causes, hailed a saint-like sense about him. In 2005, Annan succeeded in establishing the Peacebuilding Commission and the Human Rights Council. But that year, the U.N. was facing almost daily attacks over allegations about corruption in the its oil-for-food program in Iraq, bribery by U.N. purchasing officials and widespread sex abuse by peacekeepers an issue that would only balloon in importance after he left office. It emerged that Annans son, Kojo, had not disclosed payments he received from his employer, which had a $10-million-a-year contract to monitor humanitarian aid under the oil-for-food program. The company paid at least $300,000 to Kojo so he would not work for competitors after he left. An independent report criticized the secretary-general for being too complacent, saying he should have done more to investigate matters even if he was not involved with the awarding of the contract. World leaders agreed to create an internal U.N. ethics office, but a major overhaul of the U.N.'s outdated management practices and operating procedures was left to Annans successor, Ban Ki-moon. Before leaving office, Annan helped secure a truce between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, and mediated a settlement of a dispute between Cameroon and Nigeria over the Bakassi peninsula. At a farewell news conference, Annan listed as top achievements the promotion of human rights, the fighting to close the gap between extreme poverty and immense wealth, and the U.N. campaign to fight infectious diseases like AIDS. He never took disappointments and setbacks personally. And he kept his view that diplomacy should take place in private and not in the public forum. In his memoir, Annan recognized the costs of taking on the worlds top diplomatic job, joking that SG, for secretary-general, also signified scapegoat around U.N. headquarters. Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Richard Holbrooke called Annan an international rock star of diplomacy. After leaving his high-profile U.N. perch, Annan didnt let up. In 2007, his Geneva-based foundation was created. That year he helped broker peace in Kenya, where election violence had killed over 1,000 people. He also joined the Elders, an elite group of former leaders founded by Nelson Mandela, eventually succeeding Desmond Tutu as its chairman after a failed interlude trying to resolve Syrias rising civil war. His quiet advice on how best to defuse impending crises was in constant demand from all corners of the globe, in particular from Africa, former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, who is deputy chair of the Elders, said Saturday. As special envoy to Syria in 2012, Annan won international backing for a six-point plan for peace. The U.N. deployed a 300-member observer force to monitor a cease-fire, but peace never took hold and Annan was unable to surmount the bitter stalemate among Security Council powers. He resigned in frustration seven months into the job as the civil war raged on. Annan continued to crisscross the globe. In 2017, his foundations biggest projects included promotion of fair, peaceful elections, work with Myanmars government to improve life in troubled Rakhine state and battling violent extremism by enlisting young people to help. He also remained a vocal commentator on troubles like the refugee crisis; promoted good governance, anti-corruption measures and sustainable agriculture in Africa; and pushed efforts in the fight against illegal drug trafficking. Annan retained connections to many international organizations. He was chancellor of the University of Ghana, a fellow at New Yorks Columbia University and professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore. His homeland of Ghana was shaken by his death. One of our greatest compatriots, President Nana Akufo-Addo said. Annan is survived by his wife and three children. Funeral arrangements werent immediately announced. Actress Park Bo-young stars in the upcoming romantic comedy "On Your Wedding Day" along with Kim Young-kwang. The film, which will hit theaters on Aug. 22, depicts the friendship and love that develop over the course of more than a decade between two high school buddies. Park plays a girl who believes in love at first sight, while Kim plays her high school friend, who falls in love with her at first sight and believes her to be his destiny. After making her debut in a teen drama at the age of 16, Park gained popularity for her petite physique and lovely smile. She did her first kissing scene in the 2015 TV series "Oh My Ghost" about 10 years after her debut. Contrary to the image she projects, she is persistent and strong-minded. She has worked hard without a break, making a number of films and TV series including the 2008 hit film "Scandal Makers," "A Werewolf Boy" and "You Call It Passion." She has also appeared in several indie films including "Collective Invention." Park says she constantly strives to improve, adding that while working on a project she often finds it hard to sleep, as she worries about her performance. The Justice Department is investigating whether longtime Republican fundraiser Elliott Broidy sought to sell his influence with the Trump administration by offering to deliver U.S. government actions for foreign officials in exchange for tens of millions of dollars, according to three people familiar with the inquiry. As part of the investigation, prosecutors are scrutinizing a plan that Broidy allegedly developed to try to persuade the Trump government to extradite a Chinese dissident back to his home country, a move sought by Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to two of the people. They are also investigating claims that Broidy sought $75 million from a Malaysian business official if the Justice Department ended its investigation of a development fund run by the Malaysian government. The Malaysian inquiry has examined the role of the former prime minister in the embezzlement of billions of dollars from the fund. A Justice Department spokeswoman declined to comment. Christopher Clark, an attorney for Broidy, declined to comment. Advertisement Broidys alleged activities were detailed in news reports this year that cited hacked emails. The Los Angeles-based venture capitalist, who served as a top fundraiser for the Republican Party and President Trump, has said that allegations against him are an effort by his enemies to smear him. A tale of two scandals, with a rich Trump donor, kickbacks and a Playboy playmate Rudolph W. Giuliani, an attorney for Trump, said he had no knowledge of any request for records related to Broidy. The White House referred a request for comment to the Republican National Committee, which declined to comment. In recent weeks, prosecutors with the Justice Departments public integrity section which examines possible political and government corruption have sought documents related to Broidys business dealings. Among the information sought by investigators are details about Broidys work on behalf of and interactions with the Chinese and Malaysian officials, according to two people familiar with the document requests. As part of their efforts, prosecutors have subpoenaed casino magnate Steve Wynn, the former RNC finance chairman and longtime Trump friend, for copies of records and communications related to Broidy. An attorney for Wynn, Reid Weingarten, declined to comment, saying only that Wynn is cooperating with the Justice Department. Steve Wynn is completely cooperating with the investigation and he certainly has no reason to believe that anyone acted improperly in anything he knew about or was involved in, Weingarten said in a statement. Wynn was tapped by Trump to serve as the RNCs lead fundraiser after the election. Earlier this year, he stepped down from that post and from his executive role at his resort company after reports of sexual misconduct. Wynn has denied the allegations of inappropriate behavior. The public integrity investigation is the latest legal challenge for Broidy, who helped corral big donors to support Trumps presidential campaign, throwing a lavish fundraiser for the then-nominee at his Los Angeles-area home during the 2016 campaign. After the election, he was appointed to serve as a national deputy chairman for the RNC. Broidy sought to parlay his party role and connections to the White House and on Capitol Hill in pitches to foreign governments, according to a person with direct knowledge of his activities. In April, he resigned from his RNC position in the wake of a report that he had paid a former Playboy model $1.6 million in exchange for her silence about a sexual affair. Trumps personal attorney, Michael Cohen another RNC fundraiser helped arrange the settlement, Broidy acknowledged. Cohen is under investigation by federal prosecutors in Manhattan who are examining whether he fraudulently obtained millions of dollars in loans and whether his efforts to squash negative stories about Trump during the campaign violated election law. Broidys business dealings captured the attention of investigators for special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who asked at least one witness about Broidys activities, according to a person familiar with the matter. Broidys attempts to solve high-level headaches for the Chinese and Malaysian governments were first reported this spring by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, which cited in part a cache of hacked emails. Broidy has said the documents were stolen by enemies seeking to ruin his reputation. This whole narrative is a fabrication driven by hackers who want to undermine me, Broidy said in a statement to the New York Times. Earlier this year, he filed a lawsuit against Qatar and Qatari officials, alleging that the country hacked his email accounts in retaliation for his allegations that Qatar supports terrorists. A spokesman for the Qatari government has called the suit without fact or merit, and a federal judge dismissed the country as a defendant in the suit this month, citing jurisdictional issues. The Journal reported in March that, according to a draft contract, Broidy and his wife, Robin Rosenzweig, were seeking $75 million from Malaysian businessman Jho Low if federal prosecutors dropped their investigation into a Malaysian state investment fund. The Justice Department has filed civil suits claiming $4.5 billion in public money was misappropriated from the fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad, seeking to claim a portion of those assets. Last month, Malaysian authorities charged former prime minister Najib Razak with embezzling billions in public money from the fund. Clark, the Broidy attorney, told the Journal that Rosenzweigs firm had been hired to provide strategic advice to Low, adding that at no time did Mr. Broidy or Ms. Rosenzweig, or anyone acting on their behalf, discuss Mr. Lows case with President Trump, any member of his staff, or anyone at the U.S. Department of Justice. The New York Times reported in April that Broidy had explored ways to force Chinese exile Guo Wengui to leave the United States. The billionaire businessman had fled China in 2014 as he was facing arrest for a range of charges, including corruption. Guo has said the allegations were fabricated by a government that wants to silence him. Since his arrival in the U.S., Guo has publicly detailed allegations of corruption in the Chinese ruling party. The New York Times reported that Broidy drafted a plan to enlist Emirati officials to pressure the U.S. to turn over Guo. In his statement to the newspaper, Broidy said he never had a strategy or plan regarding Mr. Guo nor was there any compensation given or even discussed. Broidys alleged efforts to push for Guos extradition came after Wynn separately helped deliver a message from the Xi government seeking to have the dissident returned to China, according to a person familiar with the effort. Wynn, who has contacts with Chinese officials because of his business interests in Macau, hand-delivered a letter to Trump seeking Guos deportation, The Journal reported last year. A spokesman for Wynn Resorts has said that the report about Wynns role was false. At the time, the president expressed interest in assisting the Chinese, but was met with resistance by senior law enforcement officials, according to the person. White House officials did not respond to requests for comment. Happy Saturday. Its halfway through August somehow, and as the summer draws to a close, its time to appreciate the last few weeks of having the kids at home and the somewhat lighter traffic. Head to the beach if you can, and hit up all the ice cream shops and taquerias on the way there. Speaking of ice cream, we have a story about a hundred-year-old pharmacy that makes an enormous ice cream sundae that weighs in at 12 pounds. (Maybe share this one.) If youd rather head into the mountains than to the ocean, we also have a story about a goat farm inside the Angeles National Forest where you can visit, herd and milk goats, chat with the physicist-turned-goatherd who runs the place and make your own goat tacos. In other news, we have a piece about family butcher shops, a look at a new food hall and our weekly report on seasonal produce. We have burger recipes, 29 of them, for your summertime grilling including our version of the In-N-Out Double Double. Have a good weekend, enjoy making food or eating out with family or friends, and turn up your Aretha Franklin playlist. Amy Scattergood Advertisement GOAT GETAWAY Farmer and cheesemaker Gloria Putnam with her herd of goats. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) About 70 miles up into the San Gabriels from downtown Los Angeles, Angeles Crest Creamery is a tiny farmstay and goat farm run by Gloria Putnam. A physicist by training, Putnam retired from a job in the semiconductor industry to raise Nubian goats in a 70-acre holding of land in the Angeles National Forest. Visitors can stay in her cabin or Airstream, milk goats, eat goat tacos and hike with the herd in the chaparral, all while learning about Putnams sustainability project. Sorry, no goat yoga. FAMILY BUTCHER SHOPS Felipe Corrado Jr. fills a display case with sausages at Catalinas Market, his familys Argentine butcher shop and grocery store in Hollywood. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Your local butcher shop may seem like a thing of the distant, small-town past, but there are still a surprising number of family-owned and -operated butchers in and around Los Angeles. Food writer Sara Cagle checks out four of them, from a halal market in Northridge to a carniceria in Van Nuys. She talks to the families who run them and the customers who appreciate them. FOOD HALLS AND FALAFEL TACOS Tacos from ConiSeafood at the Fields LA food hall next to the Banc of California Stadium. (Aliza Sokolow) As Jenn Harris reports in her restaurant news column, the food halls of Los Angeles and Orange counties are thriving. The newest is the Fields LA, near the Coliseum, where you can find outposts from noted restaurants such as ConiSeafood, Barbara Jean and Burritos La Palma, as well as C.J. Boyds Fried Chicken, from Otium chef Tim Hollingsworth. In other news, Falasophy is opening in Irvine. The falafel taco specialist began as a food truck before branching out in Santa Ana. A 12-POUND ICE CREAM SUNDAE Employee Will Lopez holds up a towering banana split at Fair Oaks Pharmacy, which also makes 12-pound sundaes. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) Why get your ice cream fix one scoop at a time when you can order a sundae called the Kitchen Sink, which comes with eight scoops of ice cream, brownies, bananas, whipped cream and cherries? Weighing in at 12 pounds, this dish of fun is the specialty of Fair Oaks Pharmacy, a 103-year-old shop in South Pasadena. Not a bad way to cope with this summers series of heat waves. SHAKSHUKA ALERT Red, yellow and green bell peppers. (Eric Seals / Knight-Ridder Tribune) In her weekly Market Report, Noelle Carter considers the bell pepper, the one member of the Capsicum family that does not come with heat. Green while unripe, the peppers come in a variety of gorgeous colors and are extremely versatile. Turn them into ratatouille, gazpacho, salsas and sauces, and shakshuka, the addictive egg-topped stew from Tunisia and the Middle East. Jonathan Gold Tribute: A public event to honor the late Times restaurant critic will be held Sunday, Aug. 26, starting at 5:30 p.m. in front of City Hall in downtown Los Angeles. Hosted by Times arts and culture columnist Carolina Miranda, the event will feature tributes from Golds friends, family and colleagues, food trucks and a screening of never-before-seen moments from City of Gold, Laura Gabberts documentary about Gold. The event is free. The Taste(s): Our annual Labor Day festival, the Taste, is held over the course of that holiday weekend at Paramount. And this year were having two Tastes, not one, with the second happening October in Costa Mesa. For more info and early tickets, go to extras.latimes.com/taste. Check us out on Instagram at @latimesfood. And dont forget the thousands of recipes in our California Cookbook recipe database. Feedback? Wed love to hear from you. Email us at food@latimes.com. Last week the Los Angeles City Council approved a nearly $600-million financial plan to build and operate a streetcar on a nearly four-mile loop in downtown. Yet despite the cascade of public dollars being pledged to the project, theres still considerable skepticism over whether the streetcar will or even should be built. The streetcar was first pitched more than a decade ago by the Community Redevelopment Agency and business leaders as a way to entice more investors downtown, but theres little need to woo them now. Downtown is teeming with construction crews as developers refurbish historic buildings and erect new ones. The project was also supposed to cost $125 million, half of which would be funded by a tax assessment approved by downtown property owners in 2012. The other half would come from federal transportation grants. Today the price tag is $296 million. Some $200 million of that would be paid from the Measure M increase in local sales taxes but the money wont be available until 2053. (The council voted to ask Metro to provide the funding sooner, which is sure to spark a fight with the backers of numerous other projects vying to accelerate their funding.) And the city has voted to spend an additional $295 million in county sales tax revenue for operations and maintenance for the next 30 years. Advertisement The population downtown is expected to grow, and there is a need for more transit options. But why is a pricey, slow-moving trolley the best solution? In short, city leaders have committed nearly half a billion dollars to build what amounts to a glorified bus. Is this really the best use of precious, limited transportation funding? The streetcar would cover a 3.8-mile loop between Staples Center and the Civic Center. It wouldnt connect to the booming Arts District or to Disney Hall unless the city comes up with the money for an extension. It wouldnt have a dedicated lane, meaning the trolley could get bogged down in the same traffic as other vehicles. It would travel routes already covered by the citys DASH buses. The projects biggest booster is Councilman Jose Huizar, who has single-handedly kept it on track even as the price grew and the projected speed of the streetcar dwindled. Huizar has been a major force in revitalizing downtown, and he argues the streetcar will become essential as more people live and work downtown and need a better connection to area rail stations. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion The population downtown is expected to grow, and there is a need for more transit options. But why is a pricey, slow-moving trolley the best solution? The fixation on the streetcar crowds out other options to help people move around downtown, such as, say, more buses. Real estate blog CurbedLA outlined several streetcar alternatives, such as a trolley bus or an electric train that rides virtual rails, that could hit the road in a matter of months, rather than years or even decades. Real estate investors also want the streetcar because, unlike a bus, its route wouldnt change; it would be etched in the asphalt. They know their property will always be streetcar-adjacent. But whats good for investors isnt necessarily good for the public, and the public shouldnt be obligated to pay the vast majority of the bill for a project thats designed to serve commercial interests. If private investors want to put up the bulk of the money, then the streetcar would be more appealing. However, the bar for spending public transit dollars should much higher. Los Angeles needs more mass transit to help people get to jobs, schools and opportunities across the region. It needs fast, efficient transportation options to persuade people to leave their cars at home and cut greenhouse gas emissions. A streetcar that makes a four-mile loop around town? Thats novelty, not a necessity. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook The leaders of the Democratic and Republican caucuses in the state Legislature are among the most powerful politicians in the state. These four lawmakers currently two men in the Assembly and two women in the Senate are also among the most important fundraisers for their respective political parties. But when it comes to deciding how to use the funds they raise, well, they are not so powerful. State law allows lawmakers and their campaign committees to contribute no more than $4,400 to a candidate per election, the same as any other individual donor. By contrast, a political party can donate an unlimited amount to the candidates they endorse. The difference in contribution limits wasnt so important not all that long ago, as legislative leaders and the party to which they belonged generally shared the goal of getting as many of their ilk elected to office as possible. But now that the top-two primary has upended the states elections, often pitting two candidates from the same party in the general election, there is sometimes disagreement between lawmakers and their party organizations about which candidate to support. Heres an example: In 2016, Raul Bocanegra challenged Assemblywoman Patty Lopez (D-San Fernando), who had unseated him from the job two years before. The Democratic Party endorsed Bocanegra, a former rising star in the party, and pumped money into his campaign. (Party rules dont allow resources to be spent on candidates who dont get the official party endorsement.) Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) backed Lopez, but there wasnt a whole lot he could for her other than to contribute a few thousand dollars to her reelection campaign. Bocanegra prevailed, only to resign the following year after an investigation found he most likely engaged in sexual harassment. Advertisement While we would like to see more frequent campaign disclosures, we are not fooled. This dynamic would change dramatically under a surprise bill that legislative leaders are trying to push through in the final weeks of the session to dramatically raise their fundraising and contribution limits. The proposal which guts and amends an Assembly-passed bill to move up the date of Californias presidential primaries was submitted just one day before the summer recess, thereby bypassing the normal legislative process of hearings. Under the measure, each political party caucus in the Legislature would be allowed to create a new fundraising vehicle called a legislative caucus committee that could raise unlimited amounts in individual $36,500 increments, just as the state party committees can do, but would be controlled just by the leader of the caucus. The committees could funnel as much of this money as they want into candidate campaign accounts. Presumably their focus would be on helping reelect caucus members, but there would be nothing stopping a caucus committee from supporting candidates in open seats as well or even opposing an incumbent who had clashed with the leadership. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion We see all sorts of problems with this proposal, starting with the fact that it gives special interests a way to court favor directly with the people who make laws. Right now, if a legislative leader solicits a large check from a corporation or labor union, it goes into the dark hole of his or her political party, which would dole out money in accordance with its bylaws. If a special interest wants to directly contribute to a legislator, it is limited to $4,400 per election, which doesnt exactly move the needle when campaigns routinely raise 50 or more times that amount. The bill (Assembly Bill 84) is backed by top lawmakers from both parties, reflecting legislative leaders shared interest in amping up their power as well as their mutual frustration with the current limits. The frustration may be especially acute among Democrats, whose party establishment is being shaken up by progressives ready and willing to toss aside incumbents. (See the recent party endorsement of Democratic state Sen. Kevin de Leon over longtime U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein.) But theres also strong tea party-esque movement in the Republican party that has gone after more moderate members. The California Democratic Party is vehemently opposed to the proposal, saying it would only deepen the divisions. This bill would be like filing divorce papers, as one party official put it during a hearing on Tuesday. The states Republican Party has not taken a position, but a plethora of good government groups have, including the League of Women Voters, California Clean Money Campaign and Common Cause. They are nervous about the Legislature making such a major revision to the states Political Reform Act in the chaotic final weeks of the session. The bills supporters are touting AB 84 as a transparency and accountability measure because it would require more frequent disclosures by campaign committees. While we would like to see more frequent campaign disclosures, we are not fooled. Transparency is nothing more than the sweet coating to disguise the bitter taste of a power grab. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook To the editor: Not only does the Trump administration diss sound scientific advice by its own Environmental Protection Agency scientists regarding fuel economy rules for cars, it doesnt even bother to offer a plausible explanation. Saying that more fuel-efficient vehicles will lead people to drive more and thus have more accidents is as dumb as claiming that carpooling and mass transportation are bad because more people would be killed in accidents. The administrations environmental policies are not just appalling, but an incredible waste of time that is desperately needed to bolster fuel-efficient cars and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Its more obvious each day that big polluters didnt install these anti-science Republicans into office because they were hard-working geniuses, but really. Advertisement Wendy Blais, North Hills .. To the editor: From the EPA website: The mission of EPA is to protect human health and the environment. EPA works to ensure that: Americans have clean air, land and water; National efforts to reduce environmental risks are based on the best available scientific information; Federal laws protecting human health and the environment are administered and enforced fairly, effectively and as Congress intended... The Trump administration is in willful violation of those rules set into law and signed by former President Nixon. The president is blatantly betraying his oath of office to faithfully execute the laws of the United States by pretending the best available scientific information doesnt exist. For that alone, he deserves to be impeached. Bravo, California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra, for suing to ensure that the laws of the United States are upheld. John Gallogly, Los Angeles Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook. For all the talk about our self-destructive dependence on automobiles in Southern California, theres another, much healthier addiction nursed by Angelenos: We love our sidewalks. Perhaps its because so many miles of these sidewalks lay neglected and buckled by tree roots and heavy use, not to mention the constant threat posed by speeding motorists, that pedestrians feel fiercely protective of the narrow strips that offer them a small measure of protection from traffic. (For the record, this isnt the first time Ive noted our readers affection for their sidewalks.) Now another threat to the relative tranquility of using sidewalks has emerged: electric scooters. For months, our letter writers have objected as more of these devices have been found strewn about on sidewalks and other public places; some have shared tales of dodging oblivious riders who whiz along at street speeds. Now the pushback against companies like Lime and Bird has grown more intense, with several readers even writing approvingly of the vandalization of these scooters. Morongo Valley resident Allan Baker thinks of the scooters as litter: Advertisement The electric scooter firms business model is the cause of their problems with people trashing the scooters. The model encourages users to abandon the scooters wherever they happen to be when they are through with them. I try to be a good citizen and pick up the trash that thoughtless people toss on the ground. Therefore, when I come upon a piece of trash that a thoughtless person has abandoned, including scooters, I toss it in the nearest dumpster. William Solberg of Los Angeles asks for scooter parking: Im willing to give scooters a chance to survive in our urban jungle, but just wait a minute: Since when are some of our leaders so dull that they cannot see whats absolutely wrong with Bird and Lime scooters blocking safe passage on our sidewalks and littering private property? Scooter parking should be better regulated like rental bikes and other vehicles. Peggy Stone of San Diego feels under siege on sidewalks: As a downtown San Diego resident, I have gone from a happy pedestrian to feeling that Im taking my life in my hands if I walk a block for groceries. These things come up from behind, utterly silent at 15 miles per hour fast enough to kill or maim. Ive often been missed by inches. Ive seen riders running red lights and doing circles in busy intersections. Our only defense is to creep along hugging the buildings while these lethal weapons take over the pavement. I may not have vandalized yet but the impulse is strong. Santa Monica resident Peggy Aylsworth welcomes the scooters: This is a perfect example of how something new and challenging stirring up resistance. I love the Birds scooting around Santa Monica, saving the air from the pollution of gas emissions. What is it that threatens a small amount of people enough to resort to vandalism? Anita Roglich of Santa Monica airs a generational gripe: There is no better example of the self-absorption of millennials than the electric scooters. They dont follow the rules; they ride on the sidewalks, they dont wear helmets, and they leave the scooters wherever (one was left in the lobby of my building). Their immediate goal being to satisfy their own needs when riding the scooters and to hell with all the rest of us. So if anyone thinks that that generation will save the planet or save us from President Trump, good luck with that. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III urged a federal judge to sentence George Papadopoulos to up to six months in prison, saying in a court filing Friday night that his lies harmed the Russia investigation. The defendants false statements were intended to harm the investigation, and did so, prosecutors wrote in a scathing sentencing memo. Papadopoulos, a former foreign policy aide to the Trump campaign, was the first person charged in the Russia investigation. He pleaded guilty last year to making false statements to FBI agents, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 7. One of those lies which occurred when he first met FBI agents on Jan. 27, 2017 may have allowed a key figure in the case to slip away, according to the court filing. Advertisement Papadopoulos told the agents that he hadnt joined the Trump campaign when he talked to a London-based academic who had Russian connections. Those statements substantially hindered investigators ability to effectively question the professor when the FBI located him in Washington, D.C., approximately two weeks later, the court filing said. The defendants lies undermined investigators ability to challenge the professor or potentially detain or arrest him while he was still in the United States. The potential impact of Papadopoulos lies was not previously known. A bit player in the campaign, Papadopoulos played an outsized role in the Russia investigation. The FBI first launched the counterintelligence investigation in mid-2016 after Papadopoulos reportedly told an Australian diplomat in London that he heard Moscow had political dirt on Hillary Clinton, including hacked emails. Australian officials passed the information to their U.S. counterparts. Friday nights prosecution memo was filed hours after Trump again denounced the Mueller investigation as a rigged witch hunt, and appeared to blame it on Democrats, not Russias interference in the election. Prosecutors suggested that Papadopoulos lied because he wanted a job in the Trump administration and had an incentive to protect the administration and minimize his own role as a witness. In early 2017, the court filing said, he was seeking a high-level position at the National Security Council, State Department or Energy Department. He even submitted a resume to buttress his application within hours of speaking to FBI agents, the court filing said. The memo also sheds light on why Mueller has moved to sentencing for Papadopoulos while delaying it for several other defendants who have pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. Among them is Michael Flynn, Trumps former national security advisor, who also pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agents last year but has not been sentenced. Papadopoulos wasnt that helpful a witness, the court filing said. The defendant did not provide substantial assistance, and much of the information provided by the defendant came only after the government confronted him with his own emails, text messages, internet search history, and other information it had obtained via search warrants and subpoenas, the court filing said. In addition, Papadopoulos withheld a cellphone that he used during the campaign, only providing it when requested, according to the court filing. Follow the latest news of the Trump administration on Essential Washington chris.megerian@latimes.com Twitter: @chrismegerian Federal immigration prosecutors have sought to reactivate thousands of closed deportation cases, following a recent court decision by Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions that curbed the power of immigration judges to indefinitely suspend cases. Attorneys with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement this fiscal year have asked to restart nearly 8,000 cases that immigration judges had suspended or closed for administrative reasons, according to statistics from the Department of Justices Executive Office for Immigration Review. Those requests totaled about 8,400 in fiscal year 2017, which included four months of the Obama administration. But the pace of the requests has doubled as compared to Obamas previous two years in office 3,551 and 4,847 in fiscal years 2015 and 2016, respectively, according to the data first obtained by BuzzFeed News. An ICE spokeswoman said Friday that the federal agency was seeking to reset cases in which people had been arrested or convicted of a crime, and that it generally reviews cases closed at the discretion of the court to determine whether the suspension was still appropriate. Advertisement But the increase in requests comes as the Trump administration is facing criticism from immigration lawyers and a national union of immigration judges, who argue it is undermining judicial independence and using the court system to further a hard-line political agenda. Through a series of recent court decisions, Sessions has used his legal authority over the immigration system to limit full asylum hearings and block most victims of domestic and gang violence from seeking the form of legal refuge. In May, the attorney general ruled that immigration judges and the Board of Immigration Appeals, the highest immigration tribunal in the nation, lack the general authority to close cases for administrative reasons. No attorney general has delegated such broad authority, and legal or policy arguments do not justify it, he wrote. I therefore hold that immigration judges and the board lack this authority except where a previous regulation or settlement agreement has expressly conferred it. Justice Department spokesman Devin OMalley said at the time that the process by which immigration court cases were put out of sight, out of mind, resulted in immigrants who crossed into the country illegally to remain indefinitely without any form of legal status. The Obama administration had pushed judges and lawyers to close immigration cases deemed a low priority, such as those of people without serious criminal history or with ties to the country, allowing judges to grapple with a backlog that now numbers more than 730,000 cases. Closing cases administratively also allowed judges to resolve many of cases of thousands of unaccompanied minors who entered the country in 2014, fleeing gang violence and poverty in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Immigration lawyers and experts say judges tend to approve requests from lawyers to restart closed deportation cases, which allows judges to reschedule the cases for hearings and proceedings, essentially reopening them for further review. Those requests increased the most this fiscal year, from June 2017 to July 2018, according to federal justice department statistics. Immigration lawyers said they expect them to go up further. The American Immigration Lawyers Assn. posted an alleged ICE memo instructing lawyers to move to reset administratively closed cases as resources are available, a total of more than 300,000 cases. Now that we have seen the numbers, I think it is extremely scary, said Sarah Pierce, a senior policy analyst with Migration Policy Institute in Washington. Many people have been here for years living in relative peace, and suddenly that is now longer true; suddenly they are going to be back before an immigration judge and facing deportation. The National Assn. of Immigration Judges, which represents more than 350 federal immigration judges, filed a formal grievance against Sessions this month, saying they want to stop federal law enforcement officials from interfering with their autonomy. Ashley Tabaddor, president of the association, has said immigration courts which are run by the Justice Department have been used for political messaging that is consistent with law enforcement priorities under past administrations. But all of these issues have become more pronounced with the Trump administrations crackdown on illegal immigration, she said. More stories from Jazmine Ulloa The latest from Washington jazmine.ulloa@latimes.com @jazmineulloa Two jailhouse phone calls between Joshua Waring, son of former Real Housewives of Orange County cast member Lauri Peterson, and his defense attorney at the time are among dozens of communications between Orange County Jail inmates and their lawyers that were improperly recorded and listened to by law enforcement. A list of the recorded calls obtained by the Daily Pilot on Friday show that Waring dialed a number associated with the Orange County alternate defenders office twice at 12:33 p.m. Oct. 18, 2016. A county Sheriffs Department employee downloaded a recording of the calls made to Warings attorney, Ray Chen, to a disk on Jan. 25, 2017, the document shows. The disk was provided to Costa Mesa police officials who were investigating allegations of attempted murder against Waring in connection with a 2016 shooting, said Warings current defense attorney, Joel Garson. It isnt clear whether the calls to Chen were answered, and if so, what was discussed. Waring, 29, is facing three counts of attempted murder and other felony and misdemeanor charges in the Costa Mesa shooting. He could face multiple life sentences if convicted. Garson is trying to have the case dismissed on grounds of outrageous governmental conduct. If hes talking strategy to Ray Chen and thats on the tape, Id be very surprised if the district attorney doesnt concede the case, Garson said. If I can show it was direct attorney-client privilege, then its a home run. Garson said the two recorded phone calls did not appear on several disks the Police Department gave him during evidence sharing. Other disks that were provided contained recordings of Waring speaking with family members and friends. Costa Mesa police officials did not respond to a call seeking comment Friday. The revelations about Warings jail communications come on the heels of news that the Sheriffs Department improperly recorded 1,079 phone calls between inmates and their attorneys over a three-year period, in violation of state law. That information came to light Monday when Greg Boston, director of inmate services for the county, testified about it in a court hearing in Warings case. Garson has been digging into allegations that law enforcement monitored and shared Warings jailhouse phone calls while he was representing himself in his criminal case. An employee with Global Tel Link Corp., a contractor that oversees the jail phone system, wrote in a July 27 letter to Sheriff Sandra Hutchens that an update in the companys system in January 2015 caused a technical error that led to the calls being recorded. After conducting research, we have determined that the Sheriffs Department staff, and in certain circumstances [Global Tel Link] for investigative or technical purposes, accessed 58 of those 1,079 recorded calls a total of 87 times, Darren Wallace, executive vice president of operations for Global Tel Link, wrote in the letter. The company corrected the error in July and no longer is recording attorney-client phone calls, Global Tel Link and Sheriffs Department officials said. Garson said the Global Tel Link breach could cause convictions or charges to be dismissed in dozens of serious criminal cases. Its been going on for three years, he said. Someone along the line in law enforcement should have realized and thought, Why did we get this on tape? and notified the Sheriffs Department that something was wrong with their phone system. Its hard to believe that nobody knew. Hutchens said in a statement Thursday that she is deeply disappointed that this technical glitch by [Global Tel Link] occurred and is concerned about the serious consequences it may bring. Although each call was prefaced with a warning that calls were subject to monitoring and recording, we know that these calls never should have been recorded by [Global Tel Link], Hutchens wrote, adding that Sheriffs Department staff directed the company to fix the issue when it was discovered in June. hannah.fry@latimes.com Twitter: @HannahFryTCN Sue Kilpatrick gasped multiple times as she listened to project manager Reza Fateh explain the delays to a pavement rehabilitation project that has caused traffic headaches along the Foothill (210) Freeway since 2015. At Thursday evenings Crescenta Valley Town Council meeting, Kilpatrick and other La Crescenta residents expressed their dismay to Caltrans officials when told the freeway project would not be finished until December. It was expected to be completed by March. A lot of us are very frustrated, Kilpatrick said from her seat in the front row. We havent been getting all of the facts. It sounds more like were getting excuses. Reza Fateh, the projects manager, blamed rain and construction issues for the delay. The pavement in lanes 3 and 4 have to be completely replaced. Those are the heavy traffic lanes, Fateh explained. With the shifting of work to lanes 3 and 4, traffic had to be limited to the first two lanes. Fateh said they anticipated about 400 slabs would be damaged while the work was underway. Instead, the toll was 1,300 slabs. The pavement rehabilitation project involves upgrades on the highways pavement, median barrier, overhead sign structures and lighting at three tunnels. The installation of a high-friction surface to improve stopping and traction within the tunnels is also included in the work. The project covers a 9.7-mile stretch of the 210 Freeway, used by motorists traveling to and from La Canada Flintridge, Glendale, Pasadena and the La Crescenta-Montrose area. The total contract amount was also increased due to the delays, from $105 million to $107 million, Fateh said. For every reason and explanation Fathe tried to give, he was shot down by community members irritated by the delays. Darrell Davis said he couldnt understand how building famous skyscrapers was done faster than it takes Caltrans to fix pavement on the local freeway. I know the Empire State Building was built in 18 months, Davis said. Kilpatrick balked at the rain delays, saying, we only got 10 inches of rain this year. Town Council President Harry Leon expressed his dismay with the lack of communication from Caltrans about the delays. Were all banking on the end of the summer for this construction to be over, Leon said. If things like this happen ... and then Leon stopped to gather his thoughts. Let us know, said Diane Bullarz chimed in from the second row. Fateh said that despite the delays, they have replaced the median barrier, upgraded the overhead sign structures and upgraded the pavement in the tunnels. Fateh said hes sure the motorists will enjoy the end results when the project is completed. Hopefully, this will last for 40 years and you wont have to hear from us again, Fateh said. michael.livingston@latimes.com @MLivingston06 When Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department deputies talk about a tradition of service, theyre not usually talking about pancakes and coffee but at La Canadas Hill Street Cafe Friday, the script got flipped when officers went from giving orders to taking them. Crescenta Valley and Altadena sheriffs station employees participated in a Tip-A-Cop fundraiser on behalf of the Special Olympics, serving up food and drinks to patrons and securing tips in the form of donations that will help local athletes participate in Olympic events. Todays my day off but Im here this is just always been something Ive enjoyed being a part of, said the CV stations Lt. Mark Slater, admitting the job change was a tough one. Spending three or four hours as a waiter or waitress is hard. It gives you a lot of respect for people who do this job. Crescenta Valley Sheriff station Cptn. Chris Blasnek speaks with La Canada Flintridge resident Harriet Hammons, right, as Heidi Moreno looks on, during the annual Tip-A-Cop event at Hill Street Cafe, in La Canada Flintridge on Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer) By the time breakfast segued into lunch, Hill Streets dining room was crowded with people whod come to support sons, daughters and friends in uniform. Glendale residents Jane and Dave Walden chuckled to see son-in-law Deputy Pete Liberda of the Altadena station serving sandwiches instead of search warrants. What theyre doing is a great cause, Jane Walden said. And theyre earning money for the Special Olympics anything having to do with kids we support. Nearby, Pasadenas Tiffany Hammond and Altadena resident Peter Scaggs chatted with sheriffs employees as they enjoyed their meals. Hammond said shed wanted to surprise Scaggs, whose deputy son, Lorenzo, planned to participate before being assigned a double shift. I got kind of scared when I got in here and saw lots of uniforms, Peter Scaggs joked. But this is a real blessing, because now Ive met my sons boss and his co-workers. Putting the public in touch with officers is an added benefit of the many fundraisers L.A. County Sheriffs employees participate in for Special Olympians, said Mark McCorkle, a retired officer who works as a liaison for the Law Enforcement Torch Run with wife and fellow officer retiree Gerri. The first police fundraiser 37 years ago in Kansas raised $600. Today, law enforcement personnel nationwide have raised more than $600 million for Special Olympics. To have the captains and deputies out supporting the community is huge, Mark McCorkle said. They set a great example. sara.cardine@latimes.com Twitter: @SaraCardine The Oakland Raiders are considering holding training camp in Reno when the team moves to Las Vegas before the 2020 season. Team President Marc Badain toured potential training sites Thursday at the University of Nevada and two high schools. He told reporters following the tour with Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve and others that he is committed to making sure the training camp is in northern Nevada. Badain said the decision will be based partly on where the team does its offseason training. He said the Raiders scouted three dozen sites before picking their current training camp site in Napa, California. Advertisement Schieve said shell do what she can to bring the Raiders to Reno but wont support the use of local tax money to get it done. AP source: Browns, Dez Bryant still talking but no deal Dez Bryant and the Browns are in a holding pattern. The free agent wide receiver concluded his visit with Cleveland on Friday without agreeing to a contract, but conversations continue between the sides, a person familiar with negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks. A three-time Pro Bowler during eight seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, Bryant and agent Kim Maile met with Browns officials at team headquarters Thursday. The discussions carried over to a second day, ending with a promise to stay in touch. Its not known if Bryant has left town. The Browns host the Buffalo Bills in an exhibition game Friday night. One of the NFLs top receivers, the sometimes temperamental Bryant was cut by Dallas in April. Although the Browns are coming off a 0-16 season, Bryant is intrigued about joining them. The 29-year-old reached out to general manager John Dorsey after watching the team on HBOs Hard Knocks. Bryant is also friends with wide receiver Jarvis Landry, a three-time Pro Bowl selection with Miami who came to Cleveland in a trade. The Browns have significantly upgraded their talent and there is renewed optimism about a franchise that hasnt made the playoffs since 2002. If Bryant signs, the Browns would have three Pro Bowlers Bryant, Landry and Josh Gordon on their roster. Gordon is not with the team to deal with health issues, but the Browns are confident hell be back this season. Seahawks sign linebacker Erik Walden, release defensive end Marcus Smith The Seahawks added veteran linebacker Erik Walden on Friday and terminated the contract of defensive end Marcus Smith. Smith spent 2017 with Seattle and re-signed with the team this offseason on a one-year deal. However, the former Philadelphia Eagles first-round pick had missed the last few days of practice due to a personal matter and the Seahawks released him so he could tend to those issues. Smith spent all of last season at defensive end for Seattle, but has been used as a strong-side linebacker in training camp. Walden is a 10-year veteran who spent last season with the Tennessee Titans and the previous four years with the Indianapolis Colts. Over 2 million Muslims from around the world are beginning the five-day hajj pilgrimage Sunday. They will circle Islams most sacred site, the cube-shaped Kaaba in the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca, and take part in a series of rituals intended to bring about greater humility and unity among Muslims. Heres a look at the pilgrimage and what it means for Muslims: What is the purpose of the hajj? The hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, and all able-bodied Muslims are required to perform it once in their lifetime. The hajj is seen as a chance to wipe clean past sins and start fresh. Many seek to deepen their faith on the hajj, with some women taking on the Islamic hair covering known as hijab upon returning. Advertisement Despite the physical challenges of the hajj, many people rely on canes or crutches and insist on walking the routes. Those who cannot afford the hajj are sometimes financed by charities or community leaders. Others save their entire lives to make the journey. A few even walk thousands of miles by foot to Saudi Arabia, taking months to arrive. What is the history of the hajj? While following a route the Prophet Muhammad once walked, the rites of hajj are believed to ultimately trace the footsteps of the prophets Ibrahim and Ismail, or Abraham and Ishmael, as they are named in the Bible. Muslims believe Ibrahims faith was tested when God commanded him to sacrifice his only son, Ismail. Ibrahim was prepared to submit to the command, but then God stayed his hand, sparing his son. In the Christian and Jewish versions of the story, Abraham is ordered to kill his other son, Isaac. Pilgrims also trace the path of Ibrahims wife, Hagar, who Muslims believe ran between two hills seven times searching for water for her dying son. Tradition holds that God then brought forth a spring that runs to this day. That spring, known as the sacred well of Zamzam, is believed to possess healing powers, and pilgrims often return from the hajj with bottles of its water as gifts. In pre-Islamic times, the Kaaba, Islams holiest shrine, was used to house pagan idols worshiped by local tribes. (Ahmad Al-Rubaye / AFP / Getty Images) Why is the Kaaba so important to Muslims? Islamic tradition holds that the Kaaba was built by Ibrahim and Ismail as a house of monotheistic worship thousands of years ago. Over the years, the Kaaba was reconstructed and attracted different kinds of pilgrims, including early Christians who once lived in the Arabian Peninsula. In pre-Islamic times, the Kaaba was used to house pagan idols worshiped by local tribes. Muslims do not worship the Kaaba, but it is Islams most sacred site because it represents the metaphorical house of God and the oneness of God in Islam. Observant Muslims around the world face toward the Kaaba during their five daily prayers. What are the rituals performed during the hajj? Pilgrims enter into a state of spiritual purity known as ihram that is aimed at shedding symbols of materialism, giving up worldly pleasures and focusing on the inner self over outward appearance. Women forgo makeup and perfume and wear loose-fitting clothing and a head covering, while men dress in seamless, white terry cloth garments. The white garments are forbidden to contain any stitching a restriction meant to emphasize the equality of all Muslims and prevent wealthier pilgrims from differentiating themselves with more elaborate garments. Muslims are forbidden from engaging in sexual intercourse, cutting their hair or trimming their nails while in ihram. It is also forbidden for pilgrims to argue, fight or lose their tempers during the hajj. Inevitably, though, the massive crowds and physical exhaustion of the journey test pilgrims patience and tolerance. Muslims from across the world are gathering in Mecca in Saudi Arabia for the annual hajj pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam. (Ahmad Al-Rubaye / AFP / Getty Images) The first day of hajj The hajj traditionally begins in Mecca, with a smaller umrah pilgrimage that can be performed year-round. To perform the umrah, Muslims circle the Kaaba counter-clockwise seven times while reciting supplications to God, then walk between the two hills traveled by Hagar. Meccas Grand Mosque, the worlds largest, encompasses the Kaaba and the two hills. Before heading to Mecca, many pilgrims visit the city of Medina, where the Prophet Muhammad is buried and where he built his first mosque. The second day of hajj After spending the night in the massive valley of Mina, the pilgrims head to Mt. Arafat, some 12 miles east of Mecca, for the pinnacle of the pilgrimage. They scale a hill called Jabal al-Rahma, or Mountain of Mercy. It is here where Muhammad delivered his final sermon, calling for equality and for Muslim unity. He reminded his followers of womens rights and that every Muslim life and property is sacred. Around sunset, pilgrims head to an area called Muzdalifa, 5.5 miles west of Arafat. Many walk, while others use buses. They spend the night there and pick up pebbles along the way that will be used in a symbolic stoning of the devil back in Mina, where Muslims believe the devil tried to talk Ibrahim out of submitting to Gods will. A Saudi security officer stands among Muslim worshipers as they perform prayers around the Kaaba. (Ahmad Al-Rubaye / AFP/Getty Images) The final three days of hajj The last three days of the hajj are marked by three events: a final circling of the Kaaba, casting stones in Mina and removing the ihram. Men often shave their heads at the end in a sign of renewal. The final days of hajj coincide with Eid al-Adha, or the festival of sacrifice, celebrated by Muslims around the world to commemorate Ibrahims test of faith. During the three-day Eid, Muslims slaughter livestock and distribute the meat to the poor. Lee County taxpayers have been clear; we value our wild side and recognize our economy is dependent on the natural diversity and wild creatures with whom we share this area. In 2016, 84% of Lee County voters reaffirmed our commitment to the Conservation 2020 Land Acquisition program first voted on in 1996. In that time this wildly popular program to preserve environmentally sensitive lands has acquired 28,978 acres on 130 properties and many miles of shorelines all across the County. Our neighborhoods benefit from preserving wild lands, the land captures, recharges, and filters rainfall, floodwaters, and sheet flow to prevent new sources of pollution. They provide wildlife habitat and corridors, support biodiversity of natural landscapes, and provide areas where we can study and renew our spirits in nature. And these natural refuges fuel our economy. This is a win win program at least it has been. Lee County has proposed changes that will be voted on Tuesday to streamline the current Conservation 2020 program. We encourage you to use this form found at the link below to write a letter to the commissioners today and if you can, attend the meeting in person at 9:30 am at the Lee County Courthouse, 2120 Main Street. There are some 40 parcels of land that have been nominated by landowners for review and consideration but County administration quietly stopped the process even following approvals by the advisory committee. We dont feel the proposed changes reflect what the public voted for, specifically: * * Nominations will be reviewed once a year in an annual grant cycle * What happens to the 40 proposals that have been nominated but not acted on? * Do they have to resubmit? * * County staff, not the advisory committee would screen nominations * What is the role of the public committees? * Who would do the screening? * What transparency would there be? * * The evaluation criteria shifts the emphasis to water quality project sites over natural landscapes. We fear this will result in funds meant to protect environmentally sensitive lands being used for lands of lesser quality to build infrastructure projects that should instead be funded by utilities or a stormwater utility. * Criteria could prioritize infrastructure projects over natural landscapes with uplands and wetlands. * * The proposal does not address how the current $40 million from property taxes would prioritize the intended acquisition of environmentally sensitive land acquisition. * * The proposal does not address how the program funds will be replenished. We fear that the new cycle and criteria will eliminate unique parcels such as the previously purchased Woodring site on Sanibel and gives shrinking consideration to sites contiguous to existing preserves. We are at a critical juncture in addressing the health and survival of our natural systems. We should be enhancing our land acquisition efforts rather than limiting them. We caution that all of our water quality solutions should not be limited to purchasing land through this program. The County should also consider revisiting a storm water utility to implement water quality infrastructure needs and to require low impact design criteria when approving development in an area that will impact water quality. Please contact the Board of County Commissioners before Tuesday, Aug. 21st to let them know how critical it is that they protect and support continuing this program. Rae Ann Wessel is the Natural Resource Policy Director for the Sanibel-Captival Conservation Foundation. She can be reached at rawessel@sccf.org Lee County Commissioner John Manning opted out of a trial and submitted a no contest plea on a charge of willful wanton reckless driving with alcohol as a factor. Manning was originally charged with driving under the influence, as well as two counts of DUI with property damage. The plea arrangement was accepted by County Judge Archie Hayward Jr. Manning was adjudicated guilty and sentenced to court costs, cost of prosecution, a $500 fine, 12 months of probation, no possession or consumption of alcohol or drugs and must undergo random screenings, six months business purpose only drivers license restriction, DUI school, 50 community service hours, victim impact panel or Lee Memorial high risk drivers course and restitution to the driver of the vehicle into which he crashed. Restitutions are as follows: * $19,158.08 to Justine Maher with minimum monthly payments of $1,550. * $3,876.32 to Conduent Payment Integrity Solutions or Bank of America. Maher did provide a statement to the court and also confirmed on the record that she was in agreement with the plea offer, according to Samantha Syoen, State Attorneys Office spokesperson. The other charges were nolle prossed, or not prosecuted. The incident took place last September when Manning ran a red light and struck Mahers car with his before driving into a light pole in a Bank of America parking lot, the crash report states. A Cape Coral Police Department officer responded to the crash and noticed that Manning showed signs of impairment, according to the arrest report. Manning stated he was returning from dinner where, he told the officer, he had a glass and a half of wine the document said. Field sobriety tests were initiated that Manning performed poorly on and a breathalyzer test was conducted in which he blew a 0.105, which is above the limit at which a person is legally deemed impaired, according to the report. The impairment level in Florida is .08. Manning was transported to Lee County Jail where he later bonded out. Initially, Manning had pleaded not guilty and was going to try the case in court, but ultimately decided to forego trial. His attorney, Sawyer Smith, did not return a phone call made as of press time Thursday afternoon. Connect with this reporter on Twitter: @haddad_cj Thiruvananthapuram : Prime Minister Narendra Modi saluted the people of the rain-ravaged Kerala for their "fighting spirit" and said today the nation stands firmly with the state in this hour. He conducted an aerial survey of some of the areas affected by flood. Kerala Governor P Sathasivam and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Minister K J Alphons accompanied the prime minister during the aerial survey. "I salute the people of Kerala for their fighting spirit... the nation stands firmly with Kerala in this hour," Modi said in a series of tweets after chairing a high-level meeting to review the flood situation. I salute the people of Kerala for their fighting spirit. I compliment the authorities for their efforts in this adverse situation. I would also like to appreciate the wide support and solidarity from people across India towards Kerala during this unprecedented situation. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 18, 2018 The prime minister said his thoughts were with those who have lost their lives in the deluge and hoped that the injured would recover soon. "My thoughts are with the families of those who have lost their lives due to incessant flooding across Kerala. I hope the injured recover at the earliest. We all pray for the safety and well-being of the people of Kerala," he tweeted. Modi also complimented the authorities for their efforts in the adverse situation and appreciated the wide support and solidarity extended by people from across the country for Kerala during the "unprecedented" situation. As per information from the control room of the State Disaster Management, since August 8, 194 people have lost their lives and 36 are missing. PTI The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office has been named one of the best performing Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations for 2017 and listed in the billionaires row of the Department of Finance. President Rodrigo Duterte and House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo led the awarding Wednesday in Malacanang. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez II joined Duterte and Arroyo in giving the awards to the GOCCs. This is a remarkable financial achievement. The same top contributors I mentioned earlier including now, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, made this feat possible, Dominguez said. Our agency is going stronger than ever with its multi-billion lottery industry with P55 billion to P60 billion projected revenues this year, PCSO general manager Alexander Balutan said. Joining Balutan in receiving the awardCertificate of Acknowledgement of Dividend Remittancesduring a simple ceremony at the Malacanang Palace was PCSO Chairman Anselmo Simeon Pinili. Seven out of 54 GOCCs remitted at least P1 billion, representing 69 percent of total remittances or P22.052 billion, and this is where PCSO ranked 5th, Balutan said.We are very proud. We were seated at the front row they called The Billionaires Row from among all the GOCCs. Actually, [dividends]n, especiallyutilities (e.g. electricity, water), and other infrastructures to beef up the economy, he added. According to Dominguez, out of 125 GOCCs, 54 have remitted a total P32.03 billion to the National Treasury from January to July 2018. Pursuant to Section 3 of Republic Act 7656, all GOCCs are required to declare and remit at least 50 percent of their annual net earnings as cash, stock, or property dividends to the National Government. The total dividend collections in the first seven months of this year already exceeded the full-year total of P27.73-billion dividends contributed by GOCCs in 2016 and P30.46 billion in 2017. The dividends will help offset the subsidies we need to pay out to the GOCCs performing crucial social missions. They will go a long way in helping us hold down deficits and continue funding the infrastructures and social program of President Duterte, said Dominguez in his opening remarks. The casualties in President Rodrigo Duterte administrations war on drugs will continue to rise as long as the suspects are armed and drug-crazed, the Philippine National Police said Friday. This is not heaven, this is the real world where people will die in the process, that we have the authority to protect the rest of the Filipino people from the scourge of illegal drugs, PNP spokesman Benigno Durana told reporters on Friday. President Duterte on Friday increased the bounty for ninja or rogue cops from P3 million to P5 million. Ninja cops were the tag given to police officers involved in the illegal drug trade. Duterte initially offered P2 million for the capture of ninja cops in August last year, and then raised it to P3 million a month later. If you bring him [rogue cop] to me dead, you get P5 million. If alive, you get P10,000, Duterte said in a speech during the convention of the regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago in Davao City. The Commission on Human Rights on Friday reiterated its call for the Philippine National Police to ensure full accountability of the officers involved in all cases of drug-related deaths. We also ask the public to never be silent amid the culture of impunity. Let us collectively resist any abuse, remember and honor the lives that were unnecessarily sacrificed, and demand full and fast justice, commission spokeswoman Jacqueline de Guia said. A panel in the House of Representatives has recommended for plenary approval a measure on wiretapping on drug trafficking and other drug-related offenses to address the unabated entry into the country of illegal drugs. The House committee on dangerous drugs, led by Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, approved last Tuesday the still unnumbered measure, which is a consolidation of eight bills filed at the House of Representatives amending Republic Act 4200 or the Anti-Wiretapping Act.Durana made his remark when he explained PNP data showing that six drug suspects were being killed each day. [Its the] same data: six drug suspects per day. And you know drug suspects can be armed, drug-crazed and heavily armed, Durana said. As much as possible we want it not to be bloody, but youre dealing with drug-crazed, highly armed criminals. The law enforcers cannot lay down their lives for these criminals. Durana said the suspects who were killed in anti-drug operations had been denying the Filipino people of their human rights to live in a society free from the scourge of illegal drugs. He said the PNPs duty to protect society from criminals would also take a heavy toll from the police authoritys side. [The duty] would involve some deathnot only of the drug suspects but also of our police personnel. As of today, various drug law enforcement agencies have laid down their lives. Durana said 87 police officers had died and more than 200 authorities had been injured in the fight against illegal drugs. He said any police operation followed procedures, and that the authorities were doing it the right way. Exactly six years ago, on Aug. 18, 2012, Jesse Robredos plane crashed in Masbate. I was in Kathmandu, Nepal when I heard the news. While hoping he would survive the crash, I knew in my heart that we had likely lost this champion of good governance, my colleague in the faculty of Ateneo School of Government, comrade in the Kaya Natin Movement, and my friend. While still praying I would not need to use it, I began writing an obituary to celebrate the life of a good public servant. On his sixth death anniversary and by way of showing solidarity with his wife Leni Robredo, now the vice president of the Philippines and who is constantly being attacked by the President and critics, I recall passages from that obituary originally entitled, Jesse Robredo, man for others. Jesse and I belonged to the same generation of Ateneans. He was a student of Ateneo de Naga High School at the same time I was studying in Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan. He must have been exposed to the same Jesuit mantra as all of us in that generation were: You are called to be men and women for others, a phrase coined by Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ, Father General of the Society of Jesus, in a 1973 speech to alumni of Jesuit schools. More than anything, as a leaders leader, a servant of the people, and a family man, Jesse Robredo was truly a man for others. According to Arrupe, a man-and-woman-for others lived simply, committed to a life of service, and sought to change unjust social structures. This is an accurate description of Jesse Robredo and how he lived both his private and public life. This, too describes Leni Robredo very well. Jesse Robredo lived simply. Stories abound of how Jesse was so unassuming, dressed always modestly, lived in ordinary abodes (not villas nor mansions), had simple (but great) tastes in food, and was always comfortable, as the mayor of Naga and as Interior Secretary, to mix it up with his constituents and his staff. Indeed, as one of his staff commented on television, he enjoyed more being with people on the ground and the streets than in social events. Leni Robredo lives very simply, too. Her bus trips to Naga are well known. Her celebrations with her children, for their milestones, are never ostentatious. When daughter Aika was studying in Harvard, photos of their search for second-hand furniture went viral. The ignorant and the malicious went ballistic in their attacks then but those of us who have done graduate school in the United States knew that the Robredos were just doing what everyone did. This simplicity is not just a personal, private thing for the Robredos. As government official, both Jesse and Leni are known also for their thriftiness. He rejected all types of extravagance and was extra careful with the peoples money. Jesses record at the Department of the Interior and Local Government showed how transparent and scrupulous he was about government finances. Because of this, he made many political enemies but he persisted and eventually the DILG bureaucracy, as did the Naga City Hall, became more appreciative of what he was doing. Likewise, the Office of the Vice President thrives on a modest budget, even as it delivers on its mandate for the marginalized. I must also say how impressed I am with the staff of the OVP, on their work ethics and focus on outcomes. Jesse Robredo lived a life of service with a strong commitment to help the poor. This preferential option for the poor defined and determined Jesses days as a mayor and DILG secretary. He worked hard and demanded excellence from himself and from those who worked with him. But he did not do this because he was a perfectionist. He did and sought the best because he wanted the best for the Filipino people and especially the poor. He treated rich and poor people alike but clearly his heart belonged to the poor. That was why the delivery of basic services was so central to him as a public official. This commitment to the poor also characterizes the professional life of Vice President Robredo. Before becoming a public official, she was part of the community of Alternative Lawyering, of which I am a pioneer. In that community, we use the law to benefit the poor and marginalized.In Congress, Leni Robredo consistently took on causes for social justiceconsistent in her support for agrarian reform, labor rights, indigenous peoples, urban poor, and environmental justice. In her brief stint as the Duterte cabinet member in charge of housing, her pro-poor stance was unwavering. In his 1973 speech, Fr. Arrupe said that men and women for others must have a firm resolve to be agents of change in society; not merely resisting unjust structures and arrangements, but actively undertaking to reform them. How accurate a description this is of the kind of leaders and public servant Jesse Robredo was. This is who Leni Robredo is. If Leni Robredo becomes president of the Philippines, we will be so fortunate. She will be our first president who has a human rights background; she will give justice to the nearly 30,000 who have died in Dutertes war against illegal drugs which is nothing more than a war against the poor. If Leni Robredo becomes president, she will be our first president who has directly worked with the basic sectors and poor communities. She will put the country on a path of peace with its revolutionary groups by implementing necessary socio-economic reforms. If Leni Robredo becomes president, we will see a dynamic, professional, and competent leader. I am convinced that she will establish a government of national reconciliation, that would not necessarily be dominated by the old Aquino coalition (most of whom are now with Duterte anyway) but by a Team Philippines that truly has the best and brightest servant leaders in this country. Change, good and authentic change, will truly come when Leni Robredo becomes president of this country. I am convinced of that. It will be such a relief to the chaos and corruption of this government. I ended my 2012 obituary with the hope that we can all be men and women for others. I said we can all be like Jesse Robredo and serve the people and country, without fanfare, with utmost sincerity, with the best that we can do. And we can make a difference. I wrote then: If we want to honor Jesses memory, let us remember this and not be defeated by this sad moment. I am glad that his wife, life partner, and mother of his children, was not defeated by his death. The children, too not only survived but have overcome well the challenges they faced in losing a father. Leni Robredo is a person for others and the country is so fortunate that she is our vice president and constitutionally the only successor to President Duterte. Facebook: tonylavs Twitter: tonylavs Do you want to help businesses thrive in Polson, Montana? Lake County Community Development Corp is seeking a part time Business Development Coordinator to provide business development services in the City of Polson! This position in 20/hours week starting October 1, 2018 housed in the Polson Montana Chamber of Commerce Office. Open until filled. Please submit cover letter and resume? to Polson Job Service. https://montanaworks.gov/job-details?jadrId=102922149 iConnect Montana http://www.iconnectmontana.com , a Billings-based high tech company founded by three rural Montana cooperatives, is proud to announce 12 months of cloud service credits (a value worth up to $250/month) for Montana startups, non-profits, and students. These cloud credits are to be used for personalized cloud options that are flexible, scalable, secure, and provided right here in Big Sky Country. "Montana is gaining a growing reputation as an ideal place for colocation and cloud operations as well as other high tech businesses," said Mike Sheard, CEO of iConnect. "We want to be at the forefront of supporting these innovative companies from the beginning." This announcement is following iConnects participation in the third annual Innovate Montana Symposium held on August 9th. The Symposium is an event focused on supporting and educating Montanas small businesses and entrepreneurs. "We sincerely appreciate the support of iConnect at the Innovate Montana Symposium," expressed Ken Fichtler, Chief Business Development Officer at the Governors Office of Economic Development. "Their cloud service is an outstanding fit for not only many of our attendees, but any high-tech business in the state." iConnect strives to provide services across Montana, with special consideration for rural Montana due to the founders ties to Scobey, Havre and Sunburst, where they are headquartered. They also provide free consulting services to their customers to assist them with technological, regulatory, and compliance needs. "We understand the importance of ensuring Montanans are not left behind in this digital age," said Sheard. "These rural telcos are aggressively deploying wireless and fiber-based broadband services throughout rural Montana service areas, and we are pushing for connectivity across the state." According to the Montana High Tech Business Alliance, Montanas high tech companies are growing at rates up to nine times faster than the statewide economy as a whole. Furthermore, wages for high tech jobs are growing faster than other job in the state. The Innovate Montana Symposium highlighted workforce development during one of their panels, showcasing the network of statewide programs that provide customer focused employment and training opportunities for local businesses. As iConnect prepares for a large growth strategy in the coming years, they urge students to consider a career in technology and to take advantage of one of the excellent academic programs offered in state. "Now is the time to prepare for the future workforce," urged Sheard. "We look forward to expanding our operation, hiring tech skilled Montanans, and investing in the Montana workforce." #### About iConnect Montana: iConnect Montana was founded in 1999 and is owned by three of Montanas most respected and financially stable telecommunications companies: Triangle Communications, Nemont Communications, and Northern Communications. They identified a need for neutral network hubs where they and other companies could collocate their technology platforms in a common "hardened" facility equipped with specialized power, HVAC and security infrastructure, as well as fiber connectivity. The first facility became operational in Billings in 1999, and they have since built facilities in Helena and Missoula. Recently, a second Billings facility was added, which is a world class data center. Contact Julia Bryant Cell 406-333-1761 Email [email protected] Website http://www.iconnectmontana.com 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. 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. Caesars Ford Theatre, Inc invites Theatre Practitioners (Playwrights, Directors, Technical Professionals, and Performers) to attend an open meeting regarding the restoration of outdoor historical theatre to southwest Ohio. The meeting will be Thursday August 30th at 7:30pm at the Xenia Area Community Theater located at 45 E. Second Street Xenia, Ohio 45385. Caesars Ford Theatre, Inc is conducting a feasibility study with the Institute of Outdoor Theatre / Southeastern Theatre Conference and input from Theatre Practitioners is greatly needed. As a result of this study, a Festival of New Historic Drama play writing festival is planned for late summer 2019. The meeting and discussions will be led by the consulting team from the Institute of Outdoor Theatre / Southeastern Theatre Conference. They include Dr. David Wohl, PhD, Dean Emeritus, College of Visual and Performing Arts, Winthrop University in South Carolina, Peter Hardy, Artistic Director of Essential Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia and former Director of Unto These Hills outdoor drama in Cherokee, North Carolina, and Dr. Larry Gustke, PhD Professor Emeritus, Department of Parks and Recreation and Tourism Management, North Carolina State University. International Turkey will defy economic threats: Erdogan ISTANBUL, Aug 18 (Agencies) | Publish Date: 8/18/2018 12:02:42 PM IST Turkeys president said Saturday his country will stand strong against an attempted economic coup amid heightened tensions with US. Recep Tayyip Erdogan told thousands of supporters in Ankara that the country was being threatened by the economy, sanctions, foreign currency, interest rates and inflation. We tell them that we see their game and we challenge them, he said. Turkey is reeling from a massive sell-off of its currency as Washington imposed sanctions and threatened new ones if an American pastor under house arrest isnt released. Evangelical pastor Andrew Craig Brunson faces up to 35 years in jail if convicted of espionage and terror-related charges. The liras value dropped 38 percent against the dollar since the beginning of the year and sunk as low as 7.24 this week. On Friday, ratings agencies downgraded Turkeys credit rating further to junk status, pointing to currency volatility and concerns over central bank independence. Some Erdogan supporters at his ruling partys congress to elect a new executive branch wore shirts with the lira sign. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: India on Friday banned the import of petcoke for use as fuel, but allowed import of the product by some industries, which will use it as feedstock. Import of petcoke for fuel purpose is prohibited. It is allowed only for cement, lime kiln, calcium carbide and gasification industries, when used as the feedstock or in the manufacturing process on actual user condition, said a statement from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) on Friday. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, in consultation with customs and DGFT, will bring out detailed guidelines for regulating and monitoring petcoke imports. The move is expected to bring cheers to Indias cement industry as it accounts for about three-fourth of the countrys petcoke use. Various flip-flops in petcoke policy by the Centre in recent times had impacted the profitability of cement-makers. Post the DGFT announcement, shares of cement companies such as Ultratech Cement Ltd, Shree Cement Ltd, Ambuja Cements and ACC Ltd has moved upwards. Ultratech Cement, whose net profit slumped nearly 30 per cent in the first quarter of the current financial year due to high petcoke prices, saw its stocks going up by 1.64 per cent on Friday. Share prices of Shree Cement, one of the significant users of petcoke in the country, went up by 3.21 per cent and closed at `17,550. Earlier, the government had considered a nationwide ban on petcoke usage by various industries. This was after multiple reports had found that petcoke-burning produces five to six times more pollution than its alternative, coal. India imports about half of its annual petcoke consumption pegged at around 27 million tonnes mainly from the United States, while the domestic consumption is met by Indian Oil Corporation, Reliance Industries and Bharat Petroleum Corporation. By Express News Service BHUBANESWAR: Indian markets seem to have gathered momentum after snapping their two-day losing streak, with benchmark indices BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty 50 scaling fresh lifetime highs on Friday. The rally was led by uninterrupted buying from domestic institutional investors amid positive global cues. While Sensex rebounded by over 284 points (0.75 per cent) to close at 37,947.88, Nifty 50 climbed 85.70 points (0.75 per cent), to end at a new record of 11,470.75. It surpassed its previous closing high of 11,470.70 on August 9. In intraday trade, Sensex hit the days high of 38,022.32 on a flurry of buying. Provisional data shows domestic institutional investors bought shares worth `133.78 crore while foreign portfolio investors sold equities worth `825.08 crore. The markets are largely ignoring the rhetoric of global trade wars and rupee depreciation (read dollar appreciation). Quality stocks are seeing more buying interest on every smaller fall, in turn making those more expensive and taking markets to new highs, said Devang Mehta, Head (Equity Advisory), Centrum Wealth Management. Among the sectoral indices, all except oil and gas finished with gains, led by metal, FMCG, realty, auto and banking. ITC, Yes Bank, SBI, Vedanta, HUL, Tata Motors, ITC, Tata Steel and ICICI Bank were among the top gainers, rising up to 3.76 per cent, while the major losers were Hero MotoCorp, Maruti, ONGC, Coal India and Bajaj Auto.Mehta said the one characteristic of the market from here on will be intermittent bouts of volatility, which investors need to utilise tactfully for creation and realigning of portfolios. Asian shares too won a modest reprieve, led by Japan stocks, on easing trade tensions between the US and China as well as recovery of Turkeys lira. Japans Nikkei advanced 0.5 per cent, while stocks in Seoul and Hong Kong were also higher. However, the Chinese share markets were hardly impressive, with the Shanghai composite index falling 1.3 per cent. In contrast, European shares were lower as investors worries about the European Banks exposure to Turkey came in line with the expectations. By Express News Service BENGALURU: While Bengaluru might be on its way to achieving freedom from flexes and banners following the High Courts intervention, the situation is not rosy in other cities around the state. With several challenges to enforcing the ban across Karnataka, ranging from the mundane to the complex, getting rid of flex banners in other cities is most likely to pose a major problem for the state government. In just a matter of a week, as per the HC directive, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) authorities removed more than 22,000 illegal flexes, banners and hoardings. Officials did their job day and night. With no political pressure, they carried on along with the Bengaluru Police. The civic body authorities did not just clear flex boards, but also instilled fear by registering FIRs against offenders, including a local councillor. But with the HC directive limited to BBMP boundaries, making the state free of flexes will not be as "easy" as Bengaluru. Team TNIE checked the status of the flex mania in other parts of the state. While some cities seem to be keen on implementing the rule taking cue from the BBMP, a few are least bothered. While the Kalaburagi Mahanagara Palike will start taking steps to remove flexes and banners within a week, the Mangaluru City Corporation has formed a special team to curb the menace. On the other hand, Mysuru and Hubballi dont seem to be that keen on implementing it. Speaking to The New Indian Express, Urban Development Minister U T Khader said there is a ban in place already, but enforcing it is a big challenge. We are keen on enforcing it in state; implementing it is a major concern. We cannot do it overnight. I need to discuss with officials, various stakeholders, including the ones who run flex printing units and others, he said. Explaining further, he said in a country like India, people are ready to break the law, but not the customs they have practised for long. Be it religious or political events, and publicity matters. Flex is also needed for the general public to express their grief. Not all can express or inform through newspapers and media. Removal of flexes may lead to social problems. This is a sensitive issue which needs to be handled carefully, he added. KALABURAGI Flex-free city soon Mayor Sharanakumar Modi said a few years back, their palike had taken a decision to remove illegal flexes and banners. The resolution passed by it was not implemented so far. Modi said he has now instructed the palike commissioner to take action. MANGALURU Special teams to curb menace The corporation has a special team to carry out raids. It will continue for the next three months till there is awareness among people about not putting up flexes without permission, said corporation commissioner Mohammed Nazeer. MYSURU Code of conduct blessing in disguise With the local body elections scheduled for August 31, the code of conduct has turned out to be a blessing in disguise to go about pulling down buntings and other publicity material from prominent streets and junctions. The city has less number of hoardings too. HUBBALLI Not in hurry Imposing a ban is not on the cards of the corporation. However, HDMC Commissioner C W Shakil Ahemad said the civic body conducts drives to remove flexes and banners. The flexes put up after taking approval from the Revenue Department would be spared. With inputs from Pramodkumar Vaidya (Hubballi), Arockiaraj Mathichetty (Mangaluru), Ajith M S (Mysuru), Ramkrishna Badseshi (Kalaburagi) and Ashwini M Sripad (Bengaluru) M G Chetan By Express News Service BENGALURU: With the arrest of 12 men in connection with the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, the special investigation team (SIT) says it is not only moving closer to solving the case, but has also dismantled the entire team that was set up to eliminate progressive writers and thinkers in Karnataka. It is learnt that the leaders of the radical outfit, allegedly floated by a right-wing organisation, that carried out the murder of Gauri and scholar Dr M M Kalburgi, in which arrests have to be made yet, had trained more than 20 youths in using firearms. During the course of the probe, the SIT had zeroed in on over 20 youths recruited by Amol Kale alias Bhaisaab, the head of operations of the covert team in Karnataka, and his associates Sujith Kumar alias Praveen and Manohar Edave alias Manoj. They included some of the accused arrested in connection with Gauris murder. The recruits were spread across the state and all of them were summoned for questioning. Only after we were convinced that they were not involved in Gauri Lankeshs murder, they were let off with a stern warning. Many of them have admitted that accused Rajesh D Bangera had trained them in firing pistols. Some of them will be treated as witnesses in the case, a SIT official said. The SIT believes that it has identified everyone who was trained by the gang and hopes that murders or attacks on rationalists and writers will not recur in the state, at least for some years. We have not spared even a single person associated with the gang and have gathered details of each. Their activities will be on the police radar, as we have shared their details with agencies concerned, including the state Intelligence and the jurisdictional police, the official added. Amol Kales arrest is also touted as a major setback to the covert operations team. As Kale did everything, from recruiting new members to planning and executing murders, his arrest itself is a blow to his team and its members. Besides, key recruiters like Sujith Kumar and Manohar Edave, trainer Rajesh Bangera and other key members have also been arrested. The team has been left without leadership. Also, with each of its member being identified, we could say its almost impossible for them to rebuild the team, the officer said. By Express News Service BENGALURU: With incessant rains and floods in Kerala inundating people across the state, many individuals, and groups have been tirelessly working round the clock to collect and send relief materials to the state. Kerala floods LIVE UPDATES: CM Pinarayi Vijayan says 324 lives lost since May 29; PM Modi to undertake aerial survey today The Karnataka Unit of the All India Malayalee Malayali Association (AIMMA) has already sent four trucks of relief materials with the fifth going on Sunday. Vinu Thomas, Karnataka state secretary, AIMMA says, We had vehicles with items such as rice, sugar, tea, cereals, grams, candals, towels sent, he says. The relief materials will also be for the tribal population working as daily wage labourers in tea and coffee plantations. Anathu Vasudev from the group, Anbodu has set up seven collection centers in the city. The relief materials will first go to Kochi and then to Kottayam. We are supporting as many as 20 to 25 relief centers which are filling up with people every day. We want people to contribute mats, new clothes, new undergarments, sanitary napkins and food items, he says. Bengalureans can also drop off relief materials at any of the seven outlets of Juice Maker including Koramangala, Electronic City Phase 1, Indiranagar and HSR layout. Savad PK, founder of Juice Maker, says, Our team is present in Kerala and coordinating with community members who are helping the government in rescue operations. The team has already sent a truck on Friday. We are planning to do the same on Sunday. Kishan Kumar who is part of Malayali Media Association, says, We are in constant touch with Kerala authorities and media there to learn about the situation. The group has six collection points across the city where people can drop any essential items. The Confederation of Indian Industry and Hira Welfare Association based in Coles Park have been collecting and distributing items for about three weeks too. Contact details AIMMA: Electronic City: 984574752 BTM Layout and Madiwala: 81474 74777. Indiranagar, K RPuram and Whitefield: 95133 00101 Hebbal and Peenya: 97395 59897 Bannerghatta Road: 99863 87746 Sarjapura Road: 98865 79567 Anabodu: 9497827181, 9947790008 Malayali Media Association C V Raman Nagar: :9744552259 Frazer Town: 8861673457 Cambridge Layout: 8861511361 Kanakapura Road: 8151817184 TNIE: 9448356137 Horamavu: 9535577072 Mahadeevapura: 9916669602 LB Shastri Nagar:9611191065 Yemalur: 9844516810 Bellandur: 9886137623 CII: 9845122466 Hira Welfare Association: 9535536806 S Lalitha By Express News Service BENGALURU: The Nandini brand of sweets, a household name for delicacy across Karnataka, will now be sold in a foreign land for the first time ever. The first consignment of one tonne cartons of sweet boxes was sent by a cargo flight by the Karnataka Co-operative Milk Federation (KMF) from Bengaluru to Singapore this week. This is a big step by KMF to capitalise on the Indian overseas population for its reputed products. Mysore Pak, Milk Peda, Cashew Burfi, Kunda, Dharwad Peda and even cookies have been exported in the first consignment. Speaking to The New Indian Express, KMF Managing Director Rakesh Singh said, We have tied up with Arab Asia Singapore PTE Ltd which will distribute them in Singapore. Indian stores and supermarkets will primarily be selling them. KMF is looking at receiving orders to the tune of 1.5 tonnes of sweets per week from Singapore and the expanded capacity at its manufacturing plants will permit an increase in production. Excited about the potential of a huge overseas market opening up, Singh said so far, KMF had sent its Tetra Pak milk packets to Singapore, Qatar and a few Middle East countries. It is the first time our sweets will be sold outside India, he said. Products with a 20-day shelf life are sent there, so it will still retain its freshness and taste when delivered. The sweet sector could emerge as a major revenue source in future, the MD said. Our priority right now is to build the brand name by ensuring its visibility around and popularising it. We will have a decent margin even now. Within a months time, we are looking at manufacturing Premium Packaging products that will cater only to the Singapore market in future. KMF was also looking at exploring other overseas markets based on the response for this initiative, Singh added. He said the initial response received this week has been encouraging. The shipment was sent via Air India cargo flight to Singapore after clearance from Chennai Customs. By PTI NEW DELHI: A 62-year-old woman known as the "godmother of crime" in south Delhi's Sangam Vihar, who was wanted in connection with the killing of a man, was arrested, police said today. The accused identified as Basiran was declared a proclaimed offender, they said. A total of 113 criminal cases including that of bootlegging, murder, robbery, contract killing and snatching have been registered against Basiran and her family members, police said. Acting on a tip-off, the accused was arrested from Sangam Vihar where she had come to meet her family members to decide further strategy in connection with seizure of her property, said Romil Baaniya, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (south). In September 2017, a partially decomposed body was recovered from the jungle of Sangam Vihar. A case was registered in connection with the murder following which a juvenile was apprehended in this case in January 2018, he said. The juvenile then disclosed name of his associates namely Aakash, Vikash, Neeraj, Munni Begum and Basiran, he added. After the co-accused were arrested, Basiran fled away and was evading her arrest since then, the DCP said. On May 25, Basiran was declared proclaimed offender in connection with the case. Subsequently, her property attached and sealed, he said. Meanwhile, the accused also filed an application seeking anticipatory bail at Delhi High Court and also sought release of her property at Saket Court. However, the Delhi Police strongly objected to it, giving her previous criminal background following which both applications were then dismissed by the court, the senior officer said. During interrogation, Basiran admitted that she had taken a contract of Rs 60,000 to kill Miraz who was a step-brother of one of the accused Munni Begum, he said. Basiran along with her associates hatched a conspiracy to kill Miraz. As per the plan, on the intervening night of 8 and 9 September 2017, Munni Begum took Miraz to Basiran's house and from there her associates took Miraz to a jungle in Sangam Vihar's K block where they intoxicated him and strangulated him to death using leather belt. The accused then burnt the body to hide his identity and buried it in the jungle, the officer added. It was learnt that Basiran did not have any permanent source of income and so she started selling illicit liquor. The accused even motivated her eight sons including a minor to commit crime, the DCP said. Once, she acquired dominance in the area, with the help of her sons, she captured government water borewells in Sangam Vihar and was running a water supply mafia, he said. She was absconding since last eight months and was hiding in cities like Allahabad, Ahmedabad, Mainpuri and Firozabad, he added. Police said a case of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999 (MCOCA) has been registered against her son Shamim. She along with other family members will also be booked in connection with the case for amassing wealth from crime proceeds, the police said. By IANS PARIS: "Mission: Impossible Fallout" star Simon Pegg says he is fascinated with India and would love to visit the country soon. "India is one of my ambitions. I always wanted to go to India. I am very interested in and kind of fascinated by the country for many reasons and I hope I get there soon," Pegg told IANS. "I have interacted with fans from India and it has been incredibly sweet. It is a fascinating place which I would love to visit," he added. The actor is popular for his role as Benji Dunn in the "Mission Impossible" world. He was also part of the sixth part "Mission: Impossible Fallout", which has been helmed by Christopher McQuarrie. It opened in India in July. The Paramount Pictures movie was distributed in India by Viacom18 Motion Pictures. Sudhir Srinivasan By Express News Service The drug dealers in Kolamavu Kokila may not be the sharpest tools in the shed, but it seems that they definitely have a Netflix subscription. More than once, the name of Pablo Escobar is thrown about. When the group gets lucky with Kokilas (Nayanthara) recruitment, one of the guys says, Namma Pablo Escobar aavardhu urudhi. Im pretty sure I spotted Escobars poster inside one of their hideouts. Kolamavu Kokila, incidentally, isnt as reminiscent of Narcos, as it is of you said it Breaking Bad. Yes, yes, the obvious reference, right? Hear me out though. Much like in that series, theres a cancer angle here. The protagonist gets diagnosed with it there; but here, its the mother, even if it doesnt impact Kokilas life any less. Curiously, the cancer, much like there, is of the lung here too. A drug dealer talks about decomposing a body in acid, and its another hat tip, I suppose. And Kolamavu Kokila too like Walter White apart from the alliterative name, begins as a naive girl, but begins to slowly pick up the street-smarts that enable her survival. Walter does the drugs thing for the kicks to feel alive but Kokila, a Tamil film protagonist, is in it for her family. Think of her as a K Balachander girl with a wicked twist. In one scene, as her cancer-afflicted mother speaks in resignation about her fate, she says, Ponnu nu dhaane ipdi pesara, and vows to save her. These bits are heartwarming. The biggest difference, of course, is that Kolamavu Kokila has been conceived as a comedy a dark comedy with the occasional good mass moment for its seemingly timid heroine. And I have to say, as sacrilegious as it may be to say, that Nayanthara oversells the innocence of her character. While Kokilas timid nature may have seemed an excellent counterpoint to her depravity yes, yes, its for a cause the actors portrayal seems a constant indicator that Kokilas manner of being is feigned. I kept waiting for the disguise to break. Perhaps shes a police informant. Perhaps shes wreaking vengeance for a past misdeed. Perhaps she will eventually grow out of her almost infantile wide-eyed meek-speak, but she never does. The films drug dealers and peddlers, as Ive mentioned, are rather dull save for one scene in which a dealer tries to identify a rat and some of their decisions, rather baffling. A dreaded drug lord risks losing a large shipment of cocaine by strangely trusting Kokila a trembling, nervous, weepy Kokila, no less. A hitman whos trying to sexually assault Kokila, suddenly accedes to her bizarre request, despite holding all the aces. Towards the end, a rather impotent threat from Kokila easily outwits a supposedly smart cop. Its hard to enjoy victories when the contests seem staged and this easy. The films inefficient digressions into comedy are a big problem too. You get joke attempts where they scarcely seem to belong. The drug dealer played by Rajendran often breaks into nonsensical adages that very rarely work. The boy whos smitten with Kokilas sister, meanwhile, is a truly irksome presence with his rapid babble. He doesnt stop mumbling when beaten to a pulp. In the absence of his incessant chatter being funny, I hoped that his character and Sekar (Yogi Babu), whos a lot funnier would at least get humanised somewhere, but sadly, they remain caricatures till the end. And in any case, you have to wonder: Whats Kolamavu Kokila really trying to say? Theres the likeable subtext that a woman her superficial meekness and soft speech notwithstanding can outwit dozens of powerful men, sure, and really, hurrah for it. Beyond it though, what else is the story saying? That illegal means are justified when your needs are legitimate? That depravity is pardonable when done for good? What are the grave consequences of all the kilograms of cocaine that Kokila successfully helps distribute? If its argued that the film is simply about a good family going rogue, where indeed are the negative repercussions? Kokila, after all, kills, peddles, kidnaps, incites murder, and has no qualms about throwing innocent people like Sekar into harm. Wheres her comeuppance? Amid the jarring shifts between seriousness and comedy, Anirudhs music comes as a big respite. Kalyana Vayasu has clearly turned out to be the most popular of the songs, and one of the reasons I took to its video when it was originally released was the possibility that for once, Yogi Babus character would be treated as a normal person, one whose appearance didnt need to be constantly described in degrading terms. Alas. There are plenty of jokes aimed at his supposedly unattractive looks. Characters compare his face to an ape, and he responds in kind. When he shares that hes in love with Kokila, a boy suggests that he look in the mirror first. Another questions his lack of conscience for falling for an attractive girl. Almost scarily, the audience burst into laughter. Its perhaps time that we looked past his appearance, and tapped, maybe, more into the terrific comic timing that hes shown ample evidence of. Who knows, maybe, some day in the distant future, a character he plays may be shown to genuinely fall for a conventionally attractive girl. And maybe, just maybe, some character wont go, Manasaatchiye illiya? Avinash Ramachandran By Express News Service Marainthirunthu Parkkum Marmam Enna (MPME) begins with a voice-over by Radha Ravi that goes: Indha ulagathula modhalla vandhadhu thirudan dhaan. Avana kandupudikka dhaan rendaavadha police vandhuchu. Annilerndhu innikku varaikkum police rendaavdhu edathula dhaan irukaanga. (Its only after thieves came that police did. Police have always been second.)It seems like an intriguing start but crumbles almost immediately, when just a few scenes later, an inconsequential character mouths these same lines to a couple of corrupt cops. Its needless repetition that adds nothing to the story. MPME, a film that tries hard to toe the line of realism, gets frequently bogged down by such contrivances. In cinema, success of one subject spawns several of the same theme. Remember the 2016-film Metro, starring Shirish and Bobby Simha? MPME is not too dissimilar to that film, which dealt with the chain-snatching menace, the repercussions of the crime and the machinations behind it. It is not just the central theme; even certain scenes, like the gang leader Mattai (Mime Gopi) explaining the rules of chain snatching, make you feel like MPME is a watered-down version of Metro. The lead character, Japan (newcomer Dhruvva), is introduced in a flashback as a thief who steals from a chain-snatching gang. Just as you settle down for the flashback, the film returns to the present where he is inducted into the gang as its newest member. This refreshingly quick flashback and the ensuing training montages are some of the better scenes in this 114-minute film, and Achu Rajamanis loud but thumping score sets the audience up for a gritty ride. However, just as this loudness becomes unbearable after a while, the one too many flashback sequences make the film tedious. Also, the frequency of flashbacks becomes a downer because continuity in this film seems optional. A character, who is bald in one scene, appears with a head full of hair in the next and goes back to being bald in the scene after. When there is a gang of thieves, the police cant be far behind, and here we have Dilip Chakravarthy (JD Chakravarthy), a no-nonsense cop out to clean the city off its chain-snatching menace. Bigg Boss-fame Aishwarya Dutta plays Bharathi, an aspiring cop whose reason for falling in love with Japan has an interesting subversion of the stalk-till-she-says-yes cliche. However, MPME, as stated, suffers from the excesses syndrome, and in yet another long-drawn flashback, the filmmaker attempts another subversion of the love angle and this time, it feels like a tasteless exercise to show how creepiness transcends generations.In a film that tries hard to sidestep cliches, director Rahesh sticks to one inescapable cliche: Saranya Ponvannan, with her usual excellent comic timing, is cast as Iyappans (Japans real name) good-natured and doting mother. Somewhere in the film is also a plot twist that is quite visible from afar. It helps the filmmaker dole out one advice after the other about womens safety. While this does get preachy, the relevance of the advice cannot be denied.Rahesh, who earlier made Thambikottai (2011), returns with a film that has its heart in the right place, but whose idea of justice is too far-fetched for its realistic tone. Good intentions dont necessarily translate into good cinema, and Marainthirunthu Parkkum Marmam Enna stands testament to this. Navein Darshan By Express News Service Nishanth Ravindaran and Jathin Sankar Rajs debut film Odu Raja Odu puts a spin on the usual good trailer-blah film trend. The debut director duo, who perhaps intentionally made an underwhelming trailer, successfully deliver the right dose of dark humour in the film to keep us in splits and hold our interest for more than half the runtime. Unfortunately, after the interval, in infusing pathos and drama into the story, they kill its soul, and the film, which could have easily been one of the quirkiest comedies of Tamil cinema, settles into less exalted territory. Odu Raja Odu is based on the series of unfortunate events that Manohar (Guru Somasundaram), a lazy, small-time novelist, and his drug peddler friend Peter, encounter in their quest to buy a set-top box for Manohars wife, Meera (Lakshmi Priyaa), on the eve of their wedding anniversary. The film also features several interestingly-woven parallel stories. The way the lives of the various characters--drug lord Veerabadhrans (Deepak Bagga) gang; the petty little thieves, Malar and Sathya; the don brothers, Kaalimuthu (Nasser) and Chellamtuhu (Ravindra Vijay) with contrasting ideologies on violence; the revenge-seeking jailbird Nakul (Anandsami) affect and confuse each other is beautifully conceived for the most part. Though the incredible number of characters and the non-linear narrative has the potential to confuse an average viewer, the directors cleverly tackle this issue by revealing the name of the characters, along with the nicknames that the audience would use to refer to them, at pivotal moments. For instance, Irfan (Abhishek), who has a secret affair with his friend Nakuls wife, gets the nickname, Thunai Maapillai, which makes the theatre burst into laughter. The satisfactory performance of all the main actors compensates for a number of amateur VFX shots. Nishanth Ravindaran, who has also taken on the additional responsibilities of screenplay and editing, deserves special praise for the latter role. His brilliant multi-screen edit sequence to portray the intimacy between Nakul and Mary (Ashiqa Salvan) and the usage of jump cuts in slapstick scenes elevate the film. The real trouble for this offbeat dark comedy begins towards the second half when the treatment becomes forcibly serious, and the film, all of a sudden, transforms into an emotional drama. Jigarthanda (which also starred Guru Somasundaram), too, had a similar mid-film transformation from gangster drama to dark comedy. But unlike that film, which felt believable, Odu Raja Odu fails to justify the sudden change in tone. Halfway through the second half, the viewers are left confused about whether to laugh or cry, as the gruesome death of a lead character is followed by an unapologetic comedy sequence. Similarly, the scene where Nakul mistakenly tortures his masked father instead of Kaalimuthu, which seems to be played for laughs, only makes us feel sorry for the character getting beaten up. The other problem with the film is the portrayal of the female characters. They all seem to be creatures of lust, and the portrayal is intended to create laughs. Mary has an affair with Nakuls friend and declares that she loves both of them equally; another character is desperate to bed a stranger immediately after her husband goes missing; and Meera randomly discusses intimate secrets with her neighbour all in the name of humour. And mind you, these are the main three female characters in this film. Nishanth and Jathin troll critics, who make it a point to mention the slightest of continuity errors, by making conscious blunders like the ever-changing location of a mole in Kaalimuthus face. If only they had paid as much attention to keeping the tone of the film light-hearted throughout, Odu Raja Odu could have been a wholesome entertainer. Instead, despite having the right ingredients, what we are left with is a half-baked product. By Online Desk The deadliest deluge in close to a century in Kerala has claimed close to 193 lives since August 8 and according to the latest reports from the Chief Minister's office on Saturday, 357 lives have been lost in rain-related incidents from May 29. CM Pinarayi Vijayan said that 33 people died today. PM Narendra Modi on Saturday chaired a high-level meeting in Kerala taking stock of the flood situation, where announced an interim relief of Rs 500 crore for the state. However, Vijayan informed the Prime Minister that the State has suffered a loss of Rs 19,512 crore as per initial assessment and requested for an immediate assistance of 2000 crore. READ HERE | How to contribute to Kerala flood relief operations The India Meteorological Department has warned of heavy rain in three districts of the state on Sunday. Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, Alappuzha and Thrissur are the worst-affected districts. Rescue operations are going on, even as the situation remains critical in Chengannur and Chalakkudy towns. Red Alert was issued for today in 11 districts after heavy rainfall was predicted for the day in all districts except Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam & Kasaragod. FOR NEW UPDATES, CLICK HERE By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah walked alongside thousands of people in the funeral procession of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee from the BJP headquarters on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg to Smriti Sthal on Friday.Members of the public and BJP supporters were surprised to see the two leaders walking in the procession in the sultry weather to pay their last respects to the departed stalwart. Security personnel, including NSG commandos, were seen having a tough time managing the crowd of thousands of people who had congregated at the party headquarters in the national capital to pay tributes to the party veteran.Only Modiji can do this. See his energy level. Its amazing. It should inspire other party leaders to work harder for the country. It should inspire them to work for common masses, said Manoj Goyal, a businessman who was waiting near ITO to pay tribute to the former PM. However, a BJP leader said that PM Modi was simply showing his affection and respect for his guru and party veteran Vajpayee. Our PM was very close to Atalji. He also considers him his guru. It only shows the level of respect he has for Atalji, he said, adding that Atal Bihari Vajpayee was conferred the Bharat Ratna by the current government. Moreover, this government had also declared December 25, the birthday of Vajpayee, as Good Governance Day. In a tweet on Thursday, PM Narendra Modi had expressed his deep sorrow on the demise of the former PM, saying, Im speechless, I feel a great void. People started gathering near the party headquarters in the morning. They were seen jostling and some clambered on trees to capture the moment on their phones as Vajpayees cortege left the BJP headquarters for the last rites of the poet-politician. People from across the country had gathered outside the BJP office and hundreds lined up inside to pay homage to the former prime minister. By PTI PATNA: The Bihar police today ordered shifting of 44 notorious criminals- facing charges of serious offences like murder, kidnapping, extortion etc. from Patna to other central jails of the state. The shifting order was issued by Central Range Deputy Inspector General of police Rajesh Kumar following a report that these criminals continue to operate from behind the bars. "Several notorious criminals, who are lodged in different jails of Patna, are getting crimes committed from behind the bars. These criminals were operating through either mobile phones or meeting some other persons in jail for getting their work (crimes) done," the DIG order said. Even FIRs have been lodged against many of them for carrying out their activities from the jail, the DIG mentioned in the order. The order addressed to Patna District Magistrate and Senior Superintendent of Police asked to shift them to other central jails located at Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur and Buxar. The decision followed a report submitted by Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) (Operations), who identified and prepared a list of 44 such criminals after visiting various jails of Patna such as- Beur, Phulwarisharif, Masaurhi, Danapur and Barh. The ASP was given the task by the DIG. Some of the notorious criminals who figure in the list included- Bindu Singh, Ajay Kanu alias Ajay Kumar alias Chandra Prakash, Reet Lal Yadav, Durgesh Sharma, Ranjit alias Kalia, Kundan Singh, all of whom are currently lodged in Beur central jail in the state capital. Ajay Kanu is a high ranking Naxalite while history-sheeter Bindu Singh is named in a number of cases of murder, kidnapping the loot. Singh was put behind the bars in connection with the murder of school student Aditya Sachdeva in Gaya by his son Rocky Yadav last year. The DIG instructed to keep them in a separate "cell" under the round-the-clock watch of CCTV. There should be a mechanism for daily physical verification of these criminals to ensure that they do not use mobile phones for criminal activities, Kumar said. The trial of these notorious criminals should be conducted through video-conferencing, the DIG said. By IANS NEW DELHI: The BJP on Saturday attacked Punjab Minister and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu for hugging Pakistan's Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa and for sitting beside the President of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) at the swearing-in ceremony of new Prime Minister Imran Khan and demanded his suspension from the party immediately. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also used the opportunity to attack the Congress party over statements made by some of its leaders during their visits to Pakistan and asked Congress President Rahul Gandhi whether Sidhu had his permission to go there and whether he would suspend him immediately. "Sidhu during his visit to Pakistan to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Imran Khan as Pakistan's Prime Minister hugged Pakistan's Army Chief," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told reporters adding that he also sat next to PoK President Masood Khan. "It is not an ordinary thing. Sidhu is not an ordinary man but a minister in the Punjab government. And every Indian has taken this issue very seriously," he said asking why Sidhu did not object when the PoK President was made to sit next to him. Firing salvos at the Congress President, Patra said, "Rahulji, did you grant permission to Sidhu to go to Pakistan? Will, you suspend him before his arrival in the country?". Slamming Sidhu, he said that before hugging Pakistan's Army Chief, did he not remember how their army killed innocent people and army men in India. The BJP spokesperson's remarks came after Sidhu's participation in the ceremony and his remarks to the media there that he hoped ties between New Delhi and Islamabad would improve with Imran Khan at the helm. Praising Khan while speaking to the state-run PTV, Sidhu said: "A new morning is here in Pakistan with a new government which can change the destiny of the country." He hoped that Khan's victory would be good for the peace process between the two neighbours. Raking up the statements of several Congress leaders visiting Pakistan and praising Pakistan, the BJP leader said, "Salman Khurshid went to Pakistan and said Narendra Modi government did not want peace with Pakistan. Even Mani Shankar Aiyar in an interview in Pakistan in November 2015 said that Modi government should be removed," he said. "In June this year, Ghulam Nabi Azad also questioned Army's action in Jammu and Kashmir after he said that the armed forces kill more civilians than the terrorists," he said adding that another Congress leader Saifuddin Soz had said that he stood with Gen Pervez Musharraf and demanded an independent Kashmir. "And today Sidhuji said that he wants to thank the people of Pakistan. For what does he want to say 'thank you' to them? For sending terrorists, for killing innocents, for killing our soldiers?" Patra asked. The BJP leader also slammed the Congress President and its leaders for questioning the surgical strike and its leaders disrespecting the Army Chief of the country. "Your (Gandhi) party leaders disrespect the army chief of the country by calling him a street goon, while your leader (Sidhu) believes Pakistan's army Chief that they want peace," he added. Prasanta Mazumdar By Express News Service GUWAHATI: The SS Khaplang faction of the insurgent group National Socialist Council of Nagaland, widely known as NSCN-K, has been finally divided on the lines of nationality. At a meeting held at the base camp of NSCN-K in the jungles of Myanmar on Friday, the outfit impeached its chairman Khango Konyak who is an Indian Naga. He has been replaced by Yung Aung, who is a Burmese Naga and nephew of SS Khaplang. Khaplang had led the outfit since its formation in 1988 till his death last year. The rebel group found Konyak guilty on three counts including his absolute control of powers and functions. However, respecting his seniority (he is the senior most leader in the outfit) and long association, the outfit offered him a safe passage. The international border that divides India and Myanmar never divided people including the NSCN-K. The group has both Indian and Burmese Nagas dividing their roles and responsibilities. Now that the axe has fallen on Konyak, the Nagas from the Indian side have been virtually removed from the high table of the NSCN-K. The move divides the outfit on the lines of nationality giving its effective control to the Naga militant leaders from Myanmar. This could now turn the NSCN-K into a foreign militant group if the Indian Naga members choose to split and form a breakaway faction or be absorbed by the different Naga outfits on the Indian side, particularly NSCN-R and NSCN-KN. In any case, this offers an advantage to the Government of India and could provide a shot in the arm for the 21-year-long ongoing Naga peace process. Earlier this year, there were reports about some rapprochement being reached between the Indian Naga leaders in the NSCN-K and Indian security agencies. As a consequence, no bullets were fired by the proscribed outfit during Nagaland elections held in February this year. Along with the Isak-Muivah faction of NSCN, called NSCN-IM, which is bargaining hard with the Centre, all seven other Indian Naga insurgent groups have also joined the peace process. Konyak and another senior NSCN-K leader Nikki Sumi crossing over will mean the quorum would be complete. This also means the Centres bid to get all Naga rebel groups on board before signing the final Naga settlement would now be in a position to be fulfilled. The latest development comes amidst the Centres attempt to bring the NSCN-K to the negotiating table through middlemen. Earlier, the influential Naga Mothers Association of Nagaland visited the NSCN-K camp in Myanmar twice to try and convince the outfit to walk the path of peace. The NSCN-K had signed a ceasefire agreement with the Centre in 2001 until abrogating it unilaterally in 2015. Within months after that, the militant group carried out a deadly attack on a convoy of Indian Army in Manipurs Chandel district, killing 18 personnel and injuring several others. Ever since that deadly attack, the Centre was trying to corner the outfit. During a press conference held in Guwahati ahead of Nagaland elections, Union Minister of State for Home, Kiren Rijiju, refused to comment on the NSCN-K saying it is an insurgent group from Myanmar. Experts, closely following the Naga insurgency movement, believe India had a hand in the recent operations against the group by Myanmar Army. What unfolded now is also perceived to be the result of an understanding between Myanmar Naga leaders in NSCN-K and the Myanmar government. By PTI NEW DELHI: Congress president Rahul Gandhi today revoked the suspension of senior leader Mani Shankar Aiyar from the party on the recommendation of its central disciplinary committee. "Congress president Rahul Gandhi has approved the recommendations of the central disciplinary committee of AICC for revocation of suspension of Mani Shankar Aiyar from the primary membership of the Congress party with immediate effect," a statement issued by All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in-charge of organisation Ashok Gehlot said. Aiyar was suspended from the primary membership of the party on December 7 last year for his "neech aadmi" remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the eve of the Gujarat Assembly polls. The suspension had followed an ultimatum given by Gandhi to Aiyar, asking him to apologise to the prime minister for the remarks. "BJP and PM routinely use filthy language to attack the Congress party. The Congress has a different culture and heritage. I do not appreciate the tone and language used by Mr Mani Shankar Aiyer to address the PM. Both the Congress and I expect him to apologise for what he said (sic)," Gandhi had tweeted. Aiyar had regretted his remarks, but not to the satisfaction of the top Congress leadership, which served him a show-cause notice thereafter. Aiyar had courted controversy in the past too when he hosted a former Pakistani foreign minister and senior Congress leaders, including former prime minister Manmohan Singh, at his residence here ahead of the Gujarat polls. The issue had become a major campaign point for the BJP with Modi personally raking it up. By IANS NEW DELHI: The Congress on Saturday demanded that floods in Kerala should be declared a "national calamity." All elected representatives of the party would donate one month's salary towards relief efforts in the state, it said. The decision to donate salaries was taken at a meeting of Congress general secretaries, party in-charges of states, legislative party leaders and state unit chiefs, which was presided over by party chief Rahul Gandhi. Gandhi had earlier in the day urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately declare the floods in Kerala as "a national disaster." ALSO READ: Declare Kerala floods as national disaster: Congress chief Rahul Gandhi to PM Modi Briefing reporters after meeting of Congress office-bearers, party communications in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said the Modi government should come forward to help Kerala where over 180 people have died and property worth over Rs 3,000 crore has been damaged due to floods. "It was decided that all Congress MPs in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Congress MLAs across India and party MLCs will donate one month's salary, which will be sent through the AICC for relief measures in Kerala," Surjewala said. He said it was also decided that all Congress governments will come forward to help the people of the state. Surjewala said Punjab government has already donated Rs 10 crore to the Kerala Relief Fund and JD-S and Congress- government in Karnataka has also donated Rs 10 crore to the relief measures. The government in Puducherry has also donated Rs 1 crore. He said special relief committees will be formed in adjoining states including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu apart from Puducherry. Material collected by Congress workers will be sent to the people of Kerala. Surjewala said the party also noted with concern the grave situation due to floods in Karnataka and some other parts of the country. "Modiji should stop discriminating in matters of flood relief. The Prime Minister must rise above party-politics and come forward to help Kerala, Karnataka and other flood-affected states. The Prime Minister should declare Kerala floods as a national calamity," Surjewala said. Overflowing rivers and a series of landslides in Kerala have resulted in the death of 180 people as of Saturday morning, with over 3 lakh others forced to move to some hundreds of relief camps. By Express News Service BHOPAL: For 84-year-old veteran politician and former finance minister of Madhya Pradesh, Raghavji, opting out of the race for the Vidisha Lok Sabha seat in the 1991 Lok Sabha elections to make way for party stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee, is the most treasured moment of his political career.The two time ex-Lok Sabha member, former Rajya Sabha member and also ex-MLA from Vidisha, the octogenarian leaders name was finalized for the Vidisha parliamentary seat by the BJP Parliamentary Board in the 1991 polls. The parliamentary board finalized my name for Vidisha, as I had won the seat in 1989, while Atals name was finalized for Lucknow Lok Sabha seat. But the party top brass in New Delhi thought that Lucknow was a risky seat for Atal, due to which he should contest from another seat elsewhere, Raghavji told TNIE. The party asked senior MP leaders, including Kushabhau Thakre and Sunderlal Patwa, to decide the best option for Vajpayee. They told the central party leadership about Vidisha being a potent option and it was communicated to Atal too. Atal responded positively, not because Vidisha was a safe seat, but he told the party clearly that he was opting for Vidisha as second seat because during the previous polls I had written to him requesting him to contest from Vidisha, whenever he wanted to contest again from MP, said Raghavji. Vajpayee had lost from Gwalior to Congress candidate Madhavrao Scindia in 1984 Lok Sabha polls. I had already filled the nomination form from Vidisha and party top brass was apprehensive about how I would feel when told not to contest from the seat, I had won in 1989. But much to their surprise, when they communicated the change of plans, I was the happiest man and told them that I was fortunate to be making way for our hero Atal. Raghavji still remembers how Vajpayees nomination form from Vidisha was filled at his residence after his daughter performed a grand arti of the leader at Raghavjis house. I consider it the biggest day of my political career, Raghavji said.He stayed five days in Vidisha and addressed around 25 public meetings, where we often addressed him as future PM, which he strongly objected to. He won from both Lucknow and Vidisha, the latter by over one lakh votes. He, however, vacated the Vidisha seat a few weeks later, but remained connected to me, often enquiring about the well-being of Vidisha, maintained Raghavji. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also recounted Vajpayees 1991 triumph from Vidisha. I was the state president of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) and it was my luck that I was one of those who worked for Atals poll triumph from the seat which I represented in the Lok Sabha, after it was vacated by him, Chouhan said.Visibly sad over the demise of the former PM, the MP CM added that being given the nickname Vidishapati by Atal was perhaps the biggest appreciation he received in his life. Vidisha a BJP citadel for all time Represented in Lok Sabha by external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, Vidisha is a BJP stronghold. It has been won by various BJP leaders, including Shivraj Singh Chouhan (five times), Raghavji (once) and Sushma Swaraj twice since 1989. By Online Desk As Kerala continues to suffer from a murderous monsoon with hundreds dead and several others missing, candlelight vigils and protest gatherings against the alleged central government's negligence towards the state were organised by students of several premier educational institutions across the country. The student fraternity has also released statements expressing solidarity with the people of Kerala and condemning the failure of the central government's mechanism for timely intervention and mobilisation campaign. It was a sleepless night for the campuses of University of Hyderabad, IIT Bombay and Jawaharlal Nehru University, as students in large numbers took out processions and gatherings for the state. They are also collecting stationary goods to be sent to the relief camps where thousands of rescued people are stationed. "... despite the gravity of the situation, stories of dead bodies floating in water coming out, we are told by media reports that the available army-navy troops decided to suspend rescue operations till 6 am tomorrow, leave alone further redeployment. To wait anymore will be a mistake resulting in tragedy of monumental proportions, and hence we decided to come together and openly express our anguish to the nation," said a joint statement by the students of UoH and IIT Bombay. "We hope our action, together with the cries of the stranded people, will make the government, civil society, media and our fellow countrymen to be attentive to this crisis situation in its full sincerity. We request immediate deployment of armed personnel, necessary supplies, and increased relief funds that befits a national calamity," they added. EFLU Students' Collective for Kerala Flood Relief - a forum formed by the varsity students also released a statement criticising the Centre and national media for failing to dedicate a multi-pronged response. "As we have very little time before such neglect leads to a monumental disaster, we have resolved to come together and express our anguish to the nation. In solidarity with the ongoing efforts of the students from IIT Bombay, University of Hyderabad and Jawaharlal Nehru University, we call for prompt and decisive action in providing relief to the affected." At 3 AM, around 50 students of IIT Bombay gathered in front of the administrative block of the institute, in solidarity with the victims of the flood in Kerala. In the gathering, students requested more attention from the government, the civil society and the media. Around the same time, a candlelight march and gathering was conducted at the UoH campus as well. The JNU gathering started around 4 AM and lasted for over half an hour. An estimated 50,000 people are stranded in Chengannur, Kerala, facing the threat of imminent death under catastrophic conditions floating corpses, starving families and desperate volunteers. Overflowing rivers and a series of landslides have resulted in the death of 180 people as of Saturday morning, with over 3 lakh others forced to move to some 2,000 relief camps. Before returning to Delhi from Kochi, the Prime Minister will chair a meeting to discuss the situation. Rains subsided on Saturday morning resulting in the recording of water level in Idukki and parts of Ernakulam and Thrissur districts. But on Friday night, airlifting could not take place in Chengannur as the incessant rains continued in the region. By PTI MUMBAI: A court here today extended till August 28 the police custody of three suspected members of a right-wing group, who were arrested for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to carry out blasts in Maharashtra. Vaibhav Raut (40), who used to run a pro-cow protection outfit, was arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Maharashtra police on August 10 from Nallasopara near Mumbai. It was followed by arrests of Sharad Kalaskar (25) from Palghar district and Sudhanva Gondhalekar (39) from Pune. The arrested accused were produced before judge Vinod Padalkar after their police remand ended today. The ATS told the court that it has seized arms and explosives from the house of one Prasad Deshpande at Natepute village in Malshiras tehsil of Solapur district, along with some letters. These letters, as well as other documents and messages, exchanged through mobile phones by the accused contained some code words which the ATS wanted to probe, the prosecution said. The defence lawyer argued that there was no need for further ATS custody of the accused as examination of seized evidence was the job of forensic experts. However, the prosecution maintained that the probe will come to a halt without further custodial interrogation. While the ATS wanted a 15-day extension to the custody period, the court extended the accused's police remand till August 28. After the arrests, the ATS had claimed that it had seized a huge cache of explosive materials and country-made firearms during raids at various places in the state. Alleging that the trio were planning to carry out blasts in the state ahead of Independence Day and Bakri-Eid festival, the ATS had said it would also probe if the accused had any connection with the killings of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare, and journalist Gauri Lankesh. The trio have been booked under terror-related provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. By Express News Service MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government has indicated that it would follow up on its old proposal to ban Sanatan Sanstha in light of the arms haul at Nalasopara and the arrest of Vaibhav Raut, who is suspected to be an activist of the right-wing outfit. Meanwhile, at a route march in support at Nalasopara on Friday, Raut was hailed as Desh Ka Neta while the ATS was condemned for acting under pressure from the butcher lobby that Raut is said to have opposed. Though MoS for Home Affairs (Rural) Deepak Kesarkar had assured, after the huge stock of arms and explosives were recovered at Nalasopara, that investigating agencies would spare no one, he had refrained from taking any name. However, a senior officer has confirmed that the state is all likely to check with the Centre the status of its old proposal seeking a ban on Sanatan Sanstha. In 2008 and 2011, the then Congress-led government had sent two proposals to the Centre for banning the right-wing group. However, the proposal was struck down by the Centre. The official said that due to the structure adopted by the Sanatan Sanstha, it would be difficult to ban the outfit. They are registered under different names, and registration for every district and city are different. While the original organization Sanatan Bharatiya Sanskruti Sanstha was formed in 1990, it changed name and got registered under several other names at various places in 1999, the officer said. By PTI NEW DELHI: Two men, who had claimed responsibility for the attack on JNU student leader Umar Khalid and said that they would surrender in a village in Punjab, did not turn up today, police said. A team of Delhi Police's Special Cell visited the village of Sikh revolutionary Kartar Singh Sarabha where the duo, Darwesh Shahpur and Naveen Dalal, had said they would surrender. A senior police officer said the two did not turn up there and have not been seen in their native village Jhajjar in Haryana for the past few days. In a video uploaded on Facebook on August 15, the duo claimed the attack on Khalid was supposed to be an "Independence Day gift" to the citizens. Police are verifying the authenticity of the video and trying to trace the IP address from where it was uploaded. "We respect our Constitution. But there is no provision in our Constitution to punish mad dogs. By mad dogs, we mean the JNU gang that is making the country weaker and their number is increasing. Our elders in Haryana have taught us that such people should be taught a lesson," Shahpur had said in the video message. The duo also requested the police to not trouble anyone and said they would surrender at the village of Sikh revolutionary Kartar Singh Sarabha on August 17. Khalid was attacked on Monday when he was on his way to take part in an event at the Constitution Club here. He, however, escaped unhurt. On Tuesday, the Delhi Police handed over the case to its Special Cell, which incidentally is already probing a sedition case against Khalid and two other JNU students. The police had also said that they were not "intimated" about Monday's event attended by Khalid. A police officer, privy to the probe, said the police had seized the weapon used in the crime and preliminary forensic examination suggested that the pistol had jammed when it was used against Khalid. He said they were yet to ascertain whether shots were fired as no empty cartridges were found at the spot. A case of attempt to murder has been registered by police in the incident. By Express News Service LUCKNOW: On the day he was consigned to flames in a State funeral in the national Capital, the Bharatiya Janata Party Government in Uttar Pradesh announced that the late Atal Bihari Vajpayees ashes would be immersed in rivers in all the districts of the state. Incidentally, UP is considered the former prime ministers karmabhoomi (land of action) as he represented the states capital, Lucknow, in the Lok Sabha for five consecutive terms, in 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2004. The Yogi government put out a list of 75 districts and the small and big rivers picked for the immersion of the ashes of the BJP stalwart.Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced this was being done so that the people of Vajpayees karmabhoomi also get an opportunity to be a part of the great leaders final journey. The BJPs city unit will organise a condolence meeting on August 21, when Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, the current MP from Lucknow, and other leaders will pay homage to the departed leader. Vajpayees connection with UP, particularly Lucknow, was very strong and its people remember him fondly.Vajpayee had a soft spot for doodh ki barfi from a sweetmeat shop located in Old Lucknow, to the extent that after the BJP stalwart reduced his trips to Lucknow due to ill health, then veteran party leader from Uttar Pradesh Lalji Tandon took the sweets to him. First became MP from UP Atal Bihari Vajpayees journey as a member of Parliament started in Balrampur, where he won In 1957. He lost the election in 1962, but was re-elected from the Lok Sabha constituency in 1967. Balrampur lost its status as a Lok Sabha constituency following the delimitation exercise in 2008. By IANS Kolkata, Aug 18 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday expressed solidarity with the flood victims in Kerala and condoled the families of those who lost their lives in the destruction triggered by the torrential rains in the state. "Words alone are not enough. Yet I must tell all my brothers and sisters of Kerala that our thoughts and prayers are with each one of you. Condolences to those families who have lost their loved ones. Strength to those who are fighting the Kerala Floods," she wrote on Twitter. Overflowing rivers and a series of landslides caused by massive rain in Kerala have left 180 people dead as per the reports till Saturday morning while lakhs have been rendered homeless and property worth millions of rupees has been destroyed in one of the worst inundations in a century. Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an aerial assessment of the damage on Saturday and announced financial assistance of Rs 500 crore for the flood-ravaged state. By PTI ISLAMABAD: Pakistan today summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner J P Singh and condemned the killing of a civilian in an alleged ceasefire violation by Indian troops along the Line of Control. Foreign Office (FO) in a statement alleged that the firing by Indian forces in Dana Sector killed a 65-year old man and injured a 6-year-old child. The Director General (SA and SAARC) Mohammad Faisal, summoned the Indian Deputy High Commissioner and condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations. "The deliberate targeting of civilians is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity and international human rights and humanitarian laws," Faisal said. He said the "ceasefire violations" by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation. By Express News Service ANANTAPUR: In a shocking incident, a 14-year-old girl gave birth to a stillborn in the Government General Hospital here on Friday. According to DSP J Venkata Rao, the minor girl told her father that she was suffering from stomach pain. He took her to the Government General Hospital, where the doctors told that the minor girl was pregnant. She was immediately shifted to the maternity ward, where she gave birth to a stillborn. Teenagers father S Mehaboob Basha said that his wife died a few years ago and since then he has been looking after her. On receipt of information from the government hospital, the police rushed there and enquired Mehaboob Basha. He told the police that the girl said that she was suffering from stomach pain. The police are investigating whether the minor girl was raped. The girl was studying in Class IX in a government high school. The headmaster of the school said two months ago, teachers who noticed her stomach bulging suspected it to be pregnancy and questioned her. Since then, she stopped coming to school, the headmaster added. By PTI BENGALURU: The Army has joined operations to rescue people stranded due to floods and landslides in rain-battered Kodagu district. Several districts of coastal and Malnad regions of the state like Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikkmagaluru, Kodagu, parts of Hassan and Uttara Kannada have been facing the brunt of incessant rains in the last few days. "Army has joined the rescue operation along with National Disaster Response Force, Fire department, Quick Response Team, among others," the Chief Minister's office said in a statement. Chief Secretary Vijay Bhaskar informed Chief Minister Kumaraswamy about the rescue operations in the flood and landslide-hit districts of coastal and Malnad regions, it said. Update on #KodaguFloods rescue efforts - Since yesterday, @adgpi has deployed 1coln. (Team of 30 to 40 personnel equipped w/ rescue material) in the district. 1000+ persons rescued. Another @adgpi coln to reach by tonight and both teams to continue ops tomorrow.@nsitharaman Raksha Mantri (@DefenceMinIndia) August 17, 2018 The statement said the chief minister was also constantly in touch with the district in-charge ministers who are stationed in their respective districts to monitor the rescue operations. In-charge secretaries are managing the rescue operations. Kumaraswamy had yesterday announced a grant-in-aid of Rs 200 crore to the affected districts for relief work. He had also directed the district administrations to estimate the losses and submit a report in a couple of days, following which the state government is expected to approach the Centre for help. Meanwhile, 16 railway staff, stuck at Yedakumerirailway station near Sakhaleshpur in Hassan district due tolandslips and rains since August 14, have been rescued. The chief minister has tweeted, confirming their rescue. Prakash Samaga By Express News Service MANGALURU: Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee cherished a special connection with undivided Dakshina Kannada district right from his young age when he was campaigning for Jan Sangh. His first visit to the undivided Dakshina Kannada district was in 1957. He came here to campaign for the then Jan Sangh and he was 32 years old at that time. Whenever Vajpayee was in Udupi, he was accompanied by BJP leader Late Dr V S Acharya. Dr Kiran Acharya, son of Dr V S Acharya speaking to TNIE recalled vivid memories of Vajpayee. Of the six times Vajpayee visited Udupi, he had breakfast at our home five times. His bond with my father was strong and I remember his poetic capabilities. He attracted us through his mild manners and instant humour. My father used to drive for Vajpayee and I used to sit in the front seat of the car. Vajpayee preferred to talk. I have that Maruthi 800 car even now as I like to cherish those days, he recalled. During 1980s, Vajpayee had come to Udupi and my father borrowed the Toyota Crown Super Saloon car from his close friend Rocky Dias. He drove that car for Vajpayee to Kannur in Kerala for a party programme, Kiran Acharya said. Kiran, who was in PU those days also recalled that Vajpayee liked kashi halwa the most and used to eat it though he was a diabetic. Vajpayee roamed without any escort of vehicles those days, he said. BJP leader in Dakshina Kannada district Harikrishna Bantwal told TNIE that Vajpayee had great regards for the culture of people in the undivided Dakshina Kannada district. It was in the year 1981, a convention was organised at B C Road and after the convention, Vajpayee, BJP leader Late Karambally Sanjeeva Shetty from Udupi and myself went in a Contessa Car to Theerthahalli via Karkala and Agumbe. Vajpayee appreciated the natures beauty while moving in the car. Harikrishna Bantwal also said that Congress leader B Janardhan Poojary spoke to him over the phone on Thursday evening after the death of Vajpayee and Poojary told him that the nation has lost a statesman. By ANI BENGALURU: : In the wake of heavy rainfall in the state, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy will on Saturday visit Kodagu to review relief operations in the district. He will also chair a high-level meeting regarding the same at around 10.30 a.m. today in Krishna, his home office before leaving for Kodagu district. He will pay a visit to rain-affected areas in Nanjangood and Kabini on August 19. Kumaraswamy also directed Kodagu district in-charge minister Sara Mahesh to get the supply of relief materials from Mysuru, said a press release from the Chief Minister's office. With heavy rains expected in many parts of the state, Kumaraswamy had earlier directed collectors of various districts to remain on their toes to combat any untoward situation. Out of 30 districts, as many as five districts namely, Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, and Shivamogga have been kept on high alert. The Chief Minister had also urged the concerned officials in the said districts to review the situation in their vicinities and update the authorities in case of emergency. Torrential rains, which lashed the state since August 14, caused landslides and disrupted the normal life in the state. (ANI) By Express News Service MANGALURU: The connectivity between Mangaluru and Madikeri town appears to take long as Sampaje the arterial ghat section connecting Mangaluru with Madikeri town has suffered multiple landslides and engineers are finding it difficult to approach the section to assess the damage with incessant rains. It is speculated that it may take at least a month for the normalcy to return in this stretch. Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner, Sasikanth Senthil opined that landslides are pretty bad in the ghat section. The Army has reached the section from Kodagu side and NDRF teams have reached the side of Dakshina Kannada district. The army and NDRF are assessing the situation but the stretch is dicey till rains recede, he mentioned. Superintending Engineer of National Highways PWD, Kantharaju said that the engineers are able to reach till the first landslide spot as the road is closed. Landslides have occured at least four places. It will be very difficult to assess it without rains coming down. All the efforts would be expedited to clear the landslides and commence the traffic again, he said. With repeated landslides, it will be herculean task to clear the ghat for traffic in short duration, officials opined. With Sampaje, Shiradi sections are closed Charmadi ghat is the only section which is open to connect Mangaluru with Bengaluru. Even on Friday, a container truck has broken down at the 10th curve of Charmadi limiting the movement to just one side of the road. After the incident, all the heavy vehicles like multi-axle trucks, containers, tankers are banned in Charmadi ghat till further notice. Amit S Upadhye By Express News Service HUBBALLI: It was the time of Emergency in India and most of the Jan Sangh leaders were arrested and lodged in different jails. The former prime minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the then Jan Sangh leader, was housed in Bengaluru's central prison. Vajpayee wrote several poems from the central prison during his imprisonment that lasted for more than a year. ALSO READ | Vajpayee memorial inaugurated; Kovind, Modi offer floral tributes There were hundreds of Jan Sangh karyakartas in Karnataka, who had gone underground to evade arrests and were working against the government. They used to travel to Bengaluru on the pretext of meeting other leaders and used to bring poems written by Vajpayee to Hubballi. Writer and journalist Sarju Katkar, who was then a student of Karnataka University, Dharwad, was requested by the karyakartas to translate the poems Vajpayee wrote into Kannada. Recalling those days, Katkar pointed out that the network in which karyakartas used to get the translated poems and printed them as posters. The posters with Vajpayees poems used to be seen on the university campus, main streets of Hubballi and Dharwad. Many times, the police used to tear away such posters. Vajpayee was a great poet and his writings and poems spoke about the richness of his language. He knew how to connect the words and create several meanings to them. All his poems written from jail had a unique pen name Kaidi Kaviray (Kadi means jailbird and Kaviray means poet). Some of his poems had a pen name in the middle as Kaidi Kaviray Kahe. In one such poem written in jail shows his emotional side. He wrote about his prolonged stay and expressed his wish to see the new light, he said. In 1999, Katkar once again got a request from the Central Government to translate a collection of poems of Vajpayee Meri Ekyavan Kavitaye into Kannada. The Union Ministry for Culture had decided to translate the collection of poems by Vajpayee to all the 24 languages of the country. When I first got the offer, I refused it. I said I am not a BJP man and do not want to translate something written by a politician or the Prime Minister. Ananth Kumar, who was the then Union minister, telephoned me and forced me to take up the translation work. One of my mentors told me to look at the poems thinking that it was written by a poet and not by the prime minister. Then I decided to translate and the work was completed in a few months. Along with the 51 poems of Vajpayee in Kannada, I also added 10 translated poems of Vajpayee written from Bengaluru jail in the book. The book was released in New Delhi in 1999 along with other translated versions, Katkar recalled. Vajpayees signature helped fund the Kargil war In was in 1999 when Kargil operation was at its peak and the country was contributing for the Kargil War Fund. As the Kannada version of Ekyavan Kavitaye had additional 10 poems, it attracted the attention of Vajpayee. He personally signed on five books and sent back to Katkar. Katkar decided to auction four books, which had the signature of Vajpayee. It was a small function conducted to honour me in Belagavi. During the function, I announced that four books are up for sale and money will go towards the war fund. Two businessmen present in the function came up and purchased the books for Rs 61,000 and Rs 51,000. With four books, we contributed Rs 1.5 lakh to Kargil War Fund, Katkar said. Noted critic Dr GS Amur, who wrote a preface for the translated version of Ekyavan Kavitaye, says: If a politician is a poet or a writer, he could understand the problems of people better. Ram Manohar Lohia too was one such politician. The time Atal hugged Jogalekar Dr Ganesh Jogalekar, a first generation RSS leader from Gadag, went to Hubballi airport where Atal Bihari Vajpayee was expected to land in 2002. Having old ties with Vajpayee, Jogalekar went to the airport despite his family members asking him not to go saying there would be a large crowd. But, he went to have a glimpse of his old associate. When Vajpayee landed at the airport, many leaders offered him bouquets. When he saw Jogalekar, he walked towards him and hugged him. Vajpayee visited Gadag twice in 1983 and 1986. When we saw Atalji hugging Dr Jogalekar, some of us wept seeing that thrilling moment, recalled an RSS leader from Gadag. By PTI NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has donated Rs 30 lakh to the relief fund for Kerala flood victims. In a circular issued by the SCBA, it also called up on its members to contribute "generously" towards 'SCBA Calamity Relief Fund' that has been set up for this purpose. It said a corpus of about Rs 30 lakh lying in the account shall be transferred for Kerala flood relief operations. "The SCBA, as always, must come forward not only to express its solidarity with the people of Kerala in times of this crisis, but also provide help to bring some relief in mitigating the miseries of millions," the circular undersigned by SCBA secretary Vikrant Yadav said. The bar body of the apex court said the calamity had struck Kerala in enormous proportions. It said the state has completely come to a halt and people are deprived of their basic needs such as food, water, shelter and electricity. "I request all members of the Supreme Court Bar Association to contribute generously to help our brethren suffering overwhelming and insurmountable difficulties on account of incessant floods," Yadav said in the circular. There has been no let-up in the torrential rains in the southern state which have claimed 97 lives since August 8. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday asked the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) and a sub-committee set up by Kerala government to deal with the flood situation in the state to coordinate and explore the possibility of reducing the water level at the Mullaperiyar Dam by three feet. KERALA FLOODS | FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice D Y Chandrachud asked Kerala and Tamil Nadu to abide by the directions given by NCMC on the rehabilitation of displaced people and the reduction of water level from the existing 142 feet to 139 feet at the dam. During a short hearing, the bench observed that it was not an expert to deal with such severe natural calamity and was leaving the decision to the executive to manage the crisis and asked Kerala to submit the report on the steps taken on disaster management and rehabilitation measures by August 24. The bench asked the authorities to notify a disaster management plan to the public in Kerala, so that people ultimately do not suffer a catastrophe and said, "State has never faced such a calamity in so many decades."The court also appreciated the efforts of Kerala government in rescuing people trapped in floods. Additional Solicitor General P S Narasimha told the bench that the meeting of the committees as directed by the court was still in progress and that a decision would be taken soon. He also informed the court that the situation at the dam site is being monitored continuously at the highest level. The court also ordered that the decision taken by NCMC with respect to reduction of water level should be followed by Tamil Nadu in true spirit. Earlier today, Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha chaired the meeting and held a video conference with the Chief Secretaries of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It was decided to mobilise additional resources of all agencies including Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to provide the required assistance to Kerala. The court was hearing a petition filed by Russel Joy, who was seeking a direction to Tamil Nadu to manage the water level in the reservoir after the floods in Kerala wreaked havoc in the State. By Express News Service KOCHI: After a torrid Thursday, it was a relatively milder Friday for the people of Kerala pounded by torrential rain for the past three days. The mood that was melancholy, bordering on despair since the Independence Day turned to one of cautious optimism. But, not for all as the scores of helplines set up by the state government were inundated with calls for help. Naturally, not all could be attended to, leaving a taste of sourness for many stranded groups of people right across the state. ALSO READ | Kerala floods: Punjab CM Amarinder Singh announces Rs 10 crore aid Between the joy of a pregnant woman airlifted by a Navy chopper at Chengamanad who soon gave birth to a healthy baby at the Navy hospital in Kochi and the heartbreak of a man who could only watch helplessly his son slipping from his grasp and washed away by the gushing waters one got to witness the microcosm of the happenings over the past 24 hours. However, solace still remained a distant dream as water level in the rivers kept rising and misery continued to seep into more lives. As many as 121 people died in the state due to rain-related incidents over the past three days. The Central and state teams continued to act on a war-footing to rescue stranded people and provide relief to the victims. The helplines are flooded with a deluge of SOS messages and calls. Yet, there were complaints that the rescue operations were progressing at snails pace, thereby risking the lives of trapped people. ALSO READ | Kerala floods: 324 dead, massive rescue operations underway; PM Modi to visit to take stock of situation Major rivers in the state are in full spate and flood water is entering areas up to 7 km away from the banks. The flood situation in Chalakkudy worsened on Friday morning as the water level in the river rose dangerously and entered the town. Thousands held up in houses, flats and churches for the last 36 hours without food and water were frantically trying to contact the rescue workers. The social media was flooded with stories of agony and frustration as thousands of flood victims tried all options to escape from the deluge. (Photo | PTI) Thousands remained trapped in houses at Ranni, Kozhenchery, Chengannur, Tiruvalla, Aluva, Kadungalloor and Chalakkudy. Rail traffic from Kochi to Thrissur was stopped after water in Periyar river rose to dangerous levels. Long-distance trains were rerouted from Thiruvananthapuram via Nagercoil-Madurai route and the Railways operated special trains from Kochi to Thiruvananthapuram via Alappuzha to help stranded commuters. However, rail traffic via Kottayam continued to be disrupted. Train service on the Shoranur-Kozhikode route was also suspended due to landslides and waterlogging on tracks. Traffic on the arterial roads was affected for the second day as flood waters entered the National Highway at Aluva, Angamaly, Chalakkudy, Muringoor, Paliyekkara and many other places. By PTI NEW DELHI: With Kerala facing its worst floods and landslides in nearly a century, an animal charity body said today its rescuers were battling treacherous conditions to rescue and rehabilitate stranded and abandoned animals. Humane Society International India said many animals have perished in the disaster and were working with the Kerala government and the National Disaster Response Force to locate and rescue dogs, cats and other animals left behind during evacuations. The deadliest deluge in close to a century has claimed 173 lives since August 8, and dealt a body blow to the scenic state, wrecking its tourism industry, destroying standing crops in thousands of hectares and inflicting huge damage to infrastructure. As the monsoon savaged Kerala, claiming 106 lives yesterday, the state plunged deeper into misery today with hospitals facing shortage of oxygen and fuel stations running dry. A team of six HSI India experts have been operating in Nilambur and Tirur, Kerala's worst-affected regions, for the past four days. HSI India's team is also providing vital medicines, shelter and food for sick and injured animals. Sally Varma, HSI India's education and awareness officer, reported that vast numbers of animals have drowned in the disaster and its team is also finding animals trapped in the remains of dwellings swept away by the water. Other animals, like two puppies that HSI India have named Wally and Eva, were found tied up in danger of drowning as the water levels rose. One woman in Thrissur refused to leave her home without help to rescue her 25 dogs, so HSI India's team arranged for their shelter at a nearby veterinary hospital so that they and the woman would be safe, HSI India said in a statement. "Kerala is at a standstill right now, with many areas experiencing total devastation. Our team is encountering many animals who have perished. However, we are still finding abandoned dogs and were recently able to rescue 13 dogs and a tiny kitten who we found trembling as the floods raged around him. We are bracing ourselves for when the floods finally subside and we can finally access some of the areas currently totally cut off, where we may find more animals we're desperately hoping to reach," Varma said. HSI India is also coordinating with the collector of the districts and government veterinary hospitals to assist and to accommodate animals across Kerala. Though there was some let up in rains at a few places in the state, four districts of Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur remained in the throes of the monsoon fury. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: At A time when the state is battling devastation on a scale unseen in recent memory, Forest Minister K Raju along with Ponnani MP E T Mohammed Basheer and CPIs young turk Mohammed Muhassin, the Pattambi MLA, chose to tour Germany. c, has raised questions from various quarters. ALSO READ | Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaches flood-hit Kerala; state to urge declaration of national calamity The floods have wreaked havoc on Kulathupuzha and several other parts of Punalur Assembly segment which Raju represents. His Germany visit comes in the backdrop of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan having put off his visit to the Mayo Clinic in the US. CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran told Express, The minister had taken the partys permission for the visit. However, it was up to him to decide whether or not to leave for Germany. Indeed, there are people efficient enough to coordinate relief operations in his absence. ALSO READ | Kerala flood rescue: Focus on Chengannur and Chalakkudy The minister is scheduled to attend seminars which the Malayali Associations world over organise regularly. CPI sources hinted the party state executive and the state council, which are slated to finalise the candidate for the Chief Whip, are likely to become a stormy affair on account of the ministers foreign visit. Thomas George, now a German citizen, on holiday in his hometown Mukootuthara in Pathanamthitta said, In Germany, the Malayali Associations organise programmes regularly and getting a minister or a VIP from Kerala is considered a prestige issue. Nothing concrete comes out of these meetings. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi who reviewed the grave flood scenario in the state, has announced an immediate relief of Rs 500 crore against a demand of Rs 2000 crore from the state. Kerala has come up with an initial assessment of damages to the tune of Rs 20,000 crore due to monsoon calamities. The Prime Minister who reached the state on Friday night stayed at Raj Bhavan in the state capital. On Saturday morning he went to Kochi. Though initially a decision was taken to cancel his aerial visit of the affected regions due to adverse weather conditions, later after the review meeting, the PM had a short visit as permitted by weather conditions. KERALA FLOODS | FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES He made an aerial assessment of the damages in some of the affected areas. He was accompanied by Governor P Sathasivam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Minister Alphons Kannanthanam and officials. Later he reviewed the flood situation and rescue measures in a meeting with the CM and officials, at the Southern Naval Command. Modi expressed grief on the deaths and damage caused to lives and property due to floods. The PM announced a financial assistance of Rs 500 crore, which would be in addition to Rs 100 crore earlier announced by the Union Home Minister. He assured the state government that as requested additional relief materials including food grains and medicines would be provided. READ HERE | How to contribute to Kerala flood relief operations The Prime Minister complimented the state government for the efforts in meeting the challenges of the unprecedented situation. He observed that rescue of people still marooned remains the topmost priority. The Union Government will continue to support the state government in all its endeavours, said the PM. PM Modi's top announcements PM announces ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh per individual to the next kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured from PMs National Relief Funds (PMNRF). PM directs Insurance Companies to hold special camps for assessment and timely release of compensation to affected families/beneficiaries under social security schemes. The directions have also been issued for early clearance of claims under Fasal Bima Yojna to agriculturists. Also directs the National Highways Authority of India to repair national highways damaged due to floods on priority. Central Public Sectors like NTPC and PGCIL have also been directed to be available to render all possible assistance to the state government in restoring power lines. Villagers, whose houses have been destroyed in the floods, will be provided Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Gramin houses on priority irrespective of their priority in the Permanent Wait List of PMAY-G. Under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme 5.5 crore person days have been sanctioned in the labour budget of 2018-19. Any request for incurring the person days would be considered as per the requirement projected by the state. Under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture farmers would be provided assistance for replantation of damaged horticulture crops. 57 Teams of NDRF with about 1300 personnel and 435 boats are deployed for search and rescue operations. Five companies of BSF, CISF and RAFs have been deployed for rescue and relief measures. The Army, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard are also deployed for assisting in search and rescue operations. A total of 38 helicopters have been deployed for rescue and relief measures. In addition, 20 aircraft are also being used for ferrying resources. Army has deployed 10 Columns and 10 Teams of Engineering Task Force (ETFs) involving around 790 trained personnels. Navy is providing 82 teams. The Coast Guard has provided 42 teams; 2 helicopters and 2 ships. Since August 9, the NDRF, Army and Navy together rescued and evacuated 6714 persons and provided medical assistance to 891 persons. In July, a central team led by Union ministers Kiren Rijiju and Alphons Kannanthanam had visited the flood affected districts. Last week Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh also visited the flood and landslide affected areas. He carried out aerial survey of the affected areas. By PTI NEW DELHI: Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said that his ministry was doing everything to help people stranded in flood-hit Kerala. According to state disaster management authority, 194 people have lost their lives and 36 are missing in Kerala since August 8 due to rains and landslides, while over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. "We are concerned about the well being of people affected by Kerala floods & the Central government is committed to providing all possible help. "Railways will now provide free transportation of relief material for Kerala through various State Govt. agencies, PSUs and other Government agencies," Goyal tweeted. While rakes of 14 trains with drinking water is being sent from Pune, 15 rakes of mail will set off from Gujarat's Ratlam. According to a statement by railways yesterday, a special train with seven open wagons (BRN) containing tanks carrying 2.8 lakh litre of drinking water was dispatched from Erode station in Tamil Nadu on Friday. The Railways has made arrangements for the emergency movement of drinking water by this train to Kerala. By Express News Service KOCHI: The KSEB has said, while Kerala has been striving to regulate the outflow from dams to control flooding downstream, the release of water from Tamil Nadu dams is aggravating the situation. Over the past two days, the Tamil Nadu Irrigation Department has been releasing water from Mullaperiyar, Upper Sholayar and Neerar dams and have not cared to share the retails regarding the quantity of water released, said a KSEB officer. We are holding water in Idukki dam to help rescue operations and mitigate the misery of people downstream, said KSEB Chairman N S Pillai. ALSO READ | Kerala floods: Panic buying, shortage of food as Kochi goes into despair However, Tamil Nadu has been releasing water from the Upper Sholayar and Nerar dams, thwarting our calculations. The water level in the Idukki, Idamalayar and Bhoothathankettu dams have come down and there is a decrease in the inflow to the dams. The water from Upper Sholayar led to the unexpected flooding of Chalakudy town. The water from Nerar flows into Poringal dam, which has been overflowing for the past couple of days. By Express News Service BHUBANESWAR: As online registration of farmers for sale of their surplus paddy to the State procurement agencies is going slow, the Cooperation Department has directed the Registrar of Cooperative Societies to take action against officials concerned of the primary agriculture cooperative societies (PACS) deviating from time schedule.Even as September 15 was set as deadline for registration, only 11 per cent of the farmers registered last year have renewed their names. Though the Government has been emphasising on enrolment of sharecroppers, small and marginal ryots, only one per cent new farmers have registered their names with the PACS, the agencies appointed by the Government for procurement of paddy. In the 2017-18 kharif marketing season, 11.2 lakh farmers had registered with PACS for sale of surplus paddy. Strict action should be taken against the supervising officers, secretaries of PACS and Large Area Multi-purpose Cooperative Societies (LAMPS) who are found violating the guidelines and time schedule communicated by the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department, said a communication from the office of the Registrar of Cooperative Societies to the field staff. Earlier, the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department had directed all Collectors to give emphasis on enrolment of new farmers such as sharecroppers, marginal and small farmers, and members of the joint liability groups involved in farming. The objective is to ensure minimum support price (MSP) to farmers for the paddy they sell to the Government-appointed procuring agencies. Official sources said 1,815 PACS have so far participated in the process of farmers registration while 691 societies are yet to commence registration. As many as 177 out of 388 PACS of Ganjam district have not started the process to register farmers.The renewal of farmers registration is as low as two per cent in districts like Bargarh, Bhadrak, Rayagada and Sambalpur. As per reports received from the districts, only 4,521 new farmers have been registered till August 10. The Government has planned to enhance the number of registered farmers by 33 per cent over the last year. By Express News Service JHARSUGUDA: Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) has given its nod for construction of a coal corridor from Belpahar to Lakhanpur coal mines area in Jharsuguda district with certain conditions.The MCL management, in a letter to the district Collector, stated that the 4 km long coal corridor will be constructed after the land acquisition process is complete. He said an estimate of `43 crore has been prepared for the project of which Rs 31 crore will be spent by MCL while the rest `12 crore will be borne by the district administration from the District Mineral Fund (DMF). A policy decision on construction of the coal corridor was taken at a Board meeting on Friday, CGM of MCLs Lakhanpur area RP Gupta said.Earlier, the district administration had prepared an estimate of `50 crore for constructing an alternative road from Belpahar, Limtikra and Ghichaghat to Jurabaga. An estimate of `40.42 crore for the road was also submitted by the Roads and Buildings department. But MCL had returned the file to the district administration objecting to non-inclusion of VAT in the estimate.Meanwhile, representatives of Belpahar Citizens Forum , Gumadera Market Committee, Senior Citizens Forum, TRL Krosaki and the general public have welcomed MCLs decision. By Express News Service BHUBANESWAR: An Asian Dowitcher which visited Chilika two years ago has been found in Thailand, bringing cheer to the ornithologists and conservationists.Earlier this month, the bird was sighted at Samut Sakhon in Thailand. It was ringed in March 2016 in Nalabana Bird Sanctuary.The Asian Dowitcher, which belongs to the Scolopcidae family, is classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN, it is a native of Central Asia. It breeds in the coastal waters and is widespread but its population is declining. Chief Executive of Chilika Development Authority (CDA) Susanta Nanda said, the bird had the white coloured ring which is assigned to the Asian Flyway. It was reported by a local agency.Such recording of ringed birds provides information about the routes they take, the ecology of habitats and breeding. Nanda said, the ringing of birds and their tracking is going to be a regular affair once the regional centre of Bombay Natural History Society comes up in first week of September. The regional centre, a joint exercise by BNHS and CDA, will operate rom Wetland Research and Training Centre campus at Barkul.Mostly, migratory species which are classified as threatened by IUCN, are ringed so that details of their flyways, habitat status, breeding and population trends can be generated and understood, Nanda said. Once the regional centre of BNHS gets operational, it will help track the annual winged guests in a systematic manner.Records generated over years can build a database on the birds and their flyways apart from habitats and support drawing up of conservation and awareness strategies. T Muruganandham By Express News Service CHENNAI : For Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who led the first non-Congress government at the Centre to complete its full term, the alliance experience with the Dravidian parties was not so comfortable between 1998 and 2003. Somehow, the AIADMK, DMK and MDMK, which were part of the two successive governments led by Vajpayee, snapped ties prematurely. Vajpayee headed the first BJP government at the Centre after the party emerged as the singe largest one in the 1996 Lok Sabha elections. But within 13 days, Vajpayee stepped down as he could not garner majority. The second government, headed by Vajpayee from 1998, lasted 13 months until mid-1999 when the AIADMK withdrew its support. The government lost the vote of confidence motion by just one vote. In the 1998 LS elections, the BJP got five seats in the alliance led by AIADMK. The seat sharing was AIADMK (23), PMK, BJP and MDMK got five seats each and Janata Party led by Subramanian Swamy got one seat. The AIADMK won 18 seats while the BJP and MDMK got three seats each and the PMK won four seats. Janata Party won one. ALSO READ | Vajpayee's funeral: Some climbed trees, some left work to catch last glimpse of former PM But right from the initial days, the then PM Vajpayee faced so much pressure from AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa on various demands. Vajpayee used to send top leaders including the then Defence Minister, George Fernandes, to hold talks with Jayalalithaa. When Vajpayee reached an understanding with the governments of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry on August 7, 1998, over the sharing of the Cauvery waters, on August 10, Jayalalithaa warned that her party would review its support to the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government if it failed to notify the original draft scheme for implementing the interim award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal. However, Vajpayee could not convince her over this issue. There were reports that Jayalalithaa demanded transfer of many Central government key officials in the Enforcement Directorate and Revenue department and wanted appointment of officials of her own choice. At that time, there were strong rumours that Jayalalithaa demanded dismissal of the DMK government in Tamil Nadu. Political analyst Tharasu Shyam recalls how the ties between the AIADMK and the BJP gradually deteriorated: In 1998, initially the BJP-AIADMK alliance was going smoothly. Sedapatti R. Muthiah had to resign from the Union Cabinet on April 7 after holding office as the Union minister for surface transport for just 21 days because there was a disproportionate wealth case pending against him. However, Buta Singh, the then Communication Minister, facing charges refused to resign. This had irked Jayalalithaa who felt different yardstick were applied for different parties in the Union Cabinet. However, later, Vajpayee had to drop Buta Singh from his council of ministers in the wake of the Supreme Court indicting him in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha bribery case. In the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP aligned with the DMK in Tamil Nadu. The seat sharing was DMK (19), PMK (7), BJP (6), MDMK (5), MGR Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam led by Su Thirunavukkarasar (1) and Thamizhaga Rajiv Congress led by Vazhappadi K Ramamurthy (1). The NDA won 26 seats: DMK (12), PMK(5), BJP (4), MDMK (4) and MGR ADMK (1). Karunanidhi had to justify DMKs alliance with the BJP which was dubbed communal. By PTI CHENNAI: The Justice A Arumughaswamy Commission of Inquiry, probing the circumstances leading to former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's death, has summoned three doctors of AIIMS, who examined her at the Apollo Hospital here, to appear before it on August 23 and 24. The commissioned has summoned G C Khilnani of the Department of Pulmonology, Anjan Trikha, Professor of Anaesthesiology, and Nitish Nayak, professor at the Department of Cardiology. The doctors had periodically examined Jayalalithaa when she was undergoing treatment at the Apollo Hospital between September 22 and December 5, 2016. The expert doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) will be examined as the commission's witness on both the days, panel sources told PTI. Summonses have already been served on them and they have accepted it, the sources added. So far the commission's 75 witnesses and seven others who had voluntarily petitioned the panel have been examined. Of them, over 30 have been cross-examined by counsels for V K Sasikala, the jailed aide of late AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa. It may be recalled that the examined witnesses include over a dozen doctors (government and Apollo Hospital), retired and serving government officials and police officers. In September 2017, the Tamil Nadu government constituted the panel under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952. The panel's terms of reference was to inquire into the circumstances leading to the hospitalisation of Jayalalithaa on September 22, 2016, and treatment provided by the hospital till her demise on December 5, 2016. The Commission had invited all those having "personal knowledge and direct acquaintance" in the matter to furnish information to it. Following Jayalalithaa's death, suspicion on the circumstances leading to her demise was raised by several people, including the present Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and his followers. Then a rebel party leader, Panneerselvam and his followers had demanded a probe into her death, either a judicial inquiry or a CBI probe. After unification of the factions led by Chief Minister K Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam, the government notified constituting the panel. The probe was a key precondition put forth by the Panneerselvam panel for the merger. DMK Working President M K Stalin had batted for a CBI probe as well. By AFP KANO: Four farmers were killed by Boko Haram jihadists outside a key northeast Nigerian city, a militia leader and survivor told AFP on Saturday. On Friday, around a dozen Boko Haram Islamists riding on motorcycles stormed crop fields near Ali Goshe village, six kilometres (3.7 miles) outside the city of Maiduguri, and slit the throats of four farmers. The attack on civilians comes as the jihadists are launching a surge of assaults against troops in Nigeria, putting the military on the back foot six months before presidential polls. "So far we have confirmed the death of four people in the attack which happened around midday," said Ibrahim Liman, who is part of the militia taskforce fighting Boko Haram in the region. "When the Boko Haram terrorists came the farmers fled but the gunmen managed to grab four and slaughter them." Shuaibu Boka, who was among the farmers who escaped, said the jihadists did not shoot in order to avoid attracting the attention of security forces. "There were dozens of us tending our crops when they came on motorcycles and we all fled in different directions," Boka said. "When we returned much later after the gunmen were gone, we found four of our men slaughtered," he said, adding that the jihadists had killed the 75-year-old head of the community. Boko Haram's nine-year quest to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria has killed over 20,000 people and displaced some 2.6 million from their homes, triggering a dire humanitarian crisis in the remote Lake Chad region. The majority of the displaced people used to be subsistence farmers, but because of the ongoing violence they can no longer tend to their fields and rely on food handouts from aid agencies to survive. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said Friday it was providing emergency help after 33 children died of malnutrition, diarrhoea and malaria over the span of two weeks in Bama, a camp housing people displaced by the insurgency. Agriculture in the region has been decimated by almost a decade of conflict, with locals unable to sow or cultivate crops and jihadists raiding grain stores. But farmers have been forced to try to resume their work in areas where the military has restored relative peace to help alleviate chronic food shortages. Boko Haram jihadists have been targeting loggers and peasant farmers, accusing them of spying and passing information to the military and the local militia fighting By AFP WASHINGTON: Former CIA directors and another half dozen of America's most senior spies have issued an unprecedented condemnation of President Donald Trump, after his decision to blacklist their colleague John Brennan. In a statement, former CIA bosses appointed by Republican and Democratic presidents, including Robert Gates, George Tenet, Porter Goss, Leon Panetta and David Petraeus, denounced Trump's decision to strip Brennan of his security clearance. Dozens of other former spies signalled their support for the statement. "The president's action regarding John Brennan and the threats of similar action against other former officials has nothing to do with who should and should not hold security clearances -- and everything to do with an attempt to stifle free speech," the statement read. Describing Trump's move as "inappropriate and deeply regrettable," they insisted "we have never before seen the approval or removal of security clearances used as a political tool, as was done in this case." Two of those who signed the statement -- former director of national intelligence James Clapper and former CIA director Michael Hayden -- are, according to Trump, on a list of people who could lose their clearance. Former officials often retain security clearance after leaving office to allow their successors to consult them on issues of the day. The White House said Brennan -- a notable Trump critic -- had been stripped of clearance due to his "erratic" behavior. But in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Trump admitted his decision on Brennan's clearance was linked to the ongoing federal probe into possible collusion between his campaign and Russia to influence the 2016 election. "I call it the rigged witch hunt, (it) is a sham," Trump was quoted as saying in the interview. "And these people led it!" "So I think it's something that had to be done," he added. Trump's actions have been widely condemned, including by respected former admiral William McRaven, the commander of the US Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden. "Through your actions, you have embarrassed us in the eyes of our children, humiliated us on the world stage and, worst of all, divided us as a nation," he said. But most of Trump's Republican allies have defended the move or refused to condemn it publicly. On Friday, Trump said he would likely remove the security clearance of Justice Department official Bruce Ohr, who has been targeted by Trump supporters, in part because his wife worked for a company that produced a dossier alleging Russia had incriminating evidence against the now president. "Bruce Ohr is a disgrace. I suspect I'll be taking it away very quickly," Trump told journalists. By AFP GENEVA: Former United Nations Secretary-General and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kofi Annan died at the age of 80 on Saturday after a short illness, his foundation announced. "It is with immense sadness that the Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation announce that Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Laureate, passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness," the foundation said in a statement. "His wife Nane and their children Ama, Kojo and Nina were by his side during his last days." The Ghanaian national, who lived in Switzerland, was a career diplomat who projected quiet charisma and who is widely credited for raising the world body's profile in global politics during his two terms as UN chief, from 1997 to 2006. He quickly became a familiar face on television, with his name making newspaper headlines, and he was a sought-after guest at gala events and New York dinner parties. Current UN chief Antonio Guterres voiced deep sadness at the news, describing his predecessor as "a guiding force for good". "In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations," he added. "He rose through the ranks to lead the organisation into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination. "Like so many, I was proud to call Kofi Annan a good friend and mentor." The first secretary-general from sub-Saharan Africa, Annan led the United Nations through the divisive years of the Iraq war and was later accused of corruption in the oil-for-food scandal, one of the most trying times of his tenure. In 2001, as the world was reeling from the September 11 attacks, Annan was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with the world body "for their work for a better organised and more peaceful world". - 'Humanity's best example' - Born in Kumasi, the capital city of Ghana's Ashanti region, Annan was the son of an executive of a European trading company, the United Africa company, a subsidiary of the Anglo-Dutch multinational Unilever. After ending his second term as UN chief, Annan went on to take high-profile mediation roles in Kenya and in Syria. He later set up a foundation devoted to conflict resolution and joined the Elders group of statesmen which regularly speaks out on global issues. The UN high commissioner for human rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said he was grief-stricken over Annan's death. "Kofi was humanity's best example, the epitome, of human decency and grace. In a world now filled with leaders who are anything but that, our loss, the world's loss becomes even more painful," he said. "He was a friend to thousands and a leader of millions." By AFP WASHINGTON: US and Mexican negotiators are making progress and could resolve remaining issues to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement by next week, Mexico's Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said Friday. READ| Trump says in 'no rush' to get NAFTA deal Once the two nations iron out the pending differences, Canada could then rejoin the discussions, he told reporters following a meeting with US trade officials. The development raised hopes that a year's worth of sometimes fraught negotiations could reach a successful outcome by the end of the year. "Hopefully we will be able to close up no later than the middle of the week the remaining issues and probably there will be space to start the trilateral," Guajardo said a day after the one-year anniversary of the talks' start. Guajardo has been leading a delegation to Washington for four straight weeks to try to conclude a deal to rewrite NAFTA in time to be signed before a new government takes office in Mexico in December. He said technical discussions would continue Monday and that he would return Tuesday to continue the high-level talks. But there remain "a couple of things that have to be settled," including the US demand for a "sunset clause" that would end the trade pact after five years unless it was reauthorized. "There is no breakthrough until everything is finished." US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said Thursday he hoped to get a breakthrough with Mexico in the coming days. But President Donald Trump on Thursday said he was in "no rush" to conclude a deal and reiterated that "NAFTA has been a disaster for our country." The US, Mexico and Canada began talks to modernize the 24-year-old trade pact a year ago at Trump's insistence but the talks were hung up over US demands. Recent discussions with Mexico are largely over provisions affecting the auto industry, and Guajardo said the sides had made "a lot of progress," but still needed to finalize details like the transition period for implementing new commitments. Washington has sought to increase the content requirement of auto parts and components produced in North America in order for vehicles to receive duty free treatment, and also wants a portion to come from high wage areas -- which essentially means the United States and Canada. But Guajardo said, "There are issues that have to be discussed at the trilateral level." US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Friday with Mexico's Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray to discuss NAFTA as well as immigration and security issues. US officials have indicated that if the deal can be agreed by the end of August it would be possible to win congressional approval for the new NAFTA before Mexico's President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador takes office December 1. That would allow outgoing President Enrique Pena Nieto to leave with a major accomplishment for his government. That also would put the deal in place before the new US Congress is seated in January, which would protect it from the possibility of opposition if Democrats win control of the legislature in the November mid-term elections. By AFP UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday presented four options aimed at boosting the protection of Palestinians in Israeli-occupied territories, from sending UN rights monitors and unarmed observers to deploying a military or police force under UN mandate. The proposals were contained in a report requested by the General Assembly in response to a surge of violence in Gaza, where 171 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since late March. The UN chief stressed that for each of the options, cooperation by Israel and the Palestinians would be necessary. It remained unlikely however that Israel would agree to the proposals. In the 14-page report, Guterres proposed: - Providing a "more robust UN presence on the ground" with rights monitors and political officers to report on the situation. - Pouring in more UN humanitarian and development aid to "ensure the well-being of the population." - Creating a civilian observer mission that would be present in sensitive areas such as checkpoints and near Israeli settlements, with a mandate to report on protection issues. - Deploying an armed military or police force, under a UN mandate, to provide physical protection to Palestinian civilians. A UN mandate for a protection force would require a decision from the Security Council, where the United States could use its veto power to block a measure opposed by Israel. A small European-staffed observer mission was deployed in the West Bank city of Hebron in 1994, but Israel has since rejected calls for an international presence in flashpoint areas. In the report, Guterres said the United Nations was already undertaking many protection initiatives but that "these measures fall short" of the concerns raised in a General Assembly resolution adopted in June. In that measure, the 193-nation assembly condemned Israel for Palestinian deaths in Gaza and tasked Guterres with the drafting of proposals for "an international protection mechanism" for the Palestinians. Guterres argued that a political solution to the conflict was needed to address the safety of Palestinians but that "until such a solution is achieved, member-states may further explore all practical and feasible measures that will significantly improve the protection of the Palestinian civilian population." "Such measures would also improve the security of Israeli civilians." On Friday, Israeli troops shot dead two Palestinians taking part in protests along the Gaza border and 270 other Palestinians were wounded. Israel has defended its use of live ammunition in Gaza by invoking its right to self-defense. One Israeli soldier was shot dead by a Palestinian sniper in July. "The targeting of civilians, particularly children, is unacceptable," Guterres said in the report, adding that "those responsible for violations of international humanitarian law must be held accountable." UN efforts to ensure the well-being of Palestinians must strengthened, he added, singling out the funding crisis at the UN's Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA as being "of particular concern." UNRWA is facing a major budget shortfall after President Donald Trump's administration decided to withhold its contribution to the agency. The report released to all UN member-states comes amid a vacuum in Middle East peace efforts as European and other big powers await a peace plan from the Trump administration that has been under discussion for months. UN diplomats have recently begun questioning whether the US peace plan will ever materialize. The United Nations has warned that a new war could explode in Gaza. Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza, including its Hamas rulers, have fought three wars since 2008. The Judicial Council of the Seventh Circuit has 'admonished' Colin Bruce for sometimes-improper communications with prosecutors at the Urbana courthouse while finding it has not affected his decision-making in cases. Reporter/Columnist Julie Wurth is a reporter covering the University of Illinois at The News-Gazette. Her email is jwurth@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@jawurth). (Newser) China is flexing its military muscles, according to a Pentagon report that gets right to the troubling point: "Over the last three years, the PLA [People's Liberation Army] has rapidly expanded its overwater bomber operating areas, gaining experience in critical maritime regions and likely training for strikes against US and allied targets." While the Pentagon doesn't say exactly why China is undertaking these operations, per the BBC, the report posits that Beijing may try to demonstrate its ability to strike centers of American operations in the Pacific, including Guam. Beijing is also "likely preparing for a contingency to unify Taiwan with China by force," with any American intervention to be warded off with a "high-intensity, limited war of short duration." story continues below China's military spending ballooned to $190 billion in 2017 and the assessment estimates it will grow even further to $240 billion over 10 years, reports Reuters. The US is trying to keep China in line with regular military flights over the South China Sea, but China's presence in the region has grown to landing bombers on small islands that are disputed territory with American allies. As Reuters notes, the report arrives during a tense time in US-China relations amid new tariffs imposed by the Trump administration and a burgeoning trade war. Meanwhile, as the White House plans a sixth branch of the military it has branded the "Space Force," the Pentagon report underscores the rapid growth of the Chinese space program. (Read more China stories.) (Newser) Abraham Lincoln's iconic stovepipe hat is among items that may be auctioned off to meet a dire debt payment deadline, the Washington Post reports. Short a $9.7 million infusion, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Foundation has approved the search for an auctioneer to sell the hat and other items, like the blood-stained gloves Lincoln wore the night he was assassinated. These are the highlights among 1,400 objects in the Barry and Louise Taper Collection, which includes the quill pen left on his desk, his presidential seal, and the Lincoln White House china, the AP notes. The foundation paid $25 million in 2007 for the Taper collection, $23 million of which was borrowed. story continues below But the debt has risen to nearly $10 million on the re-financed loan. "We now face significant uncertainty about whether the foundations lender will be willing and able to refinance the loan at affordable terms," says Foundation CEO Carla Knorowski, per ABC News. "The loan comes up for renewal in October 2019, just 20 short months away." The foundation has also started a GoFundMe account (which has only reached about $23,500 as of this writing) and hopes for a $5 million state grant that private donors might match. Without that money, the foundation says it "will have no choice but to accelerate the possibility" of selling the items to a private buyer, "which would likely remove them from public view forever." (Read more Abraham Lincoln stories.) (Newser) Recreational marijuana laws are quickly becoming more and more lax in states around the US, but Florida is not one of them. So why does the headquarters of the Tampa Police Department frequently reek of weed? The Tampa Bay Times wanted this question answered, so it went to the source. According to Chief Brian Dugan, it all comes down to a ventilation problem. story continues below Like many police stations, Tampa's One Police Center has an evidence room that frequently plays home to a lot of herb, especially following grow-house busts. Dugan says it's after those operations, with the evidence room brimming with leafy contraband, when the smell is most pungent. The odor manages to waft into the rest of the building and even the lobby. "At times it's really bad," Dugan said. Read the full piece for more. (Read more marijuana stories.) (Newser) A single push could land Taylor Smith in jail for up to a year. That and a $5,000 fine are the maximum penalty the 18-year-old faces if convicted of the single count of reckless endangerment she was charged with Friday. Smith pushed friend Jordan Holgerson off a 60-foot bridge over the Lewis River near Vancouver, Washington, Aug. 7 in an incident that was captured on cellphone video and grabbed national headlines. Holgerson belly-flopped on the water below and sustained "significant injuries" including broken ribs and punctured lungs. Court documents allege Smith "engaged in conduct which created a substantial risk of death and resulted in serious physical injury." ABC News reports the documents state that Holgerson told officials she did not want to be pushed. Smith told ABC News otherwise. story continues below "She wanted to jump and she was scared and she had asked me to give her a push, and I didn't think about the consequences," Smith said. Holgerson has said she went up on the bridge because she thought she wanted to jump, then changed her mind when she saw how high it was. "I thought she would be fine," added Smith. New video obtained by NBC News shows Smith repeatedly pressing Holgerson to jump; at one point, Smith says "I'm going to push you," and Holgerson replies, "no." People who jump typically enter the water feet-first, and Holgerson's surgeon tells KGW , "When you fall three times your height, 50 percent of people will die." Smith has apologized both privately and publicly , but says Holgerson is no longer speaking with her and that she was asked to leave the hospital after trying to visit her. Holgerson has said she thinks Smith should "sit in jail." (Read more Washington state stories.) (Newser) Kofi Annan, one of the world's most celebrated diplomats and a charismatic symbol of the United Nations who rose through its ranks to become the first black African secretary-general, has died. He was 80. His foundation announced his death in Switzerland on Saturday in a tweet, saying he died after a short unspecified illness. "Wherever there was suffering or need, he reached out and touched many people with his deep compassion and empathy," the foundation said. Annan spent virtually his entire career as an administrator in the United Nations. His aristocratic style, cool-tempered elegance, and political savvy helped guide his ascent to become its seventh secretary-general, and the first hired from within, reports the AP. He served two terms from Jan. 1, 1997, to Dec. 31, 2006, capped nearly mid-way when he and the UN were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001. Read on for more on Annan, his legacy, and the story of his name: story continues below During his tenure, Annan presided over some of the worst failures and scandals at the world body, one of its most turbulent periods since its founding in 1945. Annan took on the top UN post six years after the collapse of the Soviet Union and presided during a decade when the world united against terrorism after the Sept. 11 attacksthen divided deeply over the US-led war against Iraq. The US relationship tested him as a world diplomatic leader. "I think that my darkest moment was the Iraq war, and the fact that we could not stop it," Annan said in a February 2013 interview with TIME to mark the publication of his memoir, Interventions: A Life in War and Peace. "I worked very hardI was working the phone, talking to leaders around the world. The US did not have the support in the Security Council," Annan recalled in the videotaped interview posted on The Kofi Annan Foundation's website. "So they decided to go without the council. But I think the council was right in not sanctioning the war," he said. "Could you imagine if the UN had endorsed the war in Iraq, what our reputation would be like? Although at that point, President (George W.) Bush said the UN was headed toward irrelevance, because we had not supported the war. But now we know better." Despite his well-honed diplomatic skills, Annan was never afraid to speak candidly. That didn't always win him fans, particularly in the case of Bush's administration, with whom Annan's camp spent much time bickering. Much of his second term was spent at odds with the United States, the UN's biggest contributor, as he tried to lean on the nation to pay almost $2 billion in arrears. Kofi Atta Annan was born April 8, 1938, into an elite family in Kumasi, Ghana, the son of a provincial governor and grandson of two tribal chiefs. He shared his middle name Atta"twin" in Ghana's Akan languagewith a twin sister, Efua. He became fluent in English, French and several African languages, attending an elite boarding school and the University of Science and Technology in Kumasi. He finished his undergraduate work in economics at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1961. From there he went to Geneva, where he began his graduate studies in international affairs and launched his UN career. Annan married Titi Alakija, a Nigerian woman, in 1965, and they had a daughter, Ama, and a son, Kojo. He returned to the US in 1971 and earned a master's degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management. The couple separated during the 1970s and, while working in Geneva, Annan met his second wife, Swedish lawyer Nane Lagergren. They married in 1984. Annan worked for the UN Economic Commission for Africa in Ethiopia, its Emergency Force in Egypt, and the office of the High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva, before taking a series of senior posts at UN headquarters in New York dealing with human resources, budget, finance, and staff security. He also had special assignments. After Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, he facilitated the repatriation from Iraq of more than 900 international staff and other non-Iraqi nationals, and the release of western hostages in Iraq. He led the initial negotiations with Iraq for the sale of oil in exchange for humanitarian relief. Just before becoming secretary-general, Annan served as UN peacekeeping chief and as special envoy to the former Yugoslavia, where he oversaw a transition in Bosnia from UN protective forces to NATO-led troops. The UN peacekeeping operation faced two of its greatest failures during his tenure: the Rwanda genocide in 1994, and the massacre in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica in July 1995. In both cases, the UN had deployed troops under Annan's command, but they failed to save the lives of the civilians they were mandated to protect. Annan offered apologies, but ignored calls to resign by US Republican lawmakers. After became secretary-general, he called for U.N. reports on those two debaclesand they were highly critical of his management. Read much more on Annan here . (Read more Kofi Annan stories.) (Newser) A bearded Christian monk lies dead in a pool of blood. A younger monk who clashed with him is defrocked. Another tries to kill himself. Now Coptic Christians in Egypt are grappling with this murder-at-the-monastery scandal as authorities suggest possible motives, the New York Times reports. Bishop Epiphanius, abbot at the Monastery of St. Macarius north-west of Cairo, was found murdered outside his cell July 29, apparently beaten with a blunt object. Days later, Coptic officials defrocked another monk, Isaiah al-Makari, who had argued with 64-year-old Epiphanius for weeks before the killing. Then a third monk, Faltaeous al-Makary, 33, slashed his wrists and tried throwing himself off a monastery roofbut lived. All very murky, until prosecutors said al-Makari confessed to the killing. story continues below "The devil controlled the monk," says Al-Makari's lawyer, per the Guardian; he later alluded to "conflicts between the bishop and the other monks." Coptic monks, officials, and experts have floated other Earth-bound theories like financial wrongdoing and a possible close relationship between the two monks. There's also the decades-long, Coptic Orthodox theological dispute that pits conservatives against reformers like Epiphanius, notes the Tablet. Now the Coptswho comprise about 10% of Egypt's population and often face persecutionare enduring their first major scandal since a former cleric was caught having sex with a woman on a church altar in 2001. "We have problems," says a monk at the fourth-century Saint Macarius monastery. "But we do not want to speak about it." (Read more Egypt stories.) (Newser) Confirmation came Friday from the Weld County Coroner's Office that the three bodies found this week on a Colorado property belonging to Anadarko Petroleum were those of Shanann Watts and daughters Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3, whose father, Christopher Watts, was arrested Wednesday in connection with their deaths. While the Denver Post says much remains undisclosed about the case, including when they were killed and what a motive might have been, it does make an inference about how the girls were killed based on documents filed Friday by Watts' defense attorneys after they consulted with a DNA expert, per Fox 31. The attorneys requested that DNA swabbing be performed on the girls' necks "in spite of the fact that the remains were in oil for four days." story continues below The Denver Channel, which notes the motion was denied, has more from the recommendation that was provided to the defense attorneys by the DNA expert: "In my opinion the presence of oil will not destroy the DNA. ... After samples are taken the nails should be cut preserved. I have a lot experience taking samples from dead bodies getting good results after strangulation. The hands of the children should be sampled as well." Formal charges are expected to be filed against Watts by Monday afternoon. (Friends say Shanann wanted to leave her husband.) (Newser) Years ago, orthopedic surgeon John Barrasso gave regular health advice on the evening television news, Wyoming-wide exposure that established a reputation as a mild, level-headed caregiver and helped launch his political career. Through 16 years in office, including two elections for the Wyoming Senate and two for the US Senate, Barrasso never faced significant oppositionuntil now, the AP reports. Dave Dodson, a political newcomer and businessman little-known in Wyoming, has made a bold Republican primary bid to tap anger over Barrasso's corporate donations and Washington ties. Dodson has little in common with Donald Trump but it's a Trump-like effort in the state that gave the president his widest margin of victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016. story continues below On Tuesday, Wyoming voters will decide whether they're angry enough to bring home a man whose supporters refer to as "Wyoming's doctor," or are still happy to have Barrasso, a rising star in the Senate, represent them. "I'm involved in politics right now because I'm mad and fired up to do something," says Dodson. "I never envisioned ever being in political office at all." Dodsonwho has pumped his own $1 million into his campaignhas invested in a range of industries, from auto parts to telecommunications, since the 1980s. Barrasso has refused to debate Dodson but isn't taking the threat sitting down. One Barrasso ad says Dodson gave $2,300 to Barack Obama and $1,000 to Bernie Sanders, donations reflected in Federal Election Commission records online. "So ask David Dodson, who does he really put first?" says the voice-over. Click for the full story. (Read more Wyoming stories.) (Newser) Seems President Trump isn't the only one with media issues. Now rising Democratic star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has entirely banned reporters from two town-hall-style events, CNN reports. The congressional candidate hosted the "listening tour" community meetings last weekone in the Bronx on Wednesday and one in Queens on Sundaywhere reporters were apparently kept away so residents would feel comfortable. "Our community is 50% immigrant. Folks are victims of DV, trafficking, + have personal medical issues," she tweeted Friday. "This town hall was designed for residents to feel safe discussing sensitive issues in a threatening political time." story continues below The idea arose after the 28-year-old returned from a national media tour and was "mobbed" by journalists "even though we said no Q&A and no one-on-one interviews," her campaign manager tells the Queens Chronicle. As for the events, Sunday's allowed residents to bring up issues as Ocasio-Cortez sat in the front row. "We've been polite with racist people for far too long," she said at one point, according to the Twitter feed of a Mayor de Blasio aide. "There's a cultural idea that talking about race is divisive ... but I don't think it's divisive unless youre a racist." A Washington Examiner correspondent criticized the press ban, saying "anyone could have walked in as long as they claimed to be a future constituent," but the Bronx progressive called it a "non story" and said future events "are open." (Read more town hall meeting stories.) Coimbatore: The Centre and the textile ministry are taking efforts to reduce contamination in cotton for the benefit of the textile industry, according to a senior official of the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI). This was in response to concerns expressed by stakeholders in the cotton and textile industry over the contamination in cotton and lower yield in India compared to other countries. CCI Chairman and Managing Director P Alli Rani, in her address to the two-day 4th All India Cotton conference here on Friday night, noted that though India was the largest producer, the trash level in the raw material affected end users. Also Read | Textiles, apparel exports fall by nearly Rs 8,000 crore in FY18: Centre As a first step to check contamination in cotton, Bureau of Indian Standards would work out a system for traceability of cotton arriving as bales from ginning factories, she said. By doing this, the Government would be able to know the source of contamination and take preventive measures, she said. Apart from this, once the second phase of the Technology Mission on Cotton, as proposed by the textile ministry, was approved, the problem of contamination could automatically be solved, the official said. Kotak Commodities Chairman Suresh Kotak who spoke on India Cotton Scenario in the Current Context 2018-19 at the conference, said both the cotton trade and industry should join hands to remove contamination, which was affecting the economy and take efforts to create clean cotton and truthful cotton. Read More | Budget 2018 | Customs duty on silk fabrics doubled to 20 per cent The conference was jointly organised by Indian Cotton Federation here and Indian Cotton Association, Bathinda. Kotak also opined that the industry should take efforts to increase cotton yield and productivity, which was 550 kg per hectare compared to 1,200 to 1,500 kg in other cotton growing countries. Tamil Nadu being a major cotton consumer with nearly 45 per cent textile mills, CCI should open a depot in the state either in Madurai or Coimbatore, Deputy Chairman of the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry, T Rajkumar said. For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: In an alerting incident, a drunk passenger attempted to hijack a cab he was travelling in to enter the Indira Gandhi International Airport. The man was immediately caught by the alert team of CISF. Two shots of bullets were fired to dissuade him, officials said. The high security at the airport for the Independence Day was enough to defer any major incident. A PCR call was received regarding a shooting incident near the Terminal 3, the officials said. The incident happened on Thursday night but came to light after the police officially confirmed the news. Kerala Floods LIVE Updates: PM Modi conducts aerial survey of rain savaged state as death toll mounts over 320 The cab driver stepped out after being stopped by the officers. However, the passenger immediately took the drivers seat and tried to steer the car through the gate. He was overpowered by CISF officers. During the scuffle, the officers fired two shots in the air, a senior police officer said. He was not in his senses, the officer said, adding that he could not provide proper reason of wanting to gain entry. The accused have been identified as Shankar, aged 27, a resident of Sangam Vihar, New Delhi and has been booked under relevant section of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). England vs India 3rd Test Preview: Visitors eye last-ditch comeback He has been booked under sections 186, 353 and 332 of IPC and investigations are on, the police said. Earlier on Tuesday, a man was arrested for shouting bomb while waiting for the boarding gate. While, an Italian man was handed over to Delhi police for carrying an unauthorised satellite phone, a CISF officer said. Pune: A man put up over 300 banners and hoardings in a plush locality of Maharashtra's Pimpri Chinchwad area apparently to make up with his girlfriend after a tiff, but the antic has riled the local police. Residents of Pimple Saudagar area of Pimpri Chinchwad, near Pune, woke up on Friday to see several posters, carrying the line "(name of the girl), I am sorry" in bold print with a heart symbol beside it in red, dotting the area especially prominent traffic intersections. The act, however, is likely getting Nilesh Khedekar, a 25-year-old local businessman, in trouble with Wakad police approaching the Pimpri Chinchwad civic body to initiate action as per rules dealing with illegal hoardings and defacement of public property. Also Read | Organ donation of 15-year-old brain-dead brings hope to humanity A Wakad police official said that investigations into the matter started soon after they were alerted to the hoardings on Friday. "We managed to zero in on his friend Vilas Shinde who had helped Khedekar get the flex hoardings printed. Through him, we traced Khedekar who is the brain behind this act," the official said. He informed that Khedekar wanted to apologise and make up with his girlfriend after a quarrel and, therefore, came up with this "creative" idea. Also Read | Special prayers conducted for rain-hit Keralas well-being "The girl was coming on Friday to the area from Mumbai. Under the cover of darkness in the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, over 300 hoardings were put up on the route which the girl was likely to take," the official said. The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation had been intimated about the issue, the official said, adding that it was up to the civic body now to initiate further action against Khedekar. New Delhi: The Indian Coast Guard has evacuated 2,507 people and over 6,415 others provided with assistance as it continues with relief work in flood affected areas of Kerala. The deadliest deluge in Kerala in close to a century had claimed over 340 lives since May. Almost all the villages in the southern state have been submerged. Also Read | Kerala Floods in Pictures: When nature releases its fury On Saturday, a red alert was issued in 11 districts as more heavy rainfall was predicted for the day in all districts except Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kasaragod. Also Read | Kerala Floods: Here is how you can donate and help flood-hit people So far, the Indian Coast Guard has pressed four offshore patrol vessels, five aircraft and 31 Coast Guard Disaster Relief teams with Gemini boats and rafts for flood relief operations. Around 1,000 Indian Coast Guard personnel, in coordination with NDMA, SDMA and other state authorities, are on war footing to provide disaster relief efforts in flood-hit Kerala. Also Read | Beautiful God's Own Country, now a picture of governments apathy One Coast Guard ship sailed from Mumbai with 40 tons of relief material provided by the Maharashtra Government and Malayali Samaj in Mumbai. An additional 50 tons was being transported from New Mangalore. The Coast Guard, which had been in action since August 9, 2018, has saved 31 lives off Kerala and Karnataka coasts in its SAR operation till date. London: Britains world-famous University of Oxford is planning to set up a new college after a gap of nearly 30 years as part of his five-year growth strategy, according to a media report. The universitys five-year draft strategic plan contains proposals to build 1,000 graduate rooms and at least one new graduate college, The Daily Telegraph reported. Also Read | PM Modi announces Rs 1,000 crore financial aid to IIT-Bombay This would be the first new college since 1990, when the graduate-only Kellogg College was established. The plan to open the new college, which have been backed by the universitys governing body, must now win the approval of the Oxfords dons and academics, the report said. Under the draft strategic plan, the intake of post-graduate students would increase by 850 a year by 2023, while undergraduates would increase by 200 a year, it said. Oxford doesnt compare itself to other institutions in the UK, it compares itself to other institutions around the world such as Ivy League which have more graduates than undergraduates," said Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute. Also Read | Arresting the mortal sin of academic dishonesty The strategic plan also sets out a desire to 'set ambitious targets' to reduce by 2023 gaps in attainment by gender, ethnic origin and socio-economic background. It also wants to substantially increase the number of undergraduate places offered to students from groups who are currently under-represented. A spokesperson for Oxford University said the plans are under consultation. The university will comment more fully when its plan has been widely reviewed and formally adopted, he said. New Delhi: Actor Renee Zellweger is now headed to Netflix. The 49-year-old actor has signed on to star in the Netflixs new drama series What/If. The Oscar-winning actor will be seen in the 10-episode series that hails from Revenge and Swingtown creator Mike Kelley and executive producer Robert Zemeckis.+ Also Read | Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin dies at 76 What/If explores the ripple effects of what happens when acceptable people start doing unacceptable things. Each season of the anthology series will unfurl a different morality tale inspired by the culturally consequential source material and the power of a single fateful decision to change the trajectory of an entire life. Also Read | Marital fights can make you suffer from leaky guts Produced by Kelley along with Melisaa Loy, Alex Gartner, Charles Roven and Jack Rapke, the social thriller What/If stars Zellweger in a character named Ann. (With Agency Inputs) For all the Latest Entertainment News, Hollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Jeddah: Over 1.28 lakh Indian pilgrims have reached Saudi Arabia to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage, officials said. A total of 1,28,702 Indian pilgrims are facilitated by the government to undertake the pilgrimage through the Hajj Committee this year. As many as 466 flights have brought the Indian pilgrims to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage and the last flight landed Friday morning, according to the Indian consulate in Jeddah. Also Read | Muslims climb Mount Arafat in hajj high point A record 1,75,025 Muslims from India are going to Hajj this year. More than 47 per cent of the total number of pilgrims going for Hajj this year are women, which is the highest ever representation of women in Hajj from India. Till last year, it was mandatory for a Muslim woman to be accompanied by her husband or a mehram (a person with whom marriage is unlawful) for pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. For the first time this year, Indian women will be going on Haj without the company of a male relative. This is the first year when Hajj pilgrimage is taking place without being provided any subsidy. Read More | Fresh batch of 233 pilgrims leaves Jammu for Amarnath cave shrine The pilgrimage represents one of the five pillars of Islam and is required of all able-bodied Muslims once in their life. Over 1.6 million Muslim faithful from abroad have arrived in Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage. Since arriving, many have circled the Kaaba in Mecca, Islams holiest site. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The southern state of Kerala is battling with a devastating flood and almost all the villages are inundated. So far, as many as 342 people have been killed in what is being described as centurys worst flood. The search and rescue operation was being carried out by the teams of three defence services Army, Navy and Airforce along with the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) personnel across the state. As the Gods own country struggles with the deadly disaster, United Arab Emirates (UAE) along with several other Indian states have extended helping hands to the people of the flood-hit state. Vice President His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced that UAE will offer relief to the people affected due to the flood and formed a committee to start the relief work immediately. Al Maktoum also urged people to contribute generously towards this initiative. UAE and the Indian community will unite to offer relief to those affected. We have formed a committee to start immediately. We urge everyone to contribute generously towards this initiative, he tweeted. Also Read | Kerala Floods: Here is how you can donate and help flood-hit people Aam Aadmi Party MPs, MLAs donate a months salary Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday announced that all the MLAs and MPs of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will donate their one months salary to help the people of flood affected Kerala. Earlier, the Delhi CM had announced Rs 10 crore funds for Kerala. Besides Kejriwal, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also announced Rs 10 crore aid for the flood-ravaged Kerala. Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik promised Rs five crore in aid sent 245 fire personnel with boats to help in rescue operations. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also announced Rs 20 crore as immediate assistance for the flood-affected people of Kerala. Fadnavis informed that around 11 ton of food dry food packets will be sent for the people of the state. Also Read | Kerala Flood Fury: PM Narendra Modi announces Rs 500 crore as immediate aid Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas and announced Rs 500 crore package for the state. Modi assured Kerala CM Naveen Patnaik of all the possible help from Centre. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: As monsoon rains and floods continue to destroy Kerala, claiming over 300 lives since May, the state plunged deeper into misery with the passing of the day. Hospitals and medical institutes are facing shortage of oxygen and fuel stations are running dry. There were reports that water had begun to seep into shelter homes where thousands are shifted for safety, officials said. The deadly deluge not only took hundreds of lives but also destroyed the scenic beauty of the green state, badly hampering its tourism sector and its agriculture sector, which stood as the backbone of the state. ALSO READ: Monsoon fury in seven states claims 868 lives Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kerala on Friday night to take a survey of the flood situation and was received by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Kerala Governor P Sathasivam and Union Tourism Minister KJ Alphons as he is scheduled to take an aerial inspection today (Saturday). Kerala Floods: Here is how you can donate and help flood-hit people Kerala floods highlights: # 240 fire service personnel departed from Odisha's Bhubaneswar for Kerala today for relief and rescue operations. # Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan has released Rs 10 crores as assistance for flood-hit Kerala. # Indian Army rescues 256 civilians including 3 pregnant women and a large number of old couples in Chalakudy area. Rescue Operation undertaken in East Chalakudy. #Update #KeralaFloods 2018. A column of 8 Engr Regt led by Lt Anshu Mali rescued 256 civilians including 3 pregnant ladies & a large number of old couples in Chalakudy area. Rescue Operation undertaken in East Chalakudy. We are at it#OpMadad #KeralaFloodRelief @PIB_India pic.twitter.com/UFIZZQbipm ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) August 18, 2018 # 105 RAF personnel provides fresh fruits, food items and medicines to people living in makeshift camps in different Taluks of flood ravaged Palakkadu district of Kerala. #105RAF personnel helping flood victims living in various rescue camps. Fresh fruits, food items and medicines provided to people living in makeshift camps in different Taluks of flood ravaged Palakkadu district of Kerala.#RapidActionForce #FightingFloods pic.twitter.com/IMN1j7GuW5 CRPF (@crpfindia) August 18, 2018 # All Congress MPs, MLAs and MLC to donate one month salary for flood relief in Kerala; special relief committee to be made to send essential items to Kerala. All our MPs, MLAs and MLC to donate their one month salary for flood relief in Kerala. A special relief committee will be made to send essential items to Kerala: Randeep Surjewala, Congress. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/qQNFepQMV9 ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 # All BJP corporaters of Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC) to donate their one month salary towards Kerala flood relief. # BJP Maharashtra Minister Ravindra Chavan donates his one month salary to Kerala floods relief. # Red Alert issued for today in 11 districts. Heavy rainfall predicted for the day in all districts except Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kasaragod. Red Alert issued for today in 11 districts. Heavy rainfall predicted for the day in all districts except Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam & Kasaragod: Kerala Chief Minister Office. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/hUvE3GxXgC ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 # Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announces Rs. 15 crores from Chief Minister Relief Fund for flood-hit Kerala. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announces Rs. 15 crores from Chief Minister Relief Fund for flood-hit Kerala. #KeralaFloods (File pic) pic.twitter.com/vpBPtYlflf ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) August 18, 2018 # 1 lakh packets of food products consisting water bottles, skimmed milk, biscuits and sugar being sent to Halwara airport in Ludhiana. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh announces Rs 10 crores worth of immediate relief for Kerala floods; Rs 5 crore in form of ready-to-eat food material. Punjab: 1 lakh packets of food products consisting water bottles, skimmed milk, biscuits & sugar being sent to Halwara airport in Ludhiana. CM Capt Amarinder Singh had announced Rs 10 crores worth of immediate relief for #KeralaFloods,Rs 5 cr in form of ready-to-eat food material pic.twitter.com/XfrVyn31vX ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 # NDRF teams rescued 194 persons, 12 livestocks and evacuated 10,467 persons; provided pre-hospital treatment to 159 persons. NDRF teams have rescued 194 persons&12 livestock&evacuated 10,467 persons &provided pre-hospital treatment to 159 persons.15 teams operational in Thrissur,13 in Pathanamthitta,11 in Alappuzha,5 in Ernakulam, 4 in Idukki,3 in Malappuram & 2 each in Wayanad&Kozhikode. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/znmOqwLeg3 ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 # Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh offers all possible help from Chhattisgarh government for Kerala floods. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh spoke to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan on telephone and offered all possible help from Chhattisgarh govt for #KeralaFloods. (File pic) pic.twitter.com/oJXK0AHcXA ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 # Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announces Rs 10 crores from Chief Minister Relief Fund for flood-hit Kerala. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announces Rs. 10 crores from Chief Minister Relief Fund for flood-hit Kerala. #KeralaFloods (File pic) pic.twitter.com/l2pFOKfQop ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 # Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das announced an aid of Rs 5 crores for flood-hit Kerala. Jhanrkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das announced an aid of Rs 5 crores for flood-hit Kerala. #KeralaFloods (File pic) pic.twitter.com/hCsZU8qqJt ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 # Chief Minister of Maharashtra tweets CM @Dev_Fadnavis announces a5 crore as immediate assistance from Maharashtra Government for Kerala flood affected persons. State Government is constantly in touch with Kerala Government for their requirements and the necessary support, since yesterday.#KeralaFloods CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) August 18, 2018 # Special aircraft of Indian Army reaches Thiruvananthapuram with food and basic amenities for flood-affected areas. Special aircraft of Indian Army reaches Thiruvananthapuram with food and basic amenities for flood affected areas. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/33zudY6d6n ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 # Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announces an aid of Rs 10 crores for flood-hit Kerala from Bihar Chief Minister Relief Fund. # In August, till 16th actual rainfall was 619.5mm, normally it should have been 244.1 mm. The intensity of rainfall has decreased now there won't be extremely heavy rains anymore but heavy rains will continue for 2 days: Dr. S Devi, India Meteorological Department In August, till 16th actual rainfall was 619.5mm, normally it should have been 244.1 mm. The intensity of rainfall has decreased now there won't be extremely heavy rains anymore but heavy rains will continue for 2 days: Dr. S Devi, India Meteorological Department on #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/PAuc98DyKA ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 # Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik announced an aid of Rs 5 crores for flood-hit Kerala from Chief Minister Relief Fund. # Visuals of flooding and submerged houses from Chengannur. Visuals of flooding and submerged houses from Chengannur. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/ldG0zAp28J ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 # Former Indian cricket VVS Laxman on Kerala Floods Friends in Trivandrum plz don't unnecessarily fill ur petrol tanks. More than 1000 ltrs of fuel for rescue support per day is required here. Its becoming hard to arrange required fuel from pumps due to unnecessary over filling. Please be responsible & consume less #KeralaFloods VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) August 18, 2018 # Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan on Kerala Floods and PM Modi's aerial survey PM conducted aerial survey to get first-hand knowledge about flood. Our helicopter could not go to some places due to inclement weather. He has announced Rs500 crore&all possible help. We thanked him & demanded more helicopters & boats: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan on #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/kdy9wsJdvj ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 # Indian Air Force carries out rescue operation IAF Garud Commando carried out rescue operations by winching children from the roof top & evacuated in IAF helicopter to rescue camps. 1/3 #KeralaFloodRelief pic.twitter.com/8LgpbX0XGZ Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) August 18, 2018 .@IAF_MCC #GarudCommando carried out rescue operations by winching children from the roof top & evacuated in IAF helicopter to rescue camps. #KeralaFloodRelief pic.twitter.com/r31Av6tkzc PIB India (@PIB_India) August 18, 2018 # Update from Indian Air Force: #ExPitchBlack18 : Indian Air Force is all packed & ready to board the jets to head for the next destination, Malaysia. The big boys C-17 & C-130 & the fast jets bid adieu to 'down under' Australia. pic.twitter.com/rJW6YkplVj Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) August 18, 2018 # Here are some IMPORTANT DO's and DONT's during Floods # Centre is providing comprehensive assistance to the people of Kerala, which will contribute in restoring normalcy to citizens' lives faster. Centre is providing comprehensive assistance to the people of Kerala, which will contribute in restoring normalcy to citizens' lives faster. PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 18, 2018 # Army, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard are also deployed for assisting the State in search & rescue operations. A total of 38 helicopters have been deployed for rescue and relief measures. In addition, 20 Aircraft are also being used for ferrying resources. Army, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard are also deployed for assisting the State in search & rescue operations. A total of 38 helicopters have been deployed for rescue and relief measures. In addition, 20 Aircraft are also being used for ferrying resources. PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 18, 2018 Under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme 5.5 Cr. person days have been sanctioned in the labour budget 2018-19. Any further request for incurring the person days would be considered as per the requirement projected by the State. PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 18, 2018 # The flood situation in Kerala has been continuously and closely monitored by the Centre. All help is being provided to the State Government to deal with the adverse situation. PM has been in constant touch with the Kerala CM regarding the flood situation, tweets the Office of the Prime Minister of India (PMOIndia) The flood situation in Kerala has been continuously and closely monitored by the Centre. All help is being provided to the State Government to deal with the adverse situation. PM has been in constant touch with the Kerala CM regarding the flood situation. PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 18, 2018 # Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has announced an aid of Rs 10 crores for flood-hit Kerala # PM Modi on his aerial survey The Prime Minister visited Kerala to review the situation arising due to the floods in the State. After a review meeting, he made an aerial assessment of the damages caused due to floods in some of the affected areas. pic.twitter.com/DQtANpBUtI PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 18, 2018 # PM @narendramodi expressed grief and sorrow on the unfortunate deaths and damage caused to property due to floods in Kerala. PM announced ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh per person to the next kin of the deceased and Rs. 50,000 to those seriously injured from PMNRF. PM @narendramodi expressed grief and sorrow on the unfortunate deaths and damage caused to property due to floods in Kerala. PM announced ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh per person to the next kin of the deceased and Rs. 50,000 to those seriously injured from PMNRF. PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 18, 2018 # 58 teams of NDRF are deployed in 8 affected districts, we have recused 170 people and 7000 people have been evacuated to safer places. If required more teams will be deployed: Sanjay Kumar, DG, NDRF on Kerala Flood 58 teams of NDRF are deployed in 8 affected districts, we have recused 170 people and 7000 people have been evacuated to safer places. If required more teams will be deployed: Sanjay Kumar, DG, NDRF on #KeralaFlood pic.twitter.com/wCVOTvDBSO ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 # "The area has been completely flooded. I have lost almost everything I had. The water level is increasing with every passing hour," says a villager as Achankovil river near Alappuzha's Kollakadavu village is overflowing following heavy rainfall in the area. Achankovil river near Alappuzha's Kollakadavu village is overflowing following heavy rainfall in the area. Shaukat, a villager says,"The area has been completely flooded. I have lost almost everything I had. The water level is increasing with every passing hour." #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/BTYlQ1kdvJ ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 # Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also announced Rs 500 crore as immediate aid for Kerala, in addition to the 100 crore announced earlier Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also announced Rs 500 crore as immediate aid for Kerala, in addition to the 100 crore announced earlier #Keralafloods https://t.co/lvqRnlcEuu ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 # Prime Minister Narendra Modi was accompanied by Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Governor P. Sathasivam and Union Tourism Minister KJ Alphons during aerial survey of flood-affected areas. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was accompanied by Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Governor P. Sathasivam and Union Tourism Minister KJ Alphons during aerial survey of flood affected areas. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/s0LB2Z9J3q ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 # Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducts an aerial survey of flood affected areas. PM has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh per person to the next kin of the deceased and Rs.50,000 to those seriously injured, from PMs National Relief Funds (PMNRF) #WATCH: Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducts an aerial survey of flood affected areas. PM has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh per person to the next kin of the deceased and Rs.50,000 to those seriously injured, from PMs National Relief Funds (PMNRF). #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/T6FYNVLmMu ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 # The State Bank of India (SBI) has donated Rs 2 crore to Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) and announced waiver of fees and charges on services offered by the bank in Kerala. The State Bank of India (SBI) has donated Rs 2 crore to Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) and announced waiver of fees and charges on services offered by the bank in Kerala. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/I47nNTQPPA ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 # Kattappana: State highway to Idukki city from Kumily is blocked due to landslide, clearance operation underway. Kattappana: State highway to #Idukki city from Kumily is blocked due to landslide, clearance operation underway. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/s5K1EufC0Q ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 # Update from Indian Army: Indian Army has made 13 temporary bridges to reconnect 38 remote areas, total of 3627 personnels have been rescued till date, including 22 foreign nationals. #Update #KeralaFloods2018 Indian Army has made 13 temporary bridges to reconnect 38 remote areas, total of 3627 personnels have been rescued till date, including 22 foreign nationals. #OpMadad #KeralaFloodRelief @PIB_India @SpokespersonMoD @HQ_IDS_India pic.twitter.com/Or2e03YdUC ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) August 18, 2018 # 1000s and 1000s are marooned & facing a very severe, critical situation & more emergency evacuation operation is needed. What is being done is appreciable but we need more help from the Centre and other states. Kerala is in distress: PC Chacko, Congress # Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel distribute relief material to stranded people in flood affected Palakkad's Mangalam Dam village. #WATCH: Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel distribute relief material to stranded people in flood affected Palakkad's Mangalam Dam village. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/2WvqDsflrn ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 # Media reports of PM Narendra Modis aerial survey being cancelled not yet confirmed, PM currently chairing a meeting in Kochi with CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Minister KJ Alphons and other officials. Media reports of PM Narendra Modis aerial survey being cancelled not yet confirmed, PM currently chairing a meeting in Kochi with CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Minister KJ Alphons and other officials #Keralafloods pic.twitter.com/f0sR8LGMFZ ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 # Yesterday Captain P Rajkumar Shaurya Chakra winched up 26 people from a SeaKing 42B helicopter, in extremely challenging conditions hovering between trees and in the limits of man and machine, says Indian Navy Yesterday Captain P Rajkumar Shaurya Chakra winched up 26 people from a SeaKing 42B helicopter, in extremely challenging conditions hovering between trees and in the limits of man and machine: Indian Navy #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/KeKKBnbF8n ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 # Shah Rukh Khan prays for Kerala. @resulp Sir, its the Duty & Dharma of each one of us to stand by our brothers & sisters in times of need. May Allah bless each & everyone in Kerala. Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) August 18, 2018 # Update from CRPF #105RAF evacuated tourists and tribals stuck due to flood and landslide in Nelliyampathi, Kerala. Highly skilled rescue teams made best use of the things available around them and save precious lives. #RapidActionForce #FightingFloods pic.twitter.com/dz4Sd0pw6s CRPF (@crpfindia) August 18, 2018 # Words alone are not enough. Yet I must tell all my brothers and sisters of Kerala that our thoughts and prayers are with each one of you. Condolences to those families who have lost their loved ones. Strength to those who are fighting the #KeralaFloods, tweets West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee Words alone are not enough. Yet I must tell all my brothers and sisters of Kerala that our thoughts and prayers are with each one of you. Condolences to those families who have lost their loved ones. Strength to those who are fighting the #KeralaFloods Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) August 18, 2018 # Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Kochi. # Police and NDRF joint rescue operation in a flooded area of Kodagu. # Navy delivers relief material to stranded people in a flooded area of Kochi #WATCH Navy delivers relief material to stranded people in a flooded area of Kochi. #Keralafloods pic.twitter.com/dC8Lp78e8q ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 # Kerala organisations cancel Onam celebrations in Pune, focus on raising funds for flood-hit Kerala. # PM Narendra Modi leaves from Thiruvananthapuram for an aerial survey of flood-affected areas of Kochi. PM Narendra Modi leaves from Thiruvananthapuram for an aerial survey of flood-affected areas of Kochi. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/CWdg2vzjwq ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 # UAE and the Indian community will unite to offer relief to those affected. We have formed a committee to start immediately. We urge everyone to contribute generously towards this initiative, tweets HH Sheikh Mohammed UAE and the Indian community will unite to offer relief to those affected. We have formed a committee to start immediately. We urge everyone to contribute generously towards this initiative. pic.twitter.com/7a4bHadWqa HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) August 17, 2018 # Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kerala on Friday night to take stock of the flood situation in the state. He will conduct an aerial survey today. Thiruvananthapuram: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Kerala to take stock of the flood situation in the state; received by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Kerala Governor P Sathasivam and Union Tourism Minister KJ Alphons pic.twitter.com/fAW9D2KCPE ANI (@ANI) August 17, 2018 # Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has announced an aid of Rs 10 crores for the flood-hit Kerala. # More than 500 people rescued by ITBP personnel from flood-hit Alleppey & Pathanamthitta in Kerala. More than 500 people were rescued by ITBP personnel from floodhit Alleppey & Pathanamthitta. #KeralaFloods (17.08.18) pic.twitter.com/hpiFmALftU ANI (@ANI) August 17, 2018 # Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao announced immediate financial help of Rs 25 crore for flood-hit Kerala. # Around 700 soldiers along with specialised engineering task forces carrying boats & specialised equipment are on ground & have rescued around 4,800 people in the past 9 days. I assure that we'll work day&night till Kerala comes back to normal: Brigadier Arun CG Around 700 soldiers along with specialised engineering task forces carrying boats & specialised equipment are on ground & have rescued around 4,800 people in the past 9 days. I assure that we'll work day&night till Kerala comes back to normal: Brig Arun CG #KeralaFloods (17.8.18) pic.twitter.com/7apVlgIg39 ANI (@ANI) August 17, 2018 # Aerial visual of flooded Kalady as rain continues to lash Kerala. #WATCH: Aerial visual of flooded Kalady as rain continues to lash the state. #KeralaFloods (17.08.18) pic.twitter.com/lhu4oR50H7 ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 # Visuals of flood-hit Kallur village in Karnataka. Visuals of flood-hit Kallur village in #Karnataka. Most parts of the village have got submerged in the flood water. (17.08.18) pic.twitter.com/kf7peE4ImU ANI (@ANI) August 17, 2018 For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless as monsoon floods wreak havoc in the Indian states of Kerala, Karnataka and Gujarat. In Kerala, over 340 people have lost their lives due to the devastating flood, in what locals say is the worst in the state history since 1924. Almost all the villages in Gods Own Country have submerged in flood waters. Several teams of Armed forces with the help of National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) personnel have evacuated thousands to relief camps and are continuing with the rescue operations to save people stranded in rising flood waters. Also Read Opinion | Beautiful God's Own Country, now a picture of governments apathy Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the state on and chaired an emergency meeting with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. He also conducted an aerial survey of flood-ravaged areas. The Kerala government estimated a loss of Rs 25,000 crore due to the floods and sought an immediate relief of Rs 2,500 crore from the Centre. Modi, however, announced an emergency aid of just Rs 500 crore. VIEW| Kerala Floods in Pictures: When nature releases its fury Kerala has been receiving torrential rains since though, the monsoon hit the state in May. But most of the deaths were said to have taken place in the last two days. Vijayan said that the flooding was the worst the state has seen in 100 years. He tweeted that over 3,14,000 people were now living in 2,000 emergency relief camps set up at the higher grounds in the area. Over 11,000 houses damaged in Karnataka In another southern state of Karnataka, flood triggered by torrential rains have damaged over 11,000 houses. At least six people have died so far in the worst-hit Kodagu district. Five out of 30 Karnataka districts - Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, and Shivamogga have been kept on high alert. Also Read | Kerala Flood: UAE extends helping hand; AAP MPs, MLAs donate a month's salary Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy chaired a high-level meeting with local authorities and conducted an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas. He directed officials to list out the roads damaged due to the floods and start repair work as soon as possible. Several district officials have also been shifted to Kodagu. Kumaraswamy has also announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the people whose house have been damaged due to the flood. Several teams of NDRF were carrying out relief and rescue operations. People evacuated from the flood-hit areas were being shifted to 18 relief camps set up in the plains. Heavy rains cause flood-like situation in parts of Gujarat Incessant rains have triggered flood-like situation in Panchmahals, Kheda, Anand and Ahmedabad, Mehsana Aravalli and Sabarkantha districts of central and northern Gujarat. Also Read | Declare Kerala floods national disaster: Rahul Gandhi urges PM Modi In Godhra, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team rescued 12 people stranded in the middle of a river. Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy to very heavy rains for the next three days in the state due to a well-marked low-pressure area lying over the state. Heavy rains alert in Goa Private weather forecast agency Skymet has predicted heavy to very heavy rains in Goa over the next 24 hours due to active monsoon conditions. The agency forecast that vigorous monsoon conditions will prevail over coastal area of Karnataka, Konkan and Goa in the next few days. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: There can be little doubt that the catastrophic floods in Kerala which have wrought havoc on human lives and property are essentially the result of human failures and ineptitude of the state governments over a period of time. Had the Congress government in 2011 heeded the recommendations of the expert committee headed by Madhav Gadgil, such calamitous results could have been averted to a fair degree. The current CPI-M regime of Pinarayi Vijayan which took over two years ago is equally guilty of callous neglect and rape of the environment. A lot of unauthorised encroachments have taken place in the forest areas. Because the mountain slopes are cut and encroached upon, the natural support that land has is lost. The landslides are partly because of such encroachments. Kerala Floods: Here is how you can donate and help flood-hit people The other factor is deforestation. There is no dearth of laws to stop felling of trees in the forest areas, but there are mafias that are having a free run on chopping of trees. The governments are either in league or oblivious of the damage that is being caused to the environment. Protection of forest resources is not on the agenda of any government. Afforestation is not happening. If thick trees are there in the mountain region, it prevents landslides. It also helps in absorbing water in the area. So, the heavy drainage of water downstream does not take place. However, in actual practice, there is denudation of forests without adequate planting of new trees. The rejection of the Madhav Gadgil report which outlined corrective measures back in 2011 was the most shocking example of governmental apathy and neglect. The expert panel report went virtually unheeded. Complacency set in as the monsoon was below normal in the last four or five years. Suddenly this year, there was a deluge and all the man-made ills came back strongly to compound the problems. ALSO READ: Flood alert sounded in Tamil Nadu's Madurai, Theni districts During the rains, water drains off to the rivers and lakes, and they in turn flow to the sea. Almost all the rivers in Kerala are choked with sand deposits, which reduces the capacity of the rivers to hold more water. The result is, with the slightest increase in water level, there are floods. The same thing applies to lakes also. Protecting the river bed is something that is urgently needed but that is not done. The Gadgil committee had suggested that 140,000 kilometres of the Western Ghats be classified in three zones as per the requirement of environmental protection in the areas. But the Kerala government of the time rejected the recommendation. The most affected area is Kuttanad which is the agricultural part of Kerala. The Kuttanad area is fully inundated and all the crops are destroyed. It is an ecologically sensitive area and the government has to stop construction of buildings in this agricultural area which was conveniently ignored. In some areas the committee had recommended strong restrictions on mining and quarrying, use of land for non-forest purposes and construction of high rises which too were summarily dismissed. Madhav Gadgil has said that irresponsible environmental policy is to blame for the recent floods and landslides while calling it a "manmade calamity". He said that the committee report had recommended to protect the resources with the cooperation of local self-government and people, but those recommendations were rejected. He also pointed out that quarrying is a major reason for the mudslides and landslides. ALSO READ: Monsoon fury in seven states claims 868 lives There is little point in crying over spilt milk but at the same time, some lessons need to be learnt lest we repeat the same mistakes again and again. With the advancement in technology, we should use modern means to assess natural calamities and plan in advance so that damage due to floods is minimised, and disaster management made better. The afforestation momentum has to pick up and deforestation must be prevented at all costs. It is high time governments turn more sensitive or else the future generations would never forgive us for wrecking the environment, unconcerned with the consequences for the future. New Delhi: One of the few things that US President Donald Trump has done right is to show China its place by imposing heavy tariffs on Chinese imports into the US. That these tariffs were too low and Beijing was exploiting this to the hilt was all too evident but past US administrations did nothing about it. Not just in the US but in much of the world, the Chinese were dumping goods, a lot of them of sub-standard quality especially in the developing countries where quality checks are either non-existent or hugely deficient. The emphasis was on price which was kept low due to economies of scale and exploitative labour practices which the Chinese establishment is infamous for. The Modi government in India has been on a low key on Chinese dumping so as to maintain workable relationship with the government there. In the process, Indian cottage and small-scale industry has suffered grievous damage, unable to compete on price which is a major factor among Indian consumers. ALSO READ: The Vajpayee era and the mystique of saffron frenzy If unemployment is at high levels in India it is in no small part due to Chinese goods swamping Indian goods out of the market. Many of the Chinese goods pay no import duties at all due to rampant smuggling of goods through the unofficial route. There was the much-publicized case of Chinese toys flooding the US market some years ago which were found to be toxic and were therefore banned. They, however, passed muster in Indian and other Third World markets due to lack of stringency in tests and corruption in getting anything cleared for quality without due justification. Little said about the crippling effects of Chinese dumping in India The range of Chinese goods that have replaced Indian goods on shelves is mind-boggling. From electrical switches to bathroom fittings, from lighting to hardware, Chinese goods have virtually monopolised Indian markets throwing the Indian small-scale manufacturers into a tizzy. Even fire crackers and idols of Hindu gods are made in China while we express a resolve to promote Make in India. While there is such a hue and cry over trivial things in the Oppositions attacks on the government, there is little consciousness and little said about the crippling effects of Chinese dumping on Indian cottage and small-scale sectors. No one is indeed willing to take on the Chinese dragon, be it the ruling establishment or the Opposition parties. And the crippling effect of US tariffs on Chinese economy The Americans are gung ho about the crippling effect of US tariffs on the Chinese economy and of the fact that their own economic indices are looking up. Trump tweeted on that US tariffs were working Big time and claimed that the stock market in China had crashed 27 per cent in four months. While independent observers said this was an exaggeration, the fact remains that the Chinese economy has suffered a big blow and the market has reflected this. The yuan is down against the US dollar by 8 per cent since April and is close to its weakest in a year. A shrinking trade surplus produced a current account deficit in the first half of 2018, Chinas first such trade gap in two decades. ALSO READ: Arresting the mortal sin of academic dishonesty The Chinese have reacted with retaliatory tariffs on US goods, but since the US buys far more from China than vice versa, the US has more scope to impose tariffs. Doubtlessly, China has been hit hard, but it is looking at ways to get even with the Americans. At the same time, Chinese operations of American businesses ranging from Apple to Starbucks are in jeopardy too with China having the potential to disturb those. The Chinese are indeed threatening that the trade war could escalate unless the Americans pull back from their initial high tariffs on imports from China. Will the trade war worsen or will the two powers cooperate for mutual benefit is the million dollar question . Meanwhile, while countries like India must encourage trade and investment through legitimate routes, India must put its foot down on dumping of Chinese goods which are crippling the small-scale sector. New Delhi: Condolences and tributes poured in from leaders across the world on Saturday following the death of former United Nations Secretary General and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kofi Annan. While Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the world has lost the "conscience keeper of international peace and security", the UN hailed him as the guiding force for good and the epitome of human decency and grace. Annan, one of the worlds most celebrated diplomats and a charismatic symbol of the United Nations who rose through its ranks to become the first black African secretary-general, passed away on Saturday morning after a brief illness. He was 80. Current UN chief Antonio Guterres expressed deep sadness at the loss, describing his predecessor as a guiding force for good. Kofi Annan was a guiding force for good. It is with profound sadness that I learned of his passing. In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations. Like so many, I was proud to call Kofi Annan a good friend and mentor. I was deeply honoured by his trust in selecting me to serve as UN High Commissioner for Refugees under his leadership. He remained someone I could always turn to for counsel and wisdom and I know I was not alone. He provided people everywhere with a space for dialogue, a place for problem-solving and a path to a better world. In these turbulent and trying times, he never stopped working to give life to the values of the United Nations Charter. His legacy will remain a true inspiration for all of us, Guterres said in a statement. Also Read | Kofi Annan, former United Nations Secretary General, passes away UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein said he was grief-stricken over Annans death. Kofi was humanitys best example, the epitome of human decency and grace. In a world now filled with leaders who are anything but that, our loss, the worlds loss becomes even more painful, Hussein said. Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, in a series of tweets, condoled the sad demise and declared a week of mourning, saying the national flag will fly at half-mast across the country and in the countrys diplomatic missions worldwide in honour of Kofi Annan. (will embed tweets) I have directed that, in his honour, Ghanas national flag will fly at half-mast across the country and in all of Ghanas diplomatic missions across the world, from Monday, 20th August, 2018, for one week. Rest in perfect peace, Kofi. You have earned it. God bless. 7/7 Nana Akufo-Addo (@NAkufoAddo) August 18, 2018 British Prime Minister Theresa May said her thoughts and condolences are with his family and said Kofi Annan had left a better place than the one he was born into. A great leader and reformer of the UN, he made a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into, Theresa wrote on Twitter. Russian President Vladimir Putin said he admired Annans wisdom and courage and added that his memory will live forever in the hearts of Russians. I sincerely admired his wisdom and courage, his ability to make informed decisions even in the most complex, critical situations. His memory will live forever in the hearts of Russians, Putin said. Also Read | PM Modi condoles death of Nobel Laureates Kofi Annan Shocked and distressed over the news, Former UK prime minister Tony Blair said Kofi Annan was a great diplomat, a true statesman and a wonderful colleague. TB: Im shocked and distressed to hear the news about Kofi. He was a good friend whom I saw only weeks ago. Kofi Annan was a great diplomat, a true statesman and a wonderful colleague who was widely respected and will be greatly missed. My deepest sympathy to Nane and his family Tony Blair Institute (@InstituteGC) August 18, 2018 Prime Minister Narendra Modi, condoling the death of Annan, said the world had lost not only a great African diplomat and humanitarian but also a conscience keeper of international peace and security. We express our profound sorrow at the passing away of Nobel Laureate and former UNSG Mr. Kofi Annan. The world has lost not only a great African diplomat and humanitarian but also a conscience keeper of international peace and security. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 18, 2018 President Ram Nath Kovind conveyed his condolence to Annans family and the UN community. Sorry to learn of the passing of former Secretary General of the United Nations Kofi Annan. My condolences to his family and to the UN community, Kovind tweeted. Vice president M Venkaiah Naidu described Annan as a true champion of Justice and Peace. Deeply saddened by the demise of Mr. Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary General and a Nobel Laureate. He was a true champion of Justice and Peace. He made an outstanding contribution for world harmony. May his soul rest in Peace, he tweeted. Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who served as Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations during Kofi Annans leadership, also expressed his grief on passing away of his elder brother and mentor. Deeply shocked to learn of the passing of my friend & mentor #KofiAnnan. The last time we spoke he had accepted my invitation to come to Kerala in 2022 to celebrate his thousand moons. He was so fit I had no doubt he would go on well past that date. I have lost an elder brother, Tharoor tweeted. Kofi Annan served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1997 to December 2006. (with PTI inputs) For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Twenty-five government schools across Bahrain are undergoing maintenance works to be ready for the new school year 2018-2019. The Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry is carrying out the plan which was agreed with the Ministry of Education under the 2028 school maintenance programme. The maintenance work aims to ensure the safety of the school buildings, and lengthen their life span and improve the internal environment, said maintenance director Huda Mirza. She revealed that BD1.8 million were allocated to conduct the comprehensive maintenance programme, which covered this year twenty-five schools across Bahrain. She announced the revamped schools would be handed over to the Ministry of Education before the beginning of the new school year 2018-2019, adding that maintenance work started on the 5th of August. Expatriates in the Kingdom are extending their help to the Indian state of Kerala which is reeling under the worst flood devastation in its history. More than 350 people have been killed as a result of the flood, with 85,000 people displaced and 14 districts placed on high alert. Kerala is experiencing an unprecedented situation due to heavy and continuous downpour and resultant floods and natural calamity. The state mechanism is effectively engaging in the damage control. We need enormous help and liberal support from the NRI community across the globe, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said yesterday. Thousands of people have been rendered homeless and many buildings have been destroyed in the worst floods in nearly a century. The Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam ( BKS), one of the oldest and largest leading socio-cultural organisations on the island, is gearing up to extend support to the Kerala government for their activities to save people from this unprecedented calamity. The BKS has postponed their Onam celebrations, which were slated to start from August 21. We are getting a lot of response from the expatriates here requesting help for their relatives in Kerala who are stranded in different locations in due to severe floods, said BKS Acting-President Dileesh Kumar V S and General Secretary M P Raghu. The BKS 24-hour helpline received 25 calls on Thursday and our volunteers in Kerala have distributed aid to the flood-hit areas in the districts of Wayanad, Pathanamthitta, Kollam and Kottayam, they said. Bahraini yoga expert Fatima Al Mansoori has visited the flood hit areas and the refug ee camps in Kerala. They appreciated that someone is there to listen, hold their hand and feel their suffering. Some of them even hugged me, Fatima told Tribune. Sewing needles have been found inserted into bread products on two days this week at a supermarket in Fukuoka city, police said Friday. Customers complained about finding the needles after purchasing the bread at the Sunny Akasaka supermarket in Chuo Ward on Aug 12 and Aug 15, Fuji TV reported. The customers a 58-year-old woman and a 20-year-old man said they found the needles after eating the bread. Neither of them suffered any injury. Police said they are examining store surveillance camera footage to see if anyone tampered with products in the bakery section. A bottle of rare Japanese whisky sold at a world-record price on Friday, the third record shattered this year for a single malt from the country. The 50-year-old Yamazaki first edition went for 2.695 million Hong Kong dollars ($343,000), including the buyer's premium, at a Bonhams auction in Hong Kong. The buyer chose to remain anonymous, Bonhams said, but the auction house disclosed that the winner -- who placed the bid by phone -- was from Asia. The previous record for a bottle of Japanese whisky was set in May, when an Expression of Karuizawa 1960 52-year-old The Dragon fetched HK$2.45 million at Bonhams in Hong Kong. In January, a Yamazaki single malt aged 50 years sold for HK$2.337 million at a Sotheby's auction, also in Hong Kong. "The Yamazaki 50-year-old is a very rare and special whisky, and I am expecting a lot of interest from collectors," Daniel Lam, Bonhams' head of fine wine and whisky in Hong Kong, had said in a statement prior to Friday's auction. [Image: The auctioneer brings down the hammer at the auction of a bottle of Yamazaki 50 whisky at Bonhams in Hong Kong. (Photo by Dean Napolitano)] The auctioneer brings down the hammer for the 50-year-old Yamazaki first edition. (Photo by Dean Napolitano) When the Yamazaki first edition was initially released in 2005 with 50 bottles, it sold for 1 million yen, or about $9,000 at the current exchange rate, Christopher Pong, Bonhams' specialist for wine and whisky, said after the auction hammer came down on the winning bid. Chiba Prefectural Police are investigating what is believed to have been a murder-suicide after the bodies of an 81-year-old man and his eldest son, 52, were found in their residence in Yotsukaido City on Wednesday, reports the Sankei Shimbun At around 5:50 p.m., the second son of the elderly man found the two bodies in one room on the second floor of the residence. The wife of the second son then tipped off police. Officers from the Yotsukaido Police Station arriving at the residence confirmed both men dead at the scene. According to police, the father was found hanged from a rope by his neck in the closet. Meanwhile, his eldest son was discovered collapsed face-up atop a futon with marks consistent with strangulation on his neck. The second son, his wife, the father and eldest son are among six persons living in the residence, which showed no signs of having been ransacked. Police suspect that the elderly man fatally strangled his son before taking his own life. Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 48-year-old man over the alleged purchase of saliva and used underwear from a teenage girl earlier this year. Such crimes involving minors reached a record last year, reports the Asahi Shimbun On the night of May 6, the corporate executive, who resides in Tokyo, paid 16,000 yen to the girl, 16, in exchange for her stripping off her underwear and producing saliva inside a vehicle parked in a multi-level garage in Midori Ward of Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture. aI thought buying used underwear would satisfy my sexual desire,a the suspect, who was not named, told police. aOver the past 10 years, Iave done this 10 times.a The suspect was sent to prosecutors on Wednesday on suspicion of violating a municipal ordinance that prohibits the purchase of such things as used underwear from minors. According to police, the suspect got to know the girl, a first-year high school student, by responding to a message she posted Twitter. aIam looking for an older man who will provide me with some spending money,a the girl wrote on the social-networking service. President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to the country from his 10-day vacation in London. President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to the country from his 10-day vacation in London. The presidential aircraft touched down on Saturday evening at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, the nations capital. He is expected to preside over a meeting with the security chiefs on Monday. Ahead of his arrival, a Guard of Honor was mounted at the airport to receive the President who departed Nigeria for the United Kingdom on August 3. President @MBuhari returns to Abuja from the UK, after a 10 working day vacation. pic.twitter.com/m3t7BdRDfD Prior to his trip, President Buhari had handed over power to the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, in acting capacity while he was away. Major developments took place in the presidents absence WHILE BUHARI WAS AWAY: Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) barricaded the entrance of the national assembly complex in an operation that lasted hours. Matthew Seiyefa took over as acting director-general of the DSS after Lawal Daura was sacked following the siege. The All Progressives Congress (APC) mounted pressure on Senate President Bukola Saraki to step down after he left the ruling party for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Federal lawmakers met with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to consider the commissions budget for the 2019 polls. The 66th annual convention of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) which promised great manifestations of Gods power and grace upon the lives of participants may have ended but the reverberations will linger for yet a while.The convention, which began on Thursday, August 2, with a Ministers Conference, formally started on Monday, August 6 and ran till Sunday, August 12 with the ordination of 1,603 full pastors and 50 honorary elders. The theme of the event that attracted unprecedented number of participants from across the globe was: Dominion.Besides the numerous spectacular testimonies that attended the programme, one of the high points of the annual convention was the gathering of traditional rulers from across the country for an unusual fellowship with the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Pastor Enoch Adeboye on Saturday morning where he charged them to unite and speak against the ills in the society.Speaking at the special fellowship with the royal fathers at the prayer foyer of the three-Kilometre-by-three-Kilometre auditorium in the Simawa area of Ogun State, Adeboye lamented that Nigerian politicians have eroded the authority of the royal fathers, wondering why the royal fathers no longer have a voice when there was a House of Chiefs.According to him, before the white men came, the royal fathers owned the land. Dont let the people tell me that we dont know how to rule, because the royal fathers ruled our people before the white men arrived our shores, he argued, saying that any form of government that wants to rule and leave out the royal fathers is completely unacceptable.Stressing that he is not a politician and neither is he an activist, but the truth must be told, the General Overseer blamed the traditional rulers themselves who didnt protest the removal of the House of Chiefs from the nations statutes.There was a House of Chiefs; but its not there anymore and we didnt say a word, he stated, noting that whatever you allow on earth will be allowed in heaven, and whatever you disallow on earth will be disallowed in heaven.I think we have allowed too many things we should not have allowed, Adeboye stated, adding however, that its gratifying that the politicians would soon be knocking on the royal door, campaigning for votes even as they have already been speaking of restructuring. I believe its time we should say a word or two. They will soon be coming to you to solicit for endorsement or support.Drawing inspiration from Bible accounts of Daniel and David, he stated: We can tell politicians this is what we want and this is what must be done. Let us unite and come together as one.You have your domain, I have mine. Let us come together and speak with one voice, they will listen and very soon, the royal fathers will have all their glory restored to them, he maintained.He lamented that traditional rulers cannot leave their domains without permission of their local government chairman, describing it as absurd and wrong, noting that politicians come to the royal fathers, prostrate and promise them heaven and earth when soliciting their support but once they get the power, they start to dribble them.I am not a politician, nor am I an activist. I am a pastor but issues like this must be addressed and am happy that the politicians are talking about restructuring and issues like this should be looked into so that the royal fathers will take their rightful positions in the scheme of things in Nigeria, he added.Assuring the royal fathers that God rules in the affairs of men and gives dominion to whomsoever He pleases, Adeboye said: You are royal highnesses not by accident but it is Gods doing. Then give Him His place in your palace.Please do not submit to forces that want to share your throne with you. God will take care of you. You must not allow any high priest to have dominion over your throne or businessmen to dictate how you run your throne, he counseled, assuring them of Gods protection and providence for all his faithful children.Another soothing highpoint of the convention was Pastor Adeboyes prophecy that a Significant Goliath would fall, this year, and assured Nigerians that the unending orgy of killings of innocent citizens in parts of the country would soon end.Addressing a large crowd of worshippers at the Holy Communion service of the convention, Adeboye said God would establish His enduring peace in the nation. My Daddy will silence all violent situations in the country, he said, stressing that all the current killings in parts of the country will soon come to an end.Rounding up his prayers at the end of a holy communion service also known as Last Supper, he urged participants to use the Dominion, they have received to work for all round peace not just for the nation, but for generations yet unborn.The ordination of the full pastors and Elders by Pastor Adeboye, brought the number of ordained ministers during this years convention to 16,300. Pastor Adeboye also announced that 110 babies were delivered during the convention.The convention which was preceded by a 4-day Ministers conference featured prayers for the peace of the nation, deliverance service, a Welcome Service with the teens and the youth making spectacular presentations, special seminars, group seminars, Melody Hour, Service of songs, Children and Youth Hour, the ordination of ministers, while another set of students from their missions Bible College and Mission School graduated.A Pentecostal preacher from Thailand which is predominantly Buddhist, was overwhelmed by the unprecedented crowd of worshippers that he had to appeal to the leadership of the Nigerian church to always remember Thailand and its neighboursMyanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnamin their prayers. According to the man of God who was visiting Nigeria for the first time, I have never seen this kind of crowd in a single place to proclaim the name of Jesus Christ. Please remember Indo-China or South East Asia in your prayers so that one day the over 259 million population of the area will belong to Jesus like you people in Nigeria.Pastor Adeboye openly acknowledged that this years convention was spectacular, saying: You can see the large crowd of people at the Old Auditorium. And you can see that the New Auditorium which is three kilometres by three kilometre, is also filled to capacity.The Friday service was attended by the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Governors Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos and Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom and their spouses as well as the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin and traditional rulers from across the country.Announcing that the church now has presence in 197 nations of the world, Pastor Adeboye hinted that it would soon establish a Wall of Fame in honour of all those pioneer pastors who had taken the church to foreign nations.The founder of the church, Rev. Josiah Akindayomi and 196 others were appreciated for their efforts in planting RCCG in 197 countries of the world. One of the family members of late Akindayomi was decorated on behalf of the founder of the church.Appreciating the pioneers, Pastor Adeboye described them as heroes of the church, stating that the church now has 16 parishes in Libya. In his words: We want to celebrate our pioneers, we will establish a wall of honour for those who pioneered churches in foreign land.Some of the places where RCCG now has parishes include, Libya, Sudan, Afghanistan, Cambodia, UAE, India, Samoa, Nicaragua, United Kingdom, and United States of America.He maintained that preparations for next years convention with the theme And God said, have begun. Ahead of the 2019 general elections, Govenor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State on Friday warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) stakehol... Ahead of the 2019 general elections, Govenor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State on Friday warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders and party loyalists not to support candidates that are not credible. El-Rufai spoke during a meeting with APC stakeholders in Soba Local Government Area at the councils chambers, Maigana, headquarters of the local government. The governor assured that he had no intention to support any candidate, hence the need for people to scrutinise and select the best out among aspirants vying for different positions in the party. As a people, you know who is good and who is more credible among the aspirants; therefore, it is an opportunity for you to select the best out of them. We are not going to interfer during the primaries, because we have no candidate and whatever you elect is going to be our choice, NAN quoted him as saying. The governor called on eligible voters to ensure that they collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) to be able to exercise their franchise. He also advised those who had not registered to do so as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had extended the registration period to August 31. I want to emphasise here that we should make sure that we collect our PVCs and also encourage our women to do same in order to vote credible candidates of your choice. Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom on Friday said no amount of gang-up against him within the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, would make... Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom on Friday said no amount of gang-up against him within the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, would make him leave the party for another political party again. There have been insinuations that the governor may defect from the PDP to the Social Democratic Party, SDP. Ever since his defection from the All Progressives Congress, APC to the PDP, there have been some unresolved disagreement between him and the leadership of his new party over who controls the structure of the party in the state. Speaking on behalf of the governor on Friday, his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, told reporters in Makurdi that talks between Ortom and other governorship aspirants within the PDP were still ongoing. He said, As l speak with you, there is no such thought (of defecting) at all. The governor has joined the PDP, he was in the PDP before he left and he has said that he has come back home. So, there is no such thought at all. Ortom is a true member of the PDP and is confident of flying the PDP flag in next years election. So, why should he think about leaving the PDP? There is no reason and no cause for such thought as I speak with you. l dont have to comment about what any aspirant is saying because the PDP I know is a big family that makes decisions to accommodate all its members. The Acting National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Yekini Nabena, has said the Senate President, Bukola Saraki... The Acting National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Yekini Nabena, has said the Senate President, Bukola Saraki wanted to play a double game but was caught. Nabena alleged that Saraki wanted to remain within the party in order to kill it. Speaking with Punch on Saturday, the APC spokesperson noted that Saraki plotted coup detat with the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senators to become Senate President against the wishes of APC. He insisted that Saraki left the ruling party due to his personal interest, adding that he was using his position to negotiate with the government. Nabena said, Just like I have just told you; people like Saraki as Senate President are using their positions to negotiate with government which is not possible with this government. This government is serious about the anticorruption fight. How can we live with a situation which Saraki put the APC-led administration in by having a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party as Deputy Senate President? And on top of that, he now wants to be president when we have a sitting president who has indicated interest in seeking for a second term. All that Saraki is doing is to pursue his selfish interest; he is not interested in the people. The President of the Senate had no choice because he wanted to play a double game and he was caught. He wanted to remain within the party in order to kill it. From the beginning, you will agree with me that he was never faithful to the party. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will not postpone the 2019 general elections because of the delay in the passage of its budget.He said that there was no provision under the law for postponement of elections.I have said this over and over again; there are no conditions under which elections should be postponed, under section 26 of the Electoral Act.The date is formed and fixed, February 16, 2019; we issued the timetable way in advance; for the very first time in the history of our nation, citizens of Nigeria know when elections will take place one year in advance. It has never happened before.Secondly, for the very first time in the history of our country, citizens know the budget of the electoral commission; citizens know line by line how much the commission proposed; what the money is going to be spent on. I think I am very happy with this process.He said that as provided in the constitution, INEC had, since April 27, 2017, been registering voters consistently in response to appeal by Nigerians.Yakubu said that INEC had created more centres for the registration but finally decided that it should suspend the process as provided for by the law, six months to the elections.He said however that in response to appeal by Nigerians, again, INEC extended the exercise to the end of August.As at Saturday last week- Aug. 11- we have registered 12.1 million citizens; this will eventually be added to the 70 million voters that are already registered for the 2019 general elections.We have voters register of over 80 million citizens.Let me make this very important clarification; the registration is going to take place between 9am in the morning and 5pm daily including weekends but excluding the public holiday. You know Tuesday and Wednesday next week have been declared public holiday.The second important clarification that I should make is that the end of the continuous voters registration is Aug. 31 but that does not mean the end of the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).Collection of PVCs will continue until at least one week to the general election in February 2019, he said.The INEC boss said he was not worried that the virement for the conduct of 2019 election was still before the National Assembly as he remained optimistic.He said he had made the clarifications that the National Assembly asked for; adding the two committees on INEC expressed satisfaction on his clarifications.He said he looked forward to hearing what the National Assembly would say.Yakubu said that Nigerians needed to know that what the commission requested for was N189.2 billion which the executive proposed to the National Assembly.According to him, there are no discrepancies in the figures.He said he was in the Presidential villa to fine-tune modalities on how Nigeria would help Guinea-Bissau in its forthcoming elections as the country had requested Nigerias assistance. Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says no condition should warrant the postponement of t... no condition should warrant the postponement of the 2019 elections. Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), saysno condition should warrant the postponement of the 2019 elections. Yakubu said this on Friday while responding to Aso Rock correspondents who asked if the delay in the passage of the commissions budget could lead to the postponement of the exercise. The INEC chairman said under his leadership, the commission has been very transparent, adding that this is the first time in the history of the country that citizens would know the line by line expenditure of the commission. I have said this over and over again, there are no conditions under which elections should be postponed, under section 26 of the Electoral Act, the date is formed and fixed, February 16, 2019, he said. We issued the timetable way in advance for the very first time in the history of our nation, citizens of Nigeria know when elections will take place one year in advance. It has never happen before. Secondly, also for the very first time in the history of our country, that citizens know the budget of the electoral commission, that budget has never been defended before the national assembly, as citizens know line by line how much the commission proposed, what the money is going to be spent on, I think I am very happy with this process. He said as of Friday, 12.1 million people had been registered for the 2019 polls. The INEC chairman said the newly registered Nigerians would be added to the existing 70 million voters. Well, you know we started the continuous voters registration exercise on 27th April 2017, so we have been as provided for in our constitution registering voters consistently in the last 16 months, he said. In response to appeal by Nigerians, we have created more centers for the registration but finally decided that we should suspended the process as provided for by the law, six months to the elections. But gain in response to appeal by Nigerians we have now extended to the end of the month. The Plateau State Imam, Abubakar Abdullahi, who shielded Christians from attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen, has explain how he and othe... The Plateau State Imam, Abubakar Abdullahi, who shielded Christians from attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen, has explain how he and others fed the over 300 Christians for five days. The Imam was said to have saved about 300 Christians on June 24 when suspected herdsmen invaded 15 communities in Barkin Ladi LGA, killing over 150 people. We reported that President Muhammadu Buhari invited the 83-year-old Imam of Nghar village, Gashish district in Barkin Ladi local government, to the Presidential Villa for a handshake and national honour. Speaking with Daily Trust, the cleric also explained how some of his people who were inside the mosque took the risk of locking the doors and using themselves as shields to protect the Christians. He revealed that everyone converged in his house, including all the Muslims in the community, and the community leaders and contributed food to feed the crisis victims. Abdullahi explained, On that Saturday, we had said our Asr prayer, and we were still in the mosque when we heard what sounded like gunshots from Gindin Akwati, and a few minutes later, we heard the gunshots coming close to Soi, a village just before the bridge. Suddenly, the gunshot sounds were all around us. We were still in the mosque, as we saw people running. We directed them into the mosque. We went round, my assistant and I, as well as another man called Gambo. Most of the women were shepherded into the womens wing of the mosque, while a good number of them went to my house. The gunmen, dressed in black, and masked, suddenly showed up. They were heading towards my house, so I ran there and blocked them. In the process, I fell down. They changed course, heading to the mosque and I ran there too and blocked them. Some of our people who were inside the mosque had locked the doors and used themselves as shields from inside. God willed it, and they noticed how dogged we were, so they left. It was cramped. There was no space to lie down, so we all found little spaces available to sit. And if you can lean on the wall, that is good. That was how we slept for those five days. Only little children had space to lie down. I leaned by the main door. It was like that for all of us for those five days. We all converged in [my] house, including all the Muslims in the community, and the community leaders. So, we all contributed food. Corruption is fighting back! That is the constant refrain from the people in government and their supporters to criticism of President... Corruption is fighting back! That is the constant refrain from the people in government and their supporters to criticism of President Muhammadu Buhari or opposition to his re-election ambition. If, for example, youre a journalist and you believe the President hasnt done enough to earn a second term, it is because brown envelopes have been in short or no supply. If youre a politician and you feel this way, you stole while in office or you will if you get there. All of us who have opted not to say Sai Baba ahead of 2019 have one thing in common: corruption. Fortunately for Buharis supporters, they cant all be shoehorned into one homogeneous group. Who, who and who, or which classes of people, belong to this heterogeneous mix? And are they supporting their man in the countrys best interest? The people in government: Around the time when former President Goodluck Jonathan was being told by some bigwigs in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) he could not contest the 2015 presidential election because he had served out the remainder of the late Umaru YarAduas tenure (2010 to 2011) and was serving out a fresh term of his own (2011 to 2015), he met with Lagos-based print newspaper editors. When one of them asked him if he would re-contest or not, he neither said yes nor no. But he asked them to look into the mirror; the editorship of many of them predated his presidency yet they were still in office. He wasnt chastising them but making a valid point about how self-perpetuation in power is intricately human. It is no surprise that the people in Buharis government are desperate to have him back in 2019 despite the numerous and obvious red flags. Buhari is not the reason they support Buhari; their real interests are self-serving. To expect people in government to priotise the nation over self is a tall order very few people are capable of. The people in this group we must empathise with, not chastise. Around the time when former President Goodluck Jonathan was being told by some bigwigs in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) he could not contest the 2015 presidential election because he had served out the remainder of the late Umaru YarAduas tenure (2010 to 2011) and was serving out a fresh term of his own (2011 to 2015), he met with Lagos-based print newspaper editors. When one of them asked him if he would re-contest or not, he neither said yes nor no. But he asked them to look into the mirror; the editorship of many of them predated his presidency yet they were still in office. He wasnt chastising them but making a valid point about how self-perpetuation in power is intricately human. It is no surprise that the people in Buharis government are desperate to have him back in 2019 despite the numerous and obvious red flags. Buhari is not the reason they support Buhari; their real interests are self-serving. To expect people in government to priotise the nation over self is a tall order very few people are capable of. The people in this group we must empathise with, not chastise. The political jobbers: Buharis ascent to power is widely believed to have wrecked individuals and businesses that thrive on political jobbing, government patronage and official graft. While this may or may not be true, there is no doubt that there are individuals all over the country whose financial stocks have risen either directly through Buharis coming to power or indirectly through the people working with him. No matter the scale of poverty, government ineptitude, insecurity and anti-corruption hypocrisy in the land, these people will give anything for another four Buhari years. The challenge with having people like this around is that you never know why they do what they do or say what they say about re-electing the President in 2019. Buharis ascent to power is widely believed to have wrecked individuals and businesses that thrive on political jobbing, government patronage and official graft. While this may or may not be true, there is no doubt that there are individuals all over the country whose financial stocks have risen either directly through Buharis coming to power or indirectly through the people working with him. No matter the scale of poverty, government ineptitude, insecurity and anti-corruption hypocrisy in the land, these people will give anything for another four Buhari years. The challenge with having people like this around is that you never know why they do what they do or say what they say about re-electing the President in 2019. The face-savers: If, like me, you clamoured for Buhari in 2015 because you considered him the lesser of two evils but he lost you along the way in his presidential reign, its not the end of the world and few things are more honourable in life than admitting a mistake when one has been made. If Buhari let you down with his biased handling of security, sending soldiers to the South-East to finish off the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) without doing the same to terrorist herdsmen; or he slipped out of your good books with his bow-legged anti-corruption crusade, locking up corrupt opposition members with the speed of light but applying snails-speed treatment to similar elements in his cabinet, its not the end of the world and its not your fault. The people in this category are desperate to avoid the I-told-you-so smirk of Goodluck Jonathans supporters should they publicly express their disillusionment with Buhari. In here are people who are either against Buhari in private but with him in public, or are with him both ways but are constantly in a struggle with themselves on whether their choice is indeed right. : If, like me, you clamoured for Buhari in 2015 because you considered him the lesser of two evils but he lost you along the way in his presidential reign, its not the end of the world and few things are more honourable in life than admitting a mistake when one has been made. If Buhari let you down with his biased handling of security, sending soldiers to the South-East to finish off the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) without doing the same to terrorist herdsmen; or he slipped out of your good books with his bow-legged anti-corruption crusade, locking up corrupt opposition members with the speed of light but applying snails-speed treatment to similar elements in his cabinet, its not the end of the world and its not your fault. The people in this category are desperate to avoid the I-told-you-so smirk of Goodluck Jonathans supporters should they publicly express their disillusionment with Buhari. In here are people who are either against Buhari in private but with him in public, or are with him both ways but are constantly in a struggle with themselves on whether their choice is indeed right. The PR strategists: These are about the deadliest of Buharis supporters not because they can kill but because they can be sat right next to you but you wont know, and also because theyre, more often than not, brilliant. They speak fluent English, write flowery prose and present mesmerizing arguments. However, for them, supporting Buhari is not about personal conviction but about professionalism in garnering public support for their candidate. There are so many of them dotting the social-media space. These guys are only just doing their job; nothing more. These are about the deadliest of Buharis supporters not because they can kill but because they can be sat right next to you but you wont know, and also because theyre, more often than not, brilliant. They speak fluent English, write flowery prose and present mesmerizing arguments. However, for them, supporting Buhari is not about personal conviction but about professionalism in garnering public support for their candidate. There are so many of them dotting the social-media space. These guys are only just doing their job; nothing more. The religious fanatics: These are the opportunity-cost supporters. Some love Buhari because they love him, others simply because of the Yemi Osinbajo factor. They are a blend of the two leading faiths Christians who would support Buhari or any other President for that matter so long his deputy is a Redeemed Christian Church of God pastor; and Muslims who wont stop chanting Sai Baba even if pump price of petrol were to rise to N600/litre. To them, Buhari can be the opportunity cost of having Osinbajo in government, and they do not mind at all. These are the opportunity-cost supporters. Some love Buhari because they love him, others simply because of the Yemi Osinbajo factor. They are a blend of the two leading faiths Christians who would support Buhari or any other President for that matter so long his deputy is a Redeemed Christian Church of God pastor; and Muslims who wont stop chanting Sai Baba even if pump price of petrol were to rise to N600/litre. To them, Buhari can be the opportunity cost of having Osinbajo in government, and they do not mind at all. The ethnic jingoists: They want a Hausa-Fulani as President in 2019; simple. Not much needs to be said about this group, easily recognizable on social media by their names. We all have one or two of them on our timelines, dont we? They want a Hausa-Fulani as President in 2019; simple. Not much needs to be said about this group, easily recognizable on social media by their names. We all have one or two of them on our timelines, dont we? The northern foot soldiers: These are a huge majority of the 12.7million people who voted for Buhari in 2003 or the 12.2million who did in 2011. In the last three years, nothing has changed about Buharis popularity in the North. As seen by the mammoth crowds that welcomed him during his recent visits to Bauchi, Jigawa and Kano, Buhari is still the most loved northerner alive. Pure, blind love. One of them trekked from Yola to Abuja to witness the presidential inauguration in 2015, but while hes currently stuck at the Yola FMC due to a leg injury he sustained from the expedition, his political role model is re-energising himself in the UK. Still, whether or not Buhari extends his current 10-day vacation by 100 days, these people will vote him in 2019. These are a huge majority of the 12.7million people who voted for Buhari in 2003 or the 12.2million who did in 2011. In the last three years, nothing has changed about Buharis popularity in the North. As seen by the mammoth crowds that welcomed him during his recent visits to Bauchi, Jigawa and Kano, Buhari is still the most loved northerner alive. Pure, blind love. One of them trekked from Yola to Abuja to witness the presidential inauguration in 2015, but while hes currently stuck at the Yola FMC due to a leg injury he sustained from the expedition, his political role model is re-energising himself in the UK. Still, whether or not Buhari extends his current 10-day vacation by 100 days, these people will vote him in 2019. The APC supporters: Had Buhari been the PDP candidate, these people wouldnt support him. But their loyalty belongs to the party and, by extension, its candidate. In this class also are people whose uncles, aunts, second cousins, in-laws, bosom friends, brother of their sugar daddys nephew or father of their friends sisters husband, is contesting for some office in 2019 under the APC ticket. How dare you seek the partys ticket without backing the President? Had Buhari been the PDP candidate, these people wouldnt support him. But their loyalty belongs to the party and, by extension, its candidate. In this class also are people whose uncles, aunts, second cousins, in-laws, bosom friends, brother of their sugar daddys nephew or father of their friends sisters husband, is contesting for some office in 2019 under the APC ticket. How dare you seek the partys ticket without backing the President? The naivetes: Its honestly hard to blame them. They genuinely lack the ability to analyse issues beyond the surface. In their minds, Buhari is truly fighting corruption, bolstering the economy, killing off Boko Haram, providing exemplary leadership and putting food on the poor mans table. And, above all, corruption is fighting back! Its honestly hard to blame them. They genuinely lack the ability to analyse issues beyond the surface. In their minds, Buhari is truly fighting corruption, bolstering the economy, killing off Boko Haram, providing exemplary leadership and putting food on the poor mans table. And, above all, corruption is fighting back! So, when next you run into someone who just doesnt understand that Nigeria deserves better than Buhari in 2019, dont get mad at them. Run through these nine groups and you will find one that best suits them, and you can therefore understand how their mind is working. And if you find some who fit into none of these nine groups, please feel free to create a tenth group for them. Culled: TheCable Kofi Annan, former secretary-general of the United Nations, has passed away at age of 80. Kofi Annan, former secretary-general of the United Nations, has passed away at age of 80. Annan, the seventh secretary-general of the UN, died on Saturday after a brief illness. World leaders such as Theresa May, Emmanuel Macron and notable persons have been paying tribute to the Nobel peace laureate. Ghanian president, Nana Akufo-Addo, described Annan as one of the countrys greatest compatriots. I extend, on behalf of the entire Ghanaian nation, our sincere, heartfelt condolences to his beloved widow, Nane Maria, and to his devoted children, Ama, Kojo and Nina, on this great loss. 2/7 Nana Akufo-Addo (@NAkufoAddo) August 18, 2018 He brought considerable renown to our country by this position and through his conduct and comportment in the global arena. He was an ardent believer in the capacity of the Ghanaian to chart his or her own course onto the path of progress and prosperity. 5/7 Nana Akufo-Addo (@NAkufoAddo) August 18, 2018 pic.twitter.com/SKfBk5zaY2 Kofi Annan was a guiding force for good. I join the world in mourning his loss. In these turbulent and trying times, his legacy as a global champion for peace will remain a true inspiration for us all. https://t.co/psJ9viPIeu August 18, 2018 "Kofi Annan was a guiding force for good. It is with profound sadness that I learned of his passing. In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations." @antonioguterres on passing of former SG @KofiAnnan @UN Full statement here https://t.co/TS3GNnXzvM August 18, 2018 "Sad to hear of the death of Kofi Annan. A great leader and reformer of the UN, he made a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into. My thoughts and condolences are with his family." - PM @Theresa_May August 18, 2018 We express our profound sorrow at the passing away of Nobel Laureate and former UNSG Mr. Kofi Annan. The world has lost not only a great African diplomat and humanitarian but also a conscience keeper of international peace and security. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 18, 2018 Kofi Annan, former @UN Secretary General's indelible contributions to humanity will not be forgotten. He was a global statesman deeply committed to a fairer & more peaceful world. My condolences to his family & people of Ghana. He will be sorely missed. https://t.co/DGoccgpOEx August 18, 2018 Former United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan has died. He reportedly died in the early hours of Saturday in Switzerland after a short illness, according to a statement issued by his family. He was 80 years oldpic.twitter.com/ywXwYjYUB8 Africa and the world has lost another giant.Former United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan has died.He reportedly died in the early hours of Saturday in Switzerland after a short illness, according to a statement issued by his family.He was 80 years old #RIPKofiAnnan August 18, 2018 Indeed, Africa and the World has lost a rare gem. Rest on the Great Diplomat and Global Citizen of the century. Rest on Kofi Annan. A life well lived!Indeed, Africa and the World has lost a rare gem.Rest on the Great Diplomat and Global Citizen of the century.Rest on Kofi Annan. pic.twitter.com/MJKxfk0mJm August 18, 2018 Sad to hear of the death of Kofi Annan. A great leader and reformer of the UN, he made a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into. My thoughts and condolences are with his family. pic.twitter.com/P0SWagShJM August 18, 2018 Kofi Annan, ancien secretaire general de lONU et prix Nobel de la Paix, a quitte ce monde pendant la nuit. La France lui rend hommage. Nous noublierons jamais son regard calme et resolu, ni la force de ses combats. Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 18, 2018 You made Ghana and indeed Africa proud after becoming the first black African to head the United Nations. Thank you for everything, Sir! Your name lives on! Rest In Peace Kofi Annan.You made Ghana and indeed Africa proud after becoming the first black African to head the United Nations.Thank you for everything, Sir!Your name lives on! pic.twitter.com/XBzSKaK6hK August 18, 2018 Pix by DRAGAN MIKKI DR KOFI ANNAN one of the world's greatest diplomats & former UN Secretary General has died at the age of 80... Was honoured to have met him at the 80th birthday of former Sec General of the Commonwealth CHIEF EMEKA ANYAOKU in London... Rest in Peace Sir...Pix by DRAGAN MIKKI pic.twitter.com/wrjy168j3s August 18, 2018 There are only a few who can choose to live for others. Former Secretary General of UN & Noble Peace Prize Awardee Kofi Annan was one of them. Grieved to hear of his demise. The work he has done to restore world peace is unmatched and cannot be obliterated. My deepest condolence. pic.twitter.com/aMMDteVE74 August 18, 2018 We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Earlier today we posted a report titled "Australian Hacker Successfully Hacked Apple's Main Computers Downloading Internal Files & Accessing Customer Accounts." So much for Apple security when a kid is able to hack the company. Now there's news on another legal front in respect to security. According to a new Exclusive Reuters report titled "U.S. government seeks Facebook help to wiretap Messenger," The U.S. government is trying to force Facebook Inc to break the encryption in its popular Messenger app so law enforcement may listen to a suspect's voice conversations in a criminal probe, three people briefed on the case said, resurrecting the issue of whether companies can be compelled to alter their products to enable surveillance. The previously unreported case in a federal court in California is proceeding under seal, so no filings are publicly available, but the three people told Reuters that Facebook is contesting the U.S. Department of Justice's demand. The judge in the Messenger case heard arguments on Tuesday on a government motion to hold Facebook in contempt of court for refusing to carry out the surveillance request, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The Messenger issue arose in Fresno, California, as part of an investigation of the MS-13 gang, one of the people said. The potential impact of the judge's coming ruling is unclear. If the government prevails in the Facebook Messenger case, it could make similar arguments to force companies to rewrite other popular encrypted services such as Signal and Facebook's billion-user WhatsApp, which include both voice and text functions, some legal experts said. Law enforcement agencies forcing technology providers to rewrite software to capture and hand over data that is no longer encrypted would have major implications for the companies which see themselves as defenders of individual privacy while under pressure from police and lawmakers. The U.S. Constitution allows for reasonable searches, Larson said, and if those standards are met, then companies should not be able to stand in the way. You could read more of the Reuters report here. It's clear this will be an effort by many law enforcement agencies around the world. Last Sunday The UK tech site The Register posted a report titled "Australia on the cusp of showing the world how to break encryption." The Register report linked to the schedule of laws to be debated and to a speech by the Minister for Law Enforcement and Cybersecurity, the Honorable Angus Taylor back in June. At one point in the Minister's speech he stated: "we believe that we need to strengthen [encryption] if our networks and communications are to be trusted. With increasing risks of malicious network infiltration and a rising number of cyber attacks, it does matter that we have good encryption. But while encryption enhances our cyber security, it also poses a very significant challenge for our law enforcement agencies, as they lose access to intelligible data they need to conduct investigations, to gather evidence, to convict criminals and pre-empt crime and terrorism. Few issues have vexed law enforcement agencies more than this one. They can't get access to the data they need to stop crime and hold criminals to account. 95 per cent of ASIO's most dangerous counter-terrorism targets actively use encrypted messages to conceal their communications. We need access to digital networks and devices, and to the data on them, when there are reasonable grounds to do so. These powers must extend beyond traditional interception if our agencies are to remain effective and pre-empt and hold to account criminal activity. There will also need to be obligations on industry telecommunications and technology service providers to cooperate with agencies to get access to that data." For those over 50, the speech is an interesting read and the argument that he makes in many ways is reasonable. Though for those under 50, they'll likely defend what tech companies are doing and this battle is not going to end unless governments step in and write laws that can force tech companies to come up with solutions that are a win-win. The U.S. case against Facebook is just the beginning and clearly Australia will be next, if not first with real legistlation. Apple's CEO said that they would abide by the law of the land and so governments who wish to have law enforcement retain the ability to wire-tap certain apps will have to force compliance through writing new laws. Right now all we can do is watch the developments as they unfold in the courts. Back in 2017 Mashable reported on WhatsApp getting ready to tussle with British officials over an encryption backdoor. Now the U.S. is fighting Facebook and Australia is likely to be next. Will a compromise be hammered out behind the scenes over time? Well, for sure we'll never definitively know because even law enforcement will want the bad actors to believe that they they remain safe to communicate with WhatsApp and Apple products. In-part this is why the current Facebook case is under seal. On the flip side, the Australian government is hell bent on passing new laws via legislative means that will force local and international companies to comply with demands for data to be unencrypted. That will be the red flag that will kill these encrypted apps and criminals will just go deeper into the dark web. A simple matter it is not. 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. In Iran, Official Spin Challenges Perceived Caspian Setback 08/18/18 By Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE/RL "Look at the map: The 50% myth" Iranian daily Sazandegi Senior Iranian officials found themselves in hot water after the recent signing of an eagerly anticipated, five-party deal on the Caspian Sea. While the so-called Convention On The Legal Status Of The Caspian Sea that was signed on August 12 appeared to postpone some of the most intense disputes between Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Iran, it also appeared to ditch one of Tehran's strongest cards in any negotiations: the Soviet-era characterization, in multiple treaties, of the Caspian as a sea shared between two parties -- the Soviet Union and Iran. That recognizes the de facto situation, which is that the breakup of the Soviet Union created five littoral states instead of two. But it could also leave Tehran the biggest loser in the long run for Caspian resources, particularly oil and gas and other valuables on or below the seabed. Due in part to Moscow's outsize role in shaping the Caspian negotiations, criticism of the deal also appears to illustrate Iranian mistrust of Russia despite recent cooperation that has included joint efforts in Syria to keep Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in power. It even led some people to compare this Caspian Sea convention to the 1828 Turkmenchay Treaty between Persia and tsarist Russian, under which the Persians ceded control of territories in the South Caucasus. "The Little Turkmenchay" Source: Iranian daily Naghde Hal After three days of back-and-forth in Iranian media and social media, Iranian President Hassan Rohani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif finally took the plunge themselves, describing the new deal reached in Aqtau, Kazakhstan, as a win for Iran. At a cabinet meeting on August 15, Rohani reportedly said the negotiations marked important "achievements" for Iran, particularly on the security front. "Under this agreement, creating military bases and the presence of foreign [ships] in the Caspian Sea has been banned," he said, suggesting that the United States and NATO had "plotted" to deploy troops to the sea. Zarif, who is expected to brief the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee next week, said, "Iran's territorial integrity has been preserved." "This agreement is an honor for Iran, and we shouldn't allow this honor to be turned into despair and frustration," Zarif was quoting as saying during an interview with state-run television. 'Halo Of Ambiguity' While the agreement establishes rules for each country's territorial waters and fishing zones, the delimitation of the oil- and gas-rich seabed remains subject to further negotiations. "Is it true that Iran's 50 percent share fell to 11 percent?" lawmaker Mahmud Sadeghi asked via Twitter on August 12, a reference to seemingly abandoning any appeals to the dual control ("Soviet and Iranian sea") argument. Sadeghi also suggested the deal was capped "in a halo of ambiguity." "Is another Turkmenchay on the way?" Sadeghi asked, adding that lawmakers were not informed of "behind-the-scenes agreements." The daily Ghanoon suggested that Iran could not trust Russia, which the daily alleged had demonstrated that it can "betray" Iran and "bail out" on the country. "For that matter, we have to be vigilant while signing an agreement with [Russia] so that future generations won't curse the signatories while reviewing it," it said. Afshar Soleimani, a former Iranian ambassador to Azerbaijan, accused Russia of playing a "double game" with Iran. "On the one hand, Russians emphasize that any decision should be made by consensus, on the other hand, they have held negotiations and reached agreements with individual countries," Soleiman said in comments published by Iranian media. Political scientist and former lawmaker Elahe Koulaei suggested that the timing of the deal -- following the Donald Trump administration's withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal and the reimposition of U.S. sanctions -- was against Iran's interests. "The important point is that Iran is under pressure from the U.S. and its allies in the region and such, a situation shows that it's not a suitable time for negotiations on the legal status of the Caspian Sea," Koulaei said in an interview with the semiofficial news agency ILNA. High Sensitivity, Low Transparency In an August 13 op-ed piece titled Foggy Caspian, the daily Ebtekar suggested a lack of transparency on the talks leading to the deal had resulted in ambiguity and a public backlash. "Public opinion's lack of information, on the one hand, and serious uncertainty about the legal regime of the [Caspian Sea], on the other hand, have created very negative analysis and reactions," the daily said. In another report, Ebtekar said the majority of experts the daily had contacted to discuss the agreement declined to comment "because they didn't know what the convention was about." The daily added that the government should explain the "decrease of Iran's share to 11 percent" due to the "high sensitivities" that have been created. Analyst Hossein Aryan suggested that some of the criticism was based on a lack of knowledge about more than two decades of negotiations over how to divide the Caspian Sea among its five littoral states. "The idea of 50 percent share of Iran that has been floating around has no legal basis. Iran's suggestion of dividing the sea into five equal parts evaporated when Russia under bilateral agreements with Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan divided the northern section of the sea," Aryan said. Rohani said on August 15 that "some issues remain regarding the southern section of the sea" without providing details. Zarif, for his part, suggested that Iran would share about 20 percent of the Caspian Sea's resources. "The illusory 11 percent line is no longer valid. Of course, some tried to revive this illusory historical procedure that had been forcibly imposed on Iran during the former regime, but the Islamic republic rejected it," Zarif was quoted as saying in his televised interview. Who Wins? A close observer of events around the Caspian, Stanislav Prichtin, tells RFE/RL that such official comments are an attempt by the Iranian government to ease tensions. He says Iran's share of the sea's resources will be decided after negotiations with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. "The main point of the convention is that all territorial issues should be resolved through bilateral negotiations among countries, as was done for the north part of the Caspian Sea," Prichtin said. Touraj Atabaki, a senior research fellow at the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam, tells RFE/RL's Radio Farda that Iran's final share is likely to be between 11 and 13 percent of Caspian resources. "At a time when Iran faces its worst situation regarding international ties, this is definitely not to the benefit of the Iranian people and the country's national interests," Atabaki says. Prichtin, a fellow at Chatham House and a research fellow at the Institute for Oriental Studies at the Russian Academy Of Sciences, says that after more than 20 years of negotiations, "It's difficult to talk about winners and losers." But he says he believes the convention's prevention of foreign militarization is a win for Russia as well as Iran. "When we're talking about the regional security system, it was of course the idea of Russia and Iran -- from this perspective from the point of view of geopolitics, Russia and Iran are winners," he says. Roya Karimimajd of RFE/RL's Radio Farda contributed to this report About the author: Golnaz Esfandiari is a senior correspondent with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. She can be reached at esfandiarig@rferl.org Iran Blames Iraq For Continuing Wildfires On Border 08/18/18 Source: Radio Farda Smoke from a fire in Huralazim wetlands closed banks & government offices in 3 cities in Iran's Khouzestan Province. Source: Iranian daily Saheb Ghalam Efforts to prevent wildfires in Iraq from reaching Iran, has been halted, says President Hassan Rouhani's deputy and the head of Department of Environment (DoE). Iraqi part of Hour al-Azim wetland has been burning for weeks now and the wildfire smoke clouds have caused health problems for the inhabitants of cities on the Iranian side of the border, especially in Iranian Khuzestan province and its capital Ahvaz, local news outlets reported. Meanwhile, 250 residents of Hawizeh or Hoveyzeh, southwest Iran, have been taken to clinics and hospitals for respiratory problems. The Hour al-Azim or Hawizeh marshes are a complex of wetlands that straddle the Iran-Iraq border. The marshes are fed by two branches of the Tigris River, the Euphrates in Iraq, and the Karkheh River in Iran. The head of DoE, Isa Kalantari, who travelled to the disaster zone in Khuzestan province on Friday to monitor efforts to prevent the wildfires from reaching Iran, has blamed landmines planted in the area and lack of cooperation by the Iraqi government's, for the continuation of the catastrophe. Furthermore, DoE's local deputy, Adil Mola says, "Spraying water by choppers and water-dropping aircraft have not been helpful so far, so the efforts were suspended." Speaking to the government's official news agency, IRNA, Mola reiterated, "The only way to put out the flames is to direct water toward the wetland from its feeders, the Tigris in Iraq and Karkheh in Iran." According to Mola, diplomatic efforts needed to pursue the matter. Director General of disaster management department of Khuzestan province, Kiumarth Hajizadeh, has also told state-run Iran Students News Agency (ISNA) on Tuesday both Iran and Iraq are required to provide the wetland with its water, but Iraq is not committed to international conventions regarding water rights of Hour al-Azim. "Despite water shortages Iran has allocated water to the wetland in the Iranian part and we are also ready to let water flow into the Iraqi part of Hour al-Azim, but it also requires the Iraqi government to issue the necessary permits," he stated. Moreover, ground operations are impossible since the area contains live landmines remaining from the eight-year Iran-Iraq war (1980-88). In the meantime, cities and villages of Khuzestan Province are still grappling with the thick smoke rising from the wildfire in the Iraqi side of Hour-al Azim wetland. Hawizeh Governor, Nazim Thobooti told IRNA on Friday that more than 250 people have been taken to the healthcare centers and hospitals during past thirty days for respiratory problems. Director of Khuzestan's Department of Meteorology, Mohammad Sabzehzari has also pointed out that visibility is less than fifty meters (roughly 55 yards) in places near the disaster-hit area. The fire was extinguished on July 25 after four days of fire-fighting operation, but the area caught fire again on August 2 and the fire was again contained three days later. Currently the wetland is again burning and cities nearing the area are blanketed in choking smoke, ISNA reported. In a new footage published by IRNA, Kalantari has lambasted the Iraqi authorities for refusing Iranian choppers to enter their territory and fight the fire. In the meantime, without any elaboration or presenting evidence, Kalantari has described the wildfires as an "arson" and "deliberate". The Deputy Director-General of National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP), Liberia, Mr Nya Twayen has described the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) as a model in the administration of social security in the sub-region. He says though the Liberian social security system was given legal status as far back as 1988, the war set the scheme back, hence the need to learn about current trends and best practices on the continent and in his estimation, SSNIT was the best choice. Mr. Twayen who disclosed this at a two-day working visit to SSNIT, indicated that over the past three years, the NASSCORP has been going through reforms to streamline its operations and ensure effectiveness. Looking around, we saw no better institution than SSNIT to fall on. We are here to learn the basics of processing lump sum payments as well as strategies and initiatives to ensure that we provide value to our members. SSNIT has remained vibrant in the face of all the challenges that have emerged over the years and we are very happy for you to share your experience with us, he stressed. Welcoming the team, the Director-General of SSNIT, Dr John Ofori-Tenkorang said even though the Liberian delegation is in Ghana to learn best practices of social security administration, they should also apprise themselves of the challenges SSNIT has gone through. It is important we do not pretend there are no challenges. Let us acknowledge these challenges with a view to finding better and sustainable solutions. I am keen to share our journey with you so that you do not repeat the mistakes we have made, I expect you to build a better mousetrap. As Africans, we must continue to learn from each other because our challenges are peculiar and in situations where we find one of us has a solution that works we need to adopt and adapt so we can deliver the value our people expect of us, he added The Head of Legal of NASSCORP, Michael Cyril Itoka was full of praise for the legal regime backing SSNITs operations. In our jurisdiction, there is no enforcement clause in our legal framework. What happens is that the state absorbs defaulters payments and that debt becomes difficult to retrieve sometimes. He said in as much as they have learnt about the challenges of SSNIT, the positives far outweigh the negatives and we shall incorporate all those positives into our reform processes. The five-member team were taken through topics such as processing and determination of survivors lump sum benefits, challenges and way forward, types of benefits, the law on social security in Ghana, the formula for calculating benefits among others. The National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP) of Liberia was established in 1975 and operated as a provident fund until it was given a legal status in 1988. Reforms for the sector started in 2006 when the newly elected government of Madam Sirleaf Johnson took power. The delegation will depart Accra on Wednesday, 15th August 2018. Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] 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 South Africa has banned the importation of honey from Zambia. In a letter to South African honey importers, the agriculture department said American Foulbrood disease had been detected in samples from two locations in Zambia. American Foulbrood is a serious bacterial disease capable of killing a bee colony. There is no cure and it contaminates beekeeping equipment, so once detected that must be destroyed to prevent the disease spreading. Zambias High Commissioner to South Africa Emmanuel Mwamba told the BBC that he would fight the ban. We export to other markets with stringent regulations such as the European Union, and if Zambia's honey had such a disease, it would have been difficult for us to do so. We will pursue this matter through bilateral and diplomatic means and urgently to ensure that the ban is lifted as soon as possible. "Our farmers have been benefiting from the export since 2015 when the earlier ban was lifted and this will hurt their income. Source: BBC 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 Ghanas national flag is to fly at half-mast across the country and in all of Ghanas diplomatic missions across the world, from Monday, August 20, 2018, for one week in honour of Kofi Annan, the former United Nations Secretary-General who died Saturday morning, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has directed. Mr Kofi Annan, died at age 80, Saturday morning, the Annan family and Kofi Annan Foundation announced. He died in Switzerland after a short illness, surrounded by his wife Nane Maria and children. 'Kofi Annan died peacefully in his sleep' In a tribute mourning the Ghanaian international diplomat, President Akufo-Addo said: "I am, however, comforted by the information, after speaking to Nane Maria, that he died peacefully in his sleep." President Akufo-Addo wrote: "The Government and people of Ghana, First Lady Rebecca and I are deeply saddened by the news of the death, in Berne, Switzerland, of one of our greatest compatriots, Mr. Kofi Annan." "I extend, on behalf of the entire Ghanaian nation, our sincere, heartfelt condolences to his beloved widow, Nane Maria, and to his devoted children, Ama, Kojo and Nina, on this great loss. I am, however, comforted by the information, after speaking to Nane Maria, that he died peacefully in his sleep." President Akufo-Addo added: "Consummate international diplomat and highly respected former Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan was the first from sub-Saharan Africa to occupy this exalted position. "He brought considerable renown to our country by this position and through his conduct and comportment in the global arena. He was an ardent believer in the capacity of the Ghanaian to chart his or her own course onto the path of progress and prosperity. Undoubtedly, he excelled in the various undertakings of his life, leaving in his trail most pleasant memories. "I have directed that, in his honour, Ghanas national flag will fly at half-mast across the country and in all of Ghanas diplomatic missions across the world, from Monday, 20th August, 2018, for one week. was a life well-lived. "Rest in perfect peace, Kofi. You have earned it. God bless," President Akufo-Addo added. Source: Graphic.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 Muslim pilgrims circumambulate around the Kaaba in the Grand Mosque, ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. The annual Islamic pilgrimage draws millions of visitors each year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) NJ Senate President, Steve Sweeney at his West Deptford office on August 13. Read more Gov. Murphy insists he and Steve Sweeney, the New Jersey Senate president, have a "good relationship." Says Sweeney: "There is no relationship." "We talk all the time," says Murphy. Says Sweeney: "I've had one meeting with the governor, one-on-one. It was 15 minutes and it was not very productive." A longtime trade union official who lives in West Deptford, Sweeney says he misses the give-and-take of what some described as his "bromance" with Murphy's gubernatorial predecessor, Republican Chris Christie. "Chris and I figured out what we could agree on, and we worked together to get it done," he recalls. "I had some of the brutal fights of my life with him, but we're friends." Says Murphy, who retired a decade ago after a successful Wall Street career and calls Middletown, Monmouth County home: "I'm not a transactional guy. I'm not a career [politician]. And that is just a fact." If Murphy is professional, earnest, and to some, a bit awkward, Sweeney is famously proud of his rougher edges and appears utterly at ease with his power. The ironworker and the millionaire: Can this marriage of convenience be saved? And does it really matter to people other than, say, newspaper columnists, whether Trenton's most powerful pair of Democrats get along? The two Murphy, a fierce, albeit paint-by-numbers, progressive, and Sweeney, also fierce, but too conservative for my taste both claim to be taking the high road with their eyes on the big picture. Those are my cliches, not theirs, although theirs aren't much better: Murphy says he's focused on "what's good for working families," and Sweeney says his goal is "to make this state better." The two men have working-class roots and similar views on issues such as the sharing of services by local governments, recreational marijuana, and funding for pre-K programs. Murphy is a newcomer to Trenton and to politics generally, a fact Sweeney cites frequently. The Senate president has served in the legislature since 2002 and was a Gloucester County freeholder for several years before that. But since the governor took office in January, he and Sweeney have worked together on women's health, pay equity, and other issues. Last week they shook hands on camera after Murphy signed bipartisan legislation sponsored by Sweeney and his friend Sen. Steven Oroho (R., Sussex) that will allow the state to partner with private firms on highway and other infrastructure projects. "If you look at the work we've done collaboratively, it's been remarkable in advancing the priorities of the governor, and ours," Sweeney said in a recent interview at his West Deptford office. On the day we spoke, a Wall Street Journal editorial gave Sweeney a somewhat backhanded compliment but a compliment nonetheless in characterizing him as a rare New Jersey Democrat "sobering up" from a spending "addiction." Murphy, the editorial pointedly concluded, "is still in denial." Elsewhere in Murphy-Sweeney news last week, "Is this Democrat (not Phil Murphy) New Jersey's strongest leader?" was a headline on NJ.com. And an InsiderNJ commentary crowned Sweeney as a probable leader, along with Sen. Tom Kean (R., Essex), of a potentially bipartisan approach to pension and health care benefits reform for some public employees. The column by Alan Steinberg also dismissed Murphy as a "political hostage" of the New Jersey Education Association. That's the statewide teachers' union, which last year spent $5 million to support the campaign of Sweeney's reelection opponent and recently issued a statement assailing the Senate president for allegedly "siding with millionaires over the middle class, again." By phone Friday, Murphy dismissed the notion that he and Sweeney don't get along as "inside the Trenton bubble, 'he said, she said' stuff that is of little interest" to him. "I want to get as much done as fast as possible," the governor said. "We're digging out of a complete mess left to me by my predecessor and with all due respect to what's been written, with the Assembly speaker [Craig Coughlin, a Middlesex County Democrat] and the Senate president, we're gotten a lot done." Murphy also had kind words for the "Path to Progress" report issued this month by a bipartisan working group Sweeney appointed earlier this year to make recommendations to address the state's fast-approaching fiscal crisis. "I welcome [the effort by] smart people trying to figure out the answer," said the governor. "I don't have all the answers by a long shot. My guiding principles on the recommendations will be, 'Does this work for the middle class?' " After spending a good chunk of our 90-minute conversation painting Murphy as a neophyte who has disrespected him and has unrealistic, if noble, notions, Sweeney did have a number of kinder things to say about him. "The governor worked very hard to become governor. He believes very much in what he is saying. He didn't mislead anybody. Phil Murphy is who he is." Sweeney also scoffed at the idea that he is already running to replace Murphy in 2022. "I hope we have a two-term Democratic governor. We haven't had one since Brendan Byrne," he said. "Phil Murphy, coming in with his background, understands the finances of the state and is the one guy who knows how to fix this. We have to fix New Jersey." By all means, gentlemen, please do. We'll worry about your relationship, or the lack of it, after you get the job done. Developer Buccini/Pollin Group plans a 31-story residential tower on the grounds of Center City's Sheraton Society Hill Hotel on Dock Street, which it acquired earlier this year. The Wilmington, Del.-based developer was granted zoning permission last week for a 273-dwelling-unit "addition" to the existing hotel building, according to permit information posted to the website of the Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections. The tower would be at the southern part of the 2.5-acre property, which is currently open space with some landscaping, the Society Hill Civic Association community group said in an email to its members Friday. A Buccini/Pollin affiliate bought the 364-guest-room Sheraton hotel property in March from RLJ Lodging Trust of Bethesda, Md., for $95.5 million. Buccini/Pollin said at the time that it planned a complete makeover of the property and that the hotel's brand would change. A message seeking additional details from the company Friday about the residential tower plan was not immediately returned. The developer is expected to present the proposal to the Society Hill Civic Association and to the city's Civic Design Review board, according to an e-mailed notice this week from the Society Hill Towers Owners' Association, which represents residents of a condo tower complex across Dock Street. As part of Philadelphia's planning process, the Society Hill community group and city design board are entitled to offer nonbinding feedback for big development projects. "We are in touch with the [civic association] and hope we will be working closely with them in order to deal with this development," the tower association said in its notice. Buccini/Pollin's other major Philadelphia project is the apartment building finishing construction at the former site of National Products restaurant-supply business in Old City. Sonya King was delivering food in Atlanta when a customer grabbed her head covering and began to choke her with it. Read more PHOENIX More than 2.4 million crimes in which the victims say the perpetrators were motivated by hate occurred across the United States in the five years between 2012 and 2016, according to a News21 analysis of the federal National Crime Victimization Survey, for which tens of thousands of Americans are interviewed annually. Jack McDevitt, director of Northeastern University's Institute on Race and Justice, said the victimization survey data are important in determining victims' perceptions of hate crimes at a time of cultural and political upheaval in the United States. "Groups such as black Americans and the LGBTQ community have historically and consistently been targeted by hate crimes," McDevitt said. "However, external events and politics can change attitudes toward certain groups. Whenever controversial things happen, it empowers the haters to go ahead and act out because they believe that people share their bias." Over the last eight months, News21 journalists reported from 36 states, which included a 7,000-mile road trip around the country to assess the state of hate in America. Many victims of hate crimes are reluctant to report them to the police. And reported crimes do not always lead to arrests, prosecutions, or even a record of hate crimes. Two-thirds of the victimization survey respondents who suspected they were targeted because of hate were unable to cite tangible evidence, such as hate speech, that could be used by law enforcement. Authorities could confirm only 2.5 percent of the reported crimes were motivated by hate. What the victimization survey found has not been reflected in the FBI's national hate crime data. In the same five-year period ending in 2016, the FBI counted only 30,000 hate crimes reported to them by local police. Only 12 percent of the nation's police departments reported any hate crimes at all to the FBI. "It's important to look at the number of people who suspect they were a victim of a hate crime and not just the FBI data. People's perception is their reality," said attorney Roy Austin, a former deputy assistant attorney general of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. "A lot of these law enforcement agencies don't believe that they have a problem with hate crimes. If they don't think they have a problem, they won't deal with it well." Among other reasons, News21 found that Latinos don't report hate crimes because of the threat of deportation. As targeting of their communities appears to be on the rise, Latinos and immigrants are increasingly fearful of reporting racially biased crimes and incidents to law enforcement. "We're told not to draw any unnecessary attention to ourselves. Even if you get robbed or exploited or you're in danger, you just don't want that unnecessary attention," said Pricila Garcia, 20, of Cleburne, Texas, the daughter of Mexican immigrants. LGBTQ people also are hesitant to report hate crimes because of a chronic distrust between the community and the police. Their cases usually aren't prosecuted as hate crimes when they are reported, victims said. Brandon Ballone, a drag performer, was a victim of a violent crime during a night out in New York in 2016. The 27-year-old was wearing a T-shirt advertising his drag-queen personality when a group of teenagers beat him with a glass bottle, leaving him with a severed tendon in his hand, a torn ear, and damaged jaw. Ballone said shock and his impulse to get to safety meant he couldn't recall whether his attackers used homophobic slurs or called him names. As a result, police didn't investigate his case as a hate crime. "Anybody who attacks someone in that kind of way, it seems to me that there is a lot of hate there," Ballone said. "But apparently, a hate crime, to [the police], means I would have had to hear them say the word 'faggot.' " Hate crime laws are not consistent across the U.S. Forty-five states have statutes criminalizing various types of bias-motivated violence or intimidation. Hate crime laws in 14 of those states do not include either sexual orientation or gender identity. Arkansas, Georgia, South Carolina, Indiana, and Wyoming have no hate crime laws at all. In May, Sonya King, a black Muslim woman, was delivering food for DoorDash in Atlanta when her first customer of the day, Rick Painter, 54, grabbed her head covering, pulled her inside his home, and began to choke her with it. "That was some real hateful stuff," King said. "Every time when I told that man, 'I got children,' he pulled harder." Advocacy groups called the attack a hate crime, claiming King was targeted for her race and religion. The case is ongoing; Painter is charged with felony false imprisonment and aggravated assault. Just 100 hate crimes have been prosecuted as federal crimes from January 2010 to July 2018, according to a News21 analysis of the cases. Half involved racially motivated violence against black Americans. In one of the best-known cases, during a Bible-study meeting at Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, S.C., in July 2015, a young white supremacist shot and killed nine black parishioners. Dylann Roof was convicted of 33 federal hate crimes and sentenced to death. Victims, hate groups, advocates, and officials across the country also told News21 that the cultural and political divisiveness in America today has emboldened more people to express intolerance toward minorities and that the targets often keep silent. "Some members of minority groups feel vulnerable and unwelcome in America," said Northeastern's McDevitt, Between the hateful rhetoric and law enforcement reaction and some police-induced violence, they are feeling under siege in ways they haven't before." Michael Lieberman, director of the Civil Rights Policy Planning Center at the Anti-Defamation League, said hate often increases during elections, and this last presidential election cycle pushed more people to reveal their intolerance. "Hate crimes have been pretty consistent for the past 10 years, but during times of elections or political events, things can be very polarizing," Lieberman said. "There is no doubt that the 2016 election was not a good example of comity and civility and promoting diversity and respect for others." Simran Jeet Singh, a senior religion fellow at the Sikh Coalition, said hate speech has changed over time depending on events in the world. Around the time of the Iraq War, he was called "Saddam," Singh said, but today it's "ISIS" and "terrorist." "Muslim in this country has become a bad word," he said. "It has become wrong to associate with a particular religious tradition. It highlights the fact that a lot of this hate is rooted in ignorance because people are assuming that I'm Muslim when I'm not, just because of their sort of racial understanding of who I am based on my appearance." As faith-based hate increases, religious communities are banding together to rally against the burning of mosques, bomb threats at Jewish community centers, and the vandalization of Jewish cemeteries. They are amping up security, hosting self-defense classes, and educating neighborhoods about religion to combat hatred. There also has been an increase in hate crimes and recruitment by white supremacist groups on college campuses. According to data collected from 6,506 higher-education institutions by the U.S. Department of Education, the number of reported campus hate incidents, including harassment and vandalism, increased from 74 in 2006 to 1,300 in 2016. Heidi Beirich, director of the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project, said the youthful new right is a "millennial-male phenomenon" that is changing the climate of hate in the U.S. The violent misogyny at the core of the alt-right's foundations distinguishes it from hate groups of the past, she said, noting the "female-bashing that is at the core of the internet," where young males are becoming radicalized. Hate groups have increasingly used social media to recruit members and target victims, giving rise to a new phenomenon of internet hate. "What social media does is it allows people to find each other and establish digital communities and relationships," said Benjamin Lee, senior research associate for the Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats. "Not to say that extreme sentiment is growing or not, but it is a lot more visible." News21 reporters Allie Bice and Lenny Martinez Dominguez contributed to this report. This report is part of the "Hate in America" project produced by the Carnegie-Knight News21 initiative, a national investigative reporting project by top college journalism students and recent graduates from across the country and headquartered at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. For the complete project, visit hateinamerica.news21.com The Justice Department is investigating whether longtime Republican fund-raiser Elliott Broidy sought to sell his influence with the Trump administration by offering to deliver U.S. government actions for foreign officials in exchange for tens of millions of dollars, according to three people familiar with the probe. As part of the investigation, prosecutors are scrutinizing a plan that Broidy allegedly developed to try to persuade the Trump government to extradite a Chinese dissident back to his home country, a move sought by Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to two of the people. They are also investigating claims that Broidy sought $75 million from a Malaysian business official if the Justice Department ended its investigation of a development fund run by the Malaysian government. The Malaysian probe has examined the role of the former prime minister in the embezzlement of billions of dollars from the fund. A Justice Department spokeswoman declined to comment. Christopher Clark, an attorney for Broidy, declined to comment. Broidy's alleged activities were detailed in news reports earlier this year that cited hacked emails. The Los Angeles-based venture capitalist, who served as a top fund-raiser for the Republican Party and President Trump, has said that allegations against him are an effort by his enemies to smear him. Rudy Giuliani, an attorney for Trump, said he had no knowledge of any request for records related to Broidy. The White House referred a request for comment to the Republican National Committee, which declined to comment. In recent weeks, prosecutors with the Justice Department's public integrity section which examines possible political and government corruption have sought documents related to Broidy's business dealings. Among the information sought by investigators are details about Broidy's work on behalf of and interactions with the Chinese and Malaysian officials, according to two people familiar with the document requests. As part of their efforts, prosecutors have subpoenaed casino magnate Steve Wynn, the former RNC finance chairman and longtime Trump friend, for copies of records and communications related to Broidy. An attorney for Wynn, Reid Weingarten, declined to comment, saying only that Wynn is cooperating with the Justice Department. "Steve Wynn is completely cooperating with the investigation and he certainly has no reason to believe that anyone acted improperly in anything he knew about or was involved in," Weingarten said in a statement. Wynn was tapped by Trump to serve as the RNC's lead fund-raiser after the election. Earlier this year, he stepped down from that post and from his executive role at his resort company after reports of sexual misconduct. Wynn has denied the allegations of inappropriate behavior. The public integrity probe is the latest legal challenge for Broidy, who helped corral big donors to support Trump's presidential campaign, throwing a lavish fund-raiser for the then-nominee at his Los Angeles-area home during the 2016 campaign. After the election, he was appointed to serve as a national deputy chairman for the RNC. Broidy sought to parlay his party role and connections to the White House and on Capitol Hill in pitches to foreign governments, according to a person with direct knowledge of his activities. In April, he resigned from his RNC position in the wake of a report that he had paid a former Playboy model $1.6 million in exchange for her silence about a sexual affair. Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen another RNC fundraiser helped arrange the settlement, Broidy acknowledged. Cohen is under investigation by federal prosecutors in Manhattan who are examining whether he fraudulently obtained millions of dollars in loans and whether his efforts to squash negative stories about Trump during the campaign violated election law. Broidy's business dealings captured the attention of investigators for special counsel Robert Mueller III, who asked at least one witness about Broidy's activities, according to a person familiar with the matter. Broidy's attempts to solve high-level headaches for the Chinese and Malaysian governments were first reported this spring by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, which cited in part a cache of hacked emails. Broidy has said the documents were stolen by enemies seeking to ruin his reputation. "This whole narrative is a fabrication driven by hackers who want to undermine me," Broidy said in a statement to the Times. Earlier this year, he filed a lawsuit against Qatar and Qatari officials, alleging that the country hacked his email accounts in retaliation for his allegations that Qatar supports terrorists. A spokesman for the Qatari government has called the suit "without fact or merit," and a federal judge dismissed the country as a defendant in the suit earlier this month, citing jurisdictional issues. The Journal reported in March that, according to a draft contract, Broidy and his wife, Robin Rosenzweig, were seeking $75 million from Malaysian businessman Jho Low if federal prosecutors dropped their investigation into a Malaysian state investment fund. The Justice Department has filed civil suits claiming $4.5 billion in public money was misappropriated from the fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad, seeking to claim a portion of those assets. Last month, Malaysian authorities charged former prime minister Najib Razak with embezzling billions in public money from the fund. Clark, the Broidy attorney, told the Journal that Rosenzweig's firm had been hired to provide strategic advice to Low, adding that "at no time did Mr. Broidy or Ms. Rosenzweig, or anyone acting on their behalf, discuss Mr. Low's case with President Trump, any member of his staff, or anyone at the U.S. Department of Justice." The Times reported in April that Broidy had explored ways to force Chinese exile Guo Wengui to leave the United States. The billionaire businessman had fled China in 2014 as he was facing arrest for a range of charges, including corruption. Guo has said the allegations were fabricated by a government that wants to silence him. Since his arrival in the U.S., Guo has publicly detailed allegations of corruption in the Chinese ruling party. The Times reported that Broidy drafted a plan to enlist Emirati officials to pressure the United States to turn over Guo. In his statement to the newspaper, Broidy said he "never had a strategy or plan regarding Mr. Guo nor was there any compensation given or even discussed." Broidy's alleged efforts to push for Guo's extradition came after Wynn separately helped deliver a message from the Xi government seeking to have the dissident returned to China, according to a person familiar with the effort. Wynn, who has contacts with Chinese officials because of his business interests in Macau, hand-delivered a letter to Trump seeking Guo's deportation, The Journal reported last year. A spokesman for Wynn Resorts has said that the report about Wynn's role was false. At the time, the president expressed interest in assisting the Chinese, but was met with resistance by senior law enforcement officials, according to the person. White House officials did not respond to requests for comment. Jennifer Leary, founder of Red Paw Emergency Relief, with Baldwin, a fire rescue cat, outside Red Paws headquarters in South Philadelphia in 2014. Read more Red Paw Emergency Relief Team, a Philadelphia nonprofit that rescues pets after fires and other disasters, has been named the winner of a $100,000 grant. The NRG power company's crowd-sourced NRG Gives program announced Wednesday that Red Paw was the winner of a vote by company employees and the public. Two other nonprofits, College Possible Philadelphia and Canine Partners for Life, received $20,000 and $10,000 donations, respectively, based on the vote total, NRG Gives said. Read More > > > Red Paw rescues pets from disaster scenes Jennifer Leary, a former Philadelphia firefighter who is president and a founder of Red Paw, received the donation at a ceremony at the Philadelphia Fire Academy. Red Paw works with area fire departments and the American Red Cross, responding to fires and providing emergency assistance for pets, including search and rescue, emergency transport, shelter, and veterinary care. The group, which began operations in 2012, says it now assists about 800 animals a year. "We can't fully put into words the impact this $100,000 grant from NRG will have on Red Paw," Leary said. "This is a watershed moment in our history and for the families with pets we serve." 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 The New York Times is now OPENLY racist with its hatred for white people WATCH at REAL.video It cant be stated enough that the left is no longer even trying to hide its hatred for white people. The recent hiring by The New York Times (NYT) of admitted racist Sarah Jeong just goes to show that modern-day liberalism has a large contingent of followers who arent bothered by this otherwise she never would have been hired! In a recent episode of End Times Prophecy News with Jim Beckwith, available at REAL.video, Beckwith says it like it is. Once again, The New York Times is showing that theyre racists, Beckwith states as he reads headlines about Jeongs hiring. And its China a communist country that hates Christians and has killed four times what Hitler killed, he adds, pointing to Jeongs ethnic heritage as a possible impetus behind her anti-white sentiments. Sarah Jeong comments about how it was her plan all along to make white people go extinct In reading some of Jeongs tweets, Beckwith covers a few that havent been covered as extensively as others. One of these involves the current birth rates of white people on average, which have been on a steady decline for many years now. In a tweet she sent to the Twitter account @RepDanMode dated August 16, 2014 the @RepDanMode Twitter account has since been suspended Jeong morbidly praised the decline of white people, which she claimed responsibility for. White people have stopped breeding. Youll all go extinct soon. This was my plan all along. was Jeong statement, followed by a purple devil emoji. Dear Sarah Jeong: white people have made enormous contribution to the quality of life that YOU enjoy Jeong received plenty of flack for these racist statements, including reminders from some that most of what she takes for granted as part of modern civilization is a product of white ingenuity. If you still feel this way, how do you reconcile your hatred of white people with the fact that almost everything you enjoy in life and use daily was invented, created, or otherwise made possible by Western Civilization which means, yes, white people? asked one Twitter user of Jeong. Others pointed out the fact that someone like Jeong doesnt belong in a prominent writing position and this was before she was hired by the NYT to occupy a seat on its editorial board. Since Jeong is an Asian woman and her target is white people, and primarily white men, shes given a free pass to spew as much hate as she wants. In fact, both she and the NYT tried to argue that white people are to blame for Jeongs hate, and that shes merely retaliating to their hatred and is fully justified in doing so. Twitter has also given Jeong a free pass, which were she a white person saying these exact same things about blacks, her account would have been removed years ago. Candance Owens, a conservative commentator, experimented with this by republishing some of Jeongs racist tweets herself, replacing white with black and Jewish, and her account was quickly suspended. Microsoft has also threatened to remove content thats far less offensive than what Jeong tweeted. Thats because it targeted Jews instead of white people and white people are apparently the only group youre allowed to hate. Her tweets had occurred over a period of several years and were mostly directed at whites as a group, not individual people, writes Uri Harris for Quillette, debunking both Jeongs the NYTs claim that Jeong was merely counter-trolling. In the religion of social constructionism, Jeong, by virtue of being an Asian woman, is one of the elect, incapable of the sin of racism or group prejudice. All she is doing is resisting whiteness and maleness, which indeed require resistance every second of the day, writes Andrew Sullivan in another really great piece for NYMag.com. Sources for this article include: REAL.video NaturalNews.com Twitter.com NaturalNews.com NaturalNews.com Quillette.com NYMag.com KAMPALA Health experts on Tuesday sounded the alarm over rising cases of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis in Uganda. Dr Ruth Aceng, the Minister of Health said the number of multi-drug resistant (MDR-TB) cases had increased from 600 cases in 2015 to the current 1900. He noted that a survey carried out by the Ministry of Health in 2016/17 on MDR-TB reveals that Kampala and Lango sub-regions have the highest cases of MDR-TB cases currently. According to Dr Aceng, multi-drug resistant TB is a form of TB that fails to respond to standard first-line drugs caused mainly due to non adherence to treatment or failure to consistently take drugs for treatment of the disease. She explained that majority of the cases are fuelled by rasping poverty levels and that majority of the TB patients could not be traced or accessed during the course of treatment. The rise in the number of new MDR-TB cases is worrying since Delamanid the drug available to treat this type of TB is priced at more than $1,700 (Shs5, 734,100) per treatment course and one case of the more virulent type of the disease treatment, takes up to 18 months to cure, said Dr Aceng. Averagely, it costs Shs40, 000 to treat non-drug resistant TB and the treatment can take between six to eight months while drug resistant TB treatment can cost as much as $1,700 (Shs5, 734,100) per person and takes longer than two years before the patient gets cured. Aceng was addressing an annual National Tuberculosis (TB) Stakeholder Conference at Imperial Royale Hotel organized by the Ministry of Health under the theme; Striving towards a TB free Uganda through finding the missed cases. The annual conference attracted District Health Officers, District Referral Hospital Directors, NGO/CSOs involved in the fight against TB and Ministry of Health officials. Ms Deborah Malac, the US ambassador to Uganda said unless greater efforts are made to fight multi-drug resistant TB, the number of deaths from the disease will continue to grow. She revealed that the World Health Organisation estimate that some 25,000 people are diagnosed each year with an even more dangerous form of TB called extensive drug-resistant TB. Many countries have made progress, but despite the recent scale up in efforts, Uganda needs to do much more to get care to all multi drug resistant TB patients who need it, said Ms Malac. A World Health Organisation (WHO) report showed that in 2014, three in every 10 new TB cases and two in every 10 previously treated TB cases are estimated to have multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB). According to the Uganda National TB and Leprosy Control Programme, of all the TB patients who started treatment in 2008, only 75 per cent were successfully treated and cured. Dr Diana Atwine, the permanent secretary ministry of health says there is need to enhance TB case detection and TB treatment adherence and to optimise treatment success rates. She added that the target of everyone involved in the fight against TB should be to reduce the burden of TB among HIV patients. She said in 2012, the projects scope was broadened to include the implementation of multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) care currently at seven sites. Overall, USAID/SUSTAIN supports the delivery of both quality TB and MDR-TB services at 13 healthcare facilities in Uganda. Other studies A study Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), conducted between February and June 2015 presented by Ms Juliet Nsimiire says with 320 blood cultures from Kampala Capital City Authority clinics, it was confirmed that there was high antibiotic resistance among typhoid patients in the city. Another study conducted by Faculty of Health Sciences at Busitema University on Multi-Drug Resistance among Clinical Isolates of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria in Mbale Regional Referral Hospital discovered that a high proportion of the bacteria was multidrug resistant. Another evidence of HIV-Drug Resistance Mutations to first and second line regimens among Ugandan adults was presented in a recent research conducted by the UVRI as complications of long-term antiretroviral treatment (CoLTART). The Antibiotic Resistance in Uganda: Situation Analysis and recommendations study, also confirmed that the resistance to Penicillin G and Cotrimaxazole, both antibiotics used in the treatment of infections caused by bacteria, is pending or already at 100 per cent. Ends FACTS ABOUT TUBERCULOSIS Today, Uganda joins the rest of the world to celebrate the International TB Day under the theme: Reach the 60,000 patients in Uganda. Gulu District is hosting this years celebrations under the slogan: Find, test, treat and cure all. Tuberculosis is caused by a bacterium known as mycobacterium tuberculosis. It can affect any body part but 80 per cent occurs in the lungs. Lung TB is a chronic debilitating illness characterised by a long-standing cough, normally for two weeks or more. Some of the signs and symptoms include: coughing up blood, body wasting, chest pain, excessive night sweats, evening fevers, weight loss depending on the disease toll, loss of appetite and swellings around the neck and in the armpits. Lung TB is transmitted when a susceptible person breathes in contaminated air from an infected person when he or she sneezes, laughs or sings. Risk factors for TB Dr Frank Mugabe, the national programme manager for TB/Leprosy at the ministry f health identified the risk factors as: Immune suppression: Any diseases that reduce body immunity such as HIV/Aids and other factors such as malnutrition can lead one to acquire TB. Exposure: TB is not a congenital disease but you can acquire the disease once exposed to an infected person (airborne disease). It can be transmitted in places such as health centres, schools, churches, slums, factories, markets and prisons. Age: Usually the very young and the very old are at a higher risk. Congestion and poor ventilation: People living in houses with no windows are at risk, for example; prisons, factories and informal housing units in slums. Preventive Measures At birth, every child is given BCG vaccine. This protects severe forms of TB and offers protection for about 15 years. Dr Mugabe says there is also secondly prevention, using isoniazid, a preventive treatment given to persons who are exposed to TB and are at risk. Other preventive measures include: prompt identification of persons with infectious TB and quickly treating them. We need to achieve high cure rates, and sustain them in order to stop transmission and human suffering. By doing this, everyone needs to be involved by ensuring that diagnosis patients get support, Dr Mugabe said. By doing this, he adds that the country will minimise the lost number of follow up of patients from the current 10 per cent to about five per cent. Ends Related KAMPALA The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has directed telecom giants MTN Uganda to list some of its shares on the local stock exchange as a condition for renewing its operating license. Mr Godfrey Mutabazi, the industry executive director UCC said Ugandans should be able to own a stake in the firm which has operated in the country for 20 years. We are evaluating the conditions of renewal [of MTNs License] and thats one of the points we are discussing, he said. He added that MTN is an investor here [Uganda] and they have been here for 20 yearsto go beyond, I would argue that they have been here long enough they should be identified as Ugandans and the only way to do that is to list so that Ugandans can have a stake in that company, Mutabazi said. Ms Justina Ntabgoba-Kayemba, the senior Manager Corporate Affairs at MTN Uganda when asked whether the company has received any information directing them to list some of its shares on the local stock exchange remained tightlipped but referred this website to UCC for further information. MTN current license expires in October 2018 but according to Mr Mutabazi, they [MTN] should warm to the government desire to have some of their shares listed. MTN Uganda is the largest telecommunications firm by the number subscribers, followed by Airtel Uganda and other smaller players. According to MTN groups financial results last year, MTN Uganda has a subscriber base of 10.7 million while its revenues for the year surged by 10 percent to $356.34 million. MTN Uganda has faced criticism on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook from some subscribers about data bundles getting used up quickly and the firm not responding to their complaints. In May UCC said it would investigate MTN after criticism on social media about its mobile money policies. MTN Uganda also in an industry shocker early this year filed a petition in the High Court seeking self-regulation and supervision accusing the UCC of bias after the regulator ordered them to pay more than Shs 500m to a service provider Vas Garage Ltd they are alleged to have cheated. The telecom giants argue that the complaint by Vas Garage, which UCC found valid was instead defective and irregular and resulted in a miscarriage of justice against MTN Uganda. The company wants court to overturn the award and also bar UCC from supervising them. However, Mr Mutabazi vowed to make sure the telecom giant behave as they battle over terms of work. Mutabazi told PML Daily: [it is] true that MTN Uganda filed an application for judicial review of the Commissions decision on the matter. We are prepared to defend the Commissions decision in court. UCC filed an affidavit in reply detailing our defence and I am quite confident that we shall argue it well. UCC accuses MTN Uganda of cheating their clients through bogus telephone transactions where clients lose huge sums of money in double charges, unsolicited messages among others. The firm recently was on the spotlight on several allegations of violating contracts, anti-competition, under-declaring revenue, withholding payments to companies and cheating customers Related By Christine Birabwa I have a heavy heart as I write this letter which I hope will be published! When the NRA came to power I was 11 years old. I remember the jubilation about the young 42 years old who had liberated us from the bad regimes and the talk about fundamental change! I for one lost my father when I was two years old to Amins soldiers. In 1984 I lost my grandfather to Obotes soldiers. Both murdered in cold blood! I believed my relatives when they said there was need to support President Museveni because he was ushering in a new dawn! Fast forward, my first job was with the Human Rights Commission in which I worked for about a decade, concentrating all my youthful life on eliminating torture from Uganda! Torture dehumanises people! Torture turns people into animals. I thought we had succeeded in not only reducing torture incidents considerably but that the Army and the Uganda Police were bent on ensuring that this vice was dealt away with. My heart is bleeding today from seeing the photos of Hon. Kyazze tortured to that extent. Furthermore, when I hear that Hon. Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine) cannot sit up or speak due to torture, (and I believe the reports because I got them from a reliable source), I wonder what our leaders have become! Why have we instituted systems and structures to administer justice? What does the rule of law mean to you? If after 33 years of being at the helm of this country you are not in charge sufficiently enough to handle small disagreements appropriately, give me a reason why the NRM should continue in power? We the people vote you so that you can protect us, why are you preying on us? I would like to inform President Museveni that nothing lasts forever. Uganda is for all of us and no one has a right to dehumanise another, not even you President Museveni. Please stop the brutality because it will not keep you in power forever. Seek to be remembered by the good deeds, rather than the bad. Please dont erode, even the very little good memory left in those of us who were around when you first showed up. Human life is sacred! Respect, Protect, and preserve it! =========================================================================== Birabwa-Nsubuga Christine is a former National Coordinator, Justice Centers Uganda. Related 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 Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Story and Photos By James Rupley With Commentary from Larry Vickers and Ian McCollum The Soviet Union was responsible for the most iconic and ubiquitous rifle in the world, introducing the Avtomat Kalashnikova in the late 1940s. While the Soviet Union is no more, in Russia, the Kalashnikov Concern carries on the legacy of its namesake. Earlier this year, Larry Vickers and I traveled to Russia to finish photography for our newest book release in the Vickers Guide series. Our goal was to see not only current small arms offerings in Russia but also to document historic Kalashnikov-type rifles dating back to just after the Second World War. This juxtaposition of old and new would be a theme throughout our entire time in Russia. Maxim Popenker greeted us when we arrived in Moscow. A native of St. Petersburg (Peter to the locals), Maxim created the well-known World Guns website (world.guns.ru), now operating as ModernFirearms.net. Before Wikipedia became such a thorough, albeit error-prone, repository for firearms information, World Guns was often the first destination for Internet searches on guns frankly it still should be. Maxim showed us around Moscow, first taking us to the new monument to Mikhail Kalashnikov, the father of the AK-47, in the center of Moscow. Unveiled in September 2017, the monument features a larger-than-life statue to the storied designer and a metal plaque depicting some of his creations. The original plaque included a sculpture of an exploded view of the German MKb42(H), a predecessor of the legendary Sturmgewehr assault rifle. Ostensibly, it had been intended by the uninformed sculptor to be an illustration of an AK-47, yet the mistake highlighted longstanding debate about the Sturmgewehrs influence on the AKs development. The erroneous portion was at the edge of the plaque and was subsequently cut off, leaving some visible traces of the original. In fact, the worker doing these repairs was initially arrested by local police for defacing a public monument! Just two hours by plane east of Moscow is the city of Izhevsk. Situated on the Izh River, Izhevsk has been a significant metalworks town since the 1700s. During the Napoleonic era, Izhevsk became an armory city, manufacturing firearms for Russian Imperial troops. Its location fairly deep inside Russian territory has been key to its continued importance as an arms producer for the military, particularly during the Second World War as German troops advanced across the Soviet frontier. For fans of Russian and Soviet small arms, Izhevsk is notable as the home of one of the three most widely known arsenals in Russia Izhevsk Machine Engineering Plant, Factory #74, more commonly known as IZHMASH. Along with Tula and Molot, the other two members of this trifecta, IZHMASH was a major producer of Kalashnikov rifle variants notably the original AK-47 rifle and subsequent AK, AKM, AK-74, AK-100 series, and more. Mikhail Kalashnikov lived and worked here once the AK-47 was to be prepared for serial production. We photographed some of the oldest Kalashnikovs in existence AK-47 rifles from the initial military trials in 1947 and 1948. These trials guns can be identified by their prototype combination muzzle brake/front sight assembly discarded before large-scale production began in 1949. Technically, only the original experimental rifles that won army trials in 1947 and the approximately 1,500 rifles produced in Izhevsk in 1948 for military field trials are properly designated AK-47 rifles. What Americans typically refer to as the Type 1, 2, or 3 AK-47 is simply designated Avtomat Kalashnikova (or AK) in official Soviet documents. IZHMASH is essentially a city within a city, completely encompassing numerous blocks with rows of factories some old, some quite modern. It operates today under new ownership and under the Kalashnikov Concern brand. Kalashnikov Concern initiated a multiyear modernization program to improve profitability, streamline production, and upgrade product offerings. While they continue to produce some of the legacy IZHMASH products, theyve launched numerous exciting new ones. The AK-12 and AK-15 (5.45x39mm and 7.62x39mm, respectively) modernized Kalashnikov-type rifles went through the Ratnik trials held by the Russian Army in 2013, as part of a diverse modernization program for soldiers. Theyve been redesigned to improve accuracy and optics mounting options, with a nonremovable gas tube and a removable gas plug for maintenance, combination front sight/gas block (similar to the AK-104), newly designed pistol grip with internal storage, and a new tensioned top cover design with integral rail for optics. Arising out of the AK-12 is the new RPK-16, intended as a RPK-74 replacement. Other interesting products are the SVCh (possible successor to the SVD), SR-1 rifle in 5.56x45mm with counterbalanced recoil system, AM-17 compact rifle with polymer lower in 5.45x39mm, and the compact AMB-17 suppressed rifle with the subsonic 9x39mm cartridge (.300BLKs Russian cousin). Unfortunately, none are available stateside due to existing sanctions imposed on Kalashnikov Concern by our government in July 2014. Many factors determine what makes any given company successful and for how long, but one couldnt help but think that Kalashnikov Concern represents the future of firearms development. Its not just the modern-day successor to Mikhail Kalashnikovs lineage; during our stay, it felt much like the Apple Inc. of the firearms world. Its headquarters are located in the beautifully renovated Vsevolozhsky Manor, an 18th century building in an upscale neighborhood of Moscow. Interestingly, its one of the few wooden structures in Moscow that survived the Fire of 1812 during Napoleons occupation. And just next door is the corporate campus of Yandex, Russias Google. The Kalashnikov Concern offices are clean and modern with contemporary facilities. Employees are outgoing, charismatic, and warm, with everyone from management to factory workers treating us with great friendliness, kindness, and interest. They know firearms, and they know marketing. In fact, they have a department called technical marketing, distinct from traditional marketing. These folks bridge the needs of end users, engineers, and traditional marketers. Theyre largely Alpha veterans, counterterrorism specialists akin to Delta in the United States, with all the knowledge and skill that youd expect. Russia should be an obligatory stop on any firearm enthusiasts pilgrimage list. There are numerous hurdles to overcome, not least the complexities of travel visas and language issues. But the museums are excellent, and you cant help but come back with a more complete appreciation for the Kalashnikov after walking through Red Square and traveling to an armory city or two outside of Moscow. VICKERS GUIDE Both the Hungarian AMD-65 and Russian AK-203 shown on pages 126 and 128, along with many other historically significant AK variants, are featured in Vickers Guide: Kalashnikov (Volume 1). Authored by Larry Vickers, James Rupley, Ian McCollum, and Rob Stott, the first in this new series focuses on the 7.62x39mm variants of the AK family of rifles, not just from the Soviet Union, but across the globe. The collectible 1113-inch coffee table book will be available in a Standard Edition ($95), Signature Edition ($125), and Limited Edition Premium Version ($200) signed with a personal message, limited to 250 copies. www.VickersGuide.com Hungarian AMD-65 Commentary by Ian McCollum Hungary was part of the Warsaw Pact until 1991, and in a world full of similar-looking AK variants, the Hungarian AMD-65 definitely stands out. It not only features the distinctively Hungarian-shaped pistol grip, it has two of them, plus a unique side-folding stock, sheetmetal front handguard, short barrel, and massive muzzle brake. The AMD-65 stems from mechanized troops difficulty carrying and using the full-length AKM-63. Vehicle crews, airborne troops, helicopter crews, and infantry in armored personnel carriers found the length of the standard rifle inconvenient. Designed by Karoly Zala, the first prototypes were made in 1965, with serial production starting in 1967. The AMD-65 featured a 12.6-inch barrel and an austere side-folding stock. A large muzzle brake helped with recoil generated by the lightened rifle, though its blast and concussion are substantial. A shortened 20-round magazine was also provided. Special versions with optics rails were produced, and some Hungarian units used it with the Soviet PBS-1 suppressor. While the piston and gas tube were trimmed along with the barrel, the AMD-65 uses a standard AKM bolt carrier, gas block, and front sight tower. This simplified production, avoiding the need for a new combined gas block/sight tower (seen on other short AKs) and minimizing changes to the operating system. It has the vertical front grip often used on other Hungarian AKs, the exact same part as the rear pistol grip, rotated 180 degrees and bolted to the handguard. With no shielding around the gas tube and a perforated sheetmetal lower handguard, the foregrip is essential the whole assembly becomes quite hot when putting rounds downrange. Although some design choices may have degraded the shooting experience, the AMD-65 was perhaps the first truly compact AK model, predating AKSU-type weapons by many years. For its intended end users, its compactness was more important to daily duty than actual shooting, and the AMD-65 was very successful. It would go on to become the most prolific Hungarian AK variant. Its widely issued with the Afghan National Army, and large numbers hit civilian markets in Europe and the United States, where their awkward look with a 16-inch barrel made them unpopular compared to other surplus AKs. Russian AK-203 Commentary by Larry Vickers The AK-200 series was developed as an interim solution between the classic AK-100 series and the new AK-12 and AK-15. The AK-203 is essentially an updated AK-103, itself a 7.62x39mm rifle incorporating several AK-74 features such as its iconic and very effective muzzle device and 90-degree gas block. The AK-203 features a traditional AK-style rear sight configuration with an AKS-74U Krink style pivoting top cover. This design was specifically incorporated for customers wanting to retain a conventional AK iron-sight picture. At the rear of the top cover is an SVD-inspired pivoting lever. Rotating it counterclockwise allows the top cover to pivot up for access to the receiver internals. Upon reassembly, it also performs a camming function to lock the top cover into a repeatable and secure position, retaining zero for optics. Examining the latest AK offerings and their various prototypes from Kalashnikov Concern, its clear that theyve experimented and spent considerable time and resources developing a pivoting top cover system that achieves the highest degree of optic zero repeatability possible. A side-folding multi-position collapsible buttstock is employed no surprise as this has become the norm on new assault rifles worldwide. It also has an enhanced safety/selector lever, a much needed and welcomed upgrade for serious AK end-users. Picatinny-type rail surfaces are in all the usual positions, but one concept that has largely failed to gain traction outside of the U.S. is an extended handguard interface. As such, the AK-203s handguard is traditional length. The pistol grip is a new design, providing better ergonomics and storage inside. The birdcage-style muzzle device shown here is new, yet very similar to a device that Arsenal of Bulgaria and others have been offering for several years. That said, a number of different muzzle devices are currently seen on Kalashnikov Concern products. All these upgrades may not be revolutionary, but they nevertheless enhance the usefulness of the AKM platform for the average end user with no obvious downsides. With his strong views on Bharatiya economics, his appointment to the RBI board may well presage interesting times, says Archis Mohan. Photograph: Sreeram Selvaraj for Rediff.com With the exception of the demonetisation decision of November 8, 2016, the influence that Swaminathan Gurumurthy exerts on Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi, and the economic policies of the government that he leads, has apparently been unobtrusive. But to understand the compelling clout that the 69-year-old torchbearer of 'Bharatiya economics' wields on the Modi government, and the significance of his appointment as a part-time director on the Reserve Bank of India board, it is important to examine the successful policy interventions by the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, an economic think-tank affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, in the past four years. Officially, Gurumurthy is the co-convenor of the SJM, but is the leading light of the outfit after the passing away of the outfit's founder Dattopant Thengdi. Within the Sangh Parivar, the SJM has led the fight against the Modi government's land acquisition Bill, forced the government to offer palliatives to the MSME sector after the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax and, most recently, has ensured that the government puts its MSME amendment Bill in the cold storage. It is also believed to have convinced Modi to replace the Planning Commission with the NITI Aayog. But the SJM turned a critic of the NITI Aayog when Arvind Panagariya helmed it. Those of a certain vintage would remember Gurumurthy as the crusader against the Dhirubhai Ambani-led Reliance Industries Limited in the late 1980s, when he penned a series of articles on the corporate group that he co-authored with the then editor of the Indian Express Arun Shourie in 1986. Gurumurthy is a chartered accountant by training, and an RSS activist in his commitment. He is currently the editor of Thuglak magazine, having succeeded the late Cho Ramaswamy, and known for his strong views on Hindutva, against the Nehru-Gandhi family and is a lifelong critic of Tamil Nadu's Dravidian parties. Gurumurthy is also much admired within the Sangh Parivar for his integrity, that he has stayed away from electoral politics despite his proximity to L K Advani, and more recently to Modi, as also to the lure of any public office. In his Twitter bio, Gurumurthy states: 'Mahaswami (his late guru, Chandrasekharendra Saraswati, the senior sankaracharya of Kanchi) in whom I saw God advised me out of electoral politics.' Gurumurthy is proud of his integrity, and was known to cycle to the local RSS shakha even after he had become a successful chartered accountant and could afford a car. After his appointment to the RBI board, he tweeted: 'Story of my appointment as director RBI. This is the first directorship ever. Never accepted any private or PSU directorship. Not even audit of public sector undertakings or private companies.' 'Wanted to be free to speak. But when pressure built up I am needed to do something in public interest I had to accept.' Few who have known him are willing to criticise Gurumurthy, with the exception of Mohan Guruswamy, who in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government of 1998-1999 was the advisor to then finance minister Yashwant Sinha, but quit amid controversy. Both Gurumurthy and Guruswamy competed for proximity to Advani. 'RBI gets lobbyist and flaky RSS economics purveyor S Gurumurthy as director. Now we must expect the rupee to become $1=~40,' Guruswamy tweeted. Gurumurthy was born into a poor family in South Arcot district, Tamil Nadu, in 1949. According to a report in India Today from 1987, a scholarship helped him complete his BCom degree, after which he completed his chartered accountancy and in 1975 started his own accountancy practice. It was also around this time that he met Indian Express chairman Ram Nath Goenka. In 1976, Gurumurthy was appointed adviser to the Express, and became a confidant of Goenka. His chartered accountancy firm counted Vijay Mallya and the Chhabrias as its clients, and he is known to be a mediator in corporate battles. In February 2011, Gurumurthy was also a source of some embarrassment to Advani, forcing the Bharatiya Janata Party leader to send a letter of apology to Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Advani had released a report at a press conference then titled 'India's corruption and crime money parked in Swiss bank and other tax havens'. It was prepared by a four-member task force, which included Gurumurthy and current National Security Adviser Ajit Kumar Doval. Advani apologised after Sonia Gandhi had sent a protest letter to him stating she held no foreign bank accounts. Over the years, apart from his criticism of foreign-educated economists, including justifying the departure of Raghuram Rajan as RBI governor, Gurumurthy has also highlighted the problem of 'jobless growth'. In the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Modi relied on data collated by Gurumurthy that said the job growth in Manmohan Singh years has been a low 2.7 million between 2004 and 2010. The Modi government's MUDRA -- the Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency -- initiative is also believed to have come from Gurumurthy. When as the RBI governor, Rajan opposed relaxed norms for lending that Gurumurthy, and even Modi and BJP President Amit Anilchandra Shah, felt that the 'foreign educated' economist didn't understand Indian conditions and was proving to be a stumbling block to employment generation. However, Gurumurthy has revised his views on MUDRA in recent months, and has criticised the he Modi government to implement the scheme efficiently before bringing in demonetisation. He also said that the MUDRA initiative 'was stopped by the Reserve Bank, which did not want to give up monetary control' and 'control over financing smaller players'. His appointment to the RBI board may well presage interesting times. Photograph: PTI Photo 'He knew that a regime which believes that power flows from the barrel of the gun can only be handled from a position of comprehensive strength and not from a position of vulnerability and weakness,' says Rup Narayan Das. IMAGE: Then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee with his Chinese counterpart Zhu Rongji and his wife, Lao An, at the ceremonial reception in New Delhi, January 16, 2002. Photograph: Sondeep Shankar/Saab Press While Atal Bihari Vajpayee's contributions will always be remembered, his seminal contributions to India's proactive engagement with the world, particularly with China and Pakistan in India's neighbourhood is noteworthy. Mr Vajpayee was a statesman of great insight and foresight who navigated the terrain of these complex relations. He built the institutions of dialogue very thoughtfully and mindfully and yet dealt with India's northern neighbour on an equal footing. While dealing with China, he never compromised the national interest or dignity of the country. He knew well that China is India's neighbour and engagement with China is a strategic necessity, rather than a foreign policy option. He also knew that a regime which believes that power flows from the barrel of the gun can only be handled from a position of comprehensive strength and not from a position of vulnerability and weakness. By comprehensive strength, he meant both military strength, confidence building measures, forging strategic partnership at the global level, economic strength, diplomatic strength and also soft power. His approach to China had a long view and it did not suffer from the obfuscation of knee-jerk reactions. Vajpayee's outreach to China began soon after the erstwhile Janata Party government was formed in 1977 when he became India's external affairs minister in Morarji Desai's Cabinet. He visited China from February 12 to 18, 1979 and held wide ranging discussions with then premier Hua Guofeng, then vice premier Deng Xiaoping, who later became undisputed leader, and then Chinese foreign minister Huang Hua. In an atmosphere marked by frankness and cordiality, the two sides discussed the international situation, the situation in and around the Indian subcontinent and, most importantly, the issues affecting India-China relations. While explaining the steps taken by India to create a climate of confidence between nations south of the Himalayas on the basis of scrupulous non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, Foreign Minister Vajpayee made it clear that while India does not object to normal bilateral relations between Pakistan and China, the prospects of improvement of India-China relations would be impeded if their relations adversely affect India's legitimate interests. He pointed out that the attitude on the Kashmir question taken by the Chinese government, which contrasted with the stand it had taken in the 1950s, was an additional and unnecessary complication in Sino-Indian relations. In this context he reiterated India's concern at the construction of the Karakoram Highway. In his 1979 discussions with the Chinese leaders, Vajpayee emphasised that the satisfactory solution of the India-China boundary question was vital to the restoration of confidence and full normalisation in the climate of Sino-Indian relations. The discussions in Peking succeeded in unfreezing the issue and led to the understanding that there should be further reflection on the possible ways of resolving this crucial question. It was agreed that tranquility should be maintained along the border. On the question of Chinese assistance to disaffected elements from Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur, the Chinese leaders stated that the support which may have been given earlier was looked upon as a matter of the past. Foreign Minister Vajpayee also expressed the hope that the Chinese government would consider facilitating pilgrimages to Kailash and Mansarover. The two sides also reviewed the bilateral functional exchanges which had taken place since the return of their respective ambassadors in 1976 and explored the possibility of further exchanges in various fields of mutual benefit. Vajpayee was in Hangchow after completion of his talks in Peking when he received news about the Chinese attack on Vietnam on February 17. He cut short his visit and returned to India immediately. Vajpayee resumed his outreach to China when he became prime minister. He visited China in June 2003. His visit to China was a milestone in the relationship between the two countries. Defence cooperation and military engagement between the two countries further received a boost during Mr Vajpayee's visit. The joint declaration between the two countries signed on June 23, 2003, inter alia, mentioned that 'they agreed on the need to broaden and deepen defence exchanges between the two countries, which will help enhance and deepen mutual understanding and trust between the two armed forces.' They confirmed that the exchange of visits by their defence ministers and of military officials at various levels should be strengthened. Rup Narayan Das, PhD was a former senior fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Saturday an immediate financial assistance of Rs 500 crore to the rain-battered Kerala, after reviewing the flood situation in the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Saturday an immediate financial assistance of Rs 500 crore to the rain-battered Kerala, after reviewing the flood situation in the state. Modi also announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh per person to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund, a Prime Minister's Office statement said. "The prime minister announced a financial assistance of Rs 500 crore to the state. This is in addition to Rs 100 crore announced by Home Minister Rajnath Singh on August 12," it said. After a high-level review meeting in Kochi, the prime minister made an aerial assessment of the damage caused due to floods in some of the affected areas of the southern state. He was accompanied by Governor P Sathasivam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Ninister K J Alphons and officials during the aerial survey in the worst-hit Aluva-Thrissur regions. Expressing grief over the unfortunate deaths and damage caused to property due to floods, the prime minister observed that rescue of people who are still marooned remains the topmost priority. Vijayan later tweeted that the prime minister has sanctioned Rs 500 crore as immediate relief. "As per the initial estimate, the state has suffered a loss of Rs 19,512 crore. The actual loss can be ascertained after the water recedes in the affected areas. The state has sought an immediate assistance of Rs 2,000 crore," he said. Modi, who reached the state capital on Friday night, proceeded to Kochi in the morning and reviewed the flood situation during a meeting with Vijayan and the state government officials. The prime minister's visit comes a week after Home Minister Rajnath Singh visited the state and conducted an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas. Modi also assured the state government that relief materials, including food grains and medicines, would be provided, as requested. Insurance companies have been asked to hold special camps for assessment and timely release of compensation to the affected families and beneficiaries under social security schemes and directions have been issued for early clearance of claims under the Fasal Bima Yojana to agriculturists. The prime minister also directed the National Highways Authority of India to repair the main national highways damaged due to the floods on a priority basis. The central public sector undertaking like the NTPC and the PGCIL have been asked to render all possible assistance to the state government in restoring power lines. Villagers, whose 'kutcha' houses have been destroyed in the devastating floods, would be provided the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin homes on a priority basis. Under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee scheme 5.5 crore person days have been sanctioned in the labour budget 2018-19. Any further request for incurring the person days would be considered as per the requirement projected by the state. Under the Mission for the Integrated Development of Horticulture, farmers would be provided assistance for replantation of damaged horticulture crops. The prime minister also complimented the state government for the efforts made in meeting the challenges of the unprecedented situation, the PMO statement added. Meanwhile, rains lashing several parts of the state since this morning is causing concern as it could hamper the rescue and relief operations. Chengannur in Pathnamthitta, Chalakudy in Thrissur and various parts of Ernakulam district are among the worst hit where rescue efforts are likely to be concentrated on Saturday. Since airlifting is the only option in some remote areas, where people are marooned since the past four days, the state government has sought more helicopters for airlifting them, chief minister said. Chengannur MLA Saji Cherian pleaded for more help and said thousands of people were stranded in houses without food and water, if immediate steps are not taken to evacuate them, their life will be in danger. "For the past five days people are without food in many places. We urgently need food, medicines, water. People need to be airlifted urgently. Evacuation by Army, Navy and Air Force are urgently needed," Cherian told a television channel. Leader of Opposition in Kerala assembly Ramesh Chennithala said the government machinery has to be properly coordinated to ensure all the needy get help. As per information from the control room of the State Disaster Management, since August 8, 194 persons have lost their lives so far and 36 are missing. Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. The maximum deaths have been reported from Thrissur (42), Idukki (37) and Malappuram (35). According to the latest weather report, heavy rains accompanied with gusty wind speed reaching 60 kmph is expected in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki and Ernakulam districts. The state is facing its worst flood in 100 years with 80 dams opened and all rivers in spate. The United Arab Emirates prime minister and Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has come out in support for deluge-hit Kerala and ordered the formation of an emergency committee to provide relief to the victims hit by devastating rains and floods in the state. IMAGE: National Disaster Response Force personnel carry out rescue operation in flood-hit Kerala. Photograph: ANI In a series of tweets in English as well as in Malayalam on Friday, he said, "The people of Kerala have always been and are still part of our success story in the UAE. We have a special responsibility to help and support those affected, especially during this holy and blessed days. Sheikh Al Maktoum, who is also the vice president of UAE, said that the UAE and the Indian community will unite to offer relief to those affected. "We have formed a committee to start immediately. We urge everyone to contribute generously towards this initiative," he said. "The state of Kerala in India is currently witnessing huge floods, the most devastating in a century. Hundreds have been killed, hundreds of thousands have been displaced. Ahead of Eid Al Adha, do not forget to extend a helping hand to our brothers in India, he further tweeted. Meanwhile, India's ambassador to the UAE, Navdeep Singh Suri, said he will chair a meeting tomorrow with community organisations, activists and business leaders to coordinate relief support for Kerala from UAE. "Please contribute generously during this unprecedented crisis," Suri tweeted. So far, 324 persons have lost their lives while over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. The Indian community in the UAE, numbering 2.6 million, constitutes 30 per cent of the total population. It is the largest expatriate community in the country. 'We used to enjoy looking at the serene Periyar river every day, flowing quietly and calmly.' 'How everything changed in a day!' 'The quiet Periyar became angry, aggressive, ferocious, terrifying everyone in its way.' 'I have not seen this kind of rain fury in my entire life.' IMAGE: An aerial view of a flooded locality in Aluva. Photograph: PTI Photo The rain fury continues in Kerala. It has not spared anyone or any place in the entire state, but the worst affected areas are the central and northern parts of Kerala. Asia's largest arch dam, the Idukki dam, opened all its five shutters releasing lakhs of litres of water which finally ends up in the Periyar river. On the whole, 33 dams in Kerala had to be opened. With the Idukki and Idamalyar dams opened, Aluva, the town that is on the banks of the Periyar, was put on red alert a couple of weeks ago. Aluva has been one of the sought after locations and there are several high rise apartments on both the sides of the Periyar. Naturally, all those living on the banks are frightened. Shyama Haridas, a music teacher, has been living in a beautiful flat overlooking the Periyar for the last eight years, but this is the first time that she saw the real fury of the river. She tells Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier what she saw: When all the five shutters of the Idukki dam were opened last week, we expected the water level on the Periyar to rise. Though it was reported that 800,000 litres of water was released per second, the water level did not level considerably. Perhaps that made us a little complacent. We thought the worst was over and we would be safe and did not anticipate a situation like this. By the 15th afternoon, we saw the water level rising alarmingly on the Periyar. It was a disturbing sight. Still we thought since we lived on the second floor, there was no cause for alarm. By the evening, water slowly started filling up the ground floor of our building. Other than parking, there are a couple of flats on the ground floor and they had to vacate immediately. Still, we were not that worried. Even in 2013 when the Idamalayar dam was opened, there was not much damage. Nobody had to vacate their home. But it was not to be. This was 2018 and what unfolded was something totally different. When we found that water was rising at an alarming pace, we got panicky. By then, it was dark and there was no way we could get out of the building. It was one of the nights I will never forget in my life. Heavy rains lashed outside and we could hear strong winds too. We had no idea what awaited us in the morning. I knew we had to somehow leave the apartment in the morning. So, I gathered all the important documents in a bag and got ready for any eventuality. None of us in our apartment slept that night. As expected, it was a scary sight. The entire ground floor was flooded and water was still rising. We sent messages through our friends and relatives to the emergency services to rescue us. By afternoon, a boat came to our apartment and getting onto the boat from the first floor was such a frightening experience. As we were escaping, on the way we could see many people like us trapped in many houses. People standing on the terrace with their houses fully under water, shouting for help. We told everyone that the boat would come back and help all of them escape. The boat did several trips and evacuated all the people from our apartment and other places too. We took all the people from our apartment to my mother-in-law's house in the city and we ate there. We had not eaten anything the previous night and also in the morning, mainly because of fear. By evening, we found that water was entering that area too. We didn't want to take a risk again. We wanted to escape before that house also got flooded. You can say we literally ran away from there. We drove to Perumbavoor which was not that affected then. We got ourselves a room in a hotel and settled here. There, we found many people like us there who had escaped the fury of water. Now, we are trying to see whether we can move to the homes of some of our friends or relatives in Ernakulam. We know our vehicles are under water in the apartment, but we are not worried about those material things. All the people from our apartment escaped. Had we remained there without water and electricity with water all around us, it would have been a terrible experience. I believe in the Supreme Power and that night when water was rising on the Periyar, I was praying all the time. God has been kind to us because we didn't have to go to any camps. There are hundreds of people stranded on the roof tops even now and lakhs of people in various camps. I am praying for all of them. We used to enjoy looking at the serene Periyar river every day, flowing quietly and calmly. How everything changed in a day! The quiet Periyar became angry, aggressive, ferocious terrifying everyone in its way. I have not seen this kind of rain fury in my entire life. People say this is the worst Kerala has seen in a century. I feel nature is angry with us for exploiting it and not respecting it. It is nature's reaction to the arrogance of human beings who think they have conquered everything and they are the supreme beings. The truth is, in front of nature, we are nothing. Rather, we are helpless. I have to say something about the people who are working selflessly. We have this habit of criticising the police and the administrators saying they don't do anything, they don't work sincerely. vBut I saw a different face of the police and the authorities that day. If not for the kind policemen, we would not have escaped that day. I was so scared to step into the boat, but they helped me with kind words and action. I have no words to thank them, all those men who are working relentlessly day and night helping people. They are the real Gods. . I-5 . . ... Judas Priest will headline the first-ever Colombian edition of Knotfest, the music festival launched by Slipknot, which takes place on October 26 at Hipodromo de los Andes in Bogota. While Slipknot are not expected to play the inaugural event in Bogota, the bill includes Helloween, Kreator, Arch Enemy, Goatwhore, Iron Reagan, Kilkrops, Massacre, Under Threat, Revocation and Pitbull have all been announced. "Announcing the first ever #KNOTFESTColombia in Bogota on 26 October 2018 with @judaspriest, @helloweenorg, @kreator, @archenemymetal & more. Get details here: http://knotfestcolombia.com," Slipknot announced on Twitter. Knotfest began in 2012 as a two-city fest in the Midwest before moving to Southern California and eventually merging with Ozzfest. Slipknot are on break from touring at the moment, but are currently working on new music with a new album expected to be released next year. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Entertainment News Yemeni Socotra beauty code: Report [18/August/2018] SANAA, Aug. 18 (Saba) Socotra, is the largest of four islands of the Socotra archipelago in Yemen In 2013, the archipelago became Socotra province, the island of Socotra constitutes around 95% of the landmass of the archipelago. The island also measures 132 kilometers in length and 49.7 kilometers in width. The island is very isolated and a home to a high number of animals species; up to a third of its plant life is endemic. It has been described as "the most alien-looking place on Earth. The Emirati occupaition on the island began under the pretext of aid providing in 2015 and continue to now, the Yemen has suffered a devastating war. Socotra's people have broadly been suffered from the fighting. The archipelago site of global importance for biodiversity and sometimes referred to as the "Galapagos of the Indian Ocean", it lies around 350km off Yemen's southern coast. The UAE is a key partner in a Saudi-led coalition that has been fighting the army and popular committees since 2015 to restore resigned Hadi to power. Emirati troops were first deployed to Socotra at the end of April, hundreds of soldiers were been were sent since then. In October 2013 Saudi-backed Resigned Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi announced Socotra as an independent district, and Hadibu its main town. Meanwhile, Saudi delegation travelled to Socotra to defuse new tensions on the island after the UAE deployed forces without informing Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi. On [April 30]... the first Emirati military aircraft arrived carrying two armored vehicles and more than 50 Emirati soldiers, followed immediately by two other aircraft carrying tanks and armored vehicles and soldiers," Hadi' PM Bin Dagher said in a statement published to Facebook. The Socotra archipelago of four islands and two islets was listed by UNESCO in 2008 as a world heritage site because of its rich and distinct flora and fauna, much of which cant be found anywhere else on the planet, Bloomberg reported. The UAE foreign ministry said it was "surprised" by resigned Hadi' prime minister's statement and blamed the Muslim Brotherhood for drumming up anti-Emirati sentiment over Socotra. The UAE has occupied the airport and seaport of Socotra island, What the UAE is doing in Socotra is an act of aggression," Al Jazeera channel said. That sparked anger among residents who argued that there were no fighters of Ansarullah movement on the island to justify such a deployment as UAE pretend , the source added. The Yemen war has claimed nearly 10,000 lives since Riyadh and its allies joined the conflict in March 2015, triggering what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Written by Mona Zaid revised by Ahmed Al-Mutawakel Saba Protest rally in Taiz holds against Saudi aggression crimes [18/August/2018] TAIZ, Aug. 18 (Saba) Sheikhs and tribesmen of Tazi province held a protest rally against Saudi aggression war crimes in Dhahian district of Saada province. The rally took place on Friday, which stressed on targeting the children bus is war crimes. Last week, the coalition warplanes waged a series of the strikes on the school bus and a popular market and killed 52 citizens including 42 children and 79 others. The protesters denounced the silence of the United Nations and the international community towards the Saudi-led coalition war crimes targeting the Yemen people. saba Ola Mama Wash at Vaivase is more than just a car wash. Opened on August 18, 2017, Owner Lilian Matau said he prayed about business with his wife and it has a religious connotation. We have to be clean in the flesh as well as in the spirit, so thats how we got the name of the business, Lilian told the Dear Tourist team. They have a branch in Salelologa, Savaii that was opened in 2015 and a laundromat. So we do kitchen cleaning as well and we also go to houses and clean bed bugs as well. We also clean tiles using steam washer, said Lilian. For the car wash, we provide a wide range of services right from the water spraying up to full car grooming. Not only that, we can offer those services individually, for example if somebody comes in with his car and wants us to clean just the roof of his/her car we can do that or they want to clean just one chair of the car that had coffee stains or its dirty we can do that. Prices, Lilian said, varies and it depends on the type of work carried out and they offer a wide range of services. If they want to do engine cleaning as well we can do that using the steam wash machine. We have all different kinds of machines that are used to clean the cars from the engine to the body to the inside of the car, Lilian said. Lilian said prices for the various services can be negotiated. We have contracts with companies as well, but we are the cheapest in town including Savaii. Full detailing includes the cleaning of the chairs stains, dirt and all that. Normally we remove the seats from the car as well as the rug on the floor and the roof, we also clean the engine and we remove the tars that are usually stuck on the body of the vehicle. Ola Mama Wash is managed by Matai Vakacabe (pictured), a Fijian expert in car wash services and cleaning. He (Matai) has 10 years experience in the cleaning industry in Fiji so he had signed a contract with us for five years, Lilian said. He also trains our workers on how to use the machines. He looks after the business here and sometimes travels to Savaii to conduct trainings there. Contact numbers for Ola Mama are 7604826/7244633/720 4759. The Samoa Business Network, Samoa branch, held their Annual General Meeting at the Tanoa Tusitala Hotel last week. This followed a successful Digital Marketing Workshop, at the S.S.A.B. Conference Room, and Business Networking Event at Tanoa Tusitala Hotel. The A.G.M. presented an opportunity to reflect on the 2017 and 2018 period to date, and activities delivered by the Samoa Business Network in Samoa. It was also an opportunity to announce the resignation of some of their Executive Members elected during the 2017 A.G.M., and welcome on board new Executive Members, who have agreed to take up these positions until the next Elections are held in 2019. The new Executive Members include: Dinah Macdonald - Secretary, Stephanie Solomona - Treasurer, Cecilia Keil Executive Member & Fashion Industry Representative and Eterei Maiava Youth Representative. Remaining Executive Members from 2017 elections are Etu Tusitala Executive Member and Afamasaga Jackie Curry Chairwoman. S.B.N. Chairwoman, Afamasaga Jackie Curry, acknowledged the contributions made by the former Executive Members who have now moved overseas and/ or taken on new roles and business ventures Clay Paul, Beatrice Ott, River Burich & Ashlene Paul. The A.G.M. was attended by S.B.N. members who were interested to find out more about the future plans of the organisation in Samoa, as well as New Zealand, and how members could benefit from being part of this organisation. The A.G.M. concluded with a presentation by the S.B.N. N.Z. Chairwoman, Laura Keil-Hall, who touched on the Vision and Mission of S.B.N. with members, and shared some of the exciting updates & future plans for the organisation. Mrs. Keil-Hall shared with members the Vision of S.B.N is to enable a successful worldwide network of Samoan Businesses, Entrepreneurs & Professionals, and the Mission is to provide a platform for Samoan Businesses, Entrepreneurs & Professionals to network, collaborate & also make a positive difference in our community. Therefore all S.B.N. activities and events are focused on this clear vision and mission, which is all about promoting Samoan business success, and encouraging our business people and professionals to work together and collaborate for better business and social outcomes for our communities, and to contribute back to our homeland and make an impact in Samoa. Samoa Business Network Chairwoman, Afamasaga Jackie Curry, also acknowledged the support of Corporate Sponsors and the C.E.Os of these companies, who have made all the activities and events in 2018 possible: Lemalu Ray Ah Liki & his team at Samoa Commercial Bank, Tofilau Fiti Leung Wai and her team at S.S.A.B., Jay Krishna and his team at Tanoa Tusitala Hotel and Kevin Schuster and his team at Events, Marketing & Distrbution (E.M.D.). Samoa is a paradise in the heart of the Pacific, says Melanie Murphy. Melanie, who lives in Auckland, New Zealand, flew into Samoa on August 6 for a relaxing holiday and to do a lot of sightseeing around the island. And so far shes been to the Piula Cave Pools and Maninoa Beach. Samoa is a paradise and a unique destination. People are friendly, so laid back. It makes me want to stay and never return to Auckland, Melanie said to the Dear Tourist team. On Fathers Day, I went to mass at Mulivai Cathedral and went on a non-eventful fishing expedition on Monday. Unfortunately I think the fish knew we were there. My favorite food is raw fish mixed with coconut cream and palusami. Melanie has paternal links to Samoa and this trip allows her the opportunity to learn about her family origins. I have been learning more about my genealogy through my family here, she said. I always wanted another tattoo for a while, but I had to wait until there was a point in my life where it was meaningful to me and its a celebration of my culture, my father and my identity. It is something that I am proud to honour my family with by representing it. Samoa is unique for their sense of pride in their culture and the way the people carry these traditions on passed through generations but at the end of the day Samoa is known for how they put their families first. Melanie raised concerns of the number of dogs she came across that barked at moving vehicles. I have noticed that the road rules do not seem to apply to the locals. Another thing is the footpaths; there is a great need of an infrastructure upgrade, she said. Additionally, it is very expensive to have internet access in Samoa. Ive noticed most people have their smartphones rather than having a broadband at home. Melanie returns to New Zealand next week Friday and plans to return with a friend. The Samoa Airport Authority (S.A.A.) spent more than half a million tala on a parking ticketing machine. This was revealed by the Controller and Chief Auditor, Fuimaono Camillo Afele, in his report to Parliament for the financial year ending 30 June 2013. The report says that the auditors found upon their review of fixed assets that an amount totaling $529,398.77 was paid for the new ticketing machine project in 2013. The report does not name the company, which installed the machine. But it revealed that it was awarded to a locally owned overseas company. The Sunday Samoan understands that the company was also involved with previous cases highlighted by the Controller and Chief Auditor in relation to the Samoa Land Corporation. It was not possible to get a comment from the company in question. But the Auditors report raises eyebrows. The total amount approved for the project was for $642,348 and so the amount paid by the end of the current audited financial period ended 30th June 2013 was 82 per cent of the total project, the report reads. Further investigation revealed a final payment made in October 2013 of $110,818.53 totaling $640,217.30. Investigation of work done on the ticketing machine revealed work has not been completed up until the date of the completion of this audit in December 2013. No contract was sighted at the time of the audit but was made available later. At the end of the audit, the authority has yet to settle the 40 per cent of the first variation but 100 per cent of the initial contract was already paid, stated the report. Responding to the findings of the audit report, the S.A.A. said the ticket machine had already been installed, tested and commissioned in 2014. We found from our review of payments that there was a lack of supporting documents for a payment made to the company. The supplier invoiced S.A.A. in absence of the required documentations which they promised to provide later on. The S.A.A. noted the recommendation for future improvement. But the auditors noted in their review of payments that quotes for purchases were either not sought or not filed for some of the payments. The report also stated that the S.A.A. is committed to obtaining three quotes from its suppliers. See below the full findings of the audit into the Samoa Airport Authority. 4.23 Samoa Airport Authority for the financial year ended 30 June 2013 1. A review of fixed assets noted that SAA did not comply with FK(12)29 which required the approval by the Tenders Board of all procurements over $200,000. The initial VIP upgrade was stated by the Authority, as per Board paper dated the 9th August 2013, as being approved by the tenders board in October 2012 at a cost of $442,000 to a local supplier/contractor. SAA could not locate or provide the Tenders Board approval. 2. The plan in issue 1 for the VIP upgrade was changed, nullifying the initial VIP upgrade contract, to include a new VIP building and an upgrade of the existing VIP building. This was not re-advertised by the Authority nor was it taken to the Tenders Board for approval but was awarded to the existing contractor through the utilization of the former approval issued by the Tender's Board in October 2012 (not sighted) for the initial VIP upgrade contract. The new cost of the VIP upgrade was then increased to $1,024,175 and the Board endorsed this increase yet there was still no Tenders Board approval located or provided to the audit team. SAA argued that these arrangements became necessary because of the urgency required to be ready to receive the SIDS guests. 3. We found from our review of fixed assets that the cost of the terminal upgrade, which started in 2012, reached $415,557 at 30 June 2013 and continued increasing to a total of $663,661.41 at the end of November 2013. This procurement was again in contravention of FK(12)29. According to SAA the upgrades to the Terminal Buildings were not undertaken as a single project as implied by the audit observation, but rather were implemented in different stages in response to urgent deterioration or negative impacts to airport facilities or services or due to outstanding requests from airport tenants who had been subjected to deteriorating airport assets that they were using. 4. We found from our review of fixed assets that there was no tenders board approval available for the upgrade of the coastal fence project which was awarded to a local supplier for $279,629.50 in 2013. This procurement failed again FK(12)29 but then SAA argued that the procurement for the new coastal fence was made in 2012 before the new procurement guidelines came into force. 5. We found from our review of fixed assets that an amount totalling $529,398.77 was paid for the new Ticketing Machine project in 2013, which was awarded to a locally owned overseas company, as approved by the Tenders Board. The total amount approved for the project was for $642,348 and so the amount paid by the end of the current audited financial period ended 30th June 2013 was 82% of the total project. Further investigation revealed a final payment made in October 2013 of $110,818.53 totalling $640,217.30. Investigation of work done on the Ticketing Machine revealed work has not been completed up until the date of the completion of this audit in December 2013. No contract was sighted at the time of the audit but was made available later. At the end of the audit, the Authority has yet to settle the 40% of the first variation but 100% of the initial contract was already paid. SAA responded that this machine had already been installed, tested and commissioned in 2014. 6. We found from our review of payments that there was a lack of supporting documents for a payment made to the company in issue 5 The supplier invoiced SAA in absence of the required documentations which they promised to provide later on. SAA noted the recommendation for future improvement. 7. We noted in our review of payments that quotes for purchases were either not sought or not filed for some payments. SAA is committed to obtaining three quotes from its suppliers. 8. An amount of $743,235 has been sitting in the current liability account as payable to the Ministry for Finance (MOF) of which, according to MOF, they have no record of (awaiting confirmation from MOF). It would be good to have a final determination on this unsupported liability. The audit discovered that the Ministry for Revenue has been receiving from the Ministry of Finance cheques to offset GST liability of SAA determined in an MFR audit for the period ended April 2009. The audit recommended that SAA takes note and investigate as it appeared the payments have exceeded the GST liability and SAA agreed to investigate further and action the recommendation. 9. We found from our review of Board Minutes that a number of Board Minutes were missing. None of the board minutes available were signed by the Chairman of the Board. SAA later advised that the minutes were available for sighting but the audit was not sure whether they were in fact correct. SAA stated that a new staff member had been recruited to assist with the Board with minutes and other Board tasks. 10. We noted that the airspace income was not paid by the MOF as per usual of $20,656 per month totalling $248,348 for the year but was paid in lump sum at$241,391.34 for the year. The payments were made as a portion of airspace usage paid by various airlines and the agreement was made about 10 years ago. MOF made these payments toward the Authority's loan with NPF where it was then identified via the NPF loan statement and posted into the Authority's system as airspace income. There was no record of an agreement with MOF on what constitutes this payment and what the reason for the decrease in payment was for this year. The recommendation was noted and SAA had advised that MOF had been updating its loan repayment for the past 2 years. 11. The audit raised again the issue of a withholding tax credit of $81,800 carried in the Authority's books for over five years and has not been claimed from the Ministry for Revenue. This was raised in the previous year's internal control memorandum but the issue has not yet been addressed. The recommendation was noted and the Authority already wrote to the Ministry regarding this amount. 12. Interest earned during the financial year on term deposits held with one of the Banks had withholding taxes deducted. The Authority already discussed this with the Bank and noted the matter for future reference and rectification. 13. We noted from our testing of long service leave cards that that long service payments were not recorded (ie. removal of the long service leave entitlement) in the long service leave card as was usual practice: The human resources overlooked the updating of leave cards even though the copy of the payment voucher was filed in the personal files. Recommendation was noted and the Authority has assured that the leave cards would be updated once payment was made. 14. The audit noted the confusion by SAA over the Labour and Employment Act and its own policies. The confusion arose on the policy to forfeit untaken annual leave where SAA argued the use of the Act as overriding the policy. The Labour and Employment Act is for all Employers not operating under its own Act or under the Public Service Act. 15. A lot of errors were noted in the calculation of provision for leave and even leave entitlements. SAA has committed to rectifying the problem and so it should because of its financial impact on its finances. 16. We noted that the fixed asset register has not yet been completed. As set out in the accounting policies s2.10, all fixed assets should be recorded in the fixed asset register and the details should include name, model, model number, classification, supplier etc. At present, the fixed asset schedule is updated on a monthly basis and reconciles to the MYOB General Ledger accounts. The recommendation on the Fixed Asset Register is noted and the Authority will ensure regular update of the Fixed Asset Register. 17. We noted that the White Toyota Hiace 15 seater van has not replaced its private license plate number "16061" with the Authority's license number as registered with the Land Transport Authority of "AA13". This van was purchased on the 29th June 2012 and has been used by the Authority since then. The reason why the private plates were used was due to the LTA running out of AA license plates. The Authority had just disposed an old van and its plate is now used to replace the private plate . 136 4.24 Samoa Airport Authority for the financial year ended 30 June 2014 1. Payments were processed without the required three quotes to support, and without the General Managers signature of approval. Audit recommended that procedures must be complied with, or else review policies to relieve the General Manager from approving certain amounts, or an authority schedule with delegated authority to other members of the management to ensure compliance and proper maintenance of policies. SAA responded that, at the time, it was under immense pressure to complete its preparations for the SIDS conference in time. These included major refurbishment, building new structures and painting of the terminal and office buildings. Some of these works involved direct quotations from suppliers that had the necessary materials when needed, with some being the only suppliers with available materials at the time of acquisition. Some payments relating to runway lights and rescue fire vehicles could only be procured from usual overseas suppliers. Some were preferred for their specialist nature. SAA also explained that some were regular suppliers that were difficult to obtain quotes for especially since they supply regularly using their price lists. The quality of products and services are also used to determine the suppliers. SAA has noted the recommendations and the procedures in the manual will be amended accordingly to build in flexibility especially when various scenarios are encountered. 2. Payments were made to contractors without any signed contracts. None were available during the interim audit. Audit recommended that contractors must have signed contract agreements, and to have these filed securely. Contractors for SAA should also be registered with the Ministry for Revenue to enable SAA to claim VAGST, and for transparency purposes. SAA understands that the recommendations are very valid, and again cited SIDS conference preparations and, under time constraints, it was forced to adopt the methodologies of single source selection and cost, quality based selection with suppliers, with terms and conditions discussed and agreed to prior to start of their work. Costs were also assessed as significantly lower compared to market rates and the high quality of work produced. Nonetheless, contracts for works or services for SAA have been re-enforced. 3. Issues with payment vouchers: Receipts from suppliers were not attached to payment vouchers. All payment vouchers must have receipts to confirm payments being made, or other source of confirmation. SAA replied that there were situations where suppliers did not have their receipt books on hand when uplifting their cheques. Given the distance of the airport from Apia, cheques were released to supplier who signed on payment voucher to acknowledge receipt of payment. Payment vouchers were without proper signed approval. We recommend that all payment vouchers must followed appropriate procedures to prevent risk of making phantom payments to phantom suppliers. All payment vouchers are checked, certified and approved by authorized personnel before the cheques are uplifted by suppliers. In terms of general supplies, the initiatives to process payment are with the Finance Unit. The Finance Unit will process payment once the goods are supplied and all the documentation is done. For contractual payments, they will only process payment upon receipt of instructions to pay. Payment vouchers were not properly filed. It costs both us and the Authority time in trying to locate files requested for Audit We recommend that all payment vouchers must be filed in a chronological order on a timely basis to avoid delayed matters or issues when requested by auditors or authorised personnel. Management Responses: Most of the files were properly filed. however, at times, some files are pulled out for review purposes and got misplaced in the process. Recommendation is noted and our filing staffs have been reminded of their responsibility of ensuring the safe keeping of payment vouchers. 4. There was a variance between the Master receipts book against departure tax reconciliation. A fraud case Maota Airport Savaii, involving senior security where total collection recorded was $6,610 against the receipt book of $2,060. Audit findings verified the occurrence of fraud on departure taxes. SAA explained that this matter was reported by the cashier when he went to Savaii to collect the cash from Maota Airport. An internal investigation was carried out to confirm the people involved. The report identified the Supervisor as the sole culprit in this activity and was instructed to repay the full amount which he did within the same week. His services were also terminated at that time. Remedial action has been taken whereby all cash collected at Maota will now be banked directly from Savaii on a daily basis to eliminate cash being held in the office overnight. 5. Issues relating to the car park ticketing system: There was no summary of receipts attached to the master receipt book. SAA replied that this was a one-off occurrence, and that receipts were now attached to Cash Summaries. Cash count for the financial year ended 30 June 2014 noted a variation between the actual cash count and receipt summary printed out from the electronic ticketing system. All three machines cash boxes actual cash count noted a shortage. SAA replied that the new car park ticketing system was operational in May 2014. There were some problems when the system first operated. Some of the problems included incorrect change to customers, incorrect reports generated by the system due to the system been cleared every time the door of the vault is opened to clear jammed notes, and problems related to the poor quality of our notes. Weaknesses identified in the internal control and for management to raise red flag on these issues: - No daily collection of cash from the new ticketing system. - Jammed notes can only be receipted once they are replaced from CBS, two to three days after the collection date. SAA explained that management made a decision when the equipment was first installed that it will be emptied on a weekly basis, not daily. The capacity of the equipment to hold cash can be up to 3 weeks. The keys to remove and open the cash vaults are with the AGM - Finance. The technicians only had the keys which open the door of the equipment. The technicians are responsible for the maintenance of the machine. They do not have access to the cash box but they do have access to the jammed notes. SAA said it could not receipt any money which they did not have on hand, otherwise the receipts would be more than the banking. They had to wait until the torn paper money was replaced. There was also no guarantee that all the torn money would be replaced by the Central Bank. 6. Cash receipts were not being deposited on a timely basis. The cashier accumulates cash receipts in a ticketing System and makes weekly deposits. SAA said that all their daily receipts were banked on a daily basis. The cash in the ticketing System was only receipted and banked when the vaults were opened once a week. No one has access to vaults without the keys held by AGM-Finance. AGM-Finance alone cannot access the vaults as keys to open the equipment doors are with the technicians. 7. Receipt summaries were not properly signed by appropriate personnel. SAA replied that officers may have missed signing the summary but that they had already checked and signed off on the Lodgement and Receipt books. 8. Although audit was advised that all bank reconciliations were approved by a responsible employee, no indication of such review was evident on the reconciliations selected for review. SAA replied that reconciliations were done quarterly, monthly and bi-annually. A review of reconciliations, as recommended, has been noted by SAA. 9. At present, the details of the bank reconciling items are preserved for three months and then are destroyed. Some are misplaced. SAA stated that bank reconciliations for the full 12 months of the financial year were filed in one file. Separate files contain bank reconciliations from past years, and that it kept its records for 10 years. SAA agreed that some are misplaced at times, but they do not any of their records. 10. Some cheques drawn on one account had been outstanding for long period of time; some for a year or more (stale cheques). Several of the long outstanding cheques require special attention. SAA has noted the recommendation. 11. Account Receivables Ageing did not match the General Ledger. Itemized statements for customers were requested, but these accounts could not be reconciled. This indicated no reconciliation on a timely basis of the General Ledger. Management should determine the underlying reason for the $15,652.85 difference and should take steps to correct current procedures. In addition, management should develop procedures to ensure that differences are identified, researched, and resolved on a timely manner. SAA responded that all subsidiaries including staff debtors are linked to the main General Ledger but because it has a separate General Ledger for Staff Debtors. 12. Audit discovered negative balances in the trade receivables ageing summary. This also shows no evidence of General Ledger being reconciled on a monthly basis. SAA said that these credit balances did not mean that accounts were not reconciled. The credit balances represent overpayment by customers usually those who paid their accounts through the banks. The variance was a result of the changes in the exchange rate. These credits can be used later to offset some of their outstanding invoices if required. 13. One accounts payables records did not agree with confirmation from SAA. Audit sent out a request to the creditor to confirm the amount owed by SAA, and they disputed the amount on SAA records. This again indicated lack of monitoring and reconciliation on a timely basis. SAA stated that its payments were based on purchase orders issued plus the invoices on hand. SAA is aware of the variance but maintains their records are correct as the creditor could not provide the relevant purchase orders to justify their outstanding balance. 14. There were number of long outstanding accounts receivable balances. Management should continue to monitor accounts receivables on a timely basis. SAA clarified that its Debtors Balances and Debtors Report are provided to the Board of Directors monthly meetings and also to its Audit Committee meetings. Audit recommendation has been noted and SAA will continue to monitor debtors accounts as suggested. 15. Accrued interest on term deposit was overstated. 16. Discrepancies were found between the recorded balances of fixed assets and the recorded gains and losses on disposals and the amounts per the detail schedules maintained. SAA has noted the recommendations and that adjusting journal entries and fixed assets reconciliations have been sent to the auditors. 17. There were variances between the fixed assets register and the General Ledger. This indicated that there was no reconciliation done on a timely basis. SAA replied that the reconciliations of individual Fixed Asset Ledgers were done on a monthly basis. However, given that expenses were tidied up during monthly financial reports, the Fixed Asset Ledgers were also updated. The Fixed Asset Schedule was updated to match the reconciled Fixed Asset Ledgers before it was submitted to the auditors. The audit recommendation is noted. 18. Recruitment of staff was done without following proper procedures. SAA explained that most of the employees noted by audit had been employed for more than 10 years and had come through the process of application, interview and approval. Since then, some had been transferred to other departments. Only one of those identified by audit was directly appointed on a request by the Board due the need for a person to translate, collate and write-up minutes, submissions and resolutions. This person had specific skills as a journalist and was seen as the ideal candidate for this position. There was only one Executive Assistant to the GM, one for Board communications and one for contingency needs of the GMs office. 19. Staff members previously terminated were reinstated by SAA. SAA replied that it had a robust recruitment process in place and that its General Manager, as approved in the Administration Manual, had the final discretion in a lot of the recruitment and any lay-offs. One employee re-hired at SAA could not prove beyond reasonable doubt accusations against her and felt that she was unfairly treated given the circumstances of the case. The other employee was never terminated. 20. There were numerous adjusting entries in the accounting system at the time of the audit. These entries impacted on net income and retained earnings and resulted in changing drafts of accounts many times. These entries should have been done during month end procedures to save time. A review and evaluation of transactions and proper monthly closing procedures would expedite the year-end closing and reduce audit time and fees. SAA clarified that end-of- month adjusting entries were based on estimates, like depreciation and accrued interest. Correcting adjustments are made at year end to correct any over- or under- provision. 21. Many journal entries lacked proper approval by responsible employees. Explanations accompanying the entries were inadequate in many instances. SAA said that journal entries were only processed on the instruction of the Finance General Manager, and the recommendation is noted for clearer narrations. 22. While SAA prepared quarterly financial statements, all required adjustments were not always made in the quarterly statements on the same basis as in the audited year-end financial statements. SAA said that its quarterly reports were prepared based on the information in the system which they believe to be accurate at the time the report is prepared. It incorporates all the adjustments which are done on the monthly basis. Provisions and accruals are based on estimates for the purpose of monthly reports but adjusted again at the end of the financial year to reflect the actual amount for the year. 23. Close personal relationships exist within SAA. Management must take this issue into consideration and determine the risks associated. SAA clarified that it was an SOE and that it was not required to apply PSC requirements. SAA operates under the Labour and Employment Act. In the cases highlighted by audit, the SAA Administration Manual approved in 2012 specifically prohibits couples, father, mother and direct off-springs to work together at the SAA. It must also be highlighted that the couples mentioned were originally recruited as individuals but married before the policy in the Admin Manual was put in place. It is managements view that as long as there were no adverse impacts to the performances of their duties, then they would continue to be employed together but monitored strictly for any unwanted work complications. SAA said it was proactive in other ways to prevent future cases from occurring. 24. Departure taxes collected by banks were to be credited into SAA bank account after they were checked and reconciled by the banks at the end of each day. The majority of unbanked receipts had no records of correspondence exist between the client and one of the banks. SAA said it was working with said bank to clear these outstanding deposits as soon as possible. 25. VAGST returns for the year 2014 were not filed until January 2015. SAA explained that VA GST Returns were file on time but since SAA had a VAGST credit, it notified MOR and made arrangements for the supporting documentation to be supplied at a later date. A request to write off loans is an embarrassment and it does not look good for any country, says Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi. Speaking during his weekly media conference, the Prime Minister said this in response to questions relating to the suggestion by Tongas Prime Minister Akalisi Pohiva that debts Pacific Island states owed China should be on the agenda at next months Pacific Islands Forum (P.I.F.) Leaders Summit in Nauru and loans owed to China should be written off. The Prime Minister said writing off debts is not a new issue, but it could have implications as bigger states could be reluctant to give low interest loans to smaller nations. The issue over Pacific Island nations owing debts to China has always been an issue addressed at the national level, such as the meeting of Commonwealth and the United Nations." And the problem with addressing this issue continuously, the bigger countries become reluctant to give loans with minor interests because this is what will happen, a loan is granted with minor interest yet in five years time a request is put in to write it off. That is embarrassing." And this is the same situation where Fiame was addressing a request for assistance from a Member of Parliament from Savaii who first asked for the milk and then asked for the cow, he said. The Prime Minister said requesting to write off loans paints an unfaithful picture of a country. You cant sign off on a loan for development and then ask to forgive the loans, he said. The Prime Minister said Samoas revenue collection totaled $800 million and it continues to increase annually and the debt servicing is always a priority for the Government. Its by law that we pay on time. There are three segments of our annual budget - loan repayments, operation and our developments, he added. The Cabinet will issue a response to the findings of a Commission of Inquiry that reviewed the proposed merger between the Ministry of Health (M.O.H.) and the National Health Services (N.H.S.). Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi said the findings of the inquiry were discussed by the Cabinet recently and it agreed on a new structure for the merger. But he said an outcome would ultimately depend on the honesty of the management. The findings of the Inquiry were elaborated during Cabinet yesterday and we have laid out a new structure to for the merge." And the Cabinets directive on the merge will be made public soon." The Cabinet has concluded with a new structure that in the end as the Commission indicated in moving forward the virtuous outcome will depend on the honesty of the management." And if we put dishonest people, all the work by the inquiry would be useless, he said, in response to questions from Samoa Observer. The inquiry findings were reported in full recently by the Samoa Observer and concluded that the leaders of Samoas health sector were in a state of war. Unless a reconciliation occurred between the leaders of the warring occupational groups especially doctors and nurses members of the public who depend on them for their services will continue to be victims. Health workers, who are merely trying to perform their duties, will continue to be trapped in this vicious cycle while the war rages above them, stated the inquiry in its findings. The Prime Minister also highlighted the need for the health management to work extra hard. We need to work to reach a 101 per cent, but not less than that, he said. The findings of the inquiry will be made public, the Prime Minister added, but through proper channels. It should be released via proper channels, and not leaked out to the public before it is publicly released. National Health Service general manager, Palanitina Tupuimatagi Toelupe, has rubbished claims by a family that hospital staffs negligence led to their sons paralysis. One-year-old Tovanse Meni was taken to the Motootua Hospital last year with high fever and later admitted for pneumonia. He was discharged a week later but had to be taken back as his condition deteriorated. The grandmother of the toddler, Toloai Meni, has alleged that nursing staff extracted fluid from his backbone to check for meningitis, which she claimed triggered seizures after the medical procedure was done and eventually led to his paralysis. But Palanitina, in response to questions sent to her by Samoa Observer, said the babys medical condition was not vaccination-related. We have all the information to state clearly that this was not so. It is not vaccination related." The parents need to be honest about what they know and the decisions they made which contributed to their childs situation." The family has had many conversations with health professionals and the Honorable. Minister of Health who had gone out of his way to explain the true situation with the babys parents, family and guardians. They know and they have been told many times, she said. Toloai said last month that two days after the medical procedure was undertaken last year, her grandson started experiencing violent seizures and eventually became paralyzed. ACCRA, Ghana (AP) Kofi Annan, a charismatic global diplomat and the first black African to become United Nations secretary-general who led the world body through one of its most turbulent periods, died early Saturday at age 80. Tributes flowed in from around the world after his foundation announced his death in the Swiss capital, Bern, after a short and unspecified illness. The statement remembered the Nobel Peace Prize winner as "radiating genuine kindness, warmth and brilliance in all he did." He died "peacefully in his sleep," the president of Ghana, where Annan was born, said after speaking to his wife. At U.N. headquarters in New York, the U.N. flag flew at half-staff and a bouquet of flowers was placed under Annan's portrait. Reflecting the widespread regard that won him a groundbreaking uncontested election to a second term, leaders from Russia, India, Israel, France and elsewhere expressed condolences for a man Bill Gates called "one of the great peacemakers of our time." Annan spent virtually his entire career as an administrator in the United Nations. His aristocratic style, cool-tempered elegance and political savvy helped guide his ascent to become its seventh secretary-general, and the first hired from within. His two terms were from Jan. 1, 1997, to Dec. 31, 2006, capped nearly midway when he and the U.N. were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001. During his tenure, Annan presided over some of the worst failures and scandals at the world body. Challenges from the outset forced him to spend much of his time struggling to restore its tarnished reputation. His enduring moral prestige remained largely undented, however, both through charm and by virtue of having negotiated with most of the powers in the world. When he departed from the United Nations, he left behind a global organization far more aggressively engaged in peacekeeping and fighting poverty, setting the framework for its 21st-century response to mass atrocities and its emphasis on human rights and development. "In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations," current U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. "He rose through the ranks to lead the organization into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination." Even out of office, Annan never completely left the U.N. orbit. He returned in special roles, including as the U.N.-Arab League's special envoy to Syria in 2012. He remained a powerful advocate for global causes through his eponymous foundation. Annan took on the top U.N. post six years after the collapse of the Soviet Union and presided during a decade when the world united against terrorism after the Sept. 11 attacks then divided deeply over the U.S.-led war against Iraq. The U.S. relationship tested him as a world diplomatic leader. "I think that my darkest moment was the Iraq war, and the fact that we could not stop it," Annan said in a February 2013 interview with TIME magazine to mark the publication of his memoir, "Interventions: A Life in War and Peace." "I worked very hard I was working the phone, talking to leaders around the world. The U.S. did not have the support in the Security Council," Annan recalled in the videotaped interview posted on his foundation's website. "So they decided to go without the council. But I think the council was right in not sanctioning the war," he said. "Could you imagine if the U.N. had endorsed the war in Iraq, what our reputation would be like? Although at that point, President (George W.) Bush said the U.N. was headed toward irrelevance, because we had not supported the war. But now we know better." Despite his well-honed diplomatic skills, Annan was never afraid to speak candidly. That didn't always win him fans, particularly in the case of Bush's administration, with whom Annan's camp spent much time bickering. Much of his second term was spent at odds with the United States, the U.N.'s biggest contributor, as he tried to lean on it to pay almost $2 billion in arrears. At the end of his Nobel acceptance speech Annan reminded the world why such pressure is necessary. "Beneath the surface of states and nations, ideas and language, lies the fate of individual human beings in need," he said. "Answering their needs will be the mission of the United Nations in the century to come." Kofi Atta Annan was born April 8, 1938, into an elite family in Kumasi, Ghana, the son of a provincial governor and grandson of two tribal chiefs. He shared his middle name Atta "twin" in Ghana's Akan language with a twin sister, Efua. He became fluent in English, French and several African languages, attending an elite boarding school and the University of Science and Technology in Kumasi. He finished his undergraduate work in economics at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1961. From there he went to Geneva, where he began his graduate studies in international affairs and launched his U.N. career. Annan married Titi Alakija, a Nigerian woman, in 1965, and they had a daughter, Ama, and a son, Kojo. He returned to the U.S. in 1971 and earned a master's degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management. The couple separated during the 1970s and, while working in Geneva, Annan met his second wife, Swedish lawyer Nane Lagergren. They married in 1984. Annan worked for the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa in Ethiopia, its Emergency Force in Egypt and the office of the High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva before taking a series of senior posts at U.N. headquarters in New York dealing with human resources, budget, finance and staff security. He also had special assignments. After Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, he facilitated the repatriation from Iraq of more than 900 international staff and other non-Iraqi nationals, and the release of Western hostages in Iraq. He led the initial negotiations with Iraq for the sale of oil in exchange for humanitarian relief. Just before becoming secretary-general, Annan served as U.N. peacekeeping chief and as special envoy to the former Yugoslavia, where he oversaw a transition in Bosnia from U.N. protective forces to NATO-led troops. The U.N. peacekeeping operation faced two of its greatest failures during his tenure: the Rwanda genocide in 1994 and the massacre in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica in July 1995. In both cases, the U.N. had deployed troops under Annan's command, but they failed to save the lives of the civilians they were mandated to protect. Annan offered apologies but ignored calls to resign by U.S. Republican lawmakers. After becoming secretary-general, he called for U.N. reports on those two debacles and they were highly critical of his management. As secretary-general, Annan forged his experiences into a doctrine called the "Responsibility to Protect" that countries accepted at least in principle to head off genocide, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing and war crimes. Annan sought to strengthen the U.N.'s management, coherence and accountability, efforts that required huge investments in training and technology, a new whistleblower policy and financial disclosure requirements. In 1998, he helped ease a transition to civilian rule in Nigeria and visited Iraq to try to resolve its impasse with the Security Council over compliance with weapons inspections and other matters. The effort helped avoid an outbreak of hostilities that seemed imminent at the time. In 1999, he was deeply involved in the process by which East Timor gained independence from Indonesia, and started the "Global Compact" initiative that has grown into the world's largest effort to promote corporate social responsibility. Annan was chief architect of what became known as the Millennium Development Goals, and played a central role in creating the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the U.N.'s first counter-terrorism strategy. Annan's uncontested election to a second term was unprecedented, reflecting the overwhelming support he enjoyed from both rich and poor countries. Timothy Wirth, president of the United Nations Foundation, which disburses Ted Turner's $1 billion pledge to U.N. causes, hailed "a saint-like sense about him." In 2005, Annan succeeded in establishing the Peacebuilding Commission and the Human Rights Council. But that year, the U.N. was facing almost daily attacks over allegations about corruption in the U.N. oil-for-food program in Iraq, bribery by U.N. purchasing officials and widespread sex abuse by U.N. peacekeepers an issue that would only balloon in importance after he left office. It emerged that Annan's son had not disclosed payments he received from his employer, which had a $10 million-a-year contract to monitor humanitarian aid under the oil-for-food program. The company paid at least $300,000 to Kojo so he would not work for competitors after he left. An independent report criticized the secretary-general for being too complacent, saying he should have done more to investigate matters even if he was not involved with the awarding of the contract. World leaders agreed to create an internal U.N. ethics office, but a major overhaul of the U.N.'s outdated management practices and operating procedures was left to Annan's successor, Ban Ki-moon. Before leaving office, Annan helped secure a truce between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, and mediated a settlement of a dispute between Cameroon and Nigeria over the Bakassi peninsula. At a farewell news conference, Annan listed as top achievements the promotion of human rights, the fight to close the gap between extreme poverty and immense wealth and the U.N. campaign to fight infectious diseases like AIDS. He never took disappointments and setbacks personally. And he kept his view that diplomacy should take place in private and not in the public forum. In his memoir, Annan recognized the costs of taking on the world's top diplomatic job, joking that "SG," for secretary-general, also signified "scapegoat" around U.N. headquarters. Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Richard Holbrooke called Annan "an international rock star of diplomacy." After leaving his high-profile U.N. perch, Annan didn't let up. In 2007, his Geneva-based foundation was created. That year he helped broker peace in Kenya, where election violence had killed over 1,000 people. He also joined The Elders, an elite group of former leaders founded by Nelson Mandela, eventually succeeding Desmond Tutu as its chairman. Annan "represented our continent and the world with enormous graciousness, integrity and distinction," Tutu said Saturday in a statement, adding that "we give great thanks to God" for him. As special envoy to Syria in 2012, Annan won international backing for a six-point plan for peace. The U.N. deployed a 300-member observer force to monitor a cease-fire, but peace never took hold and Annan was unable to surmount the bitter stalemate among Security Council powers. He resigned in frustration seven months into the job, as the civil war raged on. Annan continued to crisscross the globe. In 2017, his foundation's biggest projects included promotion of fair, peaceful elections; work with Myanmar's government to improve life in troubled Rakhine state; and battling violent extremism by enlisting young people to help. He also remained a vocal commentator on troubles like the refugee crisis; promoted good governance, anti-corruption measures and sustainable agriculture in Africa; and pushed efforts in the fight against illegal drug trafficking. Like many in the international community he expressed alarm at the Trump administration's decisions to back out of the Iran nuclear deal and move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Annan retained connections to many international organizations. He was chancellor of the University of Ghana, a fellow at New York's Columbia University, and professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore. His homeland of Ghana was shaken by his death. "One of our greatest compatriots," President Nana Akufo-Addo said, calling for a week with flags at half-staff. "Rest in perfect peace, Kofi. You have earned it." Annan is survived by his wife and three children. Funeral arrangements weren't immediately announced. ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) As jurors weigh Paul Manafort's fate in a sprawling financial fraud case, the former Trump campaign chairman still has another trial looming in the nation's capital and prosecutors there have a whole new set of charges and a huge volume of evidence. The trial now underway in Alexandria, Virginia, is the first case brought by special counsel Robert Mueller to go to trial. The jury will return Monday to begin a third day of deliberations on 18 counts, including tax and bank fraud and failure to disclose foreign bank accounts. In the District of Columbia, Manafort is scheduled to go on trial in September on charges including conspiracy to defraud the United States, failing to register as a foreign agent, money laundering, witness tampering and making false statements. Neither case involves allegations of Russian election interference or possible coordination by the Trump campaign, which are at the heart of Mueller's larger investigation. But President Donald Trump has expressed a keen interest in Manafort's fate as he seeks to publicly undermine Mueller's probe. The charges in D.C. could result in an even lengthier sentence than what Manafort faces in Virginia. In a status report filed back in February, prosecutors did a preliminary calculation of how federal sentencing guidelines would apply to Manafort if convicted on all charges. In Virginia, they calculated a sentence of roughly eight to 10 years on the tax fraud charges plus an additional four to five years on the bank fraud. In the District, they calculated a guidelines range of 15 to 20 years, and that was before prosecutors brought the witness tampering charge. Those guidelines are only rough estimates and will be officially calculated by a probation officer before sentencing. And sentencing guidelines are not binding on the judge. The fact that Manafort faces a second trial is entirely of his own choosing. Prosecutors preferred to bring all the charges in the District of Columbia, where their investigation is based and where all other defendants have been charged. But prosecutors lacked venue to bring the tax and bank-fraud charges against Manafort anywhere but Virginia, where Manafort owns a home. Prosecutors requested that Manafort waive his venue rights so all charges could be brought in D.C., but he refused. In some ways, the decision to face some charges in Virginia appears to have paid off for Manafort. Judge T.S. Ellis III has expressed skeptical opinions about the government's case from the outset. In a pretrial hearing, he speculated that prosecutors only decided to bring charges against Manafort to pressure him to "sing" against Trump. He also questioned the fairness of a special counsel law that has allowed Mueller to commit millions of taxpayer dollars to his investigation. During the trial, prosecutors have been frustrated by comments Ellis has made in front of the jury about the evidence and his frequent exhortations to move the three-week trial along at a quicker pace. Despite those frustrations, prosecutors were able to introduce hundreds of documents, including emails from Manafort himself seeming to acknowledge some of the financial misdeeds prosecutors say are at the heart of the case. In the District, meanwhile, Manafort will face a judge who has already seen fit to put him in jail ahead of trial. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who will oversee the criminal trial in Washington, ordered Manafort jailed because of concerns about his alleged efforts to contact two witnesses. Prosecutors filed witness tampering charges against him in June. Initially Manafort was confined to a "VIP" jail in Warsaw, Virginia., where his cell had a private bathroom and he had phone and computer access. But after Manafort's lawyers complained about lengthy 100-mile trips to meet with him, Ellis transferred him to a stricter holding facility in Alexandria. Once a familiarly dapper figure in political circles, known for jet-black dyed hair and a tanned complexion, Manafort is now gaunter and grayer. Officials have not said whether Manafort would be transferred to a jail in the Washington area in advance of the September trial. In the D.C. trial, Manafort may face an even taller stack of evidence. In a court filing Thursday, Manafort's defense lawyer, Kevin Downing, said the special counsel's office has sent him "well over 1,000 proposed exhibits most of which have not been a part of the trial before Judge Ellis," for review ahead of the September trial in the District. San Diego Gas & Electric is not giving up its fight to pass onto ratepayers $379 million in costs related to the deadly wildfires that scorched the San Diego area 11 years ago. The utility has filed an appeal with the states 4th District Court of Appeal in San Diego, calling on the court to review a decision by the California Public Utilities Commission that rejected SDG&Es request last November. The commission also denied the utility a rehearing on the case last month. SDG&Es attorneys said last years decision will have severe adverse practical consequences for privately owned utilities in California and, by extension, threatens to have ripple effects throughout the states economy. The CPUC has put utilities in a whipsaw, the 84-page filing argued. SDG&E wants the appeals court to vacate the commissions 5-0 vote and rule that SDG&E is entitled to recover payments from the 2007 San Diego wildfires. Advertisement San Diego attorney Michael Aguirre, who represented ratepayer advocate Ruth Henricks on behalf of utility customers in a lawsuit dealing with the 2007 fires and a sharp critic of SDG&E, doubted the appeals court would take the case. They defer to the agency (in this case the CPUC) unless the agency did something gravely wrong, Aguirre said. SDG&E received very fair treatment by the CPUC and theres really no basis for this. This is really an act of desperation. As for what happens next, Aguirre said parties to the case and the CPUC will respond to SDG&Es filing and eventually the appeals court will decide whether to hear the case or not. Terrie Prosper, director of the News and Outreach Office at the CPUC, said in an email to the Union-Tribune the commission will respond in due course to SDGEs court filing. What happened in 2007 SDG&E spent $2.4 billion to resolve more than 2,000 lawsuits related to the Witch, Guejito and Rice wildfires but the utility insists the blazes were ignited by factors beyond its control including extreme Santa Ana winds, a lashing wire owned by Cox Communications that hit an SDG&E power line and a tree limb that fell onto an SDG&E line due to high winds. The CPUC committed numerous legal errors including a failure to follow its own legal standards for assessing the reasonableness and prudence of utility management decisions and the application of a perfection standard that depends on hindsight bias, said SDGE spokeswoman Allison Torres in part of a statement. Click here to read the entire 84-page appeal But the CPUC saw it differently. Acting on a proposed decision reached by a CPUC administrative law judge, all five commissioners turned down SDG&Es request, saying the utility failed to meet the commissions prudent manager standard. The CPUC concluded the winds in October 2007 were not unprecedented and SDG&E should have foreseen the impact of the gusts that spread the wildfires that destroyed more than 1,300 homes, killed two people, injured 40 firefighters and forced more than 10,000 to seek shelter at Qualcomm Stadium. The SDG&E filing argued there is substantial evidence the power company acted responsibly and the CPUCs application of the prudent manager standard was legally erroneous. The utility pointed out that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which regulates interstate transmission rates, granted SDG&E settlement payments through rates that eventually came to $80 million and found the record indicates SDG&E behaved as a reasonable, prudent utility in the maintenance of its lines prior to the wildfires. A large part of SDG&Es case turns on the legal doctrine known as inverse condemnation. As interpreted by courts in California, inverse condemnation holds that utilities can be held liable for damages related to a wildfire ignited by a power companys equipment such as a downed power line even if the utility followed accepted safety procedures. Virtually no other state applies inverse condemnation the way California does and utilities say such an interpretation, combined with the requirement that power companies provide electricity in areas at risk to wildfires, may lead them to bankruptcy. Defenders of inverse condemnation say the way its applied in California gives power companies extra incentive to reduce wildfire risks in their respective service territories and take extra precautions their equipment and procedures dont spark conflagrations. Although CPUC president Michael Picker and commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves joined in the 5-0 vote against SDG&E last November, they expressed concern about inverse condemnation and said the Legislature and/or the courts should address it. Debate in Sacramento The SDG&E appeal comes as wildfires rip through the Golden State. Five of the 20 most destructive fires recorded in California occurred in 2017 and this years Mendocino Complex Fire was recently pronounced the largest wildfire in state history Lawmakers in the final two weeks of the legislative session in Sacramento are considering laws dealing with wildfires and Gov. Jerry Brown has introduced draft legislation that would alter the way inverse condemnation is applied. Utilities are lobbying for change and according to a report from CALmatters, Pacific Gas & Electric spent $1.1 million between April and June on wildfire legislation. PG&E and the other investor-owned utility in the state, Southern California Edison, joined SDG&E late last year in its fight to get the CPUC to OK the $379 million request. Aguirre said he was interested to see if the filing to the appeals court on Aug. 3 came from SDG&E alone and not with PG&E and Southern California Edison joining as co-parties. The fact that SCE and PG&E did not join in the appeal I think underscores the weakness of the appeal, Aguirre said. They basically abandoned their case I dont think its a good sign for SDG&E. However, Edisons director of corporate communications Gloria Quinn said SCE chose not to file on its own in order to avoid petitions being filed in more than one district of the court of appeals. We we will be filing an amicus in support of SDG&Es petition, Quinn said in an email. Business rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1251 Twitter: @robnikolewski The atmosphere at City Hall in National City has been tense in recent months. Following the death of Earl McNeil, much of the tension has unfolded in the council chambers. Screaming, crying, arrests all as protesters have made impassioned pleas for more details about the death of McNeil, who reportedly suffered a heart attack in June while in police custody. In the wake of the turmoil at City Hall, the city made counselors available to its employees. Its a tense, tense time, City Manager Leslie Deese said of the protests, which disrupted four consecutive City Council meetings between June and July. (The City Council is on recess this month.) Advertisement Thats impacted employees, Deese said. We want to make sure our employees feel good or feel comfortable. The city and The Counseling Team International set up three counseling sessions on July 31 one for police officers, another for firefighters and medics, and a third for all other city staff members. About 10 employees attended each session, police officials said. The Police Department has a contract with The Counseling Team International for support in response to on-the-job experiences that could affect an officer. Under the agreement, Counseling Team International is paid about $800 a month for services, which are offered to other city departments as needed. Services were extended beyond the Police Department about a year ago, when counselors were made available to officers and firefighters who responded to a medical call that led to an assault on a firefighter. McNeil, who suffered from mental illness, was arrested when he went to the police station May 26 to apparently turn himself in on an outstanding arrest warrant. Officers who tried to detain him said he became combative. They placed him in a restraint and took him to county jail, where he reportedly suffered a heart attack. Officials have said McNeil had drugs in his system. He died at a hospital June 11. His death led to protests that began in mid-June at a City Council meeting marked by the arrest of an activist who shouted and wailed as officers escorted her out of the crowded council chambers. Some community members in attendance walked out in tears. During a subsequent City Council meeting, a group of protesters interrupted a presentation by city staff, walking up to the dais with their hands in the air and chanting, You have blood on your hands. Some of the protesters, who had lay down in front of the dais, were dragged out of the room by police. In some instances, protesters have confronted police Chief Manuel Rodriguez face to face as he sat at the city staff table in the council chambers. Protesters have repeatedly called on officials to release more information about McNeils death, including video and records related to the case. Deese, the city manager, sits on the dais and faces the public. She is able to see the faces of her employees who sit at the staff table with their backs to the audience. When the City Council has recessed recent meetings, Deese has asked city staff to walk out of the room too. I think it affects people in different ways, she said. She later added: I know its hard for employees. Its hard for me. In recent weeks, Deese said, she has heard in passing employees at City Hall talk about the protests, using words such as scary to describe the tense moments. Acting police Capt. Alex Hernandez, who oversees the patrol division, said he and Chief Rodriguez have spoke to officers about the unrest. Weve reassured them theyre doing their job and we support them, but also telling them they have these (counseling) services available should they need to talk to somebody, Hernandez said. Our concern is that theyre mentally well when they go out into the community. The counselors for employees are part of a larger effort. Deese said the city emphasizes the well-being of employees, noting the city formed in 2012 a committee composed of staff to encourage all employees to lead healthier lifestyles. The group puts together a newsletter, lunches, health challenges and talks with health professionals. While the Police and Fire departments have gyms at their stations, other employees have access to a gym at City Hall. Deese and Hernandez said they dont recall seeing in the past the level of tension that has played out at City Hall in recent months. People are upset at various things, whether a building issue all kinds of different things and thats the purpose of the meeting, but Ive never seen anything as intense as this, said Deese, who has worked for the city in several positions for more than 30 years. In response to the protests, a number of officers and fire personnel have been on hand inside City Hall during council meetings a decision made to ensure the safety of the public, Deese and Hernandez said. Fire Marshal Robert Hernandez has ushered people to open seats and news reporters, who have turned out more and more, to areas that dont block exits. Our goal has always been to protect everyone there, whether its people exercising their First Amendment right or people who want to see their local government, Hernandez said. Email: david.hernandez@sduniontribune.com Phone: (619) 293-1876 Twitter: @D4VIDHernandez When Kevin Linde moved to San Diego in 2012, the Museum of Photographic Arts was one of the first places he visited, and he was excited to find a place dedicated to the art of photography in this way. After applying for and getting an internship with the museum, hes now the adult programs manager, implementing educational programs for older adults and the general public. Photography has been a thread woven through much of my life, and Ive always believed that to better understand photography in its many forms, is to better understand ourselves and the many ways in which we see the world, he says of his decision to work with the museum. Part of his work also involves workshops for the public, outreach tours and the SEPIA (Seniors Exploring Photography, Identity and Appreciation) program. Linde, 32, lives in Logan Heights with his partner, James, and their cat, Chasca. He took some time to talk about his work at the museum and how art and photography can help older adults and those who have Alzheimers and dementia. Q: Why did you want to work with the Museum of Photographic Arts? Advertisement A: When I learned of MOPAs mission to inspire, educate and engage the broadest possible audience with photography and film, I knew I had found an exciting organization working toward a very important set of goals as a center for visual literacy, especially in todays increasingly connected and visual world. Q: Tell us about the SEPIA program. A: The SEPIA program began in 2012 as a pilot to explore how to best serve, specifically, older adults and seniors through engaging, relevant and accessible programming. Historically, museums have often taken for granted the visitorship by older adults and seniors, and often a lot of attention and resources go toward youth educational programs. However, we know from research that older adults and seniors can have just as much, if not more, of a barrier in accessing programs and engaging with content at a museum due to a range of factors, from physical mobility to cognitive ability and socioeconomic circumstances. The program launched to provide free talks, courses and tours through a network of partner sites around the county, and specifically tailored for seniors across a range of abilities, with the goal of having a positive impact on the well-being of participants by learning something new and meeting others with shared interests. Q: What do you go over and teach in the digital photography courses for seniors? A: Over the years since the start of the program, weve adapted the four-week courses to go beyond basic digital photography, inviting seniors to explore everything from nature photography on location, to how to sequence and print their very own photo book. However, across all our courses we specifically strive to develop all participants visual literacy; that is, how do we read and talk about photographs, how do we create more effective messages in our own photographs, and how do we use images to communicate something about ourselves? While that may sound complicated, its actually so much fun to dive into something like contemporary photography with older adults, hear their reactions and chat through how they could even dabble in it themselves by simply thinking of things (or seeing things) from a different perspective. What I love about Logan Heights ... There are so many things to love about Logan Heights, but its really the connection to San Diegos diverse history thats around every corner. Q: Why is it important to promote art appreciation among seniors? A: Research shows that arts engagement, specifically for the older adult and senior demographic, has a number of benefits to the participant, from decreasing social isolation to improving overall well-being by providing an opportunity to be creative in a supportive environment. It also helps to build new skills and vocabulary to talk about, and experiment with, new ways of expressing oneself through images. Q: You also work with seniors who have Alzheimers and dementia? A: Our work with older adults and seniors involves providing opportunities for an in-the-moment experience, where we can explore a photograph, an artists work or a technique, without having to rely on short-term memory and retention of details or facts. We partner with organizations in San Diego, from the Shiley-Marcos Alzheimers Disease Research Center at UC San Diego, to the Alzheimers Association of San Diego and Imperial Counties, to provide programs for those with memory loss and their caregivers to attend together. Q: How are art and photography helpful or beneficial to people with Alzheimers or dementia? A: Photography has this unique place in wider culture where its one of the most familiar forms of capturing a moment, and also something many, if not most, of us use regularly in our lives. That familiarity is a great entry point for people to start talking about what theyre seeing and what theyre noticing in an image. This works well with a population that may not be able to recall details or facts, but can actively look at an image and talk about what it may be picturing. It also is something concrete in front of us that we can reference and relate to, rather than an abstract concept or idea, which would be harder for someone experiencing memory loss. Its also a record of the past in many ways, and so a collection that spans the history of photography, from the early 1800s to now, is an incredible resource to use these images as a springboard for reminiscing and leveraging long-term memory in individuals where short-term memory may be difficult. Q: Whats been rewarding about this work? A: Seeing a positive impact in the lives of participants and those we reach through the museums programs, from simply learning a new skill to something more complex like coming to see photography, and their own abilities, in a new way. Q: What has it taught you about yourself? A: Its taught me that were all able to learn at absolutely any stage and age in life. Q: What is the best advice youve ever received? A: The best advice Ive ever received is to never stop learning. Learning isnt something thats done only while young and in school, or only while enrolled in a degree or certificate program. We all have the opportunity each day to learn something new, and I think thats one of the most exciting things about life. Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you? A: I love to knit! It seems pretty unrelated to photography, but its a passion of mine thats relaxing, really tactile and hands-on, and in a bigger way I love how a simple pattern of numbers and letters can in turn create something we can use or wear. Q: Describe your ideal San Diego weekend. A: My ideal weekend in San Diego would be to get out and enjoy the outdoors, from a walk or bike ride through my neighborhood Logan Heights, or simply digging around and working in the small vegetable garden we keep at home. Email: lisa.deaderick@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @lisadeaderick The La Jolla Chamber Players formally incorporated in 1968, but soon grew to become the La Jolla Music Society. Its mission is to enhance the vitality and deepen the cultural life of San Diego by presenting and producing a dynamic range of performing arts for the increasingly diverse community. Also in 1968, the University of California acquired 130 acres in the La Jolla Farms area. The first land purchased for UC San Diego, it included the home that would become the Audrey Geisel University House, the official residence for the universitys chancellors. Both organizations have grown dramatically in stature over the last half-century, and share mutual respect. LJMS holds an annual SummerFest music festival, running Aug. 3-24 this year, with nearly all performances taking place at UC San Diegos Conrad Prebys Concert Hall. Last Saturday, the festivals exceptionally elegant black-tie celebration the SummerFest Gala was held at University House, hosted by Chancellor Pradeep Khosla. Ginny and Bob Black, Haeyoung Tang, Mary Ann Beyster, Brenda Baker and Steve Baum (Vincent Andrunas) The major fundraiser sold out with 225 guests (at $1,500 per ticket). Festivities began with Champagne, lavish hors doeuvres, and panoramic coastline views. Music followed, of course a half-hour concert with pieces by Rossini and Schubert, performed by five world-class musicians headed by violinist Cho-Liang JimmyLin and celebrating his 18 remarkable years as SummerFest music director. Advertisement Before the performance, board chair Katherine Chapin spoke of LJMS new facility, the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, named after the late philanthropist and major contributor. While not as long as Chinas Great Wall, nor as massive as Egypts pyramids, she said its being built with the same imagination, determination, and skill, and when The Conrad opens next April 5, it will be the first wonder of La Jolla. SummerFest chair Sylvia Re, gala chair Dolly Woo, and honorary chair Martha Dennis each spoke, thanking sponsors, supporters, and guests. Chancellor Khosla suggested that hosting the gala at University House should become an annual tradition. A splendid dinner followed, created by chef Jeffrey Strauss of Pamplemousse Grille. Lobster salad preceded an entree featuring Colorado lamb and Hudson Valley duck confit, all truly superb. Dessert offered Meyer lemon tarte and carrot cake. The celebration continued in the courtyard, with sea-salt chocolate caramels, ice cream sundaes, cognac, and dancing. The gala netted about $360,000 for LJMS Artistic and Education Outreach programs. Affecting about 12,000 students annually, theyll expand when the new center opens, helping ensure performing arts education remains part of the school curriculum for all students. August 18, 1977 The San Diego Union The San Diego Union-Tribune will mark its 150th anniversary in 2018 by presenting a significant front page from the archives each day throughout the year. Thursday, August 18, 1977 In 1977 the remnants of Hurricane Doreen dumped two inches of rain in San Diego and more than four inches in parts of the county. Doreen caused an estimated $25 million damage and four deaths in Southern California. Here are the first few paragraphs of the story: Heavy Rains End, Damage To Area Placed In Millions Valley Again Suffers Brunt Of Storm By Cliff Smith, Staff Writer, The San Diego Union An unprecedented August rainstorm dissipated over Central California last night, leaving the Southland drenched with up to 4.8 inches of rain and the Imperial Valley partially inundated with an estimated $25 million damage. The downgraded remains of Hurricane Doreen abated a growing fire hazard, but caused the death of at least three persons, flooded at least 210 homes, ruined more than 300,000 acres of cotton and alfalfa and detained thousands of motorists. The second flight of the Space Shuttle Enterprise, which had been set for Aug. 30, was postponed indefinitely, its dry lake landing place flooded. An underground nuclear test blast in Nevada was delayed 24 hours. Floodwaters tore out Interstate 8 at Ocotillo and State 86 along the west shore of the Salton Sea, effectively blocking all surface access tot he Imperial Valley except from Arizona. The U.S. Weather Service predicted a chance of sprinkles through this morning, partly cloudy skies today with a chance of a few thundershowers today over the mountains. Last night, the remnants of tropical storm Doreen were reported in the vicinity of San Clemente Island. A weakening Doreen was expected to enter onshore at Santa Monica some time early today. There is still quite a bit of shower activity with the remnants, but most of this activity will be in the Sierras and western Nevada, the National Weather Service reported. However, shower activity will pass eastward and miss the forest fires at Big Sur, where fire fighters have been battling for two weeks flames that have burned more than 150,000 acres in Los Padres National Forest. Showers will also miss the drought-stricken San Joaquin Valley, the National Weather Service said. The showers are expected to pass through the Tehachapi and San Bernardino mountains, then into the Sierras near Yosemite and on into Nevada. Rainfall totals for the storm climbed as high as 4.8 inches, measured at Brawley. The 2.13 inches recorded at Lindbergh Field eclipsed all August rainfall records in more than 100 years of record keeping. View anniversary front pages online at sandiegouniontribune.com/150-years. For more from the Union-Tribune digital archives, go to newslibrary.com/sites/sdub. Searching is free, with registration. A fee is required to view full stories. The Carr fire swept into the edge of this city without mercy, leveling two neighborhoods on either side of the Sacramento River. On the western side of the river, authorities began issuing warnings door to door in Keswick at least 30 minutes before homes started burning and up to 12 hours early for homes farther south. On the other side, residents in areas such as Land Park and River Ridge were told to leave with no time to spare, if they got any warning at all. It was in this area of Redding where a great-grandmother and two young children died when they simply could not get out of town. The difference in how evacuations were issued and the deaths that followed shows the huge challenge California is facing as fires get bigger, faster and increasingly destructive. Officials said the system they used for evacuating neighbors in the path of the fire July 26 simply didnt account for the rapid change in its speed and behavior, which was marked by dramatic fire tornadoes that pushed the flames at more than 160 mph. On one side of the river, the fire behaved in ways officials expected, moving up and down hills at a pace firefighters were accustomed to tracking. But when it reached the other side, the blaze spread quickly in all directions at once, giving authorities little time to send out warnings and leaving residents running for their lives. Flames sprinted across the landscape, sapping oxygen and energy from everything in their path. The Carr fire, as seen at 5:21 p.m. on Thursday, July 26, 2018. (Morgan Gregory) The Carr fire, as seen at 7:28 p.m. on Thursday, July 26, 2018. (Morgan Gregory) The Carr fire, as seen at 5:21 p.m., left, and 7:28 p.m., right, on Thursday, July 26, 2018. (Morgan Gregory / Handout) It doesnt fit the conventional profile of a wind-driven fire. It was just bizarre. This thing had a mind of its own, said Eric Ohde, a former Redding firefighter. The blazes speed overwhelmed firefighters and the countys ability to alert people ahead of it when it jumped a 90-degree bend in the Sacramento River. It also comes less than a year after fires in the states wine country went into neighborhoods with little official warning and killed more than 40 people in the middle of the night. Many folks here said they suspect the Carr fire would have been just as deadly had it come through at a similar hour. The chaos surrounding the fires surge into Redding thousands of people fleeing as firefighters and police rushed to the scene has forced public officials to reassess their response to adapt to an age of increasingly fast and destructive blazes. There have been proposals in Sacramento to improve evacuation order protocols and improve technology. But the Redding blaze also showed the need to better understand how fires move. When you can identify errors, well correct them, Gov. Jerry Brown said at a news conference in Redding, where he surveyed the damage. This fire was different than any other fire, and the fire next year or next month will be different too. So we have to learn as we go. Ed Bledsoe holds a photo of his deceased wife, Melody Bledsoe. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Ed Bledsoe surveys his home destroyed by the Carr fire. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Morgan Gregory, 17, holds up her laptop at her home destroyed by the Carr fire. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Top: Ed Bledsoe holds a photo of his deceased wife, Melody Bledsoe. Bottom left: Ed Bledsoe surveys his home, which was destroyed by the Carr fire. Right: Morgan Gregory, 17, holds up her laptop at her burned-out home. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) The Carr fire was sparked by a malfunctioning recreational trailer being towed along Highway 299 about 1:15 p.m. on July 23, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The highway leads drivers west from Interstate 5, deep into the Shasta-Trinity National Forest between mountain slopes, before it forks north and south at the Trinity River. Every afternoon, westerly winds are funneled through those mountains and gust down toward Old Shasta and, beyond that, Mary Lake and western Redding, said Shasta County Fire Department Battalion Chief Troy Velin. In its first days, it was a fairly skinny fire oriented with that wind flow, Velin said. The fire moved into burn scars from 2008, where crews figured it would weaken. That was Californias worst fire year on record and a particularly deadly one in the Shasta-Trinity Forest, where 10 firefighters lost their lives. It was burning in areas that hadnt burned in at least 80 years. The conventional thinking at the time was that when it gets into that area that is 10 years old, it should start to drop out a bit, Velin said. But it was essentially the same. It didnt change. By July 25, the fire had reached the edge of Whiskeytown Lake and destroyed dozens of boats. At 2 a.m. the next morning, the blaze reached Benson Drive on the western edge of Keswick, Velin said. Flames crawled south and police and local sheriffs deputies raced through the neighborhood and warned everyone as the fire entered its fourth day. The only resident to not get out on this side of the river was Kathi Gastons 62-year-old brother. Daniel Bush had undergone quadruple-bypass surgery two days earlier and was recovering in his home on Market Street when the evacuation orders were issued. He was in really bad shape, Gaston said. With the neighborhood cleared out but Bush nowhere to be found, Gaston and family members pleaded with officers at roadblocks to let them in to save him but to no avail, she said. Bush became the first civilian victim of the Carr fire that day. His remains were found in the charred ruins of his bedroom, Gaston said. I doubt he even knew what was going on. He didnt have a chance unless somebody went in and said Come on, lets go, she said. I doubt he even heard them knocking. All I know is my brother didnt want to die and there was plenty of time. The fire took hours to march east and south through Keswick and over homes on Swasey Drive and Lower Springs Road on its way to a Mary Lake subdivision and the Keswick Dam, firefighters said. Morgan Gregory, 17, was watching the fires progress safely from her familys driveway across the river on a Land Park subdivision cul-de-sac. Many of Reddings firefighters and police officers lived in the neighborhood and had been giving informal updates to neighbors, she said. The area had a kind of block-party feel that afternoon, said Morgans father, Scott Gregory. Neighbors were gathered on driveways and in the middle of the cul de sac trading observations on the fires movements and theories on where it would go. Cal Fire crews pulled into the neighborhood about 4 p.m. with a bulldozer and began cutting defensive lines behind the homes, adding to the sense of safety, Gregory said. Morgan snapped a photo of the fire inching downhill on the other side of the river as the firefighters arrived and then another about 5:20 p.m. The blaze was still far away and hadnt jumped river, so she went to the gym while her family slowly packed up belongings just in case things got worse. There were firefighters saying Its not going to jump the river. Its going to be OK. Nobody had any idea the wind was going to shift like that. Its not their fault, Morgan said. Los Angeles Times Evacuations were being issued based on a series of triggers, said Cal Fire Deputy Chief Bret Gouvea. Officials considered where the fire was going, what fuel lay in its path and what weather they expected when they told residents to abandon their homes for their own safety. People near Mary Lake, for instance, were miles away from the fires edge when they were told to leave July 26, records show. But Morgans family and the thousands of others who lived on the east side of the river were afforded no such lead time. When the teenager arrived home from the gym about 7 p.m., her neighborhood was chaotically evacuating and the sky was thick with black smoke, the sun bathing the neighborhood in a red glow. Velin, the local battalion chief, said no one could have predicted that the fire would have transitioned from moving at a deliberate, predictable pace on one side of the river to a dead sprint into neighborhoods on the other. Ed Bledsoe had been keeping an eye on the fire from his property more than a mile inland when his wife gave him the OK to head into town about 7 p.m. to help his friend, a doctor. But within 15 minutes, she and the couples great-grandchildren were calling Bledsoe, pleading for him to come back and rescue them. I figured the Fire Department would come through here and knock on every door or somebody at least come on the PA system hollering Everybody get out, the fires coming! Bledsoe said. They didnt say nothing. About the time Bledsoe had left his home, firefighters said, the blaze rapidly transitioned into a plume-dominated one that became immune to outside winds or topography. Plume-dominated fires produce gigantic towers of smoke that reach 35,000 feet high and can be seen from space. They burn so ferociously that physics demand they create their own weather. Their smoke plumes climb into the sky with the rising hot air, forcing cooler air at lower elevations to rush in to replace it in the form of wind. That process, with time, begins to make the smoke plume rotate. When that happens, embers can shoot out in all directions and as far as a mile away from the fires front. In the case of the Carr fire, witnesses say it began to eject red-hot embers the size of leaves more than a mile away from its front. Thousands of those sparked spot fires on or near residential properties on Morgans and Bledsoes side of the Sacramento River, lined with dried oak, cottonwood, blackberry, grass and poison oak, according to firefighters. Morgan snapped pictures of the fires transition as she fled the neighborhood. The flames disappear behind a growing wall of black smoke that grew into a column. Plume domination is pretty rare, it doesnt happen very often. And the magnitude in which that plume develops, specifically this one, we havent seen one recorded at least in U.S. history that has been that fast or destructive, Velin said. The fire probably sucked in fresh air from creek drainages on the rivers west side then gained strength when it reached the patches of dry fuel on the other side, Velin said. He guessed that the spot fires added heat to the main column, and so did the burning houses eventually. Scientists are studying the event to see if there were any warning signs and lessons firefighters can glean for future battles. This is occurring more frequently, where homes are right in the outland and urban interface, said Cal Fire spokesman Gabe Lauderdale. So it is definitely something we have to be on the lookout for. Gouvea, the Cal Fire deputy chief, saw reports that as many as three fire whirls formed on the east side of the river as hundreds of homes in Stanford Hills, Land Park and River Ridge were destroyed. Ive seen a few fire tornadoes in my career dating back 29 years, but not to this extent, he said. Redding Police Chief Roger Moore was helping River Ridge residents flee when it developed. He said trees appeared to be levitating, and branches and sheet-metal roofs orbited the column. Uprooted objects launched into the air ignited midflight. Vegetation and homes hundreds of feet from the column also caught fire before the twister arrived. Depending on the final number, this might actually be the strongest tornado in California history, even if it wasnt formally a tornado, UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said by email. There have been a couple of marginal EF-3 twisters in Californias past, but this fire whirl was almost certainly longer-lived, larger in spatial scope and perhaps even stronger from a wind-speed perspective. Multiple people were suspected to have died in the vortex, including Redding firefighter Jeremy Stoke. His vehicle was thrown 600 feet off the side of the road, said Ohde, who was Stokes first captain with the Fire Department. Not all big fires are going to result in these big fire whirls, even in a future thats much hotter and drier, Swain said. This wont be the primary risk associated with wildfire, ever. But under the right atmospheric conditions, all else being equal, the increasing intensity of fires themselves will play a role in producing these localized fire weather conditions that can be quite extreme. Support our journalism Already a subscriber? Thank you for your support. If you are not, please consider subscribing today. Get full access to our signature journalism for just 99 cents for the first four weeks. Additional credits: Animation by Jon Schleuss. Video edited by Robert Meeks. Produced by Kelly Corrigan. Times staff writer Ron Lin contributed to this report. James Elia isnt about to add superhero to his November ballot bio, even though friends are urging the Democratic candidate for state Assembly to do so. Doctored pictures transforming the District 71 Assembly candidate into Batman have popped up from visitors to his Facebook page since early Sunday morning when Elia thwarted a possible vehicle burglary on the El Cajon street where he lives. Shortly after 2 a.m., Elia was in his car smoking a cigarette after a late-night gym workout when he noticed a stranger he estimated to be in his late 30s tampering with a truck parked down the street. Elia jumped out and, in his bare feet, chased the man for about five blocks before catching him. When the suspect mentioned he had a wife and kids and pleaded with his captor not to call the cops, Elias soft side triumphed. Advertisement The former high school wrestler figured the would-be thief had suffered enough, released his grip and warned the intruder not to come back. Infamous last words. A few minutes later, as Elia resumed smoking and checking email in his car, the same figure stealthily returned and began taking the wheels off a neighbors trailer. This time, the 280-pound Elia showed no mercy and, delivering a jiu-jitsu maneuver he thinks would have made his former instructor proud, held the would-be thief captive until El Cajon police arrived. They determined that a crime hadnt actually been committed and no arrest was made. After the suspect was apprehended, Elia recorded the exchange on Facebook Live as he related his story to police. In this phone video recorded by James Elia on Facebook Live, an unidentified vehicle tampering suspect sits on the curb while El Cajon police conduct their investigation and interview Elia, a candidate for the state Assembly district encompassing much of East San Diego County. (James Elia) The video quickly triggered superhero comments, including: I am so getting you a cape today; Its a bird, its a plane; Can I be your Robin? Political responses came in, too: Who says that progressives are not tough on crime? and The only thing better would have been if the thief had been Randy Voepel (Elias GOP opponent). Others expressed concerns about his safety: Dont be a hero, be alive! And the caveat: Stop smoking THAT will definitely kill you. The downside, confesses the neighborhood hero, is that his wife saw the video and discovered he was covertly smoking in the car. Former Vice President Dick Cheney during an appearance on Meet the Press in Washington, D.C. in 2014. (REUTERS) The show goes on: Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney had to cancel his appearance at Friday evenings Rancho Santa Fe fundraiser for GOP Congressional candidate Diane Harkey. She is campaigning for the seat of retiring Rep. Darrell Issa. Cheney cited family medical issues. They involved not the former VP, who had a heart transplant in 2012 after suffering five heart attacks, but his wife, Lynne, explained Tony Krvaric, chairman of the San Diego County Republican Party. The fundraiser at the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe still took place as planned without Cheney. With Issa stepping down, the GOP is fighting an expensive battle to keep a Republican in the hotly contested 49th District seat where Harkey is pitted against Democrat Mike Levin in the general election. The Cheneys daughter, Liz Cheney, is a GOP congresswoman representing Wyoming. Sirens went off at the Aug. 13 ceremony held at SDFD Station One in downtown, as San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer swore in Colin Stowell. He is the citys 18th Fire-Rescue Department chief. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) Timing is everything: San Diegos new Fire-Rescue Department Chief Colin Stowell was being lauded by Mayor Kevin Faulconer at his Aug. 13 swearing-in outside Fire Station 1 when an alarm went off, not once, but twice, during the ceremony. The emergencies sent several firefighters scrambling away aboard hook and ladder trucks. Stowell stayed to complete his swearing-in ceremony at the station where he began his city firefighting career 30 years ago. Seems Stowell was quite prescient when he stood in front of the same station July 2 as Mayor Faulconer announced his selection as the citys new fire chief, beginning Aug. 13. At the time, Stowell announced he was well aware of the current issues and, come August, well be able to hit the ground running to start addressing those issues. They did, indeed, hit the ground running on Aug. 13. Steve Cohen, news director of KUSI, explains why the station isnt joining the outcry by broadcasters and other media against attacks by the Trump administration. (KUSI TV) Fake news fallout: As more than 300 newspapers around the country, including The San Diego Union-Tribune, jointly published editorials supporting a free press Thursday, locally owned KUSI-TV delivered a lengthy explanation on its morning news show and website explaining why it chose not to climb aboard the media bandwagon. News Director Steve Cohen was interviewed about his stations decision on KUSIs Good Morning San Diego broadcast. Were not going to join this stampede, he said, noting that a national association representing about 1,200 radio, TV and digital news directors had recommended that they, too, join the outcry. In referring to President Trumps administration, Cohen explained: Its our job to give them a hard time, and its their job to give us a hard time, and you just have to stand tall about it. A statement prepared by the McKinnon family, who own and operate the station, called it a politically correct campaign and another example of pack journalism. We do NOT fear the comments of the President, nor are we part of the prevailing anti-administrative narrative. The KUSI management suggested that practicing quality journalism is the best way to protect the First Amendment. diane.bell@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1518 Twitter: @dianebellSD Facebook: dianebell.news Its not the people who vote that count, Joseph Stalin reputedly said. Its the people who count the votes. The upcoming election is giving the Soviet dictators cynical witticism a new American meaning. Counting the votes has turned into a quasi-military extension of national defense. To Michael Vu, San Diego Countys registrar of voters, the sense of impending threat The Russians Are Coming Again! must feel like (forgive me) deja vu. Advertisement The son of Vietnam War refugees, Vu was raised in Salt Lake City, where the aspiring lawyer fell into election work as a part-time college job. In time, the election bug bit me, he says. The virus sent the University of Utah graduate to Ohio for several years and then San Diego in 2007. Even in the best of times, it should be noted, the worst of things happen in a human enterprise relying on some 6,000 volunteers in San Diego County alone. We are always on high alert, Vu tells me. Anything can go wrong. Last election, he tells me, a postal truck with ballots caught on fire, triggering emergency action. (Triage is a verb Vu uses a lot.) Some elections, however, are more terrifying than others. Vu was the registrar in charge of the November 2004 election in Ohios Cuyahoga County, the first presidential contest since 9/11. In that dark period, he recalls, the palpable fear of terrorists blowing up polling places, not cyberattacks, preceded the election. As it turned out, long lines at some Ohio polling places stoked partisan suspicions that neck-and-neck presidential elections had been rigged two times in a row, first in Florida in 2000 and then in Ohio. In the impending mother of all midterm elections House impeachment of the president possibly hanging in the balance the level of scrutiny is at a wartime pitch. The warning lights are blinking red again, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats warned last month. Vu tells me that Homeland Security and the FBI are regularly checking in with him, clearing channels of communication in case of Russian interference. Congress has allocated $380 million to beef up election cybersecurity in all 50 states. (In a recent partisan vote, however, Republicans rejected another $250 million.) In Sacramento, where Democrats rule, an Office of Elections Cybersecurity has been approved by the Legislature. Vu has received emails from voters worried about Russian interference in key races with national implications. For example, the 49th Congressional District race, which promises to be close, might be a tempting target for Russian tampering. While Vu concedes that anything is possible, the changing of results is just not a plausible probability, he asserts. On Election Night, votes are all recorded on paper, not computer files. Votes never get sent to the cloud. All votes cast on a small number of touchscreens provided for disabled voters are duplicated onto optical scan ballots. All votes are counted in the central office. Manual checks validate the final tallies. (A detailed summary of all the security measures would flood this space.) If the Russians are going to change votes, theyre going to have to do it the old-fashioned way: Theyll have to storm the camera-protected central office and hijack the election. Its counter-intuitive but true. The lower-tech our voting is, the more secure it is. Other states, the ones that run higher-tech elections, may be more vulnerable to cyber stealth operations. As for indirect modes of interference, well, they are at least conceivable, Vu says. On Election Night, the Internet could be hit so hard that the public is kept in the dark about the results. Democracy could be made to look hapless, bloody prey for conspiracy theories. On another front, voter registration information is centrally secured by the Secretary of State, Vu says. If that system were hacked, voter information could be changed to make voting difficult for individuals, creating anger, doubt, chaos. Though confident in a robust web of protections (county, state and federal), Vu encourages voters to check their online registration status early and often and report anomalies. In the same vein, dont trust official communications that depart from the norm, like a sudden change in polling place or election date. Could be a dirty trick to suppress votes. As for the politically freighted issue of voter fraud President Trump famously (and ridiculously) alleged that several million illegal votes cost him a popular victory Vu is careful to say that he has never seen a systemic attempt to skew an election with criminal voters. This is his diplomatic way of calling B.S. on the fringe notion that illegal voters constitute a serious, as opposed to a quirky, challenge for the justice system. And finally, to round out the reasons why registrars lose sleep, theres the eternal nightmare of dead-heat elections. When contests come down to the short strokes of disputable provisional ballots, registrars are forced into the role of resigned Solomons, picking winners and losers in a democratic sweat lodge. If the devout Election Night prayer of registrars everywhere could be encapsulated in one word, it would be Landslide. The full text of the entreaty, smiles Vu, would go like this: Lord, let the winner win big. I dont care who wins, but let there be wide margins. A 21-year-old bitcoin dealer from Baja California was ordered held without bail Friday in connection with a 31-count indictment charging him with international money laundering and other financial crimes related to his digital-currency transactions. Jacob Burrell Campos, of Rosarito Beach, was arrested Monday as he tried to enter the U.S. from Mexico through the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. During a bond hearing Friday in federal court in San Diego, Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Ciaffa described Burrell as a prolific bitcoin dealer who sold about $750,000 worth of the cryptocurrency to hundreds of buyers throughout the United States. The defendant conducted 971 transactions with more than 900 customers, accepting cash in person, through his bank accounts and via MoneyGram, according to prosecutors. Advertisement As a bitcoin exchanger whose activities constituted a money-transmitting business, Burrell was required to register with the U.S. Department of Treasury and comply with all anti-money-laundering requirements, including reporting suspicious cash transactions, Ciaffa told U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen Crawford. Burrell, however, accepted cash with no questions asked and, in return for a 5 percent fee, supplied hundreds of people with an easy way to evade money-laundering laws applicable to all financial institutions, even those dealing in bitcoin, the assistant U.S. attorney alleged. Burrells activities blew a giant hole through the framework of U.S law by soliciting and introducing into the nations banking system close to $1 million in unregulated cash, Ciaffa said. Burrell, charged with 28 counts of money laundering, sent 28 wire transfers totaling over $900,000 from his bank accounts in the U.S. to a bank account in Taiwan in the name of Bitfinex, according to the indictment. The defendant resorted to buying bitcoin through Bitfinex, a Hong Kong cryptocurrency exchange, after his account was closed by a U.S.-based bitcoin exchange for circumventing its identification-verification processes. The defendant, who was born in San Diego, allegedly conspired with others to smuggle over $1 million in U.S. currency into the U.S. from Mexico in amounts slightly less than $10,000 in order to avoid currency-reporting requirements. In all, the indictment charges the defendant with operating an illegal money-transmitting business, international money laundering, failing to maintain an anti-money-laundering program and conspiracy to structure monetary transactions. In ordering Burrell held without bail, the judge found that he posed a substantial risk of flight due to his significant ties to Mexico, citizenship in three countries, access to large sums of cash, lack of steady employment in the U.S. and alleged disdain for American laws. A federal grand jury in San Diego returned indictments Friday against a retired Navy captain and two retired chief petty officers for their alleged roles in the ever-expanding Fat Leonard bribery and fraud case, the worst corruption scandal in the military services history. David Williams Haas, Ricarte Icmat David, and Brooks Alonzo Parks are accused of accepting a variety of now-familiar gifts cash, fancy meals, hotel-suite parties with prostitutes in exchange for approving inflated invoices and for steering Navy contracts to the ship-services company run by a Malaysian businessman named Leonard Glenn Francis. It feels good living like a KING on an E-6s salary!!! Parks wrote in one email to the firm, asking for a suite to use during vacation, according to the indictment. The trio faces up to 20 years in prison each, according to federal prosecutors, who have now charged 32 people in a case that cost the Navy at least $35 million over two decades. Twenty of the defendants have pleaded guilty. Advertisement As of Friday, none of the defendants had appeared in court to enter pleas. Francis, known as Fat Leonard because of his size, pleaded guilty to bribery in 2015 and has been helping investigators unravel the dealings between his Singapore-based maritime company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia, and the Navy. His favorite target appeared to be the Blue Ridge, the flagship overseeing operations in Asia and the Western Pacific for the Navys 7th Fleet. More than 15 officers from the ship have been charged in the case, including Haas, 50, a former captain who now lives in Kailua, Hawaii, and, according to his LinkedIn profile, works for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Under investigation since he was suspended in late 2013, Haas is accused in an eight-count indictment of accepting at least $145,000 in bribes from Francis. They included lavish parties at five-star hotels and opulent restaurants in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines, the frequent services of prostitutes including one two-day party in Tokyo that reportedly cost $75,000 and a 50th birthday celebration for his wife. In return, the indictment says, Haas helped steer ships and submarines to ports where Francis company provided tugboats, security, food, fuel, trash removal and other services at one point even using his influence to get the aircraft carrier John C. Stennis routed to Malaysia. Love it when my plan falls in place, Francis e-mailed his staff after he got the news, the indictment states. He billed the Navy $3 million for the carrier visit. In November 2012, Haas and his second-in-command, Michael Misiewicz, met with Francis at the Ritz-Carlton in Tokyo and allegedly gave him classified information about upcoming ship visits. They also vetted 7th Fleet organizational charts for him, identifying others who might go along with his schemes, according to the indictment. Afterwards, Francis took the two to a strip club, where the bill for food and prostitutes was $7,000, the indictment alleges. Misiewicz pleaded guilty to conspiracy and bribery charges and was sentenced to 78 months in prison in April 2016. In a separate, one-count indictment, David, 61, a former master chief petty officer assigned to various logistics positions in the 7th Fleet, is accused of conspiracy to commit fraud. He allegedly approved inflated invoices for port visits, provided classified and proprietary information to Francis firm, and advocated for it in contract disputes. In exchange, he allegedly received hotel rooms, prostitutes and $40,000 in cash. After a $15,000 pay-off in November 2005, according to the indictment, David emailed Francis to thank him for the wonderful Christmas present. The indictment details a string of requests for cash by David, who was building a house in the Philippines, where he now lives. I have six more years left till I retire perhaps we can make some business again just like we did in Hong Kong, he wrote in a May 2006 email, the indictment states. A year later, in another email detailed in the indictment, he instructed Francis on how to pad the expenses for a ship visit and wrote, Just dont forget me please. My house is not finish yet, O.K.? His email signature: Bad Boy. The third indictment, also for conspiracy to commit fraud, accuses Parks, 46, a former chief petty officer now living in Italy, of using his position in logistics to provide sensitive and propriety information to Francis firm about Navy ship and personnel movement. In return, he allegedly received hotel suites, airline tickets and a case of White Hennessy cognac. The indictment paints him as a particularly pushy conspirator. In early 2007, he asked via email for accommodations in Hong Kong during a port visit by the Blue Ridge. When he was offered a standard hotel room, he allegedly wrote back, Id like something a lot nicer. Another time, he asked for a suite at the Ritz-Carlton in Singapore that costs more than $4,000 a night, according to the indictment. The one he received instead, at a Hilton, went for $3,000. His demands eventually prompted an executive with Francis firm to wonder in an email, What is he doing for us and can we make any money out of him? The indictment says that the chief petty officer began providing inside information about Navy port visits. After one of the leaks, a company vice-president emailed Francis: Looks like Parks pulled through for us againhaha. In addition to possible prison sentences, the three newly charged defendants face fines that could reach $250,000. john.wilkens@sduniontribune.com Six dead because of DUI drivers. Six convictions in 14 days. For the record: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Chloe Gordons age and the nature of her guilty plea. Chloe Gordon is 20 and pleaded guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter after prosecutors dismissed a charge of gross vehicular manslaughter under the influence of cocaine and marijuana. The San Diego Union-Tribune regrets the error Separate lives, separate cases, all prosecuted by the District Attorneys DUI Homicide Unit, created four years ago and led by Deputy District Attorney Cally Bright. Between Aug. 1 and Aug. 14, the drivers in all six cases either pleaded guilty or were found guilty by a jury of murder or gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. Advertisement The victims included pedestrians, other drivers, a tow truck operator and a record-setting cyclist. In the span of two weeks, our DUI Homicide Unit brought a measure of justice and resolution to these fatal cases that unnecessarily shattered the lives of the victims family and friends, District Attorney Summer Stephan said in a statement. So far this year, there have been 12 adult defendants charged with DUI murder or manslaughter, a crime that is 100 percent preventable. DUI drivers in the county have killed 15 people and seriously injured eight so far this year. Last year was the worst on record for DUI fatalities, with 25 drivers prosecuted by Brights team, the office said. Brights team has about 20 open cases of drivers facing DUI murder or manslaughter charges. Sentences can range as high as life in prison, depending on the drivers prior record. Every crash in San Diego County ending with a death and a drug or alcohol DUI arrest is evaluated for DUI murder charges, Bright said in an email. She added, law enforcement agencies are using every available resource to investigate these offenses as homicide cases. Her unit of experienced prosecutors and investigators who are experts in collision reconstruction handle each step of the case from beginning to end. This months convictions were: Marco Antonio Pastor, 31. On Aug. 1, a jury in a re-trial found him guilty of second-degree murder for an Oct. 12, 2015 head-on crash that killed Joseph Howard Crews, 77, on East Mission Road in Oceanside. Pastor had two prior DUI convictions. He faces 15 years to life in prison. Ricardo Vargas, 33, pleaded guilty on Aug. 2 to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated for a March 27 crash on state Route 78 that killed his passenger, Martha Zulema Martinez Arambula. He faces six years in prison. Felix Ruiz Bazan, 26, pleaded guilty on Aug. 6 to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated for being under the influence of meth when he veered into a bike lane on state Route 76 in Oceanside on Aug. 31, 2017, killing record-setting endurance cyclist Paul Cornish, 70. Bazan has agreed to a 10-year prison sentence. Chloe Gordon, 20, pleaded guilty on Aug. 7 to gross vehicular manslaughter for speeding and crashing her own SUV on state Route 15 on May 8, 2017. Another driver, Chi Ho Michael Lee, 42, smashed into the SUV and died. Gordon faces four years in prison. Michael Gray, 50, pleaded guilty on Aug. 9, the day of trial, to second-degree murder with two serious felony priors. He killed tow truck operator Fred Griffith, 55, on the shoulder of state Route 52 near Santee in a hit-and-run on Feb. 23, 2017. He has three DUI priors and faces 25 years to life in prison. Joshua Ness, 33, pleaded guilty Aug. 14 to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated for the hit-and-run death of Michael ORourke as he walked across East Second Street in El Cajon on Oct. 10, 2017. He will receive a stipulated 15-year sentence. pauline.repard@sduniontribune Twitter: @pdrepard Their reign of terror across northern San Diego lasted three weeks in 2016. But the nightmare hasnt ended for the home-invasion robbery victims who were threatened at gunpoint in the middle of the night, bound, gagged, blindfolded and in one case, sexually assaulted. On Friday, as the last two of the seven so-called Open Door Bandits were sentenced to in prison, several of their victims told a San Diego Superior Court judge how their lives were shattered. Judge Joan Weber also heard a message of forgiveness from the woman, referred to in court as Jane Doe, who was sexually assaulted by at least two of four intruders then forced to shower away any evidence. Advertisement I tell you, I forgive you, Jane Doe told the defendants. I believe you are more than the sum of your crimes, adding that her hope is in Jesus the one who got me through that night and every day since. After listening to the emotional statements from the victims, Weber sentenced Thomas James Smith, 26, to 135 years to life in prison, and Aaron David Rico III, 22, to 60 years to life in prison. The judge called the two vicious ringleaders in the burglary-robbery crew that hit 10 homes, five of them at night when residents were sleeping, across neighborhoods from Rancho Bernardo to Mira Mesa and Sorrento Valley. The thefts of cash, gold, jewelry and computers occurred from the end of January into early February in 2016. Its hard to imagine a more terrifying situation than Jane Does, Weber said. Her husband was not in the county and her three children were down the hall. Weber went on, telling Smith and Rico: You could have gotten all their property, you didnt have to hogtie them, punch them, tie up a 2-year-old. The gratuitous violence in this case was extraordinary. Authorities said the thieves, working three or four at a time, would rattle doorknobs until they found an unlocked door. They would slip in and awaken residents with guns and bright headlamps, and shouted orders to get on the ground and hand over valuables. They took their time ransacking some homes, and carried away one couples life savings in gold bars. Some victims were pistol-whipped. One was bound and shoved in a closet. San Diego police arrested Smith, Rico, his brother, Aaron David Rico V, Stephen Ramon Gomez, Robin Shawver, Victor Harvey and Jordan Hollywood Wilson in connection with the crimes. While the others pleaded guilty and were sent to prison, Rico III and Smith went to trial, denying they were involved in the sexual assault but admitting most of the other charges. A jury convicted them in June of 30 counts each including robbery, burglary, conspiracy and digital penetration by force. Before the sentencing, the judge denied defense motions for a new trial on the grounds that one victims wallet was found on a Mira Mesa sidewalk bearing DNA of a man never suspected in the robberies. Smiths lawyer said jurors should have been given the evidence to weigh when considering whether his client was the black man who assaulted Jane Doe. Weber said the failure for the police crime lab to notify the prosecutor of the wallet DNA before the Smith and Rico trial started was a terrible flaw in the system. I hope heads are rolling, Weber said sternly as she emphasized the need for a fail-safe system to tell prosecutors about new evidence. Deputy District Attorney Jalyn Wang said it is a top priority in her office. Weber heard from other victims in the robbery spree, including James Mott, whose home was invaded by three men in black clothes, hoods and headlamps. I didnt know if my wife and I were going to survive the night, Mott said. Their primary goal was the thrill of terrorizing us theft was secondary. Thomas Baxter said he hasnt still shaken the feeling someone else could break into his home, so he always makes sure his door is locked and the alarm set. Betsy Huntingdon told Weber, I still occasionally jolt awake in the middle of the night, wondering if I heard something, she said. pauline.repard@sduniontribune Twitter: @pdrepard A San Diego man with a prior conviction for the same offense was sentenced in federal court today to more than 3 1/2 years in prison for his admitted role in a human-smuggling attempt that seriously injured a U.S. Border Patrol officer. Before handing down the 44-month sentence to 38-year-old Jaime Aburto,U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel heard testimony from Border Patrol Agent Francisco Hurtado, who tackled Aburto and wrestled him into submission following a road and foot chase in the far southern reaches of San Diego. After seeing two suspected unauthorized immigrants board a white van in a construction area near the U.S.-Mexico line, Hurtado began tailing the group in his patrol vehicle and tried to pull over the driver later identified as Aburto on state Route 11, according to court documents. Refusing to yield, Aburto accelerated to speeds exceeding 100 mph and merged onto state Route 125. After making a dangerous U-turn over a center median, running a stoplight, swerving around slower-moving traffic and driving through two busy commercial parking lots, the fleeing suspect steered onto a sidewalk, where the van crashed to a halt against a pole. Advertisement At that point, Aburto jumped out of the damaged vehicle and ran off to the south on Roll Avenue, toward Otay Mesa Port of Entry, according to prosecutors. Close behind, Hurtado pulled over and chased the suspect down. Following a brief struggle, Hurtado was able to overpower Aburto and take him into custody with help from fellow agents. During the violent arrest, Hurtado suffered significant leg trauma,court documents state. He missed several weeks of work due to the injury and has yet to fully recover his mobility, according to federal officials. Aburto pleaded guilty in May to one count of human smuggling for financial gain. Smugglers see customers as dollar signs and have no concern for the safety and well-being of those they smuggle, San Diego-area U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman said. This office is committed to prosecuting smugglers,particularly when (their crimes result) in an injury to a Border Patrol agent performing his duties. A San Diego judge overseeing the effort to reunify families urged opposing attorneys to get moving Friday on a solution that would allow all reunited children to pursue their own asylum claims rather than be immediately deported with their parents. In a court hearing Friday, U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraws repeated insistence on speed and efficiency underscored a desire to close out a chapter in this countrys immigration history, despite new legal wrinkles that continue to be raised in court, including yet another related lawsuit filed late in the day in Washington, D.C. This is an enormous undertaking involving a situation of the governments own making, but we will never be able to come up with a process that is perfect or restores all rights as if this incident never happened, Sabraw said. All we can do is the best we can do under the present circumstances. I think the overarching considerations are family unity and an ordered process where rights are observed, and efficiently, so that this entire incident can be wrapped up in accordance with the law and this chapter closed, he added. Advertisement A day earlier, Sabraw issued a temporary restraining order that in effect continues a weeks-long freeze on family deportations so asylum rights can be litigated further. While the government could appeal the order, Sabraw said he hoped both sides can come to a resolution outside the courtroom in the next week. Some 2,000 children have been reunited with their parents so far, but the families most impacted by the order are the several hundred in family detention centers with final deportation orders. When the families were separated, the children were taken to government shelters or placed with sponsors, and many were not given the chance to argue credible fear before an asylum officer as they would have otherwise done if kept with their parents, attorneys for the children argued. An opportunity now for a credible fear interview means that, if he or she passes, then the child and parent would be permitted to remain together either in family detention or paroled into the community during the duration of the childs case. Meanwhile Friday, a new lawsuit was filed in Washington, D.C., arguing that these parents should have another chance to claim asylum because their previous attempts to do so while separated from their children were flawed. Many parents were too distraught over the separation to effectively argue credible fear in their initial interviews, attorneys argue. The parents also lacked the validation of testimony from their children, because family asylum cases are typically handled with parents and children together. A handful of other lawsuits related to family separation that have been filed across the country have been recently transferred to Sabraw, and it is likely this one will be, too. While Sabraw did not directly address the asylum rights of the parents still in the U.S., he said he was less inclined to allow some of the 366 parents who have already been deported to Central America and Mexico the opportunity to return to the U.S. to restate their cases. Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union have argued that some parents particularly those who spoke indigenous languages may have been coerced into dropping their asylum claims or done so unknowingly. The ACLU and a host of volunteers are in the midst contacting all of the deported parents to determine if they want to reunite with their children. ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt said the going has been slow, with phone calls out to about 120 parents but actual contact made with a little less than 50. We are unfortunately not reaching many people, Gelernt told the judge. Phone numbers are nonoperational or people are in hiding. The news tamped down the enthusiasm brought by last weeks report from the government that authorities had already been in contact with 299 parents. Gelernt said that the majority of the parents they have reached thus far have expressed a desire to follow the governments proposed plan, which is to fly the children to their home countries for reunification. But a few parents indicated a desire to return to the U.S. to pick up where they left off on their asylum cases, Gelernt said. Sabraw said opening the door to deported parents poses possible jurisdictional issues and complicated logistics, and is also strongly opposed by the government. It seems to me in the best interest of the family, what were looking for is reunification, and under present circumstances that reunification ought to occur in the home country, Sabraw said. According to the latest data, 519 children remain separated, for various reasons. Besides the 366 parents who were previously deported, 19 parents are jailed or imprisoned, 36 failed background checks and 37 have other red-flags under review, among other reasons. Authorities report that 154 parents, many of whom were deported, have waived reunification although the ACLU remains suspicious of that conclusion and is attempting to contact those parents to make sure that is their wish. Of the 2,654 children initially identified as being separated, authorities found that 46 in fact were not separated from their parents, with many likely having crossed the border as unaccompanied minors. kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @kristinadavis Patrons tackled and disarmed a man who held them at gunpoint outside a Fallbrook bar early Saturday, sheriffs officials said. The 22-year-old man had pulled a gun from his waistband and pointed it at people in the parking lot outside Red Eye Saloon on South Mission Road about 2 a.m., authorities said. He demanded their wallets and cellphones and fired a shot into the air. Several patrons rushed and tackled the gunman, holding him on the ground until deputies arrived. Deputies recovered a 9mm pistol with a loaded 16-round magazine and one spent shell casing on the ground. The man also had two additional loaded 10-round magazines in his pocket, authorities said. Advertisement He was arrested on numerous charges and booked into the Vista jail. kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @kristinadavis A Riverside County couple was jailed Friday in San Diego County on vehicle burglary and drug charges, and the man is suspected of a recent string of dozens of vehicle break-ins near Fallbrook-area hiking trails and across Riverside County, authorities said. Craig Anthony Truckenbrodt, 43, and Dayna Danielle Navas, 31, were arrested Thursday in connection to a vehicle break-in at Live Oak Park on Reche Road in Fallbrook, San Diego County sheriffs Lt. Ricardo Lopez said. When deputies detained the couple, they allegedly found items from the Live Oark Park burglary in Truckenbrodts vehicle and Navas purse. Both were booked into jail late Thursday, Truckenbrodt on suspicion of two felonies and two misdemeanors, and Navas on suspicion of two felonies and three misdemeanors, according to jail records. Each was being held in lieu of $250,000 bail on the charges that include burglary, identity theft and drug possession. Advertisement Sheriffs detectives from San Diego and Riverside counties have connected Truckenbrodt to a series of vehicle burglaries, including at least eight since early June at Fallbrook-area trail heads, Lopez said. The majority of those burglaries happened at the Los Jilgueros Preserve walking trail on South Mission Road. After those break-ins, authorities say surveillance footage at various stores showed a suspect using the victims credit cards, Lopez said. The suspect typically wore a dark hat and sunglasses while using the stolen cards. Riverside County deputies and Murrieta police estimate they have at least 20 open investigations connected to Truckenbrodt, Lopez said. It was unclear how authorities connected Truckenbrodt to the string of burglaries in both counties. Anyone with information about the recent string of break-ins was asked to call detectives at the sheriffs Fallbrook substation at (760) 451-3100, or San Diego County Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477. Twitter: @Alex_Riggins (619) 293-1710 alex.riggins@sduniontribune.com A sheriffs deputy who is already charged with sexual misconduct involving more than a dozen women while on duty appeared in court Friday to face additional charges, including an allegation that he sexually assaulted a woman in her home. Deputy Richard Fischer did not enter a plea on the five new felony counts. His arraignment in Vista Superior Court was postponed until Aug. 27. The 32-year-old was arrested Thursday and jailed on the new charges until a little before 10 p.m. Friday when he posted $2 million bail and was released from the Vista Detention Center. Jail personnel confirmed his release. Fischer was scheduled to be back in a Vista courtroom Monday for a hearing regarding his request to reduce his bail. It was unclear Friday night if that hearing would still happen, or if his release had negated the need for it. Advertisement Fischers new case includes a charge that he forced a woman to perform a sex act in spring 2017 the most serious of the allegations leveled against him to date. The new charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years, eight months. That is on top of the 14 years, eight months that the deputy faces from criminal charges nine felonies and six misdemeanors that prosecutors filed earlier this year. Many of those charges in the older case relate to assault and battery under the color of authority; his accusers said he fondled or groped them while he was on duty. Fischer had pleaded not guilty in that case, and, until Thursday, had been free on $100,000 bail posted. No trial date has been set. He remains on unpaid administrative leave from the Sheriffs Department. In all, Fischer faces criminal charges linked to accusations from 16 women. All but one of those accusers are among the 20 women who are suing the deputy and the county in civil court. Staff writer Alex Riggins contributed to this report. teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com (760) 529-4945 Twitter: @TeriFigueroaUT UPDATES: 10:25 p.m.: This article and its headline were updated with information about Fischers release from jail. This article was originally published at 4:45 p.m. Earlier this week, when a grand jury reported that bishops had covered up decades of sexual abuse by Roman Catholic priests in Pennsylvania, Esther Miller suspected these crimes would touch Southern California. Unfortunately, she was right. I have a new victim, said Miller, the Southern California representative of Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests, or SNAP. The news triggered all these emotions and shes a mess. The unnamed woman, who has declined to publicly tell her story, was a girl when she was allegedly molested by the late Rev. Ernest Paone. Advertisement Dogged by scandal in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Paone moved to Oceanside in 1966. While never formally transferred to another diocese, he assisted several Southern California parishes, including St. John the Evangelist in Encinitas and Oceansides St. Mary, Star of the Sea. He also taught for 20 years, reportedly at Fallbrooks Potter Junior High between 1966 and 1986. While volunteering at St. Denis Catholic Church in Diamond Bar, he allegedly molested a 9-year-old girl. He was embedded closely in the family, Miller said. He would come to Sunday dinners at the house. Now grown, the alleged victim called Miller this week, after news on the Pennsylvania grand jury cited Paone. She just opened her guts, Miller said. She just sobbed and sobbed and sobbed. Both the San Diego and Los Angeles dioceses say they have not received reports of Paone abusing local congregants. Yet his long residence in Southern California, plus his long history as a serial abuser, makes some wonder if he continued preying on children here. They had no doubt he was an offender, Patrick Wall, a former priest turned legal investigator, said of the Pittsburgh diocese. Thats why they got him out of Dodge. Good standing? A Pittsburgh native, Paone was ordained in 1956 and assigned to a parish in his hometown. He had an unusually short tenure there and at his next four parishes, serving in five churches in five years. In 1962, Paones supervisor the Rev. Edmund Sheedy, pastor of St. Monica interceded to prevent his subordinates arrest. Paone had been accused of molesting young boys of the parish, Sheedy wrote Bishop John Wright, and the illegal use of guns with even younger parishioners. At another Pennsylvania church, Paone in 1964 was accused of sexually abusing young boys. That investigation was quashed, the Beaver County district attorney wrote the diocese, in order to prevent unfavorable publicity. In May 1966, Paone was granted indefinite leave for reasons bound up with your psychological and physical health as well as spiritual well-being. By September of that year, Paone had moved to Oceanside and was teaching in Fallbrook. The San Diego County Office of Education confirmed that Paone had enrolled in the California State Teachers Retirement Systems in September 1966 and began drawing retirement pay in June 1986. The office referred further comment on Paone to William Billingsley, assistant superintendent of human resources in the Fallbrook Union Elementary School District. Billingsley did not return several phone calls and emails. In 1968, Paone requested and received a letter from the Pittsburgh diocese to the Los Angeles diocese, confirming he was a priest in good standing. He made the same request in 1975, and the Pittsburgh diocese again complied. Yet Paone, according to a statement released by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles this week, had no formal assignment at any parish in the Archdiocese and was always a priest of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Nonetheless, the archdiocese noted that its own records show that Paone assisted at Immaculate Heart of Mary in Santa Ana; St. Angela in Brea; and St. Denis in Diamond Bar. Besides serving as a substitute priest and teaching in Fallbrook, Paone also furthered his studies. In 1970, he graduated from the University of San Diego with a masters degree in history. Health issues Between 1982 and 2005, Paone filed several lawsuits in San Diego courts, including a 1982 case alleging fraud. Paone and nine others had invested in a proposed 11-acre development in Valley Center. The plan collapsed, though, taking with it all of the money including Paones $19,995. While all 10 were initially represented by one lawyer, Paone eventually chose to represent himself. In 1983, his lawsuit was dismissed. Paone moved several times in Oceanside, living there with one of his brothers. In 1992, he moved to Las Vegas and offered his services to St. Annes. This arrangement only lasted a month, from February until March. Citing health issues, he returned to Los Angeles. Fr. Paone was never a priest of the Diocese of Reno-Las Vegas, said a statement issued by that diocese this week, adding that there had been no reports of Paone molesting anyone during his month in Nevada. The Pittsburgh diocese did not warn the Reno-Las Vegas or any other diocese of Paones unsavory past until 1994. That July, a woman whose sister had been abused by Paone in the 1960s complained to church authorities in Pittsburgh. She said that her father, on learning of the crime, went to the rectory with a shotgun and told Father Paone that he better leave town, the grand jury report said. Word of this complaint was forwarded to San Diego and Los Angeles, but without mention of other accusations. In 1996, though, the San Diego diocese sent a pointed message to Pittsburghs bishop, Donald Wuerl. Acting on the advice of our insurance carrier, the note said, Wuerl was asked to provide assurances that Paone had not had any problems involving sexual abuse, any history of sexual involvement with minors or others, or any other inappropriate sexual behavior. Wuerl directed a subordinate to notify San Diego that Paone had not held an assignment within the diocese for more than 30 years. In May 2002, the Pittsburgh diocese stripped Paone of his priestly faculties. He formally resigned his ministry in February 2003. By 2006, Paone had returned to his home state. That year, a Pittsburgh parish reported that Paone was apparently asking inappropriate questions of children preparing for the sacrament of confirmation. Another priest objected and removed Paone from this duty. He died in Pittsburgh in 2012, at the age of 81, from complications caused by Alzheimers disease. He had never been formally charged or convicted. Washington is known for its political blockbusters, but the biggest show in town this steamy summer is the Paul Manafort trial, where nervous lawyers, edgy reporters and chattering gawkers are on a hair-trigger wait for the jury to return with a verdict. As the second day of deliberations wound down, a phalanx of TV cameras was fixed in front of the courthouse door and lawyers huddled in a hotel restaurant across the street, where a member of the defense team performed a card trick. Inside the courtroom, reporters read books or battled crossword puzzles. One played solitaire. The courthouse bars visitors from bringing in electronic devices, so emails, social media, phone calls and the rest were off-limits. It is one of the few places in America not focused on President Trumps latest tweets. Manafort, 69, has said nothing to the news media since the trial began nearly three weeks ago, only No, sir and a few other comments to the judge when asked whether he was planning to testify. Trumps former campaign chairman has dressed more modestly than some of the evidence would suggest, eschewing the ostrich-skin bomber jacket look for neat suits and ties, though his once-manicured coif looks more shaggy of late. Advertisement He has pleaded not guilty to 18 charges of tax evasion, bank fraud and conspiracy. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 305 years in prison. He also faces another trial on related charges next month in Washington. For now, Manafort and the rest are waiting for a knock on the side door of the ninth-floor courtroom, a signal that the 12-member jury is ready to deliver its verdict. That could come as early as Monday, when deliberations will resume. Manafort has been held in a courthouse jail, not the nearby detention center in Alexandria, so he can be brought in when a verdict is ready. District Judge T.S. Ellis III, a stern figure with more than 30 years on the bench, claimed Friday he had no idea the case would arouse such public interest. That raised a few eyebrows given its the first trial stemming from the investigation led by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, and that it involves a former top aide to the president, issues that are sure to guarantee headlines. Asked by media organizations to release the names of jurors in the case, Ellis declined. He said he had received threats since the trial began and traveled under the protection of U.S. marshals, and he expressed concern about endangering members of the jury. Follow live coverage of the Trump administration on Essential Washington Ellis isnt just waiting around while the jury weighs the case. He heard a civil lawsuit over a man who nearly drowned in a pool during a psychotic episode. Then a sentencing for a woman whose drunken behavior aboard an airplane caused the flight to be diverted. Trump clearly has followed the trial of his former aide once a powerful Republican strategist, Washington lobbyist and political consultant to foreign dictators who steered him through the contentious Republican National Convention in Cleveland two summers ago. I think its a very sad day for our country, Trump told reporters Friday on the South Lawn of the White House when asked about the case. He worked for me for a very short time, but you know what. He happens to be a very good person. Manafort worked without a salary at the top of the Trump campaign for five months. He stepped down after the New York Times reported he had received millions of dollars from the ousted government in Ukraine. His alleged attempts to hide the money in foreign bank accounts are among the charges he faces. Media interest probably would be intense even if this werent August, when Congress is out of session and most sane people are anywhere but Washington, famed for its tropical summer torpor. The courtyard outside the Albert V. Bryan U.S. Courthouse resembles a cross between a tent city and an RV park, with canopies to shade live reports by TV correspondents and satellite trucks to beam them around the world. Daily life swirled around its edges. The New York Jets came and went at the Westin Hotel, across the street, visiting for a preseason game against the Washington Redskins. A bridal party held a photo shoot down the block. Residents navigate camera tripods while walking their dogs. At least some of the media presence stems from the challenge of working in a courthouse where electronic devices are banned. When news breaks, reporters dash out of the courtroom and grab an elevator down to the second floor, where a pay phone it costs 50 cents these days, by the way is sometimes available. Otherwise everyone rushes down the stairs or escalator and out of the building, passing word to colleagues nearby or retrieving their phones and laptops from a nearby cafe or hotel. Other colleagues stay in the courtroom to keep taking notes and to stop a rival or a spectator, such as one of the retirees who live nearby, from claiming the just-vacated seat. The journalists went through a fire drill of sorts on Thursday afternoon when there was a knock on the courtrooms side door. The first knock was light, so light the U.S. marshal stationed nearby didnt hear it. The second came a few minutes later louder, more insistent and the marshal sauntered over, opened the door and slipped inside. Reporters craned their necks for a better view of the closed door. The marshal emerged with a folded piece of paper and delivered it to the clerk, who handed it to the judge. A frenzy of activity erupted as some reporters rushed out and others rushed in. Soon the prosecutors and defense lawyers assembled at their respective tables, and Manafort himself was ushered into the courtroom. Everyone wondered whether the jury had already reached a verdict, although one day of deliberations seemed rather quick for a complex trial involving hundreds of documents. But the note was a list of four questions for the judge. The jurors wanted to know, among other things, a clearer definition of reasonable doubt. The judge answered the question, sent the jury home and had them reassemble on Friday morning. Another jolt arrived Friday afternoon when the marshal retrieved a second note from the jury. The fire drill repeated itself, but there was again no verdict. The jurors just wanted the judge to know that they planned to finish their work at 5 p.m. because one of them had an event to attend. They soon departed for the weekend and the show folded its tents until Monday. chris.megerian@latimes.com Twitter: @chrismegerian Re Mayor Kevin Faulconers grade? D- for disappointment (Aug. 10): Last Thursday, the fix for housing San Diegos homeless and the related case for expanding our convention center died at City Council. The registrar of voters had announced that the petition to qualify a hotel room tax initiative for the November ballot failed to garner enough signatures. The council could have aided the homeless and at long last modernized the citys most important business gathering place by putting the matter directly on the ballot. The progressives on the council chose not to do this and put partisan politics above the urgently needed care for our record housing poor. Their action squandered thousands of new jobs associated with expanding our convention center. Winners are out-of-state cities with better convention centers without San Diegos homelessness. The council should never have swayed in its duty to do good. Instead of coming to the rescue, members chose to embarrass Mayor Kevin Faulconer. Advertisement How does this house the homeless? Borre Winckel is president & C.E.O. of the Building Industry Association of San Diego County Letters and commentary policy The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below. Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook. Re Prop. 5: Property tax transfers (Aug. 16): I strongly concur with firefighter Jesse Conners voting No on Proposition 5. Most of our neighbors were recent graduates of the state college and university system in 1978 and only a few years earlier moved into our then-upper-class neighborhood of $55,000 homes. No one had any real college debt as there was no tuition. Proposition 13 was to freeze tax increases so that people would not lose their homes; it was expected that the houses would turn over about every five years. I voted No, most of our neighbors, Yes. They were happy until they had to start paying for child care the next summer, as enriched summer school was no more. California schools tanked from the top to the bottom. No more almost free university education, their children and grandchildren are paying off school debt rather than a home. These homeowners want to walk away with $800,000 profit. No, its time to pay. Advertisement Richard Jensen Otay Mesa Letters and commentary policy The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below. Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook. From New York City to San Diego and many cities in between, the dockless bike (and scooter) revolution has been one of the major stories of 2018 in tech and transportation. Officials and residents vary in opinion and thoughts from city to city about regulation, and programs from companies like LimeBike, Mobike, Ofo and Bird have seen degrees of success and failure. No one way of handling them seem to prevail across the nation. In some cities, the programs are thriving or just getting started. In others, lawmakers have taken actions that have pushed them out of town. Yet some cities are seeing companies running longtime docked bike share programs race to catch up with the trend and offer their own dockless bikes. In San Diego, the use of dockless bikes appears to be going strong. Just this week, Ofo which has left other markets said its not planning on leaving San Diego. Heres just a handful of other examples of how cities are handling the dockless bike revolution. Arriving in St. Paul/Minneapolis A total of 800 bikes from the company Lime were introduced in St. Paul, Minnesota on Tuesday. Its twin city, Minneapolis, is expected to see dockless bikes provided by a company called Nice Ride Minnesota which previously only offered docked bikes this fall. Nice Ride Minnesota's 200 dock stations across Minneapolis and St. Paul are expected to be phased out by 2021, according to the Star Tribune. A unique plan for its dockless bike program will be 500 virtual parking zones which differ from the hap hazard parking seen in other cities. Some leaving Washington, D.C. Mobike and Ofo, which both offer dockless bikes in San Diego, announced in July that they would be leaving Washington, D.C. The citys permits allow each company to have a total of 400 bikes and/or scooter running at a time. Mobike cites the cap as its reason for leaving Washington, D.C. and so does Ofo. We are not being able to get the same successful operation efficiency or user experience that we have in all of our other international markets right now, Chris Martin, Mobikes vice president of North America operations, told The Washington Post. Jump, Spin, Waybots, Bird and Limebike remain in the District. Arriving in Baltimore Baltimore is an example of a city fully transitioning from docks to dockless. This summer, Bird and Lime will each bring 1,000 of its bicycles and/or scooters to the city for a pilot program lasting six months. The docked bike share program that was introduced there less than two years ago will be shut down permanently, with city officials citing a backlog of repairs and an inability to keep up with demand as the reason why, according to The Baltimore Sun. Some leaving Dallas Some dockless bike companies are leaving Dallas. Ofo, Mobike and Spin have all left, with VBikes and Lime remaining. In June, the Dallas City Council approved regulations that require the program operators to get an approved $808 permit application and pay $21 per bike or scooter in operation. Arriving in New York City In New York City where the docked Citi Bike program has reigned supreme for years, dockless and electric bikes were introduced this month in parts of Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island with 200 bikes allowed in each location. Meanwhile, Citi Bike is also getting into the dockless game with plans to bring 200 dockless bikes to the Bronx in 2018. Across the country, discussions surrounding the dockless bikes and scooters continue with a ride range of opinion. Whats your most recent opinion about dockless bikes? Has it changed or remained the same since they arrived in San Diego? Email: abby.hamblin@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @abbyhamblin Trainer John Sadler had some reasons to possibly downplay the prospects of his 5-year-old horse, Accelerate, as they head into Saturdays $1 million TVG Pacific Classic as the heavy favorites. No prep race between Mays victory in the Gold Cup and now. First time racing at Del Mar this summer. A jockey, Joel Rosario, called into duty who has never sat on the horse before. Advertisement None of that seems to be even mildly daunting for Sadler, who on the day the post positions were drawn, seemed full of understated confidence. Take, for example, the trainers planned instructions to Rosario before the race: Just ride him like hes the best horse and give him a trouble-free trip. All signs point to Accelerate being the class in a field of eight for the 1 1/4-mile race on the main track. With victories this year in the Santa Anita Handicap and Gold Cup, the horse owned by Hronis Racing can achieve the rare sweep of Californias top Grade I races on dirt. Only Lava Man (2006) and Game On Dude (2013) have pulled it off. Accelerate has won three of his last four starts, all in Grade I or II races the only glitch coming in a defeat by a neck to City of Light in the Oaklawn Handicap in April. He could have been prepped for the Pacific Classic with a run in the San Diego Handicap on the first weekend of the meet at Del Mar, but Hronis and Sadler kept him in the barn to set the stage for rising prospect Catalina Cruiser, who delivered a win. Sadler wasnt concerned about Accelerate getting accustomed to the Del Mar track during works because hes already experienced much success here, capturing the Shared Belief Stakes in 2016 and last years San Diego Handicap. Entered in the 2017, Pacific Classic, Accelerate pressed the pace early and finished third behind the one-two punch of Bob Bafferts Collected and Arrogate. If Sadler has even slight qualms, theyre about Accelerate getting a new jockey after his regular rider, Victor Espinoza, suffered a fractured vertebrae in a training accident on July 22. Sadler put in a call to Joel Rosario, whos now based on the East Coast, but has notched 23 stakes wins at Del Mar. The last came in guiding Stormy Liberal to victory last November in the Breeders Cup Turf Sprint. Hes looking at replays. Hes very well prepared, Sadler said of Rosario, who ranks 10th in earnings in the country this year. Behind Accelerate as the morning-line favorite at 8-5 is the Doug ONeill-trained Pavel (7-2). The 4-year-old colt was fourth in the Gold Cup won by Accelerate. Pavel, however, seemingly experienced a breakthrough with a victory in the Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs in June. ONeill concluded that they might have over-schooled the horse for the Gold Cup. Hes our Dennis Rodman, ONeill said. He competes at his best when hes wound up. Weve tried putting cotton in his ears and all these things to calm him. When weve achieved that, he hasnt run his best. Baffert enters this Pacific Classic in a far different frame of mind than last year, when Arrogate was coming off a shockingly flat performance in the San Diego Handicap. The superstar ran better in the Pacific, but lost to his stablemate, Collected. Baffert has two horses this time Dr. Dorr, who the trainer admits might not be ready for the distance; and Roman Rosso, an Argentinian import who has yet to race in America but has three straight Grade I wins in his home country. This race is not coming up as tough as in the past, though Accelerate should be the heavy favorite, Baffert said. Were trying to get lucky. Weve seen what happens at Del Mar. They call Saratoga the graveyard of champions, but Ive buried a few champions here myself. The field is rounded out by Michael McCarthys The Lieutenant, a half-brother to Triple Crown winner Justify, Leonard Powells Beach View, James Cassidys Prime Attraction and Richard Baltas Two Thirty Five. In Saturdays other feature races, French-bred Colonia (7-2) is the morning-line favorite in the Grade I Del Mar Oaks, while Itsinthepost (7-2) is favored for the Grade II Del Mar Handicap. The Del Mar Mile will be contested on Sunday and features a compelling showdown between Hunt, who took last years Del Mar meet title for older grass horses, and Sharp Samurai, who was named the meets top 3-year-old. Notable In what looked like a replay of last Novembers Breeders Cup Turf Sprint, the same two Peter Miller horses -- Stormy Liberal and Richards Boy -- battled down the stretch in Fridays $75,000 added Green Flash Handicap, with the same result. Stormy Liberal ($5.60) won by a nose. Phil DAmato-trained Pee Wee Reese finished fourth in the seventh race, but was pulled up while cooling down on the back stretch. He was vanned back to the barn, according to track officials. There was no report of his condition. The start of the eighth and last race was delayed by seven minutes when Thefourfortyfourth unseated rider Santiago Gonzalez in the post parade. The 3-year-old gelding made numerous sprints to escape the outriders before he was caught. Sports Videos tod.leonard@sduniontribune.com; Twitter: @sdutleonard 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. Dr. Michael McDonald of MITs Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research and co-authors have uncovered a new massive cluster of galaxies hiding in plain sight. In 2012, Dr. McDonald and colleagues discovered the Phoenix cluster, one of the most massive and luminous galaxy clusters in the Universe. The mystery to the astronomers was why this cluster, which was so intensely bright and in a region of the sky that is easily observable, hadnt been found before. We started asking ourselves why we had not found it earlier, because its very extreme in its properties and very bright, Dr. McDonald said. Its because we had preconceived notions of what a cluster should look like. And this didnt conform to that, so we missed it. For the most part, astronomers have assumed that galaxy clusters look fluffy, giving off a very diffuse signal in the X-ray band, unlike brighter, point-like sources, which have been interpreted as extremely active quasars or black holes. The images are either all points, or fluffs, and the fluffs are these giant million-light-year balls of hot gas that we call clusters, and the points are black holes that are accreting gas and glowing as this gas spirals in. This idea that you could have a rapidly accreting black hole at the center of a cluster we didnt think that was something that happened in nature. But the Phoenix discovery proved that galaxy clusters could indeed host immensely active black holes, prompting us to wonder: could there be other nearby galaxy clusters that were simply misidentified? To answer that question, Dr. McDonald and co-authors set up the Clusters Hiding in Plain Sight (CHiPS) survey, which is designed to reevaluate X-ray images taken in the past. We start from archival data of point sources, or objects that were super bright in the sky. We are looking for point sources inside fluffy things, said Taweewat Somboonpanyakul, a graduate student at MIT. For every point source that was previously identified, the astronomers noted their coordinates and then studied them more directly using the Magellan Telescope in Chile. If they observed a higher-than-expected number of galaxies surrounding the point source (a sign that the gas may stem from a cluster of galaxies), they looked at the source again, using NASAs Chandra X-Ray Observatory, to identify an extended, diffuse source around the main point source. The CHiPS teams first discovery is a massive galaxy cluster approximately 2.4 billion light-years away. The cluster is made up of hundreds of individual galaxies and surrounds a powerful quasar called PKS1353-341. The central quasar is intensely bright so bright that for decades astronomers observing it in the night sky have assumed that the quasar was quite alone in its corner of the Universe, shining out as a solitary light source from the center of a single galaxy. In their analysis, the researchers estimate that there are hundreds of individual galaxies in the cluster, which, all told, is about as massive as 690 trillion suns. Our Milky Way Galaxy, for comparison, weighs in at around 400 billion solar masses. They also calculate that the PKS1353-341 quasar is 46 billion times brighter than the Sun. Its extreme luminosity is likely the result of a temporary feeding frenzy: as an immense disk of material swirls around the quasar, big chunks of matter from the disk are falling in and feeding it, causing the black hole to radiate huge amounts of energy out as light. The brightness of the black hole might be related to how much its eating, Dr. McDonald said. This is thousands of times brighter than a typical black hole at the center of a cluster, so its very extreme in its feeding. We have no idea how long this has been going on or will continue to go on. Finding more of these things will help us understand, is this an important process, or just a weird thing that theres only one of in the Universe. The discovery is reported in a paper published in the August 16, 2018 issue of the Astrophysical Journal (arXiv.org preprint). _____ Taweewat Somboonpanyakul et al. 2018. The Clusters Hiding in Plain Sight (CHiPS) Survey: A First Discovery of a Massive Nearby Cluster around PKS 1353341. ApJ 863, 122; doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/aace55 Press Release August 17, 2018 De Lima: Suarez as House minority leader 'wrong on all accounts' Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has denounced the suspicious reappointment of Quezon 3rd District Rep. Danilo Suarez as Minority leader at the Lower House despite voting for Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo as Speaker. De Lima, the first prominent political prisoner under the Duterte regime, maintained that Suarez's selection as the head of the House minority bloc is wrong on all accounts -- legally, politically, and morally. "It goes against the ruling of the Supreme Court that the Minority in the House, especially the Minority leader, should necessarily come from those who did not vote with the Majority in the choice of the House Speaker," she said in her recent Dispatch from Crame No. 358. After House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. moved to recognize Suarez as House Minority leader, lawmakers from the "supermajority" coalition voted to retain Suarez as the leader of the minority bloc last Aug. 7. Aside from Suarez, those who vied for the minority leadership post include Liberal Party member and Marikina 2nd District Rep. Romero Quimbo and ABS Partylist Rep. Eugene De Vera. Several lawmakers reportedly objected to the Lower Chamber's recognition of Suarez as the Minority Leader especially because he voted for Arroyo as House Speaker. According to House rules, "members who vote for the winning candidate for Speaker shall constitute the Majority in the House." De Lima said that choosing Suarez as House Minority leader is a blatant effort by the House leadership under Arroyo to undermine any semblance of a genuine opposition. "Although this is not surprising, considering that we would not expect any better from a former Machiavellian President with a record of plunder and election manipulation, it is still a demonstration of how the rule of law is consistently dismissed in this administration," she said. "It is only right that this action of the House leadership is assailed before the Supreme Court as another attack on our democratic institutions and processes," she added. The former justice secretary said the Liberal Party-led coalition - which she considers the "true minority" - is now faced with a challenge to function as "authentic fiscalizers" and continue performing its duties as the genuine minority bloc. "They need only to act as the conscience of our nation... #NoToFakeMinority," she said. Press Release August 17, 2018 De Lima seeks Senate probe into PhilHealth's P5-B net loss Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has expressed concern over the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth)'s poor financial performance and its sustainability to provide its mandated services to the public in the coming years. De Lima filed Senate Resolution (SR) No. 840 directing the Senate Committees on Health and Demography and on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development to investigate the 4.75-billion net loss incurred by the PhilHealth in 2017 alone. "It is imperative that government continues to deliver an effective health insurance program and social protection mitigating mechanisms helping individuals and their households reduce the impact of future risky events, such as illnesses," she said. In its 2017 audit report, the Commission on Audit (COA) found out that PhilHealth has incurred a net loss of 4.75 billion in 2017, which negatively affects the efficient implementation of its programs and projects. Based on COA report, PhilHealth has registered a negative P3.905 billion gross margin from operations, resulting in operating losses worth P10.489 billion. Aside from the huge loss, PhilHealth was also unable to avail of the government's P37.06 billion allocation for indigent's premium contribution, which was targeted to be the agency's third major source of income in 2017. "There is a need to determine the root cause of the incurred losses as well as the possible accountability of the PhilHealth leadership," the Senator from Bicol stressed. "The fiscal solvency of PhilHealth is paramount for the meaningful implementation of the National Health Insurance Program and the Government's objective of progressively providing a universal health program for all Filipinos. "Hence, financial deficits and continued profit loss shall significantly affect the National Health Insurance Fund and reserve fund," she said. The National Insurance Program is part of the Government's Social Protection framework and strategy designed in such a way that beneficiaries pay a premium over a given period of time to cover or protect them from illness and other enumerated risks. De Lima said there is also a need to establish a roadmap towards financial stability to ensure that PhilHealth will be sufficiently solvent to address the needs of its members. Despite being detained on false charges of illegal drug trading and later changed to conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading based on fabricated evidence and perjured testimonies of convicted felons, De Lima continues to file meaningful bills and resolutions that will benefit the public, especially the vulnerable sectors of society. Press Release August 17, 2018 Statement by Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon on the MMDA's decision to suspend implementation of HOV policy "I fully support and laud the decision of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to suspend the implementation of the 'driver-only' car scheme in EDSA. It is the right and proper thing to do." "As the sponsor and one of the principal authors of Senate Resolution No. 845 which urged the suspension of the 'driver-only' car ban, I am glad that the MMDA has heeded our call and the millions of Filipinos who would have been negatively affected by the ban." "That policy needs further study and public consultations must be made, which the MMDA and the Metro Manila authorities had failed to do in the first place." "The traffic in Metro Manila is a major concern but we must avoid 'band-aid' solutions such as the high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) policy and the 'driver-only' car scheme that have zero chance of success, and are very discriminatory against those who cannot afford to hire a driver." "In Indonesia, along with US and Canada where HOV lanes have been implemented, the scheme has been criticized as ineffective and counterproductive in addressing traffic congestion." "Hence, the MMDA and the Metro Manila authorities should look for real solutions to traffic congestion, but it should be done without violating the due process of laws enshrined and protected under the Constitution." SHEPHERDSTOWN After each attendee picked up a free journal and took time to study a few examples of journals before sitting down at a table, Hood College Professor Kathleen Bands passed around colorful folders, pads of sticky notes, pens and markers to each person. The goal of the workshop, which was held at Christ Reformed United Church of Christ as part of its First Tuesday Speaker Series, was to remind attendees of the Joys of Journaling. Journaling is something thats near and dear to my heart, Bands said. Over the years, Ive learned if I dont journal an experience, I forget it. The beautiful thing about journaling, is theres no right or wrong way to do it. Explaining that journals are meant to memorialize practices, thoughts or experiences travel, art, nature, health and fitness, etc. considered valuable by the author, Bands encouraged the group to use the materials she handed out, to write down ideas of journals they would like to keep. According to Bands, people tend to forget special moments, but if they keep a journal to record those experiences, they will be able to remember those moments vividly whenever they look back through their journals. The thing that makes moments memorable are the emotions people feel during the moments, which journal-keepers can re-experience through reading their journals. That emotion, that opportunity to experience something. That is the story of life, and the reason why we journal, Bands said. Without thinking about it, we forget the emotion and meaning of the experience. By journaling, we memorialize those emotions. According to Bands, keeping a journal not only memorializes moments in time, but also encourage mindfulness in everyday life. We are creatures of habit, and if we dont stay in the moment, we lose wonderful memories, Bands said, referring to research indicating people have about 30 seconds to capture an idea, before its forgotten. You need to have a strategy to remember that experience, to be in the moment. If you dont capture it, you forget it, Bands said, mentioning one way people can remember special experiences is by always carrying sticky notes and a writing implement, so thoughts or experiences can be written down before theyre forgotten. Remember you just have to put down enough to capture ideas of what you experienced or thoughtyou dont have to write down full sentences, Bands said. According to Bands, besides memory and mindfulness, journaling has a third purpose it can be used therapeutically, working out negative feelings and emotions by writing about them. My challenge is, figure out one thing you want to journal about, and make it work for you, Bands said. What are you going to do? It can be a beautiful story. Silicon Valley idealism at odds with China market San Francisco, Aug 18 (AFP) Aug 18, 2018 Google workers' outrage over the notion of censoring searches to appease Chinese officials highlights the dilemma US tech companies face in accessing the lucrative market. Using technology to make the world better is a well-worn mantra in Silicon Valley, preached so strongly by internet companies such as Google and Facebook that it has become part of their identity. That idealism has repeatedly run headlong into a wall of reality when it comes to internet firms needing to compromise with the interests of governments that have oppressive approaches to online activity. "The tech industry had a utopian view of the world and of itself," said Irina Raicu, director of the internet ethics program at Santa Clara University in Silicon Valley. "It's running up against its own narrative of how it holds certain values." After portraying itself as a champion of making all the world's information freely available, Google would be hard-pressed to explain taking part in online censorship in China, according to Raicu. Hundreds of Google employees were said to have signed a protest letter after reports that the company is working on a censor-friendly search engine to get back into China. The employees are demanding to know more about the supposed "Dragonfly" project so they can weigh the moral significance of their work at the company. "We are seeing technologists start to flex their power," Raicu said. "They do want to change the world for the better, and this goes against that." - 'Do no evil' - Silicon Valley companies share global ethics challenges with other industries, but they face employee rebellion and user scrutiny because of having built images of being devoted to doing good, or at least "no evil." Facebook is banned in China, but that has not stopped the leading online social network from exploring the potential to establish a beachhead there, even if only for an "incubator" that nurtures local entrepreneurs. Facebook last year discretely released a photo sharing mobile application, named Colorful Balloons, in China. Two years ago, it reportedly worked on a censorship tool that would filter out posts on forbidden topics there. Even Apple, the world's most valuable company, has had to make concessions in China, pulling items from its App Store and transferring control of cloud storage accounts of Chinese customers to a company there. Meanwhile, Chinese internet firms such as Baidu, Tencent, Alibaba, and WeChat have thrived. - Money over morals? - Google and other publicly-traded US tech titans are legally obligated to maximize shareholder value, but being viewed as "oppression's little helper in China" can hurt their businesses along with their reputations, noted Human Rights Watch senior internet researcher Cynthia Wong. Wong called on tech firms looking to do business in China to have plans in place to improve the censorship and the human rights situation, which she said has worsened since Google pulled out. "Google wants to organize the world's information; Facebook wants to connect everyone," Wong said. "I think the engineers really do believe in those missions, and that accounts for some of the difference in how Silicon Valley reacts than, say, the oil sector." Google is among the Silicon Valley companies that pride themselves on open cultures in which workers are encouraged to share views, creating an environment ripe for employee activism when values seem compromised, according to Ann Skeet, senior director or leadership ethics at Santa Clara University. "Google has led with this strong culture, and now has its own employees calling it on hypocrisy," Skeet said. Employees, many of them Millennials, also feel a right to know how what they are working on is going to be used -- and to be able to decide whether to participate. China sacks six more officials over vaccine scandal Beijing, Aug 18 (AFP) Aug 18, 2018 China said Saturday it has sacked six senior officials over a vaccine scandal that inflamed public fears over the safety of domestically produced drugs. The government has been struggling to shore up public confidence in the pharmaceutical sector following the revelation last month that a major Chinese manufacturer of rabies vaccines was found to have fabricated records and was ordered to cease production. Authorities say the suspect rabies vaccines did not enter the market. But the case provoked outrage from consumers fed up with recurring product-safety scandals, particularly in the drug sector. Five officials at the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) -- including Deng Jianhua, who directed two departments -- were sacked, a statement from the State Administration for Market Regulation said on its website. The sixth official was deputy director of the National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC) Wang Youchun. The vaccine scandal revealed that CFDA officials "did not sufficiently supervise and regulate, provided inadequate oversight and control, and conducted lax reviews of violations, neglecting their responsibilities through many loopholes," the statement said. The CEO of the company responsible for the faulty vaccines, Changchun Changsheng Biotechnology, has already been arrested along with 14 other people in connection with the scandal. The company is based in northeastern Jilin province. A dozen other officials were removed from office on Thursday, including Jilin's deputy governor Jin Yuhui, according to the official Xinhua news agency. Jin was in charge of monitoring the safety of food and pharmaceuticals. China is regularly hit by scandals involving sub-par or toxic food, drugs and other products, despite repeated promises by the government to address the problem. Since the latest case came to light, the authorities have announced a nationwide inspection of laboratories producing vaccines, but many Chinese parents say they no longer have confidence in the medicines administered to their children. During the height of the scandal, clinics in Hong Kong saw a run on their vaccine stocks by worried parents from the mainland. 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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(0x7f3fd4dfaaf0)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd4ed1128)', '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(0x7f3fd4dfaaf0)') 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(0x7f3fd4ed1128)') 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(0x7f3fd4de5e28)') 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(0x7f3fd4ed1128)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd4ed1128)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd45cd518)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fd4ed3410)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fd4ed3410)') 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(0x7f3fd5008310)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd4ed74f8)', '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(0x7f3fd5008310)') 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(0x7f3fd4ed74f8)') 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(0x7f3fd4f0ca30)') 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(0x7f3fd4ed74f8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd4ed74f8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd45cb0f8)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fd505bdd0)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fd505bdd0)') 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(0x7f3fd4ee7eb8)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd4ed2528)', '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(0x7f3fd4ee7eb8)') 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(0x7f3fd4ed2528)') 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(0x7f3fd4e7b5e0)') 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(0x7f3fd4ed2528)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd4ed2528)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd45cc398)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fbc733270)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fbc733270)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 US supplied bomb that killed Yemeni children: report Washington, Aug 18 (AFP) Aug 18, 2018 The bomb that killed 40 children and 11 others in a Saudi-led coalition air strike on a bus in rebel-held northern Yemen was sold by the United States under a State Department deal with Riyadh, CNN has reported. The numbers on shrapnel, of which images were taken shortly after the attack this month, indicate that it was a laser-guided Mk 82 bomb manufactured by defense contractor Lockheed Martin, CNN said Friday, citing munitions experts. Former president Barack Obama banned the sale of precision-guided weaponry to Saudi Arabia after it used a similar bomb in an October 2016 attack that killed 140 people at a funeral in the rebel-held capital Sanaa. But President Donald Trump overturned that ban after taking office in 2017. Fifty-six children were also among the 79 people wounded in the August 9 strike on Saada province, a rebel stronghold that borders Saudi Arabia, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. The coalition has promised an internal inquiry but analysts and aid groups have voiced doubt that it is ready to provide the transparency and accountability demanded by the wider international community. It is part of the world's worst humanitarian crisis, a conflict that has killed nearly 10,000 people since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 as Huthi rebel fighters closed in on the last bastion of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's government. Coalition commanders have admitted a small number of mistakes, but there has been no public disciplinary action or changes to the rules of engagement. The commanders have accused rebels of using civilians as human shields. Tehran museum lionises war in which Iran took on 'world' Tehran, Aug 18 (AFP) Aug 18, 2018 With its air raid simulator and battlefield reconstructions, the state-of-the-art Holy Defence Museum in Tehran seeks to glorify the Iran-Iraq war as a time when the country faced down "the whole world". As Iranians prepare to mark the 30th anniversary of the end of the devastating conflict on Monday, they are being urged to display the same steadfastness as country after country falls in line with crippling unilateral sanctions being reimposed by Washington after its abandonment of a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major powers. "The message of the museum is perseverance, resistance and the protection of our honour," deputy director Seyyed Mohsen Hajbabian told AFP. "We teach younger generations the spirit of combat. Iraq was backed by the whole world and Iran was alone in defending itself, but thanks to God... we were victorious in this war." For Iranians, it is "the imposed war", started by Iraq's then-leader Saddam Hussein on September 22, 1980 and ended by a ceasefire on August 20, 1988. The Iraqi dictator sought to present himself as a bulwark against the revolutionary ideology of the fledgling Islamic republic, which had overthrown the pro-Western shah only a year earlier, and which was seen as a major threat to the Gulf monarchies and other Arab autocracies. The resulting war was the longest of the 20th century, a ruinous conflict of attrition that has often drawn parallels to the First World War in Europe. It ultimately led nowhere, ending with zero territorial gains for either side -- even if it reinforced Saddam's grip on power in Iraq, as well as that of the Islamic republic in Iran. - Reconstructing horror - But the human cost was horrifying. Although the often-cited figure of a million dead may be an exaggeration by both sides, according to French historian Pierre Razoux, he still estimates a total of 680,000 lives lost. Of those, Iran bore by far the heavier losses, with around 500,000 dead or missing, he said. Built by the Tehran municipality, the Holy Defence Museum opened its doors in 2012 and receives more than 300,000 visitors per year, Hajbabian said. On a recent summer afternoon, it was mostly young men and groups of school children on trips organised by Islamic institutions. In the first halls, the visitor is plunged into the ruins of Khorramshahr, the border town in the southwest that was seized by the Iraqi army on October 24, 1980 and still bears some of the worst scars of the war. The "bombing raid simulator" recalls the terror of air strikes suffered by Iranian cities, replete with trembling walls and floors. There are models of the refineries targeted with missile strikes by both sides, as the belligerents sought to sap each other's energy reserves and main source of income. - Mass mobilisation - The museum also glorifies the immense public mobilisation that saw everyone from children to pensioners sign up and sacrifice themselves as martyrs at the front. An audio commentary in Persian, English and Arabic accuses "numerous Western media of... serving as a platform for the Iraqi regime" by closing their eyes to Saddam's use of chemical weapons. Photo montages recall the support Western powers, Arab monarchies and the then Soviet Union all gave to Saddam. There is no mention, however, of the support Iran received from Israel -- now its mortal enemy -- but then both sharing a greater fear of Saddam's brutal regime. Nor is there any discussion in the museum of the weapons provided by the United States under the highly controversial Iran-Contra deal, in which Tehran was supplied with arms in exchange for help in securing the release of hostages held by Iran's ally Hezbollah in Lebanon. "Now I have a deeper and more profound understanding of the war," said one young visitor, Ali Jafarzadeh, at the exit. "We fought the whole world, who supported Iraq, and we resisted for eight years." With tensions mounting between Tehran and Washington over renewed sanctions, he says he is ready to participate "without fail" in any new conflict "to defend my country". Boumerdes (Algeria), August 18, 2018 (SPS) - The minister of the Occupied Territories and Saharawi Community Abroad, Bachir Mustapha Sayed, said Moroccan occupation authorities has transformed the towns of occupied Western Sahara into a "real large prison," where "all kinds of human rights abuses are committed." "The first of the violations perpetrated by Morocco in occupied Western Sahara territories is that of the right of self-determination and, as a result, all human rights are trampled by Morocco, which has invaded the Saharawi territories with hundreds of settlers, who are instigators of hatred against Western Sahara people," Mustapha Sayed told APS on the sidelines of the closing ceremony of the ninth Summer University of Polisario and Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) executives. For the Saharawi minister "it is the very nature of Moroccan occupier," who tested all kinds of torture, imposed displacement and enforced disappearances with intensified pace" against Saharawi people. Such human rights abuses are being committed despite "UN, international and continental calls for a halt to those violations against the Saharawis, who are facing such suppression that has reached a level never attained during Spanish nor French occupation of the region." (SPS) 062/SPS/APS Moscow (Russia), August 18, 2018 (SPS) - Russia has expressed supports for the efforts made by the United Nations Secretary General's special envoy for Western Sahara, Horst Kohler, the spokeswoman of the Russian ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, said, calling for resumption of the direct negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario Front, with the participation of Algeria and Mauritania as observers. In her latest briefing at the ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday, the spokeswoman of the Russian diplomacy stressed the need to settle Western Sahara conflict through UN resolutions and UN chief's special envoy Horst Kohler. Russia, she said, supports a new stage of direct negotiations between the two parties to the conflict. "We note with satisfaction the increased efforts made by Horst Kohler, the UN Secretary General's special envoy for Western Sahara and former federal president of Germany, for the peace process in Western Sahara to resume, without pre-conditions, between the two protagonists, in addition to neighboring Algeria and Mauritania as observers." "A lasting peace in Western Sahara can only be achieved through political means," Sakharova underlined. "While maintaining contacts with all the concerned parties, we will continue to help creating a positive process to reach a settlement in Western Sahara," she said. The Russian official said Moscow supports the current approach to resolve the 40-year-long conflict. "There is no other alternative to a compromise based on the well-known resolutions of the UN Security Council and General Assembly, in line with the principles and objectives of the United Nations Charter." (SPS) 062/SPS/APS El-Aaiun (Occupied Territories), August 18, 2018 (SPS) - Fifteen Saharawi activists have been victims of aggression by Moroccan occupation authorities as soon as they arrived in the airport of the occupied Western Sahara town of El-Aaiun. The Activists were participating in the ninth Summer University of Polisario Front and SADR (Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic) executives, at the University of Boumerdes (50-km east of Algiers). As they arrived in the airport of occupied El-Aaiun, the Saharawi activists were separated from the other passengers and isolated by the suppression forces of the Moroccan occupation authorities, without giving them any reason. Moroccan occupation forces then attacked verbally and physically the Saharawi activists before taking them, by force, into closed rooms where they were searched in an immoral manner. They were also subjected to investigations marked by intimidation and threats and had some of their luggage confiscated. (SPS) 062/SPS/APS English17/08/2018 MANDIC: GENOCIDE COMMITTED AGAINST SERBS IN SARAJEVO ISTOCNO SARAJEVO, 17 August /SRNA/ - The Association of Missing Persons Families of the Sarajevo and Romanija Region fully supports the formation of an independent international commission which would objectively and impartially examine the killings of Serbs in Sarajevo between 1991 and 1995, head of the association Milan Mandic told Srna on Friday. "We support the decision of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska to finally make a list of killed Serb civilians, because no Serb soldiers had been deployed in Sarajevo, emphasised Mandic. It must be determined how the Serb civilians went missing, who killed them, who ordered the killing, and where they were buried, as this association is still searching for around 350 missing Serbs 26 years later, he said. "Amor Masovic /a member of the Board of Directors of the BiH Missing Persons Institute/ is aware of that. Everyone in Sarajevo is aware of that, but they never wanted to form a real commission, said Mandic. He says the association does not undermine anyones casualties but will not allow the Serb casualties to be undermined because the Serbs in Sarajevo were systematically killed, which is confirmed by the data that there are 6,500 apartments in the city which have not been reclaimed. "Genocide was committed against Serbs in Sarajevo. One should check how many Serbs today have permanent residence there. I dont believe there is even one per cent, which is even below the statistical error, said Mandic. Borislav Bojic, chair of the Joint Human Rights Committee of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, says the deputies from Republika Srpska will keep insisting on forming a commission to examine the killing of Serbs in Sarajevo. "The problem is getting the support from the Bosniak political parties, said Bojic. There is an actual need for forming the commission, he said, which is supposed to establish the facts about the killing of Serbs in Sarajevo, whose number was considerable. Bojic believes that the other two peoples should also support the formation of the commission, that is, that the support should come from everyone who wants to know the actual facts. "This can be avoided for days, years even, but the truth will be established sooner or later," said Bojic. The National Assembly unanimously rejected the report about the events that occurred in and around Srebrenica between 10 July and 19 July 1995 and requested from the Government to annul it and form two international commissions to establish the truth - about the suffering of all peoples in Srebrenica and about the suffering of Serbs in Sarajevo. /end/ds Ed Finkelstein, publisher of the St. Louis/Southern Illinois Labor Tribune, along with supporters of organized labor in Missouri earned a big victory last week with the defeat of Proposition A, the so-called right-to-work measure. Finkelstein, 80, has spent much of his life working in various capacities for the Tribune, a pro-union publication. He also spent six years as an information officer in the U.S. Air Force and graduated from the journalism school at the University of Missouri- Columbia. As a labor journalist, he has both witnessed how public opinion of unions has changed over time and tried to sway people to support unions. Why did you want to work for the Tribune? ADVERTISEMENT I have worked for the Labor Tribune since I was 14 years old and a gopher. Gopher the coffee, kid. Gopher this, gopher that. And one summer, one of the reporters asked me to write an obituary of a labor leader, and I did. Im sure he rewrote the whole thing, but it got published and he put my name on it, and when I saw words that I had written in print, I was astounded, and it was at that point that I decided I wanted to be a journalist. Why were you interested in writing about labor in particular? The Labor Tribune owner was my uncle Marty Rubin, and he inculcated in me the need to fight for the underdog, and so I have always felt that the people needed a voice. And as I worked part-time for the Tribune throughout my high school and college career, I saw unfairness in how the general media was dealing with organized labor, and I was really determined to be part of the effort to help labor unions and working families tell their stories. How do you think the publics view of labor unions has changed over time? Today, the publics view of labor is amongst the highest its ever been. (According to the Pew Research Center, about 60 percent of Americans view labor unions favorably. In 2001, the number was 63 percent, but public support of unions dropped significantly during the Great Recession.) After World War II, when you had 30 to 40 percent of the work force organized, there began a consistent effort to beat up on the unions. Management, and particularly wealthy people who saw the unions as a counter to their accumulating more wealth, decided that they needed to knock unions down. They took the long-term view in how they were going to discredit the unions by cutting into the public confidence in them, and frankly they succeeded. The unions do their job in representing their members, but they dont tell their story, frankly. Over the past dozen years or so, as the middle class has shrunk and union membership has shrunk, the one percent grows richer. Its because there is no one there to fight for the working people to get at least their fair share. And thats happening more and more, and I think you are starting to see a revolt. Why do you think Proposition A failed? Proposition A lost because voters in Missouri realized that the so-called right-to-work was little more than an attempt to lower wages for workers and lower working conditions. Given what has happened in Missouri, I think you are going to see a renewed vigor from unions in Missouri and across the country. A lot of people your age are retired. Why continue working? I believe in what Im doing. I enjoy getting up every day and going to work. I think the work that Im doing is needed. The core of my being is to reach out and help people who sometimes cant help themselves. China and India have both decided to expand their navies by building their own aircraft carriers. Both nations began by refurbishing Russian carriers before designing and building their own. China was able to refurbish the former Russian carrier it purchased and learned a lot while turning an unfinished Kuznetsov class carrier, the Varyag, into the Type 001 carrier Liaoning (CV-16). India did not have the resources to do the refurbishing so they hired Russian firms to do the job. That was a disaster. The 45,000 ton Vikramaditya was originally a Russian Kiev class carrier that served in the Russian Navy from 1987 to 1995 but was then withdrawn from service because Russia could not afford to keep the carrier operational. The ship was put up for sale in 1996 and in 2005. India agreed to buy it if a few changes could be made. India ended up paying over $2.3 billion to refurbish the Kiev class ship and turn it into the Vikramaditya, which entered service in 2014. Indias attempt to build an aircraft carrier is, as expected, over budget and way behind schedule. This effort, the INS Vikrant, began construction in 2009 and the plan was for it to be launched in 2010, fitting out was to be completed by 2013 followed by sea trials and entering service in 2014. Things began to go wrong early on. By 2011 there were several major problems with Indian suppliers that had delayed completion until 2017. A growing list of technical problems encountered by Indian suppliers of key equipment led to more delays and by 2016 an audit of the project concluded that it was unlikely that Vikrant would enter service in 2020 and that 2023 was more likely, but not guaranteed. The 40,000 ton Vikrant has a ski-jump deck, like the refurbished Russian carrier INS Vikramaditya and is designed to carry 29 jet fighters and ten helicopters. A second Indian carrier is in the planning stages and will be based on Vikrant but larger (65,000 tons) and use a catapult instead of a ski jump for takeoffs. That enables aircraft to take off carrying more weight and some kinds of aircraft (like radar early warning types) to be used. The Indian Navy wants to see how the Vikrant works out before committing to the final design for Vikrant 2.0; the 65.000 ton INS Vishal. Faced with the dismal performance of the Vikrant construction effort it is unlikely that Vishal will be in service until the 2030s. Vikrant is now nine years behind schedule and there is still ample opportunity for more self-inflicted problems and delays. Chinas second aircraft carrier (CV-17 Shandong) was launched in April 2017. That was 25 months after construction began. This Type 001A carrier turned out to be (based on photographic comparisons and information officially released by the government and unofficially by many who live or work in or near the shipyard) 315 meters (1,033 feet) three percent longer that CV-16 and displaces 72,000 tons (11 percent more than CV-16). Obvious differences are a slightly (about 10 percent) smaller control tower and about ten percent more flight deck area. China admitted the CV-17 existed in 2016 and called it a Type 001A ship rather than Type 001 because it is slightly different from its predecessor. The 2016 announcement revealed more details, some of them already obvious. CV-17 is considered a new design but based on CV-16 (Liaoning). That first carrier was a 65,000 ton, 305 meter (999 feet) long ship that was itself a modified version of the last Cold War Russian carrier design. In 2016 China confirmed that CV-17 would also have the ski jump deck like Liaoning and would be somewhat heavier and incorporate new design features that would enable it to carry more aircraft (mainly the J-15) in a larger hanger deck (just below the flight deck) as well as more fuel and aircraft weapons. Since then photos of CV-17 under construction indicate that it also incorporates design features that will make it more capable of surviving combat damage as well as operating more efficiently and effectively as a carrier. In addition to the Chinese built J-15 fighter, the new carrier will also have some early-warning radar aircraft as well as some anti-submarine aircraft as well as some helicopters. CV-17 could apparently operate about 20 percent more aircraft than CV-16 (50 fixed wing and helicopters versus about 40). China has not revealed how many carriers they plan to eventually build. But based on what is being said in Chinese media and around the shipyard the performance of CV-17 will play a large role in that decision. CV-17 is expected to undergo one or two years of sea trials before entering service by 2020. But the plan is apparently to build two more similar carriers (CV-18 and 19) which will lose the ski jump deck and instead adopt a catapult. These two will be a bit larger than CV-17 and the first one is already under construction as a Type 002 ship and is expected to be in the water by 2020 and in service by 2024. One thing that might delay the Type 002 is the decision on which catapult system (steam or electric) to use. The U.S. Navy has had problems getting its EMALS (electromagnetic aircraft launch system) to work effectively and the Chinese may be waiting to see how that works out before making their decision. The Type 002 will have a steam propulsion system but one that will produce a lot more electricity (for laser weapons and catapult). After the two catapult equipped carriers are evaluated it is believed that two nuclear-powered carriers are planned (CVN-20 and 21). These will be similar to the American Nimitz class CVNs and the first one could be in service before the smaller Indian INS Vishal. In 2014, when it entered service, the 45,000 ton the Vikramaditya became the largest ship in the Indian Navy and the largest the navy has ever handled. That will apparently remain the case for longer than planned while the Chinese already have two large one 65.000 ton and one 72,000 ton carriers and are ready move on to the larger nuclear-powered carrier design that the Americans pioneered in the 1960s. The Chinese navy is rapidly expanding with new Chinese warship designs built in Chinese shipyards and the construction is completed on time. That is the primary Chinese advantage, one that naval rival India is unable to compete with. In the last week the Taliban lost over 300 men in Ghazni province during a futile attempt to seize the provincial capital. Security forces, armed locals and American air support disrupted and defeated the large-scale effort against the city and several rural areas nearby. Ghazni is near the Pakistani border and contains some major heroin smuggling routes into Pakistan. These routes are kept open by the Taliban. The recent attacks, which included using civilians as human shields inside the city and destroying nearly a thousand small businesses, was basically an intimidation attack. It was very costly as it exposed many of the attackers to airstrikes and thats how most of the Taliban gunmen were lost. There were financial costs as the Taliban usually pay next of kin when one of their members is killed in action. Without that payment recruiting would be a lot more difficult. Major losses in a single operation dont help either, because they include some mid-level combat leaders who are career Taliban and difficult to replace. Not surprisingly many foreigners (Pakistani, Central Asian and Chechen) were found among the Taliban dead. Since the 1990s the Pakistani ISI (military intel) has sent reinforcements recruited in Pakistan to the Afghan Taliban. Ghazni has long been fought over, because of the heroin smuggling routes. Normally the drug gangs find it cheaper and more reliable to use bribes but because of the growing number of addicts inside Afghanistan the bribes sometimes dont work and the national government often sends down commandos and NDS (Afghan intel) agents to carry out specific tasks which tend to be bribe-proof. Massive intimidation attacks like this often fail, mainly because of the popular anger towards the drug gangs that keep supplying the local addicts. The fact that the Afghan Taliban has always been supported by Pakistan is another incentive to fight back. Opposing Pakistani meddling in Afghan affairs is a popular issue among most Afghans. One reason Western troops are tolerated in Afghanistan, which has, for thousands of years been hostile to foreigners, is because the Westerners and Afghans are both eager to shut down the drug trade and keep the Pakistanis out. Pakistan sees battles like this as a success because over 400 Afghans (including security personnel and civilians) were killed and there was a degree of intimidation achieved. Operations like this cost Pakistan little as the Afghan drug gangs supply the cash required. They have no choice because the ISI can deny easy access to Pakistan for needed supplies (chemicals for converting opium into heroin) and secure smuggling routes through Pakistan to the port city of Karachi. The Taliban dont want or need, to control most of the country to stay in business (as hired guns for the drug gangs). The Taliban get the job done by controlling about 12 percent of the population (and 19 percent of the territory) in areas essential to the production of heroin. This includes supply and smuggling routes. The Taliban have been trying to expand the area they control but have been stalled for the last two years. The main reason for that is the greater use of airstrikes by American and Afghan warplanes and changes to the ROE (Rules of Engagement). In 2017 American commanders were again allowed to determine the ROE for U.S. troops overseas, especially in places like Syria and Afghanistan. For example in Afghanistan U.S. troops can now fire on the Taliban even when the Taliban are not firing on them and at long distance. Afghan civilians, the most frequent victims of Taliban violence, complained when the U.S. gradually changed its ROE after 2008 to make it impossible for Americans to fire on the Taliban when Afghan civilians were nearby. When asked Afghan civilians pointed out that was when they most needed the Americans to open fire. As the Afghan air force carries out more airstrikes (about a dozen a day by mid-2018) the Afghan ROE has reduced the enemy use of human shields. The Afghan ROE ignores human shields and puts the priority on killing Taliban or ISIL fighters. This made human shields in general much less effective, even though most of the air strikes are carried out by foreign (usually American) warplanes. So far in 2018 American aircraft are carrying out airstrikes at the highest rate ever (about sixteen bombs or missiles used a day) and a third higher than the previous peak year (2011). The greater availability of air strikes encourages Afghan security forces to be more aggressive. Tale Of Two Talibans Among the many achievements of the Pakistani government over the years one of the most visible is the Taliban movement. Actually, there are two Taliban movements, both of them staffed largely by Pushtun tribesmen (long dominant in southern Afghanistan and northwest Pakistan). Both Taliban movements were founded in Pakistan, one by the military and the other because of the military. The original Taliban was created by the Pakistani military in the mid-1990s (by recruiting Afghan Pushtun refugees) and sending them back home to win, or come close to winning, the civil war that had been underway since the Russians left in 1989. This Afghan Taliban still work for the Pakistani military but by 2007 that inspired the formation of a Pakistani Taliban, recruited from Pakistani Pushtuns, to overthrow the Pakistani government and, as the Afghan Taliban tried to do, establish a religious dictatorship. The Pakistani military declared war on the Pakistani Taliban in 2014 and quickly crushed, but not destroyed, them. The Afghan Taliban are another matter. Because the Afghan Taliban still have the support of the Pakistani military they are still a threat to the Afghan government and that is mainly because the Afghan Taliban have a sanctuary in southwest Pakistan (Baluchistan), right across the border from Helmand province, where most of the heroin (in the world) is produced. The Pakistan military facilitates getting whatever the Afghan Taliban need from Pakistan and, for a fee, getting the Afghan heroin into Pakistan and out to the world via the port of Karachi. Although a growing number of Afghan Taliban leaders want peace and an end to being manipulated by the Pakistanis the senior leader and the Pakistani generals are not inclined to consider peace talks because of all that money from the drug gangs as well as the ability to control (or at least disrupt) Afghanistan. Direct peace talks between Afghan Taliban leaders and the United States, which is now a possibility, are very risky for the Taliban and their Pakistani patrons because the existence of their sanctuaries in Pakistan, while denied by the Pakistani military, is an open secret in Pakistan where it is also obvious that the Pakistan military and its intelligence agency (the ISI) handles these sanctuaries. In Pakistan, the military is very much above the law and can usually do whatever it wants. That is not a secret because about half the time since Pakistan was created in 1947 the military has openly run the government (after a coup) until popular opposition (and frustration at the task of governing) forced the generals to allow elections again. The Taliban insist their main goal is to get foreign troops out of Afghanistan but say nothing about suppressing the widely unpopular drug trade. Moreover, terrorism related deaths are overwhelmingly caused by the Islamic terrorists, mainly (Taliban and Haqqani Network. These men die protecting the drug production that has turned millions of Afghans into addicts and crippled efforts to build the economy and educate the children. Few Taliban really believe they are doing anything good for Afghanistan or the average Afghan. To maintain control of the Afghan Taliban the ISI calls on another of their protected Islamic terror groups; the Haqqani Network. This group was once a faction in the 1990s Afghan civil war but always had a good relationship with the ISI. Over the last two decades the Haqqani have turned into a criminal gang that also manages terror operations in Afghanistan for ISI, because of that the Haqqani at the behest of ISI, also became part of the current Afghan Taliban senior leadership. Most Afghans know all about this and are not happy with how the Pakistani military gets away with it. ISIL The Righteous Underdog ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) had, until mid-2018, two main base areas in Afghanistan. The one in the north (Jawzjan province) appears to have been wiped out recently by a combination of attacks by government and Taliban forces. The end was marked by the surrender of 150 ISIL personnel (a fifth of them women and children) to the government in Jawzjan. The alternative was being massacred by the vengeful local Taliban who has surrounded these ISIL remnants in a rural area. ISIL could have fought to the death but instead chose surrender to government forces, who pushed aside the Taliban cordon to get their ISIL captives out. ISIL had been savage in its treatment of captured Taliban. ISIL executed these men via beheading or explosives and often produced videos of the incidents. Now the Taliban are concentrating forces in Nangarhar to root out and kill the ISIL forces in what has long been the main base area for ISIL in Afghanistan. Because of that, it has been a prime target for Afghan and American forces. A very visible sign of this occurred in April 2017 with the use of a large (9.8 ton) MOAB (Massive Ordnance Air Blast) GPS guided smart bomb against an ISIL target. The impact of this air strike was felt for months. This was the first time MOAB was used in combat and the immediate effect was to wipe out an ISIL base that had made extensive use of a tunnel and cave complex. The underground portion was not destroyed but parts of it collapsed and the rest became unstable and too dangerous to use. On the surface, the few visible structures were destroyed as were the hundreds of landmines and explosive traps that were triggered or shattered (and disabled). Several hundred of the Islamic terrorists were killed or wounded. Later analysis of ISIL post-attack communications indicated that a dozen or more known ISIL leaders may have been killed in this attack. Some stunned or wounded ISIL men managed to get out of the area before ground forces showed up and spread the word about what happened. In the days after this bombing, local tribal leaders asked the Americans to use weapons like this more often. That didnt happen and ISIL didnt disappear from the area either. The fighting between ISIL and the local Taliban continued and it continued to be all being financed by the drug smuggling and made worse by local tribal rivalries. By late 2017 ISIL was moving more of its operations to cities, like Kabul, where they were less likely to be hit by airstrikes. This was an admission of defeat because in urban areas ISIL cannot train large numbers of new recruits or build up stockpiles of weapons and ammo. ISIL also cannot earn money from the drug smuggling business and must get by on a lot less cash. So most of the action remained in rural Jawzjan and Nangarhar. Recently ISIL did something that made the Taliban seem like the good guys. ISIL took credit for the June 4th attack on the Ulema Council meeting. Attacking the Ulema Council (the main Islamic authority in Afghanistan) was a typical arrogant ISIL move, prompted by the Ulema council issuing a Fatwa condemning ISIL tactics, especially suicide bombings. Suddenly the Taliban was seen as a champion for Islam by openly vowing vengeance on ISIL for this unforgivable (and unsuccessful) attack on the Ulema Council. Meanwhile, American and Afghan forces were not idle. In early July some 600 Afghan and American commandos captured the main ISIL base in Nangarhar province. This concluded an operation that began in April and cost ISIL nearly 200 personnel (dead or captured). About 90 percent of the ground force was Afghan (three companies of commandos) and the ground troops had access to lots of aerial surveillance and airstrikes. The commando force suffered few casualties and no deaths. The main tactic was to force ISIL out of populated districts they long operated in and back towards the remote area where their main base was believed to be. The base was finally located and overrun. The remaining ISIL are isolated in a mountainous area where food and water are in short supply. ISIL has shown surprising ability to regenerate, in part because they attract the most fanatic members of other Islamic terrorist groups, especially the Taliban, which is increasingly seen as just pretending to be Islamic warriors. This time the Taliban announced their plans for going after the ISIL remnants in Nangarhar. Given the recent victory in the north (Jawzjan province) the Taliban plan seems workable. In mid-July, the Taliban attacked a key ISIL camp in Jawzjan and triggered a series of gun battles that left over 60 Islamic terrorists dead or wounded. ISIL forces in Jawzjan had already been weakened by regular clashes with Taliban forces. This fighting was frequent during most of 2017 and was pretty brutal. All this was over control of drug smuggling routes across the border. There have been clashes between ISIL and Taliban in other parts of the country but it has been worst in Jawzjan. With government and U.S. forces increasing their attacks as well the local ISIL has lost many of its senior leaders and some factions in Jawzjan have disappeared, apparently because of casualties and desertions caused by the lack of leadership. The number of American and Afghan air strikes on ISIL in Jawzjan and other northern provinces have increased since March, apparently as the result of more tips from locals or even the rival Taliban forces. The Americans believe that ISIL in Jawzjan is no longer an organized force and that the remaining ISIL members are still being hunted by the security forces as well as the Taliban. The ISIL force in Nangarhar province remain active and largely intact, for now. The current clashes in Jawzjan indicate that ISIL had greater recuperative capabilities than anyone expected. But the Taliban have an unexpected asset as well. Captured Taliban in eastern and northern Afghanistan report a special Taliban force being trained in Iran, where they also receive new equipment and weapons with the understanding that they will return to Afghanistan and concentrate their attacks on Americans and ISIL. Iran is desperate to strike back at the Americans for renewing economic sanctions and thwarting Iranian efforts to take control of Syria and then launch attacks on Israel. These Iran backed Taliban have apparently been going after ISIL groups in western Afghanistan but not the Americans, at least not as far as anyone can tell. By August it was apparent that this Taliban strategy had worked in Jawzjan, where in a few weeks of fighting a 500 strong ISIL force was reduced to less than 200 and forced to surrender to the government to avoid annihilation. One rarely mentioned ally in the effort to defeat ISIL in Afghanistan was al Qaeda or more specifically AQIS (Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent). Technically Afghanistan is not part of AQIS territory and still contains an Afghanistan branch of al Qaeda. Afghanistan has become a more reliable base area (for training camps) than Pakistan or anywhere else in South Asia. AQIS was created in 2014 and initially tried to establish its headquarters in Karachi (Pakistan), long a haven for all sorts of criminal activity and forged alliances with the major Islamic terrorist organizations there. Yet AQIS has been responsible for very few terror attacks in Pakistan or anywhere else. AQIS was created to manage and support operations in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and Burma. Islamic terrorism experts believe this was largely a publicity stunt by al Qaeda to counter the growing popularity of the more radical ISIL. Indian Moslems have produced some recruits for Islamic terrorism, but not enough to produce the level of mayhem Islamic terrorists wanted. Lacking a lot of radical clergy and religious schools India has simply not produced a lot of radicalized young men willing to kill and be killed. Similar recruiting problems were encountered elsewhere but other Al Qaeda groups have continued to provide enough cash and other assistance to keep AQIS going and barely visible. Afghan training camps, destroyed at the end of 2017, were a major AQIS asset and that loss was one reason AQIS agreed to work with the Pakistani Taliban. August 16, 2018: ISIL took credit for two bomb attacks in Kabul in the last 24 hours. Yesterday ISIL bombed an education center in a Shia neighborhood where high school students were studying for university exams. This suicide bomber attack left 48 dead and was justified by ISIL belief that secular (especially Western) education is un-Islamic and punishable by death, as is being a Shia. ISIL isnt very popular in Afghanistan but there are enough radicalized local Moslems to keep the group going. The attack today was against an NDS training facility, which had much better security than the educations center (where the bomber just walked in). At least two ISIL attackers were killed as they sought to fight their way into the NDS facility. The ISIL attackers did fire come RPG rockets at the NDS compound, along with a lot of machine-gun fire. In the last week, the security forces suffered about 250 dead. The numerous Taliban attacks also killed over a hundred civilians and got over 500 Taliban killed. August 15, 2018: In the east (Nangarhar Province), NDS arrested seven suicide bombers and, the night before, seized a car rigged with explosives. All this was for a coordinated attack on Jalalabad city. In the northeast (Baghlan province), the Taliban attacked an army outpost and killed 35 soldiers. Another attack further south (Zabul province), left four police dead. Fighting has continued in the far south (Helmand province) where the security forces have been on the offensive. The Taliban sought to intimidate the Red Cross into being more cooperative by announcing that the existing "safe passage" understanding (which protected Red Cross personnel from Taliban attack) was canceled. The "safe passage" would be restored if the Red Cross would agree to carry out tasks for the Taliban, like assisting in getting captured Taliban out of jail. August 14, 2018: The renewed American sanctions on Iran will hurt Afghans working in Iran but will not interfere with the new trade route from Afghanistan, via Iran to the port of Chabahar. The Americans make exceptions for these sanctions and in this case, Pakistan is seen as a larger threat to Afghanistan than Iran. Most of the truck traffic that used to go through Pakistan to the port of Karachi is now using the new route via Iran to Chabahar (built by India and Iran mainly for traffic to Afghanistan and Central Asia). At least $5 billion worth of trade to and from Afghanistan will use Chabahar each year. Pakistan is the big loser here, especially since they had recently increased higher traffic on Afghan goods moving through Karachi. In addition, since mid-January Pakistan has closed the main border crossings to Afghan traffic entering Pakistan. Yet Pakistani goods are allowed into Afghanistan and now the Afghans are considering blocking that and depending on trade links via Iran and Central Asia. This is an undeclared trade war by Pakistan. The main reason is growing trade with India and switching from Karachi to Chabahar for Afghan imports and exports. The United States, India, Afghanistan and the UN are increasing pressure on Pakistan over Pakistani support for terrorism. The U.S. is withholding over a billion dollars worth of aid because of continued Pakistani support of Islamic terrorism and drug gang operations inside Afghanistan. August 13, 2018: In the north (Faryab province) hundreds of Taliban attacked a small army base and the hundred or so troops there. When repulsed (after killing or wounding over half the soldiers) they besieged the base and after two days the 57 surviving troops surrendered because had received no resupply, air support or any assurances that help was on the way. Faryab province is on the Turkmenistan border and part of the major drug smuggling route to Central Asia and Europe. For several years the province was the scene of heavy fighting between ISIL and Taliban for control of the smuggling routes. This year ISIL was defeated and the Taliban turned to the many army bases and outposts in the province. August 11, 2018: In the west (Farah province), the Taliban sought to make some attacks but were disrupted by airstrikes and prompt response by ground forces. August 10, 2018: In the southeast (Ghazni province), hundreds of Taliban tried to capture the provincial capital with a stealthy night attack. There was more resistance than the Taliban expected. August 7, 2018: The United States revealed that it was holding peace talks with the Taliban in Qatar. Not all Taliban factions want to get a peace deal but a growing number do. August 5, 2018: In the east (Parwan province) three NATO (Czech) soldiers were killed when the foot patrol they were in was attacked near Bagram Airfield by a suicide bomber. An American soldier and two Afghan troops were wounded. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. With this attack the number of foreign troops killed in Afghanistan so far this year increases to six. The other three are all American. In 2017 17 foreign troops were killed in Afghanistan. All but two of those were American. By mid-August, the deaths had increased to eight, five of them American. August 3, 2018: In the east (Paktia province) two ISIL men attacked a Shia mosque. Both were killed, one by his explosive vest, and the other (a gunman) by security guards. The blast left 29 dead and even more wounded. The Taliban denounced the attack and this sort of anti-Shia violence has been monopolized by ISIL of late. But in the past, the Taliban killed a lot of Shia. Now, however, the Afghan Taliban is receiving support from Iran, a Shia majority nation that is hostile to groups that kill Shia. In central Afghanistan (Uruzgan Province, just north of Helmand and Kandahar) the Taliban attacked and overran a small army base which left over 4o soldiers dead nearly as many missing. The Taliban looted the base and fled but not before reinforcing troops, and airstrikes, caught up with them leaving about 60 of the attackers dead. August 2, 2018: In the south (Helmand province) Afghan commandos found and captured another Taliban prison camp and freed 61 civilians held captive. Many of the captives were suspected of providing information to the government. Because of that, the Afghan forces put a priority on finding and seizing these Taliban jails. In the last three months, nearly 400 people have been freed from these camps in Helmand alone. July 23, 2018: In the Persian Gulf (Qatar) American officials held secret peace talks with the Taliban. The Afghan government was aware of this and apparently went along in the hopes that some progress might finally be achieved after years of failed peace negotiations. July 22, 2018: In Kabul, ISIL took credit for a suicide bombing at the airport. The target was First Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum, who was returning from 14 months outside the country (for medical treatment and to deal with family matters.) The ISIL attack was apparently meant for Dostum but the timing was off and the Dostum convoy had just left when the suicide bomber struck. The explosion killed 14 people and wounded more than fifty. Dostum also left the country to avoid prosecutors who sought him for questioning about the kidnapping and torture of a political rival in the north (Jawzjan province). This was not the first time Dostum has been accused of that sort of thing. In the past, he eventually escaped prosecution, sometimes by leaving the country for months. Dostum is a powerful man, a classic Afghan warlord and supreme in the north. There is no official leader of the non-Pushtuns but the most powerful of these leaders is outspoken about the continued Pushtun dominance of the government. The best example of this is Dostum, who has been a foe of the Taliban since the 1990s. Dostum is a powerful Uzbek politician, and a long time warlord (he was a general in the communist army that was dissolved in 1992). The Uzbeks are Turks and comprise nine percent of the population. The Uzbeks have always been hostile to the Taliban and drugs. Dostum is their leader but has become popular with Afghans who openly oppose Islamic terrorists. Dostum makes the most of this by regularly giving speeches condemning Islamic terrorism. This involves constantly traveling and exposing himself to terrorist attack. So far he has survived dozens of attacks and this increases popularity while enraging the Islamic terrorists he publicly berates and condemns. Dostum has long been a major critic of Pakistan and how Pakistan continues to support Islamic terrorists operating in Afghanistan. By Marcello Di CintioAugust 13, 2018photograph by Jared SychStarting last winter, journalist Jen Gerson seemed to be everywhere. She had abruptly left a National Post correspondent position at the end of January. By mid-February, three weeks into her freelance career, Gerson had already amassed an impressive number of stories. People noticed. Edmonton journalist Omar Mouallem posted on Twitter that he had read four great articles that day, all penned by Gerson. Her formercolleague Tristin Hopper tweeted that Gerson was in the midst of the most explosively successful post-@NationalPost 100 days in the history of National Posting. If you havent noticed, her byline is more ubiquitous than Benedict Cumberbatch.Gerson replied: S, Im only on day 33, fers.By the end of April, at the actual 100-day mark, Gerson had written about Canadas obsession with the sex lives of ice dancers, gotten into a Twitter fight with Conrad Black about journalistic standards, tackled the hippie vs. rig pig pipeline battle between B.C. and Alberta, addressed sexual harassment in Canadian politics and written about the chaotic Ontario provincial election including breaking the story about the Ontario Progressive Conservative party conference call that put an end to Patrick Browns run for Premier. Gerson also started a gig as the journalist-in-residence at the University of Calgarys Faculty of Law , appeared regularly on CBCspanel and began a biweekly politics podcast with journalist Justin Ling calledGersons omnipresence appeared sudden and explosive, but I wanted to know how and when her journalistic fuse was lit. She agreed to meet with me last spring even though she was coming off a rough week. Gerson was recovering from strep throat, and her 18-month-old son had also been sick and spent the previous few nights in Gersons bed kicking her in the face. She had just recorded an episode offrom inside her closet because it is the most soundproof place in her house. You have to picture me in my closet still, in my pyjamas, shaking back and forth because I havent slept, Gerson said. And Im on antibiotics. I am so exhausted. Still, she sat down with me to run through what has gotten her to this point.Gersons first press conference, in 2002, was about the notorious Robert Pickton pig farm, where police eventually identified the remains of 26 murdered women. Gerson was 16 years old. She was volunteering for course credit with the student newspaper at her high school, Gleneagle Secondary in Coquitlam, and was shadowing a reporter from the local newspaper who took her in like a little duckling, Gerson said. She recalls questioning one of the other reporters in the scrum about a bit of journalism jargon he used. I was trying to feel tough, Gerson said. I was really how should I describe it? intense as a 16-year-old.The reporter ride-along to the Pickton press conference, along with the September 11 attacks which occurred around the same time, abruptly expanded Gersons view of the world outside her little town. These two tragedies one global, one local combined with Gersons long-held fascination with language and story. I dont know if that is a grim thing to say, but it was an interesting and exciting time to be trained as a journalist, Gerson said. The world became a very different place after that.After graduating from high school, Gerson enrolled in journalism at Ryerson University in Toronto. She quickly realized her future job prospects didnt rely on her GPA. I took the lay of the land and I realized nobody is going to give a shit if I have an A or a D, Gerson said. Nobody is going to care about my grades. Instead, she focused on gaining newsroom experience. Gerson joined the Ryerson student newspaper,. I knew from high school the student newspaper was where all the cool kids hung out, she said. She started off as circulation manager, a sort of rite-of-passage job that involved pushing a massive cart loaded with papers throughout campus and making early morning deliveries. The job earned her goodwill among the higher-ups at. All of the editors went for breakfast with me afterwards. It was a social thing.Social things were hardly Gersons speciality. I was an only kid. I never got along with other people, she said. I was a weirdo. Gerson was also a year younger than all her peers, and couldnt join them for post-class drinks. More than this, though, Gersons ruthless pursuit of her career goals did not always endear her to her J-school classmates. Right from the beginning, I had my eye on the prize to a creepy degree, and that was extremely off-putting to my peers, she admitted. I definitely didnt win Miss Congeniality or Miss Popularity in university. Thats for sure.Gerson landed plum internships at, theand the. Then, in 2007, she got a job as a tourism reporter at The National , a new government-owned newspaper based in the United Arab Emirates. She enjoyed the travel opportunities the job offered, but found the expat vibe in Abu Dhabi a sort of frat-house version of a foreign news desk. Everybody is away from home and they drink a lot. You wind up going on these boozy brunches every Friday and getting into trouble, Gerson said. It is literally like grown-up university. Despite that, she enjoyed the scene for about two years befores credibility began to disintegrate under the weight of increased government censorship.At the time, Gerson figured that Yemen might be an interesting place for her to work next. She arranged to spend a month in Sanaa studying Arabic. She did the math on how many freelance articles she would have to publish every month to pay her rent and how much she would need to spend on kidnapping and ransom insurance. But then, on the day she had planned to send her deposit to the language school, thesent her an email offering her a general-assignment reporter position. The timing seemed like a sign. I decided to come home, she said.Gerson worked at thefor nearly two years before getting promoted to covering Alberta for. Premier Alison Redford dropped the writ on the provincial election on Gersons second day on the job. Within a few months, Redford was out, Jim Prentice stepped in, and then Rachel Notleys NDP wave washed away 44 years of Conservative rule. Alberta politics long considered the most boring beat in Canadian journalism suddenly became the most interesting and relevant political topic in the country. I just lucked out, Gerson said. I ended up on the back tail of a star and rode it in.photograph by Jared SychRetired journalist Catherine Ford poured me a glass of wine, then fetched half of a limoncello martini she had leftover in the fridge from the night before. When she returned to her living room, she said, If I had a daughter, Id want her to be Jen Gerson.I was there because I had been told Ford was, along with Don Braid and Colby Cosh, something of a mentor for Gerson. This made perfect sense. The two journalists share much in common. Ford describes Gerson as a funny and mouthy woman who doesnt take s from anyone, an accurate description of Ford herself. Ford said, too, that Jen has a tendency to be whats the word I am looking for? confirmed in her opinion. Like I was. Both women are admired for their fierce and entertaining columns, even by readers who may disagree with them.It is tempting to suggest Gerson is following in Fords footsteps. Instead, Ford imagines following Gerson. In Jen, I see the possibilities that might have been if I started out now, she said. When Ford first joined thein 1966, she was the only female news reporter at the entire paper, and women journalists have long felt pressure to be one of the boys. Jen is quite feminine, Ford said. You can be that [now] and still be a great journalist. Thats a huge difference.However, Ford doesnt envy Gerson for the current precarious state of the business and the paucity of journalism jobs available to young reporters. Nor does she have any interest in the online world todays journalists must navigate. If I was starting out in the business today and I didnt have a thick skin, with all the trolling on social media, I am not sure I wouldnt have drunk more than I used to, Ford said.For her part, Gerson endures less online abuse than many other female pundits she knows. Gersons writing rarely delves into the sort of topics like feminism and race that tend to rile the webs most vicious hate nerds. Most of all, though, Gerson thinks her refusal to align herself with one political tribe or another makes her a less of a target. She considers herself to be generally centre-right-leaning in her politics, and harbours a fundamental skepticism about the competence of any government to do anything useful, but she is neither a party flag-waver nor an ideologue. It is hard to wage war on someone who hovers outside the fray.Gerson also believes that her fierce online character dissuades many attackers. I think people realize that if you want to f with me on Twitter, Ill f with you right back, she said. And Ill probably win. The Jen Gerson on the page, though, is not the same as flesh-and-bones Jen Gerson. Every pundit has a persona, to some degree, she said. While Gerson The Person considers herself shy, Pundit Gerson describes herself as bossy and aggressive. Ive got a funny, bulls, sort of take-no-prisoners persona, Gerson said. She wouldnt consider her persona false, but it is certainly crafted. This puppet of Jen Gerson allows her to separate herself from the sort of online backlash that punditry breeds, especially for outspoken women like her. Most of the time I can disconnect from the emotional consequences of being out there, she said.All of Gersons work presents her particular stance on an issue she is an opinion writer more than a reporter, although her work is based in research but she does not care if readers come over to her side. Im not invested in peoples growth. Thats just useless to me, she said.Gerson would rather guide readers through her thought process than necessarily change their views. In her critique of the 2018 federal budget, for example, she ran the numbers on the Liberals much-ballyhooed overhaul of the Universal Child Care Benefit and revealed that households making $30,000 per year are still spending between half and two-thirds of their net income on childcare. We women are very good at this kind of math, she wrote.Math has driven Gersons career from the very beginning. Every career move she has made as a journalist emerged from unsentimental arithmetic. Her focus on experience instead of grades at Ryerson, for example, or her calculation that penning short opinion columns is a more financially fruitful use of her freelance hours than investigative reporting. Gerson has written a couple of book proposals, too, but has reasoned that even a successful book about Alberta politics wont earn enough money to be worth her time writing it. Im not interested in making $20,000 a year, she said. Money is how we keep score.Mercenary mathematics may fuel her career choices, but it is her long-held desire to tell good stories that drives the work itself. This hasnt changed since she was a precocious high-schooler. I want to be good at doing the craft, she said.Gerson has never harboured any hope to change the world and rejects the J-school aphorism that the purpose of journalism is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. That is an activist model, she said. If youve accepted that, then youve accepted your role in journalism as an activist, and as a left-leaning activist whose job it is to shit on the rich. Gerson said she worries that too many journalists consider challenging power to be a more important goal than simply telling truthful stories. That being said, Im perfectly happy to take out the powerful when I think they deserve it. Im thrilled. Ill take your head and Ill put it on a wall if you deserve it, then she added, Im really nice. Im just very disagreeable.I love Jen Gerson. I follow CBCspanel religiously, and whenever Jen is on, I know the BS will not pass unchallenged. She is brilliant, insightful, and usually unassailable. Add to that she is definitely not your usual activist journalist, actually leans to the right, and she's my kind of truth-teller. In 2017 Poland decided to adopt the American GMLRS (GPS guided MLRS) rocket system. Poland wanted to get GMLRS into action quickly and at the lowest possible cost. Now there is a change in plan and Poland is ordering the American made HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) vehicles rather than building its own version of the American HIMARS rocket launchers. For several years Polish defense studies had shown that the state-owned Polish defense industries could accomplish this. The Americans were willing to allow for license built systems, which is quite common when it comes to fellow NATO members. But in early 2018 American and Polish technical experts got together to work out the details and it was discovered that the Polish manufacturers expected to handle adapting the American tech to existing Polish truck-mounted rocket launcher systems would require more time and higher costs than earlier believed. Some of the American tech to be transferred was going to require the construction of new manufacturing facilities and that use of these facilities beyond the HIMARS contract were not guaranteed. The delays alarmed Polish military planners who increasingly saw the precision firepower provided by GMLRS, a combat proven system, becoming more urgent as the Russian threat seemed to grow. A quick recalculation determined that it would now cost about the same, even be a little cheaper to order the HIMARS vehicles rather than integrating HIMARS technology into the existing, and similar Polish Homar (Lobster) rocket system. The Homar plan looked good on paper as it involved HIMARS launchers mounted on Polish 6x6 truck rather than the standard HIMARS system mounted on the 6x6 U.S. Army vehicle system that nearby Romania and other export customers purchase. The Homar plan involved buying 25 GMLRS rockets as well as 61 ATACMS rockets, 34 practice rockets 1,642 GMLRS guidance systems to be fitted to Polish made rockets as well as GMLRS guidance system test and maintenance systems. This $250 million sale was to enable Poland to build a Polish version of HIMARS launchers under license and integrate the Polish HIMARS with Polish artillery fire control systems using NATO standards. Most export customers find that the American made $5 million HIMARS truck mounted MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) is already a bargain. Thats what the U.S. Army and Marines found when they adopted HIMARS, which carries only one, six MLRS rocket pod instead of two in the original larger, tracked, MLRS vehicle. Initially, a major attraction was that the 12-ton truck could fit into a C-130 transport (unlike the 22 ton tracked MLRS) and was much cheaper to operate. The first HIMARS entered service in 2005, about a year after GMLRS (GPS guided MLRS rockets) did. The two new innovations worked well together and were a major reason for the success of the GMLRS and the HIMARS rocket launcher. The U.S. no longer buys the tracked MLRS or unguided MLRS rockets. Poland, like most HIMARS and MLRS users, are now only buying guided rockets. Poland had originally planned to integrate longer range (150-499 kilometer) Homar guided rockets it was already developing into the American HIMARS system. Poland was a major weapons manufacturer during the Cold War when it was occupied by Russian military forces and secret police. During that period Poland produced Russian weapons under license and gradually developed improved versions of the Russian designs. It turned out that the tech the HIMARS used was pretty powerful, enabling HIMARS to operate (move, receive a target order and launch the GMLRS) using as few as one of the normal three man crew. All that tech is great and Poland would still like to build it under license but the army needed the HIMARS capability now, not later. Since joining NATO in 1999 Poland has largely replaced Russian weapons with Western ones or upgraded Russian systems to NATO standards. That alone created a new business opportunity for Polish defense firms and Poland is again becoming a major arms producer. Thus it was no surprise that Poland wanted to build its own version of the guided MLRS rockets, a weapon that had been in service since 2004. This was the GMLRS (guided multiple launch rocket system). Like the unguided version, the GMLRS is packaged and used in containers (pods) holding six rockets each. The fire control system was upgraded to handle precision targeting rather than just a general area. Poland already builds several truck-mounted rocket systems but these still use unguided rockets. Moving up to HIMARS type launch vehicles and GMLRS type rockets was seen as the future and it still is. Getting there just turned out to take longer than the Polish Army thought necessary. Since 2004 over 3,000 GMLRS rockets have been fired in combat. GMLRS rockets cost about $100,000 each and have been very successful. That has meant even less work for tube artillery, which had dominated the battlefield since the 17th century. The Polish GMLRS rockets will be based on existing Polish rockets and eventually be cheaper to manufacture. Meanwhile, the U.S. manufacturer has had to resume production of the M142 American HIMARS vehicle system for the growing number of export customers. The 309 kg (680 pound) GMLRS missile is a GPS guided 227mm rocket. It was designed to have a range of 70 kilometers and the ability to land within meters of its intended target, at any range. This is possible because it uses GPS (plus a backup inertial guidance system) to find the target location it was programmed with. In 2008 the army tested GMLRS at max range (about 85 kilometers) and found that it worked fine and this is the design Poland will use. This enables one MLRS/HIMARS vehicle to provide support over a frontage of 170 kilometers, or, in places with wide open spaces, like the Eurasian Plains Poland shares with Russia, HIMARS can provide precision fire support over an area of about 20,000 square kilometers. This is a huge footprint for a single weapon (an individual MLRS/HIMARS vehicle), and fundamentally changes the way you deploy artillery in combat. By way of comparison, Excalibur (GPS guided 155mm shell) has a max range of 37 kilometers, and 120mm GPS guided mortars about 7.5 kilometers. Until recently most of the GMLRS rockets were fitted with an 89 kg (196 pound) M31A1 high explosive ("unitary") warhead. About half of that is actual explosives. That's twice as much explosive as the U.S. Air Force 130 kg (285 pound) SDB (Small Diameter Bomb). A 155mm artillery shell has 6.6 kg of explosives, and the 500 pound (227 kg) bomb has 127 kg of explosives, which produced an excessive blast for many urban combat situations. The GMLRS seemed to be just right most of the time. In 2014 an M30A1 warhead was introduced in 2016 and it used less explosive but added 180,000 tungsten pellets which were effective against personnel and unarmored vehicles over a much larger area. The GPS guided ATACMS rocket has a range of 300 kilometers and a 230 kg (500 pound) warhead. GMLRS has been used with great success in Iraq and Afghanistan, where most have been fired so far. The guided rocket is much more effective than the older, unguided, version, and has replaced it for most users. No more of the unguided rockets are being purchased by the U.S. The accuracy of GMLRS means that one rocket does the job that previously required a dozen or more of the unguided ones. That's why HIMARS is so popular. While HIMARS only carries six rockets, that's often enough to last for days in places like Afghanistan, even when there's a lot of combat. Because of precision weapons like GMLRS and smart bombs, since the end of the Cold War in 1991, the U.S. Army has drastically reorganized and reduced its artillery force. At the end of the Cold War most artillery was conventional tube artillery. That meant towed 105mm, 155mm, 203mm howitzers and self-propelled 155mm howitzers. The MLRS, a 12 tube 227mm unguided rockets was just entering service when the Cold War ended. In the 1990s it became obvious that smart bombs (JDAM) first used in the 1991 Gulf War, were more effective than artillery and that led to a major shift away from using artillery. By 2004 over 40 tube artillery battalions had been disbanded. Noting the success of GMLRS, Russia and China have developed and put into service their own GPS guided rockets. Russia has long led in the design of new rocket systems was is playing catchup when it comes to using guided rockets. The multiple rocket launcher was first developed by the Russians before World War II as a cheap alternative to massed artillery fire by individual guns. Long seen as a supplement to regular artillery, the introduction of the high tech U.S. MLRS rocket system in the 1980s began to make a lot of conventional artillery obsolete even before GMLRS came along. Of course, artillery has always been ripe for innovation. The U.S. 175mm gun, introduced in the 1960s, was rendered obsolete in the 1980s with the introduction of special long range ammo for the 203mm (8 inch) howitzer. The U.S. Army stopped using the 175mm gun in the 1970s. When the MLRS entered service, one of the three batteries in each division's 203mm howitzer battalion was equipped with MLRS units instead. But MLRS proved so effective that the 203mm howitzer battalion became an MLRS battalion and the 203mm gun was dropped by the U.S. Army. There were always non-divisional MLRS battalions, as the MLRS was seen, from the beginning, as an ideal weapon for massed artillery fire. The Gulf War allowed the MLRS to show off what a potent weapon it could be. The larger rockets also provided room for more complex payloads (cluster and "smart" munitions) and guidance systems. This was another example of how technology can transform an old weapon. While the Russians have been using rocket launchers for over 70 years, they never got around to enhancing their effectiveness with a lot of technology until recently and then only because they noted others were doing so and succeeding. Now everyone is changing their artillery forces and adapting to the use of many fewer guided projectiles. CAMP GRAYLING, MI - Marines with Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, fire two FGM-148 Javelin Missiles in a volley during Exercise Northern Strike at Camp Grayling, Mich., Aug. 14, 2018. Camp Grayling, the largest National Guard center in the country covering 147,000 acres, offers many large artillery, mortar, tank ranges and maneuver courses. Photo By: Cpl. Niles Lee X 0 20 Help Keep Us Soaring We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling. We need your help in reversing that trend. We would like to add 20 new subscribers this month. Each month we count on your subscriptions or contributions. You can support us in the following ways: This is the imperfect version of His earth. Job got a close up look at who was causing all the mischief, Satan and a few cohorts are front and center for the last few years. It isn't like the flock has just learned about this today. Perhaps they should have said something when it was just Indian kids getting the worst end possible. They don't stop when they run out of food, they just change what is prey. You know, like in 'Let us prey.' The Demon known as Legion would be better company than these critters. The Book is still valid, anybody you will ever meet is a work in progress, at best. Reversing negative export trends View(s): If an economy is growing without export growth, economists know that there are enough reasons to doubt such growth. At least they know that economic growth in the absence of export growth is not going to last long. Sri Lanka has been there for many years now. After long years of silence, I am happy that Sri Lanka is back to talk about exports. A few weeks ago the Sri Lankan government launched its official document of export strategy the Export Strategy of Sri Lanka (NES). The document also acknowledged that key upgrades are required to reverse the long decline in share of exports to GDP. In spite of Sri Lankas poor track record of implementing strategies and plans, at least we are now back to understanding what needs to be done. However, I am not going to focus on this question or to review the export strategy. Rather I want to emphasize the point that why we need to prioritise export growth. Failing to keep abreast in South Asia Over the past 20 years Sri Lanka has failed to remain even in line with export growth in its South Asian region. In 2017 South Asia as a region exported US$370 billion worth goods, while Sri Lanka had just a tiny share of it which amounted to 3 per cent. About 20 years ago Sri Lanka had a 9 per cent of South Asian regional export share. South Asia has exported about $210 billion worth services, while Sri Lanka has exported $8 billion worth of services in the areas of tourism, trade, finance, IT and BPO, port and aviation. It is not a surprising fact that the service export growth in the South Asian region was faster than its merchandise export growth. In this case too, Sri Lankas service exports have not performed on par with the South Asian average. Service exports South Asias export growth was distinctively different from export growth in East Asia because of the differences in service sector growth. South Asia is more service-oriented than East Asia in the case of export performance. In fact Sri Lanka is even more service-oriented than the rest of the South Asian region. Given the proper business environment, Sri Lanka has already exhibited that it would grow with an overwhelming expansion in the service sector. This may not be a good news for old-fashion economic fallacies, but it is the reality and a topic for discussion for another day. No more export-oriented Even though Sri Lankans were proud of being able to take a dramatic turnaround in its policy reforms in 1977 to be the first and, the most export-oriented in the region, I dont think it remained export-oriented. The countrys export-orientation got distorted gradually, as our policy bias against exports got intensified. Sri Lankas highest exports-to-GDP ratios were reported in 2000; merchandise exports which reported to be 33 per cent of GDP then declined steadily to 13 per cent of GDP. Service exports which accounted for 39 per cent of GDP declined to 20 per cent by 2010; it then reported a slight upward trend reaching 22 per cent of GDP by 2017. In fact it shows that after the end of the war, Sri Lankas export growth has been contributed mostly through service exports than merchandise exports. In fact, it further confirms that, Sri Lankas future growth would be contributed more by the service sector than by the merchandise sector. The country has already exhibited that it would be an international service hub in the region. Why exports? Although I have answered this question on a number of occasions in various ways, let me repeat another kind of answer. To be a high-performing country in the South Asian region the fastest growing region in the world now, Sri Lanka has to show two things. The first is that it should achieve a higher growth momentum of around 8 per cent per annum. The second is that it should sustain its higher growth momentum over a long period of time around 10 20 years. It is a fundamental fact that Sri Lanka cannot establish the above two conditions without export growth. This is simply because higher growth should be directed to the international market which does not have market boundaries. For every country, including large ones in the world such as China and India, the domestic market is small. Sooner than later, the smaller market would be a constraint to growth as it has been so evident in Sri Lanka too. This is the reason why growth without exports cannot be sustained. The government can hire more people to the public sector and provide pay hikes and handouts, but it will not sustain growth. The government can build seaports, airports, bridges and highways, but they cannot sustain growth. There should be an export growth even to sustain such activities in the economy. Other side of the coin The other side of the coin is the origin of growth: where does higher growth come from? Let me talk about one of the fundamental sources of growth investment. I use the term investment to elaborate productive investment and not various forms of financial investments. Productive investment expands a countrys productive capacity. Evidence suggests that high-performing countries have maintained their investment in the range of around 40 per cent of GDP to sustain about 8 per cent of average economic growth. It has to be private investment, because public investment generated from taxes or borrowings has a limit. We are familiar with the fact that Sri Lanka has already crossed these boundaries so that in the absence of growth itself the government is not in a position to increase its capacity to generate more taxes and more borrowings. Foreign investment The second limitation comes from the investment capacity of the private sector. It is also a fact that our private sector is too small to generate large investment flows within a short period of time. In fact, it doesnt have be the case in a world where billions and trillions of US dollars had accumulated as investment funds seeking better locations. In the past few years, the annual average foreign investment flows in the world have amounted to US$1.5 trillion; if you diverted just one per cent of that into your own country, it would be US$ 15 billion! Some countries are doing that successfully in attracting billions of foreign investment. Two policy issues There are two policy issues emerging from our discussion: The first is about the direction of higher growth; what prevents Sri Lanka from expanding its export market? There should be policy or regulatory or logistic barriers that hinder the countrys penetration into global markets. The second issue is about the origin of higher growth; why do the international investors not consider Sri Lanka as a great location for their investment? There should be valid reasons for investors to be reluctant to invest here. As export-oriented growth has now revisited and got into the countrys policy agenda, I hope reforms that are aimed at returning to its export-oriented policy regime and at restoring the investor confidence over that policy regime are on the top of the policy priorities. (The writer is a Professor in Economics at the Colombo University. He can be reached at sirimal @econ.cmb.ac.lk). Bottoms up in our mad world View(s): How very considerate of the chief minister of the Western Provincial Council. This chief minister Isuru Devapriya wants his fellow councillors to park their sensitive bottoms on comfortable seats during council sittings. Otherwise, one might reasonably conclude, grandiose ideas will not enter their heads and the council will end up as a repository of verbal garbage of little use to man or beast. Unlike the one-time development theory of a top-down process, our worthies in the WPC have reversed it. So now we end up with a bottom-up system. Accordingly this theory assumes that nothing of value would penetrate that part of the anatomy that lies above the necks of our hard-working members unless their worthy bottoms are treated reverentially and parked in an expensive imported chair valued at Rs 640,000 for each bottom. It appears that Western Province Governor Hemakumara Nanayakkara, has put a stop to this profligacy. Whether this would remain so or, Devapriya and his soft- bottomed supporters will find some dubious way to get round the current hurdle only time will tell.If Governor Nanayakkara needs another argument to buttress his current decision he could turn to medical advice from our Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne who has been elevated (by whom one is not certain) to the status of a suwapathi after the WHO elected him a vice-chairman of its executive board. But to all this sycophantic flim-flam that culminated quite appropriately in the Nelum Pokuna theatre that has seen comedy and farce performed in its time, one can turn to a little later. After all there is still time for our medicine man to earn some healthy references in any modern version of a Kautilyan Arthashastra. Of course one cannot be certain of our health ministers usefulness in keeping the local foggy (soggy?) bottoms comfortable, his specialty being open-mouthed treatment. Some say that this is why he was appointed a cabinet spokesman. Anyway when a JVP councillor revealed the other day that the foreign-made chairs cost Rs 650,000 each chief minister Devapriya dismissed the charge as fake news taking a leaf out of the book of famous sayings of Donald J. Trump who is not beyond concocting some fake stuff himself, as fact checkers have exposed. With an ear-splitting howl that would do justice to a character out of Dr Strangelove, the chief minister triumphantly announced that the chairs ordered cost Rs 640,000 and not Rs 650,000. Now that might leave a slight dent in the collection box of those who expected to make a bigger commission from this dip into the public purse but it makes not an iota of difference to the principle that financial licentiousness should not only be damned but any beneficiaries from such transgressions be hastily dispatched to a State hostel or prescribed the famous Polonnaruwa ayurvedic medicine with the aid of a madu waligey. But then some prospective inmates with sufficient pull find themselves moving straight from court to hospital thanks to the hospitality of members of that highly ethical association called the GMOA which is not averse to an extra buck or two to fill their deep pockets by filling hospital beds. As for the chief minister whose genuine concern to prevent leakages from the public purse is commendable, his ten thousand rupee saving on each chair should teach his critics not to spread fake news. Chief Minister Devapriya is not one to rob Peter to pass on any benefits to a friendly Paul. Such extravagance he leaves to dear Rosy in Colombo whose thoughtfulness and consideration for future incumbents of the mayoral mansion to perform their daily ablutions in five-star comfort instead of the dilapidated enclosures that pass off as washrooms needs to be appreciated.That is not all. It seems she has caught a disease that her party is so accustomed to to distribute money among the denizens of Diyawanna Oya as though the currency is being printed at the press of that house by the lake now chaired by a party pal. Having first made a pre-election promise of an all round salary hike for state employees, they then distributed a cash bonus to MPs to run their respective offices. Now they want to dole out more money to monitoring MPs of the Gamperaliya rural revolution which might soon be labeled Gam Rudhawa if the money passes mostly into the hands of his party minions. No wonder then that the western province chief minister wishes to emulate the proclivities of the countrys prime minister by distributing largesse to help warm the bottoms of some nondescript councillors whose contribution to the nation is as useful as the mountains of garbage at Meethotamulla.All this generosity is when the nation is in serious fiscal straits and the average person must bear the stresses and strains of daily living. Only the other day it was revealed that Minister Rishad Bathiudeen has seven cars for his use when he is officially entitled to three. Is that fake news or what? Well one could clear it up with the minister himself or may be make an RTI request. But if the responses to such requests are anything like those that emanate from our Foreign Ministry then the Polish officials are in for a rude shock when our own legal eagle has landed in Warsaw. Well, these days our own political maestros that lean heavily on Washington seem to find a worthy leader in Donald Trump whose trumped up accusations against the media are being exposed almost weekly. The other day Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne took a couple of pot shots at this newspaper without naming names because of comments in the Political Commentary over which he took umbrage for questioning him. It was all about the ha-ho was of his appointment at the WHO. Was it a pro forma one overblown to make it seem like he had reached the summit of Mount Everest when he had only got as far as Nelum Pokuna. In an interview with a State-run Sunday newspaper Senaratne was asked about this much-talked about felicitation. It wrote: Last week was an important week in the countrys health sector. Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine was recently appointed vice president of the World Health Organization (WHO) which resulted in a felicitation ceremony in Colombo that was the subject of much debate. Q. You were recently appointed as WHO Vice President, can you tell us how this benefits the country? A. President and four Vice Presidents comprise the executive board bureau of WHO. The five of us are the supreme body which decides on health issues in the entire world. Representing such a supreme body could be beneficial to our country. Not only is this trumpet-blowing but what Senaratne said is factually wrong. Anybody who has some acquaintance with how international organizations function and how appointments are made to fill certain positions would know that the executive board that the minister refers to does not have four vice-presidents. In fact it does not have any vice-presidents let alone four. WHO has two bodies. One is the annual World Health Assembly which is convened every year in May for a couple of weeks. It discusses current health issues and probably passes several resolutions requiring or recommending action to be taken on those issues. At the commencement of the conference, it elects the conference officers. This year they were: President (Zimbabwe); 5 Vice-Presidents (Philippines, Maldives, Kazakhstan, Djibouti and Dominican Republic). These issues are usually previously agreed upon by resident ambassadors (Geneva) on a regional basis. The other is the 34-member Executive Board that is elected for a three year term. Its principal mandate appears to be to ensure that the decisions of the Assembly are implemented and not the supreme body as the minister tries to make out. The election is of Member States. Thereupon, the member governments are required to nominate an individual to serve on the Board. In 2017, Sri Lanka was one of the countries elected to the Board. The Board elects its officers. The current Chairperson is the Ambassador of Brazil to the UN Geneva. The three Vice-Chairpersons are from eSwatini (Swaziland), Finland and Sri Lanka. So it is a Member State that is elected to the Executive Board and not an individual as it is tried to be made out. The Member State so elected to the Board then nominates its representative. It seems that those who try to portray their importance do not even seem to know whether they are a vice-president or a vice-chairman. That I am afraid is the whole truth and nothing like the tooth. By the way there is quite a distance from suwapathi to janapathi. Marking a sombre and reflective anniversary View(s): The three years during which Sri Lanka breathed (or was it gasped?) in freedom seems to be the rather messily translated refrain which the United National Party at least is trumpeting to all and sundry as this month (August 2018) notes three years of the National Unity government being voted into power. No call for fireworks and jubilation On its part, the other coalition partner, the remnants of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and President Maithripala Sirisena is markedly silent in its celebration of this anniversary, in equal parts sullenly and awkwardly so. Certainly there is no denying that this three year passing is not a marvelous thing of fireworks and wild jubilation. As images crowd the nations eye of a solemn President with minimum fanfare and little cost, pledging to the nation at Independence Square that he will lead the people from the crushing decade of Rajapaksa misrule in January 2015, even the cynical and jaded among us, took a step back. Used to hearing politicians make promises and break them with impunity, we caught ourselves believing for just a moment that perhaps this was going to be a break from the past. Those first six months had their disappointments but as a new Government took control just months later and even with all its flaws, a 19th Amendment reversing the ills of the 18th Amendment in some part was passed, there was still some reason to hope, even with increasing skepticism as the case may be. A reminder regarding the perils of the past Alas, the years thereafter proved those beliefs to be as naive as any in the past. In fact, given the extreme manipulation with which those in the seats of power took their political agendas forward, each one rivaled by the other, a different outcome would not have been possible. Thus, the many failures in fulfilling Rule of Law promises on the part of both partners in this mismatched collation are well traversed ground, leading to bitterness and national discontent which before long, significantly eroded the good will with which a new President and a new Government was elected into power in 2015. That said however, as the Government recites its litany of the improvements in governance that it has brought about, it must be conceded that there is some measure of truth in that telling as well. This week as former President Mahinda Rajapaksa stammers and stutters when facing the media following a visit made by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to his house to question him over the brutal abduction and torture of journalist Keith Noyahr and professes I dont know and I cant remember in regard to vital aspects of that case, we are reminded of the terrible perils of the past in no uncertain terms. That was a time when even the bare form of a democratic process was discarded for one family autocrazy. The awful power that came into play during that time is studded by nefarious abuses, from innocents dying when the army shot at unarmed protestors at Weliweriya demanding that water contamination in their area be stopped, rape centers being run in villages by Rajapaksa acolytes in local government bodies to Tamil students being abducted and killed for ransom by a well- coordinated group at the heart of the then Governments military apparatus with tentacles stretching to every corner of the government machinery and protected at the highest levels. These are abominations in regard to which, as tested on the crucible of any religious teachings, the perpetrators will be accountable to, at some point in their lives. The precise extent of our degeneration So there is no comparison between then and now. But even so, this anniversary calls for a somber and solemn reflection on where we stand three years hence. And perhaps, the gain most made during that period was not linked to political successes or grand advances such as a brand new peoples Constitution in the style of the inspirational South African model or the redressing of tormented cries of the war afflicted in the North and East for justice and for recognition of their pain. Rather, it was to be faced head on, with no prospect of burying our heads in the sand, as to the precise extent to which we are in deep crisis, as a country, a society and a people. Never again can it be said that (mere) regime change or the replacing of one bunch of politicians with another will suffice to set this country back on the democratic track. Our institutional erosion is far greater in extent than what we could ever have imagined. Let us be clear on that. Most recently, unconscionable proposals have been made to increase the salaries of parliamentarians, municipal councilors and urban councilors and one provincial council has been narrowly stopped in its crusade to get ultra-comfortable chairs at the extravagant cost that it would take to build houses for the poor in several villages. It is the height of absurdity that government politicians should try and take credit for having stopped the parliamentary salary increases when such a proposal should have been entertained in the first instance given the parlous state of our economy and the increased taxes that are being imposed (in some cases without rhyme or reason) on the people. An irrefutable truth to be recognized So as this year winds down and we face increased turbulence in the months ahead, the complex intertwining web of thievery and roguery between all political parties and their political leadership is the national political consensus on which Sri Lankas political system is run. At each point, this is the irrefutable truth that emerges, stark and dangerous in the message of utter hopelessness that it holds out. Indeed, this is the political vacuum that will emerge with all its dire consequences if no credible alternative platform is created. Yet it is far better (if one is to borrow from Greek mythology) to face the terrible face of the Minotaur and recognize the monster for what it is rather than to wander bewildered and dazed round and round the maze of the Labyrinth, seduced by political rhetoric and winning formulas by national clad rogues of one dispensation or the other, as the case may be. This is a mistake that the people made in 1994, in 2001 and in 2015. Let that mistake never be repeated again. Annual Forum of the Asian Law Students Association concludes on a high By Yomal Yapa View(s): View(s): The Annual Forum of the Asian Law Students Association was held in Sri Lanka for the first time, and provided participants with a unique experience. The Sri Lankan chapter of the ALSA had worked hard to ensure that this years forum departed from the run-of-the-mill and would prove to be a memorable week altogether- where playing hard was equally a priority as working hard- with excursions across the island following the academic programme. At the very heart of the forum were the academic sessions, much anticipated for their quality as the panelists participating were easily the best in the spheres they represented. The students could choose which session to participate, and all the sessions, held at the Kotelawela Defence University, ensured packed halls. The session on National Security and Counter Terrorism had an elite panel headed by Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, founder Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), a member of the Foreign Policy Advisory Group and of the Board of the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International and Strategic Studies. Alongside Dr. Saravanamuttu was Ambika Satkunanthan, lawyer, human rights advocate, and currently a Commissioner on the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka and chairperson of the Neelan Tiruchelvam Trust. Major General Udaya Perera, former commandant of the Defence Services Command and Staff College was the third panelist. The session on Intergenerational equity had Prof Camena Gunaratne, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Open University of Sri Lanka who specializes in environment, human rights and gender. There was also Hemantha Withanage Executive Director for Centre for Environmental Justice, Sri Lanka and Manuja Wimalasena, Director of the legal unit, central environment authority, Battaramulla. There was also a session on communication politics by Dr. Prathiba Mahanamahewa, former human rights commissioner. The sessions ensured that students gained exposure to some of the best legal minds of the region. The question and answer sessions where the students participated enthusiastically were testimony to the inspiration the discourse had sparked in them. It was a success the hardworking ALSA Sri Lankan Chapter highly deserved- and a harbinger of better things in the future. HMS Queen Elizabeth: Fighter jets to land on new aircraft carrier BBC News18th August 2018The UK's new aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, is to set sail to the US where fighter jets will land on its flight deck for the first time.The Royal Navy's 3.1bn future flagship is expected to leave Portsmouth Naval Base at about 18:00 BST.During the 65,000-tonne carrier's trip it will embark two US F-35B test aircraft, based in Maryland.They are expected to carry out 500 landings and take-offs during the carrier's 11 weeks at sea.Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said the trip would "strengthen our special relationship" with US forces.Capt Jerry Kyd, the carrier's commanding officer, added: "Crossing a major ocean with 1,500 sailors, aircrew and marines embarked and the spectre of the first F-35B Lightning landing on the deck in September is very exciting for us all."It has been an incredible journey since we left Rosyth just over a year ago and we are all looking forward to this next seminal chapter in HMS Queen Elizabeth's life."On leaving Portsmouth, HMS Queen Elizabeth will carry out tests in UK waters before heading across the Atlantic to the US where it will also visit New York.The first of the UK's joint Royal Navy and RAF F-35B supersonic jets arrived from the US in June and are based at RAF Marham in Norfolk.Testing with these British aircraft is expected to take place onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth next year.It has already undergone training with helicopters which have carried out more than 1,000 take-offs and landings.The carrier is expected to embark on its first operational deployment in 2021. A second carrier, HMS Prince of Wales , which is currently being fitted at Rosyth in Fife, Scotland, will not begin sea trials until next year. Team Sri Lanka in Mexico for First Global Challenge 2018 View(s): Over 150 teams from across the globe gathered at the Arena Ciudad de Mexico in Mexico City, Mexico, last week for the First Global Challenge (FGC) 2018. The FGC is an annual international robotics competition, which takes place in a different nation each year. Themed around the 14 Grand Challenges of Engineering identified by National Academies of Engineering, each year a different Grand Challenge takes center stage in an effort to foster understanding and cooperation among the youth of the world as they use their abilities to solve the worlds problems. This year, the members for team Sri Lanka for FGC 2018 include Lasith Kodagoda and Navod Vitharanage from Presidents College Embilipitiya, Sherwin Leonard from St Johns College Jaffna, as well as Dao Thanh Cong, Felix Deemer, Daniel Joung, Hamza Anver and Syanthan Selvakumaran from Elizabeth Moir School Colombo. The teachers in charge of the team are Mr. Satchithananthan, Mr.Rathnasinghe, Miss Fernando and Mr Aruliah. In 2017, Elizabeth Moir School was selected to represent Sri Lanka in the inaugural International Robotics Olympiad in Washington, D.C. The school was also equally keen to ensure that this incredible opportunity be shared with students from other schools in the island, and invited students from Presidents College, in the southern region of Embilipitiya, and St. Johns College, Jaffna, in the north, to join the team for FGC 2018. The theme for this years competition is Energy Impact and teams will compete to fuel power plants, initiate renewable energy plants, and build a resilient transmission network. Team Sri Lanka has been hard at work over the past four months, building and testing their robot, and the teams representatives were in high spirits on the eve of their departure to Mexico. To find out more about Team Sri Lanka, and support their progress follow them on https://www.facebook.com/Team-Sri-Lanka-FIRST-Global-2018-243443799549717/ Chinese companies taking over local construction industry By Chrishanthi Christopher View(s): View(s): The dominance of foreign construction companies in Sri Lankas construction industry may bring about the collapse of local construction companies within years, industry sources said. They said Chinese and Indian construction companies were taking over mega projects while the Sri Lankan companies watched helplessly. They said that already Chinese companies were handling about 40 percent of construction projects. The China International Construction (CHINCA), representing the Chinese construction industrialists in Sri Lanka, at a recent meeting with Sri Lankas Chamber of Commerce is reported to have said that Chinese companies planned to take over 70 percent of the market in the next three years. Alarmed, the Construction Industry Development Authority (CIDA) is seeking Government approval for legislation to protect local companies. Under its Act No. 33 of 2014, CIDA is developing a Building Code to protect the Sri Lankan construction sector. CIDA Director Suvinda Amarasekera said a Cabinet paper had been prepared and would be presented soon. He said the proposed legislation would minimise the undue advantages enjoyed by foreign construction companies over local companies. It would prevent the use of mediocre standards and substandard products in identified construction work as laid down in the CIDA Act. The Director said a Building Code Steering Committee (BCSC) would be formed under the CIDA Act and it would include representatives from the Urban Development Authority, the Local Government Ministry and the National Building and Research Organisation (NBRO). There would also be representatives from professional organisations such as the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL), the Sri Lanka Institutes of Architects and associations representing building contractors will participate. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Association of Major Contractors of Sri Lanka Brigadier Madura Wijewickrema, said foreign companies undertaking construction contracts had a big advantage over local companies. He said the foreign companies were being supported by their governments and had a competitive edge in a fierce bidding market. They also had the advantage of not paying taxes in Sri Lanka. Their workers salaries were paid in their own countries. As a result, the foreign workers did not spend much here, except on their food. Brig. Wijewickrema warned that in the near future the foreign companies would move into smaller construction projects, even residential projects. This would lead to a crisis, where local companies would be wiped out within five years, he said. He said they had warned government leaders of the impending crisis, but little or no action had been taken. He said, that in the past , Chinese construction companies only went in for international bidding for projects through donor agencies. However when they saw the opportunities available here during the previous regime, they started negotiating unsolicited proposals by influencing governments. He said the governments here had also been unfair when awarding tenders. When awarding contracts a new practice of combining several minor projects into a major one was being adopted. When it became a mega project, local companies did not qualify to bid on the basis of available expertise and human resources. The Chinese companies on the other hand with their expanded work force and expertise bid 30 perecent lower than the local companies and snatched up mega construction projects. In recent times they had stealthily crept into the private sector and taken up major projects including the redevelopment of the clothing mall Odel in Colombo 7 and the building of the Pearl Hotel at Bambalapitiya, he said. Brig. Wijewickrema said the Sri Lankan construction industry was also capable of undertaking such mega projects, pointing out that our archeological sites stand testimony to our capability. Foreigners did not build the Ruwanwelisaya and the Sigiriya, but Sri Lankans did it, he said. Chamber of Construction Industry Secretary Nissanka Wijeratna pointed the finger at CIDA for the present crisis. He said CIDA had been slow in introducing regulations to monitor the construction industry. About 27 regulations and rules drafted more than 18 months ago are still to be gazzetted and are gathering dust at the Legal Draftsmans Office, he said. The proposed regulations were to impose restrictions on foreign national participation in the construction industry. All foreign companies would also have to register with CIDA. The regulations would set a limit of 40 percent on jobs for foreigners in the industry. According to him, a major problem faced by our local industry is manpower. While local companies can find the expertise to build mega projects, finding people to work in the industry has become a huge challenge. The Board of Investment allows foreign companies to bring down 25 percent of the workforce but in mega projects funded by them, the entire work force is brought from overseas. Some local industries are granted sub contracts where the locals get jobs. In the next ten or twenty years, if the Chinese buildings fall apart, the Government will then realise its folly. Then it will be too late, he warned. The foreign exchange control Act No. 12 of 2017 allows certain industries to have only 40 percent foreign shareholding with 60 percent for Sri Lankan stakeholders. But, the Act is silent on the construction industry. Foreign construction companies are using this loophole to set up companies which are virtually 100 percent foreign owned. Some foreign companies have invested a pittance of US$ 200,000. The CIDA accepted that it had been complacent and had failed in its duty by delaying the gazetting of regulations or proposing new legislation. Ditector Amarasekera said the proposed Building Code would do much damage control when passed. He said the CIDA was also requesting the BOI to confine the foreign companies share in the local construction industry to 40 percent. He said another proposal was to increase the start-up amount from the present US$ 200,000 to US$ 1,000,000. It is believed this will minimise the number of foreign construction companies. Controversy over media reports of China printing currency notes for Sri Lanka By Bandula Sirimanna View(s): View(s): While the international media gave wide publicity to Chinas foreign currency printing contracts with countries in the Belt and Road Initiative, including Sri Lanka, the Government has still not issued an official clarification despite unofficial denials from Finance Ministry and Central Bank officials. A report published in the South China Morning Post this week quoted a top Chinese official as saying that the China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation was also producing currencies for many other countries including Nepal, Thailand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Brazil and Poland. The Reserve Bank of India promptly denied the media report which has created widespread confusion among those highlighted countries, including Sri Lanka, Indian media reported. The SCMP report claimed that China was printing foreign currencies on a huge scale to widen its influence on the global economy and increase its impact on foreign policy matters. In Colombo, a senior Government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Sunday Times that one of the Chinese top level delegations visiting Sri Lanka may have submitted this proposal of printing currency notes to the government and it could be in the pipeline for implementation. The outsourcing of local currency printing to China was a better option for Sri Lanka as money printing in the country had become a costly affair at present, he said. On the other hand, Sri Lanka could not afford to bear the high costs for the advanced technology needed to print the currency, especially for inscribing enhanced security features such as metallic thread and the optically variable ink, he said. China had all the facilities in the money printing business so that it could provide these security inscriptions at relatively lower rates than western printing companies, the official added. However, a senior Central Bank official noted that De La Rue Lanka Ltd, joint venture involving Sri Lanka, was still the sole authority for printing local currency notes and there was no decision to outsource the currency printing to China. The Finance Ministry holds 40 percent shares in the De La Rue Lanka joint venture at Biyagama. It has been operating for more than three decades, employing more than 300 highly trained Sri Lankans and producing more than Rs.1 billion bank notes every year for the Central Bank. He said De La Rue UK was downsizing its overseas operations, setting out plans to cut jobs, merge divisions and shake-up its supply chain in a bid to cope with stiff competition and high printing costs. He added that its Sri Lankan joint venture survived mainly with the income being generated from local currency printing operation. De La Rue Lanka only exported 20 per cent of its products without much profits, he disclosed pointing out it was not viable for the long-erm sustenance of the company. Denying the Chinese media report of printing Sri Lankan currency notes, a top Finance Ministry official said he was not aware of such a proposal as it had not been discussed at any high level meetings convened to discuss economic policy matters. However, he said that it was good to have contingency currency printing arrangement without sticking to a single supplier. But the Government must have considerable trust in the Chinese government to allow it to print Sri Lanka currency notes as currency printing was an icon of a nations sovereignty, and such an agreement should be made considering all aspects politically and otherwise while minimising risks. Reports about any Chinese currency printing corporation getting any orders for printing Sri Lankan currency notes were baseless to the best of his knowledge, he said, adding that Sri Lankan currency notes were being and would be printed only at De La Rue Lanka plant. Drink and disembark, but act sober in Dubai View(s): Passengers travelling from Colombo and disembarking in Dubai will not be subjected to automatic arrest if they consume alcohol on flights, a senior official of the Emirates airline said yesterday. The assurance came after international human rights groups raised issue over the arrest of a Swedish born British resident and her detention in Dubai along with her four-year-old daughter over charges that she had a glass of wine on an Emirates Airline flight from London. The passenger, a dentist, had complained that the immigration officer was rude to her because she had admitted to having a glass of wine on the flight to Dubai. Chandana de Silva, Emirates Area Manager for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, told the Sunday Times that passengers could drink a reasonable amount of alcohol and they would not be at risk of arrest on landing unless they were visibly intoxicated and acting in a manner that inconvenienced the general public. Mr de Silva said that Dubai was a very customer-friendly city and continued to be a popular destination for travellers from Sri Lanka and elsewhere. The airline operates four flights a day between Colombo and Dubai, and it is a popular connection to destinations in Europe, Africa and the Americas. Dr Ellie Holman, who is originally from Sweden but lives in England, had reportedly been facing a year in detention while awaiting a court hearing. However, she was released last week after the Dubai Attorney Generals Office decided to drop the charges. Foreign media, quoting the human rights group Detained in Dubai, reported that Dr Holman had been taken into custody after an Immigration Officer questioned her about her visa and whether she had consumed alcohol. The group claimed that the dentist and her young daughter were initially denied access to a toilet, water and food while being held in a cell for three days. The Dubai Attorney Generals office, however, released a statement last Saturday (11th) dismissing the claim that Dr Holman was arrested for drinking a glass of wine and allegations of ill treatment while in detention. The statement, quoting Dubais Attorney General Esam Issa Al Humaidan said that the accused had attempted to enter the UAE on an expired Swedish passport, and had grown abusive towards an immigration officer. The statement added a legal claim was issued against Ms. Holman on charges of profanity and photographing a government official at the border crossing, a restricted area. The woman and her child remained together in the airport security office for less than 24 hours while services were provided to them, taking into full account and consideration of her four-year-old daughter. Her father received her immediately upon his arrival and they subsequently departed the country. The prosecution decided to drop the charges against Ms.Hollman and to deport her instead, the statement said. Letters to the Editor View(s): Lets work towards a mature democracy in Sri Lanka I am spurred by. D.Weeratungas letter in the Sunday Times focusing on the mandate given to politicians by the people. He has quite forthrightly highlighted several home truths about our existing political administration system. It implies that politicians are no more an Honorary class by themselves but a coterie of hired representatives or employees of the sovereign voter. It is no secret that they are amply rewarded for discharging the mandate given to them. People have now taken it for granted that one should enter politics to make money. Gone are the days where honourable politicians dumped their own money and property to do politics and ended as paupers! Given this scenario, the voter or the tax payer should enjoy the prerogative of laying down the eligibility criteria for the candidates they want to hire as their representatives as in the case of any other employer. The contesting political parties shall act as manpower agencies who should prepare Districtwise merit lists of political professionals for nomination at elections. Such lists approved by the Elections Department on the nomination date will be available for their principals, who will make a general assessment of the quality of the teams in addition to the party election manifesto when they vote for the party of their choice. Towards meeting this objective, we call upon the Elections Commission to deliver on peoples expectations by laying down stringent eligibility criteria and selection procedure for the candidates applying for the posts of peoples representatives. The political parties would then be compelled to comply by the rule of law. No doubt, all the legal impediments have to be removed by the concerned authorities to meet this long outstanding expectation of the voters. Looking for examples in other countries which operate in different political environments is an exercise in futility. We are confident that all civil organisations including PAFFREL and CAFFE will work towards achieving this much needed requirement for a mature democracy in Sri Lanka. Bernard Fernando Moratuwa A solely subjective view on the death penalty Prof. Ravindra Fernando in an article in the Sunday Times (August 5), makes some highly dogmatic pronouncements regarding the death penalty - (The debate for or against the death penalty should not be opened, it should never open). He seems to insult the intelligence of all who disagree with his subjective (and often inaccurate) views. In his article, he presents his subjective opinions as though they were foregone conclusions. Prof. Fernando confidently states that the death penalty does not have a deterrent valueNowhere has the death penalty been shown to deter crime. He implies that it is only countries with disregard for human rights, that carry out the death penalty, by listing Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Pakistan while claiming that they carried out the most executions. How does he explain the fact that Japan and Singapore and the United States (which can scarcely be called backward countries) retain the death penalty and both Japan and Singapore have extremely low levels of violent murder? Prof. Fernando needs to update some of his information: only about a month ago , Japan executed seven murderers, the leader and followers of the Aum Shinrikyo Cult, and during the same week, Indias Supreme Court confirmed the death by hanging for the men convicted of the savage rape and murder of a medical student in 2012. Singapore hanged eight people in 2017, according to the Amnesty International website. The notion that backward countries retain the death penalty is false. The Professor makes certain contradictory conclusions. For example he says that History shows that in Sri Lanka over a long period of time repugnance of the death penalty has been felt but on the contrary, it has existed from the times of Sinhalese Kings. He also mentions the attempts by the Legislative Council as early as 1928, to abolish the death penalty, acknowledging that All these attempts failed. So where was the repugnance towards the death penalty ? Another false argument, repeated by Prof Fernando, is that innocent persons may be executed as has happened in the past. He cites an execution which occurred in 1950, in England. Today, scientific advances such as DNA testing and advanced pathological tests can be used to establish a persons identity with 100% certainty. Further, strong legal safeguards can be introduced to prevent mistakes. The death penalty must never be used to assassinate political prisoners, as happens in Saudi Arabia. In fact it could reasonably be limited to the execution of those who commit the rape and murder of children. In Sri Lanka there has been a spate of such murders recently. I am certain that President Sirisena would not execute anybody, concludes Prof. Fernando, (despite the recent pronouncements to the contrary by the President himself). The Professor is absolutely correct- because the Sirisena- Wickremasinghe government has introduced this debate as a distraction from the urgent unsolved issues facing the country. JAYMAN Via email The oft repeated refrain-no holistic approach in patient care Dr. Ruvaiz Haniffa, in his presidential address at the recently held SLMA conference (as reported in a daily newspaper) bemoans the fact that the holistic approach is lacking in patient care. That is, we fail to consider the patient as a whole, focusing only on the patients current complaint. To my thinking, this is an oft-repeated glib statement. Let me broadly analyse the medical scene. 80% or more of our patients are treated in Government hospitalsthose who require admission are admitted immediately to the relevant ward. The other category are clinic patients who often have to travel many miles, before arriving at the clinic usually between 2 a.m. 4 a.m., so that they are assured of getting a number. Exhausted by the time he/she gets to see a Doctor, all he/she wants is a quick fix. The Doctor whether it be in the ward or clinic is pressed for time, and can only deal with the ailment the patient presents with. The more affluent patient consults a Doctor privately, the tendency is to go direct to specialists, who keep proliferating. Here too although time is the governing factor, more communication is possible. If like me, he/she sticks to the same Specialist, with time, a relationship develops, and the approach is inevitably holistic. Unfortunately, most patients tend to go from Doctor to Doctor. The dearth of General Practioners, (now known as Family Physicians) despite the involvement of the PGIM in their training, is a glaring defect in our health system. In the fairly distant past, the majority of paying patients would stick to one family Doctor, a General Practitioner. A few outstanding names from the past come to mind from Kandy, Dr. Anthonisz, Dr. Wynne and Dr Nihal Karunaratne and from Colombo Dr. Frank Gunasekera, Dr. A.D. P.A. Wijegoonewardene, Dr. Mirando, Dr. Muthumani and Dr. Hugh Jayasekera. The services of these doctors were available any time of the day or night. They maintained files on every patient, often extending to the second and third generation. Their relationship with the patient was so much more than the current Doctor-patient one. Unfortunately, the great majority of G.Ps now are medical officers (non-specialists, who may have a diploma in family medicine) attached to government hospitals who see patients after working hours, usually over a fixed period. As such, there is no pride in building up a family practice, together with its connotations. Perhaps the Ayurvedic Physcians have got it right. Irrespective of the patients complaint, a finger on the pulse, will reveal the entirety of the patients health status. To him the Veda (Treatment) and Heda (general well-being) aspects are equally important. Dr. P. Amerasinghe Retired Consultant Why not levy a kunu tax? Almost all of us pay a nominal santhosam to the garbage collector to facilitate easy disposal of our garbage. I suggest that by imposing a tax for garbage collection, the Municipality can pay an extra allowance to these workers as incentives, thus discouraging them from accepting bribes. Isnt it better that we pay the government or rather the Municipal Council, a payment (which is acceptable and legal) than pay a bribe (which is despicable, illegal and a punishable offence), to the garbage collector. This is the way forward to eliminate bribery, that is, by increasing the payments made to the garbage handlers. Over to the Inland Revenue Department to consider the above proposal to convert the bribe to kunu tax! This will also solve to some extent the garbage issue for the Mayor Rosie Senanayake. It is also possible that the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) could be disbanded if we could eliminate bribery completely or if it can be at least reduced drastically.This will strength good governance in Sri Lanka and make our country a model for other countries. Mohamed Zahran Colombo 3 Unequal concessions may force other professionals to take TU action N. Gunawardanes letter in the Sunday Times of August 5 blows the lid off the opinion citizen Perera has on the medical doctors as demi- gods. Unfortunately, the large majority of our citizen Peraras are totally unaware that the medical doctors are only one link in the chain in the treatment process. It would be beneficial if the Sinhala / Tamil media carry similar articles. This should change the mindset that the medical doctors are demi-gods (or even gods ) and worshiped by most! It is about time that technical professionals ( eg. Engineers) sound / warn the Government that any such concessions granted to medical doctors will force these professionals to take trade union action unless such concessions are also equally (or more) granted to them. It need also be mentioned that during the 1940s and early 1955 era, the best brains went into the prestigious CCS (Ceylon Civil Service), and now the flow is towards all branches of Engineering and Medicine. The Government needs to be cautioned that any benefits (salary or any other) given to say the other services (like the off shoot of the CCS) should reflect on a higher scale to the Engineering and Medical services. Unfortunately we mostly work back room and do not rub shoulders with politicos and thereby the others score above us. Engineer Via email Thank you for the letter that reveals the ugly truth A letter in the Sunday Times of August 5 titled, Why do doctors think they are special creations? by Dr.Nandanee Gunawardane, Ph.D. Engineer, is a masterpiece. With a vast amount of amazing down-to earth facts, she has hit the nail right on the head. She has done the needful on behalf of the thousands who are victimised and unable to voice their opinion. For this,the reading public owe their deepest gratitude to her. In the days of yore,the Government Medical Officers Union (GMOA) was about the strongest Trade Union in the country. They too would have had their grievances,but by being more humane and gentlemanlike,they never attempted to show their strength by way of strikes holding the poor patients to ransom. But alas! Nowadays the GMOA seems to be going on strike at the drop of a hatas the 5th Column in your newspaper put it some time back. Just a day or two before the last strike (August 3) one official of the GMOA said at a televised news conference that the people should know,whom they should elect as their representatives if these strikes are to be averted.Does this not mean that these strikes are politically motivated? After all who are doctors to advise people on such matters? On the contrary, the public, if given the chance,will definitely advise the membership of the GMOA whom they should NOT elect as their officials. It may perhaps be unfair to point the finger at the general membership of the GMOA as most doctors have to abide by the rule of the majority. There could even have been external pressure on them which is not uncommon in these activities. Anyhow the saying goes that you cannot fool all the people all the time. Remember the Bible story that once a mighty Goliath terrorizing nations,was downed just by a pellet from the catapult of a boy David. Neville A.Perera Battaramulla Using social media for social awareness By Randima Attygalle View(s): View(s): Its not only what we do But also what we do not do For which we are accountable Arrogance is used by the weak While kindness is used by the strong There is no right way To do a wrong thing Not every ounce of your life needs to be digitally documented Thus resonate the messages of thought-provoking visuals of Nalaka Devendra under the banner of Brighter Sri Lanka. The visuals speak for the solo crusade of a man labouring for change in a bid to make this nation a brighter Sri Lanka. Conceptualized by Nalaka to create public awareness and appeal to the consciousness of the general public to respect basic human values transcending differences of all kinds, Brighter Sri Lanka is a not-for-profit public awareness initiative in digital medium. The idea and concept is something which germinated in me about 20 years ago, largely due to road accidents which the country was experiencing at the time. I spoke to several insurance companies to create short video clips on road safety in all three languages and telecast them preferably during prime time, so that reception would be stronger. Sadly not a single company was interested, says Nalaka. Several years later when he mooted the idea among certain corporates as a CSR project, going beyond road accidents and calling for awareness on fast eroding social values, none showed any interest. In Nalakas own words, it was a case of nobody wanting to get their feet wet! An IT professional, Nalaka, decided to create digital posters and post them on a Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/BrighterSriLanka. Using his iPhone 7, he has created over 60 digital posters to date. He takes a break only on Sundays from this social-awareness exercise! He covers a wide range of issues including gender equality, breaking down of human relationships, collective social responsibility, environmental hazards, rights of the disabled and many more. The visually appealing posters accompany words of wisdom, some coined by Nalaka himself and others sourced by various media which he acknowledges. The negative news which eclipses everything else, be it in print or electronic media speaks for the breakdown of the value system of our society despite the heritage and culture of over 2500 years we claim, maintains Nalaka who reiterates that finding solutions to the root causes of social evils cannot be left only to the authorities and experts. Despite these problems affecting the entire social fabric, they are often perceived as someone elses problems, he says, urging all Lankans to accept them as our problems and raise a collective voice against them. Social media, as Nalaka explains, is a bread knife. When it could be exploited for all right reasons, it is largely used otherwise. He looks to enlist many socially responsible creative minds further activity such as developing the images into posters, desk calendars offering words of wisdom, video clips and so much more. Six of Nalakas digital posters were displayed at the entrance to a solo photographic exhibition at the Lionel Wendt recently by a friend of his offering inspiration for others. To move forward, the project needs computer graphic resources, web hosts and other like-minded individuals, specially young minds open to new ideas, points out Nalaka who invites such people to rally around this project true to one of his digital visuals: Stop complaining about your country, politicians and government. Just do your part well because you are your country. Lets make a difference. Those who want to be part of Brighter Sri Lanka, could contact Nalaka Devendra on nalakadevendra@gmail.com and http://www.facebook.com/BrighterSriLanka The central government in Madrid has turned its attention this week to the problem of the uncontrolled growth in the amount of privately rented tourist accommodation. Prime minister Pedro Sanchez said on Tuesday that wording would be modified to exclude self-catering holiday accommodation from short-term rental legislation, which is centrally controlled. Instead tourist lets will be defined as business activity, which allows each of Spain's autonomous regions to take locally specific action. Specific legislation could then be applied to tourist properties. At a meeting on Wednesday the minister for Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, said that "all of the legislation that could affect this matter will be studied", including national property laws, with the aim of considering changes to regulations that would make it easier for regional and local authorities to control the activity. The regional minister for Tourism at the Junta de Andalucia, Francisco Javier Fernandez, has stated on several occasions that there is a need for a central framework that regional authorities could then follow. Single Spanish register The Spanish association of digital platforms for temporary lets (PAT) has called for "good, common regulation" in Spain for tourist property rentals with a "single register". From then on the different characteristics of each region's own legislation could be analysed. The association was founded a month ago by the holiday rentals sites HomeAway, Niumba, Rentalia and Spain-Holiday.com to give representation to a type of accommodation that has "come to stay" and "open dialogue channels" with the tourism industry and the administrations. Take A Mulligan: The Big 7-0 Here is the $64,000 question. Just exactly how old is old? In my teens, I figured it was about 35 but when I was getting close to that age, it ... I am offering the solution to a problem most Republicans don't know they have -- that they can be outmaneuvered and thrown on the defensive endlessly, on nearly any issue, because they accept as true Democrat lies about the Republican Party. To correct that misperception and to help the Republican Party get 'back to basics' is why I'm a man on a mission. A few years ago, after one of my speeches, a man told me "Do you know what your problem is? You're too far ahead of your time!" My efforts to show Republicans how they would benefit from celebrating the heritage of our Grand Old Party have been arduous, but if this were easy someone else would have already done it. Among my speech topics are Reconciling the Tea Party and the GOP; Barack Obama, the Worst President Ever; Socialism, the new Slavery; Appreciating the Heritage of our Grand Old Party; Returning to the Founding Principles of the United States; The Womens Rights Achievements of our Grand Old Party; Abraham Lincoln, Republican; Frederick Douglass, Republican; Martin Luther King and the Republican Civil Rights Legacy. More than 320 dead in India flood crisis Kochi, India, Aug 18 (AFP) Aug 18, 2018 Pressure intensified Saturday to save thousands still trapped by devastating floods that have killed more than 300 in the Indian state of Kerala, triggering landslides and sending torrents sweeping through villages in the region's worst inundation crisis in a century. Authorities warned of more torrential rain and strong winds over the weekend, as hundreds of troops and local fishermen staged desperate rescue attempts in helicopters and boats across the southern state. Kerala, popular among international tourists for its tropical hills and beaches, has been battered by record monsoon rainfall this year. The state is "facing the worst floods in 100 years", chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Twitter, adding that at least 324 lives have been lost so far. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the stricken state on Friday night, Vijayan's office tweeted, with media reports saying the premier would undertake an aerial survey of the worst-affected areas on Saturday. People all over the state of 33 million have made panicked appeals on social media for help, saying they cannot make contact with rescue services as power and communication lines are down. "My family and neighbouring families are in trouble," wrote Ajo Varghese, a resident of the coastal city of Alappuzha, in a Facebook post that quickly went viral. "No water and food. Not able to communicate from afternoon. Mobile phones are not reachable... Please help," he added. Other distressed messages were shared online from people trapped inside temples and hospitals as well as their homes. More than 30 military helicopters and 320 boats are attempting rescues across Kerala after some areas were engulfed by overflowing rivers, with residents seen swimming and wading through chest-high waters past partially submerged houses. Authorities said thousands of people have been taken to safety so far but 6,000 more are still waiting for rescue. "We are deploying more boats and the army to ramp up rescue operations," senior state government official P.H. Kurian told AFP. Helicopters have also been dropping emergency food and water supplies, while special trains carrying drinking water have been sent to Kerala. - 'Extremely grave' - According to India's weather bureau, since the beginning of June more than 321 centimetres (126 inches) of rain has fallen on the hilly central district of Idukki, which is now virtually cut off from the rest of the state. The Kerala government has said it faces an "extremely grave" crisis and Vijayan warned of further torrential rainfall hitting the region over the weekend. The gates of dozens of dams and reservoirs across the state have been opened as water levels reach danger levels, inundating many other villages. At least 310,000 people have been displaced and are taking shelter in more than 2,000 relief camps. North and central Kerala have been worst-hit by the floods with the international airport in the main city of Kochi shut until at least August 26. The home ministry announced separately that 868 people have been reported dead in seven Indian states including Kerala since the start of the monsoon in June. Woman gives birth after helicopter rescue from India floods Kochi, India, Aug 18 (AFP) Aug 18, 2018 A heavily pregnant woman stranded by floods in the Indian state of Kerala gave birth just after being airlifted to safety, an Indian Navy spokesman said, as the military stepped up rescue operations on Saturday. Dozens of navy helicopters have embarked on high-risk missions to save people from rooftops and isolated land as the southern state battles a flood crisis that has left at least 324 people dead. Sajita Jabeel, 25, was winched up by Commander Vijay Verma, who has been widely praised for leading the rescue in the Aluva district of the state's main city Kochi. "The lady was in labour, her water had broken," Verma told News18 television. He called the relief mission "very challenging" and said his team had rushed to find the family after receiving an emergency call. "We took a doctor along, we winched her up, it took some time though because we had to winch down two people to help her." Jabeel gave birth to a healthy baby boy after being rushed to hospital. Kerala, popular among international tourists for its tropical hills and beaches, has been battered by record monsoon rainfall this year. About 60 military and coast guard helicopters and hundreds of boats are scouring the flood zones across the state for trapped victims. The military said that tens of thousands have been rescued in the past week, but thousands more are feared trapped. Another pilot winched 26 people up from a rooftop in Kochi on Friday while hovering between trees and other houses just two days after receiving a medal for saving a fisherman last year. A video of Captain P. Rajkumar's Sea King helicopter pulling up the victims has been widely shared on social media. He ended up with 32 people on board. "It was a life-threatening mission but it's an unprecedented situation. We can't leave behind our people," Indian Navy spokesman Captain D.K. Sharma told AFP. Rajkumar was given the Shaurya Chakra medal for bravery this week after lifting a fisherman from the sea when cyclone Ockhi hit India last year. In ateliers and studios throughout the archipelago, a host of talents have been conceptualizing works that have earned Indonesia a place on the larger stage of global fashion. J+ by The Jakarta Post wanted to tell these stories by interviewing some designers and by showcasing their collections, which offer contemporary and modern takes on some traditional Indonesian ideas, motifs and techniques. Our previous articles focused on womens wear designer Monique Soeriaatmadja, master weaver Masulin Lim and couture creator Rusly Tjohnardi. The final subject is fashion designer Riri Rengganis. Ethnically influenced high fashion takes on new meaning in the hands of Bandung-based designer Riri Rengganis, founder of the modern hand-embroidered kebaya line Indische and her eponymous Rengganis line, which promotes hand-woven local textilesand which has attracted the attention of high-end retailers such as Alun Alun Indonesia. Trained in product design at the prestigious Bandung Institute of Technology, Riri began her career in Bali and has since steadily made her journey onto the national stage. J+ by The Jakarta Post caught up with Riri on her work, life and hopes for the future. How did you get into the field? By accident. I had been sewing most of my own clothes since I was eight, but my true calling since childhood has actually been jewelry design. In 1998, I moved to Bali to do an apprenticeship in Celuk, a village famous for its silver and goldsmith industries. After two months, I ran out of money. Luckily, I got hired by a garment company that specializes in hand embroidery. I quickly fell in love with fashion, specifically ethnic styles. I eventually established my own company that produced ethnic-style uniforms for hotels and restaurants. After eight adventurous years in Bali, I returned to my hometown Bandung to start a new chapter in my life: create my own brand so I can start family life. A piece from Riri Rengganis Indische collection (Courtesy of Riri Rengganis/File) Who are your design icons? Obin, an amazing textile artist whos able to translate her talents into a retail brand. Deden Siswanto, because his designs are bold and inspiring, and Biyan, whose high- end designs show international taste but use local handcrafted techniques. Issey Miyake, because his designs are so sculptural yet pure. What inspires you? Traditional textiles from around the world, beautiful interior design, traveling, food. Yes, my creative brain works best after a delicious meal. Read also: Luxury sneakers: High style and a booming market What do you take pride in? Incorporating local textiles into my designs. It feels like I am creating something that has an impact on the industries around me, too. My customers are smart. They always want to know where the fabric comes from and it is a point of pride for them, as well. What are your career goals? I think as long as I do what I am doing now learning new things every day, getting better and better at it I will be happy. Thats all I am looking for: being happy in doing my work while raising my family. Whats your opinion about international fashion weeks? Theyre important for designers, but I personally dont really follow them regularly, because at the moment my market is purely local. I do have a specific opinion though, about these huge money-consuming events. I think in the near future, fashion weeks will not be so glorified. They have become so expensive that many designers cannot afford to go. I think smaller, smarter companies will be able to promote their collections through other formats such as short films, digital fashion weeks, collaborations with renowned talents (such as musicians and chefs) and effective use of social media. Riri Rengganis (Courtesy of Riri Rengganis/File) Current trends to watch for? Clashing mixed prints! Polka dots and overcharged florals, tribal prints and typography, a mix of pop-art inspired motifs and much more! Plus, since digital printing technology is becoming more and more accessible, graphic design will play a more significant role this year. Whats in store for Indonesia? I think modernized modest fashion is still in high demand, purely because of the growing population of women wearing hijab. Second would be ethnic fashion. The trend now is breaking the barrier between ethnic and modern. Something can be both. __________ This article was originally published in the April 2018 edition of J+ by The Jakarta Post with the headline "Ethnic Touch: Riri Rengganis". Funtopia balloon park is scheduled to open at Bintaro Xchange Mall in South Tangerang for 14 days from Aug. 17 to 30, as part of the parks series of events in several cities. A result of collaboration between online travel booking platform Traveloka and Beyond Screen productions, a subsidiary of Double Tape event organizer, Funtopia will have eight balloons of different characters, including Mighty Mushroom, Candy Cane, Old Octopus and Crown Castle. Each has different shapes, colors, obstacles and activities. The park, which claims to be the first and largest balloon park in Indonesia, aims to create an outdoor arena where children can play together with their families. Mia Lukmanto, CEO and founder of Beyond Screen productions, expressed her concerns about childrens use of gadgets. Parents creativity in providing activities as replacements for childrens screen time is essential, as physical activity is significant in stimulating their intelligence, Mia said in a press release. Read also: China set to rule theme park kingdom Mia added that she realized children's interactions with their surroundings, especially with families and nature, play an important part in their budding creativity. "Not only preschool children, but children of all ages, including their parents, Mia said. Funtopia at Bintaro Xchange Mall will open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (weekends), 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. (weekdays) and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (national holidays). The park will then move to Bandung, West Java, in September and Surabaya, East Java, in October. Tickets can be purchased online with prices starting from Rp 70,000 ($4.79) per person. (wir/wng) Look at the kaleidoscopic style of Diana Rikasari on Instagram, where shes amassed over 223,000 followers, and you can see why the 33 year old catches every eye when walking down the street. As much as the fashion designers look intrigues people, Diana says Cliched as it is, its better to be different. Hi! Are you going to a party? someone once asked Diana as she walked the streets of the picturesque town Lausanne where she makes her home. The head-turning look of the Jakarta-born woman might be refreshing for Switzerland, although Diana says it took some time before she made peace with life in a quiet place. I realized that living in Switzerland triggered me to value what I have been doing over the last seven years. An Indonesian fashion blogger, author and entrepreneur who was named a Top Fashion Influencer by Influence Asia 2015, Diana is currently spearheading two fashion lines: a lifestyle brand, UP, and fashion brand Schmiley Mo, which was heavily hyped in Malaysia in 2017. A post shared by Diana Rikasari (@dianarikasari) on Mar 20, 2018 at 7:33am PDT As a fashion enthusiast, Diana has a wardrobe thats filled with things she finds quirky. I also love to collect sunglasses, scarves, leather jackets, anything with pom-poms and rainbow colors. I am a person who loves to decorate things, myself and my home. Fashion is my superhero costume, Diana said in a Skype interview. When you wear it you should feel strong in it. Although she graduated with a masters in international business management from Nottingham University in the UK, Diana said she had no background in fashion. Read also: Inside the world of fashion blogger Diana Rikasari It wasnt until 2010, when working as a market researcher for a creative agency, that something triggered her passion to pursue the shoe business. My first sketch was terrible, but I was lucky to have a shoemaker who interpreted my doodles well. Diana said that she had to journey through West Javafrom Bogor to Bekasi to Bandung to Tasikmalayabefore she found a shoemaker with who, shall we say, she had a good fit. Having a unique design sense has been a challenge, according to Diana. People who enjoy my work are those who are young at heart, she says. I have great sense of humor and I express it through my style, but I am aware that my brands need to be toned down. Although someone still needs to have that youthful spirit to pull it out. A post shared by UP (@iwearup) on Mar 13, 2018 at 10:36pm PDT When Diana visited a Prada store, she was complimented for her UP shoes she was wearing. It was a memorable experience and achievement for me. This year, Diana plans to expand her market to the US and UK. Diana takes inspiration from diverse sources, such as kids, street style and other fashion bloggers. One example is reflected in UPs brand identity, which features vibrant, summer-like colors for footwear and accessories that have been emblazoned with millennial staples such as emoji stickers. While living in regulated Switzerland used to be an obstacle, Diana says that she adapted after six months. I used to feel suffocated because I breathe creative air. She pauses. But Swiss products value craftsmanship and quality. In the end, it taught me the difference between focusing on high turnover versus designing high quality products. A post shared by Diana Rikasari (@dianarikasari) on Mar 1, 2018 at 8:31am PST Commuting alone around Lausanne inspired Diana to focus on business. I felt that I made a great decision for my brands here because the environment allows me to think clearly, with a clear head. One memorable moment was when she visited a knit shop. I was surprised to find an entrepreneur who produced knit baby sweaters that were sold for 200 francs [Rp 2.8 million]. Not to belittle Swiss design, but their designs are very simple....The take- home lesson was about the Swiss ethos of long-lasting durability. Managing her business from abroad, Diana says that her trick is to allow her business partners to contact her 24/7. After running UP for almost seven years, Diana saw the opportunity to start Schmiley Mo in Malaysia. The brands DNA is fun, modest clothing, which allows hijabbers to wear them. Planning to expand to Dubai, Kuwait, and Qatar this year, Diana envisions Schmiley Mo as a high-speed alternative to brands like H&M and Zara. She keeps UP to channel wild ideas. Read also: Diana Rikasari's favorite 5 books on life and business Expressing a sense of humor and happiness through colors might be her passion, but Dianas fashion outlook is beyond shades and hues. It should be an honest expression of ones identity. So when you feel down, you will feel much better and you should feel that you can conquer the world. A post shared by Schmiley Mo (@schmileymo) on Mar 11, 2018 at 8:09pm PDT Diana went bold after realizing that she needed a strong brand DNA, since young people are spending less on fashion and more on travel. Schmiley Mo caters to a broader market, while UP is a niche brand. _________ This article was originally published in the April 2018 edition of J+ by The Jakarta Post with the headline Viva La Vivid Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, August 18, 2018 09:33 1169 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df53a56e6 2 City basuki-tjahaja-purnama,ahok,Blasphemy-Law,sentence-cut,Independence-Day Free Former Jakarta governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama, who was sentenced to two years in prison for blasphemy, has had his sentence reduced by two months for Independence Day. Ade Kusmanto, the spokesperson of the Law and Human Ministrys Corrections Directorate General, said Ahok would be a free man in January next year. [Ahok gets] two months of remission, but he doesnt directly go free. He will be released in January 2019, he said on Thursday as quoted by kompas.com. Ahok was sentenced to two years in prison for violating the controversial Blasphemy Law in May last year. Before the announcement of the Independence day remission, Ahok was scheduled to be released in April next year. Read also: Ahok to finish his term in prison, despite possible August parole The sentence cut was his second after receiving a 15-day cut during Christmas last year. He was not eligible to be granted remission on Independence Day last year. Ahok is also now eligible to apply for parole as he has served two-thirds of his prison term and fulfilled other administrative requirements. But Ahok, who on Thursday released a book that he penned in jail titled Kebijakan Ahok (Ahoks Policies), has said he is committed to completing his term. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, August 18, 2018 11:40 1169 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df53a78d3 2 National shoot-to-kill-order,shoot-on-sight,National-Police,jakarta,Palembang Free Dozens of people have been shot by the police as part of an escalating crackdown against petty crime ahead of the Asian Games, a human rights organization alleged on Friday. In a written statement received by The Jakarta Post on Friday, Amnesty International Indonesia claimed that police officers had shot at least 77 people across the country between January and August this year, in an operation dubbed Cipta Kondisi (Public Safety Operation). Among the number, 31 were shot in the Asian Games host cities, Jakarta and Palembang, South Sumatra. The organization believes that the police are taking a heavy-handed approach ahead of the Asian Games, which takes place from Aug. 18 to Sept. 2. Amnesty International Indonesias executive director Usman Hamid said the figures reveal a clear pattern of unnecessary and excessive use of force by the police. In the months leading up to the Asian Games, the authorities promised to improve security for all. Instead, we have seen the police shooting and killing dozens of people across the country with almost zero accountability for the deaths, he said in a written statement. Abdul Fickar Hadjar, a criminal law expert from Trisakti University, said the police are only allowed to shoot perpetrators under certain conditions, such as for self-defense. If the police do not encounter certain threats they should only shoot to immobilize the perpetrator, he said on Friday. Abdul added that everyone has the right to be processed legally no matter the severity of their crime. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Luh De Suriyani (The Jakarta Post) Denpasar Sat, August 18, 2018 07:10 1169 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df53a369a 2 National coal-fired-power-plant,Buleleng,bali,environment Free The Denpasar State Administrative Court (PTUN) has rejected a lawsuit challenging the controversial plan for the expansion of the Celukan Bawang coal-fired power plant in Buleleng, a regency of Bali best known for dolphin tourism. In a ruling that dashed the hopes of local residents and activists wanting to stop the expansion, the court declared on Thursday that the expansion plan posed no threat to the environment, nor did it put at risk the livelihoods of local farmers and fishermen. The petition had been filed by three residents and Greenpeace Indonesia to challenge the Bali governors decision to grant the permits for the expansion of the power plant, arguing that the expansion would threaten the ecosystem. The three-judge panel said that the plaintiffs arguments were based on assumptions and not on scientific evidence or arguments from experts. Several environmental groups had filed an amicus curiae brief (a brief filed by someone who is not a party to a case), but to no avail. The plaintiffs lawyer, Wayan Gendo Suardana, said the ruling was unjust. There was no sense of justice there. [The judges] only considered the testimony of witnesses presented by the defendant; they also didnt conduct an on-site examination, he said. He added that the petitioners would appeal to the Surabaya State Administrative High Court (PTTUN), which also covers Bali. The developers of Celukan Bawang, having secured permits from the Bali administration, plan to boost the plants output from the current 426 megawatts to 660 MW to ensure electricity supply in Bali, which relies heavily on Java-based power plants. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, August 18, 2018 13:20 1169 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df53a8ef6 1 Sports #AsianGames2018,#2018AsianGames,Japan,athletes-village,jakarta,Kemayoran Free While some might have been worrying that the athletes village in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta would not be comfortable for foreign delegates participating in the Asian Games, the Japanese athletes and officials are happy staying there, the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) has said. JOC executive board member Yasuhiro Yamashita told a press conference on Saturday that Japanese athletes and officials were comfortable in such a high quality village. The food and drinks served there are so delicious, Yamashita added. Over the last four days, Yamashita said he had met with friendly volunteers in the village. They always smile and greet us with ohayo and konichiwa. I find a lot of smiling in the village, it makes us feel great, he said, adding that he enjoyed jogging in the village compound. The Kemayoran athletes village, which was completed in February, consists of five towers with 1,000 rooms for 15,000 athletes. (nkn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Geneva, Switzerland Sat, August 18, 2018 14:22 1169 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df53ab06e 2 World #religion,#Muslim,#Swiss,Swiss,Muslim,Bigotry,citizenship Free The Swiss city of Lausanne has blocked a Muslim couple's bid to become Swiss nationals over their refusal to shake hands with members of the opposite sex. The municipality said it refused to grant the couple's citizenship application over their lack of respect for gender equality, Lausanne mayor Gregoire Junod told AFP. He said a municipal commission had questioned the couple several months ago to determine if they met the criteria for citizenship, but had determined in the ruling made public Friday that they missed the mark on integration. He refused to divulge the couple's nationalities or other identifying details, but said they "did not shake hands with people of the opposite sex." They also "showed great difficulty in answering questions asked by people of the opposite sex," he said. Some devout Muslims argue that Islam does not permit physical contact with a person of the opposite sex, with the exception of certain immediate family members. Junod pointed out that freedom of belief and religion is enshrined in the laws of the Canton of Vaud, which encompasses Lausanne. But "religious practice does not fall outside the law," he stressed. His vice-mayor, Pierre-Antoine Hildbrand, who was on the three-member commission that questioned the couple told AFP he was "very satisfied with the decision" to deny the couple's application. "The constitution and equality between men and women prevails over bigotry," he said. The couple has 30 days to appeal the decision, Junod said. This is not the first time refused handshakes have stirred tensions in Switzerland. In 2016, there was national uproar over revelations that a middle school in the north of the country had allowed two Syrian brothers not to shake their teachers' hands after they complained that doing so was counter to their religious beliefs if the teacher was a woman. This ran counter to a deeply entrenched Swiss tradition of students shaking their teacher's hands as a sign of respect, and amid the outcry regional authorities quickly overruled the school's decision. Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara (left) listens to an explanation from XL Axiata technology director Yessie D Yosetya during the inauguration of the companys quality monitoring center in Jakarta on Wednesday. The monitoring center will help ensure the quality of communication services amid growing traffic. (JP/David Caessarre)(left) listens to an explanation from XL Axiata technology director Yessie D Yosetya during the inauguration of the companys quality monitoring center in Jakarta on Wednesday. The monitoring center will help ensure the quality of communication services amid growing traffic. (JP/David Caessarre) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Rizal Harahap and Yulia Savitri and Severianus Endi (The Jakarta Post) Pekanbaru/Palembang/Pontianak Sat, August 18 2018 After recording an increase in the number of hot spots this week, Riau was met with rain that battered the province on Thursday night, reducing the number of hot spots on Friday. The Pekanbaru Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) recorded 42 hot spots in Riau on Friday, a decrease from the 121 on Thursday, with the highest number of hot spots detected in Rokan Hilir regency. The number of hot spots detected on Thursday at 121 was a significant increase from the 22 recorded on Wednesday afternoon, as the dry season is expected to hit its peak this month. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Rosie Cooney and Dominic Whitmee (The Jakarta Post) Bangkok Sun, August 19 2018 Coral reefs are often referred to as the rainforests of the sea, forming some of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth. Those in Indonesia are no exception supporting a wide variety of marine life, from fish and molluscs to worms and crustaceans, and underpinning livelihoods for thousands of people. One of the lesser known livelihoods dependent on the reef is trade in coral. Indonesia is the worlds largest exporter of live corals, supplying 50 to 60 percent of the corals destined for home aquariums around the world. The vast majority of this coral is cultured on farms around the coasts of Indonesia, involving over 12,000 people, primarily from local communities around the farms. In May this year, however, Indonesia suspended all coral exports. No official reasons have been given, with unofficial explanations ranging from the need to renew health certificates; to problems with wild corals being passed off as farmed corals; to a five-year review of natural resource management. This ban is having devastating effects on the local communities that rely on the reefs, and for Indonesias export industry. Less obviously, however, this ban raises threats to the future conservation of the reefs. The importance of coral reefs is widely recognized and the threats to them are numerous, from climate change and ocean acidification to sedimentation and pollution. Protecting and maintaining them is a critical priority, but this is not always best achieved by closing down all interactions between people and reefs with this sort of broad-scale ban. Coral farms themselves serve to increase the amount of reef habitat and support many other fish and invertebrate species. More importantly, however, by supporting coastal livelihoods and incomes, the coral farming industry provides an important incentive for communities to protect their local reef environment. Communities around farms are motivated to protect their reefs from some key local threats, particularly cyanide and bomb fishing, extraction of coral for building materials, and pollution, and engage in reef restoration efforts and engage actively in efforts such as beach clean-up events. Further, each year, members of the Indonesian Coral, Shell and Ornamental Fish Association (AKKII) return 10 percent of their coral production back to the wild to support reef rebuilding and restoration projects. For example, since 2010 in Bali the Indonesia Nature Foundation (LINI) has been helping communities and marine ornamental fisheries restore reefs and fish populations. The restored reefs can provide alternative ornamental fish collection areas to reduce pressure on existing reefs, provide employment opportunities and reduce the risks of further reef damage. Locals support and engage in these initiatives in their own livelihood interests. Take away the livelihoods, and both the preservation of the coral and local support for restoration efforts are in question. The ban is causing significant hardship: local businesses are reporting the need to sell capital equipment to help pay staff, sending staff home because they cannot afford to pay them, laying off workers, and some even closing up shop. Importers are starting to look elsewhere to source corals, raising threats of irreversible livelihood and job losses. The latest information indicates that Indonesian exporters had lost an estimated US$2 million in revenue, and the head of AKKII estimates 50 percent of some 12,000 people employed in the industry have lost their jobs, and expects this to rise to 80 percent within the next month. In a country with no welfare provision and a history of illegal fishing practices on coral reefs, it would be no surprise if people ended up reverting to destructive practices of the past, including dynamiting and cyanide fishing. While there are problems in the coral trade industry that need to be addressed, this blanket suspension of coral export is the wrong way to go about it and has the potential to be catastrophic for the reef ecosystem and the coastal communities that rely on it for their livelihoods. Last year, Indonesia signed the Coral Reef Life Declaration to help implement the 14th United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, committing to develop environmentally sustainable business models that actively promote the health of coral reefs by engaging the private sector. Indonesia has come a long way in building a sustainable coral farming industry that supports employment and livelihoods for many thousands of people and contributes to the long-term conservation and restoration of its coral reefs. To continue along a sustainable path, the government needs to urgently overturn the coral export ban, before it causes irreversible damage to local livelihoods, and to the reefs themselves. _________________________ Rosie Cooney is the chair of the International Union for Conservation of Natures Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy / Species Survival Commission Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group. Dominic Whitmee is a member of the group. The above views are personal. While excellent cuisine and exquisite architecture will be top reasons to visit Spain, make sure to bring an extra suitcase when planning a vacation to the Iberian country. Theres treasure to be found, whether in swanky shops on Madrids Calle del Oro, quirky boutiques in the alleys of Malaga or at Marbella's tony stores. Spain will surprise travelers with designs that combine traditional artisanal work with contemporary style and design. After reading about our shopping odyssey, check out J+ by The Jakarta Posts Travel Intelligence guide for Spain. MADRID Stroll through Madrid, down commercial arteries like Gran Via or neighborhoods like the citys tony Salamanca district and its easy to see why Spaniards say that life is lived on the streets. Stores and boutique abound, making for a vibrant experience. Heres some of what we saw. El Corte Ingles First things first: Its time for some serious shopping for what you cant get back home. El Corte Ingles, with 85 department stores across Spain and Portugal, offers an excellent curation of international and Spanish luxury and lifestyles brands. More than a retailer, El Corte Ingles stores have been virtual community centers for more than 77 years. Locals report warm memories hanging out, sharing cupcakes and coffee and even getting a movie stars autograph at El Corte Ingles. At the immense Castellana outpost in Madrid, covering 11 floors and two buildings, international tourists were given the brands standard welcomefree wine and tapas, along with a loyalty card offering 10 percent cash back for purchases made in a five-day window. El Corte Ingles also has a destination- worthy selection of culinary offerings at its co-located Gourmet Experience markets that will thrill foodies. Loewe A design destination itself, luxury handbag brand Loewe has a three-story flagship store on Calle del Oro that took decor cues from the film A Single Man, directed by fashion designer Tom Ford, according to the architect. A floating spiral staircase and 15-meter-tall textured curtains adorn a minimalist space accentuated by gorgeous Spanish limestone. An installation by the Spanish exile artist Gloria Garcia Lorca and painting by the late British impressionist Howard Hodgkin are two of several standout artworks in the space. Its a striking backdrop for the Spanish-made luxury handbags that are on display. Where: Casa Loewe Serrano, 34 Madrid Read also: How to get around in Barcelona, Spain Ecoalf Funny labels adorn the products on offer at Ecoalf, near the Alonso Martinez Metro stop in Madrids Salmanca district. Today you are wearing recycled fishnets, is printed on the liner of sleek puffer jackets. Because there is no Planet B is stamped on a cool backpack. The label specializes in sustainable fashion, using cutting-edge techniques masterminded by founder Javier Goyeneche, to, for example, weave discarded plastic into thread. Used tires, industrial cotton and wool and even post-consumer coffee grounds (harvested from 7-Eleven convenience stores in Taiwan) have also been pressed into service, with end results that are indistinguishable from conventional fashion. Where: Calle de Hortaleza, 116 Madrid Pretty Ballerinas Since 2005, Pretty Ballerinas has been offering fashionably offbeat ballet flats coming from the Spanish island of Menorca, where generations of artisans working for the Mascaro family have been making high-fashion footwear since 1918. Aiming to evoke the elegance of high heels, albeit more comfortably; the flats come in hundreds of styles, including flowers, glitter, lace, snake print, suede, Swarovski crystals and velvet. Despite huge demandthe brand is sold in 32 countries, including Singapore and MalaysiaPretty Ballerinas reflect personal touches. Ten women, for example, still apply soles by hand, not machine. Where: Many locations, in Spain and abroad Zubi Design A short walk from Salamanca and the Calle del Oro is Calle Zurbano, where sisters Mercedes and Elena Zubizarreta run a cool storefront for Zubi Design, one of several creative, millennial-run brands that have turned the neighborhood, laid low by the last decades financial woes, into a hip, walkable destination for lifestyles, shopping and dining. Inspired by travel, the sisters design and produce popular collections of cute canvas bags emblazoned with dreamy images taken on trips to locales like California and Cuba. On each bag is a tag with the latitude and longitude of where the picture was taken, so you can experience the destination yourself. Cooler still is how Zubi works with artisans as it strives to offer 100 percent made-in-Spain collections. Canvas, for example, is sourced locally, printed in Madrid and made by 30 Spanish artisans, employed by the sisters after the factory in their village closed. Where: Calle Zurbano, 22 Madrid Read also: 10 ultimate things to do in southern Spain ADVENTURES IN ANDALUCIA About three hours from Madrid via high-speed train, the Andalucian city of Malaga offers attractions like the Alcazaba, a Muslim fortress fronted by an ancient Roman amphitheater, a sunny clime, excellent cuisine taking advantage of a nearness to the Atlantic and Mediterranean and a bevy of talented artisans working on a personal scale. Malaga Pret-a-Couture Malaga offers a chance to meet Jesus Segado and Rafael Urquizar, sophisticated fashion designers with couture reputations that go well beyond the city where they were born and currently work. In a converted workshop in his art-filled apartment, Segado, who has been invited to shows in Paris and New York City, is a solitary worker. He caters to a clientele limited only by the time he needs to hand make his sculptural masterpieces, often drawing inspiration from the citys many churches, and which feature touches like Escher-esque weaves or elaborate butterflies created through traditional Spanish embroidery and detailed beading. Meanwhile, Urquizar, who plays with volume and form to fashion dresses that evoke Valentino for weddings, First Communions and flamenco dancers, has ateliers in Seville and in Malaga, where he takes three stories to present his pret-a-porter collections, a full haute couture studio and workshop. Piel/Piel Be sure to venture off the main commercial drag of Calle Larios and explore Malagas alleys and side streets. Youll find cobblestones and impossibly tiny squares that front ancient and elaborate churches, as well as family-friendly haunts with a Bohemian vibe, like La Casa Invisible (The Invisible House) or Gabinete de Crisis (Crisis Cabinet, adorned with Dr. Strangelove pictures). Sometimes youll find stores like Calzados Hinojosa, family run since 1920 and plastered with shoes on every available surface. Theres also a host of hidden boutiques, like Piel/Piel. Operating out of a single storefront, the brand offers funky shoes made from handcrafted leather that feature a pastiche of vibrant colors and textures. Where: Plaza Los Martires Ciriaco y Paula, N-10 Malaga Marbella The seaside vacation town of Marbella is a scenic 60-kilometer-or-so drive along the Mediterranean Sea from Malaga. Along Calle Ribera at the Marbella marinawhere you can see the plaything sailboats of the eliteis a row of shops with brands like Louis Vuitton, Roberto Cavalli, Bang & Olufsen and Versace, among others. Nearby, El Corte Ingles at Plaza Antonio Banderas (the actor is from Malaga, as youll be frequently reminded), offers excellent dealsand a Gourmet Experience in its food center. ***** The author was a guest of Turespana. __________ This article was originally published in the Apr. 2018 edition of J+ by The Jakarta Post with the headline "In Search of Spanish Style". The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival has an absolutely unmissable line up for 2018, with a selection of the most remarkable writers, thinkers and performers of our time. The theme of this years extravaganza is East Meets West - meaning many of the events feature exciting, unprecedented insight into new kinds of literature, and a few incredible nods to the Studio Ghibli studio. Image courtesy of Wikipedia Commons Its well worth the trip into Cheltenham to catch the events, which span over 10 days from 5th October to the 14th. Events open for bookings next month, prices ranging depending on what youre doing and who youre seeing. You can find the full list of events in the whats on section of their website, here. Speaking with the Festival organisers, they describe how this year the worlds oldest literature festival boasts over 450 events and almost 1000 speakers. The programme spans the best new voices in fiction and poetry alongside established literary legends, celebrated chefs, sporting icons and stars of stage and screen. Not only that, but there will be global street food and free pop-up events galore with festivities continuing late into the night. The Festival starts in fine form, celebrating the appearance of Life on Earth narrator and all-round national treasure David Attenborough with 'David Attenboroughs Jungle Boogie', where you can pay homage to the worlds most beloved biologist in a themed jungle boogie rave. Complete with projections of nature visuals and samples of the 92-year olds narration - whats not to love? You can join Romesh Ranganathan as he takes you through his journey from delivering his first stand-up set at the age of 9 to becoming one of the biggest names in comedy today, starring in shows such as 8 Out Of 10 Cats and A League Of Their Own. The East Meets West theme means you can take time to celebrate the powerhouse of Japanese animation in The Magic Of Studio Ghibli event. Film critic Mark Kermode heads a panel discussing the studio that produced classics Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro - and separate events feature a showing of new film The Red Turtle! Dipping into current events, BAFTA and MOBO award-winning artist (and firm festival favourite) Akala returns to discuss his latest book Native, which looks into how his life has been shaped by race and class issues. Also discussed is the all-important question that plagues every student's mind, in 'Is A Degree Worth The Debt?', a panel including Tara Westover and Andrew Adonis who consider whether a degree offers good value for students - and it is not to be missed. If youre unwilling to part with too much money for the star-studded lineup, there are dozens of free events too: back for the third year is the popular Lit Crawl. Created in San Francisco in 2004 and now in Boston, Chicago, Sydney and beyond, this bar crawl with bookish content is a riotous evening getting drunk on words. In the run up to the Festival keep an ear out for the award-winning Mostly Lit podcast, the Literature Festivals first ever podcast-in-residence! If you follow them on social media (@mostlylit), they will be posting previews, interviews, behind the scenes info and much more. Will you be there? Let us know! here Disney drawn a fair bit of criticism with their recent decision to cast Jack Whitehall as a fun effete young gay man in their upcoming blockbuster The Jungle Cruise, co-starring Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Emily Blunt. But also, over the last couple of days a lot of people have gone on Twitter (or whatever your social media drug of choice is) to present their wit to the world about how only carpenters should be allowed to play carpenters or what have you. So lets get these hot takes out of the way. Image Credit: STEVE SCHOFIELD/CONTOUR BY GETTY IMAGES Straight guy playing a gay guy isnt the problem we should all agree that typecasting is bad and gay actors dont have to be shoehorned into playing the sassy gay best friend, for example. The same way you dont have to be Russian to play the evil Russian character. But lets also agree that this goes deeper than superficial, but hilariously persistent presentation of stereotypically Russian villains. A big point that everyone latches on is pointing out gay characters who have played straight actors, and vice versa Neil Patrick Harris with his famous womaniser Barney, Jim Parsons with Sheldon, Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain, to name a few. Comparing those two occurrences, however, doesnt work as it creates a false sense of equivalence between the two. This is not an even playing field, both in terms of gay and straight roles available, and opportunities offered to gay and straight actors. Super excited about this huge moment for the LGBTQ+ family, and @jackwhitehall is amazing https://t.co/FwH4d7BZqZ BUT when so many gay actor friends of mine are turned down for straight roles because theres a whiff of gay, its frustrating to cast NonGay people in gay roles James Barr (@imjamesbarr) August 13, 2018 There will never be more gay roles or even as many as there are straight ones. And whats more, only one of these two types of roles has suffered from historic marginalisation and misrepresentation. That brings me to the next point. Once you look into what the role will be about, things to get even dodgier. After the announcement, a source told The Sun that though Whitehall has landed his biggest ever pay cheque, more excitingly he is playing a gay man - one who is hugely effete, very camp and very funny. "Its a dream role. Disneys always been incredibly supportive of the LGBTQ community. This latest script, set at a time when it wasnt socially acceptable to be gay, is another significant turning point. Even aside from the weird part about the big fat cheque, the comment seems to miss the mark completely. While yes, effeminate gay men exist, of course, but the phrasing just sounds like the same old tired stereotype. Paired with the fact that a straight man would be playing him, that just makes it seem like the character would be used for a punchline again. We havent learnt much about the film yet, so fair enough, we should always see it before we judge (and Jack Whitehall has a proven record of being a good ally, so the blame shouldnt necessarily be on him). But years and years of previous representation, formulated in a similar way and played off as a joke, shines an uncomfortable light on the decision rightly so. I GET it btw yall. Id like to think Im woke but I dont think Jack himself is the one to be dragged here. Therere a lot of conversations needing to be had when it comes to diversity and representation. What are your thoughts? Layton Williams (@LaytonWilliams) August 13, 2018 And honestly, at the end of the day, it is just a bad PR move (and yes, I do know all publicity is good publicity). Creative media with the tagline Disneys first openly gay character would have never needed a big name to back it up it was going to be hated by the people youd expect to, and loved by the people youd expect to. LeFou, who was hyped to be the big gay representation before the live-action of Beauty and the Beast hit cinemas, ended up having a small scene dancing with another man, and that still enraged people. But the storyline also disappointed those who actually wanted to see genuine representation. Disney has been slow on the representation wave, but now that it has found that positive representation makes money now, the corporation has been taking certain steps towards that. The creators of Moana, for example, went to great lengths to ensure they were representing the culture properly, going to Polynesian islands to do research and involving actors from that massive region. Despite the tattoo costume fiasco, the film itself was welcomed as positive representation. And thats not meant to conflate sexuality, culture, and race as the same thing they can and do intersect but the bottom line stands. Involving people you want to represent in the creative process naturally leads to a better, more genuine product. Becky Albertalli, the author of Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda, the book that preceded the movie Love, Simon is also straight, (as are the main actors in the film other than Keiynan Lonsdale and Clark Moore, as many have pointed out too). However, the difference is the research and the care put into properly representing characters and stories, far away from the "fun, effete" stereotype. So with previous examples like that and in a time when positive representation is at an all-time high (not that its hard to compete with representation from previous eras), this decision comes across as a badly-researched, badly-thought out cop-out. And how should one feel hopeful about camp gay dude out and proud in a time when it wasnt acceptable to be gay, played by a straight man, whose only such experience would be from observation and preconceptions? So I implore you, Disney, even if you decide to stick with this casting decision, involve more queer people and do your research. Spend time doing cool stuff and earning money. Sounds good? Well, that's what Crowdville are claiming their app will have you doing. Crowdsourcing is a new trend on the web and it's growing fast. What will Crowdville add? As a testing platform with a community of over 30.000 members, Crowdville went a step further by giving money to its contributors. As a content producer, your job is to find bugs and to give your feedback on the apps you're testing in order to improve upcoming releases. Crowders can earn money while lying in bed in their spare time. In this sense, this website could turn some of the time you spend on your phone into cash. Crowdville was first launched in Italy only but has recently been launched in the UK and in Portugal. It's been a big success and is looking to spread further across Europe, and beyond. Crowdvilles Global Community Director Tommaso Lucentini says " Crowdville is an inclusive community and absolutely anybody can sign up whether youve got experience working with apps, you love tech, or just want to pick up some extra cash. [...] This is the first time real people like you and I get to have a say in shaping new products and whats more? You get paid for doing it too" 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 Montreal, CA (H4T1V6) Today Rain. Low 12C. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch.. Tonight Rain. Low 9C. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch. 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. Prevention is better than cure and certainly less expensive. I thought about this truism as I stood at the dentist's reception desk last week staring at a bill for several hundred pounds for planned root canal work (ouch). As I was wondering whether I might have prevented this painful and costly outcome by looking after my teeth better, an advert from the Financial Conduct Authority sounded out from the dentist's radio. It featured a builder who had saved in to a pension for 40 years. But the unwitting 'Ali' lost the lot to a fraudulent firm offering a 'free pension review'. The ad tails off with the scammer in a bar greedily demanding 'another bottle of champagne'. At risk: Since pension freedom rules emerged three years ago, our retirement pots have become easier pickings for fraudsters The ad is one of a series appearing on the radio, television and posters warning us to be on our guard against fraudsters who call out of the blue to steal our pension savings and spend it on their own lavish lifestyle. The theme is certainly one of prevention teaching us how to stop crooks getting hold of our hard- earned pension pot. Since pension freedom rules emerged three years ago, our retirement pots have become easier pickings for fraudsters. Recent figures show victims lost on average 91,000 in pension scams last year by falling for the convincing sales patter of firms promising fantastic returns. Frightening people is one way to wake them up to the risks. But it must not be left just to the individual. The Government needs to do more. Giving pension companies more power to stop fraudulent transfers would help. Some pension firms are better than others when it comes to dealing with suspicious transfer requests. Standard Life, for one, looks out for any transfers to high-risk investments promising impossibly high returns and then quickly warns customers of the dangers. It says it has saved hundreds of people from taking a step that could have decimated their pots. Two years ago, Pension Ministers promised a cold-call ban, but this has not yet materialised. Just get on with it. The fraud figures show savers do not have the luxury of waiting any longer. RBS customer service If dental work was not enough pain for one week, I then discover that the bank I have been with for more than 25 years Royal Bank of Scotland has been voted the worst in the UK for service (in joint place with Clydesdale). RBS, which is 62 per cent owned by the taxpayer after being rescued during the financial crisis, has been embroiled in various scandals, including the appalling mistreatment of thousands of small business customers. In a statement (or rather understatement), the bank said last week: 'We are aware we have more work to do in order to improve our service standards.' Seemingly this does not mean giving customers a better high street experience 162 RBS branches are set to close by the end of the year. Car rental Hiring a car always fills me with dread and my arrival at the rental desk on a recent trip to the US East Coast was no exception. My husband and I are well practised at resisting the hard sell of extras not least the purchase of the hire company's own expensive excess insurance. We politely refused everything and assured the saleswoman we had a standalone excess policy. She appeared to accept what we said and accompanied us to the car. But as we reached for the door handle she made one last attempt to get us to change our minds. 'You do know these policies are well known for not paying out in the US? Are you sure you don't want our cover?' Although alarmed by her words, we stood our ground. Back in the UK, I asked experts about the validity of her statement. Questor, our insurer, said its figures do not bear out the saleswoman's assertion. Recent declined claims for US rentals were only 2 per cent higher than for the UK and 3 per cent lower than some European countries. Zest Car Rental says it is simply a sales tactic. Boss Rory Sexton also warns drivers to check what they are signing for. He has seen cases where the rental firm has added insurance without disclosing it to customers and then quickly asked them to sign. If the rental company has your signature as proof it is almost impossible to get your money back. Make sure you check the contract before signing and ensure there are no unwanted extras. Top investing firm Invesco Perpetual has joined the 'big beasts' featured in the latest list of underperforming dog funds. Even the flagship Invesco Perpetual High Income and Income funds - previously run by superstar manager Neil Woodford before he left to set up his own firm - have ended up in the kennel. The firm has only made sparing appearances in previous 'Spot the Dog' reports, which are compiled by DIY investing platform Bestinvest. In the doghouse: UK income funds have taken a hit, while value-oriented funds - which favour unloved stocks with turnaround potential - continue to struggle The total number of funds named and shamed has more than doubled to 58 since the last publication six months ago. A shocking 33.6billion of investor cash is tied up in these funds, which have failed to beat their benchmarks for three 12-month periods running and also underperformed by five per cent or more over the entire three years. That's a five-fold increase on the 6.4billion that languished in dog funds at the start of this year. This is because UK income funds have taken a hit, while value-oriented funds - which favour unloved stocks with turnaround potential - continue to struggle compared with growth-focused contenders. The report states: 'Invesco Perpetual has muscled straight into the Top Dog slot from nowhere with both the highest number of assets included 15.1billion and the largest numbers of funds (five), bounding ahead of the previous pack leader Aberdeen Standard Investments. 'The latter still has much to howl about though as both the number of Aberdeen Standard dog funds and assets has actually gone up since the last edition.' Fund groups in the doghouse: Table provided by Bestinvest. Data in its report are sourced from Lipper for Investment Management. Performance up to 30 June 2018 is covered Bestinvest, which touts its report as 'the guide fund managers would love to ban', stresses that it is not a sell list. However, it suggests investors who own the featured funds should take it as cue to investigate their holdings further. 'It is important to delve deeper before deciding to switch and move your cash elsewhere,' it cautions. 'In some cases, bad decision making is at fault, and the case to move on makes sense but in others a previously sound investment process or an agreed mandate may be out of favour.' Seven funds that hold more than 1billion of investor assets appear this time, a big increase from the last report which contained only one. Most of those listed are still small though, with the median dog fund holding just 137million of assets. How hastily should you dump a fund losing money? The traps to avoid between tolerating negative returns and bailing out too quickly... Read more here. Bestinvest notes that Invesco's dog funds include the High Income and Income funds which hold 9.4billion and 4.5billion respectively. 'The size of the Invesco Perpetual funds are of such scale that together they account for 45 per cent of the total amount of assets in this edition,' it says. 'Three of these funds are run by UK equity manager Mark Barnett, who inherited the firms flagship UK equity funds when high profile manager Neil Woodford left to establish his own firm in 2014. 'Both Barnett and Woodford, who have broadly similar approaches, have had a torrid time over the last couple of years. 'However, both are convinced that current sentiment is overly pessimistic towards the UK economy and are therefore taking a relatively contrarian and more upbeat view towards UK domestically focused businesses.' Woodford's funds did not make the dog list, but fund house Aberdeen Standard took a prominent position again. It was formed by a merger between Aberdeen Asset Management and Standard Life last year. Aberdeen as a standalone company had 11 funds included at one point in the past. Aberdeen Standard has five funds featured this time, the same number as in the last report, although all but one is different from six months ago. 'Frustratingly the level of assets has actually gone up and on top of these own-brand funds, Aberdeen Standard has also been the underlying manager of two other funds in Spot the Dog, including the St Jamess Place Ethical fund from which its management contract has just been terminated,' says Bestinvest. Find out what Invesco and Aberdeen said in response below. Which fund sectors include the most 'dogs' right now? Global equities has 19 dogs, making it the most heavily represented. Bestinvest says almost half of them have income generation as part of their objective. However, 'growth' stocks in such areas as technology and new media - where firms focus on expansion rather than paying a dividend income to shareholders - have generated the greatest returns in recent years. Meanwhile, the number of dog funds in the UK equity sector has soared from two to 18 since the last report issued in early 2018. 'Most of these new entrants have income generation as part of their briefs. The surge in UK dog funds does seem to reflect a more challenging environment for equity income managers who have typically been underweight basic materials and energy companies. 'These have bounced back as commodity and oil prices have recovered. However many income managers have been under-exposed to them as their ability to sustain and grow dividends has been uncertain.' What do Invesco and Aberdeen say about their performance? 'The performance of the Invesco Perpetual UK Equity Funds has been particularly adversely affected in the period since the EU referendum,' says Nick Mustoe, chief investment officer of Invesco Perpetual. 'The strategies managed by Mark Barnett are weighted toward stocks that generate income from UK sourced revenues (rather than foreign income generators), an approach that has lost favour in a climate of political and economic uncertainty. 'We estimate that the valuation across global equity markets of each 1 of revenue sourced in the UK has declined by some 30 per cent since June 2016 as investors have lost confidence in the prospects for cash generation by companies primarily exposed to the UK economy. 'We believe that the negative market reaction has been excessive - and in many cases indiscriminate - and that there are now significant opportunities for selective investment in a number of high quality, cash generative UK companies that will deliver superior shareholder return in the medium to long term.' An Aberdeen Standard Investments spokesperson said: 'Over recent years liquidity fuelled markets have supported all share prices indiscriminately, providing a headwind to our fundamental quality driven approach. 'While we delivered in absolute terms, some of our portfolios have lagged the broader market. 'As the market environment normalises with quantitative easing taps being turned off, we are optimistic that our fundamental bottom-up research driven style of investing combined with our enlarged, strengthened equity teams based on-the-ground around the world, will deliver for investors over the long term.' What does Bestinvest say about its 'Spot the Dog' guides? When all is going well, funds are promoted heavily and managers are feted like rock stars of the City, writes the firm in its guide. Yet its hard to ignore the fact that some of these stars simply crash out of orbit. Many funds fail to beat their benchmarks over the long run, after all the fees have been taken, and investors need to consider their fund managers carefully. Surprisingly many investors continue to put up with weak or pedestrian performance and its the fund management companies that benefit. This suffering in silence can be a result of investors not reviewing their investments regularly; a lack of ongoing advice and information from the adviser who originally recommended the investment; or simply inertia and disinterest. Yet with many set to rely on the returns from Isa and pensions for future financial security, performance really does matter. Which funds and groups make the 'pedigree' list? Bestinvest includes a 'pedigree picks' list of funds in each sector where it highlights dog funds, though it stresses there is no certainty that these funds are destined to outperform in the future. You can find them in the full report here. It adds: 'Fund groups who are entirely absent from Spot the Dog and who therefore deserve a treat include Aviva Investors, Baillie Gifford, Baring, BlackRock, BNY Mellon, First State, Fundsmith, JO Hambro, Kames Capital, Legal & General, Man GLG, M&G, Old Mutual Global Investors, Royal London and Stewart Investors.' Game on: Michael Lindsell selects high quality companies including computer games giant Nintendo Japan is high on the destination wishlist of many holiday-makers with the yen more affordable than in years gone by when a single drink in a Tokyo bar would buy a whole round back home. But as far as investors are concerned, there has been something of a mental block when it comes to Japan. Many have spurned it because of poor demographics (too many older people and not enough young earners) and a rigid and hierarchical business culture. Too often small investor interests have been overlooked. But a change of government with economic reform high on the agenda in recent years has altered that stance. Investors have enjoyed a more comfortable ride. Jason Hollands, of broker Tilney, says: 'Governance reforms have seen businesses adopt more shareholder-friendly practices, with a notable improvement in dividend pay-outs and buybacks.' Shareholder perks, now rarely seen in the UK, have taken off in Japan as companies attempt to attract the ordinary investor. Michael Lindsell, manager of Lindsell Train Japanese Equity, has seen first-hand the benefits of these changes. These influences plus his own particular brand of investing, which focuses on selecting high quality companies with strong growth potential and then hanging on to them have helped the fund to growth double that of its rivals over the last five years. Nearly half the fund, which contains about 20 shares, is in consumer brands His only concern about the pro-smaller investor stance is that some of the shareholder benefits, such as generous shopping discount cards, are not available to fund managers and so they and their investors are essentially paying for perks they cannot enjoy. But that development aside, nearly half the fund, which contains about 20 shares, is in consumer brands ones that dominate the company's local markets in particular, such as beauty product company Kao Corporation. This dominant position has allowed the business to increase its dividend by 10 per cent a year over the last 30 years. Another cosmetics firm, Shiseido (8 per cent of the fund), contributes strongly partly due to the popularity of its products with Chinese visitors. Chinese holidaymakers are pouring into Japan, with numbers up from six million to 20million over the last five years, according to Lindsell. He says: 'This is fuelling purchases of high quality Japanese goods such as Shiseido products.' The Japanese taste for green tea has also sparked a boom in purchases of the canned and bottled variety. The drinks giant Ito En (5 per cent of the fund) dominates this market. Nintendo, with its long established menu of games such as Super Mario and Pokemon, features large It is also a games-mad population, which is why Nintendo, with its long established menu of games such as Super Mario and Pokemon, features large. Nintendo's share price has had a rocky ride lately because of concerns that it would not be able to repeat the strong sales last year of its Switch console. Lindsell says: 'Sales targets have not been met so far but the biggest period for sales is the run-up to Christmas. I think it will meet its targets.' In any case he will hold on as he takes a 20 to 30-year view. Tilney's Hollands praises Lindsell's fund for 'consistently outperforming the Japanese market despite the fact it has traditionally been one where 'value' managers are already performing well'. A well-connected oligarch who counts Tony Blair and Sir Elton John as friends has quietly snapped up a quarter of a London-listed oil firm he tried to buy seven years ago. Ukrainian billionaire Victor Pinchuk is understood to be behind an investment vehicle called Kelda that has bought 24 per cent of Regal Petroleum, a gas firm with assets in Ukraine that is listed on Londons AIM market. Pinchuk was involved in a takeover battle for Regal in 2011, but lost out to a company called Energees, controlled by Ukrainian businessmen Vadim Novinsky and Andrei Klyamko. They still control 52 per cent of Regal. Moves: Victor Pinchuk has bought a quarter of the oil firm Regal Petroleum News that Pinchuk is behind Kelda will lead to speculation he is preparing for a second London-based battle for control. The 57-year-old faced scrutiny several years ago after it emerged he secretly built a stake before the last bid through investment vehicles that were not in his name. The stock markets takeover rules state that bidders must disclose any stakes they already hold in a takeover target. Kelda has bought the 24 per cent stake from a subsidiary of Alfa Group, controlled by yet another oligarch, Mikhail Fridman. Alfa has sold its entire stake in Regal. Regal said it could not confirm whether Pinchuk was the mystery shareholder behind Kelda, but said it was investigating. Pinchuk made his fortune from steel pipes firm Interpipe, but he is better known for his ties to the rich and famous. He has given more than $1million to the Tony Blair Faith Foundation and having struck up a friendship with former US President Bill Clinton has given between $10million and $25million to the Clinton Foundation. Opponent: Vadim Novinsky won the last takeover battle between the tycoons Pinchuk has been named in the controversy over Russian interference in the 2016 US election. The New York Times reported in April that a $150,000 donation made in September 2015 from Pinchuk to the Donald J. Trump Foundation was being probed by investigators. It was the largest donation to the foundation in 2015 by anyone besides Trump himself. It was made in exchange for a 20-minute appearance by Trump via video link to a conference in Kiev. Pinchuk rubs shoulders with celebrities such as Sir Elton John and Damien Hirst. An avid art collector, he paid 10.3million for Hirsts The Golden Calf in 2008. Wife Elena is the daughter of former Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma. They once owned the worlds most expensive house after paying 80million for a ten-bedroom home in Kensington, West London. Art lover: Pinchuk paid 10.3million for Damien Hirsts The Golden Calf (pictured) in 2008 Last week, the MoS revealed that Ukrainian MP and businessman Vitaliy Khomutynnik had bought nearly 20 per cent of JKX Oil & Gas, a London-listed oil firm which also has operations in Ukraine. Pinchuk has clashed with JKXs top shareholders, Igor Kolomoisky and Gennadiy Bogolyubov. He sued the pair in a $2billion High Court battle over a mining deal that turned sour. They settled in 2016 for a sum thought to be more than $1 billion. In 2011, Regal was in talks with two companies controlled by Pinchuk including Geo-Alliance Oil-Gas, which has assets near Regals in Ukraine. Regal, which has a value of 120million on AIM, has a colourful history of its own. Its founder Frank Timis was twice convicted for possession of heroin before he joined the firm. Once worth more than 500million, Regals share price plunged 86 per cent in a single day in 2005 after wells it had claimed were set to be big money-spinners turned out to be dry. It led to a record 600,000 fine in 2009 as the regulator accused Regal of misleading investors. US car giant Ford has issued an ominous warning to UK politicians that it will do whatever it takes to protect its profits after blaming Brexit for a near-$1billion fall in 2017 earnings. The firm, which employs 9,000 people in this country, is also expecting to make a loss in Europe, including the UK, this year. In comments to its shareholders, Ford bemoans the state of the UK car market highlighting falling economic confidence since the EU referendum and lays bare its fears of long-term damage from Brexit. Concern: Ford's plant in Bridgend, South Wales Profits at the company's European operations plummeted by $971million (760million) in 2017. Ford's bosses attribute $600million of the dive to the fall in the value of the pound since the Brexit referendum. Ford's alarming comments have been published in its UK annual report, which was filed at Companies House last week. The UK accounts show a modest rise in both revenues and profits. However, these figures cannot be read in isolation because Ford books its growing European commercial vehicle sales in the UK, while its passenger car division which is performing less well and has been harder hit by Brexit reports in Germany. Ford warned it is prepared to 'take whatever action is needed' to keep its European business profitable. This is likely to be seen as a thinly veiled warning that it may scale back its operations in the UK or quit altogether. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Tata Motors, which owns Britain's Jaguar Land Rover, have also raised Brexit fears in recent filings to investors in the US. Car companies are worried that Brexit will herald an end to the current 'frictionless trade' enjoyed between the UK and EU. This would threaten their ability to import and export car components as well as the vehicles themselves quickly and cheaply without having to pay tariffs or undergo time-consuming checks at borders. Ford is preparing for further declines in the value of sterling in the short run. And the company said it would expect the combination of a weak pound and less favourable conditions in the motor manufacturing industry to 'have an adverse impact' on its operations in the long term. Tata Motors, which owns Britain's Jaguar Land Rover, has also raised Brexit fears in recent filings to investors in the US While it increased the number of cars sold across Europe from 1.53million in 2015 to 1.58million last year in the UK they are down from 447,000 vehicles to 418,000. Over the same period, UK revenues reported in Ford's global accounts have fallen 16 per cent to $9.6billion. This contrasts with Germany, where revenues are up 5 per cent to $7.3billion. Across Ford's European business as a whole, profits crashed to $234million last year after hitting a record $1.2billion in 2016. The weaker pound means sales made in sterling are worth less when turned into dollars. Ford said another factor in the downturn is 'growing anti-diesel sentiment' across Europe. The company said it wants a stable trading environment so it can 'provide a more secure future' for its 9,000 direct employees in Britain. In a note to US investors last week, Fiat Chrysler lamented 'significant uncertainty' about the UK's future relationship with the EU. And in an interview in The Mail on Sunday today, Mike Flewitt, chief executive of McLaren Automotive and a former boss at Ford in Europe, dismisses the suggestion that big car makers are exaggerating their anxieties as part of 'Project Fear'. Brexit warning: Mike Flewitt, chief executive of McLaren Automotive He insists their fears are well-founded and says he feels sympathy for overseas car makers which have invested millions in the UK. Tata Motors this month said that 'weaker economic performance and continued uncertainty over Brexit is impacting growth in the UK'. Separately, in documents lodged with US regulators, it said a decline in trade between the UK and EU 'could have a detrimental impact on the level of investment in United Kingdom companies, including our Jaguar Land Rover business'. Jaguar Land Rover's boss Ralf Speth said last month that a so-called hard Brexit could cost his company 1.2billion a year in trade tariffs and make it unprofitable to remain in the UK. Have you ever had that feeling that whatever you do, no one cares? You could jump off a bridge, hug a transformer, swim in shark and piranha infested waters and no one would give a care in the world that you did that. I tend to get the same feeling when it comes to our government, they dont care about what is going on in the country. One only expects this situation to get worse, especially when we are judging by the shockers that have been experienced in recent years. This week I was shocked by three moves and come to think of it they could have shocked very sane human being, at the very same time they were understood and much expected. However, they left most people who care wondering what was going on. Essential service The first shocker was expected; nurses decided to picket due to the shortage of some drugs and HIV testing kits, among other things. The shortage of drugs was expected, however, the fact that nurses took to the streets was shocking because patients were left unattended. Health is an essential service. The picket is understandable because in order for them to work and give taxpayers their taxes worth, they need to have the drugs and tools, which are however unavailable. Anything below performing diligently, as expected, would mean that nurses are stealing public funds in the form of salaries. In this case, they are fighting for patients rights. The second shocker was about police who had to hitchhike to a crime scene. The cause of this is that their vehicles are stuck at Central Transport Administration where they had been taken for repairs. Again, one of the reasons cited was the prevailing financial situation the country is faced with. The third shocker was governments again failing to make a counter offer to civil servants cost of adjustment demand. It is a shocker as this is the second year that government has failed to make a counter offer. This is despite the fact that prices, including that of electricity, fuel, food items have increased over the past two years. The main reason cited for the failure to make a counter offer is that government cannot afford to do so as it is currently faced with cash flow problems. This is very interesting, very, very interesting because as it is government has been singing one tune for everything, there is no money, forgetting that these are the same taxpayers who are being taxed to the bone. With the amount of taxes we pay, it is imperative for government to provide first class services. Needed services What makes matters worse is that government has the responsibility of ensuring that certain public services are availed to the public, with or without cash, and government is failing to provide those basics needs. If government is broke and cannot provide some of the much needed services, who are expected to attend to them? People are already paying taxes to the same government that is supposed to provide these basic services. So what should we expect would happen in the not so far future because government will not immediately stop being broke? Sir, It is certainly true that in this country now called the Kingdom of Eswatini we almost never search endlessly for more information when our government publicize certain information. The information we normally get from our government is always lacking and never challenged. economic crisis Nonetheless, it is likely that most people devote far more time and effort to seek for information when they want to buy food or beauty products than when deciding to vote in the national elections. I follow politics closely these days. I spend more time than usual reading the newspaper and other materials, figuring out whats really wrong in this country. As I became more and more open-minded, it is becoming clear now that the political system is problematic. Under the Tinkhundla system of Governance established in 1978, the government seems to be failing to tackle these challenges effectively. Its clear to me that the archaic system of governance had plunged the country into a deep financial and economic crisis and like all the other past years the electoral process will unlikely bring any real change. Thanks to the SACU revenue which allowed the kingdom to set our taxes below South Africas. This means South Africa has been subsidizing the Kingdom of Eswatini to compete with it for investment with their more attractive taxes. In a way this SACU formula protected our country into dependency on South Africa. But what will happen now? Since South Africa is pushing for a total overhaul of the SACU agreement. I can promise you, the Tinkhundla system will be unmasked. course of humanity The SACU share has declined by 24 per cent and already we are feeling the pinch. Look at what is happening now. After the 50/50 celebrations, our country has been mired in a deep financial crisis. It is unbelievable though that government continues on a spending spree against this backdrop. For example the EBC is driving around with many rented top-of-the range cars as if its a show. This government is so uncaring but is important that as people of Eswatini we do the opposite. Let us care for the poor people and fight for social transformation even if you are well educated or rich. I am not asking for a pity party here or trying to make anyone feel guilty. I am a pretty privileged person, but I refuse to betray the course of humanity. We also need the world to help us pressure our government to introduce democratic reforms. The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people- Martin Luther King, Jr. Lungile Sukati. doublel@gmail.com MBABANE Broke as it is, government will part with way over E90 million in exit packages for politicians, legislators and emabandla of the 2013 to 2018 term. Those who are entitled to the money are MPs, personal secretaries, ministers and other politicians who are not returning to be part of the 11th Parliament set to be constituted over the next three months. Prime Minister Sibusiso Dlamini alone is going home with almost E1 million as his annual basic salary rests at over E900 000. The money, according to Finance Circular no. 2 of 2013, constitutes 12 months salary of that particular officer. If none of the outgoing legislators and politicians are reappointed or elected back to office, government will part with this amount before the end of the year. A single minister who earns a salary of close to E60 000 is likely to exit with not less than E650 000, while a parliamentarian will walk away with over E450 000. These packages exclude other benefits such as pension and cars. ranging Also leaving office with large amounts of money ranging between E100 000 and E120 000 per person, are cabinet ministers personal assistants. When redirected to other national necessities, the total amount of exit packages could pay three months elderly grants covering the about 87 000 elderly people per month, who are beneficiaries of the grant. The monthly elderly grants payment exercise consumes about E34 million per month as the cost also covers payment of the staff involved in the disbursement of the funds. This payout is coming at a time when government is struggling with its finances, a situation that has been publicly declared by Finance Minister Martin Dlamini and Government Spokesperson Percy Simelane. Governments bankruptcy has resulted to government granting a zero per cent salary increase for over 44 000 civil servants. These public workers have not received a salary increment for some years now as they also got a zero per cent increment last year. intended On another note, government is said to have redirected about E500 million intended for the civil servants cost of living adjustments (COLA). The politicians payout would cover almost a third of this amount that is currently not available as Minister for Public Service Owen Nxumalo said a pile up of governments responsibilities has led to the money not being available for now. The Phalala Fund, which is haunted by debts to the tune of nearly E40 million, could have these settled using less than half of the money budgeted for politicians exit packages. Over the years the Phalala debts have mainly resulted from unpaid remunerations to specialised health service providers in and outside the country. The Ministry of Healths Senate Portfolio Committee Report stated succinctly that the Fund has been faced with financial challenges for years. Almost all government sectors are not immune to the effects of the financial crisis as the ministry of education also has a lot of financial needs that have not been met by government. sending These include the purchase of food for schools under the schools feeding scheme, which saw some schools sending pupils home because there was nothing to feed them at school. Starting from January 2019, government is expected to pay in full the Free Primary Education (FPE) for over 30 000 pupils from Grade Two to Grade Seven. All along this money has been paid out by the European Union (EU) until two months ago when the end of the agreement this year was communicated and signed for. On an annual basis the EU paid out not less than E110 million for over 34 000 pupils in about 591 primary schools in the country. contribute Since the EU will next year contribute a larger percentage towards school fees for the first graders, this means government would have to pay less than E100 million for next years FPE, an amount that would be covered in full by the exit package of politicians due to be paid out before December this year. Finance Principal Secretary Bheki Bhembe said as much as the ex-gratia payment was governments obligation; it might not be fulfilled at the expected time. This is part and parcel of the terms and conditions, meaning it is treated in a similar way as salaries. We cannot run away from this obligation until of course we renegotiate them if need be. Bhembe said as of now the obligation still stood. We will provide for them, however, they will join the suppliers queue. He said what he was sure would be paid out instantly was what government used to pay on a monthly basis over the years. prevailing Everything else outside the monthly salaries will be affected by the prevailing cash flow situation, he said. The PS was informed about the expectation by some politicians who said they would only accept the possible delay if the ministry would address them and tell them about the exact situation. If there was going to be any address, we would have started with the suppliers who we are also indebted to. It would be a little awkward to begin with those we were indebted to later when we have not done same with those we have owed for a longer time, he said. MBEKELWENI Today is the 65th birthday for Mary Lomshado Maseko but she will not have the opportunity to celebrate it. Reason: She was peacefully laid to rest yesterday morning at Mbekelweni (Boyane) after passing away on August 7, 2018 after committing suicide. The wife to renowned man of God, Bishop Dr. Enoch Lwane Maseko of the New Covenant of Jesus Christ Ministries, was expected to celebrate her birthday with members of her church today. The church members were anticipating this day. We were looking forward to celebrate your birthday as a church this coming Sunday, 19th of August, they wrote on a banner that was placed inside the tent where her vigil was held. Another message on the banner read: We were still expecting more teachings from you. Mary might be gone but the church believes that she has played her part on earth and they asserted this by referring, on the banner, to the biblical book of Timothy chapter 4 verse 7, which reads: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. As the rain fell yesterday morning, speakers could not stop singing praises of the work that Mary had done with her husband in spreading the Word of God. One speaker even told of how she used to enjoy nightclubbing around Matsaphas famous drinking holes where she drank herself silly and witnessed horrific scenes. But one day as I walked past the New Covenant Church, from a drinking spree, I heard Bishop Maseko preaching and the Word of God touched me, she said. As she spoke in tongues, the lady described how her life changed from that moment and she eventually committed herself to serving God, which she encouraged everyone to do. I remember how Mrs Maseko contributed to the person I am today. She is the reason I am a changed person. Today I can even prophesy that the Kingdom of Eswatini is the brook from which nations of the world will come to quench their thirst. Sikhuphe Airport will welcome hundreds of airplanes that will be bringing people to invest in the kingdom, she foretold. Other speakers, including Bishop S.P Shongwe from South Africa, told of how Mary and Bishop Maseko had humble hearts that had transformed the lives of many. She even taught me how to dress. I look smart today because of her. Together with her husband they would usually come to South Africa to preach, and we would give them luxurious cars and dress them smartly because thats what they deserve. I assure Bishop Maseko that he is still welcome in South Africa and we are prepared to even offer him land to build a home if need be, Bishop Shongwe said to the applause of the mourners. Throughout the sermon, Bishop Maseko appeared calm and relaxed as he would converse with those next to him. It was at the gravesite where signs that he was at pains at the loss of his wife began to show and he had to be given a chair to sit as fellow clergyman comforted and supported him. He followed the burial proceeding of his wife and had to be given a blanket to keep warm as the rain brought about cold. When the peaceful burial ended, mourners approached the bishop to offer their condolences and words of encouragement. Those who spoke at the funeral service were in unison that the bishop had lost a giant of a wife; a pillar of his family; and the rock of his church. dlamini.wex@gmail.com MBABANE The Municipal Council of Mbabane is in shambles.A number of councillors in the countrys capital are on record admitting during a council meeting that they had accepted bribes to vote against the renewal of Chief Executive Officer Gideon Mhlongo. There are at least eight of the 12 councillors who have been fingered as being immersed in the plot to oust Mhlongo and each one of them was paid money at some point to carry out this plot. 17 meetings held at different places It has been indicated by some of the implicated councillors that at least 17 meetings were held at different places where the money exchanged hands. Eveni Township, Pine Valley, Lobamba Lomdzala (Mahlanya) and a famous restaurant at Ezulwini are the places where most of these meetings took place. During these meetings, the councillors reportedly smoked Indian cigarettes and cigars. This publication has listened to the council Hansard, where the councillors make the confessions and name and shame those who bribed them, including the amounts paid. Explosive is the one word that best describes the allegations that the councillors made against each other. So damning are the accusations by the councillors, one of them even noted that some of those who betrayed their colleagues could have been shot dead or necklaced with burning tyres. Three councillors, who were in the previous council have been identified as ringleaders of the covert meetings. First to confess to being part of the meetings was one of the novice councillors who said the trio targeted all the new ones. He said they were eight in number and an agreement was made that they would all work in unison against the renewal of Mhlongos contract. In these meetings, we agreed that we wont renew the CEOs contract. We made a covenant together that we would not be able to work under CEO Gideon Mhlongo. When I took an oath as councillor, I was doing so with the mandate of getting rid of Mhlongo. Councillor X and Y need to explain to all of us how they then changed to vote for the renewal of the CEOs contract., said the councillor. He further said X and Y made serious allegations to them against Mhlongo and these accusations cannot be repeated because of their defamatory nature. During these meetings we were not short of anything as everything was provided for, said the councillor. At this juncture, Councillor X stood up on a point of order and asked Mayor Zephania Nkambule to stop the councillor from continuing with the allegations. The mayor, however, discarded the point of order and said the councillor should be allowed to say all that he needed to say. Indeed the councillor continued: I wont keep quiet. I was told during the meeting at Eveni that even if it called for it to break our hands, the CEO must go. We were at Eveni. I want to assure my colleague councillors that I will not betray them and I havent changed from the decision we took together. He said the money they were given during that meeting was reportedly from councillor Z, who gave it to a former councillor to give to them. I took that money because we had agreed with my two colleagues (X and Y) that we will take the money and use it. But I ask that Councillor Z should respect me. We took the money and spent it, we were at Eveni. said the councillor and stated that he could not then be expected to approve Mhlongos contract given the information he was given about the CEO, unless what they agreed on with the two councillors had changed. At this moment, another councillor (to be called W) stood up and asked the mayor to stop the councillor but Nkambule again refused. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close The historic Tarbell House, on East Main Street in Titusville, was the site for an announcement from U.S. Congressman Glenn Thompson (R-5, second from left) of his bill which would reauthorize the Oil Region National Heritage Area through 2026. Others joining Thompson are (from left), Barry Cressman, chairman of the Oil Region Alliance board of directors; John Phillips, CEO and president of ORA; and U.S. Congressman Mike Kelly (R-3). State Rep. R. Lee James (R-64) is shown in foreground. Between July 2017 and July 2018, the number of tourist arrivals in Cyprus reached 3,842,612 Tourist arrivals in Cyprus between July 2017 and July 2018 were the highest ever recorded over a twelve month period, the Cyprus Tourism Organisation announced on Friday. Between July 2017 and July 2018, the number of tourist arrivals in Cyprus reached 3,842,612, described by the CTO as the best twelve-month period in the history tourism in Cyprus. It added that each calendar month of 2018 presents record high arrivals compared to the corresponding months of any previous year. Read more at CNA RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: AyianapaProtaras License: CC-BY-SA Batelco, the leading digital solutions provider in Bahrain, said its management recently launched the Together We Grow programme, a first-of-its-kind in the companys history, in coordination with the office of the chief executive officer and the human resources department. All staff received a personal invitation to meet with the chief executive officer and general manager human resources without the presence of their direct line managers to give them the opportunity to speak freely, said a statement from Batelco. The programme is focused on enhancing the culture of direct communication between the executive management and all Batelco employees and enriching the constructive thinking and knowledge that plays a key role in encouraging employees to be innovative in their performance, it said. The officials met with all the employees of the company at consecutive workshops over the past week, it added. An open dialogue process was adopted in the workshops, which were conducted in a highly transparent manner. The CEO emphasised the importance of the employees and their position in the company and discussed the role that management should play in considering the needs of employees and their interests, said a statement. He also focused on empowering employees to enhance their role in collective decision making, which contributes to increasing their efficiency and functional effectiveness, while noting that every Batelco employee is authorised to contribute to decision-making. The CEO asked each employee to voice their opinion and speak openly to address any subject without any barriers or restrictions. He listened to the views and observations of each individual, said the statement. The HR department noted down all the observations, which will be taken into consideration for action, it added.- TradeArabia News Service Redhawks make triumphant return The early jitters were obvious. North Tamas first set was filled with errors and anxiousness, and the Redhawks went down 25-17. What happened ... The Artsakh military yesterday repelled a detachment of fifteen Azerbaijani soldiers that attempted to launch an assault against one of its frontline posts in the northeast of the country, this according to the Artsakh Ministry of Defense. The ministry says none of its soldiers were wounded during the exchange of gunfire. Azerbaijan violated the Karabakh ceasefire 170 times last week, firing some 1,500 rounds of small arms, according to the same ministry statement. By Ashok Upadhyay and Shivaji Port Louis, Aug 18 (UNI) A three-day 11th World Hindi Conference kicked off here on Saturday with a pledge to develop, enhance and conserve Hindi language in its original form. Addressing the people assembled at the inauguration ceremony, Prime minister of Mauritius Pravin Kumar Jagannath stated,"As there are more than fifty crore Hindi-speaking people in the entire world, the day is not far when the United Nations will accord Hindi the status of 'one of the important and recognised languages of the world, " an assumption we can assert with confidence. However, as India gains political, economic and cultural clout at the international stage, Hindi too is matching step with step. Mr Jagannath also pointed out that at the beginning of the year, Indian Prime minister Narendra Modi also gave his inaugural speech at World Economic Forum at Davos in Switzerland in Hindi. 'His lecture in the most spoken language in India is a matter of pride for the language and the nation itself. It testifies the importance of Hindi at the global level," said the Mauritian PM. He remarked that Mr Modi's Hindi speech sends a message across that we can embrace the whole world while being connected with our roots. Mr Jagannath opined that India believes in mulit-cultural society. Indian languages especially Hindi are linked to India's and Mauritius's traditions, values and ethos. Hindi language is akin to many cultures and similar to many languages. It is a Cultural treasure trove and possesses just not a golden history but also a golden future. He said that if we have an iota of doubt about Hindi's future vis-a vis its existence, then we should move the cornea of our eyes around the world. The attendees including the scholars sitting in the hall with enthusiasm, gusto and belief are a proof of the language's brilliant stroke ahead. The Mauritian PM stated that Hindi has carved a niche for itself at the global level. In around forty nations around the world, Hindi is a medium of teaching in six hundred universities. He said he felt elated when Indian filmmaker Kunal Kohli announced to make a film based on Ramayana and direct it in Mauritius itself. These things testify bonhomie between India and Mauritius. I would rather call it "Blood relations" and pray for the ties' sustenance. The PM also reminded people that first Hindi publication was published in 1907 here and it became the voice of the labour class against the atrocities inflicted on them in the country. There has been constant endeavour to elevate the status of Hindi language. Since 1994, Hindi is being taught at middle level in schools and in universities. Mr Jagannath also revealed that the Mauritian government has constituted a "Hindi organisation" which in collaboration with social and cultural organisations is doing commendable job in development of Hindi language worldwide. MORE UNI AU SJ SY SHK1908 Kathmandu, Aug 18 (UNI) Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has asserted that civil code can be amended if it violates socio-economic rights of citizens. Batting for amendments, Mr Oli said, though some discomfort is created in the beginning with a new system, it could be made gradually normal. 'I make a special request to the local levels and provincial governments to make people aware about the laws for the effective implementation,' Nepal daily The Himalyan Times quoted Mr Oli as saying. The Prime Minister announced this during a programme organised by the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs in Kathmandu on Friday. Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Bhanubhakta Dhakal also said the codes would be a milestone for the implementation of the new constitution. UNI XC SV 1037 Srinagar, Aug 18 (UNI) Annual pilgrimage to holy Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas was progressing smoothly as fresh batches of yatris left Baltal and Nunwan Pahalgam base camps early Saturday morning. Meanwhile, the yatra was resumed from Jammu after remaining suspended yesterday as fresh batch of 306 left Bhagwati Nagar, Jammu, base camp this morning under unprecedented security arrangements. About 80 pilgrims, including women and sadhus, have paid obeisance at the cave shrine since early this morning. So far, over 2.81 lakh have darshan since the commencement of the 60-day-long pilgrimage from June 28 which will conclude on August 26, on Shravan Punirma. A fresh batch of pilgrims left Baltal base camp for the holy cave as the weather is pleasant. The yatris are scheduled to reach the shrine this afternoon after completing the 14-km-long hilly track on foot. Meanwhile, pilgrims who had 'darshan' yesterday have started their return journey towards the base camp. Similarly, a fresh batch of yatris leave Nunwan Pahalgam base camp for Chandanwari, the last motorable halting station on the traditional track. Meanwhile, pilgrims, who had night halt at different camps also left for the cave shrine. UNI BAS SB 1017 Mumbai, Aug 18 (UNI) Auto Major, Tata Motors said that company has decided to offer free of cost towing assistance to all rain affected Tata Motors Cars and UVs, affected by the Kerala flood. Customers of Kerala are informed through SMS on precautions to be taken care on vehicles,company release said. Any affected customer can contact Tata Motors' Toll free assistance number 1802097979 and get his vehicle towed to nearest Tata Motors Authorized workshop. This assistance will be provided once the situation in Kerala becomes transport worthy, release added. UNI JS SY 1418 By Ashok Upadhyay & Shivaji Port Louis, Aug 18 (UNI) The three-day 11th World Hindi Conference (WHC) began at the Swami Vivekananda International Convention Centre at Pailles in Mauritius on Saturday. The conference, which will conclude on Monday, is being organised by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India in association with the Government of Mauritius. The decision to organise the 11th edition of the Conference in Mauritius was taken at the 10th World Hindi Conference held in Bhopal, India in September 2015. The first World Hindi Conference was held in 1975 in Nagpur, India. Since then, ten such Conferences have been held in different parts of the world. Details of the previous ten Conferences held so far are as follows: First World Hindi Conference Nagpur, India 10-12 January, 1975; second World Hindi Conference Port Louis, Mauritius 28-30 August, 1976; third World Hindi Conference New Delhi, India 28-30 October, 1983; fourth World Hindi Conference Port Louis, Mauritius 02-04 December, 1993; fifth World Hindi Conference Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago 04-08 April, 1996; sixth World Hindi Conference London, UK 14-18 September,1999; seventh World Hindi Conference Paramaribo, Suriname 06-09 June, 2003; eighth World Hindi Conference New York, America 13-15 July, 2007; ninth World Hindi Conference Johannesburg, South Africa 22-24 September, 2012; and, tenth World Hindi Conference Bhopal, India 10-12 September, 2015. Ministry of External Affairs is the nodal Ministry for the 11th World Hindi Conference. For a smooth and orderly organisation of the conference, various committees have been constituted. The main theme of the Conference is "Hindi Vishwa Aur Bharatiya Sanskriti". A number of exhibitions focusing on the developments of Hindi language will be organised at the conference venue. During the conference, evening cultural programmes and a Kavi Sammelan will be organised by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations, New Delhi. A daily news letter (Sammelan Samachar), a Sammelan Smarika and a Conference Report on discussions/deliberations held during the academic sessions and their recommendations would also be published. World Hindi Secretariat will play an important role on preparation and publication of conference material. The Indian Council of Cultural Relations would bring out a special issue of "Gagananchal dedicated to the Conference. In keeping with the past practice, Hindi scholars from India and other countries would be honoured with Vishwa Hindi Samman for their distinguished services in the field of Hindi. To select a suitable logo for the 11th World Hindi Conference, a logo design competition was organised by the Ministry of External Affairs, which carried a prize money of Rs 60,000. With the help of a Logo Selection Committee, a suitable logo for the conference was selected. An official website has been developed for the conference, which can be visited atvishwahindisammelan for all relevant information. The website and the "Logo of the 11th World Hindi Conference was jointly launched by MEA Minister Sushma Swaraj and Mrs Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun, Minister of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research, Republic of Mauritius, on 10th April, 2018 at Jawaharlal Nehru Bhawan, Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi. UNI AU SJ SNU 1542 Odisha to launch month long summary revision of electoral roll : Lohani 31 Oct 2021 | 3:12 AM Bhubaneswar, Oct 30 (UNI) The Election Commission will launch a month long special summary revision of Electoral roll from November 1 to include all eligible people above the age of 18 in the voter list. see more.. Rail Heritage Museum inaugurated in Bhubaneswar 31 Oct 2021 | 3:11 AM Bhubaneswar, Oct 30 (UNI) East Coast Railway (ECoR) on Saturday opened it's Rail Heritage Museum at Chandrasekharpur here. see more.. Meghalaya records more recoveries than new cases 31 Oct 2021 | 3:10 AM Shillong, Oct 30 (UNI) Meghalaya recorded 67 more cases of recovery from COVID-19 related complications that surged the number of recovered cases to 81,695 and 46 new cases of infection, which added up to 461 active cases on Saturday, health officials said. see more.. Arunachal CM praises SSB 31 Oct 2021 | 3:09 AM Itanagar, Oct 30 (UNI) Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has complimented the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), one of the border guarding forces, for their commendable work in promoting the spirit of nationalism among the local people residing along the international border, apart from ably discharging their duty of securing the countrys frontiers. see more.. Banks going the fintech M&A route, illustration photo - source: internet Taking a detour Foreign investors that are unable or unwilling to wait for the foreign ownership threshold (currently capped at 30 per cent) in the banking sector to gradually increase to enter the market are now taking detours to get into the industry, by seeking opportunities to partner up with fintech companies in the country. According to Michael DC Choi, deputy general director of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), South Korean investors are looking for opportunities to invest in local fintech companies, on top of options to invest in Vietnams banking sector. Choi said that investors from South Korea and other markets see a huge potential for fintech companies to grow in this country, taking advantage of the fact that 70 per cent of Vietnams population is still unbanked and at least half of the total population has access to the internet. This could mean good news for the local fintech community, as he revealed that deals in the field are currently being reviewed by major South Korean financial institutions, including Shinhan Bank and KEB Hana. Theyre all looking at and studying opportunities for investment in local fintech companies, Choi confirmed. Choi also told VIR that while South Korean financial services companies are seeking to become players in the local fintech scene, South Korean banks, those with a presence in Vietnam as well as those seeking a way to enter the market, are looking at fintech companies to add value to their banking system. Looking for a piece When local mobile wallet and payment app MoMo received some $28 million worth of investment from Standard Chartered Private Equity and Goldman Sachs back in 2016, it was hailed as a rising star of Vietnamese fintech companies for attracting attention from foreign investors. Since then, local fintech has opened to welcome the next generation of fintech players like Weezi Digital, KIU, Wecash, Enablecode, Instant.vn, and Tradle, who were announced as winners of the recent Fintech Challenge Vietnam competition. Local banks want a piece of them as part of their digital banking strategy growth, evident in the co-operation between these winners and local banks like BIDV, Vietnam International Bank (VIB), TPBank, VietinBank, Vietcom- bank, and VPBank. Foreign banks want to get to know their apps as well and use them to tap into the underbanked population. In a previous interview with VIR, Shin Dong Min, CEO of Shinhan Bank Vietnam, said that the bank had been in contact with fintech companies like MoMo, VNPay, and Payoo about the possibility of collaboration. Min stressed that incorporating digitalised tools in retail banking is the way to go for the bank in Vietnams market. This can be the area to incorporate the digitalisation trend that we see happening in the banking sector. For South Korean banks with solid know-how on digitalisation, investing in retail banking with digital features will be an advantage. Going the digital route has become a new norm for many players, as seen in the case of Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), which, upon saying goodbye to its Ho Chi Minh City branch last year, chose to focus on operating as a research and development hub that specialises in providing solutions and apps for e-banking for VIB (which took over CBAs local unit) and other local banks with an appetite for digitalisation. Final destination Investing in local fintech companies or possibly fintech arms of local banks is seen by some foreign investors as a detour to get to the actual destination they are aiming at: setting a foot into the operational unit of a local bank and waiting for an opportunity to arise in the future to acquire a bigger slice of the bank, if not the whole institution. Getting through this niche market is becoming a trend for foreign players, as once they are in, they can work with their partners and get to know them. Then, when the government decides to divest state shares in a state-owned bank or commercial banks that desire to increase their charter capital, the foreign investors can take the opportunity to increase their holdings there or take over the whole corporation should it be allowed, said Tran Dinh Dung, head of the Underwriting and Financial Advisory Department at Saigon-Hanoi Securities. According to Dung, with the advent of the digital age, physical banks could also be replaced by digital institutions, where transactions are conducted through a smartphone. This means that those companies that take bold steps ahead with their digitalisation platforms can take advantage of this trend. Whether the market will see more mergers and acquisitions activities between foreign financial institutions and local fintech companies, as well as between the former and arms of local banks that engage in digitalisation or fintech, depends on the strategy of the investors themselves. Dung also added that he expected the ownership limit for foreign players in the field of fintech to be more lenient than the one imposed on the banking sector, so more foreign investors could invest in the field either with a standalone fintech company or a fintech unit under a bank. Foreign investors will still weigh their investment decisions carefully. According to HSBC Vietnams CEO Pham Hong Hai, some international financial institutions choose not to invest on a wide scale, but rather invest intensively into areas of strengths as well as corporate governance and risk management in order to ensure sustainable development. Enhancing customer experience with digitalised features will also be an area of focus for banks to invest in, he said. Cong Caphe ventures to South Korea, source: congcaphe.com Hoang Tien, born in the early 90s, has achieved a fair bit of success with his startup Coffee Bike Vietnam. For him, Cong Caphes recent foray into the South Korean market has been quite inspiring event for brand promotion. It creates a motivating force for young Vietnamese startups to raise their confidence in building their brands on their home turf. Foreign brands have entered Vietnam to develop their business chains through franchising, and Vietnamese firms can do the same, Tien said. Coffee has grown into an indispensable part of life for many South Koreans. The capital city Seoul features a dense presence of coffee and pastry shop brands, such as Hollys, Ediya, Angels in the US, Tous Les Jours, Paris Baguette, and Caffe Bene, to name but a few. Those shops either lie right next to each other or are only a few metres removed from one another. Venturing deeper into the citys small lanes, more coffee shops offer the Korean style of beverage. In addition, vending machines sell coffee everywhere, from office buildings, schools, and hostels to metro stations and trade centres. Vietnamese coffee chain Cong Caphe opened its first South Korean location in Seouls Yeonnam-dong Street, a favourite venue for South Korean youths. The main bartender here is an experienced Vietnamese expatriate living in Seoul. Cong Caphe chose to establish a presence in Seoul instead of in Germany or Thailand, as had earlier been suggested by business partners. The reason behind the decision is that Vietnam has emerged as a favoured destination for South Korean tourists, whose the number of arrivals in Vietnam ranks second among foreign visitors coming to Vietnam, trailing only Chinese tourists. Many South Koreans, therefore, might want to taste the Vietnamese flavour of coffee along with a variety of Vietnamese snacks such as banh mi and peanut candy. Matching the Korean taste Cong Caphe is now mulling over taking further steps in South Korean market. The coffee chains growth story dates back to 2007 with the first shop in Hanoi. It now boasts more than 50 shops across Vietnam. To win the heart of customers, the brand has made efforts towards network expansion and brand recognition; the shops feature a retro decor to pique the curiosity of young guests, consistent from table and chair sets, glasses, and cups to the general decor, whereas the beverages will be adapted to fit the host countrys culture. Considering the advantages, Cong Caphes venture abroad was viewed as promising by market observers. Although having a lengthy tradition in tea, South Koreans now drink coffee an average of 12 times a week, even more often than they eat their traditional kim chi dish. This explains why, even though coffee shops have sprung up like mushrooms in the country, there are still enough customers to make operations profitable. Korea Customs Service (KCS) figures show that the countrys coffee market value touched $10.8 billion last year, nearly four times the average level of a decade ago. This equals 26.5 billion coffee cups served, averaging 512 cups per capita a year for the population of 51.7 million. Mixed coffees were the most selected beverages, with 13 billion cups served. Running second was freshly roasted coffee, with 4.8 billion cups. The remainder was packed coffee and other coffee-flavoured beverages. High expectations Cong Caphe venturing abroad is good news for the chain, but concerns persist. A decade ago, coffee chain Trung Nguyen, XQ Silk, and Pho 24 also ventured into global markets, but achieved little success. Recently, Wrap and Roll, a subsidiary of Chao Do, started franchising in Australia, Singapore, and China; rice burger VietMac franchised in Germany; and Vietnamese restaurant chain Truly Viet under Redsun began franchising in Australia. As fact, the number of Vietnamese brands franchising abroad is very modest compared to the massive entry of foreign food brands into the countrys market. Expanding their footprints abroad is the aspiration of many local firms looking for expansion. However, reaching the global market sustainably requires very careful preparations. Retail and franchise expert Nguyen Phi Van said that to franchise abroad, local firms must dare to make changes and have to share a common vision with and support their partners. In particular, they must build up suitable platforms and follow a clear roadmap for business restructuring and franchise plans in the domestic and foreign market. For Cong Caphe, it is too early to say whether its foreign venture will end up successful. As Van, those firms which take control of raw material sources and supply chains will have the upper hand in brand value augmentation when they engage in franchising model at home and abroad. Meet Yoko Ono Radios Biggest Fan Fred Jacobs explores a recent compelling tweet from one of the music's more controversial figures, Yoko Ono, who recently and somewhat unexpectedly took to Twitter in support of radio. ________________________________ Guest post by Fred Jacobs of Jacobs Media Strategies If you want to make a hardcore Beatles fan go absolutely apoplectic and there are millions of them in the world today theres a 4-letter word that is guaranteed to send them over the ledge: YOKO As the history of the Fab Four their rise, their heights, their breakup has been written, theres an antagonist in the story. Yoko Ono will forever be known as the woman who all but kidnapped John Lennon, and lured him away from his mates, Paul, George, and Ringo. She may be one of the most mysterious, misunderstood figure in the history of rock music. And her association with the demise of the Beatles is right up there with Steve Bartman and the Cubs or Roseanne Barr andRoseanne Barr. Yoko is no stranger to being misunderstood. In the more than three decades that have slipped by since her husband was assassinated in front of their home, the Dakota in New York City, Yoko is still very much a mystery woman, often pilloried by morning shows and comedians. Her art and her music has been widely mocked. All these years later, Beatles devotees still seethe about her role in the Beatles rapid coming apart. So, it struck me as unusual and more than a little ironic that Yoko posted a truly amazing tweet a few weeks ago in support of radio. In her own understated style, she captures the essence of the medium: And if you open up the comments and scroll down a bit, youll read one hug and kiss after another in praise of the broadcast medium called radio. The other night I was at a big outdoor barbecue, and I met a very successful woman in the community. When she asked what I did for a living, and I proudly said, Im in radio, she made a face that I simply cannot communicate in words. It was almost like she was saying to me, You seem like a smart guy what are you doing working in radio? That happens too frequently these days, often from people who know better, who listen to more radio than they care to admit. Does the broadcast industry have problems, some of which are gnarly and existential? To be sure. But there are also millions of fans pulling for the medium to figure it out, address its excesses, and embrace the future while not forgetting the past. Yokos tweet along with the unbridled comments from radio fans eager to express their enthusiasm should be a simple reminder to all of us in this medium theres a massive audience out there, ready, willing, and able to rekindle their love affair with radio. If we give them a reason to do so. As someone who has made a nice living on nostalgia over the decades, thanks to the success of the Classic Rock format, I can attest just how powerful a force wonderful memories truly are for most people. Broadcast radio has that foundation a medium that was and continues to be part of millions of lives. Yes, there are serious speed bumps and roadblocks ahead. That massive, up and coming bulge you see coming up fast in your rear-view mirror are Gen Z kids, a generation larger than their challenging predecessors Millennials. Most of them are not growing up with broadcast radio. In fact, many of them dont know exactly what radio is. For a member of AARP like Yoko to sing radios praises is a nice kiss on a warm August day in 2018. But rather than serving as a reminder of the way it used to be, perhaps wed be wiser to take Yokos words to heart, and paint a picture of the way it could be for the next generation. (Just like) starting over. Thanks to Lori Lewis for sending me Yokos tweet. For another happy radio story about Yoko, heres a link to a blog post published almost 12 years ago. She was a fan of radio then, too. _______ Fred Jacobs founded Jacobs Media in 1983, and quickly became known for the creation of the Classic Rock radio format. Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys. In 2008, jacapps was launched a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,200 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact. Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment. Share on: Nguyen Chi Dung - Minister of Planning and Investment This October, the Vietnamese government will have a national conference reviewing 30 years of attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) to Vietnam. This special events main focus will be reviewing and evaluating the countrys achievements in FDI attraction over three decades, solving outstanding issues of FDI implementation, and finding new directions in FDI attraction in the future, geared towards selective and environmentally friendly solutions. In fact, M&A transactions are the transition of currency flow from low- to higher-efficiency areas. Therefore, based on economic growth, potential, and relevant macro-economic policies, investors can make informed decisions before getting into any M&A case. The fact is that investors have recently preferred the investment form of M&A to FDI. FDI, according to many investors valuation, needs a lot of time and effort in researching partners and solving outstanding issues if they arise, while M&A deals are a more flexible way of doing business. The M&A trend will continue in the near future, since the economic growth of Vietnam has been recognised as a good and stable process by the international community. There are three key missions the Ministry of Planning and Investment is implementing. First, it is setting up a national strategy on the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This revolution will have a huge impact on the countrys economic development, but is also a golden opportunity for developing countries, including Vietnam, to shorten the gap to developed countries. To succeed in this mission, we need a detailed and clear strategy. Second, we have to seize opportunities through innovation and creativity. In the near future, we plan to set up a centre of innovation for science and technology to meet the demands of Industry 4.0. Third, we have to be able to gather advice from talented Vietnamese people who are living across the globe and are currently occupying important positions in global business groups. A network of overseas and Vietnamese experts will also be set up to contribute to the countrys development. Rick Marchese - Representative, Alliance of M&A Advisory Global The M&A market in Vietnam is growing very quickly and becoming more mature. I think that as deals become more complicated, companies will need more professional advisors. M&A transactions are mostly based on the availability of capital in the market, so I think investors will need to become more comfortable with the stock market. When you become more familiar with the stock market, you will also become more familiar with the private market. This is a whole eco-system. Right now, the M&A market is picking up, so we can expect it to go down again one day. So if somebody wants to sell a company, they should probably think about selling it sooner rather than later. This is because the market can go down and when it does, people are tighter with their money and the M&A market will probably slow down. But if you look around the world, you can see it is a cycle. It goes up and down. Its the way it works. If you are a Vietnamese company, you can count yourself very lucky because you are in Vietnama very attractive economy. However, private companies in Vietnam are mostly not really sellable, because they run business for themselves and they dont really know how to maximise their benefit. A Vietnam-US trade agreement expected to be signed in the future will drive more investment to Vietnam for sure. Many companies are coming to Vietnam to look for new investment opportunities. I think Vietnamese companies can also have more access to European consumers, which would be a great development. Nigel Denscombe - CEO, Denscombe Corporation From my experience, in order to have a successful M&A deal, both sides should agree on a mutual goal, vision, and strategy before discussing the deal structure, such as pricing, valuation, and so on. Going straight to the price and valuation process without setting the goal first is like getting on a train without knowing where it is heading. Ive been teaching students in M&A strategy classes in Vietnam over the years, and I can see that theyre becoming more sophisticated about the process. The support system in Vietnam, including the lawyers, investment bankers, and advisors, is also getting better. Nevertheless, Vietnam is still a young, frontier market, so there are growing pains. It takes time for a company to grow from an entrepreneur-led business to a large corporation and to draw lessons about the M&A process. My advice for companies doing M&A in Vietnam, including Vietnamese companies, is first figuring out where you are now and where you want to be, and how and why M&A fits into your corporate strategy. Only then can you start selecting partners who have the potential to execute your strategy alongside you. The second part, as I said, is pricing. Overall, M&A in Vietnam is getting more exciting and I look forward to the future. Renee Kha - Managing director, VietValues Appraisal and Consulting Vietvalues last year consulted for and advised many companies and customers on M&A in the manufacturing field worth a total amount of $50 million. We are now also in the process of advising a US company on relocating its business from China to Vietnam. In terms of size, I think that the most interesting field for M&A in the near future will still be real estate. So many private equity firms, capital ventures, funds, and developers are coming to us to find local partners for business co-operation in the real estate sector. Real estate still plays a dominant part in M&A demand. Most interest comes from Japan, China, and Singapore. I think we will receive a lot more enquiries coming from China, since we have so many advantages over China such as the cost of labour, the cost of property acquisition, and a more efficient process to approve investment licences. Neil McGregor - Managing director, Savills Vietnam Over the years, we have seen foreign direct investment into the real estate sector gradually increase from its earliest days, when the players were mainly South Korean, Japanese, and Singaporean government-linked companies. However, we have never seen as much interest from foreign investors in the real estate sector as now. What we are seeing is more direct investment as far as operating assets are concerned, such as existing office buildings or existing hotels. We are also seeing more interest from investors who are attracted by the yields in Vietnam. They come to Vietnam for those good yields, which they could hardly ever achieve in Hong Kong or Singapore. There, they can achieve yields of 2 or 3 per cent, while they can achieve 7-10 per cent in Vietnam. This is very attractive. I also think that more direct investment will pour into long-term development opportunities. For instance, Japans Sumitomo Corporation recently teamed up with BRG to look for long-term development of a smart city. We will start to see more investors looking for a long-term growth story in Vietnam. Meanwhile, Japanese investors have been increasing their investment in Vietnams real estate sector for a long time, but we have seen changes, in that Japanese companies are now investing much larger sums than before. In the past, they invested in minority share holdings, but now they want to take the lead. We are also working very closely with some investors who are preparing to take 100-per-cent ownership or majority stakes of different projects. Chinese businesses have been investing a lot of money elsewhere in Southeast Asia. They have not focused so much on Vietnam until very recently, and we expect to see more Chinese interest in investing in Vietnam, particularly in the residential sector and large-scale projects. We expect the volume of M&A in the real estate sector will continue to increase over time. Japanese companies will certainly up their investments, Chinese businesses are catching on as well, and Singapore continues to be a very strong investor. More recently we have also seen a lot of South Korean private equity interest in the Vietnamese real estate market. Masataka Sam Yoshida - Senior managing director Recof Corporation In the future, I think the trend of M&A will change. Japanese companies are now focusing on manufacturing activities, but they will become more involved in energy and agriculture, the fields where they can utilise their knowledge, know-how, and management experience. In general, Japanese companies are changing their mind set for investment. Many of them are seeing changes in leadership from an older generation to a younger one, which is more open for investment. They are ready to take on new challenges and seek new investment opportunities. For the past years, South Korea has always been the leading investor in Vietnam, but Japan has taken the first position recently. The number and value of Japanese M&A deals in the Vietnamese market will be consistently increasing in the near future, especially when it comes to mid-value deals. Fan Li - Executive director, Warburg Pincus Vietnam has a golden opportunity with a large group of mid-income earners emerging recently, especially in the fields of automobiles and retail. We have co-operated with Vincom on developing it into the largest retailer in Vietnam, with record development in the last three years. We also see opportunities for M&A in manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics. In addition, I see that opportunities in tourism development are increasing, especially in hospitality, aviation, infrastructure of airports, and tours. We are now also investing more than $370 million in Techcombank. To evaluate a company, we will look at its potential and brand name. I think that we can have additional successful M&A deals if we are consistent with our targets. Tremendous growth Tom Treutler (left), managing director of Tilleke and Gibbins Vietnam, and John Frangos (right) Since the investment boom in Vietnam that started around 1993, the countrys airline industry has seen tremendous growth. For example, in 1993, only 20 international airlines were flying to Vietnam, and there were only about 20 international destinations one could fly to from the country. Fast forward to 2018, there are about 60 airlines flying to Vietnam, and you can fly to about 100 destinations. Among the factors leading to strong development in the aviation industry is the geographical shape of Vietnamwith a long coastline and relatively large distances between destinations for business, tourism, and visiting family, air travel is preferrable. Furthermore, Vietnam is within very close flying distance of many prosperous Asian countries, and with its beautiful scenery, outstanding resorts, historical landmarks, and great weather, why would Vietnam not be set to become a number one tourism destination for persons in Japan, South Korea, China, Singapore, and so on? This is not to mention the increased flight demand due to the burgeoning economy of Vietnam, which will result in much higher demand for international and domestic business travel by both locals and foreigners. Over the last few years, Vietnam has consistently achieved about 14-15 per cent growth in airline travellers to the country. 2017 saw about 13 million visitors to Vietnam (beating previous projections by three million visitors), and over three million trips abroad by Vietnamese people. Growth in tourism has exceeded expectations, and by 2020, it is expected that international tourism will be double what was previously predicted. Decree 92 on the aviation industry may be amended, including the minimum capital requirements, Photo: Le Toan Breakthrough in regulations Over the years, Vietnam has gradually improved its aviation regulations to encourage investment and development of the aviation sector. For example, with the 2016 issuance of Decree No.92/2016/ND-CP, which governs the conditions for investment and business in the aviation industry, several reforms were introduced to facilitate greater investment in the sector, namely: - The licensing process for passenger carriage services was reduced from about nine months under the previous Decree No.30/2010/ND-CP on aircraft carriage business (which was partially replaced by Decree 92) to just 60 days under Decree 92; - The approval authority for capital transfers for foreign investment in the sector was transferred from the prime minister to the minister of transport, to help facilitate quicker changes (only 10 days for approval) in investors and investment structures; - More flexibility was given to the documentation that can be provided to prove financial capacity (two years financial statements or a reference letter from a credit institution); and lState capital requirements were loosened in relation to airport business. Nevertheless, the aviation sector still contains many regulatory and bureaucratic hurdles for potential new investors. For example, there are still 120 types of permits and over 25 types of approvals provided for in the various regulations related to the aviation industry. Recognising that further liberalisation of the regulatory regime can boost investment and increase development in the sector, the Vietnamese government is considering revising Decree 92 just two years after it was issued. With more and more expansion in the industry, the regulatory framework must be updated. In particular, Vietjets prominence in the sector and quick growth changed the face of the industry. In 2012, Vietnam Airlines had 70 per cent domestic market share. Now its market share is only about 50-55 per cent, according to reports. New entrants are clamouring to join the market, such as Bamboo Airlines, the plan of which to fly in Vietnam is near full approval. Other established airlines may also undertake initial public offerings in the future to further raise capital. The international route market shares of major carriers from East Asia have been affected by new entrants in international carriage from the Middle East. The success of the new entrants in both the domestic and international routes has sent a signal that Vietnam presents great opportunities to new players in the market. In response to these factors, the Vietnamese government has recently published draft amendments to Decree 92, as well as amendments to Decree 30. The new amendments will open up expanded opportunities for foreign investors in the aviation industry, but in one aspect will make it more difficult for new domestic entrants: increased capitalisation requirements. It is expected that the government will continue reviewing and possibly refining the draft for issuance in the near future. It is important for potential investors to review the proposed draft of amendments to Decree 92 because, notably, during the drafting process of that Decree 92 in 2016, despite several comments and suggestions for tweaking the draft, the draft decree was ultimately issued without significant change. According to the draft amendments, the investment ceiling for foreign investment in an air carriage business enterprise will be raised to 49 per cent from the previous limitation of 30 per cent of the share capital. The largest shareholder will be required to be a Vietnamese company or individual. If the Vietnamese company or entity has foreign investment capital, the foreign capital may not exceed 49 per cent of the companys capital. The new Vietnamese to foreign shareholder ownership ratio contemplated in the draft is generally in accordance with other Southeast Asian countries. For example, foreign ownership in Thai airlines is limited to 49 per cent. In both Indonesia and Malaysia, local investors must own more than 50 per cent. And in the Philippines, foreign investors are limited to less than 40 per cent ownership. It is also proposed that there will no longer be a distinction between international and domestic-only carriers in determining minimum capital requirements. In comparison with Decree 92, the changes to minimum capital requirements can be summarised as seen in the table above. Opening up foreign investment opportunities The elimination of the differentiation in capital requirements between foreign and local airlines puts Vietnamese law in a similar position to Thailand, which also has no distinction. However, Thai minimum capital requirements are far lower, where scheduled operators are required to have a fully paid-up registered capital of at least THB200 million ($6 million), and charter operators must have paid-up registered capital of at least THB25 million ($753,000). Other proposed amendments will also help liberalise investment. For example, the requirement that new airlines must be consistent with government master plans for the airline industry may be abolished. This change should reduce the steps in the application process and is one fewer regulatory hurdle. It is hoped that the new amendments can reduce the number of bodies involved in the approval process, for example by eliminating the step of initial pre-approval by the prime minister on the nvestment project. Other improvements in the draft decree may simplify processes for share transfers (only registration required). The proposed amendments to Decree 92 are also geared towards encouraging private investment in airports. Vietnam currently has nearly 25 commercial airports, with more than 10 of them international-ready, though only five or so are currently handling international direct flights. The government has announced plans for expansion of Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, as well as the major investment in a world-class international airport in Long Thanh, relatively close to Ho Chi Minh City. Hanoi and Danangs airports have recently been upgraded significantly. Many regional airports servicing international flights, such as Cam Ranh near Nha Trang, are already attracting private investment. Under the proposed amendments to Decree 92, an airport enterprise, whether establishing and maintaining a domestic or international airport, is only required to have minimum capital of VND200 billion ($8.85 million). The draft amendments to Decree 92 are indicative of Vietnams overall revamping of its aviation regulatory framework. In addition to Decree 92, the Vietnamese government has been considering amendments to Decree No.68/2015/ND-CP governing aircraft registration and rights over aircraft. Decree 68 provides domestic enforcement of the Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment (known as the Cape Town Convention), providing aircraft lessors and financiers greater security rights over their assets. The new draft amendments to Vietnams aviation regulations show that the government is seeking to encourage more foreign investment to meet the countrys rapidly growing air transportation demands. A large number of domestic consumers have shown disappointment with the brands on social networks, Photo: Dung Minh Untruthful advertisement on quality Recent years, Vietnam has become an attractive destination for convenience store brands. With more than 100 stores of various brands concentrated in crowded streets nationwide, these stores has made the habits of Vietnamese consumers gradually change. Instead of going to supermarkets to buy daily necessities, they choose convenience stores due to their reasonable prices, diverse types and designs of products, and attentive services. Daiso Japan is the leading brand in the business in Vietnam, officially having entered the market with its first store launch in 2008. To date, a number of South Korean- and Japanese-style shops have mushroomed on the Vietnamese market and have been welcomed by consumers, as Minigood, Yoyoso, and Ilahui advertise themselves as brands from South Korea, Mumuso styles itself as a retail brand name from South Korea, and Miniso calls itself a renowned Japanese designer brand. This favourite of local consumers comes not only from Vietnamese peoples interest in foreign brands, but also from the fact that products from South Korea and Japan are always sought after for prestige and good quality. Do Hoang Lan, living in Hanoi, told VIR that she often visits the Ilahui shop near her house to buy everyday items. I am crazy about the cheap, but beautiful goods from foreign brands. I buy a lot of things each time I come to this shop, even though I have no plans to buy them. The Ministry of Industry and Trade recently announced the results of its inspection of Mumuso Vietnam, saying that 99.3 per cent of its goods were made in China. Other chains, including Miniso and Daiso Japan, were also found to show signs of unclear origins of their goods. Specifically, many of Daiso Japans goods are of Chinese origin, but not labelled in Vietnamese, and do not carry conformity to regulation (CR) stamps in accordance with Vietnamese legal regulations on goods labelling. In Miniso, customers see advertisements with the words Japanese designer brand and its products labelled in Japanese, with information in English, Japanese, and Chinese, but most of products are made in China. Reflections of consumers Many Vietnamese consumers have publicly expressed their opinions on the misleading information of some brands advertisements. Many showed worry and raised the question whether the goods sold by these brands, manufactured in a third country, can equal the quality of goods made in South Korea or Japan or whether the brands are tricking consumers into buying low-quality goods to make a profit. Phuong Thu from Hadong district in Hanoi asked, Why do Korean- and Japanese-advertised stores sell Chinese goods? It is intentionally misleading to deceive the consumers. From now on, I will not buy and use products of these brands anymore. 16-year-old Hong Anh from Dong Da district in Hanoi said that she and her friends sometimes go to these stores to buy birthday gifts. We chose these brands because we all thought that they sell South Korean or Japanese products at reasonable prices, suitable for the financial capacities of students. From the day I found out that they cheated consumers by selling Chinese goods, I did not go there anymore. However, other consumers shared that they would still buy products in these stores because of their beautiful design and reasonable prices. Only when buying health-related products will they choose the more prestigious suppliers on the market. Thanh Huyen from Hanoi said her husband is Japanese and is very interested in the origin and quality of the goods he is using. Cosmetics, milk, and baby clothes are mostly sent by my mother-in-law or by my husband when he returns to Japan. As for other daily necessities, I just choose well known stores I feel very confident in and trust, Huyen said. Japanese expatriate Masayuki Manabe, who has lived in Hanoi for 10 years, said that he has just bought decorative goods that do not affect health at these stores. For other items, he selects the more prestigious brands in the market. A Japanese retailer representative in Vietnam said that customers are losing trust in some brands of advertising from Japan. While this has caused a negative impact on his company, it is also an opportunity to affirm its position on the market. In order for customers to feel secure, information about our products on the stamp is also provided more carefully, including the origin, production units, and importers, he said. Penington Penias, a colleague, and I were speaking in the Lakalai language of West New Britain. The twenty toea full moon was providing a bright light, allowing me to fumble with my Nokia trying to play a snake game. DEVARE - It was late one evening during the second week of March 2015. I was home at Bialla, West New Britain. The night was quiet except for the sound of laughter coming from family members who were cracking jokes. What subjects are you specialised in? I told him. We have a vacancy in the school for that combination. Are you prepared to join us? I let out a long breath. Is it safe? I am scared of going there. There is no fight, Penias said. We are moving around freely. If you agree to join us then the school can pay for your ticket. The people here are friendly. Give me time to think it over. Dont you have a heart for these students? Some of them have even transferred to other schools. That question struck me. I sighed, ending the call. Do I really have to go there? What about the work that I am doing for my church youth group? I sat deep in thought staring at the moon. My mind was in a confused state. Part of me wanted to go. The other half floated in darkness. However, I thanked God for giving me the opportunity. I told myself that if it is His will then I will go. The groundwork in locating the school was actually done by my father. I texted Penias and told him my intention of going. Tring! Tring! Hello Miss Huvi, I am the principal of Devare High School, said Mr David, the then principal. Thank you for accepting our request. I am going to book your ticket now. Can you book a weekend flight? Sure. As you wish. Mr David texted the itinerary number of the ticket to me. The pastor as well as my youth members were sad to hear the news. I picked up the ticket at the Air Nuigini office in Kimbe. The package came with a travelling allowance. It was an invitation not to be resisted. I am ready to come to Devare, I texted after getting my ticket. The flight was on a Friday. The trip was from Bialla where I lived to Kimbe town and then to Hoskins Airport. But I missed Fridays flight due to late PMV buses and had to rebook for Monday. The flight was via Tokua and was to take me to Buka on Wednesday. Mama gave me a cordial welcome when I arrived at Rabaul. On Wednesday I left her and boarded the plane for Bougainville. New Ireland Province drifted peacefully below with its outstretched islands. As the plane flew above Buka, I noticed for the first time the white sandy beaches and the green mountains and blue sea was a catching sight. I grinned as the plane was about to land at Buka airport. Through the window I saw people waving. A vehicle wanted to cross the tarmac but had to wait for the plane to land. The airport did not have a fence. Well, you are in Bougainville now, I told myself as I walked from the Fokker 100. I looked around and saw my black skinned brothers and sisters. There were just two retskins (the name given to Papua New Guineans and expatriates). Mr Penias was there with his son, Mesulam. The delay in my flight had caused an inconvenience. By the time we crossed the Buka passage to Kokopau at 3pm, most of the vehicles had gone. Sibeka Trans was the last vehicle to leave. Penias hesitated about whether or not we should get on because it was already loaded with passengers but we had no choice but to squeeze ourselves in. I was introduced as the new teacher so was given a seat as was my colleague. The vehicle was full of passengers and I thought it would leave but, as we were about to drive off , evenmore boys hopped on. I was squeezed now by the boys standing near me. Others got on the bonnet. While they were sharing drinks, some poured on me. I smiled and asked the other two, Tatou ge tartigi ka? (Are we going to be okay?) Lapaga isasa ouka, my colleague replied. (No problem) Have you heard of the saying: Only in Bougainville? Well, now you are seeing it with your own eyes, Mesulam said. I guess I am going to enjoy my stay here, I replied. While we were travelling I asked a number of times, Are we nearly there? Its not far. Well be there soon,. I was told. And later, Just around that corner and well be there. And still later, Noken wari. Bai yumi kamap lo ap blo upla. (Dont worry, well soon be at our place) The driver, Peri, also assured us that we would soon arrive. By now I was not bothered. All my fears had escaped. I was quietly enjoying the trip because the passengers were having a good time and cracking jokes. These people had a great sense of humour. It turned out that the school was the last destination for Sibeka Trans. We arrived at 9pm, just as the students were ending their night studies. The schools name Devare means spread the light. I was welcomed in darkness. There was a blackout that evening. But the warmest welcome was given to me by Mrs David, another colleague and Peter Kehu Junior, the schools head boy. My gear was brought to the staff house where I was to reside with another colleague, Miss Senar. Miss Senar had prepared dinner and I was enjoying my meal when the principal arrived. He asked about my trip and thanked me again for accepting the challenge to teach at Devare. After a week of preparation, I started teaching the Challenge Takers class. I had discovered the thrilling experience of life in a new place with a different culture. President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron with Brigitte Macron attend the annual Bastille Day military parade on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris on July 14, 2017. Trump has cancelled a similar parade that was to be held in Washington. A central pillar of President Trumps politics is a sustained assault on the free press. Journalists are not classified as fellow Americans, but rather the enemy of the people. This relentless assault on the free press has dangerous consequences. We asked editorial boards from around the country liberal and conservative, large and small to join us today to address this fundamental threat in their own words. Replacing a free media with a state-run media has always been a first order of business for any corrupt regime taking over a country. Today in the United States we have a president who has created a mantra that members of the media who do not blatantly support the policies of the current US administration are the enemy of the people. This is one of the many lies that have been thrown out by this president, much like an old-time charlatan threw out magic dust or water on a hopeful crowd. For more than two centuries, this foundational American principle has protected journalists at home and served as a model for free nations abroad. Today it is under serious threat. And it sends an alarming signal to despots from Ankara to Moscow, Beijing to Baghdad, that journalists can be treated as a domestic enemy. The press is necessary to a free society because it does not implicitly trust leaders from the local planning board to the White House. And its not a coincidence that this president whose financial affairs are murky and whose suspicious pattern of behavior triggered his own Justice Department to appoint an independent counsel to investigate him has tried so hard to intimidate journalists who provide independent scrutiny. There was once broad, bipartisan, intergenerational agreement in the United States that the press played this important role. Yet that view is no longer shared by many Americans. The news media is the enemy of the American people, is a sentiment endorsed by 48 percent of Republicans surveyed this month by Ipsos polling firm. That poll is not an outlier. One published this week found 51 percent of Republicans considered the press the enemy of the people rather than an important part of democracy. Trumps attack feedback loop helps explain why his faithful are following him into undemocratic territory. More than a quarter of Americans now say that the president should have the authority to close news outlets engaged in bad behavior, including 43 percent of Republicans. Thirteen percent of those surveyed thought that President Trump should close down mainstream news outlets, like CNN, The Washington Post and The New York Times. Trump cant outlaw the press from doing its job here, of course. But the model of inciting his supporters in this regard is how 21st-century authoritarians like Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan operate; you dont need formal censorship to strangle a supply of information. Trumps apologists feebly insist that he is referring only to biased coverage, rather than the entire fourth estate. But the presidents own words and long track record show again and again just how deeply cynical and dishonest this argument is. The nations Founding Fathers took for granted that the press would be biased and yet they still explicitly enshrined the freedom of journalists and publishers in the Constitution. Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost, wrote Thomas Jefferson. American politicians of all parties since the Founders have groused about the media, trying to work the refs by arguing that the news is biased against their tribe. But there was always respect for the press as an institution. It was not that long ago that Ronald Reagan proclaimed, Our tradition of a free press as a vital part of our democracy is as important as ever. The press was to serve the governed, not the governors, Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black wrote in 1971. Would that it were still the case. Today, the only media that Trumps movement accepts as legitimate are those that unquestioningly advocate for its leader personally. Indeed, it is not just that the president is stoking domestic division for political and personal gain, hes asking his audiences to follow him into Fantasia. Just stick with us, dont believe the crap you see from these people, the fake news, he told an audience in Kansas last month. Just remember, what youre seeing and what youre reading is not whats happening. George Orwell put it more gracefully in his novel 1984. The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command. It is an essential endpoint to Trumps deluge of dishonesty that he now contests objective reality and urges his supporters to do the same. In the first 558 days of his presidency, Trump made 4,229 false or misleading claims, according to a list compiled by The Washington Post. Yet among Trump supporters, only 17 percent think that the administration regularly makes false claims. Alternative facts have become de facto. Lies are antithetical to an informed citizenry, responsible for self-governance. The greatness of America is dependent on the role of a free press to speak the truth to the powerful. To label the press the enemy of the people is as un-American as it is dangerous to the civic compact we have shared for more than two centuries. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran has profoundly changed his views: on August 13, 2018, he declared that the effect of the US sanctions on the country was attributable to internal and not external causes, that is to say to the economic management of the Rohani administration. On August 15, he admitted to having made a mistake by authorizing Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to negotiate the 5 + 1 nuclear deal (JCPoA) with the United States. In March 2013, that is to say, in the last months of Mahmoud Ahmadinejads presidency, the Supreme Leader had authorized the team of future president Rohani to conduct informal contacts in Oman with emissaries of President Obama, Jake Sullivan and William Burns. We then wrote: "From these talks, at least two decisions emerged. First, that the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would ensure the exclusion of Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie - the former chief of intelligence of the Revolutionary Guards who became chief of staff and parent-in-law of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - from the Presidential race. In this way, Iran would tone itself down in international forums. Second, the United States would also look to tone down its anti-Iranian allies and unblock the 5 + 1 nuclear negotiations to end the sanctions. " [1] We were then strongly criticized in Iran, accused of attributing to the Supreme Leader acts for which he was not responsible. As we had anticipated, President Sheikh Hassan Rohanis team did not attempt to defend Iranian interests in the negotiations, agreeing, for example, to close down all of its university nuclear physics programs, thus becoming an under-educated state again. We then revealed the payment of bribes by Austria, during the negotiations that followed quietly on the construction of a pipeline to Europe. The aftermath of these events has been the enrichment of part of the ruling class on the backs of the Iranian people. The Supreme Leader, who was extremely ill, may not have measured the extent of the disaster when it occurred. He is now trying to put things right. Michelle Wolf. Photo: Netflix Netflix wont be bringing back talk shows starring Michelle Wolf and Joel McHale, Vulture has learned. The streaming giant launched Wolfs The Break and The Joel McHale Show earlier this year as part of a high-profile foray into unscripted and talk show programming, an effort execs there have described as something of an experiment. While its not immediately clear why the shows wont be returning, its likely the company decided the two series werent generating enough viewership (or buzz) to merit the added expenditure. Netflix isnt giving up on talk shows, however at least not yet. This fall will bring the launch of Norm Macdonald has a Show, Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj and a panel show called The Fix, toplined by British comic Jimmy Carr and featuring Katherine Ryan and D.L. Hughley. Netflix program chief Ted Sarandos also told Vulture this spring hes up for more episodes of David Lettermans interview show if the host wants to do more. Its time for our three remaining bakers to vie for the most coveted cake stand in the realm: 9.75-fingered law student John (who just finished university the previous weekend, because this competition wasnt stressful enough); medical student James, the Doogie Howser of cake; and Brendan, a semi-retired recruitment consultant whose passion for a perfectly executed fondant bluebird coxcomb is matched only by his passion for Gloria Gaynor. The musk of testosterone and icing sugar in the tent is very, very heady, observes Mel. All three of these men have turned in incredible bakes over the last nine weeks, but now, there can only be one. I wish this final had been Italian-pastry-themed, in which case I would have told you that there cannoli be one. Maybe next year. Our very last signature challenge is a savory pithivier, a French decorative pie that is notable for being physically impossible to pronounce without sounding like Donald Duck. This bake calls for a dome of (traditionally sweet) filling enclosed with two disks of puff pastry, scored with decorative half-circles and finished with scalloped edges. James brought his Spanish pithivier (chorizo, chicken, and red pepper) when he met his girlfriends grandparents for the first time, and that wasnt a disaster, so here goes nothing! Back home, we see James hitting the culinary books and typing Sift flour? Any point? into his Notes app. Sadly, this existential question goes unanswered. I would under no circumstances kick Johns Italian sausage and roasted vegetable pithivier (taleggio! lardons! caramelized onions!) out of bed, even if it meant sleeping in sheets permanently encased in an inch-thick layer of pork grease for the rest of my life. His mother, who is increasingly concerned about the future of Johns intended law career as he continues to excel at baking, supportively notes, Hes never won anything before the three-legged race at school, perhaps. Brendans potato and pepper pithivierwhich also features goat cheese and a truly astounding amount of garlic is the only vegetarian entry. We learn that Brendan is Buddhist and that his partner Jason looks like Matthew Rhyss, maybe, second cousin? (Get it, Brendan.) In the end, all the pithiviers are delicious, but while Brendan and Johns crusts are beautifully rustic and satisfyingly flaky, James has committed the ultimate sin. Please, dont make me say it: He has a soggy bottom, a revelation that causes him to wince as if in physical pain. The technical challenge calls for 25 (t-w-e-n-t-y five! why!) fondant fancies each a square of lemon Victoria sponge topped with marzipan, apricot jam, and a dome of buttercream, to be ultimately coated in pink rosewater fondant. The extra-sparse recipe doesnt specify the exact size of each fancy, so Brendan deploys a ruler and James deploys algebra. Coating the sponge chunks in fondant (do you plop them into the icing? do you dip them by hand? stab them with a fork, close your eyes, and say a silent prayer to Mary Berry?) is such a disaster that even fastidious Brendans station is left looking like a war zone. The judges are less than thrilled with the results. Consider yourself chastised, Paul says to all three. Brendan and John tie for last; James, despite his pungent rose flavor and thin fondant, is the winner. Given that James effectively came in third in the signature, this season is really and truly coming down to the very last bake. The showstopper challenge is to be inspired by each bakers personal highlights of the year, a What I Did on My Summer Vacation essay rendered in the edible marble composition notebook that is chiffon cake. The oil and egg-white-based batter (no butter!) makes this bakings most notoriously fickle sponge. Brendan has been working toward healing a three-decades-and-counting-long rift in his family, which will serve as the emotional basis for his family reunion cake, an almond-coated raspberry chiffon cake with a heart-shaped topper and gingerbread men (excuse me, gingerbread people) arranged around its circumference. Johns two-layered chiffon cake is a nod to a year filled with both joy and adversity: Hes calling it Heaven (lemon and coconut meringue cakelets rolled in dried coconut on top) and Hell (a dark chocolate and orange layer on the bottom). James, for some reason, is making five cakes, inspired by the U.K.s momentous 2012. (Discussion question for the class: Would you rather see an international Bake-Off as an event in the Summer or Winter Olympics?) His United Chiffon Cakes will each be covered in mascarpone and honey icing. Four are to be individually flavored with Turkish delight (a nod to the English rose), pistachios, blueberries, and raspberries, but the fifth, decorated with a Union Jack, will bring all these components together. Jamess unbridled baking ambition is what weve come to love most about him, but my concern about the scope of his showstopper bake turns into full-on dread when he knocks one of his batter-filled cake tins onto the floor. The baking gods are not shining on our sweet young whiskey enthusiast on this rainy day. James unhappily likens the texture of his finished Turkish delight to, yum, caulk. He decides to create the Saint Georges Cross he envisioned using it for on one of his cakes out of raspberries instead, which is probably for the best, unless Paul needs help resealing his bathtub. Meanwhile, Johns heaven looks like a tower of white Hostess Sno-Balls, and if you dont automatically take that description to be a high compliment, then you are reading the wrong recaps. Its beautiful, stylish cake, complete with a shiny ganache mirror glaze care of a blow dryer. Paul scrapes the sponge with his fork and observes the way the crumbs fall. After an alarmingly long pause, he declares it a perfect slice of cake. The judges also gush over Brendans simple but elegant decoration, homemade raspberry jam, lovely layers, tasty gingerhumans, and cloudlike sponge. There is nothing to complain about here. Im afraid the same cannot be said for contestant number three. Paul is not pleased by the sight of Jamess massive tray of cakes the assignment was one cake, not five disjointed ones. They agree to judge the central one, the Union Jack. What am I going to say, James? Paul asks him. The cake, alas, is far too dry, and its unrefined finish isnt what they had in mind for the showstopper to end all showstoppers. Its a shame, that, Paul says, and I want to cry for James. This is of course an emotional moment for all three finalists (who share a big group hug), but Im particularly touched by normally even-keeled Brendan, whose eyes well with tears when he discusses the possibility of winning and all the baking hes done throughout his life. The bakers carry their cakes from the tents to the summer fete happening outside. Of course, it is pouring. The finalists families and their fallen competitors I had the strangest, creme pat-filled dream, and you were there, Manisha, and you, Victoria, and you too, Stuart! are all on hand to cheer them to the finish, not to mention to feast on their chiffon cakes. Lo and behold, the winner is John, who cant believe it! His mom covers her mouth with her hand, with a facial expression thats half proud, half oh shit. Great Britain may be down a lawyer, but its up one excellent baker. Look, well take an oath over a purge, but either way, something ominous is brewing in The Oaths America, if that wasnt obvious from all the, you know, tasing and knife-wielding in this trailer. Tiffany Haddish and Ike Barinholtz star as a married couple enduring an interracial Thanksgiving on the most politically charged day of the year. Chris and Kai (Barinholtz and Haddish) barely grimace through his familys regular racism and clownery, but this particular Thanksgiving is special its the day before the deadline to sign a loyalty oath to the president. As if things werent tense enough around the holidays, dinner gets even crazier after the arrival of two government agents, played by John Cho and Billy Magnussen. Barinholtz wrote and directed this comedy, from the producers of Get Out. See it in theaters October 12. Related WAAY 31 went to Washington, D.C. to get a rare and one-of-a-kind look at what really goes on inside the Senate building. (Click HERE for story) We saw how U.S. Senator Doug Jones dealt with the long-standing immigration issue facing Alabama and the country. Right now, federal authorities are debating on where to house thousands of undocumented immigrants. One suggestion is Alabama. The news of potential "temporary tent cities" worries and upsets some politicians in the Yellowhammer state. Representative Bradley Byrne (AL- 01) tweeted in part, "The whole issue underscores why it is so important we secure our borders and crack down on illegal immigration." Immigration is a sore spot for Senator Jones because one of his biggest regrets is not passing the bill. It's a reality he is forced to relive almost every day. He told WAAY 31, Congress could have solved the immigration problem in March. "I think everybody who was a part of that coalition has thought to themselves, what could I have done to do something better?" said Jones. When elected, the junior senator promised to work with Democrats and Republicans to do what's best for the state and country. So, when the topic of immigration came up, he quickly agreed to co-sponsor the bill. He rolled up his sleeves and went straight to work on drafting the legislation with folks on both sides of the aisle. Their goal was to make both sides happy. At times, Jones, with only a few months on the job, went toe-to-toe with senior senators. This gave him a chance to cross party lines and put his campaign words and promises into action. "We met twice a week and tried to talk through [the issues]. There were 14-15 senators and sometimes 25." The senators met for two months. The bill focused on two key aspects: it protected 1.8 million "Dreamers" and allocated $25-billion to strengthen border security. Dreamers are people who arrived to the U.S. illegally as children, but have the chance to become a permanent legal resident. "Unfortunately, by the time the State of the Union, the hardliners with the administration decided we want more than those two things." While WAAY 31 was in the nation's capital, we sat in on two hearings: one on Alzheimer's and the other on medication costs. During the hearings, senators first addressed the potential impact of immigration on their home state and the new demands made by the White House. Jones told WAAY 31, a lot of people misinterpreted parts of the bill. He soon realized that he was fighting an uphill battle. "What I could have done, was cut through all of the noise and get to facts about immigration." Now, he had to convince lawmakers to go against the administration. Ultimately, the bill did not get enough votes to pass. Shortly after our visit with Jones in June, he joined a growing list of senators on the "Keep Families Together Act." The bill was written to stop the separation of immigrant families. "At the end of the day, there is nobody in the state of Alabama who wants to rip a baby from a mother's breast." Jones said this failed experience gives him hope for the future. He is certain the bi-partisan spirit is growing amongst senators. By West Kentucky Star Staff Aug. 15, 2018 | 05:56 PM | PADUCAH Mercy Health - Lourdes Hospital recently made a $100,000 contribution to a new fund designed to boost the nursing program at WKCTC.The contribution from Mercy Health to the new Healthcare Education to Work Endowment Fund helps ensure that enough highly skilled nurses and allied health professionals are available to meet regional workforce demands into the future.According to a Kentucky Occupational Outlook to 2024 report, the state's need for full-time registered nurses will see an increase of 36 percent over 2014 numbers by the year 2024, with increased demand in additional healthcare fields also expected.PJC executive director Lee Emmons said that the statewide Kentucky Community and Technical College System Foundation has a matching funds program for endowment gifts that meet specified requirements, making gifts such as Mercy Health's even more beneficial."We're delighted that Mercy Health has extended its long-standing partnership with WKCTC to include the Healthcare Education to Work Endowment Fund," said WKCTC President Anton Reece. "With healthcare identified as a high-demand workforce sector, industry partnerships are essential in meeting the needs of both students and employers. The support of Mercy Health helps us provide well-educated graduates who can secure employment at an attractive wage while meeting the expanding workforce needs of healthcare providers.""The recent contribution from Mercy Health continues a partnership with WKCTC to enhance healthcare in the region," says Michael Yungmann, CEO, Mercy Health - Lourdes Hospital. "Mercy Health is committed to working together to improve the health of the local areas we serve. We see this gift as supporting not only quality healthcare, but also educational opportunities and career development for our community members for years to come."Emmons said the contribution from Mercy Health addresses both immediate and future needs by including a designation to support the current nursing program and a designation to support the Healthcare Education to Work Endowment Fund. "We very much appreciate Mercy Health's forward-thinking and generous contribution that helps immediately while building for the future," she said. By West Kentucky Star Staff Aug. 14, 2018 | 08:41 PM | MURRAY Two faculty members and 10 students in the Department of Music at Murray State University presented and performed at the International Horn Society's 50th Annual Symposium.The symposium, which took place July 30 through Aug. 4 at Ball State University, featured clinics led by internationally recognized horn players and performances by prestigious groups, such as the Chicago Symphony, Paris Opera and U.S. Marine Band. Participating students and faculty also had a number of performance opportunities of their own throughout the week."This symposium is an invaluable opportunity for students, performers and educators alike, allowing us to hear and learn from the best in the field from around the world," said Dr. Ashley Cumming, assistant professor of horn. "Students develop their musical ears, engage with other students and professionals, learn new repertoire and techniques, access resources not readily available and receive feedback from top pedagogues."Murray State horn students who attended and performed at the symposium include Leslie Blume (Saint Anthony, Indiana), Anaea Dossey (Franklin, Tennessee), Elena Hammann (St. Louis, Missouri), Timothy Kratochvil (Evansville, Indiana), Hayden Lefevre (Kevil, Kentucky), Madison Marsh (Scottsville, Kentucky), Gideon Miller (Almo, Kentucky), Zach Samuelson (Lakeland, Tennessee), Anna Schaust (Flat Rock, Indiana) and Megan Washburn (New Baden, Illinois)."Students prepared for this symposium for two years," Cumming said. "And, over the summer, they continued to work independently, submitting online peer reviews and performances for one another while gearing up for the intensive week of performances and competitions."During the symposium, the University's horn ensemble led by Cumming, presented a 30-minute recital. Two sets of student quartets and an octet of students also competed in small ensemble competitions. In preparation for the symposium, the students performed throughout the Murray community at local schools and a senior living home.The symposium also served as the premieres for "Heroic Brew," a composition by Dr. Mike D'Ambrosio, composition professor, and for "Stone and Sky," a composition by Dr. Peter Terry, assistant director of Academic Applications Solutions at Murray State. Both compositions were performed at the symposium by the students.Cumming herself participated with a group called Hoosier Horns, a quartet of female hornists performing the works of female composers, during the symposium. Additionally, Dr. John Dressler, professor of music, presented a lecture and recital on music for three unaccompanied French horns in conjunction with Dr. Randall Faust of Western Illinois University and Darin Sorley of the University of Indianapolis."As teachers, both Dr. Dressler and I enjoyed hearing new approaches to teaching and musicianship, finding inspiration in the dozens of daily performances," Cumming said.Visit murraystate.edu/music for more information about upcoming performances by students and faculty members in the University's music department. On the Net: Advertisement By The Associated Press Aug. 17, 2018 | FRANKFORT By The Associated Press Aug. 17, 2018 | 06:43 PM | FRANKFORT The Kentucky State Board of Elections is scheduled to meet next week to discuss a recent Attorney General's opinion that says it is OK for poll workers to post lists of certified-writing in candidates in voting precincts. The opinion from Democratic Attorney General Andy Beshear says poll workers are not required to post the list, but said if they did it would not violate the state's ban on electioneering. The opinion noted the State Board of Elections has the authority to say what is and is not electioneering and recommended they come up with rules about posting lists of candidates. If implemented for the November election, the rule could boost some of the at least six current and former teachers who are running write-in campaigns for the state legislature. By: Paige Cline Sometimes I am asked to reprint a column from the past. Here[Read More] At Paul Manafort's trial, his lawyers took the unusual step of not calling any witnesses for the defense, setting off speculation that Manafort is relying on the prospect of a presidential pardon. Friday morning, President Trump refused to address whether or not he would take such a step but he did say, "he happens to be a very good person. I think it's very sad what they've done to Paul Manafort." President Trump's use of the pardon power since he took office makes a pardon for Manafort, should he be convicted, quite plausible, but equally troubling. The jury has completed its second day of deliberations without a verdict in what is the first of the two trials Manafort is facing. Unlike recent presidents, President Trump has avoided the Department of Justice's mechanism for vetting pardons and has explicitly injected politics into the process. American history shows that political pardons aren't necessarily a problem. But the political message sent by President Trump's pardons is. Many people are uncomfortable with Trump's pardons because recent presidents have avoided such blatant politicization of the power. They have instead pardoned for reasons of fairness or because the recipient had reformed. Moreover, the process is set up to discourage the President from pardoning for political reasons. The Office of the Pardon Attorney is a relatively neutral bureaucracy established to assist the President with the exercise of executive clemency. The Pardon Attorney and his or her staff assess the merits of individual applications and submit recommendations to the President. During recent presidencies, the vast majority of pardons have proceeded through this route. When exceptions occurred, they occasioned public opprobrium and calls for investigation. This was the case with President Bill Clinton's pardon of financier Marc Rich during his last hours in office. Trump has upended the normal model. His recent pardons of Dwight and Steven Hammond, the Oregon ranchers convicted of arson for setting fires that burned more than 100 acres of federal land, was only the latest instance of his political use of the pardon power. Last year, Trump issued a similarly controversial pardon of former Maricopa County, Arizona, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, pardoned Dinesh D'Souza for violating campaign finance law, and he has touted his ability to pardon even himself. In fact, political pardons are the only kind he has given. In Trump's defense, earlier presidents had forcefully deployed the political potential of the pardon power. At the very beginning of the Republic, President Washington used a combination of force and mercy to stem the Whiskey Rebellion. Farmers in Western Pennsylvania had resisted imposition of a tax on the production of whiskey, their principal export, and their opposition turned violent. Washington, aided by Alexander Hamilton, led troops into the area in 1794. When some of the rebels were then prosecuted and sentenced to death, Washington pardoned them, proclaiming, "The misled have abandoned their errors." Similarly, in the aftermath of the Civil War and President Lincoln's assassination, President Andrew Johnson pardoned many members of the former Confederacy. His eagerness to restore rights to these individuals without what many saw as sufficient concessions on the recipients' parts led to increasing conflict with Congress. Although Congress had initially supported amnesty, it withdrew its backing in an 1870 statute, setting up the conditions for a constitutional conflict. In United States v. Klein (1871), the Supreme Court held that Congress could not restrict the scope of a presidential pardon as it had attempted to do. Supporters of President Trump would be right to conclude that the political use of the pardon power has precedent in American history. However, close examination of this precedent reveals a gulf between Trump's political use of pardoning and that favored by Washington and Johnson. For those two presidents, pardoning represented a technique of transitional justice, reintegrating rebels who had fought against the federal government while acknowledging their defeat. While the Hammonds' acts both resulted from and encouraged resistance to federal control over Western lands, Trump's pardon signaled not the defeat of their position but the President's willingness to cede environmental protection of federal lands. Trump's other pardons have similarly created political exceptions to the rule of law that support his own views rather than representing a magnanimous offer of clemency in service of collective peace. Using the pardon power in this manner calls to mind Nazi jurist Carl Schmitt's statement that "Sovereign is he who decides on the exception." In other words, whoever declares that the rule of law doesn't apply at the same time announces himself as the highest power in the state. This idea was used to justify the grant of emergency powers to the German President under Article 48 of the Weimer Constitution, enabling Hitler's rise to power. While Schmitt's writings focus less prominently on pardoning, the power to pardon, in Article 49 of the Weimer Constitution, was structurally similar to the power to declare an emergency under Article 48. Both enabled an exception from the rule of law, an exception that revealed the true location of sovereignty within the state. By adding a pardon of Manafort to the ones he has already performed, Trump would confirm the fears of those who have been suspicious of his exercise of the pardon power. Trump has intuited the force of the pardon as exception and, in pardoning Manafort, would be using it to declare himself sovereign and his associates above the law. Sauquoit, N.Y. - It's been 25 years since the search began for 12 year old Sara Anne Wood, but many say her legacy is that her disappearance has helped find countless other children. Wood disappeared on August 18th, 1993 while riding her bike near the church where her father was the pastor, Norwich Corners Church in the Herkimer County town of Litchfield. Lewis Lent, a janitor from Massachusetts and convicted murderer serving a life sentence in Massachusetts, admitted to abducting and killing Sara Anne, but he never revealed where her body was. On Saturday, Sara Anne's cousin, Cari Alukunois, was one of 40 bicyclists that rode in a Ride For Missing Children Commemorative Ride in Sara Anne's honor beginning at Sara Anne's school, Sauquoit Middle School. Alukonis says the pain of what happened is still there for her family, "It just seems like it was yesterday that it happened, it's so vivid in your memory." Alukonis says this ride is truly very special to each and every rider, and every member of her family, "Its kind of just remembering my cousin and its also remembering everything thats happened after my cousin's disappearance. Thousands of children have come home because the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children was founded. There are walks that were done, there were rides that were done, there are posters that have gone out, and all these children are home. And it makes me feel a little bit better being Saras cousin to know that these people are home because my cousin went missing." After her disappearance, Sara Anne's father, Bob Wood, established the Sara Anne Wood Rescue Center in Utica, creating a system to ensure that posters are distributed quickly when a child is missing. Then in 1995, two years after Sara Anne disappeared, a small group of local bikers decided to raise awareness about the Sara Anne Wood Rescue Center in our nation's capital. They rode their bikes from Utica, nearly 400 miles to the U.S. Capitol. The next year, the Sara Anne Wood Rescue Center officially became known as the Mohawk Valley Office of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's New York branch. Now the Ride for Missing Children is held, not only here in our area each year in late May or early June, but it's held throughout the year in communities all across the country. Chip Hemmel is the president of Saturday's Sara Anne Wood Commemorative Ride Leadership Team. He says Sara Anne's legacy lives on every day, "Over 7,500 children have been reunited with their families because the Woods' decided to keep sending posters when Sara wasnt going to come home, and its amazing how we taught children how to be safe, and we've been a lot of comfort to some families of children missing over the years." Wendy Fical, Program Director at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's New York office here in the Mohawk Valley says that more than 10.5 million posters of 11,012 children have been sent out through the targeted poster distribution. Fical says of those missing children, 7,524 children have been recovered, "Getting ready to come here, and on my way, I thought about her family and I also thought about all the other families that have had either a near miss that they thought their child was missing or that their child is missing and has not been found, and I cant imagine that feeling inside. If it continues to be with them, we want them to know we will never give up, there is always hope and we are with them." Fical says the legacy of this one child named Sara Anne has assisted in bringing thousands of children home safe, and she says the search for Sara Anne continues. A 53-year-old man has been arrested in connection with more than 100 synthetic-marijuana overdoses, many of them in the same New Haven park, after authorities say they caught him with 32 bags of the drug, police said Friday. Some of the victims identified John Parker, of New Haven, as one of the people who was dealing K2 on the New Haven Green, where most of the overdoses occurred Wednesday and Thursday, Police Chief Anthony Campbell said. An official in the city said Wednesday there were a total of 25 overdoses over a three-hour span and that some overdoses were "in multiples of 4-6 at a time." All of those overdoses were in the area of the New Haven Green, said Rick Fontana, the city's director of emergency operations. No deaths were reported, and officials said most people recovered quickly. No overdoses were reported on Friday. Parker, who was arrested Wednesday, was charged with drug crimes after being found in possession of the K2 bags, Campbell said. He was also charged in connection with drug sales in the city earlier this year, the chief said. Campbell also said two other people were arrested -- one by New Haven police and one by federal authorities -- but investigators were trying to determine whether they were connected to the overdoses. Authorities described chaotic scenes at the park near Yale University, with people falling unconscious at the same time. Others became nauseated and vomited, officials said. Some people who overdosed returned to the green and overdosed again, officials said. Parker was detained on $225,000 bail. A public defender said there was no proof linking any drugs Parker may have had to the overdoses. The arrests do not mean all the bad K2 has been located, Campbell said. "We want people to be warned that what they have could be extremely dangerous and they should not use it," he said. One of the other men arrested, Felix Melendez, 37, was charged with drug crimes during the investigation, but Campbell said it hadn't been determined whether he was connected to the overdoses. He was found in possession of K2 and received a two-year probation sentence earlier this year for selling the same drug on the green. It wasn't immediately clear whether Melendez had a lawyer who could respond to the allegations. Federal authorities arrested a third person, who was not identified, Campbell said. Synthetic marijuana, called "spice" and other names, usually is plant material sprayed with chemicals or other substances that is sold in small, colorful packets. The chemical compounds in synthetic marijuana have been linked to a number of severe side effects, including seizures, psychosis and death. In 2017, a review of studies on synthetic marijuana published in the journal Trends in Pharmacological Sciences concluded that these compounds are more dangerous than pot. Synthetic marijuana compounds "produce a variety of dangerous acute and chronic adverse effects... with a greater severity and frequency than observed following marijuana use," the researchers wrote. As such, "K2/Spice products are clearly not safe marijuana alternatives," the researchers said. Synthetic marijuana has been blamed for other mass overdoses across the country. In May, more than 50 people in New York overdosed on K2, none fatally. 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. 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 Man airlifted to hospital after fall in Ceiriog Valley This article is old - Published: Saturday, Aug 18th, 2018 A man has been airlifted hospital following a fall down a steep slope in the Ceiriog Valley today. NEWSAR (North East Wales Search and Rescue) were asked to assist with the incident near Llanarmon DC in the Ceriog Valley, by North Wales Police. Details released by the Denbighshire based search and rescue team state that the man had taken a tumbling fall down a steep slope. The Wales Air Ambulance attended the scene, with the team working with them to assist with first aid before extracting the casualty on a stretcher. The casualty was then transferred to the air ambulance helicopter and taken to hospital NEWSAR say: Thanks to the members of the casualties group for their assistance. We hope the man makes a swift recovery. Earlier this month Wrexham.com reported that NEWSAR which is on-call 365 days a year, 24 hours a day had received a grant of 1,000 to help fund life saving defibrillators. You can find out more about the work NEWSAR carry out, here. *Pictures: NEWSAR (Twitter @newsar) Specialist cardiology nurse highly commended at top award ceremony This article is old - Published: Saturday, Aug 18th, 2018 A cardiology specialist nurse has been recognised at a prestigious awards ceremony for successfully reducing waiting times for patients through his community based service. Nigel Bond, a community chest pain nurse, was highly commended in the Rising Star category of the BHF Alliance Awards presented at this years British Cardiovascular Society meeting. Nigel, who runs his chest pain clinic in Ysbyty Dolgellau, Ysbyty Alltwen and Llandudno Hospital, was recognised for leading the development of community-based cardiac services that have successfully reduced waiting times, and for his commitment to providing holistic care that puts the patient and their family first. Nigel, who lives the Buckley area, said he was delighted to receive the recognition and hopes to develop the service over the next few years. It was fantastic to have the service recognised by the BHF and shows we are now moving forward, said Nigel. This is certainly a team effort without the rest of the team the service would never have developed the way it has so its great for us all to receive this recognition. Patients are referred to Nigels clinics through their GPs where they are assessed and undergo tests to discover what could be the cause of their chest pain. The service has proved a huge success since it began in November 2017 with waiting times for patients referred by their GP reducing from eight weeks to two weeks. Nigel continued: We can prescribe patents medication when they attend the clinic and spend that extra bit of time with them to see if there is anything else we can help them with such as ways to become healthier or to stop smoking. There can be many different things which can cause chest pain and its important we have this service so we can spend time with each patient to find out if there any other causes for their chest pain. The battle between the Taliban and Afghan government forces for control of the city of Ghazni, located some 150 kilometres southeast of the Afghan capital, underscores the deepening crisis confronting the US-backed puppet regime in Kabul. After 1,000 Taliban fighters stormed the strategically important centre on 10 August, it took government forces five days to restore their control over the city, following a series of US air strikes. At least 100 Afghan security forces were reportedly killed in the fighting, along with a further 30 civilians. Hundreds more were injured or forced to flee their homes. The Afghan government claimed that there were 400 Taliban deaths. Coming almost a year to the day after US President Donald Trump bombastically unveiled his new strategy for Afghanistan, including the deployment of thousands more troops and the boast that he was untying the hands of the American military, the battle for Ghazni testifies to US imperialisms disastrous position in Afghanistan. After almost 17 years of bloody colonial warfare, which has claimed the lives of untold thousands of civilians and driven millions more from their homes, Washington is struggling to maintain in power a corrupt government that is despised by the vast majority of the impoverished Afghan population. Although some 15,000 US troops remain in the country, Afghan government control in many regions is non-existent. The loss of Ghazni would have essentially cut the government in Kabul off from Afghanistans southern provinces. But even with the Talibans retreat, Kabuls control over the area remains tenuous. Reports indicate that many of the Taliban fighters retreated to well-established positions in the countryside near Ghazni. While the Afghan government claims that the Taliban controls only 14 percent of Afghan territory, an estimate by the BBC earlier this year suggested that the radical Islamist group is contesting government control of 70 percent of the country. As if to underline the besieged character of the regime in Kabul, Taliban fighters launched a series of attacks on Afghan army bases in the northern province of Baghlan and overran a military base in the northwestern province of Fariab on Tuesday and Wednesday. The attacks claimed the lives of around 100 Afghan security forces. The security situation in the capital is also dangerous. On Wednesday, a suicide bomber attacked an education centre in a Shia district of western Kabul, killing at least 25 and injuring 35 more. The attack came just three weeks after an Islamic State suicide bomber killed 23 at Kabuls international airport. Since January, 16 attacks claiming the lives of at least 240 civilians have occurred in the capital. According to figures released by the United Nations in July, more than 1,600 civilians lost their lives in fighting across the country between January and June this year. 160,000 were forced to flee their homes due to clashes between government forces and the Taliban. The Afghan government has stepped up its denunciations of Pakistan for its alleged support for the expansion of Taliban violence. Emboldened by Trumps decision in January to cut off all military aid to Islamabad as part of Washingtons efforts to cement its strategic partnership with India, Pakistans nuclear arch-rival in the region, Kabul accused Pakistan of being behind a string of deadly attacks in the capital. Following the fighting in Ghazni, Afghan government officials claimed that of the 400 Taliban fighters allegedly killed, 70 came from Pakistan. They cited social media reports alleging that large numbers of body bags have arrived in Pakistan and that funerals were being held to mourn the victims. Islamabad rebuffed the charges, declaring that there was no evidence to back them up. Pakistani intelligence has long maintained ties to the Taliban so as to retain a degree of influence in the affairs of its war-torn neighbour. The Pakistani ruling elite has also grown increasingly concerned at Washingtons moves to sideline Islamabad in Afghan affairs in favour of India. Observers anticipate a spike of violence in the coming weeks ahead of parliamentary elections planned for October. Six months later, in April 2019, presidential elections will be held. Under these conditions, there are fears within the American military and political elite that the tottering Afghan regime could be torn apart or collapse entirely. Following the last presidential election in 2014, armed conflict nearly broke out between competing factions led by the current president, Ashraf Ghani, and Abdullah Abdullah, who abandoned his opposition to the election result only after months of behind-the-scenes wrangling culminated in a power-sharing agreement that saw Abdullah appointed to the new post of Afghan chief executive. This time around, Ghanis main challenger could be Atta Mohammad Nur, the governor of the western Balkh province and a warlord who is building a coalition for a presidential bid. He is relying on opposition to Ghanis rule among ethnic Tajik politicians who allege that the president has failed to abide by the national unity government agreement. In a bid to help stabilise the situation somewhat, US imperialism has ditched its opposition to talks with the Taliban. According to a report late last month in the New York Times, American officials have met with Taliban representatives on several occasions since mid-July in the Qatari capital of Doha, where the Islamists maintain a political office. The US delegation to the talks, which excluded Afghan government representatives, was reportedly headed by Assistant Secretary of State for Asian Affairs Alice Wells. As late as February, Trump was insisting that peace talks involving the Taliban would take place only with the Afghan government, not directly with US representatives. Washingtons decision to meet with the Taliban is being driven above all by broader geopolitical considerations. In mid-July, the Russian government announced that it would invite Taliban representatives to Moscow to participate in Russian-led peace talks on Afghanistan that would also involve the Afghan government and Chinese representatives. The move appears to have emerged from a June meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the security alliance led by China and Russia. At that meeting, Chinese President Xi Jinping presented a peace plan for Afghanistan that called for the establishment of an SCO Afghanistan Contact Group to lead a peace process. Xi spoke of the need for a foundation for shared peace and security by combating the three evil forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism. He went on to appeal for enhanced cooperation with Afghanistan on defence security, law enforcement security, and information security. Afghanistan, which currently has observer status at the SCO, was represented at the meeting by Ghani and Abdullah. In another meeting reported by the Diplomat magazine, Russian, Chinese, Pakistani, and Iranian intelligence officials gathered to discuss ways to deal with the security situation in Afghanistan. All four countries are targets of US imperialist aggression. Significantly, the Moscow talks on Afghanistan, which Russia says will go ahead before the end of the summer, will not include the United States. Washington has no intention of allowing its regional competitors to challenge its influence over Kabul by means of a peace deal that excludes the United States. To this end, it has decided not only to sit down with the Taliban, but also to collaborate with the Afghan branch of ISIS, whose fighters were recently rescued from a Taliban attack in northern Afghanistan by Afghan government helicopters. The Bush administration, with the full support of the American ruling elite, launched the Afghanistan war in the immediate aftermath of the September 11 attacks for definite geopolitical reasons. The attacks served as a welcome pretext for US imperialism to establish a foothold in Central Asia, putting its military forces within striking distance of Russia and on Chinas western border. Control over Central Asia was seen as critical for Washingtons determination to consolidate its hegemony over the Eurasian landmass, and in particular over the Middle East, the worlds most important oil-exporting region. Geopolitical rivalries have only intensified in the intervening years. With the global capitalist crisis having deepened markedly since 2001, as shown by the rapid escalation of tensions between the major powers, Washington is all the more determined to enforce its economic and geopolitical interests against its rivals in Afghanistan and beyond. For this reason, the current efforts by various parties to bring about a peace agreement notwithstanding, the growing interconnection between the Afghan conflict and broader geopolitical and strategic rivalries is increasing the danger of the eruption of a region-wide war that would quickly draw in the major powers. Following Trumps decision Wednesday to revoke John Brennans security clearance, the former CIA chief has emerged as the chief spokesman of the anti-Trump faction of the ruling class. It is an altogether fitting position. Brennan embodies the criminality and authoritarian disposition of the military-intelligence apparatus, which is the driving force behind the opposition within the state to the Trump administration. While Trump is seeking to develop a framework for authoritarian ruleincluding the cultivation of far-right and fascistic forces based on anti-immigrant chauvinismthere is not an ounce of democratic content in the campaign of his critics within the state and political establishment. In the name of opposing Trumpand the supposed Russian plot that sustains himthey are developing their own arguments for dictatorship. This is the significance of Brennans column, President Trumps claims of no collusion are hogwash, published in the print edition of the New York Times on Friday. The pages of the Times were turned over to Brennan by James Bennet, the newspapers highly-connected editorial page editor, brother of right-wing Democratic Senator Michael Bennet and son of Douglas Bennet, a former top State Department official with CIA connections. In his column, Brennan presents a massive conspiracy theory according to which the Russian government has been able to manipulate and exploit US political institutions to advance its agenda. Before, during and after its now infamous meddling in our last presidential election, Brennan writes, Russia practiced the art of shaping political events abroad through its well-honed active measures program, which employs an array of technical capabilities, information operations and old-fashioned human intelligence spycraft. The machinations Brennan ascribes to Russia are the stock in trade of US intelligence agencies, including those formerly overseen by Brennan. The Russian meddling operation, treated as an established fact by the media, is a fiction. In concrete terms, it consisted, according to the intelligence agencies themselves, of at most a few hundred thousand dollars in social media advertisements, dwarfed by the $4 billion spent in the 2016 presidential election, most of it paid out by corporations and multi-millionaires. This is combined with the entirely unsubstantiated assertion that Russia helped leak Democratic Party emails that exposed the efforts of the Democratic National Committee to sabotage the campaign of Bernie Sanders and the relationship of Hillary Clinton to the banks. More than Russia, the targets of Brennans attack are domestic organizations and individuals. He writes: Electoral politics in Western democracies present an especially inviting target, as a variety of politicians, political parties, media outlets, think tanks and influencers are readily manipulated, wittingly and unwittingly, or even bought outright by Russian intelligence operatives. Who are these politicians, political parties, media outlets, think tanks and influencers? The answer is: Anyone who does not accept uncritically the narrative of the intelligence agencies and the military, including the lies used to justify war in Syria and aggression against Russia. The essential problem, Brennan concludes, is that the very freedoms and liberties that liberal Western democracies cherish have been exploited by Russia to distribute propaganda and disinformation, increasingly via the growing number of social media platforms. The Russian intelligence agencies troll political, business and cultural waters in search of gullible or unprincipled individuals who become pliant in the hands of their Russian puppet masters. Too often, those puppets are found. The implications of this argument are clear. All social discontent within the United States is the work of Russian puppet masters exploiting gullible individuals. If freedoms and liberties provide an opening for such operations, then these freedoms must be restricted. To save democracy, it is necessary to abolish it. The pretense of Brennan and his supporters to be acting in the name of democracy and free speech echoes the claims of a long line of would-be dictators who have employed such arguments in the past. Brennan is himself responsible for countless crimes during his three-decade long career in the CIA. Most recently, as the head of the CIA under Obama, Brennan oversaw efforts to block a Senate investigation into CIA torture, including by spying on Senate staff members conducting the investigation. On Friday, media commentary focused on a letter released by 15 former intelligence bosses supporting Brennan and denouncing the revocation of his security clearance as an attempt to stifle free speech. Among the signatories is Michael Hayden, who headed first the National Security Agency and then the CIA. Hayden oversaw and implemented the NSAs massive domestic spying programs. Another signatory is former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who perjured himself in testimony before the Senate by claiming the spying programs did not target US citizens. Another is retired Gen. David Petraeus, who oversaw US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and went on to head the CIA. These representatives of the military and intelligence apparatus have received the full support of the Democratic Party, which is running an unprecedented number of candidates drawn directly from the CIA and the military in the upcoming midterm elections. In response to Brennans statements, top Democrats have given their full support or, as in the case of Bernie Sanders, tacitly endorsed his position by maintaining their silence. Far-reaching measures have already been taken to suppress domestic opposition. Next week will mark one year since the Open Letter by World Socialist Web Site Chairman David North to Google demanding that it halt the manipulation of its search results to block access to the WSWS and other left-wing sites, under the guise of combating fake news propagated by Russia. Over the past year, the censorship measures employed by social media and Internet companies have been vastly expanded. Search traffic from Google to left-wing and anti-war sites continues to fall sharply, including a now 80 percent reduction in traffic to the WSWS. Measures taken by Facebook have effectively blocked alternative sites from individuals news feeds while sharply limiting the spread of viral videos. Late last month, Facebook initiated a new stage in its censorship drive by deleting an event page for an anti-fascist rally in Washington DC held last week. The source of this unprecedented attack on free speech lies not in Russia, but in the United States. Censorship measures have focused on the Internet because access to social media platforms and alternative sources of news has undermined the authority of the professional gatekeepersthe corporate media, which serve as the mouthpieces of the financial elite and its military-intelligence apparatus. Its stranglehold on information, including the blackout of third parties and left-wing and anti-war opinion, is undermined by the Internet. The American ruling class is presiding over a social powder keg. It knows that social inequality has reached unsustainable levels and that its plans for a vast expansion of military operations will engender mass opposition. It observes with terror polls showing that far more young people have a favorable view of socialism than of capitalism. It knows that any struggle of workers that breaks free of the control of the trade unionsaided by the ability of workers to communicate and coordinate their actions onlinewill receive mass support and tend to develop in the direction of a general strike. The initial moves to censor the Internet are only the beginning. The great danger, as the Socialist Equality Party resolution adopted last month states, is that the conscious preparations of the ruling elites for war and dictatorship are advancing more rapidly than the class consciousness of the working class. The recognition of this reality requires all the greater determination, the resolution states, to raise the political consciousness of the working class to the level required by the historical tasks with which it is confronted. This is the most urgent political task. The murders of three Russian journalists investigating the work of private military contractors in the Central African Republic are still shrouded in mystery. But the exiled Russian billionaire who was funding their work says evidence gathered so far indicates they were not the victims of a random attack but a well-planned ambush. The three journalists -- Kirill Radchenko, Alexander Rastorguyev and Orkhan Dzhemal -- were shot dead last month on a remote road in the north of the CAR. They'd gone to the country to investigate the presence of Russian military contractors linked to Wagner, a company close to the Kremlin that is also active in Syria and Sudan. Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the exiled Russian billionaire whose foundation supported the investigation, told CNN that "some people who we know in Russia were approached by people connected with Russian mercenaries, and said they had warned the journalists not to go there, to keep themselves well away from the area." He said that his foundation was continuing to investigate the murders but the "only reasonable version is that either they had already learnt something or that they could have already discovered something ... We think the version of a simple robbery is totally unsustainable." People who had been to the site said it looked like the assailants had been waiting there the whole day, Khodorkovsky said. One man who might be able to cast light on what happened is the local driver -- a former policeman -- hired by the journalists. The Russian Foreign Ministry says that local authorities in CAR have interviewed him, and a Russian representative in CAR said the man was in custody in the capital. Khodorkovsky accused CAR authorities of "hiding the driver, who is a key witness." Alain Nzilo, a journalist in CAR who has followed the case, told CNN last week he found it strange that the assailants appeared to have let the driver go free. "Often, the drivers are the first to be killed and not the foreigners," he said. Also unknown: why did the journalists insist on continuing their journey after dark after being advised by local security forces not to? And why did they change their route at the last moment, after leaving the town of Sibut? According to a Russian official in CAR, they "had a word with someone and then changed their route." Khodorkovsky says: "This is impossible to explain on the basis of information which we possess." Mineral riches In much less doubt is why the trio were so keen to get to CAR in the first place. According to the foundation sponsoring their reporting, they'd been investigating the activities of Wagner for months. They wanted to find out whether Wagner -- or one of its proxies -- was setting up shop in CAR, using military muscle to exploit the Republic's reputed mineral wealth. The Russian presence in CAR expanded dramatically at the beginning of this year, after the UN Security Council agreed Moscow could send trainers and weapons to the country -- one of the most volatile in Africa -- to help train local forces. At least nine cargo flights full of weapons and equipment, as well as one major shipment by sea and land, arrived in CAR, along with 175 military trainers. All but a handful of them were private contractors. Wagner is a secretive company -- with no known address, phone number or official records -- that recruits hundreds of former Russian soldiers, many of them special forces or "spetsnaz." In the last few years, its contractors have appeared in a growing number of conflict zones, including Ukraine and Syria. Both the company and its boss, Dmitry Utkin, have been sanctioned by the United States for their role in the pro-Russian separatist rebellion in Ukraine. Someone of the same name used to be a director at Concord Management, a St. Petersburg company run by Yevgeny Prighozin that is close to the Kremlin. Both Prigozhin and Concord have in the past denied being linked to Wagner. Concord said last year: "We do not have any information about this organization. But part of Wagner's role in Syria was to regain control of lucrative oil fields on behalf of the Syrian regime. And a company called Evro Polis had a deal with Damascus under which it would get 25% of oil revenues from fields that are recovered. Evro Polis "is owned or controlled by Yevgeny Prigozhin," according to the US Treasury Department. Such complex relationships may also be at work in CAR, as CNN has previously reported. Khodorkovsky, a prominent Russian businessman before being jailed in Russia for 10 years on tax evasion and fraud charges, certainly thinks so. "The group of mercenaries which are working in the Central African Republic are indeed connected to Mr Prigozhin," he told CNN. "They train local government troops, they also hold negotiations with militants and they're involved in the work of structures involved in obtaining diamonds and gold." Russia more visible across continent Journalist Nzilo said the Russians combine basic humanitarian works with military training and mining. He said they are visible at three major mines and appear to be most interested in extracting diamonds and gold. Another source in CAR told CNN that the Russians sometimes deploy mobile clinics for the local population at the same time as contractors and military hardware. Across Africa, Russia is becoming a more visible and assertive player. It's refurbishing military bases in Egypt. Last year, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi and asked him for "protection from aggressive US actions." Russian instructors have trained some CAR troops inside Sudan. Sergey Lavrov, Russia's veteran foreign minister, recently visited Angola, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe. For Moscow, it seems, the goals of tapping into Africa's mineral wealth and challenging Western influence on the continent overlap. Sending contractors to CAR, a country in the heart of Africa that borders six other states, ticks both boxes. Perhaps Alexander Rastorguyev, one of Russia's most accomplished documentary makers, and his team were on their way to finding out more. His friends at a memorial service in Moscow last week believed they would have done. But at the moment, they just want to know what happened. Kirill Kulagin, who was close to the film-maker, asked: "Was it a contract murder, a robbery, a targeted assassination?" "It could be anything," he said. "We still can't understand anything." VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - A Vigo County man is behind bars and hundreds of weapons have been seized. On Friday morning, police began serving a search warrant at a home on 936 E. Sunset Pike Drive in southern Vigo County. That home belongs to 55-year-old Gary Diana. It started when Diana allegedly threatened a healthcare worker. That healthcare worker informed her supervisor who then contacted police. The healthcare worker told police he had numerous weapons inside the home. That is when Vigo County Sheriff Greg Ewing said they enacted an Indiana law called the 'Red Flag Law.' That law allows police, with a warrant, to take custody of a person's firearms if they believe the public is in danger. On Friday morning, police stopped Diana while he was leaving his home. That is when police began searching his home. That is where they say they found hundreds of weapons and highly explosive materials. That forced the Vigo County Sheriff's Office to bring in help from the Indiana State Police bomb squad, ATF, and FBI. Ewing told us Diana's gun collection was the largest he had ever seen. Now, the agencies involved are investing each weapon...one by one. Police say they will hold onto the weapons until a court decides what should happen next. Diana was arrested and is facing a charge of felony intimidation. We will continue to follow this story and bring you more information as soon as it becomes available. JACKSON, Miss. (AP) Some Mississippi residents are asking a federal court of appeals to fully consider their arguments that the state flag with the Confederate battle emblem represents white supremacy and sends a message that black people are not welcome. Several black and white residents of the Gulf Coast city of Ocean Springs filed papers Friday asking the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to hear oral arguments. The plaintiffs are trying to revive their lawsuit that a U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola Jr. dismissed June 19. He said the plaintiffs didn't prove they were treated unequally by the government. Mississippi has used the same flag since 1894, with the Confederate battle emblem in the upper left corner. People who voted in a statewide election in 2001 chose to keep the flag. But, several Mississippi cities and counties have stopped flying it in recent years amid criticism that the Confederate emblem is a racist reminder of slavery and segregation. Supporters of the flag say it represents history. The lawsuit, filed in April, calls the Mississippi flag "racially demeaning and hostile." It claims that by flying the flag, majority-white Ocean Springs engages in "racial steering" to exclude black people, violating the federal Fair Housing Act. "The City, by its voluntary decision to fly a symbol of white supremacy at City Hall and other City property, is intentionally expressing a preference for white people and 'steering' African-Americans away from Ocean Springs," plaintiffs' attorneys Carlos Moore and Michael T. Scott argue in the papers filed Friday. They also wrote: "Unlawful racial steering can be accomplished in a variety of non-coercive ways, including as is the case here, through a symbolic expression of racial preference and hostility." Ocean Springs didn't fly the flag for several years under a previous mayor. After a new mayor took office in July 2017, city officials returned the flag to some municipal buildings. The Census Bureau says Ocean Springs has nearly 17,700 residents, and about 10 percent are black. Representing the city of Ocean Springs, attorney Kevin M. Melchi said in court papers in May that the flag lawsuit is "completely frivolous and not brought in good faith, but only to harass, intimidate, and waste precious resources of the City." TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Florida State announced on Friday its next "Doak After Dark" concert that will feature Big Boi from Outkast and T-Pain on Oct. 20. FSU says the concert will follow the FSU-Wake Forest game and will be free for fans with a game ticket. Field passes for the concert will be $20. A game time has not been announced yet for the FSU-Wake Forest game. October 20th is going be a PARTY with @BigBoi and @TPAIN! Make sure you secure your ticket to the Wake Forest game TODAY! #DAD18 pic.twitter.com/Xfsev0DGcs Doak After Dark (@DoakAfterDark) August 17, 2018 T-Pain is originally from Tallahassee where he attended Rickards High School and was part of the Tallahassee rap group named Nappy Headz. His stage name is also short for Tallahassee-Pain. Earlier this year, there were attempts to detain Dr Schram in PNG as an act of vengeance following his identification of corrupt practices at Unitech. Dr Schram was later able to leave the country when he realised a conspiracy against him was beginning to take shape and was able to regain his passport and return to Italy. A member of UNRE staff has provided PNG Attitude with a letter to the universitys council which explains to its members exactly why Professor John Warren left hurriedly and without formal ceremony this month, the experience of former University of Technology vice-chancellor Dr Albert Schram fresh in his mind. BARCELONA A letter from the former vice-chancellor of Papua New Guinea's University of Natural Resources and Environment (UNRE) in Rabaul has said senior staff urged him to leave PNG for his own safety after a scurrilous attempt had been made to level trumped up criminal charges against him. In his letter to the university council, Prof Warren says he hopes it will clarify the circumstances surrounding the events that led to his sudden departure which occurred after the UNRE chancellor Kenneth Sumbuk accused him of spreading rumours that he (Sumbuk) wanted to take over the university. Prof Kenneth Sumbuk - falsely accused vice-chancellor of spreading rumours & then threatned to report him to police On five separate occasions he mentioned the possibility of reporting me to the police over this, Prof Warren wrote. Although I was aware of rumours that the chancellor wanted to be vice chancellor, they had not been circulated by me. In fact I considered them trivial gossip. However, I was very disturbed by the chancellors repeated threats to report me to the police. At a hastily-called council meeting on 26 July, Prof Warrens authority was constantly undermined and normal protocols and procedures ignored and ridiculed by the chancellor. It seems council members themselves also failed to assist resolve or regularise matters. By the end of the meeting my job had become untenable, and I submitted my resignation the following day, Warren wrote. Prevailed upon to remain for a transition period by PNG higher education secretary Fr Jan Czuba, Prof Warren at first agreed but was then informed by senior UNRE staff that they were concerned about his safety if he remained. The same afternoon he received news that a court order was about to be served on him and, after consulting the British High Commission and his lawyer, and with the Schram case in mind, he decided that although the charges were ludicrous, I should leave PNG as quickly and quietly as possible. This I did, regrettably without being able to say goodbye to my many close friends and colleagues. My decision to accept the position of vice-chancellor at UNRE was not motivated by financial or career reasons, Prof Warren said. I took a significant reduction in salary when moving to UNRE and have no ambition to work in academia following this appointment. I was motivated purely by a desire to help UNRE improve as an organisation, to enhance the education received by its students, and to promote the sustainable use of natural resources in PNG. Since his departure, angry UNRE students have been boycotting classes and demanding an explanation of the events that led to his departure. But Prof Warren will not be coming back. Under no circumstances will I be returning to UNRE as vice chancellor, he said. In his letter to the university council he accused it of repeatedly overturning decisions it had no authority to make. It is extremely poor governance for council to undermine the authority of the vice chancellor unless there is a significant disciplinary issue, he said. If you were unhappy with my performance, you should have said so and I would have been happy to step down. Instead you took over the responsibilities of the CEO. Prof Warren said council members should consider their positions. He did not say this, but I can be observed here, that the chancellor and council should be sacked and the operations of Fr Czubas struggling higher education authority put under scrutiny. But, with PNG rapidly becoming a place where people make up their own rules as the normal functioning of organisations breaks down, none of this will happen, The prospects of PNG's higher education system recovering and strengthening through the application of qualified, competent and dedicated leadership seem a long way off. PALM BAY, FL (WKMG/CNN) - An 88-year-old man was arrested after police said he burned a raccoon alive. "88-years-old, first time I ever have to go to jail. I never thought about killing nobody in my lifetime. No man, no woman, no kid," said Ezra James. James posted a $2,000 bond and described planning to kill the animal for eating his mangoes. James also said he wanted to prevent the raccoon from biting him and giving him rabies. "I throw some gasoline on him and light a match," James said. Moments later, as the raccoon burned alive in a metal trap, a neighbor called 911, James said. James is still mad at the neighbors actions. "She's a wicked woman," James said. James is originally from Jamaica and says he did not know authorities would have humanely euthanized the raccoon. When police got there Friday morning, James watched an officer shoot the raccoon to put it out of its misery. "Two (police) shot and kill the raccoon," he said. He may now have to explain his actions to some disturbed neighbors. "I never would have believed he would have done that," said Nancy Gill, a neighbor. James and Gill have been neighbors for 20 years. "I sure hope he thinks about it because God don't want us to do stuff like this," she said. "I'm not going to catch no more because I learned my lesson," James said. "No, I'm done with that." Copyright 2018 WKMG via CNN. All rights reserved. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-17 10:28:16|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close Emergency personnel respond to the Xiamen Airlines Boeing 737-800 in the grass safety area after it swerved upon landing at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Paranaque City, the Philippines, Aug. 17, 2018. A passenger plane from China's Xiamen Airlines skidded off the runway and onto grass when it landed at the Manila international airport early Friday. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali) MANILA, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Philippine aviation authorities decided on Friday to close the runway in Manila airport where a Xiamen Airlines passenger plane skidded off the runway late Thursday night, causing flights cancellations and diversion to other airports. On early Friday morning, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), which operates the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) issued a joint statement. The authorities said in the statement that the Boeing 737-800 plane suffered "runway excursion" at 11:55 p.m. local time on Thursday. Runway excursion means that the plane veered or overrun from the runway surface while landing. In the case of the Xiamen Airline flight number MF8667, authorities said it swerved off the runway and onto the grass at the Manila international airport after a "missed approach" due to "heavy downpour." The authorities confirmed that all of the passengers and crew from the Xiamen Airline plan are safe. In a news conference on Friday morning, MIAA and CAAP added that the passengers and crew are now billeted in a hotel. Moreover, the authorities said that passengers were evacuated using the aircraft's emergency chute and were brought to the terminal where they were provided with blankets and food before they were brought to a hotel. MIAA General Manager Ed Monreal said there is a need to clear the runway of debris from the damaged engine and landing gear of the plane. CAAP spokesperson Eric Apolonio said the affected runway will be temporality closed until 4:00 p.m. on Friday. A total of 12 flights were cancelled on Friday morning as a result of the accident. The plane still sits in a patch of grass to the side of the runway. Apolonio said the plane will remain on the main runway of Ninoy Aquino International Airport until the investigation is concluded. "Investigators from the CAAP Aircraft Accident Investigating Bureau is already on site to determine the cause of the accident," the authorities said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-17 23:01:04|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Contestants take a group photo in the Confucius Classroom at the Emalus campus of the University of the South Pacific in Port Vila, Vanuatu, Aug. 17, 2018. The 11th "Chinese Bridge", the Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students in Vanuatu Division was held on Friday in the Confucius Classroom at the Emalus campus of the University of the South Pacific with the participation of 15 students. (Xinhua/Zhang Yongxing) PORT VILA (VANUATU), Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- The 11th "Chinese Bridge", the Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students in Vanuatu Division was held on Friday in the Confucius Classroom at the Emalus campus of the University of the South Pacific with the participation of 15 students. The 15 contestants were from Central School, Vila East School and Malapoa College. The top two winners will be travelling to China to represent Vanuatu in the further rounds this October. The contestants were evaluated from three aspects: self-introduction, talent show and Q&A. Although the majority of them have been learning Chinese for less than six months, their clear pronunciation, fluent response and marvelous talent show reflect their Chinese competence, their understanding and love for China and the Chinese culture. As one of the contestants, Sandy Madilson, a 15-year-old student, told Xinhua that the Chinese language is unique and very interesting, she wants to learn it well and help increase the mutual understanding and cooperation between the two peoples of Vanuatu and China. Yang Hui, Chinese director of the Confucius Institute at the the University of the South Pacific, said that this competition is very important and has positive influence as this is to check the students their study of the Chinese language and encourage them to continue their study of it. For his part, Ruben Markward, director of the Emalus campus at the University of the South Pacific (USP), voiced his satisfaction with the competition. As a useful platform and bridge, Confucius Institute has not only enriched his campus' study, but also helped deepen the friendship between the two countries, he said. The Confucius Classroom at Emalus Campus of USP in Vanuatu was officially inaugurated in May 2015. It has held four Chinese Bridge competitions since its establishment, with eight Vanuatu's middle school students being sent to China to study Chinese and learn about the Chinese culture. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 00:21:39|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close The 2018 High-Level Meeting on China-Africa Health Cooperation is held in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 17, 2018. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei) BEIJING, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Officials and experts from China, Africa, the African Union and other international organizations gathered in Beijing Friday at a session themed "China-Africa Cooperation in Maternal and Newborn Health." The session, co-organized by China's National Health Commission (NHC), UNICEF and the African Union, was part of the High-Level Meeting on China-Africa Health Cooperation that opened Friday. Approximately 7,000 newborns die every day from mostly preventable causes, according to the UN. A child in sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for 38 percent of global neonatal deaths, is nine times more likely to die in the first month than a child in a high-income country. China is one of few countries that has seen a rapid reduction of neonatal and under-five mortality rates in recent decades, benefiting from efforts such as promoting hospital deliveries and basic health insurance. "We see China as an extremely important development actor for Africa, and we see great scope for aid and investment to be expanded together in the maternal, newborn and child health arena," said Shahida Azfar, UNICEF deputy executive director. "China-Africa South-South Cooperation is a win-win partnership." The delegates discussed progress in maternal and child health in China and Africa, South-South pilot programs experiences, and transferability of China's experiences, and expressed their hope of making more of China's policies and interventions, including those in its underdeveloped areas, to benefit Africa under South-South Cooperation. "South-South Cooperation -- the sharing of expertise and best practices across countries -- presents an immense opportunity for us to tackle the unacceptably high rates of maternal and newborn mortality in Africa, together as partners," Azfar said. Song Li, deputy director general of the Department of Woman and Child Health Services of the NHC, said: "China is willing to continue to fulfill its international responsibilities to address the maternal and child health issue together with other countries." The High-Level Meeting on China-Africa Health Cooperation, which will run until Saturday, is part of a series of activities ahead of the upcoming 2018 Beijing summit for the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. With nine thematic sessions held, it focuses on China-Africa cooperation in various aspects such as the health industry and medical-specialist training. "African countries can learn from China's experiences of healthcare system building," said Ren Minghui, assistant director-general of the World Health Organization for communicable diseases at the opening of the meeting. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 01:22:01|Editor: yan Video Player Close by Murad Abdu ADEN, Yemen, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Cattle markets in the main cities of war-torn Yemen are recently thronged with customers eager to buy sacrificial animals for Eid al-Adha, the second of the two Islamic holidays celebrated worldwide. During the annual festival of Eid al-Adha starting from Aug. 21, Muslims across the world would celebrate by sacrificing a goat or sheep, and then eating it together with families and friends. However, the market prices for some livestock in Yemen this year have increased sharply ahead of the four-day Eid al-Adha, or the "Festival of Sacrifice," making it difficult for most people to afford animals for this holy festival. Many citizens in the southern port city of Aden lost their hope, saying they could not endure the soaring prices and this Eid al-Adha will be celebrated without sacrificial animals. A local billy goat, which was priced at 40,000 Yemeni rials (159.8 U.S. dollars) during last year's Eid al-Adha, is now fetching more than 90,000 rials in a livestock market in Aden. Bashir Jamal, a citizen living in Aden, said Eid al-Adha is the only annual occasion that brings his family and relatives together to taste different types of dishes amid joy and happiness. "Despite the rising prices, I will continue to look for my suitable goat because Eid al-Adha won't be good without it," Bashir said. "It looks that I will travel to other neighboring provinces like Abyan or rural areas where livestock prices are a bit low. Here in Aden everything is high," he said. Despite the rising prices, all markets in Aden and neighboring areas were crowded with customers before Eid al-Adha, said Majed Salim, another buyer at the market. "The rising prices will not deprive citizens from buying their sacrificial animals because they will sell anything just to find a solution for this obstacle," Salim said. "To overcome the unreasonable prices, I'm planning to sell my wife's jewelry to get money and then buy a good sheep," he said. "Some of the Yemeni citizens will be helpless and won't find a solution like mine particularly during these difficult days," the man lamented. Meanwhile, livestock traders complained about high transport costs and the continuing depreciation of Yemen's rial against foreign currencies. "During this annual occasion we always increase our business and get some good money and this year everything was doubled priced, not only livestock," said Ahmed Bam Ali, a livestock trader. The impoverished Arab country has been locked into a civil war since 2014, when the Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels overran much of the country militarily and seized all northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa. The Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened militarily against Houthis in March 2015 in response to an official request from Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to protect Yemen. Three quarters of the entire population, or more than 22 million Yemenis, urgently require humanitarian help, including 8.4 million who struggle to find their next meal. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 01:27:02|Editor: yan Video Player Close KAMPALA, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Economic experts have urged Africa to grab the opportunities presented by a new wave of industrialization, as manufacturers shift their attention from China to elsewhere in the world, where wages are lower and resources are abundant. Experts who attended a one-day annual China-Uganda business summit on Thursday argued that the timing is right and some countries on the continent have seized the opportunity to attract the movement of industries. Hai Yu, chief executive officer of Made in Africa Initiative Limited, told the business gathering that as China's per capita gross domestic product (GDP) increases, many labor intensive industries will shift from China. Hai, who is also the goodwill ambassador of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, argued that in the process of movement, over 85 million jobs will be created, providing opportunity to millions of unemployed youth in Africa. She argued that whereas some experts say the jobs may go to South East Asia, that part of Asia does not have the huge numbers of people to work in the factories. "This is why Africa, I would say there is a golden opportunity. It is a continent with more than 1.2 billion people, most of them are young people desperate for jobs," she said. The movement of labor intensive industries has caused a jump start to the economic transformation of countries that strategized, according to Hai. She sighted Japan and South Korea in the 1960s and 1980s. Other experts argued that there is a general understanding in many African countries that industrialization will be critical in fast tracking their economic development. Uganda, for instance, has set up over 20 industrial parks and some economic free zones to attract investors, according to Uganda Investment Authority, the state-run investment promotion agency. The industrial park model in Ethiopia is already creating thousands of jobs, according to Hai. Fred Muhumuza, an economist and also a lecturer at Makerere University, Uganda's top university, told Xinhua in an interview that as Africa positions itsself to benefit from the industrialization movement, it must focus on agriculture because that is where a bigger percentage of its population derives its livelihood. Muhumuza also argued that while China has been critical in financing the infrastructure development in Africa, Africa needs to learn from China's style of governance that has catapulted its economic development. "There is zero tolerance of corruption in China, their institutions are literally neat and coordinated, here one ministry does not talk to the other. It is time for us to begin engaging China on how to get an efficient government," he said. The meeting, according to the organizers, laid a foundation for Uganda's participation in the upcoming Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit to be held in Beijing next month. The forum is also expected to give domestic investors an opportunity to partner with investors from China. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 02:57:24|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- The top UN official for humanitarian affairs on Friday called for the protection of aid workers and civilians in armed conflict. Mark Lowcock, UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, made the appeal on the occasion of the World Humanitarian Day, which falls on Aug. 19. Last year, 139 aid workers were killed, 102 were wounded and 72 were kidnapped in the line of duty. This marks the fifth consecutive year in which more than 100 humanitarians lost their lives on the job, and it is the highest recorded annual death toll since 2013, when 156 humanitarians were killed, said Lowcock in a press release. "It is unconscionable that civilians and the aid workers who are trying to help them are killed and maimed in conflict zones with utter impunity. We need this to end." In 2017, three out of four of the 43,000 people reportedly killed or injured by explosive weapons were civilians, a 38-percent increase from 2016, said Lowcock. Governments and non-state armed groups have clear legal obligations to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, protect aid workers and ensure the safe and unimpeded passage of supplies in armed conflict, he said. "It is imperative that we hold men with guns and power accountable when civilians and aid workers are illegally targeted." Aug. 19 was designated as World Humanitarian Day by the UN General Assembly in 2008 to mark the bombing that targeted the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq on Aug. 19, 2003. The blast at the Canal Hotel in Baghdad killed 22 people, including the world body's top envoy in Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 03:22:27|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close Patients wait for treatment when nurse Jesca Namugoya walks out of the acupuncture ward at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital in eastern Uganda, on Aug. 14, 2018. In the lush green compound of Jinja Regional Referral Hospital in eastern Uganda, a tree blossoms. It is no ordinary tree, but a tree that signifies the 29-year relation between Chinese medical teams and the hospital. (Xinhua/Zhang Gaiping) JINJA, Uganda, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- In the lush green compound of Jinja Regional Referral Hospital in eastern Uganda, a tree blossoms. It is no ordinary tree, but a tree that signifies the 29-year relation between Chinese medical teams and the hospital. The teams have since 2012 been shifted to another hospital in the capital Kampala, but the memories here live on. At the acupuncture ward, patients from different parts of the country queue to have the traditional Chinese therapy. In the ward, two local nurses administer the therapy, there is no Chinese acupuncturist. The nurses, Rose Kawuma and Jesca Namugoya, learnt the skill from the different Chinese medical teams that were on placement at the hospital under an agreement between the Ugandan government and China. The Chinese government since 1983 has been dispatching rotating medical teams to Jinja. As of 2012, a total of 15 groups of medical teams have worked at the hospital, with a total of 147 medical staff, according to the hospital figures. Kawuma and Namugoya are the only known locals who administer acupuncture and it is only at Jinja hospital among all government health facilities in the country where it is administered apart from the the Chinese-donated China-Uganda Friendship Hospital Naguru in the capital Kampala. "I learnt on the job, I used to see what my Chinese doctor used to do and eventually he allowed me to start administering acupuncture under close supervision," Kawuma told Xinhua at the hospital. She said over the years, she has gained experience and she now does it without any supervision. As she carefully inserts the needles into a male patient, on the other side of the one-roomed ward, partitioned by a curtain, a female patient waits. The ward is open half day from Monday to Friday which keeps Kawuma and Namugoya busy. Most of the patients, according to Kawuma, are elderly and some suffer from neuro palsy. As Kawuma was treating the patients, Namugoya was waiting for new supplies of acupuncture needles from the China-Uganda Friendship Hospital. Namugoya told Xinhua that at times they run out of supplies which drastically affects the operation of the ward. "We cannot ask the patients to buy the acupuncture needles because that is not acceptable. We have to rely on supplies from the friendship hospital," she said. There was joy among the patients as Namugoya walked in with a box of needles. Lubega Agiri Aligawesa, assistant commissioner nursing at the hospital told Xinhua that they are overwhelmed by the number of patients who want acupuncture. She said that the hospital currently needs to train more acupuncture nurses so that when they leave, others can continue to work. "More and more Ugandans believe in the efficacy of acupuncture, and they really like it," she said. Kawuma, according to Aligawesa, will soon retire, meaning that Namugoya will have a heavier workload. She said the hospital is ready to send about two nurses to the China-Uganda Friendship Hospital so that they can learn from the Chinese acupuncturist there. "We can't always be with Chinese doctors, we need to do things ourselves and carry out acupuncture skills. I hope they continue to support our work, especially the training," she said. Wilber Wabwire, 58 years old, has been receiving acupuncture at the ward for several years. "A few years ago, I had a back pain and my right leg could not move. I tried various drugs, but they all failed. One doctor suggested that I try Chinese acupuncture treatment," Wabwire told Xinhua while lying on the treatment bed. "Doctor Qian and Doctor Li of the Chinese medical team used to give me some needle treatment," he said. He said he comes to the ward twice or thrice a month and he is now feeling much better and is able to do his work. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 03:47:33|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before leaving the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, Aug. 17, 2018. U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday defended his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, as a "good person", as a jury at a Virginia federal court entered the second day of deliberations in Manafort's bank and tax fraud trial. (Xinhua/Ting Shen) WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday defended his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, as a "good person", as a jury at a Virginia federal court entered the second day of deliberations in Manafort's bank and tax fraud trial. "I think the whole Manafort trial is very sad," Trump told reporters in White House before departing for fundraising events in New York. "He worked for me for a very short period of time," Trump said of Manafort. "He happens to be a very good person." The president didn't give an answer when asked if he is prepared to pardon Manafort, a veteran lobbyist who joined Trump's campaign team in March 2016 and spent three months as Trump's campaign chairman until mid August of that year. After a full day Thursday, the six-man, six-woman jury hadn't reached a verdict on the 18 criminal charges of bank and tax fraud Manafort is facing. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges. "You may deliberate as long or as little as you wish," U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III told the jurors on Friday morning before they resumed deliberations behind closed doors. However, the trial "might end soon", Ellis told reporters later. Manafort, 69, is the first member of Trump's election team to face trial on charges arising from the ongoing Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into alleged Russia's interference in the 2016 U.S. general elections. The charges largely stem from Manafort's time working for a pro-Russian leader in Ukraine before the 2016 election. But the trial is being seen as a key test of the strength of Mueller's investigation, which is probing alleged ties between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin. Trump has repeatedly called the probe a "witch hunt" that hasn't found evidence of Russian collusion with his campaign, and his lawyers are urging the special counsel wrap things up. Manafort is also facing a separate trial in Washington D.C. on charges of money laundering and fraud conspiracy, which is scheduled for September. A Russian flag flies next to the US embassy building in Moscow on March 27, 2018. (Xinhua/AFP) MOSCOW, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Russia has sent a note of protest to the U.S. State Department over Washington's continuing breach of international law with regard to Russian diplomatic and consular missions in the U.S. territories, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation has lodged a strong protest with the State Department by sending an appropriate note through diplomatic channels," the ministry said in a press release. It also drew the attention of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to this matter by sending a letter earlier in May for the purpose of preparing the report of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, the ministry added. Russia and the United States have been waging sanctions against each other in the diplomatic sphere as bilateral relations have continued to worsen over recent years. In December 2016, Washington closed Russian diplomatic compounds in New York and Maryland. In July 2017, Russia declared its decision to cut the number of U.S. diplomatic staff and seize two U.S. properties in Moscow. In September 2017, U.S. authorities shut down the Russian Consulate General in San Francisco and trade missions in Washington D.C. and the New York City. In March, Russia declared its decision to expel 60 U.S. diplomats and shut the U.S. consulate general in St. Petersburg in response to Washington's moves against Moscow. Moscow has repeatedly said that it reserves the right to take additional countermeasures against U.S. diplomatic properties in Russia if Washington continues hostility. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 04:22:42|Editor: yan Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- The UN refugees agency (UNHCR) said on Friday refugees have the freedom of choice to return to their home countries. UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Protection Volka Turk made the remarks at the end of his four-day visit to Tanzania. His visit was aimed at discussing with the government and other partners on the protection challenges and solutions for more than 340,000 refugees and asylum seekers from neighboring countries living in Tanzania. Turk said the right of refugees to return to their respective countries needed to be respected, emphasizing that the choice had to be based on informed consent. "Refugees need to have a meaningful choice of whether they wish to return home based on the facts and realities on the ground," he told a news conference in the the commercial capital Dar es Salaam. He said there should not be any direct or indirect pressure put on refugees to choose to return to their respective countries. When asked about the UNHCR's stand regarding an agreement Tanzania and Burundi entered which proclaimed that Burundi was now safe for the return of refugees living in Tanzania, Turk said at the moment his office supported those who chose to return to their respective countries. According to him, humanitarian funds for refugees had doubled during the past three years and needed to be tripled because of unwarranted situations from around the world, hence prevention was the most important thing. UNHCR commended the government of Tanzania for its commitment to refugees' protection and long-standing generosity towards those fleeing conflict and persecution. The majority of refugees in Tanzania are from Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with 87 percent of them living in three camps in Kigoma region, in western Tanzania. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 06:08:06|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close BERLIN, Aug 17 (Xinhua) -- Schalke progressed into the second round after overcoming lower league side Schweinfurt 2-0 on the goals from Nabil Bentaleb and Adam Jabiri in the first round of the German Cup on Friday. Fourth division side Schweinfurt gave last season's runner up Schalke a hard time but Nabil Bentaleb's opener and Adam Jabiri's own goal smoothed the way for the expected but hard earned victory. The "Royal Blues" assumed control from the kick off and were able to threat the hosts through Guido Burgstaller, who pulled wide from close range in the 7th minute. As the match progressed Schalke lacked in ideas to overcome Schweinfurt's well-positioned defence. Hence, the Bundesliga side had to wait until 24th minute before Schweinfurt's Arne Aarnink felled Amine Harit inside the box to cause a foul play penalty. Nabil Bentaleb stepped up and converted the penalty into the bottom left corner to open the scoring. Schweinfurt kept Schalke on the distance but failed to pose any threat within the first 45 minutes. After the restart, Schalke had the chance to double the lead but Mark Uth lacked in precision to extend the advantage. Domenico Tedesco's men were in full control of the proceedings on the pitch still they were only able to establish a narrow 1-0 lead. Things changed in the 75th minute when Schalke sealed the deal as Adam Jabiri deflected Matija Nastsic's header into his own goal to make it 2-0 on the scoreboards. Elsewhere, second division side Darmstadt edged Magdeburg on the sole goal from Tobias Kempe meanwhile third division club Wehen Wiesbaden eliminated second division side St. Pauli 3-2 in overtime. The following fixtures are scheduled for Saturday: Linx host Nuremberg, Elversberg face Wolfsburg, Worms clash with Werder Bremen, Drochtersen see Bayern Munich, Kaiserslautern encounter Hoffenheim, Leverkusen travel to Pforzheim, Ulm take on title holders Frankfurt, Aue meet Mainz and Stuttgart visit Rostock. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 07:08:14|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close SANTIAGO, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chilean authorities arrested the suspected prank caller who disrupted nine commercial flights on Thursday by alleging they were planted with bombs, Chile's Investigation Police (PDI) said on Friday. Police spokesman Maj. Diego Rojas, said the perpetrator was apprehended early Friday morning in Antofagasta, 1,300 kilometers north of the capital, and brought to Santiago to be charged. The 29-year-old suspect reportedly made the calls because he was annoyed at having missed a flight and lost his luggage, police said. "Some of the calls were made from Antofagasta. Our technical teams used georeferencing to determine their locations, which led to the arrest of an individual, 29, with no prior record," said Rojas. Chilean President Sebastian Pinera on Friday called on the courts to show no leniency toward the perpetrator. "I have asked the Interior and Public Security Ministry to make an example of those responsible by charging them with (violating) the National Security Law," he said. The hoax calls to Chile's Civil Aviation Administration (DGAC) caused several flights to make emergency landings. Inspections turned up nothing. People walk through debris in the center of Afrin, Syria, March 24, 2018. (REUTERS Photo) WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. State Department on Friday said that the fund of some 230 million U.S. dollars targeted to support the stabilization initiative in Syria would be withdrawn. In a statement, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has authorized the Department of State to "redirect approximately $230 million in stabilization funds for Syria which have been under review." She explained that the fund could be offset by the approximately 300 million U.S. dollars that the Department has elicited since April "in contributions and pledges from Coalition partners to support critical stabilization and early recovery initiatives in areas liberated from ISIS in northeast Syria." The decision took into account "the President's guidance on the need to increase burden sharing with allies and partners," she said, adding that the State Department will redirect these funds to support "other key foreign policy priorities." However, she added that "this decision does not represent any lessening of U.S. commitment to our strategic goals in Syria," and it does not affect U.S. humanitarian assistance in the war-torn nation. "We are prepared to remain in Syria until the enduring defeat of ISIS, and we remain focused on ensuring the withdrawal of Iranian forces and their proxies," she said. U.S. former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Feb. 13 pledged 200 million U.S. dollars in support of the anti-IS coalition efforts and recovery commitment in Syria. However, U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly ordered in March a hold on the funds, demanding more information on how the money is being used and urging other countries to step up to the plate and pay more. Trump also said in a speech in the U.S. state of Ohio that that his country will withdraw its troops in Syria "very soon," at odds with the statement of Pentagon spokesperson Dana White on the same day that "important work remains to guarantee the lasting defeat of these violent extremists" in the Middle East country. Trump's remarks have triggered speculation of the U.S. possible retreat from Syria. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 08:11:08|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Doctor Yuan Xiaolan (R, front) from Guangdong examines a patient at the People's Hospital in Nyingchi, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Aug. 16, 2018. Guangdong Province has sent four batches of medical staff to the People's Hospital of Nyingchi in the past four years to provide better medical care services to local people. (Xinhua/Zhang Rufeng) Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 07:42:59|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close Photo taken on Aug. 17, 2018 shows the Flower Carpet at the Grand Place in Brussels, Belgium. The Flower Carpet 2018 is held at the Grand Place in Brussels from Aug. 16 to Aug. 19. This year's carpet is dedicated to Guanajuato, a Mexican region with rich floral culture and tradition. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 07:23:16|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. State Department on Friday said that the fund of some 230 million U.S. dollars targeted to support the stabilization initiative in Syria has been ordered to be redirected, ramping up speculation that it would withdraw from the country. REDIRECTION In a statement, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has authorized the Department of State to "redirect approximately $230 million in stabilization funds for Syria which have been under review." She explained that the fund could be offset by the approximately 300 million U.S. dollars that the Department has elicited since April "in contributions and pledges from Coalition partners to support critical stabilization and early recovery initiatives in areas liberated from ISIS in northeast Syria." The decision took into account "the President's guidance on the need to increase burden sharing with allies and partners," she said, adding that the State Department will redirect these funds to support "other key foreign policy priorities." However, she added that "this decision does not represent any lessening of U.S. commitment to our strategic goals in Syria," and it does not affect U.S. humanitarian assistance in the war-torn nation. "We are prepared to remain in Syria until the enduring defeat of ISIS, and we remain focused on ensuring the withdrawal of Iranian forces and their proxies," she said. Later on the same day, Nauert said in a teleconference with the media that Pompeo has appointed Jim Jeffrey, U.S. former ambassador to Iraq, to be the Secretary's Representative for Syria Engagement, a new position Pompeo created to work on the Geneva Process. U.S. former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson announced on Feb. 13 that the United States pledges 200 million U.S. dollars in support of the anti-IS coalition efforts and recovery commitment in Syria. However, U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly ordered in March a hold on the funds, demanding more information on how the money is being used, and urging other countries to step up to the plate and pay more. GENEVA PROCESS Brett McGurk, U.S. special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, also said in the teleconference that "long-term reconstruction needs are tied very much to the political process in Geneva." "We've made very clear that international reconstruction assistance for Syria will not be coming in until we have a - really an unalterable progress on the Geneva track, moving towards a political transition," said the official. Nauert also said Pompeo "looks forward to engaging with his counterparts at UN General Assembly on this issue, and also looking for ways to reinvigorate the Geneva process." President Donald Trump said in March that his country will withdraw its troops in Syria "very soon," at odds with the statement of Pentagon spokesperson Dana White on the same day that "important work remains to guarantee the lasting defeat of these violent extremists" in the Middle East country. "We'll be coming out of Syria, like, very soon. Let the other people take care of it now," Trump said. He also noted in April that the United States has spent 7 trillion U.S. dollars in the Middle East in the past 17 years, which has brought "nothing, except death and destruction." Trump's remarks have triggered speculation of the U.S. possible retreat from Syria. Despite of Trump's eagerness for a quick retreat, the Pentagon and the U.S. State Department have voiced view that a much longer-term effort is necessary to fully defeat the IS. The United States has been aiding a military campaign in Syria which had taken back much of the territory once occupied by the militant group. So far, there were around 2,000 U.S. troops remaining in Syria. Syria has always denounced the U.S. military action in the country as uninvited aggression. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 07:28:18|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close HAVANA, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Famed international dancers have confirmed their participation at the 26th Alicia Alonso International Ballet Festival in Havana, local media reported on Friday. The festival, scheduled to run from Oct. 28 to Nov. 6, is considered one of the world's most important dance events. American dancer Rasta Thomas, ranked by experts as one of the best of his generation, told the daily Juventud Rebelde the festival will feature some of the world's finest principal dancers and soloists. Lucky attendees will see performances by Joaquin de Luz from the New York City Ballet and Camila Bocca of the Colon Theater Ballet of Buenos Aires, among others. The renowned Grand Theatre de Geneve ballet company will be in attendance, as will Prague's National Ballet company. The Caribbean island nation is home to one of the foremost dance companies in the world, the Ballet Nacional de Cuba. Due to Fidel Castro's support, ballet is extremely popular in Cuba. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the stage debut of Alicia Alonso, the iconic Cuban ballerina who played a key role in the growth of ballet's popularity on the island. In addition to performances, the festival includes conferences, exhibitions and classes for aspiring dancers. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 09:13:30|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close MANILA, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Philippine airport authorities have removed the heavily-damaged Xiamen Airlines passenger plane that skidded off the runway of Manila International Airport on Thursday, authorities said on Saturday. However, a staff from the operation center of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) told Xinhua that the runway will not be opened until noon on Saturday. Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Ed Monreal confirmed that the affected runway will remain closed until noon. "A final extension of runway closure until 12 noon today is necessary to give way for the demobilization of heavy equipment used to lift the aircraft. Simultaneously, clearing the runway of debris and other foreign objects will also be done," Monreal said in a statement early Saturday. Thousands of passengers were stranded in various airports across the country following the cancellation and delay of more than 130 flights in all four terminals on Friday. Several incoming flights were also diverted to Clark airport, north of Manila, and Cebu in the central Philippines. A Xiamen Airlines flight number MF8667 from Xiamen, China suffered "runway excursion" after landing at the Manila International Airport at 11:55 p.m. on Thursday. The plane then swerved off the runway and onto a grass safety patch a few meters from the main runway after a "missed approach" due to "heavy downpour". All passengers and crew were declared safe. It took more than 24 hours for authorities to remove the plane from the soggy grassy area where it got stuck, causing the closure of the runway and the disruption of the operation of the Philippines' main airport. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 09:58:38|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close BEIJING, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Academics from across the world have called for drawing inspiration from oriental wisdom to build a community of shared future for humanity and develop a more just, inclusive and prosperous society. The remarks were made at the ongoing 24th World Congress of Philosophy held in Beijing from Aug. 13 to 20. Oriental wisdom is known for advocating kindness and unity. Sally J. Scholz, a professor with the Villanova University of United States, hailed China's proposal to build a community with a shared future for humanity. "Common interests rather than the interests of one party should be highlighted in global cooperation and unity," Scholz said. "Global cooperation and coordination are needed to deal with global issues." "The United Nations and sovereign states are important actors in the process while regional organizations, non-governmental organizations and communities also bear due responsibilities." Mogobe Ramose, a professor with the University of South Africa, said that humanity should share the output of the Earth, adding that mutual love instead of egoism and exclusiveness was needed in the context of globalization. Comparing the concepts of "ren" (benevolence) in Chinese Confucianism, with "ubuntu," literally "I am because we are," Ramose said that African humanist philosophy focused on community. He suggested the two concepts should be understood as "philosophiae amoris" (philosophies of love). "The philosophical implications of these concepts are varied but share the common obligation to seek the way of truth in the complexity of life as a wholeness," he said. "Truth here should be understood as a complex lived practical experience of love in search of justice and peace with regard to individuals." The 24th World Congress of Philosophy, co-organized by the International Federation of Philosophical Societies and Peking University, explores and deliberates themes including spirituality, nature, reason, art, love and community. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 10:13:41|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- The situation in India's southernmost flood-hit state Kerala continues to be grim, even as the country's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is camping there since Friday night, and scheduled to take an aerial survey of the ravaged areas on Saturday. Almost whole of the coastal state has been affected, as a red alert has been sounded in 13 out of the total 14 districts. The floods are said to be worst ever in past 100 years. The quantum of damage could be gauged from the fact that so far the official death toll is said to be around 324. The exact quantum of damages to life and property is yet to estimated. More than 230,000 people have been put in over 1,500 relief camps, even as over 100,000 are still marooned, after been rendered homeless. Rigorous efforts are being carried out by all the three wings of defence forces - army, navy and air force, to bring out people from the flood-affected areas. The Indian Navy's Southern Naval Command (SNC) deployed a total of 58 rescue and diving teams with special "Gemini" boats in multiple locations on Friday, the ninth day of "Operation Help". As many as 18 more teams were sent out to various locations to augment the rescue teams. So far more than 3,000 people have been rescued by the SNC, and continuous efforts are on to bring the flood affected people to safety and also provide them essential relief supplies such as food and water, said an official statement. According to official sources, at least 37 teams with one Gemini boat each are deployed in Ernakulam district at various places. One team is at Pizhala island, one at Edapally and three at Perumbavur. The North Paravur area has the most number of teams deployed i.e. 16, while 12 are at Aluva and four at Muvattupuzha areas, said the sources. In Thrissur district, the deployment at Chalakkudy has also been augmented to nine teams, while in Pothanamthitta district, four teams are deployed in Chengannur, and one team each in Ayroor and Pollad. One team is positioned in Kottayam. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 10:38:44|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close MEXICO CITY, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Mexican president-elect, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, announced Friday that he will submit two proposals for a "binding" consultation on the future of the New International Airport for Mexico City (NAIM). Lopez Obrador, who will assume the presidency on Dec. 1, told a press conference that his decision was taken on experts' advice over the pros and cons of each plan. The first proposal is to continue the construction of the airport in Texcoco, State of Mexico, which surrounds Mexico City; however, this option would be costly for the public. The second is to stop the current project and instead build two extra runways at the Santa Lucia military airport in Zumpango, also in the State of Mexico. The president-elect added that even if the Texcoco construction continues, he would not rule out the possibility of granting a concession for part or all of the construction, so that no public funds would be used. Lopez Obrador also stressed "contracts will be respected." Javier Jimenez Espriu, incoming minister of Communications and Transport, explained that cancelling the Texcoco project could cost 100 billion pesos (around 5.23 billion U.S. dollars). The construction of the new airport was one of the polemic issues of the presidential race, with the president-elect at one point threatening to cancel the NAIM completely. The airport's total cost is estimated to be 13.3 billion dollars. It is the principal infrastructure project of President Enrique Pena Nieto's government. According to the plan, the airport project is expected to be completed in 2020. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 10:43:46|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close LOS ANGELES, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Senior U.S. tourism officials are concerned that global trade tensions ignited by the United States could negatively impact the number of visitors to the country, which is nearly five times the size of the American steel industry that is at the heart of the trade disputes. According to a report by azcentral.com, a popular news website in the state of Arizona, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association Roger Dow expressed his worries during a visit to Phoenix. Dow said global trade tensions could discourage international visitors or undermine the value of their currencies, which would make trips to the Unites States less affordable. The association's data shows that visits by international travelers are down about 6 percent over the past two years. That decline is the result of several factors, including the strong U.S. dollar, economic weakness in Latin America and the proliferation of low-cost European airlines that has encouraged travel within Europe, Dow said, adding that the rhetoric by the White House that might not make some international visitors feel welcome also could be taking a toll. "It's a fragile thing this thing we call travel," Dow said. "A dip in travel could have more impact than the steel and aluminum tariffs combined." Dow said he is especially concerned about a possible reduction in the number of visits by Chinese tourists, given the Trump administration's claim that China is the main source of trade imbalances. According to Dow, international tourists in general spend about 4,400 U.S. dollars per trip while visiting America, and Chinese tourists spend close to 7,000 dollars per trip. Meanwhile, the number of tourists from China has risen significantly, from 250,000 or so a decade ago to roughly 8 million last year. Debbie Johnson, director of the Arizona Office of Tourism, said her agency continues to reach out to potential Chinese tourists by posting photos and other contents about the Grand Canyon State on social media outlets. The number of Chinese visitors to Arizona increased 286 percent from 2010 to 2017, Johnson said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 10:48:47|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close BEIJING, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- China's top securities regulator has approved new IPO applications from two companies, which will raise no more than one billion yuan (about 144.93 million U.S. dollars) in the A-share market. Both the Ningbo Yongxin Optics Co. and Argus (Shanghai) Textile Chemicals Co. will be listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, according to the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC). The two companies and their underwriters will confirm IPO dates and publish prospectuses following discussions with the exchange. Under the current IPO system, new shares are subject to approval from the CSRC. China is gradually switching from an approval-based IPO system to one based on registration. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 10:58:49|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close HARARE, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe is poised for a major energy boom that could significantly lower its reliance on imports once China completes the expansion of the country's major power plant. The Hwange Thermal Power Station, the 14th largest plant in southern Africa, has an installed capacity of 920 MW but has not been operating at its optimum level due to aging. The 1.5 billion U.S. dollar expansion project by Sinohydro, China's hydropower engineering and construction firm, will lift the plant's installed capacity to 1,590 MW, which is expected to maintain its position as the country's biggest power plant. Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the project, once completed, will modernize Zimbabwe's energy infrastructure and ensure energy self-sufficiency. It is the largest power development project to be undertaken by Zimbabwe since independence in 1980. Expansion work started in June, and is expected to be completed by mid-2022. This is Sinohydro's second major power development project in Zimbabwe in five years. The firm started the expansion of Kariba South Hydro Power Station in 2014 and completed the work in March 2018, raising its installed capacity to 1,050 MW from 750 MW, making it currently the largest power generator in Zimbabwe. When commissioning the Kariba expansion project in March, Mnangagwa hailed the project as a milestone achievement in the country's quest for development. The president said apart from helping the country, which has faced perennial power shortages and a pressure to reduce its power import bill, the additional 300MW would significantly boost power supplies in the country that is seeking to revive its economy after nearly two decades of stagnant growth. Zimbabwe has a national power demand of 1,600 MW but is currently producing 1,200 MW. It plugs the shortfall through imports from neighboring South Africa and Mozambique. Li Yueping, vice president of the Power China Group, the parent company of Sinohydro, said the power projects in Zimbabwe will help drive industrial and mining development, support economic recovery and benefit millions of households. "In the future, we will continue to work jointly with our Zimbabwean partners for a new era and new journey," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 12:13:59|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close By Elena Chuquimarca QUITO, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- China's Belt and Road Initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013 opens opportunities for sustainable development in Latin America, experts have said recently. "The initiative is important because it proposes a means of global connectivity by building and strengthening infrastructure in strategic and needed sectors," Asia expert Santiago Orbe told Xinhua. The Belt and Road Initiative aims to drive global growth by promoting the infrastructure, connectivity, financial mechanisms and public policies needed to spur trade, especially between the world's emerging and developing regions. For South America in particular , it is "fundamental and beneficial" to join the initiative, since China is the region's second leading trade partner, said Orbe, also a professor at Ecuador's Police Academy. In addition, while all countries need basic infrastructure to thrive, some lack the resources needed to develop it. That's why it makes sense "to take advantage of this initiative to consolidate those weak areas," said Orbe. According to figures from Chinese customs authorities, China-Latin America trade reached 260 billion U.S. dollars in 2016, marking an 18.8 percent increase over the year before. China's Ministry of Commerce reports direct Chinese investment in Latin America has surpassed 200 billion U.S. dollars, turning the region into the second-leading destination for Chinese overseas investment. Milton Reyes, coordinator of the Chinese Studies Center at the National Institute of Higher Studies of Ecuador, agrees with Orbe that regional leaders need to take a more proactive approach to ensure their participation in the initiative. However, their reticence may have to do with the novelty of the idea, he said. "It's a topic with a lot of potential for development and we hope it begins to take off this year," said Reyes. Orbe said it is unfortunate that only two Latin American leaders, the presidents of Argentina and Chile, attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, held in Beijing in May last year. "We are living in an era of greater opening and globalization" best reflected by China and the Pacific Rim region in general, and that is where the opportunities lie for Latin America, he noted. Both Reyes and Orbe see the initiative as positive and dismiss statements by some U.S. officials who call it the "geopolitical" bluster because of China's more active presence in Latin America. "China has been peacefully pursuing closer ties (with Latin America) and does not expect any country to follow its development model ... it expects each country to pursue its own interests," Reyes said. China has clearly spelled out its economic and trade interests in a 2008 policy paper on Latin America and the Caribbean. In 2016, the Chinese government issued a second policy paper, calling for closer ties and friendly cooperation for mutual benefit. China's global vision may eventually benefit the United States as well, said Orbe. "The United States cannot conquer the whole world, but neither can it get away from it ... sooner or later, the cooperation promoted by China's initiative could even be beneficial for the North American region," Orbe said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 12:29:03|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- India has decided to immerse former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's ashes in dozens of rivers across Uttar Pradesh, as a mark of respect to the Bharatiya Janata Party leader who represented the northern state's capital in parliament. Vajpayee, the three-time Indian prime minister who died on Thursday after prolonged illness, was cremated with full state honors in the national capital Friday evening. "Vajpayee's ashes will be immersed in rivers in all the districts of Uttar Pradesh as the state was his karmabhoomi (the land of action)," state Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced soon after his funeral. The former Indian prime minister, also a poet, was elected to Lok Sabha (lower house of the parliament) from Uttar Pradesh's capital Lucknow five times in 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2004. Vajpayee was the first non-Congress Prime Minister since India's independence from colonial Britain in 1947 to complete an entire term in office between 1999 and 2004. He was loved by almost all Indian politicians, cutting across party lines. As per Hindu beliefs, after a body is cremated ,immersion of ashes in water is considered to be the holiest way to spiritually dispose the remains. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 13:14:10|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close DHAKA, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Six people including a political party leader were killed and three others injured in a clash between two rival groups in Bangladesh's southeastern Chittagong Hill tracts, combining three hilly districts of Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachari, on Saturday morning, Superintendent of Police in Khagrachari Ali Ahmed Khan told Xinhua via telephone. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 13:19:11|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close BEIJING, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Pingan Bank saw a 6.5-percent rise in net profit in the first half of the year thanks to strong performance of retail businesses. The company's net profit rose to 13.3 billion yuan (about 1.9 billion U.S. dollars) in H1, according to its financial report filed to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Over the same period, the bank's revenue reached 57.2 billion yuan, up nearly 6 percent year on year, marking a turnaround from a 1.27-percent dip in revenue a year ago. Since the beginning of this year, the bank has diverted more loans to retail businesses and improved the quality of its assets, according to China Chengxin International Credit Rating. The business structure shake-up has seen revenue from retail businesses surge 34.7 percent year on year to 29.3 billion yuan in H1 or 51.2 percent of the bank's total. By the end of June, the number of retail business clients surpassed 77 million, up 10.2 percent from the end of 2017, according to the bank's financial report. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 13:29:14|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- 29-year-old Farhad Fahd Bin Othman, a white collar worker based in Kuala Lumpur, has long been dreaming about using a mobile phone to handle all daily transactions, like the people of his age do in China. So the minute he heard about a new mobile application called Touch n'go e-wallet, he didn't hesitate to download it to his phone. "I found it very useful because everything is in one wallet, not only I could use it in QR transit, I can also use it for other payment such as food. When I wanna buy anything, I can even pay my bill, I use it daily actually," said Farhad, then used the application to enter a subway station in downtown Kuala Lumpur. The mobile app, Touch n'go e-wallet, is powered by Alipay, a mobile payment platform that has helped to build a ecosystem in China. Only operational from earlier this year, the e-wallet embodies big ambitions between Touch 'n Go (TnG), a payment service provider under CIMB banking group and Ant Financial, an affiliate of China's e-commerce giant Alibaba. The mobile app has already incorporated a cluster of functions related to people's everyday life, including paying utility bills, buying flight and cinema tickets. Before Touch n'go e-wallet, local Malaysian people have already been used to paying road tolls with the TnG card, which coupled with a device called SmartTag allows drivers to pass toll gates without having to stop. But Syahrunizam Samsudin, CEO of TNG Digital, reckons that to expand the usage of TnG to other areas, his company must collaborate with Chinese tech firms. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who is in China for an official visit, toured Alibaba's headquarter in Hangzhou on Saturday. In an interview with Xinhua ahead of his visit, Mahathir praised China's achievement in advancing technology and that China's development has benefited Malaysia. He said he is looking forward to more Chinese investment that could bring in technology and capital. WeChat Pay, another Chinese mobile payment platform, is available for local users to make payment in Malaysian ringgit. Xiong Wuzhen, Director of Engineering of Ant Financial's International Business unit, said though transactions are widely accepted in Malaysia, it still has a low penetration rate in the perspective of cashless payment. Though the TNG e-wallet is based on the Ant Financial's Alipay platform, Xiong said they still need to adapt to local people's needs. He believes that empowered by Chinese technologies like Ant Financial, Malaysia will one day develop into a similar cashless payment community like that in China. "So I think it will take some time, but I am very hopeful it will happen very quickly as well," he said. China's mobile payment platforms are also helping many local businesses in Malaysia by providing an easy way of transaction for the rapidly increasing Chinese tourists. Both Alipay and WeChat Pay are now widely available in many tourist attraction and convenient stores. Terry Chong operates a shop in downtown Kuala Lumpur selling Durian fruits as well as Durian based food and products, which are becoming popular among Chinese tourists. Chong would always asked the Chinese tourists if they want to add him to their WeChat contacts, when they came to taste durians. Building contacts with customers would help him expand business and attract more Chinese customers. For him, WeChat is not only a communication app, but a way of doing businesses. Salahuddin Ayub, Malaysian Minister of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry, who is accompanying Mahathir to visit China, told local media earlier that he looks forward to getting China's approval to allow fresh Malaysian durians, among other agricultural products, to be exported to China Chong is already thinking about expanding business to China. "China is such a big market," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 13:39:17|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close QALAT, Afghanistan, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- At least 22 militants were killed in the air strikes conducted by Afghan air force in Zabul province, southern Afghanistan, on Friday, a local official said Saturday. "The army aircraft targeted a gathering of Taliban militants in the outskirts of Qalat city, capital of southern Zabul province, on Friday afternoon, killing at least 22 militants," Mohammad Mustafa Mayar, Zabul police chief, told Xinhua. Taliban local commanders including Mullah Latif, Asadullah, Asir and Baryali are also among those killed in the strikes, he said. During the strikes, 11 motorbikes used by Taliban fighters and explosive materials were destroyed, Mayar contended. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 13:49:21|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close BEIJING, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- China's imports of solid wastes slumped further in the first seven months of 2018 as the government stepped up enforcement of a ban on solid waste imports. Imports of plastic, paper, and metal waste totaled 11.83 million tonnes for January-July, down 54.4 percent from the same period last year, according to the General Administration of Customs. In July alone, solid waste imports were 1.85 million tonnes, up from 1.52 million tonnes in June and 1.38 million tonnes in May. The country began importing solid waste as a source of raw materials in the 1980s and for years has been the world's largest importer, despite its weak capacity in garbage disposal. Some companies illegally bring foreign waste into the country for profit, posing a threat to the environment and public health. Given rising public awareness and China's green development drive, the government last year decided to phase out and halt such imports by the end of 2019, except for those containing resources that are not substitutable. The government banned imports of 24 types of solid waste, including plastics and paper, and has imposed tough quality restrictions on other recyclable materials. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 13:59:26|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close DHAKA, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Six people including a local political leader were killed on Saturday in a clash between two rival factions of a political party in Bangladesh's southeastern Chittagong Hill tracts, combining three hilly districts of Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachari. Police chief in Khagrachari Ali Ahmed Khan told Xinhua via telephone that the clash erupted in the Shonirbhor Bazar area of the Khagrachari district town at around 8:30 a.m. local time. He said the shootout occurred between two rival factions of the United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) which is a regional political party based in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. "One of the six victims killed in the clash has been identified as a UPDF leader." No further details were immediately available. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 14:49:36|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close Photo taken on April 16, 2018 shows cargo containers of China Railway Express at Duisburg Intermodal Terminal (DIT) in Duisburg, western Germany. (Xinhua/Luo Huanhuan) by Xinhua writers Ren Ke, Zhu Sheng BERLIN, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Truck driver Lusso is waiting at the Duisburg Intermodal Terminal (DIT) for a freight train from China. He is one of the several hundreds of truck drivers waiting at the largest of the nine terminals of the Port of Duisburg in western Germany to ship a China Railway Express-branded container. The 50-year-old Macedonian, who gave his name only as Lusso, said the freight train running between China and Duisburg was a great help to his business. Business in Duisburg, the world's largest inland port, began to pick up after the rail freight service was launched in 2011, and remarkably boosted by the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) from 2013. Linking China and Europe, the China Railway Express (CRE) plays a vital role in reviving and extending the ancient trade route, the Silk Road. A ROAD BENEFITING ORDINARY PEOPLE Lusso has transported an increasing number of containers from China to cities across Europe in recent years. "I've no idea about what things are inside those containers, what I know is that I get delivery contracts," Lusso told Xinhua. He has also asked his son to come over to earn a living as a truck driver. Formerly, you would find mostly silk or porcelain products inside the containers, but not any longer. Made-in-China laptops, mobile phones and clothes are the most popular CRE shipments, while fine European wines and BMW vehicle parts are among the typical ones that travel back to China. Now about 25 freight trains travel every week between Chinese cities and Duisburg, 15 China-bound and 10 Europe-bound, accounting for nearly one third of the freight volume of DIT, which has had to hire more drivers and workers to handle the truck containers, as well as to build more warehouses. Johannes Pflug, Duisburg's city official responsible for Chinese affairs, said the rail transport business has created over 6,000 jobs. CRE freight trains, a key project in the Belt and Road Initiative, leave China from the Alataw Pass in its northwest, and cross Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus and Poland before reaching Germany in about two weeks. The trains have also linked many other European cities including Hamburg, Madrid and Warsaw to Chinese cities like Chongqing, Chengdu, Yiwu and Zhengzhou. In Poland's railway hub Lodz, the Hatrans Logistics Ltd. is among the many local businesses benefiting from the new trade route. In 2016, the company became the first Polish enterprise to invest in Chengdu, a southwestern Chinese metropolis. With the support of the CRE freight service, it has opened a mall there to sell Polish products. Hatrans has also set up a platform for cooperation between enterprises of the two countries. It now sells over 300 kinds of Polish products around China, while bringing Chinese clothes, cosmetics and electronics to Poland and other European markets. A ROAD BRINGING CONNECTIVITY, DEVELOPMENT The overland Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, more commonly known as the Belt and Road Initiative, was put forward by China in 2013 in a bid to seek common prosperity. Enhanced connectivity is both its approach and benefit. Similarly to the ancient Silk Road, Europe is a key terminal. In addition to the CRE, China is working on other transport infrastructure there. In Croatia, a Chinese enterprise is building the Peljesac bridge, a historic infrastructure project, by connecting the port city Dubrovnik to the mainland bypassing Bosnia-Herzegovina. In Serbia, the E-763 highway is expected to be completed at the end of this year. In Greece, the Chinese company COSCO in 2016 began operating the Port of Piraeus, the southern gateway to Europe. The Athens-based Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research estimates that the deal will create 25,000 jobs by 2052. Investments have been flowing into Europe thanks to the new Silk Road as well. In Serbia, the over 100-year-old Smederevo steel plant was saved from bankruptcy in 2016 when China's largest steelmaker HBIS Group purchased it. Renamed Hesteel Serbia, the plant now employs over 5,000 workers, bringing the local jobless rate down to 6 percent from 18 percent. "Our jobs are guaranteed now, the feeling is totally different," said 34-year-old electrician Aleksandar Pavkovic. He can now join his children for a seaside holiday with no fear of losing his job, and his father is a veteran in the plant working as a senior workshop quality inspector. Since its rail connection to Chengdu, Lodz has seen more investors, warehouses, small- and medium-sized enterprises and trade deals as well as higher employment, said Monika Karolczak, deputy director of the Polish city's trade and international cooperation office. A ROAD OF SHARED VIEWS, INTERESTS The Belt and Road Initiative is becoming a household name to many Europeans. "From the very beginning, we considered BRI as an initiative for promoting peace," Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said earlier this month. He also believed that BRI projects helped boost Serbia's economy and improved the Serbian people's living standards. Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said in April that the Chinese-contracted Peljesac bridge project is of long-term strategic importance, and its bidding was in accordance with Croatia's public procurement procedures and European Union standards. Slovakia is looking forward to taking part in the BRI. "I am convinced that the Belt and Road Initiative is the future of Europe as a whole. Slovakia is at the intersection, so it means that for the Slovak economy in the next 25 years, this project can provide a relatively trouble-free existence," said Dana Meager, state secretary of the Slovak Finance Ministry and government proxy for the BRI. "The Belt and Road Initiative is a key opportunity for Europe to achieve development," said Jochen Scholz, a political analyst who is writing a book titled "The New Silk Road -- The Key to a Prosperous European Future." Scholz's plan was inspired by Michael Schaefer, the former German ambassador to China from 2008 to 2013 and now chairman of the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt. Schaefer wrote in Berlin Policy Journal in January 2016 that the new Silk Road may well represent a sincere attempt by the world's second-largest economy to start a new kind of diplomacy based on inclusiveness, equal opportunity, and the respect for the diversity of cultures and political systems. The European Union should take China's offer seriously -- and act soon, he suggested. (Xinhua reporters Han Mei, Wang Huijuan, Gao Lei, Yuan Liang and Qu Xi also contributed to the story.) Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 15:27:15|Editor: zh Video Player Close People visit the stone house on the hill in Fafi, near Guimaraes, Portugal, on Aug. 17, 2018. The construction of the stone house is mainly based on four large rocks, and the house has been a popular destination for tourists to visit during holidays. (Xinhua/Zhang Liyun) Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 16:29:51|Editor: zh Video Player Close WARSAW, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Three people were killed and 51 hospitalized, including nine seriously injured after a bus accident in southeastern Poland on Friday night, according to local media. The bus, carrying 54 people, mainly Ukrainian tourists, pulled off the road on a sharp turn, fell from a slope and overturned several times around local time 11:00 at night (GMT 2100) in the village of Leszczawa Dolna. The passengers, including adults and children, were traveling from Lviv, Ukraine to Vienna, Austria, local reports said. All of the passengers were taken to six local hospitals, while a rescue operation that lasted the whole night was carried out on the site. A police investigation will be carried out to determine the cause of the accident. The number of victims might rise. A hotline was established at the Ukrainian Consulate in Lublin to provide the passengers' families with information. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 18:45:18|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close BEIJING, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Saturday voiced strong opposition to a Pentagon report on China's military development and security, urging the U.S. to stop making improper remarks. Spokesperson Lu Kang made the remarks in response to the report released on Thursday by the U.S. Department of Defense hyping up the so-called "China threat" and "lack of military transparency." Saying the report ignores the facts and inappropriately judges China's efforts in safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and security interests, Lu stressed that China, as a facilitator of world peace, a contributor to global development and a maintainer of international order, always adheres to a peaceful development path and defensive military strategy. "China's efforts in advancing its national defense aims to safeguard independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity," Lu said, adding that exercising a sovereign state's legitimate rights is entirely justifiable and unquestionable. The spokesperson called on the U.S. to abandon its Cold War mindset and old-fashioned zero-sum game approach, and adopt an objective and rational attitude towards China's strategic intentions and military development, stop issuing such irresponsible reports, and make concrete efforts to maintain the stable growth of relations between the two countries and the two militaries. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 18:50:20|Editor: zh Video Player Close by Maria Spiliopoulou ATHENS, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Greece seeks a comprehensive, European solution to tackle the migration and asylum procedures challenges Greek officials stressed in Athens after the announcement on Friday that a bilateral deal with Germany was sealed on returns of asylum seekers and family reunifications. The German Interior Ministry announced on Friday that the two countries have reached an agreement for the return of people who have applied for asylum in Greece and then are found on Germany's borders with Austria. In exchange Germany has committed to address delays in family reunification applications and offer more assistance to Greece in the management of the challenges. Details on the context of the deal will be announced after an exchange of letters in coming days between the relevant ministries in Greece and Germany which will include an administrative arrangement, Greek Migration Policy Minister Dimitris Vitsas said, according to Greek national news agency AMNA. "Greece and Germany support the adoption of European solutions and reject one sided measures being taken by member states in relation to asylum and migrants," he said. According to Vitsas, the return of asylum seekers concerns those who have applied in Greece after July 1st, 2017. Furthermore, under the deal Germany will take initiatives to support the reception centers Greece operates on five of its islands, AMNA reported. Over one million people landed on Greek shores since 2015 to reach central and northern European countries seeking refuge from war zones and extreme poverty. About 60,000 remain in the country after the closure of borders along the Balkan corridor in March 2016. Despite the impressive drop in flows since spring 2016 dozens of people still cross the Aegean Sea or the land border with Turkey in the north risking their lives. "We want a comprehensive solution for migration, not just guarding borders. We need to share arrivals and we need to see how Europe will support development programs so that people will stay home," Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Yorgos Katrougalos told local radio "Kokkino" (Red). Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 18:50:20|Editor: zh Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Uruguay is planning to open a consulate general in Mongolia soon in a bid to promote bilateral ties, especially tourism exchanges, the Mongolian Foreign Ministry announced Saturday. Mongolia and Uruguay agreed to enhance bilateral ties and cooperation in a wide range of areas, including trade, economy, tourism and agriculture, the foreign ministry said. The agreement was reached on Friday between State Secretary of the Mongolian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Damdinsuren Davaasuren, and a visiting Uruguayan delegation led by Fernando Cabral, head of the International Economic Cooperation Department at Uruguay's Foreign Ministry. Cabral said that Uruguay would like to enhance cooperation with Mongolia in various fields, especially in economy and tourism. Mongolia and Uruguay established diplomatic ties in October 1997. Except for the embassy in Ulan Bator, there is no consulate of Uruguay in the Asian country yet. The two countries signed a visa-free agreement in April allowing for 30-day visa-free travel for visitors from each other's countries, which came into force on June 1. Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki (R) and Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopian Prime Minister are seen during the re-opening of the Eritrean Embassy in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, July 16, 2018.(Xinhua/Michael Tewelde) ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- East Africa's two long-time rivals, Ethiopia and Eritrea, are mulling steps to strengthen cultural and people-to-people links between the two countries. A cultural symposium held on Friday here brought together 500 participants drawn from both countries, including senior government officials from both countries, who discussed various issues that include ways to enhance the cultural and linguistic ties as well as the need for cultural collaboration between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Ethiopian Minister of Culture and Tourism Fozia Amin said during the symposium that cultural events are vital to advance the people-to-people ties between the two friendly nations. The move to deepen ties between the two countries through people-to-people relations followed recent momentous culmination of the end of the state of war between the two neighbors. After 20 years of hostility, Ethiopia and Eritrea resumed diplomatic relations last month. On July 8, Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed made a landmark visit to the Red Sea nation and a week after, Eritrea's President Isaias Afwerki paid a visit to Ethiopia. The two countries had fought a bloody two-year border war from 1998-2000, that killed an estimated 70,000 people from both sides. The war was ended by a December 2000 Algiers peace agreement, but it left the two countries in a state of bitter armed standoff. Amid the easing tensions, telecom services between the two countries have resumed, embassies resumed diplomatic relations, and agreements were made to strengthen economic ties. The two countries' flag carriers - Ethiopian Airlines and Eritrean Airlines - have also started flights to Asmara and Addis Ababa respectively. The two countries, in another bid to augment their growing ties, also agreed on Friday last week to increase the movement and amount of bilateral trade through Eritrea's port city of Assab to Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa. The decision to construct a pipeline linking Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa and Eritrea's port has been also unveiled by the Ethiopian government and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which would allow landlocked Ethiopia to export crude oil via Eritrean port as Ethiopia recently commenced petroleum test extraction from the Somali Regional State in June this year. According to the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the implementation of the agreement between the two countries will advance and speed up efforts on both sides to forge close political, social and people-to-people links as well as security cooperation. "There is still a huge opportunity to explore in terms of further opening up new venues of cooperation and partnership between Ethiopia and Eritrea as well as facilitating the process of economic integration in the region," the ministry said in a statement on Friday. Recent positive developments in the Ethiopia-Eritrea relations were also praised by the international community. The outgoing UN Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative and UN Humanitarian Coordinator to Ethiopia Ahunna Eziakonwa-Onochie said the move between the two countries demonstrated the commitment of leadership. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 18:55:23|Editor: zh Video Player Close LONDON, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Nigel Farage, the British politician who co-founded the party set up to fight for Britain to leave the European Union, announced Saturday he is joining a national campaign to oppose Prime Minister Theresa May's soft-brexit plan. Farage, who serves as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP), helped set up the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) which is considered one of the driving forces that led to the 2016 EU referendum. When it was announced that the result was a 52-48 split in favor of leaving the EU, Farage described it as Britain's independence day. His new intervention in the bitter Brexit wrangle comes as leading politicians say the prospect of Britain leaving the EU with no-deal is getting stronger as a deadline looms on reaching a new trading deal. Writing in the British Daily Telegraph Saturday Farage said he would be joining a nationwide campaign this fall by the pro-Brexit campaign group Leave Means Leave. The group has hired a "battle bus" to travel Britain to win public support for a "clean Brexit". In his article, Farage said: "It is now beyond doubt that the political class in Westminster and many of their media allies do not accept the EU referendum result. They refuse to acknowledge the wishes of the majority of those who took part in that historic plebiscite of 2016 by voting to leave the European Union." Criticising May's blueprint for a soft Brexit as a "cowardly sell-out" Farage said a campaign is needed across the country that re-engages voters and restores their faith in Brexit. "Starting from today, I have pledged to give Leave Means Leave my absolute and total support. Over the last few months scores of people have stopped me in the street to ask: "When are you coming back?" Well now you have your answer: I'm back." Leave Means Leave, formed in 2016, is planning a nationwide blitz to rally opposition to the Prime Minister's plan for close custom links with Brussels. Leave Means Leave co-founder John Longworth, former head of the British Chambers of Commerce, told the Daily Express in London Saturday: "We're going to relaunch our campaign to bring it to the people," accusing May of heading for Brexit in name only. Businessman Richard Tice, co-chair of Leave Means Leave, said events around Britain and a blitz on social media were being planned this autumn. "We won the battle of the referendum, but given what's happened in the two years since the referendum, we haven't won the war," said Tice. Rival campaign group People's Vote, has called for the British public to be given a vote on any final deal brokered between the British government and the EU. In a radio interview Saturday, Lord Kerslake, a member of the unelected House of Lords at Westminster said the consequences of a no deal would be so serious Parliament would have to seriously consider whether it could contemplate this. He told the BBC Today program: "If the government can negotiate a good deal, then so be it. But if they can't, then we have to reopen the question of whether we go forward with Brexit at all. It is not too late to do that." Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 19:00:24|Editor: zh Video Player Close CAPE TOWN, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- The coelacanth, the most endangered fish in South Africa and one of the rarest in the world, is threatened by oil exploration. Older than dinosaurs, coelacanths have remained almost unchanged for 420 million years. In 2000, people found a small coelacanth colony near the iSimangaliso wetland park in South Africa. Currently, there are only about 30 coelacanths known to exist near the east coast of the country. Now the energy group Eni plans to start several deep-water oil wells in this area, which might threaten the future of coelacanths, experts said. "The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 decimated fish populations -- so if we had an oil spill off iSimangaliso it is very likely it could wipe out these coelacanths," said Dr. Andrew Venter, who has been devoted to expansion of South Africa's protected ocean areas. According to coelacanth expert Prof. Mike Bruton, previous research showed that the remoteness of their habitat had not protected them from exposure to pollutants. "Oil spills do not respect the boundaries of marine protected areas," he said. "Eni always applies the highest operational and environmental standards, which often exceed local compliance regulations," the energy group responded, adding that a study about accidental spillage modelling is being independently reviewed. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni (C), Chinese Deputy Ambassador to Uganda Chu Maoming (4th L), Chairperson of Tian Tang Group Zhang Zhigang (3rd L) are seen during the ground breaking of Sino-Uganda Mbale Industrial Park in Mbale, Uganda, March 9, 2018. (Xinhua/Joseph Kiggundu) KAMPALA, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Economic experts have urged Africa to grab the opportunities presented by a new wave of industrialization, as manufacturers shift their attention from China to elsewhere in the world, where wages are lower and resources are abundant. Experts who attended a one-day annual China-Uganda business summit on Thursday argued that the timing is right and some countries on the continent have seized the opportunity to attract the movement of industries. Hai Yu, chief executive officer of Made in Africa Initiative Limited, told the business gathering that as China's per capita gross domestic product (GDP) increases, many labor intensive industries will shift from China. Hai, who is also the goodwill ambassador of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, argued that in the process of movement, over 85 million jobs will be created, providing opportunity to millions of unemployed youth in Africa. She argued that whereas some experts say the jobs may go to South East Asia, that part of Asia does not have the huge numbers of people to work in the factories. "This is why Africa, I would say there is a golden opportunity. It is a continent with more than 1.2 billion people, most of them are young people desperate for jobs," she said. The movement of labor intensive industries has caused a jump start to the economic transformation of countries that strategized, according to Hai. She sighted Japan and South Korea in the 1960s and 1980s. Other experts argued that there is a general understanding in many African countries that industrialization will be critical in fast tracking their economic development. Uganda, for instance, has set up over 20 industrial parks and some economic free zones to attract investors, according to Uganda Investment Authority, the state-run investment promotion agency. The industrial park model in Ethiopia is already creating thousands of jobs, according to Hai. Fred Muhumuza, an economist and also a lecturer at Makerere University, Uganda's top university, told Xinhua in an interview that as Africa positions itsself to benefit from the industrialization movement, it must focus on agriculture because that is where a bigger percentage of its population derives its livelihood. Muhumuza also argued that while China has been critical in financing the infrastructure development in Africa, Africa needs to learn from China's style of governance that has catapulted its economic development. "There is zero tolerance of corruption in China, their institutions are literally neat and coordinated, here one ministry does not talk to the other. It is time for us to begin engaging China on how to get an efficient government," he said. The meeting, according to the organizers, laid a foundation for Uganda's participation in the upcoming Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit to be held in Beijing next month. The forum is also expected to give domestic investors an opportunity to partner with investors from China. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 19:20:27|Editor: mym Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- As the southern Indian state of Kerala reels under a massive flooding, several state governments across the country have announced aid as their contribution to the relief fund. The Indian government has pressed in dozens of boats and helicopters to evacuate people from the flooded areas. Hundreds of Indian troops stepped up efforts to rescue thousands of people stranded in the deluge. Chief Minister of southern Telangana state K Chandrashekar Rao has announced a relief of over 3.5 million U.S. dollars to aid Kerala. The chief minister has instructed chief secretary to handover the aid to Kerala government, a government spokesman said. State governments of Punjab, Bihar, Haryana, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and some other states have also announced assistance. On Saturday Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi carried out an aerial survey of the flood-hit Kerala and announced a relief of 71.6 million U.S. dollars for the battered state, in addition to 14.3 million U.S. dollars announced earlier. Authorities said the floods have destroyed over 10,000 km of roads and thousands of residential houses. Disaster management officials said it will take some time to make a proper damage assessment. The airport in Kochi has been shut at least till Aug. 26 and flight operations have been shifted to state capital Thiruvananthapuram. Indian Meteorological department officials said until Aug. 16 actual rainfall recorded in the state was 619.5 mm, compared to the normal 244.1 mm. Officials in Kerala described the flood as the worst in a century. According to the local government, the flood claimed 324 lives and displaced thousands of people. "Kerala is facing its worst flood in 100 years. 324 lives lost and 223,139 people are in over 1500 relief camps," a government statement said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 19:25:28|Editor: zh Video Player Close WELLINGTON, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- The announcement that Christchurch can once again be a settlement location for refugees represents an important step for New Zealand's ambitions to increase the refugee quota and is a milestone for the city's post-earthquake recovery, New Zealand's Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway said on Saturday. "It's great news for refugees, New Zealand and Christchurch itself to be re-established as a refugee settlement location. It shows the city is once again able to welcome some of the world's vulnerable people and let them be part of a fantastic place to live," Lees-Galloway said in a statement. There is an extraordinary number of people around the world who need refuge and New Zealand is determined to play its part, the minster said, adding this will help New Zealand to lift its refugee quota to 1,500 per year in this term of the government. Except for a limited number of family-linked cases, the settlement of quota refugees in Christchurch was suspended following the September 2010 earthquake, due to the impact on services such as health and housing. "After a comprehensive review the government is satisfied the rebuild has reached a point where the infrastructure can now enable refugees to be settled in the city once again," Lees-Galloway said. The plan is for around 60 quota refugees to be settled in Christchurch in the 2018-2019 financial year. The first group of around 20 Afghan and Eritrean quota refugees is expected to be settled in Christchurch in March 2019, he said. Prior to the first group being settled, service providers, City Council and local communities will have the opportunity to participate in training to further develop their capacity to support refugee settlement, the minister said, adding there are currently seven settlement locations in New Zealand where quota refugees are settled. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 19:30:29|Editor: mym Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia exported 100,534 tons of dry rubber in the first seven months of 2018, up 20 percent over the same period last year, according to a General Directorate of Rubber report on Saturday. The Southeast Asian country earned the gross revenue of 142 million U.S. dollars from the export during the January-July period, down 1.5 percent over the same period last year, the report said. "A ton of dry rubber averagely cost 1,412 U.S. dollars in the first seven months of 2018, about 305 U.S. dollars lower than that of the first seven months of 2017," it said. Cambodia exports the commodity mainly to Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and China. According to the report, the country has 436,299 hectares of rubber plantations in which 173,017 hectares are old enough to be harvested. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 19:30:30|Editor: mym Video Player Close KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Up to 11 militants loyal to the armed Taliban group were killed following a series of Afghan forces airstrikes in the country's southern province of Kandahar on Saturday, police spokesman in the restive province Abdul Bashir Khaksar said. The air raids took place at around 4:00 a.m. local time when a militants' hideout was targeted in Malang Kariz area of Maiwand district in the province, resulting in the death of at least 11 militants, the official said. According to the source, three explosive-packed vans belonging to the hardliner Taliban militants have also been targeted and destroyed in the bombings. The Taliban militants have not commented. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 19:50:35|Editor: zh Video Player Close CHARIKAR, Afghanistan, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Three militants including a shadow district chief Mawlawi Jamshid were injured as Taliban onslaught in Shinwari district of Afghanistan's eastern Parwan province was repulsed on Saturday, district police chief Hussain Shah Maqsoudi said. A group of Taliban insurgents, according to the official, stormed some checkpoints in Shiwa area of Shinwari district with the objective to overrun the district early Saturday but their attempts were foiled and the militants fled away after their commander Mawlawi Jamshid got injured. Jamshid who serves as shadow district governor for Sayed Khil district is regarded as senior Taliban commander in the eastern Parwan province, the official said, adding that Jamshid had attempted to destabilize provincial capital Charikar. Taliban outfit is yet to make comments. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 20:00:37|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close File photo taken on June 30, 2012 shows then UN and Arab League Envoy to Syria Kofi Annan during a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland. Former Secretary General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Laureate Kofi Annan passed away at the age of 80 on Saturday, the Geneva-based Kofi Annan Foundation announced. (Xinhua/Xie Haining) GENEVA, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Former Secretary General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Laureate Kofi Annan passed away at the age of 80 on Saturday, the Geneva-based Kofi Annan Foundation announced. "It is with immense sadness that the Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation announce that Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Laureate, passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness," the Foundation said in a statement issued Saturday. A diplomatic source said that Annan died in a Swiss hospital, and his wife Nane and their children Ama, Kojo and Nina were by his side during his last days. Born on April 9 of 1938 in Ghana, Kofi Annan served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1997 to December 2006. He and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. He was the founder and chairman of the Kofi Annan Foundation, as well as chairman of The Elders, an international organization founded by Nelson Mandela. Calling Kofi Annan as "a son of Ghana", the Kofi Annan Foundation said in its statement that Annan was particularly committed to African development and deeply engaged in many initiatives, including his chairmanship of the Africa Progress Panel and his early leadership of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa. "Wherever there was suffering or need, he reached out and touched many people with his deep compassion and empathy. He selflessly placed others first, radiating genuine kindness, warmth and brilliance in all he did," the Foundation said. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday expressed "profound sadness" for Annan's passing, saying the former UN chief was "a guiding force for good". "In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations. He rose through the ranks to lead the organization into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination," Guterres said in a statement. "I was proud to call Kofi Annan a good friend and mentor. I was deeply honored by his trust in selecting me to serve as UN High Commissioner for Refugees under his leadership. He remained someone I could always turn to for counsel and wisdom -- and I know I was not alone," Guterres said. While mourning the former UN chief, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein described Annan as "irreplaceable" and called him as "humanity's best example, epitome of human decency and grace". "There are some human beings who will seem irreplaceable to us, rare human beings. Kofi Annan is high among them," Zeid said. "He was a friend to thousands and a leader of millions. To me -- like to so many in the UN, he was my immediate boss when I was thirty-one years of age -- and what a boss!" he added. According to Zeid, Annan was "always courageous, direct in speech, but never discourteous". Profile: Former UN chief, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kofi Annan Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 20:05:39|Editor: zh Video Player Close ACCRA, Aug.18 (Xinhua) -- Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo expressed great sorrow here Saturday at news of the death of former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. "The Government and people of Ghana, First Lady Rebecca and I are deeply saddened by the news of the death, in Berne, Switzerland, of one of our greatest compatriots, Kofi Annan," a statement signed by the president said. Akufo-Addo eulogized Annan as a consummate international diplomat who was highly respected for his work. "He brought considerable renown to our country by this position and through his conduct and comportment in the global arena," the president added. Akufo-Addo described Annan as an ardent believer in the capacity of the Ghanaian to chart his or her own course onto the path of progress and prosperity. "Undoubtedly, he excelled in the various undertakings of his life, leaving in his trail most pleasant memories. His was a life well-lived," he said. "I extend, on behalf of the entire Ghanaian nation, our sincere, heartfelt condolences to his beloved widow, Nane Maria, and to his devoted children, Ama, Kojo and Nina, on this great loss," said the president. The Ghanaian president further directed that the national flag be made to fly at half-mast across the country and in all of its diplomatic missions across the world, for a week starting from Monday in honor of the former international statesman. A statement from the Kofi Annan Foundation said the former UN chief passed away early Saturday in Switzerland after a short illness. A part of the Kigamboni Bridge is seen in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on April 19, 2016. Tanzania's new 135-million-US-dollar bridge connecting Kigamboni and Kurasini in the east African nation's commercial capital Dar es Salaam, has left an indelible mark to local engineers. The project undertaken by China Railway Construction Engineering Group (CRCEG) in a joint venture with China Railway Major Bridge Group (CRMBG) was officially inaugurated by President John Magufuli on Tuesday. The 32-metre wide bridge has six lanes, three in each direction, and two pedestrian and cyclist lanes with a width of 2.5 metres, one on each side. (Xinhua/Pan Siwei) DAR ES SALAAM, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- A Tanzanian government cabinet minister has described China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) as an ideal development partner of the east African nation. Makame Mbarawa, the Minister for Water and Irrigation, said Friday he was pleased that the construction of a water project by CCECC in Misungwi district in Mwanza region has already reached 54 percent. "I am optimistic that construction of the project will be completed before May next year," said Mbarawa when he inspected water development projects constructed by the Chinese company. Mbarawa said once the project was completed, it will supply clean water to more than 45,000 households in the district and surrounding areas. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 21:15:52|Editor: zh Video Player Close DAMASCUS, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Islamic State (IS) militants launched an overnight attack on a base of the U.S.-led coalition in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour, a war monitor reported on Saturday. At least 20 fighters with IS attacked housing units in the al-Omar field in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zour overnight Friday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The attack lasted till Saturday morning, during which intense confrontation took place between the IS fighters and forces of the coalition and the allied Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said the report. The coalition warplanes took part in confronting the attack and had a big role in foiling it, said the Britain-based watchdog group. It added that the attack was the largest on that base since the oil field was turned into a coalition base nearly a year ago. Seven IS militants were killed in the clashes according to the information of losses among the coalition soldiers, said the observatory. The coalition forces started combing the area in search for IS militants around the base, which houses around 500 coalition forces and SDF fighters. In October of last year, the coalition captured the al-Omar oil field and turned it into its largest military base in Syria as that position contains massive military gears, missile launchers, and anti-aircraft batteries, according to the observatory. The IS militants are still holding pockets in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zour as the SDF and the coalition are working to dislodge IS from that area. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 21:25:55|Editor: zh Video Player Close GENEVA, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Former Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kofi Annan passed away in Switzerland at the age of 80 on Saturday. Annan died in hospital in Bern, Switzerland in the early hours of Saturday, and his wife Nane and their children Ama, Kojo and Nina were by his side during his last days, according to his associates and the Kofi Annan Foundation. Born on April 8, 1938 in Kumasi, a commercial city in Ghana, Annan served as the seventh UN secretary-general from January 1997 to December 2006. He and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. He began studying economics at the Kumasi College of Science and Technology, now the Kwame Nkrumanh University of Science and Technology of Ghana, and completed his undergraduate studies in economics at Macalester College in St. Paul, the U.S. state of Minnesota in 1961. After his graduation on international relations from a Swiss institute in Geneva in 1962 and years of work experience, he further studied at the MIT and earned a master's degree in management. Fluent in English, French, Akan and some other African languages, Annan started working as a budget officer for the World Health Organization in 1962. He has served several different UN positions since 1980, including the head of UN High Commission for Refugees and the under-secretary-general for peacekeeping between 1992 and 1996. Annan was appointed as the UN secretary-general on Dec. 13, 1996 by the Security Council, and later confirmed by the General Assembly, making him the first office holder to be elected from the UN staff itself. He was re-elected for a second term in 2001. As the UN chief, Annan reformed the UN bureaucracy; worked to combat HIV, especially in Africa; and launched the UN Global Compact. After leaving the UN, he founded the Kofi Annan Foundation in 2007 to work on international development. He was also the chairman of The Elders, an international organization founded by Nelson Mandela. Annan published his memoir, "Interventions: A Life in War and Peace," in 2012, sharing in the book his unique experiences during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the American-led invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, the conflict in the Middle East, the conflicts of Somalia, Rwanda, and Bosnia, as well as the geopolitical transformations following the end of the Cold War. In the memoir, he joked that SG, the abbreviation for his title as UN secretary-general, carried a second meaning, that is, scapegoat. Incumbent UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday voiced deep sorrow at the news that his predecessor Annan had passed away. "Kofi Annan was a guiding force for good," Guterres said in a statement. "In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations. He rose through the ranks to lead the organization into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination." "Like so many, I was proud to call Kofi Annan a good friend and mentor," he said in the statement. Guests unveil the Interim Secretariat of the China-Africa Environmental Cooperation Center at the United Nations Office in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, on Aug. 17, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Teng) NAIROBI, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- The interim secretariat to manage the China-Africa environmental cooperation center has been launched at the United Nations Office at Nairobi, Kenya. Joyce Msuya, deputy executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), said the China-Africa environment cooperation center, when operational, will revitalize inclusive and green growth in Africa. "The center is a platform for South-South cooperation to protect our environment and boost China-Africa cooperation," Msuya remarked, adding that the center will boost Africa's quest for economic prosperity that is ecologically sensitive. Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Sun Baohong, senior Kenyan officials and members of the diplomatic corps witnessed the launch of the Interim Secretariat for the China-Africa Environmental Cooperation Center. It is hoped that the center will act as a hub for capacity building and sharing of best practices between China and African countries to advance UN 2030 goals linked to environment. Sun revealed that China has already allocated 1 million U.S. dollars to support key operations of the center that will serve as a hub for environmental policy interaction and dialogue, training and capacity building. File photo shows then Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Liu Xianfa (R) and Kenya's Secretary for Environment and Natural Resources Judi Wakhungu (C) view the China-aided automatic weather station during the handover ceremony in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, Sept. 11, 2017. Kenya's Ministry of Environment on Monday benefited from an automated weather forecast device donated by China as efforts to upgrade meteorological services in the East African nation gathers steam. (Xinhua/Chen Cheng) Chinese Minister of Ecology and Environment Li Ganjie, in a congratulatory letter read on his behalf by Liu Ning, deputy permanent representative to the UNEP, said China is committed to helping Africa realize green aspirations. "China will share with African friends the concepts and experiences in our ecological progress and environmental protection, promote mutual communication and cooperation, and jointly address global environmental challenges," said Li. Beyene Russom, the dean of the African Diplomatic Corps said he was optimistic that China-Africa environment cooperation center will catalyze green development in the continent. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 22:01:03|Editor: zh Video Player Close GENEVA, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Former Secretary General of the United Nations Kofi Annan passed away at the age of 80 at a Swiss hospital on Saturday. While mourning him, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described Annan as "a guiding force for good", and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein called the former UN chief "irreplaceable" and "humanity's best example, epitome of human decency and grace". Kofi A. Annan, born in Kumasi, Ghana, on April 8 of 1938, was the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations, served from 1997 to 2006 and was the first to emerge from the ranks of United Nations staff. He studied at the University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana , and completed his undergraduate work in economics at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1961. In 1961-1962, he undertook graduate studies at the Institute of International Affairs in Geneva, and in 1972 earned a Master of Science degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management. Annan joined the UN system in 1962 as an administrative and budget officer with the World Health Organization in Geneva. He later served with the Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa, the UN Emergency Force in Ismailia, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva, and in various senior posts in New York dealing with human resources, budget, finance and staff security. Immediately before becoming Secretary-General, he was Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping. As Secretary-General, one of Annan's main priorities was a comprehensive program of reform aimed at revitalizing the United Nations and making the international system more effective. He was a constant advocate for human rights, the rule of law, the Millennium Development Goals and Africa, and sought to bring the Organization closer to the global public by forging ties with civil society, the private sector and other partners. At Annan's initiative, UN peacekeeping was strengthened in ways that enabled the United Nations to cope with a rapid rise in the number of operations and personnel. It was also at Annan's urging that, in 2005, Member States established two new intergovernmental bodies: the Peace-building Commission and the Human Rights Council. Annan likewise played a central role in the creation of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the adoption of the UN's first-ever counter-terrorism strategy, and the acceptance by Member States of the "responsibility to protect" people from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. His "Global Compact" initiative, launched in 1999, has become the world's largest effort to promote corporate social responsibility. Annan undertook wide-ranging diplomatic initiatives. In 1998, he helped to ease the transition to civilian rule in Nigeria. Also that year, he visited Iraq in an effort to resolve an impasse between that country and the Security Council over compliance with resolutions involving weapons inspections and other matters -- an effort that helped to avoid an outbreak of hostilities, which was imminent at that time. He was responsible for certifying Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000, and in 2006, his efforts contributed to securing a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hizbollah. Also in 2006, he mediated a settlement of the dispute between Cameroon and Nigeria over the Bakassi peninsula through implementation of the judgement of the International Court of Justice. His efforts to strengthen the Organization's management, coherence and accountability involved major investments in training and technology, the introduction of a new whistleblower policy and financial disclosure requirements, and steps aimed at improving coordination at the country level. In 2007, Annan established the Kofi Annan Foundation, an independent, not-for-profit organization that works to promote better global governance and strengthen the capacities of people and countries to achieve a fairer, more peaceful world. Following the outbreak of violence during the 2007 Presidential elections in Kenya, the African Union established a Panel of Eminent African Personalities to assist in finding a peaceful solution to the crisis. As the head of the panel, Annan managed to convince the two principal parties to the conflict to participate in the Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation Process. He also once served as the UN-Arab League joint special envoy to Syria and developed a six-point plan for peace. Annan was awarded the 2001 Nobel Prize for Peace, jointly with the UN. He has also received numerous honorary degrees and many other national and international prizes, medals and honors. He is fluent in English, French and several African languages. He and his wife have three children. Gun grabber - "It's wrong to shoot a home invader"! By Vicki Batts. August 11th, 2018 Gun control activists took to the streets for the "March on the NRA" recently. The August 4th protest took place in Fairfax, VA, just outside of the NRA's headquarters. Their rallying cries included calls to dismantle the Second Amendment and ban "fully semiautomatic weapons," and chants of "Shame! Shame! Shame!" Some were simply supporters of stricter gun laws, but others believe that American citizens should have their right to bear arms stripped away entirely. One protester, identified as "Amy," told the National Rifle Association's camera crew that she supported a full repeal of the Second Amendment, and stated she "did not think civilians need guns at all." Another gun-grabber declared that people shouldn't have the right to defend themselves and their families against home intruders. ....... It is tempting to wonder whether such people are for real but sadly they are and exist in significant numbers. Their lack of grasp on reality is astounding with apparently no appreciation for the dangers of the (frequently) armed criminal, who would of course celebrate if there were no guns in people's homes. It has to be wondered how these "ban-'em-all" groups would disarm the criminals and also how they would react to an actual as against imagined armed intrusion with no means of self defense - presumably place a 'welcome mat' for the intruder as they plead for mercy. "You don't have to be Jewish to fight by our side." You just have to love freedom. 2018 JPFO All rights reserved. jpfo@jpfo.org 1-800-869-1884 Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership 12500 NE 10th Pl. Bellevue, WA 98005 USA "America's most aggressive defender of civil rights" We make the NRA look like moderates Join JPFO Back to Top Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 22:01:03|Editor: zh Video Player Close ROME, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- The unofficial death toll of the Genoa bridge collapse rose to 42 overnight as a state funeral was held in the northwestern Italian city Saturday to honor the victims. The body of a local sanitation company worker has reportedly been extracted from the rubble while the bodies of a couple and their nine-year-old daughter were extracted overnight from their car, which was crushed by a block of cement. Saturday's death toll increased from the previous report of 38 remains unofficial because not all the bodies have been formally identified. Firefighters said on Twitter that "the destroyed carcass" of a car was recovered overnight. Genoa Prefecture spokeswoman Ornella Sansalone told Xinhua mid-morning that "currently four people are missing, a vehicle has been located in the rubble, and search operations are ongoing." Sansalone confirmed that a fifth missing person has called in to report himself safe. With the bridge collapse that killed dozens of people on Tuesday, the country observed a day of national mourning. The death toll rises were reported ahead of a state funeral at the Trade Fair and Exhibition Center before some 4,000 people, where Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte headed a large delegation of officials. The funeral was broadcast live across the country. The Italian government declared a national day of mourning on Saturday for the victims. "The collapse of the Morandi Bridge has caused a gash in the heart of Genoa," the city's archbishop, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, who is leading the ceremony, said. "Genoa is in the gaze of the world, in a strong hug full of emotion and affection," he added, referring to the countless signs of solidarity received from across Italy and abroad. Since two of the victims were of Islamic faith, the Imam of Genoa also joined the ceremony and led a pray at the end of the catholic funeral. Hundreds of rescuers have been working around the clock since a section of a much-traveled highway viaduct in the northwestern port city gave way just before noon on Aug. 14, sending several cars and trucks crashing into a railway, a riverbed, and several warehouses 45 meters below. The Genoa prefecture said in a statement on Friday that 38 bodies had been identified and that 10 injured people were still hospitalized, six of them in critical condition. As of Friday, the number of missing people in the collapse was reported up to 10-20. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 22:16:09|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close An Egyptian visits the "Art without Borders" exhibition at the Gezira Art Center in Cairo, Egypt, Aug. 15, 2018. Egypt's capital Cairo embraces a seven-day Chinese fine art exhibition that is meant to promote mutual cultural ties between the two nations. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) by Ahmed Shafiq CAIRO, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's capital Cairo embraces a seven-day Chinese fine art exhibition that is meant to promote mutual cultural ties between the two nations. Six artists from the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts showcased their works at the "Art without Borders" exhibition which is being held at the famed Gezira Art Centre since Wednesday. The exhibition, which is co-organized by the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts and the Chinese Culture Center in Cairo, has attracted dozens of Egyptian visitors who showed admiration of the Chinese art. "The exhibition is really marvelous. Today I saw diversity of arts in China with different artistic trends," Omar Sameh, a civil engineer from Cairo, told Xinhua. Sahem said that it is important for cultures to meet at some point, adding that the cultural exchange between Egypt and China is beneficial for both peoples. "It is my first time to see Chinese art works in real life. Such an exhibition enabled me to get closer to Chinese arts and culture," he said. The 80 artworks put on show included traditional Chinese paintings, oil paintings, print works and sculptures. Despite the modern forms and concepts of the works, they keep the unique Chinese cultural temperament, which becomes a microcosm of the contemporary China. Jiang Tieli, head of sculpture department of the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, said all the art works are made by teachers and graduate students of the Academy, adding that they did not bring any large sculptures because of the transportation restrictions. "The six teachers come from different departments and are experts in different types of paintings," he pointed out. Jiang said that art transcends cultures as it is the shared way of communication of human beings. "In a big way, communication between different cultures is a must; for artists, constant participation in various exhibitions will promote artistic creation. They find the positioning of their own creation," he said. After upgrading the relations between China and Egypt to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2014, cultural exchange has been at its peak as artists, cultural and musical delegations have paid frequent visits. Through such cultural moves, both countries want to boost friendly ties under the background of the Belt and Road Initiative which certainly promotes deeper understanding of each other and wake up the ancient civilization in the new era. "Today's exhibition is very important for the cultural exchange between the two nations," Chinese Cultural Counselor to Egypt, Shi Yuewen, told Xinhua, adding that "the recent years witnessed an unprecedented cultural exchange between Egypt and China in many fields." However, he said few Chinese art works exhibitions were held in Egypt as the two countries focused more on musical and cultural domains. "Through this exhibition, we provide a chance to the Egyptian people to get closer to the Chinese fine art," he said, adding that "I believe that any relationship between two nations is based on mutual exchange, with the cultural exchange on top." The counselor expressed appreciation of the Egyptian visitors who came in big numbers to have a close look at the Chinese arts, expressing hope that the Chinese people could soon visit an Egyptian art exhibition in China. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 22:36:13|Editor: yan Video Player Close by Mohamed al-Azaki SANAA, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Yemeni young street artists continue the struggle for peace, painting more walls in the capital Sanaa to highlight tragedy of the internally displaced families who fled battles in Hodeidah. This time, the artists choose a wall on a busy street in the western part of Sanaa, which links the main highway to the country's Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. "Today, we launch a campaign to highlight the suffering of displaced families," graffiti artist Samid al-Samiey told Xinhua. On June 13, the Yemeni government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition began a major offensive to retake Hodeidah city from rebels, known as Houthis allied with Iran. The war has since raging on and around the city. More than 300,000 people have been displaced from the city since early June, according to a recent report by the United Nations humanitarian agencies. This figure equates to more than 5,500 people each day and more than 40,000 each week. "The Eid festival (Muslim Eid al-Adha holidays which was set to begin on Aug. 21) is approaching, while the displaced families have been suffering from worse situations," al-Samiey said as he held paintbrush drawing a heartbreaking image. The United Nations is trying to mediate for a peace solution to end the country's more than three years of war. The UN special envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths said last week that the Yemeni rival parties would meet next month in Geneva to resume peace talks, which would focus on avert Hodeidah from deadly war, as well as disarmament and transitional governance deal. The artist al-Samiey said he has a message to the rival parties in Geneva that "thousands were killed, hundreds of thousands were displaced, and it is enough." His colleague Maysa al-Absy said she came along with five university girls to take part in this street graffiti campaign. "We first discussed the idea in the social media, then we set time and place. Today we came with our paintbrush, painting to help draw attention to the suffers of those displaced families who live among us," al-Absy said. "There are a silent starvation killing thousands of families and children, the internally displaced families in particular," she added. The war has killed more than 10,000 Yemenis, mostly civilians, with about 3 million others displaced from across the country. The impoverished Arab country has been locked in a civil war since the Houthi rebels overran much of Yemen and seized all northern provinces in late 2014, including the capital Sanaa. Saudi Arabia is leading an Arab military coalition that intervened in the Yemeni war in 2015 to support the government of exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. "Our message to the world and to the Yemeni rival parties is that help us end this horrible war," al-Absy said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 22:36:13|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close BEIJING, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu held an in-depth discussion on the current situation over phone on Saturday. Wang made clear China's principle and stance in developing the strategic cooperative partnership with Turkey, and expressed China's support for Turkish efforts to maintain national security and stability and carry on economic and social development. He voiced his belief that under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish people will be united and overcome these temporary difficulties. China stands ready to work with Turkey to safeguard the justified rights and interests of developing countries, especially emerging economies. Cavusoglu, for his part, briefed Wang on the current situation in Turkey and Ankara's stance. He stressed that Turkey will overcome the challenges that it is facing, saying his country is willing to strengthen strategic communication with China. Turkey hopes to further deepen the mutually beneficial cooperation with China and will actively participate in the construction of the Belt and Road, he added. A Yemeni artist works on graffiti on a wall about difficulties Yemeni displaced people face after they fled their homes due to the ongoing conflicts, at a street in Sanaa, Yemen, on August 16, 2018. (Xinhua/Mohammed Mohammed) SANAA, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Yemeni young street artists continue the struggle for peace, painting more walls in the capital Sanaa to highlight tragedy of the internally displaced families who fled battles in Hodeidah. This time, the artists choose a wall on a busy street in the western part of Sanaa, which links the main highway to the country's Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. "Today, we launch a campaign to highlight the suffering of displaced families," graffiti artist Samid al-Samiey told Xinhua. On June 13, the Yemeni government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition began a major offensive to retake Hodeidah city from rebels, known as Houthis allied with Iran. The war has since raging on and around the city. More than 300,000 people have been displaced from the city since early June, according to a recent report by the United Nations humanitarian agencies. This figure equates to more than 5,500 people each day and more than 40,000 each week. "The Eid festival (Muslim Eid al-Adha holidays which was set to begin on Aug. 21) is approaching, while the displaced families have been suffering from worse situations," al-Samiey said as he held paintbrush drawing a heartbreaking image. The United Nations is trying to mediate for a peace solution to end the country's more than three years of war. The UN special envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths said last week that the Yemeni rival parties would meet next month in Geneva to resume peace talks, which would focus on avert Hodeidah from deadly war, as well as disarmament and transitional governance deal. The artist al-Samiey said he has a message to the rival parties in Geneva that "thousands were killed, hundreds of thousands were displaced, and it is enough." His colleague Maysa al-Absy said she came along with five university girls to take part in this street graffiti campaign. "We first discussed the idea in the social media, then we set time and place. Today we came with our paintbrush, painting to help draw attention to the suffers of those displaced families who live among us," al-Absy said. "There are a silent starvation killing thousands of families and children, the internally displaced families in particular," she added. The war has killed more than 10,000 Yemenis, mostly civilians, with about 3 million others displaced from across the country. The impoverished Arab country has been locked in a civil war since the Houthi rebels overran much of Yemen and seized all northern provinces in late 2014, including the capital Sanaa. Saudi Arabia is leading an Arab military coalition that intervened in the Yemeni war in 2015 to support the government of exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. "Our message to the world and to the Yemeni rival parties is that help us end this horrible war," al-Absy said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 23:01:17|Editor: yan Video Player Close LONDON, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Leading political figures in Britain paid tribute Saturday to Kofi Annan following the announcement of his death in Switzerland at the age of 80. British Prime Minister Theresa May said she was saddened to hear of Annan's death. In her tribute May said: "A great leader and reformer of the UN, he made a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into. My thoughts and condolences are with his family." Britain's foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt described Annan as a statesman and champion of peace. Former British prime minister Tony Blair who clashed with Annan over the Iraq war said Annan was a true statesman. "Kofi Annan was a great diplomat, a true statesman and a wonderful colleague who was widely respected and will be greatly missed," he said. In London the Guardian recalled how Annan had used his final speech as secretary general in December 2006 to deliver a parting shot at the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush, accusing the United States of committing human rights abuses in the name of fighting terrorism. In its report Saturday, the newspaper said: "The Guardian concluded at the time that the speech amounted to a broad condemnation of the neoconservative ideology guiding US foreign policy under Bush and was a clear break with protocol for a departing UN chief. US forces invaded Iraq in March 2003 without the approval of the UN security council." Annan had said in his speech: "When power, especially military force, is used, the world will consider it legitimate only when convinced that it is being used for the right purpose -- for broadly shared aims in accordance with broadly accepted norms." Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 23:11:19|Editor: yan Video Player Close VALLETTA, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- The credit rating agency DBRS has affirmed Malta's long-term rating at A, and it's medium-term rating at R-1 (middle), with a stable outlook. The agency said Malta's economic performance had been better than the European average, with its fiscal surplus having outperformed expectation. It said the country enjoyed a strong external position and a favorable public debt structure. Households were also found to be in a strong position, as were domestic banks. DBRS noted that while the housing market was growing at a fast rate, it posed no imminent risk. The agency found that Malta had succeeded in avoiding the trap of an overheating economy, thanks to a highly elastic supply of foreign labor and by growing the economic share of less capital-intensive service sectors. In a statement published on Saturday, the Maltese government welcomed the report, stressing that Malta had placed in the top quarter for all six of the World Bank's governance indicators. It said the rating reflected Malta's "remarkable broad-based economic growth" and the fact that Malta had experienced significant improvement in its fiscal performance since 2013, mainly as a result of government fiscal consolidation efforts, including " lower spending while supporting a tax-rich economic expansion". Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 23:11:21|Editor: yan Video Player Close MOSCOW, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday sent a message to United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, expressing his deepest condolences over the death of former UN chief Kofi Annan. "This remarkable man and great politician dedicated many years of his life to serving the United Nations," Putin said in the message published on the website of the Kremlin. Annan served at the helm of the United Nations during a complicated period and did a great deal to achieve the goals and tasks of the organization, enhancing its central role in global affairs, Putin said. "Especially significant was his personal contribution to building up the peacemaking potential of the UN and settling a number of regional conflicts ... The memory of Kofi Annan will remain in the hearts of Russians forever," he said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also sent a message of condolences to Guterres on Annan's death. Annan, who was also a Nobel Peace laureate, passed away earlier in the day in a Swiss hospital at the age of 80. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 23:21:22|Editor: yan Video Player Close BRUSSELS, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker Saturday offered his condolences on the death of former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan. "It was with deep sadness that I learnt this morning of the passing of my old friend and inspiration, Kofi Annan. On behalf of myself and the European Commission, I would like to offer my deepest condolences to his wife Nane and his entire family," Juncker said in a statement on Saturday. Annan, who served as the seventh UN chief for almost ten years from 1997 to 2006, died Saturday at a Swiss hospital. He was awarded a Nobel Prize in 2001, which he shared with the UN. "Today, the world mourns a great leader and humanitarian but celebrates a life full of courage, empathy and remarkable public service," Juncker said. "But the greatest recognition we can give Kofi Annan is to keep his legacy and his spirit alive. It has never been more important than in today's world," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 23:36:24|Editor: yan Video Player Close MOSCOW, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Russia has registered 27 cease-fire violations in three Syrian provinces over the last 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday. The breaches were recorded in the provinces of Aleppo (13), Latakia (13) and Idlib (1), the ministry said in a daily report. Turkey has registered one cease-fire breach in Idlib, one in Aleppo and one in Hama during the same period of time. Both Russia and Turkey are guarantors of a nationwide Syrian cease-fire regime which came into force on Dec. 30, 2016. Srinagar: Clashes broke out in Hajin area of north Kashmirs Bandipora district on Friday soon after government forces launched a cordon-and-search-operation (CASO) in the area. Reports said that a joint team of armys 13 RR, SOG and CRPF launched a cordon at Mir Mohalla area of Hajin today morning. Police said that the cordon-and-search operation was launched in the village following specific inputs about the presence of some militants. Some gunshots were fired by militants soon after the siege was laid in the area, he said. Additional reinforcements of the Army have been rushed to the site and the entire area has been cordoned off to trace out the militants hiding in the area, he said. As the news about the cordon spread, the locals took to streets and pelted the forces with stones. The police and paramilitary forces used tear smoke shells to disperse the youth. Meanwhile, authorities have suspended the Internet services in parts of Bandipora including Hajin in wake of the search operation at Mir Mohalla. The services were later restored after forces lifted the cordon following day-long searches in the area. ProtestHajin BandiporaSearch Operation Recommended for you When Vajpayee Was Told He Could Win Elections In Pakistan From KO Archives: Vajpayee taking bus ride to Pakistan R.Madhav need not be cowed down rather should press for Akhand Bharat No Alternative to Vajpayees Kashmir Policy: Mehbooba Mehbooba Invokes Atal For Restoring Peace In Valley Be part of Open Journalism At Kashmir Observer we pride ourselves on being open, honest and unbiased. If you may have noticed, we have not put up a paywall, unlike many news organisations, as we want to keep our journalism open. We believe journalism should be open, fearless and unbiased. Open information helps with informed decisions. Fair and open journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce; despite all the hardships we still do it, because we believe our perspective matters because it might well be your perspective, too. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying, and advertising revenues across the media industry are falling fast. If everyone who reads our reporting, helps to support it, our future would be much more secure and we will be able to keep our and your perspective going. So if we may ask, we ask your help in keeping the Kashmir Observers journalism fair and square. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-18 23:51:28|Editor: yan Video Player Close NAIROBI, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan police said on Saturday that they are interrogating 19 Nigerians who were arrested in Nairobi for engaging in electronic fraud targeting Kenyans. The detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) rounded up the suspects in Nairobi's three residential estates. The suspects are expected to appear in court next week. Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti said the suspects target Kenyans especially through the social media before they embark on lying to them. According to the police, the Nigerians arrested on Friday night promise to send their victims 'goodies' at the airport through DHL courier company. "The fraudsters start by befriending you on social media (Facebook) and once you accept the friend request they initiate a friendly chat that promises the victim goodies to be sent through DHL at the airport," Kinoti said. According to Kinoti, a call will be made the following day by someone pretending to be a DHL employee. The person then asks the victim to pay clearance fees for the same parcel they claim to have sent you. As soon as the victim sends the money through Mpesa, another call is made requesting for some more money for other documentation and taxes. "After paying the dues demanded, your calls demanding for your parcel will not be picked. That is the time you realize that you have been conned," Kinoti said. The DCI director cautioned Kenyans against such fraudsters even though they did not reveal how much has been lost in the scam so far. The fraudsters are currently in police custody and are expected to appear in court to be charged with electronic fraud. The swoop followed a barrage of complaints filed with police over the incidents. One victim told police he had been promised an iPhone and paid 700 U.S. dollars for the gadget. During the swoop, several electronic gadgets were recovered from the suspects' houses. Some of them had come to Nairobi as students and as businessmen. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-19 00:01:29|Editor: yan Video Player Close WINDHOEK, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- The President of Namibia and the Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community, Hage Geingob has learned with immense sadness of the death of former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan on Saturday. The president in a statement said the loss of Annan, an exemplary son of Ghana, leaves a huge void for the African continent, and humanity at large, which he has served as a courageous humanitarian with immeasurable passion and distinction. "Without doubt, Africa has lost a man of integrity and a hero of our continent who worked throughout his entire life persistently for a better humanity," he added. President Geingob in the statement praised the work of the late Kofi Annan in the promotion of peace, as the first Secretary General of the UN to emerge from within the ranks of the organization. Geingob also extended his condolences to the wife of Kofi Annan, Nane Maria Anna and his children and the people of Ghana. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-19 00:01:29|Editor: yan Video Player Close NAIROBI, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga joined other world leaders in mourning the passing away of former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan early Saturday. Kenyatta said he learned with deep sorrow that Nobel Laureate Kofi Annan had passed away in Switzerland. "In this moment of sorrow, I condole with his family, relatives and friends. My thoughts and prayers go out to them as they come to terms with this sad news," Kenyatta said in a statement. Kofi Annan served as the seventh UN Secretary-General for two terms from 1997 to 2006. He was the first African diplomat to hold such a position. "We pray that the Almighty God will grant his family, relatives and friends the strength and grace to bear the loss," said Kenyatta. The 80-year-old is renowned in Kenya for having brokered a peace deal between then President Mwai Kibaki and Opposition leader Raila Odinga at the height of the 2007/8 post-election violence that left many displaced and hundreds dead, threatening the very fabric of Kenya's society. In his message, Odinga who described the passing of Annan as terrible news, said his death is a major blow to the push for respect of human rights across the globe. "In Kenya, we retain fond memories of Dr. Annan as the man who stepped in and saved the country from collapse following the 2007-2008 post-election violence. Much remains to be done of the plan he proposed for the country as a road map to lasting peace and stability and it is my hope that we could do it in his honor," Odinga said. He expressed deep gratitude and appreciation of Annan for his dedicated and tireless work in stabilizing the world and encouraging Africa to aspire to higher ideals of democracy, respect for human rights and sound governance as the path to sustainable peace and economic development. According to Odinga, more than any other UN secretary general, Annan best understood and pushed the world to see the importance of human rights to peace, security, humanitarian affairs, economic and social development. "The world will always remember and honor Dr. Annan for what became known as 'the Annan Doctrine' in which he made it clear that the need to respect sovereignty cannot be used as a shield by governments to brutalize their own citizens and that the international community has a right to intervene, when governments fail to protect the lives of their citizens," he said. "That will remain a pillar of hope for many people across the world for generations to come if it can be adhered to. May he rest in eternal peace," Odinga added. Global leaders mourned Annan as a global statesman and a deeply committed internationalist who fought throughout his life for a fairer and more peaceful world. Annan who was a son of Ghana and felt a special responsibility towards Africa was particularly committed to African development and deeply engaged in many initiatives, including his chairmanship of the Africa Progress Panel and his early leadership of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-19 00:06:30|Editor: yan Video Player Close ADEN, Yemen, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Pro-government Yemeni forces launched an all-out military operation against the Shiite Houthi rebels in the country's central province of al-Bayda on Saturday, sparking fierce fighting between the two warring rivals. Backed by the Saudi-led Arab coalition's air forces, the Yemeni government troops attacked Houthi-controlled areas in al-Bayda, killing and injuring an unknown number of rebels, according to local military officials. An official of the pro-government troops confirmed to Xinhua during a phone call that Houthi fighters were kicked out of key sites and villages in al-Bayda after hours of fighting. He said that the Houthis also lost control of key military locations in al-Bayda and failed to confront the advancing government forces that deployed in key entrances. According to an army officer, more than nine military vehicles of the Houthis were destroyed during the Saudi-led aerial bombardment against Houthis in al-Bayda. The fighting concentrated in Malajem area of al-Bayda that may liberated from Houthis during the upcoming days, the officer said anonymously. Meanwhile, several Saudi-led airstrikes pounded a Houthi-controlled military camp in Arhab near the country's capital Sanaa, causing damages and losses in heavy weapons. Fighting also continued between Yemeni government forces backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Houthis in the Red Sea coastal city of Hodeidah and other provinces of the war-torn Arab country. In Hodeidah, an army commander of the pro-government Giants Brigades confirmed that Houthis lost control over Durayhmi district in Hodeidah after days of fierce gun battles. The Giants Brigades forces tried to secure the liberated areas and protect citizens by dismantling hundreds of landmines in Durayhmi after expelling the Houthi rebels, the army source said. The Houthi rebels resorted to firing random artillery and mortar shells against residential areas controlled by the government after losing the ground battles, he said. He added that the random shelling caused casualties among people who refused to leave their residential buildings in Hodeidah's Durayhmi and stayed with government forces. The Yemeni government seeks to expel the Houthi rebels out of the strategic port city of Hodeidah militarily despite warnings issued by international humanitarian agencies. On the other side, the Iranian-backed Houthis established many underground trenches and vowed to defend Hodeidah in order to remain in control over its key port along the Red Sea. The impoverished Arab country has been locked into a civil war since the Houthi rebels overran much of the country militarily and seized all northern provinces, including capital Sanaa, in 2014. Saudi Arabia leads an Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after Houthi rebels forced him into exile. The United Nations has listed Yemen as the world's top humanitarian crisis, with seven million Yemenis on the brink of famine and cholera causing more than 2,000 deaths. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-19 00:06:30|Editor: yan Video Player Close DHAKA, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- With few days left for Eid al-Adha, one of the two biggest Muslims' religious festivals, cattle traders with hundreds of thousands animals have started flooding the marketplaces in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka. Bangladesh will celebrate Eid al-Adha on Aug. 22. A large number of cow, goat, sheep, camel and buffalo were seen on Saturday at cattle markets including the largest Gabtoli in Dhaka. Vendors were busy bathing and decorating their animals to make them lucrative to buyers. Authorities have taken tight security measures in and around the cattle markets in Dhaka. Only a handful of buyers, however, were seen roaming at the markets, bargaining with traders to buy their desired cattle. Traders expect a mad rush for customers from Sunday night as buyers in Dhaka usually collect their animals on the last two days before Eid with hope for price cuts. Millions of Bangladeshis go back to their village homes to celebrate Eid al-Adha, also known as the Eid of animal sacrifice, every year together with Muslims worldwide. Eid al-Adha also occurs over two months after Eid al-Fitr, another biggest religious festival which marks the end of Muslims' holy fasting month of Ramadan. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-19 00:56:38|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close by Xinhua writers Gao Shan, Tan Yixiao LOS ANGELES, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- While watching an artistic performance of an ancient Chinese tea ceremony and Chinese dumpling tasting in the hall of the Consulate General of China in Los Angeles, American college graduate, Kimberley Arredondo, clapped her hands in excitement as she caught a glimpse of what was in store for her in the coming year. Attending the open-house reception Thursday evening with other 2018 Chinese Government Scholarship recipients and their family members, the recent California State University, Northridge (CSUN) graduate was one of fortunate scholarship recipients selected to study at Chinese universities for one year. "I feel nervous and excited. But I just can't wait to go," exclaimed Arrendondo who will be student at the Zhejiang Normal University from next month. "I'm nervous because I'm flying halfway around the world by myself. And I just know a little bit of Chinese," she told Xinhua, stressing that she hopes to improve her Mandarin over the next year to help her overcome the language barrier. A California native, Arredondo is not yet familiar with China, but she knows a bit about the University in Jinhua, two hours outside of Shanghai, that will be her home-away-from-home during her year abroad there. "I will be very excited to make a lot of friends in China," she revealed. Arredondo is one of eighteen recipients this year who were selected to receive scholarships from the consular district of the Consulate General of China in Los Angeles to study in China. Aiming to promote mutual-understanding, cooperation and exchanges in various fields between China and other countries, the Chinese government has set up a series of scholarship programs to sponsor international students, teachers and scholars to come study and conduct research at Chinese universities. With her mother sitting beside her, Arredondo queried, "How's the weather in Zhejiang province? Is it colder than Southern California in winter?" Her mother chimed in, "I am going to miss my daughter a lot in the year, but she needs to fly away and finds what she needs." "It's good for her future," she added. Currently, a total of 289 designated Chinese universities offer a wide variety of academic programs in science, engineering, agriculture, medicine, economics, legal studies, management, education, history, literature, philosophy, and fine arts for foreign scholarship recipients at all levels. Eddie Carrillo, a previous scholarship recipient, was quick to allay Arredondo's nervousness about journeying so far from home to study. "I've already been granted the scholarship for two years at China Foreign Affairs University, so I understand how all the new students today may be a little nervous about going to a country so far away," said Carrillo. "I had never been anywhere besides Mexico. The first month is the most difficult. I remember the first two weeks in Beijing, I ate maybe just noodles and rice because I had no idea where to go to get any food," laughed Carrillo, as he shared his experience with other eager students. "But after the first two weeks, it got better. I met a lot of friends there from all over the world - from Africa, Southeast Asia and Europe. We all kind of helped each other and formed a little community. We explored Beijing together, explored China together," he explained. "China is a really big country," he added, noting that to learn more about the Middle Kingdom is why he applied for an additional year's study at Tsinghua University, one of the most famous universities in China. "Congratulations to you for having the passion and courage to be able to look at an adventure like this and take advantage of it. I think you're going to be very enriched as a result of this experience and I can tell you firsthand that when our students return, they come back with passion," said Shelley Ruelas-Bischoff, Associate Vice President for Student Life at the CSUN. "I am just inspired and I also regret not being as smart as you all to have taken advantage of some of these opportunities when I was in school," she told the students and guests in attendance. "You may wonder what your new life will be in China. I shall say: don't worry. Learning in China will be great fun," said Zhang Ping, Chinese Consul General Los Angeles, as he welcomed American students and faculty members to the open-house reception. "In China, you will not only acquire new knowledge, but will also find many ways to enjoy the fascinating Chinese culture and history. You will not only live and study on campus, but will also have chances to tour different places where you can see picturesque scenery and cultural heritage sites. You will also be able to meet with the people from different walks of life. You will find them friendly and hospitable," said Zhang. "I believe that the strength of the China-U.S. friendship lies in our people and its future rests with our young generation. I hope while studying in China, you will be good-will ambassadors in promoting mutual-understanding and friendship between our two peoples," he noted. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-19 03:01:56|Editor: yan Video Player Close TEHRAN, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian Army has enhanced the range of weapons mounted on its helicopters to elevate their combat power, Tasnim news agency reported Saturday. The range of helicopter-mounted weapons was upgraded to 12 km, Yousef Qorbani, commander of Army Ground Force's Airborne Division, was quoted as saying. Iran is among the few countries in possession of night vision systems for military choppers, Qorbani noted. After the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, Iran's advances in helicopter systems have earned its reputation for the hub of the industry in West Asia and even in the world, the commander said. Also on Saturday, the Iranian Army brought into service a homegrown simulator system for Bell 206 military choppers. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-19 03:06:57|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close CHICAGO, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) agricultural futures closed higher in the past trading week which ended August 17 amid declining crop conditions and news about trade talks with China. The most active contract for December corn rose 7 cents weekly, or 1.88 percent, to 3.7875 dollars per bushel. December wheat delivery went up 10.25 cents, or 1.8 percent weekly, to 5.7975 dollars per bushel. November soybeans saw a 31-cent surge, or 3.6 percent, to 8.9275 dollars per bushel. On Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released its latest crop condition report, saying corn, wheat and soybeans rated good or excellent were about one percentage point down from the prior week. The falling ratings pushed up all the prices. CBOT soybeans extended gains in late week trade over news that China and the United States were preparing for trade talks. A Chinese delegation led by Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen will, at the invitation of U.S. side, visit the United States in late August to talk with the U.S. counterpart on bilateral economic and trade issues of their own concern, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) announced on Thursday. China is the top buyer in global soybean market. Hopes among traders and farmers that the two sides work out a formula to avoid further escalation of trade tensions led to the surge of soybean prices. Meanwhile, China reaffirmed its stance of opposing unilateralism and trade protectionism, and not accepting any forms of unilateral restrictive trade measures. Additional support came from a crush report which showed U.S. soy processors consumed a record large amount of soybeans in July. Analysts said that technical charts of soybeans are pointing higher, with November contract now aiming for as high as 9.15-9.20 U.S. dollars per bushel. CBOT wheat futures gained nearly two percent weekly amid declining world supply due to adverse weather conditions. Drought has already hit France, Germany, Black Sea area and Australia, and Aussie forecasts are indicating a dryer-than-average September ahead. As concern over major wheat exporters' yields continued, futures were further driven up by talks that Russian government is attempting to cap exports in a bid to keep bread prices reasonable. Similar rumors came out of Ukraine during the previous week, saying the government there will limit its wheat export sales. But an official denial gave some relief to the soaring prices. Such rumors and panic in market showed that major wheat exporters' stocks now stand at the lowest level. As a result, wheat prices will probably keep high for some time, and upside targets remain above 6.25 dollars per bushel, said analysts with AgResource, a Chicago-based agricultural research firm. CBOT corn futures also posted moderate gains this week, but with little significant news concerning the grain. Most U.S. corn producers will be harvesting sooner than usual, and expectations are for record yield. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-19 03:11:58|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RABAT, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Moroccan police announced on Saturday the arrest of two Spanish nationals for their suspected involvement in an international drug trafficking case. The arrests were made under an international arrest warrant issued by the Spanish judicial authorities, the police said in a statement. The two suspects, illegally residing in Morocco, were arrested for their alleged involvement in a 2012 drug trafficking case aboard a helicopter in Spain which resulted in the seizure of 540 kg of cannabis, according to the statement. They will remain in police custody for the investigation conducted under the supervision of public prosecutor's office, pending extradition to Spain. The operation is part of the strengthening of international security cooperation, notably in the fight against all forms of cross-border crime, the statement noted. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-19 04:37:11|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close LAGOS, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- At least 23 children rescued from Boko Haram terrorists in restive northeast Nigeria's Borno state have been handed over to the United Nations children's fund (UNICEF) for rehabilitation, the Nigerian army said on Saturday. The exercise was in conformity with international best practice, Abbah Dikko, theatre commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, said at a brief ceremony in northeastern city of Maiduguri. The gesture was in line with the commitment of the army to promote civil military relationship toward achieving lasting peace in the northeast, he added. In his remarks, Geoffrey Ijumba, UNICEF chief of field office in Borno state, who received the minors, welcomed the release of the 23 boys and girls aged between 12 and 17 years from the military custody. He said UNICEF was working with the military and Borno government through the ministry of women affairs to provide medical attention, psychological and social supports to victims displaced by the Boko Haram conflicts. Pernille Ironside, UNICEF's Nigeria acting representative, stressed that the UN would continue to work with the military and other authorities to support the reintegration of all children released by the military. Ironside stressed the need to support these children to fulfill their hopes and aspirations, saying the organisation will not relent until there are no more children in custody. The West African nation has lost more than 20,000 lives in the northern region since 2009 to the Boko Haram insurgency. New Delhi, August 18: Three Kashmiris, two Muslims and one belonging to Hindu community and hailing from Kotranka in Rajouri area of Jammu and Kashmir have submitted an intervention application in the Supreme Court of India seeking dismissal of the petitions challenging the Article 35-A of the Indian Constitution. The Article 35-A protects the state subject laws and special privileges guaranteed to the permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir. The filing of these petitions shows that all people of Jammu and Kashmir including Muslims and Hindus are equally concerned about the onslaught on the Article 35-A. The proposed interveners are seeking dismissal of the petitions challenging Article 35-A, Mohit Choudhary, who is appearing on behalf of the applicants in the apex court, told a Srinagar-based English daily Greater Kashmir. Since 2014, as many as five petitions have been filed in the Indian Supreme Court by different groups to seek the annulment of the constitutional provision that was incorporated in the Constitution of India through a presidential order in 1954. The petitions would come up for hearing on August 27. The applicants from Rajouri have sought the intervention in the case on the grounds that the issue concerns all the permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir, including them. File photo taken on June 30, 2012 shows then UN and Arab League Envoy to Syria Kofi Annan during a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland. Former Secretary General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Laureate Kofi Annan passed away at the age of 80 on Saturday, the Geneva-based Kofi Annan Foundation announced. (Xinhua/Xie Haining) UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- The flag at the UN headquarters in New York is flying at half-mast this Saturday as the organization marks the death of former Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Officials from across the UN system have been paying tribute to the man who led the global body for a decade, starting in January 1997. He was Secretary-General during what has been described as one of the darkest days in the organization's history: the Aug. 19 2003 bombing of the UN premises in Baghdad, Iraq, the first mass attack targeting the UN that killed 22 members of its staff. Incumbent UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised Annan as "a guiding force for good," saying "in these turbulent and trying times, his legacy as a global champion for peace will remain a true inspiration for us all." File photo taken on Dec. 19, 2006 shows then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan smiling during his final press conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Multiple Ghanaian media sources have confirmed that former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan died at a hospital in Switzerland on Saturday. He was 80 years old. (Xinhua/Zhao Peng) Guterres recalled being selected by Annan to serve as UN High Commissioner for refugees, saying he felt "deeply honored by his trust" and Annan was "someone I could always turn to for counsel and wisdom." "He provided people everywhere with a space for dialogue, a place for problem-solving and a path to a better world," he added. For Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, the outgoing UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Annan is simply "irreplaceable." "Kofi was humanity's best example, the epitome, of human decency and grace. In a world now filled with leaders who are anything but that, our loss, the world's loss becomes even more painful," he said in a statement. Before taking the reins of the organization, Annan held various senior level positions at the headquarters and in the field. At one point he was Zeid's immediate boss. The UN rights chief recalled a man who was ever courageous and though direct in speech, never discourteous. "Later, when I was an ambassador at the UN he inspired us, by being a dynamic and charismatic leader in his capacity as Secretary-General," Zeid continued. File photo taken on Aug. 30, 2006 shows then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan shaking hands with Palestinian National Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. Former Secretary General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Laureate Kofi Annanpassed away at the age of 80 on Saturday, the Geneva-based Kofi Annan Foundation announced. (Xinhua) "And most of all, he was a friend and counsel -- to me and to so many others. Whenever, as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, I felt isolated and alone politically I would go for long walks with him around Geneva, and listen." For Lise Kingo, CEO and Executive Director of the UN Global Compact, Annan is remembered as the visionary founder of her office, the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative. As the world embarked on the new millennium, Annan inspired the world's top business leaders to join governments in lifting the poorest nations out of poverty by adopting a more responsible and sustainable approach to business, producing this office. In creating the UN Global Compact, Annan asked corporate leaders to publicly commit to 10 principles based on UN agreements in the areas of human rights, labor, the environment and anti-corruption. "Some 18 years later, the concept of corporate sustainability is firmly established," Kingo said. "More than 9,000 of the world's leading private sector chief executives have joined the UN Global Compact and are driving new approaches to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals," in reference to the goals set in the UN's 2030 Agenda. She said as a result of Annan's vision, the UN Global Compact is attracting new participants on a daily basis. In addition, The Elders, an independent group of global leaders advocating peace and human rights where Annan was a founding member, expressed shock and sadness at his passing. Annan assumed the chair of The Elders in May 2013 and had been holding the position until his death. Gro Harlem Brundtland, deputy chair of The Elders, said "Kofi was a strong and inspiring presence to us all, and The Elders would not be where it is today without his leadership." He pledged on the group's behalf to "continue to uphold his values and legacy into the future." Annan was the seventh of nine men appointed secretary-general since the UN was established in 1945. He was the first to emerge from the ranks of UN staff and the second to come from the African continent. Annan and the UN were jointly awarded the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-19 06:17:25|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close by Murad Abdu ADEN, Yemen, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Following an armed attack launched by pro-secession southern forces against a military academy in Aden City on Saturday, tension is feared to escalate between Yemen's government forces and anti-government military units in the country's southern part. Earlier in the day, forces loyal to the pro-secession Southern Transitional Council (STC) launched an armed attack targeting a graduation ceremony at a military academy in Aden, in protest of raising the country's national flag at the academy despite SCT's warning. Residents told Xinhua that the anti-unity forces loyal to the STC rained the military academy buildings with a barrage of heavy gunfire and cancelled the ceremony using violence. The soldiers in charge of protecting the military academy failed to resist the attacking forces, leaving at least one student killed and four others injured in a two-hour gunfight, according to Aden-based residents near the scene. Hours after the attack, pro-secession southern people staged a demonstration in Aden's district of Buraiga to condemn the raising of Yemen's national flag in their city. Some of the protesters burned tires and blocked a bridge and other main roads leading to the military academy headquarters in Buraiga. Yemeni high-ranking government officials, including the interior minister, who were planning to attend the graduation ceremony to deliver speeches during this occasion, failed to reach the academy because of the public riot. A government source told Xinhua by phone that the investigation into the attack on a government institution is underway, vowing to bring perpetrators to justice. "Raising Yemen's national flag is not a crime because our country is still unified and not separated," the government source said on condition of anonymity. "The attack that targeted the academy is a sabotage act aimed at destabilizing Aden and creating chaos," he added. However, a STC leader based in Aden, said people in Aden and all other southern provinces all oppose "staying in unity with northern provinces." "Even the students studying at the military academy were against raising the flag but some northern government leaders insisted on doing so," the source said, who also asked to remain anonymous. The STC source revealed that the Yemeni government has no support in southern provinces including Aden as they are all being secured by local militias. Meanwhile, an Aden-based youth activist, who identified himself as Nasr Abdullah, agreed that the people in Aden "only accept the government as a guest after it came back from exile in Saudi Arabia." It is "our sons and brothers who struggled and liberated Aden from Houthis in 2015," he pointed out. Abdullah also accused the Yemeni government of creating problems and depriving southern people from basic rights including services and electricity. "The government's rampant corruption reached an unbearable stage and it's time to govern our own cities because that's our legitimate right," the activist said. Meanwhile, media outlets affiliated to the STC reported that the UN peace talks scheduled for September in Geneva might include pro-secession southern leaders for the first time. Ignoring the STC and pro-secession southern leaders or excluding them from the UN-sponsored peace talks will absolutely escalate the situation, leading to a complete failure, according to local analysts. In January, forces loyal to the STC engaged in fierce armed confrontations with the government Presidential Protection Forces over the control of Aden. During the fighting, the forces loyal to the STC took control of the port city of Aden and other government headquarters after two days of clashes which left more than 38 killed and scores of others injured. There have been rising tensions between southern separatist leaders and ministers of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government over control of the southern half of the country after expelling Iran-backed Houthis from the region. Considered as Yemen's temporary capital, Aden is where the Saudi-backed Yemeni government has based itself since 2015. The Yemeni government, allied with the Saudi-led Arab military coalition, has been battling Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels over control of the country for more than three years. The anti-Houthi coalition began an air campaign in March 2015 to wipe out Houthi presence and reinstate exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government to the power. The coalition also imposed air and sea blockade to prevent weapons from reaching Houthis, who occupied the capital Sanaa and seized most of the northern Yemeni provinces. State Rep. Scott Dianda said he has sent a letter to Gov. Rick Snyder asking that the Ojibway Correctional Facility in Marenisco remain open. The state this week said it would close Ojibway on Dec. 1. On Friday Dianda, D-Calumet, sent a letter to Snyder asking him to stay his decision and reconsider the future of the facility because of the hardship the closure will cause for communities, workers and their families. Dianda issued the following statement: My western U.P. communities and constituents directly affected by the closure of Ojibway Correctional Facility would find themselves in a world of hurt if Ojibway closes, so I am asking Gov. Snyder to stay his decision and reconsider closing this facility. Gogebic County schools could lose more than $700,000 in state aid, the hospital would lose more than $1 million in broken contracts, and corrections workers would have to drive more than 100 miles one way to transfer to another facility. If this facility closes, the county would need the full force of the administrations assistance in order to recover economically. The consequences of closing this facility far outweigh the benefits. This hasty decision to close Ojibway must be reconsidered while looking at other areas of the state that can more easily absorb the impacts of a facility closure, he said. Sit-down with Dianda This is going to devastate the entire western end of the Upper Peninsula, Dianda told the Daily Globe in an interview Friday morning. He called Ojibways prison closure the worst thing that we could have happen. In the whole U.P. right now, we have a lot of economic crises going on. Dianda said he voted against the state budget in June that included a line in the Department of Corrections budget calling for an $18.5 million reduction, in effect the closure of one of the states prisons. There comes a big consequence with these budgets. This is what happens when you vote for budgets that have cuts in them, said Dianda. He said the closure would have wide-ranging effects. Once we get a closure it affects the tax base, the housing market, our local schools, our businesses, our hospital. This affects everything. Thats why were asking the governor to reconsider this. ... Were asking them to reconsider this because this is a hardship like no other. If Ojibway closes If theyre going to stand with their decision to close this prison permanently, then we want something better than we have right now, said Dianda. He shared a few ideas that could repurpose the facility such as a mental health treatment center or one dedicated to opioid addiction. Weve got Gogebic Community College over here that needs a training center, said Dianda. We need to have economic development that is pumped into our local county from (the Michigan Economic Development Corporation) to start businesses and get things up and running. We have a big ask for multi-million dollars to complete this Iron Belle Trail. We have to look at all of these things and start asking them what are they going to do to help us from the harm they caused us. Dianda questioned the true savings of cutting $18.5 million to cut a prison from the states $57 billion budget. Weve got to get back to how were spending the taxpayers money. ... We think were going to save the state money by shutting down a facility in Gogebic County for $18.5 million? It doesnt make any sense. This is going to impact us like nothing other that has happened on the west end since the mines closed. He said the closure will cost the state in money toward all sorts of benefits for those out of work and-or living below the poverty line. What about our local schools? Every child in these three schools brings about $7,600 per head. So when these families start moving out and are pulling these kids out to these other districts, wheres it going to leave us in the end? Reasons questioned Diandi debunked the DOCs claim that it was too hard to hire the needed counselors in the U.P. I think thats a very lame excuse that they say they couldnt find people to fill jobs in the mental health field, he said. Those positions are high-dollar positions $30, $40, $50 an hour jobs. I think its a lame excuse that they couldnt get people to come up here and work. Dianda also questioned the states move to decrease its budget by closing prisons. Shrinking the state prison system will mean more criminals will end up in our county jails that are already busy enough, he said, adding it effectively shifts the burden of paying for incarceration from the state to the county. This is all coming to a town near us, because when they reduce the size of corrections, these folks are coming into our county jail systems, Dianda said. Call for the Governor Were asking the governor to come up here with his team. We have a crisis up here with people that are going to be displaced. We have communities that are devastated with economic trouble. We need his help, said Dianda. We need to have him come up here with his team, on the ground, looking at it. About a dozen fire engines have responded to an unknown emergency at the Philadelphia 201 Hotel on 17th Street between Race and Vine. A person who answered the phone at the front desk around midnight said: "I can't discuss what the issue is but everything is okay." He said guests must remain outside the hotel until authorities allow them to return to their rooms. Breaking News Network described the problem as a transformer failure. Srinagar, August 18: Police admitted before the Human Rights Commission that a youth who was killed by the Indian troops in Phalilohar Pati Devar area in 1998 was not a militant. Mohammad Iqbal Shah, 22, a resident of Devar Lolab was killed in July 1998 and his body was handed over to police by the Indian Armys 15 Rashtriya Rifles unit camped at Trumikh, Watlab, in Sopore labeling him as a militant. The police said that on July 8, 1998, parents and relatives of Iqbal Shah came to know that his body was handed over by the soldiers following which a case regarding the incident was registered in Sopore Police Station. It was later found that the youth had gone to Phalilohar Pati Devar forest for grazing animals on July 7, 1998 but did not return. The revelations came in the course of hearing of a petition filed in the commission by human rights activist and Chairman of International Forum for Human Rights and Justice, Muhammad Ahsan Untoo. The Investigation Wing of the commission told the rights body that police record revealed that Iqbal Shah was a civilian and was not involved in any criminal activity. TBS's Full Frontal with Samantha Bee aired a Philly-filmed segment this week focusing on undocumented restaurant workers, and South Philly Barbacoa's Cristina Martinez made an appearance. Bee popped up in Philly last month, when she was spotted filming an interview with District Attorney Larry Krasner at the Franklin Inn Club in Center City. However, she also stopped by South Philly Barbacoa in the Italian Market, where she and a crew filmed the undocumented restaurant workers segment. Krasner does not appear in the segment, which aired Wednesday. Throughout the clip, Martinez, an outspoken advocate of rights for undocumented workers in the restaurant industry, tells Bee about her decision to leave Mexico as a result of domestic abuse, how chefs can change the world, and why she would still welcome President Donald Trump into her eateries. "I'm not afraid to talk about the platform that chefs have because we have the power to change the system," Martinez said. "We, as chefs, have a direct platform that is so big." Bee also spoke with several unidentified undocumented restaurant workers in the area about the discrimination they have faced as a result of their employment. "It is scary to talk to your boss," one said, "because when you want to defend yourself, they look for ways to fire you." To cap the segment, Bee set up an interview with Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi, who is a noted critic of the Trump administration's policies toward undocumented immigrants. Full Frontal is also currently selling t-shirts to raise money for The Giving Kitchen, an Atlanta, Georgia-based non-profit that works to provide financial aid to restaurant workers. WASHINGTON Two weeks before Senate confirmation hearings, Democrats keep reminding themselves to stick to the script in their fight against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh: focus on the issues, don't fall into the process-argument trap. That means Democrats need to turn up the pressure on how Kavanaugh would rule in cases related to the Affordable Care Act, which they hope to make a top November midterm campaign issue, as well as possible rollbacks to abortion rights as enshrined in the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., summed up the strategy the day after President Trump announced he had tapped the judge from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit as his nominee to replace retired Justice Anthony Kennedy, who for three decades had been the swing vote on the high court. "Our focus is on the substance here. We think that the nominee would be so devastating in what he would put into place and turn the clock back decades," Schumer said July 10. Democrats have strayed from that focus at times, particularly in the last couple of weeks as the fight inside the Capitol has centered on what documents will be given to the Senate from Kavanaugh's days as a lawyer and staff secretary in the George W. Bush White House. The dispute is legitimate and has a familiar refrain from when Republicans were in the minority and clamored for more documents during the 2010 confirmation of Justice Elena Kagan, who had served in the Clinton and Obama administrations. The more senators can see the private writings of potential justices, the more they can assess how they will rule if on the court. So angry Democrats, led by Schumer, held a news conference Thursday to threaten a lawsuit if the National Archives fails to fulfill their freedom-of-information request for hundreds of thousands of pages of documents. What unfolded was something sounding very process driven. In their opening remarks Schumer and Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., uttered the term "documents" 20 times. During the question-and-answer session that followed, the senators touted "documents" another dozen times. All the while they never once mentioned abortion rights and only spoke about health care when a reporter asked why Democrats were not talking about what they had previously said was such a critical issue. "We have focused on health care," Schumer responded, citing events around the nation designed to get activists engaged in the court battle. Earlier that day Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., delivered the sort of remarks that Democrats want others to notice, saying that "withholding even a small number of documents" might hide Kavanaugh's views on health care, gay marriage, abortion, climate change and other key issues. "If confirmed, Brett Kavanaugh would be the deciding vote on cases involving individuals' rights to privacy, liberty, and autonomy in the most personal aspects of their lives," said Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. That's the sort of argument that is more likely to resonate with both liberal activists and swing voters in key battleground states. Democrats learned the hard way that staying focused on issues is critical, after they failed to pressure Republicans into holding confirmation hearings and votes on President Barack Obama's nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court in 2016. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., had decreed the Garland nomination would not get considered, not even a hearing, because it was the final year of Obama's presidency and the voters would decide who picked the justice to replace the late Antonin Scalia. The Democrats crafted a campaign theme "Do your job" that did little to energize liberal activists and did not apply political pressure on Senate Republicans, including a half-dozen who were running for re-election in states that Obama had previously won. It fell flat because the theme focused on the process of being a senator and how unprecedented it was for McConnell to block a Supreme Court nomination in that manner. The Democrats and a coalition of liberal groups supporting Garland failed to connect that nomination which would have tipped the ideological balance of the court toward Democratic appointees to key issues their voters cared about like civil rights, the environment, worker rights or abortion. By the fall of 2016 Democratic candidates for the Senate did not mention Garland in their speeches or advertisements, while Republicans often talked up the court opening as a reason for conservatives to vote. Trump and Senate Republicans won. With that defeat in mind, the coalition opposing Kavanaugh has organized events around the country centering on issues, not parliamentary process. "Rise up for Roe" events have been headlined by Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., potential Trump challengers in 2020. Next week abortion rights events, organized by Demand Justice, Planned Parenthood and NARAL, will be held in Phoenix and Las Vegas, in two states where Republicans are defending Senate seats this fall. Success, in this regard, can be measured several ways. If Democrats defeat Kavanaugh, that would be the biggest victory. But even if he is confirmed, Democrats can at least try to galvanize voters ahead of the fall elections in some key states and lay the groundwork for elevating the courts as an issue for the 2020 presidential campaign. In 2016, they failed at both those tasks. That's because their message back then sounded a lot like the crosstalk of Schumer and Blumenthal on Thursday when they pressed for more Kavanaugh-related documents. Afterward, Blumenthal acknowledged that the documents were important but the real focus needed to be on making the nomination's stakes understandable in a very real way. "This nomination could well determine whether women decide when they have children, whether people can marry the person they love, whether people drink clean water and breathe clean air," he said. Srinagar, August 18: Indian troops arrested three youth and vandalized property in Bhan area of Kulgam district. The troops launched a cordon and search operation in the area and conducted door-to-door searches. People took to the streets and clashed with the troops. Locals told media over the phone that the India Army entered into the Jamia Masjid of the area and made announcements on loudspeakers asking people to come out from their houses and gather at the ground of the local shrine. They said that the army personnel thrashed people, vandalize property and arrested three youth. The arrested youth were identified as Fasil Bashir, Fasil Nazir and Amir Hussain Butt. They said that the army men smashed the windowpanes of residential houses and cars in the area. The army men targeted every parked vehicle. They smashed windowpanes and thrashed people irrespective of their age, a local from Kulgam told media over phone. A woman suffered injuries due to torture by the soldiers when she tried to resist the arrest of her son. A senior police officer from the area said that they had received the complaint about the incident and were investigating it. Coun Perez reiterates warning to barangay leaders involved in drugs 07 Aug 2017 Hits:37 Comments(0) Liga ng mga Barangay President, Councilor Jerry Perez yesterday reiterated his warning to all barangay officials from using or selling drugs. Perez said he is closely monitoring the activities of all the barangay officials and vowed sanctions against erring leaders. Aqui gane na mio barangay ya quita ya iyo na puesto cunel dos barangay leaders quien mas temprano ya sale positivo na... As the nation was bidding a final adieu to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Friday, an Aurangabad Municipal Corporation general body meeting witnessed a ruckus when a dozen-odd Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporators assaulted an All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) member who opposed a condolence resolution on the deceased leader. The veteran leader, who passed away on Thursday in Delhi's AIIMS hospital at the age of 93, had been suffering from ailments for several years. The AIMIM said the opposition to the resolution was not the stand of the party but demanded action against the corporators involved in the assault. #WATCH: Scuffle breaks out between members of BJP & AIMIM in Maharashtra's Aurangabad Municipal Corporation after an AIMIM corporator opposed the condolence proposal of former PM #AtalBihariVajpayee. (17.08.18) pic.twitter.com/IUNErxQhRA ANI (@ANI) August 17, 2018 Shortly after the house convened, BJP corporators led by Rahul Vaidya moved a condolence resolution on Vajpayee`s death, which was opposed by AIMIM's Sayed Mateen. Livid at this, 10-12 BJP corporators, including some women members, pulled Mateen from his seat, slapped, punched and even one of them kicked him repeatedly, even when he fell on the floor, shows a video by news agency ANI. Even as other corporators attempted to rescue Mateen, the municipal corporation`s security officials rushed in and whisked him to safety through a side exit and later to a hospital. The CCTV video of the incident went viral on the social media. The assault sparked angry reactions outside as alleged AIMIM supporters indulged in stone-pelting to damage local BJP leader Baburao Deshmukh`s car and injured his driver. Several BJP corporators, including Vaidya and Pramod Rathod, urged the Mayor to suspend Mateen for his "anti-national move" to oppose the resolution. Mateen demanded that the Mayor take strict action against his attackers. Mateen maintained that he was opposing the motion in a democratic manner, but the BJP members chose to respond by attacking him. Legislator Imtiaz Jaleel of the AIMIM -- which has 25 corporators in the AMC -- met the city Police Commissioner and demanded a thorough probe into the assault. "Mateen`s decision was in his personal capacity. It is not AIMIM`s official view, nor did he consult us. For this, I am recommending stringent disciplinary action against him," said Jaleel. However, he condemned the assault on Mateen as "totally undemocratic" and displaying a "mob-lynching mentality". "We have asked the police to investigate on the basis of CCTV recording and take action against those who violated the law," Jaleel added. On the other hand, a BJP delegation led by Aurangabad East MLA Atul Save, along with Mayor Nandkumar Ghodele (Shiv Sena) and other corporators, met the police chief and demanded Mateen be booked for sedition. The Aurangabad Police beefed up security inside and outside the corporation complex. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The death toll in Kerala touched 357 with 22 more deaths being reported on Saturday. A red alert was earlier issued in 11 districts while the India Metereological Department (IMD) predicted more rainfall. Around 50,000 people were rescued on Saturday from districts like Ernakulam, Chengannur, Pathanamthitta and Thrissur. Rescue operations are still underway as many more are still stranded. The IMD predicted that widespread rains, with heavy rains at isolated places, is likely to continue over Kerala due to low-pressure area developing over northwest Bay of Bengal and neighborhood in the next 24 hours. Several states have annouced financual aid to help flood-ravaged Kerala. Barring Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kasargode, the remaining 11 districts of Kerala continues to be on red alert. Places which are the worst affected include Aluva, Chalakudy, Chengannur, Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta, where massive rescue operations were on as scores of persons were rescued. Friends and relatives of affected people have been flooding media houses with requests for those stranded in Kerala. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a review meeting in Kochi that the death toll since May 29 had climbed to 357. Over 3.53 lakh affected persons had been lodged in over 2,000 relief camps, he added. PM Modi sanctioned Rs 500 crore to the flood-battered state, apart from Rs 100 crore announced earlier by the Centre on August 12, before returning to Delhi after an aerial survey of the affected areas. The 22 deaths reported during the day were in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Idukki, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts. Over 600 students, who were stranded in a building at the campus of Sree Sankaracharya University at Kalady near Kochi, since the past two days, were rescued on Saturday. Vijayan told the media here the situation is "very serious and grave". "The death toll would have been higher, but for the work we did. Things are under control," said Vijayan, whose government was flayed by Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala for failing to take up rescue and relief work effectively. Food Minister P. Thilothaman, camping at Chengannur, told the media: "The need of the hour is to provide food packets and drinking water to the people. About 15 small boats of the Navy are expected to join rescue and relief work. But, after dusk, no rescues are possible. Helicopters are also needed for faster evacuation." Meanwhile, anger mounted across Kerala as coordination of rescue work went haywire due to the magnitude of the calamity. "There are several people who are waiting to be rescued in areas like Pandanad (near Chengannur) and I saw two bodies floating in the water. If there is anymore delay in, things will taken a turn for the worse. We are drinking rain water to keep us going...," said a resident of Pandanad. On late Saturday evening, a 150-member National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team started biggest-ever rescue operations in the state. The NDRF has till now rescued 194 people and evacuated around 10,467 from flood-hit Kerala. A total of 55 NDRF teams are engaged in the rescue and relief work. A 27-member team of the Rajasthan State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) left for Kerala on Saturday with 12 boats from a special aircraft of the Indian Air Force for rescue operations in Kerala. According to Navy sources, two sets of siblings from Kalady were rescued and brought to the naval base in Kochi and are waiting to join their parents. Local leaders said thousands of people are stuck in Paravur region of Ernakulam district. The plantation town of Nelliyampathy in the battered Palakkad district is fully cut off as a bridge was washed away and massive boulders fell on a main road in incessant rains and landslides. Huge granite blocks, which had fallen from atop mountains, could be seen perched precariously amidst gushing flood waters. Youngsters could be seen helping women and the elderly cross the waters by lifting them. Fresh landslides were also reported in high range Idukki. Congress legislator V.D. Sateeshan, who was spearheading the rescue operations in Paravur in Ernakulam district, said that he stood before a rescue boat team with folded hands and they obliged and rescued several people. "In the camp at my place, there are 7,000 people and despite passionate pleas this camp has not received any government help at all. Several people have to take medicines for lifestyle diseases, but no medical kits have come. I have spoken to the Chief Minister down to all... All I got is assurances," said Sateeshan. National award-winning actor Salimkumar, after remaining holed up in his house along with 45 others for three days, was finally rescued by a fishing boat on Saturday evening. "I was receiving daily calls from NDRF officials even from Delhi that rescue will happen very soon, but help came after three days," said Salimkumar. Flaying the state for "failing in the endeavour", Leader of Opposition Chennithala said, "I have been flooded with calls from the affected persons. Even now, thousands of people are stranded. The Chief Minister dismissed with contempt when I said this week that rescue and relief should be handed over to the Army. I do not want to blame anyone but it has been proved beyond doubt that the state government has failed." Alappuzha Superintendent of Police A.P. Surendran said: "Things are moving fast on Saturday. Helicopters and more boats have been pressed into service. We are confident we will be able to rescue more stranded people." More fishing boats from various places reached the affected areas during the day. A large number of people, including senior citizens, women and children were airlifted from isolated buildings, while many others were evacuated in army boats, large fishing vessels and makeshift yachts. Alappuzha District Collector S. Suhas said since morning 150 boats including houseboats have been engaged in rescuing people and "today (Saturday) we have by now evacuated about 75 percent of people who were waiting to be rescued". "Around two lakhs people are now in various camps. This could well be the biggest rescue operation. At some places the water is very rough and various types of boats are rescuing people," Suhas said. Journalist-turned-CPI-M legislator Veena George on Saturday turned critical "due to the way the government machinery in Pathanamthitta has been working". "None has a clue of how many people have been rescued and how many are left to be rescued. There seems to be disconnect in coordination of the operations," said George. The situation in Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad and Wayanad inched towards comparative normalcy as rains slowed and water level receded, with many living in crowded relief camps awaiting to return home. A landslide near Nelliyampathy in Palakkad district has left around 1,000 people cut off from the mainland and the Army is working to clear the debris. At several places in waterlogged areas, banks could not function normally since staff failed to report for the duty due to flooding. Railway services between Ernakulam and Thrissur remained suspended on Saturday with long-distance trains diverted via the Nagercoil route. A trial run on the Kottayam sector took place later in the day, as all services on this route were suspended for the past two days. Certain blockades on the Thrissur-Palakkad-Aluva highway was cleared for traffic. Army personnel worked hard to clear the roads to Munnar. Officials said 134 bridges and 16,000 km of Public Works Department roads and 82,000 kms of local roads were completely destroyed. Agriculture crops in over 40,000 hectares have been destroyed. According to authorities, since August 8, 194 people have lost their lives. Kerala is facing the heaviest rains and consequent widespread floods and destruction since 1924, which the state estimates has caused a loss of over Rs 19,500 crore. (With Agency Inputs) Achyutananda: Meet Nepals forgotten aviator When playwright Balkrishna Sama first met Achyutananda in 1919, he was still an impressionable teenager. Yet the interaction with Achyutananda in his one-room workshop in Teku was so arresting that Sama would go on to dedicate a section of an autobiography penned in the twilight of his life to the chance meeting. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday conducted an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas in Kerala to witness the massive loss and destruction triggered by the torrential rains that claimed 324 lives. PM Modi announced Rs 500 crore as immediate aid for Kerala, in addition to the 100 crore announced earlier. He also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured, from Prime Ministers National Relief Funds (PMNRF). He was accompanied by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Governor P Sathasivam and Union Tourism Minister KJ Alphons. Earlier the PM chaired a high-level meeting to review the flood situation in the state with state CM Vijayan, KJ Alphons and other officials. PM Modi had reached Kochi early on Saturday morning from Thiruvananthapuram airport for the survey. The PM had reached Thiruvananthapuram on Friday evening to take stock of the flood situation. He was received by CM Vijayan, Kerala Governor P Sathasivam and Alphons at Thiruvananthapuram. Earlier in the day, PM Modi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had a telephonic conversation with CM Vijayan. Here are the updates on the Kerala floods situation: * Special aircraft of Indian Army reaches Thiruvananthapuram with food and basic amenities for flood affected areas. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/33zudY6d6n ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 * Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced an aid of Rs 5 crore from Chief Minister Relief Fund. He also announced that 245 fire personnel with boats will be sent to Kerala for rescue operations. * Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced an aid of Rs 10 crore from Bihar Chief Minister Relief Fund. * Indian Coast Guard releases a detailed map of affected Kerala districts. * Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has announced an aid of Rs 10 crores for flood-hit Kerala. * NDRF DG Sanjay Kumar informed that 58 teams of NDRF have been deployed in eight affected districts. At least 170 people and 7,000 people have been rescued and evacuated to safer places. He added that if required more teams will be deployed. * CM Vijayan informed PM Modi that as per initial assessment Kerala has suffered a loss of Rs 19,512 crore. Though the Prime Minister has announced an assistance of Rs 500 crore the CM said that a request was made for Rs 2000 crore. "The Honble Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an of 500 crore. CM had requested an immediate assistance of 2000 crore. We express our thanks to Centre for the assistance," the CM tweeted. * PM Modi has announced Rs 500 crore as immediate aid for Kerala, in addition to the 100 crore announced earlier. * Watch PM Modi conducts aerial survey of Kerala #WATCH: Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducts an aerial survey of flood affected areas. PM has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh per person to the next kin of the deceased and Rs.50,000 to those seriously injured, from PMs National Relief Funds (PMNRF). #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/T6FYNVLmMu ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 Prime Minister Narendra Modi was accompanied by Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Governor P. Sathasivam and Union Tourism Minister KJ Alphons during aerial survey of flood affected areas. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/s0LB2Z9J3q ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 * The State Bank of India (SBI) has donated Rs 2 crore to Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) and announced waiver of fees and charges on services offered by the bank in Kerala. * Landslide blocks state highway Kattappana: State highway to #Idukki city from Kumily is blocked due to landslide, clearance operation underway. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/s5K1EufC0Q ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 * WATCH: Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel distribute relief material in flood-affected Palakkad's Mangalam Dam village. #WATCH: Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel distribute relief material to stranded people in flood affected Palakkad's Mangalam Dam village. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/2WvqDsflrn ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 * A list of the trains and their schedule for Saturday Operating: Thiruvananthapuram-Alappuzha-Ernakulam Thiruvananthapuram-Nagercoil-Tirunelveli Suspended: Kayamkulam-Kottayam-Ernakulam Jn/Ernakulam North: Services suspended till 4 pm for Saturday Kollam-Punalur-Senkottai: Services suspended till further notice Towards Bangalore: At 11:30 am, a passenger special started from Ernakulam Jn via Alappuzha and is scheduled to stop at all stations up to Thiruvananthapuram central. This train will connect Passengers to 16316 Kochuveli-KSR Bengaluru express at Kochuveli (4:45 pm), which is operating via Thiruvananthapuram-Nagercoil town-Tirunelveli-Madurai-Dindigul-Erode. Towards Chennai Egmore: A passenger special train, operating from Ernakulam Jn(08:00 hrs) via Alappuzha will connect passengers from Kollam Jn by 16724 Kollam-Thiruvananthapuram-Chennai Egmore Ananthapuri express. A passenger special started from Thiruvananthapuram central at 11:30 am towards Ernakulam Jn via Alappuzha, On arrival at Ernakulam Jn it will operate as a special express towards Chennai Egmore via Alappuzha, Thiruvananthapuram- Nagercoil town-Tirunelveli-Madurai Towards Howrah: An Express Special will start from Thiruvananthapuram central at 5pm and run via Nagercoil, Tirunelveli, Chennai Egmore, Gudur to Howrah. Reservation is available for this train. Towards New Delhi: Train No 12625 Thiruvananthapuram-New Delhi Kerala express leaving Thiruvananthapuram central at 11.15 am will run via Nagercoil town-Tirunelveli-Madurai-Dindigul-Erode. * Congress leader PC Chacko said, "Thousands and thousands are marooned facing a very severe, critical situation. More emergency evacuation operation is needed. What is being done is appreciable but we need more help from the Centre and other states. Kerala is in distress." * There have been two contradictory reports on PM Modi's aerial survey being called off. Earlier IANS confirmed that the survey was called off due to bad weather. However, ANI tweeted saying media reports of the news has not been confirmed yet. * The Prime Minister is reviewing the flood situation in Kerala at a high-level meeting The Prime Minister is reviewing the flood situation in Kerala at a high-level meeting. @CMOKerala pic.twitter.com/3VNq0ehSry PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 18, 2018 * UAE to help Kerala by providing assistance United Arab Emirates(UAE) to form a committee to help flood-hit areas of Kerala. Sheikh Khalifa has instructed the formation of a national emergency committee to provide assistance to the people affected. * PM Modi arrives in Kochi. * PM Narendra Modi leaves from Thiruvananthapuram for an aerial survey of flood-affected areas PM Narendra Modi leaves from Thiruvananthapuram for an aerial survey of flood-affected areas of Kochi. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/CWdg2vzjwq ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 * Watch the aerial video of flooded Kalady in Kerala #WATCH: Aerial visual of flooded Kalady as rain continues to lash the state. #KeralaFloods (17.08.18) pic.twitter.com/lhu4oR50H7 ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 The Kerala CM office had tweeted, "Kerala is facing its worst flood in 100 years. Eighty dams opened, 324 lives lost and 2,23,139 people are in about 150 relief camps. Your help can rebuild the lives of the affected." Over 80,000 persons, stranded in flood-hit districts, were rescued earlier on Friday, of whom 71,000 were from one of the worst affected Aluva regions of Ernakulam district. The state is witnessing the worst flood situation in almost a century. The rains claimed 106 lives on Thursday, August 16, alone. Over 1500 relief camps have been set up across the state. Many states have extended support for the donations. Delhi government announced that it will donate Rs 10 crores for the relief fund for the flood-affected state. N Chandrababu Naidu-led Andhra Pradesh government also announced an assistance of Rs 10 crores for Kerala. Other states which came forward for assistance includes Punjab and Telangana, which announced a donation of Rs 10 crores and Rs 25 crores respectively. CM Vijayan also posted details of the bank account where the donations can be made. The Defence Ministry has been pumping relief material for rescue operations across Kerala. The ministry provided 1300 life jackets, 571 lifebuoys, 1000 raincoats, 1300 gumboots, 1200 ready-to-eat meal, 1500 food packets, 25 motorised boats and 9 non-motorised boats. Personnel of the three services, besides the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), resumed the gigantic task of evacuating people stranded on rooftops, highlands where hills came crashing down blocking roads and cutting them off from the rest of the world, and those marooned in villages that have turned into islands. The Indian Army deployed 10 flood relief columns and 10 Engineer Task Forces for the rescue mission in several flood-hit districts. The Cochin international airport, the seventh busiest in the country, has been shut from August 14 following the heavy downpour. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) asked domestic airlines to operate additional flights to Kerala and cap fares. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed despair by the loss of lives and the destruction due to the Kerala floods and the world organisation is following the situation very closely, according to his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. The UN "is saddened by the loss of life, destruction and displacement caused by the floods in India," which is the worst flooding in about 100 years, Dujarric told reporters on Friday. Asked if India had asked for UN assistance, he said there has been no request for help and added, "as you know India has quite a well-operating machinery to deal with natural disasters". "But of course our country team -- I have been in touch with our Resident Coordinator (Yuri Afanasiev ) they are following closely, they are in touch with partners on the ground," he said. The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), on Saturday, reviewed the ongoing rescue operations in the flood-affected areas in Kerala. The meeting discussed the current flood situation and deployment of rescue teams, motorboats, helicopters, life jackets to various districts of Kerala. Provision of food, water, medicines and restoration of power, telecom and transport links were also discussed in the meeting. Prime Minister Narendra Modi instructed personnel from Indian Navy, Army, Air Force, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Coast Guard, other CAPFs to help in the rescue and evacuation of people from various flood-affected districts. Sixty-seven helicopters, 24 aircraft and 548 motorboats have been pressed into service to rescue and evacuate people from submerged areas to relief camps and for distribution of relief materials. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has till now rescued 194 people and evacuated around 10,467 from flood-hit Kerala. A total of 55 NDRF teams are engaged in the rescue and relief work in the flood-affected Kerala. A 27-member team of the Rajasthan State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) left for Kerala on Saturday with 12 boats from a special aircraft of the Indian Air Force to provide relief and assistance to those affected by the floods. More than 6,900 life jackets, 3,000 lifebuoys, 167 inflatable tower lights, 2,100 raincoats, 1,300 gumboots and 153 chainsaws have been provided as per the request of the State Government. The Cabinet Secretary directed five more helicopters to be mobilised by IAF, Navy and ONGC which will be pressed into service by Sunday. Various Central Ministeries have made available food, water and medicines which include 3,00,000 food packets, 6,00,000 MT of milk, 14,00,000 litres of drinking water, 150 potable water purification kits with capacity of 1,00,000 litre each. Railways informed that trains have been running to Thiruvananthapuram via Erode and Madurai. It offered to run a special food and medicine train from Thiruvananthapuram to Ernakulam as per the requirements of the State Government to distribute food and medicines to all the stations on the way. The Naval airstrip at Kochi will be functional for commercial flights by August 20. The Department of Telecom has enabled intra-circle roaming which will enable subscribers of one service provider to access mobile towers of other service providers. All the operators have offered free data and SMS facility from Friday. Mobile towers called Cellular on Wheels are also being deployed to ensure that no Block remains unconnected. The Ministry of Health has made ready emergency medicines and medical teams for deployment as soon as flood waters recede. As per IMD forecast, rainfall is expected to recede further barring in one or two districts. New Delhi: As flood-situation in the state worsens, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare Kerala flood a National Disaster without any delay. Taking to Twitter, he said "Dear PM, Please declare #Kerala floods a National Disaster without any delay. The lives, livelihood and future of millions of our people is at stake." Dear PM, Please declare #Kerala floods a National Disaster without any delay. The lives, livelihood and future of millions of our people is at stake. Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 18, 2018 Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala too took to Twitter and said, "In Kerala, there has been a damage worth 2000-3000 crores. Congress party demands that #KeralaFloods be declared a national calamity." The Congress leader further added that all MPs, MLAs and MLCs, belonging to the grand old party, will donate their one month salary for flood relief in Kerala. "All our MPs, MLAs and MLC to donate their one month salary for flood relief in Kerala. A special relief committee will be made to send essential items to Kerala," Surjewala said. As many as 324 people have lost their lives, thousands displaced or stranded as incessant rains pounded Kerala since the past few weeks, causing havoc in 12 districts. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas in Kerala to witness the massive loss and destruction triggered by the torrential rains. He announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured, from Prime Minister's National Relief Funds (PMNRF). Meanwhile, Chief Ministers of almost every state have been declaring relief fund for the flood-hit state. According to the control room of the Kerala state disaster management authority, 194 people have been killed and 36 missing in the floods since August 8. Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps and a tweet from Pinarayi Vijayan, the southern state's chief minister, said that the loss from the floods, as per initial estimates, was Rs 19,512 crore. (With inputs from agencies) All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) member Sayed Mateen was arrested on Saturday in Maharashtra's Aurangabad for opposing a condolence resolution on former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation general body meeting. The veteran leader, who passed away on Thursday in Delhi's AIIMS hospital at the age of 93, had been suffering from ailments for several years. Mateen has been arrested on charges of hurting religious sentiments, hurting communal harmony and inciting riots. Along with him, AIMIM District President Jawed Qureshi was also arrested. A case has been lodged against him for obstructing police work, causing obstruction in government work and threatening the police. Besides this, a case has also been registered against BJP's councillor Pramod Rathod, Vijay Udade, Raj Wankhede, who thrashed Mateen. #WATCH: Scuffle breaks out between members of BJP & AIMIM in Maharashtra's Aurangabad Municipal Corporation after an AIMIM corporator opposed the condolence proposal of former PM #AtalBihariVajpayee. (17.08.18) pic.twitter.com/IUNErxQhRA ANI (@ANI) August 17, 2018 The meeting on Friday witnessed a ruckus when a dozen-odd Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporators assaulted Mateen for refusing to pay tribute to Vajpayee. The AIMIM said the opposition to the resolution was not the stand of the party but demanded action against the corporators involved in the assault. Shortly after the house convened, BJP corporators led by Rahul Vaidya moved a condolence resolution on Vajpayee`s death, which was opposed by AIMIM's Sayed Mateen. Livid at this, 10-12 BJP corporators, including some women members, pulled Mateen from his seat, slapped, punched and even one of them kicked him repeatedly, even when he fell on the floor, shows a video by news agency ANI. Even as other corporators attempted to rescue Mateen, the municipal corporation`s security officials rushed in and whisked him to safety through a side exit and later to a hospital. The CCTV video of the incident went viral on the social media. The assault sparked angry reactions outside as alleged AIMIM supporters indulged in stone-pelting to damage local BJP leader Baburao Deshmukh`s car and injured his driver. Several BJP corporators, including Vaidya and Pramod Rathod, urged the Mayor to suspend Mateen for his "anti-national move" to oppose the resolution. Mateen demanded that the Mayor take strict action against his attackers. Mateen maintained that he was opposing the motion in a democratic manner, but the BJP members chose to respond by attacking him. Legislator Imtiaz Jaleel of the AIMIM -- which has 25 corporators in the AMC -- met the city Police Commissioner and demanded a thorough probe into the assault. New Delhi: Captain P Rajkumar of Indian Navy, who has been awarded Shaurya Chakra on the 2018 Independence Day, winched up as many as 26 people from a SeaKing 42B helicopter in flood-hit Kerala. He rescued the people on Friday, in extremely challenging conditions, hovering between trees and in the limits of man and machine, said the Indian Navy. Captain Rajkumar was the Captain of naval helicopter Sea King 528 when Cyclonic storm Ockhi struck southern coast of India during the end of November and early December last year causing massive devastation and claiming lives of at least 218 people. The officer and his crew flew sorties from Trivandrum throughout the day for search and rescue operations. While braving the fury of nature and undertaking rescue missions, the officer rescued four survivors from the rough seas during the day. The bold decision and daring act of the officer enabled saving a human life in extreme conditions and were possible only because of the sheer determination, courage and decision making abilities of the officer. For the undeterred commitment to save human life in the most trying conditions accompanied by courage, fortitude and display of valour in the face of danger, the officer was recommended for the award of Shaurya Chakra. NEW DELHI: Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said that Rs 500 crore allocated for Kerala floods is simply not enough. He once again pressed the need to declare the floods as a national disaster. Taking to Twitter, the Gandhi scion wrote, Dear PM, Increasing funds allocated for Kerala relief to Rs 500 Cr is a good step but nowhere near enough. It is critical you declare the floods as a National Disaster. Please do not vacillate as the people of Kerala are suffering. Dear PM, Increasing funds allocated for Kerala relief to Rs.500 Cr is a good step but nowhere near enough. It is critical you declare the floods as a National Disaster. Please do not vacillate as the people of Kerala are suffering. #KeralaFloodRelief https://t.co/AxabEOHftR Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 18, 2018 Earlier in the day, he had tweeted, Dear PM, Please declare #Kerala floods a National Disaster without any delay. The lives, livelihood and future of millions of our people is at stake. The southern state is facing its worst flood situation in a century with 80 dams shutters opened and all rivers in spate. PM Modi conducted an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas in the state on Saturday morning. He later announced Rs 500 crore as immediate aid for Kerala, in addition to the 100 crore announced earlier. He also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured, from Prime Ministers National Relief Funds (PMNRF). "I salute the people of Kerala for their fighting spirit... The nation stands firmly with Kerala in this hour," Modi said in a series of tweets after chairing a high-level meeting to review the flood situation. The death toll due to rains and floods in Kerala has gone up to 357 this monsoon season, as 22 more deaths were reported on Saturday and red alert continued in 11 districts following prediction of more rains. The India Meteorological Department issued a red alert for 11 districts in flood-hit Kerala on Saturday. Heavy and widespread rainfalls is expected in all districts except Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam & Kasaragod, informed the office of Kerala Chief Minister. Heavy rains is likely to continue across the state following low pressure area very likely to develop over northwest Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood during the next 24 hours. With agency inputs THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As Kerala is struggling to cope with the flood fury, 21-year-old college student, who was viciously trolled for selling fish to meet her educational needs, has contributed Rs 1.5 lakh towards the Chief Minister's Disaster Relief Fund. Hanan, a college student from Kochi, said the money was donated by various people after her struggle to fund her studies and take care of her family was widely shared on the social media. "I had got the amount from people and I am happy to give back the amount to the needy," she said. Hanan, who also worked as an anchor and flower girl for programmes to make ends meet, requested people to donate for the relief works. A B.Sc student at a private college at Thodupuzha in Idukki district, Hanan's story had gone viral after a Malayalam daily reported her struggles. But, a section of social media users expressed doubts about her struggles and claimed it was "fake." Besides Hanan, people from various walks of life are generously contributing money and various essentials for helping the needy. Sajeesh, a government employee and husband of nurse Lini Puthussery, who died of Nipah after she contracted the deadly virus from a patient, donated his first salary of Rs 25,000 to the relief fund. The Kerala government had given Sajeesh a job in the health sector in recognition of Lini's selfless service. Sixty-eight-year-old Rohini from Thalassery in Kannur district, who draws a monthly pension of Rs 600 and has no other source of income, contributed Rs 1000 online to the relief fund. Social media groups, students, actors and NGOs are among those who have made contributions to the relief fund. DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) prime minister and Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has come out in support for deluge-hit Kerala and ordered the formation of an emergency committee to provide relief to the victims hit by devastating rains and floods in the state. In a series of tweets in English as well as in Malayalam on Friday, he said, "The people of Kerala have always been and are still part of our success story in the UAE. We have a special responsibility to help and support those affected, especially during this holy and blessed days." Sheikh Al Maktoum, who is also the vice president of UAE, said that the UAE and the Indian community will unite to offer relief to those affected. "We have formed a committee to start immediately. We urge everyone to contribute generously towards this initiative," he said. "The state of Kerala in India is currently witnessing huge floods, the most devastating in a century. Hundreds have been killed, hundreds of thousands have been displaced. Ahead of Eid Al Adha, do not forget to extend a helping hand to our brothers in India," he further tweeted. Meanwhile, India's ambassador to the UAE, Navdeep Singh Suri, said he will chair a meeting on Saturday with community organisations, activists and business leaders to coordinate relief support for Kerala from UAE. "Please contribute generously during this unprecedented crisis," Suri tweeted. As per an official data, since August 8, at least 194 persons have lost their lives so far and 36 are missing in the Kerala flood. Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. The Indian community in the UAE, numbering 2.6 million, constitutes 30 percent of the total population. It is the largest expatriate community in the country. UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a statement saying that the world body is saddened by the loss of lives and the destruction due to the Kerala floods and that it was monitoring the situation very closely. ''The UN 'is saddened by the loss of life, destruction and displacement caused by the floods in India's Kerala', which is the worst flooding in about 100 years,'' UN chief's spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said. Replying to a question, the spokesperson said that India has so far not asked for the UN assistance in tackling the floods in Kerala. ''There has been no request for help,'' he said adding, "as you know that India has quite a well-operating machinery to deal with natural disasters." "But, of course, our country team - I have been in touch with our Resident Coordinator (Yuri Afanasiev ) they are following closely, they are in touch with partners on the ground," he said. The statement from the UN chief came at a time when the worst floods in Kerala has claimed the lives of at least 324 people and rendered many others homeless. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also arrived in Kerala on Friday night to review the situation in flood-hit areas in Kerala. He arrived in Kochi on Saturday morning to undertake an aerial survey of the affected areas and review the relief and rescue operations being carried out there. The Prime Minister was received by Kerala Governor P Sathasivam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his cabinet colleagues among others. He spent the night at the Kerala Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the Governor. Before returning to Delhi from Kochi, the Prime Minister will chair a meeting to discuss the grave situation in the state. A red alert continues in 12 districts, with various agencies continuing the rescue operations after rains subsided to evacuate over 80,000 persons on Friday. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told the media on Friday night that the situation arising out of unprecedented floods and subsequent havoc caused by turgid rivers and gushing waters in Kerala continues to be "grave". Hundreds of defence personnel, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, helped by more than 20 helicopters, are carrying out search and rescue operations. Fishermen along with their motorboats too joined the humanitarian efforts. #WATCH Police and NDRF joint rescue operation in a flooded area of Kodagu. #KarnatakaFloods pic.twitter.com/fl8vVWbddH ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 More helicopters were pressed into service on Friday to fly sorties for rescue and relief. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman sanctioned extra choppers as people marooned in Chengannur and Chalakudy could only be airlifted to safety. Waters from the Periyar river and its tributaries kept many towns in Ernakulam and Thrissur districts submerged. The worst affected include Paravur, Kalady, Chalakudy, Perumbavoor and Muvatupuzha. Torrential rains, overflowing rivers and a series of landslides have resulted in the death of 324 people so far, leaving over three lakh people in over 2,000 relief camps. (With Agency Inputs) TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said that with the passing away of former Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, his country has lost a 'good friend'. The Japanese leader said this on Friday in his condolence message in which he described Vajpayee as a true statesman and hailed his contributions to the friendship between the two countries. "I am deeply saddened to learn the demise of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee," Abe said in a message, which was shared by External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on Twitter. Sincere condolences from a friend of India! Japanese PM @AbeShinzo writes to PM @narendramodi on the demise of former PM Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. pic.twitter.com/rRaKWuzcyO Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) August 17, 2018 Remembering Vajpayee's visit to Japan in 2001, Abe said, "On behalf of the Government and people of Japan, I would like to convey my sincerest condolences to the Government and people of India and the bereaved family. His Excellency Vajpayee visited Japan in 2001 as the then Prime Minister and made significant contributions to the friendship between our two countries as a good friend of Japan. It is him who established the cornerstone of Japan-India relations today." Terming Vajpayee as an eminent leader of India, Abe added, "I pray from the bottom of my heart that his soul may rest in peace." Besides Japan, The US, Russia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan and several countries condoled the demise of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Vajpayee, one of India's most charismatic leaders, who led the nation through several crises while holding together a tenuous coalition with his inclusive politics and superlative oratory, died here today at the age of 93. The American Embassy in Delhi said in a statement that the US grieves with India on the loss of the former prime minister. "He will be remembered for his immense contribution in bolstering US-India relations. During his tenure, Prime Minister Vajpayee advocated for a robust partnership with the United States, referring to us as 'natural allies'," it said. The US mission in India extends its deepest condolences to the family of Vajpayee and the citizens of India, it said. Ambassador of Russia to India Nikolay Kudashev said, "We mourn the death of Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a great statesman". Vajpayee's name became an integral part of a whole era in Indian politics, the envoy said. "His devoted service to the nation can hardly be overestimated. Mr Vajpayee enjoyed due respect in India and globally. We knew him also as a poet, a man of knowledge and a true friend of our country, where he is well-known as one of the architects of our long-lasting and time-tested privileged strategic partnership," Kudashev said. Japanese envoy to India Kenji Hiramatsu said, "I am deeply saddened by the passing away of former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee". Hailing Vajpayee as one of the most inspiring world leaders, the envoy said the upswing in India-Japan relations was only possible by the initiatives started by the former Indian prime minister. "The demise of such a great leader is a great loss not only to India but also to Japan and other part of Asia as well as the entire international community," he said. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was cremated with full state honours at Rashtriya Smriti Sthal in Delhi on Friday evening. Tens of thousands of people, including top national and international leaders, joined the final procession and paid tributes. The three-time former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna award recipient died after a prolonged illness on Thursday evening. The 93-year-old BJP stalwart breathed his last at 5.05 PM at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the national capital. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah and the entire Union Cabinet joined to take part in the final procession. Later, the tricolour that was wrapped around Vajpayee`s body was removed and given to granddaughter Niharika, after which the body was handed over to the family for last rites. Vajpayee`s adopted daughter Namita Bhattacharya, accompanied with Niharika, performed the last rites. Namita lit the funeral pyre amidst the chanting of Vedic hymns and firing of a 21-gun salute by soldiers. President Ram Nath Kovind, PM Modi and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu led a galaxy of political leaders cutting across party lines to bid a tearful adieu to the former PM. (With Agency Inputs) Alcohol imports decline as domestic production ramps up The import of different varieties of alcohol from Sirsiya dry port has declined in the last fiscal year 2017-18. However, the import of wine and other raw materials for production purposes have increased. SRINAGAR: Three terrorists were killed near Line of Control in Tangdhar sector, Kupwara district on Saturday evening. "A group of infiltrating terrorists was challenged by the Army. In the ensuing encounter, three terrorists were killed. Searches are still on in the area," police said. Earlier in the day, Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Uri sector with unprovoked shelling this evening. There was no loss of life, police said. "Some mortar shells were fired by Pakistani forces on the Thajal-Chranda area of Uri (in north Kashmir's Baramulla district)," Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Baramulla, Imtiyaz Hussain said. One of the shells hit a washroom adjacent to a house in Thajal and damaged it, he said. On August 17, one person was killed and three were injured after terrorists attacked on a police installation with grenades in Awantipora area of Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, police said. They lobbed a grenade towards the main gate of the district police office which missed the intended target and exploded by the road, a police official said. Four civilians were injured in the grenade blast, the official said, adding that one of the injured later succumbed to injuries at a hospital. With agency inputs BENGALURU: In the wake of heavy rainfall in the state, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy will on Saturday visit Kodagu to review relief operations being carried out in the district. Kumaraswamy will also chair a high-level meeting with top officials around 10.30 AM in Krishna, his home office before leaving for Kodagu district. ''Rescue operations will be over by evening. CM will visit Kodagu today to review flood situation. Relief camps have been set up for people. Food, water, doctors and facilities have been made available to them in relief camps,'' state minister Sa Ra Mahesh said. Rescue operations will be over by evening. CM will visit Kodagu today to review flood situation. Relief camps have been set up for people. Food, water, doctors & all facilities have been made available to them in relief camps: Sa Ra Mahesh, State Minister on #KarnatakaRains pic.twitter.com/G0fjUNvMQB ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 The Chief Minister will pay a visit to rain-affected areas in Nanjangood and Kabini on August 19. Kumaraswamy had earlier directed Kodagu district in-charge minister Sara Mahesh to ensure the supply of relief materials from Mysuru, according to a press release from the Chief Minister's office. In view of predictions about heavy rainfall in the days to come, Kumaraswamy had earlier directed collectors of various districts to remain on their toes to combat any untoward situation. Out of 30 districts, as many as five districts namely, Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, and Shivamogga have been kept on high alert. The Chief Minister had also urged the concerned officials in the said districts to review the situation in their vicinities and update the authorities in case of emergency. Kumaraswamy had on Thursday announced a grant-in-aid of Rs 200 crore to the affected districts for relief work. The Congress' Karnataka unit had set up three teams to assess the situation in the various districts affected by heavy rains. The bus services from Mangalore to Bangaluru were dismissed by the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) following landslides and heavy rain on Friday. The Army joined rescue operations for people stranded in Kodagu district due to landslides. Torrential rains, which lashed the state since August 14, caused landslides and disrupted the normal life in the state. (With ANI Inputs) New Delhi: Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra was on Saturday spotted entering Priyanka Chopra's residence amid the rumours Priyanka and Nick's roka ceremony. If reports are anything to go by, the international icon will through a formal engagement bash for all her Bollywood colleagues and friends. The rumour mills also suggest that the actress will apparently have a roka ceremony in the morning. Watch Parineeti Chopra enters Priyanka's residence: (Video by Yogen Shah) A Bollywoodlife.com report stated that a Roka ceremony will take place at 10 am on Saturday at Priyanka's Mumbai bungalow which will be followed by a puja. After the puja, the couple will celebrate with their friends and family at a five-star hotel. Apparently, the couple will make things official tomorrow after the Roka ceremony, the website quoted a source saying. While Nick along with his parents arrived in Mumbai on Thursday night, his brothers Kevin and Joe are expected to fly to India on Friday night. They all will be meeting Priyanka's family for the first time at the Roka ceremony. As per a Times Now report, Priyanka's 'Bajirao Mastani' co-star Ranveer Singh, cousin Parineeti Chopra, celebrity designer Manish Malhotra, Sophie Choudhary and Raveena Tandon are some of the people from the tinsel town who have been invited for the celebration. A traditional Indian wedding is expected to take place in October this year as families of both sides are reportedly not in a favour of a long engagement. Recently, Priyanka attended a bash hosted by Manish Malhotra at his residence in which she posed for a selfie with Raveena and flashed a huge rock on her ring finger. Without much ado the picture went viral on social media. Priyanka and Nick met at the Met Gala in 2016 but their relationship rumours began in May this year. The duo started to make headlines after they got snapped in each other's company on several occasions. In June, they arrived together in India on a short holiday where Nick was introduced to Priyanka's mother Madhu Chopra and her family members. They then left for a brief vacation for Goa. During his stint in India, Nick also attended the pre-engagement bash of Akash Ambani and Shloka Mehta. Priyanka and Nick have been travelling across the world to be with each other. After her return from Goa, Priyanka left for Brazil and later to Singapore, where Nick was scheduled to perform at the VillaMax festival. She was also seen cheering for him at one of his concerts. Srinagar: Actor John Abraham today called upon filmmakers to concentrate on Kashmir's positivity and beauty instead of its politics, saying it is the responsibility of the film industry to make sure they show the state in a positive light. "Kashmir is one of the most beautiful places in the world, which needs to be presented in a good way. I have read about Kashmir and know its history since 1947. "I know the situation and how things are here. I understand everything. I understand the political process also. Instead of concentrating on politics in Kashmir, the filmmakers must concentrate on its beauty. We must promote the culture of Kashmir," John told reporters at Gulmarg. The actor is currently shooting at the famous ski-resort in north Kashmir's Baramulla district for espionage thriller "Romeo Akbar Walter" ("RAW"), which also stars Jackie Shroff. John said as a producer he will make sure that the state is shown in positive light in his films. "I am also producer and have produced films in the past. I will start from myself. I will make sure Kashmir is shown in a positive light and that is my responsibility. I will also make sure that film industry presents Kashmir the way Kashmir it needs to be presented to the world," he said. The 45-year-old actor also urged budding travellers to explore the beauty of Kashmir and brush aside the tension which, he said, has only added to negative perception among the masses. "People think that Kashmir is a dangerous place to visit. But I am in Gulmarg right now and enjoying its beauty. It is a wonderful place and absolutely fantastic one. Every traveller should visit this place and enjoy its beauty. They should also promote it as Heaven on Earth," John said. The actor also took part in a plantation drive and planted saplings near St Marry's Church. He, however, expressed dismay over the massive deforestation that has taken place in the valley and said he wanted to participate in the plantation drive to send a message that preserving environment was very important. "It is important to plant trees and make this place more beautiful. Hoteliers here have already started plantation drive and they have planted three lakh trees here. The beautiful thing in Kashmir is that the survival rate of the plants is 90 per cent after they are sown," John said. The actor also appealed to the state government to improve infrastructure at the resort and also keep the place clean. "The place is very beautiful but roads, facilities and other infrastructure needs to be improved. I urge state government to improve infrastructure and facilities here. The place is so beautiful and but you need access to reach the place," he said. Director Tourism, Kashmir, Tasaduq Jeelani, who also participated in the plantation drive with John, said the department is trying to attract more filmmakers to the state to counter the negative perception and to promote Kashmir at a bigger platform. He said more crews are visiting Kashmir and the department is providing them all the assistance here so as to encourage the filmmakers to shoot their movies in the state. Jeelani also said the department is embarking on massive tourism promotional campaign by organsing road shows, participating in travel marts outside the state. "We will also invite media persons from different print and electronic media of different states of the country and show them how tourists are enjoying here and how conducive Kashmir is for travelling," he said. BEIJING: China`s Defence Ministry has lodged a complaint with the United States about a Pentagon report that said China`s military was likely training for strikes against the United States and its allies, saying it was "pure guesswork". The assessment, at a time of heightened US-China tensions over trade, was contained in an annual report that highlighted China`s efforts to increase its global influence, with defence spending that the Pentagon estimated exceeded $190 billion in 2017. China`s Defence Ministry said in a statement late on Friday that the Pentagon report misrepresented China`s strategic intentions and exaggerated the "so-called China military threat." "China`s military expresses resolute opposition to this and has lodged stern representations with the US side," it said. China is on the path of peaceful development and pursues a defensive national strategy, and has always been a contributor to world peace and protector of the global order, the ministry said. "The Chinese military`s strengthening of modernisation is to protect the country`s sovereignty, security and development interests, as well as global peace, stability and prosperity," it said. "The Chinese military`s reform, weapons development and defensive capabilities in the internet space are just and reasonable. The criticism in the US report is pure guesswork." The Pentagon report said that while the People`s Liberation Army had continued to extend operations, it was not clear what message Beijing was looking to send by carrying out bomber flights "beyond a demonstration of improved capabilities." This year, China`s air force landed bombers on islands and reefs in the South China Sea as part of a training exercise in the disputed region. In January the Pentagon put countering Beijing, along with Russia, at the centre of a new national defence strategy. China`s Defence Ministry said the "peaceful construction work" in the South China Sea was its right as a sovereign country, and it criticised the United States for its freedom of navigation operations there. It said the report by the United States harms mutual trust between the two countries, the ministry said. "We demand the US side abandons Cold War thinking, objectively and rationally view China's defence and military construction, stops issuing the relevant reports, and takes actual steps to promote and protect the stable development of military-to-military relations," it said. While Washington and Beijing maintain a military-to-military relationship aimed at containing tensions, this has been tested in recent months, notably in May when the Pentagon withdrew an invitation to China to join a multinational naval exercise. In June, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis became the first Pentagon chief to visit China since 2014. Shanghai: In a first for him, Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit Pyongyang in September at the invitation of North Korea leader Kim Jon-Un to attend the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding, Singapore's Straits Times newspaper reported. It will be the Chinese leader's first visit to the North Korean capital since he took power in 2012, and 13 years after the last visit by a Chinese President, when Xi's predecessor Hu Jintao visited in 2005, the newspaper said on Saturday. The Straits Times did not say where it obtained the information and the Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. North Korea's celebrations are set to take place on September 9 and the Straits Times said that Xi's visit could still be subject to last-minute changes. China is the reclusive country's most important trading partner and Kim has visited China three times so far this year during which he has held talks with Xi on improving cooperation between the two countries and economic reforms. The United States has stepped up sanctions on North Korea to pressure Pyongyang to give up its nuclear program. This week, the United States imposed sanctions on Chinese firms for exporting alcohol and cigarette products to North Korea in breach of those sanctions. Washington: US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he will travel to Paris next November 11 to commemorate Armistice Day, marking the end of World War I. He said on his Twitter account that he will "go to the Paris parade, celebrating the end of the War, on November 11th." The President said he had also "canceled" the military parade in Washington that was planned for the same day to coincide with Veterans Day in the US, due to the "ridiculously high" cost estimated by the authorities. "Maybe we will do something next year in DC when the cost comes WAY DOWN," he added, Efe reported. The decision to put off the US parade came the same day that it was leaked to US media that it would cost $92 million, far more than originally estimated. Trump asked the Pentagon last February to organise the event after being singularly impressed the year before in Paris by the military parade on Bastille Day, July 4, to which he was invited by French President Emmanuel Macron. The US has not organised a large-scale military parade since June 1991, after winning the First Gulf War and with Republican George H.W. Bush in the White House. Ukrainian activist Volodymyr Balukh has already written his disagreement with such actions Volodymyr Balukh, a Ukrainian activist and a political prisoner was limited in access to the contents of the criminal case by which he was charged. Akhtem Chiygoz, Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis claimed this in the commentary to Krym.Realii. According to him, the act where Balukh wrote his disagreement with such actions is composed. They are willing to condemn quickly and expel Balukh from Crimea, Chiygoz said. Related: Balukh is removed from prison to consult case file As it was reported earlier the February 26 case is the infamous case of several Crimean Tatar activists detained by the Russian authorities of Crimea in 2014; the protesters are suspected of organization and participation in the mass disturbances in Crimea on February 26, 2014, when the Crimean Tatars tried to prevent the occupation of the peninsula by Russian troops and the overthrowing of the Ukrainian authority there. Ali Asanov and Mustafa Degermenji were arrested in April and May 2014, respectively. Earlier the court of Simferopol extended the detention period for Ali Asanov and Mustafa Degermenji. Thus, the detained Crimean Tatars will stay behind the bars until January 7, 2017. Also, the Italian MFA requested to report on the treatment of the Ukrainian filmmaker Guillermo Picci, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy, asked to report on the condition of Oleg Sentsov, during a telephone call with his Russian colleague Aleksandr Grushko. Reads the message on the website of the Italian MFA. The conversation took place on August 16. Related: Ombudsman: 22 Russian inmates address Putin for exchange on Ukrainian political prisoners Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Aleksandr Grushko assured Picci, the Deputy of the State Secretary that the health condition of the Ukrainian filmmaker hunger striking in the protest is under permanent monitoring. There is no risk to his life. Sentsov has access to all necessary aid, reads the message. Reportedly, Oleg Sentsov was detained by Russian intelligence agencies in Crimea on May 2014. Later he was sentenced to 20 years of the colony under the accusation of terrorist activity on the territory of Crimea. Oleg does not admit his guilt. Related: Sentsovs condition is stable, - office of Russian Ombudsman Sentsov declared a hunger strike with a requirement to release all Ukrainian political prisoners in the Russian Federation. At the end of June, Ludmyla Denisova claimed that a priest wasnt allowed to visit Sentsov. 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: Ombudsman ready to discuss conditions of Sentsov exchange with Russia Recently, Sentsovs lawyer stated on the deterioration of his condition. He has a very low hemoglobin, which led to anemia, as well as a very low pulse. Oleg has a bad heart, he was asked twice to be taken to a hospital. However, the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in Yamalo-Nenets County claimed that the medical staff examines Sentsov on daily basis, and his condition is satisfactory. Furthermore, according to the lawyer of the political prisoner, the Chief Doctor of the Hospital in Labytnangi city was threatening Oleg Sentsov by tying up and drugging him with medicine and artificial nutrition. Related: Russian Ombudsman not to ask Putin to pardon Sentsov An illusion of harmony Coming from a writer-director whose previous credits had been limited to middling action/romcom fareincluding the ineffective Shah Rukh Khan-as-superhero flick Ra.One from 2011the new drama Mulk is a pleasant surprise, bearing little similarity to Anubhav Sinhas earlier efforts. Mulk is a moving, timely examination of the dogged persistence of prejudice against Muslims in India. Focus.de meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel began in Germany. In a joint press statement before the talks, Merkel said that one of the topics would be Ukraine and its role in the transit of gas to Europe after the launch of the Nord Stream-2, the 112 Ukraine TV channel reported. "This is an excellent opportunity to continue our dialogue. One of the topics is Ukraine, now there is no stopping of the fire, so we will discuss it. We will also discuss gas transit and believe that Ukraine must remain a party to this process, "Merkel said. Note that before that, the leaders of Germany and Russia met in Sochi on May 18. Earlier, Merkel said that we should not expect great results from negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but there will be discussion of a wide range of topics. Earlier the motorcade of President Vladimir Putin arrived in the Austrian commune Gamlitz, where the ceremony of marriage of Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl and Wolfgang Meilinger will be held, Reuters reports citing OE24.TV Internet channel. Austrian media reported that the Russian leader would get to Gamlitz from the airport of Graz by helicopter, but Putin preferred the car. For the passage of his motorcade, the highway leading to the commune was closed. By the time of Putin's arrival, other high-ranking guests have already gathered for the celebration: Austrian Prime Minister Sebastian Kurz, Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strahe, President Alexander Van der Bellen and OPEC Secretary General Mohammed Barkindo. We recall that after the solemn event, the Russian president will go to negotiations with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Note that after criticism from the Austrian media, the Austrian Foreign Ministry said that the arrival of President Putin is "a personal visit to a private holiday, which does not indicate a change in the country's foreign policy position." The head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Pavlo Klimkin, said that the invitation of Putin to the Foreign Minister of Austria's celebration "provokes a sad smile." Related: Turkish President Erdogan re-elected to the post of leader of the ruling party The Russian ship "Mechanic Pogodin" is blocked in the port of Kherson for three years, said on August 18 deputy permanent representative of the president in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Izet Gdanov. "On August 10, the asset of this company, namely the vessel" Mechanic Pogodin ", was blocked for three years in the port of Kherson," he said. It should be noted that today the Russian Consul General in Ukraine visited the Russian ship "Mechanic Pogodin", detained in the Kherson port. The Consul was convinced that there were all the necessary medicines and food on board. According to the operator of the vessel, the crew of the Pogodin Mechanic did not let a port inspection on board to check the complaint about the unsatisfactory condition. Gdanov called such actions of the crew illegal and added that the seamen, "in accordance with the requirements of the current legislation, will took responsibility for this." The representative of the president noted that the inspection will try to get on the ship for the second time. We recall, the human rights commissioner in Russia Tatyana Moskalkova asked her Ukrainian counterpart Lyudmila Denisova to find out the details of the possible arrest of the Russian ship "Mechanic Pogodin" in Kherson. Earlier it was reported that a vessel of the Russian company, which is under the sanctions of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, had come to Kherson port. Most of the Members of the National Security Council, and also Minister of Defense of the U.S.A. James Mattis and State Secretary Mike Pompeo are speaking against this plan American President Donald Trump may replace the American servicemen in Afghanistan with the manpower of the private military company Blackwater, which belongs to Erik Prince. NBC TV channel reports this with a reference to its own sources. It is expected that they would obey a specially appointed representative of the U.S. for Afghanistan who would report directly the President. According to the TV channel, many members of the National security Council, and also Minister of Defense of the U.S.A. James Mattis and State Secretary Mike Pompeo are speaking against this plan. Related: Terrorist act in Afghanistan: 39 people decease, 80 injure According to Prince, Trumps advisors who are against this idea are overestimating the capability of resolution in Afghanistan by holding peace negotiations with the members of the Taliban. As Prince noted, personally he didnt talk to Trump but he is planning to organize a large-scale campaign in mass media in the support of his initiative in the nearest future hoping that he would influence the opinion of the U.S. President. According to the different data, 15.5 thousand American soldiers are deployed in Afghanistan, 7.5 thousand servicemen from the Member States of NATO and other countries are providing them help. The World Bank says it is preparing a $650 million guarantee to help Ukraine obtain funding in global-debt markets, but Kyiv must first comply with economic reforms demanded by the International Monetary Fund. The World Bank's Country Office for Ukraine said in a Facebook posting on August 16 that, at the request of Ukrainian authorities, it will provide Kyiv with an International Bank for Reconstruction and Development guarantee so it can raise about $800 million in funding, once the IMF's demands are met. "Once appraised and approved, the proposed operation would provide a $650 million IBRD guarantee that is expected to help Ukraine raise about $800 million through a private transaction in the lending market," the global development lender said. For Ukraine to obtain the guarantee, the IMF must first "confirm the completion of all reform actions and the adequacy of the macroeconomic framework" established by Kyiv, it said. Especially "critical" will be the enactment of banking and credit-reform laws passed in July by Ukraine's legislature, the Verkhovna Rada, the World Bank said. Ukrainian authorities must also reach agreement with the IMF on a fourth review of its program in Ukraine, "without which the proposed operation will be unable to proceed," the bank said. Satu Kahkonen, the World Bank's country director for Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine, recently said that the bank has invested about $5.5 billion in Ukraine since 2014, including $2.5 billion allocated for various investment projects, $2 billion to support regional budgets and pursue reforms, and $500 million for purchases of natural gas. An IMF mission is planning to visit Ukraine from September 6-19. Rear the original text here. 50 more people suffered, nine of them are seriously injured Ukrainian bus with tourists had an accident in Podkarpackie Voivodeship in Poland. As a result of the accident, three people suffered, and 51 are injured, TVN24 reports. Totally, there were 54 people on the bus. The Tourist bus was taking tourists from Lviv to Austria and was heading to the border crossing with Slovakia. Related: Car accident in Zhytomyr region: bus driver fell asleep, did not attempt to brake 'The bus had a Ukrainian registration, and tourists were transported from Lviv. Three people deceased and 51 people injured. Nine of them sustained serious injuries,' reads the message. The crash of the bus took place yesterday on August 17, 2018, after noon. The bus fell off the hillside and turned over. Reportedly, a bus with Ukrainians got into a car accident in Budapest in May. As a result of the accident 28 people suffered. Related: Bus with Ukrainian citizens crashes in Hungary, 13 people suffer Related: Bus turns over in Chernihiv region, eight people suffer Another stage of the test of Ukrainian cruising missile was held in the south of Odessa region. The press office of National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine reports. Today, during the important stage of flight tests, a cruising missile manufactured in Ukraine has thoroughly undertaken planned program by destroying a sea target at a distance of 100 km, Oleksandr Turchynov, Secretary of National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine noted. He added that the Ukrainian cruising missiles are capable of providing a reliable defense of the shores of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov by destroying the watercraft of an enemy at a distance of up to 300 km. It is reported that the cruising missile capable of destroying infrastructural and military objects like strategic bridges and ferry lines. State defense enterprise Ukroboronprom showed the testing of a renewed Ukrainian tank -72 seven two . It is a modernized -72 (seven two A) series. The tank is testing all the shelling modes with different rounds, including the anti-tank guided missile Kombat. According to the developers, due to the high-accuracy weapon, it is possible to destroy the enemy armored vehicles at the distance of up to 5 km. The shooting range of a modernized tank is twice as much as that of the previous model. The Kombat missile could pierce 750 (seven hundred fifty) millimeters of armor. The tank is also equipped with two digital radiosets with protected communication lines and modern satellite navigation means. The Academy Award Best Picture winning film is shown with a panel discussion to follow. Fake News! Journalism Goes to Hollywoodfilm and discussion series continues August 19 at the historic KiMo Theatre with "Spotlight. "Spotlight," an Academy Award Best Picture winner, is about a team of investigative reporters from The Boston Globe, who exposed a decades-long cover up of sex abuse by Roman Catholic priests and the ensuing shake-up of Boston's religious, legal and government establishment. Following the film, Weekly Alibi Managing editor and film critic, Devin D. O'Leary, will moderate a discussion on the movies themes and on the importance of journalism in todays society. Panelists include Ellen Berkovitch, award-winning journalist, Bruce Daniels, former State Editor for the Albuquerque Journal, and David Weiss, Communications and Media Studies professor. The panel discussion will be followed by questions from the audience. ABOUT THE PANELISTS Ellen Berkovitch is an investigative journalist, radio producer and writer. She led an investigative team in producing Dark Canyon, a 10-part radio series on the role the Archdiocese of Santa Fe played in both the national and the New Mexico sexual abuse crisis, for KSFR-FM (Santa Fe Public Radio). That series won first place in general religion reporting from the 2018 Society of Professional Journalists' Top of the Rockies contest. Her writing has appeared in local and national publications. After 12 years as a reporter and editor for the Albuquerque Journal, Bruce Daniels became the Journal's religion editor in early 1992. Almost immediately Archbishop Robert F. Sanchez abruptly quit as leader of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe under a cloud of scandal. Daniels spent the next several years covering the onslaught of lawsuits alleging sexual abuse of minors by Roman Catholic priests and how this crisis affected the church in New Mexico. Dr. David Weiss teaches courses in strategic communication, political communication, and media studies. His research interests include media discourse, political and religious communication, and the media and popular culture industries. Before his return to academia in 2000, Dr. Weiss worked in the advertising agency business in New York City for almost two decades. He has taught in Oregon, Ohio, and Montana, and is thrilled to be back at UNM, where he earned his Ph.D. degree in 2005. Devin D. O'Leary has served as the film section editor and chief film critic for the Weekly Alibi newspaper in Albuquerque, NM for 25 years. Last year he took over as the paper's managing editor. He has been the booker and host for Midnight Movie Madness at Guild Cinema since 2002. He was the founder of the Alibi Short Film Fiesta and served as its curator for 10 years. Mr. O'Leary spent the summer of 2008 in Hong Kong co-teaching a class on the history of Hong Kong film to a group of filmmaking students from New Mexico State University. He has written and produced four independent feature films here in New Mexico. The popular comedian performs live. Joel McHale is one of the most sought after comedians and actors in the industry. He can be seen on Netflix playing former Community co-star Chevy Chase, A FUTILE & STUPID GESTURE opposite Will Forte, as well as starring in his new weekly Netflix show, THE JOEL MCHALE SHOW WITH JOEL MCHALE. Joel recently wrapped shooting THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS for STX opposite Melissa McCarthy. He can next be seen in the indie ASSASSINATION NATION for Sam Levinson, which recently premiered at Sundance and acquired by NEON/AGBO. In 2015 McHale wrapped the twelfth and final season of E!'s The Soup in which he satirized pop culture and current events. He is best known for his starring role on the hit comedy series COMMUNITY, which ended its sixth season on Yahoo after five seasons on NBC. Earlier this year, he starred in THE GREAT INDOORS on CBS, where he played a renowned adventure reporter who took a desk job in the digital department of a magazine. McHale was also seen last year on Fox's revival of THE X-FILES, where he played a conservative news anchor. Other starring feature roles include A MERRY FRIGGIN' CHRISTMAS opposite Robin Williams, the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced supernatural thriller DELIVER US FROM EVIL, the Warner Bros' romantic comedy BLENDED alongside Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, Seth MacFarlane's comedy smash TED, WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER?, David Frankels THE BIG YEAR, and Steven Soderberghs THE INFORMANT. In 2014, McHale hosted the annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington D.C. He also hosted the 2015 ESPYS on ABC. This event is 21 and over. Any Ticket holder unable to present valid identification indicating that they are at least 21 years of age will not be admitted to this event, and will not be eligible for a refund. By purchasing tickets to this event, you are authorizing this charge and acknowledging that ALL SALES ARE FINAL, unless an event is cancelled by the artist or venue. There are no refunds. Army to receive four US-granted aircraft by 2020 The US government is providing four Sky Trucks, light cargo and passenger aircraft, for Nepal Army to aid the groups rescue and disaster response efforts. Bishwokarma re-arrested after court frees him Khadga Bahadur Bishwokarma Prakanda, the spokesperson of Communist Party of Nepal, was taken into police custody soon after he was released by the Supreme Court on Friday. Crime and punishment Let us congratulate our government for introducing the new civil and criminal code to replace the laws from when Jung Bahadur was still around. Its funny that Jung Bahadur still stares at Singha Durbar while our so-called republican lads want to do away with anything related to the House of Shah. The only institution that still wants to give respect to the House of Shah is our Nepal Army. Prithivi Narayan Shah still gets respect by our Generals. But of course, somebody must have forgotten to remind them that in New Nepal, our President is the commander in chief. But its a good thing that at least some of us dont want to forget our past. And our politicians need to understand that as well. Faulty provisions will be changed Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said the government is ready to amend the Civil and Criminal Codes that came into effect on Friday if there are shortcomings, following protests over some provisions in the new laws. Buddy System A local program helps veterans find their way. by Cynthia Furlong Reynolds From the August, 2018 issue "Everyone expects returning veterans to adapt to civilian life immediately, but it's definitely not easy," says Jon Luker, a Vietnam-era veteran. "Only another veteran can truly understand that." Luker is one of more than 130 ex-service members who volunteer with Buddy-to-Buddy, a program that helps veterans of all ages and all branches of service adjust to civilian life. He lists just a few issues facing veterans: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anger management, anxiety, hypersensitive situational awareness, physical disabilities, terrible memories, problems sleeping, and a fight-or-flight mentality "that won't quit." Initially, two Vietnam veterans, Don Behm and Tom Devine, took the initiative, Luker explains. "They recognized the looks on the faces of the men and women returning from the Persian Gulf--the same looks Don and Tom had on their faces when they returned from Vietnam. They wanted to make sure that young veterans had a warmer welcome than they themselves had received and the kind of assistance they weren't offered. Launched in 2009 as a joint research program with the U-M Depression Center and the Michigan National Guard, Buddy-to-Buddy has evolved into a boots-on-the-ground outreach program funded entirely by grants and private donations. Program manager Adam Jando is a veteran who became a social worker after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. "Most of the staff here are veterans" or have family who are, he says, "so we have that people-to-people connection [with clients]." The shared experience, he says, helps "reduce the stigma associated with veterans seeking help." As the program grew, Luker says, "volunteers began focusing on their own areas of expertise: a corporate executive who could help with job searches, a former medic who helps veterans navigate the health system, an educator who helps people find continuing education programs." Luker has seen the need from both sides. Four decades after sustaining an injury while in the military, he was diagnosed with PTSD--but only after losing his marriage, his home, and his law practice. Life was looking pretty ...continued below... To learn more about Buddy-to-Buddy, visit www.buddytobuddy.org. If you are a veteran who would like to be paired with a trained volunteer veteran, call 1-888-822-8339. grim when he met Don Behm. "Don found me a place to stay, and he worked with me one-on-one, encouraging me and finding me the resources I needed," Luker says.One afternoon, Behm invited him along to meet another veteran, and Luker discovered a new calling: volunteering. Among his greatest challenges was a veteran with PTSD so severe that during a screening at the Ann Arbor VA Medical Center, "he ran screaming out of the hospital," Luker says. "I found a civilian doctor--a Vietnam veteran--who would meet him in a park, to help him begin the healing process."Mark Lindke is a Vietnam-era veteran (Thailand, 1968-69) who eventually headed Washtenaw County Department of Veterans Affairs. When he retired seven years ago, he immediately volunteered with Buddy-to-Buddy. "You don't just walk away from that type of career," he explains.Now Lindke walks veterans through their applications for medical care and disability benefits. He also spends many weekends attending Michigan National Guard drills and exercises, making himself available for anyone who might need assistance. He sees something of himself in the young soldiers: "I was a kid of nineteen when I joined," he says. "When I came back, I was left wondering who I was and what I'd do with myself for the rest of my life."To date, Buddy-to-Buddy has helped more than 5,000 veterans answer that question. Some just need support through an immediate crisis, Jando says, while others may stay in touch with their volunteer buddy for years.Buddy-to-Buddy has already served as a model for similar veterans' programs in West Virginia and Illinois. And it still has of room to grow: Michigan is home to more than 650,000 veterans, with more National Guard members returning home from overseas on a daily basis.---[Originally published in August, 2018.]On July 27, 2018, Alyssa Wealty wrote: YEREVAN, AUGUST 18, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan violated the ceasefire regime nearly 170 times on Artsakh-Azerbaijan contact line during which over 1500 bullets were fired in the direction of Armenian border guards from different caliber gunfire weapons, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Defense Ministry of Artsakh. In addition to the mentioned ceasefire violation cases, on August 17, at 00:00, a group of Azerbaijani servicemen consisting of 15 people launched an attack attempt Artsakhs Defense Army units detected the actions of the Azerbaijani side on time and pushed them back to their starting positions. The Defense Army suffered no casualties as a result of the shooting. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan Already burdened with jihadist violence in the north of the country, the fragile Sahel state of Burkina Faso must now confront the reality of an escalating threat in its east. Experts say the spread is the result of a squeeze on the insurgents in neighbouring Mali and Niger -- but to roll the rebels back, one of the world's poorest countries will have to dig deep into its threadbare pockets. Islamist attacks on Burkina Faso began in 2015, starting with cross-border incursions in the north. A toll released in April found that 133 people had died in the north in 80 attacks in three years, many of them state officials. Hundreds of schools and town halls have been closed. The capital Ouagadougou, in the centre of the country, has suffered three attacks in two years, leaving 60 dead. The east of the country is now in the firing line. Last weekend, five gendarmes and a civilian were killed when their convoy was ambushed at Fada N'Gourma, the main town of the Eastern Region. The lead vehicle in the convoy struck a mine, and those behind it came under heavy fire. "The method of attack isn't new -- we have had a number of this kind in the Sahel region. But this is the first in the Eastern Region," said Abdoul-Karim Sawadogo, a West African security expert. "The Eastern Region has been in the eye of the storm for some time. It was already reputed for attacks by criminals but now it is starting to be targeted for terrorist attacks," said Paul Koalaga, a consultant in geopolitics and security. On June 17, a policeman was killed in the town of Comin-Yanga in a simultaneous attack on the local police and gendarmerie stations. - In retreat? - Ironically, the attacks in the east could be a result of pressure exerted on the jihadists in Mali and Niger by France's Barkhane force and the new G5 Sahel force, which pools troops from five states, said Sawadogo. "These repeat terrorist attacks in the east seem to be the work of Abou Walid al-Saharaoui, a warlord in the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara group," he said. "He and his men have been routed in northern Mali and Niger, and ever since then, many people have been thinking that they may have retreated to the Eastern Region" in Burkina Faso. "The incidents there are consistent with his type of fighters, who specialise in ambush-style attacks, explosive devices and suicide attacks." Koalaga said the combatants were mainly "Boko Haram remnants who are falling back from Niger." Boko Haram is a hardline jihadist group that has caused the deaths of at least 20,000 people since it took up arms in northeast Nigeria in 2009. Its insurgency has spilt into neighbouring countries, including southern Niger, Chad and northern Cameroon. "Eastern Burkina is a sparsely-populated area and there are many forests where you can hole up," a military specialist said, speaking condition of anonymity. - Challenges - The expert said Burkina Faso's anti-terrorism strategy was "not up to speed." Its weak point, he said, was in the intelligence services, which were based on the Presidential Security Regiment -- a unit that was dismantled after an attempted coup in 2015 that implicated its former chief, General Gilbert Diendere who also served as the country's spymaster. "There has been a lot of effort, genuine will and reassuring talk by the government, but terrorism has clearly advanced," said Koalaga. "Burkina has to commit major resources to tackle the problem and to stand on its own feet, and not just rely on the G5 Sahel." Burkina Faso is on the front line of the jihadist revolt in the Sahel, with gunmen launching coordinated attacks in March on the French embassy, cultural centre and the Burkinabe military headquarters in Ouagadougou Slovenian MPs approved centre-left candidate Marjan Sarec for the post of prime minister Friday, putting an end to weeks of political uncertainty after inconclusive elections in June. The 40-year-old former comedian and satirist won a parliamentary vote by 55 to 31 and will become Slovenia's youngest prime minister since independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. He struck a pro-European note when addressing MPs during Friday's session, saying he was committed to seeing the eurozone member "remain a part of the so-called core states" of the EU. Sarec's LMS party came second in the June 3 election, but he plans to form a government with four other centre-left parties, which will be supported by the far-left Levica party in parliament. The biggest single election winner was the anti-migrant centre-right Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), headed by Janez Jansa. It won the most seats, 25, but failed to gather enough allies to form a ruling majority. Jansa was criticised by Sarec and other more centrist parties for his strident anti-migration rhetoric, which was partly inspired by his ally, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Sarec told MPs on Friday: "I am aware of my faults and mistakes but I have courage and persistence". He described Slovenia's membership of the EU and NATO as "two great achievements" for the country, drawing a contrast with Levica, whose platform included leaving the US-led alliance. - Down-to-earth image - After graduating from Ljubljana's Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television as an actor, Sarec started a succesful career as a comedian and satirist often impersonating Slovenian and foreign politicians. But he has long since swapped mocking politicians for becoming one. In 2010 he launched himself as an "anti-establishment" politician and unexpectedly won the mayoral race in the northern town of Kamnik on a left-leaning programme. However, he began to tire of the limits placed on local authorities by central government and in 2017 ran for president to advance his agenda. After his narrow defeat to incumbent Borut Pahor, Sarec announced his LMS party would run for parliament. Since his entry into politics, Sarec has rarely made public use of his gifts as a comedian, instead cultivating an image of a down-to-earth Catholic family man, who prefers to spend his free time tending to his farm or working as a volunteer firefighter. During the most recent campaign he was criticised for lacking a clear programme but recently told AFP that his party "has many things in common with (French President Emmanuel) Macron's position, a sensible, centrist orientation". - 'More than just a comedian' - Analyst Vlado Miheljak said that despite his relative political inexperience, Sarec has already shown himself to be pragmatic and has handled demanding coalition talks with unexpected efficiency. "He is more than just 'a comedian' as his adversaries like to call him," Miheljak said. He warned that Sarec may face particular problems with two of the other party leaders in his unwieldy new coalition who are themselves former prime ministers -- Alenka Bratusek and outgoing premier Miro Cerar -- and who may be tempted to be "patronising toward the newcomer". There will also be the relationship with the far-left Levica party to manage, although Sarec has already committed to some parts of their platform, such as raising the minimum wage and pensions. But Sarec's first order of business will be addressing more pressing problems raised on the campaign trail, primarily much-needed reform the health system. Miheljak said that Jansa's attempt to appeal to anti-migration sentiment fell foul of a tradition of moderation in Slovenian society. "Although a large number of voters are conservative and not open to migrant flows... they are not overly attached to these beliefs," he said. Despite being a majority Catholic country, religiously oriented parties have struggled to gain popularity. "Voters go to mass and then cast their votes for the centre-left," Miheljak said. Marjan Sarec is a former comedian and satirist Thousands of mourners attended a state funeral in the Italian city of Genoa to bid a solemn farewell to victims of a bridge collapse that has sparked nationwide anger, while rescuers pulled more bodies from the rubble. Large crowds packed inside an exhibition hall turned into a makeshift chapel where coffins adorned with flowers and photographs were lined up, although the families of some victims shunned the state event. "I lost a friend but I came for all the victims," local resident Nunzio Angone told AFP. Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte presided over the hour-long Catholic service, which coincided with a national day of mourning for Tuesday's disaster. A visibly shaken Mattarella spoke of an "unacceptable tragedy". The death toll now stands at 40 including several children after the discovery Saturday of the body of a labourer in his 30s in the rubble and the death of another man in hospital, officials said. Local media reported that the bodies of three family members, including a nine-year-old girl, had also been found inside a car under debris. At the ceremony, there was applause as a priest read out the names of the dead. "The Morandi bridge collapse has pierced the heart of Genoa. The pain is deep," Archbishop Angelo Bagnasco said. Solemn chants of "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest) then rang out as an imam led prayers for two Muslim victims. His presence was particularly poignant in a staunchly Catholic country, where the far-right is now in power and which has seen a rise in attacks on foreigners. - 'Rigorous investigation' - The populist government has blamed Autostrade per l'Italia, the operator of the viaduct, for the collapse and wants to strip the company of its lucrative contracts. Autostrade chief executive Giovanni Castellucci said at a press conference that 500 million euros ($570 million) will be available from Monday to help Genoa and to rebuild the bridge while funds would be set up to help victims. The government has accused the infrastructure giant of failing to invest in sufficient maintenance. Interior Minister Matteo Salvini had demanded that the company offer up to 500 million euros to help families and local government deal with the aftermath of the disaster. The government was set to hold an emergency meeting in Genoa on the disaster later Saturday. "Everyone who has come here in recent years has gone over that bridge. I have travelled along that bridge many times too, also recently," Mattarella said, vowing to carry out a "rigorous investigation" into the accident. - 'Farce of a funeral' - Relatives of victims comforted each other as they huddled around each of the 19 caskets. Among the coffins was a small white one for the youngest victim, an eight-year-old boy who was killed alongside his parents as they prepared to catch a ferry to the holiday island of Sardinia. The dead also include three Chileans and four French nationals, while 10 people remain in hospital. "I don't know those who have died in the bridge collapse but I wanted pay my respects regardless. This shouldn't have happened," Genoa resident Claudio Castellaro, 73, told AFP. Applause erupted as firefighters entered the hall ahead of the ceremony. There was also loud clapping for co-deputy premiers Matteo Salvini and Luigi di Maio who have led angry tirades against Autostrade. But more than half of the families of the victims refused to take part, some preferring a more intimate funeral, while others announced a boycott. "It is the state that has provoked this; let them not show their faces, the parade of politicians is shameful," the press quoted the mother of one Italian victim as saying. Roberto, father of another victim, used social media to vent his anger: "My son will not become a number in the catalogue of deaths caused by Italian failures." "We do not want a farce of a funeral but a ceremony at home." - Riddled with problems - The Morandi viaduct dates from the 1960s and has been riddled with structural problems for decades, leading to expensive maintenance and severe criticism from engineering experts. Its collapse prompted fears over ageing infrastructure across the world. Italy has announced a year-long state of emergency in the region. Autostrade, which operates and maintains nearly half of Italy's motorways, estimates it will take eight months to build a new steel bridge, according to Castellucci. It denies scrimping on motorway maintenance, saying it has invested over one billion euros a year in "safety, maintenance and strengthening of the network" since 2012. Atlantia, the holding company of Autostrade which is 30 percent owned by iconic fashion brand Benetton, has warned that the government would have to refund the value of the contract, which runs until at least 2038. Archbishop Angelo Bagnasco blessed the coffins during the state funeral for victims of the Morandi bridge collapse Thousands of mourners had packed into the exhibition hall to bid farewell to the victims Adorned with flowers and photographs, the coffins -- including a small white one for the youngest victim, an eight-year-old boy -- lined the makeshift chapel in Genoa The Morandi viaduct has been riddled with structural problems for decades, leading to expensive maintenance and criticism from engineering experts Relatives of victims comforted each other as they huddled around each of the 19 caskets Italian President Sergio Mattarella (R) was vibibly shaken at the funeral, speaking of an "unacceptable tragedy" An imam said prayers for two Albanian Muslims who died in the bridge collapse The basic principle of pre-stressed concrete, used in the construction of the Genoa motorway bridge The two young girls killed along with their pregnant mother in Colorado were strangled and their bodies submerged in crude oil for four days before authorities discovered them, local reports revealed. Four-year-old Bella and three-year-old Celeste were found inside an oil tank, according to court documents filed by an attorney defending the girls father Christopher Watts, accused of killing his children and wife. His wifes body was found nearby. The remains of all three victims were found at Anadarko Petroleum oil field, where Watts worked until his arrest, the Denver Post reported. The two young girls Bella and Celeste and mother Shannan Watts were allegedly murdered by their father and husband on their Colorado property. Source: Facebook The sisters bodies had reportedly been submerged in crude oil for four days on the property, where 33-year-old Watts worked as an oil and gas operator, before authorities discovered the victims. The motion filed Friday by Christopher Watts attorney, James Merson, also asked that DNA swabs be taken from the girls necks. The request quotes an expert who believes the oil would not eliminate DNA and said samples can be obtained after strangulation. Authorities separately announced that the Weld County Coroners Office had performed autopsies on Friday and confirmed the bodies as Watts 34-year-old wife Shanann, and the couples two young girls. The two sisters Bella, four, and Celeste, three, were reportedly strangled and their bodies submerged in crude oil for four days before authorities discovered them . Source: Shanann Watts / Instagram On Friday, police did not release any information about how the mother and daughters died. More testing is planned to help determine the cause of their deaths. Richard Eikelenboom, the expert cited by Watts attorney, also recommended taking DNA samples from the girls hands and the hands and nails of their mother. Mr Eikelenboom has testified in several high-profile criminal trials, often on so-called touch DNA when small samples of genetic material are left on a surface. After his wife and daughters were reported missing on Monday and before his arrest, Watts told reporters he missed them, and longed for the simple things like telling his girls to eat their dinner and gazing at them as they curled up to watch cartoons. Story continues Christopher Watts, whose wife and two young daughters were found dead on their Colorado property, was arrested on suspicion of killing them. Source: Associated Press Authorities are expected to file formal charges Monday against Watts, who authorities said dumped his wife and daughters bodies on the property located just outside Frederick, a small town on the grassy plains north of Denver where fast-growing subdivisions intermingle with drilling rigs and oil wells. Watts was fired on Wednesday, the same day he was arrested, an Anadarko Petroleu spokesperson said. Police have not released any information about a motive or confirmed how the three were killed. Details about what led police to arrest Watts late Wednesday night on suspicion of three counts of murder and tampering with evidence likely were to be revealed next week. Family and friends of Shanann Watts are left searching for answers, trying to reconcile Watts cheery Facebook posts about her daughters, her pregnancy and her love for her husband with the pending charges. North Korean state media blamed Donald Trump's political opponents for the "deadlock" over denuclearisation on Saturday, urging the US President to act boldly to make progress on the thorny issue. Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong Un held a groundbreaking summit in Singapore in June, which the US leader touted as a historic breakthrough. At the meeting the pair struck a vague agreement to denuclearise the Korean peninsula, but there has been little movement since. Meanwhile the North has criticised Washington for its "gangster-like" and "unilateral" demands for the complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantling of Pyongyang's atomic arsenal. On Saturday Rodong Sinmun, the North's most prominent daily, praised Trump for seeking to improve US-North Korea ties and achieve world peace, which it said would be the "feat of the century". "However, he faces too many opponents," it said in a signed commentary. The newspaper said Democrats and even some Republicans are hampering Trump's efforts for their own partisan interests while media hostile to Trump are undermining his policies. It accused bureaucrats and Trump's aides of "speaking and moving in contradiction to the president's will" and "distorting facts and covering up his eyes and ears in order to mislead him to a wrong decision". North Korea has demanded that America agree to declare an end to the 1950-53 Korean War, accusing the US of failing to reciprocate a series of its "goodwill measures". These include ending its nuclear and missile testing, the destruction of a nuclear testing site and handing over the remains of US troops killed in the Korean War. When Kim met South Korean President Moon Jae-in in April for their first summit, they agreed to push for a declaration of an end to the Korean War this year. But US officials insist denuclearisation of the North should be realised before such an event takes place. Trump's political opponents are "raising their voice, dismissing the Singapore joint statement and boycotting a declaration of an end to the war", Rodong Sinmun said. "The current deadlock in the DPRK-US relations requires President Trump's bold decision," it added. It also urged Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to brush aside speculation from opponents over the North's intentions. Pompeo, who is preparing for his fourth visit to the North, said Thursday his team was "continuing to make progress" with the North, expressing hope that "we can make a big step here before too long". North Korea has accused the US of failing to reciprocate a series of its 'goodwill measures' Gyawali attends Vajapyees funeral Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali attended the funeral of former Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in New Delhi on Friday. Pressure intensified Saturday to save thousands still trapped by devastating floods that have killed more than 300 in the Indian state of Kerala, triggering landslides and sending torrents sweeping through villages in the region's worst inundation crisis in a century. Authorities warned of more torrential rain and strong winds over the weekend, as hundreds of troops and local fishermen staged desperate rescue attempts in helicopters and boats across the southern state. Kerala, popular among international tourists for its tropical hills and beaches, has been battered by record monsoon rainfall this year. The state is "facing the worst floods in 100 years", chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Twitter, adding that at least 324 lives have been lost so far. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the stricken state on Friday night, Vijayan's office tweeted, with media reports saying the premier would undertake an aerial survey of the worst-affected areas on Saturday. People all over the state of 33 million have made panicked appeals on social media for help, saying they cannot make contact with rescue services as power and communication lines are down. "My family and neighbouring families are in trouble," wrote Ajo Varghese, a resident of the coastal city of Alappuzha, in a Facebook post that quickly went viral. "No water and food. Not able to communicate from afternoon. Mobile phones are not reachable... Please help," he added. Other distressed messages were shared online from people trapped inside temples and hospitals as well as their homes. More than 30 military helicopters and 320 boats are attempting rescues across Kerala after some areas were engulfed by overflowing rivers, with residents seen swimming and wading through chest-high waters past partially submerged houses. Authorities said thousands of people have been taken to safety so far but 6,000 more are still waiting for rescue. "We are deploying more boats and the army to ramp up rescue operations," senior state government official P.H. Kurian told AFP. Helicopters have also been dropping emergency food and water supplies, while special trains carrying drinking water have been sent to Kerala. - 'Extremely grave' - According to India's weather bureau, since the beginning of June more than 321 centimetres (126 inches) of rain has fallen on the hilly central district of Idukki, which is now virtually cut off from the rest of the state. The Kerala government has said it faces an "extremely grave" crisis and Vijayan warned of further torrential rainfall hitting the region over the weekend. The gates of dozens of dams and reservoirs across the state have been opened as water levels reach danger levels, inundating many other villages. At least 310,000 people have been displaced and are taking shelter in more than 2,000 relief camps. North and central Kerala have been worst-hit by the floods with the international airport in the main city of Kochi shut until at least August 26. The home ministry announced separately that 868 people have been reported dead in seven Indian states including Kerala since the start of the monsoon in June. Kerala has been battered by record monsoon rainfall this year Thousands are still waiting for relief and rescue across the flood-ravaged state People all over Kerala have made panic-stricken appeals on social media for help, saying they cannot make contact with rescue services Map of flood-hit Kerala within India With its air raid simulator and battlefield reconstructions, the state-of-the-art Holy Defence Museum in Tehran seeks to glorify the Iran-Iraq war as a time when the country faced down "the whole world". As Iranians prepare to mark the 30th anniversary of the end of the devastating conflict on Monday, they are being urged to display the same steadfastness as country after country falls in line with crippling unilateral sanctions being reimposed by Washington after its abandonment of a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major powers. "The message of the museum is perseverance, resistance and the protection of our honour," deputy director Seyyed Mohsen Hajbabian told AFP. "We teach younger generations the spirit of combat. Iraq was backed by the whole world and Iran was alone in defending itself, but thanks to God... we were victorious in this war." For Iranians, it is "the imposed war", started by Iraq's then-leader Saddam Hussein on September 22, 1980 and ended by a ceasefire on August 20, 1988. The Iraqi dictator sought to present himself as a bulwark against the revolutionary ideology of the fledgling Islamic republic, which had overthrown the pro-Western shah only a year earlier, and which was seen as a major threat to the Gulf monarchies and other Arab autocracies. The resulting war was the longest of the 20th century, a ruinous conflict of attrition that has often drawn parallels to the First World War in Europe. It ultimately led nowhere, ending with zero territorial gains for either side -- even if it reinforced Saddam's grip on power in Iraq, as well as that of the Islamic republic in Iran. - Reconstructing horror - But the human cost was horrifying. Although the often-cited figure of a million dead may be an exaggeration by both sides, according to French historian Pierre Razoux, he still estimates a total of 680,000 lives lost. Of those, Iran bore by far the heavier losses, with around 500,000 dead or missing, he said. Built by the Tehran municipality, the Holy Defence Museum opened its doors in 2012 and receives more than 300,000 visitors per year, Hajbabian said. On a recent summer afternoon, it was mostly young men and groups of school children on trips organised by Islamic institutions. In the first halls, the visitor is plunged into the ruins of Khorramshahr, the border town in the southwest that was seized by the Iraqi army on October 24, 1980 and still bears some of the worst scars of the war. The "bombing raid simulator" recalls the terror of air strikes suffered by Iranian cities, replete with trembling walls and floors. There are models of the refineries targeted with missile strikes by both sides, as the belligerents sought to sap each other's energy reserves and main source of income. - Mass mobilisation - The museum also glorifies the immense public mobilisation that saw everyone from children to pensioners sign up and sacrifice themselves as martyrs at the front. An audio commentary in Persian, English and Arabic accuses "numerous Western media of... serving as a platform for the Iraqi regime" by closing their eyes to Saddam's use of chemical weapons. Photo montages recall the support Western powers, Arab monarchies and the then Soviet Union all gave to Saddam. There is no mention, however, of the support Iran received from Israel -- now its mortal enemy -- but then both sharing a greater fear of Saddam's brutal regime. Nor is there any discussion in the museum of the weapons provided by the United States under the highly controversial Iran-Contra deal, in which Tehran was supplied with arms in exchange for help in securing the release of hostages held by Iran's ally Hezbollah in Lebanon. "Now I have a deeper and more profound understanding of the war," said one young visitor, Ali Jafarzadeh, at the exit. "We fought the whole world, who supported Iraq, and we resisted for eight years." With tensions mounting between Tehran and Washington over renewed sanctions, he says he is ready to participate "without fail" in any new conflict "to defend my country". As renewed US sanctions cloud the 30th anniversary of the end of the Iran-Iraq war on Monday, Tehran's Holy Defence Museum carries a message of defiance, commemorating a conflict in which Iranians faced down the "whole world" The eight-year conflict between Saddam Hussein's Iraq and the fledgling Islamic republic was the longest of the 20th century and left 500,000 Iranians dead or missing in a ruinous war of attrition Opened in 2012, the Holy Defence Museum's hi-tech galleries draw more than 300,000 visitors per year, including young men and schoolchildren on trips organised by Islamic instituions Tehran's Holy Defence Museum glorifies Iranians' immense public mobilisation against the invading forces of Saddam Hussein that saw everyone from children to pensioners sign up and sacrifice themselves as martyrs at the front Venezuela's highest court on Friday authorized the government to demand the extradition of exiled former state prosecutor Luisa Ortega and former oil chief Rafael Ramirez -- both opponents of President Nicolas Maduro. The move follows a similar decision on Thursday by the Supreme Court to seek to extradite opposition leader Julio Borges, who is accused of being involved in an alleged attempt to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro last month. Like Ortega before him, Borges has taken refuge in neighboring Colombia. Ramirez, the former head of state oil company PDVSA and a powerful opponent of Maduro, has fled to Spain. The opposition has dismissed the court as a tool of Maduro, who it says has used his power to wrest control of state institutions. Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza earlier this week accused Ortega of being an "accomplice" in the August 4 incident, in which Maduro was seen reacting on live television to the first of two explosions as he addressed a military parade in Caracas. Maduro said the blasts were from explosives-laden drones sent to assassinate him, though opposition figures accuse him of fabricating the incident to step up repression. Ortega, an unwavering opponent of Maduro, denied any involvement. "My struggle against tyranny is only with weapons that the law gives me," she replied in a tweet. "But you and Nicolas Maduro well know that when I plan things, I do them well. If I had been behind this plan, the country would be celebrating its freedom." Ortega participated in a symbolic trial of the exiled opposition-run supreme court in Colombia which sentenced Maduro to 18 years for corruption on Thursday. Ramirez, meanwhile, is accused of fraudulent embezzlement as part of a "web of corruption" for which 90 ex-employees have been arrested, part of a crackdown on opponents by Maduro. Venezuela has arrested 14 people over the attack, including an opposition politician, a general and a colonel. The United States on Friday condemned alleged arbitrary detentions and forced confessions by Caracas in its investigation into the failed August 4 drone "attack". Venezuelan former state prosecutor Luisa Ortega, a staunch opponent of President Nicolas Maduro, denied any involvement in an alleged plot last month to assassinate him SKANEATELES A standing-room-only crowd asked Dana Balter questions for more than an hour Saturday at the Democratic candidate's latest town hall meeting in the 24th Congressional District. No topic was off limits during the forum, which was held at the Skaneateles Historical Society at The Creamery. Early on, Balter was asked how she would bridge the partisan divide and end the gridlock that has prevented Congress from addressing some of the most pressing issues. Her solution would be to have "real conversations" with members of Congress and find common ground. One issue she believes both parties can agree on: infrastructure. She praised President Donald Trump for saying that improving infrastructure was a priority for his administration. Democrats and Republicans, she noted, want to boost infrastructure investments. But more than a year and a half into Trump's presidency, there hasn't been an infrastructure plan adopted and Congress hasn't passed any new legislation to implement such a wide-ranging proposal. "This is an area where we can actually make progress together," Balter said. She also faced questions about what she supports to reduce gun violence. One proposal she supports would be to pass legislation requiring universal background checks for gun purchases. The measure would aim to close existing loopholes that allow gun sales without background checks. Balter supports the repeal of the Dickey Amendment, which is a provision that was included in a 1990s spending bill to prevent the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from conducting gun violence research. A spending bill passed earlier this year clarified that the CDC could conduct gun violence research, but the Dickey Amendment remains in effect. "We need to repeal that amendment, give the CDC the power back to study gun violence and then Congress needs to fund those studies," she said. On immigration, Balter said she's passionate about the issue because of her personal background. Her grandparents were refugees who fled Europe during World War II and eventually settled in upstate New York. The current immigration system, Balter explained, is broken. She said it doesn't work for immigrants and it doesn't work for employers, especially farms, that hire immigrant laborers. She supports improving the visa system and comprehensive immigration reform. But she believes it must be done in separate pieces. To begin the process, she wants Congress to pass the DREAM Act, a bill that would provide protections for undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children and are now productive members of society. Not all of the issues discussed were about national policy. Concerns about water quality were raised during the town hall meeting. Harmful algal booms have been found in Owasco and Skaneateles lakes, both of which provided drinking water to residents of the 24th district. The presence of harmful algal blooms in Skaneateles Lake "was a wake-up call for the scientific community," Balter said. To protect the bodies of water, Balter supports promoting sustainable farming practices. These practices can be expensive for farmers, which is why she believes the farm bill should include more funding to give farms the resources needed to adopt new practices that would reduce or prevent nutrients from getting into lakes and tributaries. Climate disruption, Balter said, is another problem affecting lakes, rivers and other bodies of water. She criticized her opponent, U.S. Rep. John Katko, for supporting the United States' withdrawal from the Paris climate accord. "We need people who are going to be champions on this issue," she said. Balter was asked for her ideas to combat rising student loan debt. Total student loan debt now exceeds more than $1.5 trillion. Student loan debt could collapse the economy, she said. She stressed the need for debt forgiveness programs, such as initiatives for teachers who work for five years in a low income school district. The Trump administration has rolled back some of those programs, she explained. "We need to make more of them," she said. She thinks blanket loan forgiveness programs should be considered, especially for those struggling with debt. The federal government, she noted, bailed out banks and other financial institutions. It also assisted the automobile industry and prevented its collapse. "The student loan crisis is approaching that kind of a problem and we need to think about how we can protect the economy as a whole," Balter said. Near the end of her town hall meeting, one attendee took a break from asking policy questions and instead asked Balter what she was most proud of in her life. For Balter, the answer was easy. It's her campaign for Congress. "It's not because of what I'm doing. It's because of what I'm a part of ... It is 100 percent a team project," she said. Balter is challenging Katko, R-Camillus, in the 24th district race. She will hold three more town hall meetings over the next few weeks, including a forum in Cayuga County Sept. 5. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 6. Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. Love 9 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 On August 7th 2018, the Auburn Police Department hosted its first annual "National Night Out" event. Aimed at continuing our commitment of building and forging a strong partnership with the community that we serve, we had a tremendous turnout from our residents and we hope that this event was enjoyed by all in attendance. We would like to thank our collaborative partners who took part in the event with us; The City of Auburn to include Mayor Quill, City Councilors Cuddy, Giannettino, McCormick, Carabajal, as well as City Manager Dygert, Auburn DPW and Hoopes Park Staff, the Auburn Fire Department, the Cayuga County Sheriffs Office and their "Operation Safe Child" ID Program, Cayuga County District Attorney Jon Budelmann, the Cayuga County Probation Department, Auburn Public Theater, the Cayuga County E-911 Center, Syracuse Recovery Services, Cayuga Community College, Auburn Housing Authority, Cayuga Counseling Services, the Auburn BID, Auburn Community Hospital, the Cayuga County Drug Free Coalition, Cub Scout Pack 40, Cayuga/Onondaga BOCES, the New York State Police, Muzzi's Italia Ice, TLC Ambulance Service, HEAL, Nick's Ride 4 Friend's, Cayuga County Stop DWI Committee, Auburn Rescue Mission, Cayuga/Seneca Community Action Agency, Seymour Library, Auburn Enlarged School District, the United Way of Cayuga County, Perform 4 Purpose, Auburn Party Rental, CNY Party Tent Rentals, Majorpalooza Inc., Auburn Police Union Local 195, and the Auburn Police P.B.A. Finally, a thank you to my staff that made the night a complete success, especially Sgt. Greg Dann, COP/SRO Vince Carnicelli, Officer Joe Villano, and Deputy Chief Roger Anthony. Hope to see you all next year!! Shawn I. Butler is chief of police of the Auburn Police Department. All thank you letters are reprinted as submitted. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The passage by overwhelming majorities in both the House and Senate of FOSTA/SESTA, laws supposedly designed to crack down on sex trafficking, but that according to sex worker right groups have made the lives of sex workers more dangerous, has galvanized advocacy groups to make a new push for decriminalization of consensual sex work, and their efforts are covered in a new article by Rolling Stone magazine. Since the law was passed, there has been a swell of protests, political actions and new forms of grassroots organizing among the American sex worker rights community, wrote Rolling Stone reporter Tina Horn. For now, various community groups are focusing their energies on supporting one another in an era of urgent crisis, but theres a long-term goal for many within the movement: Decriminalization of sex work, across the board. But the long-term goal is taking a very specific shape in some casessupport for political candidates who have made sex worker rights, and opposition to FOSTA/SESTA, central to their platforms. Sex worker rights groups rallied behind New York congressional candidate Suraj Patel, as AVN.com reported, in his June primary election. First-time candidate Patel lost his bid to unseat incumbent Democrat Carolyn Maloney, a strong backer of FOSTA. But according to a report on the investigative news site The Intercept, another political candidate is now taking up the cause of sex worker rightsand earning ardent backers in the sex work community. Julia Salazar, a 27-year-old first-time candidate running on the Democratic Socialist platform, is running for state Senate in New York and hoping to duplicate the success of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the novice candidate who toppled longtime incumbent Joe Crowley in her Queens, New York, congressional district. Ocasio-Cortez stated her opposition to the FOSTA legislation, according to The Huffington Post, but Salazar has made the issue a stronger piece of her campaign, spurring groups of more than 100 sex workers and advocates of sex worker rights to stage fundraising and canvassing events for the Brooklyn candidate. Sex workers are workers and they deserve to be treated with dignity, including protections and decent working conditions, rather than the abuse and criminalization that they currently face, Salazar said, as quoted by The Intercept. Im dedicated to defending workers rights, reforming our criminal justice system and ending exploitation, and we know that criminalization puts everyone in sex work at risk rather than protecting them. The FOSTA/SESTA law is supposedly aimed at curbing sex trafficking online, but sex workers have said that the law makes their jobs far less safe by pushing their work back underground and onto the streetsand off of the internet and social media where they can more easily screen and manage their clientele. Even some police groups have lamented their lost ability to easily spot and track illicit sex traffickers who previously advertised online but have now been cast out of the internet spotlight where police often simply cannot find them. Sex workers and their advocates across the country agree that the movement towards decriminalization must allow those with experience in the sex industry to build their own policies, Horn wrote in her Rolling Stone article. Although SESTA-FOSTA represents a setback in the fight for sex worker rights, many activists spoke of finding strength in the industrious resilience of their communities. Photo by MS Mornington / Wikimedia Commons Jilted man murders girlfriend A 30-year-old man killed his 23-year-old girlfriend after she refused to marry him in Sidraha, Gramthan-3, Morang on Friday. Police said Dinesh Bhattarai of Biratnagar-13 assaulted Shikha Ghimire with a Dau (sharp weapon) after the refusal. Should Beaufort County's commissioners be resolved to ask the federal government to defend our Southern Border by ending the Biden /Harris Open Border policy in regards to that one border that is intentionally made OPEN? Yes, Illegal Migrants are a huge expense to local governments. No, the cost of Undocumented Immigrants is insignificant in our providing a pathway for the "Browning of America". Good oral hygiene, reading and regular bedtimes are three simple life skills that pediatricians in 12 Alabama practices are reinforcing through Brush, Book, Bed, a new statewide program of the Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and its early literacy arm, Reach Out and Read-Alabama. Made possible by a grant from the DentaQuest Foundation, along with in-kind support from the Alabama Department of Public Health's Oral Health Division, the program is providing families at well-child visits with materials in hand. These total 6,000 age-appropriate books, stickers, a toothbrush, toothpaste and floss -- 500 kits to each of the pediatric offices. These items are to remind families of the need to complete the Brush, Book, Bed routine each night to achieve optimal oral health for their children. "This program will pay dividends to the lifelong health of our patients and their families," said Dr. Grant Allen, a Florence, Ala., pediatrician and Brush, Book, Bed physician leader. "Many families, especially those most vulnerable, are not aware of the importance of early oral health, seeing a dentist and reading to their children." Participating pediatric offices in the program are Charles Henderson Child Health Center, Troy; Dothan Pediatric Clinic; Enterprise Pediatric Clinic; Eufaula Pediatric Clinic; Gadsden Pediatric Clinic; Model City Pediatrics, Anniston; Ozark Pediatric Clinic; Partners in Pediatrics, Montgomery; USA Family Medicine, Mobile; West Alabama Pediatrics, Tuscaloosa; Pediatrics West Bessemer; and Pediatrics West McAdory, Bessemer. "Appropriate early oral health prevention, intervention and education are needed to prevent dental decay, which in Alabama is twice that of the national rate, and those children particularly at risk for dental caries are those under 3 years of age," said State Dental Director Dr. Tommy Johnson. "Because pediatricians and other child health professionals are most likely to encounter new mothers and infants, it is essential that they educate parents on the prevention of dental decay." According to a recent article in Parents magazine, bedtime stories have long been known to foster parent-child bonds and prepare children for sleep. Lately, however, researchers have attached other powers to this nighttime routine; parents reading to their child are actually boosting the child's brain development. According to G. Reid, Lyon of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the most profound benefit is the way reading bedtime stories can rewire children's brains to quicken their mastery of language. The evidence-based Reach Out and Read program, administered by 60 pediatric practices and clinics in 30 counties across Alabama, builds on the unique relationship between parents and medical providers to develop critical early reading skills in children, beginning in infancy. During regular visits with the doctor, families grow to understand the powerful role they play in supporting their children's development, early language and literacy at home. ROR-AL's ninth annual "Rx for Summer Reading" campaign is currently underway and complimenting BBB by promoting the importance of bedtime routines through the children's book, Goodnight, Daniel Tiger. CONTACT: Tommy Johnson, DMD, (334) 206-5398 Polly McClure, (205) 223-0097, pmcclure@roralabama.org Linda Lee, (334) 954-2543, llee@alaap.org Mother of murdered twin babies in custody Police on Friday arrested 20-year-old Kamala Bishwokarma in Itahari, Sunsari, on charges of abandoning her twin daughters in a septic tank in Pathibhara, Yangwarak Rural Municipality-2, Taplejung district. She had been at large since Saturday. This post recaps some recent developments related to the California Consumer Privacy Act (which Im still calling CCPA despite the IAPPs effort to brand it CaCPA). The Technical Amendments Bill The technical amendments bill is SB 1121. The bill would do things like change act to title, opt out to opt-out and business' to businesss, so that should give you some sense of its value. For reasons that arent clear, the technical amendments bill misses dozens of obvious and outright errors, including most of the ones I flagged in my prior post. Some of the more noteworthy changes: It would strike the surplusage after 1798.100(e). It would add: The rights afforded to consumers and the obligations imposed on any business under this title shall not be construed to infringe on the businesss speech rights that state or federal courts have recognized as noncommercial speech, including political speech and journalism. I think this activity isnt covered by the statute anyway, but the fear behind this insertion shows the massive and unpredicted reach of the law. It would expressly specify that the private cause of action only applies to data breaches (more on this below). Overall, this bill is better than nothing, but it represents less than 1% of the obviously needed changes to the bill. Im hoping more changes will be folded in before passage. Coalition Letter A large coalition of business groups wrote a 20 single-spaced page letter to the California legislature about the law. The letter makes the following 23 requests (and more): delay implementation until 12 months after the AGs rule-making. This is a very sensible request because the AGs rules could be quite complex and wide-ranging, and it will potentially take substantial time for businesses to accommodate the regulations. We recently saw a lot of avoidable angst with last minute guidance for both the GDPR and COPPA, and a 12 month window would reduce that angst. strengthen the preemption of any local privacy laws narrow the definition of consumer to exclude employees, contractors, and business contacts. The letter gives a great example that theoretically, thelaw currently permits an employee to demand expungement of evidence of sexual harassment from company records. narrow the definition of personal information to information linked or reasonably linkable to a particular consumer; exclude references to household, devices, and family; explicitly exclude deidentified, aggregate, and pseudonymized consumer information; and strip out numerous specific items in the definition (including, for example, the references to thermal and olfactory information). They also propose cleaning up the garbled discussion about publicly available information. All of these changes are good, but I expect this will be a hotly contested topic. expand the scope of deidentified information. clarify that businesses wont be required to keep information longer than they want. This is an interesting reading of the statutethat they think some language in the law counterproductively mandates data retention. remove the obligation to disclose specific pieces of information back to consumers. This request would negate data portability. limit the restrictions on price discrimination. I believe these changes are designed to gut it sub silento. Even that may not go far enough. Honestly, the whole price discrimination provisions should be expressly put in the dumpster fire depicted above. allow targeted advertising if the advertiser doesnt get any personal information. The letter claims it was never the privacy proponents intent to restrict targeted ads, but that doesnt sound credible to me. allow consumers to choose middle-ground opt-outs of data sales, not just all or nothing. categorically limit the laws applicability to businesses efforts to prevent or detect identity theft, fraud, other criminal activity, or verify identities, and allow data sales for those purposes. This is a pretty substantial loophole. expand the statutory exclusion for compliance with other laws to include the ability of a business contracted to collect, use, or provide personal information in order to assist another business or a government agency to comply, and tone down the language that yields only in the face of conflicts with other laws. The last two bullets seem to be driven by the banks. However, the letter also makes a good point about HIPAA, which regulates both covered entities and business associates but only excludes HIPAAs provisions on covered entities. (Oops). limit any obligations that require businesses to divulge information that the business reasonably believes would jeopardize the security of the business or public safety. Another pretty big loophole. strike language about a business willfulness towards a users age. This is in the same paragraph where the statute has the defect about 13 yr olds vs. 16 yr olds, but remarkably the letter doesnt address it. negate strict liability for data sales by third parties who havent gotten notice of the consumers opt-out. allow businesses to ask consumers to opt-back-into data sales more frequently than 12 months if the consumer deletes his/her data. This is a logical request because the business doesnt have a way to know these folks opted-out (they deleted their data), but theres still a bit of irony here. give businesses up to 45 days to honor opt-out requests. CAN-SPAM says 10 business days, and even that seems pretty long in the modern age (at least for large companies), so 45 days appears to be an inflated number for negotiating purposes. remove all references to data portability. The letter claims the proponents had already agreed to this. Color me skeptical about that claim. remove the requirement to have a toll-free number for opt-outs and provide more flexible options for the opt-out. narrow the definition of home page so its not every web page. Good oneI missed this pretty bad drafting error! remove the prohibition on requiring consumers to register in order to opt-out. This punts the issue to the AG rule-making. make it clearer that the private right of action only applies to data breaches, not other parts of the law. I believe everyone has agreed to this. The technical amendments bill has a sentence reflecting this objective, but its not exactly the language requested by the coalition. clarify that data breaches only apply to nonencrypted and nonredacted personal information, not or. Public interest groups wrote their own letter contesting these requests, especially noting their disagreement about the data portability issue. They did propose some technical corrections: The 13 yr old/16 yr old issue, which they propose to read between 13 and 15 Companies should not have to collect additional info to comply with the law They agree with the nonencrypted and nonredacted personal information correction Some clarification of deidentified information. EFFs Proposals This is one of the first times Ill publicly disagree with the EFF, but I completely disagree with their statement that Theres a lot to like about the Act. It reminds me of the line from the Princess Bride: I wonder if he is using the same wind we are using? Are they reading the same text Im reading? The EFFs proposed changes include the following: Change the default from allowing data collection to requiring consumer opt-in. Allow more granular disclosures of information collected about consumers. Address data portability when multiple people are identifiable from the same content item (such as a photo of two people) and one of the folks has restricted content visibility. Require consumer opt-in before companies share consumer data, even if the sharing isnt financially motivated. Tighten up the price non-discrimination provisions. As I mentioned, they should be deleted, not strengthened. Create a private cause of action for breaches of the entire statute, not just data breaches I vigorously and completely oppose ALL of these proposals. I still love the EFF and support it as a paying member (and I encourage you to do the same). The New York Times Magazine Article: The Unlikely Activists Who Took On Silicon Valley and Won Anyone who still portrays this law as targeting Silicon Valley or the technology community or Google/Facebook is an idiot. It will hurt taco stands in Calexico more than it will hurt Google or Facebook. The entire article is framed this way, making me wonder if the reporter ever actually read the law or understands it even today. This article is the fawning and unquestioning history of the law we all knew was coming. Mactaggart and Ashkan Soltani get the most love. I thought this line was telling: Mactaggart and Soltani imagined their rules to be comparatively light-touch. This law is a privacy bomb being dropped on the California economy, so viewing it as light touch is a good indicator of their echo-chamber! In particular, the article doesnt question the initiative procedure as the route to passage, treating it more as a good thing than a hack on democracy. For example, the article says It began to dawn on at least some people that Mactaggarts vote might be the most important one. This isnt a good thing for democracy, is it? Or this line: Soltani wryly pointed out that Mactaggart had offered Silicon Valley a take-it-or-leave-it privacy policy the same kind that Silicon Valley usually offered everyone else. If youre a privacy advocate, this is a cute irony. If youre a fan of democracy, this is chilling. Heres another good example of the articles unquestioning discussion about the laws overreach: Under this law, the attorney general of California will become the chief privacy officer of the United States of America, Mactaggart argued. I wonder how voters in the 49 other states feel about that? The article doesnt answer the most important question: why does the drafting differ so much from the GDPR? It simply says Mactaggart was wary of proposing a sweeping law like the European Unions General Data Protection Regulation, or G.D.P.R., fearing that Californians would find it mystifying and reject it. Perhaps thats true, but the deviation imposes enormous extra costs on California businesses for no clear benefit. The article also doesnt explain who outside of the echo chamber reviewed and commented on the bill text before it was submitted as an initiative. One possible explanation is that no skeptic actually commented on the initiative text before it was finalized. That would explain a lot of the obvious drafting problems. UPDATE: Kash Hill thinks Mary Stone Ross deserves some of the credit/blame for this bomb. More Suggestions for Corrections/Changes In a prior post, I laid out dozens of typos and ambiguities. Ive collected a few more since then: In light of the overlap, the legislature should repeal the private right of action in the existing data breach law in 1798.80. Similarly, the legislature should repeal the existing Shine the Law law (1798.83 and associated sections) due to the overlap and inconsistencies. The term health insurance information is defined but never used. I quote this next issue/correction from an email sent to me by David Navetta: The statute says (emphasis added): (2) For purposes of this title, a business does not sell personal information when (D) The business transfers to a third party the personal information of a consumer as an asset that is part of a merger, acquisition, bankruptcy, or other transaction in which the third party assumes control of all or part of the business provided that information is used or shared consistently with Sections 1798.110 and 1798.115. If a third party materially alters how it uses or shares the personal information of a consumer in a manner that is materially inconsistent with the promises made at the time of collection, it shall provide prior notice of the new or changed practice to the consumer. The notice shall be sufficiently prominent and robust to ensure that existing consumers can easily exercise their choices consistently with Section 1798.120. This subparagraph does not authorize a business to make material, retroactive privacy policy changes or make other changes in their privacy policy in a manner that would violate the Unfair and Deceptive Practices Act (Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 17200) of Part 2 of Division 7 of the Business and Professions Code). We may have an ambiguity and a timing issue here. Generally, this section is trying to say that the disclosure of personal information a business holds when it is bought by another business is not a sale (and therefore a consumer could not opt out of it). However, that is the case only if the personal information is used or shared consistently with Sections 1798.110 and 1798.115. The carve out then goes into some details concerning third parties and personal data uses beyond what was contemplated at the time of collection. As to the ambiguity, Sections 1798.110 and 1798.115 do not, in large part, substantively address how a business may use or share information. Rather, sections 1798.110 and 1798.115 address how a business must disclose information to a consumer in response to a request (to exercise their rights). Section 1798.115 is the only section that discusses use and sharing of personal information, and it does so in a very narrow fashion. It states that businesses are allowed to use a consumers personal information to respond to the request; and it also prohibits a third-party from selling personal information absent notice and the consumers right to opt-out of such sale, id. at 1798.115(d). Therefore, it is not clear how a third party can use or share information consistently with Section 1798.110 at all, and for 1798.115 it appears that the only issue is to refrain from selling personal information without an opt-out. As to timing, when a sale of a business is consummated how will the target company know what the buyer plans to do with the personal information in the future? Does the target have to get some sort of assurance that the buyer will only use and share the information in a manner consistent with 1798.110 and 1798.115? And if it does not may a consumer opt out of the disclosure (because it becomes a sale?). By the way, the language that details what a third party must do to materially alter how it uses or shares personal information, appears to contradict the outright prohibition Ive highlighted in bold. * * * Related Posts * The California Consumer Privacy Act Should Be Condemned, Not Celebrated * A First (But Very Incomplete) Crack at Inventorying the California Consumer Privacy Acts Problems * Ten Reasons Why Californias New Data Protection Law is Unworkable, Burdensome, and Possibly Unconstitutional (Guest Blog Post) * A Privacy Bomb Is About to Be Dropped on the California Economy and the Global Internet * An Introduction to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) New Hampshire 'Signature Mismatch' Law for Absentee Ballots Ruled Unconstitutional In 2009, the National Academy of Sciences released a report concluding that almost all commonly used forensic techniques, including handwriting analysis, have never been properly scientifically tested. And yet, the State of New Hampshire was requiring untrained local election moderators review and compare handwritten signatures on absentee ballots, and reject ballots with questionable signatures. That practice will now be ended, after a federal court ruled the procedure unconstitutional. The court found "the current process for rejecting voters due to a signature mismatch fails to guarantee basic fairness," and you can see the full ruling below: Irremediable Disenfranchisement While U.S. District Judge Landya McCafferty conceded that New Hampshire "has legitimate interests in preventing voter fraud and protecting public confidence in elections," she found the current signature mismatch law (which requires poll workers compare the signature on the absentee ballot to the signature on an affidavit that the voter sends in with the ballot) did little to alleviate that concern. The state could only present two total cases of absentee-related voter fraud, but "neither instance of absentee-voter fraud was uncovered through the signature-matching process." In comparison, an estimated 740 absentee voters had their ballots rejected in the last three general elections due to signature mismatch. "It cannot be emphasized enough," Judge McCafferty wrote, "that the consequence of a moderator's decision -- disenfranchisement -- is irremediable." Sole, Unreviewable Discretion The other problem pointed out by the court was that the law gives moderators "sole, unreviewable discretion" to discard absentee ballots: As will become evident, this signature-matching process is fundamentally flawed. Not only is the disenfranchised voter given no right to participate in this process, but the voter is not even given notice that her ballot has been rejected due to a signature mismatch. Moreover, moderators receive no training in handwriting analysis or signature comparison; no statute, regulation, or guidance from the State provides functional standards to distinguish the natural variations of one writer from other variations that suggest two different writers; and the moderator's assessment is final, without any review or appeal. There could be many innocent reasons why a signature doesn't match, the court noted, including "age, physical and mental condition, disability, medication, stress, accidents, and inherent differences in a person's neuromuscular coordination and stance," and variations in handwritten signatures "are more prevalent in people who are elderly, disabled, or who speak English as a second language." All of these factors combined mean New Hampshire absentee voters could be unconstitutionally disenfranchised. Here is the court's order: NH Absentee Voter Signature Match Order by FindLaw on Scribd The FBI is investigating a cyberattack on the congressional campaign of David Min, a Democratic candidate in California. From Reuters: The hackers successfully infiltrated the election campaign computer of David Min, a Democratic candidate for the House of Representatives who was later defeated in the June primary for California's 45th Congressional district. The incident, which has not been previously reported, follows an article in Rolling Stone earlier this week that the FBI has also been investigating a cyber attack against Hans Keirstead, a California Democrat. He was defeated in a primary in the 48th Congressional district, neighboring Min's. Paige Hutchinson, Min's former campaign manager, declined to comment. An FBI spokeswoman said the bureau cannot confirm or deny an investigation. In secret court proceedings, the U.S. government is trying to force Facebook to help wiretap Messenger. Facebook has declined, so the Justice Department is asking a judge for an order of contempt. "Our sources say the U.S. government has gone to court to force Facebook to break what it says is end-to-end encryption in Messenger voice calls," says Joseph Menn of Reuters. "Echos of San Bernardino iPhone case," says the piece's co-author Dan Levine. "This is bad. The security of literally billions could be put at risk," says the EFF's Kurt Opsahl. From the Reuters story: Invest in popcorn stocks. Omarosa Manigault Newman "has a stash of video, emails, text messages and other documentation" of rampant fear and loathing inside the Trump White House, The Associated Press reported on Friday. From the AP report: Manigault Newman has made clear that she plans to continue selectively releasing the pieces of evidence if President Donald Trump and his associates continue to attack her credibility and challenge the claims in her book, "Unhinged." She's already dribbled out audio recordings of conversations, and video clips, texts or email could follow, according to the person who described what Manigault Newman has called a multimedia "treasure trove." The person was not authorized to discuss the issue publicly and asked for anonymity. "I will not be silenced. I will not be intimidated. I'm not going to be bullied by Donald Trump," the former Trump aide told The Associated Press this week as she seemed to dismiss a threat from Trump's campaign. She spoke to the AP hours after Trump's campaign announced it was filing an arbitration action against her alleging she'd violated a signed agreement with the campaign that prohibits her from disclosing confidential information. She told PBS in a separate interview this week: "I have a significant amount, in fact, a treasure trove, of multimedia backup for everything that's not only in "Unhinged," but everything that I assert about Donald Trump." Manigault Newman claims Trump officials offered her a job on the campaign as a way of silencing her, after she was fired from the White House. She's accused Trump of being racist and suffering from a mental decline. We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor necessarily reflects their views. Whether it's your sunglasses, your phone, or your keys, it's way too easy to leave little things lying around at home, restaurants, or in the back of an Uber. But with the advanced READ THE REST "Once marijuana is legalized in Canada, how will police test for pot impairment?" CBC Comedy sketch comedy series 22 Minutes humorously imagines what a pot sobriety test might look like, cookie dough and all. South Africa is commemorating the 36th anniversary of the assassination of anti-apartheid activist Ruth First. PAY ATTENTION: Click "See first" under the "Following" tab to see Briefly News on your newsfeed! On 17 August 1982, First was going through her mail at Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo, Mozambique, when a letter bomb exploded and killed her. Historians believe her assassination was planned by the apartheid regime. Briefly.co.za looks at who she was and why she was targeted. READ ALSO: ANC plans to take serious action against its corrupt members First was born in Johannesburg on 4 May, 1925. Her parents were Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. She became involved in radical politics at a young age. Her parents were founding members of the Communist Party of South Africa. The young activist became involved in student politics at the University of the Witwatersrand. She became a journalist and continued her anti-apartheid activism through the media. READ ALSO: Twitter drags comedian Trevor Noah for joke about Marikana First's investigative journalism revealed to the world the harsh conditions facing black people in apartheid South Africa. She got married to Joe Slove, himself a prominent figure in the struggle, in 1949. Together, they worked underground with the Communist Party following its banning in 1950. First was a founding member of South African Congress of Democrats in 1953, which worked closely with the ANC. In 1956, First and Slovo were among over 150 activists arrested and charged with treason for their anti-apartheid activities. However, they were acquitted after four years. Following the Sharpeville Massacre and the banning of the ANC in 1960, First went to exile in Swaziland. She returned upon the lifting of the state of emergency. However, she was arrested soon after the infamous Lilliesleaf Farm raid in 1963 that netted the Rivonia trialists, including Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu. The apartheid regime detained First without charge for 117 days, after which she joined her husband in exile in the UK. She continued her investigative journalism and academic work there. In 1977, she took up a position as research director at the Centre for African Studies at the Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozambique. It is here that she was eventually assassinated in 1982. Watch a hilarious animated video below from our Briefly - South Africa YouTube channel. Do you have a story to share with us? Inbox us on our Facebook page and we could feature your story. To stay up to date with the latest news, download our news app on Google Play or iTunes today. Source: Briefly.co.za Students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal were forced to protest because their pleas for help weren't being answered by the university. The protests led to the university suspending its Westville campus' planned academic schedule until Friday. PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Briefly.co.za News on your News Feed! The students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal are tired of living in what they call horrible conditions on the campus. They have tried using social media to raise awareness, and while it helped a little bit, it wasn't enough. UKZN students want something to be done about the way they are expected to live, and this while they pay thousands every year. Here's a quick look at what the students are protesting about: 1. Rats The students say that rats are at home in the halls, kitchens and bathrooms on the campus. One student had a rat run down her back while she showered. Students filmed the rats running around where they're expected to prepare their food. 2. Leaking roofs Students have to endure water dripping into their rooms and the hallways whenever it rains. The students are forced to move their stuff around to avoid it getting wet. 3. Inadequate bathroom/toilet facilities Between 300 women and only 8 bathrooms, things are bound to get uncomfortable. Many toilets are faulty and cannot flush properly. 4. Rundown buildings According to the students, parts of the building and passages are old, neglected and rundown. Their study hall does not have lights and there are filthy alleys to be found around the building. 5. Bedbugs One student tried complaining to the department about bedbugs but was allegedly told she should be grateful to have a bed because she used to sleep on the ground at home. This is according to a 4th-year student at the university who chose to remain anonymous for fear of victimisation. READ ALSO: Video shows woman dragged by police after allegedly assaulting an officer IOL News reported that individuals that complain to the Department of Student Residence Affairs were insulted. When students complained of leaking roofs they were told that because they come from a poor background they were used to mopping up water. The acting UKZN executive director of corporate relations, Normah Zondo, said the university will be able to find solutions to the problems faced by the students. How do you feel about the conditions at the university? Let us know on our Facebook page and we could share your thoughts. To stay up to date with the latest news, download our news app on Google Play or iTunes today. Enjoy the Cartoon Comedy: The Farmers Tale and take a look at what else is new on Briefly South Africa's YouTube channel. Source: Briefly.co.za NEAs profit exceeds Rs1b for second year The Nepal Electricity Authoritys (NEA) net profits exceeded Rs1 billion in the last two fiscal years, putting the perennially loss-making organisation on a firmer financial footing. - Somizi posts to social media suggest he is not that happy with the idea of a cheating bae. - Mohale was recently seen to be chatting up a young man, but at the time Somizi didnt appear phased by the rumours - But more recent posts have many guessing about how he really feels PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Briefly.co.za News on your News Feed! Somizi recently left everyone guessing with some cryptic social media posts. These have been posted amidst cheating rumours. Mohale was apparently seen cozying up to a 24-year-old young man when celebrating his 24th birthday. Briefly.co.za reported at the time that Somizi and Mohale didnt seem fazed by the alleged cheating drama. But that seems to have changed if Somizis latest posts are anything to go by. READ ALSO: Dorkay Houses Queeneth Ndaba has died at 81 years of age The first quote, originally posted by Instagram user @max_mqadi, reads: "If you truly love someone, being faithful is easy." The text is positioned on a photo of two doves in front of the Eiffel Tower, reports Channel24. The pair got engaged in Paris. The second post was originally posted by Instagram user @agentsteven. READ ALSO: Teacher at Michealhouse quits over improper association with a pupil While this may all then seem like a very obvious message on Somizis part, her then went on to posts showing a very happy couple Hmmm. Its all enough to have you guessing. Do you have a story to share with us? Inbox us on our Facebook page and we could feature your story. Policeman Joke on Briefly Cartoons! Have you been waiting for a new funny cartoon? We continue to share with you the pearls of African comedy. Todays hilarious animated video is about a policeman who stopped the car of a very-very special couple We hope that this funny joke will brighten your day! And what will your girlfriend or boyfriend do, if a policeman stops your car when you are traveling together? To stay up to date with the latest news, download our news app on Google Play or iTunes today. Source: Briefly.co.za - One brave Tweep has shown us how its done - She has not let challenges get in her way, and has started her own amazing business - Tweeps commended her on her new venture PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Briefly.co.za News on your News Feed! One woman has not let obstacles get in her way. She has made her dream business a reality with the little she has. Tweep TshegoBambina is a medical student who is reaching success along every step of her journey. She recently posted pictures of her established business to Twitter, and its amazing! READ ALSO: Survivor SA winner wants to use winning money to buy house family stays in And Tweeps are impressed! Manicures, pedicures, nails, massages and much, much more, this is one lady who has grabbed the reigns of her future and is controlling her path to success. READ ALSO: 'Who Killed Senzo?' - A few facts about rapper Blaklez's new song A true inspiration to anyone. Briefly.co.za recently reported on another remarkable lady. A Facebook user paid tribute to a hardworking woman who braved the cold winter weather to go about her sewing business. Michelle Stoltz posted several photos of Lizzy, a woman from Ghana, who runs a sewing on the corner of Steve Biko and Edmund Streets, Pretoria. Do you have a story to share with us? Inbox us on our Facebook page and we could feature your story. Meet Mary! She is a Nigerian woman who had a heart attack. During it, she came to the Perl Gates and saw Saint Peter. She asked him, would she die or come back to life. And Saint Peters promised her that she would live another 40 years. But when Mary cured and returned to her normal life, she made a colossal mistake What happened to Mary? Click Play and enjoy our new video! To stay up to date with the latest news, download our news app on Google Play or iTunes today. Source: Briefly.co.za Graduating from a university like the University of the Witwatersrand is an accomplishment that any student can be proud of. If that student had to sell earphones at the library steps and sleep in the library then the achievement is that much sweeter. PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Briefly.co.za News on your News Feed! A young graduate shared his success and words of encouragement on social media after he accomplished his dream of graduating from the University of Witwatersrand. Despite having a very hard time while working towards his graduation, Twitter user and law graduate @thenextbarack inspires the youth of South Africa with his perseverance and dedication. The dream started with selling earphones at the library steps and sleeping in the library. Today I got that LLB. Thank you to all the people who helped me along the way. I couldnt have done it without you. The graduate also had his faith to encourage him and keep him going in difficult times. If you were homeless. If you slept on the floors of Wits. If you sold earphones for years to clear your debts. If you wrote assignments for money and debated to keep your intellectual skills sharp. Never stop celebrating breaking the generational curse. I thank you Jesus South Africans were inspired and wholeheartedly congratulated the law graduate on social media: READ ALSO: Who was Ruth First and why did the apartheid regime assassinate her? Do you have an inspiring or beautiful story to tell South Africa? Let us know on our Facebook page and we could be telling your story. To stay up to date with the latest news, download our news app on Google Play or iTunes today. Watch the Top-5: How to be an African president - detailed guide and take a look at what else is new on Briefly South Africa's YouTube channel. Source: Briefly.co.za Entertainment / Music by Staff reporter VETERAN United Kingdom-based wheel spinner Gqwetha Malinga affectionately known as DJ Gqwetha in the showbiz industry is set to revive Bulawayo music through hosting a gig dubbed the "Bulawayo Night".The annually held gig which is set for September 1, will be held at Kings Bull Luxury Lounge in London, a terrain that accommodates a lot of Zimbabweans based in the UK.Speaking from his base in London, Gqwetha revealed that as one of the DJs who popularised the City of Kings music in the UK, it is still part of his tasks to make the Bulawayo community based in London reminisce about where they come from.The dreadlocked wheel spinner also said the gig will be special as it returns to where it was launched in the year 2000, London."There are a lot of Bulawayo people who are based in London and some of them are homesick because they have never returned back home since they relocated to London, as music is a unifying tool and a language that is universal, I took it upon myself to make my audience chew nostalgic bones through the Bulawayo Night gig."This year's event will be special because it will be held in London which is where it all started back then, I decided to bring it back to the city because for the past 10 years it was held outside London," said Malinga.The Bulawayo Night gig will be combined with DJ Teezzy's birthday celebration.Other artistes who will perform at the show include Afro Pop solo artiste Xolani "X.O" Nqo, a Lower Gweru born performer who emerged out of the UK-Zimbabwe diaspora music scene.X.O is looking forward to the gig."I am excited to be part of the Bulawayo Night as it is a show which preserves the music and culture of Bulawayo people, I will perform songs from my latest offering God Bless Our Hustle, so that I motivate the audience to continue working hard and also invest back home," said X.O.The Bulawayo Night was established in 2000 in London by DJ Gqwetha and Bongani Ngubeni (Black Boys) as a way of thanking their fans for their everlasting support since they started their Dejaying career in the 90s in different Bulawayo night spots. News / National by Staff reporter HARARE has been ranked the sixth least liveable city in the world out of 140 nation cities due to instability, inadequate infrastructure and a poor healthcare system, faring better only against cities in conflict-ridden and highly fragile states except Nigeria, according to the Global Liveability Index (GLI) of 2018.The rank is a downgrade by two positions from last year's.The GLI of 2018 is an annual index of the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), which is an international research and analysis division of The Economist Group, the sister company of The Economist newspaper based in the United Kingdom.Damascus, the Capital of war-torn Syria, is ranked the world's most unliveable city, followed by Dhaka (Bangladesh), Lagos (Nigeria), Karachi (Pakistan), Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea) and Harare.In terms of overall rankings, Harare ranked 135 out of the 140 nations surveyed, scoring 42,6 on the index, with 100 being the most ideal."The rankings of cities like Damascus, Karachi and Tripoli suggest that conflict is responsible for many of the lowest scores. This is not only because stability indicators have the highest single scores, but also because factors defining stability can spread to have an adverse effect on other categories," EIU said in the rankings released on Tuesday."For example, conflict will not just cause disruption in its own right, it will also damage infrastructure, overburden hospitals and undermine the availability of goods, services and recreational activities. Unavailability of adequate infrastructure is also responsible for many of the lowest scores. This is particularly visible in the ranks of cities like Dhaka (Bangladesh, 139th), Harare (Zimbabwe, 135th), Douala (Cameroon, 133rd) and Dakar (Senegal, 131st)."In a breakdown of the GLI rankings, Harare scored poorly in terms of stability with a 40,0 and healthcare (20,8) and infrastructure (35,7). But, in terms of culture and environment, Harare scored 58,6 and for education (66,7), showing positive marks in those areas.Post-election violence has led to seven confirmed deaths, beatings, abductions, burning of opposition homes by suspected ruling party members, including antagonising journalists, all of which are detergents to investors or visitors."The Middle East, Africa and Asia account for the ten lowest-scoring cities in the survey where violence whether through crime, civil insurgency, terrorism or war has played a strong role," EIU said.The methodology behind the ranking is based on over 30 qualitative and quantitative factors across five broad categories; stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure."Every city is assigned a rating of relative comfort for over 30 qualitative and quantitative factors across five broad categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. Each factor in a city is rated as acceptable, tolerable, uncomfortable, undesirable or intolerable," EIU said."For qualitative indicators, a rating is awarded based on the judgment of in-house analysts and in-city contributors. For quantitative indicators, a rating is calculated based on the relative performance of a number of external data points."EIU said the concept of liveability is simple; it assesses which locations around the world provide the best or the worst living conditions."Assessing liveability has a broad range of uses; from benchmarking perceptions of development levels to assigning a hardship allowance as part of expatriate relocation packages. The Economist Intelligence Unit's liveability rating quantifies the challenges that might be presented to an individual's lifestyle in any given location, and allows for direct comparison between locations," EIU said.Since the election violence broke out, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) issued a statement trying to quell any notion of the country's current instability."The ZTA would like to inform all valued tourists from both the domestic and international markets that, notwithstanding the post-election violence witnessed on 01 August 2018 in the capital city, Harare, Zimbabwe remains a safe destination for any travel," ZTA chief executive officer Karikoga Kaseke said. News / National by Staff reporter The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) yesterday blamed immigration officials for handing over MDC Alliance principal Tendai Biti, arguing they were the ones who took the accused from the Zambian authorities without a deportation certificate.Biti, who is represented by Beatrice Mtetwa, accused the police of abducting him from the Zambian authorities despite the Lusaka High Court order which barred them from deporting him.The MDC Alliance official had fled the country to seek asylum in Zambia, claiming there was a plot to assassinate him together with Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa.Chief Superintendent Jealous Nyabasa said he did not deliberately mislead the court when he referred to Biti as a border jumper, but it was the immigration officials who characterised him as such.Mtetwa had asked Nyabasa why he characterised his client as a border jumper when he, in fact, used a designated point of exit when he went to Zambia for asylum."You accept that unlike famous border jumpers, it is false and misleading to characterise my client as a border jumper when he lawfully exited Zimbabwe? Mtetwa asked."You deliberately misled the magistrate by characterising him as a border jumper."But Nyabasa claimed he did not mislead the court. "We gave him the correct information. Things about his border jumping at Chirundu Border Post immigration officials can answer that. They are the ones who handed over Biti to us," Nyabasa replied.ZRP are denying playing a part in the abduction of Biti from the Zambian authorities, but the MDC Alliance principal is insisting that the police, with the help of other government security agents, abducted him despite not having the court order.However, the police admitted altering dates of the charge sheet from August 9 to 8 to make it appear as if they charged Biti before a Lusaka High Court order, which was handed on the 9th. On the boob, Nyabasa told the court that it was only a clear error.Magistrate Francis Mapfumo postponed the matter to Monday for continuation of cross-examination. News / National by Staff reporter Former Midlands provincial administrator, Cecilia Chitiyo and six other government officials who are being co-charged with ex-Provincial Affairs minister, Jason Machaya, for allege criminal abuse of office, had their application for refusal of remand dismissed by a Gweru magistrate on Wednesday.Magistrate Charity Maphosa remanded the seven to August 27 for a provisional trial date for allegedly unlawfully allocating residential stands to land developers.Machaya, who is on $1 000 bail, was last Friday remanded to the same date (August 27), when the court will decide either to jointly or separately charge them as well as setting a trial date.Chitiyo (50), now Mashonaland West provincial administrator, is being accused together with Shepard Marweyi (48), Sifelani Moyo (59), Ethel Mlalazi (65), Matilda Manhambo (59), Chisainyerwa Chibhururu (47) and Everest Nyamadzawo (33).The seven, who are all on $200 bail, had their application to be removed from remand opposed by prosecutor Andrew Marimo, who argued it was too early to place them off remand.The State's case is that Chitiyo allegedly allocated land totalling 4 469 stands to land developers by co-signing offer letters.Manhambo, employed in the Local Government ministry in the Midlands province, is also alleged to have parcelled out 2 000 stands to land developers.Marweyi, who was the district administrator for Gweru, is alleged to have unlawfully allocated 5 199 stands to land developers.The other four accused are alleged to have acted in common purpose after they allocated stands to land developers. News / National by Staff reporter The former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for humanitarian work, has died aged 80.International diplomats said Annan was the first black African to take up the role of the world's top diplomat, serving two terms from 1997 to 2006.He later served as the UN special envoy for Syria, leading efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict.Annan's tenure coincided with the Iraq War and the HIV/AIDS pandemic.The former UN chief died in the Swiss capital of Bern today after a short illness.According to the Kofi Annan Foundation Twitter page, Annan was a global statesman and a deeply committed internationalist who fought throughout his life for a fairer and more peaceful world.During his distinguished career and leadership of the UN, Annan was an ardent champion of peace, sustainable development, human rights and the rule of law.After stepping down from the UN, he continued to work tirelessly in the cause of peace through his chairmanship of the Kofi Anna Foundation and as chair of The Elders, the group founded by Nelson Mandela, he was an inspiration to young and old.Anna was a son of Ghana and felt a special responsibility towards Africa.He was particularly committed to African development and deeply engaged in many initiatives, including his chairmanship of the Africa Progress Panel and his early leadership of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).Wherever there was suffering or need, Annan reached out and touched many people with his deep compassion and empathy.He selflessly placed others first, radiating genuine kindness, warmth and brilliance in all he did. Opinion / Columnist Hordes of people who were promised positions in Chamisa's administration congregated at MDC Alliance's Head Office everyday yet no one could have access to him. Security details moved Camisa from one lodge to another the Saddam Hussein style. Given the microphone, Chamisa repeated his lies with such eloquent that attendees were screaming for more. Those who started to question the authenticity of Chamisa's message were subjected to expletive-filled tirades. People dumped their daily talk shows for Chamisa's rallies.What everyone never knew however, was the deep crisis that irritated Chamisa and prompted him to be an expletive machine. First off, there was never an MDC Alliance message; the leadership of this Alliance never sat down to plan anything. Chamisa for your own information promised 15 people to be his Vice President. None of them knew what was going on since they could not access him but kept on believing they were the anointed ones.Each cabinet position had at least six people promised. At the end it was so difficult for Chamisa to sit down and talk to anyone because everything was messed up anyway. The result was Tendai Biti holding Press Conference that Chamisa had no idea about. Chamisa holding press conferences that not even one Alliance leader knew about. Even when Tendai Biti announced that Chamisa won the elections, Chamisa himself was caught by surprise; he did not know Tendai was going to announce the results.When Tendai Biti skipped the boarder to Zambia, Chamisa had no clue where Biti was or what he was trying to do. Then came the frosty relationship between Chamisa and Mwonzora. Anyone can deny this rift but take it from me; the rift is so wide that people were assaulted for uttering the name Mwonzora.There were other purpoted leaders who took it upon themselves to announce or act in a stupidly manner. There was Hwende, Dzamara, and Job Sakala. This Sakala guy lied to the whole world that he was abducted and the fake news went into overdrive claiming that his body was found dumped in Mukuvisi river.How were Zimbabweans easily fooled by such jokers? Take for example the issue of V11 forms. These forms were available and any polling agent had access to them. The problem is Chamisa did not pay some of his agents and those agents refused to release the signed V11 forms until they get paid. Some polling agents are holding on to the V11 forms right now and will not release them to Chamisa. If ZANU PF was malicious, they could pay these agents, right?The stage-managed protests were mainly for the international community and the observers. This was a desperate attempt to discredit the government and the most effective way was to provoke the government. The government fell into MDC Alliance's trap by responding with force and Chamisa succeeded. Mnangagwa is now referred to as an embattled leader.What Mnangagwa must understand is the international community, especially from the west only talk to you when you prove yourself to be better than them. You can kneel for them but it will never be enough, even if you go on all your four like an animal, in will not satisfy them; chero ukavata nedumbu, it is not enough. You must be better than them for them to come and even discuss policies with you. Nepals ship will reach Kolkata via Province 2: PM Oli Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that a ship that will leave from Nepal to Kolkata of India will be operated from Province 2. Thirty-six students at the University of New Brunswick must leave because of the dispute between Saudi Arabia and Canada over human rights. The students have been left scrambling to find new universities after being forced to withdraw from their studies and leave the country by Aug. 31. Saudi Arabia announced earlier this month that it was ordering thousands of Saudi students leave Canadian universities. As a result, the students have been left scrambling, forced to withdraw from their studies and leave the country by Aug. 31. - What will happen to Saudi students enrolled in Canada? - Saudi Arabia freezes new trade, investment after Canada demands activists be freed - Freeland defends Canada's stance on Saudi Arabia amid sanctions The flap between the two countries started two weeks ago, when Global Affairs Canada tweeted: "Canada is gravely concerned about additional arrests of civil society and women's rights activists in Saudi Arabia, including Samar Badawi. We urge the Saudi authorities to immediately release them and all other peaceful human rights activists." The Saudi Foreign Ministry responded by ordering Canada's ambassador, Dennis Horak, to leave the country and described the use of the words "immediately release" in Canada's tweet "unfortunate, reprehensible, and unacceptable in relations between states." "Any other attempt to interfere with our internal affairs from Canada, means that we are allowed to interfere in Canada's internal affairs," the ministry said. Robert MacKinnon, vice-president of UNB Saint John, was surprised by the announcement affecting Saudi students. "It was a loss to our university, losing any students in this manner is always challenging and we certainly hope to get this situation resolved in the future," he said. More than 7,500 Saudis are in Canada on long-term study visas 22 of them are at UNB's Saint John campus and 14 at the Fredericton campus. Story continues For years, MacKinnon said, UNB has been promoting international enrolment and "diversifying [the] international student base on both UNB campuses. Many international students come to Canada with their families. St. Thomas University in Fredericton, the University of Moncton, Mount Allison University in Sackville said they don't have any students from Saudi Arabia. A support to students UNB said it has offered its 36 Saudi students help from student services and the registrar's office in their transition to other schools. The university is also doing degree audits to ensure students close to graduation will have those records with them when they leave. "It certainly is an impact on these students and their families as they're getting out of leases and trying to make travel arrangements," he said. He said universities in the U.S., the U.K., Australia, among other countries, are also helping with transfer arrangements. The students are looking at moving to universities similar to UNB, MacKinnon said. Some students at UNB would have been eligible to graduate as early as October. "Students are concerned. It depends where they are in their program and how many courses they need to complete for their graduation requirements," he said. "That will have an impact on how long it's going to take them to complete at other universities." A financial hit to the region MacKinnon said UNB is still assessing the financial hit after the students leave something that will felt over the next few years. - As a Saudi student being forced to leave Canada, I'm going through the 5 stages of grief - Huge mosque yard sale helps Saudi students scrambling to sell belongings Tuition at UNB is about $6,700, and a student from Saudi Arabia would pay about double that amount. That cost doesn't include living expenses. "The impact on the overall economy will be much larger in terms of living expenses," MacKinnon said. "It's a big impact on the region." He said he's still hopeful Saudi Arabian students will be able to resume studying in New Brunswick soon. "They contributed not just to the economy but to the culture of our campus communities," he said. 'This just adds to the stress': Respiratory therapy students out $900 fee after licensing test cancelled Hundreds of respiratory therapy students across the country won't be holding their breaths for the full refunds they were promised after a massive computer failure forced the cancellation of their licensing exam last month. Yardstick Assessment Strategies administers the national exam for the Canadian Board for Respiratory Care. Anyone who wants to be a licensed respiratory therapist (RT) needs to take the test to ensure they can evaluate and treat patients with cardiopulmonary issues in everyone from newborns to the elderly mostly in hospital intensive care units, emergency departments and operating rooms. . But on July 9, something went wrong with the half-day long online licensing examination. "We started getting an error message saying our answers cannot be saved," said Lindsay McFarland, who has already put in three years of school and another year of practical training for her chosen career. She and dozens of others taking the exam at Centennial College in Toronto were told the system was down. "They made the decision to cancel the exam across the country. So all the students were sent home without completing this final exam," said McFarland. In total, 388 candidates paid the fee of $899 plus HST with nothing to show for it. McFarland says most of the students she was with were upset about the cancellation, but were satisfied by Yardstick's offer of a full refund of the fee and an offer to reimburse reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, including travel, parking and meals. 'You know mistakes happen' Yardstick offered two dates in this month for candidates to take the exam. As well, there is a regularly scheduled sitting in January. "You know mistakes happen. We were still upset, but then we were at least happy this wouldn't have cost us any additional incurred expenses so we accepted that and moved along," said McFarland. But this week, the company rescinded its offer of a full refund instead Yardstick offered students $290 and said it would allow "a broader range of expenses to be claimed." Story continues "I have to take additional time off and as casual employees don't get vacation, I'm out about a week of work," said McFarland, who works as a graduate respiratory therapist at St. Michael's Hospital. But she says others whose licence will be delayed are in a worse situation. "They can't get jobs because they are unable to work on their own." Yardstick 'accepts full responsibility' An email Yardstick sent to candidates says they will only be able to refund the company's portion of the examination fee. It says that the company had hoped to offer a full refund, but that Yardstick had to remit portions of the fee collected to others. Isabelle Gonthier, president of Yardstick, told the CBC that the company apologizes for any inconvenience. "Our company accepts full responsibility for the failure. We are thoroughly investigating the root cause and will do everything we can to prevent anything similar from happening again," The Canadian Board of Respiratory Care hired Yardstick to deliver the test. Julie Brown, chair of the board, says they will work with the company on reasonable solutions. "I understand that we will never be able to take back the stress from all of the candidates, but we are trying to make everything as workable as possible for those candidates going forward," she said, adding she knows students do fill-in work over the summer. "July and August tend to be the time when they pick up the most shifts. A lot of them are booked solid," she said. A lot of them have vacations booked. A lot of them have to travel to write this exam, find childcare. A lot of them have life events going on, and so we have to make this a feasible as possible," said Brown. She said this is the fifth exam Yardstick has administered for the Canadian Board for Respiratory Care and the first time they've had an issue with the company. McFarlane says the company should have checked with their suppliers before offering a full refund. "It's disappointing that they went back on their word. We have student loans. This just adds to the stress." With files from CBC New Brunswick Space exploration may not quite be the final frontier of co-operation between Canada and Russia but it's close. In spite of successive rounds of economic and diplomatic sanctions as a result of issues such as Russia's role in Ukraine and Syria the job of blasting people into orbit has remained remarkably untouched by the bitter divide between Russia and its Western space partners, which include Canada. "I like to view myself that I am standing on a bridge above all the unrest and tensions," said David Saint-Jacques, Canada's next space-bound traveller, who is scheduled to launch in December. The 49-year-old Montrealer will lift off in a Russian rocket, sitting alongside a Russian cosmonaut commander and relaying key information to a ground-based Russian mission control, all the while speaking in Russian. "You have to acknowledge politics it exists," Saint-Jacques said. "It is a reality and we don't dismiss it, but we are fortunate, [as] cosmonauts and astronauts, that we are part of one of those few 'strings' that still exist between nations." Saint-Jacques, who earned a PhD in astrophysics and also worked as a medical doctor, has been training for his December flight at Russia's Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre, about an hour and half northeast of Moscow. This week, Canadian media were invited to observe some of his exercises and speak to the other two members of the crew. While many other sectors of Russia's economy, such as the banking and energy industries, have been the frequent target of Western sanctions, so far, space has been left untouched. Practical partnership In April, Russian President Vladimir Putin told an audience of space enthusiasts at a Cosmonaut Day address in Moscow that he has no intention of drawing the space program into his disagreements with the United States and other Western countries. There may be practical reasons for that. Russia's space program remains a huge source of pride for the country, and Putin's government frequently invokes the names of great Russian space travellers such as Gagarin as he attempts to rebuild Russia's standing in the world. Story continues NASA is also in the midst of a long-term contract with Russia that is lucrative for Putin's administration. NASA is paying Roscosmos, Russia's space agency, more than $2.6 billion US to take its astronauts up to the International Space Station until 2019. The last Canadian astronaut in space, Commander Chris Hadfield (who commanded the ISS in 2013), flew there in a Russian Soyuz rocket. Since the end of NASA's Shuttle Program in 2011, Roscosmos has been the only option for moving people to the space station. The contract has been a lucrative source of money for Russia's space program, allowing the Putin government to continue working on new heavy-lift rockets with the aim of phasing out the 50-year-old Soyuz technology. The hope is that Russia's new generation of rockets will be able to compete with soon-to-be-available privately owned spacecraft developed by U.S. companies such as Boeing and SpaceX. Saint-Jacques says that while economics matter, he believes space has been free of political retribution mostly because all sides agree mankind must keep pushing forward with exploration. "I think there's something sacred about space," he said. "There's something intrinsic about the fact we are not on Earth when we work." 'An instant bond' Canada's focus in international missions at the space station has been looking at the effects of long-term weightlessness on the human body. During the coming mission, Saint-Jacques will be doing a bevy of medical experiments including on himself to examine, for example, the effect of space on bone mass. Saint-Jacques said that space can be very dangerous for the human body, and that he and his colleagues need to study its effects to prepare for longer missions in the future. Come December, Saint-Jacques will be jammed into the tiny capsule alongside 54-year-old Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, who'll be making his fourth trip to the International Space Station, and 39-year-old American Anne McClain. McClain told CBC that the realities of working in cramped quarters for months at a time mean there's no room for politics. "I think there is something magical and unique with the drive to explore," she said. Among astronauts, there's "an instant bond." Saint-Jacques acknowledges political conversations do come up and not everyone agrees but he says no one ever lets their political beliefs get in the way of the mission or its objectives. "It's our professional pride as space explorers that we daily demonstrate that we can work together." Saint-Jacques, who speaks English, French, Spanish and Japanese, started learning Russian not long after he was accepted into Canada's astronaut program nine years ago. In conversations with Roscosmos staff and trainers, he makes jokes and seems at ease with the language. Alexei Darkin, a Russian mission specialist who's helping train Saint- Jacques in the lead-up to the mission, praised his ability to get along with the Russian members of the team. "David is using his Russian language skills and doing very well," Darkin said. "I don't think he will have any difficulties on the space station." By Aislinn Laing and Felipe Iturrieta SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Nine planes were forced to make emergency changes to their routes within Chilean, Argentine and Peruvian airspace on Thursday because of bomb threats issued to Chile's civil aviation authority, its director general told journalists. At least two of the planes were operated by LATAM Airlines and three by Sky, a low-cost Chilean airline, the companies confirmed. Victor Villalobos Collao, the director general of Chile's civil aviation authority (DGAC), said 11 threats were made in total on Thursday, two of which were "fictitious" and nine of which related to existing flights. All of the planes were declared free of explosives, and at least one plane was later allowed to resume its flight, he said. He said calls warning of bombs onboard flights were made to LATAM's offices, and the civil aviation authority, and police were now trying to trace their origin. "We always have an abandoned suitcase or two, that's normal," he told journalists in a briefing at Santiago airport. "But this is a totally exceptional case." For four of the flights, Santiago, Chile's capital, was either the origination or the destination, the DGAC added in a statement. One flight, Sky 162, took off from Santiago's Arturo Merino Benitez airport and was headed to the northern city of Antofagasta when it was instructed to return to Santiago, the statement said. Flight LATAM 2369, originating from Lima, the capital of Peru, and heading for Santiago, was forced to land in the southern Peruvian city of Pisco, it added. Peru's transport ministry said no one had been injured and a team for deactivating explosives has been notified. "Right now the situation is under control," it said on Twitter. Another Sky flight, Sky 524, is understood according to flight schedules to have taken off from the Argentine city of Mendoza. It made an emergency landing in Santiago before proceeding to Rosario in Argentina, the DGAC said. Sky said another of its planes, Flight 166, was prevented from taking off from Santiago because of a bomb threat. In addition, LATAM 800, which according to flight schedules took off from Auckland, New Zealand, performed an emergency landing in its destination of Santiago. That flight was still undergoing security checks, the DGAC added. Collao said other flights were checked in Iquique, another city in northern Chile, Antofagasta and Mendoza, without giving further details. LATAM confirmed that at least two of its planes had been affected. "The affected passengers will be transferred by LATAM onto other flights," it said. "The authorities have not at this moment found any evidence that might put passengers at risk." Chilean police did not respond to a request for comment. (Reporting by Aislinn Laing and Felipe Iturrieta; Editing by Leslie Adler and Michael Perry) Halifax-area hospital administrators have come up with a plan they hope can mitigate the loss of 58 Saudi medical residents scheduled to leave Nova Scotia at the end of the month. Dr. Mark Taylor, executive medical director for the Nova Scotia Health Authority's central zone, said he and other senior staff members have spent the past two weeks assessing the potential impact of the loss. They have come up with proposals to cushion the blow for a while. "This certainly took, obviously, everyone by surprise," he said. "Nobody expected this to happen. "It's awkward for everybody to make very quick adjustments so we're doing our best to make the best of the situation." 11 departments will feel loss Taylor, who oversees medical staff and services across the central region of the health authority, said 11 departments will feel the loss of the Saudi medical students: - Orthopedic surgery. - Cardiac surgery. - Neurosurgery. - Plastic surgery. - Cardiology. - Hematology - Urology. - General surgery. - Critical care. - Neurology. - General medicine. Of those, it's orthopedic patients who are likely to be most inconvenienced because the department is losing six of its 19 residents. "Orthopedics is a significant issue and so is cardiac so it is possible there'll be some delays, but I don't think it will be dramatic," said Taylor. Although Dr. Bill Oxner, the head of orthopedics in Halifax, warned about possible cancellations, Taylor downplayed that possibility. "No, it's not likely to," said Taylor. "It may lead to some delay, since we have fewer bodies to assess the patients and get them ready for surgery. "It may be that there's some delay in getting them in. But probably it will not lead to cancelled surgery." Remaining medical residents to be offered more shifts Taylor said hospitals would be offering the remaining medical residents the chance to do shifts in specialty areas that will be the most depleted by the Saudi departures. Story continues "That is not a long-term solution, that's only a short stopgap measure." he said. In the longer term, administrators are hoping to lure medical staff from other parts of Canada to Nova Scotia, including medical residents, nurse practitioners and physician assistants. They are commonly used elsewhere but not yet in Nova Scotia. Can't make up for departing Saudis But Taylor admits any recruitment drive won't fill the gap created by those leaving. "Since there's about 58 or so there's absolutely no way we're going to find 58 people to fill those positions," he said. "The worst of it will be shortly after they leave," he said. "Many of them have already stopped working and by the end of August they'll all be gone, so I think that the worst is likely to be shortly after that. Between now and the end of September is when we're likely to see the biggest impact." Taylor said the health authority will need more money from the province to make the necessary adjustments but he didn't think the plan would costs millions. He could not offer an estimate of the eventual cost. He did say Halifax-area hospitals would welcome the Saudi residents back if there was a change of heart. "Oh, absolutely, if the government of Saudi Arabia were to change their policies I think we would be prepared to reconsider the entire situation." Read more articles at CBC Nova Scotia Toronto police have identified Andre Phoenix as the man killed in a drive-by shooting in Rexdale on Wednesday night. Phoenix, a 33-year-old father, was walking outside in a shopping plaza with another person near 1701 Martin Grove Road, north of John Garland Boulevard, when he was shot at about 11:30 p.m. Homicide Det. Jeffery Tavares said Phoenix was walking toward the storefronts when a light-coloured, four-door vehicle entered the plaza parking lot. "I believe that the deceased was made aware of this vehicle and created distance between the witness and the vehicle that was approaching him," Tavares said. Police don't know why shooting occurred Tavares said the vehicle "stopped short" of Phoenix and there was an interaction between him and the vehicle's occupants. The occupants opened fire and the gunfire struck Phoenix, he said. The person who was with Phoenix walked away before the vehicle approached, Tavares added. The vehicle fled to John Garland Boulevard and was seen leaving in a westbound direction. When police arrived, they found Pheonix suffering from a gunshot wound. Toronto paramedics rushed him in life-threatening condition to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Phoenix was pronounced dead in hospital. "Although he does not live in the neighbourhood, he does have ties to the neighbourhood," Tavares said. "He was visiting a friend from within the neighbourhood." Homicide detectives have taken over the investigation. Tavares said police do not know if Phoenix knew the vehicle's occupants and that the interaction was very brief. Police say they have no idea why the shooting occurred. Anyone with information is urged to call Toronto police's homicide squad at (416) 808-7400. Nearly 60 years after a float plane and those aboard went missing, police now have a location for the plane and may attempt a dive into the depths of northern Saskatchewan's Peter Pond Lake to recover it. "They do have a skilled diving team and we're happy that they're moving forward to try and recover remains," said Don Kapusta, husband of Linda Kapusta. Linda's father Ray Gran was the pilot of the Cessna 180 that crashed into the lake on Aug. 20, 1959. The only other occupant was Harold Thompson, a conservation officer. Thompson's sister Arlene Mar also was buoyed by news of the search, calling it an "exciting time" for her family. She was 21 years old when her brother went missing. She had wondered for years whether her brother might have survived the crash. If his remains are recovered, it will put to rest all those lingering questions. "I'll quit looking for one thing, for any Harold Thompson that lives in Canada and there's many," she said with a chuckle. The search restarts The two men had been on their way to La Loche, Sask., when dense fog rolled in. Gran tried to turn around, but the plane crashed. Nearly seven months after it went down, the search for the plane was called off. But in 2017, the Kapustas began researching sonar technology and found an expert that could help them in their quest to find the plane. Months of work went into planning a search, that took place on July 30, 2018, and ultimately turned up the location of the plane. The Kapustas notified Buffalo Narrows RCMP of the discovery, with RCMP continuing to stay in touch about arranging for a dive for the remains. Police are looking to launch those recovery efforts on the week of Aug. 27. Favourable conditions needed Cpl. Rob King, with the Saskatchewan RCMP's communications division, said there are a number of steps police will have to take to assess the area, the position of the wreckage and visibility, among other factors. Story continues "If all those things check out, and deemed to be safe and doable and weather conditions are favourable, then the next step is to put investigators into the water," he said. The RCMP's team of experienced divers will make the final call, he said. The initial goal will be to collect photos and videos of the wreckage, to assist with the Transport Canada investigation, he said. But RCMP will also try to recover the two occupants' remains. Kapusta said he's encouraged by the fact that the plane is largely intact, and noted that the recovery of the remains would be meaningful not only to him and his wife, but to the Thompson family as well. It also offers a chance to bring Ray Gran back to his wife, Marcella, who was six months pregnant when the plane went down. She spent the next 59 years waiting to know exactly what happened to her husband. "Linda's mom passed very shortly after we discovered the aircraft, literally within hours," said Kapusta. "Our goal is to finally reunite them after all these years." LONDON (Reuters) - London's mayor Sadiq Khan said on Friday he had asked the organization that deals with militant attacks and disasters in the British capital to assess the impact of a "no-deal" Brexit on access to medicines and food and on law and order. Khan said he would consult the London Resilience Forum, which plans responses to disasters such as the Grenfell Tower Fire, about the implications for Britain of crashing out of the European Union without a deal, saying that such a "catastrophic" outcome looked more likely than ever. Britain is due to leave the EU in March 2019, and with time running out to secure agreement on future ties, both British and European politicians are warning of the increased chances of a "no-deal" Brexit. "Even ministers now admit that crashing out of the EU with no deal is now more likely than ever," Khan said in a statement. "We are now left with no choice but to plan for a no-deal scenario." Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt told ITV News in an interview on Thursday that leaving the EU in a "messy, ugly divorce" would be a mistake that Britain would "regret for generations", although he tweeted on Friday to clarify that he believed Britain would "survive and prosper without a deal". Denmark's finance minister Kristian Jensen told BBC radio he believed the odds that there would be no deal in Brexit negotiations were 50/50, echoing comments by Latvia's foreign minister earlier in the week. Khan criticized the lack of engagement by the government with companies over preparations for a no-deal scenario. The government will start sending out advice to firms about such a scenario in August and September, a British official said. Prime Minister Theresa May has repeatedly said that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed in Brexit talks, so a no-deal Brexit would jeopardize an accord reached, in principle, for a transition phase that would extend close ties to the bloc until December 2020. Khan said he would consult businesses over their contingency plans, with agreement over the "settled status" of European employees dependent on successful talks with the EU over the future relationship with the bloc. "I am calling on Theresa May to do the only sensible and humane thing and extend the offer of settled status to EU citizens currently living in the UK now, regardless of the outcome of the negotiations," Khan said. (Reporting by Alistair Smout, additional reporting by Andrew MacAskill; Editing by Gareth Jones) Police have charged a 26-year-old Ottawa woman who'd been caring for a pair of young children with assault and failing to provide the necessaries of life. Kaylee Lewis had been working as the nanny to the children when a complaint came in last month, the Ottawa Police Service said in a media release. On Friday, police charged Lewis with two counts of assault and two counts of failing to provide the necessaries of life. Both of the children were under the age of two, police said. Brief court appearance Lewis appeared briefly Friday afternoon at the Ottawa courthouse. She was released on bail, provided she abide by a number of conditions that included: - Not communicating with anyone under the age of 16. - Not being at a public park or swimming pool where young people could be expected to be present. - Not attending a daycare, a schoolground, a playground or a community centre. - Not working in a position, paid or unpaid, that would involve being placed in a position of trust or authority toward anyone under the age of 16. - Not possessing weapons defined as such by the Criminal Code. After the appearance, Lewis was rushed into a waiting car outside the courthouse by what appeared to be friends or family members. She did not comment on the charges. Her next court date is scheduled for Sept. 5. Could be other victims, police say In their media release, Ottawa police said Lewis had been working as a nanny for "many years" and also took part in after-school programs. The Ottawa Carleton District School Board told CBC News Friday that Lewis was not one of its employees. "Possibly there's other victims out there," said Const. Chuck Benoit. "So we're just reaching out to the other families that might have hired Mrs. Lewis." Benoit would not provide details about the nature of alleged assault. Anyone with information can call police at 613-236-1222, ext. 5760, or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. With files from Kimberley Molina and Trevor Pritchard Notes from khao san Khao San, one of the oldest streets in Bangkok, isto a Nepali eyean amplified version of Thamel. For a price, anything can be made availablefrom relaxing foot massages, helium gas highs, sultry hookers, deep fried scorpions and cockroaches to carefully manufactured sojourns to hamlets where bewildering traditions are kept alive for tourists. And as the moon climbs in the sky, the street turns into one big party with delirious dancing and drunken debauchery. I have been studying apologetics for ten years now and it has become an important part of my life. Not only have my studies provided me with answers, but I have seen apologetics equip Christians to provide an answer to everyone. As I read, think, wrestle, argue and discuss, I realise a good way to approach apologetics is to think about giving answers and seeking answers. The problem with cookie cutter answers In my early days of reading apologetic-related resources I would share with students and seekers as part of my university ministry. I would often give cookie cutter answers; very precise and verbatim from the books I was reading. This method wasnt always as effective as I hoped! These answers often had a lot of underlying assumptions as to the motives of the questioner; this wasunderstandablynot always met with appreciation. I realised it is wiser to let people speak for themselves and for me to be slow to speak and quick to listen. The everyone we seek to give an answer to is a diverse group. Not everyone will be combative, adversarial or seeking to trapdifferent people ask similar questions for different reasons. For example, the question how could a good God allow evil and suffering? may be motivated by a number of reasons. Some question Gods existence, while others question the existence of a loving God. This sort of question is a struggle for both believers and unbelievers. Everyone is diverse and should not be viewed under the lens of stereotypes. Alistair McGrath makes and excellent point along these lines in his book Mere Apologetics, he says: One of the first things that the apologist learns when he does apologeticsas opposed to just reading books about itis that audiences vary enormously. Each person has his or her own specific difficulties about faith and must not be reduced to a generalised stereotype. Consider context As we shape our answers to address questions, we must also realise that the people we engage with are not untethered from their time and context. This understanding helps us to understand their expectations, struggles and their questions. McGrath speaks very poignantly about understanding context: We also need to reflect on the cultural context within which we proclaim, explain and commend the gospel. People do not exist in cultural vacuums. They live in a specific situation, and often absorb at least some of its ideas and values. Essentially, we are all men and women of our times and cultural contexts; we are its products, this shapes the questions asked and the answers we can give. In the modern era, rationalism was a big thing and major questions asked were more or less along the lines of Gods existence. In todays society, the questions may be less about how rational Christianity is and more about how existentially meaningful it is. In other words: What does Christianity mean to me in a relational and emotional sense. Seek to give and receive answers Finally, as we seek to give and receive answers, I think it is vital that we have proper expectations. I have come to realise that people seek two key things in their quest for truth: reasons and answers. During the modern era rationalism was the order of the day and, in many cases, people bought into the idea that if a thing was unexplainable, then it should not be believed. Reason was crowned king and arguments were a means of disseminating and coming to knowledge of the truth. Even in Christianity a rational defence of the faith became a useful tool in the arsenal of the apologist. McGrath makes a very noteworthy and timeless remark: One of the problems here is that rationalist approaches tend to minimise the element of mystery within the Christian faith in order to make Christianity appear more accessible to reason. I would be the first to say Christianity is rational, but also the first to say reason alone cannot sufficeit is a delicate balance. The questioner might demand pure rationalism of Christianity, and we can oftenwith good intentionsbe drawn into this line of argument unwisely. Blaise Pascal wrote rather astutely, The heart has its reasons, which reason knows not, as we feel in a thousand instances. Not all answers are logical and can be so easily explainable, in giving answers we must realise that reason will take you only so far. Man is not only cerebral but emotional; it is both the head and the heart that comes into play. While studying in France I spoke to a professor who was visiting for the day and I said to him: I am not scientist and when the subject switches to that I am out of my depth. He replied, Son, thats ok; the worst scientist are the ones that are just scientists. For him, when all of life is focused on facts and no emotion, it creates an imbalance. This is why I believe people need answers, not purely reasons, as some answers cannot be answered purely rationally. On the other hand, this does not mean truth is unknowable or relative. This is simply a reality with an obvious tension; to relax it is to slip into error on either side. Rather than being purely rational, we must have confidence in our answers. Society will want to relegate our answers to a place of irrelevancyas being antiquated and impracticalbut the outlook is wrong. Answers must firstly be accessed as being truthful or not. Transforming words worth sharing Giving answers is not just a good thing to be doing but biblically directed in 1 Peter chapter 3, verse 15: But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. I do hope that the answers that Jesus Christ provides will continue to illuminate darkness of our lives with the life transforming answers it gives, as Jesus rightly says: My words are spirit and they are life. Paul Lewis is a Staff Worker for Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship in Kingston Jamaica, where he also resides. He has aspirations of becoming a Christian apologist and he loves reading, especially topics like: History, Philosophy and Theology. You can follow him on twitter @VeritasDeiVinci Paul Lewis' previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/paul-lewis.html What shall I do to be saved? was the question on the lips of early Christians (see Acts chapter 2 verses 37; 16:30) and it remains true for many people today. In fact, this is the most important question anyone can ask, because unless you know the answer to this crucial question and respond appropriately you cannot be saved from eternal hell. Lets look a bit closer at the means of salvation from the views of four groups that affirm Christs atoning work through His death: Latter-Day Saints (LDS or Mormons), the Jehovahs Witnesses, the Roman Catholic Church, and the general Protestant position. The difference is whether Jesus sacrifice was sufficient for salvation and is received solely through faith or if other conditions are demanded that require human acts of obedience, in order to be truly saved. Saved by grace and works The position that faith alone in Christ alone does not guarantee salvation is effectively a gospel that teaches salvation is both by grace and works. Works are here defined as anything other than faith that is required for salvation. While those who hold to this combination position will likely argue they dont believe in works-based salvation, based on the definition above, their statements clearly reveal otherwise. The LDS official position is that works are necessary for salvation, Before He will forgive us, we must repentthats our part, our works. Besides repentance, our works also include receiving ordinances, keeping covenants, and serving others. While these works are necessary for salvation, they arent sufficient. The Jehovahs Witnesses also clearly teach that salvation is not based on faith in Christ alone. In response to the question, Is belief in Jesus all that we need to be saved? the short answer is an explicit no and a longer list of qualifications include: Learn about Jesus and his Father, Jehovah; Demonstrate our faith by obeying their commands; and continue to demonstrate our faith despite hardships. Finally, the Roman Catholic church also demands human actions are needed for salvation, The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation. This statement appears in the Roman Catholic catechism, which also explains what these sacraments are, Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist [or communion], Penance, the Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony. In summary, the official teaching of the LDS, Jehovahs Witnesses, and the Roman Catholic Church state clearly that salvation is received in part by works. Therefore, this position does not trust in Christs death and resurrection work to be completely sufficient for salvation and require people must perform some extra activities to be saved. Salvation by grace alone through faith alone On the other hand, the general Protestant position is to uphold the reformation cry, salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone! This statement proclaims that there is nothing that humans can do to be saved. Thus, the position excludes any additional works, claiming such a view would destroy the nature of grace and spit in the face of what Christ did on the cross. In saying this, it is important to understand that Protestants do not deny the necessity of works, but these become the result or fruit of salvation, not the means of salvation. What does the Bible say? Each of the four groups discussed above give authority to the Bible as Gods Word and thus, should be considered the source of truth for this issue. The idea of works-based salvation stems from verses that emphasize works, including: Jesus statement in Matthew chapter 7, verse 21 that many will be turned away from Him, because they did not do the will of My Father who is in heaven and James chapter 2, verse 24, You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. While these verses demonstrate the necessity of works as part of the Christian life, neither of them requires works to be saved. This is evident in context, because the verse in Matthew immediately follows Jesus teaching about how to distinguish between true and false teaching. Similarly, in the letter by James, his example in the previous verse (v. 23) was that Abraham was credited with righteousness because of faith (see Gen 15:6), even before the work of sacrificing his son, Isaac (see Genesis chapter 22 verses 9-12). For this reason, the LDS, Jehovahs Witnesses and Roman Catholic view that works is necessary for salvation can be biblically refuted, although as mentioned, works should be the natural and necessary result of salvation. Some of the primary references to support the Protestant argument include a strong contrast between faith and works and therefore clearly reveal there can be no works involved in salvation, e.g. (emphasis added) For by grace you have been saved through faith ; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not by works , lest any man should boast. Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8-10 ; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. , lest any man should boast. Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8-10 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law Romans chapter 3 verse 28 of the Law Romans chapter 3 verse 28 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Himwho justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness Romans chapter 4 verse 5, For these reasons (and many more) the biblical view of salvation is that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone! This statement is the single most important and life-saving declaration you must understand and respond to. So, now the question becomes will you be saved? There is nothing you can do to receive salvation, because before faith, you are dead in your sin, are sinful by nature (Ephesians chapter 2 verses 1-3) and can do nothing to please God (Romans chapter 8 verse 8). However, John chapter 3, verse 16 tells us For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. The guarantee in this popular verse is that if you believe you will receive eternal life. The question relates to everyone of us - accept what Jesus did on the cross as enough to save you? Genevieve Wilson is a Press Service International senior writer from Canada. Spring winds - Mark Tronson One of the great challenges for Christians today is how to integrate being a follower of Jesus into every aspect of life. Going to church on Sunday is an easy act of worship to understand. However, what does worship on Monday look like? What does being a disciple of Jesus look like for the rest of the week? Jesus as everything How does a Christian live out his or her faith in every area of life: the way they eat, spend their money, the Netflix shows they watch, the friends they hang out with, or even how they play their sport. If every part of our life is to be an act of worship then how do we make each of these a living sacrifice to bring glory to God? Some recent conversations have continued my wrestle with this question. Eating too fast! A friend had a habit of eating meals very quickly. While he was at Bible College the principal remarked on this saying he ate so fast that he ignored any conversations with other students. The principal pointed to 1 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 31, which explains, So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. This rebuke not only changed his mind set for meals but also his focus on friend. Everything, he said, should be a sacrifice for the Lord. Lunch time meals may seem trivial but as Dutch theologian Abraham Kuyper proclaimed, There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine! Jesus 24/7 My interest in sport and theology leads to the question of, How does sport fit into this theology? If following Jesus is a 24/7 calling, and not just a Sunday exercise, then even our sport becomes part of our faith journey. Sport as worship A conversation I had with a runner revealed an insight. Exhausted, she lay on the floor after a hard 10km run. As she reflected on her love for running she explained that one of Gods gifts to her was this joy of running. She expressed Eric Liddells (Chariots of Fire) theology that When I run I feel Gods pleasure. For both these runners, to run was a way to worship God. A living sacrifice offered to the Creator. It was a way to thank God by using the gifts He has given. In my next article, I want to explore this idea further. I want to expand on the idea that even our sport can be a sacrifice for God. Specifically, I want to highlight the way this can be more dynamic, both to sharpen an athletes training and intensify their worship. Jeremy Dover is a former sports scientist and Pastor Jeremy Dover's previous articles may be viewed at https://www.pressserviceinternational.org/jeremy-dover1.html And https://www.pressserviceinternational.org/jeremy-dover.html If there is one boutique brand that I would recommend keeping an eye on, its Ian Reiths Dapper Cigar Company. Reith is based out of Fresno, California. While Reith worked in the Information Technology (IT) space, he was also an avid cigar enthusiast. He eventually sought out to create his own cigars, and thus Dapper Cigar Company was born. Reith brings the best of both contemporary and classic style into both of his blends and packaging and on top of it, he is producing some very good cigars. 2018 saw Reith extend two of his existing brands with new blends, as well as showcase another brand. Having its official launch was the Siempre Sun Grown. The blend features an Ecuadorian-grown Sumatra Oscuro wrapper, the cigar features a U.S. Connecticut Broadleaf binder and a combination of Nicaraguan tobaccos from Esteli, Ometepe, and Jalapa as well as Honduran tobacco from the Jamastran Valley. The cigars are available in four sizes: Corona (5 5/8 x 45 ), Robusto (4 1/2 x 50), Toro (6 1/8 x 50), and Gordo (6 x 54). Each size is presented in 10-count boxes. The cigars are produced at Nicaragua America Cigars, S.A. (NACSA) in Esteli, Nicaragua. The long-awaited El Borracho Maduro was showcased. It was a brand that already had a small limited release. This release is built on top of the original El Borracho Natural blend. It replaces the San Andres wrapper of the El Borracho Natural with a U.S. grown Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. The remainder of the blend is all Nicaraguan but incorporates more ligero. El Borracho is available in three box-pressed sizes: Robusto (5 x 50), Toro (6 x 54), and Edmundo (5 1/2 x 52). Each size is presented in 16-count boxes. The boxes are natural wood, fully dressed hinge-tops with individual cellophane and barcoding. The Edmundo size of the El Borracho Maduro will have an early release featuring a special handcrafted Talavera style ceramic humidor. The humidor was designed by ceramic artist Hannah Desch and handprinted by Hector Rene Hinojosa (aka @TheCigarProphet) in the Talavera style of Mexico. A total of 20 16-count ceramic humidors will be made available as part of the early release. A third blend is coming to Dapper Cubo brand with the Cubo Sumatra. This brand that Reith released five years ago is now is coming back with a wider release. The blend is highlighted by an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and a combination of Nicaraguan and Connecticut Broadleaf fillers. The cigars are available in four sizes: Corona (5 5/8 x 45 ), Robusto (4 1/2 x 50), Toro (6 1/8 x 50), and Gordo (6 x 54). The Corona and Robusto are available in 25-count boxes while the Toro and Gordo are available in 15-count boxes. 2018 Product Reports PM Oli in Janakpur to address Province 2 assembly meet Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has reached Janakpur to address the Province Assembly meeting of Province 2 on Saturday. Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under Ministry of Commerce and Industry has banned import of petcoke for use as fuel. But it has allowed its import of only for use as feedstock in some select industries such as cement, lime kiln, calcium carbide and gasification industries. These industries were earlier affected by petcoke-related policy flip-flops, which began after Supreme Court judgment (October 2017) banning use its in and around New Delhi to curb pollution. Key Facts India is the worlds biggest consumer of petcoke. It gets over half its annual petcoke imports of around 27 million tonnes from United States. Local producers include Indian Oil Corp, Reliance Industries and Bharat Petroleum Corp. It is dark solid carbon material. Cement companies in India account for about three-fourths of countrys petcoke use. Usage of pet coke in energy-hungry India recently had come under scrutiny due to rising pollution levels in major cities. Petcoke (Petroleum coke) It is one of the many industrial byproducts produced during oil refining. It is categorized as bottom of the barrel fuel as it is residual waste material which is obtained after refining coal to extract lighter fuels like petrol. It is used as a source of energy and carbon for various industrial applications. It is abundantly used in India in several manufacturing industries such as cement, steel and textile as it is significantly cheaper that coal, has high calorific value and is easier to transport and store. There are two kinds of pet coke produced viz. Fuel grade pet coke (80%) and calcined pet coke (20%) during oil refining. Environment and Health Hazards of Pet Coke Petcoke is much more potent pollutant than coal and causes greater harm to the environment and health. It contains whopping 74,000 PPM of sulphur content which is released into atmosphere as emissions which is much higher than vehicular emissions. It is also source of fine dust, which can get through filtering process of human airway and lodge in lungs which can cause serious health problems. Apart from sulphur, petcoke also releases cocktail of other toxic gases after burning such as nitrous oxide, mercury, arsenic, chromium, nickel, hydrogen chloride and greenhouse gases (GHG) which contribute to global warming. Thinking about educational leadership What do we understand by leadership? Do you become a leader by holding a position of authority or is it your actions, irrespective of authority, that make you a leader? And is leadership consistent across all domains? Is corporate leadership the same as educational leadership? The literature on leadership is as vast as it is old. Leaders and the problems of leadership have shaped and continue to shape our communities, social orders and histories. It is important that we critique our understanding of leadership, for the work our leaders do shape the future of things to come. Once permission as given Ayala cuddled the baby and started to breastfeed him, after which he stopped crying immediately. (Representational Image/ Pixabay) A photo is doing the rounds online where a police officer breastfed a 'malnourished and dirty' baby that was brought into a hospital where she was on guard duty. According to reports, Celeste Ayala was working at the Sor Maria Ludovica children's hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina when the baby was brought in crying desperately. The officer asked doctors for permission to hold the baby and feed him as doctors were too busy to look after him. Once permission as given Ayala cuddled the baby and started to breastfeed him, after which he stopped crying immediately. MailOnline in a report, cited local media where she said, I noticed that he was hungry, as he was putting his hand into his mouth, so I asked to hug him and breastfeed him. It was a sad moment, it broke my soul seeing him like this, society should be sensitive to the issues affecting children, it cannot keep happening.' A friend of the officer, Marcos Heredia, says that the hospital staff called the baby 'dirty', but that Ayala was not concerned. He took a picture of her breastfeeding the hungry baby and shared it online. Posting with the picture, he wroye, I want to make public this great gesture of love you made today for this little baby who you did not know, but for who you did not hesitate to act like a mother. You did not care if he was dirty, which is what the hospital staff called him. Good job mate. The photo received more than 141,000 likes, 104,000 shares and almost 300 admiring comments. According to local media, the baby is the younger brother of six siblings from a single mother who is in a dire situation. Chennai: In one of the huge recoveries of stolen valuables, city police recovered 3kg of gold jewels, 5kg of silver products and US Dollars from a burglary gang in Anna Nagar, on Friday. The hi-tech gang that had shown its handiwork in 21 houses in the city had been using walkie-talkies to coordinate heists, the police said. According to police, the 9-member gang committed heists in as many as 21 bungalows in Chennai alone and connected in 19 cases. Major breakthrough came on April 15 when the special team got an important clue, which revealed that the accused are from Tirunelveli, Tiruvarur, Pondicherry, Karaikal and Nagapattinam districts, Anna Nagar Deputy Commissioner A. Sudhakar said. He added that the police had already arrested Gopal of Dindugul, Raghu and Murthy of Pondicherry in connection with the case. In all, 15kg of silver was recovered from them, Sudhakar said. Meanwhile, the special team got wind of the movement of the main accused - V. Dhinakaran (31) of Ambasamudram in Tirunelveli - and arrested him near Thiru.Vi.Ka. Nagar bus stand at around 11.30am on Friday. During the interrogation, Dhinakaran reportedly squealed on his aides G. Loganathan (52) and R. Kalidoss (36) of Nagapattinam. Loganathan and Kalidoss had been helping Dhinakaran and his gang with accommodation apart from helping them to sell off the booty. Over 3kg of gold and 5kg of silver were recovered from them, a police press release said. Police team also seized two walkie-talkies, which the gang used to plan the heists and communicate during the action. Nearly 1000 USD also have been seized from their possession. The gang had looted nearly 200 sovereigns of gold jewels from a house. Others are relatively smaller loots. The recovered valuables will be handed over to the owners after judicial process, DC Sudhakar said. The special team is continuing their hunt to arrest remaining absconding accused. Uber has withdrawn its lawsuit over HCMCs demand for $2.3 million in back taxes and fines. Photo by Reuters Ride-hailing firm Uber has withdrawn its lawsuit over HCMCs demand for $2.3 million in back taxes and fines. A tax department official said Friday that the HCMC Peoples Court has suspended the case in which the Netherlands-based Uber B.V. had sued the department over its demand that the firm pays over VND53 billion ($2.3 million) in back taxes and fines. The official, who did not want to be named, told VnExpress that the suspension, which followed Uber withdrawing its lawsuit, was a positive development. He expressed hope that this would allow the department and Uber to sit down and resolve the issue of back taxes and fines. In case this does not happen, the department would resume efforts to force Uber to pay its dues, the official added. The department had previously attempted to collect the back taxes and fines by sending documents to local banks and asking them to deduct the dues from funds transferred to Ubers bank account as a form of tax enforcement. This attempt failed because the firm had not opened any account in the country. In September last year, the Ho Chi Minh City Tax Department asked the Vietnamese branch of Uber International to pay VND66.68 billion ($2.91 million) in back taxes and fines for violating tax laws. However, the company appealed the decision, telling the General Department of Taxation as well as the Ministry of Finance that it was not subject to pay taxes under Vietnams double taxation avoidance agreement with the Netherlands, where it is based. Ride-hailing firm Uber Technologies Inc announced it had agreed to sell its Southeast Asian business to bigger regional rival Grab in March. The app company officially left Vietnam on April 8. The Ministry of Industry and Trade concluded that Con Cung has correctly followed all import laws. Photo by VnExpress/Phuong Dong Vietnams largest baby products firm, Con Cung, has correctly followed all import laws, authorities said Friday. After examining 75 items sold by the chain, the Ministry of Industry and Trade said Con Cung has been able to provide legal import documents for all of them. However, the firm did not correctly follow regulations on labeling the products. It also made other mistakes in discounting and selling goods on its website, the ministry said in a statement The ministry has asked Con Cung to correct its mistakes and submit a report on actions taken. Con Cung had come under the scanner after a customer complained it had sold him a shirt with a label that said Made in Thailand, but looked like it had been swapped with another label. The company has asserted that it does not import counterfeit products and has documents to prove it. Most of Con Cungs mistakes were made by inexperienced employees, the firms CEO Nguyen Quoc Minh told VnExpress on Friday. "The countrys regulations keep changing so the firm wasnt able to catch up with them." Con Cung has taken the wrongly labeled shirts off the shelves so that customers wont be confused. The firm is also working to improve its item management so that the same thing would not happen again, Minh added. Con Cung, which has received funding from the Vietnamese-Japanese DAIWA-SSIAM Vietnam Growth Fund, has 318 stores nationwide - 288 Con Cung and 30 ToyCity stores. Its pre-tax profit in 2016 was VND8 billion ($350,000) on revenues of VND524 billion ($22.9 million), according to the Vietnam Industry Research and Consultancy. Fishermen in Sam Son, Thanh Hoa Province, push fishing boats offshore to avoid damage from storm Bebinca. Photo by VnExpress/Le Hoang Typhoon Bebinca weakened into a tropical depression en route to Vietnams central region on Friday morning. Bebinca weakened into a tropical depression in the north central province of Thanh Hoa after lashing the region with torrential rains and gusty winds. The brunt of this was borne by the area stretching from the northern province of Nam Dinh to Thanh Hoa, according to the National Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Center. As the storm weakened quickly, not much damage has been reported in Thanh Hoa, but local authorities ordered temporary power cuts in some areas to ensure safety. Sam Son Beach, one of the most-visited tourist destinations in northern Vietnam, has returned to normal. Many people spent a sleepless night waiting for the storm to hit, but luckily it has not damaged any fishing boat or house, said fisherman Le Van Thuy. While Quang Ninh Province, home to the famous Ha Long Bay, was battered by rain from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. on Friday, the weather turned to cloudy and sunny in the morning. Tran Nhu Long, chairman of the Co To Island District, said everything was normal on the island. Weather experts have said that the northern delta should expect heavy rainfall of between 50-150mm over the next 24 hours. Despite the weakening storm, they have warned of high landslides and flooding risks. The northern delta and the northern highlands, including the provinces of Lai Chau, Son La, Hoa Binh, Yen Bai and Phu Tho, as well as the central province of Nghe An, are most vulnerable to landslides and flash floods. Flights cancelled Vietnamese budget carrier Vietjet Air decided to cancel flights from Incheon to Hai Phong on Friday while Vietnam Airlines suspended two flights departing from Ho Chi Minh City to Hai Phong. Extra flights will be arranged for affected passengers, they said. Passengers have been advised to get updates on weather conditions and announcements from the carriers while making travel plans. This is the fourth storm to form this year in the East Sea, also known as the South China Sea. Two other storms, Yagi and Leepi, have formed in the South China Sea now. The third storm of the year, Son Tinh, which hit northern and central Vietnam last month, triggered floods and landslides that killed at least 27 people. Vietnam was struck by a record-breaking number of 16 tropical storms in 2017 that left 389 people dead or missing and injured 668 others, mostly in northern and central regions. The General Statistics Office estimated damage at around VND60 trillion ($2.64 billion), 1.5 times the previous years figure. Damrey, one of the most destructive storms last year, hit Vietnam in November and killed at least 106 people. Internationally acclaimed contrabassist Jeff Bradetich will lead a Saigon classical music concert next Monday night. The concert, held as part of this years Vietnam Connection Music Festival, will start 8pm at the Soul Live Project Complex on 216 Pasteur Street in District 3. Jeff Bradetich & Friends will feature iconic works like Five Pieces for Two Violins & Piano, Op. 97d or Temperamental, both performed by Jeff Bradetich. Other artists performing in the concert including Andrew Wickesberg, Bronwyn Banerdt and Le Tri Toan. Another concert will be held on Thursday next week at the same place, same time. Titled An Evening of Brahms, Brahms and Brahms, the concert will feature works like Two Songs for Clarinet, Cello & Piano, Op. 91, among others. "With the variety of instruments and repertoire, the greatness in Brahms music and the exceptional pieces that are either Vietnam premiere or rarely performed here, these unique concerts will definitely bring you an impressive classical music experience, a press release said, quoting Chuong Vu, music professor and co-founder of the Vietnam Connection Music Festival. Proclaimed by The New York Times as "the master of his instrument," American contrabassist Jeff Bradetich, 61, is regarded as one of the leading performers and teachers of the double bass in the US today. Since his New York debut in Carnegie Recital Hall in 1982 Bradetich has performed more than 600 concerts on five continents, including his London debut in Wigmore Hall in 1986. He has won several major solo competitions, recorded six solo albums of music for double bass and piano and has been featured on radio and television throughout North and South America and Europe including CBS, CNN, BBC and NPR. Established in 2015, Vietnam Connection Music Festival 2018 (VNCMF) brings together top-notch international artists as well as exceptional Vietnamese musicians working in and outside Vietnam. This year, the festival will feature 11 concerts in Hanoi, Danang and HCMC, lasting from August 12 to August 25. You can book an online ticket on Dreamspass.vn. Each ticket costs VND250,000 ($11). Woman accused of witchcraft ostracised Radha Chaudhary, who was publicly tortured over witchcraft allegation in her village five months ago, continues to be ostracised by her neighbours and classmates. Vietnam among 10 most interesting destinations, top globetrotter says A man who has visited 193 countries and 500 World Heritage sites is impressed by Vietnam's forward looking attitude. Washington DC native Don Parrish, 73, has been called "the world's most travelled" person. He has been to 193 United Nations countries and visited 500 World Heritage sites around the world. The Telegraph asked him to suggest some of the worlds must-visit places based on his experiences and insights. A ranking based on his travel experiences and insights published by the U.K. newspaper named Vietnam among the top 10 interesting destinations. Parrish had only 11 days to stay in Vietnam. Like many foreigners, he was impressed by the number of motorbikes on city streets. Motorbikes are a popular means of transport in Vietnam's urban cities. Photo by VnExpress/Thanh Nguyen He was even more impressed that the the motorcyclists were "self-organized" at busy intersections without traffic lights or traffic police. I was also mesmerized by their attitude to not focus on the war that had killed so many people, but to focus their energy on the future, he said. Parrish's list of the most interesting destinations included North Korea, Japans Iwo Jima, Socotra (Yemen), the Pitcairn Islands, Bosaso (Somalia), the South Pole, Mount Athos (Greece), Tristan da Cunha and Marion Island (South Africa). Vietnam's rising popularity has been reflected in several high global rankings, with seasoned travelers and prestigious travel magazines highlighting the country's many attractions. The U.S. News newspaper earlier this month named Vietnam as one of 30 best solo travel destinations alongside neighbors Singapore and Thailand. Earlier this year, TripAdvisor readers ranked Vietnam as one of the 10 best places to go in the world. Japan must do more for WWII 'comfort women': UN experts Mainstream historians say up to 200,000 women were forced to work in Japanese military brothels during World War II. Photo by AFP Japan should do more for victims of wartime sexual slavery, U.N. rights experts said at a hearing on Friday. Mainstream historians say up to 200,000 women, mostly from Korea but also other parts of Asia including China and the Philippines, were forced to work in Japanese military brothels during World War II. During a two-day review of Japan's record before the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, which ended on Friday, committee members criticised the nation for not focusing enough on the victims. "I think it is a wound that has been festering for far too long," Gay McDougall, one of 18 committee members, told the assembly. The head of the Japanese delegation meanwhile insisted his country had atoned enough, after offering numerous apologies and compensation. "The government of Japan recognises that the comfort women issue was an afront to the honour and dignity of a large number of women," Ambassador Masato Otaka told the committee. While strongly disputing the use of the term "sex slaves", he stressed that Tokyo had issued "its most serious apologies and remorse" to the women, including through "letters from successive prime ministers". He also said Tokyo had "extended its maximum assistance" to a fund set up to offer medical and other support as well as "atonement money" to the former comfort women "to offer (them) realistic relief." And he pointed to an agreement reached between Japan and South Korea in December 2015, stressing that "both countries confirmed that the comfort women issue was resolved, finally and irreversibly." The need for dignity Under that accord, Japan offered an apology and a one-billion yen ($8.6 million) payment to surviving Korean comfort women. But critics have said the deal did not go far enough in holding Japan responsible for wartime abuses. "I don't think that agreements between governments ... are able or adequate to extinguish the claims of individuals with regards to human rights abuses," McDougall said. She urged Japan not to "debate the facts" of what happened, and decried a "sort of blockage ... in doing what I think is probably very simple, which is offering apology and reparations that the victims feel is adequate and that meets their needs of dignity." Committee member Marc Bossuyt meanwhile lamented Japan's "failure to provide a fully victim-centred approach." He called on the country to "provide an official, unequivocal recognition of responsibility by Japan for serious human rights violations committed by its military against women and girls before and during World War II." Poroshenko enacts law on US$50 mln in coal mines' subsidies The law also extends the list of sources of funding under this budget program. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Ukraine's fiscal service plans large-scale inspection of timber exporters Tax officers have already conducted planned inspections of 102 businesses. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter On August 19th, we observe World Humanitarian Day. It is an opportunity not only to pay tribute to aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian service and to show support for people affected by crises around the world, but also to remember those who have come under attack while working to relieve the suffering of victims of humanitarian crises. The date of the observance was chosen to honor the memory of then-Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello and 21 of his colleagues, who died on August 19th, 2003, in the bombing of the United Nations Headquarters in Baghdad. Following this incident, violence against aid workers has only increased. Indeed, in years past, humanitarian aid workers belonging to United Nations organizations, Non-Governmental or private volunteer organizations such as the Red Cross and Red Crescent have traditionally enjoyed strong protections from attack by belligerent parties. But since the beginning of the century, aid workers have all too frequently been specifically targeted. In 2017, for example, 313 aid workers were victims of major attacks. In total, 139 were killed, 102 were wounded and 72 were kidnapped. More than 100 aid workers were killed every year since 2013. This is partly because the space for humanitarian operations is shrinking due to the increased geographic scope of the violence and continuing obstacles to humanitarian access, and its become increasingly difficult to help victims of conflict without becoming a victim as well. At times, the casualty rate of aid workers even exceeds that of uniformed peacekeepers and soldiers. The United States honors the sacrifices of aid workers the world over, and remains committed to ensuring the safety of aid workers worldwide. On World Humanitarian Day, we honor the brave men and women who choose to risk their lives to ensure millions of desperate people receive life-saving aid, said United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.Their work has never been more important, and we call on all countries to support and protect them in helping the worlds most vulnerable. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed a law introducing amendments to laws of Ukraine on resolving several questions of the debt of defense enterprises, part of the Ukroboronprom State Concern, to the aggressor country and/or occupying country and providing for their stable development, the presidential press service has reported. The law proposes mechanisms for protecting the economic activities of defense industry enterprises included in the list of state-owned objects of strategic importance for the economy and security of the state against negative consequences of the impact of legal entities registered on the territory of the aggressor country and/or occupying country or legal entities with foreign investment of the aggressor country and/or occupying country. The law ends enforcement proceedings and enforcement measures for judicial decisions to recover debts from listed enterprises of strategic importance for the economy and security of the state in favor of legal entities of the aggressor state and/or occupying state, legal entities with foreign investment and foreign enterprises of the aggressor state and/or occupying state. In addition, judicial proceedings in the case of bankruptcy of these defense enterprises are not allowed on applications of legal entities of the aggressor state and/or occupying state with foreign investments or foreign enterprises of the aggressor state and/or occupying state. As reported, on July 12, the Verkhovna Rada adopted at second reading and as a whole a law releasing the state-owned Ukroboronprom concern from contractual military technical cooperation (MTC) obligations with Russia (draft law No. 6697). The explanatory note refers to the decision taken by state leaders in 2014 to terminate MTC with Russia and cancel MTC contracts with Russia, because until 2014 it was impossible to appeal to Russian courts to recover debts, fines and other penalties, as well as for Ukrainian enterprises invoke force majeure provisions. "Conducting legal proceedings in the territory of the aggressor state resulted in the issuance of a number of court decisions, according to which the Ukrainian party is obliged to pay amounts exceeding the cost of the agreement itself," the law says. Violation of the rules of jurisdiction for adjudicating decisions on the territory of the aggressor state against Ukraine's defense industry enterprises resulted in the accrual of excessive fines, authors of the bill said. According to the estimates made in parliament, the amount of indebtedness for termination of MTC contracts with Russia, including fines and interest, is an estimated UAH 3.8 billion. Ukraine in 2014 stopped exports of military equipment and dual-use goods to Russia, citing the latter's illegal annexation of Crimea and invasion of eastern Ukraine. The government in May 2015 terminated the intergovernmental agreement with Russia in the field of military-technical cooperation from 1993. In August of the same year, the government denounced the intergovernmental agreement with Russia on the production and scientific and technical cooperation of defense industry enterprises signed in 1993. In August 2017, the Cabinet terminated the 2003 intergovernmental agreement with Russia on cooperation in the export of military products to third countries. In October 2017, it cancelled an intergovernmental agreement with Russia signed in 2000 on retaining the specialization of enterprises and organizations involved in the production of military products, and in November 2017, it cancelled the agreement with Russia signed in 2005 regulating the procedure for the mutual supply of weapons and military equipment, military components and services. Three people were killed and 18 more were injured after a bus carrying 54 Ukrainians swerved off the road and overturned in Poland, Polish media reported on Saturday morning. According to RMF24, the tragedy occurred late on Friday, August 17, near the village of Leszczawa Dolna between Przemysl and Sanok in Podkarpackie Voivodeship. The driver of the bus, which was heading to Vienna, broke through a traffic barrier and hit a wooden cross on the turn. After that, the bus flipped over and fell off the slope. Fifty-one people traveling on the bus were hospitalized. There were also children among the passengers. The online newspaper Wiadomosci Gazeta.pl reported that 11 people had been seriously injured. Two wounded in 40 attacks on Ukrainian positions in Donbas over past day Militants in Donbas have fired on the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces 40 times over the past 24 hours, including once from heavy weapons, wounding two Ukrainian servicemen, the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) headquarters' press center said on its Facebook page on Saturday morning. "Russian occupation forces fired from grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms. The use of an 82mm mortar was also recorded [...] Two Ukrainian defenders were slightly injured in fighting," the report says. The enemy fired on the defenders of Krymske, Novozvanivka, Novoluhanske, Luhanske, Maryinka, Krasnohorivka, Nevelske, Novomykhailivka, Chermalyk, Hnutove, Lebedynske, Pavlopil, Vodiane and Shyrokyne. Militants also fired from 82mm mortars at the defenders of Chermalyk. On Saturday, militants opened fire four times on Ukrainian positions near Krymske, Lebedynske, Pavlopil and Shyrokyne. No losses among Ukrainian troops were recorded. According to Ukrainian intelligence, two militants were killed, and one was injured. Ten children were hospitalized following a road accident with a Ukrainian bus near Przemysl (Poland) on the evening of August 17, Polish portal RMF24 has reported. "There are no children among the victims of the accident," the report says. According to deputy prosecutor of the Przemysl district Beata Starzecka-Skrzypiec, the bus driver was detained, and he will be charged. The decision will also be taken regarding the selection of a measure of restraint for him. The local prosecutor's office intends to begin an investigation on Sunday. According to RMF24, a road traffic expert claimed that the driver had significantly exceeded the speed limit. According to the Podkarpackie Voivodeship's crisis center, there were 37 people, including ten children, in hospitals as of 10.00 on Saturday. Other people were accommodated in a hotel in Przemysl, where they receive psychological help. Ukraine's consul is already in Przemysl. In addition, a bus arrived to take Ukrainians home when the police allow them to leave Poland. As Polish media reported earlier, three people were killed and 18 more were injured after a bus carrying 54 Ukrainians swerved off the road and overturned in Poland. The bus transported tourists from Lviv to Vienna. Fifty-one people were taken to hospitals. According to the portal Fakt24, there were 11 children on the bus. Verkhovna Rada First Deputy Speaker and Ukraine's representative in the humanitarian subgroup of the Trilateral Contact Group Iryna Gerashchenko has said she is sure that militants used torture to extract the confession of "espionage" from Ukrainian journalist Stanislav Aseyev. She said that Kyiv would demand at a TCG meeting in Minsk that OSCE coordinator Toni Frisch be urgently granted access to the journalist. "The militants extracted the 'confession of espionage' from journalist Stanislav Aseev. This horror was shown on Russian propaganda TV. I have no doubt that these 'confessions' were extracted under torture. Stanislav is kept in complete isolation. His relatives, the OSCE, the ICRC have no access to him," she wrote on her Facebook page on Saturday, adding that it is not allowed to transfer letters and parcels from relatives and friends to Aseev. Gerashchenko also added: "In Minsk, we will draw the Russians' attention to the actions of their proxies from ORDLO, who are torturing the journalist. We will demand that OSCE coordinator Toni Frisch be immediately granted access to Stas." Earlier, Rossiya 24 published a video on its YouTube channel in which Aseyev (Vasin), a journalist and publicist from Donetsk held in occupied part of Donetsk region, confessed to "working for Ukrainian intelligence." "The article under which I am accused according to the 'DPR' legislation is 'espionage.' In this case, I admit these charges. I do not deny them and openly say that I really worked for the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine," Aseyev. Contact with Aseyev was lost in early June 2017. In Employees of the military counterintelligence of the Security Service of Ukraine, as part of the Ukrainian Joint Forces, in cooperation with police officers of the Bakhmut unit, have exposed and detained a member of the "DPR" illegal armed group who joined the ranks of militants in 2014, at the age of 15. According to the Facebook page of the press center of the headquarters of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO), law enforcers established that in 2014, a teenager from Donetsk region, under the influence of pro-Russian propaganda and promises of financial benefits, voluntarily joined the "DPR." "Armed with an automatic rifle, a senior pupil served at a checkpoint and patrolled the streets of the town of Chasiv Yar. Patriotic citizens, identified as violators of the curfew introduced by militants, were taken to the local headquarters of the 'DPR'," the report says. With the beginning of the liberation of Ukrainian towns from members of pro-Russian gangs, a minor accomplice of militants quit their ranks and decided to leave the town for a while. Based on the materials of the military counterintelligence of the SBU, criminal proceedings were opened against this Ukrainian citizen under Article 260 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (the creation of paramilitary or armed groups not provided for by law). The detainee cooperates with investigators. Efforts to prevent wildfires in Iraq from reaching Iran, has been halted, says President Hassan Rouhanis deputy and the head of Department of Environment (DoE). Iraqi part of Hour al-Azim wetland has been burning for weeks now and the wildfire smoke clouds have caused health problems for the inhabitants of cities on the Iranian side of the border, especially in Iranian Khuzestan province and its capital Ahvaz, local news outlets reported. Meanwhile, 250 residents of Hawizeh or Hoveyzeh, southwest Iran, have been taken to clinics and hospitals for respiratory problems. The Hour al-Azim or Hawizeh marshes are a complex of wetlands that straddle the Iran-Iraq border. The marshes are fed by two branches of the Tigris River, the Euphrates in Iraq, and the Karkheh River in Iran. The head of DoE, Isa Kalantari, who travelled to the disaster zone in Khuzestan province on Friday to monitor efforts to prevent the wildfires from reaching Iran, has blamed landmines planted in the area and lack of cooperation by the Iraqi governments, for the continuation of the catastrophe. Furthermore, DoEs local deputy, Adil Mola says, Spraying water by choppers and water-dropping aircraft have not been helpful so far, so the efforts were suspended. Speaking to the governments official news agency, IRNA, Mola reiterated, The only way to put out the flames is to direct water toward the wetland from its feeders, the Tigris in Iraq and Karkheh in Iran. According to Mola, diplomatic efforts needed to pursue the matter. Director General of disaster management department of Khuzestan province, Kiumarth Hajizadeh, has also told state-run Iran Students News Agency (ISNA) on Tuesday both Iran and Iraq are required to provide the wetland with its water, but Iraq is not committed to international conventions regarding water rights of Hour al-Azim. Despite water shortages Iran has allocated water to the wetland in the Iranian part and we are also ready to let water flow into the Iraqi part of Hour al-Azim, but it also requires the Iraqi government to issue the necessary permits, he stated. Moreover, ground operations are impossible since the area contains live landmines remaining from the eight-year Iran-Iraq war (1980-88). In the meantime, cities and villages of Khuzestan Province are still grappling with the thick smoke rising from the wildfire in the Iraqi side of Hour-al Azim wetland. Hawizeh Governor, Nazim Thobooti told IRNA on Friday that more than 250 people have been taken to the healthcare centers and hospitals during past thirty days for respiratory problems. Director of Khuzestans Department of Meteorology, Mohammad Sabzehzari has also pointed out that visibility is less than fifty meters (roughly 55 yards) in places near the disaster-hit area. The fire was extinguished on July 25 after four days of fire-fighting operation, but the area caught fire again on August 2 and the fire was again contained three days later. Currently the wetland is again burning and cities nearing the area are blanketed in choking smoke, ISNA reported. In a new footage published by IRNA, Kalantari has lambasted the Iraqi authorities for refusing Iranian choppers to enter their territory and fight the fire. In the meantime, without any elaboration or presenting evidence, Kalantari has described the wildfires as an arson and deliberate. Irans Guardian Council (GC) has rejected a bill passed by parliament on combating money laundering as part of the standards set by the international Financial Action Task Force (FATF), GCs spokesman said on Friday. In a tweet on Friday night, Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei declared that the Guardian Council has recognized four paragraphs of the bill as inconsistent with the countrys constitution and Sharia laws, and as such, has returned the bill to the Parliament for making the required changes. The GC is constitutionally tasked to review legislation passed by parliament and give its seal of approval. The law approved by parliament is part of four bills, jointly known as Palermo bills in Iran, proposed by the worlds financial watchdog aimed at removing Iran from FATFs grey list and facilitating the countrys economic transactions with the world, state-run news agency. Only one of the bills aimed at banning terrorism financing has been passed and approved. Iran has less than two months to adopt the financial reforms proposed by the Financial Action Task Force as part of efforts to improve Irans ability to interact with the international banking and trade system. So far, the country has approved the amendment bill on combatting the financing of terrorism (CFT), while the fate of the three other bills, including the amendment bill on combating money laundering, the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (Palermo), and the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, is still undecided. While FATF does not have the authority to impose sanctions, a country blacklisted by the worlds financial watchdog will face severe pressure in its financial dealings with other countries. Although the bills are not directly connected to Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or Tehran nuclear deal with world powers, Irans deputy Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi believes that rejecting them could have a negative impact on Irans negotiations with European countries to keep JCPOA alive after US withdrew from it. President Hassan Rouhanis administration proposed four Palermo Bills on November 8, hoping to reduce international pressures on Irans deteriorating economy. Nevertheless, in an orchestrated response, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his close allies in the GC and influential Expediency Discernment Council (EDC) have repeatedly barraged the bills with bitter criticism. Ten days after parliament initially approved the bill concerning UNTOC, Khamenei personally stepped in on June 20 and called the bill unacceptable. According to Khamenei, UNTOC had been cooked up by foreign powers and the parliament should shelve it. It is not necessary to join conventions the depths of which we are unaware of, he said, proposing instead that the parliament create its own laws to combat money laundering and terrorism funding rather than join an international convention. Furthermore, state-run news agency IRNA cited GC spokesman Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei as saying on July 14, Irans membership in UNTOC is against both the security policies of the country and the resistance economy. Conservative allies of Ayatollah Khamenei believe that approval of the Palermo bills might jeopardize the Islamic Republics financial assistance to what they describe as the resistance front, including Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah. A protest rally against financial corruption held Thursday, August 16, at Irans major Shiite seminary in city of Qom, turned into a demonstration against President Hassan Rouhani. Shiite seminarians who receive stipends from the office of the Islamic Republics Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other conservative top clergy chanted threatening slogans aimed directly at Rouhani. A news agency affiliated with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Tasnim, reported, the rally was held under the banner of Demanding Economic Justice and its participants barraged the government with bitter criticism, calling for the punishment of unidentified individuals accused of financial and economic corruption. Shafaqna, a website that covers stories related to the Qom seminary, has published pictures of the gathering, including images that show the chief commander of clergy scholars brigade, Imam Sadiq Brigade, Hossein Tayyebifar and a member of the Cultural Revolution Supreme Council, Hassan Rahimpoor Azghadi, addressing the crowd. The images published by Shafaqna also show the seminarians carrying banners and posters directly condemning president Rouhani and his foreign policy. Referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or Irans nuclear deal with world powers in 2015, as well as the U.S. decision last May to withdraw from the agreement, some of the posters read, Six years of negotiation led to nowhere, Oh supporters of JCPOA, return and obey the Leader and the Epitomes of corruption must be crushed. Meanwhile, one of the posters implicitly threatened Rouhani with the fate of his mentor and ex-president, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani who died in suspicious circumstances, while swimming in a pool on January 8, 2017. Irans economy, which hardly had any bright spots, has been deteriorating further in recent months, as president Trumps inclination to leave the nuclear agreement became apparent. Nationwide protests broke out last December and soon spread to more than 0ne hundred cities across the country. The protests that were primarily focused on skyrocketing prices, unemployment and economic hardship, soon turned into enraged anti-establishment revolt. Intermittent protests have continued since then and the Iranian regime finds itself in a tight spot, with U.S. sanctions being reimposed. The steep devaluation of the national currency has made matters worse for the regime, as it has significantly cut into the purchasing power of ordinary Iranians. In recent weeks, ayatollah Khamenei and his hardliner followers have been increasingly putting the blame for the economic hardship on Rouhani. The Qom protest may be seen in this context. U.S. President Donald Trump's National Security Adviser John Bolton will discuss arms control treaties and Iran's role in Syria in talks with his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev in Geneva next week, Reuters is reporting. Reuters, citing an anonymous U.S. administration official, reported on the meeting late on August 16 in what would be the first official follow-up to Trump's controversial summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki in July. Trump after the summit drew widespread criticism, in part because he never disclosed what was discussed or decided in his two-hour-long, one-to-one meeting with Putin, with only interpreters present. In one of the few agenda items disclosed after the meeting, both Trump and Putin said they had agreed to work together to ensure Israel's security at a time when Tel Aviv has repeatedly warned of threats to the Jewish state from Iran and Iranian-allied fighters stationed in Syria. Weeks after the summit, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paid a visit to Moscow on the same day that a top Iranian official was there to confer about the Syrian civil war, in which Iran's military has for years backed the Syrian government. Reuters reported on August 16 that the leading topic of the Putin-Trump meeting was in fact the war in Syria, including Iran's role there and the humanitarian situation in the country. Reuters said the two presidents agreed in principle that the Iranian military should exit Syria, as Israel has demanded, but that Russia maintained this would be difficult to achieve. Since the summit, the Kremlin's envoy to Syria has said that it would be "unrealistic" for Israel to expect all Iranian-allied fighters to leave Syria. But Russia recently announced an agreement with Israel to keep Iranian fighters 85 kilometers from its border with Syria. Reuters said that Trump and Putin also discussed arms control during their meeting, including the New START treaty and the Cold War-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty, which banned nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers. The official told Reuters that the leaders did not agree on a way forward on arms control, however. Bolton is a critic of the New START treaty, which was reached during President Barack Obama's administration. While meeting with Putin,Trump also raised the issue of Russia's Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline to Germany, which he has criticized sharply, the official told Reuters. Directly after his meeting with Putin, Trump for about 15 minutes briefed Bolton, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Jon Huntsman, the U.S. ambassador to Russia, about what was said, Reuters said. Many topics they discussed were raised again in a larger group meeting that followed, the official told Reuters. Reuters reported that Trump told Putin that Russian election meddling had to stop in 2018, when the United States is holding congressional elections. While Putin insisted that the Russian state did not meddle in the U.S. election, the U.S. official told Reuters that left a "big expanse" of other Russian actors that could have been involved. With reporting by Reuters Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 18 Trend: Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have 81 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said August 18. Armenian 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. Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 18 By Fikret Dolukhanov Trend: In 2017, the Uzbek SAIPRO information rating agency assigned the Uzbekinvest national export-import insurance company a rating at "uzA ++" (excellent financial reliability), the Uzbek insurance company said in a message. In 2017, Uzbekinvest was able to maintain a fairly high growth rate of aggregate insurance premiums, which amounted to almost 26 percent. The growth in insurance premiums also contributed to the growth of the companys insurance liabilities. At the same time, the growth rate of insurance liabilities was lower than the growth rate of insurance premiums and amounted to 23 percent. In general, the quantitative indicators of the insurance portfolio have improved, and the level of diversification has remained high. In 2017, the growth rate of insurance payments was higher than the growth rate of insurance premiums and amounted to 35.3 percent. As a result, the level of unprofitability of insurance premiums was 9.4 percent. In 2017, the companys assets grew 220 percent. The company is the market leader in terms of assets and equity. The main sources of asset growth in the reporting period included an increase in the companys own funds and insurance reserves. As a part of the assets, the growth was mainly caused by increasing investments. Investment activity is the second key direction of the companys activity after the main insurance activity. In 2017, the value of investments increased by 234 percent and reached 728.4 billion soums. The growth has been observed regarding almost all major investment targets. In general, stable financial condition of the company, significant reserve for meeting the solvency norms established by the regulator of the insurance market, as well as the leading positions in the market are essential factors ensuring the preservation of the companys rating assessment. In the first half of 2018, the Uzbekinvest national export-import insurance company collected insurance premiums worth 112 billion soums, which is three times more than in the same period of 2017. (7,790.20 soums = 1 USD on Aug. 18) --- Follow the author on Twitter: @FDolukhanov 1. Yes. It makes me wonder why Killeen is having the problem and other cities arent. 2. Yes. The city also had water issues after the winter storm, so this is rather troubling. 3. No. Its good that the city is dealing with the problem and playing it safe with consumers. 4. No. Its more of an annoyance than a concern. The city will take the necessary steps. 5. Unsure. Its hard to say until more information about the issue becomes available. Vote View Results Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 18 By Matanat Nasibova Trend: Azerbaijan plans to send two export missions to the UAE by the end of 2018 in order to expand the geography of exports of its products to the Persian Gulf markets, the Trade Representative of Azerbaijan in Dubai Elnur Aliyev told Trend. "In particular, negotiations continue on the export of fruits and vegetables, fruit juices, honey, milk powder, meat, tea, nuts to the Persian Gulf and access the trade networks in the region," Aliyev said. He noted that the main purpose of export missions with the participation of local producers is to promote the national brand Made in Azerbaijan in the markets of the UAE and other Persian Gulf countries. The trade representative reminded that last year the export missions of Azerbaijan were sent to Dubai and Saudi Arabia. "Now the parties are negotiating in order to finally determine the place and date of the meetings. Last year, the export missions were sent in November and December, and most likely this year the visit of the missions will fall on the same period," the trade representative said. He said today there are many medium and small enterprises in Azerbaijan that want to enter the Dubai market, so more than 10 Azerbaijani companies are expected to participate in the upcoming export mission to Dubai. The trade representative noted that the quality of Azerbaijani agricultural products, which are exported to Dubai, is very high, but given that the Dubai market is very developed, in addition to quality, a lot of attention is paid to the stability of supply. "In my opinion, this an important criterion for the successful promotion of goods and products in the markets of the UAE. And our companies must catch up with the rest in order to achieve the desired results. Azerbaijan has done serious work by stating its export potential, and agreements have been reached not only with the UAE, but also with the leading European countries. It is planned to hold negotiations in order to expand the geography of exports of products, in particular in the markets of the Persian Gulf countries," he said. Elnur Aliyev noted that Azerbaijani products have already been demonstrated at exhibitions in Dubai (Gulfood 2017) and Germany (Prowein), where two dozen Azerbaijani companies participated. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Aug. 18 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has charged relevant top executives with starting preparations for the First Caspian Economic Forum in 2019, the "Neutral Turkmenistan" newspaper reported. The head of state expressed at a government meeting his confidence that the event will confirm the commitment of all the Caspian states to consolidation of efforts on cooperation. Berdimuhamedov drew attention to the fact that one of the priority areas of cooperation in the Caspian Sea is the environment, interrelated with the issues of climate change and biodiversity conservation. "We must also take an active part in the preparation of a five-party agreement on scientific research in the Caspian Sea," the report quoted the President of Turkmenistan as saying. The head of state also instructed to intensify activities for ensuring security in the Caspian Sea, in particular to take active part in the preparation of a five-party agreement on search and rescue operations in the Caspian Sea. Turkmenistan initiated the creation of a permanently functioning Caspian Economic Forum a kind of negotiation platform for representatives of government and business circles of the region. Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 18 By Ali Mohammadi - Trend: Iran's non-oil exports to Germany witnessed a 275.32 percent and 0.63 percent rise in weight and value, respectively, in the first four months of the current Iranian fiscal year (started March 21). The exports rose to 53,198 tons worth $94.1 million during the four months, IRNA reported. Saffron, date, pistachio, jam, jelly, and watermelon were among the main exported commodities to the European country. Iran exported 274 tons of pistachio, 155 tons of date, 3.705 kg of jam and 393 tons of watermelon to Germany during the period. Germany and Iran have a long history of friendly relations. Before the sanctions in 2005, bilateral trade amounted to almost 5 billion, while in 2015, only half was left. It did not come to a standstill, even in periods of sanctions, because not all goods were subject to sanctions. After 2016, numerous German companies have reopened their representative offices in Iran, selling their products in the Iranian market, and plan investments with Iranian partners. Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 18 By Ilkin Shafiyev - Trend: The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project may be continued, Turkish Ambassador to Turkmenistan Mustafa Kapucu said, the Turkish media reported Aug. 18. He said that the relevant projects have already been prepared by the Turkish side. The ambassador noted that this route may be used by Turkmenistan to export energy resources extracted there to world markets. We have plans to extend the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project, Kapucu said. This route is of strategic importance for both Turkey and Turkmenistan. Ashgabat exports oil and gas and they want to increase their revenues. Turkmenistans gas reserves are estimated at 26 trillion cubic meters. The official opening ceremony of the BTK railway was held in Baku Oct. 30 last year. The BTK railway was constructed on the basis a Georgian-Azerbaijani-Turkish intergovernmental agreement. The railways peak capacity will be 17 million tons of cargo per year. At an initial stage, this figure will be one million passengers and 6.5 million tons of cargo. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @IlkinShafiyev Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Aug. 18 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan has held a meeting with the Secretary General of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Adem Kula, the ministry said in a statement Aug. 18. The sides exchanged views on the prospects of partnership. The secretary general delivered a proposal on a briefing in Istanbul dedicated to the ongoing Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project, as well as laying the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) power transmission line. He noted that such an event will cause the interest of other ECO member states, the message says. Construction of the Turkmen section of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline was launched in December 2015, while the Afghan section - in February 2018. Being the leader of the international consortium TAPI Pipeline Company Limited, Turkmengas with a controlling stake performs the functions of the main financier and manager of the project. The consortium also includes the Afghan Gas Corporation, Pakistans Inter State Gas Systems (Private) Limited Company and Indias GAIL. The total length of the pipeline with a capacity of 33 billion cubic meters of gas per year will be 1,840 kilometers. TAPI will export gas from the Galkynysh field in Turkmenistan, which is the second largest in the world. Economic Cooperation Organization, ECO, is an interstate economic organization formed in 1985 with the participation of Turkey, Iran and Pakistan. Since 1992, ECO activities have intensified with the accession of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The purpose of this institution is to discuss ways to improve development and promotion of trade and investment opportunities. Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 18 By Ilkin Shafiyev Trend: The cost of the Brody (Ukraine)-Adamova Zastava (Poland) oil pipeline project has been reduced by approximately 130 million euros as a result of a feasibility study update, the Sarmatia International Pipeline Company (IPC) CEO Sergei Skripka told Trend. The Brody-Plock (Adamova Zastava) oil pipeline is currently the only incomplete part of the Euro-Asian Oil Transportation Corridor (EOTC). The EOTC project will give the Caspian states an additional reliable route for oil supply to the European markets, as well as new customers and opportunities to work in adjacent markets. The length of the pipeline will be 377 kilometers, of which 120 kilometers will be built in the territory of Ukraine, 257 kilometers in Poland. "This year, we have finished updating the feasibility study of the project. According to its results, the project's cost has been reduced from 490 to 360 million euros," Skripka said. Based on the findings of the feasibility study, 30 percent of the funding should be invested by the co-founders of the company, the CEO said, adding that the project can be self-supporting and implemented without grants. Previously, it was expected that the project will receive a grant from the European Commission. "In general, it is too early to talk about it, because we are not at the stage of organizing the funding. But of course, partial funding will need to be obtained from our co-founders. I think it will be at the level of 30 percent, as recommended by the feasibility study. In addition, the project to build the Brody-Adamova Zastava oil pipeline, as part of the Euro-Asian Oil Transportation Corridor, is a project of common European interest and at the same time a priority project for the European energy community. Being in these two lists, the project is eligible for concessional financing from the European Fund for Strategic Investments. Financing should be provided by the European Investment Bank," said Skripka. Sarmatia IPC was established on July 12, 2004 by Ukrainian UkrTransNafta and the Polish company PERN Przyjazn. The participants of Sarmatia IPC are the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (25.32 percent), Georgian Oil and Gas Corporation Ltd. (16.09 percent), UkrTransNafta (28.79 percent), Polish Przedsiebiorstwo Eksploatacji Rurociagow Naftowych Przyjazn S.A. (28.79 percent) and Lithuanian AB Klaipedos Nafta (1 percent). --- Follow the author on Twitter: @IlkinShafiyev Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 18 Trend: The 7th meeting of the Kyrgyz-Kazakh Intergovernmental Council was held in Astana city of Kazakhstan on Aug. 17, the Kyrgyz Kabar news agency reported. The meeting was chaired by Kyrgyz Prime Minister Mukhammedkalyi Abylgaziev and his Kazakh counterpart Bakhytzhan Sagintayev. In his welcoming speech, Abylgaziev noted the strong, centuries-old relationship between the two peoples. Kyrgyzstan attaches special importance to the development of relations with Kazakhstan, he said. I believe that strategic relations between our countries will continue to reaffirm our unity. Today, important documents are expected to be signed as part of this meeting, including the protocols on the border checkpoints Ken-Bulun Avtodorozhny and Tokmok Avtodorozhny. Abylgaziev expressed his opinion on the prospects for cooperation in the trade sphere between the two countries. It is known that trade relations are a promising and profitable direction in cooperation, he said. We consider it necessary to apply all effective mechanisms to bring the trade turnover between our countries to $1 billion, considering the diversification of items of the trade turnover. In turn, the Kazakh prime minister noted that the interaction between the two countries on the state border is developing steadily. The treaty on the demarcation of the agreement on the state border regime signed in December 2017 is on ratification, he said. We are ready to sign a protocol on changing the status of the border checkpoints Ken-Bulun Avtodorozhny and Tokmok Avtodorozhny, which will make it possible to increase their throughput. We understand that the implementation of this solution implies the modernization of these checkpoints and access roads to them. He noted that the government of Kazakhstan always pays great attention to strengthening economic and good-neighborly relations with Kyrgyzstan. Today, we observe a positive trend in our trade and economic relations, he added. In 2017 mutual trade increased by 13 percent, and for the five months of this year, the growth was almost 10 percent. I am confident that this index will increase by the end of this year. I think that it is necessary to ensure further deepening of trade relations based on mutually beneficial supplies, increasing the range of goods supplied and opening of joint ventures. At the same time, Sagintayev emphasized that the implementation of the road map will undoubtedly lead to an increase in mutual trade between the countries. The newly created Kazakh-Kyrgyz business council should become one of the most effective tools for the solution of the tasks set, he said. The councils first meeting will be held by the end of this year. We pay special attention to the development of interregional trade and economic relations between the two countries. As part of the subcommittee for economic development Almaty- Bishkek, we started implementing joint projects to create modern agricultural wholesale markets. This is while Abylgaziev noted that the governments of the two countries should focus on eliminating all obstacles that affect the level of trade between the two countries. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Aug. 18 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has signed a decree on celebrating Eid al-Adha holidays, the Turkmen government said in a message. In accordance with this document, this year the holiday will be celebrated on August 22, 23 and 24, and these days have been declared non-working. All enterprises, institutions and organizations regardless of the form of ownership should ensure the implementation of this decree. Turkmenistan started to celebrate Eid al-Adha holidays after gaining independence. On the first day of the holiday, the holy prayer and ritual of sacrifice will be performed in all mosques of Turkmenistan. The remarks came after a member of the Supreme Council of Provinces in Iran said recently that overfishing by Chinese ships in waters off the southern Iranian coasts in the Persian Gulf has put seafood resources at risk there. Chinese FM: Cooperation with Tehran will further improve Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif reaffirmed support for the JCPOA, saying that Beijing is keen on boosting ties with Tehran, IRNA news agency reported. Wang described the JCPOA as a major multilateral achievement benefiting international community. We have clearly said we oppose unilateral sanctions, he said, reiterating his countrys adherence to the landmark deal. Beijing values ties with Tehran and favors development of cooperation on the basis of mutual interests, he said. Zarif, for his part, discussed latest developments on the JCPOA and appreciated constructive role of Beijing in the international agreement. China as the biggest buyer of Irans oil has declared that it will not comply with the US sanctions against Iran. Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 18 By Matanat Nasibova Trend: The Russian expert community has noticed populist statements made by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in response to the tough statement of the Russian side, voiced by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Russias leadership, at the level of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, has recently sent a harsh message to Yerevan, in which the Russian side expressed concern about the actions of Armenia's current government. Yerevan is violating its promises that it will not persecute its predecessors for political reasons, the Russian minister said. Earlier, Armenian ex-President Robert Kocharian was persecuted and a criminal case against Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov was filed, which caused great discontent in Moscow. But it seems that Armenia did not draw the proper conclusions from the statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry, which was testified by the unfounded statements of the Armenian prime minister that Russia itself must adapt to the new situation in Armenia. Well-known Russian expert and TV anchor Igor Shatrov has commented on this situation. Armenia must comply with its international obligations, Shatrov told Trend. "As a CSTO member, Armenia is obliged to respect the diplomatic immunity that this international organization gives to its Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov." "The actions of the new Armenian leadership with respect to the retired politicians of their country are like settling a personal score rather than the establishment of truth," he said. Such actions do not do credit to Pashinyan and his team. But this does not mean that Russia must change the relations with Armenia from friendly to confrontational. I think the position taken by Russia with regard to street protests that brought Pashinyan to power was correct, Shatrov added. Even now, seeing the Armenian prime minister's false actions, Russia will continue to seek ways to convey its opinion without applying force. As long as the events in Armenia do not directly affect the interests of other countries, they remain Armenia's internal affair. Russia has principal approaches to foreign policy and its main principle is non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, Shatrov said. The construction of an underground gas storage facility will start in Georgia, which will ensure the elimination of existing imbalances between gas supply and consumption in the country and satisfy the peak consumption in winter, Georgias Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze said, Georgian media report. Bakhtadze said that a 150 million euro loan agreement will be signed between Germany's Reconstruction and Development Bank (KfW) and the Georgian Oil and Gas Corporation, which envisages the construction of the infrastructure of the underground gas storage facility. This project is important not only in terms of strengthening energy security, but also for stabilizing the gas supply during winter, the prime minister said. Georgian Economy Minister Giorgi Kobulia says implementation of the project will protect Georgia from risks. After the gas storage is constructed, the country will have gas reserves for one and a half months. This project is commercially profitable, because we can purchase the gas when it is cheaper, the minister explained. Azerbaijan is the main supplier of gas to Georgia. German Chancellor Angela Merkels first official visit to Georgia, planned for August 23, is of utmost importance for the country and another confirmation that Europe stands beside Georgia, Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze said. He said the high-level visit highlights that Georgia and Germany have close and friendly relations, Georgian media reported. It is important that this visit includes both political and economic components. Mrs. Merkel will be accompanied by business representatives, with whom we will talk in the format of the round table. It is important that Georgian companies participate in these meetings, the PM said. Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit Pyongyang next month as relations between China and North Korea continue to improve, Sputnik reported citing Singapore-based The Straits Times. The newspaper which did not cite a source asserted that Xi had been invited by North Korean leader Kim Jong un to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the country's founding. However, China's foreign ministry did not respond to a Reuter's request to confirm the Chinese president's visit. If the Saturday report is confirmed, the visit would mark the first trip by a top Chinese leader to the hermit country since 2005, when Xi predecessor Hu Jintao made the trip. Kim has visited China three times this year, twice to Beijing and once to Dalian. During each of the three meetings, Xi met with the North Korean leader, signaling an improvement in the relations between the countries. According to Sun Xingjie, a Korean peninsula expert at Jilin University, Xi's attendance at the DPRK anniversary would align bilateral ties established between the two leaders earlier this year. "They have agreed to step up high-level exchanges, including mutual visits by state leaders and their special envoys," Sun told Reuters on Saturday The relationship between China and North Korea worsened after Kim took power in 2011 following the death of his father, Kim Jong-il, as Pyongyang's weapons program gained momentum. China has grudgingly supported sanctions by the United Nation against North Korea. Tensions between Washington and Beijing have been running high, with a full-scale trade war looming, as the administration of US President Donald Trump recently threatened to target some $200 billion in Chinese goods. In response, Beijing has vowed to implement severe countermeasures against US agricultural products. Catalonias President Quim Torra promised on Friday to continue pushing for an independent republic as the Spanish region remembered victims of last years deadly terror attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils, Sputnik reports. "We will push ahead to make the republic real," Torra said at a rally held close to Lledoners prison in Sant Joan de Vilatorrada in Barcelona province, where Catalan separatists are being held. He dismissed as a farce charges against the jailed lawmakers and former members of the Catalan government who were imprisoned for their role in last Octobers independence referendum. Some jailed separatists had asked local authorities to focus solely on commemorative ceremonies for the people killed in car and van ramming attacks on August 17, 2017. The violent ramming attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils left 16 people killed and over 130 others injured. The Daesh terror group reportedly claimed the responsibility for the attacks. Catalonias new president Quim Torra promised this year to continue pushing for the regions independence after a 2017 referendum to split from Spain led to a legal standoff. After the poll, the Catalan parliament declared independence from Madrid despite the Spanish top court calling the vote illegal. This prompted the central government to suspend Catalan autonomy until May. An Arab Israeli man armed with a knife attempted to carry out a stabbing attack against a policeman in Jerusalems Old City Friday afternoon, and was shot dead by security forces, police said, Israeli media reported. Police said the man, who had come from the direction of the Temple Mount, approached a group of policemen, pulled out a knife and attempted to stab one of them. The officers scuffled with the assailant and one of them shot him, killing him. Large police forces arrived at the scene of the attack and scanned the area for accomplices. The Temple Mount compound was shut down temporarily as forces conducted searches. The attacker was later named by Hebrew media as Ahmed Muhammad Mahameed, a 30-year old resident of the northern Arab town of Umm al-Fahm. Police said Mahameed was carrying an ID at the time of the attack and was identified as an Israeli civilian. Mexicos economy minister Ildefonso Guajardo said on Friday he hopes to conclude by the middle of next week outstanding bilateral issues with the United States surrounding the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Reuters reported. Hopefully we will be able to close up no later than the middle of the week, Guajardo told reporters outside the U.S. Trade Representatives office, adding that Canada could then rejoin the talks to rework the trade pact. Most of the issues between Mexico and the United States are advancing well, the minister added. Some areas related to auto rules of origin remain unresolved, including the time frame to implement changes in the new rules, while a sunset clause that could kill NAFTA after five years has not yet been discussed, Guajardo said. Mexicos foreign minister Luis Videgaray, in Washington with Guajardo for meetings with U.S. officials, also struck an optimistic note, saying we are getting close when asked about the likelihood of reaching a breakthrough. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Thursday had expressed hope for a breakthrough in the coming days. U.S. President Donald Trump, however, said alongside him he was in no rush to conclude talks on NAFTA, which he wants renegotiated in favor of the United States. Trump argues the 24-year-old pact has facilitated an exodus of manufacturing jobs from the United States to Mexico, but NAFTAs supporters say it has kept the region competitive. Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko has dismissed the countrys prime minister and other top ministers, the presidential press service said on Saturday, in the biggest government reshuffle since 2014, BELTA reported. Lukashenko named Sergei Rumas, the head of the countrys Development Bank, as new prime minister, the presidential press service said in a statement. Rumas replaces Andrei Kobyakov, who had served as Belarus prime minister since 2014. Lukashenko also named four new deputy prime ministers, as well as new ministers of the economy, communications and industry, among other posts. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that everything must be done for Syrian refugees to return to their conflict-torn country, Reuters reported. Speaking ahead of talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel outside Berlin, Putin said that Syria needed assistance to rebuild and to ensure that refugees who had fled the country could safely return to their homes. In Michigan, amid mounting backlash, a state legislator has apologized for "disparaging remarks" -- for the record, she means racial slurs -- that she made against an Asian American opponent for state Senate.During a recent Democratic primary, Michigan state Rep. Bettie Cook Scott reportedly referred to her opponent, state Rep. Stephanie Chang, asand called members of Chang's staff"Vote for me. Don't vote for the ching-chang!" witnesses overheard Scott telling voters during the August 7 primary election for District 1. She also reportedly called Chang's campaign volunteers "ching-chongs," saying "I called them ching-chongs. That's what they are!"Well, that's just some good, old-fashioned racist schoolyard name-calling. But wait, there's more.At an earlier campaign stop, Scott called one of Chang's campaign volunteers an "immigrant," saying "you don't belong here" and "I want you out of my country." Later, she was overheard telling a voter "these immigrants from China are coming over and taking our community from us." Further, she said it "disgusts" her "seeing Black people holding signs for these Asians and not supporting their own people."When all else fails, racism and xenophobia are a tried and true political strategy.The incident prompted outcry from over a dozen organizations calling on Scott to apologize the immigrant community, the Asian American community, and the residents of Senate District 1."In these times of rampant xenophobia, racism and intolerance, it is extremely disappointing to hear of an elected official speak to voters in this way,said Aamina Ahmed, Executive Director of APIAVote - Michigan. "We all need to work together to combat prejudice, bias and systems of discrimination, not fall prey to them."Scott, who is serving her third term in the state House, issued an apology on Thursday."I deeply regret the comments I made that have proven hurtful to so many. Those are words I never should have said," Scott said in a statement. "I humbly apologize to Representative Chang, her husband, Mr. Gray, and to the broader Asian American community for those disparaging remarks. In the divisive age we find ourselves in, I should not contribute further to that divisiveness.""I have reached out to Representative Chang to meet with her so that I may apologize to her in person. I pray she and the Asian American community can find it in their hearts to forgive me."Chang, who is serving her second term in the state House, was the first Asian American woman to serve in the Michigan Legislature. She defeated Scott in the state Senate primary with 49.9 percent of the vote."Hate has no place in our state, and especially not from those elected to serve the public," Chang said in a statement posted to Facebook . "I understand Rep. Scott has recognized that her comments were uncalled for and inappropriate. This is not about me -- it is about the impact of xenophobia and bigotry on Asian American and immigrant communities."Chang says she'll take up Rep. Scott's offer to apologize and discuss her problematic comments in person, and will meet with her next week along with representatives from the Asian American and immigrant community."I hope this meeting will be an educational opportunity that will help Rep. Scott better understand the values of tolerance and acceptance within our communities, the contributions made to the fabric of our nation and our state by immigrants and children of immigrants like me, and the impact that offensive comments like hers can have on community members."More here: Michigan legislator apologizes for racial slurs against Asian American opponent Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 18 Trend: Turkey wont change its course due to economic pressure from outside, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Aug. 18 before the Sixth Congress of the Turkish Justice and Development Party, Turkish media reported. Erdogan said that economic levers of pressure are used against Turkey. However, our country doesnt intend to change the course set, he noted. Relations between Washington and Ankara have recently deteriorated because of the case of US pastor Andrew Brunson detained in 2016 by the Turkish authorities. This is while US President Donald Trump said that he authorized double increase in tariffs for aluminum and steel from Turkey - up to 20 percent and 50 percent, respectively. This decision caused the fall of the Turkish lira to the historic low. The Boring Co, a firm owned by Elon Musk, has asked the White House to exempt it from tariffs for some Chinese-made tunnel boring machine components, Sputnik reported. Reuters cited the July 31 letter by the Boring Co as saying that the tariffs may substantially delay a planned tunnel between New York and Washington. The letter, published on a US government website, added that Boring Co needs "limited parts from China in the near-term for use in a small number of tunnel boring machines" and that those parts are "readily available only from China." The New York-Washington tunnel is part of the Boring Co's plans to ferry passengers on autonomous electric vehicles carrying up to 16 passengers at about 120 miles (193 kilometers) per hour. Earlier in August, the Trump administration promised to subject an additional $16 billion in Chinese products to 25-percent tariffs, starting August 23. Beijing has responded with tit-for-tat measures, targeting US LNG among other American exports. In July, Washington introduced high duties against $34 billion in Chinese imports, in a move that was preceded by US President Donald Trump confirming in mid-June that a 25-percent tariff would be imposed on $50 billion in Chinese goods. The son of CPM Politburo Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the Enforcement Directorate wanted to him give false testimony in the money laundering case in which he was arrested. The Eleventh World Hindi Conference will begin at 10 o'clock in the capital of Port Louis, Mauritius. The conference will be formally launched in the presence of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Mauritius Prime Minister Praveen Kumar Jugnauth. The main theme of the conference is spreading Hindi and Indian culture around the world. A member of the organizing committee said that the conference will start with paying tribute to former Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Human Resource, Satyapal Singh, has reached a special plane with Indian delegation on Friday to attend the conference. Besides the Indian delegation, participants from 38 countries have also reached Port Louis to attend the conference. Prior to this, the World Hindi Conference has been organized in Port Louis in 1976 and 1993. This is the third opportunity when the conference is happening in Port Louis. The conference is being organized in 'Swami Vivekananda International Conference Center'. It has been given the name of 'Goswami Tulsidas Nagar'. The main auditorium of the venue and parallel sessions are named after the names of prominent literates of India and Mauritius. Apart from the late Latekar Abhimanyu Anat, besides Gopaldas Neeraj, Bhanumati Nagandan and Arj Prasad Mangar are included. Acharya Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi, Pandit Narendra Dev Vedalankar have also been given prominence. After paying tribute to Atal ji, a special session will be held from 'Bhopal to Mauritius', in which the report on the recommendations of the 10th World Hindi Conference held in Bhopal will be presented. The three-day conference will be churned on topics related to language and folk culture, Indian culture in Hindi teaching, cultural thought in Hindi literature. Hindi laureates will also be honoured on the last day of the conference. Also Read: Imran Khan to take oath as 22nd Prime Minister today, Siddhu arrives in Pakistan to attend the ceremony India-US ties continue to benefit from Atal Bihari Vajpayee's vision: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Most of the objects we see are colored by pigments, but using pigments has disadvantages: such colors can fade, industrial pigments are often toxic, and certain color effects are impossible to achieve. The natural world, however, also exhibits structural coloration, where the microstructure of an object causes various colors to appear. Peacock feathers, for instance, are pigmented brown, but--because of long hollows within the feathers--reflect the gorgeous, iridescent blues and greens we see and admire. Recent advances in technology have made it practical to fabricate the kind of nanostructures that result in structural coloration, and computer scientists from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria) and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have now created a computational tool that automatically creates 3D-print templates for nanostructures that correspond to user-defined colors. Their work demonstrates the great potential for structural coloring in industry, and opens up possibilities for non-experts to create their own designs. This project will be presented at this year's top computer graphics conference, SIGGRAPH 2018, by first author and IST Austria postdoc Thomas Auzinger. This is one of five IST Austria presentations at the conference this year. The changing colors of a chameleon and the iridescent blues and greens of the morpho butterfly, among many others in nature, are the result of structural coloration, where nanostructures cause interference effects in light, resulting in a variety of colors when viewed macroscopically. Structural coloration has certain advantages over coloring with pigments (where particular wavelengths are absorbed), but until recently, the limits of technology meant fabricating such nanostructures required highly specialized methods. New "direct laser writing" set-ups, however, cost about as much as a high-quality industrial 3D printer, and allow for printing at the scale of hundreds of nanometers (hundred to thousand time thinner than a human hair), opening up possibilities for scientists to experiment with structural coloration. So far, scientists have primarily experimented with nanostructures that they had observed in nature, or with simple, regular nanostructural designs (e.g. row after row of pillars). Thomas Auzinger and Bernd Bickel of IST Austria, together with Wolfgang Heidrich of KAUST, however, took an innovative new approach that differs in several key ways. First, they solve the inverse design task: the user enters the color they want to replicate, and then the computer creates a nanostructure pattern that gives that color, rather than attempting to reproduce structures found in nature. Moreover, "our design tool is completely automatic," says Thomas Auzinger. "No extra effort is required on the part of the user." Second, the nanostructures in the template do not follow a particular pattern or have a regular structure; they appear to be randomly composed--a radical break from previous methods, but one with many advantages. "When looking at the template produced by the computer I cannot tell by the structure alone, if I see a pattern for blue or red or green," explains Auzinger. "But that means the computer is finding solutions that we, as humans, could not. This free-form structure is extremely powerful: it allows for greater flexibility and opens up possibilities for additional coloring effects." For instance, their design tool can be used to print a square that appears red from one angle, and blue from another (known as directional coloring). Finally, previous efforts have also stumbled when it came to actual fabrication: the designs were often impossible to print. The new design tool, however, guarantees that the user will end up with a printable template, which makes it extremely useful for the future development of structural coloration in industry. "The design tool can be used to prototype new colors and other tools, as well as to find interesting structures that could be produced industrially," adds Auzinger. Initial tests of the design tool have already yielded successful results. "It's amazing to see something composed entirely of clear materials appear colored, simply because of structures invisible to the human eye," says Bernd Bickel, professor at IST Austria, "we're eager to experiment with additional materials, to expand the range of effects we can achieve." "It's particularly exciting to witness the growing role of computational tools in fabrication," concludes Auzinger, "and even more exciting to see the expansion of 'computer graphics' to encompass physical as well as virtual images." ### Project page (including paper): http://visualcomputing.ist.ac.at/publications/2018/StructCol/ Original Paper: Thomas Auzinger, Wolfgang Heidrich, and Bernd Bickel. 2018. Computational Design of Nanostructural Color for Additive Manufacturing. ACM Trans. Graph. 37, 4, Article 159 (August 2018). 16 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3197517.3201376 About 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 Epidemic modeling studies in Russia and Mexico show urgent need for effective drug policy reform implementation to prevent HIV and overdose among people who inject drugs While global incidence rates of HIV have declined notably in recent years, the virus that causes AIDS remains a major and, in some ways largely unmitigated, public health threat in some countries and regions. In a pair of new modeling studies, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, with international colleagues, examined how policy reform in terms of drug decriminalization (in Mexico) and access to drug treatment (in Russia) might affect two regions hard hit by the HIV pandemic: Tijuana, Mexico and the Russian cities of Omsk and Ekaterinburg. In the most recent study, published August 16 in the journal Lancet Public Health, first author Annick Borquez, PhD, and senior author Natasha K. Martin, DPhil, in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health at UC San Diego School of Medicine, and their collaborators evaluated the impact of public health-oriented drug law reforms on HIV incidence among people who inject drugs in Tijuana, Mexico. In 2012, Mexico reformed its drug laws, decriminalizing possession of small amounts of specified drugs and instituting drug treatment instead of incarceration. However, implementation of the reforms has been uneven and limited. Borquez and colleagues looked at the specific impact of the reforms on HIV incidence among people who inject drugs in Tijuana, Mexico, a city adjacent to San Diego, California on the US-Mexico border and a major international drug trafficking route. Modeling estimated that the limited reform implementation due to a lack of reform dissemination and operationalization prevented only 2 percent of new HIV infections between 2012 and 2017. "But going forward, if implementation reduced incarceration among people who inject drugs by 80 percent and instead diverted these individuals to evidence-based opioid agonist drug treatment, 21 percent of new HIV infections among people who inject drugs could be prevented between 2018 and 2030," said Martin. The study also highlighted the potential harms of inappropriate implementation. "Unfortunately, the predominant type of drug 'rehabilitation' available in Tijuana is compulsory drug abstinence, which our modeling showed could potentially increase HIV transmission, underscoring the need for affordable evidence-based opioid agonist treatment which is effective at preventing HIV and other health harms," said co-author Steffanie Strathdee, PhD, Harold Simon Professor in the Department of Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine and associate dean of global health sciences. Said Borquez: "Monitoring and evaluation of public health-oriented drug law reforms is essential to inform their implementation at the local and global levels if we are to successfully guide this shift in drug policy." In the second study, published July 19 in Lancet HIV, first author Javier Cepeda, PhD, senior author Martin and colleagues employed epidemic modeling to determine the detrimental impact of Russian government policy prohibiting access to opiate agonist therapy, a key intervention used to prevent the risk of HIV and fatal overdose. The study also explored how the potential benefits of scaled-up opiate agonist therapy, needle/syringe programs and antiretroviral therapy (ART) might have on preventing new HIV infections and fatal overdoses among people who inject drugs in Russia. "Russia has one of the fastest growing HIV epidemics in the world. Data from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS estimates that 80 percent of new infections in Eastern Europe and central Asia occurred in Russia in 2015, fueled by injection drug use. And people who inject drugs in Russia have a very high risk of overdose," said Martin. "Opiate agonist therapy, which uses drugs like methadone to treat addiction and is highly effective at reducing the risk of HIV and overdose, is prohibited. Needle exchange programs are scarce and access to ART is very, very limited." The researchers found that without intervention, HIV prevalence among people who inject drugs in Omsk could increase to 34 percent by 2028 and remain even higher in Ekaterinburg at 61 percent. However, scaling up opiate agonist therapy and needle exchange programs to half of people who inject drugs and tripling ART recruitment (thus reaching approximately 65 percent of HIV-positive people who inject drugs) could prevent 53 percent of new HIV infections among people who inject drugs in Omsk and 38 percent of new HIV infections in Ekaterinburg by 2028. Additionally, these programs could prevent roughly 30 percent of fatal overdoses over this time period. "The data are unequivocal," said Martin. "Without intervention, modeling shows the burden of HIV among people who inject drugs in Russia will worsen, escalating in places like Omsk and remaining endemically high in places like Ekaterinburg. However, by implementing already known and proven interventions, HIV and overdose rates can be significantly reduced and many lives saved. The Russian government urgently needs to reverse its policies towards harm reduction access." These findings were also highlighted in a Lancet Commission report published July 19. ### Co-authors of the Lancet Public Health study are: Leo Beletsky, Daniela Abramovitz, Claudia Rafful, Mario Morales and Javier Cepeda, UC San Diego; Bohdan Nosyk, BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS and Simon Fraser University, Canada; Alejandro Madrazo, Centro de Investigacion y Docencia Economicas, Mexico; Dimitra Panagiotoglou and Emanuel Krebs, BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver; Peter Vickerman, University of Bristol, UK; Marie Claude Boily, Imperial College London, UK; and Nicholas Thomson, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore and University of Melbourne, Australia. Co-authors of the Lancet HIV study are: Leo A. Beletsky and Annick Borquez, UC San Diego; Ksenia Eritsyan, Alexandra Lyubimova and Veronika Odinokova, NGO Stellit, Saint Petersburg, Russia; Peter Vickerman and Matthew Hickman, University of Bristol, UK; Marina Shegay, Russian Health Care Foundation, Moscow; and Chris Beyrer, Northeastern University, Boston and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The Colorado baker who made headlines for refusing to make a gay couples wedding cake in 2012, citing his religious beliefs, is suing the state once again. This time, hes fighting the Colorado Civil Rights Commissions ruling that he discriminated against a transgender woman by failing to make her a cake, the Associated Press reports. Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, won his battle in his first court case when the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in his favor earlier this year. The court said that the state had violated Phillipss First Amendment rights by sanctioning him over the wedding cake. The Courts narrow ruling, however, did not address the larger issue of whether shop owners can refuse service on the grounds of religion. In the latest controversy, Autumn Scardina, a Denver attorney, says Phillips denied her request in 2017 for a cake made with a pink interior and blue exterior. The cake was intended to celebrate the anniversary of Scardinas gender transition, NPR reports. In June, the state had ruled that Phillips discriminated against Scardina because shes transgender, and ordered the two to find a mediated solution. Phillips, instead, sued. Phillips says that he has the right to refuse making a cake that celebrates a cause that is contrary to his religious beliefs. According to AP, the lawsuit filed by Phillips says the status of being male or female is given by God, is biologically determined, is not determined by perceptions or feelings, and cannot be chosen or changed. In his court filings, Phillips says the state is on a crusade to crush him because its officials despise what he believes and how he practices his faith. The Alliance Defending Freedom, a nonprofit Christian law firm, is representing Phillips, as they did in the case of the gay couples wedding cake. Phillips is seeking a reversal of the Colorado Civil Rights Commissions ruling, as well as $100,000 in damages. electronic arts hack cryptocurrency A man who stands accused of illegally accessing the secure network of well-known gaming company Electronic Arts (EA) was arrested in San Francisco National Airport on Aug. 8 attempting to board a flight to Serbia. EA is responsible for games like FIFA, Battlefield, and Star Wars Battlefront and manages assets in excess of $8.5 billion. Martin Marsich, 25, made an initial appearance in court on Aug. 9 over a criminal complaint charging him with crimes related to the illegal intrusion of the computer network, according to U.S. Attorney Alex G. Tse and FBI Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. Marisch was last known to live in Italy and has both Serbian and Italian citizenship. An FBI affidavit read out in court stated that a Bay area video game company learned that they had been hacked and that the intruder had gained access to 25,000 accounts that allow customers to purchase items for use in video games. According to the Daily Post, that company was Electronic Arts. Marsich allegedly used some of the information he obtained from the computer system to obtain in-game currency, which is used to buy and sell in-game items. He is accused of selling access to online games on black market websites, and the losses sustained from closing the compromised and stolen video game accounts are tallied at approximately $324,000, according to the gaming company. bitcoin Magistrate Judge Corley ordered Marsich released to a half-way house on the condition that he post the equivalent of $750,000 in cryptocurrency for bail. The bail can be paid in BTC or altcoins as Marisch sees fit. While it may seem like an unusual decision, U.S. judges can set bail terms at their own discretion based on what assets the defendant has access to property can also be used to post bail charges. Marisch apparently has access to a large sum of cryptocurrency, enabling him to potentially foot the bill for what seems to have been a cyber-robbery gone wrong. The incident is the highest profile case of bail being paid in crypto, but crypto has certainly been used to raise bail money in the past. As reported by Motherboard, the Bronx Freedom Fund is an initiative allowing people to dedicate CPU power to crowdfund bail money for people who cant afford it by remotely mining and donating cryptocurrency to the cause and prevent people from being imprisoned while awaiting trial. Story continues However, Marischs case may be the first incident of someone paying for bail in cryptocurrency directly without converting it first. Due to the volatile nature of cryptocurrencies, the sum required for bail in BTC or altcoins changes daily to accommodate for price fluctuation. Notably, EA co-founder Jeff Burton joined the Dragonglass crypto mining venture earlier this year. Images from Shutterstock The post EA Hacker Ordered to Post $750,000 Bail in Cryptocurrency appeared first on CCN. elon musk Lucy Nicholson / Reuters Tesla CEO Elon Musk says that an "excruciating" year has taken a toll on him. He sometimes has had to take Ambien, a prescription drug that helps induce sleep. Musk described an intense 120-hour work week as both chairman and chief executive of Tesla, a company that has been hit with challenging press coverage in recent weeks. Musk says he has not taken a break from work for more than a week since he contracted malaria in 2001. A person familiar with Tesla board of directors who was cited by The New York Times said some people on the board of directors suggested that Musk's Ambien use may not be effective, and instead, played a role in his social media outbursts. Tesla CEO Elon Musk says that an "excruciating" year has taken a toll and that he sometimes has had to take Ambien, a prescription drug that assists in inducing sleep. "It is often a choice of no sleep or Ambien," Musk said in a New York Times report published Thursday night. Musk described an intense 120-hour work week as both chairman and chief executive of Tesla, a company that has been hit with challenging press coverage in recent weeks. During his interview with The Times, Musk reportedly grew emotional as he described his turbulent year. "This past year has been the most difficult and painful year of my career," Musk said. "It was excruciating." "There were times when I didn't leave the factory for three or four days days when I didn't go outside," Musk added. "This has really come at the expense of seeing my kids. And seeing friends." Elon Musk AP Photo/Francois Mori) In June, he said he spent the entire day his 47th birthday at work. He flew to Catalonia for his brother's wedding two days later, flying from his factory and arriving just two hours before the ceremony, according to The Times. Additionally, Musk says he has not taken a break from work for more than a week since he contracted malaria in 2001. Story continues "All night no friends, nothing," Musk said to The Times. "It's not been great, actually," Musk said. "I've had friends come by who are really concerned." Musk has been criticized for his occasional outbursts on social media which include likening a British cave diver who took part in rescue efforts to a pedophile and some of Tesla's board members have reportedly taken notice. According to two people familiar with the board, some members were concerned about his Ambien intake, according to The Times. Some of the members also suggested that the drug may not be effective, and instead, played a part in his social media flares. Musk later apologized for his comments and said his "words were spoken in anger" after a dispute with the cave diver. "I thought the worst of it was over I thought it was," Musk said. "The worst is over from a Tesla operational standpoint ... But from a personal pain standpoint, the worst is yet to come." More from Musk's New York Times interview: NOW WATCH: How to hack an election, according to a former NSA hacker See Also: SEE ALSO: 'The most difficult and painful year of my career': Tesla CEO Elon Musk opens up about personal and professional struggles in revealing interview DON'T MISS: Elon Musk reportedly calls the Tesla whistleblower who claimed the company spied on employees a nut elon musk Joe Skipper / Reuters Elon Musk responded Thursday to a former Tesla employee's claims that the company spied on workers and kept quiet about alleged theft and drug-trafficking. In a direct message to Gizmodo, Musk reportedly attempted to discredit the former employee and dismissed his charges, but didn't deny them outright. The employee also claimed that Tesla staffed its security team with former members of a notorious security group at Uber that allegedly spied on rivals. Musk didn't confirm or deny that the former Uber security workers now work for Tesla, but he defended one of them to Gizmodo. Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Thursday reportedly attempted to discredit a former security employee who alleges that the car maker spied on employees and kept quiet about drug-trafficking at its battery factory. Karl Hansen made the allegations in a whistleblower tip he submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission earlier this month. Hansen's lawyers made the allegations public in a press statement released Thursday. Tesla and Musk have not responded to multiple requests from Business Insider for comment about Hansen's claims. But in a direct message Gizmodo says it received from Musk, the CEO reportedly attacked Hansen and dismissed his allegations, but didn't explicitly deny them. "This guy is super [nuts]," Musk reportedly told Gizmodo, using the emoji for a peanut. The statement from Hansen's lawyers accuses Musk of personally authorizing Tesla's security team to install equipment that would allow the company to eavesdrop on employees' cell-phone communications. According to the statement, the security team then used it to spy on employees, including Martin Tripp, another Tesla whistleblower. Hansen also alleges that the security team and Tesla failed to disclose to shareholders and law-enforcement officials a $37 million theft of materials from the company's Gigafactory battery production facility, and allegations that a drug-trafficking ring linked to a Mexican cartel existed inside that facility. Story continues Musk dismissed the allegations In his direct message to Gizmodo, Musk suggested that those charges were contradictory and ludicrous. "He is simultaneously saying that our security sucks (it's not great, but I'm pretty sure we aren't a branch of the Sinaloa cartel like he claims) and that we have amazing spying ability," he said, according to Gizmodo. "Those cant both be true." Tesla's security team includes employees who formerly worked for a notorious security group at Uber that allegedly spied on rivals, according to the statement from Hansen's attorneys. Among those former Uber security employees now at Tesla is Nick Gicinto, who is now the electric-car company's head of security, according to the statement. Without saying whether Gicinto or his former colleagues at Uber now work at Tesla, Musk defended Gicinto to Gizmodo. The outlet should read the suit Gicinto and his colleagues filed against the former Uber employee who made the allegations about the security team spying on the app-based taxi company's competitors, Musk said. "Nick Jacinto (sic) was thrown under the bus by Uber for the sins of others," he reportedly said, adding: "He has shown high integrity in my dealings with him." NOW WATCH: NYU professor says Facebook should pay taxes for making us less productive See Also: SEE ALSO: A Tesla whistleblower says the electric car maker's security team is staffed with former members of a notorious group from Uber that allegedly spied on rivals SEE ALSO: Elon Musk's apology distracted everyone from Tesla's ongoing problems and that's the danger of Tesla's cult of personality Soybean fields as part of University of Wisconsin research in Arlington Rodrigo Werle (L), a weed scientist at the University of Wisconsin inspects soybean fields as part of the university's research into whether the weed killer dicamba drifted away from where it was sprayed in Arlington, Wisconsin, August 2, 2018. REUTERS/Tom Polansek By Tom Polansek CHICAGO (Reuters) - America's two biggest independent seed sellers, Beck's Hybrids and Stine Seed, told Reuters they are pushing U.S. environmental regulators to bar farmers from spraying dicamba weed killer during upcoming summers in a potential blow to Bayer AG's Monsanto Co. Limiting spraying of the chemical to the spring season, before crops are planted, would prevent farmers from using the herbicide on dicamba-resistant soybeans that Monsanto engineered. The seeds are sold by companies including Beck's and Stine. Last summer, after farmers planted Monsanto's dicamba-resistant soy seeds en masse, the herbicide drifted onto nearby farms and damaged an estimated 3.6 million acres of non-resistant soybeans, or 4 percent of all U.S. plantings. Problems have not gone away. As of July 15, the University of Missouri estimated that more than a million acres of non-resistant soybeans were hurt by dicamba. Homeowners who live near farms have also complained of damage to their trees and flowers. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now weighing such complaints as part of a high-stakes decision on the herbicide's future. Bayer bought Monsanto and its portfolio of dicamba-resistant Xtend brand soy seeds for $63 billion this year in a deal that created the world's largest seed and pesticides maker. St. Louis-based Monsanto sells dicamba herbicide, along with rivals BASF SE and DowDuPont Inc. Monsanto and BASF said farmers need dicamba to kill tough weeds and that the chemical can be used safely. DowDuPont declined to comment. Story continues Monsanto is banking on Xtend soybean seeds to dominate soy production in the United States, the world's biggest producer. They are seen as a replacement for the company's Roundup Ready line of seeds, engineered to tolerate the weed killer glyphosate, which has lost effectiveness as weeds develop their own tolerance to the chemical. EPA approval for dicamba to be sprayed on resistant crops expires this autumn. The agency could extend its approval, with or without new restrictions on use, or take dicamba off the market. Seed companies expect a decision in the coming weeks. Most complaints about dicamba drifting would stop if the EPA restricted its use to killing weeds in fields before crops are planted, Beck's Hybrids told the agency in a July 27 letter seen by Reuters. "Anybody that sprays it, you have issues with the volatilization," CEO Sonny Beck said in an interview on Wednesday, referring to the chemical vaporizing and drifting. Though his company profited from selling more than a million bags of Xtend soybean seeds this year, Beck said he worried that continued problems with the chemical could give the agriculture sector a bad reputation among consumers. Restricting use would also help prevent weeds from developing resistance to dicamba, he said. New limits would be another headache for Bayer, following its acquisition of Monsanto. Last week a California jury ruled Monsanto must pay $289 million in damages in the first U.S. lawsuit over alleged links between glyphosate and cancer. Monsanto denies glyphosate causes cancer. Earlier this month, a Brazilian judge suspended the use of products containing glyphosate. MONSANTO EXPECTS EPA NOD Monsanto has blamed U.S. field damage from dicamba largely on improper applications by farmers and says mandatory training helped this year. Inquiries to the company about dicamba problems dropped to about nine per million acres of dicamba-resistant crops planted, down from about 40 inquiries per million acres last year, said Ryan Rubischko, who heads the company's dicamba portfolio. He said Monsanto expects the EPA to extend its approval for dicamba. In a sign the company is concerned, however, Monsanto has asked seed sellers to contact the agency to express support for the product, according to an email the company sent this week that was seen by Reuters. The email noted others had encouraged the EPA to add restrictions on dicamba or prevent sales. Monsanto likened those efforts to an "uninformed vocal minority" in the email. Rubischko confirmed the company had asked dicamba users to give positive feedback to regulators. The EPA did not respond to requests for comment. The agency has held weekly phone calls with agriculture officials in farm states this summer to assess dicamba damage. Agency officials also visited farms in Tennessee, Missouri and Arkansas to see damaged crops first-hand, according to tour participants. Farther north, Monsanto funded a study by University of Wisconsin researchers that showed dicamba hurt non-resistant soybeans that were covered with plastic when the chemical was sprayed on nearby Xtend soybeans after planting. Stine Seed has told the EPA in writing and conversations that dicamba should not be sprayed on top of growing soybeans to control weeds, CEO Harry Stine said in an interview on Tuesday. The herbicide has damaged fields of Stine soy seeds by drifting, he said. Stine Seed is preparing to launch products that will compete with Xtend soy and also works with Monsanto on seed technology. "I've been doing this for 50 years and we've never had anything be as damaging as this dicamba situation," Harry Stine said. "In this case, Monsanto made an error." (Reporting by Tom Polansek in Chicago; Editing by Caroline Stauffer and Matthew Lewis) ACCRA, Ghana (AP) Kofi Annan, a charismatic global diplomat and the first black African to become United Nations secretary-general who led the world body through one of its most turbulent periods, died early Saturday at age 80. Tributes flowed in from around the world after his foundation announced his death in the Swiss capital, Bern, after a short and unspecified illness. The statement remembered the Nobel Peace Prize winner as "radiating genuine kindness, warmth and brilliance in all he did." He died "peacefully in his sleep," the president of Ghana, where Annan was born, said after speaking to his wife. At U.N. headquarters in New York, the U.N. flag flew at half-staff and a bouquet of flowers was placed under Annan's portrait. Reflecting the widespread regard that won him a groundbreaking uncontested election to a second term, leaders from Russia, India, Israel, France and elsewhere expressed condolences for a man Bill Gates called "one of the great peacemakers of our time." Annan spent virtually his entire career as an administrator in the United Nations. His aristocratic style, cool-tempered elegance and political savvy helped guide his ascent to become its seventh secretary-general, and the first hired from within. His two terms were from Jan. 1, 1997, to Dec. 31, 2006, capped nearly midway when he and the U.N. were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001. During his tenure, Annan presided over some of the worst failures and scandals at the world body. Challenges from the outset forced him to spend much of his time struggling to restore its tarnished reputation. His enduring moral prestige remained largely undented, however, both through charm and by virtue of having negotiated with most of the powers in the world. Story continues When he departed from the United Nations, he left behind a global organization far more aggressively engaged in peacekeeping and fighting poverty, setting the framework for its 21st-century response to mass atrocities and its emphasis on human rights and development. "In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations," current U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. "He rose through the ranks to lead the organization into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination." Even out of office, Annan never completely left the U.N. orbit. He returned in special roles, including as the U.N.-Arab League's special envoy to Syria in 2012. He remained a powerful advocate for global causes through his eponymous foundation. Annan took on the top U.N. post six years after the collapse of the Soviet Union and presided during a decade when the world united against terrorism after the Sept. 11 attacks then divided deeply over the U.S.-led war against Iraq. The U.S. relationship tested him as a world diplomatic leader. "I think that my darkest moment was the Iraq war, and the fact that we could not stop it," Annan said in a February 2013 interview with TIME magazine to mark the publication of his memoir, "Interventions: A Life in War and Peace." "I worked very hard I was working the phone, talking to leaders around the world. The U.S. did not have the support in the Security Council," Annan recalled in the videotaped interview posted on his foundation's website. "So they decided to go without the council. But I think the council was right in not sanctioning the war," he said. "Could you imagine if the U.N. had endorsed the war in Iraq, what our reputation would be like? Although at that point, President (George W.) Bush said the U.N. was headed toward irrelevance, because we had not supported the war. But now we know better." Despite his well-honed diplomatic skills, Annan was never afraid to speak candidly. That didn't always win him fans, particularly in the case of Bush's administration, with whom Annan's camp spent much time bickering. Much of his second term was spent at odds with the United States, the U.N.'s biggest contributor, as he tried to lean on it to pay almost $2 billion in arrears. At the end of his Nobel acceptance speech Annan reminded the world why such pressure is necessary. "Beneath the surface of states and nations, ideas and language, lies the fate of individual human beings in need," he said. "Answering their needs will be the mission of the United Nations in the century to come." Kofi Atta Annan was born April 8, 1938, into an elite family in Kumasi, Ghana, the son of a provincial governor and grandson of two tribal chiefs. He shared his middle name Atta "twin" in Ghana's Akan language with a twin sister, Efua. He became fluent in English, French and several African languages, attending an elite boarding school and the University of Science and Technology in Kumasi. He finished his undergraduate work in economics at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1961. From there he went to Geneva, where he began his graduate studies in international affairs and launched his U.N. career. Annan married Titi Alakija, a Nigerian woman, in 1965, and they had a daughter, Ama, and a son, Kojo. He returned to the U.S. in 1971 and earned a master's degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management. The couple separated during the 1970s and, while working in Geneva, Annan met his second wife, Swedish lawyer Nane Lagergren. They married in 1984. Annan worked for the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa in Ethiopia, its Emergency Force in Egypt and the office of the High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva before taking a series of senior posts at U.N. headquarters in New York dealing with human resources, budget, finance and staff security. He also had special assignments. After Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, he facilitated the repatriation from Iraq of more than 900 international staff and other non-Iraqi nationals, and the release of Western hostages in Iraq. He led the initial negotiations with Iraq for the sale of oil in exchange for humanitarian relief. Just before becoming secretary-general, Annan served as U.N. peacekeeping chief and as special envoy to the former Yugoslavia, where he oversaw a transition in Bosnia from U.N. protective forces to NATO-led troops. The U.N. peacekeeping operation faced two of its greatest failures during his tenure: the Rwanda genocide in 1994 and the massacre in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica in July 1995. In both cases, the U.N. had deployed troops under Annan's command, but they failed to save the lives of the civilians they were mandated to protect. Annan offered apologies but ignored calls to resign by U.S. Republican lawmakers. After becoming secretary-general, he called for U.N. reports on those two debacles and they were highly critical of his management. As secretary-general, Annan forged his experiences into a doctrine called the "Responsibility to Protect" that countries accepted at least in principle to head off genocide, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing and war crimes. Annan sought to strengthen the U.N.'s management, coherence and accountability, efforts that required huge investments in training and technology, a new whistleblower policy and financial disclosure requirements. In 1998, he helped ease a transition to civilian rule in Nigeria and visited Iraq to try to resolve its impasse with the Security Council over compliance with weapons inspections and other matters. The effort helped avoid an outbreak of hostilities that seemed imminent at the time. In 1999, he was deeply involved in the process by which East Timor gained independence from Indonesia, and started the "Global Compact" initiative that has grown into the world's largest effort to promote corporate social responsibility. Annan was chief architect of what became known as the Millennium Development Goals, and played a central role in creating the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the U.N.'s first counter-terrorism strategy. Annan's uncontested election to a second term was unprecedented, reflecting the overwhelming support he enjoyed from both rich and poor countries. Timothy Wirth, president of the United Nations Foundation, which disburses Ted Turner's $1 billion pledge to U.N. causes, hailed "a saint-like sense about him." In 2005, Annan succeeded in establishing the Peacebuilding Commission and the Human Rights Council. But that year, the U.N. was facing almost daily attacks over allegations about corruption in the U.N. oil-for-food program in Iraq, bribery by U.N. purchasing officials and widespread sex abuse by U.N. peacekeepers an issue that would only balloon in importance after he left office. It emerged that Annan's son had not disclosed payments he received from his employer, which had a $10 million-a-year contract to monitor humanitarian aid under the oil-for-food program. The company paid at least $300,000 to Kojo so he would not work for competitors after he left. An independent report criticized the secretary-general for being too complacent, saying he should have done more to investigate matters even if he was not involved with the awarding of the contract. World leaders agreed to create an internal U.N. ethics office, but a major overhaul of the U.N.'s outdated management practices and operating procedures was left to Annan's successor, Ban Ki-moon. Before leaving office, Annan helped secure a truce between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, and mediated a settlement of a dispute between Cameroon and Nigeria over the Bakassi peninsula. At a farewell news conference, Annan listed as top achievements the promotion of human rights, the fight to close the gap between extreme poverty and immense wealth and the U.N. campaign to fight infectious diseases like AIDS. He never took disappointments and setbacks personally. And he kept his view that diplomacy should take place in private and not in the public forum. In his memoir, Annan recognized the costs of taking on the world's top diplomatic job, joking that "SG," for secretary-general, also signified "scapegoat" around U.N. headquarters. Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Richard Holbrooke called Annan "an international rock star of diplomacy." After leaving his high-profile U.N. perch, Annan didn't let up. In 2007, his Geneva-based foundation was created. That year he helped broker peace in Kenya, where election violence had killed over 1,000 people. He also joined The Elders, an elite group of former leaders founded by Nelson Mandela, eventually succeeding Desmond Tutu as its chairman. Annan "represented our continent and the world with enormous graciousness, integrity and distinction," Tutu said Saturday in a statement, adding that "we give great thanks to God" for him. As special envoy to Syria in 2012, Annan won international backing for a six-point plan for peace. The U.N. deployed a 300-member observer force to monitor a cease-fire, but peace never took hold and Annan was unable to surmount the bitter stalemate among Security Council powers. He resigned in frustration seven months into the job, as the civil war raged on. Annan continued to crisscross the globe. In 2017, his foundation's biggest projects included promotion of fair, peaceful elections; work with Myanmar's government to improve life in troubled Rakhine state; and battling violent extremism by enlisting young people to help. He also remained a vocal commentator on troubles like the refugee crisis; promoted good governance, anti-corruption measures and sustainable agriculture in Africa; and pushed efforts in the fight against illegal drug trafficking. Like many in the international community he expressed alarm at the Trump administration's decisions to back out of the Iran nuclear deal and move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Annan retained connections to many international organizations. He was chancellor of the University of Ghana, a fellow at New York's Columbia University, and professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore. His homeland of Ghana was shaken by his death. "One of our greatest compatriots," President Nana Akufo-Addo said, calling for a week with flags at half-staff. "Rest in perfect peace, Kofi. You have earned it." Annan is survived by his wife and three children. Funeral arrangements weren't immediately announced. ___ Heilprin reported from Geneva. Associated Press writer Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed. Google Roundup: Back to China, YouTube Gains, Waymo Deals Alphabet's (GOOGL) Google is building a search app tailored for China, its YouTube platform is now the second most visited website in the world and its Waymo unit is testing new use cases. Alphabets GOOGL Google is building a search app that will be acceptable to the Chinese government, its YouTube platform has become the second most visited website in the world and its Waymo self-driving unit is testing new use cases through a number of partnerships. Here are the details- Google Going Back to China A Google insider, concerned about the companys planned re-entry into China has leaked news to the Intercept, which is saying that Google intends to launch a censored search engine app called Dragonfly targeting the Chinese market within the next 6-9 months. The market represents 750 million Internet users, so its easy to see why Googles current CEO thinks thats too much opportunity to leave on the table. But Chinese people by and large prefer local player Baidu BIDU, especially for Chinese language search. The company has built on its expertise over the years in the face of weak foreign players, government support and by playing on the nationalistic spirit of the Chinese people. So Google, Microsoft MSFT, and for a while, Yahoo saw only very limited success in the country. Google may succeed in capturing a small share at best, but something that could help grow its revenue and perhaps allow synergistic gains in retail through JD.com JD and in cloud computing through partnerships with companies like Tencent. China, which has thus far successfully prevented foreign intervention in its internal affairs in the garb of human rights violations through the creation of atrocity literature, is currently in a battle of wills with the U.S. government. Censoring the Internet is an important part of maintaining law and order in the country as well as its national security, so companies that want to do business in China will have to play by the rules. The Chinese government wont tolerate any pretense to support the truth. The Republicans under President Trump are calling for measures to contain Chinas growing stature, but its an uphill battle given Americas dependence on the country and the fact that Xi Jinping isnt heading for elections any time soon (if at all). Story continues We provide a number of mobile apps in China, such as Google Translate and Files Go, help Chinese developers, and have made significant investments in Chinese companies like JD.com. But we dont comment on speculation about future plans, is all Google would say despite drawing flak from lawmakers, human rights groups and its own employees. YouTube Second Most Visited Site According to a new study by market research firm SimilarWeb, YouTube has overtaken Facebook FB as the second most visited website this year. This is not only the result of YouTubes own initiatives, but also because of declining popularity of Facebook where page visits have dropped from 8.5 billion to 4.7 billion in the last two years. Moreover, the growth in Facebooks app traffic hasnt been enough to offset the decline in visits to its websites. The most visited websites are now Google (by far the leader), YouTube, Facebook, Yahoo and Amazon AMZN, which surpassed Yahoo during big spending months such as in December 2017 and July 2018. So Amazon is poised to move into the number four position. Waymo Deals Alphabet-owned Waymo signed a number of deals recently to test uses for its self-driving technology. Current plans include a ride-hailing service, self-driving trucks for logistics and licensing the technology to automakers selling directly to consumers. With customers growing jittery following accidents involving self-driving cars (An American Automobile Association survey from April found that 73% of respondents fear riding in a self-driving vehicle, compared with 63% last year), testing its options seems like a wise thing to do. Besides, exploring options was always the plan. The splashiest deal was with Walmart WMT, which will offer its customers a pick up and drop facility, so they can personally collect their groceries from a nearby Walmart store. Its an interesting test for Walmart, which also has a variety of other partners taking care of last mile delivery. Partnering with AutoNation, Avis and others in the Phoenix area, Waymo cars are offering to drop you to nearby businesses. Also in Phoenix, it has partnered with Valley Metro to transport people to bus stops and train and light-rail stations. The goal for both parties is to study how people use public transit systems and unearth business opportunities. Partners with News Organizations Google intends to make data produced by news organizations more easily searchable. The news organizations will present the data they want to be displayed in response to specific queries in a tabular form that the search engine can easily read. Once indexed, it will receive prime placement on the search engine results page. Details about how much Google will make from the deals with 30 data journalists is unknown. Recommendation Alphabet shares carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Will You Make a Fortune on the Shift to Electric Cars? Here's another stock idea to consider. Much like petroleum 150 years ago, lithium power may soon shake the world, creating millionaires and reshaping geo-politics. Soon electric vehicles (EVs) may be cheaper than gas guzzlers. Some are already reaching 265 miles on a single charge. With battery prices plummeting and charging stations set to multiply, one company stands out as the #1 stock to buy according to Zacks research. It's not the one you think. See This Ticker Free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report JD.com, Inc. (JD) : Free Stock Analysis Report Baidu, Inc. (BIDU) : Free Stock Analysis Report Facebook, Inc. (FB) : Free Stock Analysis Report Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Sergey Brin Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Many Google employees were shocked to learn in real time that at least one of their own was leaking information to reporters during a company all-hands meeting on Thursday. Google managers and employees have a long tradition of not sharing what is said in all-hands meetings, known as TGIFs, but that changed Thursday. When tweets from a New York Times reporter indicated that at least one Googler was providing the reporter with details from the internal discussion, many within the company appeared to react with anger, according to sources at the company. People who were at the meeting said the result was that Google managers were handed a reason not to disclose any more information about the company's controversial plans to restart its operations in China, and cofounder Sergey Brin was made to look like a victim. "F--- you," said the male Google employee standing at the microphone during a pivotal moment at the company all-hands meeting on Thursday night. According to three sources in attendance who spoke with Business Insider, the man was addressing whomever within Google was relaying in real time what was said at the gathering to a New York Times reporter. The reporter had posted statements to Twitter that had been made just minutes before by Google's cofounder Sergey Brin and its CEO, Sundar Pichai, and her tweets were displayed on a large screen before the gathering. Sharing what is said during these discussions known internally as TGIFs between leaders and employees has long been considered a no-no at Google. Few companies have as much regular open and frank communication about sensitive subjects with their staff, and the general consensus at the company is that leaks would make them impossible. Tweet Embed: //twitter.com/mims/statuses/1030243849267015681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Sundar speaking to Googlers now at all-hands about Dragonfly: "If we were to do our mission well, we are to think seriously about how to do more in China. That said, we are not close to launching a search product in China." Story continues And that is probably why many inside Google appeared sympathetic to the sentiment expressed by their colleague at the mic. After he said the profanity and exhorted the leaker to leave, some in the audience applauded, the sources said. The man also received praise on Google's internal communications systems. The man at the mic spoke for many at Google For Googlers, their colleague's exhortation was an extraordinary event, and it came amid an exceptionally fractious period at the company. Brin and Pichai were expected to discuss media reports from two weeks ago that Google planned to restart its operations in China, the sources said. In 2010, Google pulled out of that country rather than censor its search results to exclude information the Chinese government found objectionable. Many people inside and outside the company consider government censorship to be a human-rights violation. A Google spokesman was not immediately available for comment. Tyler Breisacher Greg Sandoval/Business InsiderAccording to an August 2 report in The Intercept, Google has experienced a change of heart about China and has built a search application that, if launched, would filter out websites and other data banned by the Chinese government. The news angered and saddened many Google employees, who thought Brin and other leaders had abandoned at least some of the company's stated ethical values. Google has long been known as a hippie haven, a workplace whose leadership and employees largely possessed and encouraged left-leaning political views. That reputation was shaken, however, when news leaked earlier this year that Google had agreed to allow the Pentagon to use its artificial intelligence technology to help analyze drone video footage. Some experts argued the technology could also improve the accuracy of drone missile strikes. Thousands of Google workers signed a petition demanding leaders put an end to the relationship and promise to never produce AI-enhanced weapons. At least a dozen people quit in protest. The protesters appeared to triumph. Google's management released a set of governing principles for AI that included a promise never to build AI weapons and said the company would let its AI contract with the Pentagon expire. The press leaks backfired this time The Googlers' success sparked similar protests by like-minded tech workers at Amazon, Microsoft, and Salesforce. It helped give many tech workers the feeling they have the power to influence the ways their companies approach ethical questions. As they've pushed their companies on ethics, the workers have discoverd that press leaks can make for potent weapons. But at Google on Thursday, that weapon backfired, according to the sources. The person or people who shared the information with The Times gave Pichai and Brin an excuse to stop discussing anything substantive about China at the meeting, said the sources, two of whom strongly oppose the building of a censored search engine by Google. What's more, the executives were made to look like victims of a breach of trust, the sources said. All of the sources who talked to Business Insider agreed that the display of the reporters' tweets at the meeting stunned the audience and marked a turning point. All the momentum and sympathy swung in the direction of management. Some of the sources said they feared the leaks might have a chilling effect on the willingness of employees sympathetic to the protests to share information. The leaker and The Times "overplayed their hand," one source said. It was a "stupid mistake" to tweet during the meeting, another source said. "It shocked Googlers, and it was so unnecessary," that person said. "Why didn't they just wait until after the meeting to publish a full story?" NOW WATCH: This machine perfectly pours concrete See Also: SEE ALSO: A tense internal meeting between Google CEO Sundar Pichai and employees went sideways as execs addressed rumors about the company's China plans Photo by CRAIG LASSIG/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock (9723164p)Lara TrumpUS President Donald J. Lara Trump is the daughter-in-law of President Donald Trump. Lara is a senior adviser for President Trumps 2020 re-election campaign. Lara has appeared in recent headlines as shes been accused of bribery. A woman bearing the Trump name is in the headlines and its not Ivanka or Melania. Lara Trump, President Donald Trumps daughter-in-law, has been accused by Omarosa Manigault Newman of allegedly bribing the former reality show contestant and former White House aide in exchange for her silence. Manigault Newman is currently promoting her White House tell-all book, Unhinged: An Insiders Account of the Trump White House,and in it she paints a less than flattering portrayal of the current administration. Click to read more about the estimated value of President Trumps lavish properties. Before she married into the Trump family with her 2014 wedding to Eric Trump, President Trumps second son with ex-wife Ivana, Lara Trump, a native of Wrightsville Beach, N.C., was born Lara Yunaska in a world far away from the Trump machine. Theres no definitive number for Laras net worth, but apart from her famous father-in-law and the extensive Trump clan, her past and current professional endeavors provide clues as to how much shes worth. Before her foray into politics, her resume appeared to show the same type of entrepreneurialism and reinvention demonstrated by her famous in-laws. Heres what you need to know about Lara Trump: Trumps Arent Camera Shy and Neither Is Lara Trump Lara worked for CBS Inside Edition from 2012 to 2016 and was promoted to an associate producer role. Her former salary has not been disclosed; however, the average annual salary for the similar role of a producer at Inside Edition is $102,011, according to Paysa a respectable salary on its own but a pittance compared to her husbands net worth of $300 million. Story continues Related: Trump, Putin and the Richest World Leaders, Ranked Lara Trump Doesnt Have Strong Political Qualifications Lara Trump attended North Carolina State University before she went on to attend the French Culinary Institute. She ran a cake business called Lara Lea Confections. Lara also worked as a personal trainer and served as a board member to her husbands now-defunct Eric Trump Foundation, which was under investigation at the time for misuse of funds, Fortune reported in August 2017. Donald Trumps Daughter-in-Laws Dedication and Loyalty to Him Runs Deep After her resignation from Inside Edition, Lara hit her father-in-laws campaign trail in 2016. She has frequently spoken about her life growing up in North Carolina to bolster support among Southern voters. Lara Trump Is Working Toward 2020 After the inauguration, it was announced that Lara would be a senior consultant at a marketing company that has been in business with the Trumps since 2011. As a senior adviser for President Trumps 2020 re-election campaign, Lara has spoken at events throughout the South and has frequently appeared on Fox News. Tips: Money Lessons You Can Learn From President Donald Trump Eric Trumps Wife Says Their Life Is Normal Despite her world famous last name, Lara insists she and her husband lead a pretty normal life, and they are happiest at home in the company of their dogs despite being under the watch and protection of the Secret Service. Click through to read more about President Trumps spending habits. More on Politicians This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Who Is Lara Trump? 5 Fast Facts About Trumps $300M Daughter-in-Law In case you havent been keeping track of the plight of NASAs Opportunity rover, Ill get you caught back up: A dust storm covered Mars, the rover fell asleep, and now it wont wake back up. The rovers team of engineers is worried that it might never wake back up and its playing inspirational songs for it in the meantime but even if it does the rover might never be the same. In a new blog post, NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory offers a brief update on the status of the rover before examining the best- and worst-case scenarios. Spoiler: Some of it is kind of sad. Don't Miss: The rare Amazon sale on Boses best noise cancelling wireless headphones is still going on First, to tackle the status of the rover, NASA believes the rover fell asleep due to a low-power fault. This occurs when the rovers solar panels cant recharge its battery to an adequate level and the rover enters a standby state while it waits for more juice. The rover is designed to regularly wake back up to check its power levels and attempt to contact Earth. That doesnt appear to be happening, at least not yet. NASA goes on to explain that a second type of fault, called a clock fault, occurs when the rovers onboard clock get confused. That internal clock is supposed to tell the rover when it should wake back up and check power levels. The skies are clearer now than before, and the rovers solar panels should, in theory, be charging its batteries, but the rover has yet to snap out of its stupor. If the clock is busted, the rover is capable of guessing the time based on light levels, but if the rover is asleep that be a pretty difficult task to perform. The Opportunity team goes on to warn that even if the rover does wake back up, it might actually be damaged too severely to continue its job. NASA likens the rovers situation to a coma patient waking up, noting that it takes time to fully recover from the trauma of the situation. On top of all that, the rovers batteries might now be damaged from the long downtime. If the batteries spent every last drop of energy they had before the Sun could finally recharge them, their capacity might be severely limited, giving the rover much less energy to work with going forward. Story continues This all paints a pretty dire picture of Opportunitys current status, but its still possible that the rover will spring back to life and keep chugging along as it has for well over a decade. The rover has already outpaced every possible expectation of it, so maybe it has one more trick up its sleeve. BGR Top Deals: Trending Right Now: See the original version of this article on BGR.com In this article: Oppenheimer analyst Brian Bittner downgraded Yum China Holdings Inc (NYSE: YUMC) from Outperform to Perform and removed his $40 price target. The Thesis After spinning off from YUM! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM) last November, Yum China shares have gained roughly 46 percent, but a elevated earnings risk against consensus estimates through 2019 has forced Bittner to downgrade the stock. Recent reports of takeout speculation in China present an interesting angle, but at a 23x forward P/E against elevated near-term operating risks, we no longer view shares as undervalued, the analyst said in a note. Bittner asserted the downgrade doesn't impact his positive view on Yum Brands, given YUMs lack of exposure to YUMCs earnings and stock performance." The analyst says that same-store sales challenges still persist for Yum China for three reasons: Near-term KFC headwinds dont appear transitory due to potential macro issues. Pizza Huts revitalization plan is long-term in nature. Comparisons are tougher for the rest of 2018. While Bittner said reports of a go-private transaction present an interesting angle, the fundamental outlook and analysis no longer meets Oppenheimers outperform rating criteria. The debt-free balance sheet and $700-$800 in FCF remain intriguing, but at a 23x forward P/E, we believe risk-reward is not skewed positively, he said. Price Action Shares closed Friday down 1.3 percent at $34.86. Related Links: Stifel Upgrades Embattled Papa John's On Lowered Expectations Jefferies Finds A Reason To Order Papa John's Photo credit: User:, from Wikimedia Commons Latest Ratings for YUMC Aug 2018 Oppenheimer Downgrades Outperform Perform Jul 2018 Bank of America Downgrades Neutral Underperform Mar 2018 Morgan Stanley Maintains Overweight Overweight View More Analyst Ratings for YUMC View the Latest Analyst Ratings See more from Benzinga 2018 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. By David Lawder WASHINGTON, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Panama on Friday will sign an agreement with the U.S. Treasury and Energy departments aimed at paving the way for more private investment to expand the importation and distribution of U.S. liquefied natural gas in Latin America. David Malpass, Treasury undersecretary for international affairs, said he hopes the "framework agreement" is the first of several with countries in the region to encourage investment to increase access to cheaper, cleaner energy. The agreement is part of a Treasury-led initiative called America Crece, incorporating the Spanish word for growth, aimed at boosting U.S. LNG exports, developing Latin American energy resources and downstream demand. Malpass is in Panama for the signing and the inauguration of a major new LNG terminal and 381-megawatt gas-fired power plant in Colon, Panama, run by U.S. power company AES Corp. He said in an interview that new investments encouraged by the agreement will help turn the AES Colon project into an LNG distribution hub, with cargoes imported from the United States sent to other countries in the region, including Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua. These countries and many Caribbean islands now rely largely on oil to generate electricity, with Venezuela a major supplier. In 2017, French utility Engie and AES established a joint venture to market and sell LNG to third parties in Central America using the Panama terminal as a distribution hub. The $1.15 billion AES facility on Panama's Caribbean coast, which is expected to begin commercial generating operations on Sept 1, and LNG tank distribution operations in 2019, took in its first U.S. LNG cargo in June. The Panama agreement allows for the U.S. agencies to help address regulatory and other barriers to investment, Malpass said, which can create opportunities for downstream demand and distribution. "The framework agreement itself squarely addresses the obstacles that the private sector may be finding in that country," Malpass said. In the case of Panama, he added, the framework agreement with the United States is a signal from Panama to the world that it welcomes investment, in particular private sector funding of projects. The agreement also aims to encourage increased electrical grid access in rural areas of Panama and Central America and adoption of new technologies such as battery storage to improve reliability and foster economic development, he said. (Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Steve Orlofsky) A common misconception among those pursuing an advanced degree in psychology is that the degree will automatically lead to a career as a mental health care provider. While there are opportunities available to those interested in seeking a career to help people struggling with mental illness, there are also many nonclinical jobs available to those with a graduate degree in psychology. "There's a general impression, which is incorrect, that if you major in psychology, you immediately want to go into the health professions, and you immediately are going to be a psychotherapist or work with people with emotional problems and that sort of thing," says Donald Leitner, a professor and chair of psychology at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia who holds a Ph.D. "And that is only true of a branch of psychology, which is clinical psychology. There are many other branches of the modern discipline of psychology." For instance, some psychology degree holders become researchers, who use scientific experiments to clarify how the human mind works, while others design and administer IQ tests and personality assessments. Also, keep in mind therapists and counselors don't necessarily cater to individuals who suffer from serious mental health problems. "We're not only dealing with people with specific psychological, let's use the word, 'illnesses' or 'challenges,'" says William Gibson, an associate professor of psychology at Brandman University in Irvine, California who has a Ph.D. in psychology and specializes in marriage and family therapy. Gibson says psychologists sometimes help psychologically healthy individuals find happiness. [Read: What is a Psychologist?] The American Psychological Association offers an overview of the many types of jobs someone can get with a psychology degree in its online publication, " Careers in Psychology." The publication notes that the term psychologist is reserved for psychology degree holders who have doctorates, and identifies more than 15 types of psychologists. Story continues Here's a breakdown of different types: -- Clinical psychologists: These health care providers diagnose and treat mental health problems, including short-term issues and chronic conditions. -- Cognitive and perceptual psychologists: Psychologists in this field focus on how people see, understand and communicate with the outside world and how people remember their past experiences. Researchers look for treatments for people with various brain disorders, while clinicians provide support to those with brain disorders. -- Community psychologists: These psychologists advise communities that are facing significant crises, such as disease epidemics and crime sprees, on the psychological aspects of such problems. -- Counseling psychologists: These therapists and counselors help people cope with difficult personal situations and provide guidance on how to achieve life goals. -- Developmental psychologists: These are experts in how the human mindset changes over the course of a lifespan and often conduct aging-related research. As clinicians, these psychologists assist children and adolescents struggling with psychological growing pains. -- Educational psychologists: These professionals specialize in the psychology of teaching and learning and focus on improving student outcomes. -- Engineering psychologists: Often called "human factors specialists" or "human factors psychologists," these experts help design machines that are easy for people to use. -- Environmental psychologists: These are experts in how the physical and social environment surrounding an individual affects the way that person feels and thinks. -- Evolutionary psychologists: These experts examine how natural selection has shaped human brains and influenced the way we think. -- Experimental psychologists: These researchers conduct psychological experiments on humans and animals to answer scientific questions. -- Forensic psychologists: These professionals focus on issues with legal implications, such as whether a criminal defendant is psychologically fit to face a trial, and may help law enforcement solve crimes. -- Health psychologists: These psychologists figure out how people with poor health habits can maximize their well-being. -- Industrial-organizational psychologists: These professionals concentrate on the way human psychology impacts the performance of businesses and other organizations. -- Neuropsychologists: Sometimes called behavioral neuropsychologists, these are experts in how the biology of the brain and nervous system impacts human behavior, thoughts and feelings. -- Quantitative and measurement psychologists: These mathematically-inclined professionals ensure that data from psychological experiments and assessments are accurately interpreted, and create models that facilitate a precise data analysis. -- Rehabilitation psychologists: These professionals provide counseling and treatment to people with traumatic physical injuries or serious disabilities. -- School psychologists: These care providers offer psychological support to students and their families. -- Social psychologists: These psychologists focus on the ways that society influences the way people think and act, and study the way people in relationships interact with each other. -- Sport psychologists: These psychologists focus on helping athletes maintain motivation and resilience during competitions. Nonacademic, Nonclinical Psychology Careers Karen Stamm, the director of the Center for Workforce Studies at the American Psychological Association, who holds a Ph.D. in psychology, says it's common for people with psychology doctorates to have jobs outside of academia and health care. "Only about half of psychology doctorates work in 'traditional' occupations (psychologist or psychology professor)," Stamm wrote in an email. "The other half work in a variety of occupations, such [as] professors in fields other than psychology, managers and administrators, writers, etc." Psychologists often conduct research for clients and serve as industry consultants, says Susann Doyle-Portillo, an associate department head of psychological science at the University of North Georgia who holds a doctorate. "For example, a human factors psychologist [an engineering psychologist] may work for an auto manufacturer to help design instrument panels in cars that promote safety and ease of use by consumers," Portillo wrote in an email. "A social psychologist may consult with trial attorneys on ways to best persuade juries. A developmental psychologist may help design educational toys or software and so on." [Read: Ask 6 Questions to Pick an Online Psychology Degree Program.] Job Opportunities Vary Depending on the Type of Degree Julie Gurner, a former professor of psychology who has a Psy.D. degree in clinical psychology and now works as a business consultant, says the jobs psychology degree holders are marketable for depends on their specific discipline. "For example, someone who is in experimental psychology would spend their career conducting research, while someone with a clinical psychology degree would likely be in academics or health care. There are so many different types of psychology that are not related to counseling that most do not realize," Gurner said via email. A Psychology Doctorate Can Lead to Lucrative Jobs Erin Reynolds, a Texas-based clinical director who holds a master's degree and Psy.D. doctorate in clinical psychology, says a doctorate in psychology is typically more marketable and profitable than a less advanced degree. "Only those with a doctorate in psychology can use the title 'psychologist,'" Reynolds wrote in an email. "This opens many more doors in terms of what you can do and how much autonomy you can have in the workplace. It also allows you to bill for services at a higher rate than a master's level clinician in many cases." Reynolds says a bachelor's degree in psychology "is a great generalist degree that allows you to apply to grad school, law school, or even medical school, but on its own doesn't amount to much more than a liberal arts degree." However, some psychology degree holders who only have a bachelor's or master's degree in psychology say that a psychology doctorate was not necessary for them to achieve their career goals. Meg Schmitz, a senior franchise consultant with FranChoice, a company that matches prospective franchise owners with a business that fits their skills and interests, says that her college degree in psychology provided her with training for her first job at a personnel agency. A Master's or Bachelor's Can Offer an Array of Career Paths "Many undergraduates find employment after graduation in areas such as human resources, law enforcement, employment counseling, insurance companies, nonprofit organizations, child care, mental health, health care settings, public affairs, business, sales, administrative support and so on," Doyle-Portillo wrote in an email. Julia Simens, a retired school counselor who has a master's degree in clinical psychology, notes that she did not need a doctorate in order to establish a fulfilling psychology career . "In my position, having a doctorate would have made no difference whatsoever," Simens says. The Difference Between a Psy.D. and a Ph.D. Experts note an important distinction between a research doctorate in psychology, known as a Ph.D., and a clinical doctorate, known as a Psy.D. While the Ph.D. is the traditional degree for aspiring psychology researchers, the Psy.D. is designed for future psychology clinicians. "Ph.D. programs are the gold standard for those going into psychological research, and Ph.D. degrees are typically required or desired for most academic and high-level industry jobs," Nick Schweitzer, an associate professor at Arizona State University's School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, wrote in an email. Sarah Gray, the founder of a Massachusetts psychology practice and a psychology instructor at Harvard Medical School who holds a Psy.D., says that she chose to get a Psy.D. as opposed to a Ph.D. because she was most interested in therapy. "I knew I would want to spend most of my time practicing psychology as opposed to working in a research lab." How to Choose a Psychology Program "It's important to note that a graduate degree in psychology does not, in and of itself, allow someone to provide psychotherapy services," says Carla Marie Manly, a California-based clinical psychologist who holds a Ph.D. "Internships and licensure are required to obtain the necessary accreditation to provide services to clients." Psychology degree holders say that a formal education in how the human mind works is useful for numerous career paths. Understanding how people think is especially useful in professions that involve understanding or influencing public opinion, such as advertising or politics, experts suggest. [See: Explore the 10 Best Graduate Clinical Psychology Programs.] According to Schweitzer, "Psychology is actually a very diverse field. While many people think of psychology as the study and treatment of mental health issues, the field is about understanding everything about human behaviors, thoughts and emotions." Searching for a grad school? Access our complete rankings of Best Graduate Schools. More From US News & World Report MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AP) Saudi Arabia is preparing to host the annual hajj pilgrimage beginning Sunday, as over 2 million Muslim faithful are ready to take part in the ultraconservative kingdom. The pilgrimage represents one of the five pillars of Islam and is required of all able-bodied Muslims once in their life. In recent weeks, the faithful have arrived in Mecca from across the world, all chanting "Labayk Allahuma Labayk," or "Here I am, God, answering your call. Here I am." The hajj offers pilgrims an opportunity to feel closer to God amid the Muslim world's many challenges, including the threat of extremists in the Mideast after the Islamic State group was beaten back in Iraq and Syria and the plight of Myanmar's Muslim Rohingya minority. "My feeling is indescribable to perform the hajj," said Imad Abdel-Raheem, an Egyptian pilgrim. "I also want to pray for all Muslim countries, for them to live free in all places, in Palestine and in Burma, in all places, in Afghanistan and in India." Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki, the spokesman of the Saudi Interior Ministry, told journalists Saturday that over 2 million Muslims from abroad and inside the kingdom would be taking part in this year's hajj. Men attending the hajj dress in only terrycloth, seamless white garments meant to represent unity among Muslims and equality before God. Women wear loose clothing, cover their hair and forgo makeup and nail polish to achieve a state of humility and spiritual purity. Since arriving, many have circled the cube-shaped Kaaba in Mecca Islam's holiest site. The Kaaba represents the metaphorical house of God and the oneness of God in Islam. Observant Muslims around the world face toward the Kaaba during their five daily prayers. Story continues Muslims believe the hajj retraces the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad, as well as those of the prophets Ibrahim and Ismail Abraham and Ishmael in the Bible. After prayers in Mecca, pilgrims will head to an area called Mount Arafat on Monday, where the Prophet Muhammad delivered his final sermon. From there, pilgrims will head to an area called Muzdalifa, picking up pebbles along the way for a symbolic stoning of the devil and a casting away of sins that takes place in the Mina valley for three days. At the hajj's end, male pilgrims will shave their hair and women will cut a lock of hair in a sign of renewal for completing the pilgrimage. Around the world, Muslims will mark the end of hajj with a celebration called Eid al-Adha. The holiday, remembering Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son, sees Muslims slaughter sheep and cattle, distributing the meat to the poor. While a holy, once-in-a-lifetime experience for pilgrims, the hajj is by no means an easy journey. The temperature in Mecca and Mina will be around 42 degrees Celsius (107 degrees Fahrenheit). Pilgrims walk between 5 to 15 kilometers (3 to 9 miles) a day. Long lines and even longer waits can strain even the most patient as they weave through the throngs of people. For Saudi Arabia, the hajj is the biggest logistical challenge the kingdom faces. Its ruling Al Saud family stakes its legitimacy in part on its management of the holiest sites in Islam. King Salman's official title is the "Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques," at Mecca and Medina. Other Saudi kings, and the Ottoman rulers of the Hijaz region before them, all have adopted the honorary title The kingdom has spent billions of dollars of its vast oil revenues on security and safety measures, particularly in Mina, where some of the hajj's deadliest incidents have occurred. The worst in recorded history took place only three years ago. On Sept. 24, 2015, a stampede and crush of pilgrims in Mina killed at least 2,426 people, according to an Associated Press count. The official Saudi toll of 769 people killed and 934 injured has not changed since only two days afterward. The kingdom has never addressed the discrepancy, nor has it released any results of an investigation authorities promised to conduct over the disaster. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia also faces threats from al-Qaida militants and a local faction of the Islamic State group. Days earlier, the Interior Ministry acknowledged arresting a Saudi wearing an explosive vest in the kingdom's central al-Qassim region who shot at security forces. Politics often intrude into the holy pilgrimage. Saudi Arabia under King Salman and his son, the assertive 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, have had strained ties with Iran, which boycotted the 2016 hajj They will be there this year, as will Qataris, whose small country on the Arabian Peninsula is being boycotted by Saudi Arabia and three other Arab nations. Meanwhile, a Saudi-led war in Yemen against Shiite rebels drags on without an end in sight. The rebels have fired over 150 ballistic missiles on the kingdom during a conflict that has seen Saudi airstrikes hit markets and hospitals, killing civilians. And perhaps most surprising, Canadians recently found themselves in the cross-hairs of Saudi anger over their diplomats tweeting their desire to see detained women's rights activists released. Al-Turki, the Interior Ministry spokesman, acknowledged both the threat posed by a possible missile launch from Yemen's rebels and militant attacks during the hajj. "Our policemen are ready to deal with any such threat and to sacrifice their lives in order to protect the pilgrimage from any threat," he said. Those on the hajj said they hoped for better relations across the Muslim world. "I hope this year would be a good one for the Islamic nations," said Ahmad Mohammad, an Egyptian pilgrim. "I hope the situation will be better, and I ask Allah to accept my pilgrimage." That was a feeling shared by Jordanian pilgrim Jehad Hussein. "I pray to Allah to grant victory to all of them, the people of Palestine, the people of Gaza, Syria and all Arab countries. Allah willing," she said. Montreal, Quebec, August 17, 2018 - SEMAFO Inc. (TSX, OMX: SMF) regrets to report that a bus transporting employees from the town of Bobo-Dioulasso to the Mana Mine in Burkina Faso was shot at by armed bandits this morning. In the exchange of fire between the policemen and bandits, one SEMAFO national employee and one sub-contractor employee lost their lives. Operations at the Mana Mine, located 80 kilometers from the incident, are not affected. Early analysis suggests that this incident and the armed incident that occurred in the Est region six days ago are unrelated. However, the Corporation will be increasing its security measures at Mana and take appropriate steps to ensure the safety of the mine and of its employees. The Corporation would like to express its sincere sympathy to families of the victims. About SEMAFO SEMAFO is a Canadian-based mining company with gold production and exploration activities in West Africa. The Corporation operates the Mana Mine in Burkina Faso, which includes the high-grade satellite deposit of Siou, and is targeting commercial production at the Boungou Mine in the third quarter of 2018. SEMAFO is committed to evolve in a conscientious manner to become a major player in its geographical area of interest. SEMAFO`s strategic focus is to maximize shareholder value by effectively managing its existing assets as well as pursuing organic and strategic growth opportunities. For more information, contact SEMAFO John Jentz Vice-President, Corporate Development & Investor Relations Email: John.Jentz@semafo.com Ruth Hanna Analyst, Investor Relations Email: Ruth.Hanna@semafo.com Tel. local & overseas: +1 (514) 744 4408 North America Toll-Free: 1 (888) 744 4408 Website: www.semafo.com Press Release (PDF) 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: SEMAFO Inc. via GlobeNewswire HUG#2211539 By Noel Randewich and Nivedita Balu (Reuters) - Tesla Inc's (TSLA.O) shares slumped 9 percent on Friday after Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk told the New York Times he was under major emotional stress and was preparing for "extreme torture" from short sellers. Tesla stock was on track for its biggest daily slump in two years as Wall Street questioned Musk's ability to lead the electric car maker. Investors also were worried about reports that regulators were pressuring Tesla's directors for details about how much information he shared with them. Musk stunned markets last week with a tweet that he was considering taking Tesla private for $420 per share and that he had secured funding. The SEC has opened an inquiry related to his tweets, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. The Times reported that efforts were underway to find a No. 2 executive to take pressure off Musk, who has struggled with production issues for Tesla's key Model 3 sedan and has been criticized for behaving erratically on Twitter. "This past year has been the most difficult and painful year of my career. It was excruciating," Musk said in the hour-long interview, in which he reportedly choked up more than once. Musk also said he had no plans to relinquish his dual role as chairman and CEO. He said he was girding for "at least a few months of extreme torture from the short-sellers, who are desperately pushing a narrative that will possibly result in Teslas destruction. Story continues With $11 billion worth of shares sold short, Tesla is the most shorted U.S. company, according to S3 Partners, a financial analytics firm. On Twitter, Musk has frequently complained about short sellers and taunted them. "If your plan is to take this company private, out of the public eye and the regulatory eye of the SEC, then people who have a fiduciary responsibility to their investors have to feel comfortable about the situation, and the New York Times article makes that harder, said Mike ORourke, chief market strategist at JonesTrading. The day's drop in Tesla's stock shaved $5 billion off its market capitalisation, but still left it about $1 billion above General Motors' (GM.N) $51 billion stock market value. Money-losing Tesla has been burning through cash as it has aggressively ramped up Model 3 production, a process Musk has called "production hell". Tesla bulls are counting on Musk to exponentially raise production, leading to long-term profits. Everyone is reacting to the interview that Musk gave, where it seemed like he was an exhausted, frustrated individual, said Tim Ghriskey, chief investment strategist at Inverness Counsel, which does not own Tesla shares. There is concern about the long-term strength of the company, perhaps even its viability if hes not able to be a strong leader. Analysts at UBS this week questioned the profitability the Model 3, in a report that said Tesla could lose $6,000 on every base model. The brokerage said the carmaker's premium Model 3 sedan will also not produce better profit margins than a conventional BMW (BMWG.DE). (Editing by Bernard Orr and David Gregorio) elon musk Lucy Nicholson / Reuters Some former members of a notorious security team at Uber are now allegedly employed by Tesla. They include Nick Gicinto, who reportedly is the new head of security at Tesla. At Uber, Gicinto allegedly led a team of former CIA case officers who hacked into rivals' computers and secretly recorded their conversations. At Tesla, Gicinto and his team allegedly spied on employees and hushed up a drug-trafficking investigation. The allegations about the Uber team working at Tesla were made by Karl Hansen, a former Tesla employee who has filed a whistleblower tip with the Securities and Exchange Commission. "Several" employees in Tesla's security department including the company's head of security were previously a part of a similar team at Uber that allegedly stole data from rivals, hacked into their computer systems, and recorded their private conversations, according to a former employee of the electric-vehicle company who filed a whistleblower tip earlier this month with the Securities and Exchange Commission. At Tesla, those employees were part of a group that spied on employees' personal cell-phone communications and hid from shareholders a theft of raw materials and a drug trafficking ring at the company's battery factory in Nevada, Karl Hansen, a former member of Tesla's security team, alleged in the tip, according to a statement put out Thursday by his lawyer. "The security personnel accused of engaging in these tactics at Uber were hired by Tesla this year despite the revelation of a purported investigation by the US Attorneys Office in San Francisco ... [into] the actions related to the Uber security team," Meissner Associates, the law firm representing Hansen, said in the statement. CNBC first reported Hansen's allegations about the former Uber team now working for Tesla. Hansen investigated links between Tesla employees and Mexican drug cartels Story continues While at Tesla, Hansen investigated the links between company employees at its so-called Gigafactory battery production facility and Mexican drug cartel, according to the statement from his attorney. He reported his findings in June to his three supervisors, which included two former Uber employees, one of whom was Nick Gicinto, Tesla's new head of security who reported directly to CEO Elon Musk, according to the statement. Hansen alleged that Tesla failed to inform the US Drug Enforcement Agency of his findings and didn't fire the employees linked to the cartel. He also alleged Musk and the security team didn't disclose to the company's board directors and shareholders how it handled the drug trafficking investigation. At Uber, Gicinto was in charge of the app-based taxi company's Strategic Services Group, according to a letter submitted in December by a former Uber employee in the company's legal dispute with Waymo, Google's self-driving car spinoff. Gicinto staffed the Strategic Services Group with CIA-trained case officers and used them to spy on competitors, according to that letter. Hansen was fired by Tesla in July, according to the statement from his lawyer. He's the second whistleblower to come forward in the last two months, following Martin Tripp. Hansen alleged that the Tesla security team spied specifically on Tripp, including, potentially, after he left the company. NOW WATCH: This machine perfectly pours concrete See Also: SEE ALSO: Elon Musk's apology distracted everyone from Tesla's ongoing problems and that's the danger of Tesla's cult of personality SEE ALSO: Elon Musk's new Tesla pay package could make him $55.8 billion and it's a case study in what's wrong with executive compensation FILE PHOTO: The flags of Canada, Mexico and the U.S. are seen on a lectern before a joint news conference on the closing of the seventh round of NAFTA talks in Mexico City, Mexico, March 5, 2018. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido/File Photo By David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mexico's economy minister Ildefonso Guajardo said on Friday he hopes to conclude by the middle of next week outstanding bilateral issues with the United States surrounding the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). "Hopefully we will be able to close up no later than the middle of the week," Guajardo told reporters outside the U.S. Trade Representative's office, adding that Canada could then rejoin the talks to rework the trade pact. Most of the issues between Mexico and the United States are "advancing well," the minister added. Some areas related to auto rules of origin remain unresolved, including the time frame to implement changes in the new rules, while a "sunset clause" that could kill NAFTA after five years has not yet been discussed, Guajardo said. Mexico's foreign minister Luis Videgaray, in Washington with Guajardo for meetings with U.S. officials, also struck an optimistic note, saying "we are getting close" when asked about the likelihood of reaching a breakthrough. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Thursday had expressed hope for a breakthrough in the coming days. U.S. President Donald Trump, however, said alongside him he was in "no rush" to conclude talks on NAFTA, which he wants renegotiated in favour of the United States. Trump argues the 24-year-old pact has facilitated an exodus of manufacturing jobs from the United States to Mexico, but NAFTA's supporters say it has kept the region competitive. The renegotiation has now dragged on for a year. Mexican and U.S. ministers will meet again on Tuesday, Guajardo said, after a sectoral meeting on Monday to discuss financial issues related to government action. (Reporting by David Lawder, Writing by Daina Beth Solomon; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) Pakistani media are reporting that two suspects have been detained in Peshawar after a transgender woman was shot dead and her body mutilated. Police Superintendent Cantt Waseem Riaz told Dawn newspaper on August 17 the victim had been shot dead the night before and that her body was then hacked to pieces. The newspaper reported that one of the suspects was arrested early on August 17 carrying a bag of body parts that were determined to belong to the victim, identified only as Nazo. Geo News reported that the shooting occurred during a wedding ceremony when a person opened fire after the victim asked one of the guests to stop harassing her. TransAction Pakistan, an activist group supporting the rights of transgender persons, condemned the brutal attack and said Nazo's death was the 62nd killing of a transgender person in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province since 2015. The group added that at least 1,133 incidents of other forms of violence had been committed against the transgender community in the province from 2015 to 2017. Earlier this year, activists said a transgender person and friend were shot dead in Peshawar after unidentified persons opened fire as the two were riding in a rickshaw. Based on reporting by Dawn, The Daily Times, Geo TV, and Pakistan Today ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. The reigning Miss America says she has been bullied, manipulated and silenced by the pageant's current leadership, including Gretchen Carlson. In a letter sent Friday to former Miss Americas, Cara Mund says she decided to speak out despite the risk of punishment. Her letter is reminiscent of the movie "Mean Girls," in which characters Gretchen and Regina bully the heroine and make her life miserable. That's what happened to her in real life, Mund wrote. Gretchen Carlson is chairwoman of the Miss America Organization; Regina Hopper is its CEO. Her letter exponentially increased the turmoil surrounding the pageant three weeks before the next Miss America is to be crowned in Atlantic City. "Let me be blunt: I strongly believe that my voice is not heard nor wanted by our current leadership; nor do they have any interest in knowing who I am and how my experiences relate to positioning the organization for the future," Mund wrote. "Our chair and CEO have systematically silenced me, reduced me, marginalized me, and essentially erased me in my role as Miss America in subtle and not-so-subtle ways on a daily basis. After a while, the patterns have clearly emerged, and the sheer accumulation of the disrespect, passive-aggressive behavior, belittlement, and outright exclusion has taken a serious toll." The Miss America Organization said it would reach out to her directly to address her concerns. "The Miss America Organization supports Cara," the group said in a statement. "It is disappointing that she chose to air her grievances publicly, not privately. Her letter contains mischaracterizations and many unfounded accusations." Mund said she's been left out of interviews, not invited to meetings and called by the wrong name. When she obliquely hinted at trouble with pageant leadership in an interview earlier this month with The Press of Atlantic City, Mund said she was swiftly punished by having her televised farewell speech cut to 30 seconds, and was told a dress she had been approved to wear in the traditional "show us your shoes" parade cannot be worn. This year's competition will not include swimsuits, and pageant officials from at least 19 states have called for the current leadership to resign. Mund said she was given three talking points to be made in every appearance: "Miss America is relevant. The #MeToo movement started with a Miss America, Gretchen Carlson. Gretchen Carlson went to Stanford." (Mund said she was allowed to mention that she went to Brown to show that both women were highly educated.) "Right away, the new leadership delivered an important message: There will be only one Miss America at a time, and she isn't me," Mund wrote. Mund, who was Miss North Dakota and won the crown on a platform of increasing the number of women elected to political office, said she was treated better by the previous Miss America leadership that was forced from power after sending emails ridiculing the appearance, intellect and sex lives of former Miss Americas. She cites examples of mistreatment including being excluded from the nationally televised announcement that swimsuits were being eliminated even though she was with Carlson at the TV studio where it was made. She says pageant handlers ridiculed her clothing choices and chided her for wearing the same outfits too often. When she reached out to former Miss Americas to see if they had been treated similarly, "I was reprimanded by Regina who told me that problems and concerns had to be kept 'in the family.' " ___ Follow Wayne Parry at http://twitter.com/WayneParryAC When Wayne Williams took office in 2015, secretaries of state didnt talk much about hackers or, if at all, Russians. Now those topics dominate discussions among the sharpest minds and deepest worriers about the security of our elections. Planting, home improvement and other home and garden events in and around Colorado Springs. Saturday, August 18, 2018 After U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the Trump administrations new zero-tolerance policy in April, the U.S. government faced a national outcry. This new policy meant all adults crossing the border illegally would be criminally prosecuted. A consequence of that shift has meant that thousands of immigrant children have been torn apart from their parents. Since then, and under a judges mandate, the federal government has been scrambling to reunify families. In part one of a two-part episode, Latino USA breaks down the aftermath of the family separation crisis and explores what happens to the hundreds of kids who still arent reunited with their families because their parents have been deported. Juan Sanchez first gained national notoriety back in June of 2018 when Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley flew to Texas to try and tour a shelter that he believed was housing children who had been separated from their parents under the Trump administrations new zero-tolerance policy. Senator Merkley was denied access to the shelter and was even questioned by police who were called by the shelters staffers. The shelter a converted Walmart that did in fact house separated children became the ire of many American citizens. It was emblematic of a feeling that Americans were being left in the dark and that the U.S. government was not being transparent about how it was treating migrant children. That converted Walmart was actually run by a non-profit called Southwest Key Programs that also runs 36 other shelters across Texas, Arizona and California. Sanchez, Southwest Keys CEO, has come under a lot of scrutiny in the following weeks for housing separated children and for cashing in on the sheltering of children, as Patty Quinzi, a protestor outside Southwest Key headquarters, stated. Southwest Key has been awarded nearly $1 billion in contracts from the government since 2015 and Sanchezs compensation was nearly $1.5 million last year. Since the zero-tolerance policy was revoked, Southwest Key has also received criticism after reports came out of several cases of sexual misconduct that occurred at Southwest Key shelters over the last two years. However, Juan Sanchezs official bio on the Southwest Key website depicts a social justice champion. Sanchez grew up on the border in Brownsville, Texas. He served on the board of the National Council of La Raza, one of the most prominent Latino advocacy organizations. And he has been the recipient of multiple awards for his work with migrant children. There seem to be two opposing narratives when it comes to Juan Sanchez. So host Maria Hinojosa and producer Antonia Cereijido travel to Austin, Texas, to see which one was the correct one. KJ https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2018/08/juan-sanchez-first-gained-national-notoriety-back-in-june-of-2018-when-oregon-senator-jeff-merkley-flew-to-texas-to-try-and-t.html In Colorados legendary fruit valley, Mother Nature giveth the warm days and cool nights, that breeze through the walls of DeBeque Canyon that James A. Clark and fellow settlers 120 years ago came to know as the million dollar breeze, stirring the soils just right, a blessing on the land destined to grow the sweetest peaches. And Mother Nature taketh. City Editor Tom Roeder is the Gazette's City Editor. In Colorado Springs since 2003, Tom has covered the military at home and overseas and has covered statehouses in Denver and Olympia, Wash. His main job, though, is being dad to two great kids. The Colorado Springs police officer who was wounded in a gunbattle while investigating a report of shots fired east of the Olympic Training Center about two weeks ago has been upgraded from critical to serous condition, police said Friday. Officer Cem Duzel, 30, a five-year veteran of the Police Department, was shot in the head after encountering an armed man who reportedly had been involved in a run-in with an Uber driver on Aug. 2 Karrar Al Khammasi, 31, an Iraqi refugee who had avoided deportation despite a criminal history, is being held in the El Paso County jail on a $1 million bond on suspicion of attempted murder of a police officer, weapon possession by a previous offender and menacing, all felonies. Khammasi also was wounded. The following is a timeline listing some of the major events in Daniel Nations' life in recent years. Nations is being held in Teller County on a weapons violation; he also is suspected in a number of crimes in El Paso County related to hatchet threats on Mount Herman Road. He also has been investigated in the September murder of cyclist Tim Watkins, and in the double murder of Liberty German and Abigail Williams. He has not been charged in connection with either death. 2002 - November 23: Daniel Nations' mother, Rebecca Smith, was stabbed to death by her brother. Her body was dragged into the woods and covered by leaves. Daniel, then 17, was living with her, according to court records. In a case that drew national attention and prompted a death threat against the judge, a jury convicted a Colorado Springs man Monday of both counts in the gang rape of a 13-year-old girl, rejecting a defense based on inconsistencies in the girl's account. The guilty verdicts - which include a finding that the girl was subjected to force, as alleged - set up a potential life sentence for 21-year-old Jacolby Hasan Williams, whose attorneys argued that he wasn't in his apartment when the girl said she was pinned to a bed there and sexually assaulted by as many as five males. "At the end of the day, it's justice," said a man who identified himself as her oldest brother. As the verdicts were read, the girl's mother dabbed at In his first public interview, Daniel Nations says he's not the 'monster' he's been portrayed to be following his arrest for menacing with a hatchet on Mount Herman Road and subsequent association to the murders of cyclist Tim Watkins and two Delphi, Indiana, teens. He's innocent, Nations says, and he's come to clear his name. Friday, August 17, 2018 The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a decision that campus free speech rights were not violated by the University of South Carolina In 2015, two student groups at the University of South Carolina sought approval for a Free Speech Event to highlight perceived threats to free expression on college campuses. According to the groups, the event they were planning would include visual displays of material that had provoked free-speech controversies at other schools, including a swastika. The University approved, and the Free Speech Event took place on campus without interference. The event did, however, generate complaints from other students, who objected to the displays and accused its sponsors of making sexist and racist statements at the scene. A University official met with Ross Abbott, one of the events student sponsors, to review the complaints and determine whether an investigation was warranted. A few weeks later, he notified Abbott that there was no cause for investigation and that the matter had been dropped. The result was a First Amendment action against the University, filed by Abbott and the two student groups behind the Free Speech Event. According to Abbott and the other plaintiffs, University officials violated their First Amendment rights when they required Abbott to attend a meeting to discuss complaints about their event. The plaintiffs also mounted a facial challenge to the Universitys general policy on harassment, arguing that it is unconstitutionally vague and overly broad. The district court rejected both claims and entered summary judgment for the University defendants. We agree with the district court and affirm on both counts. The University neither prevented the plaintiffs from holding their Free Speech Event nor sanctioned them after the fact. Its prompt and minimally intrusive resolution of subsequent student complaints does not rise to the level of a First Amendment violation. And because the plaintiffs cannot show a credible threat that the University will enforce its harassment policy against their speech in the future, they lack standing to pursue their facial attack on the policy. The complaint had alleged a section 1983 violation This is an unusual First Amendment claim. University officials approved the plaintiffs Free Speech Event, knowing that it would include displays of a swastika and other controversial material; allowed the plaintiffs to hold their Event in the precise campus location they requested; did nothing to interfere with the Event as it transpired; and imposed no sanction on the plaintiffs after the fact, notwithstanding student complaints...As a result, the plaintiffs are left to argue that the very fact of a University inquiry into those complaints and, in particular, the requirement that Abbott meet with Wells to discuss the complaints and the Event violated their First Amendment rights. The court rejected the claim that the University "chilled" free speech rights. What is clear,,,is that a threatened administrative inquiry will not be treated as an ongoing First Amendment injury sufficient to confer standing unless the administrative process itself imposes some significant burden, independent of any ultimate sanction. ...we have a University that approved and encouraged a speech event intended to be controversial, with the knowledge that it would cause [d]iscomfort. J.A. 156. And in the face of student complaints, the University made no effort to sanction that speech after the fact. The plaintiffs suggest that a ruling against them will make it impossible for any student to mount a successful challenge to an overly broad campus harassment policy, but we must disagree. Our decision today is limited to the facts before us, and the courthouse door remains open to the claims of students who experience cognizable restrictions on their right to free expression. Circuit Judge Harris authored the opinion. (Mike Frisch) https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2018/08/the-united-states-court-of-appeals-for-the-fourth-circuit-in-2015-two-student-groups-at-the-university-of-south-carolina-so.html A former Colorado Springs priest and Air Force chaplain is among the hundreds of clergymen accused of child sex abuse in an explosive report t IRVING, Texas, Aug. 14, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In July 2018, ReadyCap Commercial, LLC (ReadyCap), a leader in small to middle-market commercial real estate mortgage finance, announced it surpassed $3 billion in funded loans across its menu of products in just five years. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Irving, TX, ReadyCap is a subsidiary of Sutherland Asset Management Corporation (NYSE: SLD). ReadyCap originated its first loan in 2013 and as of its fifth full year of lending operations, has closed and signed-up approximately 1,000 loans totaling over $3.25 billion. The non-bank lender remains steadfast to its funding strategies and expansion of loan product offerings. Today, ReadyCaps primary commercial real estate lending products include Fixed Rate loans up to $25 million, Freddie Mac SBL loans up to $7.5 million and Bridge loans up to $50 million, with the ability to execute larger loans on portfolios across its diverse product lines. ReadyCap continues to excel at combining its creativity, loan structuring flexibility and array of products spanning bridge to stabilized lending, in developing customized lending solutions for our clients varied real estate investment plans, said Thomas Capasse, Sutherlands Chief Executive Officer. Anuj Gupta, President of ReadyCap, recognized his team in July for contributing to the success of ReadyCap. ReadyCap embodies a close-knit national team of employees who are passionate about the culture of the company, maintaining superior market relationships and working creatively, collaboratively and affirmatively to deliver for our clients. For more information regarding ReadyCap and this $3 billion funded milestone, contact Mara Rothbart at mara.rothbart@readycapcommercial.com. About ReadyCap Commercial, LLC ReadyCap Commercial (www.readycapcommercial.com), headquartered in Irving, Texas, is a non-bank, portfolio lender offering financing for small-to-mid balance fixed rate, small agency multifamily and bridge loans nationwide across all property types. ReadyCaps financing products for commercial real estate include fixed rate loans up to $25 million, small multifamily agency loans up to $7.5 million and bridge loans up to $50 million, with the ability to execute larger loans on portfolios across its diverse product lines. Founded in 2012, ReadyCap is an indirect subsidiary of Sutherland Partners, L.P., the general partner of which is Sutherland Asset Management Corporation ("Sutherland"). Sutherland, a REIT, is a publicly-traded real estate finance company that primarily acquires, originates, manages and finances commercial real estate loans (NYSE:SLD). This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements," as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provided by the same. These statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements; the Company can give no assurance that its expectations will be attained. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law. Media contact: Mara Rothbart mara.rothbart@readycapcommercial.com Varun Sharma krupak93 wrote: Hey, My profile in brief: 10th Grade - 88% 12th Grade - 86% B.E. Computer Engineering - 60% (73% final year if that counts for anything) GMAT - 730 Work Experience: -2 years as a data scientist at Mu Sigma Business Solutions, data science consulting primarily. Was also an R programming & SQL trainer for freshers. -1 year as a senior business analyst at Endurance International Group. Mentor a bunch of freshers here. Extra Curricular: -Freelance web developer during college - made over 10 websites -Was a part of a global organization called AIESEC. Managed a team of 10, spearheaded two youth leadership events (2012-2014) -TFI Volunteer (2018). I teach kids with a learning disorder in a government school. ~ 7.5 hours a week Awards and Achievements: - Won an award for the most progressive AIESEC team (amongst 24 participating cities) - Won two awards at my first job - Got promoted twice so far I've had multiple internships during college along with the extra cirriculars mentioned, not sure if that explains a low grade. Reason to do an MBA: -Add extensive finance and operation knowledge to my toolkit Varun Sharma MBAkarma.com info (at) MBAkarma (dot) com info (at) MBAkarma (dot) com Signature Read More Quote: A. with more than 75 carefully engineered structures, of up to 600 rooms each, were Quote: B. with more than 75 carefully engineered structures, of up to 600 rooms each, Quote: C. of more than 75 carefully engineered structures of up to 600 rooms, each that had been Quote: D. of more than 75 carefully engineered structures of up to 600 rooms and with each of with Quote: E. of more than 75 carefully engineered structures of up to 600 rooms each had been In keeping with some of our other recent QOTDs (see all of the 2017 QOTDs here ), this one is mostly about meaning, and mechanical grammar rules wont get you all that far. Good times.What the heck is that final were doing there? The Anasazi settlements were built on a spectacular scale of up to 600 rooms each, were connected At the very least, we need an and before that were to connect it to the subject of the sentence. (A) is out.I guess this is OK. Its just a series of modifiers, all of which make sense: of up to 600 rooms each modifies the 75 carefully engineered structures, and connected by a complex regional system of roads modifies that whole chunk that comes before it 75 carefully engineered structures of up to 600 rooms each. It feels a little bit awkward, but that doesnt matter. Keep (B).There are a couple of issues with the last chunk of the sentence. I dont think it makes sense to say each had been connected. Its subtle, but that phrase suggests that theyre connected individually, and that makes no sense.The verb tense had been is also a problem. Why would we say were built (simple past) and then had been connected (past perfect), when the two actions presumably happened at around the same time? At the very least, the structures definitely werent connected before they even existed. (C) is gone.Again, theres a meaning problem with the each. This is basically saying that the structures (or maybe the rooms?) are individually connected. It would be fine to say that ALL of them were connected, but each? That doesnt make sense.Im also not sold on the use of and with here. Im not certain that its wrong, but the and would indicate parallelism, and that gives us The (settlements) were built on a spectacular scalemore than 75 carefully engineered structures andeach connected by (roads). Thats odd: I dont think those two prepositional phrases have any good reason to be parallel to each other.We can argue about the parallelism thing, but (B) is far clearer and cleaner than (D).This has the same problems as (C), but with a comma removed to make it even more confusing. (E) is out, and (B) is correct._________________ ldpedroso wrote: The number of new cases of tuberculosis diagnosed in Country X increased dramatically this year. The country's news media have speculated that the sharp increase in new cases is the result of the tuberculosis outbreak that occurred in neighboring Country Y last year. Health officials in Country X have therefore proposed that all visitors from Country Y must submit to a medical examination before entering Country X. Which of the following, if true, most strongly suggests that the proposed medical examinations will not help curb the spread of tuberculosis in Country X? a) Country Z, which also neighbors Country Y, has not experienced an increase in cases of tuberculosis. b) Current medical technology is not capable of detecting all carriers of tuberculosis. c) Country X does not have the resources to examine all visitors from Country Y. d) Tuberculosis is not spread through human contact. e) Citizens of Country Y will not travel to Country X if the proposal is implemented. GMAT Tutor in Montreal If you are looking for online GMAT math tutoring, or if you are interested in buying my advanced Quant books and problem sets, please contact me at ianstewartgmat at gmail.com Signature Read More An interesting question. First, the use of 'tuberculosis' here is a red herring. CR questions do not test your knowledge of medical conditions; they test your ability to analyze an argument. Our prior knowledge of tuberculosis- that it's spread through human contact- might influence our answer here, and lead us to an incorrect analysis of the argument. Indeed, D asks us to assume something we know to be false in real life. We should not think of tuberculosis at all; we might replace 'tuberculosis' in the question with any other condition- 'insomnia', or 'stress', or 'depression', for example.Then the structure of the argument becomes clear. There is a 'post hoc ergo propter hoc' fallacy- just because one thing happens after another does not mean one thing was caused by the other. The argument says: "Y had high levels of stress (or whatever you like) last year. X had high levels of stress this year. Therefore stress in Y caused stress in X." This is not a valid argument, at least not without further support. It may just be coincidence that X had high levels of stress the year after Y did. High levels of stress might be caused by environmental factors, economic conditions, political turmoil, etc...The assumption is that visitors from Y brought 'stress' to X. Answer D suggests that people do not transmit stress- that the cause lies elsewhere. D is the correct answer. It's not 'airtight', of course; we can imagine scenarios where the screening would be helpful even if human contact is not the cause, but these all seem unlikely. D "most strongly suggests" that the screening won't be effective, even if it is not 100% convincing.I'd note, finally, that B and C must be incorrect, even if we grant the assumption that tuberculosis is contagious. If tuberculosis is contagious, even screening some of the visitors from Y will reduce the spread of the disease. As has been pointed out, the question does not ask whether the medical examinations will completely eradicate tuberculosis. A is incorrect because we have no knowledge of Country Z; Country Z might have been screening all their visitors for tuberculosis for years, which might be the reason Z had no increase. Indeed, were that true, A would help to support the argument, not weaken it._________________ Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average 1 2 3 4 5 Texas Republicans Trying To Sign Up Immigrants Right After They Become Citizens LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 455356 08-18-2018 02:31 AM Post: #1 Texas Republicans Trying To Sign Up Immigrants Right After They Become Citizens Advertisement You try to recruit new American citizens into the GOP minutes after they take the oath of citizenship. Get 'em while they're fresh. On Wednesday, 947 new citizens hailing from 49 different countries took the oath in the El Paso Coliseum just a few miles from the U.S. southern border. Most of the oath-takers have lived in the U.S. for years, and the vast majority of them came here from Mexico. "So often the impression is the Republican party is anti-immigrant," said Bob Pena, executive director of the El Paso GOP. "No, were anti illegal immigrant." VICE News followed the El Paso GOP as it tried to make the Republican case to the new citizens and found themselves trying to make the party of Trump appealing to Mexican-Americans." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1LToqC4QIE "What do you do if you're the county Republican Party in El Paso, Texas where the population is Hispanic and President Trump is wildly unpopular?You try to recruit new American citizens into the GOP minutes after they take the oath of citizenship. Get 'em while they're fresh.On Wednesday, 947 new citizens hailing from 49 different countries took the oath in the El Paso Coliseum just a few miles from the U.S. southern border. Most of the oath-takers have lived in the U.S. for years, and the vast majority of them came here from Mexico."So often the impression is the Republican party is anti-immigrant," said Bob Pena, executive director of the El Paso GOP. "No, were anti illegal immigrant."VICE News followed the El Paso GOP as it tried to make the Republican case to the new citizens and found themselves trying to make the party of Trump appealing to Mexican-Americans." LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 385839 08-18-2018 04:31 AM Post: #2 RE: Texas Republicans Trying To Sign Up Immigrants Right After They Become Citizens LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 457368 08-18-2018 01:56 PM Post: #3 RE: Texas Republicans Trying To Sign Up Immigrants Right After They Become Citizens I bet there are two tables right outside very immigration office exit..one on the left and one on the right...way back when they'd snatch em right from the ships at the docks and run em to go vote in their new nation... LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 431406 08-18-2018 02:03 PM Post: #4 RE: Texas Republicans Trying To Sign Up Immigrants Right After They Become Citizens LoP Guest Wrote: (08-18-2018 02:31 AM) "What do you do if you're the county Republican Party in El Paso, Texas where the population is Hispanic and President Trump is wildly unpopular? You try to recruit new American citizens into the GOP minutes after they take the oath of citizenship. Get 'em while they're fresh. On Wednesday, 947 new citizens hailing from 49 different countries took the oath in the El Paso Coliseum just a few miles from the U.S. southern border. Most of the oath-takers have lived in the U.S. for years, and the vast majority of them came here from Mexico. "So often the impression is the Republican party is anti-immigrant," said Bob Pena, executive director of the El Paso GOP. "No, were anti illegal immigrant." VICE News followed the El Paso GOP as it tried to make the Republican case to the new citizens and found themselves trying to make the party of Trump appealing to Mexican-Americans." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1LToqC4QIE Good About Time. Good About Time. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 457373 08-18-2018 02:18 PM Post: #5 RE: Texas Republicans Trying To Sign Up Immigrants Right After They Become Citizens slave labour. the GOP loves the idea Whiteflower Registered User User ID: 457166 08-18-2018 02:59 PM Posts: 30 Post: #6 RE: Texas Republicans Trying To Sign Up Immigrants Right After They Become Citizens LoP Guest Wrote: (08-18-2018 02:18 PM) slave labour. the GOP loves the idea Right. They don't want them gone. They just don't want them voting for democrats. Right. They don't want them gone. They just don't want them voting for democrats. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 456778 08-18-2018 03:02 PM Post: #7 RE: Texas Republicans Trying To Sign Up Immigrants Right After They Become Citizens Only to find they're already registered as democrats GrimShaw Asinus Asinum Fricat User ID: 447734 08-18-2018 03:16 PM Posts: 32,505 Post: #8 RE: Texas Republicans Trying To Sign Up Immigrants Right After They Become Citizens They'll just have to wait until the GOP has a POTUS that's not a divisive nutbar Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 1 Vote(s) - 1 Average 1 2 3 4 5 Will we ever find Amelia Earhart? Public Enemy No 2 lop guest User ID: 456881 08-18-2018 03:52 PM Post: #1 Will we ever find Amelia Earhart? Advertisement "During an attempt to make a circumnavigational flight of the globe in 1937 in a Purdue-funded Lockheed Model 10-E Electra, Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared over the central Pacific Ocean near Howland Island." With all todays modern sonar and sophisticated technology with the remains of this aircraft ever be found? Some parts of it must survive to some degree, if she crashed on a island or even in the Pacific....but will we ever find her last resting place? She disappeared on July 2, 1937 (aged 39) Pacific Ocean, en route to Howland Island from Lae, Papua New Guinea."During an attempt to make a circumnavigational flight of the globe in 1937 in a Purdue-funded Lockheed Model 10-E Electra, Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared over the central Pacific Ocean near Howland Island."With all todays modern sonar and sophisticated technology with the remains of this aircraft ever be found? Some parts of it must survive to some degree, if she crashed on a island or even in the Pacific....but will we ever find her last resting place? Corosive Resident Time Wizard User ID: 437414 08-18-2018 03:59 PM Posts: 3,785 Post: #2 RE: Will we ever find Amelia Earhart? There was a thread about this recently, I think. But anyhow, I remember the *final* conspiracy being something like she was a spy trying to take aerial pics around the world, but she crashed her plane on some island, ended up having like 3 kids with some native guy(s) and then she died of some disease. Anyhow, in the end, her death story was simply much more profitable if she just "disappeared". People at the time didn't want to hear things like "She mated with a bunch of pigmy people and died of malaria" or "she was killed by the Japs for being a spy" etc etc etc. It is a fact though that she crashed. \_( )_/ If it can be destroyed by the truth, it deserves to be destroyed by the truth public enemy NO1 lop guest User ID: 456881 08-18-2018 04:01 PM Post: #3 RE: Will we ever find Amelia Earhart? Corosive Wrote: (08-18-2018 03:59 PM) There was a thread about this recently, I think. But anyhow, I remember the *final* conspiracy being something like she was a spy trying to take aerial pics around the world, but she crashed her plane on some island, ended up having like 3 kids with some native guy(s) and then she died of some disease. Anyhow, in the end, her death story was simply much more profitable if she just "disappeared". People at the time didn't want to hear things like "She mated with a bunch of pigmy people and died of malaria" or "she was killed by the Japs for being a spy" etc etc etc. It is a fact though that she crashed. This was say also of Glen Miller the Gestapo or SS killed him he was on some sort of classified mission. The plane crash was a cover story. Apparently they torture him. This was say also of Glen Miller the Gestapo or SS killed him he was on some sort of classified mission. The plane crash was a cover story. Apparently they torture him. ' User ID: 444029 08-18-2018 04:07 PM Posts: 77,640 Post: #4 RE: Will we ever find Amelia Earhart? Liar. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 456881 08-18-2018 04:09 PM Post: #5 RE: Will we ever find Amelia Earhart? Wrote: (08-18-2018 04:07 PM) Liar. dont tell me you think she is still alive and living in South America with Hitler LOL dont tell me you think she is still alive and living in South America with Hitler LOL Public Enemy Numero UNO lop guest User ID: 444029 08-18-2018 04:10 PM Post: #6 RE: Will we ever find Amelia Earhart? LoP Guest Wrote: (08-18-2018 04:09 PM) Wrote: (08-18-2018 04:07 PM) Liar. dont tell me you think she is still alive and living in South America with Hitler LOL Who? Who? Corosive Resident Time Wizard User ID: 437414 08-18-2018 04:15 PM Posts: 3,785 Post: #7 RE: Will we ever find Amelia Earhart? public enemy NO1 Wrote: (08-18-2018 04:01 PM) Corosive Wrote: (08-18-2018 03:59 PM) There was a thread about this recently, I think. But anyhow, I remember the *final* conspiracy being something like she was a spy trying to take aerial pics around the world, but she crashed her plane on some island, ended up having like 3 kids with some native guy(s) and then she died of some disease. Anyhow, in the end, her death story was simply much more profitable if she just "disappeared". People at the time didn't want to hear things like "She mated with a bunch of pigmy people and died of malaria" or "she was killed by the Japs for being a spy" etc etc etc. It is a fact though that she crashed. This was say also of Glen Miller the Gestapo or SS killed him he was on some sort of classified mission. The plane crash was a cover story. Apparently they torture him. The military has always had a great music program, and a great indoctrination program. A lot of famous musicians were in the military actually, and the military has done a lot of experimentation on human culture. Why the f*#k would they train musicians to play music in the military? And just use them as musicians in the military? That's stupid. They're agents of counter-culture, experimentation, brainwashing, spies, etc. They're trained to gather intel and spread thoughts, etc. So, hey, the theory about Mr Miller being shot down for being a spy makes sense. Hell, they used Sean Penn to catch a drug lord recently enough. Did Sean Penn ever serve in the army? Meh, probably not, but he'd do anything for a buck, I'm sure. Anyhow, all I'm saying is that they spied on everybody any chance they could get, and if your spies die, you gotta make up some BS story to cover your ass. The military has always had a great music program, and a great indoctrination program. A lot of famous musicians were in the military actually, and the military has done a lot of experimentation on human culture. Why the f*#k would they train musicians to play music in the military? And just use them as musicians in the military? That's stupid. They're agents of counter-culture, experimentation, brainwashing, spies, etc. They're trained to gather intel and spread thoughts, etc.So, hey, the theory about Mr Miller being shot down for being a spy makes sense. Hell, they used Sean Penn to catch a drug lord recently enough. Did Sean Penn ever serve in the army? Meh, probably not, but he'd do anything for a buck, I'm sure.Anyhow, all I'm saying is that they spied on everybody any chance they could get, and if your spies die, you gotta make up some BS story to cover your ass. \_( )_/ If it can be destroyed by the truth, it deserves to be destroyed by the truth Corosive Resident Time Wizard User ID: 437414 08-18-2018 04:19 PM Posts: 3,785 Post: #8 RE: Will we ever find Amelia Earhart? LoP Guest Wrote: (08-18-2018 04:09 PM) Wrote: (08-18-2018 04:07 PM) Liar. dont tell me you think she is still alive and living in South America with Hitler LOL Well known fact that Hitler lived the end of his life in Argentina. Old old old theory. It was his retirement for getting all the Jews into Israel. WW2 was just a way to form a "New World Order". It was genius, it also killed off a lot of people that were, well, most likely diseased or mentally damaged. Talk about a purge in humanity, a cleansing of all sorts of people. It was like a reset, for everybody. 80 million people died or something. All for a "better tomorrow". And after the war? Well! Everybody had babies and rebuilt the world. Well known fact that Hitler lived the end of his life in Argentina. Old old old theory. It was his retirement for getting all the Jews into Israel. WW2 was just a way to form a "New World Order". It was genius, it also killed off a lot of people that were, well, most likely diseased or mentally damaged. Talk about a purge in humanity, a cleansing of all sorts of people. It was like a reset, for everybody.80 million people died or something. All for a "better tomorrow". And after the war? Well! Everybody had babies and rebuilt the world. \_( )_/ If it can be destroyed by the truth, it deserves to be destroyed by the truth LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 423870 08-18-2018 04:42 PM Post: #9 RE: Will we ever find Amelia Earhart? Nope. Little Miss Amelia? She gone. 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 Lunaticoutpost.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program , anaffiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Amazon, the Amazon logo, MYHABIT, and the MYHABIT logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.Don't be a pest to the forum.No profanity in thread-titles or usernamesNo excessive profanity in postsNo Racism, Antisemitism + HateNo calls for violence against anyone..This website exists for fun and discussion only. The reader is responsible for discerning the validity, factuality or implications of information posted here, be it fictional or based on real events. The content of posts on this site, including but not limited to links to other web sites, are the expressed opinion of the original poster and are in no way representative of or endorsed by the owners or administration of this website. 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Officials from both countries have expressed interest in substantially boosting that cooperation in the near future, and the article notes that both nations have clear incentives for doing so, as both are suffering from similar economic crises. Whats more, safeguarding their relations could have a knock-on effect upon the prospects for Indian investment in Iran, since much of that investment is focused on the Chabahar port, which would rely on trade routes passing through Afghanistan as well. Any measures that encourage Indian to maintain trade with Iran would be very significant to Irans prospects for weathering US sanctions pressure, since India is one of the major secondary targets of that pressure. It has recently been reported that India is currently planning to cut its imports of Iranian oil to about 50 percent of their current level in hopes of securing a waiver from the US, after which it might reduce the level even further over time. Additionally, The Diplomat points out that Afghanistan has already been a source of sanctions-breaking illegal trade for the Islamic Republic, and that more of the same could provide a crucial lifeline of US dollars after full-scale US sanctions come back into effect on Iran in November. But despite all of this, and despite the underlying anti-Western cooperation exhibited by both governments, the article notes that relations between Iran and Afghanistan remain fractious, in large part because the Iranians have contradicted their claims about promoting peace in Afghanistan, by continuing to finance and cooperate with the Taliban in the interest of maintaining it as a much more committed partner in anti-Western strategies. Meanwhile, an article at LobeLog highlights another complicating factor in Iranian-Afghan relations, namely longstanding water disputes related to the Helmand River along their shared border. The author points out that this is a dispute that both sides should be eager to resolve, since Iran and Afghanistan need peaceful relations more than ever before. But instead, both sides have refused to back down and have levelled blame against the other. According to the article, this has effectively justified mismanagement of water resources for both governments a fact that may be damaging not only to Irans international relations but also to its domestic situation, since a number of anti-government protests over the past several months have begun as protests over water scarcity and government contributions to ecological problems in general. Insofar as this story describes Irans difficulty in resolving disputes, it describes a problem that is not limited to Irans relations with Afghanistan. Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty reported upon another ongoing dispute on Wednesday, even though reports at the beginning of the week suggested that it might have been resolved. According to RFE/RL, that is decidedly not the case, since the recent summit of the five Caspian littoral states left crucial questions unanswered after producing a written agreement that is open to varying interpretations. Major outstanding issues have to do with relations among Iran, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan, with the last of these claiming that it is owed two billion dollars for previous gas sales to Iran. This and other apparently stagnant disputes have halted progress on the Trans-Caspian Pipeline, a project whose completion would almost certainly aid Iran in focusing on eastern trade in order to partially compensate for economic pressures coming from the US and possibly also from its European allies, if they ultimately decide to follow the American example. If conflicts remain unresolved, however, it may threaten more than just the TCP. Relevant projects of regional and Asian trade are announced with some frequency. Tasnim News Agency reported on Thursday, for instance, that Iran is preparing to export electricity to Russia via Azerbaijan. Naturally, such plans depend upon reasonably stable relations among the trading partners. While RFE/RL declares that relations between Iran and Azerbaijan are solid, Al Monitor raises questions about the future of relations between Iran and one of its largest and most important Asian allies, the Russian Federation. Although the article gives no indication of a general collapse of those relations, it does suggest that the glue for so much of Iranian-Russian security cooperation the Syrian Civil War is loosening. It has long been suggested that the interests of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assads two main foreign backers could diverge over time. And now Al Monitor makes the argument that although this divergence was held at bay by Assads tribulations, it may be starting to manifest now that his rule appears to be secure. The article says that its increasingly clear that Iran and Russia arent getting along the way they did in 2015 and that some representatives of the Syrian government are beginning to question the Iranian mission there, although Tehrans interests are steadfastly defended by local Shiite militants, some of which have sworn allegiance to the Iranian supreme leader over and above their own government. Al Monitor does not take it for granted that this is a precursor to a clash between the two factions, or even that Iran and Russia are facing difficulties in other areas. But one might suppose that any signs of cracks in Irans existing alliances could be significant. After all, if the White House succeeds in generating consensus among its allies on the matter of exerting pressure on Iran, then Iranian relations with neutral countries and US-adversaries will presumably need to be air-tight in order to counteract that pressure in any serious way. This announcement came after Tehrans Revolution Court sentenced prominent Gonabadi Dervish Mostafa Abdi to over 26 years in prison for serving as an administrator of a news site dedicated to the Gonabadi dervishes. Seven other dervishes were sentenced to a total of 59 years in prison by the same court. The US also raised concerns about the detention of two Iranian women, Narges Mohammadi and Nasrin Sotoudeh, who were sentenced to 16 years in prison and five years respectively. Mohammadi, a mother of two, was peacefully advocating for human rights reforms, while Sotoudeh, a prominent Iranian human rights lawyer, was arrested for acting as a defence lawyer. Nauert said: [Sotoudeh] is facing national security charges for legally representing [an] Iranian woman who was charged with removing her headscarf in public The Iranian regime jails people for peacefully exercising their rights, and then jails people were asked to defend them. The EU has also expressed concerns about Sotoudeh, 55, who was detained in June amid a crackdown on attorneys representing national security cases, charges the Regime often levies against political prisoners. An EU spokesperson said: The EU is seriously concerned about the arrest of the prominent Iranian lawyer and 2012 laureate of the European parliaments Sakharov Prize, Ms Nasrin Sotoudeh. Sotoudeh denies the charges against her and is refusing to post the $95,000 bail, according to her husband Reza Khandan, as she considers the accusations to be baseless and the bail to be disproportionate. Khandan said that his wife had been sentenced in absentia, under Article 510 of Islamic Penal Code, which covers charges of national security and espionage. Khandan said that his wife had never been charged with espionage and that the court couldnt convict her for a crime that she had not been indicted for. Sotoudeh wrote to Tehran Prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi and told him bravely that the Regimes prosecution of human rights defenders and women seeking control of their bodies would not stop the people for standing up for themselves. Indeed, it seems quite obvious that the situation of human rights under the mullahs will not improve and there will be no justice. Therefore, the Regime must be expelled from Iran. The article goes on to highlight the past several months of anti-government protests as evidence of the peoples low esteem for mainstream reformist positions. It also suggests that those protests and the popular sentiments behind them are indicative of a significant shift in public awareness and the public discourse. Whereas the recommendations of traditional reformist leaders like former President Mohammad Khatami and current President Hassan Rouhani might once have been praised for expressing criticism of hardline political adversaries, today they are widely rejected as inadequate and overly conciliatory. Al Monitors account of this shift is generally in keeping with the observations that have been made by dissident groups like the National Council of Resistance of Iran during these months of protest, which began with a nationwide uprising in late December and early January. According to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the domestic unrest is indicative of a broader embrace of the coalitions main constituent group the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), which has reportedly been playing a leading role in organizing and promoting demonstrations all across the Islamic Republic. The PMOI (MEK) has even been given credit for these activities by Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in spite of a longstanding policy of downplaying the strength and social reach of the Resistance movement. The NCRI has also claimed, throughout the life of its political activism and especially in the wake of Rouhanis 2013 election, that there is no genuine difference between the hardline and reformist factions that are represented in the tightly controlled theocratic government. Al Monitor now suggests that this perception is more widely shared than in the past, partly because of reformist politicians continued insistence upon engaging with hardline authorities rather than defying them, and partly because of increasingly prevalent examples of reformist officials participating in the endemic corruption that some observers might have previously associated primarily or exclusively with hardliners. Furthermore, the article concludes by noting that even if mainstream reformist positions were not ignored by the public at large, they could very well be ignored by hardline authorities, who maintain the lions share of power in the Islamic Republic and is evidently fixated on reasserting that power in the face of the current crisis. In other words, Al Monitor says, quoting Iranian activist Hassan Asadi Zeydabadi, the ruling establishment still prioritizes factional interests over national interests. This point was underlined by Mehdi Khalaji of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy in an article that detailed Supreme Leader Khameneis latest attacks on the reformist faction and the administration of President Rouhani. Khamenei has taken to blaming Rouhani for the American withdrawal from the nuclear deal, with all its attendant economic and social consequences. But he has also sought to downplay those consequences, publicly promoting his notions of a sanctions-breaking resistance economy and displaying either confidence or bravado in the midst of domestic unrest, which he blames on the influence of foreign enemies. That supposed confidence and defiance of such enemies has certainly been emulated in recent days by Khameneis subordinates in the political, religious, military, and paramilitary establishments. For instance, Mehr News Agency reported on Friday that the provision prayer leader for the city of Tehran had called renewed attention to the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War a point of national pride for hardliners in order to describe the roots of Irans climb to the political, scientific, economic and military summit. Mullah Mohammad Hassan Aboutorabifard also joined Khamenei in downplaying the economic crisis, saying for instance, that the Islamic Republic carries less debt than some of its neighbors and has access to untapped source of wealth. Such commentary also seems to serve the purpose of suggesting that the reformist faction and its pragmatic efforts to engage with foreign adversaries are largely responsible for the nations failure thus far to tap those sources of wealth. Indeed, Khamenei said in a televised speech last week, Most economic experts and many officials agree that all these problems are not caused by sanctions but rather stem from domestic matters, management style, and executive policy planning. According to Mehdi Khalaji, these and similar remarks will not only contribute to the political strife between two factions that are almost equally unpopular among the Iranian people, but will also promote a further shift toward martial law, giving hardline military elements even more room to interfere with the civilian governments affairs. It is a conclusion that was seemingly repeated in even starker terms by Saudi columnist Mohammad al Shaikh in an article published by Al Arabiya. As he sees it, a military coup by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps may be the only means of preventing the theocratic system from either collapsing under the weight of popular unrest or else conceding to reforms that would start the country on the path toward dissolution of that system. But in the near term, Tehran authorities are recognizably attempting to stave off both outcomes by simultaneously cracking down on domestic dissent and reasserting their hardline identity via state-controlled media and international affairs. The regimes effort to make its fundamentalist, anti-Western credentials known on the international stage may help to explain why the Al Qaeda terrorist group is experiencing a resurgence as the Islamic State group collapses in Iraq and Syria. According to a recent UN report quoted by Fox News, that resurgence has taken place with specific help from the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has long been credited with harboring Al Qaeda operatives and providing them with a stable base of operations. Although Al Qaeda and Iran represent two different sects of Islamic extremism, both have reportedly shown themselves as willing to put such differences behind in the interest of coordinating efforts against their mutual enemies in the West. Accordingly, the UN report identifies two high-ranking Al Qaeda officials, Saif al-Adel and Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, as currently residing in Iran and utilizing that situation in order to project the authority of the terrorist groups leader Aiman al-Zawahiri, particularly into areas of Iranian influence in Syria. The report of ongoing collaboration between Iran and Al Qaeda comes in the immediate aftermath of multiple reports of statements and actions by Iranian military officials and the IRGC which similarly underscored the regimes commitment to anti-Western belligerence. For instance, at the beginning of August the IRGC test-fire a ballistic missile for the first time in over a year, as part of naval exercises that had been moved up to roughly coincided with the re-imposition of US sanctions that had been suspended under the nuclear deal. Meanwhile, the IRGCs presence continued to be felt domestically amidst raids on domestic protests and Iranian activist communities more generally, although multiple reports indicate that protesters in certain cities effectively pushed back against the repressive efforts of Iranian security forces. Still, persons arrested during such demonstrations face the threat of long prison sentences or even the death penalty, and examples continue to accumulate of these threats being extended to other groups that supposedly pose a threat to the regimes identity, even if they are not directly connected to the protest movement. One News Now provided one example when it reported upon the sentencing of all 12 members of a Christian house church to one year in prison. At roughly the same time, a well-known Christian priest was sentenced to 10 years in prison. The report notes that the mass arrests showed some sign of being connected to Irans hardline foreign policy, insofar as the church members were convicted on the unusual charge of inclination to the land of Christianity, a possible reference to Israel at a time of escalating tensions between the Islamic Republic and the Jewish state. Voice of America News provided another example of religious persecution and repression of domestic dissent when it reported that two editors for a news outlet affiliated with the Sufi group known as Gonabadi dervishes had been subjected to harsh sentences for their journalistic work. One, Reza Entesari, was given seven years in prison and 74 lashes, and the other, Mostafa Abdi, received a staggering 26 years in prison and 148 lashes. The article quoted a writer and member of the Sufi order, Alireza Roshan, as saying, There is no reason for them to have been given such heavy sentences other than the fact that the Iranian government is trying to apply pressure on us to shut down Majzooban Noor, which is the central news source of the Dervishes. And this seemingly speaks to the ongoing hardline efforts to consolidate control over Iranian media and public discourse in general, to the exclusion of both mainstream reformist sources and sources that are more inclined toward questioning the core identity of the Iranian regime. The Center for Human Rights in Iran also highlighted the continuation of those efforts on Friday when it pointed out that Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, the prosecutor general for the Iranian judiciary, had declared that unblocking Twitter in the country would be a crime. Montazeri thus rejected the recommendations of certain reformist officials, even as more and more hardliners join the social network in order to reach an international audience with their vision for the regimes defiance of both foreign and domestic pressures. This echoes the comments of Hezbollahs Iranian backers, who also want the world to see them as strong and stable, when really they are nothing of the sort. It should be no secret that Nasrallah lies; he has done the same thing for years on behalf of his benefactors. Indeed, Nasrallah is a master of contradictions, able to express pride in the destruction of Lebanon by his terrorist group, while painting himself as regretful at the same time; able to weep crocodile tears over the plight of the Syrians, whilst his deputies call Syrian refugees a time bomb; able to call the Iranian Regime strong, whilst admitting that their overthrow by the people is likely. Salman Aldosary, the former editor-in-chief of Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, wrote: He practises what he personally condemns. On one hand, he claims that political conflicts, insults and accusations do not achieve development and services in Lebanon. But Nasrallah does not change. He is the great man of contradictions, who leads his country into unwanted political conflicts, cursing, throwing accusations and offending. So does what he says achieve development and services in Lebanon?! Nasrallah will do anything to appease his Iranian masters, including attacking Lebanons allies (i.e. lying about the Saudi intervention in Lebanon) and defending the malign actions of the Regime. These actions do not benefit Lebanon, only Iran. Hes even admitted that Iran is funding Hezbollah. Even Iran itself provides evidence of its interference in the Middle East and Lebanon. In October 2017, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that Iran was it was impossible to take decisive action in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, North Africa and the Gulf region, without Iran. In response, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri tweeted: Rouhanis saying that no decision could be taken in Lebanon without Iran is rejected and returned to its owners. Nasrallah could not be seen to argue with his political and spiritual authority and so Hezbollah made the claim that Rouhanis statements were misunderstood. Simply, Nasrallah and Hezbollah are only interested in promoting the Iranian Regimes view in order to get more funding from the mullahs, which comes at the expense of the Iranian people. The countrys first Moro-owned oil and fuel company will expand its operations in Mindanao after a banking company granted a three-year loan to Bangsamoro Oil and Fuels Corp. (Moro Oil). Moro oil founder and President Amor Pendalilay said that Security Bank finally granted them a loan for expansion projects in the Southern province and even plans to put up business in Manila. Moro Oil is a four-year organization based in Cotabato City, founded by Pendaliday, president and CEO. Pendaliday, a former employee of the Bureau of Public Information of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said he and his partners established Moro Oil in 2016 to bring oil products closer to Mindanao residents. To date, he said, the company had established four filling stations, such as in Matanog, Maguindanao; General Santos City, South Cotabato; Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao; and Cotabato City. Pendaliday said they are also operating filling stations on behalf of Sea Oil in Midsayap, North Cotabato; Tacurong, North Cotabato; Koronadal City, South Cotabato. We hope to expand our business like any company does in the country and across the world. We have applied for a loan with some big banks with branches in Mindanao, but the odds in being accepted have looked dim. I dont know if there are bias and prejudice against Moro businessmen, but you can feel it, he noted.We continue to look for a bank, and we are glad we found one, Security Bank Corp., which broke the barriers of the exclusion of Muslim businessmen. Moro Oil is truly thankful and grateful to the management of Security Bank, said Pendaliday. If you only know, even in Amanah Bank we were not able to borrow for the expansion of our business, the Moro Oil president said. Pendaliday assured bank officials that they will use the loan for their expansion as he looked forward for a stronger partnership ahead. Two organizations helped Moro Oil connect with Security Bank, such as the Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Philippines Inc. led by Eric Yam, co-founder and vice president, and the Bangsamoro Federal Business Council, Inc. under Datu Nasraili B. Conding, president. Pendaliday said Moro Oil represents young Moro leaders aspiration to help promote economic and business engagements in Mindanao and help generate jobs, among others. New law will be amended if needed: PM Oli Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said the government is ready to amend the new law if there are any major weaknesses in it. Tika R Pradhan is a senior political correspondent for the Post, covering politics, parliament, judiciary and social affairs. Pradhan joined the Post in 2016 after working at The Himalayan Times for more than a decade. CAMP SIONGCO, MaguindanaoRunning out of firearms and ammunition, the Islamic State-linked Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in Maguindanao has resorted to roadside bombings and planting of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in fighting government forces. Brigadier Gen. Diosdado Carreon, commander of the Armys 601st Infantry Brigade based in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao, said that the BIFFs heavy losses has forced the terror group to resort to bombing activities. Carreon noted the heavy presence of BIFF in the so-called SPMS box, referring to the Maguindanaos adjoining towns of Shariff Aguak, Pagatin (Datu Saudi Ampatuan), Mamasapano and Sharif Saydona, where intensified military operations are currently focused. At least 50 BIFF have been killed in air, ground and marshland assaults by Task Force Central, the military-led unit out to neutralize the BIFF over the past two months within the SPMS box, the military said. At least three BIFF factions are operating within the SPMS box, Capt. Arvin John Encinas, Armys 6th Infantry Division spokesman, referring to the terror groups of Abu Toraife, Imam Bongos, and Kagui Karialan. Carreon said the IED recovered by police and Armys 7th Infantry Battalion last Aug. 8 from slain suspected bombers in Mlang, North Cotabato, were assembled in the SPMS box.We will do our best to contain the BIFF in the SPMS box so they cannot carry out bombings in other parts of Maguindanao and North Cotabato, Carreon said, adding that public support is necessary for their ongoing mission to neutralize the terror group. On Saturday, the Armys 1st Mechanized Infantry Battalion recovered four high-powered firearms, 14 improvised bombs and bomb components from a safe house abandoned by the rebels following a brief firefight with infantrymen. A day earlier, four IEDs were detonated by Army bomb experts in Shariff Aguak. The IEDs were intended for military convoy regularly passing the Cotabato-General Santos highway. Carreon said defeating BIFF will entail the continued support of the local residents who provide valuable information. He cited the incident in Barangay Malangog, Datu Unsay, Maguindanao, where residents alerted the military about the presence of the BIFFBongos faction in Barangay Malangog. Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, 6th ID commander, lauded the civilians for the well-timed sharing of information to police and military authorities. Rakbar Khan was walking his two cows home to Kolgaon village when he was attacked last month in the Indian state, Rajasthan. The attackers were a group of suspected cow vigilantes. Khan later died in the hospital of his injuries. Groups of Hindus calling themselves cow protectors attack people they suspect of killing cows or eating cow meat. Hindus consider the cow to be a holy animal. Rakbar Khan is Muslim. Many Muslims in northern India are dairy farmers, and they fear their traditional work is now under threat. The deadly incidents have increased since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rose to power. A major goal of the party has been cow protection. Critics say the party is using cow protection laws to attack Muslims, Dalits and Christians. The victims family says Khan took a loan to buy the cows. The father of seven children planned to sell cow milk. The families in Kolgaon village have raised animals for generations. He had five cows which had stopped giving milk, says his cousin Mohammad Akbar. He thought two more cows would provide milk for his kids and he could also sell some in the market to support his family. Poorer people in the village buy cows because they cost a lot less than buffaloes. Four cows give 60 kilograms of milk. People sell it and the money looks after their daily needs, said Fazruddin Khan, a village leader. There are about 1,500 cattle and 5,000 people in Kolgaon. Village leaders say fear of attack has led people to stop buying cows. Three people have been arrested in connection with the killing of Rakbar Khan. But that has not eased fears. Kolgaon village borders Rajasthan state where cow vigilantes have been very active. Cow vigilantes have carried out 60 attacks across India since 2010. They are most common in northern India. Almost all the attacks took place after the BJP rose to power in 2014, reported data research website IndiaSpend. Twenty-eight of those 60 people were killed, the website reported. And, almost all of the dead were Muslims. Dalits have also been targeted. The BJP has distanced itself from such groups and condemned the attacks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has publicly criticized cow vigilantism and called on state governments to punish those who incite violence in the name of cow protection. In a recent interview for the Times of India newspaper, Modi said that his government is committed to protecting the life and liberty of every citizen. Khans death has shocked both Hindus and Muslims in the village they have shared peacefully for generations. We are like brothers, said Har Lal, the former village council head. Political experts wonder why officials are not doing more to stop the cow vigilantes. They say the vigilantes are causing a sense of insecurity among the countrys Muslims, who represent about 14 percent of Indias population. There is a certain climate that has been created, that certain kinds of crime, people will get away with, said political expert Neerja Chowdhury in New Delhi. In Khans case, the public has questioned police actions following the attack. The officers took Khans cows to a shelter before getting him to a hospital. He laid, wounded, on the ground for three hours. Im Dorothy Gundy. Anjana Pasricha reported this story for VOA News. Alice Bryant adapted it for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story vigilante n. a person who is not a police officer but who tries to catch and punish criminals data n. facts or information used usually to calculate, analyze, or plan something certain adj. not having any doubt about something Experts say a plan for China and the Philippines to jointly explore oil and gas in the South China Sea could help China politically. The foreign affairs secretary for the Philippines, Alan Peter Cayetano, spoke to reporters about the proposal last month. Cayetano said a first version of the agreement for the joint exploration plans was expected to be completed by September, CNN Philippines reported. Philippine media has reported that Cayetano said China is open to sharing oil and gas resources. The plan would give the Philippines 60 percent of revenue from possible oil or gas discoveries. China would receive 40 percent. Some experts say they would not be surprised if China agreed to such a joint exploration deal. They say it could win China political influence with the Philippines and other countries that have claims to the South China Sea. China claims most of the South China Sea, an important waterway through which trillions of dollars in trade passes each year. The area is believed to hold oil and natural gas. The Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia also have claims to the sea. The Philippines and other claimants have criticized China for turning undersea landforms in the South China Sea into artificial islands. China has built military structures and put equipment on some of them. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has criticized Chinas expansion in the disputed waters. But he has also been careful not to push the issue too far because he seeks closer ties and aid from China. In a speech Tuesday, Duterte said it was wrong for China to claim airspace over newly-built islands in the South China Sea. You cannot create an island, its man-made, and you say that the air above these artificial islands is yours, he said. That is wrong because those waters are what we consider international sea. He added that the right of innocent passage is guaranteed. It does not need any permission to sail through the open seas. The Associated Press reported that the Philippines also has expressed concern to China over a rising number of Chinese radio messages. These messages have warned Philippine ships to stay away from some of the islands. China has repeatedly said it has the right to build on and defend areas it considers its own territory. Alan Chong is an associate professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. He says a 60-40 joint exploration deal with the Philippines could help China in several ways. It could signal to other Southeast Asian nations that China is willing to be a different kind of aid-giver, Chong said. He added that the oil deal could improve Chinas image in countries where it is developing infrastructure as part of its $1 trillion, 5-year-old Belt and Road project. Chong said he thinks the deal could be a way for China to help Duterte at home. Because hes facing a lot of criticism from his own countrymen about selling out to China, he said. Carl Thayer is a Southeast Asia expert with the University of New South Wales in Australia. He says he also thinks the deal makes sense for China. By agreeing to a lesser portion, China seeks to disarm domestic opposition by Filipinos, he said. Thayer said such a deal might also cause other nations to take more conciliatory positions in the South China Sea dispute, as Duterte has done. But another expert believes some people in the Philippines would want Duterte to push for an even bigger share than 60 percent. Maria Ela Atienza is a political science professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman. This plan for the government has received a lot of criticisms, she told VOA. Because others would argue if these areas are in the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, that belongs to the Philippines and it should not be shared, she added. I'm Bryan Lynn. And I'm Alice Bryant. Ralph Jennings reported this story for VOA News. Bryan Lynn adapted it for Learning English, with additional information coming from the Associated Press and Reuters. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story revenue n. amounts of money received by a government or company artificial adj. not natural, but made by people infrastructure n. the basic equipment and structures (such as roads and bridges) needed for an area to operate portion n. a part of something domestic adj. inside one country and not international conciliatory adj. intended to gain goodwill or favor exclusive adj. not shared with another person, organization or country zone n. an area where a particular thing happens Life has found a way to survive in some of the most extreme conditions in existence. Now, scientists believe they might have found a new habitat for microscopic organisms inside a mineral substance called garnet. Garnet is a gemstone that comes in many colors, but is most commonly a clear, deep red color. Recent research found strangely shaped markings inside garnet stones from Thailand. The researchers discovered that fatty acid had collected in the markings. This suggests that an extremely small organism, or microbe, dug the markings into the garnet. Magnus Ivarsson is the lead researcher on the study. He is with the University of Southern Denmark. He told VOA that the research started with a Thai exchange student named Bongkot Phichaikamjorwut, who was studying the qualities of several pieces of garnet. The student noticed the strange markings, described as tunnels. These tunnels divided and changed directions. They were unlike the markings caused by environmental damage that she had observed before. So the student asked Ivarsson for help. Ivarsson said, When I first saw these structures, these tunnels, I was sort of intrigued by the complexity of them. He added that he had studied other microbial markings in minerals before, but never anything with such complexity. Garnet is an unexpected habitat for microbes because of how hard the stone is. In fact, Ivarsson suggests that garnet is the hardest mineral ever discovered to have markings created by microbes. Who knows what well find next, he added, maybe a diamond bored by microbes. Who knows? Researchers, however, note that no living organisms were discovered within the gemstones. Dawn Cardace is a geosciences researcher at the University of Rhode Island in the United States. She says the study did not find any genetic material, or DNA, of the organisms. But she says that is probably because the researchers would need to examine at least 1,000 garnet gemstones to collect any DNA. The researchers depended on several technologies to make their findings. They used high-powered microscopes to make three-dimensional maps of the tunnels, which are narrower than a human hair. The scientists centered their attention on how the tunnels spread and changed directions, as well as the places where the tunnels came together. Environmental damage can cause breaks in hard materials. But Ivarsson says natural processes cannot explain the complexity of the tunnels his team observed. To demonstrate that microbes likely created the tunnels, the researchers had to examine the inside of the boreholes. Ivarsson told VOA, The organic content tells us that theres been life living in there. In fact, the researchers identified organic substances common among bacteria and fungi. The garnets from the study came from the soil in a river near Chiang Mai, Thailand. Ivarsson and his team compared the biological material found in them to other minerals found in the same area, including quartz and hematite. None of the comparable stones showed signs of fatty acids. This suggests that the biological material was unique to the garnet tunnels. Ivarrson says that researchers at least know that biology was involved. Ivarsson and his team also examined Thai garnets from river soil and from granite rock formations further down the river. He explains: When we studied these garnets in the granite, we could see that there were no tunnels. But when we looked at the garnets further down the river, we could see that these tunnels structures had evolved. So, something happened along the way in the river system." Shane McClure is the international director of colored stones at the Gemological Institute of America. He says that such changes to the garnets can decrease the value of the stones. One or two small tunnels, he says, do not make a major difference in value. But he adds if there are many visible tunnels, the value of the gemstone may be greatly affected. The gemstones might not be usable for costly jewelry. But the stones do demonstrate that life finds a way in all sorts of unexpected places. Ivarsson said of the discovery, "When we look for life on Mars, we need to know what to look for. And this is definitely interesting in the search for life on Mars or any type of extreme environment." Im Alice Bryant. And Im Pete Musto. Sadie Witkowski reported this story for VOA News. Pete Musto adapted it for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. We want to hear from you. In what other strange or extreme condition do you think scientists might find signs of life? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story habitat n. the place or type of place where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives or grows gemstone n. a stone that can be used in jewelry when it is cut and polished tunnel(s) n. a passage that goes under the ground or through a hill or other material intrigued v. made to want to know more about something bore(d) v. to make a hole or tunnel in something with a tool or by digging three-dimensional adj. having or seeming to have length, width, and depth fungi n. a group of living things, such as molds, mushrooms, or yeasts, that often look like plants but have no flowers and that live on dead or decaying things unique to adj. belonging to or connected with only one particular thing, place, or person evolve(d) v. to change or develop slowly often into a better, more complex, or more advanced state visible adj. able to be seen WashingtonThe bomb that killed 40 children and 11 others in a Saudi-led coalition air strike on a bus in rebel-held northern Yemen was sold by the United States under a State Department deal with Riyadh, CNN has reported. The numbers on shrapnel, of which images were taken shortly after the attack this month, indicate that it was a laser-guided Mk 82 bomb manufactured by defense contractor Lockheed Martin, CNN said Friday, citing munitions experts. Former president Barack Obama banned the sale of precision-guided weaponry to Saudi Arabia after it used a similar bomb in an October 2016 attack that killed 140 people at a funeral in the rebel-held capital Sanaa. But President Donald Trump overturned that ban after taking office in 2017. Fifty-six children were also among the 79 people wounded in the August 9 strike on Saada province, a rebel stronghold that borders Saudi Arabia, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. The coalition has promised an internal inquiry but analysts and aid groups have voiced doubt that it is ready to provide the transparency and accountability demanded by the wider international community. It is part of the worlds worst humanitarian crisis, a conflict that has killed nearly 10,000 people since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 as Huthi rebel fighters closed in on the last bastion of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadis government. Coalition commanders have admitted a small number of mistakes, but there has been no public disciplinary action or changes to the rules of engagement. The commanders have accused rebels of using civilians as human shields.On Friday, the United Nations invited Yemens government and Iran-backed Huthi rebels to Geneva, Switzerland next month for talks on resolving the countrys civil war. I can confirm that the Office of the Special Envoy sent out invitations to the government of Yemen and to Ansarullah, UN spokeswoman Alessandra Vellucci told reporters. Ansarullah, which means Supporters of God, refers to the Huthi rebels group that has been battling the Saudi-backed internationally recognized government in a conflict that has killed nearly 10,000 people since 2015. The UNs Yemen envoy Martin Griffiths has said the talks due to open on September 6 will be aimed at charting a path forward to revive UN-backed negotiations which broke down in 2016. Vellucci said she had no information on whether representatives from Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emiratesanother key government backerhad also been invited to Geneva. Yemens government has said it has low expectations for the talks, blaming the Huthis for refusing to make concessions. The UN has repeatedly described Yemen as the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. Dossier Author Worried Comey Firing Would Expose Operation, New Messages Reveal The former British spy who composed the infamous dossier of unverified claims about the presidential campaign of Donald Trump was very concerned that the firing of then-FBI Director James Comey in May last year would expose a clandestine operation. According to notes handwritten by senior Justice Department (DOJ) official Bruce Ohr on May 10, 2017, Christopher Steele, the dossiers author, was very concerned about Comeys firing, afraid they will be exposed. The content of the notes was first published by investigative journalist Sara Carter. Though it is unclear what covert operation Steele is referring to, less than two weeks prior to the message, on March 28, 2017, the FBI filed a report on a meeting with Daniel Jones, who heads Penn Quarter Group, a research and investigative advisory firm. The report stated that Jones had retained the services of Steele as part of a project to gather dirt on President Donald Trump. The project, run by Penn Quarter Group, was funded by 7-10 wealthy donors who provided approximately $50 million. Whether Steele was referring to the private dirt-digging operation or something else, Steeles message raises questions about Comeys role in clandestine activities against the president, the exposure of which Steele was very concerned about. Steele was growing nervous about the covert operation being exposed even before Comey was fired. Two days prior to Comeys March 20 testimony before the House Intelligence Committee, Steele wrote to Ohr that he and his associates were apprehensive about the upcoming hearing and hoped important firewalls will hold. Hi! Just wondering if you had any news? Obviously, were a bit apprehensive given scheduled appearance at Congress on Monday. Hoping that important firewalls will hold. Many thanks, Steele texted to Ohr on March 18, 2017. Sorry, no new news. I believe my earlier information is still accurate. I will let you know immediately if there is any change, Ohr replied the same day. Lawmakers investigating FBI and DOJ actions surrounding the 2016 election have scheduled a closed-door hearing to question Ohr on Aug. 28. Trump said on Aug. 16 that he plans to remove Ohrs security clearance. I think Bruce Ohr is a disgrace, I suspect Ill be taking it [clearance] away very quickly, Trump said at the White House on Aug. 17. I think that Bruce Ohr is a disgrace with his wife, Nellie. For him to be in the Justice Department and to be doing what he did, that is a disgrace, that is disqualifying for [special counsel Robert] Mueller. At the time of those communications between Steele and Ohr, Steele had already been officially terminated by the FBI and was prohibited from gathering intelligence on the bureaus behalf. The FBI had terminated Steele on Nov. 1, 2016, for leaking to the media in violation of the bureaus rules for confidential human sources. Ohr became Steeles back channel to the FBI after the termination. Ohr continued to aid Steele as late as November 2017 despite having no official role in the Russia investigation. Ohr was demoted twice for concealing that his wife, Nellie Ohr, worked for Fusion GPS in 2016 on the same dirt-digging operation against the Trump campaign as Steele. Ohr would go on to hand all of his wifes research to the FBI, according to a House Intelligence Committee report. The Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) paid Fusion GPS $160,000 for Steeles dossier. A counterintelligence investigation of the Trump campaign codenamed Crossfire Hurricane would go on to obtain a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant to surveil former Trump-campaign volunteer Carter Page. The officials who signed off on the FISA application failed to disclose that the Clinton campaign and the DNC funded the dossier, that the FBI knew of Steeles bias against Trump, and the connection between the Ohrs, Steele, and Fusion GPS. Comey signed the initial FISA application in October 2016, and two renewal applications in January and April 2017. DOJs Emails & Notes show Bruce Ohrs connection to (phony & discredited) Trump Dossier. A creep thinking he would get caught in a dishonest act. Rigged Witch Hunt! Trump wrote on Twitter on Aug. 16. The Epoch Times previously reported that while writing the dossier, Steele lobbied Ohr on behalf of a Russian billionaire. Ohr also worked to reinstate Steele with the FBI and engage him with special counsel Robert Muellers investigation. Let me start by stating that our country is facing challenges which threaten its very foundation that is built on the rule of law. The Philippines has been a staunch advocate of a rules-based international system. Its experience as a nation that has been liberated from dictatorial rule, proves its commitment to human security, dignity and more importantly, its core values of democracy. As such, we as a people have always sought to identify with those nations which share the same belief that international order should be based on rules that are fair to the shared interest of all. This is quite evident in our Constitution which is replete with principles in the conduct of its foreign policy. In embracing an independent foreign policy, the Philippines has adopted the generally accepted principles of international law. I have shared time and again that the rule of law is the bedrock of peace, order and fairness in modern societies. The rise of a rules-based international system has been the great equalizer in global affairs. Respect and adherence to international law have preserved peace and resolved conflicts. International law has given equal voice to nations regardless of political, economic or military stature, banishing the unlawful use of sheer force. Yet, there are those who think that the rule of law does not apply to great powers. We continue to reject that view. There are actors, however, who believe that they have unbridled power to dominate their fellow nations because they have the superior firepower. The militarization of the South China Sea remains to be one of the most important and contentious external threat not only in our country but in the region. China has continuously rejected the rule of law by ostracizing the jurisdiction of the Permanent Court of Arbitration. More so, it has not only unceasingly refused to accept the arbitral ruling that is now an integral part of international law, but it has also unwaveringly flexed its muscle to deprive us of our sovereign rights. Since our northern neighbor is a signatory to UNCLOS, it cannot pick and choose arbitrarily what benefits China. Our northern neighbor must abide by the totality of UNCLOS.What are our options to advance our national interest vis-a-vis South China Sea? How do we communicate effectively and efficiently our aspirations for a global order that increasingly needs stability? While our country appeared to be lax in enforcing what is right, it is not yet too late. We can still change the path we ought to take and lead it towards achieving a global order wherein right is might. We need to regain the respect of responsible nations by clearly standing up for the rule of law. We can begin by rallying for the support of other countries. We can seek the UN General Assembly to issue a Resolution that would effectively order China to abide by the arbitral ruling. Nonetheless, whether through multilateralism at the UN or with Asean or bilateral engagements, these provide us with glimmers of hope that we can triumph over an aggressor. We must furthermore be able to police our own conduct and declarations to ensure that we do not project any opposing views that tend to undermine our lawful rights and interests.At the risk of sounding repetitive, the arbitral ruling is not an empty victory. Any person who views it as such carries the voice of China. Let us not be willing victims by supporting and fueling Chinas non-adherence to the rule of law. Concomitantly, we cannot remain silent. According to my esteemed friend, Acting Supreme Court Chief Justice Antonio Carpio, the inaction of a State which is faced with a situation constituting threat or infringement of its rights refers to acquiescence; thus, it takes the form of silence or absence of protest in circumstances which generally call for a particular reaction signifying an objection. 1By being silent, we have weaponized an aggressor to do more harm. By being silent, we have encouraged further aggression into our territories and marine resources. As any responsible nation would do, we must act with peaceful resistance against threats to our sovereign rights and most importantly, the decline of the rule of law.Aside from the South China Sea, a number of cases regarding territorial integrity and sovereignty has been resolved wherein the rule of law has been used as basis in delineating the rights of claimant states. The cases of the Kingdom of Netherlands versus Russia, Mauritius versus UK, and Nicaragua versus United States deserve significant attention. The losing parties in these cases ultimately and substantively complied with the award of the arbitral tribunal. The question is why. Simply because these States opted to respect the rules-based international system. These states must therefore be considered exemplars of democratic countries that ought to be copied.As we continue to ponder our role in the future global order, let us ask ourselves what kind of international system we want to live in. Let us ask as well whether or not our actuations are aligned with our aspirations. Our country is therefore confronted with two choicesdo we stand strongly for the rule of law? Or do we, by default, allow ourselves to be ruled by China? Should we end up with a misguided choice, for examples, do we want to suffer the political consequences of Cambodia or the debt trap challenges of Sri Lanka and Djibouti? In closing, we want to respectfully commend President Duterte on his recent remarks about Chinas aggressive and unlawful behavior in the South China Sea. Nine out of 10 Filipinos would be encouraged and inspired by this manifestation of our Presidents positive leadership. If we truly adhere and respect the rule of law, we should actively seek to end any unlawful and aggressive attack to the rules-based international system. The Filipinos have the moral high ground. The Filipinos have the law on their side. We are in the right. Let us therefore speak with one voice that adherence to the rule of law is the only way forward. Albert del Rosario is a former Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Philippine Ambassador to the United States. This speech was delivered Friday, Aug.t 17, at the Stratbase ADR Institute Forum at Ascott Bonifacio Global City. Apple has assured clients that none of their data was compromised when an Australian teenager hacked its systems, Reuters reported. The school student, from Melbourne, Australia, appeared in Childrens Court this week where he pleaded guilty to hacking Apple, downloading 90GB of secure files, and accessing customer accounts. His defence attorney said the teen hacked Apple several times over the course of a year because he was a big fan of the company and that he dreamed of working there. He was 16 when he started hacking Apples systems. Australian Federal Police obtained and executed a search warrant for the teens home last year, the court heard, where they seized two Apple laptops, a mobile phone, and a hard drive. Sentencing in the case is set to proceed next month. Citing conflicts with the citys General Plan, the Planning Commission on Wednesday evening directed staff to prepare a resolution denying the proposed gas station, car wash, convenience store and restaurant at the intersection of Petrified Forest Road and Foothill Boulevard. The decision was based on inconsistencies with numerous policies related to design and formula businesses that could not be readily addressed through revisions to the project plans. The commission unanimously decided that the project is a chain business and does not meet requirements in keeping with the towns unique character. The only way the project might be viable is if the applicant completely started over, said Vice Chair Tim Wilkes. It looks like every other gas station. Across the country gas stations have become ubiquitous and pretty much all look the same businesses get a site and move templates around. A completely unique project could be beneficial to Calistoga, he said. The project was proposed for the site of Calistoga Towing, at the busy western intersection that handles traffic bound for Santa Rosa, Healdsburg and Lake County. The project would have included a 1,184-square-foot self-serve car wash, a 3,222-square-foot convenience store and a 2,800-square-foot restaurant with a plaza/patio and trellis. The applicant, AU Energy of Fremont, owns and operates 118 gas station locations in Northern California, including Napa. Thirty of those include Loop branded convenience stores. The applicant was represented at the meeting by Kpish Goyal, part of the family that owns the development company. He stated that design elements like stone veneer would blend with the agrarian nature of the town. The gas station would have operated 24 hours a day, with the option of a 5-foot-tall, 400-pound, egg-shaped security robot. Were committed to fitting into the community to make it work, he said. You can reach Cynthia Sweeney at csweeney@weeklycalistogan.com or 942-4035. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Thanks for making The Francis House possible Three years ago at about this time we closed on the property at 1403 Myrtle St. in Calistoga. Our lives have never been the same. Every day since, weve had setbacks, triumphs, construction challenges, and debates on design, balanced by the joy from simple visits by passersby and neighbors, all intrigued by what is going on. Three years later, as we prepare to open our doors, we do so with gratitude to all our new friends in Calistoga. You welcomed us every day and entrusted us to make this dream come true. We joined hands in this together. Many thought it would never happen. But as a dear friend reminded us: It always seems impossible until it is done. Now, 132 years later, 1403 Myrtle St., once known as the James H. Francis House or the Old Calistoga Hospital, is now simply called The Francis House. We hope this will be her best chapter yet. Thank you from your fellow Calistogans. Dina and Richard Dwyer Calistoga Is Grizzlies really the right name for Napa High? In regards to the selection of the new Napa Valley High School mascot, I can only say, Meh. I understand the need to replace the history and ethnicity-laden Indian name. But Grizzly? Surely someone could have come up with a name that has some association with our town and valley. IMHO, you might as well be calling them the Applebees. Grizzly conjures up images of forests, mountains and the North. Not a lush vineyard-covered river valley and rolling hills. I know there is an inclination to selecting something aggressive and menacing, but we do have our own native animalssome of them rather fierce. There are Hawks in the fields (a good choice if not taken) and Beavers in the creek. While a wine reference may not be the most appropriate thing for a high school (sorry, though, that Crushers is taken), something alluding to our agrarian heritage or pioneering spirit would also have been more desirable. Silverados? Trailblazers? Harvesters (although I confess that more often conjures up an image of heavy equipment)? While Valley Vignerons or Fighting Sommeliers might not garner many votes, could we not come up with something less generic and reminiscent of a guy in a coonskin cap? Perhaps the choice could be rethought before spending large sums of money on new logos and equipment. Greg Fuller Napa Students were not given real choice So the Napa High Mascot voting has been narrowed down to two choicesGrizzly or Husky. What in the world have those two names got to do with the Napa Valley or Napa County? Students were given a choice, but not a real choice, because they were not allowed to weigh in on the original name Napa High Indians, which had a proud history of recognizing a proud native people of the Napa Valley. Pomos lived in this valley for centuries and they more likely represent history in the choosing of a name for a mascot for Napa High School. However the same people who stole the name Napa Indian from all of us who attended Napa High School for decades did not include that name as a choice. In their goal of perfect political correctness they avoided a name that had significant historical presence in this valley, thereby slandering the native Pomos. This school board should be impeached for this travesty of correctness fostered on our community. Remember that when they come up for reelection. A Proud Napa High Indian. Tom Johnson Napa Editors Note: After this letter was submitted, the school district announced the students had chose Grizzlies as the new name. Also, none of the seats up for election on the NVUSD Board of Trustees this fall has more than one candidate, so there will be no competitive elections on the ballot. Maybe the new generation will teach us The opening of the school year has brought an election for a new mascot for Napa High School. The Indian is a thing of the past but many people will not let it go, especially on social media. I was not raised in Napa, but I have lived here for 14 years. A son attended Napa High for four years. Maybe I have a different perspective on the mascot issue? This reminds me of people complaining when the statue of a Confederate general was taken down from the pedestal in the town square? Wasnt the historical statue just part of the traditional cultural fabric? The fact that it represented a violent struggle to maintain the brutal slavery of people kidnapped from their homes in Africa and served to keep them in their place in the 20th century was of course incidental. The Napa Indian mascot is cultural appropriation to ease the guilty conscience of we Europeans who slaughtered, enslaved, infected, and otherwise destroyed Native Americans and their culture. That is the story that should be taught, not some silly, sanitized cigar store Indian version. I am sorry that so many Napkins have been fitted with cultural blinders by our community. Replacing the Indian is a step in liberating us all from a funhouse mirror view of history. Napa High students will no longer be indoctrinated with this kind of cultural genocide. Maybe we will learn from this new generation? Loren Haas Napa Off base in criticizing Taxpayers Association I have read the article regarding the Napa Grand Jury, The Napa Taxpayers Association, and the NVUSD, (Several Napa school trustees blame taxpayer group for grand jury criticism, July 4) I must say it is rich with intrigue, misdirection, miscalculation, and mismanagement. Right off the bat Tom Kensok and Jose Hurtado are unhappy at the dual findings of the Napa Grand Jury and blame a third party for the findings. To summarize, (F1) there will be the likelihood of budget cuts over the next 3 years, but there is no detailed long-term plan. (F2) During the past 3 years the emphasis has been on budget cuts, not revenue generation. (F3) Finally, NVUSD has made a solid effort to communicate to the community their budget issues and invite input from them. Kensok and Hurtado point their fingers at the Napa Valley Taxpayers Association for the poor marks given to the NVUSD by the Grand Jury. The GJ found that the NVUSD should by the end of the calendar year (R1) develop a detailed five (5) year financial plan for the district, and (R2) In Calendar year 2018, the District should develop and implement a comprehensive Marketing Program designed to increase attendance. Finally, (R3) In Calendar year 2018, the Napa Valley Unified School District should develop a website link devoted to budget news and post regular quarterly updates. So why all the bluster from Kensok and Hurtado? Does NVUSD have financial issues that they do not want the public to know about? The article raised all kinds of red flags in my mind. If Hurtado and Kensok are mad because the Grand Jury used the NVTPA as a resource, so what? This the NCTPAs expertise, they will work with any public agency looking into a tax or a bond measure to insure it is for the public good. If not, they will oppose it. The article goes on to discuss the grand jurys look at 30-500 percent increases in construction costs with the District disputing this saying, they were only 82 percent increases. The article also discusses the state-mandated creation and updates to a bi-annual multi-year budget-projection that reflects a three-year budget cycle. Also, per Hurtado and Kensok, projection and expenses beyond three years are fraught with the uncertainty of enrollment and funding levels. At the time of Measure H, I believe a couple of schools were already on the chopping block as district enrollment was down. So, it was already known to a certain degree the loss of students the district would absorb. As the conversation turned to financial issues, Jose Hurtado turned the conversation away from money to the children, sidestepping the main issue, Measure H expenditures and oversight. He turned on the emotional spigot blaming the grand jury and the NVTPA for caring more for buildings than for children. Not a good argument when you are overspending and in serious debt. Since the Register did not quote their source at the district for how their three-year budget cycle works, maybe they can help all us taxpayers out with this quote, Assistant Superintendent Wade Roach broke the bad news to the school board last Thursday, informing trustees that projected deficits over the next four years could add up to more than $12 million (Napa Valley Register, March 7, 2018). Funny how that is an exact number. A hat tip to the grand jury members and the Napa Valley Taxpayers Association for looking after our tax dollars and how they are being used. I think NVUSD needs some further investigation. It seems that what they say does not seem to be consistent article to article. Mark Gasster Napa Napa Countys three-year quest to create a climate action plan asking rural residents, farmers and business owners to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions could finally wrap up in spring 2019. County officials recently announced that timeline. For now, they are trying to convince skeptics that proposed carbon-cutting steps will meet the countys target of being 40 percent below 2014 greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The Napa County Planning Commission on Wednesday held a hearing to collect comments on the draft plan that would affect only the unincorporated county outside of city limits. Cities are making their own plans. Were in a state of urgency around the climate right now, Commissioner Joelle Gallagher said during the hearing. No one at the hearing challenged the need for a climate action plan. But Jack Gray of the Napa County Taxpayers Association in a letter to the county sounded a note of caution over its possible economic effects. It seems logical that a new climate action plan should include some cost/benefit analysis before extensive new costly, regressive mandates are proposed for the residents and businesses of Napa County, Gray wrote. Unincorporated Napa County is dominated by farms and wineries, with homes and major roads carrying traffic. Those are among the sectors targeted for carbon-cutting steps. One major proposal is to support not requireconverting all diesel or gas irrigation pumps on farms to electric, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 1,696 metric tons by 2020. I dont think thats realistic by 2020, Chris Benz of Napa Climate Now! told commissioners. Another proposal is to support the use of electric or alternatively-fueled farm equipment. That is to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 1,617 metric tons by 2020 and 8,540 metric tons by 2030. Im concerned that those are especially important measures you have called them out as such and that is not a requirement, Gallagher told the consultants who helped craft the draft plan. Attorney Jerry Bernhaut attended the hearing representing California River Watch. California River Watch last year successfully sued to have a court block the environmental document for the Sonoma County climate action plan. Bernhaut sees flaws with the Napa County plan. He wants the county to include greenhouse gas emissions generated by the global distribution of Napa County wine and by the tourists from beyond the Bay Area traveling to Napa County wine country. The activities that generate these emissions the vineyards, wineries, hotels, event centersare all operating under permits issued by county agencies, he told commissioners. In a letter, Bernhaut noted the plan seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated by vehicles by increasing affordable housing, especially workforce housing. The plan talks of promoting and encouraging housing closer to jobs. Here is nothing but generic, aspirational language, Bernhaut wrote. Asked after the meeting if California River Watch would challenge a Napa County climate change approach it viewed as flawed in court, Bernhaut responded, Absolutely. Michelle Novi of Napa Valley Vintners highlighted the voluntary Napa Green program championed by the group. Wineries and vineyards can become certified by doing such things as reducing their carbon footprints. She thanked the county for including Napa Green in the draft climate action plan. She also asked the county for support in increasing participation in Napa Green. Napa Valley Vintners represents 550 members. Molly Moran Williams spoke on behalf of Napa Valley Grapegrowers and its 725 members. She said the group would soon be submitting comprehensive comments on the draft plan. Grape growers are fully supportive of development of a viable, feasible and most importantly effective climate action plan, she said. Consultant Erik de Kok of Ascent Environmental, who is working on the plan, said carbon-cutting recommendations will have such co-benefits as improving the communitys sustainability and public health. There are a lot of reasons we should be doing these things, not just for the sake of greenhouse gas emissions, he said. People can comment on the latest version of the draft climate action plan through Aug. 22. Go to https://bit.ly/2P0RuzE to find the plan. The county intends to release a draft climate action plan environmental impact report for public comment in November. The final plan and report could go to the Planning Commission and then the Board of Supervisors for passage in spring 2019. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Napa is in the early stages of planning a new four-story downtown home for its city government and law enforcement. But one resident is leading a push to throw on the brakes and turn the campaign for a new city hall into a new direction. John Salmon, a local attorney and a California governors aide in the 1990s, is asking the City Council to rethink a four-story, 130,000-square-foot First Street civic center in the early planning stages that would centralize city offices as well as house the police department. Attacking what he called the projects excessive cost and fragile funding plan, he has called on Napa to suspend planning of the new City Hall estimated to cost some $121 million and instead work with the Napa County government on an exchange of land parcels that could hold separate homes for city offices and the police. After opposing the shape of the civic center project in comments during City Council meetings, Salmon, who was the director of state asset management under Gov. Pete Wilson, sought wider audiences for his alternative in July, posting a petition to Facebook and detailing his plans with the Napa Valley Register editorial board. The time has come for the council (and all November council candidates) to take a very hard look at the proposed project and to decide whether it is going where it needs to go, he wrote in a July 22 letter to the editor. Staff will argue it is too late to stop it, but it is not too late to redirect it to a far better result. A swap of more than two dozen city- and county-owned parcels would enable the city to build separate administrative and law enforcement hubs Salmon says will each operate more cheaply and efficiently apart than together. He proposed placing a city hall building on the county-owned Sullivan block at Third, Randolph and Coombs streets, and suggested that the citys Jackson Street corporation yard already targeted for a temporary police building is one option for a permanent police station site. At issue to Salmon are the different needs of public safety and civilian departments and the added expense of bringing a combined building up to the security and safety standards required of a police headquarters. A police station needs to be secure, a city hall needs to be open, and those two needs are inevitably in conflict, he said Monday. By trying to put the two together, it creates operational inefficiency and adds cost. Salmon also has argued that redevelopment following the sale of surplus lands ultimately would create more new housing downtown than the citys proposal, in which the existing City Hall and police block on Second Street would be rezoned for a mix of housing, hotel and retail uses. Plenary Group, the Los Angeles developer whose plan won Napa approval in 2017, is working with the city to develop and manage the new City Hall, repurpose the existing site, and find temporary offices for city departments for up to 2 years. A May presentation by Plenary to the council suggested creating about 60 housing units on the future superblock along with 170 hotel rooms, while other dwellings eventually could occupy Napa Countys former Health and Human Services campus on Old Sonoma Road currently for sale or part of the citys corporation yard on Jackson Street. Among more than 75 signers of the Facebook petition is Mary Luros, a Napa council member in 2015-16 who is seeking to regain her seat in the November election. Also adding her name was another council candidate, Liz Alessio. Luros agreed with Salmon in questioning the wisdom of combining police and civilian uses in a single block, saying the pursuit of separate buildings will make it easier for Napa to spend within its means. When I was on the council I thought it was a great idea, an opportunity to consolidate city buildings into one area (while) providing good jobs and affordable housing, she said Tuesday of earlier versions of the City Hall plan. Unfortunately, instead of being simple and focused, the city let it get out of control and gave a long list of things to be accomplished. We originally planned on just a new city hall. Now we have all this other stuff thats made it complex, and we really havent set a budget on it. If all we want is a city hall, we dont need to add this other stuff. Id like to see us devote our resources to police station and city hall, not necessarily on the same site. We need to be direct about what our priorities are, and maybe they dont happen at same time. It cant just be a laundry list of things. Four councilmembers interviewed about the civic centers progress, however, largely appeared unmoved by Salmons arguments for taking a new path. We all work for the city, we have to provide the best customer service, and we can do it best if we are all in the same building and under one roof working together, said Mayor Jill Techel. To have everyone in one facility makes sense, and the idea of a separate police department doesnt work toward that vision and goal. The idea that wed change after two years, do a 180 from where we started, is literally going back to the beginning, said Peter Mott. To change direction now is waste of energy and a waste of money. One of the project costs that deserves close attention, added Mott, is how much Napa spends to find or build temporary office space during the civic centers construction, which is expected to run from 2019 to 2021. Salmon, in questioning the plans fiscal soundness, urged Napa to avoid moving city staff twice from the old City Hall to transitional space and then to its permanent quarters. Transition plans currently call for Napa to house police in a manufactured building that would be placed at the city corporation yard on Jackson Street. After Napa Police moves to the finished civic center, the 25,000-square-foot building would remain at the corp yard to serve as office space for Public Works maintenance staff. Councilmember Doris Gentry suggested Napa potentially could save millions of dollars by leaving police and city offices at their existing Second Street quarters during construction, and instead shift planning and building departments to the corp yard from the Community Services Building the First Street structure Napa would tear down to make room for its civic center. A temporary building for civilian rather than law enforcement uses may be built cheaper due to the lower security requirements, she said. The (money) we save without using swing space far outweighs any other ideas, said Gentry. We save the disruption of moving employees. Well need a corp yard building anyway, and we want this building to be available after they move out and the corp yard (staff) moves in. Scott Sedgley, like other council members, dismissed the possibility of Napa city and county agreeing to the size and scale of a land trade that would enable a civic center on county-owned property, pointing to previous efforts that have fizzled. (The two governments most recently discussed building a common administrative hub in 2011, but never acted on those talks.) I still believe its a great plan, he said. The difficulty has been working out details on the public-private partnership side, the housing, the hotels and retail. What John calls complicated steps, well, I agree its complicated but everything in todays governance is complicated. Attempts to contact Councilmember Jim Krider were unsuccessful. Napas acting city manager is Steve Potter, who stepped into the role last month after three years as police chief and 31 years in the city police force. While conceding the higher cost of hardening a city headquarters devoted to public safety as well as civilian functions, Potter suggested such a combination may still be worth the expense not only to let city workers easily meet among all departments but to identify police as a part of the community and not isolated from it. To me its crucial for the police to be part of the bigger entity, and function hand in hand with rest of city staff to serve the community, he said Thursday. Furthermore, he added, the experiences of the 2014 earthquake and the 2017 wildfires should remind Napans of the importance of a headquarters built to withstand another catastrophe and keep essential services available. Having a building that is (designed) so it can withstand disasters is critical to an area like Napa because were somewhat removed from the rest of the Bay Area, said Potter. We have to be a fully functional city if we experience something like that. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. President Donald Trumps decision to revoke the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan is, according to conventional wisdom, an effort to silence his critics. This is what Brennan himself says, though theres no need to take his word for it; James Clapper, former director of national intelligence and potential target for security clearance retaliation, agrees. Even the American Civil Liberties Union, which had harsh words for Brennan during his tenure at the CIA, says Trumps action violates Brennans First Amendment rights. As is so often the case, however, the conventional wisdom is wrong. Far from trying to silence Brennan, Trump is elevating him. He wants to make Brennan the face of the so-called resistance. This is the Trump playbook. Why do you think he keeps tweeting about Maxine Waters? He is a man who approaches politics like professional wrestling, happy to play the villain if it energizes his base. And for Trump, Brennan is a perfect adversary. There are at least three reasons for this. To start, a fight with Brennan is at this moment a great way to change the subject from the trial of his former campaign manager Paul Manafort, and the slow-motion revelations of his former aide Omarosa Manigault Newman, who says there is a recording of him using a racial slur. This also plays into Trumps broader strategy. Its no secret that the president is now campaigning against what his supporters deride as a deep state, a permanent national security bureaucracy that he believes undermines his presidency. The term is often used in reference to police states like Egypt or Pakistan. Its wrong to ascribe a single motivation to the vast network of national security and intelligence agencies in the U.S. government, or to presume that these institutions are more powerful than the president. Indeed, Trumps very decision to revoke Brennans clearance undermines this thesis. That said, running against the deep state provides Trump a rhetorical crutch. Its a built-in excuse for failing to deliver on his 2016 campaign promises. Sitting presidents usually have to run as incumbents. Trump can try to run for re-election as an outsider. And is there a better poster boy for the alleged deep state than Brennan? The best and final reason Trump wants to prolong this battle is that, for all of Brennans earnest passion, he is an easy political target. Start with Brennans recent obsession, Russia. Its true that, as CIA director, Brennan took a keen interest in the prospect of Russian agents suborning members of the Trump campaign. That said, Brennan was a senior national security official throughout the Obama presidency. It was not until Russias invasion of Ukraine in 2014 that Obama began seriously countering Russian aggressionand even then the policy was tempered by the administrations primary goal of getting a nuclear agreement with Iran. That deal was negotiated in part with Russia. Daniel Hoffman, a former CIA station chief in Moscow, told me that the Obama administration was less interested in holding Russia accountable for its actions in Syria and Ukraine than in getting Russias cooperation in signing a nuclear agreement with Iran. My impression was that John Brennan felt we could come to terms with Russia, he said. Brennan would argue that he rang the alarm inside the government about Russias campaign to influence the 2016 election in favor of Trump (his efforts are richly detailed in Russian Roulette, by David Corn and Michael Isikoff). But he was stymied in part by a White House that did not want to launch a full counteroffensive during the campaign. But none of this explains why Brennan did not act sooner against Russia. As I reported at the time, the U.S. intelligence community was surprised by Russias stealth invasion of Ukraine. Brennan was a senior White House adviser when the Obama administration went out of its way to reset relations with Russia. Brennan is also a divisive figure for progressives. As the ACLUs own statement defending the former director notes, Brennans record is full of grave missteps, and we have been unsparing in our criticism of his defense of the CIA torture program and his role in unlawful lethal strikes abroad. Drone strikes and torture are only part of Brennans problems with the left. He nearly lost his job in 2014 when the then-chair of the Senate select committee on Intelligence, Dianne Feinstein, accused him of spying on her staff as they completed research on a scathing report about the CIAs black site program. Brennan survived, but until Trumps election was wounded within the Democratic Party. Of course, Trumps decision to target the security clearances of his critics is vindictive and petty. But its a mistake to think it was impetuous. Trump understands that singling out Brennan will only amplify Brennans voice. If mere punishment were Trumps goal, he would have simply urged the CIA to revoke Brennans clearance. Instead, he did it himselfthereby letting the world know that Brennan is his foil. And so far, Brennan has obliged. Eli Lake is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering national security and foreign policy. He was the senior national security correspondent for the Daily Beast, and covered national security and intelligence for the Washington Times, the New York Sun and UPI. So the Napa High Mascot voting has been narrowed down to two choices - Grizzly or Husky. What in the world have those two names got to do with the Napa Valley or Napa County? Students were given a choice, but not a real choice, because they were not allowed to weigh in on the original name Napa High Indians, which had a proud history of recognizing a proud native people of the Napa Valley. Pomos lived in this valley for centuries and they more likely represent history in the choosing of a name for a mascot for Napa High School. However the same people who stole the name Napa Indian from all of us who attended Napa High School for decades did not include that name as a choice. In their goal of perfect political correctness they avoided a name that had significant historical presence in this valley, thereby slandering the native Pomos. This school board should be impeached for this travesty of correctness fostered on our community. Remember that when they come up for reelection. A Proud Napa High Indian. Tom Johnson Napa Editor's Note: After this letter was submitted, the school district announced the students had chose "Grizzlies" as the new name. Also, none of the seats up for election on the NVUSD Board of Trustees this fall has more than one candidate, so there will be no competitive elections on the ballot. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court, challenging State-run Damodar Valley Corporations (read in West Bengal) proposal to supply power to Bangladesh from power plants using concessional domestic coal. A report published in the The Economic Times stated that the PIL, filed by advocate Piyush Joshi, questions DVCs plan to use domestic coal for power at a time when the commodity is scarce for power plants in India. It also terms the move against public interest, arguing that Indians will suffer the consequences of emissions for generating power that they will not receive. ..Export of electricity generated from domestic coal is also against the established principles of environmental law and public interest since burning of domestic coal that has proven higher content of Sox and other polluting gases that are released into the environment in India, the PIL said. It cannot be permissible that the general public in India suffers the consequences of emissions of the use of domestic coal for generation of electricity and not receive the benefit of the electricity so produced. The report further stated that DVC is a statutory corporation regulated by the Damodar Valley Corporation Act of 1948. The PIL said that the Act prohibits DVC from selling electricity outside Jharkhand and West Bengal. Also, the terms of coal allotment by Coal India provide that it has to be used for allocated purposes within India, the PIL said. A DVC spokesperson said that the company has not yet received intimation from the court. The Power Ministrys technical arm, Central Electricity Authority (CEA), recently allowed DVC, through its power trader NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited, to enter into long- and short-term power supply contracts of 300 MW each with Bangladesh. DVC won the contract to supply 300 MW of power to Bangladesh with long-term supply starting from January 2020 to May 2033, and short-term supply starting from when the 500 MW HVDC transmission line through Baharampur in West Bengal and Bheramara in Bangladesh is completed. The short-term power will be sold at Rs 3.84 per unit, while the long-term supply at Rs 5.84 per unit. The PIL said this price range is lower than the cost of power purchased by Delhi and Punjab in peak season. Ashok Khurana, Director General of Association of Power Producers, said the CEAs decision is against national interest and domestic power consumers. It is an irony that we are importing coal to meet deficit of linkage coal for domestic power production and exporting power with domestic linkage coal, he said. Several South Asian leaders attended the funeral of the former Prime Minister (PM) of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Friday and among them were Bhutans King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk. A report appearing in livemint stated that the former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Pakistans acting Law Minister Syed Ali Zafar, and Sri Lankas Minister of Public Enterprise Lakshman Kiriella also attended Vajpayees funeral, which was held at the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal in New Delhi. The King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali were among the early arrivals in New Delhi on Friday as representatives of foreign countries who were expected for the funeral of former PM Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The report further stated that among others to attend the last rites of Vajpayee, who passed away on Thursday after a prolonged illness, was Nepals Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, Sri Lankas Acting Foreign Minister Lakshman Kiriella, Afghanistans Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai and Pakistans Information Minister Syed Ali Zafar, according to the Indian Foreign Ministry. Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai was also among the mourners. Meanwhile, tributes continued to pour in for the leader widely credited with charting a new path in foreign policy for India in many areas, including a complete revamp of ties with the US and bringing India out of the nuclear closet. In his message, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo overnight recalled that Vajpayee in his address to the US Congress in 2000, had famously characterised US-India ties as a natural partnership of shared endeavors. He recognised early on that the United States and India, based on their shared democratic values, could develop a partnership that would contribute to the economic prosperity and security of the region and the world. Today, our two countries and our bilateral relationship continue to benefit from Prime Minister Vajpayees vision, which helped promote expanded cooperation, Pompeo said. #AtalBihariVajpayee was one of Indias great leaders saddened by his passing and my thoughts are with his family and loved ones. He was a close partner of the UK. Those who remember his State visit to the UK in 2001 will know how well respected he was here, said a Twitter post by Mark Fields, British Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific. India-Sri Lanka relations were blessed by PM #Vajpayees futuristic policies, and I was privileged to have met him as the Deputy High Commissioner at the time. The India-Sri Lanka FTA (free trade agreement), the first free trade agreement for both countries, stands testimony to his visionary leadership, said another post by Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary Prasad Kariyawasam. From Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin in a message to his Indian counterpart Ram Nath Kovind said: Atal Bihari Vajpayee rightly commanded great respect around the world. He will be remembered as a politician who made a major personal contribution to the friendly relations and privileged strategic partnership between our countries. It was during Vajpayees Prime Ministership in 2000 that India and Russia institutionalised their annual summit meets. Pakistans Prime Minister-in-waiting Imran Khan remembered Vajpayee as a tall personality of the subcontinent. His attempts for the betterment of India-Pakistan relationship will always be remembered. Vajpayee, as Foreign Minister, took responsibility of improving India-Pakistan ties, Khan was quoted as saying. Heartfelt condolences to the Government and people of India on the passing of #AtalBihariVajpayee. The world will celebrate him as an exemplary statesman, read the message posted on Twitter by Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay. Yuval Rotem, Ambassador, Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, in his message said: I was deeply saddened to learn of the death of a giant -Indias former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It was during Vajpayees term as PM that Indias ties with Israel became more public after the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1992. Israel supplied key munitions and weapons to India in 1999 during the Kargil War as India battled Pakistani insurgents and Army regulars. In 2000, then Home Minister LK Advani visited Israel becoming the most senior representative from India to visit the country. India and Israel also set up a joint anti-terror commission after a visit by Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh in the same year. In 2003, the Vajpayee Government hosted then Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, the first visit by an Israeli PM to India. Japans envoy to India, Kenji Hiramatsu also expressed grief over Vajpayees death, stating that he was one of the most inspiring world leaders of our times. I am deeply saddened by the passing away of former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He was one of the most inspiring world leaders of our times. The upswing in India-Japan relations was only possible by the initiatives started by Prime Minister Vajpayee, Hiramatsu said. The demise of such a great leader is a great loss not only to India but also to Japan and other parts of Asia as well as the entire international community. May his legacy live on, and may his soul rest in eternal peace, he added. Local legislator Jambey Tashi has asserted that all the hydropower projects in Tawang and Lumla have been scrapped and no such projects would be entertained in the region in the future. Tashis assertion came during his speech on the occasion of Independence Day, the day which was celebrated with much pomp and show here on Wednesday last. Exhorting the youths to work hand in glove with the administration and government for the progress of the region and not to get carried away by rumours, especially in terms of hydro project, the MLA appealed to the gathering to shun violence and opt for peaceful and amicable process during the forthcoming general assembly elections. Tashi, who earlier unfurled the tricolour and paid obeisance to the great freedom fighters of the nation, also extended his gratitude to the military and paramilitary forces, police, scientists, laborers, government and private employees and every citizen who are involved in progress of the nation. The local legislator then spoke in detail on the distinct schemes launched by the central and state governments and appealed to the public to take advantage of it. Tashi further announced, Arunachal will also be soon included in the National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spirituality Augmentation Drive. A heritage village will be formed very soon in Itanagar, wherein all major festivals of the state will be celebrated, he informed. He further said the union government is focusing on the development of North East and reiterated their assurance of providing road projects worth Rs 50,000 crore for Arunachal. Tashi, who is also the member of BJP National Minority Morcha, further informed that paper works on Zemithang CO headquarter upgradation and Pamaghar CO headquarter have been completed and very soon the Zemithang CO headquarter will be upgraded to an EAC headquarter and Pamaghar will get a CO headquarter. Earlier, the local MLA felicitated the gaon burahs (village heads) with blankets and urged them to work in unison for the progress of the region. Rev Gangkhar Tulku Rinpoche, abbot of Tawang monastery, Jambey Wangdi, chairman, department of Karmik and Adhyatmik Affairs, and Lumla ADC R D Thungon also attended the daylong celebrations. In order to ensure that export of Indian handicrafts from Assams Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) to Bhutan continues, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed with the Bhutan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), Royal Government of Bhutan on August 17, 2018 at Phuentsholing in Bhutan. The MoU was signed by NN Rana Patgiri, Managing Director, BRAWFED and Chandra B Chhetri, Deputy Secretary General, BCCI in presence of the Chairman, BRAWFED. Sangay Dorji, Regional Secretary, Regional Office of BCCI, Phuentsholing and S. Basumatary, In-charge Secretary, BRAWFED, Kokrajhar also graced the MoS signing ceremony. During the programme, the issue of organizing the 7th Thematic Exhibition on Indian Handicrafts (TEIH) in Thimphu jointly with the BCCI from September 12 to September 16, 2018 was also discussed at length by acknowledging and appreciating each others mandated role and competencies. The exhibition is sponsored by the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, New Delhi. Since both BRAWFED and BCCI have several programmes lined-up already during the remaining quarter of the year, the partners resolved to organize the 7th Thematic Exhibition on Indian Handicrafts parallel with the Bhutan-India Trade & Investment Promotion Expo and the 4th Agri-Flori Fair 2018 in commemoration of the Golden Jubilee of Formal Diplomatic Relations between Bhutan-India 1968-2018 under separate pavilions. It was decided to schedule the exhibition from September 12 to September 16, 2018 (5-day event) at the Changlimithang National Stadium Parking Ground, Thimphu. The events would be launched simultaneously on September 12, 2018 and the entire ceremonial launching function would be held at a common venue/stage built for the purpose within the event venue. To portray the rich culture and traditions of both countries and to add on the aesthetic beauty to the venue, the BRAWFED would field designers from India in advance to take care of the Indian traditional aspects and similarly the BCCI would arrange suitable person(s) to oversee the Bhutanese traditional aspects. The 7th TEIH will have 40 standard stalls with a platform for live demonstration with Octonorm partitioning for live demonstrations by master craftsperson from the BTC and space for thematic display of Indian handicrafts. BRAWFED will also hold B2B meeting during the 7th TEIH as a market promotional programme and BCCI shall invite local buyers/stakeholders from Thimphu. The marketing of the 7th TEIH among potential Indian participants shall be undertaken entirely by the BRAWFED. Malis Incumbent President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita was re-elected in a run-off against opposition rival and ex-finance Minister Soumaila Cisse. The Ministry of Territorial Administration declared Keita the winner of the repeat poll held on Sunday with 67 percent of ballots cast. Soumaila Cisse angrily vowed to contest the results by using all democratic means. He called on all Malians to rise up We will not accept the dictatorship of fraud. Threats by armed fighters forced nearly 500 polling stations about two percent of the total to stay closed during the runoff, the Ministry said. One election official was killed in northern Niafunke, in the Timbuktu region. Turnout was low, at 34.5%. Observer missions sent by the European Union and the African Union (AU) have issued provisional reports saying the election was not badly impaired. Mali, a landlocked nation home to at least 20 ethnic groups, has battled jihadist attacks and intercommunal violence for years. Despite fierce criticism of Keita for his handling of the security crisis, the opposition leader Cisse has failed to rally the support of other parties behind him for the runoff. As a reminder, France still has 4,500 troops deployed in Mali alongside the UNs 15,000 peacekeepers and a regional G5 Sahel force. From President Obama to his successor Donald Trump, public figures across the world have paid homage to music icon Aretha Franklin who died on Thursday at the age of 76. Franklin who won 18 Grammys and had some 25 gold records died at her home in Detroit Michigan. She had been battling advanced pancreatic cancer, and her family had asked for prayers. Music icons across genres Diana Ross, Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox and Faith Hill tweeted about her impact on their community and the void her death leaves behind. Franklin leaves a legacy of hits such as Respect and Chain of Fools. Franklin was part of the civil rights movement of the sixties and met civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. She sang at events with Dr. King and when he was assassinated in 1968, she performed Take My Hand and Precious Lord at his funeral. Franklin sang My Country, Tis of Thee at Barack Obamas inauguration in 2009 as the nation swore in its first black president. On Thursday, Obama mourned the Queen of Soul on Twitter. In her voice, we could feel our history, all of it and in every shadeour power and our pain, our darkness and our light, our quest for redemption and our hard-won respect. May the Queen of Soul rest in eternal peace. Crazy Rich Asians isnt necessarily great PR for Singapore. [The film] represents the worst of Singapore, Ian Chong, a political scientist at the National University of Singapore, said after seeing the trailer. Erases minorities. Erases the poor and marginalized. All you get are rich, privileged ethnic Chinese. Singapore is around 75% Chinese, according to 2017 estimates. And while the movies entire cast is Asian, theyre mostly Chinese. The movie, which is based on a book by Kevin Kwan, spends little time on the other 25%: Malays (15%), Indians (7%), and other minority races. I get that the movie isnt all about Singapore, and that some may find it entertaining, Chong told Yahoo Finance. That said, I think that the context of the movie (and the book) presents Singapore in a one-dimensional manner. In exoticizing Singapore, the story flattens out Singapore society and writes minorities out. This image released by Warner Bros. Entertainment shows, from left, Awkwafina, Nico Santos, and Constance Wu in a scene from the film Crazy Rich Asians. (Sanja Bucko/Warner Bros. Entertainment via AP) The book focuses on how a female American-Chinese character travels to Singapore with her Singaporean-Chinese boyfriend for a wedding and meets his rich old money Cantonese family, only to face his mothers (and her circles) disapproval. And given that the movie introduces Singapore to a global audience, some familiar with the country wonder why there is little effort made to make the movie more reflective of the real Singapore. Everyone else is told you have to care, even though we are not represented, we cant see ourselves, Sangeetha Thanapal, an activist against racism facing Singapores Indian, Malay, and other minority communities, told the AP. You set a movie in Singapore and the only people in it are Chinese and you consider that representation? That is the problem its because you dont understand the dynamics, Thanapal said. When people say that is the world of Singapore, theyre saying that minorities dont exist. (Photo: screenshot/Crazy Rich Asians) In Crazy Rich Asians, the only minority actors beside the main characters mother, played by Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh were predominantly security guards or servants. So while the movie is the first studio film in the 21st century starring an Asian and Asian-American cast in a contemporary setting, its more accurate to say that the movie represents the Chinese community. Story continues Crazy Rich Asians is set in Singapore and yet theres not a single south Asian member on the cast. Huge fan of Constance Wu and love when ANY Asians are represented but its so wrong given Singapores demographics. To paint an exclusively East Asian cast as representative of neil gunnion (@neilgofficial) August 2, 2018 Genuinely excited to see Crazy Rich Asians. But my issue with it (as well as the book) is that its a paltry reflection on multicultural Singapore. Malay & Indian communities are entirely scrubbed out of view and Spores problematic Chinese-maj worldview is reinforced. https://t.co/yQuOih0spd Tara John (@tarajohn) August 15, 2018 Racism in Singapore Consequently, the film adds more irritation to the minorities who have already experienced decades of racism in many aspects of their life as the country became predominantly Chinese. For example, in the rental market, Indians have found it difficult to find properties because of landlords discriminating against them. In the job market, Chinese have for a long time preferred their own over other minorities, specifying it clearly on job listings to the extent that even if a member from the minority races spoke Chinese, they would get turned away. A migrant worker from Bangladesh shows his empty wallet to the camera as workers gather near a government office in Singapore on February 16, 2009. REUTERS/Vivek Prakash And the classic example of intolerance occurred in 2011 when a new migrant family from China complained about a Singaporean-Indian family because they couldnt tolerate the smell of their curry. (The Indian family ended up settling to cook only when they were out.) While the film is no doubt a step in the right direction toward the representation of the Asian community overall, there is a clear lack of minorities even in cameo roles for a movie about Asians in Singapore. How I look at the movie and the story on which it is based parallels the concerns some in the US express about Hollywood making movies that write out minorities, making it all about white people, Chong said. That does not even get into issues of class. Even while people watch the movie, I hope these nuances are not forgotten in the public mind even though I doubt this will happen. Aarthi is a graduate journalism student at New York University. She is Singaporean. Follow her on Twitter. Related: Morocco, a key player in the global anti-extremism struggle, wants to have full access to Europols database on radicalized Moroccans living in Europe, who constitute a threat to the security of Europe and to the North African country. The European Union has agreed lately to open talks with Morocco and other MENA countries on the exchange of personal data between Europol and the authorities responsible for combating crime and terrorism. I believe that the database of all agencies responsible for security in Europe such as Europol has to be shared with North African countries like Morocco, said Mr. Abdelhak Khiame, director of an agency known as Moroccos FBI. The aim of strengthening cooperation is to prevent and combat terrorism and organized crime, and to better address migration-related challenges, added the director of the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ). Spain, France, Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands host a large Moroccan migrant community. Some Moroccans living abroad are especially vulnerable because of the challenges of integration and wavering between two cultures. Security officials are concerned about those who become radicalized in Europe and as some European extremists with Moroccan origins were behind various terror attacks carried out in Paris, Brussels, Madrid and other European capitals. To face this threat, BCIJ is planning to expand operations abroad to track Moroccan extremists with dual citizenship. Since its creation in 2015, this counterterror agency has arrested hundreds of suspected terrorists and dismantled several terrorist cells. It also cooperates with other European countries security services, mainly Spain, France and Belgium in the counterterrorism struggle. Moroccos security and intelligence services work closely with their American and European counterparts, receive extensive training and are highly proficient. They also helped to avert several terror attacks in Europe with the information it collects and shares with its regional and international partners. Combating radicalism and defeating extremism are important to preserving Moroccos stability in a volatile region and King Mohammed VI speaks out regularly against religious fanaticism. Police have used tear gas and live bullets to disperse youths in Mukono who were protesting against the continued incarceration of Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine. Bobi was violently arrested alongside three other legislators and about 30 of their supporters following clashes between rival groups in a hotly contested parliamentary race in Arua. Bobi, who is said to have been tortured, was separately charged in a military court in Gulu with illegal possession of firearms and ammunition and remanded to Makindye military prison until August 23. The other suspects who are accused of pelting President Yoweri Museveni's motorcade with stones were arraigned in Gulu Magistrate's court and charged with treason and remanded to Gulu main prison until August 30. Police truck in Kamwokya yesterday. Today police fired tear gas and bullets to disperse the angry youths in Mukono Bobi connects with a lot of youth in the country and is being considered as the latest political threat to president Museveni's long grip on power. With reports emerging that the legislator was tortured according to his wife Barbie Kyagulanyi, lawyer Erias Lukwago and Uganda Human Rights Commission, his supporters are up in arms. Audio: Angry kids upbraid police for teargassing people in Kamwokya who were protesting against the alleged torture & continued detention of #BobiWine. In solidarity with the Kyadondo East MP, they sing his song 'Freedom' & chant slogans of 'People Power, Our Power' #Uganda pic.twitter.com/0a3HeSe96d The Observer (@observerug) August 17, 2018 After two straight days of low-scale protests in Kamwokya and Gayaza on Thursday and Gayaza, today Bobi's supporters in Mukono also joined the protest wave, bringing business to a standstill in the township. Dressed in red outfits, the colour symbol of 'People Power', Bobi's pressure group, the youths chanted pro-Bobi slogans, sung his songs and burnt old tyres in the middle of the road to Kayunga bringing traffic flow to a standstill for several hours. The youth claimed the government is slapping trumped-up charges of illegal possession of firearms against their 'ghetto president'. They said all they want is freedom for Kyagulanyi. MOUNTING PRESSURE Pressure is increasingly mounting for government over the arrest and alleged torture of the Arua suspects with the foreign diplomats and embassies, Buganda kingdom all issuing statements calling for respect of the suspects' humans rights including access to medical care. Several prominent Ugandan DJs have also resolved to play Bobi Wine's songs for at least 15 minutes at the top of the hour on TVs and radios until the legislator is freed. Pressure to free the suspects is not only within Uganda, with Kenyan, Zimbabwean, British, American media extensively covering the post-arrest events. Also, Ugandans living in South Africa and USA have held their own protests, demanding for the freedom of Bobi. Ugandans in Massachusetts, USA, staged a protest calling for the unconditional release of the suspects arrested in Arua. The protest held in the city of Medford, brought together a number of Ugandans who denounced what they said was government's clear acts of torture, abuse of human rights and illegal detention of suspects. The protesters carried placards with inscriptions calling for Bobi's release. Free Bobi Wine, free our people, was a key call made by the protestors who also carried placards with some of Kyagulanyi's popular slogans, "People Power, Our Power", "we are fighting for you, we are not fighting you" among others The protesters approached passersby and told them the reason for their protest and also asked them to join in protesting the arrests. Martin Byakuleka, the president of the Common League of the Ugandan Diaspora (CLOUD) who is the brain behind the demonstration says Ugandans abroad are saddened that Ugandans are being treated brutally by the regime. He says the demonstration is meant to show their dissatisfaction on the fictitious charges, torture and intimidation that Ugandans have endured under the leadership of Yoweri Museveni. The group is also calling for a sit-down and stay-home campaign to stand in solidarity with the arrested Ugandans. But President Museveni earlier warned in a statement that charges against Bobi Wine and his allies will continue for bringing violence and intimidation into elections. The inspector general of police (IGP) Martin Okoth Ochola has condemned the torturing of arrested suspects by security officers, saying it's against the professional ethics of the force. The police boss said no police officer will be tolerated if they are found guilty of having tortured suspects. "I have been trained in CID [criminal investigations] for over 10 years, I have worked in police for 30 years [and] I have never tortured anyone. So why should a police officer torture someone? And mark you; the confession obtained through torturing is inadmissible in court," Ochola said. Although Ochola refused to directly comment on allegations of torture of recently arrested suspects in Arua, his comments come after images emerged on social media of Mityana municipality MP Francis Zaake appearing to have been tortured while in detention following his arrest on Monday this week. IGP Okoth Ochola Zaake alongside other MPs and over 30 civilians were arrested by security officers on allegations of stoning the presidential motorcade in Arua on Monday. Zaake is currently admitted in Lubaga hospital on life support. His is all bruised and swollen bearing hallmarks of torture. Zaake is feeding through tubes and supported by a nebulizer to breathe. Although no images of Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine have been released since his arrest in Arua as well, his lawyers, wife and the officers of the Uganda Human Rights Commission, who met him at Makindye military barracks on Friday, said that he was severely tortured and is in great pain. "His forehead is bruised and his eyes are red. He has many wounds including one on his ear. He seems to have been punched many times on the face. He cannot walk. He cannot sit straight. He speaks with difficulty and has a lot of pain breathing," his wife Barbie Kyagulanyi narrated after the visit. Ochola also advised those who have been tortured by police officers not to report the matter at the Professional Standards Unit (PSU) but rather to the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) headquarters in Kibuli since its a criminal offence. It's still unclear which security agency tortured the Arua suspects as they were arrested by presidential guards, Special Forces Command (SFC) and dumped at police stations. According to the Anti-Torture Act, every individual who tortures someone takes individual liability and can be imprisoned for up to seven years on conviction. Former presidential candidate and Forum for Democratic Change party president Rtd Col Dr Kizza Besigye is ready to support and work with any individual that a united opposition front forward to liberate the country. Besigye who has contested in four presidential elections since 2001 and controversially lost to the incumbent has lately, sometimes unfairly, come under criticism from within his own party, FDC and by other opposition politicians for being a main-stay like President Museveni in the country's politics. Seemingly bewildered by the accusations of selfishness and refusing to relinquish the face of opposition, Besigye told journalists during a presser at his Katonga office that there is no need to waste any more time because the country needs to be liberated immediately. Kizza Besigye (2nd L) has called for a united opposition "If Besigyes face is the problem, lets put another face and we move. It is urgent that we recover this country. I will not allow my face to be a problem - not at all. Not to be an obstacle to the liberation of this country, I wont. Nothing should hold the liberation of this country for any other day, nothing." said Besigye "Because the condition in the country is worrying, is horrendous - people have no food, people have no where to sleep, people have no jobsno healthcare, no education. We cannot keep on wasting time telling stories - this one is the problem, that one is the problem. We must solve this and get the country to move forward." The presser was attended by FDC party president, Patrick Amuriat Oboi, FDC chairperson, Wasswa Biriggwa, Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, MPs Roland Kaginda, Francis Mwijukye, and William Nzoghu among others. Besigye said that it was unfortunate that incidents in Arua that led to the arrest of a number of MPs and opposition supporters, came at a time when the opposition is fractured. More than 30 people including MPs were arrested in Arua on Monday for allegedly stoning the president's convoy. "We must immediately close ranks; this is not the time for bickering, for making petty scores against each other. This is a time to rally and recover the country," Besigye said. He added that efforts are being made for opposition forces to form a united front by Monday so that all their actions are coordinated. He said that the togetherness in opposition that he, and others are calling for should not worry his critics that he will be its face. Besigye's call comes after a section of the FDC party leaders including the party chairperson, Biriggwa and deputy secretary general, Harold Kaija admitted that internal fights are tearing the party apart. The in fights in FDC became visible after Amuriat was voted party president to replace Gen Mugisha Muntu during last year's party delegates' conference at Namboole. After the release of the results, Muntu together with his campaign team resolved to have countrywide consultations to make a final decision about their next step. This has seen most of the members who were on Gen Muntu's campaign trail evade party meetings and activities. Some of the members include former Serere Woman MP Alice Alaso, former leader of opposition Winnie Kiiza, Kibweri MP Francis Gonahasa, and Bugweri MP Abdu Katuntu. In a recent interview, Alaso said she didn't believe in the defiance campaign of the current leadership and that she was not to go back until the belief is changed. In the recent Arua municipality campaigns, Gen Muntu together with the People Power movement headed by the now-jailed Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi campaigned for an independent candidate, Kassiano Wadri, as opposed to the official FDC candidate Bruce Musema. Muntu has since said that he finalized his countrywide consultations and was to meet Amuriat and former FDC presidential aspirant, Besigye before the end of this month to talk about his final decisions. Mjolnir was on set Mew Mew! Mew Mew! Reply Thread Link if there's one thing we can count on, it's that there are no lasting consequences in Marvel movies Reply Parent Thread Link lmao bless this comment Reply Parent Thread Link mte who gives a fuck about his ugly ass smdh Reply Parent Thread Link oh god, I can't wait to watch this, it's gonna be amazing. Reply Thread Link this could be 50 hours long and id happily sit in the theater watching all of it even if it means I have to perform all bodily functions without leaving my seat Reply Thread Link lol mte. i honestly wish this was more of a mini series movies kind of thing bc it's a loooot of stuff to fit into 3-4 hrs (i'm assuming that's the estimated time they're trying to contain it in) Reply Parent Thread Link Same that would be so fun since many theaters now also have a restaurant so you can get real food and sit in those recliner chairs! I would gladly clear my schedule Reply Parent Thread Link lmfao same. just let me live and die in the theater Reply Parent Thread Link I need it now! Reply Thread Link Is that poster fan made or legit? Cap being at the center of it makes me nervous. And I say this as Im sippong out my Captain America mug. Reply Thread Link Ooooh which mug do you have? Reply Parent Thread Link The ceramic mug with his face on it. Its 3D Reply Parent Thread Link I'd say it's fan made. Cap has a beard and Nat has the wrong hair. Reply Parent Thread Link Also, someone on Reddit said that Cap dies after hes able to wield the Mjolnir. Tony also dies as well. Reply Thread Link I think i read that on there too. I love reading the fan theories. I liked the one about dr strange in regards to being able to see the future. I forgot that the ancient one couldnt see past her death so if strange really died (thus everyone else) he wouldnt have been able to see the 14 million different outcomes if he truly died when turned to ash. Reply Parent Thread Link Cap dying has long been the running theory considering Evans doesnt wanna come back. When Evans was interviewed on GMA, he made it seem like he was open. I think he wants more money and I dont blame him. Hes been at the core of the franchise for so long. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link it wasn't. i'm not sure why people keep saying that Reply Parent Thread Link wasn't in confirmed in the leak that had the wrong title for the Spider-Man sequel? I don't buy it (not that it won't happen but I don't think the leak was accurate). Reply Parent Thread Link I read that too. But ther s no evidence to prove it. Reply Parent Thread Link I'm here for Jane reappearing if it's true and OLDER CASSIE AHSDAVDHJSAVDASDM Reply Thread Link The only thing I'm looking forward to is some of these actors going back to non comic book movies. I know I'm never getting another Kiss Kiss Bang Bang or Charlie Bartlett (and I never want another Rumor Has It) but maybe another Zodiac? Pretty please? Reply Thread Link I rewatched kiss kiss bang bang the other day and its still such a great movie. I hadnt seen it since it came out. Reply Parent Thread Link it really is so great Reply Parent Thread Link haaaaaaa Reply Parent Thread Link Give us Young Avengers already you cowards. Reply Thread Link I have total faith in the russos. A 3 hour movie requires no booze while watching which i desperately needed during IW lol but ok ill take it. IW was 2.5 hours i think so no biggie. Im just eager about capt marvel. I know her solo movie will do well but the fact that fury paged her has me anxious af as to her role in a4. Reply Thread Link I'm super excited for Capt. Marvel too! I can't wait to see her onscreen. Reply Parent Thread Link The dread I felt between reading Natalie Portman is coming back, to Reality Stone paragraph, thinking they're definitely killing Hemsworth off and having Natalie be the new Thor... TBH Hemsworth has never looked better than in T3/A:IW. It would be a shame to waste all that. Reply Thread Link The Greenpeace activists who crashed a Superman-styled drone into an EDF facility near Lyon, France on July 3 pulled off the latest of several stunts designed to highlight the vulnerability of Frances ageing nuclear reactors. In a country whose energy mix is built on nuclear power, the strategy is working: the Superman incident came just before a French parliamentary report called out security failings at some facilities. Revelations of faulty welding at the new Flamanville reactor have since added yet more fuel to the fire. Frances anti-nuclear groups have been successful in capturing media attention and public support but that hasnt changed the facts on the ground for the energy sector. France is heavily reliant on nuclear energy and has been since the 1980s, after the Messmer plan (named for the French premier who introduced it) called for a transition to an economy powered exclusively by nuclear energy. Frances 58 nuclear power plants accounted for 71.6% of the countrys electricity generation last year, the highest national share of any country in the world. Hounding Hulot President Emmanuel Macron came into office promising to significantly curtail nuclears role in the energy mix, keeping to predecessor Francois Hollandes pledge to cut it from 75% to 50% by 2025. Just a few months later, though, Macron and environment minister Nicolas Hulot found themselves walking back that pledge. The new government was forced to admit the 2025 target was impossible to achieve without putting France at risk of energy shortages and jeopardizing the countrys carbon emissions targets. Greenpeace hasnt taken kindly to that change of course. This past April, Greenpeace energy representative Alix Mazounie said the group felt Hulot is laying down in front of EDF [the national electricity utility]. Soon afterwards, the group marked the one-year anniversary of Macrons election by writing off what it called a year of claptrap for the climate and accusing the French president of letting EDF write the countrys energy policy. The Eastern Front Macron and France have gotten off easy compared to one of the environmental organizations favorite targets: Rosatom. Greenpeaces criticism has only intensified as the Russian nuclear energy giant has emerged as the global leader in overseas projects, signing a number of high-profile deals to build new reactors everywhere from Finland to Turkey. Related: Trade War May Push China To Russian Energy Greenpeace attacks Rosatoms projects using its typical focus on safety. For example, the organization has persistently opposed the Astravets plant Rosatom is building for Belarus. Astravets has undergone outside evaluations from the IAEA and the World Association of Nuclear Operators, and IAEA Director Yukiya Amano has praised what he called one of the most advanced nuclear newcomer countries for making use of IAEA expert peer review and giving utmost considerations to nuclear safety. The Astravets facility most recently passed strict EU safety stress tests this year. None of this, of course, has convinced its opponents at Greenpeace. In another recent example, Greenpeace fed hyperbolic coverage surrounding the Akademik Lomonosov project, the first civilian floating nuclear power plant in the world. Greenpeace has bestowed the project with colorful epithets like Nuclear Titanic, despite the fact that the technology underpinning the Akademik Lomonosov is a natural progression of the nuclear-powered submarines, aircraft carriers, and icebreakers that have been navigating ocean waters for over 60 years. As Dale Klein, the former head of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, emphasized, Greenpeaces labeling of the floating plant as Nuclear Titanic is just a scare tactic. Its just to make people think about an accident of some kind. So it has no basis in science, and its really just meant to scare people when you use those kinds of statements. Related: WTI Set For Longest Weekly Losing Streak Since 2015 Ironically, the Akademik Lomonosov is designed to replace a highly polluting thermal power plant in Chukotka, a remote Russian region above the Arctic Circle. Renewables such as wind and solar are far less feasible due to the areas severe climate. Temperatures drop down to below -30C during long polar nights. Greenpeace itself outlined the issues facing renewable energy projects in Chukotka in a 2017 report. Nuclear is the only low-carbon option for this corner of the Arctic, but Greenpeace implicitly seems to prefer Chukotka stick with deadly coal-fired power generation. The real stakes at play The Akademic Lomonosov saga isnt the only occurrence of Greenpeace or likeminded groups insisting all economies developed and developing both strive for 100% renewable energy. Any assertion to the contrary is derided as simply lobbying by vested interests in the fossil fuel industry. Fighting against coal, oil, and gas is one thing, but are they going after one of the very power sources vital to a decarbonized future? Nuclear, at the end of the day, is a low-carbon clean energy source. This isnt a theoretical debate. Around the globe, nuclear projects are being shuttered as countries look for alternatives. Germanys Energiewende strategy, for one, will eventually see the countrys nuclear fleet phased out. While the point of Energiewende is to transition Germany to an energy mix powered by renewable energy, the countrys emissions have never dipped significantly below those recorded in 2009. Angela Merkels decision to close down Germanys nuclear facilities after the 2011 Fukushima disaster has benefited the German coal industry. In 2017, coal still made up nearly 37% of German power production. Prematurely shuttering Frances nuclear plants would have the same impact. While Macron may be planning large-scale tenders for wind and solar projects, putting nuclear capacity out of commission too soon would set back the countrys decarbonization program. That harsh reality is what forced Macron to backtrack on his nuclear pledge. As the French parliamentary report made clear, the nuclear sector in France is in need of reform and greater supervision. As the nuclear reactors built under the Messmer plan near the end of their original operational horizons, EDF needs to answer hard questions about prolonging their lifespans and integrating Frances nuclear tradition into a renewables-focused future. Crashing Superman drones into nuclear plants, though, isnt going to help France reduce carbon emissions. By Richard Talley for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Our friends over at Ursa published a blog post yesterday discussing crude inventories at Kyaukphyu in Myanmar, highlighting the seeming political nature of recent crude flows to the storage hub. Crude is delivered to CNPC's Kabala terminal in Myanmar and is stored at Kyaukphyu before being transported by pipeline to the Yunnan refinery in China. Since the terminal started up in April 2017, we can see from our ClipperData that there has been nearly 80 million barrels discharged there. Saudi Arabia is a steady supplier, accounting for about a half of all crude deliveries - and mostly Arab Medium - with volumes averaging about a VLCC a month (about 2 million barrels). (Click to enlarge) The terminal at Kyaukphyu - and hence the Yunnan refinery - typically imports light and medium sour grades, including UAE's Das and Upper Zakum, Qatari Al Shaheen, Omani export crude and Iraqi Basrah Light, but has also imported sweet grades - including Angolan Girassol and Azeri Light. As the chart above illustrates, a couple of Iranian cargoes have been delivered in the last few months - including 1.1mn bbls of light sweet South Pars condensate in June. Although we are seeing a dip this month in total Iranian barrels into China, it is expected that Iran will increasingly try to muscle its way in, as it is muscled out of elsewhere. Chinese imports of Iranian barrels are at 650,000 bpd through the first seven months of the year, after running closer to 600,000 bpd in recent years. Central China typically receives the most, but flows have dropped considerably to the region this year, instead heading to southern and northern destinations. As our ClipperData illustrate below, Iranian grades into northern Chinese ports - and mostly Qingdao, Rizhao, Tianjin, Caofeidian and Dalian - have been on the rise in recent years, averaging over 300,000 bpd so far this year. Related: Indonesias Oil Sector In Jeopardy As Elections Loom Rising flows into northern China has been a common theme in the first half of the year, with total imports up over 8 percent on a year-over-year basis. That said, imports have dropped off considerably since May, after the government changed the tax structure for independent refiners. Nonetheless, Iranian imports into the region are holding up for now. Imports of U.S. crude into northern China, on the other hand, look set for a bout of weakness. Nearly a half of U.S. crude imports to China make their way to the independent refiners in the north. Amid the threat of tariffs and trade wars, flows of mostly light sweet U.S. crude - WTI, Midland WTI, DSW and Bakken - have already slowed from the highs of Q2. While this lower trend should persist amid tighter price spreads, Iranian crude flows should continue apace. (Click to enlarge) By Matt Smith More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The natural market gas in the Eastern Mediterranean is in full ebullition with Egypt determined to be the center of this regional marketplace. The country faces challenges, including maintaining equidistance from the regions various tensions, reforming its legal framework for regional gas deals and effectively communicating its activities to the Egyptian population no easy matter given the complex history of regional gas cooperation, Egypts own regional energy relations, and its need to subdue public opinion with the necessities of regional cooperation around natural resources, which know no political frontiers. The most recent Israeli-Egyptian gas cooperation agreement offers a unique lens into this complexity. In February, Israel media announced a massive gas export deal with Egypt, worth US$15 billion over 10 years. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clamored about a joyous day that would strengthen our economy [and] strengthen regional ties. But not a word came from Egyptian authorities, with local media citing Israeli sources. Naturally, the announcement confused the Egyptian public. For the past year, they had heard much about the promises of the Zohr gas field, a massive discovery in Egypts sector of the Mediterranean with an estimated reserve of 850 billion cubic meters. The field had started production weeks earlier in December 2017, and Egyptian Minister of Petroleum Tarek El-Molla had stated the field would allow Egypt to be self-sufficient by the end of 2018. So Egyptians wondered where did a decade-long import deal fit in then. It took the Egyptian government 24 hours to develop its talking points, which coalesced into two distinct and diverging lines of thought: First, this was a private-sector deal, with the Egyptian signatory being a company called Dolphinus Holdings over which the government had no control, and therefore the government could not speak for the firm. Second, in parallel, the deal was part of a larger strategy to make Egypt the regional hub of natural gas. Two days later, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi briefly addressed the matter, while not mentioning Israel by name and rather referring to the deal as "importing gas from another place." The confused explanation was "we scored a goal" without clarifying how. Snippets of statements started trickling from the government, emphasizing larger strategic implications, as if to dilute the bilateral deal into larger regional cooperation, and stressing that Egypt would use its existing gas liquefying stations to become the main trading point for Eastern Mediterranean gas on its way to Europe. The deal itself leaves out some details no start date or information on how the gas would be shipped and would likely benefit from an extension of export facilities between Israel and Jordan, and use existing, now unused pipeline that once delivered gas from Egypt to Israel a few years ago. More importantly, the deal does not clarify whether the gas is truly meant for export to Europe. A foreign natural gas official explained that the Israeli imported gas was, in his expert opinion, certainly for Egyptian local consumption. Gas from Israels Tamar and Leviathan fields, suffering from fewer impurities than Zohrs, is readily available for consumption. Zohrs raw gas must undergo a refining process to remove contaminants. Related: Shale Profits Remain Elusive Thus, the deals strategic dimension may not be the only impetus on the Egyptian side a more immediate concern is fulfilling Egypts large internal energy demand, contradicting the image of a regional powerhouse that the government seeks to project. A French expression, Theres water in the gas, signifies impending trouble and is appropriate in describing the gas discoveries in the Eastern Mediterranean, which augur both prosperity and conflict. Consider the Israeli-Lebanese example: While the two countries remain legally at war, they disagree over maritime borders, creating overlapping gas exploration concessions. Even if the border issue were resolved, the countries are small, about 20,000 and 10,000 square kilometers, respectively; the source of any gas found nearby would likely straddle the border forcing the countries into revenue-sharing discussions they do not wish to have. Then theres the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: The Gaza Marine field, with its estimated 1 trillion cubic feet of reserves, has been a contentious point for two decades between the Palestinian governments in Gaza and Ramallah, the Palestinians and the Israelis, and oil developers and buyers. No less important is the unclear demarcation of territorial waters between Palestine and Israel and, in all likelihood, Palestine and Egypt. Turkey, on its side, has been wary of the Egyptian-Cypriot rapprochement. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu declared null and void the 2003 Egyptian-Cypriot demarcation agreement, and the country physically blocks oil companies from conducting additional exploratory drilling in the exclusive economic zone of Cyprus. Turkish-Cypriot tensions, too, could yet slow creation of this regional market. But regional energy ties are not all in conflict. In September 2016, Jordan signed an agreement to purchase 300 million cubic feet per day of Israeli gas, in a 15-year US$10 billion agreement. Also, Egypt and Cyprus have intensified bilateral cooperation, often drawing Greece along equally for economic benefits as much as for an adversarial position vis-a-vis Turkey. Yearly tripartite summits have been held since 2014, and Sisi has visited Nicosia twice in three years. Related: The One Oil Industry That Isnt Under Threat Egypts gas cooperation with Cyprus goes back to 2012, when Cairo and Nicosia signed an agreement on joint exploration for border zones, and plans about how to best supply Europe with Cypriot and Egyptian Mediterranean gas have been a regular discussion topic since. The day after the announcement of the Egyptian-Israeli deal, Cyprus also announced it was nearing an agreement to sell natural gas to Egypt, to be signed within weeks, and in April, Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides visited Cairo to finalize the terms. The agreement would likely include plans for laying an underwater pipeline for gas export from Cyprus to Egypt, a distance of 645 kilometers, for the gas to be liquefied there and subsequently re-exported to Europe an ambitious and costly plan. Egypt has what it takes to be the regional energy market hub: location, a developed infrastructure for refining, storing and exporting oil and gas; access to regional suppliers; and major markets across the Mediterranean. Some of Egypts plans, however, may be too optimistic from the quality of the gas in Zohr to the Mediterranean underground pipelines and the nation is an immense market itself, compelling the government to fulfill local needs before considering exports. Some pending issues remain, including security in the Sinai Peninsula, which disrupted a previous Egypt-Israel gas export deal in 2011 and 2012, ending in a legal fracas. The deal, signed in 2005, provisioned the export of 1.7 billion cubic meters annually for 20 years. The financial penalties from this legal debacle are pending, with Israeli partners claiming compensations from Egyptian parties in Egyptian, French and Swiss courts and potentially other jurisdictions. Then Prime Minister Sherif Ismail of Egypt declared that the issue of compensation was subject to an understanding while the Israeli Electric Company, for its part, issued a statement declaring, We will not relinquish the debt and the company will continue to work towards collecting it." Nonetheless, Egypt remains the most logical export hub. This will require careful policy, transparency and significantly improved local communication, to put this vision in motion. By Yale Global More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: After several months of what can only be only called bad PR and troubling news coming out of the ExxonMobil-led $19 bn Papua New Guinea (PNG) LNG project, finally some good news has broken. Project partner Oil Search, which holds a 29 percent stake, said the project had agreed to a deal to supply LNG to a unit of British oil giant BP. The agreement will start this month and provide BP with about 450,000 tonnes of LNG per annum over an initial three-year period, then rising to about 900,000 tonnes for the following two years, Oil Search said in a statement without giving any financial details of the deal. "(The move) takes the total contracted volumes from the project to approximately 7.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa)," Oil Search Managing Director Peter Botten said. The agreement comes a month after Oil Search announced a similar deal with PetroChina, the publically listed arm of state-run oil major Sinopec, for 6.6 mtpa. ExxonMobil is also reportedly in negotiations with several other parties over an additional 450,000 tonnes per year of LNG supply. These developments come after several tense months for PNG LNG project partners. On February 26, 7.5 magnitude earth quake triggered landslides and flattened buildings in the country, and left at least 100 dead, forcing the government to declare a state of emergency. However, the fallout from the quake caused anger among many locals that either directly attributed the natural disaster to gas drilling in the mountain region of the country, or at the very least claimed it was a contributing factor. Project partners, along with geologists, disputed the claims, but to no avail. Most locals still blame the PNG project for the devastating earthquake. That anger then spilled over into local communities complaining that the PNG project consortium had taken advantage of both federal and provincial government leaders as well as land owners when it first reached deals to build the project around ten years ago. After minor repairs to the facility and passing safety checks, the PNG project resumed operations by mid-April but by then it had a public relations fiasco on its hands. In lock step, the PNG government joined in the fray, claiming it they had given away too much in the initial round of negotiations that allowed the project to be built, and vowed that for any future negotiations for additional projects the country will not away concessions so easily. Then on July 5, Exxon reported that it had stopped construction on its Angore gas pipeline in the countrys strife-hit highlands after building sites were vandalized. Two weeks later, the U.S.-based oil major said that it, along with PNG security forces, were investigation the vandalism. The 11-km (7-mile) Angore pipeline is being built to connect the Angore gas field to the Hides gas conditioning plant. Related: WTI Set For Longest Weekly Losing Streak Since 2015 However, according to reports coming out of the country highlands region rioters and landowners have not yet received payments due from the government out of royalties paid by the project which shipped its first LNG four years ago. All of this unrest would have been hard to imagine just a year ago when the PNG project was the envy of the LNG industry. Unlike most of Australia's massive CAPEX LNG projects that have fallen behind schedule and suffered exorbitant cost and budget blowouts, the PNG project was the envy of the industry. Not only had it been completed ahead of schedule but also delivered its first LNG ahead of schedule in 2014. Moreover, if Exxon and its project partners can address what appears to be legitimate government and local land owner concerns, the project should be able to capitalize on the ongoing trade dispute between the U.S. and China. Chinese end LNG users told global commodities data provider S&P Global Platts last week that, if implemented, the pending Chinese tariffs would push the cost of U.S. LNG above what companies could afford for spot cargoes in the near term. "[A] 25% [tariff] is not something we can absorb even if domestic demand is strong," said a source at a state-owned Chinese company. "So while this uncertainty persists, I doubt buyers will be buying a lot of spot US LNG." Related: The One Oil Industry That Isnt Under Threat If Beijing pushes through with the 25 percent retaliatory tariff against U.S. sourced LNG, the PNG project can offload uncommitted cargoes on the spot market in Asia to replace U.S. LNG. To date, China has been a consistent customer of U.S.-based Cheniere Energys cargoes sold on the spot market in Asia. PNG can capitalize on Cheniere's loss, even if PNGs volume of uncommitted production is narrowing. In 2017, the PNG project shipped a total of 110 LNG cargoes with 23 ending on the spot market. The total figures since the start of exports in mid-2014 have reached 370 cargoes. Moreover, major PNG project partners, Exxon, Oil Search and French oil major Total, have been discussing expanding the project. If an expansion is agreed upon and approved by the PNG government, it will be underpinned by the more than 10 tcf of discovered undeveloped gas resource in the Elk-Antelope and Pnyang fields and potentially gas from the foundation project fields - stiff competition for both U.S.-based and Australian LNG projects. By Tim Daiss for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Thousands of mourners attended a state funeral in the Italian city of Genoa to bid a solemn farewell to victims of a bridge collapse that has sparked nationwide anger, while rescuers pulled more bodies from the rubble. Large crowds packed inside an exhibition hall turned into a makeshift chapel where coffins adorned with flowers and photographs were lined up, although the families of some victims shunned the state event. "I lost a friend but I came for all the victims," local resident Nunzio Angone told AFP. Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte presided over the hour-long Catholic service, which coincided with a national day of mourning for Tuesday's disaster. A visibly shaken Mattarella spoke of an "unacceptable tragedy". The death toll now stands at 40 including several children after the discovery Saturday of the body of a labourer in his 30s in the rubble and the death of another man in hospital, officials said. Local media reported that the bodies of three family members, including a nine-year-old girl, had also been found inside a car under debris. At the ceremony, there was applause as a priest read out the names of the dead. "The Morandi bridge collapse has pierced the heart of Genoa. The pain is deep," Archbishop Angelo Bagnasco said. Solemn chants of "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest) then rang out as an imam led prayers for two Muslim victims. His presence was particularly poignant in a staunchly Catholic country, where the far-right is now in power and which has seen a rise in attacks on foreigners. - 'Rigorous investigation' - The populist government has blamed Autostrade per l'Italia, the operator of the viaduct, for the collapse and wants to strip the company of its lucrative contracts. Autostrade chief executive Giovanni Castellucci said at a press conference that 500 million euros ($570 million) will be available from Monday to help Genoa and to rebuild the bridge while funds would be set up to help victims. The government has accused the infrastructure giant of failing to invest in sufficient maintenance. Interior Minister Matteo Salvini had demanded that the company offer up to 500 million euros to help families and local government deal with the aftermath of the disaster. The government was set to hold an emergency meeting in Genoa on the disaster later Saturday. "Everyone who has come here in recent years has gone over that bridge. I have travelled along that bridge many times too, also recently," Mattarella said, vowing to carry out a "rigorous investigation" into the accident. - 'Farce of a funeral' - Relatives of victims comforted each other as they huddled around each of the 19 caskets. Among the coffins was a small white one for the youngest victim, an eight-year-old boy who was killed alongside his parents as they prepared to catch a ferry to the holiday island of Sardinia. The dead also include three Chileans and four French nationals, while 10 people remain in hospital. "I don't know those who have died in the bridge collapse but I wanted pay my respects regardless. This shouldn't have happened," Genoa resident Claudio Castellaro, 73, told AFP. Applause erupted as firefighters entered the hall ahead of the ceremony. There was also loud clapping for co-deputy premiers Matteo Salvini and Luigi di Maio who have led angry tirades against Autostrade. But more than half of the families of the victims refused to take part, some preferring a more intimate funeral, while others announced a boycott. "It is the state that has provoked this; let them not show their faces, the parade of politicians is shameful," the press quoted the mother of one Italian victim as saying. Roberto, father of another victim, used social media to vent his anger: "My son will not become a number in the catalogue of deaths caused by Italian failures." "We do not want a farce of a funeral but a ceremony at home." - Riddled with problems - The Morandi viaduct dates from the 1960s and has been riddled with structural problems for decades, leading to expensive maintenance and severe criticism from engineering experts. Its collapse prompted fears over ageing infrastructure across the world. Italy has announced a year-long state of emergency in the region. Autostrade, which operates and maintains nearly half of Italy's motorways, estimates it will take eight months to build a new steel bridge, according to Castellucci. It denies scrimping on motorway maintenance, saying it has invested over one billion euros a year in "safety, maintenance and strengthening of the network" since 2012. Atlantia, the holding company of Autostrade which is 30 percent owned by iconic fashion brand Benetton, has warned that the government would have to refund the value of the contract, which runs until at least 2038. Refugees should never be pressured to decide if they should return to their home countries, a senior UN official has said. The statement was made by Volker Turk, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection with the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, who on Thursday completed a four-day visit to Tanzania, which is hosting more than 340,000 refugees and asylum-seekers. Refugees need to have a meaningful choice about whether they wish to return based on the facts and realities on the ground. There should not be any direct or indirect pressure exercised on refugees to choose whether to return, he said, according to a press release, which stated that the Government of Tanzania has assured the agency that the decision to return would be up to refugees themselves. Volker Turk met with the Tanzanian authorities and partners to discuss protection challenges and solutions for the refugees and asylum seekers who have found shelter in the country having fled conflict and persecution in their homelands. The majority are from Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with nearly 90 per cent living in three camps in the Kigoma region, located in the west. The UN official visited the Nduta Refugee Camp where he met with residents. He also witnessed the voluntary return process for Burundian refugees. So far, more than 42,000 Burundians have returned home, according to UNHCR. Turk also held a meeting with UNHCR representatives who are working in countries hosting Burundi refugees, who total around 400,000. UNHCR said the Burundi situation is one of the worlds most underfunded humanitarian crises, with a $391 million appeal only 12 per cent funded. Turk called on the international community to address what he called this forgotten situation. Even as the White House began cracking down on U.S. work visas, major Silicon Valley technology firms last year dramatically ramped up hiring of workers under the controversial H-1B visa program, according to newly released data. The data show the importance of H-1B workers to the tech industry, which has long lobbied to increase the number of highly skilled foreign workers. Menlo Park-based Facebook in 2017 received 720 H-1B approvals, a 53 percent increase over 2016, according to the National Foundation for American Policy, which obtained federal government data. Mountain View's Google received 1,213 H-1B approvals, a 31 percent increase. The number of H-1B approvals at Intel in Santa Clara rose 19 percent and Cupertino-based Apple received 673, a 7 percent increase. But the data lacks details that might clarify how the industry uses those workers: It does not indicate what kind of jobs the visa holders had, or in which offices they worked. And experts say the data also doesn't show how many additional H-1B contractors tech companies may get from staffing agencies or outsourcing companies. In response to this news organization's inquiries, Facebook said it does not publicly discuss its use of H-1B workers or contractors. Google, Apple and Intel did not respond to requests for information about their use of H-1B workers or contractors. The lottery-based H-1B, obtained by employers seeking foreign talent, is intended for highly skilled workers, and has become a flashpoint in the U.S. immigration debate. Tech firms have lobbied hard to increase the number of new visas beyond the 85,000 annual cap, while opponents point to reported abuses and claim H-1B workers take jobs from Americans. Outsourcing firms, such as Infosys and Tata, have become particular targets of the administration of President Donald Trump. In a February policy memo, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration noted legitimate uses of the visa by third-party agencies, but said such arrangements can increase the likelihood of abuses such as paying improperly low wages or using contractors for non-specialized work. The memo imposed new requirements on H-1B employers to prove that visa holders will be doing specialty work. Vivek Wadhwa, a distinguished fellow at Harvard Law School and Carnegie Mellon's School of Engineering at Silicon Valley, believes the solution is to give H-1B preference to start-ups and tech companiesnot third-party agencies. "I'm a strong proponent of skilled immigration," said Wadhwa, who studies the positive contributions of immigrants. "The only H-1Bs should be direct employees of these companies." The increase in H-1Bs approved for tech companies in 2017 came as the White House began a series of sweeping actions to limit immigration. That may have prompted companies to secure as many visas as possible while they could, Wadhwa said. "It may be that they were stocking up because things turned dark," he said. Amazon chalked up the largest increase in H-1B approvals, with 2,515 in 2017, a 78 percent leap. Microsoft received 1,479 approvals, an increase of 29 percent. Neither company responded to a request for comment. The data does not show what companies, if any, got fewer H-1B approvals. The Consumer Technology Association, an industry group representing companies including Google and Facebook, says tech firms are facing a "massive skills gap" in which jobs go unfilled for lack of qualified American workers. And Peter Leroe-Munoz, vice-president of technology and innovation policy at the Silicon Valley Leadership Groupwhose membership includes all the major valley tech giantssaid foreign workers remain "tremendously important" to the region's tech industry because of a shortage of skilled technologists. But Chris Benner, a professor at UC Santa Cruz who has studied the use of contract employees in tech, doesn't buy it. "I think the argument that people with those types of skills are not available in the U.S. is pretty specious," Benner said. "I have not seen any significant evidence of labor shortage in a lot of skilled positions." The Federation for American Immigration Reform says the government has refused to provide detailed information about where third-party providers send H-1B contractors, and the group's partner organization, The Immigration Reform Law Institute, has sued for access to that data. Absent reliable numbers, it's impossible to know the extent to which tech firms may be using H-1B workers supplied by third parties. But Immigration Reform Law Institute lawyer John Miano believes that if the companies weren't taking on large numbers of H-1B workers from staffing firms and outsourcers, they would be kicking up a fuss over the huge numbers of H-1B visas snapped up by those third parties. "They want to keep this business rolling for their own purposes," Miano said. 2018 The Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Credit: Kazan Federal University One of the co-authors is Martin Lynch (University of Rochester), a longtime collaborator of Kazan Federal University. The publication team held three cross-cultural studies. They wanted to find out how autonomy and personal responsibility influence each other. Dr. Lynch explained, "We tested a hypothesis that psychological freedom, or autonomy, and personal responsibility complement each other, and found out that freedom causes responsibility, and not vice versa". The first questionnaire covered 832 Russian and American students. They had to answer questions about a hypothetical situation where their professor gives them a task project. A number of students were told that they are free to choose their topic, and the others had to implement something that the professor had chosen for them. During the next stage, a part of students were given full responsibility for their results, and the other part was told that their results would have no influence whatsoever (no responsibility). The autonomy levels were measured with the Index of Autonomous Functioning. As an outcome, two hypotheses were confirmed "autonomy levels correlate positively with personal responsibility levels" and "contextual support for autonomy strengthens personal responsibility." The researchers also concluded that Russian youngsters came across as slightly less responsible because of the lower levels of autonomy in the Russian society. In another research in 2017, 598 students were questioned. The responsibility hypothesis had a rather unexpected development. "The latest results showed that Russian people are inclined to accept more responsibility than Americans when they are sought out by friends or family but not by authorities or strangers," said Dr. Lynch. Thus, the takeaway was that rising autonomy levels lead to more personal responsibility. More information: www.sciencedirect.com/science/ 0092656616302045?via%3Dihub Provided by Kazan Federal University 2 hours ago The Latest: Gala dinner for world leaders at G-20 summit The Latest on the Group of 20 summit taking place in Rome: ROME World leaders are capping their day of Group of 20 summitry on Saturday with a gala dinner at the Quirinale Palace. Their dinner menu included marinated salmon, risotto with pumpkin and white truffle, and sea bass, with a tangerine cream dessert. Read Article Tourists Spend GEL 1.9 Billion in Q 2 in Georgia By Tea Mariamidze The National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat) has released Inbound Tourism Statistics for Q2 2018, which reads that in the second quarter of 2018, 2 million foreign citizens entered Georgia and they spent GEL 1.9 Billion, a 31.5 percent increase compared to the same quarter of 2017.As for the average expenditure per visit, it totaled 1,144 GEL (15.5% increase). The travelers spent most of their money on accommodation - 424m GEL, followed by holiday, leisure, recreation, cultural and sporting activities 354m GEL, food and drinks 518m GEL, shopping 297.8 million GEL, local transport 129.7m GEL, consumer durable goods 149.6m GEL, valuable goods 6m GEL and other expenditures 41.3m GEL.Geostat says that out of total 2 million visits, 1.7 million were visits made by international visitors, which is 13.8 % increase compared to the same quarter of the 2017 year.In II quarter, 2018 the number of inbound visitors in Georgia was 1.3 million, which is 15.7 percent increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year.In the second quarter of 2018, the largest number of visitors - 276.6 thousand arrived in Georgia from the Russian Federation, which accounts for 20.6 percent of total visitors, followed by Azerbaijan and Turkey.The majority of travelers were aged 31-50 (891,000 people), while the rest were the elderly (34,300 people).The main reasons for visiting Georgia in Q 2 2018 are: Holiday, Leisure, Recreation 738,400 travelers (44%), Visiting friends/relatives 345,200 people (20.6%), transit to other country 286,100 travelers (17%), business or professional visits 122,500 people (7.3%), shopping - 105,400 visitors (6.3%), Health and medical care 48,600 travelers (2.9%) and other reasons 32,200 people (1.9%).Regarding gender, more men (827,100) traveled in Georgia than women (518,400) in Q2 of 2018.Most popular places visited by travelers in Georgia in Q2, 2018 are Tbilisi 35%, Adjara 18%, Mtskheta-Mtianeti 15%, Kvemo Kartli 12% and Kakheti 7%. New Message of Support from the US By Levan Khutsishvili On August 13, US President Donald Trump signed the US National Defense Authorization Act, and Georgia in the context of European security, along with the Black Sea and Baltic states, is named as an ally and partner of the United States.The Defense Authorization Act determines the priorities of the budget of the US Department in 2019. According to the official information, the budget of 2019 will be 716 billion dollars. Donald Trump stressed that America is a "peaceful country, but in case of necessity will make war and will win." Trump noted that the next year's defense budget is the largest in the past decades and gives the military forces of US a chance to "win any conflict."There is a separate chapter in US National Defense Authorization Act on the necessity of resisting Russian aggression in Europe. According to the document, a comprehensive strategy for security cooperation should be developed and implemented, which will unite European allies and partners, especially those that are most directly threatening Russian aggression. This part of the document emphasizes the necessity of active support of Georgia's security, including lethal weapons for defensive means, which should strengthen Georgia's defense capabilities and improve its operational compatibility with NATO forces. Besides, should be increased the frequency and scale of NATO exercises in the Black Sea, Georgia and Ukraine should be actively involved in it. The US defense budget underlines the importance of active support to Ukraine and increased military aid."Strengthening defense capabilities of US allies and partners in Europe by the help of NATO is a key national interest for the US and serves to fulfill its obligations under the North Atlantic Treaty, which is a complex strategy for retaining Russian aggression. The document is also supporting the open door policy of NATO and future membership of Georgia in North Atlantic Treaty."- is written in the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia believes that considering issues of Georgia at the legislative level in the US underlines the importance of Georgia for the national interests and security of United States of America.After the NATO summit in Brussels, Prime Minister of Russia said that if Georgia becomes the member of NATO, a massive conflict may be provoked. And if in 2019 there will be increased scale, frequency, and scenarios of NATO training exercise in Georgia and other Black Sea countries the reaction of Russia can be destructive. Certificate Programs (Awarded by Colleges/Departments; Does Not Require University-level approval; is Not Listed on the MSU Transcript) In February, the Trump administration announced the heaviest sanctions ever against North Korea in an attempt to rougue nation from further developing its nuclear program. These new sanctions targeted more than 50 maritime transport companies in North Korea, China and Taiwan and aimed to seal off a loophole that involved illicit transfers of refined coal and fuel by ships in the high seas that had allowed the country to skirt earlier sanctions. Now, a new set of companies will face the wrath of the United States after breaching the rules of engagement and doing business with North Korea. The U.S. Treasury has sanctioned Chinas Dalian Sun Moon Star International Logistics Trading Co. as well as Singapore-based SINSMS Pte. Ltd for exporting cigarettes and alcohol worth more than $1 billion to North Korea. The department has also sanctioned Russias Profinet Pte Ltd for providing port services to some of North Koreas banned ships on at least six occasions. Profinets director general, Vasili Aleksandrovich Kolchanov, has also been indicted after being found guilty of interacting directly with North Korean reps in Russia. Beijing and Moscow Protest By going after the two countries, the United States is gradually edging close to imposing economic blockades on the North. and it wouldn't come as a surprise if the U.S. petitions them to allow inspection of suspicious vessels. Related: Brexit Woes Weigh On The British Pound For their part, both China and Russia have not been accepting of the latest sanctions, and the situation is poised to escalate into something bigger. Chinas Foreign Ministry has issued a statement saying the country has always adhered to UN Security Council resolutions on North Korea. The statement was quite terse and left open the possibility of retaliatory measures: Chinas position on opposing countries enacting unilateral sanctions on other countries and long-armed jurisdiction is consistent and clear, it added, without elaborating. Just in case this is getting a bit convoluted for you, the United Nations imposed sanctions on North Korea more than a decade ago, including bans on exports of military supplies, iron ore, coal, seafood and textiles. The U.S. then followed up with sanctions of its own after president George W. Bush declared the country a security threat in 2008. In 2017, president Trump imposed a full trade and financial embargo that included penalties for companies, non-banks and people who do business with N. Korea. So why is China so important in this maelstrom? Because its by far North Koreas biggest trading partner, accounting for 90 percent of the countrys trade volumes. In 2017, Trump pressured Chinas leaders to accept sanctions on North Koreas iron ore, seafood and textile exports. The effects have been quite dramatic--trade between the two countries declined a whopping 60 percent during the first quarter. As you might imagine, neither country is too pleased with the current state of affairs. Related: Lira Bounces Back After Qatar Bailout Pledge Meanwhile, Russia has been even more straightforward with its intentions. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has declared that the U.S. has acted without evidence and added that the Russian leadership was working on retaliatory measures and would decide whether to hit back. Are the Sanctions Working? Enforcing sanctions is a constant battle, especially when you are dealing with a slippery customer like North Korea. But are there any signs that the sanctions are having the desired effect? So far, the evidence is mixed. After the latest round of sanctions, Chinas official Xinhua news agency has said that Washingtons maximum pressure approach on Pyongyang ignores the situation on the ground in the Korean Peninsula, implying that the U.S. is going for overkill. North Korea itself has declared that the sanctions were causing a "colossal amount of damage" to the economic well-being of its people. In April, the New York Times reported that North Korean factories were closing down for lack of raw materials. In sharp contrast, visitors to the North have so far not seen much evidence of economic distress in the country with prices of staples like rice remaining relatively stable. In other indications of continuing business between North Korea and China, regular flights between Pyongyang and Beijing resumed after a six-month hiatus while new home prices on the Dandong border, usually considered a reliable gauge of how well sanctions are working, climbed two percent in April. By Alex Kimani for Safehaven.com More Top Reads From Safehaven.com Due to the deplorable conditions of River Park, as well as the city of Lompocs plan to soon house homeless people there, the Lompoc Hospita via @learyreports Sen. Bill Nelson declared vindication Friday over his still unsubstantiated claim that Russians hacked into some county election systems in Florida, pointing to a news report that stated there is a "classified basis for Nelson's assertion." The Florida Democrat tweeted a breaking news alert from NBC News. "Bill Nelson wasn't making things up when he said Russians hacked Florida election systems," it read. The report was based on "three people familiar with the intelligence." BREAKING - NBC NEWS: Bill Nelson wasn't making things up when he said Russians hacked Florida election systems https://t.co/7TgaPIB69o Senator Bill Nelson (@SenBillNelson) August 17, 2018 Gov. Rick Scott, who is challenging Nelson for re-election, has accused Nelson of leaking classified information or simply fabricating the story, first disclosed to the Tampa Bay Times more than a week ago. The Times has reported how top Republicans in Washington, including Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr and Sen. Marco Rubio, have issued statements that neither confirm or contradict what Nelson said. [Bill Nelson: The Russians have penetrated some Florida voter registration systems] The Florida Department of State did not respond to the NBC News report. Instead, a spokeswoman pointed to a Thursday letter sent to Nelson from Secretary of State Ken Detzner and Paul Lux, president of the Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections, asking for evidence to support his claims. "The Department of State has no evidence to support his claims at this time. We look forward to his response," the spokeswoman said Friday, responding for the governor as well. As governor, Scott has a security clearance and could have requested a briefing from Washington officials but did not. A spokesman said that Detzner's office was handling communication with federal authorities. Republican groups hammering away at Nelson reacted to the report by questioning if the Democrat "broke the law" by revealing classified information. Rules for the Senate Intelligence Committee do say senators are not to disclose material and can be referred to the ethics committee if they do. China on Saturday rejected what it called an "irresponsible" Pentagon report claiming Beijing's bombers are likely training for strikes against US and allied targets in the Pacific. The Thursday report said China was leveraging its growing military, economic and diplomatic clout to rapidly establish regional dominance, while its bombers were developing capabilities to hit targets as far from the Chinese mainland as possible. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said the report was "presumptuous and irresponsible", stating it was "in total disregard of facts" in a Saturday statement. Beijing's military development was defensive in nature and intended to safeguard its territorial integrity, he added. "We urge the US side to abandon the outdated cold-war and zero-sum mentality... (and) stop issuing such irresponsible reports year after year," he said. China is engaged in a decades-long build-up and modernisation of its once-backward armed forces, and military leaders have set a goal of fielding a world-class force by 2050. Last year, six Chinese H-6K bombers flew through the Miyako Strait in the southwest of the Japanese islands, and then for the first time turned north to fly east of Okinawa, where 47,000 US troops are based. The PLA may demonstrate the "capability to strike US and allied forces and military bases in the western Pacific Ocean, including Guam," said the Pentagon report. Beijing's military budget for 2017 was about $190 billion, according to the report, far behind the Pentagon's annual budget of about $700 billion. About 60 Santa Cruz Ground-Doves have been shipped from Solomon Islands to Singapores Jurong Bird Park to form an assurance colony with the hope of repopulating their homeland. These were among a 112 doves rescued from poachers. The transfer to Singapore has become the last hope for the doves after a volcano eruption wiped out a large proportion of the species native to Tinakula, one of Solomon Islands numerous isles. The doves are currently undergoing a one-month quarantine at the bird park. Thereafter, they will be on display at the parks Wings of Asia exhibit, which houses other threatened birds from the Indo-Pacific region such as the Bali Mynah, Black-winged Mynah, Edwards Pheasant, Blue-crowned Laughingthrush and Straw-headed Bulbul. (VIDEO: Wildlife Reserves Singapore) In an age of austerity and budget cutbacks, the deadly bridge collapse in Genoa, Italy, has put the spotlight clearly on the lack of public funding for road networks across the globe, from France and Germany, to the United States and beyond. - Dilapidation everywhere - A report by the World Economic Forum published late last year found that, out of 137 countries, road quality was highest in the United Arab Emirates, with Singapore in second place. Switzerland came third. Among its European partners, the Netherlands followed in fifth place, France in seventh, Germany 15th, Italy 45th and Belgium 46th. In France, a recent government-commissioned audit found that one out of every three bridges is in need of repair. In Belgium, around 80 bridges, viaducts and tunnels have been placed under heightened scrutiny due to their state of disrepair, according to a De Standaard newspaper report. In Germany, "it's only a matter of time before a similar catastrophe happens," the head of the DIW economic think-tank, Marcel Fratzcher, said on national radio. According to the Federal Highway Research Institute, only one motorway bridge out of every eight is classified as being in "good" or "very good" condition. One particular bridge across the Rhine at Leverkusen in Germany's industrial heartland was closed to heavy goods vehicles in 2012. The Swedish Transport Administration estimates that some 850 bridges across the country need to be reinforced by 2030 after heavier trucks were allowed onto its roads. In Bulgaria, the EU's poorest member whose infrastructure is notoriously dilapidated, Prime Minister Boiko Borissov has called for the renovation of all of the country's bridges. In the United Kingdom, public debate about the state of the country's roads tends to focus more on potholes than on the condition of tunnels and bridges. The RAC Foundation however published a report last year which found that more than 3,000 bridges were not fit to carry the heaviest vehicles. The US Transportation Department estimated last year that more than two thirds of American roads and nearly 143,000 bridges were in need of urgent repair or improvement. - Budget cutbacks - In Spain, where motorways and fast roads are relatively new, the Spanish Road Association AEC expressed concern, particularly about the state of the regional road networks, which has deteriorated as a result of successive budget cutbacks following the 2008 financial crisis. In the wake of the collapse of the decades-old Morandi bridge in Genoa, Italy, which killed 38 people, Italy's hardline eurosceptic Interior Minister Matteo Salvini accused the European Union of prioritising balanced budgets over safety, austerity over public need. The European Commission hit back, insisting it had always "encouraged" Italy to invest and take advantage of the EU's available structural funds. Germany, which has a budget surplus, has frequently been called on by the likes of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to be "more energetic" in its public investment. In 2018, the government earmarked 3.9 billion euros ($4.4 billion) in investment for roads and bridges. The DIW think-tank calculates that closer to 10 billion euros is needed. - Future funding - In France, the government-commissioned audit recommends substantially boosting funds for the maintenance and modernisation of national roads, compared with the annual average of 666 million euros earmarked between 2007 and 2017. French Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne said in May she intended to spend one billion euros, compared with 800 million euros in 2018 and 700 million euros in 2017. In June, the Swedish government unveiled an ambitious plan to invest 67 billion euros in infrastructure by 2029. The Spanish government has pledged to invest five billion euros in the country's roads over the next four years. US President Donald Trump has announced plans to spend $1.5 trillion on infrastructure, but no concrete details for the roll-out of such plans have so far been forthcoming. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad attends a meeting with Che Jun, the Communist Party chief of Zhejiang Province, in Hangzhou in eastern China's Zhejiang Province, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018. Mahathir is making a five-day visit to China at a time when ties between Beijing and the Southeast Asian nation are being tested by the Malaysian leader's suspension of multibillion-dollar Chinese-backed infrastructure projects. (Chinatopix via AP) BEIJING (AP) -- Malaysia's leader courted Chinese e-commerce investment in his country on Saturday, the start of his first trip to China since his stunning electoral victory three months ago. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's visit to the world's second-largest economy is being watched for signs on the fate of multibillion-dollar Beijing-backed projects he's said he wants to cancel. On Saturday, Mahathir toured the campus of Chinese online shopping giant Alibaba Group in the eastern city of Hangzhou, met with the company's founder, Jack Ma, and told the company's executives that Malaysia wants to explore ways to collaborate further with Alibaba, according to Malaysian state news agency Bernama. He also visited Geely, which owns Geely Auto, one of China's biggest independent automakers. It owns 49.9 percent of Proton, a Malaysian automaker. On Sunday he will visit a Chinese drone company and meet with Malaysian businesspeople in Beijing. Mahathir, a vocal critic of Beijing-backed investment in his country, has tested Malaysia's ties with China by suspending multibillion-dollar Chinese-backed infrastructure projects. He's expected to attempt to renegotiate the terms of the projects during his meetings with Chinese officials. He will hold talks with Chinese leaders including Premier Li Keqiang and President Xi Jinping on Monday. Days before heading to Beijing, Mahathir said Malaysia doesn't need a Chinese-backed $20 billion East Coast Rail Link and two energy pipelines worth $2.3 billion. The projects have been suspended pending renegotiation. Malaysia's new government has called for drastic cuts to the projects' ballooning cost, which it estimates at more than $22 billion. Some of that money has already been paid and could be difficult to recoup. China said Tuesday that Malaysia should handle any problems it has with the Chinese projects through talks. The foreign ministry in Beijing defended China's projects in Malaysia, saying such deals have brought tangible benefits to the two countries. Story continues "Any problems arising in the cooperation should be handled properly through friendly negotiation," the ministry said in a statement. The projects are part of Xi's Belt and Road initiative to build ports, railways and other trade-related infrastructure across Asia, often built by Chinese contractors and financed by loans from Chinese state banks. Belt and Road projects in Thailand, Sri Lanka and other countries have run into complaints they are too costly, give too little work to local companies or might facilitate embezzlement and other graft. Syria's northern province of Idlib is home to the last major rebel bastion in the country, and part of it could be the next target of Russian-backed government forces. An operation looks imminent but may be limited in scope, giving more time for a deal with Turkey, which also has forces deployed in the area. How soon? The Syrian army, having retaken the entire area around Damascus and rebel strongholds in the south earlier this year, has sent reinforcements to the Idlib fronts. "Tanks are going north and Russian and Syrian officials are banging the drums of war in the media, so it seems likely there will be some form of offensive," said analyst Aron Lund. On August 15, the pro-government Al-Watan daily described the reinforcements dispatched to Idlib as the biggest since the start of the war in 2011. The province hosts thousands of rebels who were transferred there after surrendering during previous government operations in other parts of the country. The fighters there, including the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham jihadist group that dominates the province, have been building defensive structures across the province, training new recruits and organising drills. The regime holds a small sliver of territory in the southeast of the province. What scope? The government of President Bashar al-Assad has, with Russian backing, rolled back many of the losses suffered at the beginning of the war. It now controls about 60 percent of Syria and 12 out of 14 provinces. Despite Assad's pledges to assert his authority over the entire territory, it is unclear what the immediate goals of an Idlib offensive would be. "I think a limited operation is most likely at this stage," said Lund, a fellow with The Century Foundation. He argued that taking on the entire province "would be a huge undertaking" and said a fully-fledged province-wide assault would "run up against Turkish resistance". Sam Heller, from the International Crisis Group think tank, also said: "A more limited offensive to capture some peripheral sections of the rebel-held northwest seems very possible, even likely." Experts say key targets could include the Jisr al-Shughur area in western Idlib and the adjacent farming region of Sahl al-Ghab, in the south of the province. The region is close to Latakia province, the coastal heartland of Assad's Alawite minority which is also home to the Russian military airport of Hmeimim. "The Russians are convinced that the drones that have targeted their airbase in Latakia are emanating from the area around Jisr al-Shughur," Heller said. Other likely targets are areas flanking the key M5 highway that links the country's north and south, running through Idlib. Foreign players The recapture of Idlib would be the final nail in the coffin of the rebellion, whose footprint has shrunk to around 8 percent of the country, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. But the biggest obstacle in the regime's way could be Ankara, which has forces deployed at observation posts there and supports some of the rebel forces. Just across the border from Idlib, Turkey already hosts three million Syrian refugees and is keen to avoid a fresh influx. The scope of the offensive and the fate of some regions could be decided in ongoing talks between Ankara and Damascus's main Russian sponsor. "Turkey may possibly be willing to accept losses to some peripheral areas, on the condition that accepting them secures more durable Turkish control in Idlib's central and border heartlands," said Charles Lister, of the Middle East Institute. Turkey is being asked to clamp down on Idlib's jihadists, who are mostly members of Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, a strategy it has attempted to advance by uniting other rebel factions. "Simply and brutally, the salvation of Idlib is the death of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham," said Nick Heras, of the Center for a New American Security. Romania's Prime Minister Viorica Dancila has written a letter to the EU describing last week's protests in Bucharest as an attempt to overthrow the government and defending the handling of the demonstrations by the police, Romanian media reported on Friday. "I consider that these attempts to overthrow a legitimate government with violence could represent a dangerous precedent for democratic states", Dancila was reported as saying in the letter, written in Romanian and addressed to European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and to vice-president Frans Timmermans. A spokesman for the EU Commission confirmed receipt of the letter and said a response would be issued "in due course". Last Friday, more than 80,000 people demonstrated in Bucharest, accusing the leftwing government of corruption and urging it to resign. Police used water cannon, tear gas, pepper spray and batons to disperse the crowd. More than 450 people, including 30 police, were hurt and around 30 arrested, leading to widespread criticism. But Dancila insisted in her letter that the police reaction was "in accordance wih the law" and she accused the centre-right opposition of backing the protests. "Romania is a stable country and the government is preparing to take over the rotating presidency of the EU" in January, the premier said, as a number of voices, including some members of the EU parliament, have suggested that the country's current executive may not be up to the task. On Tuesday, the EU Commission had said it was monitoring developments closely in Romania, and noted that the protesters had been critical of the "reversal of progress in the fields of judicial reform and in the fight against corruption". "Peaceful protests ended in violence. Violence can never be a solution in politics", the Commission said. In a controversial move last month, Romania sacked top anti-graft prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi -- considered a symbol of the country's fight against corruption. With Kovesi at the helm, the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (DNA) had led a crackdown on corruption among local and national elected officials, earning the enmity of many in Romania's political class and prompting critics to accuse it of abuse of power. Before Kovesi's sacking, thousands of protesters took to the streets in support of her. There have also been long-running waves of protests against judicial reforms -- at their peak drawing an estimated half a million people nationwide in February 2017. Google workers' outrage over the notion of censoring searches to appease Chinese officials highlights the dilemma US tech companies face in accessing the lucrative market. Using technology to make the world better is a well-worn mantra in Silicon Valley, preached so strongly by internet companies such as Google and Facebook that it has become part of their identity. That idealism has repeatedly run headlong into a wall of reality when it comes to internet firms needing to compromise with the interests of governments that have oppressive approaches to online activity. "The tech industry had a utopian view of the world and of itself," said Irina Raicu, director of the internet ethics program at Santa Clara University in Silicon Valley. "It's running up against its own narrative of how it holds certain values." After portraying itself as a champion of making all the world's information freely available, Google would be hard-pressed to explain taking part in online censorship in China, according to Raicu. Hundreds of Google employees were said to have signed a protest letter after reports that the company is working on a censor-friendly search engine to get back into China. The employees are demanding to know more about the supposed "Dragonfly" project so they can weigh the moral significance of their work at the company. "We are seeing technologists start to flex their power," Raicu said. "They do want to change the world for the better, and this goes against that." - 'Do no evil' - Silicon Valley companies share global ethics challenges with other industries, but they face employee rebellion and user scrutiny because of having built images of being devoted to doing good, or at least "no evil." Facebook is banned in China, but that has not stopped the leading online social network from exploring the potential to establish a beachhead there, even if only for an "incubator" that nurtures local entrepreneurs. Facebook last year discretely released a photo sharing mobile application, named Colorful Balloons, in China. Two years ago, it reportedly worked on a censorship tool that would filter out posts on forbidden topics there. Even Apple, the world's most valuable company, has had to make concessions in China, pulling items from its App Store and transferring control of cloud storage accounts of Chinese customers to a company there. Meanwhile, Chinese internet firms such as Baidu, Tencent, Alibaba, and WeChat have thrived. - Money over morals? - Google and other publicly-traded US tech titans are legally obligated to maximize shareholder value, but being viewed as "oppression's little helper in China" can hurt their businesses along with their reputations, noted Human Rights Watch senior internet researcher Cynthia Wong. Wong called on tech firms looking to do business in China to have plans in place to improve the censorship and the human rights situation, which she said has worsened since Google pulled out. "Google wants to organize the world's information; Facebook wants to connect everyone," Wong said. "I think the engineers really do believe in those missions, and that accounts for some of the difference in how Silicon Valley reacts than, say, the oil sector." Google is among the Silicon Valley companies that pride themselves on open cultures in which workers are encouraged to share views, creating an environment ripe for employee activism when values seem compromised, according to Ann Skeet, senior director or leadership ethics at Santa Clara University. "Google has led with this strong culture, and now has its own employees calling it on hypocrisy," Skeet said. Employees, many of them Millennials, also feel a right to know how what they are working on is going to be used -- and to be able to decide whether to participate. By Lesley Wroughton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday named senior policy adviser Brian Hook as Washington's special representative for Iran. The move came as the Trump administration prepared to increase economic pressure on Iran by restoring sanctions to force Tehran to end its nuclear weapons programme and support for militant groups in the Middle East. Hook will lead a newly established Iran Action Group to coordinate the State Department's pressure campaign on Iran, Pompeo told a news conference. The announcement was not a surprise. Hook, who has pushed for tough action against Iran, has been leading the department's talks with allies in Europe and Asia to persuade them to support U.S. sanctions and cut off Iran's oil supplies as of November. "The Iran Action Group will be responsible for directing, reviewing and coordinating all aspects of the State Department's Iran-related activity, and will report directly to me," Pompeo said. "We are committed to a whole-of-government effort to change the Iranian regimes behaviour, and the Iran Action Group will ensure that the Department of State remains closely synchronized with our interagency partners," he added. President Donald Trump announced in May the United States was withdrawing from an Iran nuclear deal sealed in 2015 between Tehran and six world powers. The United States has said it would only end the sanctions if Iran allowed the negotiation of a tougher deal. Hook, who was a close adviser to former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, worked with U.S. national security advisor John Bolton on Iran sanctions while Bolton was the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations under Republican President George W. Bush. Hook also served as an assistant secretary of state during Bush's administration and was an adviser to the Republican presidential campaigns of Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty. Trump has said he would be willing to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, although Tehran said the way back to talks was for the United States to return to the nuclear deal. Story continues Asked whether he supported such a meeting and whether his brief would be to set up those talks, Hook said if Iran showed that it was willing to change its behaviour, then Trump "was prepared to engage in dialogue in order to find solutions." 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, including Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China, have been working to find a way to salvage the nuclear agreement, even as the United States has started reimposing some sanctions on Iran. Dennis Ross, a former U.S. official in Democratic and Republican administrations, said Hook's new post might be a bureaucratic manoeuvre to try to inject more clarity into Washington's policy toward Tehran. "It creates an address within the administration for ... making the approach a more coherent one, with someone being given broader responsibility across departments to try to shape the policy," said Ross, now a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy think tank. "At least that would be theory." "The real question is ... is the policy going to continue to be just, basically, strong tough rhetoric and sanctions ... or is it going to be something more" to curtail what Washington sees as Iran's destabilising actions in Syria, Yemen and Iraq?" he added. (Additional reporting by Arshad Mohammed; editing by Jonathan Oatis and G Crosse) Posted by Mark Williams | August 18, 2018 For the first time in its long racing history, Honda will enter two driving teams in the all-women 2018 Rebelle Rally off-road navigation challenge. The rally will start Oct. 11 and cover approximately 1,500 miles of remote California and Nevada deserts. Honda will enter its most "serious" off-road vehicles: the 2019 Pilot SUV and 2018 Ridgeline pickup truck. Thankfully, the rally does not require Baja racing strategies or technology since there's no low-range rock crawling, but we're told it will push driver and navigator to their map-reading, remote-camping and field-fixes-on-the-fly limits. The Honda vehicles will be mostly stock but will be clad with slightly bigger, more aggressive mud-terrain tires, extra skid plates, auxiliary lighting, a slightly taller stance, spare tires, an onboard air compressor and an off-road jack. The Ridgeline team will be piloted by Ohio-based Honda engineers Maria Guitar and Michelle Klein, with support from California and Ohio Honda team members. Honda will be watching these vehicles closely for any fatigue points or durability problems, looking at this event as if it was a huge proving ground exercise. We'll have more on the modified Ridgeline as the Rebelle Rally gets closer. The first-place prize for the contest, almost never won by a first-year entrant, will be $5,000 of credit toward entering the 2019 Rebelle Rally; second- and third-place winners will receive a trophy. The contest will start near Lake Tahoe in Nevada and finish near San Diego. Manufacturer images 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #33 Posted on 18 August 2018 by John Hartz A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week. Editor's Pick Research Highlight: Climate Model Predicts Faster Warming for the North Atlantic Ocean As aerosol emissions decline, heat uptake in the North Atlantic could increase dramatically The Gulf Stream, part of the larger Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation system. Photo: NASA Researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego have predicted faster rates of warming than previously predicted for the North Atlantic Ocean in a recent paper published in the Journal of Climate. This warming could disrupt major oceanic cycles and have worldwide impacts on climate systems. The researchers modeled scenarios based on possible future greenhouse gas and aerosol emission rates. One likely scenario focuses on future decline in aerosols and continued increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Aerosols are minute particles suspended in the atmosphere. Some scatter sunlight, thereby actually acting as cooling agents. The aerosol cooling effect is about 50 percent of the warming effect of anthropogenic carbon dioxide at present. Aerosols released from human activities are pollutants, however, and their health concerns have triggered worldwide efforts to curb emissions. An aerosol decline could spark an interesting catch-22: Because of their cooling effect, this decline would accelerate ocean warming that is already being caused by increasing carbon dioxide emissionsmost notably initiating major warming in the North Atlantic. Historically, the Southern Ocean has been the predominant heat absorber, accounting for roughly 72 percent of uptake of anthropogenic greenhouse heat in the oceans, due in part to the areas low levels of cooling aerosols. The opposite is true of the North Atlantic: under strong aerosol cooling, the North Atlantic has not taken up much heat, meaning that most of the warming in the Northern Hemisphere is happening in the atmosphere and not in the ocean. The ocean heat uptake moderates atmospheric warming by storing much of the greenhouse heat below the surface, said Shang-Ping Xie, a climate researcher at Scripps and co-author of the study. We now show that the ocean uptake is not only uneven, but its distribution also evolves with time." Research Highlight: Climate Model Predicts Faster Warming for the North Atlantic Ocean by Chase Martin, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Aug 14, 2018 Links posted on Facebook Sun Aug 12, 2018 Mon Aug 13, 2018 Tue Aug 14, 2018 Wed Aug 15, 2018 Thu Aug 16, 2018 Fri Aug 17, 2018 Sat Aug 18, 2018 Crazy Rich Asians is a lot of things: one of the summers most buzzed-about films, the first major Hollywood studio release starring an allAsian American cast since The Joy Luck Club in 1993, a transportive delight overflowing with charisma. But it is also, first and foremost, an adaptation of the first book in the best-selling series by Kevin Kwan, himself a Singaporean elite turned U.S. transplant. How faithful is the movie to the original text? At its most basic, the fish-out-of-water plot remains the same, but where Kwans novel sprawls, director Jon M. Chus adaptation is more compact, paring down multiple storylines and voices into a single, structurally sound rom-com. Heres a breakdown of the main similarities and differences between the two. (Spoilers ahead.) The Crazy Rich of Crazy Rich Asians One of the books main voyeuristic appeals is the sheer number of words Kwan dedicates to describing the lavishand frankly, maddeninglevels of wealth that the titular characters hold in their finely manicured hands. The movie delivers some sense of that, with the outcome of the opening scene in the hotel, Astrids million-dollar earrings, and the outrageous opulence of Colin and Aramintas $40 million wedding, but the lack of a narrator deprives viewers of the insider knowledge of how the families made their fortunes (real estate, banking, hospitalityyou name it), the obscene amount of dollars they casually drop on luxury items, and the historical and cultural differences between Singapores old money and the mainlands nouveau riche that Kwan so clearly relishes recounting. The Characters Beyond Rachel Chu The movie features a huge ensemble cast, but many of the actors dont have more than a couple of speaking lines, and several characters are consolidated into one or just plain missing from the film. (Hi, Nicks dad?) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, the book dives deeper into the three interconnected families (the Youngs, the Shangs, and the Tsiens) and rotates the point of view for different chapters, shining a spotlight on characters outside of Rachels core storyline. On screen, it makes sense to center Rachel as the protagonist around whom everything revolves. Introducing too many characters and their competing motivations on screen would distract from the love story at the heart of the rom-com. Still, its a bit of a shame, as I can only imagine how fun it wouldve been to see what actors like Ronny Chieng couldve done with more time as Eddie, who, if you can believe it, is even more of an insufferable asshole in the text. Astrid Leong With the exception of the rudely axed Philip Young, the movies Godot-like patriarch, Astrids arc suffers the most pruning in the movie. In both the book and the movie, she confronts her husband Michael after discovering he might be having an affair. From there, the storyline diverges. In the book, Michael admits to having a mistress in Hong Kong and leaves, despite Astrids pleas that they stay together and work on their relationship. Astrid then teams up with her ex-fiance Charlie Wu (played in the film, however briefly, by Harry Shum Jr.) to track down Michael, only to discover that Michael had not been unfaithful. He had only been pretending so that Astrid would divorce him, thus ending his misery at the hands of her snobby family. Charlie, who still harbors feelings for Astrid, ends up secretly pouring money into Michaels startup, thus giving Michael financial footing and saving his marriage with Astrid. Advertisement Advertisement The movie flattens this convoluted storyline into a simple infidelity plot, with Michael painted as the clear wrongdoer. (Spoiler for the later books: Readers will know that its only after the first novel that he becomes a real villain.) Charlie doesnt even enter the equation until the bonus scene that comes in the middle of the films closing credits, when Shum Jr. makes what must be the shortest appearance ever to receive star billing. Peik Lin Goh Peik Lin plays the same best-friend role in both the novel and the movie, but the on-screen treatment gets extra weight thanks to the scene-stealing Awkwafina. Movie Peik Linand her father, played by Ken Jeong doing what Ken Jeong does bestfunctions as the films comic relief and Rachels main ally. Consequently, the film sneaks Peik Lin and her blonde, Ellen-like coif into scenes she was never part of in the novel, like the fancy fete at Tyersall Park. Eleanor Young The book version of Nicks mother is controlling and conniving. Those traits still apply to the movie version too, but are elevated into something more elegant and menacing by the always excellent Michelle Yeoh. Unlike in the book, in which Su Yi, Nicks grandmother, plays an equally important role in coldly disapproving of her grandsons American girlfriend, in the movie Eleanor is the primary opposing force cutting off Rachel at each turn. This stealth war culminates in a mahjong faceoff between Eleanor and Rachel that never happens in the novel but makes for a good cinematic climax. Rachels Parents In both the book and the movie, the final weapon in Eleanors arsenal is a dossier she hires a private investigator to put together on Rachel and her family. In the book, Eleanor and Su Yi surprise Nick and Rachel with the results of the investigation at Su Yis lodge in Malaysia: Rachels father is not dead, but is rather in prison in Shenzhen, China, and her mother Kerry is wanted for kidnapping charges. Stunned, Rachel leaves Nick and starts planning to go to Shenzhen to meet her father. Kerry arrives in Singapore in time to stop Rachel and finally reveals the truth: The man in prison is her abusive husband, whom Kerry left after falling in love with another man and becoming pregnant with his child. Kerry was wanted for kidnapping because she had taken Rachel and fled to America. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The movie takes the basic facts of Kerrys secretconceiving Rachel with a man who is not her husbandand reorients them a degree. Instead of disapproving of the criminal backgrounds of Rachels parents, in the movie Eleanor and Su Yis scorn hinges on Kerrys infidelity. Unlike in the book, Rachel neither attempts to find her father nor interrogates her mother any further. The Ending Crazy Rich Asians the book concludes with more loose ends than it does neat bows. Will Rachel take back up her quest to see her father? Will Nick propose to Rachel? (And if so, will she say yes?) Will the Youngs ever come around, or is Nick henceforth exiled from Tyersall Park? These are the unanswered questions that hang over the denouement, setting up the plot for the next book in Kwans trilogy. Advertisement The movie, on the other hand, stays true to the rom-com genre and ties up the story with a patented happy ending. Having gained respect for Rachel during the climactic mahjong game, Eleanor finally allows Nick to propose to Rachelon a plane slated for departure, no lesswith her own ring. Rachel accepts, and the film wraps up with an engagement, a party, and a single nod exchanged between Eleanor and Rachel. Read more in Slate about Crazy Rich Asians A Guide to Crazy Rich Asians Many Cameos, Homages, and Easter Eggs Crazy Rich Asians Is Crazy, Rich, and Actually Very American This Weeks Other Asian American Rom-Com Is Streaming on Netflix Saeed Ahmed speaks with a warm smile befitting of his nameSaeed means happy in Arabic. As he talks to me, goat after goat is removed from a meat hook behind him. Skinned and gutted but with eyeballs still bulging from their heads, each goat is heaved over to a band saw by Ahmeds butchers. First their rear hooves are lopped off, then front hooves, then head. With a couple of clicks and a credit card, you can send a goat to any one of 34 different countries. After immigrating from Pakistan, Ahmed opened Atlantic Halal Meat in 1992. Today, business is booming. He estimates that this week hell process almost triple his usual number of orders: Some 400 goats, but also many cows and sheep. Its all in preparation for one of the holiest days on the Muslim calendar. Eid al-Adha, which translates to festival of the sacrifice, commemorates a story that is central to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam alike. As the story goes, the Prophet Abraham receives an order from God that he is to sacrifice his son. Though understandably reluctant, Abraham eventually obliges. But moments before the sacrifice, God intervenes and reveals that it has all been a trial: Abraham is relieved from the grisly deed and sacrifices a ram instead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In emulation of Abrahams willingness to sacrifice, financially secure Muslims around the world make a charitable donation on Eid al-Adha. But not just any donation. While clothing drives and monetary donations are options, theres a pretty sizable consensus that meat is a must. Which is why halal butchers like Ahmed have their noses to the grindstone this weekend. A financially able Muslim will typically give an entire animal (a sheep, goat, or cow) to the needy as her sacrifice, or udhiyya. With 1.8 billion Muslims around the world, thats a stupendous amount of meat. Just how much meat? Aamir Rehman, senior advisor to the United Nations Development Programme, offered a rough estimate, pegging it at around 50 to 100 million individual donations globally. Just how those tens of millions of goats, sheep, and cows find their way to hungry families around the world while minimizing waste poses a serious logistical challenge. For example, in Mecca alone, where millions of Muslims are completing their pilgrimage on Eid al-Adha, approximately 1 million sheep are slaughtered in the span of 48 hours. Some 40,000 workers see that the meat is quickly butchered, frozen, and distributed to 25 different countries. Advertisement Advertisement Technology has also played a substantial role in streamlining the practice of udhiyya. Several charitable organizations like Islamic Relief USA make the donation process logistically simple: With a couple of clicks and a credit card, you can send a goat to any one of 34 different recipient countries. IRUSA takes care of the rest. Syed M. Hassan, a public affairs and media relations specialist at IRUSA, explained what it does behind the scenes to make this all possible: Each year before Eid al-Adha, committees are sent to each recipient country to assess its level of food insecurity. Individual families are then identified (by word of mouth or application) to IRUSA. As Eid al-Adha approaches, local butchers are contacted and paid, and local mosques and food pantries mediate the final distribution to families. Each year, IRUSA sees that $3 million to $4 million of donations are translated to fresh halal meat for needy families around the world. In the U.S. alone, some 50,000 to 70,000 pounds of meat are distributed to families regardless of their religion. Advertisement Advertisement Udhiyya makes up only a small part Muslim philanthropy. Rehman pointed out that zakat, an obligatory form of almsgiving and one of the five pillars of Islam, has a much larger footprint. Through zakat, Muslims are required to give 2.5 percent of their total wealth (above a certain minimum amount) to people in need. Altogether, some $200 billion to $1 trillion is donated annually in the form of zakat. By contrast, Rehman noted that the United Nations Development Programme operates on a budget of about 1 percent that of annual zakat donations. As another point of comparison, Jeffrey Sachs, an economics professor at Columbia University, estimated in 2011 that the bill to eliminate extreme global poverty would be about $175 billion dollars annually. That number is around the same size as global zakat: What might global poverty have looked like without consistent Muslim aid? Theres still a long way to go, of course. But udhiyya gives food insecure families, many of whom cannot otherwise afford meat, a moment of joy: a feast with all Muslims on Tuesday. Even before the election of Donald Trump, every recent occupant of the Oval Office attempted to expand the already awesome powers of the president. Given this reality and the fact Trumps 2016 election campaign is under criminal investigation, the most important issue with regard to the potential confirmation of Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court may be his views on executive power and accountability. In considering those views, its important to examine and question his full record. This would include documents concerning more than 100 signing statements by George W. Bush during Kavanaughs time in the administration that are not so innocuous at allstatements asserting that more than 1,000 different statutory provisions Bush signed into law were potentially intrusive on the presidents constitutional authorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Because of his previous White House roles, Kavanaugh may well have been involved in crafting, approving, or otherwise handling Bushs executive orders and signing statements. Every objection raised in the latter documents either implied or claimed outright a constitutional barrier to Congress authority to exercise its legislative powers. Records of Kavanaughs White House work on such matters could provide revealingand alarmingevidence of his views of executive power. During his 2006 confirmation hearings for the U.S. Court of Appeals, much attention was paid to Kavanaughs role in handling a signing statement that argued the president might not be bound by laws prohibiting the torture of U.S. detainees. Less notice was taken of the many other signing statementsand at least one executive orderthat offered baseless, unprecedented, and sometimes bizarre assertions of presidential power. Advertisement Compared to the torture controversy, the public policy contexts in which the George W. Bush administration uttered its other audacious constitutional theories may seem trivial. But the obscurity of some of these episodes only underscores the administrations apparent purpose in planting the flag for presidential power. Theirs was an effort, at every opportunity, to bolster an executive branch sense of entitlement to resist accountability to the other branches of government. Advertisement A half-dozen examples that are merely illustrative, not exhaustive, highlight how far the Bush administration sought to expand presidential power while Kavanaugh was employed at the White House. These are all examples from 20012006, the period during which Kavanaugh served first in the White House counsels office and then as White House staff secretary: Advertisement 1. There is no Supreme Court authority to support the proposition that anyone other than a sitting president can assert executive privilege in response to a demand for information. Yet a 2001 Bush executive order would have instituted a startling innovation for former presidents. After leaving office, a former president would have been allowed to empower a private individual to assert executive privilege on his behalf with regard to records of his presidency, even after his death. It is important to know if Kavanaugh ever thought this was constitutionally plausible. Advertisement 2. It is conventional wisdom that the presidents commander-in-chief power extends to presidential decisions concerning the deployment of military force. Yet a 2002 Bush signing statement claimed that commander in chief power also extended to deciding troop strength in the Defense Departments Office of Legislative Affairs. We should know if Kavanaugh agreed that Congress burdened the presidents commander in chief powers by limiting the number of Defense Department civilian and military personnel who could be engaged in liaison with the legislative branch. Advertisement Advertisement 3. Article II of the Constitution creates a presidential recommendations power. That mandates that the president shall recommend for Congresss consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient. A number of Bush signing statements seemed to suggest that because of that mandate, Congress could not constitutionally demand reports from anyone in the executive branch other than the president himself. For example, a 2002 signing statement raised such a concern regarding a required report to Congress from the Department of Educations Board of Education Sciences. Did Kavanaugh agree such requirements pose a constitutional problem? No report by the board to Congress would have had to either silence the president or prevent him from expressing disagreement, so its difficult to see how this intruded on his authority. Advertisement That the Bush administrations sweeping views of presidential authority might find support in the opinions of a Supreme Court justice is disturbing. 4. In 2003, Congress enacted the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act in the hope of nudging the government of Syria to stop supporting international terrorism and engaging in the destabilization of Lebanon. It required the president impose a ban on certain weapons exports to Syria, as well as additional economic and diplomatic sanctions, unless Syria cleaned up its act. At the same time, the statute allowed the president to forego those actions if he determines that it is in the national security interest of the United States to waive such requirements on the Syrian government. In other words, Congress allowed the president to punish Syria or not, depending on his own best judgment. Yet Bushs signing statement objected that Congress may not burden or infringe the presidents authority to conduct the Nations foreign affairs. Could Kavanaugh explain how, as a matter of law, Congress burdens the president when it requires him either to perform an act or not perform it, at his sole discretion? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 5. The Constitution requires the president to take care that the laws be faithfully executed. The Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005, enacted in 2004, prohibited Department of Defense personnel from interfering with military lawyers who might give independent legal advice to their superiors. A Bush signing statement insisted that this provision raised constitutional concerns and would be implemented only as consistent with the Presidents constitutional authorit[y] to take care that the laws be faithfully executed. Could Kavanaugh explain how a prohibition on interference with independent legal advice within the military could compromise the presidents ability to take care that the laws be faithfully executed? Wouldnt the independent legal advice of military lawyers help to safeguard that presidential obligation? Advertisement 6. Kavanaugh is famously enthusiastic about so-called unitary executive theory. Its adherents interpret the Constitution as giving the president complete control over everything any officer of the executive branch does. In 2004, Congress enacted the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004, requiring, among other things, that the secretary of agriculture considernot approve, just considerthe recommendations of an advisory committee on specialty crops. The Bush signing statement said that such a requirement implicated multiple constitutional powers of the president, including his constitutional authority to supervise the unitary executive branch. Does Judge Kavanaugh sincerely believe that a statute requiring mere consideration potentially limits the presidents power to supervise the executive branch? If so, on what legal authority does he rely in reaching his conclusion? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its incredibly important to note that the novel legal claims illustrated by these examples were not uttered in the context of any judicial contest. That makes their aggressiveness even starker. We expect lawyers in adversarial proceedings to advance their clients interests by articulating positions that might not reflect their personal views. But these episodes are not of that sort. President Bushs executive order on presidential records was an unprovoked unilateral initiative. His signing statements embodied views expressed gratuitously by a Republican administration, most often antagonistic to legislation enacted by a Republican Congress. Advertisement Moreover, the foregoing are just a very few examples from President Bushs then-unprecedented volume of aggressive claims of presidential authority. In signing statements alone during his first six years in office, President Bush raised nearly 1,400 constitutional objections to roughly 1,000 statutory provisions, more than three times the total of his 42 predecessors combined. After Kavanaugh left his role as staff secretary, the pace of Bush signing statements slacked off. This fact raises the question to what degree Kavanaugh was responsible for urging such aggressive claims of presidential power. That the Bush administrations unusual and sweeping views of presidential authority might find eventual support in the opinions of a Supreme Court justice is disturbing. The American public is entitled to know of Judge Kavanaughs role in formulating these theories and whether he stands by them. In the Age of Trump, it is truly imperative that the Senate understand a prospective justices stance on presidential accountability in a system of checks and balances. If it had not been for George Papadopoulos lies, federal authorities may have been able to detain a man they suspected was part of Russias efforts to meddle in the 2016 presidential election, the special counsel said Friday night. In a court filing, special counsel Robert Mueller called for Papadopoulos to be sentenced to up to six months behind bars saying his repeated lies about contacts with Russian operatives caused damage to the broader investigation. Papadopoulos pleaded guilty in October of lying to the FBI and is set to be sentenced on Sept. 7. Advertisement The defendant lied in order to conceal his contacts with Russians and Russian intermediaries during the campaign and made his false statements to investigators on January 27, 2017, early in the investigation, when key investigative decisions, including who to interview and when, were being made, Mueller said. The lies of the former Trump adviser were not momentary lapses, but rather repeated over the course of more than two hours, and his lies were designed to conceal facts he knew were critical. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Robert Mueller has recommended a six-month prison sentence for George Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign staffer, saying his "lies negatively affected the FBI's Russia investigation" https://t.co/c3Y6qUZqRp pic.twitter.com/BStXvqqFG7 CBS News (@CBSNews) August 18, 2018 Advertisement Most damaging of all was the way Papadopoulos misled agents in January 2017 about conversations he had with Joseph Mifsud, a London-based professor who reached out to him about potential dirt on Hillary Clinton. Mifsud was in Washington, D.C: two weeks after investigators talked to Papadopoulos but authorities allowed him to leave the country. The defendants lies undermined investigators ability to challenge the Professor or potentially detain or arrest him while he was still in the United States, notes the document filed Friday. The defendants false statements were intended to harm the investigation, and did so. Muellers team specifically said that Papadopoulos didnt help out investigators, which is something that could have helped him obtain a reduced sentence. The defendant did not provide substantial assistance, and much of the information provided by the defendant came only after the government confronted him with his own emails, text messages, internet search history, and other information, noted the filing. Although it isnt clear exactly why Papadopoulos lied, Muellers team says there is evidence that he was attempting to secure a job with the Trump administration and had an incentive to protect the White House. What should have been a day of joy ended up being filled with worry and uncertainty as a father has not been able to seen his newborn baby after immigration agents arrested him on the way to the hospital. Joel Arrona Lara, a 36-year-old undocumented immigrant from Mexico, was driving his wife, Maria del Carmen Venegas, to the hospital in San Bernardino, California on Wednesday. They were headed for a scheduled Cesarean section when they had to stop to get gas. At that point, officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) surrounded the car and asked Venegas for an identification. She gave it to them. But when Arrona said he didnt have any ID on him, things quickly took a turn. Advertisement Venegas told Univision that she thought officers would understand she needed to get to the hospital as quickly as possible, but that was far from the case. They asked him to get out [of the car], that they would check him and thats when they put him in handcuffs and took him away, Venegas said, noting her husband doesnt have a criminal record and has never been deported. She only found out they were ICE agents when they handed her their card with a number she could call for more information on the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (Update on Sunday Aug. 19 at 1:10 a.m.: On Saturday afternoon, ICE detailed that Arrona, a Mexican national, was wanted in Mexico under an arrest warrant issued on homicide charges. Mr. Arrona-Lara was brought to ICEs attention due to an outstanding warrant issued for his arrest in Mexico on homicide charges, ICE said in a statement, without detailing the charges. The agency had previously not said anything about a warrant and his family disputes the claim. Using the name and date of birth, we couldnt find anything saying he was in any criminal proceedings, Arronas lawyer, Emilio Amaya Garcia, said.) Advertisement Security video shows Venegas visibly distraught but she had no other choice but to drive herself to the hospital and undergo the procedure, adding one more layer of worries to the birth of her baby after she had been diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, a potentially dangerous condition. The couple have four other children aged between two and 13. Arronas lawyer, Emilio Amaya Garcia, noted that this was a perfect example of the lack of sensitivity in the zero tolerance approach to immigration that is espoused by the Trump administration. In this case they didnt just put at risk the life of the mother, but also that of the child, who is a citizen of the country, he said. The lawyer described the detention as a collateral arrest because Arrona wasnt the person ICE was looking for. Advertisement Advertisement In a statement, ICE confirmed the arrest and never mentioned whether Arrona had any kind of criminal record but made clear that was not a reason to prevent officers from detaining a man who was driving his pregnant wife to the hospital: Former CIA Director John Brennan gave his first sit-down television interview since President Donald Trump stripped his security clearance and said the commander in chief is drunk on power and could spark a tragedy for the country. The fact that hes using a security clearance of a former CIA director as a pawn in his public relations strategy I think is so reflective of somebody who, quite franklyI dont want to use this term maybebut hes drunk on power. He really. I think hes abusing the powers of that office, Brennan said on MSNBC. Advertisement Brennans interview came shortly after the Washington Post reported that Trump finally pulled the trigger on canceling his security clearance as a way to switch attention from former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman. Other cancelations of security clearances are reportedly in the works with the idea that they will be released at times when the news cycle is working against the White Houses interests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brennan to @Maddow: Are the Republicans on the Hill ... going to wait for a disaster to happen before they actually find their backbones to speak up against somebody who clearly is not carrying out his responsibilities with any sense of purpose and common sense? pic.twitter.com/zzp8N1dA5s MSNBC (@MSNBC) August 18, 2018 Advertisement Brennan added that the move should be seen as a warning sign about what the commander in chief is capable of doing when he gets angry. I think right now, this country is in a crisis in terms of what Mr. Trump has done and is liable to do, he said. The former CIA chief went on to question Republicans who are just sitting on the sidelines waiting for things to get worse. Are the Republicans on the Hill who have given him a pass, are they going to wait for a disaster to happen before they actually find their backbones and spines to speak up against somebody who clearly, clearly is not carrying out his responsibilities with any sense of purpose and common sense from a standpoint of national security? Advertisement Brennan: As things get increasingly tough for Trump, how desperate is he going to become? pic.twitter.com/mmWwWktdVI Maddow Blog (@MaddowBlog) August 18, 2018 Advertisement When asked specifically what he thought Trump was capable of doing, Brennan raised the prospect of something on the foreign front, in terms of some type of military adventure, which he characterized as wag the dog scenario that could be used as a way to distract attention. Advertisement It seems Trump didnt like Brennans comments one bit and harshly criticized the former CIA chief Saturday as part of an early morning tweetstorm. In his tweet, Trump wondered whether people had paid attention to the mistakes Brennan made while in office. He will go down as easily the WORST in history & since getting out, Trump wrote, he has become nothing less than a loudmouth, partisan, political hack who cannot be trusted with the secrets to our country! Advertisement Kofi Annan, the diplomat from Ghana who led the United Nations for two successive five-year terms starting in 1997, died Saturday. He was 80 and died after a short illness, according to a statement issued by the Kofi Annan Foundation. Annan, who was born in Ghana, was the first black African to lead the United Nations and also the first to rise from within the staff of the multilateral organization. It is with immense sadness that the Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation announce that Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Laureate, passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness... pic.twitter.com/NDOy2NmAAs Kofi Annan Foundation (@KofiAnnanFdn) August 18, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the seventh secretary general, Annan took on a high profile and was seen as key to redefining the United Nations for a new age. That work seemed to be recognized in 2001, when Annan was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize jointly with the United Nations for their work for a better organized and more peaceful world. Even as he was praised as a global statesman, Annan had to navigate a turbulent period of the United Nations where the organization often failed at its goal of keeping the peace and was also engulfed in scandals. But as a savvy diplomat he managed to stay above the fray and his enduring moral prestige remained largely undented, notes the Associated Press, which credits his charisma and by virtue of having negotiated with most of the powers in the world. Advertisement Annan was staunchly opposed to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and in a 2013 interview with Time he called the failure to stop the war my darkest moment. Iraq also became the source of embarrassment for him as he was at the heart of a corruption scandal when it was revealed his son was involved in a company that won a lucrative contract in what was known as the Iraq oil for food program. Advertisement After stepping down, Annan remained deeply involved in the international community and in February 2012, the United Nations appointed him the U.N. and Arab League joint special envoy to Syria. He quit six months later in frustration. Although Annan almost became synonymous with the United Nations for a decade, he was well aware of the organizations flaws. The U.N. can be improved, it is not perfect but if it didnt exist you would have to create it, he told the BBC in April. I am a stubborn optimist, I was born an optimist and will remain an optimist. Advertisement Advertisement Kofi Annan was a guiding force for good. I join the world in mourning his loss. In these turbulent and trying times, his legacy as a global champion for peace will remain a true inspiration for us all. https://t.co/psJ9viPIeu pic.twitter.com/SKfBk5zaY2 Antonio Guterres (@antonioguterres) August 18, 2018 Advertisement Current U.N. chief Antonio Guterres praised Annan as a guiding force for good. Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo announced the Ghanaian flag would fly at half staff across the country. The U.N.s high commissioner for human rights, Zeid Raad al-Hussein, called Annan humanitys best example, the epitome, of human decency and grace. At a time when the world is filled with leaders who are anything but that, our loss, the worlds loss becomes even more painful, he added. Advertisement Former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman has been dominating the news this week, so much so that if the Trumps were at all worthy of sympathy, you might have some for them now. Son of the president Eric Trump tried to let off some steam with a subtweet about disloyal people on Thursday night, but it backfired spectacularly, as HuffPost put it, because Twitter users immediately chimed in to remind Eric of all the times his father hasnt exactly been loyal to anyone reallyhis business partners, political associates, wives, etc. Advertisement I truly hate disloyal people Eric Trump (@EricTrump) August 17, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But if you arrived on Erics timeline to check out the Omarosa subtweet, you may have come across another interesting post: Advertisement Eric was congratulating his wife, Lara Trump, on a Fox News appearance, which is the kind of thing she does regularly in her work as a surrogate for Donald Trumps 2020 campaign. But the thing to note here is the first hashtag he added to the tweet: #Wife. Its not that its wrongshe is his wifebut it is very strange. Advertisement And here it is, proof that Eric is the dumbest of the Trumps. He posts a picture of his wife on Hannity with the hashtag #wife. pic.twitter.com/0UciSkLxMH Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) August 14, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement On the one hand, inexpert hashtag use is not a crimewhos to say Eric Trump shouldnt go around hashtagging #Scotland and #Montana even if a certain population of Twitter users are totally over hashtags? On the other, what could possibly be the point of adding that specific hashtag? The way hashtags work is that users can click on them to call up other tweets that have used the same hashtags. Perhaps it can be explained, sort of, if the tweet were cross-posted from Instagram, where adding lots of hashtags is a common practice? But even then, whos searching the #Wife hashtag there? Advertisement This is what Twitter is all about. Using the #Wife hashtag when discussing your wife, allowing those looking for wife content to find your tweet with ease https://t.co/r9uhQQWaqK Brendan O'Hare (@brendohare) August 16, 2018 Advertisement As Twitter user Brendan OHare mock-explained, [u]sing the #wife hashtag allow[s] those looking for wife content to find your tweet with ease. The point is that precisely no one is searching Twitter for wife content. In that way, its a perfectly Trumpian phrase, representative of a perfectly Trumpian viewpoint, one that that defines Lara Trump first and foremost as a wife, someone who only matters in relation to another person, and women as a class that only matters insofar as they are wives and mothers. Sure, its probably way more than Eric Trump was hoping to reveal when he typed that pound sign, but sometimes your worldview just seeps through. Education in Japan is specific and works on the principle of "quality study is a guarantee of a successful career." Every Japanese usually deserves only one attempt to take a worthy place in society. However, this system has its dark side as well. Without the Right to Rest Japanese schoolchildren and students are called one of the busiest and hardworking people in the country. Already in high school, they perform a huge number of home and test tasks and often wear computer screen glasses because most tasks are performed using technology. Vacation for the Japanese is a time when they are thoroughly busy studying. In the same way, the weekends pass - school children perform assignments and sometimes do not even have time to go out. Exams begin with the seventh grade, take place two or three times a year, and they are one of the most serious difficulties in the life of every Japanese. There are both final checks that determine whether a person will go to the next class, school or higher education institution, and entrance tests. In addition to the school itself, there are special educational institutions of juku - tutoring offices that provide courses in different subjects. Practically everyone visits juku and until the late evening, they are diligently engaged in order to improve their level. In Japan, on New Year's Eve, the most urgent gift for teenagers aged 12-18 is a coupon for attending courses. In Japanese schools, there are also special classes called kai. After the end of school time, the student necessarily participates in any collective activity. But in the end, the child generally does not have free time: in the morning he goes to school, from there to Kai, then to juku. He comes home late at night and only has time to do the homework and go to bed. Without the Right to Mistake 45% of the population of the country and 90% of urban residents receive higher education. These are quite impressive figures. To get to the university, the student must successfully pass first the school, then the entrance examination. There are no indulgences here: even if a person has graduated from high school, this does not relieve him from testing knowledge at the university. It's really hard to get to some universities, for example, the University of Tokyo or Keio University. Enrollment in the ranks of students is considered the achievement of all life and guarantees a highly paid job. But What Is the Result? The heavy weight of a single attempt and categorical hopes is an unbearable burden placed on the shoulders of a young man. Overloads and strict requirements in school, the fear of not justifying the aspirations of dear people, the non-stop race for success, and own high claims is a strain that not every adult is able to withstand. The fact that this is the reality is confirmed by impassive statistics: the number of depressions is directly related to the level of school performance. The dependence between teenage depressive disorders and the pressure of success is confirmed by the annual surge of youth suicides immediately after the announcement of the results of the entrance examinations in Japan. If a person does not gain access to the coveted university, he believes that his life is over. It's worth considering whether the price is not too high even for the brightest prospects. It all makes sense once you realize they want to kill us, by Mike Whitney - The Unz Review : 'It is now apparent that these products in ... If you enjoy "Solomon's words for the wise", we invite you to become a regular subscriber. We will never charge you to read our website, but if you would like to send a donation for your subscription, you can click on the PAY PAL Button below and enter the amount you would like to send. If you don't have a Pay Pal account, you can use the credit cards below or 11-8/13/17 Kinzua Bridge State Park Kinzua Bridge State Park Complex November Programing The Kinzua Bridge State Park Complex is excited to offer the following public programs at Kinzua Bridge during the month of November. Dates times and descriptions for each program are provided below. Participants should dress for the weather and plan to be outside. Kinzua Bridge State Park Winds of Change: Wind Turbines & Wildlife Virtual Program Monday, November 8, 2021 (6:00 p.m.) In order to mitigate the impacts of global climate change more and more of our energy needs are being met by renewable sources such as wind and solar. While both of these renewable sources of energy produce less emissions they still have impacts on wildlife. Join us for a virtual program exploring how using innovation in turbine design can reduce the impacts on wildlife from wind energy development. *Please note this is a virtual program delivered via Microsoft Teams and will not be presented physically in the park. Pre-registration is required, to register visit: https://events.dcnr.pa.gov/event/winds_of_change_wind_turbines_wildlife-_virtual_program Saturday Morning Bird Walk Saturday, November 13, 2021 (8:30 a.m.) Bring your own binoculars to look for birds and plan on hiking around the park and out on the bridge! Growing Up Wild- Virtual Teacher Workshop Wednesday, November 17, 2021 (9:00 a.m.) Virtual professional development opportunity for current and future early childhood educators looking for innovative ways to engage young learners (ages 3-7) with nature. Along with sampling some of the 27 different lessons contained in the curriculum all participants will receive a free curriculum guide for their classrooms and will be eligible to receive 2 Act 48 hours. *Please note this is a virtual program delivered via Microsoft Teams and will not be presented physically in the park. Pre-registration is required to register visit: https://events.dcnr.pa.gov/event/virtual-growing_up_wild_educator_workshop#.YX149Z7MLIU For more information, please contact Kinzua Bridge State Park Visitor Center and Park Office at (814) 778-5467 or e-mail us at kinzuabridgesp@pa.gov . Visit DCNRs website directly at www.dcnr.state.pa.us or visit DCNR through the PA homepage at www.state.pa.us Mountain Shadows in Wayanad is just the place for a dreamy vacation Yet another show appears to be heading into its final season, according to one of its stars. Actor Christian Slater has told Collider in an interview the upcoming 4th season for Mr. Robot will be its last. Yeah, Season 4, and I believe that will be the last season, he said. (Show creator) Sam [Esmail] always said it was going to be somewhere in that zone, and he didnt want to go further than what he could creatively contribute to that storyline. So, I think that Season 4 will be it. I think theyre in the writers room, as we speak, putting it all together, but I have no idea what its gonna be, or if Im gonna be floating in and out of scenes. I have no idea, so well see what happens. Mr. Robot airs in Australia on Showcase. Razor wire sits on top of the entrance to an immigration detention center in San Diego, California, U.S. May 18, 2018. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson Thomson Reuters By Laila Kearney NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Chicago Teachers' Pension Fund's board of trustees voted on Friday to phase out investments in companies that run private prisons or immigrant detention centers, saying the businesses have an outsized negative impact on minorities and the poor. The $10.8 billion public pension fund's investment managers have been directed to liquidate holdings of the companies "as soon as reasonably practical," the statement said. The fund did not identify the prison and detention center companies whose stock they own. "We know these institutions disproportionately incarcerate people of color and those who live below the poverty line, house immigrant children and perpetuate the separation of immigrant families," Fund President Jay C. Rehak said. The companies also "take advantage of and put at risk unprotected, low-wage employees, while lacking fiscal and operational transparency," Rehak said. The Chicago public school teachers pension fund follows in the footsteps of New York City pension funds, which last year became the first to divest fully from the private prison industry. The California State Teachers Retirement System is also evaluating its holdings of private correctional facilities. The vote comes days after the American Federation of Teachers, which is among the nation's largest teachers unions, urged pension funds to cut their exposure to investment firms that have funneled millions of dollars into private prisons. The group criticized the firms and said they were getting rich on the U.S. government's practice of separating migrant families. (Reporting by Laila Kearney; Editing by Daniel Bases and Dan Grebler) See Also: bitcoin mining The hashrate of the Bitcoin network, which represents the amount of computing power securing the blockchain, has continued to increase despite the 70 percent decline of BTC since January of this year. David Sapper, chief operating officer at Australia-based cryptocurrency exchange Blockbid, said in an interview with Bloomberg that the continuous rise in the hashrate of Bitcoin demonstrates the satisfaction of investors in the long-term trend of the dominant cryptocurrency. The increased hash rate means people are here for the long-term because theyre happy to just accumulate what they have, potentially even run at a loss. At the same time, they do sometimes have to clear house and dump, Sapper said. Why is Hashrate Increasing? In a bear market, mining cryptocurrencies can become less profitable as the same amount of energy, electricity, and resources are used to mine digital assets. For instance, if the mining difficulty remains identical but the price of BTC drops from $20,000 to $8,000, the miner can only sell the BTC it generates from its mining operation at a unit price of $8,000, where before, with the same cost, the miner was able to generate $20,000 per every bitcoin that is mined. Naturally, as the bitcoin price fell, investors in the cryptocurrency market expected the difficulty of mining and the hashrate of the Bitcoin network to fall, proportional to the price trend of bitcoin. However, the hashrate of the Bitcoin network has continued to increase at an exponential throughout the 2018 bear market, a period in which the valuation of the global crypto market fell over 78 percent. Hashrate of the Bitcoin network, provided by Blockchain Hence, Sapper, who operates one of the biggest cryptocurrency exchanges in Australia, suggested that the consistent increase in the hashrate of Bitcoin shows the patience of investors and their firm belief that bitcoin along with the rest of the cryptocurrency market will eventually recover to its previous levels in the mid to long-term. Story continues Marco Streng, the CEO at Genesis Mining, offered a difference explanation to the phenomenon, stating that it merely demonstrates the rapid change and growth of the global mining industry, which with key players such as Bitmain and Samsung, have produced more efficient machines and mining equipment on a regular basis. He emphasized that more efficient miners that operate highly sophisticated mining facilities are big enough to cover the drop-out of inefficient miners, that have no space and capital to compete against the behemoths of the industry. There are still major expansions happening, especially from more efficient miners. The expansion is so big that it compensated for the drop-out of not-so-efficient miners, Streng explained. Generally Optimistic The analysis of both Streng and Sapper are optimistic in that they have suggested the increase in the hashrate of Bitcoin is either caused by the rapid expansion and growth of the Bitcoin mining sector or the expectations of investors in the cryptocurrency market that major digital assets will soon recover from their drops. Featured Image from Shutterstock The post Experts: Bitcoin Hashrate Increase Shows Investors are Happy in Long-Term appeared first on CCN. A view of the partially collapsed Morandi highway bridge in Genoa, Italy, Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018. Italian authorities have lowered the death to 38 from 39 in the collapse of a highway bridge in Genoa. Genoa Prefect Office official Raffaella Corsaro told AP that there had been a "misunderstanding" about information from ambulance dispatchers. Earlier, Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said that as rescuers comb through the rubble for more bodies it will be "inevitable" that the death toll will eventually rise. Dozens of vehicles plunged into a dry river bed after the collapse Tuesday. (Luca Zennaro/ANSA via AP) MILAN (AP) Collapsed concrete, twisted metal, crushed cars. While the disaster in Genoa was the deadliest in recent years, Italy has seen other bridge and highway collapses that have raised alarm about the state of its aging transportation infrastructure. The 51-year-old Morandi Bridge was a key artery that linked highways to Milan and France, a vital lifeline for both commercial traffic as well as vacationers bound for the mountains and famous Mediterranean beaches. "When it was inaugurated, it was vaunted as an engineering achievement, representing the most advanced technology and a model that Italy spread throughout the world," said Antonio Occhiuzzi, president of Italy's CNR society of civil engineers. "It was a project that was constantly under surveillance," he said. "Notwithstanding all these efforts, it came down. It is a little metaphor for the country." Designed by Italian engineer Riccardo Morandi, its unusual features included concrete-encased stay cables, which he used in several of his bridge designs instead of the more common steel cables. Experts say the concrete can deteriorate relatively quickly. "About the project, there were a lot of concerns since the very beginning," said Enrico Musso, a professor of transport economics at Genoa's University of Studies. "On this kind of project, only three bridges were built around the world, and the other two already had serious problems." One built in Venezuela partially collapsed two years after its opening after being struck by a tanker, killing seven. Another built in Libya and opened in 1972 was shut down in October 2017, according to the Italian news agency ANSA. Many technicians had advised replacing the Genoa bridge, too. In the wake of Tuesday's collapse, prosecutors are investigating both its possible design flaws as well as maintenance, although they have not identified any targets. Some in the government blame Italy's partially privatized highway system, alleging that too much emphasis is put on profits. Story continues The disaster, in which dozens of vehicles plunged 45 meters (150 feet) when part of the bridge collapsed, is spurring calls to retrofit or replace others in Italy that are operating well beyond their expected lifespan and despite technological advances. A survey published this week by the CNR engineering group cited four other major highway overpass collapses in the last two years alone all related to structural weakness. They caused three deaths and four injuries. The survey excluded smaller incidents that did not cause injury, but Italian media counted three more highway collapses going back to 2004 that caused four deaths and four injuries. "What are worrisome are the ones built in the 1950s and 1960s, most of which are at the end of their lifespans," Occhiuzzi said, adding that they often are difficult to retrofit efficiently and probably cheaper to replace. He also noted that the recent collapses occurred in northern, central and southern Italy, defying stereotypes of a well-maintained, wealthy north versus a neglected south. The government is focusing blame for the Morandi Bridge collapse on the Autostrade per l'Italia company operating the A10 highway that includes the bridge, citing a lack of maintenance, and is pledging to revoke Autostrade's highway concession. Cabinet ministers have said there was a cozy relationship between the knitwear making Benetton family that controls Autostrade and previous governments that prevented proper oversight. In a statement Thursday, Autostrade said it was prepared to take "rigorous action," beyond any criminal charges, if it emerges that any of its managers or workers were in any way responsible for the disaster. It said it was conducting its own internal inquiry and cooperating with authorities. The company expressed "its closeness to the families of the victims and the injured," and added that "our apologies are in our words and deeds." The government has granted two dozen companies the right to manage Italy's 6,003 kilometers (3,730 miles) of highway and more than 1,034 kilometers (642 miles) of bridges and viaducts and 865 kilometers (537 miles) of tunnels. Another 26,000 kilometers (16,155 miles) of provincial and toll highways and interchanges are controlled by the state-run ANAS agency. Autostrade, by far the biggest of these private companies, controls 3,020 kilometers (1,876 miles) of highway. The Morandi Bridge was scheduled for a major retrofit. The business daily il Sole 24 Ore said the 20 million euro project aimed to reinforce two vertical support structures on the span, including one that collapsed. Interior Minister Matteo Salvini also has blasted European Union spending rules. But the EU says that not only has it "encouraged investment in infrastructure," but also has approved 2.5 billion euros for Italian infrastructure, including roads, in the 2014-2020 budget, and that the it approved in April another 8.5 billion euro investment plan for Italian motorways, including the Genoa area. Still, figures from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development show that Italian investments in roads sank most dramatically among the top five European economies after the 2008 economic crisis, never fully recovering. From a level of just under 13.6 billion euros a year in 2007, second only to France, Italy dropped to 3.8 billion euros in 2014. In that period, Occhiuzzi said, Italy pulled back dramatically on both infrastructure and research investment. But he said retrofitting old projects hasn't been prioritized because it is not glamorous and requires studies of old technology that no longer exists. He also said assigning blame for collapses always involves more than one factor. Building roads, bridges and viaducts on the 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) Italian peninsula and two major islands are part of the complexity of resolving the infrastructure issue. The Morandi Bridge embodied this geographical challenge. Genoa is tucked picturesquely between the mountains and the Mediterranean, and motorists exiting a tunnel near the city make a gentle descent toward the Ligurian coastline, "Everyone loves the Italian panorama characterized by a rugged landscape and green vistas near the sea. But that beauty is also its weakness," Occhiuzzi said. ___ Simone Somekh in Rome and Raf Casert in Brussels contributed. MIAMI (AP) An Alaska man faces a life prison sentence in the January 2017 Florida airport shooting that left five people dead and six wounded. Sentencing is set Friday for 28-year-old Esteban Santiago, who pleaded guilty in May to 11 charges in a plea deal in which prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty. Santiago, of Anchorage, Alaska, admitted he opened fire with a handgun in a baggage area at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The agreement calls for a life prison sentence plus 120 years. An Iraq war veteran, Santiago is diagnosed as schizophrenic but was found competent to understand legal proceedings. Santiago initially told the FBI after the shooting he was under government mind control, then switched to unfounded claims he acted in support of the Islamic State extremist group. See Also: FILE PHOTO: Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko delivers a speech during the Minsk Dialogue Forum "Eastern Europe: In Search of Security for All" in Minsk, Belarus May 24, 2018. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko/File Photo MINSK (Reuters) - Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko has dismissed the country's prime minister and other top ministers, the presidential press service said on Saturday, in the biggest government reshuffle since 2014. The shake-up comes days after Lukashenko, who has run Belarus along Soviet-style command lines since 1994, criticised government leaders for their ineffectiveness. Lukashenko named Sergei Rumas, the head of the country's Development Bank, as new prime minister, the presidential press service said in a statement. Rumas replaces Andrei Kobyakov, who had served as Belarus' prime minister since 2014. Lukashenko also named four new deputy prime ministers, as well as new ministers of the economy, communications and industry, among other posts. The 63-year-old leader has heeded some calls from the West to show more leniency towards political opposition, but opponents say their freedom to operate remains severely limited. (Reporting by Andrey Makhovsky; Writing by Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber; Editing by Pritha Sarkar) Two Canadian schoolgirls were stopped in their tracks after sneaking out of a sleepover and planning to travel to London. The girls, aged 10 and 12, were in their pyjamas and carrying a hand-drawn map when they boarded a bus in British Columbia just before midnight. Their map shows "home" as the starting point and the UK capital as the final destination. Bus driver Ed Boleak alerted police when the two girls boarded his service in the city of Burnaby. Officers from nearby Vancouver came to collect the girls and return them to their "anxious parents". Metro Vancouver Transit Police posted on Facebook: "See something out of the ordinary on your bus? "Let Transit Police know! "Transit Operator Ed Boleak did exactly that on Monday night when two pajama-clad children, ages 10 and 12, boarded his bus in Burnaby just before midnight. "Ed contacted Transit Police, and Constable Cho and Constable Cantera arrived to pick up the children and bring them home to their anxious parents. "The two girls had been having a sleepover when they "snuck" out of the house to go on an adventure that included following hand-drawn map for the journey." The police added that the girls "didn't realise how much potential danger they were putting themselves in, or the distress they were causing their parents". Some diesel cars produce more than 25 times the legal limit for oxides of nitrogen, according to a consumer group. Tests commissioned by Which? since the beginning of last year found that 47 out of 61 diesel car models exceed the latest Euro 6 limit for NOx, despite conforming to official standards. The worst of those looked at was the Subaru Forester, which emitted more than 25 times the legal limit, the research found. Which? managing director of home products and services Alex Neill said: "The current official tests fail to measure the actual level of emissions that cars are producing on our roads. "Most diesels we assess are producing far more NOx in our tests than official limits allow. "The new official tests should help reduce harmful emissions - but we will continue to penalise any car we find that produces excessive levels of pollutants in our tests." Since September last year, new models have had to pass tougher tests. These include laboratory exams and being monitored while on the open road. Mike Hawes, chief executive of industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said: "The non-official test employed by Which? is very different from the current EU test, so it's no surprise it delivers different results. "Only the official tests accurately compare models on a like-for-like basis, helping inform consumers. "The differences between lab and on-the-road performance are well known and the new, much stricter WLTP lab test, together with the real world RDE test, will help assure motorists that new cars on sale today are the cleanest in history. "Indeed, no new car model can be sold in the UK unless it meets this new, robust standard." Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gestures during his third State of the Nation Address Aaron Favila/AP President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte bashed the US Friday for warning his country against purchasing Russian submarines. He criticized the US for only providing hand-me-down weapons systems, arguing that if his country were to buy US submarines, they would probably "implode." The Philippines is a US ally, but Duterte has been pursuing a foreign policy independent of the US, forging closer ties with rivals like China and Russia. The leader of a close US ally is turning to rival Russia for submarines, arguing that if his country were to buy American submarines, they would probably "implode." President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte lashed out Friday after the US warned the Philippines against purchasing Russian Kilo-class diesel-electric submarines. He accused the US of selling its ally only hand-me-down weapons that endanger the lives of Filipino troops, according to local outlet Rappler. "Why did you not stop the other countries in Asia? Why are you stopping us? Who are you to warn us?" Duterte asked Friday at an event in his hometown of Davao."You give us submarines, it will implode." He asserted that the US sent his country "used" and "rusted" North Atlantic Treaty Organization helicopters, claiming the poor condition of the platforms led to the deaths of local forces. "Is that the way you treat an ally and you want us to stay with you for all time?" he asked. "You want us to remain backwards. Vietnam has 7 submarines, Malaysia has 2, Indonesia has 8. We alone don't have one. You haven't given us any." Duterte's latest outburst was triggered by a warning issued Thursday by Randall Schriver, the US Department of Defense Assistant Secretary for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs. "I think they should think very carefully about that," he said, referring to the Philippine government's interest in acquiring Russian submarines. "If they were to proceed with purchasing major Russian equipment, I don't think that's a helpful thing to do [in our] alliance, and I think ultimately we can be a better partner than the Russians can be." Story continues "We have to understand the nature of this regime in Russia. I don't need to go through the full laundry list: Crimea, Ukraine, the chemical attack in the UK," he added, "So, you're investing not only in the platforms, but you're making a statement about a relationship." An interest in Russian weapons systems has strained relations between the US and a number of allies and international partners in recent months. As Duterte pursues an independent foreign policy often out of alignment with US interests, the Philippines has increasingly looked to develop defense ties with Russia. The country is looking to Russia for submarines as it looks to modernize its military. "For a nation with maritime territory specially island nation, its national defense is incomplete without (a) submarine," Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said earlier this year, according to the Philippine Star. NOW WATCH: Here's what Beans from 'Even Stevens' is up to today See Also: BERLIN (AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin made a flying visit to Austria to attend the wedding of the country's foreign minister Saturday before heading to Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Austrian authorities imposed tight security measures around the site of the ceremony near the southern border with Slovenia, where Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl married her partner Wolfgang Meilinger, a businessman. Kneissl, an independent, was nominated by the pro-Russia Austrian Freedom Party, whose leaders also attended the wedding. Photos showed Putin dancing with the bride, who was dressed in a traditional Austrian costume. According to Austrian public broadcaster ORF, Putin also brought a small Cossack men's choir along to entertain about 100 guests at the wedding. Austrian lawmaker Joerg Leichtfried of the opposition Social Democratic Party criticized Kneissl's decision to invite Putin to the wedding, saying it called into question Austria's role as a neutral intermediary in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where Russia-backed rebels are battling government forces. Austria currently holds the European Union's rotating presidency. Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies that the Russian president spent about an hour at the wedding. Putin gave the newlyweds a cold press oil machine, a traditional Russian samovar and a landscape painting that "depicts the place where the groom hails from," according to Peskov. Peskov said Putin said "quite a long toast in German in which he said he was thankful and happy that he got a chance to visit the hospitable Austria." Speaking hours later alongside Merkel before the two leaders held bilateral talks at the German government's guesthouse in Meseberg, north of Berlin, Putin said they would discuss bilateral ties, economic cooperation and Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline beneath the Baltic Sea. The United States and some European countries have criticized the pipeline, saying it could increase Europe's energy dependence on Russia, harm Ukraine currently a major gas transit country and pose an environmental risk. Story continues Germany imported 53 billion cubic meters of Russian gas last year. "Nord Steam 2 is purely an economic project and it doesn't close the door to shipping gas through Ukraine," Putin said. Transit fees for Russian gas are an important item contributing to the Ukrainian budget. With protesters audible Saturday outside the guesthouse in Meseberg, Putin also raised the issue of humanitarian aid and funding for international reconstruction in Syria. "It's important to help those areas that the refugees can return to," he said. "I think it's in everyone's interests, including Europe's." Germany, which has taken in hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees fleeing the war, has in the past insisted it wouldn't contribute to the reconstruction of Syria before a political settlement to end the war has been reached. Merkel said the talks would also touch on the possibility of establishing a United Nations mission to help bring about peace in Ukraine. ___ Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow contributed to this report. Flooding in Nan province, northern Thailand, this morning after heavy rainfall caused a river to burst its banks. Houses near to the Nan River were hit with the deluge after torrential downpours. Footage shows residents wading through waist-high water as government officials put 90 villages in the area on red alert as they braced for more rain. Riverside houses in seven of 15 districts -Chiang Klang, Pua, Tha Wang Pha, Mae Charim, Santisuk, Muang and Phu Phiang - were hit with flood water from the river and more than 1,000 houses were affected. Soldiers and rescue workers used boats to navigate the flood and deliver clean water to the flood-hit communities. Nan governor Paisarn Wimonrat said officials were now trying to contain the flood and protect businesses from further damage. MiG-31 Russian Defense Ministry The CEO of the Russian MiG corporation said on Friday that work on an experimental design for a MiG-41 fifth-generation interceptor will begin "in the immediate future." The CEO also said that the next-generation jet fighter would be delivered to the Russian Air Force in the mid-2020s. The MiG-41, or PAK DP, would be the successor to the speedy fourth-generation MiG-31 interceptor. But experts were skeptical that the aircraft would materalize anytime soon, and one expert even said that to build a pure interceptor is like "living in the past." The CEO of the Russian MiG corporation said on Friday that work on an experimental design for a MiG-41 fifth-generation interceptor will begin "in the immediate future." "No, this is not a mythical project, this is a long-standing project for the MiG and now we are carrying out intensive work under the aegis of the [the United Aircraft Corporation] and will present it to the public soon," Ilya Tarasenko said, according to TASS, a Russian state-owned media outlet. The MiG-41, or Prospective Aviation Complex of Long-Range Interception, would be the successor to the speedy fourth-generation MiG-31 interceptor, which was known to have chased away SR-71 Blackbirds. Tarasenko, who previously claimed that the MiG-41 would be able to "operate in space," a highly unlikely prospect, also said that the MiG-41s are expected to start being delivered to the Russia military in the mid-2020s. But Vasily Kashin, a Russian defense analyst at Moscow's Higher School of Economics, told The National Interest last year that he thought the MiG-41 wouldn't fly until the mid-2020s, and wouldn't be delivered to the Russian Air Force until 2035-2040. "I dont hold out much hope for an even less proven design concept to make it into series production anytime soon," Justin Bronk, a combat-aviation expert at the Royal United Services Institute, told Business Insider in an email. Story continues "The Mig-31BM is already a highly capable interceptor platform and there are plans for a second modernisation upgrade of what is a relatively new aircraft for a very specific Russian territorial defence requirement," Bronk said. And given that the T-14 Armata tank and Su-57 stealth fighter "have had series production cancelled recently," Bronk said, "my take is, Ill believe it when I see it,' and will remain extremely skeptical until that point." But "never say never I suppose," Bronk added. Richard L. Aboulafia, Vice President of Analysis at Teal Group, told Business Insider that Tarasenko's announcement "keeps the idea alive, and you never know, even a chance in a 100 is better than no chance at all." "It also, of course, doesn't hurt in sales campaigns for current generation planes, like the [MiG-29SM]," Aboulafia said. "In other words, people don't like buying fighter planes from a company with no future." Aboulafia also said that the idea of creating a pure next-generation interceptor is like "living in the past" since surface-to-air missiles "are generally a better way of intercepting things." NOW WATCH: This is what first, business, and economy class looks like on a double-decker Airbus A380 See Also: FILE PHOTO: Britain's Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union Dominic Raab and European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier hold a joint news conference in Brussels, Belgium July 26, 2018. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Brexit minister Dominic Raab will travel to Brussels on Tuesday in a bid to pick up the pace of Brexit talks with the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier, Prime Minister Theresa May's office said on Saturday. "On the agenda will be resolving the few remaining withdrawal issues related to the UK leaving the EU and pressing ahead with discussions on the future relationship," May's Downing Street office said. On Thursday, Britain will also publish the first of a series of technical notices, designed to help people and businesses prepare for a no-deal scenario. Raab will also give a speech outlining how the government plans to mitigate the potential risks of leaving the EU without a deal and ensure continuity and stability. (Reporting by Costas Pitas; Editing by Sandra Maler) Netflix has announced they have canceled comedy shows "The Break with Michelle Wolf," and "The Joel McHale Show." While the two shows gained a large audience at their debuts, they failed to gain much traction. According to Deadline, Michelle Wolf's show premiered just a month after her controversial performance at the White House Correspondents Dinner last April. "The Break," was a politically driven comedy show that received much applause at its premiere. However, Wolf ended up pushing the boundaries when it came to comedy. In one episode, Michelle Wolf compared Ivanka Trump to herpes. Netflix struggles with developing talk show driven content The decision to cancel these two shows comes as Netflix works its way around the comedy talk show arena. Both shows were hosted by top comedy personalities with strong track records, with McHale as the former host of 'The Soup on E!' Wolf worked as writer and contributor on "Late Night with Seth Meyers" and "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah." Talk shows have become one of the genres that Netflix has not been able to master. The streaming giant dominates all other genres from documentaries to comedies such as "A Typical", but they have fallen short when it comes to creating a strong variety sketch or talk show. Last year Netflix ended Chelsea Handler's two-season run of her own show. The "Joel McHale Show" premiered last February with 13-episodes, with one episode released each week. Netflix later ordered six additional episodes. Netflix ended up releasing the extra episodes all at once on July 15. "The Break" debuted in May with 10 episodes and concluded on July 29. Discuss this news on Eunomia Netflix underperforming shows faced fierce competition These two shows have continued to face competition with other popular comedy shows such as "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" and "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction." This fall, Netflix will release multiple comedy talk shows including "Patriot Act" with Hasan Minhaj from "The Daily Show," and "The Fix" hosted by Jimmy Carr, Katherine Ryan, and D.L. Hughley.' The Hollywood Reporter said that Joel McHale was looking forward to starting a show on Netflix, saying he believed he had the freedom to poke fun at anyone and anything, including Netflix itself. Wolf also joked that viewers would tell jokes that her former bosses would not allow on television. While Netflix has admitted that viewership was down and the main cause for cancelation, they have not publicly released the viewing numbers. President Donald Trump was impressed with the colorful military parade he saw last year when he attended France's Bastille Day celebration in Paris. He had gone there at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron. After returning back, he praised the spectacle and said, "we're going to have to try and top it." The Star Tribune reports that plans were being drawn up for a military parade in November, but Donald Trump has canceled it because the tentative price tag has gone far beyond initial estimates. The President has said that, in order to commemorate the centennial of the end of fighting in World War I, he would Travel to Paris to attend the events. Trump cancels military parade in DC, will attend one in Paris instead https://t.co/ZbqdwqzFy0 pic.twitter.com/ZSr4n4n0EA The Hill (@thehill) August 17, 2018 Huge variation in cost of military parade The estimate of $92 million for Donald Trumps proposed military parade is believed to be nearly three times the price that the White House had initially suggested. Such a wide variation has dampened the enthusiasm and Trump feels a section of Washington DC people are responsible for such a state of affairs. The parade was expected to have the participation of US troops from all branches along with units in period uniforms. They would have represented the nation's history and revived memories of the past. While the Defense Department has announced that plans for the 2018 parade have been put on hold, the President has tweeted that things could improve next year and such a program could be scheduled when the price "comes WAY DOWN." A spokesman of the Pentagon has said that the White House will have a relook at the issue in 2019. Discuss this news on Eunomia The military parade was Trumps idea According to NBC News, those who had worked out the initial estimates had not done their proper homework. The White House budget director informed Congress that the price could be between $10 million to $30 million. This was based on the cost of the Gulf War victory parade held after the 1991 Gulf War which was nearly $8 million. Therefore, the revised estimate of $92 million for Trumps parade was unexpected. It seems that planning for the military parade started in June, and the cost estimate now projected has come as a setback to Trumps plans. He has decided to cancel it and has blamed the "ridiculously high" price tag given by DC officials. He tweeted, "The local politicians who run Washington, D.C. (poorly) know a windfall when they see it. When asked to give us a price for holding a great celebratory military parade, they wanted a number so ridiculously high that I cancelled it." The local politicians who run Washington, D.C. (poorly) know a windfall when they see it. When asked to give us a price for holding a great celebratory military parade, they wanted a number so ridiculously high that I cancelled it. Never let someone hold you up! I will instead... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2018 Donald Trump has an alternate plan to celebrate the end of World War I on November 11th by attending the Paris parade. Joanna Williams in Spiked: Being a feminist must be hard work. Perhaps youve got a newspaper column to fill with your hot take on the latest sexist outrage. Or perhaps you have a university sexual-harassment policy to write. Or a government minister to consult about a proposed new law. Or a hefty budget to administer. Youve got the salary, a platform for your views, and the capacity to influence what happens in almost every institution in the country. And yet the entire basis for you being in this fortunate position, for walking the corridors of power, is your powerlessness. The bind for todays professional feminist is the more power and influence she gains, the harder she needs to work to show that women are still oppressed. Some career feminists get around this conundrum by claiming they are not representing their own interests but selflessly fighting for other women. Apparently, countless hordes of downtrodden women, unable to speak up for themselves, are just waiting for feminists to give voice to their concerns. But as only a small minority of women identify as feminists (estimates vary between a third and seven per cent), the response to all this speaking on behalf of others seems to be a resounding no thanks. The last resort of the professional, well-paid, powerful feminist, desperate to prove her credentials as a member of an oppressed group, is to allude to violence. The experience of violence whether actual, imagined or potential appears to unite all women, allowing the most privileged to claim common cause with women who are struggling just to get by. Helen Pankhurst, great-granddaughter of Suffragette Emmeline, expresses this succinctly: Violence against women is the one factor that infects every aspect of womens lives. More here. U.S. health officials this week approved a new generic version of EpiPen, the emergency allergy medication that triggered a public backlash due to its rising price tag. The version from Teva Pharmaceuticals is the first that will be interchangeable with the original penlike injector sold by Mylan. The Food and Drug Administration announced the approval in a statement. EpiPen injections are stocked by schools and parents nationwide to treat children with severe allergies, and many Medicare patients rely on them. They are used in emergencies to stop potentially fatal allergic reactions to insect bites and stings and to foods such as nuts and eggs. Generic drugs can be priced as much as 80 percent lower than the original product. But those price cuts usually appear after several companies have launched competing versions. EpiPen maker Mylan has dominated the $1 billion market for the shots for two decades. Several other companies sell competing shots containing the drug epinephrine, but they aren't heavily marketed or prescribed by doctors. In 2016, Congress blasted Mylan in letters and hearings for raising the EpiPen price for a two-pack to $600, a five-fold increase over nearly a decade. The company responded by launching its own lower-cost generic version for $300. Mylan continues to sell both versions at those prices, according to data from Elsevier's Gold Standard Drug Database. Teva's generic shot will be the first version that pharmacists can substitute even when doctors prescribe the original EpiPen. A Teva spokeswoman declined to comment on the drug's price but said it would launch in the coming months." Roncalli suffers heartbreaking OT loss, Central advances in playoffs After earning their first playoff win in 30 years, Beresfords 7-6 triumph in overtime sends them to the 11B semifinals. WASHINGTON Housing Secretary Ben Carson accused Facebook on Friday of enabling illegal housing discrimination by giving landlords and developers advertising tools that made it easy to exclude people based on race, gender, zip code or religion or whether a potential renter has young children at home or a personal disability. The action, which comes after nearly two years of preliminary investigation, amounts to a formal legal complaint against the company and starts a process that could culminate in a federal lawsuit against Facebook. It stands accused of creating advertising targeting tools which classified people according to interests such as English as Second Language or Disabled Parking Permit that resulted in violations of the Federal Housing Act. The move by the Department of Housing and Urban Development came on the same day that the Justice Department also targeted Facebook on similar issues. In that action, the government took the side of several fair-housing groups in opposing Facebooks efforts to have a discrimination lawsuit dismissed, arguing that Facebook can be held liable when its ad-targeting tools allow advertisers to unfairly deprive some categories of people of housing offers. Taken together, the moves mark an escalation of federal scrutiny of how Facebooks tools may create illegal forms of discrimination, allegations that also are central to separate lawsuits regarding the access to credit and employment opportunities, which, like housing, are subject to federal legal protection. The federal action also suggests limits on the reach of a key federal law, the Communications Decency Act, that long has been interpreted as offering technology companies broad immunity against many types of legal claims related to online content. The Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination including those who might limit or deny housing options with a click of a mouse, said Anna Maria Farias, HUDs Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. When Facebook uses the vast amount of personal data it collects to help advertisers to discriminate, its the same as slamming the door in someones face. Facebook said in a statement Friday afternoon, There is no place for discrimination on Facebook; its strictly prohibited in our policies. Over the past year weve strengthened our systems to further protect against misuse. Were aware of the statement of interest filed and will respond in court; well continue working directly with HUD to address their concerns. In March, several housing groups, led by the National Fair Housing Alliance, sued in federal district court in New York for engaging in illegal housing discrimination through its advertising tools. Facebook asked the court last month to dismiss the case, citing immunity because it was an interactive computer service protected by the Communications Decency Act. But Geoffrey Berman, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, sided with the plaintiffs, arguing that Facebook was instead an internet content provider under federal law because it collects and analyzes data and offers user categories that advertisers can choose, based on demographics, interests, behaviors and other criteria. That means that Facebook, at least in providing online tools to advertisers, falls beyond the reach of the Communication Decency Acts immunity provisions, which are cherished by Silicon Valley and frequently portrayed as key to the ability of the technology industry to innovate freely. Berman wrote, The Complaint sufficiently alleges that, for purposes of housing advertisements, the categorizing of Facebook users based on protected characteristics, and the mechanism that Facebook offers advertisers to target those segments of the potential audience, violated the FHA. The Justice Department did not take a position on the merits of the legal claim overall, only about the applicability of the Communications Decency Act. Lisa Rice, president of National Fair Housing Action, called the governments action a strong statement in support of our claims, adding, Facebook is one of the largest adverting companies in the world, and instead of using its vast resources to create more open markets, our claims assert that data is being harnessed in a way that perpetuates systemic bias in housing markets. After a ProPublica investigation two years ago, Facebook said it would no longer let advertisers target ads for housing, credit offers and employment by ethnic affinities, a category the social network had created to enable businesses to reach minority groups. But the housing groups have argued that Facebook has not gone far enough. The government statement on Friday quoted this complaint in saying that the platforms advertising tools still give landlords, developers and others the ability to target some potential renters while excluding others. A HUD news release Friday said that Facebooks tools, while not explicitly mentioning race, disabilities or family size, allow all of that and more for advertisers interested in targeting certain groups while excluding others from housing offers. Such groups included people interested in assistance dog, mobility scooter or deaf culture. The advertising tools also allowed offers to exclude people interested in child care or parenting, or to target people based on their stated interest in Christianity, Hinduism or the Bible. Ads could also be tailored based on user zip codes, the HUD release said. The formal complaint was filed four months after Carson testified on the Hill that he would be re-opening HUDs investigation into Facebook. The initial investigation had begun during the Obama administration following the ProPublica story revealing that Facebook allowed advertisers to target housing and other ads based on race. But Carson dropped the investigation last fall. After a public outcry, he told senators in April that he had done so because of time pressures and had always intended to re-visit the case. Some of the suits that were being pursued we didnt really have time to study them, Carson said in April. We wanted to pull them back and have the chance to really study them. A HUD official said Friday that Carsons team began taking more time to understand the merits of the Facebook case. They did not like the perception that they were scaling back on civil rights, said the official, who is not authorized to speak on the record. It doesnt take a genius for anyone looking at Facebook to figure out thats a problem that denies people housing. Its hard for Facebook to justify. The filing of the formal complaint signifies that HUD has found enough during their initial investigation to say the agency believes Facebook may have violated federal housing laws. It is not a lawsuit, but it begins an official administrative process that gives the social media company an opportunity to resolve the issue. The process allows the company to resolve the complaint by working with HUD before the agency decides to either file a lawsuit or dismiss the case. Copyright 2018 Albuquerque Journal An Albuquerque man injured in a crash with a stolen vehicle that was being chased by Bernalillo County Sheriffs deputies has died. Robert Chavez, 66, who hadnt left the hospital since the Aug. 6 multi-car crash, died Friday afternoon, Kay Lovato, his sister-in-law, said in an interview with the Journal. She said deputies told Chavezs family to refrain from talking to the media, which the sheriffs office denies. We were told not to talk to the media, Lovato said. I said, I dont care, because Im sick and tired of them chasing people. Chavez was tending to errands when the vehicle he was driving was struck by a car near Broadway and Avenida Cesar Chavez SE, Lovato said. The crash, which happened around 9:30 a.m., involved at least three vehicles, including the one deputies were chasing. Ten people were hurt, and five were sent to the hospital, according to a prior news release from Albuquerque Fire Rescue. Lovato said Chavez broke his back, shoulder, forearm, wrist, ribs and pelvis in the crash and also had other internal injuries. She said since the crash his only means of communicating was blinking his eyes until he had a heart attack and died Friday afternoon. The family plans to file a wrongful death lawsuit, their attorney Sam Bregman said. Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales hasnt returned phone calls or text messages asking about the crash, and he hasnt explained why deputies got into a high-speed chase with a suspected stolen vehicle. Deputy Johann Jareno, a spokesman for the agency, said BCSO is still investigating the pursuit. But he said investigators deny telling Chavezs family not to discuss the crash with the media. Oscar Contreras Zamarripa, 32, who was a passenger in the stolen vehicle, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court, has been charged with conspiracy to receive or transfer a motor vehicle and tampering with evidence. BCSO is not identifying the driver, but Jareno said he still in the hospital and being guarded by deputies. Since Chavezs death, BCSO said they are amending the charges to include homicide by vehicle. The complaint said a deputy on a proactive patrol checked the license plate of a Hyundai Sonata near Coors and Iliff NW and the plate was reported stolen. Deputies in marked cars tried to pull over the vehicle, which led to a chase. Prior to chasing the vehicle, deputies shot at it with a StarChase tracking device, which allows deputies to monitor a cars path using GPS data, according to the complaint. Gonzales has told local television stations that the device is intended to prevent some vehicle pursuits. The number of vehicle chases involving Bernalillo County sheriffs deputies has soared in the last year and a half, after the sheriff changed the offices policies to give deputies more freedom to chase suspects in nonviolent crimes, according to prior Journal reports. In 2016, deputies were involved in 11 vehicle pursuits, but last year the number of car chases jumped to 74, according to county statistics. Bregman points to the increase and says he believes the policy is directly responsible for Chavezs death. Granted, weve got people who do bad things, but this department exacerbates the problem by chasing someone in the middle of the day when they dont have to, Bregman said. By comparison, Albuquerque police an agency about twice as large as the sheriffs office was in 12 car chases in 2017. Several current and former sheriffs office officials have testified that they disagreed with Gonzales decision to change the pursuit policy. In March, Bernalillo County commissioners passed a resolution calling for an outside agency to review sheriffs office policies governing use of force and vehicle pursuits. The county has hired the Daigle Law Group, a Connecticut firm, to complete the review. Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins sponsored the resolution that led to the review. The tragic death today of an innocent bystander highlights the risk of engaging in high speed pursuits and why we need to take a close look at current BCSO pursuit policies, she said Friday. Ive expressed my concern about the sharp increase in pursuits over the last year and realize that any decision to engage in a vehicle chase has to balance the danger of the perpetrators actions against risk to the public. But public safety has to come first, and we have a duty to assess and look for best practices for the county. Journal Staff Writer Elise Kaplan and Matthew Reisen contributed to this report. A recent editorial (Its time for common-sense gun measures, Journal Aug. 12) called for state lawmakers to pass a number of gun control proposals rolled out last week by Democratic lawmakers. Common-sense gun measures is a phrase that gun control activists and anti-gun politicians use in hopes that the public and the media will avoid scrutinizing the details of these bills or questioning their enforceability, efficacy, intrusiveness or necessity. The gun control crowd plans to resurrect universal background check bills similar to the ones legislators rejected in 2017. These measures would force gun owners to pay undetermined fees and obtain government approval before selling a firearm to family members, friends, neighbors and co-workers, or fellow hunters, competitive shooters and gun club members. Supporters will falsely claim they are targeting gun shows and online transactions. But what the legislation really does is ban all private firearms sales between law-abiding citizens. Studies by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics show that less than one percent of crime guns are acquired at gun shows and background checks are already required before anyone takes delivery of a firearm purchased online. So after five years of debate on this topic, lawmakers will waste more time next year considering unnecessary proposals that have no impact on crime and are unenforceable without gun registration. Extreme risk protective order legislation touted by gun control advocates would authorize the seizure of firearms and ammunition from individuals who may not have committed or even threatened to commit any unlawful or violent act. Unchallenged statements made by a petitioner in an ex parte proceeding prior to any formal hearing before a court at which the individual in question would have the opportunity to be represented by counsel or present counterevidence would be sufficient to allow law enforcement to enter that persons home and confiscate their lawfully owned property. These red flag bills have encountered opposition in other states because they lacked appropriate due process procedures, among other significant details. The Rhode Island chapter of the ACLU expressed great concern about the breadth of this legislation, its impact on civil liberties, and the precedent it sets for the use of coercive measures against individuals not because they are alleged to have committed any crime, but because somebody believes they might, someday, commit one. Source: riaclu.org. Another suggested proposal could make gun owners liable if a child gains access to an unsecured firearm. New Mexico has a statute on the books to hold adults accountable for putting children at risk in this way, or any other manner: NMSA Section 30-6-1. Under current law, it is a felony for a responsible person to knowingly, intentionally or negligently place a child in a situation that may endanger the childs life or health. The tools exist to charge and prosecute parents or guardians in appropriate cases. Sadly, there is no shortage of recent examples in our state of kids being subjected to horrific neglect, abuse and physical violence that has nothing to do with firearms ownership. Bills similar to that being proposed have failed in previous sessions. So once again, lawmakers will spend time next year debating unnecessary gun control legislation and abdicating any responsibility to address the root causes of New Mexicos at-risk youth. Its no surprise that the Democratic nominee for governor, U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, has embraced these proposals and is pushing for even more radical measures, such as bans on commonly owned semiautomatic firearms used for hunting, recreational shooting and self-defense, and restrictions on standard magazines used with these guns. She has a long history of supporting the agenda of New York billionaire Michael Bloomberg and his national gun control organizations while serving in Congress. New Mexicans who are concerned about crime and protecting our civil liberties deserve better than what she and at least some of her fellow Democrats are selling: unenforceable, ineffective, intrusive and unnecessary laws that wont make us any safer. A petition has been filed with the governor of New Hampshire that breathes new life into an old and very sensational case. It asks Gov. Chris Sununu to embrace this eras evolved thinking on prison sentencing, specifically the sentence of life without parole. A key section of the 695-page petition reads, The New Hampshire Constitutions goal of punishment being to reform, not to exterminate warrants relief for Pamela Smart through commutation of her sentence to time served or to make her parole eligible. Pamela Smart was 21 when she made the biggest mistake of her life. She was a newlywed living in Derry, N.H., and her husband, Gregg, had admitted to cheating with another woman. Devastated, Pame threw herself into her job as director of media for 11 public schools. She met a dreamy-eyed, almost 16-year-old student named Billy Flynn. He was a juvenile delinquent who stole vehicles, robbed people, fenced stolen goods and used drugs. Pame and Billy clicked. They liked the same music, and he was attentive where her husband was not. In early 1990, they began a brief sexual affair. True-crime buffs will remember what happened next. Billy and his teenaged bad-boy pal, Pete Randall, broke into the Smarts condo, ransacked it to make it look like a burglary and waited for Gregg. They forced Smart to his knees and with Pete holding a knife to his throat Billy fired one fatal shot into Greggs head. Pame was 40 miles away at a school board meeting. Police had no leads until they learned of the affair from Pames intern, a student named Cecelia Pierce, who swore it was Pame who had devised the murder plot with her young lover. Detectives placed a wire on Cecelia and hoped to capture conversations proving Pame was the mastermind. The resulting tapes were of bad quality and barely audible in many spots, but Pame was heard telling Cecelia to lie to police or they would all go to jail. Pame would later explain she was desperate for information and only pretending to know about the murder plot so Cecelia would reveal what she knew. Billy, Pete and two other teens who waited in the getaway car were arrested. They were, inexplicably, kept in adjacent cells for several months, making it easy for them to coordinate their stories. The boys mistakenly believed theyd only have to serve time until they were 18 so they stayed silent. But when the prosecutor decided to try them as adults and pursue the death penalty, they suddenly spoke and claimed Pame had concocted the crime and convinced them to kill so she and Billy could be together. A controversial plea bargain was struck with the kids. There were no charges against Cecelia, even though she had helped the boys try to get a gun, and reduced sentences for Billy and Pete. In exchange, they all agreed to testify against Pame. Pamela Smart was arrested on charges of accomplice and conspiracy to murder and witness tampering. She has always professed her innocence. She says Billy committed murder in a fit of rage after she told him she loved her husband and their affair was over. Years before O.J. Simpsons murder case, the Smart trial was Americas first nationally televised courtroom drama. The tiny New Hampshire town became the focus of unprecedented and relentless international media coverage. Weeks before the trial started reporters clogged the streets and blared the latest developments. The media labeled Pame the Ice Princess and the Black Widow. They conducted phone polls, Pame look-a-like contests and headlined her probable guilt. It all, surely, tainted the jury pool. But Judge Douglas Gray refused to change the trial venue. He repeatedly denied motions and witnesses that could have helped Pame. Gray also failed to follow up on multiple reports of jury misconduct. He openly hoped that Clint Eastwood would portray him in the inevitable movie. There were two movies made. Eastwood was in neither. After my thorough read of the trial transcript, and after much investigation, its clear that Pames defense attorneys also failed her. They only called one friend to vouch for Pames character. Their opening statement to the jury was lackluster, the closing statement downright embarrassing. Immediately after the verdict Judge Gray announced the mandatory sentence: Life in prison with no possibility of parole ever. Every appeal by Smart has been rejected. Twenty-eight years later and Pame, now 51, remains behind bars at the maximum-security womens prison in Bedford Hills, N.Y. Her release date is 99/99/9999. As for Billy and Pete, the pair that committed murder? They both won parole in 2015 and are free. I have visited and interviewed Pame several times. She has earned two masters degrees in prison, helped countless inmates advance their education and is active in prison culture and church activities. She asked me recently, Even if people think Im guilty, which Im not, havent I served enough time? That is the question now before Governor Sununu. More on this case next week. www.DianeDimond.com; e-mail to Diane@DianeDimond.com. See the interview Watch Diane Dimonds exclusive interview with Pamela Smart on Investigation Discoverys three-night special beginning Sunday at 8 p.m. MDT. Copyright 2018 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE New Mexico gubernatorial candidates Steve Pearce and Michelle Lujan Grisham both say they favor re-examining the states current rules for pretrial release of violent offenders, which were enacted after voters approved a 2016 constitutional amendment. The candidates comments came in response to a judges decision to release on a signature bond five adults arrested at a makeshift compound north of Taos this month. The defendants were all charged with child abuse, and prosecutors have alleged that one of the adults was training children at the compound to attack corrupt institutions, which could include schools, law enforcement agencies and banks. But state District Judge Sarah Backus said in her ruling that prosecutors didnt provide any evidence of child abuse. And she said that although some of the other evidence presented was troubling, it didnt prove that the suspects were dangerous to the community. The ruling quickly drew national media attention and prompted a barrage of criticism. The courthouse was closed Tuesday afternoon due to threats. Pearce, a Republican who is forgoing a bid for re-election to his southern New Mexico-based congressional seat to run for governor, called the decision to release the defendants unfathomable and called for a constitutional fix. The state of New Mexico needs to be able to hold people who pose a significant flight risk without bond, and we, the people, should provide the courts with what we mean by dangerous, he said. Judicial interpretation cannot continue to take the most extreme and lenient position to override the will of the people and compromise the safety of New Mexico communities, as it is under the current system. Any change to the states Constitution would have to be approved by the Legislature and by statewide voters, which would probably not happen until 2020. Lujan Grisham, a Democrat who is also giving up her congressional seat to run for governor, also voiced concerns about the ruling, though she stopped short of calling for the constitutional amendment to be scrapped and replaced. We have an obligation to re-examine New Mexicos pretrial detention policies, which empower judges to detain a defendant due to the severity of the crime, Lujan Grisham said. Ultimately, judges have a sacred responsibility to safeguard public safety, protect vulnerable populations and ensure that the community is not subject to further risk. She also included a proposed change in pretrial detention rules as part of a new anti-crime plan that she rolled out Friday. Any effort to undo the constitutional amendment could face long odds in the Democratic-controlled Legislature, which spent hours debating the issue during the 2016 session. Rep. Gail Chasey, D-Albuquerque, chairwoman of the House Judiciary Committee, pointed out that the new rules are still a work in progress. I think we need to give the court some time to figure this out, she told the Journal. Chasey also said that she was dismayed by some of the media coverage of the Taos Compound situation and that prosecutors there had not provided enough evidence to persuade the judge to keep the defendants behind bars without bond. Under the amendment approved in 2016, a judge can deny bail to a defendant if there is clear and convincing evidence that no release conditions would reasonably protect the safety of any person or the general public. The amendment came about after key lawmakers, the state Supreme Court and bail industry officials reached a compromise, and was intended to ensure that defendants be kept in jail based on evidence of their individual risk of dangerousness or flight, not on their ability to pay a monetary bond. But carrying out the amendment has proven to be tricky task. The state Supreme Courts rules dealing with pretrial release and detention implemented in July 2017 have come under fire in recent months from Gov. Susana Martinez and many district attorneys. The outgoing governor urged lawmakers before this years 30-day session to repeal and replace the bail reform amendment and the court rules that implemented it, despite having initially supported it in 2016. However, the several bail-related proposals that were introduced during this years session failed to gain traction and were not approved by the Legislature. SANTA FE It took about four months for Kevin Pourier, a veteran of Santa Fe Indian Market, to make the piece that finally won him the markets Best of Show award. If hed been keeping track of the hours he put into his belt made from sections of buffalo horn, Id never do it again, said a beaming Pourier said after the markets annual awards ceremony. Pourier, who is Oglala Lakota (and French, he noted) and lives in Pine Ridge, S.D., said hes shown at Indian Market for 21 years and won best-of-category awards four times before. It took me 59 years to get here, he said, disclosing his age. His Best of Show belt has nine sections. Eight of them are portraits, carved into the buffalo horn with amazing detail, from photographs of real-life Native American women. Theyre women who are stepping up and taking control of their lives amid the #MeToo movement and todays Native American activism, said Pourier. Those shown on the belt include Bobbi Jean Three Legs, who helped lead the Standing Rock protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota; and Suzan Harjo, president of the Morning Star Institute native rights organization. Each portrait is set off with special design Harjos is a depiction of the morning star, for instance. Others whose images Pourier carved using a diamond-coated burr tool are lawyer Jodi Gillette, who was special assistant for Native American affairs to President Barack Obama; and Wanda Batchelor, the first woman to lead the Washoe tribe in Nevada and California. The portraits are separated by a teepee frame designs, represented strength. The portraits shine, but theres no lacquer. The sheen comes from sanding and buffing. There are inlays, including turquoise and malachite. My work is a belt with portraits of Native women from around the country, said Pourier when he first picked up the award in his art category, Diverse Arts. During the Standing Rock protests, there was a lot of coverage about men. But the women were there. They were cooking and taking care of the families and then out on the front lines. My wife (Valerie Pourier) said, You need to create something for the women warriors.' I wanted to portray that strength in my piece, he added. The belts buckle shows the earth surround by sets of hands with different skin colors. Pourier said he got suggestions from friends around the country about which women to show on the belt. One said to put his exs on the belt, he said. I told him I dont have enough buffalo horn to do them all. Retired Journal state editor Bruce Daniels will be among the panelists discussing priest sexual abuse and the role of journalism in supporting democracy on Sunday at the KiMo Theatre in Downtown Albuquerque. Admission is free. The program runs from 2 to 5 p.m. The discussion will follow the showing of the 2015 movieSpotlight, the Academy Award Best Picture winner about a team of investigative reporters from The Boston Globe who exposed a decadeslong cover-up of sex abuse by Roman Catholic priests and the ensuing shake-up of Bostons religious, legal and government establishment. Daniels, who also was the Journals religion editor in the early 1990s, spent years covering the wave of lawsuits alleging sexual abuse of minors by Roman Catholic priests and the impact of the scandal on the church in New Mexico. Panelists also include Ellen Berkovitch of KSFR-FM public radio in Santa Fe, who has led a special projects team in its award-winning reporting about sexual abuse and secrecy in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, and David Weiss, communications and media studies professor at the University of New Mexico. Devin OLeary of the Weekly Alibi will moderate the discussion, which will be followed by questions from the audience. The program is part of the Journalism, Democracy and the Informed Citizen series, made possible by the Democracy and the Informed Citizen initiative, administered by the Federation of State Humanities Councils. The initiative aims to deepen the publics knowledge and appreciation of the vital connections among democracy, the humanities, journalism, and an informed citizenry. For more information, call the New Mexico Humanities Council at 505-633-7370. If anything is certain, Shelley Unser was a giving woman particularly to those who needed it most. The 59-year-old philanthropist and mother of four died on Wednesday from complications of COPD. My mother was an amazing woman, her oldest child, Al Unser III, told the Journal in a phone interview Friday. She was always one of the first ones to help and volunteer. Shelley Unser, whose former husband Al Unser Jr. is a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500, was a larger-than-life figure in the Albuquerque community whose stretched far beyond the Land of Enchantment with the Cody Unser First Step Foundation. Established in 1999 and named after Unsers daughter, Cody Unser who was left paralyzed by the autoimmune condition Transverse Myelitis the foundation raises research funds, public awareness and quality of life for those afflicted with all forms of spinal cord-related paralysis. An avid scuba diver, Shelley Unser established Codys Great Scuba Adventure, which uses scuba diving as a therapeutic tool for those suffering from different forms of paralysis. Al Unser III fondly remember being buddyd up with his mother during diving excursions in the Bahamas and Cayman Islands. My mom would always hum when she was diving, he said. You would think there was a whale coming, the way sound travels under water. Its one of those memories that makes me laugh a little bit. Born and raised in Phoenix, Shelley Unser moved to New Mexico in the 1980s and raised all her children here. Unser III said the outpouring of support from the community is very appreciated and asked, in lieu of flowers, that donations be made to Cody Unser First Step foundation to further assist Unsers vision of helping people. Its been a very large shock for us, he said, adding his mother died suddenly from lung failure. My mom was a smoker and was working on quitting but it just didnt happen soon enough. In July, D.C. officials say about 300 people overdosed on the drug in a two-week span. City officials in New Haven said the 37-year-old alleged dealer, who was on parole, was suspected of handing out free samples of a drug which contained powerful synthetic cannabinoids. There were so many overdoses - people passed out, vomiting, convulsing - that emergency workers could hardly sprint fast enough to keep up. The agency forecast that the final... Late Wednesday night, the scene at the New Haven Green began to "quiet down" as people emptied out of the park, Hartman, the officer, said. Sandy Bogucki, EMS medical director in New Haven, said they heard from people on the green Wednesday morning that whatever was consumed "potentially" contained PCP and that some of the reactions of the patients in the emergency department suggest an opioid was involved. At one point Wednesday shouts interrupted a news conference with the fire chief to alert authorities to another overdose. K2 caused multiple overdoses in New Haven in February when five people overdosed on the drug within two hours, resulting in one death. An official said there were 114 calls for people needing to go to a hospital this week. Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy tweeted that the emergency in New Haven was "deeply troubling and illustrative of the very real and serious threat that illicit street drugs pose to health of individuals". No one has died from the overdoses in CT, but in April two people died in Chicago from a bad batch of K2 that caused severe bleeding in 54 other people. Three arrests have been made in the case, Hartman said, but officials can not say for certain if all three arrested or just one of them are directly responsible for the overdoses. Three of the people who overdosed died after taking cocaine that had been laced with fentanyl, over a dozen others were hospitalized. They say no deaths have been reported so far, but at least six victims were near death. The DEA and the State's Attorney's office are assisting in the investigation. I'm also grateful to the state Department of Public Health for its quick response to our request for additional doses of Narcan, the antidote administered to several of those afflicted. New Haven is in southern CT, about 80 miles from NY. Carol Cruz, a drug counselor at the South Central Rehabilitation Center, went to the green to see if she could help get some of the drug users into inpatient recovery - but she noted that it is hard to help K2 abusers because the drug is usually laced with other substances that may not be known. Vintage Albuquerque celebrating 27 years of grants to nonprofits supporting youth arts education handed out checks providing $100,000 in grants for such programs on Tuesday. This years recipients are: Opera Southwest National Hispanic Cultural Center New Mexico Jazz Workshop Working Classroom The group to date has donated more than $3 million to area nonprofit organizations. Vintage Albuquerques primary fundraiser is its annual wine and food festival held in June. The festival encompasses a variety of wine tastings, dinners, a brunch and an auction over five days. The group began in 1991 as a means to help the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra fund its music in the schools program, according to its website. Then, eight years ago, it became an independent 501C3 chartered to raise money to support arts education for New Mexico youngsters. Vintage Albuquerque also has raised money for the Albuquerque Museum Foundation, Albuquerque Youth Symphony, Arts in the School, APS Fine Arts Program, New Mexico Jazz Workshop, New Mexico Philharmonic, Popejoy Hall, NDI-New Mexico and others. Applications for the 2019 event will be released soon. More information is available at to www.vintagealbuquerque.org. We welcome suggestions for the daily Bright Spot. Send to newsroom@abqjournal.com. When San Benito, Texas, school leaders learned of an influx of children to a migrant shelter in their small town near the U.S.-Mexico border, they felt obliged to help. The superintendent reached out and agreed to send 19 bilingual teachers, mobile classrooms and hundreds of computers to make the learning environment resemble one of his schools. While a government contractor bears responsibility for educating children at the highly guarded center, local officials say they stepped up partly because of a law that calls on school systems to educate any child, anywhere within their district. This is not a political issue. This is not a racial issue. This is a moral obligation, and actually our legal obligation, said Michael Vargas, who leads the board of the San Benito Consolidated Independent School District. San Benito is one of a small number of U.S. school systems that are preparing for the first day of school on both their public campuses and in new classrooms set up at nearby federal youth migrant shelters. In neighboring Brownsville, Texas, the superintendent is working on an agreement to deploy teachers and services to help educate 800 children housed in federal facilities in her district. The school systems pitched in amid an outcry over the separation of children from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border under the Trump administrations zero-tolerance policy for illegal immigration. Several hundred children remain separated from their parents, but most of the thousands of young people held in federal shelters across the U.S. are unaccompanied minors who arrived in the country without their families. The Associated Press inquired with public school districts in 61 cities nationwide where shelters are known to exist within their boundaries. Among the 50 that responded, most said they had no contact with the shelter or federal program authorities. Some outside the border states, including Camden, New Jersey, said they only recently discovered the existence of migrant shelters in their community. Many noted they would educate all children regardless of immigration status, as required by law, if their families or legal guardians sought enrollment on their campuses. Until this becomes a real-time issue for us, we have no official position, said Superintendent Dennis Blauser of the Oracle, Arizona, school district. In Texas, some districts already had longstanding agreements to run classrooms with public school teachers at migrant shelters. By law, the federal contractors that operate the shelters are required to have a care provider give children six hours a day of structured learning time. Southwest Key, the largest contractor operating such facilities, has agreements with two school districts, including San Benito. It is also working to create partnerships with the Brownsville Independent School District and with a charter school network run separately by Southwest Keys parent organization. Salvador Cavazos, Southwest Keys vice president of educational services, said the nonprofit shelter operator has for years offered great basic services but is now welcoming more help from outside school systems as an enhancement as the number of children in its care grows. He said Southwest Key gets appreciative feedback from families after the average 30- to 45-day stay for each child, and most students leave with some level of academic gain. He said the children do a lot of good work studying through a project-based curriculum that is aligned with state standards. They do history projects. They do class presentations. They do read-alouds with the books and novels that theyre reading, said Cavazos, a former school teacher and administrator. The districts role is largely limited to their regular school year, though the shelters also provide supplemental curriculum during summer months. Rochelle Garza, a Brownsville, Texas-based attorney who advocates for the children in court noted the students can be detained for a semester or more with repeating instruction as other kids cycle in and out. Brownsville Superintendent Esperanza Zendejas said she felt a responsibility to honor the spirit of a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that affirmed all children in the United States are entitled to enroll in their local public school district for a free education. Zendejas said the district also has an obligation to work around the troubling circumstances of such a vulnerable population of children, just as the law enforces for homeless children. She said her school district is well-equipped and willing to handle the important task, and ready to provide teachers and special education, bilingual and support services. The question of who gets educated in our country is coming up, and my belief is everybody should receive an education if you are in this country, Zendejas said. But Thomas Saenz, president of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said the children should be released from custody and be allowed to learn at public school campuses instead of the schools creating an inadequate experience within the confines of the shelter. Its not a time for amateurs, and some school districts are frankly amateurs in dealing with short-term incarcerated youth after trauma from family separation, Saenz said. The San Benito school districts agreement with Southwest Key, signed in May, is modeled on a similar arrangement in Harlingen, Texas. It gives the district control of curriculum and instruction, while Southwest Key has responsibilities that typically would fall to a guardian, including getting the children ready for school. It also requires facility staff to assist in the classrooms and intervene in the event of a crisis. The district said it will recoup its costs for the teachers and the 570 Chromebooks and laptops on the federally contracted sites by counting those children as part of its official enrollment. The district expects that will bring in about $2.8 million in state funding. Still, there has been some blowback from critics over a school district that in recent years struggled financially. Vargas, of the San Benito district board, said he was confronted with unexpected hostility by some in the impoverished border town who fear the plan will siphon resources from their own schools. I would hear it from other people going to church: Why are we going to help insert derogatory term kids?' he said. The Texas Education Agency has said local school districts intervening would be doing so voluntarily because the legal obligation to provide educational services to children in federal detention lies with the federal government. Cavazos said Southwest Keys ultimate goal is to help the children transition into a regular classroom environment so they can continue their education. I would hope that they are able to thrive in the communities that they end up (in), even if it is their home country, he said. ___ Follow AP Education Reporter Sally Ho on Twitter: https://twitter.com/_SallyHo. Follow APs immigration coverage: https://bit.ly/2MxTFvU CarToq, Indias fastest growing automobile platform with a reach of over 22 million unique audiences every month, today announced the appointment of Mudit Seth as its Chief Marketing Officer and Partner. Mudit Seth will oversee CarToqs domestic and global expansion along with leading the platforms marketing activities to drive customer traffic across CarToqs media properties. In addition to strengthening CarToqs brand positioning, Mudit will head alliances and tie-ups with auto brands across the country to roll out path breaking marketing initiatives on CarToqs media properties. Mudit Seth joins CarToq with over 12 years of digital marketing, ad:tech and entrepreneurial experience. Prior to CarToq, Mudit co-founded SilverPush, an innovative data driven marketing and measurement company, in 2012 and spearheaded it to become a multi-million dollar company before exiting the venture in 2016. At SilverPush, he led the companys marketing function and was the driving force behind its international expansion and operations in the USA and Philippines. Nitin Srivastava, CEO, CarToq commenting on the appointment said, We are pleased to have Mudit on board as a partner in the senior management team. CarToq is on a hyper growth path in the automobile media space. Over the last 18 months we have become the largest engagement platform for car and bike owners and enthusiasts and aim to reach an audience base of over 30mn before the end of 2018. With such aggressive growth plans, we needed experienced top management muscle to drive our expansion plans aggressively. Mudits varied industry experience in business development, strategy, core marketing and strong expertise in driving growth are great value additions to CarToq and our team. Since his exit from SilverPush in 2016 till date, Mudit has consulted a number of ad:tech ventures on business development and strategy. Prior to CarToq, he was associated with Tyroo as the head of global business and strategy for over a year. During his project engagement with Tyroo, Mudit actively worked on developing new products and its international expansion in the US and SEA along with establishing a new positioning for Tyroo as a product and tech focused company. On his new role as the Partner and CMO at CarToq Mudit said CarToq is the fastest growing automobile content platform in India today with an aggressive growth rate of 20% every quarter. We are witnessing an increased interest from automobile manufacturers, dealerships and brands, who see us as an effective Top-of-the-Funnel media solution to tap into the growing audience base of existing and potential auto buyers. I am delighted to be a part of CarToqs growth trajectory and to be able to contribute to its vision. We have already launched operations in Indonesia and plan to expand to three new countries by the end of 2019. We have been to crack growth and monetization with right balance and plan to productise our content pillars as ready content play book." CarToq recently launched its Hindi platform for auto enthusiasts and buyers in tier II and III cities in the country. Easily accessible on smartphones, tablets and desktop devices, CarToqs Hindi platform has grown by 100% month on month, crossing over a 3 million visits in July (source- Google Analytics) making it the fastest-growing platform in this vernacular category. CarToqs Hindi platforms digital audience currently comprises 78% male and 22% female from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Interestingly, nearly 75% of this vernacular speaking audience is in the age bracket of 2534 years, followed by 10% aged between 35- 45 years. Given the increased interest from tier II and III cities in India, CarToq plans to launch more vernacular content platforms later this year. Its triple the trouble and thrice the thrill this season, your favorite Special Weapons and Tactics team S.W.A.T. are back with the third installment of the blockbuster series. Titled, S.W.A.T.: Under Siege, the slick action-crime feature promises to uphold its legacy and keeps you hooked straight from the start. Bringing this high-voltage action thriller to your television screens, &flix, the all-new destination for the most-awaited Hollywood hits, is set to premiere S.W.A.T.: Under Siege this Sunday, August 26th at 1PM & 9PM. Directed by Tony Giglio, the film stars an ensemble cast featuring Sam Jaeger, Adrianne Palicki, Michael Jai White and Kyra Zagorsky as the lead crew members of the S.W.A.T. team. The film opens with 4th of July on the calendar and the supremely skilled S.W.A.T. team on the move as they are summoned to thwart the plans of a master criminal. In a raid gone horribly wrong, SWAT agent Travis Hall (Sam Jaeger) and his highly trained crew hold a mysterious man captive who turns out to be a high-profile person of interest code named Scorpion (Michael Jai White). Soon after, all hell breaks loose as their classic grey SWAT compound comes under siege by the most maniacal drug lord Lars Cohagen (Matthew Marsden) and his army of assault teams in an attempt to capture the prisoner. It is now up to the able hands of Travis and his team to protect Scorpion and find their way out alive. Not just that, the pressing problem of a mole in the SWAT team needs their immediate attention. With an action-loaded shootout and a nail-biting suspense, will the SWAT agents come out victorious yet again? Block your Sunday as &flix showcases its latest Flix First Feature S.W.A.T.: Under Siege! Tune in to &flix to catch the premiere of S.W.A.T.: Under Siege on Sunday, August 26th at 1 PM & 9 PM Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier? Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News N Augusta Breaking News Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. Success! Please click the 'Allow' button in the 'Show Notifcations' alert in your browser if one is available. Thank you for signing up! Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page. Officials say 38 people are confirmed killed and 15 injured. The French nationals, all in their 20s, had travelled to Italy for a music festival, and other victims included a family setting off on holiday and a couple returning from their California honeymoon. So, how will Italy ensure the safety of its bridges and roads? Global reinsurer Swiss Re has today announced its link to the Italian company, Autostrade per I'Italia, which manages the stretch of motorway in Genoa on which a 50-year-old highway bridge collapsed earlier this week, causing nearly 40 fatalities. The collapse has prompted fears over other ageing infrastructure in Italy and overseas, with Bulgaria announcing Thursday a plan to renovate more than 200 bridges while France has said one in three of national road bridges are in need of fix. "It came down. everything, the world, came down", said 33-year-old Davide Capello, who may be the only person to have fallen from the bridge and walk away unharmed. His vehicle plunged nose first, then suddenly stopped with a crash, air bags releasing around him. Shares in the parent company of Autostrade per l'Italia, which runs the highway plunged more than 30 per cent in the days after the collapse, but were recovering slightly on Friday as investors said government threats to revoke its concessions might be political rhetoric rather than a likely outcome. Capello used the touch-screen phone in the auto to call colleagues at the Savona dispatch center, who sent help. Excavators have begun clearing large sections of the collapsed highway bridge in the Italian city of Genoa in the search for people still missing three days after the deadly accident. Firefighters, who are using sniffer dogs as well as heavy machinery, have not yet reached all the cars. "The auto protected me". Since neither the car's windows nor its doors would budge, he unclipped his seat belt and climbed out through a hole in the rear of the auto that was blasted open by the crash. A survivor who escaped without serious injury, despite his vehicle plummeting through the air, said there was an "unreal silence" after it happened. Then rescue workers arrived and helped him climb down from the rubble. "I don't know if anyone else managed to", he said. More than 600 people had to leave their apartments below the remaining spans of the bridge for fear of further collapse. For many, the truck at the brink became a symbol of destiny and survival. Stefano Della Torre, head of the Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering at Milan's Politecnico university, told Reuters the study flagged an "anomaly" in some of the stays that held up the bridge. The homes will be demolished as officials have deemed it would be too risky to leave them there. Officials are also urging the quick removal of tons of debris from the dry river bed the bridge had spanned so that the rubble doesn't create a makeshift dam if heavy rains fall in the flood-prone city on the Mediterranean. A fire destroyed a building at Booker T. Washington Magnet High School in Montgomery early Saturday morning. School officials say the building is a "total loss." Classes for the school's 411 students are canceled for the following week and will resume August 27 at the Hayneville Road School. The fire began in the East Wing, which housed the cafeteria and counselor's office, theater department and photo lab. "There's been discussion for a long time about that campus, about what needs to happen, but we hope this move to Hayneville Road will be temporary and that as soon as possible we'll come up with a more permanent solution for the school. Tom Salter, communications director for Montgomery schools said. Salter said faculty and staff will reporter to BTW on Monday morning to help make the transition to Hayneville Road School. Parents can look to Booker T. Washington's website for information on the new school schedule. The Montgomery Advertiser reported the fire was under control by dawn and burned for two more hours. There were no injuries injuries. "It's going to be tough, but we hope that everyone will be patient while we make this transition," Salter said. Parents, students and alumni across the state are devastated. So sad that my high school burned down . The west wing of BTW is completely destroyed https://t.co/oiOwiVWNrV Fire destroys Booker T. Washington High School building via @mgmadvertiser (@NoOrdinary10ve) August 18, 2018 Just got a call that my sons high school, the historic Booker T. Washington Magnet HS in downtown Montgomery, burned down last night. Were all in shock. Hell start back in another week at a closed school on the edge of town. This is awful for him. https://t.co/T3mdDGDDJg Alan Cross (@AlanLCross) August 18, 2018 I just spoke with the Booker T. Washington senior class president Laci Lavoy, she came to see what is left of her school this morning after a devastating fire. @ALNewsNetwork pic.twitter.com/cWRu65T1pS Andrew James (@AndrewJamesNews) August 18, 2018 "Three, four years of memories in there," BTW senior class president Laci Lavoy said through tears. "Careers are built in there. This school is way more than people make it out to be and. And now it's just gone." Booker T. Washington High School began in 1865 as a primary school for African- American students. In 1956 it became a public inner city magnet high school serving the Montgomery area. Officials were able to get into the cafeteria adjacent to the building that burned. The equipment was undamaged, which Montgomery Public Schools credit to the fire department's fast actions. Montgomery County chairman Elton Dean released a statement Saturday afternoon. "The Montgomery County Commission is heartbroken about the fire at BTW. We are grateful school was not in session and no students, faculty or first responders were injured in the blaze. I spoke to Dr. Roller this morning and expressed to him my fellow Commissioners and I stand ready to help however we are needed. We are praying for BTW and the entire Montgomery Public Schools community." Rachel Laurie Riddle says she learned from her father, a small-town lawyer, that it's better to tell people what they need to hear than what they want to hear. Riddle, 36, says she has leaned on that down-home wisdom during her state government career and in her new job, chief examiner for the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts. Her father was S.J. Laurie, who practiced law in Chatom, the county seat of Washington County, and died in 2009. "He used to say pretty much what I say now," Riddle said. "You might not like me, but you're not going to be able to say that I wasn't fair. And I'm going to be able to sleep at night. That's what he used to tell me and my sister when we didn't like the decisions he made about us. And I just kind of live by that." On June 1, Riddle replaced Ron Jones, who retired after 37 years as chief examiner. Jones had worked at the agency since 1970. At Riddle's office in the Gordon Persons Building in Montgomery, she oversees a team of professionals tasked with auditing 1,000 or so government entities, ranging from sprawling state agencies, universities and school systems down to small boards and commissions. Before moving to the Department of Examiners, Riddle spent years as an analyst and fiscal officer for the Legislature, researching and writing the reports, memos and other documents that are essential to moving the bills to fund and operate state government. Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, a Senate budget committee chairman for eight years, said Riddle was a "very, very dedicated state employee" who put in long hours to provide legislators the information they needed to allocate state dollars. Orr recalled several years ago when the outlook was especially grim for the always strapped General Fund because a $437 million transfer from the Alabama Trust Fund that voters approved had been used up. "She worked all summer long of 2014 and we prepared all sorts of scenarios or ideas to be ready for the 2015 session, either cuts or raising revenue or whatever our options were, to be prepared for that," Orr said. "And the amount of work that she put into that effort was just tremendous." Riddle, who holds a degree in finance, a master's in economics from the University of Alabama and a law degree from Jones School of Law, still works for the Legislature because the Department of Examiners is part of the legislative branch. She was recommended by the Legislative Committee on Public Accounts and confirmed by the Senate for a five-year term. Riddle said Jones, her predecessor, recruited her to the Department of Examiners, partly because he recognized that she had gained the confidence of lawmakers. Jones said he was impressed by some legal research that Riddle did for his department. "She was very energetic and she seemed exceptionally smart," Jones said. Jones said Riddle takes over a department with challenges, including the need for more staff and a software upgrade. Riddle said the agency had about 250 employees in 2008 but has fewer than 150 today. Part of that decline came after the recession of 2007 to 2009 gutted state finances and forced layoffs. Riddle said she intends to rebuild the staff but said it will be gradual. In the meantime, she's initiated a program she believes will improve efficiency. Starting in September, the department will hold training sessions for boards and commissions that are subject to auditing. The goal is to teach the agencies the correct procedures, checks and balances on the front end. Riddle said the most time-consuming work in auditing comes when problems are found. "I want to give them a chance to do it right because you don't know how many times we hear, 'I just didn't know to do that,'" Riddle said. "Well, if I educate you on the front end, you're going to know. Now if you still do it, that's a problem." Riddle said most of the discrepancies auditors find are unintentional. Some are not. The department follows up on tips from the general public. For example, it was a tip to examiners that led to the prosecution of a former Franklin County administrator who stole about $750,000 in public funds. "We worked hand-in-hand with the attorney general's office on that issue," Riddle said. "And we always have stuff going on, but I can't talk about it until it's all settled." Riddle said she's met with state and local prosecutors, the Ethics Commission, the state Personnel Department and the Finance Department to strengthen collaboration and communication. "I thought it was important to know what the right hand and the left hand were doing," Riddle said. "This is a legislative agency so there's obviously a separation of powers issue here. But at the end of the day, we are the department that does this for the whole state of Alabama. I'm kind of big picture government and mission. And when I look at that, I think all those players and entities should be able to collaborate and do what's best for the state." State law calls for annual audits for some agencies and audits every two years for others, Riddle said. She said the department is behind schedule on some. Federally required audits to sustain federal funding get first priority, she said. The departments posts audits every Friday morning on the department's website, which got a recent upgrade. Riddle said more audits from previous years are now available on the site. The department mails the audit reports to the agencies that were audited a few days before they are posted. Riddle said no one has applied any political pressure concerning an audit so far, although she was questioned about the timing of the release of one audit. "I know probably in my next five years I'm going to have some sort of pressure whether it's from locals or whoever, as far as audits and findings and things like that," Riddle said. "And I've just got to be fair. I'm not going to get myself in trouble in this department. And that's going to be my main focus." Although Riddle said the agency needs more employees, she said the team is stocked with quality and experience. "There are a lot of great people that work here and they get the mission of the department," Riddle said. "I really, really appreciate that. They're constantly in the mix of having to run here, there, meet with these people. There's just not a standard job that they're all doing. And we asked a lot of them, especially now, because you have to take on more." Riddle is the first woman to serve as Alabama's chief examiner. Riddle said what matters most to her is that the Legislature trusted her with the job. "You don't have to love me," Riddle said "You don't have to like me. But I want you to think I'm fair. And that's kind of how I hinge. It means a lot to me that they felt that it was important to put me over here, woman, man, whatever. It meant more to me that they thought I had that much integrity to do that." A suspect accused in a shooting Friday was captured early Saturday morning. According to Calhoun County Sheriff's Facebook page he was detained at 1:20 a.m. The man, Frank Keith Boozer, is a suspect in a shooting that happened in the Pleasant Valley area on Friday night, the sheriff's office said in a Facebook post. Boozer could be driving a black 2005 GMC crew cab pickup truck with Alabama tag number 11AY117. The vehicle may have signs for Curvin Roofing on the sides, according to the sheriff's office. Boozer is considered armed and dangerous. Do not approach him if you see him. Call the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office at 256-236-6600 or dial 911. Updated to include Boozer's capture. U.S. Marshals and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office are searching for a man wanted on multiple charges stemming from a domestic violence incident that happened earlier Friday, officials said. The man, 37-year-old Michael Mullins is wanted on three counts of domestic violence, which include physical harassment, strangulation/suffocation and harassing communications, said U.S. Marshals Chief Deputy Cliff Labarge. Labarge said Marshals believed Mullins was in the woods near the 6800 block of Ashberry Drive in Pinson. As of Saturday afternoon, Mullins was still at-large. U.S. Marshals on the scene said the Alabama Department of Corrections is bringing a dog to aid in the search. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is also providing a helicopter to aid in the search. As of 10:50 p.m. Friday, Labarge said officials have suspended the search for the night unless more information develops. Mullins is a white male with hazel eyes and buzzed, dark-colored hair. He has tattoos on his arms and chest. He stands 6 feet tall and weighs about 170 pounds. He was last seen wearing a green T-shirt and jeans. Mullins is considered armed and dangerous. Do not approach him if you think you see him. Instead, contact the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office or call 911. Updated at 10:55 p.m. to add new information about the search. Ukraine's Lesia Tsurenko stunned defending champion Garbine Muguruza to claim victory in the second round of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. The seventh-seeded Spaniard was playing her first match since losing in the second round of her Wimbledon title defence six weeks ago. With just one match under her belt, Muguruza was undecided as to whether she was going to look for more match practice, possibly at New Haven next week, or just opt for training ahead of the final Slam of the year. A finalist in Montreal last week, US Open champion Stephens continued her good form with a 6-3 6-2 win over Tatjana Maria. Second seed Caroline Wozniacki, however, retired with a left knee injury after surrendering the first set 6-4 to Kiki Bertens. "I'm happy that I didn't feel pain", she said. Muguruza had won the first set and even though she lost the second, she took a 3-0 lead in the decider but Tsurenko stormed back into the match to go up 5-4 and thereafter, she sealed the match on just her first match point. Meanwhile, ninth seed Karolina Pliskova lost 2-6 6-3 7-5 to Aryna Sabalenka. Australian 16th seed Ashleigh Barty defeated Estonian Kaia Kanepi 7-5, 6-3. I'm happy that I didn't felt pain. The Wimbledon champion called for the doctor during the second set but put aside his discomfort to progress 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 over the Frenchman before rain halted afternoon play for almost three hours. "I'm sorry that she had to retire", Bertens said. Bulgaria's Grigor Dmitrov, who took the title past year after beating Kyrgios in the final, joined the Australian in the third round with a 7-6, 7-5 win over Germany's Mischa Zverev. Germany's Angelique Kerber, the reigning Wimbledon champion, is also through after she beat Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 4-6, 7-5, 6-4. In the men's draw, controversial Australian Kyrgios ousted Croatia's Borna Coric in a contest where he admitted to "tanking" - deliberately not trying - during the second set. Yemeni asylum seeker in South Korea talks fleeing the war as well as facing Islamophobia and discrimination. Jeju, South Korea More than 550 Yemeni nationals have arrived on South Koreas Jeju island since April 2018 seeking asylum and refugee status. Jeju island, unlike mainland South Korea, offered visa-free arrival for various nationalities, including Yemen, to boost tourism. But the arrival of the Yemenis, mostly from Malaysia to which they had fled to from war-torn Yemen, sparked online outcry and protests on the island, as well as the capital, Seoul. The asylum seekers were termed fake refugees because they were mostly male, were wearing proper clothes and had smartphones. More than 700,000 South Koreans filed an online petition urging the government to stop its visa-free policy for Yemen. Protesters demanded the government to refuse asylum and deport the Yemenis. In response, South Korea took Yemen off the list of countries that were offered visa-free entry onto Jeju and announced plans to tighten the countrys Refugee Act, a move seen by critics as supportive to the protesters demands. Al Jazeera spoke to Mohammad Salem, a Yemeni asylum seeker who is in Jeju with wife and his son, on his journey from Yemen, his three years in Malaysia and his feelings towards South Korea, Islamophobia and not being able to find work and leave Jeju: READ MORE: How Islamophobia is driving anti-refugee sentiment in Korea My country is at war. We are under attack. There are missiles falling on our heads. And we are termed fake refugees. If we are fake, tell me who is real and genuine. If these people know Yemen and the situation there, and still call us fake refugees, then Im at a loss to see the real definition of refugees. Theres not a single problem that doesnt exist in Yemen right now. These people also say the asylum seekers are mostly young males. Thats because anyone who got a chance to flee did so. We all have families back home. I got my wife to flee as soon as I got a chance. Others havent been able to because of the situation or money. I had a good life in Yemen. I was working at Sanaa airport and had my small business on the side. But the war left me in a bad shape. I thought I was going to lose my mind. I thought the Saudis would fix the problem, but they made it worse and worse. When I got married, I bought lots of gold and expensive gifts for my wife. And then I had to ask her to sell the gold to fund my trip out of Yemen. She obliged and all she was left with was a small necklace. I left Yemen in September 2015. I was based in Hodeidah from where I moved to Sanaa and arrived in Oman, all by road. I then flew into Malaysia, where I spent the next three years hoping that itd be a temporary stay and the situation in Yemen will improve so I could return. The Malaysian immigration officials told us we are allowed to enter and stay but not to get jobs. Although that didnt help us, we were thankful to Malaysia for at least allowing us to enter, unlike many, many other countries. I found a dish-washing job at a restaurant to cover my expenses. It was difficult. I worked for 16-17 hours a day and for the first two months, I had no day off. There was no time to rest. My health was deteriorating but I had to work to pay for myself and my wife who I managed to get to Malaysia after a few months. I was working, eating and sleeping in the restaurant. Salems father is still in Yemen and despite health issues, he refuses to leave his homeland [Faras Ghani/Al Jazeera] My wife got pregnant in Malaysia and we didnt have any medical cover, only a little gold left from the wedding. We sold that and the wedding ring to cover the maternity charges. It was very difficult for us. But at least our baby was here and were still alive. We respected Malaysia but we had to move on to survive. It was very difficult for us. Then, I heard about Jejus visa-free policy. So, I thought, Why not? As soon as I got an exit stamp at Kuala Lumpur airport, I felt like a bird set free after a long time in a cage. As the plane took off, I felt I was flying. When I got off the plane, I took a deep breath. It felt great to be on Jeju island. We applied for refugee status but when we got the cards a few days later, we realised we could not leave the island. Thats something we didnt know before. Jeju was like a dream. But there werent enough jobs, only in restaurants, fishing farms and out in the sea. And the employers didnt give jobs to those with families. Those who got jobs found it difficult too working for 18-20 hours a day, getting physically assaulted by the employers and not being able to speak the language. Life was difficult at home and life was difficult here, too. Some people worked for 45 days and left without being paid. Life was difficult at home and life was difficult here too Mohammed Salem I came to Jeju with $2,000 only because I thought Id be able to go to Seoul for work. That money started running out. I paid for a hotel and food. This was Ramadan and we only had one meal a day but I had no job. I didnt want my wife and son to sleep on the streets. I didnt want the Koreans thinking bad about us, about how we came to their beautiful island and sleep on the streets. Maybe the Koreans had experienced Arab visitors before, but only from the rich countries coming there for short holidays, not refugees from war-torn Yemen. They didnt know our background and what weve been through. Koreans helping out Just two days before my hotel booking ran out, I was lucky enough to get help from a local Korean family who gave us shelter in their house. I cant explain how relieved I was that my wife and son wouldnt go homeless. Now, weve been with that family for two months. They buy food and toys for the baby and take care of our needs, too. Im working at the refugee community centre helping out with translation. Life is slightly better for me, much better than a lot of other Yemenis on Jeju island. I hope Koreans impression of Yemenis and Muslims change soon. A Korean channel interviewed me and asked why we treat our women so badly. I asked her if shes ever been to an Arab country or met any Arab lady? She said, no. I told her a woman in our country is a mother, sister, daughter, wife. Basically, your second hand. She is a doctor and a teacher. And I assured her that if the war in Yemen ends today, she will not see me in Korea after five days. This first-person account was edited for clarity and brevity. Law imposes hefty fines, up to five years in prison for those who administer websites deemed to harm national interests. Egypt has rolled out a new law that allows authorities, through a judge, to order the blocking of websites that constitute a threat to the state, as well as jail or fine those who run them. The cybercrime legislation, signed by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Saturday, is one of a series of measures that critics have deplored as attacks against freedom of speech in the country. The penalties also target those who intentionally or in error without a valid reason visit the banned websites considered by the authorities as threatening to Egypts economic and national security interests, according to the official gazette. The law, the first to seek to regulate cyberspace, imposes jail terms of up to five years and fines ranging between 10,000 and 20 million Egyptian pounds ($560 and $1.1m). Rulings can be appealed. Internet service providers are also required to supply authorities with the personal information of suspected offenders. Egyptian legislators last month approved a separate bill that grants the states Supreme Council for Media Regulations the right to monitor social media users. Under that legislation, which Sisi has yet to approve, people whose social media accounts have more than 5,000 followers could be placed under supervision. The council would be authorised to suspend or block any personal account which publishes or broadcasts fake news or anything (information) inciting violating the law, violence or hatred. {articleGUID} Authorities have insisted that such measures are needed to help tackle instability and security threats in the country. But domestic and international rights activists regularly accuse the government of seeking to crush dissent by arresting activists and bloggers, as well as blocking news sites. Egypt is currently placed 161st out of 180 countries in the press freedom rankings of global media rights organisation Reporters Without Borders. Egyptian activists say they are facing one of the worst crackdowns in the countrys history under Sisi and accuse the president of erasing freedoms won in the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that ended President Hosni Mubaraks 30-year rule. More than 500 websites have already been blocked in Egypt prior to the new law, according to the Cairo-based Association of Freedom of Thought and Expression. State Department says major contributions from other countries led to the decision which was criticised by Democrats. The US Department of State has announced it will cut funding worth more than $200m for projects promoting stabilisation in Syria. Major contributions from other countries led to the decision to shift the money to support other key foreign policy priorities, according to the state department. As a result of key partner contributions by coalition members, Secretary Pompeo has authorized the Department of State to redirect approximately $230 million in stabilization funds for Syria which have been under review, spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement on Friday. The bulk of the amount was pledged earlier this year under Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. However, the funds were put under review after his sacking in March this year, and from there it would have been returned to the Treasury Department on September 30 if it remained unspent. {articleGUID} Around $6.6m from the pledged amount was released in June to continue funding for the White Helmets, a voluntary civil defence organisation rescuing people after air strikes. According to Nauert, two major contributions to make up for loss of US funds came from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, who pledged $100m and $50m respectively over the last couple of months. This decision does not affect US humanitarian assistance. The United States is the largest single country humanitarian donor for the Syria response, providing nearly $8.1 billion in humanitarian assistance since the start of the crisis for those displaced inside Syria and the region, the statement said. It will also not affect the training of local forces by US troops, as the funding for that mostly comes from the Department of Defense. Despite these guarantees, the decision was criticised by Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who called the move shortsighted. Lack of US leadership=Undercutting US interests in Syria and around the world. Once again, Donald Trump is helping Vladimir Putin achieve his dream by propping up the Assad regime, the group of Democrats said on Twitter. This is astonishingly shortsighted. Lack of US leadership=Undercutting US interests in Syria and around the world. Once again, Donald Trump is helping Vladimir Putin achieve his dream by propping up the Assad regime. https://t.co/c9mOljgxGz House Foreign Affairs Committee (@HouseForeign) August 17, 2018 According to the State Department, the decision does not represent any lessening of U.S. commitment to our strategic goals in Syria. The President has made clear that we are prepared to remain in Syria until the enduring defeat of ISIS, and we remain focused on ensuring the withdrawal of Iranian forces and their proxies, the statement added. The US also said it remains committed to a political solution to the Syrian civil war, preferably a UN-led political process. Analysts say 1953 US-led coup against Irans first elected leader altered path to democracy and damaged diplomatic ties. Tehran, Iran On August 19, 1953, an American-led military coup toppled Irans first democratically elected government, led by Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh, a move described in a declassified CIA document as an act of US foreign policy. For the past 65 years, this event has continued to haunt ties between Tehran and Washington and in recent months has taken on a new significance amid a renewed diplomatic standoff between the two following US President Donald Trumps decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal and reimpose sanctions. The move angered Tehran and prompted a range of reactions from President Hassan Rouhani saying Iran will not negotiate while sanctions are in place, to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declaring that all negotiations are off the table while Trump is president. If former Prime Minister Mossadegh had been in charge today, he would have engaged in direct talks with Trump, a former Iranian diplomat and current spokesman of the late leaders political party, the National Front, told Al Jazeera. For Dr Mossadegh, everything was towards the realisation of the countrys national interest, Davoud Hermidas-Bavand said, addressing Mossadegh as a doctor of law. If he was alive today, and he was responsible for any decision for the country, he would have adopted the same approach he took in 1953, within the context of existing international framework and international values, added the 85-year-old. Asked if Mossadegh would have negotiated with a US leader like Trump, Bavand answered, Yes, adding that the negotiations would be within the framework of the UN Charter, which calls for peaceful means in resolving conflicts. In May 1953, just months before his overthrow, Mossadegh ordered a government takeover of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, now British Petroleum (BP). The prime minister had contended that an oil exploration deal signed decades before favoured the British company instead of the Iranian people. But before going ahead with the takeover, Mossadegh had held months-long talks with the UK and the US to reach a compromise. The dispute went all the way to the International Court, which sided with Iran. Operation AJAX Mossadeghs decision to cancel the contract, which was set to expire in 1993, angered the British government. London sought help from Washington to carry out a plan to force the prime minister out of office, with the tacit approval of the Iranian monarch, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi. By mid-August of that year, political forces loyal to Mossadegh and the US-backed Shah were facing off in Tehran, leading to days of unrest that forced the Shah to flee to Rome by way of Baghdad. The US-led plot culminated on August 19 with Mossadeghs removal. According to a declassified US State Department document, a day before his overthrow, Mossadegh held a meeting with Loy W Henderson, the US ambassador to Iran, and made remarks hinting that the United States was conniving with the British to remove him as Prime Minister. On the day of the coup, Henderson, in a telegraph message to the CIA, requested that five million dollars be immediately available to support the newly hand-picked Iranian prime minister, General Fazlollah Zahedi, according to the same US document. Mossadegh (L) after being released from Ghasser Barracks in northern Tehran on August 4, 1956, after three years of imprisonment on charges of treason [File: AP] But as early as July 1953, it was revealed in a declassified top secret CIA document that Washington had already instructed CIAs John Waller to prepare an official American statement to follow a successful coup. The plot would later be revealed as Operation AJAX. Following his overthrow, Mossadegh was imprisoned for three years on charges of treason. He died in 1967 under house arrest upon the order of the Shah. Altering Irans destiny Bavand, who served at the United Nations, was a young student leader at Tehran University when the coup took place. {articleGUID} Speaking from inside his northern Tehran residence, full of memorabilia from his time as a diplomat, he described how student supporters of Mossadegh would write anti-Shah graffiti around the capital under the cover of darkness. There was no freedom to demonstrate, he said. But we were doing some kind of underground activities. On the day of Mossadeghs overthrow, Bavand said, news spread that the then-prime minister had been killed by the military plotters, sending a wave of anger and grief across the country. Upon the minds and hearts of the people, they believed that everything have been changed drastically, he said. Bavand said the prime minister would have negotiated with Trump had he been alive today [Ted Regencia/Al Jazeera] The news of Mossadeghs death proved false but the military coup cast a shadow on the countrys path to democracy, Bavand said. That was a very sad situation actually. The whole expectation for democratisation, all the things evaporated. We believe that if the coup detat would not have happened, the future of the Iranian socio-political destiny would be totally different, in a better way, he said. Mossadeghs fatal mistake Mohamad Marandi, a specialist on Iran-US relations at Tehran University, said that he sees some parallels between the events of 1953 and the current political impasse between Iran and the US. He said the US government is again making a grave mistake in trying to isolate Iran by reimposing economic sanctions, in place since August 7. A second round of sanctions targeting Irans energy production is expected in November. They will not succeed, Marandi told Al Jazeera. I have no doubt that the Iranians will persevere. The leadership in Iran is much more effective than in 1953, he said, while criticising Mossadegh for being naive about Americas political intentions and naive in trying to preserve the monarchy. History will in itself help Iranians to be more aware of whats going, and the parallels between today and 1953. Lessons from 1953 Marandi said Iranians can draw some lessons from the 1953 coup by resisting current US pressure on the government even though Trump has said he is willing to speak to Irans leadership without preconditions, his comments were instantly walked back by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who listed several steep demands for such a summit to take place. {articleGUID} Marandi pointed out that Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei had already closed the door completely on the possibility of talks with the Trump administration. When a person threatens you with Holocaust and destruction one day, then the next day says he will negotiate without preconditions, when you have a spiteful person who is so erratic, there isnt really anything to say, because you cant trust what he does, or what he promises. Meanwhile, Sina Toossi, research associate at the Washington, DC-based National Iranian-American Council, said that the main lesson the US can draw from the 1953 coup is that intervention in the internal affairs of other countries can lead to unpredictable consequences and severe blowback. The effect was to radicalize the Iranian population in an anti-American direction, create fertile ground for the rise of Ayatollah Khomeinis Islamic movement and the 1979 Revolution, he told Al Jazeera. Today, the US approach to Iran similarly lacks foresight, he said, pointing to the Trump administrations policy, which he said is hurting ordinary Iranians. The effect of such policies weakens Irans fragile civil society, empowers hardliners at the expense of pragmatic and moderate political leaders, and diminishes chances for peaceful democratic evolution in Iran, Toossi said. Trumps policy towards Iran is only weakening the countrys civil society, a US-based analyst said [Ted Regencia/Al Jazeera] For Bavand, Iran should strike an equilibrium between its revolutionary values and national values, when approaching possible talks with the Trump administration. He said national values should not be sacrificed for the so-called revolutionary values in achieving talks and a deal with the US. We ought to adopt a procedure, which would be able, in a proper manner, negotiate and solve our problems, he said. Negotiation should be on a mutual basis, without any threat or imposition of ultimatum, he said pointing to the US governments demands before resuming talks with the US. So long as we are not able to solve our problem, on mutual basis with the US, we are going to face with difficult problem one after another. More than 300,000 displaced since August 8 after record rains in southern Indian state cause flooding and landslides. Thousands of stranded people are waiting for rescue as relentless monsoon floods continue to batter the south Indian state of Kerala, where more than 200 people have died in a little over a week. More than 300,000 people have also been displaced since August 8, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) officials said on Friday evening, adding that 2,600 villages have been flooded. Thousands of homes have been destroyed and more than 10,000km of roads damaged across the state. The state is facing the worst floods in 100 years, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Twitter, adding that at least 324 lives have been lost so far since the monsoon season started in June. On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the states top officials, promising tens of millions of dollars in aid. The central government has dispatched military units to Kerala, but state officials are pleading for additional help. The situation in Chenagnnur is getting worse with every passing moment. Thousands are stranded for the fourth day without food, water and medicine. Unless urgent steps are taken to reach them, there could be huge casualties, Saji Cheriyan, member of legislative assembly representing Chenagnnur, told reporters. Please give us a helicopter. I am begging you. Please help me, people in my place will die. Please help us. There is no other solution, people have to be airlifted. We did what we can with fishing boats we procured using our political clout. But we cant do more. The armed forces need to come here, please help us, Cheiryan added in his distress message on tv. Authorities warned of more torrential rain and strong winds over the weekend, as hundreds of troops and local fishermen staged desperate rescue attempts in helicopters and boats across Kerala. Across the state of 33 million, people have made panicked appeals on social media, saying they cannot make contact with rescue services as power and communication lines are down. Ive been in Kochi since the flooding of Periyar river. Large parts of the city are under water. Ive tried to get back to my native Malabar but the bridges are submerged and the airport is closed. The situation has been this for the past four days. Buses and trains are cancelled, Labeeb Ibrahim told Al Jazeera. The other concern is the food supply. Supermarkets and shops are shut. Wherever they are open, they are running out of stock. People are panic buying. More than 30 military helicopters and 320 boats are attempting rescues across Kerala after some areas were engulfed by overflowing rivers, with residents seen swimming and wading through chest-high waters past partially submerged homes. The situation in Kerala is truly tragic and heartbreaking Prayers and thoughts with people of Kerala in these difficult times #KeralaFloods #StandWithKerala #SupportKerala #PrayForKerala pic.twitter.com/wnSqi7NOI6 taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) August 18, 2018 Helicopters have also been dropping emergency food and water supplies, while special trains carrying drinking water have been sent to Kerala. Authorities said thousands of people have been taken to safety so far but 6,000 more are still waiting for rescue. {articleGUID} We are deploying more boats, helicopters and the army to speed up rescue operations, PH Kurian, State Relief Commissioner and Convenor of KSDMA, told Al Jazeera. According to Indias weather bureau, since the beginning of June, more than 321cm of rain has fallen on the hilly central district of Idukki, which is now virtually cut off from the rest of the state. The Kerala government has said it faces an extremely grave crisis and Vijayan warned of further torrential rainfall hitting the region over the weekend. The gates of dozens of dams and reservoirs across the state have been opened as water levels reach dangerous levels, inundating many other villages. With additional reporting by Aslah Kayyalakkath in Kerala state Nicaraguas national tourism in decline amid political unrest Workers in Nicaraguas tourism industry are hoping to hang on until the next busy season, but if the country has not stabilised by then, migration may become their only option. The Russian and German leaders meet for bilateral talks outside of Berlin. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said a planned trans-Baltic natural gas pipeline linking Russia and Germany is exclusively an economic project, in his latest remarks over a controversial venture that has divided Europe and raised concerns in Washington. Speaking alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday, Putin said the Nord Stream 2 pipeline would not close the door to shipping gas through Ukraine. The comments came in advance of a meeting between the two leaders at a German government guest house outside the capital, Berlin. Merkel and Putin were expected to discuss topics including Nord Stream 2, as well as the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria in their second bilateral meeting in three months. In May, Merkel travelled to Sochi to meet her Russian counterpart. Nord Stream 2 was the subject of fierce criticism by US President Donald Trump at a July NATO summit, when he said the venture left Germanys government totally controlled by and captive to Russia. Merkel has backed the Nord Stream 2 (NS2) pipeline which, if completed, could double the amount of gas that is already flowing directly from Russia to Germany through the existing Nord Stream 1 pipeline. Speaking on Saturday, Merkel said: Ukraine must continue to play a role in the transit of gas to Europe once Nord Stream 2 is in place. Ukraines government has been a fierce opponent of the project. It is certainly a geopolitical project aimed to weaken Ukraine. To do everything to leave Ukraine without profits from the existing gas transport system. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said in July. Ukraine peacekeeping Speaking in advance of their meeting, the leaders touched on the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, where fighting between pro-Russian separatists and forces loyal to the Ukrainian government has killed more than 10,000 since 2014. Merkel said she and Putin would discuss the prospects of a UN peacekeeping mission in eastern Ukraine. We must acknowledge that we do not have a permanent ceasefire, the chancellor said. Putin also spoke about international reconstruction efforts and the humanitarian situation in Syria. Its important to help those areas that the refugees can return to, said Putin, whose decision for Russia to militarily intervene in Syrias conflict tilted the odds in favour of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. I think its in everyones interests, including Europes. Merkel has previously insisted Germany would not contribute to Syrias reconstruction until a political settlement ending the war has been reached. Austrian wedding Earlier on Saturday, Putin attended the wedding of Austrias Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl in the small town of Gamlitz. His invitation was criticised by Austrian opposition politicians due to tensions between Russia and the European Union over issues including Russias annexation of Ukraines Crimea peninsula. Michel Reimon, an Austrian Green member of the European Parliament (MEP) called on Kneissl to resign from her post. Vladimir Putin is the most aggressive foreign adversary of the EU. It is completely unacceptable for Kneissl to invite Putin privately to a party, he told Austrian newspaper Der Standard. Austrian Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache, the leader of Kneissls far-right Freedom Party (FPO), praised the foreign minister as a bridge builder. Putin spent around an hour at the wedding and gave the newlyweds a cold press oil machine and a landscape painting depicting where the groom hails from as a present, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Russian leader visits Germany for first time since Moscow annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin are due to meet for their first bilateral summit in Germany since Russia annexed neighbouring Ukraines Crimea region four years ago. The meeting on Saturday offers the leaders an opportunity to strengthen ties in the face of aggressive trade policies from US President Donald Trump, including US tariffs on European Union steel and aluminium and expanded US sanctions against Russia. Merkel and Putin last met in the southern Russian city of Sochi four months ago for talks that focused on the Ukraine crisis as construction began for an expansion of a natural gas pipeline directly from Russia to Germany. Ukraines leadership has staunchly criticised the pipeline project, Nord Stream 2, as undermining the EUs efforts for Russia to return Crimea and resolve a simmering pro-Russian rebellion in eastern Ukraine. The meeting, which will take place at the government guest house Schloss Meseberg outside Berlin, is expected to cover the Ukraine conflict, the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and the Syrian civil war, according to a German government spokesperson. Merkel warned on Friday against expecting too much from her discussions with Putin at the governments Meseberg palace, but said the two countries needed to remain in permanent dialogue on the long list of problems they face. Its a working meeting from which no specific results are expected, she told reporters. Putin arrives in Germany after a stop at an Austrian vineyard to attend Foreign Minister Karin Kneissls wedding. Travel agents in Qatar say a link for residents to register for the pilgrimage was blocked by Riyadh. Qatar has accused Saudi Arabia of barring its nationals from performing this years Hajj, a charge Saudi officials deny. Around 1,200 Qatari citizens are allowed to attend the pilgrimage under a quota system, but Qatari officials say it has become impossible to register for the annual religious event. Saudi Arabia, alongside the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt, severed relations with Qatar in June 2017, and has placed the Gulf state under a land, sea, and air blockade. Qatari nationals are also banned from entering the states, but Riyadh claims to have made an exception for the Hajj. In June, Saudi Arabias ministry for the Hajj announced the opening of a website, which allowed Qataris to register for the pilgrimage. However, those in Qatar say registration is impossible. Abdullah al-Kaabi of the state-run Qatar National Human Rights Committee said Saudi Arabia had shut down the system used by travel agencies to obtain permits. There is no chance this year for Qatari citizens and residents to travel for Hajj, he told the Reuters news agency. Registration of pilgrims from the State of Qatar remains closed, and residents of Qatar cannot be granted visas as there are no diplomatic missions. According to Reuters news agency, three travel agencies in Doha said they had stopped trying to sell Hajj packages. Last year we lost a lot of money as the crisis started after we had booked everything in Mecca and Medina and we had to pay people back, said a manager of one travel agency in Doha, declining to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter. Riyadh temporarily opened the land border for the Hajj last year, but has not done so this year. Saudi officials reject the accusations and accuse Qatar of trying to politicise the Hajj. Saudi main newspaper front page headline calls for regime change in #Qatar or else its citizens will be prohibited from the #Hajj. Saudi continues politicizing the Hajj and using the religious pilgrimage for political leverage. pic.twitter.com/3WFgHarjVK Mohammed Al-Jufairi (@Halawala) August 11, 2018 Last week, Saudi Arabias leading daily, Okaz, ran a front page calling on Qataris to choose between the House of God or the Hamads, a reference to the countrys former Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani. The Hajj is a religious pilgrimage for Muslims that must be carried out at least once in a lifetime by all who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey. The event takes place once a year and culminates in the festival of Eid al-Adha, one of the two major Islamic holidays. Four Myanmar military and police commanders and two army units sanctioned by US over widespread human rights abuses. The United States has imposed sanctions on four Myanmar military and police commanders and two army units, accusing them of ethnic cleansing against Rohingya and widespread human rights abuses. Burmese security forces have engaged in violent campaigns against ethnic minority communities across Burma, including ethnic cleansing, massacres, sexual assault, extrajudicial killings, and other serious human rights abuses, Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Sigal Mandelker said on Friday. Treasury is sanctioning units and leaders overseeing this horrific behaviour as part of a broader US government strategy to hold accountable those responsible for such wide-scale human suffering, Mandelker added. The sanctions were imposed on military commanders Aung Kyaw Zaw, Khin Maung Soe and Khin Hlaing and border police commander Thura San Lwin, in addition to the 33rd and 99th Light Infantry Divisions. The measures call for freezes of any US assets the individuals hold, a prohibition on Americans doing business with them, as well as travel bans. The sanctions by the Treasury Department marked the toughest US action so far in response to Myanmars crackdown on the Rohingya minority, in which thousands were killed and more than 700,000 people fled to neighbouring Bangladesh. But the sanctions did not target the highest levels of Myanmars military and also stopped short of calling the anti-Rohingya campaign crimes against humanity or genocide, which has been the subject of debate within the US government. The measures were announced as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo prepares to issue the findings of an intensive US investigation of alleged atrocities by Myanmar authorities against the Rohingya in Rakhine state. The release of the report, compiled from interviews at refugee camps in Bangladesh, is expected to coincide with the August 25 one-year anniversary of the bloody crackdown. The military in Myanmar, also known as Burma, has denied accusations of ethnic cleansing and says its actions were part of a fight against terrorism. Delayed response Critics have accused US President Donald Trump of being slow in his response to the Rohingya crisis. Human Rights Watch has called the sanctions an important but long overdue step. The avoidance of the top military leaders is striking, Myanmar researcher Rich Weir said, adding: The likelihood that they did not know what was happening is close to infinitesimal. The US had only sanctioned a single Myanmar commander and had scaled back already-limited bilateral military ties before Fridays announcement. Idlib is the Syrian governments next target, experts say, but other scenarios may unfold with regional players at hand. Just weeks after scoring a major military victory in the south, Syrias President Bashar al-Assad appears set to fully open a new, more complex, front in the countrys war now in its eighth year. The key northwestern Idlib province is the Syrian oppositions last major bastion in the country. It is currently home to nearly three million people, half of whom are internally displaced, and encloses what was once a major commercial highway linking Syria to Turkey and Jordan. Along with sharing a border with Turkey, Idlib is adjacent to Latakia province, a Syrian government stronghold that is home to the biggest military airbase of its major ally, Russia. Idlibs strategic importance is what makes a government-led assault imminent, experts say, and its capture would put the vast majority of the country under Assads control. {articleGUID} Still, several scenarios may unfold in Idlib, given the direct presence of Turkey which backs certain rebel groups in the area and operates as a guarantor power to ensure a de-escalation zone agreed upon with Assads allies Russia and Iran at a meeting in Kazakhstans capital, Astana. Observers believe that an assault against rebels will present Assad with unprecedented challenges for the first time since 2015, when Russias intervention in Syrias war tilted the odds in his favour. Here are the four most widely expected scenarios. Scenario A: Fully-fledged assault to result in bloodbath An all-out attack by Assads forces against rebels in Idlib is the most likely development, according to analysts. They say such an assault will be similar to recent government offensives targeting other rebel-held areas, most recently Deraa and Eastern Ghouta, despite their inclusion in the so-called de-escalation zones aimed at shoring up ceasefires. Amid the ferocious offensives, Russia brokered a string of surrender deals with the rebels, most of whom departed with their families for Idlib, dubbed a dumping ground for evacuees. In recent weeks, government forces have begun amassing near Jisr al-Shughour, a town on Idlibs western edge. Earlier this month, they launched artillery and rocket fire at areas adjacent to the provinces of Hama, local media reported. Conversely, key rebel factions in Idlib announced recently the formation of a new coalition, with some 70,000 fighters pledging to fight against Assads forces. The alliance, known as the National Liberation Front alliance, includes some 11 Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) groups. But it excludes Hayet Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al-Qaeda affiliate which currently controls about 60 percent of the province. In the past, Russia has cited HTS presence as the reason for attacking areas in Syrias Idlib. Such sporadic attacks have prompted thousands of civilians to flee deeper into rebel-held territory or to neighbouring Turkey. This could easily happen again in the face of a major offensive, Omar Kouch, a Turkey-based Syrian analyst, told Al Jazeera. The recent escalation and concerns over a ground push prompted the United Nations to warn this month of a potential civilian bloodbath, saying that an offensive could uproot some 700,000 Syrians far more than the number of those displaced in previous assaults. The situation could be particularly hard for those who refuse to stay in government-controlled areas. While the previous operations ended with negotiated transfers of fighters and their families to the north, an Idlib offensive will leave residents with an ultimatum; either to cross over to Turkey, if Ankara allows this, or to remain living under Assads direct influence once again. Any offensive in the northwestern areas, which are packed with displaced people, is likely to be very traumatic for civilians, said Aron Lund, a Syria expert and Century Foundation fellow. The fact that the rebels have no exit and that so many of them are hardline Islamists, who would likely fight to the end, will make it worse, he added. Shelling the densely populated province packed with civilian zones and displacement camps will most likely be catastrophic, experts warn. Itll turn into a massacre, said Kouch. Scenario B: Turkey preventing a large-scale attack Already hosting more than three million Syrian refugees, Turkey has sealed off its border with Syria since last year, allowing only for the flow of humanitarian goods. Meanwhile, its troops are now based in Idlibs border areas, as well as in Syrias Afrin and Al Bab following military operations against Kurdish fighters in Syrias north. Turkey has been trying to avoid an assault on Idlib, primarily by utilising pledges made via the Astana diplomatic track to maintain a lasting ceasefire and it may be successful in doing so. The Turks are trying to build influence, raise pressure, and offer enticements to ultimately defang and divide [Hayet] Tahrir al-Sham, so they can control the politics of Idlib, Lund explained. Just like they control Afrin and the Al Bab region, he said. Turkey says its primary reason for backing FSA fighters in Syria is to combat the presence of the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units or YPG in the northeast. Ankara perceives the YPG as part of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a decades-long bloody armed campaign against the Turkish state in southeastern parts of the country. Ankara also maintains its presence in Idlib in an effort to prevent ground attacks amid hopes to move tens of thousands of Syrian refugees it hosts back home. In May, just as it was trying to determine the provinces fate through diplomatic talks and disarmament aimed at preventing a government assault, Turkey set up 12 observation posts along Idlibs border areas. Turkeys presence in Syrias north means Russia must engage in some level of diplomacy, Lund explained, since an assault would not only be a military issue. The Russian-Turkish [de-escalation] agreements could block Syrian government offensives in the northwest But even if so, its no guarantee for calm and quiet, he said. Even if he lacks Russian support for a full-scale offensive, Assad could still seek to take areas around the edges of the territory, Lund added Such smaller attacks could be launched to regain specific concessions from rebel groups like prisoner exchanges or border crossings, including the Bab al-Hawa crossing on the Turkey-Syria border. Assad understands the limitations of his powers and is unlikely to launch a military offensive without a political understanding, brokered by Russia, involving Turkey and possibly the Kurds, Firas Maksad, director of the US-based Arabia Foundation, told Al Jazeera. Founded in 2015 and backed by the United States, the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) control territory east of the Euphrates River. They have managed to seize control of key northeastern parts of Syria, including areas that hold the bulk of the countrys oil and gas reserves. Scenario C: Rebel infighting intensifying Opposition fighters may form a united front in the face of a Russian-backed government offensive, but they may also turn against each other as it has happened before. Rebel factions could try things, there could be infighting, and the government may be able to attack certain areas even if a full re-conquest remains elusive, Lund said. While there might be a confrontation between HTS and the new coalition, Lund said HTS members could also fight among each other, since some are more willing to work with Turkey than others. This infighting may not be one big battle, but could take the form of skirmishing and military pressure, Lund said. A general view of the rebel-held Idlib city in Syria [File: Ammar Abdullah/Reuters] In recent weeks, a string of assassinations hit Idlib, in which HTS members were killed by their former affiliates. The attacks that came in the form of live artillery fire was the result of infighting, mainly between Ahrar al-Sham and Nour al-Din al-Zinki previously associated with HTS. FSA-affiliated groups were also targeted, according to a UK-based war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. HTS, Idlibs most dominant force, has previously been left out of ceasefire resolutions and de-escalation attempts, and in 2016 was designated a terrorist group by Russia. By splitting from al-Qaeda in July 2016, HTS sought to reinvent itself as a nationalist armed group movement, hoping to gain international recognition for its more moderate stance, according to Ahmed Abazeid, an Istanbul-based Syrian researcher. HTS managed to gain some economic power in Idlib, Abazeid told Al Jazeera. They may surprise everyone and turn on the National Liberation Front coalition, he said. Abazeid said HTS did not see the need to join a coalition with smaller allies, despite Ankaras attempts at fragmenting and integrating the group with the Turkey-aligned coalition. According to Lund, Turkeys objective would not be to wipe out HTS completely but to subvert and divide them, eliminate its most anti-Turkish elements and finally incorporate parts of the group into the FSA. The FSA, a loose entity of opposition rebel groups made up of Syrian army defectors and ordinary civilians, has been trying to bring down Assad and his government since the wake of the Syrian uprising in 2011. Now on the brink of total defeat, the FSA has become even more fragmented following the Ghouta and Deraa offensives with an increase in defections. Kouch believes the de-escalation agreement was a plan to push out FSA rebels from areas that were under their control. He argues their dismantlement was part of a larger Russian-American deal, which became apparent when Washington decided to halt its financial and logistical support for rebels in the south when the government launched its assault against rebels in Deraa in June. Scenario D: Opposition surrendering Finally, in the case of a rebel surrender via a Russian-brokered deal, as in previous cases, it is likely that the opposition groups will agree to the terms imposed on them, said Maksad, of the Arabia Foundation. Rebels who reject surrender deals will live exiled, either in Turkey or elsewhere, he said. Opposition groups, particularly the coalition, may be forced into surrendering due to pressure from Turkey, which is eager to avoid an assault, Abazeid predicts. And in the case of HTS, only two plausible options remain in case of a full-scale assault, he argued. They will either join the coalition, and thus Turkey, or their former Jihadist allies [al-Qaeda], added Abazeid, in part for failing to attain the international recognition needed for political leverage. Such surrenders, in whatever forms they may come, would make it increasingly difficult to implement a political solution to the long-running conflict, according to analysts. There wont be a negotiated political transition in Syria, Lund said. That was never realistic, and it seems less likely than ever now There could still be various types of political agreements, but theyre unlikely to infringe on Assads hold on power, he added. Political reform, if ever implemented, would bring about superficial constitutional changes in a reality dominated by Assad, experts Al Jazeera spoke to said. There is no political transition, but a reconstitution of Assad rule with tacit international acceptance, Maksad said. Nonetheless, the main political opposition bloc remains optimistic about a political solution. They insist Assads removal is a prerequisite to peace but admit that real power lies in the hands of Russia. Assad did not win the war Assad is a tool used by Russia and the Iranians, Yahya al-Aridi, spokesperson for the Syrian Negotiation Commission, told Al Jazeera. He believes previous Russian-brokered deals between the government and rebel groups, which caused the forced displacement of civilians along with their fighters and their families, acted as forms of submission owing to Russias military authority in Syria. Regardless of the scale of a potential government-led assault in Idlib, the residents are likely to pay the highest price. More than half of the provinces residents are internally displaced, living in informal camps and lacking access to basic healthcare services, food and drinking water, according to the UN. For several years, Idlibs native population has relied on the services of HTS, who imposed taxes on water, electricity and transport, Amar al-Daqaq, who hails from southern Damascus, told Al Jazeera from Idlib. The services are expensive and inadequate, al-Daqaq said. People are tired from the destruction and the shelling and the forced evacuations, he said. Theyre mostly afraid of another assault. Some are preparing underground safe houses, but others have just given in. Female activists in Nepal call for equality on citizenship bill The proposed bill would could women to have a Nepalese husband to pass on their citizenship to their children. Former UN secretary-general died at a hospital in the Swiss city of Bern after a short illness. Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the first black person to head the organisation, died in the Swiss city of Bern after a short illness. The Ghanaian career diplomat served as chief of the organisation between 1997 and 2006, having been elected to head the organisation twice. Annan joined the UN in 1962 after studying management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and worked his way up the UN hierarchy. He eventually rose to become the head of the UNs peacekeeping efforts before assuming the top organisations top job. World leaders, past and present, reacted to the news of his death after it was announced on Saturday. Antonio Guterres UN secretary-general Kofi Annan was a guiding force for good. I join the world in mourning his loss. In these turbulent and trying times, his legacy as a global champion for peace will remain a true inspiration for us all. Nana Akufo-Addo Ghana president The Government and people of Ghana, First Lady Rebecca and I are deeply saddened by the news of the death, in Berne, Switzerland, of one of our greatest compatriots, Mr Kofi Annan, the Ghanaian leader said, adding that flags at the countrys government offices and diplomatic missions would fly at half-staff for a week. The Government and people of Ghana, First Lady Rebecca and I are deeply saddened by the news of the death, in Berne, Switzerland, of one of our greatest compatriots, Mr. Kofi Annan. 1/7 Nana Akufo-Addo (@NAkufoAddo) August 18, 2018 Theresa May British prime minister Sad to hear of the death of Kofi Annan. A great leader and reformer of the UN, he made a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into. My thoughts and condolences are with his family. "Sad to hear of the death of Kofi Annan. A great leader and reformer of the UN, he made a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into. My thoughts and condolences are with his family." PM @Theresa_May UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) August 18, 2018 Vladimir Putin- Russian president I sincerely admired his wisdom and courage, his ability to make informed decisions even in the most complex, critical situations. His memory will live forever in the hearts of Russians. Angela Merkel German chancellor Kofi Annan never gave up working for the good in the world. [He] knew how to get people engaged, and became a role model, especially for young people all over the world. Muhammadu Buhari Nigerian president Annans humility, nobility and love for humanity set him apart for global greatness, achieving recognition and commendation for the reform of the United Nations bureaucracy and multiple interventions to bring peace to the world. Emmanuel Macron French president We will never forget his calm and resolute approach to matters, nor the strength of his commitments. Barack Obama former US president Kofi Annan was a diplomat and humanitarian who embodied the mission of the United Nations like few others. His integrity, persistence, optimism, and sense of our common humanity always informed his outreach to the community of nations. Jean-Claude Juncker European Commission chief Today, the world mourns a great leader and humanitarian but celebrates a life full of courage, empathy and remarkable public service. He devoted his life to making the world a more peaceful and united place. He fought to end suffering and injustices across the world and helped to rebuild bridges where they had been destroyed. Jens Stoltenberg NATO secretary-general The UN and the world have lost one of their giants. Margot Wallstrom Swedish foreign minister Tragic to learn about Kofi Annans death. He personified what is best about the UN, and also had to deal with some of its hardest challenges. A great listener, and someone who made everyone want to listen. Jacinda Ardern New Zealand prime minister The world has lost a great humanitarian, leader, and self proclaimed stubborn optimist. Rest in peace, Kofi Annan. Narendra Modi Indian prime minister We express our profound sorrow at the passing away of Nobel Laureate and former UNSG Mr Kofi Annan. The world has lost not only a great African diplomat and humanitarian but also a conscience keeper of international peace and security. We express our profound sorrow at the passing away of Nobel Laureate and former UNSG Mr. Kofi Annan. The world has lost not only a great African diplomat and humanitarian but also a conscience keeper of international peace and security. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 18, 2018 Jeremy Corbyn- British opposition leader Kofi Annan dedicated his life to building a more just and peaceful world. His efforts in support of conflict resolution and human rights will be remembered. He looked for a peaceful path when others looked for war. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones. Javad Zarif- Iranian Foreign Ministry Extremely saddened by passing of Kofi Annan, a toweing global leader and an unwavering champion for peace, justice and rule of law. Rest in peace my dear old friend. Soleimani is the product of the same historical events that have curbed popular sovereignty and democracy in the region. Americans should review the story in light of what has been happening here recently. Last week, Alex Jones was swept off pretty much every platform there is, including a holdout, Twitter , which caved to pressure from account-holders to silence him. This happened within a day. Now you see him; now you don't. French president Emmanuel Macron recently called for a ban of "fake news." What this would do, effectively, is suppress any news outlet that doesn't adhere to the state's version of the "news," and any non-conforming news from outside sources would be made inaccessible to the French people. In France, Islamic apologist outlets are not out of favor. However, it is extremely risky to criticize or report news unsympathetic to Islam. You might not be an Alex Jones fan. But whenever we silence someone deemed "nuts" by the mainstream or by a majority of people, we also risk shutting down other sources sources that are reliable but out of favor with the establishment. Voila: suddenly we have Macron's France. Now Robert Spencer's been taken down from his brand new Patreon account. Spencer had acquired a television studio and was planning on streaming information. He got as far as a short promotional message when he was informed by Patreon that his account had been closed. No explanation was given other than that Patreon's owner, MasterCard, didn't approve of him. This is chilling. Spencer is a major scholar in the area of Islam and history. He is the author of many books, widely acclaimed. Despite hate spewed at his reporting, his facts aren't disputed. His right to speak has been, however. We are in danger of taking this in stride. It's the modus operandi when someone steps outside the line to make him disappear rather than take him on in debate or discussion. Statists find it easier to silence arguments than answer them. What's good for the dictator is not so good for us. As has been said often by John Stuart Mill and others when you silence the speaker, you deprive not only the speaker, but more importantly, those who would hear him speak. When those who don't like the news or opinions they hear desire to shut them down rather than discuss them, we become like North Koreans. The less they know of the outside world, the better for Kim Jong-un. The less the French know, the better for Emmanuel Macron. The less we hear from Tommy Robinson, the better for Theresa May and her corrupt and evil government. The less we hear from Robert Spencer...or Alex Jones or Michael Savage or Pamela Geller or Lauren Southern or Ezra Levant or Mark Steyn...well, you get the point. We are already being denied information. If we have it, we may examine it, discuss it, debate it, reject it, accept it, ignore it, or act upon it. It may enlighten us or not as the case may be. We can dispute its authenticity, its source, its importance, or whatever we might wish to dispute but not if we are denied access to it. Chief among those who would censor our speech and the flow of information are those connected with Islam. Their design is to establish a caliphate. This means "take us over, defeat us, establish sharia." There are many reasons to oppose this, but if we aren't allowed to talk about them, we will be defeated, our culture lost, our freedom with it. We have, according to our Constitution, absolute freedom of speech. We are alone in the world with this right, embedded in our national heritage and our law, our First Amendment. We also have free enterprise. We respect or should respect the property rights of owners. Private ownership is the foundation of freedom. But today we have a crisis of conflicting principles. Privately owned internet platforms are collaborating with one another to deny specific political positions and commentary access or, more accurately, to deny the people access to information from others. This is dangerous. If you doubt this, ask anyone who saw Hitler's Germany up close. Had the German people had full access to unlimited information, they might well have determined a different course for their country. If North Koreans had a clue about what is going on in the world say, for instance, that the rest of us do not have to eat grass to stay alive, or that Kim is not God they might determine a better course for their people. What do we do about this? In the early 20th century, we had another crisis, of less import, but great enough for people to demand action. Monopolies were strangling commerce. Teddy Roosevelt became known as the "Trust-Buster" for his efforts to correct this problem. Antitrust laws were designed to protect competition in the marketplace. What we have now is a de facto conspiracy among private owners to deny the public access to news and opinion. YouTube, Facebook, et al. work in tandem to block any thoughts or ideas the left finds troubling. It is mind control. We need to begin immediately to seek a solution. The FCC, for example, is by law not allowed to prevent the broadcasting of opinion. (There are some limits to this freedom, but the FCC is necessarily sparing. One cannot broadcast child porn, for example, or presumably teach a class in do-it-yourself bomb-building.) FCC regulations seem to be silent regarding privately owned or quasi-privately owned outlets censoring or blocking our access to each other's information. This "unofficial censorship" is causing yet another damaging phenomenon. We are self-censoring. We are taking preventative measures to avoid being either criticized or censored ourselves. This de facto censorship is possibly even worse than the traditional kind. It is ironic that we now have the technology to know instantly what is going on, whether in New Mexico, London, Beijing, or Mumbai. We should not hobble ourselves now with censorship at the whim of a mogul who owns a platform. Maybe this is something a Ted Cruz or a Rand Paul could look at, someone who cares about and understands the Constitution and knows how to find the fundamental solutions. There is no reason to cheer when anyone is silenced. Every day we lose, we are impairing out ability to survive in a dangerous world. Sally Morris is a regular contributor to The Dakota Beacon. Return of the Blacklist: The Left Shuts Down Free Speech It was only a matter of time. Mimicking what leftists themselves might call McCarthyism, the left is demanding a blacklist of those who oppose its political ideology. Dani Rodrik, professor of international political economy at that bastion of leftism, Harvard University, has urged the academic world to stop offering jobs or honors to anyone who has served in the Trump administration. This ought not to come as a surprise. It reflects what author Mark Levin calls "the fascist, totalitarian mindset that is modern academia." Rodrik insists that universities "should uphold both free inquiry and the values of liberal democracy." Then, in a clear demonstration of leftist hypocrisy, he insults those values by demanding that Trump's supporters be placed on a blacklist. They should be prohibited, he says, from receiving "even a semblance of honor or recognition" from "the gatekeepers of higher learning." Rodrik, who advocates income redistribution and opposes the free market system, accuses Trump of running an "odious presidency." "We do not, after all, have a normal administration that can be served honorably[.] ... Those who serve with him are necessarily tainted by the experience." No exceptions. "Having served in this 'odious' administration," reports HotAir.com, "you should now be barred for life from any form of service in academia." Like its fellow travelers the New York Times and the Democratic Party, Harvard has lost its credibility. These organs of the left have one thing in common: they are against free speech. In spite of Rodrik's phony defense of "free inquiry," try to get hired at Harvard if you espouse conservative ideas. A respected poll has pegged liberal faculty at four-year colleges and universities at 87 percent. Another study identified Democrats to Republicans in journalism departments of 1,500 universities at 20-1, and a whopping 33.5-1 in history departments. Today's college campuses have become fueling stations for the left. How did this happen? According to Ben Shapiro, author of Bullies, college administrators decided in the 1960s that it was "easier to appease rampaging leftist students than to deal with them. They came to an agreement with the wildebeests: stop taking over the buildings and locking the doors, and we'll start teaching you about how America sucks." Gradually, that translated into liberalism becoming a prerequisite for getting hired. Many campuses require new faculty members to sign a diversity statement. "What diversity oaths seek," says Walter E. Williams, professor of economics at George Mason University, "is to maintain political conformity among the faculty indoctrinating our impressionable, intellectually immature young people. The last thing that diversity hustlers want," Williams concludes, "is diversity in ideas." Intellectual freedom on campus is flirting with extinction. When I attended college, students demanded more freedom of expression. Today's students, says Scott Greer in No Campus for White Men, demand less freedom and actually want to limit free expression. Political correctness on campus is giving rise to a new generation poised to throw free speech out the window. Activists believe that free speech is their exclusive province. Contrary opinions are oppressive and labeled hate speech. "Campus leftists," says Greer, "are able to suppress all dissenting speech for the supposed good of mankind." Academia has "invented a labyrinth of anti-free speech tools," says political commentator Kirsten Powers, that are "weapons to silence anyone who expresses a view that deviates from the left's worldview or ideology." George Orwell warned about this problem in Nineteen Eighty-Four. The U.S. experienced a taste of it in the 1950s as Joseph McCarthy tried to shut down communists in the upper echelons of American society. Now the left is getting revenge by attempting to silence the right. Because Harvard wields a great deal of influence, Rodrik's proposal will be taken seriously by other campuses around the country most of which are controlled by the left. What can be done to prevent an intercollegiate blacklist? David Horowitz, author of Big Agenda, urges a campaign that will force universities to add "intellectual and political diversity" into their mission statements. This might compel them to hire conservative professors for a long overdue change. The alternative is a disturbing view of the possible social and political discourse in America's future. If academia imposes a blacklist on conservatives, will the corporate world and government agencies be next? The kids marching today to shut down Trump-supporters or anyone else they don't like, says Scott Greer, could well be the senators, judges, and newspaper editors of tomorrow. "Give me four years to teach the children," said Lenin, "and the seed I have sown will never be uprooted." Ed Brodow is a political commentator, negotiation expert, and author of seven books including his latest, Tyranny of the Minority: How the Left Is Destroying America. Andrew Cuomo was never that great Andrew Cuomo spoke for millions of Americans when he said, "We're not going to make America great again. It was never that great. We have not reached greatness. We will reach greatness when every American is fully engaged." These millions of Americans whom Cuomo spoke for are just plain wrong, but let's not pretend they don't exist. The progressive skew that is de rigueur in our educational system has left these millions of Americans intellectually handicapped. Their view of America is paralyzed by an adolescent but appealing self-indulgence in cynicism. This indulgence was once expressed in a mid-1960s song lyric: "Another Pleasant Valley Sunday here in status symbol land, rows of houses that are all the same, and no one seems to care." Who lived in those suburban homes, spurring a disdain for Americans that the left has bitterly clung to with expanding hate for over 50 years? Mostly the 13 million American World War II veterans and participants who watched 407,000 of their compatriots die in a struggle for liberty and freedom for people who were not Americans and did not live on American soil. Cuomo can see no greatness in that. No courage in that. When the war was over, America withdrew from the occupied nations. Americans airlifted food to a prostrate Europe through the Marshall Plan. Meanwhile, socialist USSR continued to occupy and starve East Germany, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and parts of Austria and Finland. Cuomo's Democratic cohorts such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bernie Sanders, Cynthia Nixon, and an estimated 40% of Democratic Millennials firmly believe we should follow a trail blazed by those enslaving socialist usurpers, murderers, and thieves. Is that the greatness my dad should have expected while fearfully patrolling the Pacific at night, all of 18 years old? My father's best friend, John, lost an eye fighting the war in Italy. A bullet went right through it; he was mildly deformed thereafter. He did not take out his glass eye to amuse or horrify us. He lived to 91 with attendant headaches, yet he always greeted everyone he met with a broad Kentuckian "Hello, there!" My father had another friend named George. George was on the Indianapolis. George survived four days in shark-infested Pacific waters. His skin was peeling off his bones as they rescued him. Has Andrew Cuomo ever watched the man next to him die? Has he for one second been that engaged with America? Has he ever had to pick himself up after witnessing such an event to continue fighting and later reassemble the pieces of his shattered youth to build a home for his wife and children? Has it ever flashed through Cuomo's brain that he might, in a moment, die so other men can be free? I give belated thanks to John and George, and to my dad: because of you, I had exposure to some great American men in my life. It is either because of a peculiar and indifferent blind spot or through an outright lie of preening convenience that Andrew Cuomo has never met great Americans like you gentlemen. Child-catchers: A feature, not a bug, in socialist Norway Socialists, such as Bernie Sanders, these days heap a lot of praise on the heavily socialized Scandinavian states as their model for remaking the U.S. Anything to separate themselves from the horrors of socialist Venezuela, where hunger, torture, and ruin are the visibly obvious result. So now we move to Norway, where a little noticed awful effect of socialism has shown up, in a long investigative report from the BBC from earlier this month, headlined "Norway's Hidden Scandal." The UN rates Norway one of the best countries for a child to grow up in. And yet too many children, according to a large number of Norwegian experts, are taken into care without good reason. The conviction of a top psychiatrist in the child protection system for downloading child abuse images is now raising further serious questions. What it describes is an all-powerful state that, in the name of "protecting the children," can pretty much take away a parent's kids for anything. Social service workers, who are armed with the power of the state, can cobble together a case for child neglect based on a messy home, "no natural flow to the interaction" between a mother and daughter (cripes, they're Norwegians we expect to be standoffish, and more to the point, how subjective is that?), or buying post-Christmas clearance junk as a sign of inadequate care. It's about as Orwellian as it can get, in the logic of the Child Protective Service workers, who, as a socialist solution, maintain the socialist aim of forcing the kids to be raised by the state. Apparently, it happens a lot, and Norwegian families are pretty broken. It all goes in line with the disrespect for life you see in these socialist republics. We know that Sweden embarked on a socialist eugenics program, and Iceland eliminated its Down syndrome babies...by killing them. Nearby, in Belgium and the Netherlands, people get euthanized whether they want it or not. No wonder these people don't form families. Marriage is at a low rate in the Scandinavian countries, and, well, this kind of overbearing acts of state raises the possibility that this is one of the reasons why. It's well worth it to read the long BBC investigative report, because some of that awful stuff happens here as well, as Richard Wexler's National Coalition for Child Protection Reform carefully documents. The state is no place to raise kids. Unfortunately, under socialism, it happens a lot, because the state is what socialism is. Maybe that ought to be enough to throw out the "socialism is fine in Scandinavia" argument the Bernie Millennials have been claiming is such a fine part of their agenda. Image credit: MadameSillyFace via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. The National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) has always promoted abortion as a fundamental right of women sacrosanct and inviolable. But how much do these people really respect the women they purport to represent? What's the Scoop? is partnering with NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon by offering pints for sale including a new custom flavor made exclusively for NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon: Rocky Roe v. Wade Half of all sales will benefit NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon. Order your pints online between August 13-26. Pick up your pints between September 13-21 at What's the Scoop?, 3540 N Williams Ave. NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon staff and volunteers will be on hand on September 13th from 5:00-8:00 and we'd love to see you there. There is no more wrenching personal decision a woman can make than the decision to abort her baby. Even most pro-choice advocates recognize this. That so many women come to regret that decision speaks to why so many Americans believe that abortion should be illegal in almost all cases. But to NARAL, abortion is an ice cream flavor. National Right to Life News observes, "At least the ad doesn't have a little girl taking a bite out of [an] ice cream cone. I guess even NARAL draws the line somewhere." Tyler O'Neil at PJ Media wonders if this is really "defending" Roe v. Wade. Nowhere in the Constitution did the founders or the authors of the amendments create a right to abortion or same-sex marriage [sic]. The very idea of such "rights" would have been anathema to them. Indeed, Roe v. Wade rooted the right to abortion in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, and at the very same time the states were passing that amendment, they were tightening not loosening their laws against killing unborn babies. Kavanaugh is likely to be confirmed to the Supreme Court, and when he is, he will not be allowed to willy nilly overturn settled precedent. The Court only considers between 60 and 80 cases every year, and the abortion case in question would have to be just right for the Court to even consider altering the Roe decision. Furthermore, striking down previous Supreme Court decisions that involved judicial activism is not itself activism, but returning to the basic meaning of the Constitution. Finally, and this may be the most important point, overturning Roe v. Wade would not make abortion illegal it would allow the states to have their own separate laws on abortion. This would enable each state to pass its own protections on the lives of unborn infants, and it would enable local voters to hold their representatives accountable on a local level, which is much more representative of what the people actually want. This is what is really at stake with the Kavanaugh nomination: the virtual end of legislating from the bench. As Tyler points out, what NARAL fears is representative government. If control over abortion rights is returned to the states, NARAL will have to pressure 50 different legislatures to get what it wants. Not having the Supreme Court to short-circuit democracy will fundamentally alter the relationship between the governors and the governed. The cavalier attitude toward aborting a child by NARAL is not surprising. These people see killing a fetus as a "medical procedure" and not the life-altering, searing decision real women in real America sometimes make. How anyone can eat "Rocky Roe v. Wade" without vomiting is beyond me. More than 300 newspapers recently published a joint editorial criticizing Donald Trump for threatening the freedom of the press. But, to date, there haven't been more than a handful of editorials written criticizing socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for banning the media from a town hall event last weekend. ABCNews: Replying to a reporter who questioned why the event was closed, she tweeted, "Our community is 50% immigrant. Folks are victims of DV, trafficking, + have personal medical issues. This town hall was designed for residents to feel safe discussing sensitive issues in a threatening political time. We indicated previously that it would be closed to press." After you pick your jaw up off the floor, you might want to tie it to your head after you hear more: In a story first reported by the Queens Chronicle, her campaign manager, Vigie Ramos Rios, said the ban stemmed from the press attempting to question Ocasio-Cortez after a community meeting in the Bronx, despite the campaign saying ahead of time that there would be no question or interview opportunities after the event. Rios said that the candidate was "mobbed" by reporters, leading to the campaign to restrict the press from covering an event last Wednesday and Sunday. "We wanted to help create a space where community members felt comfortable and open to express themselves without the distraction of cameras and press," campaign spokesman Corbin Trent said in a statement to the Chronicle. "These were the first set of events where the press has been excluded. This is an outlier and will not be the norm. We're still adjusting our logistics to fit Alexandria's national profile." So she doesn't want all these bothersome questions from the media because she was "mobbed" previously. One can imagine her potential constituents gamely trying to get a word in edgewise as the press badgers, harasses, and asks stupid questions of the candidate. Or not. You could imagine the press penned up at the town hall in its usual way, listening and recording without comment. How this "threatens" people is not explained by the campaign. Is her staff so incompetent that it can't organize a public event where the press is, as fully expected, penned up in a designated area while town hall attendees are free to ask questions of the candidate? Ocasio-Cortez has been burned by displaying a shocking ignorance of the issues time and time again. She didn't want the press there so she could be free to spout her nonsensical positions on issues without worrying that her fact-free presentations would show up on Fox News. She's more than a "loose cannon." She's an atomic bomb of idiocy, and using the weird notion that people with "medical issues" wouldn't feel "safe" if the media were allowed to cover the event doesn't pass the smell test. Primary voters have wholeheartedly and decisively rejected the candidates she was backing. I guess the revolution is going to have to wait until the clueless socialist either grows up or familiarizes herself with the issues. My church stands for life, family, and marriage. We help the poor every day. We do wonderful things that make me proud of our parishes. As a cradle Catholic, I am furious with some of the leaders of our church. I love the Catholic faith. I am a believer, as they say. I remember my father's cousin, who spent 14 years in a Cuban political prison, sharing stories of priests who traded places with others so that a married man with a family would not be executed. Many priests stood up to communism in Cuba, and some were thrown in jail or executed. Once again, we are talking about men who abused children rather than the aforementioned heroes or deeds. How was this behavior allowed to happen? The answer is "the cover-up" how men in our church said nothing. Shame on the men who remained quiet concerning this barbaric treatment of children. We put these children in the hands of priests, and they do this? I agree with Marc Thiessen that Cardinal Wuerl must go: In 1972, Pope Paul VI warned that "the smoke of Satan has entered the Church of God." We see that smoke throughout the report from a Pennsylvania grand jury, which alleges that more than 300 priests abused more than 1,000 children in six Pennsylvania dioceses including 99 priests from the Diocese of Pittsburgh, which was led for 18 years by Cardinal Donald Wuerl, now archbishop of Washington. How bad was the abuse? The report notes that "during the course of this investigation, the Grand Jury uncovered a ring of predatory priests operating within the [Pittsburgh] Diocese who shared intelligence or information regarding victims as well as exchanging the victims amongst themselves. This ring also manufactured child pornography ... [and] used whips, violence and sadism in raping their victims." According to Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, one victim, a boy named George, "was forced to stand on a bed in a rectory, strip naked and pose as Christ on the cross for the priests. They took photos of their victim, adding them to a collection of child pornography which they produced and shared on church grounds." Abusing a child while mocking the Passion of Christ is truly diabolical. "Diabolical" is not strong enough. I met Cardinal Wuerl last summer in Dallas. I was a volunteer driving priests to and from the airport during a national meeting in Dallas-Ft. Worth. I even took a photo with Cardinal Wuerl, a face we've seen on TV often. My guess is that Cardinal Wuerl was not involved in any of this. However, he was the man in charge and must pay for it. Subsequently, Pope Francis must make this an urgent priority and let "the law," not the Vatican, deal with these men. They are criminals and child-abusers. They deserve to be punished by the state. A few years ago, many of my friends left the Catholic Church because of the cover-up. My guess is that more will leave now. So we pray that Pope Francis understands how serious this problem is. PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter. Perhaps it was the shock of seeing 75 people shot and 12 killed the weekend before last that impelled Rahm Emanuel to speak honestly about why such extreme violence is concentrated in a couple of neighborhoods. Chicago's mayor evidently forgot one of the iron laws of the Democratic Party: no members of any victim class can be held responsible for any problems that result from their behavior. The ever expanding list of victim classes has grown from blacks to include all "people of color" (basically, everybody but Caucasians, who implicitly are deemed "colorless"), even elite and privileged ones like Sarah Jeong; poor people; and people who choose sexual and gender adventurism, among others. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel blamed the city's massive crime problem on a "shortage of values" after at least 75 people were shot over the weekend. "We have a heavy heart," the Democratic mayor said at a news conference Monday. "Our souls are burdened. What happened this weekend did not happen in every neighborhood of Chicago but it is unacceptable to happen in any neighborhood of Chicago. We are a better city." ... Mr. Emanuel called on residents to "be a neighbor" and step forward if they knew anything about the perpetrators. He also said placing the blame for the violence on higher summer temperatures, when crime typically spikes, would be a mistake. "You can talk about the weather but the weather didn't pull the trigger," Mr. Emanuel said. "You can talk about jobs, and they count, but in parts of the city where there aren't jobs, people did not pull the trigger. "There are too many guns on the street, too many people with criminal records on the street, and there is a shortage of values about what is right, what is wrong, was is acceptable, what is condoned and what is condemned," he said. Such common sense proved offensive. Now Emanuel is paying the price. The Chicago Tribune reports: Democratic attorney general candidate Kwame Raoul on Thursday criticized Mayor Rahm Emanuel's focus on a lack of morals in African-American communities struggling with gun violence, calling that approach "outright wrong." ... The criticism represents a prominent establishment African-American distancing himself from some of the mayor's positions on policing and gun violence at a time when he and African-American opponent, Republican Erika Harold, are courting black voters across the state. Raoul's comments also come at a time when Emanuel is working to rebuild his once-solid support among black voters, which has waned following the Laquan McDonald police shooting controversy. The shooting of Laquan, captured on body cam footage that was withheld from the public over a year, outraged many and resulted in the imposition of new rules requiring extensive documentation from cops, diverting them into paperwork and potential legal liability should they practice proactive policing, attempting to identify threats before violence breaks out. This has only aggravated the incidence of violence breaking out. During an appearance at the Illinois State Fair, the Democratic state senator from the South Side also disagreed with Emanuel's opposition to a proposal that would require Chicago police officers to document every instance in which they point a gun at someone. The wannabe chief law enforcement officer of the State of Illinois is not alone in criticizing Emanuel: Shari Runner, former president and CEO of the Chicago Urban League, deemed the remarks insensitive. "I cannot see the victims of racist policies and bigoted practices shamed by anyone who says they need to do better or be better in their circumstance. I won't accept it," Runner said. The epidemic of absentee fathers in the black community is semi-officially forbidden as a topic of discussion, because it "blames the victims." The prevalence of rap music with violent lyrics also cannot be mentioned as a possible motivation for violence among a particular demographic slice for the same reason. America has embraced dysfunctional cultures, not merely in various ethnic groups, but in our public political discussions. You cannot solve a problem unless you correctly identify it. The prospects are that violence will spread (as it is already doing) in Chicago and elsewhere. The notion that some sort of victim status confers moral perfection on people is self-evidently ridiculous, yet it is embraced by the commanding heights of the media and Democratic Party. Things will get worse before they get better if they ever do. Rahm is not even trying to defend his honesty: There was no response from the mayor's office to multiple requests for comment. And the violence continues to spread: Unfortunately, freedom of speech is also one of the most fragile of rights. At all times and in all places, there have been those who feel that the common good requires that free speech be less than free. Freedom of speech is first among our constitutionally protected rights for good reason. A democratic people must be free to speak among its own members. More importantly, people must be free to laugh at themselves. It's not good when people and nations take themselves too seriously. Even where guaranteed, free speech must never rest because the speech police never rest. Power is gained and maintained by quelling dissent. This battle to impose hegemony on the masses is waged behind closed doors, far from prying eyes. Like water from a faucet, the quality and quantity of information depends on who controls the media. Brains are washed, opinions changed, and cultures transformed slowly, imperceptibly, over time. Only when the flow of information becomes a trickle, or the effluent becomes odoriferous, do the masses take notice. In her book The Serenity Prayer: Faith and Politics in Times of Peace and War, Elizabeth Sifton, daughter of Reinhold Niebuhr, author of "The Serenity Prayer," writes about a universal yearning for "stringency and moral clarity" in these "soupy and compromised times." That we all must think twice before engaging in water-cooler flirtation or expressing an opinion about a hot-button social issue of the day speaks volumes about these "soupy and compromised times." Many brave souls who have dared to speak with "stringency and moral clarity" have suffered the wrath of today's Carrie Nations of linguistic virtue. The upshot is that workplaces, college campuses, and the legacy media have become dull, predictable, humorless, Balkanized places. The good news is that people are sick of the "soupy and compromised" effluent poisoning our country. This populist upheaval is not a recent phenomenon. Some blame Donald Trump, but Trump is the product of the turmoil, not its cause. Fifteen years ago, in his 2003 paean to small-town America, Dispatches from the Muckdog Gazette, writer Bill Kauffman recalls his hometown of Batavia, New York, and his Uncle Johnny's beloved homemade "dago red" wine. He lamented that "[w]e live in an age in which ethnic differences are not subject to discussion, or God forbid humor. Instead, we are ordered to 'celebrate our diversity,' which in practice means extracting every white-ethnic spice and tang until gruel is all that simmers in the American melting pot." "As for me and Batavia," Kauffman continues, "give us the dagos any day." Millions sickened by the gruel have migrated to the internet, talk radio, and cable news for acerbic, cleansing, irreverent, ego-puncturing, self-effacing wit that is both funny and true. This mass exodus to new media also explains why the self-proclaimed intelligentsia are hell-bent on regulating (ideally silencing) new media, especially the internet. Writing in the Wall Street Journal about the dustup several years ago caused by Conan O'Brien's sidekick puppet Triumph the Insult Comic Dog's description of the inhabitants of Quebec as obnoxious, dull, and mostly gay, Canadian columnist Mark Steyn skewered Canadian members of Parliament for their predictable rent-a-quotes: "racist filth," "completely unacceptable," and such. Steyn wrote that a dozen or so sensitive souls are offended by the "vicious hate mongering," and "the rest of us 30 million Canadians are now damned as humorless prigs." Steyn countered that a mature, confident society would deal with such provocations with its own volley of bad jokes and cheap gags, not reflexive cries of racism and calls for hate crime investigations. If people can't share a joke, they'll never share a culture. H. L. Mencken, regarded by some as America's greatest columnist (and by others as coarse and insensitive), once described a Catholic supporter of Prohibition as a "Catholic with a Methodist liver." I'm Catholic, and that's funny. If we ever hope to once again share a common culture, we will need more curmudgeons like Kauffman and Steyn (and, yes, an occasional Mencken) imbedded in newsrooms, boardrooms, and television studios across the land, not less. Unfortunately, it's unlikely that the good folks at the New York Times are listening. Electronic Arts has been granted a new patent for a method and system for sharing game saves from VR titles across platforms, including non-VR platforms. Specifically, the patent applies to online games, and states that it enables the progress of a user character to be obtained via a VR interface. For clarity, the concept isnt entirely new since game save data which typically includes player character progression can already be shared in some instances. However, it is still not a common attribute across multiple platforms. Moreover, it is a feature that is all but unheard of in the VR gaming industry. The progress in question also appears to be shareable across VR, smartphones, and a computer. Not only does the company include a mobile device in its patent diagrams, showing connections between all of the devices via the cloud. It also explicitly warns in the patent description that the use of VR might lead to challenges for developers that depend on mobile applications for monetization of titles. Beyond those platforms, televisions are also listed as a viable platform possibly suggesting that consoles or smart TVs could be included. Moving past the benefits of a system allowing progress to be saved and accessed across the listed platforms, the patent could also have an impact on online gaming itself. As of this writing, the number of VR titles that feature online multiplayer is effectively zero. So Electronic Arts could very well be the first major publisher and game development powerhouse to consider the prospects. The implications of that are considerable. It might not only mean that the company has discovered a way to make online multiplayer gameplay feasible in the real world in spite of limitations caused by the amount of processing power required for such games. It would also seem to indicate the company now perceives that the available audience for such titles to be large enough to warrant the investment. With that said, there are no guarantees at all that Electronic Arts intends to use its patents for the foreseeable future. The patent filed with the World Intellectual Property Organization under designation US10035068 could just be a way for the company to make the first claim at the concept. That would allow it to license the method and technology to respective OEMs or developers. In any case, the patent does suggest that at least one game developer is taking a serious look at the benefits to both players and developers when it comes to moving content uniformly across mobile, traditional, and VR platforms. The successors to MediaTeks mid-range Helio P60 SoC will allegedly be the Helio P80 and Helio P90, according to well-known tipster Roland Quandt. The company had been rumored to have an updated version of its Helio P60 planned for launch some time this year. However, if the branding associated with the silicon is any indication, the Helio P80 and Helio P90 will be much more complete updates to the Helio lineup. No Helio P70 is currently planned it would seem. Quandt also suggests that high-ranking Android smartphone manufacturer OPPO is set to be one of the initial OEMs to make use of both chips if not the first. Bearing in mind MediaTeks naming conventions, and its history in the market, the new chips will probably stick to the well-established format already in use. So its likely that the new iterations will continue to feature two sets of cores from separate ARM processor series, grounded in the practice of including four power-efficient processing cores for daily tasks alongside four cores meant for use in more performance-intensive situations. ARM, for its part, has been working to design new processors and even has several new ones on the way. With many high-performance mobile SoCs moving past the 10nm mark on that front, there is also a chance that the new mid-range SoC will be built on that process node as well. With that said, up until now there hasnt been any leaks pertaining to the specifications of the upcoming silicon or which cores it will be based on. The former Helio P60 SoC was built on a 12nm process node alongside a dedicate neural processing unit (NPU), and launched at MWC 2018. The NPU supported MediaTeks own NeuroPilot technology as well as Androids Neural Network and other similar A.I. frameworks. Internally, it was comprised of four Cortex-A74 cores and four more Cortex-A53 cores. Those were clocked at 2 GHz on both fronts, and coupled with a Mali G72 MP3 on the graphics side. At the very least, the new Helio P80 and Helio P90 SoCs will almost certainly surpass those numbers, and possibly by a significant margin. Advertisement MediaTek has Helio P80 and Helio P90 coming. No P70 afaik. Roland Quandt (@rquandt) August 16, 2018 Netflix is currently running a test that only a small group of subscribers will see which shows short promos for other Netflix content, between episodes that a user is binging. This was first noticed on Reddit when a group of users began to complain, because these were forced to watch a promo for another show thats on Netflix. Some of the shows that are being shown between episodes are Better Call Saul, and Demtri Martins Netflix Special. Users were upset, because the whole reason for Netflix is, no ads, and these are ads even if they are for other Netflix content. TechCrunch reached out to Netflix for a comment on this, and the company informed the publication that this is one of hundreds of tests that it is currently running on its platform. Meaning that a small group of users are seeing these videos right now, and this feature may not get rolled out to everyone. Netflix, like many companies, are constantly running tests on their apps and platform to improve the experience for its users. Now since so many are complaining about this, Netflix may decide to not roll this feature out. But others may find it a good fit, since youre only getting these videos between each episode, and not every five to seven minutes like in a normal show. Its a good way for Netflix to show off some of the other content that is currently on its platform. Many love Netflix because of its ad-free watching, and since it is around $8 per month, its a pretty good value. Especially when you consider all of the content that is on the platform these days. Netflix is also creating a ton of its own original content that it wants its viewers to watch more of. Which is why these videos are even in testing. So itll be interesting to see if this feature does roll out in the coming weeks. Agents have been given wide latitude to arrest undocumented immigrants without criminal records. Photo: LM Otero/AP/REX/Shutterstock Since President Trump eagerly unshackled Immigration and Customs Enforcement from Obama-era limitations, the agency has gone all-out in its pursuit of arresting undocumented immigrants whether theyre a danger to the country or not. With a mandate of near-indiscriminate deportations, ICE and border-patrol agents have staked out courthouses, hospital rooms, and once-routine immigration interviews to round up those in the country illegally. This week, the agency may have outdone itself, and not in a good way. On Wednesday, agents arrested Joel Arrona-Lara, a 36-year-old undocumented immigrant from Mexico, as he was escorting his wife to the hospital for a planned cesarean section in San Bernardino, California. Hours later, Maria del Carmen Venegas gave birth to her fifth child without Arrona by her side. (The news of his arrest was only widely reported days later.) I feel very bad right now, Venegas told CBS2 News in Spanish from her hospital room. In an initial statement, ICE said that Arrona-Lara was awaiting deportation proceedings, but did not delve into the reasoning behind his arrest. In a second statement released later on Saturday, the agency said that he is wanted for murder in Mexico. ICE continues to focus its enforcement resources on individuals who pose a threat to national security, public safety and border security, that statement read. Emilio Amaya, the couples legal representative, told NBC News that he could not find any outstanding warrants for Arrona-Lara in Mexico. He also criticized ICEs handling of the arrest. They left her at the gas station to fend for herself, Amaya said, The hospital is about two miles from the gas station. She actually ended up driving by herself to the hospital. Arrona-Lara and Venegas were stopping to get gas on their way to the hospital when two SUVs approached them. Agents asked Venegas to produce identification, which she did. When they asked the same of Arrona-Lara, he said he did not have any, but could return to his house to provide it. The agents then searched Arrona-Laras car for weapons and arrested him, leaving the distraught Venegas alone at the gas station a scene captured on surveillance video: Venegas said her husband did not have a criminal record, and that she did not realize the agents who arrested him were from ICE until they gave her a phone number to call to track her husbands case. I asked them why they separate good people, why they werent arresting people who do bad things, and I asked them to let us go. Venegas told a local NBC News affiliate. They told me they were only doing their job. As ICE continues to employ brazen tactics that are fully endorsed by the highest levels of government, a debate is raging about whether the growing movement to abolish the agency which has only existed in its current form since 2003 is smart politics, or leftist overreach that will backfire by rallying conservatives. This article has been updated throuhgout to reflect ICEs claim that Arrona-Lara faces murder charges in Mexico. Amazon is working on a live TV recorder for the companys Fire TV line of devices, according to a new report out of Bloomberg which credits a person familiar with the plans for the information. The details on the box are fairly limited at the moment and could be subject to change, according to the report. Although, the general idea is the box will offer TiVo-like functionality to Fire TV device owners. Apparently, the box currently codenamed Frank will have wireless connectivity and will offer users the ability to stream downloaded content on their smartphone. Although the streaming feature is said to be one that is not confirmed, and could be one of the elements that changes or is cancelled prior to the device hitting the market. One of the likely reason suggested for Amazon skipping this particular feature is the fact Fire TV device owners are already able to stream some content on their smartphones. As a result, the physical storage aspect is likely to be the main selling point. At present, there is no suggestion Amazon will make its Frank box available to non Fire-TV products and this marries with the rest of the information in the report which suggests Amazon plans to make a much greater push to get its Fire TV OS into the hands of more users going forward. One of the ways the company reportedly plans to achieve this is by partnering with even more TV brands to have Fire TV OS included at the system level. As well as generally making its software-based TV options (presumably, Prime Video) more accessible on more devices. This is also in addition to making its Fire TV Stick solution more appealing through newer software. The latter of which is likely designed to attract those consumers who might be looking for additional streaming services and content, but not necessarily in the market for a new TV. As the Amazon Fire TV stick is the companys gateway product due to its small size and affordable price. The common theme from the report is how Amazon is gearing up its efforts to not only gain more traction in the living room, but also occupy the varying levels along the way TVs, boxes, DVR, and content in general. TiVo shares are understood to have fallen by as much as 10-percent following the news of a competing device from Amazon. While the use of virtual multichannel video programming distributors (vMVPDs) is still small, it is growing at a significant rate, according to a new comScore report. The data here is based on collected user habits during April 2018 which suggest vMVPDs are really starting to leave their mark on the industry. vMVPDs differ to traditional MVPDs in the sense there is no physical element to the service provided by the vMVPD. In other words, the content is almost exclusively provided via online streaming. In this latest report, comScore does make a point of distinguishing between the average vMVPD and what the analytics company refers to as pure-play vMVPDs. The latter being defined as vMVPDs who do not also offer content that is only available in digital form with YouTube TV and Hulu provided as examples due to both offering additional digital-only content on top of the access to linear-based content. The distinction is important as comScore uses it to highlight that in April 4.9 million Wi-Fi-enabled households in the US used a pure-play MVPD, equating to around 5-percent of those households in general, and a 58-percent increase year-over-year. A similar year-over-year increase (53-percent) was noted for the use of a pure-play vMVPD as an OTT streaming option in general. In other words, comScore states that in April pure-play vMVPD streaming represented 10-percent of all the time spent streaming by those households. Another change noted in this latest report is how pure-play vMVPDs are becoming more mainstream in general. For example, previously the use of vMVPDs was considered more of a young or tech-savvy thing. However, comScore notes the year-over-year changes suggest the use of pure-play MVPDs is now better spread across all age-ranges. While the 35-44 age range was still considered the dominant head of household range (33-percent), the 18-34, 45-54, and 55+ ranges are far more equal now compared to the year before, with 21-percent, 23-percent, and 23-percent, respectively. Age-range aside, the data found that those who use a vMVPD were consuming more OTT streaming hours than those who only accessed other OTT services, and by a significant margin. The takeaway of this last point although more users are starting to switch to an vMVPD, this is not to say network access or viewership is declining. Instead, the method of network access is simply changing. ZTE is beginning to hint at its plans for the last big trade show of 2018 IFA. This trade show takes place at the end of the month, and in Berlin. Its where most smartphone makers debut their smartphones for the second half of the year, and those it wants to push for the upcoming holiday season. There have been rumors that ZTE may announce the Axon 9 at the trade show, but now its beginning to hint at it a bit more. It just released an image on its Twitter account that talks about IFA, and has a silhouette of a smartphone in the background. The ZTE Axon 9 has been expected for quite some time. After all, the last flagship Axon smartphone was announced over two years ago, the Axon 7. If this smartphone holds up to its predecessors, it should be a flagship smartphone from ZTE. That could mean an 18:9 aspect ratio display, as well as a Snapdragon 845 under the hood. But for now, this is all rumor, so its tough to say what exactly to expect from the ZTE Axon 9 or ZTE at IFA. The company did release another teaser though, that simply has the number 9, which gives a pretty good hint that the ZTE Axon 9 is coming at IFA later this month. ZTE has had a rough 2018. After being banned from doing business in the US, and then being able to come back into the States, it also lost a ton of money through the stock market and plenty of partners due to the ban. ZTE had a pretty big market share in the US, being the fourth largest smartphone maker in North America mostly due to the mid-range and low-end phones it provides to carriers. Hopefully with IFA and the Axon 9, ZTE can get back on the right track. George Coffee Boy Papadopoulos in London. Photo: LinkedIn Special counsel Robert Muellers team has recommended a prison sentence of up to six months for former Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos, arguing in a court filing on Friday that he successfully sought to harm the Russia investigation in its critical early stages. Last October, Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to charges of lying to the FBI regarding his contacts with Russian operatives during the Trump campaign including at least one meeting where he was offered thousands of emails meant to damage Hillary Clintons campaign. Papadopoulos did not ultimately provide substantial assistance to investigators, however, and prosecutors insisted his crime which consisted of at least a dozen lies was serious and caused damage to the governments investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Papadopoulos, who is one of the 32 people charged with crimes by the Mueller investigation thus far, signed no formal cooperation agreement as part of his plea agreement, but prosecutors had said that they would not seek the maximum possible sentence of five years, opting for zero to six months instead. They also agreed to inform the judge of any cooperation he did provide, but it sounds like they werent very impressed on that front, and even pointed out that Papadopoulos wife, Simona Mangiante, had subsequently inflated the significance of his assistance in media interviews. The Mueller team set the record straight on Friday. Much of the information provided by the defendant came only after the government confronted him with his own emails, text messages, internet search history, and other information it had obtained via search warrants and subpoenas well after the defendants FBI interview as the government continued its investigation, prosecutors said in the filing. The government does not take a position with respect to a particular sentence to be imposed, but respectfully submits that a sentence of incarceration, within the applicable guidelines range ofzero to six months imprisonment, is appropriate and warranted. There were also specific details in the court filing about what damage Papadopoulos caused. The campaign aide, who the Trump team has tried to characterize as nothing more than a coffee boy, had lied in order to conceal his contacts with Russians and Russian intermediaries during the campaign and made his false statements to investigators on Jan. 27, 2017, early in the investigation, when key investigative decisions, including who to interview and when, were being made. With the intent of harming the investigation, Papadopoulos repeatedly lied throughout the interview in order to conceal the timing and significance of information the defendant had received regarding the Russians possessing dirt on Hillary Clinton, as well as his own outreach to Russia on behalf of the campaign, they explained. He also hindered the governments ability to discover who else may have known or been told about the Russians possessing dirt on Clinton as in who else on the Trump campaign. One of the contacts that Papadopoulos misled investigators about communicating with was Joseph Mifsud, a Kremlin-linked professor in London who allegedly reached out to Papadopoulos on behalf of Russia. Muellers team claimed on Friday that those lies undermined investigators ability to challenge the professor or potentially detain or arrest him while he was still in the United States, noting that the professor left the U.S. a few weeks after Papadopouloss first voluntary interview, and hasnt returned since. President Trump originally called Papadopoulos an excellent guy during the 2016 campaign, but after his former aide pleaded guilty, Trump then claimed that few people knew the young, low level volunteer named George, who has already proven to be a liar. Papadopouloss sentencing is scheduled for September 7, but his wife, Mangiante, told CNN on Friday that she thinks he should walk away from the plea agreement. Papadopouloss lawyer, when reached by reporters on Friday, said he could not comment on the court filing. His case now lies at the heart of a diplomatic crisis between Turkey and the United States that has prompted a crash of Turkey's lira currency. Turkey's finance chief tried to reassure thousands of worldwide investors on a conference call on Thursday, in which he pledged to fix the economic troubles. In a statement, the ministry also said it would provide flexibility on maturities and pricing to endure cash flow for companies, while taking additional measures to avoid obstacles against borrowing for companies. He has tightened his grip since consolidating power after general elections this year. In his conference call, Albayrak did not appear to specify whether the central bank would be assured its independence or hint at whether rates would be allowed to rise. A higher court in Turkey's Izmir Province has rejected an appeal to dismiss the charges against a US pastor whose prosecution has provoked tensions in U.S. Mr Trump's comments came after a court in Izmir province rejected an appeal to release Brunson from house arrest, saying evidence was still being collected and the pastor posed a flight risk, according to a copy of the court ruling seen by Reuters. A detained American pastor has become a symbol of a growing rift between Turkey and the United States, but problems in the Cold War-era alliance as well as Turkey's own financial crisis are unlikely to dissipate even if he is released and Washington eases economic penalties. Family planning multiple events to honour Aretha Franklin Erma told David Ritz that her sister's struggles with motherhood and fame were mostly due to the generation they grew up in. The space agency's official lunar account expressed its condolences for the singer, writing: "Rock Steady Aretha ". Erdogan previously suggested a swap in which Brunson is released in exchange for Gulen, though USA officials have said Turkey must present convincing evidence for any extradition proceeding to be considered. "Our relations with Turkey are not good at this time!" Turkish diplomats are reportedly close to releasing an imprisoned American pastor who is at the center of a diplomatic crisis between Turkey and the US. She wouldn't be drawn on whether the Trump administration would respond. He also urged Brunson to serve as a "great patriot hostage" while he is jailed and criticized Turkey for "holding our wonderful Christian Pastor". As Ankara sought to reassure markets after the lira went into a tailspin over the deepening spat, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin warned more sanctions would be on the way until Andrew Brunson was released. The previous day two Greek soldiers held by Turkey since March for illegally crossing the border were also freed in a move warmly welcomed by Athens. "The heightened tensions between the USA and Turkey caused the Turkish lira to take a leg lower, and this reignited fears that the European banking system could be shaken by either defaults or non-performing loans from Turkey", said market analyst David Madden at CMC Markets UK. Erdogan held a similar conversation with Germany's Angela Merkel on Wednesday. Economists gave Mr Albayrak's presentation a qualified welcome and the lira initially found some support, helped by Qatar's pledge to invest US$15 billion in Turkey. CVT Kato Wataru's widebody crew too this little car more seriously than anybody else. The plan they came up with involves a bit of copyright infringement, as they copied the look of Nissan's iconic supercar killer, the R35 GT-R.Now, we have seen the customized Copen before, but never in the company of the original. And that's what this photo is all about: showing you that it's just as low and aggressively styled.Obviously, the Daihatsu is tiny. But because the GT-R is quite low, the proportions end up looking similar. Most of the copy-paste work is concentrated around the front bumper, which even copies the GT-R facelift grille and badge placement. Beyond that, both models feature chin spoilers and massive trunk wings.The trademark of any Liberty Walk kit is the fender flares. The ones on the GT-R are really big since the car has been known to swallow large drift tires on occasion. But the pint-sized copycat isn't looking too shabby either.In stock form, the car is 3,395 mm long, 1,475 mm wide, 1,280 mm tall and is built on a lightweight monocoque framework called the D-Frame, said to be three times stiffer than its predecessor. Like most models of this type, the Copen packs a 660cc turbocharged three-cylinder engine making 64 hp and 92 Nm (68 lb-ft) of torque. Two transmissions are available - aor a 5-speed manual - both sending power to only one axle and there is the option of a limited slip diff.But don't for a second think that the Copen is cheap, as prices start at about $17,000. By comparison, the 570 horsepower, all-wheel-drive Nissan supercar currently retails for $100,000. The five-point declaration signed by the president and made public on August 9 marks the birth of the Army's sixth military branch, and is the first to be added in over 70 years.What this Space Force will be up to, as well as the whys and hows announced by the administration are summed up in the lines below.Because of China and Russia, of course. The United States fought neither directly on Earth, ever, but now plans to take warfare to the skies above us, to deter and defeat a new generation of threats.Those threats are, of course, space-based or space-bound weapons, not some enemy army division bent on invading the U.S. from above. Both China and Russia are hard at work with creating weapons that can touch the outer space and then come back to wreak havoc down on Earth.As per Mike Pences statements, Russia is working on an airborne laser with the goal to "disrupt our space-based system." China is developing satellite-killer missiles, while both countries pursue the Holy Graal of unstoppable hypersonic missiles.Both, says Pence, accompanied by the army of North Korea, are trying to create weapons to jam, blind, and disable our navigation and communications satellites using ground-based weapons.And a jammed, blinded and disabled America is a sitting space duck.A Space Development Agency will be created. Unlike the first bearer of the name, the Japanese National Space Development Agency (NASDA), this one will not be in charge with the development and the promotion of the peaceful use of space, but with weaponizing it.More precisely, it will be developing and fielding new next-generation capabilities for national security space development. The agency, under the presidents National Defense Strategy, will accelerate the creation of space weapons.The people tasked with the use of the said weapons will come together under the Space Operations Force badge. People that will make it up will come from our nations space programs. Meaning from SpaceX? Probably not. NASA? Perhaps. The Air Force? Most definitely.The men and women of the Space Operations Force, armed with tech created by the Space Development Agency, will take orders from the soon-to-be United States Space Command, a unified combatant command, to improve, evolve, and plan space warfighting.Overseeing what these guys are up to in space will be a single civilian position, reporting to the Secretary of Defense. The person occupying this position will be called Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space and will be only a stepping stone to the planned creation of the independent position of Secretary of the Space Force.The plan is to have the entire Space Force organization up and running by the year 2020. For this to happen, the president will ask for some cash from Congress next February. Hell probably get it. By the end of 2019, the Space Force will be included in the National Defense Authorization Act.Back in the 1960s, when the world was living in fear of total annihilation, the U.S., Russia, and the United Kingdom signed the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies. The Outer Space treaty, for short.It banned states that signed it (107 nations in 2018) from placing weapons of mass destruction in Earth orbit, on the Moon and elsewhere in outer space.More importantly, it also prohibits the testing of weapons, military maneuvers, the establishment of military bases, installations, and fortifications in space.Is the U.S. in violation of this treaty? Have your say by reading the Treaty's text attached in the document below, especially Article IV.A reaction from both China and Russia is to be expected in the coming months. And their reaction might not be as transparent and bombastic as that of the U.S. 1 big thing: The energy transition has not begun A new piece in our Expert Voices section offers a pretty sobering look at the immense challenge of cutting carbon emissions while global energy demand keeps rising. The big picture: Richard Newell and Daniel Raimi of Resources for the Future note impressive solar cost declines and the surge in renewable power, but caution that it's not yet time to declare that the transition from fossil fuels is underway. Instead, they note that so far the renewables gains have been a matter of "addition, not transition." "Although the percentage shares of biomass, coal and oil in our energy supply have fallen with the rise of alternatives, their total use continues to grow," they write. The chart above illustrates this. Why it matters: A few points from their piece... The world has never experienced an energy transition, but the challenge of climate change means that, for the first time, one will need to begin. To avoid the worst impacts of climate change, renewables and new technologies will need to do more than build atop CO2intensive fossil fuels they will need to push out incumbents while at the same time expanding global energy access and reducing the systems environmental footprint. Read the whole piece in the Axios stream. Quick take: Their article is among several recent reminders that massive tech advances and rising renewables deployment haven't, by themselves, put the world on a pathway to avoiding hugely dangerous levels of global warming. The bomb responsible for hitting a bus and killing dozens in Yemen last week, including children, was made by U.S.-based Lockheed Martin and sold to Saudi Arabia through a State Department-sanctioned arms deal, according to CNN. Why it matters: The attack that left a reported 40 children dead and dozens injured gripped the international community, leading the UN to call for an investigation. The U.S. has maintained that its involvement in the war between the Saudi coalition and the Houthi rebels in Yemen is to the extent of information sharing and refueling of aircrafts. But CNN says the latest strike has led to growing questions "about whether the U.S. bears any moral culpability." The details: CNN came to its conclusion by working "with local Yemeni journalists and munition experts." The bomb that was used was found to be a "500-pound...laser-guided MK 82 bomb" from Lockheed Martin. Pentagon spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Rebecca Rebarich declined to confirm CNN's report, saying the U.S. "has worked with the Saudi-led coalition to help them improve procedures and oversight mechanisms to reduce civilian casualties." Lt. Cmdr. Rebecca Rebarich declined to confirm CNN's report, saying the U.S. "has worked with the Saudi-led coalition to help them improve procedures and oversight mechanisms to reduce civilian casualties." A State Department official told Axios: "We cannot independently verify what may have been found on site, and we refer to the Saudis for the details of their procurement and stockpile management. The United States has called upon all parties to take appropriate measures to mitigate the risk of civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure." Flashback: President Barack Obama banned the sale of precision-guided military technology to the Saudis in 2016 after the coalition hit a funeral hall and killed 155 people. Per CNN, that ban "was overturned by...then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in March 2017." Behind the scenes, U.S. officials have been bringing up last week's strike with Saudi officials, CNN reports. Defense Secretary James Mattis said: "Wars are always tragic, but we've got to find a way to protect the innocent in the midst of this one." Go deeper: Read America's role in Yemen's disaster. The Trump administration announced Friday that it will not spend some $230 million in stabilization assistance that had been slated for U.S. civilian programs in Syria. The State Department said the cut would be more than offset by other contributions from international partners. The big picture: A U.S. military partnership with the Syrian Democratic Forces has liberated most of northeast Syria from the so-called Islamic State. Following clearance operations, stabilization programs provide de-mining, electricity, health, water and critical service delivery essential to relieve the devastation left in ISIS's wake. Even with foreign contributions, the U.S. spending cut presents real risks. It is certainly a welcome development that, according to the State Department, partners including Australia, Denmark, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Kuwait, Norway, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have offered to help. But more efforts are needed. First, to ensure that ISIS is permanently defeated and civilians are willing to return home, stabilization assistance must be channeled toward the goal of establishing inclusive, stable governance in eastern Syria. That, in turn, requires U.S. leadership. Instead, by cutting its modest civilian engagement, the U.S. risks ceding its (already limited) ability to shape governance outcomes in Syria. Second, the proliferation of stabilization actors on the ground raises the risk of inefficiency or gaps. The State Department also noted that some partner funds are being directed into U.S programs. Such transfers present legal, organizational and accountability challenges; if included in this group, there would be particular complexities of U.S. stabilization program managers overseeing, for example, Gulf state monetary contributions. Close management will be needed to ensure stabilization investments are prioritized and channeled to advance the goal of a stable, inclusive eastern Syria. Instead, Friday's announcement signals a de facto ceding of U.S. oversight. Most broadly, the stakes for getting stabilization right are high: ISIS could still reconstitute itself in Syria or neighboring Iraq, further exacerbating the massive human suffering and displacement across the region. The bottom line: As the U.S.' own stabilization assistance guidance notes, effective stabilization must work toward a defined political objective. Funding contributions from partners won't be enough to compensate for an absence of U.S. political commitment and leadership. Frances Z. Brown is a fellow with the Carnegie Endowments Democracy, Conflict and Governance program and a former director for democracy at the National Security Council under the Obama and Trump administrations. A Turkish court Friday rejected an appeal for the release of Andrew Brunson, the American pastor who has been held since 2016 on terrorism charges the U.S. says are baseless. Why it matters: President Trump has fumed in recent days over Brunsons continued detention, slapping sanctions on Turkey and threatening further action. He told reporters today that Turkey had "acted very, very badly" and "we are not going to take it sitting down." The standoff has sent long-simmering tensions with Turkey boiling over, and led to fears the U.S.-Turkey alliance could break down. The backdrop: "There has been a crisis in U.S.-Turkey relations for a while now," says Soner Cagaptay, Washington Institute fellow and author of "The New Sultan." He says other issues over which "the two sides disagree vehemently" include: U.S. support in Syria for the YPG, a Kurdish militia that Turkey views as a terrorist group. a Kurdish militia that Turkey views as a terrorist group. The continued residence in Pennsylvania of Fethullah Gulen a cleric whom Turkish President Recep Erdogan claims was behind the failed attempt to oust him in 2016. a cleric whom Turkish President Recep Erdogan claims was behind the failed attempt to oust him in 2016. Looming punishments for Halkbank, a state-owned Turkish bank accused of helping Iran evade sanctions. With the standoff over Brunson, however, we have entered uncharted waters. "It went from a crisis in the bureaucracy to a crisis at the presidential level," Cagaptay says. How that happened... Trump and Erdogan met on the sidelines of last month's NATO summit, and Trump left under the impression that he and Erdogan had reached a deal: the U.S. would secure the release of a Turkish woman held in Israel, and Turkey would release Brunson. on the sidelines of last month's NATO summit, and Trump left under the impression that he and Erdogan had reached a deal: the U.S. would secure the release of a Turkish woman held in Israel, and Turkey would release Brunson. But when Brunson was moved to house arrest, rather than released, "Trump felt slighted, and took it personally," Cagaptay says. rather than released, "Trump felt slighted, and took it personally," Cagaptay says. Trump has now pushed things to the brink, demanding Erdogan's full surrender. "There will be no normalization of relations now without Brunsons unconditional release," according to Cagaptay. Erdogan might still have a way out. He could release Brunson, Cagaptay explains, but use his control over the media to frame the move as part of a wider deal that doesn't actually exist. So why hasn't he done it? Originally, Erdogan wanted to use Brunson as leverage to reduce the punishment on Halkbank and discourage further investigation of the bank by the Treasury Department. Now he's in a bind, but one that has a silver lining. "Erdogan didnt want this crisis with Trump, but now hes looking at how he can intertwine it with the other crises he faces," most notably the long-anticipated economic meltdown which Erdogan is now blaming on U.S. sanctions, despite having largely caused it with his own economic policies. but now hes looking at how he can intertwine it with the other crises he faces," most notably the long-anticipated economic meltdown which Erdogan is now blaming on U.S. sanctions, despite having largely caused it with his own economic policies. "Erdogan is a master of turning situations to his advantage," Cagaptay says. "His base buys into his rhetoric on this, that other countries dont want Turkey to be a great power." What to watch: Both leaders have been have been shocked at various stages here, says Aaron Stein of the Atlantic Council Trump that Brunson wasn't released despite his efforts to "buddy up" to Erdogan, Erdogan that his long-term bet that no U.S. president would risk losing Turkey as an ally has been called. "They made a bet on the old rules with the new guy." Stein on Turkey's decision to continue to hold Brunson The bottom line: "Political ties will remain tense until Erdogan finds a way to release Brunson and sell it in Turkey," Cagaptay says, though he isnt expecting the U.S.-Turkey alliance to collapse entirely. "Military and intelligence cooperation remains strong. That could be the foundation of a reset when it eventually comes." Trend: A senior energy analyst and former Iranian deputy oil minister said Washington will be forced to grant waivers to some countries allowing them to continue importing Iranian crude when sanctions snapback in November. Oil prices will rise if the US does not grant waivers to the countries purchasing Iranian oil, Seyed Mehdi Hosseini told IRNA on August 16. Washington must do that or face the global consequences, he added. Noting that some countries in Europe and the region are traditional consumers of Iranian crude and Iran can retain them despite the returning sanctions, the analyst said Saudi Arabia cannot fill the gap and that there will be no alternative to Irans oil. On June 27, a senior US State Department official said the United States had told countries to cut all imports of Iranian oil from November and is unlikely to offer any exemptions. The US re-imposed stiff economic sanctions on Iran on Monday, ratcheting up pressure on the Islamic Republic despite statements of deep dismay from European allies, three months after President Donald Trump pulled the US out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers. A first set of re-imposed US sanctions affect financial transactions that involve US dollars, Irans automotive sector, the purchase of commercial planes and metals, including gold. A second batch of US sanctions targeting Iran's oil sector and central bank are to be re-imposed in early November. Trend: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Russia will sign an agreement to determine participation in construction of an oil pipeline to the oil refinery complex in the Jizzakh region of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan's Energy Minister Kanat Bozumbayev told Trend. The minister noted that considering intentions of the Uzbek side to build a new oil refinery complex in the Jizzakh region, a working group has been established at the level of the authorized bodies of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Russia. According to Bozumbayev, the working group is currently preparing a draft agreement between the governments of the three countries on cooperation in the oil sector. The minister underlined that participation of the countries in implementation of construction work of the oil pipelines will be determined after signing of the agreement. Uzbekistan commenced on construction of the new Jizzakh Oil Refinery complex worth $2.2 billion in late April 2018. In June 2017, Gas Project Development Central Asia AG (GPD, a subsidiary of Gazprom International, 40 percent) and Uzbekneftegaz JSC (60 percent) established Jizzakh Petroleum JV. Enter Engineering is the general contractor of the project. The complex is designed to process 5 million tons of oil annually, producing high-quality petroleum products. Half of the investments attracted to the Uzbek economy are in the oil and gas industry. The volume of investments in 2016 amounted to $2.99 billion, reaching $3.63 billion and by the end of 2017, $2.65 billion of which was foreign direct investment and loans. In January-May 2018, Uzbekistan produced 466,000 tons of gasoline, which is 0.6 percent more compared to the same period in 2017. Trend: The market of fur products of Kazakhstan is coming out of the shadows thanks to the introduction of a goods marking system, the State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance of Kazakhstan said in a statement. Thus, as of Aug. 13, 236,487 fur products were marked in the market of Kazakhstan. The number of players in the market of fur products registered in the marking system amounts to 942. One of the key positive effects of the introduction of the marking system was a significant "whitewashing" of the fur market, respectively, formation of a more objective image of it. The Vatican has finally broken its silence on the "predator priests" grand jury report, saying the church is on the side of the victims. In the wake of a grand jury report on clergy sexual abuse in six dioceses in Pennsylvania, a Vatican spokesman called the abuses described in the report as being "criminal and morally reprehensible". The USCCB also pledged to ask the Vatican to investigate accusations swirling around former cardinal Archbishop Theodore McCarrick, a high-ranking cleric who has been accused of sexually abusing boys and adult seminarians. However, Father McCafferty expressed concern that some of the men set to "appear alongside" the Pope who have "very serious questions to answer" about their prior knowledge of clerical sex abuse. The report from a Pennsylvania grand jury found that 301 priests abused children in the state over the past 70 years. Despite the grand jury report, in his interview with FOX 5, Wuerl defended his years Pittsburgh in dealing with child sexual abuse cases and said he'd not heard any calls for his resignation. He said that the abuse culminated in a "sexual attack" in a hotel room when he was 16 and traveling with a scholastic chess team. "The abuses contained in the Pennsylvania grand jury report are, as you know, appallingly familiar", he wrote. Marie have all gone to court against insurance companies who refuse to cover millions of dollars in payments made to victims abused by priests. Trump's Self-Aggrandizing Military Parade Idea Goes Down in Flames US President Donald Trump requested a parade after seeing France's Bastille Day event in 2017 and expressing a desire to "top it". Rohan, issued a statement that said the parade money would be better spent on funding the Department of Veterans Affairs. At the time, McCarrick said he had no recollection of the abuse. In response to the report, Bishop David Zubik of the Pittsburgh diocese apologized to victims. Wuerl helped to protect allegedly abusive priests during his time as bishop of Pittsburgh, according to the report. "Our 2002 "Statement of Episcopal Commitment" does not make clear what avenue victims themselves should follow in reporting abuse or other sexual misconduct by bishops", he explained. About the "substantial involvement of the laity", he said: "Laypeople bring expertise in areas of investigation, law enforcement, psychology, and other relevant disciplines, and their presence reinforces our commitment to the first criterion of independence". The report includes 1,000 identifiable victims, but the real number is likely much higher, considering victims are often too afraid to come forward and some church records have been destroyed or were otherwise unavailable. The findings echoed many earlier church investigations around the country that found widespread sexual abuse and attempts to hide it. USA bishops have acknowledged that more than 17,000 people nationwide have reported being molested by priests and others in the church going back to 1950. Between 5,700 and 10,000 Catholic priests have been accused of sexual abuse in the United States, but only a few hundred have been tried, convicted, and sentenced for their crimes, according to the watchdog Bishop Accountability. The Californian's Robert Price answers your questions and takes your complaints about our news coverage in this weekly feedback forum. Questions may be edited for space and clarity. To offer your input by phone, call 395-7649 and leave your comments in a voicemail message or email us at soundoff@bakersfield.com. Include your name and phone number; they wont be published. Have you been keeping up on our local news coverage? Test your news knowledge by taking the TBC Quiz appearing on Fridays in The Bakersfield C Contact The Californians Robert Price at 661-395-7399, rprice@bakersfield.com or on Twitter: @stubblebuzz. His column appears on Sundays, Wednesdays and Saturdays; the views expressed are his own. Longnose Skate Creature: Wondrous and Weird Oregon Coast Find Published 08/17/2018 at 4:27 AM PDT - Updated 08/17/2018 at 5:11 AM PDT By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff (Oregon Coast) There's little doubt the Oregon coast is full of wild n woolly surprises. (Photos courtesy Seaside Aquarium). Periodically, these beaches are the recipient of something really strange flopping around the tide line. Or perhaps their corpses show up on the beaches, as a myriad of things do when the die in the deep below and eventually wash up onshore. In fact, there have been some reports of them appearing recently: the longnose skate. Its a little rare - perhaps a few times a year. These freaky beasts of the deep are literally from way down beneath the waves. Its a truly wondrous find because this species usually lives well below the ocean surface. Most of the time theyre not living when found on these beaches, but sometimes they are. Even when they wind up on the beaches as a whole creature, albeit dead - as seen above - it's kind of a big deal. Seaside Aquarium has had a lot of experience with this in the past. A few times over the past decade, theyve discovered one still alive and flopping around the tideline. Its an extraordinary experience. Such as the one time in 2007 when they received a report of something moving in the surf at Sunset Beach near Gearhart. The moment was recounted by Keith Chandler, manager of Seaside Aquarium. They dug a hole in the sand around it to keep it in water, Chandler said. It was incredible that was it still alive. Thats extremely rare. A longnose skate is what is called a benthic fish, meaning it spends most of its time on the ocean floor, or anywhere from 82 feet to 2000 feet below the surface. The scientific name of the creature is Raja rhina, said Tiffany Boothe, of the aquarium. They reach a size of about four feet in total length, although the average size is two to three feet. The one found by aquarium staff back then was 32 inches. Other photographs shown here, from Boothe, reveal quite the elegant creature. (And lets face it, a little reminiscent of the shuttlecraft ship from the 60s series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.) Notice the round dots on the skates pectoral fins. These, Boothe said, are referred to as eyespots. These eyespots are used to distract potential predators, she said. They attack the eyespots believing that they are the true eyes of the animal. Skates also bury themselves in the sand to avoid predators. Those who eat this species include large bony fish and sharks. Boothe said the longnose skate feeds on small fish and invertebrates. They have adapted a unique way of capturing their prey by pouncing on top of their victim, pinning it to the ocean floor. Little is known about their life span, Boothe said, although one is known to have lived for 13 years. They are usually found from the Bering Sea to Baja California. Oregon Coast Lodgings for this event - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours Below: skate eggs found on the beaches and a skate egg casing (courtesy Seaside Aquarium) 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 public is invited to participate in a free, four-hour, kayak tour with a ranger on Friday, Aug. 31 at 9 a.m. National Park Partners and the Friends of Outdoor Chattanooga will sponsor an event where visitors will paddle down the Tennessee River, around the tip of Moccasin Bend, while learning about the much needed supply line to help lift the Confederate siege of Chattanooga. This is a kayak tour following the same route as the USsoldiers who opened the famous Cracker Line during the Civil War," officials said. The following reservation and paddler requirements must be met prior to tour participation. Reservations requirements: Directions to the launch site will be given with a reservation confirmation. To make a reservation, contact Outdoor Chattanooga at info@outdoorchattanooga.com or at 423-643-6888. Paddler requirements: Participants must be 14 years of age or older. Participants must know how to swim. Outdoor Chattanooga and the National Park Service reserve the right to cancel a trip at any time at their discretion, due to weather or water conditions. Participants will be notified as soon as possible if there is a cancellation, with a rain date of Sept. 7. If you must cancel your reservation for any reason, try to do so with a minimum of 24 hours notice. Call between the hours of 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday Friday to cancel a reservation. Here are three gastroenterologists that made news recently: Lawyers representing Khalid Moussa, MD, a gastroenterologist practicing in Crestview, Fla., accused of inappropriate and sexual behavior, filed a motion to limit communication with the media The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy recognized Darrien Gaston, MD, and his practice, Chicago-based Metropolitan Gastroenterology Consultants, for quality through its endoscopy unit recognition program Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic named gastroenterologist Gianrico Farrugia its new president and CEO, effective at the end of the year. Imran Khan 176-Shahbaz Sharif secured 96 votes in NA Delivering his first address as the 22nd Prime Minister-elect, Imran Khan on Friday made several promises to the nation, regarding greater accountability for use of public funds, reforms to the electoral system, and his attendance in the National Assembly. Regarding greater accountability, the PM-elect vowed to not spare anyone involved in plundering national wealth. He said that his government would conduct accountability for the increase in public debt over the past 10 years. He said the money which should have been spent on public services like hospitals and schools was embezzled by some individuals. Further, Khan said his government would not give an NRO to anyone, referring to the law passed by former dictator Pervaiz Musharrafs regime ending accountability cases against the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leadership and enabling it to end its exile in the 2000s. The PPP has maintained that the cases were politically motivated. Responding to the protesting opposition members, Khan assured them of his governments cooperation in pursuing the matter of alleged rigging in the July 25 polls. He said he would not prevent anyone from going to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) or the apex court because we didnt rig the polls, but added that he would not let anyone blackmail him on the issue. The PM-elect went as far as to challenge PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif and Maulana Fazlur Rehman of the Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) to stage a sit-in for a month, saying that his party would send people to participate in the sit-in and provide food as well. Then, he also reminded the opposition of the protest campaign led by his party following the 2013 polls. I ask the parliamentarians who are shouting here, why they didnt support re-counting in the four constituencies I had requested for, he said, adding, We had to go to the Supreme Court. Had they supported us, there would have been confidence over the electoral process across the board. Importantly, the PM-elect promised to hold himself accountable in front of the House, saying that he would hold question answer sessions in the Assembly twice every month. In the past, Khan was criticised for his low attendance in the Assembly. A report by the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) revealed that Khan attended only 20 sessions of the 468 sessions of the previous Assembly. Earlier, Khan got elected as the 22nd PM of the country around 21-years after he started his political career with the formation of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI). He secured 176 votes against 96 of PML-Ns Shehbaz Sharif in an election held by dividing supporters of both candidates into two different lobbies attached to the Assembly. Lawmakers from the PTI and its allied parties proceeded to Lobby A and those from the PML-N and its allied parties to Lobby B. The PPP members and a single member from the Jamaat Islami abstained from voting. The PPP had refused to support the candidature of Shehbaz Sharif and requested the PML-N to nominate anyone else for the election, a request not entertained by the latter. Media reports suggested that several PML-N leaders made last ditch efforts as late as the beginning of the Friday session to convince PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to re-consider the partys decision. Earlier, PTIs Imran Khan was the first major party leader to arrive at the Parliament. PPPs Bilawal Bhutto and PML-Ns Shehbaz Sharif arrived subsequently. When he arrived in the House, Sharif stopped to shake hands with Bilawal, though without exchanging any pleasantries. He did, however, made a brief conversation with Khan as the latter came towards the opposition benches to great him. The official icon of the World Meeting of Families A Co Londonderry construction firm is building the furniture that will take centre stage during Pope Francis's visit. The Specialist Joinery Group has been asked to create an altar and chair that will sit on the papal stage, which has been created by former member of The Saw Doctors Johnny Donnelly. The furniture provided by the Maghera firm will allow the Pope to address more than half a million people in Dublin's Phoenix Park (right) on the exact spot where Pope John Paul II celebrated his historic Mass in 1979. Founded by John Bosco O'Hagan, the family-led company has manufactured bespoke joinery and fitted furniture products for clients all over the world. The first papal visit to Ireland in almost 40 years, Pope Francis will be the chief celebrant at the final Mass for the World Meeting of Families in the park next Sunday. The Specialist Joinery Group has also been tasked with constructing the official icon for the World Meeting of Families, in collaboration with iconographer Mihai Cucu. The firm supplied the timber for the frame. The icon takes the form of a triptych that looks, from the outside, like a house with front doors. On these outside doors, the Archangels Michael and Gabriel bow their heads in adoration and service of God. Jesus, Mary and Joseph are depicted eating together on the central panel, and on the base is the inscription "Amoris Laetitia -The Joy of Love". Speaking about the art of iconography, artist Mihai said that it was a "different" kind of art. He said: "An icon is different to a painting, it is the Bible in pictures, therefore, it is said to be written rather than painted. "It has to be in accordance with the scripture, you cannot create your own imaginative piece. "My hopes are that every person will be in contact with this piece. "In a world in which we see spirituality decreasing, it is nice to see an interest among the people for this kind of art." The pieces of furniture and the icon were officially unveiled by the Specialist Joinery Group during an event at which close friends and family attended. Almost 40 years ago, Pope John Paul II paid a three-day visit to the Republic. Ahead of his successor Francis' arrival in Dublin next weekend, two writers, one based in Northern Ireland, and the other travelling to Knock, Co Mayo, revisit their memories from 1979... and assess how the country has changed. Alex Kane in Belfast When it was officially announced, on July 21, 1979, that Pope John Paul II would be visiting Ireland in late-September/early-October, both Ian Paisley and the Orange Order issued statements saying that Northern Ireland, "must not be included in his itinerary". A now-declassified document from the US State Department at the time, noted: "Ian Paisley used 16th-century language in speaking of Pope John Paul's visit to Ireland, but our impression is that on the whole Unionist (Protestant) leaders decided not to rise to the bait of a few Papal phrases, or saw nothing worth troubling with. Paisley reportedly told a Press conference the Pope was a liar, imposter and anti-Christ and that his visit was intended to bring political pressure on the UK Government in favour of Irish unity. Majority leaders otherwise kept silent... and the Belfast News Letter continued its overtly positive approach." I was 24 at the time the visit was announced and involved with the UUP. Shortly afterwards - I don't remember the exact date - it was known that the Pope would be visiting Armagh. I grew up in Armagh. I knew it well. I have no recollection of unionism there being spooked, or threatened, by the visit. Indeed, I remember a family friend and local businessman welcoming the prospect of tens of thousands flocking to the city and the huge potential benefits for pubs, hotels, guest houses, business generally and tourism. And, while there was no doubt that Paisley's view reflected a strand of evangelical Protestantism, there was no sense that unionism generally was particularly put out by the prospect of the visit. So, I've always wondered if the IRA's killing of 18 soldiers in Warrenpoint and the murder of Lord Mountbatten in Mullaghmore (both on the same day, August 27, 1979) was some sort of perverse reaction to that sanguinity. Less than 48 hours later, a statement from the Vatican announced that the Pope wouldn't be visiting Armagh and would, instead, go to Drogheda, which also happened to be in the Archdiocese of Armagh. But the events of August 27 eclipsed everything else in Northern Ireland for the next few weeks. This was the era before rolling news and multi-channels. I don't actually remember much of the coverage of the visit from either the local BBC, or UTV, and I certainly wasn't glued to a screen, or radio. Many people had no access to RTE at the time, which did have wall-to-wall coverage. It wasn't a case of avoiding the coverage as such (and I speak as someone who loves big news stories and events), more a case of not being aware of round-the-clock coverage in Northern Ireland at the time. But, even from my limited viewing, I do remember being struck by the sheer numbers of people involved. The Pope, in showbiz language, was huge; a star attraction able to draw a third of the Irish population when he celebrated Mass in Phoenix Park, while hundreds of thousands more flocked to every other event. Great numbers crossed the border to see him. And those numbers made me think about both the Catholic Church and the Irish state. Why did the Church have that power and influence? In political terms did the old line about 'Home Rule means Rome Rule' actually have substance? Wasn't it dangerous and anti-democratic to have such a close link between Church and state? Wasn't this hard evidence that a united Ireland - and it was just a republican dream at that point - would be a freezing cold place for unionism collectively and Protestantism, in particular? In many ways, Pope Francis is a bigger star, but he may not be a bigger draw. Ireland has changed. The people are no longer in awe of the Catholic Church, or fearful of being seen to be publicly opposed to Vatican doctrine. The Church has been hugely damaged by a series of scandals and cover-ups and even Francis - who assumed office on a tidal wave of goodwill - is coming under increasing criticism as he tries to hold conservatives and traditionalists together. He cannot be seen to criticise decisions taken in recent referenda; but nor can he ignore the concerns of those hundreds of thousands who oppose same-sex-marriage and changes to the laws on abortion. There has been barely a peep from unionism about this visit - even from within the DUP. The main Protestant Churches have been welcoming and some of their leaders will meet the Pope. There will be far more coverage in Northern Ireland this time. No unionist today, or Protestant evangelical, speaks of 'Rome Rule' or mocks a 'priest-ridden' state. The year 1979 was about a powerful, hugely influential political/religious leader. Pope Francis doesn't have that power, or that influence. This is a different kind of visit and event altogether. Except in one respect - apparently, it's still not an appropriate moment to visit Northern Ireland. Paul Hopkins in Knock Almost 40 years ago, in the company of 300,000 members of the faithful, I was at Killineer to report on John Paul II's appeal to paramilitaries to lay down their arms. "I wish to speak to all men and women engaged in violence," he said. "I appeal to you, in language of passionate pleading. On my knees, I beg you to turn away from the path of violence and to return to the ways of peace." That visit, near Drogheda, was as near to Northern Ireland as the Pope would get. A planned Mass in St Patrick's Cathedral in Armagh had been called off as his advisers feared he would be a target for loyalist paramilitaries. There were even whispers of lines being crossed and busloads of children being targeted - all conjecture and rumour, but powerful enough at the time. When the papal visit was announced, it was immediately followed by statements from the Orange Order and from Ian Paisley, warning the Pope off: Paisley called him the "anti-Christ". This was the height of the Troubles. The previous year, 80 people had died at the hand of violence and, by the time the Pope arrived on Irish soil, in September 1979, a further 68 died, the total for that year being 120 killed. The Pope was keen to visit Northern Ireland, not least because he wanted to contribute, in some way, to the peace process, but the worsening security situation forced the cancellation. Just weeks earlier, the Queen's cousin, Lord Louis Mountbatten, and three others, had been murdered in an IRA bomb attack on his boat at Mullaghmore in Co Sligo, while 18 soldiers were killed in two explosions near Warrenpoint, Co Down. Elsewhere that year, the 'Shankill Butchers' were sentenced to life in prison, Margaret Thatcher won a landslide victory to become Prime Minister and the INLA assassinated Conservative MP Airey Neave as he left the House of Commons. In my report (headlined 'The Sermon on The Mount'), John Paul II - declared a saint by Pope Francis in 2014, along with John XIII - recalled his own attendance at the canonisation of Saint Oliver Plunkett, four years earlier. The saint's relic had been brought from Drogheda to Killineer and, afterwards, the Pontiff knelt and prayed before the relic for peace. One-time Primate of All Ireland, Plunkett was found guilty of high treason in June 1681 "for promoting the Roman faith" and condemned to death. In passing judgment, the Chief Justice said: "You have done as much as you could to dishonour God in this case; for the bottom of your treason was your setting up your false religion, than which there is not any thing more displeasing to God, or more pernicious to mankind in the world." That day in September 1979 John Paul II described Oliver Plunkett as "forever an outstanding example of the love of Christ for all men". Like the rest of the world, the Republic of Ireland, 39 years ago, was a very different place. Three out of every five Catholics attended Sunday Mass, the churches were open day and night, newspapers like de Valera's now-defunct pro-republican Irish Press sold by the truckload outside church gates and if a cleric said black was white on Gay Byrne's Late Late Show it made the front page, the Catholic Church's moral authority being wholly unquestionable. These were the days long before Sky TV and social media, where gay people struggled in fear with their identity, of being 'outed', and divorce and the repeal of the Eighth Amendment were still a long way off being realised - days when clerical abuse allegations were merely nasty rumours and secularism was still something of a dirty word. Ireland has had to wait almost four decades for another papal visit and, in that time, much has changed. When Pope Francis arrives next weekend, he will find a Republic where fewer than 29% of Catholics attend Mass, divorce and gay marriage are legal, the Troubles are effectively over and the Catholic Church has been damaged - perhaps irreparably - by a litany of sexual abuse and exploitation scandals. In Northern Ireland, the demographics of Catholic v Protestant have changed and the eventuality of a united Ireland no longer seems so remote. The Republic today is a much more secular, urban, society, with a highly educated youth, a society tolerant to all shades and hues of preference and predilection, where the four-letter word on the airwaves no longer shocks and repeated re-runs of Father Ted still raise big belly-laughs at the idiocy of the high esteem in which Rome's rule was once held. Almost 40 years on, however, John Paul II's stirring Sermon on The Mount, starting with the words "The cry of centuries sends me here", still resounds. In the end, though, it fell on deaf ears. The Pope departed from Ireland on October 1, 1979. On October 3, the IRA rejected John Paul's plea, saying: "Force is by far the only means of removing the evil of the British presence in Ireland ... We know also that upon victory the (Catholic) Church would have no difficulty recognising us ..." As I write, I am travelling by train to Knock in Co Mayo, where next weekend Francis will ascend on the village where there was, allegedly, an apparition of the Blessed Virgin, St Joseph, St John the Evangelist and Christ in 1879. Sitting opposite me are a couple from Belfast with their 10-year-old grandson. "It's a pity the Pope is not visiting Northern Ireland," I say, with the rider: "It would make for a great headline: Frankie goes to Holywood (Co Down)!" "Thank God he's not," the Belfast man says. "Why is that?" I inquire. "Why? Because there are still those who would seek to kill him if he set foot in Northern Ireland." It seems the more things change, the more things stay the same, I think, looking out the window as my train hurtles at full throttle towards a holy place of pilgrimage. Paul Hopkins is a commentator and syndicated columnist. His 1979 report, 'The Sermon on The Mount', was chosen by the-then Papal Nuncio, Gaetano Alibrandi, for a place in the Vatican archives There have been four reports by the Historical Enquiries Team into the 1971 McGurks Bar atrocity A relative of a woman killed in the McGurk's bar attack has brought a challenge at the High Court in Dublin aimed at preventing the appointment of PSNI Deputy Chief Constable Drew Harris as the next Garda Commissioner. The action was brought by researcher Ciaran MacAirt whose grandmother Kathleen Irvine was one of 15 murdered when a loyalist bomb exploded at the Belfast pub in December 1971. In his action, Mr MacAirt alleges Mr Harris lacks the independence required to be Garda Commissioner due to his career in the PSNI and the RUC. His lawyer Gerard Humphreys claims Mr Harris could not direct or control any ongoing investigation into the murder of an Irish citizen where there is credible evidence of collusion between killers and the RUC or agencies of the British State, such as the Dublin-Monaghan bombs of 1974. Counsel said it is believed the appointment will take place in September. He alleges that due to his senior role with the PSNI, Mr Harris has possession of information directly relevant to Garda investigations into the murder of Irish citizens during the Troubles. It is also claimed that Mr Harris has signed and is bound by the UK's Offical Secrets Act making it impossible to fully discharge his duties as the next Garda Commissioner. This conflict, it is claimed, is incompatible with the duties of Section 5 of the Garda Siochana Act, in particular to state security and the investigation of crime. Mr MacAirt, who says he was shocked by the decision to appoint Mr Harris, says he has researched and written a book about the McGurk's bar bombing and is a director of a charity which supports victims and survivors of the Troubles. He claims that he has been trying to establish the truth behind the bombing. The RUC initially said the McGurk's bar explosion was an IRA bomb that was accidentally detonated when, in fact, it was deliberately planted in the bar by the UVF. One of its members, Robert Campbell, was jailed for the atrocity in 1977. However, Mr MacAirt says there was never a proper investigation into the bombing, and claims there was an RUC cover-up over the atrocity. He claims his efforts to find the truth have been frustrated by the RUC's successors, the PSNI. It is claimed that as part of his role with the PSNI, Mr Harris had responsibility for the PSNI's Historical Enquiries Team (HET), which investigated the bombing. It produced four reports, which Mr McAirt says Mr Harris had the final say over, into the bombings. The four reports, he said, were all rejected by survivors of the bombing and victims' relatives as allegations of collusion between loyalist paramilitaries and the RUC were not addressed. Mr Harris's role in the investigation into the murder of Irish citizens, he says, makes it impossible for him to hold the position of Garda Commissioner. In his action against the Irish Minister for Justice and the Irish Attorney General, Mr McAirt seeks various orders including one quashing the decision to appoint Mr Harris as Commissioner of An Garda Siochana. In the alternative, he seeks an order preventing Mr Harris having any role in the direction and control of the Garda investigation into the murder of Irish citizens where there is credible evidence of collusion by the RUC or other agencies of the British state in the murder. He also seeks declarations that the Irish State is obliged to conduct independent investigations into the murders of Irish citizens where there is credible evidence of collusion. He further seeks a declaration that due to his obligations under the UK's Official Secrets Act and his role in the protection of the PSNI, the RUC and other agencies of the UK, Mr Harris would be incapable of controlling an independent investigation into the murder of those Irish citizens where collusion was alleged. The matter came before yesterday's sitting of the High Court in Dublin. The judge granted permission for Mr MacAirt's lawyers to make an application for leave to bring his judicial proceedings on notice to the state respondents. The matter will return before the court on Tuesday. World Record attempt in the Titanic quarter in East Belfast for the Largest Poppy created using people. Pic by Peter Morrison World Record attempt in the Titanic quarter in East Belfast for the Largest Poppy created using people. Pic by Peter Morrison World Record attempt in the Titanic quarter in East Belfast for the Largest Poppy created using people. Pic by Peter Morrison World Record attempt in the Titanic quarter in East Belfast for the Largest Poppy created using people. Pic by Peter Morrison World Record attempt in the Titanic quarter in East Belfast for the Largest Poppy created using people. Pic by Peter Morrison World Record attempt in the Titanic quarter in East Belfast for the Largest Poppy created using people. Pic by Peter Morrison World Record attempt in the Titanic quarter in East Belfast for the Largest Poppy created using people. Pic by Peter Morrison World Record attempt in the Titanic quarter in East Belfast for the Largest Poppy created using people. Pic by Peter Morrison World Record attempt in the Titanic quarter in East Belfast for the Largest Poppy created using people. Pic by Peter Morrison World Record attempt in the Titanic quarter in East Belfast for the Largest Poppy created using people. Pic by Peter Morrison World Record attempt in the Titanic quarter in East Belfast for the Largest Poppy created using people. Pic by Peter Morrison Hundreds of people have gathered in dockland area of Belfast in an attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the largest human flower. The bid has been organised by the Row on Row groups, based in east Belfast and the Shankill area, and is taking place to mark the end of the First World War. For the record to be broken, 3,000 people are required to appear between 10.30am and 12pm on Saturday at the Titanic Quarter site close to the SSE Arena. The current benchmark was set by a company in China in September 2017, when 2,567 set the record in the Shaoyang area. Participants in the Titanic Quarter wore red and black plastic rain ponchos to match the colours of the flower. It has not yet been revealed if the group were successful in taking the crown for the largest ever human flower. Ian Paisley has said that if he had done anything that deserved resigning as North Antrim MP, he would have done so already. On BBC's Talkback Mr Paisley, who is facing a recall petition, was pressed by presenter William Crawley if he was considering stepping down. He responded: "If I believed I had done anything that deserved me to resign my job I would not be there today - I think that answers the question." Mr Paisley was asked if accepted he brought the House of Commons into disrepute. He replied: "I have accepted the report from the House of Commons and apologised for it... and accepted the punishment, and I think everyone knows that." He added he did not want to say anything further at this stage that would "influence" what was going on with the petition. Mr Paisley was given a 30-day suspension from the Commons for failing to declare family holidays paid for by the Sri Lankan government. He later went on to lobby for it in Parliament. He has also been suspended by the DUP pending an internal investigation. North Antrim Sinn Fein MLA Philip McGuigan said any decision on quitting would not be the MP's to make. "It will be the people of North Antrim who decide whether or not Ian Paisley resigns as their MP and not the man himself," he said. "Unfortunately for Ian Paisley, it won't be him that makes that decision, it will be the people signing the recall petition. "And I am sure that many of them will have a different opinion on recent events when they consider that their MP has been subject to the most severe sanction handed down by Westminster in 70 years." If 7,543 people sign the recall petition, 10% of the electorate, a by-election will be held. The petition is due to run until September 19. Mr Paisley's suspension from the House of Commons begins on September 4. A 46-year-old man and a 51-year-old woman have been charged with a number of drug offences after a seizure of cocaine and pregabalin in north Belfast. A 46-year-old man and a 51-year-old woman have been charged with a number of drug offences after a seizure of cocaine and pregabalin in north Belfast. Following searches at properties in the Glencairn area of the city on Friday night more than 20,000 worth of suspected cocaine and pregabalin was seized. The man has been charged with a number of drugs offences, including being concerned in the supply of class A drugs. He has appeared before Belfast Magistrates Court on Saturday morning. The female, who was also charged with drugs offences, will appear before Belfast Magistrates court on 13 September. As is usual procedure the charges will be reviewed by the PPS. The man has been remanded in custody following his court appearance. It is an honour to become part of NA: Bilawal Bhutto PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto, in his first address to the National Assembly, delivered a measured and mature speech in English. Although he said it was his "honour to become a part of this house", the 29-year-old criticised the "two biggest parties for creating a ruckus" in the parliament. He remembered those who lost their lives in terror attacks in Peshawar and Quetta in the run-up to the July 25 polls. Bilawal said that his party had its reservations over both the pre- and post-polling procedures but still "decided to be a part of this house to support this fragile democracy." "If it weren't for us Mr Speaker, you wouldn't have your seat and the PM would not have his," he added. "We would have been facing a constitutional crisis and we must assess what it cost for Khan sahab to get here. We mainstreamed extremism, we compromised on our basic rights, we pitted one Pakistani against another," he continued. "Our prime minister-elect has promised a 100-day roadmap. I want to see how he creates 10 million jobs, ends poverty." "I would like to ask Khan sahab who said that he would rather commit suicide than go to the IMF and beg for alms what his plan will be to deal with the economic crisis." "It is hurtful that Pakistan, which has sacrificed so much in the fight against violent extremism, is seen as a part of the problem and not as part of the solution," he went on. "I am sure the new government will take the [necessary] steps. However Khan sahab got here, Mr Speaker, he is now the prime minister of this worthy nation." "I want to remind him that he is not one party's prime minister. He is the prime minister of all Pakistanis even those he called living corpses, the ones he called donkeys, the ones he referred to as sheep and goats." "As prime minister, I hope Imran Khan will drop the hateful rhetoric. If he continues to fan the flames of hatred, he will have to go through us and he will find us opposing him at every step of the way," he vowed. "If the prime minister-elect makes constitutional supremacy and human development his priorities, we will stand by his side," he added. "I congratulate the prime minister-select," he concluded, with his use of the word "select" possibly referring to allegations of poll engineering. Following Bilawal's speech PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi also addressed the newly formed parliament. He accused the PML-N of breaking the agreement that the opposition and the ruling parties had made to allow Khan to deliver his full speech. "Every party stood by its word except the PML-N," Qureshi said. "Of course why would they? The session was being broadcast live so there was a photo opportunity. "Imran Khan wanted to say that 'I will present myself in front of the nation'. He wanted to invite everyone to sit together but sadly you did not have the courage to listen to him." Qureshi then struck a conciliatory tone and asked the opposition to "play the role of a constructive opposition. "Let's change our behaviour towards each other. We will try to incorporate your criticism in our policies. We must also have the courage to listen to criticism." A Presbyterian minister has spoken out against the Moderator's decision to meet the Pope during his visit to Ireland next weekend. The Rev William Moody, from Brookside Church in Ahoghill, said he believed Dr Charles McMullen's attendance at the Dublin event would create "confusion" about church teachings. The Moderator will meet Pope Francis at Dublin Castle on August 25 along with other religious and civic leaders, before attending the Festival of Families event at Croke Park in the city. The Rev Moody said he took exception to the Pope's intention to grant indulgences (an official forgiveness of sin) to those attending the event. He said: "Confusion over how people get right with God is my chief concern. As a church we differ on the matter of indulgences. "In other contexts, we do meet with other representatives from the Roman Catholic Church and there is value in that, but that's not what we're talking about. "Indulgences are totally contrary to the teachings of the (Presbyterian) Church." Asked if he would object to the Moderator meeting the Pope in a different type of event he said: "My concern is that it adds confusion that somehow we are agreeing on how people get right with God. "I think the Moderator has to be true to the teaching of our Church." Rev Moody said that the church always understood that it would "go against popular opinion and stay true to the teachings of Christ". Asked if the Moderator's attendance should simply be seen as being neighbourly, he said:"I think being a good neighbour is sharing the truth. "I'm originally a Newry man, a predominantly Roman Catholic city, I've always had a great love for my Roman Catholic neighbours and I want them to be clear as to how they can be right with God." A spokesman for the Presbyterian Church in Ireland said that as a church that values debate and discussion, members have every right to take a principled view on the Moderator attending events for Pope Francis in Dublin. But he said that an overwhelming majority of the Church's General Assembly and General Council approved. On the matter of indulgences, the spokesperson said that as a reformed church "there is no need for indulgences, or anything similar". "While we are theologically very different from the Roman Catholic Church, as we stress salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, we felt that it was appropriate for the Moderator to attend the State reception for Pope Francis and the Festival of Families." He added: "The main reason for this is to give a lead in building good relations as we seek to develop a more reconciled society. "Leaders, including church leaders, need on occasion to step out of their comfort zones and reach out the hand of friendship." During the last Papal visit to Ireland in 1979, the Presbyterian Church declined to send its Moderator to meet Pope John Paul II, but the Assembly Clerk Dr Jack Weir attended a Papal reception in Dublin in a personal capacity. When Pope Benedict visited the UK in 2010, the moderator Dr Norman Hamilton attended an ecumenical service involving the Pope in Westminster Abbey. However, he did not attend a reception afterwards to meet the Pontiff. A Catholic priest who told his congregation he did not believe the Pope should come to Ireland next week has said that in light of the sex abuse scandal in Pennsylvania, his words are even more pertinent. A grand jury investigation into Church abuse in the US state involving 1,000 children and 300 priests over a 70-year period was published on Tuesday. Fr Patrick McCafferty told his congregation in Corpus Christi Parish in Ballymurphy last weekend that the pontiff should stay away from the World Meeting of Families in Dublin. Fr McCafferty's opinion centred not on the Pope personally, but other clergy who had " very serious questions to answer" about Theodore McCarrick "a sexual predator who rose very high in the Church's ranks". The priest, a survivor of clerical abuse himself, said the Pennsylvanian report "added further horror to the whole thing". "What has added to all of this scandal is the revelation of people in high places who have been guilty of abuse and who have covered up abuse and who knew about each other and who covered up for each other" Fr McCafferty said. "What I said was not against the Pope, I have the greatest love for the Pope and I trust the Pope, and have every confidence in him. "He will come, of course, because they are not going to disorganise it because of a priest like me, a nobody in Belfast. "It was a rhetorical thing, but I actually think he will surprise us when he does come." Fr McCafferty said he felt he had to address the pain and suffering of survivors and victims and the "loss of trust and credibility". In the wake of the Pennsylvania report, the Vatican described the abuses detailed as "criminal and morally reprehensible". It said: "Those who have suffered are his (the Pope's) priority, and the Church wants to listen to them and to root out this tragic horror that destroys the lives of the innocent." In his homily to his congregation, Fr McCafferty described the sex abuse scandals that have plagued the Catholic Church as "a terrible disease that has infected the sacred ministry of God's Church". He added: "It is no secret that I myself am a victim of one of those predators who have caused such ruin. "The harm I suffered was extensive and long-lasting. "Others have suffered worse and may never be healed in this life. "They never end - these revelations of shocking crimes - which cry out to God in Heaven. "It is one episode after another and we are now starting to hear of men in even higher places, bishops, archbishops and cardinals like Theodore McCarrick, like the auxiliary bishop in Chile who was abusing seminarians and had to resign. "And then there are those who sang dumb. And those now lying through their teeth about what they knew. "It is an abomination and desecration that will lead certain high-ranking men to the pit of the damned. They will answer for it in hellfire." Fr McCafferty said he was comforted by the response he received. He said: "People clapped. I spoke to the people in the parish because I felt strongly it was the right thing to so. "It was a very emotional homily in many ways, the people know my story anyway, it's not something we talk about all the time, but they know my abuser actually worked in this parish back in the 1980s, although there is no physical trace of any of the buildings that would have been there, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to come here because of the traumatic memories. "The fact is the people know and they knew my story when I came here and they have been nothing but supportive and kind. "They are wonderful, wonderful people. "I said what I had to say because I felt I had to bring the word of God that we had just listened to in the readings to bear upon the situation." A self-styled paedophile hunter was escorted from court yesterday after shouting up the paedo hunters A self-styled paedophile hunter was escorted from court yesterday after shouting up the paedo hunters. It came after both the defendant and his barrister voiced concern over the length of time the case is taking to be heard. Caolan Murray, of Mark Court in Lurgan, is charged with two counts of assault, two counts of attempted intimidation, possessing an offensive weapon in a public place and false imprisonment. Previously, Craigavon Magistrates Court heard that the 24-year-old had attempted a sting operation on the injured party back on January 18, which he live-streamed to Facebook. Murray then allegedly attacked the same man on February 22, with the court hearing how he approached his home armed with a crossbow this too was streamed on Facebook. The alleged victim was injured after being punched in the face, with the prosecution citing the persons sexuality as an aggravating factor. Yesterday, the prosecution told the court they required four more weeks to provide an update on the progress of the case. This, they claimed, had been down to an overlap in files regarding the injured party, and a separate case involving him. Defence barrister Conor Lunny branded this as unacceptable. He told District Judge Gregg McCourt that Judge Bernie Kelly the resident judge had said that if no file had been present the case would proceed on report. Mr Lunny highlighted that this case was approaching six or seven months. Murray also voiced his concern from the dock, saying: I was told there would be a decision four weeks ago, this is a joke. District Judge Gregg McCourt also expressed concern at the time the case is taking to proceed. I am very concerned with the delay in this case, noting that it had been in for decision two weeks ago, he said. Murray was ordered to return on August 31 for the investigating officer to attend. As he left the dock the defendant shouted up the paedo hunters. Whilst seated in the courtroom Murray continued to shout paedophile before he was escorted out by staff. The pair were in an Uber in the south of France (PA) Two Britons managed to escape a sinking Uber car after it drove into the sea off the French Riviera. Nick Christoforou, 31, and Sophia Toon, 23, were on an early morning trip when the cab went off the end of a jetty in Cannes. Luckily real estate worker Mr Christoforou, from north London, managed to open a door and, along with the driver, they swam to safety. Had it not been for his actions they would all be 100% dead, Mr Christoforou told The Sun. Expand Close The cab went off the end of a jetty in Cannes (PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The cab went off the end of a jetty in Cannes (PA) The ride-hailing app reportedly still charged him for the trip, although the fare has since been refunded. One minute I was in the back of an Uber heading home, and the next I was in the sea, he said. I managed to get the car door open and got to the surface to find the others. If I wasnt in a fit and able state we would all be 100% dead. Images showed the Citroen DS5 partially submerged in 10ft of water at Port Pierre Canto. The driver was breathalysed and found to be sober, the paper said. A police spokesman told The Sun the car had sunk slowly, giving them time to escape. An Uber spokeswoman told the paper: We contacted both passengers to ensure they were OK and are offering counselling while they await the outcome of their (insurance) claim. The driver involved is no longer able to use the Uber app. Britney Spears fans were never going to let a return to typical British summer weather put a damper on her arrival back in the UK. After Tokyo, Las Vegas, Berlin and New York, Scarboroughs Open Air Theatre was perhaps not the most obvious setting as Britney brought her Piece of Me tour to Britain. Europes biggest open air theatre is, of course, outdoors. And the drizzle started as the support act, Pitbull, took to the stage and did not really stop until Britney was halfway through Toxic, near the end of her spectacular set. But from the moment Britney strode on the stage and launched into Work Bitch, nobody cared about the weather. In fact the mass of cagoules, disposable waterproofs, ponchos and sodden look-a-like schoolgirl outfits massed in front of her only served to heighten the exotic sight of the pop star in her now trademark lattice of leather straps and underwear essentials. She must be frozen, said one fan. Tickets for tonight's @britneyspears Piece of Me show are now SOLD OUT! Doors open at 6pm, see you there! pic.twitter.com/CIzNJjJCDi Open Air Theatre (@ScarboroughOAT) August 17, 2018 But by Womaniser second on the set-list even he had forgotten about the rain as the hit-a-minute singalong was in full swing. Only the appearance stage-left of the figure of a roadie with a squeegee broom during the opening two numbers provided a flickering reminder. By the time Baby One More Time began, it looked like every single person in the bowl-style venue was singing every word of every song. This is a show Britney has honed in more than 200 performances during her Las Vegas residency and dates across North America and Asia. The spectacular musical numbers were delivered with the same precision as the North Bay miniature railway which winds through the Open Air Theatre when it is not playing host to pop music royalty. It is so rehearsed that there is little room for any spontaneity but the Scarborough audience helped a bit by providing the now obligatory prelude to Gimme More with a shout of Who is it? from those standing at the front before the star begins with Britney bitch. Expand Close Scarborough was a surprise choice for the show (Steve Parsons/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Scarborough was a surprise choice for the show (Steve Parsons/PA) And, during Freakshow, Thomas from the audience got to get up on stage and be walked around on a leash at one point appearing to confuse Britney with his spontaneous moves. There is always talk of how much she lip syncs, the fact she is clearly not a natural dancer and the clothing choices of a 36-year-old mother of two. But not one of the 6,000 on their feet in Scarborough cared about any of that. This was carefree adoration from all her different groups of fans those who brought their teenage memories from Britneys turn-of-the-millennium pomp and a new group of teenage girls who were not even born when Baby One More Time sealed Britneys place in the pop firmament after just one hit. These youngsters appear to see her now as the godmother of Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez. For those whose last live music experience in Scarborough was The Grumbleweeds at the currently-being-demolished Futurist Theatre in the 1980s, the fact the town is becoming a fixture for visiting pop stars on the arena circuit is a welcome surprise even if Britney signed off with a thank you so much UK rather than a nod to the town. Britney returned to the UK for the Scarborough show after a brief visit at the beginning of August to headline Pride in Brighton. From North Yorkshire she moves on to Manchester, Dublin and Glasgow before a three-night stay at the O2 in London and dates in Birmingham and Blackpool at the end of the month. Police officers by the barrier outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster (Stefan Rousseau/PA) A 29-year-old man has been charged with attempting to murder members of the public and police officers by driving a car through crowds in Westminster. Salih Khater, of Highgate Street, Birmingham, will appear in court facing two counts of attempted murder, following the incident outside the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday. The Sudanese-born suspect, who is a British citizen, allegedly drove his vehicle into pedestrians and cyclists before deliberately swerving towards police officers. He then crashed into barriers outside the Palace of Westminster and was arrested. Prosecutors will be treating his case as terrorism due to the method of the alleged attack, the targets selected and the high-profile location, the Metropolitan Police said after charging him on Saturday. Three people were treated for non-life threatening injuries after the incident. The defendant is due before Westminster Magistrates Court on Monday. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been accused of being an anti-Semite by Munich Olympics massacre survivor Professor Shaul Ladany (Aaron Chown/PA) An Israeli athlete who survived the Munich Olympics massacre has urged Jeremy Corbyn to disappear from politics, saying he had no doubt he was an anti-Semite. Professor Shaul Ladany, who competed in the 1972 Games as a race walker, strongly condemned the Labour leaders presence at a wreath-laying ceremony at the Palestinian Martyrs Cemetery in Tunis in 2014. Mr Corbyn has faced fierce criticism over his appearance at the cemetery which contains the graves of a number of the founders of the Black September terror group, which carried out the Munich massacre in which 11 Israeli athletes were killed. He should disappear from the political sceneProfessor Shaul Ladany He has strongly denied he is anti-Semitic and rejected calls to apologise, insisting the event was to commemorate the Palestinians killed in an Isreali air strike on the offices of the Palestinian Liberation Organistation in 1985, and he had not been there to honour Black September. However, in an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Prof Ladany, 82, said he had been really upset by the pictures which have emerged of Mr Corbyn who was still a backbencher at the time at the event. He knows at present he cannot fully express himself totally openly because he might lose some of his voters. I dont know him personally but from what I have read and heard I have no doubt that he is an anti-Semite, he told the paper. He should disappear from the political scene. And I hope that it will happen. A spokesman for the Labour leader said: Jeremy Corbyn visited the Palestine National Cemetery in Tunisia to support Palestinian rights and honour the victims of the illegal 1985 airstrike, many of whom were civilians, on the Palestine Liberation Organisations headquarters an attack condemned by the UN. Jeremy did not honour those alleged to have been linked to the Black September organisation or the 1972 Munich killings. He of course condemns that terrible attack, as he does the 1985 bombing. Expand Close The latest twist in the row comes after a backlash against Dame Margaret Hodge, who has also challenged the Labour leader over anti-Semitism (Yui Mok/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The latest twist in the row comes after a backlash against Dame Margaret Hodge, who has also challenged the Labour leader over anti-Semitism (Yui Mok/PA) Earlier the veteran Jewish Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge faced an angry backlash after she likened a recent Labour Party disciplinary investigation into her conduct to the persecution faced by Jews in Nazi Germany, saying she felt as if they were coming for me. Dame Margaret said the inquiry into her confrontation with Mr Corbyn, in which she called him a racist and accused him of failing to deal with anti-Semitism in the party, left her thinking what did it feel like to be a Jew in Germany in the Thirties. Her comments provoked a furious response from some Labour activists and supporters, who denounced what they said was her overreaction. Overseas Pakistanis can vote: ECP LAHORE: The Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to ensure that overseas Pakistanis exercise their right to vote in the upcoming by-polls in the country as a pilot project. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar passed the order on Friday while hearing over a dozen petitions seeking directions for the ECP to make arrangements to enable overseas Pakistanis to exercise their right to vote. Initially, these petitions were moved by solicitor Muhammad Dawood Ghaznavi and other expatriates in 2015 while Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan became party to the proceedings in January 2018. During Fridays proceedings at the Lahore registry of the apex court, ECP secretary Babar Yaqoob Fateh told the bench that rules had been framed in the light of its power enshrined under Section 239 of the Elections Act 2017. He said that a mechanism of i-voting (internet voting) had been evolved with the contribution of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) to facilitate overseas Pakistanis to exercise their right to vote. Nadra chairman Usman Mobeen was also present in the court. Congratulations to overseas Pakistanis, the CJP said and observed that it would be for the first time that expatriates would participate in the polling process. The chief justice directed the ECP and Nadra chief to complete the pilot projects in view of the election law and make sure that the process of i-voting was foolproof and flawless. The chief justice also ordered the ECP to conduct pilot projects for i-voting by overseas Pakistanis in by-polls to ascertain the technical efficacy, secrecy and security of voting and present the results before parliament as required under section 94 of the Elections Act 2017. He further directed the ECP to keep the results of the i-voting segregated from the basic balloting process so that it could not affect the election results in case any dispute arose. An expatriate present in the court approached the rostrum and extended his gratitude to the chief justice on behalf of overseas Pakistanis. He also invited Chief Justice Nisar to visit the US where overseas Pakistanis had plans to collect money for the fund established by the Supreme Court for the construction of dams. He said the overseas Pakistanis living in the US would contribute around $1 million to the national cause. The CJP pointed out that he had been receiving invitations to visit overseas Pakistanis in different countries who could donate around $1 billion for the dams. However, the chief justice said he would not be able to visit more than a couple of countries i.e. US and UK. Two people appeared in a London court yesterday charged with the female genital mutilation (FGM) of a three-year-old girl Two people appeared in a London court yesterday charged with the female genital mutilation (FGM) of a three-year-old girl. The man (42) and woman (36), who each face five charges and cannot be named at this stage for legal reasons, appeared at Thames Magistrates Court. The accused, who both have addresses in east London, are each accused of FGM and failing to protect a girl from risk of genital mutilation on August 28 last year. The woman, a Ugandan national, is further accused of distributing an indecent video of children and possessing an extreme pornographic image - a charge that the man, from Ghana, also faces. He is further accused of publishing videos of a sexual nature involving animals and possessing indecent videos of a child. They were remanded in custody and are next due to appear at the Old Bailey in London on August 31. UK may have to re-think its decision to leave the EU, a former head of the Civil Service has warned (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Britain may have to rethink the decision to leave the European Union if the Government is unable to strike a Brexit deal with Brussels, a former head of the Civil Service has warned. Lord Kerslake said the consequences of a no-deal break would be so serious, Parliament would have consider whether it could allow it to go ahead. The peer, who has advised Labour on preparing for government, said that at the least there would have to be a pause in the Article 50 process under which the UK is set to leave the bloc on March 29 next year. In those circumstances, he said, the European Commission would almost certainly insist on some re-examination of the original 2016 referendum decision to leave. The consequences of a no deal would be so serious as I think Parliament would have to seriously consider whether it could contemplate thisLord Kerslake His comments came as the Government prepares to publish a series of technical notes on preparations for a no-deal Brexit across dozens of areas of British life, from farming to financial services. Lord Kerslake said the measures were too little, too late and that the Government had not allowed itself enough time to prepare for such an outcome. He told the the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: The consequences of a no deal would be so serious as I think Parliament would have to seriously consider whether it could contemplate this. The question people need ask themselves is: is this a risk that they think we should be taking? If the Government can negotiate a good deal, then so be it. But if they cant and we end up in this position, then we have to reopen the question of whether we go forward with Brexit at all. It is not too late to do that. Expand Close Lord Kerslake has advised Labour on preparing for government (Peter Byrne/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Lord Kerslake has advised Labour on preparing for government (Peter Byrne/PA) A pause to reflect would certainly be necessary. I think that is a pretty high probability now. But I think that pause would need to include and I suspect this would be insisted on by the (European) Commission some re-examination of the decision itself. The co-chairman of the pro-Brexit Leave Means Leave campaign group, Richard Tice, said Lord Kerslakes intervention was intended to soften people up for a delay to Britains withdrawal. That would be absolutely appalling. People up and down the country would be furious that our civil servants and Government have deliberately ignored the will of he people, he told the Today programme. What we have just heard from Lord Kerslake is part of the deliberate negativity from the Civil Service who are looking to soften people up in order to extend Article 50. It is completely unacceptable. Expand Close Nigel Farage is to campaign against Theresa Mays Chequers plan (Kirsty OConnor/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Nigel Farage is to campaign against Theresa Mays Chequers plan (Kirsty OConnor/PA) Earlier it was announced that Nigel Farage was to become vice chairman of Leave Means Leave to spearhead the campaign against Theresa Mays Chequers plan for Brexit, which critics regard as a sell-out. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, the former Ukip leader said: It is now beyond doubt that the political class in Westminster and many of their media allies do not accept the EU referendum result. It is equally clear to me that, unless challenged, these anti-democrats will succeed in frustrating the result. A 17-year-old boy has been charged with attempted robbery after a 93-year-old woman was attacked at a bus stop. The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, handed himself in to Greater Manchester Police on Friday night. He was charged in connection with the incident which took place at 11.55am on Thursday at a bus stop in Turf Lane, Chadderton, Oldham. A 17-year-old boy has been charged with attempted robbery https://t.co/loeDWYaEWG Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) August 18, 2018 The boy will appear at Tameside Youth Court on September 4. The woman was dragged to the floor, banging her head and leaving her with multiple injuries to her head, knees and hands. She was taken to hospital for treatment and has since been discharged. The offenders fled empty-handed. Dallas Zoo in Texas has posted an update on its resident gorilla and her tiny baby Saambili, posting a cute video of the two. The clip shows the two-month-old baby snuggling up to her mum and the two having a snooze together. Posting the video on Facebook, the zoo said: Check out this sweet moment we captured between our precious Saambili and mom, Hope Were not crying. Youre crying. SWEET SLEEPY SAAMBILI: We're not crying. YOU'RE crying. Check out this sweet moment we captured between our precious Saambili and mom, Hope. #SaambiliSaturday Posted by Dallas Zoo on Saturday, August 18, 2018 The adorable video of Saambili and her mum now has over 18,000 views. Saambili is the first critically endangered gorilla born at the zoo in 20 years, and arrived on June 25 to mum Hope and dad Subira. The baby is named after a female gorilla caretaker, Aldegonde Saambili, who works for the zoos conservation partner, Grace (Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Centre), in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Former secretary-general of the UN Kofi Annan has died at the age of 80. Former secretary-general of the UN Kofi Annan has died at the age of 80. The Ghanaian diplomat served in the position for two terms from 1997 to 2006, and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001. He was the first black African to hold the position, and later served as the UN special envoy for Syria in efforts to resolve the conflict which has raged in the country since 2011. More to follow... Russian President Vladimir Putin made a flying visit to Austria to attend the wedding of the countrys foreign minister on Saturday, before heading to Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Austrian authorities imposed tight security measures around the site of the ceremony near the southern border with Slovenia, where foreign minister Karin Kneissl married her partner Wolfgang Meilinger, a businessman. Kneissl, an independent, was nominated by the pro-Russia Austrian Freedom Party, whose leaders also attended the wedding. Photos showed Putin dancing with the bride, who was dressed in traditional Austrian costume. According to Austrian public broadcaster ORF, Putin also took a small Cossack mens choir along to entertain about 100 guests at the wedding. Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies that the Russian president spent about an hour at the wedding. He gave the newlyweds a cold press oil machine, a traditional Russian samovar and a landscape painting that depicts the place where the groom hails from, said Peskov. Peskov said Putin proposed quite a long toast in German in which he said he was thankful and happy that he got a chance to visit the hospitable Austria. Austrian politician Joerg Leichtfried of the opposition Social Democratic Party criticised Kneissls decision to invite Putin to the wedding. He said it called into question Austrias role as a neutral intermediary in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where Russia-backed rebels are battling government forces. Austria currently holds the European Unions rotating presidency. Speaking hours later alongside Merkel before the two leaders held talks at the German governments guesthouse in Meseberg, north of Berlin, Putin said they would discuss bilateral ties, economic co-operation and Russias Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline beneath the Baltic Sea. With protesters audible outside the guesthouse, Putin also raised the issue of humanitarian aid and funding for international reconstruction in Syria. Its important to help those areas that the refugees can return to, he said. I think its in everyones interests, including Europes. Merkel said the talks would also touch on the possibility of establishing a United Nations mission to help bring about peace in Ukraine. Rohingya wait in the queus to collect relief materials at Lambarshia camp in Ukhia, Coxs Bazar, Jan. 23, 2018. The situation in Myanmars Rakhine state still is not conducive for the return of Rohingya refugees sheltering in Bangladesh, according to Bangladesh officials who accompanied their foreign minister on his first visit to the troubled state recently. The official said the conditions in Rakhines capital Sittwe and in Maungdaw and Buthidaung from where most of the Rohingya Muslims fled following violence raised questions over safety, security and employment opportunities for the refugees if they opted to return home. I would say the situation for a sustainable return of the Rohingya is yet to be created, Habibul Kabir Chowdhury, chief of a Ministry of Disaster Management unit that handles Rohingya-related matters, told BenarNews. This is the first media comment by a Bangladesh official following the Aug. 9 to 12 visit by the Bangladesh delegation led by the Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali. It was also the first visit by Bangladesh officials to Rakhine state since the Rohingya refugee crisis erupted in August 2017. Ali and his delegation visited Rakhine to look into Myanmars preparation for a planned repatriation of the 700,000 Rohingya refugees who fled to southeastern Bangladesh following the Myanmar militarys brutal crackdown in response to attacks by Rohingya insurgents. The military has been accused of waging a campaign of extrajudicial killings, rape and burning villages of the Rohingyas, who are regarded by Myanmar as illegal immigrants and have long been denied citizenship and basic rights even though some families have lived there for generations. The United Nations, United States and other western countries have condemned the military campaign as ethnic cleansing. Chowdhury said he and a group of officials were taken under tight security to five locations in Sittwe, including an area inhibited by Rohingya Muslims. The houses of the Muslims were under barricade. The commercial establishments of the Muslims were completely shut. There is no livelihood opportunity for them, he said. The ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, meanwhile, have been running their businesses as usual. He said interpreters and people they talked to referred to the Rohingya as just Muslims. A Bangladesh foreign ministry official who visited Sittwe with Chowdhury said they were taken under tight security to a neighborhood in Sittwe inhibited by relatively well-off Rohingya Muslims, some of whom owned five- to six-story buildings. The road leading to the houses had several police check posts. The people inside the houses have practically been under house arrest, said the official. The entire area had been under constant police guard, he said speaking on condition of anonymity. None of the residents is allowed to go out or nobody is permitted to enter the houses. Aid agencies have been providing food to the people inside the houses, the official said. Minister Ali and five other officials were flown to Maungdaw and Buthidaung, areas where most of devastation was reported during the military crackdown. The situation in Maungdaw and Buthidaung was far from conducive for the return of the Rohingyas, said another Bangladesh official who visited the areas. Mosques burned In one village where the Rohingyas used to live, we saw mosques burned while the pagodas of the Buddhists were intact, he said. We saw some areas were encircled by coconut trees but nothing was in in the middle. Signs of fire were there. This means these were Rohingya settlements, the official said. He said he saw no sustainable livelihood opportunities for returning Rohingyas in Maungdaw or Buthidaung. I think no Rohingya will return unless there was guarantee of livelihood options or safety and security, he said. He also said that Myanmar Social Affairs Minister Win Myat Aye, who accompanied Alis visit to Maungdaw and Buthidaung, said efforts were underway to set up infrastructure to accommodate returning Rohingya refugees, most of whom now live in Bangladeshs Coxs Bazar district. Md. Arif, a Rohingya leader at the Balukhali camp in Coxs Bazar, told BenarNews that the refugees would not return unless Myanmar provided them citizenship. Dr. Uttam Kumar Das, a refugee lawyer and a former senior official serving at the Dhaka branch of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office, said any repatriation of the refugees would be a complex exercise. Myanmar does not want to promise them citizenship unless the Rohingya [first] accept the NVC (national verification card). On the other hand, the Rohingya do not want to accept the NVC; they want restoration of their citizenship, Das told BenarNews. The NVC is the first step for any foreigner interested in getting Myanmar citizenship. At present, besides denying Rohingya citizenship, Myanmar prevents them from traveling without permission and denies them access to education, employment and health care. But Rohingyas are not foreigners; they have been living there for centuries. If the Rohingya accept the NVC, they would leave their historic claim on Arakan. So, they do not want to take the NVC, Das said. He said Rohingyas could face further repression if they returned without citizenship. Bangladesh should work closely with the international community to put up pressure on Myanmar to settle the citizenship issue. Qamar Bajwa rejected Ghazni attack allegations ISLAMABAD: Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa on Friday rejected allegations that Ghazni attack was supported by elements from Pakistan and asked Kabul to look inwards for the causes. COAS reiterates that there is no support to any terrorist activity inside Afghanistan from Pakistan side, the ISPR said in a statement, adding Afghanistan needs to look inward as the problem resides inside Afghanistan. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had earlier in the day asked Gen Bajwa to live up to his promise of addressing allegations of cross-border support for Taliban as he added his voice to those alleging role of Pakistani citizens in the Taliban attack on Ghazni city last week. Gen Bajwa, you signed a document with us and told me repeatedly in our conversations over the phone that when the elections (in Pakistan) are over you will pay attention to it. I need answers now.From where they came and why are they receiving treatment in your hospitals, VoA quoted Mr Ghani as having said during a visit to Ghazni. Last Friday, some 1,000 Taliban fighters stormed the city and retreated five days later. Afghan Defence Minister Tariq Shah Bahrami and other officials had earlier said that external elements including Pakistanis had aided the Taliban. Their claim was supported by ANP leader Afrasiab Khattak who through a tweet questioned what he claimed as the returning bodies of Pakistanis from war in Ghazni and the arrested Pakistani fighters. Rejecting images circulating on social media of allegedly wounded fighters being carried across the border, the ISPR statement noted that there are scores of Pakistanis working in Afghanistan in connection with various businesses/ labour who periodically fall victim to terrorism acts alongside their Afghan brothers inside Afghanistan. Terming such victims as terrorists is unfortunate. Moreover, different factions of TTP, hiding in many sanctuaries inside Afghanistan under Afghan identities on becoming injured/ dead are transported into Pakistan for medical help. Additionally, Afghan refugees and their relatives also resort to similar practices, it further said. Meanwhile, the Foreign Office spokesman recalled that the monitoring team of the United Nations Security Council Sanctions Committee in its recent report lauded Pakistans counterterrorism efforts and acknowledged that extensive counterterrorist operations had led to a reduction in terrorism in the country. This is not the first time that the monitoring team has acknowledged Pakistans counterterrorism gains. Earlier, in February 2018, the monitoring team in its 21st Report had also noted with appreciation that Pakistani military operations have denied space for ISIL (Daesh) to establish an organisational structure in the area, the FO said. Malaysia Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, center, waves after a press conference to announce his cabinet members in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, May 12, 2018. Malaysia Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Friday said his new government fulfilled only one third of election promises within its first 100 days of office, blaming the previous administration for leaving the country in a far worse than expected mess. He said his ruling Pact of Hope coalition, which stormed into power during the May election, managed to deliver on 21 of the 60 pledges made in its election manifesto. But the process has begun to fulfill the other pledges, said Mahathir, who at 93 is the oldest prime minister in the world. He listed the steps taken to achieve the goals. Mahathir said the financial mess left behind by the previous administration of corruption-tainted Prime Minister Najib Razak was worse than expected, adding it had hindered the new administrations ability to bring about quick results. A big burden left behind by the previous government is the trillion ringgit (U.S. $243.77 billion) debt. Repaying the interest alone can make us bankrupt, what more repaying the principal sum, he said. It would take many days to relate all the pitfalls of the previous administration, Mahathir said in a nationwide broadcast marking his governments 100 days in office. Therefore, we would concentrate on fulfilling the promises made in our manifesto. He said one of the promises that his government delivered quickly was the abolition of the much-maligned Goods and Services Tax (GST). The government is moving to implement a Sales and Services Tax (SST) regime, which covered a much broader range of items and services, but has not announced the rate for the revived levy. Mahathir also defended his governments decision not to conduct as promised a royal commission of inquiry into high-profile scandals and corruption allegation involving government-linked companies, including the multi-billion dollar scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). He said the cases were being investigated by authorities and the government would allow the courts to decide on them. Najib has been charged with three counts of money laundering and four charges of criminal breach of trust and abuse of power in connection with alleged misappropriation of funds at a former unit of 1MDB. Among the other election pledges that have not been fufilled by the new government within the 100 days in office are the setting of a minimum wage and introduction of a healthcare scheme. Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said there was no need for the government to apologize to the people for not delivering all its promises within the stipulated period. No need, (to apologize to the people). Maybe not as what we hoped for, but we tried our best, she said. According to a recently conducted survey by independent local pollster Merdeka Center, two-thirds of Malaysian voters appear satisfied with the performance of the new government and more than half of respondents said the nation was headed in the right direction. The main concern of the 1,160 registered voters who were polled between Aug. 7 and 14 by the center was the economy, with more than half saying they were dissatisfied with measures to address cost of living pressures. Debt issues Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng in May announced that the government was one trillion ringgit in debt and in July suspended three China-backed mega projects as the country finds ways to cut cost in dealing with mounting debt. Mahathir, who began a five-day working trip to China on Friday, would hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the possibility of renegotiating the terms of the stalled mega projects that were considered to be unfair to Malaysia. Economist Barjoyai Bardai of National University of Malaysia said the new government must underline its seriousness in making good its unfulfilled promises. He proposed that it outline a plan to the public detailing what can be expected in six months or 12 months. From the onset, we know the 100 days is an impossible time frame. They were ambitious, he said. To say that the countrys debt is huge and giving excuses will not change anything. They must now make good of the promises, he told BenarNews. Awang Azman Awang Pawi, a professor of social studies of University Malaya, said the government might have placed extra focus on unearthing Najibs alleged wrongdoings. They must stop whining about the past, Awang Azman said. Former cabinet minister Wee Ka Siong told BenarNews that Mahathirs coalition should have done a thorough study before making promises and stop blaming the former government for its failure in delivering on its pledges. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, left, looks on as released hostage Rexon Romoc, an 8-year-old boy kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf in Zamboanga Sibugay province, is reunited with his mother at Malacanang Palace in Manila, Feb. 28, 2017. Suspected Abu Sayyaf militants have seized the 10-year-old son of a senior government official in the southern Philippine island of Jolo, the military said Friday, days after the U.S. and British governments issued fresh security alerts for the restive south. Heavily armed men waylaid a private vehicle that was to take the boy, Zaire Khan Pasil, and his older sister to the Catholic-run Notre Dame elementary school on Thursday, regional army spokesman Lt. Col. Gerry Besana said. The driver, Aldasir Tallow, and sister were left unharmed as the men escaped with the boy, he said. Besana said the gunmen, believed to be members of Abu Sayyaf, immediately fled aboard motorcycles. Theres an ongoing operation handled by the police. The perpetrators were last seen heading toward the nearby town of Patikul, Besana said, referring to a town bordered by near impenetrable jungles and a known lair of the gunmen. Senior Supt. Pablo Labra, the provincial police commander, said the victim is the son of a Department of Interior official and local government chief in Jolo. No ransom demand has yet been relayed. Founded in the 1990s by an Afghan-trained Islamic firebrand, the Abu Sayyaf is notorious for kidnappings, bombings and beheadings over the past two decades. It claims to fight for the establishment of an independent Islamic state in the predominantly Catholic Philippines, although the military and police have described the gunmen as a criminal organization. The group is believed to be holding 12 hostages, including three Indonesians and seven Filipinos. Members beheaded a German and two Canadians over the last two years after they failed to pay millions of dollars in ransom. The U.S. State Department earlier designated the Abu Sayyaf as a terrorist organization affiliated with the Islamic State (IS), after one of its commanders, Isnilon Hapilon, last year led a five-month siege in the southern city of Marawi that left 1,200 dead. Hapilon, one of the senior leaders of the Abu Sayyaf, had pledged allegiance to the IS, and he led a group of fighters that included militants from Southeast Asia and the Middle East in the battle of Marawi. He and a top aide were killed in October last year, effectively ending the crisis, although 10 months later, thousands of residents still remain in evacuation camps as the government struggles to rebuild the city. While the Marawi crisis has officially been declared over, dozens of militants have escaped to other areas in the south and have reportedly been trying to recruit more fighters. The entire south remains under martial law, allowing the authorities wide latitude in implementing security measures. More than two weeks ago, 11 people were killed when a suspected suicide bomber drove a van packed with explosives through a checkpoint in Basilan. The military was quick to point the finger at the Abu Sayyaf, although the Islamic State later claimed the attack and said a Moroccan militant was behind it. A Filipino Muslim cleric who claimed to have facilitated the entry of foreign militants to Basilan has also been arrested. The Philippine defense establishment however remains divided on the identity of the bomber, even as some officials were willing to accept the foreign militant angle. Earlier this week, Britain and the United States warned citizens of "heightened risk from kidnapping" in the country, particularly in tourist destinations such as Palawan, a famed beach destination. They said kidnap-for-ransom groups from Jolo might have already entered the area. The embassies however did not disclose how they received the information. "If in the area, you should follow the advice of local security and remain vigilant at all times," the British government said in its updated travel advisory. "Theres been an increase in kidnapping of foreign nationals, including attacks targeting foreigners and tourists since late 2015. Terrorist groups continue to plan kidnap operations against western nationals in the Philippines," it said. The U.S. Embassy in Manila, in its August 14 updated warning, asked its citizens to be vigilant and to review their personal security plans due to threats circulating on probable kidnapping. The local military remains on heightened alert and continues to tighten its security posture in Palawan against all forms of threats, amidst circulating information on probable kidnapping in the Province, the travel warning read. Moncks Corner, SC (29461) Today Overcast. High 62F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A shower is possible early. Mostly cloudy early, then clearing overnight. Low around 50F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Sardar Usman Buzdar nominated as CM Punjab Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan on Friday nominated Sardar Usman Buzdar as his party's candidate for Punjab chief minister. Khan, who is set to become the prime minister on Saturday, made the announcement himself in a video message. "I have nominated Sardar Usman as Punjab chief minister," the PM-elect said. "And I want to tell you the reason for doing so. "He belongs to an area of Punjab that is the most backward. People there have no water or electricity or hospital. "The special thing about Sardar Usman is that he is well acquainted with how people live in those areas and secondly, he is aware of how the poor lead their lives. "When he will assume the office of the chief minister he will know the nature of the plight that faces the under privileged people of Pakistan. "He is the only MPA to not have electricity at his home. I am confident that he will work brilliantly to bring to fruition our vision, which aims at uplifting the lower sections of society and the backward areas of Pakistan." Senior party leader Jehangir Tarin congratulated Buzdar, and added: "Usman hails from the poorest part of the Taunsa Sharif an area that has lagged far behind even other areas of South Punjab. IA! his appointment will help bring South Punjab out of its miseries." Buzdar, who hails from Taunsa Sharif, had triumphed in the 2018 general elections from PP-286 (Dera Ghazi Khan-II) by securing 26,897 votes. The first-time MPA was a tehsil nazim of a mountainous tribal area of Dera Ghazi Khan during former president Pervez Musharraf's era. He is the son of the Buzdar tribe chief, Fateh Muhammed Khan Buzdar, who himself was an MPA in 1985, 2002, and 2008. Buzdar, who is now in pole position to become Punjab CM, was a member of the PML-Q from 2002 to 2011. Later, he left the party to join the PML-N. In 2013, he ran for provincial assembly seat on a PML-N ticket but was defeated by a PPPP contestant. Before the 2018 general elections, Buzdar joined the Janoobi Punjab Suba Mahaz, which then merged with the PTI, thus making him a member of Khan's party. Buzdar has a bachelor's degree in law and master's degree in political science. Priyanka Chopras Diaphanous Dress Is Perfect For A Date Night Bollywood Wardrobe Devika Priyanka Chopra & Nick Jonas Engagement: | Boldsky Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas are winning the Internet at the moment with their rumoured engagement function. First, Nick Jonas was spotted with his parents at the Mumbai airport and now he was seen walking hand in hand with his fiancee Priyanka Chopra. The two looked amazing together and Priyanka's dress was a perfect date outfit. Her attire was casual, comfy, and all things classy. The actress wore a white-hued sheer dress by an Australian brand called Acler. It was a sleeveless dress that was enhanced by an asymmetrical hemline and ruffled accents. The diaphanous attire was also accentuated by breathable fabric and contrasted by striped patterns. Priyanka's dress featured unstructured geometric patterns too and the star-shaped silhouette at the centre was certainly eye-catching. She wore a matching pair of heels with her dress and also carried a complementing Bottega Veneta handbag with her. Her dewy makeup was marked by a bold red lip shade and she kept her tresses side-parted. Nick, on the other hand, wore a full-sleeved formal navy blue shirt and typically had us swooning all over. He teamed his shirt with grey-coloured pants and that was such a brilliant combination. Well, they looked awesome but we can't wait to see what they will wear for the big party. We will not curse parliament: Shahbaz Sharif Shahbaz Sharif spoke on the NA floor focusing primarily on the allegations of rigging in the July 25 polls."Throughout the world, newspapers and outlets are raising accusations of rigging in the general elections," he said. "This is the worst election in history in terms of rigging; the authorities must act against those responsible." "What kind of election was this?" he questioned amidst loud chants echoing across the hall. "The Result Transmission System (RTS) [on the night of July 25] was forcefully shut down. What kind of elections were these that the results were delayed for 48 hours?" Alleging that 1.6 million votes were rejected, he questioned the discovery of ballot papers from gutters and streets across the country. The former Punjab chief minister urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to "submit a report before this House" adding that "the clauses that need amendment in the Election Act 2017 must be amended so no one can rob the vote of its sanctity". He threatened that opposition parties would "take to the streets" if a commission was not formed and justice not served. Reminding the PM-elect of a promise he had made in his first address to the nation after the July 25 polls, Sharif said: "Khan sahab, you had said that if rigging in 2013 elections would be proven, Nawaz Sharif's government should resign. We will not let you run from this. We will hold you accountable for stealing votes." Clarifying the party's stance and objectives, he said: "We came here for the sake of democracy and to protect the democratic system. There have been movements in the past and we have always stood by this House." "No matter what we do, we will not curse this parliament, we will not attack this parliament," he added. 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 Missing hiker Jeff Freiheit might have been seen on Aug. 3, according to the latest information coming out of a German investigation. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 18/8/2018 (1169 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us Missing hiker Jeff Freiheit might have been seen on Aug. 3, according to the latest information coming out of a German investigation. This would bring the 32-year-old Brandon educators appearance one day closer than his last previously confirmed sighting on Aug. 2, in Bad Tolz, Germany. FACEBOOK Brandonite Jeff Freiheit is pictured in Bad Tolz, Germany. According to Freiheits wife Selena, they received a tip that two girls helped an English man at a grocery store in Jachenau, Germany, on Aug. 3. She said its unclear whether this man was Freiheit, and that investigators were trying to track down the girls. This was the most updated information available as of Friday morning, after Freiheit has not been heard from in more than two weeks. Freiheit was travelling alone along the Der Traumpfad (The Dream Way) hiking trail, which spans from Munich to Venice. He had booked overnight accommodations along the path he intended to hike, but failed to show up. On Friday, The Mountain Search and Rescue police were slated to do a detailed search of the area that he was last seen, to where he was supposed to spend the night, according to a Facebook post by his wife. Selena and Freiheits mom, Kathy Freiheit, arrived in Germany Aug. 12 to assist in search efforts for Freiheit. A GoFundMe page created by Jennalee Anne has raised $36,065 in five days, with funds going to help with private search parties, according to the post on the GoFundMe page. A group was also created on Facebook called "Volunteers searching for Jeff Freiheit," so that people with knowledge of the area and who are involved in the search efforts can more easily communicate with one another. The case has been gaining a lot of support, with the most recent update by Selena about the possibility of an Aug. 3 sighting being shared more than 2,000 times. mverge@brandonsun.com Twitter: @Melverge5 Onanole business owner Jill Caines two dogs were killed after being taken into Municipality of Harrison Park custody, and she wants to know what happened. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 18/8/2018 (1169 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us Onanole business owner Jill Caines two dogs were killed after being taken into Municipality of Harrison Park custody, and she wants to know what happened. Seized from her property on Aug. 1, Caines received their cremated remains on Aug. 6. SUBMITTED Jill Caines took this picture of her two dogs being seized on Aug. 1. In the cage at front is Max, a 15-year-old Great Pyrenees, and in the cage being loaded into the vehicle is Toby, a one-year-old Pyrenees-Rottweiler cross. Municipality of Harrison Park assistant chief administrative assistant Tamara Sellman declined comment on this matter, citing legal concerns. As did Reeve Lloyd Ewashko, who said, "Because theres a reference to potential legal action, theres nothing I can really say." "I just wish that someone would talk to me They refuse to tell me anything," Caines said, adding that while she has managed to gather some hearsay comments about what might have happened to her dogs Toby and Max, she has yet to hear an official account that she can rely on. SUBMITTED Max, is seen in a cage while he was being seized by the Municipality of Harrison Park staff on Aug. 1. "Theyre my babies; theyre my kids," she said. "My dogs were my everything. I really dont know what to do." An RCMP spokesperson said Wasagaming RCMP received a complaint on July 28 about a 44-year-old Winnipeg woman and her dog being attacked and bitten by two dogs in Onanole. "The RCMP advised the RM of what took place and they would be looking into it," the spokesperson said in emailed correspondence. On Aug. 1, the animal control officer for the municipality requested assistance from the RCMP in apprehending the two dogs. "Our role was to keep the peace while the animal control officers performed their duties," the spokesperson said. The dogs were taken away to be quarantined for a duration of 10 days, as per policy. SUBMITTED Toby is seen in a cage while he was being seized by Municipality of Harrison Park staff on Aug. 1. Its up to the municipality to answer questions regarding what took place after they were seized, the spokesperson said, as well as what happened once they were put in a kennel in Minnedosa. Max was a 15-year-old white Great Pyrenees, and Toby was a one-year-old black Pyrenees-Rottweiler cross. Caines said that Toby was a playful scamp and Max was her protector, and would sleep on her floor next to her bed every night. She said that she was surprised to have learned about the alleged biting incident, since they run around with her grandchildren without incident. Her positive take on the dogs behaviour isnt unanimous, however, with a nearby business owner saying that the dogs have been an issue in the past, and are known in the neighbourhood to run loose after escaping. "My main concern is for the poor woman who got attacked," the business owner, who asked not to be named, said. "It was only a matter of time." The Brandon Sun has yet to verify the extent of the injuries the woman and her dog sustained. Since her dogs cremated remains arrived at her door, Caines has been independently trying to piece together how they were killed and then cremated without her knowledge. "I would never cremate a dog," she said. Although she said that she believes that she has been able to figure out how her dogs were killed, it has yet to be confirmed and that various questions remain in the piecemeal story her personal investigation has dug up. She said nobody from the municipality has been willing to offer their account. While Caines said that she has been openly pondering legal action, she said that her main concern at the moment is finding out what happened to her dogs after they were taken from her on Aug. 1. tclarke@brandonsun.com Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB By Bart H Meijer and Sudip Kar-Gupta Air France-KLM shares fell up to 4% in response to the hostile reception from unions to the companys new boss Benjamin Smith, while the airlines Dutch pilots threatened to strike over working conditions. Unions representing workers at the French company were openly hostile to the appointment of Mr Smith, chief operating officer at Air Canada, accusing the group of handing control to a foreigner and not protecting Air Frances interests. Driving the share price is essentially the discontent of the unions, Meriem Mokdad, fund manager at Paris-based Roche-Brune Asset Management, said. Mr Smith, who will take up his post before the end of September, will have to deal with labour troubles at Air France that have already cost the airline 335m this year, forced the resignation of his predecessor, and seen the groups shares slump 36% in 2018. French unions are due to discuss another round of strike action on August 27. Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, the Dutch pilots union VNV said it would strike unless the airlines management comes up with improved offers to ease their workload. The union said work stoppages could begin in four weeks, after it rejected a last- minute offer made by KLM late on Thursday. The union wants the Dutch arm of Air France-KLM to start hiring new flight personnel as soon as possible, to give pilots more time in between flights. KLM said it is already recruiting new staff, but that it is impossible to meet all the unions demands. Air France took over KLM in 2003 when the Dutch airline was struggling, but the two have continued to operate independently. Air France-KLM in May said it expected profits to fall this year due to the effect of strikes at its French business. The French government has a stake of about 14% in Air France-KLM, while Delta Airlines and China Eastern Airlines each hold 8.8%. KLM has had more success in cutting costs than its French counterpart. The Dutch airline managed to agree several cost cutting deals with its staff in recent years, which improved its profitability and put it in a stronger position than French partner Air France. Our pilots have given up a lot in recent years, making KLM profitable. Now its time for KLM to deal with its exhausted staff, said VNV spokesman Joost van Doesburg. Societe Generale analysts welcomed Smiths appointment, citing his work at Air Canada, but maintained its sell recommendation on Air France-KLM shares. One man has been arrested after Gardai in Crumlin seized a quantity of cocaine during an operation in Drimnagh, Dublin this afternoon. As part of ongoing investigations targeting the sale and supply of drugs in the Dublin 12 area, a house in Drimnagh was searched by Gardai from the Crumlin Drugs Unit. Former President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, has said Ireland is "long past the point of accepting words of simple sorrow" from the Pope about clerical sex abuse scandals in the country. Ms McAleese has also revealed that she has made a formal canonical complaint to Pope Francis about Cardinal Farrell's banning of her speaking at the Vatican in March of this year. She was talking to Brendan O'Connor on The Marian Finucane Show on RTE Radio 1 this morning ahead of the Pope's visit to Ireland next weekend. Ms McAleese told Brendan that Pope Francis puts the defence of the institution first as a result of his formation as a priest and as a Bishop. She said: "It's not only systemic, it was directed from central command and control, which is the Vatican. "I was astounded by what happened in Chile, because I did believe that this Pope was different, because he said that he was going to be. "When he went to Chile in January and denounced victims, accused them of defamation, he accused them of being liars essentially and believed the briefings that he got from Bishops, when we know that he also got other briefings. "He got briefings from Marie Collins, he got briefings from the victims...he chose to believe one side and that was the side that protected offending Bishops and priests." Speaking of what has been going on in Pennsylvania, Ms McAleese believes that the Pope would have been very well aware of what was going on. She said: "One has to assume that... these would have been well known certainly in the latter days when all of these cases had to be sent to Rome, that he would have been briefed on them. "You would like to think that he would have been briefed on them, these are so significant when you are talking about 300 abusing priests in six dioceses in the United States." The report into the clerical abuse in Pennsylvania faulted Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the former long-time bishop of Pittsburgh who now leads the Washington archdiocese, for what it said was his part in the concealment of clergy sexual abuse. Ms McAleese said it is ironic that Cardinal Wuerl is welcome at the World Meeting of Families. The former President of Ireland told Brendan that she had hoped that next weekend's meeting in Ireland would be different from previous other meetings. She said that her banning from speaking at the Vatican in March was very much in keeping with the ethos of the World Meeting of Families to deny the voice of someone like her who has been very vocal in support of same-sex marriage and gay rights. She said: "It's always been essentially a right-wing rally... and it was designed for that purpose, to rally people to get them motivated to fight against the tide of same-sex marriage, rights for gays, abortion rights, contraceptive rights." She told how she had been devastated when she realised that the images for LGBT families had been removed from World Meeting of Families material. However, she spoke of the insult being personal to her, but didn't think it was a personal agenda that Cardinal Farrell had against her saying, "I don't think how there could be anything personal". For three months, Ms McAleese did not know that it was Cardinal Farrell who had banned her from speaking. She tried to resolve the issue diplomatically "with the help of the Archbishop of Dublin and we could not get it resolved". She told Brendan that she made a formal complaint to the Pope about Cardinal Farrell's actions. To date, she has received neither a reply nor an acknowledgement. Ms McAleese said: "I made a formal complaint against Cardinal Farrell, to the Pope, the Pope is the only person as his superior who could rectify and deal with and judge that complaint, so I made a formal canonical complaint to the Pope about Cardinal Farrell's actions. Having received neither an acknowledgement or a reply to date, I can only presume that since the Pope is his immediate superior that this was done with his approval. "They claim there is a process for dealing with such complaints, I'm six months down the road of that complaint and I haven't had the letter back that says we've received your complaint." - Digital Desk By Patrick Flynn A transatlantic passenger jet was forced to return to Dublin after a water leak was discovered on board. Air Canada flight AC-843 departed Dublin at around 1.10pm and was about 40 minutes into its journey when the crew opted to turn around and return to Dublin. #AirCanada C-GHKR AC843 A333 has safely returned to DUB pic.twitter.com/kCfTTapU86 Essiejosie (@Essiejosie) August 18, 2018 The pilot advised controllers that they had a mechanical problem but did not declare an emergency. It is understood that water was discovered dripping from an overhead passenger service units (PSU) and close to electrical equipment. A PSU is the panel over seat rows that contains air vents, reading lights and drop-down oxygen masks. The Airbus A330-300 jet was about 200 kilometres off the Irish coast when cabin crew detected the problem and reported to the flight crew. The flight turned around and routed back to Dublin where it landed normally at 2.45pm. Last Tuesday, an Aer Lingus flight from Ireland to the US was forced to turn around over Greenland and return to Dublin. The Airbus A330 was almost three hours into its flight to Los Angeles when the crew decided not to continue with their journey. The flight returned to Dublin for a safe landing after suffering what the airline described as technical reasons. Also during the week, Shannon Airport dealt with four aircraft diversions including one flight with a smoke in the cockpit; another with a cargo hold smoke warning and two medical emergencies. By Olivia Kelleher Broadcaster and author, Gareth O'Callaghan, says he plans to remain "strong and positive" in spite of having to leave his role in Classic Hits FM following his diagnosis with Multiple System Atrophy (MSA). In a post on his Facebook page this morning, Mr O'Callaghan said he was devastated at being diagnosed with the neurodegenerative illness. "It is a rare disease, very progressive and sadly incurable. I thought I might have been able to continue working as normal for another few months but, unfortunately, the pace and the painful decline of this awful thing has really taken us by surprise." Mr O'Callaghan said he was learning to take life a day at a time. "I've always said that life is only a short journey, and that is true - whether you are lucky enough to remain healthy throughout; or you suddenly find you are unexpectedly challenged by something you never thought would happen to you: something that terrifies you and challenges you at every level of your being. I now find myself facing those challenges. " The popular and respected broadcaster said he would miss being on the radio. However, his voice is slowly deteriorating because of his condition. He said it was his intention to fight the disease for as long as is possible. He also vowed to keep on writing. Meanwhile, earlier this year he thanked listeners for their support after he announced that he had Parkinson's disease. Speaking on the Neil Prendeville show, on Cork's Red FM in March, Mr O'Callaghan acknowledged he had been feeling very unwell over the last few years. However, he attributed certain symptoms of the condition to stress. "I was tripping. I was dropping things in work. When you drop a cup of coffee literally out of your hand and it scalds your foot and people look at you and think "what's wrong with him?" I fell out of the bath one morning and I didn't understand why I fell out. "I have noticed changes in you have to stop and choose words. It is not that your speech changes the way you transport the words it happens in a different way. "When I was diagnosed I was told I have had this for a couple of years which in a way was a relief to me. There were times over the last few years where I thought I was going mad. I couldn't figure out what it was." The former 2FM DJ, who is also a successful writer, said he was diagnosed after a series of conundrums came together. He read an article about Parkinson's in the Daily Mail in which DJ David Jensen spoke of the condition. Gareth realised he could have taken the DJ's name out and inserted his given the similarities of the symptoms. After the initial diagnosis in March, he was subsequently diagnosed with MSA. Gareth added that there was always great solace to be found in music. "I have always found music to be great medicine. The radio show for me is more than just a few hours of music it has become a way of life for me. Over the last 30 years, we (the listeners) have all grown together. The radio show for me is more than just a job. It always was." MSA is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a combination of symptoms that affect both the autonomic nervous system (the part of the nervous system that controls involuntary action, such as blood pressure or digestion) and movement. The symptoms reflect the progressive loss of function and death of different types of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. MSA is a rare disease with around 3,300 people in the UK and Ireland currently living with it. Jose Mourinho has said Manchester City might be a rich club that signs the best players but they "cannot buy class". The Manchester United boss was responding to a question about City's Amazon Prime documentary, which aired this week. "I think you can have a fantastic movie, respecting others," he told Sky Sports. "You don't need to be disrespectful to have a fantastic movie. "You can be a rich club and buy all the best players in the world but you cannot buy class." Amazon's eight-part documentary of City's title-winning season lifts the lid on life in Pep Guardiola's dressing room. The fly-on-the-wall documentary 'All or Nothing: Manchester City' gives a fascinating insight into the 2017-18 campaign. An animated Guardiola is seen telling his players to "hate me" after drawing at Crystal Palace while his half-time team talk during the Carabao Cup final at Wembley is passionate. Snippets of a touchline row with then Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger during that game are also shown, as is some footage of the tunnel fracas during City's shock FA Cup loss to Wigan. Fabian Delph is also seen slamming the dressing room door after his sending off in the 1-0 fifth-round defeat at the DW Stadium. However, Mourinho is clearly not a fan of the show and his comments will not go down well in the blue half of Manchester. City host Huddersfield on Sunday, with United facing Brighton on the south coast later in the day. United midfielder Andreas Pereira says he is relying on Mourinho to help him become a winner. Pereira will be hoping to retain his place in the side after impressing in midfield against Leicester last Friday, when he ended an 897-day wait for a United appearance. The 22-year-old spent time on loan at Granada and Valencia during that period - time away that has clearly benefited a player determined to kick on again and become a serial winner like manager Mourinho. "We rely on him because he always prepares the team well," Pereira said of the Portuguese. "He knows what to do. He is a winner and he always wants to win, so because he is like that we turn into that and we want to be like him, so we turn into winners as well so it's very important. Nemanja Matic and captain Antonio Valencia returned to training on Thursday, but Mourinho says neither will be available for Brighton. The United boss will also be without Marcos Rojo, Diogo Dalot, Ander Herrera and Sergio Romero as the side look to make amends for last season's loss at the Amex Stadium. "It will be for sure a difficult game but we will try to prepare for it as best as we can," Pereira added. "I think if you want to think about the title you have to think about every game and we have to win every game. "Just in this week, so many people told me 'last year we lost against Brighton', so we have to prepare. "I think we are going to get more prepared than last year because we know we lost last season, so this year we don't want to lose. We want to win over there." PA Before last Friday's alleged fatal samurai sword attack in Forest Lodge in Sydney's inner west, Hannah Quinn seemingly had her life on track. The product of a somewhat disjointed childhood spent between Sydney, Brisbane and Lismore, Ms Quinn had never been in trouble with the law before Sydney rapper Jett McKee's violent death allegedly at the hands of her boyfriend Blake Davis. Hannah Quinn with mother Megan in Redfern on Friday. Credit:Wolter Peeters Ms Quinn is the eldest of three siblings, and her parents separated after she was born. Her father, Dean Hintz, remarried and moved to Hong Kong where he set up a cafe before returning to Queensland. Her mother Megan lay down roots in Sydney's inner west where she now lives. Ms Quinn attended East Sydney High, a school for year 9 and 10 students who have struggled with mainstream education. An off-duty police officer is in a serious but stable condition in hospital after he was stabbed at a birthday party at Bonnyrigg Heights in Sydney's west. The 36-year-old was a guest at the party, held at a community hall, on Friday night when an "altercation" happened outside just before 11pm. Police said a teenager attempted to punch another partygoer in the face before fleeing from the scene with three other youths. The officer gave chase and tried to arrest one of the teens, who allegedly resisted, causing both to fall to the ground. "During the struggle the officer was stabbed in the abdomen however he was able to detain the assailant until assistance arrived," police said in a statement. If you recently bought a Powerball ticket at Narwee in Sydney's south, you could be $50 million richer. Lottery authorities are searching for a mystery buyer whose unregistered ticket was one of two to get a slice of the $100 million Powerball prize on Thursday night. The winner of an unclaimed $50 million prize bought their ticket at Narwee. One of the division one winners in draw 1161, a man from Melbourne, has already stepped forward. But all that is known about the other is that they bought their ticket from Broadarrow Newsagency on Broadarrow Road in Narwee. Big or small, the Electric Power Board of Chattanooga can help make your wedding, reunion or convention eco-friendly. Learn how you can use EPBs Solar Share to protect the environment and have a great, green event. Chattanooga is an event planners dream. With verdant mountains, a winding river and a vibrant downtown, the Scenic City is the perfect backdrop for your wedding, meeting, convention, trade show or reunion. To help make Chattanooga an even more attractive place to visit, the Electric Power Board (EPC) of Chattanooga is now offering a solution that makes events and visits eco-friendly: Solar Share, which allows you to offset the carbon footprint of your special occasion with locally generated renewable energy. There is a growing trend to green-up events, which is good for business and our environment, says Elizabeth Hammitt, EPB director of community and environmental stewardship. Solar Share makes renewable energy accessible to virtually everyone. Whether you own a home or business, rent an apartment, cannot install a rooftop solar system or are planning a special event, supporting sustainable energy and environmental stewardship is easy with Solar Share. Solar Share is Chattanoogas first community solar power generation option, which was developed as a partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority. Solar Share gives people and businesses an easy, affordable way to go solar and reduce their carbon footprint with multiple options for participation. Local Energy, Global Impact Ms. Hammitt says that nearly three-million visitors spend almost $690 million each year in Chattanooga. There is a tremendous opportunity for Solar Share to help reduce the carbon footprint of each visit and event. With the world racing to reduce carbon emissions, EPB is meeting the challenge. Our solution is fully scalable, says Ms. Hammitt. We offer meeting planners and visitors the ability to purchase one-time energy offsets for all or a portion of their conference, trade show, wedding or vacation. To make it simple, EPB has an offset calculator on their website to help you see how many offsets you will need. Hammitt says offsets could cost under $1 per attendee, depending on how far they travel and how long they stay. With a purchase of energy offsets, EPB provides a digital certificate and authorized use of the Solar Share logo on invitations, signage and websites. People want to make eco-friendly choices when they travel, and EPB Solar Share gives them peace of mind that the event they attend benefits them and the environment, says Ms. Hammitt. Valley Renewable Energy With the help of TVA, renewable energy in the Tennessee Valley has grown exponentiallyfrom five solar locations in 2000 to over 3,500 locations in 2018. We know consumers want a cleaner future and we want to give them smart energy choices, says Tammy Bramlett, TVA director of Business Development and Renewables. Unlike a rooftop solar installation on a house, community solar programs like EPBs Solar Share benefits everyone in the utilitys service area. Right now about 1.4-million electric power customers can choose community solar in the Tennessee Valley, says Ms. Bramlett. EPB is a great partner, and their vision has extended the Valleys community solar reach to the millions of people who visit our city. TVA reports that there are currently 10 community solar facilities operating or in development across the Tennessee Valley providing solar power access to about 15 percent of the regions population. Ms. Bramlett explained that no two community solar programs are the same because community solar offers cities the flexibility to tailor renewable energy offerings that best meet their communitys needs. EPBs Solar Share is a perfect example. Solar power has a bright future in the Tennessee Valley, says Ms. Bramlett. She should know, because TVA is planning to invest around $8 billion in renewable energy over the next 20 years. Homes in part of south-east Queensland are under threat from a fast-moving, out-of-control bushfire with residents told to finalise their plans and be prepared to evacuate. Queensland Fire and Emergency Services issued an initial warning at 2.30pm and several updates for residents in Teelah, about 160 kilometres north-west of Brisbane, with the latest "watch and act" warning announced at 8:30pm Saturday. FILE IMAGE: Fire bans are in place across many parts of south-east and Queensland as several fires continue to burn. The most recent warning said an unpredictable fire is travelling in a north-east direction towards Teelah, expected to impact Old Esk Road about 6:35pm. "The fire could have a significant impact on the community," the QFES warning said. Several developers are receiving millions of dollars in discounts off their infrastructure charges, while ratepayers are left to pick up the bill. More than $11 million in infrastructure charge reductions have been handed to developers over the past three years. Developers pay infrastructure charges as part of the development application process. Credit:Peter Riches While developers receive discounts, the Brisbane City Councils income from infrastructure charges, which funds important city infrastructure, is soon expected to be close to half of what it was a few years ago. Infrastructure charges are paid by developers as part of the development application process and apply to developments that will generate extra demand in areas such as transport, storm water and community use, such as parks. "After the crash, I remember being inverted, in a lot of pain and bare wires hanging off the dashboard," he said. "I also had chemicals burns and was soaked in fuel ... it was a miracle there were no sparks and fire. "I broke my shoulder blade, my ribs were broken, I had gashes on my face ... I was a total mess. "I asked the passenger in the co-pilot seat if he was all right but he didn't respond. "I remember the sound of fire trucks and their equipment and then waking up in hospital." Mr Berg was reunited with the RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter crew who helped to saved his life on Friday. Credit:Queensland Ambulance Service - Twitter Mr Berg was trapped in the wreckage of the aircraft for almost two hours. His passengers also suffered serious injuries as a result of the crash. The RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter paramedic was going to make the decision to amputate both Mr Berg's legs in order to free him if the extraction had taken just three more minutes. Mr Berg also went into cardiac arrest in the wreckage and required nine pints of blood while trapped just to stay alive. Even after he was freed and arrived at the hospital, doctors did not believe he would survive. "I was in the Intensive Care Unit for a week. The first three or four days they didnt think I was going to make it," he said. "Then they were concerned I might have brain damage due to the blood loss. Mr Berg with his South African-designed Sling 4 piston-engine kit plane before and after the crash. "Eventually they woke me up and I didnt have a clue where I was, I felt like I had been abducted by aliens. "I also couldnt breathe with the ventilator they had put in because both of my lungs had collapsed ... I was just choking, it was just terrible." After coming out of a coma, the next steps were for Mr Berg to eat solid food again and survive several surgeries to try to repair his crushed legs. The leg surgeries were successful, skin grafts were used to cover the chemical burns on Mr Berg's arms and chest and plastic surgery repaired the gashes on his body. One of Mr Berg's legs was two inches shorter than the other after the crash due to the crush injuries, he joked that doctors had better fix it or he would "keep walking around in circles". One year on from the crash, Mr Berg can stand, but cannot walk due to the extreme pain he feels because the bones in his legs haven't healed properly yet. "I can stand, but I cant transfer my weight onto one leg to walk, so I need a wheelchair," he said. "I should probably start with physiotherapy and proper rehabilitation, but I'm just lacking in motivation." Mr Berg said his aircraft and public liability insurer has refused to pay out and he plans to take action against the company because he claims he has not been given a reason why they won't pay. The pilot said the physical, financial and emotional challenges he faces are daunting and the legal action his injured passengers are taking against him over the crash has compounded the situation. "I haven't been allowed to move on, I've replayed everything every day with the constant statements I've given," he said. "Emotionally, getting through this has been tough. There has also been a severe impact on my family, my wife took a real beating. Left to right: Ben Berg, Lana (his wife of 25 years), his 21-year-old daughter Micayla and his 18-year-old daughter Lene. "My family were sitting outside the airport fence waiting for me when they heard the ambulances, fire trucks and the helicopter landing. "The police eventually came and told them what had happened, but on their way to the hospital one of the hospital staff rang and told them they didn't think I was going to make it. "My daughter also said that one day as I came out of surgery, I made eye contact with her but didn't recognise her, I don't remember that due to the number of drugs I had been given. On Friday, Mr Berg met the RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter team who helped to save his life. "It was amazing to meet the people who saved my life, to see how they operate, look inside the helicopter and hear their sequence of events, their thoughts and how they coped," he said. "The main thing was the mess I was in when they found me ... the crew said at the scene they didnt think I was going to make it." Looking ahead, Mr Berg hopes to walk again, get back to work using his electrical engineering qualifications and overcome the various legal and insurance issues he faces. What the investigators concluded According to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau report into the crash, as the light plane approached the runway, Mr Berg was turning left when the aircraft stalled and began rolling, causing the left wing to hit the ground and the rest of the plane came down soon after. One of the main focuses of the investigation was the stability and weight of the aircraft. "The pilot reported calculating the weight and balance of the aircraft prior to the flight using the aircraft electronic flight instrumentation system (EFIS) and using average weights for all occupants," the ATSB report said. "He recalled the EFIS showing the aircraft weight and balance to be within the approved range." Investigators' calculations showed the aircraft was just within the weight limit for the aircraft type, 920 kilograms, but the weight was unevenly distributed. "The empty weight of the aircraft was 461kg. The weight of the front seat occupants was 190kg and the weight of the rear seat occupants was 175kg," the ATSB report said. Help! My toddler's swallowed a button battery." Denise Macfadyen googled this within seconds of her three-year-old son Trent telling her he'd swallowed a tiny shiny battery. It could be fatal, said the first search result. The second result was the Poisons Hotline. Ms Macfadyen called, and its staff coordinated with Westmead Children's Hospital to ensure Trent was treated on arrival. Trent was lucky he could say what had happened. Many toddlers and babies can't, and those cases are difficult to diagnose. "I call them the walking dead," says pediatrician Dr Ruth Barker of those children who swallow a battery without anyone hearing, seeing or knowing. In 2013, Summer Steer was the first Australian child to die after swallowing a lithium, or "button", battery, but nobody knew. Doctors twice sent the four-year-old girl home after she was taken to hospital with "black poo". A Brisbane hospital later found a small lithium battery stuck in her oesophagus, but it was too late. Is the enigmatic woman in Leonardo da Vincis Mona Lisa in fact da Vinci himself, posed, in drag? When, like your columnist you spend as much time as you can in the adventurous world of ideas you are often zapped, ambushed by ideas you wish youd never met. This idea, one I have only stumbled across this week, that the Mona Lisa is a da Vinci self-portrait, is unnerving. It is one of those awful, but catchy ideas (like the theory that Harold Holt didnt die in the surf but, defecting, went aboard a Chinese submarine) that one may never be able to scrub off the mind. Still from Beyonce and Jay Z's 'Apesh*t' video at the Louvre in front of Mona Lisa. . The trouble is that even if you never go to see the actual painting itself in the Louvre (a hellish experience, as teeming tourists, totally ignoring all else in the great gallery, jostle one another to take selfies of themselves with the painting) the Mona Lisa is a kind of a brand and is everywhere. A Leonardo scholar notes that We come to the picture via a dense haze of popular manifestations: advertisements, cartoons, souvenir mugs, fridge magnets, T-shirts, bikini bottoms, pornographic subversions, and millions of reproductions in every kind of printed and electronic medium. I have accumulated an unsystematic collection of Mona Lisa paraphernalia. My personal assistant recently gave me a pair of Mona Lisa socks. Leonardo and his painting, never far from the public mind, are enjoying an extra spasm of newsiness because what are called the Leonardo loonies are stirred up by news that there is to be a feature film about him, starring (youll think Ive made this up) Leonardo DiCaprio as Da Vinci. Beijing: China's defence ministry has "strongly objected" to a Pentagon report that claims Chinese bombers were training for strikes against US and allied targets, according to state media. The annual report to US Congress on China's military capability said the PLA had "rapidly expanded its overwater bomber operating areas, gaining experience in critical maritime regions and likely training for strikes against US and allied targets". A Taiwanese Air Force fighter aircraft, left, flies near a Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) bomber that reportedly flew over the Luzon Strait south of Taiwan. Credit:AP Responding late on Friday, China's Defence Ministry said the Pentagon report had misinterpreted China's military strategy and exaggerated the "China military threat", and Beijing had made "solemn representation to the US side". China was modernising its military to strengthen its ability to defend its sovereignty and territory, the statement said. 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 As the Centre prepares its Essential Diagnostics List (EDL), taking a cue from the list launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) in May, domestic manufacturers are urging the government not to control the cost of diagnostics the way it controls the prices of essential medicines. But on the other side are public health scholars who caution that not having price control could lead manufacturers to form cartels. 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 M D Ranganth, the Chief Financial Officer of information technology firm Infosys Ltd, has put in his papers after an 18-year stint in the company. Infosys on Saturday said its board had accepted his resignation. Ranganth had been appointed as the CFO of India's second-biggest software services exporter in 2015. Ranganath, popularly called Ranga, will continue in his current position as chief financial officer till November 16, 2018, Infosys said in a filing with the BSE. In tendering his resignation, Ranganath stated in a press release issued by the company, ... All AAP MPs, MLAs and ministers will donate one-month salary for the relief work in flood-ravaged Kerala, where 194 people have died. Delhi Chief Minister and (AAP) convenor yesterday announced Rs 100 million relief for the state from the government. In a tweet, Kejriwal today said, "All AAP MLAs, MPs and ministers (are) donating one month salary for Kerala." Kejriwal appealed to the public to make donations to the crisis-hit state. The Delhi chief minister also spoke to his Kerala counterpart ALSO READ: Kerala flood victims can share location via Google Maps plus codes offline "Spoke to Kerala CM. Del govt is making a contribution of Rs 100 million. I sincerely appeal to everyone to donate generously for our brothers and sisters in Kerala (sic)," Kejriwal tweeted yesterday. This is the deadliest deluge in Kerala in close to a century, which has claimed 194 lives since August 8. Further, a body blow has been dealt with the scenic state, with its infrastructure, standing crops and tourism facilities severely hit. Over 314,000 people have been moved to relief camps. Congress president on Saturday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare floods in Kerala as "a disaster". The deadliest deluge in Kerala in close to a century has claimed 194 lives since August 8. Over 314,000 people have been moved to relief camps. "Dear PM, please declare # a Disaster without any delay. The lives, livelihood and future of millions of our people is at stake," Gandhi tweeted. He also appealed to Congress workers to help those in need in the flood-ravaged state. "Across Kerala & now Kodagu in Karnataka, heavy rainfall has caused widespread devastation. This is the time for our workers & leaders to demonstrate the core Congress values of service & love. Please focus all our resources & people to help those in need," he said in another tweet. Congress legislators in Maharashtra have decided to donate a month's salary towards relief work in flood-ravaged Kerala. The leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil said all Congress members of the Assembly and the Legislative Council will donate a month's salary for relief work in the southern state. "The party president (Rahul Gandhi) has asked us to stand behind people of Kerala and extend all possible help," he said. Vikhe-Patil on Saturday met Gandhi in Delhi. Shiv Sena's Lok Sabha members Rahul Shewale and Shrikant Shinde have donated a month's pay to the Kerala Chief Minister's disaster relief fund. They also called upon colleagues in Parliament and party MLAs and corporators in Maharashtra to contribute towards flood relief work. State minister and BJP leader Ravindra Chavan and the party's corporators in the Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation have also donated one month's salaries for the relief work. Earlier in the day, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced a financial assistance of Rs 200 million for the southern state. Kerala is facing its worst floods in 100 years with all rivers in spate. Prime Minister Narendra on Saturday took off in a helicopter from here to survey the massive loss and destruction triggered by the torrential rains in Kerala. Overflowing rivers and a series of landslides have resulted in the death of 180 people as of Saturday morning, with over 300,000 others forced to move to some 2,000 relief camps. Modi, who arrived here from the state capital, is being accompanied by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, State Revenue Minister E. Chandrasekheran and other top state officials. His visit comes at a time when the Congress-led opposition has been demanding immediate deployment of the Army since the state government has been unable to deal with the crisis. Before returning to Delhi from Kochi later on Saturday, the Prime Minister will chair a meeting to discuss the situation. Rains subsided on Saturday morning resulting in the water level in Idukki and parts of Ernakulam and Thrissur districts coming down. But on Friday night, airlifting could not take place in Chengannur as the incessant rains continued in the region. Public sector oil marketing companies have come to the rescue of flood-ravaged Kerala, assuring the state that there would be no letup in fuel supplies, including LPG, to help it tide over possible shortages. There are 2,020 fuel pumps in the state of which 280 have been totally submerged. As fuelling is an electrical operation, the oil companies are not in a position to operate the pumps and dispense fuel. Wherever feasible, water is being pumped out and the fuel pumps are being put into operation in close coordination with regulatory authorities, said P S Mony, state head, Indian ... In a much-needed respite to rain-battered Kerala, the (IMD) on Saturday said the rainfall intensity in the state will reduce in the next two to three days. Kerala is not expected to receive heavy rainfall from August 20, Mritunjay Mohapatra, IMD Additional Director General said. He said the southern state received 170 per cent more precipitation than its normal from August 1 to August 17. "Day before yesterday, there was heavy rainfall in almost all districts of Kerala. Yesterday, there was heavy rainfall in 3-4 districts. Today, we were expecting heavy rainfall in isolated places, but not very heavy rainfall. "Tomorrow, we are expecting heavy rainfall in only 1-2 districts and remaining places of the state will only witness moderate rainfall. From August 20, we are not expecting any heavy rainfall. Gradually, the rainfall intensity is decreasing," Mohapatra said. M Rajeevan, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, said there was a low pressure area in the Bay of Bengal, but it would not have any effect on Kerala. As many as 194 people have lost their lives and 36 are missing in Kerala since August 8 due to rains and landslides, while over 314,000 people have been moved to relief camps. The southern state is facing its worst flood in 100 years with 80 dams opened and all rivers in spate. A body blow has been dealt to the scenic state, with its infrastructure, standing crops and tourism facilities severely hit. corporators allegedly thrashed a Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) member on Saturday for opposing a resolution in the municipal corporation to pay tributes to former prime minister The alleged incident took place during the general body meeting of the civic body, an official said. After the meeting began, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator Raju Vaidya tabled a proposal to pay tributes to Vajpayee. MIM corporator Sayed Mateen opposed it, which infuriated the saffron party members, who allegedly rushed to him and thrashed him in the House. A video clip purportedly showing Mateen being kicked, punched and slapped by the corporators has gone viral on the social media and was also aired by some TV channels. In the clip, the corporation security officials can be seen coming to Mateen's rescue and taking him out of the House through a side exit. The MIM corporator was later taken to a nearby hospital. A corporator said Mateen had been creating nuisance and had also earlier opposed the singing of the song in the House. Mateen told PTI that he was opposing the move to pay tribute to Vajpayee in a "democratic manner", but around a dozen BJP corporators assaulted him. He even named some of them. Immediately after the incident, alleged MIM supporters damaged a car belonging to a local BJP functionary and also beat up the driver. BJP corporator Pramod Rathod, who was named by Mateen as one of his assaulters, demanded that the MIM corporator be expelled from the civic body for his "anti-national" move in opposing a tribute to Vajpayee. Later in the evening, Vijay Sainath Autade, Deputy Mayor of the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation, lodged a complaint against Mateen at the City Chowk police station. ALSO READ: Atal Bihari Vajpayee cremated, daughter Namita lights funeral pyre The police said a case under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language etc. and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 294 (obscene acts in public) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against Mateen. BJP MLA from Aurangabad East Atul Save demanded that a case of sedition be lodged against the MIM corporator. He said he had approached the city police commissioner, who told him that the police would take a decision on this "in a day or two". "When the entire nation was paying tribute to the former prime minister, the MIM corporator opposed the move. This is an act of sedition and a case should be filed against him," Save said. Meanwhile, MIM MLA from Aurangabad Central Imtiyaz Jaleel urged the police commissioner to go through the footage of the incident and take action against those involved in allegedly assaulting Mateen. "The victim will file a complaint, but the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation should also file a complaint against the attackers," he said. Jaleel added that assaulting anyone over such disagreements could not be justified in a democracy. The police said Mateen was yet to approach them with a complaint. Soon after, an academician, working at Mahatma Gandhi University, was allegedly thrashed by an angry mob on Friday afternoon for a comment on a social media platform criticising the former Prime Minister, reported ANI. The professor was attacked and dragged down from his flat, situated on the third floor. The attackers also attempted to burn him alive. ALSO READ: Atal Bihari Vajpayee, more than a rare 'Ajatshatru' in Indian politics Reportedly, his comment on a critical post against the late BJP Veteran read, "Fascivad ke ek Yug ki samapti. Atal ji anant yatra par nikle (End to an era of fascism. Atal ji embarks on an journey to eternity)." The professor was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital and later was referred to Patna's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for advanced medical treatment. Speaking to ANI, the victim however claimed that he was not only attacked for commenting on the post criticising Vajpayee, and but also for raising his voice against his university's Vice Chancellor's (VC) decisions in the past. "The people, who attacked me were all backed by the present VC. I also received a threat call from the attackers, who warned me to not protest against the VC," he added. A face-off between the VC and the professors started on May 29, after scores of teachers sat on dharna, protesting the decisions taken by the university administration pertaining to reservation and appointment of new faculty members. Thousands of people stranded in isolated buildings and rooftops in flood-hit Kerala were rescued on Saturday, even as rains and fresh landslides were reported in some places as the toll touched 194 in the second spell of monsoon fury since August 8. A large number of people, including senior citizens, women and children were airlifted from isolated buildings, while many others were evacuated in army boats, large fishing vessels and makeshift yachts, official sources said. Packed house boats and rafts moving through inundated roads could be seen in all the flood-hit regions of the state. However, people in worst-hit places like Pathanamthitta and Chengannur said that hundreds were yet to be evacuated. In many places, the local people were at the forefront of the evacuation along with defence and NDRF personnel. Lack of information about the isolated areas and houses, where a large number of people are believed to be stuck, is a worrying factor for rescuers, official sources said. Over 54,000 people were rescued in Ernakulam district, mainly in Paravur and Aluva taluks which had witnessed heavy rains and severe water logging in the past two days. Over 600 students, who were stranded in a building at the campus of Sree Sankaracharya University at Kalady near Kochi, since the past two days, were rescued today, they said. I salute the people of Kerala for their fighting spirit. I compliment the authorities for their efforts in this adverse situation. I would also like to appreciate the wide support and solidarity from people across India towards Kerala during this unprecedented situation. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 18, 2018 According to Navy sources, two sets of siblings from Kalady were rescued and brought to the naval base in Kochi and are waiting to join their parents. Rescuers evacuate people from a flooded area to a safer place in Aluva in the southern state of Kerala | Photo: Reuters Local leaders said thousands of people are stuck in Paravur region of Ernakulam district. With several people yet to be rescued, authorities today issued orders to release private boats and school buses for rescue operations. Fishing boats are already being using for the mission. The plantation town of Nelliyampathy in the battered Palakkad district is fully cut off as a bridge was washed away and massive boulders fell on the main road in incessant rains and landslides. Huge granite blocks, which had fallen from atop mountains, could be seen perched precariously amidst gushing flood waters. Youngsters could be seen helping women and the elderly cross the waters by lifting them. Fresh landslides were also reported in high range Idukki. NDRF teams, companies of BSF, CISF and RAF are deployed in the state for rescue and relief operations. The Air Force, Army, Navy and Coast Guard are assisting operations in different parts of Kerala. Rescuing those who are trapped remains the topmost priority. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 18, 2018 Dead bodies were seen floating in several places, including Pandanad, Aranmula and Nenmara, where a massive landslide was reported two days ago. People wait for aid on the roof of their house at a flooded area in the southern state of Kerala | Photo: Reuters Those returning home from relief camps were in for a shock, seeing muddy interiors of their homes, floating furniture, damaged books and reptiles and snails crawling inside. District authorities have asked people living downstream of Kakki dam in Pathanamthitta to be vigilant as three of its four shutters were lifted up to 75 cm-90 cm. ALSO READ: Kerala flood victims can share location via Google Maps plus codes offline The weatherman has predicted heavy rains in various places of Kerala till August 20. Idukki district received the maximum rainfall today with Munnar and Peermade towns recording 11 cm and 10 cms respectively, they said. According to authorities, since August 8, 194 people have lost their lives and 357 people have perished since May 29, when the south-west monsoon hit the state. Flood victims rest inside a university classroom, which is converted into a temporary relief camp in Kochi | Photo: Reuters Over 353,000 people are in 3026 relief camps across the state after the rains savaged Kerala. Agriculture crops in over 40,000 hectares have been destroyed, they said. Over 1,000 houses are fully destroyed and 26,000 partially. Officials said 134 bridges and 16,000 km of Public Works Department roads and 82,000 kms of local roads were completely destroyed, causing a total loss of Rs 210 billion. Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's ashes will be immersed in various rivers across the country, starting with the Ganga at Haridwar tomorrow, the said today. The immersion ceremony at the holy city tomorrow will be attended by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, his Uttarakhand counterpart Trivendra Singh Rawat among others, leader Bhupender Yadav told reporters. One of the most charismatic leaders in independent India, Vajpayee passed away here on Thursday at the age of 93. He was cremated with full State honours at the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal in the capital yesterday. ALSO READ: My tryst with Vajpayee Yadav said an all-party prayer meeting for the stalwart will be held here on August 20 and another such meeting will be organised in Lucknow on August 23 since Vajpayee's appeal cut across the political divide. Apart from the home minister and Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Vajpayee's relatives will attend the Lucknow prayer meeting, he said, adding that the former prime minister's ashes will also be immersed in the Gomati river there. The prayer meeting in Delhi will be attended by leaders from different political parties and noted citizens, Yadav said. "His (Vajpayee's) ashes will be immersed in various sacred rivers across the country and the 'asthi kalash' taken to all the districts headquarters and state capitals. Prayer meetings will take place in the state capitals, district headquarters and at the panchayat level," he added. Meanwhile, the saffron party also expressed solidarity with the people of Kerala, who are bearing the brunt of torrential rains and floods, and said its workers will visit every household in the affected areas of the southern states as a part of the rehabilitation measures. BJP secretary P Muralidhar Rao said the state units of the party were collecting relief materials from across the country, while the units in the neighbouring states of Kerala were planning to send doctors' teams to the flood-hit state. "The BJP is with the people of Kerala," he said, adding that Prime Minister and the home minister had already announced an assistance of Rs 5 billion and Rs 1 billion respectively. The prime minister, Rao said, had also appealed to the insurance companies to expedite the disbursement of compensations, including those towards crop insurance. Corporate affairs secretary Injeti Srinivas on Saturday said the evolving insolvency and can be extended to cross-border assets. The government is also in looking at hiring more members to the national company law tribunals to further strengthen the (IBC) process, said a corporate affairs ministry official. "A committee has been set up to look into the cross-border insolvency process. It will formulate a process to deal with international assets of any company. Based on the committee reports a final decision on it will be taken," Srinivas said without elaborating. Meanwhile, addressing the same CII event on insolvency here today Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh, joint secretary at the corporate affairs ministry said the government has received 500 applications for members and it is in the process of recruiting new members. The government is also looking to increase number members at the Mumbai bench of the to four from one now, Singh said, adding, "we are going for a drive where the capacity of is increased in a substantial way". Meanwhile, stating that his ministry has identified 50,000 shell companies, Srinivas said dormant companies are liable to get deregister. "It's an ongoing process. We have identified about 200,000 companies. So far, 50,000 of them have got deregistered and as we move along we expect that a large number of companies will get deregistered, he said. But there is a due process that has to be followed to give companies an opportunity to defend their case, he added. Sir, the first point is, in the last two years, there are about 700 cases that have been admitted under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). Out of these 700 cases, only three per cent have been resolved, 12 per cent have gone into liquidation, and 10 per cent have been closed. In other words, out of 700 cases, over 500 cases are active. Now, the court says, within 270 days, the process must be complete. So, my first question to the honourable minister is this. Is not this a very high proportion of cases that are still on-going? This is not meant to be a criticism because a ... With Brexit talks back from the summer holidays, its worth considering one way in which failure to reach a deal before the U. K.s departure in March would also be bad for the European Union. Such an outcome would unsettle the City of London, the motor of the British economy. But the danger for the EU is that Britain responds by emulating the U. S. in cutting taxes and deregulating. A low-regulation nirvana would go against the EUs desire for a level playing field after Brexit, while also threatening financial stability in the other 27 member states ... on Saturday stumbled over some of the Urdu words and wrongly pronounced them while taking oath as Pakistan's prime minister. Khan, 65, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman, was administered a long oath by President at a simple ceremony at the Aiwan-e-Sadr (the President House) in Islamabad. Clad in a traditional greyish black sherwani, a tearful Khan was seen little nervous as he stumbled over some of the Urdu words of the oath administered to him. When President Hussain said the words "Roz-e-Qiyaamat" (the day of Judgement), Khan did not hear the exact phrase and called out the words wrongly terming them as "Roz-e-Qiyaadat" (the day of leadership) hence completely changing the meaning of the sentence. Once corrected by the president, Khan realised his mistake, smiled subtly, said "sorry" and continued with his oath-taking. Some Pakistani journalists even wondered if the prime minister's oath has changed from past years, The News reported. Salman Masood, The New York Times Pakistan Correspondent, said the oath-taking ceremony should have been rehearsed. "President is trying to speak in immaculate Urdu accent, making it hard for to catch up. Perhaps, should have taken oath in English," he tweeted. The Oxford-educated Khan was sworn in as Pakistan's new prime minister today, officially taking over the charge of power in the corruption affected country nearly 22 years after the former cricket hero entered The 11th Hindi Conference, an event aimed at expanding the reach of the Hindi language at a global level, will begin in Mauritius from Saturday. Mauritius Prime Minister Praveen Kumar Jagannath will inaugurate the conference in Port Louis. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and other ministers are also reaching Port Louis to attend the event. This year the theme of the conference is "Hindi and Indian Culture". For the first time, a special flight was also arranged for official delegates. Around 290 delegates have already arrived at Port Louis on Friday. This is also the first time that representatives from all 29 states and Union Territories of Delhi, Chandigarh and Puducherry will be attending the conference. The delegates from India and various countries of the will deliberate on eight subtopics on Hindi World and Indian Culture during the three-day conference. Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished for the success of the conference. In a message, Prime Minister Modi said that he is sure that this conference would further encourage the use of Hindi language and its important role in the world. On August 10, External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj had said that garnering the requisite two-thirds majority in the United Nations (UN) to make Hindi an official language was an easy task. After the inauguration session, a report will also be released on the recommendation made during the 10th conference held in Bhopal in 2015. World Hindi Conference was started in 1975 to make the Hindi language a medium of service and knowledge and enable it to move forward with the time. Since then, Hindi has made remarkable progress and it has become one of the prominent languages of the world. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As massive floods cripple several districts of Kerala, Chief Ministers of various states extended financial aid to the southern state. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday announced a relief of Rs. 20 crores. "The Maharashtra Government has also remained in constant touch with the Kerala Government for their requirements and necessary support, since Friday," read a statement released by Fadnavis' office. Around 11 ton of dry food has also been arranged, out of which, six tons would be despatched soonest. Fadnavis also appealed to everyone to come forward and contribute in all possible ways to help the citizens of Kerala. Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das announced an aid of Rs 5 crores for the flood- battered state, while Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani ordered the release of Rs. 10 crores from his relief fund. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered to release an aid of Rs. 15 crore from the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Relief Fund. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted an aerial survey of the state and announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh to the next kin of the deceased and Rs. 50,000 to those critically injured. Kerala has been facing the worst flooding in a century. The calamity has also grabbed global attention. Even the United Arab Emirates (UAE) took note of the issue and formed a committee to provide relief to the affected people. The death toll, ever since the monsoon season began this year, has crossed 300. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The on Saturday revoked the suspension of party leader from its primary membership with immediate effect. Congress president took the decision on the recommendation of Central Disciplinary Committee of the All India Congress Committee (AICC). "Congress President has approved the recommendation of the Central Disciplinary Committee of AICC for revocation of suspension of from the Primary Membership of the with immediate effect," read a statement by the Aiyar was suspended from the party in December 2017 after he referred Prime Minister as a "neech aadmi" (low-minded) for appropriating Babasaheb Ambedkar during Gujarat polls election campaign. "This person is a 'neech aadmi' (low-minded). He is not civilised and in a situation like this, there is no need to practise such dirty politics," Aiyar had said, referring to the Prime Minister. Soon after his statement, Rahul rebuked Aiyar for using "filthy language" and asked him to apologise for it. "BJP and PM routinely use filthy language to attack Congress party. Congress has a different culture and heritage. I do not appreciate the tone and language used by Mr. to address the PM. Both the Congress and I expect him to apologise for what he said," the Congress chief had tweeted. The Congress on Saturday demanded the Centre to declare Kerala floods a disaster. Congress President Rahul Gandhi tweeted, "Dear PM, Please declare #Kerala floods a Disaster without any delay. The lives, livelihood and future of millions of our people is at stake." His statement comes an hour after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Rs 500 crore interim relief to the state following a review meeting with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Minister KJ Alphons. This is in addition to Rs. 100 crore announced by Home Minister Rajnath Singh on August 12. Meanwhile, other Congress leaders also demanded more help from the Centre and other states for flood-hit state. Speaking to ANI, Congress leader PC Chacko said that "Thousands of people are marooned and facing a very severe, critical situation and more emergency evacuation operation is needed. What is being done is appreciable but we need more help from the Centre and other states as Kerala is in distress". Resonating similar views, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala reasoned out that the state could get more resources from the Centre if the calamity was declared a disaster. "Kerala flood is a heart rending sight to see. If the calamity is declared a national disaster, it may help the state to access more resources from the Centre such as defence apparatus for rescue operations, money for rehabilitation works, and more food grains," Surjewala told ANI. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rejected the idea of such classification as national disaster for Kerala floods. Speaking to ANI, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy asserted, "Kerala floods is a serious matter. It is sad to see the pictures and the images. They are shocking. But floods do happen, not just in India but in other countries too. I think the central government is doing its best in all possible ways. Now it is the municipality level officials who have to work on further orders." On Friday, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh announced Rs 10 crore worth of immediate relief. Besides him, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal have also announced immediate financial help for the relief works. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Kerala, conducted an aerial survey of the damages caused due to flash floods and took stock of the situation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former United Nations (UN) Secretary General, Kofi Annan passed away on Saturday, his family and foundation confirmed. "It is with immense sadness that the Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation announce that Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Laureate, passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness..," read a tweet on Annan's official Twitter handle. Condolences from various leaders started pouring in soon after the demise of the peace icon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, "We express our profound sorrow at the passing away of Nobel Laureate and former UNSG Mr. Kofi Annan. The has lost not only a great African diplomat and humanitarian but also a conscience keeper of international peace and security." Prime Minister Modi praised Annan for his contribution to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the global body's roadmap for eradicating poverty, halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education. "Mr. Kofi Annan's significant contribution to the MDGs will always be remembered. My thoughts are with his family and admirers in this hour of grief. May his soul rest in peace," he added. The United Kingdom Prime Minister, Theresa May also paid homage to Annan and tweeted, "Sad to hear of the death of Kofi Annan. A great leader and reformer of the UN, he made a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into. My thoughts and condolences are with his family." The Secretary General of the UN, Antonio Guterres also mourned Annan's demise and said "his legacy as a global champion for peace will remain a true inspiration". "Kofi Annan was a guiding force for good. I join the world in mourning his loss. In these turbulent and trying times, his legacy as a global champion for peace will remain a true inspiration for us all." Guterres tweeted. The United Nations Migration Agency expressed sorrow over the death of Ghana-born peacenik, saying, "Today we mourn the loss of a great man, a leader, and a visionary: former @UN Secretary General @KofiAnnan. A life well lived. A life worth celebrating." Annan, who was the seventh Secretary General of the UN, served two terms from 1997 to 2006. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts towards a "better organised and more peaceful world" jointly with the UN as an organisation in 2001. Having studied International Relations from the Graduate Institute Geneva and management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Annan became the first coloured African to be elected to the UN's top post. Among his major achievements, was his role in Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000, and brokering peace between Tel Aviv and Hezbollah in 2006. He also played a vital role in the 'Global Compact' initiative in 1999, which aimed at promoting corporate social responsibility. After his tenure ended at the UN, he founded the Kofi Annan Foundation, where he continued the human rights work. He was the chairman of the Africa Progress Panel and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, and also the Nelson Mandela-founded group, The Elders. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United Nations (UN) has announced that the city of Ghazni is highly unsafe for aid workers since Improvised Explosion Devices (IED) and mines are scattered on the way following the Taliban attack earlier this week. "There is no safe way for civilians or humanitarian workers to enter Ghazni because of IED and mines on the way," Tolo News reported on Saturday quoting spokesperson for UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Jens Laerke. "We do have capacity to actually spot and map where these mines are, but we do not have the capacity to remove them. That is the responsibility and within the capacity of the national government to do so," Laerke added. He also pointed out that there were as many as 200-250 civilian casualties in the region as per unverified numbers. More than 100 people have been killed and 133 injured since August 10 after Taliban militants launched an attack in Ghazni. Last week, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani visited the war zone to take stock of the situation and ordered investigation into the attacks. He also addressed the locals. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) American supermodel Gigi Hadid visited Bangladesh to meet the Rohingya Muslim refugees. Ahead of New York Fashion Week this September, the 23-year-old model took her time off to partner with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). She met the women and children in Bangladesh benefiting from the charity organization's programs. Posting pictures of her humanitarian trip on Instagram, Hadid revealed that she visited the Jamtoli Refugee Camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. "Millions of people currently require humanitarian assistance, more than half of them are children," she wrote. Rohingyas are a Muslim minority ethnic group in Myanmar and are considered to be illegal immigrants. Scores of Rohingya refugees are languishing in Indian refugee camps, after fleeing a brutal Myanmar army campaign that launched in August last year. They are residing in several parts of the country including Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR, and Rajasthan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The next big addition to Google's line of smart home products could be a display that complements its Home smart speaker. With Amazon already ruling the space with its screen-supported Echo Show, it might be the right time for Google to step in. The search giant is said to be working on a screen sporting the Home device, Nikkei Asian Review reports. The device is said to be similar to the Amazon Echo Show with Google Home speakers and Google Assistant at the core. The display will be voice-controlled and projected to allow users to play YouTube videos, check calendars and view maps. Google is likely to start shipping the smart screen-enabled devices before holidays, with an initial goal of 3 million units for the first batch. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The son of slain Maharashtra rationalist Narendra Dabholkar hoped that the real perpetrators behind the murder of his father are nabbed soon. According to media reports, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday arrested one of the two gunmen who allegedly killed Narendra Dabholkar in 2013. Sachin Prakasrao Andure, who is believed to be one of the shooters who shot dead the MANS founder in Pune, was arrested by the central probe agency from Maharashtra's Aurangabad. Narendra Dabholkar's son Hamid Dabholkar, told ANI, "The CBI has arrested a person in connection with the case. I think it is an important development in the case which will help in the further probe. We hope that with this arrest, investigating agencies will get to the mastermind who was involved in the killing of my father Dr Dabholkar. The Bombay High Court is supervising and monitoring the case. I hope soon the accused in murder cases of Govind Pansare, MM Kalburgi and Gauri Lankesh will also get arrested by the police." Meanwhile, DCP Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) of Maharashtra D. Kulkarni underscored that following a tip-off from Thane's ATS team Andure was arrested. "Thane ATS team, had recently arrested three persons from Nalasopara and Pune in an alleged case of explosives seizure. During custodial interrogation, one of the arrested people revealed about Andure's direct involvement in the Dabholkar killing," said Kulkarni. "One more person was summoned and he also revealed identical information, following which the CBI arrested one more person and now is further investigating the case," Kulkarni said. The arrest comes few days ahead of the fifth death anniversary of Dabholkar, who was murdered by unknown bike-borne assailants from point-blank range on August 20, 2013, in Pune, while he was returning home from a morning walk. The Bombay High Court on August 2 had pulled up Maharashtra's Special Investigation Agency (SIT) and CBI probing the case. The court cracked a whip on the investigative agencies directing them to adopt the same degree of seriousness and promptness like Karnataka Police which is probing the Gauri Lankesh murder case. "Is there a lack of coordination, or are the authorities before us restricting their probe to merely pursuing mobile phone records," the court had said. Following a demand by members of Dabholkar's family, the case was handed over to the CBI for investigation. On a related note, the Karnataka police while probing the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh found out that suspects in Lankesh's murder had links with the conspirators in the murders of Dabholkar, Karburgi and Pansare. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The family of a 30-year-old woman has alleged that she died due to medical negligence of a hospital in Hyderabad's Narayanguda region. Sravani, a resident of Nimboliyaadda in Hyderabad, was brought to Sri Swetha hospital in Narayanguda a few months back for laparoscopic treatment. However, Sravani's family claimed that doctors performed an incorrect operation, which subsequently led to her death on Friday. According to the victim's mother Rani, "My daughter came here (Sri Swetha hospital) for treatment and was admitted for last three to four months. Today morning at 7 a.m. Dr. K. Nageshwari Rao did my daughter's laparoscopic surgery. After the completion of surgery, her pulse rate went down and she died." Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Biksham Reddy told ANI, "We received a complaint stating a 30-year-old woman was taking laparoscopic treatment from last five months in Sri Swetha hospital at Narayanguda. Today morning Dr K. Nageshwari Rao has done laparoscopic surgery to the patient. After the surgery, the doctor has declared her dead. Now, the family is complaining that the doctor has shown negligence towards her." Reddy further said that the victim's family is now demanding a legal action against the hospital management. Meanwhile, police took cognisance of the matter and the investigation is currently underway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Saturday conducted an aerial survey of flood and landslide affected areas of Kodagu. Earlier in the day, the Karnataka Chief Minister conducted a press briefing and said that over one thousand security personnel are involved in rescue operation of those affected by torrential rains in the state. He said, "Over 1000 security personnel, including those from Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Navy, Army, Fire Department, Home Guards etc. are involved in rescue operations. Air Force is lifting stranded people and is also dropping relief material where required. 200 cadets from Cadet Corps (NCC) are also working for rescue and relief. We are working non-stop". Briefing further about the casualties and damages, Kumaraswamy said, "Over 11,000 houses have been damaged. Six people have lost their lives in Kodagu district. Many officials from other areas have been shifted to Kodagu. Officials have been asked to provide a list of damaged roads and start the work for repairs". He also informed that Banks have been ordered to stock up their ATMs. Before the presser, Chief Minister Kumaraswamy conducted a video conference with the Deputy Commissioners of flood affected districts. On Saturday morning, Kodagu district in-charge minister Sa Ra Mahesh had told ANI that the rescue operations in the rain-battered district will be over by evening. A high alert in five districts namely Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, and Shivamogga was declared on August 15 by the Karnataka Chief Minister. Incessant rains have lashed Karnataka since August 14, causing landslide and disruption of normal life in the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bollywood actor, Hrithik Roshan has lent his support and urged everyone to help the victims of Kerala floods. The 'Kaabil' actor, who has made a donation for the flood victims, appealed to everyone on Twitter, writing, "The situation in Kerala is critical. Help is required. Please let's come forward and do whatever we can. Our friends in Kerala need us right now. I have contributed a sum and I request you all to do whatever you can. God bless #KerelaFloodRelief" Earlier, many Bollywood celebrities had extended their support and urged people to come forward and help the people of Kerala. Sonali Bendre took to Twitter and wrote, "My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the #KeralaFloods... let's do everything we can to help them in this time of need." Farhan Akhtar also expressed his concern over the flood situation and wrote, "Thoughts with the people of #Kerala. Here's hoping that rescue teams, medical aid, and food relief can reach all those in need." Abhishek Bachchan also took to Twitter and prayed for the flood victims. "Tragic to see what is happening in Kerala floods please help in whatever way you can. Pray for Kerala," he tweeted. Anushka Sharma termed the devastation caused in Kerala by the floods as "gut-wrenching" and said, "Whatever we can do, we must." Kerala has been facing the worst flooding in a century. The calamity has also grabbed global attention. Even the United Arab Emirates (UAE) took note of the issue and formed a committee to provide relief to the affected people. The death toll, ever since the monsoon season began this year, has crossed 300. On the work front, Hrithik Roshan is currently gearing up for the release of his upcoming movie 'Super 30'. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has till now rescued 194 people and evacuated around 10,467 from flood-hit Kerala. A total of 55 NDRF teams are engaged in the rescue and relief work in the flood-affected Kerala. The teams are actively engaged to relocate the marooned people in the state. "Total 15 teams are operational in Thrissur, 13 in Pathanamthitta, 11 in Alappuzha, five in Ernakulum, four in Idukki, three in Mallapuram and two each in Wayanad and Kozhikode," read the statement issued by the NDRF. Each team of NDRF is accompanied by doctors and paramedics and essential medicines to provide first aid to the people. Director General, NDRF is supervising the entire rescue operation in the state and a 24x7 NDRF control room is monitoring the situation round the clock. Kerala has been facing the worst flooding in a century. The calamity has also grabbed global attention. Even the United Arab Emirates (UAE) took note of the issue and formed a committee to provide relief to the affected people. The death toll, ever since the monsoon season began this year, has crossed 300. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday conducted an aerial survey of flood-affected Kerala. He announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh per person to the next kin of the deceased and Rs. 50,000 to those seriously injured, from PM's Relief Funds (PMNRF). Earlier in the day, in a review meeting with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Minister KJ Alphons and other officials, the Prime Minister also announced Rs 500 crore as an immediate aid for Kerala, in addition to the 100 crore announced on August 12. During the meeting, the Prime Minister expressed grief over the unfortunate deaths and damages caused in the floods and assured the State Government of sufficient relief material. Prime Minister Modi directed Insurance Companies to hold special camps for assessment and timely release of compensation to the affected families and beneficiaries, under Social Security Schemes. Directions have also been issued for early clearance of claims under Fasal Bima Yojna to agriculturists. He further directed Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to repair main highways, damaged due to floods, on priority. Central Public Sector like NTPC and Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL) have also been directed to be available to render all possible assistance to the State Government in restoring power lines. Further giving details on the schemes and their benefits, the meeting has decided on- villagers, whose houses have been destroyed in the floods, would be provided houses on priority under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin. Under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture, farmers would be provided assistance for replantation of damaged horticulture crops. On the direction of the Prime Minister Modi, Kiren Rijiju, MoS (Home), accompanied by K.J. Alphons, MoS (I/C), and a high-level Central Team visited the flood affected districts of Alappuzha and Kottayam on July 21 and reviewed the flood situation there and provided relief measures. On August 12, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh along with other leaders carried out an aerial survey of the affected areas and reviewed the search, rescue and relief measures taken by the State and Central Government agencies. The Home Minister then announced release of Rs. 100 crore in advance, from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). An Inter-Ministerial Centre Team (IMCT) has already visited the affected areas in Kerala for assessment of losses from August 7-12 as per the Memorandum submitted by the state government. Currently, 57 teams of NDRF involving about 1,300 personnel and 435 boats are deployed for search and rescue operations. Five companies of Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Rapid Action Force (RAF) have been deployed in the state to carry out rescue and relief measures. The Army, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard are also deployed for assisting the state in search and rescue operations. A total of 38 helicopters have been deployed for rescue and relief measures. In addition, 20 aircraft are also being used for ferrying resources. Army has deployed 10 columns and 10 Teams of Engineering Task Force (ETFs) involving around 790 trained personnel's. While, Navy is providing 82 teams; the Coast Guard has provided 42 teams with two helicopters and two ships. Since August 9, the NDRF, Army and Navy together have rescued /evacuated 6714 persons and provided medical assistance to 891 persons. The Prime Minister complimented the state government for the efforts made in meeting the challenges of the unprecedented situation. He observed that rescue of people, who are still marooned, remains the topmost priority. Government of India will continue to support the state government in all its endeavours. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday thanked his United Arab Emirates (UAE) counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for offering flood relief support to Kerala. "A big thanks to @hhshkmohd for his gracious offer to support people of Kerala during this difficult time. His concern reflects the special ties between governments and people of India and UAE," Prime Minister Modi tweeted. Earlier today, the UAE announced to form a committee to provide relief to the flood-affected in Kerala. The UAE Prime Minister took to Twitter to make the announcement and urged "everyone to contribute generously towards this initiative". "The state of Kerala in India is currently witnessing huge floods, the most devastating in a century. Hundreds have been killed, hundreds of thousands have been displaced. Ahead of Eid Al Adha, do not forget to extend a helping hand to our brothers in India," he tweeted. "UAE and the Indian community will unite to offer relief to those affected. We have formed a committee to start immediately. We urge everyone to contribute generously towards this initiative," he added. The state of Kerala has been hit by severe rainfall over the past few weeks, causing acute flooding and landslides. So far, 324 people have lost their lives due to the floods. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In the wake of heavy rainfall in the state, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy will on Saturday visit Kodagu to review relief operations in the district. He will also chair a high-level meeting regarding the same at around 10.30 a.m. today in Krishna, his home office before leaving for Kodagu district. He will pay a visit to rain-affected areas in Nanjangood and Kabini on August 19. Kumaraswamy also directed Kodagu district in-charge minister Sara Mahesh to get the supply of relief materials from Mysuru, said a press release from the Chief Minister's office. With heavy rains expected in many parts of the state, Kumaraswamy had earlier directed collectors of various districts to remain on their toes to combat any untoward situation. Out of 30 districts, as many as five districts namely, Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, and Shivamogga have been kept on high alert. The Chief Minister had also urged the concerned officials in the said districts to review the situation in their vicinities and update the authorities in case of emergency. Torrential rains, which lashed the state since August 14, caused landslides and disrupted the normal life in the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A cast member from the famous American TV series 'Madam Secretary' has begged another co-star Tea Leoni, to help him star opposite senator, Hillary Clinton in a special scene. The scene has Colin Powell, former National Security Advisor and Madeleine Albright, former United States Secretary of state, reported Page Six. The cast member, Erich Bergen decided to request Leoni as after he got his hands on the script of this episode, he learned that he wasn't in the scene he wished to be in. The actress finally helped let Bergen into that specific scene he wished for. Clinton, Powell, and Albright had shot a special scene in July and are scheduled to appear in the show's fifth season, which is set to be premiered in October. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A new study has found that elevated pesticide levels in pregnant women are associated with an increased risk of autism among their children. Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with largely unknown causes. It is characterized by problems with communication, difficulty relating to people and events, and repetitive body movements or behaviours. The study conducted at the American Psychiatric Association examined whether elevated maternal levels of persistent organic pollutants are associated with autism among children. Persistent organic pollutants are toxic chemicals that adversely affect human and the environment around the world. The study examined levels of DDE (p,p'-dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethylene), a breakdown product of the pesticide DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane). Although DDT and other persistent organic pollutants were widely banned in many countries decades ago, they persist in the food chain, resulting in continuous exposure among populations. These chemicals transfer across the placenta, resulting in potential prenatal exposure among nearly all children because of existing maternal body burdens. The researchers evaluated levels of DDE in maternal serum samples drawn from more than 750 children with autism and matched control subjects from a national birth cohort study, the Finnish Prenatal Study of Autism. The odds of autism among children were significantly increased in mothers whose DDE levels were elevated (defined as the 75th percentile or greater). In addition, the odds of children having autism with intellectual disability were increased more than twofold with maternal DDE levels above this threshold. While these results indicate an association, they do not prove causation, although the findings persisted after controlling for confounding factors. The study also evaluated mothers' levels of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), chemicals used in industry, and found no association with autism in children. The researchers concluded that their findings provide the first biomarker-based evidence that maternal exposure to insecticides is associated with autism among offspring. The findings appeared in the American Journal of Psychiatry. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria will visit India on Sunday. According to the sources, Bisaria will be travelling to Delhi for consultation. It is expected that the Foreign Affairs Ministry of India will hold a consultation on the aspect of engaging with the new Government of Pakistan under Prime Minister Imran Khan. Earlier on Friday, a Pakistani delegation led by Pakistan's interim Minister of Law and Information Syed Ali Zafar arrived in India to extend their condolences on the demise of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Zafar also met with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj during his visit. Speaking to the media after his meeting with Swaraj, Zafar said that he hoped that India and Pakistan will be able to resolve all issues between them through dialogue. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In his maiden address in the Province no. 2 Assembly, Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli promised to develop the region without any further delay. "There is no place which can be called inaccessible. Despite being the fact that the literacy rate of the province is only 41 per cent, 59 per cent of the total population is still illiterate. Only 26 per cent of the population in the province has access to toilets. 74 per cent still lack access to toilets. We will work for it, without any further delay," Prime Minister Oli said. The Province no. 2 of Federal Nepal had been the centre of protest for the Madhesh-based parties in 2015. Prime Minister Oli who was always characterised as an "anti-Madhesi", held discussions with the Chief Minister, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and other senior ministers of Province no. 2 prior to his address. The Province no. 2, which still has reservations, such as the provisions of citizenship of the province is seeking some amendment in it. The September 2015 constitution promulgation had led to massive violence in the southern plains of Nepal, where over 100 people were killed, with the blame landing on the then Oli government for using excessive force. But the 66-year-old leader, who is the first Prime Minister of Federal Nepal noted that the constitution can be amended on the basis of its need. Although Prime Minister Oli addressed the Provincial Assembly of Province no. 2, the leaders and the members from the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal which protested against the government during the 2015 Madhesi movement boycotted it. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress President Rahul Gandhi has constituted a six-member task force to look into the alleged Rafale scam, ahead of the 2019 general elections. The party has prepared a strategy to expose the 'scam'. According to sources, the task force members have been personally selected by the party president. It will be headed by senior Congress leader Jaipal Reddy and supervised by spokesperson Randeep Surjewala. Other members in the task force include Arjun Modhwadia, Shakti Singh Gohil, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Jaiveer Shergill and Pawan Khera. The task force will aim at building a narrative against the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) based on the allegations against the deal. Besides this, 50 Congress leaders will be assigned to hold conferences on the deal in 100 cities across the country. The Congress has repeatedly attacked the BJP on the Rafale deal on several occasions. At a rally in Hyderabad on August 14, Rahul Gandhi said that he was willing to engage in a debate with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the alleged scam. The Centre has, however, rubbished the Congress' allegations saying that the party was only trying "to malign the image of the ruling party". "All allegations being leveled in various press conferences are already answered on the floor of Parliament. A recent attempt, in the House, to malign the government through baseless charges collapsed. Today's was yet another attempt at repeating fabricated facts," Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted on August 9. In 2008, India had signed a deal with France based Dassault Aviation to purchase 36 Rafale jets, which is slated to be one of the world's biggest military procurement in recent history and could cost the Indian government USD 15 billion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Congress party over its party leader Navjot Singh Sidhu's Pakistan visit and said that his visit was "no less than a crime". Addressing a press briefing, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, "It is no less than a crime that a Congress member and cabinet minister in Punjab government went to Pakistan for the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Imran Khan and acted in a certain way." Patra also cornered Sidhu for hugging Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and sitting next to President of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) Masood Khan. "Navjot Singh Sidhu is not just an individual but also a member of a political party and a cabinet minister in the Punjab government. The Congress needs to answer some serious questions in this regard. As per the protocol, Sidhu was not going to sit with PoK President. Initially, Masood Khan was sitting at the back but was later brought to the front and made to sit with Sidhu. Navjot must have known that this man is the alleged President of PoK. He should have objected from sitting next to him," Patra added. On the Sidhu-Bajwa hug, Patra said, "Hugging General Bajwa is a bigger crime. General is known for the fact that his intervention has caused multiple deaths of innocents in India." Recalling statements made by some other Congress leaders in the past, the spokesperson said, "Salman Khurshid, one of the former minister and diplomat went to Pakistan on 13th November 2015 and said that Pakistan is working towards peace whereas India is hindering the process. On 17th November, Mani Shankar Aiyar gave an interview in Pakistan and asked for bringing down the Modi government. On 21st June 2018, Ghulam Nabi Azad also made a similar controversial statement by claiming that, 'when Indian army tries to kill terrorists, it hardly kills one terrorist and eliminates 20 civilians'." Patra also demanded Congress President Rahul Gandhi's stance on Sidhu's visit and asked him whether the Punjab cabinet minister would be sacked before his return to India. "We demand Rahul Gandhi to answer whether he granted permission to Navjot Sidhu to go to Pakistan or not?" Patra asked. Earlier today, Sidhu attended the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad and later addressed the media. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, who is in Pakistan for the swearing-in ceremony of newly-elected Prime Minister Imran Khan, on Saturday said that it is about time the Indian government should take a step ahead to establish peace with Islamabad. Addressing the media in Islamabad, Sidhu said, "It is our duty that we go back and ask our governments to take a step ahead. I hope that if we take one step forward, people here will take two steps forward." Speaking about his hug with Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the Congress leader said, "General Bajwa Sahab hugged me and said that it is time for peace. It is my dream as well. Today morning he came up to me and told me that the Pakistan government is thinking of opening a route in Katarpur to mark the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev." Earlier today, Sidhu attended the oath-taking ceremony of Prime Minister Imran Khan at the President House. He visited Pakistan after Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) invited him to attend the swearing-in ceremony. On Thursday, before leaving for Pakistan, Sidhu said that he was going to the other side of the border as a "goodwill ambassador". "These moments of democratic change in Pakistan are very important. I feel lucky that Imran Khan, being a friend, invited me. It is an honour for me. I am going to Pakistan as a goodwill ambassador. I am going there with the hope that relations between our two nations will improve," Sidhu told media at the Attari-Wagah border. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Turkey on Friday chose the film 'The Wild Pear Tree' to be submitted in the 'Best foreign language' category for the 91st Academy Awards, set to be held next year. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the storyline of the movie revolves around a young writer, who struggles to accumulate money to publish his novel. The film, which premiered at Cannes earlier this year, is the Director Nuri Bilge Ceylan's first official submission at the Oscars. The director is well known for winning Palme d'Or for his film 'Winter Sleep' in 2014, and the 'best director prize' at Cannes for 'Three Monkeys' in 2008. 'The Wild Pear Tree' is an international co-production. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bollywood's Priyanka Chopra and Hollywood's Nick Jonas have sealed the deal with roka. A picture of the couple, performing the rituals, is doing the rounds on social media and fans can't hold their excitement. A user tweeted, "Mr. @nickjonas! What a stand up guy. A handsome & perfect KING to our QUEEN, Priyanka Chopra. Such an amazing inspiration for men out there. Engaged with the girl he loved against all odds and did an Indian traditional engagement ceremony for his love" Appreciating Nick's efforts of donning desi attire, a user tweeted, "Nick Jonas is out here doing whole Hindu wedding rituals and shit for Priyanka Chopra I mean if that ain't love idk what is #PriyankaNickEngagement" Comparing the jodi with Bollywood's other couples, a fan tweeted, "While other celebs promote wedding in other countries like Anushka Virat , Neha Angad and dp Ranveer .. Priyanka brought her American boyfriend to India ?? this shows her true Indian heart no matter wtv ppl say she is always gonna be Indian at heart #PriyankaNickEngagement." Getting a little too emotional about the roka, another fan tweeted, "Jonas Jiju is a great guy! Following & doing our rituals despite not knowing anything." Appreciating the 'Desi'ness of this global diva, a fan tweeted, "She always said "NEVER FORGET YOUR ROOTS" She brought him to India for this. A TRUE DESI GIRL BY HEART!! Congrats @priyankachopra We all love you!!" Getting protective a user tweeted, "Keep the nazar away bitches. God bless them and keep them happy for all eternity. #PriyankaNickEngagement" Reportedly, the couple is all set to host an engagement Party for their friends and family today at Mumbai's Suburban Hotel where they have booked about 200 rooms for guests. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) North Korea has said that the United States would play a key role in formally declaring the end of the over six-decades-old Korean War and paving the way for long-lasting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. The Rodong Sinmun, the North Korean government's official newspaper, said in a commentary, "There is no reason to ignore a declaration to end the war. It is a preliminary and essential process to pave the ground for detente and permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula." The newspaper elucidated that the people of and Koreans living in the US held gatherings to call for the end of the Korean War, Yonhap News Agency reported. Pledging Washington to carry out its 'phased measures' on the same, The Rodong Sinmun stressed, "The US should implement phased and simultaneous measures, like the end-of-war declaration, to build mutual trust and make a breakthrough in the security of the world." Meanwhile, North Korea's external propaganda website Meari expressed reservations that talks on peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula would be meaningless without signing a declaration of ending the war. "As long as the armistice remains intact, even a small accidental event could immediately escalate into a crisis. If so, the North's relations with the South and the US could revert to the past phase of confrontation," the website said. North Korean leader and South Korean President Moon Jae-in pledged to end the 1950-53 Korean War during their meeting on April 27, with a permanent peace treaty replacing the armistice agreement that ceased all hostilities on the Korean Peninsula. The two Koreas are technically at war, as no peace treaty was signed. Last month, North Korea had demanded to actively implement the agreement reached during the inter-Korean summit, in order to formally end the 65-year-old Korean War. Condoling the demise of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, actor Ronit Roy on Friday said that the former Indian prime minister had worked for the construction of a better and united India. Expressing his grief during an event, Ronit said told ANI the late BJP stalwart was one of those who was known for his work and great thinking." He added, "I extend my condolence to his family." During the promotion of her upcoming film, 'Happy Phirr Bhaag Jaegi', Bollywood star Sonakshi Sinha also paid homage to the former Indian prime minister, saying, "It was a sad day for our entire country. We are all grieving his loss. He has given this country a lot in the past." Her co-star and actress Diana Penty also said that India has lost one of its finest missionaries and courageous leader. Other celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Javed Akhtar, Shah Rukh Khan, Rajinikanth, Priyanka Chopra, Madhur Bhandarkar, and Paresh Rawal had earlier paid their tributes minutes after Vajpayee's death was announced. Vajpayee, who was India's 10th prime minister, passed away on Thursday at the age of 93 following a prolonged illness. He was cremated with state honour at the Smriti Sthal in New Delhi on Friday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj on Saturday said that the onus was on India to protect and promote Hindi's influence globally. Speaking at the 11th Vishwa Hindi Sammelan ( Hindi Conference) here, Swaraj said while most of the previous conferences were literature-centric, this one was organised with the aim to be more language-centric. Swaraj said, "Our writers produce very high-level of literature and poetry, both in India and abroad. But if the language is dwindling in influence, and if people are losing their understanding of it, how will they appreciate that literature and poetry? How will it get passed on to the future generations?" "Thus the need arises now to protect the language, to promote it where it is still relevant and maintain a certain level of purity. The 10th conference was organised with that aim, and so is this one. I assure you, India will carry out this responsibility to the best of its ability," she added. The Minister also announced that one of the objectives that had been in discussions for a long time was to establish a Hindi Secretariat, and that has now been accomplished. In March, President Ram Nath Kovind had inaugurated the Secretariat in Mauritius. The EAM further stated that although their efforts to make Hindi an official language at the United Nations (UN) went in vain, they had started broadcasting weekly news in Hindi. Swaraj added that if it garners enough following, the UN could make it daily as well. Meanwhile, Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, while expressing condolences over the passing away of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, praised the former Indian Prime Minister for his love for the Hindi language and the unique ability to stir passion in millions through his addresses. "We mourn the loss of a great son of India and a dear friend to Mauritius. We will remember him as a master orator, global thinker and a patriot. The 11th Hindi Conference could not be a better tribute to Shri Vajpayee," Jugnath said. He also announced that the cyber tower in Mauritius, which Vajpayee had contributed towards, will henceforth be named as Atal Bihari Vajpayee tower. This was the first time that a special flight was arranged for the official Indian delegation. Around 290 delegates arrived at Port Louis on Friday. This is also the first time that representatives from all the 29 states and Union Territories of Delhi, Chandigarh and Puducherry were participating in the conference. The World Hindi Conference was started in 1975 to make the Hindi language a medium of service and knowledge and enable it to move forward with the time. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cochin Shipyard's P&M remains safe Cochin Shipyard announced that as the flood situation remains alarming in Kerala much of downtown Kochi including Cochin Shipyard have been unaffected. The company's plant and machinery remained safe and did not suffer adverse impact of the inclement weather. Cochin Shipyard also contributed its might for the extensive relief work which is proceeding on war-footing to save those who are caught up in the present situation. As an immediate measure, the company will be contributing Rs. 1 crore towards the Chief Minister's relief fund under the company's CSR fund. Apart from this, all employees have contributed their one day's salary and all executives have contributed two day's salary for the rehabilitation of the flood victims. The company is also rendering full support to relief camps by way of supplying essentials like prepared food, provisions, personal effects etc. The company will be considering further support towards rehabilitation in the due course. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday visited the flood-hit Kodagu district in the southern state, where hundreds are marooned in villages and towns due to heavy rains. "At least 1,500 people are stranded in various parts of the district, but the rescue officials have not been able to reach them due to bad weather and landslides. Efforts are being made to rescue them," Kumaraswamy told reporters here. The Chief Minister earlier in the day held a meeting with district officials on the flood situation in Kodagu, and on heavy rains lashing coastal and south interior districts. He made an aerial survey of the coffee-growing district, about 270km from the state capital Begaluru. THe district is one of the worst-hit districts in the southern state.A "The officials are trying to airlift people in the district, but the weather has not been very favourable," the Chief Minister said. Heavy rains, flooding and landslips in the district have claimed six lives so far, a statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said. The state has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of those who lost their lives due to the rains. The Chief Minister earlier announced Rs 200-crore fund to take up relief measures in the rain-hit districts. Kumaraswamy, who also visited a relief camp in Madikeri in the hilly district in Western Ghats, told people that the state is taking up rescue and relief operations on a war-footing. The water being released from Harangi reservoir in the district across Harangi river, one of Cauvery's tributaries, has been flooding several towns and villages in the region. Over the last 24 hours, Madikeri received a very heavy rainfall measuring up to 30 cm, while the district received an average rain upto 16 cm, according to the weather office. About 60 Dogra Regiment soldiers and 12 expert naval divers rescued 873 marooned people in the flood-hit district till Friday, where overnight heavy rains caused landslides and inundated low-lying areas at Makkanduru. Another 525 personnel from the fire services, home guards and civil defence teams are working on the rescue operations in the district. In all, 948 specialised rescuers from various state and central agencies are working in Kodagu district, a CMO statement said. So far, more than 1,250 people have been rescued and shifted to about 30 relief camps set up across the district, the statement added. Heavy rains have also been lashing coastal districts of Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada over the past few weeks. The Bengaluru division of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts heavy rains will continue over the next two days in the coastal and south interior districts of the state, including Kodagu. --IANS bha/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Forty Nepalese pilgrims were injured in a road accident in Varanasi, police said on Saturday. The pilgrims from Viratnagar Dubhi of Sunsari district, were on board a private bus hired from Bihar when the driver in a bid to save a speeding bike rider rammed into the divider. There were 46 passengers in total. The injured pilgrims were rushed to the Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya hospital. They were on a 12-religious trip to India and had visited the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi and were slated to visit Mirzapur, Allahabad and Agra. District Magistrate of Varanasi Surendra Singh and SSP Anand Kulkarni oversaw the rescue operations in which NDRF personnel were also involved, an official told IANS. --IANS md/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Six people including a local political leader were killed on Saturday in a clash between two rival factions of a political party in Bangladesh's southeastern Chittagong Hill tracts. Police chief in Khagrachari Ali Ahmed Khan told Xinhua news agency that the clash erupted in the Shonirbhor Bazar area of the Khagrachari district town at around 8.30 a.m. He said the shootout occurred between two rival factions of the United People's Democratic Front which is a regional political party based in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. "One of the six victims killed in the clash has been identified as a UPDF leader." No further details were immediately available. --IANS soni/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) head Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday announced that all party ministers, MLAs and MPs will donate a month's salary for flood-hit Kerala state. "All AAP MLAs, MPs and Ministers donating one month salary for Kerala," Kejriwal said in a tweet. The Delhi government on Friday had announced that it will donate Rs 10 crore to flood-ravaged Kerala. The death toll due to the floods across Kerala increased to 180 on Saturday with rescue operations continuing at several locations. Since August 8, over 2.23 lakh people have been put up in 1,568 relief camps across the state. The red alert continued in 12 of the 14 districts of the state, except Kasargode and Thiruvananthapuram. --IANS nks/pgh/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) State-run Air India's subsidiary -- Alliance Air -- has operated a proving flight to the Kochi naval base as an option for rescue operations in flood-hit Kerala. "As an exemplary initiative to fly out stranded people, AI's subsidiary Alliance Air operated a non-commercial proving flight on an ATR (turboprop) to Kochi's naval base with a team of DGCA, AAI and Flight Safety officials," Air India said in a statement. "This whole exercise is aimed at confirming the feasibility of having Alliance Air operate more flights to Kochi's defence airbase with turboprops to evacuate passengers." The development comes as the state reeled under torrential rain and the worst floods in the recent past. The grim situation has left the state with only two operational civil airports at Thiruvananthapuram and Calicut, as operations at Kochi airport have been suspended till August 26 on account of rising water levels in the operational area. The civil airport in Kochi is severely flooded and would be closed till August 26. --IANS rrb-rv/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) State-run Air India's subsidiary -- Alliance Air -- will commence operations from Kochi naval base to aide the rescue operations in flood-hit Kerala. According to the airline, flight operations will commence from August 20. Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu in a series of tweets said that due to disruption of flights from Kochi Airport, a joint team sent by the Ministry approved to commence scheduled flights by Alliance Air ATRs between Bangalore and Kochi naval air base. Prabhu further said that more destinations, including Madurai, will be added soon and that other airlines are also likely to join the effort. "In view of disruption of flights from Cochin airport due to floods, a joint team sent by @MoCA_GoI has approved starting of scheduled commercial flights using ATRs by Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India, between Bangalore and Cochin Naval Air base. #KeralaFloods," the Minister tweeted. "The flight operations between Bangalore and Cochin Naval air base will be starting from 20th August morning. More destinations such as Coimbatore, Madurai are also in the pipeline. Other airlines are likely to join this effort too. All possible steps are being taken #KeralaFloods." Earlier in the day, Alliance Air operated a proving flight to the Kochi naval base. "As an exemplary initiative to fly out stranded people, AI's subsidiary Alliance Air operated a non-commercial proving flight on an ATR (turboprop) to Kochi's naval base with a team of DGCA, AAI and flight safety officials," Air India said in a statement. "This whole exercise is aimed at confirming the feasibility of having Alliance Air operate more flights to Kochi's defence airbase with turboprops to evacuate passengers." The development comes as the state reels under torrential rains and the worst floods the state witnessed. The grim situation has left the state with only two operational civil airports at Thiruvananthapuram and Calicut, as operations at Kochi airport have been suspended till August 26 on account of rising water levels in the operational area. The civil airport in Kochi is severely flooded and stands closed till August 26. --IANS rv/nir/ahm/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP West Bengal unit plans to hold an all-party meeting this month to commemorate former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's contributions to the nation, a BJP leader said on Saturday. "The meeting may be held towards the month-end, though the date and venue have not been finalised yet," Bharatiya Janata Party National Secretary Rahul Sinha told IANS. Vajpayee, 93, passed away on August 16 in New Delhi after a prolonged illness. "The condolence meeting aims to remember his invaluable contribution to the country. We will extend invitation to all state political parties and eminent personalities in Kolkata," Sinha said. Asked if Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and other Trinamool Congress leaders will attend, Sinha said the details are yet to be confirmed. --IANS mgr/tsb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Eight months after the January 1 caste riots in Bhima-Koregaon rocked Maharashtra's politics, the first hearing by a judicial commission of enquiry will begin here in September, a top official said on Saturday. The hearings will be conducted before a two-member Judicial Commission comprising former Chief Justice of Bombay High Court and former Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court, Justice J.N. Patel, and Maharashtra former Chief Secretary Sumit Mullick, from September 5 to 7. "Among other things, the commission will enquire into the incident, its causes and consequences, whether the police and civil administration had made adequate arrangements on that day or not," Special Public Prosecutor Shishir Hiray told IANS. The Commission will also examine the sequence of events resulting in the violence, the persons/organisations/groups responsible for it and the related security aspects during the gathering of over 200,000 Dalits at the venue. Soon after the riots shook the state polity with its wide ramifications, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced a probe by a Judicial Commission which was appointed on February 9 with a tenure of four months. According to Hiray, the commission -- the highest level ever appointed for any such probe in the country -- has already visited the riots site in Pune district, taken pictures and videos, collected research material and other documents so far. "A total of around 500 witnesses are likely to be examined during the hearings, starting with around a dozen (witnesses) next month, besides examining the voluminous documents running into more than 10,000 pages filed before the Commission," Hiray added. Around 500 affidavits have already been filed before the Commission including by the Pune Rural Police, members of the public, various organisations and NGOs, and even by one of the prime accused in the riots, Hindutva leader Milind Ekbote, head of the Hindu Ekta Samiti, arrested in March and currently on bail. --IANS qn/ksk/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP on Saturday attacked Punjab Minister and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu for hugging Pakistan's Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa and for sitting beside the President of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) at the swearing in ceremony of new Prime Minister Imran Khan and demanded his suspension from the party immediately. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also used the opportunity to attack the Congress party over statements made by some of its leaders during their visits to Pakistan and asked Congress President Rahul Gandhi whether Sidhu had his permission to go there and whether he would suspend him immediately. "Sidhu during his visit to Pakistan to attend the swearing in ceremony of Imran Khan as Pakistan's Prime Minister hugged Pakistan's Army Chief," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told reporters adding that he also sat next to PoK President Masood Khan. "It is not an ordinary thing. Sidhu is not an ordinary man but a minister in the Punjab government. And every Indian has taken this issue very seriously," he said asking why Sidhu did not object when the PoK President was made to sit next to him. Firing salvos at the Congress President, Patra said, "Rahulji, did you grant permission to Sidhu to go to Pakistan? Will you suspend him before his arrival in the country?". Slamming Sidhu, he said that before hugging Pakistan's Army Chief, did he not remember how their army killed innocent people and armymen in India. The BJP spokesperson's remarks came after Sidhu's participation in the ceremony and his remarks to the media there that he hoped ties between New Delhi and Islamabad would improve with Imran Khan at the helm. Praising Khan while speaking to the state-run PTV, Sidhu said: "A new morning is here in Pakistan with a new government which can change the destiny of the country." He hoped that Khan's victory would be good for the peace process between the two neighbours. Raking up the statements of several Congress leaders visiting Pakistan and praising Pakistan, the BJP leader said, "Salman Khurshid went to Pakistan and said Narendra Modi government did not want peace with Pakistan. Even Mani Shankar Aiyar in an interview in Pakistan in November, 2015 said that Modi government should be removed," he said. "In June this year, Ghulam Nabi Azad also questioned Army's action in Jammu and Kashmir after he said that the armed forces kill more civilians than the terrorists," he said adding that another Congress leader Saifuddin Soz had said that he stood with Gen Pervez Musharraf and demanded an independent Kashmir. "And today Sidhuji said that he wants to thank the people of Pakistan. For what does he want to say 'thank you' to them? For sending terrorists, for killing innocents, for killing our soldiers?" Patra asked. The BJP leader also slammed the Congress President and its leaders for questioning the surgical strike and its leaders disrespecting the Army Chief of the country. "Your (Gandhi) party leaders disrespect the army chief of the country by calling him a street goon, while your leader (Sidhu) believes Pakistan's army Chief that they want peace," he added. --IANS aks/vsc/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In the #litfest age of selfies and celebrities, Bhutans annual literary retreat resonates with a mix of the old-world charm and the contemporary vibe. Set to take place in the coming week amid the surreal setting of Thimphu, the extravaganza will open its doors to over 75 eminent personalities from the fields of writing, film and theatre. Over the course of its previous eight editions, the festival, organised by the India-Bhutan Foundation (IBF) and Jaipur-based literary consultancy firm Siyahi, has set the pace for discussions on ancient cultures and contemporary issues. While Siyahi is headed by Mita Kapur, a literary agent representing some of India's biggest authors and a no mean writer herself, the India-Bhutan Foundation has an intriguing story as it was born out of the wealth of our two nations and is a landmark investment of its kind. Established in August 2003 during the visit of the present King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck (then Crown Prince) to India with the aim of enhancing people-to-people exchanges in focus areas like education, culture and environment protection, the body has the ambassadors of Bhutan and India as its Co-Chairpersons. The Royal Government of Bhutan and the Government of India have contributed Rs 5 Crore each as the main IBF corpus and the entire amount of Rs 10 Crores has been kept in a fixed deposit in Bhutan. The interest earned from the fixed deposit is used for financing proposals received from Bhutanese/Indian citizens and NGOs on studies, research, and similar activities. Mountain Echoes has enjoyed the support of IBF on similar lines. "Come, be a part of Bhutan's homegrown literary retreat and experience a mesmerising blend of art and culture," the orgainsers said. The festival will be inaugurated on August 22 and will reach its culmination on August 25, and will be spread across five venues, hosting over 35 sessions. As the neighboring countries enter their 50th year of formal diplomatic relations, the shared history will manifest itself in the form of an engaging tete-a-tete between Bhutan's Ambassador to India, General V. Namgyel, and India's Ambassador to Bhutan, Jaideep Sarkar. This will only be a prelude to what Mountain Echoes will etch over the three days. Bollywood veterans Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah and Sanjna Kapoor will bring alive the magic of theatre at the festival; celebrated names such as Daniel C. Taylor, Valmik Thapar and Dave Goulson will regale audiences with stories of their adventures with nature; and one of Bhutan's best kept secrets -- its bustling music scene -- will also come alive during the festival. Two prominent art exhibitions, "Colours of Nature by Green Pigment" and "Tree of Life: The Tree of Immortality" by Penjor Dorji and Malvika Singh will enthrall the festival attendees with their grandeur. "Tree of Life: The Tree of Immortality" will be represented across wall hangings, tent panels and tribal art amongst other forms. It has been painted by the inmates at the Jaipur Central Jail and will be brought to the festival by Rajasthan's Department of Tourism. As each year, it will celebrate "Untouched Beauty, Unexplored Ideas and Unstoppable Voices" from the heart of the Himalayas. Mountain Echoes enjoys the patronage of Bhutan's Royal Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck. Pramod Kumar KG, Tshering Tashi and Namita Gokhale are co-directors of the festival. Besides the stunning natural scenery, the enduring image of the country for most visitors is the strong sense of culture and tradition that binds the nation and distinguishes it from its larger neighbours. The weather is just perfect at this time of the year in Thimphu; the flowers in bloom and majestic mountains will give company to its many visitors. Buddhist chants and meditative prayers come together to lull the surrounding in a spiritual bliss. Druk Air is the only operational carrier for travel into Bhutan, operating a single flight daily from New Delhi. Hotels are available in most parts of Thimphu at decent rates. More details are available at the festival website: www.mountainechoes.org. (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.) The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) on Saturday reviewed the ongoing rescue and relief operations in the flood-affected areas of Kerala and sought proper coordination and distribution of the relief materials, as per a official statement. Cabinet Secretary P.K. Sinha heads the committee, which met for the third time on Saturday in past three days, also issued direction for deployment of five more helicopters and decided to make the Naval airstrip in Kochi functional for commercial flights by August 20. The meeting also reviewed various measures to restore power lines, petrol pumps, LPG, health facilities, and to provide necessary medicines, food and fodder with support from the Central ministries concerned. "The Cabinet Secretary directed that there should be proper coordination and distribution of the relief materials which are being offered by various state governments and other agencies," it said. The statement also said the committee "discussed in a video conference with the Chief Secretary of Kerala the current flood situation and deployment of rescue teams, motorboats, helicopters, life jackets, provision of food, water and medicines, and restoration of power, telecom and transport links wherever disrupted". The government has already pressed into service 67 helicopters, 24 aircraft, 548 motorboats and thousands of rescue personnel from Navy, Army, Air Force, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Coast Guard and other central armed police forces (CAPF) for rescue operation and distribution of relief materials. The Health Ministry has made ready "emergency medicines and medical teams for deployment" as soon as flood waters recede. "More than 6,900 life jackets, 3,000 life buoys, 167 inflatable tower lights, 2,100 raincoats, 1,300 gumboots and 153 chain saws have been provided as per the request of the state government... Additional motorboats have also been put on standby for deployment," it said. The Chief Secretary of Kerala told the committee that there was "some respite" from the rainfall and water level in the dam reservoirs was stabilized, said the statement, adding that the rainfall is expected to recede further barring in one or two districts, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast. It also said the Telecom Department has enabled intra-circle roaming which will enable subscribers of one service provider to access mobile towers of other service providers. "All the operators have offered free data and SMS facility since yesterday (Friday). Mobile towers called 'Cellular on Wheels' are also being deployed to ensure that no block remains unconnected," it said. As per the statement, various Central ministries have made available food, water and medicines which include 3,00,000 food packets, 6,00,000 tonnes of milk, 14,00,000 litres of drinking water and 150 potable water purification kits with capacity of 1,00,000 litre each. Also, the Indian Railways informed that trains have been running to Thiruvananthapuram via Erode and Madurai, and it has offered to run a special food and medicine train from Thiruvananthapuram to Ernakulam to distribute food and medicines to all the stations on the way. --IANS rak-spk/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The (CBI) late Saturday evening arrested one of the two gunmen who killed Maharashtra rationalist Dabholkar in 2013, official sources said here. "Sachin Prakashrao Andure of is one of the two persons who shot at (Dr) Dabholkar. Further investigations are underway," a official said. The arrest comes just two days before the 5th death anniversary of Dabholkar, 67, who was shot dead while on a morning walk near his Pune home on August 20, 2013. The tip-off for the arrest came from the Maharashtra Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS), Thane, which had arrested three persons in a different case of explosives seizure. During custodial interrogation, one of these three made the sensational revelation that he and another person (Andure) were directly involved in the Dabholkar killing which hit headlines. The Thane alerted the of the development, which in turn summoned Andure and confirmed the information given by his accomplice. The arrested Andure during late evening hours in Pune. Dabholkar, a well-known rationalist and anti-superstition activist who founded the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS), was shot and killed by two motorcycle-borne assailants near Omkareshwar Temple in Pune. The case was initially investigated by the Deccan police, but following a furore, it was transferred to the CBI in May 2014, with the agency increasing the reward money on the killers from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 25 lakh. Shortly after Dabholkar's murder, the state enacted the country's first legislation against superstition and black magic. The activist was posthumously conferred the Padma Shri in 2014. Since then, the All Indian Peoples Science Network (AIPSN) and others observe his death anniversary (August 20) as " Scientific Temper Day" to create awareness against superstitions. A Chinese delegation would visit Assam and Tripura next month to study the possible investment sectors in the resource-rich northeast India, Tripura Health and Family Welfare Minister Sudip Roy Barman said on Saturday. Roy Barman, who as member of the Indian delegation visited China earlier this week, said : "A Chinese delegation would visit Assam and Tripura in September to study the probable investment sectors in the northeastern region and the region's available resources. After visiting Assam, the delegation would visit Tripura." The Chinese official delegation, he said, would talk to top officials, traders, investors and experts of the northeastern region comprising eight states in Guwahati, the Minister, who returned here on Friday, told IANS. An Indian delegation led by Bharatiya Janata Party General Secretary Ram Madhav on a visit to the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou since August 11 met Indian and Chinese officials and businessmen from different parts of the country. Senior Ministers from Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat -- the states governed by the BJP -- were the part of the 10-member delegation, which was jointly supported by the Union Ministry of Industries and Commerce and India Foundation, a NGO runs by Ram Madhav. Roy Barman, who also holds the Information Technology, Science, Technology and Departments, said that the Indian delegation first visited a waste management plant in Guangzhou that generate power from garbage and waste materials in a very eco-friendly process. "We have apprised the Chinese officials, investors and businessmen about the variety of enormous resources, both forest and mining, available in the northeastern region. Surface connectivity, including railways, has developed to a large extent in the northeast region and transportation now become easier between the region and the rest of the country via Bangladesh, he added. The minister said after the completion of the under construction bridge over river Feni (135 km south of Agartala) in southern Tripura, the region would be directly connected with the Chittagong international sea port in neighbouring Bangladesh. The Chittagong sea port, only international port nearest to northeast India, is 72 km from southern Tripura's border town Sabroom. "The Feni bridge would turn Tripura into a abusiness hub' for all the northeastern states," the Minister said, adding the state government has also invited investors to set up rubber based industries as Tripura is the second largest rubber growing state after Kerala. Northeast India's only 250 km out of 5,687 km outer perimeter touches India. The remaining 5437 km represents international boundaries with China (1300), Myanmar (1643 km), Bangladesh (1880 km), Bhutan (516 km) and Nepal (98 km). --IANS sc/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress on Saturday demanded that floods in Kerala should be declared a "national calamity." All elected representatives of the party would donate one month's salary towards relief efforts in the state, it said. The decision to donate salaries was taken at a meeting of Congress general secretaries, party in-charges of states, legislative party leaders and state unit chiefs, which was presided over by party chief Rahul Gandhi. Gandhi had earlier in the day urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately declare the floods in Kerala as "a national disaster." Briefing reporters after meeting of Congress office-bearers, party communications in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said the Modi government should come forward to help Kerala where over 180 people have died and property worth over Rs 3,000 crore has been damaged due to floods. "It was decided that all Congress MPs in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Congress MLAs across India and party MLCs will donate one month's salary, which will be sent through the AICC for relief measures in Kerala," Surjewala said. He said it was also decided that all Congress governments will come forward to help the people of the state. Surjewala said Punjab government has already donated Rs 10 crore to the Kerala Relief Fund and JD-S and Congress- government in Karnataka has also donated Rs 10 crore to the relief measures. The government in Puducherry has also donated Rs 1 crore. He said special relief committees will be formed in adjoining states including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu apart from Puducherry. Material collected by Congress workers will be sent to the people of Kerala. Surjewala said the party also noted with concern the grave situation due to floods in Karnataka and some other parts of the country. "Modiji should stop discriminating in matters of flood relief. The Prime Minister must rise above party- and come forward to help Kerala, Karnataka and other flood-affected states. The Prime Minister should declare Kerala floods as a national calamity," Surjewala said. Overflowing rivers and a series of landslides in Kerala have resulted in the death of 180 people as of Saturday morning, with over 3 lakh others forced to move to some hundreds of relief camps. --IANS aks/ps/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress on Saturday said it had revoked the suspension of Mani Shankar Aiyar from the party following recommendation by its disciplinary committee. Aiyar was suspended in December 2017 after he used a derogatory word against Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the first phase of Gujarat Assembly elections. The comment had drawn criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party and Modi who attributed the use of the word to Congress' feudal arrogance. After the controversial remark, then Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi had taken to Twitter to publicly censure Aiyar. The former Rajya Sabha MP had expressed regret for his comments later. "Party President (Rahul Gandhi) has approved the recommendation of the Central Disciplinary Committee of the All India Congress Committee for the revocation of the suspension of Mani Shankar Aiyar from the party's primary membership with immediate effect," a Congress statement said. In his defence, diplomat turned politician Aiyar had contended that he could not understand the word's implications when he used it since he is not a Hindi-speaking person. --IANS vn/tsb (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress on Saturday decided to step up its attack over the Rafale deal, terming it a "scam" of the Narendra Modi government and said the party will launch a nation-wide agitation on the issue. The issue came up for discussion at a meeting of Congress general secretaries, party in-charges of states, legislative party leaders and state unit chiefs, which was presided over by Congress President Rahul Gandhi. The meeting discussed the party's preparations for the assembly polls later this year in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram. Briefing reporters later, Congress Communications In-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said the meeting discussed "political challenges in the election-bound states". He said that meeting also discussed the Rafale deal signed by the Modi government to purchase fighter jets from France and alleged that there had been a loss of Rs 41,000 crore to the exchequer. He said the Congress party will launch an agitation to highlight "bhrashtachar ka khel, Rafale" (corruption in Rafale deal). "It was decided that the scams of Modi government, particularly the Rafale scam, will be taken to the people of India. In next 30 days, Congress workers will fan out and hold district and state-level demonstrations," Surjewala said. He alleged that a contract in the Rafale deal had been "snatched away" from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, a public sector undertaking. Surjewala said that party leaders, including Congress Working Committee members, general secretaries, in-charges of states and party secretaries, will approach people at block, district and state levels and "ensure that a fair and independent probe and a JPC (joint parliamentary committee) probe into the Rafale deal is constituted immediately." "We will push the government, we will not stop, we will not be deterred," Surjewala said. --IANS ps-aks/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress on Saturday said that it will launch a month-long nationwide agitation from next week on what it said was "Rafale scam" of the Modi government and other issues. Congress sources said that the party will hold around 80 press conferences, to be addressed by its Spokespersons and senior leaders, across the country on the Rafale aircraft deal inked with France and other issues. The Rafale deal came up for discussion at a meeting of Congress General Secretaries, party in-charges of states, legislative party leaders and state unit chiefs, which was presided over by Congress President Rahul Gandhi. The meeting discussed the party's preparations for the Assembly polls this year in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram. Briefing reporters later, Congress Communications incharge Randeep Singh Surjewala said that the meeting discussed "political challenges in the election-bound states". He said the Congress will launch an agitation to highlight "bhrashtachar ka khel, Rafale" (corruption in Rafale deal) that allegedly caused a loss of Rs 41,000 crore to the exchequer. "It was decided that the scams of the Modi government, particularly the Rafale scam, will be taken to the people of India. In the next 30 days, Congress workers will fan out and hold district and state-level demonstrations," Surjewala said. He alleged that a contract in the Rafale deal had been "snatched away" from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, a public sector undertaking. Surjewala said that party leaders, including Congress Working Committee members, General Secretaries and Secretaries, will approach people at block, district and state levels and "ensure that a fair and independent probe and a JPC (joint parliamentary committee) probe into the Rafale deal is constituted immediately." "We will push the government. We will not stop, we will not be deterred," Surjewala said. Party sources said that a team has been formed to coordinate the efforts. --IANS ps-aks/tsb (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Five persons have been arrested and 16 gold bars valued at Rs 1 crore seized from them, Assistant Commissioner of Customs Division R.K. Dorendrajit said on Saturday. The division's anti-smuggling unit made the arrests on Friday evening after two passenger vehicles bound for Nagaland were intercepted at Mantripukhri and North AOC in Imphal. The five, all from outside Manipur, were travelling towards Dimapur and had procured the contraband from Myanmar. A case was registered and the arrested persons handed over to police for further action. Dorendrajit said that a kg of gold is cheaper by Rs 3 lakh in Myanmar compared with India. --IANS il/tsb/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Neshawn Calloway invites the public to have Dessert with Bessie as they celebrate the Empress of the Blues on Saturday, Aug. 25 at 6 p.m. The evening will include coffee, dessert, and dancing. You will enjoy some of Bessie Smiths classics and the second half of the show will feature some of your favorite smooth jazz and old school R&B hits. The event will feature special guests The Sound Advice band. Tickets are $15. Seating is limited. Order tickets at www.neshawn.net. Metro Tab Church is at 2101 West Shepherd Road, Highway 153 at Airport Exit 1A, Chattanooga, Tn. 37421, 423 894-3377. "Guardians of the Galaxy" actor Dave Bautista is still angry with Disney for firing James Gunn from the responsibility of directing the third part of the franchise, and compared the studio with US President Donald Trump. He made the comparison on Friday, reports hollywoodreporter.com. Sharing a story by Screen Rant that criticised Disney's decision not to rehire Gunn, the actor made a reference to Trump's campaign and presidential slogan when he said (by tagging the company) via Twitter, "Thanks Disney! Making America great again!" This is not the first time Bautista has taken a swing at his current employer, saying in a previous tweet that working for Disney is "pretty nauseating" after Gunn was fired as director from the upcoming Marvel instalment. Gunn was ousted from the project nearly a month ago when dozens of Gunn's tweets -- about paedophilia and rape -- from nearly a decade ago came to light. As a reaction, the studio removed Gunn from directing the third instalment, believing the comments were unacceptable in the #MeToo era and were not in line with Disney's family-friendly image. Since then, support for Gunn has been widespread, especially from the "Guardians of The Galaxy" cast. Cast members including Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana asked for Gunn to be reinstated in an open letter. Bautista had earlier said he would quit the franchise if Gunn's script was not used. Otherwise, he said he would fulfil his contractual obligation for the film. A new director is yet to be named as the film approaches a planned shooting date of early next year. --IANS sug/rb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The death toll in a bridge collapse in the Italian city of Genoa climbed to 41 even as preparations were underway for a state funeral for all the victims on Saturday. The toll was raised after rescuers found a vehicle with the bodies of another three people -- a couple and their 9-year-old child -- from the rubble, Efe news reported. Thirty eight victims have been identified so far, including three children. Two people were still missing, according to the Civil Protection Department. Saturday's funeral would be officiated by Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, Archbishop of Genoa, and attended by Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. Some families were reportedly staying away from the funeral ceremony because of anger at the government, according to the BBC. They will be holding private burials elsewhere in Italy. "Many do not want to take part in a showcase and I understand them," Father Mauro Brezzo, chaplain of Genoa's San Martino hospital, told the Italian media. The collapse of a section of the Morandi motorway bridge and the deaths of those crossing in vehicles led to a fierce debate in Italy about the nation's infrastructure. The government has set up a commission to examine the causes of the disaster and one member speculated that a broken cable rod was "a serious work hypothesis", the BBC said. Antonio Brencich, a University of Genoa lecturer, said there were "eyewitness accounts and videos that go in this direction". The bridge, which was constructed in the 1960s, has cables running directly from the deck to the top of the towers. --IANS soni/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The thermal power sector accounts for $40-60 billion of potentially stranded assets that are continuing to trouble the Indian banking sector. Fifteen GW out of the stressed 40 GW has not yet been commissioned, as identified in the report of the Standing Parliamentary Committee on Energy earlier this year. Some 16.2 GW of coastal power plants designed to operate on up to 100 per cent imported coal are severely affected by the doubling of prices since 2016. Another 6 GW of gas-fired projects are stranded as India's limited domestic gas production is not able to cater to the plants to operate at the required viable utilisation rates. Just like coal, imported LNG is an extremely expensive option best reserved for peaking power generation. Delays in project implementation due to challenges such as land acquisition, approval of required permits and environmental clearances have all resulted in cost overruns. Another key underlying issue that is common across these stranded assets is the unavailability of coal linkages or affordable domestic gas. About 80 per cent of India's coal production comes from a concentrated region of central-eastern India. Given that coal transportation often forms a prohibitive part of the delivered price, finding a suitable linkage for the power plants remains a huge challenge. For example, the coal-fired fleet in Karnataka (with no in-state coal mining capacity) operated at an extremely unviable utilisation rate of 35 per cent in 2017-18. The absence of long-term PPAs has restricted many of these projects from moving ahead. Projects that had signed higher-cost PPAs a few years back have now been stalled as state discoms have either requested cancellation of PPAs or downward tariff renegotiation. On the other hand, there are projects that have entered PPAs with aggressively low tariffs insufficient to allow financial viability. To make the stranded asset risk worse, many of these projects in the coal-fired sector are based on poor quality imported and out-dated subcritical technology. Water availability is another major constraint to financial viability of a number of proposals. In the past 15 months, solar and wind power tariffs have landed between Rs 2.5-3.0/kWh with zero indexation through reverse bidding auctions. Coal-fired power is increasingly losing market share as states are rightfully opting for the cheaper renewable energy option. As per India's Central Electricity Authority (CEA) estimations, the tariff for a new emission controls compliant pit-head supercritical coal-fired power plant should be Rs 4.39/kWh. Increased prices of domestic and international coal in recent years have intensified stranded asset risks. Combined with rising railway freight charges for coal transportation over the distance of more than 500 km, this has inflated the variable generation cost for many coal-fired power plants. All non-pithead coal power plants should be seriously re-evaluated, if high rail costs make the plant unviable, non-coal states should invest in renewables and if need be, import electricity by wire instead. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in February, set August 27, 2018, as the deadline for settling proceedings for defaulting power plants to avoid being referred to an insolvency court. This deadline is almost on us. The Power Ministry had urged the RBI to extend the deadline by six months to give the concerned lenders more time to switch over management to new and better capitalised promoters. RBI has denied the deadline extension request. Two of the largest stranded assets are the ultra-mega power plants in Mundra, owned by Adani Power (4.6 GW), and Tata Power (4.0 GW). After both were offered for sale for a token Rs 1 each in May 2017, neither have yet found a solution 15 months later. Adani Power has reported a net loss of Rs 825 crore ($120m) in the first quarter of 2018-19, a near doubling relative to the previous period, highlighting the magnitude of the equity writedown required. In the meanwhile, the unplanned idling of Adani Mundra has significantly cost the state of Gujarat as it had to rely on power from the more expensive open market. In the view of the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), merely switching promoters for these stressed assets is not a panacea for the problem that is caused by the structural inefficiencies in the Indian coal-fired sector. There is no easy fix to the power sector-specific problems, but these stressed assets should not be allowed to remain unresolved. To move forward, India needs to avoid crony capitalism and giving in to taxpayer funded bailouts; promoters must be forced to take up to 100 per cent write-offs on their equity and in the worst cases permits revoked and land returned so as to force the abandonment of projects now worthless as surplus to current needs. (Tim Buckley, is Director of Energy Finance Studies, Australasia, at IEEFA. He can be contacted at timabuckley@outlook.com . Kashish Shah is a Sydney-based Financial Analyst at IEEFA. He can be contacted at kshah@ieefa.org . The views expressed are personal) --IANS tim-kashish/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Google has updated a help page for customers of mobile phones to acknowledge that they still can be tracked for using its Search or Maps services, even if they turn off the phone's tracking feature. In the help page for the Location History setting, Google clarified, "This setting does not affect other location services on your device, like Google Location Services and Find My Device. Some location data may be saved as part of your activity on other services, like Search and Maps," Xinhua reported. The Google update came three days after a report of the Associated Press said that several Google apps and websites store user location even if users have turned off Location History. The latest description of the Google help page is an apparent revision of what the US tech giant has previously stated: "With Location History off, the places you go are no longer stored." Google has been criticized for tracking users' locations, which could result from its push to make more profits from advertisers who could target more easily a certain group of users with the Google tracking data. Google's previous statement about Location History could be misleading for users who turned off the tracking feature to show they did not want to be tracked, while the users were not aware that they were still tracked for their movements and locations via other Google services, such as Google Search, Maps, weather updates or browser searches. Google offers users ways to keep their movements or locations private by disabling the "Web and App Activity" option on their mobile devices. --IANS ahm/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Patidar agitation spearhead Hardik Patel has said he and his supporters would on Sunday climb on vehicles and stage a days hunger fast protesting the Gujarat Government's refusal to allow him to re-launch his movement for reservation for his community. "Acting in an unconstitutional manner, the state government has in the last two months failed to provide us a venue to launch our fight for farmers and social justice. We will be sitting on a token day-long fast onboard vehicles on Sunday, at Parking Zone ground in Nikol (Ahmedabad)," Patel said in a social media message. He had met Ahmedabad Police Commissioner A.K. Singh and Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Vijay Nehra requesting to spare a protest venue for the agitation. He had even suggested some alternative sites as well. Alongside Hardik, 501 of his supporters will be joining the token day-long protest. "The 501 youths will be wearing a black ribbon around their mouth as a mark of respect to our former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. While paying our obeisance to Vajpayee ji, we will continue with our fast in Nikol," Patel said. The young firebrand Patidar leader told IANS: "Every one has the right to agitate in a constitutional way. But in Gujarat, the BJP Government is preventing us from mobilizing support for our agitation. We are being deprived of our rights, but we will not sit quiet, we will fight and win." Patel had announced two months ago that he would revive his agitation for reservation in government jobs and educational institutions for the Patidars (Patels) with an indefinite fast from August 25, the third anniversary of his mega rally in Ahmedabad when he kicked off his movement. He has sought permission for the venue at the GMDC Grounds, where he had held a rally in 2015. --IANS desai/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Heavy rain leading to landslides and flooding continued to lash Karnataka's Kodagu district, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said on Saturday. "Rains have been causing massive damage in Kodagu. The state officials, along with Indian Army troops, Navy divers are carrying out rescue and relief operations on war-footing," Kumaraswamy told reporters here. Kodagu is one of the districts in the southern state worst hit by the south-west monsoon rains since June first week. The landslides and heavy rain have claimed six lives in the district since Thursday, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said. According to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), the district received a maximum rainfall of up to 25.3 cm and an average rainfall of 11.9 cm over the past 24 hours. Located in the Western Ghats mountain ranges, the incessant rain has been causing landslips across the region, making rescue operations difficult. According to local media, hundreds of people remain stranded on various hills of the district. Telecom services, disrupted due to the rain and strong winds uprooting poles and snapping phone lines, are being restored on priority, Kumaraswamy said. "About 60 Dogra Regiment soldiers and 12 expert naval divers rescued 873 marooned people in the flood-hit district, where overnight heavy rain caused landslides and inundated low-lying areas at Makkanduru," a statement from the CMO said on Friday night. The Army's engineering task force deployed 73 boats, equipment and rafts in rescuing the people and escorting them to safer places in the district. About 60 members of the national and state disaster relief forces and 45 members of the civil defence joined the rescue and relief operations with boats and equipment in Madikeri in the hilly district. The Indian Air Force, which could not airlift stranded people through chopper in the district due to inclement weather till Friday, is working to rescue people and transport relief materials, the CMO said. Kumaraswamy has also requested Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to deploy additional military forces in Kodagu for rescue operations. So far, the district administration has housed 573 people in 17 relief camps. Schools and colleges have remained closed in the affected areas of Kodagu, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Chikkamagaluru and Hassan districts due to the rains. The South Western Railway (SWR) has cancelled its train services from Bengaluru towards Kannur and Ernakulam in flood-hit Kerala due to landslips and flooding. State-run Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has also suspended several of its inter-state and intra-state bus services towards Kerala, owing to the flooded roads. The Bengaluru division of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts that heavy rain will continue over the next two days in the coastal and south interior districts of the state, including Kodagu. --IANS bha-fb/ksk/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) If you have a higher body mass index (BMI) then there are chances that you may have increased blood pressure (BP) too, a new study has found. The findings, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, showed a strong correlation between the degree of obesity and high blood pressure. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to several cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, stroke and heart failure. For the study, the research team involved 1.7 million Chinese men and women aged between 35 and 80 years and recorded the participants' blood pressure from September 2014 to June 2017. They observed an increase of 0.8 to 1.7 mm Hg (kg/m2) in blood pressure per additional unit of BMI in individuals who were not taking anti-hypertensive medication. Overall, the population had a mean BMI of 24.7 and a mean systolic blood pressure of 136.5, which qualifies as stage-I hypertension, according to American Heart Association guidelines. "If trends in overweight and obesity continue in China, the implication of our study is that hypertension, already a major risk factor, is likely to become even more important," said senior author Harlan Krumholz from Yale University in the US. "This paper is ringing the bell that the time is now to focus on these risk factors," he added. "The enormous size of the dataset -- the result of an unprecedented effort in China -- allows us to characterise this relationship between BMI and blood pressure across tens of thousands of subgroups, which simply would not be possible in a smaller study," said author George Linderman from the varsity. This research has been supported by grants from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Innovation Fund for Medical Science, the Ministry of Finance of China and the National Health and Family Planning Commission of China to name a few. --IANS vc/mag/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India on Saturday condoled the death of former UN Secretary General and Nobel laureate Kofi Annan with President Ram Nath Kovind expressing his condolences to the former Ghanaian diplomat's family and the UN community as a whole. "Sorry to learn of the passing of former Secretary General of the United Nations Kofi Annan," Kovind said on the Rashtrapati Bhavan Twitter handle. "My condolences to his family and to the UN community," he stated. Annan, 80, died on Saturday in Switzerland after a short illness, with his wife and three children by his side. "It is with immense sadness that the Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation announce that the former Secretary General of the UN and Nobel Peace Laureate, passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness," his family said. Annan was the first black African to take up the role of the world's top diplomat, serving two terms from 1997 to 2006. He later served as the UN special envoy for Syria, leading efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. He also led a UN commission to investigate the Rohingya refugee crisis in Myanmar. The Myanmar government led by Aung San Suu Kyi supported Annan's recommendations on the crisis in the country's Rakhine State. Annan was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with the UN in 2001 "for their work for a better organised and more peaceful world". His tenure as the UN chief coincided with the Iraq war and the HIV/Aids pandemic. --IANS ab/pgh/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Infosys Chief Financial Officer (CFO) M.D. Ranganath has resigned and will continue in the executive post till November 16, the IT major said on Saturday. "The Board of Directors accepted the resignation of Ranganath as the CFO and key managerial personnel. He will continue in the post till November 16. The Board will soon search for the next CFO," said the city-based software firm in a statement here. Claiming that he resigned to pursue professional opportunities in new areas, Ranganath said he had an 18-year successful career in the $10.9-billion global firm and as its CFO for the past three crucial years. "I am grateful to the iconic firm for giving me an opportunity to serve as CFO. I am also proud that during its critical phase, we delivered strong financial outcomes, strengthened its competitive position and enhanced the value of its stakeholders," said Ranganath in the statement. Ranganath, 55, is the third CFO to leave Infosys in the last six years after then CFO V. Balakrishnan was elevated to the Board as a Director and head of the company's back office operations (Infosys BPO) in October 2012. Balakrishnan left Infosys subsequently in December 2013. Rajiv Bansal, who succeeded Balakrishnan in November 2012, resigned from the high-profile executive post in October 2015 amid a raging controversy over governance issues between the company's co-founders and previous Board of Directors. Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy also objected to the hefty severance package given to Bansal, who was a party to the "costly" acquisition of the US-based Panaya software firm in February under the company's first non-promoter Chief Executive Vishal Sikka, who too resigned on August 18, 2017. According to the company's 37th annual report, Ranganath's annual compensation in fiscal 2017-18 was Rs 7.98 crore, including Rs 7.03 crore as salary, Rs 24 lakh as retrials and 71 lakh shares as stock options. Ranganath, who owned 9,256 shares at the beginning of fiscal 2017-18, exercised 7,662 shares and held 16,918 cumulative shares at the end of last fiscal. Commenting on the CFO's contribution, co-founder and Board Chairman Nandan Nilekani said Ranganath had played a pivotal role in the company's growth and success. "During his 18-year long stint, I have seen Ranganath in leadership roles and delivering results with distinction. With him as CFO, the company had resilient financial performance, implemented capital allocation policy and earned respect of stakeholders for enhanced value creation," said Nilekani. Chief Executive Salil Parekh said that he worked with Ranganath over the past few quarters in shaping the company's strategic direction. "I admire Ranganath's financial acumen, understanding of the company's business and ability to deliver results. He played a crucial role and provided leadership. I am confident he will ensure a smooth transition," added Parekh. In a separate statement, Narayana Murthy said that Ranganath had worked with him for over 15 years and found him to him to be one of the best CFOs in the country. "Ranganath's ability to take tough decisions in challenging situations, his financial expertise, strong value system, unfailing courtesy and flawless execution always distinguished him as an exemplary leader and a key asset for Infosys," said Murthy. Lauding Ranganath for raising investor confidence in the company during the last five years by managing costs and margins, Murthy said the outgoing CFO was a rare individual who understood all stakeholders, including clients, delivery teams, employee aspirations, finance, investors, governance, law and the role of an ethical business. "Ranganath is everything the idea of Infosys has always stood for. His departure is an irreplaceable loss for the company at this critical juncture. I wish him the best in his future endeavours, Murthy said. As part of the leadership team, Ranganath has played key roles in consulting, finance, strategy, risk management and M&A (mergers and acquisitions) and worked with the board and its committees in formulating and executing the firm's strategic priorities. Ranganath was also the company's chief risk officer from January 2008 to July 2013. --IANS bha-fb/tsb/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Iranian Army has enhanced the range of weapons mounted on its helicopters to elevate their combat power, the media reported on Saturday. The range of helicopter-mounted weapons was upgraded to 12 km, Yousef Qorbani, commander of Army Ground Force's Airborne Division, was quoted as saying, Tasnim news agency reported. Iran is among the few countries in possession of night vision systems for military choppers, Qorbani noted. After the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, Iran's advances in helicopter systems have earned its reputation for the hub of the industry in West Asia and even in the world, the commander said. Also on Saturday, the Iranian Army brought into service a homegrown simulator system for Bell 206 military choppers. --IANS ahm/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The death toll due to rains and floods in Kerala has gone up to 357 this monsoon season, as 22 more deaths were reported on Saturday and red alert continued in 11 districts following prediction of more rains. The death toll due to torrential rains since August 9 -- the third spell during this year's monsoon in the southern state -- reached 194 with the casualties reported on Saturday in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Idukki, Pathanamthitta and Chengannur districts. The India Meteorological Department forecast on Saturday afternoon that widespread rains, with heavy rains at isolated places, is likely to continue over Kerala following low pressure area very likely to develop over northwest Bay of Bengal and the neighbourhood during the next 24 hours. Barring Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kasargode, the remaining 11 districts of Kerala continued to be on red alert following prediction of more rains. The worst affected places include Aluva, Chalakudy, Chengannur, Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta, where massive rescue operations were on as scores of persons were rescued. Media houses continued to be flooded with requests from friends and relatives of those stranded in affected areas. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held a review meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kochi. In a memorandum submitted to the Centre, Vijayan said that the death toll in rain-related incidents since May 29 had climbed to 357. Over 3.53 lakh affected persons had been lodged in over 2,000 relief camps, he said. Modi sanctioned Rs 500 crore to the flood-battered state, apart from Rs 100 crore announced earlier by the Centre on August 12, before returning to Delhi after an aerial survey of the affected areas. Vijayan told the media here that the situation is "very serious and grave". "The death toll would have been higher, but for the work we did. Things are under control," said Vijayan, whose government was flayed by Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala for failing to take up rescue and relief work effectively. Food Minister P. Thilothaman, camping at Chengannur, told the media: "The need of the hour is to provide food packets and drinking water to the people. About 15 small boats of the Navy are expected to join rescue and relief work. But, after dusk, no rescues are possible. Helicopters are also needed for faster evacuation." Meanwhile, anger mounted across Kerala as coordination of rescue work went haywire due to the magnitude of calamity. Flaying the state for "failing in the endeavour", Leader of Opposition Chennithala said: "I have been flooded with calls from the affected persons. Even now, thousands of people are stranded. The Chief Minister dismissed with contempt when I said this week that rescue and relief should be handed over to the Army. I do not want to blame anyone but it has been proved beyond doubt that the state government has failed." More fishing boats from various places reached the affected areas during the day. Alappuzha Superintendent of Police A.P. Surendran said: "Things are moving fast on Saturday. Helicopters and more boats have been pressed into service. We are confident we will be able to rescue more stranded people." The situation in Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad and Wayanad inched towards comparative normalcy as rains slowed and water level receded, with many living in crowded relief camps awaiting return to their homes. At several places in waterlogged areas, banks could not function normally since staff faied to report for duty due to the flooding. Railway services between Ernakulam and Thrissur remained suspended on Saturday, with long-distance trains diverted via the Nagercoil route. Certain blockades on the Thrissur-Palakkad highway though were cleared for traffic. Army personnel worked hard to clear the roads to Munnar. Kerala is facing the heaviest rains and consequent widespread floods and destruction since 1924, which the state estimates has caused a loss of over Rs 19,500 crore. --IANS sg/tsb/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The death toll in the Kerala floods climbed to 196 as 22 more deaths were reported on Saturday, even as fresh trouble loomed large for authorities due to prediction of more rains, with 11 districts continuing on a red alert. The India Meteorological Department forecast on Saturday afternoon that widespread rains, with heavy rains at isolated places, is likely to continue over Kerala following low pressure area very likely to develop over northwest Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood during the next 24 hours. Barring Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kasargode, the remaining 11 districts of Kerala continued to be on red alert and can expect more rains. The 22 deaths reported during the day were in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Idukki, Pathanamthitta and Chengannur districts. The worst affected places include Aluva, Chalakudy, Chengannur, Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta, where massive rescue operations were on as scores of persons were rescued by rescue teams. Media houses continued to be flooded with requests from friends and relatives of those stranded in affected areas. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a review meeting in Kochi that the death toll since May 29 was 357. Over 3.53 lakh affected persons had been lodged in over 2,000 relief camps, he said. Modi sanctioned Rs 500 crore to the flood-battered state, apart from Rs 100 crore announced earlier by the Centre on August 12, before returning to Delhi after an aerial survey of the affected areas. Vijayan told the media here that the situation is "very serious and grave". "The death toll would have been higher, but for the work we did. Things are under control," said Vijayan, whose government was flayed by Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala for failing to take up rescue and relief work effectively. Food Minister P. Thilothaman, camping at Chengannur, told the media: "The need of the hour is that people require food packets and drinking water. About 15 small boats of the Navy are expected to join rescue and relief work. But, after dusk, no rescues are possible. Helicopters are also needed for faster evacuation." Meanwhile, anger mounted across Kerala as coordination of rescue work went haywire due to the magnitude of the calamity. Leader of Opposition Chennithala flayed the state for failing in the endeavour. "I have been flooded with calls from the affected persons. Even now, thousands of people are stranded. The Chief Minister dismissed with contempt when I said this week that rescue and relief should be handed over to the Army. I do not want to blame anyone but it has been proved beyond doubt that the state government has failed," said Chennithala. More fishing boats from various places reaching affected areas during the day. Alappuzha Superintendent of Police A.P. Surendran said: "Things are moving fast on Saturday. Helicopters and more boats have been pressed into service. We are confident we will be able to rescue more stranded people." The situation in Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad and Wayanad inched towards comparative normalcy as rains slowed and water level receded, with many living in crowded relief camps awaiting to return home. At several places in waterlogged areas, banks could not function normally since staff faied to report for duty due to flooding. Railway services between Ernakulam and Thrissur remained suspended on Saturday with long-distance trains diverted via the Nagercoil route. Certain blockades on the Thrissur-Palakkad highway though were cleared for traffic. Army personnel worked hard to clear the roads to Munnar. Kerala is facing the heaviest rains and consequent widespread floods and destruction since 1924, which the state estimates has caused a loss of over Rs 19,500 crore. --IANS sg/tsb (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As Kerala battles the worst floods in its recent history, many NGOs have come forward to lend their support to ensuring supply of packaged meals and other relief items to the worst affected areas of the state. Rise Against Hunger India (RAHI), a renowned International NGO, has associated with many NGOs including Arshabharath, Hope Foundation and the Times Foundation to help the families living in the make-shift relief camps. Not just food, RAHI is also mobilising other important and essential items like hygiene kits, toiletry, soaps, water containers, utensils, bed sheets, blankets, clothing, water purifier and similar products, which can be utilized by survivors in relief camps. Save the Children India unit too has come forward to help the victims, especially children, in the flood-affected areas. It will be setting up child-friendly spaces, which provide children with important psycho-social well-being through learning and recreation facilities. "We will do everything to help children get back to school as quickly as possible once it is safe to do so," Bidisha Pillai, CEO, Save the Children, said. "We are sending our first lot of meal boxes to Wayanad on Sunday. By next week, more material will be sent to Mundalur in Kannur. Our intention is to provide immediate assistance to the affected families, and once the rains subside, help them get back to their normal lives as soon as possible," Dola Mohapatra, Executive Director, RAHI added. --IANS som/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The death toll due to rains and floods in Kerala has gone up to 357 this monsoon season, as 22 more deaths were reported on Saturday even as around 50,000 people were rescued in different parts of the state, and red alert continued in 11 districts following prediction of more rains. The India Meteorological Department forecast on Saturday afternoon that widespread rains, with heavy rains at isolated places, is likely to continue over Kerala following low pressure area very likely to develop over northwest Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood during the next 24 hours. While around 50,000 people were rescued in districts like Ernakulam, Chengannur, Pathanamthitta and Thrissur, there are still many more waiting to be rescued. Barring Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kasargode, the remaining 11 districts of Kerala continued to be on red alert and can expect more rains. The worst affected places include Aluva, Chalakudy, Chengannur, Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta, where massive rescue operations were on as scores of persons were rescued. Media houses continued to be flooded with requests from friends and relatives of those stranded in affected areas. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a review meeting in Kochi that the death toll since May 29 had climbed to 357. Over 3.53 lakh affected persons had been lodged in over 2,000 relief camps, he said. Modi sanctioned Rs 500 crore to the flood-battered state, apart from Rs 100 crore announced earlier by the Centre on August 12, before returning to Delhi after an aerial survey of the affected areas. The 22 deaths reported during the day were in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Idukki, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts. Vijayan told the media here the situation is "very serious and grave". "The death toll would have been higher, but for the work we did. Things are under control," said Vijayan, whose government was flayed by Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala for failing to take up rescue and relief work effectively. Food Minister P. Thilothaman, camping at Chengannur, told the media: "The need of the hour is to provide food packets and drinking water to the people. About 15 small boats of the Navy are expected to join rescue and relief work. But, after dusk, no rescues are possible. Helicopters are also needed for faster evacuation." Meanwhile, anger mounted across Kerala as coordination of rescue work went haywire due to the magnitude of the calamity. "There are several people who are waiting to be rescued in areas like Pandanad (near Chengannur) and I saw two bodies floating in the water. If there is anymore delay in, things will taken a turn for the worse. We are drinking rain water to keep us going...," said a resident of Pandanad. On late Saturday evening, a 150-member National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team started rescue operations in and around affected areas of Chengannur. Congress legislator V.D. Sateeshan, who was spearheading the rescue operations in Paravur in Ernakulam district, said that he stood before a rescue boat team with folded hands and they obliged and rescued several people. "In the camp at my place, there are 7,000 people and despite passionate pleas this camp has not received any government help at all. Several people have to take medicines for lifestyle diseases, but no medical kits have come. I have spoken to the Chief Minister down to all... All I got is assurances," said Sateeshan. National award winning actor Salimkumar, after remaining holed up in his house along with 45 others for three days, was finally rescued by a fishing boat on Saturday evening. "I was receiving daily calls from NDRF officials even from Delhi that rescue will happen very soon, but help came after three days," said Salimkumar. Flaying the state for "failing in the endeavour", Leader of Opposition Chennithala said: "I have been flooded with calls from the affected persons. Even now, thousands of people are stranded. The Chief Minister dismissed with contempt when I said this week that rescue and relief should be handed over to the Army. I do not want to blame anyone but it has been proved beyond doubt that the state government has failed." Alappuzha Superintendent of Police A.P. Surendran said: "Things are moving fast on Saturday. Helicopters and more boats have been pressed into service. We are confident we will be able to rescue more stranded people." More fishing boats from various places reached the affected areas during the day. Alappuzha District Collector S. Suhas said since morning 150 boats including house boats have been engaged in rescuing people and "today (Saturday) we have by now evacuated about 75 per cent of people who were waiting to be rescued". "Around two lakhs people are now in various camps. This could well be the biggest rescue operation. At some places the water is very rough and various types of boats are rescuing people," Suhas . Journalist-turned-CPI-M legislator Veena George on Saturday turned critical "due to the way the government machinery in Pathanamthitta has been working". "None has a clue of how many people have been rescued and how many are left to be rescued. There seems to be disconnect in coordination of the operations," said George. The situation in Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad and Wayanad inched towards comparative normalcy as rains slowed and water level receded, with many living in crowded relief camps awaiting to return home. But a landslide near Nelliyampathy in Palakkad district has left around 1,000 people cut off from the mainland and the Army is working to clear the debris. At several places in waterlogged areas, banks could not function normally since staff failed to report for the duty due to flooding. Railway services between Ernakulam and Thrissur remained suspended on Saturday with long-distance trains diverted via the Nagercoil route. A trial run on the Kottayam sector took place later in the day, as all services on this route were suspended for the past two days. Certain blockades on the Thrissur-Palakkad-Aluva highway was cleared for traffic. Army personnel worked hard to clear the roads to Munnar. Kerala is facing the heaviest rains and consequent widespread floods and destruction since 1924, which the state estimates has caused a loss of over Rs 19,500 crore. --IANS sg/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Even when they are offline, flood victims can use their Android smartphones or tablets to generate and share the plus code of their exact location, which can pinpoint their whereabouts and make it easier for rescue workers to reach them, Google said on Saturday. Users can share their plus codes over a voice call or an SMS. Plus codes work just like street addresses. When an address is not available, one can use a plus code to find or share a place on Google Maps. A plus code includes 6 or 7 letters and numbers, and a town or city. To find the plus code for a place on an Android phone or tablet, users need to open the Google Maps app and touch and hold a place to drop a pin on Google Maps. They then need to tap the address or description at the bottom, and scroll down to find the plus code. To search for a place using a plus code, all the rescuers or family members of the flood victims need to do is type the plus code at the search box of the Google Maps app. Overflowing rivers and a series of landslides in the state have caused the death of 180 people as of Saturday morning, with over three lakh people forced to move to some 2,000 relief camps. Nearly, 7,000 persons have been rescued since August 9 and some 900 given medical assistance. Twitter earlier this month said that in flood situations when communication services are limited and Internet connectivity is poor, using the data-friendly "Twitter Lite" can help people connect easily with government agencies, relief organisations, media and volunteers. One can use hashtags such as #KeralaFloods, #KeralaFloods2018 on Twitter to find information regarding relief operations, such as locations of relief centres. Facebook is updating information about the flood situation in in its Crisis Response Page. The social networking giant last week activated the "Safety Check" tool that allows users to indicate whether they are safe or not. Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday announced that all Delhi Ministers, party MLAs and MPs will donate a month's salary to help flood-ravaged Kerala, grappling with its worst floods since 1924. He also urged the Delhi government employees to donate one day's salary for the humanitarian cause, apart from appealing to the people to donate blankets, clothes and bedsheets. "All Aam Aadmi Party MLAs and MPs and Ministers will donate one-month salary for Kerala," Kejriwal tweeted. "I appeal to all employees of the Delhi government to donate at least one day's salary each." On Friday, Rs 10 crore donation was announced to flood-ravaged Kerala from the Delhi Chief Minister's Relief Fund. The death toll due to rains and floods in Kerala this monsoon season has gone up to 357. Barring Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kasargode, the remaining 11 districts of Kerala continued to be on red alert following prediction of more rains. The death toll since August 9 stands at 194. On Saturday, Kejriwal held a meeting on the issue of extending more financial and other help to Kerala, during which he decided on sending relief material to the southern state. Resident Commissioner of Kerala, Puneet Kumar, informed Kejriwal during the meeting that the flood situation remained serious and listed out immediate requirement of bottled water, biscuits, dry ration packets, blankets, bedsheets and clothes. "The office of all Sub-Divisional Magistrates will work as donation centres to enable the Delhi residents to give donations/relief material," Kejriwal said. The Delhi government will send bottled water, biscuits and dry ration, he added. Later speaking to the media, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that the Delhi government will do whatever it can, but urged the people to contribute as well. "Those desirous can also contribute to the Kerala Chief Minister Distress Relief Fund," he said. --IANS nks/tsb/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In view of the grave situation in Kerala due to floods, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has call off his proposed trip to the US for medical treatment, an official said on Saturday. Vijayan was scheduled to leave for Mayo Clinic in the USA on Sunday. Since May 29, rains and floods and have claimed 357 lives in the state, and over 3.53 lakh people are living in over 2,000 relief camps. Vijayan is on a daily basis engaged in numerous meetings coordinating the operations. According to the Chief Minister's travel programme, which was confirmed after he returned from the US last month, he along with his wife was to leave on Sunday for the treatment of an undisclosed ailment, and was scheduled to return after 17 days. It is, however, not known if his trip has been deferred or cancelled altogether. During his trip to the US last month, after attending two functions, he had gone out of the radar and it was only after he returned a week later that the news surfaced that he will be going for further treatment. --IANS sg/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kofi Annan, the gentle global statesman who died on Saturday, led the world body for two terms during which brought focus to development as the foundation of peace and security. During his tenure from January 1997 to December 2006 as Secretary General, he steered the UN in making development a top priority, even as he guided it through through several crises, among them the heightened post 9/11 terrorist threats, the Afghan and Iraq wars, the Balkan conflicts which saw the worst bloodshed in Europe since World War II, and the liberation of East Timor. In 2001, he and the UN received the Nobel Peace Prize. Current Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in his tribute called "Kofi Annan a guiding force for good". "He provided people everywhere with a space for dialogue, a place for problem-solving and a path to a better world," he added. Annan was outspoken at times, but always maintained dignity and upheld the best traditions of diplomacy, leaving the way open for consensus. The Ghanian diplomat was 80 when he died, surrounded by his Swedish wife Nane, and his children -- Ama, Kojo and Nina -- the Kofi Annan Foundation said. The Millenial Development Goals (MDGs) adopted by world leaders at their 2000 Summit under his leadership continue to inspire the UN as it works with renewed efforts like the current Agenda 2030 for sustainable development. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: "Kofi Annan's significant contribution to the MDGs will always be remembered." During his 2005 visit to India, Annan said in New Delhi: "Development is the subject of the first and longest chapter in the report, which maps out a detailed and practical strategy for reaching the MDGs by 2015." Annan also advocated Security Council reform, a goal dear to India. He said during the visit that while the reform should be reached by consensus, the lack of consensus should not become an excuse for postponing action. Among his other accomplishments as the UN head, were starting reforms of the UN bureaucracy and structure, setting up of the Peacebuilding Commission and the Human Rights Council. His worst days as Secretary General, he later recounted, was the powerlessness to do anything about the US-led Iraq War in 2003 that sparked a catastrophe in the Middle East that the region was yet to recover from. More recently Annan led an effort to resolve the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar, heading a commission at the invitation of the government there to propose an internationally accepted framework for the return of refugees, and a Syrian peace effort at the request of the Arab League. He served as the chairman of the group of statespeople founded by South African leader Nelson Mandela, which was known as "The Elders", and sought to play an international role in promoting peace and democracy through moral authority and persuasion. Annan is the only one of the seven secretaries-general from Sub-Saharan Africa, a continent that has become central to the UN's missions of peacekeeping and development. He made two official visits to India in 2001 and 2005, when he met the spectrum of political leaders in the government and in opposition, as well as development experts. New Delhi set up the a supercomputing and technology development faciity in Ghana in 2003 and named it in his honour as the Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in Information Communications Technology. It was inaugurated by the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Annan began his international civil servant career as a budget officer for the World Health Organisation in 1962. Along the way, he worked for the UN High Commission for Refugees and as a UN Assistant Secretary-General holding key portfolios of security and administration. He rose to become the head of UN peacekeeping operations in 1993 and a under Secretary-General in 1994. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in) --IANS al/soni/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Michelle Wolf and Joel McHale's talk shows will end their runs after a short time on Netflix. The two unscripted entries -- "The Break With Michelle Wolf" and "The Joel McHale Show With Joel McHale" -- were both only on the streaming service for a matter of months (the former premiered in May and the latter in February) before executives at the company decided not to bring them back for additional seasons, reports hollywoodreporter.com. Despite plentiful buzz after her controversial turn as this year's White House Correspondents' Dinner host, Wolf's late-night entry failed to garner the kind of viewership that warrants a second season at the streaming giant. The same can be said for McHale's show, which offered a mix of greenscreen commentary and pre-taped sketches. Though the streamer has pushed aggressively into the late-night space, greenlighting shows from such comics as Hasan Minhaj, David Letterman, Norm Macdonald and Wolf, it has yet to figure out what a successful topical format looks like on its platform. --IANS sug/rb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Microsoft is developing the next version of its smart glasses, called Glabella, that can work as a cuff-less, wearable and unobtrusive blood pressure measuring device, according to a new report. The device incorporates optical sensors, processing, storage, and communication components, all integrated into the frame to passively collect physiological data about the user without the need for any interaction, according to a paper published on Proceedings of the ACM Journal of Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies. Glabella continuously records the stream of reflected light intensities from blood flow as well as inertial measurements of the user's head. From the temporal differences in pulse events across the sensors, this prototype derives the wearer's pulse transit time on a beat-to-beat basis. A person's pulse transit time -- the time delay following each heartbeat as the pressure wave travels between two arterial sites -- provides an indirect measure of blood pressure, according to a report in IEEE Spectrum. Although the glasses did well in a test run, they are not yet ready to hit the store shelves as the Microsoft researchers plan to evaluate the Glabella glasses in a clinical setting. The team is also developing a next version of the device to make it more power efficient while making the frame smaller, the report added. Currently, a small chargeable coin battery keeps the device running. The aim is to shrink the device to such an extent that it could become a clip-on that works with anyone's regular glasses, the report added. --IANS gb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Militants attacked the residence of a National Conference (NC) leader in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district on Saturday, police said. The militants fired at the guard post outside NC leader and sitting legislator, Showkat Hussain Ganai's house in Chitragam village at around 4.30 a.m. "Alert guards retaliated after which the militants escaped. No casualty was reported," the police added. --IANS sq/ksk/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday condoled the death of former UN Secretary General and Nobel laureate Kofi Annan and called him a conscience keeper of international peace and security. Modi also said Annan's "significant contribution" to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will always be remembered. "We express our profound sorrow at the passing away of Nobel Laureate and former UNSG Kofi Annan. The world has lost not only a great African diplomat and humanitarian but also a conscience keeper of international peace and security," Modi tweeted. "My thoughts are with his family and admirers in this hour of grief. May his soul rest in peace." Annan, 80, died on Saturday in Switzerland after a short illness, with his wife and three children by his side. --IANS spk/pgh/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 55-year-old woman and her 27-year-old son have been hacked to death in Uttar Pradesh's Jalaun district, police said on Saturday. The villagers, on Saturday, woke up to discover the twin murders, which took place in Baagi village in the night. The deceased -- Munni and Kuldeep -- were found lying on their cots, with several wounds on their bodies inflicted by a sharp-edged weapon, a police official told IANS. "We have informed the husband of the deceased who works in the town and are probing all angles to the incident, including disputes and animosity if any," he said. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem and the police is questioning the neighbours to know more details. --IANS md/mag/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A biker, part of a motorcycle adventure rally, was found dead in Rajasthan after he apparently lost his way while exploring the surroundings of Jaisalmer, officials said on Saturday. Asbak Mon, 34, originally from Kerala, was keen to participate in the "India Baja" off-road rally which was to be flagged off on Saturday. On Friday morning, he was found dead. His bike was lying on ground beside him at Shahgarh Bulj area, around 200 km from Jaisalmer, and his water bottle was empty. The post-mortem examination report stated that the biker had died of dehydration, said Superintendent of Police Jagdish Chandra Sharma. His body was handed over to his wife and father-in-law. Speaking to IANS, the police officer said Mon had travelled all the way from Bengaluru to participate in the two-day adventure event. He hailed from Kerala's Kannur district but was residing in Bengaluru where he was working with a private firm. He went out on his own to explore the city and surroundings on Thursday. In fact, he was yet to register with the race. "When he did not return, we collaborated with police and sent our parties to search for him," said one of the organisers of the race, on the condition of anonymity. Prime facie, it seems that Mon had lost his way while the other members who also visited the locale returned. It seems he was exhausted with water he had and hence feeling dehydrated, he had fallen from his bike and later did not wake up as there was no water left in his body, the police officer said. A case of doubtful death has been registered in this context and investigations have started after the post-mortem report came. "We shall inquire the organisers, his colleagues and teams as our next point of action," said Sharma. --IANS arc/pgh/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Special Counsel Robert Mueller recommended that a federal judge to sentence George Papadopoulos, a former campaign aide of US President Donald Trump, to up to six months in prison for lying to investigators in relation to the ongoing Russia meddling probe. "The government does not take a position with respect to a particular sentence to be imposed, but respectfully submits that a sentence of incarceration, within the applicable guidelines range of 0 to 6 months' imprisonment, is appropriate and warranted," Mueller wrote on Friday in a government sentencing memorandum to the US District Court for the District of Columbia. "The defendant's crime was serious and caused damage to the government's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election," Mueller added. "The defendant lied in order to conceal his contacts with Russians and Russian intermediaries during the campaign and made his false statements to investigators on January 27, 2017, early in the investigation, when key investigative decisions, including who to interview and when, were being made." Papadopoulos, a former foreign policy adviser in Trump's 2016 campaign, pleaded guilty in October to making false statements to the special counsel's team, becoming the first person to admit guilty to Mueller's federal prosecutors, reports Politico news. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) accused him of lying to investigators when it asked him about whether he had advance knowledge that Russians had obtained emails connected to Hillary Clinton's campaign and whether they intended to distribute them. According to his plea agreement, Papadopoulos admitted to lying about the timing of his contacts with a professor, Joseph Mifsud, in London. Mifsud, according to prosecutors, told Papdopoulos after he had joined the Trump campaign in spring 2016 that Russians had obtained "dirt" on Clinton. But Papadopoulos, according to Mueller, repeatedly denied that he interacted with the professor before to joining the campaign team. Mueller wrote in Friday's filing that Papadopoulos "was explicitly notified of the seriousness of the ongoing investigation", and warned by the special counsel's prosecutors "that lying to investigators was a 'federal offense' that could get him 'in trouble'", Politico reported. Mueller also maintained that Papadopoulos' false statements "were intended to harm the investigation, and did so." "His lies negatively affected the FBI's Russia investigation, and prevented the FBI from effectively identifying and confronting witnesses in a timely fashion... His lies were not momentary lapses. He lied repeatedly... and his lies were designed to conceal facts he knew were critical." --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Brajesh Thakur, the main accused in the Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case, on Saturday said there was a threat to his life as he was currently lodged in jail along with Maoist rebels. "I strongly fear threat to my life in the jail," Thakur informed the local court when he was produced before it via video conference and its intervention. But the court has refused to intervene saying it was the jail's matter. Thakur has been lodged in the Muzaffarpur Central Jail since June 2. He was shifted to the prisoners ward from the hospital ward this week. The Muzaffarpur case came to light when the Bihar Social Welfare Department filed an FIR based on a social audit of the shelter home conducted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. The CBI is probing the case. --IANS ik/ksk/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NASA's historic mission to solve the mysteries of the Sun which was launched aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket on August 12 is operating according to plan, mission controllers have said. As of 12 p.m. EDT on August 16, the Parker Solar Probe was 4.6 million kms from Earth, travelling at 62,764 kms per hour, and heading toward its first Venus flyby scheduled for October 3, 2018, Geoff Brown of Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, or APL, in Maryland, wrote in a NASA blog post on Friday. The spacecraft will use Venus to slightly slow itself and adjust its trajectory for an optimal path toward the first perihelion of the Sun on November 5 this year. "Parker Solar Probe is operating as designed, and we are progressing through our commissioning activities," said Project Manager Andy Driesman of APL. This solar probe is humanity's first-ever mission into the Sun's atmosphere, called the corona. Here it will directly explore solar processes that are key to understanding and forecasting space weather events that can impact life on Earth. The mission has already achieved several planned milestones toward full commissioning and operations, according to the mission controllers. On August 13, the high-gain antenna, which Parker Solar Probe uses to communicate high-rate science data to Earth, was released from locks which held it stable during launch. Controllers have also been monitoring the spacecraft as it autonomously uses its thrusters to remove (or "dump") momentum, which is part of the flight operations of the spacecraft. Managing momentum helps the spacecraft remain in a stable and optimal flight profile. There are four instrument suites on board Parker Solar Probe, which will each need to be powered and readied for science data collection. The FIELDS investigation, which consists of the most elements, went first. It was powered up on August 13 for two activities, Brown said. First was the opening of the clamps which held four of the five FIELDS antennas stowed during takeoff. These antennas will be deployed roughly 30 days after launch, and they will stick out from the corners of the spacecraft's heat shield called the Thermal Protection System and be exposed to the harsh solar Second, the spacecraft's magnetometer boom was fully deployed. This boom contains three magnetometers and a fifth, smaller electric field antenna, all part of the FIELDS suite. Further instrument check-outs and deployments are scheduled in the coming days for the spacecraft, Brown said. --IANS gb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) There has been "misinformation campaign" about cancellation of Congress President Rahul Gandhis visit to British parliament during his forthcoming visit to UK and he will have interactions as planned, Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) Chairman Sam Pitroda said on Saturday. In a press release, Pitroda said Gandhi will have have interactions in London at a think tank, the parliament, London School of Economics and several other institutions with political leaders, businessmen, academicians and students. "Rahul Gandhi's visit to London is on as planned," Pitroda said. He said Gandhi will also interact with Indian Journalists Association in London and address a large public meeting of IOC on August 25. "In fact, the demand for interactions with Rahul Gandhi by institutions and individuals is so high that even if he spends whole week in London, he may not be able to make everyone happy," he said. Pitroda said he was being approached for Gandhi to speak at various events but it was not possible "to meet the huge demand" due to limited time. Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi had clarified on Friday that there has been no change in the engagements of Gandhi during his scheduled visits to Germany and the UK and had accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of trying to undermine the visit because "it is getting popular". A media report had said on Friday that Indian-origin millionaire Rami Ranger, co-chairman of the Conservative Friends of India, and Tory peer Baroness Verma had rescinded an invitation to Rahul Gandhi during his trip to London saying the event had been cancelled. It said Gandhi will no longer be attending an event in parliament hosted by the Conservative Friends of India. The report also said Labour MP Keith Vaz has sponsored a room elsewhere in the Parliament and Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) has taken over running the event. Gandhi will be visiting Germany on August 22 and 23 and London on August 24 and 25. --IANS ps/pgh/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Odisha government on Saturday sent a 240-member fire services team to carry out rescue operations in flood-ravaged Kerala. The team along with 75 power boats was airlifted by the Indian Air Force from Biju Patnaik International Airport here. The mission was flagged off by Director General (Fire Services) B.K. Sharma. "On request of the Centre, the state government is sending a team of fire personnel to Kerala for rescue operations," Sharma said. "This is certainly a matter of pride for the Odisha fire services department. Earlier, Odisha fire personnel had done a tremendous job during Cyclone Hudhud in Andhra Pradesh. They are deployed with modern equipment. We hope that our fire personnel will play a crucial role in the operations," he added. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also announced Rs 5 crore as financial assistance for the flood victims. The Odisha government has set up a 24-hour helpline 1070 and 0674-2534177 at the Special Relief Commissioner's (SRC) office. About 130 people from Odisha have taken shelter in a house at Aluva Munnar Road, Odapally after being affected by the floods, said an official. Overflowing rivers and a series of landslides have resulted in the death of 180 people as of Saturday morning, with over 3 lakh others forced to move to some 2,000 relief camps. --IANS cd/ksk/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Organs of a 15-year-old girl from West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district, who was declared brain dead at a city hospital, were donated to three critically ill patients on Saturday, the hospital authority said. Two kidneys and the liver of Siliguri resident Mallika Majumdar were donated to three patients after she was declared brain dead in the Institute of Post-Graduate Medical Education (IPGMER) here on Friday while her skin and cornea have been preserved for appropriate receptors. "The donor was admitted to our hospital on July 23 with brain infection. She slipped into coma on August 14 and was declared brain dead yesterday. Her family members agreed to donate her vital organs," Mrinmoy Banerjee, IPGMER Superintendent told IANS. "Her skin and cornea have not been placed in any patients as of now. That requires some procedure. It can't be an instant process," he said. While the kidneys were successfully transplanted to two patients in IPGMER, liver was given to a 44-year-old patient from Hyderabad, admitted in east Kolkata's Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals through a "green corridor" felicitated by the city police in the early hours on Saturday. The hospital authority later praised the role of police and state administration for their proactive attitude which helped in the successful transplant. "Our daughter was brain dead. There was no chance for her to live again. But we are happy and proud that her organs helped save the lives of other people," Majumdar's father said. --IANS mgr/pgh/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) on Saturday summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner J P Singh and condemned the "unprovoked ceasefire violations" by the Indian forces along the (LoC) in its administered Kashmir, resulted in the death of a civilian. The Foreign Ministry said that a 65-year-old man was killed while a boy was injured in Indian firing on August 18 in Dana Sector along the LoC. "The Indian forces along the and the Working boundary are continuously targeting civilian populated areas with heavy weapons," Director General at the South Asian desk of the Foreign Ministry Mohammad Faisal who summoned the Indian diplomat said. Faisal also serves as spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Giving update of the cross-LoC shelling, the Foreign Ministry said in 2018, the Indian forces have carried out more than 1,900 along the LoC and the border, resulting in the deaths of 31 innocent civilians while injuring 122 others. "This unprecedented escalation in by India is continuing from the year 2017 when the Indian forces committed 1970 ceasefire violations," he said in a statement. The spokesman said the "deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas" is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, human rights and humanitarian laws. "The by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation," Faisal told the Indian deputy high commissioner. and India had declared a ceasefire in 2003, however, both accuse each other of skirmishes. The spokesman urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement, investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations, and instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC and the Working Boundary. He urged that the Indian side should permit UN Military Observer Group in India and to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions. Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately declare the floods in Kerala as a national disaster. "Dear PM (Prime Minister), please declare #Kerala floods a National Disaster without any delay. The lives, livelihood and future of millions of our people is at stake," Gandhi tweeted. Overflowing rivers and a series of landslides have resulted in the death of 180 people as of Saturday morning, with over 3 lakh others forced to move to some 2,000 relief camps. --IANS akk-ps/mag/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor-politician Rajinikanth has praised the Victor Banerjee-starrer "The Answer", which traces the life of yoga guru Paramhansa Yogananda's late American devotee James Donald Walters -- popularly known as Swami Kriyananda. Ahead of the film's release on August 31, Rajinikanth saw the film in Chennai and was happy that it spreads the message of spiritualism. "The film is a moving tale of a guru-shishya relationship. Picturised beautifully, it will surely resonate with the followers of Guru Paramhansa Yogananda and Swami Kriyananda," Rajinikanth said in a statement. The much-loved actor has been following Mahavatar Babaji, Paramhansa Yogananda and has been practicing Kriya Yoga for a long time. "Rajni sir is so unassuming - as he is known to be. The way he readily agreed to see the film shows his stature not only as an ultimate superstar but also as a profound human being. We are very happy that we could show him the film", said Madhureeta Anand, who is the Worldwide Business Consultant for the film. The film is based on the true story of an American, James Donald Walters (played by Leonidas Gulaptis), later christened as Swami Kriyananda and his encounter with spiritual master Paramhansa Yogananda in California, which resulted in his devotion to the guru and his teachings. Paramhansa Yogananda authored the "Autobiography of A Yogi". "The Answer" is backed by Pia Singh of DLF, directed by Pavan Kaul and distributed by Panaroma Studios Distribution LLP. --IANS rb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Rajkummar Rao, who on Saturday addressed the officers of the Indian Police Service (IPS) at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA) here, praised the policemen for their bravery. The "Newton" actor tweeted: "It was such an honour to address the most prestigious SVPNPA in Hyderabad. I salute the courage and selflessness with which our cops perform their duties. Thank you SVPNPA." SVPNPA is the national institute for training of IPS officers before they are sent to their respective state cadres to carry out their duties. Along with the tweet, Rajkummar shared a photo in which he can be seen posing in the front of the Academy's building. On the work front, Rajkummar will next be seen in Amar Kaushik directorial film "Stree", scheduled to release on August 31. --IANS sim/rb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Moscow is determined to take all necessary measures to preserve and implement the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday. "Russia continues to consistently implement its commitments under the JCPOA... We reiterate our decisive commitment to take all the necessary measures to preserve and fully implement the JCPOA," a ministry statement said, Xinhua reported. It said that Russia's Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation is implementing a series of projects designed to ensure the compliance with requirements of the JCPOA. While noting that Russia is preparing to return a second batch of high-enriched uranium to Iran, the ministry stressed that Moscow would assist Tehran in managing the surplus low-enriched uranium and carry out cooperation with the country in specific areas for the peaceful use of atomic energy. All such cooperation is being carried out strictly in accordance with the JCPOA terms and UN Security Council Resolution 2231 under full supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the ministry said. The JCPOA was signed in 2015 between Iran and the P5+1 -- Russia, France, China, Britain, the United States, plus Germany. In May, US President Donald Trump announced Washington's withdrawal from the landmark Iranian nuclear deal. Since then, the Trump administration has slapped a number of sanctions on Iran while vowing to apply more. --IANS ahm/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shah Mahmood Qureshi was appointed as Pakistan's Foreign Minister on Saturday as Prime Minister Imran Khan approved a 20-member cabinet, Information Minister-designate Fawad Chaudhry said. The ministers will take oath on Monday morning, he said on his official Twitter account. Qureshi, who is a senior leader of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, served as Foreign Minister from March 2008 to February 2011 when the Pakistan Peoples Party was ruling the country. The Prime Minister also appointed five advisers, he said. --IANS ahm/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Opposition RJD and on Saturday demanded resignation of another minister over his alleged involvement in the Muzaffarpur shelter home rape cases. Without naming the minister, leader of Opposition on Saturday demanded Chief Minister Nitsh Kumar sack the minister, a BJP MLA from Muzaffarpur. Yadav held out threat that he would "expose" the minister's involvement in the case. Social Welfare Minister Manju Verna recently resigned following outrage across the country and protests by Opposition in the state over the rape of young girls at a shelter home in Muzaffarpur. The Opposition has now trained guns on state Urban Development Minister Suresh Sharma, a BJP MLA from Muzaffarpur. "If Nitish Kumar and (Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader) Sushil Modi do not sack him, we will be forced to expose and reveal his involvement like what we did in the case of Verma," Tejashwi told media. The RJD leader alleged the minister had close links with jailed main accused Brajesh Thakur. spokesperson Premchand Mishra said Sharma should resign on his own or Nitish Kumar should force him to quit. "We will intensify our protest for his resignation," said Mishra. However, ruling JD-U spokesperson Ajai Alok rejected the resignation demand, saying that the CBI is probing the case. "There is no need for the minister's resignation. If he is found guilty in the CBI probe, he would be sent to jail," said Alok. The BJP is yet to react to the allegations against Sharma. Manju Verna had resigned on August 8 after media reports of call details revealed that her husband had spoken to the key accused Brajesh Thakur 17 times. Rashtriya Janata Dal and leaders have alleged that Verma's husband visited the shelter home run by Thakur "regularly." The Muzaffarpur case came to light when the Social Welfare Department filed an FIR based on a social audit of the shelter home conducted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. The Patna High Court is monitoring the CBI probe into the shocking rape of 34 minor girls at the Muzaffarpur shelter home, a horror that has caused nationwide outrage. The Taliban has repeated its call for direct talks with the US, a statement said on Saturday. Describing the US-led forces presence in Afghanistan as the cause of conflict, Taliban chief Mullah Hebatullah Akhundzada in the statement said: "Lone option is to end the occupation of Afghanistan," reports Xinhua news agency. "The Islamic Emirate (Taliban) continues to call for understanding and sound logic instead of force and points them towards options that can guarantee the cessation and end of this long war," the leader said. The Taliban has repeatedly refused the Afghan government's offer for talks, blaming the US for continued war and instability in the country. "Since the ongoing war in Afghanistan is the birth-child of US occupation therefore we have and continue to insist on direct talks with Washington to bring it to an end," the statement added. --IANS ksk/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After giving a "tearful" interview to The New York Times, Tesla Chairman and CEO Elon Musk sat with popular You Tuber Marques Brownlee for a chat, revealing his plans for a mass-market electric vehicle priced as low as $25,000. "That's something we could do. If we work really hard i think maybe we could do that in three years," Musk replied to Brownlee (who goes by the handle @MKBHD on Google-owned YouTube) on Friday. The interview took place on August 15 but a 17-minute video was uploaded by Brownlee on YouTube on Friday -- a week after Musk tweeted about taking Tesla private with "funding secured" that created a storm at the Tesla board and amid market watchers. According to The Verge, Musk said in the YouTube interview that he hoped to scale production at Tesla and lower their design and technology costs enough to be able to offer a truly mass-market electric vehicle. Currently, the price for Tesla Model 3 starts from $35,000 and Model S from $75,000. "Musk also expressed a desire to improve production to the point where Tesla can make two cars at once," said the report. "We've really gotta figure out how to make two new vehicles at the same time," Musk told Brownlee. The YouTube interview came a day after Musk spoke to NYT about "excruciating" times at Tesla, noting that he "nearly missed his brother's wedding this summer and spent his birthday holed up in Tesla's offices as the company raced to meet elusive production targets on a crucial new model". Earlier this week, Musk confirmed that he is closely working with Goldman Sachs and private-equity firm Silver Lake to take the electric carmaker private -- a deal that would need nearly $70 billion in funding. "I'm excited to work with Silver Lake and Goldman Sachs as financial advisors, plus Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz and Munger, Tolles & Olson as legal advisors, on the proposal to take Tesla private," Musk tweeted. Musk said that in late July, he met Saudi Arabian sovereign fund representatives to discuss the electric carmaker's possible exit from the stock market. He said in a statement that the Saudi sovereign fund had first contacted him "at the beginning of 2017 to express (their) interest because of the important need to diversify away from oil". "I continue to have discussions with the Saudi fund, and I also am having discussions with a number of other investors, which is something that I always planned to do since I would like for Tesla to continue to have a broad investor base," he added. He said he had most recently met with the Saudis on July 31 and left that meeting "with no question that a deal with the... fund could be closed, and that it was just a matter of getting the process moving". "This is why I referred to 'funding secured' in the August 7 announcement," he said, referring to his surprise tweet on that date that he was thinking about taking Tesla private. According to Musk, "two thirds" of Tesla's current stockholders would be interested in continuing to hold the firm's shares once it goes private. On August 7, Musk surprised the investment world with a Twitter announcement that he was considering taking Tesla private and that the funds needed to do so - which some financial analysts estimate at more than $70 billion - were "secured". Musk's tweet caused a financial firestorm with Tesla shares immediately skyrocketing by almost 11 per cent, although in the coming days they lost a good part of what they had gained and tanked further after Musk's interview with the NYT. --IANS na/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami on Saturday said the state would release an additional sum of Rs 5 crore as relief to flood hit Kerala and also supply rice, milk, milk powder, bedsheets, clothes and medicines. In a statement issued here, Palaniswami said considering the extent of flood damage in Kerala, the Tamil Nadu government will release a further sum of Rs 5 crore from Chief Minister's Relief Fund. With this the total sum released for Kerala will be Rs 10 crore. Palaniswami also said the state would also supply 500 tonnes of rice, 300 tonnes of milk power, 15,000 litres of ultra high temperature (UHT) processed milk, clothes, 10,000 bedsheets and essential medicines to Kerala. He said materials worth several crores of rupees collected from the people of Tamil Nadu is being sent to Kerala by the respective districts. Palaniswami also conveyed his grief and condolences on the behalf of the people of Tamil Nadu to the families of the dead in Kerala floods. --IANS vj/pgh/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tributes to former UN Secretary-General and Nobel Prize Laureate Kofi Annan started to pour following the announcement of his death on Saturday. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres lamented the death of his 80-year-old predecessor, describing him as "a guiding force for good", as well as a good friend and mentor. "He provided people everywhere with a space for dialogue, a place for problem-solving and a path to a better world," Guterres said in a statement. "In these turbulent and trying times, he never stopped working to give life to the values of the United Nations Charter," he added. "His legacy will remain a true inspiration for all of us." India also expressed condolences to the former Ghanaian diplomat's family and the UN community as a whole. "Sorry to learn of the passing of former Secretary General of the UN Kofi Annan," the official Twitter handle of the Indian President said. UN Human Rights chief Zeid Raad al-Hussein said he was "grief-stricken" over the news of the Ghanaian politician's death. "Kofi was humanity's best example, the epitome, of human decency and grace," he said. UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said in a tweet he was "learning with deep sadness of the passing of Kofi Annan," who he went on to describe as an "international leader, wise mentor, valuable adviser, good friend and role model." Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez tweeted: "Today we lose a great humanist. Former UN Secretary General and Nobel Peace Laureate Kofi Annan has left us, but we still have his legacy to continue working for peace, security and to reinforce the defence of human rights." UK Prime Minister Theresa May said Annan was "a great leader and reformer of the UN, he made a huge contribution to making the world he had left a better place than the one he was born into." French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted that France paid tribute to Annan: "We will never forget his calm and resolved gaze, nor the strength of his fight." Annan passed away died in a hospital in the Swiss city of Bern after a short illness, with his wife and three children by his side. He was the first black African to take up the role of the world's top diplomat, serving two terms from 1997 to 2006. He received the Nobel Peace Prize along with the UN in 2001 for revitalizing the UN and making human rights a priority. He also led a UN commission to investigate the Rohingya refugee crisis in Myanmar. --IANS soni/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump on Friday defended his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, as a "good person", as a jury at a Virginia federal court entered the second day of deliberations in Manafort's bank and tax fraud trial. "I think the whole Manafort trial is very sad," Trump told reporters in White House before departing for fundraising events in New York. "He worked for me for a very short period of time," Trump said of Manafort. "He happens to be a very good person," Xinhua reported. The president did not give an answer when asked if he is prepared to pardon Manafort, a veteran lobbyist who joined Trump's campaign team in March 2016 and spent three months as Trump's campaign chairman until mid August of that year. After a full day Thursday, the six-man, six-woman jury had not reached a verdict on the 18 criminal charges of bank and tax fraud Manafort is facing. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges. "You may deliberate as long or as little as you wish," U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III told the jurors on Friday morning before they resumed deliberations behind closed doors. However, the trial "might end soon", Ellis told reporters later. Manafort, 69, is the first member of Trump's election team to face trial on charges arising from the ongoing Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into alleged Russia's interference in the 2016 U.S. general elections. The charges largely stem from Manafort's time working for a pro-Russian leader in Ukraine before the 2016 election. But the trial is being seen as a key test of the strength of Mueller's investigation, which is probing alleged ties between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin. Trump has repeatedly called the probe a "witch hunt" that has not found evidence of Russian collusion with his campaign, and his lawyers are urging the special counsel wrap things up. Manafort is also facing a separate trial in Washington D.C. on charges of money laundering and fraud conspiracy, which is scheduled for September. --IANS ahm/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two Nigerians were arrested in Gurugram and 1.3 kg heroin valued at Rs 5 crore in the international market was seized from them, police said on Saturday. Accused Yao and Okelie, presently residing in a rented premises in Hastsal Vihar area of Delhi's Uttam Nagar, were arrested by a Special Task Force (STF) team led by Inspector Sonu Malik from the Delhi-Gurugram border at Sirhol on National Highway-48, STF DIG B. Satheesh Balan told the media here. The two have since been sent in police remand and are being questioned. Both are members of an international gang of peddlers who smuggle heroin from South Africa, Mexico and Peru and supplied in to Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and other parts of the National Capital Region. A case was registered at Gurugram's Sector 17-18 police station under the Narcotics, Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. Balan said that the accused had failed to produce their passports and other documents. --IANS pradeep/tsb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two women were killed on Saturday after they were knocked down by a speeding local train near Belgharia railway station under the Eastern Railway's Sealdah division, a Government Railway Police (GRP) officer said. According to police, the two were hit by Up Krishnanagar City local while walking down the railway track just outside the station in North 24 Parganas district on Saturday afternoon. "Two women have been run over by the galloping Krishnagar City local outside the Belgharia station around 4.30 pm on Saturday. Eye-witnesses said the two descended from the platform number one and were walking down the railway track when the train hit them from behind," an office from Dumdum GRPS said. Police said the two have not been identified yet. "The bodies have been removed from the railway track and the train service has resumed," the officer added. --IANS mgr/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A frequent visitor to this picturesque resort before illness gripped him, late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is believed here to be the only national leader who thought of ending the five months of exile every year of the residents of the landlocked Lahaul Valley by constructing a tunnel through the Rohtang Pass. Locals believe Vajpayee was the man behind cementing the "tunnel of friendship" being drilled at 3,000 metres above sea level beneath the Rohtang Pass. In all probability, the tunnel will be operational by May-June 2020, engineers said. "The construction of the tunnel is about the promise that Vajpayee-ji made to Tashi Dawa before his old friend died in December 2007," Dawa's son Ramdev told IANS on the phone. The strategically important tunnel will ensure all-weather connectivity to Lahaul-Spiti district that otherwise remains cut off from the rest of the country for more than five months owing to the closure of the Rohtang Pass (13,050 feet) due to heavy snowfall. Dawa alias Arjun Ram Gopal, a resident of Tholang in Lahaul-Spiti, was credited with convincing Vajpayee to take up the tunnel construction that will bring economic prosperity in the otherwise snow-bound, inhospitable region. "It would be a historic day for all the people of the Lahaul Valley when the tunnel is completed," an emotional Ramdev, a government employee, who is retiring this year, said. Ramdev said Vajpayee and Dawa became friends during a training camp organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at Baroda (now Vadodara) in the then Bombay Presidency in 1942. Septuagenarian Mehar Thakur, who is now settled here, said: They (Vajpayee and Dawa) were thick friends. Whenever Vajpayee used to visit Prini he used to call Dawa. They used to share their nostalgic moments for hours." Prini is located on the outskirts of this tourist resort. Vajpayee last visited the house, currently out of bounds for people, for a quiet sojourn in June 2006. That was two years after his government was voted out in the national elections. Since then the house wears a deserted look. Neighbours fondly recall the days when Vajpayee as Prime Minister came here every summer and mingled with the locals. Vajpayee, as Prime Minister, had announced at a public meeting in Keylong, the district headquarters of Lahaul-Spiti, in 2002 that a tunnel would be constructed beneath the Rohtang Pass. Solang, popular among skiers for snow and steep pistes, or ski tracks, just 13 km uphill from Manali, still has a foundation stone of the Rohtang tunnel. The stone reads: "Commissioning of works for access road to south portal of proposed Rohtang Tunnel by Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee." "Development and defence, for both aspects this Rohtang tunnel was much required and today it is going to be started," Vajpayee had announced at a public meeting in Manali on May 24, 2002, where then Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal was also present. Remembering one of his visits to Vajpayee's house, former village head Kundan Lal said he was once honoured by the former Prime Minister with a cash incentive. "I presented a wall clock to Vajpayee-ji which was made by me from junked motorcycles. He was so delighted to receive it that and he gave me a cash reward of Rs 1,000 to support my initiative," Lal, who was earlier running a motor workshop in Prini, told IANS. Locals also remember Vajpayee as an environment protector. Prini village head Shiv Dayal said Vajpayee used to say plant two-three saplings rather than planting 100s as it was easy nourish them adequately. Dayal said the Rohtang tunnel should be named after Vajpayee and this would be a befitting tribute to the great leader. Mrs India 2017 winner Kalpana Thakur, who runs a hotel in Prini, fondly remembered one of her interactions with Vajpayee in 2003. "Vajpayee-ji asked me the name of my son and he explained me my son's name (Srijan) in his poetic style," she recalled. Besides as an orator, poet and statesman, locals remember Vajpayee's love for trout fish on a platter during his stay in Prini. During his 2001 visit, Vajpayee told reporters that he composed his poem "Unchai" at Prini. The most ambitious and expensive undertaking of its kind, the excavation of the 8.8-km long horseshoe-shaped tunnel under the Rohtang Pass in the Himalayas was completed last October. Only some civil engineering work is pending, officials said. Later, the tunnel's foundation stone was laid by United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi on June 28, 2010, in the Solang Valley. (Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in ) --IANS vg/vm/tb (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh, Varun Gandhi, on Saturday donated Rs 2 lakh to the Kerala Chief Minister's Relief Fund for flood-affected victims in Kerala. He also urged his fellow parliamentarians and also legislators from across the country to follow suit and provide succour to Kerala. Varun Gandhi, grandson of late prime minister Indira Gandhi, has not drawn a single paisa as salary in the past nine years of his being in Parliament. --IANS md/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A woman gangster involved in 113 crime cases and counted among top five dreaded women criminals in Delhi was arrested early on Saturday, police said. Basiran, 62, was called 'Mummy' or mother by her gang members. Her eight sons too are involved in heinous crime along with her, ranging from murder, contract killing, robbery, bootlegging, to snatching. Basiran had shifted base to south Delhi from her native Rajasthan some 45 years ago and began to sell illicit liquor in slum areas and entered the world of crime through petty crime. "Basiran was arrested on a tip-off from Sangam Vihar when she arrived there to meet her family. She was on the run for the past eight months in a case and was declared a Proclaimed Offender in May," Deputy Commissioner of Police Romil Baaniya said. "Basiran told police that she and her gang members Aakash and Vikash had take a contract to kill an Uttar Pradesh native Miraz for Rs 60,000 from his stepsister Munni Begum. Munni took Miraz to Basiran's residence in Sangam Vihar on September 9, 2017, after which Aakash, Vikash, Neeraj and a teenager took Miraz to a forest area on the pretext of drinking liquor and strangled him. They later burnt the body," the DCP said. Police came to know of the crime a week later when a person who had gone to the forest area to attend nature's call found the decomposed body. Police arrested the teenager, who disclosed the involvement of others in the crime. Police arrested those involved in January 2018, but Basiran was evading arrest since them. Basiran was declared a Proclaimed Offender by a court on May 25 and her residential property sealed as per the law. The woman had control over some government borewells in Sangam Vihar and was running a water supply mafia too, involving her sons. One of them was even booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999, the officer said. --IANS sp/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) It cannot be gainsaid that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as it is run today, will find it difficult to live up to Atal Bihari Vajpayee's legacy of moderation. From this aspect, his death has come at an inconvenient time for the party because there will be constant reminders during the run-up to the four state assembly elections this winter about Vajpayee's gentleness, which was his foremost political talent. This will be particularly relevant in the matter of rhetoric which has tended to become increasingly acerbic in recent times. The chances of the speeches becoming more venomous are all the greater when the BJP's prospects are not supposed to be all that bright in the key states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, as a poll survey has predicted. Therefore, as caustic comparisons are made between aristocratic lineage and the humble background of a worker -- naamdar and kaamdar -- Vajpayee's more temperate oratory may be recalled. It was Vajpayee's moderation which enabled him to hold together for more than three years from 1999 to 2002 a mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) of as many as 24 parties, the likes of which had never been seen before and is unlikely to be seen in the future. The achievement will appear all the more remarkable at a time when the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre is fraying at the edges with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) having walked out while the Shiv Sena is forever engaged in verbal onslaughts against the BJP and the Akali Dal is patently uneasy. What is more, doubts are being expressed as to whether the BJP will be able to form a coalition at the Centre if it fails to secure a majority of its own in the Lok Sabha in 2019 because Modi is seemingly temperamentally averse to act in tandem with others. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's restiveness is a reminder of this proclivity at the NDA's highest levels. If Vajpayee's accommodativeness cannot be seen in the BJP today, neither is its ability to push ahead with the economic reforms as during the former Prime Minister's reign when several PSUs such as Modern Foods, Balco and Hindustan Zinc were disinvested. In contrast, the present government has not been able to find a buyer for the perennially sick Air India. However, the most crucial of Vajpayee's legacies is the peace which prevailed in his time till the Gujarat riots of 2002, which paved the way for his defeat two years later as he ruefully conceded. Before the riots, however, there was nothing like the present near-anarchic scenes which have made the Supreme Court bemoan the prevailing mobocracy as the "new normal" and the Centre to consider enacting a law to stop lynchings. It would be a mistake, however, to claim that Vajpayee did no wrong. The targeting of Tehelka and Outlook magazines beause of their embarrassing disclosures about the unsavoury goings-on in high places is a reminder that no government -- not even Vajpayee's -- can be tolerant of a genuinely free press. It is an unworthy legacy going back to Rajiv Gandhi's abortive attempt to muzzle the media with his proposed Publication of Objectionable Materials Act in the wake of the Bofors howitzer scam, not to mention his mother's draconian Emergency rule. But, for Vajpayee, it was an uncharacteristic misstep in the misuse of the Enforcement Directorate and other government agencies, which has largely been forgotten. What is remembered instead is the fact that of all the saffron leaders, he was the only one who had the Nehruvian vision of the "idea" of a multicultural India. It was this broad outlook which made Vajpayee urge the Jan Sangh in 1960 to open its doors to "all Indian citizens irrespective of creed or sects". Noting that at least formally, the party is opposd to being linked with religion, he said that "in the partition of the country, we have already had a grim experience of the consequences of mingling with religion". Not surprisingly, Vajpayee was not a favourite of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) despite the swayamsevak tag that he wore all his life, which is why one of the RSS chiefs of his time, K.S. Sudarshan, wanted his as well as L.K. Advani's ouster from positions of power by calling for a generational change in the BJP. Incidentally, Sudarshan was believed to have prevailed upon Vajpayee on the eve of the ministry-making in 1998 not to make Jaswant Singh the finance minister since he was not a true-blue (true-saffron) Sanghi. Now that a generational change has taken place in the BJP, it has to be seen how many of Vajpayee's inheritances are honoured and how many disregarded. If his moderation does not gell with the party's aggressive pro-Hindu line, which made observers say that Vajpayee was the right man in the wrong party, the BJP can at least acknowledge his adulation of Jawaharal Nehru (whom the party likes to dislike at present) as Bharat Mata's "favourite prince". As Vajpayee's accolade to Nehru showed, not all naamdars are to be shunned. (Amulya Ganguli is a political analyst. The views expressed are personal. He can be reached at amulyaganguli@gmail.com ) --IANS amulya/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in 2016 published a self-assessment toolkit for parliaments around the world to assess their gender sensitivity. The toolkit consists of seven broad assessment guidelines among which the most significant one is to check whether there is a just representation and participation of women and men across all the bodies and internal structures of the parliament. According to a 2017 ... 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. 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Digital Editor Baijayant (Jay) Panda, may have been abandoned by his party, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) but his farewell dinner was well attended, with guests cutting across party lines. Dharmendra Pradhan, the man who is the Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) chief ministerial face from Odisha was also present. There is no clarity on where Panda is going next in terms of political affiliation, but his resounding support to many of the prime ministers schemes suggests saffron could be his colour. If that is so, he needs Pradhans support. But on second thoughts, does he? The BJD supported the ... Tribal Welfare minister Mevar Kumar Jamatia on Saturday supported the revision of NRC in the state and hoped that his party IPFT would soon demand it like several other states. Indigenous Peoples Front of (IPFT) is an ally of the ruling alliance headed by which came to power after the assembly polls in February this year. Jamatia, who is the general secretary of IPFT, said, We were always seeking NRC in our state (Tripura). Other states are now demanding NRC revision and hopefully our party will also demand it in Tripura, Jamatia said. IPFT had earlier demanded NRC revision in Tripura claiming that the indigenous communities in the state were suffering an identity crisis. He said, Prime Minister and president had made a lot of statements on NRC and said talks on revising the register is going on at the central level. "I think this issue (NRC) is a burning issue. Chief Minister had rejected the demand for NRC revision saying there was no public demand for it and that he was unaware of any IPFT call for it. Meanwhile, the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Twipra (INPT), another tribal regional party, has demanded NRC revision in the northeastern state like in Assam. A three-member INPT delegation of the party led by its president, Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawl is slated to visit New Delhi and submit a memorandum on the issue to Prime Minister this month, its general secretary Jagadish Debbarma told reporters. As a primary step we will go to Delhi on August 28 and submit a memorandum in favour of NRC in Tripura to the Registrar General of Citizen Register, the PMO, the Home Minister and others. Other decisions will be taken later," Debbarma said. Possibilities of filing a petition with the Supreme Court to allow NRC revision in Tripura would be discussed in the next party meeting, he added. Some 100 women from across Latin America and eastern Europe were freed from sex traffickers by Mexican police, who arrested 18 men on human trafficking charges, authorities said. The women were found in a dawn raid on a brothel in central Mexico City yesterday, a statement from the capital's security ministry said. The group included women from Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay and Venezuela, in Latin America, and from Hungary, Ukraine and Russia, in eastern Europe. Mexican authorities have broken up numerous sex trafficking rings in recent months. The women are generally promised jobs such as modeling, then kidnapped and forced into prostitution. There have been several recent cases of such women, especially Venezuelans, being murdered in Mexico. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Twelve people have been arrested for their alleged involvement in lynching a man and severely injuring three others on suspicions of cattle theft in Assam's Biswanath district, police said today. Machetes, sticks and rods used in the August 15 attack were seized and police were looking for others involved in the incident, Superintendent of Police (SP) Diganta Kumar Choudhury told PTI. In the attack, Deben Rajbongshi (35) was killed and Pujan Ghatowar (40), Phulchand Sahu (25) and Bijoy Nayak (25) were injured by a mob of villagers at Line Number 15 of Diplonga Tea Estate under the Sootea police station, police had said. "As per our probe, around 15 people were involved in provocation and attack on the four persons. During the last two days, we have arrested 12 people who were involved in the lynching incident," the SP said today. "Line number 15 of Diplonga Tea Estate, where the incident occurred, has about 40 resident families. At the time of the attack, around 50 people were present, but not all of them were involved," he said. Police have registered two cases - one against the four for allegedly lifting two cows and the other against the people for assaulting them. The victims belong to Gereki village, the residents of which claimed that they were were pig traders, and not cattle thieves. In the recent months, cases of vigilantism and moral policing have been reported from different districts in Assam, with at least four major cases reported since June. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mexican authorities said they found 122 sea turtles dead on a beach in the southern state of Chiapas, mostly from an endangered species. The cause of death was not immediately clear, though around 10 percent of the turtles had wounds to the head or shell and showed signs of injuries from fish hooks or fishing nets, the ministry said in a statement. It said authorities had not been able to carry out autopsies "due to the advanced state of decomposition in which they were found." The turtles were found yesterday on the beaches of Puerto Arista, a small town on the Pacific coast. Most of them-- 111 -- were from the endangered Pacific Ridley species (Lepidochelys olivacea). Mexico banned the capture of sea turtles in 1990, but there is still a lucrative black market for their eggs. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The second leg of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje's 'Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra' will now start from the Jodhpur division on August 24, state BJP chief Madan Lal Saini said. The second phase was earlier scheduled to start from the Bharatpur division on August 16 but was suspended due to demise of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the seven days national mourning that followed. The second phase will now commence on August 24 from the Jodhpur division, Saini said at a press conference here today. The yatra was scheduled to start on August 23 from Jodhpur, but it was later postponed by a day due to Eid holiday. After Vajpayee's health deteriorated, Chief Minister Raje left for New Delhi on August 16 to see him. She was supposed to kickstart the second leg of her yatra from Sawai Madhopur on August 16. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least four people were killed and 11 others, including three children, injured today when a van in which they were travelling overturned due to over speeding in northwest Pakistan, police said. The incident happened at Hazara Motorway in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, they said. The van was en route to Rawalpindi from Manshera district. The injured included three children and one women, police said, adding that all the injured have been admitted in the district headquarters hospital in Haripur. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Five people were arrested after a clash broke out between two groups in the Shastri Nagar area here, police said today. They said one Vishal had been nursing a grudge against Sahil Sharma after the duo had an altercation over some issue on Thursday. On Friday, he, along with his supporters, carrying sharp-edged weapons, attacked the house of Sahil Sharma. The group fled when they were confronted by Sahil Sharma and his men, leaving behind two motorcycles, police said, adding that in the melee gunshots were fired in the air. No one, however, was injured, they said. Following the incident, over 14 people were booked on charges of opening fire, armed rioting and criminal assault, police said. So far five among them have been arrested and efforts are on to nab the others, they said. Those arrested included Sahil Sharma, Sahib Sharma, Varun Bedi, Karan Sharma and Vasu Sharma, all belonging to one group. Vishal, Lucky Sharma, Anush, Anju, Raju, Abhi Pandit, Romi of Mehli village and Sabhi of Atholi village are still at large, police said. They added a case has also been registered against some unidentified persons. Police said both Vishal of Nigahan mohalla and Sahil Sharma of Shastri Nagar in Baba Gadhiya worked in the Madan Cloth House here. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Eight policemen including a station house officer (SHO) were injured in two separate incidents of firing and brick batting in Bihar's Bhojpur district, a police officer said today. Superintendent of Police, Awakash Kumar said a man was shot dead at Bajeriyan village yesterday evening. When a police team was leaving the place with the body, some people fired at the team to protest the taking away of the body, in which the SHO Sanjay Kumar received bullet injury in his hand. The police team also returned the fire, the SP said. Around 15 people were today arrested in connection with yesterday's firing, Kumar said. The situation in the village is tense but under control, he said, adding additional police forces have been deployed at the village where senior officials are camping. The son of a village home guard was shot dead by a man identified as Bahadur yesterday evening. The angry villagers attacked the house of Bahadur and set his bicycle, tractor on fire, Kumar said. A police team went to the village and was about the leave the place with the body when some villagers fired at the cops to prevent them from taking the body, the SP said. The injured SHO was admitted to Ara Sadar hospital from where he was shifted to a private hospital, the SP added. In a separate incident, seven policemen including a sub-inspector were injured when some people allegedly under the influence of liquor attacked the police team at Chandwa village in the district also last evening, police said. The police team had gone to the village after receiving complaint that some people were creating nuisance under the influence of liquor, Nawada police station SHO Subodh Kumar said. When the police team reached the village, some people threw stones and bricks at them injuring a sub-inspector and six policemen. All the injured policemen have been admitted to Ara sadar hospital, Kumar said. Ten persons have been arrested in this connection, the SHO said adding that all the 10 persons were sent to Ara jail after getting their medical examination done. A police team have been deployed at the village, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) All Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MPs, MLAs and ministers will donate their one-month salary for the relief work in flood-ravaged Kerala, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said today, and also urged the city government employees to contribute at least one-day salary for the cause. The Chief Minister, who yesterday announced Rs 10 crore relief for the state, said that sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) offices will act as collection centres for clothes, blankets etc. Kejriwal also assured the resident commissioner of Kerala that his government will provide any further help needed by the state. "Held a meeting with Resident Commissioner of Kerala to find out requirements. Delhi government will send water and dry food. All SDM offices will act as collection centres for clothes, bedsheets and blankets," he said. In a tweet, Kejriwal today said, "All AAP MLAs, MPs and ministers (are) donating one month salary for Kerala." Kejriwal appealed to the public to make donations to the crisis-hit state. The Delhi chief minister also spoke to his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan. "Spoke to Kerala CM. Delhi govt is making a contribution of Rs 10 crore. I sincerely appeal to everyone to donate generously for our brothers and sisters in Kerala (sic)," Kejriwal tweeted yesterday. Saurabh Bharadwaj, MLA of Greater Kailash, committed donation of a total of Rs 53,500 for relief work while MLA of Jangpura Praveen Kumar has asked Delhi Speaker if he could donate Rs 1 crore from MLA local area development fund. This is the deadliest deluge in Kerala in close to a century, which has claimed 194 lives since August 8. A body blow has been dealt to the scenic state, with its infrastructure, standing crops and tourism facilities severely hit. Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Home Regional News East A Russian gun rights supporter who built up a network of powerful Republican contacts while studying at a university in Washington has launched a fund-raising campaign to pay for her defence against espionage allegations. Maria Butina, 29, opened a website to raise money for her case after being arrested last month by counterintelligence agents and charged with acting illegally as an unregistered agent for the Russian government. "I'm Maria and I need your help," the website says, with pictures of the smiling redhead at different sites around the US. The native of Siberia came to the US to gain a master's degree from American University, and while there "she championed peace and positive relations between her homeland and the United States," the website says. "But after graduating with honors, she was arrested by the US government for crimes she did not commit." The website did not indicate how much money she had raised so far. In court filings the Justice Department called Butina a "covert Russian agent" who maintained contacts with Russian spies and pursued a mission "to penetrate the US national decision-making apparatus to advance the agenda of the Russian Federation." She built contacts through the powerful National Rifle Association by setting up her own mirror gun rights group in Russia, where private firearms are strictly controlled. That eventually saw her mingling with senior politicians, whom she met through her boyfriend, a Republican operative. But court documents said she used him only to build her network, and that while living with him she offered sex to someone else to get a job in a US lobbying group. On July 18 she pleaded not guilty to two criminal charges of conspiring to act as a foreign agent without registering, and acting as a foreign agent. The first charge brings a maximum five years in prison, while the second carries a maximum 10 years. "This is not a spy case," her lawyer Robert Driscoll said at the time. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : Contributions to the Chief Minister's Disaster Relief Fund, Kerala, continued to pour in from Tamil Nadu with actor Rajinikanth donating Rs 15 lakh and director Shankar granting Rs 10 lakh for the flood victims, sources said today. IAS officers in the State, too, have decided to chip in by each contributing a day's salary to the fund, a press release from the president of the Tamil Nadu IAS Officers Association PWC Davidar said. Senior vice-president of automobile company Hyundai Motor India Stephen Sudhakar and the south zone - business head of the company Y S Chang Sr handed over a cheque for Rs one crore to the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram. Indian Overseas Bank said it has decided to not levy any fee for contributions made to the relief fund account, a statement from the public sector bank said. Kerala has been ravaged by torrential rains since August claiming hundreds of lives and rendering lakhs homeless. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Air India has initiated a probe into the cause delay of a Kolkata-bound flight from Dhaka on August 8 amid a report claiming that a pilot was attempting to sneak in hilsa fish. Flight AI229 from Dhaka to Kolkata was delayed by one hour. The flight, scheduled to depart at 9.25 pm, finally took off at about 10.30 pm. While a report claimed that a pilot had a fracas with the security over carrying the hisla, sources said that an engineering snag was mentioned in the log book. When contacted, an airline spokesperson said they were investigating the cause of the delay as there can be several reasons arising from engineering issues to operations and ATC clearance. "We are investigating the reason for the delay of the flight from Dhaka to Kolkata that day. In fact, Air India probes into the cause for delay of any flight which does not depart on time. There can be so many reasons for a delay from engineering to operations to even ATC clearance. "It will not be fair to make any unsubstantiated conjuncture on the cause of the delay," the spokesperson said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today visited former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's residence in the national capital and paid respect to the departed soul. According to an official release here, the chief minister spent about half an hour at the house and met Vajpayee's foster daughter Namita Kaul Bhattacharya, son-in-law Ranjan Bhattacharya and other family members, to condole the death of the poet-politician. Former prime minister Vajpayee, one of India's most charismatic leaders who led the nation through several crises and held together a tenuous coalition with his inclusive politics, died here on August 16. He was 93. His death was announced by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hospital, where he was admitted on June 11 with a variety of ailments. In the visitor's book, Amarinder Singh wrote about his feelings for Vajpayee, whom he remembered meeting for the first time in 1970, the release said. The chief minister remembered the former prime minister as a great leader, an excellent statesman, a dignified politician and a fine human being. His death had left a vacuum that would be hard to fill, the chief minister said. Vajpayee's mortal remains were consigned to the flames at the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal on the banks of the Yamuna in Delhi yesterday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As jurors weigh Paul Manafort's fate in a sprawling financial fraud case, the former Trump campaign chairman still has another trial looming in the nation's capital and prosecutors there have a whole new set of charges and a huge volume of evidence. The trial now underway in Alexandria, Virginia, is the first case brought by special counsel Robert Mueller to go to trial. The jury will return Monday to begin a third day of deliberations on 18 counts, including tax and bank fraud and failure to disclose foreign bank accounts. In the District of Columbia, Manafort is scheduled to go on trial in September on charges including conspiracy to defraud the United States, failing to register as a foreign agent, money laundering, witness tampering and making false statements. Neither case involves allegations of Russian election interference or possible coordination by the Trump campaign, which are at the heart of Mueller's larger investigation. But President Donald Trump has expressed a keen interest in Manafort's fate as he seeks to publicly undermine Mueller's probe. The charges in DC could result in an even lengthier sentence than what Manafort faces in Virginia. In a status report filed back in February, prosecutors did a preliminary calculation of how federal sentencing guidelines would apply to Manafort if convicted on all charges. In Virginia, they calculated a sentence of roughly eight to 10 years on the tax fraud charges plus an additional four to five years on the bank fraud. In the District, they calculated a guidelines range of 15 to 20 years, and that was before prosecutors brought the witness tampering charge. Those guidelines are only rough estimates and will be officially calculated by a probation officer before sentencing. And sentencing guidelines are not binding on the judge. The fact that Manafort faces a second trial is entirely of his own choosing. Prosecutors preferred to bring all the charges in the District of Columbia, where their investigation is based and where all other defendants have been charged. But prosecutors lacked venue to bring the tax and bank-fraud charges against Manafort anywhere but Virginia, where Manafort owns a home. Prosecutors requested that Manafort waive his venue rights so all charges could be brought in DC, but he refused. In some ways, the decision to face some charges in Virginia appears to have paid off for Manafort. Judge TS Eliis III has expressed skeptical opinions about the government's case from the outset. In a pretrial hearing, he speculated that prosecutors only decided to bring charges against Manafort to pressure him to "sing" against Trump. He also questioned the fairness of a special counsel law that has allowed Mueller to commit millions of taxpayer dollars to his investigation. During the trial, prosecutors have been frustrated by comments Ellis has made in front of the jury about the evidence and his frequent exhortations to move the three-week trial along at a quicker pace. Despite those frustrations, prosecutors were able to introduce hundreds of documents, including emails from Manafort himself seeming to acknowledge some of the financial misdeeds prosecutors say are at the heart of the case. In the District, meanwhile, Manafort will face a judge who has already seen fit to put him in jail ahead of trial. US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who will oversee the criminal trial in Washington, ordered Manafort jailed because of concerns about his alleged efforts to contact two witnesses. Prosecutors filed witness tampering charges against him in June. Initially Manafort was confined to a "VIP" jail in Warsaw, Virginia, where his cell had a private bathroom and he had phone and computer access. But after Manafort's lawyers complained about lengthy 100-mile trips to meet with him, Ellis transferred him to a stricter holding facility in Alexandria. Once a familiarly dapper figure in political circles, known for jet-black dyed hair and a tanned complexion, Manafort is now gaunter and grayer. Officials have not said whether Manafort would be transferred to a jail in the Washington area in advance of the September trial. In the DC trial, Manafort may face an even taller stack of evidence. In a court filing Thursday, Manafort's defense lawyer, Kevin Downing, said the special counsel's office has sent him "well over 1,000 proposed exhibits most of which have not been a part of the trial before Judge Ellis," for review ahead of the September trial in the District. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Eight sophisticated arms were recovered from smugglers by a team of Customs and Assam Riles from near Mizoram-Myanmar border river Tiau in Champhai district, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence officials today said. The arms - two US-made M-16 rifles, two Germany-made G-3 rifles and four Myanmar-made MA3 assault rifles - were seized on Thursday, they said. The arms smugglers, riding a bike, fled the spot when the team approached them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Belarus's strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko today sacked his prime minister and other key members of government following a corruption scandal that saw top officials arrested. Prime Minister Andrei Kobyakov will be replaced by former development bank head Sergei Rumas, the president's press office said in a statement. Several vice-premiers as well as the ministers for economy and industry will also lose their posts. "I won't name names, but in our government we had the following situation -- one programme would be announced and then another programme would be carried out," Lukashenko said in comments released by his press office. "I've never allowed this and I never will! What we have promised the people -- with a government formed precisely with this programme in mind -- we must follow this programme," he added. Over the summer a corruption scandal rocked the health service of the ex-Soviet nation. Authorities arrested dozens of top health officials, medics and drug company representatives on suspicion of siphoning off millions of dollars in state funding. Even the head of the security services in the country dubbed "Europe's last dictatorship" called for an overhaul of the system in the wake of the arrests. Other smaller instances of corruption and administrative failures have hit local and national governments in recent months. Independent economist and director of the Scientific Research Mises Center, Yaroslav Romanchuk welcomed the government shake-up. "It is good to replace these people, pillars of the old socialist economy," he told AFP, adding that the new team were not "bogged down in corruption". "Sergei Rumas knows what the economy and finance are about, he's an intelligent economist...we can hope for the start of economic reforms, as long as Lukashenko gives a mandate to carry them out," Romanchuk said. Political analyst Valeriy Karbalevich said: "Lukashenko has discovered the government wasn't afraid of him, it clearly wasn't carrying out his orders". The president "hopes the new people will be too scared to steal or sabotage his directives," he added. Lukashenko has ruled Belarus, wedged between Russia and Poland, with an iron fist since 1994. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A brain dead 15-year-old has brought joy to at least five people who received her two kidneys, liver, corneas and skin graft in the city. A spokesman of the state-run Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research (IPGMER), SSKM Hospital, said today that Mallika Majumder was declared brain dead by the institute yesterday. She was diagnosed with a brain lesion after being admitted on July 23 and had slipped into coma on August 14, the spokesman said. Her father Manik Majumder said over phone from Siliguri, "We were told by the doctors that there is no possibility of our daughter returning to life once she was declared brain dead. We were then convinced that if her organs could be transplanted on other persons she will continue to live among others. And that is our biggest consolation." Mallika's kidneys were successfully transplanted to two patients at SSKM Hospital last midnight, state nodal officer on organ transplantion Aditi Kishore Sarkar said. IPGMER sources said the two kidney recipients were Moumita Chakraborty of Khardah and Sanjib Das of Sodepur in North 24 Parganas district. The girl's cornea was also been donated to a patient at SSKM and part of her skin was grafted on a burn patient. While all the other organs could be successfully transplanted within the IPGMER SSKM compound, the liver was taken to a private hospital off E M Bypass through the green channel corridor facilitated by Kolkata Police early this morning, he said. The recipient was a 44-year-old person from Hyderabad who was flown into the city last midnight and the liver was successfully implanted after a five-hour long operation, a statement from the private hospital said. It praised the pro-active efforts of the state health department which is working with the Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (ROTTO) to raise awareness about organ transplant. "This incident will set an example about donating organs of brain dead patients and raise public awareness," Sarkar said. A relative of Das, who was a recipient of one of the kidneys, said, "I will not belittle Mallika's parents and the doctors by thanking them. Words fail to express our emotions." The last organ donation in the city had taken place over four months ago, in April. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today spoke to his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan over phone about the situation in the rain-ravaged state and assured him of providing all possible help in this hour of crisis. A release from the Chief Minister's Office here said Naidu expressed grief over loss of lives and destruction of property in the monsoon fury. Naidu assured Kerala that his state was ready to provide all possible help to it in this hour of crisis. The Andhra Pradesh government had last night announced a financial assistance of Rs 10 crore to rain-ravaged Kerala. Naidu told Vijayan that he would assist in mobilising more financial resources for rehabilitation work in Kerala. Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh government today despatched a special rescue team comprising 66 disaster response and fire services personnel, a district fire officer, 12 motorboats and other equipment to Kerala. A team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel from Mangalagiri also left for Kerala by a special aircraft, State Disaster Management Authority Commissioner M V Seshagiri Babu said. As many as 194 people have lost their lives and 36 are missing in Kerala since August 8 due to rains and landslides, while over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China has sacked six senior government officials for their neglect of duty and misconduct following a drug-safety scandal in which a pharmaceutical company manufactured substandard vaccines, including that for rabies, exported to India and other countries. Rabies vaccines made by the Changchun Changsheng Life Sciences Company, the second largest in China, were found to have violated national standards including usage of expired fluids and falsified production dates. The vaccines were also widely exported, including to India. Among the officials dismissed were Ding Jianhua, who headed two departments at the now-defunct China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA), the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) said in a statement. Wang Youchun, deputy dean of the National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), was also sacked, it said. Besides Jianhua and Youchun, four other senior officials of the CFDA were dismissed. The NIFDC dean, Li Bo, was ordered to "make profound self-examinations", the state-run Xinhua agency reported today. The dismissed officials "did not provide sufficient supervision, strong enough oversight, nor were they strict enough in their inspections", the statement said. The SAMR was formed in April this year, replacing the CFDA and two other agencies that had overlapping duties, to strengthen oversight of food, drugs, and consumer and industrial products. Forty government officials, including seven at the provincial level, have been held accountable for their neglect of duty or misconduct in oversight over the substandard vaccines at the company at a recent meeting presided over by Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Drug Controller General of India early this month ordered an immediate withdrawal of rabies vaccines from the market and have also banned its imports from the Chinese manufacturer that allegedly fabricated records. Also investigation by the Chinese officials into recent vaccine scandal revealed that the batch of DPT vaccines, produced in July 2016 by the Chinese firm were proved substandard due to a short-term equipment failure. The DPT vaccines were made by Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co Ltd. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Chinese plane that slid off the runway at Manila airport was removed from the muddy spot where it had been stuck for more than a day, officials said, allowing normal operations to resume today. Around 165 international and local flights were cancelled on Friday and Saturday at the Philippine capital's main airport after the plane's bumpy landing, said airport media officer Connie Bungag. The Xiamen Airlines aircraft landed on its second attempt before skidding onto the grass, ripping off its left engine and blocking the runway late Thursday evening. The 157 passengers and eight crew aboard were able to disembark without suffering any major injuries. Moving the plane was complicated by heavy rains that softened the ground, making it difficult to install the two cranes needed to lift the aircraft, officials said. By noon on Saturday, flights had resumed their normal schedule, but some passengers were not impressed by the speed of the recovery operation. "At last," tweeted one disgruntled observer. "That's a record 36 hours." Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines spokesman Eric Apolonio said investigators had recovered the plane's black box and flight data recorder and would be summoning the pilots next week to find the cause of the mishap. The airport will schedule special flights after midnight to make up for some of the flights that were cancelled earlier, Bungag told AFP. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cloudbursts occurred at two places in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district today damaging properties and agriculture land, a district official said. Cloudbursts occurred in Chhalal area of Manikaran valley and Dhundhi in Manali of Kullu district, he said, adding no loss of life was reported. A house, three water-powered grinding mills and agriculture land of six families were damaged in Chhalal village, while water pump of a private company was damaged in Dhundhi, the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A corporator has been arrested here for opposing a resolution in the municipal corporation to pay tributes to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a police official said today. Syed Mateen Sayyad Rashid, a member of the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) belonging to the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), a Hyderabad-based political party, was apprehended last night, he said. The arrest was made after a complaint was filed against him by the AMC's security officer, he said. Rashid has been booked under IPC sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 294 (obscene acts in public) at the City Chowk police station, police said. Earlier yesterday, the 32-year-old was allegedly thrashed by BJP corporators for opposing the condolence motion tabled for paying homage to Vajpayee, who died in New Delhi on August 16. The alleged incident took place during the general body meeting of the civic body, ruled by the BJP-Shiv Sena combine, here in central Maharashtra, an official had said. After the meeting began, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator Raju Vaidya tabled a proposal to pay tributes to Vajpayee. Rashid opposed it, which infuriated the saffron party members, who allegedly thrashed him, he said. A video clip purportedly showing Rashid being kicked, punched and slapped by BJP corporators has gone viral on social media and was also aired by some TV channels. Rashid has lodged a separate complaint against two BJP corporators and some other members in connection with the assault on him, the police official said. Yesterday, the general body of the AMC passed a resolution to cancel Rashid's membership, a civic official said. Soon after the fracas at the meeting, Deputy Mayor Vijay Sainath Autade had directed the AMC's security officer to lodge a complaint against the AIMIM corporator for attempting to create enmity between two communities, he said. Rashid was arrested from the Government Medical College and Hospital where he was admitted for treatment of injuries he suffered in the attack, the police said. The AIMIM corporator yesterday told PTI that he was opposing the move to pay tributes to Vajpayee in a "democratic manner", but was assaulted by around a dozen BJP corporators. The Aurangabad civic body is ruled by the BJP-Shiv Sena combine. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) It is crucial to protect, propagate and conserve Hindi in its pure form as language and culture are interconnected, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said at the 11th World Hindi Conference which began here today by paying tribute to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The three-day conference, aimed at expanding the reach of the Hindi language at a global level, started by observing a two-minute silence to pay tribute to Vajpayee, who died in New Delhi on Thursday at the age of 93 after a prolonged illness. In her opening statement, Swaraj said with this convention, Hindi representatives from across the globe are paying tributes to Vajpayee, who was an exponent of Hindi and established the language at the international level by addressing the UN for the first time in Hindi. Emphasising on the protection of India's culture and Hindi, Swaraj said India has taken the responsibility to protect the language in other countries. She said the BJP-led government is making efforts to make Hindi one of the official languages of the United Nations. A Hindi weekly bulletin from the platform of the UN has started broadcast as part of a pilot project, she said. All Hindi-speaking people from across the world can listen to the broadcast from the UN, she said. "This weekly bulletin could be converted into a daily bulletin. For that the world body will oversee the response of listeners and rate accordingly for two years. If the response will be good, then it will be converted into a daily bulletin," she said. Swaraj said a UN twitter account in Hindi has also been started to give Hindi speaking public access to the programmes and news related to the UN. "India has made it clear that it is ready to bear all expenses to make Hindi one of the official languages of the UN, but its rules for acquiring such a status prevents the country from doing so," she said. Underlining that language and culture are interconnected, she said obsolescence of a language is also followed by that of culture so it is necessary to protect, propagate and conserve the language in its pure form. She said that unlike the previous world Hindi conventions where the emphasis was on language and literature, this time, culture has also become an important part of it. The minister said that several countries have raised concerns regarding the protection and promotion of Hindi language. In such scenario, it is the responsibility of India to prevent the language from becoming obsolete in these countries. The World Hindi Conference is organised every three years and in the past it has been organised thrice in India, twice in Mauritius, and one time each in Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, the UK, the US and South Africa. This year the symbol of the world Hindi conference is "a peacock and a dodo. Dodo symbolises the gradual obsolescence of Hindi and the Indian peacock will come to save the dodo. On the occasion, Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth issued two new postage stamps -- one has the image of the national flags of India and Mauritius while the other has the image of national birds, peacock and dodo. The prime minister also announced to name the cyber tower in Mauritius made with the Indian assistance as "Atal Bihari Vajpayee tower. Goa Governor Mridula Sinha and West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi also took part in the inaugural session. During the conference, delegates from India and various countries will deliberate on eight subtopics on 'Hindi World and Indian Culture'. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Dave Bautista, one of the most prominent voices against the firing of director of James Gunn from "Guardians of the Galaxy" series, has compared Disney Studios with US President Donald Trump. Sharing a story that criticized the studio for its decision to not rehire Gunn, the 49-year-old actor made a reference to Trump's campaign and presidential slogan. "Thanks Disney!! Making America Great Again" he wrote. Wrestler-turned-actor had earlier said it will be"pretty nauseating" to work for Disney after they fired the filmmaker. "I will do what I'm legally obligated to do but @Guardians without @JamesGunn is not what I signed up for. GOTG w/o @JamesGunn just isn't GOTG. It's also pretty nauseating to work for someone who'd empower a smear campaign by fascists #cybernazis. That's just how I feel," the actor had replied to fan who asked him whether he will be ok being part of the franchise without Gunn. Disney recently reconfirmed its decision to let go of the filmmaker. Gunn was fired from directing the third film in the franchise after a series of old offensive tweets made by the filmmaker resurfaced on social media. According to Variety, Disney and Marvel are "standing by their decision to not reinstate him as helmer for the next installment. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde today asked the state government to help Kerala which has been ravaged by the worst floods in almost a century. He asked Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to announce financial assistance for the southern state and also urged the Centre to declare the floods there a national disaster. "Whenever any part of the country has been in danger, Maharashtra has been at the forefront of lending a helping hand. Today, millions of people of Kerala are at risk," Munde said. "In their time of need, it is imperative that Maharashtra plays the role of a big brother and goes all out to help the Kerala government in relief operations," the NCP leader added. "We urge Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to perform his raj dharma and financially aid the Kerala government," he said. Munde claimed that the emergency aid of Rs 500 crore declared for Kerala by the Centre was not sufficient. State Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said over 320 people had lost their lives till now, adding that Maharashtra should declare financial aid with an open heart. "This is the culture of Maharashtra. Even during the Uttarakhand floods (in June 2013), Maharashtra had immediately declared financial assistance to the ravaged state," he tweeted. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with Kerala Governor P Sathasivam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Minister K J Alphons today conducted an aerial survey of some of the flood-affected areas in Kerala. As per information from the control room of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, since August 8, 194 people have lost their lives and 36 are missing. Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. The southern state is facing its worst flood in 100 years with gates of 80 dams opened and all rivers in spate. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal condoled the death of former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today, terming it as a "great loss" to humanity. Kejriwal in his Independence Day speech on August 15, had recalled Annan's praise for his government's initiative Mohalla Clinics, and announced that the Nobel Peace Prize laureate would visit Delhi in September, to see for himself the running of the clinics. "Heartfelt condolences to his family and admirers. A great loss to humanity," Kejriwal tweeted on the about Annan's death. The Kejriwal government was earlier commended by Annan for "successfully" running Mohalla Clinics to provide free primary health services to the people. In a letter to Kejriwal in January this year, Annan had praised Mohalla Clinics as an initiative consistent with World Health Organisation's universal health coverage goal. "We understand that this initiative is proving very successful and we commend you on this impressive achievement," the letter written by the former UN Secretary-General as head of "The Elders" organisation founded by Nelson Mandela, had stated. The AAP dispensation claims Mohalla Clinics as one of its biggest achievements that has "attained worldwide praise". Kerjiwal had said in his Independence Day address that in the last three years, India is being recognised by the world for "good things" like AAP government's Mohalla Clinics. He had announced that Annan would visit Delhi along with other global leaders on September 6 to see the functioning of Mohalla Clinics. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The has dismissed a PIL against the cap on free-of-charge withdrawals by banking customers from own bank ATMs, saying it was a policy decision. A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao on Thursday said the facility provided by banks have lot of overhead costs, like salary of guards and power consumption charges, and therefore, there cannot be unlimited free transactions. "They have to maintain the ATMs and there would be establishment costs," the court said, adding that it would be "disastrous" if banks close the ATMs due to its interference in the issue. As per the Reserve Bank of India's new guidelines, bank customers in six metros -- Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bengaluru -- are allowed to withdraw money free of charge only five times a month from the ATMs of their banks and will be charged Rs 20 for every subsequent transaction. The court said Rs 20 for every additional transaction in a month can be afforded by a banking customer and dismissed the petition, filed by lawyer Swati Aggarwal, seeking directions to allow unlimited number of free transactions for banking customers at the ATMs of their banks. In her PIL, Aggarwal claimed that the guidelines were issued at the behest of a few banks and IBA (Indian Banks Association) which had approached the RBI seeking changes in the extant instructions regarding free transactions at other banks' Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs). It alleged that levying charges was highly "arbitrary and unjustified" besides being "discriminatory and against good banking practices and reforms and a backward move". "In almost all modern economies of the world, there is no cap on the number of transactions one can make on own bank and unlimited number of transactions remain free of charge on their own bank ATMs," the petition said. It contended that the RBI decision contradicts its own circular dated March 10, 2008, whereby it had "justified and given directions allowing the free usage of ATMs for unlimited number of transactions on own bank ATMs". The Bihar police today ordered shifting of 44 notorious criminals- facing charges of serious offences like murder, kidnapping, extortion etc.- from Patna to other central jails of the state. The shifting order was issued by Central Range Deputy Inspector General of police Rajesh Kumar following a report that these criminals continue to operate from behind the bars. "Several notorious criminals, who are lodged in different jails of Patna, are getting crimes committed from behind the bars. These criminals were operating through either mobile phones or meeting some other persons in jail for getting their work (crimes) done," the DIG order said. Even FIRs have been lodged against many of them for carrying out their activities from the jail, the DIG mentioned in the order. The order addressed to Patna District Magistrate and Senior Superintendent of Police asked to shift them to other central jails located at Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur and Buxar. The decision followed a report submitted by Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) (Operations), who identified and prepared a list of 44 such criminals after visiting various jails of Patna such as- Beur, Phulwarisharif, Masaurhi, Danapur and Barh. The ASP was given the task by the DIG. Some of the notorious criminals who figure in the list included- Bindu Singh, Ajay Kanu alias Ajay Kumar alias Chandra Prakash, Reet Lal Yadav, Durgesh Sharma, Ranjit alias Kalia, Kundan Singh, all of whom are currently lodged in Beur central jail in the state capital. Ajay Kanu is a high ranking naxalite while history-sheeter Bindu Singh is named in a number of cases of murder, kidnapping the loot. Singh was put behind the bars in connection with murder of school student Aditya Sachdeva in Gaya by his son Rocky Yadav last year. The DIG instructed to keep them in a separate "cell" under round-the-clock watch of CCTV. There should be a mechanism for daily physical verification of these criminals to ensure that they do not use mobile phones for criminal activities, Kumar said. The trial of these notorious criminals should be conducted through video-conferencing, the DIG said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has signed off on a law tightening controls over the internet in the country, the official gazette said today. The legislation on "cybercrime" allows authorities, through a judge, to order the blocking of websites that "constitute a threat" to Egypt's national security or economy. Those who administer or visit such websites, intentionally or "in error without a valid reason", can now face jail time and fines. Such decisions can be appealed. The law is one of a series of measures that rights groups complain are aimed at curbing freedom of expression online, with the internet one of the last forums for public debate over Sisi's rule. Egyptian lawmakers last month approved another bill that grants the state's Supreme Council for Media Regulations the right to monitor social media users. Under that legislation, which Sisi has yet to approve, people whose social media accounts have more than 5,000 followers could be placed under supervision. The council would be authorised to suspend or block any personal account which "publishes or broadcasts fake or anything (information) inciting violating the law, violence or hatred". The authorities have insisted that such measures are needed to help tackle instability and terrorism in the country. But domestic and international rights activists regularly accuse the government of seeking to crush dissent by arresting activists and bloggers and blocking sites. More than 500 websites have already been blocked in Egypt prior to the new law, according to the Cairo-based Association of Freedom of Thought and Expression. Egypt is currently placed 161 out of 180 countries in the press freedom rankings of global media rights organisation Reporters Without Borders. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An aeronautical engineer from Mumbai and a Delhi-based lawyer have come together to set up a group, which will monitor reports and social media posts that are "biased and fake" and take necessary action. The organisation, "India Against Bias Media" (IABM), has been formed by Vipul Saxena, an aeronautical engineer, and Vibhor Anand, a Supreme Court lawyer. The group has been filing cases against disseminators of reports, which are aimed at, "destroying religious and social fabric of the country", Saxena said. However, journalists expressed concern over the setting of the group, saying it may harass and intimidate scribes and social media users. The duo had been working on the project for the last two years, but made a soft-launch of the forum on Twitter over a week ago. Since then, they have filed almost two dozen cases, mainly of sedition, across the country against several people. "We are getting full support from people of clean and responsible media and not going to deter from wrong doers. Either self regulate or we regulate them legally. We are teams of professionals from all domains backed by strong teams of lawyers across," Saxena tweeted yesterday. The 54-year-old dismissed suggestions that his organisation was like a pressure group or a media watchdog and also denied any political affiliation. "Our team of legal experts will deal with those who indulge in circulation of biased, fake, manipulated, morphed or doctored contents which could create social or religious disharmony, trigger riots or show disrespect to people on top constitutional posts like prime minister and president. "We will never stage dharna or protest march, but will deal with such people legally as we have full faith in the Constitution," Saxena told PTI. He said in the last four to five days, IABM has filed sedition cases against actor Swara Bhasker in several police stations across the country and also a Youtuber, Dhruv Rathi. Bhasker had tweeted a picture of a man tied to a jeep as a "human shield" by an Army officer in Kashmir last year to deter stone-pelters. Besides, cases were lodged against a few journalists for their tweets in the wake of an attack on JNU student leader Umar Khalid in New Delhi, Saxena said. "Most of the cases have been filed under IPC sections like 120(B) (criminal conspiracy), 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 153(A) (promoting enmity between different groups)," he said. If individuals booked under these charges express regret or say sorry for their comments or tweets, IABM will withdraw the cases against them, Saxena said. "We are not trying to silence dissent or suppress the freedom of speech and expression. We are trying to make people responsible for what they speak or write," the aeronautical engineer said. "We can not remain a mute spectator and see the country's social harmony being vitiated," he asserted. Asked who will decide whether a report is "biased or fake", Saxena said, "We have teams of professionals who know which contains truth and which one is motivated." He said the Press Council of India (PCI) has proved ineffective in its job as a media regulator. "When the PCI starts doing its true job, we will pack our bags," Saxena added. City-based journalist Jatin Desai was critical of the new group, saying its existence will prove detrimental to democratic values of the country. "Forming different opinions and openly expressing them are the heart and soul of a democratic country. These people are trying to harass journalists and people (social media users) by selectively filing cases against them. "Dissent can never be suppressed. Otherwise, we will have a handicapped democracy," said Desai, a member of the Mumbai Press Club. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A court here today extended till August 28 the police custody of three suspected members of a right-wing group, who were arrested for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to carry out blasts in Maharashtra. Vaibhav Raut (40), who used to run a pro-cow protection outfit, was arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Maharashtra police on August 10 from Nallasopara near Mumbai. It was followed by arrests of Sharad Kalaskar (25) from Palghar district and Sudhanva Gondhalekar (39) from Pune. The arrested accused were produced before judge Vinod Padalkar after their police remand ended today. The ATS told the court that it has seized arms and explosives from the house of one Prasad Deshpande at Natepute village in Malshiras tehsil of Solapur district, along with some letters. These letters, as well as other documents and messages exchanged through mobile phones by the accused contained some code words which the ATS wanted to probe, the prosecution said. The defence lawyer argued that there was no need for further ATS custody of the accused as examination of seized evidence was the job of forensic experts. However, the prosecution maintained that the probe will come to a halt without further custodial interrogation. While the ATS wanted a 15-day extension to the custody period, the court extended the accused's police remand till August 28. After the arrests, the ATS had claimed that it had seized a huge cache of explosive materials and country-made firearms during raids at various places in the state. Alleging that the trio were planning to carry out blasts in the state ahead of Independence Day and Bakri-Eid festival, the ATS had said it would also probe if the accused had any connection with the killings of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare, and journalist Gauri Lankesh. The trio have been booked under terror-related provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A court here extended till August 28 the police custody of three suspected members of a right-wing group who were arrested last week for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to carry out blasts in Maharashtra. As per prima facie evidence produced before the court, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) is applicable, hence the probe can not be curtailed, special UAPA Judge Vinod Padalkar said while granting further remand today. Vaibhav Raut (40), who runs a cow protection outfit, was arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of police on August 10 from Nallasopara near Mumbai. It was followed by arrests of Sharad Kalaskar (25) from Palghar district and Sudhanva Gondhalekar (39) from Pune. Producing them before the court after their police (ATS) remand today ended, the squad said it had recovered arms and explosive materials from the house of Prasad Deshpande at Natepute village in Malshiras tehsil of Solapur district, alongwith some letters. Besides, the ATS has seized explosives and arms and ammunition, some documents, letters and chits from Nallasopara and Pune on the basis of the information given by the accused, it said. These letters, chits, documents, mobile phone messages, data from a laptop, hard disks contain code words and code language which the ATS wanted to decipher, it said. The accused had also erased some data from the seized mobile phones, laptop and hard disks, and the ATS wanted to retrieve it, it said. The ATS had recovered CCTV footage of Parvati area of Pune where Gondhalekar's graphics design shop is located and this CCTV footage was being scrutinised, it said. Defence lawyers argued that there was no need for further police (ATS) custody as examination of seized evidence was the job of forensic experts. However, the prosecution maintained that the probe will come to a halt without further custodial interrogation. While the ATS wanted a 15-day extension, the court extended the police remand of the accused till August 28. The judge noted that objectives of the accused were a matter of investigation, and the ATS should get the opportunity to go to the bottom of the case. Following an application moved by defence lawyers, the court allowed them to meet their clients in police custody between 5.30 pm to 6.00 pm. Speaking to reporters later, defence lawyer Sanjeev Punalekar claimed it was a fabricated case. After the arrests, the ATS had claimed to have seized a huge cache of explosive materials and country-made firearms during raids at various places in the state. Alleging that the trio were planning to carry out blasts in the state ahead of Independence day and Bakri-Eid festival, the ATS had said it would also probe if they had any connection with the killings of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare and journalist Gauri Lankesh. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 31-year-old farmer died after he accidentally fell into a well at his agricultural field today, police said. The incident took place in the morning in Matunda village which comes under the jurisdiction of Sadar police station. The deceased was identified as Pramod Sharma. The body was handed over to his family members after postmortem, the police said, adding that a case was registered under Section 174 of the CrPC. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The body of a farmer was recovered today from a well at a village in Banda district of Uttar Pradesh, police said, suspecting this to be a murder case. The body of 55-year-old Mayadeen Nishad was found this morning in a well in Kyotara Badhauli village under Baberu police station area, they said. "Nishad had gone to his field last night. In the morning, when he did not return, the family members started a search only to spot his body in a dry well. Semi-cooked food, clothes, mobile phone and some other items were recovered from the hut in the farm field," In-charge of Baberu police station, Anand Kumar Singh said. "It seems that the farmer was killed and his body dumped in the dry well," Singh added. The body was sent for postmortem and further probe into the matter is on, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (RIL) on Saturday said a short shutdown of one of the Fluid Catalytic Cracking Units (FCCUs) at its Jamnagar complex would not impact the production. Jamnagar Refining Complex has two independent refineries, each with several secondary processing units. FCCU is one such secondary processing unit, the company said in a regulatory filing. Out of the two FCCUs, one is under short shutdown, added. "The company does not expect any material impact on its overall refining and marketing business due to this short duration event," it said. was replying to a clarification sought by NSE over the shutdown of the FCCU. "The company shall make necessary further disclosures, if any, warranted in this matter," it added. On August 15, had informed the exchanges that it "has taken short shutdown of one of the FCCUs at Jamnagar complex to assure reliability and integrity of operations". Actor John Abraham today called upon filmmakers to concentrate on Kashmir's positivity and beauty instead of its politics, saying it is the responsibility of the film industry to make sure they show the state in a positive light. "Kashmir is one of the most beautiful places in the world, which needs to be presented in a good way. I have read about Kashmir and know its history since 1947. "I know the situation and how things are here. I understand everything. I understand the political process also. Instead of concentrating on in Kashmir, the filmmakers must concentrate on its beauty. We must promote the culture of Kashmir," John told reporters at Gulmarg. The actor is currently shooting at the famous ski-resort in north Kashmir's Baramulla district for espionage thriller "Romeo Akbar Walter" ("RAW"), which also stars Jackie Shroff. John said as a producer he will make sure that the state is shown in positive light in his films. "I am also producer and have produced films in the past. I will start from myself. I will make sure Kashmir is shown in a positive light and that is my responsibility. I will also make sure that film industry presents Kashmir the way Kashmir it needs to be presented to the world," he said. The 45-year-old actor also urged budding travellers to explore the beauty of Kashmir and brush aside the tension which, he said, has only added to negative perception among the masses. "People think that Kashmir is a dangerous place to visit. But I am in Gulmarg right now and enjoying its beauty. It is a wonderful place and absolutely fantastic one. Every traveller should visit this place and enjoy its beauty. They should also promote it as Heaven on Earth," John said. The actor also took part in a plantation drive and planted saplings near St Marry's Church. He, however, expressed dismay over the massive deforestation that has taken place in the valley and said he wanted to participate in the plantation drive to send a message that preserving environment was very important. "It is important to plant trees and make this place more beautiful. Hoteliers here have already started plantation drive and they have planted three lakh trees here. The beautiful thing in Kashmir is that the survival rate of the plants is 90 per cent after they are sown," John said. The actor also appealed to the state government to improve infrastructure at the resort and also keep the place clean. "The place is very beautiful but roads, facilities and other infrastructure needs to be improved. I urge state government to improve infrastructure and facilities here. The place is so beautiful and but you need access to reach the place," he said. Director Tourism, Kashmir, Tasaduq Jeelani, who also participated in the plantation drive with John, said the department is trying to attract more filmmakers to the state to counter the negative perception and to promote Kashmir at a bigger platform. He said more crews are visiting Kashmir and the department is providing them all the assistance here so as to encourage the filmmakers to shoot their movies in the state. Jeelani also said the department is embarking on massive tourism promotional campaign by organsing road shows, participating in travel marts outside the state. "We will also invite media persons from different print and electronic media of different states of the country and show them how tourists are enjoying here and how conducive Kashmir is for travelling," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former member of Lok Sabha, Chennupati Vidya died of heart attack here in the wee hours today due to age-related ailments. She is survived by a son and three daughters, family sources sai. Vidya (84) was elected to the Parliament as a Congress candidate from Vijayawada constituency in 1980 and in 1989. In 1980, she defeated former Union Minister Dr K L Rao by over one lakh votes in what was then a sensation. She was the daughter of atheist movement leader Goparaju Ramachandra Rao (GoRa). GoRa established the Atheist Centre in Vijayawada and his entire family was involved in social service through the Centre. Vidya won the Jamnalal Bajaj Award in recognition of her services to women. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed grief over the former MP's death. "Vidya rendered exemplary services as an MP. Her work for women empowerment, in particular, was commendable," the Chief Minister said in a statement. He extended sympathies to the bereaved family. Vijayawada MP Kesineni Srinivas (Nani), MLA Gadde Ramamohan and others visited Atheist Centre and paid homage to Vidya. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kofi Annan, one of the world's most celebrated diplomats and a charismatic symbol of the United Nations who rose through its ranks to become the first black African secretary-general, has died. He was 80. His foundation announced his death in Switzerland today in a tweet , saying that he died after a short unspecified illness. "Wherever there was suffering or need, he reached out and touched many people with his deep compassion and empathy," the foundation said in a statement. Annan spent virtually his entire career as an administrator in the United Nations. His aristocratic style, cool-tempered elegance and political savvy helped guide his ascent to become its seventh secretary-general, and the first hired from within. He served two terms from Jan 1, 1997, to Dec 31, 2006, capped nearly mid-way when he and the UN were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001. During his tenure, Annan presided over some of the worst failures and scandals at the world body, one of its most turbulent periods since its founding in 1945. Challenges from the outset forced him to spend much of his time struggling to restore its tarnished reputation. His enduring moral prestige remained largely undented, however, both through charisma and by virtue of having negotiated with most of the powers in the world. When he departed from the United Nations, he left behind a global organization far more aggressively engaged in peacekeeping and fighting poverty, setting the framework for the UN's 21st-century response to mass atrocities and its emphasis on human rights and development. "Kofi Annan was a guiding force for good," current UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. "It is with profound sadness that I learned of his passing. In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations. He rose through the ranks to lead the organization into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination." Even out of office, Annan never completely left the UN orbit. He returned in special roles, including as the UN-Arab League's special envoy to Syria in 2012. He remained a powerful advocate for global causes through his eponymous foundation. Annan took on the top UN post six years after the collapse of the Soviet Union and presided during a decade when the world united against terrorism after the Sept 11 attacks then divided deeply over the US-led war against Iraq. The US relationship tested him as a world diplomatic leader. "I think that my darkest moment was the Iraq war, and the fact that we could not stop it," Annan said in a February 2013 interview with TIME magazine to mark the publication of his memoir, "Interventions: A Life in War and Peace." "I worked very hard I was working the phone, talking to leaders around the world. The US did not have the support in the Security Council," Annan recalled in the videotaped interview posted on The Kofi Annan Foundation's website. "So they decided to go without the council. But I think the council was right in not sanctioning the war," he said. "Could you imagine if the UN had endorsed the war in Iraq, what our reputation would be like? Although at that point, President (George W.) Bush said the UN was headed toward irrelevance, because we had not supported the war. But now we know better." Despite his well-honed diplomatic skills, Annan was never afraid to speak candidly. That didn't always win him fans, particularly in the case of Bush's administration, with whom Annan's camp spent much time bickering. Much of his second term was spent at odds with the United States, the UN's biggest contributor, as he tried to lean on the nation to pay almost USD 2 billion in arrears. Kofi Atta Annan was born April 8, 1938, into an elite family in Kumasi, Ghana, the son of a provincial governor and grandson of two tribal chiefs. He shared his middle name Atta "twin" in Ghana's Akan language with a twin sister, Efua. He became fluent in English, French and several African languages, attending an elite boarding school and the University of Science and Technology in Kumasi. He finished his undergraduate work in economics at Macalester College in St Paul, Minnesota, in 1961. From there he went to Geneva, where he began his graduate studies in international affairs and launched his UN career. Annan married Titi Alakija, a Nigerian woman, in 1965, and they had a daughter, Ama, and a son, Kojo. He returned to the US in 1971 and earned a master's degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management. The couple separated during the 1970s and, while working in Geneva, Annan met his second wife, Swedish lawyer Nane Lagergren. They married in 1984. Annan worked for the UN Economic Commission for Africa in Ethiopia, its Emergency Force in Egypt, and the office of the High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva, before taking a series of senior posts at UN headquarters in New York dealing with human resources, budget, finance, and staff security. He also had special assignments. After Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, he facilitated the repatriation from Iraq of more than 900 international staff and other non-Iraqi nationals, and the release of western hostages in Iraq. He led the initial negotiations with Iraq for the sale of oil in exchange for humanitarian relief. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police today claimed to have arrested a gangster and one of his accomplices within hours of robbing a motorcycle from a youth and cash from an employee of a liquor shop. SP (Investigation) Balraj Singh said last evening police were informed that three youth had robbed one Rohit Kumar of his motorcycle at gunpoint near Bakhlor village. Later they were also informed that some robbers had looted Rs 27,000 cash from an employee of a liquor shop in Chahal Khurd. Late into the night, when a police team signalled three motorbike-borne youth to stop near Chakdana, they tried to speed away, he said. Following a chase, during which the three fired on the police, two of the accused were arrested and the third managed to flee, the police officer said, adding two pistols, 10 cartridges, Rs 27,000 in cash and the motorcycle were seized from them. The accused were identified as Harpinderjit Singh, a resident of Jindowal, and Manjit Singh, a resident of Krishna Nagar in Banga, he said. Their third accomplice who managed to flee in the cover of darkness has been identified as Guarav, the SP said. As many as 12 cases of murder, attempt to murder, drugs smuggling, loot are registered against Harpinderjit Singh in different police stations. Efforts are on to nab the third accused, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Turning the ship before it hits the iceberg There was an outpouring of condolences from leaders around the world today after the death of former United Nations Secretary General and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kofi Annan. Current UN chief Antonio Guterres voiced deep sadness at the news, describing his predecessor as "a guiding force for good". "In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations," he added. "He rose through the ranks to lead the organisation into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination. "Like so many, I was proud to call Kofi Annan a good friend and mentor." The UN high commissioner for human rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said he was grief-stricken. "Kofi was humanity's best example, the epitome, of human decency and grace. In a world now filled with leaders who are anything but that, our loss, the world's loss becomes even more painful," he said. "He was a friend to thousands and a leader of millions." "There are some human beings who will seem irreplaceable to us, rare human beings. Kofi Annan is high among them. Goodbye my dear friend... goodbye Kofi." Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo declared a week of mourning, saying the national flag will fly at half-mast at home and in the country's diplomatic missions around the world in honour of "one of our greatest compatriots". "He brought considerable renown to our country by this position and through his conduct and comportment in the global arena," the president said in a statement. "He was an ardent believer in the capacity of the Ghanaian to chart his or her own course onto the path of progress and prosperity." South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) said Annan was "an eminent and distinguished son of Africa". "Annan was a great friend of the people of South Africa who played an immeasurable role in shaping the global agenda in favour of the people of the developing south," the ANC said in a statement. "Amongst his many passions was silencing the guns on the African continent." British Prime Minister Theresa May said her "thoughts and condolences are with his family". "A great leader and reformer of the UN, he made a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into," she said on Twitter. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that "today we lose a great humanist". "Annan... has left us but his legacy remains to keep working for peace, security and to strengthen the defence of human rights," Sanchez tweeted. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said he was saddened to hear the "His warmth should never be mistaken for weakness. Annan showed that one can be a great humanitarian and a strong leader at the same time," Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter. "The UN and the world have lost one of their giants." EU Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica said he was "profoundly saddened" by Annan's death. "He was such a great source of inspiration for all of us and will be greatly missed!" he tweeted. The Elders organisation -- a group of statesmen co-founded by Annan which speaks out on global issues -- hailed the former UN chief as "a voice of great authority and wisdom in public and private". "The world has lost an inspiring figure -- but one whose achievements will never be forgotten, and whose commitment to peace and justice will endure to inspire future generations," deputy chair Gro Harlem Brundtland said in a statement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Gujarat government today announced financial aid of Rs 10 crore for Kerala which has been ravaged by the worst floods in almost a century. According to the control room of the Kerala state disaster management authority, 194 people have been killed and 36 missing in the floods since August 8. Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps and a tweet from Pinarayi Vijayan, the southern state's chief minister, said that the loss from the floods, as per initial estimates, was Rs 19,512 crore. A Gujarat government press release issued today informed that chief minister Vijay Rupani had announced Rs 10 crore as financial assistance for Kerala. "Expressing sensitivity towards people affected by devastating floods in Kerala, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has announced Rs 10 crore financial assistance for the state from chief minister relief fund," the government said in a press release. "Government of Gujarat is with flood-affected people of Kerala and has announced Rs 10 crore financial assistance for the flood-hit state," Rupani tweeted. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accompanied by Governor P Sathasivam, CM Vijayan, Union Minister K J Alphons and officials conducted an aerial survey of the worst-hit Aluva-Thrissur regions of Kerala. Modi also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh per person to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two days of rainfall in Gujarat saw the Sardar Sarovar Dam as well as 203 other dams and reservoirs receiving 278 million cubic metre (MCM) of water each. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani directed the administration to release water from Sardar Sarovar Narmada canal network into Tappar Dam in the state's Kutch district which had not received adequate rainfall as yet, an official release informed today. "Sardar Sarovar dam has received 278 MCM water in the last two days. Other 203 dams and reservoirs in the state like Panam, Karjan, Kadana and south Gujarat's Ukai have received another 278 MCM water," the release said. Several districts in north and central Gujarat, including Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and Kheda, have received heavy rainfall. As per data provided by the state emergency operation centre, in the part 24 hours till morning today, Gandhinagar's Kalol received the maximum 111 mm rainfall followed by Sanand (Ahmedabad) at 110 mm, Sayla (Surendranagar) at 106 mm and Ahmedabad city at 104 mm. The state government also said that Rupani had asked the administration to continue supplying fodder for cattle at subsidised rates in regions, including Kutch, which had received less than 125 mm of rains. He also reviewed the preparedness of the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF), the state disaster management and control rooms, the release added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Haryana government has ordered special girdawari (revenue assessment) of kharif crops in 59 villages of Yamunanagar, Karnal and Faridabad, which were damaged due to incessant rains and floods. Crops sown in about 9,443 acres have been affected due to heavy rains and floods. While stating this here today, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Capt Abhimanyu said that orders have been issued after receiving reports in this regard from deputy commissioners concerned. The affected crops include paddy, bajra, cotton and other vegetables. The minister said that girdawari is being conducted on damaged crops in 26 villages of Yamunanagar. Crops sown in about 1,260 acres of these villages have been affected due to floods and heavy rains. He said that girdawari will be carried out in 15 villages of district Karnal. The heavy rains and floods have affected crops sown in about 7,342 acres, he added. Capt Abhimanyu said that orders have been issued to conduct girdawari in 18 villages of Faridabad. The minister said that as soon as girdawari report will be received, action would be initiated on it. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Imran Khan's party today said it has nominated party's veteran lawmaker Dr Arif Alvi as its candidate for the President of Pakistan. The Election Commission of Pakistan had announced on Thursday that the presidential election will be held on September 4 - five days before the expiry of the five-year term of President Mamnoon Hussain. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has "nominated Dr Arif Alvi as its candidate for President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan," party spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry tweeted today. The announcement came hours after party chief Imran Khan was sworn in as the 22nd prime minister of the country. A dentist by profession, 69-year-old Alvi is one of the founding members of PTI. He served as the party's secretary general from 2006 to 2013. He won the National Assembly elections from NA-247 (Karachi) during the July 25 polls. He was also elected member of the National Assembly in the 2013 general election. Pakistan's president is elected indirectly by the members of Parliament and the four provincial assemblies. The candidates can file nominations by August 27 and the final list of contesting candidates will be issued on August 30. The polling will be held in the buildings of the federal parliament and provincial assemblies. In Pakistan, the President is considered as a symbol of the federation and head of the state and exercises all powers on the recommendations of the prime minister. Hussain, elected in September 2013, was a nominee of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz led by jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. His parents migrated from Agra and settled in Karachi after partition. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Imran Khan has sought UK's help to combat the menace of money laundering during a conversation with his British counterpart Theresa May, Pakistani media reported, a day after he vowed to act against those who "looted" the country. Khan's request is significant as former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his close relatives are currently jailed in one corruption case and are facing more allegations of money laundering and graft. Hours after Imran Khan was elected the new prime minister of Pakistan yesterday, May called him to congratulate and offer her best wishes, Dawn newspaper reported. The British Prime Minister, during her telephonic conversation with Khan, said that her government is ready to further improve Britain's relations with Pakistan. "We are ready to open new avenues of partnership with Pakistan," May told Khan. "We will fully assist the new government." Khan, after thanking May for her call, said that he hopes to work with the British government to root out the menace of money laundering. "Money laundering is a severe problem for developing countries," he said. "To stop this we want to work with foreign governments, especially Britain's," Khan was quoted as saying. Prime Minister May agreed to Khan's desire of working together to eradicate the practice, the report said. In his inaugural address to the newly-elected Parliament, Khan said, "I promise my nation today that we will bring the tabdeeli (change) that this nation was starving for." "We have to hold strict accountability in this country; the people who looted this country, I promise that I will work against them," he vowed. "The money that was laundered, I will bring it back - the money that should have gone towards health, education, and water, went into people's pockets," Khan said. Sharif, 68, along with his daughter Maryam, 44 and his son-in-law Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar are already serving jail terms of 10-years, seven years and one year respectively in the 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 ownership of the four London flats by the Sharif family surfaced in the Panama Papers in April 2016, indicating that the posh properties were managed through offshore companies owned by Sharif's children. The Panama Papers cases were launched on September 8, 2016 following the Supreme Court verdict of July 28 that disqualified Sharif as prime minister and ordered the National Accountability Bureau to probe corruption cases against him. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A South African Indian-origin man has been charged with murder for allegedly shooting dead his cousin during a heated argument over a TV remote control, police said. The unemployed 47-year-old man from Pietermaritzburg in the KwaZulu-Natal province , who was not named because of a pending psychological evaluation, murdered his cousin Rooksana Cassim, 42, they said. Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Thulani Zwane confirmed that the man had been arrested and a firearm and ammunition had been seized. He has also been charged with attempting to murder his aunt, Maymoona Cassim, 80, who was shot in the leg during the incident. The family had apparently been involved in an argument over watching television, which the accused man said was against his Islamic religious beliefs. He wanted to force the rest of the family to subscribe to this belief as well, the reports said. A source close to the family was quoted as saying that the man was being confronted by Rooksana's father Mohamed, 82, about repeatedly hiding away the TV remote control to stop the others watching TV as well. He allegedly fired away at them, killing the cousin, who jumped in front of her father to avoid him being shot first. The unmarried deceased woman had spent her life looking after her aged parents, according to a neighbour. Rooksana's brother, Yusuf Cassim, said the suspect, who had several health problems, including epilepsy, had been living with the family for almost 15 years, but was not under any medical treatment for it. He called for the accused, who has been remanded in custody, to be subjected to serious psychiatric evaluation before his reappearance in court next week. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) IT major Infosys today said its Chief Financial Officer M D Ranganath has resigned from the company. Ranganath, who has worked with Infosys for about 18 years, is leaving the company to "pursue professional opportunities in new areas", it said in a statement. Ranganath will continue in his current position till November 16, 2018. The board will immediately commence the search for the next CFO, it added. "After a successful career spanning 18 years in Infosys including as CFO for the last 3 crucial years, I now plan to pursue professional opportunities in new areas," Ranganath said. He further said: "I am proud that over the last 3 years, during a critical phase of the company, we delivered strong and consistent financial outcomes, maintained high standards of financial reporting, built a world class finance team, further strengthened the company's competitive position and thereby enhanced value to the stakeholders." Ranganath had taken over the said role after the then CFO Rajiv Bansal had quit in 2015. "Over the last 18 years Ranga has played a pivotal role in the growth and success of Infosys. During his long stint in the company, I have seen him in a wide spectrum of leadership roles," Nandan Nilekani, Infosys board chairman, said. Ranganath has been a part of the Infosys Leadership team and has played several leadership roles in the areas of consulting, finance, strategy, risk management and M&A. He has worked closely with the board and its committees in formulating and executing strategic priorities for the company, the statement said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bolstered by the Army, Navy and Air force, the state government today intensified relief operations in Kodagu district, as six people were killed in rain-related incidents during the last 24 hours. Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy undertook an aerial survey of the district which has been experiencing heavy rain for the past three days. Deputy chief minister Parameshwara tweeted today six people have been killed in Kodagu due to floods and landslides during the last 24 hours. Government has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of each of the deceased, he said, adding that the government would take care of the treatment of the injured. Landslides were reported from some places in the district and authorities have stepped up efforts to rescue stranded people, officials said. "There is a severe situation for the past three days. Now the central and state rescue teams are working on a war footing," Kumaraswamy told reporters here. An M17 Air Force helicopter has been deployed to provide food packets to the marooned and to airlift them, the chief minister said. The government has deployed as many as 948 personnel from the army engineering task force, Dogra regiment, Indian Navy, national disaster response force, fire and emergency services, home guards and civil defence, Kumaraswamy said. In addition to this, 200 NCC cadets have also been deployed, he added. About 50 earthmovers have also been working round the clock to clear debris caused by the landslips. Boats are also being used in the rescue operations. "More than 2,500 people have been rescued.. in Jodupal village alone, 348 people have been rescued," he said. The state government has sanctioned Rs 100 crore for undertaking relief work in Kodagu district. A sum of Rs 200 crore was announced as grant-in-aid to the affected districts for relief work a few days ago. A committee, comprising senior administrative officers led by chief secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar, has been constituted tomonitor relief operations, Kumaraswamy said. "In Jodupal village, about 300 acres of land are lost in landslides. As many as 39 relief camps have been set up in the state, of which 30 are in Kodagu alone and the rest are in Dakshina Kannada district," he said. Revenue officers and doctors from Mysuru, Ramanagar, Mandya, Hassan and Chamarajnagar have been deployed in large numbers in Kodagu district. Government has supplied 2.5 lakh litres drinking water for Kodagu district and efforts are also on to restore power supply in rain-hit areas, he said. Kumaraswamy said he has directed officials to identify those who have lost their houses. "At least 800 houses have been completely damaged in Kodagu due to rain..I have directed district authorities to identify those who have lost their houses and prepare a list. Considering them as special cases, Rs 2 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh will be given as compensation to them," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cleveland State Community College will be offering a new class this fall, RIM 2000 History of the Recording Industry. This class will be offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-10:20 a.m. and as the title suggests, students will study the recording industry from its beginning in the late 19th century to the modern day. The class will be taught by Stephen Brannen who has his degree in Recording Industry Management from Middle Tennessee State University, where this class is designed to transfer. There is also a plan to offer other recording industry classes at CSCC in future semestersSurvey of the Recording Industry and Audio Fundamentals. All will be three-hour courses. Mr. Brannen said, I started teaching at Cleveland State in 2015, but even prior to that, the administration in the Humanities Department had been looking into the possibility of having some sort of recording technology, audio engineering or audio technology classes. They decided it would be good to provide a transfer pathway into MTSUs Recording Industry Program. Once I heard that, I took it and ran with it since that is what my degree is. I wanted to make sure we had some of the courses that have to be taken in the first two years to achieve what they call candidacy into the program. Im really excited that Cleveland State is offering this class. I dont think that there have been any other type of Tennessee Transfer Pathways going into this program like this one. The classes are going to be modeled almost exactly like MTSU. Im even going to use the same textbooks and give them the same as what they would have gotten if they had gone to MTSUit just made sense to offer these classes here, so that students will be able to take advantage of the Tennessee Promise. According to Mr. Brannen, students will now be able to take their core general education classes at CSCC, as well as these recommended individual classes that are necessary for candidacy into the MTSU program. Then, they can transfer to MTSU as a junior and focus on the recommended classes for the next two years. For more information on the History of the Recording Industry class, call 472-7141, ext. 230 or email Mr. Brannen at sbrannen@clevelandstatecc.edu. The last day to register for the fall semester is Thursday and classes begin Monday, Aug. 27. Ecologist Madhav Gadgil, who headed the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), claimed today that the floods and landslides in Kerala is also a man-made disaster as illegal constructions on river beds and unauthorised stone quarrying contributed to the calamity. The government-constituted WGEEP, in its 2011 report, had recommended that several areas in Kerala which come under the Western Ghats should be classified as ecologically sensitive. However, the state government had opposed the panel's recommendations. While the magnitude of rainfall witnessed in Kerala this season was not exactly unprecedented, the flooding seen this time was never experienced before, Gadgil told PTI here. "There are two components to it. One is the intense rainfall -- of a higher level than normal. One of my students has done a thesis on intense rainfall events in Kerala... He says certainly this year it's quite intense but not unprecedented," he said. "He (the student) hails from Kerala. The experience of his father and grandfather is that earlier there was occasionally intense rainfall but never this level of flooding or landslides," the 76-year-old ecologist said. The flooding has definitely brought to light existence of illegal stone quarries or large number of unauthorised constructions on river beds, he said, adding, "In this sense it is definitely a man-made calamity where intense rainfall and human intervention have made it a serious disaster." Gadgil, the founder of the Centre for Ecological Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, in his report on the Western Ghats in Kerala had recommended strict restrictions on mining and quarrying and on use of land for non-forest purposes. Asked if the Kerala government should implement the recommendations of the WGEEP, also known as Gadgil commission, he said all that is needed to be done is to follow the law. "Nobody has been able to point out any factual mistake in our report. The recommendations are entirely within constitutional provisions and various laws. Implementing the report means government stopping flouting our own laws and government stopping suppression of our own people," Gadgil said. "Forget our report. The government must begin to behave lawfully and then automatically it means our report is implemented," he said. According to the state authorities, 194 people have lost their lives and 36 are missing in Kerala since August 8 due to rains and landslides, while over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today extended a financial aid of Rs 10 crore to flood-ravaged Kerala. Kumar said that he was deeply distressed and saddened by the tragic loss of lives and large scale damage to properties caused by the incessant rains that have been lashing the southern state for the past few days. No one knows better than the people of Bihar about the miseries caused by natural calamities during flood. I am sending a small contribution of Rs 10 crore from Chief Ministers Relief Fund, Bihar, for relief and rehabilitation works in the flood affected areas, Kumar wrote in a letter addressed to his Kerala counterpart Pinnari Vijayan. I believe that under your able guidance and leadership, the people of Kerala would recover soon from the losses that they have suffered. I am confident the strength and resilience of the people of Kerala will carry the state through this catastrophe, Kumar added. In the rain-battered Kerala, a total of 194 people have lost their lives so far. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The historic Khalsa college here today inaugurated a 775 kilowatt solar energy plant on its campus in a bid to switch to green energy. Solar panels have been installed in all the colleges, schools and other buildings on the Khalsa college campus, including hostels and canteens, to minimize their dependence on thermal and hydro-based electricity, Khalsa College Governing Council (KCGC) President Satyajit Singh Majithia said. Majithia inaugurated the plant in the presence of Honourary Secretary R M S Chhina and Sanjeev Aggarwal, MD and CEO of Amplus, the company which has installed the project. Apart from Khalsa College Amritsar, solar panels have been installed in the Khalsa College for Women, Khalsa College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Khalsa College of Nursing, Khalsa College of Engineering and Technology, Khalsa College Public School and the Khalsa College Girls Senior Secondary School, the KCGC president said. Khalsa institutions are adopting clean energy as it is environment-friendly and the move will also help in cutting costs, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man put up over 300 banners and hoardings in a plush locality of Maharashtra's Pimpri Chinchwad area apparently to make up with his girlfriend after a tiff, but the antic has riled the local police. Residents of Pimple Saudagar area of Pimpri Chinchwad, near Pune, woke up on Friday to see several posters, carrying the line "(name of the girl), I am sorry" in bold print with a heart symbol beside it in red, dotting the area especially prominent traffic intersections. The act, however, is likely get Nilesh Khedekar, a 25-year-old local businessman, in trouble with Wakad police approaching the Pimpri Chinchwad civic body to initiate action as per rules dealing with illegal hoardings and defacement of public property. A Wakad police official said that investigations into the matter started soon after they were alerted to the hoardings yesterday. "We managed to zero in on his friend Vilas Shinde who had helped Khedekar get the flex hoardings printed. Through him, we traced Khedekar who is the brain behind this act," the official said. He informed that Khedekar wanted to apologise and make up with his girlfriend after a quarrel and, therefore, came up with this "creative" idea. "The girl was coming on Friday to the area from Mumbai. Under the cover of darkness in the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, over 300 hoardings were put up on the route which the girl was likely to take," the official said. The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation had been intimated about the issue, the official said, adding that it was up to the civic body now to initiate further action against Khedekar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Maharashtra government announced today an immediate financial assistance of Rs 20 crore for the flood-ravaged Kerala. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, through a post on Twitter, said his government is releasing Rs 20 crore as an immediate assistance for Kerala's flood-affected people. He said the state government is in constant touch with its Kerala counterpart for its requirements and necessary support since yesterday in the wake of devastating floods which have caused large-scale damage in the southern state. Fadnavis appealed to citizens and organisations to come forward and contribute in all possible ways to help the people of Kerala. He said the Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry (MCHI-CREDAI) is contributing food packets worth Rs 1.5 crore, while the Rajasthani Welfare Association and the Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO) are donating Rs 51 lakh each for the flood-hit population. Around 11 tonne of dry food is being arranged for the flood-affected people of Kerala, of which 6 tonne would be dispatched by this evening, the chief minister said. The government's announcement came after the Opposition NCP and the Congress urged Fadnavis to act as a "big brother" and perform "Raj dharma" by financially helping Kerala, coping with a massive natural disaster triggered by heavy rains and landslides. "Whenever any part of the country has been in danger, Maharashtra has been at the forefront of lending a helping hand. Today, millions of people of Kerala are at risk of losing their lives. "In their time of need, it is imperative that Maharashtra plays the role of a big brother and goes all out to help the state government in relief operations," NCP leader Dhananjay Munde said while speaking to reporters today. The Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council urged the Centre to declare Kerala flood a national disaster, asserting that millions of lives are in danger due to paucity of food, drinking water and shelter. Munde said the Centre's emergency aid of Rs 500 crore for Kerala was not sufficient. State Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said over 320 people have lost their lives in Kerala until now and added Maharashtra should lend a helping hand to the southern state in these difficult times. "This is the culture of Maharashtra. Even during Uttarakhand floods (in June 2013), Maharashtra had immediately declared financial assistance to the ravaged state," he tweeted. Maharashtra Minister Ravindra Chavan and BJP corporators from adjoining Kalyan Dombivli township have donated their one month's salary for relief efforts in Kerala. "Kerala is struggling with flood and fearful unhealthy conditions. They are awaiting our help. Myself and BJP (Kalyan -Dombivli municipal corporation) KDMC corporators donating our salary, many Dombivlikars contributing to Seva Bharati Keralam for #KeralaFloods #Donate4Kerala. Pls join the cause," Chavan tweeted. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with Kerala Governor P Sathasivam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Minister K J Alphons, today conducted an aerial survey of some of the areas affected by flood. The southern state is facing its worst flood in 100 years with 80 dams opened and all rivers in spate. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Malaysia's leader courted Chinese e-commerce investment in his country today, the start of his first trip to China since his stunning electoral victory three months ago. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's visit to the world's second-largest economy is being watched for signs on the fate of multibillion-dollar Beijing-backed projects he's said he wants to cancel. Today, Mahathir toured the campus of Chinese online shopping giant Alibaba Group in the eastern city of Hangzhou, met with the company's founder, Jack Ma, and told the company's executives that Malaysia wants to explore ways to collaborate further with Alibaba, according to Malaysian state agency Bernama. He also visited Geely, which owns Geely Auto, one of China's biggest independent automakers. It owns 49.9 per cent of Proton, a Malaysian automaker. Tomorrow he will visit a Chinese drone company and meet with Malaysian businesspeople in Beijing. Mahathir, a vocal critic of Beijing-backed investment in his country, has tested Malaysia's ties with China by suspending multibillion-dollar Chinese-backed infrastructure projects. He's expected to attempt to renegotiate the terms of the projects during his meetings with Chinese officials. He will hold talks with Chinese leaders including Premier Li Keqiang and President Xi Jinping on Monday. Days before heading to Beijing, Mahathir said Malaysia doesn't need a Chinese-backed USD 20 billion East Coast Rail Link and two energy pipelines worth USD 2.3 billion. The projects have been suspended pending renegotiation. Malaysia's new government has called for drastic cuts to the projects' ballooning cost, which it estimates at more than USD 22 billion. Some of that money has already been paid and could be difficult to recoup. China said Tuesday that Malaysia should handle any problems it has with the Chinese projects through talks. The foreign ministry in Beijing defended China's projects in Malaysia, saying such deals have brought tangible benefits to the two countries. "Any problems arising in the cooperation should be handled properly through friendly negotiation," the ministry said in a statement. The projects are part of Xi's Belt and Road initiative to build ports, railways and other trade-related infrastructure across Asia, often built by Chinese contractors and financed by loans from Chinese state banks. Belt and Road projects in Thailand, Sri Lanka and other countries have run into complaints they are too costly, give too little work to local companies or might facilitate embezzlement and other graft. (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 expressed her condolence over the death of former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan. "Today we mourn the passing away of Kofi Annan. He was an able diplomat who served as UN Secretary-General. His contribution to peace won him the Nobel Prize in 2001. My heartfelt condolences to his family and his admirers around the world," Banerjee tweeted. Kofi Annan, who served two terms as the UN secretary General from January 1, 1997, to December 31, 2006, died aged 80. His foundation announced his death in Switzerland today in a tweet saying that he died after a short unspecified illness. (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 expressed solidarity with the flood-affected people of Kerala. "Words alone are not enough. Yet I must tell all my brothers and sisters of Kerala that our thoughts and prayers are with each one of you...." the CM said on her official twitter handle. ""....Condolences to those families who have lost their loved ones. Strength to those who are fighting the #KeralaFloods," she further tweeted. As per information from the control room of the Kerala State Disaster Management, since August 8, 194 persons have lost their lives so far and 36 are missing. Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced today an immediate financial assistance of Rs 500 crore to the rain-battered Kerala, after reviewing the flood situation in the state. Modi also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh per person to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF), a Prime Minister's Office (PMO) statement said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man, who was absconding in a criminal case for the last five years after being booked under the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), was arrested today in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. Malkeet Singh, a resident of R S Pura area of Jammu, was arrested from Bari Brahmana area on the basis of specific inputs, a police spokesman said. He said Singh, who was evading arrest for the last five years after committing the crime, was produced in the court. Singh is facing charges under various sections of the RPC, including wrongful restraint, voluntarily causing hurt, theft after preparation made for causing death, destruction of evidence and rioting, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police in Balrampur district of Chhattisgarh have arrested a man for allegedly raping an 11-year-old girl. The alleged incident took place under Kusmi police station limits on the evening of August 14, a local police official said. As the girl was returning from school on bicycle, the accused, who is 20 years old, and his friend, a minor, allegedly intercepted her and took her to a hut in forest. While the accused allegedly raped her, his friend fled from the spot. The girl reached home next morning and told her parents about the incident. Police arrested the accused and apprehended his minor friend on August 16 after the FIR was registered under IPC section 376 (rape). The police, however, did not reveal the accused's name. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In his latest media outburst, Meghan Markle's father has attacked the British royal family for their secrecy and likened them to secret cults like Scientology. Thomas Markle, who has previously criticised the royals for cutting him out of his daughter's life since her marriage to Prince Harry earlier this year,said the royals are "cult-like" who may even have secret handshakes. Speaking to the Sun' newspaper from his home in Mexican town Rosarito, the 74-year-old former Hollywood lighting director said:They (the UK royal family) are either like Scientologists or the Stepford family. If they hear anybody say anything they just lock the doors. They need to speak up! They are cult-like like Scientology because they are secretive. "They close the door, pull the shades down and put their fingers in their ears so they don't have to hear. Maybe they have a secret handshake too! You cannot ask a question of them as they won't answer, he added. The Church of Scientology is controversial for its secretive practices and claims of brainwashing its members, which the church denies. Its famous celebrity followers include Tom Cruise, who has donated heavily to the Church set up by American author Ron Hubbard in 1952. The Stepford Wives' is a 1970s thriller novel by Ira Levin where men in American suburbia turn their spouses into brainwashed submissive robots. Markle, an Emmy Award winning lighting director, has been trying to persuade Meghan, 37, and her husband Prince Harry, 33, to contact him after three months of silence. They have not spoken since the day of the couple's wedding at Windsor Castle on May 19. Markle did not attend the wedding due to bad health and amid controversy over his media interactions. He dismissed some recent reports implying that he was after a payback. Merkle said: I worked hard to provide for my children. I am their father, I don't expect them to pay me back. He has been at the centre of media controversies ever since he was caught up in a staged-photography row days before the royal wedding. It resulted in him not attending the wedding to walk his daughter down the aisle, something he later said he cried over. MeghanMarkle, now Duchess of Sussex, has been busy with her royal duties alongside Prince Harry, the sixth in line to the British throne. Both Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace declined to comment on her father's latest outburst. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mexican marines seized a record 50 tons of crystal meth from a drug lab in the state of Sinaloa, authorities said. The military said it detected the lab in the town of Alcoyonqui, near the state capital Culiacan, and raided it on Thursday. "A clandestine narco-lab and two underground store rooms were secured and dismantled, with approximately 50 tons of processed crystal meth in solid and liquid form," the marines said in a statement. Sinaloa is home to the drug cartel of the same name, formerly run by drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman until his extradition to the United States in January 2017. Local media reports said the lab was on territory controlled by the Sinaloa cartel. The Mexican government deployed the army to fight the country's powerful drug cartels in 2006. The strategy has led to numerous high-profile kingpin arrests and drug seizures. But it has also been accompanied by a wave of violence that has left more than 200,000 murders in its wake. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee has said Jadavpur University authorities should ponder whether changing the marks of candidates in the new merit list of History will enhance the prestige of the premier institution. When asked about 15 new names having figured among the 70 candidates on the revised merit list for under graduate (UG) course brought out by the university, Chatterjee told reporters yesterday, "Yes there has also been instance of someone getting 0 in the previous merit list, and now having secured 90 in the revised list." "The authorities of JU should ponder whether such instances will enhance the prestige of the institution," he said. Chatterjee added, "That is why I had always been maintaining that there should be uniformity in the admission procedure in all streams in JU." Registrar Chiranjib Bhattacharya said, "After getting complaints from some guardians after publication of provisional merit list in History admission, the JU authorities decided to conduct a review of answer scripts of all the 344 students who took the history admission test. "The revised merit list was compiled after scripts were reviewed by external examiners. Fifteen names, omitted from the first provisional list, are on higher ranking in a second waiting list," the registrar said. Bhattacharya also said in a humanities subject like History, there can be differences in evaluation process between Plus two Board exams and the JU entrance. Based on the new merit list the admission to history will take place on August 21-22. The Arts Faculty Students Union had resorted to 9-hour sit-in outside JU VC's office on August 8 when the authorities decided to hold back publication of history results and review the answer sheets. The sit-in was lifted after the resignation of Dean of Arts from admission panel. AFSU leader Somasree Chowdhury said that the comments of the minister "showed he wanted to interfere" in the functioning of the university. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An 11-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped and killed after being kidnapped from her house in Uttarkashi district, police said today. The accused barged into the girl's house in Bhakda village of the district yesterday after cutting off the power lines and kidnapped her while she was asleep with her parents, Uttarkashi Superintendent of Police Dadan Pal said They took her to a location away from her home and took turns to rape her, he said. After committing the crime, they allegedly killed her and dumped her body on a bridge near the village, the SP said. Four suspects, who worked as labourers in the area, have been arrested in connection with the incident which has sparked tension in the village, he said. District Magistrate Ashish Chauhan and SP Dadan Pal reached the spot to pacify locals who are protesting against the alleged failure of the administration to provide safety to the residents of the area. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress today decided to launch a month-long, countrywide agitation to expose the Modi government on its alleged corruption and scams including the Rafale fighter jet deal in which it has demanded an investigation by a joint parliamentary committee (JPC). The agitational plan was finalised at a meeting of top Congress leaders including party general secretaries and in-charges of various states and state unit chiefs, chaired by party president Rahul Gandhi. "It was decided that corruption, scams of the Modi government particularly the Rafale scam will be taken to people of India. In the next 30 days, Congress workers will do district and state level demonstrations. We will ensure a fair probe, independent probe, a JPC is constituted immediately. We will not be deterred and pushed back," party's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told reporters here. The party, he said, discussed the Rafale deal in details and claimed that the scam has cost the exchequer Rs 41,000 crore. He said a company belonging to the friend of the Prime Minister has been given a contract worth Rs 30,000 crore under the deal after snatching it away from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. He said the party also demanded that Kerala floods be declared as a "national calamity" and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to play in such matters. He claimed that while the central government has only provided Rs 100 crore relief to the state government, there has been a huge loss of life and damage to properties to the extent of Rs 2,000-3,000 crore due to the floods. "We believe Modiji should stop discriminating in the matters of flood relief between BJP and non-BJP governments. Only mere Rs 100 crore has bene given to Kerala while there is devastation. "It's time the PM rises above political partisan game and come forward as a nation to help the people of Kerala and Karnataka and declare Kerala floods as a national calamity," he said. He said the Congress governments in different states are contributing to the relief funds while all party MPs, MLAs, MLCs will donate one-month's salary for relief measures. The Punjab government and the JDS-Congress Karnataka government have sent Rs 10 crore each, while the Puducherry government has contributed Rs one crore, he said. The deadliest deluge in Kerala in close to a century has claimed 194 lives since August 8. Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) North Korean state media blamed Donald Trump's political opponents for the "deadlock" over denuclearisation today, urging the US President to act boldly to make progress on the thorny issue. Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong Un held a groundbreaking summit in Singapore in June, which the US leader touted as a historic breakthrough. At the meeting the pair struck a vague agreement to denuclearise the Korean peninsula, but there has been little movement since. Meanwhile the North has criticised Washington for its "gangster-like" and "unilateral" demands for the complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantling of Pyongyang's atomic arsenal. On Saturday Rodong Sinmun, the North's most prominent daily, praised Trump for seeking to improve US-North Korea ties and achieve world peace, which it said would be the "feat of the century". "However, he faces too many opponents," it said in a signed commentary. The newspaper said Democrats and even some Republicans are hampering Trump's efforts for their own partisan interests while media hostile to Trump are undermining his policies. It accused bureaucrats and Trump's aides of "speaking and moving in contradiction to the president's will" and "distorting facts and covering up his eyes and ears in order to mislead him to a wrong decision". North Korea has demanded that America agree to declare an end to the 1950-53 Korean War, accusing the US of failing to reciprocate a series of its "goodwill measures". These include ending its nuclear and missile testing, the destruction of a nuclear testing site and handing over the remains of US troops killed in the Korean War. When Kim met South Korean President Moon Jae-in in April for their first summit, they agreed to push for a declaration of an end to the Korean War this year. But US officials insist denuclearisation of the North should be realised before such an event takes place. Trump's political opponents are "raising their voice, dismissing the Singapore joint statement and boycotting a declaration of an end to the war", Rodong Sinmun said. "The current deadlock in the DPRK-US relations requires President Trump's bold decision," it added. It also urged Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to brush aside speculation from opponents over the North's intentions. Pompeo, who is preparing for his fourth visit to the North, said Thursday his team was "continuing to make progress" with the North, expressing hope that "we can make a big step here before too long". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Namibian President Hage Geingob, who is hosting a summit of southern African leaders, today strongly rejected criticism of Africa by the West saying there was undue pressure on the continent. "People have an attitude about Africa," Geingob said in an interview with the French radio network RFI. "Things that they want Africans to do... they don't demand from other places," the president said. "In the United States, there are only two parties there, the same philosophy: how come in America there are no communists, no socialists?" Geingob also commented on the Comoros government crackdown that followed a controversial referendum, boycotted by the opposition, which allowed President Azali Assoumani to run for another term. "We would like to assess how he (Assoumani) wants to go about it. And those of us who have had a little bit of peaceful transitions and peaceful elections, will say 'my brother don't you think we should do it this way. Let us not please the West, but to please our own people," said Geingob. The Comoros is expected to formally join the Southern African Development Community (SADC) at the two-day summit which ends today. Geingob, who early this year denied corruption accusations stemming from a French anti-graft probe centred on the purchase of Canadian mining company Uramin by French nuclear giant AREVA, said he would never testify in a foreign court for the case. French investigators are believed to be pursuing allegedly illicit monthly transfers of USD 10,000 (8,750 euros) to Geingob made between 2008 and 2009. "If I committed a crime, it will be (heard) in my courts, nobody else's courts," he said. "I'm never going to testify in a foreign institution. I have my own institutions here. That's why I even oppose the ICC (International Criminal Court) because I say we must have our own institutions." He admitted that a consulting firm he operated while he was not in government had helped Uramin obtain a licence and was paid for that service. "They paid me. I declared that. It ends there," he said. Geingob, 77, was prime minister of Namibia between 1990-2002 and 2012-2015 before becoming president in 2015. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The has evacuated over 10,000 people from the heavy rains and flood waters affected areas of Kerala till now as it said it has launched its biggest-ever relief and rescue operation in the country to date. The deadliest deluge in Kerala in close to a century has claimed 194 lives since August 8. A total of 58 teams of the force have been deputed to work in Kerala out of which 55 are working on the ground. Three teams are on their way, a spokesperson for the Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said. "The force has intensified its rescue and relief operations in the flood-ravaged state of Kerala. "This is the highest ever deployment of in a single state since its raising (in 2006) and hence this becomes this becomes our biggest-ever disaster response operation till date," he said. Each team of the federal disaster contingency force has about 35-40 personnel. He said the teams, till now, have rescued 194 persons and 12 animals while it has evacuated a total of 10,467 persons. "Pre-hospital treatment has been administered to 159 people till now. Operations are still on," the spokesperson said. The teams are operational at present in Thrissur (15), Pathanamthitta (13), Alappuzha (11), Ernakulum (5), Idukki (4), Mallapuram (3), Wayanad and Kozhikode (2 each). ALSO READ: Kerala flood victims can share location via Google Maps plus codes offline The spokesperson said that a control room based here was monitoring the situation round-the-clock and was in close touch with other agencies and stakeholders involved to provide succour to the affected people. According to information from the control room of the State Disaster Management, since August 8, 194 people have lost their lives and 36 are missing. Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. Netflix has axed popular talk shows of hosts Michelle Wolf and Joel McHale. Wolf's show "The Break with Michelle Wolf" debuted on the streaming giant's platform on May 27 and had aired 10 episodes till now. The show had been generating a decent amount of buzz for its equally silly and provocative segments on the week's biggest topics. "The Joel McHale Show" was launched in February with 13 weekly installments. The of its cancellation comes as a surprise as Netflix had ordered six additional episodes last month. A source told Deadline that 'neither show drew enough viewership to secure a renewal.' Wolf, 33, and McHale, 46, earned a name for themselves after they co-hosted "The Daily Show" and "The Soup", respectively. The streaming giant, however, will continue to produce their other talk shows --"Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee" with Jerry Seinfeld and "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction" with David Letterman. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Nigerian national and his Indian girlfriend have been arrested for allegedly duping people on the pretext of providing them jobs abroad, police said today. Imasaun Henry Omorogby and his girlfriend Sheela Dey have been running a scam using fake bank accounts and data from various websites to lure people on the pretext of providing them employment, they said. According to the police, their modus operandi was to send emails to job seekers regarding employment opportunities outside India. Once they gained the confidence of the victims with attractive job offers, the duo would ask the victims for money on the pretext of visa processing, work permit application, immigration and travel expenses. The job seekers would deposit money in the account number provided by the duo and then they would vanish with the money, the police said. Based on a complaint filed by a resident of Dwarka, a special team was constituted and the two were arrested, the police added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Undeterred by a flooded Moyar river, a 24-year old bride from a hilly hamlet on the slopes of the Nilgiris has undertaken a daunting ride on a coracle to reach the venue of her marriage. A resident of Thengumarahada village, on the fringes of the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve in the Nilgiris District, the woman, Rasathi, undertook a coracle ride alongwith her family members braving the flooded river, a tributary of Bhavani, district officials said. Since coracle rides are banned in view of the floods, they obtained special permission of forest authorities in view of their urgency. Rasathi's wedding is scheduled on August 20, and she alongwith several of her family decided to undertake the ride in two coracles yesterday to reach the venue of her marriage. After crossing the river, she reached the venue of her marriage. As there is no bridge to cross the river, the marriage party said they had to undertake the coracle ride. They urged the government to build a bridge. Commenting on the risky commute, Revenue Minister R B Udhaya Kumar advised against it saying it is risky and appealed to people to avoid visiting swollen river banks too. By using tom-tom and loudspeakers, people are being advised to take precaution and avoid rivers in spate and swollen banks, he told reporters in Chennai. The hilly village's main access is through Bhavanisagar in this district. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today condoled the death of former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, describing him as "a great African diplomat and a humanistic personality". In his condolence message, Kumar called Annan "a strong votary of international peace and security" and prayed for succour to his near and dear ones and his supporters. Kofi Annan, who served two terms as UN secretary General from January 1, 1997, to December 31, 2006, died at the age of 80 in Switzerland. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In the wake of a distress call by some Odia people in flood-hit Kerala, the Odisha government has requested the southern state to provide assistance to 130 labourers from the state in Odapally, official sources said. The Odisha government's request followed an alert from one Anil Sethi who informed that about 130 labourers from Odisha, who have taken shelter in a house at Aluva Munnar Road, Odapally, near Asha Munnar Post Office, were not able to get food and drinking water. "I would, therefore, request you to kindly make necessary arrangement for providing support in terms of food, drinking water and other necessities to the flood affected people from Odisha." the state's Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) B P Sethi said in a letter to P H Kurian, Additional Chief Secretary, Disaster Management, Kerala, yesterday. The Odisha government also set up helplines in the special relief commissioner's office here to help the people in distress. Any person from Odisha who has been affected may call up through the helpline numbers 1070 (toll free) and 0674-2534177, an official release said. When contacted over phone, Anil Sethi told PTI, "we are virtually starving and even not in possession of a drop of water to drink. Therefore, we appeal both the governments of Odisha and Kerala to make arrangement for our survival." The Odisha government has already announced a financial assistance of Rs five crore for flood-ravaged Kerala. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also talked to his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan over phone about the situation. Patnaik also offered other kind of support required to tackle the calamity, as Odisha has expertise in dealing with disasters like flood and cyclone. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Over 1.28 lakh Indian pilgrims have reached Saudi Arabia to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage, officials said. A total of 1,28,702 Indian pilgrims are facilitated by the government to undertake the pilgrimage through the Hajj Committee this year. As many as 466 flights have brought the Indian pilgrims to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage and the last flight landed Friday morning, according to the Indian consulate in Jeddah. A record 1,75,025 Muslims from India are going to Hajj this year. More than 47 per cent of the total number of pilgrims going for Hajj this year are women, which is the highest ever representation of women in Hajj from India. Till last year, it was mandatory for a Muslim woman to be accompanied by her husband or a mehram (a person with whom marriage is unlawful) for pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. For the first time this year, Indian women will be going on Haj without the company of a male relative. This is the first year when Hajj pilgrimage is taking place without being provided any subsidy. The pilgrimage represents one of the five pillars of Islam and is required of all able-bodied Muslims once in their life. Over 1.6 million Muslim faithful from abroad have arrived in Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage. Since arriving, many have circled the Kaaba in Mecca Islam's holiest site. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Britain's world-famous University of Oxford is planning to set up a new college after a gap of nearly 30 years as part of his five-year growth strategy, according to a media report. The university's five-year draft strategic plan contains proposals to build 1,000 graduate rooms and at least one new graduate college, The Daily Telegraph reported. This would be the first new college since 1990, when the graduate-only Kellogg College was established. The plan to open the new college, which have been backed by the university's governing body, must now win the approval of the Oxford's dons and academics, the report said. Under the draft strategic plan, the intake of post-graduate students would increase by 850 a year by 2023, while undergraduates would increase by 200 a year, it said. "Oxford doesn't compare itself to other institutions in the UK, it compares itself to other institutions around the world such as Ivy League which have more graduates than undergraduates, said Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Policy Institute. The strategic plan also sets out a desire to set ambitious targets to reduce by 2023 gaps in attainment by gender, ethnic origin and socio-economic background. It also wants to substantially increase the number of undergraduate places offered to students from groups who are currently under-represented. A spokesperson for Oxford University said the plans are under consultation. "The university will comment more fully when its plan has been widely reviewed and formally adopted," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri sector with unprovoked shelling this evening, although there was no loss of life, police said. "Some mortar shells were fired by Pakistani forces on the Thajal-Chranda area of Uri (in north Kashmir's Baramulla district)," Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Baramulla, Imtiyaz Hussain said. One of the shells hit a washroom adjacent to a house in Thajal and damaged it, he said. No loss of life has been reported, the SSP added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced today an immediate financial assistance of Rs 500 crore to the rain-battered Kerala, after reviewing the flood situation in the state. Modi also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh per person to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF), a Prime Minister's Office (PMO) statement said. "The prime minister announced a financial assistance of Rs 500 crore to the state. This is in addition to Rs 100 crore announced by Home Minister Rajnath Singh on August 12," it said. After a high-level review meeting in Kochi, the prime minister made an aerial assessment of the damage caused due to floods in some of the affected areas of the southern state. He was accompanied by Governor P Sathasivam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Ninister K J Alphons and officials during the aerial survey in the worst-hit Aluva-Thrissur regions. Expressing grief over the unfortunate deaths and damage caused to property due to floods, the prime minister observed that rescue of people who are still marooned remains the topmost priority. Vijayan later tweeted that the prime minister has sanctioned Rs 500 crore as immediate relief. "As per the initial estimate, the state has suffered a loss of Rs 19,512 crore. The actual loss can be ascertained after the water recedes in the affected areas. The state has sought an immediate assistance of Rs 2,000 crore," he said. Modi, who reached the state capital last night, proceeded to Kochi in the morning and reviewed the flood situation during a meeting with Vijayan and the state government officials. The prime minister's visit comes a week after Home Minister Rajnath Singh visited the state and conducted an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas. Modi also assured the state government that relief materials, including food grains and medicines, would be provided, as requested. Insurance companies have been asked to hold special camps for assessment and timely release of compensation to the affected families and beneficiaries under social security schemes and directions have been issued for early clearance of claims under the Fasal Bima Yojana to agriculturists. The prime minister also directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to repair the main national highways damaged due to the floods on a priority basis. The central public sector undertaking like the NTPC and the PGCIL have been asked to render all possible assistance to the state government in restoring power lines. Villagers, whose 'kutcha' houses have been destroyed in the devastating floods, would be provided the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin homes on a priority basis. Under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee scheme 5.5 crore person days have been sanctioned in the labour budget 2018-19. Any further request for incurring the person days would be considered as per the requirement projected by the state. Under the Mission for the Integrated Development of Horticulture, farmers would be provided assistance for replantation of damaged horticulture crops. The prime minister also complimented the state government for the efforts made in meeting the challenges of the unprecedented situation, the PMO statement added. Meanwhile, rains lashing several parts of the state since this morning is causing concern as it could hamper the rescue and relief operations. As per information from the control room of the State Disaster Management, since August 8, 194 persons have lost their lives so far and 36 are missing. Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed today the flood situation in rain-battered Kerala at a high-level meeting in Kochi. Earlier, there were reports that the prime minister's helicopter could not take-off for an aerial survey of flood affected areas due to bad weather. But, there was no official confirmation from the state and the Union government. "The prime minister is reviewing the flood situation in Kerala at a high-level meeting. @CMOKerala," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) tweeted. Modi, after an overnight stay in the state capital, left for Kochi this morning for the aerial survey and the review meeting to get a first-hand knowledge of the enormity of the mayhem caused by the southwest monsoon. Meanwhile, rains lashing several parts of the state since this morning is causing concern as it could hamper the rescue and relief operations. Chengannur in Pathnamthitta, Chalakudy in Thrissur and various parts of Ernakulam district are among the worst hit where rescue efforts are likely to be concentrated today. Since airlifting is the only option in some remote areas, where people are marooned since the past four days, the state government has sought more helicopters for airlifting them, chief minister said. Chengannur MLA Saji Cherian pleaded for more help and said thousands of people were stranded in houses without food and water, if immediate steps are not taken to evacuate them, their life will be in danger. "For the past five days people are without food in many places. We urgently need food, medicines, water. People need to be airlifted urgently. Evacuation by Army, Navy and Air Force are urgently needed," Cherian told a television channel this morning. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ramesh Chennithala said the government machinery has to be properly coordinated to ensure all the needy get help. As per information from the control room of the State Disaster Management, since August 8, 194 persons have lost their lives so far and 36 are missing. Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. The maximum deaths have been reported from Thrissur (42), Idukki (37) and Malappuram (35). According to the latest weather report, heavy rains accompanied with gusty wind speed reaching 60 kmph is expected in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki and Ernakulam districts. The state is facing its worst flood in 100 years with 80 dams opened and all rivers in spate. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief is set to become the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly as 111 lawmakers have nominated him for the slot, a media report said on Saturday. The leader of the opposition will be notified on Monday. National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser told the house on Friday that he had received 66-year Sharif's nomination as the opposition leader signed by 111 members from the opposition benches, Dawn reported. The PML-N's strength in the house is 82 followed by the Mutahidda Majlis-i-Amal (15) and the Awami National Party (one). The collective number of the three opposition parties is 98 and the support of 111 lawmakers to Sharif indicated that some Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) members also supported his candidature for the slot of the leader of the opposition, the paper added. The had abstained from voting for Sharif for the post of prime minister on Friday. The has a total of 43 lawmakers. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan defeated Sharif in a one-sided election in the National Assembly to become the 22nd prime minister of Pakistan. Khan secured 176 votes while his only rival Sharif got 96 votes. Sharif, the younger brother of jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, served as the chief minister of the politically crucial Punjab province from 2013 to 2018. He became president after his elder brother was barred from holding the top party position and public posts. The principal of a missionary school in Assam's Morigoan district was arrested on charges of dishonouring the national flag, police said today. According to district's Deputy Superintendent of Police Mrinmoy Goswami, Father James Xavier was arrested yesterday after locals complained that he did not hoist the national flag in his school on Independence Day and also defied a government order to fly it half mast from August 16 for seven days as a mark of respect to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Father Xavier was released on bail by a local court today, the DSP added. Locals had lodged the complaint at Morigaon police station yesterday against Xavier, who is the principal of Saint Eugene School which is located about eight km from the district headquarter town. A case was filed under Section 2 of the Prevention of Insult to National Honour (Amendment) Act 2005 and the principal was arrested as all educational institutions have to hoist the flag on Independence Day, Goswami said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian President Vladimir Putin today sent a message of condolences to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres following the death of the former head of the world body Kofi Annan. "I sincerely admired his wisdom and courage, his ability to make informed decisions even in the most complex, critical situations. His memory will live forever in the hearts of Russians," Putin said, according to a Kremlin statement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said that his ministry was doing everything to help people stranded in flood-hit Kerala. According to state disaster management authority , 194 people have lost their lives and 36 are missing in Kerala since August 8 due to rains and landslides, while over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. "We are concerned about the well being of people affected by Kerala floods & the Central government is committed to providing all possible help. "Railways will now provide free transportation of relief material for Kerala through various State Govt. agencies, PSUs and other Government agencies," Goyal tweeted. While rakes of 14 trains with drinking water is being sent from Pune, 15 rakes of mail will set off from Gujarat's Ratlam. According to a statement by railways yesterday, a special train with seven open wagons (BRN) containing tanks carrying 2.8 lakh litre of drinking water was dispatched from Erode station in Tamil Nadu on Friday. The Railways has made arrangements for the emergency movement of drinking water by this train to Kerala. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 27-member team of the Rajasthan State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) left for Kerala today with 12 boats from a special aircraft of the Indian Air Force to provide relief and assistance to those affected by the floods. As many as 194 people have lost their lives and 36 are missing in Kerala since August 8 due to rains and landslides, while over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps "We are in touch with the Additional Director General of Police, Police Headquarters of Kerala. The team will be pressed into services on his instructions. The team is in a position to go to the immediate relief and assistance,"Additional Director General of SDRF B L Soni said. Soni said the necessary equipment and materials have also been sent to provide immediate assistance to flood affected people. He said the special aircraft of the Indian Air Force left with 8 boats and 15 jawans from Jaipur and 4 boats and 12 jawans from Jodhpur to Kerala. The team will help the flood victims in coordination with the local authority, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A two-year-old Royal Bengal tigress from Madhya Pradesh was released into wild in Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary in Odisha's Angul district, a top Forest official said today. Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) Sandeep Tripathy said the tigress was released yesterday in the wildlife sanctuary. The tigress was was brought to Satkosia from Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh on June 28 and was kept under observation in a special enclosure at Satkosia Tiger Reserve. Earlier, a three-year-old Royal Bengal Tiger was relocated from Madhya Pradeshs Kanha National Park and released in the Satkosia Tiger Reserve on July 7. "An expert team of Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has been monitoring movement of the big cats round-the-clock in the forest," Tripathy said. The two RBTs, one male and another female, were translocated as a part of inter-state re-introduction of tigers, as per the the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) guidelines. The Odisha government has planned to bring six tigers from Madhya Pradesh and release them into the Satakosia tiger reserve to increase the big cat population. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) More than 20 lorries carrying relief materials worth Rs two crore from all districts in the state was today flagged off to flood-ravaged Kerala. With the Chief Minister announcing Rs five crore financial assistance to the Kerala Chief Minister's Distress fund again, the relief materials collected from all the districts in the states were despatched, Local Administration Minister, S P Velumani, who flagged off the vehicles here said. Items like rice, Dal, edible oil, sugar, salt, bread and biscuits and cooking materials, clothings, medicines collected from NGOs and other social organisataions were sent to the Waynad, Malappuram, Thrissur, Palakkad, Calicut and Ernakulam, he noted. Relief materials are being sent from 10 districts including Namakkal, Tirupur, Dindigul, Dharmapuri, and Madurai, the Minister said. Medical camps are functioning at places bordering Tamil Nadu and Kerala for the benefit of those arriving there, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tamil Nadu Local Administration minister S P Velumani today handed over a solatium of Rs 6 lakh each to the families of six people, who were killed after a car mowed them down near a bus-stand here on August one. The minister also handed over a cheque of Rs 50,000 each to three people, who were injured in the incident, from the Chief Minister's Accident Relief Fund, official sources said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A satellite mobile phone was seized from a 35-year-old Italian national during security check at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, a police official said today. CISF personnel detected the satellite phone in the hand baggage of a passenger identified as Luca De Giorgi at the security hold area of Terminal-3 (T3) of the airport, he said. The passenger was supposed to travel to Amsterdam, the official said, adding that he was later offloaded and handed over to the Delhi Police. The seized satellite mobile phone will be presented in the court and further legal action will be taken, the official added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mansour al-Amer swipes a card to reveal a narrow sleep pod, reminiscent of Japan's famed capsule hotels. But this pod is in Saudi Arabia, where the Muslim hajj pilgrimage begins tomorrow. The kingdom has plans to introduce capsule rooms in the western city of Mina in the coming days, as an estimated two million Muslim faithful gather for the six-day hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam. The free nap pods are part of new measures Saudi Arabia is rolling out this year in a bid to modernise the centuries-old practice of hajj. The government has also introduced apps for on-the-spot translation and emergency medical care. Amer is the head of a Saudi charity, the Haji and Mutamer Gift Charitable Association, which is offering between 18 and 24 capsule for pilgrims to nap in for free in the coming days. Each fibreglass pod -- less than three metres long and just over one metre high -- features a mattress, clean sheets, air conditioning and a large, well-lit mirror. The pods can be lined up horizontally or stacked vertically to save on space. "We are always thinking about pilgrims and how to make them more comfortable during the rituals of hajj," Amer told AFP. The nap pods provide a solution for pilgrims of limited means who cannot afford to book hotels on site but need a quick rest during hajj. Each napper will have three hours of access to the pods, which are imported from Japan at cost of around $1,114 (1,000 euros) each. When the pilgrim wakes for prayer time -- five times daily in Islam -- workers will sterilise the pod before handing it over to the next pilgrim. "The idea already exists globally, in Japan for example, and in several cities across the world," Amer said. "We believe it's extremely well-suited for crowded places in our holy sites and in Mecca." But for hajj, which takes pilgrims across Mecca and Mina -- two cities in western Saudi Arabia home to the holiest sites of Islam -- the pods were also inspired by the rising popularity of car- and bike-sharing. "The capsules work through a share economy, like bicycles that you can rent for an hour and then leave for someone else," said Amer. A trial run of 12 pods earlier this year was, he said, a success. Amer estimates 60 people used each pod every day during the holy fasting month of Ramadan. The hajj presents the Saudi authorities with major logistical challenges, as Islam is currently the world's fastest-growing religion, according to the Pew research centre. Providing accommodation for two million pilgrims is no small feat, with travellers staying in everything from five-star hotels to tents pitched in empty lots. Saudi authorities are pushing a "smart hajj" initiative to meet with the growing demands of hajj, which coincide with the kingdom's unprecedented modernisation drive. Saudi Arabia, one of the world's most restrictive countries, this year lifted a ban on women driving and has seen a string of reform initiatives spearheaded by the powerful young Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. But the kingdom has also tightened its grip on dissent, with around a dozen women's rights campaigners arrested in recent weeks. Some have been released. Every Muslim is required to complete the hajj at least once in their lifetime if they have the means to do so. The annual pilgrimage sees the Muslim faithful gather in Mecca, all clad in white, to perform rituals around the black Kaaba cube. The hajj also features a symbolic stoning of the devil ceremony, marking the start of Eid al-Adha, a three-day feast. Eid al-Adha includes the slaughter of sheep, with the meat distributed to Muslims in need. The ritual symbolises Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son, Ishmael, on the order of God. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) joined and by launching a scheme on Saturday that empowers institution heads for issuing learner's driving licence to students On a trial basis, to students of four colleges and institutes were issued in the city on Saturday. The scheme will be expanded to other academic centres after a successful run at the four institutions - GB Pant Institute of Technology, ITI Pusa, Acharya Narendra Dev College, and Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, a Transport department official said. "It is a historic achievement for Only and have done it so far," said the official. Two students each at Acharya Narendra Dev College and ITI Pusa took the learner's test and passed on an inaugural day. There were also 5-6 other applicants but their documents were not complete. The tests at GB Pant and Shaheed Sukhdev will be conducted next week as admission process is on there, the official said. The principals and directors of the concerned institutions have been empowered as licensing authorities as per Motor Vehicle Act provision, through a Transport department notification on August 13. Earlier this month, Delhi Transport department had announced to start the scheme, claiming over two lakh students of 18 years and above age will be benefitted by the move. "Young and studying in Delhi? You can soon get your Learner's Driving Licence from your college itself. Delhi govt empowers Directors and Principals of Colleges, Polytechnics and ITIs to issue Learner's Licence. Over 200,000 students will benefit each year," Gahlot had tweeted. The scheme will gradually cover all state universities and institutions, colleges as well as polytechnic and ITIs of the Delhi government, the official said. A Station House Officer (SHO) was injured when some people fired at a police team in Bihar's Bhojpur district, a senior police officer said today. Superintendent of Police, Awakash Kumar said a man was shot dead at Bajeriyan village yesterday evening. When a police team was leaving the place with the body, some people fired at the team to protest the taking away of the body, in which the SHO Sanjay Kumar received bullet injury in his hand. The police team also returned the fire, the SP said. Around 15 people were today arrested in connection with yesterday's firing, Kumar said. The situation in the village is tense but under control, he said, adding additional police forces have been deployed at the village where senior officials are camping. The son of a village homeguard was shot dead by a man identified as Bahadur yesterday evening. The angry villagers attacked the house of Bahadur and set his bicycle, tractor on fire, Kumar said. A police team went to the village and was about the leave the place with the body when some villagers fired at the cops to prevent them from taking the body, the SP said. The injured SHO was admitted to Ara Sadar hospital from where he was shifted to a private hospital, the SP added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Singapore's foreign minister has condoled the death of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and said the former Indian prime minister will always be remembered as a good friend of the country. Vajpayee, one of India's most charismatic leaders and inspirational orators, died on August 16 at the age of 93 in New Delhi. "Vajpayee was a selfless and visionary leader who made great contribution India, transforming the economy and elevating the standing in the region and the world," Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan wrote in the condolence book at the Indian High Commission here. "He oversaw strong growth in the relation between our two countries (Singapore and India) and will always be remembered as a good friend of Singapore," Balakrishnan wrote. The Indian-origin Singaporean minister expressed deepest condolences to the Government and people of India on Vajpayee's death. "Our thoughts are with the people of India in this time of sorrow," Balakrishnan wrote. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today urged External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to take up with the US government the issue of repeated hate crimes against Sikhs in that country. He also appealed to Sikh institutions in the US to launch an awareness campaign about Sikh faith and beliefs to counter hate attacks. In a statement here, the SAD president said the murder of Terlok Singh in New Jersey was the third hate crime against Sikhs in the United States in the last three weeks. "This has set alarm bells ringing amongst Sikhs in the US and urgent steps need to be taken to address their deep sense of anguish. I urge Ms Swaraj to take up this issue at the highest level so that the life and property of Sikhs in the US is safeguarded," he added. The SAD president said the murder of Terlok Singh followed the July 31 attack on Surjit Malhi in California and the attack on 71-year-old Sahib Singh, also in California on August 6. He said these attacks proved that the US society was still not sufficiently aware about the Sikh faith and that steps needed be taken to address this. He said while Swaraj could request Indian Consulates in the US to spread awareness on this front, he would also urge the SGPC and Sikhs institutions worldwide to launch an appropriate campaign. He said the Sikh community in the US should also be associated with this campaign so that it could address their concerns as well as sensitize the US society about Sikh religion and culture. He also conveyed his condolences to the family of Terlok Singh, who was stabbed to death in his store in New Jersey. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a bid to end infighting, the AAP's Punjab unit's has initiated talks with the dissident group of legislators led by Sukhpal Khaira. AAP Dirba MLA and Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly Harpal Singh Cheema today said that party legislator Aman Arora held talks with Khaira "to sort out differences". "The discussion is at an initial stage and everything will be all right before the Assembly session (to commence on August 24)," Cheema told reporters. The AAP had replaced Khaira with Cheema as the leader of opposition last month, triggering a revolt by eight out of its 20 MLAs that plunged the state unit into crisis. To a query, Cheema said the party's legislative wing had decided to send Aman Arora to hold dialogue with Sukhpal Khaira. The development assumes significance as the main opposition party AAP is keen to put a united face in the crucial Assemby session, during which Justice Ranjit Singh Commission's report on sacrilege issue would be tabled. Punjab Vidhan Session will be from August 24 till August 28. Cheema asserted that "the unity in the AAP will be visible in the Assembly". When contacted, Arora said he held talks with dissidents leaders Khaira and Kharar MLA Kanwar Sandhu on Thursday. "I requested both Khaira and Sandhu that first of all we should remove the ill-feeling against each other. I told them that we should avoid using wrong language or words against each on the social media or any public platform," said Arora. "Thereafter, whatever the issues they have can be resolved through dialogue," he said. Arora said both of them had assured him that nothing of that sort would happen from their side. The AAP MLA said he had made a similar request to Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann and Cheema. "It is a baby step," he said. When pointed out that Khaira group had asserted that it would not go back on the resolutions passed during August 2 volunteers' convention at Bathinda, Arora said he had not discarded their issues. "But everything can be resolved through dialogue only, not through social media," he stressed. Dissident MLAs, led by Khaira had declared the party's Punjab unit "autonomous" and "dissolved" its current organisational structure during the convention at Bathinda. They had accused the central leadership of ignoring their concerns. Meanwhile, Cheema asserted that Khaira group had no right to dissolve the state unit and expressed the hope that he would be present at the meeting called by the party to prepare strategy for forthcoming assembly session. "Khaira has not left party. He is a party MLA and he will attend the meeting," said Cheema. Cheema also accused the Congress led government of engineering leakage of Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report on sacrilege incidents on social media to allow Akali Dal to prepare its strategy. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With its air raid simulator and battlefield reconstructions, the state-of-the-art Holy Defence Museum in Tehran seeks to glorify the Iran-Iraq war as a time when the country faced down "the whole world". As Iranians prepare to mark the 30th anniversary of the end of the devastating conflict on Monday, they are being urged to display the same steadfastness as country after country falls in line with crippling unilateral sanctions being reimposed by Washington after its abandonment of a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major powers. "The message of the museum is perseverance, resistance and the protection of our honour," deputy director Seyyed Mohsen Hajbabian told AFP. "We teach younger generations the spirit of combat. Iraq was backed by the whole world and Iran was alone in defending itself, but thanks to God... we were victorious in this war." For Iranians, it is "the imposed war", started by Iraq's then-leader Saddam Hussein on September 22, 1980 and ended by a ceasefire on August 20, 1988. The Iraqi dictator sought to present himself as a bulwark against the revolutionary ideology of the fledgling Islamic republic, which had overthrown the pro-Western shah only a year earlier, and which was seen as a major threat to the Gulf monarchies and other Arab autocracies. The resulting war was the longest of the 20th century, a ruinous conflict of attrition that has often drawn parallels to the First World War in Europe. It ultimately led nowhere, ending with zero territorial gains for either side -- even if it reinforced Saddam's grip on power in Iraq, as well as that of the Islamic republic in Iran. But the human cost was horrifying. Although the often-cited figure of a million dead may be an exaggeration by both sides, according to French historian Pierre Razoux, he still estimates a total of 680,000 lives lost. Of those, Iran bore by far the heavier losses, with around 500,000 dead or missing, he said. Built by the Tehran municipality, the Holy Defence Museum opened its doors in 2012 and receives more than 300,000 visitors per year, Hajbabian said. On a recent summer afternoon, it was mostly young men and groups of school children on trips organised by Islamic institutions. In the first halls, the visitor is plunged into the ruins of Khorramshahr, the border town in the southwest that was seized by the Iraqi army on October 24, 1980 and still bears some of the worst scars of the war. The "bombing raid simulator" recalls the terror of air strikes suffered by Iranian cities, replete with trembling walls and floors. There are models of the refineries targeted with missile strikes by both sides, as the belligerents sought to sap each other's energy reserves and main source of income. The museum also glorifies the immense public mobilisation that saw everyone from children to pensioners sign up and sacrifice themselves as martyrs at the front. An audio commentary in Persian, English and Arabic accuses "numerous Western media of... serving as a platform for the Iraqi regime" by closing their eyes to Saddam's use of chemical weapons. Photo montages recall the support Western powers, Arab monarchies and the then Soviet Union all gave to Saddam. There is no mention, however, of the support Iran received from Israel -- now its mortal enemy -- but then both sharing a greater fear of Saddam's brutal regime. Nor is there any discussion in the museum of the weapons provided by the United States under the highly controversial Iran-Contra deal, in which Tehran was supplied with arms in exchange for help in securing the release of hostages held by Iran's ally Hezbollah in Lebanon. "Now I have a deeper and more profound understanding of the war," said one young visitor, Ali Jafarzadeh, at the exit. "We fought the whole world, who supported Iraq, and we resisted for eight years." With tensions mounting between Tehran and Washington over renewed sanctions, he says he is ready to participate "without fail" in any new conflict "to defend my country". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three people were killed and 18 wounded in southeastern Poland when a bus with Ukrainian tourists headed for Austria plunged off the road, emergency services said today. The bus had been travelling from the Ukrainian city of Lviv to Vienna late yesterday when it missed a turn on the National 28 near the village of Leszczawa Dolna and crashed through the guard rail. The vehicle plummeted off the road and overturned several times, local fire service spokesman Grzegorz Latosekf said. "Three people have died in the accident," he told TVN 24 television. According to the PAP agency, eight of the 18 injured are in a serious condition. A number of accidents have already taken place near the spot where the bus crashed, Polish media said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami today announced relief materials including rice, milk and Rs five crore more for relief operations in the flood ravaged Kerala. Palaniswami said essential medicines and teams comprising medical and veterinary doctors will be immediately dispatched to the neighbouring state. Over and above the Rs five crore contribution for relief given to Kerala on August 10 by Tamil Nadu, the Chief Minister said,"an additional Rs five crore," will be provided from the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund. On August 9, Palaniswami had announced the Rs five crore for relief and rehabilitation work. As regards relief materials, 500 tonne rice, 300 tonnes of milk powder and 15,000 litres of Ultra-High Temperature (UHT) processed milk, 10,000 blankets besides dhoties and lungies (coloured dhoties) will be immediately sent to Kerala, he said. "Also, relief materials worth crores received from Tamil Nadu people have already been sent to Kerala through authorities in districts and this work will continue," Palaniswami said in an official release here. To coordinate relief-related tasks to help Kerala, two senior IAS officials have been assigned to work under Commissioner for Revenue Administration, K Sathyagopal, the Chief Minister noted. Expressing anguish over the loss of lives, Palaniswami conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced an immediate financial assistance of Rs 500 crore to Kerala, after reviewing the flood situation in the state. According to the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, since August 8, 194 people have lost their lives so far and 36 are missing. Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rescue crews found four more bodies today in the rubble of the Genoa bridge collapse, raising the death toll to 42, Italian media reported, as mourners filled a fairground pavilion for a state funeral for many of the victims found in recent days. Italian RAI state radio said what was believed to be the body of the last person missing in Tuesday's collapse of the Morandi Bridge was that of a 30-year-old man. A few hours earlier, the bodies of an Italian couple and their 9-year-old daughter were found in their smashed car under a big block of concrete, part of tons of material that crashed 45 meters (150 feet) into a dry riverbed and nearby areas when the heavily trafficked major highway span gave way. Relatives had said the family, from northern Italy, had been travelling to catch a ferry for the island of Elba while on vacation. RAI said authorities now believe there are no more missing after an elderly German man called officials to say he wasn't involved in Tuesday's collapse. Genoa's prefect's office said it didn't immediately have official confirmation of the media reports of the latest discovery of bodies by rescuers. Mourners applauded firefighters and others involved in search-and-rescue efforts as they arrived for the funeral on a day of national mourning. By early today, families of 18 victims had confirmed their participation in the funeral and Mass celebrated by Genoa's archbishop, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco. Government leaders also were attending the state funeral. Others opted for private funerals, including one a day earlier for four friends, young men in their 20s, from the southern town of Torre del Greco. At that service, relatives angrily denounced authorities for what they contend is failure to keep the bridge safe. The cause of the collapse is under investigation. Prosecutors have said they are focusing either on possible design flaws or inadequate maintenance. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As Kerala is struggling to cope with the flood fury, 21-year-old college student, who was viciously trolled for selling fish to meet her educational needs, has contributed Rs 1.5 lakh towards the Chief Minister's Disaster Relief Fund. Hanan, a college student from Kochi, said the money was donated by various people after her struggle to fund her studies and take care of her family was widely shared on the social media. "I had got the amount from people and I am happy to give back the amount to the needy," she said. Hanan, who also worked as an anchor and flower girl for programmes to make ends meet, requested people to donate for the relief works. A B.Sc student at a private college at Thodupuzha in Idukki district, Hanan's story had gone viral after a Malayalam daily reported her struggles. But, a section of social media users expressed doubts about her struggles and claimed it was "fake." Besides Hanan, people from various walks of life are generously contributing money and various essentials for helping the needy. Sajeesh, a government employee and husband of nurse Lini Puthussery, who died of Nipah after she contracted the deadly virus from a patient, donated his first salary of Rs 25,000 to the relief fund. The Kerala government had given Sajeesh a job in the health sector in recognition of Lini's selfless service. Sixty eight-year-old Rohini from Thalassery in Kannur district, who draws a monthly pension of Rs 600 and has no other source of income, contributed Rs 1000 online to the relief fund. Social media groups, students, actors and NGOs are among those who have made contributions to the relief fund. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Punjab government dispatched today truckloads of one lakh packets of relief material to flood-hit people in Kerala from the city. More than 190 people have lost their lives in the floods in Kerala, as per state disaster management authority. The trucks carrying relief material were flagged off by Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu and Member of Parliament Ravneet Singh Bittu from Guru Nanak Stadium, here, an official release said. Ashu and Bittu said the relief material dispatched today comprises one lakh packets that consist of sugar, tea, biscuits, powdered milk, water bottles etc. They informed that to ensure that the relief material reaches Kerala soon, it has been sent by air from the Halwara Air Force Station. They said the Punjab government was standing rock solid with the people of Kerala in this hour of crisis. They said relief material would be dispatched from other districts as well. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has announced Rs 10 crore worth of immediate relief for the flood-ravaged state of Kerala. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A two-year old girl, who had suffered extensive burn injuries after being allegedly pushed into a pot of boiling rice four days ago during an altercation died today at the SSKM Hospital here. A spokesman of the hospital said the girl had suffered over 75 per cent burns and was in a critical condition. The girl was allegedly pushed into the pot of boiling rice pot during an altercation between the families of a landlord and their tenant on August 14, an officer of Ultadanga police station had said. The child belonged to the family of the tenant, the officer had said. Two persons had been arrested in connection with the incident after the child's family lodged a police complaint. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) October 16, 2021, Saturday It is too early to conclude on the lessons that India learnt from the Covid-19 crisis, Sitharaman said as she stressed that the ... US-backed forces have repelled a raid by the Islamic State group targeting barracks housing American and French troops in eastern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said today. The Syrian Democratic Forces and the US-led coalition supporting them were on high alert after the raid late Friday at the Omar oil field in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, the Britain-based war monitor said. "The attack targeted the oil field's housing, where US-led coalition forces and leaders of the Syrian Democratic Forces are present," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. Seven jihadists were killed in the attack, which ended at dawn after clashes near the barracks, he added. Contacted by AFP, neither the US-led coalition nor the Kurdish-led SDF were immediately available for comment. In October last year, the SDF took control of the Omar oil field, one of the largest in Syria, which according to The Syria Report economic weekly had a pre-war output of 30,000 barrels per day. "It's the largest attack of its kind since the oil field was turned into a coalition base" following its capture by the SDF, Abdel Rahman said. IS overran large swathes of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, proclaiming a "caliphate" in territory it controlled. But the jihadist group has since lost nearly all of it to multiple offensives in both countries. In Syria, two separate campaigns -- by the US-backed SDF and by the Russia-supported government -- have reduced IS's presence to pockets in Deir Ezzor and in the vast desert that lies between it and the capital. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The bomb that killed 40 children and 11 others in a Saudi-led coalition air strike on a bus in rebel-held northern Yemen was sold by the United States under a State Department deal with Riyadh, CNN has reported. The numbers on shrapnel, of which images were taken shortly after the attack this month, indicate that it was a laser-guided Mk 82 bomb manufactured by defence contractor Lockheed Martin, CNN said yesterday, citing munitions experts. Former president Barack Obama banned the sale of precision-guided weaponry to Saudi Arabia after it used a similar bomb in an October 2016 attack that killed 140 people at a funeral in the rebel-held capital Sanaa. But President Donald Trump overturned that ban after taking office in 2017. Fifty-six children were also among the 79 people wounded in the August 9 strike on Saada province, a rebel stronghold that borders Saudi Arabia, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. The coalition has promised an internal inquiry but analysts and aid groups have voiced doubt that it is ready to provide the transparency and accountability demanded by the wider international community. It is part of the world's worst humanitarian crisis, a conflict that has killed nearly 10,000 people since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 as Huthi rebel fighters closed in on the last bastion of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's government. Coalition commanders have admitted a small number of mistakes, but there has been no public disciplinary action or changes to the rules of engagement. The commanders have accused rebels of using civilians as human shields. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Venezuela's highest court has authorised the government to demand the extradition of exiled former state prosecutor Luisa Ortega and former oil chief Rafael Ramirez -- both opponents of President Nicolas Maduro. The move follows a similar decision on Thursday by the Supreme Court to seek to extradite opposition leader Julio Borges, who is accused of being involved in an alleged attempt to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro last month. Like Ortega before him, Borges has taken refuge in neighboring Colombia. Ramirez, the former head of state oil company PDVSA and a powerful opponent of Maduro, has fled to Spain. The opposition has dismissed the court as a tool of Maduro, who it says has used his power to wrest control of state institutions. Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza earlier this week accused Ortega of being an "accomplice" in the August 4 incident, in which Maduro was seen reacting on live television to the first of two explosions as he addressed a military parade in Caracas. Maduro said the blasts were from explosives-laden drones sent to assassinate him, though opposition figures accuse him of fabricating the incident to step up repression. Ortega, an unwavering opponent of Maduro, denied any involvement. "My struggle against tyranny is only with weapons that the law gives me," she replied in a tweet. "But you and Nicolas Maduro well know that when I plan things, I do them well. If I had been behind this plan, the country would be celebrating its freedom." Ortega participated in a symbolic trial of the exiled opposition-run supreme court in Colombia which sentenced Maduro to 18 years for corruption. Ramirez, meanwhile, is accused of fraudulent embezzlement as part of a "web of corruption" for which 90 ex-employees have been arrested, part of a crackdown on opponents by Maduro. Venezuela has arrested 14 people over the attack, including an opposition politician, a general and a colonel. The United States on Friday condemned alleged arbitrary detentions and forced confessions by Caracas in its investigation into the failed August 4 drone "attack". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A city court has sentenced a woman to two months' imprisonment for falsely accusing a barber of sexually assaulting her minor daughter. During examination of witnesses in the case earlier this week, the woman admitted in the court that she had levelled false allegations against the man under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The woman had lodged a complaint at the Phoolbagan police station here in June, that the barber had sexually assaulted her eight-year-old daughter while giving her a haircut. The man, who is in his 40s, was arrested following the complaint and was in custody since then. During trial before the Special judge (P) Jimut Bahan Biswas at Sealdah Court, when the mother of the child was being questioned as a witness, the woman said she had made false allegations against the man, public prosecutor Vivek Sharma said. She admitted before the court that she had also made the allegations in a confidential statement made before a magistrate. She, however, did not tell the court the reason for levelling the false charges, Sharma said. The judge acquitted the man of all charges and ordered his release. The Judge then initiated proceedings against the woman and sentenced her to two months in jail for bringing the false charges against the man, who had also been behind bars for over two months. Sharma said that under the POSCO Act, there is provision of sentencing a person up to six months in jail for bringing false charges. The woman was taken in custody and sent to a correctional home here. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Women and Child Development Ministry has dispatched 100 metric tonnes of ready-to-eat food packets for the flood-affected children in Kerala which is witnessing its deadliest deluge in close to a century that has claimed 194 lives, a senior official has said. The ministry has been working with the Telangana government to get about 100 metric tonnes of supplementary nutrition 'Balamrutham' delivered to Thiruvananthapuram from Hyderabad, the official said. 'Balamrutham' is the weaning food to provide improved supplementary nutrition to children between 7 months and six years. The food is a preparation of wheat, chana dal, milk powder, oil and sugar. It is fortified and thus provides 50 per cent of iron, calcium, vitamins that children require per day. "This (food packets) is in the form of ready-to-eat dry mixture packed in one kg packets and is suitable for children up to six years," the official said. The relief teams from Integrated Child Development Services units of the Kerala government are already in position for immediate distribution of the food packets, the official added. The deluge has dealt a body blow to the scenic state of Kerala, wrecking its tourism industry, destroying standing crops in thousands of hectares and inflicting huge damage to infrastructure. Kerala plunged deeper into misery with hospitals facing shortage of oxygen and fuel stations running dry. As per information from the control room of the State Disaster Management, since August 8, 194 people have lost their lives and 36 are missing. Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Women and Child Development Ministry has summoned chief next week seekingan explanation behind the delay in completing probe in a case, a senior official said. Union Minister had directed the head of the Internal Complaints Committee of to complete the inquiry in June. The complaint of was lodged by an of the carrier against its senior executive. However, the inquiry has not been completed yet and the ministry has summoned Kharola on August 23 to explain the reason behind the delay, the official said. According to a WCD Ministry official, Gandhi had also taken up the matter with Civil Aviation Minister The has alleged that she had been harassed for the last six years by the senior executive, describing him as a "predator" and equal, if not worse, than Harvey Weinstein, the Hollywood filmmaker charged with sexual misconduct by leading actresses. "This senior executive is a predator and has sexually propositioned me, abused me, used abusive languages on other women in my presence, spoken of sexual acts with me and other women in my presence in office premises... "He has insulted me and denied me positions and privileges after I rejected his advances and he had made my life a misery at work and continues to do so," she said in her letter, dated May 25. The maintained that she had lodged a complaint with last September and written to then CMD of the airline, but "none was forthcoming". She also accused the airline's women cell of dragging its feet on the issue. In a letter addressed to Prabhu and also marked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the air hostess had asked for appointing a "neutral" investigation committee to look into the incident. Responding to the letter, the civil aviation minister had tweeted, "Asked Air India CMD to immediately address the issue. If necessary, will appoint another committee. Amid the controversy over triple talaq, a woman here turned the tables on her husband, using the contentious practice to "divorce" him. Shazia, a mother of three, "divorced" her husband, Abbas, by writing "talaq talaq talaq" on a piece of paper, police said today. The woman, a resident of Unhedi village, then eloped with her lover, who also happens to be her nephew, they said. The practice of instant talaq is used by some Muslim men to divorce women. In a landmark verdict, the Supreme Court last year had ruled that the practice of divorce through triple talaq among Muslims as "void", "illegal" and "unconstitutional". The government later brought a bill that criminalises instant triple talaq, which was passed by the Lok Sabha. But an amended version of the bill is yet to taken up by the Rajya Sabha. Shazia, in a letter to her husband, said, "I am divorcing you out of my own free will. I am leaving this house because you tortured me ever since we got married. You would beat me after getting drunk. Hence, I am taking talaq." She added that she was not doing it under anybody's influence. "Nobody else is responsible," Shazia wrote. Police said she eloped with her nephew, who is a bachelor. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An 18-year-old woman allegedly committed suicide after being jilted by her boyfriend and live-streamed it on social media, police said today. SHO of Satnampura police station S S Pattar said the woman, identified as Manisha from Hoshiarpur district, was living in a rented accommodation in Mansa Devi Nagar mohalla here. She hung herself to death in her room late on Thursday night and live-streamed the scene of her suicide on Instagram, he said. A note found in her room mentions that she committed suicide due to unrequited love and betrayal by her boyfriend, the police official said. A name -- Inder -- was mentioned in the note as her lover. But the whereabouts of Inder were not mentioned and we are probing the matter he said. The woman's body was kept in the mortuary of civil hospital. Her father is an NRI settled in France while her mother died sometime back, the SHO said, adding, "We have informed the father about the tragedy." "Manisha was staying here in search of a job. We have taken possession of her mobile and will study call details for further action," he said. A case under relevant Sections of IPC, including 306 (abetment of suicide) was registered against the lover, the SHO said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Brendan PiersonNEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York lawyer was sentenced to 18 months prison on Friday for helping Martin Shkreli, currently serving a seven year prison sentence after being convicted of related charges, defraud a drug company that Shkreli had founded.Evan Greebel, who was outside counsel to Shkreli's former company Retrophin Inc , was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto in Brooklyn. His lawyers had asked that he be given no jail time, while prosecutors had asked for five years.The judge also ordered Greebel to pay about $10.4 million in restitution to ... US technology giants plan to intensify lobbying efforts against stringent Indian data localisation requirements, which they say will undermine their growth ambitions in India, sources told Reuters. US trade groups, representing companies such as Amazon, American Express and Microsoft, have opposed India's push to store data locally. That push comes amid rising global efforts to protect user data but is one that could hit planned investments by the firms in the Indian market, where the companies currently have limited data storage. The issue could further undermine already ... MUMBAI (Reuters) - The Chief Financial Officer of Infosys Ltd has tendered his resignation just seven months after India's second-biggest software services exporter appointed a new Chief Executive Officer.The board of Bengaluru-headquartered Infosys said in a stock exchange filing on Saturday it had accepted the resignation of CFO M.D. Ranganath, appointed to the post in 2015.Ranganath, also known as Ranga, will continue as CFO till Nov. 16 this year, Infosys said, adding that its board will immediately commence the search for a new CFO.Infosys, once the bellwether of India's showpiece $154 ... LONDON (Reuters) - Iran said on Saturday it would resist the pressures of U.S. sanctions by relying on its natural and human resources, as Washington pushes allies to cut economic ties with Tehran."It is a critical moment for our economy, but we are not in a dead end," Vice President Eshagh Jahangiri was quoted as saying by the state news agency IRNA."This country has plenty of human and natural resources that can rely on." "The size of our oil and gas resources is number one in the world. In minerals and metals we are among the top 10 countries," Jahangiri said.Washington has withdrawn from ... LONDON (Reuters) - Iran's vice president said on Saturday the Islamic Republic would resist pressures from U.S. sanctions by relying on its oil and other natural resources."It is a critical moment for our economy, but we are not in a dead end ... this country has plenty of human and natural resources that can rely on," Eshagh Jahangiri was quoted as saying by the IRNA news agency. (Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin; editing by Andrew Roche)(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn is now the largest shareholder in the country's biggest industrial conglomerate, Siam Cement Group Pcl, data from the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), published on its website on Saturday showed.It shows the king as having a 33.30 percent share, making him the biggest shareholder in the construction and industrial supplies firm. The monarch's holdings in the company have a value of nearly 180 billion baht ($5.43 billion). It follows an announcement in June from the Crown Property Bureau (CPB) which said assets previously registered to ... Infosys Chief Financial Officer MD Ranganath, who held several leadership positions during a tenure of over 17 years with the company, has resigned. In a regulatory filing with the BSE, Infosys said: "The Board at its meeting held today has accepted the resignation of MD Ranganath as the Chief Financial Officer and Key Managerial Personnel of the Company." Ranganath will continue in his current position as Chief Financial Officer till November 16, 2018. The Board will immediately commence the search for the next CFO, the filing added. Explaining the reason behind the move, Ranganath said that he decided to quit to pursue professional opportunities in new areas. "After a successful career spanning 18 years in Infosys including as CFO for the last 3 crucial years, I now plan to pursue professional opportunities in new areas," Ranganath said. He further said: "I am proud that over the last 3 years, during a critical phase of the company, we delivered strong and consistent financial outcomes, maintained high standards of financial reporting, built a world class finance team, further strengthened the company's competitive position and thereby enhanced value to the stakeholders." Ranganath had taken over the said role after the then CFO Rajiv Bansal had quit in 2015. "Over the last 18 years Ranga has played a pivotal role in the growth and success of Infosys. During his long stint in the company, I have seen him in a wide spectrum of leadership roles," Infosys board chairman Nandan Nilekani said. As Chief Financial Officer, Ranganath oversaw key functions across the group, including corporate finance, taxation, treasury, mergers and acquisitions, risk management, and investor relations. He also played a key role in strategy execution and in the transformation journey of Infosys. From 2008 to 2013, Ranganath was the Chief Risk Officer and worked with the board's risk management and audit committees and deployed enterprise risk management framework to enable the board's overview of risk management. Subsequently, he led the cost optimisation initiative of the company as part of the chairman's office, aimed at enhancing fiscal discipline and improving operating margin and cash flow. (With inputs from PTI) CAMEROUN :: Security Crisis in South West Region of CAMEROON: Suspension of CAFECO S.A Activities. Following a press release entitled "Greenpeace Africa expresses dismay at the activities of WIJMA in CAMEROON" written by Eric INI, the forestry campaigner for Greenpeace Africa, published on August 6th 2018 in the website www.greenpeace.org, Greenpeace Afrique indexes the company WIJMA CAMEROON and its subsidiary CAFECO to operate in a conflict zone. In order for all to be better edified, and in accordance with the law N 90/052 of December 19th, 1990 and its subsequent modifications on the freedom of the social communication in Cameroon, we bring the following clarifications: 1-Initially, it must be said to denounce the incongruities of a release of Greenpeace which comes at the moment when activities of CAFECO S.A were suspended in the region of southwest CAMEROON. 2- This statement says: "It is outrageous that WIJMA and CAFECO continue to exploit timber with FSCTM certification, under armed escort in the Southwest region just very recently". It is not so. Due to the prevailing insecurity in the region, the workers and the CAFECO S.A company have been subject of various threats (leaflets, threat of kidnapping and ransom demands). The site has been looted several times, shops broken, vehicles stolen by unidentified people. Worse still, on June 26, 2018, a worker was kidnapped in Nguti before being released the next day. 3- Faced with this climate of insecurity and in order to protect the workers, the forest operations located in the Eyumojock area and the Nguti factory were put in stop on June 26, 2018. Notification was made to the Departmental Delegate of the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, administrative supervision of CAFECO SA in Cameroon. Since that day, all workers have returned to their homes. Our site is secured by our guards with the support of the administrative authority. As a result and contrary to what Greenpeace claims, CAFECO SA never exploited or transported wood under armed escort in southwest Cameroon. 4 -Greenpeace also claims that "WIJMA has silently exploited this loot without demonstrating corporate social responsibility." Another incongruity that does not comply with CAFECO S.A who practices the forest management method in accordance with the FSCTM principles and belong within the scope of the group FSCTM certificate of Wijma Cameroon which is the first certified company in the Congo Basin. Moreover, in front of this "case of major strength" that constitutes the insecurity in the zone, the company CAFECO S.A showed social responsibility. In order to preserve jobs, avoid bankruptcy or default, the Company has been put to sleep and will resume operations once security conditions are restored in the area. For CAFECO SA The Chairman of the Board Mr TAYO Villien news, latest-news Allegations of bullying at Calvary Hospital were labelled malicious and inaccurate by the head of the company in charge of the Bruce hospital, internal correspondence reveals. The release of the April email sent by Little Company of Mary chief executive Martin Bowles comes as WorkSafe ACT called on Friday for an overhaul of Calvary's bullying and harassment policy after an investigation into a toxic culture at the hospital. The email, obtained under freedom of information laws, revealed Mr Bowles did not want to launch a safe-workplace campaign within Calvary immediately after widespread bullying was claimed. "This campaign will commence at an appropriate time to not represent a knee-jerk reaction to the current claims, many of which are inaccurate and malicious," Mr Bowles said. It was sent in response to an email from ACT Health Minister Meegan Fitzharris in April, after the Sunday Canberra Times revealed a systemic culture of bullying and harassment at Calvary. Ms Fitzharris wrote to the Calvary head on April 19, five days after the allegations were aired, seeking assurances the claims were being properly investigated. The correspondence is the only time since the bullying allegations were made public that the health minister has contacted Mr Bowles. "Given the concerning nature of the workplace bullying issues, I seek your assurance that these mechanisms are adequate, and that Calvary is investigating and responding to the concerns raised in the media, particularly in relation to allegations of workplace bullying and complaints," Ms Fitzharris said. "The issues raised in the media are serious in nature, and I would appreciate your timely advice that Calvary is handling the matters appropriately." Mr Bowles told the health minister anti-bullying material would be displayed in staff areas and public spaces in Calvary such as the emergency room that "reiterates every staff member's awareness of and accountability for behaviours". Calvary's executive team was also told to increase visibility to frontline staff and to raise issues surrounding staff conduct. Mr Bowles said Calvary had a "comprehensive" set of services and reporting methods for staff to raise issues of bullying. "[Canberra Calvary] CEO Barbara Reid is also focussing on the issue, with an ongoing program of spontaneous interactions with staff, and the reiteration to all leaders and managers of their responsibilities around conduct." He said Calvary was "completely engaged" in supporting the investigation by WorkSafe. A Calvary Hospital spokesman said Mr Bowles's email labelling the bullying allegations "malicious" were not in contrast to the hospital implementing programs to deal with workplace culture and WorkSafe ACT issuing four improvement notices to improve the bullying and harassment policy. "Mr Bowles's comments are not contradictory as they address the spectrum of reported issues and appropriately recognise the scope for continuous improvement in this area," the spokesman said. On Friday, WorkSafe ACT slapped improvement notices on the hospital to upgrade safeguards against bullying. The recommendations made included: a separate system for employees to report bullying incidents; mandatory induction training for new staff; staff being trained in HR practices; and an update to the hospital's work health and safety assessment. Among the bullying allegations made by employees were that staff who lodged complaints about bullying incidents had counter complaints made against them. Male employees also told the Sunday Canberra Times false claims of improper conduct were made up about them in a bid to smear their reputation. Staff have said much of the alleged bullying came from executive staff, with bullying cliques targeting employees to push them out and replace them with friends. The health minister confirmed an investigation into alleged bullying at the hospital was taking place at an estimates hearing in June. Ms Fitzharris said she received assurances from Mr Bowles investigations would take place at the hospital. The government recently voted against having an external board of inquiry look into the allegations, despite calls from the Canberra Liberals. The Health Minister dismissed the calls as a political stunt and said the money would be better spent on health services. Ms Fitzharris said she welcomed the findings of the WorkSafe review. "It is my expectation that workplace health and safety is treated with the utmost importance across the entire public health system," she said. "There is no place for bullying and harassment or any other form of inappropriate behaviour in our hospitals and health facilities." Do you know more? Email andrewbrown@fairfaxmedia.com.au /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/ba8b29d0-1cd7-49b1-ad87-12a007863c63/r0_106_2000_1236_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, crime When Shane Drumgold was growing up in Mount Druitt in the 1960s and 70s, his strongest childhood memories were of waiting for his dad. We were in waiting rooms to see him in one of three environments - a drug rehab, a mental institution or prison, he says. And I thought thats the way life existed. I thought this was life. Today, at the age of 53, Drumgold couldnt be further away from his childhood if he tried. As the assistant director of the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions, he spends his days either in his office overlooking Canberras court precinct, or wearing a wig and gown in court, prosecuting some of the citys most heinous, high-profile criminals. He has his own happy, close-knit family, and his favourite pastime is having dinner with his brood of loving adult kids. And yet, his past, and his former life with his troubled, injured extended family, is a burden he still carries. Growing up in a family of six kids, drugs, alcohol and domestic violence were both normal and tolerated. His father had himself been the victim of a horrific childhood trauma, one that wasnt talked about, but that sent him on a downward trajectory of drugs and crime. And yet there were times when Drumgold thought his father was the smartest, funniest person hed ever met, at least in his times of clarity. But these times were few and far between. More often than not, his father was deep in the doldrums of drugs, alcohol, rehab or jail. When he would descend into his dark ages, he was lost, Drumgold says. The dark times were never far off, and would eventually become permanent. When Drumgold was 11 or 12, and his twin brothers were babies, the family relocated to Taree, on the mid north coast. Not long after, one of the twins, three-year-old Casey, died after contracting encephalitis from the swimming pool where their dad was in rehab. Then life went really crazy for Dad, says Drumgold. The guilt got him and there was a fairly rapid downward spiral for the next five years, and then he ended up taking his own life, probably as a result of that. As is often the case with family trauma, the pain spiralled outwards. Drumgold's remaining siblings are still in Taree, unemployed and doing it tough. Ron, the surviving twin, began his own downward march, and today, in his 40s, has advanced alcohol dementia, and has frequent seizures, losing parts of his brain every time. And yet, says Drumgold, he can remember a time growing up when Ron would explain the meaning of certain words to him. Like their father, he had spark, and charm. Hes a long way from that now, and that kind of embeds in you, Drumgold says. Theres no classes of people, theres people on a journey, and some people are jolted off that axis. And that feeds into my next belief, which is that they can be jolted back onto an axis. Its a perception that colours almost everything Drumgold does now, whether its prosecuting criminals or reflecting on his own life. He doesnt for one moment attribute his own good fortune to anything other than what he describes as 90 per cent luck, and 10 per cent management. And Drumgold sure did get lucky, possibly even from birth. For starters, he never got into drugs, or alcohol. He never even got in trouble with the law. But in the years between Caseys death and his fathers suicide, Drumgold dropped out of school and left the family home. He was 15 and had only finished grade 9. I always felt that I was reasonably intelligent, that I was capable of things, and I always felt that I could do something if I turned my mind to it. I just needed to space to do it, he says. Thats what was in my mind during those years...I was not about to live a life of the people I had seen growing up. He drifted for a few years, sleeping rough here and there, eventually marrying very young and having two children by the time he was 19. The marriage was short-lived, and he later moved back to the mid north coast, living close to Taree to keep an eye on his mother and brother, who were by then dealing with the full force of his fathers grief and despair. Looking back, it was never going to finish well - the question was how badly it was going to finish, he says. I think it was always the fear that he would meet his end, the question was whether or not he would take other people with him. By then, he had been working for several years at Australia Post, another stroke of luck, as it would turn out. In the early 1990s, then prime minister Bob Hawke introduced tax incentives for large companies to invest in training their employees. The Australia Post introduced a Certificate in Management or something, and it was just four units, at a university, Drumgold says. I tried to get into that and got rejected. The difficulty was that I didnt have a year 10 certificate. But Drumgold did have something else, an unquenchable thirst for reading, having discovered Plato, of all people, by chance at 16. It was a paperback of the Phaedo, and it was making sense out of things that didnt make sense, he says. At 16, I was absolutely gobsmacked. To this day, he has a lasting obsession with logic and philosophy. But back then, he saw the Australia Post training certificate as a baby step into the world of reading and ideas, with no idea of what would lie at the end of it. As it happened, he eventually wore down the recruitment staff, got into the certificate program at Charles Sturt University when someone else dropped out, and aced his way through, earning enough credits to study an economics degree by distance. By the time he finished his degree, he had taken a management position with Australia Post at Parliament House in Canberra, and began studying law at the University of Canberra, marrying a second time and having two more kids along the way. He says a career in the law appealed to him on several levels. It sounds very altruistic, but I knew I had potential, and I suspected that I had a perception of the world that many lawyers didnt have, he says. I dont know many people from Lethbridge Park Public School who have become lawyers. And I think on some level it was just to be a long way from where I was, I think thats probably the most honest answer. He began his career at the Aboriginal Legal Service, but soon fetched up at the DPP, where he has since had the job hed always dreamed of - working on big trial cases with a diverse range of people. In 2003, he spent time in Canada studying the traditional legal customs of some of the countrys indigenous communities. The visit both confirmed what he knew from his childhood, and informed the way he sees the Australian legal system today. The Marcus Rappels of the world notwithstanding - like most of the people Drumgold prosecutes these days, Tara Costigans killer will spend the next decades in prison - he believes most people are capable of leading a good life. I think its possible for people to go into jail and come out and lead not just successful lives, but successful lives with a lived experience that other people might not have, he says. I know that theres a stigma attached to people who have been in prison, that they have obstacles, but I think we need to get over that. Theres this perception that people only go to prison if theyre inherently bad people, and Im not bound to that premise. And although he deals with the most horrific cases and sees the full gamut of human sadness, he says he couldnt be happier with where hes ended up. I know thats weird after 17 years, but I am stoked with the job that Im doing, he says. I imagine there will be a time when emotionally it will wear on me. Doing this sort of work, theres a hidden cost and a hidden benefit that you dont know until you get here. Im obviously exposed to horrendous facts, and you see things in this job that you cant unsee. But for every bereaved, grief-paralysed parent or child he comes across, he feels a boost in his own sense of good fortune - the ancillary benefit in seeing first hand the strength and determination of people who would otherwise be broken victims. The Costigan family, for example, campaigning against family violence, or the quiet, steely humanity of the family of another murdered woman, Sabah Al-Mdwali Theyre the parameters for your own perception of lucky. You cant hang around with these people and not fundamentally feel lucky, he says. You feel luckier than them. You certainly dont feel superior to them. These people are inspiring[and] far superior to me. I turn up and say stuff in court, but these people live these things and turn them into positives. Theyre phenomenal people. In many ways, Drumgolds past is always present, if only through the prism of experience through which he views the world. And he does occasionally wonder where hed be if he hadnt found Plato. It could have easily happened - thats the 90 per cent luck that leads us to wherever we are, he says. Whatever it is, you stumble across some sort of tipping point that moves you in a direction. I dont think there is a tipping point, I think theres hundreds of tipping points, but then the encouragement there is that you think you yourself could be a tipping point for somebody else. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/d1ed0a24-e06e-4849-8118-25fb0f0a7650/r0_214_4256_2619_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news Canberrans shivered through a rainy Saturday as firefighters continued to battle bushfires in southern NSW and snow fell at Thredbo and Perisher. The ACT recorded almost 8mm of rain at Corin Dam between 9am and 5pm and a top temperature of just 12 degrees, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. The service predicted a possible shower for Canberra on Sunday with a forecast minimum of -1 degrees and a top of 11. Meanwhile, on Saturday, the NSW Rural Fire Service continued to battle more than 70 bush and grass fires burning throughout the state, 44 of which were uncontained. A bushfire near Mount Kingiman, west of Ulladulla, was downgraded to advice status on Saturday afternoon having burnt 2195 hectares since Wednesday. NSW Rural Fire Service firefighters remained on the scene and residents in the Croobyar and Woodstock areas were warned they could experience fire activity, smoke and embers on Saturday afternoon. A 5273 hectare out-of-control bushfire in Bemboka, near Bega, was also downgraded to advice level on Saturday. Just two hours' drive west from the Bemboka bushfire, at Perisher, police turned back would-be snow bunnies for several hours due to severe weather conditions. Parking was later restricted during snow clearing operations. Perisher Resort posted on its Facebook page it had enjoyed 23 centimetres of snow by about 4pm Saturday "and still snowing", having on Friday extended its season to October after recording its deepest snow depth in 14 years at a whopping two metres. Thredbo celebrated 15 centimetres snowfall by noon Saturday with 40 centimetres forecast for the weekend. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/3891c8ef-5339-4948-9259-d3fc6cf0ac6e/r3_0_1198_675_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news If you're planning on giving your newborn a unique name, be sure to steer clear of punctuation, numbers, or royal titles. More than 2000 different names were registered of babies born in Canberra during the past financial year. While most were without a hitch, one name was rejected. The name, which Access Canberra declined to state for privacy reasons, is only the third baby name to be rejected in the ACT. It was rejected because it contained symbols without phonetic significance in the English language, which could have included #, @, or punctuation. Previous names that have been rejected by Access Canberra have included the word Prince, with PrinceofZion banned in 2017. Under ACT legislation, the word Prince is banned as a baby name as it resembles an official title or rank. Only one baby name in NSW was rejected in 2017-18, after parents tried to register their child's surname as 'The Greatest'. Other names rejected in NSW have included Doctor, 7, Lord and Sir. The NSW Births, Deaths and Marriages registry has also rejected baby names that were swear words. The ACT government spokeswoman said there are several factors that determine if a baby name is prohibited, including if it's "undesirable". "A prohibited name means a name that is obscene or offensive, could not practically be established by repute; includes or resembles an official title or rank; misleading because of similarity with the name of a body or organisation; or is in the registrar-general's opinion, undesirable," the spokesman said. If a baby name is rejected, the family are contacted to discuss why the name was banned and potential alternatives. The decision to prohibit a name can be reviewed by ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal. There is no formal list of banned names. The Victorian government in 2017 put forward a small list of names that would be knocked back, following a spike in unusual names. Among those were Admiral, Anzac, Captain, God, Judge, Minister, Premier, President and Queen. Names resembling famous people aren't banned in Canberra. The nation's capital boasts multiple Michael Jacksons, an Emma Stone and even an Indiana Jones. In 2017-18, there were 6507 babies born in the ACT. In that year alone, there were 1259 female names recorded and 1131 different male names. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/c42754c7-16d2-4d9b-8483-58114fcfbfd5/r0_4_1757_997_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news Martin Royds used to take what he now calls "the moron approach" to farming. "I used to go out and spray and kill everything," the Braidwood farmer says. "When you look at the way Australian farmers developed, it was fighting the land, fighting droughts, fighting fires, fighting weeds. "Ive now realised that if we work with it, the land will work with you and it really gets a lot easier." These are not times any farmer, including Mr Royds, would describe as easy. But the holistic management approaches he has taken on his 457-hectare farm, Jillamatong, mean his costs of production are minimal, allowing him to cope better than most with the drought that has hit NSW and the ACT hard. Mr Royds has not sprayed chemicals on his property for nearly 30 years. One of the biggest changes he's made is the construction of 14 weirs along a four-metre deep erosion gully, which was taking water and fertile soil off his farm and out to sea. For just $10,000, he was able to "put a plug" in the erosion gully with the weirs, which remarkably remain almost full at a time when farm dams across eastern Australia are drying out in the middle of winter. The results are easy to see. A dam put in just two weeks ago at Jillamatong started filling up with groundwater "faster than the guy could dig it". Mr Royds is also re-designing his dams in a bid to spread more fertile soil and water across the farm, and to stop some of his best silt ending up in the bottom of the dams. "I have enough water for the whole town," he says. A new Soils for Life analysis of Jillamatong shows an average yearly profit before interest and tax of $112,258 between 2004-05 and 2013-14. The analysis shows that Mr Royds' profits during the 10-year period were an average 230 per cent higher than the 146 farms in south-east Australia that took part in the Holmes and Sackett benchmarking program, while his expenses were just 40 per cent of the average farm's. "I dont focus on profit. I used to," he says, when asked about the Soils for Life analysis. "The real reasons are because my costs of production are minimal compared to [other farms]. "Im not spending $10,000 a week feeding. All up this drought, Ive spent $5000 on supplements for cattle." While he has plenty of water and his cattle are still fat, this fiscal year won't show the same results. Huge mobs of kangaroos ruined Mr Royds' plan to run his cattle on another block he owns down the road from Jillamatong during winter. Mobs of as many as 150 kangaroos ate $50,000 worth of pasture Mr Royds sowed on the other block after the year's only big rain event, in February, and also chewed down the grass at Jillamatong. He is now planning to put in kangaroo exclusion fences to prevent a repeat of that situation, and will say goodbye to the 50 cattle he's got left next week as the grass at Jillamatong gets shorter. Mr Royds has struck a deal for agistment that will enable him to get some of his stock back when the drought breaks. While Mr Royds doesn't dwell on the financial impacts, he admits droughts take their toll on him. "Its a hard thing for somebody in the city to understand what its like," he says. "A farming mate of mine said the other day, You go to work every day [during a drought] and instead of getting paid, youre paying. And you know that youre going to have to keep paying. "That's the hard thing, knowing you're not going to start making money again for probably two years." Mr Royds prefers to occupy his time learning and making decisions to put his farm in the best possible position. The third-generation Jillamatong farmer is a long way from the days when he took "the moron approach". "Its far better for your soul if you step out that door in the morning and youre thinking, What can I do to encourage nature to grow and the farm to do better instead of getting out and going, What have I got to fight and kill today," he says. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/38523fe4-8716-4f61-8e18-6298591eb5ff/r0_230_4256_2635_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, act-politics Members of the ACT Labor party's right faction walked out of its annual conference on Saturday after the left faction moved a last minute change to the party's preselection rules, as well as reinstating a candidate who had previously been found ineligible. The party's left faction sought to move a previously unheralded motion giving the party's administrative committee the ability to make an exception for preselection candidates who do not meet the party's eligibility criteria in order to run. The rule change was successful but would not apply to the bitter preselection battles already underway. However a separate motion was passed in order to allow Gail Morgan to continue to run for preselection in the seat of Bean. Ms Morgan had been found ineligible to run because one of three branch meetings she had attended in the past 12 months was inquorate. Ms Morgan was not at the conference and was not aware of the wider rule change regarding the administrative committee. "For affording me the opportunity to nominate for preselection I thank the conference delegates for acknowledging my more than 20 year commitment to the party, its values and our common goals," Ms Morgan said in a statement. The chaotic debate around the motions and the walkout reflected heightened tensions in the party around the federal preselection campaigns for the seats of Canberra and Bean. Federal lower house seats in the ACT are considered to be safe for the Labor party and the prospect of two seats without an incumbent has added fuel to the fire between the factions. Earlier in the day it was announced former senator Katy Gallagher had been preselected unopposed to run to return to her previous position. The party's affirmative action rules require the party to preselect a woman in at least one of the seats. Members of the right have described the move by the left of the party as unruly and lawless, and are concerned it sets a precedent for the party's processes to be easily over ruled. The right was blind-sided by the left using their numbers to ensure Ms Morgan, who has long identified with the right faction, to run against the right's endorsed candidate for Bean Senator David Smith. A senior source in the right said "there was no notice and no discussion of the urgent matter. Control of the room was lost and it's clear that the rules only apply when it's convenient". It's expected the controversy will be referred to the party's national executive, which has already intervened once in the local preselection process. It's in the interests of the left faction for a woman to win preselection in the seat of Bean, as the grouping's star candidate in Canberra is St Vincent de Paul Society boss John Falzon. There were reports earlier in the week that women in the party's right faction had been discouraged from seeking endorsement against Senator Smith. In announcing her resignation on Monday, MP Gai Brodtmann said she hoped a woman would succeed her in the seat. ACT Labor secretary Matt Byrne, who is also a senior member of the left faction, said he was not involved in the development of the motion. Mr Byrne was elected unopposed for another four-year term as secretary on Saturday. Taimus Werner-Gibbings, an unaligned candidate in Bean said he was troubled by what happened at the conference. "I expect the outcome of the last-minute manoeuvres will be a new female candidate in Bean. This is really positive and I'm looking forward to competing against them in the preselection. However, I'm a bit unhappy at the apparent disregard for the conference process used to achieve the outcome and troubled by the precedent," Mr Werner-Gibbings said. Right-aligned candidate for Canberra Jacob Ingram was also unimpressed by the power plays. "I'm disappointed that those in power continue to bend rules and centralise their power at the expense of rank and file members. Labor should be about fighting for the shared values of members, not passing last minute dodgy rules changes at conference," Mr Ingram said. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/a2968d09-76ea-40df-8dc4-600e6fd513a5/r2_0_728_410_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg Over 10,000 books themed on introducing President Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, people and culture; learning Vietnamese language, Vietnam cuisine and books for childrenare on display at the stall. The event runs till September 9, however Kinokuniya and Fahasa Vietnam will continue running Vietnamese book stall and to add new books monthly, meeting the readers demand in Japan. It is expected that the second Vietnamese bookstore in Osaka city will also be opened to public soon. XUAN THAN-Translated by T.Tran Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact. Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here. Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing. You are our people. You Care. We Care2. Photo: File photo UPDATE: 2:35 p.m. Police acting on a tip turned out in force to arrest two men, Friday, in Peachland. Information provided to police was that the men were inside a Trepanier Bench Road home without authorization, ie they had broken in. Our officers were familiar with these individuals, and out of an abundance of caution, in order to ensure both police and public safety, they called upon the RCMP Southeast District Emergency Response Team and both the Kelowna RCMP Air Services and Police Dog Services Sections for added support," said Cpl. Jesse ODonaghey. A large amount of suspected stolen property was seized at the scene. The men, 45 and 48, of West Kelowna, face potential charges, as RCMP continue their investigation. UPDATE: 12:45 p.m. Witnesses say two men are in handcuffs on the side of Trepanier Bench Road, across from Hainle Vineyards in Peachland. Police had earlier been searching for at least an hour in the Trepanier Heights neighbourhood, further north in the community. RCMP have yet to comment on the incident, or what prompted the police action. ORIGINAL: 12:05 p.m. Reports are coming in of a heavy police presence in Peachland, near Drought Hill. Officers have been seen with guns drawn on Trepanier Road, in the Trepanier Heights neighbourhood. Residents say a police helicopter has been circling the area for about an hour, and several police cruisers are in the neighbourhood, with more officers on foot. The neighbourhood is just off Drought Hill, near the Highway 97-Okanagan Connector junction. More details to come. Send your news tips, photos and video to [email protected] Photo: intellectualventures.com Uncertainty, upheaval and unrest, whether caused by politics, economics or forest fires, offer a great opportunity to practise being comfortable with discomfort. Having our lives turned upside down is a wonderful chance for growth. Our default position is security, but Life demands that we be out in the wind and if we insist on hiding, it rips apart our hiding places. Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood dimm'd tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity. Thats how Irish poet William Butler Yeats described Europe after the First World War, when empires fell, 16 million were killed and another 50 million or so died in the flu pandemic that followed. While were being whipped by hurricane winds, especially if we lose our jobs and homes, we dont appreciate that creation always follows destruction, as the new growth after forest fires so vividly testifies. When we find a situation we like, we want to stop, and resist the upward thrust of life, even when we know were stagnating. Our worms eye view doesnt let us see much beyond our tempest of the moment. All growth is from within, Charles F. Haanel wrote in the Master Key System in 1912. This is evident in all nature. Every plant, every animal, every human is living testimony to this great law, and the error of the ages is in looking for strength or power from without. As the baby boomers stagger into older age, as Donald Trump turns the world political order and the stock market into a frenzy with each tweet, now is a good time to take Haanels advice. Many boomers have examined bank accounts, checked RRSPs, scrutinized pensions. We debated whether we could continue to live the way we planned, keep the old car and visit the in-laws instead of taking a cruise. But did we examine our spiritual investments? Did we dust off our priorities to see if the investments in our beliefs and relationships are giving us the return we want? We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get too tired, read too little, watch too much TV, and pray too seldom, said comedian George Carlin. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. Weve learned how to make a living, but not a life. Political and financial disasters can do wonders for our spiritual life because were often more willing to flow with the universe instead of insisting on doing things our way. When were flying as high as the surging economy or at ease with the political system and the state of world affairs, were too busy having a good time to worry about the inner life, but our attitude quickly changes when the outer world crumbles. Once you deprive a person of their security blanket of materialism, they are left with only themselves, said author Stuart Wilde. Theres a martial arts concept that is effective, but counter-intuitive and difficult to accept: when pushed, pull; when pulled, push. By moving with what is happening, we reduce the threat. But usually we resist even when logic and common sense say surrender. Of course, aging baby boomers staring in horror at their dwindling investments have the experience to accept the new order because they were formed by foment. They came of age in the turmoil of the 60s and 70s when the birth-control pill, the Vietnam War and the civil-rights movement changed the worldview. A song of protest then can be an anthem now. The sentiments Bob Dylan expressed way back then is still true today. The line it is drawn/The curse it is cast The slow one now/Will later be fast As the present now/Will later be past The order is/Rapidly fadin And the first one now/Will later be last For the times they are a-changin Photo: CTV Fredericton police Const. Robb Costello, left, and Const. Sara Burns, right, were remembered at a service today. UPDATED 12:08 p.m. An emotional afternoon for the city of Fredericton is winding to a close after a regimental funeral was held for two slain officers. Thousands of police officers and first responders filled the Aitken Centre at the University of New Brunswick for the funeral, where Constables Robb Costello and Sara Burns were honoured just over a week after they were gunned down in the line of duty. Several dignitaries attended the funeral, including the lieutenant-governor Jocelyne Roy-Vienneau, Premier Brian Gallant and Fredericton Mayor Mike O'Brien. At the end of the service, officers lifted the Canadian flags off of Costello's and Burns's caskets and carefully folded them to present to their families, along with their police hats. Attendees watched on in silence as pallbearers carried the caskets out of the stadium. Thousands of police officers and other first responders from across North America are in Fredericton today for the funeral of two police officers who were gunned down last week with two civilians in the parking lot of a city apartment complex. Fredericton Police constables Robb Costello and Sara Burns died along with Bobbie Lee Wright and Donnie Robichaud. About 4,000 people are expected to fill the Aitken Centre on the campus of the University of New Brunswick for a funeral service that isn't open to the public. The service, scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. AT, is being streamed to other locations in the city and will be broadcast live across the country. A procession will begin at noon AT, from Fredericton High School and will travel along a few streets before reaching the university. Forty-eight-year-old Matthew Vincent Raymond has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and is set to appear in court on Aug. 27. The lives of the other two victims of the shooting were also honoured this week by their families and friends. A public visitation was held Wednesday evening for Wright at a funeral home near Woodstock, N.B., although her obituary said there would be no funeral service by request and her internment would be held at a later date. Similarly, no funeral was held for Robichaud. His widow Melissa Robichaud, told The Canadian Press that he had requested to be cremated and that she planned to scatter his ashes Thursday evening along a strip of road the avid motorcyclist had often biked along. On Friday a judge lifted a publication ban that had been imposed last Monday on court documents revealing details on how the deadly attack unfolded. The ban came hours after several media outlets had already reported on what they contained. The newly released documents say the alleged gunman was wounded as he allegedly engaged another officer from his apartment window. Photo: USGS A strong earthquake shook southern Costa Rica near the border with Panama on Friday evening, toppling items from store shelves and knocking out power in places, but authorities said there was no major damage or reports of serious injuries. The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 6.1 quake struck at 5:22 p.m. at a depth of about 12 miles. Its epicenter was about 12 miles north of the town of Golfito. The USGS initially estimated the magnitude at 6.0. Alexander Solis, president of the National Emergencies Commission, said there were a handful of localities where power failed and objects fell without serious consequences. He said hospitals were only reporting some people having suffered panic attacks. "We have checked in practically the entire country with no reports at this time of important damage," Solis said. Ellery Quesada, a journalist with Channel 9 in Palmar Norte, near the epicenter, told The Associated Press that the quake was felt strongly in the region, some power poles had reportedly toppled and several aftershocks were felt afterward. The USGS recorded at least one subsequent temblor of magnitude 4.6. Earlier it had calculated the magnitude at 4.9. Photos circulating on social media showed shattered wine bottles and other products lying on shop floors in Palmar Norte. In neighbouring Panama, civil defence officials said via Twitter that the quake was felt strongly in the border provinces of Chiriqui and Bocas del Toro but no damage had been detected. Panamanian media reported shaking was felt at a stadium in the city of David where a youth baseball championship game was being played, but play was not halted. China plans to improve the regulations on establishing private schools, according to a draft amendment to the regulation regarding non-government funded education. A teacher and her students. [File Photo: VCG] The government will encourage the establishment of private schools by providing subsidies according to the number of students enrolled, tax breaks, discounted price for utility services and preferential treatment for land use, the proposed amendment said. Foreign-funded enterprises and social organizations controlled by foreign entities or individuals are not allowed to establish or control schools providing China's nine-year compulsory education, which includes six years of primary school and three years of junior secondary school, the draft said. Public schools are not allowed to establish profit-led private schools while establishing non-profit private schools should be approved by authorities. Non-profit private schools established by public schools cannot use fiscal funding or affect teaching activities of public schools, the draft said. The draft has been published by the Ministry of Justice for the public to provide opinions until Sept. 10. At the meeting , Mr. Kikeo Khaykhamphithoune highly appreciated the HCMC leaders visit, contributing to the development of Vietnam and Laos, Vientiane and Ho Chi Minh City. He extended hearty thanks to HCM City and citizens for supporting to victims of the collapse of the Sepien-Senamnoi hydropower dam in Attapeu province; and hoped to learn about the propaganda and training tasks from Vietnamese Government and HCM Citys authorities. As her part, Ms. Than Thi Thu informed the results of working sessions between the HCMC delegation and the Propaganda and Training departments of Luang Phrabang, Xiangkhouang and Vientiane, starting on August 13-17. During the visit, the Vietnamese delegation also visited the Vietnam embassy in Laos and offered US$10,000 in aid relief from the citys government to Lao people in order to help them overcome difficulties after the deadly dam collapse. By LIEN PHUONG - Translated by Kim Khanh More than two decades after she died, the world remains fascinated with Princess Diana and still has many questions about the circumstances surrounding her death on that fateful night. There have been several different conspiracies theories about the car crash that killed the princess, her companion Dodi Fayed, and their driver Henri Paul. Theres even some who believe her death was no accident. Heres what happened on Aug. 31, 1997. A year after her high-profile divorce from Prince Charles, Diana was dating Fayed and the two were in Paris dining in the Imperial Suite at the Ritz Hotel. Around 11:30 p.m. the pair left the Ritz to head to Fayeds apartment. They exited the rear of the hotel to escape the paparazzi but to no avail. Some reports have said the vehicle they were originally supposed to travel in would not start, while others claim that they changed cars at the last minute to throw off the paps. They ended up leaving in a Mercedes S-280 limousine, which Paul was operating at a high rate of speed through the streets of Paris eventually crashing into a pillar in a tunnel under the Alma bridge. They were less than two miles from the hotel. Paul and Fayed were killed instantly but Diana was still alive and suffering from multiple injuries including a severed pulmonary vein. She was transported to the La Pitie Salpetriere Hospital where she died several hours later. She was laid to rest five days later in London. French and British authorities concluded that Paul was drunk and on anti-depressants when he lost control of the Mercedes in the tunnel as he was trying to shake off the photographers. An inquest jury later ruled that both Paul and the paparazzi chasing them were responsible for the crash due to gross negligence. But not everyone is so convinced and believes there is more to the story. Were they murdered? Author Martyn Gregory has insisted that Fayed was going to propose to Diana the night of the crash and that he had been shopping for a ring at Repossi Jewelers. A ring bearing the inscription Dis-moi Oui (Tell me Yes) was recovered in Dodis flat after their deaths. Fayeds father, Mohammed Fayed, stated that not only were they going to be married but that the princess told him she was pregnant with his sons child. He claimed that the British royal family plotted and had her killed so that she would not marry and have a baby with an Egyptian Muslim. It has never been confirmed if Diana was pregnant. She was actually embalmed before an autopsy could be performed and therefore her blood could not be tested. However, tests were said to be done on her blood in the Mercedes and no traces of the HCG hormone that indicates pregnancy were found. The mysterious white Fiat Uno There is reportedly evidence that a white Fiat Uno was also involved in the crash with the Mercedes carrying the princess and the others that evening. The Fiat though fled the scene and the driver of that vehicle has never been found. Some conspiracy theorists think that the driver was a French paparazzo named James Andanson who was also thought to be an MI6 informant. Andanson had always maintained that he had not been driving in the tunnel the night of the accident and thus could not have been involved. He was found dead in his car three years later. What about the flash before the crash The flash before the crash theory stems from the account of an eyewitness Francois Levistre. He had been driving in the tunnel in front of the Mercedes and claims to have seen a bright light flash in his rearview mirror when the crash occurred. However, Levistres wife, who was sitting next to him in the car, said that no such flash had taken place. "So they decided to go without the council. But I think the council was right in not sanctioning the war," he said. "Could you imagine if the U.N. had endorsed the war in Iraq, what our reputation would be like? Although at that point, President (George W.) Bush said the U.N. was headed toward irrelevance, because we had not supported the war. But now we know better." How to get digital access to the Chieftain Under South Korean aviation law, only South Koreans can be registered as a director of an airline. The company, however, appointed Cho Hyun-min, an American citizen and the younger daughter of Korean Air Chairman Cho Yang-ho, to serve as a board member of Jin Air between 2010 and 2016. On Friday, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it made the decision to allow the low-cost carrier to stay in business after holding a series of meetings with Jin Air officials and legal and other relevant experts on the fate of the carrier. "We have decided not to cancel the license as negative ramifications, such as job insecurity and inconvenience of customers ... far outweighed social benefits of revoking the license," the ministry said in a statement. The widely expected decision came as a relief to about 2,000 Jin Air employees and is in line with South Korea's efforts to create jobs for young people. The unemployment rate for young adults -- those aged between 15 and 29 -- was 9.3 percent in July, much higher than the overall jobless rate of 3.7 percent, according to government data released on Friday. Jin Air hailed the ministry's decision and vowed to make further efforts to become an airline that keeps customers and safety as top priorities. Despite allowing the airline to stay in operation, the ministry said it will restrict approval of new air routes by Jin Air and the registration of new airplanes, as well as the arrangement of non-regular flights. The ministry said the punitive steps will remain in place until after Jin Air is found to have normalized its management by faithfully improving its corporate culture and taking steps not to again violate the law. Jin Air's labor union pressed Chairman Cho and others members of his family to cease meddling in the management of the budget carrier and to offer an apology to all employees for causing the trouble. Jin Air hit turbulence in March when the younger Cho allegedly threw water in the face of an ad agency manager during a meeting in a fit of anger, behavior that sparked public outrage against the controlling family of Korean Air and Jin Air. Cho Hyun-min is the younger sister of Cho Hyun-ah, who gained global notoriety for the "nut rage" incident in 2014. Cho Hyun-ah forced a plane back to the boarding gate at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport because she was upset with the way her nuts were served -- in an unopened bag instead of on a plate. Cho Yang-ho and his wife -- Lee Myung-hee -- were also questioned over separate allegations. In April, South Korea's customs service raided the Korean Air headquarters over suspicions that Cho's family members sneaked luxury goods into the country without paying duties. Also Friday, the ministry said it has decided not to revoke Air Incheon Co's license, though a Russian national served as a board member between 2012 and 2014. Air Incheon is a specialized air cargo carrier that is focused on the Russia Far East market, Japan, China and Mongolia. It operates a fleet of three planes made up of two B737-400F and a larger B767-300BCF jet. Source from the Yonhap. US Sanctions Myanmar Military Over Human Rights Atrocities Against Rohingya, Christians Christian Post Contributor | 18 August, 2018 by Samuel Smith The Trump administration has sanctioned Myanmar military forces for their "ethnic cleansing" of the Rohingya population in Rakhine state and "widespread human rights abuses" against Christians and other religious minorities in two other states. Amid consistent calls from activists for the United States to act in response to what they say is a genocide in the Asian country, the Treasury Department announced Friday that its Office of Foreign Assets Control has sanctioned four Burmese military and Border Guard Police commanders as well as two Burmese military units. The sanctions come in response to what the U.S. government has described as an "ethnic cleansing" of the predominantly Muslim Rohingya minority in Rakhine. These actions are also in response to the persecution and violence faced by many in the Kachin and Shan states; however the ethnic cleansing designation was not applied in those cases. The sanctions impact Burmese military commanders Aung Kyaw Zaw, Khin Maun Soe, Khin Hlaing and BGP commander Thura San Lwin. The sanctions also impact Myanmar's 33rd Light Infantry Division and 99th Light Infantry Division, which the U.S. says has overseen the abuse in those three areas. The sanctions were issued in accordance with the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act of 2016, which allows the U.S. to target perpetrators of human rights abuses by seizing U.S. assets or issuing travel bans. As a result, assets those leaders of divisions have within American jurisdictions are no longer accessible. "Burmese security forces have engaged in violent campaigns against ethnic minority communities across Burma, including ethnic cleansing, massacres, sexual assault, extrajudicial killings, and other serious human rights abuses," Sigal Mandelker, Treasury under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement. "Treasury is sanctioning units and leaders overseeing this horrific behavior as part of a broader U.S. government strategy to hold accountable those responsible for such wide scale human suffering." Mandelker assured that there must be "justice for the victims" and those responsible need to be "held to account." The announcement comes about a year after the Myanmar military began its crackdown against the Rohingya. "The U.S. government is committed to ensuring that Burmese military units and leaders reckon with and put a stop to these brutal acts," he contended. "We will continue to systematically expose and bring accountability to human rights abusers in this region and many others and greatly appreciate the efforts of civil society who are doing the same." Activists have ramped up pressure in recent weeks for the U.S. State Department to label what Myanmar has done in the Rakhine state, where over 700,000 Rohingya have fled to seek safety in Bangladesh, as genocide. "We have confidence that Secretary Pompeo and President Trump will do the right thing for Burma, for America, and for the world by drawing a line in the sand to officially declare the actions of the Burma military to be genocide, and to reimpose full sanctions excluding food and medicine" Imam Malik Mujahid, chair of the Faith Coalition to Stop Genocide in Burma, said in a statement. An explosive report released recently by the human rights organizations Fortify Rights documents how the military forces planned the attack against the Rohingya community that began on Aug. 25, 2017, and even trained neighboring civilian communities to attack the Rohingya in a genocide-like manner. "Sanctions on Myanmar is the right response to the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims there," Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., wrote in a tweet. "The right to practice any faith, or have no faith, is a human right of every person, whether they belong to a minority or majority religion in their country." The military forces have also terrorized civilians in the Kachin and Shan states. In the Kachin state, over 130,000 people are now internally displaced due to an increase in violence in the region. Many are seeking refuge in Baptist churches throughout the region. Evangelical Texas Pastor Bob Roberts, who recently traveled to Kachin, expressed concern with the fact that the same forces who terrorized the Rohingya in Rakhine are the same entities that are terrorizing the Kachin people. According to Roberts, nearly 60 churches have been destroyed in the last year-and-a-half in the Kachin state and about 20 of them have been turned into Buddhist pagodas. Myanmar has a civilian-led government that is headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, which has led many to wonder why these human rights abuses are taking place. The problem is that the government doesn't have control over the military. Read more about Christians in Myanmar on The Christian Post. Dung expressed her belief that Fus visit will help deepen the friendship between Vietnam and China as well as between the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCMYU) and the CYLC. The official told her guest that the municipal youth union and the Vietnam Youth Federations HCM City chapter have made noted contributions to the citys building and development. The local youth organisations have launched various activities to encourage young people to take part in national construction, she said, adding that they have also proven their pioneering role and responsibility in joint efforts to turn HCM City into a civilised and modern city during 2015-2020. For his part, Fu expressed his impression on dynamism and creativeness of youths in HCM City, voicing his hope for more exchanges and cooperation activities between youth unions of Vietnamese and Chinese cities and provinces. The HCMYU and the CYLC should step up their collaboration to contribute to cultivating the friendship and comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries, he said. Fu is in Vietnam to attend the 18th Vietnam-China youth friendship meeting that officially kicked off in Hanoi on August 14. The meeting is held from August 13-19, with main activities taking place in Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. The meeting has been organised in rotation in each country since 2000, aiming to realise the common policy of the leaders of the two Parties and States on enhancing exchanges between the Vietnamese and Chinese people and youths. Vietnamplus In a move that sparked division on social media, President Trump opened his cabinet meeting Thursday by asking Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to pray. Pompeo said he was using a Cadet Prayer booklet from his days at West Point. O God, our Father, Thou Searcher of mens hearts, help us to draw near to Thee in sincerity and truth. May our religion be filled with gladness and may our worship of Thee be natural, Pompeo prayed. Strengthen and increase our admiration for honest dealing and clean thinking, and suffer not our hatred of hypocrisy and pretense ever to diminish. Make us to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never be to content with a half truth when the whole can be won." Endow us with courage that is born of loyalty to all that is noble and worthy, that scorns to compromise with vice and injustice and knows no fear when truth and right are in jeopardy, Pompeo said. Help us to maintain the honor of the United States untarnished and unsullied and to show forth in our lives the ideals of America in doing our duty to Thee and to our nation. All of which we ask in the name of the Great Friend and Master of man. Amen. C-SPAN posted the prayer on Twitter. Some applauded it. God bless this country! one person wrote. Others, though, said it was out of place. Is it a religious meeting? All of them are hypocrites, another person wrote. President George W. Bush, too, often began his cabinet meetings with prayer, according to U.S. News & World Report. Michael Foust is a freelance writer. Visit his blog, MichaelFoust.com . Video courtesy: C-SPAN Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Oliver Contreras-Pool Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The British Medical Association (BMA) is Britain's leading trade union for doctors and health professionals. With a membership of around 160,000 medical professionals, it is inarguable that the BMA holds powerful influence in health and medical oriented legislation. The BMA logo is symbolic of its purpose: a serpent wrapped around a pole - commonly referred to as 'The Rod of Asclepius'. The serpent-entwined rod was said by the pagan Greeks to be wielded by the Greek god Asclepius who was deemed responsible for healing and medicine. The original Hippocratic Oath which swears to protect and seek to preserve patients' lives begins with an invocation of the same mythological power. The concept of the serpent-entwined rod predates Asclepius however. In the Bible book of Numbers, it is this same image that God instructed Moses to make when the wilderness wandering Hebrews were dying from a rebellion caused serpent infestation. All who were bitten by a serpent were instructed to look at the brass made serpent on a rod and they would find healing and life. Many years later, 2 Kings 18 records how the Israelites had eventually taken to worshipping the image referred to derogatorily as 'Nehushtan', leading King Hezekiah to destroy the artefact. The importance of the symbol remained, however, as Jesus references the same in John 3.14-15. 'And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.' (ESV). Preservation. Protection. Trust. Hope. Help. Healing. Life. All words that are associated with the insignia the BMA bears. If only the BMA itself could be associated with the same words. Disturbing leaked guidance distributed to BMA members, says medical professionals should be allowed to remove tubes giving food and water to those who cannot feed themselves. Doctors will be enabled to decide to end the lives of patients with severe dementia or other degenerative diseases by effectively starving and dehydrating them. The BMA document indicates the new rules should cover "...those patients who have a recognised degenerative condition such as advanced dementia, Parkinson's or Huntington's disease that is likely to result in the patient being unable to take sufficient nutrition orally." The guidelines could potentially include stroke victims. The BMA's justification for this? "Due to the degenerative nature of their condition, these patients are on an expected downward trajectory and will inevitably die, usually as a result of their underlying condition, although perhaps not imminently and could, potentially, go on living for many years." In short, if someone is sick and can't care for himself, he risks being sped on to his death because 'he was going to die anyway.' Christian medical expert Peter Saunders is right when referring to the BMA guidelines as 'a recipe for euthanasia by stealth'. It is also understandable why one disabled lady refers to the guidance as 'the most chilling thing I've ever heard.' Its actions stand in stark contrast to the Hippocratic Oath once taken so seriously by medical professionals. The Oath promises: "I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures that are required, avoiding those twin traps of overtreatment and therapeutic nihilism." The BMA abandons the latter part of the statement with the attitude of "what's the use? He's going to die soon anyway" The Oath asserts: "I must not play God." The BMA, not even acknowledging there is a God, wants to take life into their own hands and have power to force its end. The Oath vows: "I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm." The BMA is fine with those of sound mind and body. It's the infirm who are the problem. If you can't take care of yourself, feed yourself, or take your own medication the BMA suggests it is not responsible or obligated to do anything more than remove your feeding tubes and speed you on to an end much earlier than would have occurred. Life is cheap. The Hebrews looked to the serpent-entwined rod provided by God for healing and help and received it. Should the BMA have its way, many people will do the normal thing and look for medical help when falling ill. They will entrust themselves to physicians operating under that same trusted brand of healing the serpent-entwined rod. They will hope that the physicians can care for and help them as best they possibly can. But rather than finding themselves cared for and given their best chance at life, many will find the BMA's serpent not of the kind that heals but of the very sort that kills. By then it will be too late. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Like every other UN Member State, Cuba was reviewed earlier during this year in the framework of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) conducted by the UN's Human Rights Council in Geneva. At this occasion, our Geneva Liaison Office worked on a report explaining the situation of the Evangelical churches in Cuba. Following years of steady growth, Evangelicals currently amount to about 10% of the Cuban population. While a small minority of churches are protected, most still face some forms of restriction and yet hope for the government to guarantee more freedom. In this current context, it has not been possible for an Evangelical Alliance in Cuba to be created yet. Different groups, different situations The situation for Evangelicals in Cuba greatly depends on which denomination the congregations belongs to. One can distinguish three groups of Evangelical Churches in Cuba: The protected churches: Since 1959, Cuba has tried to secure the support of established churches, sometimes by force. Churches accepting the liberation theology are close to the State and have favorable conditions. They represent 8% of evangelical protestants in Cuba and are affiliated the Cuban Council of Churches. During the UPR, reports from Evangelical churches belonging to this group were submitted to the UN and praised the governments' attitude towards religious freedom. Unfortunately, those reports are not at all representative of the situation of Evangelical churches in general. Repressed churches: Indeed, 80% of Evangelicals belong to a second group which does not hold the same privileges as the first group, because it wants to focus on the Gospel and be politically non-aligned. Consequently, denominations present in Cuba before 1959 but unwilling to affiliate with the Cuban Church Council have suffered severe persecution in the past century (confiscation of seminary, prison sentences for pastors, etc.). Even if their situation has greatly improved since the 90s, compared to the severe persecution suffered in the 60s and 70s, they are still tolerated at best. The government has so far refused for them to organize as the "Cuban Evangelical Alliance". Being tolerated but not recognized, many meet illegally in house churches, because they do not receive construction permit or authorization to meet in larger places. They face confiscation, demolition and their leaders can still face arrests. Indeed, some pastors have been arrested still recently and later released. Illegal and persecuted churches: Churches established after 1959 in Cuba face the most difficult conditions, because they are considered illegal. They represent 12% of Cuban Evangelicals. Some are in the country since over 30 years but are still unable to register with the ministry of justice of Cuba. Their meeting locations can be destroyed, and their leaders arrested. Thus, dozens of pastors are regularly harassed and arrested. Some have been unjustly sentenced in court, such as pastor Nunez Velazquez who was sentenced on October 2016 to one-year house arrest. The Human Rights Council misses an opportunity to raise Cuba's religious freedom restrictions Regretfully, during the recent UPR review in the on May 16 by the United Nations Human Rights Council, only the situation of the first group of the protected Churches was mentioned. Cuba affirmed that "no restrictions and no barriers were standing in the way of religious associations to exercise their right freely".This is not true for over 90% of Evangelicals in Cuba. Four report brought attention to restrictions on Freedom of Religion in Cuba and the situation of religious minorities in Cuba - By the World Evangelical Alliance (in French), by Christian Solidarity Worldwide (in English), by Patmos Institute (in Spanish), and by ADF International (in English). It was disturbing that, despite these reports, no State raised critical comments on religious freedom in Cuba, while India, Mozambique and the United Arab Emirates praised Cuba for its promotion of freedom of religion. Christians in Cuba ask for prayers for their country Christians in Cuba pray their government will grant them more freedom in the future. They hope that denominations requesting to be registered will be recognized and able to operate freely under a fair rule of law. They also hope that their government will come to realize that Evangelicals are not a threat nor a force of political opposition but a blessing for their country, because of the Christians praying for their government and wanting to serve the common good. Michael Mutzner is Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva of the World Evangelical Alliance Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Recently while exchanging texts with another Christian the subject came up of those times when it's difficult to communicate with someone else. I texted back that I felt the solution was to just invite Jesus into every conversation. It was at that very moment that the most wonderful thing happened. All of a sudden I felt an overwhelming sense of the Spirit of God and His love. From my perspective at that moment this love I was feeling was certainly undeserved. I felt this overwhelming love for everyone I knew and everyone I was around for the rest of that day. It was a Wednesday night and I went into our pastor's office before church and excitedly told him about what I was feeling. He smiled because he too had experienced that level of supernatural love from God. I just went about saying to the Lord over and over again; "Lord I am a very wealthy man. Lord, please, how do I walk in this and how can I keep it forever?" However, it was not the Lord's will for me to live on that mountaintop; reality eventually set in and my normal day-to-day emotions returned. I share that experience to illustrate that I do understand the love that Paul described when he said; "And to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge" Ephesians 3:19a (KJV) One of my most used sermons as a revivalist is from 2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV); "If my people which are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land." Because of the sermon I did some research on the phrase "If you, then I." As it turns out, it is a grammatical term. It's called, believe it or not, a "conditional sentence." Actually, God's word is full of conditional sentences. As a matter of fact, there is a condition to every promise in God's Word! I challenge a reader to show me a promise in the entire Bible without one! Even if a promise only requires faith it is still a conditional promise! For us to experience God's unconditional love, we must meet the first condition of being "born again." Jesus said in John 3:3b (KJV): "Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of Heaven." From the very beginning, we are confronted with the choice of whether or not to be saved. We are rightly taught that in order to become a member of the family of God, we must be "born again." We do this by sincerely asking forgiveness of all our sins and asking Jesus by His Spirit to come and live in our heart. The second condition we are faced with is what we must learn to do, is to be able to communicate with our Heavenly Father after conversion. That condition is the one of learning to pray. Jesus taught in Matthew 6:33(KJV); "But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness and all these things will be added unto you." Oops! There's the third one right away. Not only must we seek the Kingdom in learning to pray, we must seek the Kingdom of God's righteousness too! Wow, the conditions are piling up quick here folks! The truth is that the list just goes on and on. We soon realize that embedded in God's instructions there are many many conditional promises in the Word to the new believer. There are also many more to believers as they mature in the faith. You might ask why the term "unconditional love" is used so often in the church to describe the love of God. Here is how that all came about. The term "unconditional love" migrated from psychological circles into the church sometime in the 1970s. Someone decided that it was the best translation for the Greek word "agape" which is the word for the type of love God gives. The term took off like a brush fire on a hot windy day. People everywhere began to use the term in their teaching and preaching because it sounded so right and it sounded so good! However, according to Vine's Bible Dictionary, the word "agape", interpreted by so many to mean "unconditional love" means "undeserved love." Undeserved love is something quite different; it means "merciful love." Vine explains that most perfect expression of agape love found in scripture is when God gave His only begotten Son for the sins of the world. In serving our Lord, I have come in contact with believers who have been steeped in the "unconditional love" teachings. I have observed that they often exhibit an attitude, an attitude that corresponds greatly with the narcissism of our self-focused society. The attitude of self-entitlement! This attitude runs directly contrary to the preaching of the cross and of the crucified life. It is my belief that this is the reason why churches who choose to preach a lot of messages using unconditional love as their foundation of truth also tend to eliminate the cross message. To them Jesus is like a gold card with an unlimited spending limit. These followers tend to be lax in their serving and in their morals. Why? It is because they have taken the semantics of the phrase "unconditional love" to the furthest degree and like spoiled children believe they can do whatever they want. In contrast many of your older Christians have been raised on sound doctrine and still believe in God's gift of "agape" love, as an undeserved love, a love, which is humbling. They believe that they deserve nothing but hell and got heaven instead. It humbles them to a life of service to the King of Kings. They tend to make very few demands of Him for the here and now. May God likewise open our eyes to solid doctrine and an appreciation for His unfathomable gift of salvation! Rev Nolan J Harkness is the President and CEO of Nolan Harkness Evangelistic Ministries Inc. since 1985. He spent most of his adult life working in youth ministry. He also felt the calling of Evangelist/Revivalist and traveled as the door was open holding evangelistic meetings in churches throughout the Northeast. His website is www.verticalsound.org. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment This article is not a spoof, and I'm not making up these headlines or quotes. Every word you're about to read is true. The story is now more than two months old, but it just caught my eye this week, and I felt it was important to share with you. I trust you'll agree as you read. WUSA9.com ran this headline on June 1: "Candidate for Congress wants to legalize incest." Yes, "Nathan Larson, an accountant who lives in Fauquier County [VA], thinks it's okay for adults to have sex with children. A survivor of child sex abuse says Larson is a predator who should be locked up not elected to high office." A widely-shared article from May 31 on the Huffington Post carried this headline: "Congressional Candidate In Virginia Admits He's A Pedophile." To make things even worse, he also "bragged in website posts about raping his late ex-wife." Indeed, "In a phone call, Larson confirmed that he created the now-defunct websites suiped.org and incelocalypse.today chat rooms that served as gathering places for pedophiles and violence-minded misogynists like himself." And he admitted there was a "grain of truth" in an essay he wrote "about father-daughter incest and another about raping his ex-wife repeatedly." Yet this man is running for public office? He's not ashamed of his attractions and proclivities? (Now you understand why I needed to state up front that this was not satire.) In Larson's own words, "A lot of people are tired of political correctness and being constrained by it. People prefer when there's an outsider who doesn't have anything to lose and is willing to say what's on a lot of people's minds." Really? Not talking openly about being a pedophile is a matter of being politically correct? That's the only thing stopping us from saying, "Hey man, no big deal that you identify as a pedophile as long as you keep your hands off my kids"? How dare Larson chalk this up to political correctness. If you say, "Then what should someone do if he finds himself attracted to children?" First, he should get help privately, and he should do so in a hurry. Second, he should renounce those attractions as perverted and unacceptable. Third, he should distance himself from any possible sources of temptation. Should he choose to announce his struggles to the world, then he shouldn't be surprised if he is shunned by parents with their kids. Would you feel comfortable having a grown man leering at your little ones? Having said this, I'm not really surprised that something like this has happened. In my 2011 book A Queer Thing Happened to America, I included a lengthy, carefully-documented chapter comparing 8 major pro-pedophilia arguments with 8 major pro-gay arguments. (For a summary, see this 2011 article, "Why Are We Surprised With the Push for 'Pedophile Rights'?" As I stated emphatically in the book, I was comparing the arguments, not the actions.) The author of a 2015 article on Salon.com called for sympathy for pedophiles, stating that, "I'm a pedophile, but not a monster." He made clear that he would not act out his desires, but that left him "cursed" with a pedophilic sexual orientation. And now, two lecturers on the widely-viewed TED talks have called for sympathy and understanding for pedophiles. After all, we are reminded, they did not choose their feelings, and they are people like everyone else. But again, this should not surprise us in the least. We have been heading in this direction for decades now, as we plunge deeper and deeper into sexual anarchy. We have redefined marriage, a big reason being that, "We were born this way and we can't change. Plus, our same-sex relationship doesn't hurt anyone." We're also getting increasingly used to polygamy and polyamory, while incest is becoming acceptable as well. Why, then, why should we react so harshly to pedophilia? We're not talking about adults raping children. Even pedophiles acknowledge that's wrong. But if sexual orientation is innate and immutable, and if pedophilia is a sexual orientation, should adult-child desires be considered sinful? And if some adults (especially gay men) look back fondly at when older men "mentored" them sexually when they were young teens, maybe we should reconsider the age of consent? (I'm uncomfortable even writing these words, but they are all documented in the Queer Thing book, including quotes from famous gay activists.) Should we be surprised that Peter Tatchell, known as England's most prominent gay activist, has campaigned to have the age of consent reduced to 14? Should we be surprised that the 1972 Gay Rights Platform called for the "Repeal of all laws governing the age of sexual consent." (This was demand #7. The 6th demand called for, "Repeal of all state laws prohibiting transvestism and cross-dressing." The 8th demand called for, "Repeal of all legislative provisions that restrict the sex or number of persons entering into a marriage unit; and the extension of legal benefits to all persons who cohabit regardless of sex or numbers.") That's why I say that I'm not that surprised to see this latest development. And, while Larson's candidacy has produced shock and revulsion, it is just one more step towards the desensitizing of our culture. After all, he was born that way, right? My counsel to each of you is simple. Stay outraged. Stay revulsed. Stay shocked. And let's pray that Mr. Larson would turn to God and ask for mercy and transformation. Pedophiles, too, can be changed. Almost 50 years after a Houston woman was fatally shot, authorities have filed murder charges against the man accused of killing her. On July 16, 1969, Mary Ann Burton, then 21, was fatally shot at her home on South MacGregor Way near Hermann Park, the Houston Police Department stated Thursday in a news release. As many as dozens of victims were scammed by a Houston man allegedly pretending to a lawyer, the Harris County District Attorney's Office stated Friday in a news release. A woman contacted the State Bar of Texas after paying $500 to a business called "Ruben Cartwright Law Firm" to help her with a divorce. However, that business was neither run by Ruben Cartwright nor an actual law firm, authorities stated. Instead, 73-year-old John B. Kennedy had stolen Cartwright's identity and was pretending to be a lawyer, according to the DA's office. Authorities raided Kennedy's office Thursday morning, arresting Kennedy. He now faces multiple felony charges relating to to identity fraud and his misrepresentation as a lawyer, the DA's office stated. An actual Reuben Cartwright with a slightly different spelling of his first name is licensed to do law in Texas after graduating from Texas Southern University in 2012, state bar records show. Reached for comment on his personal phone Friday evening, a man confirmed that Cartwright was a lawyer but said he did not feel well enough to speak to a reporter. Kennedy, on the other hand, ran what the DA's office called a "fake law office" at 921 Farm to Market Road 1960 in north Harris County near Spring. Calls seeking comment Friday from the purported law firm went straight to voicemail. Kennedy has a history of criminal charges dating back to at least 2009, Harris County court records show. He pled guilty in 2012 to another charge that he had pretended to be a lawyer and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. However, he was a free man by 2015, when he was accused of violating his parole, according to court records. This time, Kennedy is "accused of not providing legal services after being paid" by clients, the DA's office stated in its news release. The DA is unsure how many people were victimized but estimated "dozens," citing a "preliminary investigation." Authorities said anyone who is concerned they might have fallen for Kennedy's alleged scam should contact the DA's Financial Crimes Division at 713-274-5555. Authorities are looking for at least two suspects in a violent assault and attempted robbery Friday in northwest Harris County that left a woman in critical condition. At around 9:30 a.m., a woman who authorities have not yet identified had just withdrawn $75,000 in cash and was arriving at a location on the 23200 block of Northwest Freeway near Jersey Village, Harris County Constable Precinct 4 stated on social media. As she got out of her car, another vehicle pulled up. A suspect jumped out of that car and began assaulting the woman in attempt to steal her purse, a surveillance video released by authorities shows. Authorities later identified that suspect as 31-year-old Davis Dowell Mitchell. The female victim "fought hard and refused to give up her purse containing the money," authorities stated. Her husband saw the fight and ran out to help. As the victims continued to fight Mitchell, another car a black Chrysler 300 pulled up. Another unidentified suspect jumped out and began to also assault the victims, authorities stated. That suspect got back in his car, reversed over the victims and then fled the scene, the surveillance video shows. While the victim was able to hold on to her purse, she was injured by the car attack and is now in critical condition, authorities stated. The victim is expected to live but is in surgery after injuring her shoulder and back, Constable Mark Herman said. As the attack was happening, a Precinct 4 deputy drove by. The deputy "saw people on the ground and didn't know what it was at first," Herman said. The deputy arrested Davis Dowell Mitchell, who will face charges of Aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, authorities stated. Mitchell has not been cooperating with the investigation, Herman said. Authorities are now looking for at least two other suspects: The driver of the car who ran over the victim, and the driver whose car Mitchell was initially riding in. Authorities urged the public to contact "local law enforcement" if they recognize the suspects in the surveillance video, seen above. The number of Humble ISD students in need of free meal services last school year increased in communities that were heavily impacted by Hurricane Harvey, according to Jerri Monbaron, director of community development for Humble ISD. A program that some district schools refer to as Angel Accounts has existed for many years through the Humble ISD Education Foundation. The program provides several hundred hot meals to students in need throughout the district each school year. The Angel Accounts program supplements a service offered by Humble ISD that supplies a free alternate meal to students whose lunch accounts reach negative $20. Breakfast alternate meals consist of graham crackers, fruit and milk. Lunch alternate meals include a turkey-and-cheese sandwich, fruit and milk. However, schools with a positive Angel Account balance can use those funds to purchase hot meals for students that would otherwise have received the alternate meals. So, instead of a sandwich lunch, a student receives a hot lunch that comes with a meat entree, two vegetables, two fruits, a grain-based food, and milk. For about a month after the hurricane, Humble ISD was given a waiver by the Texas Department of Agriculture to provide free breakfast and lunches to all of its students, Monbaron said. After that waiver period, the district went back to relying on alternate meals and Angel Accounts to ensure every student has access to some kind of meal. Monbaron hopes to see a decrease in the number of students needing these services in the upcoming school year. Hopefully, (it) will be less than last year because more of our families are back in their homes after the hurricane, Monbaron said. Although Angel Accounts are able to provide hundreds of hot meals to students annually, Monbaron said unfortunately its just not enough to accommodate the level of need that exists in the district. Angel Accounts do not have enough funds to pay for a hot meal for every student that is given an alternate meal, Monbaron said. The Angel Account program relies on donations made to the Humble ISD Education Foundation, which can be done through www.humbleisdfoundation.org/donate. Donors who wish to contribute to the hot meal program may note that their donation is specifically for the Angel Accounts. Donations feed the accounts, which in turn allows a school to feed a student hot meals while the parent either pays down the negative balance or completes an application for the free or reduced meal program, Monbaron said. Guardians get an emailed alert when their childs balance is negative. They can make payments to their childs lunch account either in-person by bringing cash or a check to the campus cafeteria, or online through www.schoolcafe.com. Child Nutrition Services will contact guardians to inform them of the option to enroll in the free or reduced meals program if a cafeteria manager sees a child that has needed alternate meals for three consecutive days. mfeuk@hcnonline.com The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless. The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well. By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism. A suspect in a traffic stop opened fire on a deputy constable in north Harris County Friday night, police said. The deputy with the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office was trying to pull over a dark-colored sedan in the 6800 block of Spring Stuebner Road around 10 p.m. At some point during the stop, a person from inside the sedan opened fire on the deputy. The deputy was not hit, according to the constable's office. It is unclear if anyone is in custody. No other information was available. Check back for updates on this developing story as they come in. Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message. Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com Nesreen Irsan finally had a night without nightmares. The 30-year-old widow at the center of Houstons two honor killings six years ago was able to sleep peacefully Tuesday night, the day her Jordanian father was sentenced to death row. It was the first time since running away from home and converting to Christianity in 2011 that she did not have nightmares about being hunted by her father and other family members, an ordeal she detailed exclusively for the Chronicle this week. I grew up with this murderer and he boasted about it. I was terrified of him, she said from an undisclosed location. You dont have anywhere to run. Youre a prisoner. Youre a prisoner in your own life. Despite getting restful sleep, she likely will never stop looking over her shoulder or carrying a gun. Nesreen continues to fear the friends and family members that her father, Ali Mahwood-Awad Irsan, enlisted to help stalk her for leaving Islam. She is taking precautions, including not talking about what part of the country she lives in or using social media. Still, to help deal with the grief, sadness and guilt she has about what happened, she spoke out to raise awareness about honor violence in America. ABBOTT'S PROMISE: 'In Texas if you commit 'honor killings' you will get the death penalty' I think the story needs to be told. There are things that are going on that people need to know about, she said. Even today, people are still terrified of him, even though hes on death row. There are people who still believe in what he was doing. On Tuesday, her 60-year-old father sat at the defense table in a Harris County courtroom and bowed his head slightly as he was sentenced to death for a pair of 2012 honor killings that were part of an extensive plot seeking to take the lives of five people, including Nesreen, who was 24 at the time. The devout Muslim patriarch was able to kill her husband, 28-year-old Coty Beavers, and her close friend Gelareh Bagherzadeh, a 30-year-old medical researcher and Iranian activist who championed womens rights. As Nesreen Irsan works to put her life back together, there have been bright spots, including reconnecting with her mother, who left her father 22 years ago, and an older sister. But its a bittersweet reunion after everything that has happened. I will carry this guilt forever, she said. I think the Lord will take the bad things and heal you, and I think that good will come out of this, and I pray for that. Nesemah, her older sister, also expressed deep relief at the death sentence given her father. She wants to spend her time helping people understand that honor killings are real. The world is a safer place knowing that a man who was capable of anything and everything will no longer hurt anyone else, Nesemah said in a statement. Living through this ordeal has made me stronger and I would like to help others who are currently in this type of situation. For Nesreen, its tough to have friendships or relationships. I want to make friends, but Im afraid because I dont want something to happen to them, she said. Even when I make friends, theyre scared to be my friend. Theyre scared to hang out with me. She said it has also been hard to find gainful employment in the medical field because of her connection to a murderous father. Andy Kahan, a victims' advocate at CrimeStoppers of Houston, said it's common for family and friends of murder victims to blame themselves or feel guilt. Sometimes the survivors guilt becomes overwhelming and can sometimes even become obsessive, he said. Kahan said hed never heard of a victim losing out on job opportunities because of their connection to a high-profile defendant. You can only hope that time will heal and shell be able to resume her life without being tainted or being seen in the same light as her father, he said. The United Nations released a report in 2000 estimating about 5,000 honor killings around the world every year, but womens rights groups say the number is closer to 20,000. A report commissioned by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2015 estimated that there are 23 to 27 honor killings each year in the U.S. every year. And in the last 10 years, there have been well-publicized honor killings in Arizona, New York and North Texas. COUNTY DETECTIVE: 8 reasons Houston's 'honor killings' seem connected Unfortunately, honor killings are happening in the United States. We hope that law enforcement agencies are paying attention and are taking the necessary steps to train and educate their personnel about the culture, so that senseless killings can be prevented one day, said Anna Emmons, one of the special prosecutors who put Irsan on death row along with Marie Primm and Jon Stephenson. During her fathers capital murder trial, Nesreen was twice called to testify about her father's daily beatings and his threats against any children who left his rural Montgomery County compound or violated any of his rules. Two of his sons disputed this account and testified in support of their father, as did several of his family members from Jordan. But Nesreen said she took the threats seriously because her father had previously shown what he was capable of doing. In 1999, Irsan fatally shot a different son-in-law in his living room after his oldest daughter married without his approval. Irsan testifed that he killed in self-defense, but other witnesses said it was planned. They said the father of 12 planted a handgun on the dead man to convince authorities he was in fear for his life. Nesreen was 12 years old when her father convinced police and Child Protective Services that it was self-defense. He manipulated the police, he manipulated CPS, she said. Law enforcement didnt understand the culture, so they didnt understand what was going on. She ran into the same difficulties a decade later when she ran away from home to marry Beavers. Her father called the police, falsely claiming she was on drugs and asking that she be returned to the rural Montgomery County homestead where he raised a dozen children he had with two wives. I said, No thats not true. Im just leaving. Im scared. Theyre going to kill me, she recalled. I dont think think the officer understood what grave danger I knew I was in, but I knew because I lived in that house all those years. IN DEFENSE: Jordanian patriarch's family testifies in 'honor killings' trial Testimony during Irsans trial showed that she and Beavers had filed a protective order and a no-contact order that Irsan regularly violated. A police officer told Nesreen there was little that could be done about him constantly driving by the Beavers house where she was staying. I dont think he understood what lengths these people will go through for their honor, she said. Its very scary. I was in love with Coty and I didnt want anything to happen to anybody, but nobody was helping us, as far as law enforcement. We had a protective order and it wasnt doing anything. In January 2012, Ali Irsan, his wife and his oldest son followed Bagherzadeh from the Beavers home to her parents' Galleria-area townhouse, testimony showed. Nesreens brother, Nasim, allegedly fired the shot that killed the activist as Irsan and his wife encouraged him. Nasim Irsan remains in the Harris County jail awaiting trial on a charge of capital murder. Nesreen told police she believed her father was responsible, and he was questioned. There was not enough evidence to arrest and he went free. Six months later, Nesreen and Coty, who were deep in the throes of first love, were married at the courthouse and rented an apartment in northwest Harris County, far from Irsans compound in Montgomery County. You try to be optimistic and say they havent been around for awhile and thats when they swoop in and wreak havoc and start murdering people, she said. Then you feel guilty because in your mind, had you not run away, none of these people would have been killed. On November 12, 2012, Nesreens husband walked her from their apartment to the car so she could go to her job at MD Anderson Cancer Center. As he escorted his wife, intruders crept into their apartment and hid in a bedroom. Testimony showed that Irsan wanted to kill them both, but when Beavers returned alone to the apartment, Nesreens father unloaded a .22 revolver, hitting Beavers with at least five bullets. He fell dead just inches from the assault rifle he kept for home protection. Nesreen and other members of the Beavers family immediately went on the run, refusing to spend two nights in the same place for months. That caution and fear about being tracked continues to this day, she said. These people are not like normal people, she said. Its not jealousy, its an anger thing about honor. Youre hurting their honor and for them, honor is what they live for. Its a very strong thing for them to believe in. Nesreen said she hopes her plight sheds light on honor violence, especially in raising awareness among law enforcement about what runaways may be going through. Honor killings in America are real, she said. When an American from this type of culture screams Im afraid or My family will kill me, it is imperative that authorities take the threat seriously and be proactive instead of reactive. Police cannot wait for something bad to happen before they get involved. She hopes for a future where authorities will help victims reloacte to another part of the country or even create a re-identity package to change what family members know about their victims. They have your Social Security number, mothers maiden name, everywhere youve ever lived and every detail about you. They know it, because you grew up there, she said. We need to help other girls. Theres a new principal in town. Veronica Tucker, who is originally from the Ft. Worth area, was named as St. Anthony of Paduas Catholic School principal. The school was founded in 2001 and now serves just under 500 students from pre-K to eighth grade. Renee Nunez, the schools founding principal, was promoted to the archdiocesan Catholic schools office. With a background in counseling and education, Tucker takes her place: excited to be in a school that she calls a great fit for her and her family. QUESTION: Tell me about you where youre from, what your background is and what your family is like. TUCKER: I was actually born in Galveston, as my father was in medical school there, but moved to Ft. Worth when I was two and a half. I grew up in Ft. Worth, went all through elementary and high school there. I have one brother. Then, I went to college at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. I was there for four years and then back to Ft. Worth for one year. I got engaged that year, then I got married (to my husband Aaron) the summer of 99. We moved to San Diego for five years. I got my masters in counseling there at the University of San Diego while my husband was serving in the Navy. Then, in 2003, we moved back to Ft. Worth. I taught and was a counselor at my former high school, Nolan Catholic High School. I then started a counseling program at my former elementary school. Then, we lived in Pittsburgh for a couple of years, and there I had my third baby. I stayed home and wrote for the Catholic newspaper up there. Then, I moved back to Ft. Worth and served as an assistant principal and principal of my former elementary school. Then I found out my husband was being transferred to this area. Wed already picked out this school for our sons. The position became open for principal, and I was encouraged to apply. It just worked out great. We live a mile away. Ive been married for 19 years, and have a daughter whos a freshman at Frassati Catholic High School, named Abby. My son Luke is in sixth grade here, and I have two boys in kindergarten, Joey and Davidson. Joey is adopted from China. Hes been with us for three years, and he and Davidson are six months apart. Theyre best friends and it works out really well. We didnt really plan it that way. We were open to a wide age range, and then we were matched with him and its like theyre twins. QUESTION: Did you always know you wanted to be a principal? TUCKER: No. I always sort of thought I wanted to be a doctor, and was kind of on that track. When I got engaged and I knew we were moving to San Diego, that changed things. I knew I wanted to be in a helping profession, and so thats why I went into counseling. When I was studying counseling, I did my internship at a day treatment center in California and was also teaching part-time on the side to help pay for graduate school. I loved being in schools, and thought it would be great for family life. I went into school counseling, and at one point, I was asked if I would be the assistant principal. I said Id do it Ill be the the interim assistant principal for one year until they could find someone better. And then it was just a great fit! I always had great teachers to work with. Another school position opened up where the principal resigned, so they asked me to go there. Again, I didnt think I could do it, but then I loved it. It seemed like this was what I was meant to do. I love working with kids. I dont think Id want to go to that next level, at the offices. I would be so sad because I like to be with kids all the time. I like to be in classrooms; I visit them all the time. Thats where I feel fulfilled, its great. I was formed by Catholic schools, so to be able to give back to Catholic schools is great. Ive always been at schools where my kids are too, so thats really such a gift. QUESTION: What are your hopes for this year and dreams for the students here? TUCKER: As a school, our theme for the past three years has been Joy: with the J being Jesus first, the O being others second and the Y being yourself last. As its the third year, the focus is more on yourself. A more spiritual goal would be that students know themselves, know their gifts and use them to put Jesus first and others second. Weve also talked, as a faculty, about humility and making sure were teaching kids that. The faith piece is always first, but our academics here are really rigorous and we want to challenge them too. I want the students to have fun while learning; I want them to love learning. The faculty and staff here are really positive, theyre so smart, and Ive never seen such happy hallways! I just want that to continue. The previous principal, Renee Nunez, was here since the school opened (in 2001), so she left a great legacy, and the school is in awesome shape. QUESTION: Do you feel you have big shoes to feel, since the previous principal was here for so long? TUCKER: Shes been really open to communicating with me, and now shes an assistant superintendent, so shes now one of my bosses. Shes a great reference, and everyone talks very fondly of her. Many of the thing she had in place, were keeping and continuing to build on them. QUESTION: Your first day of school was August 13th. How did it go? TUCKER: It was really great, it was fun. We had the dolphin herethats our mascot who dresses up, named Spirit. So Spirit was out greeting kids on the first day. All the parents bring the kids in to do first day of school pictures. The parents have been so supportive and welcoming. We had a meeting in the gym with all the parents, and I was able to address them in there with my two assistant principals. It was just a half day, so it went by really quick. Ive had many first days of school, and I still get nervous and excited. QUESTION: Tell me more about the Catholic education. What do you feel it can bring to the community in a different way than what secular education can? TUCKER: As far as the pure academics go, we meet all the state requirements that all the public schools are required to meet. But we go much deeper than that; we push our kids beyond the minimum requirements. What really makes us different is that faith is infused in all of it. So all lesson plans that teachers put together, they have to say how theyre addressing the Catholic piece. We also spend a lot of time talking about virtues and trying to live as Christ lived. Its constant in the way that kids talk to each other and in discipline. I cant imagine doing discipline and not having that. The beauty of our Catholic faith is that its a church of forgiveness, so that when kids make a mistake, we can remind them that were forgiven its a new day. Theres a need to right the wrong, but they also know that theres forgiveness on the other side. Its a liberating thing. Christ is in all the schools, but here hes welcomed, he has a seat and hes talked about. We also have mass once a week, (for students) from kindergarten to eighth grade. QUESTION: What do you think is the most challenging thing when it comes to Catholic education? TUCKER: One thing that challenges Catholic schools across the county is enrollment, because the public schools are so strong and have an excellent reputation. Then, there are charter schools and other schools. Otherwise, we have really great teachers. That part is never a challenge. One thing that is a challenge is getting all the resources. Without the state funding, we have to rely heavily on donations. Tuition pays salaries and benefits, so then youre relying on fundraising to do all the extras. We count on that; we cant run without that. We do a lot of targeted advancement things, whether were pushing technology or other things. Our families are giving to help these extra programs. We also have to rely on parent volunteers. Ive been really impressed with how the parents step up and support the school. QUESTION: How do you expect the school to grow during your time here? TUCKER: The school has been around since 2001 and has such a great history, and I definitely want to continue to build on that. I think long term, we would love to increase enrollment and increase the size of the campus. Were looking at increasing some elective offerings, some after school offerings. Were always re-examining our curriculum, and we make a lot of effort here with professional growth for our teachers. At this point, Im still learning the school. QUESTION: What do you like to do in your free time? TUCKER: I like to run, so I actually get up at like 3:45 in the morning. Its crazy, and Ive always done that. Its kind of my only time. I have the four kids, who I love, but when everyones up its sort of wild. So its my only time by myself. I get up, I pray, I think about my day and the things I want to accomplish. I have my best ideas in the morning when Im running. So thats something I do every day. I love to travel, but I dont get to do as much as I would like to. I like to be with my family, like to read and play piano. If we have free time, were just hanging out as a family. jane.stueckemann@chron.com WASHINGTON - The Justice Department is investigating whether longtime Republican fundraiser Elliott Broidy sought to sell his influence with the Trump administration by offering to deliver U.S. government actions for foreign officials in exchange for tens of millions of dollars, according to three people familiar with the probe. As part of the investigation, prosecutors are scrutinizing a plan that Broidy allegedly developed to try to persuade the Trump government to extradite a Chinese dissident back to his home country, a move sought by Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to two of the people. They also are investigating claims that Broidy sought $75 million from a Malaysian business official if the Justice Department ended its investigation of a development fund run by the Malaysian government. The Malaysian probe has examined the role of the former prime minister in the embezzlement of billions of dollars from the fund. A Justice Department spokeswoman declined to comment. Christopher Clark, an attorney for Broidy, said in a statement: "Elliott Broidy has never agreed to work for, been retained by nor been compensated by any foreign government for any interaction with the United States Government, ever. Any implication to the contrary is a lie." Broidy's alleged activities were detailed in news reports earlier this year that cited hacked emails. The Los Angeles-based venture capitalist, who served as top fundraiser for the Republican Party and President Donald Trump, has said that allegations against him are an effort by his enemies to smear him. Rudy Giuliani, an attorney for Trump, said he had no knowledge of any request for records related to Broidy. The White House referred a request for comment to the Republican National Committee, which declined to comment. In recent weeks, prosecutors with the Justice Department's public integrity section - which examines possible political and government corruption - have sought documents related to Broidy's business dealings. Among the information sought by investigators are details about Broidy's work on behalf of and interactions with the Chinese and Malaysian officials, according to two people familiar with the document requests. As part of their efforts, prosecutors have subpoenaed casino magnate Steve Wynn, the former RNC finance chairman and longtime Trump friend, for copies of records and communications related to Broidy. An attorney for Wynn, Reid Weingarten, declined to comment, saying only that Wynn is cooperating with the Justice Department. "Steve Wynn is completely cooperating with the investigation and he certainly has no reason to believe that anyone acted improperly in anything he knew about or was involved in," Weingarten said in a statement. Wynn was tapped by Trump to serve as the RNC's lead fundraiser after the election. Earlier this year, he stepped down from that post and from his executive role at his resort company after reports of sexual misconduct. Wynn has denied the allegations of inappropriate behavior. The public-integrity probe is the latest legal challenge for Broidy, who helped corral big donors to support Trump's presidential campaign, throwing a lavish fundraiser for the then-nominee at his Los Angeles-area home during the 2016 campaign. After the election, he was appointed to serve as a national deputy chairman for the RNC. Broidy sought to parlay his party role and connections to the White House and on Capitol Hill in pitches to foreign governments, according to a person with direct knowledge of his activities. In April, he resigned from his RNC position in the wake of a report that he had paid a former Playboy model $1.6 million in exchange for her silence about a sexual affair. Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen - another RNC fundraiser - helped arrange the settlement, Broidy acknowledged. Cohen is under investigation by federal prosecutors in Manhattan who are examining whether he fraudulently obtained millions of dollars in loans and whether his efforts to squash negative stories about Trump during the campaign violated election law. Broidy's business dealings captured the attention of investigators for special counsel Robert Mueller III, who asked at least one witness about Broidy's activities, according to a person familiar with the matter. Broidy's attempts to solve high-level headaches for the Chinese and Malaysian governments were first reported this spring by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, which cited in part a cache of hacked emails. Broidy has said the documents were stolen by enemies seeking to ruin his reputation. "This whole narrative is a fabrication driven by hackers who want to undermine me," Broidy said in a statement to the Times. Earlier this year, he filed a lawsuit against Qatar and Qatari officials, alleging that the country hacked his email accounts in retaliation for his allegations that Qatar supports terrorists. A spokesman for the Qatari government has called the suit "without fact or merit," and a federal judge dismissed the country as a defendant in the suit earlier this month, citing jurisdictional issues. The Journal reported in March that, according to a draft contract, Broidy and his wife, Robin Rosenzweig, were seeking $75 million from Malaysian businessman Jho Low if federal prosecutors dropped their investigation into a Malaysian state investment fund. The Justice Department has filed civil suits claiming $4.5 billion in public money was misappropriated from the fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad, seeking to claim a portion of those assets. Last month, Malaysian authorities charged former prime minister Najib Razak with embezzling billions in public money from the fund. Clark, the Broidy attorney, told the Journal that Rosenzweig's firm had been hired to provide strategic advice to Low, adding that "at no time did Mr. Broidy or Ms. Rosenzweig, or anyone acting on their behalf, discuss Mr. Low's case with President Trump, any member of his staff, or anyone at the U.S. Department of Justice." The Times reported in April that Broidy had explored ways to force Chinese exile Guo Wengui to leave the United States. The billionaire businessman had fled China in 2014 as he was facing arrest for a range of charges, including corruption. Guo has said the allegations were fabricated by a government that wants to silence him. Since his arrival in the United States, Guo has publicly detailed allegations of corruption in the Chinese ruling party. The Times reported that Broidy drafted a plan to enlist Emirati officials to pressure the United States to turn over Guo. In his statement to the newspaper, Broidy said he "never had a strategy or plan regarding Mr. Guo nor was there any compensation given or even discussed." Broidy's alleged efforts to push for Guo's extradition came after Wynn separately helped deliver a message from the Xi government seeking to have the dissident returned to China, according to a person familiar with the effort. Wynn, who has contacts with Chinese officials because of his business interests in Macau, hand-delivered a letter to Trump seeking Guo's deportation, The Journal reported last year. A spokesman for Wynn Resorts has said that the report about Wynn's role was false. At the time, the president expressed interest in assisting the Chinese but was met with resistance by senior law enforcement officials, according to the person. White House officials did not respond to requests for comment. This Week at NASA - NASA Administrator Tours Facilities and More. Our mission to touch the Sun is on its way, Administrator Bridenstine visits NASA spaceflight facilities, and an update on our first-ever asteroid sample return mission ... a few of the stories to tell you about - This Week at NASA. Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. A Virginia man was arrested in Alexandria on Friday on charges that he obtained U.S. citizenship by lying on his application and failed to disclose his role in suspected human rights abuses in his native Ethiopia, officials said. Mergia Negussie Habteyes, 58, was indicted Tuesday in federal court in Alexandria for falsely stating that he had never persecuted anyone because of their political opinion. The indictment says that Negussie, who lives in Virginia and was admitted to the United States as a refugee from Ethiopia, had served as a civilian interrogator in what has been called the country's Red Terror period. In the late 1970s, the military regime in Ethiopia tortured and killed at least tens of thousands of people, including dissidents and opposition groups, according to Human Rights Watch, though exact death tolls are contested. Negussie is accused of helping to persecute"individuals imprisoned because of their political opinion" during his post in an Ethiopian prison, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia said in a statement. Prosecutors said that Negussie failed to disclose that he had committed a crime or offense for which he had never been arrested, another application question. He also allegedly lied about having never provided false or misleading information to immigration officials while gaining entry to and benefits in the United States. Negussie had secured legal permanent residency before becoming a U.S. citizen. Neither Negussie nor his lawyers could be reached for comment. If convicted, Negussie would have his U.S. citizenship taken away and could face up to 10 years in federal prison. In addition, he faces possible deportation to Ethiopia. A Russian woman charged with attempting to infiltrate the National Rifle Association and other American political groups as a covert agent for the Russian Federation has been moved from the District of Columbia jail to the Alexandria, Virginia, jail, her attorney and jail officials said Saturday. Maria Butina, 29, was indicted July 17 by a grand jury on charges of conspiracy to act and failing to register as an agent of a foreign government. She pleaded not guilty; her attorney said Butina was merely networking to develop relationships with Americans. An Alexandria jail spokeswoman declined to say why Butina was moved, and a spokesman for the U.S. Marshals Service said, "As a matter of policy, we do not disclose information related to individual prisoners to protect their privacy, safety and security." A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office for the District said it does not oversee the detention of defendants nor typically disclose their location. A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office of the District of Columbia did not immediately respond to a request for comment. More for you The Russia that Republicans love doesn't exist The Russian Embassy in Washington has called Butina's arrest politically motivated and complained about jail conditions, saying in a post on its website Thursday that embassy diplomats had visited Butina in jail and would be lodging a complaint with the U.S. State Department "demanding to stop psychologically pressuring and humiliating our fellow citizen." "It seems as if Washington is trying to force her to cooperate with the investigation by making her living conditions as difficult as possible," the embassy said in a Twitter post, adding in a statement that jail officials had reinstated 15-minute overnight checks on Butina - consistent with what the embassy said was a suicide watch - without cause. The embassy asked jail officials to provide a translator so that Butina could receive letters written in Russian that it said were denied her because they might contain "coded messages," and to fully provide "necessary medical attention," not just painkillers, for leg swelling that it said resulted from cold temperatures in Butina's cell. Butina's attorney, Robert Driscoll, said that Butina was not given a reason for the move between 5 and 6 p.m. Friday and that he did not know if it was related to the complaints. He said prosecutors told him they were unaware of the move. "She's a little shook up, just by the unannounced move," Driscoll said after visiting her Saturday. Driscoll on Friday announced the creation of a legal-defense fund for Butina, including an English- and Russian-language fundraising website. Driscoll said District jail officials had been largely responsive to the issues but that it took 20 days for Butina to be allowed to place a phone call to Russia, and it also took some time to provide her with her eyeglasses and to allow the funding of her canteen jail account. She is seeking better arthritis treatment for one of her legs, he said. Butina's attorney said she has not been allowed outdoors since her confinement because, jail officials told him, she is in protective custody and the jail does not have the extra personnel needed to monitor her. He said that being in protective custody probably meant a "well-being check" every 15 minutes, which can be conducted discreetly or disruptively by guards. Butina's next court date is Sept. 10. She was ordered held without bond pending trial by U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah Robinson of Washington, who cited risks that Butina might flee or resume her alleged unlawful activities, as well as the government's significant evidence against her. If you think the Republican and Democratic primary campaigns featured vicious attacks, just wait for the main event, when Republican Bob Stefanowski of Madison and Democrat Ned Lamont of Greenwich, along with the independent Super PACs aligned with each of them, raise the ante for the governors campaign by lowering the tone and buying up the TV time between now and Nov. 6. Wheres the mute button? With neither candidate joining the states voluntary public-financing program and their $6.5 million spending ceilings the sky could be the limit. The dueling duo will find themselves in the middle of a proxy fight, as Republicans try to align Lamont with the unpopular Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, and Democrats liken Stefanowski to President Donald Trump, for the heart and soul of Connecticuts blue-state reputation. In Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, whose federal felony conviction precluded him from participating in the Citizens Election Fund, Lamont did not have an adversary who could attack him beyond a few uncomfortable minutes during debates. Ganim was ultimately unsuccessful in framing Lamont as an out-of-touch rich guy, and lost 168 of the states 169 towns. Stefanowski, though, having been on TV since January in his successful effort to turn the traditional GOP nominating process on its head, will have millions upon millions to attack and promote his candidacy. Lamont, from Greenwich, with a personal fortune estimated between $100 million and $300 million, will be able to go toe-to-toe. Its likely that spending in the 2018 race for governor will exceed the more than $15 million of 2014 campaign, in which Malloy was re-elected over Tom Foley of Greenwich for a second time. On the attack The statewide returns hadnt even arrived at the Secretary of the States Office the morning after the primary on Wednesday, and Lamont was calling his Republican opponent Trumpanowski, while the Republican gave the Democrat the Ned Malloy appellation. Jerry Dunklee, a Southern Connecticut State University journalism professor who spent four decades in radio and TV, says that the evolution in election law means that the candidates dont even have to truthful anymore in their ads. I think its clear that there is going to a deluge of outside money coming into both the governors race and the 5th Congressional District, Dunklee said Friday. A lot of it will be TV advertising. During the primary, I was amazed at the number of commercials on TV. Its a boon for TV and radio. Dunklee, who teaches a course on media law and ethics, says that the 2016 presidential election essentially bypassed Connecticut, but this year, TV and radio will be awash in cash. Out-of-state money might filter down to the races for attorney general, state treasurer, maybe even state Senate contests. He said that while the so-called equal-time rule is on the books with the Federal Communications Commission, exemptions have expanded to the point where talk shows dont even have to pretend to air views on the opposite side of political arguments. The need for equal time has really become very flaccid and its not as enforced as it used to be, Dunklee said. Im seeing this more and more in the national media. And with TV and radio stations safe from legal liability under requirements that they cannot censor political commercials, the battling candidates and PACs can say virtually anything they want. TV has to accept the advertising of legally authorized candidates, Dunklee said. Key state Judging by the initial rhetoric, Connecticut in 2018 will be a battleground. Today, Democrats in Connecticut doubled down on Governor Dan Malloys failed policies that have been disastrous for the states economy and for those who call Connecticut home, said Ellie Hockenbury, Republic National Committee spokesperson, on the day after the primary. In Ned Lamont, Democrats have thrown their support behind a candidate who proudly speaks of raising their taxes and supporting single-payer health care regardless of the $32 trillion price tag, she said. Voters have had enough of the Democrats destructive policies and will finally have someone who will fight for them when they elect Bob Stefanowski this November. Lets be very clear, this primary was a test of which Republican loves Trump the most, said Connecticut Democratic Party spokesperson Christina Polizzi. Theyve said it in debates, in mailers, and in interviews: They think Trump is doing a great job want to bring his policies to Connecticut. Lets call this contest what it is: a litmus test for Trump loyalty, Polizzi said. That means rolling back gun-violence prevention, dismantling health care, and attacking womens health. The stakes in this election could not be higher and a Republican governor would bring Trumps chaos to Connecticut and drag the state backward. Gary L. Rose, a Sacred Heart University professor and chairman of the Department of Government there, said it will be a grueling 11 weeks-plus. When all is said and done, well be very exhausted, he said. The amount of money spent will be incredible. In many ways, Trump and Malloy are both in this race. kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT Some of the nation's top trotters have been entered to compete in the $75,000 Earl Rowe Trot, the main event of a solid card of harness racing slated for Sunday (August 19) at Georgian Downs. The signature race of the Georgian Downs racing meet is named in honour of Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame member and 20th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Honourable Earl Rowe. Warrawee Roo, winning at Mohawk Warrawee Roo, winning at Mohawk Morning line oddsmakers have installed Warrawee Roo (PP2, Bob McClure, 9-5) and Dancer Hall (PP6, Sylvain Filion, 2-1) as the top two choices in the Rowe. After facing the best on the Grand Circuit in recent weeks, Warrawee Roo returns to Ontario in advance of a possible start in the Maple Leaf Trot eliminations next weekend at Mohawk. The five-year-old son of Majestic Son - Karoon last competed at Georgian Downs on August 27, 2016. In that race, he was second by a head to Muscle Hustle in a track record 1:52.2. Luc Blais trains Warrawee Roo for Determination of Quebec. The stallion took his lifetime mark of 1:51.4 four starts back. Dancer Hall has been the model of consistency as a four-year-old, with a 7-5-0 summary from 12 seasonal starts -- the majority of which have been at the Preferred level on the WEG circuit. In his last start, Dancer Hall was a two-length winner in the August 14 Preferred Trot at Mohawk, trotting his mile in 1:52.3. That time is just a tick off his lifetime mark, set this past June. Owned by 1187422 Ontario Inc., of Ottawa, Ont., Dancer Hall (Deweycheatumnhowe - Daylon Mystique) is trained by Paul Reid. $75,000 EARL ROWE INVITATIONAL TROT Post - Horse - Driver - Trainer - Odss 1. Lean Hanover - Paul MacDonell - Mike Keeling - 9-2 2. Warrawee Roo - Bob McClure - Luc Blais - 9-5 3. B Yoyo - Louis-Philippe Roy - Richard Moreau - 7-2 4. Jake - James MacDonald - Luc Blais - 5-1 5. Big Rich - Alfie Carroll - Richard Moreau - 6-1 6. Dancer Hall - Sylvain Filion - Paul Reid - 2-1 7. Catch The Dream - Colin Kelly - Bruce MacDonald - 8-1 8. Odds On Amethyst - Pat Hudon - Pat Hudon - 9-1 The Earl Rowe Trot will headline an outstanding evening of fun for the entire family on August 19. A variety of free activities for kids will be available including glitter art and face painting, a bounce house and pitching cage. Keeping everyone fueled throughout the evening, special $1 food items will also be available. The popular mini-horses will be on display for an exciting exhibition between races and will also be made available for a meet and greet. The Wanna Drive team will also be onsite to provide fans the opportunity to sit behind a standardbred. Winning wont be restricted to the racetrack, as drawings for raffle prizes will take place all evening. Fans looking to enjoy the Earl Rowe Trot in style can make a reservation for the Buffet by emailing [email protected]. As always, admission and parking are free. First race post time is 6:00 p.m. To view the entries, click the following link: Sunday Entries - Georgian Downs. (with files from Georgian) WASHINGTON - The State Department will pull back funding it had allocated to rebuild parts of Syria once held by the Islamic State, saying Friday that other countries will now provide $230 million in planned spending. Most of the U.S. money was first announced in January by then-secretary of state Rex Tillerson to "stabilize" areas such as the Syrian city of Raqqa, which was largely destroyed by U.S. airstrikes and proxy combat on the ground in a major offensive that ousted the Islamic State last year. The spending was frozen in March, after Tillerson was fired, as part of President Donald Trump's effort to hasten American withdrawal from Syria and turn more responsibility over to members of the U.S.-led coalition. The administration informed Congress on Friday that the money would be "redirected" away from Syria to other, unspecified areas. Commitments from other countries already total $300 million, according to State Department officials, including $100 million announced this week by Saudi Arabia. The funding announcement came as Syria's dual wars - the civil conflict to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad and the separate fight against the Islamic State - have increasingly overlapped and moved into new phases. Assad, aided by Russia and Iran, has claimed victory over Syrian opposition fighters - once backed by the United States and others - in most of the western two-thirds of the country. Russia has spearheaded an international campaign to declare Assad firmly in power and persuade the rest of the world to solidify the peace by paying to reconstruct the country and repatriate the millions of Syrians who fled the fighting. The United States, declaring near-victory over the Islamic State in the eastern third of Syria, has said it will spearhead - but not pay for - initial stabilization of the territory it now oversees, including demining and restoration of basic services such as water and electricity. Long-term reconstruction of the country, devastated by more than seven years of war, is to be overseen by the World Bank and other international financial institutions. But the administration, along with much of the international community, has said that no reconstruction money will go to Syria until Assad fully participates in United Nations-led negotiations among all Syrians to establish democratic governance there. At a news conference with Trump following their meeting last month in Helsinki, Russian President Vladimir Putin said they had discussed cooperation in Syria. "The task of establishing peace and reconciliation in this country could be the first showcase example of this successful joint work," Putin said. But State Department officials said Friday that the United States would not cooperate with Russia until it fully commits to supporting the U.N. effort that has been stalled for many months. "There is not going to be, by international agreement, reconstruction assistance to Syria unless the U.N. - not Moscow, not Washington, not any other capital, the U.N. - certifies, validates that a credible and irreversible political process is underway," David Satterfield, acting assistant secretary for the Middle East, said Friday. "That's the door to getting what we believe the regime, the Russians, very much want, which is international money flowing into the wreckage that is presently Syria," he said. The United States and the U.N. have advised refugees - whose presence has caused economic and political upheaval in surrounding countries and in Europe - that it is still not safe to return to once-densely populated parts of western Syria under government control. The administration has additionally demanded that Iran withdraw all of its personnel and assistance to Syria. Trump's initial announcement that he expected an early withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria - and the freezing of stabilization funding - sparked widespread concern that the United States was giving up leverage to press for its long-term goals in Syria, including the eventual departure of Assad and end to Iranian influence there, along with the establishment of democratic, nonsectarian governance that would prevent the regrowth of the Islamic State. Countering the view of critics that ending U.S. stabilization funding will decrease leverage, officials said the United States would remain in control of most of the funding stream from other countries, and work would be done according to a U.S. plan already in place for Raqqa and other areas. The funding decision "represents the success of our . . . administration's efforts to execute the president's direction that we mobilize the international and regional support for the critical stabilization efforts in northeastern Syria," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Friday. "This allows us to free up our tax dollars - U.S. tax dollars to use on other key foreign policy priorities." Nauert and other officials who briefed reporters Friday, including Satterfield and Brett McGurk, Trump's special envoy to the coalition, insisted that, despite Trump's call for withdrawal, the United States was not leaving Syria anytime soon. "There should be no doubt as to the position of the president with respect to the broader issue of the U.S. enduring presence in Syria," Satterfield said. "We're there for the defeat, the enduring defeat of ISIS," he said, using an acronym for the Islamic State. Although 99 percent of territory formerly held by the militants has now been retaken, "we still have not launched the final phase to defeat the physical caliphate," McGurk said. "That is actually being prepared now, and that'll come at a time of our choosing. But it is coming." McGurk described a "very significant military operation, because we have a significant number of ISIS fighters holed up in a final area of the Middle Euphrates Valley. And after that, you have to train local forces to hold the ground, to make sure that the area remains stabilized so ISIS cannot return." "So this mission is ongoing," he said, "and it's not over." Offensives against remaining militants along the Euphrates River south of Raqqa were held up last spring when fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces, the Kurdish-dominated U.S. proxy against the Islamic State, left their positions to participate in a separate fight against the Turkish military attacking Syrian Kurdish positions in northwestern Syria. To organize the many moving parts of its engagement on the Syria issue, the State Department has named two new officials with newly created portfolios. James Jeffrey, a retired senior Foreign Service officer, was named Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's "representative for Syria engagement," Nauert said. "Jeffrey will serve as the secretary's adviser for and the department's primary contact on all aspects of the Syria conflict," although McGurk will remain as Trump's special envoy to the coalition, she said. Nauert also said retired Army Col. Joel Rayburn, who has served as senior director for Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon on the National Security Council staff since the beginning of the administration, had joined the State Department as deputy assistant secretary for Levant Affairs, and "special envoy for Syria." Rayburn's job will apparently focus on removing Iranian influence from Syria and the region, including, Nauert said, "our strong opposition to Hezbollah and the importance of a strong Lebanese government," as well as "our strong bilateral ties with Jordan." The two young Colorado girls who, along with their mother, were killed this past week may have been strangled before their bodies were dumped in an oil well, according to a court document. A motion filed Friday by attorneys defending Christopher Watts, who investigators believe killed his pregnant wife and daughters, asks that DNA samples be taken from the children's necks. The document cites an expert who argued that DNA would still be present on the bodies - even though they had been submerged in crude oil for four days before they were found - but that evidence would be lost once the autopsies were performed. A Weld County judge, however, denied the request, the Denver Post reported. And authorities said Friday that they had finished the autopsies on the victims, though they did not say how they died. The document offers the first glimpse into what may have happened to Shanann Watts, 34, and her two daughters when they disappeared Monday. The following day, Christopher Watts stood in front of a parade of news cameras and told reporters that his children were his life. His family had just vanished, he told Denver 7 ABC. "I'm living in a nightmare, and I can't get out of it," he told NBC affiliate KUSA. But the media interviews were over on Wednesday, when police vehicles showed up at the Watts house. Reporters photographed officers removing bags of evidence and towing away a pickup. The Frederick Police Department arrested Christopher Watts, 33, that night on suspicion of first-degree murder and evidence tampering - three counts each. By Thursday, authorities said that they had found the bodies of 4-year-old Belle, 3-year-old Celeste and their mother, all "in close proximity" to each other. Christopher Watts' attorneys sought to preserve DNA evidence they said would still be present on the bodies, saying that once autopsies are finished, the evidence will be "lost forever," according to the motion. The attorneys said they consulted with DNA expert Richard Eikelenboom who said in court records that he has experience taking samples from dead bodies and "getting good results after strangulation." "This DNA can be retrieved with a double swab technique. DNA scientists are familiar with this technique and an experienced person should take this samples. In my opinion the presence of oil will not destroy the DNA," Eikelenboom said. Eikelenboom added that the hands of the children, as well as the hands and nails of their mother should all be sampled as well. He and defense attorneys did not seek swabs from the mother's neck. Eikelenboom is a forensic scientist who specializes in DNA trace recovery and has examined "hundreds of crime scenes," according to Independent Forensic Services, a company he owns with his wife. In 2016, a Denver district court judge rejected Eikelenboom as a DNA expert after he admitted to a prosecutor that he had no direct DNA extraction or analysis experience, that he operated an unaccredited lab, that he failed basic proficiency tests in 2011 and 2012, and that he was "self-trained" in running DNA profiles, the Denver district attorney's office said. The agency also said that Eikelenboom "has committed fundamental DNA analysis errors by not following accepted scientific standards in the DNA field." Eikelenboom, who's from the Netherlands, said the district attorney's office misrepresented his experience. He didn't have experience with DNA extraction and analysis back in the 1990s, before advancements in DNA technology, he said, "but that doesn't mean I didn't do it in 2005 or in 2016, or that I'm not fully accredited." "It's just manipulation of facts," he told The Washington Post. Eikelenboom's wife started Independent Forensic Services in Colorado in 2003, according to its website. He joined the company in 2005. Independent Forensic Services, headquartered in the Netherlands, is accredited by the Dutch Accreditation Council and by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors. How the DNA evidence would have fit into Christopher Watts' defense is unknown. Eikelenboom said he could not comment on the pending case. James Mason, a deputy state public defender in rural Weld County, Colorado, did not respond to an email seeking comment Saturday. Investigators have said little else about the deaths. The district attorney has until Monday to bring formal charges, at which point the arrest affidavit may be unsealed, revealing how Watts became a suspect. The family's life seemed idyllic. They lived in a big two-story house and Shanann Watts was pregnant with the couple's third child. Just two months ago, she sent her husband a picture of her first ultrasound. "Little peanut!" Christopher Watts replied. "I love Chris! He's the best dad us girls could ask for," Shanann Watts wrote in a Facebook post sharing the text exchange with her husband. Their life, apparently, wasn't perfect. In 2015, two years after buying their house, the Wattses filed for bankruptcy. They were drowning in a $400,000 mortgage and more than $50,000 in credit card debt, bankruptcy court documents show. His paycheck as an operator for Anadarko Petroleum and hers from a children's hospital weren't nearly enough. But they moved on with their lives. They struck a deal with their creditors, and Shanann Watts got a new job doing direct sales for a "lifestyle system" called Thrive. They stayed in their big two-story house, and the family kept growing. In a statement to CBS4, Shanann Watts' family said her husband confessed to the killings. "It is with deep hurt, confusion and anger to confirm our beautiful cousin Shanann Watts, her unborn child, and her two angelic daughters, Bella (4), Celeste (3) were viciously murdered by husband Chris Watts," the family said. A new sign has been painted at Gregory Lincoln Education Center, replacing a "misogynist" and "victim-blaming" quotation that stirred up controversy at the HISD school late last week. The original quotation, painted on the wall in the girl's locker room, admonished girls to be "a lady." The new one urges them to change the world. "Do not wait for someone else to come and speak for you," the wall now reads at the Fourth Ward K-8 school. "It's you who can change the world." The wall's original quotation was removed late Friday after it landed the state's largest district in the middle of controversy before school even began. The sign, painted above a bank of lockers inside the girls' locker room, said: "The more you act like a lady, the more he'll act like a gentleman." STACKING CASH: These are the 41 highest-paid high school principals in the Houston area Twitter user Stephanie Wittels Wachs saw the wall and posted a now-viral photo of the sign on social media, labeling it "victim-blaming" against women, holding them responsible for "sexual violence against them." FULL TWEET: "This outrageous victim-blaming message is painted on the wall of a MIDDLE SCHOOL in @HoustonISD, blatantly perpetuating the horrific myth that girls are to blame for sexual violence against them. Absolutely disgusting. Paint over it now," Wachs tweeted. In a statement to the Houston Chronicle on Friday, district officials wrote, "The quote does not align with HISD values, and it will be taken down." Later that night, the sign was removed and the wall patched and repainted, according to an HISD release. The new quote - painted this weekend - is attributed to Malala Yousafzai, the 21-year-old Pakistani activist for girls' education who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014. Kids at Gregory Lincoln will be reading her book, "Malala's Magic Pencil," later this year, according to HISD. Fernando Alfonso III covers everything from crime to weird internet trends. Read him on the breaking news site chron.com and the subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com. | fernando.alfonso@chron.com On Friday, Aug. 17 authorities in Boerne, Texas responded to a call an apartment complex about a burglary in progress. According to a press release, police went to the home of Melissa Rowley, 45, because she'd called saying there was someone trying to get in the front door, but when offers arrived they did not find anyone in the apartment or evidence of a break in. School dress codes are often at the center of controversy, and now that the 2018-2019 fall semester is off to a start, the topic is back in the spotlight. Like many schools in the Lone Star State, Marcus High School in Flower Mound started school on Aug. 15, but it wasn't long before it had to face the wrath of the Twitter-verse. ANOTHER CONTROVERSY: Lesbian Texas teacher barred from her classroom to start new academic year A student shared a video to her Twitter that was shown to her school about violating the dress code, which has caused outrage over sexism still being persistent in schools. The "violators" in the video were all female students who wore outfits that were too short to be in accordance with school policy, which states that all female students "may wear long pants of appropriate length, skirts or shorts of appropriate length, at or about mid-thigh or longer." "Cat," the student who shared the video, also posted a caption saying she was disappointed in her school. "I understand why my school has a dress code, but what about the boys who wear shorts, or show their shoulders? It's 2018...Why are we still over-sexualizing teen girls?" According to the MHS Student Handbook Addendum posted in the school's website, all students are allowed to wear shorts if they are mid-thigh or longer and sit and the natural waistline for men. However, clothing items such as trench coats, mini-skirts, halter or tube tops, split sides, midriffs, bare shoulder tops, see-through clothing, fishnet tops, spandex shorts, or other items that the staff deems "inappropriate or offensive for school in general" are not allowed. Sleepwear is also not permitted. The school has not publicly responded to the controversy, but according to a follow-up tweets by "Cat," the school's principal "he had an important conversation with [her] about the issues" and he apologized to the students and parents. "He made it clear that this issue was a MISTAKE, which doesn't define Marcus as a whole." Take a look through the gallery above to see other dress code violation controversies. Daniela Sternitzky- Di Napoli is a digital producer covering Texas news and pop culture. | Daniela.DiNapoli@chron.com | @Dani_DiNapoli Sue and Eldon were childhood sweethearts. Growing up, they held hands at the roller rink and ditched school dances together. They almost got married at 17, but instead drifted apart after high school. Then, 34 years later, he found her again on Facebook - and they thought they would start their happily-ever-after. But then there was the meth addiction. The hurricane. The fight. The fire. The arrest. And by April, Eldon Jackson wound up in the Harris County jail facing a 30-year sentence for arson. Hed lit their house on fire, then slit his own throat. He came into jail with burns on his body and bloody lacerations on his neck, a visible reminder of his internal crisis. But, apparently, he didn't get the help he needed. I dont want to die, but being in jail is too much for me," the 61-year-old wrote in a letter to the Chronicle. His mental state vacillated over the three months he penned the jailhouse missive, sometimes professing his love for Sue, sometimes lashing out at her. But then early one morning in July - a day after jailers put him in solitary confinement to prevent repeated calls to his wife - he killed himself, fashioning a hand-made noose from the gauze used to treat his burns. His death was the first of two jail suicides in barely three weeks, at a facility thats struggled to treat the influx of mentally ill patients coming through its doors. A Navy veteran who'd long battled addiction, Jackson's case highlights cracks in the system - cracks advocates hoped to fill with the 2017 passage of the Sandra Bland Act. Named for the Illinois woman who died by suicide in the Waller County jail three years ago, the legislation did much to draw attention to the needs of mentally ill populations in the days immediately after their arrest, and to diverting them from jail in the first place. But it did less to highlight the ongoing suicide risk weeks or months into a jail stay and failed to spark discussion about the problems of putting inmates having a mental health crisis in solitary confinement. We didnt consider in a real way what happened here, said state Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston. Its just the truth of the matter - but we will. We will work to amend the law on this because we have to. You dont turn your back At first, life together was great. But a couple years after Sue and Eldon reconnected, he started keeping odd hours, making Walmart runs at midnight and foregoing sleep. She knew hed been addicted to drugs once before, but it was only in retrospect that it seemed indicative of a larger problem. Its not that he was acting crazy, she said, it was just the hours. Together, they bought a house in 2013 - in the same neighborhood where theyd grown up. Yet, around that time, Sue started suspecting hed started using drugs again. At first, it was pills. But then, he switched to speed. The next thing I know, Im preferring the meth daily and everything is a giant train wreck just waiting happen, he wrote. But, to Sue that wasnt clear until Eldon got arrested on a minor possession charge, one that ultimately got tossed for lack of evidence. Just a few months later, his son - not a biological son, but one hed raised nearly from birth - died of an opioid overdose in Florida. Eldon fell apart. He stayed out for days, hung with shady characters, and started selling drugs. The following year, he got arrested again - and this time he went to drug treatment. At first, Sue said, it seemed like hed be OK when he got out. But afterwards, familiar faces started showing up at the door, and Eldon started disappearing again. He suspected she was cheating; she suspected he was cheating. At one point, she ended up - briefly - filing for divorce. It just didnt seem like things were going to change, and I was trying to get his attention, the 60-year-old said. But you dont turn your back on somebody like that. You just dont do it. If he was willing to get himself right I was willing to walk him through that. So they hung in there. Things didnt get better - but they didnt get worse. Then Harvey hit. A crisis in the jail The Harris County jail is often considered a progressive example of an urban jail attentive to mental health needs. Their suicide rate over the past decade - just over 16 per 100,000 inmates - is well below the national 15-year rate of around 42 per 100,000, according to Bureau of Justice Statistics data. More than 120,000 inmates are booked into Texas largest jail each year, the sheriffs office said in a statement. While our inmate suicide rate is below the national average, our goal is a suicide rate of zero. To that end, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez created the Bureau of Mental Health and Jail Diversion. The jail launched two programs to help mentally ill inmates stay out of isolation and cut in half their use of solitary confinement over the past five years.. Still, the jail is ill-prepared to be the states largest mental health care provider. A quarter of county inmates are on psychiatric medication, according to Harris County Sheriffs Office spokesman Jason Spencer. There have been 15 suicides at the county lock-up since 2009, and staff intervene in an average of about 10 suicide attempts per month, according to jail data. Its no secret that we have an abundance of inmates who are in serious need of mental health care that were not equipped to give as a jail, Spencer said. Weve been very transparent about that. Sometimes people still fall through the cracks. In 2014, the jail saw a string of three suicides. That same year, news broke of a mentally ill inmate whod been left wallowing in a solitary cell full of bugs and feces, a supervision failure that sparked outrage and dealt a harsh blow to then-Sheriff Adrian Garcias campaign to become Houstons mayor. In 2015, a mentally ill death row inmate back in county for court killed himself in solitary confinement, using shoelaces to form a noose. Then in 2017, the jail announced procedural changes after the highly publicized suicide of a 32-year-old whose family alleged he did not kill himself. And, just three weeks after Eldons death, another Harris County inmate died by suicide. On Tuesday, Debora Lyons - whod been jailed on $1,500 bail for a felony theft charge - hanged herself in a common area of the 1200 Baker Street jail just before 7 p.m. Its not clear whether there were other inmates or guards in the area or why no one stopped her. The jail hasnt offered clarification, citing an ongoing investigation. Once officers found her, the 58-year-old was taken to the hospital, where she died Wednesday - the same day she was granted a personal release bond to get out of jail. We have a mental health crisis in the county jail, Spencer said, one that the states aware of but has not addressed. Not the person I fell in love with When Hurricane Harvey hit in 2017, it flooded the Jacksons home with 5 inches of water, leaving them with a daunting task familiar to countless Houstonians: rebuilding their lives without flood insurance. It was just overwhelming, Sue said. Eldon, always a fix-it man, decided to do the repairs himself. But with all the work in front of him, the drug problem just got worse. He stayed up for days at time, sawing and hammering at all hours of the night. And Sues chronic lung illness got worse while living in the half-finished, flooded-out single-story home. So she and her granddaughter moved out. It gave him free reign to do whatever he wanted to do, she said. By the time things were ready for Sue to move back in last December, Eldon was a changed man. That was not the person I fell in love with, she said. Drugs took over his body and his mind completely. After a fight with Sue, he was arrested on a misdemeanor family assault charge in March, then released with a protective order in place barring contact. Despite that, they kept talking, and stayed in touch. Eventually, he asked her to drop the charge. I told him Im not doing that, Ive done it too many times, she said. You need to figure it out that what you do is not OK. Then, he showed up at the house one day in April, completely crazed and threatening to burn the place down. When police arrived, Eldon ran to the back of the house and holed up in the still-unfinished master bathroom, shouting suicide threats. He slit his throat during the stand-off, but later claimed the fire that erupted was an accident, sparked when he dropped a cigarette. As the back part of their house went up in flames, Eldon slipped outside, leaving behind a trail of blood. He passed out nearby and was arrested later, when - hoping to have him taken into custody before he bled to death - Sue lured him back home with a texted promise of a pack of smokes. Findings the gaps The Sandra Bland Act reformed the way jails handle mental health, but only at certain points of the process. In July 2015, the 28-year-olds death sparked national outrage, leading to a $1.9 million lawsuit settlement, a broader conversation about mental health in county jails, and state legislation. The measures passed - watered down considerably from what was initially filed - were guided closely by the specifics of Blands death. We focused on diversion, we focused on people not being in jail if the reason they were there was because of their mental illness, said Coleman, who authored the House version of the bill. The measures also focused on suicide prevention at the front end, making sure inmates were screened better and courts were notified more promptly of mental health crises. But while it drew attention to the initial intake, the bill didnt address ongoing treatment during incarceration, and did little to make sure jails are still attentive to burgeoning mental health needs in the weeks and months after initial intake. It didnt deal with treatment or aftercare - and thats a huge problem, said state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, who authored the senate version of the legislation. The act also didnt address the use of solitary confinement with mentally ill populations or those having a mental health crisis. Im really kicking myself, Coleman said. Had we been solving all of these problems when I did that bill, we would have covered this. No help, no phone After his arrest, Eldon was taken to the hospital and later released to the jail, where staff did a risk assessment and decided to keep him in the infirmary on suicide watch, officials said. But because he denied being suicidal he was released to general population two days later. That was in April. He did not get additional mental health help until July 18, when he saw a nurse for medication monitoring, officials said. Again, he denied having suicidal intentions. All the while, he called his wife repeatedly, harassing her sometimes up to 20 times a day. So prosecutors went to court and asked that he be barred from using the phone. Judge Marc Carter agreed. None of them had any idea the jail would enforce that order by placing Eldon in solitary confinement where, one day later, he would kill himself. I loved my husband and I still love my husband, Sue said. They put him into solitary confinement in the state of mind that he was in, and gave him the tools the kill himself. I worry about other institutions Advocates flagged a number of possible problems in the events leading up to Eldons death. For one, some questioned the decision to deem him no longer a suicide risk so soon after his last attempt. If someone presents at the jail as suicidal or having suicidal tendencies, that person should be considered as an individual with mental health needs throughout their time at the jail, said Annalee Gulley, policy director for Mental Health America of Greater Houston. You cannot say someone is suicidal three days ago and received treatment and is no longer at risk. Experts also called questioned putting him in isolation, a potentially triggering event for those already in mental crisis. It exacerbates peoples existing mental health conditions, said Greg Hansch, public policy director for the National Alliance of Mental Illness. If a person is experiencing delusions or hallucinations being alone in a room by themselves is proven to often result in an exacerbation of those symptoms. And for a person who is depressed, it may increase hopelessness and despair. Like the first days behind bars, the first days in solitary confinement can be particularly high-risk moments, experts said. And, even though Eldon died at the Harris County jail, some saw his suicide as a reminder of larger systemic problems. I know how deeply committed the leadership at the Harris County jail is to mental health, Gulley said. If a breakdown can happen at a facility that is taking such measures to protect the mental health of its inmates, then I worry about other institutions. Triple-digit heat indexes are expected over the weekend, a reminder that summertime in Houston is not yet done. We do commonly see this throughout August and sometimes in September as well, meteorologist Katie Magee of the National Weather Service in League City said. Were not going to be in the clear for some time unfortunately. The latest heat wave comes after the citys 10th hottest July on record, Magee said. A heat advisory by the National Weather Service is not anticipated, but the triple-digit heat index puts temperatures only a couple degrees away from one. An advisory is usually issued when heat indexes reach temperatures of 108 degrees or higher or natural temperatures rise to more 103 degrees. The weekends heat index is topping out in the 100 to 105 degree range, Magee said. The high heat index is expected to continue into early next week, and Magee said theres a chance the heat indexes could spike briefly higher. This is very likely to happen again, said Magee about the high temperatures. Temperatures last month in Houston were an average of 1 degrees warmer than normal, making it the 10th hottest July on record, Magee said. August started off cooler with temperatures about a half-degree below normal but Houstonians noticed a change late this week. Porfirio Villarreal, public information officer for the Houston Health Department, said the city is not planning to open cooling centers with no active heat advisory. But he encouraged residents without air-conditioning to take refuge at a relatives home or perhaps a public library. Its really important that people leave any heavy activity or exercise for either early in the morning or in the evening when the sun is not so intense, advised Villareal. He also said residents should check on those who may be more vulnerable to heat such as the elderly or children under 5. brooke.lewis@chron.com twitter.com/brookelewisa Dozens of steps were outlined this week to help reduce gun violence in Houston, including placing a police officer at every Houston ISD campus and increasing the use of new technology. The citys Commission Against Gun Violences first report comes about three months after Mayor Sylvester Turner appointed the 37-member commission in response to the fatal shooting at Santa Fe High School that killed 10. Most of the recommendations focus on schools, but several address firearm safety and access, community safety and domestic violence and sexual assault. The suggestions hit the local, state and federal levels, and call for community involvement to see tangible effects, commission Chair Haley Carter said. Collectively as a community, we all kind of have to take it on ourselves and work with the stakeholders, Carter said at a City Hall news conference Wednesday. Theres nothing that says you as a concerned citizen cannot take these recommendations and go to a school district. Using digital technology The recommendations for schools include apps to report anonymous tips, digital tools to provide school layouts and blueprints to authorities in advance of crises, and micro drones to clear scenes in the event of emergencies. The commission also recommended that each of Houston ISDs 283 schools have one police officer on campus at all times. HISD currently has 216 officers, according to the district website. Active shooter building codes should be put in place, the commission said. Some of those standards would include alarm systems, secure entrances to schools and secure walls and doors. A partnership with Microsoft will help the city create safer buildings, Turner said, with additional sensors and mobile and web applications that allow security to communicate with people in crisis areas. Commission member Alina Dong, an incoming senior at Clear Lake High School, said the Santa Fe shooting opened her eyes to the reality of violence in schools and the need to take steps to prevent it. We often think the things that happen in the news take place in a world separate from our own, Dong said. It was at that point that I realized that it was just 20 miles away from my school, and it could have been me. As a student, its really meaningful to push for recommendations and push for actions. Second report upcoming Other recommendations are less physical and would take form through mentorship programs, violence prevention curricula, and increased mental and behavioral health resources. The firearms safety recommendations mostly call for legislative changes, including strengthened firearm storage laws and mandatory reporting of lost or stolen guns. One of the community-based programs listed in the recommendations is United in Peace, a program that would aim to reduce gun-related homicides, assaults and robberies within the Scott Street corridor, running from the Third Ward to Sunnyside. The domestic violence-related recommendations include the creation of a protocol that would require domestic violence offenders to surrender firearms through the length of family violence protective orders. Its not just about schools, thats an important part, but it is about what is happening in our communities and neighborhoods, its about whats happening in our apartments or homes, Turner said. A second report will focus on legislative issues and has an anticipated completion date of November, Carter said. samantha.ketterer@chron.com twitter.com/sam_kett Liberty County Jail A Liberty County woman shot a man in the back of the head with a rifle during a fight Friday night, police say. Jessica Tullos, 44, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after shooting Richard Dale Morris, 56, according to the Liberty County Sheriff's Office. Its never a good idea to negotiate with a hostage-taker, but when its a NATO ally, there isnt much choice. The Trump administration has been trying to get back a Christian pastor detained in Turkey since October 2016, and when a possible deal at the sidelines of the NATO summit fell through, decided to drop the hammer. A couple of weeks ago, the administration sanctioned Turkeys justice and interior ministers remember, these are top officials of a fellow NATO country. The action hit the Turkish currency and stock market hard. Then President Donald Trump intervened in his inimitable style, with a tweet promising a doubling of aluminum and steel tariffs against the country and pointedly noting the drop in the value of the lira. As always, the presidents shoot-from-the-lip style is open to question, but Turkey deserved every last character including the two exclamation points in that presidential tweet. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is not Justin Trudeau or Angela Merkel, a leader firmly within the liberal West who annoys Trump. Hes an Islamist authoritarian who is fundamentally changing the character of an erstwhile ally. Erdogans resort to hostage-taking as a tactic to gain leverage over allies its not just us is a barbarous throwback and a disgusting homage to rogue states like Iran and North Korea. He also has grabbed a Turkish-American NASA scientist and local employees of American consulates. The case against the pastor, the highest-profile case, is ludicrous. Andrew Brunson lived with his family in a seaside city, Izmir, for more than 20 years until the government, after Erdogan survived a coup, decided that he was guilty of aiding terrorist organizations and carrying out military espionage. The alleged supporting evidence is a collection of absurdities that could have been assembled by the Turkish equivalent of Alex Jones a video of a traditional Arab dish sent to Brunson by his daughter, a church member telling the pastor by text that he couldnt make it to a service, a photo of him with a man in a scarf bearing certain colors, and so on, all of which supposedly implicates him in dire crimes against the Turkish state. What this clearly is about is holding Brunson to try to get Fethullah Gulen, a former Erdogan ally and cleric who lives on a farm in Pennsylvania. With great fervency but little evidence, the Turkish government accuses Gulen of being behind the shadowy July 15, 2016, coup that became an occasion for Erdogan to seize emergency powers and purge the state and civil society of his political enemies. Erdogan isnt even subtle about the agenda behind the seizure of Brunson. In a talk to police officers last year, he said, They say, Give us this certain pastor, meaning Brunson, to which Erdogans rejoinder was, You have another pastor in your hands; give him to us. This isnt a trade the U.S. should be willing to make, but a swap of a Turkish woman held in Israel for links to Hamas in exchange for Brunson was reportedly discussed at the last NATO summit. When nothing ultimately came of it although Brunson was released into house arrest the crisis escalated to a different level. Erdogan blames an economic war for his countrys dire economic straits. He should instead blame his own mismanagement. Turkey was already vulnerable to an end of the era of cheap capital, even before it pursued a course of confrontation with a country vastly richer and more powerful than it is. There were always going to be stresses in the U.S.-Turkish alliance; Turkey views the Kurds as a threat, and we consider them allies. But the chief cause of the radical deterioration in the relationship is Turkeys rank anti-Americanism, a paranoia stoked at every turn by Erdogan for his own cynical purposes. He is now reaping what he sowed, and if Erdogan wants relief, his first step should be releasing the hostages. comments.lowry@nationalreview.com Prince Edward Island issues new invitations to Express Entry candidates Latest Expression of Interest draw issues 118 invitations across three PEI immigration categories Prince Edward Island issues new invitations to Express Entry candidates Latest Expression of Interest draw issues 118 invitations across three PEI immigration categories Prince Edward Island issues new invitations to Express Entry candidates Latest Expression of Interest draw issues 118 invitations across three PEI immigration categories Stephen Smith Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A The Atlantic Canada province of Prince Edward Island issued new invitations to candidates in its Express Entry, Labour Impact and Business Impact categories in an Expression of Interest draw held August 16. A total of 118 invitations were issued in all three categories, of which 111 went to candidates in Prince Edward Island (PEI)s Express Entry and Labour Impact categories and the remaining seven went to Business Impact candidates. There was no breakdown of how many invitations went to Express Entry candidates, nor were specific details provided about the candidates who were invited, such as whether they are already working in PEI. PEI welcomes Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from Express Entry candidates who do not have a job offer in the province. However, those living and working in the province are prioritized. PEI awards points to candidates in its various immigration categories based on unique points grids that are linked to its Expression of Interest (EOI)-based immigration system. Candidates are awarded a score based on answers submitted during the creation of their EOI profile and are entered into the respective categorys pool. The minimum point threshold for Business Impact Category candidates was 145 in the August 16 draw, PEIs Office of Immigration reported. No minimum score was provided for the Express Entry and Labour Impact categories. The first step for anyone interested in immigrating to PEI is to submit an EOI profile. This is not an application for provincial nomination, but rather an indication of ones interest in being considered by PEIs Office of Immigration. The highest-scoring candidates are invited to submit an application for a provincial nomination from PEIs Office of Immigration. Candidates in Canadas federal Express Entry pool who are nominated by PEI receive an additional 600 Comprehensive Ranking System points. To find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs, fill out a free assessment. 2018 CICNews All Rights Reserved American Martyrs Catholic Church officials arrived at the place of worship for Sunday morning Mass earlier this month and discovered an exterior wall and a sidewalk on the building's north side had been defaced with the hateful messages written in spray paint, police say. BENTLEYVILLE, Ohio -- Driving under suspension, Solon Road: When a Chagrin Falls man, 47, was stopped after 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 10 for driving on a suspended license, he produced a paper showing court-issued driving privileges. The problem was that he was driving outside of the allotted hours, and although he claimed he was coming back from an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, there was no further documentation of that. A passenger with valid privileges drove the car from there. Driving under suspension, warrant; Miles Road: A Cleveland man, 65, was stopped just before 9 a.m. on Aug. 13 initially for an expired temporary tag and a suspended license. Police also found an active warrant from Cleveland Heights, although they declined to pick him up. He was given a verbal seat belt warning and the car was impounded. Animal at large, Grey Fox Run: A Chagrin Falls woman, 55, was cited Aug. 10 for letting a dog run loose, after prior incidents and at least one warning. Driving under suspension, Solon Road: A Cleveland man, 41, was stopped on the night of Aug. 11 for driving on a license forfeiture. He was given a verbal warning for expired plates and the car was turned over to a passenger with valid driving privileges. -- A Cleveland man, 28, was stopped on the night of Aug. 10 initially for not having two working headlights, then found to have a suspended license over insurance. The car was towed. Loud exhaust, driving under suspension; Cannon Road: A Fairview Park man, 56, was stopped shortly after 2:30 a.m. on Aug. 12 with a faulty muffler and found to be driving on a license suspension over alleged non-payment of child support. The car was turned over to a valid passenger. Driving under suspension, Holbrook Road: An Avon Lake man, 19, was stopped shortly after 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 17 for a random selection suspension, meaning that he did not respond with proof of insurance when the Ohio BMV "randomly" requested it. He was cited and allowed to drive away. If you would like to discuss the police blotter, please visit our crime and courts comments page. PEPPER PIKE, Ohio -- Identity theft, Woodleigh Road: A resident, 73, reported Aug. 15 that her cellphone number had been transferred to an unknown person, and she was locked out of her account. Car/bike crash, Lander Road and Shaker Boulevard: An Avon man, 26, declined medical transport for non-incapacitating injuries after being struck by a car and thrown from his bike shortly before 4 p.m. on Aug. 11. The cyclist was riding east on Shaker and stopped at the four-way intersection before proceeding through. At that point he was hit by a Sagamore Hills woman, 34, who was northbound on Lander and stopped her 2015 Nissan Pathfinder at the sign, but not long enough to let the cyclist get through. She was cited for failure to yield right-of-way. Criminal mischief, Pinetree Road: A Lyndhurst woman reported just before 3 p.m. on Aug. 15 that her son's vehicle that she was using had been keyed parked in the west boundary of the Heinen's parking lot in the North Plaza. The victim gave police the name of a possible suspect responsible for the damage, set at $500. Suspicion, Shaker Boulevard: A resident, 57, was asked by Key Bank to make a police report on Aug. 14 in regards to someone attempting to open an account in her or a family member's name. Theft from yards, Sterling Drive, Brainard Road: A resident, 75, came to the station on Aug. 13 to report an "A-frame" style business sign missing from Sterling Lakes. Runaways, assist rescue squad, Chagrin Boulevard: Police located a juvenile client of the New Directions residential treatment facility after she ran away briefly on Aug. 12 shortly before 2 p.m. Found near the North Plaza, she told police she didn't feel well, prompting the officer to call for a rescue squad, which took her to a local hospital. Both New Directions and the girl's mother were notified. Damage to private property, Gates Mills Boulevard: A resident reported around noon on Aug. 11 that someone drove onto their freshly-resurfaced driveway causing damage to the new seal-coating. Found property, Belcourt, Kersdale roads: A resident, 75, called police around 10 a.m. on Aug. 11 to report finding a Condor machete. Suspicion, violation of TPO; Pinetree Road: A Euclid man, 38, reported late on Aug. 10 that his ex-wife was at Europa restaurant in violation of a temporary protection order. Found property, Gates Mills Boulevard: A resident called around 7:30 a.m. on Aug. 10 to report that a knife had been found. Fraud, identity theft; West Landerwood Road: A couple reported possible identity theft on Aug. 10. Suspicion, Pinetree Road: On the evening of Aug. 10, an officer was dispatched to the North Plaza on a report of a female employee in one of the shops receiving unwanted gestures by a male employee who works at another business in the plaza. If you would like to discuss the police blotter, please visit our crime and courts comments page. CLEVELAND, Ohio - The State Highway Patrol is asking for the public's assistance in locating a murder suspect who may be trying to flee to New York after a fatal car crash. The Summit County Prosecutor's Office has issued warrants for 34-year-old Paul D. Randall, Jr. of Dolgeville, New York, on first-degree felony charges of murder and robbery. Troopers said he may still be in the Cleveland area or attempting to escape to New York. Troopers were called to the northbound rest area on Interstate 77 in Bath Township to investigate a fatal traffic crash involving a pedestrian, Lt. Robert Sellers said. When they arrived, witnesses told troopers that two men were involved in a verbal altercation, and Randall stole the victim's Ford F-350 truck. As he fled, Randall knocked the victim to the ground and ran him over, without stopping. Troopers later located the victim's truck abandoned in a downtown Cleveland parking lot. The victim was identified as Scott Reichard, 42, of North Olmsted. Lt. Sellers said Randall was last seen wearing blue jeans and a black or red shirt. He is just over 6 feet tall, weighs 245 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes. Witness also said he had a large, dark beard. Troopers consider him to be dangerous, so do not approach him. Call 911 or #677 to report a sighting. To comment on this story, visit Saturday's crime and courts comment section. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Cleveland police sergeant suffered a leg injury after being struck by a car while directing traffic Friday before the Browns' preseason game at nearby FirstEnergy Stadium. The sergeant was hit by a car about 6:30 p.m. near the intersection of East 9th Street at Erieside Avenue, police said. The sergeant was taken to MetroHealth for treatment. A Cleveland police spokeswoman did not immediately release any additional information about the sergeant or the driver involved in the crash. Traffic was heavy downtown Friday evening as fans headed to FirstEnergy stadium for the Cleveland Browns' preseason home opener against the Buffalo Bills. The Cleveland Indians are also hosting the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night at Progressive Field. To comment on this story, visit Friday's crime and courts comments page. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A man died Friday after being shot in the head on Cleveland's East Side, police said. The shooting happened about 4 p.m. on East 98th Street near Gibson Avenue, in the city's Union-Miles neighborhood, police said. The man, whose name has not been released, died after being taken to University Hospitals. Homicide detectives are investigating, police said. Police did not immediately release any additional information about the shooting. To comment on this story, visit Friday's crime and courts comments page. CLEVELAND, Ohio - The most recent non-native creatures to invade Lake Erie are a pair of microscopic zooplankton that researchers fear could impact the delicate balance of an already tenuous ecosystem. The discovery of the latest exotics to enter the lake comes two years after two other non-native zooplankton were found in Lake Erie's western basin, joining an estimated 185 invasive species already present in the lake. Although researchers are uncertain what specific risks the tiny creatures may pose, they said the discovery causes them concern, nevertheless. "The fact that these are the third and fourth non-native zooplankton found in Lake Erie in the past three years is an alarming trend," said Molly Flanagan of the Alliance for the Great Lakes. "A new non-native species in one Great Lake poses a potential risk for the entire region." The other non-native creature discovered recently in Lake Erie is a microscopic species of zooplankton called Mesocyclops pehpeiensis, a native of Asia. The new species are Diaphanosoma fluviatile, which is from Central and South America and the Caribbean, and Mesocyclops pehpeiensis, a native of Asia. Lake Erie is the farthest north either species has been found in the Western Hemisphere. They were both discovered by researchers from the Cornell University Biological Field Station working with the U.S. EPA in the western basin over the past three years. These zooplankton are about the size of a grain of rice and appear similar to the most abundant native zooplankton present in the lake, Mesocyclops edax, which are the primary food sources for fish. Lake Erie contains more fish than all the other Great Lakes combined. Justin Chaffin, a senior researcher with Ohio State University's Stone Lab, said scientists must first determine if the two non-native species will replace the native species or have any impact on the food web. "There are other invasive zooplankton of similar size as the two new ones, and they have had little to no impact on food webs or socio-economic impacts," Chaffin said. Other invasive species such as the spiny water flea and fishhook water flea "have caused some havoc on the Great Lakes food webs and make it difficult for fishermen to reel in their fishing lines," Chaffin said. Marc Smith of the National Wildlife Federation said the two newest non-native zooplankton likely entered Lake Erie from the ballast water of trans-oceanic ships. He said they provide evidence that it would be a devastating mistake for Congress to weaken ballast water legislation by removing the US EPA from its monitoring role, as is being considered. "With four new non-native species of zooplankton in the Great Lakes in the past three years, it shows that whatever we're doing to keep them out is not working," Smith said. "Invasive species have had tons of economic and environmental impact on the Great Lakes. It's much easier to prevent them from coming in than to spend millions of dollars trying to remove them from the Great Lakes." New York City has one of the most expensive real estate markets in the world, a distinction earned via a boost from wealthy foreigners snapping up pricey apartments. The Big Apple is second only to London in its popularity among foreign investors, according to a survey in January by the Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate. While there isn't one specific group making all the purchases, real estate professionals tell CNBC they've detected certain trends in key neighborhoods across the region, with buyers from Europe, Asia and the Middle East all in search of a solid investment. One of the key groups is Chinese buyers. When China's economy showed signs of slowing a few years ago, evidence suggested that wealthy nationals were snapping up U.S. assets in order to get money out, an effect that has yet to abate even as Chinese buying slows in other parts of the country. "Chinese clients have been buying $5 million-plus condos on Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue, $1 million to $2 million condos on the Upper West Side, and $2 million to $5 million condos in Tribeca and SoHo," said Carole Armstrong, a real estate agent with DJK Residential, citing some of the city's ritziest areas. Separately, buyers from Russia and the Middle East are snapping up properties in luxury hotbeds such as Columbus Circle and Central Park West, Armstrong added. "Russians are particularly interested in the name and cachet of the building," said Rena Kliot, founder and CEO of Pulse International Realty. "When there is a certain 'wow' factor and luxurious reputation or square footage like full-floor units or history associated with the property, they're interested." CNBC spoke with several real estate professionals about which neighborhoods are the most popular with foreign nationals, and why. Student debt clinics are popping up around the country. People say they can learn information thats hard to get from their servicer. Annie Nova | CNBC When Lisa Mulhall raised her hand at the recent student debt clinic in Woodbury, New York, she had no idea that she was about to hear something that would change the rest of her life. The fifth-grade teacher, who is carrying around $30,000 in student loans, explained that she'd been told by her servicer that she didn't qualify for the popular public service loan forgiveness program, in which not-for-profit and government employees can have their federal loans canceled after 10 years of on-time payments. That was incorrect, however, explained one of the clinic leaders. She was eligible. Mulhall fell back in her chair in relief. The exchange occurred at one of the growing number of "student debt clinics," popping up around the country, everywhere from Louisiana to New Jersey. The American Federation of Teachers, a union that represents 1.7 million people, organizes these sessions in which people learn about the debt they're in, and the best ways out of it. Outstanding education debt in the U.S. now exceeds $1.5 trillion, posing a greater burden to Americans than auto or credit card debt. Average debt at graduation is currently around $30,000, up from $13,000 in the late 1990s. The federal student loan system is famously complicated. There are some 14 ways to repay your student loans, a web of forgiveness options and a soup of wonky terms like "forbearance" and "deferment." At the recent debt clinic on New York's Long Island, attendees were asked who in the room had heard of an income-driven repayment plan in which monthly payments are capped at a percentage of a borrower's income. Just three hands went up at the gathering of a few dozen people. Attendees were handed packets on their repayment options and each one was explained to them. "Negotiating debt forgiveness and debt repayment in this country is like being hit by a tsunami with no warning," wrote Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, the second-largest teachers union in the U.S., in an email. "Our debt clinics are life preservers for AFT members." In a recent survey of AFT members who are struggling financially, 80 percent of respondents said that their education debt was either "challenging" or "a major burden." So far, the union has held more than 130 clinics, and reached some 10,000 people. For now, these clinics are mostly open to union members and their families. But the ones in Washington state have welcomed all college students, and the AFT is working to expand its reach by coordinating with local community groups. People need this knowledge and I wish it was explained like this a few years ago. Lisa Mulhall student loan borrower Connie Budd, a teacher's assistant at a local public school, came to the clinic to learn about how she could help her son who is about to graduate high school. She watched her oldest son struggle to repay his more than $50,000 in student loans. "He really got into a lot of problems after college," Budd said, adding that he eventually fell into default after being laid off from work. With the information she learned at the clinic, she plans to sit down with her younger son to make sure that doesn't happen to him. "I want him to be able to be aware of the programs out there," Budd said. Connie Budd came to learn about how she could help her son struggling with his student loan debt. Anne Nova | CNBC Many student loan borrowers say they're in need of a place for clear, objective information. A recent government report found some schools don't present student loan borrowers with their best options. Meanwhile, one of the largest student loan servicers Navient, is being sued by five states and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for misleading borrowers. (Navient disputes all allegations.) Mulhall, the fifth-grade teacher, said she hopes these clinics reach more people faster, because servicers don't always give out the best information. Of her situation, she said: "I feel extremely discouraged and almost taken advantage of. People need this knowledge and I wish it was explained like this a few years ago." Kevin Pollitt, labor relations specialist at New York State United Teachers, led the student loan debt clinic. Annie Nova | CNBC China has refuted a newly released Pentagon report which claims China's military might pose a threat to the US. The report mainly focused on China's military and security developments suggests China's military has expanded its bomber operations in recent years while "likely training for strikes" against the United States and its allies. In response, defense ministry spokesperson Wu Qian said that China has always been an advocate of global peace and stability, as demonstrated by its involvement in international peacekeeping and disaster relief missions, which he said have been widely praised. Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian [File Photo: mod.gov.cn] As for China's military modernization, Wu said that China has been taking reasonable steps to protect its sovereignty. "China accelerated the process of military modernization to protect its national sovereignty, security, and development, as well as to maintain global peace, stability, and prosperity. China's military reforms, arms development, and the improvement of its cyber defenses are appropriate and rational," Wu says. Wu also urged the United States to respect the One China policy, and said China's defense forces to continue to safeguard the country's territorial integrity. He also said China is committed to resolving disputes through dialogue and negotiation, and called the US move in the South China Sea "the real threat" to regional stability. "Apart from national defense purposes, China's activities in the South China Sea are intended to serve public demand to better perform its international responsibilities, while the US has sent warplanes and ships to the region in a provocative move under the guise of 'freedom of navigation', creating tensions. This is a real threat to the regional stability," Wu says. Commenting on the release of the report, Wu called on the United States not to damage Sino-US ties with it. "The United States' so-called annual report on China's military and security developments damages the mutual trust and interests between our two countries. We ask the United States to abandon its Cold War mentality, view China's military activities from an objective perspective, and stop issuing such reports and safeguard the stable advancement of our military ties with action," he says. Wu restated China's position that it will follow the path of peaceful development and maintain a defensive military posture. Meanwhile, China's Foreign Ministry also urged Washington to make real efforts to maintain the stable development of bilateral relations. Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary-General, dead at age 80 Kofi Annan CNN: Kofi Annan, the first black African to lead the United Nations, has died at age 80. He served as Secretary-General at a time when worries about the Cold War were replaced by threats of global terrorism, and his efforts to combat those threats and secure a more peaceful world brought him the Nobel Peace Prize. Annan, who was born in Ghana in 1938, served as the seventh UN Secretary-General, from 1997 to 2006, and was the first to rise from within the ranks of the United Nations staff. He had also been a member, since 2007, of The Elders, a humanitarian group of a dozen leaders and activists of worldwide stature formed by Nelson Mandela. In 2013, Annan became its chairman. The Kofi Annan Foundation confirmed his death with "immense sadness" in a statement posted on Twitter. Annan passed away peacefully Saturday morning after a short illness, with his wife Nane and their three children by his side during his final days, the statement said. The foundation paid tribute to Annan as a "global statesman and a deeply committed internationalist who fought throughout his life for a fairer, more peaceful world." "During his distinguished career and leadership of the United Nations, he was an ardent champion of peace, sustainable development, human rights and the rule of law." Annan was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with the United Nations in 2001 "for their work for a better organized and more peaceful world." Tributes pour in As news of Annan's death has spread, many are paying tribute to a man who became a global figure as head of the United Nations but was also known by those close to him for his warmth and charm. Current UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told CNN that Annan had been "an enormous source of inspiration" to him, adding that the late leader had been committed to his principles and values even if he had to pay a heavy price for them. "He was not only a statesman, he was not only a leader, he was a warm person who would support his friends in difficult moments. He was a true colleague and a true friend," he said. The UN Migration Agency tweeted: "Today we mourn the loss of a great man, a leader, and a visionary." UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said he was "grief-stricken" over Annan's death, adding that he was a "friend to thousands and a leader of millions." "Kofi was humanity's best example, the epitome, of human decency and grace," he said. "In a world now filled with leaders who are anything but that, our loss, the world's loss becomes even more painful." A statement from The Elders said its members were "shocked and deeply saddened" by the death of their friend and colleague. "We are devastated at the loss of our dear friend and fellow Elder. Kofi was a strong and inspiring presence to us all, and The Elders would not be where it is today without his leadership," said deputy chairman Gro Harlem Brundtland, adding that the group was resolved to continue to uphold Annan's values and legacy. NATO leader Jens Stoltenberg tweeted that the world had lost one of its giants. "His warmth should never be mistaken for weakness," he said. "Annan showed that one can be a great humanitarian and a strong leader at the same time." Carl Bildt, co-chairman of the European council on Foreign Relations and former Swedish Prime Minister, described Annan as "a man of courage, wisdom and friendship" and urged people to read his 2001 Nobel Peace Prize lecture. Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo extended condolences on behalf of the entire nation and said the Ghanaian flag would fly at half staff across the country and in all of Ghana's diplomatic missions for a week, starting Monday. As the first person from sub-Saharan Africa to become UN Secretary-General, Annan "brought considerable renown to our country" he said. "He was an ardent believer in the capacity of the Ghanaian to chart his or her own course onto the path of progress and prosperity." Zimbabwe opposition leader Nelson Chamisa said he was deeply saddened by the news, having met with Annan only a few days ago. "A rare breed of diplomat; soft spoken but unshakably firm. He had great love for world peace & democracy," he wrote on Twitter. "Go well son of Africa, Champion of the world!" Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta offered his condolences, while former Prime Minister and opposition leader Raila Odinga paid tribute to Annan's "tireless work in stabilizing the world and encouraging Africa to aspire to higher ideals of democracy, respect for human rights and sound governance." Annan was remembered in Kenya as the man who "saved the country from collapse following the 2007-2008 post-election violence," Odinga said. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev described Annan as a "legendary" UN chief. "He always sought to put an end to armed conflict, to make fighting stop and negotiations begin. A peacekeeper of his stature will be sorely missed," he said. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said he was extremely saddened by the loss of an "unwavering champion for peace, justice and rule of law" and a "dear old friend." Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the world had lost "not only a great African diplomat and humanitarian but also a conscience keeper of international peace and security." The director of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth, praised Annan as a "great leader." There was no immediate response from the Trump administration to the news of Annan's death. What shaped his global thinking? Annan was descended from tribal chiefs on both sides of his family. After studying in Ghana and at Macalester College in St. Paul, in the US state of Minnesota, he joined the United Nations in 1962 as a low-ranking officer with the World Health Organization in Geneva. He thought he would stay only a few years but ended up spending almost his entire working life with the organization. Then-UN peacekeeping chief Kofi Annan gives a press conference in October 1993 in Mogadishu, Somalia. Annan avoided potentially career-ending moments while serving in the department of peacekeeping. In 1994, the UN Security Council and others including Annan were accused by the UN field commander in Rwanda of ignoring his warnings. An estimated 800,000 people died as the world was reluctant to send troops in. Speaking in 2004, Annan said: "I believed at the that time that I was doing my best, but I realized after the genocide that there was more that I could have and should have done." The next year, thousands of Muslims were massacred in Srebrenica as Bosnian Serbs overran a UN "safe zone." Annan would later say Rwanda and Srebrenica would shape his global thinking. The Secretary-General at the time, Boutros Boutros Ghali, took the heat for UN failings. Champion of human rights On taking the helm as Secretary-General in 1997, Annan became a high-profile figure who championed human rights and urged the United Nations to protect civilians if their own governments turned on them. His first term was highly-rated but his second term, which coincided with the US invasion of Iraq, was not as smooth. Annan would later call the assault illegal. "I think the worst moment of course was the Iraq war, which as an organization we couldn't stop -- and I really did everything I can to try to see if we can stop it," he said, speaking in 2006. In this 2003 file photo, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan greets US President George W Bush before the start of the 58th UN General Assembly. In February 2012, the United Nations appointed Annan the UN and Arab League joint special envoy to Syria. Only six months later, he quit, citing increasing militarization in Syria and "the clear lack of unity" at the UN Security Council. In a statement released by the United Nations, Guterres described Annan as both a personal mentor and an inspiration to all. "He provided people everywhere with a space for dialogue, a place for problem-solving and a path to a better world. In these turbulent and trying times, he never stopped working to give life to the values of the United Nations Charter. His legacy will remain a true inspiration for all of us." CNN's Nicole Chavez, Joe Sterling, Stephanie Busari and Hamdi Alkhshali contributed to this report. The most expensive ice cream in the world costs $60,000. To try it, you have to fly to Tanzania but it's a pretty cushy trip. You'll fly first class, stay in a luxury resort and have the ice cream made right before your eyes on Mount Kilimanjaro. "The World's More Expensive Most Expensive Ice Cream" sundae is offered by Three Twins Ice Cream, an independent organic ice cream company based in California with three shops in Northern California and wholesale ice cream products sold in all fifty states. The $60,000 ice cream was inspired by founder Neal Gottlieb's hike up Mount Kilimanjaro in January 2011, where he made ice cream in the snow. So why does it cost $60,000? In addition to first-class flights and five-star accommodations to be determined after buying the ice cream, the experience includes a guided climb up Mount Kilimanjaro with a local guide and Gottlieb himself, who will hand-churn a batch of ice cream with glacial ice from the mountain's summit. "The process starts with harvesting ice from the glacier, which is put into a dry bag, into a backpack and carried down to camp," Gottlieb tells CNBC Make It. "I must say, this is not easy on the knees going downhill! "At camp the ice is broken up. A small pot is put inside a larger pot and the space between is filled with ice and salt, which lowers the temperature of the mixture. Milk, cream, sugar and flavoring are mixed and added to the pot. The mixture is stirred, and the part that freezes to the wall of the inner pot is scraped off. Eventually the whole mixture freezes and you have ice cream." Gottlieb can make vanilla or other flavors requested. Gottlieb, who was a contestant on "Survivor 2016: Koah Rong" on CBS, founded Three Twins Ice Cream in 2005, after having worked at The Gap corporate headquarters after college and joining the Peace Corps in Morocco. "I wanted to combine my capitalist side with my do-gooder side," he says. "Ice cream was a way for me to start small, be organic and spread joy. Plus it was something that I could scale up from a small ice cream shop to a brand." Gottlieb says $10,000 of the $60,000 ice cream cost goes toward an African environmental non-profit. The purchase of the ice cream helps raise awareness of the mountain's glaciers predicted to disappear in the next 10 to 15 years due to climate change, according to Gottlieb. "Although the glaciers disappearing may be more of a result of localized climate change than global climate change, I think that their disappearance is a good lesson in how climate change can bring about profound changes in relatively short periods of time and should be taken seriously." Here's a roundup of the most important deals in venture capital in the last week. Alphabet invested $375 million in Oscar Health , a six-year-old health insurance start-up co-founded by Joshua Kushner. The investment comes just a few months after two other subsidiaries of Alphabet another investment arm, Capital G, and life sciences division Verily participated in a $165 million round that sources said valued Oscar at $3.2 billion . Alphabet now reportedly owns roughly 10 percent of the start-up, which has created a technology platform to better process insurance claims. DoorDash, the food delivery business, has raised $250 million and notched a $4 billion valuation. Its latest round announced Thursday and led by tech investment firms Coatue Management and DST Global came five months after the San Francisco-based start-up raised $535 million in a round led by SoftBank Vision Fund. The company competes with , Uber Eats and Postmates. Chinese aerospace start-up OneSpace Technology raised $43.6 million in a series B round of funding, SpaceNews.com reports. The company intends to complete its first orbital launch by the end of this year and to eventually serve space industry customers that SpaceX does not. Investors included CICC Jiatai Equity Fund, FinTrek Capital and China Merchants Venture Capital. The company has raised a total of $116 million. Sila Nanotechnologies, a materials science and manufacturing start-up, raised $70 million to develop advanced batteries for use in consumer electronics, electric vehicles, health devices and industrial equipment. Sutter Hill Ventures led the investment and was joined by Siemens-backed venture firm Next47 and Amperex Technology. Blueberry Therapeutics raised around $12.7 million to develop nano-medicines that treat skin and nail infections more effectively than current options. Investors included China Medical Venture Investment and A&B Company, a health-tech manufacturer based in Hong Kong. AndreyPopov | Getty Images It's a familiar scenario. You forget a password to a website or log in from a new computer, and get locked out of your account. The website or your bank sends a text to confirm it's you. Most of the time it is. But the person receiving that text could be a hacker. Criminals are using a method known as "SIM swapping" to take over phone number accounts by duping wireless carriers, and in some cases stealing millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrency. "In online banking, if someone gets into your account there's ways to get the money back," said Kyle Samani, managing partner at crypto hedge fund Multicoin Capital. "In crypto, if hackers get access to your your private keys, they own your money and you're screwed." This week, a California man sued AT&T for $224 million after hackers used his number to steal $24 million worth of cryptocurrency stored on an online exchange. The plaintiff Michael Terpin accused AT&T of negligence, and likened it to "a hotel giving a thief with a fake ID a room key and a key to the room safe to steal jewelry in the safe from the rightful owner." Terpin is hardly the only one to suffer a hack. The total in cryptocurrency lost by individuals hit $1.6 billion at the end of June, according to CoinDesk's 2018 State of Blockchain Report. In order to stop the trend, cybersecurity and industry experts say investors should guard their cellphone numbers with the same paranoia with which they guard their social security numbers. Swapping digits Wireless store employees can assign your phone number to any device, with the right authorization. To confirm, they ask for pieces of private information like a birthday or a social security number. But those can be easily accessed for a price. "Data is being bought, sold and traded on the dark web," said Aaron Higbee, chief technology officer and co-founder of anti-phishing company Cofense. "If your phone number is of a sufficient age, you're on a database somewhere." While one piece of data like a birthday might not be valuable on its own, combined with your phone number or address it can be used to answer those security questions from a wireless store employee. After a criminal hacks into the person's email or cryptocurrency account from their own devices, what's known as "two-factor identification" will send a text code to the phone number as a form of security, and to prevent any sort of unauthorized log in. But because the hacker now controls that phone number, there's no way of the rightful owner regaining control or stopping the hack. This happened to a New York-based venture capitalist who invests in early stage tech companies. He asked not to be named for this story because he did not want to be targeted again, and feared he might egg on the hackers. He was in his office on Monday when he was suddenly logged out of both his personal and business email accounts. When he turned on his AT&T phone, the device had no signal. Because of his experience in cryptocurrency and the tech world, he recognized it as a SIM swap attack. He immediately called his wireless carrier through Skype, and quickly went to the store to regain access to his cell phone but "not quickly enough." "This was the perfect storm," he said. "If I was on vacation or didn't know what to do immediately, they would have taken everything in my bank account." He was able to regain control of his email but not his Coinbase account. Hackers had already moved the cryptocurrency he held to another account, and had attempted to wire money from his CitiBank account, which was refunded by the bank, he said. The total amount stolen was roughly $5,000 which he says is no where near the total of his crypto holdings because the rest was stored offline. Keeping funds offline Savvy, and in some cases paranoid, crypto investors opt to keep their funds in what's known as "cold storage." The method allows you to store digital currency offline, away from any internet access and therefore makes it harder to hack. Cryptocurrency exchange Abra does not store any of its customers funds online for this very reason, according to CEO Bill Barhydt. He called storing private keys online "the worst idea in the history of bad ideas." Those who want to keep money on an exchange might be trading it frequently, or could be first-time investors who bought in when bitcoin became a household-name in December. The cryptocurrency climbed to nearly $20,000, inviting a wave of first-time retail investors. Private keys are the only way to access cryptocurrency wallets online. In many cases, people use their phone numbers as the only backup if they forget that code. "Your phone number right now is a lot more important than your social security number," Barhydt said. "The average consumer doesn't pay attention to security until they've been hacked." Wireless carriers Andrew Burton | Stringer | Getty Images Kofi Annan, the former chief of the United Nations who also won the Nobel Peace Prize, has died at the age of 80. He served two terms at the UN from 1997 to 2006 and was the first black African to take up the role. The Kofi Annan Foundation confirmed his death on Saturday, saying he passed away peacefully after a short illness. He died in hospital in Bern, Switzerland, in the early hours of the morning. "Wherever there was suffering or need, he reached out and touched many people with his deep compassion and empathy. He selflessly placed others first, radiating genuine kindness, warmth and brilliance in all he did," the Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation said in statement on Twitter. "He will be greatly missed by so many around the world, as well as his staff at the Foundation and his many former colleagues in the United Nations system. He will remain in our hearts forever." Nobel Peace Prize in 2001 Annan spent virtually his entire career as an administrator in the United Nations. His aristocratic style, cool-tempered elegance and political savvy helped guide his ascent to become its seventh secretary-general, and the first hired from within. He served two terms from Jan. 1, 1997, to Dec. 31, 2006, capped nearly mid-way when he and the U.N. were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001. During his tenure, Annan presided over some of the worst failures and scandals at the world body, one of its most turbulent periods since its founding in 1945. Challenges from the outset forced him to spend much of his time struggling to restore its tarnished reputation. His enduring moral prestige remained largely undented, however, both through charisma and by virtue of having negotiated with most of the powers in the world. When he departed from the United Nations, he left behind a global organization far more aggressively engaged in peacekeeping and fighting poverty, setting the framework for the U.N.'s 21st-century response to mass atrocities and its emphasis on human rights and development. "Kofi Annan was a guiding force for good," current U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. "It is with profound sadness that I learned of his passing. In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations. He rose through the ranks to lead the organization into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination." Even out of office, Annan never completely left the U.N. orbit. He returned in special roles, including as the U.N.-Arab League's special envoy to Syria in 2012. He remained a powerful advocate for global causes through his eponymous foundation. 'My darkest moment' Annan took on the top U.N. post six years after the collapse of the Soviet Union and presided during a decade when the world united against terrorism after the Sept. 11 attacks then divided deeply over the U.S.-led war against Iraq. The U.S. relationship tested him as a world diplomatic leader. "I think that my darkest moment was the Iraq war, and the fact that we could not stop it," Annan said in a February 2013 interview with TIME magazine to mark the publication of his memoir, "Interventions: A Life in War and Peace." "I worked very hard I was working the phone, talking to leaders around the world. The U.S. did not have the support in the Security Council," Annan recalled in the videotaped interview posted on The Kofi Annan Foundation's website. "So they decided to go without the council. But I think the council was right in not sanctioning the war," he said. "Could you imagine if the U.N. had endorsed the war in Iraq, what our reputation would be like? Although at that point, President (George W.) Bush said the U.N. was headed toward irrelevance, because we had not supported the war. But now we know better." Despite his well-honed diplomatic skills, Annan was never afraid to speak candidly. That didn't always win him fans, particularly in the case of Bush's administration, with whom Annan's camp spent much time bickering. Much of his second term was spent at odds with the United States, the U.N.'s biggest contributor, as he tried to lean on the nation to pay almost $2 billion in arrears. Kofi Atta Annan was born April 8, 1938, into an elite family in Kumasi, Ghana, the son of a provincial governor and grandson of two tribal chiefs. He shared his middle name Atta "twin" in Ghana's Akan language with a twin sister, Efua. He became fluent in English, French and several African languages, attending an elite boarding school and the University of Science and Technology in Kumasi. He finished his undergraduate work in economics at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1961. From there he went to Geneva, where he began his graduate studies in international affairs and launched his U.N. career. Annan married Titi Alakija, a Nigerian woman, in 1965, and they had a daughter, Ama, and a son, Kojo. He returned to the U.S. in 1971 and earned a master's degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management. The couple separated during the 1970s and, while working in Geneva, Annan met his second wife, Swedish lawyer Nane Lagergren. They married in 1984. Annan worked for the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa in Ethiopia, its Emergency Force in Egypt, and the office of the High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva, before taking a series of senior posts at U.N. headquarters in New York dealing with human resources, budget, finance, and staff security. He also had special assignments. After Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, he facilitated the repatriation from Iraq of more than 900 international staff and other non-Iraqi nationals, and the release of western hostages in Iraq. He led the initial negotiations with Iraq for the sale of oil in exchange for humanitarian relief. Just before becoming secretary-general, Annan served as U.N. peacekeeping chief and as special envoy to the former Yugoslavia, where he oversaw a transition in Bosnia from U.N. protective forces to NATO-led troops. The U.N. peacekeeping operation faced two of its greatest failures during his tenure: the Rwanda genocide in 1994, and the massacre in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica in July 1995. In both cases, the U.N. had deployed troops under Annan's command, but they failed to save the lives of the civilians they were mandated to protect. Annan offered apologies, but ignored calls to resign by U.S. Republican lawmakers. After became secretary-general, he called for U.N. reports on those two debacles and they were highly critical of his management. As secretary-general, Annan forged his experiences into a doctrine called the "Responsibility to Protect," that countries accepted at least in principle to head off genocide, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing and war crimes. Annan sought to strengthen the U.N.'s management, coherence and accountability, efforts that required huge investments in training and technology, a new whistleblower policy and financial disclosure requirements. In 1998, he helped ease a transition to civilian rule in Nigeria and visited Iraq to try to resolve its impasse with the Security Council over compliance with weapons inspections and other matters. The effort helped avoid an outbreak of hostilities that seemed imminent at the time. In 1999, he was deeply involved in the process by which East Timor gained independence from Indonesia, and started the "Global Compact" initiative that has grown into the world's largest effort to promote corporate social responsibility. Annan was chief architect of what became known as the Millennium Development Goals, and played a central role in creating the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the U.N.'s first counter-terrorism strategy. Annan's uncontested election to a second term was unprecedented, reflecting the overwhelming support he enjoyed from both rich and poor countries. Timothy Wirth, president of the United Nations Foundation, which disburses Ted Turner's $1 billion pledge to U.N. causes, hailed "a saint-like sense about him." In 2005, Annan succeeded in establishing the Peacebuilding Commission and the Human Rights Council. But that year, the U.N. was facing almost daily attacks over allegations about corruption in the U.N. oil-for-food program in Iraq, bribery by U.N. purchasing officials and widespread sex abuse by U.N. peacekeepers an issue that would only balloon in importance after he left office. It emerged that Annan's son, Kojo, had not disclosed payments he received from his employer, which had a $10 million-a-year contract to monitor humanitarian aid under the oil-for-food program. The company paid at least $300,000 to Kojo so he would not work for competitors after he left. An independent report criticized the secretary-general for being too complacent, saying he should have done more to investigate matters even if he was not involved with the awarding of the contract. World leaders agreed to create an internal U.N. ethics office, but a major overhaul of the U.N.'s outdated management practices and operating procedures was left to Annan's successor, Ban Ki-moon. Truce between Israel and Hezbollah Origin of the the family wealth Their riches stem from the vast oil reserves uncovered more than 75 years ago, under the reign of King Abdulaziz ibn Saud. The country's state-owned natural gas and petroleum company Saudi Aramco is valued by some at more than $2 trillion. If that estimation is correct, it would be one of the world's most profitable oil companies. The leader of the pack One of the most influential members of the royal family is King Salman of Saudi Arabia, who succeeded his late brother Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in 2015. Reportedly worth $17 billion, the 82-year-old has handed over much of the country's leadership to his son and heir to the throne Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, 32. The future of the royal family In an effort to clamp down on corruption last year, the crown prince forced the country's richest people to turn over their fortunes to the state, including many of his own relatives. As a result, Forbes dropped ten Saudis from its annual list of the world's billionaires. The country claims to have recouped more than $100 billion through this "corruption campaign," but that figure is impossible to verify. The finer things According to the New York Times, the heir recently purchased a a $450 million Da Vinci painting, a $500 million yacht and a $300 million French chateau. He reportedly also owns two homes in London and a compound on Spain's southern coast. In an interview with CBS News, the Crown Prince said that his finances were a private matter and that he did not need to apologize for an opulent lifestyle. "I'm a rich person and not a poor person. I'm not Gandhi or [Nelson] Mandela," he said. "I'm a member of the ruling family that existed for hundreds of years before the founding of Saudi Arabia." He also claimed that a large share of his wealth goes toward charity. "I spend at least 51 percent on people and 49 on myself," said the prince. Like this story? Subscribe to CNBC Make It on YouTube! Don't miss: Billionaire Charlie Munger says living by this rule is key to his success Walmart Inc has asked some beauty suppliers to consider sourcing products from outside China, as it looks for ways to mitigate the impact of a new set of tariffs on Chinese products proposed by the Trump administration. In an email sent to some beauty suppliers on Aug. 7, seen by Reuters, the retailer asks if they have facilities outside China, and if not, whether they would consider investing in them, to broaden their sourcing ability. Many cosmetics products like shampoos, lipsticks and makeup fall under the most recent list of proposed levies on Chinese goods. Walmart spokesman Randy Hargrove did not comment on the letter. He directed Reuters to Chief Financial Officer Brett Bigg's statement on the trade tariff issue when Walmart announced quarterly results on Thursday. Biggs told Reuters the potential impact of tariffs is difficult to quantify. He also said that one of the mitigation strategies for the retailer is understanding what suppliers' plans and alternatives are for sourcing. "We are closely monitoring the tariff discussions and are actively working on mitigation strategies, particularly in light of potentially escalating duties," he said. Bloomberg reported Walmart's request earlier on Friday. The Undead Archives I have finally salvaged my pre-Blogger TDR archives and added them into Blogger. They are almost totally in the form of one giant post for each month. And the formatting strayed from the originals. Sorry. But historians everywhere can rejoice that this treasure trove of my thoughts is restored to the world. Can the police search your phone? The answer to that question is getting complicated. But its an important thing to know. The reason is that your phone, and the phones of every employee at your company, almost certainly contain company secrets or provide access to those secrets. Phones can provide access to passwords, contact lists, emails, phone call metadata, photos, spreadsheets and other company documents, location histories, photos and much more. Proprietary data including information that would enable systematic hacking of company servers for sabotage, industrial espionage and worse is protected from legal exposure by a complex set of well-understood laws and norms in the United States. But that same data is accessible from company phones. Can the police simply take that information? Until recently, most professionals would have said no. Why? Because business and IT professionals tend to believe that smartphones are covered by the Fourth Amendments strictures against unreasonable searches and seizures, a protection recently reaffirmed by the Supreme Court. And smartphones are also protected by the Fifth Amendment, many would say, because divulging a passcode is akin to being compelled to be a witness against yourself. Unfortunately, these beliefs are wrong. The trouble with passcodes Apple last year quietly added a new feature to iPhones designed to protect smartphone data from police searches. When you quickly press the on/off button on an iPhone five times, it turns off Touch ID and Face ID. The thinking behind the so-called cop button is that, because police can compel you to use biometrics, but not a passcode, to unlock your phone, the feature makes it impossible for the legal system to force you to hand over information. Unfortunately, this belief has now been undermined. We learned this week that a Florida man named William John Montanez was jailed for six months after claiming that he forgot the passcodes for his two phones. Montanez was pulled over for a minor traffic infraction. Police wanted to search his car. He refused. The police brought in dogs, which found some marijuana and a gun. (Montanez said the gun was his mothers.) During the arrest, his phone got a text that said, OMG, did they find it, prompting police to get a warrant to search his phones. Thats when Montanez claimed he didnt remember the passcodes, and the judge sentenced him to up to six months in jail for civil contempt. As a precedent, this cascading series of events changes what we thought we knew about the security of the data on our phones. What started as an illegal turn ended up with jail time over the inability or unwillingness to divulge what we thought was a constitutionally protected bit of information. Weve also learned a lot recently about the vulnerability of location data on a smartphone. The solution for individual users who want to keep location and other data private is to simply switch off the feature, such as the Location History feature in Googles Android operating system. Right? Not really. It turns out Google has been storing location data even after users turn off Location History. The fiasco was based on false information that used to exist on Googles site. Turning off Location History, the site said, meant that the places you go are no longer stored. In fact, they were stored, just not in the user-accessible Location History area. Google corrected the false language, adding, Some location data may be saved as part of your activity on other services, like Search and Maps. Stored data matters. The FBI recently demanded from Google the data about all people using location services within a 100-acre area in Portland, Maine, as part of an investigation into a series of robberies. The request included the names, addresses, phone numbers, session times and duration, log-in IP addresses, email addresses, log files and payment information. The order also said that Google could not inform users of the FBIs demand. Google did not comply with the request. But that didnt keep the FBI from pushing for it. In fact, police are evolving their methods, intentions and technologies for searching smartphones. Police data-harvesting machines A device called GrayKey, from a company called GrayShift, can unlock any iPhone or iPad. GrayShift licenses the devices for $15,000 per year and up to 300 phone cracks. Its a turnkey system. Each GrayKey has two Lightning cables. Police need only plug in a phone, and eventually the phones passcode appears on the phones screen, giving full access. That may be why Apple introduced in the fall a new USB Restricted Mode for iPhones. That mode makes it harder for police (or criminals) to crack a phone via the Lightning port. The mode is activated by default, which is to say that the switch in settings for USB Accessories is turned off. With that switch off, the Lightning port wont connect to anything after an hour of the phone being locked. Unfortunately for iPhone users, USB Restricted Mode is easily defeated with a widely available $39 dongle. And the U.S. isnt the only country with police data-harvesting machines. A world of trouble for smartphone data Chinese authorities have their own technology for harvesting the data from phones, and that technology is now being deployed by police in the field. Police anywhere in the country can demand that anyone hand over a phone, which is then scanned by a device, the use of which is reportedly spreading across China. Chinese authorities have both desktop and handheld scanner devices, which automatically extract and process emails, social posts, videos, photos, call histories, text messages and contact lists to aid them in looking for transgressions. Some reports suggest that the devices, which are made by both Israeli and Chinese companies, are unable to crack newer iPhones but can access nearly every other kind of phone. Another factor to be considered is that the protections of the U.S. Constitution end at the border literally at the border. As Ive detailed here in the past, U.S. Customs is a gray area for Fifth Amendment constitutional protections. And once abroad, all bets are off. Even in friendly, pro-privacy nations such as Australia. The Australian government on Tuesday proposed a law called the Assistance and Access Bill 2018. If it becomes law, the act would require people to unlock their phones for police or face up to ten years in prison (the current maximum is two years). It would empower police to legally bug or hack phones and computers. The bill would force carriers, as well as companies such as Apple, Google, Microsoft and Facebook, to give police access to the private encrypted data of their customers if technically possible. Failure to comply would result in fines of up $7.3 million and prison time. Police would need a warrant to crack, bug or hack a phone. The bill may never become law. But Australia is just one of many nations affected by a new political will to end smartphone privacy when it comes to law enforcement. If you take anything away from this column, please remember this: The landscape for whats possible in the realm of police searches of smartphones is changing every day. In general, smartphones are becoming less protected from police searches, not more protected. Thats why the assumption of every IT department, every enterprise and every business progressional especially those of us who travel internationally on business must be that the data on a smartphone is not safe from official scrutiny. Its time to rethink company policies, training, procedures and permissions around smartphones. Brexit 1) Government to publish first set of no-deal plans next Thursday They will apparently include warning of high likelihood of disruption and delays at ports Daily Telegraph There will be 84 plans in total FT Jones says its a shame they havent been published sooner Daily Express Khan tells London resilience forum to prepare for no deal Guardian Hunt criticised for calling no deal a huge geo-strategic mistake Daily Telegraph Meanwhile, government has fortnight to respond to legal challenge Guardian Farage backs Leave Means Leave Guardian The group has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds, including much from Conservative Party donors Daily Express Brexit 2) Farage: Theresa the Appeaser is a disaster. Now is the time for action The government will set out the vast parts of public life which would be affected by Britains crashing out of the EU acrimoniously when it publishes the first tranche of no-deal contingency plans next Thursday. Whitehall departments are finalising a batch of technical notices that will explain how the government plans to keep different sectors of the economy running if the UK leaves the bloc at the end of March without a deal. The 84 papers will cover topics ranging from animal breeding to seafarer certification, according a list leaked to the website Buzzfeed. The Times It is now beyond doubt that the political class in Westminster and many of their media allies do not accept the EU referendum result. They refuse to acknowledge the wishes of the majority of those who took part in that historic plebiscite of 2016 by voting to leave the European Union. As far as Im concerned, this is the worst case of Stockholm syndrome ever recorded. A vital part of making this decision was based upon a tangible instinct to leave the single market. Yet under Theresa Mays fraudulent Chequers plan, the people have instead been offered a form of regulatory alignment. What is more, nothing will be done to take back control of our borders, our fishing rights or our ability to be a global trader for many years to come. Theresa the Appeaser has produced a set of ideas that are nothing more than a cowardly sell-out. With all this in mind, now is the time for action. Daily Telegraph May isnt going to change anytime soon Asa Bennett, Daily Telegraph Hammond 1) Chancellor planning new taxes to discourage business use of single-use plastic Plans will be set out in Autumn Budget The Sun Coffee cups and cutlery will apparently be targeted Daily Express 162,000 Britons responded to Treasury consultation Daily Mail Hammond 2) Hes accused of abandoning savers over plans to cut NS&I ISA rate Shoppers will be spared direct taxes on plastic products after the government decided to reduce consumption of single-use plastic by targeting manufacturers. Philip Hammond, the chancellor, will announce new taxes in the autumn budget designed to encourage manufacturers to use more recycled plastic in their products and discourage them from using packaging which is hard to recycle, such as black plastic food trays. The Treasury had previously suggested that there could be new taxes on coffee cups and takeaway boxes, pointing to the success of the 5p charge on plastic carrier bags that has reduced their use by more than 80 per cent. The Times Phillip Hammond was last night accused of abandoning savers as the Governments savings arm prepares to slash the pay out on its best Isa just weeks after the Bank of England hiked rates. National Savings & Investment (NS&I) is poised to cut its easy-access Direct Isa rate from 1 per cent to 0.75 per cent on September 24. Currently, 387,000 people hold 4.6billion in Direct Isa accounts an average of almost 12,000 each. The rate cut means instead of earning 120 a year in interest, the average saver will get just 90. A decade ago its top Isa paid 5.8 per cent 696. Experts have criticised NS&I, which raises money for the Treasury and also administers premium bonds, for failing savers who have suffered a decade of poor returns. Daily Mail Stewart promises to resign in a year if no reduction in assaults at problem prisons The focus is on ten jails Daily Telegraph Theyre in special measures over serious problems with drugs and violence FT The prisons minister has pledged to resign unless ten jails targeted for special measures to tackle drugs and violence show a reduction in assaults. Rory Stewart made his commitment after announcing a 10 million package of measures intended to drive up standards in ten of the most challenging prisons in England and Wales. Mr Stewart told the BBC Breakfast programme yesterday: I will quit if I havent succeeded in 12 months in reducing the level of drugs and violence in those prisons. I want to make a measurable difference. I believe that this can be turned around and I want you to judge me on those results and I will resign if I dont succeed. The Times More Westminster Only three unexplained wealth orders issued so far The Times More regulations for wood-burning stoves FT New suggestions for MPs security to include video entry phones The Times And from rest of the UK Foster to miss meeting Pope Belfast News Letter Anti-Brexiters to gather in Edinburgh Herald >Today: ToryDiary: Like the Scots, the Welsh Conservatives face a once-in-a-generation strategic opportunity Labour 1) Sandbrook: Corbyn is a coward All my life, Britain has lived in the shadow of terror. On October 5, 1974, three days after I was born, the Provisional IRA bombed two pubs in Guildford, killing five people. A month later they struck again, killing 21 people in two more pub bombings in Birmingham. Ever since, with grim regularity, the attacks have continued. No sooner had the IRA laid down their guns in the late Nineties than Britain became a target for Islamist extremists. Suicide bombers killed 52 people on the London transport system in July 2005. More Islamist militants murdered Fusilier Lee Rigby in horrific circumstances in Woolwich in 2013. Another Islamist murdered four pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and a policeman guarding Parliament in March 2017. A few weeks later, eight people were killed and dozens wounded in Londons Borough Market. Daily Mail He doesnt believe hes done anything wrong Juliet Samuel, Daily Telegraph UK politicians must stop trashing the Palestinian cause Rachel Shabi, Guardian Labour 2) Hodge criticised and mocked for Nazi Germany comments Could Corbyn be banned from Commons for not having reported Tunis event? The Sun Nandy voices her thoughts FT Meanwhile, Corbyn will use Edinburgh speech to criticise media billionaires Guardian Turner: Beware the scary power of the trans lobby Corbynistas today mocked a Labour Jewish MP for saying a disciplinary probe into her anti-Semite jibe at Jeremy Corbyn made her feel like a Jew in Nazi Germany. Dame Margaret Hodge, who lost family in the Holocaust, said learning she was under investigation after the encounter made her think as if they were coming for me. But she has faced an onslaught of derision from Mr Corbyns supporters on Twitter who have posted outlandish comparisons to mock her. The users, including an aide to the Labour MP and Corbyn ally Laura Pidcock, have made the hashtag #HodgeComparisons trend on Twitter. Daily Mail Recently the NHS was called upon by the Equality and Human Rights Commission to preserve the fertility of young trans people by banking their sperm and eggs. But where is the ethical debate and long-term research into how Lupron a prostate cancer drug used off label on children affects brain development at puberty? Or into the impact of massive, lifelong doses of testosterone on young natal womens health? Or into where this enormous surge in children diagnosed with gender dysphoria (ie feeling they are in the wrong sex body) is coming from? In particular, why are 1,806 of the 2,509 adolescents (72 per cent) referred in 2017-18 to the Tavistock NHS gender identity service girls? Such is the power of the trans lobby to damage academic careers with accusations of transphobia that few dare challenge new orthodoxies. The Times News in Brief History matters. Our history matters. It forms a crucial part of our heritage. It should not be thrown into the rubbish bin, but be preserved and cherished, for future generations to appreciate. Geography matters. We all have a sense of who we are based on where we are, where we come from, where we live, and where we are going. Geography too forms a part of our heritage. People respect their heritage. It forms a very important part of their identity. Identity matters. Put all this together, and you have a sense that our traditional, historic conceptions of geography should be preserved, so we can talk about past, present, and future generations, based on where they live, and so we can preserve our identity. Neglected heritage In many ways, the heritage, history, and culture of our country has been neglected, abused, discarded. One way this has occurred has been in the treatment of the 92 ancient counties of the United Kingdom, in particular the 39 in England, 34 in Scotland, and 13 in Wales. The six counties of Northern Ireland have escaped the worst of the mangling. For reasons ranging from the non-existent to negligence, carelessness to deliberate destruction, county identity in our country has been put through the mill, since the 1960s onwards, starting in and around London in 1963. Lets kill off Middlesex, and hope no-one notices if they play Surrey, they said. The powers that be then took out their atlases of the rest of the country, for the Local Government Act 1972. Lincolnshire doesnt matter. Who weeps for Glamorgan? Cromartyshire is barmy. Successive waves of administrators presumably at the will of their political masters have chopped and changed the counties with abandon. In their wisdom, they have created not one but eight different types of county as if there were eight different Marks & Spencers, eight different laws of differential calculus, eight different Jupiters. Constants in a changing world They have taken something as softly precious as county identity, developed for the most part over 1,000 years and more, and got themselves very confused as they took their turns to impose their new wills on the county system. If there is one civil servant who can happily explain what a Welsh preserved county is, please step forward: after all, the Newport-Gwent Dragons play in Monmouthshire. Furthermore, and utterly bizarrely, the powers have at all times tried to claim the counties have not actually changed in law, while doing everything in practice to assert they have. Whats the catch? Just to press the point, Aberdeen is in Aberdeenshire everyone knows that. And for the benefit of the media, while Lancashire is in the main in Lancashire, Wigan is both in and not in, like a Schrodinger county cat. And dont just take my word for it. See this article, for example (in relation to England). Englands counties for example, my county, Sussex, which holds my seat in Crawley are often older than England itself. We have no right to mess around with them. In our rapidly changing world, we need some constants. So, lets not mess around with them. And just one aside. The concept of regions cannot be allowed to cause further confusion, for example with Yorkshire and the Humber. I was under the impression they were scrapped anyway, by my colleague Eric Pickles, former secretary of state for local government and communities. A question of money To repeat, peoples heritage matters. Our counties are worth preserving. At what cost, you say? Well, I would argue, very little. The county system can be fixed through a gradual system of patch and mend, which would happen naturally as we fix a road sign here, update a map there. The cost of not preserving our heritage is greater, surely, for that means we have completely lost touch with who we are. We would have to start over again, and that might cost a great deal indeed. People who are happy with their identity are more likely to be happy full stop. They can lead happy, productive, economically successful lives: yes, the counties can be good for business. British Counties Campaign Last year, I agreed to be champion MP for the British Counties Campaign, a campaign seeking legislation to enshrine Britains counties once and for all, which I hosted in parliament in the spring for its official launch. Further events are planned around the country, as well as online activity. While the campaign is cross party, at its core is a recognition of the need to build on Britains past as we move towards the future. The campaign is not about reorganising local government, at least not over and above perhaps using counties as a very broad template for local government. What it is is a movement seeking to ensure there is just one type of county the traditional one in this country, and to use those counties for any ceremonial purposes, as well as for tourism, leisure, culture, sport, and so on. The campaign has created a draft bill which I am happy to share. We need to beat those who mangle county names at their own game, and insist on using the correct county names to maintain and re-establish our county heritage. As campaign founder Pam Moorhouse asserts, we also need to set right the wrongs committed by administrators in the past, who chopped and changed county names against peoples will, causing great confusion, which persists to this day. Ms Moorhouse constantly stresses the unfair force used, in particular in and around 1974, with the implementation of the act. This country deserves and will have an imaginative and inventive future. We are clearly at a potential crossroads in the life of the nation. Keeping firm friends, such as the counties we have known and cherished for centuries, at our side, will help us as we move into that future. I look forward to your comments and support as this campaign progresses to ministerial and policy level to the implementation of its goals. We are analyzing the site. Please wait a few seconds.. 100% Website mxcircuit.fr uses latest and advanced technologies like: Php. It supports HTTPS and GZIP compression. The main html page has a size of 37560 bytes (36.68 kb uncompressed) and 6134 bytes (5.99 kb compressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-01-01, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. 100% Website peru21.pe uses latest and advanced technologies. It is very popular on the web, it's within the 1 million most visited websites of the world at position 10168 by Alexa. It supports HTTPS and GZIP compression. The main html page has a size of 368207 bytes (359.58 kb uncompressed) and 63607 bytes (62.12 kb compressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-10-08, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. CORNWALL, Ontario On Sunday, Aug. 12, Lamoureux Park showcased languages, traditional dances, foods and flags of various places during the citys first ever Culture Festival. Its a culture program with a lot of dancingsinging of different regions; everything, said Shoaib Sadiq, an event organizer. The basic message is together is better. This society mixed together is a good thing for each of us. The event ran from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mayor OShaughnessy and local M.P.P. Jim McDonell spoke during the opening ceremonies at noon. Its important, said McDonell. The region is changing. Communities are all about other communities getting together. McDonell said the event reflects what local officials are encouraging for the area, and he commended the event organizers for making the festival possible. The event was organized by Sadiq, Monika Spolia and Mohammed Naeem Talat. This year, it celebrated people from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Sadiq had been hoping to host a cultural festival for some time, and finally decided to make his hopes reality. He was expecting friends and family members from Ottawa and Montreal to attend the event. Its a sunny day, you sit at home, said Sadiq. Why not sit in a park? The right-wing Polish government is continuously breaking new ground in its attacks on democracy and the rule of law. But now it has set a truly astonishing precedent. Warsaw has just used its European Union powers to deport a government critic and banned her from entering any country within European free movement zone. The implications are ominous - and not only for Poland. Lyudmyla Kozlovska, a young Ukrainian human rights defender, is a fervent promoter of democratic Poland. Since she left her home country for Poland a decade ago, she has put considerable effort into promoting the model of Polish democracy to emerging countries through the Open Dialog Foundation, her Warsaw-based think tank. She has worked shoulder-to-shoulder with Polish politicians and officials for the cause. This week, the Polish government deported Kozlovska. The authorities have not provided any explanation, but the likely reason is clear enough. She and her Polish husband, Bartosz Kramek, had criticized the government for what they see as its efforts to undermine the country's democracy. "It's evil irony I ended up in the same situation that I helped many people to avoid," Kozlovska told me. Now back in Ukraine, she is completely cut off from her life on the other side of the border, including her family and husband. But it didn't come as a complete surprise. Kozlovska says she has lived through more than a year of government harassment after her husband posted a statement on Facebook criticizing the democratic rollback in Poland and calling for peaceful civil disobedience. The post went viral. It probably didn't help that she joined mass anti-government protests. "I just couldn't stay away - so many Poles defended Ukrainian democracy during both the Orange Revolution of 2004 and the Maidan Revolution of 2014. I felt obligated to return the favor," she said. Many pro-government politicians and officials publicly threatened her with deportation after that. On Monday, Kozlovska traveled to Brussels after a brief trip to Ukraine. To her shock, she was turned away at the border. Polish officials had placed an alert in the Schengen Information System (SIS), a shared EU database flagging "unwelcome" foreigners during border control. Kozlovska and Kramek say they have reason to believe that the Internal Security Agency regards them as a threat to public safety. The Office for Foreigners, the Polish government agency responsible for foreigners who reside in the country, declined to comment on this specific case. But it did tell me such bans are possible out of "defense, state security, security and public order protection or the interests of the Republic of Poland." Polish officials had already confirmed that they made the alert. Because this is 2018, the government's animus against her and her husband has predictably spawned a vicious online harassment campaign. Her attackers have labeled her as an agent of George Soros, a conspiracy-fueled insult with anti-Semitic connotations that has been widely disseminated by the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin and now adopted by the global far-right. (Kozlovska told me she has met Soros exactly once.) Meanwhile, others vilify her as a Putin agent - which is no less absurd, given that Kozlovska has been a consistent and outspoken opponent of Moscow's annexation of her former home region of Crimea. Still, the Kozlovska case is bigger than Poland. It potentially concerns every foreigner living in the EU If you cross the growing number of illiberal governments in the union, you can be deported on the spot. Kozlovska's story suggests that the whole justice system of the European Union is compromised now. I spoke with two lawyers working on E.U. migration cases, and they both confirmed that Kozlovska's case is no exception. Any foreigner can be deported from the European Union the same way. The SIS alert system just wasn't designed to deal with internal abuse by an E.U.-member country. Some other EU countries saw it coming. Just weeks ago, the Court of Justice of the European Union issued a landmark decision on E.U. extradition requests. An Irish court inquired if it can deny an extradition to Poland out of concerns for integrity of the Polish justice system (a concern shared by the European Commission). The court left the decision with the individual state but agreed that such concerns about judicial independence could be considered. This comes as EU officials contemplate tough action against the Polish government's continuing assault on the rule of law. As someone who also shares life between the European Union and Ukraine, I'm writing this with building anxiety. Many people like me or Kozlovska were forced to find new homes or split them between countries to protect ourselves from the risks that come with our work. Being a journalist, a civic activist or an opponent of Russian interests in Eastern Europe can leave you crippled or killed. So as I type these final sentences, I can't help but wonder: What are the chances that this article will upset an official in an illiberal government in the European Union, making me the next one to be banned from the place I regarded as my safe haven? - - - Eristavi is a nonresident research fellow with the Atlantic Council and co-founder of Hromadske International, an independent news outlet, based in Kiev, Ukraine. Books on the run from Somerset County libraries to just about anywhere Chris Melling's insane runoutthree "shots of a lifetime" in one rack. In competition, no less. The first shot (my favorite but the one the announcer makes the least fuss over) is so inventive most players would never see it; the second shot is the kind of trickshot YouTubers try over and over again until they get it; and he tops it off with a four-rail called shot through traffic that you have to see to believe. Eight ball and out. It would be fairly amazing to have any one of these shots rescue a runout in competition. To have all three in one rack makes this a must-see and fun even for non-fans. Chris Melling, born 1979, is a two-time World Rules British 8-Ball champion from Keighley, West Yorkshire, England. Hope you're enjoying your weekend! Mike Original contents copyright 2018 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. B&H Photo Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon Germany Amazon Canada Adorama (To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.) Featured Comments from: Joe B: "Mike, Pool, well here we go again...not interested in pool. Watched the short video and I have to tell you those three shots are something for the ages! Impossible, must be a trick video. But, no, real they were and probably will not be seen again soon. Thanks for the OT entry. Well worth the side trip." Benjamin Marks: "Astonishing!" David Brown: "Wow!" D. Hufford: "I watched that. I suppose it showed some good shooting, but I would not know. But what I do know is that for the next three weeks, the idiot algorithm at YouTube will recommend every pool (or is it billiards?) video ever made to me. After three weeks, maybe I will be able to discuss the shot more intelligently." Mike replies: Oh, yeah, you're complaining! I'm effectively an Internet researcher. Just in the last five days I've been to pages featuring: the sales figures for the Lexus RC-F; Aretha Franklin's top hits; pictures of the Ricoh GXR; the charge of the Light Brigade and Florence Nightingale; floorstanding home stereo loudspeakers in not one but three price ranges; the difference between elks and moose; CPAP machines; Harlan Ellison's books; the height of corn (which apparently has to be specified as "corn-on-the-cob" in Europe, as they call corn what we call grain); and the difference between "market cap" and annual sales for corporations. And believe me, that's only the very topmost tippy-top of that iceberg. You should see what the video, advertisement, and content algorithms think I'm interested in!!! It can be quite bizarre, and sometimes untraceably mystifying.... Since you asked, "pool" not only consists of many mostly imperfect games with fluctuating rules, but it doesn't even have a real name. "Billiards," as pool is sometimes half-correctly called, is, strictly speaking, three-cushion billiards, a game played on a table with no pockets that was hugely popular when Babe Ruth was playing baseball yet is essentially unknown today. The little bastard zygote name "pool" comes from betting pools. And by the bye, a "billiard" is "any shot in which the cue ball is caromed off an object ball to strike another object ball." Willie Mosconi, a dignified and conservative man who worked hard to raise the tone of the game, attempted to establish the name "pocket billiards" for "pool," but the English (or rather, those English who voted in favor of Brexit) ruined that. They felt obligated to, as it fell under the cloud of their gleeful but insecure national pastime of making fun of all American sports. John Daw: "The video was shot with an A7III...just saying...." The sextoy market is growing quite rapidly in India right now. Although it is not a big trend, it is a hot topic on the internet as it is secretly expanding its market. In this article, we will focus on sextoy and introduce recommended sextoy for Indian beginners of sextoy by gender. India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, is very strict about sex. Also, premarital sex is basically not allowed. Therefore, there are many people who are sexually restricted. But what happens when you continue to be sexually restricted? Frustration may build up and you may end up taking your sexual stress out on your partner. If you are able to adopt sextoy in a timely manner, you can get rid of those problems. I want to have more exciting sex than Im having now. I want more variation in masturbation I want to get even stronger pleasure than I do on my own. If you have any of these problems, please stay with me until the end. What is sex toys for Indian? Sextoy, as the name implies, is a toy used during sex and masturbation. It is a generic term for vibrators, Egg-vibrators, Electric massagers, dildo, handcuffs and condoms. They are used to make regular sex more exciting or to make masturbation more pleasurable. Because sextoy is very stimulating, it can help you to get rid of the problems and frustrations of being in a rut of sex with your partner for a long time, or if you are unhappy with the lack of pleasure in sex with your partner. The ability to satisfy your desires with movement, texture, and size, which cannot be done by a normal human being, can help you to be satisfied with sex and, as a result, improve your relationship with your partner. It is also said to help improve sexual dysfunction (inability to get an erection or ejaculate) and difficulty in feeling during sex (insensitivity), which is attracting more attention than in the past. In recent years, the demand for sextoy has increased due to the spread of smartphones and the Internet and the increasing number of people using online shopping. Even those who are concerned about the appearance of sextoy (and find it difficult to purchase) can now easily obtain it by using mail order. In the case of online shopping, most of the stores have taken steps to ensure that the contents of the products delivered to you are not revealed, so you can purchase them without your family members knowing. Until a while ago, you had to go to the store where the adult goods were sold to buy them, so it was quite a hurdle to overcome. Also, many people may have an image that sextoy is somehow embarrassing to own. But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance. More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around. Sextoy situation in India Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years. In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India. Mumbai Kolkata Bangalore Delhi Chennai Hyderabad These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India. In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well. If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too. If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it. What are Sextoys for beginner? Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms. Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy. I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion. I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy. If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma. Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it. Advantages of using sextoy for Indians There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways. Can have stimulating sex Can develop new sexual zones If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern. However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways. You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation. Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever. There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure. This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it. When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems. It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms). For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles [Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou... Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India. Sextoy for beginner men in India So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners. For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men! The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men Masturbator Cock rings Love Doll Sex Lubricants Toys for the prostate Lets check each one in detail. Masturbator The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products. It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands. Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands. They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.) Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much. Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! ! Made in Japan is a wonderful kinky toy.#sextoysindia #SexToyIndia #Japanhttps://t.co/4k70QGzoTP pic.twitter.com/tRVdxTKPpa SEXToys India PR (@SextoysIndia) November 12, 2018 Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood. If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here Really pleasant male masturbation and how to do it Are you in a rut with your daily masturbation routine? I'm going to show you five ways men masturbate that you might ... [For Beginners] How to choose and use a male masturbator without fail Gentlemen.Have you ever used a masturbator? The person who sees this article is probably the one who has not experien... Cock Ring A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis. It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow. It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber. In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection. Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction. It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it. Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time. Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function. Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy. You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect. [Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat... Love Doll Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex. There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women. Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price. The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true. You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste. There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice. You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls. If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to... Sex lubricants Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules. It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution. Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse. There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent. Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent. If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here. What is sex lubricant?Explain the difference and usage of each ingredient The word "sex toy" may seem like a hurdle to overcome, but lotion is actually one of the most familiar sex toys. Many... Toys for the Prostate Another sextoy for men is prostate toys. The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line. Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men. Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men. What is the prostate? The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm. You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus. By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms. Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.) The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation. Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure. sextoy for beinner women in India The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy. The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy. Vibrator. Dildo Electric Masserger Lets check out what each one is in detail. If you want to check out womens toys, click here. [BEST25]Sex Toys for Women in IndiaThat Can Help You Have an Orgasm There are many women who pretend to feel orgasm during sex. But don't worry, you don't have to pretend to feel orgasm... Vibrators A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator. Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy. It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy. Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women. For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators. Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex. Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself. This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual. Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men. When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons. Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most... Dildo A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis. It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass. A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it. They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well. It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device. A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo. Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands. For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis. This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one. To learn more about dildo, please click here. What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th... Electric Masserger A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores. It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low. Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels. Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation. It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure. For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm. It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out. If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager? To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here. What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th... How to choose a sextoy for Indian Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one. Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points: Does the size fit you (the partner)? Does the size fit you (your partner)? Is the environment able to produce sound without problems? Price range First of all, the choice of size is quite important. Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women. For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage. Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems. Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise. If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level. Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it. Finally, there is the price range. The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest. Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy. Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy? I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance. For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics. If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out. How to buy sextoys in India The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping. For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below. Sextoy is one of them. Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping. SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India. They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry. Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card. To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy. ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal. Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on. Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture. Cautions for Indians using sextoy When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind Keep sex toys clean Watch out for electrical leakage Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone. Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there. It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case. In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness. Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful. If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it. You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly. Summary What did you think? In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India. The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future. As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values. However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health. If this is your first time to learn about sextoy, or if you are interested in using sextoy, why not give it a try? Indian Sextoys for ur best! will introduce you to sextoy and other trivia about sextoy, sexuality, and sexuality for men and women. I want to read more! If you think its a great idea, please bookmark it. 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. UniFirst Corp. engages in the design, manufacture, personalization, rental, cleaning, delivery, and sale of a range of uniforms and protective clothing. It operates through following segments: U.S. Rental and Cleaning, Canadian Rental and Cleaning, Manufacturing, Specialty Garments Rental and Cleaning, First Aid, and Corporate. The U.S. and Canadian Rental and Cleaning segment purchases, rents, cleans, delivers and sells uniforms and protective clothing and non-garment items in the United States and Canada. The Manufacturing segment designs and manufactures uniforms and non-garment items primarily for the purpose of providing these goods to the U.S. and Canadian Rental and Cleaning reporting segment. The Specialty Garments Rental and Cleaning segment sells specialty garments and non-garment items primarily for nuclear and cleanroom applications and provides cleanroom cleaning services at limited customer locations. The First Aid segment provides first aid cabinet services and other safety supplies as well as maintains wholesale distribution and pill packaging operations. The Corporate segment consists of costs associated with its distribution center, sales and marketing, informatio Read More L3 Technologies, Inc. provides aircraft sustainment, simulation and training, night vision and image intensification equipment, and security and detection systems used on military, homeland security, and commercial platforms in the United States and internationally. It operates in three segments: Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Systems; Communications and Networked Systems (C&NS); and Electronic Systems. The company offers engineering, modernization and sustainment, space avionics and imaging payload, counter unmanned aircraft systems (CUAS) mission, cyber and electronic warfare, special mission command and control, modeling and simulation, and life cycle support services for ISR, airborne sensor, warrior sensor, space and sensor, aircraft, and intelligence and mission systems, as well as for military aviation services and advanced programs. It also provides network and communication systems, secure communications products, radio frequency components, satellite communication terminals and space, microwave and telemetry products, and secure data links in various business areas, such as broadband communication, naval power, space and power, and maritime sensor systems, as well as in advanced communications. In addition, the company offers components, products, subsystems, and systems, as well as related services to military and commercial customers in various business areas, including commercial aviation solutions, precision engagement systems, link training and simulation, and security and detection systems. It serves the United States (U.S.) Department of Defense and its prime contractors, the U.S. Government intelligence agencies, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, foreign governments, and commercial customers. The company was formerly known as L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to L3 Technologies, Inc. in December 2016. L3 Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in New York, New York. Read More Even as 25-year-old Ashika Lyttle of New Montrose has been charged in connection with an incident in Kingstown last Saturday involving her and Police Constable 720 Delroy Williams, investigations are ongoing into the matter. Acting Commissioner of Police Colin John told THE VINCENTIAN on Tuesday that he had seen the video circulated on social media with regard to the issue, and has since spoken to both individuals. John said the woman gave her version, and the police officer gave his, and investigations are ongoing. On Monday, Lyttle appeared at the Kingstown Magistrates Court, charged with using indecent language to PC Williams, telling him, "Whey de (expletive) does do you? Even if you lock me up and carry me court, you cant win me. Lyttle is also charged with assaulting PC Williams, he being a police officer acting in due execution of his duties; and resisting the arrest of PC Williams, he being a police officer acting in due execution of his duties. The incident is reported to have occurred outside the Friskco Ice Cream Parlour on Bay Street, Kingstown, last Saturday. Lyttle pleaded not guilty to all three charges when she stood before Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett on Monday. She was represented by Attorney Grant Connell. The woman, who was already on station bail, had her bail continued, and the matter was adjourned to October 8. Bacanora Minerals Ltd. is a developer and explorer of industrial minerals. The Company is engaged in exploration and development of mineral properties in Mexico. It is focused on its Sonora Lithium Project, and has a borates project located near the town of Magdalena de Kino, north of Hermosillo, Mexico. The Sonora Lithium Project consists of approximately 10 contiguous concessions covering over 94,186 hectares. The concessions include La Ventana, La Ventana 1, El Sauz, El Sauz 1, El Sauz 2, Fleur, Fleur 2, San Gabriel and Buenavista. These concessions are located approximately 190 kilometers northeast of the city of Hermosillo, in Sonora State, Mexico. The Magdalena Borate Project consists of approximately seven concessions, with a total area of approximately 16,503 hectares. The borate zones located on the Magdalena Borates Project are the Cajon Borate Deposit (Cajon); Bellota, and Pozo Nuevo. The Company's other target in Magdalena Borates Project includes the Represo prospect. Read More First Data Corporation provides commerce enabled technology and solutions for merchants, financial institutions, and card issuers in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates through three segments: Global Business Solutions, Global Financial Solutions, and Network & Security Solutions. The Global Business Solutions segment provides solutions to merchants, such as retail point of sale merchant acquiring, e-commerce, and mobile payment services, as well as cloud based point of sale operating system that include a marketplace for proprietary and third party applications. The Global Finance Solutions segment provides technology solutions for bank and non-bank issuers, such as credit, retail private label, commercial card, and loan processing, as well as licensed financial software systems; suite of account services that include card personalization and embossing, customer communications, and professional services; and call center solutions and back office processing. The Network & Security Solutions segment offers EFT network, stored value network, and security and fraud solutions, as well as other value added solutions to its clients in GBS and GFS segments, smaller financial institutions, and other enterprise clients. First Data Corporation was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Read More Polypipe Group plc manufactures and sells plastic piping, and water and climate management systems in the United Kingdom, other European countries, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Residential Systems, and Commercial and Infrastructure Systems. It offers above and below ground drainage, and rainwater drainage systems; plumbing tools and accessories, plastic plumbing fittings, and plumbing and heating pipes; underfloor heating products; and ventilation systems. The company also provides water and gas supply systems, such as water supply, pre-insulated pipe, polypropylene, clamp saddle, PVCu pressure, and ABS pressure pipe systems, as well as accessories. In addition, it offers water management solution, such as rainwater harvesting, geo-cellular system, terrain controlled flow rainwater outlet systems, large diameter pipe systems, chambers, flow controllers, penstocks and valves, manholes, surface water treatment devices, and rain water re-use solutions. Further, the company provides terrain and surface water drainage systems; sewer systems; and cable protection products. It offers its products for use in the residential, commercial, civil, infrastructure, and public non-housing sectors. Polypipe Group plc was founded in 1980 and is based in Doncaster, the United Kingdom. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Ecolab: AO Ecolab, Abednego Environmental Services, Abednego Environmental Services LLC, Abednego Mexico Holdings LLC, Abednego de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Alcide Corp., Anios America S.A., Anios Diffusion SAS, Anios Manufacturing SAS, Bioquell, Bioquell Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Bioquell Global Logistics (Ireland) Ltd., Bioquell Holding SAS, Bioquell Inc., Bioquell Limited, Bioquell SAS, Bioquell Technology (Shenzhen) Ltd., Bioquell Technology Canada Ltd., Bioquell UK Limited, Bioxyquell Limited, CALGON EUROPE LIMITED, CALGON LLC, CID LINES HOLDING NV, CID LINES INVEST NV, CID LINES NV, CID Lines, CID Lines Beijing Animal Hygiene Co Ltd., CID Lines France Sarl, CID Lines Iberica SL, CID Lines LLC, CID Lines Mexico S.A. DE C.V., CID Lines R&D NV, CID Lines Sp. z o. o., CORPAK MedSystems, Cascade Water Services, Champion Technologies, Chamtech L.L.C., Chemlawn, Chemstaff Inc., Chemstar Corporation, Cirlam BVBA, Copal Holding NV, Copal Invest NV, DERYPOL SA, DMD, E&M Bio-Chemicals LLC, ECOLAB NL 10 B.V., ECOLAB PEST FRANCE SAS, Ecolab (Antigua) Ltd., Ecolab (Aruba) N.V., Ecolab (Barbados) Limited, Ecolab (China) Investment Co. Ltd, Ecolab (Fiji) Pty Limited, Ecolab (GZ) Chemicals Limited, Ecolab (Guam) LLC, Ecolab (Proprietary) Limited, Ecolab (Schweiz) GmbH, Ecolab (St. Lucia) Limited, Ecolab (Taicang) Technology Co. Ltd., Ecolab (Trinidad and Tobago) Unlimited, Ecolab (U.K.) Holdings Limited, Ecolab A.E.B.E., Ecolab AB, Ecolab AP Holdings LLC, Ecolab AT 2 GmbH, Ecolab AU2 Pty Ltd, Ecolab Acquisition LLC, Ecolab ApS, Ecolab Argentina S.R.L., Ecolab Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Ecolab B.V., Ecolab B.V.B.A./S.P.R.L., Ecolab Bahrain S.P.C., Ecolab CDN 2 Co., Ecolab CDN 4 ULC, Ecolab CH 1 GmbH, Ecolab CH 2 GmbH, Ecolab CH 3 GmbH, Ecolab CH 5 GmbH, Ecolab CH 6 GmbH, Ecolab Chemicals Limited, Ecolab Co., Ecolab Colombia S. A., Ecolab DE 1 GmbH, Ecolab Deutschland GmbH, Ecolab EOOD, Ecolab East Africa (Kenya) Limited, Ecolab East Africa (Tanzania) Limited, Ecolab East Africa (Uganda) Limited, Ecolab Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Ecolab Engineering GmbH, Ecolab Europe GmbH, Ecolab Export GmbH, Ecolab FR 1 SAS, Ecolab FR 4 SAS, Ecolab Finance Company Designated Activity Company, Ecolab Food Safety & Hygiene Solutions Private Limited, Ecolab G.K., Ecolab Global Business Services LLC, Ecolab GmbH, Ecolab Gulf FZE, Ecolab HK 1 Limited, Ecolab HK 2 Limited, Ecolab Hispano-Portuguesa S.L., Ecolab Holding Italy S.r.l., Ecolab Holdings (Europe) LLC, Ecolab Holdings Inc., Ecolab Holdings Mexico S. de R. L. de C. V., Ecolab Hygiene Kft., Ecolab Hygiene d.o.o., Ecolab Israel Holdings LLC, Ecolab JVZ Limited, Ecolab Korea Ltd., Ecolab LLC, Ecolab LUX & Co Holdings S.C.A., Ecolab LUX 1 Sarl, Ecolab LUX 2 Sarl, Ecolab LUX 4 Sarl, Ecolab LUX 7 Sarl, Ecolab LUX Sarl, Ecolab Limited, Ecolab Ltd., Ecolab Lux 10 Sarl, Ecolab Lux 12 Sarl, Ecolab Lux 13 Sarl, Ecolab Lux 14 Sarl, Ecolab Lux 15 Sarl, Ecolab Lux 9 S.a.r.l., Ecolab Lux Partner LLC, Ecolab MT Holdings LLC, Ecolab MT Limited, Ecolab Malta 1 Limited, Ecolab Malta 2 Limited, Ecolab Malta GPS, Ecolab Manufacturing IE Limited, Ecolab Manufacturing Inc., Ecolab Manufacturing UK Limited, Ecolab Maroc Societe a Responsabilite Limitee, Ecolab NL 11 B.V., Ecolab NL 15 BV, Ecolab NL 16 B.V., Ecolab NL 23 B.V., Ecolab NL 3 BV, Ecolab NL 4 BV, Ecolab Name Holding Limited, Ecolab New Zealand, Ecolab Peru Holdings S.R.L., Ecolab Pest Deutschland GmbH, Ecolab Philippines Inc., Ecolab Production Belgium B.V.B.A., Ecolab Production France SAS, Ecolab Production Italy Srl, Ecolab Production LLC, Ecolab Production Netherlands B.V., Ecolab Production Poland sp. z o.o., Ecolab Pte. Ltd., Ecolab Pty Ltd., Ecolab Quimica Ltda., Ecolab S. de R.L. de C.V., Ecolab S.A., Ecolab S.A. de C.V., Ecolab SAS, Ecolab SIA, Ecolab SNC, Ecolab SRL, Ecolab Sdn Bhd, Ecolab Services Argentina S.R.L., Ecolab Services Poland Sp. z o o, Ecolab Sociedad Anonima, Ecolab Sp. z o o, Ecolab Spain Services S.L.U., Ecolab Temizleme Sistemleri Limited Sirketi, Ecolab U.S. 2 Inc., Ecolab U.S. 6 LLC, Ecolab U.S. 7 LLC, Ecolab US 1 GP, Ecolab USA Inc., Ecolab Viet Nam Company Limited, Ecolab Water Holding LImited, Ecolab a.s., Ecolab d.o.o., Ecolab s.r.l., Ecolab s.r.o., Ecolab y Compania Colectiva de Responsabilidad Limitada, Ecolab-Importacao E. Exportacao Limitada, Ecolabone B.V., Ecolabtwo B.V., Endoclear Equipamentos Medicos Hospitalares Ltda., Enviroflo Engineering Limited, Food Protection Services, GCS Service, Gallay Medical & Scientific Pty Ltd, Gallay Medical & Scientific Pty Ltd., GallayTrac Pty. Ltd., Georgia-Pacific - Paper Chemicals Business, Gibson Chemical Industries, Green Harbour Mainland Holdings Ltd, Guangzhou Green Harbour Environmental Operation Ltd., HYDROSAN LIMITED, Henkel-Ecolab, Hicopla SL, Holchem Laboratories, Huntington Laboratories, Hydenet SAS, INDUSTRIAL) UNIPESSOAL LDA, INTERNATIONAL WATER CONSULTANT B.V., Immobiliare R.E.O.P.A. SRL, Instrunet Hospital SLU, Jianghai Environmental Protection Co., Jianghai Environmental Protection Co. Ltd., KATAYAMA NALCO INC., Kay BVBA, Kay Chemical Company, LHS (UK) Limited, Laboratoires Anios, Laboratoires Anios-Distribution SAS, Les Produits Chimiques ERPAC Inc., Lobster Ink, Lobster Ink Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Lobster International S.A., London & General Packaging Ltd, MALAYSIA SDN. BHD, MANUFACTURING S.R.L., MOBOTEC AB LLC, Master Chemicals OOO, Meratech Rus Group LLC, Microtek Dominicana S.A., Microtek Italy S.R.L., Microtek Medical B.V., Microtek Medical Europe Limited, Microtek Medical Holdings, Microtek Medical Holdings Inc., Microtek Medical Inc., Microtek Medical Malta Holding Limited, Microtek Medical Malta Limited, Midland Research Laboratories, Midland Research Laboratories UK Limited, NALCO (SHANGHAI) TRADING CO. LTD., NALCO AB, NALCO ACQUISITION ONE, NALCO ACQUISITION TWO LIMITED, NALCO AFRICA (PTY.) LTD., NALCO ASIA HOLDING COMPANY PTE. LTD., NALCO BELGIUM BVBA, NALCO CHINA HOLDINGS LLC, NALCO COMPANY OOO, NALCO DANMARK APS, NALCO DE MEXICO S. de R. L. de C.V., NALCO DELAWARE COMPANY, NALCO DEUTSCHLAND GMBH, NALCO DEUTSCHLAND MANUFACTURING GMBH UND CO. KG, NALCO DUTCH HOLDINGS B.V., NALCO EGYPT LTD., NALCO EGYPT TRADING, NALCO ESPANOLA MANUFACTURING S.L.U., NALCO ESPANOLA S.L., NALCO EUROPE B.V., NALCO FINLAND MANUFACTURING OY, NALCO FINLAND OY, NALCO FRANCE, NALCO FRANCE SNC, NALCO GLOBAL HOLDINGS B.V., NALCO GLOBAL HOLDINGS LLC, NALCO HOLDING B.V., NALCO HOLDING COMPANY, NALCO HOLDINGS G.m.b.H., NALCO HOLDINGS UK LIMITED, NALCO HONG KONG LIMITED, NALCO INDUSTRIAL OUTSOURCING COMPANY, NALCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES, NALCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES (NANJING) CO. LTD., NALCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES (SUZHOU) CO. LTD., NALCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES (THAILAND) CO. LTD., NALCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES CHILE LIMITADA, NALCO INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS B.V., NALCO INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LLC, NALCO INVESTMENTS U.K. LIMITED, NALCO ISRAEL INDUSTRIAL SERVICES LTD, NALCO ITALIANA, NALCO ITALIANA HOLDINGS S.R.L., NALCO ITALIANA SrL, NALCO KOREA LIMITED, NALCO LIMITED, NALCO LUXEMBOURG HOLDINGS SARL, NALCO MANUFACTURING BETEILIGUNGS GMBH, NALCO MANUFACTURING LTD., NALCO NETHERLANDS B.V., NALCO NORTH AFRICA LIMITED, NALCO OSTERREICH Ges m.b.H., NALCO OVERSEAS HOLDING B.V., NALCO PAKISTAN (PRIVATE) LIMITED, NALCO PHILIPPINES INC., NALCO PORTUGUESA (QUIMICA, NALCO PWS INC., NALCO SAUDI CO. LTD., NALCO TAIWAN CO. LTD., NALCO TWO INC., NALCO U.S. HOLDINGS LLC, NALCO UNIVERSAL HOLDINGS BV, NALCO WORLDWIDE HOLDINGS LLC, NALCO ZAO, NALFLOC LIMITED, NALTECH INC., NANOSPECIALTIES LLC, NLC PROCESS AND WATER SERVICES SARL, Nalco (BN) SDN BHD, Nalco (China) Environmental Solution Co. Ltd., Nalco Anadolu Kimya Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Nalco Canada ULC, Nalco Company LLC, Nalco Contract Operations LLC, Nalco Grundbesitz GmbH & Co. KG, Nalco Gulf Response Corp., Nalco Japan G.K., Nalco Libya, Nalco Middle East FZE, Nalco Polska Sp. z o. o., Nalco Production LLC, Nalco Real Estate GmbH, Nalco Schweiz GmbH, Nalco US 1 LLC, Nalco Wastewater Contract Operations Inc., Nalco Water India Limited, Nalco Water Pretreatment Solutions LLC, Nalco Worldwide Holdings S.a.r.l./B.V., Nigiko, Nuova Farmec S.r.l., Oksa Kimya Sanayi A.S., Oy Ecolab AB, PT Ecolab International Indonesia, PT Ecolab Technologies and Services, Purate business - AkzoNobel, Quantum Technical Services LLC, Quimicas Ecolab S.A. de C.V., Quimiproductos S.A. de C.V, RP Adam Ltd, Research Fumigation Co., Royal Pest Solutions, Shield Holdings Limited, Shield Medicare Limited, Shield Salvage Associates Limited, Soluscope International Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Soluscope SAS, Swisher Hygiene, Technical Textile Services Limited, Techtex Holdings Limited, Terminix, Ultrafab, Wabasha Leasing LLC, and vanBaerle Hygiene AG. The Saudi Housing Ministry has signed two agreements with real estate development companies to build some 10,000 residential units in the city of Jeddah for beneficiaries of the Sakani (My Home) programme, said a report. So far, 46 projects have been launched, offering 66,621 housing units - including villas, apartments and townhouses - at prices ranging from SR250,000 ($66,620) to SR750,000 ($199,863), reported Arab News. The housing units, which will have integrated services and public facilities, will be completed and given to beneficiaries within a maximum of three years, it added. 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. The following companies are subsidiares of Exxon Mobil: AKG Marketing Company Limited, Aera Energy LLC, Al-Jubail Petrochemical Company, Ampolex (Cepu) Pte Ltd, Ancon Insurance Company Inc., Barnett Gathering LLC, Barzan Gas Company Limited, Caspian Pipeline Consortium, Celtic Exploration Ltd., Coral FLNG S.A., Cross Timbers Energy LLC, Ellora Energy Inc., Esmeroon Oil Transporta Imperial Oil Limited, Esso (Thailand) Public Company Limited, Esso Australia Resources Pty Ltd, Esso Deutschland GmbH, Esso Erdgas Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Esso Exploration Angola (Block 15) Limited, Esso Exploration Angola (Block 17) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Angola (Overseas) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Chad Inc., Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Deepwater) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Offshore East) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, Esso Exploration and Production UK Limited, Esso Global Investments Ltd., Esso Italiana S.r.l., Esso Nederland B.V., Esso Norge AS, Esso Petroleum Company Limited, Esso Raffinage, Esso Societe Anonyme Francaise, Exxo Holdings Inc., Exxon Azerbaijan Limited, Exxon Chemical Arabia Inc., Exxon International Finance Company, Exxon Luxembourg Holdings LLC, Exxon Mobile Bay Limited Partnership, Exxon Neftegas Limited, Exxon Overseas Corporation, Exxon Overseas Investment Corporation, ExxonMobil (China) Investment Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil (Taicang) Petroleum Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil Abu Dhabi Offshore Petroleum Company Limited, ExxonMobil Alaska Production Inc., ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., ExxonMobil Australia Pty Ltd, ExxonMobil B Resources Company, ExxonMobil Capital Finance Company, ExxonMobil Capital Netherlands B.V., ExxonMobil Central Europe Holding GmbH, ExxonMobil Cepu Limited, ExxonMobil Chemical France, ExxonMobil Chemical Gulf Coast Investments LLC, ExxonMobil Chemical Holland B.V., ExxonMobil Chemical Services (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil China Petroleum & Petrochemical Company Limited, ExxonMobil Development Africa B.V., ExxonMobil Development Company, ExxonMobil Egypt (S.A.E.), ExxonMobil Exploracao Brasil Ltda., ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Malaysia Inc., ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Norway AS, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Romania Limited, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Tanzania Limited, ExxonMobil Finance Company Limited, ExxonMobil Financial Investment Company Limited, ExxonMobil France Holding SAS, ExxonMobil Gas Marketing Europe Limited, ExxonMobil General Finance Company, ExxonMobil Global Services Company, ExxonMobil Golden Pass Surety LLC, ExxonMobil Holding Company Holland LLC, ExxonMobil Holding Norway AS, ExxonMobil Hong Kong Limited, ExxonMobil International Services SARL, ExxonMobil Iraq Limited, ExxonMobil Italiana Gas S.r.l., ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Inc., ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Ventures Inc., ExxonMobil LNG Services B.V., ExxonMobil Lubricants Trading Company, ExxonMobil Oil Corporation, ExxonMobil PNG Limited, ExxonMobil Petroleum & Chemical BVBA, ExxonMobil Petroleum & Chemical Holdings Inc., ExxonMobil Pipeline Company, ExxonMobil Production Deutschland GmbH, ExxonMobil Production Norway Inc., ExxonMobil Qatargas (II) Limited, ExxonMobil Qatargas Inc., ExxonMobil Ras Laffan (III) Limited, ExxonMobil Rasgas Inc., ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company, ExxonMobil Russia Kara Sea Holdings B.V., ExxonMobil Sales and Supply LLC, ExxonMobil Technology Finance Company, ExxonMobil Ventures Finance Company, ExxonMobil Ventures Funding Ltd., Fujian Refining & Petrochemical Co. Ltd., Golden Pass LNG Terminal Investments LLC, Golden Pass LNG Terminal LLC, Gulf Coast Growth Ventures LLC, Imperial Oil Limited, Imperial Oil Resources Limited, Imperial Oil Resources N.W.T. Limited, Imperial Oil/Petroliere Imperiale, Infineum Italia s.r.I., Infineum Singapore Pte. Ltd., InterOil Corporation, Jurong Aromatics Corporation Pte Ltd, MPM Lubricants, Marine Well Containment Company LLC, Mobil Australia Resources Company Pty Limited, Mobil California Exploration & Producing Asset Company, Mobil Caspian Pipeline Company, Mobil Chemical Products International Inc., Mobil Corporation, Mobil Equatorial Guinea Inc., Mobil Erdgas Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Mobil Exploration & Producing Australia Pty Ltd, Mobil International Petroleum Corporation, Mobil Oil Australia Pty Ltd, Mobil Oil Exploration & Producing Southeast Inc., Mobil Oil New Zealand Limited, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Mobil Producing Texas & New Mexico Inc., Mobil SerLimited, Mobil Venezolana De Petroleos Inc., Mobil Yanbu Petrochemical Company Inc., Mobil Yanbu Refining Company Inc., Mountain Gathering LLC, Mozambique Rovuma Venture S.p.A., Palmetto Transoceanic LLC, Papua New Guinea Liquefied Natural Gas Global Company LDC, Permian Express Partners LLC, Phillips Exploration LLC, Qatar Liquefied Gas Company Limited, Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited, Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited (II), SPI Limited, Saudi Aramco Mobil Refinery Company Ltd., Saudi Yanbu Petrochemical Co., SeaRiver Maritime Inc., South Hook LNG Terminal Company Limited, Tengizchevroil LLP, Terminale GNL Adriatico S.r.l, Trend Gathering & Treating LLC, Wolverine Pipe Line Company, XH LLC, XTO Delaware Basin LLC, XTO ENERGY, XTO Energy Canada, and XTO Holdings LLC. The Williams Cos., Inc. operates as an energy infrastructure company, which explores, produces, transports, sells and processes natural gas and petroleum products. It operates through the following segments: Transmission and Gulf of Mexico; Northeast G&P; and West. The Transmission and Gulf of Mexico segment comprises of interstate natural gas pipelines, Transco and Northwest Pipeline, as well as natural gas gathering and processing and crude oil production handling and transportation assets in the Gulf Coast region. The Northeast G&P segment includes midstream gathering, processing, and fractionation businesses in the Marcellus Shale region primarily in Pennsylvania and New York, and the Utica Shale region of eastern Ohio. The West segment consists of gas gathering, processing, and treating operations in the Rocky Mountain region of Colorado and Wyoming, the Barnett Shale region of north-central Texas, the Eagle Ford Shale region of south Texas, the Haynesville Shale region of northwest Louisiana, and the Mid-Continent region which includes the Anadarko, Arkoma, and Permian basins. The company was founded by David Williams and Miller Williams in 1908 and is headquartered in Tulsa, Read More Denmark-based AP Moller-Maersk, the owner of the worlds biggest shipping operations, has decided to list its drilling unit separately, marking its latest step toward a complete exit from the energy industry, said a report. With this move, Maersk is working on turning itself into a pure transport company, reported Bloomberg, stating that the decision would take effect some time next year. Maersk shares opened about 4 per cent higher on Friday in Copenhagen, topping Denmarks benchmark index of the countrys most-traded stocks. CEO Soren Skou said management had explored all options for the drilling unit before deciding on a separate listing in the Danish capital. We believe this will create the best value for our shareholders, he said in an interview with Bloomberg Televisions Matthew Miller. The 114-year-old firm has been planning an historic break with its conglomerate structure since the summer of 2016. Aside from turning its back on the oil and gas industry following the 2014 slump in prices, Maersk has also sold off shares in Danske Bank A/S and exited a grocery business to focus exclusively on the container transport industry that it dominates, said the report. The Maersk familys holding company will initially own more than 40 per cent of the new listed drilling entity, and has made a commitment to continue as a major shareholder, Skou said. The unit is worth about $4.4 billion, according to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Talon Custer. Maersk cited a consensus view among analysts in February that the unit was valued at about $4.7 billion back then. Robert Maersk Uggla, the CEO of the holding company, said We welcome AP Moller-Maersks initiative to pursue a demerger of Maersk Drilling and, if concluded, A.P. Moller Holding looks forward to becoming a large shareholder. As part of the preparation for the new listing, debt financing of $1.5 billion from a group of international banks has been secured for Maersk Drilling to ensure a strong capital structure, he added. The following companies are subsidiares of Sysco: 2234829 Alberta ULC, 2234842 Alberta ULC, A. M. Briggs Inc., A.M. Briggs, Almacen Fiscal Frionet Caldera S.A., Almacen Fiscal Frionet Limon S.A., Appert's Foodservice, Arnotts (Fruit) Limited, Asian Foods, Bahamas Food Holdings Limited, Bahamas Food Services Limited, Brake Bros, Brake Bros Foodservice Ireland Limited, Brake Bros. Foodservice Limited, Brake Bros. Holding I Limited, Brake Bros. Ltd., Brakes Foodservice NI Limited, Buchy Food Service, Buckhead Beef Co., Buckhead Meat & Seafood of Houston Inc., Buckhead Meat Company, Buckhead Meat Midwest Inc., Buckhead Meat of Dallas Inc., Buckhead Meat of Denver Inc., Buckhead Meat of San Antonio LP, Buzztable Inc., CAKE Corporation, Central Seafood Co., Christys Wine & Spirits Limited, Clafra Aktiebolag, Colorado Boxed Beef Co - Specialty meat-cutting division, Corporacion Frionet Sociedad Anonima, Crossgar Foodservice, Crossgar Foodservice Limited, Crown I Enterprises Inc., Cucina Acquisitions (UK) Limited, Cucina Finance (UK) Limited, Cucina French Holdings Limited, Cucina Fresh Finance Limited, Cucina Fresh Investments Limited, Cucina Lux Investments Limited, Curleys Quality Foods Limited (Third Party), Davigel Belgilux S.A., Davigel Espana S.A., Desert Meats & Provisions, Distagro, Doerle Food Service, Doughtie's Foods Inc., Dust Bowl City LLC, Eko Fagel Fisk o mittemellan AB, Enclave Insurance Company, Enclave Parkway Association Inc., Enclave Properties LLC, European Imports, European Imports Inc., Figg Inc., Freedman Meats, Freedman Meats Inc., Freedman-KB Inc., Fresh Direct (UK) Limited, Fresh Direct Group Limited, Fresh Direct Limited, Fresh Holdings Limited, FreshPoint, FreshPoint Arizona Inc., FreshPoint Atlanta Inc., FreshPoint California Inc., FreshPoint Central California Inc., FreshPoint Central Florida Inc., FreshPoint Connecticut LLC, FreshPoint Dallas Inc., FreshPoint Denver Inc., FreshPoint Hawaii LLC, FreshPoint Inc., FreshPoint Las Vegas Inc., FreshPoint North Carolina Inc., FreshPoint North Florida Inc., FreshPoint Oklahoma City LLC, FreshPoint Pompano Real Estate LLC, FreshPoint Puerto Rico LLC, FreshPoint San Francisco Inc., FreshPoint South Florida Inc., FreshPoint South Texas Inc., FreshPoint Southern California Inc., FreshPoint Tomato LLC, FreshPoint Vancouver Ltd., Freshfayre Limited, Fruktservice i Helsingborg AB, GHS Classic Drinks Limited, Gilchrist & Soames Inc., Gilchrist & Soames UK Limited, Guest Packaging LLC, Guest Supply, Guest Supply Asia Limited, Guest Supply Singapore Pte. Ltd., International Food Group, Isakssons Frukt & Gront AB, J & M Wholesale Meats, J. Kings Food Service Professionals, J. Kings Food Service Professionals Inc., Kent Frozen Foods, Les Ateliers Du Gout, Liquid Assets Limited, M&J Seafood Holdings Limited, M&J Seafood Limited, Manchester Mills LLC, Mayca Autoservicio S.A., Mayca Distribuidores S.A., Menigo Foodservice AB, Mitshim Etatu Supply LP, Newport Meat Company, Newport Meat Northern California Inc., Newport Meat Pacific Northwest Inc., Newport Meat Southern California Inc., Newport Meat of Nevada Inc., North Star Holding Corporation, North Star Seafood, North Star Seafood Acquisition Corporation, North Star Seafood LLC, PFS de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Palisades Ranch Inc., Pallas Foods, Pallas Foods Farm Fresh Unlimited Company, Pallas Foods Unlimited Company, Pauleys Produce Limited, Promotora del Servicios S.A. de C.V., Restaurangakdemien AB, Restaurant of Tomorrow Inc., Rohan Viandes Elaboration SAS, SMS Bermuda Holdings, SMS GPC International Limited, SMS GPC International Resources Limited, SMS Global Holdings S.a.r.l., SMS International Resources Ireland Unlimited Company, SMS Lux Holdings LLC, SOTF LLC, SYY Netherlands C.V., SYY Panama S. de R.L., Serca Foodservice, Servicestyckarna I Johannes AB, Servicios Ameriserve S.A. de C.V., Shenzhen Guest Supply Trading Co. Limited, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) Bianchi Montegut, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) De Boiseau, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) De Garcelles, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) J.D. Lanjouan, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) Le Dauphin, Specialty Meat Holdings LLC, Stockflag Limited, Stockholms Fiskauktion AB, Supplies on the Fly, Sysco Albany LLC, Sysco Asian Foods Inc., Sysco Atlanta LLC, Sysco Autoservicio S.A., Sysco Baltimore LLC, Sysco Baraboo LLC, Sysco Bermuda Partners L.P., Sysco Boston LLC, Sysco Canada Holdings S.a.r.l., Sysco Canada Inc., Sysco Central Alabama LLC, Sysco Central California Inc., Sysco Central Florida Inc., Sysco Central Illinois Inc., Sysco Central Pennsylvania LLC, Sysco Charlotte LLC, Sysco Chicago Inc., Sysco Cincinnati LLC, Sysco Cleveland Inc., Sysco Columbia LLC, Sysco Connecticut LLC, Sysco Corporation, Sysco Corporation Director's Deferred Compensation Plan Trust, Sysco Corporation Employee's 401(k) Plan Trust, Sysco Corporation Executive Deferred Compensation Plan Trust, Sysco Corporation Good Government Committee Inc., Sysco Corporation Retirement Trust, Sysco Corporation Supplemental Executive Retirement Trust, Sysco Corporation Supplemental Unemployment Benefits Plan Trust, Sysco Detroit LLC, Sysco Disaster Relief Foundation Inc., Sysco EI VI S. s.r.l., Sysco EU II S.a.r.l., Sysco EU III S.a.r.l., Sysco EU IV Capital Unlimited Company, Sysco EU IV S. s.r.l.., Sysco EU V S. s.r.l., Sysco Eastern Maryland LLC, Sysco Eastern Wisconsin LLC, Sysco Foundation Inc., Sysco France Holding SAS, Sysco France SAS, Sysco George Town II LLC, Sysco George Town Limited S. s.r.l.., Sysco Global Finance LLC, Sysco Global Finance LLP, Sysco Global Holdings B.V., Sysco Global Resources LLC, Sysco Global Services LLC, Sysco Grand Cayman Company, Sysco Grand Cayman II Company, Sysco Grand Cayman III Company, Sysco Grand Rapids LLC, Sysco Guernsey Limited, Sysco Guest Supply Canada Inc., Sysco Guest Supply Europe Goods Wholesalers LLC, Sysco Guest Supply Europe Limited, Sysco Guest Supply LLC, Sysco Gulf Coast LLC, Sysco Hampton Roads Inc., Sysco Hawaii Inc., Sysco Holdings II LLC, Sysco Holdings LLC, Sysco Indianapolis LLC, Sysco International Food Group Inc., Sysco International Inc., Sysco Iowa Inc., Sysco Jackson LLC, Sysco Jacksonville Inc., Sysco Kansas City Inc., Sysco Knoxville LLC, Sysco Labs Europe Limited, Sysco Labs Pvt. Ltd., Sysco Leasing LLC, Sysco Lincoln Inc., Sysco Lincoln Transportation Company Inc., Sysco Long Island LLC, Sysco Los Angeles Inc., Sysco Louisville Inc., Sysco Memphis LLC, Sysco Merchandising and Supply Chain Services Canada Inc., Sysco Merchandising and Supply Chain Services Inc., Sysco Metro New York LLC, Sysco Minnesota Inc., Sysco Montana Inc., Sysco Nashville LLC, Sysco Netherlands Partners LLC, Sysco North Central Florida Inc., Sysco North Dakota Inc., Sysco Northern New England Inc., Sysco Philadelphia LLC, Sysco Pittsburgh LLC, Sysco Portland Inc., Sysco Raleigh LLC, Sysco Resources Services LLC, Sysco Riverside Inc., Sysco Sacramento Inc., Sysco San Diego Inc., Sysco San Francisco Inc., Sysco Seattle Inc., Sysco South Florida Inc., Sysco Southeast Florida LLC, Sysco Spain Holdings SLU, Sysco Spokane Inc., Sysco St. Louis LLC, Sysco Syracuse LLC, Sysco Technologies Cayman Ltd., Sysco Technologies LLC, Sysco UK Holdings Limited, Sysco UK Limited, Sysco UK Partners LLP, Sysco USA I Inc., Sysco USA II LLC, Sysco USA III LLC, Sysco Ventura Inc., Sysco Ventures Inc., Sysco Virginia LLC, Sysco West Coast Florida Inc., Sysco Western Minnesota Inc., The SYGMA Network Inc., Upsys, Victua SAS, Walker Foods Inc., Waugh Foods, and Wild Harvest Limited. Sanchez Energy Corporation, an independent exploration and production company, focuses on the acquisition and development of U.S. onshore unconventional oil and natural gas resources. It engages in the horizontal development of resources from the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas. It also holds an undeveloped acreage position in the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale (TMS) in Mississippi and Louisiana. As of December 31, 2017, the company had assembled approximately 285,000 net acres in the Eagle Ford Shale; and owned approximately 37,000 net acres in the TMS. Sanchez Energy Corporation was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. Read More Wall Street analysts have given WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund 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 WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. Zurich Insurance Group AG is a holding company, which engages in the provision of insurance products and related services. It operates through the following segments: Property and Casualty Regions, Life Regions, Farmers, Group Functions and Operations, and Non-Core Businesses. The Property and Casualty Regions segment provides motor, home and commercial products and services for individuals, as well as small and large businesses on both a local and global basis. The Life Regions segment refers to the comprehensive range of life and health insurance products on both an individual and a group basis, including annuities, endowment and term insurance, unit-linked and investment-oriented products, as well as full private health, supplemental health and long-term care insurance. The Farmers segment includes non-claims administrative and management services to the Farmers Exchanges, which are owned by policyholders. The Group Functions and Operations segment comprises the Group s Holding and Financing and Headquarters activities. The Non-Core Businesses segment includes insurance and reinsurance businesses that the Group does not consider core to its operations and that are therefore mos Read More CoreLogic, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides property information, insight, analytics, and data-enabled solutions in North America, Western Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates in two segments, Property Intelligence & Risk Management Solutions (PIRM) and Underwriting & Workflow Solutions (UWS). The PIRM segment combines property information, mortgage information, and consumer information to deliver housing market and property-level insights, predictive analytics, and risk management capabilities. It also offers proprietary technology and software platforms to access, automate, or track the information and assist its clients with decision-making and compliance tools in the real estate and insurance industries. This segment primarily serves commercial banks, mortgage lenders and brokers, investment banks, fixed-income investors, real estate agents, MLS companies, property and casualty insurance companies, title insurance companies, government agencies, and government-sponsored enterprises. The UWS segment combines property, mortgage, and consumer information to provide comprehensive mortgage origination and monitoring solutions, including underwriting-related solutions, and data-enabled valuations and appraisals. This segment also provides proprietary technology and software platforms to access, automate, or track the information and assist its clients with vetting and onboarding prospects, and meeting compliance regulations, as well as understanding, evaluating, monitoring property values. It primarily serves mortgage lenders and servicers, mortgage brokers, credit unions, commercial banks, fixed-income investors, government agencies, and property and casualty insurance companies. The company was formerly known as The First American Corporation and changed its name to CoreLogic, Inc. in June 2010. CoreLogic, Inc. was incorporated in 1894 and is headquartered in Irvine, California. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Abbott Laboratories: 3A Nutrition (Vietnam) Company Limited, ABON Biopharm (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., AGA Medical Belgium, AGA Medical Corporation, AGA Medical Holdings Inc., ALR Holdings, AML Medical LLC, APK Advanced Medical Technologies LLC, ATS Bermuda Holdings Limited, ATS Laboratories Inc., Abbott, Abbott (Jiaxing) Nutrition Co. Ltd., Abbott (UK) Finance Limited, Abbott (UK) Holdings Limited, Abbott AG, Abbott Asia Holdings Limited, Abbott Asia Investments Limited, Abbott Australasia Holdings Limited, Abbott Australasia Pty Ltd, Abbott B.V., Abbott Bahamas Overseas Businesses Corporation, Abbott Belgian Investments, Abbott Bermuda Holding Ltd., Abbott Biologicals B.V., Abbott Biologicals LLC, Abbott Bulgaria Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Capital India Limited, Abbott Cardiovascular Inc., Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc., Abbott Delaware LLC, Abbott Diabetes Care Inc., Abbott Diabetes Care Limited, Abbott Diabetes Care Sales Corporation, Abbott Diagnostics GmbH, Abbott Diagnostics International Ltd., Abbott Diagnostics Technologies AS, Abbott Doral Investments S.L., Abbott Equity Holdings Unlimited, Abbott Equity Investments LLC, Abbott Established Products Holdings (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Finance Company SA, Abbott Financial Holdings SRL, Abbott France S.A.S., Abbott Fund Tanzania Limited, Abbott Gesellschaft m.b.H., Abbott GmbH & Co. KG, Abbott Health Products LLC, Abbott Healthcare (Puerto Rico) Ltd., Abbott Healthcare B.V., Abbott Healthcare Costa Rica S.A., Abbott Healthcare LLC, Abbott Healthcare Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Healthcare Private Limited, Abbott Healthcare Products B.V., Abbott Healthcare Products Ltd, Abbott Holding (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding GmbH, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited Luxembourg S.C.S., Abbott Holdings B.V., Abbott Holdings LLC, Abbott Holdings Limited, Abbott Holdings Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Hungary Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Iberian Investments (2) Limited, Abbott Iberian Investments Limited, Abbott India Limited, Abbott Informatics Asia Pacific Limited, Abbott Informatics Canada Inc, Abbott Informatics Corporation, Abbott Informatics Europe Limited, Abbott Informatics France, Abbott Informatics Germany GmbH, Abbott Informatics Netherlands B.V., Abbott Informatics Singapore Pte. Limited, Abbott Informatics Spain S.A., Abbott Informatics Technologies Ltd, Abbott International Corporation, Abbott International Enterprises Ltd., Abbott International Holdings Limited, Abbott International LLC, Abbott International Luxembourg S.ar.l., Abbott Investments Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Ireland, Abbott Ireland Financing Designated Activity Company, Abbott Ireland Limited, Abbott Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Abbott Knoll Investments B.V., Abbott Korea Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Bangladesh) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco (Dos) SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Laboratories (Mozambique) Limitada, Abbott Laboratories (Pakistan) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Philippines), Abbott Laboratories (Puerto Rico) Incorporated, Abbott Laboratories (Singapore) Private Limited, Abbott Laboratories A/S, Abbott Laboratories Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Abbott Laboratories B.V., Abbott Laboratories C.A., Abbott Laboratories Finance B.V., Abbott Laboratories GmbH, Abbott Laboratories Inc., Abbott Laboratories International LLC, Abbott Laboratories Ireland Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited - Laboratoires Abbott Limitee, Abbott Laboratories NZ Limited, Abbott Laboratories Pacific Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Laboratories Products B.V., Abbott Laboratories Residential Development Fund Inc., Abbott Laboratories S.A., Abbott Laboratories SA, Abbott Laboratories Services Corp., Abbott Laboratories Slovakia s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trustee Company Limited, Abbott Laboratories Uruguay S.A., Abbott Laboratories Vascular Enterprises, Abbott Laboratories d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories de Chile Limitada, Abbott Laboratories de Colombia S.A., Abbott Laboratories de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Abbott Laboratories druzba za farmacijo in diagnostiko d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories(Hellas) Societe Anonyme, Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios del Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Abbott Laboratuarlari Ithalat Ihracat ve Ticaret Ltd.Sti, Abbott Laboratorios Lda, Abbott Laboratorios do Brasil Ltda., Abbott Limited Egypt LLC, Abbott Logistics B.V., Abbott Management GmbH, Abbott Management LLC, Abbott Manufacturing Singapore Private Limited, Abbott Mature Products International Unlimited Company, Abbott Mature Products Management Limited, Abbott Medical (Hong Kong) Limited, Abbott Medical (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Medical (Portugal) Distribuicao de Produtos Medicos Lda, Abbott Medical (Schweiz) AG, Abbott Medical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Australia Pty. Ltd., Abbott Medical Austria Ges.m.b.H., Abbott Medical Balkan d.o.o. Beograd (Novi Beograd), Abbott Medical Belgium, Abbott Medical Canada Inc./ Medicale Abbott Canada Inc., Abbott Medical Danmark A/S, Abbott Medical Devices Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Espana S.A., Abbott Medical Estonia OU, Abbott Medical Finland Oy, Abbott Medical France SAS, Abbott Medical GmbH, Abbott Medical Hellas Limited Liability Trading Company, Abbott Medical Ireland Limited, Abbott Medical Italia S.p.A., Abbott Medical Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Korea Limited, Abbott Medical Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Medical Laboratories LTD, Abbott Medical Nederland B.V., Abbott Medical New Zealand Limited, Abbott Medical Norway AS, Abbott Medical Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Medical Sweden AB, Abbott Medical Taiwan Co., Abbott Medical U.K. Limited, Abbott Medical spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Middle East S.A.R.L., Abbott Molecular Inc., Abbott Morocco SARL, Abbott Nederland C.V., Abbott Nederland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Netherlands Investments B.V., Abbott Norge AS, Abbott Nutrition Limited, Abbott Nutrition Manufacturing Inc., Abbott Operations Singapore Pte. Ltd., Abbott Operations Uruguay S.R.L., Abbott Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Overseas Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Overseas S.A., Abbott Oy, Abbott Point of Care Canada Limited, Abbott Point of Care Inc., Abbott Poland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Procurement LLC, Abbott Products (Philippines) Inc., Abbott Products (Spain) S.L., Abbott Products Algerie EURL, Abbott Products B.V., Abbott Products Distribution SAS, Abbott Products Egypt LLC, Abbott Products Limited, Abbott Products Limited Liability Company, Abbott Products Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Products Operations AG, Abbott Products Operations LLC, Abbott Products Romania S.R.L., Abbott Products Tunisie S.A.R.L., Abbott Products Unlimited Company, Abbott Resources Inc., Abbott Resources International Inc., Abbott S.r.l., Abbott Saudi Arabia Trading Company, Abbott Scandinavia Aktiebolag, Abbott Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, Abbott South Africa Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Strategic Opportunities Limited, Abbott Trading Company Inc., Abbott Universal LLC, Abbott Vascular Devices (2) Limited, Abbott Vascular Devices Limited, Abbott Vascular Inc., Abbott Vascular Instruments Deutschland GmbH, Abbott Vascular International, Abbott Vascular Japan Co. Ltd, Abbott Vascular Limitada, Abbott Vascular Netherlands B.V., Abbott Vascular Solutions Inc., Abbott Ventures Inc., Abbott West Indies Limited, Abbott drustvo sa ogranicenom odgovornoscu za trgovinu i usluge, Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc., Alere, Alere (Shanghai) Diagnostics Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Healthcare Management Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Medical Sales Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Technology Co. Ltd., Alere A/S, Alere AB, Alere AS, Alere AS Holdings Limited, Alere BBI Holdings Limited, Alere Bangladesh Limited, Alere China Co. Ltd., Alere Colombia S.A., Alere Connect LLC, Alere Connected Health Limited, Alere Connected Health Ltd., Alere Diagnostics GmbH, Alere DoA Holding GmbH, Alere GmbH, Alere GmbH (Austria), Alere GmbH (Germany), Alere HK Holdings Ltd., Alere Health B.V., Alere Health BVBA, Alere Health Corp., Alere Health Sdn Bhd, Alere Health Services B.V., Alere Healthcare (Pty) Limited, Alere Healthcare Connections Limited, Alere Healthcare Inc., Alere Healthcare Nigeria Limited, Alere Healthcare S.L., Alere Holdco Inc., Alere Holding GmbH, Alere Holdings Bermuda Limited, Alere Holdings Pty Limited, Alere Home Monitoring Inc., Alere Inc., Alere Informatics Inc., Alere International Holding Corp., Alere International Limited, Alere Lda, Alere Limited, Alere Limited (New Zealand), Alere Medical BVBA, Alere Medical Co. Ltd., Alere Medical Pakistan (Private) Limited, Alere Medical Private Limited, Alere North America LLC, Alere Oy Ab, Alere Philippines Inc., Alere Phoenix ACQ Inc., Alere Pte Ltd, Alere S.A., Alere S.r.l., Alere S/A, Alere SAS, Alere San Diego Inc., Alere Scarborough Inc., Alere Spain S.L., Alere Switzerland GmbH, Alere Technologies GmbH, Alere Technologies Holdings Limited, Alere Technologies Limited, Alere Toxicology AB, Alere Toxicology Inc., Alere Toxicology S.r.l., Alere Toxicology Services Inc., Alere Toxicology plc, Alere UK Holdings Limited, Alere UK Subco Limited, Alere ULC, Alere US Holdings LLC, Alere s.r.o., Alisoc Investment & Co, Amedica Biotech Inc., Ameditech Inc., American Generics S.A.S., American Medical Supplies Inc., American Pharmacist Inc., Antares S.A., Apica Cardiovascular Limited, Aquagestion Capacitacion S.A., Aquagestion S.A., Arriva Medical LLC, Arriva Medical Philippines Inc., Arvis Investments Limited, Atlas Farmaceutica S.A., Avee Laboratories Inc., Axis-Shield AD III AS, Axis-Shield AD IV AS, Axis-Shield AS, Axis-Shield Diagnostics Limited, Axis-Shield Ltd., BBI Animal Health Limited, BBI Diagnostics Group 2 Public Limited Company, Banco de Vida S.A., Bioabsorbable Vascular Solutions Inc., Bioalgae S.A., Biohealth LLC, Biosite Incorporated, Bosque Bonito S.A., Branan Medical Corporation, Brandex Europe C.V., British Colloids Limited, CFR Chile S.A., CFR Interamericas EL Salvador Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, CFR Interamericas Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, CFR Interamericas Panama S.A., CFR Pharmaceuticals, California Property Holdings III LLC, CardioMEMS LLC, Caripharm Inc., Cephea Valve Technologies, Cephea Valve Technologies Inc., Colibri Medical Aktiebolag, Comercializadora y Distribuidora CFR Interamericas Honduras S.A., Concateno South Limited, Concateno UK Limited, Consorcio Tecnologico en Biomedicina Clinico-Molecular S.A., Continuum Services LLC, Cozart Limited, Dextech S.A., Diagnostik Nord GmbH, Distribuciones Uquifa S.A.S., Domesco Medical Import-Export Joint-Stock Corporation, Duphar International Research B.V., Endocardial Solutions, Epocal (US) Inc, Esprit de Vie S.A., European Chemicals & Co, European Drug Testing Service EDTS AB, European Services S.A., Evalve Inc., Evalve International Inc., FARMINDUSTRIA S.A., Fada Pharma Paraguay Sociedad Anonima, Fadapharma del Ecuador S.A., Farmaceutica Mont Blanc S.L., Farmacologia Em Aquicultura Veterinaria Ltda., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV Ecuador S.A., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV S.A., Fernwood Investment S.A., First Check Diagnostics LLC, Focus Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Forensics Limited, Forestcreek Overseas S.A., Fournier Pharma Corp., Fournier Pharma GmbH, Fournier Pharmaceuticals Limited, Framed B.V., Gabmed GmbH, Garden Hills LLC, Global Analytical Development LLC, Globapharm & CO LP, Glomed Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Golnorth Investments S.A., Gynocare Limited, Gynopharm Sociedad Anonima, Gynopharm de Centroamerica S.A., Gynopharm de Venezuela C.A., Hi-Tronics Designs Inc., IDEV Technologies Inc., IG Innovations Limited, IMTC Finance B.V., IMTC Holdings B.V., IMTC Technologies Inc., Ibis Biosciences LLC, Igloo Zone Chile S.A., Igloo Zone S.L., Inmobiliaria Naknek S.A.C., Innovacon Inc., Instant Tech Subsidiary Acquisition Inc., Instant Technologies Inc., Instituto de Criopreservacion de Chile S.A., Integrated Vascular Systems Inc., Inverness Canadian Acquisition Corporation, Inverness Medical (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Australia Pty Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Hong Kong Limited, Inverness Medical Innovations SK LLC, Inverness Medical Investments LLC, Inverness Medical LLC, Inverness Medical Shimla Private Limited, Inversiones K2 SpA, Inversiones Komodo S.R.L., Ionian Technologies LLC, Irvine Biomedical Inc., Kalila Medical, Kangshenyunga S.A., Knoll UK Investments Unlimited, LLC VeroInPharm, Laboratoires Fournier S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano Lafrancol S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano del Ecuador S.A., Laboratorio Internacional Argentino S.A., Laboratorio Synthesis S.A.S., Laboratorios Lafi Limitada, Laboratorios Naturmedik S.A.S., Laboratorios Pauly Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Laboratorios Recalcine S.A., Laboratorios Transpharm S.A., Laboratory Specialists of America Inc., Lafrancol Dominicana S.A.S., Lafrancol Guatemala S.A. Sociedad Anonima, Lafrancol Internacional S.A.S, Lafrancol Peru S.R.L, Lake Forest Investments LLC, Lightlab Imaging Inc., Limited Liability Company Abbott Laboratories, Limited Liability Company Abbott Ukraine, Limited Liability Company VEROPHARM, Lung Fung Hong (China) Limited, Mansbridge Pharmaceuticals Limited, MediGuide LLC, MediGuide Ltd., Medscreen Holdings Limited, Metropolitana Farmaceutica S.A., Midwest Properties LLC, Murex Argentina S.A., Murex Biotech Limited, Murex Biotech South Africa, Murex Diagnostics Inc., Murex Diagnostics International Inc., Natural Supplement Association LLC, Negocios Denia Sociedad Anonima, Neosalud S.A.C., Nether Pharma N.P. C.V., NeuroTherm LLC, Normann Pharma-Handels GmbH, North Shore Properties Inc., Novamedi S.A., Novasalud.com S.A., Nutravida S.A., OJSC Voronezhkhimpharm, Omnilab Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OptiMedica, Orgenics France SAS, Orgenics International Holdings B.V., Orgenics Ltd., PBM-Selfcare LLC, PDD II LLC, PDD LLC, PT Alere Health, PT. Abbott Indonesia, PT. Abbott Products Indonesia, Pacesetter Inc., Pantech (RF) (PTY) LTD, Pembrooke Occupational Health Inc., Penagos S.A., Pharma International Sociedad Anonima, Pharmaceutical Technologies (Pharmatech) S.A., Pharmatech Boliviana S.A., Polygon Labs S.A., Quality Assured Services Inc., RF Medical Holdings LLC, RTL Holdings Inc., Ramses Business Corp., Recben Xenerics Farmaceutica Limitada, Redwood Toxicology Laboratory Inc., Rich Horizons International Limited, SC VEROPHARM, SJ Medical Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., SJM International Inc., SJM Thunder Holding Company, SPDH Inc., Saboya Enterprises Corporation, Salviac Limited, Scanax AS, Sealing Solutions Inc., Selfcare Technology Inc., Shandong Abbott Dairy Product Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Medical Devices Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Shanghai Si Fa Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Sinensix & Co., Spinal Modulation LLC, St. Jude Medical, St. Jude Medical AB, St. Jude Medical ATG Inc., St. Jude Medical Argentina S.A., St. Jude Medical Asia Pacific Holdings GK, St. Jude Medical Atrial Fibrillation Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Brasil Ltda., St. Jude Medical Business Services Inc., St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Colombia Ltda., St. Jude Medical Coordination Center, St. Jude Medical Costa Rica Limitada, St. Jude Medical Europe Inc., St. Jude Medical Export Ges.m.b.H., St. Jude Medical GVA Sarl, St. Jude Medical Holdings B.V., St. Jude Medical India Private Limited, St. Jude Medical International Holding, St. Jude Medical LLC, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings II, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings NT, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings SMI S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings TC S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Mexico Business Services S. de R.L. de C.V., St. Jude Medical Middle East DMCC, St. Jude Medical Operations (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., St. Jude Medical Puerto Rico LLC, St. Jude Medical S.C. Inc., St. Jude Medical Systems AB, St. Jude Medical Turkey Medikal Urunler Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Standard Diagnostics Inc., Standing Stone LLC, Swan-Myers Incorporated, TC1 LLC, Tendyne Holdings Inc., Tendyne Medical Inc., Thoratec Delaware LLC, Thoratec Europe Limited, Thoratec LLC, Thoratec Switzerland GmbH, Tobal Products Incorporated, Topera GmbH in Liquidation, Topera Inc., Tremora S.A., Tuenir S.A., TwistDx, UAB Abbott Laboratories, UAB Abbott Medical Lithuania, Union-Madison Realty Company Inc., Unipath Limited (dba Alere International/aka Cranfield), Unipath Management Limited, Unipath Pension Trustee Limited, Veropharm, Veropharm Limited Liability Partnership, Vida Cell Inversiones S.A., Vida Cell S.A., Vivalsol, W&R Pharma Handels GmbH, Western Pharmaceuticals S.A., X Technologies Inc., Yissum Holding Limited, ZonePerfect Nutrition Company, eScreen Canada ULC, eScreen Inc., ( ), and Abbott Laboratories Baltics. UAE President HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has instructed the formation of a national emergency committee to provide relief assistance to people affected by flash floods in the Indian State of Kerala. The south Indian state was hit by the most massive and worst floods in a century, which killed hundreds of people, displaced hundreds of thousands of local population and swept away their homes. According to the President's instructions, the committee will be chaired by the Emirates Red Crescent, ERC, and include representatives from the UAE's humanitarian organisations. The panel will also seek the help of dignitaries of the Indian resident community, reported state news agency Wam. Sheikh Khalifa, along with HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, have extended their heartfelt condolences to the Indian people and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the loss of life over the last few days, stated the report. The UAE leaders' instructions stressed the importance of mobilising national efforts of UAE humanitarian actors to coordinate emergency relief operations to help the victims of the affected people in a way that reflects the spirit of the historic friendship that bind the peoples of the UAE and India and directly supports the Indian government's efforts to miminise the devastating impact of the floods on the population, it added. According to the President's instructions, the committee will be chaired by the Emirates Red Crescent, ERC, and include representatives from the UAE's humanitarian organisations. The committee will also seek the help of dignitaries of the Indian resident community, reported state news agency Wam. Andeavor Logistics LP operates as a diversified midstream company in the United States. The company's Terminalling and Transportation segment comprises the Northwest pipeline system, including a regulated common carrier products pipeline running from Salt Lake City, Utah to Spokane, Washington and a jet fuel pipeline to the Salt Lake City International Airport; a regulated common carrier refined products pipeline system connecting its refinery to its terminals in Anchorage, Alaska; tankage and related equipment at the refinery; and crude oil and refined products terminals and storage facilities in the western, and southwest and midwestern U.S. This segment also consists of marine terminals in California and Washington; a rail-car unloading and petroleum coke handling facilities; marine terminals; a manifest rail facility; an asphalt trucking operation; a petroleum coke handling and storage facility; asphalt terminalling and processing services; and other pipelines, which transport products and crude oil from its refineries to nearby facilities in Salt Lake City and Los Angeles. Its Gathering and Processing segment includes crude oil and natural gas, NGLs, and produced water gathering systems in the Bakken Shale/Williston Basin area of the Bakken Region, the Green River Basin, the Rockies Region, the Permian Basin System, and the Four Corners System, as well as crude trucking operations, and gas processing and fractionation complexes. The company's Wholesale segment consists of bulk petroleum distribution facilities and a fleet of refined product delivery trucks. Tesoro Logistics GP, LLC operates as the general partner of the company. The company was formerly known as Tesoro Logistics LP and changed its name to Andeavor Logistics LP in August 2017. Andeavor Logistics LP was founded in 2010 and is based in Findlay, Ohio. Read More "The United States government classification system is established under Executive Order 13526, the latest in a long series of executive orders on the topic.[1] Issued by President Barack Obama in 2009, Executive Order 13526 replaced earlier executive orders on the topic and modified the regulations codified to 32 C.F.R. 2001. It lays out the system of classification, declassification, and handling of national security information generated by the U.S. government and its employees and contractors, as well as information received from other governments.[2] The desired degree of secrecy about such information is known as its sensitivity. Sensitivity is based upon a calculation of the damage to national security that the release of the information would cause. The United States has three levels of classification: Confidential, Secret, and Top Secret. Each level of classification indicates an increasing degree of sensitivity. Thus, if one holds a Top Secret security clearance, one is allowed to handle information up to the level of Top Secret, including Secret and Confidential information. If one holds a Secret clearance, one may not then handle Top Secret information, but may handle Secret and Confidential classified information. The United States does not have a British-style Official Secrets Act; instead, several laws protect classified information, including the Espionage Act of 1917, the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 and the Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 1982. A 2013 report to Congress noted that the relevant laws have been mostly used to prosecute foreign agents, or those passing classified information to them, and that leaks to the press have rarely been prosecuted." wiki ------------- I have several times in the last 13 years sought to explain in these pages the ways that the US government seeks to safeguard secrets. The recent kerfluffle over withdrawal of access to secret information by President Trump makes me think that I should explain it again. The System. With the exception of nuclear weapons information classified by law after WW2, there is no law that creates protections for secret information in the US, There is nothing equivalent to the UK Official Secrets Act. The system of protections in the US is altogether based on the Executive Branch authority of the president of the US expressed in Executive Orders that are subject to change at the will of the current president. The exception to this being the aforementioned "Q" clearances established by law to protect nuclear weapons secrets, but even these are subject to the president's authority in granting access or withdrawing it. For all other secrets the system is based solely on the executive authority of the president. Federal judges do not have security clearances. Nor do members of Congress. They have access to secret information by virtue of their constitutional office and a presumed need to know. Members of staffs of the Congress and the Federal Courts DO HAVE security clearances and access to needed information as a courtesy granted by the Executive Branch as a constitutional necessity after these staff members are investigated by their granting agencies. People. Those government employees, prospective employees or military personnel who need access to government secrets of various kinds are investigated with varying degrees of thoroughness before a judgment is made by their employing agency as to their suitability for access at the level required. Such access is granted after the recipient takes an oath to safeguard the information to be provided and signs the accompanying witnessed papers acknowledging the penalties that will accompany an unauthorized disclosure of the information. All of this procedure is executed under the sole and total authority of the president. The president's authority to classify and de-classify is routinely delegated down the chain of command. Information. The data that is to be safeguarded by these designated people varies dramatically in value and sensitivity. Much of it is classified routinely as a matter of preparing electronic messages from the field. Such preparation is normally done by junior clerks who need a routine that they can rely on in doing their work while their superiors are busy at larger tasks. This results in a flood of electronic messages often classified far above the level of their sensitivity. OTOH there is a great deal of really sensitive information circulating in the government, much of it has to do with the product of information collection operations. Some has to do with policy discussions. Some has to do with design of advanced weapons. Some has to do with proposed or actual military plans. Such information is secreted in compartments of several kinds and is generally know as Special Compartmented Information (SCI). These are the crown jewels of US government secrets. Some people accumulate access to a great many compartments in the course of their duties. People with access to a lot of SCI compartments or Special Access Programs (SAP) are the true grandees of the whole system of classification. Some of these people have information that is of immense monetary or programmatic value to government agencies or to contractor companies serving these agencies. For this reason these people are often allowed to retain access after leaving the government. DoD has a huge program that exists just to manage contractor clearances. Brennan and Company. As a general practice heads of agencies have been allowed to retain access after departure from government. This was done both as a courtesy and to allow consultation with their successors. This access was and is at the sufferance of the president as the creator and maintainer of the system of clearances and classification. pl https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classified_information_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q_clearance The following companies are subsidiares of Colgate-Palmolive: 887357 Ontario Inc., COLGALIVE S.A., CP GABA GmbH, CP International Holding C.V., CP West East Investment Limited, Cleaning Dimensions Inc., Colgate (BVI) Limited, Colgate (Guangzhou) Company Limited, Colgate (U.K.) Limited, Colgate Business Services of the Americas S.C., Colgate Flavors and Fragrances Inc., Colgate Global Business Services Private Limited, Colgate Holdings, Colgate Inc., Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals Inc., Colgate Palmolive Ghana Limited, Colgate Palmolive Holding S.Com.P.A., Colgate Palmolive Nouvelle Caledonie Sarl, Colgate Palmolive Tanzania Limited, Colgate Sanxiao Company Limited, Colgate Venture Company Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (America) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Asia) Pte Ltd, Colgate-Palmolive (Blantyre) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Brunei) Sdn Bhn, Colgate-Palmolive (Central America) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Central America) Inc. y Compania Limitada, Colgate-Palmolive (Centro America) S.A., Colgate-Palmolive (China) Co. Ltd, Colgate-Palmolive (Costa Rica) S.A., Colgate-Palmolive (Dominica) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Dominican Republic) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (East Africa) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Eastern) Pte. Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (Egypt) S.A.E., Colgate-Palmolive (Far East) Sdn Bhd, Colgate-Palmolive (Fiji) Pte Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Gabon) S.A., Colgate-Palmolive (Guyana) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (H.K.) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Hellas) S.A. I.C., Colgate-Palmolive (Hong Kong) Holding Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Kazakhstan) L.L.P., Colgate-Palmolive (Latvia) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Colgate-Palmolive (Middle East Exports) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (Myanmar) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (New York) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Poland) Sp. z o.o., Colgate-Palmolive (Proprietary) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Research & Development) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Romania) SRL, Colgate-Palmolive (Thailand) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (UK) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Uganda) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Vietnam) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (Zambia) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Zimbabwe) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive A.B., Colgate-Palmolive A/S, Colgate-Palmolive Adria Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive Argentina S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Asia Pacific Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Asia Pacific Treasury Services Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Belgium S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Bolivia Ltda., Colgate-Palmolive Canada Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Caricom Service Co. Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Central European Management Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Chile S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Cia., Colgate-Palmolive Comercial Ltda., Colgate-Palmolive Commercial (Hellas) SP LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Commerciale S.A.S., Colgate-Palmolive Commericale S.r.l., Colgate-Palmolive Compania Anonima, Colgate-Palmolive Company Distr. LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Company GmbH, Colgate-Palmolive Cote dIvoire S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Cyprus Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Development Corp., Colgate-Palmolive East West Africa Region (Pty) Ltd, Colgate-Palmolive Enterprises Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Espana S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Europe (Holdings) Sarl, Colgate-Palmolive Europe Sarl, Colgate-Palmolive Finance (UK) plc, Colgate-Palmolive Global Trading Company, Colgate-Palmolive Holding Argentina S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Holding Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Hungary Kft Limited Liability Company, Colgate-Palmolive IHQ Services (Thailand) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Inc. S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Industrial Ltda., Colgate-Palmolive Industriel S.A.S., Colgate-Palmolive International Holding LLC, Colgate-Palmolive International LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Investment Co. Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Investments (BVI) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive Investments (PNG) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive Investments (UK) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Investments Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Israel Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive Italia S.r.l., Colgate-Palmolive JSC, Colgate-Palmolive Lanka (Private) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Latin America Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Manufacturing (Poland) Sp. z o.o., Colgate-Palmolive Marketing Sdn Bhd, Colgate-Palmolive Maroc S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Mocambique Limitada, Colgate-Palmolive NJ Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Nederland B.V., Colgate-Palmolive Norge A/S, Colgate-Palmolive Participacoes e Investimentos Imobiliarios Lda., Colgate-Palmolive Peru S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Philippines Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Pty Ltd, Colgate-Palmolive Retirement Trustee Limited, Colgate-Palmolive S.A. de C.V., Colgate-Palmolive S.p.A., Colgate-Palmolive Senegal S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Services (Hellas) LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Services (Poland) Sp. z o.o., Colgate-Palmolive Services CEW GmbH, Colgate-Palmolive Services S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Slovensko s.r.o., Colgate-Palmolive Support Services, Colgate-Palmolive Temizlik Urunleri Sanayi ve Ticart S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Transnational Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Ukraine LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Unipessoal Lda, Colgate-Palmolive de Paraguay Sociedad Anonima, Colgate-Palmolive de Puerto Rico Inc., Colgate-Palmolive del Ecuador S.A.I.C., Colgate-Palmolive del Peru (Delaware) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Eeska republika spol. s r.o., Colpal CBS S de R. L. de C. V., Consumer Viewpoint Center Inc., Cotelle S.A., Dimac Development Corp., Dominica Coconut Products Limited, EKIB Inc., ELM Company Limited, Elta MD Holdings Inc., Elta MD Inc., EltaMD, Filorga Americas Inc., Filorga Asia Limited, Filorga Benelux SA, Filorga Cosmetiques Polska, Filorga Middle East DMCC, Filorga Portugal Unipessoal Lda., Filorga RU Limited Liability Company, GABA Europe Holding GmbH, GABA International, GABA International Holding LLC, GABA Schweiz AG, GABA Therwil GmbH, Gamma Development Co. Ltd., Global Trading and Supply LLC, Hamol Ltd., Hello Products, Hello Products LLC, Hills Funding Company, Hills Pet Nutrition (NZ) Limited, Hills Pet Nutrition (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Hills Pet Nutrition Asia Limited, Hills Pet Nutrition B.V., Hills Pet Nutrition Canada Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition Denmark ApS, Hills Pet Nutrition Espana S.L., Hills Pet Nutrition GmbH, Hills Pet Nutrition Holding B.V., Hills Pet Nutrition Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition Indiana Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition Italia S.r.l., Hills Pet Nutrition Korea Ltd., Hills Pet Nutrition Ltd., Hills Pet Nutrition Manufacturing B.V., Hills Pet Nutrition Manufacturing s.r.o, Hills Pet Nutrition Norway AS, Hills Pet Nutrition OOO, Hills Pet Nutrition Pty. Limited, Hills Pet Nutrition S.p.A., Hills Pet Nutrition SNC, Hills Pet Nutrition Sales Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition South Africa Proprietary Limited, Hills Pet Nutrition Sweden AB, Hills Pet Nutrition Switzerland GmbH, Hills Pet Nutrition Taiwan Ltd, Hills Pet Nutrition Trading (GZ) Co. Ltd, Hills Pet Nutrition de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Hills Pet Nutrition de Puerto Rico Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition s.r.o., Hills Pet Products (Benelux) S.A., Hills Pet Products Inc., Hills Veterinary Companies of America Inc., Hills-Colgate (Japan) Ltd., Hopro Liquidating Corp., Hygiene Systemes et Services SA, IES Enterprises Inc., Inmobiliaria Colpal S. de R.L. de C.V., Inmobiliaria Hills S.A. de C.V., Innovacion Creativa S.A. de C.V., Kolynos Corporation, Laboratoires Filorga Cosmetiques Espana S.L.U., Laboratoires Filorga Cosmetiques Italia S.R.L., Laboratoires Filorga Cosmetiques S.A., Laser Brand Toothpaste, Lournay Sales Inc., Mennen Company, Mennen Interamerica Ltd., Mennen Limited, Mennen South Africa Ltd., Mennen de Chile Ltd., Mennen de Nicargua S.A., Mission Hills Property Corporation, Mission Hills S.A. de C.V., Norwood International Incorporated, Olive Music Publishing Corporation, PCA SKIN, Paramount Research Inc., Penny LLC, Pet Chemicals Inc., Physicians Care Alliance LLC, Productos Halogenados Copalven C.A., Purity Holding Company, Purity Music Publishing Corporation, Refresh Company Limited, Samuel Taylor Holdings B.V., Sanex, Sanxiao Company Limited, Services Development Co. Ltd., Societe Generale de Negoce et de Services (GENESE) S.A., The GDN - The Global Distributive Network SAS, The Lournay Company Inc., The MPDP - The Medical and Pharmaceutic Distributive Platform SAS, The Murphy-Phoenix Company, Tom's of Maine, Toms of Maine Holdings Inc., Toms of Maine Inc., Veterinary Companies of America Inc., Vipont Pharmaceutical Inc., and XEB Inc.. Bertrandt Aktiengesellschaft develops solutions for the automotive and aviation industries in Germany and internationally. The company operates through Digital Engineering, Physical Engineering, and Electrical Systems/Electronics segments. It offers design services, including designing and surfacing, and design modelling and rapid technologies; interior development services, such as seat, cockpit, trim, and dimensional management services; and vehicle body development services comprising body-in-white, doors and closures, exterior, and light and visibility services. The company also provides powertrain services, including thermodynamics/emission control, drivetrain control, thermal management, and engine mechanics; and chassis development services, such as concept, component, and module development, module integration, calculation/simulation, testing, and mechatronic chassis systems. It offers simulation services consisting of body-in-white crashworthiness, occupant safety, occupant safety/interior modules, crash management system, structural add-on parts, stiffness/noise, vibration and harshness, and computational fluid dynamics; electronics, including body/comfort/displays, infotainment systems, driver assistance systems, test systems, chassis electronics, diagnosis, on-board power network, and processes; testing services; and engineering services. The company also provides modelling and rapid technology services comprising CAD/CAM, model making, gauge building and cubing, and plastic injection moulding toolmaking services, as well as milling and measuring technologies. It serves automotive, aerospace, commercial vehicle, agricultural machinery, motorcycle, electrical, medical technology, and energy industries, as well as machines and production plants. The company was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Ehningen, Germany. Read More Can you get me the author of the piece on the Fraunces Tavern bombing? Id like to talk. That unexpected phone call seeking out a free-lancer in the mid-1970s, who had researched and written about the support networks in New York behind then-current terrorist groups, the Black Liberation Army (BLA) and the FALN (the Puerto Rican independence group, Fuerzas Armadas de Liberacion Nacional) began a several-year long fascinating relationship between veteran journalist David Tinnin and the journalist. The young journalist had gone down into the grey and black areas of terrorist networks, finding that FBI and CIA handling of information assets had facilitated circles, safehouses and organizations that were involved in the terrorism. The journalist identified these as critical support networks. Was the role of FBI and CIA deliberate, or justifiable and necessary counter-terrorism work? Was the deep state using preventable terrorist murders to justify another agenda? Including wiping out more innocent people and organizations that were on the enemies list? FBIs COINTELPRO was still in full swing. Certainly, in the cases of the BLA and FALN, secret services running the assets didnt work to protect the public. The BLA was accused of killing 13 New York police officers while they were on patrol in a short span in the early 1970s. As to the FALN, on January 25, 1975, the New York Daily News reported: Four men were killed, and 43 persons were injured yesterday when a dynamite powered fragmentation bomb, reportedly planted by an underground Puerto Rican group, exploded and spewed nails and other shrapnel through historic Fraunces Tavern [an historic building turned restaurant] an exclusive dining club in the Wall Street district. This story isnt about that 1970s journalist, though. Its about Israels assassination squads, Munich, and the current crusade against British Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn. for criticizing Israels and particularly Netanyahus barbaric policies against the Palestinian people. But remarkably, David Tinnin and his 43-year-old book are very relevant. Corbyn-haters have dug up an incident in Tunisia in 2014, where Corbyn was present at a graveyard commemoration along with officials of the Tunisian government. According to a different, and brave, young journalist Owen Jones in the Guardian of August 14ththe attack on Corbyn is pure hypocrisy. He wrote: Corbyn was attending a conference as a backbencher at the invitation of Tunisian president Moncef Marzouki, a respected human rights campaigner who had been a prominent dissident under the western-backed dictatorship of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. The aim of the conference was to build unity between the divided Palestinian factions, and it culminated in the laying of a wreath at a memorial for the dozens of people killed, civilians among them, when the Israelis bombed the PLOs headquarters in 1985. Back then, Margaret Thatcher herself contested Israeli claims that the attack was justified in international law, and reportedly said she had `recoiled from Israels attack on Tunis with the killing of many civilians. Jones called his piece, The Corbyn wreath scandal is just an exercise in hypocrisy. Well said. Hopefully, the young journalist Jones wont be tarred with the anti-Semitism brush for trying to get at the truth. Back to the 1970s To better understand what Corbyn-haters are up to, look at the aftermath of Munich. Thats why David Tinnin --an unsung hero and author of the amazing, bare-naked exposure of Israeli assassination teams in the book, Hit Team is worth remembering, and his book is still worth reading. Hit Team can still be found on Amazon. In some cases, Amazon calls Hit Team, a novel. It is not. Its non-fiction a naked account of the black ops (not official Mossad) assassination teams that killed 11 out of the 12 alleged Munich terrorists of Black September, or maybe their financiers or facilitators. And--killed one innocent dark-complexioned Middle East waiter in Scandinavia. Dag Christensen was the photo-journalist who wrote the book with Tinnin. Sources say that he actually photographed the murdered waiter after the Israeli hit team got to him. And sources say that many other innocent civilians were killed a "collateral damage" in the Israeli "terror against terror" campaigns. The 1991 Every Spy a Prince, authored by prominent Israelis, is another gut-wrenching look at Americas best ally. Some terrorist incidents are not terrorist incidents. Munich, a film produced by Stephen Spielberg in 2005, based on Canadian George Jonas novel Vengeance can provide another view. Jonas had a lot of input from ex-Israeli intelligence sources those who stayed in Israel and some who left. And then there's John LeCarre's "Little Drummer Girl." Across the Pond Theres a drive to drive Jeremy Corbyn out of the British Labour Party, at a point that Tory Prime Minister Theresa May could be on her last leg. That would be a travesty. One of the leading figures somewhat behind the scenes in the anti-Corbyn crusade is Tony Blair the Labourite ex-PM who brought us the Iraq war. Blair was more Cheney than Cheney and more Netanyahu than Netanyahu. Some say, Netanyahu and the Israelis are in their end game against the Palestinians. Out to engineer another Nakba have the Palestinian people leave in droves, especially after the new Israel Nation State law. Those who stay can slavishly bow to radical Zionism. Those who protest can be murdered like the recent killing of a 23-year old pregnant Palestinian mother and her 18-month-old baby in Gaza. Some protests, truth-telling, and Corbyn-support from across the Pond are in order. And not only from the young. Vitamin Shoppe, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a omni-channel specialty retailer and contract manufacturer of nutritional products in the United States and internationally. It operates in two segments, Retail and Manufacturing. The company provides custom manufacturing and private labeling services for vitamin, mineral, and supplement products, as well as develops and markets own branded products. It offers vitamins, minerals, herbs, specialty supplements, sports nutrition products, and other health and wellness products of approximately 900 brands, such as own brands comprising The Vitamin Shoppe, BodyTech, True Athlete, Mytrition, plnt, ProBioCare, Next Step, and Betancourt Nutrition; and national brands, including Optimum Nutrition, Cellucor, Garden of Life, Quest Nutrition, Solaray, Solgar, Megafood, and Nature's Way. The company sells its products through Vitamin Shoppe and Super Supplements retail stores, as well as through its vitaminshoppe.com Website. As of November 7, 2018, it operated 775 company-operated retail stores under the Vitamin Shoppe and Super Supplements retail banners. It also operates franchise stores. The company was formerly known as VS Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to Vitamin Shoppe, Inc. in November 2009. Vitamin Shoppe, Inc. was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Secaucus, New Jersey. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of PPG Industries: AIPCF V Texstars Blocker Inc., AkzoNobel, Alermac Inversiones S.A. de C.V., Alpha Coating Technologies LLC, Alpha Coatings Inc., Broad Range Development Limited, Brown Brothers Distribution Limited, CG Holdings Manufacturing Co., Centro de Investigacion en Polimeros S.A. de C.V., Chemfil Canada Limited, Chorlton Trade Paints Limited, Comercial Mexicana de Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Comex, Comex Industrial Coatings S.A. de C.V., Consorcio Comex S.A. de C.V., Cristacol S.A., Cuming Microwave Corporation, Deutek SA, Dexmet Corporation, Dexmet Holding Corporation, Distribuidora Kroma S.A. de C.V., EPIC Insurance Co. Ltd., Eberle Design Inc., Empresa Aga S.A. de C.V., Ennis Canadian Holding Company, Ennis Flint Soluciones Seguras Para Trafico, Ennis Highway Traffic Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Ennis Manufacturing Sdn Bhd, Ennis Paint Australia Holding Pty Ltd, Ennis Paint Boya Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S., Ennis Paint Canada ULC, Ennis Paint Germany GmbH, Ennis Paint Netherlands Holdings LLC, Ennis Paint U.K. Holding Company Limited, Ennis Prismo Italio S.r.l., Ennis Traffic Safety Solutions Pty Ltd, Ennis Flint Mexico, Ennis Flint New Zealand, Ennis Flint New Zealand Holding Pty Ltd, Ennis-Flint, Ennis-Flint Africa (Pty) Ltd, Ennis-Flint Inc., Foshan Bairun Chemicals Co. Ltd., Fpu Industrial S.A. de C.V., Grupo Comex S.A. de C.V., Hemmelrath Automotive Coatings (Jilin) Co. Ltd., Hodij Coatings B.V., Homax Products, Industria Chimica Reggiana I.C.R. SPA, Johnstones Paints Limited, Kalon Investment Company Limited, Kalon South Africa Proprietary Limited, Manchester Thermoplastics LLC, Masterwork Paint, MetoKote Canada Limited, MetoKote Corporation, MetoKote Mexico Holding Inc., MetoKote UK Limited, MetoKote de Mexico S. de RL de CV, PPG AC - France SA, PPG ALESCO Automotive Finishes Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., PPG AP Resinas S.A. de C.V., PPG Aerospace Materials (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., PPG Architectural Coatings (Puerto Rico) Inc., PPG Architectural Coatings Canada Inc., PPG Architectural Coatings Ireland Limited, PPG Architectural Coatings Italy S.r.l., PPG Architectural Coatings UK Limited, PPG Architectural Finishes Inc., PPG Asian Paints Private Ltd., PPG COATINGS SINGAPORE PTE. LTD., PPG Canada Inc., PPG Cieszyn S.A., PPG Coatings (Hong Kong) Co. Limited, PPG Coatings (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., PPG Coatings (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Thailand) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Wuhu) Company Ltd., PPG Coatings (Zhangjiagang) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings B.V., PPG Coatings Belgium BV, PPG Coatings Danmark A/S, PPG Coatings Deutschland GmbH, PPG Coatings Europe B.V., PPG Coatings Manufacturing SARL, PPG Coatings Nederland BV, PPG Coatings S.A., PPG Coatings South Africa (Pty) Ltd., PPG DYRUP S.A., PPG Deco Czech a.s., PPG Deco Polska sp. z.o.o., PPG Deco Slovakia s.r.o., PPG Deutschland Business Support GmbH, PPG Deutschland Sales & Services GmbH, PPG Distribution S.A.S., PPG Europe B.V., PPG Finance B.V., PPG France Business Support S.A.S., PPG France Manufacturing S.A.S., PPG Guadeloupe SAS, PPG Hellas S.A., PPG Hemmelrath Coatings Inc., PPG Hemmelrath Lackfabrik GmbH, PPG Holdco SAS, PPG Holdings (U.K.) Limited, PPG Holdings Argentina USA LLC, PPG Holdings Latin America USA LLC, PPG Iberica S.A., PPG Iberica Sales & Services S.L., PPG Industrial Coatings B.V., PPG Industrial do Brasil - Tintas E. Vernizes - Ltda., PPG Industries (Korea) Ltd., PPG Industries (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., PPG Industries (UK) Ltd, PPG Industries Argentina S.R.L., PPG Industries Australia PTY Limited A.C.N. 055 500 939, PPG Industries Colombia Ltda., PPG Industries Czech Republic s.r.o., PPG Industries Delfzijl B.V., PPG Industries Europe Sarl, PPG Industries France S.A.S., PPG Industries International Inc., PPG Industries Italia S.r.l., PPG Industries Kimya a Sanayi VE Ticaret AS, PPG Industries LLC, PPG Industries Lipetsk LLC, PPG Industries Middle East FZE, PPG Industries Netherlands B.V., PPG Industries New Zealand Limited, PPG Industries Ohio Inc., PPG Industries Poland Sp. Z.o.o., PPG Industries Securities LLC, PPG Industries de Mexico S.A. de C.V., PPG Italia Business Support S.r.l., PPG Italia Sales & Services S.r.l., PPG Japan Ltd., PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes Canada LP, PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes U.K. LLP, PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes U.S. LLC, PPG Luxembourg Finance S.aR.L., PPG Luxembourg Holdings S.aR.L., PPG Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Mexico S.A. de C.V., PPG Packaging Coatings (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., PPG Paints Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Performance Coatings (Hong Kong) Limited, PPG Powder Coatings (Shanghai) Limited, PPG Romania S.A., PPG SSC Co. Ltd., PPG Switzerland GmbH, PPG Trilak Kft., PPG Vietnam Co. Ltd., PRC-DeSoto Australia Pty Ltd., PRC-DeSoto International Inc., PT. PPG Coatings Indonesia, Painter's Supply, Paintzen, Peintures de Paris SAS, Plasticos Envolventes S.A. de C.V., Polymeric Systems Inc., Prismo Road Markings Limited, ProCoatings B.V., ProCoatings BV, Protec Pty Ltd. A.C.N. 007 857 392, Reno A&E LLC, Revocoat France SAS, Revocoat Holding SAS, Revocoat Iberica SLU, Revocoat S.A.S, Road Infrastructure Investment Holdings Inc., SEM Products Inc., Sealants Europe SAS, Sierracin Corporation, Sierracin/Sylmar Corporation, Sigma Marine & Protective Coatings Holding B.V., SigmaKalon (BC) UK Limited, SigmaKalon Group, SigmaKalon Middle East B.V., Sikar (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Spraylat International Ltd, Texstars LLC, The Crown Group Co., The Crown Group Inc, The Homax Group, Tikkurila Group, Traffic Safety Intermediate LLC, Traffic Safety Parent LLC, United International Business NV, Vanex Inc., Vernisol S.p.A., Versaflex, Viasa S.A. de C.V., Whitford, Whitford B.V., Whitford Corporation, Whitford Jiangmen Ltd., Whitford Ltd. (HK), Whitford Ltd. (UK), Whitford Pte. Ltd., Whitford S.r.l., Whitford Worldwide Company LLC, Worwag Coatings, and Zaganite Industries Pty Ltd. 16 Wall Street equities research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Deutsche Wohnen in the last twelve months. There are currently 9 hold ratings and 7 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street equities research analysts is that investors should "hold" Deutsche Wohnen stock. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in DWNI, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares. View analyst ratings for Deutsche Wohnen or view top-rated stocks. DowDuPont Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in agriculture, materials science, and specialty products businesses in the United States, Canada, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The company's Agriculture segment produces, and sells hybrid corn seed and soybean seed varieties; sunflowers, wheat, alfalfa, canola, cotton, rice, and sorghum; silage inoculants; and crop protection products that include weed control, disease control, and insect control. Its Performance Materials & Coatings segment manufactures and sells architectural paints and coatings, and industrial coatings; performance monomers and silicones; standalone silicones; and home and personal care solutions. The company's Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure segment offers ethylene oxides, propylene oxide derivatives, cellulose ethers, redispersible latex powders, and acrylic emulsions; sustainable solutions; and chlorine and caustic soda. Its Packaging & Specialty Plastics segment provides ethylene, and propylene and aromatic products; and polyolefin elastomers and ethylene propylene diene monomer rubbers. The company's Electronics & Imaging segment offers materials and systems for mobile devices, television monitors, personal computers, and electronics. Its Nutrition & Biosciences segment provides specialty ingredients, as well as cellulosic- and alginates-based pharma excipients; and enzymes, biomaterials, biocides, and antimicrobial solutions and process technologies. The company's Transportation & Advanced Polymers segment offers engineering resins, adhesives, lubricants, and parts for transportation, electronics, healthcare, industrial, and consumer end-markets. Its Safety & Construction segment provides engineered products and integrated systems for construction, worker safety, energy, oil and gas, transportation, medical device, and water purification and separation industries. The company was founded in 1897 and is headquartered in Midland, Michigan. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of ENI: Adriaplin Podjetje za distribucijo, Agenzia Giornalistica Italia SpA, Agip Caspian Sea BV, Agip Energy and Natural, Agip Karachaganak BV, Agip Petroli, Aldro Energy, Banque Eni SA, Burren Energy (Bermuda) Ltd(1), Burren Energy (Egypt) Ltd, Burren Energy Congo Ltd, Burren Energy India Ltd, Burren Energy Plc, Burren Shakti Ltd, D-Service Media Srl, D-Share SpA, D-Share USA Corp., Dhamma Energy Group, Dunastyr Polisztirolgyarto Zartkoruen, Ecofuel SpA, Eni AEP Ltd, Eni Abu Dhabi BV, Eni Abu Dhabi Refining & Trading BV, Eni Abu Dhabi Refining & Trading Services BV, Eni Albania BV, Eni Algeria Exploration BV, Eni Algeria Ltd Sarl, Eni Algeria Production BV, Eni Ambalat Ltd, Eni America Ltd, Eni Angola Exploration BV, Eni Angola Production BV, Eni Angola SpA, Eni Argentina Exploracion, Eni Arguni I Ltd, Eni Australia BV, Eni Australia Ltd, Eni Austria GmbH, Eni BB Petroleum Inc, Eni BTC Ltd, Eni Bahrain BV, Eni Benelux BV, Eni Bukat Ltd, Eni CBM Ltd, Eni Canada Holding Ltd, Eni China BV, Eni Congo SA, Eni Corporate University SpA, Eni Cyprus Ltd, Eni Cote dIvoire Ltd, Eni Denmark BV, Eni Deutschland GmbH, Eni East Ganal Ltd, Eni East Sepinggan Ltd, Eni Ecuador SA, Eni Elgin/Franklin Ltd, Eni Energy Russia BV, Eni Exploration & Production Holding BV, Eni Finance International SA, Eni Finance USA Inc, Eni France Sarl, Eni Fuel SpA, Eni G&P Trading BV, Eni Gabon SA, Eni Ganal Ltd, Eni Gas & Power France SA, Eni Gas & Power LNG Australia BV, Eni Gas Transport Services Srl, Eni Ghana Exploration and Production Ltd, Eni Hewett Ltd, Eni Hydrocarbons Venezuela Ltd, Eni Iberia SLU, Eni India Ltd, Eni Indonesia Ltd, Eni Indonesia Ots 1 Ltd, Eni Insurance DAC, Eni International BV, Eni International NA NV Sarl, Eni International Resources Ltd, Eni Investments Plc, Eni Iran BV, Eni Iraq BV, Eni Ireland BV, Eni Isatay BV, Eni JPDA 03-13 Ltd, Eni JPDA 06-105 Pty Ltd, Eni JPDA 11-106 BV, Eni Kenya BV, Eni Krueng Mane Ltd, Eni LNS Ltd, Eni Lasmo Plc, Eni Lebanon BV, Eni Liberia BV, Eni Liverpool Bay Operating Co Ltd, Eni Lubricants Trading (Shangai) Co Ltd, Eni Marketing Austria GmbH, Eni Marketing Inc, Eni Maroc BV, Eni Mediterranea Idrocarburi SpA, Eni Middle East Ltd, Eni Mineralolhandel GmbH, Eni Montenegro BV, Eni Mozambico SpA, Eni Mozambique Engineering Ltd, Eni Mozambique LNG Holding BV, Eni Muara Bakau BV, Eni Myanmar BV, Eni Mexico S. de RL de CV, Eni Next Llc, Eni North Africa BV, Eni North Ganal Ltd, Eni Oil & Gas Inc, Eni Oil Algeria Ltd, Eni Oil Holdings BV, Eni Oman BV, Eni Pakistan (M) Ltd Sarl, Eni Pakistan Ltd, Eni Petroleum Co Inc, Eni Petroleum US Llc, Eni Portugal BV, Eni RAK BV, Eni RD Congo SA, Eni Rapak Ltd, Eni Rovuma Basin BV, Eni Schmiertechnik GmbH, Eni Sharjah BV, Eni South Africa BV, Eni South China Sea Ltd Sarl, Eni Suisse SA, Eni TNS Ltd, Eni Timor Leste SpA, Eni Trading & Shipping Inc, Eni Trading & Shipping SpA, Eni Transporte y Suministro Mexico , Eni Tunisia BV, Eni Turkmenistan Ltd, Eni UHL Ltd, Eni UK Holding Plc, Eni UK Ltd, Eni UKCS Ltd, Eni ULT Ltd, Eni ULX Ltd, Eni US Operating Co Inc, Eni USA Gas Marketing Llc, Eni USA Inc, Eni USA R&M Co Inc, Eni Ukraine Holdings BV, Eni Ukraine Llc, Eni Ukraine Shallow Waters BV, Eni Venezuela BV, Eni Venezuela E&P Holding SA, Eni Vietnam BV, Eni West Africa SpA, Eni West Ganal Ltd, Eni West Timor Ltd, Eni Yemen Ltd, Eni do Brasil Investimentos em Exploracao e Producao de Petroleo Ltda, Eni gas e luce SpA, EniPower Mantova SpA, EniProgetti Egypt Ltd, EniProgetti SpA, EniServizi SpA, Esacontrol SA, Esain SA, Eurl Eni Algerie, FRI-EL Group, First Calgary Petroleums LP, First Calgary Petroleums Partner Co ULC, First Calgary Petroliums, Floaters SpA, Gas Supply Company Thessaloniki - Thessalia SA, Gazoduc Transtunisien SA - Scogat SA, Ieoc Exploration BV, Ieoc Production BV, Ieoc SpA, LNG Shipping SpA, Lasmo Sanga Sanga Ltd, Liverpool Bay Ltd, Mizamtec Operating Company, Mukodo Reszvenytarsasag, Nigerian Agip CPFA Ltd, Nigerian Agip Exploration Ltd, Nigerian Agip Oil Co Ltd, OOO Eni Energhia, OOO Eni-Nefto, Oleoduc du Rhone SA, Petroven Srl, Raffineria di Gela SpA, Resources (Nigeria) Ltd, S. de RL de CV, SEA SpA, SeaPad SpA, Serfactoring SpA, Servizi Aerei SpA, Servizi Fondo Bombole Metano SpA, Societa Petrolifera Italiana SpA, Societe de Service du Gazoduc, Societe pour la Construction du, Tecnoesa SA, Trans Tunisian Pipeline Co SpA, Transtunisien SA - Sergaz SA, Versalis Americas Inc, Versalis Congo Sarlu, Versalis Deutschland GmbH, Versalis France SAS, Versalis International SA, Versalis Kimya Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Versalis Mexico S. de R.L. de CV, Versalis Pacific (India) Private Ltd, Versalis Pacific Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd, Versalis Singapore Pte Ltd, Versalis SpA, Versalis UK Ltd, Zetah Congo Ltd, Zetah Kouilou Ltd, and zemeljskega plina doo Ljubljana. By Auqib Javeed, TwoCircles.net Khrew:- August 11 2016, was the last time Yasmeena saw her husband Shabir Ahmad. She was packing her bags to go to her mothers house at Tral, in South Kashmir for some time. Had she any inkling that their meeting would be their last, she wouldnt have left her husband at any cost. In 2016, when Kashmir was burning after the death of top rebel Commander Burhan Wani, protest and clashes between Indian forces and civilians took place in every nook and corner of the Valley. The Indian Army reportedly came under attack from heavy stone pelting in Shaar, Khrew area of South Kashmir on August 16. In the intervening night of 17th and 18th August, the army, according to villagers, in a fit of rage barged into the residential houses of the locals and went berserk. Among them was the residential house of one Wali Mohammad. Support TwoCircles According to Wali Mohammad, Army vandalised their property and then picked up his sons Shabir Ahmad, a college lecturer, and his brother Zahoor Ahmad. On the next day, Shabirs corpse arrived which evidently appeared as though it had been tortured earlier in a local hospital. The killing of Shabir added fuel to the fire in Kashmir, which had witnessed 71 deaths in just the first 40 days of the mass uprising. When I saw his dead body, it was bruised and had clear torture marks; I still remember his body on that wooden plank. My world has turned upside-down, I am a dead soul, says Yasmeena, Shabirs wife. Yasmina lives with her parents at Tral. She says she lives for her 3 years old son, Muhaib who was just 15 months old when his father was killed. I am living for my son, otherwise I have no reason to be alive, I have lost my best friend in my husband, she says as tears roll down her cheeks. Back to Shabirs resident in Khrew, his sister, Masarat is sitting at the veranda of the single-storied house. She still remembers the day when the army came with hammers, sticks and guns, and barged into her house. It was around 10:30 PM when we had finished our dinner and were preparing for bed, my brother Shabir was in his room, preparing for the NET (National Eligibility Test), my other brother Zahoor was also in his room. I still remember the Army men broke our main gate first and then the front door, and entered our house. They then the dragged out both of my brothers under a shower of blows, She recalls. That night it was Kohram (Chaos) in our house. They tried to lock me into a room but I managed to run outside, she says. Next day, some villagers found Zahoor on the side of the road. He was beaten up to a pulp and have severe injuries-but alive. His brother Shabir was still missing. When I saw Zahoor, he wasnt even in a position to swallow a drop of water. I dipped a piece of cotton in a glass of water and tried to give it to him, we somehow managed to shift him to the hospital but there were no reports of Shabir, recalls Masrat. Not only these two brothers, but the army rounded up at least 50 other youth that night, according to Masrat. The next day the Mangoo family received the dead body of their son; the body bore visible torture marks. A First Information Report was filed at the Pampore police station the next day. The Army at the time said the raid was not sanctioned, and also later promised to conduct an investigation. The then 15 Corps commander Lt General Satish Dua had called it regrettable and promised an immediate investigation. There was a sense of uproar, and then Chief Minister of the state, Mehbooba Mufti promised stern action against Army personnel found guilty. She announced in the J&K assembly that a J&K Police SIT (Special Investigating Team) would probe the incident. After some days, the SIT of Jammu and Kashmir Police was formed. The SIT after completing the investigation sought sanction to prosecute 23 Army men for the death of lecturer. The probe, according to a report held 23 Army personnel responsible for the act, and sanction was been sought for their prosecution. The report further reads that the post-mortem was conducted and the viscera/X-ray films from the deceased were sent to FSL Srinagar/Department of Radio Diagnosis, Government Medical College, Srinagar for analysis and expert opinion. Statements of various persons who were found acquainted with the facts of the matter were recorded Army personnel belonging to 50 RR (Rashtriya Rifles) were found responsible for the death of son (Shabir Ahmad Mangoo) of the complainant (Wali Mohammad Mangoo) and injuries to other persons, the probe concluded. The nominal roll of Army officers/officials along with in charge party was obtained and the said officers/officials were summoned for necessary questioning and the information/replies were recorded, it stated. The investigation concluded that the second case (FIR filed on the basis of the written complaint of the Major, 50 RR) could not be established. facts and evidence which came to fore during the investigation against 23 Army personnelhas been sent for obtaining sanction from the competent authority under the provisions of Armed Forces (J&K) Special Powers Act for launching prosecution against the said Army personnel, the report stated. Two years have passed the family is still waiting for justice that seems to be elusive. Wali Mohammed Mangoo, the father of the slain lecturer, says, When my enemy is my Judge how should I expect justice? He says he has lost hope. When justice was denied to thousands of Kashmiris, why should I expect anything from India, he asks. H&R Block, Inc. engages in the provision of tax preparation and other services. The firm offers assisted income tax return preparation and related services through a system of retail offices operated directly by the company or by franchisees. It also develops and markets DIY income tax preparation software online, as well as through third-party retail stores and direct mail; and provides DIY tax services, including federal and state income tax returns, access to tax tips, advice and tax-related news, use of calculators for tax planning, and error checking and electronic filing. In addition, the company offers Refund Transfers and H&R Block Emerald Prepaid Mastercard, which enables clients to receive their tax refunds; Peace of Mind extended service plans; H&R Block Emerald Advance lines of credit; Tax Identity Shield that provides clients assistance in helping protect their tax identity and access to services to help restore their tax identity; refund advance loans; H&R Block Instant Refund; and H&R Block Pay With Refund services. The company was founded by Henry W. Bloch and Richard A. Bloch on January 25, 1955 and is headquartered in Kansas City, MO. Read More Dear All, Jai Bheem and Namo Buddhaya, The loss of my dear friend Rajkumar D Kamble (I call him mottu with love, for which he never objected me) is not only a loss for his family, for me and my family, as one of my best friends, but also a great loss for our society. He is fundamentally a staunch Ambedkarite and Buddhist and the motivating force for many of us to be socially conscious. He encouraged us to adopt the philosophy of paying back to the society. Support TwoCircles We have been friends for the last 40 years. We met when I first joined Engineers India Limited (EIL) in 1978. He was the one who led me to work for BAMCEF, lead by Manyavar Kanshi Ram, and that is what gave me an opportunity to be closely associated with Kanshi Ram. I knew he was very smart in identifying our persons from various states of India and organising them. As a result, I accepted the position of Secretary of Engineers India Limited (EIL) SC/ST Welfare Association. He himself tried to never hold any positions but remained a guide to all of us. Today, I am recalling those days in the 1980s, roaming every part of Delhi to meet our people, for spreading BAMCEF ideology and organizing social activities without ever bothering about any of our own hardships. Because of our work we gathered a good number of like-minded persons, we formed a community, and due to that, we all become good friends, despite being from different states and speaking different languages. Eventually, we left EIL and Delhi one by one and got employed in different countries. Our friendship continued even after that also. Many good old friends were working in Malaysia at one point in time. That was the year of 1994 when we celebrated Dr Ambedkar Jayanti at my house in Kuala Lumpur. On that day, RDK was instrumental in our founding of AIM, meaning Dr Ambedkar International Mission. We all celebrated with families and kids the whole night till morning. It was a really a joyful day for all of us including our kids. Later, he expanded AIM to other countries globally. He was also a key member in forming DIO Dalit International Organisation. When we were In Malaysia, there was a turmoil in one of the Malaysian political parties called the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC). Not everyone in the party could accept a Dalit person as the leader of the party and as a result, this strong Dalit leader who had bravely contended for the President post of the party was expelled from MIC. He was a capable leader and his name was MG Pandithan. Having come to know this through newspapers, our beloved friend RDK and another friend, Vijay Hathmode, contacted Pandithan, and his close associate Panja Moorthy, who was also a Dalit. Raju motivated and encouraged them to form Dalit International Organization (DIO) stressing that moments like this were calls for international solidarity and international community-building. That is how DIO was found. Soon after, under the leadership of Pandithan, an International Conference was conducted in 1998 for the first time in the world history of Dalits. In his efforts to awaken and organise Dalits around the world, he sacrificed a lot not only of his own money, but also his family time, and health. For that, I would like to thank Bhabiji (Mrs.Nanda Kamble) and kids, Prachi and Choti, for sharing him with our society. I can say so many things about him. However, I stop here. Overall, Mr R D Kamble was a role model for his incredible 1. simplicity and humbleness 2. sacrifices 3. identifying and organising our people. 4. awakening and motivating our people without frustration. 5. tireless work towards spreading Ambedkarism and Buddhism. 6. politeness and never getting angry 7. never bothering what others were saying about him 8. avoid conflict with anybody and sorting out only through discussions 9. Paying Back to the Society And so much more! I am personally very much sad and I know that all his friends are in the same situation as me. His family members must be suffering so more than us. I wish them to be strong and have courage with the support of the Buddha, who emphasised Anitya impermanence, the reality that nobody can escape from death. RDK mingled in the universe and become basic elements. These basic elements are now joining with cosmic energy to form new lives and create more RDKs for this society. We are with the bereaved family and ready to provide any support to them. For RDK by RDKS dearest friend, Karuna (A.Karunakaran) Dear Kamble Uncle, Jai Bhim and Namo Bhuddhaya. I am mourning your loss today knowing I will be mourning you for a long time. Uncle, you were a figure from our childhood. I have known you since I was born. My Mom and Dad were both from small villages in Tamil Nadu. They were a part of a group of young Dalits from different parts of India, in Delhi, all figuring out what the entry into middle class looked like for them. They were politicized in college but as they moved to Delhi and then to Malaysia, people like you uncle, wove together these transgenerationally network-less, coming from steep poverty, sometimes lonely and tentative Dalit families, in a new place, in a new class bracket, surrounded by savarna power and wealth. You wove them into a powerful, political community invested in paying back and taking the vision of Ambedkarism global. You all were a group of young couples navigating politics and personal lives together. Those relationships, even when sometimes broken towards each other remained unshook, unbroken with respect to commitment to our people. Kamble uncle you were core to our community in those days. You held people together, you showed them there was more behind the mountains that seem to stand in their ways. You were there with suggestions and possibilities. Even when energy dwindled, you carved out new paths, led folks to meet leaders like Kanshi Ram and kept their energy and politics renewed and empowered continuously with an Ambedkarite vision. When I came into the community here in the US, seeing you, Kamble uncle, felt like coming home again. It was such a pleasure. I knew that if you had inspired my family to work for our people, then in many ways, you have inspired me too, to continue on this path. You became one of the reasons then for my continued interest in working towards the well-being of our people. In our time here together, we havent always agreed on how the paths to that well-being can look. We have had political and methodological differences. But I have always had a deep and unwavering warmth in my heart for you. I respected you and what you meant to my community, to your friends- my parents, and how many people you drew in and lives you changed. I wish your family, your wife, and daughters strength and love and solidarity. They are gifted with the same love, fight, and resilience our people all seem to have. I will strive to be there for them always. Kamble uncle, Rest In Peace. The Karunakaran family misses you deeply and thanks to you for your incredible energy, friendship, life, and work. As my Dad has said you will become the elements of the universe, and renew this universe with material to build more beings like you those that bring love and justice. Yours lovingly, Valli Karunakaran #RIP #AMBEDKARISTS #POWER #COMMUNITY American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved. 326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at contact@marketbeat.com | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research. GTT Communications, Inc. provides cloud networking services to multinational enterprises, carriers, and government customers in the United States, Europe, and internationally. The company offers wide area networking, such as software-defined wide area networking, multiprotocol label switching, and virtual private LAN service; high bandwidth-Internet connectivity and IP transit, as well as broadband and wireless Internet access services; managed equipment and security services; and unified communication services consisting of session initiation protocol trunking, cloud unified communication service, and traditional analog voice. It also provides transport services, such as Ethernet services that enable to design network equipment; and video transport services to support broadcast quality transmission of live events, sports entertainment, and news to media and entertainment industry. In addition, the company offers infrastructure services enabling transport of high volume data between data centers, enterprise office locations, and media hubs; wavelength services to deliver scalable high-performance optical connectivity; colocation, turnkey, duct, and dark fiber services; advanced solutions, including security, hybrid cloud, database, and application management Its IP network consists of approximately 600 points of presence. GTT Communications, Inc. markets its products and services through a network of direct sales force and indirect sales channels. The company was formerly known as Global Telecom & Technology, Inc. and changed its name to GTT Communications, Inc. in January 2014. GTT Communications, Inc. was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in McLean, Virginia. Read More KAZ Minerals PLC, together with its subsidiaries, engages in mining and processing copper and other metals primarily in Kazakhstan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan. It operates through Bozshakol, Aktogay, East Region and Bozymchak, and Mining Projects segments. The company operates the Aktogay and Bozshakol open pit copper mines in the east region and Pavlodar region of Kazakhstan; three underground mines in the east region of Kazakhstan; and the Bozymchak copper-gold mine in Kyrgyzstan. It also develops greenfield metal deposits; operates Koksay deposit in Kazakhstan, and the Baimskaya licence area in the Chukotka region of Russia; and produces and sells various by-products, such as gold, silver, molybdenum, and zinc. In addition, the company supplies and distributes heat, water, and electricity; and offers construction, project management, financing, management, sales and logistics, and repairs and maintenance services. The company was formerly known as Kazakhmys PLC and changed its name to KAZ Minerals PLC in October 2014. KAZ Minerals PLC was founded in 1930 and is based in London, the United Kingdom. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Kellogg: 545 LLC, AQFTM Inc., Afical - Industria e Comercio de Alimentos Ltda, Afical Holding LLC, Alimentos Gollek S.A., Alimentos Kellogg S.A., Alimentos Kellogg de Panama SRL, Argkel Inc., Austin Quality Foods Inc., BDH Inc., Bear Naked Inc., Bisco Misr, CC Real Estate Holdings LLC, Canada Holding LLC, Cary Land Corporation, Eighteen94 Capital LLC, Favorite Food Products Limited, Gardenburger LLC, Gollek Argentina S.R.L., Gollek B.V., Gollek Inc., Gollek Interamericas S. de R.L. de C.V., Gollek Servicios S.C., Gollek UK Limited, Illinois Baking Corporation, Instituto De Nutricion y Salud Kellogg A.C., Insurgent Brands LLC, K (China) Limited, K Europe Holding Company Limited, K India Private Limited, K-One Inc., K-Two Inc., KBAR SRL, KECL LLC, KELF Limited, KJAL Limited, KPAR Limited, KT International Finance SRL, KTRY Limited, Kashi Company, Kashi Company Pty Ltd, Kashi Sales L.L.C., Keebler Company, Keebler Foods Company, Keebler Holding Corp., Keebler USA Inc., Kelarg Inc., Kelcone Limited, Kelcorn Limited, Kellman S. de R.L. de C.V., Kellogg (Aust.) Pty. Ltd., Kellogg (Deutschland) GmbH, Kellogg (Japan) G.K., Kellogg (Osterreich) Gesellschaft GmbH, Kellogg (Schweiz) GmbH, Kellogg (Thailand) Limited, Kellogg Activation Services Company, Kellogg Argentina S.R.L., Kellogg Asia Inc., Kellogg Asia Marketing Inc., Kellogg Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Kellogg Asia Products Sdn.. Bhd., Kellogg Asia Sdn. Bhd., Kellogg Australia Holdings Pty. Ltd., Kellogg Belgium Services Company BVBA, Kellogg Brasil Inc., Kellogg Brasil Ltda., Kellogg Business Services Company, Kellogg Canada Inc., Kellogg Caribbean Inc., Kellogg Caribbean Services Company Inc., Kellogg Chile Inc., Kellogg Company East Africa Limited, Kellogg Company Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Kellogg Company Subsidiaries, Kellogg Company of Great Britain Limited, Kellogg Company of Ireland Limited, Kellogg Company of South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Kellogg Costa Rica S. de R.L., Kellogg Ecuador C. LTDA., Kellogg El Salvador Ltda. de C.V., Kellogg Espana S.L., Kellogg Europe Company Limited, Kellogg Europe Finance Limited, Kellogg Europe Services Limited, Kellogg Europe Trading Limited, Kellogg Europe Treasury Services Limited, Kellogg European Logistics Services Company Limited, Kellogg European Support Services SRL, Kellogg Fearn Inc., Kellogg Funding Company LLC, Kellogg Group LLC, Kellogg Group Limited, Kellogg Group S.a.r.l., Kellogg Hellas Single Member Limited Liability Company, Kellogg Holding Company Limited, Kellogg Holding LLC, Kellogg Hong Kong Holding Company Limited, Kellogg Hong Kong Private Limited, Kellogg India Private Limited, Kellogg International Holding Company, Kellogg Irish Holding Limited, Kellogg Italia S.p.A., Kellogg Kayco, Kellogg Latin America Holding Company (One) Limited, Kellogg Latin America Holding Company (Two) Limited, Kellogg Latvia Inc., Kellogg Lux I S.ar.l., Kellogg Lux III S. ar L., Kellogg Lux V S.a.r.l., Kellogg Lux VI S.ar.l., Kellogg Management Services (Europe) Limited, Kellogg Manchester Limited, Kellogg Manufacturing Espana S.L., Kellogg Marketing and Sales Company (UK) Limited, Kellogg Med Gida Ticaret Limited SirketiI, Kellogg Netherlands Holding B.V., Kellogg North America Company, Kellogg Northern Europe GmbH, Kellogg Pakistan (Private) Limted, Kellogg Rus LLC, Kellogg Sales Company, Kellogg Services GmbH, Kellogg Servicios S.C., Kellogg Snacks Financing Limited, Kellogg Snacks Holding Company Europe Limited, Kellogg Superannuation Pty. Ltd., Kellogg Supply Services (Europe) Limited, Kellogg Talbot LLC, Kellogg Transition MA&P L.L.C., Kellogg Treasury Services Company, Kellogg U.K. Holding Company Limited, Kellogg UK Minor Limited, Kellogg USA LLC, Kellogg de Centro America S.A., Kellogg de Colombia S.A., Kellogg de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Kellogg de Peru S.R.L., Kellogg's Produits Alimentaires S.A.S., Kelmill Limited, Kelpac Limited, Klux A Sarl, Klux B Sarl, Mass Food, Mass Food International SAE, Mass Food SAE, Mass Trade for Trade and Distribution SAE, McCamly Plaza Hotel Inc., Multipro Consumer Products Limited*, Multipro Private Limited*, Multipro Singapore Pte. Ltd*, Nhong Shim Kellogg Co. Ltd.*, Nikko Industries*, Nordisk Kellogg's ApS, PRUX S.a r.l., Padua Ltda, Parati Group, Parati Industria e Comercio de Alimentos Ltda, Portable Foods Manufacturing Company Limited, Prime Bond Cyprus Holding Company Limited, Prime Bond Holdings Limited, Pringles, Pringles (Shanghai) Food Co. Ltd., Pringles Australia Pty Ltd, Pringles Hong Kong Limited, Pringles International Operations Sarl, Pringles Japan G.K., Pringles LLC, Pringles Manufacturing Company, Pringles Overseas Holdings Sarl, Pringles S.a r.l., Pronumex S de R.L. de C.V., RX Bar UK Limited, RXBRANDS Canada ULC, Ritmo Investimentos, Rondo Food Manufacturing S.A.E., RxBar, Saragusa Frozen Foods Limited, Servicios Argkel S.C., Shaffer Clarke & Co. Inc., Specialty Cereals Pty Limited, Specialty Foods L.L.C., Stretch Fibres*, Stretch Island Fruit Sales L.L.C., Sunshine Biscuits L.L.C., The Eggo Company, The Healthy Snack People Pty Limited, Trafford Park Insurance Limited, Uma Investments sp. z o.o., Vita+ Naturprodukte GmbH*, Wimble Manufacturing Belgium BVBA, Wimble Services Belgium BVBA, and Worthington Foods Inc.. HSBC Holdings plc provides banking and financial products and services worldwide. The company operates through Wealth and Personal Banking, Commercial Banking, and Global Banking and Markets segments. The Wealth and Personal Banking segment offers retail banking products and services, such as current and savings accounts, mortgages and personal loans, credit and debit cards, and local and international payment services for ultra high net worth individuals; and wealth management services, including insurance and investment products, global asset management services, investment management, and private wealth solutions. The Commercial Banking segment provides credit and lending, treasury management, payment, cash management, commercial insurance, and investment services, as well as commercial cards, and international trade and receivables finance services; and foreign exchange products, and capital raising and advisory services to small and medium sized enterprises, mid-market enterprises, and corporates. The Global Banking and Markets segment is involved in the provision of financing, advisory, and transaction services, including credit, rates, foreign exchange, equities, money markets, and securities services, as well as principal investment activities to government, corporate and institutional clients, and private investors. The Global Private Banking segment provides a range of services to high net worth individuals and families with complex and international needs. HSBC Holdings plc was founded in 1865 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Read More Park Group plc provides prepaid gift cards, multi-retailer vouchers, and digital rewards services to corporate and consumer markets in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company is involved in Christmas savings business, which offers vouchers, prepaid cards, gifts, and hampers in time for Christmas; and Love2shop Business Services that provides reward solutions, including multi-retailer vouchers and prepaid cards, single store vouchers and cards, gift experiences, holidays, and travel solutions. It also operates highstreetvouchers.com, an online voucher retailer that offers a range of gift cards and vouchers for next day delivery. In addition, the company provides a range of online scheme management solutions that enable clients to run, manage, and communicate their schemes; and Evolve, a digital rewards platform that empowers commercial organizations to reward individuals. Further, it offers mail order and cash savings operations, brand engagement, property management, cash lending and debt collection, insurance broking, and card administration support services, as well as acts as an electronic money issuer. Park Group plc provides its products under the Love2shop, flexecash, Park Christmas Savings Club, Evovle, and Love2shop Business Services brand names. The company markets its products and services through direct sales force and a network of agents, as well as through Internet. Park Group plc was founded in 1967 and is based in Birkenhead, the United Kingdom. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Banco Santander: 2 & 3 Triton Limited, A & L CF (Guernsey) Limited (f), A & L CF June (2) Limited, A & L CF June (3) Limited, A & L CF March (5) Limited, A & L CF September (4) Limited, AFB SAM Holdings S.L., ALIL Services Limited (b), AN (123) Limited, ANITCO Limited, Abbey Business Services (India) Private Limited, Abbey Covered Bonds (LM) Limited, Abbey National, Abbey National Beta Investments Limited, Abbey National Business Office Equipment Leasing Limited, Abbey National International Limited, Abbey National Nominees Limited, Abbey National PLP (UK) Limited, Abbey National Property Investments, Abbey National Treasury Services Investments Limited, Abbey National Treasury Services Overseas Holdings, Abbey National UK Investments, Abbey Stockbrokers (Nominees) Limited, Abbey Stockbrokers Limited, Ablasa Participaciones S.L., Administracion de Bancos Latinoamericanos Santander S.L., Aduro S.A., Aevis Europa S.L., Afisa S.A., Albert., Aljardi SGPS Lda., Alliance & Leicester, Alliance & Leicester Cash Solutions Limited, Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank Limited, Alliance & Leicester Investments (Derivatives) Limited, Alliance & Leicester Investments (No.2) Limited, Alliance & Leicester Investments Limited, Alliance & Leicester Limited, Alliance & Leicester Personal Finance Limited, Altamira Santander Real Estate S.A., Alternative Leasing FIL, Amazonia Trade Limited, Amherst Pierpont, Andaluza de Inversiones S.A., Aquanima Brasil Ltda., Aquanima Chile S.A., Aquanima Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Aquanima S.A., Arcaz - Sociedade Imobiliaria Portuguesa Lda., Argenline S.A. (b), Asto Digital Limited, Athena Corporation Limited, Atual - Fundo de Invest Multimercado Credito Privado Investimento no Exterior, Atual Servicos de Recuperacao de Creditos e Meios Digitais S.A., Autodescuento S.L., Autohaus24 GmbH, Auttar HUT Processamento de Dados Ltda., Aviacion Antares A.I.E., Aviacion Britanica A.I.E., Aviacion Centaurus A.I.E., Aviacion Comillas S.L. Unipersonal, Aviacion Intercontinental A.I.E., Aviacion Laredo S.L., Aviacion Oyambre S.L. Unipersonal, Aviacion Real A.I.E., Aviacion Santillana S.L., Aviacion Suances S.L., Aviacion Triton A.I.E., Aymore Credito Financiamento e Investimento S.A., BEN Beneficios e Servicos S.A., BRS Investments S.A., BZW Bank, Banca PSA Italia S.p.A., Banco Bandepe S.A., Banco Madesant - Sociedade Unipessoal S.A., Banco PSA Finance Brasil S.A., Banco Popular, Banco Santander (Brasil) S.A., Banco Santander (Mexico) S.A. Institucion de Banca Multiple Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico como Fiduciaria del Fideicomiso 100740, Banco Santander (Mexico) S.A. Institucion de Banca Multiple Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico como Fiduciaria del Fideicomiso 2002114, Banco Santander (Mexico) S.A. Institucion de Banca Multiple Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico como Fiduciaria del Fideicomiso GFSSLPT, Banco Santander - Chile, Banco Santander Consumer Portugal S.A., Banco Santander International, Banco Santander International SA, Banco Santander Mexico S.A. Institucion de Banca Multiple Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico, Banco Santander Peru S.A., Banco Santander Rio S.A., Banco Santander S.A., Banco Santander Totta S.A., Banco Santander de Negocios Colombia S.A., Banco de Albacete S.A., Bansa Santander S.A., CCAP Auto Lease Ltd., Canyon Multifamily Impact Fund IV LLC, Capital Street Delaware LP, Capital Street Holdings LLC, Capital Street REIT Holdings LLC, Capital Street S.A., Carfax (Guernsey) Limited (f), Carfinco Financial Group, Carfinco Financial Group Inc., Carfinco Inc., Casa de Bolsa Santander S.A. de C.V. Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico, Cater Allen Holdings Limited, Cater Allen International Limited, Cater Allen Limited, Cater Allen Lloyd's Holdings Limited, Cater Allen Syndicate Management Limited, Centro de Capacitacion Santander A.C., Certidesa S.L., Chrysler Capital Auto Funding I LLC, Chrysler Capital Auto Funding II LLC, Chrysler Capital Auto Receivables LLC, Chrysler Capital Master Auto Receivables Funding 2 LLC, Chrysler Capital Master Auto Receivables Funding 4 LLC, Chrysler Capital Master Auto Receivables Funding LLC, Cobranza Amigable S.A.P.I. de C.V., Community Development and Affordable Housing Fund LLC (g), Compagnie Generale de Credit Aux Particuliers - Credipar S.A., Compagnie Pour la Location de Vehicules - CLV, Comunidad Laboral Trabajando Argentina S.A., Comunidad Laboral Trabajando Iberica S.L. Unipersonal en liquidacion (b), Consulteam Consultores de Gestao Lda., Consumer Lending Receivables LLC, Crawfall S.A. (b), Cantabra de Inversiones S.A., Cantabro Catalana de Inversiones S.A., Darep Designated Activity Company, Decarome S.A.P.I. de C.V., Deva Capital Advisory Company S.L., Deva Capital Holding Company S.L., Deva Capital Investment Company S.L., Deva Capital Management Company S.L., Deva Capital Servicer Company S.L., Digital Procurement Holdings N.V., Diners Club Spain S.A., Direccion Estratega S.C., Dirgenfin S.L. en liquidacion (b), Ebury, El Corte Ingles, Elavon Mexico, Electrolyser S.A. de C.V., Entidad de Desarrollo a la Pequena y Micro Empresa Santander Consumo Peru S.A., Erestone S.A.S., Esfera Fidelidade S.A., Evidence Previdencia S.A., Financeira El Corte Ingles Portugal S.F.C. S.A., Financiera El Corte Ingles E.F.C. S.A., Finsantusa S.L. Unipersonal, First National Motor Business Limited, First National Motor Contracts Limited, First National Motor Facilities Limited, First National Motor Finance Limited, First National Motor Leasing Limited, First National Motor plc, First National Tricity Finance Limited, Fondos Santander S.A. Administradora de Fondos de Inversion (en liquidacion) (b), Fortensky Trading Ltd., Fosse Funding (No.1) Limited, Fosse Master Issuer plc, Fosse Trustee (UK) Limited, GTS El Centro Equity Holdings LLC, GTS El Centro Project Holdings LLC, Gamma Sociedade Financeira de Titularizacao de Creditos S.A., Gesban Mexico Servicios Administrativos Globales S.A. de C.V., Gesban Santander Servicios Profesionales Contables Limitada, Gesban Servicios Administrativos Globales S.L., Gesban UK Limited, Gestion de Instalaciones Fotovoltaicas S.L. Unipersonal, Gestion de Inversiones JILT S.A., Gestora de Procesos S.A. en liquidacion (b), Getnet Adquirencia e Servicos para Meios de Pagamento S.A., Global Vosgos S.L. Unipersonal, Grupo Empresarial Santander S.L., Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico S.A. de C.V., Grupo Financiero Santander SAB de CV, Guaranty Car S.A. Unipersonal, HQ Mobile Limited, Hispamer Renting S.A. Unipersonal, Holbah II Limited, Holbah Santander S.L. Unipersonal, Holmes Funding Limited, Holmes Master Issuer plc, Holmes Trustees Limited, Hyundai Capital Bank Europe GmbH, Iberica de Compras Corporativas S.L., Independence Community Bank Corp., Insurance Funding Solutions Limited, Interfinance Holanda B.V., Inversiones Capital Global S.A. Unipersonal, Inversiones Maritimas del Mediterraneo S.A., Isla de los Buques S.A., Klare Corredora de Seguros S.A., Landcompany 2020 S.L., Langton Funding (No.1) Limited, Langton Mortgages Trustee (UK) Limited, Langton Securities (2008-1) plc, Langton Securities (2010-1) PLC, Langton Securities (2010-2) PLC, Laparanza S.A., Liquidity Limited, Luri 1 S.A. en liquidacion (b) (e), Luri 6 S.A. Unipersonal, Master Red Europa S.L., Mata Alta S.L., Merciver S.L., Mercury TFS, Mercury Trade Finance Solutions S.A. de C.V., Mercury Trade Finance Solutions S.L., Mercury Trade Finance Solutions S.p.A., Moneybit S.L., Mortgage Engine Limited, Motor 2016-1 PLC, Motor 2017-1 PLC, Mouro Capital I LP, Multiplica SpA, NW Services CO., Naviera Mirambel S.L., Naviera Trans Gas A.I.E., Naviera Trans Iron S.L., Naviera Trans Ore A.I.E., Naviera Trans Wind S.L. (b), Naviera Transcantabrica S.L., Naviera Transchem S.L. Unipersonal, NeoAuto S.A.C., Norbest AS, Novimovest Fundo de Investimento Imobiliario, Open Bank Argentina S.A., Open Bank S.A., Open Digital Market S.L., Open Digital Services S.L., Operadora de Carteras Gamma S.A.P.I. de C.V., Optimal Investment Services SA, Optimal Multiadvisors Ireland Plc / Optimal Strategic US Equity Ireland Euro Fund, Optimal Multiadvisors Ireland Plc / Optimal Strategic US Equity Ireland US Dollar Fund, PBE Companies LLC, PECOH Limited, PI Distribuidora de Titulos e Valores Mobiliarios S.A., PSA Bank Deutschland GmbH, PSA Banque France, PSA Finance UK Limited, PSA Financial Services Nederland B.V., PSA Financial Services Spain E.F.C. S.A., PSA Renting Italia S.p.A., PagoFX Europe S.A., PagoFX HoldCo S.L., PagoFX UK Ltd, PagoNxt Merchant Solutions S.L., PagoNxt S.L., Parasant SA, Patagon.com, Pereda Gestion S.A., Pingham International S.A., Popular Spain Holding de Inversiones S.L.U., Portal Universia Argentina S.A., Portal Universia Portugal Prestacao de Servicos de Informatica S.A., Prime 16 Fundo de Investimentos Imobiliario, Punta Lima LLC, Punta Lima Wind Farm LLC, Retop S.A., Return Capital Servicos de Recuperacao de Creditos S.A., Return Gestao de Recursos S.A., Riobank International (Uruguay) SAIFE (b), Rojo Entretenimento S.A., SAM Asset Management S.A. de C.V. Sociedad Operadora de Fondos de Inversion, SAM Investment Holdings S.L., SAM UK Investment Holdings Limited (b), SANB Promotora de Vendas e Cobranca Ltda., SCF Eastside Locks GP Limited, SDMX Superdigital S.A. de C.V., SMPS Merchant Platform Solutions Mexico S.A de C.V, Sancap Investimentos e Participacoes S.A., Santander (CF Trustee Property Nominee) Limited, Santander (UK) Group Pension Schemes Trustees Limited, Santander Ahorro Inmobiliario 1 S.A., Santander Ahorro Inmobiliario 2 S.A., Santander Alternatives SICAV RAIF, Santander Asesorias Financieras Limitada, Santander Asset Finance (December) Limited, Santander Asset Finance plc, Santander Asset Management - S.G.O.I.C. S.A., Santander Asset Management Chile S.A., Santander Asset Management LLC, Santander Asset Management Luxembourg S.A., Santander Asset Management S.A. Administradora General de Fondos, Santander Asset Management S.A. S.G.I.I.C., Santander Asset Management UK Holdings Limited, Santander Asset Management UK Limited, Santander Back-Offices Globales Mayoristas S.A., Santander Banca de Inversion Colombia S.A.S., Santander Bank & Trust Ltd., Santander Bank National Association, Santander Bank Polska S.A., Santander Brasil Administradora de Consorcio Ltda., Santander Brasil Gestao de Recursos Ltda., Santander Brasil Tecnologia S.A., Santander Capital Desarrollo SGEIC S.A. Unipersonal, Santander Capital Structuring S.A. de C.V., Santander Capitalizacao S.A., Santander Cards Ireland Limited, Santander Cards Limited, Santander Cards UK Limited, Santander Chile Holding S.A., Santander Consulting (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Santander Consumer (UK) plc, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2013-B2 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2013-B3 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2018-L1 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2018-L3 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2018-L4 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2018-L5 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2019-B1 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2019-L2 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2019-L3 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2020-B1 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2020-L1 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2020-L2 LLC, Santander Consumer Bank, 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 Florida primary is just days away which means its not safe to let the kids check the mail or watch TV news. If you do, you risk exposing them to all sorts of, um, stuff that requires explaining. Such as: -- Why a candidate is responsible for sewage being dumped into Biscayne Bay. -- Who the smiling man is with a gun over his shoulder and finger on the trigger. -- Or why and this is a concern only in Democratic households a candidate said something positive about President Donald Trump Democratic and Republican candidates who want their parties nominations for governor in the Aug. 28 primary are carving one another up. The negativity runs all the way down the ballot to contests for the state Legislature and School Board Plenty of voters, like Norman Newman of Boynton Beach , dont like them. The negative things are a big mistake, he said. They should go positive. Roni Wiernik of Tamarac called the negative TV ads and campaign mailers disgusting. Why do they have to fight each other? wonders Norma Gilbert, age 88. If you cant say something nice, dont say it. Yet the brutally negative ads, designed to shred opposition candidates, keep coming back election after election like stubborn weeds. Candidates use negative ads because theyre effective, said Judy Stern, a Fort Lauderdale lobbyist and political consultant. It works. And, added Kevin Wagner, a political scientist at Florida Atlantic University, when done well, they can be very effective. Wagner said there are basically two ways to win an election: Candidates can get more people to vote for them, or get fewer people to vote for their opponents. If a negative ad holds down an opponents vote totals even if it doesnt boost the candidate paying for the ad its done its job. Ryan Banfill, who has handled communications for multiple Democratic organizations and elected officials, said ads dont have to be negative to work. As an example, he cited the commercial in which Republican governor candidate Ron DeSantis shows his wife, kids and love for Trump . It was different, humorous, demonstrated his #Trump #MAGA bonafides, and got attention because of it. Consultants really need to get more creative because attacks are predictable and boring, he wrote on Twitter. If the ads seem as if theyre everywhere, its because they are. This year, both parties have well-funded, hotly contested races for governor, something that wasnt the case four years ago. And there is already heavy advertising in the Bill Nelson-Rick Scott U.S. Senate race, which wont be decided until November. More campaigns, with more money to spend than before, may be producing an increase in the total volume of ads, Wagner said. It might seem like its worse because its so hard to avoid advertising. It happens not just on television, but on the internet and when youre driving, he said. In big races, TV is the dominant medium. And location makes a difference. In the expensive Miami-Fort Lauderdale television market, viewers dont see as many broadcast ads as viewers in the cheaper West Palm Beach market. In more expensive places and in local races, the ads are common on cable TV and in mailers, both of which can be targeted more narrowly. Negative ads arent universally despised. Selma Arma, a Broward voter, said she wants to get the information that is sometimes revealed in negative ads. A lot of it is true, she said. Rick Kendle of Miami Beach, writing on Twitter, said: I dont mind a negative but truthful ad. That is what primaries are about, getting the truth and facts out in the open. Some of 2018s toughest ads are coming from Jeff Greene and Philip Levine , two of the five candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for governor. Both are ultra-wealthy men from South Florida. When candidates are competing for the same segment of the electorate, Wagner said, you tend to see more negative advertising because you have to move viewers away from your opponent. One of Levines ads has a video clip of Greene praising Trump. Like every candidate who is attacked, Greene said the ad is grossly out of context and misleading. Still, its had an effect. At campaign appearances on Tuesday and Wednesday, in different Broward cities, voters demanded that Greene explain himself. And voter Jackie Leon said she found the ad useful. She said she considered voting for Greene, but the ad convinced her to vote for Levine. Greene has gone after Levine with a spot featuring a video clip in which Levine praises Trump. Another Greene ad labels Levine too close to Russians, too much like Trump for taking $500,000 in campaign money from a Russian oligarch. Adam Putnam, a candidate for the Republican nomination for governor, was attacked for support hes received from Floridas sugar industry, which many people hold responsible for the blue-green algae crisis afflicting Lake Okeechobee and state waterways. A Putnam ad accuses his competition, DeSantis, of hypocrisy and betrayal. Why did he sell Florida out? Because the real Ron DeSantis is part of the Washington swamp, the ad says. Most of the ads feature clips from TV news, dramatic music, unflattering black-and-white pictures of the target and ominous warnings. They dont always come directly from an opposing candidate. Uprooted Palestinians are at the heart of the conflict in the M.E Palestinians uprooted by force of arms. Yet faced immense difficulties have survived, kept alive their history and culture, passed keys of family homes in occupied Palestine from one generation to the next. The Toronto-Dominion Bank, together with its subsidiaries, provides various personal and commercial banking products and services in Canada and the United States. It operates through three segments: Canadian Retail, U.S. Retail, and Wholesale Banking. The company offers personal deposits, such as chequing, savings, and investment products; financing, investment, cash management, international trade, and day-to-day banking services to businesses; and financing options to customers at point of sale for automotive and recreational vehicle purchases through auto dealer network. It also provides credit cards; real estate secured lending; auto finance; consumer lending; point-of-sale payment solutions for large and small businesses; wealth and asset management products, private banking, investment advisory, and trust services to retail and institutional clients; and property and casualty insurance, as well as life and health insurance products. The company also provides capital markets, and corporate and investment banking services, including underwriting and distribution of new debt and equity issues; advice on strategic acquisitions and divestitures; and trading, funding, and investment services to companies, governments, and institutions. It offers its products and services under the TD Bank and America's Most Convenient Bank brand names. The company operates through a network of 1,085 branches, 3,440 automated teller machines, and 1,223 stores, as well as offers telephone, digital, and mobile banking services. The Toronto-Dominion Bank was founded in 1855 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Quest Diagnostics: AmeriPath, AmeriPath Cincinnati Inc. (OH), AmeriPath Cleveland Inc. (OH), AmeriPath Consolidated Labs Inc. (FL), AmeriPath Florida LLC (DE), AmeriPath Hospital Services Florida LLC (DE), AmeriPath Inc. (DE), AmeriPath Indianapolis PC (IN), AmeriPath Kentucky Inc. (KY), AmeriPath Lubbock 5.01(A) Corporation (TX), AmeriPath New York LLC (DE), AmeriPath Texas Inc. (DE), AmeriPath Tucson Inc. (AZ), American Medical Laboratories, American Medical Laboratories Incorporated (DE), Associated Clinical Laboratories L.P. (PA), Associated Clinical Laboratories of Pennsylvania L.L.C. (PA), Athena Diagnostics, Athena Diagnostics Inc. (DE), Blueprint Genetics, Blueprint Genetics FZ-LLC (UAE), Blueprint Genetics Inc. (DE), Blueprint Genetics Oy (Finland), California Laboratory Associates, Cape Cod Healthcare - Business, Celera, ClearPoint Diagnostic, Clearpoint Diagnostic Laboratories LLC (TX), Cleveland HeartLab, Cleveland HeartLab Inc. (DE), Clinical Laboratory Partners, Colorado Pathology Consultants P.C. (CO), ConVerge Diagnostic Services, Consolidated DermPath Inc. (DE), DFW 5.01(a) Corporation (TX), DGXWMT JV LLC (DE), Dermatopathology of Wisconsin S.C. (WI), Diagnostic Laboratory of Oklahoma LLC (OK), Diagnostic Pathology Services Inc. (OK), Diagnostic Reference Services Inc. (MD), ExamOne Canada Inc. (New Brunswick), ExamOne LLC (DE), ExamOne World Wide Inc. (PA), ExamOne World Wide of NJ Inc. (NJ), Focus Diagnostics, HemoCue, Hoffman M.D. Associated Pathologists Chartered (NV), Institute for Dermatopathology Inc. (PA), Isabella Street Urban Renewal LLC (NJ), Kailash B. Sharma M.D. Inc. (GA), Kilpatrick Pathology P.A. (NC), LabOne, LabOne LLC (MO), LabOne of Ohio Inc. (DE), Laboratorio de Analisis Biomedicos S.A. (Mexico), Lancet Labs, MACL, Med Fusion LLC (TX), Med fusion, MedPlus, Mid America Clinical Laboratories LLC (IN), Nomad Massachusetts Inc. (MA), Nuclear Medicine and Pathology Associates (GA), Ocmulgee Medical Pathology Association Inc. (GA), Pathology Building Partnership (MD) (gen. ptnrshp.), PeaceHealth Laboratories, PhenoPath Laboratories, PhenoPath Laboratories PLLC (WA), Q Squared Solutions Holdings LLC (DE), Q Squared Solutions Holdings Limited (UK), Quest Diagnostics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. (China), Quest Diagnostics Brasil Holdings Ltd. (UK), Quest Diagnostics Clinical Laboratories, Quest Diagnostics Clinical Laboratories Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics Domestic Holder LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics HTAS India Private Limited (India), Quest Diagnostics Health & Wellness LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Holdings Incorporated (DE), Quest Diagnostics Holdings Ltd. (UK), Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (MD), Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NV), Quest Diagnostics India Private Limited (India), Quest Diagnostics Infectious Disease Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics International Holdings Limited (UK), Quest Diagnostics International LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Investments LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Ireland Limited (Ireland), Quest Diagnostics LLC (CT), Quest Diagnostics LLC (IL), Quest Diagnostics LLC (MA), Quest Diagnostics Massachusetts LLC (MA), Quest Diagnostics Mexico Holding Company Trust (Mexico), Quest Diagnostics Mexico S de RL de CV (Mexico), Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute (CA), Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute Inc. (VA), Quest Diagnostics Receivables Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics Subsidiary Holdings Ltd. (UK), Quest Diagnostics TB LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Terracotta LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Venture LLC (PA), Quest Diagnostics Ventures LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics do Brasil Ltda. (Brazil), Quest Diagnostics of Pennsylvania Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics of Puerto Rico Inc. (PR), Quest HealthConnect LLC (CA), ReproSource, Reprosource Fertility Diagnostics Inc. (MA), Solstas Lab Partners, Sonora Quest Laboratories LLC (AZ), Specialty Laboratories Inc. (CA), Summit Health, UMass Memorial Medical Center - Anatomic Pathology Outreach Laboratory Business, Unilab Corporation, and Unilab Corporation (DE). Valley National Bancorp is a bank holding company, which engages in the provision of retail and commercial banking services. It operates through the following segments: Consumer Lending; Commercial Lending; Investment Management; and Corporate and Other Adjustments. The Consumer Lending segment consists of residential mortgage loans, automobile loans and home equity loans, as well as wealth management and insurance services. The Commercial Lending segment includes the floating rate and adjustable rate commercial and industrial loans as well as fixed rate owner occupied and commercial real estate loans. The Investment Management segment refers to investments in various types of securities and interest-bearing deposits with other banks. The Corporate and Other Adjustments segment represents the income and expense items not directly attributable to a specific segment. The company was founded on November 12, 1982 and is headquartered in New York, NY. Read More Wells Fargo & Co. is a diversified, community-based financial services company. It is engaged in the provision of banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance. It firm operates through the following segments: Community Banking, Wholesale Banking, Wealth & Investment Management, and Other. The Community Banking segment offers complete line of diversified financial products and services for consumers and small businesses including checking and savings accounts, credit and debit cards, and automobile, student, and small business lending. The Wholesale Banking segment provides financial solutions to businesses across the United States and globally. The Wealth and Investment Management segment includes personalized wealth management, investment and retirement products and services to clients across U.S. based businesses. The Other segment refers to the products of WIM customers served through community banking distribution channels. The company was founded by Henry Wells and William G. Fargo on March 18, 1852 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Quaker Chemical: AC Products Inc., Applied Surface Concepts Holdings Ltd. , Binol AB, Binol Biosafe OY, Commonwealth Oil Corporation, DA Stuart India Private Limited, DA Stuart Shanghai Co, ECLI Products LLC, EFHCO LLC, Engineered Custom Lubricants, Engineered Custom Lubricants GmbH, Epmar Corporation, G.W. Smith and Sons, GH Holdings Inc., GHG Lubricants Holdings Limited, GHGL London Ltd., GHI Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Global Houghton Ltd., Houghton (Shanghai) Specialty Industrial Fluids Co. Ltd, Houghton Argentina S.A., Houghton Asia Pacific Co. Limited, Houghton Australia Pty. Ltd., Houghton Benelux BV, Houghton CZ s.r.o, Houghton Canada Inc., Houghton Denmark AS, Houghton Deutschland GmbH, Houghton Europe BV, Houghton Holdings Limited, Houghton Iberica S.A. , Houghton International, Houghton International Inc., Houghton Italia S.p.A., Houghton Japan Co. Ltd., Houghton Kimya Sanayi AS, Houghton Magyarorszag Kft, Houghton Mexico S.A. de C.V., Houghton Oil (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd., Houghton Polska Sp. Zo.o., Houghton Romania S.R.L., Houghton S.A.S., Houghton Sverige AB, Houghton Taiwan Co. Limited, Houghton Technical Corp., Houghton Ukraine ToV, Houghton do Brazil Ltda., Houghton plc, Internationale Metall Impragnier GmbH, Lubricor Inc, Lubricor Inc., Lubricor Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Lubricor USA Inc., MIH Acquisition Company LLC, MX Systems International Ltd, Maldaner GmbH, NP Coil Dexter Industries, New Houghton Brazil Inc., Norman Hay Engineering Ltd., QH Chemical Limited, QH Europe BV, QH Holdings Limited, QH International Limited, Quaker (Thailand) Ltd., Quaker Australia Holdings Pty. Limited, Quaker Chemical (Australasia) Pty. Limited, Quaker Chemical (China) Co. Ltd., Quaker Chemical B.V., Quaker Chemical CV, Quaker Chemical Canada Holdings Inc., Quaker Chemical Canada Limited, Quaker Chemical Europe B.V., Quaker Chemical Holdings South Africa (Pty) Limited, Quaker Chemical India Private Limited, Quaker Chemical Industria e Comercio Ltda., Quaker Chemical Investment Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Quaker Chemical Limited, Quaker Chemical MEA FZE, Quaker Chemical Operacoes Ltda., Quaker Chemical Participacoes Ltda., Quaker Chemical S.A., Quaker Chemical S.r.l., Quaker Chemical Services EURL, Quaker Chemical South Africa (Pty.) Limited, Quaker China Holdings B.V., Quaker Denmark ApS, Quaker Houghton (Finco) Ltd., Quaker Houghton Holdings Limited, Quaker Houghton Holdings Ltd., Quaker Houghton International LP, Quaker Houghton Ltd., Quaker International Holdings LLC, Quaker Italia S.r.l., Quaker Russia B.V., Quaker Sales Europe BV, Quaker Shanghai Trading Company Limited, Quaker Spain Holding SLU, Quaker Specialty Chemicals (UK) Limited, SB Decking Inc., SIFCO Applied Surface Concepts (UK) Ltd, SIFCO Applied Surface Concepts LLC, SIFCO Concepts Sarl, SIFCO Concepts Sweden, Sterr & Eder Industrieservice GmbH, Summit Lubricants Inc, Summit Lubricants Inc., Surface Technology (Coventry) Ltd, Surface Technology (Dalian) Co Ltd, Surface Technology (East Kilbride) Ltd., Surface Technology (Leeds) Ltd, Surface Technology Aberdeen Ltd, Surface Technology Australia, Surface Technology Holdings Ltd., TecniQuimia Mexicana, Tecniquimia Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Thai Houghton 1993 Co. Ltd., Ultraseal Asia Limited, Ultraseal Chongqing Limited, Ultraseal Germany GmbH, Ultraseal International Group Ltd, Ultraseal Machinery Dongguan Ltd, Ultraseal Shanghai Limited, Ultraseal USA Inc., Unitek Servicios De Asesoria Especializad S.A de C.V., Verkol S.A.U., Verkol SAU, Wallover Enterprises Inc., Wallover Oil Company Incorporated, Wallover Oil Hamilton Inc., and Wuhan Quaker Technology Co. Ltd. Freeport-McMoRan, Inc. engages in the mining of copper, gold and molybdenum. It operates through the following segments: North America Copper Mines, South America Mining; Indonesia Mining, Molybdenum Mines, Rod and Refining, Atlantic Copper Smelting and Refining and Corporate, Other and Eliminations. The North America Copper Mines segment operates open-pit copper mines in Morenci, Bagdad, Safford, Sierrita and Miami in Arizona and Chino and Tyrone in New Mexico. The South America Mining segment includes Cerro Verde in Peru and El Abra in Chile. The Indonesia Mining segment handles the operations of Grasberg minerals district that produces copper concentrate that contains significant quantities of gold and silver. The Molybdenum Mines segment includes the Henderson underground mine and Climax open-pit mine, both in Colorado. The Rod and Refining segment consists of copper conversion facilities located in North America and includes a refinery, rod mills, and a specialty copper products facility. The Atlantic Copper Smelting and Refining segment smelts and refines copper concentrate and markets refined copper and precious metals in slimes. The Corporate, Other and Eliminations segment Read More India's proposed $500 million investment at the port of Chabahar has already been delayed by negotiations over terms, but it now faces a larger threat: the reimposition of U.S. sanctions on Iran. As The Maritime Executive writes in the article Iran Sanctions Threaten India's Plans for Chabahar Port, Chabahar, a small Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman, could provide India with a new trade link to Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing the current routes through Pakistan. India's government expects that this would open up billions of dollars in trade, and it has committed $500 million to build two berths at the port, plus $1.6 billion for a 400-mile rail link from Chabahar to Afghanistan. An Indian-run port would also offset growing Chinese influence in Pakistan, where China operates the port of Gwadar. In October 2017, India sent an initial consignment of wheat to Afghanistan through Chabahar, and in February it signed an initial lease for the port's operation. The 18-month contract was described as an interim measure until the Indian operator bought its own cargo handling equipment, but Indian officials allege that Iran has repeatedly changed the terms of the port deal. Chabahar Port now faces a larger, external challenge. The Trump administration has withdrawn the United States from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (also known as the Iran nuclear deal), and previously-lifted sanctions on Iran are entering into effect once more. An initial set of American sanctions were reimposed on August 7, and stricter measures targeting Iran's ports, shipping, shipbuilding and petroleum sectors will take effect again on November 5. If India cannot secure a sanctions waiver for the Chabahar project, it will have to halt work or risk a dispute with the United States. Cancellations or delays at the port would hurt not just Indian shipping interests, but also Afghan businesses and foreign aid recipients, and the government of Afghanistan is also in discussions about a U.S. waiver for Chabahar. "The Afghan, Indian and Iranian governments have held several meetings over the past few months about Chabahar and work is ongoing regarding a specific plan and proposal to make sure that at least that section of the port, which is shared by these countries, is not affected by US sanctions against Iran," government spokesman Haroon Chakhansuri told Afghani outlet Tolo News. "There is some optimism around this." Registrations for tour packages to Turkey have risen 150 percent on the website since Sunday, Ctrip said on Tuesday. As China.org writes in the article Lower lira draws Chinese tourists to Turkey, Xu Lingjuan, a tour guide from Ctrip, recently finished a nine-day group tour from Shanghai to Turkey on Thursday. She said that the falling exchange rate lured more travelers to buy luxury goods there. "Many luxury goods were sold out. Some travelers even changed their sightseeing schedules to go shopping," she said. Zou Qingling, director of outbound tourism at lvmama.com, another online travel agency, said those who pay with lira at the destination would see the best bargains. "Depreciation of the Turkish lira may not affect its tourism market dramatically in the short term, but the market would be boosted if the currency decline lasts for a long time," she said. Flights from China to Turkey are in short supply this month, as well as for the Mid-Autumn Festival next month and the National Day holiday in October, due to a surge in tourist numbers prompted by the weakening lira. Prices for organized tours to Turkey are expected to decrease by another 20 to 30 percent after China's National Day holiday, with hotels and flights becoming cheaper. Dong Lu, a 31-year-old designer from Ganzhou, Jiangxi province, thought of visiting Turkey in November because of the lower price. "This is better than ever before. I can spend much less money and visit more attractions," he said. "Tour packages to Turkey used to be around 10,000 yuan ($1,440), but the price for November on Ctrip is about 7,000 yuan." Turkey has become a popular destination in general for Chinese tourists in recent years, and the country is expected to receive more than 400,000 visits from Chinese this year. Reservations for hotels in Turkey have tripled from the 2017 level in just the last two weeks, with Istanbul, Goreme, Antalya, Fethiye and Izmir the top choices for Chinese travelers, according to Ctrip. Zou Qingling from lvmama.com said the agency will increase the number of tour packages to Turkey later to offer more choices to visitors. The lira dropped 17 percent against the US dollar on Saturday after US President Donald Trump announced a new round of trade sanctions against Turkey. It has depreciated about 40 percent so far from the beginning of the year but rebounded slightly on Tuesday and further rallied on Wednesday. PolicyBazaar.com started with a purpose to educate people on insurance products and has had a significant influence on how insurance is bought in India. ETechAces Marketing & Consulting Pvt. Ltd. (PolicyBazaar Group) which owns Indias leading insurtech brand, PolicyBazaar.com and Indias leading lending marketplace, PaisaBazaar.com, has named Ashish Gupta, as the Chief Executive Officer for its new healthtech venture, DocPrime.com. The appointment is an elevation for Ashish Gupta, who has been serving as Chief Technology Officer at PolicyBazaar since November 2015. Ashish will continue in his current role of CTO until a successor is announced. In another senior leadership appointment, Richit Ummat was named as the Chief Operating Officer of the new venture. Prior to joining Docprime, Richit has worked with Apollo Munich Health Insurance in a leadership role of driving sales for the digital channel and has had multiple stints in the banking sector in the past. Expressing his thoughts on the appointment, Policybazaar Group CEO & Co-founder, Yashish Dahiya, said, We are excited for Ashish and Richit to take on leadership positions in our new healthtech venture. Both of them bring diversified experience spanning nearly three decades in technology, business development, strategic planning, and sales. This is exactly the combination we are looking to make a deep-rooted impact among the masses for providing quality medical services to the customers by leveraging technology. Having joined the company in 2015, Ashish Gupta has led the development of cutting-edge technology at Policybazaar.com, which includes Self-Inspection video feature to renew lapsed insurance instantly and AI-powered Chatbot-Pbee. Besides this, his vision has led to the adoption of numerous tech tools to provide customers with the seamless buying experience. A graduate from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, Ashish has been a serial entrepreneur and has founded companies such as Couponvodoo.com, Tekriti Software, StudyPlaces.com in the past. In his last role, he was CTO of healthkart.com, a consumer marketplace for healthcare products. On the other hand, Richit Ummat holds a management degree from Delhi-based Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) and comes with 15 years of experience differentiated across the banking and insurance sector, which includes working with ICICI Bank, Reliance Capital and Dhanlaxmi Bank in the past. The foray of EtechAces into health tech through DocPrime.com comes on the heels of signing USD 238 million Series F funding round-led by Japans SoftBank and existing investors. With DocPrime, PolicyBazaar Group intends to become a one-stop shop for consumer's healthcare and financial needs. DocPrime is looking to build an extensive network of 150,000+ doctors in 200+ specialities, and 20,000 labs to conduct 5,000+ tests on its platform by March, 2019. The ultimate goal being to make healthcare services affordable, accessible and affordable for all. About ETechAces Marketing & Consulting Pvt. Ltd. (PolicyBazaar Group) ETechAces is the parent company that holds Indias leading insurtech brand, PolicyBazaar.com and Indias leading lending marketplace, PaisaBazaar.com. The company has backing from a host of investors including the likes of Softbank, Temasek, Tiger Global Management, True North, InfoEdge (Naukri.com), Premji Invest, besides investments from other PE funds and family offices. PolicyBazaar.com started with a purpose to educate people on insurance products and has had a significant influence on how insurance is bought in India. It has helped in driving penetration of pure life insurance, health insurance, and such products which were barely bought earlier. From receiving traffic of 180,000 visitors in 2008, PolicyBazaar.com has come a long way and today hosts over 100 million visitors yearly and records sale of nearly 300,000 transactions a month. Currently, PolicyBazaar.com accounts for nearly 25% of Indias life cover, and over 7% of Indias retail health business. It accounts for roughly half of all internet based insurance purchase in the country and is more than doubling annually. In 2014, ETechAces started PaisaBazaar.com, an online financial marketplace for investment and lending products. Today, Paisabazaar.com is Indias largest online financial marketplace for loans and credit cards. It currently partners with more than 75 partners across lending and investment categories with 300+ products on offer. Since its inception in early 2014, the company has marked a staggering growth, and today disburses loans worth Rs. 360 crore in a month to more than 450 cities and towns. We have received several accolades in India and globally. The most noteworthy being recognized as Indias top and worlds leading Fin Tech Innovator by the Global consultancy firm, KPMG and venture capital fund, H2 Ventures for 2015 & 2016. It has won a range of awards in the last couple of years, many of them consecutively. These include The Financial Express Best Fintech Marketplace, Internet & amp; Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) Digital India Award for Best Financial Website & Most Innovating Insurance Service, IDC Iconic Award for Tech Implementation leading to Operational Excellence to name a few. Disclaimer: This article has not been edited by Deccan Chronicle and is taken from a syndicated feed. Photos: NewsVoir. Chennai: In a step that can remove the stigma attached to psychological ailments, Irdai has asked insurance companies to make provisions for medical insurance covering treatment of mental illness. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) has given the directive in reference to the Mental Health Act, 2017 which came into force on May 29, 2018. As per Sec 21(4) of the said Act, every insurer shall make provision for medical insurance for treatment of mental illness on the same basis as is available for treatment of physical illness. All insurance companies are hereby directed to comply with the aforesaid provisions of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 with immediate effect, Irdai said in a notification. The Mental Health Care Act was passed by the Parliament of India in 2017. The law intended to ensure a life of dignity to those who have mental health issues. Insurance of mental health is a progressive step in right direction. This will ensure a life of dignity for those who have mental health issues, said Jyoti Punja, COO and customer officer, Cigna TTK Health Insurance. We believe it will certainly create awareness, acceptance and inclusion when it comes to mental illness as any other ailment, while bringing mental health disorders at par with physical illnesses will normalise diagnoses, reducing associated myths and stigma. At Cigna TTK, we focus on the health and wellness of our customers we serve and we welcome this step to drive a robust health and well-being ecosystem, said Punja. However, currently most insurance firms do not provide cover for mental illnesses and in many cases their insurance applications get rejected if customers happen to have a history of mental illness. Mumbai: Bollywood stars on Friday paid their tributes to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who breathed his last on August 16. Actress Esha Gupta, while speaking to the media, expressed her grief on the demise of Vajpayee, who was her maternal grandfather's cousin. "My parents and my whole family was there at the prayer meet since last night. But I think it was my luck that I spent my whole life around him (Atal Bihari Vajpayee). He and my maternal grandfather studied law together at the University of Kanpur. I don't think there is any politician or minister like him. Nobody in the country talks against him" said the 'Commando 2' star. Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor's son Harshvardhan Kapoor also mourned the loss of the veteran leader and said, "He was a great leader, and very sad to lose people of such inspiration." Earlier, celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Javed Akhtar, Shah Rukh Khan, Rajinikanth, Priyanka Chopra, Madhur Bhandarkar, and Paresh Rawal paid their homage following the death of Vajpayee. The 93-year-old BJP veteran breathed his last on Thursday at Delhi's All India Institutes of Medical Science (AIIMS) following a prolonged illness. He was cremated with full state honour on Friday. Vajpayee, who led the National Democratic Alliance government from 1998 to 2004, was the first-ever member of the BJP to become India's Prime Minister. Actress Manisha Koirala, who turned 48 on August 16, says thats shes never felt better. Letting us in on the details of her birthday bash, she says, I had a party at the Taj Lands End (Mumbai) and all my friends from the film industry, even the people I havent worked with for years and years, came to the party. There was Rekha ji, stunning as ever, who lit up my birthday with her presence and blessings. And even Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who hardly ever socialises, made it a point to be there for my special day, says Manisha, after a night of partying. What truly made her day was the presence of the entire team of her debut film, Saudagar, at her celebrations. It seems like yesterday that I made my debut in Saudagar. My director Subhash Ghai, my leading man Vivek Mushran, my co-stars and dear friends Jaggu dada (Jackie Shroff) and Gulshan Arora all showed up for my party. Even Shah Rukh came, she says. The actress is gratified to know that theres still so much goodwill for her in the film industry. At the end of the day, what do we have except for the goodwill weve earned? Im glad I am still thought of with affection by colleagues I havent worked with for years, she says. Manishas parents were in Mumbai for the celebration, but her brother, Siddharth, couldnt make it. I really missed Siddharth and my bhabhi. But someone had to stay back in Nepal to look after our interests there, she says. And while all her friends let their hair down and enjoyed themselves, Manisha remained completely sober. Ive given up alcohol completely. I lead a regimented life with no breaks from my disciplined routine, Manisha says. The actress is currently in the process of having her first book published. I have two books planned a memoir, which I will write later, and a book based on my experiences with health and fitness, which Ive completed. Its gone to the publisher now, and it should be out by December, she says. Manisha says that in terms of her acting career, shes now focussed on quality rather than quantity. Id rather not act for a few months than do the wrong kind of films. I have so much else to do, apart from acting. I love to travel and I will be doing just that later this year. Right now, Ive just done Sanju, and its been so well received. Ive also got immense appreciation for my part in Lust Stories. The actress recently opted out of a web series that she had previously agreed to do. Initially, it seemed all okay. But then I had misgivings, so I opted out of the project. Its better not to do work that Im not fully convinced about, she says. After piracy, Tollywood filmmakers are under a new threat, that of leaked footage before a films release. And though it may not be a deliberate attempt to reveal portions of the film in advance, interestingly, they have gone on to become huge hits. Pawan Kalyan-starrer Attarintiki Daredi was the first film to be leaked in its entirety. Though the makers made a huge hue and cry at that time, it went on to become a blockbuster and everyone forgot about the leak. Then came Ram Charan-starrer Yevadu, where an entire song and a few scenes leaked out. Though the makers were a worried lot, it was declared a big hit for Ram Charan. Most recently, the Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika-starrer Geetha Govindam also suffered a similar plight before its release. The makers officially lodged a complaint with the cyber police and the films producer Allu Aravind even announced that the police had arrested a few people. But just like the others, this film is also heading towards becoming a huge blockbuster. HT04 According to Christoforou, he managed to open the car door and find the others after the vehicle hit the water during a work trip to the south of France. In a bizarre incident, two Uber passengers, on a work trip to the south of France, could have 'nearly died' after their taxi plunged into the sea. Yet they were still charged an 18 fare. The duo, Nick Christoforou, 31, and Sophia Toon, 23, were forced to swim for their lives after their taxi drove into the water. According to Christoforou, he managed to open the car door and find the others after the vehicle hit the water during a work trip to the south of France. Speaking to MailOnline, he said that if he was not fit and in an able state, they would all be dead. The real estate workers from Cockfosters, north London, was picked up at 1.30am in Cannes by a driver in a Citreon DS5. The car sank 10ft off the Port Pierre Canto, a marina for 500 yachts in the city. Christoforou managed to swim to a nearby boat and even dragged the others to safety. The driver of the vehicle also made it out alive and was breathlysed. He was found to be sober and no arrests have been made. However, it is interesting to not that Uber took the 18 fare from Nick's account, but have since refunded him. They also offered 800 compensation, which he has refused. Uber has since said he should claim on the driver's insurance as he is technically self-employed. The driver involved is no longer able to use the Uber app, an Uber statement has clarified. At least 324 people have died in last nine days due to floods and landslides trigerred by torrential rains. (Photo: PTI) Mumbai: Actor Siddharth has launched a Kerala Donation Challenge as incessant rains continue battering the state over the last few days. The death toll has reached 324. On August 17, the actor tweeted along with a picture of a blank letter showing his contribution towards to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (Govt of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram). "I did the #KeralaDonationChallenge. It was awesome! Will you? Please?" he tweeted. His tweet has prompted many on Twitter to share similar posts detailing their donations. The actors tweet is accompanied by a letter where he implores people to help those stranded in Kerala. He wrote, It is our duty as Indians to do what we can to help our people in Kerala. Every rupee counts towards making a difference. I believe social media has that special power to create magical movement overnight." Calling this #KeralaDonationChallenge, he has asked people to "post your donation proof" in order to inspire others. " I dare you. I beg of you! What do I have to do to make you read and share this? I did the #KeralaDonationChallenge It was awesome! Will you? Please?#KeralaFloods#SaveKerala@CMOKerala pic.twitter.com/9RmMjSKVBC Siddharth (@Actor_Siddharth) August 16, 2018 Actor Varun Dhawan too posted a similar tweet urging people to help and even tagged Siddharth in his post. If you can help please contribute in anyway possible. I was finding how to help out and @Actor_Siddharth tweet helped me find out about the @CMOKerala relief fund. #istandwithkerela pic.twitter.com/VGyrGeKQWv Varun MAUJI Dhawan (@Varun_dvn) August 16, 2018 Hundreds have lost their lives and livelihoods in the last 10 days. Hundreds of thousands have been shifted to relief camps as nearly 100 dams, reservoirs and rivers have overflowed. Even as rescue operations are underway, authorities have warned of worse weather to come. Hyderabad: Casting no suspicion on the maid or the driver, deceased Rajendraprasad Agarwals younger son Rohit Agarwal said that the suspects could have gained entry into the house from the rear door, which his mother mostly forgot to lock and could have waited for the right time to strike. Rohit, who has been taking care of his family business of running a grocery store at Osman Gunj, had moved to a new house about seven months back, which was located in the neighbouring lane of their parents Rajendraprasad Agarwal and Taramathis house in Sirimalle Nagar in Rajendranagar. Rajendraprasad was getting over Rs 1lakh rent from the commercial complex located in the old city area. He also used to give loans to people among his circle. About two months back, he suffered a cardiac problem, and the doctor advised him to use an oxygen mask while sleeping to prevent snoring. I met my father last on Independence Day. He called me and asked for some medicines. I bought and gave them to him that night and spent an hour with him, talking about random things. I could not talk to him yesterday (August 16) due to work at the shop. Even my elder brother, who runs a gas agency, could not talk to my father, shared Rohit. When I used to live with my parents, I ensured the rear door of our duplex house was locked. But, my mother tends to forget to do it. I strongly suspect that the robbers would have gained entry through the rear door when it was opened and hid upstairs till late in the night, and left through the kitchen window, Rohit said, Meanwhile, the Rajendranagar police found that a woman identified as Lalitha worked as a maid in the house and the couple also had a car driver, who joined 10 days ago. The maid has been working with the family for nine years. She entered their home at 10 am and left in an hour's time. But, in the last seven months, at least five drivers had been changed, for reasons best known to them, said the official. The state is witnessing one of the harshest monsoons with over 2 lakh people being displaced since August 8. (Photo: PTI) Kochi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Saturday conducted aerial survey of flood-hit Kerala where 324 people have died in last nine days. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced Rs 500 crore as immediate aid for Kerala, in addition to the 100 crore announced earlier. The PM has also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh per person to the next kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured, from Prime Minister's National Relief Funds (PMNRF). Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Minister K J Alphons and other officials on Saturday morning. The state is witnessing one of the harshest monsoons with over 2 lakh people being displaced since August 8. The NDRF has evacuated over 10,000 people from the heavy rains and flood waters affected areas of Kerala. A total of 58 teams of the force have been deputed to work in Kerala out of which 55 are working on the ground. Three teams are on their way, a spokesperson for the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said. Till now, 42 Navy, 16 Army, 28 Coast Guard were engaged in rescue operations. Last Sunday, Home Minister Rajnath Singh had undertaken and aerial survey of the flood-ravaged state and the centre had extended a Rs 100 crore package. Thousands of people are still perched on trees and rooftops, waiting to be rescued. Here are the LIVE updates from Kerala: 07:20 pm: In a letter to the Prime Minister, Indian Commercial Pilots' Association (ICPA) pilots on the Airbus 320 and Boeing 787 in Air India, have committed to fly planes without payment to support Operation Madad and Operation Sahyog in Kerala. 07:10 pm: "Massive rescue operation is underway in Chengannur, more than 300 people have been rescued. We need engineers to help us construct makeshift bridges so that rescue operations can be a carried out in forest areas," says Kerala Minister G Sudhakaran. 07:00 pm: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur announced Rs 5 crore for flood-hit Kerala. 06:45 pm: Relief material was air-dropped by the IAF in Alappuzha district's Chengannur today. #Kerala: Relief material being dropped by Indian Air Force in Alappuzha district's Chengannur. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/lHF75DHVZv ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 06:35 pm: Around 72 diving teams have been deployed across multiple locations in Kerala. SNC rescue teams augmented by Gemini boats, divers and other resources from both Eastern and Western Naval Commands of the India Navy are deployed. 06:30 pm: As part of IAF's Operation Madad, air rescue has been carried out at various places of the three badly affected districts: Thrissur, Ernakulam and Pathanamthitta, in Kerala. Various aircraft including ALH, Sea King, Chetak and MI 17 (of IAF) rescued more than 154 people so far. 06:20 pm: Rescue operation underway by Indian Navy in flood-affected area of Chengannur. 05:55 pm: Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has deployed 3 Airavat club class buses to pick more than 150 people stranded in Kerala's Thrissur, from Palghat to Mangalore. KSRTC will not charge any fare for these rides. 05:35 pm: Odisha government sent 240 fire service personnel from Bhubaneswar to Kerala today for relief and rescue operations. (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 05:30 pm: Roads were damaged due to landslides and floods caused by heavy and incessant rainfall in Palakkad today. Palakkad: Roads damaged due to landslides and floods caused by heavy and incessant rainfall in the region. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/gE2RZVN7ul ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 05:00 pm: Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan has released Rs 10 crores as assistance for the rain-battered state. 04:45 pm: Randeep Surjewala of the Congress said, "All our MPs, MLAs and MLC will donate their one month salary for flood relief in Kerala." The Congress also plans to put a special relief committee in place. The committee will send essential items to Kerala. 04:40 pm: With relief pouring in from across India, all BJP corporators of the Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC) in Maharashtra have decided to donate their one month salary towards Kerala flood relief fund. 04:40 pm: Minister Ravindra Chavan from Maharashtra will also donate his one month's salary for the same cause. 04:35 pm: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announces Rs 15 crore from Chief Minister Relief Fund. 04:30 pm: A statement from the Kerala Chief Minister Office read: Red Alert issued for today in 11 districts. Heavy rainfall predicted for the day in all districts except Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kasaragod. 04:25 pm: As part of relief measures, Punjab government will send 1 lakh packets of food products consisting water bottles, skimmed milk, biscuits and sugar to Kerala. Punjab: 1 lakh packets of food products consisting water bottles, skimmed milk, biscuits & sugar being sent to Halwara airport in Ludhiana. CM Capt Amarinder Singh had announced Rs 10 crores worth of immediate relief for #KeralaFloods,Rs 5 cr in form of ready-to-eat food material pic.twitter.com/XfrVyn31vX ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 04:00 pm: Currently, 15 NDRF teams are operational in Thrissur, 13 in Pathanamthitta, 11 in Alappuzha, 5 in Ernakulam, 4 in Idukki, 3 in Malappuram and 2 each in Wayanad and Kozhikode. (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 03:55 pm: NDRF teams have rescued 194 persons and 12 livestock. They have also managed to evacuate 10,467 persons and provided pre-hospital treatment to 159 persons. (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 03:35 pm: Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani also announced relief for Kerala. He has vowed to contribute Rs 10 crore from the Chief Minister Relief Fund. 03:25 pm: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis announces Rs 20 crore as immediate assistance from Maharashtra Government for the rain-battered state. 01:53 pm: Special aircraft of Indian Army reaches Thiruvananthapuram with food and basic amenities for flood affected areas. 01:55 pm: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announces an aid of Rs 5 crores for flood-hit Kerala from Chief Minister Relief Fund. He has also announced that 245 fire personnel with boats will be sent to Kerala for rescue operations. 01:39 pm: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announces an aid of Rs 10 crores for flood-hit Kerala from Bihar Chief Minister Relief Fund. 01:23 pm: "PM conducted aerial survey to get first-hand knowledge about flood. Our helicopter could not go to some places due to inclement weather. He has announced Rs 500 crore and all possible help. We thanked him and demanded more helicopters and boats," Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan told the media. 12:35 pm: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has announced an aid of Rs 10 crores for flood-hit Kerala. 12:31 pm: "58 teams of NDRF are deployed in 8 affected districts, we have recused 170 people and 7000 people have been evacuated to safer places. If required more teams will be deployed," said Sanjay Kumar, DG, NDRF. 12:29 pm: "I salute the people of Kerala for their fighting spirit. I compliment the authorities for their efforts in this adverse situation. I would also like to appreciate the wide support and solidarity from people across India towards Kerala during this unprecedented situation," PM Modi tweeted. 12:24 pm: "NDRF teams, companies of BSF, CISF and RAF are deployed in the state for rescue and relief operations. The Air Force, Army, Navy and Coast Guard are assisting operations in different parts of Kerala. Rescuing those who are trapped remains the topmost priority." Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted. 12:23 pm: "The Central Government is ensuring that the benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, MGNREGA, various social security schemes, Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture reach those affected on a priority basis in Kerala." PM Modi tweeted. 12:19 pm: "Centre is providing all possible assistance to Kerala. This includes financial assistance, providing food grains and medicines. We have asked the NHAI, NTPC, PGCIL to render all possible assistance and cater to basic infrastructure needs in the wake of the floods," PM Modi tweeted. 12:16 pm: In Kerala, I took stock of the situation arising in the wake of the devastating floods across the state. Joined a review meeting and undertook an aerial survey to assess the damage caused by flooding. The nation stands firmly with Kerala in this hour: PM Modi tweeted. In Kerala, I took stock of the situation arising in the wake of the devastating floods across the state. Joined a review meeting and undertook an aerial survey to assess the damage caused by flooding. The nation stands firmly with Kerala in this hour. pic.twitter.com/PFeWTTZAwl Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 18, 2018 11:30 am: "The area has been completely flooded. I have lost almost everything I had. The water level is increasing with every passing hour", a resident of Kollakadavu village said. (Photo: Twitter | ANI) 11:20 am: Congress president Rahul Gandhi requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare Kerala floods as "National Disaster". Dear PM, Please declare #Kerala floods a National Disaster without any delay. The lives, livelihood and future of millions of our people is at stake. Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 18, 2018 11:19 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also announced Rs 500 crore as immediate aid for Kerala, in addition to the 100 crore announced earlier. 10:59 am: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Minister K J Alphons, Kerala Governor P. Sathasivam also undertake aerial survey along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Photo: Twitter | ANI) 10:58 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducts an aerial survey of flood affected areas. PM Modi has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh per person to the next kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured, from Prime Minister's National Relief Funds (PMNRF). #WATCH: Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducts an aerial survey of flood affected areas. PM has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh per person to the next kin of the deceased and Rs.50,000 to those seriously injured, from PMs National Relief Funds (PMNRF). #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/T6FYNVLmMu ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 10:40 am: The State Bank of India (SBI) has donated Rs 2 crore to Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) and announced waiver of fees and charges on services offered by the bank in Kerala. 10:01 am: State highway to Idukki city from Kumily is blocked due to landslide, clearance operation underway. (Photo: Twitter | ANI) 09:49 am: In video: Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel distribute relief materials to stranded people in flood affected Palakkad's Mangalam Dam village. #WATCH: Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel distribute relief material to stranded people in flood affected Palakkad's Mangalam Dam village. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/2WvqDsflrn ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 09:35 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairing a meeting in Kochi with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Minister KJ Alphons and other officials. Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewing the flood situation in Kerala at a high-level meeting. (Photo: Twitter | @PMOIndia) 09:25 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's aerial survey of flood affected Kochi called-off due to bad weather: reports. 08:49 am: United Arab Emirates (UAE) to form a committee to help flood-hit areas of Kerala. President of UAE Sheikh Khalifa has instructed formation of a national emergency committee to provide assistance to the people affected in Kerala. 08:19 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Kochi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Kochi, where he will take stock of flood situation. (Photo: Twitter | @PMOIndia) 07:45 am: Here's how you can donate to the Kerala Chief Minister Distress relief fund. Details below: NO: 67319948232 Bank: State Bank of India IFSC : SBIN0070028 SWIFT CODE : SBININBBT08 Also Read: Heres Kerala floods helpline, emergency contacts, ways to donate for the affected 07:43 am: In video: Navy delivers relief material to stranded people in flooded areas of Kochi. #WATCH Navy delivers relief material to stranded people in a flooded area of Kochi. #Keralafloods pic.twitter.com/dC8Lp78e8q ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 07:30 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves from Thiruvananthapuram for an aerial survey of flood-affected areas of Kochi. 07:25 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on his way to Kochi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves from Thiruvananthapuram for an aerial survey of flood-affected areas of Kochi. (Photo: ANI | Twitter) 07:00 am: Telecom operators had announced free calls and data, extension in bill payment due dates and other relief measures for subscribers in Kerala. "To help you stay in touch with your loved ones and remain connected, we are extending a complimentary 7 days unlimited voice & data pack to you," Jio said in a message sent to customers. With the murderous monsoon claiming 106 lives on a single day on Thursday, the state plunged deeper into misery today with hospitals facing a shortage of oxygen and fuel stations running dry, officials said. The deadliest deluge in close to a century has dealt a body blow to the scenic state, wrecking its tourism industry, destroying standing crops in thousands of hectares and inflicting huge damage to infrastructure. Locals found the woman engulfed in flames outside the house of her boyfriend, Amit Yadav, in Bondhamunda locality in Rourkela on Friday morning, police said. (Representational Image) Rourkela: A woman in her early 20s died of burn injuries after she was allegedly set afire in front of her boyfriend's house in Rourkela on Friday, police said. Locals found the woman engulfed in flames outside the house of her boyfriend, Amit Yadav, in Bondhamunda locality in Rourkela on Friday morning, police said. They shifted the woman to Ispat General Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries, said Bira Kishore Mallick of Bandhamunda police station, who is investigating the case. The family members of the woman have alleged that Amit and his parents set her on fire. Biranchi Nayak, father of the woman, lodged a complaint with the police in this regard. He claimed that his daughter, Asha Nayak and Amit were in a relationship for the last two years and both had decided to get married. However, for the last few days, Amit was trying to evade her and a few days back he refused to marry her. Bira Kishore Mallick said Amit has been absconding since the incident occurred while his parents have been detained. According to police, the incident occurred early Thursday when a mob intercepted a small pick-up van and brutally beat up its occupants. (Representational Image) Guwahati: Eleven people have been arrested in connection with lynching a man and critically injuring three others over suspicion of being cattle thieves in Assam's Biswanath district on Thursday. Those arrested belong to the Adivasi community who work in the Diplunga Tea estate, around 250 km from Guwahati. According to police, the incident occurred early Thursday when a mob intercepted a small pick-up van and brutally beat up its occupants. Deben Rajbongshi, Phoolchand Sahu, Bijoy Nayak and Pujen Rajbongshi were brutally beaten up by the mob who suspected them to be cattle thieves. Deben died of his injuries. The three others were admitted to a hospital. All of them are also from Adivasi community. There was a fifth person in the van, Papu Nayak, who fled before the attack took place and was believed to have been leading them. In a video of the attack that has gone viral, the victims are seen bleeding and asking for mercy. Speaking to NDTV, senior police officer Diganta Kumar Choudhury said, We were in formed by the villagers that they caught cattle thieves with a van and cattle and some of the locals are brutally beating them. It was about 4:20 am that we got this phone call. We sent our team that took about 20 minutes to reach and rescued them. The video is part of the investigation and all angles are being looked at. According to reports, two cows were recovered from the spot belong to Shankar Tanti, a resident of the area and the attack took place apparently after Tanti raised an alarm. Tanti has filed an FIR, alleging that his cows were stolen and named the five men. The police too have also registered a case of mob lynching. Volunteers from the NGO, SayTrees, and officials from the forest department with the drone, used to distribute seeds on Kallinayakanahalli hills of Gowribidanur.(Image Dc) Bengaluru: Now that you have talking robots at some airports around the world, you may well ask what next? In Karnataka, it appears, drones are the new answer to afforestation and saving the states green cover. The concept is getting a trial thanks to SayTrees, an NGO , which has been trying to revive plundered forests with the use of new technologies for a while. Coming up with the idea, it has now managed to disperse seeds using a drone in the Kallinayakanahalli hills of Gowribidanur with the help of the state forest department, Indian Institute of Science (IISc.), and the Dr HN Science Centre. Professor Dr Omkar, head of thet UAV lab at the IISc., which developed the drone, explains that a dispensing machine was used to disperse the seeds from a height of 300 feet in the hilly terrain. We used five machines including a quadcopter. The seeds were soaked for 24 hours before being put into the dispensing machine. We loaded 5 kgs of seeds given to us by the forest department for dispensing, the professor adds. Co-founder of SayTrees, Kapil Sharma, believes drones can be used to afforest thousands of acres of forest land. I want to create thousands of acres of forests as the existing forests have been cleared at an alarming rate. Seed bombing was the first thing that came to mind and I got in touch with Prof K P J Reddy of the IISc, who was heading the aerial seeding project in the Gowribinaur region and he introduced me to Dr Omkar, who was working on building a drone," he explains. The NGO has now tied up with the scientist for a three-year research project that aims to afforest 3,000 acres in Gowribidanur. SayTrees will study the project for three years to assess the impact of aerial seeding and then take a call on replicating it in other parts of the country. The NGO will collaborate in funding the project for the next three years. SayTrees has in the past used the Miyawaki method , a Japanese technique involving planting of numerous contrasting saplings close to each other, for afforestation. But Mr Sharma explains that although the results of the Miyawaki afforestation method were exceptional, it cannot be used for reforestation of thousands of acres. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday reiterated its earlier direction to the National Committee for Crisis Management and the Disaster Management Sub Committee to explore the possibility of reducing the water level at Mullaiperiyar dam from 142 ft to 139 ft. A Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud in a brief order said the situation caused by the floods prevailing in the state of Kerala requires to be addressed with focus, concentration and efficiency by all concerned, both at the national and state levels. The court said it need not be over emphasized to state that this court is not an expert to issue any kind of guidelines to manage a situation of the present nature that had been taken note of by this court in the order passed on Thursday. The Bench said However, we suggest that the sub-committee constituted under Section 9 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the National Crises Management Committee (NCMC) and the committee can hold consultative meetings bearing two purposes in mind, namely, to explore the possibility of bringing down the water level at least to 139 feet and secondly, measures should be taken while releasing water from the dam to ensure that down stream inhabitants of that area are not affected. P.S. Narasimha, Additional Solicitor General, informed the court that the committee has commenced the meeting and it was in progress. He said that all efforts have been made by the Central government for involving the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu to deal with the calamity that has taken place. He said he needed some time to place the report of the committee so that this court can appreciate the obtaining fact situation. He said the committee constituted by the cabinet secretariat is over-seeing constantly the real time disaster management of the water level. The court said senior counsel H.P. Raval, appearing for the state of Kerala and Shekhar Naphade, senior counsel appearing for the state of Tamil Nadu, advanced their submissions, but we are not entering into the said debate for the present. The order said We may also note with profit that Manoj V.George, counsel appearing for the petitioner, has filed certain preliminary submissions. They shall be dealt with at the appropriate stage. Naphade said the water level has already crossed the maximum possible storage level of 142 ft and the level could be reduced to 139 ft so as to ensure structural satety of the dam. Raval contended that the rescue operation/rehabilitation of the people is being taken up with immense efforts by the state. Owing to the heavy inflow from Karnataka reservoirs the combined discharge is over 2.30 lakh cusecs from Mettur, Bhavani Sagar and Amaravathi dams. (Representational Image) Chennai: With water level in Periyar and Vagai dams rapidly rising to 141.3 feet and 66 feet, the district administration on Friday issued the first flood warning in Theni and Madurai districts. The flood warning has been issued owing to heavy inflow and discharge from Periyar and Vaigai dams, revenue minister R. B. Udayakumar said and asserted that the rescue teams are geared up to help people in case of any emergency. Alert has been issued in 13 districts. People at Mayanur in Karur district have been advised to shift to relief camps with authorities expecting the discharge to touch three lakh cusecs Saturday. About 8,410 people have been accommodated in 96 relief camps. The 30,000 cusecs per second of additional discharge totalling to 2 lakh cusecs from Krishnaraja Sagar and Kabini dams (in Karnataka) and combined discharge from dams, including Bhavani and Amaravati, is expected to be about 3 lakh cusecs which will reach Mayanur check dam on Friday early morning, Udayakumar told reporters here on Friday. The minister who reviewed the state of preparedness of the State Disaster Response Force in tackling any adverse situation, urged people living in low-lying areas and along the river banks to cooperate with officials and move to relief camps. About 8,410 people have been accommodated in 96 relief camps in Namakkal, Erode, Kanyakumari, Karur, Dharmapuri and Tiruchi. Erode tops the list with 5,875 people in 66 camps. State ministers are camping in the districts to oversee relief operations, Udayakumar said. The State Disaster Response Force personnel have been deployed and inter-departmental teams are on stand by as well, he added. People living along the banks of Cauvery and Bhavani have been advised to move to safer places, as over two lakh cusecs of water is being discharged from three dams, and Mettur too. Owing to the heavy inflow from Karnataka reservoirs the combined discharge is over 2.30 lakh cusecs from Mettur, Bhavani Sagar and Amaravathi dams. In Erode, standing crop in about 300 hectares has been affected due to flooding in the Cauvery and Bhavani rivers. Bhavani town near Erode is facing inundation and the famous Sri Sangameswarar shrine is surrounded by water. Similarly, 400 houses at Kodumudi are facing threat of being inundated. ADILABAD: The floods washed away the happiness that farmers got by Rythu Bandhu when it inundated cotton and soya crops cultivated with the investment from the scheme. The floods ended up dashing the hopes not only of farmers but also ruling TRS party leaders as far as the impact of the Rythu Bandhu scheme is concerned. It is feared that the crop damage may result not only in fall in yield but also pests may attack before the plant grows to the cotton ball stage. As many as 1,35, 174 farmers were given Rs 210.18 crore at Rs 4,000 per acre under the Rythu Bandhu scheme in Adilabad district. The scheme even resulted in an area of cultivation under Kharif in the old Adilabad district. Many small and marginal farmers purchased seeds and fertilizers with the money they got under the scheme instead of depending on money lenders or crop loans from the banks. In some places, while the standing cotton and soya crops have been flattened, in other places they have been submerged in the water. The crop damage was high in the Ichoda, Bela, Jainad and Tamsi and Talamadugu and Adilabad mandals following the heavy rains and floods. The ruling TRS party had pinned a lot of hopes on creating some positive impact on the farming community through the scheme. Now they and district officials are focusing on ensuring the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bhima Yojana National Crop insurance to the damaged crops if the farmers had paid insurance premium for this Kharif. Various pickup points have been arranged for collection at EFLU, TISS, Banjara Hills, SMR Vinay City, University of Hyderabad, and all the collected material is likely to be transported this Friday depending on the condition of highways to Kochi by the Hyderabad team.(Photo: PTI) Hyderabad: As Kerala faces its worst floods since 1924, with thousands missing and lakhs stranded on the top floors of inundated houses and camps, students and other people from Hyderabad are sending relief material to the State. Due to heavy rains and the flooded lands, the transportation of the collected material has become a huge challenge, as the trains and flights have got cancelled and highways are damaged. NGOs like Akshaya Patra and Anbodu Kochi are coming forward and lending a helping hand. Anbodu Kochi has agreed to take all the material along with them in buses and are ensuring that it reaches the right persons. Various pickup points have been arranged for collection at EFLU, TISS, Banjara Hills, SMR Vinay City, University of Hyderabad, and all the collected material is likely to be transported this Friday depending on the condition of highways to Kochi by the Hyderabad team. The same process has been happening on a daily basis in other cities like Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai and Ahmedabad as well from the organisation, explained Mr A. Biswas, from Anbodu Kochi. "They do not need old clothes, shoes or bedcovers. We are more keen on collecting relief material like candles, soaps, sanitary napkins, chappals, rice bags, medicines, plates and glasses, groceries, towels, rather than the monetary help as back at Kerala there are no shops to buy anything. Even if we receive any monetary help, we are utilising the money to buy items and then we are sending them, said a volunteer, Ms Roshna Arafa Ali. Volunteers are reaching out to people throughout the country via social media, spreading messages to help people with various hashtags like #HyderabadwithKerala, #Keralafloods and others. Ms Lakshmi Priya, who has been actively involved in the collection of food and relief material, said, "We have got a huge positive response through the social media, many people have responded immediately and have reached out to help. Even sitting here in cities like Hyderabad, we are able to help out people in Kerala." On the other hand Kerala Malayali Association is also collecting relief material on Sunday at Ravindra Bharati from 10 am to 10 pm. Mr Mohan Hemmadi, member of Rotary Club, said, "We are still planning on how to send the relief material as the highways are blocked." SpiceJet is helping the Kerala flood victims by running 76 additional flights and also by offering a full refund for passengers for flights to and fro from Kochi on cancellations and for booking an alternate flight for the next 10 days from the date of travel. Passengers have also been offered the option to take flights out of Coimbatore, Madurai, Tuticorin, Calicut and Trivandrum. Prabhu Ramamoorthy initially told investigators that he was in a deep sleep and did not do anything. (YouTube Screengrab/ WXYZ-TV Detroit | Channel 7) New Delhi/Washington: A 35-year-old Indian IT manager has been convicted of sexually assaulting a sleeping woman aboard a Detroit-bound flight in the US, media reports said on Friday. Prabhu Ramamoorthy, who worked for an IT company for over two years, will be sentenced on December 12 by US District Judge Terrence Berg, The Detroit News reported. Prabhu Ramamoorthy faces up to life in prison. If released, he will be deported to India. The verdict came seven months after he assaulted the 22-year-old woman during a Spirit Airlines flight from Las Vegas while his wife sat in the next seat, the report said. A federal jury in Michigan's largest city Detroit convicted Ramamoorthy, who lived in Rochester Hills city, of sexually assaulting the woman. Following a five-day trial, the jury deliberated for less than four hours before convicting Prabhu Ramamoorthy, it said. "We will not tolerate the behaviour of anyone who takes advantage of victims who are in a vulnerable position, and we are glad the jury agreed," US Attorney Matthew Schneider said in a statement. "We appreciate the victim in this case for her courage to speak out," Schneider said. Also Read: Tamil Nadu man gropes woman on US flight, arrested The woman said she was sitting in a window seat next to Prabhu Ramamoorthy, whose wife was in the aisle seat. The woman said that she fell asleep and woke up to discover a hand in her pants and noticed that her pants were unbuttoned and her shirt untied. When she woke up, the man stopped, and the woman alerted a flight attendant, the report said. Prabhu Ramamoorthy initially told investigators that he was in a deep sleep and did not do anything, it said. Later, he told an FBI agent he "might have" undone the woman's bra and cupped her breast, according to court records, the report added. Vaibhav Raut allegedly ran a pro-cow protection outfit in Nallasopara. He was arrested along with Sharad Kalaskar and Sudhanva Gondhalekar. (Photo: Video screengrab) Mumbai: Local right-wing groups on Friday took out a protest march seeking the release of Vaibhav Raut, arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Squad of Maharashtra police in an explosives seizure case, at Nallasopara near Mumbai. The ATS had arrested Vaibhav Raut on August 10 and claimed to have seized a huge quantity of explosive materials from his house and shop in Nallasopara, allegedly meant to be used to carry out blasts in the state. The protest march against his arrest was organised by some local Hindu organisations, an ATS official said. Also Read: ATS seizes explosives from right-wing member's residence in Maharashtra Over 2,000 people participated in the march from Sopara village to Nallasopara railway station on Friday afternoon, he said. Vaibhav Raut allegedly ran a pro-cow protection outfit in Nallasopara. He was arrested along with Sharad Kalaskar and Sudhanva Gondhalekar. Alleging that the trio were planning to carry out blasts in the state ahead of Independence day and Bakri-Eid festival, the ATS had said it would also probe if they had any connection with the killings of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare and journalist Gauri Lankesh. The panel's terms of reference was to inquire into the circumstances leading to the hospitalisation of Jayalalithaa on September 22, 2016, and treatment provided by the hospital till her demise on December 5, 2016. (Photo: File) Chennai: The Justice A Arumughaswamy Commission of Inquiry, probing the circumstances leading to former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's death, has summoned three doctors of AIIMS, who examined her at the Apollo Hospital in Chennai, to appear before it on August 23 and 24. The commission has summoned G C Khilnani of the Department of Pulmonology, Anjan Trikha, Professor of Anaesthesiology, and Nitish Nayak, professor at the Department of Cardiology. The doctors had periodically examined Jayalalithaa when she was undergoing treatment at the Apollo Hospital between September 22 and December 5, 2016. The expert doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) will be examined as the commission's witness on both the days, panel sources told PTI. Summon have already been served on them and they have accepted it, the sources added. So far the commission's 75 witnesses and seven others who had voluntarily petitioned the panel have been examined. Of them, over 30 have been cross-examined by counsels for V K Sasikala, the jailed aide of late AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa. It may be recalled that the examined witnesses include over a dozen doctors (government and Apollo Hospital), retired and serving government officials and police officers. In September 2017, the Tamil Nadu government constituted the panel under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952. The panel's terms of reference was to inquire into the circumstances leading to the hospitalisation of Jayalalithaa on September 22, 2016, and treatment provided by the hospital till her demise on December 5, 2016. The Commission had invited all those having "personal knowledge and direct acquaintance" in the matter to furnish information to it. Following Jayalalithaa's death, suspicion on the circumstances leading to her demise was raised by several people, including the present Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and his followers. Then a rebel party leader, Panneerselvam and his followers had demanded a probe into her death, either a judicial inquiry or a CBI probe. After unification of the factions led by Chief Minister K Palanisamy and O Panneerselvam, the government notified constituting the panel. The probe was a key precondition put forth by the Panneerselvam panel for the merger. DMK Working President M K Stalin had batted for a CBI probe as well. Jaipur: Rajasthan High Court has asked the ruling BJP to provide accounts of Chief Minister Vasundhara Rajes Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra. The BJP will have to file an affidavit with complete details of expenditure incurred on the yatra by Monday. The division bench headed by Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog issued this order after the BJP claimed that Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra was programme of the party and the state government had no connection with it. The BJP had filed its reply on Thursday in response to a PIL filed by lawyer Vibhuti Bhushan Sharma. He had alleged misuse of taxpayers money and government machinery for chief minister Vasundhara Rajes Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra. Mr Sharma had cited two government orders in which PWD officials had been asked to make arrangements for the Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra. The yatra was flagged off by BJPs national president Amit Shah. The state BJP president Madan Lal Saini had said on that occasion that with this yatra the BJP has started its election campaign. Home minister Gulab Chand Kataria who is convenor of the yatra had also stated that it was BJPs yatra and the expenditure would be borne by the party, he said in the petition while asking the court to order recovery of the government fund spent so far on the Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra. The BJP, however, claimed that the yatra is being organised by BJP and the state government has nothing to do with it. Hyderabad: Help is pouring in for flood-hit Kerala from throughout the country. Doing its bit, besides Telangana state government contributing Rs 25 cr, minister for industry and commerce, municipal administration and urban development, K.T. Rama Rao said he will donate his one months salary for Kerala. Besides the Telangana state governments contribution of Rs 25 cr to Kerala, I will personally pledge my one-month salary to flood relief. Will be sending my cheque to CMRF, he tweeted on Saturday. The minister further also appealed to his colleague legislators to contribute as much possible for Kerala. New Delhi: The Supreme Court has held that it is permissible for a state government to lay down the essential educational requirements, residential/domicile in a particular State in respect of basic courses of MBBS/BDS/Ayurvedic and it is not violative of Article 14 of the Constitution (right to equality). Giving this ruling on Friday, a batch of petitions a Bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Abdul Nazeer said the object sought to be achieved is that the incumbent must serve the state concerned and for the emancipation of the educational standards of the people who are residing in a particular state. Writing the judgement Justice Misra upheld such reservation for the inhabitants of the state and prescription of the condition of obtaining an education in a state. The Bench dismissed petitions challenging a rule provided by Assam, which required that a candidate must study in all the classes from Class VII to XII in Assam and must pass the qualifying examination or its equivalent examination from any Institute situated in the Assam. The exception has been carved out in case father or mother is posted outside Assam as an Assam state government employee or Central government employee. The Bench said lawmakers couldnt shut their eyes to the local needs also. The local needs must receive due consideration keeping in view the duties of the state contained in Articles 41 and 47 of the Constitution. The reservation by institutional preference is not ultra vires Article 14. It said the hardship of a few couldnt be the valid basis for determining the validity of any statute. They can stake claim for All India Quota Seats for the State of Assam with respect to open seats and the exclusion is not total for them. New Delhi / Hyderabad: Aadhaar-issuing body UIDAI has finally announced a phased rollout of face recognition feature as an additional mode of authentication, starting with telecom service providers from September 15. The Authority had earlier planned to roll out face recognition feature from July 1, a target that was later pushed to August 1. It has also proposed a monetary disincentive for telcos found slipping on the prescribed targets from mid next month. For authentication agencies other than telecom service providers (TSPs), UIDAI said specific instructions will be issued on implementation of face authentication feature, but did not give a fresh deadline. Significantly, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has further said live face photo capture and its verification with the photo obtained in eKYC will be essential in those cases where Aadhaar is used for issuance of mobile SIMs. UIDAI says the move is aimed at curbing the possibility of fingerprint spoofing or cloning, and seeks to tighten the audit process and security around issuance and activation of mobile SIMs. While Microsoft has been staunch supporter of Aadhaar, in July it stood up against facial recognition feature elsewhere. Microsofts official said, Facial recognition technology raises issues that go to the heart of fundamental human rights protections like privacy and freedom of expression. The company called upon thoughtful government regulation and for the development of norms around acceptable uses. However, the data protection law is still draft stage and there is no concrete law developed on facial recognition. Furthermore, Amazons facial recognition algorithm matched 28 members of Congress to criminal mugshots in July. Microsoft pointed that using facial recognition techniques, a government can track everywhere you walked over the past month without your permission or knowledge. They added that the database of everyone who attended a political rally that constitutes the very essence of free speech. Mr Brad Smith, president at Microsoft said, Imagine the stores of a shopping mall using facial recognition to share information with each other about each shelf that you browse and product you buy, without asking you first. This has long been the stuff of science fiction and popular movies like Minority Report, Enemy of the State and even 1984 but now its on the verge of becoming possible. Evidently use of facial recognition in law enforcement or surveillance could opens door for gross misconduct and exclusion. It may be recalled that in June this year, a Hyderabad-based mobile SIM card distributor had forged Aadhaar details for activating thousands of SIMs. This instruction (for matching live face photo with eKYC photo) will apply only where Aadhaar is used for issuance of SIMs. As per Telecom Departments instructions, if SIM is issued through other means without Aadhaar, then these instructions will not apply, UIDAI CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey said. UIDAI has proposed a two-factor authentication for use of face recognition by telcos. Where an individual provides Aadhaar number, the authentication will be done using fingerprint or iris and face. For individuals providing Virtual ID, the authentication can be on basis of fingerprint or iris. UIDAI said in case where an individual is unable to authenticate fingerprint or iris, face authentication can be used as an additional mode, to make the system more inclusive. TSPs are hereby directed that with effect from September 15, 2018 at least 10 per cent of their total monthly authentication transactions shall be performed using face authentication in this manner. Any shortfall in transactions using face authentication would be charged at `0.20 per transaction, said a UIDAI circular. Pandey said this will ensure that telcos provide face capture facilities to customers who encounter difficulty in authentication due to worn out fingerprints. Combination of live face with fingerprint in authentication will also enhance Aadhaar security as it will effectively curb fingerprint spoofing, Pandey said. The circular also states that after successful eKYC authentication, the telecom operators will also capture the live face photo (that is, not merely holding a still photo in front of a camera) of the individual, over and above the photo captured for face authentication. It shall be the responsibility of the TSP that the live photo thus captured shall be verified at their backend system with the photo received in eKYC before activation of the SIM. The TSP shall store both the photos in its database for audit purpose...this process shall be followed for the eKYC performed for all the customers for issuance of SIM cards, the circular said. Failure to comply, will invite a financial disincentive in line with the prescribed norms, the authority warned. It has been noticed that due to non-readiness of few device providers, the various AUAs were not in a position to implement face authentication with effect from August 1, 2018. Chennai: Cooperation Minister Sellur K. Ruju lashed out at the opposition DMK for fuelling a controversy over DMK chief M. Karunanidhi's burial issue, and said its dream of capturing power will never materialise. DMK working president M. K. Stalin is politicising the Marina burial issue. He is presuming that he can tarnish the image of the AIADMK government over the issue and hope to gain out of it. But this will not happen. The sibling faction that has commenced in the DMK post Karunanidhi, will definitely split the party, Mr. Sellur Raju said. Speaking to reporters in Madurai on Friday he said he knew about Stalins elder brother M. K. Alagiris politics, abilities, his strategy and election work. We will wait and see what is going to happen in the DMK, he said. At long last, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed, in measured words, his disapproval of lynchings, which have spread since he took office. He never deigned to condemn them or their perpetrators, who are his supporters. Consider, in contrast, Ivanka Trumps condemnation of white supremacy, racism and neo-Nazism, unlike her father, who drew scorn after the bloodshed in Charlottesville last year for refusing to condemn the white supremacist rally, described by Ivanka Trump as an ugly display of hatred, racism, bigotry and violence. Violence does not erupt by itself. It erupts only after the atmosphere has been fouled by hate speech. Severe condemnation from the top leadership is indispensable for checking the crime. It awakens society to its values, deters the culprits and emboldens the police. The very opposite happens when the top leader is perceived to be condoning or abetting the crime by a record of studious silence. It is no mere accident that incidents of cow vigilantism against Muslims registered a steep rise since 2014, reaching a peak in 2017. Union minister of state for home affairs Hansraj Ahir merely told the Rajya Sabha in July 2018 that the National Crime Records Bureau does not mention specific data with respect to lynching incidents. Last March, the home ministry furnished data on mob lynchings recorded only by the states, of which 14 had provided none. The motives varied from cow vigilantism, rumours of child-lifting to religious or caste hatred. Significantly, there were no details of the location of attacks or identities of attackers and victims. This writer met an able scholar, Karthik Madhavapeddi of the data journalism initiative IndiaSpend, at a seminar in July, in which a collection of well-researched papers on Muslims in India by the Institute of Objective Studies was launched. Figures compiled by IndiaSpend tell their own tale. About 98 per cent of these attacks occurred post-May 2014, after the BJP and Modi assumed power. At least 33 persons were killed in these attacks 29 (i.e. 88 per cent) of them Muslim. Over 56 per cent of all attacks occurred in states run by BJP governments. The violence started with cow-related vigilantism but is now building up more violent behaviour from small to big reasons anything could be the trigger, Upneet Lalli, deputy director, Institute of Correctional Administration, told IndiaSpend. The truth that lies beneath these figures is far more disturbing. Hate speech leads to hate crime. The proposition is recognised by English, American and European courts. The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe holds that hate crimes are violent manifestations of intolerance against entire communities. They have a deep impact on not only the immediate victim but also the community with which the victim identifies, affecting social cohesion and stability. But hatred for Muslims and Christians is the very raison detre of the RSS, of which the BJP is a fully controlled subsidiary. The RSS and its affiliates assert that India is a Hindu country. Muslims are invaders. They say that the even flow of the national life was disturbed as Muslims arrived in Bharat... in the 8th century AD... It has also been asserted that as the invaders... started destruction of the symbols of national life and employed all and every means to subvert the loyalty of the Hindus to their motherland and its age-old cultural ideals by their conversion... the leaders of Hindu society began giving serious thought to the new and unprecedented situation. India is the common motherland (matri bhoomi) and holy land (punya bhoomi) of the Indian people. The holy lands of Muslims and Christians lie elsewhere. They are not part of the nation. The most urgent problem of Indian nationalism today, therefore, is to Indianise or Hinduise such people. This was written in 1969 by Balraj Madhok, one of the founders of the Jan Sangh, parent of the BJP. It was a rehash of Savarkars thesis Hindutva of 1924, which the BJP began advocating openly from 1989 onwards and still swears by today. So does Modi. Hence his reference to a thousand years of slavery in his maiden speech to the Lok Sabha in May 2014. This skewed version of history is used to foment hate. After the demolition of the Babri Masjid in December 1992, two of the most incisive scholars on Indian politics Susanne Hoeber Rudolph and Lloyd I. Rudolph wrote a scintillating paper called Modern Hate. It is wrong to depict recent violence as an outgrowth of old animosities. History is abused to further the ends of modern hate politics. Their conclusion is sound and telling: The hatred is modern, and may be closer than we think. This is what India is up against today. It is not battling to secure Indian nationalism. It is battling to save its soul. By arrangement with Dawn As obituaries pour in for late Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, who passed away earlier this week, three words keep reappearing orator, statesman and peace-seeker. His speech on the lawns of governors residence in Lahore on February 21, 1999 brought all these in play. Vajpayee came to Lahore by bus, crossing at Wagah in a symbolic outreach to Pakistan, accompanied by Punjabi icons like Dev Anand, educated in the 1940s at the Government College in Lahore. He wanted to allay Pakistani fears that India, particularly his own party, the BJP, wanted to undo the Partition of 1947. Vajpayee had earlier gone to the Minar-e-Pakistan, marking the spot where the All-India Muslim League passed the resolution for a separate Muslim nation on March 23, 1940. He said some sathis (associates) warned that by doing so he would grant legitimacy to Pakistan. Pausing, in typical Vajpayee style, he added that Pakistan does not need legitimacy from him. With one anecdote, he was not only reassuring Pakistanis that his government did not seek their nations destruction, but more significantly messaged the fringe of his party at home to abandon anachronistic slogans seeking the destruction of Pakistan. This was a masterly blend of diplomacy and domestic politics in Vajpayees mellifluous oratory. Three elements stand out in the Atal Behari Vajpayee governments conduct of foreign policy. One is his repeated engagement of Pakistan despite many setbacks and betrayals like the Kargil intrusion in 1999 and the terrorist attack on the Indian Parliament in December 2001. His Lahore bus journey underscored both the need for connectivity and for ordinary people to be drawn into this process. He invited Gen. Pervez Musharraf to Agra in July 2001 despite his cardinal role in the Kargil attack and his deposition of the Nawaz Sharif government. Neighbours, Vajpayee often said, cannot be changed, unlike friends. But, at the same time, Vajpayee had red lines, as Gen. Musharraf discovered when he was sent back empty-handed, having gambled on a Kashmir-centric approach within a timeframe and on terms of Pakistans choosing. Vajpayee the nationalist, ever perfectly tuned to public opinion, overruled Vajpayee the sentimental poet-statesman. He tried finally in 2004, after a protracted military standoff following a dangerous terror attack on the Indian Parliament in December 2001, by relenting to visit Pakistan on eve of the Lok Sabha elections for the Saarc summit. The precondition was a public commitment by President Pervez Musharraf to not allow Pakistani territory to be used for aiding and abetting cross-border terror. It was preceded by a ceasefire agreement in 2003, which largely held till 2016 and the tumult in Kashmir after killing of Burhan Vani. But Vajpayees goodwill was negated repeatedly by the structural dissonance between the peace-seeking Pakistani civilian governments and the Pakistan Armys compulsive desire to overturn the territorial status quo, annex the Kashmir Valley and seek parity with India. His successor built on the ground prepared by Vajpayee but met the same fate with the 2006 Mumbai train bombings and the 2008 attacks in Mumbai on 26/11. It is often forgotten that the India-US bonhomie of the UPA days and now under the Narendra Modi government stems from the strategic decision of the Vajpayee government to test nuclear weapons in May 1998. The initial reaction of the Western nations, particularly the United States, with France as the sole exception, was strident. But it forced the US to reassess India as a potential pillar of the international order rather than merely a supplicant seeking economic engagement. It took months of dialogue between US deputy secretary of state Strobe Talbott and external affairs minister Jaswant Singh to re-establish trust for India-US relations to rise phoenix-like. President Barack Obama was to later call it the most defining relationship of the 21st century. Symbolising restored mutual confidence was the March 2000 India visit by US President Bill Clinton. His fleeting swing through Pakistan and address to the people, over the head of the military ruler Gen. Pervez Musharraf, brought a new salience to India-US relations as US was seen as beginning to recognise Pakistan as the epicentre of terror. The third significant diplomatic achievement, after an initial glitch when defence minister George Fernandes used some undiplomatic words, was Vajpayees China policy. In Brajesh Misra, principal secretary and national security adviser (a newly-created office), Vajpayee had a former diplomat with great personal China experience. The special representatives (SRs) were appointed, and continue to date, to deal with boundary issue. The June 23, 2003 Declaration on Principles for Relations and Comprehensive Cooperation was a stepping stone to the April 11, 2005 signing of Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for the Settlement of the India-China Border Question, which the successor government led by Dr Manmohan Singh finessed. Although the Chinese have later dragged their feet, concomitant with their economic and military rise, these are fundamental to any meaningful detente between the two Asian giants. In retrospect, Gen. Musharraf erred in overplaying his hand at Agra as in Vajpayee he had a leader who could have sold to the Indian people any concession that would be a condition precedent to settlement of complex and old disputes like Siachen and Kashmir. The one blot that lingers is the exchange of high-value terrorists for the highjacked hostages at Kandahar, following multiple security lapses that allowed the highjacked plane to leave Indian airspace. But overall, Vajpayee surrounded himself with gifted politicians like Jaswant Singh, Yashwant Sinha and George Fernandes. They left an India positioned to be a potential pole in a mutating global security scenario. Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi owe more to Vajpayees foreign policy than they may concede. But history will treat both P.V. Narasimha Rao and Atal Behari Vajpayee well, as the shapers of the post-Cold War and post 9/11 Indian foreign and national security policies. H11 There is an excellent chance that western Washington is going to be hit by a major lowland snow event. And yes, the mountains will be b... Being intolerant of all intolerance I was intolerant From Hey Bhagwan, What About Hindustan by Bachchoo Boris Johnson, sometime mayor of London, now MP for Uxbridge and recently UKs foreign minister, has courted the sort of controversy that the late great V.S. Naipaul would have revelled in. (Pardon me, gentle reader, my thoughts this week after VS death keep pestering me with references, though this one is pretty precise.) Vidia, being asked once what the bindi on the forehead of women signified, said that it meant there was nothing inside their skulls. Now Boris has said that women who wear burqas look to him like letterboxes or bank robbers presumably those wearing balaclavas. His column in a national UK newspaper has caused a bit of a flutter. The Prime Minister of the UK is not normally interested in criticising or contradicting the comments of journalists, but PM Theresa May pointedly and publicly said that Mr Johnson had gratuitously offended a section of the population. Several other Tory ministers and party grandees voiced their objections to Mr Johnsons insulting frivolity. What could be characterised, absorbed and dismissed as prankish provocation of an idiosyncratic satirist, was not in Mr Johnsons case. For two very pressing reasons. The first being that the country is absorbed in an examination and ensuing divisions about insults and phobias involving sections thing of the populations, notably minorities. No, no, nothing as severe as in Holy Bharats recent treatment of minorities. No lynchings of Muslims or Jews have taken place for eating or not eating this or that. The battlelines are drawn on the Kurukshetra of verbiage who said what to whom and who by their actions or words is explicitly or implicitly anti-Semitic or Islamophobic. The Labour Party, in Opposition today, is deeply divided over the issue of anti-Semitism. There are stories in the papers of plots by gangs of Labour MPs to work out strategies to replace Jeremy Corbyn as their leader as he is supposed to side with the anti-Semites in his party and lay wreaths at the graves of anti-Israeli terrorists. The plotters, with evidence on their side, believe the trend will destroy their party. Mr Johnsons remarks are mild stimulants in the Islamophobic debate. He is known as a foot-in-mouth speaker, but this isnt that. Its a tactical calculation to win the support of the aam-white-British junta for his bid to replace Ms May as Prime Minister. Mr Johnson resigned from her Cabinet over her overcautious Brexit policy. Its an approach which Mr Johnson and a faction of the Tory party contend is remaining within the European Union in all but name. His strategy is to build popular support with rhetorical appeal to taking back control and some phantom economic contention that Britain can lose its preferential trade within Europe and get capital and fantastic trading deals with the US, China and India. No doubt Xi Jinping, Donald Trump and Indian capitalists have all vowed to make Britain great again. Mr Johnsons faction of Brexiteers in the Tory party, divided amongst themselves, also believe in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy. Crossed fingers and chicanery. And so burqas and jokes about them, have become a pawn in the great game of Politopoly in parts of Europe and now, not on the playing fields of Hindutva, but in of all places, Westminster, UK. I grew up with burqas, by which I mean I saw them in the streets. They were what some Muslim women wore. My mother wore a sari in some modern style. My grandmother wore one in more traditional Parsi style. Our Maratha housekeeper Chandrabai had saris of discernibly different materials and wore hers in a particular wrap. Apart from subconsciously observing the different ways of dressing and assertions of identity in India, none of it concerned me. I dont know to this day how a sari is put on. My grandfather, Khan Bahadur A.H. Antia, in whose house I lived during school and college term-times till my late teens, was an expert on Indian land records. He had retired from the service and spent his days cataloguing his rare postage stamps in leather-covered albums. A young lady called Amtullabai, in full and flowing burqa, approached him for advice on her land dispute. She would come to the house and they would spend hours in discussion with her burqa discarded and her face and modestly clothed body in full view. My aunts, Nanajis daughters, frivolously labelled her his girlfriend. No one questioned her right to wear what she or her sect considered appropriate. In the wake of Mr Johnsons remarks, Muslim scholars have written about the burqa not being essential to anything specified in the Quran or the Hadith. Dr Taj Hargey of the Muslim Educational Centre in Oxford has described the burqa as an archaic tribal piece of cloth that is eagerly used by fundamentalist zealots to promote a toxic brand of extremist non-Quranic theology Outspoken stuff. Despite his jokes Mr Johnson hasnt, though Dr Hargey has, called for a legal ban on the burqa. Denmark has followed France, Austria, Quebec and even Morocco in banning the whole-face cover. Mr Johnson characterises these bans as illiberal and is outspokenly for allowing women to cover their faces if they choose, as long as its not when facial features are required scrutiny as in police enquiries, evidence in court, teaching children, smuggling drugs, etc. Mr Johnsons sister Rachel Johnson, a columnist, and his father, a sometime politician, have both registered their dissent from him by calling for a national ban on the burqa. Boris Johnsons calculation is the have-your-kebab-and-eat-it one. His stance will be seen as both liberal by the likes of myself and, by the likes of the bigots of Brexit, as a welcome kick by their potential PM in the teeth of Islamic communities. Little did I think in my childhood that the slitted hood with which Amtullabai covered her head on the streets would become an instrument in the tussle for leadership of the former imperial power. H11 Former Union minister and BJPs national spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain shares some of his personal experiences with former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna awardee Atal Behari Vajpayee in an interview with Yojna Gusai. Mr Hussain earned the title of youngest Cabinet minister of the country post-Independence when he was given the coal portfolio by then Prime Minister Vajpayee. You are among the few BJP leaders who were considered close to Vajpayee. How will you describe him? Atalji was a legend who never had any enemies. People like him are born once in a century. He lived for the nation. He always used to say that organisation is bigger than an individual and the nation is bigger than the organisation. Vajpayeeji was my guardian and also a guardian of thousands of BJP workers for whom he was a source of inspiration. Though he is physically not among us, he will always remain with us. The love and respect for him grew manifold in the last few days when the younger generation got to know about him through the media about the work the party did and is doing and the various initiatives taken by the NDA government during his regime. What do you think were his greatest qualities? There were many but one quality that was exemplary was that no one had anything bad to say about him, even in the political circles. Despite having divergent views, different political parties, different ideologies, he had no enemies in politics. He had the ability to easily win over political rivals. Whether a Communist or a Socialist or a leader from any political party, he could convince political opponents that there would be no differences on issues. He was someone who would convey a message in few words, no matter how big the issue was. Wo badi badi baat aur kadi-kadi baat bhi kuch shabdon main bayaan karte the (In just few words he would convey his message on big and tough issues). He was a great orator, a prolific writer, a statesman and a legend in politics. But above all, he was a gentleman and a very good human being. He touched the hearts of people even if many had never met him personally. That was the reason why thousands and thousands of people gathered to say their final goodbye to him. You have the title of youngest Cabinet minister in India. Youngest Cabinet minister post-Independence, and the credit goes to Vajpayeeji. I joined the BJP in 1986 and in 87 I met him for the first time. I was in the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha when Umaji (Uma Bharti) was heading it and I had invited him to a Yuva Muslim Sammelan. He came there but that was the same day the Lok Sabha got dissolved in 1997. But because he had promised that he would attend it, he came and was overwhelmed to see the gathering as we were expecting 10,000 people, but many more came just because Vajpayeeji was the chief guest. Such was his personality and his aura. After that he asked me whether I would contest the coming election (1998 general polls) from Kishanganj, which I lost but then won the 1999 election. I became the youngest Cabinet minister at the age of 32 in Vajpayees Cabinet in 2001. Any personal memory of him you would like to share? I remember that I used to carry a rosebud in my pocket for him as the SPG would not allow bouquets. One day I could not get the rosebud and to my surprise he enquired about it. He was so attentive about things which we would find small. He used to come every year to my house for iftar. One time he said something on Ayodhya, which became a major controversy and led to the disruption of Parliament for 13 days. I remember Vajpayee called me after he read media reports that I had some altercation with some Congress leader on his purported remarks on Ayodhya. He then asked me whether I would speak in Parliament on Ayodhya. I said yes, and that was my maiden speech (in 2000) in Parliament. Which of his governments decision do you think were exemplary? Many. His concern for the common man was evident in all his decisions, like the Gram Sadak Yojana. It was the Vajpayee government that built roads in far off places in the country. It was him who though of education for all and started the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and the School Chale Hum campaign. Pokhran nuclear test? Definitely. He showed the world Indias capability and how he was ready to take a risk for countrys security. Sada-e-Sarhad bus service? He always wanted good relations with neighbouring countries. Our government under him made sincere efforts so that India and Pakistan relationship become cordial, but such efforts need reciprocation from the other side as well. As a PM and as a BJP leader, what do you think was his biggest quality? Every Prime Minister and every leader has his/her individual qualities. But I think, perhaps, Vajpayeejis biggest quality was forgiveness. He could never remain angry with anyone for long. Something extraordinary happened when PM Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah walked behind the carriage in his funeral procession all the way to his final resting place? It was the greatest and the biggest homage that Vajpayeeji received from the people and the party he nurtured. I dont think anyone had received such a tribute. It showed the immense respect and admiration he received from people whose lives he had touched. Masih Alinejads gripping memoir, The Wind in my Hair, My Fight for Freedom in Modern Iran, is an eye-opener to her persistent and brave fight against Irans repressive laws that mostly condemned women to second class citizens who have little freedom to follow their hearts. She has relentlessly fought against the mandatory compulsions imposed on women to wear the Hijab irrespective of their preference. Her real life saga has all the ingredients of a bestseller from being arrested for political activism to a teen pregnancy, an early divorce that could have impacted anyones sanity. But Masih is a fighter, who overcame every obstacle that both life and the Iranian government has thrown at her. This internationally known journalist traces her roots to a little known village in Iran for this journey which begins on a compelling note. Here are excerpts from an exclusive interview with the US-based author. You have not allowed your upheavals to influence the tone of your biography. It could have turned into a bitter narrative, but I find the approach balanced. Is that because you have made peace with your past? I wanted my book to be more than a memoir. It is a journey, a geographical one from a small village in northern Iran to the capital Tehran and then to London and New York; it is a political journey of standing against injustice and learning to fight for my political beliefs and a personal journey of forging my identity by learning to say no. We often discover who we are when we say no. It is easy to say yes, and get along but much harder to stand for your beliefs and stand up for your rights. Also, I wanted to tell the story of the Islamic Republic from the perspective of a woman who lived through some of the most dramatic upheavals in the country. From being arrested for political activism to a sudden pregnancy and a quick marriage and a subsequent divorce, your life has all the elements of a family drama? What kept you sane in the toughest of moments? I am sure my enemies often think I am not sane! I didnt start out with a plan but life often can derail the best plans. When you are going through an unplanned pregnancy and quick marriage, you dont have time to think about the family drama but just surviving. I wanted to get married to leave the village and go to the city but never expected that Id end up in a divorce. But, let me tell you something, surviving my divorce made me stronger. Im the proud daughter of Ghomikola. You have succeeded in putting Ghomikola on the world map thanks to your book. How does the tiny village react to all your achievements? Funny you should ask. If you google Ghomikola the first result is me, Masih Alinejad. Ghomikola is a tiny village and though folks have TVs, and all modern stuff, little has changed. Not everyone approves of my campaign but they are all aware of it. Let me tell you a funny story: my father had gone for a checkup at Babol, the nearest town and the doctor looks at my fathers id card and asks if we were related. Once he hears that his patient is my father, the doctor waives off his fees. Bear in mind that my father disapproves of my political campaign but he was caught in a bind. In fact, my mother tells me people from Tehran visit Ghomikola to take selfies!! The wind in my hair, my fight for freedom in modern iran by Masih alinejad Rs 699, pp 394 Hachette India You have been in exile since 2009 and have indicated a strong yearning to go back home. But will your explosive memoir hinder that process? I like nothing more than to go back to my country, be with my people and if the Iranian government allows free press, free expression, so I can campaign and work there, Ill be back immediately. But it is not possible. My memoir isnt going to make me any more popular with the Islamic Republic. Prior to the Islamic revolution in 1979, Iran was a very evolved society. I have friends and relatives who talk about the nightlife in the 70s. Ayatollah Khomeini changed it all. Im curious, have you interacted with women who have experienced that modern lifestyle and had it all taken away. I have spent many hours with women from the generation before the revolution and its not just the lifestyle. Talking to these women, its as if Iran under the Shah was on a different planet. Women had the right to choose how they dressed, we had women with hijab and women without hijab. We had women entertainers and judges. Can you imagine a woman judge now? Impossible! But we had them 40 years ago. We had women ministers serving in the cabinet and as ambassadors. Truth be told, the Islamic Revolution was a revolution against women. It was a revolution to censor and subjugate women. My Stealthy Campaign has gained over a million supporters worldwide, where women are defiantly uncovering their hair. I can understand when women are suppressed and wear the hijab out of coercion. But what I also see is that many educated and progressive women wear the hijab with pride as they are convinced that it protects them from evil. What would your response be to these ladies? My fight is not with the hijab but compulsion. If women freely want to wear the hijab, that is perfectly fine with me. I am for women to have the right to choose; Im against compulsory hijab. My own mother wears the hijab as does my sister. I have no problem with that. In fact, Id love to walk side by side with my mother wearing her hijab in Paris or London or New York, and me without. Id like Iran to be free enough so me and my mother can walk the streets of Tehran, she in a hijab, and me without. I found the White Wednesday campaign very brave. Women taking to the streets without headscarves to fight for their liberation. But we are curious, what happens after they participate in the campaign, do they go back to wearing the hijab? We have different campaigns depending on the level of tolerable risk. One of our other initiatives is #walkingunveiled and that is for women to go without a hijab every day. Some women cannot do that. Thats why, we focus on White Wednesdays because it is now becoming very well-known inside and outside the country. Our activists continue wearing white or go without hijab on other days too but we highlight it on Wednesdays. Do you think it is adequate to ask women to throw their hijab, when its actually the men who need to be educated too? Because unless men learn to stand up for their womens rights the subjugation will continue? You are totally right. Our campaign needs the support of men if we are to succeed. Weve had campaigns such as #meninhijab which received a lot of support. One of our videos was viewed 12 million times on one platform. Our campaign isnt just political but also cultural. We need men to stop thinking of women as property, as sex objects and respect their rights. Just because some men are physically stronger, that doesnt mean they should bully women. In fact, the younger generation of Iranian, doesnt want to be seen as backward and bullying, and they support our cause. How and why do you think the hijab became such a potent (if incorrect symbol) of womans honour? I am not an Islamic scholar, and there are many arguments for or against hijab. I am not against hijab. I am against compulsory hijab thats a big difference. Look at Turkey, or Lebanon or Tunisia the hijab is not mandatory. In the case of Iran, Ayt. Khomeini detested the Shah when he gave women the vote in the 1960s. It has become a tool to censor Iranian women. You became a journalist, and covered the Majlis (Iranian parliament), including Mohammad Khatamiss re-election as president in 2001. Later, you strongly criticised Ahmadinejads presidency, publishing a series of damning articles in your column The Government of Denial for the National Trust newspaper. Where does this strong sense of fearlessness come from? Do you believe you like to court danger? I am not brave, nor do I like to court danger. If anything, Im a coward. But when I think an injustice has been done, then I have to stand up for what I believe. Thats when I dont back down and Ive got that from my mother. She is very quiet but once she feels wronged, she never backs down. When I was a reporter, I thought exposing corruption was my calling and I could not back down. Challenging Ahmadinejads chaotic government was next. You got to understand one thing about me I dont care for money or property or any possessions. What motivates me is a great sense of justice. We all have a mission in life and I want to do all I can to fight the injustices that I can. I cant fight them all but I have my little patch. You had this strong desire to be the first Iranian journalist to interview Obama. Did that eventually happen? If not the interview, did you at least get to meet him? I had two opportunities. I was invited to Cairo for Obamas first address to the Muslim world. The trouble was that the Iranian authorities held my passport and would not release it so I could not go. When I reached the US, Ahmadinejad had been declared winner which made it complicated to see Obama. Thats what the State Department folks said. You have to understand that I was seen as very close to the Green movement, and with all the arrests and crackdowns, if Obama had granted me an interview, itd have been seen as a signal. I waited a month and gave interviews to a number of publications, like the New Yorker but no meeting with Obama. I declined an offer to meet with Hilary Clinton. How challenging was it to write this book considering English has not been your strong point? Did you get feedback from your husband and son? Ha ha ha My husband and I wrote the book together. Obviously, Im much stronger in my native tongue but Im pretty good in English too. But it was challenging because I wanted to write in a Persian style of literature which is more lyrical but I couldnt bring the same style in English. What about translating the book, in your mother tongue, so that your countrymen can read it? Id be happy if the book is translated. Although, I have written articles about part of my life before in Persian. However. we need to find a translator and a publisher Do you envisage a free Iran where women will be ultimately liberated from the shackles of wearing a hijab? I dream of a secular Iran where religion is kept outside of politics and the state doesnt try to control your private life. I expect to see an Iran where women have been liberated not just from compulsory hijab but from all discriminatory laws. That is my life mission. Twitter has been accused of tinkering around the edges, tweaking policies and hiring masses of moderators. (Photo: AP) Afte long resisting change, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey wants to revamp the core of the service to fight rampant abuse and misinformation. But its not clear if changing that essence how it rewards interactions and values popularity would even work. Though Dorsey was scant on details, what is certain is that the move will require huge investments for a company that doesnt have the same resources that Google and Facebook have to throw at the problem. Any change is likely to affect how users engage with Twitter and hurt revenue, testing the patience of both users and investors. Social networks have a history of ... well-intentioned but badly designed efforts to fix this, said Nate Elliott, principal at marketing research firm Nineteen Insights. Twitter isnt alone in having to deal with hate, abuse, misinformation and bad actors using the service for elections interference, targeted harassment and scams. And Twitter isnt alone in proposing fixes that dont get to the heart of the problems. Case in point: Facebook. After Russian trolls were found to have used Facebook to interfere with the 2016 US elections, including by purchasing ads, the company spent a lot of time and energy building a tool that shows whos behind political advertisements. But Elliott said its not even clear which ads on Facebook are the ones causing problems around foreign elections meddling. In 2016, Russian agents werent so much running political ads for or against candidates but rather social ads on divisive such as gun control and immigration. But like Facebook, Twitter has to try or at least be seen as trying. Dorsey told The Washington Post that Twitter had not considered changing the core of the service until now. Like Facebook and others, Twitter has been accused of tinkering around the edges, tweaking policies and hiring masses of moderators when whats really needed is a fundamental shift in how they work and how they make money in order to survive. While many former executives and other insiders have proposed radical shifts at major social networks, its rare for a sitting CEO to propose something as drastic as revisiting the foundation that his company is built on. We often turn to policy to fix a lot of these issues, but I think that is only treating surface-level symptoms that we are seeing, Dorsey said. Twitter confirmed Dorseys comments to the Post but declined further comment. Revamping the core could mean changing the engagement and rewards designed to keep users coming back in the form of seeing their tweets liked, responded to and retweeted, and seeing their follower counts grow. Its the tiny dopamine hits we get with each like that makes us feel better and keeps us returning for more. Take that away, and users might not want to return. In turn, advertisers might stay away, too, as they rely on monthly and daily user numbers, as well as user interactions, to gauge how well their ads work and how much to spend. Unlike Facebook, Elliott said, Twitter doesnt have billions of users to absorb any hits on user growth. Even if the changes work, he said, its going to cost them so many users and so much money I cant imagine them sticking with these kinds of changes. Paul Verna, an analyst with research firm eMarketer, also isnt terribly optimistic that Twitter can make its service safer without hurting its business. The same goes for Facebook and YouTube. Because they rely on an advertising business model, they need to not only continue to reach audiences but try to get them to spend as much time on platforms as possible, he said. That creates an inherent tension between your business needs and being a good citizen. That said, Twitter may not have to reinvent itself completely to improve. Elliott said better policies might go a long way toward reducing the abuse. For example, its currently OK to harass someone on Twitter, as long as its not harassment based on certain categories such as gender and sexual orientation. Elliott said Twitter may just need to prohibit all harassment. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Tesla board committee considers Chief Executive Elon Musks idea of taking the loss-making company private in a deal that could be worth as much as $72 billion. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File) Several Tesla Inc shareholders have told Reuters they are concerned that the electric car maker will have to pay more to fund its growth if it becomes a private company and loses the ability to sell new shares to stock market investors. The issue has come to the fore as a special Tesla board committee considers Chief Executive Elon Musks idea of taking the loss-making company private in a deal that could be worth as much as $72 billion. Tesla, whose bonds are rated junk by credit rating agencies due to its $11 billion debt pile and its negative cash flow, has tapped the stock market six times in the last eight years through share sales, raising nearly $4.3 billion, according to data from Dealogic. Without that ready access to capital, Tesla investors who would consider keeping their stake in a private Tesla - as Musk has suggested - wonder how Tesla would fund itself as a private company. It ultimately comes down to if you can afford to be private and if you can get funding, and what the cost of that funding is, said Craig Birk, chief investment officer for Personal Capital Advisors Corp, a Tesla shareholder which owned about 97,000 shares as of June 30. Musk shocked investors last week with a tweet that he was considering taking Tesla private at a price of $420 a share and that funding was secured. He elaborated on Monday that he believed Saudi Arabias PIF, a new shareholder in Tesla, could provide the necessary funding, although sources close to the sovereign wealth fund have played down that prospect. The 47-year-old entrepreneur and engineer said this week he believes two-thirds of existing Tesla shareholders would roll over their holdings into a private company, rather than cash out, and that he was still talking with major shareholders and advisers before settling on a structure for a deal. It remains unclear how any deal would be financed. Musk has cited his long-running vendetta with short-sellers, who are betting that Teslas stock will go down, as well as Wall Streets short-term focus on quarterly earnings, as reasons to take the company private. The implications for the companys funding, however, show that exiting the stock market will likely come with costs for Tesla. Musk said on Monday he did not want to saddle Tesla with more debt, meaning it would then have to rely on private fundraising rounds like Uber Technologies Inc and other venture-backed companies, likely incurring a much higher cost of capital. Estimates on how expensive private equity fundraising is compared with secondary share sales in the stock market vary. Venky Ganesan, an investing partner at Menlo Ventures, said in an interview that the cost of capital - the rate of return required by an investor to persuade them to make a given investment - averages 17 per cent to 18 per cent for private companies compared with 6 per cent to 7 per cent for public companies. The primary downside of going private is the higher cost of capital that investors demand for the lack of liquidity, being able to buy and sell at a fair price at short notice, Jacobs Thomas, professor of accounting and finance at Yale School of Management, wrote on the universitys website earlier this month in a post on Tesla. The issue of funding is not merely academic. Tesla burnt through $3.4 billion of cash last year and has said it expects to invest another $2.5 billion this year. Musk has said repeatedly since April that Tesla has no need to raise new capital. But analysts expect Tesla will require billions of dollars more over the next several years to fund its expansion plans and to develop new electric premium vehicles to take on German rivals. On top of that, the companys battery Gigafactory outside Reno, Nevada is still only partially complete, and Musk has said that an announcement about a European plant will likely come by the end of this year. Another big-ticket item for Tesla is its recently announced China factory in Shanghai, although Musk has said funding for the roughly $2 billion cost would come from local debt. Getting access to cheap capital is a constant challenge for automakers, which can spend $1 billion or more engineering a single new model and bringing it to mass production, only to have the vehicle flop because of a cyclical sales slump or a shift in market tastes. Mainstream automakers have historically failed to earn their cost of capital of about 9 per cent because investments in new models, new technology and production equipment do not generate sufficient profits, the late Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV chief executive Sergio Marchionne said in an April 2015 investor presentation. Three new vehicles are in development at Tesla, the Model Y compact SUV, a new $200,000 Roadster and an electric heavy-duty truck that Musk unveiled last November, with production start dates in 2019 and 2020. Analysts say that a lot will depend on the forecasts that investors make on the companys profitability for the next few years. The quicker Tesla can turn a sizeable profit, the easier it will be able to fund itself. Tesla is clearly capital-intensive... but its also a disruptor thats growing like crazy, perhaps making it more akin to high-growth tech companies, Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi wrote in a research note on Thursday. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Xiaomi's Mi and Redmi brands are already a big success in India with the smartphones selling better than any other rival in the segment. However, the Chinese brand is spreading its wings further with the launch of its new brand Poco. While the handset to come bearing this brand will be the Pocophone F1, Xiaomi is also said to launch its current flagship offering the Mi 8 soon. 91Mobiles have got the confirmation about this news from various dealers located in Rajasthan, Delhi and UP. The Poco brand is set to come to India on August 22. The first smartphone to be sold under the banner will be close to the Mi flagship which is why it was believed that the Mi 8 won't be launched in India. However, contradicting this assumption, the Mi 8 is confirmed to be available. Albeit, the launch time of the smartphone is not yet confirmed. Although it hasn't come to India, the Mi 8 is already launched in China which happened in the month of May. Notably, it is the first Xiaomi model to sport the trendy notch display. The prominent feature of the Mi 8 is its infrared face unlock feature which the company claims to work even in the dark. To maintain its flagship title, Xiaomi has bestowed it with the premium body including the metal and glass panel with the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. The smartphone runs the Android Oreo OS with the MIUI 10. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. An elderly woman is rescued in a cooking utensil after her home was flooded in Thrissur, Kerala. (Photo: File) United Nations: UN chief Antonio Guterres has expressed sadness over the flooding and extensive damage and displacement caused in rain-battered Kerala. Kerala is witnessing the worst flooding in 100 years. About 80 dams have overflowed and more than 300 lives have been lost. Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. "Our humanitarian colleagues, as well as the country team in India, have been following the recent floods very closely. The United Nations is of course saddened by the loss of life, destruction and displacement caused by floods in India," Stephane Dujarric, the UN Secretary-Generals spokesperson, told reporters here on Friday. When asked if the UN been asked for help in India in the Kerala floods, he said the world body has not received any direct request from the Indian Government for aid. "As you know, India has quite a well-operated machinery to deal with natural disasters but of course our country team I was in touch with our Resident Coordinator today they're following closely and they're in touch with partners on the ground." A Sikh man has been stabbed to death at his store in New Jersey, the third such incident of targeting the Sikh community in the United States in the last three weeks. Terlok Singh was discovered dead by his cousin yesterday in his store with an apparent stab wound in the chest. The Essex County Prosecutor's office is calling the incident a homicide, according to a report in ABC7NY. The motive behind the killing was not immediately known. Singh, described as a very kind person, is survived by his wife and children who live in India. He owned the store to support his family. His family closed the store as a deeply-saddened community watched in horror. The news report said Singh ran his store for at least six years and a neighbour said he should not have had to worry about being attacked in his work place. Civil rights organisation, The Sikh Coalition, in a Facebook post, expressed condolences to Singh's family, friends and local community. Simran Jeet Singh, a visiting scholar at New York University's Center for Religion and Media and a Senior Religion Fellow for the Sikh Coalition, tweeted about Singh's tragic death, saying "this is the third attack on a Sikh in the last three weeks. So tired of all this sadness." Another Sikh man shot and killed, this time in New Jersey. Rest in power, Terlok Singh. This is the third attack on a Sikh in the last three weeks. So tired of all this sadness. pic.twitter.com/t1WV65ewl5 Simran Jeet Singh (@SikhProf) August 16, 2018 An Emerging Trend? On August 6 in Manteca, California, 71-year-old Sahib Singh was brutally attacked by Tyrone McAllister and a juvenile when the elderly man was on a morning walk. McAllister, who is the son of a local police officer, and the juvenile were charged with attempted robbery, elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon. On July 31, 50-year-old Surjit Malhi was attacked while putting up campaign signs in support of incumbent Republican Congressman Jeff Denham and other local Republican candidates. While beating Malhi, the attackers yelled "Go back to your country!" and spray painted the same message, along with hate symbols, on his truck. Following the two incidents, The Sikh Coalition had urged members of the community to know their rights, remain vigilant and report cases of bias, bigotry and backlash in the wake of the attacks. "We are deeply troubled by these two recent attacks and strongly encourage increased vigilance nationwide as we work to support the Central Valley, California community during this difficult time," Sikh Coalition Legal Director Amrith Kaur had said. A series of stories surrounding President Trump and the White House filled the news this week, and political cartoonists were quick to put their spin on things. More than 300 papers answered the call from the Boston Globe to publish editorials about the freedom of the press on Thursday, Aug. 16. The call to action was spurred by Trump's attacks on the media, calling them the "enemy of the people." FBI agent Peter Strzok was fired this week after it was discovered he'd been sending anti-Trump texts. Strzok helped lead the FBI's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. John Brennan, former CIA director, was revoked of his security clearance this week. Brennan wrote an op-ed for The New York Times saying Trump did so to scare critics into silence and that the claims of no collusion with Russia are "hogwash." Former Trump aide Omarosa Manigault, who was fired in December, released her book 'Unhinged' this week, which tells of her time at the White House. As part of the rollout for her book, Omarosa released recordings of White House chief of staff John Kelly firing her and a phone conversation with Trump. Other cartoon topics included the ongoing trade war with China and the industries that have been affected, the death of "The Queen of Soul," Aretha Franklin, and the announcement of a Space Force. One candidate in Vermonts primary election for governor on Tuesday made plenty of headlines, not because of his policies, but because hes not even old enough to vote. The candidate, Ethan Sonneborn, is 14 years old and will be in the ninth grade this fall. Hes lived in Vermont his entire life and decided to run for governor after seeing the violence in Charlottesville last summer and feeling helpless, he told NBC. In Tuesdays primary, Sonneborn received more than 8 percent of the vote higher than anyone could have predicted. Vermonts constitution doesnt have an age requirement for those who wish to run for governor. Its only required to have lived in the state for at least four years prior a qualification the teenager certainly meets. The requirements are a bit stricter in Utah. Candidates for governor must be at least 30 years old. But what if that wasnt the case? How can a young voice make a difference in a way that others cant? Sonneborn said he believes its important to have voices advocating for those not represented in government, and his campaign shows that our youths often have a better hold on issues than we give them credit for. Sonneborns campaign and the response from voters got us thinking: How can a young voice make a difference in a way that others cant? While many teenagers are already involved in political and social issues through their schools or local organizations, opportunity for political youth engagement remains low. Giving them more opportunities to experience firsthand the processes that run our country could create a more politically literate generation, one that is prepared to make changes and lead the country in a positive direction. As a teenager in Utah, how would you respond to a chance to run for governor? What issues need to be addressed and what would you like to see change? We invite all youths under 18 to respond to this prompt. Write your vision in 600 words or less, and send it in an email addressed to letters@deseretnews.com. Please put Teen governor in the subject line. The Deseret News will pick a winning response based on clarity of writing and a thoughtful discussion of relevant issues. The winner will receive an opportunity to meet one-on-one meeting with Gov. Gary Herbert. Submissions will be accepted through Sept. 9. SALT LAKE CITY Utah native and animator Chad Cooper is no stranger to working on mega-hit cartoons for adults. But the chance to work on "Simpson's" creator Matt Groening's newest project "Disenchantment" (TV-14) a medieval fantasy comedy that starts on Netflix Aug. 17. was, he said, "the pinnacle of his career." "Who doesn't want to design a show like that (and) with Matt Groening, too, the godfather of animation?" Cooper asked. "Once I heard Netflix was involved with Matt, it wasn't a question of if (I would do it), it was a question of when." Cooper's expertise is in designing background animation the scenery and props, rather than the characters. He called himself "the stage setter for the show." For "Disenchantment," he was able to create a world for wizards, dragons and fairy folk. For this new show, Cooper said they wanted to make the animation quality more like that of a feature film than television. While an episode of "The Simpsons" might be completed in a couple of weeks, by comparison, "Disenchantment's" 10 episodes are closer to a four-and-a-half hour feature they produced in nine months, Cooper said. "When you see the show you'll see that it's very painterly," he said. "And that gives it a really unique style and ramps up the difficulty aspect of it." Like "The Simpsons," "Disenchantment" is an irreverent look at a beloved genre, although rather than taking on family sitcoms as "The Simpsons" did, "Disenchantment" skewers fantasies and fairy tales. The Netflix summery describes the show's heroine, Bean (voiced by Abbi Jacobson), as such: "Princess duties call, but she'd rather be drinking. Free-spirited Bean exasperates the king as she wreaks havoc with her demon and elf pals." Packed with pop culture reference to, among others, "Game of Thrones" and "Lord of the Rings," the "Disenchantment" characters use drugs, drink heavily and seem to cause general mayhem. The trailer makes the show out to be a sort of adult version of "Shrek." It's rated TV-14. So far in his career, Cooper has worked on "Family Guy," "King of the Hill," "Futurama," "The Simpsons," "Bob's Burgers" and "Beavis and Butt-Head." He got his start in animation as cartoons for adults were gaining popularity. The St. George native had always wanted to be an artist, but it wasn't until he moved to Los Angeles that he considered animation. While at a local Kinkos one day, a woman in the shop suggested Cooper give animation a try after seeing some of his artwork. This was in the mid-90s, Cooper said, when animation was at its heyday. Dreamworks was starting up and Disney would throw $45,000 bonuses at people to get them to stay with the company, he said. So, Cooper took a regional occupation program course in animation at the local high school and for the next several years worked to get his portfolio up to par before submitting it to studios. Eventually, Cooper got his first animation job at "King of the Hill," and has worked in cartoons for adults ever since. Cooper, who is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said he sometimes struggles with the crass humor on some of the shows he has worked on, especially "Family Guy." "I was not a big 'Family Guy' fan to begin with, but it's not pornography," he said. "Sometimes people at my church will be like, 'I can't believe you're working that job.' I'm like, 'What? It's a valid project.' I think you could say 'Family Guy' drags sacred cows out to the street and beats them to death. It's very irreverent. It's not my cup of tea. But, now, here I am thrust into this world." It can be also hard for Cooper to work in the secular scene of Los Angeles show business where his church attendance is sometimes treated as a joke. At one time, he worked with a Christian director at "King of the Hill," and Cooper asked him how he handled it when a show made fun of things that are sacred to him. The director said he told the writers not to give him that kind of humor, and they respected his wishes. "So far, that's worked well for him," Cooper said. Cooper said in his field it's rare to have guaranteed work for longer than 18 months. Even then, shows and movies can get canceled for unforseen reasons at any time, and artists end up unemployed. But despite the frequent periods of financial uncertainty and the moral ambiguities he often faces, Cooper said he's grateful to have the chance to make a living as an artist. "I'm the luckiest guy in the world. The fact that someone pays me to draw I never in my wildest dreams believed someone would do that," he said. "So on my hardest day at work, I just have to stop and say, 'Hey you get paid to draw. Life isn't that tough buddy.'" SALT LAKE CITY Like a lot of writers, Utah author Clark Burbidge mines his own life for his work. But for his young adult fantasy series, "StarPassage," he looked back a little farther, to the life of his father. The third book, "Star Passage: Book 3 Honor and Mercy" (Deep River Books, 320 pages, ages 10-14), came out last June and includes characters Tim and Martie, who in the first book have a parent who struggles with PTSD. Burbidge's own father suffered from PTSD after serving in the Korean War. "I grew up through my teenage years in the shadow of those demons in his life," he said. "I love my dad dearly but sorrowed for him on a regular basis because he was struggling. Then he overcame (his demons) and I saw for myself the courage it takes to face that, but how if you do that you become better than you ever were." In his newest "StarPassage" book, Burbidge introduces the character Ronnie Chen, who believes his life is over after suffering an injury from a terrible accident. With the help from characters from the previous two books, Ronnie is able to see how he can overcome obstacles in life instead of deciding to give up. Burbidge, who currently resides in Woods Cross, wants the young people who read his books to come away knowing they can face whatever happens to them. "It doesn't matter if it's your parents getting divorced or losing their jobs or whether it's some physical illness or injury it all can dramatically change your life," Burbidge said. "I think there's a path through that where you can use those, as I call them, 'monsters' the way heroes use them in literature as tools to find their greatness." Burbidge is no stranger to challenges. Fourteen years ago, Burbidge and his then-new wife undertook the difficulty of blending her five children and his five children into one big family. Now, they just finished writing a book together about the principles they've learned from that experience. Burbidge first came to writing between jobs in his career as an investment banker. Burned out from networking, he decided to put to paper some of the stories he had in his head. A year later, he published some of his books, by then balancing working full time while writing seven to eight hours a day. In 2015, he decided make the switch to solely writing books for a living, which he calls "the most fun and hardest job I have ever had." He said what he loves most about his work is seeing the impact it has on his readers, especially young people. Often, Burbidge will visit schools and write a book together with the children, so they can know what that's like. "I want them to have the experience of working hard to achieve something that exceeds their expectations and expands their vision," he said. He said it's magical to see the books he's written on the shelves, and he thinks every child deserves to know what it's like to to feel proud of something they've done. Burbidge has written one other fantasy series for children, "Giants in the Land," as well as a nonfiction book about mountain biking. Several of his books have won the Gold Medal in the Mom's Choice Awards, which select several dozen products a year, including books, to help parents know what to purchase for their children. Burbidge said he is proud of this award because he wants his books to promote family values. "It isn't enough just to be good literature," he said. "I wanted to be able to have the literature help young people move from where they are to some place better." BENJAMIN, Utah County For more than 11 consecutive days, Jacky Caras spent her daylight hours worrying about her son-in-law and grandsons, and her evenings crying over the fate of Baby Bull, a prized animal still young enough to be under the care of its mother. Her family and others in the ranching community are hitting the charred mountains in the Coal Hollow Fire burning above Spanish Fork on a daily basis, spending back-breaking hours on horseback and risking their own lives to save what they can of their livestock. It's too early to know what the losses are. As of Friday, the Coal Hollow Fire is only 19 percent contained, charring 26,380 acres. Some fire officials fear it may continue to burn until after the snow sets in. "We don't know how many cows are lost," Jim Caras said. "Some say we may be gathering cows up until way after Christmas." Ranchers and sheep farmers have been working with Forest Service officials on the ground on a day-to-day basis determining access, the path of the fire and how to move the livestock to safe ground. "We've been just one step ahead of the fire," said Eldon Neves, describing the precarious and frustrating 16-hour days chasing mama cows and calves from danger to safety. The association he belongs to with other ranchers has 468 cattle on the mountain, with 150 that remain to be gathered. He knows he's lost at least six cows. "It is what it is," he said. "It's been a bad deal for everyone, but it is not something I am going to cry about." The lightning-caused fire started Aug. 4 and now has 736 personnel devoted to its containment. Neves is angry, however. He said Friday the Forest Service is pushing to do a backburn, for a reason he doesn't see, and it will jeopardize the cattle left in a single swatch of green surround by charred countryside. "I think it is a wrong-headed idea," he said. "They are relentless about this backburning but they need to back off." He found one of his cows Friday. Red and tagged No. 49, he has had her since she was a calf and is one of his better animals. Her hooves have burned and she's bleeding pools. "We just want to get in here and save those cows. I don't want to leave her up here and I don't want to shoot her just yet," he said. "We are in there every day working as hard as we can to save what we can. I don't think the public understands." The Coal Hollow Fire is the No.1 priority wildfire in the Great Basin region. Dave Hansen and his brother, Jay, say they have 45 pairs unaccounted for in the mountains. "We won't know what it all looks like until the fire is out," Dave Hansen said. Riders show up to help them without asking, and ranchers are pulling together to help one another to find the lost members of the herds. "We've had help all around. We couldn't ask for better neighbors," he said. The Hansens were ecstatic when they were able to secure a grazing permit this year to keep the cows on the mountain until October. That permit covering 33,000 acres has turned out to be a nightmare of sorts as the Hansens and others in the association race time and flames to move the animals to safety. "We're better off than some people," Jay Hansen said. The brothers are moving water to the cows and calves in a pasture because drought has dried up the springs. There are 131 pair at this pasture in Milburn just north of Fairview in Sanpete County. Ranchers are grateful for the ones they have been able to retrieve and hold out hope they can save the majority. At the Chevron station in Fairview, daily updates on the Coal Hollow Fire are posted outside the business, along with maps of the fire's different zones, describing which are open and which remain closed. The locals study the maps, hoping for the best. Neves said the wildfire is so unpredictable and intense, it's like an inferno. Often, the riders are covered with ash that falls like snow. Forest Service supervisors say it has been a juggling act to make sure ranchers are moving into territory where their presence doesn't interfere with ground operations or present a safety risk. There's been inevitable conflicts along the way, with some ranchers and fire supervisors in disagreement over access. Ron Gibson, president of the Utah Farm Bureau Federation, said the Forest Service has generally been good to work with over the hectic wildfire season. "We need this kind of understanding, cooperation and action in our country, now more than ever," he said. At the Coal Hollow Fire, one grazing allotment has had a direct hit, which Neves manages, and about six different sheep allotments have had some sort of impact from the fire. Cody Cornaby and his brothers run 165 pairs of cows in the Scofield area, which so far has escaped the flames. They decided not to risk it and moved their cattle to the winter range in the Utah Lake region. The brothers all work day jobs and do ranching on the side, so they took off two consecutive weekdays to move the cattle out. Friends from Delta and elsewhere showed up with cattle trucks, refusing any compensation. "It was neighbor helping neighbor," he said. Cornaby said he knows of one rancher whose entire ranch burned with no vegetation or trees left at all. "We feel fortunate it hasn't reached Scofield yet," he said. "We didn't want our cows burned out." Now, he's facing the reality of feeding them on hay earlier than he ever expected, and bearing that cost. "You just bite the bullet and go buy the hay. It is too hard to get into the cattle business just to get out because of one bad year." Mark Farmer, habitat manager for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources' Central Region, said there will be some reseeding in a wildlife management area that burned and at some spots where there is critical wildlife habitat. The higher elevation terrain will be left to come back naturally. "There is likely to be some serious flooding impacts due to the terrain," he said. For now the fire must be weathered and extinguished, and the cows must come home. Neves went riding Thursday afternoon with another collection of ranchers hoping to find more stragglers avoiding the fire. Some of the cows are so hoof sore they can barely move. Ranchers have found ewes with burns on their backsides. On this day, the ranchers hope they find something to give them hope. "We found and hauled 22 pair last night," Neves said early Friday in an update. One of those was Baby Bull, whose mother at one point headed back in the fire to find her offspring. Everyone, said Clark Caras, was expecting the worse. "She went back into the burning forest five days ago and came out today with her boy at her side," he said Thursday. It was a victory Caras said they'll take. SALT LAKE CITY Representatives of GE Healthcare demonstrated Friday a new mammography system "engineered by women for women." The Senographe Pristina has features that enhance patient comfort and control. The screening system has rounded corners, comfortable armrests instead of handgrips, and a remote control that allows patients to control their own breast compression under the supervision of a technician. Julie Blaha, west zone sales manager for GE Healthcare, said the new mammography system features "innovation to improve the patient experience." The Senographe Pristina was designed in France by a team of women. Design features help reduce pain associated with the exam, improve the patient experience and improve outcomes for breast cancer screening, Blaha said. GE Healthcare was recognized as one of Fast Company's most innovative biotech companies of 2018 for the launch of its new mammography system, which offers an industry-first, patient-assisted remote control device called Pristina Dueta. GE Healthcare's patient surveys show 83 percent of women rated their mammogram experience better with Senographe Pristina. Seventy nine percent said it was more comfortable and two-thirds perceived the exam was shorter. With respect to the remote-control device, four out of five patients who used it said it improved the comfort of their exam. The overarching goal is higher adherence to screening recommendations by designing an imaging system that is more comfortable and reduces patients' fear, Blaha said. According to a survey of 160 women published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology in 2009, 58 percent reported their mammogram experience "was unpleasant, causing pain and bruising." Among those women, 17.5 percent indicated, based on their experience, they would not undergo further mammograms unless the screening technology was improved. Early detection is key, Blaha said. Breast cancer is the second-most common type of cancer in American women and finding it early can reduce a woman's risk of dying from the disease by 25 to 30 percent, research says. Blaha said no health care providers in Utah currently use the Senographe Pristina, but after Friday's demonstration, "that might be changing. We've had some very promising conversations today," she said. SALT LAKE CITY Amid ongoing calls for transparency and frustration from concerned residents, members of the Utah Inland Port Authority board have been meeting behind closed doors in preparation for the full board's second meeting, expected for later this month. Because the three subcommittees are each made up of four or five members of the port authority's 11-member board, they don't constitute a quorum, so the meetings aren't required to be open to the public under the state's Open and Public Meetings Act. But the closed meetings have still irked community members who have ongoing concerns about the authority's transparency. Having closed-door meetings, it doesn't build any trust. Dorothy Owen, chairwoman of the Westpointe Community Council "It's been very frustrating," Dorothy Owen, chairwoman of the Westpointe Community Council. Owen said there continues to be a great deal of "distrust" from west-side residents and other concerned community members when it comes to the Utah Inland Port Authority because of the lack of public involvement during its creation by the Utah Legislature. "Having closed-door meetings, it doesn't build any trust," Owen said. While the subcommittees aren't required under state law to be open, Owen said it would help to build trust with the community if leaders chose to open their doors. "Sometimes, when trust is broken, it takes a lot of work to make up for the loss of trust. And to do that means more than a bouquet of flowers or a box of candy," Owen said. Following the law Inland port authority board and subcommittee leaders say they are striving to be transparent as the port authority gears up for business and even though the subcommittees are closed, they will be required to report to the full Utah Inland Port Authority in its meetings, which are open. They also point out no action can be taken in the subcommittees because a quorum won't be present. The three subcommittees are divided up by three different topics: one to work on the port authority's budget and business plan, one to focus on how to use the tax revenue that will be collected in the port authority's jurisdiction as it's developed for project incentives, and one to conduct a search for the port authority's future executive director. In response to concerns about the closed subcommittees, Derek Miller, chairman of the Utah Inland Port Authority board and Salt Lake Chamber president, said "It's important we follow the law" and not "create our own exceptions (to the law) when they don't need to be open." "We'll follow the law," Miller said. "(What) better way can you build public trust than by following the law as opposed to saying we'll just let people arbitrarily and randomly decide whether (the meetings) will be open or not?" It's also not unusual for governmental entities at state and local levels to close subcommittee meetings, Miller pointed out. However, some entities, including Salt Lake County, have opened their subcommittees a point made by inland port authority board member and Salt Lake County Councilman Michael Jensen at the port authority's first meeting last month. "I think we owe it to ourselves and to the public to have those meetings open," Jensen said. "If people want to come in and hear the same research we're going to do here, then so be it." Jensen said if the subcommittees are going to discuss topics that can be discussed in a closed session under the Utah Open and Public Meetings Act including topics such as real estate or personnel then the subcommittee could move into closed session. However, board members including Miller and Carlos Braceras, director of the Utah Department of Transportation, pointed out opening all subcommittees on default would put more of a burden on staff to publicly notice each meeting especially when the subcommittee would need to be closed anyway because they're dealing with topics that would need to be discussed in a closed session. For example, the subcommittee tasked with the search for an executive director would most likely need to be closed the majority of the time because it would be dealing with a hiring and personnel issue. 'Tried and true law' Ben Hart, deputy director of the Governor's Office of Economic Development, who is chairman of the subcommittee focused on the port authority's tax differential, didn't rule out opening future subcommittees, but said the default, for now, has been set with following the Utah Open and Public Meetings Act and the specification that meetings without a quorum can be closed. "There is always concern anytime you create a standard above what is a very tried and true law, which the Open and Public Meetings Act is," he said. "So when you have a tried and true law, you need to be very thoughtful about creating any standard above or below that." However, Hart said "there was a strong feeling" among subcommittee members that "these discussions really are brought back before the full board for presentation and conversation in a public meeting." "The voices of those that would like these meetings to be public have definitely been heard," Hart said. "We want to be as transparent as possible, so we want as much conversation as possible to happen in the public meeting as opposed to subcommittee meetings." Hart said whether the subcommittees open in the future "is a conversation for the full board to have and really talk about to be thoughtful about what the board should do above and beyond" the state's open meetings laws. Deeda Seed, a campaigner with the environmental group Center for Biological Diversity who outspoken against the inland port, said she hopes the subcommittees will be open in the future. She noted the subcommittees are where board members will be discussing issues in greater detail than when they come before the full board. "The more open they can be, I think the better this process is going to be for everybody," Seed said. Closed discussions In response to questions about what happened during this week's closed-door meetings, Hart said his subcommittee focused on understanding HB2001 as it relates to the port authority's ability to capture and use tax increment and how to implement it. Miller, who heads up the subcommittee for the authority's budget and business plan, said committee members discussed how much money was provided to the authority under state statute and how it needs to be spent. The port authority will be working with nearly $2 million, including $475,000 for the creation of its economic business plan and $1.5 million to set up the organization, which includes hiring an executive director and other staff, Miller said. He noted his committee will be making a "full report" of their meeting to the port authority board at its next meeting. The port authority board was previously scheduled to meet next week on Thursday, but Miller said scheduling conflicts have caused them to push the meeting to the last week of August. He said an agenda should be posted that week once details are sorted out. Salt Lake City Councilman James Rogers, who heads up the subcommittee tasked with finding the port authority's executive director, did not return a request for comment Friday. SALT LAKE CITY Some Latter-day Saint influencers immediately changed the names of their Facebook pages and Twitter accounts Thursday after President Russell M. Nelson asked that people no longer use the terms Mormon, LDS or LDS Church to refer to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Facebook page Mormon Women Stand, with more than 53,000 followers, quickly morphed into Latter-day Saint Women Stand on Thursday afternoon. By Friday afternoon, the group already had a fresh, new logo reflecting the name change. The teenager he just received his mission call behind the popular Twitter account Things Mormon Like, with its 12,500 followers, tried to update the name as soon as he learned the news, but he ran into trouble because of Twitter's space limitations for titles. He finally crammed words together into ThingsLatter-daySaintsLike. That common problem and others illustrated the challenges faced by the church, its members and businesses that operate around them as they prepare to align their websites, apps and social media accounts with President Nelson's direction. For example, if they all abandon use of the social media hashtag #mormon, will they effectively cede that space to church critics? And, if the church does change the URL on its official website from lds.org to, say, latter-daysaint.org by the way, latter-daysaint.org already redirects to lds.org what happens to the more than 11.5 million lds.org pages indexed by Google? Would the church have to set up redirection protocols for all of them, then duplicate that Herculean effort across mormon.org, mormonchannel.org and mormonnewsroom.org, etc.? No directors of church departments were made available to comment Friday, but in seven interviews, experts in Latter-day Saint websites, branding and social media discussed the excitement Thursday's announcement caused in their field and outlined the reasons they have changed titles or decided to wait, and what they expect in the future. Tricky titles Each said that while church leaders have emphasized the full name of the church before, this time clearly is different. The church previously did not revamp its entire lexicon. "It's not the same old, same old," added Kathryn Skaggs, co-founder of Mormon Women Stand, now Latter-day Saint Women. They also said there are two clear parts to President Nelson's announcement. First, they understand the doctrinal reasons it's important to use the full name of the church, because it includes the name of Jesus Christ. Second, they have wrestled with the practical implications. How do you find room for the full name of the church in your online bio or your Twitter handle? I'd use LDS Church, Mormon and Mormonism all the time in titles. I don't think I'll do that any more, but I don't know what I'll do instead. Greg Trimble, Latter-day Saint blogger "It's really hard putting the name of the church in the title of a blog," said Greg Trimble, an Internet marketing executive and Latter-day Saint blogger in Heber. "I'd use LDS Church, Mormon and Mormonism all the time in titles. I don't think I'll do that any more, but I don't know what I'll do instead." The executive team at Mormon Women Stand instantly felt united about changing the name to Latter-day Saint Women Stand, co-founder Skaggs said. The group bills itself as "women who, without hesitation, sustain the Lord's prophet, the Family Proclamation as doctrine and our divine role as covenant women for Christ." "It felt like the right thing to do and the appropriate thing to do," Skaggs said. "We felt like it was an easy transition for us. We haven't made any formal announcement on our Facebook page, but we've already had a large, positive response for changing the name so quickly and, though a lot of people don't like this word, obediently." However, when she went to change the group's Twitter handle from @MWStand, she ran headlong into the limit on characters. The best she could do was imperfect: @LDSWStand. "It's tricky," Skaggs said. "It's definitely tricky." Retool, rebrand "I think a lot of people are still trying to decide what to do," said Josh Newman, the 19-year-old BYU student who launched Things Mormons Like as a ninth-grader in Eastchester, New York. On Monday, he received a call to serve a Spanish-speaking mission for The Church of Jesus Christ in McAllen, Texas. He was at a Yankees game when the church released Thursday's announcement, and he didn't see it until he got home after they lost. He took an hour to retool the name to ThingsLatter-daySaintsLike and add a new image. He has not changed the Twitter handle yet. "This definitely is revelation, and it's groundbreaking, but it's a re-emphasis and refocusing of the church on Jesus Christ," Newman said. The church itself has begun to roll out changes. The title of its official Twitter account moved this week from "LDS Church" to the full, official name of the church. "It appears they are sticking to their word," Newman said. "It will take a while, but it appears a rollout is slowly beginning." Meanwhile, two websites are waiting to decide what to do after recent major rebranding using terms that now are obsolete. Ben Arkell just finished a change to Mormon Light, a website that spotlights people doing good things, from ilovethebookofmormon.org. He started the former as the Book of Mormon Musical was released, pumping out a scripture verse each day to give people outside the church a chance to see what the book was about. Rebranded as mormonlight.org, the site now also curates news. Arkell, who lives in Lehi, is surprised how often he sees news stories refer to the faith as The Church of Latter-day Saints. "I'm flabbergasted by the people who still take the name of the Savior out of the church's name," he said. He praised Skaggs and Newman. "It's been cool to see people like that who say, 'I fully support President Nelson and I'm going to do that right away.'" Arkell will wait to watch what the church does and learn from it before he alters his website's name. Of President Nelson he said, "I just trust that man." Mormon Hub will wait and learn, too, before possibly becoming Latter-day Saint Hub, said content director Christopher Cunningham of San Antonio. He wrote an in-depth explanation about the usefulness of the term Mormon when the site rebranded from lds.net. But on Friday, he took a different tack. "The gist of the article I posted today was, 'A prophet's no good who tells you what you're already thinking,'" Cunningham said. He also rejected tweets that said the church keeps trying and failing to make these changes. He said it's not been one, long effort but a pendulum that swings with the times. "During the Mitt Romney campaign and the Book of Mormon Musical we had the Mormon Moment and maybe that required emphasis of the term," he said. "Maybe the reason for this transition (away from it) will become apparent in the next 10 years." Up worrying But titles, headlines and handles are not the largest practical considerations, which kept Trimble up past 2 a.m. "I was shocked and worried about it," said Trimble, author of "The Virtual Missionary," a guide for regular church members who go toe-to-toe with church critics to win SEO ranking battles for certain church terms. "I've used my professional skills on Mormonism which I'm not supposed to say any more." The church has built what he called a dominant domain authority, which improves the search-engine rankings of its posts, with its web of websites, Trimble said. "Usually, if the church puts out an article, they can get it ranked at the top of search engine results for that title," he explained. "They've accumulated that domain authority over a long period of time by drawing traffic to so many domains and entities." He was comforted by his wife's belief that President Nelson wanted to get back to what she described as the purity of what the church is and away from the brand competition. But Trimble was distressed again Friday morning when he saw online commenters already attacking a post on another site for using the term Mormon. "I have a lot of friends who have worked really hard to try to be a light by using these terms," he said. "This is going to take a long time and people are going to fall into habits sometimes. I'm sure the last thing President Nelson probably wants is for people to get after each other because somebody isn't using the right term yet." Editor's note: A version of this was previously published on the author's website. An unforgettable experience at the eyepiece, almost akin to seeing Saturn, is one's first look at a globular cluster. Hanging in the black of space is a spherical mass of stars whose center is so tightly packed that individual orbs cannot be picked out, while around the ball are stellar streamers and loops, the whole conglomeration glowing like gems. They are a galaxy's brilliant diamond brooches. As far as we know, star clusters are of two types, open and globular (the preferred pronunciation starts with "glob"), with the difference reflecting not only appearance but origin. Open clusters, also called galactic clusters, are collections of stars that condensed together from the same vast cloud of gas and dust in a typical stellar nursery. Residing within a galaxy in star-forming regions, an open cluster can number several thousand young stars that formed about the same time. Eventually the stars consume nearly all of the cocoon of primordial material, but younger open clusters retain nebulous filaments of the original cloud. The stars may be scattered haphazardly. The best-known open cluster is the Pleiades, called the Seven Sisters (after the number of stars easily visible to the naked eye) although it has more than 3,000 dimmer stars. Globular clusters orbit around the plane of the galaxy, rather than residing in the disc. Imagine a DVD: open clusters are part of the disk while globulars go up over the hole (representing the nucleus of the galaxy) and around it. Globular clusters contain some of the oldest stars in the universe. Instead of the nonchalant scatterings in open clusters, globulars' stars are concentrated in fuzzy spheres. Our galaxy is circled by around 150 globular clusters, Georgia State University notes. Each contains "hundreds of thousands, and sometimes millions of stars. It is thought that globular clusters formed very early in the vast halo surrounding the nascent galaxy before it flattened to form the spiral disc. Star formation would have stopped in these clusters maybe 13 billion years ago, so only old stars are expected to be found there." Without star evolution and supernova explosions to seed heavier material into space, globular clusters probably don't have habitable planets. According to William E. Harris, Department of Physics and Astronomy at McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada, "Globular clusters are likely to be the oldest directly visible star entities, and virtually all large galaxies appear to contain them." The number varies from galaxy to galaxy. Certain small galaxies are deficient in globular clusters, apparently because nearby behemoths stripped them away. A decade ago, Hubble Space Telescope studies identified over 11,000 globulars in the Virgo galaxy group. Astronomers examined 100 galaxies, among the 2,000 galaxies in the group, and discovered that globular clusters are more common in areas where denser molecular clouds promote more star-formation. Speaking of M-87, the most massive galaxy in the bunch, a NASA news release says, "Many of M87's star clusters may have been snatched from smaller galaxies that ventured too close to it." The statement quotes Eric Peng of Peking University, Beijing, China the lead author of the study saying, "We found few or no globular clusters in galaxies within 130,000 light-years from M87, suggesting the giant galaxy stripped the smaller ones of their star clusters." The other galaxies' loss was M-87's gain. M-87 has an estimated 15,000 globular clusters; the supermassive galaxy has a superabundance of ancient star collections. Until now, estimates of the distance to globular clusters in our galaxy were based on color and luminosity, comparing these to properties of stars nearer the solar system. The calculation could not be precise because of unknowns such as the amount of dust between Earth and the globulars. NASA says this caused uncertainties of 10 to 20 percent. On April 4, the agency announced it had made the first direct measurement of the distance to a globular cluster, using geometric measurements of the minute difference in angles between one of the closest globulars and Hubble from different points of the space telescope's orbit. The result: NGC 6397, the globular cluster, is 7,800 light-years away, plus or minus 3 percent. Knowing the distance, luminosity, color and other factors concerning the cluster's stars, scientists were able to pinpoint its age at 13.4 billion years, not much younger than the universe itself. A 2013 report pegs the age of the universe at 13.8 billion years. Globular clusters, either formed in place or stolen from other galaxies, are remnants of the early universe. NASA's April 4 release explains, "These spherical, densely packed swarms of hundreds of thousands of stars are the first homesteaders of the Milky Way." 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The Trump administration had placed taxes on EU steel and aluminum in 2018 on the claim that the foreign products produced by American allies were a threat to U.S. Read Article Have you ever checked-in to your flight early, carefully studied the seat-map and chosen the best seat in the house? Have you also sat down smugly in your pew of choice; only to realise you misread the map, booked the wrong side of the exit row, and are now stuck next to the toilets in a seat that wont recline? No? Thats coolI was just asking for a friend. Anyway, if you are keen to avoid that 100% hypothetical situation, check out this guide to the best and worst places to sit in economy on a domestic Australian flight. Qantas Airbus 330-200 Sure, the Qantas Airbus 330-200 economy seats come with 31 inches of recline and a width of 17.5 inches (and the food is complementary), but lets be real: economy is economy. A few inches here and there wont make or break a trip. Getting sat next to the constantly-in-demand toilet will. That and a good glass of Chardonnay. Also: legroom. Need we say more? Picking a good seat is arguably more important than picking a good airline. And unlike some other airlines, on Qantas domestic flights, its free! Considering the Airbus 330-200 is one of Qantas domestic staples (i.e. if you book a few flights in Australia youll end up on it at some point), its handy to know the best places to sit. Normally this takes a few bouts of trial and error. Luckily for you, weve tuned in to SeatGuru to share the secrets only frequent flyers know. Heres a breakdown of the seats of interest. The Seats To Get Row 44: Extra legroom; it is the highly coveted exit row. Row 57: Yes, its near the toilets, but if you are a serial food muncher this row gives you easy access to the snack-laden galley. The Seats To Avoid Row 23: Avoid booking in row 23 if possible; it may have restricted legroom due to the bulkhead. The only upside here is you have nobody in front of you. Row 39: This row of seats is near the toilets so unless youre a fan of air freshener and other smells give this one a miss. 53D & 53G: Unless you enjoy being elbowed awake every time someone misjudges the gap between you and row 54, dont book seats 53D or 53G. 54D, 54E and 54F: Due to the misalignment with the seats in front, if you end up in these seats, you will have slightly restricted leg and storage space. Qantas Boeing 737-800 The Qantas 737-800 is a smaller aircraft than the Airbus 330-200. But the potential to score a great seat (or languish miserably in a poorly chosen one) is even greater. The 33 seat layout is not for everyone however there are a few gems on this little city flier. Its often traversing the skies between Sydney and Melbourne, so if you live in either of the nations unofficial capitals, knowing this planes seat-map by heart is just as important as knowing Sydneys coolest bars or Melbournes best barbers. The Seats To Get Row 4 is the pick of the bunch; its the only seat on the plane that provides extra legroom with no drawbacks. You do however need to be Qantas Platinum or Chairmans Lounge to pre book these. The best you can hope for is asking the desk nicely before departure (alternatively you can pay $20 to secure an additional legroom seat). Row 13 Limited recline; but extra legroom, which somewhat makes up for it. Row 14 Extra legroom, but less cushioning, and can get cold as they are near the planes exit. The Seats To Avoid 9A and 9F are seats to avoid if you are a fan of the view (they are windowless). 10A and 10F A tight squeeze for the bodybuilders among us, featuring a misaligned window and reduced shoulder room. Row 12 This one will keep the chiropractors busy; it doesnt recline. Back Row: limited recline and near the toilets. Boooo! Qantas Boeing 717-200 The Qantas 717-200 is another smaller jet, which is part of the QantasLink service and is often used between Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. Bonus: being part of the QantasLink gives you access to Qantas points and status credits, seamless connections, 24/7 online booking and the option to check in via mobile phone. The Seats To Get Row 4: This is a coveted extra legroom zone, but if you want to reserve it youll have to pay $20 upfront, and it normally sells out quick. Get in early and your legs will thank you. Row 13: Limited recline; but extra legroom, which somewhat makes up for it. Row 14: Extra legroom, but as per row 4 you may have to pay extra for it. The Seats To Avoid Row 12: Limited recline. 22A &22C: Last row of the plane, limited recline, near toilet. 23D, 23E & 23F: Last row of the plane on the other side of the aisle, limited recline, near toilets. Jetstar Airbus A320 The Airbus A320 boasts the widest cabin of any single-aisle aircraft in the sky, and can hold up to 180 passengers. But how many of them will travel with leg cramps? Read on to find out. In all seriousness, if you book a Jetstar flight, chances are you will be on this Airbus, so brush up on your aisle-atomy Yes: choosing your own seat costs about $8 (assuming youve booked a starter fare) but its definitely worth it. And to secure an exit row seat youre looking at an extra $25. The Seats To Get Seats 1B and 1C: The pick of the lot, these seats have extra legroom and no drawbacks (1A almost makes the cut, but the exit door protrudes into some of its space). Row 13: Book here if you canexit row with extra legroom and no drawbacks. Like the front, it comes at an extra fee. The Seats To Avoid 1D, 1E and 1F: Fools gold: From a regular seat map they appear to be an exit row with extra legroom. They are not. They actually have limited legroom due to the position of the bulkhead. Row 11: These seats may have limited recline (row 12 has extra legroom but similarly limited recline). Virgin Boeing 737-800 The Virgin Boeing 737-800 fits 176 passengers: but only those with the inside info will be on the best seats. To make sure you are one of them, so that you can arrive in Perth you can windsurf with the great whites (or swill wine with the in-lawswhichever you find less intimidating), 100% refreshed. Or if your travels bring you to Brisbane you can stroll the South Bank without lower back pain and a stiff set of knees. The Seats To Get Row 13: This is one of the most sought after exit rows with extra legroom and super comfy seats. However you will have to pay extra to sit here as it is classified as Economy X. Row 14: Same as above part of Economy X but well worth the splurge. The Seats To Avoid Seat 9A: Unless youre a troglodyte you wont like this seat (no window). Virgin Boeing 737-700 Unless youre willing to pay for an upgrade to Economy X, youre going to struggle to find any sneaky extra legroom in the Virgin Boeing 737-700. That said, its still worth knowing where to avoid. After all: you dont want to rock up to the Australian Open (or Darwins national parks) after a stressful flight. If youre not going to treat yourself to Economy X, at least dont book a seat next to the toilets. The Seats To Get Economy X: they have turned the exit rows into their version of premium economy. The Seats To Avoid Back Row: Near the toilets and galley. TigerAir Airbus A320 Although this is a single aisle plane there are a fair few seat options! Unlike some of the other planes on this list, the TigerAir Airbus A320 is more than a pocket-rocket. Despite its size it still zips around everywhere like one though! Whether you are on a business trip to Melbourne or a Barossa Valley wine tour in South Australia you could end up on one of theseso make it worth your while. The Seats To Get Row 1: Extra legroom due to the position of the bulkhead. Row 13: Extra legroom due to it being an exit row. The Seats To Avoid Row 11: Located in front of an exit row so it may not recline. Row 30: Limited recline, close to the toilets. TigerAir Boeing 737-800 TigerAir Australias Boeing 737-800 has a 180 seat capacity with 42 Extra Leg Room seats, 30 Up Front seats and 108 regular Economy seats. Smaller than the Airbus but with newer upholstery, the TigerAir 737-800 is a nifty jet. To get the optimal experience make the most of selecting your own seat online. Choose wisely. The Seats To Get Seats 15A 15F: They come with more legroom, but youll probably have to pay extra to book these seats. The Seats To Avoid 13A 13F: Limited recline due to the exit row behind it. 30A 30F: Limited recline and next to the toilets. RELATED: How To Travel Calmly & Comfortably In Economy UN offers help as worst Kerala floods kill 324, cause Rs20,000-crore loss The United nations has offered help in tackling the flood situation in Kerala if a formal request is made and said it was monitoring the situation, after the worst flood in a century killed over 324 and caused losses of an estimated Rs20,000 crore, including crops worth Rs8,000 crore and property worth several thousand crore. ''The UN is saddened by the loss of life, destruction and displacement caused by the floods in India's Kerala, which is the worst flooding in about 100 years,'' UN chief's spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said. Replying to a question, the spokesperson said that India has so far not asked for the UN assistance in tackling the floods in Kerala. ''There has been no request for help,'' he said adding, "as you know that India has quite a well-operating machinery to deal with natural disasters." "But, of course, our country team I have been in touch with our Resident Coordinator (Yuri Afanasiev)... they are following closely, they are in touch with partners on the ground," he said. Meanwhile, a fresh red alert was sounded in 13 of the 14 districts in the state as all nine flood monitoring stations of the Central Water Commission notified extreme flood situation. NGOs have joined 52 teams of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard and NDRF in relief and rescue operations in flood-ravaged Kerala but the efforts proved too little on Thursday as the scale of the disaster unfolded. Pathanamthitta district continued to remain the worst-affected over the last 24 hours with thousands of people stranded at their homes in Ranni, Aranmula and Kozhencherry towns. Water levels in several parts of Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam and Thrissur districts rose to as high as 20 feet, turning streets into deep lakes, forcing rescuers to deploy inflatable boats to evacuate people. Damage to crops and properties across the state is estimated to be over Rs20,000 crore. CM Pinarayi Vijayan spoke to PM Modi and other central leaders again on Thursday to request more help. After a meeting of the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) earlier in the day, the centre decided to send 35 more NDRF teams, comprising nearly 1,000 personnel. The first 12 teams will reach Kerala. The rest 23 teams are being sent gradually. The teams are equipped to assist state government authorities in launching quick relief, rescue, medical aid and food distribution tasks in both daytime and at night, news agency PTI quoted NDRF director general Sanjay Kumar as saying. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also arrived in Kerala on Friday night to review the situation in flood-hit areas in Kerala. He arrived in Kochi on Saturday morning to undertake an aerial survey of the affected areas and review the relief and rescue operations being carried out there. PM announces Rs500-cr immediate relief to flood-ravaged Kerala Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting to review the flood situation in Kerala with state chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, union minister KJ Alphons and other officials and announced an immediate relief of Rs500 crore for the marooned state. The PMs scheduled aerial survey of the flood-affected areas of the state, which had to be called off initially due to bad weather, was resumed later as the weather cleared. PM Modi had reached the state capital Thiruvananthapuram on Friday evening to take stock of the flood situation. The floods, the worst in a century for the state, has left at least 324 dead and over 3 lakh people displaced. Help started pouring in from within and outside the country, with the United Aram Emirates (UAE) announcing a committee to help flood-hit areas of the state, a report said. The people of Kerala have always been and are still part of our success story in the UAE. We have a special responsibility to help and support those affected, especially during this holy and blessed days, UAE ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum tweeted Meanwhile, relief and rescue agencies mounted what they said was their toughest and most comprehensive operation in Kerala, with more men, material and equipment coming in on Friday. But despite more men and machines, thousands are still stranded without food, water or medicine, many in misery and pitiable conditions and huddled together over roofs / terraces and exposed to the elements. Among them are infants, pregnant women, the aged and sick, with requests of help pouring in over social media and through media houses even as mobile phones ran out of charge. The worst-affected area are in Central Kerala Chalakkudi in Thrissur district, Aluva and Ernakulam in Ernakulam district, Chengannur in Alappuzha district Aaranmula in Pathanamthitta district and Idukki, the origin of all misery. Most roads in the state, including national highways and state highways are blocked for traffic due to landslides and flood waters. The gravity of the flood situation can be measured by the fact that torrential rains have forced authorities to open 80 dams that left at least 324 dead and sent 223,139 people to about 1500+ relief camps. Till now, 42 Navy, 16 Army, 28 Coast Guard and 39 National Disaster Relief Force teams were engaged in rescue operations. Another 14 NDRF teams are expected to reach shortly. The military has pushed in more than 200 boats. Another four aircraft and three Coast Guard ships have also been brought in. Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has announced Rs25 crore immediate financial help to the rain-hit state. He has also asked for water purifying machines worth Rs2.5 crore to be sent to Kerala. Earlier in the day, PM Modi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had a telephonic conversation with CM Vijayan. Flood water from the Periyar River and its tributaries has submerged many towns in Ernakulam and Thrissur. An emergency situation has developed in Alapuzha, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Pathanamthitta districts, where roads have become completely submerged. Thousands of people are still perched on trees and rooftops, waiting to be rescued. Telecom operators had announced free calls and data, extension in bill payment due dates and other relief measures for subscribers in Kerala. "To help you stay in touch with your loved ones and remain connected, we are extending a complimentary 7 days unlimited voice & data pack to you," Jio said in a message sent to customers. DGCA asks domestic airlines to cap maximum air fares to Kerala The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has urged domestic airlines to operate additional flights to and from Kerala with a cap on the maximum fare. It has asked airlines operating the Delhi-Kerala route to keep prices under Rs10,000, in view of the current flood situation. The aviation regulator has asked airlines to cap the maximum fare to around Rs10,000 on longer routes and to around Rs8,000 on shorter routes to and from Kerala and nearby airports, following reports of airlines making a killing taking advantage of the grave situation. The advisory came as the state reeled under torrential rain and the worst floods in a century which left the state with only two operational civil airports at Thiruvananthapuram and Calicut. Operations at the Cochin airport have been suspended till 26 August. "Scheduled domestic airlines have also been advised to ensure that air fares for flights to or from Trivandrum and Calicut airports in Kerala and nearby airports, ie, Mangalore and Coimbatore, are kept at optimal level proportionate to sector distance so that travelling public is not inconvenienced," the ministry of civil aviation said in a statement issued on Friday. "In addition, DGCA is constantly monitoring air fares on 32 direct routes operating to or from Trivandrum, Calicut, Coimbatore and Mangalore," the statement said. "Spike in airfare on a few routes have been observed. Concerned airlines have been advised to cap the airfare on these flights." On Thursday, minister of commerce and industry and civil aviation Suresh Prabhu tweeted: "We have advised airlines to be more sensitive to situation arising out of #KeralaFlooding & keep airfares in check. It's a humanitarian cause. Thx to all for agreeing with my suggestions to carry free of charge the #KeralaFloodRelief related material. All efforts ongoing for relief." A day ago, minister of statistics and programme implementation D V Sadananda Gowda had tweeted: "Private Airlines are at a money making Shame!! Today Mangalore to Bengaluru ticket rate sky-rocketed to Rs 18,000. This route's average rate is never more than Rs 4,000. It's time to introduce more flights @jayantsinha." The monsoon fury has hit different parts of Western Ghats, including districts of Kerala and adjoining areas in Karnataka. IoT can boost classroom learning and bridge gender divide Researchers from the School of Engineering and Digital Arts (EDA) worked in primary schools in northern Thailand to test how a specially designed Internet of Educational Things (IoET) device could improve both active learning engagement and outcomes. To do this the researchers, led by Dr Jim Ang and PhD student Pruet Putjorn, developed a bespoke IoET platform called OBSY (Observation Learning System) that featured several components, such as a light reader and temperate monitor, which could then send data wirelessly to tablet computers the children had already been provided with by the Thai government. The OBSY device was designed to be as 'friendly' looking as possible, akin to a toy, to encourage curiosity in children as prior research had shown more typical-looking technological devices put children off and created learning anxieties. The device was then used as a key part of three different classroom experiments: studying the growth of mould in different conditions, learning about the different factors that influence the growth of mushrooms and seeing how much light can pass through different objects. Students using the OBSY tool were able to carry out these experiments in a variety of ways, such as using its camera to take photos or videos and compare them, monitoring changes in temperature in the objects being studied or measuring the amount of light passing through an object. They were then able to see this information, which had been sent directly from the OBSY, on graphs and other visual displays on their tablets, helping to improve their understanding of how different conditions led to different results. From this the researchers were able to show that the children using the OBSY tool had markedly higher learning engagement and crucially improved learning outcomes than that of a control class that did the same experiments but without access to the OBSY platform. Furthermore, the feedback also showed that gender, age and prior use of technology had no impact on learning outcomes, underlining its educational potential. In particular, the positive feedback by both males and females to the OBSY platform demonstrates that, despite previous studies suggesting boys are more receptive to technology-based learning, it is possible to design tools and platforms that can be used equally well by both sexes. Lead researcher Pruet Putjorn says, "The experiment with OBSY proves the potential for IoET devices across a wide variety of age ranges and could help with other deployments of similar systems in schools to help with the educational development of young children." Wheat code finally cracked; wheat genome sequence will bring stronger varieties to farmers Kansas State University scientists, in collaboration with the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium, published today in the international journal Science a detailed description of the complete genome of bread wheat, the world's most widely-cultivated crop. This work will pave the way for the production of wheat varieties better adapted to climate challenges, with higher yields, enhanced nutritional quality and improved sustainability. The article is titled Shifting the limits in wheat research and breeding using a fully annotated reference genome. The research article authored by more than 200 scientists from 73 research institutions in 20 countries presents the reference genome of the bread wheat variety Chinese Spring. The DNA sequenceordered along the 21 wheat chromosomes is the highest-quality genome sequence produced to date for wheat. It is the result of 13 years of collaborative international research and the support of the National Science Foundation, Kansas farmers and many others. "It is a dream come true for Kansas wheat farmers, who were the first to invest in the wheat genome sequencing project and were pivotal in rallying US wheat farmers in support of the wheat genome sequencing project," says Bikram Gill, distinguished professor emeritus of plant pathology at Kansas State University who organized the first National Science Foundation and US Department of Agriculture-sponsored workshop planning meeting on wheat genome sequencing in Washington, DC, in 2003. A key crop for food security, wheat is the staple food of more than a third of the global human population and accounts for almost 20 per cent of the total calories and protein consumed by humans worldwide, more than any other single food source. It also serves as an important source of vitamins and minerals. Kansas farmers grow an average of 340 million bushels of wheat each year, but acres planted to wheat have dropped dramatically over the past decade, from 10 million acres to fewer than 8 million. To meet future demands of a projected world population of 9.6 billion by 2050, wheat productivity needs to increase by 1.6 per cent each year. To preserve biodiversity, water and nutrient resources, the majority of this increase has to be achieved via crop and trait improvement on land currently cultivated, rather than committing new land to cultivation. In order for farmers to dedicate these precious resources to wheat production rather than production of other crops, wheat farming must become profitable. With the reference genome sequence now completed, breeders have at their fingertips new tools to address global challenges. They will be able to more rapidly identify genes and regulatory elements underlying complex agronomic traits such as yield, grain quality, resistance to fungal diseases and tolerance to physical stress and produce hardier wheat varieties. "Completion of the sequence is a landmark event that will serve as a critical foundation for future wheat improvement," says Allan Fritz, Kansas State University professor of agronomy and wheat breeder. "It is the key to allowing efficient, real-time integration of relevant genetics, making the selection process more efficient it's a turbocharger for wheat breeding." It is expected that the availability of a high-quality reference genome sequence will boost wheat improvement over the next decades, with benefits similar to those observed with maize and rice after their reference sequences were produced. "Kansas wheat farmers have been supporting the wheat genome sequencing efforts through the Kansas Wheat Commission's wheat assessment since the establishment of the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium in 2005, with a cumulative amount of nearly a quarter of a million dollars," says Justin Gilpin, chief executive officer for Kansas Wheat. "The sequence of the bread wheat genome has already had a positive effect on wheat improvement, which not only affects the science behind wheat breeding, but has a long-lasting positive outcome in regard to wheat producer productivity, profitability and, ultimately, livelihoods." Sequencing the bread wheat genome was long considered an impossible task because of its enormous size five times larger than the human genome and complexity bread wheat has three sub-genomes and more than 85 percent of the genome is composed of repeated elements. "It is exciting to be a part of this landmark achievement," says Jesse Poland, associate professor at Kansas State University and director of the Wheat Genetics Resource Center and the US Agency for International Development Innovation Lab for Applied Wheat Genomics. "This international effort, toward something that was once deemed impossible, will have tremendous impact on wheat in Kansas, and the world." The impact of the wheat reference sequence has already been significant in the scientific community, as exemplified by the publication on the same date of six additional publications describing and using the reference sequence resource, one appearing in the same issue of Science, one in Science Advances and four in Genome Biology. In addition, more than 100 publications crediting the reference sequence have been published since the resource was made available to the scientific community in January 2017. "We are extensively using the new reference sequence for more informed molecular breeding," Poland says . "It is really having a big impact." In addition to the sequence of the 21 chromosomes, the Science article also presents the precise location of 107,891 genes and of more than 4 million molecular markers, as well as sequence information between the genes and markers containing the regulatory elements influencing the expression of genes. The International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium achieved this result by combining the resources it generated over the last 13 years using classic physical mapping methods and the most recent DNA sequencing technologies; the sequence data were assembled and ordered along the 21 chromosomes using highly efficient algorithms, and genes were identified with dedicated software programs. All consortium reference sequence resources are publicly available at its data repository at URGI-INRA Versailles and at other international scientific databases such as GrainGenes and Ensembl Plants. The International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium, with 2,400 members in 68 countries, is an international, collaborative consortium, established in 2005 by a group of wheat growers, plant scientists, and public and private breeders. The goal of the consortium is to make a high-quality genome sequence of bread wheat publicly available, in order to lay a foundation for basic research that will enable breeders to develop improved varieties. You worked on Prospecting Ocean for three years. How did it start and how did it develop? It began with an invitation from the foundation Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary, whose TBA21 Academy brings together artists, researchers and thinkers. Here, the aim was to investigate the oceans' health. The first trip was to Papua New Guinea with the curator Ute Meta Bauer. The results of this expedition were presented in Kingston, Jamaica. There, Davor Vidas, a research professor in international law and a member of the Anthropocene Working Group (a group of scientists dedicated to analysing the technological saturation of our planet), introduced me to the International Seabed Authority, which organises, regulates and controls all mineral-related activities in the international seabed area that are beyond the limits of national jurisdiction. Visiting its headquarters in Kingston, I gained insight into how the ocean's resources are managed both in national and international waters, and how legislation has developed for the mining of the seabed. As a basis for the exhibition, I took Anthropocene Observatory, an installation I created in 2013-2014 with Anselm Franke, John Palmesino and Ann-Sofi Ronnskog. It was produced by Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin. I proposed that TBA21 Academy develop a project with the same themes, trying to understand how scientific institutions, legal agencies and local activists operate, and what stances they adopt. An institution I wished to collaborate with was the Ismar Institute of Marine Sciences in Venice, which made it possible to set up this exhibition precisely in its former laboratories. The spaces currently house the Institute's historical archives, while the laboratories have moved to new headquarters at the Arsenale. In the former laboratories, our subject matter, which risks coming across as abstract and distant, unites perfectly with the traces of scientific activity and the historical materials that the Institute allowed us to use. Under the curatorship of Stefanie Hessler, we asked the scientists to select elements from the archive that would connect historically to the content of the show. Every skill Jason Black ever learned merged at crucial points during his momentous climb of the notorious mountain K2 to make his expedition a success. Jason Black recently became the second Irish man in history to complete the infamous climb which has claimed the lives of many who attempted the cruel mountain-face before him. Errigal, Elbrus and Everest were among the climbs that led to the endurance athlete setting his sights on what can undisputedly be described as the holy grail of peaks among hardened climbers. The entire expedition lasted a biblical forty days for Jason and his team of climbers. The skills of Jason's youth combined with a superior level of fitness and a healthy mental attitude were all factors which contributed to the climb being favourable. During the K2 expedition, Jason carried a compass with him from his days of being a boy scout. In 1983, he and a team of boys proudly reached the peak of Carrauntoohil. This moment marked the first of many achievements in Jason's life. In later years, mornings and evenings were spent, in the begining, in Dunlewey and in Glenveagh enjoying the rewards that nature presents those who strive towards greater heights in the great outdoors. Over the years his appetite for greater climbs increased and he set his sights on the most challenging climbs the earth's peaks could offer him. This was the second time that Jason attempted K2. In 2015, his journey was brought to an abrupt end when an avalanche destroyed his equipment. He recalled walking away with a heavy heart that fateful day. It is said among climbers that you should never look back at K2 but Jason did just that, and it was in this moment his decision to come back and conquer the savage was forged. On his return to K2, Jason was steeled to complete his journey not only for himself but in memory of the great Irish climber Ger McDonnell who had been the first man to summit K2 but tragically lost his life on the descent. Jason will say that Ger was his guiding torch on the difficult parts of his climb. Having met the late Mr McDonnell's family Jason felt that he was not climbing alone, he was climbing in the footsteps of the Limerick man and despite the fact that these footsteps had faded, for Jason a stronger and greater connection willed them together on his epic journey. k2 is eight miles vertical. Each corner, each step brings you closer to a summit but they are not without their perils. On reaching the top, Jason felt that his stars had aligned. There was a feeling of success and elation. He recalls how he and his team spent 25 minutes on the peak and he came off oxygen. At that moment in time, Jason said that he felt strong. However an overwhelming sensation came over the Letterkenny man to bring it home. He remembers calling on Ger McDonnell to help him make his return journey. He describes the begining of that descent as frightening as he looked onto a sheet of black ice - raw emotion rushed through his body as he digested the thought that this is where most people lose their life. From that moment on, Jason and his team battled downward to get beyond the zone where avalanches are a very real possibility. Jason couldn't relax in camp 4, he was conscious that a wall of snow sweeping through the region was still very much a reality. His sentiment remained the same in camp 3, he stopped, made soup, ate flat bread and kept going until he was content that he was out of dangers way. He has dedicated his climb to his children and has thanked his wife Sharon for being a rock of support to him during his climb. Jason believes that his greatest achievement can now be felt by relaying his message to children aged between 15 and 17 at secondary schools. His message is one that is strong and positive. He urges people to use what they perceive to be negatives as positives when facing into a challenge. Jason believes that difficulties can be better utilised as a positive force rather than being used as a negative force or energy. He encourages people not to allow obstacles to stand between them and their dreams. He tells people to use hardship to fuel your ambition and drive. He tells people not to be afraid of failure and to continue to pursue what they want in life despite opposition: Pursue your dreams, he urges. A team from Donegal Tourism along with representatives from Harveys Point, and the Waterfront Hotel, in Dungloe and Donegal Airport are on a trade mission to US. The delegation is meeting major American Tour Operators and Irish Diaspora in three US states, including the largest Irish ethnic festival in the world in Milwaukee. The week-long trip takes in the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and Milwaukee. These events will provide the delegation with an opportunity to cement the links that exist between parts of the US and Donegal. Each of the three events will consist of an evening of celebration of all that is Donegal, with members of the tourism team meeting with some of Americas major tour operators providing them with first-hand accounts and information about Donegal. In the lead up to this promotional campaign, Donegal Tourism has been working closely with Tourism Ireland in these cities to build connections with tour operators and significant stakeholders within the industry that can open up new routes and packages aimed specifically at people who may wish to visit Donegal over the coming years. Donegal Tourism has also invite the Irish diaspora living or working in in these regions to participate in the celebrations. In Milwaukee the delegation will to host an area at the Irish Fest which is a festival to promote and celebrate all aspects of Irish American and Celtic Cultures and attracts over 130,000 attendees. The Irish Fest is primarily a music festival, but there is also a focus on Irish heritage and culture with a section devoted to travel to Ireland. The festival features separate areas highlighting travel, genealogy, Irish theatre, culture and heritage. For three days Donegal Tourism will host and area at the festival promoting Donegal and all its glory. The trip is supported by Tourism Ireland. 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. The creative work of the pupils of four Donegal primary schools are on display as part of National Heritage Week in Limerick City from Saturday, 18th to Saturday, 25th August. Hosted by the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland (DCCoI), Making Places is a public showcase of the work from the DCCoI primary schools progamme CRAFTed, and includes that of pupils from Scoil Chartha Naofa in Kilcar who worked with fashion designer Aoife Thomas; St. Baithins N.S. in Lifford with weaver Johnny Shiels;Rockfield N.S. in Ballyshannon with fashion designer Aoife Thomas; and Scoil Mhuire, Belcruit in Kincasslagh with ceramics/digital media maker Kim Sharkey. The showcase will open in Narrative4, Limerick City today (Saturday, 18th August) with drop-in activities taking place from 12 noon to 4pm on that day. The showcase itself will run at the venue each day until Saturday, 25th August. As part of the European Year of Cultural Heritage (EYCH), schools across Ireland who took part in the CRAFTed programme had the option to respond to the theme, Making Places: Sharing Heritage. The work of 24 primary schools from across Ireland, from Ballyshannon in Donegal down to Bere Island in West Cork, will form the basis for a showcase of creativity and young craftsmanship. The pieces produced explore heritage, craft skills and stories. CRAFTed is DCCoIs national primary school programme which is run in partnership with the Association of Teachers/Education Centres in Ireland (ATECI). The programme aims to provide skills for life through positive, collaborative and joyful engagement with craft and design processes. Where is Narrative4? Narrative4 is located in the old Limerick library building at 58 OConnell Street, a fitting venue as the theme for Heritage Week 2018 is Sharing Stories. A number of events will take place in the space for the duration of the week, including an object story exchange led by Narrative4, and craft- and design-based workshops with local makers ceramic artist Mary Conroy and silversmith Fergus Grant Stevenson. These workshops embrace discovery, creativity and experimentation. All events are free of charge. John Tynan, Head of Education, Training & Development at DCCoI, commented: We are very excited to showcase the work produced on our primary schools programme CRAFTed. The creativity and imagination of the pupils who took part is truly inspiring and we hope that many people will get the opportunity to visit the showcase and take part in our workshops. Heritage Week is a great opportunity to try new things, find out more about Irelands heritage and make connections with new people and stories. DCCoI is also delighted to be partnering on this showcase with Narrative4. Coordinated by The Heritage Council, National Heritage Week runs from 18th to 26th August when over 570,000 people are expected to participate in over 2,000 heritage events around the country. One of the highlights of the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018, this years Heritage Week will also include many activities which explore and celebrate connections with our European neighbours and promote a sense of belonging to a common European space. For a full listing of all National Heritage Week events around the country, visit www.heritageweek.ie Hundreds of people, many of them from Donegal, joined a march in Sligo in protest at the closure of post offices in the region. As in Donegal, where 13 post offices, one of those in Dunkineely, are or will close shortly, counties Sligo and Leitrim have also their share of closures in the pipeline. 21 post offices in the North West region in total will close. Local communities have already shown their opposition to the move with over a thousand people turning out to public meetings in Gurteen, Ballinfull and Dunkineely in the past week. Marchers gathered in Sligo today to send out a message in opposition to the closures and what is seen as another attack on rural Ireland. The protesters gathered on Connaughton Road and marched behind a banner with he words 'Save our Post Offices' to the GPO on OConnell Street in Sligo Town. Public representatives came from Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim and Mayo. Vanessa Clarke from Muintir na Tire told the gathering: "People are having to travel for miles and miles to access services. We need to make sure that we, in the west of Ireland and in other rural communities, get exactly what we deserve." As the MS Readathon enters a new era with the 31st annual campaign approaching, Multiple Sclerosis Ireland is thanking the young readers in County Louth who took part last year in the sponsored reading initiative to raise funds for vital services supporting people with Multiple Sclerosis. Young readers in County Louth joined almost 10,000 students across Ireland in the MS Readathon. The 31st MS Readathon 2018 will open for sign up in September, ahead of the reading month which will run from 12 October until 12 November 2018. Please visit www.msreadathon.ie to find out more. MS Ireland encourages schools and individual readers at home to sign up and make this new era in MS Readathon another great success. Ava Battles, Chief Executive of MS Ireland, expresses gratitude on behalf of the MS community, for the efforts of young readers in County Louth, commenting: The MS Readathon has now reached its 31st year marking a new era for the sponsored reading initiative. "This is supported by students, teachers and families locally as well as our libraries and bookshops. "The 31st MS Readathon will again encourage children to read while also raising vital funds to help people living with Multiple Sclerosis and their families. Irelands authors and illustrators are great supporters of the MS Readathon each year. They include Sarah Webb, Cecelia Ahern, Oisin McGann, PJ Lynch, Nicola Pierce, Judi Curtin, Alan Early, Matt Griffin, Sheila OFlanagan, Claudia Carroll, Marisa Mackle, and Pauline McLynn. They will share their advice on reading during the campaign. MS Readathons story began in 1988 when the well-loved childrens author Roald Dahl launched the first ever campaign. More than 9,000 people are living with MS in Ireland, with thousands more family members affected. Multiple Sclerosis, meaning many scars, is the most common neurological disease of young adults in Ireland. MS affects the motor, sensory and cognitive functioning of the body and is usually diagnosed between 20 and 40 years of age. There is currently no known cause or cure for the condition. MS symptoms include impaired mobility and vision, severe fatigue and cognitive difficulties. Three times more women than men are diagnosed with MS. Multiple Sclerosis Ireland is the only national services, information and advocacy organisation supporting people with MS and their families. Funds raised by young readers around the country directly support vital services, for example the MS Ireland Information Line, enabling one-to-one support for those newly diagnosed, physiotherapy and exercise classes to help people with MS remain independent, and respite care. To increase awareness about Multiple Sclerosis for young readers, MS schools ambassadors, people living with MS visit their local schools and talk about the complexity of the condition and the nature of relapses, or attacks when MS symptoms flare up. Young readers can get their reading lists ready by checking the 2018 lists on www.msreadathon.ie featuring great books for kids from the new to the classics. For participating schools around the country, the 31st MS Readathon will provide: Information leaflets, stickers and posters for each class A reading certificate for each participant Many fantastic rewards and prize draws Up to 10 per cent of funds raised by each participating school may go towards the individual school Here are the contact details to get involved with the 31st MS Readathon 2018: Telephone: 01 678 1600 Email: read@msreadathon.ie Visit: www.msreadathon.ie For more information on MS and MS Ireland, visit www.ms-society.ie, call the information line on 1850 233 233 or email info@ms-society.ie. Enterprise IT Lead Generation Services Fuel Your Pipeline. Close More Deals. Our full-service marketing programs deliver sales-ready leads. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee! Learn more. The City of Sunrise Firefighters' Pension Fund recently filed a lawsuit alleging that Oracle executives lied about the company's successes in the cloud and engaged in coercion and threats to sell its cloud products, "creating an unsustainable model that fell apart." I don't understand everything about the new lawsuit, as I am not an attorney. The plaintiff apparently is seeking class-action status for the suit. Oracle has called the suit meritless and said it would defend against it. The company might have a point, because unsustainable models emerge all the time, not as a result of malicious intent but as vagaries of the market. Deception or Pragmatism? While reviewing my notes from the March earnings call, which seems to have caused some of the consternation among the firefighters, I recalled thinking at the time that the company hadn't been doing very much in the cloud. I was surprised that so much of the company's cloud business was coming from net new customers, not the installed base. "Less than 15 percent of our on-premise applications customers have begun to migrate their applications to the cloud," co-CEO Mark Hurd said in the earnings announcement. "As the other 85 percent of our applications customers start to move their applications to the Cloud, we have a huge opportunity in front of us. We expect to more than double the size of our SaaS business very quickly." To my recollection, during the subsequent call Hurd was insistent that the cloud revenues represented net new business that did not come from the installed base. Clearly, the company expected to ramp up its cloud business with its installed base, but just as clearly, it lacked a good deal of the public infrastructure it needed to make that happen. For a company accustomed to reporting in terms of billions of dollars, the outlier line item was this: "Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) revenues were up 28 percent to (US)$415 million. Total Cloud Revenues were up 32 percent to $1.6 billion." If memory serves, at the time there were just three data centers deployed to handle the cloud business. There are more now, but there would need to be many more cloud data centers for Oracle to achieve its vision of moving its installed base to the cloud -- even if many of its largest enterprise customers decided to continue operating their own data centers in private clouds. That's why the $415 million number was so small. Lastly, Oracle was well aware of the heavy lift the transition to the cloud would be. On multiple occasions, Larry Ellison, Mark Hurd and others cautioned that the move could take a decade or more. All of this suggests to me that the company was not lying about its progress in moving to the cloud. If anything, I thought, it was being pragmatic. Arm Twisting On a related topic, the lawsuit claims that Oracle used coercion and threats of software audits to incentivize customers to move applications to the cloud. This is a more difficult situation to rationalize, because each case will be different. Each conversation between Oracle representatives and individual clients will cause individuals to take away different impressions. Did a representative try to twist an arm beyond what is commonplace in sales negotiations? It's hard to say. What's certain is that software audits didn't sprout from the ground a few months ago. They've been a part of the Oracle license agreements for a long time. Representatives of the company have told me that they perform a small number of audits relative to the size of the customer base (425,000-plus businesses) each year. Their purpose is to ensure compliance and to avoid mission creep in a deployment that avoids paying for additional use. Nobody likes that but it's reality. When a discrepancy is discovered between what's licensed and what's in use, several things can happen. A customer might be liable for back charges and new upfront charges for continuing a use pattern that varies from the agreed terms. Alternatively, the company might at its discretion offer to waive the charges if the business chooses to make a purchase to rectify the situation. To be sure, none of this is black and white. Many large businesses operate thousands of Oracle databases and applications, and the audit process likely will, on occasion, surprise all parties. There's no allegation of conscious theft in the process. It's also true that in the cloud, the gray areas that on-premises systems can be subject to, don't exist. Every configuration is specified, and the seats are allocated and paid for, so one of the big issues that drives audits doesn't exist. That means hosting a database on a computer that could support alternative uses of the software from what was licensed isn't prevalent. Many audits turn up questionable hosting but not actual use, which is part of the gray area problem. In such a situation, a reasonable person could imagine a conversation between Oracle and a customer that includes a statement like, "If you had these apps in the cloud, this wouldn't be a problem." That's not coercion. I'm not saying that did or didn't happen, only that it's a gray area. Analysts React Shortly after the earnings call, Gartner issued a negative opinion of Oracle's progress in migrating to the cloud, and on March 20, Oracle shares fell 9.4 percent causing the pension fund to lose money. We know that for sure, but we also know that earnings calls are full of forward-looking statements and safe harbor declarations that insulate vendors from errant predictions. We also know that the value of shares fluctuates in the open market based on numerous factors, including what a company says about its successes and failures and what others say too. Last Words Oracle's earnings numbers were solid in March, but the forward guidance was cautious, given such things as the need to build more cloud data centers and the delicate dance of moving on-premises enterprises to the cloud. I think it was the forward-looking statements about future earnings that troubled analysts and may have spooked investors, so I am not sure what the lawsuit hopes to prove. It's hard from this vantage point to say if Oracle did anything wrong. We can have our suspicions -- but it's also hard to believe that a company as big, savvy, and as well-lawyered as Oracle is could make the rookie mistakes alleged in the complaint. No one likes to lose money in the stock markets, but the reality is that it happens all the time, and everyone who enters that public space should keep that in mind. Denis Pombriant is a well-known CRM industry analyst, strategist, writer and speaker. His new book, You Can't Buy Customer Loyalty, But You Can Earn It, is now available on Amazon. His 2015 book, Solve for the Customer, is also available there. Email Denis. Too much plastic is ending up in the ocean and making its way back onto our dinner plates. . This special issue enquires into the landscape of Indian democracy as it unfolds today, seven decades after the beginning of Indias democratic life. The establishment of a new form of political dominance under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since 2014 has attracted much comment. Contributors look for the threads of historical continuity or change that provide deeper contextual understanding to navigate these more proximate changes in political fortunes. Do they represent long-term breaks? Are they undergirded by larger changes in society? And how will they, in turn, affect Indias social and institutional construct? To reconsider debates on Indias democracy at this potential hinge point, the articles reflect on the characterisation of the forms that political power takes in India, the changing substance of civil society, institutions of democratic accountability (such as federalism and parliamentarism), democratic values, and representations of inequalities in class and caste structures in political life.1 New Hegemony? HELP!!!!! I am fed up to my back teeth with trashy, flat pack kit furniture made of chipboard and a horror to try to assemble and which is not very robust when completed. Now in the UK there are a myriad of retail chains that sell ready assembled ready to use furniture such as Chests of Drawers (Commodes here in France), or Internet companies that make them and will deliver to your home. SURELY in a First World Industrialised Country such as France there must be similar stores or as i say direct sale via the Internet of solid, ready assembled furniture???? Now I realise that such items would be more expensive than flat pack and within reason I accept that as I do the fact that delivery here is often NOT inclusive of the purchase price, but i am NOT looking for expensive Craftsman made items or the likes of those sold in the UK by Waring and Gillow etc, just solid ready to use wooden furniture. Is there a supplier for such in the Toulouse area or who sells directly over the Internet or do I have to import the item I want from the UK and pay freight charges and as long as I do so before the Brexit not have to suffer Import Duties too? All information and assistance will be thankfully received and faithfully applied 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. From: American Evaluation Association (AEA) For Immediate Release: Dateline: Washington , DC Saturday, August 18, 2018 Sheila B Robinson, aea365s Lead Curator and sometimes Saturday contributor, and I have some questions for you today! Back in 2014, I published a similar post about AEAs Conference History page, and decided its time again to ask a few more questions. Hot Tip: Poke around AEAs website (or go directly to this 1.) Who was president of AEA in 1988? 2.) In what year was the AEA Annual Conference first held in Washington, DC? 3.) How many different US states and Canadian provinces have hosted the AEA conference? 4.) When was the conference theme: Evaluation and Social Justice? 5.) How many times has the AEA presidents first name been the same as that of a previous AEA president? 6.) Where will Evaluation 2020 be held? The answers are all there!* Cool Trick: Want to know about the sessions your favorite evaluator presented in any given year? Curious to see what the hot topics were when the conference theme was Evaluation Quality? Perhaps you have an idea about a new topic and wonder if anyone has presented on it before. Or, youre just learning something new about evaluation and want to see who the thought leaders on that topic appear to have been over the past few years, so you can follow up on their work or even network with them. You can access conference programs for the last 15 years from the Cooler trick: Want to know how the conference was evaluated and how it performed in any given year? How many evaluators attended in 2003? What do we know about them? How many were students, researchers, professors, or consultants? How many conferences had they attended before? Did they consider themselves novice or expert evaluators? What were their reactions to the conference in that year? Evaluation data and reports are available for several conference years. Rad Resource: AEAs Bonus Rad Resource: The page also includes links to the websites of the last 6 Summer Evaluation Institutes. Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the About AEA The American Evaluation Association is an international professional association and the largest in its field. Evaluation involves assessing the strengths and weaknesses of programs, policies, personnel, products and organizations to improve their effectiveness. AEAs mission is to improve evaluation practices and methods worldwide, to increase evaluation use, promote evaluation as a profession and support the contribution of evaluation to the generation of theory and knowledge about effective human action. For more information about AEA, visit www.eval.org. Hello! Im, aea365s Lead Curator and sometimes Saturday contributor, and I have some questions for you today! Back in 2014, I published a similar post about AEAs Conference History page, and decided its time again to ask a few more questions.Poke around AEAs website (or go directly to this link under the Events menu) and youll find some fascinating trivia about our annual conference. Perhaps some of these burning questions have kept YOU up at night. For instance1.) Who was president of AEA in 1988?2.) In what year was the AEA Annual Conference first held in Washington, DC?3.) How many different US states and Canadian provinces have hosted the AEA conference?4.) When was the conference theme: Evaluation and Social Justice?5.) How many times has the AEA presidents first name been the same as that of a previous AEA president?6.) Where will Evaluation 2020 be held?The answers are all there!*Want to know about the sessions your favorite evaluator presented in any given year? Curious to see what the hot topics were when the conference theme was Evaluation Quality? Perhaps you have an idea about a new topic and wonder if anyone has presented on it before. Or, youre just learning something new about evaluation and want to see who the thought leaders on that topic appear to have been over the past few years, so you can follow up on their work or even network with them. You can access conference programs for the last 15 years from the Conference History page for all of this information. Most are even searchable online!Want to know how the conference was evaluated and how it performed in any given year? How many evaluators attended in 2003? What do we know about them? How many were students, researchers, professors, or consultants? How many conferences had they attended before? Did they consider themselves novice or expert evaluators? What were their reactions to the conference in that year? Evaluation data and reports are available for several conference years.AEAs Conference History page: Everything you wanted to know about Evaluation 1986 Evaluation 2018, (33 years!) but were afraid to ask. (Well, perhaps not afraid)The page also includes links to the websites of the last 6 Summer Evaluation Institutes.*Except for this one: #3. I counted 17 different states plus Washington, DC, and two Canadian provinces.Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the aea365 webpage so that we may enrich our community of practice. Would you like to submit an aea365 Tip? Please send a note of interest to aea365@eval.org . aea365 is sponsored by the American Evaluation Association and provides a Tip-a-Day by and for evaluators. Former Army Spc. Yea Ji Sea, whose abrupt discharge two weeks ago at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston after 4 years of service left her vulnerable to deportation, learned Friday that shell become a U.S. citizen. Under pressure from a judge to speed a decision on a 2-year-old citizenship application, the Justice Department informed her attorneys that it had been approved and that her swearing-in ceremony will take place Friday in downtown Los Angeles. Right now, Im kind of numb, Sea told the San Antonio Express-News. Ive been fighting this for like a hot minute. I still cant believe this is happening. Sea, 29, came to the U.S. from South Korea with her parents when she was 9 and in 2013 joined the Army under a program that promised immigrants the chance at a fast track to citizenship. The Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest program dubbed MAVNI began in 2009 and allowed recruitment of noncitizens with skills critical to the needs of the military, including physicians, nurses and experts in certain foreign languages. Security concerns prompted its suspension during the Obama administration. President Donald Trump shut it down last year. The Army has said a review found that some MAVNI soldiers may have engaged in criminal activity that included making or possessing fraudulent student visas prior to being recruited and posed a significant counterintelligence security threat. But a RAND Corp. study could not estimate a security risk posed by troops in the program, finding no publicly available reports of MAVNI recruits engaging in terror-, sabotage- or espionage-related activities. The program, which brought in more than 10,000 recruits, most of them in the Army, was a good fit for Sea, who is fluent in Korean and English and who qualified as a health care specialist and became a combat medic. But even though she had re-enlisted six months earlier after serving four years, Sea was discharged Aug. 3. She had served in South Korea as an ambulance aid driver and was the only pharmacy technician for the Camp Casey Combined Troop Station, which served more than 1,800 soldiers. In her off hours, she had translated for doctors and helped care for injured soldiers. Seas dreams of staying in the Army while earning a bachelors degree and, ultimately, entering medical school were dashed by her discharge. I had a vision of what I wanted to be in the military, Sea said in an interview hours after she learned of the discharge. I wanted to be a doctor in the Army to help soldiers, to help victims of war. Her problems started with a citizenship application interview in 2014 during which she incorrectly stated that a date on a false form drawn up for her by a corrupt immigration agent was accurate. The government rejected her application, but she was allowed to apply again July 26, 2016, after demonstrating good moral character for at least a year. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit on her behalf after two years went by without government action. Sea feared arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as she left Fort Sam on the morning of her discharge, but she returned to her home in the Los Angeles area without incident. A Pentagon spokeswoman, Maj. Carla Gleason, said 2 out of 3 MAVNI candidates have passed lengthy security reviews in the application process but that over the life of the program, thousands who served in the active-duty military or as Army Reserve recruits awaiting their chance to go to basic training did not. Lawyers for some of them said the pace of discharges has increased in recent weeks. In San Antonio, another MAVNI soldier, Pfc. Alina Kaliuzhna, is at risk of being discharged and being forced to return to her native Ukraine. An Army Reserve recruit in Houston, Hembashima Sambe, joined a handful of others who signed up under MAVNI to file a class-action lawsuit in Washington, D.C., claiming that their discharges were in blatant violation of federal law. Sambe was discharged by the Army Recruiting Command, but the orders were never processed, meaning he remains in the reserve. The recruiting command revoked his discharge orders Aug. 8. Nobody knew about this until they filed this in court Monday, said Margaret Stock, his attorney, based in Anchorage, Alaska. The Pentagon has said no one in MAVNI or other military immigration programs has been deported. The Army recently decided to temporarily suspend discharge proceedings taken against MAVNI immigrants who had joined under the Delayed Entry and Delayed Training programs, but that action did not apply to Sea or Kaliuzhna. Sea and her ACLU attorneys went to court Tuesday in Los Angeles, demanding that the government act on the citizenship application she had filed more than two years ago. U.S. District Judge Michael Fitzgerald ordered the government to explain why it could not rule on Seas citizenship within three weeks. The Justice Department sent an email Friday afternoon to Seas lawyers informing them that her naturalization application had been approved, ACLU spokesman David Colker said. Her ACLU attorney, Sameer Ahmed, celebrated the sudden turn of events, saying that while it shouldnt have taken a lawsuit for Sea to get her U.S. citizenship, we are glad the government has made good on its promise under its enlistment program. Stock, who represented Sea during her second citizenship application process, said she was with her in Los Angeles this week for a government interview, adding, It went very well. The officer was very professional, understood the situation entirely. Sea aced her citizenship test. If (the Army) had not acted so quickly to try to kick her out, theyd have another U.S. citizen in the ranks right now trained and ready to serve, said Stock, who has written a book, Immigration Law And the Military, and helped implement the MAVNI program as a project officer to the armed forces from 2007 to 2010. Luckily, when she gets her citizenship shell have the right to go back in, but it made absolutely no sense for the Army to spend so much time discharging her when this outcome was probably predictable, Stock added. Sea said she was honored to serve in the Army and had felt I was like an American since I was a child, growing up here. She plans to enter graduate school in January, studying biotechnology and stem cell technology, and take her medical school entrance exam the next summer. If she had it her way, Sea added, shed rejoin the Army and return to Fort Sam. I would actually like to go back and then finish there in a good way, not like the way that it happened, Sea said. It was just bad for everybody. sigc@express-news.net More than a month after city officials halted a real estate project on the Northwest Side that destroyed potential habitat for endangered species, officials said Friday that they have little choice but to let the work continue. At issue was whether developer Matt Hiles had provided correct information to the city when he claimed that his 500-unit apartment complex wouldnt harm endangered golden-cheeked warblers and karst invertebrates small beetles and arachnids that live underground. Assistant City Manager Rod Sanchez said Friday that Hiles has submitted new paperwork that meets city requirements but that officials will continue to watch the project closely. We got what we need, Sanchez said. This is what we asked for, and they gave it to us. Reached on his cellphone Friday, Hiles, of Grand Prairie, declined to comment, saying he had no statement of any kind. In a past interview, his engineer, David Allen, had insisted that Hiles had done nothing wrong and met all the requirements for the 46-acre development, called the Mansions at La Cantera. Hiles development company had upset neighbors earlier this summer when it bulldozed up to 38 acres of trees on a heavily wooded hillside. Its like a nuclear bomb just went off in my district, City Councilman Manny Pelaez said. Everybody is furious. To obtain city permits for the project, Hiles had filled out a habitat compliance form in August 2016 that stated that his project wouldnt harm warblers or karst invertebrates. In a sworn affidavit with the form, Hiles told the city that a 2011 study by biologist Valerie Collins showed that neither species would be harmed. But a copy of Collins study obtained by the San Antonio Express-News showed that she had focused only on warblers, not karst invertebrates. A former owner of the property had hired Collins in 2011. Her employer, Pape-Dawson Engineers, complained that Hiles had never told the firm he was using Collins work for his own project years later. The city cant enforce the Endangered Species Act, a federal law. But officials temporarily stopped Hiles project July 3 in an attempt to ensure that Hiles had accurately filled out his development permits. After the city halted the project, Hiles provided officials more recent studies of the property. But they raised even more questions about the presence of endangered species. One September 2016 report by Bowman Consulting concluded that the wooded property had suitable habitat for both warblers and karst invertebrates. It is likely that these species occur on the proposed project area, the report stated. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which investigates violations of the Endangered Species Act, is conducting a criminal investigation of the project. An agency investigator informed the city that allowing the work to continue wont interfere with the federal inquiry. They have confirmed that if this project meets the city rules, and then would proceed forward, it does not in any way affect their ability to do a proper investigation, said Michael Shannon, director of the citys Development Services Department. They have all the tools necessary to figure out if there is or was a violation of the act, which is a criminal offense. At a heated neighborhood meeting last week at Igo Library, residents told Pelaez and Shannon that they were frustrated that Hiles had provided the city incorrect information and that the city had failed to catch it. The crowd broke into applause when one man complained that Hiles project is degrading the quality of life in San Antonio. Many were worried about the effect of the development on Camp Bullis, an Army training ground that contains old-growth cedar trees that serve as prime warbler habitat when the migratory songbirds nest in Texas. As urban sprawl creeps across the booming North Side, military officials worry that the lost habitat is forcing more warblers to nest at Camp Bullis, complicating the Armys mission. Pelaez said the city is taking steps to prevent future mistakes. A City Council committee approved a request by Shannon to form a task force that will revise the habitat compliance form and explore ways to verify that developers are being accurate. But Pelaez emphasized that theres little he can do to address one of their chief concerns: Hiles level of communication about the project. Pelaez said he cant even get the out-of-town developer to call him back. He doesnt give a hoot about San Antonio or what you think, Pelaez said. Ive met payday lenders who are more honest and forthright than this guy. John Tedesco 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. | jtedesco@express-news.net | Twitter: @John_Tedesco ANSONIA-Moments before he recommended appointments to a new Charter Revision commission Mayor David Cassetti dropped a bombshell. He charged the new members to study the possibility of minority representation on the Board of Aldermen. I think its healthy for the city government and offers a second perspective, Cassetti said. That comes from the citys first ever three-term Republican mayor who has led Republican landslides the last six years after a dozen years of almost complete control by the Democrats. When Mayor (James) Della Volpe was in office most of the time he had an all Democrat Board of Aldermen, Cassetti said. Now we have all Republicans. Thats not healthy. And I think the voters will agree. However Cassetti does not believe adding another aldermen in each ward which would turn the current 14 to 21 is the way to go. Instead he suggested aldermen at large as an option. But he left the decision to the Charter Revision commission to determine how to enact minority representation. I have to say I concur with what he is suggesting, said Gary Rose, chairman of Sacred Heart Universitys government department. It lends itself to compromise and inclusion. It shows the minority party they will at least have a seat at the table and a chance to be heard. But minority representation is not the only controversial issue the commission will study. Corporation Counsel John P. Marini, himself a former Ansonia aldermen, said the commission will consider increasing the term of mayor and alderman from two to four years and reducing the number of voting wards from the current seven. The commission may also consider putting the city and school board budgets out to a vote by the residentssomething nearby Seymour does. Its clearly up to the commission to do the studying and come up with ideas before finally making a recommendation to the Board of Aldermen, Marini said. No one is in favor of building a bigger bureaucracy. But we see a lot of political division in this country that is exacerbating. Maybe by permanently carving out a space for minority representation and giving them the opportunity to be heard, we can reduce that here. As to increasing the years a mayor serves, Sheila OMalley, the citys economic development director and grant writer, said it will allow an administration to see their projects through. Most projects take more then two years to complete, OMalley said. The life of a grant cycle is at least three years. Cassetti nominated 10 members to the newly revised Charter Revision Commission. The four Republicans, four Democrats and two unaffiliated voters were unanimously approved by the Board of Aldermen. The new members include Republican Aldermen Lorie Vaccaro and Domenico Filippone as well as former Alderman Pat Henri. The fourth Republican is Kristopher Milardo. The Democrats are former Town/City Clerk Beth Lynch, Jason St. Jacques, Robert Knott and Sharon L. Voroschak, the mother of Republican Town Chairman David Papcin. Unaffiliated voters Robert McDowell and William Luneski also were appointed. No organizational meeting has been scheduled. One is expected to take place sometime in September or early October. The appointments are for 16-month terms. Once the commission makes its recommendations to the Board of Aldermen, the aldermen will then vote on each. That vote decides which goes on the November ballot as a referendum. A reduction in the number of wards from seven to three and aldermen from 14 to nine was voted out during the 2014 election. That proposal combines the first, second and third wards, the four and fifth wards and the sixth and seventh wards. Each ward would have three aldermen instead of the current two. The Registrar of Voters contend that less wards means less money spent on manning seven polling places Anthony Giannattasio, the Republican minority leader on Milfords Board of Aldermen and James Richetelli, a former Milford mayor, believe minority representation is important. In Milford, three aldermen are elected from each of its five wards. One must be from the losing party. I dont believe in one-party rule, said Giannattasio, who has sat under Republican and Democratic mayors during his 14 years as an alderman. The minority voice needs to be heardgive them their say and then let the public decide during an election. Giannattasio believes minority representation has helped Milford prosper while other municipalities like West Haven which has been ruled by one party for years have been held back. The minority view helps keep the majority in check, Giannattasio said. Richetelli saw compromises being made and coalitions being built in Milford based on opposition raised by the minority party during his political years which included five terms as mayor. I thought it was kind of cool seeing people work together, he said. The majority still has the two-thirds vote but it adds a check on one party becoming too powerful. In Ansonia some Republican aldermen would argue there already is minority representation on their board of 14 Republicans. Phil Tripp, the former aldermanic president and vocal opponent to Cassetti, often leads an opposition group that includes Aldermen Richard Kaslaitis and Kevin OBrien. Tripp was voted out as president in January. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA engages in the traditional banking businesses of retail banking, asset management, private banking, and wholesale banking. It operates through the following segments: Spain, the United States, Mexico, Turkey, South America, and Rest of Eurasia. The Spain segment includes mainly the banking and insurance business that the group carries out in Spain. The United States segment consists of the financial business activity of BBVA USA in the country and the activity of the branch of BBVA SA in New York. The Mexico segment refers to banking and insurance businesses in this country as well as the activity of its branch in Houston. The Turkey segment reports the activity of Garanti BBVA group that is mainly carried out in this country and, to a lesser extent, in Romania and the Netherlands. The South America segment comprises of operations in n Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The Rest of Eurasia segment includes the banking business activity carried out by the group in Europe and Asia, excluding Spain. The company was founded in 1857 and is headquartered in Madrid, Spain. Read More 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. Genesee & Wyoming Inc. owns and leases freight railroads. It operates through three segments: North American Operations, Australian Operations, and U.K./European Operations. The company transports various commodities, including agricultural products, autos and auto parts, chemicals and plastics, coal and coke, food and kindred products, lumber and forest products, metallic ores, metals, minerals and stone, petroleum products, pulp and paper, waste, and other commodities. It owns or leases 122 freight railroads, including 105 short line railroads and 2 regional freight railroads located in the United States, 8 short line railroads located in Canada, 3 railroads located in Australia, 1 railroad located in the United Kingdom, 1 railroad in Poland and Germany, and 2 railroads in the Netherlands with a total of approximately 16,200 miles of track. The company also operates 6,200 additional miles of track that is owned or leased by others. In addition, it operates deep sea maritime containers and provides bulk haulage, including coal, aggregates, cement, and infrastructure services. Further, the company provides rail service at approximately 40 ports; rail-ferry service in North America, Australia, and Europe; and contract coal loading and railcar switching for industrial customers. Genesee & Wyoming Inc. was founded in 1899 and is headquartered in Darien, Connecticut. Read More Tahoe Resources Inc., together with its subsidiaries, acquires, explores for, develops, and operates mineral properties in the Americas. It explores for silver, gold, lead, zinc, and copper deposits, as well as precious metals assets. The company holds interest in the La Arena gold mine located in the Huamachuco district of northern Peru; Shahuindo mine located in the province of Cajabamba in northern Peru; and La Arena II, a copper-gold porphyry deposit located in Peru. It also holds interest in the Timmins mines, including the Bell Creek and Timmins West mines, the Fenn-Gib project, the Juby project, the Vogel project, and the Gold River project located in Timmins, Ontario. The company was formerly known as CKM Resources Inc. and changed its name to Tahoe Resources Inc. in January 2010. Tahoe Resources Inc. was incorporated in 2009 and is headquartered in Reno, Nevada. Read More Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 17) Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana hopes the U.S. government will make good on its promise to return the historic Balangiga bells seized by American soldiers from a church in Samar in 1901. In a statement Friday, Lorenzana addressed U.S. officials who reportedly oppose the move to turn over the bells to the Philippine government. "In this ever changing world, it is time to heal the wounds of the past, move on, and look to the future," Lorenzana said, adding that both sides lost lives during the Philippine-American war when the bells were taken. On September 28, 1901 Filipinos launched a surprise attack against American troops stationed in Balangiga town in Samar province, killing 48 of them reportedly in retaliation for oppressive treatment they received from the foreign soldiers. One of the bells from the parish church was reportedly used to signal the attack. The American soldiers retaliated, destroying the town and killing thousands of Filipino soldiers and locals in what came to be known as the Balangiga Massacre. They claimed all three bells from the Balangiga Church, and a 1557 cannon as war booty. Two of the bells are now displayed at the Trophy Park at an air base in the western U.S. state of Wyoming. The third bell, which historians believe signaled the attack, is at a U.S. military museum in South Korea. Reports say some Wyoming elected officials are opposing plans to return the bells, following U.S. Embassy's confirmation that the U.S. Department of Defense intends to return these. "We do hope that the U.S. government will follow through with their commitment and that it will become a reality soon," Lorenzana said. He also called on the Americans "not to allow the bells to serve as trophies for atrocities that were committed by both sides on Philippine soil a very long time ago." Malacanang said it will continue to work with the U.S. government to pave the way for the return of the bells. President Rodrigo Duterte resurrected a decades-old fight for the return of the Balangiga bells during his second State of the Nation Address in 2017. "Give us back those Balangiga bells. They are ours. They belong to the Philippines. They are part of our national heritage," Duterte said in his speech, with U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim in the audience. Former Senator Manny Villar, who filed a resolution in the Senate in 2007 calling for the return of the bells, said for the Philippines, "the bells of Balangiga signify the bravery of our people against an oppressive power" and they "symbolized an act of defiance, courage, and heroism." Wall Street analysts have given iShares MSCI Finland 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 Finland 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 United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. 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 In IndonesiaSafeguards, as Simon has pointed out, the AB had an opportunity to consider the definition of safeguard for purposes of Article XIX of GATT and Article 1 of the Safeguards Agreement. (Note also the interesting discussion begun by Steve Charnovitz on this issue.) Indonesia had imposed a specific duty pursuant to its safeguards legislation, but on a product, galvalume, for which it had no tariff binding. Indonesia also excluded 120 countries from the measure. The Panel had found that this was not a safeguard because, in part, a safeguard only exists where all the conditions for imposition are satisfied. Panel Report 7.15. On appeal, the U.S. argued that a measure is only a safeguard if it is asserted to be a safeguard by the acting state. Para. 5.51. The Appellate Body rejected this position. In para. 5.60 of its decision, the Appellate Body made the following statement: In order to determine whether a measure presents such features, a panel is called upon to assess the design, structure, and expected operation of the measure as a whole. In making its independent and objective assessment, a panel must identify all the aspects of the measure that may have a bearing on its legal characterization, recognize which of those aspects are the most central to that measure, and, thereby, properly determine the disciplines to which the measure is subject.195 As part of its determination, a panel should evaluate and give due consideration to all relevant factors, including the manner in which the measure is characterized under the domestic law of the Member concerned, the domestic procedures that led to the adoption of the measure, and any relevant notifications to the WTO Committee on Safeguards. However, no one such factor is, in and of itself, dispositive of the question of whether the measure constitutes a safeguard measure within the meaning of Article 1 of the Agreement on Safeguards. From the last sentence, I infer that the national characterization of the measure is not dispositive. The AB rejected the Panels approach, which seemed to conflate the issue of whether a measure is a safeguard with whether it is a permissible safeguard (that is, one that meets all the conditions). But the design, structure, and expected operation must be assessed in relation to the two essential features of a safeguard measure: (i) whether it withdraws a GATT obligation or concession, and (ii) whether it is designed to prevent or remedy serious injury. Para. 5.64. What does this mean for the U.S. national security measures based on Section 232 of the 1962 Act, in relation to aluminum or steel. If those measures can be characterized only as safeguards measures, then they are illegal if they fail, as they do, to comply with Article XIX and the SA. If those measures can be characterized as Article XXI national security measures, and as safeguards measures, then they are permitted under Article XXI. But other states may be permitted to re-balance under Article XIX(3) or under SA Article 8, without waiting for DSB determination under DSU Art. 23. I do not think that the permission under Article XXI removes the authorization for rebalancing under the safeguards provisions, but perhaps there is an argument that these provisions do not apply cumulatively. Are the US Section 232 measures safeguards? National characterization is not dispositive. Referring to the AB decision in para. 5.64, the U.S. measures definitely withdraw a GATT obligation. There is factual evidence, not just in tweets and public statements, but also in the Commerce Department report, that support the proposition that the U.S. measures are also designed to prevent or remedy serious injury. The latter point is plausible, but not certain. Can there be both a national security and a serious injury rationale? I think the U.S. Commerce Department report suggests that this is the case. It emphasizes the economic, and economic security, aspects of the situation of the steel and aluminum industries. If both rationales pertain, then as I suggested above, it is possible that response by other states under Article XIX and the SA, without awaiting DSB determination, would be permissible, and not a violation of DSU Art. 23. Of course, it is also possible that a panel would find that there is no national security defense in this case under Article XXI. I would also note a point that Rob Howse has made: Article XIX is a facility for national safeguards action: unless a state purports to act under Article XIX, it is not relevant. This was the U.S. position, and it is attractive given the evident purpose of Article XIX. However, assuming that the essential character of the U.S. measure is that of a safeguard, the permission for rebalancing in Article XIX becomes attractive. Indeed, rebalancing may be attractive even in a pure national security case, so as to ensure that the action is truly about national security, rather than reneging on trade commitments. WABCO Holdings Inc., together with its subsidiaries, supplies electronic, mechanical, electro-mechanical, and aerodynamic products worldwide. The company engineers, develops, manufactures, and sells braking, stability, suspension, steering, transmission automation, and air management systems primarily for commercial vehicles. The company's products include pneumatic anti-lock braking systems, electronic braking systems, electronic stability control systems, brake controls, automated manual transmission systems, and air disc brakes; and various conventional mechanical products, such as actuators, air compressors, and air control valves for medium and heavy-duty trucks, buses, and trailers. It also offers pneumatic and hydraulic braking and control systems for off-highway vehicles; conventional braking systems; electronic and conventional air suspension systems; steering technologies; and vehicle electronic stability control and roll stability support products, and advanced driver assistance systems. In addition, the company supplies electronic suspension controls and vacuum pumps to the passenger car and SUV markets, as well as provides remanufacturing services. Further, it offers replacement parts, fleet management solutions, diagnostic tools, training, and other expert services for commercial vehicle aftermarket distributors and service partners, and fleet operators. The company sells its products primarily to truck and bus original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), trailer OEMs, and car manufacturers; and manufacturers of heavy duty and off-highway vehicles in agriculture, construction, mining, and other industries. WABCO Holdings Inc. was founded in 1869 and is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. Read More An Australian dairy farmer has made an emotional-plea to supermarkets urging them to pay farmers more amid the worst drought Australia has faced in years. 42-year-old Shane Hickey, a father of three, took to Facebook on Tuesday (14 August) to explain how he is earning a measly AUS$2.64 an hour. It comes as Australia suffers one of the worst droughts in a generation. Im a proud dairy farmer I work very hard, the New South Wales farmer said to the camera. But Id like to say that I worked this month [July] and we just got paid in August for a whole month. I worked for $2.46 an hour. Something has got to change. You cant keep this sh*t up. People cant expect farmers to continually work for nothing. Thats basically slavery. 'Production is down' In the video, Mr Hickey urges Australian supermarket chains Coles, Woolworths, Aldi and IGA to pay more to farmers. Coles and Woolies keep selling milk and cheese and keep screwing the arse off us all, he added. If the drought keeps up, I dont know where they are going to get it from. Its not coming from here. Our production is down 50 per cent to this time last year and our water is disappearing quickly. Social media users flooded the post with concerns and questions about how they can help dairy farmers. Carrollyn Marshall Lowe said: "I am positive all the negative commentators wouldnt work for $2.36 an hour. Most farmers have massive overdrafts, work longer hours than any of us and deserve the good times." Robert Goldspink added: "Who would pay an extra dollar per litre for milk if the supermarkets passed all extra dollars directly to the farmers? I would." The desperate situation in Australia comes as British farmers face issues with sustained hot, dry conditions. The impact of the summer heatwave on livestock and growers will be felt for months to come, according to the Royal Agricultural University. The NFU has explained how crops are "being parched to the bone", and how vegetable farmers are facing issues as their depleted reservoirs, used for irrigation, begin to dry up. Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category One For The Camera Please! Priyanka-Nick's roka ceremony was a private affair. But thanks to their close friends, we just got a glimpse of the couple beaming with happiness. May I Have Your Attention? This candid click from the roka ceremony is making us guess what was happening at that point of time. Oh wait. there's even Parineeti Chopra in the frame. Isn't she looking too pretty? Priyanka & Nick Make For A Picture-Perfect Couple I mean just at them! They look madly, deeply in love and we just cannot help our hearts from going 'ohlaalaa'. We Just Can't Get Enough Of Their Cuteness We bet you folks must already be drooling over these inside pictures, ain't you? Love Happened & How! Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas first met at the MET Gala last year and instantly hit off. Rumors about them dating surfaced when they were spotted together on many dinner dates and PeeCee accompanied Nick as his date at his cousin's wedding. Later, Nick flew down to India with his lady love and the duo vacayed in Goa. PeeCee was later seen cheering for Nick at his music concert in Singapore. It was reported that the couple got engaged in London. Kiss & Tell Aww, look at Priyanka's adorable expression in this picture when her friend gives a peck on her cheek! Priyanka Had Her Close Friends By Her Side Also present at Priyanka's roka ceremony was VJ Anushka Sharma and her close buddies. Here's them posing for a quick picture. Three's A Company Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas are seen posing with PeeCee's bestie Mustaq Sheikh. The state has been severely affected by the rains that wreaked havoc in the various parts of the state. People frm various quarters have come up with useful contributions to the relief fund. Meanwhile, AMMA (Association Of Malayalam Movie Artists) organization has contributed as much as Rs 50 Lakhs to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMRDF). At first, the organization had contributed Rs 10 Lakhs to the fund. Mukes, the Vice President of the organization and Jagadish, the Treasure jointly handed over the cheque to Chief Minister. Now, most recently, the organization has made another contribution of Rs 40 lakhs and thus taking the toll to Rs 50 Lakhs. The information regarding the same has been updated through the official Facebook page of AMMA Organization. Apart from this, many of the top stars of the Malayalam film industry have made individual contributions to the fund. At the same time, the Mollywood celebrities have come together to help all those who have been affected by the floods. Many of them have even visited the rescue camps and have been offering assistance in the best possible ways. Meanwhile, many of the top celebrities from the other language industries have also come up with useful contributions to the fund. EUROPE / ACCESSWIRE / August 18, 2018 / Securix.io, a token-driven mining company, is delighted to announce that it will open its token sale to the public on September 7th, 2018. With several standout features, Securix offers investors the opportunity to earn a passive income while avoiding market volatility that is typical for cryptocurrency investments. Superior ROI Potential Securix provides ROI estimates linked to the value of Bitcoin. Assuming an average annual value of $10,000 per Bitcoin, investors could expect returns of around 137%. Even if the value of Bitcoin drops to $5,000, return on investment is projected at a rate of 44%. Bitcoin prices would have to fall below $4,000 for mining operations to become unprofitable. If this happens, Securix has committed to keeping 10% of the first gross revenue share in reserve, which will help to fund continued mining until profitability is resumed. An Monthly Gross Revenue Share Owning the Securix SRXIO token will provide a guaranteed monthly share of gross revenues from the physical token mining operations run by the company in the Netherlands. Gross revenue sharing as a model is a departure from traditional mining operations, which tend to share only net profit with investors-thereby introducing uncertainty to investor ROI as net profit is impacted by unforeseen and excessive costs. Asset-Backed Token Unlike many ICO tokens, the SRXIO token will be backed by physical assets in the form of the hardware used to drive the mining operations. The token is developed using the Ethereum ERC20 smart contract output distribution model, offering the security that the token cannot be canceled. It also allows the SRXIO tokens to be stored and traded using Ethereum-compatible wallets and exchanges. While cloud mining has become popular, it generally provides only a 28-60 day contract that terminates if the operation is not profitable. In contrast, the SRXIO token has no expiry date, which offers a more sustainable, long-term investment potential. Eco-Conscious Energy Program Most physical mining centers consume vast amounts of energy to keep working, so Securix has partnered with EXE Energy to provide a more environmentally conscious mining solution. Also based in the Netherlands, EXE Energy has created a decentralized energy trading platform called EAN-2-EAN, which allows Securix to purchase green energy directly from wind and solar generators-bypassing costly intermediaries. To protect the value of the SRXIO token, the company will implement a token buyback and burn program. By ensuring a limited supply of tokens in circulation, the monthly gross revenue will be divided across a smaller token pool. This ensures that the value and output per token are effectively managed and optimized A Proven Team of Business Professionals The team behind Securix has a solid background in the blockchain, IT, and fintech. Founder and CEO, Jacobus Donkersloot, previously built Inco Mobile, a 150m Dutch B2B IT and telecom company. To help realize its vision, Securix is also partnering with industry leaders. The company's head office is located in Dubai, with mining operations hosted by Fintech Capital BV, a Dutch investment company also led by Donkersloot and Securix's founder and COO, Damian Strauss. For further information about the token sale and the Securix offering, visit the company website. Media Contact: Name: Jacobus Donkersloot Website: https://securix.io TG Group: https://t.me/securixio Email: info@securix.io SOURCE: Securix.io By sub-leasing them, Jet Airways will reduce its presence in the domestic market where it competes with low-cost carriers like IndiGo and SpiceJet, allowing it to focus on more lucrative international operations. Bengaluru/New Delhi: Jet Airways is in talks to sub-lease nearly half its ATR turboprop aircraft to regional carrier TruJet, in a move that will reduce its presence in the competitive domestic market as the beleaguered airline struggles to raise money. Jet Airways deferred reporting earnings earlier this month, sending its shares to a three-year low. Just days earlier it had told staff it was running out of cash, sources told Reuters. TruJets commercial head, Senthil Raja, said the company was in talks with Jet Airways to take seven aircraft, manufactured by Frances ATR, on a five-year wet lease. He said that he expects to receive the aircraft by the end of October.A wet lease includes the insurance, maintenance and crew as well as the aircraft. Both the companies are deliberating on the agreement and should sign it very soon, Raja said, adding that he was not aware of how much TruJet would pay for the lease. Jet Airways, which is part owned by Etihad Airways, told Indian stock exchanges it continues to evaluate all possible alternatives to ensure optimum utilisation of its fleet. The airline has a total of 121 aircraft, according to its website, of which 18 are turboprops that fly shorter routes and to smaller cities. By sub-leasing them the airline will reduce its presence in the domestic market where it competes with low-cost carriers like IndiGo and SpiceJet, allowing it to focus on more lucrative international operations. Jet has been trying to wet lease their regional operations for a while. I dont think they seem to be interested in keeping them, said Kapil Kaul, CEO and director, South Asia at global aviation consultancy CAPA. Kaul said the wet lease to TruJet is unlikely to have a material impact on Jet Airways finances and estimates that the airline needs to raise at least $500 million. TruJet is also in talks to take four arrival and departure slots at airports in the southern Indian cities of Chennai and Coimbatore, Raja said, adding that the routes are not a part of the leasing deal. Once Jet exits those routes, TruJet will move in, he said. Narayana Murthy's comments assume significance given the protracted stand-off in the past between him and the previous Infosys management over issues of corporate governance and severance package doled out to former executives like Rajiv Bansal New Delhi: Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy today said the exit of the company's CFO MD Ranganath is an "irreplaceable loss" for the IT services firm at a "critical juncture". Describing him as "one of the best CFOs" in India and a "rare individual", Murthy said in a statement that Ranganath understood all important stakeholders, including clients, delivery teams, employee aspirations, finance, investors, governance, the law, as also "the role of an ethical business in building a better society". "He is everything the idea of Infosys has always stood for. His departure is an irreplaceable loss for Infosys at this critical juncture," said Murthy. The comments assume significance given the protracted stand-off in the past between him and the previous Infosys management over issues of corporate governance and severance package doled out to former executives like Rajiv Bansal. Infosys, once the bellwether of Indias showpiece $154 billion IT industry, last year witnessed a public row between founding executives and then-CEO Vishal Sikka over alleged corporate governance lapses. Sikka eventually exited the company in August 2017. Salil Parekh, a long-serving Capgemini executive, took over as Infosys CEO in January this year, at a time the companys board is chaired by another key co-founder, Nandan Nilekani. Stating that he had worked with 'Ranga' for over 15 years, Murthy said he has been "instrumental" in raising investor confidence in the company during the last five years by managing costs and margins. #Infosys | NR Narayana Murthy says MD Ranganath's departure is an irreplaceable loss for @Infosys at this critical juncture pic.twitter.com/oCvHAv4qO6 CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18Live) August 18, 2018 "His ability to take tough decisions in challenging situations, his solid financial expertise, strong value system, unfailing courtesy and flawless execution always distinguished him as an exemplary leader and a key asset for the company," Murthy added. Earlier today, Infosys said Ranganath has resigned after an 18-year stint at India's second largest IT services firm. He took over as CFO in 2015 after the exit of Rajiv Bansal. Ranganath will continue in his current position as CFO till 16 November, 2018, Infosys said in a statement. Ranganatha tendered his resignation just seven months after Indias second-biggest software services exporter appointed a new Chief Executive Officer. After a successful career spanning 18 years in Infosys including as CFO for the last three crucial years, I now plan to pursue professional opportunities in new areas, the Infosys filing quoted Ranganath as saying. --With agency inputs The NDA government needs to come out with a back series sooner rather than later. The report of an expert committee set up by the National Statistical Commission (NSC), which has worked out a back series for economic growth from 1994-95 using the new methodology and base year adopted in 2015, has had an unintended consequence. It has silenced all critics of the new methodology. How? The report of the Committee on Real Sector Statistics headed by Sudipto Mundle shows that growth during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) years was not as bad as it was being made to be. In fact, from 2004-05 onwards, growth calculated by the new methodology was higher than that calculated by the old methodology. To recap, in 2015 the base year for calculating GDP was changed from financial year 2004-05 to financial year 2011-12 and the earlier system of measuring GDP at factor cost was discarded in favour of measuring it by gross value added (GVA) at basic prices. What is particularly stark is the fact that growth in 2006-07 actually touched 10 percent (10.08 percent to be exact) against 9.57 percent when calculated under the old methodology. The Congress has been quick to brandish these numbers as proof of how the economy boomed during the UPA tenure and how the first four years of the Narendra Modi government are anaemic in comparison. Recall that till now the party and its cheerleaders had lost no opportunity to question the new methodology, even though it bumped up growth in the last two years of the UPA from sub-five percent under the old series to 5.5 percent in fiscal 2012-13 and 6.4 percent in fiscal 2013-14). The party has also maintained that if growth under the Modi government were to be estimated on the basis of the old methodology, it would be much lower. Is it now ready to concede the 7.3 percent average of the last four years? No doubt, the demand will now be raised that the approach used by the Mundle committee be adopted to work out the back series. But this may not be as pat an exercise as it appears. Back series calculations are always done to link a new series of national accounts with an old series. This gives a better comparison of growth over the years. Doing this has been complicated this time around because of the change in methodology (which now conforms to the best global practices) some of the data used under the new methodology is not available for earlier years. The MCA-21 data, for example, is not available beyond 2007-08. The Mundle committee has listed three approaches to generating the back series: use the current methodology using base data wherever available; a production shift approach; project the old series using the base year of 2004-05 forward up to a certain year and then adjusting it to the 2011-12 base by comparing it to the new series. The committee examines the first two approaches in detail. The Central Statistics Office (CSO), it points out, has estimated growth rates of GVA based on the first approach for 2004-05 to 2011-12. However the committee finds these estimates tentative and has, therefore, not presented them in the report. The detailed estimates in the report are based on the second approach the production shift approach. Former chairman of the National Statistical Commission and former Chief Statistician of India, Pronab Sen (under whom work on the 2011-12 base year and new methodology was initiated) commends the work done by the expert committee but cautions against blindly adopting the production shift method. This method, he points out is a slightly dolled up version of the splicing approach, which was mindless. The basic issue, he points out, is a fundamental change in the manner of calculation. Earlier volume indicators were used to work out constant price and price indices used to bump it up to current prices. Now, current data is obtained and then price indices used to work out constant prices. Production shift, he points out, has to be in terms of real variables because nominal variables cannot be assumed to have a smooth trajectory. When price spikes are being translated into volume spikes, an essential question that arises is which is the adjustment variable: price or quantity? What the whole controversy underlines is an oft-repeated point that the government needs to come out with a back series sooner rather than later. Sen feels there has already been undue delay because a lot of the work has already been done. The pressure on the government is bound to increase with the report of the Mundle committee in the public domain. As it is, the fact that it has not appointed a Chief Statistician after the retirement of T.C.A. Anant has hurt the institution. Delaying the back series will further dent the credibility of the CSO, already under vicious and needless attack by the Modi governments many critics. At the same time, there will be little point in rushing to adopt one or the other approach. There needs to be adequate debate within the economist and statistical communities. Sen, whose impartiality cannot be questioned, has said more work needs to be done. Besides, processes and protocols have to be observed the advisory committee on national accounts has to take a call, followed by the National Statistical Commission. Will it be too much to expect the government and the opposition, both, to be a bit more responsible on this matter? (The writer is a senior journalist and author. She tweets at @soorpanakha) By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A company owned by Elon Musk that is trying to lower the cost of building high-speed transit tunnels has asked the Trump administration to exempt it from tariffs for some Chinese-made tunnel boring machine components, warning the tariffs could significantly delay a planned tunnel between New York and Washington. In a July 31 letter posted last week on a government website, the Boring Co asked the U.S. Trade Representative to exempt parts like cutterheads, screw conveyors and related machinery By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A company owned by Elon Musk that is trying to lower the cost of building high-speed transit tunnels has asked the Trump administration to exempt it from tariffs for some Chinese-made tunnel boring machine components, warning the tariffs could significantly delay a planned tunnel between New York and Washington. In a July 31 letter posted last week on a government website, the Boring Co asked the U.S. Trade Representative to exempt parts like cutterheads, screw conveyors and related machinery. Boring seeks "limited parts from China in the near-term for use in a small number of tunnel boring machines." The letter added those parts are "readily available only from China." Privately held Boring added that it is "working to develop and manufacture our own tunnel boring machines" and wants to "restore the now-dormant American tunnel boring machine industry." The company said for planned tunnels, including a project between Washington and Baltimore, it will "use machines that are majority-composed of U.S. content." The tariffs could cause "severe economic harm" to the company and U.S. interests and could result in a delay of one to two years in the construction of a proposed Washington-to-Baltimore tunnel that it plans to eventually extend to New York. Exempting the parts will not harm U.S. industry, the company said, and noted that tunnelling is not one of 10 sectors identified in China's "Made in 2025" plan. The company said its business model is "predicated upon substantially reducing the cost of tunnelling." Musk, who is also chief executive of Tesla Inc , in June proposed building a $1 billion underground transit system in Chicago. The plan would send people from Chicagos downtown Loop district to OHare International Airport at 150 miles (241 km) per hour. The Boring Co has been promoting its plans for tunnels that would allow high-speed travel between cities. The company initially plans to ferry passengers between Washington and Baltimore on autonomous electric vehicles carrying 8 to 16 passengers at 125-150 miles per hour, but would not use tracks or railway equipment. On Wednesday, the company proposed to build a 3.6-mile tunnel between Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and the city's subway system. The U.S. Trade Representative's Office and Boring did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Boring said in an earlier letter it was converting from diesel-powered to electric-powered construction equipment and had innovated in "concrete mixing, segment production, excavation and hauling practices." Other companies including General Motors Co have sought exemptions from new U.S. tariffs imposed on Chinese imports. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by David Gregorio) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Jessica Resnick-Ault NEW YORK (Reuters) - Crude prices rose on Friday, but declined on the week on worries that oversupply would weigh on the U.S. market while trade disputes and slowing global economic growth would dampen demand for oil. U.S. By Jessica Resnick-Ault NEW YORK (Reuters) - Crude prices rose on Friday, but declined on the week on worries that oversupply would weigh on the U.S. market while trade disputes and slowing global economic growth would dampen demand for oil. U.S. crude declined for the seventh consecutive week, and global benchmark Brent was dropped for a third week. "One of the biggest concerns out there is that China's demand numbers are coming down if China's GDP growth is slowing," said Tariq Zahir, managing member at Tyche Capital in New York. Brent crude oil futures settled up 40 cents, or 0.6 percent, at $71.83 a barrel, after touching a high of $72.49 earlier in the session. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures (WTI) rose 45 cents , or 0.7 percent, to $65.91, after touching a session high of $66.39. For the week, Brent was down 1.4 percent, and U.S. crude fell 2.6 percent. Falling prices have weighed on funds with oil exposure. Two of the world's largest energy-focused hedge funds, Andurand Capital and BBL Commodities, suffered double-digit percentage losses in July as oil prices plunged by the most in two years, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Money managers cut their net long U.S. crude futures and options positions to the lowest in nearly two months in the week to Aug. 14, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said. Friday's pull back from session highs came on mounting worries that U.S. crude inventories would post another consecutive gain, said Bob Yawger, director of futures at Mizuho Americas. U.S. government data this week showed a large build up in crude inventories , with production also increasing. [EIA/S] "Investors remain cautious as Wednesday's surprise gain in U.S. stockpiles remained fresh in their minds," ANZ bank said on Friday. The number of U.S. oil drilling rigs, an indicator of future production, was unchanged this week at 869 rigs, much higher than the 763 rigs operating a year ago, according to energy company Baker Hughes.[RIG/U] Another major drag on prices was the darkening economic outlook on trade tensions between the United States and China, and weakening emerging market currencies that are weighing on growth and fuel consumption, traders and analysts said. U.S. investment bank Jefferies said there was a "lack of demand" for crude oil and refined products from emerging markets, while Singapore's DBS bank said that Chinese data showed a "steady decline" in activity and that "the economy is facing added headwinds due to rising trade tensions". Japan's MUFG Bank, meanwhile, said that the weakening Turkish lira will constrain further growth in gasoline and diesel demand this year. "Although emerging market contagion and China slowdown fears seem somewhat overstated, neither fundamental nor sentiment should provide support for higher commodity prices," Julius Baer Head of Macro and Commodity Research Norbert Rucker said. Furthermore, just as demand seems to be slowing, supply looks to be rising, increasing the drag on markets. Graphic: U.S. oil drilling, production & storage levels - https://tmsnrt.rs/2OAyO8P IRAN SANCTIONS Despite the bearish factors, analysts said prices were prevented from falling further because of U.S. sanctions against Iran, which target the financial sector from August and will include petroleum exports from November. "Iranian crude exports were still near 2 million barrels per day (bpd) in July and will likely begin to fall dramatically in August with financial sanctions taking effect. With oil export sanctions now three months out, we expect exports to fall by more than 500,000 bpd by the end of 3Q," Jefferies said. (Reporting by Aaron Sheldrick in TOKYO, Henning Gloystein in SINGAPORE and Dmitry Zhdannikov in MOSCOW; Editing by Marguerita Choy and David Gregorio) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi state oil giant Saudi Aramco remains committed to meeting future oil demand through continued investments, the kingdom's Energy Minister Khalid Al Falih said in a company report on Friday. DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi state oil giant Saudi Aramco remains committed to meeting future oil demand through continued investments, the kingdom's Energy Minister Khalid Al Falih said in a company report on Friday. Aramco, which is slated for a public share sale, "continued to prepare itself for the listing of its shares, a landmark event the company and its board anticipate with excitement," Al Falih, who is also chairman of Saudi Aramco, said. Despite an improved market picture, the oil industry's preparedness for the future remained in question as the sector had lost an estimate $1 trillion in planned investments since the start of the market downturn, Al Falih wrote. "Significant new investments are required in additional capacity and expended and upgraded infrastructure, as well as the development of pioneering technology to make petroleum energy more sustainable and accessible," he said. The company discovered two new oil fields, Sakab and Zumul, and a gas reservoir in the Sahba field, Aramco said in the report. Aramco said "it will maintain its position as the world's leading crude oil producer by production volume by tempering production from mature fields, accelerating younger fields and secondary reservoirs, and developing fresh reserves from new increments." The worlds top oil exporter is boosting its output of the natural gas needed to meet rapidly rising domestic power demand and supply raw materials to its strategically important petrochemical industry. In gas, Aramco "commenced projects to expand production and processing capacity, and brought online the first unconventional gas in Saudi Arabia," Aramco's Chief Executive Amin Nasser said in the report. Aramco was preparing the Midyan non-associated gas field last year to produce 75 million standard cubic feet per day (scfd) of non-associated gas and 4,500 barrels of condensate per day, it said in the report. Midyan is one of the new gas fields in northwest Saudi Arabia to produce gas for power plants and potentially supply other industries in a region rich in iron ore deposits. It was discovered in the 1980s and has significant reserves. (Reporting by Rania El Gamal, writing by Hadeel Al Sayegh; Editing by Adrian Croft) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. This year, there have been over 1,000 ceasefire violations. Border residents recall happier times after the ceasefire during the tenure of Vajpayee. Lal Din Ahmad, the sarpanch of Churunda village near the Line of Control in Uri, remembers the day when a shell fired from across the border tore through the rooftop of his home. The explosion had destroyed the first floor. It was after a gap of nearly ten years on 5 January, 2013 that shells started landing in our village," 62-year-old Ahmad said on Friday morning. He added, "In the last 67 years, our family has seen peace for just ten years." Ahmad said that when he heard the news of Atal Bihari Vajpayees death, he felt sad. He said, I have never felt bad due to the death of a politician, but his death saddened me." Ahmads sadness has a reason. This year alone, there have been over 1,000 incidents of ceasefire violations till now. Last year, there were 970 incidents of such violations. In this context, residents say a semblance of peace and stability had come into their lives due to the 'visionary' policies of Vajpayee. The former prime minister had overseen the implementation of the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, which became effective from 26 November, 2013. It had changed the lives of millions of people living along the LoC and the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir. The landmark ceasefire agreement was an outcome of a fresh dialogue process between India and Pakistan. Before this, talks between the two countries had suffered several setbacks. The seeds of the ceasefire were sown in July 2000, when Hizbul Mujahideens commander Abdul Majid Dar announced a cessation of hostilities in the hinterland for three months. Track II diplomats had helped New Delhi to ferry Dar to Srinagar from a west Asian country where he had flown from Pakistan, kickstarting the historic India-Pakistan dialogue process. The peace that set in following the ceasefire led to lakhs of people returning to their villages along the LoC and the International Border. That ceasefire allowed us to return home after years. Earlier, residents had fled their villages and moved towards the plains," said Mukhtar Ahmad Khan, a resident of Gowhalan village in Uri district. India and Pakistan also started fencing along the LoC at many locations to stop infiltration. New Delhi fenced close to 600 kilometers along the border between 2003 and 2004 to prevent infiltration of militants. Amir Din Khatana, also a resident of Gowhalan, said, Before the ceasefire, living at home had only been something we dreamed about. Camps had become our permanent addresses. Vajpayeejis talks with Pakistan changed our lives. We cherish those years of peace, when we would go to our farms without worrying that a shell might land right in front of us and kill us. Those were the best years for us, Jeevan Ram, the sarpanch of Samba district's Charlyare village, said on Friday. However, in more recent times, hostilities have again grown, and have heightened concerns of people living in border areas. In recent years, there has been intense cross-border firing, almost on a daily basis. For five months this year, we stayed in a school. This has made us realise the worth of peace. If Vajpayee had been the prime minister, our lives would have changed for good," Vijay Singh, a resident of Bera village along the border in Jammu said. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) supremo Mohan Bhagwat on Friday termed former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's demise as an 'irreparable loss for everyone'. New Delhi: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) supremo Mohan Bhagwat on Friday termed former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's demise as an "irreparable loss for everyone". Speaking to ANI on Friday, Bhagwat said, "It takes ages for someone to become of the stature of Vajpayee Ji. Then, everyone can't be like him. It's an irreparable loss for everyone." Hailing Vajpayee as an exemplary Swayamsevak, he stated, "His work ethic as a Swyamsevak was unparalleled. He used to attend the RSS meetings since he was in standard nine at school. I still cannot believe that he is gone." Vajpayee, who was India's 10th prime minister passed away on Thursday after a prolonged illness at the age of 93. He was cremated with state honour at the Smriti Sthal in New Delhi on Friday. Before the last rites were performed, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah, several Union ministers and chief ministers of many states walked the entire 3.6-kilometre stretch of the funeral procession. Vajpayee's foster daughter Namita Bhattacharya lit the funeral pyre amid the chanting of Vedic hymns and firing of a 21-gun salute by soldiers at the funeral. After the mortal remains were brought from BJP headquarters to Rashtriya Smriti Sthal, the three service chiefs placed wreaths on the body of Vajpayee, in keeping with the military honours. With inputs from PTI Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's ashes will be immersed in various rivers across the country, starting with the Ganga at Haridwar. Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's ashes will be immersed in various rivers across the country, starting with the Ganga at Haridwar today. The former prime minister's daughter Namita and granddaughter Niharika collected the ashes from Delhi's Smriti Sthal, ANI said. The ashes will be will be taken to Prem Ashram, then to Har-ki-Pauri in Haridwar by road. Late #AtalBihariVajpayee's daughter Namita and granddaughter Niharika arrive at Smriti Sthal in Delhi to collect ashes of the former prime minister pic.twitter.com/l9WOZCx6U7 ANI (@ANI) August 19, 2018 The immersion ceremony at the holy city on Sunday will be attended by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, his Uttarakhand counterpart Trivendra Singh Rawat among others, BJP leader Bhupender Yadav told reporters in New Delhi. One of the most charismatic leaders in independent India, Vajpayee passed away in New Delhi on Thursday at the age of 93. He was cremated with full State honours at the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal in the national capital on Friday. Yadav said an all-party prayer meeting for the BJP stalwart will be held in New Delhi on 20 August and another such meeting will be organised in Lucknow on 23 August since Vajpayee's appeal cut across political divide. Apart from the home minister and Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Vajpayee's relatives will attend the Lucknow prayer meeting, he said, adding that the former prime minister's ashes will also be immersed in the Gomati river there. The prayer meeting in Delhi will be attended by leaders from different political parties and noted citizens, Yadav said. "His (Vajpayee's) ashes will be immersed in various sacred rivers across the country and the 'asthi kalash' taken to all the districts headquarters and state capitals. Prayer meetings will take place in the state capitals, district headquarters and at the panchayat level," he added. Meanwhile, the saffron party also expressed solidarity with the people of Karala, who are bearing the brunt of torrential rains and floods, and said its workers will visit every household in the affected areas of the southern states as a part of the rehabilitation measures. BJP national secretary P Muralidhar Rao said the state units of the party were collecting relief materials from across the country, while the units in the neighbouring states of Kerala were planning to send doctors' teams to the flood-hit state. "The BJP is with the people of Karala," he said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the home minister had already announced an assistance of Rs 500 crore and Rs 100 crore respectively. The prime minister, Rao said, had also appealed to the insurance companies to expedite the disbursement of compensations, including those towards crop insurance. With inputs from Agencies In Rajasthan's Kotpuli, many parents hesitate to send their daughters to schools and colleges. A free bus service for girls is changing that. Editor's Note: The latest National Crime Records Bureau statistics show an 83% increase in crimes against women, with as many as 39 cases reported every hour across the country. There are several thousand more instances that go unreported. And yet, such felonious acts represent only a limited view of the manner in which women in this country must face brutality. In this series of reported pieces, Firstpost examines those societal forces that, while beyond the ambit of law, have the same deleterious effect on women as criminal acts. Read the series here. *** Jaipur: One rainy day in 2016, five students of the Government PDM Girls College, Kotputli, in Rajasthan, were returning home after college. Monsoon showers had brought relief from the scorching heat, but negotiating the narrow road off NH-8, leading to their village Choori, was more challenging than the examination they were preparing for. Choori is situated 25 kilometres from the main Sikar Road link, on the Delhi-Jaipur highway. Some years ago, the terrain was home to lush green forests and the picturesque Aravali hills. Sadly, it is now a grim picture of a beauty ravaged by the unscrupulous quarrying mafia. It teems with stone crushers and heavy-duty dumpers and trucks that carry crushed stone to construction sites in the Delhi-NCR region. Their constant movement has left roads full of potholes. To add to the people's misery, just one bus serves not just Kotputli but several other villages along the route. Those not lucky enough to squeeze into the crowded bus, trek, but that too is fraught with risks. Stone crushers and trucks move menacingly, without regard for pedestrian safety, and women have to endure obscene remarks and, at times, physical advances by contractors and their cronies. Due to the lack of proper public transport and frequent harassment by men, many parents hesitate to send their daughters to schools and colleges. Girls, too, refrain from travelling, with the nearest college 25 kilometres away in Kotputli. A few take risks, but eventually give up the daily commute and attend college once a fortnight or month, or visit institutions only to write examinations. Smart Initiative On that wet afternoon when the five girls were negotiating potholes, avoiding getting splashed by passing vehicles, and the men's lecherous remarks, Dr Rameshwar Prasad Yadav from Choori, Kotputli, who works in the government hospital in Neem Ka Thana, offered them a lift in his car. During the ride, the girls shared their bitter experiences with Dr Yadav. At home, Dr Yadav narrated their problems to his wife. Without a second thought, the couple decided to launch Nishulk Beti Vahini Bus (free bus for girls). The couple bought a bus, for which Yadav withdrew Rs 19 lakh from his provident fund account. He spends Rs 40,000 on operational costs each month from their hard-earned money. The bus ferries nearly 60 girls from at least six villages, including Choori, Qayampura, Bhotpura, Pawana Ahir and Banethi, to school and back. The provident fund and pension are savings that sustain government employees in their old age, but Yadav has already spent a huge amount. Didnt his wife and children object? There was no question of any objection, says Yadav. Due to introduction of GST last year, the delivery of the bus was delayed, and colleges reopened. My wife Tarawati pressured me to arrange an alternative bus because she felt the girls would be disheartened. So I hired a bus for Rs 1,700 per day to ferry the girls." Yadav has three sons who are well-settled. Does his affection and sympathy for the village girls stem from the fact that he doesnt have a daughter? Yadavs eyes turn moist. I lost my six-month-old daughter 20 years ago, he says. I couldnt save her though I'm a paediatrician. The loss was a turning point in my life. I decided that the money I would have spent on my daughters education and marriage, I would now spend on underprivileged girl children. So I didn't hesitate to use my PF savings, and my family didnt object. Parents on board Yadav got the girls parents together and formed a committee for maintenance of the bus, and to ensure the girls' safety. Former teacher Vishnu Dutt, the committees organiser, says girls had faced many problems, but all efforts to get a bus service started by the district administration proved futile. Local politicians, too, were of no help. Now, with the free bus service available, Yadav has made parents of girls in Class 12 sign affidavits promising not to discontinue their education," he says. Prof Kanta Kamra, former principal of Government PDM Girls College in Kotputli, says the bus ensures safe travel. Previously, absenteeism and dropout ratio were quite high. But after the free bus was launched, the situation has improved, she says, pointing out that some panchayats are making similar efforts. This is an excellent example of putting the slogan Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao into practice, the professor says. The girls, too, feel safe. Second year students Puja Verma, Ekta Dahiya and Manju Gurjar say, We avoided going to college or would go once a month. To cover such a long distance, especially during monsoons, was a big problem. We had to face harassment on the way. Now, parents are not reluctant to send us to college. They have even stopped talking of marrying us off early. Yadavs wife Tarawati stands by him like a pillar. Married while still a minor, and unlettered, she not only learned to read and write but now supports her husband in his social service ventures. The Yadav couple plants 150 saplings every year, doing their bit to fight global warming. Future Plans Due to retire on 31 July, 2018, Yadav has his future roadmap planned. He is in touch with government schools around his village to ensure free education and plans free health checks in schools. He has been attempting to build toilets in schools and improve infrastructure in his alma mater. In this area, close to Rajasthan's border with Haryana, till recently, people had a biased approach to education: while daughters were sent to government schools, sons went to private schools with better facilities. Only a few could dream of higher education. According to a 2016 Human Resources Development ministry report, while nearly 8,00,000 boys enrolled in undergraduate courses, less than 5,00,000 girls did. Rajasthans performance in human development and overall development has not been noteworthy. Child marriage, early motherhood, high fertility ratio and anemia are worryingly rampant. The main reason is disruption of girls' education. In this area of Jaipur district, 40 percent of the girls reportedly suffer from anemia, while the total fertility ratio is 2.6, against the national average of 2.3. In such a scenario, Dr Rameshwar Yadav's free bus service comes as a silver lining, driving the hope that others join in to promote literacy among girls. (Mahendra Saini is a Jaipur-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com) Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said the rains had triggered massive landslides, and that central and state rescue teams were working together. Bengaluru: Bolstered by the army, navy and air force, the Karnataka government on Saturday intensified relief operations in Kodagu district, where six people were killed in rain-related incidents in the past 24 hours. Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy undertook an aerial survey of the district which has been experiencing heavy rain for the past three days. Deputy Chief Minister Parameshwara tweeted that six people have been killed in Kodagu due to floods and landslides during the past 24 hours. The government has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of each of the deceased, he said, adding that the government would take care of the treatment of the injured. Landslides were reported from some places in the district and authorities have stepped up efforts to rescue stranded people, officials said. "There is a severe situation for the past three days. Now central and state rescue teams are working on a war footing," Kumaraswamy told reporters. An M17 air force helicopter has been deployed to provide food packets to the marooned and to airlift them, the chief minister said. The government has deployed as many as 948 personnel from the army engineering task force, Dogra regiment, Indian Navy, National Disaster Response Force, fire and emergency services, home guards and civil defence, Kumaraswamy said. In addition to this, 200 NCC cadets have also been deployed. About 50 earthmovers have also been working round the clock to clear debris caused by the landslips. Boats are also being used in the rescue operations. "More than 2,500 people have been rescued.. in Jodupal village alone, 348 people have been rescued," he said. The state government has sanctioned Rs 100 crore for undertaking relief work in Kodagu district. A sum of Rs 200 crore was announced as grant-in-aid to the affected districts for relief work a few days ago. A committee, comprising senior administrative officers led by Chief Secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar, has been constituted to monitor relief operations, Kumaraswamy said. "In Jodupal village, we have lost around 300 acres of land in landslides. As many as 39 relief camps have been set up in the state, of which 30 are in Kodagu alone and the rest are in Dakshina Kannada district," he said. Revenue officers and doctors from Mysuru, Ramanagar, Mandya, Hassan and Chamarajnagar have been deployed in large numbers in Kodagu district. The government has supplied 2.5 lakh litres drinking water for Kodagu district and efforts are also on to restore power supply in rain-hit areas, he said. Kumaraswamy said he has directed officials to identify those who have lost their houses. "At least 800 houses have been completely damaged in Kodagu due to rain..I have directed district authorities to identify those who have lost their houses and prepare a list. Considering them as special cases, Rs 2 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh will be given as compensation to them," he said. As many as one lakh food packets have been distributed and arrangements are being made to supply another one lakh food packets in Kerala. Amritsar: Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday announced Rs 10 crore worth of immediate relief for flood-hit Kerala. Out of the total amount, Rs 5 crore is being transferred from the Chief Minister Relief Fund, while the remaining money would be given in the form of ready-to-eat food material and other supplies, read a statement from the Chief Minister's Office. The food material and other supplies will be taken to Kerala with the help of the defence ministry. According to a spokesperson of the government, the first air force sortie will be carrying 30 tonnes of ready-to-eat foods, such as biscuits, rusks, bottled water, and milk powder, to the flood-hit state. About one lakh food packets were sent in the first consignment. The remaining will be dispatched as and when requisitioned by the Kerala government. A total of four sorties, carrying 30 tonnes each, would be undertaken, said the spokesperson, adding that the Punjab government was pulling out all the stops to ensure timely relief measures for the crisis-ridden state. The Punjab financial commissioner had earlier spoken to his Kerala counterpart, on the directives of Punjab chief minister, to assess the situation and the kind of support required by the Kerala government to deal with the unprecedented flood situation. Thereafter, officials of the Punjab government got in touch with the defence ministry to seek their help in the transfer of the relief material, the spokesperson said. Meanwhile, acting on the chief minister's appeal, members of the Punjab IAS Officers' Association have decided to donate one day's salary each to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to support the Kerala relief measures. Captain Amarinder Singh has also appealed to other government employees to extend similar help. The chief minister has also appealed to various NGOs and philanthropic organisations in Punjab to come forward and extend all possible help to the beleaguered people in Kerala. It was an extraordinary situation requiring extraordinary measures, he said, stressing the need for the entire nation to come together to help Kerala in this critical time. So far, the Centre has mobilised deployment of 339 motorised boats, 2800 life jackets, 1400 lifebuoys, 27 light towers and 1000 raincoats. Further, 72 motor boats, 5000 life jackets, 2000 life buoys, 13 light towers and 1000 raincoats are being deployed. As many as one lakh food packets have been distributed and arrangements are being made to supply another one lakh food packets. Provision has been made for supply of milk powder as well. Besides that, the Indian Navy has deployed 51 boats along with diving teams, 1000 life jackets, and 1300 gumboots. It flew 16 sorties in 48 hours in rescue operations. Kerala has been witnessing acute flood situation owing to incessant rain. So far, 167 people have lost their lives in the state. Kerala floods latest updates: The IMD has issued a heavy rainfall warning for 11 districts in Kerala on Saturday. Auto refresh feeds Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kerala's capital Thiruvananthapuram late on Friday evening. He left the state capital on Saturday to take stock of the flood situation in Kerala through an aerial survey. As per a tweet by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the navy, army and coast guard combined are using 221 motorised boats and seven non-motorised boats for the ongoing search and rescue operations in Kerala. As per details released by the Disaster Management State Control Room on Friday, Thrissur district recorded the highest number of deaths (42) in Kerala so far since rains ravaged the state from 8 August. The district also registered the highest number of missing persons (19). However, Wayanad district showed the maximum damage to houses, worth Rs 4.81 crore, followed closely by Palakkad and estimated crop losses were massively high in Malappuram compared to other districts.. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was forced to cancel the aerial survey due to inclement weather, reported News18. Due to heavy rains, the helicopter is not being able to lift off. The weather condition was forced the helicopter to return to the naval airport. Both Modi and Vijayan are camping at the naval base since they can't continue with the recce. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently chairing a meeting in Kochi with Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union minister KJ Alphons and other officials, after his aerial survey was called off due to inclement weather. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in the "worst floods in 100 years", at least 324 lives have been lost in Kerala so far. On Friday, over 80,000 persons, stranded in various places, were rescued, of whom 71,000 were from one of the worst affected Aluva region of Ernakulam district. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's chopper has taken off from Kochi to conduct an aerial survey of the flood-ravaged state. Earlier on Saturday morning, the prime minister had to abandon the aerial recce due to inclement weather. After the high-level review meeting between Modi, Vijayan and army and naval rescue teams concluded, the prime minister has reportedly sanctioned Rs 500 crore as interim relief for Kerala. More details awaited. The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation will restart more of its services from Saturday onwards. Buses from Kozhikode to Thrissur and Kannur are already plying. The state buses are also running from Thiruvananthapuram to Ernakulam via Alapuzha. However, there are no buses to Thrissur or Kozhikode from Thiruvananthapuram. The state of Kerala has so far incurred a loss of Rs 19,512 crore as damage to life and property. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has offered Rs 500 crore as interim relief. The Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had reportedly informed Modi that the loss estimated by the state government was Rs 20,000 crores. The state government had demanded Rs1,000 crore as interim relief. Prime Minister has announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh per person to the next kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured from the Prime Minister's National Relief Funds (PMNRF). Indian Air Force commodore PK Sreekumar, who is engaged in rescue operations at Mannar, says there is lack of understanding about ground realities in places where urgent attention is required, resulting in a chaotic situation for coordination. "No government agency is seen in Pandanad region where hundreds are stranded. We need more boats. Not a single boat has come from administrative side," he said. Under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, 5.5 crore person days have been sanctioned in the labour Budget for 2018-19. Any further request for incurring person days would be considered as per the requirement projected by the state. Under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture, farmers would be provided assistance for replantation of damaged horticulture crops. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to repair main national highways damaged due to floods on priority. The Central Public Sector like NTPC and PGCIL have also been directed to be available to render all possible assistance to the state government in restoring power lines. Villagers, whose kutcha houses have been destroyed in the devastating floods, would be provided 'Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin' houses on priority, irrespective of their priority in the Permanent Wait List of PMAY-G. The Attoli Bus Owners Society Sangam (ABOS) has said bus fares collected will go to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. Bus conductors in buses running in the routes of Attoli to Calicut town have replaced the traditional conductor purses with collection buckets. Passengers can contribute from the minimum ticket fare to any amount they desire. Tickets are not issued for this relief ride. Around 30 buses are taking part in this process, and all collections from the day will go into the CMRF. Today is the last chance to be saved alive for many: Shashi Tharoor Complaints regarding hoarding of foodgrains and other essential items by traders are coming from Idukki, which is almost cut off from the rest of the state following extensive damage to roads leading up to the district. Prices of the essential items have shot up in many places after supplies from outside were disrupted. Only limited items are coming into Ernakulam via Neriyamanagalm. Reports from Idukki said people in many isolated areas were passing days without food. He also said the state is dealing with an "unprecedented disaster". "We have been promised more helicopters... This is the problem with you media people, you are always thinking negatively. We are getting all possible help," asserted Vijayan. "We made the situation very clear in front of the prime minister. The prime minister has announced Rs 500cr more than what was announced earlier (Rs 100cr). The situation is grave in Kerala. We must stand together. The prime minister has understood the situation very well. The Revenue Department officials were also there with us (during the meeting)," explained Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan while speaking to reporters. The IMD has issued a heavy rainfall warning for 11 districts in the state on Saturday. According to The Hindu , the Met Office in Thiruvananthapuram said that Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad and Kannur districts were most likely to experience heavy rainfall (7 -11 cm in 24 hours). "There are still thousands stranded in Pandanad without food or water for four days. We may see a big human tragedy," the survivor further said. "We have been saved by fishermen from Kollam on their countrymade boats. No one from the government side came to our help. We survived by drinking rain water for four days," said one of the survivors. A few families stranded for a few days in Pandanad have been rescued. There is seething anger among survivors. A circular by the Kerala State Electricity Board Limited has gone out to all employees asking them to be on a war footing during the restoration and renovation process in bringing their systems back to the pre-flood state. KSEBL has been the worst hit with all its substations, feeder and lines submerged in the flood, including the inundation of small hydel projects, the notice said. The actual loss and damage sustained to KSEBL can only be properly ascertained after the water recedes, it said, asking all employees and officers to defer all personal activities, avoid holidays as much as possible in the coming days. Relief material being collected and sent to Coorg from the Kodava Samaj premises in Bengaluru. A lorry carrying relief materials, including medicines, biscuits, blankets, rice, sarees and sanitary pads to Coorg, was flagged off by Shobha Karandlaje from the BJP party office in Bangalore. She said the party is in touch with the DC of Kodagu to understand their immediate needs. She appealed to the public to donate generously. (Source: BJP Karnataka) Speaking to reporters, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, "On Rahul Gandhi's directions, the governments of Punjab and Karnataka have donated Rs 10 crore for assistance to our brethren in Kerala, while the Puducherry government has sent Rs 1 crore. Further, all MPs, MLAs and MLCs will donate one month's salary." The assessment of loss is yet to begin. The most affected villages are Byate Thimmana Koppalu, Enne Hole Koppalu and Chaluvarasana Koppalu. Achchappana Koppalu, Ramapura, Doddapalya, Mandya Koppalu and Cauvery Boredevara Thopu are some other villages that are potentially vulnerable. Police bandobast has been made at many vulnerable places to prevent people from entering Cauvery to wash clothes and utensils, and for bathing. Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limiteds Executive Engineer Basavarajegowda has issued a flood warning to residents of the low-lying areas along the Cauvery and has cautioned people against venturing into the river. We have asked the people not to graze their cattle near the river, an Assistant Engineer said. In Karnataka's Mandya, the district administration has formed teams for round-the-clock monitoring of possible flooding situation at vulnerable areas, besides initiating measures to tackle possible untoward incidents. We have instructed all the Panchayat Development Officers and Village Accountants to patrol the area besides helping the residents, a PDO said. The Cauvery has submerged a large tract of agricultural fields and some water pumping stations. Measures will be initiated to repair the pumping stations soon, the officer said. The app will share your location and other details automatically from your phone and register your case immediately. The news channel further said that 60,000 people were rescued today. There are still 1 lakh people who still need to be rescued. News18 also reported that only four districts were on red alert right now. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said that due to the floods in Kerala, there has been a shortage of drinking water, and that the Indian Railways is providing 15 lakh litres of water to Kerala from Pune and Ratlam. "In this hour of crisis, Railways is dedicated to extending support to the victims of the Kerala floods," he tweeted. Kerala has received 170 percent more rain than is normal from 1 August 1 to 17 August. As many as 194 people have died and 36 have been missing since 8 August due to rains and landslides. Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. In a much-needed respite to rain-battered Kerala, the India Meteorological Department said the intensity of rainfall in the state will reduce in the next two to three days. IMD additional director general Mritunjay Mohapatra said Kerala is not expected to receive heavy rainfall from 20 August. Due to the floods in Kerala, there has been a shortage of drinking water. Railways is providing 15 Lakh litres of water to Kerala from Pune and Ratlam. In this hour of crisis, Railways is dedicated to extending support to the victims of the Kerala floods. pic.twitter.com/POWRYWkNIn Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said that due to the floods in Kerala, there has been a shortage of drinking water, and that the Indian Railways is providing 15 lakh litres of water to Kerala from Pune and Ratlam. "In this hour of crisis, Railways is dedicated to extending support to the victims of the Kerala floods," he tweeted. The Resident Commissioner of Kerala informed Kejriwal that the situation in the southern state was serious and listed out the immediate requirements. Bottled water, biscuits, dry food packets, blankets, bedsheets and clothes are the top requirements at the moment. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal held a meeting to discuss ways to send help to flood-hit Kerala. In a statement, the Delhi government said it would send relief material for the victims of the deluge. Kejriwal has already released Rs 10 crore from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for Kerala, the statement added. #KeralaFloods2018 #OPRAHAT @IndiaCoastGuard Team rescued 127 marooned people from the flooded homes of East #Kadangaloor including a 10 day old infant and also a mother with advanced pregnancy today. All shifted to safety @DefenceMinIndia @CMOKerala @DG_PIB @SpokespersonMoD pic.twitter.com/QulykklUoL The Indian Coast Guard on Satusday rescued 127 marooned people from the flooded homes of East Kadangaloor, including a 10-day-old infant and a woman in the later stage of pregnancy. They were all moved to safety, the Coast Guard said. #KeralaFloods2018 #KeralaFloodRelief #OpMadad A makeshift Relief shelter in an aircraft hangar in Naval Base Kochi housing at least 250 affected citizens of Kerala. Naval families in attendance to look after their needs 24X7 pic.twitter.com/mgJjYNiDat A makeshift relief shelter has been set up at an aircraft hangar at the naval base in Kochi. It is currently housing at least 250 people affected by the floods in Kerala. Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje has announced financial assistance of Rs 10 crore from the state for flood-hit Kerala, ANI reported. Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Punjab and Delhi have also offered financial assistance. More than 1200 youth brigade volunteers have been deployed by DYFI in Kannur itself who are working in more than 200 camps and are ensuring relief assistance reaches every possible person. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/g2YSyjsBCr The Democratic Youth Federation of India has deployed more than 1,200 youth volunteers in Kannur. They are working at more than 200 camps to ensure that relief material reaches everyone affected by the devastating floods, the CPM tweeted. Three more NDRF teams have been sent from Pune to help with relief and rescue operations in Kerala. Earlier, four teams were sent, bring the total number of NDRF teams sent to Kerala from Pune to seven, ANI reported. Kerala has received 170 percent more rain than is normal from 1 August 1 to 17 August. As many as 194 people have died and 36 have been missing since 8 August due to rains and landslides. Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. In a much-needed respite to rain-battered Kerala, the India Meteorological Department said the intensity of rainfall in the state will reduce in the next two to three days. IMD additional director general Mritunjay Mohapatra said Kerala is not expected to receive heavy rainfall from 20 August. Kerala floods latest updates: The IMD has withdrawn the red alert in the state for Sunday, but an orange alert still stands for three districts. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said 58,506 people were rescued on Saturday, but around a lakh were still stranded. The official toll in the last 10 days stands at 206. Padanad in Chengannur district in central Kerala has emerged as the epicentre of the calamity. Over 300 people have been rescued from the district so far, and more than 1,500 families are reported to be stranded here on rooftops. At least 100 families in Thiruvanmandoor. Edanad, Pandanad and Mangalam are stranded in the worst-affected areas of Chengannur. According to the IMD, the state received 619.5 mm rainfall this month till 16 August. This is usually 244.1 mm. "The intensity of rainfall has decreased now. There won't be extremely heavy rains anymore but heavy rains will continue for two days," IMD scientist S Devi told ANI. Speaking to reporters, Vijayan said that Kerala was facing an "unprecedented disaster". "The situation is grave in Kerala. We must stand together. The prime minister has understood the situation very well," he said, adding that this was the "worst floods in Kerala in 100 years". At least 324 people have died so far. Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted an aerial survey to assess damage caused by flooding, and joined a review meeting to take stock of the situation. "The nation stands firmly with Kerala in this hour," he said on Twitter. Kerala has so far incurred a loss of Rs 19,512 crore as damage to life and property, said Vijayan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has offered Rs 500 crore as interim relief. Personnel of the three services, besides the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) resumed the gigantic task of evacuating people stranded on rooftops, highlands where hills came crashing down blocking roads and cutting them off from the rest of the world, and those marooned in villages that have turned into islands. Many persons, including women, children and the elderly trapped in places inaccessible by boats were winched up by defence helicopters and shifted to safety. TV channels telecast disturbing visuals of a woman in labour being pulled up with the help of a rope dropped down from a navy chopper, swinging violently in the air. The woman, whose amniotic sac was ruptured, was shifted to a navy hospital where she gave birth to a baby boy. Both the mother and the child are doing fine, officials said. Desperate non-resident Keralites from Australia, the US and the UK were making fervent pleas to authorities through television channels seeking help for their dear ones. Soumya from Australia said her parents and their relatives were stranded in Aluva for the past two days. Another said an elderly relative Mary Varghese was badly in need of an oxygen cylinder and her condition was worsening. Although the rain let up in a few places on Saturday, four districts of Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur remained in the throes of the monsoon fury. Officials said many private hospitals in Ernakulam district are running out of oxygen, forcing the authorities to shift patients to nearby facilities. Many had to be evacuated after flood water entered hospitals. People in relief shelters also complained about dearth of food and drinking water. Quite a few petrol pumps, even in places like the state capital Thiruvananthapuram, which has escaped the monsoon fury to some extent, have run dry. Long queues of motorists were seen at several fuel stations in Thiruvananthapuram district. Authorities have directed each of these fuel bunks to keep in reserve 3,000 litres of diesel and 1,000 litres of petrol at all times for relief operations. Local fishermen have also joined in the rescue mission with their boats and could be seen evacuating those marooned in places like Aluva, Kalady, Perumbavoor, Muvattupuzha and Chalakudy. Several roads in the hill district of Idukki, including in picturesque Munnar, have been badly damaged from a string of landslides. Wayanad, among the worst-hit by the floods, is cut off from the rest of Kerala. The Kochi airport is still shut with rain water flooding the runways. Several trains were either cancelled or rescheduled. Services on the Kochi Metro are, however, unaffected. With inputs from PTI CHICO, Calif. -- A service was held Friday evening in Chico for Cal Fire Mechanic Andrew Brake. Brake was killed in a traffic accident while on his way to battle the Carr Fire last week. Andrew had a great smile, charisma, and was especially dedicated to his family - these are only a few of the ways Brake's family and friends described him to Action News Now. Friday night's service was dedicated to honoring the first responder who made the ultimate sacrifice. "He's just the sweetest nicest guy in the world and he just loves his daughters so much," said Barbara Lams, Brake's aunt. Brake was born in Michigan but spent much of his life in Chico. He graduated from Pleasant Valley High School in 1996. He completed the mechanics program and fire academy at Butte College. In 2012, Brake started as a seasonal firefighter in the Humboldt- Del Norte unit. Brake transferred to Butte County this past April from the San Benit- Monterey unit. "He worked hard for many years so he could get back up to this area, and he was so happy when he got assigned to the Butte County area," said Lams. Brake had only been back home for three months and stayed with his mother while he was looking for property. "She's so thankful now that they had him around for those three months, you know it was just so wonderful to spend time with him," said Lams. Former co-workers remembered a man who could bring a smile to anyone's face. "He is just love, he was love! His smile, his charisma," said Dianne Staller, a former co-worker. And friends remembered a man who was generous. "He decided to give me this shirt because he wants me to wear it for him to make him happy," said Marty Poston, a friend of Brake's. And family members remembered a loved one who simply lit up a room. "An absolute smile, never had anything negative to say, certainly had adversity in his own life and had justification for sadness, but I certainly never saw it," said David Wright, Brake's uncle. Brake leaves behind a wife and two daughters. "They were most important to him and he was most important to them. They were like his anchor. And for them, the same thing," said Wright. In a moving ceremony last week, the community came together to honor Chico's bravest. "They raised the flag up in the middle of Mangrove and you just looked up at that American flag and you say, oh, God bless America, God bless the firefighters," said Lams. There is a crowdfunding platform online in honor of Brake. You can find it here. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kerala's capital Thiruvananthapuram to take stock of the flood situation there. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kerala's capital Thiruvananthapuram late on Friday evening. He will be taking a tour on Saturday to take stock of the flood situation in Kerala. On Saturday, the prime minister will leave Raj Bhavan for an aerial recce of the affected areas along with Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan at 7 am, following which he will chair a meeting in Kochi at 9.39 am. He is expected to leave for Delhi by 10.30 am. Earlier in the day, Modi also spoke with Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and discussed the situation. "The suffering of the people of Kerala has been in his thoughts for the last few days. He will review the status of relief and rescue operations, and will also undertake an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement on Friday. Modi left for Kerala after attending the last rites of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Kerala has been severely hit by monsoon rains and rivers and dam reservoirs are overflowing, inundating a large part of the state. At least 100 people died on Thursday in rain-related incidents in the state and according to state government figures, 164 people have lost their lives in the state since 8 August and over 3 lakh people have been displaced. With inputs from PTI As an unprecendented monsoon has ravaged Kerala claiming 106 lives on a single day on Thursday, the state plunged deeper into misery on Friday with hospitals facing a shortage of oxygen and fuel stations running dry. With Kerala facing the deadliest deluge in close to a century that claimed 324 lives since 8 August, and displaced over 2.2 lakh people, the NDRF and the armed forces played a crucial role in carrying out rescue operations. According to multiple statements released by the defence ministry, the Indian Navy and the Indian Army jointly saved 6,600 people since they launched Operation Madad (navy) and Operation Sahyog (army) over a week ago. Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is to be lauded for her quick response in providing assistance to the rain-battered state. On Thursday, when the unprecedented monsoon claimed 106 lives on a single day, Sitharaman promised "every assistance" to rain-battered Kerala. In a series of tweets, she assured the Kerala government that every help will be provided. "Have directed Indian Air Force for airlifting people stranded on rooftops," Sitharaman tweeted. The defence minister said that she spoke with Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan who requested more boats, and life jackets. "Have instructed Defence Secretary to respond immediately. Awaiting the list from Chief Secretary, Kerala. There shall be no delay from our side. Additional IAF helicopters will be deployed," the defence minister had said. The defence minister stood by her promise as the Indian Armed Forces swung into action, at a war-footing level, according to the Defence Ministry, to rescue and provide relief items to the thousands of people stranded across the state along with the NDRF. On Friday, as the situation worsened, and Vijayan sought more help, Sitharaman said that additional motorboats were being hired by the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard to enhance search and rescue operations in the state. She also said that more helicopters were being sent by the Air Force to all the districts. Sitharaman sanctioned the extra choppers as people marooned in Chengannur and Chalakudy could only be airlifted to safety. She also tweeted the complete deployment data chart put in force for the Kerala floods 2018 rescue mission since 9 August. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that 40,000 policemen, 3,200 firefighters, 18 teams of the army, 28 of Coast Guard, 39 of NDRF and 46 of Navy were engaged in rescue operations. Operation Madad As part of the Indian Navys 'Operation Madad' to provide rescue teams on-ground in Kerala, the Southern Naval Command at Kochi has rescued a large amount of people stranded in the flood-affected areas. Operation Madad was launched on 9 August, a day after the rain intensified in the state, leading to the worst floods Kerala has seen in almost a century. The operation was launched to assist the state administration and undertake disaster relief operations due to unprecedented flooding in many parts of Kerala following incessant rainfall and release of excess water from Idukki and other dams. On Friday, the the 58 rescue teams of the Indian Navy deployed at multiple locations, helped saved 500 people, according to IANS, while more than 3,000 people have been rescued since floods hit Kerala on 8 August. According to officials, it is unprecedented in the history of rescue operations by the Navy. Efforts continued to bring the flood-affected people to safety and also provide them essential supplies such as food and water, the spokesperson said. The Southern Naval Command on Friday sent 18 more teams to various locations to augment the rescue effort. The spokesperson said 19 teams of rescuers came from the Eastern Naval Command and Western Naval Command. Naval helicopters have also been deployed for ferrying divers, power tools, axes and relief material to the flooded areas. Operation Sahyog The Army pushed its personnel and machinery into disaster relief and rescue operations in various districts after incessant rain and landslides hit multiple parts of Kerala. An army spokesperson said that Karnataka and Kerala Sub area Headquartered at Bengaluru was controlling the 'Operation Sahyog' in Kerala. Engaged in rescue and relief operations in flood-hit Kerala, the Indian Army has been able to rescue 3,627 persons till date, including 22 foreign nationals, the Ministry of Defence said on Friday. With an over 1,000 persons-strong rescue team, the Army is engaged in alleviating the situation in flood-battered Kerala since 9 August, when it was hit by torrential rains that still continue. "Thirteen temporary bridges were constructed to reconnect 38 remote areas and a total of 3,627 persons have been rescued till date, including 22 foreign nationals. Relief materials have been sent to 19 villages with medical aid being provided to approximately 500 civilians. In addition, 3,000 pre-cooked meals and 300 life jackets have been handed over to the civil administration on Friday," the Ministry of Defence said in a statement. The Army is engaged in the relief efforts on a "war footing" with the deployment of 10 flood relief columns, each having an approximate strength of 65 personnel in 10 districts, the statement added. When Cyclone Ockhi hit Kerala in 2017, Sitharaman had ensured that the state was given all assistance. Follow Kerala floods LIVE updates here With inputs from agencies The magnitude of the disaster in Kerala brought together digital giants like Twitter, Facebook, Google, WhatsApp and Amazon. Bengaluru: Jithin James Pallipatt, a Keralite studying in Gujarat, was shocked to hear that his family was stranded in Kerala with no supplies or means of transport. Three families, comprising 15 people, were stuck in a house, with water level constantly rising in the Meloor district of Thrissur in southern Kerala. To seek help for his family, Jithin joined Twitter for the first time and started tweeting, pleading for assistance. Though his multiple appeals, retweeted by many, bore no results for more than two days, his family was eventually found and is now safe. Jithin is among the many people who have turned towards social media platforms to seek help for their family members stranded in what is being termed as Keralas worst floods in over a century. On Friday evening, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the deluge had left at least 324 people dead and displaced over 2.2 lakh others. The magnitude of disaster brought together digital giants like Twitter, Facebook, Google, WhatsApp and Amazon to aid rescue and rehabilitation. Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp, particularly, have been useful in disseminating emergency contacts, SOS messages and immediate location of those stuck in the calamity. Celebrities pitch in too When IPS officer Rema Rajeshwari, who is currently posted in Telangana, received a text message from her family in Munnar, she was left worried. Due to heavy flooding in the town, her family was stranded without any electricity or cellphone services. They managed to send photos to her through WhatsApp, which she further shared with friends and family. The officer said that her entire home town was isolated due to heavy rain, making any transportation difficult. After a challenging few hours, they were safely shifted to an ancestral house in Munnar by her other kin. While the army, navy and air force, along with local fisherman communities, activists and volunteers are working tirelessly to rescue people, social media is playing an important role in collecting donations and other necessary requirements in camps. Using hashtags like #KeralaFloods, #KeralaRelief, celebrities, influencers and people of authority have been raising awareness about the floods by posting important helpline numbers, sharing safe locations, and urging people to donate cash and other necessary items. Actor Siddharth even launched a Kerala Donation Challenge asking people to donate generously. Please post your donation proof online if you wish to inspire others to do the same. Let us call this the #KeralaDonationChallenge. We all know how much the internet loves a challenge, he wrote in a statement. Digital solutions prove critical Authorities have also been using the internet and social media to assist those in need. While the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority put up mobile numbers asking people to send their locations on WhatsApp, the state government used Google Maps to create the option of letting citizens upload their locations where help is needed, simplifying the process of rescue operations. Keralarescue.in is another initiative by the state government which allows people to seek or offer relief. By visiting the website, one can request for help, make a donation, find a relief centre, get important contact information, and/or volunteer for their services. Along with the state government, common people too are relying on digital solutions to help the flood-hit state. A group of freelancers across Twitter have designed a platform on Google Maps that compiles and provides verified locations for shelter, rescue, food and water, volunteers, helpline, relief collection, transportation, medicines and more across Kerala. Googles Person Finder is an ideal tool in disasters like floods, where there are numerous people on the lookout for any scrap of information about their family and friends. The option allows to either find, or provide information about someone. A reporter on ground also stated that the navy and air force are using social media platforms to coordinate with people and initiate rescue operations. It is estimated that around 1.5 lakh individuals have been rescued through these channels, though exact figures are not yet known. Using Google location and tracking, they have been able to gain proximity to even remote locations. However, a major concern is lack of electricity due to which people are unable to charge their phones and use such services. Waseem Memon, founder of Bengaluru-based NGO Drive Without Borders, affirmed that social media can be effectively utilised during such situations. During the 2015 Chennai floods, we raised nearly Rs 28 lakh as contribution. We are currently doing the same for Kerala floods as well. Memons Facebook groups have a large number of followers. When I called for donations towards the fund for Kerala floods, we received an impressive amount within just few days, he said, adding that donations came in kind as well. We were looking for multiple boxes of antiseptic soaps, anti-fungal creams and powders, undergarments for men and women, sanitary napkins, clothing for children, bedsheets, blankets and pillows. We have boxes coming in from all across Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and more, he said. In fact, we have people who are requesting to travel to Kerala and assist in any possible manner. Faseeh Ahmed, a student at Hyderabad Central University (HCU), had a similar experience when he started a fundraiser at his campus. We called for money, and other donations of material value on social media and also via WhatsApp, Ahmed said, adding that they didnt anticipate the extensive response. Students from other universities across Hyderabad like IIT and EFLU came forward to contribute towards the Kerala floods along with some volunteers from NGOs and mosques, he said. The funds and donations received were meant to be transported by train via Mangaluru to Wayanad, Kerala. Since incessant rain halted all rail services, donations are now being sent by road. Google Maps is turning out to be helpful in finding relief camps, and supplying the necessities to survivors. (Authors are freelance writers and members of 101Reporters.com.) Four people have been confirmed dead in the floods in Kerala's Pandanad village, and lack of coordination in rescue efforts has made matters worse. Editor's note: Described as one of the worst since 1924 by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the rains in Kerala have left over 350 dead and rendered thousands of people homeless. According to the latest tally, 80,000 have been rescued so far. Over 1,500 relief camps have been set up across the state that currently house at least 2,23,139 people. In a multi-part series, Firstpost will attempt to analyse the short-term and long-term impact of these unprecedented floods on the lives of the people, economy of the state, and the environment. *** Pandanad in Kerala's Chengannur town could turn into the epicenter of the worst calamity to hit the state since it was formed. For the fourth day in a row, thousands of families in this central Kerala village are stranded on rooftops without food, water, medicine and electricity. Local fishermen on boats are battling rough waters to save as much as they can, but with the Pampa river still in spate, flowing with rapid ferocity, most of the areas in Pandanad village are still inaccessible for rescue workers. On Friday night, there was an SOS cry from one of the most unlikely sources Saji Cherian, the ruling party's MLA from Chengannur, broke down on prime time news on a regional channel, expressing his fear that thousands might lose their lives if helicopters do not airlift them to safety. "Thousands are stranded in Pandanad even now without help," he said. "It has been three nights. They have no food or water. If they are not airlifted urgently, we could have huge casualties in this area. It would be an unthinkable human tragedy." Cherian's words should have sent a shiver down the spine of the relief and rescue apparatus that has been working tirelessly over the past week to salvage thousands from the raving floodwaters in Kerala. However, when this reporter tried to reach ground zero on Saturday morning, there was hardly any change in the situation. Neither is the district administration equipped to deal with the situation, nor has it coordinated with the air force or navy, which is in operation in other areas. The district administration seems to have forgotten Padanad altogether and is now paying the price. Four deaths were confirmed in the region, and nearly 7,000 people were stranded when the reports last came in. Thomas Chacko, 65, and his family were perhaps the very few who made it out of Pandanad before it was too late. Now at a relative's house on higher ground, Chacko said he and his family of five could escape because his brother-in-law, who stays out of the village, had reached them in time with a country boat. "We were lucky to come out of it," he said. "The water level was rising by the minute, and by the time we got out, it had reached the second floor of our house. We have no idea what happened to our neighbours." Other regions adversely affected are Thiruvanmandoor, Edanad, Mangalam, Manaar, Budhanoor, Aala, Venmony, Cheriyanad and Mulakuzha. Joseph C Mathew, who was an adviser to former chief minister VS Achuthananthan and hails from Chengannur, said his aged parents are still trapped on a neighbour's rooftop in Puthencavu. "The problem in Chengannur is not about the rising water level. It is about the thousands stranded for four days in a row with no food, water, medicines or electricity. A majority of them are aged parents of NRIs. If you don't reach them on time, most of them, who are either highly diabetic or suffering from age-related illnesses, will die," Mathew said. Stranded elderly This is exactly what Cherian meant when he said casualties could be high as Pandanad, like many other regions of Chengannur and the rest of central Kerala, have a huge number of households with aged parents and single old women. They have been living in these houses for years, with their children and grandchildren settled abroad in either the Gulf nations, Europe or the United States. It is this very lonely and vulnerable group that has now been subjected to a fourth straight day of misery. With no electricity since Wednesday night to keep their phones charged, most of them have been cut off from the rest of the world. By Thursday morning, the NRI community was in panic mode. Unable to reach their dear ones, many began to share frenzied messages over social media, even including Google drop pins. This reporter has shared at least two hundred such messages over the last two days. Firstpost has not been able to independently verify whether they have been rescued yet. Although the chief minister had promised an early rescue by first light at 5.30 am on Saturday, this reporters has learnt from people on the ground that apart from a few fishing boats brought in from Alapuzha and Kollam districts, no other help was sent till well into the first half of the day. By 2 pm, some of the first survivors from Pandanad were rescued in fishermen's country-made boats. Exhausted and starved, a few of them recollected their horror from the last 72 hours. "We were saved by fishermen from Kollam, otherwise we would have surely died tonight," said Saroja from Pandanad. "Till we had charge on our phones, we kept calling everyone in the district administration. Some of them promised help, but no one came. We have been surviving on water for four days." An elderly man said: "There are still so many people (in Pandanad) with food and water. The flow of water on one side of the Pampa river is such that no one can get close to the houses there. God knows what will happen to them." Tough terrain By noon on Saturday, rescue operations were reportedly on in full swing, though its effects have yet to be seen on the ground. The biggest challenge for rescue teams, including the navy and air force, is the terrain in Pandanad and the rest of Chengannur. What makes it tough is that the area is close to the confluence of the Papma river and the Vembanad lake. The rapid flow of water and turbulence in the Papma had literally cut off Pandanad from other regions in Chengannur. Devakumar, a fisherman from Kollam whose team said it had saved nearly 60 people in the last two days, summed up the challenge: "We tried our best to save a lot of people, but whatever we could do was only in the periphery. On the other side, the Pampa river is in spate, and the flow is so tremendous that we could not reach that side. Only navy boats can reach those places." By Saturday afternoon, three Indian Air Force helicopters and 15 naval teams were pressed into service, but airlifting people has been a challenge as most houses in this area have makeshift roofs with no open and water-less space from where the choppers can lift people. These helicopters have also been dropping food packets for those who refused to leave their homes even in the face of grave danger. But the question now is whether all this help came a day too late for Pandanad and Chengannur. Lack of coordination costing those affected dearly The lack of coordination between the central forces and the district administration has made matters worse. In most cases, rescue teams have had to wait for hours to get clearance from the district administration to move in to affected areas, thereby losing valuable time. Reports say that a 150-member team of the National Disaster Response Force had reached Adoor, a town near Chengannur, by Friday night, but it had not received any orders from the district administration on where to go. Meanwhile, all quarters have now raised a demand to have all rescue operations handed over to the defence forces. The Opposition leader in Kerala, Chennithala, made a written request to the prime minister when he landed in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday morning. Follow LIVE updates on the Kerala floods here. Indian Railways has supplied clean drinking water to the people affected by floods in the state of Kerala New Delhi: The Indian Railways has extended a helping hand to Kerala by supplying bottled water to flood-affected people. Around 2740 cartons were dispatched from Parassala's Rail Neer plant earlier on Friday, while six trucks loaded with drinking water have already been pressed into service. In a similar move, the Southern Railways has dispatched seven BRN Wagons, carrying 2.8 lakh litres of water, from the Erode Junction on Friday afternoon. Apart from this, the Railway has made necessary arrangements in case of emergency situations in the state. A loading of 10,000 cubic boxes of water bottles is under progress to be sent in the state. The officials of Kerala State Government directed the Senior Divisional Commercial Manager in Palakkad to coordinate further dispatch of drinking water for those affected. Kerala has been witnessing acute flood situation since past few days owing to incessant rain. So far, 324 people have lost their lives in the state due to flood, according to a tweet by the Chief Minister Office (CMO) of Kerala. The Odisha government has asked Kerala to rescue 130 Odia workers who are stuck in Odapally village Bhubaneswar: In the wake of a distress call by some Odia people in flood-hit Kerala, the Odisha government has requested the southern state to provide assistance to 130 labourers from the state in Odapally, official sources said. The Odisha government's request followed an alert from one Anil Sethi who informed that about 130 labourers from Odisha, who have taken shelter in a house at Aluva Munnar Road, Odapally, near Asha Munnar Post Office, were not able to get food and drinking water. "I would, therefore, request you to kindly make necessary arrangement for providing support in terms of food, drinking water and other necessities to the flood affected people from Odisha." the state's Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) BP Sethi said in a letter to PH Kurian, Additional Chief Secretary, Disaster Management, Kerala on Friday. The Odisha government also set up helplines in the special relief commissioner's office here to help the people in distress. Any person from Odisha who has been affected may call up through the helpline numbers 1070 (toll free) and 0674-2534177, an official release said. When contacted over phone, Anil Sethi told PTI, "we are virtually starving and even not in possession of a drop of water to drink. Therefore, we appeal both the governments of Odisha and Kerala to make arrangement for our survival." The Odisha government has already announced a financial assistance of Rs five crore for flood-ravaged Kerala. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also talked to his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan over phone about the situation. Patnaik also offered other kind of support required to tackle the calamity, as Odisha has expertise in dealing with disasters like flood and cyclone. Congress party president Rahul Gandhi has asked for the party to help mobilise resources for flood-hit Kerala New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday urged party cadre in flood-hit Kerala to mobilise resources for helping the people of the state, while displaying the core Congress values of service and love. "Across Kerala & now Kodagu in Karnataka, heavy rainfall has caused widespread devastation. This is the time for our workers & leaders to demonstrate the core Congress values of service & love. Please focus all our resources & people to help those in need (sic)," he tweeted. Kerala has been severely hit by monsoon rains and rivers and dam reservoirs are overflowing, inundating a large part of the southern state. The deadliest deluge in close to a century has claimed 173 lives since 8 August, and dealt a severe blow to the scenic state, wrecking its tourism industry, destroying standing crops in thousands of hectares and inflicting huge damage to infrastructure. State Bank of India has donated Rs 2 crore for the people affected by floods in Kerala and has waived off the fees for application of passbooks and ATM cards Mumbai: The State Bank of India (SBI) has donated Rs 2 crore for the Kerala flood victims and initiated several other ground-level measures in the deluged state, an official said on Saturday. The SBI has encouraged all its 270,000 staffers to contribute to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF), and the bank would contribute an equivalent amount. It also announced a waiver of fees and charges on services like loans for flood relief, duplicate passbooks, ATM cards, cheque books and EMI delays, besides making attempts to restore the working of branches and ATMs in the flood affected regions of the state. Besides, the SBI has decided to waive all charges on remittance to the CMDRF, penalty on non-maintenance of minimum account balance from proceeds of relief fund provided by the government and agencies and if already recovered, such charges would be refunded for customers in the state. The bank has extended Xpress Credit to existing customers with relaxed norms for a month, deployed cash at PoS (Point of Sale) to enable people avail Rs 2,000 to meet daily cash requirements across the state. Persons who have lost or displaced personal documents can open small accounts with only photos and signature or thumb impressions and all employees of SBI deployed to address requirements of the customers and ensure best possible service. At least 180 persons have lost their lives, thousands displaced or stranded as incessant rains pounded Kerala since the past 10 days, causing havoc in 12 districts. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has announced a donation of Rs 25 crore for the flood-hit state of Kerala Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday announced Rs 25 crore and 10 reverse osmosis plants worth Rs 2.5 crore for flood-ravaged Kerala. Telangana IT Minister KT Rama Rao tweeted: "To aid and assist our brothers and sisters of Kerala in their hour of grief, Telangana CM KCR Garu has just announced assistance of Rs 25 crore and 10 reverse osmosis plants worth Rs 2.5 crore towards the flood hit Kerala." To aid & assist our brothers & sisters of Kerala in their hour of grief, Telangana CM Sri KCR Garu has just announced assistance of Rs. 25 Cr & 10 reverse osmosis plants worth 2.5 Cr towards the flood hit Kerala#TelanganaStandsWithKerala Request you all to donate generously pic.twitter.com/SGHi2kcKjV KTR (@KTRTRS) August 17, 2018 On Twitter, the Kerala Chief Minister's office appealed to the people of the country to donate to the state which has "lost 324 lives" in the floods. "Kerala is facing its worst flood in 100 years. Eighty dams opened, 324 lives lost and 2,23,139 people are in about 150 relief camps. Your help can rebuild the lives of the affected," it said. At least 174 people have died so far across Kerala, since torrential rain on 8 August submerged large areas in the state and created havoc. A refugee from the 1964 East Pakistan riots, 48-year-old Lakshmi Barman and her two sons, are one of the many residents of Choudhury Para who have been left out in the final draft of the NRC Editor's Note: Of the 4 million who didn't make it to NRC, 2.48 lakh have been marked as 'D' voters. The Supreme Court has asked Assam government not to take any coercive action on those who are found to be without proper documents as required under recent National Register of Citizens. NRC, a product of Assam Accord, is expected to solve the fear of Bangladeshi immigrants that has been prevalent in the state for quite some time now. The Centre proposed in 1999 an updated NRC in Assam to solve the problem of "illegal immigration" and two pilot projects were conducted in Dhubri and Barpeta districts. But breaking out of a riot in Barpeta grounded the project. In 2005, when All Assam Student Union opposed the prime minister's visit to the state, tripartite talk between AASU, State government, and the Centre resulted in a decision to prepare a model for the NRC process, which was delayed yet again by over 5 years by the state government. It was only when Abhijeet Sharma of Assam Public Works (APW), an NGO, filed a writ petition in 2009 that the SC's direct intervention led to the start of NRC process in 2014. Firstpost will run a series which will feature 30 profiles in 30 days of those residents of Assam who have not been covered under the final draft of NRC which will decide if they continue to live in the state that they call 'home'. *** Guwahati: Lakhshmi Rani Barman, 48, from Choudhury Para, about 70 kilometres from Guwahati, has had a rather difficult past. She was barely 27 when her husband left her without any notice, for another woman. Left with two sons, aged 12 and 14, she chose the unconventional option of picking up the pieces and standing up on her feet. Racing past gender stereotypes, Barman chose to start her journey as an autorickshaw driver, perhaps the only female to do so in Assam, then. When pried about her choice of this particular profession, she says, This empowered me. I don't have to depend on anyone to travel to Guwahati." Barman had started a small-scale business, which involved frequent travel to Guwahati from Choudhury Para. She would take passengers along, too, if she was travelling alone. Of course, the risk of travelling alone at odd hours of the day were plenty. Yet, the plucky character that she was, Barman braved through it all. Her daily journey was full of ups and downs, until she found some semblance of stability over the years. Today, 20 years later, both her sons have settled down. At a time when one would expect relaxation and peace, the NRC verdict came out. It was a complete surprise to Barman that neither her nor her sons names showed up on the list. This, she says, after submitting a complete set of legitimate documents that were mandatory. The entire village has been enveloped in a state of panic, with most of their names being left out, following rumours that people would be labelled foreigners and dumped either in detention camps or elsewhere. Those who would be spared, would have to live a chaotic life full of uncertainty with almost no hope for a decent future. Barman, like most people in the Choudhury Para locality, is a refugee from the 1964 riots in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan). Under rehabilitation programmes, these refugees were issued certificates by the then government. Families who migrated were given spaces to stay, under a land exchange programme between India and East Pakistan. This is not the first time tragedy has struck citizens of Choudhury Para. According to the residents of this locality, the year 1988 saw mass evictions. As Barman recalls, I was barely 16 then and had just given birth to my elder son. One day without any notice, men barged into our houses, threw out our belongings, got elephants to rampage around our locality, break houses and throw us away." "The local MLA, Dr Kamala Kanta Kalita, stood unmoved as the eviction went on," she added, still rattled as she recalled flashes of the incident. The eviction happened during the time of the Asom Gana Parishad-led government, headed by then chief minister Dr Prafulla Kumar Mahanta. The residents of Choudhury Para say that a majority of individuals and their families have been left out of the NRC, reigniting panic and scars from 1988. The residents ask as to why, despite having an official refugee certificate and having provided legal documentation, all names from this particular locality are missing in the NRC draft. The villagers claim that the residents of Lamgaon, a locality at the other side of the road, are all registered with the NRC. "We have given our voter's ID card, ration card, land lease agreements and what not. What else do we give now? rued Digen Das, Barman's neighbour. His wife and two sons have also not made it to the NRC final draft. Shakti Burma, another resident of the locality says, We really work hard and earn a living by making small bamboo seats. It is a huge struggle to spend so much money running around. We have given as much documents as anyone else. Where have they kept our documents? If others are registered, why not us? The NRC's key spokesperson and state coordinator, Prateek Hajela, has repeatedly assured that ample opportunities would be given to those who are not mentioned in the final draft to get their names included and rectified through the 'Claims and Objections' process till 30 September, 2018. But this seems to provide no assurance to the residents, since they do not have any extra documentation to provide. "What to clarify in the claims and objections? It is the same set of documents they would ask, and these documents are all we have, which is enough according to what they asked, says Barman. Despite words of comfort from the circle officer that no one would go to detention camps or jail, nothing seems to counter the anxiety in the minds of the entire population of Choudhury Para locality who have a strong fear of being either dumped into detention camps or spending the rest of their lives in Foreigner's Tribunal or the Gauhati High Court for a respectable identity in the state. "I have struggled all my life. Earned my bread through hard work and respect. This is not the future I waited for," laments Barman. Thea author is a Guwahati-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com The masses raise questions of credibility whenever a member of the judiciary make comments about a party to a case, especially when it is the executive. The newly-appointed Chief Justice of the Patna High Court Mukesh Rasik Bhai Shah on Wednesday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "model and hero". This was in response to being asked why he was being linked with the prime minister. This is not the first time that a member of the judiciary has praised the executive. In 2015, according to an article in The Telegraph, the then Chief Justice of India, HL Dattu, had described Modi as a "good leader" with "foresight". He made the statement during an informal interaction with reporters. He had also said that in the four months of his tenure at that point, his interactions with the prime minister had been very positive. The Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct, 2002, govern the conduct of India's judiciary, though they are not binding. They list an array of values that judges should inculcate, including independence, impartiality, integrity, propriety, equality, competence and diligence. Rule 2.2 is of particular importance here. It states: "A judge shall ensure that his or her conduct, both in and out of court, maintains and enhances the confidence of the public, the legal profession and litigants in the impartiality of the judge and of the judiciary." The third schedule of the Constitution of India includes the oath a judge takes before assuming office in a high court. In this oath, the judge affirms that he or she will perform the duties of his or her office without fear or favour, affection or ill will. This emphasises that justice should be dispersed impartially. One might ask why statements like the one made by the Patna High Court chief justice, though not sweeping, trigger an uneasiness in an individual's conscience. Looking at it from a constitutional point of view, there is no problem with any judge exercising his right to freedom of speech and expression. Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India guarantees this right to all citizens, with restrictions stipulated in Article 19(2). But the problem here lies in the impartial status of judges and the faith we put in them to pronounce fair and just verdicts. A citizen approaches courts hoping for a neutral party to adjudicate the matter. But if there are even whispers of the judge being inclined towards the cause or having a certain interest in the case, the masses question the sanctity of the judiciary the same judiciary that is considered sacrosanct in a democracy like ours. Historically, there have been times when the judiciary's subservience to the executive has left democracy under threat. Such instances force citizens to recall these memories. However, it must be made clear that in the current scenario, the impartiality of judges is being questioned and not their independence, unlike the past incidents. Furthermore, no judge can be considered completely objective. Everyone has their ideological inclinations and personalities they idolise. Judges are no exceptions. Therefore, it would be reasonable to assume that when a case related to the government comes up before a judge, he will adjudicate the matter abiding by the rule of law and not as per his preferences, despite his like or dislike for any personality. Raghav Pandey is an assistant professor of law at the Maharashtra National Law University in Mumbai. Neelabh Bist is a fourth-year law student at the institute. Chances are, if the current laws on adultery are made gender-neutral, allegations of adultery could be filed against a rape victim as well By Aashika Ravi Many a liberal has at some point ranted about India's Victorian laws. If you were looking for something new to lose your mind over, step right up. Recently, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court began hearing a petition on one such archaic law our adultery laws. Whats the problem with the current laws? According to Section 497 of the IPC, Whoever has sexual intercourse with a person who is and whom he knows or has reason to believe to be the wife of another man, without the consent or connivance of that man, such sexual intercourse not amounting to the offence of rape, is guilty of the offence of adultery. Meaning a man can bring a criminal case against the man with whom his wife has had an extramarital affair. The woman cannot be held legally accountable for the same. Under Section 198 (1) and (2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, only a husband or (brace yourself) a person in whose care the husband has left his wife can file a complaint under Section 497, which means that women do not have the right to prosecute adulterous husbands. What on earth? Here on earth, Sabarish Suresh, scholar of legal philosophy, traced the history of this law and previous judgments by the court when challenged on the grounds that it was unequal. Back in 1985 for instance, in the Sowmithri Vishnu vs Union of India, the court said this: It is commonly accepted that it is the man who is the seducer and not the woman. Again in 1988, in the V Revathy vs Union of India, the court said that not including women under the law promoted "social good in society". More recently, the apex court has voiced its disapproval on the existing laws. On 2 August, it declared that the laws were anti-women whereas its most recent comments came in disagreement with the Centres argument of sanctity of marriage. Why is everyone talking about it now? In December 2017, an Italy-based NRI Joseph Shine filed a PIL stating that the law was unconstitutional because it discriminated against men and that women should be held equally accountable. The Supreme Court on 8 December declared, A time has come when the society must realise that a woman is equal to a man in every field. This provision, prima facie, appears to be quite archaic. The court then asked the Centre for its response. In its affidavit, the Centre argued against decriminalisation, saying that "striking down Section 497 of the IPC and Section 198(2) Criminal Procedure Code (CRPC) will prove to be detrimental to the intrinsic Indian ethos which give paramount importance to the institution and sanctity of marriage". The consent clause in the law seems a bit iffy and jalebi-jalebi. Whats up with that? Currently, Indian laws understanding of consent is totally jalebi. Renu Mishra, Executive Director of Association for Advocacy and Legal Initiatives (AALI), weighs in on the different interpretations of consent. If you have relations with someone without your husbands consent, its illegal, so if he consents, then its alright? If you are someones wife, they have the right to give you consent to have relations with someone else, while consent is actually about autonomy. In the context of Uttar Pradesh, if a girl says someone has raped her, they say you went around with him, you knew him, so its not rape. But if that same girl runs away with someone, her parents will file FIR of rape. And if she says Ive married him, they say no, youve been tricked into it. So consent of a woman has no meaning at all. The law can be interpreted as unconstitutional if read with Article 14 (equality before the law). The easy fix here, according to some people, seems to be making it gender neutral. Is that a good plan? Largely, no. In an article in Oxford Human Rights Hub, human rights and feminist academic Frances Raday writes, Maintaining adultery as a criminal offence even when, on the face of it, it applies to both women and men means in practice that women will continue to face extreme vulnerabilities, and violation of their human rights to dignity, privacy and equality. Meaning? As Bindu Doddahatti, an advocate at Bengalurus Alternative Law Forum, says, We have to remember how the criminal justice system works in this country. Initiating a complaint in a police station for a woman, entering the police station itself is very difficult for a lot of women. In domestic violence cases, weve seen how difficult it is for women to lodge complaints against their abusive husbands and in this scenario, it would be much easier for men to go out and lodge a complaint just because of how the criminal justice system works. It is always skewed and all of the state institutions protect mens rights. The way police stations work, its very patriarchal. If a man is making those allegations, it'll be very easy for a complaint to be lodged against a woman because of how corrupt these institutions are. Chances are, if the current laws are made gender-neutral, allegations of adultery could be filed against a rape victim, putting the onus on her to prove that consent was absent. With a law this problematic then, the only option is to have the Supreme Court strike it down. Most countries have decriminalised it, and it remains a criminal offense in only 20 countries in the world, which include mainly Islamic countries. The Centre has been arguing that adultery remain a criminal offence to preserve the sanctity of marriage. (They have also made some other very compelling arguments like adultery causes mental and physical injury to the spouse and family"). Whats wrong with this argument? Isnt marriage sacred? We asked Jayna Kothari, co-founder of the Centre for Law and Policy Research (CLPR) and intervenor in the PIL on behalf of the NGO Vimochana, to talk about her submission to the Supreme Court in this case. The submission draws from judgments from all over the world to argue the Right to Privacy and intimate association and to dismantle the Centres flimsy arguments of preserving the sanctity of marriage. For instance, it cites a judgment from Namibia that said, Although marriage is 'a human institution which is regulated by law and protected by the Constitution and which, in turn, creates genuine legal duties, its essence consists in the readiness, founded in morals, of the parties to the marriage to create and to maintain it'. If the parties to the marriage have lost that moral commitment, the marriage will fail, and punishment meted out to a third party is unlikely to change that. What about marriages that the Centre may not readily call respectable, like open marriages? When asked if partners could arbitrarily prosecute each other despite having privately agreed to an open marriage, Doddahatti recommends that India adopt the practice of pre-nuptial agreements. Having something like this prevents a lot of marital discord. A good solution, moving further, I would suggest that it would be good to start looking at pre-nuptial agreements. Its not a legal document now in India, she says. She also pointed out that the current law is terribly heteronormative. Kothari and other lawyers we spoke to argue that adultery should be decriminalised all together. Why? Kothari says, One of the main arguments to strike it down is the Right to Privacy. Every person has the right to privacy to their most intimate decisions of their life. One of the areas of your intimate life decisions is who youre in a relationship with, even if its outside of marriage. The privacy is, in this case, of the woman and the third person with whom she is in a relationship with outside of the marriage. You cannot have a criminal law punish them if two people who are consenting adults are in a relationship. In her submission, Kothari introduces a concept she borrowed from US judgments called the Freedom of Intimate Association. In the United States, the right to intimate association was first articulated as an aspect of dignity and liberty by the US Supreme Court in Roberts vs United States Jaycees, 468 US 609 (1984) where the Court on the freedom of association held: 'Our decisions have referred to constitutionally protected 'freedom of association' in two distinct senses. In one line of decisions, the Court has concluded that choices to enter into and maintain certain intimate human relationships must be secured against undue intrusion by the State because of the role of such relationships in safeguarding the individual freedom that is central to our constitutional scheme.'" It also quotes a judgment closer both in distance and time the Shafin Jahan v Asokan KM and Ors, 2018 case where the Supreme Court acknowledged that choice of partners was at the centre of the right to privacy. The Constitution recognises the liberty and autonomy which inheres in each individual. This includes the ability to take decisions on aspects which define ones personhood and identity. The choice of a partner whether within or outside marriage lies within the exclusive domain of each individual. Intimacies of marriage lie within a core zone of privacy, which is inviolable, it ruled. With regards to adultery laws in the country at least, it's not equality before the law that India is looking for. Its an acknowledgement of an individuals right to choose their sexual partners and have those choices be respected, irrespective of morality and ethics or gender involved. Although recent observations by the Supreme Court bench are in favour of decriminalisation of adultery, it remains to be seen whether they will strike the law down entirely. As of 8 August, the apex court has reserved its verdict on the law but Doddahatti says that the judgment will be out before 2 October, which is when CJI Dipak Misra officially retires. The Ladies Finger (TLF) is a leading online women's magazine delivering fresh and witty perspectives on politics, culture, health, sex, work and everything in between. UAE has formed a special committee to provide relief to the flood-hit state of Kerala and has urged people to 'contribute generously' for the cause Abu Dhabi (UAE): United Arab Emirates (UAE) has formed a committee to provide relief to the people affected by flash floods in Kerala. UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan took to Twitter to make the announcement and urged "everyone to contribute generously towards this initiative." "The people of Kerala have always been and are still part of our success story in the UAE. We have a special responsibility to help and support those affected, especially during this holy and blessed days" his first tweet read. Sheikh Khalifa further wrote, "UAE and the Indian community will unite to offer relief to those affected. We have formed a committee to start immediately. We urge everyone to contribute generously towards this initiative." Describing the situation in Kerala as "the most devastating in a century," the UAE president added, "The state of Kerala in India is currently witnessing huge floods, the most devastating in a century. Hundreds have been killed, hundreds of thousands have been displaced. Ahead of Eid Al Adha, do not forget to extend a helping hand to our brothers in India." To be chaired by the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC), the national emergency committee will include representatives from the UAE's humanitarian organisations, according to Gulf News. Sheikh Khalifa, UAEs Vice President and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan expressed grief and extended condolences to President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on loss of life and damage in the Kerala floods. They also wished a speedy recovery for the injured. According to recent reports, at least 324 people have lost their lives. Kerala has been witnessing incessant rainfall over the last few days, causing unprecedented flooding and landslides in several parts of the state. Presently, Prime Minister Modi is in Kerala to review the flood situation. Delhi Police said that the two men responsible for shooting at JNU student-activist Umar Khalid did not surrender and are absconding New Delhi: Two men, who had claimed responsibility for the attack on Jawaharlal Nehr University (JNU) student leader Umar Khalid and said that they would surrender in a village in Punjab, did not turn up on Friday, police said. A team of Delhi Police's Special Cell visited the village of Sikh revolutionary Kartar Singh Sarabha where the duo, Darwesh Shahpur and Naveen Dalal, had said they would surrender. A senior police officer said the two did not turn up there and have not been seen in their native village Jhajjar in Haryana for the past few days. In a video uploaded on Facebook on 15 August, the duo claimed the attack on Khalid was supposed to be an "Independence Day gift" to the citizens. Police are verifying the authenticity of the video and trying to trace the IP address from where it was uploaded. "We respect our Constitution. But there is no provision in our Constitution to punish mad dogs. By mad dogs, we mean the JNU gang that is making the country weaker and their number is increasing. Our elders in Haryana have taught us that such people should be taught a lesson," Shahpur had said in the video message. The duo also requested the police to not trouble anyone and said they would surrender at the village of Sikh revolutionary Kartar Singh Sarabha on 17 August. Khalid was attacked on Monday when he was on his way to take part in an event at the Constitution Club in Delhi. He, however, escaped unhurt. On Tuesday, the Delhi Police handed over the case to its Special Cell, which incidentally is already probing a sedition case against Khalid and two other JNU students. The police had also said that they were not "intimated" about Monday's event attended by Khalid. A police officer, privy to the probe, said the police had seized the weapon used in the crime and preliminary forensic examination suggested that the pistol had jammed when it was used against Khalid. He said they were yet to ascertain whether shots were fired as no empty cartridges were found at the spot. A case of attempt to murder has been registered by police in the incident. Lucknow police barged into the home of a senior Urdu journalist, Mohammad Sahid Khan, and called him and his entire family as terrorists. Lucknow: In what appears to be the case of mistaken identity, the Lucknow police on the eve of India's 72nd Independence Day barged into the home of a senior Urdu journalist, Mohammad Sahid Khan, and called him and his entire family terrorists. The police later apologised to the journalist and his family verbally after having probed his documents and other details. This was after the intervention of other accredited scribes of Lucknow who took this matter to the senior administrative officials of the state. However, the police have not given a written apology. The police told Khan and his family that they had received a tip off about two suspects passing through their lane and hence, they acted on it. I don't even have any FIRs or a police complaint against me in my career span of 26 years. And all of a sudden, the Lucknow police has dubbed me as a terrorist. My whole family is traumatised because of this, said Khan. Khan added that if he would not have been a journalist, the police would have held a press briefing the very next day declaring they arrested a terrorist in Lucknow. Khan, who works as an editor for Urdu language with the Doordarshan in Lucknow and Akashwani, said the police barged into his home at around 1 pm on 14 August. They came during the afternoon. There were many policemen in civil dress along with Cantonment station house officer, Ranjana Sachan, and a sub-inspector. They dubbed me as a terrorist in front of the entire locality, said Sahid. The senior Urdu scribe claimed that the following allegations were leveled against him by Sachan: Tum atankwadi ho aur yaha atankwadi aate jaate hai. Tum to shakal se atankwadi lagte ho. Aaj subah yaha do atankwadi aaye the (You people are terrorists and this is where terrorists roam about. You even look like a terrorist. This morning, there were two terrorists who had come here). After listening to this, I tried to tell the police that I am an accredited journalist and there has been some misunderstanding but the police was not ready to listen to us and the SHO Ranjana Sachan said that I do not believe in government accredited press cards, said Khan, adding that the police later called his nephew from his workplace. The police took a group photograph of his family members as they stood in front of the house just before leaving their home. The police also took photocopies of documents like Aadhaar card from the family. After this incident, Mohammad Sahid reached out to fellow journalists and explained the incident to them. Later, accredited journalists from Lucknow state headquarters raised this matter with senior authorities like Principal Secretary, Information, Awanish Awasthi, Home Secretary Bhagwaan Swaroop, and Additional Director General (Police) Praveen Kumar. Senior Urdu journalist Syed Husain Afsar demanded a high-level inquiry into this matter. "This is very wrong policing. How can police dub anyone a 'terrorist' and that too, a journalist? Though the police have apologised for this, this is not done. An inquiry should be ordered against the policemen who entered his house on such a weak and misleading input," demanded Afsar. The Lucknow Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kalanidhi Naithani later told mediapersons that the action taken by the police was the result of a misunderstanding. Siddharth Kalhans, a former colleague of Khan, called the series of events that unfolded "very unfortunate". He is such an honest and punctual scribe that we used to give his example to our colleagues. This act of police is not acceptable by the journalist fraternity in Lucknow and across the state. We condemn this and demand strict action by the senior government officials, Kalhans said. The author is a Lucknow-based freelance writer and a member of 101reporters.com Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar was suspended for calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi 'a neech kism ka aadmi' (a low life). The Congress on Saturday announced that Rahul Gandhi had approved revoking the suspension of senior politician Mani Shankar Aiyar from the party's primary membership. A statement issued by Congress general secretary Ashok Gehlot said that the suspension was being revoked 'with immediate effect.' INC COMMUNIQUE Announcement of the revocation of suspension of Shri Mani Shankar Aiyar from the Primary Membership of the Congress Party. pic.twitter.com/vQm1VpeVv8 INC Sandesh (@INCSandesh) August 18, 2018 The 77-year-old was suspended from the Congress' primary membership on 7 December for making controversial remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The former Union minister had called Modi a "neech kism ka aadmi" (a low life) in reaction to the prime minister's speech at the inauguration of the Ambedkar International Centre, where he had accused the Congress of undermining BR Ambedkar's legacy. The Congress had held that Aiyar's remarks had undone the gains made by party president Rahul while campaigning for the Gujarat elections. In January, Aiyar had said he was confident that the Congress will re-induct him in the party. "It (revocation of suspension) may happen either in the next six hours, or in the next six days, or in the next six weeks or in the next six years," Aiyar said. "I know that one day, I think they will take me back." Reuters US technology giants plan to intensify lobbying efforts against stringent Indian data localisation requirements, which they say will undermine their growth ambitions in India, sources told Reuters. US trade groups, representing companies such as Amazon, American Express and Microsoft, have opposed Indias push to store data locally. That push comes amid rising global efforts to protect user data but is one that could hit planned investments by the firms in the Indian market, where the companies currently have limited data storage. The issue could further undermine already strained economic relations between India and the United States. Technology executives and trade groups have discussed approaching Prime Minister Narendra Modis office to appraise him of their worries. Separately, the industry is considering pitching the issue as a trade concern, including at the India-US talks in September in New Delhi, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Though a final decision hasnt been made, the deliberations come while the United States and India are locked in a dispute over US tariff increases and on the Indian policy of capping prices of medical devices, which hurts American pharmaceutical companies. This issue is important enough to be discussed at the India-US trade level, said Amba Kak, a global public policy adviser at the Internet company Mozilla Corp. Data localisation is not just a business concern, it potentially makes government surveillance easier, which is a worry. Stricter localisation norms would help India get easier access to data when conducting investigations, but critics say it could lead to increased government demands for data access. Technology firms worry the mandate would hurt their planned investments by raising costs related to setting up new local data centres. Greater use of digital platforms in India for shopping or social networking have made it a lucrative market for technology companies, but a rising number of data breaches have pushed New Delhi to develop strong data protection rules. Shamika Ravi, a member of Modis economic advisory council, said data localisation was a global phenomena and India wasnt an outlier. Its in the long term strategic and economic interest, said Ravi, who is also a research director at Brookings India. Extensive meetings The main government committee on data privacy last month proposed a draft law, recommending restrictions on data flows and proposing that all critical personal data should be processed only within the country. It would be left to the government to define what qualifies as such data. Global companies are coming together to push back. In a meeting last week organised by lobby group US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, executives from Facebook, Mastercard, Visa, American Express, PayPal, Amazon, Microsoft and others discussed plans to approach Indian lawmakers, including Indian parliamentary panels on information technology (IT) and finance, five sources said. The industry also discussed approaching media and internet groups to explain why data localisation would be bad for Indias booming IT, e-commerce and payments landscape, the sources said. People are fairly stressed and scared, said an executive working for a multinational technology firm. The US-India lobby group said it was nearly impossible to implement industry-specific regulations in our global data environment without the ripples being felt. It didnt comment on its recent meeting, but said it will continue facilitating policy discussions. Mastercard, American Express and Amazon didnt respond to a request for comment, while Facebook, Microsoft, Visa and PayPal declined to comment. The Indian bill, which was opened for public comments this week, will later go to parliament for approval. The US-India Business Council, a lobby group that is part of the US Chamber of Commerce, has brought in the Washington-headquartered law firm Covington & Burling to suggest submissions on Indias data protection law. The firms 43-page draft recommendations, seen by Reuters, listed removing data localisation requirements as a top priority and called New Delhis proposed move a protectionist approach. The US-India Business Council didnt comment on how it would act on the recommendations of Covington & Burling, which declined comment. The lobby groups president, Nisha Biswal, however said Indias draft privacy law was of great importance, and that the group would share its concerns with the government directly. Reuters Apple said on 17 August that no customer data was compromised after Australian media reported a teenager had pleaded guilty to hacking into its main computer network, downloading internal files and accessing customer accounts. The boy, 16, from the southern city of Melbourne, broke into the US computer giants mainframe from his suburban home many times over a year, The Age newspaper reported, citing statements by the teenagers lawyer in court. The teen downloaded 90 gigabytes of secure files and accessed customer accounts without exposing his identity, the paper said. Apple contacted the US Federal Bureau of Investigation when it became aware of the intrusion, The Age said, quoting statements made in court. The FBI then referred the matter to the Australian Federal Police (AFP). The report said an AFP raid on the boys family home produced two laptops, a mobile phone and a hard drive that matched the intrusion reported by Apple. The sensitive documents were saved in a folder called hacky hack hack, the report said. It said the boy had boasted about his activities on the mobile messaging service WhatsApp. An Apple spokesman said the companys information security personnel discovered the unauthorised access, contained it, and reported the incident to law enforcement without commenting further on the specifics of the case. We ... want to assure our customers that at no point during this incident was their personal data compromised, the spokesman said. The AFP declined to comment because the matter was before the court. A court spokeswoman also declined to comment other than to say the teenager would be sentenced on Sept. 20. The boys name could not be made public because he was a juvenile offender. tech2 News Staff Kerala is currently experiencing its worst floods in almost hundred years. Close to two and a half lakh people have been displaced and some 324 people have lost their lives. While local authorities, rescue forces and many other people around the world are trying to help the people in the city in any way they can, some are, sadly, using this is an opportunity to spread misinformation. Some hours ago, fake news surrounding the fate of the ancient Mullaperiyar Dam in Kerala surfaced on social media, creating panic among people. Responding to the same, the Chief Minister of Kerala has now tweeted, alerting people to only rely on official sources. Abstain from spreading misinformation on whatsapp & social media networks. Many rumours & fake news are surfacing. Listen for official announcements. Follow the CMO handles in Twitter & FB; FB pages of Ministers, District Collectors, Kerala Police & Fire force. #KeralaFloods2018 CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) August 16, 2018 News18 also reported water resources secretary Tinku Biswal as saying, "Rumours are being spread in social media sites like WhatsApp, Facebook, etc., that the Mullaperiyar Dam has developed some cracks. This rumour is completely baseless and the Dam has not developed any cracks as alleged." Idukki District Collector Jeevan Babu told The Better India, All the news about the safety of the dam is absolutely baseless and unfounded, and I wish to state that there are no such issues at all. The state government has now decided to take action against all those who spread fake news. Meanwhile, QKopy, a Kozhikode-based social networking app is helping the city traffic police to manage the traffic as most of the roads are inundated in the city, reports Business Standard. The app is available on both iPhone and Android and works based on the telephone number of the user. Basically, its a crowdsourced platform, which is aimed at providing real-time updates of the city, and traffic police are using the app to generate awareness, issue directions on which route to use and offer regular updates. While we're all aware of how much we're struggling to deal with the menace of fake news, this is really the time when we all pull up our socks and just say no to forwarding any news or information that comes to us from an unofficial source. Stay safe and stay smart! Reuters The US government is trying to force Facebook to break the encryption in its popular Messenger app so law enforcement may listen to a suspects voice conversations in a criminal probe, three people briefed on the case said, resurrecting the issue of whether companies can be compelled to alter their products to enable surveillance. The previously unreported case in a federal court in California is proceeding under seal, so no filings are publicly available, but the three people told Reuters that Facebook is contesting the US Department of Justices demand. The judge in the Messenger case heard arguments on 14 August on a government motion to hold Facebook in contempt of court for refusing to carry out the surveillance request, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Facebook and the Department of Justice declined to comment. The Messenger issue arose in Fresno, California, as part of an investigation of the MS-13 gang, one of the people said. US President Donald Trump frequently uses the gang, which is active in the United States and Central America, as a symbol of lax US immigration policy and a reason to attack so-called sanctuary laws preventing police from detaining people solely to enforce immigration law. Trump called members of the gang animals this year when the Sheriff of Fresno County complained that California laws limited her co-operation with federal immigration enforcement targeting gang members. The potential impact of the judges coming ruling is unclear. If the government prevails in the Facebook Messenger case, it could make similar arguments to force companies to rewrite other popular encrypted services such as Signal and Facebooks billion-user WhatsApp, which include both voice and text functions, some legal experts said. Law enforcement agencies forcing technology providers to rewrite software to capture and hand over data that is no longer encrypted would have major implications for the companies which see themselves as defenders of individual privacy while under pressure from police and lawmakers. Similar issues came into play during a legal fight in 2016 between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Apple over access to an iPhone owned by a slain sympathizer of Islamic State in San Bernardino, California, who had murdered county employees. Wiretap of voice communications In the Apple case the company argued that the government could not compel it to create software to breach the phone without violating the companys First Amendment speech and expression rights. The government dropped the litigation after investigators got into the phone with a contractors help. Unlike the San Bernardino case, where the FBI wanted to crack one iPhone in its possession, prosecutors are seeking a wiretap of ongoing voice conversations by one person on Facebook Messenger. Facebook is arguing in court that Messenger voice calls are encrypted end-to-end, meaning that only the two parties have access to the conversation, two of the people briefed on the case said. Ordinary Facebook text messages, Alphabet's Gmail, and other services are decrypted by the service providers during transit for targeted advertising or other reasons, making them available for court-ordered interception. End-to-end encrypted communications, by contrast, go directly from one user to another user without revealing anything intelligible to providers. Facebook says it can only comply with the governments request if it rewrites the code relied upon by all its users to remove encryption or else hacks the governments current target, according to the sources. Legal experts differed about whether the government would likely be able to force Facebook to comply. Stephen Larson, a former judge and federal prosecutor who represented San Bernardino victims, said the government must meet a high legal standard when seeking to obtain phone conversations, including showing there was no other way to obtain the evidence. Still, the US Constitution allows for reasonable searches, Larson said, and if those standards are met, then companies should not be able to stand in the way. A federal appeals court in Washington DC ruled in 2006 that the law forcing telephone companies to enable police eavesdropping also applies to some large providers of Voice over Internet Protocol, including cable and other broadband carriers servicing homes. VoIP enables voice calls online rather than by traditional circuit transmission. However, in cases of chat, gaming, or other internet services that are not tightly integrated with existing phone infrastructure, such as Google Hangouts, Signal and Facebook Messenger, federal regulators have not attempted to extend the eavesdropping law to cover them, said Al Gidari, a director of privacy at Stanford University Law Schools Center for Internet and Society. A messaging platform is excluded, maintains Gidari, who is not involved in the Fresno case. ACCRA/GENEVA (Reuters) - Leaders around the world paid tribute to former United Nations Secretary-General and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kofi Annan, who died in hospital in Bern, Switzerland, in the early hours of Saturday aged 80. U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL ANTONIO GUTERRES: 'In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations. ACCRA/GENEVA (Reuters) - Leaders around the world paid tribute to former United Nations Secretary-General and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kofi Annan, who died in hospital in Bern, Switzerland, in the early hours of Saturday aged 80. U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL ANTONIO GUTERRES: "In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations. He rose through the ranks to lead the organization into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination." - - - - GHANAIAN PRESIDENT NANA AKUFO-ADDO: "Consummate international diplomat and highly respected former Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan was the first from sub-Saharan Africa to occupy this exalted position. He brought considerable renown to our country by this position and through his conduct and comportment in the global arena. He was an ardent believer in the capacity of the Ghanaian to chart his or her own course onto the path of progress and prosperity." - - - - RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN: "Many years of the life of this remarkable person and great politician were devoted to the service of the United Nations. Heading the UN at a difficult time, he did a great deal to realise the purposes and the goals of the organisation, strengthening its central role in world affairs. His personal contribution to building the U.N.'s peacekeeping potential, as well as in the settlement of a number of regional conflicts, was particularly significant. I sincerely admired his wisdom and courage, his ability to make balanced decisions even in the most difficult, critical situations." - - - - FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON AND FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON: "Kofi Annan was a truly great U.N. Secretary-General. It was an honor to work with him in his efforts to reform the U.N., strengthen global health and peacekeeping, and reduce poverty. He made the fight against AIDS and the responsibility to protect civilians in conflict zones true priorities for the UN." - - - - FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: "Kofi was a gentle man and a tireless leader of the United Nations. His voice of experience will be missed around the world." - - - - FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: "Kofi Annan was a diplomat and humanitarian who embodied the mission of the United Nations like few others. His integrity, persistence, optimism, and sense of our common humanity always informed his outreach to the community of nations. Long after he had broken barriers, Kofi never stopped his pursuit of a better world, and made time to motivate and inspire the next generation of leaders." - - - - THE ELDERS (group of global leaders): "He played a vital role in leading The Elders' work, and was a voice of great authority and wisdom in public and private. He was a constant advocate for human rights, development and the rule of law. Kofi Annan had a life-long commitment to the cause of peace and was known for his staunch opposition to military aggression, notably the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003." - - - - NIGERIAN PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI: "Annan's humility, nobility and love for humanity set him apart for global greatness, achieving recognition and commendation for the reform of the United Nations' bureaucracy and multiple interventions to bring peace to the world." - - - - U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS NIKKI HALEY: "Kofi Annan devoted his life to making the world a more peaceful place through his compassion and dedication to service. He worked tirelessly to unite us and never stopped fighting for the dignity of every person." - - - - GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL: "Kofi Annan never gave up working for the good in the world. (He) knew how to get people engaged, and became a role model, especially for young people all over the world." - - - - BRITISH PRIME MINISTER THERESA MAY: "A great leader and reformer of the U.N., he made a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into." - - - - FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON: "France pays tribute to him. We will never forget his calm and resolute approach to matters, nor the strength of his commitments." - - - - IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MOHAMMAD JAVAD ZARIF: "A towering global leader and an unwavering champion for peace, justice and rule of law. Rest in peace my dear old friend." - - - - ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTRY: "A champion of Multilateral Diplomacy, a Nobel prize recipient and a world statesman who dedicated his public life to striving towards global peace and the alleviation of poverty and reducing child mortality. As U.N. Secretary General, he resisted the delegitimization of Israel. He fought actively against Holocaust denial and supported in 2006 the U.N. initiative on the International Holocaust Remembrance Day." - - - - RAILA ODINGA, KENYAN OPPOSITION LEADER AND FORMER PRIME MINISTER: "A great African, a great leader of the world. We here in Kenya remember him for the role that he played in presiding over the process of reconciliation following the crisis that followed the 2007 general elections. Kofi Annan was able to bring the different factions in our country together." - - - - FORMER GHANAIAN PRESIDENT JOHN MAHAMA: "He lived and worked for global peace, security and sustainable development in very challenging times. A proud son of Ghana and Africa." - - - - SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA: Annan was "a great leader and diplomat extraordinaire" who had advanced the African agenda within the United Nations and had "flown the flag for peace" around the world. - - - - CYPRUS PRESIDENCY "Despite the fact that his efforts to solve the Cyprus problem, and the plan which bore his name were not met with success, his name has been linked to the issue of occupied Cyprus." (Reporting by Reuters bureaus; Editing by Angus MacSwan, Ros Russell and Frances Kerry) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany has reached an agreement with Greece to send back migrants to the Mediterranean country if they have already applied for asylum there, the German Interior Ministry said on Friday. Last week Germany and Spain sealed a similar deal on returning migrants. BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany has reached an agreement with Greece to send back migrants to the Mediterranean country if they have already applied for asylum there, the German Interior Ministry said on Friday. Last week Germany and Spain sealed a similar deal on returning migrants. Both deals come after a dispute between Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and their Bavarian allies over returning migrants that nearly split them and brought down the government. "The signature of an administrative agreement with Greece is a further step on the way to more orderly conditions in European migration policy," German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said in a statement. Ministry spokeswoman Eleonore Petermann told a news conference the Greek agreement, like the one with Spain, would allow Germany to send migrants entering via Germany's border with Austria to Greece within 48 hours. In exchange, Germany agreed to deal with a backlog of family reunification applications by the end of 2018, and to reconsider disputed cases, the ministry said. Petermann said Germany was also in "very advanced" negotiations on a similar deal with the Italian government and she expected a deal to be struck. Last Friday Petermann said both Italy and Greece had made counterdemands. The deals are not likely to affect many refugees. Figures from the Interior Ministry last week showed that since mid-June around 150 people who had already applied for asylum in another EU country had been detected entering Germany from Austria. More than 1.6 million migrants have arrived in Germany since mid-2014, provoking tensions and propelling the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) into the national parliament. Merkel has repeatedly defended her 2015 decision to admit hundreds of thousands of migrants as a humanitarian necessity, but has since vowed to prevent a re-run of such a migrant influx. Speaking about the deal with Greece, she told a news conference: "It's good that we've got a result." (Reporting by Joseph Nasr and Thorsten Severin; Additional reporting by Andrea Shalal; Writing by Michelle Martin; Editing by Toby Chopra and Alison Williams) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. The Afghan Taliban's attack on Ghazni could not have been mounted without support from Pakistans state and non-state actors since the operational planning and execution involved in the attack reflect sound military preparedness, counter-intelligence and popular support among Pashtun segments of Afghan population Counter-insurgency experts have always maintained that two factors foreign support in terms of sanctuaries and local support in terms of sympathetic population are the lifelines of any insurgency. Without systematically cutting these lifelines, the insurgency cannot be terminated effectively. The Afghan Talibans multi-pronged terror assault on Ghazni was made possible primarily because of these two factors. No surprise, the Afghan Taliban talk about talks, but not to formally negotiate peace as they feel that time is in their favour; the longer the war rages, the better their bargaining position. The attack on Ghazni could not have been mounted without support from Pakistans state and non-state actors since the operational planning and execution involved in the attack reflect sound military preparedness, impressive firepower, striking counter-intelligence awareness and remarkable security consciousness, some of which is also a product of the Talibans long experience in guerrilla fighting. And the manner in which the Afghan Taliban has demonstrated its ability to mass forces in multiple areas of Afghanistan at virtually the same time bear witness to another facilitating factor popular support among Pashtun segments of Afghan population. The twin factors have also ensured that the Afghan Talibans intelligence and counter-intelligence capabilities are not only intact but have grown over the years. Insurgent safe havens in Pakistan have always been crucial for sustaining the Afghan insurgency as well as the source of current tensions in Washington-Islamabad relations. Despite sustained American pressure on Pakistan to deny the Afghan Taliban safe havens inside its territory, very little has improved on the ground. In the aftermath of the Ghazni attack, the Afghan officials are claiming that many Pakistani nationals were among the insurgents killed in battles in the last few days. Based on inputs from local sources and social media photos and videos, reports have emerged from Pakistans border areas which indicate that terror groups have transported dead fighters from Ghazni back to Pakistan for burial. Afrasiab Khattak, a former Pakistani senator and a member of the Awami National Party (ANP), has asked the Pakistani government to explain the issue of dead bodies coming into Pakistani territory. He is reported to have said: The dead bodies from the southeastern Ghazni battle that were shifted to Pakistan some Pakistani groups have posted photos of the dead bodies and have invited people to attend funeral ceremonies of their members on social media. These groups have proudly stated that those men were killed there. The bodies of slain Pakistani nationals have been transported to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Baluchistan provinces. Many Pakistani terrorists killed in the battle are reported to belong to Mullah Nazir, a pro-Pakistan militant group. As expected, Pakistans Foreign Office has flatly rejected as baseless the allegations of Pakistans involvement in the Ghazni attack: "There is no evidence to back up these spurious accusations. Pakistan does not have any information about killing of any Pakistani in Ghazni attacks." The United States, Afghanistan and India have long accused Pakistani military establishment of backing the Afghan Taliban through training, weapons and sanctuaries. The Ghazni attack must be seen as a wake-up call to the dangers inherent in Afghan Talibans umbilical cord with Pakistans state and non-state actors. The media accounts of the Ghazni assault underline this fact that the Afghan Talibans impressive ability to collect and exploit intelligence has helped them surprise their government adversaries. The Afghan Taliban continue to possess a massive intelligence apparatus, operating in both Afghanistan and Pakistan, which is responsible for gathering useful information on Afghan security forces and their American advisors. The Talibans intelligence operatives maintain extensive ties with Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) as well as with members of the Pakistans religious parties. The NATO officials have uncovered several instances where ISI passed on valuable intelligence to insurgents in Afghanistan. In addition, various tribal groups along the border support the Afghan Taliban. Counter-insurgency specialists will tell how sympathetic communities provide fertile ground to an insurgent organisation for gathering information about the operational environment. The pro-Taliban sympathies in the Pashtun-dominated regions coupled with lingering grievances against the US forces have been helping the Taliban run intelligence networks in several parts of the country. Analysts who have been closely observing Afghan Talibans modus operandi believe that the current intelligence gathering structure allows local Taliban units to collect intelligence and share it with nearby units as well as the Talibans higher command on a real time basis. The Afghan Taliban continue to use a wide range of both human and open source methods of collecting intelligence. The village and district level intelligence units provide the Taliban with a huge quantity of information regarding American troops movements and potential Afghan government collaborators. The Afghan Taliban utilise an elaborate network of local informants for identifying and eliminating spies suspected to be working for various Afghan government agencies. Fear of the Talibans spies is one of the major reasons why many Afghan people follow the Talibans diktats to avoid helping government forces. The Taliban receive actionable intelligence on personnel and plans from informants within the Afghan security forces, the US military bases and prisons; these have been used to provide sensitive information on military movements of interest to the Taliban as well to intimidate Afghan government personnel. The Afghan Taliban have also attempted to exploit open source intelligence for sustaining their insurgency campaign. In fact, the Afghan Taliban is a pioneer in exploiting various social media tools for gathering vital information. The Taliban cultivate its connections to select media groups and journalists and take great care to manage these entities. Local media is primarily monitored to engage in reprisal against journalists deemed unsympathetic to the Talibans cause. The NGO publications are also closely monitored. The Afghan Taliban have frequently forced mobile phone operators to shut down their networks in southern Afghanistan. The Talibans communication security tactics include the use of radio codes and shorter range radio communications. There is no doubt that Pakistan has conducted military operations in the FATA against foreign fighters, especially Central Asians and Arabs, and against Pakistani Taliban. But this counter-insurgency campaign has been highly selective as no action has been taken against the Afghan Taliban, who remain sheltered in safe havens. Pakistans intelligence agencies may have been given strict instructions to keep a low profile and to avoid being seen in the company of the Afghan Taliban commanders, but it would be wrong to assume that all operational ties between them have been snapped. In fact, there have been credible reports of the Talibans fighters and dedicated intelligence personnel continuing to receive training in safe havens in Pakistan which offer them key counter-intelligence and security advantages. Besides having access to military trainers and training materials, they continue to receive valuable guidance on counter-intelligence and counter-surveillance procedures from the ISI. Unless the Afghan citizens begin to feel that the Taliban are in retreat and their ability to punish has substantially decreased, the latters intelligence capabilities are likely to remain intact. Even air strikes and drone attacks have not been able to degrade these capabilities. The issue of the eventual US withdrawal is an additional source of uncertainty among Afghans. Those who doubt the Kabul regimes ability to provide effective security without foreign assistance are hedging their allegiances accordingly. At a time when the US officials are hoping for the commencement of meaningful peace talks, the Afghan Taliban are brutally asserting themselves on the battlefield, raising serious doubts about the viability of the American game plan. Fighting across Afghanistan has intensified in recent weeks despite a fleeting outbreak of peace in June when the Afghan Taliban and the Kabul government called separate yet overlapping ceasefires. Undoubtedly, the Ghazni attack is a huge setback for the Ashraf Ghani-led government in Afghanistan, plummeting the Afghan security forces morale even further. Heavy casualties, low motivation, capture, desertions, and low enlistment make waging war unsustainable without continued international support. In key senses, Imran Khan's rise portends nothing: He may become prime minister, but he won't be running Pakistan. True power elections and democratic transitions notwithstanding continues to lie with the Generals Editor's Note: This article was edited and re-published after Imran Khan was sworn-in as the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan on 18 August, 2018 In the autumn of 1997, the corpses of his soldiers still strewn on the Kargil heights, then prime minister Nawaz Sharif swore-in Lieutenant-General Khwaja Ziauddin as his new army chief, sacking the man who had led his country into a disastrous war. There was, however, just one hitch: Nobody had a brass star to pin on General Ziauddin's shoulder, to add to the three already there. Brigadier Javed Malik, witnesses have since recalled, gallantly tore one off from his own uniform, and handed it over. There was another hitch, less easily solved: General Pervez Musharraf, the man Sharif sacked that October, flew back home and sent the prime minister to prison. The Pakistan Army would not countenance a civilian deciding its fate. Now, as 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan promises to invent a 'Naya Pakistan', it's important to reflect on the lessons of that episode. In key senses, Imran's rise portends nothing: He may have become the prime minister, but he won't be running Pakistan. True power elections and democratic transitions notwithstanding continues to lie with the Generals. Historian APJ Taylor, reflecting on the revolutions of 1848-1849, famously observed that "German history reached its turning point but failed to turn". The country marched on, inexorably, towards its near-annihilation in the Second World War. There is no country that has had more new dawns than Pakistan Imran's 'Naya Pakistan' being just its latest iteration. Like imperial Germany, though, it has stayed firmly stuck at each turning point. Imran, without doubt, knows that he does not actually rule the country he has been sworn-in to lead today. Imran's rise began, in some senses, in 2010, when President Asif Ali Zardari put his signature on the 18th Amendment to the Pakistani Constitution, stripping the president of his right to dissolve Parliament. The military ruler General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq had given that power to the President of Pakistan through the 8th Amendment, empowering himself to summarily dismiss the elected politicians he used to legitimise his rule. Sharif did away with this constitutional provision, only to have Musharraf restore it. Zardari's amendment attacked military primacy in Pakistan's political life: The courts could no longer endorse the suspension of the Constitution, the power to appointment of judges was given to a commission; the president could no longer declare an Emergency in any province unilaterally. The Zardari government incensed the Generals early on, by seeking to push strategic policy in a new direction. The new president promised to bring perpetrators of the 26/11 terror attacks to trial, to end terrorism directed at India, and pursue peace in Kashmir. Zardari also let it be known he wanted civilian control over the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Directorate, an agency that not only waged proxy wars across Pakistan's borders, but worked actively to subvert its politics. From 2010 on, Pakistan Army chief Pervez Ashfaq Kayani set about restoring the order that had come about in the wake of Zia-ul-Haq's assassination, a system the scholar and diplomat Hussain Haqqani has described as "military rule by other means". The scholar Hassan Askari Rizvi noted that the army chief was the "pivot" for this political system. In turn, Rizvi has noted, the army chief derived authority from the corps commanders who addressed "not only security, professional and organisational matters, but also deliberate on domestic issues". In May 2010, Pakistan's defence minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar said the government was "neither granting extension to chief of army staff, nor had the general sought it". But just a week later, media reported that a conference of the Corps Commanders had called for an extension, and that is just what happened. Kayani repulsed Zardari's early efforts to bring the ISI under civilian control, and defeated his efforts to seek a grand rapprochement with India. "India," Asif Ali Zardari famously said in an October 2008 interview, "Has never been a threat to Pakistan." Less than two years later, in February 2010, General Kayani publicly asserted that the Pakistan Army was an "India-centric institution", adding that this "reality will not change in any significant way until the Kashmir issue and water disputes are resolved". In February 2011, following the US military's raid that claimed the life of Osama bin Laden, the army became increasingly fearful that Zardari might use the opportunity to regain control. It engineered a campaign against his key aides, notably then-ambassador to Washington, Husain Haqqani, alleging the government was engaged in treason. Zardari chose not to push tensions to boiling point, and backed down on his reform plans. In time, he quietly ceded power to then prime minister Sharif. Like his predecessor, Sharif too came to power determined to mend ties with India. In an interview to CNN-IBN, after he took office in 2013, Sharif promised everything Indians hoped for and then some. He vowed to "make sure that the Pakistani soil is not used for any such (terrorist) designs against India", said he would examine allegations of ISI involvement in 26/11, and promised full disclosure on Kargil. To his credit, Sharif did try to deliver: Jihadist attacks on Indian forces in Kashmir declined in 2014 and 2015; terrorist groups like the Indian Mujahideen were reined-in; he candidly blamed the Jaish-e-Muhammad for Pathankot, and promised action. In the end, though, the script played out just as it had after 2010. General Qamar Javed Bajwa, hand-picked by Sharif, proved loyal to the interests of his institution. Pressured by the Corps Commanders, Bajwa ensured anti-India terrorist groups were able to continue operations in Kashmir and across the rest of India. Following Pathankot, the ISI ensured perpetrators identified by India were not arrested. The Generals also backed a series of political challenges to Sharif's authority, culminating in an election characterised by less-than-subtle military-backed action against other parties, and contentious legal action against Sharif himself. The election has made clear the Generals hold the ultimate key to power, not voters. Even though Prime Minister Imran isn't known to spend his time reflecting on history, he'll know leaders who take on the army don't do well. In 1990, Sharif came to power on the shoulders of General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, promising to build an Islamic State. In 1993, though, the President of Pakistan appointed General Wahid Kakkar as army chief, superseding Lieutenant-General Rehm-Dil Bhatti, Mohammad Ashraf, Farrakh Khan and Arif Bangash. Sharif pushed back, and was forced out of office. In 1998, Sharif sacked the soft-spoken General Jehangir Karamat for demanding the creation of a National Security Council to adjudicate on civil-military relations. He hand-picked General Musharraf now superseding Lieutenant General Ali Kuli Khan and Lieutenant General Khalid Nawaz Khan only for this to end in catastrophe, after the Kargil war. Popular consensus has it that the Pakistan Army is a battleground between Islamists and pro-western professionals. In fact, as scholars like Ayesha Siddiqa have shown us, the military is an independent political actor, representing a set of concrete interests: The military is, after all, Pakistan's largest owner of land and custodian of an industrial empire that runs everything from breakfast-cereal plants to banks. The army is not just the custodian of the ideological and territorial boundaries of the State; it is, in key senses, the State itself. Newly elected Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan sought the help of his UK counterpart Theresa May to curb money laundering in his country Islamabad: Imran Khan has sought UK's help to combat the menace of money laundering during a conversation with his British counterpart Theresa May, Pakistani media reported, a day after he vowed to act against those who "looted" the country. Khan's request is significant as former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his close relatives are currently jailed in one corruption case and are facing more allegations of money laundering and graft. Hours after Imran Khan was elected the new prime minister of Pakistan on Friday, May called him to congratulate and offer her best wishes, Dawn newspaper reported. The British prime minister, during her telephonic conversation with Khan, said that her government is ready to further improve Britain's relations with Pakistan. "We are ready to open new avenues of partnership with Pakistan," May told Khan. "We will fully assist the new government." Khan, after thanking May for her call, said that he hopes to work with the British government to root out the menace of money laundering. "Money laundering is a severe problem for developing countries," he said. "To stop this we want to work with foreign governments, especially Britain's," Khan was quoted as saying. Prime Minister May agreed to Khan's desire of working together to eradicate the practice, the report said. In his inaugural address to the newly-elected Parliament, Khan said, "I promise my nation today that we will bring the tabdeeli (change) that this nation was starving for." "We have to hold strict accountability in this country; the people who looted this country, I promise that I will work against them," he vowed. "The money that was laundered, I will bring it back - the money that should have gone towards health, education, and water, went into people's pockets," Khan said. Sharif, 68, along with his daughter Maryam, 44 and his son-in-law Capt (retired) Muhammad Safdar are already serving jail terms of 10-years, seven years and one year respectively in the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, after an accountability court convicted them on 6 July over the family's ownership of four luxury flats in London. The ownership of the four London flats by the Sharif family surfaced in the Panama Papers in April 2016, indicating that the posh properties were managed through offshore companies owned by Sharif's children. The Panama Papers cases were launched on 8 September, 2016 following the Supreme Court verdict of 28 July that disqualified Sharif as prime minister and ordered the National Accountability Bureau to probe corruption cases against him. US has slapped Myanmar military with punitive sanctions for committing 'serious human right abuses' against the Rohingyas Washington: The US government on Friday hit four Myanmar military commanders and two military units with punitive sanctions, accusing them of "serious human rights abuses" and "ethnic cleansing" in violently expelling minority Rohingya from their homes. Military and border guard commanders Aung Kyaw Zaw, Khin Maung Soe, Khin Hlaing, and Thura San Lwin were accused of leading violent campaigns against the Muslim Rohingya in Rakhine state as well as minorities in Kachin and Shan states. "Burmese security forces have engaged in violent campaigns against ethnic minority communities across Burma, including ethnic cleansing, massacres, sexual assault, extrajudicial killings, and other serious human rights abuses," said Sigal Mandelker, Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence in the US Treasury, which announced the sanctions. The US Treasury said the sanctions on individuals were meant as a warning to security forces to cease abuses of ethnic and religious minorities and to respect their rights. The sanctions, which seek to lock those named out of global financial and commercial networks and freeze any overseas assets they have, were brought under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, a US law originally targeting Russia but now expanded to punish rights abusers worldwide. Aung Kyaw Zaw was singled out for having presided over the operations that drove some 700,000 Rohingya from their homes in Rakhine state, in southwest Myanmar, and into neighboring Bangladesh since 2016. The campaign has been marked by numerous extrajudicial killings, rape and burning of villages by security forces. Khin Maung Soe was in charge of a command which participated in a massacre of Rohingya on 27 August, 2017 in Maung Nu, where soldiers "reportedly beat, sexually assaulted and summarily executed or otherwise killed dozens of Rohingya villagers," the Treasury said. Thura San Lwin was the leader of the Border Guard Police, allegedly responsible for extrajudicial killings, sexual violence and assault against various minorities. And Khin Hlaing was singled out for abuse of Kachin, Shan and Chinese minorities who in November 2016 were forced to serve as human shields for his military unit in battles with militias. The two military units also sanctioned for involvement in those abuses were the 33rd Light Infantry Division, which participated in Rohingya abuses, and the 99th Light Infantry Division, which was led by Khin Hlaing. "There must be justice for the victims and those who work to uncover these atrocities, with those responsible held to account for these abhorrent crimes," said Mandelker. "We will continue to systematically expose and bring accountability to human rights abusers in this region and many others and greatly appreciate the efforts of civil society who are doing the same." Google is said to be working on releasing a smart speaker equipped with a display later this year, according to sources. This new smart speaker with the display will compete against rivals from Amazon.com and would round out Googles range of smart speakers that are running AI voice assistant. Furthermore, Google is targeting to ship around 3 million units in the batch, whereas, Amazon managed to ship only 315,000 units in 2017, after introducing the Echo Show last year. Google already has Smart Displays that it launched in partnership with Lenovo, JBL, LG, and others. This allows the companies to build Echo Show-like devices of their own. Googles current AI speaker lineup includes the standard Google Home, the cost-effective Home Mini, and the high-end Home Max. The upcoming smart speaker with the display would rely on voice commands but users might have the ability to play YouTube videos, check their calendars and view maps. A total of 35 million smart speakers were shipped worldwide in 2017 of which Google accounted for 32%, according to Canalys data. Sources also claim that Google is ambitious about building an end-to-end ecosystem and platform with its own product lineup. Google, as expected, declined to comment about the new Smart Speaker with a display. Source ZTE has announced an event at the IFA 2018 in Berlin later this month where it is expected to introduce Axon 9, successor of the Axon 7 that was introduced back in 2016, according to the teaser. ZTE will also introduce leading 5G innovations on display at a trade show booth. The Axon 9 is expected to feature 18:9 aspect ratio display, powered by Snapdragon 845 SoC and feature dual rear cameras, similar to most other flagships. ZTE is also expected to introduce new Blade series smartphone at the event. Back in April, the US Govt banned ZTE from using American technology for seven years. Last month the US Secretary of Commerce Department lifted the ban on American firms selling products to them, after ZTE paid the final penalty of $400 million from the $1.4 billion in escrow at a U.S. bank. ZTEs IFA event is scheduled for 30th August and starts at 4PM CEST (7:30 PM IST). We should know more details about the smartphone in the coming weeks. Source Motorola One Android One smartphone with the model number XT1941 has been certified by TENAA in China, after the press images of the phone surfaced in renders. The smartphone that surfaced in live images and TENAA certification was actually the P30 that was introduced in China earlier this week. This certification site reveals a glass back, 5.86-inch HD+ 19:9 aspect ratio screen with a notch, 2.2GHz Octa-Core SoC (which could be Snapdragon 626 or 630), up to 6GB RAM, 13MP rear camera along with a secondary camera that are separated by an LED flash in the middle, and an 8MP front camera. TENAA even says that the phone has four cameras, so it could house a secondary front camera. The image shows a shiny metal frame, Motorola logo on the front, below the screen, and the fingerprint sensor is present on the back with a Motorola logo, similar to the P30. The image on TENAA doesnt have an Android One branding on the back, compared to the render that surfaced earlier, so it might not be launched as an Android One smartphone in China. Motorola One (XT1941) rumored specifications 5.86-inch (1520 x 720 pixels) 19:9 aspect ratio 2.5D curved glass display 2.2GHz Octa-Core processor 6GB / 4GB / 3GB RAM with 32GB / 64GB / 128GB internal storage, expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD) Android 8.1 (Oreo) 13MP rear camera with LED flash, secondary rear camera 8MP front-facing camera Fingerprint sensor Dimensions: 149.972.27.9mm; Weight: 162g 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11, Bluetooth, GPS, GLONASS 3000mAh battery with fast charging The Motorola One is expected to come in Black, Gold and White/Silver colors. It could go official along with the Motorola One Power at the IFA later this month. Source | Via JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) and Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) are two of the largest banks in the United States, and have rather similar business structures. For investors seeking some financial sector exposure in their portfolios, which is the better stock to buy now? Business-wise, the two banks are quite similar Both JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America are universal banks and are quite comparable in size and business structure. Metric/Statistic JPMorgan Chase Bank of America Total Assets $2.6 trillion $2.3 trillion Total Loans $948 billion $936 billion Total Deposits $1.45 trillion $1.31 trillion U.S.-Based Deposits $1.2 trillion $1.23 trillion Approximate % of Revenue from Consumer/Commercial Banking 52% 40% Approximate % of Revenue from Corporate and Investment Banking Activities 35% 40% Approximate % of Revenue from Asset and Wealth Management 13% 20% Long-Term Debt $273 billion $227 billion JPMorgan Chase is best-in-breed JPMorgan Chase's business has been firing on all cylinders, and ever since Wells Fargo's scandals began, the bank has become the clear best-in-breed among the big U.S. banks. In the most recent quarter, JPMorgan Chase's return on equity (ROE) of 14% and return on assets (ROA) of 1.28% were the highest of the "big four" U.S. banks and are well in excess of the industry benchmarks of 10% and 1%, respectively. Plus, the bank's efficiency ratio of 58% puts it among the best of all brick-and-mortar banks. Lower is better, and anything under 60% is great for a big bank. In addition, the bank has been growing nicely. The loan portfolio grew by 4% year over year, and the asset and wealth management segment saw client assets rise by 8%. Trading revenue from the investment banking side of the business has been a weak spot, and JPMorgan Chase delivered 13% higher results than had been expected. In fact, JPMorgan Chase's results were so strong that the bank won Federal Reserve approval to increase its dividend by 43%. Shares now yield over 2.8%, one of the highest dividends in the banking sector. Bank of America has improved more than investors often give it credit for While I wouldn't quite put it in the same category as JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America is doing extremely well and has completely reinvented itself in the post-financial-crisis era. In fact, out of the "big four," I'd rank it number two in terms of quality, only behind JPMorgan Chase. While the bank's ROE and ROA of 10.8% and 1.17%, respectively, don't quite measure up to JPMorgan Chase, this is quite impressive considering that the bank spent much of the time since the crisis well below the industry benchmarks on both metrics. And if I told you five years ago that Bank of America would achieve a 59% efficiency ratio, you would have said I was crazy. Furthermore, the bank is growing faster than most competitors, with 7% consumer loan growth and 5% deposit growth over the past year. While its trading performance isn't quite as strong as JPMorgan's, a 20% growth rate in Merrill Edge brokerage assets is extremely impressive. The point is that while JPMorgan Chase is the best-in-breed of the largest U.S. banks, the overall quality difference isn't as big as you might think. A considerable difference in valuation In banking, like with most other industries, you can expect to pay for quality, and that's especially true in this comparison. JPMorgan trades at a significantly higher valuation than Bank of America: Metric JPMorgan Chase Bank of America Price-to-Book Value 1.67 1.28 Price-to-Tangible Book 2.09 1.81 The verdict In the end, these two banks are pretty evenly matched. JPMorgan Chase generates ROE and ROA that are 30% and 9% higher than Bank of America's, respectively, but B of A trades for P/B and P/TB metrics that are 23% and 13% cheaper and has been improving at a more impressive pace. The bottom line is that you won't go wrong with either of these bank stocks. Both should deliver excellent returns over the long run. Having said that, if I were going to buy one today, it would have to be Bank of America -- not just because I already own shares, but for its low valuation and continuous improvement. Popeyes Brand to Launch in the Philippines Popeyes enters its first major master franchise development agreement in Asia OAKVILLE, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Popeyes and Kuya J Holdings Group, Inc. ("Kuya J Group"), the owner and operator of Kuya J restaurants in the Philippines, announced today an exclusive master franchise agreement to develop and grow the Popeyes brand in the Philippines. "We are very excited to sign our first major development agreement for the Popeyes brand in Asia. We believe that our passion for food at Popeyes will resonate well with guests in the Philippines," said Alexandre Santoro, President of Popeyes. "Our partner, Kuya J Group, brings years of local expertise and a keen understanding of consumers in the Philippines." "We are proud to partner with Popeyes to launch and develop this great brand in the Philippines. The Philippines is a large and growing market, and we are looking forward to serving the high-quality food that Popeyes offers to the country's more than 100 million people," said Lowell L. Yu, Chairman of Kuya J Group. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. About Popeyes Popeyes, part of Restaurant Brands International, was founded in New Orleans in 1972 and has more than 40 years of history and culinary tradition. Popeyes distinguishes itself with a unique New Orleans style menu featuring spicy chicken, chicken tenders, fried shrimp, and other regional items. The chain's passion for its Louisiana heritage and flavorful authentic food has allowed Popeyes to become one of the world's largest chicken quick service restaurants with over 2,900 restaurants in the U.S. and around the world. To learn more about the Popeyes brand, please visit the Popeyes brand website at www.popeyes.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. About Kuya J Holdings Group, Inc. Kuya J Group is one of the most successful food services groups in the Philippines. It owns and operates over 100 Kuya J Restaurants nationwide. Kuya J is widely patronized for its delicious Filipino dishes like its best selling crispy pata, kare-kare, caldereta and halo-halo. The group also owns and operates leading and award winning concept stores Isla Sugbu Seafood City, Tsay Cheng Chinese Cuisine, Majestic, and the heritage Grand Convention Center of Cebu among others. About Restaurant Brands International Inc. Restaurant Brands International Inc. ("RBI") is one of the world's largest quick service restaurant companies with more than $30 billion in system-wide sales and over 24,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries and U.S. territories. RBI owns three of the world's most prominent and iconic quick service restaurant brands - Tim Hortons, Burger King, and Popeyes. These independently operated brands have been serving their respective guests, franchisees and communities for over 40 years. To learn more about RBI, please visit the company's website at www.rbi.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes forward-looking statements, which are often identified by the words "may," "might," "believes," "thinks," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "intends" or similar expressions and reflect management's expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date hereof. These forward-looking statements include statements about RBI's expectations and belief regarding the reception of the Popeyes brand in the Philippines and RBI's expectations and belief regarding Kuya J Group's understanding of local tastes and preferences in the Philippines and its ability to deliver strong results. The factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from RBI's expectations are detailed in filings of RBI with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and with the securities regulatory authorities in each province and territory of Canada, such as its annual and quarterly reports and current reports on Form 8-K and include the following: risks related to RBI's ability to successfully implement its domestic and international growth strategy; and risks related to RBI's ability to compete domestically and internationally in an intensely competitive industry. Other than as required under U.S. federal securities laws or Canadian securities laws, we do not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events or circumstances, change in expectations or otherwise. ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 17) Philippine National Police (PNP) Spokesperson Senior Supt. Bong Durana, Jr. on Friday said recent data showed a lower number of drug war-linked deaths this year. Durana made the statement during a briefing on the 'real numbers' update of the administration's drug-free campaign in Malacanang. The PNP spokesperson said government agencies' accumulated data showed that from an average of 100 deaths per week, the anti-drug campaign death toll was down to 23 cases per week. "During the first three months (of the campaign), there's an average of 100 deaths weekly," Durana told reporters. "So we adjusted our campaign." Durana said the data from Dec. 5, 2017 to Aug. 13, 2018 showed 881 drug war-related death cases listing 23 deaths on average per week. He said this is a new low for police operations, as statistics from March to October 2017 showed an average of 39 deaths weekly. Durana said PNP is also conducting internal cleansing. He said more than 200 police officials were relieved from their posts after they tested positive for illegal drugs, while 95 personnel were also dismissed from service for other drug-related offense. Drug war continues Despite this, Durana said the police will continue to support the anti-drug campaign of President Rodrigo Duterte. "As far as PNP is concerned, the President was spot on in concentrating on the war on drugs," Durana said. He cited a recent Pulse Asia survey which showed majority of Filipinos viewed Duterte's drug war as the most important achievement of the administration. "If we have a very good peace and order in our country, it will create an enabling environment for peace and progress in our country," he added. Government data show more than 4,000 'drug personalities' have been killed in anti-drug operations, while more than 23,000 homicide cases many of them suspected to be drug-related are still being investigated. A Wedding Fusion of Assyria and Samoa Bonnie and Grey Surrounded By Family and Friends After the Ceremony. (Sydney) -- In what may have been a nation first, Apia was witness to a wedding combining two diverse cultures -- Assyrian and Samoan. The couple, Bonnie and Grey Viane, tied the knot last Saturday at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral followed by a reception at Taumeasina Resort in a mix of cultural traditions. Bonnie is Assyrian, part of an ethnic group from present-day Iraq, and Grey is Samoan. The two were raised in Sydney, Australia, and said their wedding was an opportunity to deep dive into their cultures and celebrate them. "It's hard to stay true to culture when the influence of other cultures, of Australian culture is just so big," Bonnie said. "On our wedding day we wanted to be true to who our parents were and that set a foundation of who we are going to be as parents." The integration of their two cultures into a seamless wedding was a learning process for them both, as they dug into traditions they did not necessarily learn about when growing up. Grey said the more they incorporated, the more pride they felt. "Bonnie and I always remember where we are from and remember our roots. It was important to us to bring it together and incorporate the Assyrian tradition of bringing the bride out of the house when she's going to marry, and bringing Samoan culture of wearing our Ie Faitaga." The wedding festivities began with the Assyrian tradition of the groom's family picking up the bride, who will not be released to the groom's family until the families negotiate a price. "That's what we did here at the Taumeasina, there was a big hoohaa where my brothers and my dad stood at the door negotiating with his family," said Bonnie. They then travelled to the church, where the service was conducted fully in Samoan, and included the Samoan tradition of ifoga. The couple had a fine mat placed over their head and a blessing said over them. "There are no words to explain how we felt when they were doing that," said Grey. Following the ceremony, the wedding party travelled in three classic Samoan buses to Grey's father's village in Poutasi Faleili to take memorable photos. Back at Taumeasina Resort, the families were met by the Assur Kings drumming group from Sydney, who performed traditional Assyrian music to the beat of handmade drums. The wedding party danced with Assyrian Yalekhta, beaded scarfs with bells which add noise and delight to the dancing. "Assyrians are always holding or waving something, it's all about the noise they make with their bells." Grey said the noise making from the Yalekhta and the drums was so fun for the Samoan half of the family that on arrival for photos at Poutasi, the family greeted them by banging on pots and pans. "They see us banging drums and here they are banging pots and pans!" The groom's party wore traditional Samoan Ie Faitaga, and the bride's family wore Assyrian garb. Bonnie and Grey's families joined their celebrations here in Samoa, but unfortunately Grey's father, Lupeomanu Faaoli Fata Vaegaau Viane, passed away in 2011. Grey said it was always his father's dream to see his son marry, and so having the celebrations in Samoa brought them closer to him. When they picked the wedding date, they had no idea it would be Father's Day here. "It just tied us back to Grey's dad and I get goosebumps just talking about it," said Bonnie. "Having the wedding on Father's Day just meant he was with us the whole time." 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. Assyrians in Syria Hold First Lady Day Festival Since Defeat of ISIS Syriac Christian worshipers in Tal Baloua, near Tal Tamer, attended the first Feast of the Assumption of Mary (Lady Day festival) held in the town for six years, on Thursday. Worshipers gathered for a church service, before sitting together outside for a communal meal. The Tal Baloua Assyrians consider the festival an assertion of their right to live in Syria, following the ousting from the area of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL). The church itself was heavily damaged by IS militants during their occupation of the village in 2015. Despite restoration work, parts of the building remain severely damaged. Most Assyrians in the region were driven out during an IS assault three years ago. Hundreds of those who remained were taken into captivity, with many only released after the payment of ransom. Some were also executed. IS destroyed numerous Assyrian churches before local and Kurdish fighters forced them from the area. Many Assyrian villages have now been turned into dilapidated ghost towns, with their inhabitants having fled abroad. Before the conflict, an estimated 20,000-40,000 Assyrians lived in Syria, most of them residing in settlements along the Khabur River such as Tal Tamer. Today, reports citing local activists say there are around 1,000 Assyrians left in the country, with most having fled Syria. Syriac Christians are the Aramaic-speaking descendants of the ancient Assyrian people, whose empire came to an end in 612 BC. Other Assyrians live in nearby Iraq, Iran and Turkey. Many have emigrated permanently from the Middle East following violence and persecution. Assyrian Church May Have Paid Islamic State a Million Dollars in Ransoms The Assyrian Church in Syria may have paid more than a million dollars to the Islamic State (ISIS) in extortion fees, the New York Times claimed in a report Wednesday. The report, published on Wednesday, details the plight of Christian communities across Syria amid the countrys brutal civil war, many of which have been subject to persecution and brutal attacks by ISIS. The situation has led to a major decline in the nations Christian population. The caliphate sought to make money off of the Assyrians, a group of indigenous Middle Eastern people spanning areas in Turkey, Iraq, and Syria, whom they believed would have relatives abroad willing to pay large sums to secure their freedom, the New York Times notes. Most Assyrians are Christians associated with either the Assyrian Church of the East or the Chaldean Catholic Church. According to the Times, while jihadists would usually kill or enslave Shiite Muslims and Yazidis, they would often secure up to $50,000 for the release of individual Assyrian hostages. When the Islamic State began its rampage across Iraq and Syria, the jihadists killed or enslaved Shiite Muslims and Yazidis, but they sought to make money off the Assyrians, the report claims. The church has never revealed exactly how much it paid the Islamic State, but most assume it was more than a million dollars. Approximately 10,000 Assyrians lived in Syria across 30 villages before the onset of the war in 2011, while there were more than two dozen churches. Nowadays, only 900 Assyrians remain, while the Assyrian Church of the East has just one church still holding regular religious services. In 2016, both the United Nations and the United States determined that ISIS was guilty of genocide against Middle Eastern populations. According to expert Eric Metaxas, the number of Assyrians living in the United States and Mexico may soon exceed the number of their counterparts living in their original homeland. More Syriac Christians live outside their ancestral homelands than in them. It's possible that if present trends hold, there will be more Syriac Christians in the United States and Mexico than in Iraq, he wrote last month. These are the people we have been praying for when we pray for the persecuted--and they have a lot to teach us, not the least of which is how to remain faithful in the face of unimaginable oppression and persecution. Google might introduce its own Assistant-powered Smart Display News oi-Sandeep Sarkar Unlike Lenovo's strategy to bring two different sized smart speakers, Google will be releasing a single model of the Smart Display. Google Assistant is one of the best available AI in the market. The tech giant has integrated its AI to a number of devices such as the Google Home and the smartphones. Google has introduced its first Assistant-powered 'Smart Display' in collaboration with Lenovo last month. The Lenovo Smart Display will first make its way to the consumers in the US. The 'Smart Display' will be available in two different sizes in the US. However, Google doesn't want to rest immediately and is working towards exploring more options in this field. Some reports suggest that the tech giant is planning to launch its own Assistant-backed Smart Display. Google's Assistant-powered Smart Display could be available later this year. According to some reports from Nikkei, it is being claimed that Google will soon be launching its own "smart speaker that comes with a screen' later this year. The reports further mention that Google has an "aggressive plan" for its upcoming smart speaker. The company also expects to sell around 3 million units of Smart speakers in the first batch of its release. It is also being reported that unlike Lenovo's strategy to bring two different sized smart speakers, Google will be releasing a single model of the Smart Display. However, Google still needs to make official confirmation on the matter. Rishi Chandra, Google's vice president of home devices has not ruled out the possibility of the company's plan to bring its own Smart Display for the users, mentions the report. Earlier, some rumors were making rounds over the web suggesting that the Smart Display manufactured by Google will feature a front-facing camera for making video calls. Apart from the front camera, the Smart Display was also expected to feature two microphones and a screen-size in line with the recently introduced 10-inch Lenovo Smart Display. It is also being expected that the Google's Smart Display might come with a battery pack which will make the device portable. There is not much information provided with the report related to the features and functionalities that will be offered with the Google's Smart Display. It is expected that the Smart Display will have similar features as the Lenovo Smart Display. The Smart Display from Google will have to compete with the Amazon Echo show. It is also expected that the Smart Display from Google will be manufactured in Taiwan by Pegatron. Image Source: The Verge 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 GeForce Gaming Celebration by NVIDIA at Gamescom 2018: Live streaming and registration News oi-Vivek Nvidia might launch up to 3 new graphics cards at Gamescom 2018 GeForce Gaming Celebration by NVIDIA at Gamescom 2018 is all set for a grand opening on the 20th of August 2018 in Palladium, Schanzenstrae 36, 51063 Koln, Germany. Where the Nvidia is expected to launch the next generation GPUs and other computer peripherals at the same event. Watch the live streaming here Do note that the event starts at 10:30 AM (IST) in India, so you can watch the complete live streaming of the event with ease. If you stay near Cologne or attending Gamescom, then here is a link to register to GeForce Gaming Celebration by Nvidia. (Click here for registration). Speculated surprises According to our source, Nvidia is expected to offer some surprises, where the company is expected to launch the next generation Nvidia RTX 2000 series of GPUs, which was recently leaked online. A recent leak suggests that the company might launch the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 2050 (Ti), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 2060, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, and, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti range of graphics cards. These graphics cards are expected to be priced similar to the previous generation models. E.g: The RTX 2080 Ti will be priced similar to the GTX 1080 Ti and the RTX 2080 will be priced similar to the GTX 1080 GPU. Just like the current generation of GPUs from Nvidia, the upcoming generation is also expected to include more than 6 models of GPUs from entry-level to a premium tier. In terms of performance, the Nvidia GTX 2080 Ti is expected to offer 2.5x performance compared to the Nvidia GTX Titan V, which is one of the best performing GPU from Nvidia to date. The new 2000 series of GPUs from Nvidia will be based on all new Turing architecture, which offers better performance than Pascal architecture found on the current line of GPUs from Nvidia. These new series of GPUs from Nvidia are also expected to offer (2080 Ti) a performance of up to 16 TFLOPS with the improved liquid cooling system to support these powerhouses. Along with Nvidia, other brands and companies are also expected to announce games and other hardware peripherals with respect to gaming. Best Mobiles in India Xiaomi becomes the second largest smartphone brand in Indonesia: Counterpoint News oi-Priyanka Apple had less than 1 percent market share in the country. If you think Xiaomi is only famous in India then you are wrong, as the Chinese smartphone maker has become the second largest brand in Indonesia, according to a new report by research firm Counterpoint. Moreover, it has managed to reduce the gap of popular global products and their launch in Indonesia which helped it to lead the sub $150 segment. It also said the market share of Chinese brands reached 53 percent (the highest ever) in Indonesia with local brands at 9 percent and LTE capable smartphones contributed to 90 percent of total smartphone shipments during Q2 2018. Indonesian operators have done well in increasing the LTE coverage ahead of the 2018 Asian Games, Counterpoint pointed out. While Apple had less than 1 percent market share in the country. Apple has recently expanded its reach in the country, but new iPhones are still expensive in the region. Qualcomm led the SoC segment with 39 percent market share followed by MediaTek and Samsung with 30 percent and 20 percent share respectively. Other brands which did well during the quarter were in vivo, Asus, and Huawei. Meanwhile, Indonesian smartphone shipments grew 25 percent annually and 5 percent sequentially during Q2 2018 driven by the festive offers and new launches around Ramadan month. With over 30 brands competing in the market, Chinese brands now capture over half of the total smartphone market while the share of local brands declined to single digits for the first time, the firm further said. Counterpoint Associate Director, Tarun Pathak said, "The overall tech ecosystem in Indonesia is more robust as compared to a year ago. With smartphone users all set to cross the 100 million mark this year, it presents an opportunity for the players in the mobile ecosystem to tap the growing demand for digital consumption. Users have now started migrating from entry-level smartphones to mid-tier smartphones which have increased the replacement rate over the past few quarters." 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 ZTE to come back with the launch of Axon 9 at IFA 2018 News oi-Karan ZTE is finally coming back to the smartphone market, the company is all set to make a come back with its Axon 9 smartphone. All you need to know. ZTE the smartphone maker has announced an event at the IFA 2018 which is going to take place in Berlin later this month. It has been expected that the company will introduce its Axon 9 smartphone, which would be the successor of the Axon 7. The Axon 7 was launched back in 2016, and its been two years the company hasn't launched its successor. According to the teaser, the company will also introduce "leading 5G innovations" on display at a trade show booth. The Axon 9 is expected to follow the tend and sport a display with an aspect ratio of 18:9. Under the hood, the smartphone is expected to be powered by Snapdragon 845 SoC. On the optical front, the Axon 9 will come with a dual camera setup on the rear, similar to most of the flagship smartphone. But we haven't received any concrete camera specification of the upcoming smartphone. The company is also said to introduce the new Blade series smartphone at the event. If you remember back in April, the United States Government banned the company from using American technology for seven years. But later the US Secretary of Commerce Department lifted the ban on American firms selling products to ZTE. The company has paid a penalty of $400 million from the $1.4 billion. The company is not ready to give up and for a come back it has scheduled the IFA event for August 30. The event will start at 4 PM CEST (7:30 PM IST ). We will get to know about the smartphone in the upcoming weeks. Let's see what ZTE is going to serve this time after fighting with the United States government. Just to recall, the Axon 7 comes with 5.5 inches Capacitive Touchscreen display with a screen resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels. Display type AMOLED. Under the hood, the smartphone is powered by a quad-core 2.2 GHz Processor, Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 820 that is coupled with Adreno 530 GPU, RAM and 128 GB Storage, 6 GB RAM default memory capacity. This storage can be expanded up to another Up to 128 GB with the help of a microSD Card. 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 NATO Baltic Air Policing: Belgium to take over lead and Germany to augment NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Aug 16, 2018 Ramstein, Germany The 48th rotation of detachments contributing to NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission is imminent. From September 2018, the Belgian Air Force will take the lead over the mission at Siauliai, Lithuania, while the German Air Force will augment out of Amari, Estonia. This is the seventh time, the Belgian Air Force will deploy to the NATO mission with F-16 fighter jets, Airmen and equipment. The detachment will come from both fighter bases at Florennes and Kleine Brogel and stay until the end of the year. In March 2004, Belgium was the first nation to be responsible for safeguarding the airspace of the three Baltic States since their accession to NATO. The German Air Force is going to augment the mission from Amari Air Base, Estonia with Eurofighter Typhoons and its personnel from 74th Tactical Air Force Wing at Neuburg, Germany. It will be the German Air Force's fourth time as augmenting nation and their ninth contribution to the mission over all. For the second time after 2016 the German Air Force is going to execute the NATO mission for two rotations in a row, from September 2018 to April 2019. The rotation will replace detachments of the Portuguese, Spanish and French Air Forces which have been conducting the mission since May 2018. NATO Air Policing is a 24/7 collective peacetime mission overseen by Allied Air Command and tactically controlled by two Combined Air Operations Centres at Uedem, Germany and Torrejon, Spain. For all Allies that don't have their own Air Policing capability, like the three Baltic States, agreements exist to maintain a standard of airspace security ensuring the integrity and protection of Allies' airspace. Story by Allied Air Command Public Affairs Office NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Fleet Forces to Hold U.S. 2nd Fleet Establishment Ceremony Navy News Service Story Number: NNS180817-13 Release Date: 8/17/2018 1:40:00 PM From Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command Public Affairs NORFOLK (NNS) -- Adm. Chris Grady, commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, will host a ceremony for the establishment of U.S. 2nd Fleet, in which Vice Adm. Andrew Lewis will assume command. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson will preside over the ceremony that will take place aboard aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) Aug 24, at 10 a.m. onboard Naval Station Norfolk. Lewis, a naval aviator and a 1985 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, has served in a variety of command positions afloat and ashore, most recently as commander, deputy chief of naval operations for operations, plans and strategy (N3/N5), in Arlington, Virginia. The majority of Lewis' operational command tours have been on the East Coast, most recently as commander, Carrier Strike Group 12 and deploying with USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) to the U.S 6th and 5th Fleet areas of operation. C2F, headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, will exercise operational and administrative authorities over assigned ships, aircraft and landing forces on the East Coast and the North Atlantic. Additionally, it will plan and conduct maritime, joint and combined operations and will train and recommend certification of combat ready naval forces for maritime employment and operations around the globe. C2F will report to USFF. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Carrier Strike Group 12 Embarks Lincoln Navy News Service Story Number: NNS180817-12 Release Date: 8/17/2018 11:35:00 AM By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jessica Paulauskas, USS Abraham Lincoln Public Affairs ATLANTIC OCEAN (NNS) -- The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) embarked its strike group, Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 12, July 2. The embarkation of all the assets of CSG 12 marked a first for flagship Abraham Lincoln since the ship's redelivery from the mid-life maintenance period Refuel and Complex Overhaul to the fleet in May of last year. The strike group is underway conducting the Tailored Ship's Training Availability and Final Evaluation Problem (TSTA/FEP) assessment. "Abraham Lincoln is now part of a larger team and with the strike group we will maintain superior sea power to protect our national security," said Abraham Lincoln Commanding Officer Capt. Putnam Browne. CSG 12 is a dynamic, globally-deployable force, which is ready to respond quickly and poised to fight and win decisively from the sea and air with unprecedented maritime combat power. "There is no doubt that the maritime domain is growing in importance," said Rear Adm. John Wade, commander, CSG 12 in his May change of command speech. "Therefore, by extension, our Navy is growing in importance. As such, everything we do, everything we aim to achieve as a strike group is geared toward protecting our nation, ensuring freedom of the seas, and preserving our strategic interests around the globe." Operational excellence will require "keeping the press on" to achieve a well-trained and synchronized adherence to the mission and the chain of command. By practicing strict procedural compliance and operational risk management at every level of operations, CSG 12 is taking steps to be ready, adaptable and agile to respond to any challenge. "We must shake off any vestiges of comfort or complacency that our previous advantages may have afforded us, and move out to build a larger, more distributed, and more capable battle fleet that can execute our mission," said Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson. "The foundation of the fleet will be leaders and teams who learn and adapt to achieve maximum possible performance, ready for decisive operations and combat." The Abraham Lincoln Strike Group combines advanced surface, air and systems assets to create operational capability to address any challenge around the world. By embodying this "teams-of-teams" concept, all components of CSG 12 will come together to prepare for and conduct global operations, have effective and lasting command and control, and demonstrate dedication and commitment to become the strongest warfighting force for the Navy and the nation. CSG 12 is a synthesis of the nation's finest maritime assets. CSG 12 is comprised of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7, Destroyer Squadron (CDS) 2, Abraham Lincoln, and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55). NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump's military parade estimated to cost 92 mln dollars People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 10:00, August 17, 2018 WASHINGTON, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's military parade is estimated to cost 92 million dollars, according to a CNBC report on Thursday, quoting an anonymous U.S. defense official. An earlier estimate put the cost at 12 million dollars, 80 million dollars less, said the report. The new figure consists of 50 million dollars from the Pentagon and 42 million dollars from interagency partners such as the Department of Homeland Security. The parade is scheduled to take place in U.S. capital city Washington D.C. on Nov. 10 this year, featuring armored vehicles, aircraft flyovers and period uniforms. The final plan has not been approved by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, according to local media. The ceremony is said to be largely inspired by Trump's front-row seat at France's Bastille Day military parade in Paris last year. The United States has not held a major military parade in Washington D.C. since 1991 to mark the end of Operation Desert Storm. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump postpones military parade planned for November in Washington Iran Press TV Fri Aug 17, 2018 03:24PM US President Donald Trump has postponed until next year plans for a military parade originally slated for November in Washington, DC, citing the increased cost of the event. Trump made the announcement in tweets on Friday, blaming a $92 million price tag as well as "local politicians" opposing the now-cancelled November 10 parade, which would honor US military veterans and commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War One. The US president pointed the finger of blame at "local politicians who run Washington, D.C. (poorly)" for the delay, saying the cost was "ridiculously high" and that they "know a windfall when they see it." Trump said he would instead attend a parade at Andrews Air Force base in Maryland and then go to the French capital of Paris for events on November 11 to commemorate Armistice Day. The US Defense Department had earlier said in a statement that the military parade requested by Trump had been called off until next year. "The Department of Defense and White House have been planning a parade to honor America's military veterans and commemorate the centennial of World War I," Pentagon Spokesman Colonel Rob Manning said in a press release. "We originally targeted November 10, 2018 for this event but have now agreed to explore opportunities in 2019." In February, Trump called on the Pentagon to explore a parade in celebration of American troops, after the Republican president was impressed by the Bastille Day military parade he attended with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris last year. The request sparked a strong public reaction, particularly regarding a White House estimate earlier this year that the parade would cost US taxpayers between $10 million and $30 million. The Thursday announcement came hours after the Defense Department released an updated cost estimate for the planned parade, which put the price tag for the event at $92 million, including $50 million from the Pentagon and $42 million from the Department of Homeland Security. The larger price tag highlighted by the federal government agencies was necessary to get the aircraft and other military equipment to the parade, to ensure security and to pay for the troops to be present, among other costs, according to the Pentagon. Critics of the parade and Trump's political opponents say Washington should not spend money on a costly display of troops and weapons when the Pentagon is struggling to cover the expenses of training, support and personnel. Military parades in the United States are generally rare. Such parades in other countries are usually staged to celebrate victories in battle or showcase military might. The last US military parade was in 1991, when tanks and thousands of troops paraded through Washington to celebrate the ousting of Iraqi forces from Kuwait during the reign of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN invites Yemen ex-government, Houthis to Geneva peace talks in September Iran Press TV Fri Aug 17, 2018 12:56PM The United Nations has invited Yemen's former government and the Houthi Ansarullah movement to hold talks in Geneva next month on ways to resolve the country's crisis, a UN spokeswoman says. "I can confirm that the Office of the Special Envoy sent out invitations," UN spokeswoman Alessandra Vellucci told reporters on Friday. The UN special envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, said earlier this month that the consultations are due to begin in Geneva on September 6 on a framework for peace talks and confidence-building measures. The UN, he said, is primarily trying to reach an agreement between the Saudi-backed side and Yemen's ruling Houthis "on the issues essential to ending the war and on a national unity government in which everyone participates." Amid an escalation of fighting in the Red Sea port of Hudaydah, Griffiths expressed hope on June 28 that a new round of peace talks between major warring sides of the country could begin, saying, "I think it's long overdue that that should take place. It's been about two years since the last talks on Yemen." Vellucci further said she had no information on whether representatives from Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had also been invited to Geneva. During a press briefing in July at the Sana'a International Airport after two days of talks in the Yemeni capital, Griffiths said he has held "fruitful" talks with the leader of Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi. He added, "I'm greatly reassured by the messages I have received, which have been positive and constructive." More than 15,000 people have been killed in over three years of a devastating Saudi campaign against Yemen. The war has badly affected Yemen's infrastructure as hundreds of thousands remain displaced and in dire need of humanitarian aid. 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. Human Rights Watch has said the Saudi-led coalition has conducted scores of "indiscriminate and disproportionate air strikes" hitting civilian targets and killing thousands of civilians "in violation of the laws of war", with munitions that the US, United Kingdom, and others still supply. In one of their most abhorrent attacks, Saudi warplanes targeted a school bus in Yemen's northwestern province of Sa'ada last week, leaving 40 children and 11 adults dead. Saudi Arabia and some of its allies, including the United Arab Emirates, launched a brutal war, code-named Operation Decisive Storm, against Yemen in March 2015 in an attempt to reinstall Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, Yemen's former president and a staunch ally of Riyadh, and crush the popular Houthi Ansarullah movement. The movement, which is a significant aid to the Yemeni army in defending the country against the invading forces, has been running state affairs in the absence of an effective administration during the past three years. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemeni civilians trapped as Saudi ramps up attacks on Hudaydah Iran Press TV Fri Aug 17, 2018 10:45AM Thousands of civilians are trapped in Yemen's Hudaydah as Saudi Arabia and allies step up their attacks to capture the port city from the Houthi Ansarullah movement. Backed by air power from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, militia groups loyal to Yemen's ousted former president, Abd Rbbuh Mansour Hadi, have been pushing to seize the Duraihami District, which lies adjacent to southern Hudaydah. The Saudi-led front mounted a new offensive in Duraihami on Tuesday, two days after laying a siege to the heavily-populated area. Local reports said the area is being constantly targeted by Saudi-led airstrikes, rocket attacks, artillery and an ongoing ground offensive. The Houthi fighters say the Saudi-led coalition has been indiscriminately targeting civilians. "The aggressor's mercenaries are attacking the city randomly and they have destroyed houses and killed civilians inside them," a Houthi fighter in Hudaydah told Middle East Eye news portal. "The airstrikes killed dozens of civilians in Duraihami and they are still targeting civilians, while Ansarallah [the Houthis] are fighting face-to-face on the ground," he added. While authorities are trying to cope with a severe shortage of food and medicines due to the Saudi siege, the attacks have also crippled internet coverage across the region, making it almost impossible for residents to contact the outside world. "There are some people that have bled to death [in the street] and no one dared to help them because of the clashes. Some corpses have decayed in the streets," one resident said when reached by MEE. Local health officials told MEE that airstrikes and rocket attacks on Duraihami had killed "dozens" of civilians but the extent of casualties was unknown. Saudi's long record of attacks on Yemeni civilians Human Rights Watch says the Saudi-led coalition has conducted scores of "indiscriminate and disproportionate air strikes" hitting civilian objects that have killed thousands of civilians "in violation of the laws of war", with munitions that the US, United Kingdom, and others still supply. In one of their most abhorrent attacks, Saudi warplanes targeted a school bus in Yemen's northwestern province of Sa'ada last week, leaving 40 children and 11 adults dead. According to data from an independent monitoring group, the Yemen Data Project, this was just one of 55 instances of attacks on Yemeni civilian vehicles this year. The group also suggests that Saudis are targeting civilians on purpose as an extensive analysis of over 18,000 airstrikes from March 2015 to April 2016 shows that almost a third (31%) of the targets were non-military civilians or civilian infrastructure. This is while only 36 percent of the attacks targeted military sites. The rest of the attacks were classified as having an unknown target. Trump under pressure to explain US role in war Following the deadly attack on Yemeni children, Democratic members of the US Congress have written three separate letters to Trump, asking him to justify Washington's continued support for Riyadh in the face of its many atrocities. The US, the UK and France have been the main providers of weapons and intelligence support to the Saudi Arabia and the UAE during the war. It was reported in the days following the attack that an American bomb was used to hit the bus. The US has refused to condemn the attack. The lawmakers have also urged US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Intelligence Director Daniel Coats to brief them on the war. After the attack, the Riyadh regime first defended the strike as "legitimate" but later said it would investigate "collateral damage." Spain said this week that it was reconsidering its arms sales to Saudi Arabia after the attack. The country sold about $500 million worth of weapons and munitions to Saudi last year, according to the London-based al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper. UN spokeswoman Alessandra Vellucci announced on Friday that UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths had extended an invitation to the warring sides for fresh peace talks in Geneva on September 6. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump escalates feud with intelligence officials over Russia collusion Iran Press TV Fri Aug 17, 2018 01:07AM US President Donald Trump has run into a maelstrom of criticism over his decision to revoke the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan. In a statement on Wednesday, Trump said he had revoked Brennan's security clearance for what he called the latter's "unfounded and outrageous allegations" about the Russian collusion. Trump has repeatedly denied a collusion with Russians. "I call it the rigged witch hunt, (it) is a sham," Trump told the Wall Street Journal on Thursday. However, the US intelligence agencies claim otherwise and Special Counsel Robert Mueller has been appointed to get to the bottom of Russia's interference in the 2016 election. Brennan's reaction Brennan, on Thursday, described Trump's repeated denials that his campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 election as "hogwash". The ex-CIA chief accused the president of revoking his security clearance as part of a "desperate" attempt to interfere with the investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Brennan, who led the CIA under President Barack Obama, said he would not be silenced by the move. He said Trump's decision to revoke his security clearance was "politically motivated" and an attempt to "scare others who might challenge him." "The only questions that remain are whether the collusion that took place constituted criminally liable conspiracy, whether obstruction of justice occurred to cover up any collusion or conspiracy, and how many members of 'Trump Incorporated' attempted to defraud the government by laundering and concealing the movement of money into their pockets," Brennan wrote in an opinion article in the New York Times. Brennan pointed to Trump's own words and actions, including his suggestion to the Russians to find Hillary Clinton's "30,000 emails that are missing" in July 2016. Dangerous precedent Legal analysts said it was unprecedented by a president to unilaterally intervene in a security clearance case of a former, high-level official. They are worried that by revoking the security clearance of Brenan, Trump was setting a dangerous precedent. Trump's move has triggered concerns about whether others in the national security community will be affected. Media reports said the White House is considering to revoke the security clearance of high-ranking former officials critical of Trump. Those targeted by the White House include former FBI Director James Comey, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, ex-NSA Director Michael Hayden, former National Security Adviser Susan Rice, former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, ex-Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, former FBI agent Peter Strzok, ex-FBI lawyer Lisa Page and Justice Department official Bruce Ohr. Comey criticizes Trump Comey, on Wednesday, hit back at President Trump for revoking Brennan's security clearance. Trump is "sending a message that he will punish people who disagree with him and reward those who praise him," Comey said in a statement posted on Twitter. Comey said "security clearances should not be used as pawns in a petty political game to distract voters from even bigger problems." Washington DC-based national security lawyer, Mark Zaid, said the move could have a chilling effect on lots of individuals who need security clearances to perform their duties. "It raises the concerns that if you are politically opposed to the president, your security clearance is in jeopardy," Zaid said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Afghan President Visits Ghazni After Taliban Assault On City RFE/RL August 17, 2018 Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has visited the city Ghazni, a week after Taliban fighters launched a surprise attack on the strategic provincial capital and captured several neighborhoods. With Taliban fighters still positioned on the outskirts of the city, the Afghan president on August 17 arrived by helicopter rather than traveling the 120 kilometers southwest from Kabul on Afghanistan's main "ring road" highway. Reports say two rockets were fired into the city as Ghani met at a nearby mosque with tribal elders and local security officials. A third rocket landed in a nearby river. Afghan authorities say nobody was injured by the rockets and Ghani was never in any danger. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the rocket attack. Ghani's visit came hours after U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the situation in Ghazni has become "much more stable" since most Taliban fighters withdrew to the outskirts of the city. But Mattis also confirmed that someTaliban fighters remain in Ghazni and are "trying to get resupplied." "They have not endeared themselves, obviously, to the population of Ghazni," Mattis said during an August 16 visit to Colombia. "They use terror. They use bombs because they can't win with ballots." Mattis also said the Taliban is trying to "up the ante" ahead of an expected cease-fire offer from the Afghan government and elections scheduled for October. But he said the militants failed to achieve any of their "six objectives" in their assault on Ghazni, which began on August 10. "It's been principally an information operation to grab a lot of press attention," Mattis said. "They've been successful [at that]." Afghan officials say more than 100 Afghan security forces and about 30 civilians were killed in five days of fighting, along with dozens of Taliban militants. With about 270,000 residents, Ghazni is Afghanistan's seventh-largest city. The International Committee of the Red Crescent (ICRC) says it is organizing the delivery of emergency water supplies for about 18,000 people because the city's water system shut down when the recent fighting began. With reporting by Reuters, AP, and dpa Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/u-s-defense-chief-says- afghanistan-s-ghazni-much-more-stable-/29438849.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 UN Denounces Bosnian Serb Move To Revoke Report On Srebrenica Massacre RFE/RL August 17, 2018 A top UN official has sharply criticized Bosnian Serb legislators for annulling a government report acknowledging the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica. The statement by UN Special Adviser Adama Dieng on August 16 came one day after the United States also denounced the move by Republika Srpska legislators. Dieng called the legislature's vote on August 14 "a step backwards for Bosnia and Herzegovina" and said it "undermines the rule of law and national and international efforts to achieve justice for victims of crimes committed against people of all ethnicities during the 1992-1995 Bosnian War." Dieng warned that "given the timing of this decision, it is likely to exacerbate tensions" ahead of an October 7 general election and "damage prospects for long-term stability and reconciliation" in Bosnia. The vote to revoke the report by a previous Republika Srpska government acknowledging the Srebrenica massacre was initiated by Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik and was widely seen as an attempt to boost his campaign ahead of the October elections. Dodik, an advocate of the Serbian region's secession from Bosnia with Russian backing, has rejected rulings by war crimes courts which have determined that the Srebrenica atrocity was a genocide. While acknowledging that a crime occurred, Dodik says the numbers of those killed was exaggerated in the 2004 report and it should have included Serbian victims. Dieng, the UN official, during a visit to the Balkans in February said: "It is evident that events of the past are being used for political purposes." He warned at the time that "mistrust and outright hostility between political leaders representing different constituencies is preventing any significant progress towards reconciliation." The Bosnian war killed an estimated 100,000 people, and the Dayton Agreement that ended it split the country into two semiautonomous regions along ethnic lines, one for Bosnian Serbs and the other shared by Bosniaks and Croats. The Srebrenica Commission, set up by the Republika Srpska government, reported in 2004 that between 7,000 and 8,000 Bosniaks went missing from Srebrenica in July 1995 after Bosnian Serbs overran the enclave, and over 1,000 were killed, in what constituted a serious violation of international law. All of the missing are presumed to have been killed and, more than two decades later, experts are still excavating victims' bodies from hidden mass graves throughout Bosnia. Two international courts, the International Court of Justice and the UN war crimes tribunal for former Yugoslavia, have determined that the massacre constituted genocide. The UN war crimes tribunal sentenced Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic and his military commander Ratko Mladic over the Srebrenica massacre and other atrocities. But many Bosnian Serbs have never admitted that their troops committed war crimes and nationalist politicians have portrayed Mladic and Karadzic as heroes. "The Srebrenica crime is a staged tragedy with an aim to 'satanize' the Serbs," Dodik said in comments that outraged Srebrenica victims and survivors. In revoking the 2004 report, the Bosnian Serb legislature endorsed Dodik's call for establishing what he called an "unbiased" international investigation into the Srebrenica massacre to stop "manipulation" of the number of victims. With reporting by AP, dpa, and RFE/RL's Balkan Service Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/un-official-dieng- denounces-serb-move-revoke-report-acknowledging -srebrenica-massacre/29438522.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 White House, Kremlin Advisers To Discuss Arms Control, Iran's Role In Syria RFE/RL August 17, 2018 U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton, is expected to discuss arms control treaties and Iran's role in Syria when he meets his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev in Geneva next week. The meeting between Bolton and Patrushev, secretary of Russian President Vladimir Putin's Security Council, would be the first official follow-up to the Trump-Putin summit in Helsinki in July. Trump drew widespread criticism after the summit, in part, because he never disclosed what was discussed or decided during his two-hour-long, one-on-one meeting with Putin. But Reuters, quoting an unnamed U.S. administration official on August 16, reported previously unannounced details about the meeting. The official said the main topic of the Putin-Trump meeting was the war in Syria, including Iran's role there, and the humanitarian situation in the country. Reuters said the two presidents agreed in principle that Iranian military forces should exit Syria, as Israel has demanded. But Russia maintained this would be difficult to achieve. Since the summit, the Kremlin's envoy to Syria has said it would be "unrealistic" for Israel to expect all Iranian-allied fighters to leave Syria. But Russia recently announced an agreement with Israel aimed at keeping Iranian fighters at least 85 kilometers from Israel's border with Syria. Reuters said Trump and Putin also discussed arms control issues during their meeting -- including the New START treaty and the Cold War-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty, which banned nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with a range of up to 5,500 kilometers. The official told Reuters that the leaders did not agree on a way forward on arms control. Bolton is a critic of the New START treaty, which was reached during President Barack Obama's administration. While meeting with Putin, Trump also raised the issue of Russia's Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline to Germany, which he has criticized sharply, the official told Reuters. Directly after his talks with Putin, Trump spent about 15 minutes briefing Bolton, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Jon Huntsman, the U.S. ambassador to Russia, Reuters reported Many topics they discussed were raised again in a larger group meeting that followed, the official said. The official said Trump also told Putin that Russian interference in its elections must stop ahead of the 2018 U.S. congressional elections. While Putin insisted the Russian state did not interfere in the U.S. election, the U.S. official told Reuters that his response left a "big expanse" of other Russian actors that could have been involved. With reporting by Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/white-house- kremlin-advisers-bolton-patrushev-discuss- arms-control-iran-role-syria-geneva-helsinki-summit- putin-trump/29438565.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 100 Days: Walking A Fine Line, Armenians Still On 'Revolution' High Alan Crosby, Artur Papyan August 17, 2018 Three months after a "Velvet Revolution" of sorts toppled President Serzh Sarkisian and brought opposition leader Nikol Pashinian to power, Armenians remain optimistic about the future. The problem is, now comes the hard part. The 43-year-old prime minister and former journalist Pashinian called on Armenians to mark his first 100 days in office by returning on August 17 to Republic Square in central Yerevan, where tens of thousands rallied to protest against corruption and cronyism, forcing the ouster of Sarkisian in May. Since taking power, Pashinian has publicly made a priority of peeling back the layers of the old guard that had basically ruled the country since it left the Soviet Union in 1991, including the detention of former President Robert Kocharian, who is awaiting trial on charges of "overthrowing Armenia's constitutional order." He's also traveled to Brussels and other foreign capitals to meet with key leaders to assure them Armenia has a stable administration that is interested in more than just settling old scores with previous regimes. But even Pashinian knows the real work is yet to come. "At this stage, you need very fast and effective reforms for the country's economy to be launched with a new spirit, new speed, and within the context of the budget discussions," Pashinian told journalists on August 16. "We are entering a new phase, the main essence of which is to make major reforms in order to open new room for our country and economy," he added, giving no details on the next policy stage. Observers suggest Pashinian needs to enact deep structural reforms to an economy that has been hampered by decades of graft and to stem a trend of rising national debt that reached $6.5 billion at the end of the first half of the year, or about 56 percent of economic output, compared with $1.5 billion a decade earlier. Olesya Vartanyan, a South Caucasus analyst at the International Crisis Group (ICG), says that while officials are calling for business to be done "in a clean way," the task is proving difficult for many businesspeople because few laws have been amended, while other regulations are failing to make the system more transparent. "This just indicates the amount of work that Mr. Pashinian and his team have still to do," she told RFE/RL. "So far, they have opened high-profile investigations into officials and their affiliated businesses. But this cannot distract them from structural reforms that are still essential." Pashinian also must walk a fine line as he cleans house. Armenia is dependent on Russia for security through a defense pact in the Caucasus region, where simmering tensions can boil over at any moment. Armenia is geographically locked between Iran, Turkey, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, with which it fought a war over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region in the 1990s and where a fragile cease-fire agreement barely manages to keep a lid on hostilities. The previous administrations of both Kocharian and Sarkisian, who led Armenia into the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) in 2015, were in close contact with Russia, which has a military base in Armenia. Moscow is also Armenia's main arms supplier. Unlike its angry reactions to unrest that unseated leaders in Moldova, Georgia, and Ukraine, publicly at least, the Kremlin has so far raised no major objections to the change of administrations in Armenia. Pashinian has also insisted there was no shift in loyalties, telling Russian President Vladimir Putin at a meeting in Sochi in May that "nobody has ever questioned the strategic importance of Armenian-Russian relations, or ever will." However, eyebrows were raised when Armenian authorities charged Colonel General Yuri Khachaturov, the Armenian head of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), with overthrowing the country's constitutional order in connection with a 2008 crackdown against protesters. Khachaturov, who was deputy defense minister in 2008 and has denied any wrongdoing, reportedly returned to Moscow after being freed on bail. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov weighed in on the matter on August 1, expressing "concern" over the arrest warrant. Despite the daunting tasks ahead, the spirit of the revolution seems alive and well on the streets of Yerevan. Vahagn Movsisian participated in the protests that brought Pashinian to power and says the biggest change so far is in the mood of regular citizens. "People are instilled with more hope, they feel positive," the 28-year-old told RFE/RL's Armenian Service. Pensioner Volodya Minasian also marched through the streets during the protests, and echoed Movsisian's thoughts. "There is no feeling of being psychologically depressed; there is a feeling of confidence in tomorrow," the 65-year-old said. "Now we want to continue to live in Armenia. We are in a good mood and feel optimistic about the future." Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/days-w alking-a-fine-line-armenians-still -on-revolution-high-/29439237.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 Pashinian Supporters Rally In Yerevan On 100th Day In Office RFE/RL's Armenian Service August 17, 2018 YEREVAN -- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has rallied tens of thousands of supporters in central Yerevan's Republic Square to mark his first 100 days in office, calling it a "demonstration of national unity." Pashinian, who came to power unexpectedly in May after organizing massive anticorruption protests, earlier on August 17 led marchers to a street where he said he had been "kidnapped" by security forces during one of the street demonstrations in April that led to the eventual resignation of then-Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian. Pashinian was briefly arrested during the antigovernment protests earlier this year, only to be released and eventually elected to the premiership by a parliament still controlled by the ruling Republican Party. Pashinian has vowed to speed up the pace of reforms in the country, and he told the crowd at Republic Square that the government would soon reduce the number of ministries and bureaucrats. He also urged the large Armenian diaspora to contribute to the country's economic health. "I call on our compatriots living abroad to invest in Armenia. I assure you that Armenia is a country of law," he said. Pashinian also defended his government's track record during its first days in office, touting its crackdown on corruption and the establishment of people's "direct rule" in the country. "One hundred days ago, your will prevailed and the international community still does not understand what happened in Armenia, why, and how it happened," Pashinian told the crowd, describing himself as a "direct representative of the will of the Armenian people." "In Armenia, supreme power directly belongs to the people, and the people carry out direct rule. This is the key meaning of the revolution that took place in Armenia," he said in a speech that lasted more than one hour. During a live broadcast on Facebook earlier in the day, the 43-year-old reformist said there were no longer "dividing lines" in the South Caucasus country. "This is going to be a demonstration of national unity, because there are no dividing lines today -- the police, the National Security Service, the public, the people, the army, the armed forces, the state government bodies, the government are all on the same side, and no line divides us today," he said. Pashinian urged all citizens to maintain public order and not to respond to possible aggression from possible "implanted" troublemakers. He also told the crowd he was planning a speech later on August 17 in which he would address issues that have come up during his first days in office along with his plans for the future. Kocharian Case Since Pashinian's assumption of office, law enforcement bodies have carried out a number of high-profile actions involving former leaders and those connected to them. Former President Robert Kocharian was charged with "overthrowing the constitutional order" for actions during unrest after the 2008 presidential election that left 10 people dead. Kocharian, 63, was arrested in July and held briefly, but he was released on August 13 on the orders of an appeals court in Yerevan, which cited an article in the constitution that states a president cannot be prosecuted for "actions deriving from his or her status." The head of the Special Investigative Service (SIS), Sasun Khachatrian, on August 16 said the authorities would challenge the court ruling, calling it "illegal," and would attempt to have Kocharian rearrested. Khachatrian also said Sarkisian would be questioned as part of the investigation into the 2008 postelection crackdown against protesters. Pashinian told the rally that everyone responsible for violating the country's constitution during the "bloody" events of March 2008 would be punished. Longtime ally Moscow last month strongly criticized the criminal charges brought by the government against the former Armenian officials for their alleged role in the 2008 protests, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov describing them as politically motivated. Pashinian said, though, that ties with Moscow had not been damaged. "I can say for sure that Russian-Armenian relations are not only not bad but...are good and will get even better," he said. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pashinian- supporters-rally-in-yerevan-on- 100th-day-in-office/29439667.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 Tajik President Makes Bridge-Building Visit To Uzbekistan RFE/RL's Uzbek Service, RFE/RL's Tajik Service August 17, 2018 TASHKENT -- Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has visited Uzbekistan for talks seen as an important step toward mending a tense and complicated bilateral relationship. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev met Rahmon at the Tashkent airport on August 17, and the two presidents discussed bilateral relations behind closed doors later in the day. The Uzbek presidential press service quoted Mirziyoev as saying at the talks that his country wants Rahmon's visit "to be historic," stressing that the two Central Asian nations "had managed in a short time to resolve issues that had been topical for many years." Rahmon noted that Mirziyoev visited Dushanbe in March, saying that visit "restored ties between our nations and boosted the development of bilateral cooperation." Rahmon's official visit to Tashkent was the first by the Tajik leader since 1998. Uzbekistan's relations with its neighbor were marred by Tashkent's role in Tajikistan's devastating 1992-97 civil war and the use of Tajik territory by Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) militants in the late 1990s. Mirziyoev, who came to power following the death of his predecessor Islam Karimov in 2016, has said forging better relations with Uzbekistan's neighbors is a priority for his government. During the autocratic Karimov's 27-year rule in Central Asia's most-populous nation, its relations with Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan were strained by disputes over transit routes, border security, water resources, and other issues. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/tajik-president-makes- bridge-building-visit-to-uzbekistan/29438858.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 Trump Cancels Military Parade Over Price Tag, Hopes to Hold It Next Year Sputnik News 15:29 17.08.2018(updated 16:50 17.08.2018) WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - On Friday US President Donald Trump said in a statement that he had canceled plans to hold a military parade in Washington, DC after finding out the high cost, despite the Pentagon announcing late Thursday night that it would postpone the event for at least a year due to the price tag. "The local politicians who run Washington, DC (poorly) know a windfall when they see it. When asked to give us a price for holding a great celebratory military parade, they wanted a number so ridiculously high that I cancelled it. Never let someone hold you up!" Trump said in a Twitter post. The US president added that "maybe" the event would be held next year and stated that now the country can "buy some more jet fighters." DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, when addressing the statement, claimed that she was "the local politician," mentioned by the US president. "Yup, I'm Muriel Bowser, mayor of Washington DC, the local politician who finally got thru to the reality star in the White House with the realities ($21.6M) of parades/events/demonstrations in Trump America (sad)," she stated in a Twitter message. Trump later announced that instead of hosting the parade he would go to Paris in order to celebrate the end of World War I on November 11. Pentagon Spokesman Col. Rob Manning said in a press release late Thursday that the parade would not be held as planned on November 10, 2018, and officials were exploring the idea of holding the celebration in 2019. US media outlets have reported that the majority of the cost would be used to pay for the troops and equipment that would be part of the parade. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Afghan Air Force Strikes Kill 32 Taliban Militants - Reports Sputnik News 10:38 17.08.2018(updated 14:55 17.08.2018) MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Clashes between the Afghan security forces and the members of the Taliban* radical group erupted in the Qara Bagh district of the country's east-central Ghazni province, TOLOnews reported on Friday, adding that the fighting was still underway. Meanwhile, Afghan Air Force attacked militants in the country's South and West. Clashes followed the Taliban's attack on the government forces that occurred late on Thursday, the TOLOnews broadcaster reported, citing Ghazni Police Chief Farid Ahmad Mashal. Mashal expressed concern over the security situation in the area, adding that additional servicemen had been sent to Qara Bagh to repel the attack. Later in the day, the Xinhua news agency reported, citing the Afghan Defense Ministry, that at least 32 militants of the Taliban movement were killed and 10 more were injured in Afghan Air Force's strikes conducted in the provinces of Farah and Helmand. The news come amid the visit of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to the city of Ghazni after its four-day siege. The Taliban started an offensive on Ghazni on August 10 in a bid to gain control over the city. The security forces, however, managed to repel the attack after four days of violent clashes. The fighting resulted in over 100 people killed and dozens of others injured. Afghanistan has long been destabilized by the conflict between the Taliban movement and the Afghan government, exacerbated by the activities of various terrorist groups. *Taliban movement is a tessrorist group, banned in Russia Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pentagon Postpones Trump Military Parade Planned for November in Washington Sputnik News 02:58 17.08.2018(updated 03:24 17.08.2018) The military parade was planned for November 10, which is the anniversary of the end of World War I. US President Donald Trump requested the parade after he was impressed by one on Bastille Day during his visit to France in July 2017. The US Defense Department said in a statement on Thursday that a military parade requested by Trump that had been planned in Washington has been postponed until next year. "The Department of Defense and White House have been planning a parade to honor America's military veterans and commemorate the centennial of World War I," Pentagon Spokesman Col. Rob Manning said in a press release. "We originally targeted November 10, 2018 for this event but have now agreed to explore opportunities in 2019." A Defense Department official with firsthand knowledge of an assessment done by the Pentagon and its interagency partners told CNBC earlier that the parade was estimated to cost at least $92 million. The ABC News said in July, citing a US military official familiar with the planning that between 5,000 and 7,000 troops could have marched in November in Washington, DC, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. In addition to troops, the parade would have featured a hundred vehicles, an equal number of horses and 50 aircraft. During his visit to France in mid-July 2017, President Donald Trump was impressed with the celebrations of Bastille Day, the French National Day, and the 100th anniversary of the entry of US troops onto French soil during World War I. He returned and asked US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis to draft some options for holding a similar event in Washington, DC. In February, ranking Democrat on the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee Adam Smith slammed Trump's plan for a big military parade as an ego-inflating event for the US president himself. "The military is not President Trump's personal toy set," Smith said. "He cannot be allowed to continue focusing on parades and ego-inflating toys instead of real, basic military needs that can jeopardize lives if they are not met." Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Maduro Regime Crackdown Following August 4 Incident Press Statement Heather Nauert Department Spokesperson Washington, DC August 17, 2018 The United States condemns the political violence that occurred on August 4, and urges the Maduro regime to respect the rule of law, exercise restraint, and safeguard the presumption of innocence for all accused. The Venezuelan government's response to this incident has been to arbitrarily detain some individuals and a failure to follow due process. In addition, there have been violations of parliamentary immunity, which is protected by Venezuela's Constitution. The United States condemns the alleged use of torture to elicit confessions. We join the international community in calling for an independent expert commission to investigate the August 4 incident. We urge the Maduro regime to respect the human rights of all persons detained in Venezuela and reiterate our call for the immediate release of all those who are arbitrarily detained, including political prisoners. The Government of Venezuela is responsible for the widespread instability and suffering in Venezuela. The Maduro regime has systematically stripped millions of Venezuelans of their basic rights as citizens, and limited their access to food, medical care, and basic security. We encourage the Maduro regime to accept international assistance and pursue policies that alleviate the humanitarian crisis and restore democratic freedoms. The United States stands with the Venezuelan people in their dream of living free in a prosperous and democratic country. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Senior UN children's advocate says they "should never be targeted by violence" 17 August 2018 - Reacting to a recent upsurge in violent attacks affecting children, Virginia Gamba, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, called on Friday for those responsible to be held fully accountable. The last two weeks have seen a suicide attack on an education centre in Afghanistan which killed and injured young students in class, 21 children killed in Yemen when their school bus was hit by an airstrike, and ongoing child casualties in Syria - particularly in the conflict zones of Idlib and Western Aleppo in the North of the country. "Children have been directly targeted by belligerents. They were also collateral victims of despicable acts of war," said Ms. Gamba. "We cannot remain silent in the face of such atrocities", she said, adding that she wanted those fighting to understand the "simple message: enough is enough." She went on to urge all sides in conflicts to protect children from the scourge of war and to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law. "Children should never be targeted by violence. It is our collective responsibility to use these tools to their full extent and to obtain results for those boys and girls who desperately need protection." Following the deadly air strike in Yemen last week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged an "independent and prompt investigation", adding that warring parties must take "constant care to spare civilians". In recent days several UN Agencies have strongly condemned the attacks. The UN Children's Fund UNICEF described them as a "war on children", whilst the UN Human Rights Office OHCHR, pointed out that the Yemen strike was just the latest example of the children being killed in the country's violent years-long conflict. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Landmines Prevent Aid from Reaching Afghan Civilians in Ghazni By Lisa Schlein August 17, 2018 The United Nations reports landmines and other explosive devices are making it too dangerous for aid agencies to enter the Afghan city of Ghazni, where civilians there are in need of food and water after nearly a week of intensive fighting. The Taliban, which attacked August 11, reportedly moved to the outskirts of the city and is slowly withdrawing to surrounding villages. Afghan military forces are said to be engaged in mop-up operations in the city of 270,000 people. According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Afghan Red Crescent reports 200 to 250 civilians have been killed during the weeklong assault. OCHA spokesman Jens Laerke says aid agencies inside the city report that conditions are desperate. "We expect that there will be a very big need for psycho-social support among the residents, including for children," he said. "There are reports of unaccompanied minors turning up at the hospital looking for their families. Many shops and markets have reportedly been burned or looted. Some shops have reopened, but the effect of this has been the prices for basic commodities have gone up." Laerke says parts of the water system in Ghazni are functioning again and mobile phone networks are gradually coming back. But, he adds, electricity is mostly out and must be restored to ensure the water supply can start up again. Civilians and humanitarian workers will not be able to enter the city until the mines and improvised explosive devices are cleared away. However, Laerke says, aid agencies already on the ground are doing their best to assist people. UNICEF aid workers are in the process of using chlorine to flush the water system, he said, adding that the World Food Program is ready to deliver food aid as soon t can safely access the area. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Mattis: Ghazni Attack to 'Grab Attention,' More Violence Likely By Carla Babb August 17, 2018 Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has predicted more violent attacks from Taliban fighters in Afghanistan after insurgents failed to seize any of their objectives during a recent attack on Ghazni, the country's second-most populated city. Speaking to reporters aboard a U.S. aircraft Thursday, Mattis said the Taliban had targeted six locations during the assault but did not take them from the Afghan Armed Forces. Attack a week ago Taliban fighters launched the attack last Friday and managed to make their way to the city center before being beaten back in the days that followed. Fighting in densely populated areas caused as many as 150 civilian deaths, along with the deaths of hundreds of Taliban fighters and security personnel, according to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. Mattis called the assault a deadly ploy to "grab a lot of press attention" and warned the Taliban would likely continue "murdering innocent people" ahead of a proposed cease-fire and the upcoming Afghan elections. "They use terror, they use bombs, because they can't win with ballots right now," he said. Taliban hiding Some Taliban fighters are hiding out in houses in Ghazni while clearance operations continue, Mattis said, but commerce has returned to the assaulted city, about 150 kilometers southwest of Kabul. The deadly clashes lasted about five days, with many city buildings set ablaze during the fighting, according to families who fled immediately after the insurgents attacked. Ayaz Gul contributed to this report from Islamabad. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ghani Accuses Pakistan of Treating Wounded Taliban Fighters By Ayaz Gul August 17, 2018 Afghanistan has alleged hospitals in neighboring Pakistan are receiving and treating Taliban insurgents who had been injured in recent fighting with Afghan forces in the southeastern Ghazni city. President Ashraf Ghani, while speaking to a gathering of officials, clerics and residents in Ghazni Friday, also said that militants came from the Pakistani side of the border to participate in the fighting. Ghani visited the embattled city just days after Afghan forces, backed by U.S. airpower, evicted insurgents from Ghazni to prevent it from falling to the Taliban, though clashes were still continuing in the surrounding districts. Ghani asserted that Pakistan's military chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, had assured him cross-border insurgent activity would not be allowed. "General Bajwa, you signed a document with us and told me repeatedly in our conversations over the phone that when the elections [in Pakistan] are over you will pay attention to it. I need answers now. ... From where they came and why are they receiving treatment in your hospitals?" Ghani asked, referring to the July 25 elections in Pakistan. Pakistan rejects charges General Bajwa responded to Ghani's allegations late Friday, reiterating that Pakistan is not supporting any terrorist activity inside Afghanistan. "The alleged return of injured/dead terrorists from Ghazni is incorrect," an official statement quoted the general as saying. However, Bajwa explained, there are scores of Pakistanis, mostly laborers, working in the neighboring country "who periodically fall victim to terrorism acts alongside their Afghan brothers inside Afghanistan." Terming such victims as terrorists is unfortunate, Bajwa lamented. The general added different factions of the outlawed Pakistani Taliban are also hiding in sanctuaries inside Afghanistan and transported into Pakistan for medical help under Afghan identities after they are injured or killed in fighting with rival factions or Afghan forces. Bajwa re-emphasized that the Afghan leadership "needs to look inward as the problem resides inside Afghanistan." On Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mohammad Faisal, denied as baseless reports circulating in social media linking Pakistan to the Ghazni conflict, including allegations that insurgents were being brought to Pakistani hospitals. "We have not received any evidence to back up these spurious accusations and we reject these baseless allegations," Faisal told reporters in Islamabad. Ghazni attack The Taliban assaulted Ghazni, the capital of the province also called Ghazni, a week ago and the subsequent several days of clashes reportedly killed around 500 people, including government forces, insurgents and civilians. The Afghan military at the time alleged foreign militants, including Arabs, Chechens and Pakistanis participated in the fighting, though no proof has been offered to media so far. Current and ex-Afghan officials twitted a video showing villagers receiving a body of a fighter allegedly killed in the Ghazni fighting and being buried in the middle of the night on the Pakistani side of the border. However, it was not clear from the footage exactly when and where it was filmed. Speaking Thursday, Faisal explained the steps Pakistan is taking to promote peace and stability to the neighboring country and underscored the need for finding a negotiated end to the Afghan war. "Pakistan is fencing the Afghanistan-Pakistan border with the objective of regulating the movement of men and material, including narcotics, as part of our counterterrorism efforts," Faisal noted. The effort, he said, will be important for the long term regional stability and improvement of bilateral relations. The unilateral fencing of the nearly 2,600-kilometer Afghan frontier will be completed by the end of 2018, according to military officials who are supervising the construction effort. Bilateral dialogue Pakistan and Afghanistan have recently launched a wide-ranging bilateral dialogue to improve cooperation between their military and intelligence institutions to help counter terrorism on both sides of the border. Pakistani officials say both sides in meetings under the mutual engagement process, called Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS), have emphasized the need for sharing proof of any illegal cross-border activities instead of indulging in a blame game through media. The discussions had significantly eased mutual tensions between Islamabad and Kabul and decreased allegations against each other until the Ghazni fighting broke out last week. Faisal said his country together with Afghanistan is also developing a "time-bound" plan for an early and complete repatriation of nearly three million Afghan refugees still living in Pakistan. Pakistani military officials maintain security forces in recent years have eliminated all militant sanctuaries on their soil but they blame the Afghan refugee camps for serving as hiding places for "facilitators and abettors" of the insurgents fighting in Afghanistan. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Navy Hospital Ship to Deploy to Colombia By Carla Babb August 17, 2018 The United States is sending a U.S. Navy hospital ship to Colombia to help treat some of the hundreds of thousands of people who have poured over the border fleeing violence in Venezuela. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters traveling with him to Washington from Bogata, Colombia, Friday that he would likely be sending the USNS Comfort based at Norfolk, Virginia. Mattis said those he spoke with in Bogata were "embracing" and "enthusiastic" about the upcoming ship deployment, which he stressed was "absolutely a humanitarian mission." "We're not sending soldiers, we're sending doctors," Mattis said, without providing details on when the ship would set sail. Hospital ships are typically deployed to provide life-saving treatment and medical care and to relieve the pressure on national health systems. The U.S. defense secretary said he was given specific input, such as where best to deploy the ship, during talks Friday with his defense counterpart and newly inaugurated Colombian President Ivan Duque. "They (Colombian leadership) not only agreed in principle, they gave details of how we might best craft the cruise through the region," Mattis said. Chile, Argentina and Brazil the other stops on his South America tour also provided input on the hospital ship deployment, according to Mattis. Aware of Venezuelan sensitivities, Mattis stressed the U.S. hospital ship would not go into Venezuela's territorial waters. Jason Marczak, director of the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center at the Atlantic Council, told VOA the situation in Venezuela has led to a migration crisis of global proportions "that is on track to potentially parallel or surpass the numbers that (have been) coming out of the Middle East." "If those migration numbers are not managed in an orderly, effective way, that has the potential to create greater instability in the countries to which migrants are going," Marczak said. As of June, an estimated 2.3 million people had fled Venezuela, mainly to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil, according to the United Nations. U.N. officials reported at that time that more than half of those who fled were "suffering from malnourishment." The U.S. Navy has one other hospital ship, the USNS Mercy, which is based at San Diego, California. USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy usually deploy for humanitarian missions with a diverse group of doctors on board hailing from multiple countries. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump Won't Get His Military Parade Until at Least 2019 By Carla Babb August 17, 2018 The U.S. Defense Department says a military parade that President Donald Trump has called for is being postponed until at least next year. "We originally targeted November 10, 2018 for this event but have now agreed to explore opportunities in 2019," Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Robert Manning said Thursday. The announcement comes as media reports said the cost estimate for the parade had gone from about $12 million to $92 million. Speaking to reporters aboard a U.S. military aircraft Thursday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said that he had given initial guidance for the parade, but he had not seen any cost estimates yet. "I haven't received an estimate of ($)10 million or ($)92 million," he said. "Whoever told you that is probably smoking something that's legal in my state but not most states," he joked, in an apparent reference to the use of marijuana, which is illegal in most of the United States but not in the secretary's home state of Washington. President Donald Trump said Friday on Twitter he canceled the parade because the local leaders of Washington, where the parade would have been held, wanted to charge the federal government a "ridiculously high" amount of money. Accusing the leaders of running the nation's capital city "poorly," Trump said he would instead attend a military demonstration at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington, and a November 11 parade in Paris commemorating the end of the First World War. Washington Mayor Muriel Bower responded on Twitter, saying she "finally got thru to the reality star in the White House with the realities" of what she said would be a $21.6 million bill to host a military parade. According to a Pentagon memo released in March, the postponed parade is expected to go from the White House to the U.S. Capitol. The memo said the focus of the parade will be on the "contributions of U.S. military veterans throughout history," starting from the American Revolutionary War. The parade will include wheeled vehicles but no tanks. Some troops will wear period uniforms, and the airplanes used at the end of the parade will also include "older aircraft, as available." The inspiration to hold a military parade came from the president's trip to France last year when he and first lady Melania Trump watched Bastille Day events in Paris on July 14, as the guests of French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte. Military parades in the United States are generally rare. In 1991, U.S. troops paraded through Washington to celebrate the ousting of Saddam Hussein's Iraqi forces from Kuwait in the Gulf War. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ebola Outbreak Death Toll in DRC Rises - UN Spokesman Sputnik News 22:04 17.08.2018 WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has increased to 44 people, United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a news briefing on Friday. Dujarric said that up to date medical specialists have registered 78 Ebola cases in the DRC of which "51 are confirmed and 27 are probable." "The World Health Organization (WHO) says that as of August 16 44 people have died in this latest outbreak," Dujarric told reporters. Dujarric warned that the WHO expects about more Ebola cases in the future, but added that it remains unclear whether all transmission chains were identified "mainly because some of these zones been off limits to responders due to the security concerns." The most recent outbreak of Ebola in DRC was registered on August 1 mostly hitting the Ituri and North Kivu provinces and coming just months after the previous outbreak that took place in May and claimed the lives of 33 people. On Wednesday, the DRC Public Health Ministry said that a total of 73 Ebola cases had been registered so far, 46 of which were already confirmed, and the death toll stood at 43. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address North Korean leader lashes out at 'hostile forces' over 'brigandish' sanctions Iran Press TV Fri Aug 17, 2018 08:30AM North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Friday strongly denounced the international sanctions on his country, saying that 'hostile forces' are trying to 'stifle' the North Korean nation by imposing such bans. Kim made the rare remarks during a visit to a construction site in a tourist coastal area, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. The North Korean leader expressed his discontent with the international sanctions, and accused what he called "hostile forces" of attempting to "stifle" his nation by imposing "brigandish" sanctions and a blockade on Pyongyang. He also described his country's resistance against such sanctions as "a do-or-die struggle to defend the prestige of the party and a worthwhile struggle for creating the happiness of the people." Kim's comments came as a surprise to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency which wrote on Friday that it was rare for the North Korean leader to personally mention sanctions and blockade by using rough expressions like "brigandish." The remarks came a few days after the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) warned that North Korea would likely go through a "full-blown food security crisis" amid a heatwave that destroyed a large portion of the country's agricultural fields. In a statement issued last Friday, the IFRC stressed that the worrying situation has been exacerbated by the international sanctions imposed on North Korea over its missile and nuclear programs. North Korea is under tough sanctions imposed by the UN, the US, and the European Union. The UN imposed its toughest-ever bans on Pyongyang after it test-fired new ballistic missiles in July 2017 and then conducted its most powerful nuclear test in September 2017. The EU and the US, which has engaged in talks with North Korea over its nuclear program, have also imposed wide-ranging unilateral bans against the country. After a historic summit in Singapore in June, US President Donald Trump said Kim had promised to immediately end North Korea's weapons programs. Pyongyang, however, later urged Washington to take reciprocal measures including officially removing sanctions. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New US Iran Policy Chief Lays Out Agenda By Michael Lipin August 16, 2018 The Trump administration's new special representative for Iran says his team will focus most of its work on changing Tehran's behavior on issues of nuclear weapons, terrorism and detention of Americans. Brian Hook was speaking Thursday at the State Department, where U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Hook's appointment to the role that heads a new U.S. team known as the Iran Action Group. Hook said the group would work to pursue changes in 12 aspects of Iran's behavior as outlined by Pompeo in May. He said the issues of Iran's alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons, its perceived support for terrorism and what he called its arbitrary detention of Americans would get most of his team's attention. Iran denies pursuing nuclear weapons or supporting terrorism and has said its recent detentions of Americans occurred in response to national security offenses allegations that Washington says have been fabricated Hook, who had been the State Department's director of policy planning since February 2017, said the Iran group would begin with several permanent personnel, and that additional experts would be detailed to it later. In introducing Hook, Pompeo told reporters the Trump administration hoped it could reach a new agreement with Iran "one day soon." "But we must see major changes in the [Iranian] regime's behavior, both inside and outside of its borders," Pompeo said. Exit from deal In May, President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from a 2015 deal that the United States and five other world powers signed with Iran regarding its nuclear program. Trump said the deal did not do enough to curb what he and U.S. allies have said are "malign" Iranian behaviors, such as its support for militant groups in the Middle East and development of ballistic missiles. He also ordered a phased reimposition of U.S. financial sanctions against Iran sanctions that had been suspended under the 2015 deal. Trump later offered to speak with Iranian leaders without preconditions in the hope of securing a new U.S.-Iranian deal. Iranian leaders have rejected the idea, saying the U.S. first must scrap the reimposition of the sanctions. "If the Iranian regime demonstrates a commitment to make fundamental changes in its behavior, the president is prepared to engage in dialogue in order to find solutions," Hook said. "But sanctions relief, re-establishment of full diplomatic and commercial relations with the U.S. and economic cooperation with the U.S. can only begin after we see the Iranian regime is serious about changing its behavior." Asked by a reporter if his call for an Iranian commitment to change behavior represented a condition for engaging in dialogue, Hook said the president's offer of talks and the U.S. maximum economic pressure campaign against Iran were "parallel tracks" of the Trump administration's policy. Tougher sanctions coming The U.S. reintroduced a first set of financial sanctions on Iran earlier this month and is due to reimpose a second, tougher set of sanctions targeting Iran's oil exports and central bank in November. Hook reiterated the U.S. call on all nations to reduce any purchases of Iranian oil to zero by November 4 a move that would deny Iran a key source of revenue. He also issued a warning to governments that do not comply. "In our sanctions regime, we are prepared to impose secondary sanctions on other governments that continue this sort of trade with Iran," Hook said. This report was produced in collaboration with VOA's Persian service. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran to unveil domestic S300 missile system IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tabriz, Aug 17, IRNA -- Iran Deputy Defense Minister for international affairs announced that the domestic version of S300 missile system called 'Bavar 373' which has been designed and implemented will be unveiled by the end of the current Iranian year, (March 20, 2019). Brigadier Mohammad Ahadi made the remarks the city of Tabriz on Friday. Iran's investment on its defense is the least compared with the regional countries, he said, adding that it is not comparable with a country like the United Arab Emirates, (UAE). Saudi Arabia ranks third in the world as regard defensive and military expenses, but Iran having the least investment in the region has provided security in the region. Ahadi stressed the fact that enjoying independence has its requirements such as self-sufficiency. He also referred to military and economic power as two important factors in providing national security. Commenting on the reason why the enemy has targeted Iran missile power, Ahadi said this military technology provides us with strategic defense power. 9376**1771 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address In Iran, Official Spin Challenges Perceived Caspian Setback Golnaz Esfandiari August 17, 2018 Senior Iranian officials found themselves in hot water after the recent signing of an eagerly anticipated, five-party deal on the Caspian Sea. While the so-called Convention On The Legal Status Of The Caspian Sea that was signed on August 12 appeared to postpone some of the most intense disputes between Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Iran, it also appeared to ditch one of Tehran's strongest cards in any negotiations: the Soviet-era characterization, in multiple treaties, of the Caspian as a sea shared between two parties -- the Soviet Union and Iran. That recognizes the de facto situation, which is that the breakup of the Soviet Union created five littoral states instead of two. But it could also leave Tehran the biggest loser in the long run for Caspian resources, particularly oil and gas and other valuables on or below the seabed. Due in part to Moscow's outsize role in shaping the Caspian negotiations, criticism of the deal also appears to illustrate Iranian mistrust of Russia despite recent cooperation that has included joint efforts in Syria to keep Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in power. It even led some people to compare this Caspian Sea convention to the 1828 Turkmenchay Treaty between Persia and tsarist Russian, under which the Persians ceded control of territories in the South Caucasus. After three days of back-and-forth in Iranian media and social media, Iranian President Hassan Rohani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif finally took the plunge themselves, describing the new deal reached in Aqtau, Kazakhstan, as a win for Iran. At a cabinet meeting on August 15, Rohani reportedly said the negotiations marked important "achievements" for Iran, particularly on the security front. "Under this agreement, creating military bases and the presence of foreign [ships] in the Caspian Sea has been banned," he said, suggesting that the United States and NATO had "plotted" to deploy troops to the sea. Zarif, who is expected to brief the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee next week, said, "Iran's territorial integrity has been preserved." "This agreement is an honor for Iran, and we shouldn't allow this honor to be turned into despair and frustration," Zarif was quoting as saying during an interview with state-run television. 'Halo Of Ambiguity' While the agreement establishes rules for each country's territorial waters and fishing zones, the delimitation of the oil- and gas-rich seabed remains subject to further negotiations. "Is it true that Iran's 50 percent share fell to 11 percent?" lawmaker Mahmud Sadeghi asked via Twitter on August 12, a reference to seemingly abandoning any appeals to the dual control ("Soviet and Iranian sea") argument. Sadeghi also suggested the deal was capped "in a halo of ambiguity." "Is another Turkmenchay on the way?" Sadeghi asked, adding that lawmakers were not informed of "behind-the-scenes agreements." The daily Ghanoon suggested that Iran could not trust Russia, which the daily alleged had demonstrated that it can "betray" Iran and "bail out" on the country. "For that matter, we have to be vigilant while signing an agreement with [Russia] so that future generations won't curse the signatories while reviewing it," it said. Afshar Soleimani, a former Iranian ambassador to Azerbaijan, accused Russia of playing a "double game" with Iran. "On the one hand, Russians emphasize that any decision should be made by consensus, on the other hand, they have held negotiations and reached agreements with individual countries," Soleiman said in comments published by Iranian media. Political scientist and former lawmaker Elahe Koulaei suggested that the timing of the deal -- following the Donald Trump administration's withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal and the reimposition of U.S. sanctions -- was against Iran's interests. "The important point is that Iran is under pressure from the U.S. and its allies in the region and such, a situation shows that it's not a suitable time for negotiations on the legal status of the Caspian Sea," Koulaei said in an interview with the semiofficial news agency ILNA. High Sensitivity, Low Transparency In an August 13 op-ed piece titled Foggy Caspian, the daily Ebtekar suggested a lack of transparency on the talks leading to the deal had resulted in ambiguity and a public backlash. "Public opinion's lack of information, on the one hand, and serious uncertainty about the legal regime of the [Caspian Sea], on the other hand, have created very negative analysis and reactions," the daily said. In another report, Ebtekar said the majority of experts the daily had contacted to discuss the agreement declined to comment "because they didn't know what the convention was about." The daily added that the government should explain the "decrease of Iran's share to 11 percent" due to the "high sensitivities" that have been created. Analyst Hossein Aryan suggested that some of the criticism was based on a lack of knowledge about more than two decades of negotiations over how to divide the Caspian Sea among its five littoral states. "The idea of 50 percent share of Iran that has been floating around has no legal basis. Iran's suggestion of dividing the sea into five equal parts evaporated when Russia under bilateral agreements with Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan divided the northern section of the sea," Aryan said. Rohani said on August 15 that "some issues remain regarding the southern section of the sea" without providing details. Zarif, for his part, suggested that Iran would share about 20 percent of the Caspian Sea's resources. "The illusory 11 percent line is no longer valid. Of course, some tried to revive this illusory historical procedure that had been forcibly imposed on Iran during the former regime, but the Islamic republic rejected it," Zarif was quoted as saying in his televised interview. Who Wins? A close observer of events around the Caspian, Stanislav Prichtin, tells RFE/RL that such official comments are an attempt by the Iranian government to ease tensions. He says Iran's share of the sea's resources will be decided after negotiations with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. "The main point of the convention is that all territorial issues should be resolved through bilateral negotiations among countries, as was done for the north part of the Caspian Sea," Prichtin said. Touraj Atabaki, a senior research fellow at the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam, tells RFE/RL's Radio Farda that Iran's final share is likely to be between 11 and 13 percent of Caspian resources. "At a time when Iran faces its worst situation regarding international ties, this is definitely not to the benefit of the Iranian people and the country's national interests," Atabaki says. Prichtin, a fellow at Chatham House and a research fellow at the Institute for Oriental Studies at the Russian Academy Of Sciences, says that after more than 20 years of negotiations, "It's difficult to talk about winners and losers." But he says he believes the convention's prevention of foreign militarization is a win for Russia as well as Iran. "When we're talking about the regional security system, it was of course the idea of Russia and Iran -- from this perspective from the point of view of geopolitics, Russia and Iran are winners," he says. Roya Karimimajd of RFE/RL's Radio Farda contributed to this report Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-official-spin-challenges- perceived-caspian-setback/29439866.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 to Unveil Domestic Version of S-300 Missile System in Spring 2019 - Reports Sputnik News 20:48 17.08.2018(updated 20:57 17.08.2018) MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Iran will unveil a domestic version of the Russian S-300 surface-to-air missile system, dubbed Bavar 373, by the end of the current Iranian year, meaning by March 20, 2019, local media reported on Friday, citing Iran's deputy defense minister for international affairs. According to the Islamic Republic News Agency, Brigadier Mohammad Ahadi said, while making remarks on Bavar 373, that military and economic powers are essential for providing national security. He added that while the country's investment in the defense sphere was smaller than when compared with neighboring states, it was still providing security in the region. In June, Brigadier Gen. Ali Balali, an official at the Khatam-al Anbia air defense base, said that Bavar 373, will become operational in the near future, as the project is progressing as scheduled. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Treasury Sanctions Commanders and Units of the Burmese Security Forces for Serious Human Rights Abuses U.S. Department of the Treasury August 17, 2018 Designations Build on International Efforts to Hold Accountable Persons Responsible for Serious Human Rights Abuses in Burma WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned four Burmese military and Border Guard Police (BGP) commanders and two Burmese military units for their involvement in ethnic cleansing in Burma's Rakhine State and other widespread human rights abuses in Burma's Kachin and Shan States. Burmese military commanders Aung Kyaw Zaw, Khin Maung Soe, Khin Hlaing, and BGP commander Thura San Lwin, along with the 33rd Light Infantry Division (LID) and the 99th LID, were designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13818, which builds upon the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act of 2016 to target perpetrators of serious human rights abuse and corruption. "Burmese security forces have engaged in violent campaigns against ethnic minority communities across Burma, including ethnic cleansing, massacres, sexual assault, extrajudicial killings, and other serious human rights abuses. Treasury is sanctioning units and leaders overseeing this horrific behavior as part of a broader U.S. government strategy to hold accountable those responsible for such wide scale human suffering," said Sigal Mandelker, Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. "There must be justice for the victims and those who work to uncover these atrocities, with those responsible held to account for these abhorrent crimes. The U.S. government is committed to ensuring that Burmese military units and leaders reckon with and put a stop to these brutal acts. We will continue to systematically expose and bring accountability to human rights abusers in this region and many others and greatly appreciate the efforts of civil society who are doing the same." HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE IN BURMA'S RAKHINE, KACHIN, AND SHAN STATES The Burmese military, which retains broad political powers and exclusive control over the security forces in accordance with the 2008 military-drafted constitution, has committed human rights abuses against ethnic and religious minority groups across Burma, including Rohingya, Kachin, Shan, and others. The United States' decision to sanction individual units and commanders responsible for these abuses should serve as a warning that the security forces must cease such behavior immediately and respect and protect the human rights of all ethnic and religious groups in Burma. Beginning in October 2016, the Burmese military committed widespread, systematic, and brutal acts of violence against Rohingya villagers across northern Rakhine State's three townshipsMaundaw, Buthidaung, and Rathedaung. The violence increased substantially through sweeping military operations that responded to deadly militant attacks on August 25, 2017 that targeted Burmese border security posts. In November 2017 the Administration determined that the situation in northern Rakhine constituted ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya. In Kachin and Shan States, the military has used many of the same tactics against a number of other ethnic and religious minority groups. Amid a long-running civil war in these states, the military has committed extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and torture against civilians from minority communities, including the Kachin, Shan, Ta'ang, Kokang, and other groups. AUNG KYAW ZAW Aung Kyaw Zaw is designated for having been the leader of the Bureau of Special Operations (BSO) 3, an entity whose members have engaged in serious human rights abuse during his tenure. As commander of BSO 3, Aung Kyaw Zaw controlled military and border guard police operations in Western, Southern, and Southwestern Commands from 2015 to early 2018. Operations in regions controlled by Western Command, which was led by his subordinate Maung Maung Soe, who was sanctioned by the President for widespread human rights abuse on December 20, 2017, included military operations in Rakhine State in and after August 2017. Subordinates under his command played leading roles in a crisis in Rakhine State, which included widespread human rights abuses which killed thousands and drove hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to Bangladesh, a situation the Secretary of State determined to constitute ethnic cleansing. KHIN MAUNG SOE Khin Maung Soe is designated for having been a leader of the Military Operations Command (MOC) 15, an entity whose members engaged in serious human rights abuse during his tenure. Members of MOC 15 participated in the Maung Nu massacre on August 27, 2017, and other abuses in Rakhine State. In Maung Nu, soldiers reportedly beat, sexually assaulted, and summarily executed or otherwise killed dozens of Rohingya villagers. THURA SAN LWIN Thura San Lwin is designated for having been the leader of the BGP, an entity whose members have engaged in serious human rights abuse during his tenure. Thura San Lwin commanded the BGP from October 2016 to October 2017, during which time his subordinates engaged in widespread extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, assault, and other abuses of human rights. KHIN HLAING Khin Hlaing is designated for having been the leader of the 99th LID, a military entity whose members have engaged in serious human rights abuse during his tenure. The 99th LID participated in abuses, including in November 2016 when 99th LID soldiers in Mong Ko, Shan State detained ethnic Kachin and Chinese minority villagers. For 13 days, the villagers were forced to serve as human shields by lying down between rows of fences encircling the 99th LID element's outpost. The villagers were forced to stay lying down, exposed to the elements, gunfire, and grenade attacks while 99th LID soldiers sheltered behind them while fighting with militia forces. The 99th LID also engaged in beatings, killings, forced disappearances, and other abuses in Shan State. 99th LID The 99th LID is designated for engaging in serious human rights abuse. The 99th LID participated in abuses in Mong Ko and elsewhere in Shan State detailed above. In 2017, the 99th LID was deployed to Rakhine State and participated in serious human rights abuses alongside the 33rd LID and other security forces. In one operation in Min Gyi Village, hundreds of men, women, and children were reportedly forced to the nearby river bank where the 99th LID opened fire, executing many of the men, and forced women and girls to nearby houses where they were sexually assaulted. A number of these women and children were later stabbed and beaten, with the houses set fire while they were inside. 33rd LID The 33rd LID is designated for engaging in serious human rights abuse. The 33rd LID participated in abuses in Rakhine State, including the August 27, 2017 operation in Chut Pyin village. This operation included extrajudicial executions, forced disappearances, and sexual violence, as well as firing on fleeing villagers. Hundreds were reportedly killed in this one operation alone. Members of the 33rd LID, along with other security forces, also participated in operations in Inn Din in August and September 2017. Nearly all of the thousands of Rohingya residing in Inn Din were driven out of the village. Ten Rohingya men and boys were captured, bound, and executed by security forces and militia. Two journalists remain detained for their role investigating the incident. GLOBAL MAGNITSKY Building upon the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act of 2016, on December 20, 2017, the President signed E.O. 13818 "Blocking the Property of Persons Involved in Serious Human Rights Abuse or Corruption," in which the President found that the prevalence of human rights abuse and corruption that have their source, in whole or in part, outside the United States, had reached such scope and gravity that it threatens the stability of international political and economic systems. Human rights abuse and corruption undermine the values that form an essential foundation of stable, secure, and functioning societies; have devastating impacts on individuals; weaken democratic institutions; degrade the rule of law; perpetuate violent conflicts; facilitate the activities of dangerous persons; and undermine economic markets. The United States seeks to impose tangible and significant consequences on those who commit serious human rights abuse or engage in corruption, as well as to protect the financial system of the United States from abuse by these same persons. To date, 84 individuals and entities have been sanctioned under E.O. 13818. This is in addition to the numerous human rights and/or corruption related designations Treasury has issued under various other authorities. In total, since January of 2017, Treasury has taken action against over 460 individuals and entities engaged in activities related to, or directly involving, human rights abuse and/or corruption, including actions in connection with Syria, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burma, Venezuela, North Korea, Russia, Iran, and other sanctions programs. This Administration will continue to take action against human rights and corruption related targets around the globe, including implementing sanctions under Global Magnitsky and other authorities, throughout the year. In June 2018, Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued an advisory to U.S. financial institutions to highlight the connection between corrupt senior foreign political figures and their enabling of human rights abuses. The advisory describes a number of typologies used by these persons and provides red flags that may assist financial institutions in identifying methods used by corrupt senior officials. As a result of these designations, any property, or interest in property, of those designated today within U.S. jurisdiction is blocked. Additionally, U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with blocked persons, including entities 50 percent or more owned by designated persons. Identifying information on the individuals designated today. #### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Islamabad Confirms US Suspended Pakistani Military Training Aid Sputnik News 15:46 17.08.2018 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Pakistani Foreign Ministry officially confirmed on Friday that Washington had stopped training Pakistani military personnel in accordance with a January decision to suspend US financial assistance for Islamabad's security sector. "The US has been provided training to Pakistan military officials under a specific programme International Military Education and Training (IMET) for the last many years However, as of January this year, all security assistance to Pakistan was suspended," the ministry's spokesman, Muhammad Faisal, said, as quoted by the Express Tribune newspaper. According to Faisal, "both countries are engaged to resolve all issues." Faisal's statement followed media reports about the US administration excluding Pakistani servicemen from training and educational programs. In January, the US State Department announced that it was canceling security aid to Pakistan, including the delivery of military equipment. This followed US President Donald Trump's pledges to stop providing aid to the South Asian country over its failure to efficiently contribute to the fight against terrorism. Trump accused Islamabad of providing "safe haven to the terrorists," which Pakistan, in turn, denied. The IMET student exchange program, established in 1976, aims at providing security assistance to different nations, namely, by inviting foreign students to US military schools. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Several terrorists killed in Iraqi air raids on Daesh positions in Syria Iran Press TV Thu Aug 16, 2018 11:26PM The Iraqi Air Force has attacked the "operations room" of Daesh in neighboring Syria, killing several militants plotting to carry out a terrorist operation in Iraq in coming days, the Iraqi Interior Ministry has announced. According to the Interior Ministry's Security Media Center, the air raids completely destroyed a Daesh task force working on a plan to launch a terrorist attack inside the Iraqi territory and target civilians using suicide vests within the next few days. Several terrorists were killed in the "successful" airstrikes carried out by the Iraqi F-16 fighter jets on Thursday, the ministry's statement said. The airstrikes came a month after the Iraqi artillery fire killed a Daesh ringleader and several other militants in an attack against the Takfiris' positions in the Syrian border region of Sousa. Since last year, the Iraqi military has been conducting air raids on Daesh positions in Syria with the approval of the Syrian government. Baghdad has already announced it is working closely with the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to monitor and target terrorist positions. Back in April, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced that his country's security forces would chase down Daesh militants in the entire region, not just in Iraq. The Iraqi airstrikes are reportedly launched based on the intelligence retrieved from the security coordination committee formed between Iraq, Syria, Iran, and Russia years ago. Although Abadi declared his country's final victory over Daesh in December 2017, the terrorist group is still operating sporadically in areas near the Syrian border as well as Iraq's northeastern mountainous region. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia says Syria base attacked by 'sophisticated' drones Iran Press TV Fri Aug 17, 2018 05:36AM Russia says drones used to attack its Hmeimim airbase in Syria are too sophisticated to have been assembled by terrorists and that experts believe terrorists use foreign help to launch the raids which have increased. Russia's Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said Thursday that drones downed by Hmeimim air defense assets appeared primitive but had a range of 100 kilometers and used advanced technologies. The drones, equipped with explosive devices, navigation gadgets and control systems, could not have been assembled by militants "without any outside help", he said. Experts who have analyzed the downed UAVs have reached the conclusion that the assembling work is based on "a clear instruction developed by specialists", Konashenkov said. Terrorists, he said, have also launched the attacks based on a clear line of expert directions. According to Konashenkov, Russian air defense assets have over the past month successfully downed 45 drones during attacks on the Hmeimim airbase located in Syria's Latakia. The attacks were launched by Idlib-based militants and the number of such attacks has recently increased. The Hmeimim airbase is the hub of Russian operations in the Arab country and the largest base in Syria run by foreign troops. Idlib, a governorate on the Turkish border, is one of the last strongholds still held by foreign-backed militants in Syria. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Redirects $230Mln for Syria Stabilization, to Continue Funding White Helmets Sputnik News 19:31 17.08.2018(updated 19:46 17.08.2018) WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States is redirecting some funding from stabilization efforts in Syria, US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert stated on Friday. "We will continue to provide life-saving, needs-based humanitarian assistance to vulnerable Syrians, support for the White Helmets and the UN's International Impartial and Independent Mechanism to hold the [Syrian President Bashar] Assad regime accountable for serious crimes, as well as equipment and other measures to counter the effects of chemical weapons in northwest Syria," Nauert said. As the spokesperson explained, the decision "does not represent any lessening of US commitment to its strategic goals in Syria". The US State Department also established a special representative for Syria. "The State Department and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are both pleased to announce that Jim Jeffery, a retired Foreign Service Officer, who most recently served as US ambassador to Iraq, will rejoin the State Department as the Secretary's Representative for Syrian Engagement," Nauert told reporters. The State Department announced on Friday that the United States would redirect some $230 million in stabilization funds for Syria towards other foreign policy priorities. Earlier in May, the US announced that they could have stopped financing the White Helmets in Syria due to evidence of staged provocations in Douma. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syria Stabilization Efforts Continue With Coalition Contributions Press Statement Heather Nauert Department Spokesperson Washington, DC August 17, 2018 The enduring defeat of ISIS is a top priority of this Administration and of the State Department. Our diplomats are working closely with the Department of Defense to support upcoming operations in eastern Syria by the Syrian Democratic Forces, and with Coalition capitals to support stabilization initiatives that enable Syrians to voluntarily and safely return to their homes in Raqqa and other former ISIS strongholds. Since April, the Department has elicited approximately $300 million in contributions and pledges from Coalition partners to support critical stabilization and early recovery initiatives in areas liberated from ISIS in northeast Syria, including a generous contribution of $100 million by Saudi Arabia and $50 million pledged by the United Arab Emirates at the D-ISIS meeting Secretary Pompeo led in Brussels on July 12. As a result of key partner contributions by Coalition members, Secretary Pompeo has authorized the Department of State to redirect approximately $230 million in stabilization funds for Syria which have been under review. This decision was made by the Secretary, in consultation with the White House, and took into account the already significant military and financial contributions made by the United States to date, the President's guidance on the need to increase burden sharing with allies and partners, and significant new pledges made by Coalition partners. Working with Congress, the State Department will redirect these funds to support other key foreign policy priorities. This decision does not represent any lessening of U.S. commitment to our strategic goals in Syria. The President has made clear that we are prepared to remain in Syria until the enduring defeat of ISIS, and we remain focused on ensuring the withdrawal of Iranian forces and their proxies. We believe that neither of these events will happen without irreversible progress toward a political resolution of the conflict in accordance with UNSCR 2254. This decision does not affect U.S. humanitarian assistance. The United States is the largest single country humanitarian donor for the Syria response, providing nearly $8.1 billion in humanitarian assistance since the start of the crisis for those displaced inside Syria and the region. We will continue to provide life-saving, needs-based humanitarian assistance to vulnerable Syrians, support for the White Helmets and the UN's International Impartial and Independent Mechanism to hold the Assad regime accountable for serious crimes, as well as equipment and other measures to counter the effects of chemical weapons in northwest Syria. We will also continue to work with our international partners towards the achievement of a peaceful resolution of the Syrian conflict under an UN-led political process. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Briefing on the Status of Syria Stabilization Assistance and Ongoing Efforts To Achieve an Enduring Defeat of ISIS Special Briefing David M. Satterfield Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Brett McGurk Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition To Counter ISIS, Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition To Counter ISIS Via Teleconference August 17, 2018 MS NAUERT: Hi. Thank you, sir. And good morning, good afternoon, everyone. Thanks so much for joining the call on the status of Syria stabilization assistance and our ongoing efforts to achieve an enduring defeat of ISIS. I have two colleagues joining me at this time: Brett McGurk, our Special Presidential Envoy for the Defeat of ISIS; and Acting Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, David Satterfield. They're both on the call this morning. This call will be embargoed until the end of the call, but before we begin that discussion I have two announcements to bring to you this morning related to our continued efforts in Syria. First, I want to say we remain committed to our efforts in Syria and continue to build our team to work on this issue. The State Department and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are both pleased to announce that Jim Jeffrey, a retired Foreign Service officer who most recently served as U.S. ambassador to Iraq, will rejoin the State Department as the Secretary's Representative for Syria Engagement. This is a new position that was created by Secretary Pompeo. Jeffrey will serve as the Secretary's advisor for and the department's primary contact on all aspects of the Syria conflict, apart from the Syria components of the D-ISIS campaign, which will remain with the Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, Brett McGurk. Jeffrey will work closely with the under secretary of state for political affairs, once confirmed, as well as the Near Eastern and European bureaus on this issue. Given all the countries and the issues involved, from terrorism to refugees, these matters obviously cut across geographic bureaus, and therefore this requires a high level of coordination. Jeffrey is a 35-year veteran of the Foreign Service with extensive Middle Eastern and conflict zone experience who is being called upon, once again, to serve his country. Today, we'd also like to announce that Joel Rayburn has joined the State Department as the from the National Security Council, where he served as senior director of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. He is now serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Levant Affairs and Special Envoy for Syria. DAS Rayburn is focusing on issues related to ending the Syrian conflict, emphasizing our strong opposition to Hizballah and the importance of a strong Lebanese Government, and the coordination of our strong bilateral ties with Jordan. Rayburn is a retired U.S. Army officer who served in a variety of assignments across the Middle East. He's a graduate of and taught history at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and is the author of several books and articles on the Iraq War. And we're thrilled to have both of them joining us at the State Department. Now, for today's call, we'll focus on the future of stabilization assistance in Syria and the ongoing efforts to achieve an enduring defeat of ISIS. As many of you have seen, we issued a statement earlier today announcing the diligent work that we've done to elicit significant contributions from our coalition partners, and how that has played into recent decisions that have been pending on Syria assistance funding. So in order to provide more details on those matters and to address your questions, I'll introduce both my colleagues. I should mention that this call is on the record, attributable to the three of us myself, also David Satterfield and Brett McGurk. And I just want to make one other thing clear, and that is that this decision represents the success of our administration's efforts to execute the President's direction that we mobilize the international and regional support for the critical stabilization efforts in northeastern Syria. This allows us to free up our tax dollars, U.S. tax dollars, to use on other key foreign policy priorities. And with that, I'd be happy to introduce Brett McGurk and also David Satterfield. Gentlemen, go right ahead. MR MCGURK: Thank you, Heather. This is Brett. So I just want to fill in a little bit of the of stabilization work in Syria. I just returned from Syria with Special Envoy Rayburn. We had a very good trip to Raqqa, seeing some of our stabilization initiatives up close, firsthand. And really, since the start of this campaign against ISIS, our military campaign has been planned in close coordination with humanitarian and stabilization plans to follow on military operations. That's why all the territory that has been retaken from ISIS it's about 99 percent of what used to be the physical caliphate has all held. Our stabilization programs are targeted, they're prioritized, they're focused on saving lives, demining, water, electricity, and the basic necessities. In April, we identified really the need to focus on coalition burden sharing and to focus on coalition funding for the stabilization efforts in Syria. And just to put kind of a cost figure on this, because stabilization is so prioritized and focused, we've spent a total of about $90 million in northeast Syria on the counter-ISIS stabilization initiatives, and we determined that we really wanted to pick up the future going forward from the coalition. So two meetings over the last six months or so one in June in Morocco, and then with Secretary Pompeo on July 12th on the margins of the NATO ministerial. We managed from the coalition really to dramatically increase our burden-sharing contributions to a total of about $300 million, which is above the target that we were hoping to hit. And these contributions come from a variety of partners. They include, just by example, Australia, Denmark, European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Kuwait, Norway, Taiwan, and the UAE, and Saudi Arabia with the very significant total of $150 million in contributions. So these contributions will allow us to continue at pace in our stabilization programming and to continue really for the foreseeable future. And we're confident this is really just the start. We have a very committed coalition to this effort. And I can go into some of the details of what we're doing. Just an example, in Raqqa we set a goal a few months ago to get water to every district of Raqqa, and now all 26 sectors of Raqqa City have access to safe drinking water, 150,000 Syrians are now back in the city of Raqqa, despite the enormous effort we have to bring that city back to life. So all these programs are remaining apace, and the coalition contributions actually not only offsets what the U.S. Government was going to spend but actually increases the amount that we will be able to spend on the ground and make a difference to stabilize these areas going forward. MS NAUERT: Okay, Brett, thanks. Ambassador Satterfield. AMBASSADOR SATTERFIELD: Yeah, I will just make one comment here. We have on mechanics, we have just notified the Hill of our intent to reprogram this money away from Syria. There will be a rolling series of specific reprogramming notifications going out on funding destinations. I would ask those on this call to understand that we are not prepared at this time to discuss those destinations. That is something that will be preceded by our interaction with the Hill. MS NAUERT: Okay, thank you. I think we'll open it up for questions now, and our first question from our first reporter will be -- OPERATOR: The first question will come from the line of Michele Kelemen with NPR. Please, go ahead. QUESTION: I wanted to talk about that money, because I know you say it's going to be redirected, but this week State and USAID had a report to OMB on unused money that could be rescinded. Is it possible that this money could be part of that rescission package? And just to clarify, I'm wondering if the money coming from the coalition partners is actually going to be used for these very same projects or if they have their own ideas on how it should be spent. MS NAUERT: Michele, it's Heather here. I'll take the first part of that question regarding what has been reported as a possible rescission. We simply don't have anything for you on that at this time. If and when we have any announcements, we'll let you know, but for now we just have to refer you to OMB. MR MCGURK: So on the second point this is Brett. So some of the contributions are being made directly through U.S. mechanisms and others through other multilateral mechanisms with international organizations, but all of them are supporting critical stabilization initiatives. And I would say all of the programs that we had identified and these are irrigation canals, these are demining efforts, these are water pumps, these are everything that our team is doing on the ground we will have funding for those going forward. And I would just say to our team we have a small State Department team on the ground working hand-in-glove with a small U.S. military team, and it's really an innovative, creative approach building on a lot of lessons learned. But it's working, it's sustainable, and thanks to these generous coalition contributions we're actually going to be able to increase some of what we had planned to do over the coming months. MS NAUERT: Okay, next question goes to I'm sorry, I don't have the reporters' names in front of me. So, sir, could you please just direct me to the next reporter? OPERATOR: Yep. It goes to the line of Michael Gordon with Wall Street Journal. Please, go ahead. QUESTION: Yeah, just I'd like to ask for a few more specifics, please. One thing that's unclear to me after the last question: Is there anybody in overall charge of the stabilization effort, or of these 300 million that you've rounded up, who is in charge of this as a whole, or are these just a number of individual efforts? Also, how much of this money do you already have in hand as of today, and how much is a matter of pledges that have yet to come in? And does this effort include training security forces for Raqqa or for these other areas? Who's going to do that? Is that part of your concept here? MR MCGURK: So this is Brett. So these are not pledges. These are very hard contributions from these partners, particularly the $100 million from Saudi Arabia, which they announced yesterday, and we put a statement about that last night. In terms of the training, the training local security forces, which is going apace, all the training courses are full, and that is primarily coming from DOD. So this is focused, again, on prioritized stabilization needs the demining, the water, the basic health, basic essential services. It's a very prioritized, focused effort. I mean, Michael, we could give you the whole list of projects and everything. We have all that. We have a START team which is on the ground, and we have a START team that goes up through NEA to basically make sure that the projects are identified, they're vetted and coordinated with coalition funding going to the most high-impact projects. QUESTION: Brett, could I just ask you this doesn't include reconstruction obviously what is your estimate of the reconstruction needs for a city like Raqqa and who's going to undertake that? MR MCGURK: Yeah, so it's a great question. So no, stabilization is a focused priorities, get people back into their homes. And so as we've kind of as we've organized the campaign I'll give you an example. I'm in Iraq right now. Iraq stabilization from the beginning of the campaign, we've spent a total of about $806 million on stabilization initiatives. About 190 million of that was U.S. The rest is coalition. That is separate from long-term reconstruction. Long-term reconstruction will be led by World Bank and international financial institutions. We had a conference in Kuwait about a year ago which raised $30 billion for the long-term reconstruction. This is focused on Iraq, so Syria, a much more complicated situation. And we are focused on stabilization, getting people back to their homes, retaining a permissive environment. But long-term reconstruction needs are tied very much to the political process in Geneva, which Ambassador Jeffrey will be working on. And we've made very clear that international reconstruction assistance for Syria will not be coming in until we have a really an unalterable progress on the Geneva track, moving towards a political transition. MS NAUERT: Okay, next question, please. OPERATOR: Okay, that comes from the line of Matthew Lee with the Associated Press. Please, go ahead. QUESTION: Hi, thanks. I get that this is a success for you guys, at least in terms of encouraging the other members of the coalition to step up and to pull their weight, pay their fair share, but are you not concerned that by eliminating this funding from the U.S. that you're going to lose some kind lose the leadership role that you had been playing, not just in the coalition but with the opposition itself? MR MCGURK: This is Brett. I don't think so. I think it's actually quite the opposite. Again, if you look at Iraq, the ratio on stabilization, much more intensive overall campaign over the years, but about 806 million, 190 million of that was U.S. We run that through the U.S., through the Iraqi Government, through the UNDP. In Syria, we very much have the overall lead on the stabilization because we have a team on the ground, although we are joined by some key coalition partners on the ground. And the project list is something that we have. So I think the overall leadership is actually quite the opposite. I think Secretary Pompeo, when he convened about 54 partners in Brussels on the margins of NATO, there was a unanimous endorsement to make sure that this continue, that the coalition picked up the burden sharing. So we feel pretty good about it and a significant portion actually of these contributions are coming directly into the U.S. account, which oversees the overall stabilization in Syria. So we think the way we've organized it is pretty good. It maintains U.S. leadership of the coalition, which has been a success, but the emphasis is on burden sharing from other partners. And the other partners have really stepped up. MS NAUERT: And if I can just add to that, Brett, this will be on the Secretary's agenda when he goes to the UN General Assembly in New York in September. And the Secretary looks forward to engaging with his counterparts at UNGA on this issue, and also looking for ways to reinvigorate the Geneva process. And that is something that Ambassador Jim Jeffrey will be involved with. He'll continue our close monitoring of the situation there, and will work to manage our relationships with the various departments at the United Nations to try to reinvigorate the process there Geneva. Next question, please. OPERATOR: Comes from the line of Lesley Wroughton with Reuters. Please, go ahead. QUESTION: Yes, good morning. The Secretary said recently during testimony that he felt that the U.S. didn't have the leverage yet to push forward on the political process and a transition in Syria. So how do these appointments change that, if anything, and does the negotiations at all involve would the negotiations or have you received any indication from Russia and even the Assad regime that they are willing to proceed with the Geneva process? Because it looks like from the outside that they're proceeding with something completely different. AMBASSADOR SATTERFIELD: Lesley, this is Dave Satterfield. We are in close touch with Staffan de Mistura, who just met with the Secretary a day before yesterday and had discussion with other officials here. Staffan is prepared to move forward, and has said so formally, with the convening of a constitutional committee in accordance with resolution 2254. But the issue here is is the regime slow-rolling, or worse, simply stonewalling this, and quite frankly, are the Russians prepared to assume their responsibilities to assist in the critical movement forward on the political process that the Security Council and the broader international community strongly supports. Your query may be why should the regime or Russians want to see any of that, and there is a very simple and a very open answer: There is not going to be, by international agreement, reconstruction assistance to Syria unless the UN not Moscow, not Washington, not any other capital, the UN certifies, validates that a credible and irreversible political process is underway. That's the door to getting what we believe the regime, the Russians very much want, which is international money flowing into the wreckage that is presently Syria. MS NAUERT: And I think I would just add this is Heather here that there are some issues at the State Department that obviously require intense management that don't fit into any one particular bureau. I think this is an example of one where you have the influence of Turkey, Russia, Iran, other nations and actors, and so that is part of the reason the Secretary made the decision to bring on or bring back Ambassador Jeffrey to be able to handle some of this issue some of this so that we can better manage these issues and work across the various bureaus that have equities. And next question, please. OPERATOR: Comes from the line of Kylie Atwood with CBS. Please, go ahead. QUESTION: Hi. Thanks so much. Ambassador Satterfield, you just mentioned Russia, so I'm wondering if there's any talk between the U.S. and Russia, or the coalition and Russia, to see if they can play any role in these stabilization efforts given that when President Trump and Putin met last month, they declared that they would be working more closely together in Syria. And then my second question is on Manbij. I understand that you guys said local training of security forces has been going on pace and all that, but with the recent tensions with Turkey, while we've got you on the phone, is that impacting any forward movement there? Thank you. AMBASSADOR SATTERFIELD: Okay, Kylie, you've got a couple different pieces here that I'll try to break out. The United States Government, U.S. military has a web of detailed and senior-level contacts with Russian counterparts both on the political side, Kremlin and foreign ministry, as well as on the military side at levels that extend to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Dunford and his Russian counterpart General Gerasimov. These contacts range from discussing the political situation and the need to mobilize the Geneva political track to questions of deconfliction and common military activities in a single tight battle space, particularly in the Euphrates Valley in the northeast. All of these topics remain very much part of these contacts. And with respect to Russia and reconstruction, I'd like to reaffirm here: We have been very clear as clear as it is possible to be with the Government of Russia that there will be no international reconstruction assistance for Syria without the irreversible political process validated by the UN that the UN and has spoken to and that I mentioned earlier. There should be no ambiguity about that. Now, on the question of your final question, which I think was if you could repeat, please, the last piece of your question. OPERATOR: One moment here and I'll reopen her line. AMBASSADOR SATTERFIELD: Yeah. OPERATOR: Okay, Kylie, your line is open. QUESTION: Can you hear me now? Yeah, it was about Manbij and -- AMBASSADOR SATTERFIELD: Sure. Yeah, absolutely. QUESTION: -- Ambassador, you mentioned that -- AMBASSADOR SATTERFIELD: Yeah, yeah. QUESTION: -- training is on pace, but I'm wondering with the recent awful tensions with Turkey if that's impacted it at all. AMBASSADOR SATTERFIELD: Sure. It's a question I can answer very briefly: No. There has been no impact. The proceeding upon the Manbij roadmap by all parties involved has been smooth and extremely encouraging. There has been no consequence or impact that we can discern of the other bilateral issues in play here. MS NAUERT: Okay. Ambassador Satterfield, I know you have another meeting to attend, so you're going to have to jump off. Any last thoughts or comments for our reporters here? AMBASSADOR SATTERFIELD: I would only make one further comment: There should be no doubt as to the position of the President with respect to the broader issue of the U.S. enduring presence in Syria. We're there for the defeat, the enduring defeat of ISIS. And that's a message which the President has conveyed to President Putin, which all of us in the U.S. Government have conveyed to all of our interlocutors. What we have done, and the reason for this announcement and this discussion, is we have mobilized the critical international support that the President very much wanted to see and which the international community has responded to quite positively. MS NAUERT: Ambassador Satterfield, thank you so much for joining the call. We'll talk to you again soon. AMBASSADOR SATTERFIELD: Thank you. MS NAUERT: We can take one more question, so thanks. OPERATOR: Okay. And the final question will come from the line of Paul Handley with AFP. Please, go ahead. QUESTION: My question was asked. Can you pass it on to someone else, please? MS NAUERT: Okay. OPERATOR: We'll move on to Gardiner Harris with The New York Times. Please, go ahead. QUESTION: Hi. I'm sorry that Ambassador Satterfield left, because, I mean, he's implying that there is a carrot to the Geneva process in some promise of spending the billions of dollars needed to reconstruct Iraq or Syria. But why would anyone believe that we're going to pony up billions for that reconstruction when we won't even spend the 200 million for some fairly small stabilization efforts? And you all are all sort of talking about this as if this is a recommitment from the United States to the Syrian conflict. Almost everyone I've spoken to has seen it as part of an American retreat from Syria and the broader conflict there, one that President Trump has certainly talked about. How do you respond to this sort of widespread perception that the United States is walking away, not recommitting? MS NAUERT: Gardiner, I'll start with that one (inaudible) Brett. MR MCGURK: Yeah, thanks. I can yeah. Oh, go ahead, Heather. MS NAUERT: I was just going to say the entire the reason that the United States is involved in Syria is because of the defeat of ISIS, for the defeat of ISIS, and that's one of the reasons that we've really focused our efforts on the defeat of ISIS. So this announcement today is something that the President has spoken about many times, and that is trying to get other countries in the region, whether it's this conflict or others, to commit more. And we have been successful through Brett's efforts at getting other countries to agree to commit, to commit more money to programs. And we remain firmly committed to the fight against ISIS, which is why we're there in the first place. Brett, go right ahead. MR MCGURK: Yeah, I can answer that and the first question. It's not just a U.S. position, it is a really almost unanimous position by the friends of Syria. Secretary Pompeo had a meeting with what we call the Small Group on Syria in Brussels U.K., France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Jordan a unanimous position that reconstruction assistance for Syria is tied, as David explained, directly to the Geneva track with the UN imprimatur on that. That's the position of the EU. That's the position of countries really around the world. So it's not just about U.S. funding, it is about unlocking international reconstruction assistance which Syria is desperately going to need. And just to reinforce what Heather said, it's in a statement that we released today. We're remaining in Syria. The focus is the enduring defeat of ISIS. We still have not launched the final phase to defeat the physical caliphate. That is actually being prepared now and that will come at a time of our choosing, but it is coming. That will be a very significant military operation, because we have a significant number of ISIS fighters holed up in a final area of the Middle Euphrates Valley. And after that, you have to train local forces to hold the ground to make sure that the area remains stabilized so ISIS cannot return. So this mission is ongoing and is not over. MS NAUERT: Okay. And that concludes our call. The embargo has now been lifted. Brett, thank you so much for joining. And to our reporter colleagues, thank you so much for calling in today. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Cuts $230 Million to Syria, Ties Future Rebuilding Funds to Peace By Rikar Hussein August 17, 2018 The United States on Friday announced it was cutting about $230 million in stabilization money to northeast Syria and said future global reconstruction funds for the country will depend on a U.N.-led peace process. The U.S. State Department in a statement said the decision, which was authorized by the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, was made after other members of the global coalition against the Islamic State (IS) made contributions and pledges of about $300 million to Syria. "This decision was made by the secretary, in consultation with the White House, and took into account the already significant military and financial contributions made by the United States to date, the president's guidance on the need to increase burden-sharing with allies and partners, and significant new pledges made by coalition partners," the statement read. In the past, U.S. officials have repeatedly said their priority in Syria is the enduring defeat of the IS terror group, which according to the coalition has lost control over all but a few areas it previously held. Earlier funds frozen Earlier this year, U.S. President Donald Trump announced he wanted to withdraw from the war-ravaged country. It was reported in late March that he froze more than $200 million in recovery funds to Syria, questioning how the money was being used in the country. Speaking to reporters at a press conference Friday at the State Department, Brett McGurk, U.S special presidential envoy for the anti-IS coalition, said the stabilization funding was used to help residents return to areas recaptured from IS. "Since the start of this campaign against ISIS, our military campaign has been planned in close coordination with humanitarian and stabilization plans to follow on the military operations," McGurk said, using an acronym for the militant group. "That is why all the territory that has been retaken from ISIS it is about 99 percent of what used to be the physical caliphate has all held. Our stabilization programs are targeted, they are prioritized, and they are focused on saving lives, demining, water, electricity and the basic necessities." Diminishing US role? McGurk added the decision to cancel the $230 million funds would not diminish the U.S. role as the top international player in northeast Syria. He said the move is to ensure other members of the anti-IS coalition equally share the burden of making recaptured areas livable for the Syrian people. The State Department said Friday that Saudi Arabia announced new funding of $100 million to northeast Syria to help stabilization projects in cities like Raqqa, the former de facto capital of Islamic State. The United Arab Emirates has also pledged $50 million in contributions, the State Department's statement said. UN peace process McGurk said the funding was not targeted at reconstruction programs, adding that international assistance to rebuild areas destroyed by war will not come until a United Nations-backed political peace process is achieved. Seven years of a brutal civil war in Syria has cost nearly a half-million lives and the displacement of 11 million other Syrians. Earlier this month, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia said it estimated the cost of destruction in the country to be $330 billion, with approximately $120 billion in material damage. $300 billion damage International efforts to achieve a political settlement to the conflict have so far failed to stop war. The U.S. and its European partners support a U.N.-led process known as the Geneva peace talks. Russia, Iran and Turkey have tried to find an alternate solution through tripartite meetings. "We have been very clear, as clear as it's possible to be, with the government of Russia that there will be no international reconstruction assistance for Syria without the irreversible political process validated by the U.N.," David Satterfield, the acting assistant Secretary of State for the Middle East, said during the Friday conference call. Satterfield did, however, say the U.S. would remain active in Syria until a lasting defeat of Islamic State is achieved. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan's military advantages vs. China waning: U.S. report ROC Central News Agency 2018/08/17 14:45:08 Washington, Aug. 16 (CNA) Taiwan's military advantages are on the wane as Beijing continues to modernize its armed forces and reinforce preparations for a possible conflict in the Taiwan Strait, the United States said in a report on China's military power. The Department of Defense's 2018 China Military Power Report released Thursday said Taiwan has historically enjoyed military advantages in a potential cross-strait conflict, such as technological superiority and the inherent geographic advantages of island defense. But "China's multi-decade military modernization effort has eroded or negated many of these," the report contended. Though Taiwan is taking steps to compensate for the growing disparities, they only partially address Taiwan's declining defensive advantages at a time when China's official defense budget has grown to roughly 15 times that of Taiwan. Much of that budget is focused on developing the capability to unify Taiwan with the mainland by force, the report said, noting that China has never repudiated the use of military force despite its advocacy of "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan. "China's overall strategy continues to incorporate elements of both persuasion and coercion to hinder the development of political attitudes in Taiwan favoring independence," the report said. China has stressed that Taiwan must accept the "1992 consensus," an ambiguous term used by Taiwan's previous administration and Chinese leaders as a basis for engagement, according to the report. Taiwan's incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen () of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party has refused to recognize the "consensus," a tacit understanding there is "one China," with each side having its own interpretation of what "one China" means. Against that backdrop, the "major PLA reorganization of combat units in 2017 likely affected units responsible for a Taiwan contingency," the report said. "Concurrently, the PLA continued to develop and deploy increasingly advanced military capabilities intended to coerce Taiwan, signal Chinese resolve, and gradually improve capabilities for an invasion." These improvements pose major challenges to Taiwan's security, the report said, arguing that "China could pursue a measured approach by signaling its readiness to use force or conduct punitive actions against Taiwan." "The PLA could also conduct a more comprehensive and more methodical campaign designed to force Taiwan to capitulate to unification, or unification dialogue, under PRC terms." China will also try to deter potential U.S. intervention "in any Taiwan contingency campaign," the report said. "Failing that, China would attempt to delay intervention and seek victory in an asymmetric, limited war of short duration. "In the event of a protracted conflict, China might fight to a standstill and pursue a political settlement," the report speculated. The China Military Power Report, a requirement of the U.S.'s National Defense Authorization Act, describes the current status and development of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) forces, and also provides analysis of China's strategy in the Taiwan Strait. (By Chiang Chin-yeh and Elizabeth Hsu) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Beijing urged to cherish peace in Taiwan Strait ROC Central News Agency 2018/08/17 16:57:09 Taipei, Aug. 17 (CNA) Taiwan called on Beijing Friday to cherish the hard-earned peace and stability between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait and in the region. It is Taiwan and China's "joint duty and goal" to maintain cross-strait peace and stability and protect the people's welfare, said Presidential Office spokesman Sidney Lin (), urging Beijing to make contributions to cross-strait and regional peace and well-being. The call was made after the United States published its 2018 China Military Power Report, which describes the current status and development of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) forces and also provides analysis of China's strategy in the Taiwan Strait. The report indicates that over the past three years the PLA has rapidly expanded its overwater bomber operating areas, likely training for strikes against U.S. and allied targets in the Pacific region. It also said China continues to develop and deploy advanced military capabilities needed for a "potential military campaign" in the strait. Taiwan's government has noticed the U.S. Department of Defense's concern with China's military preparations in the region, Lin said, and Taiwan's military closely monitors China's military actions to maintain the country's security, Lin said. The Ministry of Defense, meanwhile, pledged its determination to fight enemies, reflected by a 5.6 percent year-on-year increase in the general defense budget for fiscal year 2019. The U.S. report published Thursday said China continues to adopt a strategy incorporating elements of both persuasion and coercion to hinder the development of political attitudes in Taiwan favoring independence. China has never denounced the use of military force on Taiwan, the report said, noting that the options the PLA could adopt for a Taiwan campaign include an air and maritime blockade, a full-scale amphibious invasion, and operations to seize and occupy some or all of Taiwan or its offshore islands. The report also said that while Taiwan is taking steps to compensate for the growing disparities, they only partially address Taiwan's declining defensive advantages at a time when China's official defense budget has grown to roughly 15 times that of Taiwan. (By Claudia Liu and Elizabeth Hsu) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkish Raid Kills Militant Leader in Iraqi Yazidi Town By Rikar Hussein August 16, 2018 Turkish jets late Wednesday targeted a convoy of militants linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) near the Iraqi Yazidi town of Sinjar, killing a top commander and several of his guards, local sources told VOA. The attack, confirmed by the Turkish military and the PKK, killed the Kurdish rebel group's local commander Ismail Ozden, also known as Mam Zeki Sinjari. In a tweet Wednesday, the Turkish General Staff said the operation was conducted in cooperation between the Turkish Armed Forces and the country's intelligence services. Dawid Shex Jundy, a member of Nineveh provincial council, told VOA the raid targeted the militant convoy in western Sinjar as they were driving back to their bases from a local Yazidi ceremony on the fourth anniversary of the Islamic State massacre in the Yazidi village of Koco. Jundy said at least five other militants were killed in the attack. He added that the attack was a violation of Iraqi sovereignty and that it happened as Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi was on an official trip to Turkey earlier this week. "It is a disrespect to Iraq when Turkey crosses our border at the same time as the Iraqi prime minister was visiting them," Jundy said. During a joint press conference Tuesday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, al-Abadi said his government would work with Turkey to control their shared border, adding that Iraq "rejects the launch of any assault towards Turkey from inside the Iraqi territory." Border treaty Turkey and Iraq signed the Border Security and Cooperation Treaty in 1983 that allows cross-border operations between the two countries in pursuit of militant groups. Turkey has since launched more than 20 military operations and conducted hundreds of airstrikes inside Iraq against PKK militants. Turkey's latest target, Ozden, 66, is considered to be seventh in PKK's leadership command and has been on the Turkish government's most wanted "red category" list. He was arrested in Germany in 1996 for alleged ties to PKK but was released in 1998. A statement from the PKK's political wing, the Kurdistan Communities Union, Thursday accused the Turkish government of trying to obliterate the Yazidis and threatened to retaliate. "We vow to establish a free Kurdistan and Yazidi land, which was his long-pursued dream," the statement said. PKK PKK is a Kurdish rebel group that has been attempting to establish Kurdish autonomy in Turkey for nearly 40 years. The group is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies, including the U.S. and the EU. The Turkish-based group, which has been operating widely on the ungoverned mountains of Qandil in northern Iraq, sent hundreds of its fighters to Sinjar in 2014 to support Iraqi Kurdish forces against IS. When IS fled Sinjar in late 2015, the PKK refused to withdraw and started training local militias. Thursday's statement from PKK's Kurdistan Communities Union said Ozden helped hundreds of Yazidis flee IS to Syria, where they were hosted by the Kurdish People's Protection Units, or YPG. The U.S. considers the YPG to be a key ally in the ongoing campaign against IS in Syria, despite strong opposition from Turkey. Turkey claims the YPG is the Syrian wing of the PKK. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US to Begin Training Turkish Forces for Joint Patrols in Syria By Carla Babb August 16, 2018 U.S. service members will begin training Turkish forces for joint patrols near the volatile Syrian city of Manbij within the next three days, according to U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis. "I would say within 72 hours actually. Very soon, could be sooner," Mattis told reporters aboard a U.S. aircraft Thursday. Mattis said U.S. training gear and equipment, along with the training officers, were now in Turkey. The training is needed before U.S. and Turkish forces operating near Manbij can combine their patrols. Right now, the two forces are conducting "coordinated but independent" patrols, according to the Pentagon. It is unclear when U.S. and Turkish forces would start conducting the joint patrols in Syria once training of Turkey's troops is complete. The city of Manbij houses Kurdish militia fighters. Washington supports the Kurdish fighters there, while Ankara says they are anti-Turkey terrorists. The Pentagon says the purpose of the patrols are to support "long-term security in Manbij" and uphold its commitments to NATO-ally Turkey. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address News Story not available This story has been published on: 2021-10-30. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. This story is no longer available on our site. Uh-oh! It could be you, or it could be us, but there's no page here. GREENWICH When a fire tore through a home on Locust Road last week, the structure ended up a total loss. The house was unoccupied at the time of the blaze, so no injuries were suffered. But in the days that followed, backcountry neighbors gazing at the charred skeleton visible through the greenery on the otherwise manicured street were apt to wonder: What happens next time? And they were likely to ask a question they have asked many times in the past: When are we going to get fire protection in this part of town? The push to build a northwest Greenwich fire station seemed over after the Representative Town Meeting cut funds to allow for one in 2016 and 2017, final setbacks capping years of frustration for northwest leaders. But those leaders didnt give up on the idea, and are ready to bring it back before town government. A sense of the meeting resolution urging First Selectman Peter Tesei to include funding for a new fire station in next years budget will be considered by the RTM on Sept. 17. Members of District 10, which covers the northwest part of town, have mounted a publicity blitz to build support for a station they say is badly needed. Northwest Greenwich has not only 3,000 residents who pay an awful lot of taxes in town, but it is also home to schools and nursing homes and churches and people who are traveling through to get to the airport, District 10 Chair Gerald Anderson said. There are a lot of people to protect there from all over town. District 10 members, who drafted the resolution, also created a pamphlet outlining their argument for a firehouse, and have set up a website (www.nwfirestation.org) with a petition in support of a station. They are looking to reverse the two recent defeats that stopped their efforts after they appeared to be gaining momentum. In 2016, the RTM cut funding to purchase 4.76 acres of land on King Street for a new fire and GEMS station, calling instead for a study of town fire services to determine whether the station was needed. Tesei included that in his next budget, but in 2017, the RTM voted to cut the study, stopping the project again. The building at 15 Locust Road, owned by Anne Pauletti according to records from the town Assessors Office, includes a house and apartment units. It was considered a total loss. Firefighters from Glenville, the nearest firehouse, were able to reach the blaze at 12:03 a.m. Aug. 10 11 minutes after it was reported. The industry goal for reaching a fire is about four minutes. Most of Greenwich is reachable from a firehouse in four to eight minutes, except the northwest, according to material provided by District 10 members. Member Louisa Stone, a former chair of the town Planning and Zoning Commission, has been a driving force behind the renewed firehouse effort, which she pointed out did not start last week. Calling the fire an unfortunate coincidence Stone said the latest push to get the town to support a northwest fire station began in April. Even if the fire had not happened, Stone said she and her District 10 colleagues believe the RTM is more receptive to the discussion. I think there was a mood of slash and cut when this was discussed two years ago, she said. There wasnt time given to study this carefully. Now we can give this the time and attention it needs. Tesei has been a major proponent of the station in the past, along with Fire Chief Peter Siecienski, and said he is ready to push for it again if the RTM support is there, which will make reception to the sense of the meeting resolution a critical step. My support for a fire station in northwest Greenwich remains unchanged, as does the need for the establishment of a fire facility in that area of town, he said. I look forward to seeing whether the full RTM will support their colleagues from District 10 and their proposed sense of the meeting resolution. I am prepared to include a plan for a northwest station if the RTM demonstrates that it has had a change of heart on this important life safety issue. The past cuts for the fire station originated from the RTMs Budget Overview Committee. Efforts to reach BOC Chair Lucia Jansen were unsuccessful. For the project to move forward, it would have to be initiated by Tesei and passed by the Board of Estimate and Taxation before even getting to the RTM. During the budget process, the BET Budget Committee will consider the priorities presented by the First Selectman, Board of Education and other appointing authorities and fit them within a financial structure it believes is responsible, responsive to the needs of the taxpayers, and balances service levels and tax rates, BET Budget Committee Chair Leslie Moriarty said. BET Chair Jill Oberlander noted the finance board had supported both the purchase of the King Street land and the fire department study in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Should the first selectman include this project in his Fiscal 19-20 budget submission, BET members will carefully evaluate the cost, public service provided, and other community investment needs, Oberlander said. The circulated petition and RTM resolution will inform this discussion. Having the discussion now, six months before Tesei is scheduled to present his proposed 2019-20 budget and nine months before the RTM will hold its vote, will allow budget stewards to explore the issue properly instead of having a rushed discussion on the night of the budget vote, Stone said. They are hopeful that the property on King Street, which is owned by the Fairview Country Club, can still be secured for a station. As far as we know the property is still available but that might change tomorrow, Stone said. Thats why we need to talk about this now. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com UPDATE 7 P.M. A severe thunderstorm warning is in effect until 7:30 p.m. Southern Fairfield County is expected to be hit by severe thunderstorms over the next half hour, the National Weather Service said. There is a possibility of 60 mph wind gusts and quarter-sized hail, radar data showed. The severe thunderstorms were picked up on radar around 7 p.m. and are expected to be near White Plains, New York, around 7:10 p.m. Stamford and Greenwich can expect to be hit by the storms around 7:30 p.m. Residents are advised to move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building as a precaution. Torrential rain is possible with these storms and could cause flash flooding. Motorists should never drive through flooded roadways. Large hail and damaging winds and continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with these storms. Move indoors immediately, NWS said. Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning, the weather service added. Original story: A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect until 11 p.m. Friday in Fairfield, Middlesex and New Haven counties. The National Weather Service issued the watch at 3:40 p.m. It is in effect in Fairfield, New Haven and Middlesex counties. Three counties in New Jersey and four counties in New York are also included in the watch. Today people we are going to dissect a late July, informal conversation hosted by RTM Moderator Tom Byrne. He had invited leaders of Greenwich Public Schools, the Board of Education, and the Board of Estimate and Taxation to attend an evening meeting of the RTM claims committee in the fervent hope of saving his 229 RTM members the hassle and vacation-breaking pain of a special RTM meeting in early August. At issue was Greenwich Public Schools signing a contract to replace the roof at Julian Curtiss School. A contract, it seems, for which GPS did not have the money. Oops. There were no minutes kept, no announcements made afterward. But borrowing a story-telling technique from the folks at the History Channel, I am offering a re-creation of this historic event. In the narrative, I identify each speaker by their initials: TB for Byrne, PB for school board head Peter Bernstein, JG for school chief Jill Gildea, JO for BET Chair Jill Oberlander, and MM for immediate past BET Chair Michael Mason. TB: Thank you all for coming today. I wish none of us had to be here, but here we are trying to find some money. Since this mess comes to us from our friends who run the schools, Im going to ask Peter to start. PB: Thank you, Tom. Im going to let Jill take it from here. JG: Sure thing Peter. Ive only got a few days left before I leave town, so Ill lay out the bad news. It is really very simple. The roofing contractor wants to be paid. Tradesmen are funny that way. We thought we had the money. But Town Hall tells us we dont. Were here expecting you to make good on our word. At this point, a new person enters the room. Buster Phelps is a Town Hall custodian who had been called in to fix a few loose screws in the room. Buster remained silent as he searched for the errant hardware. We pick up the narrative with JO responding to JGs request. JO: Im sorry. I must be missing something here. Can we back up a minute when did you start work on the roof at Julian Curtiss School? JG: Oh, we have been at this for some time. In fact, it started before I even arrived in town. The first phase was finished last year. Then in January, we started planning for the last phase. We awarded a contract for $587,000 in March. As soon as school was out, workers started ripping off the roof. Again, we believed we had the money leftover from other school roofing projects. JO (turning to PB): Peter, when did the school board find out about this? PB: Well, Im not sure the whole board knows yet. The town finance department only told us yesterday. But you have to understand our model. We use a chief executive officer model to run the schools. The superintendent is the CEO, and she tells me what she thinks we need to know. when she thinks we need to know it. I dont always share things with my board right away. But obviously, Jill thought she had the money, so she spent it. At this point, Buster Phelps thinks he has found the first loose screw and offers his advice. BP: Hey, sorry folks, but I couldnt help but overhear. I am the CEO of the Benevolent Protective Order of Red Elks and Odd Men. We have a budget and contracts committee that reviews all significant expenditures before we make them. And really big deals are voted on by the entire membership. Maybe you guys should try that. PBs eyes shoot darts at BP. BP goes looking for the next loose screw. JO: Thank you, Buster. Now, Jill, you said you had been planning this roofing project since January. I assume part of the planning would have been to check with your finance person to confirm you had the funds? JG: Like I said, we believed we had the money. But I can tell you that the MUNIS system the town uses for accounting is very complicated and out of date. It does not work for much of what we do. Ive been saying since my first day on the job that the towns technology infrastructure leaves a lot to be desired. MUNIS does not let us keep the books in a way we can understand. MM: I dont think the MUNIS system is all that complicated. Hundreds of towns and cities use it. I went down to the finance department this afternoon and asked for the MUNIS report on this project. It came back on one page. It is a dollar-by-dollar breakdown of spending for five school roofing projects. JG: Like I said, MUNIS is hard to use. From what we could see, we believed we had the money. Buster breaks in again. BP: Did anyone think of calling the town finance department to ask? They seem to know MUNIS quite well. More eye darts fly toward this impudent custodian. We pick up the narrative with Moderator Byrne. TB: OK, let me make sure I have this straight. You thought you had money left in a pool of funds approved for five school roof projects two years ago? You get a bid, sign the contract, the work starts. Now, you are told the money is not in the account. Now you are asking the BET and the RTM to meet in special session. But the work started in June. Why cant you wait until our September meeting? Why do I have to call a special meeting? JG: The roof is off the building. The contractor has stopped work. School starts in a month or so. Buster again. BP: Ho boy. Thats not good. No Julian Curtiss when school opens? What were the school facility people thinking? Buses to other schools? TB: So, you have no roof on Julian Curtiss. And if we refuse a special meeting, we are the bad guys. Another outburst from Buster: Do you know how hot the Central Middle School auditorium gets in August? Its like a sauna. Well, Im out of here folks. My job is done. BP pockets his screwdriver and heads for the exit. Byrne leans forward, holding his forehead in his hands, slowly rocking back and forth. TB (speaking softly): How am I going to get enough members together for a special meeting on such short notice? How, how, how? Byrne suddenly stands up. TB: Ive got to go see Joe Siciliano about using the Island Beach Ferry. A cruise to nowhere seems like the right venue for this meeting. With that, the group disbands and our narrative ends. The BOE got its special meeting Aug. 2, but Byrne did not get his ferry boat. They met in the AC-equipped Town Hall, and they approved the emergency funds. Gildea has since taken her nationally recognized budget expertise (really, she won an award for her budget management in a prior post) to Park City, Utah. Some school board and RTM members are wondering why the GPS folks cannot track capital expenditures. And Julian Curtiss parents are breathing a sigh of relief that summer vacation will end on schedule. Bob Horton can be reached at bobhorton@yahoo.com. Samsung has already pushed an update to the Samsung Galaxy Note9. Of course, the majority of folks who have one in possession is the media (present company included). Weve not yet seen the update arrive on our international Galaxy Note9, so it looks like the first ones to get it might be North American Snapdragon variants. Either that, or we simply havent received the notification yet. The update includes a toggle to switch between two Super Slow-mo capture modes. You can shoot either 0.2s of 960fps or you can go for 0.4s of 480fps in manual mode. On the flip side, auto mode detects movement in a box and automatically triggers when to capture at Super Slow-mo. The OTA notification shows a version number of N960FXXU1ARH5 and the release notes also mention performance tweaks, general software stability and bug fixes. The Galaxy Note9 will be officially available next week on August 24. Via Haiti - Politic : The appointed Prime Minister condemns and disapproves ! Thursday, August 16, the Prime Minister appointed Jean-Henry Ceant condemned in a press note, with the greatest vehemence, the publication on social networks of a video targeting the Haitian Parliament underlining "These calls to violence, against one of the three powers of the State, attack the very foundations of our fragile democracy," recalling that "The ratification of the General Policy of the next Government, the constitutional prerogative of Parliament, must not serve as a pretext for any sector to achieve shady political ends. " He also "condemns and disapproves" all initiatives aimed at weakening of republican institutions. He said to be "aware of the difficult situation, characterized in particular by the high cost of living, the imminence of back to school for vulnerable families" and calls for calm, reiterating his commitment to national unity to bring out "the country of hatred, misery and the rut of underdevelopment". Concluding "No initiative can help the country to break the current stalemate if it is achieved in the serenity, democratic culture, tolerance and live together." HL/ HaitiLibre By Vasia Orion | Published on 2018/08/17 When Ryu Deok-hwan took on "Miss Hammurabi" upon returning from his military service, I was ready to bid my dreams of more "God's Quiz" farewell, but Dramaland is kind to me this time. The actor has been confirmed for a return to "God's Quiz: Reboot" (working title), and it's officially time to feel the hype, and panic. Advertisement Ryu Deok-hwan will be returning as Han Jin-woo from Korea University's Medical Examiner's Office. Following the events of "God's Quiz Season 4", Jin-woo has been living in seclusion up in the mountains near Gyeonggi Province. Upon realizing that he is the only one to spot a series of murders being masked as natural or accidental deaths, this season's action begins. According to one of the news pieces I've found, the drama will reportedly be a combination of original and new members, including Yoon Joo-hee, Park Jun-myun, Kim Ki-doo and Park Hyo-joo. Other pieces have the production stating that only Ryu Deok-hwan has been confirmed so far, while production and casting are in full swing. I hope to see Yoon Joo-hee and Park Jun-myun return. I'm not seeing any news on the creators yet, and although Park Jae-beom-I's "The Fiery Priest" has reportedly been pushed back to next year, the production has stated that it's not because of "God's Quiz: Reboot". I'm not sure if this means that he's not doing it, or that it simply won't impact the other drama, but I do wish he'd return with a fresh approach. "God's Quiz: Reboot" will follow "The Guest - Drama" in November, on OCN. Written by: Orion from 'Orion's Ramblings' Sources (1) (2) (3) (4) An Irish teenager who raised more than 700,000 to receive pioneering medical treatment in the US has revealed she is cancer-free. Shauntelle 'Shan' Tynan (19) said she "can't wait to have a really exciting and healthy future". After being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, histiocytosis X, in 2015, she moved with her family from their home in Carlow to Houston, Texas, for spec- ialist treatment. grateful The inspirational teen said in an emotional Facebook post: "We are so lost for words right now but wanted you all to know that my journey of active cancer has come to a close and we hope it remains that way! "The future obstacles I will face will be worth everything I've been through. Now I truly have a chance at life and will keep you all updated to how I grow in the future. "Next stop is ringing that bell I've watched so many kids ring when they got to cancer free, something we never thought I'd do!" Alongside a video clip, Shauntelle's family wrote a message saying they are feeling "eternally grateful" at the prospect of bringing her home in October. "This is the day we have dreamed about and anticipated for so long!" they wrote. "Shan will have ongoing issues and she will remain on oral chemo as maintenance for the next 12 to 18 months. We have secured the best possible medical care for her in Ireland upon our return. "She will travel back and forth to Texas 3-6 monthly initially and yearly for the rest of her life. "We are beyond grateful for everything you have all done to get us this far, something we could've only dreamed of before, you all made happen! We are still in great shock to finally hear this news, but happier than we have ever been." Shauntelle told her online followers last year that she had been advised her prognosis was not good unless she underwent the treatment in the US. She said: "The cancer has just got out of control. When it started I had cancer in my ears, my skin and my pituitary in my brain. Now it's all throughout my gastrointestinal area. It's in my colon, it's in my skin it's in my stomach. "The doctors in Texas have told me if I don't come for at least 12 months then they don't have a great chance of helping me survive." Talks between Ryanair and its pilots are understood to be progressing well following a meeting yesterday. The low-fares airline carried out another day of discussions with union representatives of pilots as management bids to prevent any further travel disruption taking place. Discussions continued yesterday evening with both Ryan- air and union Forsa due to come back to the negotiating table again next week. It is understood that "technical issues" are still to be resolved and they are currently being explored, in particular around base transfers and rosters. Yesterday was the fourth day of talks between both sides, with Kieran Mulvey acting as mediator. Mr Mulvey took on the role of independent mediator for the talks at the beginning of the week after previous attempts to come to an agreement had failed. Talks also took place on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. Positive Last night, Mr Mulvey again asked Ryanair and Forsa to refrain from briefing the media on the current discussions. Yesterday morning before the talks, Forsa chief Bernard Harbour said the union was going into the discussions with a positive view. He also said that progress had been made. Mr Harbour told RTE that it was "significant" to have a fourth day of talks, and there seemed to be hope they could be concluded soon. He said a "fair bit of business" had been done in the previous three days of negotiations. The pilots want a more transparent system to decide who gets first call on base transfers, holidays and promotions. They are arguing for the system to be based on how long they are in the job. So far the dispute has gone on for five weeks and resulted in around 100 Ryanair pilots taking strike action across five days. The most recent strike took place last Friday. Ryanair could yet face further strike action by cabin crew and pilots in several European countries. Moira Cassidy and the year-round sea swimmers protest against the construction of a waste water plant in Clonshaugh Northside residents are furious over plans to build a waste water facility that will discharge into the sea near Portmarnock beach. Locals have said the plant will be four times the size of Croke Park. They fear the proximity of the plant to their homes, and the smell, will devalue their properties. Swimmers at Portmarnock beach are also up in arms over the plans. They have said the treated water will not be discharged far enough out to sea and will be present in areas where some of them swim. They said the area was being treated as a "dumping ground". The Clonshaugh plant has been designed to treat sewage from parts of north county Dublin, Kildare and Meath. Objections Irish Water made a planning application to An Bord Pleanala on June 20,- and yesterday was the last day for objections to be submitted. Nicole Brady, who lives in Clonshaugh Heights, said that while there were public consultations on the issue a number of years ago, it had died down recently and many locals were unaware it was to go ahead. However, Irish Water insisted that following the application in June, the public consultation period was highly publicised. The closest dwelling to the sewage treatment plant will be about 300 metres. Ms Brady said the area within a kilometre of the plant is densely populated. "It's going to affect everyone," she said. "There's going to be a smell. Kids will be out playing, people need to hang out their washing. People are saying that the value of their homes will go down." Residents are hoping to raise awareness by staging a protest in the area this afternoon. Using banners, they will march from the Clonshaugh Heights end of Priorswood out on to the N32 from 2pm. Swimmers from Portmarnock also staged a protest at noon yesterday outside the An Bord Pleanala head offices and handed in their objections to the plans. The Red Hot Mommas group fear their blue flag beach is in jeopardy. Speaking to the Herald, Moira Cassidy, who swims in Portmarnock daily, said they cannot understand how the current plans could go ahead. "Portmarnock isn't just a resource for the locals. Thousands of people come out here for the beach," she said. "It just seems idiotic to us for them to have the outflow so close to the velvet strand." Ms Cassidy said there are concerns that the quality of the water will be affected negatively and the output should be much farther out to sea. "What we'd hope is that they look at other ways of treating sewage or else look at some place in a zone that's not surrounded by communities and that's not going to adversely affect the coastline," she said. Dispersion "It just feels like they're using the northside of Dublin as a dumping ground." In a statement, Irish Water insisted there would be no issue with the water quality. "The proposed marine outfall is 6km out to the Irish Sea and the level to which the waste water will be treated will ensure the water quality standards required by EU and national regulations are achieved," it said. "At the point of discharge, the outfall pipe will output 23 metres below sea level. "The water depth and tide and current patterns will allow for optimum dispersion and assimilation of the treated water within a short distance of the discharge point." Hagerstown on ag officials' radar due to pest; what you need to know local Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 18) Two Chinese nationals were killed along Taft Avenue by unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle Saturday morning. One of the victims, 30-year-old Wu Hai Dong, died on the spot. Yi Yan Shou, 35, was declared dead on arrival at the hospital. The Manila Police District said the suspects rode a black Yamaha Mio. One was wearing a black jacket and a black helmet, while another had a white and blue jacket with a white helmet on. Police are currently investigating the incident. Deepika Padukons Instagram has become a treasure trove of happy moments from the actors life. The Padmaavat actor shared one such moment recently when she shared a picture of herself, her sister Anisha Padukone and others taking a roller-coaster ride. Deepika captioned the picture, #worldrollercoasterday. The picture was taken at Universals Islands of Adventure and in the picture, Anisha and Deepika are seen yelling out loud with their eyes closed like kids as they go down on the ride. We can imagine how thrilling the ride must have been from the looks at their expression. Ranveer even commented on the picture with, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Deepika and Ranveer had spent quality time with Anisha during a vacation at the US. The couple were even spotted holding hands at Disney and videos were shared by fans on Instagram. The couple also shared a kiss when they had arrived at Mumbai airport, which had surprised the photogs waiting to click them. The two had usually kept their private life away from media glare till then. The speculations are also rife that the two will tie the knot in November in Italy. Deepika and Ranveeer were last seen in Padmaavat, in which Ranveer plays the antagonist, Alauddin Khilji. He will next be seen in Simmba and is also working on completing Zoya Akhtars Gully Boy. Follow @htshowbiz for more Comedian and actor Sunil Grovers latest photo, from the sets of Salman Khan-starrer Bharat in Malta, is quite special. Sunil has credited his co-star Salman, whose side profile can be seen in the photo, as the photographer behind his moody photo. A post shared by Sunil Grover (@whosunilgrover) on Aug 17, 2018 at 1:16am PDT Giving fans a sneak peek into the life on the Bharat sets, Sunil posted the candid photo of Salman clicking him with a caption that shows the man doesnt take himself too seriously: Ahem ahem.. soon posting the final pictures. As they come. Dont keep looking at the photographer only! Btw location is Malta...Shooting for the film Bharat ...ya...?? photographers photo courtesy Atul Sir. @beingsalmankhan @atulreellife. ICYMI, Salman shared this cryptic photo on Tuesday, along with a caption, Acchi photo khichne ke liye bahut focus karna padta hai . Actually true for everything in life. A post shared by Salman Khan (@beingsalmankhan) on Aug 13, 2018 at 10:28am PDT Salman Khans Bharat recently completed its first shooting schedule in Mumbai, after which the crew arrived in Malta to commence filming the second schedule. Producer Nikhil Namit has shared pictures of Salmans swanky vanity van from the sets. A post shared by Salman Khan (@beingsalmankhan) on Aug 10, 2018 at 9:00am PDT On the occasion of Independence Day on Wednesday, Salman shared the first teaser of Bharat. The film is directed by Ali Abbas Zafar and also stars actor Katrina Kaif, who was cast after Priyanka Chopra walked out of the project. Cant wait until Bharats release on 5 June 2019? Follow Sunil Grovers Bharat journey on his Instagram as he captures more behind-the-scenes moments youll want to double-tap. A post shared by Salman Khan (@beingsalmankhan) on Aug 14, 2018 at 11:29pm PDT Follow @htshowbiz for more A schoolboy who dreamed of working for Apple hacked the firms computer systems, Australian media has reported, although the tech giant said Friday no customer data was compromised. The Childrens Court of Victoria was told the teenager broke into Apples mainframe -- a large, powerful data processing system -- from his home in the suburbs of Melbourne and downloaded 90GB of secure files, The Age reported late Thursday. The boy, then aged 16, accessed the system multiple times over a year as he was a fan of Apple and had dreamed of working for the US firm, the newspaper said, citing his lawyer. Apple said in a statement Friday that its teams discovered the unauthorised access, contained it, and reported the incident to law enforcement. The firm, which earlier this month became the first private-sector company to surpass US$1 trillion in market value, said it wanted to assure our customers that at no point during this incident was their personal data compromised. An international investigation was launched after the discovery involving the FBI and the Australian Federal Police, The Age reported. The federal police said it could not comment on the case as it is still before the court. The Age said police raided the boys home last year and found hacking files and instructions saved in a folder called hacky hack hack. Two Apple laptops were seized and the serial numbers matched the serial numbers of the devices which accessed the internal systems, a prosecutor was reported as saying. A mobile phone and hard drive were also seized whose IP address matched those detected in the breaches, he added. The teen has pleaded guilty and the case is due to return to court for his sentencing next month. As I inched my way towards Thiruvananthapuram to try and catch a flight out as Kerala sank further under water, I was struck by a decidedly odd sight. People stood knee-deep in water on bridges and by culverts, transfixed by the roaring muddy waters as they rose towards them. They did not move as if they were waiting for the waters to engulf them. All that is lovely about Kerala now seemed terrifying. The Arabian Sea frothing and roiling like the hellfires in the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, the gentle rivers now destroying everything in their path, sweeping aside bridges and roads and strangulating coils of mud coating everything in sight. This set me off on a harangue about infrastructure and poor planning to my driver, an educated man who owns a fleet of SUVs. Predictably, I blamed the government, the contractor-politician nexus for the poor drainage and lack of planning. After a while, the driver had had enough. He turned on me with a fury which took me aback. This is what happens when so-called modern women, especially those from Andhra Pradesh, want to go Sabarimala disregarding restrictions. Do you think this rain is natural? It is the anger of Lord Ayyappa. He does not want to see women ranting and raving for equal rights. He is displaying his disaffection. Now, a good Nair woman like you would not be party to all this, he said, leaving me gobsmacked. I thought of getting into an argument but gave up the ghost in the face of his implacable conviction in the perfidy of women as being the cause for this catastrophic disaster. How easy and how commonplace it is to blame women for natural disasters and tragedies. While my drivers sentiments shocked me, I am sure for many these would seem rational. Witch hunts are nothing new in many parts of rural India. Why, even in educated urban households, it is not unusual to blame a daughter-in-law for bad luck in the family. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, between 2000 and 2016, at least 2,500 people, largely women, have been killed on suspicion of having brought about death, disease or natural calamities in their vicinity. Witch hunts are aimed mostly at women, capitalising on superstition and inherent prejudices with the real motive being to seize their assets such as money or land. Some states do have anti-witch hunt laws but they are hardly implemented effectively. Poverty and dwindling resources are at the root of such violence and propagation of superstition against women. Pushed to the wall, people tend to pick on the weakest link, which in most cases happen to be women. Women who come into compensation when their husbands die or inherit property are particular targets. What better way to deprive them of their resources than to brand them as the cause for the disaster, which has come upon their men or families. Often when someone in a village dies, a woman, usually a single woman, is blamed for having cast her evil eye on the person. This is owing to a toxic brew of ignorance and frustration and the availability of an easy target. While illiteracy and ignorance breed such practices, it is not far from the surface even among the educated as the remarks about women and Sabarimala showed. Kerala, for all its supposed enlightenment, is not much better than many northern states when it comes to its ingrained prejudices against women. On this trip, I was startled to see how many TV serials avidly watched by people show women as the cause of men going astray and for bringing chaos and unhappiness to their families. In many of them, women are spoken of as having a black tongue and as having worked black magic on their husbands or brothers. My driver was not done delivering himself of the sermon on Ayyappa. He went on to talk about the controversial vault opening at the iconic Padmanabhaswamy temple in Trivandrum. Why dont people leave well alone, he asked. If people open vaults and disturb Ananthan, the great serpent on which Lord Vishnu rests, he will be forced to unleash his fury on the land further. Legend has it that if the vaults beneath the reclining Vishnu are disturbed pestilence and destruction will follow. As Kerala sinks into further calamity, there are many takers for superstitions and myths especially if the blame can be apportioned to women. lalita.panicker@hindustantimes.com Further research and study unearthed an inherent ability to recognise good art, which eventually kindled a passion for collecting pieces. A venerated authority among Indias art cognoscenti, Jagdish Mittal at 93 is still as sharp and focussed as hes ever been. Old age has left a mark on the man, but his eyes reflect tales of a seven-decade long career span, where he has gone from being an artist and collector to a published scholar who has been celebrated by such institutions as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The Padma Shri awardee, who originally hailed from Uttar Pradesh, chose a different path from his engineer father, when he decided to pursue a degree in Fine Arts from Kala Bhavan, Vishwa Bharti, Santiniketan. It was when our teacher took us to Benares on a trip that I first encountered the spark in the eyes of the scholar Rai Krishnadas. His vigour and zeal inspired us, says Mittal of his initial foray into the arts. Further research and study unearthed an inherent ability to recognise good art, which eventually kindled a passion for collecting pieces. I once saw a black and white photograph of a painting in a text book and became obsessed by it. I didnt know what it was, but fussed over it for months. It turned out to be a painting that was part of an album given by Dara Shikoh to his wife. Today the same painting is displayed in London as a work of historical value. Many other such random finds resulted in Mittal recognising his innate capacity to identify great works of art without any prior knowledge about them, I once liked a series of six Pahadi miniature paintings that I bought without knowing who they were by, he shares, After a little research, they turned out to be works by Nainsukh. One of the most highly regarded Pahadi painters, those six paintings by Nainsukh that Mittal bought back in the day are estimated to be worth anywhere between Rs 10-15 crores today. Jagdish and his wife Kamla met in the late 1940s and by 1951 were married. A Like-minded Pair Jagdish and his wife Kamla met in the late 1940s and by 1951 were married. I had a job for a short time in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, shares Mittal, Where I was the advisor to the Bhuri Singh Museum. N.C. Mehta, the Chief Commissioner of the State had asked artist Nandalal Bose for a recommendation and he put my name forward. There I discovered old murals, beautiful miniatures and paintings directly at the home of the painters decedents. I even picked up works for my own collection, which was just starting then. This was where my appreciation for Himachali art started. While Mittal and Kamla were settling into domesticity, an unexpected invitation changed the course of their lives causing them to shift base to Hyderabad. Since I was painting back then, Badrivishal Pitti invited me and Kamla to exhibit our works in 1951. So barely a month after our marriage we moved to Hyderabad, where after the exhibition Pitti convinced me to work as editor for a Hindi journal he owned, Kalpana. Busy with his new job as a writer, Mittal gave up on painting but earned a new zeal for collecting. Kamla used to accompany me on my trips to Jaipur, Delhi and Himachal. She had a great eye and could identify objects better than any museum director. Later in 1957 we made this house in Himayatnagar, and people started bringing pieces home. Kamla was always by my side when we were going to buy an object. She wasnt a writer, but otherwise was just as involved curating this collection as I have been. The collection which spans over 2000 pieces, comprises mainly of miniatures. Almost 800 pieces in the collection are miniatures and drawings, says Mittal, The rest are metalware and figures, old textiles and other items. Its a reflection of Indian art, from the 1st century AD till 1900. I have not collected modern paintings due to space and budget constraints, so the collection stops at 1900. A Mughal artwork showing an ascetic. A Study of Miniatures With a sudden increase in the demand for miniature paintings, art collectors today are blindly picking up works based on great returns someday in the future. But for Mittal, his appreciation for the miniature form began almost half a century before the Indian art market warmed up to the idea of assigning any value to the rare pieces. I bought miniatures from all over India. Never from auction houses, but mostly from the family of artists or old collectors. For me it is the appeal of the object that is most important. Buyers usually go by the period and school, but thats of no importance if the art doesnt appeal to your aesthetic sense, explains Mittal, In the Pahadi School alone you have 15 different variations, ranging from Chamba to Kangra, Jammu to Guler and many more. Then you have the Mughal School which was based predominantly between Lahore, Delhi and Agra, but later permeated into Central India as well. Much of Mittals miniature collection consists of works that range from sketches to paintings commissioned by the royal courts. A unique painting from the Deccans Golconda School of A Parrot Perched on a Mango Tree, with a Ram tethered below, was used by the MET in New York as a colossal banner welcoming viewers to their Indian art exhibit, it was even printed on the sides of bus stops and cabs all across Manhattan. Mittal then shows us another fine specimen from his collection, A night scene from the Pahadi School. With colours so bright, its a work that can make even the most unappreciative viewer marvel at its beauty almost like it was painted just yesterday and not four centuries ago. Seated beside a leopard in front of a hut, worships Krishna, dated 1640-50. Ancient Metalware There is a massive craze for Chola figures, which has almost become like fashion, says Mittal, People want to be able to differentiate between a Chola and a Chalukyan bronze. Cholas are very graceful and have fine workmanship, but I feel the inner vigour of a Chalukyan bronze figure is far superior to a Chola. The Himachali bronzes for me are even more sublime than the Chola and the Chalukyan bronzes. Dr Douglass Barrett, a dear friend of mine from the industry, once pointed out to me that the Indian government was foolish to try to repatriate the famous Chola Natraj in the 1980s, when instead they should have concentrated more on the Himachali bronzes that were displayed on either side of it in London, since they were far superior. I tend to agree with him on that point. Mittal is quick to point out the complexity in buying a Chola bronze. They can range anywhere from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 15 crore on the Indian market, but are sometimes risky to buy. The smaller sculptures may have once been owned by affluent families, but the really large ones are mostly taken from temples and sold on the market illegally. There are two scholars, one in India and one in Singapore, whose primary role is to record the transference of such figures from their original sources of ownership anyone can get easily caught if found buying an illicit piece. Almost pre-empting our curiosity, Mittal displays a Chalukyan bronze next to a Himachali figurine, so one may understand the difference, before bringing out an impressive copper plate from the Quli Qutub Shah period (1600) depicting animals and birds, This was a ceremonial plate, he explains, The beasts on it are inspired by different schools of art, and one can even make out a Chinese dragon, which was obviously influenced by the Chinese art of that time. Hyderabad as an Art Market Hyderabad was never a great art market, explains Mittal, Jaipur was always the art centre of India for antiques and other objects. But then Jaipur is also the place with the most number of crooks and conmen at the same time. An advisor to several of Hyderabads aristocratic and royal families regarding their objects of value, Mittal has been in the enviable position of having witnessed some of the most prized treasures of Nizami and Mughal heritage to come out of the city. Ive seen a lot of it over the years, he shares, Princess Durushehvar used to come to visit once in a while. I could make out that she was unhappy with The Jewels of the Nizams exhibition that was put up at the Salar Jung Museum. Those were definitely not the royal jewels on display. They were part of a collection made that was to be used if the family found itself to be in an emergency or in distress. If you look at the pieces, none of them have any artistic detail. They were probably made by an in-house jeweller who was given the stones and told to make sets out of them. The artistic detail Mittal talks of is the Meenakari work that was used to embellish pieces of jewellery, heightening their value and giving them an identifying mark, signifying royal and noble ownership. Deccani Meena is an example of the best enamel work found anywhere in the world. It is even more superior to Jaipuri Meena, but can be difficult for the layman to differentiate, explains Mittal, The trick is in identifying the pinks and greens. Deccani Meena work is far more vibrant and their colours are brighter. The pinks used in Deccani Meena and their intermingling with a white background or white foreground is what makes it easy to differentiate Deccani from Jaipuri. This Meena work is largely missing from The Jewels of the Nizams exhibit, which is a dead giveaway for what these pieces are. The Nizams had jewellery which theyd inherited from the Mughals, centuries old pieces of mindboggling artistry and value. Theyd amassed quality, museum-grade jewellery for several centuries this was not it. This collection doesnt have the historic significance it was touted to possess, its also a burden on any museum and cant be displayed because of its high security cost. Tales of Nizami gold mohurs and their legendary value abound in the Hyderabadi art market, about which we ask Mittal for his take, Now youre talking like a child, he huffs, These words dont impress me. Gold mohurs were never rare. Its just because people have a fascination with gold that they make these out to be bombastic and expensive. Ive seen Jahangiri mohurs there were some from Akbars period too. There are far better things to collect and invest in than mohurs. The market sometimes doesnt understand the historic relevance of an item and only goes by what can sell best. So people go berserk and try to collect these. There are so many fake mohurs now that its a nuisance for anyone to deal in these. Fakes are made even today in Mathura. How many of them do you want? We ask Mittal if he feels theres any more treasure left with the noble families, to which he solemnly replies, Its all gone over the years the Nawabs sold off most of the good things they had and today theres little or nothing left. The only people who still have something is the Nizams. And where is it we prod, That I cannot say. These are sensitive matters that are not meant to be discussed. And what of the many art collectors the city once boasted of, represented famously by the once-regent Salar Jung? Salar Jung was a wealthy collector, but not a scholar. He collected a lot of things, but didnt have an eye for what was good. As a result what you get is a massive collection, with a few good pieces that are truly noteworthy and a lot of other things which dont matter much. In recent times you had Col. Tandon, who had a good eye. He had a great collection at his home in Sainikpuri, but after his death his daughters took over his collection. Harishchandra Aggarwal was another man who had a great eye and dealt in antiques, which his family has carried on since his passing. Breathtaking artefacts: A unique painting from the Deccans Golconda school of a parrot perched on a mango tree, with a ram tethered below Arabian Knights in Shining Armour Kuwaits Al Sabah Collection is world famous for its Islamic Art, much of which has been bought by Sheikh Nasser in the 80s and 90s while on his journeys treasure hunting across India. He tried meeting me two-three times, confesses Mittal, But I was always weary. When I finally agreed he came to my house and sat down on the floor with his legs crossed. I suddenly felt very bad for not having met him before. He was such a humble gentleman. Following in the footsteps of Sheikh Nasser, Sheikh Hamad Bin Abdullah Al Thani of Qatar started his own collection, curated by Christies ex-chief of Asian Art, Dr Amin Jaffer. The Al Thani Collection now goes on tour from Paris to Venice to Beijing, under the watchful gaze of several hundred security guards and insurance officials. Jewelled daggers, Mughal jadau hookas and jade plates make up just a small part of the collection, which has several pieces of priceless Mughal jewellery as well. On his last trip to Hyderabad Sheikh Hamad dropped by to meet the nonagenarian Mittal at his home. Reminiscing, Mittal says, Over six-feet tall Sheikh Hamad gave me a bear hug after which I had to check if all my bones were intact. He liked an agate dagger in the shape of a parrots head that is part of the collection and wanted to buy it, unaware that it is in a trust and cannot be sold. Over the years Ive encountered many such Princes who want pieces from the museum, but have managed to politely decline. Theyve become good friends and I have shared my knowledge on whatever subject they wanted to know about. Though he managed to hold out on selling items to Middle-eastern royals, Mittal often disposed of pieces he refers to as spares, There were items I had two of, or were of inferior quality. Disposing them allowed me to buy other things and keep the collection going, he explains, The royal buyers are also some of the most notorious paymasters. I have heard of so many horror stories that I simply never entertained them as customers. A dealer I have known, had once sold a crown to the Sultan of Brunei for his begum. When the Sultan found out that some of the pearls on the crown were overvalued, he had his people call the dealer to Brunei as a royal guest. There he was locked in a room and told to pay back the difference before they would let him go. A later Western Chalukyan style bronze statue of Lord Vishnu, flanked by goddesses Sridevi and Bhudevi, dated 10th Century. A brass statue of Lord Shiva seated with Goddess Uma (Uma-Maheshwara) from Chamba, Himachal Pradesh; dated 10th Century. The Future Jadish Mittals life has been a smorgasbord of rich experiences, making him almost a sage in his field today, one of the last few remaining men of his cabal. Reminiscing about the past he recounts how one of his most memorable experiences was meeting the Islamic scholar Anna Marie Schimmel, I was a great admirer of her books on Islamic calligraphy and literature. Meeting her was an experience I remember till this day. She visited my collection and later we attended a wonderful Sufi night at the Qutub Shahi Tombs. She could recite the Quran by heart, and her gift for Islamic literature one day saved her from being attacked by a mob in Turkey who were on a rampage. She simply began reciting holy verses and had the crowds bow down before her, calling her a farishta. marvellous creation: One of Jagdish Mittals favourite pieces from his collection. A 30 ft long scroll paintng on cloth from Cheriyal, detail from a Markanedeya and Bhavna Rishi legend, dated 1625 What of his favourite object among this expansive collection of treasures? Thats also been one of my cheapest buys, confesses Mittal, Two beggars one day came with this scroll with a shrine on top of it. They were made in the village of Cheriyal in Andhra Pradesh and were on textile. The fine quality of artisanship attracted me to them. Over 30 feet long and three feet wide they depicted stories about certain cast groups, weavers, shepherds, their Mahabharata story, Viraj Pal, Markande Bhawna, Rishi Puraan. Each story was painted as the stories were narrated, one today, one another. Believing that the scrolls lost their divinity as time passed they were then drowned in water. I bought this scroll for Rs 500 back then. Today it can buy me another house. Plans for shifting much of Mittals art to its own building are underway and the collection that has become the envy of royals, art historians and collectors from all over the world will hopefully soon have its separate museum building where the public can one day visit to learn about our countrys rich artistic and cultural past. A ceremonial copper plate from the Quli Qutub Shah period (1600). The beasts on it are inspired by different schools of art, and the Chinese dragon influenced by the Chinese art of that time Rumours of a documentary on his life, being filmed by the MET, are quickly brushed aside, I never let them make a documentary, says Mittal, adding, The time it would take to make a film I can write two books instead. In the meantime, Mittals grandson, Naveen manages his Trust as the CEO, often doubling as a watchful caretaker to his legendary grandfather. I write books and print catalogues of the collection in order to spread the knowledge and secure the art, confesses Mittal, who has been a widower for the past two years ever since Kamla passed away. She had a fall one day and broke her hip. We were together for 70 years. Its been a great journey, when I look back now, and I hope I can somehow share what Ive learned over all these years with more people, Mittal concludes. The Delhi High Court on Friday reserved its verdict on former TV anchor and producer Suhaib Ilyasis appeal against his conviction for life for killing his first wife, Anju, 18 years ago. A bench of Justice S Muralidhar and JusticeVinod Goel reserved their judgement after arguments concluded in the matter on Friday. The bench has asked all parties in the case to file their written submission within 10 days. Ilyasi, who was taken into custody on December 16 last year after his conviction, has contended in his plea that after framing of additional charge under section 302 for the offence of murder, he was not given an opportunity to cross-examine all the witnesses. The high court, which had on April 26 granted interim bail to Ilyasi, refused to extend the relief on May 14. He later moved the Supreme Court which also refused to grant him interim bail. Ilyasi, in his appeal moved through advocate Rajiv Mohan, has claimed that the police had not collected any material for three months after the incident and there was no evidence to charge him for the offence of murder. The police had claimed that he had misled the investigating agency, proving his involvement in the crime. The trial court had on December 20, 2017 sentenced Ilyasi to life term for stabbing his wife to death, saying he committed murder and gave it a colour of suicide. It had also imposed a fine of Rs two lakh on him and directed that Rs 10 lakh be paid as compensation to Anjus parents. Earlier, Ilyasi was charged with milder provisions, including 304 B (dowry death) of the IPC. However, Anjus mother Rukma Singh and sister Rashmi Singh had moved the Delhi High Court which in August 2014 ruled that the former TV producer would be tried under Section 302 of the IPC for the offence of murder. Anju was rushed to a hospital on January 11, 2000 with stab wounds she received at her East Delhi residence. She was declared dead on arrival at the hospital. Ilyasi, who had shot into limelight after hosting TV crime show - Indias Most Wanted, was arrested on March 28, 2000. Charges were framed against him in the case after his sister-in-law and mother-in-law alleged that he used to torture his wife for dowry. He was granted bail later. The Supreme Court asked Delhis lieutenant governor Anil Baijal on Friday to consider forming an expert committee to frame a policy on solid waste management in the national capital amid growing concern over garbage being dumped in the city . A bench led by Justice MB Lokur told additional solicitor general (ASG) Pinky Anand that the committee should consist of officials from various civic bodies and also representatives of civil society and be mandated to recommend measures to deal with the citys garbage problem. ASG Anand agreed with the benchs suggestion and said she would revert to the court on August 22. According to justice Lokur, the committee should look into all aspects of solid waste management in Delhi, including cleaning of dumps in the Okhla neighbourhoood. The court asked senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, assisting the bench in the matter, to nominate members from civil society. Anand cautioned against the nomination of too many members to the panel; the court , however,said the panel should be broad-based. Ad-hoc measures may not be enough.... In our opinion issue of solid waste management will need co-operation of all in Delhi, the court said. Delhi generates 10,500 tonnes of garbage every day and about 40% of it lands in the citys four dumpsites. As much as 300 tonnes remains uncollected. Three of out of these four landfills have run out of space but there are no alternative sites available to dispose Delhis garbage, which is increasing by truckloads every day. It is estimated that Delhi will be generating 15,000 metric tonnes of garbage daily by 2021. The bench is hearing a case related to garbage management in the Capital and has remarked about the mountains of garbage piling up in Delhi. The three civic bodies in the city have failed to impress the court with their suggestions on managing the mess. A sanitation expert said the Delhi high court had also formed a similar committee last year, asking it to make strategy and set guidelines for implementation of solid waste management rules in the city. The committee had submitted its report this year but nothing much has been done on the ground. The problem is not the absence of rules or strategies on solid waste management but the lack of willingness among the civic agencies to enforce them. Unfortunately, not much has been done to ensure segregation of garbage at source, which is the first step under the solid waste management rules of 2016, said Chandra Bhushan, deputy director general of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). At the last hearing, the top court was irked by East Delhi Municipal Corporations proposal to build a landfill in the residential colony of Sonia Vihar without consulting the local residents. Justice Lokur had wondered whether the civic agency would dump garbage in front of the lieutenant governors official residence or outside any house in the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) area where ministers and senior bureaucrats reside. The court also referred to a recent study conducted by Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH) which concluded hat air pollution, not smoking, was a major factor behind lung cancer in India. Will there be any person alive in Delhi in such a situation? It is an emergency situation but your reaction does not reflect the emergency, Justice Lokur said. Anand admitted there was a problem, but said it was not possible to resolve it overnight. She said south and north Delhi municipal corporations had decided to set up new waste-to-energy plants and enhance the capacity of existing plants to increase garbage processing. She said the new units would start operating from December next year. The court also noted that only 50% of 3,600 tonnes of garbage generated everyday in south Delhi is processed and 1,800 tonnes was thrown on a landfill site on a daily basis. It asked the government to spell out plans for management of solid household waste. The court said people should be punished for not segregating recyclable waste from solid waste and a penalty should be imposed on them. A 27-year-old drunk man caused a security scare near Delhi airport on Thursday night by jumping out of a moving car and then snatching the pistol of an on-duty CISF security officer. The incident, which took place at the main vehicle checking point barely 300 metres from Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airports Terminal 3, saw armed CISF commandos firing two warning shots at the man, before overpowering and arresting him. Security officers said the incident also led to the closure of the main road to the airport for some time, until the suspect was caught and the threat cleared. This in turn led to serpentine queue of vehicles, which was later cleared with the help of traffic police. The nabbed suspect was later identified as Shankar alias Amit, a resident of Sangam Vihar in south Delhi. According to the senior officers of the CISF, the incident took place around 11.50pm when the men posted at the main vehicle checking point on the Central Spine Road, which goes from Mahipalpur towards Terminal 3, spotted a vehicle speeding towards them. After the security personnel signalled the vehicle to stop, they saw that a man sitting on the front seat thrashing the driver. Soon after, the driver stepped out of the car and the man shifted into the drivers seat and tried to drive the vehicle away. Seeing this, the CISF commandos came near the car and asked the man to step out. The man, however, started the car and tried to take a U turn and flee, said the officer. This was when an assistant sub-inspector from the CISF snatched the ignition keys from the moving car, forcing the vehicle to come to a halt. The suspect then stepped out of the car and first indulged in a fist fight with the CISF men then snatched the pistol of one of the commandos. Seeing him try to flee with the weapon, the commandos then fired at the ground to scare him. The commandos fired a second shot in the air prompting the suspect to drop the gunand surrender, the officer said. Deputy commissioner of police (IGI), Sanjay Bhatia, said they had received a PCR call reporting the incident. On reaching the spot, the police team identified the suspect as 27-year-old Shankar alias Amit who lives in Sangam Vihar. His credentials have been verified and he is previously found to be involved in a case of attempt to culpable homicide, Bhatia said. Police arrested Shankar and booked him under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. Shankar later revealed that he was trying to carjack the taxi in which he had arrived, the DCP said. The Muradnagar police on Friday apprehended an 11-year-old boy for allegedly raping an eight-year-old girl while they were returning from school on Wednesday. Maintaining that a case of rape along with Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act has been registered in the case, police said the boy has been remanded to a correction home. According to the victims family, the incident took place when the boy, the girl and her younger sister were returning home after partaking in the Independence Day celebrations held at their school. The victims family said that they took her to a doctor who told them to approach police in such a case. The girls father said, The boy, who lives in the same locality as us, pulled her into the fields and gave way to the act. My elder daughter reached home in a semi- unconscious state and my younger daughter told us about the incident. My younger daughter also went to the boys house with us and told his family about the incident. On this, the accuseds elder brother slapped him and took him inside the house. The girl is second among four siblings and studies in class IV at a government school in Ghaziabad. The boy is in class V at the same school. Both the families reside in a locality that comes under the jurisdiction of the Muradnagar police station. We approached the police and filed a police complaint. My daughter is still in trauma and we have been giving her small doze of sleeping pills to make her sleep. After I went to the boys house and told his parents about the incident, they threatened me and told me to do whatever I wished. They hurled abuses and told me to settle the matter as it would affect both the children, he said. He added that the police also went to the school to inquire about the date of birth of both the children and took a letter from the class teacher that both had attended the school on the day of the incident. After the FIR was registered on August 16, police took the boy into custody and questioned him. The boy admitted to the incident. We took him into custody and later sent him to a correction home. The girl was sent for medical examination and reports are awaited, said AK Maurya, superintendent of police (rural), Ghaziabad. A 41-year-old Nigerian national and his 24-year-old Indian woman friend were arrested by the Delhi Police for allegedly cheating job aspirants by promising them employment in foreign countries. The two were wanted in a cheating case in which they had duped a woman from Dwarka of around Rs 8 lakh after offering her the post of an operation manager in an oil and gas company in Malaysia on a monthly salary of Rs 2.5 lakh. Deputy commissioner of police (Dwarka) Anto Alphonse said the Nigerian Imasaun Henry Omorogby and friend Sheela Dey alias Priya Dass from Hyderabad were caught from outside Hyderabad airport on August 14 following information that Sheela was returning from Bangkok and she would meet Henry at the airport. Two laptops, seven mobile phones, five cheque books, 27 plastic cards, four forged PAN cards and as many voter identity cards along with Rs 1 lakh in cash were seized from the duo, said Alphonse. DCP Alphonse said the arrests came following probe into a cheating case filed by Vaishnavi Balasubramanium from Delhis Dwarka. The complainant told police that in September last year she had received an email with a job offer in Malaysia. She responded to the email and forwarded her personal biodata and other requisite documents. The racketeers tricked her into depositing a total of Rs 8.05 lakh in their bank account, saying the money was required for obtaining work permit, immigration clearance and for other processing fee. To win her confidence, they also sent her a fake job offer letter of the company, said the DCP. The woman became suspicious when in February this year she received a call from one Madhuri, who identified herself an employee of the Union ministry of finance, and demanded Rs 65,000 for releasing her documents. She contacted the ministry and upon verification found that no employee called Madhuri worked there. A case was registered on her complaint and investigations taken up. During the probe, investigators collected information about the email addresses through which the emails were sent and also of the bank account in which the money was deposited. Police found that the email address used by the account holder was tagged with one Bhaskar Reddy on a social media account. We also found Sheela Deys photograph on social media and gathered information about her through technical surveillance. We also scanned her social media account. She had updated her status as Going [to] Bangkok and uploaded a photograph clicked at Hyderabad airport on August 8, said Alphonse. Investigators collected her travel details and learnt that she would land at the airport on August 14. We laid a trap and caught her with her Nigerian associate, said an investigator. Outside the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters in Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, as former PM Atal Bihari Vaypayees mortal remains were being taken out of the building, Prime Minister Narendra Modi followed behind. When he did not get into his car, everyone around was taken by surprise. Modi quietly followed the hearse that was on its way to Rashtriya Smriti Sthal, the funeral venue. At that point, the Special Protection Group, the elite force that guards the PM, informed the police that Modi would walk alongside the funeral procession right up to Smriti Sthal in north Delhi, a senior police officer said. BJP chief Amit Shah, Union ministers and chief ministers of several states, including Vijay Rupani, Shivraj Chouhan, Yogi Adityanath and Devendra Fadnavis were among those who walked sombrely behind the carriage as it slowly made its way to the cremation site. Never before has any Prime Minister walked 6 km like this in a public procession. We got very little time to tweak his security plan although we were equipped to handle VIP security all along the way. We did not have the list of VVIPs who would walk, but we had prepared anyway. However, the PMs decision to walk had an element of surprise, said the official, who was part of the security arrangements on Friday. According to the security protocol, hours before a Prime Minister drives past a road, the area is cordoned off. Traffic comes to a complete halt. Armed police officers stand on each side of the road. No outsider should stand in the way. On Friday, Modi and other leaders walked with the funeral procession from Deen Dayal Upadhaya Marg, passing through usually crowded areas like Daryaganj in Old Delhi until reaching the funeral venue. Even the BJP leaders present at the party office were surprised by the PMs decision. We knew that the party president (Amit Shah) was likely to walk with the mortal remains but the Prime Ministers decision to walk came as surprise. Initially, we thought that he would walk for a few metres or up to ITO (Income Tax Office) crossing but he continued, said a BJP leader. From carrying out a survey of houses along the route to deploying a line of armed security men in plainclothes and deploying rooftop spotters to putting in place the security cordon for VVIP movement, Delhi Police had to make elaborate security arrangements on Friday. Senior officers said although they were informed of the PMs decision to walk at the last minute, they had already sanitised the route, so the additional security arrangements did not take much time to organise. The main challenge was close coordination with the Special Protection Group , which forms the PMs inner security cordon. The police also ensured that all the shops and commercial establishments around the Smriti Sthal and the BJP headquarters remained closed. Service lanes and alternative roads leading to the main route were also barricaded. Delhi police commissioner Amulya Patnaik said, Every house on the route was surveyed and our men were deployed on the roof tops . Our men with other security agencies formed multiple security rings around the PM till the procession reached the venue, he said. Delhi Polices dog squad and bomb detection units also sanitised Smriti Sthal. Patnaik said at least 3,000 police personnel were on duty for Vajpayees last rites. Delhi Polices Jaguar bike patrolling squad was also seen taking rounds of the cluttered areas on the outer periphery of the route. Retired IPS officer Amod Kanth, who served in Delhi police for over two decades, said, It must have been challenging. All leaders in one place and the PM walking in the open. I was the officer who supervised Indira Gandhis funeral procession in 1984. People had come to the streets then too and managing security then was a task. Apart from that only Pandit Nehrus funeral must have been so large a gathering like the one we saw today. The Public Works Department (PWD) on Friday informed the Delhi High Court that the construction of Signature Bridge would be completed by October-end, following which the trial run would be conducted. The submissions came after the court had, during the last hearing in the case, rapped the authorities for delaying the project. Following the submission, a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V Kameswar Rao stated that the matter would be heard only after the project is completed and posted the matter for November. List the matter in the second week of November to enable the respondents (authorities) to complete the project and do the trial and file a report, the court said. The court was hearing a plea filed by advocate Pratibha Chopra, who had, in her petition, pointed out the inordinate delay in completing the project and had alleged that the authorities had missed several deadlines set to complete the project -- since 2011. Even at an earlier occasion, the court had rapped the authorities for quibbling over the amount to be paid for the construction of the long overdue Signature Bridge. It had also asked for physical inspection of the bridge by various authorities to take a stock of the progress of the work. Conceptualised in 2004, the Signature Bridge project was approved by the Delhi cabinet in 2007. However, even after 15 years, the bridge is yet to be completed. It bridge will connect Delhi with Uttar Pradeshs industrial areas such as the Tronica city in Ghaziabad. In July 2017, the Aam Aadmi Party government had released Rs 100 crore for the project and set a new deadline of March 2018, which was further pushed to April 2018, June 2018, and now, to October 2018. An Uttar Pradesh (UP) crime branch sub-inspector (SI) was injured after being shot at by an alleged criminal in the early hours of Saturday in north Delhis Timarpur area. The incident took place when the sub-inspector, along with a team of policemen, had gone to arrest a suspect, who managed to flee, said police. The Delhi Police were not informed about the operation. The injured policeman, identified as Jaiveer Singh, was shot in his right leg. He underwent a surgery at a private hospital in Vaishali, Ghaziabad. His condition was stated to be out of danger. Police said the suspect, Shahnawaz alias Tunda, was wanted by the UP Police in half a dozen cases of extortion, attempt to murder and firing that were registered at various police stations in Meerut and adjoining areas in UP. He carried a reward of Rs 50,000 for his arrest, which had been declared by the UP Police a couple of months ago. Deputy commissioner of police (north) Nupur Prasad said the firing took place when a ten member crime branch team reached Sanjay Basti in Timarpur to arrest one Shahnawaz after receiving information that he was hiding in a house arranged by lawyer, Mahesh Chandra. We are registering a case of attempt to murder and firing at a public servant during duty. The lawyer will be booked for harbouring a wanted criminal, said DCP Prasad. Meerut (city) superintendent of police, Ran Vijay Singh, said the crime branch team had reached Indirapuram while searching for Shahnawaz after receiving atip that the man was hiding there. As the informer was not aware of the exact address where Shahnawaz was hiding, our team members tried to identify his hideout and nab him, said Singh. While the raiding team was looking for the house, a man spotted the policemen and alerted Shahnawaz, saying the UP Police had come to arrest him. Immediately after, Shahnawaz fired a bullet that sub-inspector Jaiveer who was standing near the door of a house. Shahnawaz then fled along with the lawyer, said the Meerut SP The Rajasthan Police Constable recruitment examination result 2018 was declared on Monday. The examination was held in four phases: two phases on the first day and the remaining two on the second day. A total of 7.50 lakh candidates appeared for the exam each day. The answer key for the written examination was released on July 20. Rajasthan police constable result 2018: Steps to check Log on to the official website of Rajasthan Police at police.rajasthan.gov.in Click on the link for Recruitment & Results and then on Results Enter the required details Click on submit Result will be displayed on the screen Download and take a printout of the same. As the website has become slow, candidates may have to wait a while and try again to check their result. Ahead of the next hearing in the Supreme Court on Article 35A, separatist leaders have called for a two day-long strike in Kashmir from August 26 and threatened to launch a mass agitation in case the constitutional provision relating to the state is struck down. Majority of people in Kashmir feel that Centre is deliberately trying to tinker the special status of J&K and efforts are being made to remove the Article 35A as the National Governmental Organisation (NGO) which had filed a petition at Supreme Court for abolishing the Article 35A is being supported by the BJP. A statement issued by Joint Resistance Leadership, comprising hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani, moderate Hurriyat Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Yasin Malik has called for complete shutdown and protests in Kashmir on August 26 and 27. The Supreme Court had fixed date for hearing of the case on August 27. If any adverse decision comes from the Supreme Court of India on August 27, a mass agitation will be launched forthwith. People are mentally and physically ready to hit the streets and the leadership is also geared up to protest and defend it (Article 35A) at every cost as it is a matter of our very existence, said the Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. Calling for mobilisation at all level especially at the grass roots level of masjid and mohalla committees needs to be undertaken to launch a mass agitation with full force, he said, adding that every person needs to play his role and remain ready to defend their very existence. J&K Governor NN Vohra had earlier sought deferment of the case till a government is in place and had written a letter to home minister Rajnath Singh in this regard. The issue has brought together leaders of both the separatist outfits and almost all the mainstream parties in accusing the BJP for trying to remove Article 35A, Apart from separatists and mainstream political parties, civil society groups, trade bodies and lawyers have also warned of mass agitation in Kashmir on the issue. Former J&K chief minister and the Peoples Democratic Party president, Mehbooba Mufti has asked former state deputy chief minister Muzzuffar Hussain Baig and former state law minister, Abdul Haq Khan, to remain present in the Supreme Court on the date of hearing and chalk out a strategy to defend Article 35A. South Luangwa National Park, on the eastern side of Zambia, is one of the best places in Africa for a walking safari. As a primordial dawn unfolds in a wild corner of South Luangwa National Park in Zambia, Malemi, our guide, collects us from our tent for a walking safari and a morning game drive through the jungles rugged terrain. As our Land Rover speeds into the bushes, the green patches give way to overgrown shrubs, ancient baobabs and fruit-laden sausage trees before reaching a flat plain the starting point of our walking safari. Having attended game drives earlier, I was skeptical of any wild sightings during this walk, aware that the animals were mostly nocturnal. But this concern was soon dispelled when we spot a leopard crouched on a tree, almost hidden amidst the thick foliage. But before our guide could warn us about the camera flash, the spotted beast bolts out of sight in a blink, leaving us jolted by its terrific speed. As the sun ascends, a troupe of baboons flocks to the watering hole nearby, jostling for space with the anxious impalas thatd raise their heads frequently to scan for hiding predators. As we venture deep into the woods, our guide motions us to walk in a line. Following the close encounter with the jungle cat, his loaded pistol in his holster is reassuring and we scurry close to him. I can almost hear my breath and pounding heart in my ears as we stride quietly through the bushes, hoping to muffle the sound of footsteps crunching the dry leaves. Just then, leaves rustle nearby and we wait in anticipation, ready to scamper off if our mysterious visitor turns out to be unfriendly. Our fears are quelled when a family of warthogs surfaces from the bushes and scurries off hurriedly, sensing human presence. Malemi points to a tree, a few metres away, where camouflaged by the mid-morning shadow, is a sub-adult bull elephant, leisurely stripping leaves off the tree. Noticing the trunked mammoth to be a young adult, our guide cautions us about the presence of his herd nearby. We didnt have to wait long enough for his prediction to come true when a middle-aged female pachyderm comes tearing out of the bushes and stops only a few metres away from us. Our guide whispers a useful piece of information: Elephants can hear better than they see and if they are not charging towards you, keep still and the animal wont hurt you. We stand motionless, holding our breath as the mighty elephant walks past us. As the pachyderm retreats into the thick shrubs, Malemis next bit of trivia is about how elephants only digest an average of 30 percent of their food. But the more astonishing piece of information is how the tusked mammals feces plays a significant role in maintaining the ecosystem from serving as a habitat for various insects to being a meal for others. Numerous ants, insects call elephant dung home, while baboons sift through this glorious excreta in search of undigested nuts and fruits. Our walk brings us to the banks of the Luangwa River and our guide points at the fresh tracks left by hippos, lions and hyenas. As we nervously scope our surroundings, anxious about spotting the bearers of the footprints, a pair of Thornicroft giraffes, endemic to South Luangwa, extends their necks to reach for the leaves. Also around are a herd of impalas grazing over the dewy grass, while crocodiles bask a few metres away. Were also privy to a pod of hippos vying noisily for space. The park has the largest concentration of hippos with almost 100 hippos for every kilometre. As we take in this scene from Africas version of the Jungle Book, we are told that baboons can spot predators from a distance. And when they spot one, their loud wailings alert others of their kind and also the impalas that pick up on these warning signs. The life source of this rich fauna at the national park is the Luangwa River. A tributary of the mighty Zambezi River, it meanders through the heart of the valley and rises and falls sharply with every season. The water level drops at the advent of winter when the river shrinks, drawing game to the waterholes. Our walk is interrupted when the radio, tucked in our guides hand, crackles to life. After a brief exchange in his native language, our guide motions us towards the land rover. A leopard preying on his kill has been sighted nearby and as we reach the spot, our guide turns off the engine and motions us to be completely silent. As I scan through the thick grassy plains with my binoculars, I sense a presence. I catch my breath as my eyes meet the leopards as it stretches for a nap, barely bothered by his onlookers. A half-eaten impala, probably the mighty jungle cats lunch, lay beside him. Savouring this prized encounter, I feel privileged as this truly immersive experience of being in Africas wilderness comes to an end. While everyone knew that Atal Bihari Vajpayee shared a special connect with Lucknow, very few were aware of the young dear friend in the city who was given a special handwritten, hassle-free entry pass to his 6, Raisina Road residence in New Delhi by the former Prime Minister himself. The special pass given to Aradhya Krishna, alias Kanha, who was then was just a six-year-old, read: Priy Kanha ko humne milne ke liye bulaya hai, koi inhe roke nahi, aane diya jaye. Ye hamare mehmaan hain (Dear Kanha has been called by me. Please allow him entry as he is my guest). Issued on April 27, 1996, a yellowish, handwritten-pass bearing Vajpayees signature and the address of his residence is not the only testimony to the warmth of the relationship between Kanha and the man he calls his Baba. There are scores of photos of Vajpayee with the child, playing, celebrating birthdays, and generally having a good time. So who is Kanha? He is the son of Alok Awasthi, the neighbour of the former PM during his stay in a government accommodation, La Palace in Hazratganj, Lucknow. Atalji was deeply attached to Kanha , says Awasthi. Atal ji used to stay in 301 and 302 the two flats that were combined for his accommodation. He had a peculiar habit of boarding lift from the first floor and not from the ground floor. Many times, Kanha would see him and call out Baba or say Baba aa gaye (Baba has come home) and in return Atal ji would hug him and offer him some sweets and this became a routine. This was in 1994, even before Atalji became PM. Kanha was just four. What surprised the Awasthi family the most was that the bond that former PM had with Kanha continued even after he became PM. I still remember Kanha calling him from a PCO (public call office) and he used to take the call himself. Indeed he was a man who used to value a relationship, Awasthi added. 29 March 1999 was a memorable day not only for Kanha but also for the entire Awasthi family when the PM was in Lucknow for some work. Baba was in Lucknow when he came to know about my birthday. I and my family was shocked to see PM and state chief minister Kalyan Singh at our place to attend a cake cutting ceremony. It was the best possible gift Baba gave me on my birthday, said an inconsolable Kanha. The duo not only had cake but also dined with the family. Kanha said he still has a big teddy bear that the PM gifted him. Since then he made a point to be in Lucknow or call me to the PMs house to celebrate my birthday. I remember doing this till 2004, he said. He said Vajpayees demise was an irreparable loss to him. He was my Baba. I have lost him, he added. He said, Vajpayee may be a politician for some or a poet for others, but for me he was my grandfather, which whom I shared some of the most cherished moments of my life. Incidentally, Kanha is also one of the select few who got to visit an ailing Vajpayee in New Delhi. I visited him in June this year when his health deteriorated and he was hospitalised, he said. Kanha, now 28, is an activist of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He said his only aim is to carry forward Vajpayees ideology and to follow in his footsteps. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday said it had arrested a person from Aurangabad in Maharashtra who was one of the suspected gunmen involved in the August 2013 murder of Narendra Dabholkar, who fought against superstition and espoused rationalism. Dabholkar was murdered in Pune by two bike-riding men who shot him from point-blank range. Following a demand by members of Dabholkar;s family, the case was handed over to the CBI for investigation. CBI has today (Saturday) arrested Sh. Sachin Prakasrao Andure of Aurangabad (Maharashtra) in Dabholkar Murder case. He was allegedly one of the shooters who fired at Dr.Narendra Dabholkar, a CBI spokesman said. Virendra Tawde, alleged to be a member of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, considered to be a splinter group of the right-wing Sanatan Sanstha, has already been charged in the case by CBI. Tawde has been accused of involvement in the conspiracy to kill Dabholkar. Tawde is also an accused in the murder of communist leader Govind Pansare in 2015. Investigators in the CBI have long suspected that the murders of Pansare and Dabholkar were connected with killing of another rationalist, MM Kalburgi, in Karnataka in 2015. There were a lot of similarities in the way all three were murdered, an investigator who once probed the matter said on condition of anonymity. During their probe into the September 2017 killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru, the Karnataka police too found that the suspects in the case have links with the conspirators in the murders of Dabholkar, Karburgi and Pansare. As Kerala is struggling to cope with the flood fury, 21-year-old college student, who was trolled for selling fish to meet her educational needs, has contributed Rs 1.5 lakh towards the Chief Ministers Disaster Relief Fund. Hanan, a college student from Kochi, said the money was donated by various people after her struggle to fund her studies and take care of her family was widely shared on the social media. I had got the amount from people and I am happy to give back the amount to the needy, she said. Hanan, who also worked as an anchor and flower girl for programmes to make ends meet, requested people to donate for the relief work. A B.Sc student at a private college at Thodupuzha in Idukki district, Hanans story had gone viral after a Malayalam daily reported her struggles. But, a section of social media users expressed doubts about her struggles and claimed it was fake. Besides Hanan, people from various walks of life are generously contributing money and various essentials for helping the needy. Sajeesh, a government employee and husband of nurse Lini Puthussery, who died of Nipah after she contracted the deadly virus from a patient, donated his first salary of Rs 25,000 to the relief fund. The Kerala government had given Sajeesh a job in the health sector in recognition of Linis selfless service. Sixty eight-year-old Rohini from Thalassery in Kannur district, who draws a monthly pension of Rs 600 and has no other source of income, contributed Rs 1000 online to the relief fund. Social media groups, students, actors and NGOs are among those who have made contributions to the relief fund. Starting on August 25, Congress leaders will fan out across the country to inform the people about alleged irregularities in the deal to purchase Rafale fighter aircraft from the French military planemaker Dassault Aviation, and hold nationwide protests. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday, in a follow-up to discussions by the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on August 4. At that meeting, the Congress had decided to launch a Jan Andolan (peoples movement) on the Rafale deal and multiple bank frauds to target the Prime Minister and his party ahead of year-end state elections and the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. A core team comprising senior Congress leaders and six party spokespersons -- S Jaipal Reddy, Arjun Modhwadia, Shaktisinh Gohil, Pawan Khera, Priyanka Chaturvedi and Jaiveer Shergill -- has been picked to spearhead the campaign. In the next 30 days, Congress workers will fan out and hold demonstrations in districts and states on the Rafale issue. CWC members, general secretaries, in-charges of states, secretaries and others will go from block to state level and demand a fair and independent probe into the deal, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala told reporters after the meeting. We want the government to immediately constitute a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) to probe the Rafale scam. We will push the government, we will not stop, we will not be deterred and we will continue to push for ensuring that the Rafale scam and corruption scams are exposed, he said. The National Democratic Alliances decision to enter a government-to-government deal with France to buy 36 Rafael warplanes made by Dassault was announced in April 2015, with an agreement signed a little over a year later. This replaced the previous United Progressive Alliance regimes decision to buy 126 Rafael aircraft, 108 of which were to be made in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. The UPA deal, struck in 2012, was not a viable one, former defence minister Manohar Parrikar has said. The deal has also become controversial on account of the fact that one of the offset deals signed by Dassault was with the Reliance Group of Anil Ambani and the opposition. The Congress claims the earlier deal was scrapped and a new one signed just to provide Ambani this opportunity. Both the government and Reliance have denied this. Sniffing an electoral opportunity in the Rafale deal, the Congress has been relentlessly keeping up the heat on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Alleging that it is the corruption of the century, Gandhi has been claiming that the deal was aimed at bailing out debt-ridden corporate cronies of the Prime Minister. Citing figures, Gandhi has claimed that the Modi government was buying each aircraft at a cost of Rs 1,670 crore when the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime had finalised a price of Rs 570 crore per aircraft in 2012. Political analysts concede the Rafale deal is a key issue but point out that the Congress would have to highlight people-centric matters such as price rise to win over voters. Rafale will definitely give them [the Congress] some traction in the media and draw the attention of opinion makers. But this is not enough. They need to talk about price rise that has a bigger relevance from the public point of view and makes a significant difference in elections, said Delhi-based political analyst N Bhaskara Rao. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayees home in Kamal Singh ka Bagh locality in Gwalior, where he was born and lived till he finished his college education, reflects his simplicity and down to earth lifestyle, said people close to the former PM. The house has a library for everyone and a computer training institute named after the former PMs father Krishna Bihari Vajpayee. The library and the institute which offers training to needy students free of any charge, are being run by a trust. The former PMs niece Kanti Mishra, 75, and her family live in the house. Rambabu Katare, a neighbour of the former prime minister said: His father was a teacher in a local school and Atal ji started going to Gorakhi school, which was run by the then rulers of Gwalior. His three brothers also used to go to the same school. The Prime Minister also graduated from the citys Victoria College (now Maharani Laxmibai College), where he received a scholarship from the royal family of Gwalior. Vajpayee then went to Uttar Pradesh for higher studies. Seval Sathyarthi, 85, who knew Vajpayee in his school days, said the former PM was always interested in reading and had extremely good oratorical skills. It was because of his Hindi oratory that he got associated with (Jana Sangh founder Shyama Prasad) Mookerjee. Atal ji used to translate Mookerjees speeches in English into Hindi with ease, he recalled. Vajpayee joined the Jana Sangh in 1951. Sathyarhti, a well-known poet, said that his house is only around 400 metres from Vajpayees, the two used to regularly meet and share their ideas on poetry. Dr Jaiveer Bhardwaj, state president of the Hindu Mahasabha, said Vajpayee had never misused government machinery. In 1984, when Vajpayee suffered a surprise loss in the city in the Lok Sabha elections (at the hands of Madav Rao Scindia), the former PM was sad, he added, but his bond with Gwalior remained intact. Bhadrwaj would like to see the Lashkar area of the city named after Vajpayee. To be sure, Gwalior doesnt have any major establishment named after the former prime minister, except the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management (ABVIIITM). After his loss in 1984 (he won from the city in 1971), Vajpayee shifted to Lucknow constituency. Katare demanded that the former PMs house now being used for running a trust and the Gorakhi school ,in particular, should be upgraded as a memorial to commemorate the great leader. Pandey said all the institutions associated with the former PM are in a bad shape. (With inputs from HTC, Gwalior) In his over half-century Lok Sabha career between 1957 and 2009, Atal Bihari Vajpayee lost two elections but found his bastion only midway through his journey. The former prime minister, who passed away on Thursday, made his electoral debut in Indias second general elections in 1957, contesting on a Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) ticket from Uttar Pradeshs Mathura and Balrampur constituencies. While he secured just 10% of the popular vote in Mathura, he won Balrampur with 52% of the votes. However Vajapyee could not retain the seat in the 1962 elections, where he also finished second on Lucknow. Vajpayee then went on to win the next four Lok Sabha elections but from different seats, and different parties. While he returned to the Lok Sabha in 1967 from Balrampur, he switched to Gwalior in the 1971 general elections and to New Delhi in the 1977 and 1980 elections. While he contested the first two as BJS nominee, he was the Janata Party candidate in the post-Emergency 1977 election and then of the newly-formed Bharatiya Janata Party in 1980. However, he was defeated from Gwalior in the Congress landslide in the 1984 general elections, held in wake of the Indira Gandhi assassination, securing just 29% of the votes. That was not only the last time he lost in a Lok Sabha election, but also the last time he changed a seat. In the next five elections (1991, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2004), he stood and won from Lucknow. Howindialives.com is a database and search engine for public data. India on Saturday condoled the death of former UN Secretary General and Nobel laureate Kofi Annan with President Ram Nath Kovind expressing his condolences to the former Ghanaian diplomats family and the UN community as a whole. Sorry to learn of the passing of former Secretary General of the United Nations Kofi Annan, Kovind said on the Rashtrapati Bhavan Twitter handle. My condolences to his family and to the UN community, he stated. Annan, 80, died on Saturday in Switzerland after a short illness, with his wife and three children by his side. It is with immense sadness that the Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation announce that the former Secretary General of the UN and Nobel Peace Laureate, passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness, his family said. Aam Aadmi Party convenor and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal condoled Annans death, terming it as a great loss to humanity. Kejriwal in his Independence Day speech on August 15, had recalled Annans praise for his governments initiative Mohalla Clinics, and announced that the Nobel Peace Prize laureate would visit Delhi in September, to see for himself the running of the clinics. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted, Today we mourn the passing away of Kofi Annan. He was an able diplomat who served as UN Secretary-General. His contribution to peace won him the Nobel Prize in 2001. My heartfelt condolences to his family and his admirers around the world. Kofi Annan was a proud son of Africa, a great admirer of India, a voice of the developing world, a paragon of internationalism & an exemplar of humanity. The @UN was fortunate to have been led by him at a pivotal moment in world history. He remains one of its greatest SecGens. https://t.co/CxPxtYNZIo Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) August 18, 2018 Annan was the first black African to take up the role of the worlds top diplomat, serving two terms from 1997 to 2006. He later served as the UN special envoy for Syria, leading efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. He also led a UN commission to investigate the Rohingya refugee crisis in Myanmar. The Myanmar government led by Aung San Suu Kyi supported Annans recommendations on the crisis in the countrys Rakhine State. Annan was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with the UN in 2001 for their work for a better organised and more peaceful world. His tenure as the UN chief coincided with the Iraq war and the HIV/Aids pandemic. Bolstered by the Army, Navy and Air force, the state government on Saturday intensified relief operations in Kodagu district, as six people were killed in rain-related incidents during the last 24 hours. Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy undertook an aerial survey of the district which has been experiencing heavy rain for the past three days. Deputy chief minister Parameshwara tweeted today six people have been killed in Kodagu due to floods and landslides during the last 24 hours. Government has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of each of the deceased, he said, adding that the government would take care of the treatment of the injured. Landslides were reported from some places in the district and authorities have stepped up efforts to rescue stranded people, officials said. There is a severe situation for the past three days. Now the central and state rescue teams are working on a war footing, Kumaraswamy told reporters here. An M17 Air Force helicopter has been deployed to provide food packets to the marooned and to airlift them, the chief minister said. The government has deployed as many as 948 personnel from the army engineering task force, Dogra regiment, Indian Navy, national disaster response force, fire and emergency services, home guards and civil defence, Kumaraswamy said. In addition to this, 200 NCC cadets have also been deployed, he added. About 50 earthmovers have also been working round the clock to clear debris caused by the landslips. Boats are also being used in the rescue operations. More than 2,500 people have been rescued.. in Jodupal village alone, 348 people have been rescued, he said. The state government has sanctioned Rs 100 crore for undertaking relief work in Kodagu district. A sum of Rs 200 crore was announced as grant-in-aid to the affected districts for relief work a few days ago. A committee, comprising senior administrative officers led by chief secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar, has been constituted tomonitor relief operations, Kumaraswamy said. In Jodupal village, about 300 acres of land are lost in landslides. As many as 39 relief camps have been set up in the state, of which 30 are in Kodagu alone and the rest are in Dakshina Kannada district, he said. Revenue officers and doctors from Mysuru, Ramanagar, Mandya, Hassan and Chamarajnagar have been deployed in large numbers in Kodagu district. Government has supplied 2.5 lakh litres drinking water for Kodagu district and efforts are also on to restore power supply in rain-hit areas, he said. Kumaraswamy said he has directed officials to identify those who have lost their houses. At least 800 houses have been completely damaged in Kodagu due to rain..I have directed district authorities to identify those who have lost their houses and prepare a list. Considering them as special cases, Rs 2 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh will be given as compensation to them, he said. Officials said 67 helicopters, 24 aeroplanes and 548 motorboats have fanned out across Kerala in what has turned into one of the biggest rescue operations to be carried out in India, involving more than a hundred thousand personnel from the armed forces, the Coast Guard, and federal and state disaster response forces. The rescuers have raced against time to reach thousands of people trapped on rooftops as water from swollen rivers reached as high as the second storey of houses in some regions. The flooding, described by the chief minister as the worst in nearly a century, began shortly after August 8 when a spell on unusually heavy rain began. In this period, nearly 222 people have died and around 350,000 have been taken to relief camps. It is one of the biggest relief operations undertaken in recent years, a home ministry official said, asking not to be named since he was not authorised to speak on the matter. In addition to the state government, the Union government is closely coordinating the deployment of central resources, including those from the Army, Navy and the Air Force. The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), headed by cabinet secretary PK Sinha, met for the third time in three days on Saturday to review the rescue and relief operations. To contribute to the Kerala governments relief fund: Account number: 67319948232 Bank: State Bank of India Branch: City branch, Thiruvananthapuram IFS Code: SBIN0070028 PAN: AAAGD0584M Name of Donee: CMDRF The Naval airstrip in Kochi will be opened for commercial flights by August 20, the committee was informed. The Kochi airport has been flooded. Union rail minister Piyush Goyal said his ministry was also pitching in. Railways will now provide free transportation of relief material for Kerala through various State Govt agencies, PSUs and other Government agencies, Goyal tweeted. Central ministries had till Saturday pitched in with 300,000 food packets, 600,000 MT of milk, 1,400,000 litres of drinking water and 150 potable water purification kits. Read: Kerala woman refuses to leave flooded house without her 25 dogs Telecom operators have already announced free calling, messaging and data services in the state. Citizens collective have also launched massive collection in drives across the country, tapping into social media to urge people to head to nearby centres and contribute with medicines, clothes, water bottles and other items of basic need. We are sending our first lot of meal boxes to Wayanad on Sunday. By next week, more material will be sent to Mundalur in Kannur. Our intention is to provide immediate assistance to the affected families, and once the rains subside, help them get back to their normal lives as soon as possible, said Dola Mohapatra, the executive director of Rise Against Hunger India (RAHI), an international non-government organisation. (With inputs from agencies) Kerala helpline numbers Kasargode: +91 9446601700 +91 9446601700 Kannur: +91 944 6682300 +91 944 6682300 Kozhikode: +91 944 6538900 +91 944 6538900 Wayanad: +91 807 8409770 +91 807 8409770 Malappuram: +91 938 3463212 +91 938 3463212 Malappuram: +91 938 3464212 +91 938 3464212 Thrissur: +91 944 7074424 +91 944 7074424 Thrissur: +91 487 2363424 +91 487 2363424 Palakkad: +91 8301803282 +91 8301803282 Ernakulam: +91 790 2200400 +91 790 2200400 Ernakulam: +91 790 2200300 Alappuzha: +91 477 2238630 +91 477 2238630 Alappuzha: +91 949 5003630 +91 949 5003630 Alappuzha: +91 949 5003640 +91 949 5003640 Idukki: +91 9061566111 +91 9061566111 Idukki: +91 9383463036 +91 9383463036 Kottayam: +91 944 6562236 +91 944 6562236 Kottayam: +91 944 6562236 +91 944 6562236 Pathanamthitta: +91 807 8808915 +91 807 8808915 Kollam: +91 944 7677800 +91 944 7677800 Thiruvananthapuram: +91 949 7711281 Thirty-three more people died on Saturday in floods triggered by 10 days of torrential rainfall in Kerala, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi carried out an aerial survey of the devastation left by one of the worst natural calamities to hit the state and announced Rs 500 crore in aid, a fourth of the amount sought by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. As the first signs emerged of the rains letting up, relief and rescue teams deployed by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) as well as the three armed forces were still engaged in a massive operation distributing food and other essentials and rescuing the marooned across Kerala. Even so, the magnitude of the disaster is such that relief supplies couldnt reach everyone, and many complained of going without food or potable water for days together. One relief official in Kochi said: The magnitude of the disaster is really great. We are finding it difficult to manage... Saturdays deaths took the toll to at least 226 since flooding began on August 18 when rain intensified. Revenue officials said at least 20,000 houses had been destroyed and 15,000 partially damaged by the swirling floodwaters and relentless rain, as the state stared at the possibility of epidemic outbreaks when the water that has inundated half the state starts receding . On Saturday, the fury of the weather showed signs of abating, prompting the authorities to lift the read alert in all but three of Keralas 14 districts. After August 19 intensity of the rain will decrease. Now red alert will remain only in three districts, Idukki, Ernakulam and Patthanamthitta, said Thiruvananthapurams regional met office director K Santhosh. Chief minister Vijayan said the situation was under control and domestic air services would start from the Kochi naval base on Monday. Large aircraft cant operate in naval base so we are starting with domestic air service. Initially three domestic routes will be opened and eventually it can increase till the closed Cochin International Airport will be ready, he said. The flood-hit Cochi airport is closed until August 26. Southern railway said train services on the Kottayam-Ernakulam section will begin on Sunday on a trial basis. Services on all others suspended routes will also begin shortly. After his aerial survey, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief and sorrow on the unfortunate deaths and damage caused to property due to floods in Kerala on Twitter. Also Read: Kerala floods: 67 choppers, 24 planes, 548 boats mobilised in one of the largest rescue operations in India He announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh per person to the next kin of the dead and Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured, from the Prime Ministers National Relief Fund. Vijayan said 58,506 people were evacuated on Saturday and said he was confident the rescue operation will be completed by Sunday evening if the weather conditions improve. People of the state rose to the occasion to face the worst disaster of the century. If this unity and cohesion remains, we can rebuild the affected areas fast, he said. He praised the Centre for its timely help and the role of central forces in alleviating the suffering of people. Vijayan put the initial loss to the state at Rs 19, 512 crore. He has sought initial central assistance of Rs.2,000 crore, and the Rs. 500 crore in aid announced by Prime Minister Modi is too little, according to the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishan and Congress party leader Ramesh Chennithala. The Congress has demanded that the floods in Kerala be declared a national disaster. With the power supply and communications network collapsing in many areas, and amid a shortage of food, water and medicines, the government faces an uphill battle ahead in the aftermath of the diaster, said a senior official who didnt want to be named. Roads are cut off and public transport virtually non-existent.With all water bodies contaminated, the threat of epidemics is looming. Families trapped in high rise flats, students stranded in hostels and devotees at places of worship used social media platforms to seek help and relay information about their locations using Google maps. Videos of people pleading for help with folded hands continued to flood social media. If help wont reach, people will die of starvation, Chengannur MLA Saji Cherian said. To contribute to the Kerala governments relief fund: Account number: 67319948232 Bank: State Bank of India Branch: City branch, Thiruvananthapuram IFS Code: SBIN0070028 PAN: AAAGD0584M Name of Donee: CMDRF Kerala helpline numbers Kasargode: +91 9446601700 +91 9446601700 Kannur: +91 944 6682300 +91 944 6682300 Kozhikode: +91 944 6538900 +91 944 6538900 Wayanad: +91 807 8409770 +91 807 8409770 Malappuram: +91 938 3463212 +91 938 3463212 Malappuram: +91 938 3464212 +91 938 3464212 Thrissur: +91 944 7074424 +91 944 7074424 Thrissur: +91 487 2363424 +91 487 2363424 Palakkad: +91 8301803282 +91 8301803282 Ernakulam: +91 790 2200400 +91 790 2200400 Ernakulam: +91 790 2200300 Alappuzha: +91 477 2238630 +91 477 2238630 Alappuzha: +91 949 5003630 +91 949 5003630 Alappuzha: +91 949 5003640 +91 949 5003640 Idukki: +91 9061566111 +91 9061566111 Idukki: +91 9383463036 +91 9383463036 Kottayam: +91 944 6562236 +91 944 6562236 Kottayam: +91 944 6562236 +91 944 6562236 Pathanamthitta: +91 807 8808915 +91 807 8808915 Kollam: +91 944 7677800 +91 944 7677800 Thiruvananthapuram: +91 949 7711281 As she turns 48, actress Manisha Koirala talks about her birthday celebrations and her plans for the year ahead. Actress Manisha Koirala, who turned 48 on August 16, says thats shes never felt better. Letting us in on the details of her birthday bash, she says, I had a party and all my friends from the film industry, even the people I havent worked with for years, came to the party. There was Rekha ji, stunning as ever, who lit up my birthday with her presence and blessings. And even Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who hardly ever socialises, made it a point to be there for my special day, says Manisha, after a night of partying. What truly made her day was the presence of the entire team of her debut film, Saudagar, at her celebrations. It seems like yesterday that I made my debut in Saudagar. My director Subhash Ghai, my leading man Vivek Mushran, my co-stars and dear friends Jaggu dada (Jackie Shroff) and Gulshan Arora all showed up for my party. Even Shah Rukh came, she says. The actress is gratified to know that theres still so much goodwill for her in the film industry. At the end of the day, what do we have except for the goodwill weve earned? Im glad I am still thought of with affection by colleagues I havent worked with for years, she says. Manishas parents were in Mumbai for the celebration, but her brother, Siddharth, couldnt make it. I really missed Siddharth and my bhabhi. But someone had to stay back in Nepal to look after our interests there, she says. And while all her friends let their hair down and enjoyed themselves, Manisha remained completely sober. Ive given up alcohol completely. I lead a regimented life with no breaks from my disciplined routine, Manisha says. The actress is currently in the process of having her first book published. I have two books planned a memoir, which I will write later, and a book based on my experiences with health and fitness, which Ive completed. Its gone to the publisher now, and it should be out by December, she says. The actress is now focussed on quality rather than quantity when it comes to her acting career. Id rather not act for a few months than do the wrong kind of films. I have so much else to do, apart from acting. I love to travel and I will be doing just that later this year. Right now, Ive just done Sanju, and its been so well received. Ive also got immense appreciation for my part in Lust Stories. 3 more NDRF teams moved from Pune to Kerala Three more teams of NDRF have been moved from Pune to Kerala. Earlier, 4 teams had been sent. A total of 7 NDRF teams from Pune have been sent for rescue operation, reports ANI. NDRF rescue operation in Kerala Navy rescued 200 people, atmosphere much better today: MLA Saji Cherian Chengannur MLA Saji Cherian, who broke down on a TV show on Friday, says, People in remote areas were scared and boats werent able to rescue them. Thats what caused my reaction. Today, Navy has rescued 200 people and atmosphere is much better. Coast guard rescues 127 people stranded in East Kadangaloor #KeralaFloods2018 #OPRAHAT @IndiaCoastGuard Team rescued 127 marooned people from the flooded homes of East #Kadangaloor including a 10 day old infant and also a mother with advanced pregnancy today. All shifted to safety @DefenceMinIndia @CMOKerala @DG_PIB @SpokespersonMoD pic.twitter.com/QulykklUoL Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) August 18, 2018 Railways to run special trains from Chennai to Kerala Aircraft hangar in Kochi Naval Base houses 250 people #KeralaFloods2018 #KeralaFloodRelief #OpMadad A makeshift Relief shelter in an aircraft hangar in Naval Base Kochi housing at least 250 affected citizens of Kerala. Naval families in attendance to look after their needs 24X7 pic.twitter.com/mgJjYNiDat SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) August 18, 2018 IMD withdraws red alert for Kerala tomorrow IMD withdraws red alert for Kerala tomorrow. Only 3 districts - Pathanamthitta, Idukki and Ernakulam - warned of orange alert. All other districts warned of yellow and green alert, hinting likely rainfall at some places, reports Doordarshan news. Telangana rushes 100 metric tonnes of food The Telangana government has dispatched 100 metric tonnes of nutritious food for children in flood-hit Kerala. The food manufactured by Telangana Foods, a state government enterprise, was airlifted to Kerala on Saturday. According to officials, the food known as Balamrutham is worth Rs 52.5 lakh. The food was airlifted by two Defence aircraft (C17 Globemaster) from Begumpet Airport. The food is expected to provide supplementary nutrition to about 50,000 children for 10 days, said the officials All Uttarakhand ministers, BJP MLAs to donate one month salary All ministers and BJP MLAs of Uttarakhand to donate their one month salary towards Kerala flood relief, reports ANI. Liverpool offers help to Kerala flood victims Liverpool Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Peter Moore on Friday promised to help the Kerala flood victims after the teams official supporters club, the Kerala Reds, sought help. Dear @KeralaReds Our international supporters liaison team will be in contact to see what we can do to help. Thank you for reaching out, and please know that all of us here @LFC are thinking about you in this time of extreme difficulty #YNWA https://t.co/UJzscZZS6Y Peter Moore (@PeterMooreLFC) August 17, 2018 Rajasthan announces financial assistance of Rs 10 crore Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje announces financial assistance of Rs 10 crore from the state government, reports ANI. 3 flights to operate from Kochi Naval Base airport from August 20: CM Three flights will start operate from the Kochi Naval Base airport from August 20. One will fly from Kochi to Coimbatore, two will fly from Kochi to Bengaluru, CM says. We are in the midst of a disaster, must face it together: CM Please remember we are in the midst of a disaster, we must face it together. We have been able to deal with this disaster because of our unity so far, and this we must continue, says CM. The chief minister said that the death toll for today was 33. Centre was informed of situation every day: CM The Prime Minister, Home Minister and Defence Minister were kept informed of the situation in the state every day. The Home ministry initially announced Rs 100 crore as aid. The Prime Minister today announced Rs 500 crore in relief. The losses due to rain and floods are at Rs 19,512 crore. We requested Rs 2000 crore from the Centre for immediate relief, says CM. 5 districts were given warning much in advance: CM CM Pinarayi Vajayan holds press conference. The state government gave Wayanad, Alappuzha, Palakkad, Kozhikode and Kannur warning much in advance, he says. Actor Salim Kumar, 45 others rescued from his house National award winning actor Salim Kumar, after remaining holed up in his house along with 45 others for three days, was finally rescued by a fishing boat on Saturday evening, reports IANS. I was receiving daily calls from NDRF officials even from Delhi that rescue will happen very soon, but help came after three days, said Salimkumar. BPCL ensures fuel supply for rescue operations The BPCL has made all the arrangements in its Kochi Refinery to ensure normal operations. The Kochi Refinery management committee under Executive Director, Prasad K Panicker is reviewing the operation round the clock and a 24-hours control room has been opened to coordinate with external agencies, said the BPCL in a statement. The water pumping station of Kochi Refinery at Edamula, Aluva, that supplies water for the refinery operations has been flooded. However, presently, Kochi Refinery has water to meet the requirements for the next two days only and alternative arrangements are being made through in-house resources to meet the water requirements thereafter, the statement added Kochi naval air strip to be open for commercial aircraft from Monday Kochi naval air strip to be made available for commercial aircraft from Monday, says government. Air Indias subsidiary -- Alliance Air -- had operated a proving flight to the Kochi naval base as an option for rescue operations in the state. The exercise was aimed at confirming the feasibility of having Alliance Air operate more flights to Kochis defence airbase with turboprops to evacuate passengers, Air India said in a statement. Rajasthan SDRF team leaves for Kerala to provide relief 27-member team of the Rajasthan State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) left for Kerala with 8 boats and 15 jawans from Jaipur and 4 boats and 12 jawans from Jodhpur from a special aircraft of the Indian Air Force to provide relief and assistance to those affected by the floods. We are in touch with the Additional Director General of Police, Police Headquarters of Kerala. The team will be pressed into services on his instructions. The team is in a position to go to the immediate relief and assistance, Additional Director General of SDRF B L Soni said. 3 lakh food packets, 14 lakh litres of drinking water provided by Centre So far, various Central ministries have made available food, water and medicines which include 3,00,000 food packets, 6,00,000 MT of milk, 14,00,000 litres of drinking water, 150 potable water purification kits with capacity of 1,00,000 litre each, says NCMC. 5 more helicopters to be deployed tomorrow: Crisis management committee 67 helicopters, 24 aircraft, 548 motorboats and thousands of rescue personnel from Navy, Army, Air Force, NDRF, Coast Guard, other CAPFs have been pressed into service to evacuate people from submerged areas to relief camps and distribute relief materials, National Crisis Management Committee said. More than 6900 life jackets,3000 life buoys,167 inflatable tower lights, 2100 raincoats,1300 gumboots and 153 chainsaws have been provided as per request of the state government.The Cabinet Secretary directed 5 more helicopters to be mobilised by IAF, Navy and ONGC which will be pressed into service by tomorrow, said NCMC. Mobile operators offering free SMS, data services: Govt All mobile operators have offered free SMS and data services in Kerala, says government. Rainfall intensity to reduce from August 20: IMD Kerala is not expected to receive heavy rainfall from August 20, Mritunjay Mohapatra, IMD Additional Director General said. He said the southern state received 170 per cent more precipitation than its normal from August 1 to August 17. Day before yesterday, there was heavy rainfall in almost all districts of Kerala. Yesterday, there was heavy rainfall in 3-4 districts. Today, we were expecting heavy rainfall in isolated places, but not very heavy rainfall. Tomorrow, we are expecting heavy rainfall in only 1-2 districts and remaining places of the state will only witness moderate rainfall. From August 20, we are not expecting any heavy rainfall. Gradually, the rainfall intensity is decreasing, Mohapatra said. Red alert issued in Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Ernakulam Red alert has been issued for tomorrow in Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Ernakulam districts in Kerala, reports ANI. Uttarakhand announces Rs 5 crore Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat announces Rs 5 crore from the state government for Kerala. The Chief Minister will also donate his one month salary for relief operations, reports ANI. Southern Railways flood relief measures Special trains running between Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram Sending rice worth Rs 7.5 crore tomorrow: Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh I spoke to Kerala CM today. Weve decided that a train full of rice worth around Rs 7.5 crore will leave for Kerala tomorrow. Rs 3 crore will be provided in cash. Doctors, soldiers and even public of our state is ready to go there to help, Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh. Situation alarming, Centre taking all steps to help people: BJP Situation in Kerala is very alarming and the reports coming from the state has made the whole nation sad, BJP leader P. Muralidhar Rao said while addressing a press conference in New Delhi. BJP is with the people of Kerala in this hour of crisis and devastation, he said. More than 5,000 initiatives by different organisations has been taken up in Kerala, and the BJP has taken over 200 initiatives for the state. These initiatives will be further increased as the flood water starts receding, Rao added. Hyundai Motor India donates Rs 1 crore Senior vice-president of automobile company Hyundai Motor India Stephen Sudhakar and the south zone - business head of the company Y S Chang Sr handed over a cheque for Rs one crore to the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram Tamil Nadu IAS officers donate one days salary IAS officers in Tamil Nadu have decided to chip in by each contributing a days salary to the fund, a press release from the president of the Tamil Nadu IAS Officers Association PWC Davidar said. Rajinikanth donates Rs 15 lakh to CMs relief fund Actor Rajinikanth donated Rs 15 lakh and director Shankar granted Rs 10 lakh for the flood victims, sources told PTI. Rs 500 crore not enough, increase funds for relief, Rahul tells PM Dear PM, Increasing funds allocated for Kerala relief to Rs.500 Cr is a good step but nowhere near enough. It is critical you declare the floods as a National Disaster. Please do not vacillate as the people of Kerala are suffering. #KeralaFloodRelief https://t.co/AxabEOHftR Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 18, 2018 300 rescued in Chengannur: Minister Massive rescue operation is underway in Chengannur, more than 300 people have been rescued. We need engineers to help us construct makeshift bridges so that rescue operations can be a carried out in forest areas, says minister G Sudhakaran. Train with 14.5 lakh litres of drinking water to reach Kerala by Sunday A 29-wagon train carrying 14.5 lakh litres of drinking water left from Pune around 5pm. It is expected to reach Kayankulam junction in Kerala within 24-28 hours. Relief material being dropped by Air Force in Chengannur #Kerala: Relief material being dropped by Indian Air Force in Alappuzha district's Chengannur. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/lHF75DHVZv ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 Navys Operation Madad scaled up for rescue in many parts of Kerala Navys Operation Madad has been scaled up for rescue in many parts of Kerala. SNC rescue teams have been augmented by Gemini boats, divers and other resources from both Eastern and Western Naval Commands of the India Navy. Seventy-two diving teams deployed across multiple locations in the state. Air rescue has been carried out at various places of the three badly affected districts Thrissur, Ernakulam and Pathanamthitta. Various aircraft including ALH, Sea King, Chetak and MI 17 (of IAF) rescued more than 154 people till now, reports ANI. Confident will be able to rescue more stranded people: Alappuzha SP Alappuzha Superintendent of Police AP Surendran tells IANS: Things are moving fast on Saturday. Helicopters and more boats have been pressed into service. We are confident we will be able to rescue more stranded people. PM Modi thanks UAE for its support A big thanks to @hhshkmohd for his gracious offer to support people of Kerala during this difficult time. His concern reflects the special ties between governments and people of India and UAE. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 18, 2018 Navys rescue operation in Chengannur Chengannur has been cut off for four days. State food minister P Thilothaman, who has been camping at Chengannur, told the media: The need of the hour is that people require food packets and drinking water. About 15 small boats of the Navy are expected to join rescue and relief work. But, after dusk, no rescues are possible. Helicopters are also needed for faster evacuation. Dalai Lama offers aid to Kerala Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has written to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and made a donation towards relief and rescue efforts. I am writing to express my sadness at the loss of life and devastation of property, the letter said, as well as the hardship caused to so many people due to unprecedented flooding in parts of your state. I appreciate that every effort is being made to rescue those affected and that relief efforts are underway. As a mark of my solidarity with the people of Kerala, I am making a donation from the Gaden Phodrang Trust of the Dalai Lama towards relief and rescue efforts, it said. Visuals from village in Palakkad #KeralaFloods: Visuals from a flood affected village in Kerala's Palakkad pic.twitter.com/wjicHcGVzD ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 Centre working on providing medicines for post-flood prevention of diseases JP Nadda, minister for health and family welfare, says he is monitoring the flood situation in Kerala on a continuous basis. The Central government is coordinating with Kerala and working towards providing them medicines needed for post-flood prevention of vector borne diseases acute diarrhoeal diseases, zoonotic diseases, snake bites and dog bites besides focusing on disinfection of drinking water sources. Other States in the country have also come forward to support Kerala in conjunction with Government of India for such supplies, he told ANI. Karnataka deploys 3 buses to pick up over 150 people stranded in Keralas Thrissur Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation has deployed 3 Airavat club class buses to pick up more than 150 people stranded in Keralas Thrissur, from Palakkad to Mangalore and will not charge any fares to them, reports ANI. Video of Air Force carrying out winching operations #KeralaFloodRelief efforts - The video depicts one of many winching operations that are being executed by the @IAF_MCC in Kerala. The @IAF_MCC continues to deploy helicopters and fixed wing aircraft to augment rescue operations during #KeralaFloods2018@nsitharaman pic.twitter.com/2QSjiNDnxB Raksha Mantri (@DefenceMinIndia) August 18, 2018 Pinarayi Vijayan cancels trip to US for medical treatment Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has called off his proposed trip to the US for medical treatment, an official said on Saturday. Vijayan was scheduled to leave for Mayo Clinic in the USA on Sunday. According to the Chief Ministers travel programme, which was confirmed after he returned from the US last month, he along with his wife was to leave on Sunday for the treatment of an undisclosed ailment, and was scheduled to return after 17 days. It is, however, not known if his trip has been deferred or cancelled altogether. Visuals of road damage in Palakkad Palakkad: Roads damaged due to landslides and floods caused by heavy and incessant rainfall in the region. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/gE2RZVN7ul ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 Nothing wrong with Enamavu Bund: Thrissur district collector Thrissur district collector TV Anupama says on Facebook, There are no problems with the Enamavu Bund.There is no need for the public to panic or leave the area. Railways to provide free transportation of relief material: Piyush Goyal We are concerned about the well being of people affected by Kerala floods & the Central Govt. is committed to providing all possible help. Railways will now provide free transportation of relief material for Kerala through various State Govt. agencies, PSUs & other Govt. agencies Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) August 18, 2018 8 lakh litres of drinking water to reach Kochi on Sunday #KeralaFloods2018: @indiannavy rushes Fleet replenishment tanker #INSDeepak from Mumbai to Kochi with 8 Lakh litres of drinking water. Scheduled to reach Kochi AM 19Aug pic.twitter.com/jadrPVvNBm PIB India (@PIB_India) August 18, 2018 Heres how flood victims can share location even when offline The people waiting for relief or for a rescue team can share their location even when they are offline, Google said on Saturday. Flood victims can use their Android smartphones or tablets to generate and share the plus code of their exact location, which can pinpoint their whereabouts and make it easier for rescue workers to reach them, Google said. Users can share their plus codes over a voice call or an SMS. Heres how you can do it. Tamil Nadu sends relief materials worth Rs 2 crore More than 20 lorries carrying relief materials worth Rs two crore from all districts in the state flagged off to Kerala. Items like rice, Dal, edible oil, sugar, salt, bread and biscuits and cooking materials, clothings, medicines collected from NGOs and other social organisations were sent to the Waynad, Malappuram, Thrissur, Palakkad, Calicut and Ernakulam, Local Administration Minister, S P Velumani noted. Medical camps are functioning at places bordering Tamil Nadu and Kerala for the benefit of those arriving there, he added. Kochi Metro used to transport supplies to shelters across city The metro railway has been turned into a major rescue and rehabilitation network with volunteers utilising it to convey relief supplies to shelters and camps across Kochi. #kochimetro#keralafloods#keralafloodrelief#soskerala#standwithkerala pic.twitter.com/I8QvTI8iZL Kochi Metro Rail (@MetroRailKochi) August 18, 2018 MP CM Chouhan releases Rs 10 crore assistance for Kerala Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan has released Rs 10 crore as assistance for Kerala, reports ANI. Relief camps need bio toilets: Alappuzha district collector In a Facebook post, Alappuzha district collector S Suhas writes, Several relief camps need bio toilets. Those who can, please buy and send it across as soon as possible. Hanan, who was trolled for selling fish, donates Rs 1.5 lakh Hanan, a 21-year-old college student from Kochi, who was trolled for selling fish to meet her educational needs, has contributed Rs 1.5 lakh towards the Chief Ministers Disaster Relief Fund. She said the money was donated by various people after her struggle to fund her studies and take care of her family was widely shared on the social media. I had got the amount from people and I am happy to give back the amount to the needy, she said. Read more All Congress MPs, MLAs, MLCs to donate one month salary for flood relief All our MPs, MLAs and MLC to donate their one month salary for flood relief in Kerala. A special relief committee will be made to send essential items to Kerala: Randeep Surjewala, Congress. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/qQNFepQMV9 ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 Maharashtra minister Ravindra Chavan donates one month salary Maharashtra minister Ravindra Chavan from BJP and all BJP corporaters of Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporation donate their one month salary for Kerala flood relief. BJP Maharashtra Minister Ravindra Chavan donates his one month salary to #KeralaFloods relief. (File pic) pic.twitter.com/IYxvybacGo ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 UP CM Adityanath announces Rs 15 crore aid Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath announces Rs 15 crore from his Chief Minister Relief Fund for Kerala. One lakh packets of food products to sent from Ludhiana One lakh packets of food products consisting of water bottles, skimmed milk, biscuits and sugar being sent from Punjabs Ludhiana to Kerala, reports ANI. Punjab: 1 lakh packets of food products consisting water bottles, skimmed milk, biscuits & sugar being sent to Halwara airport in Ludhiana. CM Capt Amarinder Singh had announced Rs 10 crores worth of immediate relief for #KeralaFloods,Rs 5 cr in form of ready-to-eat food material pic.twitter.com/XfrVyn31vX ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 Widespread rains likely to continue over Kerala: IMD The India Meteorological Department forecast on Saturday afternoon that widespread rains, with heavy rains at isolated places, is likely to continue over Kerala following low pressure area very likely to develop over northwest Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood during the next 24 hours. Not been asked for help yet, monitoring situation closely: UN UN chief Antonio Guterres has expressed sadness over the flooding and extensive damage and displacement caused in Kerala. When asked if the UN has been asked for help , he said the world body has not received any direct request from the Indian Government for aid. As you know, India has quite a well-operated machinery to deal with natural disasters but of course our country team I was in touch with our Resident Coordinator today theyre following closely and theyre in touch with partners on the ground, he said Red alert in 11 districts, heavy rainfall forecast in 9: CM Red Alert issued for today in 11 districts. Heavy rainfall predicted for the day in all districts except Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam & Kasaragod. pic.twitter.com/A7Q0V81itX CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) August 18, 2018 NDRF teams rescued 194 persons, evacuated 10,467 NDRF teams have rescued 194 persons&12 livestock&evacuated 10,467 persons &provided pre-hospital treatment to 159 persons.15 teams operational in Thrissur,13 in Pathanamthitta,11 in Alappuzha,5 in Ernakulam, 4 in Idukki,3 in Malappuram & 2 each in Wayanad&Kozhikode. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/znmOqwLeg3 ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 Chhattisgarh CM calls Kerala counterpart, offers help Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh spoke to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan over the telephone today and offered all possible help to the state from the Chhattisgarh government. Network hit across Kerala, power down in many areas Network continues to be down with no electricity across Kerala where incessant rainfall has hit people hard. Around 23 deaths were reported in the state today alone. Bodies were seen floating in flood water in many areas where hundreds remain stranded. Gujarat CM announces Rs 10 crore aid Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani also announced an amount of Rupees 10 crore from the Chief Minister Relief Fund for flood-hit Kerala, joining a list of other states which have extended a helping hand to the state. Crucial material, equipment provided for relief operations: Sitharaman Update #KeralaFloodRelief efforts: Material and equipment crucial for rescue and relief operations in #KeralaFloods provided and additional personnel deployed today morning. Indian Armed Forces continue to work tirelessly in the relief operation. #IndiaForKerala@nsitharaman pic.twitter.com/cDTe1ij1hD Raksha Mantri (@DefenceMinIndia) August 18, 2018 Maharashtra CM announces Rs 20 crore aid to Kerala Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced an amount of Rupees 20 crore as immediate assistance from the Maharashtra Government for flood-hit Kerala. Other states, including Bihar, Jharkhand, Haryana, Odisha and Tamil Nadu have extended help to the state where the situation continues to worsen. Jharkhand CM announces Rs 5 crore aid for Kerala Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Saturday announced an aid of Rs 5 crores for flood-hit Kerala. Full control to Army, says Opposition; Kerala govt opposes The Opposition and Kerala government are at spar over grant of control to the Army. While the Opposition wants full control to the Army, the state is not in agreement with the demand. A lack of coordination has hampered food distribution in the state resulting in starving citizens. Situation continues to be grave, says CM Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said that the situation in Kerala continues to be grave as reports of rising death toll surfaced. Vijayan requested the Centre for more helicopters and boats for rescue operations after PM Modi announced Rupees 500 crore relief for the flood-hit state. 23 deaths in Kerala today 23 deaths have taken place in Kerala today, out of which 15 bodies were found floating, taking the death toll in the past few days to over 220. Indigo to operate additional flights to and from Kerala IndiGo will be operating additional flights to and from Kozhikode, Coimbatore and Trivandrum from August 19, 2018 to August 25, 2018. IndiGo to provide cancellation and rescheduling waiver to passengers booked to travel from August 16 to August 26. #Keralaflood2018 @htTweets pic.twitter.com/CcjiO3a1Qg Faizan Haidar (@FaiHaider) August 18, 2018 Over 7000 stranded in Paravur alone, says MLA Kerala MLA V D Satheeshan on Saturday said that over 7,000 people have been stranded in Paravur, located in Kollam district of Kerala. Prime Minister Modi, who was in Kerala earlier today to take stock of the flood situation, said that the Army has deployed 10 Columns and 10 teams of Engineering Task Force or ETFs involving around 790 trained personnel in the state. Respect for IAF, Navy; inspiration to us all: Sachin Tendulkar Respect and deep admiration for the @IAF_MCC, @indiannavy, @adgpi and other rescue forces in Kerala. Your consistent and remarkable display of courage and compassion is an inspiration to us all. God bless! #KeralaFloods #KeralaFloodRescue https://t.co/oRVbSoS3yw Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) August 18, 2018 Words alone are not enough, says Mamata Banerjee West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday expressed condolences for the people of flood-hit Kerala adding that words alone were not enough. Yet I must tell all my brothers and sisters of Kerala that our thoughts and prayers are with each one of you. Condolences to those families who have lost their loved ones. Strength to those who are fighting the Kerala floods, she tweeted. IMD official says weather likely to become better by Tuesday The IMD department on Saturday said the weather in Kerala is likely to become better by Tuesday. Till August 16th, the actual rainfall was 619.5mm. Normally, it should have been 244.1 mm but the intensity of rainfall has decreased now so there wont be extremely heavy rains anymore. However, it might continue for another two days, India Meteorological Department official Dr S Devi told ANI. AAP MLAs, MPs to donate from a months salary All AAP MLAs, MPs and ministers donating one month salary for Kerala Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 18, 2018 Indian Army aircraft carrying food, amenities reaches Thiruvananthapuram Special aircraft of Indian Army reaches Thiruvananthapuram with food and basic amenities for flood affected areas. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/33zudY6d6n ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 Odisha CM announces Rs 5 crore aid to Kerala Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced an aid of Rs 5 crores for flood-hit Kerala from Chief Minister Relief Fund. He has also announced that 245 fire personnel with boats will be sent to Kerala for rescue operations, new agency ANI reported. Nitish Kumar announces Rs 10 crore aid to Kerala Nitish Kumar on Saturday announced an aid of Rs 10 crores for flood-hit Kerala from the Bihar Chief Minister Relief Fund. Earlier today, medicines worth Rupees 1 crore were transported from Tamil Nadu to the flood-hit state. Have asked for more helicopters, boats: Vijayan on PM visit Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today thanked the Prime Minister for granting a relief of Rupees 500 crore to the flood-hit state. PM conducted aerial survey to get first-hand knowledge about flood. Our helicopter could not go to some places due to inclement weather. He has announced Rs 500 crore and all possible help. We thanked him and demanded more helicopters and boats, Vijayan told ANI. Attempts to rescue stranded on war-footing basis: CM on Chengannur Update on Chengannur; Attempts to rescue the stranded are on a war-footing basis. 4 helicopters, 5 military boats & 65 fishing boats are part of operations. Four 100-member strong army teams have been deployed. Food is being supplied using helicopters.#KeralaFloods CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) August 18, 2018 Navy to provide 82 teams for rescue operations Prime Minister Modi, who is in Kerala to take stock of the flood situation, said that the Army has deployed 10 Columns and 10 teams of Engineering Task Force or ETFs involving around 790 trained personnel in the state. Navy is providing 82 teams.The Coast Guard has provided 42 teams; 2 helicopters and 2 ships, the PM tweeted. 58 NDRF teams deployed in 8 affected districts Around 58 teams of NDRF have been deployed in 8 affected districts of Kerala, Director General of the National Disaster Rescue Force Sanjay Kumar told ANI. We have rescued 170 people and 7000 people have been evacuated to safer places. If required more teams will be deployed, he said. PM announces ex-gratia of Rs 2 Lakh to kin of deceased PM @narendramodi expressed grief and sorrow on the unfortunate deaths and damage caused to property due to floods in Kerala. PM announced ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh per person to the next kin of the deceased and Rs. 50,000 to those seriously injured from PMNRF. PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 18, 2018 UAE to form committee to help flood-hit areas of Kerala The United Arab Emirates or UAE will be forming a committee to help flood-hit areas of Kerala. Sheikh Khalifa has instructed the formation of a national emergency committee to provide assistance to the people affected, reports news agency ANI. Haryana CM announces aid of Rs 10 crore Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has announced an aid of Rs 10 crores for flood-hit Kerala, reports news agency ANI. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has sought an emergency aid of Rupees 2,000 crore from the Centre saying that the state suffers losses of Rs 25,000 crore. The Prime Minister earlier announced an interim relief of Rs 500 crore for Kerala . He also held a high-level meeting with Vijayan and other ministers to discuss the flood situation. Appreciate solidarity shown by people across country: PM Modi I salute the people of Kerala for their fighting spirit. I compliment the authorities for their efforts in this adverse situation. I would also like to appreciate the wide support and solidarity from people across India towards Kerala during this unprecedented situation. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 18, 2018 Centre providing all help, rescue top priority: PM Prime Minister Modi said the nation stands firmly with Kerala in this hour of need adding that the Centre is providing all the help needed. In Kerala, I took stock of the situation arising in the wake of the devastating floods across the state. Joined a review meeting and undertook an aerial survey to assess the damage caused by flooding. The nation stands firmly with Kerala in this hour, he tweeted. The Prime Minister also said the government is trying to ensure that Kerala receives benefits from social security schemes. The Central Government is ensuring that the benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, MGNREGA, various social security schemes, Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture reach those affected on a priority basis in Kerala, the PM said. NDRF teams, companies of BSF, CISF and RAF are deployed in the state for rescue and relief operations. The Air Force, Army, Navy and Coast Guard are assisting operations in different parts of Kerala. Rescuing those who are trapped remains the topmost priority. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 18, 2018 Centre is providing all possible assistance to Kerala. This includes financial assistance, providing food grains and medicines. We have asked the NHAI, NTPC, PGCIL to render all possible assistance and cater to basic infrastructure needs in the wake of the floods. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 18, 2018 Odisha sends fire services team to Kerala The Odisha government has sent a 240-member fire services team to carry out rescue operations in flood-ravaged Kerala. The team along with 75 power boats was airlifted by the Indian Air Force from Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar. The mission was flagged off by Director General (Fire Services) BK Sharma, reports IANS. SBI announces waiver of fees on services in Kerala The State Bank of India or SBI has donated Rs 2 crore to Chief Ministers Distress Relief Fund or CMDRF and has also announced waiver of fees and charges on services offered by the bank in Kerala in wake of the flood situation, news agency ANI reported. Achankovil River overflows, nearby areas flooded Achankovil river near Alappuzha's Kollakadavu village is overflowing following heavy rainfall in the area. Shaukat, a villager says,"The area has been completely flooded. I have lost almost everything I had. The water level is increasing with every passing hour." #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/BTYlQ1kdvJ ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 Kerala has suffered loss of Rs 19,512: CM tells Prime Minister Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed the Prime Minister that Kerala had suffered a loss of Rs 19,512 in the wake of the floods, as per initial estimates. In a meeting convened to assess the flood situation in the State, CM Pinarayi Vijayan informed Honble Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the State has suffered a loss of 19,512 crore as per initial assessment. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/f6SSmzjfj7 CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) August 18, 2018 Declare Kerala floods a National Disaster without delay: Rahul to PM Dear PM, Please declare #Kerala floods a National Disaster without any delay. The lives, livelihood and future of millions of our people is at stake. Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 18, 2018 PMs aerial survey to cover Kochi, Idukki districts PM Modi is currently undertaking an aerial survey of the flood-hit Kerala. The survey would primarily cover Kochi and Idukki districts. PM Modi begins aerial survey Prime Minister Modi made another attempt to undertake an aerial survey after his earlier attempt was delayed due to heavy rainfall in Kochi. The Prime Ministers chopper had to be called back minutes after it lifted off. #WATCH: Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducts an aerial survey of flood affected areas. PM has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh per person to the next kin of the deceased and Rs.50,000 to those seriously injured, from PMs National Relief Funds (PMNRF). #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/T6FYNVLmMu ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 5 dead in Idukki landslide, nine deaths in Kerala today Nine deaths were reported in Kerala today with five deaths resulting from a landslide in Idukki. Lack of coordination has affected relief work in the state. Over 4 Lakh people have been placed in relief camps. Kerala CM seeks emergency aid of Rs 2,000 crore from Centre Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan sought an emergency aid of Rupees 2,000 crore from the Centre saying that the state suffers losses of Rupees 25,000 crore. The Prime Minister earlier announced an interim relief of Rs 500 crore for Kerala . He also held a high-level meeting with Vijayan and other ministers to discuss the flood situation. PM Modi announces interim relief of Rs 500 crore The Prime Minister has announced a relief fund of Rupess 500 crore to the flood-hit state of Kerala. The number of deaths in the state crossed 200 today taking the total number of deaths this monsoon to 344. The Prime Minister arrived in Kochi yesterday to take stock of the situation. PM to make another attempt for aerial survey Prime Minister Modi will make another attempt to undertake an aerial survey after his earlier attempt was delayed due to heavy rainfall in Kochi. The Prime Minister earlier help a high-level meeting to review the flood situation in the state. Landslides, floods continue as death toll rises Overflowing rivers and a series of landslides have resulted in the death of over 200 people as of Saturday morning, with over 4 lakh others forced to move to relief camps. Kerala Floods: A road in Iritty in Kannur after water recedes ( HT Photo ) Need more help from Centre: PC Chacko Congress leader PC Chacko on Saturday said that although relief operations in Kerala were appreciable, more help was needed from the Centre. Thousands are marooned and facing a very severe and critical situation. More emergency evacuation operation is needed. What is being done is appreciable but we need more help from the Centre and other states. Kerala is in distress, Chacko told news agency ANI. Navy deployed in Chengaur Navy has been deployed in Chengaur in the wake of the worsening flood situation. Several rescue camps have also been affected in the area. 21 wagon water train with 7 lakh litre drinking water to be sent from Pune A 21 wagon water train with 7 lakh litre drinking water will be sent from Pune to Kerala as a flood relief initiative. The water train is expected to leave Pune junction at 2pm PM holds meeting in Kochi with Kerala CM Vijayan The Prime Minister is reviewing the flood situation in Kerala at a high-level meeting. @CMOKerala pic.twitter.com/3VNq0ehSry PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 18, 2018 PM to chair meeting at Southern Naval Command headquarters in Kochi Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose aerial survey in Kerala was delayed minutes after his chopper lifted off, will chair a meeting at the Southern Naval Command headquarters in Kochi shortly. Situation beyond our control, say authorities As the flood situation worsened in Kerala, people demanded authorities to handover everything the Army. Authorities also admitted that the situation was beyond their control. PM Modis chopper called back after it lifted off for aerial survey The chopper which was to take PM Modi for the aerial survey in Kochi was called off due to heavy rains after it lifted off . The Prime Minister reached Kerala last night to take stock of the situation. Over 200 people have died in the state in the past couple of days due to incessant rains and over 4 Lakh people have been put in relief camps PM Modis aerial survey delayed due to heavy rains in Kochi The chopper which was to take PM Modi for the aerial survey in Kochi was called off due to heavy rains after it lifted off . Heavy rainfall in Kochi Heavy rainfall hit Kochi Saturday morning making matters worse in the city. PM Modi arrived here earlier today to conduct an aerial survey in the state which has been reeling unde If help wont reach, people will die of starvation With the flood situation getting worse, Chenganur lawmaker Saji Cherian said people would die of starvation if help did not reach on time. The death toll in Kerala shot up to 200 today taking the overall deaths in the state this monsoon to 344. Bodies float in flood water Bodies were seen floating in flood water in some areas of Kerala on Saturday as the state continued to suffer due to incessant rains. Three bodies were found in Pathnamthitta, while four bodies were spotted floating in Idukki. PM Modi arrives in Kochi for aerial survey 2.8 Lakh litres of drinking water supplied Railways is actively contributing to relief during Kerala floods and has supplied 2.8 Lakhs litres of drinking water and 1 lakh bottles of water are on their way. We are committed towards providing all possible help in this hour of need #IndiaForKeralahttps://t.co/EV5pOGTiv2 pic.twitter.com/hazMj6JlbM Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) August 17, 2018 Death toll in Kerala crosses 200, over 4 lakh in relief camps Death toll in Kerala has crossed 200 and over 4 lakh people are in relief camps . There have been around 150 deaths in the past two days alone. Water level in Periyar rising Rains have subsided in Idukki and Wayanad but the water level in the Periyar is said to be rising. Waters from the Periyar river and its tributaries kept many towns in Ernakulam and Thrissur submerged. The worst affected include Paravur, Kalady, Chalakudy, Perumbavoor and Muvatupuzha. Waters in Idukki and Wayanad areas and certain areas of Pathanamthitta have however receded. Kerala facing worst flood in 100 years Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has called it the worst flood in Kerala in over 100 years. He said that 80 dams opened, 324 lives lost and 223139 people are in about 1500+ relief camps. Rescue operations are progressing well even in an inclement weather. A total of 82,442 rescues were made today. 3,14,391 people from 70,085 families are safe in 2094 camps across the State, Vijayan added. Over 4,300 moved to safer places, relief ops continue The NDRF has moved more than 4,319 people to safer places and rescued another 44 from flooded areas in Kerala in the past nine days, while its 51 teams, out of the total 53 deployed, are operating on the ground and two more will reach Kerala soon, a spokesman of the force said. PM Modi leaves from Thiruvananthapuram for aerial survey PM Narendra Modi leaves from Thiruvananthapuram for an aerial survey of flood-affected areas of Kochi. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/CWdg2vzjwq ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 At least 23 more deaths were reported across rain-devastated Kerala on Saturday with 15 bodies of the victims seen floating on flood waters even as rescue and relief operations continued across the state on a war-footing. But with power supply and communication links snapped, shortage of food, potable water and medicines and scores of people awaiting evacuation from affected areas, the government has an uphill task ahead. Prime minister Narendra Modi, who had reached the state on Friday night, announced an interim relief of Rs 500 crore for Kerala after holding a high-level meeting with state chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and other officials on Saturday. He also announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh per person to the next kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000. The state government however sought emergency relief of Rs 2,500 crore from the Centre, saying Kerala has suffered losses of Rs 25,000 crores. After the meeting, the prime minister conducted an aerial survey of the flooded area, primarily covering Kochi and Idukki. Earlier he had to call off the survey as his chopper was called back minutes after it took off amid heavy rains in Kochi . Torrential rains have battered Gods own country since August 8, leaving over 200 people dead in the last 10 days in landslides and floods in what is the worst natural disaster to hit the state in a century. Out of the total casualties, 150 are said to have lost their lives in the last two days. The weather department on Saturday held out hopes of respite, holding the intensity of rains has decreased and the situation will improve from Tuesday. Read | For Keralas flood disaster, we have ourselves to blame With roads cut off and public transport virtually non-existent, there are now fears of starvation. If help wont reach people will die of starvation, said Chenganur MLA Saji Cherian. An estimated four lakh people are now in relief camps, official said. A massive relief and rescue operation involving the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, NDRF and volunteers continues to be underway. IAF rescue teams are also providing relief materials to stranded people. However, despite their best efforts, marooned people complained that they had to survive without food or potable water for many days. The magnitude of the disaster is really great. We are finding it difficult to manage such a volume of affected people, a relief official said in Kochi on Friday. More aid poured in from around India, with Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal announcing all MLAs and MPs of his Aam Aadmi Party would donate a months salary, Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik announcing Rs 5 crore, and his Bihar and Haryana counterparts Nitish Kumar and Manohar Lal Khattar, Rs 10 crores each. Medicines worth Rs 1 crore were sent from Tamil Nadu. The United Arab Emirates announced it will be forming a committee to help flood-hit areas of Kerala. Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday urged prime minister Modi to declare the Kerala floods a national disaster as the lives, livelihood and future of millions of our people is at stake. Trapped persons made urgent appeals on social media for help, saying they cannot make contact with rescue services as power and communication lines are down. Families trapped in high rise flats, students stranded in hostels and devotees in churches used social media platforms to seek help and pass on information about their location using Google maps. Videos of people pleading for help with folded hands, are being posted and shared by hundreds of people on WhatsApp groups. Kerala is witnessing its worst floods since 1924, when 3,338 mm of rain poured, in which hundreds of people have died and over two lakh people have been left homeless. Here, is district-wise distribution rain and history of rainfall in the state Chief minister Vijayan termed the situation as really serious. He said that although two lakh people have been shifted to as many as 1,568 relief camps, many are still stranded. Air, railway and road services remained disrupted in many areas for over five days, and marooned people flooded government and media offices with desperate phone calls. Fresh landslides were also reported from Wayanad and Kannur districts. We are trying our best to rescue marooned people. Saving lives is our main concern now. Rescue operations are being taken up on a war footing with choppers and boats, Vijayan said, adding that over 15,000 people were evacuated in the last two days. He dispelled reports that a few dams in the state were in the danger of bursting. The Centre on Saturday said the Cochin Naval Base will be thrown open for commercial flight operations from the morning of August 20, bringing a huge relief to people awaiting resumption of air service from Kochi. The main Kochi international airport, the seventh busiest in the country, has been rendered non-functional from August 14 due to flooding and torrential rains, and would remain closed till August 26. As a result, both domestic and international flights to Kochi are being diverted to other destinations such as Trivendrum and Calicut. In view of disruption of flights from Cochin airport due to floods, a joint team sent by @MoCA_GoI has approved starting of scheduled commercial flights using ATRs by Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India, between Bangalore and Cochin Naval Air base, Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu tweeted this evening. In another tweet, he said, flight operations between Bangalore and Cochin Naval airbase will be starting from 20th August morning. He said more destinations such as Madurai were also in the pipeline and that other airlines were likely to join in. Earlier in the day, Alliance Air operated a non-commercial proving flight on an ATR (turboprop) aircraft to Kochis naval base with a team of officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and other flight safety officials to examine the feasibility of having operations from the base. Flight 9I 105 landed at Kochi at 1240 hrs from Bengaluru and the return flight 9I 106 took off from Kochi at 1345 hrs, an Air India statement said. The naval base would be used to operate the 70-seater ATR aircraft. A list of flight timings of the ATRs that would be operating from the base to Bengaluru and Coimbatore has also been released by the ministry. The flight operations between Bangalore and Cochin Naval Airbase will be starting from 20th August morning. More destinations such as Coimbatore, Madurai are also in the pipeline. Other airlines are likely to join this effort too. All possible steps are being taken, Prabhu said in another tweet. The Indian Commercial Pilots Association has, in the meanwhile, written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing their willingness to fly the planes without payment, on voluntary basis, to the cause of these operations. We consider this a unique privilege that we can use to assist in such operations, the association said in a letter to the PM today. The association had yesterday in a letter to Air Indias director of finance threatened to stop operations if their flying allowance dues were not paid immediately. On the other hand, private carriers such as IndiGo and GoAir today said they would be operating additional flights to and from Kozhikode, Coimbatore and Trivandrum from tomorrow till August 25 to different parts of the country. IndiGo will ensure to provide cancellation and rescheduling waiver to passengers booked to travel from August 16, 2018, to August 26, 2018, the airline said in a statement. GoAir said it will operate special flights to and from Trivandrum airport to Mumbai from August 20 and that all passengers booked to and from Kochi will be accommodated on these flights. It said that impacted passengers to and from Kochi are not being charged additional fees or cancellation charges keeping in mind the current situation. The civil aviation minister, during the day, also appealed to the airline to cap the maximum fare at around Rs 10,000 on longer routes and Rs 8,000 on shorter routes to/from Kerala to nearby airports. Kerala helpline numbers Kasargode: +91 9446601700 +91 9446601700 Kannur: +91 944 6682300 +91 944 6682300 Kozhikode: +91 944 6538900 +91 944 6538900 Wayanad: +91 807 8409770 +91 807 8409770 Malappuram: +91 938 3463212 +91 938 3463212 Malappuram: +91 938 3464212 +91 938 3464212 Thrissur: +91 944 7074424 +91 944 7074424 Thrissur: +91 487 2363424 +91 487 2363424 Palakkad: +91 8301803282 +91 8301803282 Ernakulam: +91 790 2200400 +91 790 2200400 Ernakulam: +91 790 2200300 Alappuzha: +91 477 2238630 +91 477 2238630 Alappuzha: +91 949 5003630 +91 949 5003630 Alappuzha: +91 949 5003640 +91 949 5003640 Idukki: +91 9061566111 +91 9061566111 Idukki: +91 9383463036 +91 9383463036 Kottayam: +91 944 6562236 +91 944 6562236 Kottayam: +91 944 6562236 +91 944 6562236 Pathanamthitta: +91 807 8808915 +91 807 8808915 Kollam: +91 944 7677800 +91 944 7677800 Thiruvananthapuram: +91 949 7711281 A man put up over 300 banners and hoardings in a plush locality of Maharashtras Pimpri Chinchwad area apparently to make up with his girlfriend after a tiff, but the antic has riled the local police. Residents of Pimple Saudagar area of Pimpri Chinchwad, near Pune, woke up on Friday to see several posters, carrying the line (name of the girl), I am sorry in bold print with a heart symbol beside it in red, dotting the area especially prominent traffic intersections. The act, however, is likely get Nilesh Khedekar, a 25-year-old local businessman, in trouble with Wakad police approaching the Pimpri Chinchwad civic body to initiate action as per rules dealing with illegal hoardings and defacement of public property. A Wakad police official said that investigations into the matter started soon after they were alerted to the hoardings on Friday. We managed to zero in on his friend Vilas Shinde who had helped Khedekar get the flex hoardings printed. Through him, we traced Khedekar who is the brain behind this act, the official said. He informed that Khedekar wanted to apologise and make up with his girlfriend after a quarrel and, therefore, came up with this creative idea. The girl was coming on Friday to the area from Mumbai. Under the cover of darkness in the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, over 300 hoardings were put up on the route which the girl was likely to take, the official said. The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation had been intimated about the issue, the official said, adding that it was up to the civic body now to initiate further action against Khedekar. The Khaplang-faction of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K), the only Naga separatist outfit outside the peace talks with the Centre, impeached its chairman Khango Konyak on Friday and appointed Yung Aung as the new acting chairman. In an emergency meeting at the outfits headquarters in Myanmar, Konyak, who was elevated in June last year following the death of SS Khaplang, was replaced by Aung in a unanimous decision. The impeachment of Indian-origin Konyak, who was removed from his post for alleged attempts at gaining total control in violation of the outfits ideology of collective leadership, is seen as a bloodless coup. His replacement, 45-year-old Aung (who is Khaplangs nephew), is of Myanmar-origin and had studied in Manipur till his graduation. In a statement issued by the banned outfit, the new acting chairman has been described as a young and dynamic leader who has served the Naga cause with dedication and commitment. Reports say Konyak, who is in his 70s, has been given safe passage to go wherever he wants. The former chairman is believed to have left NSCN-K camps in Myanmar with a group of his supporters. While other Naga outfits like the Isak-Muivah faction of NSCN and six others are engaged in peace talks with the central government to find a lasting solution to the Naga issue, NSCN-K broke a ceasefire with the government in 2015. Since Konyak is a Naga from India, his elevation to the chairmans post had raised hopes that the outfit could join the talks to find an inclusive and lasting solution to the issue. But NSCN-K, which has several training camps in Myanmar, is still providing training and logistical support to other rebel outfits from the region like United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) besides carrying out attacks on Indian security forces. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced an interim relief of Rs 500 crore for flood-hit Kerala after a high-level meeting with state chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and other officials at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi and said that rescuing those stranded was the top priority. At the meeting to review the flood damage, Vijayan said the state has so far a staggering suffered a loss of Rs 25000 crore and sought an immediate relief of 2,000 crore. Modi also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh per person to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured from the Prime Ministers National Relief Fund (PMNRF), a Prime Ministers Office (PMO) statement said. The PM took off for an aerial survey of the flood damage after the meeting with the chief minister. Earlier, the aerial survey had to be suspended for some time after rain forced his helicopter to return to the base. More than 200 people have lost their lives since August 8 in the worst natural calamity to hit Kerala in a century. Despite a massive relief and rescue operation across the state involving the three arms of the defence forces, the Coast Guard, NDRF and other agencies, many people are still marooned. NDRF teams, companies of BSF, CISF and RAF are deployed in the state for rescue and relief operations. The Air Force, Army, Navy and Coast Guard are assisting operations in different parts of Kerala. Rescuing those who are trapped remains the topmost priority, Modi tweeted. The Prime Minister, who reached Thiruvananthapuram Friday night after attending former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayees funeral in New Delhi, reiterated that Kerala would be given all possible help to fight the calamity. Centre is providing all possible assistance to Kerala. This includes financial assistance, providing food grains and medicines. We have asked the NHAI, NTPC, PGCIL to render all possible assistance and cater to basic infrastructure needs in the wake of the floods, Modi said in another tweet. The prime ministers visit comes a week after Union home minister Rajnath Singh visited the state for an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas More rain this morning has sparked fears the rescue and relief operations could be hit. Chengannur in Pathnamthitta, Chalakudy in Thrissur and various parts of Ernakulam district are among the worst hit where rescue efforts are likely to be concentrated on Saturday. Chengannur MLA Saji Cherian pleaded for more help and said thousands of people were stranded in houses without food and water, if immediate steps are not taken to evacuate them, their life will be in danger. For the past five days people are without food in many places. We urgently need food, medicines, water. People need to be airlifted urgently. Evacuation by Army, Navy and Air Force are urgently needed, Cherian told a television channel this morning. With many people still stranded in different places, opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala once again said that the army should be given complete charge of relief operations. It is high time to hand over relief operations to the army, Chennithala reiterated. Contributions to the Chief Ministers Disaster Relief Fund, Kerala, continued to pour in from Tamil Nadu with actor Rajinikanth donating Rs 15 lakh and director Shankar granting Rs 10 lakh for the flood victims, sources said on Saturday. BJP MP Varun Gandhi also donated Rs 2 lakh to the Kerala Chief Ministers Disaster Relief Fund and urged parliamentarians and MLAs across the country to make financial assistance to the state. Varun Gandhi appealed to all lawmakers to rise above party lines and help the flood-ravaged state. With over 300 people dead and more than 3.14 lakh displaced, the devastating #KeralaFloods are truly a national calamity, he said in a tweet. I appeal to all MPs and MLAs across the country to rise above party lines and contribute to the CMs Relief Fund. I am doing so in my own small way, the BJP MP wrote, along with a photo of the cheque he issued to Kerala CMs relief fund. IAS officers in Kerala, too, have decided to chip in by each contributing a days salary to the fund, a press release from the president of the Tamil Nadu IAS Officers Association PWC Davidar said. Senior vice-president of automobile company Hyundai Motor India Stephen Sudhakar and the south zone - business head of the company Y S Chang Sr handed over a cheque for Rs one crore to the Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram. Indian Overseas Bank said it has decided to not levy any fee for contributions made to the relief fund account, a statement from the public sector bank said. Kerala has been ravaged by torrential rains since August claiming hundreds of lives and rendering lakhs homeless. Kerala helpline numbers Kasargode: +91 9446601700 +91 9446601700 Kannur: +91 944 6682300 +91 944 6682300 Kozhikode: +91 944 6538900 +91 944 6538900 Wayanad: +91 807 8409770 +91 807 8409770 Malappuram: +91 938 3463212 +91 938 3463212 Malappuram: +91 938 3464212 +91 938 3464212 Thrissur: +91 944 7074424 +91 944 7074424 Thrissur: +91 487 2363424 +91 487 2363424 Palakkad: +91 8301803282 +91 8301803282 Ernakulam: +91 790 2200400 +91 790 2200400 Ernakulam: +91 790 2200300 Alappuzha: +91 477 2238630 +91 477 2238630 Alappuzha: +91 949 5003630 +91 949 5003630 Alappuzha: +91 949 5003640 +91 949 5003640 Idukki: +91 9061566111 +91 9061566111 Idukki: +91 9383463036 +91 9383463036 Kottayam: +91 944 6562236 +91 944 6562236 Kottayam: +91 944 6562236 +91 944 6562236 Pathanamthitta: +91 807 8808915 +91 807 8808915 Kollam: +91 944 7677800 +91 944 7677800 Thiruvananthapuram: +91 949 7711281 The principal of a missionary-run school in central Assam was arrested Friday for not hoisting the national flag on Independence Day, police said on Saturday. The school did not even pay heed to the state governments directive to observe seven days of national mourning following the death of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee during which the national flag is to be flown at half mast. On Friday, the Assam Police arrested James Xavier, principal of Saint Eugene School in a village about 8 kilometres from the district headquarters Morigaon, after complaints that the school did not have the flag hoisting ceremony on Independence Day. We received complaints from general public that no flag was hoisted, said Mrinmoy Goswami, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Morigaon. Saint Eugene, a missionary-run school from kindergarten to class six, has about 270 students. A case was registered under Section 2 of the Prevention of Insult to National Honour (Amendment) Act 2005. However, since it is a bailable offence, the 34-year-old principal was released. It is an insult to the nation. All the educational institutions have to hoist the flag, Goswami said. Police said Xavier claimed it was a mistake. He has been again called for further questioning on Sunday. A number of states across the country came forward to help Kerala in its hour of need as rain-related casualties mounted steadily on Saturday. At least 23 additional deaths were reported through the day, taking the death toll in the current spell of rain to over 200. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced emergency financial aid of Rs 20 crore, besides food and essentials, for the state on Saturday. His government has also promised to send food and other items to Kerala in collaboration with various agencies and NGOs immediately. Tamil Nadu has pledged another Rs 5 crore towards providing flood relief aid to its neighbouring state. We had already extended Rs 5 crore to Kerala. Now, after observing the extent of havoc wreaked in the neighbouring state, we have decided to contribute another Rs 5 crore. Besides this, we have sent relief materials including rice, milk powder, milk and clothes worth around Rs 2 crore, said local administration minister SP Velumani. Further north, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar extended financial aid of Rs 10 crore to the flood-ravaged state. Nobody knows better about the miseries caused by natural calamities than the people of Bihar. I am sending a small contribution of Rs 10 crore from the Bihar chief ministers relief fund for the purpose, Kumar wrote in a letter addressed to his Kerala counterpart, Pinarayi Vijayan. While Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das extended Rs 5 crore as aid to Kerala, Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath ordered the release of Rs 10 crore and Rs 15 crore from their relief funds respectively. Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik also did his part in helping Kerala by granting monetary aid of Rs 5 crore and rushing a 245-member team of fire personnel to assist in relief-and-rescue operations. Watch: Aerial visuals of flooded Kalady, rains continue to lash Kerala Four states had lent a helping hand to the flood-ravaged state on Friday. While Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao announced monetary aid of Rs 25 crore for Kerala, Punjab and Delhi premiers Amarinder Singh and Arvind Kejriwal provided immediate assistance to the tune of Rs 10 crore each. Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, for his part, announced financial aid of up to Rs 5 crore. Meanwhile, monetary assistance continued to pour in from other quarters too. Kejriwal announced on Saturday that all Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ministers, MLAs and MPs will donate a months salary to Kerala in view of the natural calamity. The Congress also asked its elected representatives to contribute a months salary to the Kerala relief fund, and demanded that the floods be declared as a national calamity. These decisions were taken at a meeting of Congress general secretaries, party in-charges of states, legislative party leaders and state unit chiefs, presided over by party chief Rahul Gandhi. Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah promised to donate a months salary for relief efforts in the southern state too. He also asked state governor NN Vohra to send some assistance to victims of the flood. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced an interim relief of Rs 500 crore earlier this morning. (With agency inputs) Kerala helpline numbers Kasargode: +91 9446601700 +91 9446601700 Kannur: +91 944 6682300 +91 944 6682300 Kozhikode: +91 944 6538900 +91 944 6538900 Wayanad: +91 807 8409770 +91 807 8409770 Malappuram: +91 938 3463212 +91 938 3463212 Malappuram: +91 938 3464212 +91 938 3464212 Thrissur: +91 944 7074424 +91 944 7074424 Thrissur: +91 487 2363424 +91 487 2363424 Palakkad: +91 8301803282 +91 8301803282 Ernakulam: +91 790 2200400 +91 790 2200400 Ernakulam: +91 790 2200300 Alappuzha: +91 477 2238630 +91 477 2238630 Alappuzha: +91 949 5003630 +91 949 5003630 Alappuzha: +91 949 5003640 +91 949 5003640 Idukki: +91 9061566111 +91 9061566111 Idukki: +91 9383463036 +91 9383463036 Kottayam: +91 944 6562236 +91 944 6562236 Kottayam: +91 944 6562236 +91 944 6562236 Pathanamthitta: +91 807 8808915 +91 807 8808915 Kollam: +91 944 7677800 +91 944 7677800 Thiruvananthapuram: +91 949 7711281 Two days after a Sikh family was allegedly manhandled here by four law students, Sikh bodies on Saturday demanded fair probe in the matter while the police said they have registered cross complaints against the two parties. In a complaint on Friday, one of the members of the Sikh family alleged that when they was returning from the restaurant, four youths started misbehaving, hurt their religious sentiments, molested a woman family member and threatened to kill them. Acting on the complaint, the police registered a case against accused law students Akash and Kuldeep with two others. The identity of the two was yet to be ascertained, police said. This came after Akash and Kuldeep handed over a complaint to the police against the Sikh family on Thursday night. In their complaint, they had alleged that the family had attacked them with sharp-edged weapons and threatened to kill them. Sandeep Kumar, station house officer (SHO), Civil Line Police Station said, A case has been registered against Akash, Kuldeep and two others under Sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence and language) 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (acts done by several person in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He added that a case was filed against Tanpreet, Joginder Singh, a woman and another person under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) 34 (acts done by several person in furtherance of common intention) and 506 (criminal intimidation) on the complaint of Akash and Kuldeep. Meanwhile, a video of the incident has surfaced on social media. As per sources, the incident took place due to a misunderstanding. As Akash, Kuldeep and their two friends were coming out of the hotel, the Sikh family was also leaving at the same time. A verbal spat ensued between Akash and Kanwaljeet, one of the members of the Sikh family, which led to a fight between the two men. Sikh bodies condemn attack, demand action Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday condemned the attack on the Sikh family and urged Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar to take appropriate action in the matter. In a statement here, the SAD president said, It was condemnable that a Sikh family, living in Haryana for 43 years, was termed as outsiders and attacked when they protested against inappropriate and vulgar remarks being made against women. He said the four accused were reportedly intoxicated and allegd that they assaulted a member of the Sikh family, tossed his turban and even kicked a seven-month pregnant amritdhari woman in the stomach. He alleged that the four miscreants were rounded up at the restaurant, but by the time the Sikh family reached the Sector 16 police station in Hisar, the accused were let off. In a further insult to the aggrieved family, the Hisar police registered a case against their family member under Section 307 of the IPC, the SAD president said. He demanded that the false case be withdrawn immediately and a case under Section 295A (hurting religious sentiments) with other appropriate sections be registered against the accused. SAD Kalanwali legislator Balkor Singh also visited the Sikh family in Hisar on Saturday and assured full support. Sikh bodies also met at Gurudwara Singh Sabha here demanding a fair probe into the matter. They said they will meet Hisars superintendent of police Shiv Charan. Meanwhile, the bar association of Hisar held a press conference on Saturday and said Akash, son of advocate Virender Malik, was at a hotel with his friends when the Sikh family attacked them. They alleged that the family was trying to give the issue a religious angle to the case. Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertook an aerial survey and announced Rs 500 crore as immediate aid for Kerala. The state is witnessing one of the harshest monsoons with over 2 lakh people being displaced since August 8. (Photo: PTI) Kochi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Saturday conducted aerial survey of flood-hit Kerala where 324 people have died in last nine days. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced Rs 500 crore as immediate aid for Kerala, in addition to the 100 crore announced earlier. The PM has also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh per person to the next kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured, from Prime Minister's National Relief Funds (PMNRF). Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Minister K J Alphons and other officials on Saturday morning. The state is witnessing one of the harshest monsoons with over 2 lakh people being displaced since August 8. The NDRF has evacuated over 10,000 people from the heavy rains and flood waters affected areas of Kerala. A total of 58 teams of the force have been deputed to work in Kerala out of which 55 are working on the ground. Three teams are on their way, a spokesperson for the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said. Till now, 42 Navy, 16 Army, 28 Coast Guard were engaged in rescue operations. Last Sunday, Home Minister Rajnath Singh had undertaken and aerial survey of the flood-ravaged state and the centre had extended a Rs 100 crore package. Thousands of people are still perched on trees and rooftops, waiting to be rescued. Here are the LIVE updates from Kerala: 06:45 pm: Relief material was air-dropped by the IAF in Alappuzha district's Chengannur today. #Kerala: Relief material being dropped by Indian Air Force in Alappuzha district's Chengannur. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/lHF75DHVZv ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 06:35 pm: Around 72 diving teams have been deployed across multiple locations in Kerala. SNC rescue teams augmented by Gemini boats, divers and other resources from both Eastern and Western Naval Commands of the India Navy are deployed. 06:30 pm: As part of IAF's Operation Madad, air rescue has been carried out at various places of the three badly affected districts: Thrissur, Ernakulam and Pathanamthitta, in Kerala. Various aircraft including ALH, Sea King, Chetak and MI 17 (of IAF) rescued more than 154 people so far. 06:20 pm: Rescue operation underway by Indian Navy in flood-affected area of Chengannur. 05:55 pm: Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has deployed 3 Airavat club class buses to pick more than 150 people stranded in Kerala's Thrissur, from Palghat to Mangalore. KSRTC will not charge any fare for these rides. 05:35 pm: Odisha government sent 240 fire service personnel from Bhubaneswar to Kerala today for relief and rescue operations. (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 05:30 pm: Roads were damaged due to landslides and floods caused by heavy and incessant rainfall in Palakkad today. Palakkad: Roads damaged due to landslides and floods caused by heavy and incessant rainfall in the region. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/gE2RZVN7ul ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 05:00 pm: Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan has released Rs 10 crores as assistance for the rain-battered state. 04:45 pm: Randeep Surjewala of the Congress said, "All our MPs, MLAs and MLC will donate their one month salary for flood relief in Kerala." The Congress also plans to put a special relief committee in place. The committee will send essential items to Kerala. 04:40 pm: With relief pouring in from across India, all BJP corporators of the Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC) in Maharashtra have decided to donate their one month salary towards Kerala flood relief fund. 04:40 pm: Minister Ravindra Chavan from Maharashtra will also donate his one month's salary for the same cause. 04:35 pm: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announces Rs 15 crore from Chief Minister Relief Fund. 04:30 pm: A statement from the Kerala Chief Minister Office read: Red Alert issued for today in 11 districts. Heavy rainfall predicted for the day in all districts except Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kasaragod. 04:25 pm: As part of relief measures, Punjab government will send 1 lakh packets of food products consisting water bottles, skimmed milk, biscuits and sugar to Kerala. Punjab: 1 lakh packets of food products consisting water bottles, skimmed milk, biscuits & sugar being sent to Halwara airport in Ludhiana. CM Capt Amarinder Singh had announced Rs 10 crores worth of immediate relief for #KeralaFloods,Rs 5 cr in form of ready-to-eat food material pic.twitter.com/XfrVyn31vX ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 04:00 pm: Currently, 15 NDRF teams are operational in Thrissur, 13 in Pathanamthitta, 11 in Alappuzha, 5 in Ernakulam, 4 in Idukki, 3 in Malappuram and 2 each in Wayanad and Kozhikode. (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 03:55 pm: NDRF teams have rescued 194 persons and 12 livestock. They have also managed to evacuate 10,467 persons and provided pre-hospital treatment to 159 persons. (Photo: ANI/Twitter) 03:35 pm: Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani also announced relief for Kerala. He has vowed to contribute Rs 10 crore from the Chief Minister Relief Fund. 03:25 pm: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis announces Rs 20 crore as immediate assistance from Maharashtra Government for the rain-battered state. 01:53 pm: Special aircraft of Indian Army reaches Thiruvananthapuram with food and basic amenities for flood affected areas. 01:55 pm: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announces an aid of Rs 5 crores for flood-hit Kerala from Chief Minister Relief Fund. He has also announced that 245 fire personnel with boats will be sent to Kerala for rescue operations. 01:39 pm: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announces an aid of Rs 10 crores for flood-hit Kerala from Bihar Chief Minister Relief Fund. 01:23 pm: "PM conducted aerial survey to get first-hand knowledge about flood. Our helicopter could not go to some places due to inclement weather. He has announced Rs 500 crore and all possible help. We thanked him and demanded more helicopters and boats," Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan told the media. 12:35 pm: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has announced an aid of Rs 10 crores for flood-hit Kerala. 12:31 pm: "58 teams of NDRF are deployed in 8 affected districts, we have recused 170 people and 7000 people have been evacuated to safer places. If required more teams will be deployed," said Sanjay Kumar, DG, NDRF. 12:29 pm: "I salute the people of Kerala for their fighting spirit. I compliment the authorities for their efforts in this adverse situation. I would also like to appreciate the wide support and solidarity from people across India towards Kerala during this unprecedented situation," PM Modi tweeted. 12:24 pm: "NDRF teams, companies of BSF, CISF and RAF are deployed in the state for rescue and relief operations. The Air Force, Army, Navy and Coast Guard are assisting operations in different parts of Kerala. Rescuing those who are trapped remains the topmost priority." Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted. 12:23 pm: "The Central Government is ensuring that the benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, MGNREGA, various social security schemes, Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture reach those affected on a priority basis in Kerala." PM Modi tweeted. 12:19 pm: "Centre is providing all possible assistance to Kerala. This includes financial assistance, providing food grains and medicines. We have asked the NHAI, NTPC, PGCIL to render all possible assistance and cater to basic infrastructure needs in the wake of the floods," PM Modi tweeted. 12:16 pm: In Kerala, I took stock of the situation arising in the wake of the devastating floods across the state. Joined a review meeting and undertook an aerial survey to assess the damage caused by flooding. The nation stands firmly with Kerala in this hour: PM Modi tweeted. In Kerala, I took stock of the situation arising in the wake of the devastating floods across the state. Joined a review meeting and undertook an aerial survey to assess the damage caused by flooding. The nation stands firmly with Kerala in this hour. pic.twitter.com/PFeWTTZAwl Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 18, 2018 11:30 am: "The area has been completely flooded. I have lost almost everything I had. The water level is increasing with every passing hour", a resident of Kollakadavu village said. (Photo: Twitter | ANI) 11:20 am: Congress president Rahul Gandhi requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare Kerala floods as "National Disaster". Dear PM, Please declare #Kerala floods a National Disaster without any delay. The lives, livelihood and future of millions of our people is at stake. Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 18, 2018 11:19 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also announced Rs 500 crore as immediate aid for Kerala, in addition to the 100 crore announced earlier. 10:59 am: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Minister K J Alphons, Kerala Governor P. Sathasivam also undertake aerial survey along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Photo: Twitter | ANI) 10:58 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducts an aerial survey of flood affected areas. PM Modi has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh per person to the next kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured, from Prime Minister's National Relief Funds (PMNRF). #WATCH: Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducts an aerial survey of flood affected areas. PM has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh per person to the next kin of the deceased and Rs.50,000 to those seriously injured, from PMs National Relief Funds (PMNRF). #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/T6FYNVLmMu ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 10:40 am: The State Bank of India (SBI) has donated Rs 2 crore to Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) and announced waiver of fees and charges on services offered by the bank in Kerala. 10:01 am: State highway to Idukki city from Kumily is blocked due to landslide, clearance operation underway. (Photo: Twitter | ANI) 09:49 am: In video: Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel distribute relief materials to stranded people in flood affected Palakkad's Mangalam Dam village. #WATCH: Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel distribute relief material to stranded people in flood affected Palakkad's Mangalam Dam village. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/2WvqDsflrn ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 09:35 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairing a meeting in Kochi with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Minister KJ Alphons and other officials. Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewing the flood situation in Kerala at a high-level meeting. (Photo: Twitter | @PMOIndia) 09:25 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's aerial survey of flood affected Kochi called-off due to bad weather: reports. 08:49 am: United Arab Emirates (UAE) to form a committee to help flood-hit areas of Kerala. President of UAE Sheikh Khalifa has instructed formation of a national emergency committee to provide assistance to the people affected in Kerala. 08:19 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Kochi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Kochi, where he will take stock of flood situation. (Photo: Twitter | @PMOIndia) 07:45 am: Here's how you can donate to the Kerala Chief Minister Distress relief fund. Details below: NO: 67319948232 Bank: State Bank of India IFSC : SBIN0070028 SWIFT CODE : SBININBBT08 Here's how you can help those affected by the unprecedented floods in Kerala. Now you can make donations online to Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund through the site, https://t.co/OFHTHlZ9by #KeralaFloods #StandWithKerala. pic.twitter.com/XNlBKqdCUT CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) August 14, 2018 The chief minister's office has also released helpline numbers. Alert: People in the low lying areas along Chalakudy river and its tributaries are requested to move to higher locations as a precautionary measure. All stranded people are being attended by the forces in maximum capacity. #KeralaFloods2018 pic.twitter.com/6QWiTj2Guc CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) August 16, 2018 07:43 am: In video: Navy delivers relief material to stranded people in flooded areas of Kochi. #WATCH Navy delivers relief material to stranded people in a flooded area of Kochi. #Keralafloods pic.twitter.com/dC8Lp78e8q ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 07:30 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves from Thiruvananthapuram for an aerial survey of flood-affected areas of Kochi. 07:25 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on his way to Kochi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves from Thiruvananthapuram for an aerial survey of flood-affected areas of Kochi. (Photo: ANI | Twitter) 07:00 am: Telecom operators had announced free calls and data, extension in bill payment due dates and other relief measures for subscribers in Kerala. "To help you stay in touch with your loved ones and remain connected, we are extending a complimentary 7 days unlimited voice & data pack to you," Jio said in a message sent to customers. With the murderous monsoon claiming 106 lives on a single day on Thursday, the state plunged deeper into misery today with hospitals facing a shortage of oxygen and fuel stations running dry, officials said. The deadliest deluge in close to a century has dealt a body blow to the scenic state, wrecking its tourism industry, destroying standing crops in thousands of hectares and inflicting huge damage to infrastructure. Over 13,000 people residing along the banks of the Cauvery in Tamil Nadu were evacuated from their homes in view of 2.45 lakh cusecs of water being released from Mettur dam on Saturday. The evacuees, drawn from over five districts, have been accommodated in 117 temporary camps. There has been no respite in outflow of water from the Cauvery, with rainfall continuing unabated in Kodagu region of Karnataka where the river originates. Breaches have occurred in various parts of Salem, Erode, Namakkal and Karur districts due to this outflow. As many as 1,000 houses built along the banks of the Bhavani river, a tributary of the Cauvery river, were inundated. Apart from this, around eight villages in Cuddalore district faced flooding due to the Kollidam river overflowing. Three lakh cusecs of water may be further released from the dam on Saturday night owing to heavy rainfall in the western region. Consequently, the state government has urged those living on the banks of the Cauvery to vacate their houses. Revenue minister RB Udhayakumar said disaster response force personnel have been placed on alert from Kodiyampalam in Cuddalore district to Poompuhar in Nagapattinam district, where the river joins the sea. Around 13,952 people have been evacuated from their houses in Salem, Erode, Namakkal, Karur and Trichy districts. About 117 well-equipped camps have been kept ready to accommodate these people, Udhayakumar told mediapersons on Saturday. The minister said that police and government officials have been monitoring 200 sensitive spots on a round-the-clock basis. Education minister KA Sengottaiyan, electricity minister P Thangamani and local administration minister SP Velumani also visited flood-affected areas. Local administration minister SP Velumani said the government will help rebuild 500 houses that were damaged across Namakkal and Erode districts. Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami will visit flood-affected areas in the states northwest region on Sunday. On a related note, the Tamil Nadu government has announced another Rs 5 crore for Kerala towards flood relief aid. We had already extended Rs 5 crore to Kerala. Now, after observing the extent of havoc wreaked in the neighbouring state, the government will contribute another Rs 5 crore. Also, we have sent relief materials including rice, milk powder, milk and clothes worth around Rs 2 crore, said Velumani. In 2001, I had gone to 7, Race Course Road with a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) media team to record a speech by the prime minister, and I got the opportunity of being introduced to prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as the grandson of Lal Bahadur Shastri. With a straight face, Atal ji said: He cannot be Shastrijis grandson. Then came the typical Atalji pause that made me more nervous. He smiled and said: You are taller than Shastriji. We all broke into laughter. When I met him for the second time, he remembered me and said, You look a bit like Shastriji and added: Looks can come but what is important to have is Shastrijis mild manner and strong character. He was a true son of the soil. Those words still ring in my ears. Shastrijis family and nation are indebted to Atalji and his government because after Shastrijis death in 1966, the family always wanted 1 Moti Lal Nehru Place (the house where he lived in as prime minister) to be converted into a national memorial. My grandmother, Lalita Shastri, had requested previous governments, but the request always remained confined to files. I recall reading in a national daily that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government would not convert former leaders residences into memorials. I informed my mother and made her speak to senior BJP leader L K Advani. On the same evening, a cabinet meeting took place and I learnt that Atalji had said an exception should be made for Lal Bahadur Shastri. Atalji was popularly known as Baapji by many of us. In a true sense, he reflected that quality. I recall that in 2006, on an important issue, a press conference took place at 6A Krishna Menon Marg. Being the national media convenor, I had to organise the conference followed by lunch. Jaswant Singh and Yashwant Sinha addressed the press. Later, when I went to seek permission to leave, Baapji enquired whether I had eaten. I was very busy with the media so had skipped lunch. He ensured that a hot meal was served to me and while I was eating he sat next to me. The nation will now remember him in many ways as an orator, statesman, poet, ambassador of coalition dharma and so on and so forth. I will always remember him for the Pokhran nuclear tests in 1998 and for unleashing a series of economic reforms to build a strong India. Being a visionary is one thing, but to translate your vision into reality is something Atalji knew. Imagine the way China flexes its muscle now; if the Pokharan-II tests had not taken place and the world had not known that India also possesses its own strategic deterrent, we would have succumbed to Chinese pressure. Indias response to Pakistan during the 1999 Kargil war was another testimony to Ataljis determination although he was then the head of only a caretaker government. The decision that Indian troops would not cross the Line of Control and trust in their ability to still push back Pakistani soldiers made the world realise that India was a responsible nation. Three important diplomatic goals were achieved by Prime Minister Vajpayee he made India a nuclear state, converted a foreign affairs crisis into an opportunity by building a constructive engagement with the US and the Western world, and compelled China to recognise Indias sovereignty over Sikkim. Many economic reforms shaping India into a strong nation today are a legacy of Atalji. The monumental divide that existed between Bharat and India has started to narrow because of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) governments policies and programmes for instance the Golden Quadrilateral road projects, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (Education for All) and the new telecom policy that unleashed competition and employment. Atalji will always be my inspiration the voice that will guide me and speak to me whenever I look for answers. (The author is health minister in the UP government) The Yogi Adityanath government will take out the Atal Asthi Kalash Yatra, a religious exercise involving the immersion of late prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayees ashes across Uttar Pradesh, on Monday. According to Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey, the three-day-long yata will culminate in the final immersion of Vajpayees ashes in the Gomti river at Lucknow on Thursday. The BJP plans to invite religious heads of all faiths and leaders of every political party to the event, he said, adding that the gesture would be in keeping with the former premiers larger-than-life appeal. The yatra will begin from the Uttar Pradesh BJP office in Lucknow on Monday, where 20 asthi kalashes (pots containing the ashes) would have been kept for darshan since the previous evening. The Kalash Yatra will be taken out by a state minister as well as senior office-bearers of the ruling party. People will be able to pay homage to the late leader through the duration of the yatra. We have decided to immerse the ashes in 20 different rivers from Ganga to Saryu and Yamuna to Hindon, Pandey said. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath will fly to Haridwar on Sunday morning to immerse Vajpayees ashes there, he said. BJP chief Amit Shah, Union home minister Rajnath Singh and Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat will be present at the immersion event in Haridwar, he added. Once that is done, the 20th asthi kalash will be taken to the BJP office in Lucknow. Principal secretary (information) Avnish Awasthi said Vajpayees ashes would be brought to the BJP headquarters in Lucknow on a motorcade escorted by several party leaders. BJP veteran Lalji Tandon and governor Ram Naik would be among those stationed there to receive the ashes. Of course I will be there, said Tandon, who had known Vajpayee for several decades. Given Vajpayees popularity among all political parties, the BJP has decided to hold an all-party prayer meeting at Jhulelal Park on the banks of the Gomti in Lucknow on Thursday. Religious leaders of all faiths and heads of all political parties would be invited for the prayer meeting headlined by Adityanath and Rajnath. The 20th asthi kalash will then be immersed in the Gomti. When asked if the BJP expected leaders of all political parties to come, state BJP spokesperson Chandramohan said: Its up to them, but with the kind of appeal Vajpayeeji has across parties, we do expect that. The BJP also plans to organise shraddhanjali sabhas across the state for three days, starting August 25. Vajpayee represented the state capital for a record five terms in the Lok Sabha until ill-health forced him out of active politics. He contested and won his last Lok Sabha election from Lucknow in 2004. Kislay owes his life to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee after the late leaders pointed question jolted the then Rashtriya Janata Party-led government in Bihar into action. Kislay was 14 years old when he was kidnapped in Patel Nagar locality of state capital Patna on January 19, 2005, when on his way to board his school bus. But police were unable to trace him even after a week. The incident sparked a massive public outcry against the spurt in kidnappings of schoolchildren in the state, where the law and order situation was at its worse under the RJD government. Vajpayee, who was in the state to campaign for the National Democratic Alliance ahead of the Bihar assembly elections, picked up the issue at a rally. Kahan hai mera Kislay (Where is my Kislay)? he questioned the government while addressing a gathering in Bhagalpur on January 27, 2005. The direct question struck an instant chord not only with the audience in Bhagalpur but also with people of the entire state. It also jolted the Bihar police out of their slumber and prompted them to act and deliver. And soon Vajpayees question was answered; Kislay was rescued. Inspector general (Patna zone) NH Khan, who was the senior superintendent of police of Patna then, said after Vajpayee raised the issue of Kislays kidnapping, it became a challenge for the city police and the entire Bihar government to rescue the schoolboy. Within ten days of Vajpayees remark, Kislay was rescued safely from a village in Samastipur. Later, all the three kidnappers involved in the incident were killed in an encounter with police in Patna, he said. Khan said there was a huge outrage against the incident after Vajpayees remarks and schoolchildren from different schools even wrote to former president APJ Abdul Kalam to intervene for Kislays safe rescue. We had to send day-to-day report to the Presidents secretariat. Later, after the boy was safely rescued, Patna Police got an appreciation letter from the government of India, said Khan. For Kislay, now 27 years old, it was a new lease of life. The demise of Vajpayeeji is indeed a big setback for the entire family for the way he connected with all of us. We consider it (his famous remarks) a divine intervention, Kislays father KK Gupta, additional commissioner (commercial taxes), said. Kislay went to study in Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur. At present, he is doing his management studies from the University of Virginia, US. But all this was possible only because he was back safely, said Gupta. Bengal teenager Mallika Majumdar, who would have celebrated her 16th birthday in November, on Saturday became the youngest organ donor in the state, giving a new spell of life to three people who received her kidneys and liver while one of her corneas and part of her skin benefited two others. After Majumdar, who was diagnosed with a brain lesion after being admitted in the state-run SSKM Hospital in Kolkata on August 1 and had slipped into coma on August 11, was declared brain dead by doctors on Friday, her family were convinced to donate her organs. We were told by the doctors that there is no possibility of our daughter returning to life once she was declared brain dead. We were then convinced that if her organs could be transplanted on other persons, she will continue to live among others. And that is our biggest consolation, her father Manik Majumder said over phone from Siliguri. Initially, we were reluctant. But then we realised it is preferable to let somebody live with her organs rather than burn them to ashes, said her uncle Subrata Majumdar, her uncle. We told the family members of the girl that she might have passed away, but she will continue to live on through the donations, said Aditi Kishore Sarkar, the nodal officer of West Bengal for organ transplants. This incident will set an example about donating organs of brain dead patients and raise public awareness, Sarkar said. While all the other organs could be successfully transplanted within the Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research (IPGMER) in SSKM Hospital compound, the liver was taken to a private Apollo hospital off E M Bypass through the green channel corridor facilitated by Kolkata Police early this morning, said a hospital spokesman. The organ was successfully transplanted in Ajay Ramakant, 44, flown in from Hyderabad for the surgery, after a five-hour long operation, a statement from the Apollo hospital said. The kidneys were transplanted on Moumita Chakraborty of the states Khardah and Sanjib Das of Sodepur in North 24 Parganas district, both who were undergoing treatment at SSKM Hospital. A relative of Das, who was a recipient of one of the kidneys, said, I will not belittle Mallikas parents and the doctors by thanking them. Words fail to express our emotions. The girls cornea was also been donated to a patient at SSKM and part of her skin was grafted on a burn patient. (With agency inputs) Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who passed away after prolonged illness in New Delhi on Thursday, once facilitated former Nepalese Prime Minister BP Koiralas journey to New York for treatment of throat cancer. Prof Deepak Malik, a close friend of Koirala, shared the story that Koirala (1914-1982) narrated to him when he met him in Delhi in the late 1977 or early 1978. BP Koirala was the first Prime Minister of Nepal. He was a legendary leader. Koirala was lodged in jail because he was fighting for democracy. But he was released from jail in late seventies (late 1977 or early 1978) on a strong initiative by the then president of Janta Party Chandra Shekhar when Janta Party came into power in India in 1977, he said. Besides, there was an international appeal by many European heads of states, prime ministers and presidents as well as doctors as BP Koirala had cancer in his throat. The then Indian Prime Minister Morar Ji Desai, however, was not in favour of any kind of intervention with Nepal government to release BP Koirala. But the campaign was so massive that he was released, Prof Malik recalled, adding that as president of the ruling party, Chandra Shekhar, and the then foreign minister Vajpayee supported the campaign for Koiralas release. And I met Koirala on the day he was leaving for New York for treatment. I went to his flat where his family was residing in Delhi as they had informed me that the BP will be leaving for New York at about 2pm. Since I had very close and long relationship with him, I thought it would be good if I could meet him before his departure, Prof Malik added. BP came very late that night. But then he had time to talk to me. He actually was coming back from a dinner hosted by the then foreign minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. BP told me that Vajpayee was in very nostalgic mood and he told, Look here BP, I am occupying the same chair, which was adorned by Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru as we know that Pt Nehru was both prime minister and foreign minister of India. Vajpayee told BP that he was a small man as compared to Pt Nehru but he was proud that he was occupying the same position, Malik claimed. Such was Vajpayees admiration for Pt Nehru and he confided in BP as he was also very close to Nehru, he said. As per Malik, Vajpayee was a statesman in true sense that he suffered wrath of even RSS during the Babri Masjid demolition. Three years after she went missing from Kharghar, the Navi Mumbai unit of the anti-human trafficking cell traced a 20-year-old woman with the help of her Facebook account. The woman, who stayed at an ashram in Kharghar, went missing from there in April, 2015. It was not clear if the girl was kidnapped or herself left the ashram. A kidnapping case was registered with Kharghar police and we had been searching for her, said Sanjay Kshirsagar, sub-inspector of the anti-human trafficking cell. A few weeks ago while searching for her on Facebook, we saw her picture in an account. After technical analysis of the details available, we traced her location to Bandra, he said. The police had earlier suspected that the woman was forced into some immoral business. We managed to meet her alone. We realised she was working for an NGO there, he said. According to the police, the girl had left the Kharghar ashram as she was not happy there. She left for Delhi and worked there for two years. There she met a woman who took her to Mumbai and gave her an opportunity to work for the NGO. She is now 20 and can decide her future. So, we did not take her back to Kharghar. But, our investigation has revealed that nothing wrong happened to her, Kshirsagar said. In a major goof-up in planning the city for the next twenty years, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) literally went into the sea. In BMCs new development plan (DP), at least six plots around Haji Ali have been marked in the sea, two plots with city survey number were marked in the sea along Madh Island, while some plots in Mahul and Oshiwara have been marked in nullahs. With only a week left for sending in suggestions/objections for eastern suburbs maps, the city-based Urban Design Research Institute (UDRI) has highlighted recurring errors in DP maps, demanding clarification from authorities. Is marking plots in sea, a clerical error? If it is an error, the authorities need to immediately rectify it and release a clarification. The implications of such errors are huge, said Pankaj Joshi, director, UDRI. In addition, in all the maps for island city, western and eastern suburbs, sea colour and natural water course is shown in different colours, creating confusion. In one instance, along the eastern coast, the sea is not marked on the maps, while it is marked in other maps. Citizens can still send objections and suggestions for eastern suburbs maps till August 24. BMC had uploaded the DP sheets (ward-wise maps) for the island city and the western and eastern suburbs on portal.mcgm.gov.in or www.mcgm.gov.in to be studied within a month. The DP has been divided into two parts sanctioned (the one prepared after including the objections and suggestions) and excluded part or EP. The UDRI had also requested authorities to upload the entire map which includes both EP and sanctioned part to gauge full implications. However, there has been no response to the request from the state department. BMC has asked citizens to not panic and take assistance of the help desk at their headquarters. Citizens should not panic as these are clerical errors and will be rectified. We have found out nearly 5,000 clerical errors like wrong colour for marking residential and open spaces, traffic island, and areas marked in the sea, said a senior BMC official, requesting anonymity. The suggestions/objections should be sent to the deputy director of town planning, Greater Mumbai at E block, ENSA Hutment, Azad Maidan, Mumbai. The planning authority has already begun the hearing for the suggestions and objections to the development control and promotional regulations (DCPR), released in May, this year. The state governments plan to launch a one-ticket system for all public transport modes in the city by the end of December has hit a stumbling block, as state authorities and railways were unable to agree on how commuters will pay for tickets. With the integrated ticketing system, more than one crore commuters can access all of the citys public transport modes suburban trains, metro, monorail, buses, autorickshaws and taxis using a single card or mobile app. While the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which is executing the project, has invited tenders, until the railways used by 75 lakh people a day agrees on a payments system, the project will remain incomplete. To resolve this, CM Devendra Fadnavis wrote to the Union railway minister Piyush Goyal, requesting for a meeting. The CM wrote to the minister in July. He has since spoken to him, and Mr Goyal assured him of a meeting, said a senior official from the state secretariat. The reason for the deadlock? While the state has finalised a payment mode called account based system, or ABS, in which a users account balance is on a server, the railways wants both ABS, and a store value card-based system (SVC). In this system, the balance is stored on cards issued to the user . The ABS is the more advanced system, as commuters may not even need to carry a card, but simply use their phones to pass through ticketing gates. Railway officials, however, fear loss of revenue if only the ABS system is used, as it may allow a journey without checking if the account has enough balance. On the other hand, SVC cards, like pre-paid cards, will refuse a journey if there is insufficient balance. A Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) official said they recommended using both systems as per standards and specifications of the National Common Mobility Card, issued by the Union government for all cities. We have sent our recommendations to the railway board, which will now take the final decision, said RS Khurana, chairman and managing director, MRVC. State government officials, however, pointed out ABS will allow contactless travel. This is the future of transit ticketing. Even if, by chance, a trip is allowed without checking account balance or authenticating a debit or credit card, the system will have checks and balances in place to ensure the next trip is blocked or the passenger will have to pay for his previous journey, said a bureaucrat working on the project, adding that the system will allow people to buy their journey tickets using credit and debit cards, or any other e wallet. Currently, each transport mode in Mumbai has its own ticketing system for suburban trains, commuters can use the ATVM card apart from the physical tickets; RFID, or Radio Frequency Identification cards are used in BEST buses; the Mumbai Metro One also has its own card, while all payments for taxis and autorickshaws need to be done through cash despite the high ridership. Across the world, big metros have single or multiple common mobility cards London has the Oyster Card, Hong Kong, the Octopus card, Sydney has the Opal card, Toronto has Presto, and Manila has the Beep card Under the CBI scanner after the arrest of a middleman with Rs 10-lakh bribe, inspector general (IG) of police Gurinder Singh Dhillon is not new to controversies. Dhillon, who is a blue-eyed boy of a powerful lobby of senior officials in the Punjab Police and an adviser to the chief minister, had raised a storm in May 2015 when as Ludhiana deputy inspector general (DIG), he arbitrarily revoked the dismissal of cat-turned-cop inspector Gurmeet Pinki. Pinki, who was convicted in 2001 murder of a Ludhiana-based resident Avtar Singh Gola, was rehabilitated as head constable on the orders of Dhillon, who had described Pinki as an outstanding policeman and an asset to the department having a proven record of exemplary and extraordinary work. The decision irked the previous SAD government as Pinkis reinstatement was seen as a blow to pro-Sikh sentiments in Punjab due to the cops controversial profile during the days of terrorism in the state. Dhillons order was then set aside on the directive of inspector general (IG-zonal) Lok Nath Angra. A probe was also ordered to inquire into the episode and Dhillon was transferred within hours after the matter reached the then deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. At that time, allegations about exchange of Rs 60 lakh by a middleman, Aman Skoda, and Pinki had also surfaced in this case, but the matter was allegedly hushed up. In another case in 2015, then chief minister Parkash Singh Badal had ordered a probe against Dhillon for allegedly misusing his position to harass an NRI family from Patiala in a land dispute case. The complainant in the case, NRI Manjinder Pal Singh and his wife Selina Singh of San Francisco (US), had claimed that Dhillon stormed into their farmhouse near Patiala, threatened them and also sent goons who stayed on the premises for days together, pressing them to budge in a family dispute over the possession of around 100 acres of agricultural land. The NRI couple had alleged that they were so much intimidated by Dhillon that they feared entering Patiala. The state NRI Commission had recommended a probe in the case and then principal secretary (home) Jagpal Singh questioned the police officer in the case. The outcome of this probe is still not known. In October 2012, within three months of his appointment as Faridkot SSP, Dhillon was transferred for failing to tackle the situation in the infamous Shruti abduction case. Huge public turnout at funeral procession; Rival leaders pay rare visit to BJP HQ. New Delhi: As thick coils of smoke swriled up towards the dark grey sky, a volley of rifle shots reverberated and bugles sounded the Last Post as former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was consigned to the flames of a funeral pyre in front of a grieving nation. Amid rhythmic chanting of Vedic hymns and cries of Atal Behari amar rahe, his foster daughter Namita Kaul Bhattacharya walked around the funeral pyre seven times with a flaming torch and lit the pile of sandalwood which had concealed the mortal remains of Indias Hriday Samrat (emperor of hearts). Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath said the ashes of the former Prime Minister would be immersed in every river in his state. The UP government has put up a list of 75 districts and small and big rivers picked for immersion of the ashes. Breaking away from tradition and throwing security oncerns to the wind, and braving the hot, burning rays of the scorching sun, Prime Minister Narendra Modi walked the entire way behind the hearse from the BJP headquarters at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg to the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal a 6-km stretch. Along with him walked BJP president Amit Shah and all BJP chief ministers and leaders. People came from all parts of India, from all sections of society pay tributes to an extraordinary personality who made an extraordinary contribution to the nation. India salutes you, Atal Ji!, the Prime Minister later tweeted. The government issued a gazette notification announcing the demise of former PM Atal Behari Vajpayee. The notification, signed by Union home secretary Rajiv Gauba, was issued in both English and Hindi. The Government of India announces, with profound sorrow, the death of Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee, former Prime Minister of India, at 1705 hours on 16th August 2018 at AIIMS Hospital, New Delhi, it stated. Thousands thronged the streets all along the route from the BJP headquarters to Smriti Sthal for a last glimpse of the final journey of one of Indias tallest leaders. That Vajp-ayee was ajatshatru (he who has no enemy) was evident as leaders cutting across party lines reached the cremation ground. Congress president Rahul Gandhi, AAP supremo and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Samajwadi patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, Karnataka CM H.D. Kumaraswamy were among the political rivals who reached Smriti Sthal to pay their homage. It was only Vajpayee whose death could bring the BJPs sworn political rivals belonging to the Left, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI national secretary D. Raja, to the BJP headquarters on Friday. Vajpayees former aide Sudheendra Kulkarni, speaking to a television channel, explained why the former PM was loved by all. Mr Kulkarni said Vajpayee pratcised the politics of sarvasamaveshak rajneeti (politics of taking everybody along). Several foreign dignitaries, including Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Bangladesh foreign minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, Pakistans law minister Ali Zafar and former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, were present as Vajpayee was cremated with full state honours. Joining the pantheon of great Indian political leaders, Vajpayees final resting place is on the stretch housing the memorials of Mahatma Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. The panelists on television and political pundits seemed somewhat surprised as people from all sections of society gathered in huge numbers and rushed and jostled each other to shower flower petals on the cortege that was carrying Vajpaye on his final journey. Several young people, some of whom were children when Vajpayee was in power, had come out of their homes to join the procession. I have only heard about Vajpayee but if I ever join politics, I want to be like Atal Behari Vajpayee, said a student from St. Stephens College while speaking to a television reporter. Vajpayee, who was out of power for nearly 16 years and was confined to his home for nearly a decade following a long illness, continued to connect with the nation and the people. Overwhelmed political experts couldnt help but compare this funeral procession with those of Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. On Friday, all the roads in the Indian capital led to Smriti Sthal. While security people kept entry highly restricted inside the cremation ground, arguments broke out outside as hundreds were prevented from entering. Earlier in the morning, as Vajpayees cortege had made its way from his home at 6A Krishna Menon Marg through the city to reach the BJP office on Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, chants of Vande Mataram, Bharat Mata ki jai rent the air. On Thursday, the body draped in the tricolour was handed over to his granddaughter Niharika. For the second consecutive day, leaders across the political spectrum rushed to share their experiences and views on Vajpayee. The focus remained on his inclusive style of Nehruvian politics, as well as on his liberalism, pluralism, poetry and oratory. They refuse to vacate government accommodation and despite a long queue for such housing in the Himachal Capital, no one, at least no one alive, is too keen to move in with the ghosts of Shimla. Till date, about 200 government houses remain vacant in the city because of so-called negative energies over there. So rife is superstition in government circles about haunted houses that the Government General Administration (GAD), state branch, has been compelled to draw up a list of unpopular houses, identifying 200 such units. I had been allotted a house in town seven months back but did not occupy it as it was considered jinxed. I have been waiting for another house for seven months says Hemant Chauhan, a government employee. Either the houses are believed to be haunted or in a dilapidated state but there are a substantial number of residential units that no one wants to occupy, says Amarjeet Singh, director, estate branch. There are 1,848 government houses in Shimla under GAD control, including type VII, VI, V, IV, II, II and I quarters and bungalows located in different parts of the town. Theres big demand for government accommodation. Two years ago we drew up a proposal stating that as many as 30,000 houses were required in the general pool, said an official at the real estate branch in Shimla. People who have lived in some of these units say they have experienced paranormal activity. I lived in government accommodation in Brockhurst, the venue of strange events. Plates fell on the floor when there was no one in the kitchen. The children kept complaining about a woman singing at midnight. My daughter kept falling ill, claimed a Shimla-based gazetted officer who did not want to be named as hes not authorised to speak to the media. Most of the residential housing, both cottages and quarters, were built during the British Raj from 1864 to 1947 when Shimla was the countrys summer capital. These are located in, Richmond, the United Services Club, Nabha Estate, Brockhurst, Bemloe and Kasumpti and close to the government run Peterhoff Hotel and Willys Park. The most prominent VIP residence, also built in the British era, comes with its share of superstitions. The state chief ministers official residence, Oakover, was once believed to be jinxed as no CM living there completed his full term. What worked for Dhumal The havans (rituals) Prem Kumar Dhumal conducted after being elected CM in 1998, however, seemed to have worked because he completed his full tenure. Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar, the first CM of the state, was ousted from power shortly after moving to Oakover. Thakur Ram Lal was CM twice but did not complete his full tenure. BJP veteran leader Shanta Kumar moved in here in 1977 but his government was dismissed after five months. Ram Lal again formed the government but was removed in 1983 and the Congress handed over the reins of the state to Virbhadra Singh. Singh, however, preferred to live in his private residence, Holy Lodge. Shanta Kumar became chief minister again in 1989 but was removed from power a year later after the Babri Masjid demolition. Greece has a long history of harvesting olives and is an olive producing country par excellence. The Mediterranean sun and the Aegean winds lend the fruit its unique taste. Greece is the worlds third largest producer of edible olives and olive oil. 120 million olive trees are spread around the country. Travellers looking for an interactive holiday and a true taste of rural living must visit Greece during the harvest season from October to December to enjoy a unique immersive experience. Special agro-tourism accommodation units have opened up in Evia, Lesvos, Crete, Kalymnos, Paros, Kefalonia, Kalamata, Kythira and other regions. It allows tourists to help with olive harvesting and experience the unique way of life in the region. The accommodation is simple but comfortable. The courtyards are endless olive groves, where visitors can get in touch with nature and experience every stage of the harvest. Visitors can pick olives using age-old harvesting techniques, working for just one day or for weeks in a row. Guests can also help transfer the harvested olives to a traditional olive press, learn the traditional art of extracting precious oil and watch how the golden oil begins to flow and fills up the air with its aromatic fragrance. Once the olives have been pressed, anyone who has helped is welcome to take some oil home or fill up a couple of bottles bearing their very own personalised label. Visitors can also adopt olive trees. In return, they get a certificate with information about the olives the trees produce, plus a sample of the olive oil made from the adopted trees every year thereafter. At the end of the harvest, there is a huge feast and a celebration to reward the efforts of all those who have helped. The best-known olive varieties are the Kalamon olives, the konservolia variety from Amfissa, olives from Arta, Atalanti, Rovies on Evia Island, Stylida, Volos, the throumpa variety from Thasos Island, Chios Island and Crete. You can visit olive museums located across the country to get acquainted with the history of the olive tree, its cultivation in the Mediterranean basin, and its connection to Greek culture. Follow @htlifeandstyle for more A man who allegedly stole a California Highway Patrol car, drove it onto a college campus and used it to commandeer a school bus was arrested Friday after students on the bus jumped him, authorities and witnesses said. The 35-year-old Vallejo man was taken into custody by Sacramento police. A CHP officer was investigating a two-car crash on Highway 50 at about 12:30 p.m. when one driver jumped into the patrol car and drove off, the agency reported. The thief drove the cruiser to California State University, Sacramento, where he used it to pull over a bus containing 10 student government participants from San Joaquin Delta College. The bus driver, Mary Speck, thought the man was an officer. He got a little aggressive and he demanded that I get out of the bus now, so he jumped in and took off with my bus, Speck told KTXL-TV. The man drove the bus off campus and onto Avenue J, where authorities managed to pull him over. When he stopped one of the guys grabbed him and choked him. When he choked him, I just started hitting him, took the keys, turned it off and threw the car in park, San Joaquin Delta College student Marsha Fernando told the station. The students fled while bystanders held the bus doors closed so the suspect couldnt escape. The bus passengers were passing through Sacramento State on their way to a student-government retreat at Lake Tahoe, Delta College officials told KCRA-TV. We are relieved that there were no injuries, and we are thankful for the brave actions of our students in reportedly subduing the driver, said a college email to the station. We are also thankful for the prompt response of law enforcement. Even before Imran Khans election as the new prime minister, cracks appeared in the shaky opposition coalition that was supposed to make it difficult for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to form government. Both Bilawal Bhuttos Pakistan Peoples Party and the right-wing Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal party have decided not to vote for PML-N leader Shehbaz Sharif, who was earlier the joint candidate of the opposition in the election of the premier. Though Sharif was not expected to win, the fielding of a joint candidate was meant to send out a message about the oppositions unity. During the voting in the National Assembly on Friday, the PPP abstained and its members left soon after the Speaker announced Khans victory. Liaquat Baloch, leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami, which is part of the MMA, said on Thursday the PML-N has flouted decisions taken during an all-party conference. He said his party is not bound to vote for the PML-N nominee. The joint opposition needs to set its priorities in a clear and candid manner, he added. PPP leader Chaudhry Manzoor had on Wednesday confirmed his party had decided not to vote for Sharif. He said his party leadership had informed the PML-N at least three days ago that their MPs will not vote for Sharif. The PPP leader, however, indicated his party would have voted for a joint candidate from the opposition if the PML-N had fielded a candidate other than Sharif. Read | Ball tampering to family drama: Six interesting facts about Imran Khan In these circumstances, it was smooth sailing for Khan when Parliament voted for the Leader of the House. A total of 176 lawmakers in the lower house voted for Khan to steer the country over the next five years after Pakistan made its second democratic transition, while Sharif bagged 96 votes. The joint opposition is facing a strengthened PTI in the National Assembly, where the party is currently in a majority. Its strength was displayed on Wednesday during the election of the Speaker PTIs Asad Qaiser secured 176 votes against PPPs Khursheed Shah, who managed 146 votes. Local media reported that while ousted former prime minister Nawaz Sharif serves his sentence at a jail in Rawalpindi, his younger brother is struggling to spin the same magic. Shehbaz Sharif will take on the mantle of the lower houses leader of opposition and try to give a united face to the opposition as it acts as a bulwark against the ruling PTI. Former CIA directors and another half dozen of Americas most senior spies have issued an unprecedented condemnation of president Donald Trump, after his decision to blacklist their colleague John Brennan. In a statement, ex-CIA bosses appointed by Republican and Democratic presidents -- including Robert Gates, George Tenet, Porter Goss, Leon Panetta and David Petraeus denounced Trumps decision to strip Brennan of his security clearance. Dozens of other former spies signalled their support for the statement. The presidents action regarding John Brennan and the threats of similar action against other former officials has nothing to do with who should and should not hold security clearances -- and everything to do with an attempt to stifle free speech, the statement read. Describing Trumps move as inappropriate and deeply regrettable, they insisted we have never before seen the approval or removal of security clearances used as a political tool, as was done in this case. Two of those who signed the statement -- former director of national intelligence James Clapper and former CIA director Michael Hayden -- are, according to Trump, on a list of people who could lose their clearance. Former officials often retain security clearance after leaving office to allow their successors to consult them on issues of the day. The White House said Brennan -- a notable Trump critic -- had been stripped of clearance due to his erratic behaviour. But in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Trump admitted his decision on Brennans clearance was linked to the ongoing federal probe into possible collusion between his campaign and Russia to influence the 2016 election. I call it the rigged witch hunt, (it) is a sham, Trump was quoted as saying in the interview. And these people led it! So I think its something that had to be done, he added. Trumps actions have been widely condemned, including by respected former admiral William McRaven, the commander of the US Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Through your actions, you have embarrassed us in the eyes of our children, humiliated us on the world stage and, worst of all, divided us as a nation, he said. But most of Trumps Republican allies have defended the move or refused to condemn it publicly. On Friday, Trump said he would likely remove the security clearance of justice department official Bruce Ohr, who has been targeted by Trump supporters, in part because his wife worked for a company that produced a dossier alleging Russia had incriminating evidence against the now president. Bruce Ohr is a disgrace. I suspect Ill be taking it away very quickly, Trump told journalists. Visitors were flocking to the Huntington Library in Southern California on Friday to get a whiff of a so-called corpse flower, known for the rotten stench it releases when it blooms. The flower, nicknamed Stink, began blooming unexpectedly on Thursday night, Huntington spokeswoman Lisa Blackburn said. We thought we had a few more days to go. But it was ready, and it was pretty spectacular, she said. The great thing about these flowers is theyre so unusual-looking and have this reputation for smelling really bad. It gets all kinds of people really interested in botanical science. Its just a charismatic plant. Oooh! Last nights #CorpseFlower bloom is still wide open this morning. The 2 remaining #TitanTriplets look ready to follow suit. (Our money is on "Stank" to go next.) Visiting hours 10-5 today. #StinkyAtTheH https://t.co/fgsF1jEF92 pic.twitter.com/7DhhEGow42 The Huntington (@TheHuntington) August 17, 2018 Corpse flowers typically take 15 years to reach a mature blooming size, and blooms usually only last 24 hours. The foul odour of the plants emit attracts insects for pollination. The plants dont emit the foul odour until they bloom. It smelled like rotting meat or decaying rats or gym socks, said Brandon Tam, an orchid specialist at the Huntington. The scent decreased on Friday afternoon as the flower started to close back up. But if you are close enough, youll be able to get a little whiff of it, Tam said. Stink is the sixth corpse flower to bloom at the institution in suburban San Marino. The last was on August 23, 2014. The plant is one of the three corpse flowers expected to bloom within the next week. The two other flowers, nicknamed Stunk and Stank, should bloom in the next few days, Blackburn said. This is the first time the Huntington is going to bloom total of three in one season, which is quite rare, Tam said. It is a surprise to see we have three all at once. The Huntington is seeing more visitors than normal. More than 500 Huntington members flocked to the Huntington Library to view the blooming on Thursday night, Tam said. Ive known about the corpse flower since the first time I saw it in 2009. So every time I hear about it about to bloom, I want to come and see it, visitor Jeannette Hollyday said. Hafeez Nawaz was 20 years old when he left his religious school in Karachi to join the Islamic State group in Afghanistan. Three years later he was back in Pakistan to carry out a deadly mission. With explosives strapped to his body, he blew himself up in the middle of an election rally last month, killing 149 people and wounding 300 others. The attack in southwestern Baluchistan province near the Afghan border just days before Pakistans July 25 parliamentary elections has cast an unwelcome spotlight on Nawazs tiny village of Dhabeji, where the presence of an IS cell in their midst has brought the full weight of Pakistans security apparatus down on its residents. Now we are all under suspicion, said Nawazs neighbor, who gave only his first name, Nadeem, for fear of the local police. The security agencies now consider Dhabeji a security threat area. Nawazs trajectory from religiously devout student to jihadi and suicide bomber is an all too familiar one in Pakistan. Since battlefield successes routed the Islamic State group from its strongholds in Syria and Iraq, hundreds of Pakistanis who traveled to join the extremists so-called caliphate are unaccounted for and Pakistans security personnel worry that they, like Nawaz, have gone underground waiting to strike. Sitting in his office in a compound surrounded by high walls and heavily armed guards, Karachis counterterrorism department chief, Pervez Ahmed Chandio, said the Islamic State group is the newest and deadliest front in Pakistans decades-old war on terror. It is one of the most dangerous threats facing Pakistan and we are ready to fight this war, he said. Its the amorphous nature of IS that has counterterrorism officials like Chandio most worried. When one cell is disrupted another emerges, sometimes within weeks and often in an unrelated part of the country. Its what they dont know that is the most worrying for counterterrorism departments around the country, said Mohammad Amir Rana, executive director of the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies, which tracks militant movements in the region. Its hideouts, its structure, its strategy are all unknown. They are an invisible enemy who is defeated in one area, only to resurface in another. A UN security council report earlier this year warned of the changing face of IS, saying the extremist group was entering a new phase, with more focus on less visible networks of individuals and cells acting with a degree of autonomy. Hafeez Nawaz was just such a case. Three years ago, he joined his older brother, Aziz, to study at Siddiquia Madrassa in Karachis Shah Faisal Colony neighborhood, an area where the level of sectarian violence at the time was so brutal that even police could not enter. A crackdown by paramilitary Rangers has since led to the arrest and killing of hundreds of militants and criminals. Today, the religious school is among 94 madrassas under surveillance in Karachi and elsewhere in southern Sindh province, Chandio said. They have been identified as breeding grounds for radicalism, schools where jihadis have emerged and that perpetrators of attacks attended. Many are financed by oil-rich Saudi Arabia to promote the rigid Wahabi sect of Islam practiced in the kingdom, Chandio said. The origin of the money, whether from the Saudi government or Saudi philanthropists, is not clear but the teachings at these schools espouse a rigid interpretation of Islam and the superiority of Sunni Islam. It was at Siddiquia Mosque that Nawazs brother, Aziz, fell in with a crowd of would-be jihadis and was persuaded to travel to Afghanistans Spinboldak region on the border with Pakistan in 2014 to join the Taliban. But his allegiance was short-lived as commanders squabbled and Aziz returned to Pakistan. Once back home, he inducted his younger brother, Hafeez, into the jihadi circle but this time, it was the Islamic State group that held sway, said Chandio, who was part of the counterterrorism squad that, using little more than body parts and grainy cell phone pictures, identified Hafeez Nawaz as the suicide bomber behind the July 13 election rally attack. Chandio learned from the brothers father that Nawaz and Aziz packed up their three sisters and their mother and moved them to Afghanistan in 2016 to live among an Islamic State affiliate there. Two of the sisters have since married IS operatives. Their youngest brother, Shakoor, who was sent by their father a year later to plead with them to return, remains in Afghanistan, as does Aziz. Chandio suspects 19-year-old Shakoor is now an IS operative and could be the next suicide bomber. He said Shakoor fits the criteria: a young man in his late teens or early 20s, religiously devout and susceptible to radicalization. Hafeez Nawaz was just 23 when he walked into the middle of the election rally in Baluchistans Mustang area and detonated the suicide vest that sprayed shrapnel throughout the tent packed with local tribesmen. Nawazs father and his oldest brother, Haq Nawaz, are now in custody, caught trying to flee to Afghanistan, Chandio said. Some analysts say the threat posed by the Islamic State group in Pakistan is, at least in part, the result of the countrys bewildering attitude toward the toxic mix of militant groups that operate in the country. Since 2004, the Pakistani military has killed or driven out thousands of militants from their mountain redoubts in the tribal regions that border Afghanistan, suffering thousands of casualties in those battles. Yet Pakistan allows banned groups, some with a long history of sectarian violence, to re-emerge and operate under new names, and known militants to move about freely. This is a sad reality of Pakistan: If militant leaders are useful to the states interests, then theyre free to do as they wish, said Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Program at the Washington-based Wilson Center. So long as terrorist leaders roam free, theres still a very big terrorism problem. A case in point is the outlawed Lashkar-e-Taiba, a global terrorist organization that has been resurrected as Jamaat-ud-Dawa, a group known to have sent scores of fighters to Syria and Iraq to bolster the Islamic State group, according to Pakistani intelligence officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive issue. Hafiz Saeed, the co-founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, who has a $10 million U.S.-imposed bounty on his head, lives unrestricted in Lahore, the capital of Pakistans Punjab province, where 60 per cent of the countrys 200 million people live. Just last month the US state department declared another of the groups senior commanders, Abdul Rehman al-Dakhil, a global terrorist, who poses a significant risk of committing acts of terrorism that threaten the security of US nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States. Dakhil, who also now lives freely in Lahore, was arrested in Iraq in 2004 and held in US custody in Iraq and Afghanistan until 2014, when he was returned to Pakistan, where he spent a brief stint in prison before being released. ISIS is cut from the same basic ideological cloth as the other Islamist terror groups in Pakistan, said Kugelman, using an alternate acronym for the Islamic State group. Marriages of convenience can never be ruled out, whether in terms of operational partnerships or cost-sharing. ... Weve seen a model of Afghanistan-focused ISIS members linking up with local facilitators in Pakistan to stage attacks. Kofi Annan, one of the worlds most celebrated diplomats and a charismatic symbol of the United Nations who rose through its ranks to become the first black African secretary-general, has died. He was 80. His foundation announced his death in a tweet on Saturday, saying that he died after a short unspecified illness. Annan spent virtually his entire career as an administrator in the United Nations. He served two terms as secretary-general from January 1, 1997 to December 31, 2006, capped nearly mid-way when he and the UN were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001. Watch: Nobel laureate and former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan passes away at 80 During his tenure, Annan presided over some of the worst failures and scandals at the world body, one of its most turbulent periods since its founding in 1945 It is with immense sadness that the Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation announce that Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Laureate, passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness, the foundation said in a statement. (With inputs from AFP) Amid chants of hymns from Bhagavad Gita, sea of mourners and political leaders throng streets for ex-PMs last glimpse. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and people participate in the funeral procession of former PM Atal Behari Vajpayee as his mortal remains are taken for cremation to Smriti Sthal in New Delhi on Friday. (Photo: Biplab Banerjee) New Delhi: Amidst the chanting of hymns from the Bhagavad Gita, the mortal remains of Atal Behari Vajpayee made their maiden but last entry to the newly-constructed party headquarters at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg. Vajpayee, 93, who could not visit the BJP headquarters, which shifted to the DDU Marg from the nostalgic Ashoka Road, due to illness, passed away after a prolonged illness on Thursday. It was Bhagavad Gitas last adhyaya (chapter) on moksha, which saw Vajpayees mortal remains leaving the BJP headquarters for their final journey to the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal, where they were consigned to the flames at 4.56 pm. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, along with other BJP leaders, walked behind the decorated gun carriage that carried the mortal remains, up to his final resting place. The decorated gun carriage, with Vajpayee favourite flowers bela and rajniganda brought the former Prime Ministers mortal remains to the BJP headquarters from his residence at Kamraj Marg, where thousands of people had gathered to pay their last respect to the BJP patriarch. A huge poster carrying Vajpayees photograph and lines from his poem Maut se thann gayi laut kar aunga, kooch se kyu daru (will come back, why fear from embarking on a journey) was put up on the high wall, facing the main entrance. Politicians cutting across party lines, visited the BJP headquarters to pay their respects. CPIs D. Raja and CPI(M)s Sitaram Yechury were among those who visited the BJP headquarters to pay their respects. The Prime Minister had reached the party headquarters way before the mortal remains reached and was seen waiting at the entrance with Mr Shah and other BJP top brass for the gun carriage. A massive crowd chanted Atalji amar rahe (long live Atalji) and showered rose petals on the glass casket carrying the former Prime Minister and BJP patriarch. Prime Minister Naredra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah walked behind the gun carriage carrying the mortal remains, with a sea of people, joining the funeral procession. BJP chief ministers, including Vijay Rupani, Shivraj Chouhan and Devendra Fadnavis, were among those who walked sombrely behind the carriage. Earlier, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, national security advisor Ajit Doval and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat paid homage to the former Prime Minister at his official residence, from where he was brought to the BJP headquarters around 11 am. In his condolence message on the visitors book at the former Prime Ministers residence, Mr Bhagwat wrote that people like Atal Behari Vajpayee are born only once in centuries and he would remain immortal. Ataljis demise has left a void in our hearts which will be impossible to fill. People like him are born only once in centuries. He has left his body after leaving his distinct mark in a complete era. He has set up the benchmark for the dignity of character, which will remain with us as his biggest accomplishment. Atalji is no more but he will remain immortal, wrote Mr Bhagwat. As Vajpayees mortal remains left the BJP headquarters draped in the tricolour, Gayatri mantra reverberated and people chanted Atal behari amar rahen. Rose petals were showered upon him, with people jostling each other to have his last glipmse. BJP workers made a human chain, along the two sides of the gun carriage to check the emotionally charged people reaching too near the gun carriage or the BJP leaders, including Mr Modi and Mr Shah, who covered the around four kilometre. With never ending queues of visitors outside the BJP headquarters, some were seen trying to climb up trees. The BJP had made arrangements for visitors by putting up two big LED screens outside and party supporters providing water and also making sure to pick up water bottles and asking people to put the empty bottles in cartons. Mourners walked and ran beside the carriage, also chanting slogans like Jab tak sooraj chand rahega Atalji ka naam rahega, punctuated by patriotic cheers of Bharat Mata ki Jai and Vande Mataram. Pakistan has rejected allegations that its citizens had supported the Taliban attack on Afghanistans Ghazni city, where hundreds have died in clashes that lasted five days. We have not received any evidence to back up these spurious accusations and reject these baseless allegations, Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Faisal said, rejecting allegations made by Afghan officials and others. Faisal said Pakistan was fencing its border with Afghanistan with the objective of restricting cross-border movement of both men and material as part of its counter-terrorism efforts. He expressed hope the fencing will help achieve long-term regional stability and improve relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan. He said the two countries, under a new framework for bilateral relations, were negotiating a time bound repatriation plan for Afghan refugees. An Afghan delegation from the ministry of refugee and repatriation will visit Islamabad shortly for consultations, he added. Last week, some 1,000 Taliban fighters stormed Ghazni and retreated five days later after intense fighting. Afghan defence minister Tariq Shah Bahrami said earlier this week that the attack on Ghazni had been carried out by Taliban with the support of external elements, including Pakistanis fighters. Several reports have said the bodies of dozens of Pakistani fighters have been sent back for their funeral. The US expects full compliance from other nations with its sanctions against Iran but is prepared to work with them on a case-by-case basis to bring down their imports, said a top diplomat. Our goal is to reduce every countrys import of Iranian oil to zero by November 4, and we are prepared to work with countries that are reducing their imports on a case-by-case basis, said Brian Hook, who will head the newly-established Iran Action Group, which will coordinate the US state departments pressure campaign on Iran. Hook said the US certainly hopes for full compliance by all nations in terms of not risking the threat of US secondary sanctions if they continue with those transactions. India is the second largest importer of Iranian crude and has said it has already started cutting back on imports, but will find it difficult to go down to zero by November 4, when a second round of US sanctions targeting Irans oil exports, ports and its central bank go into effect. In Hook, New Delhi will be dealing with a known entity he was instrumental in crafting an October 2017 speech by former secretary of state Rex Tillerson, in which he had said that India and the US were the two bookends of stability standing on either sides of the globe. Countries that continue to do business with Iran beyond that date run the risk of being slapped with secondary sanctions chiefly being blocked out of the American financial system, which dominates global trade. Earlier, while announcing the creation of the Iran Action Group, secretary of state Mike Pompeo said that the body will be responsible for directing, reviewing, and coordinating all aspects of the state departments Iran-related activity, and it will report directly to me. He added: Our hope is that one day soon we can reach a new agreement with Iran. But for that, he said that Iran would have to become and behave like a normal nation. The United States has laid down 12 conditions that it wants Iran to meet to lift the sanctions and they include ending their nuclear and missiles programmes completely, and ceasing malign activities in the region. The US has indicated it is willing to work with countries that show significant deductions. Though the modalities have not been announced yet, the Obama administration had a instituted a process by which secondary sanctions were waived for countries showing significant reductions every six months. He had given his first speech of his life in the school that hinted his lurking oratory skill, his school companion Sahare revealed. He shifted to Gwalior where he did his higher study. (Photo: PTI) Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh was a witness to Atal Behari Vajpayees epic journey from a naughty child to the witty Prime Minister. As the nation bade tearful farewell to Indias most loved Prime Minister on Friday, his kin, childhood friends and acquaintances recounted their encounters with the tall leader providing glimpses of his journey from a mischievous kid to a vivacious Prime Minister. I faintly recollect a sweet incident. He was reprimanded by his mother when he was two-three years old. His grandfather who was reading Ramayan then had rushed to his room to find that he was crying. When he wanted to know the reason for his crying, toddler Vajapyee had then said he was rebuked and warned not to cry. He argued that he has every right to cry as his mother has every right to reprimand him. He had found support from his grandfather then, S. Sahay, a childhood friend of Atal from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh recollected. Born on December 25, 1924 in Scinde Ki Chawni in Gwalior city, Vajpayee had his primary school education in Sheopur in MP and later got admission in class five in Anglo-Vernacular Middle (ABM) school in Badnagar in Ujjain in 1934. He had given his first speech of his life in the school that hinted his lurking oratory skill, his school companion Sahare revealed. Later, he shifted to Gwalior where he did his higher study. 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 professor was dragged down from his flat and thrashed, following which the attackers tried to burn him alive. Reportedly, his comment on a social media post against Vajpayee read, 'Fascivad ke ek Yug ki samapti. Atal ji anant yatra par nikle (End to an era of fascism. Atal ji embarks on an journey to eternity).' (Representational image) Motihari (Bihar): An academician, working at Mahatma Gandhi University, was allegedly thrashed by an angry mob on Friday afternoon for a comment on a social media platform criticising former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who took his last breath on Thursday, following a prolonged illness. The professor was attacked and dragged down from his flat, situated on the third floor. The attackers also attempted to burn him alive. Reportedly, his comment on a critical post against the late BJP Veteran read, "Fascivad ke ek Yug ki samapti. Atal ji anant yatra par nikle (End to an era of fascism. Atal ji embarks on an journey to eternity)." The professor was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital and later was referred to Patna's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for advanced medical treatment. Speaking to ANI, the victim however claimed that he was not only attacked for commenting on the post criticising Vajpayee, and but also for raising his voice against his university's Vice Chancellor's (VC) decisions in the past. "The people, who attacked me were all backed by the present VC. I also received a threat call from the attackers, who warned me to not protest against the VC," he added. A face-off between the VC and the professors started on May 29, after scores of teachers sat on dharna, protesting the decisions taken by the university administration pertaining to reservation and appointment of new faculty members. For their second collaboration of 2018, Adidas and the iconic Japanese retailer/brand United Arrows & Sons channel the era of the four elements: b-boys and graffiti; MC-ing and turntablism. According to Adidas, at the heart of the collaborative collection is a new take on the Adidas trefoil logo, created by the infamous graffiti artist Wanto. The WANTO trefoil appears across the entire collection of footwear, apparel and accessories, offsetting the refined silhouettes and progressive details that are also synonymous with United Arrows & Sons. Included in the collection is Rivalry Lo, featuring Italian snakeskin-printed leather detailing, flat laces and an all-black backdrop for WANTOs graphic, and the Ultra Star which maintains the shelltoe and classic silhouette along with advanced materials such as knitted uppers and a Boost midsole. The apparel includes two tracksuits, oversized tops, a long jacket inspired by a classic Chester coat that features an all-over jacquard print of WANTOs graphics and contrasting three-stripe detailing; a classic varsity jacket with cow leather sleeves and oversized, co-branded WANTOs graphics stitched to the chest. The full Adidas x United Arrows & Sons collection will be available for purchase on August 25. A hospital in Arizona is full of pregnant women in a surprising way. There was an unexpected baby boom within their staff of nurses at the Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa. The fact that 16 nurses found themselves pregnant at the same time is the result of pure coincidence although it might seem like the women had made some kind of pact. Paige Packard, one of the nurses, commented on the situation during a press conference. The pregnancies came out of the blue. "I know a couple of us did fertility treatments..."That's how I ended up finding out that everyone was pregnant. I was like, 'Oh, well, I didn't plan this. Did we have some kind of pact going I didn't know about?" Image via CNN Shows 12 of the 16 nurses The work environment underwent a small change to accommodate the pregnant staff. The salad bar is said to have been made "pregnancy friendly" by adding an assortment of olives in pickles to the cafeteria's menu. The hospital is also preparing for their imminent staff shortage. Those looking for nursing jobs in Arizona will likely find employment opportunities at the center when all of these future mothers take their maternity leaves that each last a total of 12 weeks. [via] Kodak Black's presence has been missing in our lives for the past few months. The rapper was arrested and charged earlier this year after police raided his home and discovered guns and weapons. Since being locked up, the rapper has made some major changes in his life, for better or for worse. However, from what's being said, the rapper's been on his best behavior which resulted in an early release. As he approaches freedom, it looks like young Kodak won't be partying it up immediately, but instead, spent some quality time with his loved ones. According to The Blast, Kodak Black has opted out of celebrating his release at a Vegas-style party to go spend some time with his mother and his son. The rapper's release process is expected to begin around midnight. Once he's processed out, the rapper will be heading straight to his mother's house in Florida. The rapper's son, who was unfortunately tied into his legal issues, will also be at his mother's place awaiting his father. Their sources also say that Kodak is also itching to get back in the studio once he gets settled. Over the past few months, Kodak, or Bill as some may refer to him as, has made some changes in his life, for better or for worse. In June, Kodak revealed that he completed his GED. Additionally, the rapper also claimed that he's been writing a book from behind bars. It seems like he's taking a page out of Gucci Mane's book to use the time away from society to better himself. Tesla has $8 Billion worth of shareholder value in the past five days, amounting to a very public meltdown for CEO Elon Musk. Apparently Musk isn't the only one to blame for the turmoil. The company's board of executive is also to blame for not relieving Musk of his questionable workload. There's a belief around the company that Musk is unwilling to delineate responsibility to his support staff, resulting in him being overworked and reliant on ambien. On the other hand, the board has not done enough to mitigate Musk's reckless behavior. Last month, Musk referred to one the Thai divers rescuing the submerged children, as a pedophile. That alone resulted in the company losing ground on the financial market. The problem is, unlike Papa John's who will afforded the chance to improve their brand without their hapless founder, Tesla needs Musk at his best to compete at the World stage. They can't exactly afford to excommunicate their leader, hence why no one on the board has intervened so far, with Musk's mental health and concentration becoming hard to ignore. Elon might be too relentless in his efforts to drive growth in the sectors of energy conservation and technology, but if not for his grace, who else could we rely on to make ethical decisions from a position of influence? The Chicago police set up what is being called a "bait truck" last week to lure people into getting arrested. The truck, full of Nikes, was driven into a low-income neighbourhood where people tried to take the shoes. Who wouldn't? The use of a bait truck in Chicago is raising eyebrows, especially considering that there's an obvious and acknowledged gun violence problem in the city. Many are wondering why the police are manufacturing more crime on purpose. Perhaps they've misunderstood the phrase "crime prevention." Vic Mensa and his SaveMoneySaveLife foundation are going to be giving away thousands of shoes out of what they call an "anti-bait truck." Laundi Keepseagle, the executive director of Vic's foundation, said that we wanted to do something in response, but have a positive response, and we dont want to create conflict with the police, but we do want to take a step forward, and just showcase that acts like that arent acceptable in communities that we care for. Writer and activist Shaun King tweeted a video of the original bait-truck, imploring everyone to donate shoes to the SaveMoney campaign: Vic Mensa also took to Twitter to promote the event, the date of which will be released as soon as they get all the shoes. Jorge, our naturalist guide, leapt across the skiff and scooted down onto his stomach, clinging to his oversized flashlight as he cantilevered his upper body out over the prow. A quick grabbing motion, a violent splash, and suddenly he was back on his feet. Turning to face us, he held out what appeared to be a cream-colored baby crocodile. The creature, no more than 18 inches from tail to snout, squirmed and flailed, eliciting nervous shrieks from at least one of us. Do you want to hold it? Jorge asked, extending the reptile toward my 12-year-old daughter, Ella. The white caiman even the word was new to us was among the scores of otherworldly mammals, birds, amphibians, fish and plants we encountered over the course of our four-day cruise on the floating hotel known as the Aria Amazon. Wed traveled down to Peru over the girls spring break (our older daughter, Daisy, was 15 at the time), combining a few days each in Lima and the Sacred Valley with the requisite trek to Machu Picchu. But nothing could compare with that cruise. Our adventure began with a two-hour flight from Lima north to Iquitos, a remote colonial outpost and former center of the rubber industry, where Aria guides swept us and our bags into a luxury minivan for the 90-minute drive to the river town of Nauta. We boarded the handsome Aria and settled into our suites there are only 16 of them marveling at the expanse of water and sky through our floor-to-ceiling windows. For the length of our journey, this would be our view: We passed maybe four settlements of wood houses on stilts, and the occasional dugout canoe would glide by, but for the most part it was water and sky, and more water, and more sky. The Ucayali River, the Amazons largest tributary, served as our main thoroughfare through the Pacaya Samiria Reserve, a wild expanse twice the size of Yellowstone Park but which is home to just 30,000 people. By 8:30 each morning, wed have finished breakfast, packed up cameras and binoculars, and transferred into the skiffs. The sleek metal boats sit low on the water and can seat up to 10, though as a family of four we were mostly on our own, aside from guide and driver. We were zipping along the water that first morning, past walls of giant cattails on either shore, when Jorge shone his illuminated pointer into the papaya-like leaves of a cecropia tree. Brown-throated three-toed sloth! he called. Through our binoculars, we could make out the adorable guys wide-set eyes and pale facial fur. The mammals feed on the trees alkaline fruit and pass out for the better part of each day, thus the adjective derived from their name. Look! said Jorge, some 15 minutes later. Do you see the bats? We leaned forward for a better look but failed to see a single bat. Just then the bark fluttered and we were able to make out a vertical column five rodents strong. Camouflage doesnt begin to describe the feat of magic that is the long-nosed bat perched on an Amazonian tree trunk. If you go Aria offers three-, four-, and seven-night cruises on the Amazon year-round. Prices, which include all meals and activities, are $3,825, $5,100 and $8,925, respectively. United flies nonstop from Houston to Lima. From there, you'll need to catch a flight to Iquitos, where Aria guides will meet you at the airport; aquaexpeditions.com. See More Collapse On subsequent excursions we went out each morning and evening, occupying midday with reading, lazing by the outdoor hot tub, being pummeled by the resident masseuse, and working out in the micro gym we spotted Isabels saki monkeys (known as Michael Jacksons for their white-gloved hands); wooly monkeys; squirrel monkeys; and red-howler monkeys, whose shrieks can carry two miles. You can be happy when you see the owl monkey, Jorge said, explaining that the species is susceptible to malaria. If those guys are thriving here, the humans can rest easy they wont contract the mosquito-borne disease. Between December and May, the Amazon rises some 30 feet, turning the entire ecosystem into a floating wonderland. Our driver navigated our skiff into flooded forests that would have been walkable just months earlier. At certain points, we moved through vegetation so dense it was as though we were plowing through a vast wall of shrubbery, the horizon undulating as we went. Then wed emerge into a clearing, the water spreading out around us like a sheet of black Mylar. When the driver cut the motor to clear the propeller of tangled greenery, we savored the exquisite silence. One morning, the activity board read FISHING FOR PIRANHA. My husband, whod brought along a copy of River of Doubt, the 2005 book chronicling Theodore Roosevelts journey down an Amazon tributary, read us a disturbing passage about the fishs muscular jaws and saw-like teeth. Roosevelt referred to piranha as the fish that eats men when it can get the chance, he read. By the time he had reached the River of Doubt, he had heard dozens of horrifying stories of piranha that had left nothing but white bones on a riverbed after seizing upon a wounded soldier or an unfortunate child. We managed to avoid the saw-like teeth of our own piranha we caught 13 of them, using simple rods baited with beef but thought of those doomed soldiers and kids as we dug into the fishes tender flesh during the next days lunch. We Zuckermans barely qualify as even novice bird-watchers, but it was impossible not to be awed by the Technicolor aerial show on view along the river. We lost count at 30 or so the region is home to more than 250 bird species but noted among several showstoppers a pair of blue and yellow macaws; white great egrets; a blue-headed parrot; a spot-breasted woodpecker; Amazon kingfishers; walking-on-water Jesus Christ birds, or waddled jicanas; white-throated and yellow-bellied toucans; dusky-headed parakeets; weaver birds in nests with trapdoors for eluding snakes; and various hawks, herons, and falcons. We learned the difference between brown water and black water (the strong current of the former churns up the earth), and returned repeatedly to the point where the two converge for yet more glimpses of the impossible specimen that is the pink dolphin. Pink dolphin! The creatures arced gently out of the water mere yards from our skiff, Disney fairytales come to life. According to the locals, killing one of the now-endangered mammals will result in the death of ones spouse that very day. (In other local wisdom: A pregnant woman who looks into the eyes of a sloth will give birth to a child who looks just like it.) One afternoon we learned to make ceviche and Pisco sours, the mainstays of our time in Peru. (The girls kept pace with virgin Mojitos.) Stirring together lemon juice and minced garlic, ginger, celery, chiles and cilantro, we created our own leche de tigre, or tigers milk, the go-to marinade for the national raw-fish-based dish. All the food on the Aria is overseen by Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, a Lima-based chef whos earned a reputation for his Amazon-inspired jungle food. We encountered at least five new fruits, vegetables or herbs every time we sat down in the ships elegant dining room. Our final evening, we savored a few last monkey and toucan sightings before gathering among the other skiffs a half mile or so from the Aria. Our guides tethered the metal boats together before popping champagne corks and passing around flutes of mimosas and banana-leaf parcels cradling spicy nuts. We toasted the guides and the drivers, the piranhas and pink dolphins, as the sun shone a golden goodbye on our fleeting floating home. Jocelyn C. Zuckerman is a freelance writer. Email travel@chron.com. He entered her hospital room in the middle of the night, wearing a white doctor's coat, his name tag turned backward. The doctor claimed to be checking her lungs after she'd been hospitalized a day earlier for an acute asthma attack. She says he told her he had to touch her chest. But as she lay on the sterile sheets of a Ben Taub hospital room, her body in the tight confines of deep sedation, she knew that his touch wasn't that of a caregiver. She summoned the strength to reach for the nurse's call button. She pressed it once, then again. No one came. The woman, Laura, 27 at the time, a wife and a mother of two daughters, a dog lover who rescues strays, a fashionista originally from South America whose long black hair and perfectly drawn eyebrows frame tearful, bloodshot eyes, told her story in an interview this week. Her first public comments about that November night in 2013 came days after Houston police charged Dr. Shafeeq Sheikh with sexual assault, citing DNA evidence, surveillance video and scanner records showing Sheikh used his hospital ID card 12 times to access Laura's floor the night of the alleged attack. The former Baylor College of Medicine doctor once had privileges at Ben Taub, the county-run public hospital, and several other area hospitals, according to state records. His attorney, Lisa Andrews, said her client "looks forward to proving his innocence in court." A chance to tell her story From the Editorial Board Rape victim says wait for justice added to her misery For reasons that demand explanation, the arrest came nearly two years after Laura lay in that hospital bed, a rape victim, she says, of a man trained to heal. I am not using her full name. It is Chronicle policy to withhold the names of alleged sexual assault victims. Her story, which police found "truthful and credible," is recounted in the cold jargon of offense reports and a probable cause affidavit, but she deserves the chance to tell it in her own words. After that first touch, the doctor left the room. But after some time - Laura doesn't remember how long - the doctor came back. She says he touched her legs and fondled her beneath her panties. She was too weak to scream, or to struggle. All she could do was look at him and try, despite the drugs and the darkness, to remember. Through a thin shard of light that came from somewhere - maybe a cracked door - she saw that his shoes were dark. Remember his shoes, she thought. Remember his face. She scoured it for distinctive marks. Was he wearing glasses? Was he Middle Eastern? Maybe Indian. Remember, she told herself. Remember. Again, she frantically pressed the call button. Again, no one came. Again, the doctor left. Again, he came back. This time, Laura says, he turned her over, pulled her to the edge of the bed and raped her. She futilely pressed the call button. It was later discovered, according to the police report, that the apparatus had been unplugged. Laura lay there, with her mind racing, her terror growing, her leaden limbs powerless to respond. "It's the feeling that you can't do anything," she says. "You can't do anything to save yourself." When it was over, she cried. By the foot of the bed, the doctor checked his cell phone. Then he rushed out the door without a word. Laura remembers fighting to stay alert, but she eventually succumbed to the drugs and fell asleep. As far as she knows, the doctor didn't come back. A cold response from staff In the morning, she says, she awoke to see her hospital gown and panties on the floor. A nurse came in, but Laura dared not say anything. Still shocked and bewildered, she trusted no one at the hospital. She remained hooked up to an IV and feared that if she reported the attack, something even worse might happen. She stayed quiet until her husband and friend arrived. In their presence, she says, she told a nurse what had happened. She says medical staff responded coldly to her improbable story and seemed to stare and whisper about her, as though she were crazy or lying. Laura says her husband called Houston police, but officers were not allowed into her hospital room, so she gave a statement to security while either her husband or her friend relayed the details second-hand to officers. Laura was told a nurse was on the way to collect evidence for a rape kit. By midmorning, Laura says, she urgently needed to use the rest room, but the forensic nurse hadn't arrived. Laura had her husband ask hospital staff for a cup to preserve evidence. The staff refused to provide one, she says. Then, Laura says, after she mentioned using drinking cups surrounding a carafe of water, a nurse removed the cups from the room. 'You're supposed to feel safe" Finally, she says, she could wait no longer. She used the toilet, but left it unflushed in the faint hope that police could glean evidence. Incredibly, Laura says, a nurse told her the evidence would be contaminated anyway and flushed the toilet. Initially, I wrote that a Ben Taub spokesman had not responded to a list of emailed questions about the staff's handling of the situation. The spokesman, speaking for Harris Health System, did send an email, but it was not received. In the email, Bryan McLeod did not address the alleged actions of the nurse or Laura's claim that police investigators were not allowed in her hospital room. He said an on-site HPD officer and Harris Health security responded as soon as the patient made a report. McLeod also said the county health system doesn't have a policy requiring its own security investigate before other law enforcement agencies. "The safety and well-being of our patients is our highest priority," he said. The forensic nurse finally arrived in the afternoon to complete the rape kit. Afterward, all Laura wanted was to go home. Doctors urged her to stay at Ben Taub, as she was still under treatment for her asthma. But she demanded they disconnect her from the machines and discharge her. "You're supposed to feel safe in a hospital," Laura says. "You never imagine something like this is going to happen." At home, the nightmare wasn't over. A long, torturous wait for justice was just beginning. Coming: Part two of Laura's story Republicans will hold their 2020 national convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. Democrats will gather in Houston, Milwaukee or Miami Beach. The Democratic National Committee gets to make that decision and sent a team to visit Texas largest city this past week. They were welcomed with a pep rally Thursday morning. In this city, we come together to do tremendous things, said Mayor Sylvester Turner, who was joined by a number of local officials, as well as Rockets guards James Harden and Chris Paul. Those things have included hosting sporting events like the Super Bowl and Final Four, and political gatherings such as the 1988 Democratic National Convention and the 1992 Republican National Convention. But Houston might seem like an odd choice, given the context. Democrats are hoping to retake the White House, in 2020. They have the option of holding their convention in Wisconsin or Floridaboth of which Trump narrowly carried, in 2016. The DNC has little to gain by goosing turnout in Texas. Although I think this state could turn blue in 2018, most people still disagree with me about that; this may be emerging as a potential swing state, but it definitely hasnt swung yet. Still, I hope Democrats decide to return to Houston in 2020. That would be good for the Bayou City. It would be very convenient for me. After a long day of dealing with politicians, its nice to return to the comfort of ones own home, rather than a Red Roof Inn in an exurb of Cleveland, which is where I spent my summer vacation in 2016. Read more: Texas Democrats build coalition that Republicans may be tempted to join Our brutally hot summers aside, national Democratic leaders should pounce on the opportunity to hold their convention in Houston in two years. But I doubt that is obvious to national Democratic leaders. Frankly, I was surprised that Houston made the DNCs short list. And I would not be surprised if the party ultimately decided to hold its 2020 convention in Milwaukee or Miami Beach, because the fact that those cities are on the short list tells me that the DNC is committed to making ham-fisted political calculations in full view of the American electorate. Thats not a criticism of either city. Miami Beach is fun. And Ive never been to Milwaukee, but this Midwestern city along Lake Michigan boasts August temperatures in the 60s and 70s, so that would be nice. But a party sends a message when it makes a choice like this one. The message that DNC leaders would send by choosing Milwaukee or Miami Beach would not be a subtle one. Democrats are, at the moment, having a protracted internal debate about the direction of the party, because there are two paths they might take in 2020 that would lead them back to the White House. Democrats can rebuild the blue wall they were counting on in 2016, which runs through the Rust Belt. Trump smashed through it like the Kool-Aid pitcher, but its not clear whether he can do so again. Alternatively, Democrats could focus on boosting voter registration and turnout in the Sun Belt. Democrats could also, in theory, compete in both the Rust Belt and the Sun Belt. In 1984, Ronald Reagan won re-election by carrying 49 of the 50 states. But by picking Milwaukee or Miami Beach, DNC leaders would implicitly prioritize one or the other, whether they intend to do so or not. The host city for either partys national convention is mostly a backdrop. The voters who live there are basically props. Elected officials who live in the area make a few cameos during the course of the convention. The grassroots voters at such events are the ones who live in the local area. And television is a visual medium, so Americans who tune in to catch Elizabeth Warrens message will only get an occasional glimpse of her audience. By picking Houston, though, DNC leaders would be centralizing a genuinely diverse coalition of voters, composed of Americans who see diversity as a strength, not a problem or a threat. Also, such a choice would show that Democrats have set aside their spreadsheets and are truly planning to compete in Texas in 2020. Republicans would be unsettled by that, because a party that competes is a party that might win. And national Democratic leaders would do well to consider the insight that the savvy Mayor Turner offered at the pep rally on Thursday. Their spreadsheets didnt serve them well in 2016, even though elections are won arithmetically. Thats perhaps because voters arent jelly beans or abacus beads; theyre people, who sometimes come together and do tremendous things. erica.grieder@chron.com twitter.com/ericagrieder Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 18) President Rodrigo Duterte said on Friday he is not jumping ship amid reports of him leaving the ruling PDP-Laban to join his daughter's regional party. "I do not like to change parties. So I will remain where I am," Duterte said before members of the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), the political party of Davao City Mayor and presidential daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio. Duterte admitted that PDP-Laban was a "moribund" party that only strengthened when he won the 2016 presidential elections as its standard bearer. He said he joined the party because of its leftist leanings, but also described it as being "too principled." Duterte expressed support for the HNP and the nine bets it has endorsed for the 2019 senatorial polls: Special Assistant to the President Bong Go, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Senator Cynthia Villar, Senator JV Ejercito, Senator Sonny Angara, Rep. Pia Cayetano, Rep. Zajid Mangudadatu, Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos and Bureau of Corrections Chief Ronald Dela Rosa. "I can support you morally, politically. Kung makinig pa ang tao sa akin (if the public would still listen to me)," he said. Duterte reportedly would take an oath that night as a member of the HNP amid the leadership squabble at PDP-Laban. Duterte, who serves as chairman of the party, is set to talk again to the two warring factions on September 1 after an August 9 meeting failed to unite its members. A group led by Rogelio Garcia is claiming to have unseated Senator Koko Pimentel as PDP-Laban president, along with other party leaders. This comes after the controversial ouster of Pantaleon Alvarez as House Speaker last July 23, even causing a delay to Duterte's third State of the Nation Address. Some congressmen said the presidential daughter made calls asking for solons to unseat Alvarez and elect Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Duterte-Carpio has neither confirmed nor denied these claims. But she clarified her party is not recruiting members of PDP-Laban, amid lawmakers' claim that some of them planned to jump ship to Arroyo's former political party Lakas-CMD, which could possibly merge with HNP. Amid rising tensions over the issue, a complete shutdown was observed in Kashmir and the Chenab valley of Jammu region on August 5 and 6. Srinagar: An alliance of Kashmiri separatist leaders on Friday called for a two-day shutdown in the State from August 26 against what it alleged are deliberate attempts to tinker with Article 35A of the Constitution. The Supreme Court had on August 5 adjourned a scheduled hearing on a cluster of petitions challenging the validity of Article 35A as one of the members of three-judge bench was not present. Article 35A guarantees special rights and privileges to permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir and thereby prohibiting non-permanent residents from permanent settlement and from acquiring immovable properties, government jobs and scholarships in the State. The provision also empowers the State Legislature to define such permanent residents. The two other members of the bench -Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra and Justice A M Khanwilkar- had announced that the case will be listed before three -judge bench in the week starting August 27 and that bench would determine whether the matter is required to be referred to a five-judge one also referred to as Constitutional Bench. The main petition against Article 35A was filed by an NGO, We the Citizens, believed to be an RSS think-tank, in 2014. It challenges Article 35A on grounds that it was not added to the Constitution through amendment under Article 368 and that it was never presented before Parliament, and came into effect immediately. Amid rising tensions over the issue, a complete shutdown was observed in Kashmir and the Chenab valley of Jammu region on August 5 and 6. Protests were held also in Muslim-majority parts of Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu region on August 6 whereas Kargil district of Ladakh too witnessed streets protest against alleged attempts to tinker with J&Ks special status. The call for the strike and protests had been issued by Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) which had on it key separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik and the same was endorsed by various other political, social and religious organizations and trade and civil society groups. Now the alliance has asked the people to strike their work on August 26 and 27 over the issue. It said, In case any harmful decision is given by the Supreme Court, a mass state wide agitation will commence then and there, the consequences of which will be direct responsibility of the Indian state for instigating people to it. (sic) It also said that till August 27 protest programmes against tinkering with the law will be held by all segments of society, details of which will be announced by them in a joint press conference. Earlier during the day, Mr. Malik led a protest against attempts being made to seek removal of Article 35A at Madina Chowk in Gow Kadal area of Srinagar. Nesreen Irsan finally had a night without nightmares. The 30-year-old widow at the center of Houstons two honor killings six years ago was able to sleep peacefully Tuesday night, the day her Jordanian father was sentenced to death row. It was the first time since running away from home and converting to Christianity in 2011 that she did not have nightmares about being hunted by her father and other family members, an ordeal she detailed exclusively for the Chronicle this week. I grew up with this murderer and he boasted about it. I was terrified of him, she said from an undisclosed location. You dont have anywhere to run. Youre a prisoner. Youre a prisoner in your own life. Now Playing: FOX 26 News Reporter John Donnelly Video: Fox 26 Houston Despite getting restful sleep, she likely will never stop looking over her shoulder or carrying a gun. Nesreen continues to fear the friends and family members that her father, Ali Mahwood-Awad Irsan, enlisted to help stalk her for leaving Islam. She is taking precautions, including not talking about what part of the country she lives in or using social media. Still, to help deal with the grief, sadness and guilt she has about what happened, she spoke out to raise awareness about honor violence in America. ABBOTT'S PROMISE: 'In Texas if you commit 'honor killings' you will get the death penalty' I think the story needs to be told. There are things that are going on that people need to know about, she said. Even today, people are still terrified of him, even though hes on death row. There are people who still believe in what he was doing. On Tuesday, her 60-year-old father sat at the defense table in a Harris County courtroom and bowed his head slightly as he was sentenced to death for a pair of 2012 honor killings that were part of an extensive plot seeking to take the lives of five people, including Nesreen, who was 24 at the time. The devout Muslim patriarch was able to kill her husband, 28-year-old Coty Beavers, and her close friend Gelareh Bagherzadeh, a 30-year-old medical researcher and Iranian activist who championed womens rights. As Nesreen Irsan works to put her life back together, there have been bright spots, including reconnecting with her mother, who left her father 22 years ago, and an older sister. But its a bittersweet reunion after everything that has happened. I will carry this guilt forever, she said. I think the Lord will take the bad things and heal you, and I think that good will come out of this, and I pray for that. Nesemah, her older sister, also expressed deep relief at the death sentence given her father. She wants to spend her time helping people understand that honor killings are real. The world is a safer place knowing that a man who was capable of anything and everything will no longer hurt anyone else, Nesemah said in a statement. Living through this ordeal has made me stronger and I would like to help others who are currently in this type of situation. For Nesreen, its tough to have friendships or relationships. I want to make friends, but Im afraid because I dont want something to happen to them, she said. Even when I make friends, theyre scared to be my friend. Theyre scared to hang out with me. She said it has also been hard to find gainful employment in the medical field because of her connection to a murderous father. Andy Kahan, a victims' advocate at CrimeStoppers of Houston, said it's common for family and friends of murder victims to blame themselves or feel guilt. Sometimes the survivors guilt becomes overwhelming and can sometimes even become obsessive, he said. Kahan said hed never heard of a victim losing out on job opportunities because of their connection to a high-profile defendant. You can only hope that time will heal and shell be able to resume her life without being tainted or being seen in the same light as her father, he said. The United Nations released a report in 2000 estimating about 5,000 honor killings around the world every year, but womens rights groups say the number is closer to 20,000. A report commissioned by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2015 estimated that there are 23 to 27 honor killings each year in the U.S. every year. And in the last 10 years, there have been well-publicized honor killings in Arizona, New York and North Texas. COUNTY DETECTIVE: 8 reasons Houston's 'honor killings' seem connected Unfortunately, honor killings are happening in the United States. We hope that law enforcement agencies are paying attention and are taking the necessary steps to train and educate their personnel about the culture, so that senseless killings can be prevented one day, said Anna Emmons, one of the special prosecutors who put Irsan on death row along with Marie Primm and Jon Stephenson. During her fathers capital murder trial, Nesreen was twice called to testify about her father's daily beatings and his threats against any children who left his rural Montgomery County compound or violated any of his rules. Two of his sons disputed this account and testified in support of their father, as did several of his family members from Jordan. But Nesreen said she took the threats seriously because her father had previously shown what he was capable of doing. In 1999, Irsan fatally shot a different son-in-law in his living room after his oldest daughter married without his approval. Irsan testifed that he killed in self-defense, but other witnesses said it was planned. They said the father of 12 planted a handgun on the dead man to convince authorities he was in fear for his life. Nesreen was 12 years old when her father convinced police and Child Protective Services that it was self-defense. He manipulated the police, he manipulated CPS, she said. Law enforcement didnt understand the culture, so they didnt understand what was going on. She ran into the same difficulties a decade later when she ran away from home to marry Beavers. Her father called the police, falsely claiming she was on drugs and asking that she be returned to the rural Montgomery County homestead where he raised a dozen children he had with two wives. I said, No thats not true. Im just leaving. Im scared. Theyre going to kill me, she recalled. I dont think think the officer understood what grave danger I knew I was in, but I knew because I lived in that house all those years. IN DEFENSE: Jordanian patriarch's family testifies in 'honor killings' trial Testimony during Irsans trial showed that she and Beavers had filed a protective order and a no-contact order that Irsan regularly violated. A police officer told Nesreen there was little that could be done about him constantly driving by the Beavers house where she was staying. I dont think he understood what lengths these people will go through for their honor, she said. Its very scary. I was in love with Coty and I didnt want anything to happen to anybody, but nobody was helping us, as far as law enforcement. We had a protective order and it wasnt doing anything. In January 2012, Ali Irsan, his wife and his oldest son followed Bagherzadeh from the Beavers home to her parents' Galleria-area townhouse, testimony showed. Nesreens brother, Nasim, allegedly fired the shot that killed the activist as Irsan and his wife encouraged him. Nasim Irsan remains in the Harris County jail awaiting trial on a charge of capital murder. Nesreen told police she believed her father was responsible, and he was questioned. There was not enough evidence to arrest and he went free. Six months later, Nesreen and Coty, who were deep in the throes of first love, were married at the courthouse and rented an apartment in northwest Harris County, far from Irsans compound in Montgomery County. You try to be optimistic and say they havent been around for awhile and thats when they swoop in and wreak havoc and start murdering people, she said. Then you feel guilty because in your mind, had you not run away, none of these people would have been killed. On November 12, 2012, Nesreens husband walked her from their apartment to the car so she could go to her job at MD Anderson Cancer Center. As he escorted his wife, intruders crept into their apartment and hid in a bedroom. Testimony showed that Irsan wanted to kill them both, but when Beavers returned alone to the apartment, Nesreens father unloaded a .22 revolver, hitting Beavers with at least five bullets. He fell dead just inches from the assault rifle he kept for home protection. Nesreen and other members of the Beavers family immediately went on the run, refusing to spend two nights in the same place for months. That caution and fear about being tracked continues to this day, she said. These people are not like normal people, she said. Its not jealousy, its an anger thing about honor. Youre hurting their honor and for them, honor is what they live for. Its a very strong thing for them to believe in. Nesreen said she hopes her plight sheds light on honor violence, especially in raising awareness among law enforcement about what runaways may be going through. Honor killings in America are real, she said. When an American from this type of culture screams Im afraid or My family will kill me, it is imperative that authorities take the threat seriously and be proactive instead of reactive. Police cannot wait for something bad to happen before they get involved. She hopes for a future where authorities will help victims reloacte to another part of the country or even create a re-identity package to change what family members know about their victims. They have your Social Security number, mothers maiden name, everywhere youve ever lived and every detail about you. They know it, because you grew up there, she said. We need to help other girls. Roughly one in 10 Texas high school students don't graduate within a 4-year period. While that figure may sound less than ideal, Texas is actually doing better than most states. In the 2015-2016 school year, the latest year for nationwide data, America's graduation rate hit 84 percent according to the Department of Education 5 percent less than the graduation rate in Texas. To see school districts that are boosting up that average within the Houston-area, Chron.com examined data from the Texas Education Agency released this week. We ranked the graduation rate of some of the region's biggest districts, from Houston ISD to smaller districts like Tomball ISD. RELATED: What it cost to go to college the year you were born In total, 23 of the region's school districts, all with at least 10,000 enrolled students, were ranked. The figures show that almost two-thirds of the Houston area's largest school districts had a graduation at or above 90 percent. See which Houston-area schools districts have the highest 4-year graduation rate above. Fernando Ramirez covers Texas news and politics. Read him on our breaking news site and on our subscriber site. | Fernando.ramirez@chron.com | @fernramirez93 WASHINGTON In a major setback to the Trump administration's efforts to roll back Obama-era environmental policies, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday that the Environmental Protection Agency can no longer delay a new set of regulations designed to prevent chemical disasters. The Chemical Disaster Rule, stemming from industrial accidents like the 2013 West Fertilizer explosion in Texas, requires companies to obtain outside audits and share more information with first responders and emergency planners. It also requires industrial facilities to publish chemical inventories and disclose the root causes of chemical incidents at their facilities. Texas environmentalists hailed the decision, saying it also would help address concerns raised during Hurricane Harvey, when explosions at the Arkema facility in Crosby exposed first responders to fumes that they say were hazardous to their health. The EPA delayed implementing the rules, arguing it needed more time to consider the objections of members of industry. THE LATEST: Arkema, CEO indicted for 'reckless' chemical release during Harvey The D.C. Circuit rejected the EPA's arguments, saying that unless it proposes something new or actively changes the rule, it cannot delay the rule's implementation indefinitely. "EPA cannot have it both ways," the court said. "Either there would be 'substantial compliance and implementation' efforts by regulated parties absent the Delay rule, or the rule has no effect on compliance requirements and does nothing more than maintain the status quo." Backers of the Obama rules said they would create much-needed protections for first responders, workers and communities that border chemical and industrial plants, such as the Houston Ship Channel. First responders in the Arkema incident reported that they did not have information about the chemicals they were exposed to. "One of the most tragic aspects of the Arkema disaster was that the first responders were charging head first into the danger without knowing what was inside the facility," said Bay Scoggin, director of the Texas Public Interest Research Group. The West Fertilizer tragedy involved an ammonium nitrate explosion at a distribution facility in West, Texas, north of Waco, while emergency personnel were responding to a fire. Fifteen people were killed and more than 160 were injured. More than 150 buildings were damaged or destroyed. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives concluded in 2016 that the fire had been deliberately set. "This transparency is something that makes first responders safer, and the communities around those facilities safer," Scoggin said. "Houston is absolutely affected by this, and not only in the context of Hurricane Harvey." The EPA justified repealing the rule by pointing out that it will save the chemical industry $88 million per year. But environmental groups said the EPA's posture under President Donald Trump is overlooking the costs of industrial accidents, especially to the communities surrounding major indistrial facilities. "This decision means that people living near industrial facilities and those who respond to chemical accidents will have the stronger protections they deserve," said Bakeyah Nelson, executive director of Air Alliance Houston. "In Houston, the people who live in the places with the most perils are mostly people of color and low incomes. They want their neighborhoods to be healthy and safe. This is a big win for them." At issue are rules implemented by former EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy designed to help prevent and mitigate chemical accidents. The changes included more protective accident prevention program requirements, emergency response enhancements, and enhanced public transparency and availability of information. The changes came to be known as the "Chemical Disaster Rule." They were slated to take effect on March 14, 2017, with phased-in compliance over several years. But one of the first actions taken by the Trump Administration's first EPA administrator, Scott Pruitt, was to suspend the rules. That action came in March, 2017, a month after an industry coalition including the American Chemistry Council, the American Petroleum Institute, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the Utility Air Regulatory Group asked EPA to reconsider the Chemical Disaster Rule. The D.C. Circuit's opinion did not include input from Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who heard the case but recused himself from the opinion. [Thumbs up] When a Texan tells you to come and take it, you know he means business. Bill McRaven, the retired admiral who led the raid on Osama bin Laden, responded to President Trumps decision to strip the clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan by telling Trump via the Washington Post: I would consider it an honor if you would revoke my security clearance as well, so I can add my name to the list of men and women who have spoken up against your presidency. The former University of Texas chancellor, who grew up in San Antonio, likened Trumps tactics to those of the McCarthy era. While at UT, he had called Trumps vilification of the press the greatest threat to democracy in his lifetime. Well see if Trump savages the former Navy Seal on Twitter, but we strongly advise against hand to hand combat. [Thumbs down] Fajitas and ideological division dont mix. Theyre still causing indigestion over at El Tiempo Mexican restaurant, which is enduring protests and calls for a boycott after owner Roland Laurenzo posted a photo on social media with Jeff Sessions, with a caption saying it was an honor to serve the U.S. attorney general. People who oppose the Trump administrations separation of migrant families were outraged that Laurenzo would take such pride in serving the zero-tolerance enforcer. El Real Tex Mex Cafe mocked its rival restaurant on its marquee: BRUNCH SESSIONS AT EL REAL ARE ALWAYS CAGE FREE AND FULL OF RAINBOWS. You can cut that snark with a knife. On politics, Americans will never get along, so why dont we all just have a margarita. [Thumbs up] And maybe a side of green chile. Its that time again! Hatch Chile season, celebrating those delectable green daggers of flavor grown in New Mexicos Hatch Valley. H-E-B is going all out, with 47 of its Houston area stores roasting the chile in parking lots. Whole Foods plans to ship more than 13,000 pounds into the area. Thats a lot of yum, and not a lot of heat from the mild chile which is good because Houstonians sweat enough. Or do we? [Thumbs up] Honeywell Fans just released its annual list of Americas Sweatiest Cities. Austin is No. 8 and Dallas is No. 4. Bet you cant guess who is No. 1. No, actually. Its Orlando. Houston didnt even make the list this year. Maybe because new factors were considered, including shade cover. We could also chalk it up to the questionable accuracy of an online list announced in the same press release as a promotion for portable folding fans. Still, we dearly wish it were true that Houston felt less like an offensive linemans armpit than it did last year. And wouldnt it be cool if Honeywell invented some Herculean hurricane-sized sky fan that would make all of Texas more hospitable. [Thumbs down] Then maybe Texas wouldnt have a chronic shortage of prison guards. The lack of air-conditioning doesnt just lead to stifling conditions for prisoners but also for guards who must endure the heat in full uniform. Despite more than $9 million in bonuses to aid recruitment, the prison system still reports a 14 percent officer vacancy rate, totaling more than 3,600 unfilled positions. The problem is complex compounded by low pay and remote locale of facilities. No one has found the magic bullet. [Thumbs down] But if that bullet exists, maybe its hanging out with Lupe Valdezs Beretta 9mm. The pistol issued to the Democratic gubernatorial candidate back when she was Dallas County sheriff has been reported missing. Talk about a candidate who couldnt shoot straight. Then again, maybe this is just a gambit for the gun lovers vote. Like a Johnny Appleseed, Sheriff Valdez could lure over some NRA types by leaving random guns unloaded of course! scattered across the state. [Thumbs up] Maybe its time to forgive Lakewood Church for not acting quicker after Hurricane Harvey to open the mega church for shelter. Houston City Council honored the church led by celebrity pastor Joel Osteen for other efforts after Harvey. Lakewood said it helped more than 1,150 families rebuild homes, donated more than $5 million in aid and distributed more than 1,000 pallets of supplies. Next time, though, if Osteen is uncertain about how to respond to epic disaster, he should consult a higher power: What would Mattress Mack do? Theres a last time for every routine in a parents life: The last time you carry your child on your hip, the last time you read a bedtime story, the last time you throw a kiddie birthday party. This week marks an important milestone for me: Its the first August that I didnt have to buy back-to-school supplies for my sons. Im loving it! My youngest is a senior in high school, and he simply plucked a couple of folders, a pen and a notebook out of the supply cabinet and trucked off to class. No more searching for just the right backpack, no more pitches about how a new iPhone could be considered a school supply Im all done. The National Retail Federation estimates that families will spend an average of $684.79 on back-to-school shopping this year. And the number is even higher for Latinos U.S. Hispanic parents are expected to spend $148 more, for a total of $833, on their back-to-school purchases. All of this amounts to about $27.5 billion worth of everything from new clothes and shoes to graphing calculators, lunch boxes and a metric ton of glue sticks. But dont worry, the economy will not take a hit this year from my staying home from the tantalizing back-to-school sales Im a teacher. I still have to stock up on tissues, classroom decorations, dry-erase markers, pencils and bricks of sticky notes. A stunning 94 percent of all teachers in traditional (non-charter) public schools spend their own money on classroom supplies, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). And elementary school teachers are only slightly more likely than high school teachers to shell out for their students benefit. Its not just peanuts, either: The NCES estimates that among teachers who used their own money on classroom supplies without reimbursement, the average amount spent during the 2014-15 school year was $479. Teachers in urban school districts paid a little more ($526), and rural teachers spent a little less ($442) but its still quite a chunk of change. My husband is also a teacher, and last school year, we spent way over the national average because I was working at an under-resourced school where more than 90 percent of the students come from low-income families. Not only did I buy materials like flashcards, books and board games for teaching purposes, but I also paid out-of-pocket for extra professional development. Plus I bought snacks for hungry learners and extra school supplies for the kids who never had pencils or erasers; one day I literally gave a student the clothes off my back because she needed them more than I did. For teachers with needy students, the sob stories abound. Every once in a while, they even turn into happy stories that go viral. A Good Samaritan in Pensacola, Fla., recently gave $40 to an English teacher checking out at Walmart with a cart full of school supplies for her students. He also thanked her for her commitment to her job. Another teacher, from Chicago, received cash donations totaling $530 after her fellow passengers on a flight to Florida overheard her talking about how many of her first-graders come from such poor families that they often show up to school hungry, and many times they are homeless as well. In July, Target stores gave teachers a 15 percent discount on school supplies. This underscores the fact that, with the exception of a few teachers who luck into the generosity of strangers whether by being in the right place at the right time or by raising their own money on education crowdfunding platforms like DonorsChoose.org most teachers just eat the costs of providing students with the best possible school experience. How do they afford it, when we all know teachers across the country are underpaid relative to the amount of education they need to get certified to teach? Well, during the 2015-16 school year, 18 percent of teachers held a job outside the school system, and another 20 percent taught summer school in order to make ends meet and have a little left over for their students. The beginning of the school year means its open house time. If youll be heading in to meet your childrens teachers, be a hero (if you can) and ask them if you can help them with supplies. Better yet, just send in a few boxes of tissues or a bottle of hand sanitizer. Itll only cost a few bucks, and I guarantee itll make your kids teachers feel very appreciated. Cepedas email address is estherjcepeda@washpost.com, or follow her on Twitter: @estherjcepeda. Cm Nitish Kumar and deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi had earlier ruled out the resignation of Manju Verma, terming the allegations against her baseless. Patna: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team probing the sexual abuse of 34 girls in the Muzaffarpur shelter home case on Friday carried out raids at various locations in Bihar including the residential premises of former social welfare minister Manju Verma and the mysterious girl Madhu who has been absconding since May 31. Ms Vermas husband Chandeshwar Verma and Madhu are being considered crucial links in the case. Both have been absconding ever since their names surfaced in regard to the case. Ms Verma had to resign earlier this month after call data records (CDR) of her husband revealed that he had spoken with the main accused, Brajesh Thakur, 17 times between January and May. His name had surfaced for the first time after Sheeba Kumari, the wife of one of the accused who was arrested by the police in connection with the case, claimed that he used to visit the shelter home alone. Chief minister Nitish Kumar and deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi had earlier ruled out the resignation of Manju Verma, terming the allegations against her baseless. The state government had handed over the case to CBI after Opposition parties started targeting Mr Kumar for his silence on the issue and demanded his resignation on moral grounds. Brajesh Thakur, one of the main accused, was arrested along with ten others in June. The CBI had earlier seized several key documents from the shelter home premises and social welfare department officials. Sources claim that neighbours of Thakur, during questioning, had earlier told CBI officials about suspicious movements at the shelter home but remained quiet due to his political clout. The police in its initial probe had found that Thakur had handed over the full charge of his NGO Seva Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti to Madhu, who has been his closest aide since 2001. Thakur and Madhu were part of the committee that was formed in 2001 for the rehabilitation of women living in red light areas of Muzaffarpur. Madhus arrest is important because she may reveal more facts about the case, A police officer familiar with the case said. There could be several others besides Manju Vermas husband who may have been involved in the case. A police official familiar with the case said. U.S. 6th Fleet Commander Visits Naval Partners in Bulgaria and Romania Constanta, Romania - Vice Adm. Lisa Franchetti, commander, U.S. 6th Fleet and commander, Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO, met with NATO allies and partners during a visit to Varna, Bulgaria, and Constanta, Romania, August 13-15, 2018. While in Bulgaria, Franchetti met with Bulgarian Rear Adm. Mitko Petev, chief of the Bulgarian navy, to recognize the importance of Bulgarian defense initiatives, and their participation in international exercises and training in the Black Sea. By building and maintaining the strong and strategic relationship between our two navies, we can deter regional adversaries from further aggression and signal to the world that our commitment to regional security is strong and enduring, said Franchetti. The U.S.-Bulgarian relationship will continue to grow strong in the years to come through participation in regional exercises and security forums. Petev expressed gratitude for the support his navy receives from the U.S. Navy during a media availability at the Bulgarian Navy Headquarters in Varna. This visit is a visual image of the good cooperation and good will between our navies, said Petev. Franchetti then traveled to Constanta to participate in Romanian Navy Day celebrations. Romanian Navy Day is held each year to celebrate those who have dedicated their lives to the sea. This year, celebrations were held for the first time in seven cities Braila, Bucharest, Cernavoda, Constanta, Galati, Mangalia, and Tulcea, and involved service members, ships, and aircraft from several countries. This year's Navy Day celebrations coincide with the 100th anniversary of the creation of Romania, which happened during the Paris Peace Conference of 1918 following World War I. On behalf of the Sailors and Marines of the U.S. 6th Fleet, I would like to extend my congratulations and best wishes to our valued friends and allies in the Romanian Navy, said Franchetti at the Navy Day ceremony in Constanta. For decades, our navies have maintained a vital strategic partnership based on collaboration, trust, and mutual commitment to regional security. As the Romanian Navy celebrates 158 years of excellence, please know that the United States Navy proudly stands with you in friendship and values your incalculable contributions to our shared security objectives in Europe. U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa. Aryan Khan Released | What Are The Bail Conditions For SRK's Son In The Drugs On Cruise Case 106 killed in single day, Modis aerial inspection today. Thiruvananthapuram: As many as 106 people died in rain-related incidents in Kerala in just one day on Thursday as the state plunged deeper into misery on Friday with hospitals facing shortage of oxygen and fuel stations running dry, officials said. The states deadliest deluge in close to a century has claimed 173 lives since August 8, has dealt a body blow to the scenic state, wrecking its tourism industry, destro-ying standing crops in thousands of hectares and inflicting huge damage to infrastructure. Flood waters from the Periyar river and its tributaries have submerged many towns in Ernakulam and Thrissur. An alarming situation has also developed in Alapuzha and Pathanamthitta districts, where roads have been completely submerged. Thousands of people are believed to be still perched on trees and rooftops, waiting to be rescued. On Friday morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, Had a telephone conversation with Kerala CM Shri Pinarayi Vijayan just now. We discussed the flood situation across the state and reviewed rescue operations. Later this evening, I will be heading to Kerala to take stock of the unfortunate situation due to flooding. Mr Vijayan, who also spoke to defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman, said the situation continues to be grave with over 2.23 lakh people from more than 50,000 families sheltered in relief camps. At some places, people in relief shelters complained about dearth of food and drinking water. The met office has said that rain will continue till Saturday but its intensity is expected to get less. A tweet from the chief ministers office said, All districts apart from Kasargod are under red alert. The meteorological department warns that heavy rains may affect these 13 districts. Personnel of the three armed forces, besides the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), on Friday continued evacuation of people stranded on rooftops, highlands where hills came crashing down blocking roads and cutting them off the rest of the world, and those marooned in villages that have turned into islands. A National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) spokesperson said in New Delhi that its 51 teams, out of the total 53 deployed, are operating on the ground. Two more teams will reach Kerala soon, he added. So far, over 4,319 people have been evacuated and 44 people have been rescued by our teams. Operations are still going on, he said. Officials said many private hospitals in Ernakulam district are running out of oxygen, forcing the authorities to shift patients to nearby facilities. Many had to be evacuated after flood water entered hospitals. Quite a few petrol pumps, even in places like the state capital Thiruvananthapuram, which has escaped the monsoon fury to some extent, have run dry. Long queues of motorists were seen at several fuel stations in Thiruvananthapuram district. The authorities have directed each of these fuel bunks to keep in reserve 3000 litres of diesel and 1000 litres of petrol at all times for relief operations. The Kochi airport is shut with rain water flooding the runways. Several trains were either cancelled or rescheduled, sources said. Services on the Kochi Metro are, however, unaffected. During the day, TV channels telecast disturbing visuals of a woman in labour being pulled up with the help of a rope dropped down from a Navy chopper. The woman, whose amniotic sac was ruptured, was shifted to a Navy hospital where she gave birth to a baby boy. Both the mother and the child are doing fine, officials said. Desperate non-resident Keralites from Australia, the US and the UK were making fervent pleas to the authorities through television channels seeking help for their dear ones. Soumya from Australia said her parents and their relatives were stranded in Aluva for the past two days. Another said an elderly relative Mary Varghese was badly in need of an oxygen cylinder and her condition was worsening. In a WhatsApp video, a stranded woman with her six-year-old child was seen pleading for help. We have no food or water. Please help us. It's hard to make everyone happy. But 27,000-plus American Airlines flight attendants are "at war" with their employer, according to a new report. The issue: A brand new rule that goes into effect on American Airlines, which will make it much harder for American Airlines flight attendants to take unscheduled time off. In fact, it could lead to some flight attendants losing their jobs. The rule was announced late Thursday and goes into effect Oct. 1. And flight attendants reportedly reacted immediately. Update #1: After this article was published American Airlines provided a statement. It's included in its entirety below. Update #2: Also after publication: More American Airlines flight attendants told me what they think of the new policy. 'Cruel and unusual' The policy "is punitive, offers no human factor, and is being received by flight attendants as cruel and unusual," said an American Airlines flight attendant who was quoted by Lewis Lazare of The Chicago Business Journal, who broke the story. The unnamed flight attendant wrote to American Airlines Vice President of Flight Service Jill Surdek, who had announced the new rules: "If a pipe bursts in our house, a tire goes flat or some other Act of God occurs, it's not easy to jump on a plane for three days and forget that you are going to come home to a catastrophe." And, the union that represents American flight attendants objected formally as well, with its president, Lori Bassani writing to American Airlines: "It is our position that the company ... has no right to make these unreasonable changes, which will be disastrous to our flight attendants and to the company's operations." 10 points to termination Here's how the new policy would work. Flight attendants would be tagged with points for attendance issues such as: taking more than 2 personal days being late for work being reported as a no-show for a flight calling in sick during "critical periods," which include three of the busiest travel times of the year: the Fourth of July (July 1 to 7), Thanksgiving (from the Wednesday before Thanksgiving to the Sunday after), and Christmas/New Year's Day (Dec. 22 to Jan. 3). The consequences for amassing too many points within a 12-month rolling period would be potentially severe: 4 to 6 points: performance review 8 points: final warning 10 points: termination The Israeli Day Care Experiment? I've reached out to both American Airlines and the union representing its flight attendants for further comment both by email and phone; so far I have not had a reply. (Update: American Airlines has now replied. Their response is at the end of this article.) But two conclusions leap to mind. But nowhere in those excuses is there anything about flight attendants being late or absent. And second, if the goal here is to cut down on tardiness and absenteeism, it's possible it will have the opposite effect entirely. The potential reason is the lesson from what's sometimes called Israeli Day Care Experiment, in which a day care started fining parents for being late to pick up their kids. Result? The rate of late pickups actually increased, since it turned out parents decided the fine was reasonable--and had established the value of a little bit of extra daycare time at the end of the day. So, suppose you're an American Airlines flight attendant, and you've decided that it's really important for you to take Christmas Day off every year. If this new policy goes into effect, you'll now know exactly what the price is, in points, for simply calling in sick every Dec. 25 until retirement. As long as you're willing to take those negative points and not do anything else to put yourself over the limit, it seems like American might be setting up a new system where you could actually get away with it. Update: here's American Airlines reply: "We're on track to integrate our legacy US Airways and legacy American flight attendant teams into a single crew system on October 1. That's also when we'll align our attendance and performance policies for flight attendant team members. Absurdly Driven looks at the world of business with a skeptical eye and a firmly rooted tongue in cheek. Have you heard the one about the airline calling the police on a customer? Oh, you have. Well, this is a new one, and it's one that may provoke varying reactions. On Thursday, Florida-based doctor Jeffrey Epstein seemed to become frustrated while waiting at American Airlines check-in at Orlando International Airport. He was on his way to Philadelphia. Video posted to Facebook by WESH 2 News shows him standing and expressing some of those frustrations. Sadly, things then veered in a difficult direction, ending with 59-year-old Epstein handcuffed, on the ground and pepper-sprayed by the police. The airline had deemed him so disruptive that it called the police. And then, well, you never know how things will go from there. The police first try to talk to him. But then they move in to make an arrest and it becomes a little ugly. Epstein told WESH 2 that he made a deliberate protest to highlight police brutality: "I'm a conservative Republican, I'm a Trump guy. But until the police fix this problem, I don't blame black people for being upset when they get arrested." Some might say, though, that his behavior may have been a touch provocative. He did say to the officers: "Arrest me or get a flight." I asked American Airlines for its view of the encounter with Epstein. A spokesperson told me: He showed up at the ticket counter to check-in for his flight at 6 a.m. for a 6.24 a.m. flight. Our team was going to rebook him for the next available flight to Philadelphia, but that is when he became irate at our team, along with other passengers and children in the area who witnessed this event. Epstein, though, insists he was offering something of a public service. He told WESH 2: I was no danger. I was being loud because I wanted everyone to see. I wanted everything to be out in the open. Big companies have to take care of their customers, and when they call the cops in, they got to deescalate, not escalate. Customer service is, indeed, not about escalating conflict. What, though, should American Airlines personnel have done? If, as the airline says, he checked in too late, would Epstein not have realized his alleged faux-pas? Or did he just, for some unaccountable reason, choose to be disruptive? As you watch the video, you wonder whether there might have been another way to calm him down. Perhaps, though, his behavior was so upsetting to children that the police had to be called. But as he made his speech to the airport in general, did the police provoke him further? I looked at the police report, written by Officer Chaplin, and it reads, in part: Epstein then became angry again and started yelling. I told Epstein to leave the line so that we could try to talk to him and calm him again. After leaving the line, Epstein continued to yell profanities and other remarks about AA business practices. I continued to try to calm Epstein down, but he would not. Epstein took off his backpack put his hands in the air and said to arrest him. I noticed white froth around Epstein's lips and asked him if he was having an issue. This made Epstein even angrier, and he denied anything was wrong. Since the United Airlines dragging incident featuring the bloodied face of Dr. David Dao, airlines are a little more wary about dragging the police into affairs. Here, though, one wonders what sort of tone characterized Epstein's original conversation with the check-in agent. That might hold a clue as to what happened subsequently. In a subsequent comment, American Airlines clarified that its staff had had minimal and entirely non-confrontational interaction with Epstein: The only interaction our staff had with him is we requested he wait to speak to an agent to be placed on standby for the 7:20 a.m. flight to PHL. That flight was not full, and he would have gotten on. At that point, he began yelling at our team members and customers. We didn't have any other interaction with him beyond letting him know he would have to be placed on standby for the 7:20 a.m. flight, as he missed the 6:24 a.m. flight. Epstein has been charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting officer with violence, trespassing after warning, and disorderly conduct. Still, though, the police themselves seemed not in complete harmony as to how Epstein should be calmed. Chaplin's report also reveals: At some point Officer Hajek warned Epstein he was going to be sprayed with OC. I told Officer Hajek we should keep working to get the arms out. I directed Corporal Tindall to control the legs. I noticed an odor of OC spray; looked over and realized Officer Hajek had sprayed Epstein with OC spray. Again, this might seem like an example of customer service and law enforcement struggling with judgment. And, perhaps, who can blame them? There may not have been a good solution here. The American Airlines check-in staff perhaps had neither the time nor the inclination to deal with Epstein and were stunned at his behavior. His bizarre rantings while on the floor suggest an unexplained peculiarity. The police, too, weren't entirely sure of the best way to deal with the situation. I wonder if he likes these ads. Getty Images Absurdly Driven looks at the world of business with a skeptical eye and a firmly rooted tongue in cheek. Facebook has become hard to, well, like. The more its numb-headed CEO Mark Zuckerberg sputters excuses for its deficiencies, the more the company seems like just another sleazy advertising concern. You know, like Google. It's become evident that Facebook is worried. A company that grew to fame and power without marketing itself at all is now furiously dropping ads as if they were fake news items direct from Moscow. In the ads, Facebook makes so many promises. In the real world, many people realize Facebook is as vacuous and untrustworthy as, well, a politician. So an artist known as Protest Stencil thought it wise to create some truthful Facebook ads. Or, rather, truthful ads that seem to come from Facebook. They're poignant in their bitter truth and they've been plastered in some London bus shelters. Those honest facebook ads are really getting around... pic.twitter.com/MI4zg7TmAH -- Protest Stencil (@protestencil) August 15, 2018 Honesty in advertising doesn't often work. Somehow, it just isn't exciting enough. People like to bathe in dreams and lies. But here's a company that made money out of fake news and has shown the sort of sure-handedness with people's data that's normally seen in a concussed catcher behind the plate. A little truth surely can't hurt. Or perhaps, it should. I can't help wondering just how long Facebook can claim to be a utility, but not want to be regulated like one. I can't help wondering, too, how long people will allow their torpor to conquer their knowledge that Facebook just isn't a good idea anymore. As Protest Stencil observes with apposite wryness: Fashion retailer Boohoo has been accused of Photoshopping the waist of a model on its site in order to make her appear thinner. The observation was made by Ella Thorpe, a 25-year-old from Manchester, whod been shopping online when she noticed that something was amiss when looking at pictures of a model wearing a denim skirt. Ms Thorpe realised that one of the photos had been digitally altered to make the models waist look slimmer when showing the size 10 option for the skirt, with the original unedited photo also displayed on the site. Recommended Boohoo accused of sexism for offering women discounts during World Cup Ms Thorpe, who works as a paid social manager, was left outraged after discovering the alteration while scrolling through the app last week. So supposedly boohoo.com are about empowering #AllGirls, yet they feel the need to significantly Photoshop the waist smaller on a size 10 model? she wrote on Facebook. Next time, maybe avoid uploading the original photo to your app as well as the edited one In Ms Thorpes opinion, Boohoos choice to alter the shape of one of its models is sending a very damaging message to people, particularly young girls and women, who frequently shop on the site. I think as a brand with such a big influence on young women in particular, who stock clothes for a range of body types (including plus size), Boohoo shouldnt be altering the body shape of any of their models, she told The Independent. The fact they felt the need to edit the waist of a size 10 model is completely unacceptable. Many women of all ages feel pressured to look perfect and I think a lot of people (men included) do edit their body shape now when they post photos on social media because of this. "In 2017, it was reported that the average UK dress size for women was a size 16. If a brand like Boohoo that claims to represent and support #AllGirls is slimming down a model who is three dress sizes smaller than the UK average, what kind of message does that send out? Ms Thorpe was referring to Boohoos #AllGirls campaign that was launched last year with the aim of promoting diversity and inclusion. However, when the campaign was first announced, the retailer was heavily condemned for not featuring any disabled, plus-size, trans or older women in its promotional video. Since Ms Thorpe made her complaint, Boohoo has removed the Photoshopped image of the model from its app and site. However, despite stating that it would look further into the incident raised by Ms Thorpe, the fashion brand hasn't directly responded to her. Inspiring body positivity quotes Show all 12 1 /12 Inspiring body positivity quotes Inspiring body positivity quotes Ashley Graham "And cellulite, I have not forgotten about you. I'm going to choose to love you even though you want to take over my whole bottom half. You're a part of me and I love you." Inspiring body positivity quotes Danielle Brooks "Sometimes I don't like what I see, but I have the power to change the way in which I relate to my body both physically and mentally." Inspiring body positivity quotes Iskra Lawrence "Stop comparing yourself to anybody else. The [pictures of] movie stars, even the Disney characters, thats not real. Thats not attainable. You cant be anybody else. You are you. You cant be them. So you really just have to start embracing yourself and accepting so-called flaws that society has given the name flaws. Its just our body, our patchwork quilt. Inspiring body positivity quotes Beyonce "The most alluring thing a woman can have is confidence." Getty Images Inspiring body positivity quotes Kate Winslet "Nobody is perfect. I just don't believe in perfection. But I do believe in saying, 'This is who I am and look at me not being perfect.' I'm proud of that." Getty Images Inspiring body positivity quotes Rihanna "You just want something that someone else has, but that doesn't mean what you have isn't beautiful, because people always want what you have and you always want what they have - no one is ever 100 per cent like, 'Yes, I'm the bomb-dot-com - from head-to-toe!" REUTERS Inspiring body positivity quotes Tess Holliday "Never compare yourself with others and celebrate what makes you, you." Inspiring body positivity quotes Demi Lovato "Instead of looking in the mirror and focusing on your flaws, look in the mirror and appreciate your best features... everyone has them." Inspiring body positivity quotes Kim Kardashian-West "See this little dimple of cellulite here? It was so worth it for that cookies 'n' cream ice cream!" Inspiring body positivity quotes Jennifer Lawrence "It should be illegal to call someone fat." Inspiring body positivity quotes Mindy Kaling "Insults about the way I look cant be the thing that harms me and my heart the most. It has to harm me the least. If I have a daughter, Im going to tell her that. Far too many women are much more hurt by being called fat or ugly than they are by being called not smart, or not a leader." Rex Features Inspiring body positivity quotes Selena Gomez "Im learning that you can be comfortable and still look beautiful. AFP/Getty Images We thank you for bring this issue to our attention, a Boohoo spokesperson told HuffPost UK. At Boohoo our customer commitment is to provide great fashion for all shapes and sizes. We want to do all we can to use our voice to promote body positivity whilst expanding our fashion for all offer even further. We are looking into what has happened in this instance." Deaf children are falling further behind their hearing classmates at A-level amid government funding cuts, an analysis has found. Almost six in 10 (58.8 per cent) deaf pupils in England failed to achieve more than one A-level by the age of 19 last year, the highest proportion since 2012, the latest figures show. Students with no special educational needs (SEN) opened up the biggest attainment gap 23.5 percentage points over their deaf peers for six years, the analysis of government data has revealed. Only 41.2 per cent of deaf pupils achieved two A-levels, or equivalent technical qualifications, by the age of 19 in 2017, compared with 64.7 per cent of their hearing classmates. The National Deaf Childrens Society (NDCS), which carried out the analysis, has said the decline in attainment among deaf young people has been driven by year on year cuts. And the attainment gap is likely to get worse this year, the charity said. The warning comes after thousands of students picked up their A-level results and found out whether they attained their university places, and pupils will receive their GCSE grades on Thursday. The attainment gap between deaf children and children with no SEN also widened at GCSE last year, with deaf children achieving more than a whole grade less at GCSE than their hearing peers. Martin McLean, an education policy analyst at the NCDS, told The Independent: Deafness isnt a learning disability and all of the research shows that deaf children can achieve just as well as their hearing classmates, they just need the right support in place to do it. To be falling behind so drastically at A-level, even with an extra year to complete their A-levels, shows the system is completely failing deaf young people. The government should be shamed by these statistics. He added: As councils up and down the country slash the education support they offer to deaf young people at an unprecedented rate, we are expecting the attainment gap, which is already unacceptably wide, to get worse. Earlier this year, the charity warned that millions of pounds of support for deaf children were being lost, with one in three councils making cuts, leaving services at breaking point. Campaigners have warned that deaf-specialist teachers are being cut back every year, which has reduced the amount of time they spend with young people doing their A-levels. Jess Reeves, who leads the NDCSs campaign to reverse cuts to deaf childrens support, argues that deaf young peoples low level of attainment is partly a product of cutbacks. She said: Clearly deaf children arent getting the support they need and even more cuts being planned are going to make a difficult situation even more bleak for many families. The NDCS is calling on education secretary Damian Hinds to take personal responsibility for sorting out the crisis in deaf young peoples education. Mr McLean said: Teachers of the deaf are now supporting far too many deaf children, their capacity to support young people over 16 is getting less and less and so far we have seen absolutely no action from the secretary of state for education to step in and sort this crisis out. We know there are huge pressures on education funding, but to do nothing is to be complicit in failing a whole generation of deaf young people, he added. A-level results 2018 in pictures Show all 21 1 /21 A-level results 2018 in pictures A-level results 2018 in pictures Students celebrate their A Level results from Ark Academy in Wembley PA A-level results 2018 in pictures Charlie Jenner, Nathan Sharp and Abhinav Boddu receive their A Level results at Norwich School PA A-level results 2018 in pictures Students collect their A Level results at Brighton College PA A-level results 2018 in pictures Students celebrate their A Level results from Ark Academy in Wembley PA A-level results 2018 in pictures Twins Himmat (left) and Arjun Sohal, who both got 3 A's in Maths, Physics and Chemistry, and will both be going to Bath Universirty to study Chemical Engineering, celebrate their A Level results at Peter Symonds College, Winchester PA A-level results 2018 in pictures Students celebrate their A Level results from Ark Academy in Wembley PA A-level results 2018 in pictures Alex Cox receiving his A Level results at Mander Portman Woodward College, Edgbaston, Birmingham PA A-level results 2018 in pictures Students react as they receive their 'A' level results at Stoke Newington School and Sixth Form in London Reuters A-level results 2018 in pictures Moyle Oloko with her results at Brighton College in East Sussex PA A-level results 2018 in pictures Grace El-Mokadem, Maddie Backhouse, Claudia Ballard and Sophie Plumber read their A Level results at Brighton College in East Sussex PA A-level results 2018 in pictures Twins Emily and Molly Goldberg receive their A Level results at Merchant Taylor School in Crosby, Merseyside PA A-level results 2018 in pictures A student reacts as she receives her 'A' level results at Stoke Newington School and Sixth Form in London REUTERS A-level results 2018 in pictures Students react as they receive their 'A' level results at Stoke Newington School and Sixth Form in London Reuters A-level results 2018 in pictures Simran Kaur Bahia 20 receiving her A Level results gaining an A*, A and B at Mander Portman Woodward College, Edgbaston PA A-level results 2018 in pictures Students pose for a photograph as they receive their A Level results from from Merchant Taylor School in Crosby, Merseyside PA A-level results 2018 in pictures Amanda Georgevic with daughter Phoebe Georgevic 19, who got two A's and one B in her A Level results at Mander Portman Woodward College, Edgbaston PA A-level results 2018 in pictures Students react as they receive their 'A' level results at Stoke Newington School and Sixth Form in London Reuters A-level results 2018 in pictures Harriet Selway, 17, left, and Niamh Davies, 17, right, both from Horfield, Bristol, react as they open their A Level results at St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School PA A-level results 2018 in pictures Eleanor Elizabeth Sykes 18 receiving her A Level results gaining 2 A's at Mander Portman Woodward College, Edgbaston PA A-level results 2018 in pictures A group of students talk after receiving their A Level results at Mander Portman Woodward College PA A-level results 2018 in pictures A student reacts as she receives her 'A' level results at Stoke Newington School and Sixth Form in London Reuters Research last month found that deaf students are far less likely to go to one of the countrys most prestigious universities than their classmates. Only 9 per cent of deaf young people leaving school attended a Russell Group university the most selective in the UK in 2015-16, compared to 17 per cent of all students, data showed. A Department for Education spokesman said: We want every child to have the support they need to unlock their potential, no matter what challenges they face. That is why we have fundamentally reformed support for children with special educational needs by making sure that families are at the heart of the process with education health and care plans that are tailored to individuals. The high needs budget is 6bn this year the highest on record and core school funding will rise to a record 43.5bn by 2020 a 50 per cent real terms per pupil increase from 2000. Contracts worth 25m have also been launched to help children with disabilities, the department said. Fears about the rising use of unconditional offers by universities are growing after it emerged that some A-level students stopped going to school once theyd secured a guaranteed place at university. Ministers are looking to clamp down on universities that are irresponsibly handing out places on degree courses to sixth-formers in a bid to put bums on seats, regardless of their A-level grades. A government source told the i that education secretary Damian Hinds held meetings on A-level results day with senior figures from universities watchdog the Office for Students and Ucas. The Department for Education (DfE) said it expects the regulator to take appropriate action. Recent figures from Ucas show that nearly a quarter of 18-year-olds in England, Wales and Northern Ireland were handed at least one guaranteed place on a degree course regardless of their grades. Almost 68,000 unconditional offers were made this year, compared to less than 3,000 five years ago, the data reveals. Headteachers have renewed calls for an end to the practice after it emerged this week that some schools had seen their A-level pass rates fall dramatically as a result of a rise in unconditional offers. Sir John Rowling, chair of Partners in Excellence (Pixl), a network of schools in England and Wales, told Tes that some students were not going to school after they received the offers. One school in the north of England saw its pass rate (A* to E grades) drop from 74 per cent last year to just 14 per cent this year with 40 students being handed unconditional offers. The proportion of students gaining pass grades at A-level nationally dropped to its lowest point in eight years amid concerns that unconditional offers and exam reforms would have an impact. A DfE spokesperson said: Giving out unconditional places just to put bums on seats not only undermines the credibility of the university system but does students a disservice by distracting them from their studies and swaying their decisions. We are concerned about the rise in unconditional offers. The Office for Students is closely monitoring the number being issued and we fully expect it as the regulator to take appropriate action. Speaking to The Independent about unconditional offers ahead of results day, Michael Barber, chair of the Office for Students, said: Some universities seem to be lowering the tariff because they are worried about not recruiting enough students. I think the sector needs to think about this very hard. A-level results 2018 in pictures Show all 21 1 /21 A-level results 2018 in pictures A-level results 2018 in pictures Students celebrate their A Level results from Ark Academy in Wembley PA A-level results 2018 in pictures Charlie Jenner, Nathan Sharp and Abhinav Boddu receive their A Level results at Norwich School PA A-level results 2018 in pictures Students collect their A Level results at Brighton College PA A-level results 2018 in pictures Students celebrate their A Level results from Ark Academy in Wembley PA A-level results 2018 in pictures Twins Himmat (left) and Arjun Sohal, who both got 3 A's in Maths, Physics and Chemistry, and will both be going to Bath Universirty to study Chemical Engineering, celebrate their A Level results at Peter Symonds College, Winchester PA A-level results 2018 in pictures Students celebrate their A Level results from Ark Academy in Wembley PA A-level results 2018 in pictures Alex Cox receiving his A Level results at Mander Portman Woodward College, Edgbaston, Birmingham PA A-level results 2018 in pictures Students react as they receive their 'A' level results at Stoke Newington School and Sixth Form in London Reuters A-level results 2018 in pictures Moyle Oloko with her results at Brighton College in East Sussex PA A-level results 2018 in pictures Grace El-Mokadem, Maddie Backhouse, Claudia Ballard and Sophie Plumber read their A Level results at Brighton College in East Sussex PA A-level results 2018 in pictures Twins Emily and Molly Goldberg receive their A Level results at Merchant Taylor School in Crosby, Merseyside PA A-level results 2018 in pictures A student reacts as she receives her 'A' level results at Stoke Newington School and Sixth Form in London REUTERS A-level results 2018 in pictures Students react as they receive their 'A' level results at Stoke Newington School and Sixth Form in London Reuters A-level results 2018 in pictures Simran Kaur Bahia 20 receiving her A Level results gaining an A*, A and B at Mander Portman Woodward College, Edgbaston PA A-level results 2018 in pictures Students pose for a photograph as they receive their A Level results from from Merchant Taylor School in Crosby, Merseyside PA A-level results 2018 in pictures Amanda Georgevic with daughter Phoebe Georgevic 19, who got two A's and one B in her A Level results at Mander Portman Woodward College, Edgbaston PA A-level results 2018 in pictures Students react as they receive their 'A' level results at Stoke Newington School and Sixth Form in London Reuters A-level results 2018 in pictures Harriet Selway, 17, left, and Niamh Davies, 17, right, both from Horfield, Bristol, react as they open their A Level results at St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School PA A-level results 2018 in pictures Eleanor Elizabeth Sykes 18 receiving her A Level results gaining 2 A's at Mander Portman Woodward College, Edgbaston PA A-level results 2018 in pictures A group of students talk after receiving their A Level results at Mander Portman Woodward College PA A-level results 2018 in pictures A student reacts as she receives her 'A' level results at Stoke Newington School and Sixth Form in London Reuters There was intense competition among universities to attract students this year. Figures released on Thursday by Ucas showed the total number of students accepted onto courses was down 1 per cent compared with the same point in 2017. However, the proportion of 18-year-olds being accepted on to courses broke records. In an exclusive interview with The Independent earlier this year, Ucas boss Clare Marchant called for an urgent rethink on universities using unconditional offers across the board. Universities minister Sam Gyimah has previously branded the rise in unconditional offers as irresponsible and has warned that the practice could undermine the credibility of the system. And on Thursday, Mr Hinds said he was concerned about the rate of growth in these offers. The number of children with diabetes largely caused by obesity has soared 41 per cent in just three years, figures show. Analysis shows hundreds more young people being seen at specialist paediatric units for type 2 diabetes, as the junk food-fuelled childhood obesity epidemic bites. Figures this year already showed a record 22,000 children are classed as severely obese, drastically increasing their risk of type 2 diabetes and serious complications including amputations, nerve damage and stroke. Children with the condition are likely to have their lives shortened by a decade or more, Professor Naveed Sattar, an expert in metabolic medicine from the University of Glasgow, told The Independent. Their chances of getting serious complications in their lifetime will be far greater than an adult with type 2, because they will have that diabetes for several more decades, he said. They will be more obese to begin with, their sugar control is worsening faster, and we dont tend to give them statins at a young age to protect their hearts we dont want to give statins to kids. The fact these numbers are going up, though still relatively modest, its a disaster for society, the children and their families and the medical profession. I cant paint it any more bleak than that, its an unmitigated disaster. Recommended Some choice words for diabetes There is a lack of research on effective treatments for type 2 diabetes in children. But Prof Sattar says drastic interventions such as gastric band surgery have already been used in the US for children with the condition, and may become a reality in the UK. Severe obesity defined as having a body mass index of 40 or above significantly increases the chances of dying prematurely from breast and colon cancers, heart disease and stroke, as well as diabetes. Obesity has been dubbed the new smoking and is being fuelled around the world by the spread of cheap, high calorie convenience foods which are disproportionately found in the most socially deprived UK boroughs. Rising childhood obesity means the NHS is grappling with the costs of treating chronic conditions and their complications, throughout patients entire adult lives 1 in every 10 is already spent on diabetes. Artificial Sweetener Could Promote Diabetes The Local Government Association, which led the analysis, said efforts to counteract the harm of obesity are being undermined by 600m in cuts to public health budgets under the Conservatives. Tam Fry, chair of the National Obesity Forum, agreed, adding councils were not given enough funding when they were first made responsible for public health, in 2011. When even this funding was cut and cut again, it inevitably ruled out any chance of success and the rise in childhood type 2 diabetes is a direct consequence, he said. Its monstrous to consider but some of these children could be dead by the end of the decade. The first case of type 2 diabetes in a UK child was recorded in 2000, but the 2016-17 National Paediatric Diabetes Audit (NPDA), released this summer, showed 715 children and young people now need specialist treatment. Under the skin best of the British Heart Foundation 2018 image prize Show all 10 1 /10 Under the skin best of the British Heart Foundation 2018 image prize Under the skin best of the British Heart Foundation 2018 image prize Subarachnoid vessels The runner-up image came from Matt MacGregor Sharp, a PhD student at the University of Southampton. The super-high resolution image shows a normal artery at the surface of a rats brain and was taken with a powerful scanning electron microscope. These subarachnoid vessels supply blood to the brain and also act like a drain to remove toxic waste products. Matt Macgregors team are trying to show that failure to remove waste by these vessels is one of the underlying causes of vascular dementia. The researchers took the image using a technique called freeze fracture, where tissue or cell samples are frozen and then split apart to reveal the hidden layers within the sample so they can be studied in extreme detail. Sitting above the brown brain tissue, the artery appears blue, and its surrounding layer, the pia mater, is shown in purple. Matt MacGregor Sharp, University of Southampton, British Heart Foundation - Reflections of Research Under the skin best of the British Heart Foundation 2018 image prize Explosive beginnings Winner: Endothelial cells line all blood vessels in the body, forming a barrier between the circulating blood and the vessel wall. They also help to protect blood vessels from damage and release important chemical messengers which help to control blood pressure. The winning researcher, Courtney Williams, is a Masters student and PhD candidate at Leeds University. Her lab are developing new ways to map the growth of new blood vessels within their surrounding landscape in 3D. Understanding the complex secrets of blood vessel formation could be harnessed to boost the regrowth of damaged blood vessels after a heart attack, and halt blood vessel growth when its counterproductive. Courtney Williams, Leeds University, British Heart Foundation - Reflections of Research Under the skin best of the British Heart Foundation 2018 image prize A snapshot of platelet production - Reflections of Research Supporters Favourite This image from Abdullah Obaid Khan, a PhD student at the University of Birmingham, won the supporters favourite. What look like precious jewels are actually platelets forming within the bone marrow. Platelets are the smallest of our circulating blood cells with a hugely important role in preventing bleeding. However, they also play a role in the formation of clots, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Abdullah Obaid Khan and his team are studying rare bleeding disorders. Abdullah Obaid Khan, University of Birmingham, British Heart Foundation - Reflections of Research Under the skin best of the British Heart Foundation 2018 image prize Cardiac collagen web - Shortlist This colourful image shows the web-like, network of the smallest blood vessels in the heart the microvessels. Magenta marks the outer collagen layer of the vessels; while orange marks their inner lining and blue the cell nuclei. Dr Neil Dufton, Imperial College London Dr Neil Dufton, Imperial College London, British Heart Foundation - Reflections of Research Under the skin best of the British Heart Foundation 2018 image prize Heart to Heart - Shortlist This piece shows four ventricles (from a mouse) arranged into the shape of the hearts four normal chambers. The researchers have used fluorescent markers to recognise certain proteins and created the image using of hundreds of images assembled together. Dr Elisa Avolio and Dr Zexu Dang, University of Bristol Dr Elisa Avolio and Dr Zexu Dang, University of Bristol, British Heart Foundation - Reflections of Research Under the skin best of the British Heart Foundation 2018 image prize Loving artery - Shortlist This image shows a cross section of an artery and the different layers which make up the artery wall. Affiliate Professor Silvia Lacchini, University of Glasgow Silvia Lacchini, University of Glasgow, British Heart Foundation - Reflections of Research Under the skin best of the British Heart Foundation 2018 image prize Oxidative inkblot - Shortlist This colour explosion shows one of the culprits in cardiovascular disease an enzyme called NADPH oxidase. The enzyme is considered Janus faced because it is important in health, as well as disease. This picture shows the active enzyme in patients who have high blood pressure. Dr Livia de Lucca Camargo, University of Glasgow Dr Livia de Lucca Camargo, University of Glasgow, British Heart Foundation - Reflections of Research Under the skin best of the British Heart Foundation 2018 image prize Neon skeleton - Shortlist This image shows the developing blood vessel system of a two day old zebrafish embryo. The researchers used gene enhancers (the on-off switches of genes) to switch on fluorescent markers in different types of endothelial cells the important cells which line all blood vessels. All blood vessels switch on the red marker, while the veins also switch on the green marker, resulting in yellow veins and red arteries. Dr Svanhild Nornes, University of Oxford Dr Svanhild Nornes, University of Oxford, British Heart Foundation - Reflections of Research Under the skin best of the British Heart Foundation 2018 image prize Calcium reef - Shortlist This image shows calcium in blood vessel cells from people who have high blood pressure and resembles Australias Great Barrier Reef. Dr Rheure Alves-Lopes, University of Glasgow Dr Rheure Alves-Lopes, University of Glasgow, British Heart Foundation - Reflections of Research Under the skin best of the British Heart Foundation 2018 image prize Budding blood vessels - Shortlist This image shows the growing blood vessels in the mouse retina. In red you can see all the blood vessels and in yellow/green you can see the blood vessels that are actively growing (a process called sprouting). PhD candidate Kira Chouliaras, University of Oxford Kira Chouliaras, University of Oxford, British Heart Foundation - Reflections of Research Of that group, 429 of the patients were aged 15 to 19, 269 were 10 to 14, and 11 were aged five to nine with some even younger. That is a startling increase from the 507 cases recorded in the 2013-14 audit, and the condition was once only seen in adults aged over 40 who still make up the majority of the 3.2 million type 2 diabetics in the UK. And despite the grim warnings, we still may not be seeing the full picture. [The NPDA] only captures data from paediatric diabetes units in England and Wales, and doesnt account for children and young people seen in primary care, so there could potentially be more, said Professor Russell Viner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, which runs the audit. Six of the 10 most deprived postcodes in the UK are in Scotland, which also has higher rates of morbid obesity than England and Wales. Recommended Western culture is to blame for rising childhood obesity These figures are a sad indictment of how we have collectively failed as a society to tackle childhood obesity, one of the biggest health challenges we face, said Councillor Izzi Seccombe chair of the LGAs community wellbeing board. Cutting [councils] public health funding is short sighted and undermines any attempt to help our children live healthy and fulfilling lives, she said. Government interventions in the past year, including the introduction of a sugar tax on sweetened drinks and pledges to improve calorie labelling and help families eat more healthily, have been welcomed. But campaign groups say plans are not bold or ambitious enough to counteract obesity, adding the National Diabetes Prevention Plan is unlikely to meet its aim of cutting type 2 within a decade. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: We know the damage obesity causes and are determined to halve childhood obesity by 2030. Weve invested billions in public health services and have already removed the equivalent of 45 million kilograms of sugar from soft drinks every year. Our new childhood obesity plan will now get children exercising more in schools and reduce their exposure to sugary and fatty foods. Watery worlds could be common throughout the universe, scientists have said in a discovery that could have major effects on the search for life elsewhere in the universe. Planets covered in large amounts of water could be far more common than we'd previously realised, according to the new study. By exploring the known masses of nearby exoplanets, they found that their sizes could be explained by large amounts of water. The discovery could suggest that there are many more Earth-like planets with water throughout the galaxy. That, in turn, could suggest there are other planets that are able to support life, just like Earth. 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 Many of the exoplanets that have been discovered in recent years and have so excited scientists could be as much as 50 per cent water. By comparison, the Earth is only 0.02 per cent water by weight. "It was a huge surprise to realise that there must be so many water-worlds", said lead researcher Dr Li Zeng from Harvard University. Recommended More than 100 new exoplanets found The worlds themselves might have water, and might even have life. But that doesn't mean they look anything like our home planet, or even a watery version of it. "This is water, but not as commonly found here on Earth", said Li Zeng. "Their surface temperature is expected to be in the 200 to 500 degree Celsius range. Their surface may be shrouded in a water-vapor-dominated atmosphere, with a liquid water layer underneath. "Moving deeper, one would expect to find this water transforms into high-pressure ices before we reaching the solid rocky core. The beauty of the model is that it explains just how composition relates to the known facts about these planets". Previous studies have found that many of the 4,000 confirmed or potential exoplanets fall into one of two sizes: those that are about 1.5 times the radius of the Earth, and others that are roughly 2.5 times the size of our planet. The new research looks to explore how those planets might be structured on the inside. It found that the smaller of the planets tend to be rocky but the bigger ones are "probably water worlds", according to the researchers. Scientists expect to find more of those planets and therefore more water worlds in the coming years. Leading that search will be Nasa's TESS mission which will look out for more of the exoplanets, and the James Webb Space Telescope which is due to launch in 2021 and will analyse the atmosphere of those worlds. Having the aircraft carriers maintains our credibility, without the aircraft carriers it would dilute it. Not to have an aircraft carrier at sea, to denude yourself of them, would be a folly, declared Captain Jerry Kyd. We remain an island nation with obligations. For national security reasons it is essential we have to maintain a strong capability. The commanding officer of HMS Queen Elizabeth was speaking on the bridge of the aircraft carrier as she prepared to depart from Portsmouth for America and trials to land F-35B fast jets on deck for the first time, the final crucial preparations as the 65,000 tonne ship comes into service. The carrier will dock first in New York and there are rumours that Donald Trump will come on board, which may be consolation for him after the military parade he ordered was postponed by the Pentagon with costs climbing to $92m (69.5m). Recommended Royal Navy tailing Russian military ship through English Channel Captain Kyd did not know whether the presidential visit will happen. I wish he would, he said before going on to point out why, in his view, the Queen Elizabeth and her sister carrier HMS Prince of Wales were imperative for Britain in the face of Russian aggression, Chinese expansion and the unpredictability about North Koreas nuclear programme. The Kremlin, he believes, is the most immediate threat. Without these two ships I think we would be struggling to remain credible as a first-class sea power, the Captain said to a group of journalists. The increase in Russian submarine activity has been frightening, it has been quite eye-watering what we have seen over the past two years. We have seen a huge increase in Russian activity in the maritime area; we need to respond to that. 650m Navy warship arrives in Portsmouth Show all 7 1 /7 650m Navy warship arrives in Portsmouth 650m Navy warship arrives in Portsmouth 120641.bin Danny Lawson/PA Wire 650m Navy warship arrives in Portsmouth 121083.bin Crown Copyright/MOD 2009 650m Navy warship arrives in Portsmouth 121084.bin Crown Copyright/MOD 2009 650m Navy warship arrives in Portsmouth 121101.bin Crown Copyright/MOD 2009 650m Navy warship arrives in Portsmouth 121102.bin Crown Copyright/MOD 2009 650m Navy warship arrives in Portsmouth 121103.bin Crown Copyright/MOD 2009 650m Navy warship arrives in Portsmouth 121182.bin Crown Copyright/MOD 2009 When you see how active as Russia has been you have to recognise that they do not spend all that money and do all this activity just for a laugh. But it is the money spent on the Queen Elizabeth and the Prince of Wales 6.2bn while the defence budget is being slashed across the board, which has led to fierce criticism, some of it coming from the military. For General Lord Richards, the former head of the Armed Forces the programme is having a huge distorting effect on the defence budget. Now we have the carriers we have to make them work he acknowledged, but you make them work at the expense of the rest of the Navy, the RA, and the Army. Lord Richards, who had been an opponent of the carrier programme when he was Chief of Defence Staff, rejects the notion that the two ships would project the UK back into being a major military power able to take part in far flung conflicts on, for example, the China Seas or off the Korean peninsula. For Britain, with its Army of 78,000 and its Navy of 20 frigates and destroyers, to have the conceit to think it can fight a war in the Far East is almost laughable, he said. Our practical role should be confined to Nato, Africa and the Middle East. We lost all other capability not just in the recent cuts, but in the cuts in the early 90s, at the end of the Cold War. Recommended Britain sends third warship to Asia Pacific to monitor North Korea Major General Jonathan Shaw, who was in charge of the SAS as Director of Special Forces, also points to the problem caused by cost of the carriers. Most of the tasks they would perform can be done through cheaper alternative means. The cost has imbalanced the budget . The Army made its cuts two years ago, but its still suffering because of the carriers, it has also had a damaging effect on the Navy as well, he stated. Some critics of the carriers can barely contain themselves in the vituperation of their disapproval. Max Hastings, the military historian and commentator wrote: I have compared these boats to the ancient Egyptian pyramids: they have consumed immense resources while possessing almost zero utility. At least the pyramids are amazing to look at; I doubt in years to come a single tourist will visit Portsmouth to see the QE rotting at its moorings. If I sound intemperate, it is because many people who care passionately about Britains defences have been warning for years that the carriers would prove a disaster. The criticism is refuted by the supporters of the carriers. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: HMS Queen Elizabeth is a true statement of our national power and the whole country can be proud to see this magnificent symbol of our engineering prowess and international ambition leaving port to sail onto the world stage. Her voyage to America not only shows her global reach, but strengthens our special relationship with the US Forces who have worked hand-in-hand on this iconic programme. Commodore Andrew Betton, commander of UK Carrier Strike Group also wanted to stress the iconic nature of programme. These first F-35B embarked trials in a UK aircraft carrier are not only key to future operational success but represent an iconic moment for the modern Royal Navy, he said. At the heart of our Maritime Task Group, the aircraft carrier is well protected and sustained, ready to operate around the world as a potent and exceptionally flexible instrument of our foreign policy. As the media departed the Queen Elizabeth, Captain Kyd warned: No negative stories please, otherwise well come and bomb you! There will probably be no need for that; but a ceasefire from the critics of the carrier programme remains unlikely in the near future. President of UAE has instructed formation of national emergency committee to provide assistance to people affected in Kerala. Rescue workers search for the bodies of missing persons after a landslide, triggered by heavy rains and floods, at Nenmara in Palakkad. (Photo: PTI) Kochi: United Arab Emirates has extended help to flood-hit Kerala where at least 324 people have died in the last nine days. The state is witnessing one of the worst floods in a century. The UAE is to form a committee to help flood-hit areas of Kerala. President of UAE, Sheikh Khalifa has instructed formation of a national emergency committee to provide assistance to the people affected in flood-hit Kerala. UAE and the Indian community will unite to offer relief to those affected. We have formed a committee to start immediately. We urge everyone to contribute generously towards this initiative. pic.twitter.com/7a4bHadWqa HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) August 17, 2018 Vice President of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, also said that the country has a special responsibility to help and support those affected by the heavy floods, in which over 3 lakh people have also been displaced from their homes. The UAE is home to several people from Kerala who have moved there. The people of Kerala have always been and are still part of our success story in the UAE. We have a special responsibility to help and support those affected, especially during this holy and blessed days pic.twitter.com/ZGom5A6WRy HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) August 17, 2018 "The people of Kerala have always been and are still part of our success story in the UAE," the vice president tweeted. The state of Kerala in India is currently witnessing huge floods, the most devastating in a century. Hundreds have been killed, hundreds of thousands have been displaced. Ahead of Eid Al Adha, do not forget to extend a helping hand to our brothers in India. pic.twitter.com/cHe4CWzrpO HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) August 17, 2018 Thousands have been shifted to relief camps in Kerala as nearly 100 dams, reservoirs and rivers have overflowed, roads caved in, sections of highways collapsed, and homes swept away amid warnings of worse weather to come. The Indian Army, the Air Force, the Navy and the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) personnel are working on war footing to rescue people trapped in various districts after flood waters gushed into their houses. The airport in Kochi has been shut at least till August 26 and flight operations have been shifted to state capital Thiruvananthapuram. Train and metro services across have been hit too. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has undertaken aerial survey of flood affected areas and has announced Rs 500 crore as immediate relief for the state. A latte levy on plastic coffee cups is one step closer after the government said there had been overwhelming public backing for the move. The Treasury signalled that ministers are now seriously considering the idea, which is being demanded by The Independents Cut the Cup Waste campaign, following a consultation on how to use tax to tackle the use of non-recyclable plastic. The consultation, which received an unprecedented response, could lead to action in this years budget including moves first reported by The Independent to target the use of poor quality plastics by manufacturers with a new plastic tax. Visiting a plastic pollution clean-up operation on Perranporth Beach in Cornwall, exchequer secretary to the Treasury Robert Jenrick said he was committed to reducing single-use plastic waste. He said: Tackling the scandal of plastic pollution is one of our top priorities, and we know the public is right behind us. Ive been overwhelmed by the public support, and the responses weve received will be invaluable as we develop our plans for using the tax system to combat this. Our duty to leave the environment in a better state than we found it is absolutely clear, and what weve set out today is another important step to ensuring a cleaner, greener future for Britain. Microbeads ban: Government to outlaw microplastics in cosmetic products The consultation on the possibility of tax changes to stem the rising tide of plastic waste drew 162,000 responses, the highest in the Treasurys history, expressing overwhelming support for action. The Independents Cut the Cup Waste campaign has been pushing for action from businesses and government to solve the problem of disposable coffee cup waste, with the country throwing 2.5 billion cups away every year. Although the government has considered the introduction of a latte levy a 25p tax on all takeaway coffee cups it was thought the ministers might shy away from such a measure. The consultation is also thought to be moving towards using an existing system of pricing to supercharge the costs of using non-recyclable plastics. Greenpeace senior plastic pollution campaigner Louise Edge said the latte levy on disposable coffee cups now seems inevitable, but that it should be just the tip of the iceberg. Arguing that the record-breaking response was a peoples plastic charter, she said: Public outrage over the issue of plastic pollution has been explosive over the past year or so. EU plans Europe-wide tax on plastics to plug Brexit blackhole Its hardly surprising when you see the impact of plastic on wildlife and our oceans, and when its clear that so many companies are still pumping out throwaway plastic with no regard for the damage it causes. People arent just getting angry, theyre getting active and theyre demanding action from the government. Surfers Against Sewage chief executive Hugo Tagholm said he was delighted with the level of support. He said: This is a clear indication of the public appetite for more fiscal interventions to help reduce plastic pollution littering our environment, from inner-city streets and countryside to our oceans. The consultation is part of the governments overall commitment in its 25 year environment plan to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste. The measures build on the recently announced 20m plastics innovation fund to support the production of sustainable and recyclable plastics and follows the 61.4m announced by the prime minister to be invested in tackling plastic in the worlds oceans. Hundreds of people joined a rally in Edinburghs Festival Square to demand a final referendum on the Brexit deal. Impressionist Rory Bremner and former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell were among those supporting The Peoples Vote campaign. Campaigners waved flags and held banners with slogans like Whose deal is it? Let the people choose, and We demand a peoples vote on the Brexit deal. One of the speakers, former BBC journalist Gavin Esler, told the crowd: Like most people in this country, whatever we thought of the vote, I accepted it at first thats how democracy works. But Ive changed my mind completely over the last two years of lies and incompetence. The rally came as the Peoples Vote campaign joined forced with The Independents Final Say campaign for a mass march through central London on 20 October. More than 660,000 people have signed The Independents petition so far. Earlier this week a poll found that 48 per cent of the public would now back a vote on any deal struck between the UK and the EU up from 44 per cent just four weeks ago. Just 24 per cent opposed the idea, down three points over the same period. Only 14 per cent of the 1,500 people surveyed supported Ms Mays chequers deal given a choice. An estimated 1,000 people turned out for the rally in Festival Square (PA) Among those supporting the Peoples Vote campaign in Edinburgh was Mary Ross-Davie, director of the Royal College of Midwives in Scotland. Were already 3,500 midwives short across the UK and if we lose our hard-working, fantastic midwife colleagues from the EU, it will be a disaster, she said. Ms Ross-Davie argued that the decision on the final Brexit deal must not rest with a few hundred politicians in Westminster. It has to be a decision taken by the tens of millions of us, right across Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland, whose lives will be changed forever by it, she said. It is far too big a decision to be left to the politicians alone. We, the people, must decide in a peoples vote on the final Brexit deal. Vanessa Glynn, chair of the European Movement in Scotland, told the crowd: There is no good Brexit. There is rightly wide-spread pessimism about the impact of Brexit on Scottish jobs, businesses, farmers and public services. A mass march through central London is planned for 20 October (PA) Scots believe that Brexit will make our nations economy weaker, Scotlands NHS worse and our own families significantly poorer ... Lets stop talking about Brexit and start talking about what we want for our future. Mr Esler added: The Brexit bunch are the most incompetent bunch of politicians in my lifetime and Brexit is in deep trouble, not because of those of us who thought it was a bad idea, but because those who told us it was a good idea are so incompetent, they dont know what it is. We can argue against lies and cheating, we can argue for real democracy, we can argue for a truly fair and free and informed vote. People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Show all 30 1 /30 People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Rex People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal A young protestor shouts as she takes part in the People's Vote demonstration against Brexit Getty Images People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Reuters People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal A protester's pro-EU t-shirt EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Gina Miller and Caroline Lucas EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Tens of thousands of people march through London EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Demonstrators at the People's Vote March Getty People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal 'Two months too young to decide on my future' REUTERS People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal A young girl joins in the march PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal An EU flag is draped across the statue of Winston Chruchill in Parliament Square REUTERS People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Vince Cable MP, Pro-EU campaigner Gina Miller, Tony Robinson and Caroline Lucas MP join with crowds PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Crowds gather on Pall Mall PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal A man resembling Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, joins EU supporters Reuters People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Reuters People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal People gather in Trafalgar Square REUTERS People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Pro-EU campaigner Gina Miller and Tony Robinson PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EU supporters, calling on the government to give Britons a vote on the final Brexit deal, participate in the 'People's Vote' march REUTERS We can continue to expose the hypocrisy of the Brexit bunch, we can argue for a peoples vote. Organisers said around 1,000 people attended the event on Saturday. Additional reporting by Press Association Eighty-four groups representing migrants and ethnic minorities have waded into the Labour antisemitism row by opposing adoption of the internationally-recognised definition. Organisations including The Society of Black Lawyers and the Muslim Association of Britain claim that guidelines set out by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) would "silence" public discussion. In a letter to The Independent they argue information about the plight of the Palestinians since the creation of Israel 1948 is already being suppressed. "Public discussion of these facts, and a description of these injustices, would be prohibited under the IHRAs guidelines, and therefore withholds vital knowledge from the public," the letter reads. "This silencing has already begun. Today we can freely describe the racist policies experienced in the era of British and European colonialism ... but the colonial history of the Palestinians is continually erased. "This is a dangerous breach of our own rights, and of the wider British public: we must all hear the full story of the Palestinians in order to make sense of the current discussions about racism and Israel." Signatories to the letter include several Palestinian, Muslim and Arab groups such as Arab Labour, the Association of the Palestinian Community in the UK, and Muslim Worker's Association. The others range from Black Lives Matter UK and Justice for Grenfell to Pakistani Community Centre Oldham and Lesbians and Gays Support the Migrants. The letter, which does not mention Jeremy Corbyn or the Labour Party, comes as the Labour leader faces increasing pressure to drop his opposition to adopting the full IHRA definition of antisemitism. Although Labour has agreed to use the definition in its new code of conduct, it has only adopted seven of the IHRAs 11 examples of antisemitic behaviour. That decision was widely criticised by Jewish groups and the partys own MPs, reigniting the row over antisemitism. Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson, Momentum founder Jon Lansman and union leaders Tim Roche and Len McCluskey have all joined calls for Labour to adopt the full version. The letter goes on to raise concerns that far right groups are trying "to deny Palestinians basic humanity by suppressing their entire history and current plight". The Jeremy Corbyn wreath-laying story Show all 3 1 /3 The Jeremy Corbyn wreath-laying story The Jeremy Corbyn wreath-laying story Atef Bseiso Facebook tribute The tribute to Atef Bseiso on Fatah's official Facebook page The Jeremy Corbyn wreath-laying story Corbyn wreath laying Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn attends the ceremony at the cemetery in Tunisia in 2014 where Atef Bseiso is buried Ambassade de Palestine en Tunisie/Facebook The Jeremy Corbyn wreath-laying story Benjamin Netanyahu Israeli prime minister Benjamin Israel has attacked Mr Corbyn over his attendance at the event Reuters "At the same time, hard-line conservative groups in the US, such as the Middle East Forum, are providing funding and support to anti-Muslim extremist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson), deliberately increasing hatred, fear, and confusion," it adds. "These coordinated efforts by right-wing extremists are being actively encouraged by President Trumps racism and fear-mongering, which is now aimed at dismantling UNRWA, the UN agency that protects Palestinian refugees." The letter also refers to the Grenfell Tower fire and the Windrush scandal as examples of the "legacies of British colonialism, where racism forms an integral part of British policies, and renders our communities invisible". It concludes: "We urgently remind politicians and public bodies of their responsibilities to uphold the principles of the Human Rights Act for every British citizen and resident in the UK equally, especially the direct victims of colonialism, racism, and discrimination. "As migrant and BAME communities we stand as one, united against all attempts to suppress our voices and our calls for justice, freedom and equality." Nigel Farage has announced he will once again begin actively campaigning in British politics against Theresa Mays fraudulent plans for Brexit. The ex-Ukip leader said it was necessary as a result of the deceit and treachery of politicians and senior figures in British society in their approach to European Union withdrawal. In particular he singled out an exclusive report in The Independent with warnings from the British Medical Association that a no-deal Brexit would be a catastrophe for the NHS. His re-entry into politics comes as The Independent drives forward with its Final Say campaign for a new referendum on the outcome of Brexit with more than 650,000 people now having signed a petition. Pressure is intensifying on the government ahead of Brexit day in March next year, with Theresa Mays own MPs even drawing up alternative proposals to the prime ministers plan, which is receiving meagre public support. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Mr Farage claimed people had stopped him in the street to ask when he was returning, adding in his article: Well, now you have your answer. Im back. He said: It is now beyond doubt that the political class in Westminster and many of their media allies do not accept the EU referendum result. Nigel Farage thinks there should be a second referendum It is equally clear to me that, unless challenged, these anti-democrats will succeed in frustrating the result. Well, Ive had enough of their lies, deceit and treachery. The time has come to teach them a lesson one that they will never forget. He said he had decided to commit himself to the Leave Means Leave campaign, which is set for a relaunch, following discussions with its founders, businessmen Richard Tice and John Longworth. In his piece, Mr Farage wrote: To make matters worse we are subject to a daily stream of negative to beat us into submission. The latest example was the British Medical Association suggesting that a no-deal Brexit would lead to huge numbers of people dying. This baseless claim proves project fear is thriving. We need leadership. What does a no-deal Brexit mean? Mr Farage was referring to an article in The Independent in which the BMA said a failure to secure a deal could increase the risk of a Europe-wide pandemic. The doctors union warned in a new briefing paper that the UKs ability to coordinate responses to emerging threats, such as the current outbreak of measles or seasonal flu, will be seriously undermined, making it harder to stop infections spreading across borders. With the UK government admitting it is stockpiling medicines in the event of a no-deal scenario, the BMA said it is proof that the devastating impact of Brexit on the nations health has been neglected. Mr Farages return is another potential headache for Ms May who is already facing bitter opposition to her Chequers proposals from a significant section of the Conservative Party. Brexit so far: in pictures Show all 53 1 /53 Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit campaign Boris Johnson led the VoteLeave campaign PA Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit campaign Boris Johnson MP, Labour MP Gisela Stuart and UKIP MP Douglas Carswell address the people of Stafford in Market Square during the Vote Leave Brexit Battle Bus tour on 17 May 2016. Their lead line on the tour was: We send the EU 350 million a week, let's fund our NHS instead. Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Voting day A man shelters from the rain as he arrives at a polling station in London on 23 June 2016. Millions of Britons voted in the referendum on whether to stay in or leave the European Union AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Referendum results Leader of Ukip, Nigel Farage, reacts at the Leave EU referendum party at Millbank Tower in central London as results indicated that it was likely the UK would leave the European Union AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Protesting the result A young couple painted as EU flags and a man with a sign reading Im not leaving protest outside Downing Street against the voters decision to leave the EU on 24 June 2016 Getty Brexit so far: in pictures David Cameron resigns British Prime Minister David Cameron resigns on the steps of 10 Downing Street on 24 June 2016 after the results of the EU referendum were declared and the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Theresa May Becomes the new Conservative Party leader Theresa May receives a kiss from her husband Philip, after becoming the new Conservative Party leader on 11 July 2016. May became Prime Minister two days later and although she voted to remain in the referendum was keen to lead Britains Brexit talks after her only rival in the race to succeed David Cameron pulled out unexpectedly. May was left as the only contender standing after the withdrawal from the leadership race of Andrea Leadsom, who faced criticism for suggesting she was more qualified to be prime minister because she had children AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Lancaster House keynote speech on Brexit British Prime Minister Theresa May delivers her keynote speech on Brexit at Lancaster House in London on 17 January 2017. Where she spoke about her offer to introduce a transition period after the UK formally leaves the European Union in March 2019. Despite repeating the pro-Brexit mantra of no deal is better than a bad deal, the Prime Minister claimed she wanted a tone of trust between the negotiators and said Britain was leaving the EU but not Europe. She said there should be a clear double lock needed for the transitional period to make sure businesses had time to prepare for changes to their trading relationships with the EU Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Triggering of Article 50 British Prime Minister Theresa May in the cabinet, sitting below a painting of Britain's first Prime Minister Robert Walpole, signs the official letter to European Council President Donald Tusk invoking Article 50 and the United Kingdom's intention to leave the EU on 29 March 2017 Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Gibraltar nonsense Tensions have risen over Brexit negotiations for the Rock of Gibraltar. The European Council has said Gibraltar would be included in a trade deal between London and Brussels only with the agreement of Spain. While former Conservative leader Michael Howard claimed that Theresa May would be prepared to go to war to protect the territory. Spain's foreign minister stepped in only to assert that there was no need for the dispute Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Shock snap election Soon after triggering Article 50, Theresa May called on 18 April 2017 for a snap general election. The election would be on 8 June and it came as a shock move to many, with her reasoning to try to bolster her position before tough talks on leaving the EU AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Dissolution of Parliament for General Election Campaign Prime Minister Theresa May makes a statement in Downing Street after returning from Buckingham Palace on 3 May 2017. The Prime Minister visited the Queen to ask for the dissolution of Parliament signalling the official start to the general election campaign Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Conservatives lose parliamentary majority An arrangement of British daily newspapers showing front page stories about the exit poll results of the snap general election. British Prime Minister Theresa May faced pressure to resign on 9 June 2017 after losing her parliamentary majority, plunging the country into uncertainty as Brexit talks loomed. The pound fell sharply amid fears the Conservative leader would be unable to form a government AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Labour gains Britains opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn gives a tumbs up as he arrives at Labour headquarters in central London on 9 June 2017 after the snap general election results showed a hung parliament with Labour gains and the Conservatives losing their majority AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit negotiations begin Brexit Minister David Davis and European Commission member in charge of Brexit negotiations Michel Barnier address a press conference at the end of the first day of Brexit negotiations in Brussels on 19 June 2017 AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures May speaks in Florence British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks on 22 September 2017, in Florence. May sought to unlock Brexit talks after Brussels demanded more clarity on the crunch issues of budget payments and EU citizens' rights AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures EU council summit insufficient progress German Chancellor Angela Merkel joins other EU leaders for a breakfast meeting during an EU summit in Brussels on 20 October 2017. The EU spoke about Brexit and announced that insufficient progress had been made AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures DUP derails settlement on the withdrawal part of Brexit DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds walks off after speaking to members of the media as a protester holding flags shouts after him outside the Houses of Parliament on 5 December 2017. British Prime Minister Theresa May was forced to pull out of a deal with Brussels after the DUP said it would not accept terms which see Northern Ireland treated differently from the rest of the UK Getty Brexit so far: in pictures May suffers defeat over EU (Withdrawal) Bill Theresa May suffers defeat in parliament over EU (Withdrawal) Bill on 13 December 2017. The Government was defeated by Conservative rebels and Labour MPs in a vote on its key piece of Brexit legislation. MPs amended the EU (Withdrawal) Bill against Theresa May's will, guaranteeing Parliament a meaningful vote on any Brexit deal she agrees with Brussels. Ms May's whips applied pressure on Conservative rebels who remained defiant in the Commons throughout the day and in the end the Government was defeated by 309 votes to 305 Brexit so far: in pictures EU council summit sufficient progress Britain's Prime minister Theresa May arrives to attend the first day of a European union summit in Brussels on 14 December 2017. European leaders discussed Brexit and announced there was finally sufficient progress at the end of the two days AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures The game moves to transition Brexit Secretary David Davis gives evidence on developments in European Union divorce talks to the Commons Exiting the EU Committee in Portcullis House, London, on 24 January 2018 PA Brexit so far: in pictures Trade deal is what May wants French President Emmanuel Macron gestures to Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May after they hold a press conference at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, on 18 January 2018. May and Macron agreed a new border security deal, through which the UK will pay more to France to stop migrants trying to reach British shores on 18 January 2018 AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Transition period agreed The UK and EU agree terms for Brexit transition period on 19 March, 2018 Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures No agreement on Irish border The EU and UK however failed to reach an agreement on the Irish border during the successful talks on other Brexit issues AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures EU attacks Mays fantasy strategy For months after the March deal is struck there is little significant progress in talks. One senior EU official tears into Britains fantasy negotiating strategy and accuses Theresa May of not even having a position on a variety of important issue Getty Brexit so far: in pictures UK releases Ireland plan Britain releases a new customs plan to solve the Northern Ireland border but Michel Barnier says it leaves unanswered questions and would not prevent a hard border EbS Brexit so far: in pictures Chequers plan agreed The cabinet agrees on a plan known as the "Chequers deal" on July 6 2018. The plan seeks regulatory alignment on goods and food, divergence on services, freedom from the European Courts of Justice and an end to free movement. Many were surprised that the hard Brexiteers of the cabinet would agree to this plan PA Brexit so far: in pictures Chequers plan sparks resignations Brexit Secretary David Davis and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and numerous ministers resign in the days following the Chequers agreement Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures Davis out, Raab in On 9 July, Dominic Raab replaces David Davis as Brexit Secretary. Raab is a keen Brexiteer and was a housing minister before taking over from Davis Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures Barnier's "deal like no other" EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier claims on August 29 2018 that they are prepared to offer Britain a trade deal like no other, though he stressed that they will not divide or change the single market to accommodate Britain AP Brexit so far: in pictures "My deal or no deal" In an interview on Panorama on September 17, the Prime Minister insists that any Brexit deal will be offered to the EU on her terms. She asserts this amongst continued attacks on her approach to Brexit by Boris Johnson and the European Research Group, headed by Jacob Rees Mogg BBC/Jeff Overs Brexit so far: in pictures EU leaders reject Chequers Quite the blow was dealt to the Prime Minister at a EU leaders summit in Salzburg on September 20. European Council President Donald Tusk stated that the Chequers deal "will not work" Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures May demands respect Following the rejection of her Chequers plan the day before, the Prime Minister voiced her anger that the EU had dismissed it without offering an alternative. She stated that throughout this process, I have treated the EU with nothing but respect. The UK expects the same. A good relationship at the end of this process depends on it." Getty Brexit so far: in pictures People's Vote march As the People's Vote campaign and The Independent's Final Say campaign gain traction, 700,000 people turn out in London to demand a final say on the UK's Brexit deal on October 20 2018 PA Brexit so far: in pictures More resignations As the Prime Minister settles on a Brexit deal, Brexit secretary Dominic Raab resigns along with Work and Pensions secretary Esther McVey and many other ministers Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Final Say petitions delivered to Downing Street People's Vote supporting MPs Chukka Umunna, Justine Greening and Caroline Lucas and The Independent editor Christian Broughton deliver over a million signatures in favour of a People's Vote to the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street on December 3 2018 PA Brexit so far: in pictures May delays vote On December 10, the Prime Minister delayed the vote on her Brexit deal as it was near certain not to pass through the Commons due to Tory rebels and lack of DUP support AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures No confidence motion Tory MPs triggered a confidence vote in the Prime Minister on December 12. She won by 200 votes to 117 Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures Commons rejects the deal Following the delay, the Prime Minister's deal was rejected in the Commons by a historic 230 votes AFP Brexit so far: in pictures Corbyn tables a no confidence motion Following the rejection of the Prime Minister's deal, opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn tabled a motion of no confidence in the government, which the government won by a margin of 19 AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Plan B The Prime Minister won the support of the commons to return to Brussels to renegotiate the backstop on January 29. In the same sitting, MPs also voted against a no-deal Brexit in a non-legally binding motion PA Brexit so far: in pictures EU council president savages Brexit campaigners who failed to plan for departure: Special place in hell There is a special place in hell for pro-Brexit campaigners who demanded Britain leave the EU without explaining how it should happen, Donald Tusk has said. The European Council president launched the scathing attack as he accused anti-EU campaigners of pushing for Brexit without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely. Mr Tusk also dismissed suggestions that the EU could reopen negotiations over the controversial Northern Ireland backstop, dealing a blow to Theresa Mays hopes of securing fresh concessions as she tries to get her exit deal through parliament. Speaking in Brussels alongside Irish taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Mr Tusk said: Ive been wondering what a special place in hell looks like for people who promoted Brexit without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely. He also tweeted the accusation moments later Getty Brexit so far: in pictures EU and UK announce talks to restart after Theresa May visits Brussels Both have agreed to restart Brexit talks to find a way through the deadlock in Westminster, following a visit by Theresa May to Brussels. In a joint statement the British government and European Commission said Ms May had had a robust but constructive meeting with president Jean-Claude Juncker, and that the pair would meet again before the end of the month. But the EU again refused to reopen the withdrawal agreement and its controversial backstop with any negotiations expected to focus on the future relationship between the UK and EU instead Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit strategy lost MPs voted down May's Brext plans, with a majority of 45. The prime minister did not appear in parliament to see another defeat PA Brexit so far: in pictures Labour and Conservative MPs resign and create the Independent Group Back row of Chris Leslie, Gavin Shuker, Chuka Umunna and Mike Gapes, middle row of Angela Smith, Luciana Berger and Ann Coffey and front row of Sarah Wollaston, Heidi Allen, Anna Soubry and Joan Ryan PA Brexit so far: in pictures Non-biding votes on amendments to Brexit motion On February 27 he house held a series of votes, unanimously calling for the UK and EU to guarantee citizens rights in a no-deal scenario AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Attorney General publishes legal advice A hammer blow for May as Geoffrey Cox said her renegotiated deal can still leave UK in backstop against its will. Mr Cox did say the prime ministers efforts had reduced the risk of the UK being trapped in the backstop indefinitely. MPs went on to vote against her deal by 391 to 242 UK Parliament/PA Brexit so far: in pictures No-deal off the table MPs rejected a no-deal Brexit by 43 votes on March 13, with cabinet ministers rebelling in another humiliating defeat for Theresa May. A day later they voted in favour of the prime minister seeking an extension to Article 50 AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures House speaker bans May from third Commons vote on same Brexit deal John Bercow sensationally told Theresa May he would stop her making another attempt to pass her Brexit deal unless she has secured changes. The Speaker said a further meaningful vote would be ruled out of order if the motion was the same or substantially the same under an ancient convention to stop the government bullying parliament on issues MPs have rejected Parliament Live Brexit so far: in pictures May writes to Tusk The prime minister wrote to Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, to ask for a three-month extension to give her more time to try to get her deal through parliament. However the European Commission advises the EU27 should offer a short extension to May 23 or a longer one meaning the UK would participate in European elections 10 Downing Street/AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures European Council summit Theresa Mays request to extend triggering Article 50 until the end of June was rejected by the EU, and instead offered a shorter time frame. She accepted the offer of a delay until May 22 if her withdrawal deal is approved by Parliament. If MPs rejected it for a third time, the EU said Britain must propose a new plan by April 12. Ms May said she will not support a long delay because it would mean Britain participating in elections for the European Parliament Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Brussels confirms preparations for a no-deal Brexit are completed They warned that it is increasingly likely the UK will crash out. In a statement the European Commission (EC) said preparedness and contingency work, which the EC has been conducting since December 2017, was now finished. The announcement came days after EU leaders agreed to a request by Theresa May to extend the UKs Brexit date AFP Brexit so far: in pictures May resigns Reuters In his article, Mr Farage said Ms Mays plan would do nothing to enable the UK to take back control of its borders and fishing rights and to strike free trade deals around the world for many years to come. He said: Theresa the Appeaser has produced a set of ideas that are nothing more than a cowardly sellout. With all this in mind, now is the time for action, he said. The Brexit-backing European Research Group of Tory MPs, led by Jacob Rees-Mogg, is already preparing an alternative set of plans highlighting benefits of a no-deal Brexit from the prime ministers. They are due to be published next month. Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson also appears to be positioning himself as an alternative leader to Ms May, with this years Conservative conference set to be a flash point for her leadership. In a significant development in the drive for a new referendum, The Independent and the Peoples Vote campaigns are joining forces for a mass march through central London on 20 October. The alliance will see the two organisations mobilise activists and media across the country to capture the growing tide of opinion that a further referendum on Brexit must be held. An exclusive poll carried out by BMG Research this week found that 48 per cent of the public would now back a vote on any deal struck between the UK and the EU up from 44 per cent just four weeks ago. Just 24 per cent opposed the idea, down three percentage points over the same period. Only 14 per cent of the 1,500 people surveyed supported Ms Mays Chequers deal, given a choice. British doctors have hit back at Nigel Farages claims that they are scaremongering, arguing they have a duty to be honest with the people about the real dangers of a no-deal Brexit. The British Medical association (BMA) also repeated its warning that the consequences of leaving the European Union without a deal would be potentially catastrophic for the NHS, after Mr Farage attacked them in a newspaper article. He announced on Saturday that he will once again begin actively campaigning in British politics against Theresa Mays fraudulent plans for Brexit, due to the deceit and treachery of politicians and senior figures in British society. In particular he singled out an exclusive report in The Independent about warnings from the BMA that a no-deal Brexit would be a catastrophe for the NHS, and dismissed it as project fear. But responding today, Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA council chair, told The Independent: The consequences of a no-deal Brexit are potentially catastrophic for patients, for the medical workforce and for the nations health. It is not scaremongering for us, Britains doctors, to be honest in warning about the real dangers based on evidence that crashing out of the EU could have on health services. We owe it to patients and the British public who have a right to be presented with the facts before having a final say on Brexit. Nigel Farage fears Brexit betrayal after talks Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Mr Farage said the Brexit debate was deteriorating because of a daily stream of negative news stories about the UKs withdrawal from the EU. He went on: The latest example was the British Medical Association suggesting that a no-deal Brexit would lead to huge numbers of people dying. This baseless claim proves project fear is thriving. We need leadership. He also claimed people had stopped him in the street to ask when he was returning to politics, adding in his article: Well, now you have your answer. Im back. The former Ukip leader said: It is now beyond doubt that the political class in Westminster and many of their media allies do not accept the EU referendum result. It is equally clear to me that, unless challenged, these anti-democrats will succeed in frustrating the result [of the 2016 referendum]. Jacob Rees-Mogg suggests a second Brexit referendum would be acceptable in clip from 2011 Well, Ive had enough of their lies, deceit and treachery. The time has come to teach them a lesson one that they will never forget. Branding Ms Mays plans as fraudulent, he said he had decided to commit himself to the Leave Means Leave campaign, which is set for a relaunch, following discussions with its founders, businessmen Richard Tice and John Longworth. His intervention comes as The Independent drives forward with its Final Say campaign for a new referendum on the outcome of Brexit with more than 650,000 people now having signed the petition. In a significant development in the drive for a new referendum, The Independent and the Peoples Vote campaign are joining forces for a mass march through central London on 20 October. The alliance will see the two organisations mobilise activists and media across the country to demonstrate the growing tide of opinion that a further referendum on Brexit must be held. An exclusive poll carried out by BMG Research last week found that 48 per cent of the public would now back a vote on any deal struck between the UK and the EU up from 44 per cent just four weeks ago. Just 24 per cent opposed the idea, down three percentage points over the same period. A pregnant woman in California said she had to drive herself to hospital to give birth because immigration authorities had taken her husband on the way there. Maria del Carmen Venegas said her husband Joel Arrona Lara was driving her to the delivery room in San Bernardino, California, a city east of Los Angeles. The couple had stopped at a petrol station when surveillance footage showed two vehicles with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents question the couple about identification documents. Recommended Inside grassroots efforts to help families separated at US border Ms Venegas handed hers over but her husband had left his ID card at home while rushing to get her to hospital for a scheduled cesarean section. She later gave birth to the couples fifth child, a son. She said her husband had offered to go to the couples home, which was close to the gas station, to retrieve his identification card. However, ICE agents did not allow that to happen. The video showed agents asked Mr Arrona to step out of the vehicle, searched the van for weapons, and then handcuffed Mr Arrona before taking him away and leaving a bereft Ms Venegas alone in the gas station. Ms Venegas told the local CBS News station: "My husband needs to be here. He had to wait for his son for so long, and someone just took him away." George W. Bush 'disturbed' by current US immigration debate Mr Arrona is originally from Mexico and has been in the US for 12 years without legal authorisation, Ms Venegas confirmed. She noted he has never been in trouble with the police before and is the sole provider for the family. ICE confirmed in a statement Fugitive Operations agents had detained Mr Arrona on 15 August and said he would remain in custody pending deportation proceedings. Loading.... The agency said it "will no longer exempt classes or categories of removable aliens from potential enforcement." "All of those in violation of the immigration laws may be subject to immigration arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the US," the statement said. Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Show all 14 1 /14 Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Immigrant children, many of whom are separated form their parents, are housed in Texas' tent city Reuters Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border A two-year-old Honduran asylum seeker cries as her mother is searched and detained near the US-Mexico border Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Undocumented migrants ride on the top of a freight train referred to as the beast, or La Bestia Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border A cage inside a US Customs and Border Protection detention facility in Texas Reuters Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US Border Patrol Academy All new agents must complete a months-long training course at the New Mexico facility before assuming their posts at Border Patrol stations, mostly along the US-Mexico border Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US-Mexico border fence A group of young men walk along the Mexican side of the US-Mexico border fence in a remote area of the Sonoran Desert Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US-Mexico border fence in the US Man looks through US-Mexico border fence into the US in Tijuana, Mexico Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US-Mexico border fence US Border Patrol agent Sal De Leon stands near a section of the US-Mexico border fence while stopping on patrol on in La Joya, Texas Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US Border Patrol Academy US Border Patrol instructor yells at trainees after their initial arrival to the academy Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Memorial service in Guatemala Families attend a memorial service for two boys who were kidnapped and killed in San Juan Sacatepequez, Guatemala. Crime drives emigration from Guatemala to the United States, as families seek refuge from the danger Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Arrests on the border Undocumented immigrants comfort each other after being caught by Border Patrol agents near the US-Mexico border Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Detention holding facility A boy from Honduras watches a movie at a detention facility run by the US Border Patrol Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Mexican farm workers Mexican migrant workers harvest organic parsley at Grant Family Farms in Wellington, Colorado Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Mexican family in Arizona A Mexican immigrant family sits in the living room of their rented home in Tuscon, Arizona. The family that Arizona's new tough immigrant law had created a climate of fear in the immigrant community. Getty The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment on why they had chosen the couples vehicle at the gas station to ask for identification nor why they had not allowed Mr Arrona to go to their home nearby to retrieve his ID card. Ms Venegas told the news station she had not even been able to tell her husband about their newborn son as yet. It is unclear why ICE was not allowing her to communicate with him. "The last thing he knew was that I was here in the hospital. I'm sure he's worried, she said. ICE has come under harsh criticism after its role in separating more than 2,000 children from their families at the US-Mexico border and placing them in detention facilities, often causing psychological trauma to them according to medical experts. Several politicians and candidates running for office this year have called for the abolishment of the agency, which had been established in the wake of the September 11th attacks as fears of national security abounded. Lawyers for the families of two Sandy Hook shooting victims are accusing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and his Infowars media business of intentionally destroying evidence relevant to the defamation cases against him, according to a motion filed on Friday in a Texas court. Mr Jones is being sued by the families of nine Sandy Hook victims for spreading false claims that the 2012 shooting at the elementary school that killed 20 first-graders and six adults was a government-backed hoax, and that the families of the dead were actors. Mr Jones said on his broadcast last week that he had told his staff to delete material after CNN cited Infowars content that violated Twitters policies, according to the motion filed Friday. Recommended Alex Jones faces defamation case over false Sandy Hook conspiracy Mr Jones has been protesting an unprecedented effort this month by Apple, Facebook, YouTube and other services to remove Infowars content from their platforms. At least some of the deleted content was considered evidence in the Sandy Hook cases, and Mr Jones had been informed in writing in April that he was obligated by law to preserve all relevant material, according to the court filing in District Court in Travis County in Austin, Texas. As pressure mounted from pending defamation lawsuits and growing public indignation, Mr Jones chose to destroy evidence of his actual malice and defamatory conduct, the motion filed on Friday said. Sandy Hook elementary school shooting 2012 Show all 5 1 /5 Sandy Hook elementary school shooting 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school shooting 2012 con0.ap.jpg AP Sandy Hook elementary school shooting 2012 Connecticut.jpg AP Sandy Hook elementary school shooting 2012 con1.reut.jpg REUTERS Sandy Hook elementary school shooting 2012 con2.reut.jpg REUTERS Sandy Hook elementary school shooting 2012 obama.reut.jpg REUTERS The suit said that it was not known how much content had been deleted, but that it included written social media materials and videos. The motion was filed on behalf of Neil Heslin, father of Jesse Lewis, a 6-year-old killed at Sandy Hook. Over the five years since the shooting, families of the Sandy Hook victims have been stalked, threatened and subjected to online abuse by Jones followers, after he spread false claims about the mass shooting, calling it synthetic, completely fake with actors, in my view, manufactured, according to documents. Fridays motion is the latest legal salvo in three separate defamation lawsuits filed by Sandy Hook families, which seek tens of millions of dollars in damages and pose an existential threat to Mr Jones business. Should the court find that Mr Jones and Infowars willfully destroyed evidence, he, and possibly his lawyer, could be assessed fines and be subject to punitive action. Most importantly, the material that was destroyed could be presumed by the court as supporting Mr Heslins claims against Mr Jones, bolstering his case. The New York TImes Special prosecutor Robert Mueller has recommended a former foreign policy aide to Donald Trump's 2016 campaign be jailed for up to six months for lying to the FBI. George Papadopoulos had pleaded guilty to the charge in 2017 as part of a plea deal in one of the first indictments handed down by the FBI and Mr Mueller's team as part of the investigation into alleged collusion between the campaign team and Russian officials. Prosecutors said in court filings the former aide severely hindered the early days of the investigation because he lied "at least a dozen" times in a January 2017 interview with the FBI about his contacts with a professor called Joseph Mifsud. Recommended Jury finishes second day of deliberations as Mueller with no verdict It was at that point "key decisions" were being made by the FBI regarding who to interview, when, and what to ask. They also said in the filing he lied "to minimise both his own role as a witness and the extent of the campaign's knowledge of his contacts". As a result, the prosecutors claimed because of Mr Papadopoulos's deliberate deception, the FBI was "substantially hindered [the FBI's] ability to effectively question" Mr Mifsud, who had been in contact with the campaign aide regarding emails which contained "dirt" on then-opponent Hillary Clinton. The filing by the special counsel's office strongly suggests the FBI had "located" Mr Mifsud while he was in the US during the early part of the investigation, approximately two weeks after Mr Papadopoulos's interview. Related video: Donald Trump refuses to say if he'll pardon Paul Manafort The filing stated "the defendant's lies undermined investigators' ability to challenge the Professor or potentially detain or arrest him while he was still in the US," but did not reveal details about the interview which was conducted. Mr Mifsud left the country in February 2017 and has not returned since. Had Mr Papadopoulos "told the FBI the truth when he was interviewed in January 2017, the FBI could have quickly taken numerous investigative steps to help determine, for example, how and where the professor obtained the information, why the professor provided the information to the defendant, and what the defendant did with the information after receiving it," according to the court filing. Mr Mueller's team also stated the former campaign aide did not provide "substantial assistance" after his arrest in July 2017 and recommended he also pay a fine of $9,500 (7,447). Mr Papadopoulos had said his interactions with Mr Mifsud were "a very strange coincidence" and not related to his campaign work. However, prosecutors indicated in the court document Mr Papadopoulos and Mr Mifsud began communicating in March 2016, claiming Mr Mifsud "showed interest in the defendant only after learning of his role on the campaign" as an aide. According to the timeline of events outlined in the court filing, Mr Papadopoulos learned about the "dirt" the Russians had on Ms Clinton the following month, after he began working for the campaign. On the same day as his January 2017 interview with the FBI in Chicago, Mr Papadopoulos applied for a deputy assistant secretary position in Trump's Department of Energy, according to the filing. It took four interviews with the FBI for Mr Papadopoulos to confirm the existence of a foreign mobile he had used, which logged conversations with Mr Mifsud. His lawyers have until 31 August to file their own pre-sentencing memorandum. The former aide is scheduled to be sentenced in the US District Court for the District of Columbia on 7 September. Rescue workers are risking their lives to save some of the thousands of animals left behind as relentless monsoon floods continue to ravage southern India. A team of six specialists are battling treacherous conditions in Kerala state in a bid to bring abandoned pets to safety. Already they say they have saved two puppies left tied up as waters rose, and transported 25 dogs and their owner to safety after she refused to leave home without her pets. Officials said the flooding is the worst Kerala has experienced for more than a century, with more than 320 people dead and the toll expected to rise. More than 300,000 people have been left either temporarily or permanently homeless with rising waters caused by monsoon rains busting river dams sweeping away buildings and damaging more than 10km of roads. One of the state's major airports, in the city of Kochi, has been closed. Thousands of people remain stranded in the worst hit areas of Nilambur and Tirur, with many awaiting rescue from rooftops and trees. On Saturday the Indian Army said one regimental column rescued 256 people including three pregnant women from the Chalakudy area. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised more than 55m in aid during a meeting with state officials and said 38 helicopters had been deployed for search and rescue operations in the state. "We all pray for the safety and well-being of the people of Kerala," he said in a tweet. The animal rescue team has been formed by the Indian branch of the charity Humane Society International, which operates such rescues and veterinary care in disaster zones around the world. It moved into Kerala as it emerged thousands of animals were drowning in the disaster. Sally Varma, the charitys education officer, said: Kerala is at a standstill right now with many areas experiencing total devastation. Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Show all 40 1 /40 Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India A man removes debris from a collapsed house after floods in Paravur Reuters Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India An ariel shot of Kerala from Thiruvanpuram Getty Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Murgan and his family clean up their house in Mundancavu village at Chegannur upon returning home after the flood waters receded Getty Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India People assess damage caused by floods on the outskirts of Kochi AP Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Men paddle their boat through the lawns of a partially submerged church at Kuttanad in Alleppey district Reuters Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Sandhya Biji and her son in front of their damaged house on the banks of Pamba river Getty Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Border Security Force distribute food food and water to the residents who are stuck in their houses as well who have not vacated houses because of the flood water in interior places at Allapy Getty Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India A damaged house on the banks of Pamba river Getty Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Murgan cleaning up his house Getty Images Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India An aerial view shows partially submerged houses at a flooded area in the southern state of Kerala Reuters Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Murgan and his family clean up their house Getty Images Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India People are airlifted by the Indian Navy soldiers during a rescue operation Reuters Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India People wait for aid on the roof of their house Reuters Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Indian volunteers and rescue personal evacuate local residents AFP/Getty Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Indian people use a boat to rescue an elderly man in the flooded water in Kochi EPA Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India An aerial view shows partially submerged houses at a flooded area in the southern state of Kerala Reuters Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India An Indian woman watches residents walking through flood streets next to their marooned houses AFP/Getty Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Indian army personal evacuate local residents AFP/Getty Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Indian commuters wade through flooded streets AFP/Getty Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India People move past a flooded road in Thrissur AP Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Water gushes out following heavy rain and landslide in Kozhikode AP Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Fire and Rescue personnel evacuate local residents in an inflatable boat from a flooded area at Muppathadam near Eloor AFP/Getty Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Indian residents look at the Shiva Temple submerged AFP/Getty Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Roads and houses engulfed in water following heavy rain and landslide in Kozhikode. AP Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India People look at vehicles stuck in the mud AFP/Getty Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India A young man wades through a flooded street in Kochi EPA Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Rescue operations being conducted at the landslide location at Kuttampuzha AFP/Getty Images Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India An elderly woman is rescued in a cooking utensil AP Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Local residents look at a partially destroyed house after heavy monsoon rains led to a landslide in Kannappankund AFP/Getty Images Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India An Indian woman sits inside her house immersed in flood waters in Ernakulam district of Kochi AFP/Getty Images Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Indian fire and rescue personnel evacuate local resident AFP/Getty Images Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India A woman stands at the door of her flooded home in Kochi EPA Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India India residents stand on the shore as Periyar river flooded AFP/Getty Images Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India An Indian man carries a basket of bananas next to houses immersed in flood waters AFP/Getty Images Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Laborers hailing from northern states wade through flood waters as they shift to higher ground AP Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan (L) along with opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala (2L) visit relief camp in Chengamanadu Government Higher Secondary School AFP/Getty Images Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Athirampally Falls EPA Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India EPA Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Indian residents look at houses destroyed by flood waters at Kannappankundu AFP/Getty Images Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Kochi's International airport apron flooded AFP/Getty Images Our team is encountering many animals who have perished. However, we are still finding abandoned dogs and were recently able to rescue 13 dogs and a tiny kitten who we found trembling as the floods raged around him. We are bracing ourselves for when the floods subside and we can finally access some of the areas currently totally cut off, where we may find more animals were desperately hoping to reach. Although more downpours were forecast for this weekend meteorologists expect the rains to ease up over the next few days. No red alerts were issued for any of Kerala's 14 districts for the first time since 9 August. The whining right never stopped complaining about the European project after the first referendum in 1975, more than 40 years before our second national vote, in 2016. So, as a proud British-European, I wont stop fighting for us to be leaders in our continent, as opposed to the little Englanders Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage want us to be. I will always campaign for us to ensure the British people have their say on whatever Brexit deal Theresa May gets. Im for us having a realistic, informed say on the deal, and for us to remain or return to Europe so we can ensure jobs are not disappearing off to the continent. Doing so will mean we can come together and make Europe work better for everyone. The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Show all 8 1 /8 The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Post-Brexit immigration workers sorting radishes on a production line at a farm in Norfolk. One possible post-Brexit immigration scheme could struggle to channel workers towards less attractive roles - while another may heighten the risk of labour exploitation, a new report warns. PA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Customs union A key point in the negotiations remains Britain's access to, or withdrawal from, the EU customs union. Since the referendum there has been hot debate over the meaning of Brexit: would it entail a full withdrawal from the existing agreement, known as hard Brexit, or the soft version in which we would remain part of a common customs area for most goods, as Turkey does? No 10 has so far insisted that Brexit means Brexit and that Britain will be leaving the customs union, but may be inclined to change its position once the potential risks to the UKs economic outlook become clearer. Alamy The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Northern Ireland-Irish border Though progress was made last year, there has still been no solid agreement on whether there should be a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. To ensure borderless travel on the island, the countries must be in regulatory alignment and therefore adhere to the same rules as the customs union. In December, the Conservative Partys coalition partners, the DUP, refused a draft agreement that would place the UK/EU border in the Irish Sea due to its potential to undermine the union. May has promised that would not be the case and has suggested that a specific solution would need to be found. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Transition period Despite protests from a small number of Conservative MPs, the Government and the EU are largely in agreement that a transitional period is needed after Brexit. The talks, however, have reached an impasse. Though May has agreed that the UK will continue to contribute to the EU budget until 2021, the PM wants to be able to select which laws made during this time the UK will have to adhere to. Chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said the UK must adopt all of the laws passed during the transition, without any input from British ministers or MEPs. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Rights of EU citizens living the UK The Prime Minister has promised EU citizens already living in the UK the right to live and work here after Brexit, but the rights of those who arrive after Brexit day remains unclear. May insists that those who arrive during the transition period should not be allowed to stay, whereas the EU believe the cut-off point should be later. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreement (with the EU) Despite this being a key issue in negotiations, the Government has yet to lay out exactly what it wants from a trade deal with the EU. Infighting within the Cabinet has prevented a solid position from being reached, with some MPs content that "no deal is better than a bad deal" while others rally behind single market access. The EU has already confirmed that access to the single market would be impossible without the UK remaining in the customs union. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreements (internationally) The Government has already begun trying to woo foreign leaders into prospective trade agreements, with various high profile state visits to China, India and Canada for May, and the now infamous invitation to US President Donald Trump to visit London. However the UK cannot make trade agreements with another country while it is still a member of the EU, and the potential loss of trade with the world's major powers is a source of anxiety for the PM. The EU has said the UK cannot secure trade deals during the transition period. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Financial services Banks in the UK will be hit hard regardless of the Brexit outcome. The EU has refused to give British banks passporting rights to trade within the EU, dashing hopes of a special City deal. However according to new reports Germany has suggested allowing trade on the condition that the UK continues paying into the EU budget even after the transition period. Getty Ive said this before, but this could well be the last century on Earth for humanity, and Im not joking. If we dont learn to live together and work together in some shape or form all of us then hate will triumph and well wipe ourselves off this planet. Weve had the means to do it for some time now, and we must reject the politics of fear and hate encouraged by the likes of Donald Trump, Johnson and Farage, that will only make such an outcome more likely. Ive always been positive about Europe. The European Union was established to ensure we never had another world war. The First World War was the war to end all wars, yet right wing politics dragged us into the Second World War, with its crimes against humanity and more than 50 million dead. Every year that I can, I perform for charity in Caen, Normandy: three shows in three hours, in German, French and English, on the anniversary of D-Day, as a mark of respect and as a reminder that only by coming together can we stop this happening again. Europe for me is more than cheap air fares, the Single Market or Customs Union, and the jobs that such arrangements encourage, as important as they are to Brits. It is an idea, a set of values we share with fellow human beings: that we must always come together to work and play, and hope rather than live in suspicion and hate. Humanity cannot go forwards if we are running backwards and Brexit and Brexhate are backwards. The first referendum, on remaining in Europe, was won by 66 per cent to 34 per cent in 1975. The whining right went on for 40 years and got it down to 52 per cent to 48 per cent in the second referendum, in 2016. If the first vote wasnt a mandate to be followed, then the second one certainly isnt. We must carry on fighting for a proud future for our country. The second referendum was not the end, it was just one political battle. Of course the European Union is not perfect, but in the second referendum the politics of fear was encouraged, and false promises were made by Farage and Johnson, the latter infamously promising 350m per week for the NHS. Farage stoked fear then walked away after the result, openly linking himself to Trump, which says it all. Farage himself said if the result was 48-52 the other way, we must fight on, and we will. Brexit is too big a deal for the British people not to have a proper, informed vote. If Theresa May cant keep her cabinet together how will she pull together a Brexit deal that puts us in a better economic situation than we already have, when we can trade without tariffs and travel without visas? Hard right Tories want a disastrous, hard, vicious Brexit. In the Labour Party, where Im standing to be re-elected to Labours national executive committee at the moment, members across the party want more say on our Brexit position at conference this year. Eight out of 10 members want the party to support an informed vote on Brexit. Ill continue to be a strong voice on the NEC for Europe, and for members to have their say. As in 1975 and 2016, a third referendum a Final Say on the Brexit terms now offered is inevitable. A hard, vicious Brexit has no mandate, and never has. I will fight against the hate and division Brexit has spawned. Brits dont quit, but we just had a referendum where the right wing encouraged the opposite. People were duped. We shouldnt have quit. I know we shouldnt leave. We should let people have a proper say, with an option now people understand the nightmare of Brexit to remain and fight for a more positive, better Europe. Winston Churchill had a dream of a Europe of united countries. He had to fight the extreme right to try and make it happen back in the 1940s, as we have to fight them now to try and make it happen again. He never stopped fighting back then and well never stop fighting now. There has been a lot of talk by politicians about Brexit. The people should have their proper say now they know the stakes. Eddie Izzard is an actor and performer and is standing for re-election to the Labour Partys national executive committee Gaurav Yatra, the BJP told the court. It had asked the court to reject the PIL as it was frivolous and aimed at seeking publicity. Jaipur: Rajasthan high court has asked the ruling BJP to provide accounts of chief minister Vasundhara Rajes Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra. The BJP will have to file an affidavit with complete details of expenditure incurred on the yatra by Monday. The division bench headed by chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog issued this order after the BJP claimed that Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra was programme of the party and the state government had no connection with it. The BJP had filed its reply on Thursday in response to a PIL filed by lawyer Vibhuti Bhushan Sharma. He had alleged misuse of taxpayers money and government machinery for chief minister Vasundhara Rajes Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra. Mr Sharma had cited two government orders in which PWD officials had been asked to make arrangements for the Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra. The yatra was flagged off by BJPs national president Amit Shah. The state BJP president Madan Lal Saini had said that with this yatra the BJP has started its election campaign. Home minister Gulab Chand Kataria who is convenor of the yatra had also stated that it was BJPs yatra and the expenditure would be borne by the party, he said in the petition while asking the court to order recovery of the government fund spent so far on the Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra. The BJP, however, claimed that the yatra is being organised by BJP and the state government has nothing to do with it. The state government is only making security and other arrangements under protocol because the chief minister is also participating in the yatra and she is giving people information about welfare schemes. The protocol should not be linked to Gaurav Yatra, the BJP told the court. It had asked the court to reject the PIL as it was frivolous and aimed at seeking publicity. Hardline Brexiteers are rattled. They know their plan to crash out of the European Union without a deal is unpopular. Voters dont like the prospect that the M20 could be turned in a lorry park, aeroplanes could be grounded and we might need to stockpile food and drugs in case supplies run out. Thats why Jacob Rees-Mogg and his gang are trying to rebrand a no-deal Brexit as a clean Brexit. They hope to hoodwink voters and thereby persuade them to charge over the abyss. Rees-Moggs European Research Group now reportedly plans to publish its manifesto in advance of the Tory Party conference. Although we dont know the details, two strikingly similar columns by fellow hardliners Iain Duncan Smith and Peter Lilley, both former Conservative cabinet ministers, give a clear idea of what the arch-Brexiteers are thinking. The basic idea is to offer the EU a free trade deal similar to the one it has with Canada. If the other countries refuse, we would then trade with the EU on World Trade Organisation (WTO) terms. This was also the line taken by Boris Johnsons former economics adviser Gerard Lyons in his book, Clean Brexit, published last year. There are multiple flaws with this argument. The WTO does little to promote trade in services, which make up 80 per cent of our economy, or to remove non-tariff barriers, regulations which gum up trade. Meanwhile, Donald Trump, the arch-Brexiteers hero, is flexing his muscles by imposing tariffs and becoming increasingly isolationist. In the nightmarish world of might is right, the EUs clout gives us much more protection than a weak WTO. It gets worse. If we crash out of the EU without a divorce deal, there wont be a smooth transition to trading on WTO terms. There wont be any transition at all. There will just be chaos. The EU is only prepared to give us a 21 month transition (which is far too short anyway) as part of a withdrawal agreement. Two other elements of that deal are that we will pay the EU 39bn, and keep the Irish border open. If we walk away without paying our bills, as the hardliners suggest, the other countries will be furious. They will pursue us through the courts. There will then be no goodwill to sort out a host of common problems, which extend far beyond trade. It will, for example, be harder to work together to fight cross-border terrorism, tackle infectious diseases and stand up to Vladimir Putin. The hardliners scream project fear that Brexit does not mean the doomsday scenario I have outlined. They have two main arguments to support this. One is that the other countries will have an incentive to cooperate. While thats true, tempers on both sides will be flaring. Whats more, the EU believes correctly that we need it more than it needs us and, as a result, our bravado will probably crack sooner. Their second argument is that we can avoid chaos at the ports by keeping our borders open and daring the EU to close its own. This is fanciful. The EUs own laws wont let it waive through products from what would then be a third country. It wouldnt have any incentive to change those laws either as sub-standard products such as chlorinated chicken from America or dumped steel from China could then find their way into its market via the UK. People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Show all 30 1 /30 People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Rex People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal A young protestor shouts as she takes part in the People's Vote demonstration against Brexit Getty Images People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Reuters People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal A protester's pro-EU t-shirt EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Gina Miller and Caroline Lucas EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Tens of thousands of people march through London EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Demonstrators at the People's Vote March Getty People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal 'Two months too young to decide on my future' REUTERS People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal A young girl joins in the march PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal An EU flag is draped across the statue of Winston Chruchill in Parliament Square REUTERS People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Vince Cable MP, Pro-EU campaigner Gina Miller, Tony Robinson and Caroline Lucas MP join with crowds PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Crowds gather on Pall Mall PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal A man resembling Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, joins EU supporters Reuters People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Reuters People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal People gather in Trafalgar Square REUTERS People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Pro-EU campaigner Gina Miller and Tony Robinson PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EU supporters, calling on the government to give Britons a vote on the final Brexit deal, participate in the 'People's Vote' march REUTERS Even if the EU wanted an open border, it wouldnt be allowed to have one under WTO rules, unless it threw its borders open to the whole world. WTO rules mean we couldnt avoid border controls just for the EU. And if we decided to flout these rules, we would have no way to check anything coming into the UK. So much for taking back control of our borders. Whats more, it is not just our trade with the EU that would be stymied. We benefit from trade deals with nearly 70 other countries including Japan and Canada by virtue of being an EU member. If we crash out without a withdrawal agreement, all those pacts will come to a sudden stop. Brexiteers talk airily about cutting new deals around the world. This is nonsense. Its not just that we will have lost deals with nearly 70 countries and wont have the EUs clout as we try to negotiate new ones. Its also that if we quit the EU without paying our dues, fat chance that other countries will trust us to keep our word when we try to entice them into new trading arrangements. Brexiteers are putting lipstick on a pig by calling a no-deal Brexit a clean Brexit. Voters must not fall for it. Hugo Dixon is chair of InFacts and a founding member of the Peoples Vote campaign The first person to call Jeremy Corbyn magic grandpa was probably David Quantick, the comedy writer, in September last year. Obviously, insults are wrong and childish, but this was a clever one, almost a compliment, that summed up the surprising success of Corbyns TV persona in the 2017 election campaign. The epithet was imported from the US, where it was applied to Bernie Sanders, the 76-year-old presidential hopeful. It was supposed to make fun of Corbyns unrealistic policies, but it also acknowledges the wizardry with which he fought the election. One of the many ways in which we Blairites misjudged Corbyn was that we assumed that the more he was exposed to normal people who dont pay much attention to politics, the less they would be likely to vote Labour. Even if people were uninterested in his past associations with the IRA and Palestinian terrorists, we thought his tetchiness and evasiveness when asked about them would count against him. Instead, the Corbyn who asked the nation for its votes was a revelation. Despite the vast majority of his own MPs trying to get rid of him seven months earlier, and despite starting the campaign 20 points behind in the opinion polls, the Labour leader came across as relaxed, friendly and utterly reasonable. Tough questions about his past associations were met with the amused detachment of a man of peace. For an electorate tired of falling real wages, rising housing costs and squeezed public spending on the NHS and schools, his promise of a modest relaxation of the public purse strings sounded like common sense. This week, however, the tetchy and evasive Corbyn was back. Two days after he was pictured on the front page of the Daily Mail holding a wreath in Tunis, he was asked about it and said: I was present when it was laid; I dont think I was actually involved in it. Most voters have better things to do than to watch Sky News on a slow news day in August, but those words will echo for years long after Corbyns sighs and the eye-rolling in response to further questions are forgotten. If Corbyn is still Labour leader at the next election, no doubt he will resume his affable act for the duration of the campaign. He is good at it and he can pull it off, but the magic is not going to work so well the second time. The contrast between the terrorist-sympathising Marxist portrayed in the Tory press and the genial man of principle on the screen will have lost its power to surprise. This weeks stories about Corbyns views on terrorism and antisemitism may not have much immediate effect on public opinion, but each one strips another layer of innocence from his image. Next time he would not be entering the campaign as the little known underdog, but as a leader who has been seven years in the public eye. Corbyns team fought a brilliant campaign last time. The manifesto in particular was a work of art. They got away with promising a huge subsidy for the better-off (students) and forgot to promise to reverse cuts to tax credits. Next time, the media will treat Labour more as a possible government, and will ask more searching questions about spending promises and how they would be paid for. The Jeremy Corbyn wreath-laying story Show all 3 1 /3 The Jeremy Corbyn wreath-laying story The Jeremy Corbyn wreath-laying story Atef Bseiso Facebook tribute The tribute to Atef Bseiso on Fatah's official Facebook page The Jeremy Corbyn wreath-laying story Corbyn wreath laying Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn attends the ceremony at the cemetery in Tunisia in 2014 where Atef Bseiso is buried Ambassade de Palestine en Tunisie/Facebook The Jeremy Corbyn wreath-laying story Benjamin Netanyahu Israeli prime minister Benjamin Israel has attacked Mr Corbyn over his attendance at the event Reuters Nor is a simple anti-austerity message likely to be as successful. The significance of Theresa Mays decision to raise the rate of increase in NHS spending over the next few years has not yet sunk in. Here is a simple test. Now that Jeremy Hunt is at the Foreign Office, who is the health secretary? It is interesting how few people can answer that question without googling. It could mean that, starting with a cleanish sheet, Matt Hancock (for it is he) could blunt some of Labours attack on public services. The most important difference about the next election, what is more, is that the Conservative campaign is unlikely to be as poor as it was last time. Labours leadership team, clever as those around Corbyn may be, does not strike me as one that is ready for a populist one-nation Tory campaign led by someone with a bit more charisma than Theresa May. Fears that Irish people would have to eat their Christmas dinner without home-grown Brussels sprouts this year have been confirmed by growers around the country. Vegetable grower Paudie Hanafin from Ballygarron Farm said that his crop of Brussels sprouts is back by 60pc compared to the same time last year. The crop of sprouts currently stands a foot shorter compared to the same time last year and the lower height of the crop will reduce yields at harvest time, according to growers. And while demand for Brussels sprouts surges as Christmas looms, there are increasing worries already that the demand won't be met by Irish produce. This years crop has endured an unusually dry summer, which saw parts of the country go without rain for the majority of the summer and with this came more problems. Diamondback moth is a pest that feeds off all brassica plant and has done a lot of damage of to Paudies crop of sprouts this year. Its really taking a toll on this years crop, said Paudie who runs Ballygarron Farm vegetable business with his wife Mary in The Spa, Tralee, Co. Kerry. Paudie and his family have grown Brussels sprouts for the past three years and planted 30 acres of the crop to be harvested for this coming Christmas. The damage caused to the crop of brussels sprouts on Paudie's farm means that hell have to cut further up the plant to avoid the problem areas, losing out on potential yield in the process. Well have to cut a foot above the ground this year, we normally only cut about 4 inches above, said the Kerry farmer. Paudie explained that he took every precaution to protect the crop this year, even irrigating the sprouts three times throughout the drought wasnt enough to stop the damage caused by the severe temperatures and lack of rain. Im sure that 99.9pc of the damage to this years crops were caused by the drought, said Paudie. The Hanafins grow many types of vegetables on their farm and are seeing a huge set back on the yields across all their crops. Broccoli and cauliflower were a write off this year, we kept waiting for the rain, but it was too late when it did, he said. It would make you think twice about growing in the future, said Paudie. This years crop is significantly shorter than it should be, and yield could be hurt according to Teagasc Vegetable Specialist Stephen Alexander. Its hard to tell the real damage. Yes theyre back a bit from last year, but they should be able to make up the difference in the coming months, he said. Lack of rain this year was causing the problems but wont be a problem for the rest of the season, he said. One of the largest growers in the country Enda Weldon, who farms in Balheary, Co. Dublin with his brother Anthony, said that he is hopeful that his crop will recover from the damages caused by three months without rain. Theres a long season, usually 6-8 months involved growing sprouts, so theres still enough time for them to make a good recovery, he said. We irrigated all the crops through the drought, but it was only keeping them alive, it wasnt driving them on, he said. There was a lot of damage done to the crop, theres no doubt about that, theyre back a lot but Ive seen sprouts make a good recovery, even in the worst of year, said Enda. We have all the right conditions at the moment for them, ground temperatures, rain and nutrients, we just have to give them a bit more time, said the North Co Dublin farmer. He added that the true damage to the crop will only show at the end of October, start of November, we can start worrying about the Christmas dinner then, he said. David Diggins is an optimist by nature, despite the odd trauma which life can bring - like the accidental burning down of one of his cattle sheds at the beginning of spring in which six of his calves perished. A faulty wire in a lunger over-heated, and it was a drama which any farmer could do without, especially in this weather-affected year. Everything is now back to normal at David's dairy enterprise, including the shed, which was replaced last week. David farms 74 acres of "good land" outside Ballybunion, Co Kerry, where he milks a herd of 54 cross breeds (Friesians, Jerseys and Rotbunt), supplying Kerry Group. He doesn't dwell too much on the current Kerry milk price except to say: "It is down but okay - things can only get better." David (54) has been farming since he was 13 -initially with his late father, John, and now on his own, though his mother, Rose, keeps a watchful eye on the enterprise from her home on the farm. "I've been farming since I was a kid. I did the Leaving Cert and all that but farming was always my main thing," David says. He has four siblings: Mairead, "who farms with her husband Tom up the road", Pat, who is a teacher locally, Maura, a solicitor in Dunboyne, Co Meath, and Brendan, who works with Pfizer in Cork. David is unmarried - he says he has never found a woman "tough enough for the job". He is holding his own on fodder for the cows so far this year despite a fall in the tonnage of his first cut and a predicted fall in his second cut, but he expects real fodder problems come wintertime. "It's not for me to tell Agriculture Minister Michael Creed what his job is or what to do, but there will be fodder problems in a few months' time throughout the country," David predicts. However, he would like to tell the minister that he could cut back on the amount of red tape emanating from Agriculture House in Dublin. "There seems to be two officials around for everything a farmer does. You can't turn a stone without an official butting in," David remarks. On the home front he is underwhelmed by the proposal that the Kerry Co-op should spin out its stake in Kerry Group. David feels that liquidating the shares would only be a boon for the taxman and would deprive the shareholders of a valuable asset. "There are different views on the issue among the shareholders but I believe it is a bad idea because most of the value in the shares would go to the taxman," he says. "But then I am a glass half full man and I think the shares should be held onto until a proper proposal is put on the table." Off farm, David's main interests are card-playing - '41' with friends in local pubs - and the fortunes and misfortunes of the Kerry football team. "I don't know what's happening these days and I don't know what is going on with the management of the team," he says. "But it is probably better that we are out of the All- Ireland because if we had to meet Dublin we would have been be slaughtered." In conversation with Ken Whelan The head of MCD, Denis Desmond has declared that it is 'business as usual' at the concert promoter following the sale of 50pc of the business to the UK firm LNGaiety, which Desmond jointly owns with Live Nation. Mr Desmond said that the sale of MCD "is the logical step" after working in partnership with Live Nation in the UK through the joint venture firm, LNGaiety over the past 14 years. He said that the deal 'simplifies matters and makes life a little easier' but wouldn't be drawn on the value of the deal made with the live music giant. Mr Desmond said that there will be no change to how MCD operates in Ireland. "We work very well with Live Nation and I believe that the deal will opens doors for Irish acts through the Live Nation network of 120 Festivals world wide" he said, citing Dublin band The Coronas' appearance at Lollapalooza in Chicago last week as an example of this. There are already three members of the Desmond family on the board of LNGaiety, including Denis Desmond, and the most recent accounts filed for the firm show that it recorded pre-tax profits of 5.48m (6.1m) as it increased revenues by 22pc to 201m in 2016. The move by Mr Desmond comes during a boom time for live music with Live Nation reporting record revenues of $10.3bn (9bn) for 2017 - a 24pc increase on 2016. Asked to comment on Ticketmaster shutting down its secondary ticketing website, Seatwave, Mr Desmond replied: "It needed to happen and it's great to see Ticketmaster take the initiative. Now it's up to the politicians to step up and make the 15pc cap of face value law." Mr Desmond asserted that Ticketmaster's move is putting it up to Government to proceed with legislation outlawing secondary ticket websites that sell on tickets at inflated prices. He said: "A lot has been spoken about this issue by politicians over the past four years. Ticketmaster has shown the politicians with its decision how you can stop it." This year, MCD has promoted the likes of Michael Buble and Taylor Swift following on from sell-out gigs by U2, Coldplay and Guns n' Roses last year. Those events catapulted MCD into the top ten promoters in the world with 1.6 million fans attending MCD concerts here in 2017. As a result, MCD's place in the world's top 100 promoters jumped eight places to number eight on the charts. Live Nation still dominates the live music business however, with 52.4m attending its gigs last year. Former Anglo Irish CEO David Drumm leaves the Criminal Courts of Justice after his guilty verdict. Photo: Tony Gavin Accountancy regulators have been given the green light to resume disciplinary investigations in relation to Anglo Irish Bank's former auditor Ernst & Young (EY) and four top bankers linked to the collapsed lender. The move follows the prosecution of former Anglo Irish Bank chief executive David Drumm, who was sentenced in June to six years in jail for his part in a 7.2bn plot to defraud the markets during the 2008 financial crisis. That case ended a series of trials linked to the collapse of Anglo. In 2011, the accounting standards agency - then known as the Chartered Accountants Regulatory Board (CARB) - parked its disciplinary processes, at the request of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), to avoid any overlap with the criminal trials of some former bankers. CARB, now Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI), said yesterday that the DPP had withdrawn its ongoing request to defer the disciplinary inquiries. "Accordingly, the Institute may proceed with its own processes in relation to the various cases," CAI said. The statement said the investigations will be able to take account of evidence given in court in the criminal cases, including David Drumm's prosecution, in addition to an earlier investigation for CARB by former Comptroller and Auditor General John Purcell. "The Institute will now review and consider the large body of evidence and outcomes from the recent criminal trials and other inquiries that have taken place since the Purcell Reports to assess whether and how these might impact its disciplinary process in respect of its members and the member firm." The Purcell Reports found "certain prima facie cases of liability to disciplinary action" in respect of four individual members - David Drumm, former Anglo chairman Sean Fitzpatrick, the bank's former finance director Willie McAteer, and a former Irish Life & Permanent (IL&P) finance director Peter Fitzpatrick, who were all qualified chartered accountants. The Purcell investigation made preliminary rather than definitive findings, but argued there was prima facie against EY in relation to three specific events at Anglo - including a claimed failure to refer in an audit report to transactions in September 2008 between Irish Life & Permanent (IL&P) and Anglo. EY now faces the prospect of a professional disciplinary hearing which would potentially be held in public. In 2016, during the trial of three former senior Anglo executives, Judge Martin Nolan had questioned how auditors EY had not known what was going on at the bank. "It beggars belief that Ernst & Young signed off on the accounts," he said. The firm has previously said it would "vigorously defend" its work, arguing that under Irish law, it was the responsibility of the bank and its then directors to ensure that financial statements met legal and accounting standards. In 2015 a separate report commissioned by CARB exonerated all of the firms, including EY, in relation to audits of the main banks before the crash. The research looked at audits in 2008 and 2009, judging as "satisfactory" those by KPMG of AIB, Irish Nationwide Building Society (INBS), and Irish Life and Permanent (Il&P); Ernst & Young (EY)'s audits of Anglo Irish Bank and EBS; and PwC at Bank of Ireland. Tesla CEO and Chairman Elon Musk unveiling the Roadster 2 during a presentation in Hawthorne, California last year, the billionaires tweet has sparked debate over the electric car makers future. Photo; Reuters No one saw or reviewed Tesla CEO Elon Mr Musk's tweet about his plan to take Tesla private before he posted it, he told the New York Times during an interview in which the billionaire frequently teared up and discussed the personal strain of leading the electric-car maker. Mr Musk typed the tweet as he drove himself to the airport on August 7, the newspaper reported, citing Mr Musk. The tweet read: "Am considering taking Tesla private at $420. Funding secured." In an hour-long sit-down with the newspaper, Mr Musk also detailed his frequent use of the sleep-aid Ambien - a drug he's discussed using before, and whose well-known side effects include sleepwalking. "It is often a choice of no sleep or Ambien," he told the newspaper. Rather than putting him to sleep, the drug has sometimes led Mr Musk to spend his nights on Twitter, to the worry of some board members, the newspaper said, citing a person familiar with the board's thinking. The going-private tweet has set off a firestorm, causing the stock to jump but also prompting mounting scrutiny, including a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation. Almost a week later, the CEO said the basis for that statement were conversations with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which first expressed interest in helping take the company private in early 2017. Tesla's board has since clarified that it hasn't received a formal proposal from Mr Musk, nor has it concluded whether going private would be advisable or feasible. This week, Mr Musk was said to have received a subpoena for more information, according to one insider. One funding possibility being considered for the potential privatisation is for Mr Musk's rocket company SpaceX to help bankroll the deal and take a stake in Tesla, the New York Times said, citing people familiar with the matter. Efforts are also under way to recruit an executive to take some pressure off Mr Musk, the newspaper reported. A couple of years ago, Tesla approached Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg about that job, Mr Musk told the newspaper, but he added that no active search is taking place currently "to the best of my knowledge." "If you have anyone who can do a better job, please let me know," Mr Musk told the Times. "They can have the job." Meanwhile, Tesla fell 1.1pc to $332.72 at 10:49am on Frankfurt's Tradegate. Amid the frenzy over Tesla's future, production of the pivotal Model 3 sedan - which has frequently kept Mr Musk at the Fremont factory overnight - is now defying the odds and going well. Output is well on track for weekly production goals, and set for a significant boost, according to Evercore ISI analysts who toured the plant. In the interview, Mr Musk revealed he had sacrificed family milestones in the race to meet Tesla production targets, nearly missing his brother's wedding where he was best man. Some friends had also approached him with concerns about his well-being, the New York Times said. He called the period "excruciating," the newspaper reported. "This past year has been the most difficult and painful year of my career." How plan to go private unfolded Early 2017: Mr Musk met Saudi Arabias sovereign wealth fund. He says the Public (PIF) Investment Fund expresses interest in helping take the Tesla private. April 2017: Mr Musk talks to SoftBanks Masayoshi Son about investing. July 31 2018: Mr Musk met PIF MD after the fund buys near 5pc stake. Aug 2: Mr Musk tells Teslas board he wants to go private at $420 a share. Aug 7: FT reports Saudi fund holds a $2bn stake. Mr Musk tweets: Am considering taking Tesla private at $420. Funding secured. Aug 8: Six of nine directors state Mr Musk had opened a discussion with the board about taking the company private the previous week and it is evaluating it. Aug 9: Shares drop amid doubts Mr Musk can pull off the shift and reports SEC is gathering information. Aug 10: Shareholder complaint is filed in San Francisco. More follow. Aug 13: Tesla publishes a second blog post by Mr Musk describing the Saudi funds interest and cites this as justification for going public. Aug 14: Tesla board forms special committee but has not received a formal proposal. Aug 15: Tesla is said to have received a subpoena from the SEC. Cryptocurrency scams are using images of celebrities and upmarket London addresses to hoodwink consumers into parting with cash, Britain's Financial Conduct Authority has said. The warning, first made in June, was reposted on the FCA's website yesterday. Similar scams have run here, including one that falsely claimed an endorsement from presidential candidate Gavin Duffy. Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin are not regulated in Britain, and the FCA said it has received a rising number of reports about investment scams that claim to offer high returns. "UK consumers are being increasingly targeted by cryptocurrency-related investment scams," the FCA said in a statement. "Cryptocurrency fraudsters tend to advertise on social media, often using the images of celebrities or well-known individuals to promote cryptocurrency investments." The ads link to websites for investments either using cryptocurrencies or traditional cash. "The firms operating the scams are usually based outside of the UK but will claim to have a UK presence, often a prestigious City of London address," the FCA said. Given that cryptocurrencies are not regulated, affected consumers are unlikely to get their money back, and are not protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, the watchdog said. In April this year, Gavin Duffy told RTE's 'News at One' that his image was used without his knowledge or permission in an advertisement for a scheme called Bitcoin Trader. The ad was presented as a news report about Bitcoin Trader being endorsed by stars on an episode of Dragons' Den, and included a false testimonial from Mr Duffy. The testimonial claimed the Dragons had made a huge financial return by using Bitcoin Trader. On RTE, Mr Duffy said he initially thought the ad, versions of which continue to be seen on websites including Facebook, was "silly" but issued a statement because he was concerned that people would be taken in by it and lose money." (Additional reporting Reuters) Independent.ie carried a news report from the funeral of Georgia Anne Callan, on Saturday, August 11th, 2018. In a statement issued to this website before the funeral, Georgias parents Emeline Callan and Jacqueline Russell paid tribute to their daughter and requested that their privacy be respected. A reporter, who was not aware of this request, was assigned to cover the funeral. We recognise that our presence and subsequent report of the funeral caused the family further upset. We apologise to Ms Callan, Ms Russell, their families and loved ones for the distress. As a gesture of goodwill, we will be making a donation to two charities nominated by the family. 2 rounds fired to bring situation under control. New Delhi: High drama prevailed at the Delhi Airport on Thursday night after a man tried to take control of a cab. However, the CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) intercepted him and fired two rounds to contain him. Later, it was found that the accused was under the influence of alcohol and was trying to take the taxi forcefully. On the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, a PCR call regarding a firing incident at a CISF check post was received at the IGI Airport police station. Upon reaching the spot it was revealed that one Shankar alias Amit (27), a resident of Sangam Vihar, sitting as CISF staff at the barricade, intercepted a passenger in a taxi driven by one Anil Kumar, said DCP (IGI) Sanjay Bhatia. The incident took place when the cab was stopped for a routine check after the CISF personnel found the cab movement to be suspicious. The cab driver signalled CISF officials stationed at the security check that the on-board passenger had forcefully barged into the cab. When Shankar identified the signals, made by the cab driver to the CISF officials, he slapped the driver and told him to get out of the cab. Shankar immediately took control of the car and tried to run from the spot. However, he was stopped by the CISFs barricades. He was asked to come out of the car. After he came out of the car, a scuffle broke out between them. Meanwhile, the accused tried to overpower the CISF official while trying to grab his pistol. Taking cognisance of the incident, the CISF official immediately pulled out his service gun and made a warning shot. Simultaneously, he fired another shot in the air, said CISF spokesperson Hemendra Singh. The accused was in an inebriated state and four onlookers stepped in to rein him. Later, he was tied with rope and handed over to the police for further legal action. The accused works as a bouncer. His credentials have been verified and it was found that he was previously involved in a case. International firms are investing hundreds of millions of euros to meet demand for student accommodation in Dublin and Cork. Dublin currently has 14,466 dedicated student beds which estate agents Knight Frank estimate accommodates just 18pc of the student population. The firm's head of research, John Ring, said a further 10,300 beds were in the pipeline of which about a third would be provided by the colleges. The lion's share will come from the private sector. One of the biggest developers is a joint venture between two international firms, Harrison Street Real Estate Capital and GSA, a Dubai group, which together are currently developing four facilities with a total of 1,325 beds. They include a 402-bed residence close to DIT's Grangegorman campus and a 320-bed project on Dominic Street Upper in Dublin, as well as two in Cork City. These four are expected to cost more than 200m to develop, and AIB and Bank of Ireland will provide loans for about half of the investment. When completed by 2020, the joint venture will have 3,225 Irish beds which they will market through the international Uninest brand. In all, they aim to provide between 5,000 and 7,000 student beds across Ireland, of which up to 5,000 could be in Dublin and between 1,000 and 1,500 in Cork and Galway. Their existing facilities include 406 beds at New Mill and 296 beds at The Tannery in Dublin's Liberties; 491 beds at Kavanagh Court in Summerhill, 100 beds at Broadstone Hall near Phibsborough, and Ardcairn House with 571 beds near DIT Grangegorman. Another major player is US real estate firm Hines, which has 1,515 beds under the Aparto brand. In 2016, Hines paid 162m to buy four sites in Dublin on behalf of a group of German pension funds. These include the 470-bed Binary Hub in the Liberties, the 447-bed Dorset Point on Dorset Street and the 393-bed Beckett House at Gardiner Street. The deal also included a site on Cork Street. In 2017 Hines also bought the 205-bed Montrose residence near UCD, Dublin 4, for more than 37.6m from another international player, Ziggurat. Irish developer Cairn Homes has more than 1,600 units in the pipeline including a 399 bed project underway at the Donnelly Centre, off Cork Street, and 100 units at Blackhall Place, near Grangegorman. Cairn also plans for student units as part of larger projects including 576 beds at the Blake's restaurant site in Stillorgan, 476 beds near NUI Maynooth and 147 in Galway. Another Irish developer, Michael O'Flynn, is currently undertaking the country's largest scheme, the 966-bed project on a 2.3 acre site near The Point in Dublin's north docklands. International firm Hattington Student Accommodation has 257 beds branded as Highlight Fresh on Thomas Street, and it is developing 329 beds at Montpelier Hill near the Phoenix Park. Recently, Invesco Real Estate agreed a 47m deal for the 270 unit Brickworks at Brickfield Lane in Dublin 8, while other international players seeking Irish units include Crosslane, CA Ventures and Round Hill. UCD student CJ Clarke, from Rathnew, Co Wicklow, has found it tough getting accommodation in Dublin. Photo: Steve Humphreys Third-year UCD student CJ Clarke says that rents in the capital are fast becoming out of reach for most people. The 20-year-old maths student, from Rathnew, Co Wicklow, decided to move closer to campus as her commute was cutting in to time she needed for her studies. But little did she know that most rental properties in Dublin would see her pay more than 700 a month for shared accommodation. "I was spending up to four hours a day travelling to and from Wicklow on the very unreliable 133 bus," she said. "I'm now entering my third year and really needed the time I spend commuting to focus on my studies. "I just couldn't believe it when I first started my search. Most places were charging about 700 per month, which just isn't feasible for any student. "And even at those prices they expect you to share a room with another person. "There is also a dedicated Facebook page for UCD students looking for a place to live, but whenever a post goes up it's swarmed with dozens of other desperate people." Fortunately, Ms Clarke was accepted to work on a voluntary basis in UCD as a residential assistance officer. Doing this will cut her rent in half. "Living on campus is about 180 a week normally, but now that I got accepted for this role it'll be down about 50pc. "It's a massive difference and without this incentive I just don't know how I would manage. "I feel like I'm definitely one of the lucky ones." 'A breakdown of figures released by Daft.ie shows the huge prices in private rentals facing many third-level students throughout the country' Stock photo: PA Students are now being expected to fork out up to 1,107 per month for a single-bed house near their college as rents continue to surge. A breakdown of figures released by Daft.ie shows the huge prices in private rentals facing many third-level students throughout the country. Assuming that bedrooms are not shared, a first-year student at Letterkenny Institute of Technology, Donegal, will pay as little as 198 per month in a three-bed house and 254 for a two-bed. However, a student in UCD will be expected to pay as much as 840 per month to live in a private three-bed house and 1,107 in a two-bed accommodation close to college. Two-bedroom houses near universities in Cork, Galway, Limerick and Maynooth range between 455 and 533. However, rising rents throughout the country are putting enormous pressure on families. Daft.ie data shows rents have increased by 18.5pc in Waterford, with Dublin hikes ranging from 10pc to almost 15pc. The only university town where the cost of renting has fallen is in Letterkenny, where a three-bed house is 2.4pc cheaper to rent this year. Trinity Students' Union president Shane De Ris said students would be forced out of education. With many college-operated residencies full to capacity long before CAO offers come online, students are often left scraping the bottom of the housing barrel. "It is tragic that yet again we'll see students forced out of education due to the financial strain placed on them by the housing market, forced to delay their future due to Government inaction," he said. The housing crisis was the biggest obstacle facing the future of higher education. Meanwhile, the demand for on-campus accommodation has grown significantly in recent years, with students paying up to 11,000 for two semesters. Rates in Dublin compared with other parts of the country differ significantly. UCD's on-site accommodation offers a number of options to students living on their campus. A student spending two semesters (September-May) on its Belgrove campus will be expected to pay 7,383. These single-bed apartments contain two bathrooms with a shared kitchen and living space. The university's Roebuck Castle residence has a price of 11,347 for two semesters. The prices at Trinity College Dublin's campus vary each semester. From September 5 to December 31, a student living in the college's Goldsmith Hall will be expected to pay 3,504. And from January 1 to May 4, they will need to pay an additional 3,652. These single-bed apartments contain two bathrooms and a kitchen/living room. But to spend two semesters in Trinity's Graduate Memorial Building, complete with a single study bedroom and private bathroom, a student will have to fork out 7,793. Meanwhile, a single room with a private en-suite bathroom in NUI Galway's Corrib Village will set you back 5,600 for two semesters. Teresa Kelly, executive assistant at the accommodation office in NUIG, said the demand for accommodation within the campus was extremely high. "People have been booking as far back as January," she said. "We're encouraging anyone living within a radius of 30km to commute for the first semester because things generally open up again in October." In Cork, an en-suite bedroom in UCC's Victoria Lodge costs 5,439 for the full academic year, while one with a shared bathroom costs 5,254. "The demand for our student accommodation is very high, especially since privately owned properties in Cork are so expensive," said UCC Students' Union welfare officer Niamh Connery. Former President Mary McAleese, husband Martin and their son Justin (second left) with his husband Fionan. Photo: Brian Lawless Mary McAleese has revealed she made a formal complaint to Pope Francis after being banned from attending a Vatican conference in March. The former president had an invitation to attend an International Womens Day conference rescinded in February over her support for LGBT rights. Ms McAleese has been a vocal supporter of same-sex marriage both during and after the same-sex referendum debate, most recently marching with her son Justin who is gay, at the Dublin Gay Pride festival. The Vatican event in question was organised by the Voice of the Faith group to empower and advocate for Catholic women to have a seat at the table of decision making in the Catholic Church. Expand Close Former President of Ireland Mary McAleese, with her husband Martin (second left) and her son Justin (second right) and his husband Fionan (right) during the Pride Parade in Dublin Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Former President of Ireland Mary McAleese, with her husband Martin (second left) and her son Justin (second right) and his husband Fionan (right) during the Pride Parade in Dublin Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire However, the decision to invite the former Irish head of state was opposed by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, which led to the event being held outside of the Holy See. I made a formal complaint against Cardinal Farrell, to the Pope, the Pope is the only person as his superior who could rectify and deal with and judge that complaint, Ms McAleese told Brendan OConnor on RTEs Marian Finucane Show. I made a formal canonical complaint to the Pope about Cardinal Farrells actions. Having received neither an acknowledgement nor a reply to date, I can only presume the Pope is his immediate superior, that this was done with his approval. They claim there is a process for dealing with such complaints, Im six months down the road of that complaint and I havent had the letter back that says weve received your complaint. She said she consulted with the Archbishop of Dublin with a view to rectifying the situation ahead of the Popes visit for the World Meeting of Families planned for next weekend. However despite efforts which she said continued for three months there was no moving the position taken by the Vatican. Earlier this week a US grand jury report revealed thousands of children were abused by around 300 Roman Catholic priests in Pennsylvania since the 1940s. Ms McAleese said one has to assume the Pope was aware of the abuse outlined in the report which said leaders in the church had largely gone with accountability. These would have been well known certainly in the latter days when all of these cases had to be sent to Rome, that he would have been briefed on them, said Ms McAleese who has spoken out about the churchs handling of clerical abuse. You would like to think that he would have been briefed on them, these are so significant when you are talking about 300 abusing priests in six dioceses in the United States. Former President Mary McAleese, husband Martin and their son Justin (second left) with his husband Fionan. Photo: Brian Lawless Former president Mary McAleese has described the World Meeting of Families taking place next weekend as a right wing rally. She said it was a response against the growing acceptance towards LGBT people in Ireland after photos of same-sex couples were removed from the events leaflets. The former president had hoped the event would be a unifying one based on the theme of inclusion but said it was always designed to fight against gay rights and abortion. It's always been essentially a right wing rally... and it was designed for that purpose, to rally people to get them motivated to fight against the tide of same sex marriage, rights for gays, abortion rights, contraceptive rights, she said. Ms McAleese said she would only be attending an event at Dublin Castle in her role as a former president but would not be attending any other events to welcome Pope Francis. The Belfast-native, whose son is gay, has repeatedly spoken out against the exclusion of the LGBT community from the Catholic Church as well as the historic clerical abuse scandals. The cover up of this abuse is not only systemic, it was directed from central command and control which is the Vatican, she told Brendan OConnor on RTEs Marian Finucane Show. It strikes me as impossible to believe that all bishops acted equally negligent by coincidence, thats the problem. Earlier this week a US grand jury report revealed thousands of children were abused by around 300 Roman Catholic priests in Pennsylvania since the 1940s. I read the report from Pennsylvania and it is just so distressing and depressing. When I think of all the thousands of children now who are carrying the burden of that and will carry it through their lives because of an institution that they trusted, failed them yet again, she added. Reading it was a horror story. I didnt sleep very well after reading it the other night. She said one has to assume the Pope was aware of the abuse outlined in the report which said leaders in the church had largely gone without accountability. These would have been well known, certainly in the latter days when all of these cases had to be sent to Rome, that he would have been briefed on them. You would like to think that he would have been briefed on them, these are so significant when you are talking about 300 abusing priests in six dioceses in the United States. In a statement, Pope Francis said he was on the side of the victims mentioned in the report, however, Ms McAleese said expressions of sorrow were not enough of a response following centuries of abuse within the Catholic Church. Mary McAleese also revealed she made a formal complaint to Pope Francis after being banned from attending a Vatican conference in March. The former president had an invitation to attend an International Womens Day conference rescinded in February over her support for LGBT rights. The event in question was organised by the Voice of the Faith group to empower and advocate for Catholic women to have a seat at the table of decision making in the Catholic Church. However, the decision to invite the former Irish head of state was opposed by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, which led to the event being held outside of the Holy See. I made a formal complaint against Cardinal Farrell, to the Pope, the Pope is the only person as his superior who could rectify and deal with and judge that complaint. I made a formal canonical complaint to the Pope about Cardinal Farrells actions. Having received neither an acknowledgement nor a reply to date, I can only presume the Pope is his immediate superior, that this was done with his approval. They claim there is a process for dealing with such complaints, Im six months down the road of that complaint and I havent had the letter back that says weve received your complaint. She said she consulted with the Archbishop of Dublin with a view to rectifying the situation ahead of the Popes visit for the World Meeting of Families. However despite efforts which she said continued for three months there was no moving the Vaticans position. Moira Cassidy and they year-round sea swimmers (The Red Hot Mommas) protesting against the construction of sewerage plant in Clonshaugh, Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn Residents on Dublin's northside are protesting over plans to build a sewage plant on their "doorsteps". They say the plant will be four times the size of Croke Park and fear the proximity to their homes will devalue their property. The Clonshaugh plant has been designed to treat sewage from parts of north Co Dublin along with areas of Kildare and Meath. Irish Water made a planning application to An Bord Pleanala on June 20 and yesterday was the last day for objections to be submitted to the board. People who swim at Portmarnock beach are also up in arms over the plans - stating that the treated water does not go far enough out to sea and will be in areas where some of them swim. Nicole Brady, who lives in Clonshaugh Heights, said that while there had been previous public consultations a number of years ago, it had died down recently and many locals were unaware it was to go ahead. However, Irish Water insists that following the application in June, the public consultation period was highly publicised. The closest dwelling to the sewage treatment plant will be around 300 metres. Ms Brady insisted the plant "is going to affect everyone". "There's going to be a smell," she said. "People are saying that the value of their homes is going to go down." Residents are staging a protest this afternoon and they will march from the Clonshaugh Heights end of Priorswood out onto the N32. Meanwhile, a group of swimmers from Portmarnock staged a protest outside the An Bord Pleanala head offices yesterday and handed in their objections. Moira Cassidy, who swims in Portmarnock daily, said: "It just seems idiotic to us for them to have the outflow so close to the Velvet Strand." In a statement, Irish Water insisted there would be no issue with the water quality. A spokesperson said: "The proposed marine outfall is 6km out to the Irish Sea and the level to which the wastewater will be treated will ensure the water quality standards required by EU and national regulations are achieved." A week full of Irish dancing, cultural exchange, traditional music, adventure, and kindred friendship awaited everyone at The Irish Dance Festival 2018 which just took place in the beautiful streets of Carlingford Co. Louth. Now in its fifth year, the only festival solely dedicated to Irish dance was bigger and better than it has ever been with over a hundred participants coming from thirteen different countries: following on the overwhelming success from the past four seasons, Festival Directors Shane McAvinchey and Paula Goulding continued the tradition of spreading the love of everything "Irish" through dance. 'Shane and I knew we had the recipe for a fantastic week of Irish dance, culture, and heritage, but at the end of our first year, we were overwhelmed by the response so it was inevitable that we would bring the festival back again and again and endeavour to improve on it year after year,' says Paula. As with the past, dancers experienced five hours of intensive dance training under the meticulous instruction of the festival mentors. This year's team of mentors featured distinguished personalities in the realm of professional Irish dancing including: Riverdance alum Dervla Mc Gee and Niamh Eustace, former Riverdance Dance Captain; Andrea Curley, Former Riverdance lead; Sinead Green and five-time All-Ireland and World Champion, Gerard Carson. Some of AnnMarie Duffy's Irish dance students wishing her good luck for the Rose of Tralee Louth Rose AnnMarie Duffy is missing the opportunity to dance at the Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann in Drogheda next week as she travels to Tralee in the hope of bringing home the crown to the Wee County. AnnMarie from Glenwood dances with the Scoil Rince Ul Chonghaile and is a member of the team that has qualified for the Fleadh in Drogheda. However, as the Fleadh is on the same week as the Rose of Tralee festival, she will pass up on the opportunity of dancing in the Fleadh for the honour of representing Louth in the world famous Rose of Tralee contest. The 27-year-old speech and language therapist has no plans to put on her dancing stage if she makes it to the Dome, but says she will just chat to Daithi O'Se Describing herself as 'a true Louth woman' as her mother Anne is from Dundalk and her Dad Richard from Drogheda, AnnMarie says it is a huge honour to be representing Louth in the competition, Having always enjoyed watching The Rose of Tralee while growing up, AnnMarie says she always harboured an ambition to be a Rose, 'I always enjoyed watching it and always had the idea at the back of my mind that it was something I might like to do in the future,' she says. 'I then realised that this was the last year I'd be eligible so I said I'd give it a go.' Having been selected to represent Louth at the county competition in the Four Seasons Hotel, Carlingford in April, AnnMarie has had a busy few months in the run up to the festival in Tralee. She has been involved with promoting the Louth Fleadh and took part in a number of the live music events in the town over the summer. She also attended the Raft Race in Blackrock and took her two dogs on LSPCA's sponsored dog walk at the weekend. 'I've been going along to lots of different events and it's lovely to meet people and hear everyone's stories.' AnnMarie has great memories of her days at the Friary Girls School and St Vincent's Secondary School. She studied at Trinity College Dublin. 'I was very lucky that I got a job straight away,' she says. Having originally been based in Dundalk, AnnMarie where she works in the Healthcare Centre and a unit in a specific language unit in a local primary school. 'My work involves working with children with a range of speech, language and communication needs. I enjoy the creative opportunities and fun which comes from alongside children. Her big passions are Irish dance and running. 'I run with the North East Runners, as do both my parents. I really enjoy it and I take part in 5km and 10km races as well as cross-country running in the winter. I love running through muddy fields!' 'I've been doing Irish dancing since I was a little girl,' she says. She donned her Rose sash as she paid a visit to Scoil Rince Ul Chonghaile in the Dominican Hall recently, much to the delight of the school's young dancers. As one of the school's senior dancers, AnnMarie should have been dancing in the Fleadh, but had to pass up on that opportunity as she will be in Tralee. 'Hopefully we will qualify for it again next year.' AnnMarie is looking forward to being part of the Rose of Tralee festival and will have a big group of supporters travelling to cheer her on, including her parents, her brother Padraig, boyfriend Rory Mulholland and his family, friends and work colleagues. She travelled to meet up with her fellow Roses in Kildare yesterday (Monday) and they are set to arrive in Tralee on Wednesday. In a new format this year, the Roses will be informed by text on Saturday morning if they have been selected to go through to the televised heats in the Dome next Monday and Tuesday. 'There used to be a regional final for the Irish Roses and only a number would go onto to Tralee, but now all the Roses get to go to the festival,' explains AnnMarie. While naturally she hopes that she will get the chance to represent Louth in the Dome, she says she is looking forward to experiencing the festival and meeting all the other Roses. Co-founders of Breastival with Belfasts Lord Mayor R-L: Dr Jennifer Hanratty and daughter Eimear, Cllr Deirdre Hargey Lord Mayor of Belfast, Jennie Wallace and daughter Cleo. Photo by Wheel in the Wind Photography 'It's not best, it's just normal,' says Dundalk woman Dr Jennifer Hanratty, who was a joint organiser of Breastival Belfast, on Saturday August 4th. Jennifer, who has been living in Belfast for more than fifteen years, is delighted with the success of the event which gained significant cross party support for the promotion and protection of breastfeeding in an attempt to address the low breastfeeding rates in Northern Ireland. During Breastival Belfast, a family festival celebrating all things breastfeeding, 191 mums took part in the Global Big Latch On, breaking last year's record for the most children breastfed at the same time and place in Northern Ireland. Currently working as a research fellow at the Centre for Evidence and Social Innovation at Queen's University Belfast, Jennifer became aware that there is 'quite a lot of negative perceptions around breast feeding in public' after the birth of her daughter Eimear. In fact, Eimear was just two weeks old when Jennifer turned on the news in July 2016 to hear breastfeeding mums being branded 'exhibitionists'. East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson caused waves when he described women who wanted to breastfeed in the House of Commons as 'exhibitionists' saying the practice should be done in private. Jennifer was dismayed by the debate which followed and then discovered that Northern Ireland has some of the lowest rates of breast feeding in the world. When she heard about the 'Big Latch On', a global initiative which aims at promoting breast feeding by bringing mothers and families together, she decided to get involved. After the initial event in Belfast City Hall in 2016, which was attended by forty people, Jennifer met up with Jennie Wallace, another mum and business woman. 'We got chatting about the Big Latch On and got funding from the public health agency to hold a bigger event in 2017,' she recalls. This saw them hosting the first Breastival Belfast, which was a huge success as mothers who were breastfeeding were delighted to be able to meet up with others doing the same. 'The level of interest was amazing so we knew we had to go bigger this year.' A chance of venue saw Breastival Belfast 2018 taking place in the Ulster Museum, with over 500 adults turning up, plus children, for a day of talks and workshops for expectant parents, new families, experienced parents and grandparents and supporters. The Politics of Milk panel discussion at Breastival heard from two MPs and four MLAs from six parties in Northern Ireland and was chaired by the outgoing NI Director of the Royal College of Midwives, Breedagh Hughes. The panel was also joined by Claire Allcutt from the Baby Feeding Law Group who set the scene about the World Health Organisation code on the marketing of breast milk substitutes or formula. She highlighted the main weakness of the regulations in that they allow formula companies to market follow-on formula - a loophole which enables promotion of breast milk substitutes. Despite the NHS and World Health Organisation recommendation that children be breastfed until the age of two and beyond, less than 7 per cent of children in Northern Ireland are breastfed past six months. 'Rates in the Republic of Ireland are also low and Ireland is actually a major exporter of infant formula,' says Jennifer. 'We are not trying to say that breast is best, but just that it is just normal. However, it is something which has to be learned and mothers who wish to breastfeed need to be supported.' The skin of the pack animal is used to produce ejiao, an elixir able to cure insomnia, chronic fatigue, anemia and boost libido. The donkey population in China has shrunk within a few years. In Africa it has halved in as many years. To produce 5,000 tons of ejiao (the annual requirement in China) 4 million skins are needed. Nairobi (AsiaNews) - A tonic to treat insomnia, chronic fatigue and boost libido: produced in China, ejiao, is a jelly that is obtained from the donkey skin reduced to powder. No scientific study demonstrates its effectiveness, but the demand for this concoction has grown exponentially in recent years, so much so that the donkey in China risks extinction and in Africa the donkey skins have become a precious commodity. In a report published by Le Monde, a Chinese pharmacist explains: "We use it to make a syrup called ejiao. With the gelatine that is found in the donkey's skin, we make a tonic that can remove all the ills such as anemia, dry cough or the consequences of menopause. But also insomnia or chronic fatigue. It is a medicine that we have been using in China for several years ". About 5 million skins are needed to produce 5,000 tons of ejiao (consumed each year in China). In China, until a few years ago, there were 11 million donkeys. In 2016 there were only five million. The growing demand for this medicine has halved the population of donkeys in China, which has had to supply leather and donkey meat from Africa: Niger, Burkina Faso have banned the export following the reduction of the specimens, used by farmers. Kenya, which maintains important commercial relations with China, has allowed the sale. Here, donkeys have gone from 1.8 million in 2008 to 900 thousand in 2017. The price of donkeys has risen up to 150 euros per head. A figure that local farmers can not afford. The animal rights organization Donkey Sanctuary warns: at this pace donkeys in Africa could become extinct. The poachers, the organization informs, kill dozens of donkeys and skin them on the spot and then resell the skin to Chinese traders. The South Africa Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) explains that the animals are stolen by the farmers and then beaten to death with a hammer, and sometimes skinned alive. The donkey skin market is an example of China's growing interest in Africa. In 2000, Sino-African trade was estimated at 10 billion dollars a year. Now it is close to 200 billion. In addition to donkey skin China also exports from the continent: oil from Angola and Nigeria, copper from the Congo, uranium from Namibia, bauxite from Guinea. China is omnipresent in Africa with manufacturing and with billionaire investments in dams, ports, railways, factories. In this context, "we have great difficulty convincing the government of the need to preserve donkeys, to consider them as an endangered species," explains Kenneth Wameyo, general secretary of the Kenya Veterinary Association (KVA). The Kenyan authorities highlight the economic benefits of this trade, in terms of tax revenue but also of local investments. For example, in the west of the country, the Mogotio slaughterhouse has invested about 5 million euros and has created more than one hundred jobs. Children's charity Barnardos launched a local call for volunteers in Louth. The charity, who work with more than 15,300 children each year, need valuable volunteers for their national collection day, on September 14th. By shaking a bucket or joining an instore bag pack for just two hours, each volunteer can raise up to 100 for vulnerable children in their community. Barnardos seeks to transform the lives of children in Ireland by providing services to help them meet their milestones and get ready for school; by providing family supports to those facing challenges such as poverty and homelessness; and by helping parents to create a better home life for their children. Volunteers are needed for any two hour shift between 8am - 9pm at locations in Dundalk: Tesco Extra, Stapleton Rd, and Longwalk Shopping Centre. To volunteer on Friday 14 September please call 01-7080418. For more information, email buckets@barnardos.ie or visit www.barnardos.ie. Barnardos CEO Fergus Finlay said: 'Each year I am overwhelmed by the surge of support we receive in counties and communities across Ireland.' 'A sea of green volunteers, each coming together at a bag pack or shaking a bucket with a friend. Everyone who takes part makes a real difference for the children in their community, and enjoy the benefits and feel good factor that volunteering can bring - we've had volunteers return year after year and who have a ball on the day themselves. But we always need more, and I hope the people of Louth get behind us this year for the event once again sponsored by Dell. Join us on September 14th to help a child in your community www.barnardos.ie/buckets.' The scene where a lorry struck a bridge at Dunmahon Concerns were raised about lorries passing under local bridges after a truck became lodged under a bridge outside Dundalk last week. The vehicle struck the bridge at Dunmahon, Haggardstown, which carries a section of the Dundalk /Dublin main railway line. Irish Rail were notified about the incident and had to assess the safety of the bridge before reopening the line. The incident forced a series of delays to the Dublin Connolly to Belfast Enterprise service throughout the day. Commenting on the incident, Louth TD Declan Breathnach described it as 'A near catastrophe' But he added that the incident was 'one waiting to happen, where non compliance and lack of awareness by those driving high sided vehicles.' He said that 'more action' was needed 'in signage and alerting lorry drivers to obligations.' But Iarnrod Eireann spokesman Barry Kenny refuted the comments saying that there was inadequate signage at railway bridges to warn drivers. 'The signage isn't just on the bridge, it is placed in advance to warn drivers with high sided vehicles that there is a low bridge, ahead' said Barry. 'There is also data available online to help drivers plan their journey to avoid low bridges.' He added that it was 'ultimately the responsibility of drivers' to ensure their vehicles don't become lodged under low bridges. 'It is as basic a rule of the road as a car having to stop at a red light,' said the spokesman. 'Signage is there to indicate the bridge ahead, and drivers must take heed of it.' Photographs taken at the scene illustrated markings on the bridge where the vehicle had continued attempts to pass despite striking it. A 35-year-old man has appeared in court accused of money laundering and other offences. Pearse O'Connor, Rampark, Jenkinstown, was remanded on his own bail to Dundalk court on 26 September for a book of evidence, on consent. Det Gda Glen Mackessy of the National Crime Bureau gave evidence at last Thursday's sitting of the district court of arresting the accused at Rampark, Jenkinstown at 7.20am on 9 August, 2018. At 9.05am he charged and cautioned the defendant who made no comment. Judge Conal Gibbons heard the DPP has consented to a trial on indictment or a send forward on signed pleas of guilty if that arises. Det Gda Mackessy said gardai have no objection to bail and are satisfied with the accused's own bond on certain conditions. Solicitor Aimee McCumiskey said her client is employed as a salesman with a Belfast-based company and travels north every 10 days. In remanding O'Connor on his own bond of 1,000, the judge said he must reside at his home address, hand over his passport and inform gardai when he intends to travel to Northern Ireland. The accused must also sign-on at Dundalk garda station every Monday and Friday between 9am and 9pm. Pearse O'Connor is charged with, on dates between 4 March, 2015 and 10 March, 2015 inclusive at Bank of Ireland, Clanbrassil Street, Dundalk, engaging in/converting/transferring/acquiring/possessing/using property that is the proceeds of criminal conduct, to wit 250,000, in a bank account held at Bank of Ireland while knowing that/believing that/being reckless as to whether or not the said property was the proceeds of criminal conduct, contrary to the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010. He faces two further counts of the same alleged offence in respect of 24,000 on dates between 11 March, 2015 and 13 March, 2015; and in respect of 5,000 on 24 February, 2015, both at Bank of Ireland, Clanbrassil Street. He is further accused of, between 23 January, 2015 and 14 May, 2015, knowingly being a party to the carrying on of the business, Pearse Roofing & Cladding Ltd. for a fraudulent purpose, namely the dishonest solicitation of payments from Keys Commercial Finance Ltd. by furnishing false or misleading invoices to it, contrary to Section 297 of the Companies Act 1963, as substituted by Section 137 of the Companies Act, 1990. O'Connor is also charged with, at Ardee Road, Dundalk, between 1 January, 2015 and 31 January, 2015, using an instrument, to wit, Pearse Roofing & Cladding Ltd. directors' report and unaudited financial statements for the year ended 30 September, 2014, with the intention of inducing another person to accept it as genuine, contrary to Section 26 of the Criminal Justice (Theft & Fraud Offences) Act 2001. A major overhaul of the ageing water network is getting underway across Louth, the Argus learned. Irish Water, in partnership with Louth County Council, confirmed they are 'rolling out a programme of works to replace ageing water mains prone to frequent bursts in a number of locations across the county.' Grainne Carey, from Irish Water's Leakage Reduction Programme explained that 'once complete the benefits of the project for local communities will include a more reliable water supply for all customers.' 'This means reduced leakage on the network and improved water quality. Operational and maintenance costs will also be reduced as the network operation will require less maintenance. It is part of a four year programme, aimed at reducing the level of leakage across the country by fixing and replacing ageing and leaking water pipes. 'This will ensure a safe, reliable water supply which is vital for our health, our environment and our growing population and economy.' Works to replace an aging section of water mains have recently commenced in Hill Street, Dundalk. 'These works involve the replacement of approximately 150 metres of old cast iron mains which have been causing water quality issues for the community with polyethylene pipes.' Irish Water also confirmed that the project to replace 'problematic water mains' in Chapel Hill and Howeshill, Omeath, is due to commence towards the end of August. 'The works involve the replacement of approximately 1 km of pipes in Chapel Hill and 600 metres in Howeshill. The existing mains are problematic PVC which are prone to bursts. Existing mains will be replaced with high density polyethylene pipes,' said Grainne. 'The works to replace problematic water mains will also involve laying new water service connections from the public water main in the road to the customers' property boundary and connecting it to the customers' water supply.' A programme of lead pipe replacement also continues taking place across Dundalk as part of the Leakage Reduction Programme. 'Irish Water has planned the works in short sections in order to limit impact on customers. Traffic management may be in place over the course of the works.' The spokeswoman confirmed that works may involve some 'short-term water shut offs and the project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours' notice prior to any planned water shut offs. Local and emergency traffic will be maintained at all times.' Grainne added 'The replacement of ageing water mains in a number of locations in County Louth will improve security of supply for local residents and businesses alike. Replacing the existing water mains with new modern pipes will provide a long-term solution to ensure a safe and secure water supply is delivered to customers. Irish Water understands this type of work can be inconvenient and will ensure our work crews make every effort to minimise any disruption these works may cause. We want to thank the communities where the works are taking place for their patience while we deliver these necessary water network improvements.' Residents and businesses in the areas of the works have been notified and customers can call the Irish Water customer helpline on 1850 278 278 for any questions in relation to the works. They came, they saw - they love it! The 2018 Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann kicked off in the best way possible on Sunday when President Michael D Higgins addressed thousands at the Bolton Square gig rig. He said a legacy would be left by Drogheda, an historic place by the banks of the Boyne. 'New friendships will be made and old ones rekindled,' he remarked. 'There has been wonderful voluntary work done for the past six years and the story of this Fleadh will reach around the world on Fleadh TV,' he remarked. 'Congratulations to those businesses who put in a huge effort in beautifying their premises and the town. I have never ever seen the streets and the town looking so well! Drogheda and its people have a lot to be proud of', said Mayor Frank Godfrey. 'Irish music is alive and well in Drogheda - just look at our local Comhaltas branch and how it has grown, as well as other musical groups. And then there's The Voice Squad, music collector Sean Corcoran, and Nicholas Carolan founder and director of the Irish Traditional Music Archive,' he remarked. A total of 1,604 students will receive their Leaving Certificates results this morning in County Wicklow, 817 male and 787 female. Eighty-three pupils sat the Leaving Certificate Applied this year - 47 male and 36 female. Schools across the county will be handing out results from early morning ahead of the midday release of the results online. This year sees the first examination in the Leaving Certificate subject Politics and Society, with 867 candidates in 41 schools receiving their results this morning. 2018 also sees changed assessment arrangements in Leaving Certificate Art. While there has been no change in the subject specification, a new assessment framework has been introduced. Two of the previous four components of the Leaving Certificate Art examination were replaced with a single coursework component. The Imaginative Composition or Still Life component and the Craft or Design component were executed as coursework by students over an extended period of time and were no longer taken as standalone examination sessions in May. Instead of producing artefacts in invigilated examinations over a short space of time, candidates develop and make their work over 12 weeks in their classroom using a Coursework workbook issued by the SEC. Students this year are reminded that due to new data protection legislation, which could cause a 90 day waiting period to access copies of scripts, the only opportunity to view papers ahead of the appeal application is at the viewing sessions in their schools on August 31 and September 1. Under a new initiative this year, candidates viewing scripts are allowed to bring a mobile phone, tablet or digital camera with them to the viewing session in order to make a copy of their own script(s). Candidates do not need to have viewed their script to make an appeal but anyone considering an appeal is strongly advised to view their scripts first. As in previous years, candidates must attend the viewing session themselves, accompanied by a person of their choice, and, this year, can bring a mobile phone, tablet or digital camera with them to the viewing session in order to make a copy of their own scripts. The closing date for receipt of completed application forms in schools is Tuesday, August 21. External candidates should follow the instructions that accompany their provisional statement of results. Meanwhile, the ASTI has encouraged pupils to consider all their options once they receive their results. 'It is important to keep things in perspective over the coming days,' said ASTI president Breda Lynch. 'Whatever set of results you hold in your hands tomorrow, you have options. There are many ways for you to pursue your interests. Keep calm, talk to others, and seek advice if necessary so that you can make a considered choice,' she said. In Arklow, principal of Arklow CBS, Peter Somers said that students should always take the opportunity to view their scripts and to wait until they receive their first offer before they make any decision. Guidance counselling will be available to students this year through the NPCpp helpline sponsored by the Irish Independent and the Department of Education and Skills. The Helpline is manned by qualified, professional and very experienced guidance counsellors. To speak to a guidance counsellor call 1800 265 165. Victims of crime need not be alone when facing the ordeal of court appearances in County Wicklow. This follows the announcement by one of Ireland's leading victims' charities, Victim Support at Court (V-SAC), of the expansion of their court accompaniment service into regional courts, including sittings in Wicklow. It means victims of crime, their families and prosecution witnesses in the criminal justice system can avail of a range of free support services, including accompaniment while facing the sometimes daunting challenge of attending court. V-SAC Regional Coordinator Niamh Lambert said: 'V-SAC is the only charity in Ireland dedicated to supporting victims of crime at possibly the most difficult and traumatic time - when they have to go to court and face the person accused of doing harm to them or their loved one.' Pointing out that most people are unaware that they are entitled to free support while attending court, Ms Lambert said: 'We want to let people know that they are not alone and V-SAC is here to support them during their trial. 'Our service is committed to making the court process less intimidating for victims and witnesses, giving them a safe space where they can be apart from the general public and a listening ear if they need it.' Ireland's leading free court accompaniment service, covering all types of crime, V-SAC last year provided court accompaniment to over 1,200 people. This included support during homicide, rape and sexual assault cases, assaults, domestic violence and human trafficking. Ms Lambert said V-SAC is expanding its service into the Eastern and South-Eastern Circuit Court Districts to meet a growing need. 'Demand for the service has grown year on year and that is why we are driving forward this expansion throughout Ireland.' V-SAC volunteers provide support in all criminal cases where a victim is involved. The organisation's services are free and available to anyone who has been a victim of crime and due to attend court. The organisation also supports victims in pre-trial visits, sentencing hearings, retrials and appeals. The charity is funded annually by the Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime within the Department of Justice Anyone who would like support while attending court should visit the website www.vsac.ie or contact V-SAC on info@vasc.ie or 085-860-7739. Around 200 people attended meetings in Greystones, Newcastle and Kilcoole recently, to discuss planned changes to the Dublin Bus network. The sessions were arranged by Cllr Derek Mitchell, Minister Simon Harris and Alice O'Donnell. 'Many points were raised, but in general it was felt that 'Bus Connects' produces a better bus service for the area,' said Cllr Mitchell. There was, however, considerable concern in Kilpedder/Willow Grove, that the planned service would not go through the area. 'I think that the 201 should still go through northbound, as it will only add about two minutes to the journey,' said Cllr Mitchell in a submission based on feedback from the meetings. He said that two 84X services outside peak times should not be deleted, and that some 201s could go via Greystones Harbour. Cllr Mitchell suggested an outer orbital route using the M50, to serve the Luas at Carrickmines and Red Cow as well as other locations. 'Many people in north Wicklow work in Sandyford and west Dublin and public transport is far too slow and indirect. Thus they use cars but a more direct bus service should reduce traffic on the N11/M50. While connecting to Luas at Sandyford would be better in some ways, the bus would get tied up in the bad traffic there.' Cllr Mitchell said that a bus journey from Greystones to Bray Dart Station could take up to 50 minutes in traffic. 'In that time an 84X would get to UCD,' he said. 'Proposals for Bray bus corridors only cover the north end which is short. 'The 201/202 needs bus priority all through south and central Bray, which I think would be strongly resisted,' he said. Other items in the submission, include scepticism at connectivity between bus and train times, access to St Vincent's hospital, narrowness of roads, and traffic issues. He also said that there is concern at Sea Road in Kilcoole not being served. Cllr Mitchell said that connected tickets with the 133 Bus Eireann route would enable transfers serving Wicklow Town and other areas. 'The 133 is currently unreliable but when working as it should it provides a swift and easy route to the city at regular intervals throughout the day,' he said. Scottish duo Simon Clark and Rachel Winter made their way through County Wicklow over the weekend, as they run around the Irish coastline. They also met up with Bray man Callum Jacobs in Dublin last week, who attempted the same 2,000-mile feat four years ago. Simon and Rachel set off from O'Connell Bridge last Tuesday, with a fundraising target of 10,000 for the Ecologia Youth Trust's work with vulnerable youngsters in Scotland, Kenya, Uganda, Myanmar and Russia. They will run 20 miles a day over a four-month period, carrying bare essentials and finishing in time for Christmas. Rachel is a former Eocologia volunteer coordinator and she supported Simon on a 5,000 UK run last year. The duo are looking for offers of beds, sofas, floors and barns to sleep in along the way in Ireland as well as company in the form of cyclists, runners and walkers wishing to join them for a few hours. Dependent upon the generosity of people they will meet on the way, the route will take them clockwise, from the urban streets of Dublin, to the long stretches of white, east coast beaches and onwards. Staying as close as possible to the coast and taking in all of the beauty of Ireland. They are hoping to finish back in Findhorn, Scotland in time to celebrate Christmas. Inspired by Rosie Swale Pope's Just a Little Run Around the World, Simon is following the edge of mainland Ireland. At the same time, he is dedicating his journey of self-discovery to supporting Ecologia's work with children and young people facing their own tough challenges. 'Giving - no doubt at times, grinding out - an effort to benefit youngsters who have less fortuitous circumstances than mine seems the least I can do, and the thought of carrying and needing very little, while asking others to give a lot to improve the lives of children seems the best of affairs,' he said. The team's route and position can be found on a live map at ecologia.org. As has so often been the case a single photograph has put an ongoing humanitarian crisis into stark perspective and galvanised the public. The ongoing housing and homelessness crisis has been in the news for years now with harrowing stories of hardship emerging from every county on a near daily basis. Despite this the majority of the public have, until very recently, paid scant attention to the issue. Hotels and hostels the length and breadth of the country may have been full of homeless families but, to a large extent, the general public seemed not to care all that much. Out of sight out of mind, as they say. The lack of public outrage has given the Government an excuse for inaction. With no public outcry the political consequences of ignoring the problem were relatively minor. Hard-left parties made noise in the Dail but their supporters were hardly likely to vote Fine Gael or Fianna Fail in any case. Cold electoral thinking came into play. Why waste time and cash pandering to people who won't vote for you anyway? Given the number of landlords in the Dail - who have vested financial interest in the status quo - there has also been a limited appetite among TDs to seriously address the situation. Last week the situation changed, literally, overnight. The photos of Margaret Cash and her children sleeping on benches in Tallaght Garda Station shocked and appalled the public. The images - which were appalling - showed the human impact of the crisis in the starkest possible terms. Whatever your opinion of Ms Cash - and plenty of anonymous Internet trolls have attacked her in the vilest terms since her story emerged - no one can deny that the sight of a little boy in his school uniform, huddled on a plastic bench in a garda station lobby is anything other than heartbreaking. Images of suffering children have a powerful way of galvanising public opinion. Think of the dead baby on the beach that parked the Syrian rescue efforts; the naked, napalm-scorched, young girl in Vietnam or images of child starvation in Africa. The Cash family's situation is not as serious - they aren't fleeing war or starving to death - but they, and many others need our help. The photos of the Cash family sum up how the State continues to fail its most vulnerable. For years the Government have been allowed get away with utterly failed policies that have done almost nothing to deal with the housing crisis. The developer focussed approach has been an abject failure and it needs to be ditched. NAMA's remit should be changed to encourage it to provide development lands to councils and housing bodies that can and will provide houses to those who most need them. Most importantly the Government needs to start spending. Wishful thinking hasn't worked and the private sector - eyeing enormous profits - hasn't offered up a magic solution. It is clearly time for a fresh and more aggressive approach to this crisis. Perhaps Mr Varadkar and Minister Murphy might look to Franklin Roosevelt for inspiration because, right now, thousands of Irish families desperately need a 'New Deal.' The case of Margaret Cash, the Dublin mother of seven who slept in Tallaght Garda Station last week when the homeless family could not secure accommodation, has been a widespread source of debate in the past week. The image of her children huddled up asleep on the station's waiting room benches was a harrowing sight and you would have to have a heart of stone not to feel for them. Since she hit the headlines, and said that the State has failed to house her and her children, she has been the target of much abuse and criticism for her parenting and lifestyle choices which have only served to distract from the issue at heart. Slating the woman for her personal choices, and situations where she may have had no control over, does not change the fact that no child in this country should be sleeping on a garda station bench. There seems to be a disturbing view that by helping this family and the many others like them, society is somehow enabling them to 'play the system'. This is a load of rubbish, because, regardless of whether a parent can afford to house a child or not, that child still needs to be accommodated. Nobody should have the view that they should sink or swim alone, and when there are children involved, particularly, the State has a duty of care to them. It is understood that Ms Cash has been on a social housing list for 11 years. If this is true and she has not been housed in all that time then the system is even worse than many of us thought. While she has taken plenty of abuse since she went public after that night, what do the critics say about the dozens of other families in Dublin alone who also presented to garda stations? They are not all playing the system or creaming off the State. If anybody had any sort of means to pay for suitable accommodation, of course they would secure it privately for the sake of their children rather than having the face the shame of presenting as homeless in a garda station. We all know the problems with the lack of housing, extortionate rents and a list of housing applicants which is growing far more rapidly than properties can be sourced or built. Blaming those in need, however, is never going to be a solution. Friends and associates of Millstreet Credit Union convened for a night of celebration marking 50 years of financial service to the area. The golden anniversary gala, hosted in partnership with Mallow Credit Union, acknowledged a milestone in the local credit union's history and focused on saying thank-you to the local people involved and recognizing the early pioneers who had the vision and foresight to establish the many individual credit unions that make up Millstreet and hundreds of units right across the country. It took great dedication and hard work from those early visionaries to get the movement started in Millstreet, where volunteers and staff have all played their part in elevating the credit union in the town to its success of the present era. Continuing to maintain the success it has achieved over the years, those involved in Millstreet have time and again improved existing services to its members. And to maintain its growth in the current decade, the board of directors of Millstreet Credit Union began the process of meeting with other credit unions with a view to joining forces, sharing costs, introducing new services and strengthening the credit union in Millstreet for the future. This led in 2016 to the eventual transfer of engagements to Mallow Credit Union Limited, who share a very similar ethos and loyalty to their members as held in Millstreet Credit Union. At the celebration in the Wallis Arms Hotel, Mallow Credit Union president David Browne hailed the contribution of Milllstreet's surviving founders, Der and Ted Kiely, and to those who have supported 50 years of credit union service to the town. "Thanks to the efforts of Der and Ted, in addition to the many volunteers, staff and members, the credit union has grown and evolved over the past 50 years. And given our progress, communities and families can develop better into the future", said David. The Millstreet celebrations began with a Mass celebrated in St. Patrick's Church by Fr. Paddy O'Byrne followed by the unveiling of a plaque by the founders. Co-founder Ted Kiely spoke of how the credit union movement in Millstreet had been very successful thanks to the diligence of staff and volunteers. "Establishing the credit union was so important and necessary," he said. "We remember the founder, Nora Herlihy, a native of Ballydesmond, a teacher in Dublin. She got interested in the co-op movement and from a fact finding mission to Canada she returned with the idea of the credit union. Today, there isn't any part of Ireland not covered by the credit union movement", said Ted. Founding colleague Der Kiely related how the concept of a Millstreet Credit Union was originally mooted back in 1964. "Two people from Mallow came to a meeting in Cullen to explain the concept. Following some time, late curate Fr. Quirke got involved and from his great work Millstreet Credit Union was founded in 1968", he said. Sgt Stubby: An Unlikely Hero is a remarkable tale of camaraderie during conflict Bravery on two and four legs during the First World War wags the tail of director Richard Lanni's charming if lightweight computer-animated history lesson Sgt Stubby: An Unlikely Hero pays tribute to the most decorated dog in US history, who served his country for 18 months, predominantly alongside one master for 17 battles and four military campaigns. This remarkable tale of camaraderie during bitter and bloody conflict made headlines across America and Lanni's picture concludes with photographs of the real-life Stubby and his proud handler, Robert Conroy. Patriotic pride courses through the veins of a script co-written by Mike Stokey, which narrates the flourishing bond between man and beast in the words of Conroy's sister Margaret (voiced by Helena Bonham Carter), who received letters from her younger sibling during his time behind enemy lines. 'This is the true story of a special friendship my brother made while training for the war,' she coos in the opening voiceover. The narrative is simplistic in order to appeal to children and parents, both of whom will struggle to resists the wide-eye charms of the titular terrier. More than once, a tear welled in my eye as Stubby demonstrated his unerring, selfless devotion to his human master. During a military parade in 1917 New Haven, Connecticut, wet-behind-the-ears US Army recruit Robert Conroy (Logan Lerman) tosses food to a stray dog on the street. The mangy mutt follows Conroy - a member of the newly formed 'Yankee' Division - to a nearby training ground where the animal charms fellow enlistees Olsen (Jordan Beck) and Schroeder (Jim Pharr). Sergeant Casburn (Jason Ezzell) allows the dog, christened Stubby because of its tail, to stay as the regiment's mascot and Conroy trains his four-legged companion to salute. The men ship out to France aboard USS Minnesota with Stubby in tow and commanding officer Colonel Ty (Pharr again) gives his blessing to the creature's tour of duty. 'Make sure he gets some dog tags,' growls the military man. Consequently, Stubby joins Conroy, Olsen and Schroeder as they join the French lines in Chemins des Dames, where they are taken under the wing of Gaston Baptiste (Gerard Depardieu) from the third regiment. As the fight against the Germans intensifies, Conroy and co march to Seicheprey where a flu epidemic sweeps through the trenches and the dog's presence buoys spirits in the men's darkest hours. Sgt Stubby: An Unlikely Hero warms the cockles of cynical hearts with gentle humour and warming sentiment. The title character follows in the paw prints of Lassie by warnings allied soldiers about an impending mustard gas attack and locating fallen soldiers in no man's land. Vocal performances are muted but hit the requisite emotional notes to complement Patrick Doyle's rousing orchestral score. As has so often been the case a single photograph has put an ongoing humanitarian crisis into stark perspective and galvanised the public. The ongoing housing and homelessness crisis has been in the news for years now with harrowing stories of hardship emerging from every county on a near daily basis. Despite this the majority of the public have, until very recently, paid scant attention to the issue. Hotels and hostels the length and breadth of the country may have been full of homeless families but, to a large extent, the general public seemed not to care all that much. Out of sight out of mind, as they say. The lack of public outrage has given the Government an excuse for inaction. With no public outcry the political consequences of ignoring the problem were relatively minor. Hard-left parties made noise in the Dail but their supporters were hardly likely to vote Fine Gael or Fianna Fail in any case. Cold electoral thinking came into play. Why waste time and cash pandering to people who won't vote for you anyway? Given the number of landlords in the Dail - who have vested financial interest in the status quo - there has also been a limited appetite among TDs to seriously address the situation. Last week the situation changed, literally, overnight. The photos of Margaret Cash and her children sleeping on benches in Tallaght Garda Station shocked and appalled the public. The images - which were appalling - showed the human impact of the crisis in the starkest possible terms. Whatever your opinion of Ms Cash - and plenty of anonymous Internet trolls have attacked her in the vilest terms since her story emerged - no one can deny that the sight of a little boy in his school uniform, huddled on a plastic bench in a garda station lobby is anything other than heartbreaking. Images of suffering children have a powerful way of galvanising public opinion. Think of the dead baby on the beach that parked the Syrian rescue efforts; the naked, napalm-scorched, young girl in Vietnam or images of child starvation in Africa. The Cash family's situation is not as serious - they aren't fleeing war or starving to death - but they, and many others need our help. The photos of the Cash family sum up how the State continues to fail its most vulnerable. For years the Government have been allowed get away with utterly failed policies that have done almost nothing to deal with the housing crisis. The developer focussed approach has been an abject failure and it needs to be ditched. NAMA's remit should be changed to encourage it to provide development lands to councils and housing bodies that can and will provide houses to those who most need them. Most importantly the Government needs to start spending. Wishful thinking hasn't worked and the private sector - eyeing enormous profits - hasn't offered up a magic solution. It is clearly time for a fresh and more aggressive approach to this crisis. Perhaps Mr Varadkar and Minister Murphy might look to Franklin Roosevelt for inspiration because, right now, thousands of Irish families desperately need a 'New Deal.' Always a hit on the summer calendar, the countdown is now well and truly on for the Bree barn dance which kicks off on Saturday, August 25. In particular, there's great excitement for this year's headline act - The Kilkennys. One of the country's most sought after folk and ballad groups, the four-piece made up of Robbie Campion, Davey Cashin, Tommy Mackey and Mick McGrath are looking forward to bringing a buzz to the barn as they rip through a set ranging from Irish classics, right up to the modern era. As always, the barn dance will take over Byrne's Grainstore in Bree and will see people travel from surrounding areas in large volumes for ceol and craic. Tickets for the event are selling fast and you can purchase yours now through eventbrite.ie. They are priced at 17 for the early-bird tickets, while standard entry is 21. A limited amount of tickets will also be on sale at Byrne's of Bree and, however you get them, people are advised to get their tickets fast and enjoy a great night of music. Victims of crime need not be alone when facing the ordeal of court appearances in County Wexford. This follows the announcement by one of Ireland's leading victims' charities, Victim Support at Court (V-SAC), of the expansion of their court accompaniment service into regional courts, including sittings in Wexford. It means victims of crime, their families and prosecution witnesses in the criminal justice system can avail of a range of free support services, including accompaniment while facing the sometimes daunting challenge of attending court. V-SAC Regional Coordinator Niamh Lambert said: 'V-SAC is the only charity in Ireland dedicated to supporting victims of crime at possibly the most difficult and traumatic time - when they have to go to court and face the person accused of doing harm to them or their loved one.' Pointing out that most people are unaware that they are entitled to free support while attending court, Ms Lambert said: 'We want to let people know that they are not alone and V-SAC is here to support them during their trial. 'Our service is committed to making the court process less intimidating for victims and witnesses, giving them a safe space where they can be apart from the general public and a listening ear if they need it.' Ireland's leading free court accompaniment service, covering all types of crime, V-SAC last year provided court accompaniment to over 1,200 people. This included support during homicide, rape and sexual assault cases, assaults, domestic violence and human trafficking. Ms Lambert said V-SAC is expanding its service into the Eastern and South-Eastern Circuit Court Districts to meet a growing need. 'Demand for the service has grown year on year and that is why we are driving forward this expansion throughout Ireland.' V-SAC volunteers provide support in all criminal cases where a victim is involved. The organisation's services are free and available to anyone who has been a victim of crime and due to attend court. The organisation also supports victims in pre-trial visits, sentencing hearings, retrials and appeals. The charity is funded annually by the Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime within the Department of Justice If you would like support while attending court check out the website www.vsac.ie or contact V-SAC on info@vasc.ie or 085-860-7739. The talk on Constance Markievicz by biographer Anne Haverty will take place on August 30 While Enniscorthy major role in the 1916 Rising is well documented, a special talk about one of it's seminal figures and one of the forebearers of Irish independence will take place at Enniscorthy Athenaeum on Thursday, August 30 at 7pm. Anne Haverty is a noted biographer of Constance Markievicz and will present a fascinating talk on her life and times which is sure to tickle the interest of anyone with even a passing interest in history. Anne's biography of Markievicz is recognised as a landmark in the study of this revolutionary figure, one who was often maligned and misunderstood. Titled 'The Unlikely Revolutionary' the talk will take a look at the event's that shaped Constance Markievicz as a mythical Irish figure. In August of 1918, the Irish revolutionary Constance Markievicz was a prisoner in Holloway jail in London. Within a few months she would be a Sinn Fein MP, the first woman to be elected to parliament. Her background as one of the Protestant Ascendancy was so in stark contrast to that of the average revolutionary at this time, that it adds to her fascinating story as an 'unlikely revolutionary'. Anne Haverty is greatly looking forward to presenting this talk in what was the site of Enniscorthy's own rising in 1916. She also has her own substantial connection to the town, having been married to the late Enniscorthy born author and man of letters Anthony Cronin. Booking for this event is essential. For information call Enniscorthy Library on 0539236055. Labour Party TD for Dublin Fingal, Brendan Ryan TD has welcomed a commitment he has received from the National Transport Authority that a second bus would now be added to the 101X service, due in Balrothery at 6:10am each morning. Deputy Ryan said: 'I am delighted that, after my engagement with the NTA, they have agreed to expand the morning 101X service. I had previously highlighted with Minister for Transport, Shane Ross that the existing service was completely inadequate to deal with the demand. Balrothery has no Dublin Bus or Irish Rail connections at present, and the 101 is of vital importance to the area. Under the previous service, the bus was full on arrival at Balrothery, causing significant disruption to commuters and residents.' Fine Gael Local Area Representative for Donabate and Portrane, Bob Dowling has called for a new 'full public consultation process' to be implemented for any further development in the area. The peninsula has been the site for many construction projects in recent times, and Mr Dowling has demanded that local people be properly consulted before any further planning permissions are granted. . He said: 'Over the last 18 months there has been a serious increase in the amount of development occurring on the Donabate and Portrane peninsula. 'Over 1,000 housing units are currently under construction and many of these have been unsuitable developments that have unfortunately gained planning permission. I want the full public consultation process to be applied for all further development in the area.' Mr Dowling added: 'In my view there need to be a specific place where local people can view planning applications, gain information on how to submit an observation and be shown the options that are available to them if they believe the application is unsuitable for the peninsula. 'For too long the residents have been left behind and only become aware of these applications at a later stage. I believe the library would be an ideal place to show these applications.' Mr Dowling said: 'Despite many housing units being under construction in the area, it is expected that there will be many more units under construction also, with the Ballymastone masterplan set to be put into place shortly.' He called for all residents to be informed of these vital proposals as they will have a real effect on the people living on the peninsula. He said that the community needed more communication from the county council. Mr Dowling said: 'Firstly, all community groups, including the Community Council should receive a full briefing on any proposals. 'I am also calling for a public meeting to be organised by Fingal County Council to explain any plans for the Ballymastone lands and this meeting should be open to all residents. This can set a positive precedent for future consultation.' Finally, Mr Dowling said he would be working with his party colleagues both in the council and in parliament to ensure that his proposals can become a reality. 'I will be contacting my Fine Gael colleagues to attempt to raise this issue at a council level, but also nationally as I believe this should be the case in all towns and villages throughout both Fingal and the country,' he concluded. The manager of Hook Lighthouse has defended wild camping in front of the iconic tower, after complaints about camper vans spoiling the views. Cllr Martin Murphy raised the issue at a meeting of Wexford County Council, calling on the local authority to do something to resolve the issue. Cllr Murphy said: `Camper vans are blocking the view of our scenic viewpoints along the coast. Over the past months people going to our beauty destinations have been looking at 30 or 40 camper vans. They are entitled to be there but I believe the public, who are going there to enjoy the view, are entitled to see it.' Cllr Murphy said camper van owners set up tables outside the vans and while away lengthy periods blocking the view. `In the past we have been told there were no alternative sites in the areas. There are caravan parks six or seven miles away.' In a note to this newspaper entitled 'Seascape or Hook Head halting site?' Gerard O'Reilly said: 'The jewel in the crown of South Wexford tourist attractions has become a halting site for tourists in camper vans, caravans and tents. Why can't Wexford County Council ban parking on the sea front on Hook Head and encourage local land owners in the Fethard on Sea area with development grants to provide proper facilities for campers? The splendid sense of remoteness and unspoiled seascape that used to be on the peninsula is totally destroyed by unregulated camping. How I miss the days when the only things to be seen were the lighthouse, the little stone wall enclosed fields, the sea and the sky.' In a letter defending the rights of camper van owners to park up where they like, Jim McCormack said motorhome tourism is vitally important to the Irish economy. He said Cllr Murphy's assertion that motorhome owners should use campsites provided in the locality does more to harm motorhome tourism in the area than anything else. 'The 5,100 members of the Irish Motorhome Group I help administrate are less than impressed. Motorhomers don't need to use campsites, we have all the facilities on board. 100 litres of fresh water, shower, toilet, beds, solar panels for electric. Councillors are constantly harping on about tourism, and the need to get more money into the country, If I book my motorhome into a campsite, and pay sometimes up to 40 for everything per night (more on a bank holiday weekend), that's 40 I won't spend in the local economy, the campsite owners get it all. Is this fair? If I am taxed, insured, and considerate with my parking, clean up after me, spend money in the local shops, bars and restaurants, can you tell me who benefits from me being moved on. The campsite owners do. If I like a town and want to explore and meet the locals, who benefits from me being moved on, the campsite owners do. Once I'm moved on and can't find somewhere to park up for the night, and am forced to use a campsite, who benefits, the campsite owners do.' Mr McCormack said he has met motorhomers from France, Germany and as far away as Australia who come to Ireland to tour in their motorhomes and spend some much needed money in the local economies. 'Not sit in a campsite and spend hundreds of euro a week on campsite facilities which are not needed. Which they are often forced to do because of the lack of proper motorhome facilities in Ireland. In France, for example, Aire-de-service's in practically every town and village, sometimes charging 5-10 but mostly free, because guess what, while parked in the towns and villages, they spend money in the shops, bars and restaurants.' Hook Lighthouse Manager Ann Waters said she welcomes campers, be they arriving on the Hook Peninsula in motorhomes, caravans or with tents. She attributed the outcry about camper vans taking over the area to the long, hot summer we've been enjoying. 'I wouldn't have a problem with it at all. This area outside the walls has been used for wild camping for years. It's unusual this summer in that we have had such a hot summer so we've been getting a lot more camper vans and tents. I honestly don't think caravan people are a problem at all.' She said: 'I think it's unfortunate that Ireland is closing its doors to them as when people wild camp they have to go in to a campsite every three nights. They are usually older people or parents with small kids so they are valuable to the economy.' Ms Waters said the wild campers don't cause any anti-social behaviour problems. 'I think it's a little bit of an over-reaction. People have bought the tents in Aldi and they pitch them here. We have regulars who come back and wild camp with us every year and use the cafe and do the tours and attend our events. Because they are wild camping we can't help them out.' Addressing complaints concerning views being spoiled, Ms Waters said: 'Just step around the camper van.' She said businesses in the Hook Peninsula and all along the coast are enjoying a great summer's trade, adding that campers of all varieties are a big factor in this. 'I don't think it should become a negative. We have so many unspoilt viewing areas along the peninsula.' She said part of the development plans for Hook Lighthouse - which are ready to be put before Bord Failte - include a designated camper van and camping area near the lighthouse, adding that there is no update in relation to funding as of yet. 'We still welcome wild campers here at Hook Lighthouse and we would love to be able to look after them. I would hate to think we would be part of eliminating wild camping. I have spoken to caravan park owners who say they are extremely busy thanks to wild campers.' While Ferns' unique place in history is well recorded, it was reaffirmed last week as a potentially ground-breaking historical artefact was handed over to the National Monuments Office for analysis. The piece of tile was discovered while opening a grave for burial behind St Edan's Cathedral by gravedigger Joey Carr and when you look closely depicts a knight on horseback. The experts believe that the tile dates from the late 13th Century- the Strongbow/William Marshal era - and are unsure that anything similar has been found in Ireland. 'Joey noticed the tile when he was opening a grave and was just curious,' said Colm Morris of Ferns Heritage Group. 'He was just curious and has an interest in history anyway. You could make out part of a horse with the head in reigns and a knight. He knew it was unusual and is aware of the history of the area so he got in touch with us and we touched base with the OPW.' Ferns Heritage Group held onto the piece for a time for safe-keeping, but last week it was officially handed over to Chris Corlett of the National Monuments Section who said it was a 'very exciting find'. Mr Corlett surmised that the tile was for decorative use either as part of the church or the chapter-house floor, the ruins of which are situated at the back of the present cathedral. He said that, while he believed that similar tiles had been found across the UK, he was unaware of such a find in Ireland before and he looked forward to researching the matter fully. Meanwhile, the Ferns group are hopeful that the artefact will eventually return for display in the visitor's centre there. 'In Ferns we would hope that it would come back in time to be displayed in Ferns, it's such a tangible link to our medieval past,' said Chairperson of the Ferns Heritage Project Catherine MacPartlin. 'Just think, this tile goes back to the 13th century, the period when Strongbow and William Marshal were in Ferns and likely walked on that very same tile. Apart from being a link to our past, it is also a work of art, a beautiful depiction of a knight on horseback - very special.' Heritage week (August 18 - 26) sees a number of historical-themed events taking place in Ferns including a guided walking tour of Ferns medieval and early Christian sites on Tuesday August 21 at 2 p.m. and a Ferns Medieval Feast demonstration and talk at St Mogues Cottage on August 25. For more information and a full list of events, contact fernsheritageproject@gmail.com. The Oscar-nominated film director Jim Sheridan was a special guest at the third Wexford Film Festival, taking part in a Q&A session with the author Eoin Colfer in front of an audience at Wexford Arts Centre. Sheridan produced the documentary Shelter Me, about the homelessness crisis in Ireland, which was screened at festival organised by filmmakers Dave and Karl McGlone. The hour-long film documents the occasion in December 2016 when activists took over an empty NAMA building, Apollo House, in Dublin. Sheridan joined Eoin Colfer on stage to talk about the documentary and the film industry in general while Colfer spoke about the movie based on his Artemis Fowl series, directed by Kenneth Brannagh, which is due to be released next year. A total of 30 films, mostly shorts were screened during the weekend, with entries from Ireland (including three from Wexford), the US, Australia, Germany, France, Belgium and the UK. The Best Director award was won by Vincent Lambe for 'Detainment'; Best Film, Bride of Frankie, directed by Devi Snively from Ohio, USA; Best Actor was 11-year old Ely Solan for his role in Detainment; Best Actress was nine-year old Isobel Connolly from Kildare, for her role in 'A Timely Gift' and the Best Screenplay award was won by Damien Aylesbury for Memoirs Of A Docket. CCE Tuaisceart Loch Garman will head to Drogheda to represent Wexford at the Fleadh Cheoil Many members of CCE Tuaisceart Loch Garman will head to Drogheda this week to represent Wexford at the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil. The north Wexford Branch were very successful at the Leinster Fleadh which was held in July. The U 12 and U 15 Ceili Bands retained their titles yet again and will return to the All Ireland Fleadh as Leinster Champions The U 18 Ceili Band and Senior Grupai Cheoil both got second place and are delighted to be heading to Drogheda also. 'A special mention to our u12 grupa cheoil who took 3rd place but we're unlucky not to qualify,' said Sinead Tobin from CCE Tuaisceart Loch Garman. Many of the young members were also very successful in their solo competitions and will go forward to represent CCE Tuaisceart Loch Garman at All Ireland level. Sinead said they would like to take this opportunity to wish all groups and soloists the very best in their endeavours, and enjoy the atmosphere in Drogheda. Fresh Brexit fears were triggered nationally this week as a Kerry TD raised yet another potential pitfall that could bleed tens of millions of Euros out of the economy in the short term, amid fears over the payment of pensions. Fianna Fail TD John Brassil raised the issue following contact by a Kerry constituent who was warned by her pension provider in the UK that payment into her Irish bank account could be discontinued in the event of a 'no-deal' Brexit. "If Britain exits the EU without a deal, as is a distinct possibility, pension providers in the UK warn they will no longer be able to pay into Irish banks in what will be a completely separate financial jurisdiction. "They are now being advised to set up British bank accounts, something that is difficult in the extreme for non-residents of the UK," Deputy Brassil told The Kerryman this week. "People will still get their pension but might not be able to access it in the short term." In the wake of his warning it has emerged that around 120,000 people in the Republic are in receipt of a British state pension, with many more also in receipt of private pensions from the UK. Deputy Brassil is now urgently calling on the Irish Government to do everything it possibly can in working towards a Brexit deal with minimal impact on the citizens of the country. "The only way things can work out to our advantage in my opinion is with a soft Brexit. This is way too important now as the only country that's going to be really affected by Brexit at the end of the day is ourselves. "We're six months away from the UK leaving the EU, but we don't seem to be any closer to a deal, and there's nothing to satisfy me that things are going to end any way favourably for Ireland. I hope I'm wrong. "I've warned about the potential shortage of drugs in the event of a 'no deal' already. The big issue of the border is what is being talked about mainly, but it's all the small issues, like pensions, that are the ones which will hurt us more than anything else," he warned. Communities across Kerry are fighting back against the closure of An Post outlets amid fears that up to 13 post offices will close across the county in the next six months. A public meeting took place in Moyvane last Wednesday night to try and come up with a plan to halt the closure of their local post office, which it is feared may close early next year. This closure will come following the closure of Kilflynn Post Office which shut its doors on Friday for the last time. It is the first Kerry post office to close under the new An Post modernisation plan, which among other changes, offered redundancy or exit packages to 26 post offices in Kerry. Residents in Kilflynn held a protest outside the post office on Friday afternoon to voice their anger at the closure of the local service. Local woman, Bec Fahy, said this week many local residents had no idea that the post office was to close and will not have any way of accessing another post office. An Post have stated that 95% of the population will be within 15km of a post office and the village with a population of 500 will have an outlet. "Some people didn't even know it was closing until Friday. A lot of elderly people can't drive and we don't have transport. How can anyone get within 15km of a post office without transport. It is ridiculous." She said that the community has set up a local committe to fight for their post office. A petition is being started and a public meeting will take place next month. "We want An Post to roll back on the closures and we want to try and reinstate the post office in Kilflynn," she said. Meanwhile, in Moyvane the fight has also started to save their post office following the meeting last Wednesday. Local man, Brian Finucane, says that local communities must fight back. "Post offices are more in danger than they ever were. Communities join forces to fight back. It will be the end of rural Ireland if they close." The Moyvane meeting comes following a simliar public meeting in Ballylongford last week to try and have their post office reinstated. Moyvane, Duagh and Ballylongford have all confirmed that they have accepted the exit deal. Ten of the 26 post offices in Kerry who were offered exist packages have refused. However, The Kerryman's survey found up to 13 post offices have may close in the coming months or early in 2019. Some post offices have refused to say whether or not they are closing their doors, leaving local communities in limbo. An Post have also declined to confirm who has accepted the exit package in Kerry. Traditionally famed for its literary prowess, Listowel is developing quite the reputation as a musical hub - in no small part thanks to the work of Aidan O'Connor, Christy Walsh and the rest of the Revival Music Festival organising team. The normally quiet and tranquil locale of the Listowel Main Square and car park was well and truly rocking this past weekend as some of Ireland's best musicians descended on the north Kerry town. Now into its third year, the 'Revival' festival was first thought up three years ago by a number of publicans who felt that a music festival was needed in the town. This year's offerings featured the dulcet tones of 'Ash', 'Aslan' and 'Ham Sandwich' - all of whom were impressed by the town and its people. "The bands were over the moon with the night. We spoke to them backstage, and they couldn't get over it all. They said that the setting in the square, with the church and the castle in the background, it blew them away," said organiser Christy Walsh. Over 2,000 paying customers came through the gates on Saturday night, and in a measure of how established the festival has become in the town's social calendar, many Listowel natives made special efforts to travel home from abroad to be there on the night. "We actually had people come home all the way from England, Australia and Canada to be here for the weekend. It's great that we can have something else in the town that people can look forward to every year," Christy said. "This was definitely the best year yet of the festival, no doubt about it. We had the best crowds, we were very lucky with the weather, and our numbers were way up." With three successful years under their belt now, you would forgive organisers for allowing themselves a moment to bask in their success. But, no, Christy said that plans are already afoot for 2019. "We'll be meeting up again next week and starting the planning for the fourth year next year. We will look at what we can do to improve and change for next year," he said. As for any hints on the line-up for next year, well, Christy said that he will leave this responsibility in the capable hands of Listowel's very own music aficionado, Aidan O'Connor. "He's got a few tricks up his sleeve, that's for sure," he said. A dedicated diabetes unit opened in UHK two years ago with the promise of transforming the lives of the county's diabetics might as well never have been established with much of the basic services expected still not available there, patients told The Kerryman. They now say they fear their lives are being put in danger, in the constant shadow of coma, as a result of what they see as the HSE's failure to deliver on its promised plans for the special unit. In 2014, in response to a parliamentary question, the HSE said that the new unit would include "a full range of services including investigations, diagnostics, treatment and stablilisation". Opened officially in 2016 by then Health Minister Leo Varadkar, the unit was set to deliver best-practice treatment for all diabetic patients in Kerry including type 1 patients. Three years on, it appears to be struggling to offer even the most basic of services for diabetics. Members of a new campaign say they are now in the same situation in terms of quality of care from the HSE for diabetes type 1 - the most serious form of the condition -as they were 30 years ago under the Southern Health Board. 85 of the 750 estimated diabetes type 1 sufferers and their families on their behalf, are now fighting for the HSE to roll out the vital services they urgently need in Kerry. In the meantime, they are still forced to travel to the 'centre of excellence' for the the condition at Cork University Hospital. Standard 21st Century services from 'carb counting' to insulin pump monitoring that were expected to have been facilitated in Kerry in the unit are only accessible for the type 1 sufferers at Cork University Hospital. Spokesperson of the Kerry Type 1 Diabetes Support Group campaign Siobhan O'Brien said that patients now feel like 'second-class citizens'; forced as they are to travel to Cork for optimal treatment. "We believe that UHK diabetes centre is not fully functioning and is not delivering update to modern diabetes care for Type 1 diabetes." "We feel very strongly that Kerry Type 1 diabetics are getting a raw deal in Kerry. Anyone in Cork has a centre of excellence while those in Kerry must wait to be referred to Cork and in the interim get only the basic of service. "This is grossly unfair and borders on discrimination. Your address should never determine the level of care," said spokesperson, Siobhan O'Brien. Many of them are accessing private care as they fear without it they would become very ill. The concern is acute for the county's Type 1 Diabetes sufferers; an auto-immune condition with no cure. All type 1 diabetes sufferers are insulin dependent and live with the condition 24/7, never knowing when they might suffer a 'hypo'; a drop in blood sugars or Hyper, a rise in blood sugars, both of which could lead to a coma. The Kerry Type 1 Diabetes Support Group, set up more than three years ago, to allow patients share information, has now launched a campaign to fight for better services for the people of Kerry. The group sent a letter to UHK in May of this year outlining their very serious concerns but have heard nothing back from management, they say. In the letter they said that they believed that any "Kerry based Type 1 diabetes should have to leave the county to get access to modern services." Among the criticisms, outlined in the letter to UHK management, is that type 1 patients have no access to carb counting and insulin pump support. Carb counting allows patients to monitor the amount of insulin they take based on the food they are consuming. It's a straightforward, standard measure in diabetes medicine today but as yet is not available at the unit in UHK. Without rigid carb-counted results, patients can only guess at the dose of insulin they require on a daily basis - leaving them continually fearful of an emergency. Insulin pumps are one of the only two available treatments, along with daily injections, for type 1 diabetes. But the group claims that insulin pumps are not supported at UHK in what members say is a particular worry in the event of patients presenting to A&E in emergency situations. "I was in A&E a few months ago with my child and they had no idea what to do. I rang Cork myself. There is support in Cork but that is two hours away. That is a huge worry for us," says Jessica Murphy Nammock who is a parent of a type 1 diabetic. "These are basic services. We do not want a state-of-the-art facility or costly interventions. What we want are the basic ways of taking care of diabetes patients. We understand that we can't have a centre of excellence every way but we just want basic support and we are not getting it," Siobhan O'Brien added. The centre at UHK is staffed by two diabetes nurses, an endocrinologist and a paediatrician. However, type 1 diabetes patients, are calling for a dedicated nurse for type 1. Patients say they are very concerned over the level of access to the staff and are being forced to make separate appointments on separate dates in order to monitor their conditions. This is the case despite an explicit promise by the HSE given in 2016, which then stated: "Patients with diabetes can be seen by all members of the multi-disciplinary diabetes team during a single visit which is a much more patient-friendly approach." All appointments are delivered within minutes of each other in Cork. The group is also critical of how UHK handles follow-up appointments at the centre, claiming that patients sometimes are left waiting as long as a year to be seen again but that regular check-ups are vital for diabetics. One patient said he has been waiting more than 14 months for a new prescription for insulin. Nora Moriarty from Ballylongford and Tralee who has been a patient at UHK since 1989 says that supports are no better now than they were back then. "We got a new building, but that is all we got," she said. The group also criticised lack of access to vital podiatry services, a key issue for diabetes patients and which the HSE announced in 2011. Eight years later patients, say is still almost non-existent. The group have met with Kerry TD's including John Brassil. In response to a Dail question from Deputy Brassil on the situation at University Hospital Kerry the HSE stated that a meeting is to take place between the relevant parties concerns raised by patients. Columnist Mary Kenny writes in The Irish Catholic of August 2: 'But, as some commentators have pointed out, Trump is not wrong about everything. And even where he is right, he is seldom given much credit - which isn't fair either. It was announced last week (by the reliable Atlanta Fed) that the American economy is due to grow by 4.6% or 4.8% this year. Never in recent history, have so many Americans been employed.' I wonder has Ms Kenny read James Comey's A Higher Loyalty? In his epilogue Comey writes: 'I see so many so-called conservative commentators, including some faith leaders, focusing on favourable policy initiatives or court appointments to justify their acceptance of this damage, while deemphasising the impact of this president on basic norms and ethics. That strikes me as both hypocritical and morally wrong.' Before I came across Mary Kenny's piece on Trump I had read Comey's book. Like all reality, the book has it failings. Parts of it are somewhat tedious and maybe in places a little self-indulgent. But reading through the book one gets the clear impression that James Comey is an honourable person. His track record speaks for itself.In his opening chapter he quotes from the German philosopher Reinhold Niebuhr: 'Man's capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man's inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary'. In that same chapter Comey explains that he decided to study law because he thought it might be the best way to make a difference. He traces his childhood, which involved a burglar breaking into their home when he and his siblings were children, right through his young days as a lawyer and then on to his time at the FBI and the Bureau's investigation of the Clinton emails. The final chapters deal with his relationship with Donald Trump. When he is appointed director of the FBI Barack Obama points out to him that there has to be a clear division between the FBI and the president. 'I don't want help from the FBI on policy. I need competence and independence,' Obama said to Comey. He also told him that once he was director of the FBI no longer would he and Comey be able to talk to one another in any sort of casual way. The FBI and its director cannot be close with the president. The moment Trump moves into the White House Comey's relationship with the president changes dramatically. Trump is constantly phoning him and then the infamous meal where Trump demands loyalty from Comey. A personal loyalty he refuses to give. James Comey compares Trump to a Mafia boss. I strongly recommend Mary Kenny read James Comey's A Higher Loyalty. Comey sees the wisdom in Thomas Jefferson's words: 'Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.' He stresses that if the shared values of George Washington are pushed aside then only a fool would be consoled by a tax cut or a different immigration policy. What's happening in the US 'is not normal. It's not fake news. It is not okay'. I recommend A Higher Loyalty. Following on from the international performances of Luke Sutton and Shona Tierney, it was Laura Brown's turn to represent her country at the Coupe de La Jeunesse, the European championships for rowing's top junior rowers. New Ross Boat Club member Laura was on the national team as Ireland hosted the prestigious event. Laura was selected in the single scull and has been training at the national rowing centre high performance centre in the lead up to this event. The regatta is run over two days with medals up for grabs on both days. On Saturday Laura took to the water for her heat where she raced a really strong 2k race. She held second place for all of the race behind the Denmark team and held off the pressure from the Spanish sculler. This placed Laura in a good lane for the A final. Unfortunately the weather turned quiet nasty and all racing was cancelled for the day. Results from the heats stood which saw Laura finish a creditable fourth place just three seconds off of third place. Day 2 of the regatta saw perfect conditions for rowing with an action packed day of racing ahead. Laura was the first of her team to take to the water. She came from behind in the race and had a really strong last 500m moving her into second place again behind the Danish sculler but still qualifying for the A final. Laura raced a fantastic final giving it her all and finished in fifth place. This was an amazing achievement for Laura who has only switched to the single scull this year. A New Ross Boat Club spokesperson said: 'To make the qualifications for this level alone was a fantastic achievement and to place fourth and fifth in Europe over the two days is just reward for all the hard work and training she had put in over the year.' A support group for families and individuals affected by ADHD is coming to Gorey and Enniscorthy. Currently facilitating a monthly meeting in Wexford town, HADD-ADHD Ireland are expanding and making their way across the county to provide a number of services including educational and social resources. The group will hold their first ADHD Parents Support Meeting in Sprint Fitness, Pearse Street, Gorey, on Friday, August 17, at 11 a.m. and in Enniscorthy Library on Thursday, September 13, at 7 p.m. ADHD Adult meetings will also start in Wexford on Wednesday, August 22, at 7 p.m., in Wexford Mental Health Association, Henrietta Street. The ADHD Specific 123 Magic Parent five-week training course, facilitated by their local Therapeutic Counsellor Terri Lloyd is starting on Friday, September 14, at 10.30 a.m., in Wexford Mental Health Association, Henrietta Street. Register interest by calling 01 874 8349. ADHD Ireland has been in existence for more than 30 years. Led by volunteers, they support individuals and families affected by ADHD and provide a number of services. The group is looking for professional volunteers to help educate and coordinate support groups. For more information, call 01 874 8349 or email nicola@hadd.ie Foulksmills Post Office will close within six months. It is closing along with Glenmore, Duncannon and Carrig on Bannow post offices later this year or in early 2019. Postmistress Caroline Foxe is one of several postmistresses and postmasters in the area to decide to avail of a voluntary retirement package from An Post. She said the lack of resourcing by successive governments and a lack of planning within An Post management has led to the closures, which are expected to decimate rural communities across the country. Ms Foxe said: 'Be under no illusion that Foulksmills Post Office can be saved. Do not allow any politicians to give you "false hope".' She was speaking as Fianna Fail Cllr Michael Sheehan declared that he plans to hold a meeting on the matter next month. Ms Foxe said: 'It is with deepest regret that Foulksmills Post Office will close over the next three to six months, on a date to be confirmed by An Post. I ask where were the politicians over the last four years especially have been. Government has let us down again and it is a crying shame to see communities lose their post offices and the services that are so vital to rural Ireland. Shame on this government and previous governments for allowing this to happen.' She said like many postmasters and postmistresses across Ireland she had not retired out of choice but because 'we actually had no other option'. 'This is the saddest day for rural Ireland,' she said. When young Terence Sabasaba left his native South Africa for Ireland, he left behind him a place of unimaginable violence, cruelty and hardship. Having seen all manner of murder and violence on streets roamed by bloodthirsty gangs, he was brought under the wing of Wexford town native and Parish Priest in Ballymitty Fr Martin Pender, who had been ministering in his township for quite some time and who aimed to bring him away from the bloody streets of South Africa and provide him with the gift of a proper education. However, upon arriving in Ireland on a temporary visa and having been accepted by IT Carlow to a Computer Science course, Terence and Fr Martin were shocked to find that they were expected to pay nearly 10,000 in college fees - the rate set for students from outside the EU. A native of the Lwandle township on Cape Town's west side, Terence was born into difficult circumstances. The middle child of three, he always showed great promise in his studies, something which was nurtured by Fr Pender. 'Things are very bad there,' Terence explained. 'It's tough. There's lots of violence. It's not good for someone just trying to make a living. There are lots of robberies and murders. People are killed in the township every weekend.' A bright young man, Terence longed to escape from streets that run red with blood as gangs bitterly for territory and control. 'People are living in horrible conditions in shacks there,' said Fr Martin, who ministered in Lwandle for seven years. 'This breeds violence and contempt and the police can't cope, so the gangs take over. If you're not from their area, they attack you. Those who want to escape that environment and study are looked down upon and anybody, like Terence, who tries to better themselves becomes a target. I've experienced this myself over many years. Robberies, violence, murders, it's daily routine. There are killings in the townships each and every week as gangs set about claiming territories. It's gotten worse in the last seven or eight years.' While violent incidents are commonplace on the streets, Fr Pender says, by and large, he was given a free pass from the gangs as they recognised him as someone who was trying to do good and help in the local community. Having studied Computer Science at Stellenbosch University for two years, Terence was financially excluded after he was unable to pay fees. According to Fr Martin, the system for awarding bursaries to the university represents what he calls 'a form of psychological apartheid' that sees promising young black students excluded. 'Just recently there was a campaign called "fees must fall" during the course of which students burnt down the library. The violence is horrible.' Fr Martin, who has done major work in funding education programmes for South African children in the past, vowed to help Terence with his predicament and offered to house him in Ballymitty, Co Wexford, and pay his college fees for him to attend the Wexford Campus of IT Carlow. 'I wanted to take him out of that environment where there was a threat to his life,' he said. 'I don't want one of my students to end up in a morgue, it's as simple as that. I wanted him to come here and go to IT Carlow. An African who goes out and obtains a European qualification has a greater opportunity to get a good job. He needs an internationally recognised qualification and they are excluding people who can't pay in South Africa. The apartheid system continues.' Having arrived in Ireland, Terence faced some issues immediately. 'The way he was treated at Dublin airport was a scandal,' said Fr Martin. 'Terence had his visa in order and a letter from me saying that I would support him, but he was stopped and interrogated. 'They took his phone from him and scanned his messages. I was calling from outside and was worried sick that something had happened to him.' 'I did feel a little bit discriminated against, Terence said timidly. 'They kept me for over an hour and I didn't know what to do or what would happen.' Having finally made it into the country and down to the sleepy village of Ballymitty and the parochial house there, Terence faced more problems in relation to taking up a place in college. Having demonstrated his talents and being provisionally accepted to the Computer Science Course, Terence received a letter from IT Carlow saying he must pay 9,750 in fees. 'To ask him, a person from a third world country, to pay those fees is a scandal,' Fr Martin said. 'I was willing to pay for his education and provide him with a place to live here with me. For an EU student it costs 3,000 for the course. I was willing to pay that out of my own pocket for Terence to get his education. But I think it's disgraceful that they are judging him by the same criteria as wealthy American and Asian students who come to study here because it's cheaper.' IT Carlow have told Fr Martin that their hands are tied and there's nothing that they can do, leaving Terence in limbo as his visa draws to a conclusion. 'I am longing to study in Europe to broaden my perspective and gain experience,' he said. 'I want to be able to go back and help others who are willing to study. I used to help out at local schools back in South Africa free of charge before I left. I would like to be able to go back and help once again with my qualification.' 'I would feel so sad if this doesn't happen for me. My dreams would be dashed. Going back would be a horrible experience. My mum, she is a single mum, and she was excited for me to be here and hopes that something can be done so that I can come back and try to better all our lives.' Father Martin revealed that Terence still suffers nightmares from his difficult life in Lwandle and wakes in the middle of the night with the sound of gunshots ringing in his ears owing to a recent incident which nearly saw him shot. His neighbour was not so lucky and lost his life. 'I have had this boy's mother on the phone to me, pleading with me to save her boy's life,' he said. 'That's why I'm determined to do something for him. This is a human thing, not a religious thing. I went to Africa to help people. Those who make these decisions without any regard to these people's circumstances should spend a day walking in their shoes. I feel ashamed that they come here to be treated like this. Third world students need our help.' Fr Martin recalled another horror story whereby a friend he had made in South Africa attempted to visit him in Ireland, but was turned away and denied a visa. 'This guy was refused a visa,' he said. 'He returned to South Africa and a couple of days later he was car-jacked. They put a gun to his head. They trampled on his head. 'They bundled him into the boot of some other car and eventually dumped him out on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere, leaving him to walk miles and miles in the middle of winter to get home. That would never have happened if he had been here with me as we had planned. I felt sickened by it.' For Terence, he is left with an anxious wait. Unless some kind of resolution can be reached urgently, he will return to Lwandle no better off than when he arrived, falling straight back into a danger-zone and with no hope of raising the finances necessary to complete his education. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 18) Vice President Leni Robredo is strongly protesting President Rodrigo Duterte's remark that her hometown is a "hotbed of shabu." "Hindi natin ito ite-take sitting down, kasi unang una, hindi totoo. Kasi kung totoo ito, tayo pa iyong yuyuko para humingi ng tawad. Pero dahil hindi siya totoo, talagang magrereklamo tayo na, iyon nga, pambabastos sa lahat na taga-Naga iyon," Robredo told reporters in a chance interview in Naga City Saturday. [Translation: "We will not take this sitting down. First of all, this is not true. Because if it were true, we would be the first ones to bow down and ask forgiveness. Since it's not true, we protest this insult to the people of Naga."] She said the city government has sent her a "resolution of indignation" over the President's accusation. "Pinoprotesta natin iyon (We protest) with the strongest of terms," she said, adding that it is a "huge insult" that discredits the hard work of local government officials to preserve Naga's reputation. Officials earlier said the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency is validating reports of illegal drug operations in the city. When asked why Duterte came up with a conclusion already, Interior Officer-In-Charge Eduardo Ano said the President "has his own sources." Robredo, who has expressed willingness to lead the opposition against Duterte's policies, suspects it was part of politicking and calls it "unfair" for the administration to involve the entire city. "Ako na lang sana iyong siraan, kasi kung ako naman iyong puntirya, ako na lang," Robredo said. In a speech Tuesday night, Duterte said shabu has been proliferating in Robredo's hometown in Naga, as he again cast doubt on her competence as the second top government official. "Of course she will deny it. But you can ask the hotbed of shabu in the past years, I would not mention the name It was Naga City," Duterte said. Robredo earlier refused to comment on the issue, saying it was not true and called on the President to focus on work, not politics. "Ang daming problema ng bansa; asikasuhin na lang iyong problema ng bansa kaysa pulitika parati," Robredo said. [Translation: The country has a lot of problems; let's just fix these problems instead of engaging in politics.] A painting by visiting American artist Kay Lewis of the Berkley Boutique in Bunclody won the overall prize in the 11th Art in the Open Festival in Wexford, capturing the gold medal Mayoral Award. In second and silver medal place was Keiko Tanabe, a Japanese artist living in the US, for her painting Duncannon Ireland IV, which won the prize sponsored by Plein Air Magazine. Silver prizes were also won by Paul D'Arcy with a painting of the Water Tower in Rosslare Harbour (sponsored by Bolands Hyundai) and Antonin Passemard from France with Wexford at Night (sponsored by the Maryland Federation of Art). Bronze went to Frances Murray of Kilkenny for her picture The River Flows Trough It (sponsored by the National Gallery of Ireland), Alberto Valentini from the Netherlands with The Long and Windy Road (sponsored by T.Morris); Steve Browning from the UK with a painting of Wexford Harbour (sponsored by Windsor and Newton); Kate Kos of Gorey with Purple and Gold (sponsored by Daler Rowney); Maria Levinge of Bunclody with Between Estuary and Sea (sponsored by Kelly's Resort Hotel, and Margaret Kent of Wexford with Duncannon Harbour (sponsored by Whites Hotel). The Welsh-born artist Dave West who now lives in Ireland was the winner of the Charity Quick Draw based around the Bullring, Wexford which saw artists painting street scenes in a two-hour time frame, with the registration fee and 20% from sales going to Cottage Autism Network which also benefited from the sale of catalogues at the Art in the Open exhibition in Green Acres Gallery. The quick-draw judge was the American artist and president of the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Association in Maryland Bruno Barron who brought a painting with him to donate to the festival - the artwork valued at 500 was raffled over the weekend in aid of CAN and was won by Mary Mulligan of Mayglass. Several of the quick-draw paintings were purchased off-easel on the spot by appreciative spectators. The exhibition in Green Acres was officially opened by the Deputy County Council chairman George Lawlor and a special guest was Sabina Higgins, wife of the President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins, who was on a family visit to Wexford, where her sister Eileen McKiernan lives. Wexford woman Sinead Rice, head of education in the National Gallery of Ireland, who is facilitating the gallery's ongoing collaboration with the Plein Air Festival, also attended. Worried about fake news and climate change? You can hear the latest on the subject from five fake news experts coming to IT Sligo next week. They will speak at a fake news public evening next Monday, August 20th. Five panel experts including Ear to the Ground presenter Ella McSweeney and Sligo Food consultant and author Oonagh Monaghan will discuss fake news on food, science, agriculture and the environment. Other Panel members will include CEO Inland Fisheries Ireland Ciaran Byrne, Co-ordinator of the Irish Environmental Network Michael Ewing and Director of Education for Sustainability at Anglia Ruskin University Alison Greig. President Emeritus of IT Sligo Richard Thorn, will chair the debate. The floor be then be open to the public to hear your views. The fake news public evening opens the IT's international conference on educating for a sustainable future, 'Education with Sustainability' (August 20th to 22nd). Educators will attend from Ireland, Sweden, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland and France. Head of Environmental Science at IT Sligo Professor Frances Lucy said: "We've had a long hot summer, with little doubt now that man is impacting climate change. "This conference will address not only the challenges but also the opportunities for educators as we need to weave the golden thread of sustainability into all aspects of the teaching curriculum. "When students adopt simple core principles, they will implement them in their careers and make a positive difference for the sustainability of planet Earth." IT Sligo also hosts 36 students from six European countries for a Summer Academy on Sustainability from August 13th to 23rd. The students will work in multidisciplinary teams to find ways to manage our environment sustainably. Guests can book a ticket to the fake news debate on eventbrite via the IT Sligo website - www.itsligo.ie The newly named Michael Hargadon Road was officially opened by Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council Cllr Martin Baker in the presence of Canadian Ambassador to Ireland Kevin Vickers ONB SC Michael Hargadons son Brian (87) beside the new plaque mounted on the wall of his fathers birthplace at Colgagh, Calry. Pics: Charlie Brady The "tremendous" relationship and history between Sligo and Canada was honoured at a ceremony to name the Michael Hargadon Road in Calry last week. The Canadian Ambassador to Ireland, His Excellency Kevin Vickers ONB SC was given a civic reception at City Hall at 2pm on Wednesday before heading out to Calry to witness Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council Cllr Martin Baker officially unveil the sign naming R278 Calry Road as the Michael Hargadon Road. Sligo County Council's Placenames Committee decided to name the road after the Calry native this year. Michael Hargadon emigrated to Canada in 1915 where he sprang to fame by writing the poem 'To Those They Left Behind'. It highlighted the plight of the families of World War I soldiers who died at the Front. Ambassador Vickers told The Sligo Champion that 20,000 men who fought for Canada in the First World War were Irish-born. He also referred to the 167 Sligo tenants evicted by Lord Palmerston in 1847, 119 of whom subsequently perished off the coast of Canada. "The history of Canada and Ireland is a remarkable history. Not only do we have your names, we look like you, we have your DNA," he said. Ambassador Vickers then opened a historic plaque newly mounted on the original gate pillar of Michael Hargadon's 1888 birthplace at Colgagh, Calry. The original house is gone and a newer house was built in its place in the 1920s but the stones from the old homestead were used to build a cowshed which has been converted into accommodation by the present day owners, Patricia Fitzsimons and Ben Flood. Michael Hargadon's only surviving son Brian (87) travelled from Ottawa to Sligo especially for the Commemoration of his father last week. "It means an awful lot. It makes me feel a little more Irish," he told this newspaper. Brian still has very vivid memories of his poet father, who enjoyed history, politics and loved horses. "He was very well-read. He could recite poems literally by the hour. Plus the political stories he would tell me. He always wanted to come back to Sligo. He was hoping in 1948 to bring me back but it never happened. He got back in 1924, but he always wanted to come back and do some writing here and die here but it didn't work out," said Brian. "He loved Sligo. He was in contact by letter with many people here," he said. Patricia Fitzsimons discovered who was born on her property when Brian Hargadon and his sons visited 15 years ago and was only too happy to show them around their ancestor's birthplace. The huge level of respect in which the late Dave McEvoy of Ballyknockan was held was evident by the massive attendance at his recent funeral mass held in St Joseph's Church, Valleymount. There was a huge outpouring of grief at the funeral service for the popular stone-mason, with many observing that it was the largest funeral attendance to ever take place in Valleymount. Dave was born and bred in Ballyknockan to Christy and Julia McEvoy, along with his twin brother John. From an early age stone masonry was very much in their blood as they learnt the ropes from their father and Uncle Billy. Dave attended Valleymount National School and continued his secondary education at Blessington Community College. Following their Leaving Certificates, Dave and John became the fifth generation of the McEvoy family to become a mason. They operated C McEvoy and Sons Stone Masons along with two of their brothers Jerry and Des. During his time as a mason, Dave took on many large projects, including work at UCD and Trinity College, Dublin. Dave was also well-read on all aspects of stone masonry and its history and toured the country with musician Bat Kinane presenting talks accompanied by live music. He also featured prominently at the Hollywood Fair, giving demonstrations and talks. He also worked for another company in Italy which saw him travel around the globe demonstrating how to use specialised equipment. His travels brought him to the likes of Iran, Washington, Chicago, Algeria, Belgium and Poland. While Dave mightn't have been able to speak the language of many of the countries he visited, his warm and friendly nature meant he never had any problem meeting people and making new friends. Dave was also instrumental in designing and creating the 1916 plaques which were erected in all five municipal districts in the county. He travelled to each district in order to fix the plaques in place. Music was Dave's other great love and he was a very talented guitarist and bass player and performed with the popular Kildare band 'Feedback' for a number of years. He was devoted to his nieces and nephews Rhea, James and Christian and loved spending time with them whenever he could. Dave was also very much community-driven and was always very supportive of local charitable events and causes, often donating items he had created for auction or raffle. Dave was the beloved brother of John, Jerry, Linda, Des and Kevin and will be dearly missed by his family, sisters-in-law, brother-in-law, niece, nephews, extended family, relatives and many friends. Eleven cafes and pubs in west Wicklow have joined up to an initiative that aims to cut down on the amount of plastic bottles in circulation. The huge damage plastic pollution is causing on a worldwide scale has made headlines in recent months and Baltinglass Fair Trade has started its own war on plastic bottles. The non-profit organisation is supporting the work of Refill Ireland and its environmental waste prevention project that identifies locations promising to provide 'no quibble' tap water refills for people with their own reusable bottles. The project's website has a 'Tap Map' showing refill locations throughout the country. Before Baltinglass Fair Trade got involved, there was only one location featured in the general area, namely near to the entrance of the Tinahely Railway Walk. Now eleven more - stretching from Blessington to Rathdangan - are all involved and showing they are part of the campaign by displaying a Refill.ie sticker. Philip Reilly of Baltinglass Fair Trade has been delighted with the response from local bars and cafes. 'I didn't think we would receive such a level of interest so it is certainly very heartening,' said Mr Reilly. 'We all know the amount of plastic bottles that are littering our environment. During clean-ups of roads and ditches, you would be amazed at the amount of empty water bottles you end up collecting. It can take up to 400 years for one bottle to decompose. They are generally only meant for a single use, one use only, yet they are constructed to last for hundreds of years,' he said. 'As well as being good for the environment, this initiative enhances west Wicklow's reputation as a visitor-friendly area, welcoming hikers, climbers, cyclists and anyone else who cares to explore its attractions'. The locations involved in the initiative are: Bia Blasta, Germaines, Horans, The Perch and Timmins's of Baltinglass; Blessington Bookstore; Sweet Taste in Dunlavin; The Hollywood Cafe; The Hub in Kiltegan and The Village Pantry in Rathdangan. Baltinglass Fair Trade also intends to push out the initiative to further locations. 'We will be approaching other cafes and pubs in west Wicklow and Carlow. We also need to educate members of the public and let them know just how serious the problem is and the major implications it has,' said Mr Reilly. Former porn star Stormy Daniels pulled out of Celebrity Big Brother at the last minute because of a row with producers who were pressuring her to act in a way she felt uncomfortable with, her lawyer has said. The adult film star, who found fame over claims she was paid for her silence over an alleged affair with US President Donald Trump, had been widely expected to feature in the 3e show. But on Thursday night she failed to enter the house. "It was over a row with producers," her lawyer Michael Avenatti said. "They insisted she conduct herself in a certain way - they attempted to control her and produce a certain result, which she did not feel comfortable with." Asked to comment on reports that an "insider" said she quit after demanding extra money, Mr Avenatti responded: "Complete bulls**t. They are spreading a false rumour." Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, then failed to appear on ITV's Loose Women yesterday despite turning up at the studio ahead of filming. Presenter Kaye Adams said Daniels (39) was prevented from going on-screen because of legal issues. Panellist Jane Moore, who spoke to Daniels off-air, said a custody battle involving her daughter in the US was to blame. AFFAIR Video of the Day Daniels made international headlines over claims the US president's then personal lawyer Michael Cohen paid her hush money days before the 2016 election to stop her claiming she had an affair with a married Mr Trump in 2006. The president denies the allegations. Channel 5 has not responded to requests to comment. Reports yesterday said she fell out with bosses on the show after she demanded 100,000 (111,570) extra on top of her record 750,000 (836,000) pay cheque, which she was reportedly set to receive after one week in the house. Following Stormy's absence, insiders revealed: "Stormy landed in London and was taken to the Village Hotel in Elstree where the celebs are put up. "From the outset it was clear something was wrong, and once she sat down with the producers all hell broke loose. "They just didn't get on... Stormy point-blank refused to appear on the show on Thursday night when she was scheduled to go in. "They tried everything to persuade her to stay and no one could work out why she'd fly all the way from the US to London before deciding to drop out, let alone turning down that massive fee." Viewers waited with bated breath for the arrival of Stormy during the live show, yet she caused shockwaves when she failed to show up. Daniels had been expected to appear alongside Kirstie Alley and Human Ken Doll Rodrigo Alves. It was hoped Daniels would dish the dirt on her alleged night of passion with Donald Trump. A model presents a creation at the Future of Fashion show during Copenhagen Fashion Week, Denmark August 8, 2018. Ritzau Scanpix/Mads Claus Rasmussen via REUTERS A model presents a creation of Jens Ole Arnason of the Designers' Nest, a platform for Nordic design graduates, during Copenhagen Fashion Week, Denmark August 7, 2018. Ritzau Scanpix/Martin Sylvest via REUTERS A model presents a creation at the Future of Fashion show during Copenhagen Fashion Week, Denmark August 8, 2018. Ritzau Scanpix/Mads Claus Rasmussen via REUTERS A model presents a creation at the Future of Fashion show during Copenhagen Fashion Week, Denmark August 8, 2018. Ritzau Scanpix/Mads Claus Rasmussen via REUTERS A model presents a creation at the Future of Fashion show during Copenhagen Fashion Week, Denmark August 8, 2018. Ritzau Scanpix/Mads Claus Rasmussen via REUTERS U.S. ambassador to Denmark, Carla Sands, arrives at the Malena Birger show during Copenhagen Fashion Week, Denmark August 9, 2018. Ritzau Scanpix/Mads Claus Rasmussen via REUTERS A model presents a creation by Finnish designer Kiia Maria Jarvinen of the Designers Nest, a platform for Nordic design graduates, during the Copenhagen Fashion Week, Denmark, on August 7, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Ritzau Scanpix / Martin Sylvest / Denmark OUTMARTIN SYLVEST/AFP/Getty Images A model presents a creation by Finnish designer Kiia Maria Jarvinen of the Designers Nest, a platform for Nordic design graduates, during the Copenhagen Fashion Week, Denmark, on August 7, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Ritzau Scanpix / Martin Sylvest / Denmark OUTMARTIN SYLVEST/AFP/Getty Images A model presents a creation by Finnish designer Kiia Maria Jarvinen of the Designers Nest, a platform for Nordic design graduates, during the Copenhagen Fashion Week, Denmark, on August 7, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Ritzau Scanpix / Martin Sylvest / Denmark OUTMARTIN SYLVEST/AFP/Getty Images The Crown Princess Mary of Denmark visits different stands at the Copenhagen Fashion Week in the Bella Centre in Copenhagen, Denmark August 8, 2018. Ritzau Scanpix/Mads Claus Rasmussen via REUTERS Crown Princess Mary of Denmark seen outside CIFF fair during the Copenhagen Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2019 on August 8, 2018 in Copenhagen, Denmark. (Photo by Christian Vierig/Getty Images) Emili Sindlev, Jeannette Madsen, Thora Valdimars seen outside Cecilie Bahnsen during the Copenhagen Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2019 on August 8, 2018 in Copenhagen, Denmark. (Photo by Christian Vierig/Getty Images) Over the course of the last number of years, while Paris, New York, Milan and London remain steadfast in their respective places at the top of the fashion week hierarchies, but now, a new city has emerged has a style destination - and you probably didn't even know they had their own fashion week, let alone one that is among the most envied in Europe. Fashion is, as always cyclical, and during this latest turn, our eyes have been cast on Copenhagen, Denmark's bustling metropolis and after years of visiting the same destinations, the industry has proven, once again, that it is full of surprises. After nearly 10 years of attending shows in the above four cities, I've seen it all - or at the very least, nearly - and that same whirl of excitement at witnessing a designer's blood, sweat and tears poured into the 10-minute show never fades. However, like all successful business models, it has become increasingly commercialised, which is essential to its enduring success, but also affords other unlikely destinations to quietly build their own fashion week model, which is why somewhere like Copenhagen or Oslo, in a close second, has etched its way to the top of fashion editors' lists. Expand Close Blanche fashion show during Copenhagen Fashion Week, Copenhagen, Denmark August 7 2018. Ritzau Scanpix/Mads Claus Rasmussen via REUTERS / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Blanche fashion show during Copenhagen Fashion Week, Copenhagen, Denmark August 7 2018. Ritzau Scanpix/Mads Claus Rasmussen via REUTERS Sandi-fashion has long been on a pedestal of chic, minimal, effortless style, and with the rise of some of its indigenous labels now stocked on sites such as Net-A-Porter and My Theresa, the Danes are in pole position to become the fashion week to attend. Their brands may not be on the global scale of their Parisian or Milanese counterparts just yet, but fashion editors are seeing the value of coverage of Copenhagen. Labels like Ganni are emerging as ones to watch, and have gradually infiltrated the buying office of Irish stores of Brown Thomas and Arnotts. Established in 2000, and now run by a husband and wife duo, the brand answers the style dilemmas of the practical fashionista dresses with sleeves, wearable prints and lots and lots of separates. For Spring/Summer 2019, their omni-present staples of midi dresses embrace a theme of the outdoors, styled with walking boots and rain hats. This juxtaposition seems complicated but it works. Similarly, Milene Berger, a firm favourite among Irish boutiques, also stuck to the dress as the anchor piece but in contrast opted for the less ethereal look by adorning pieces with sequins. I can imagine this look being a hit with the Irish fash-pack (i.e. me) who will more than likely style it with Celine or Gucci trainers. Cecilie Bahnsen, provided lessons in how to marry prettiness with structure through her architectural pieces that had a soft undertone. A dominant palette of white added to the effect of the collections message, which Ive defined as I like to be girly, but I want to be tough. Having sorted through the catwalk imagery from #CPFW, Im realizing there is more to the city than just the Little Mermaid and Noma (named the best restaurant in the world four times in case you didnt know). Fashion is very much at its centre now both on and off the catwalk. Vogue, Refinery 29 and Harpers all hail the street style as the best in the world and if you have yet to decide on your AW18 aesthetic then I can highly recommend style stalking on Instagram. One click on the fashion photography account The Styleograph, run by photographer Christan Vierig, will give you all you need to know. Expand Close Crown Princess Mary of Denmark seen outside CIFF fair during the Copenhagen Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2019 on August 8, 2018 in Copenhagen, Denmark. (Photo by Christian Vierig/Getty Images) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Crown Princess Mary of Denmark seen outside CIFF fair during the Copenhagen Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2019 on August 8, 2018 in Copenhagen, Denmark. (Photo by Christian Vierig/Getty Images) Video of the Day Even Denmark's Crown Princess Mary was sitting front row at the Copenhagen International Fashion Fair (CIFF), following in Britain's Queen Elizabeth's footsteps enjoying a FROW seat at Richard Quinn in London earlier this year. A cacophony of colour, texture and even mixed-matched shoes, the Danish style mavens identify no boundaries in what they can wear. Last season is actually where I spotted the ubiquitous Balenciaga Knife Boot both in block colours and floral print. To get the look, you need to face your fear of fashion clash colours, go oversize instead of small size, wear trainers with everything, even wear an evening dress during the day time with a leather jacket and a pair of flip flops. I love this side of fashion its fun and ambitious. All we need to do is follow suit. For all the highlights of Copenhagen Fashion Week, see our gallery below: An Indian woman watches residents walking through flood streets next to their marooned houses on the outskirts of Kozhikode district, about 385 km north of Trivandrum in the south Indian state of Kerala. Photo: Getty Images The Indian state of Kerala has been hit with its highest rainfall in a century leaving more than 300 dead, after widespread flooding submerged roads, power lines went down and dams reached bursting point. Pinarayi Vijayan, the southern state's chief minister, said: "Kerala is facing its worst flood in 100 years. 80 dams opened, 324 lives lost and 223,139 people are in about 1,500 relief camps." The death toll of 324 includes fatalities from a previous bout of monsoon storms last month, as well as the fatalities since last week which are thought to number up to 175. Narendra Modi, the prime minister, was due to reach Kerala yesterday evening to help manage the disaster, after attending the funeral of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the former Indian leader. A red alert has been issued in all 14 Keralan districts, with the central government activating all three wings of the armed forces in a gargantuan rescue operation. Helicopters airlifted people from roofs and dam gates were flung open as rain battered the state non-stop for nearly a fortnight. Tourists were warned against travelling to the state and the airport in the city of Kochi is closed until August 26. "The situation is bad and it is understandably closed for tourism now, while we deal with the rescue efforts," said Thomas Joseph, general manager of the travel company Kerala Holidays. Speaking from Kochi, he said: "It's still raining so heavily...but we hope that in two or three days the storms will break." Two passengers managed to escape a sinking Uber car after it drove into the sea off the French Riviera. Nick Christoforou, 31, and Sophia Toon, 23, were on an early morning trip when the cab went off the end of a jetty in Cannes. Luckily real estate worker Mr Christoforou, from north London, managed to open a door and, along with the driver, they swam to safety. Had it not been for his actions they "would all be 100% dead", Mr Christoforou told The Sun. The ride-hailing app reportedly still charged him for the trip, although the fare has since been refunded. "One minute I was in the back of an Uber heading home, and the next I was in the sea," he said. "I managed to get the car door open and got to the surface to find the others. "If I wasn't in a fit and able state we would all be 100% dead." Images showed the Citroen DS5 partially submerged in 10ft of water at Port Pierre Canto. The driver was breathalysed and found to be sober, the paper said. A police spokesman told The Sun the car had sunk slowly, giving them time to escape. An Uber spokeswoman told the paper: "We contacted both passengers to ensure they were OK and are offering counselling while they await the outcome of their (insurance) claim. "The driver involved is no longer able to use the Uber app." Austria's Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl celebrates her wedding in Gamlitz, Austria, August 18, 2018. Roland Schlager/Pool via Reuters Austria's Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl dances with Russia's President Vladimir Putin at her wedding in Gamlitz, Austria, August 18, 2018. Roland Schlager/Pool via Reuters Russian President Vladimir Putin made a flying visit to Austria to attend the wedding of the country's foreign minister on Saturday, before heading to Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Austrian authorities imposed tight security measures around the site of the ceremony near the southern border with Slovenia, where foreign minister Karin Kneissl married her partner Wolfgang Meilinger, a businessman. Kneissl, an independent, was nominated by the pro-Russia Austrian Freedom Party, whose leaders also attended the wedding. Photos showed Putin dancing with the bride, who was dressed in traditional Austrian costume. Expand Close Austria's Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl celebrates her wedding in Gamlitz, Austria, August 18, 2018. Roland Schlager/Pool via Reuters / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Austria's Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl celebrates her wedding in Gamlitz, Austria, August 18, 2018. Roland Schlager/Pool via Reuters According to Austrian public broadcaster ORF, Putin also took a small Cossack men's choir along to entertain about 100 guests at the wedding. Austrian politician Joerg Leichtfried of the opposition Social Democratic Party criticised Kneissl's decision to invite Putin to the wedding. He said it called into question Austria's role as a neutral intermediary in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where Russia-backed rebels are battling government forces. Austria currently holds the European Union's rotating presidency. Putin's meeting with Merkel late Saturday takes place at the German government's guesthouse in Meseberg, north of Berlin. Topics during the bilateral talks include Ukraine, Syria and the planned Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany to which the United States and some European countries object. The two leaders were scheduled to make statements before the talks, but there were no plans for a news conference afterwards. Pakistani cricket star-turned-politician Imran Khan has been sworn in as prime minister after his party won the most votes in last months election. His victory came despite protests by opposition parties, which accuse the security services of intervening on his behalf. Mr Khan took the oath of office on Saturday, a day after being elected by a majority of legislators in the National Assembly. His Tehreek-e-Insaf party won the most seats in July 25 national elections but fell short of an outright majority. It allied with independents to form a coalition. Mr Khan campaigned on promises to combat Pakistans endemic corruption and break powerful landowners monopoly on political power. Opposition parties have held regular protests since last months election, alleging vote rigging by the powerful security establishment. Security officials have rejected the allegations. Mr Khan has vowed to investigate the charges of voting fraud, saying neither he nor his party was involved in any wrongdoing. We have not committed any rigging, he told legislators in a speech after being sworn in. He secured 176 votes in the assembly on Friday, defeating opposition candidate Shahbaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League, who got 96 votes. Expand Close Shahbaz Sharif arrives at the National Assembly in Islamabad (BK Bangash/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Shahbaz Sharif arrives at the National Assembly in Islamabad (BK Bangash/AP) Mr Sharif and his partys legislators disrupted Mr Khans speech by chanting slogans against him. He responded by saying no one could blackmail him through such protests. He has promised ruthless accountability to combat corruption, and says he will move to a small house in Islamabad rather than live in the lavish prime ministers residence. Mr Khan acquired a reputation as a playboy during his cricketing years but embraced conservative Islam after entering politics. His first wife was the wealthy British heiress Jemima Goldsmith, who he married in 1996. Their two sons live with Ms Goldsmith. Expand Close Imran Khan married Jemima Goldsmith in 1996 (Sean Dempsey/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Imran Khan married Jemima Goldsmith in 1996 (Sean Dempsey/PA) He married his second wife, British journalist Rehman Khan, in 2015, but they divorced within a year. Earlier this year, he married his spiritual adviser, Bushra Maneka, who attended Saturdays ceremony when he took the oath as premier. Mr Khan emerged as a critic of the so-called war on terror after the 9/11 attacks, accusing the US of fuelling extremism by carrying out drone strikes in Pakistan that killed civilians. He has also expressed support for a controversial law that makes blasphemy against Islam punishable by death. His critics in Pakistan have branded him Taliban Khan, accusing him of sympathising with extremists. He has denied those charges, and struck a more moderate tone in this years campaign, saying he was committed to defeating Islamic extremists and cultivating good relations with the US, which for years has demanded that Pakistan do more to combat militancy. He has expressed support for a peace process in neighbouring Afghanistan that would end 17 years of war between the US-backed government and the Taliban. A rift between Kellyanne Conway, one of Donald Trump's closest advisers, and her husband has been laid bare in a remarkable interview with the couple inside their home. George Conway, a lawyer, has become an increasingly loud critic of Mr Trump on Twitter - despite his wife having managed the US president's campaign and taken a senior role in the White House. He described how he was "saddened" by Mr Trump in an in-depth 'Washington Post' feature entitled 'She works for Trump. He can't stand him', which suggested the president was driving a wedge between the couple. "I feel there's a part of him that thinks I chose Donald Trump over him," Ms Conway told the reporter who visited their Washington home. "Which is ridiculous. One is my work, one my marriage." Ms Conway's job title is now counsellor to the president, and she has taken control of his drive to reduce opioid abuse. She is also among the most strident, and sought-after, defenders of the president on television. Mr Conway had previously described it as "absurd" that the president so often says one thing and then does the opposite, and wrote a 3,473-word essay rebutting Mr Trump's assertion that Robert Mueller's Russia investigation was "unconstitutional." Ms Conway says she finds her husband's new-found hobby of criticising Mr Trump on Twitter "impolite". "I think it's disrespectful," she said. "I think it disrespects his wife." Mr Conway suggested he now regrets ever introducing his wife to the former tycoon. In 2001, shortly after they were married, the couple moved into Trump World Tower in New York. Mr Conway was asked to join the building's management board, but declined - instead, he put forward his wife. "Knowing what I know now, I would have said no, and never mentioned it when I got home," he said. But Mr Conway insisted that, despite their disagreements, they remained happily married. "If there's an issue, it's because she's in that job, for that man," he said. "If my wife were the counsellor to the CEO of Pepsi and I had a problem with her boss, I would simply drink my Coke and keep my mouth shut. "If the president were simply mediocre or even bad, I'd have nothing to say. This is much different." He insisted he was proud of his wife, but "just saddened by how things turned out". "Her problem is with her boss, not me," he said. A judge presiding over the fraud trial of Paul Manafort, Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, has disclosed he had received threats and was under police protection. District Judge T S Ellis III also told a court he feared for the "peace and safety of the jurors". In the US, jury lists are presumed to be public unless a judge gives a reason for keeping them secret. Judge Ellis said he would not be revealing the jurors' names because of his safety concerns. Jurors have been deliberating for two days following a two-week trial in which Mr Manafort faces 18 charges of bank fraud and tax evasion.Judge Ellis, sitting in Alexandria, Virginia, just outside Washington, said he himself was being guarded by a US marshal. He did not give specifics of the threats, but said he had been taken aback by the level of interest in the trial. The judge said: "I've received criticism and threats. I imagine they [the jurors] would too. I had no idea this case would excite these emotions. I don't feel right if I release their names." It came as Mr Trump called Mr Manafort a "very good person". Weighing in yesterday, he called the bank and tax fraud trial of his former campaign chairman "very sad" and described the defendant as a "very good person". Mr Manafort's trial in federal court is the first stemming from special counsel Robert Mueller's 15-month-old investigation of Russia's role in the 2016 US election. Mr Trump again called Mr Mueller's investigation a "rigged witch hunt" but sidestepped a question about whether he would issue a presidential pardon for Mr Manafort. "I think the whole Manafort trial is very sad, when you look at what's going on there. I think it's a very sad day for our country," Mr Trump said. "He worked for me for a very short period of time. But you know what? He happens to be a very good person. And I think it's very sad what they've done to Paul Manafort." As president, Mr Trump has the power to pardon Mr Manafort on federal charges. He has already issued a series of pardons, including for a political ally, former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio. Asked if he would pardon Mr Manafort, Mr Trump said, "I don't talk about that now." The charges largely predate Mr Manafort's five months working on Mr Trump's campaign during a pivotal period in the 2016 presidential race, including three months as campaign chairman. Mr Manafort (69) faces five counts of filing false tax returns, four counts of failing to disclose his offshore bank accounts and nine counts of bank fraud. If convicted on all counts, he could spend the rest of his life in prison. It is unusual for a US president to make comments about the character of a defendant in an ongoing trial and criticise the legal proceedings. But it was not the first time Mr Trump has weighed in since the Manafort trial began on July 31. On the first day the jury heard testimony, Mr Trump said Mr Manafort had been treated worse than 1920s gangster Al Capone. Mr Trump has made previous comments criticising various federal judges and courts and has been harshly critical of Mr Mueller. Yesterday, he accused Mr Mueller of having "a lot of conflicts" but said the special counsel should be allowed to finish a report on Russia's role in the 2016 election. William McRaven, commander of the US Navy Seal raid that killed Osama bin Laden, has condemned President Donald Trump for revoking the security clearance of former CIA chief John Brennan - and asked that his be withdrawn as well. The decorated retired Navy admiral, in an open letter published in the 'Washington Post', defended Mr Brennan as "one of the finest public servants I have ever known" and accused Mr Trump of using "McCarthy-era tactics". "Few Americans have done more to protect this country than John," Mr McRaven said. "He is a man of unparalleled integrity, whose honesty and character have never been in question, except by those who don't know him. "Therefore, I would consider it an honour if you would revoke my security clearance as well, so I can add my name to the list of men and women who have spoken up against your presidency," he said. Mr McRaven was the head of US Joint Special Operations Command from 2011 to 2014 and supervised the Seal raid that killed bin Laden in Pakistan in 2011. "Like most Americans, I had hoped that when you became president, you would rise to the occasion and become the leader this great nation needs," Mr McRaven said. "A good leader tries to embody the best qualities of his or her organisation," he said. "A good leader sets the example for others to follow. "A good leader always puts the welfare of others before himself or herself." "Your leadership, however, has shown little of these qualities. "Through your actions, you have embarrassed us in the eyes of our children, humiliated us on the world stage and, worst of all, divided us as a nation. "If you think for a moment that your McCarthy-era tactics will suppress the voices of criticism, you are sadly mistaken," Mr McRaven said. "The criticism will continue until you become the leader we prayed you would be." Mr Trump revoked the security clearance of Mr Brennan on Wednesday and warned several other prominent critics that they too risk being blacklisted. Following the president's summit last month with Russia's Vladimir Putin, Mr Brennan - who headed the CIA under President Barack Obama - described Mr Trump's behaviour as "nothing short of treasonous". Mr Trump accused the ex-spy chief of tossing around "unfounded and outrageous allegations - wild outbursts on the internet and television - about this administration" and engaging in "increasingly frenzied commentary". A dozen other former US intelligence leaders have backed Mr Brennan. The former CIA and national intelligence bosses called Mr Trump's move "an attempt to stifle free speech" in a joint statement. The signatories of the joint statement - who include former CIA directors Robert Gates, David Petraeus, Leon Panetta and Porter Goss - noted that while they may not all agree with Mr Brennan's comments, they supported his right to voice an opinion. The ex-officials called Mr Trump's move against Mr Brennan "ill-considered and unprecedented". Two of them - ex-director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former CIA director Michael Hayden - are also on the White House list of those whose security clearances have been publicly threatened. Mr Clapper and Mr Brennan were among the Obama administration officials who briefed Mr Trump before his inauguration on evidence of Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Meanwhile, China's military has expanded its bomber operations in recent years while "likely training for strikes" against the United States and its allies, according to a Pentagon report. The assessment, which comes at a time of heightened US- China tensions over trade, was contained in an annual report that highlighted China's efforts to increase its global influence, with defence spending that the Pentagon estimates exceeded $190bn (166.5bn) in 2017. "Over the last three years, the PLA has rapidly expanded its overwater bomber operating areas, gaining experience in critical maritime regions and likely training for strikes against US and allied targets," the report said, using an acronym for China's People's Liberation Army. The report comes as China and the United States plan to hold trade talks, offering hope they might resolve an escalating tariff conflict that threatens to degenerate into an all-out trade war. Thousands of stranded people are waiting for rescue and officials have pleaded for more help as relentless monsoon floods batter the south Indian state of Kerala. More than 190 have died in a little over a week and much of the state is partially submerged. Heavy rain began hitting parts of the state again on Saturday morning, slowing attempts to deploy rescuers and get relief supplies to isolated areas cut off for days, many of which can only be reached by boat or helicopter. More than 300,000 people have taken shelter in 1,500 state-run relief camps, officials said, but authorities and local media outlets said they were being inundated with calls for assistance. Kerala is facing its worst flood in 100 years. 80 dams opened, 324 lives lost and 223139 people are in about 1500+ relief camps. Your help can rebuild the lives of the affected. Donate to https://t.co/FjYFEdOsyl #StandWithKerala. CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) August 17, 2018 We are receiving multiple repetitive rescue requests, the office of the states top official, Pinarayi Vijayan, said, asking those in need to provide their exact location and nearby landmarks so rescuers can find them. Mr Vijayans office also tweeted that the state was facing its worst flood in 100 years. Heavy rain since August 8 has triggered floods and landslides and caused homes and bridges to collapse across Kerala, a picturesque state known for its quiet tropical backwaters and beautiful beaches. Many roads and rail lines have been shut, and one of the states major airports, in the city of Kochi, has also closed. NDRF teams, companies of BSF, CISF and RAF are deployed in the state for rescue and relief operations. The Air Force, Army, Navy and Coast Guard are assisting operations in different parts of Kerala. Rescuing those who are trapped remains the topmost priority. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 18, 2018 Prime minister Narendra Modi met the states top officials on Saturday, promising more than 55 million in aid. While the central government has dispatched multiple military units to Kerala, state officials are pleading for additional help. Please ask Modi to give us helicopters, give us helicopters. Please, please! state legislator Saji Cherian said on a Kerala-based TV news channel, the Indian Express newspaper reported. Mr Modi said 38 helicopters had been deployed for search and rescue operations in the state, which has a population of more than 33 million. We all pray for the safety and well-being of the people of Kerala, he said in a tweet. At least 194 people have died in the state since torrential rain began on August 8, and 36 are missing, according to Keralas disaster management office. More than 1,000 people have died in seven Indian states since the start of the monsoon season, including more than 300 in Kerala. Officials estimate that more than 6,200 miles of roads have been damaged in Kerala, and Mr Vijayan said initial estimates are that the state has suffered losses of nearly 2.2 billion. The death toll in Kerala has risen to 324, and lakhs of people have been left homeless as rains continue to thrash Kerala. It is the worst flood situation that the state has witnessed since 1924. Crops and property worth Rs 8,000 crore have been damaged. Rail and road transport have been suspended, and the Kochi international airport is completely submerged in water. The torrential rains have left everyone startled and worried. Meanwhile, the Armed Forces and the National Disaster Response Force are helping in rescue operations and 1568 rescue camps have been set up. Also Read: Flood Ravaged Kerala Needs Your Support, This Is How You Can Extend Your Help Achankovil river near Alappuzha's Kollakadavu village is overflowing following heavy rainfall in the area. Shaukat, a villager says,"The area has been completely flooded. I have lost almost everything I had. The water level is increasing with every passing hour." #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/BTYlQ1kdvJ ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018 A lot of people are extending their support to the victims by contributing money and other necessities. Celebrities have also donated for the cause and are urging fans to do the same. Yesterday, actor Siddharth started a #KeralaDonationChallenge, and dared and begged people to contribute too. Another celebrity who has come forth to help Kerala flood victims is Shah Rukh Khan. Also Read: Actor Siddharth Launches Kerala Donation Challenge, Urges People To Help The Flood Victims Twitter Resul Pookutty, who had won Oscar for Best Sound Mixing for Slumdog Millionaire expressed his gratitude for Shah Rukh Khan. Thank you so much @iamsrk me personally and the people of kerala are indebted to you for your generosity and quick action...respect resul pookutty (@resulp) August 17, 2018 He also said that apart from Shah Rukh Khan, he reached to Amitabh Bachchan, AR Rahman and other celebs, who offered helped immediately too. I have personally reached out to most of them @SrBachchan @iamsrk and @arrahman were quick to react and we are consolidating our fare share of help to #Keralafloods and my fraternity says #istandwithkerela Im humbled! Thank you so much ! resul pookutty (@resulp) August 17, 2018 Thank you my dear @vidya_balan and #Sid for being such a great sport and generous! You are our own blood from Palghat, we are indebted to your generosity!Love and hugs from Gods Own Country Bollywood #istandwithkerela resul pookutty (@resulp) August 17, 2018 My dear @sonamakapoor thank you so much for your kindness and love towards kerala and its people, your generosity lights up peoples lives!humbled resul pookutty (@resulp) August 18, 2018 A lot of other celebrities including Farhan Akhtar, Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, John Abraham, Arjun Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Sidharth Malhotra, Esha Gupta and Vidya Balan among others have urged fans to help the Kerala Flood victims and pray for them. #1 Extremely disturbed by what is happening in Kerala. My fondest childhood memories have been there. Please come forward and donate to the chief minister's fund. https://t.co/SzIywiupqA John Abraham (@TheJohnAbraham) August 16, 2018 #2 The people of Kerala need our help and heres what you can do. I have donated. Please do the same. Act Now! https://t.co/0H9r4DqhcF Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) August 18, 2018 #3 The situation in kerala is quite bad with the floods. The state needs national media attention as well as well as resources from the central government, as well as support from Indian citizens. Its heartbreaking to see the people suffering there. Varun MAUJI Dhawan (@Varun_dvn) August 16, 2018 #4 #5 Praying for everyone affected by the #KeralaFloods. The state really needs our help and every donation, no matter how big or small, will count. Here are some details of how to donate to @CMOKeralas distress relief fund and other helpline numbers pic.twitter.com/eezFJRE2Dv Shraddha (@ShraddhaKapoor) August 16, 2018 #6 After the path-breaking success of Avengers: the Infinity War, people just cannot wait for the next installment in the series. So much so, that even the minute details about Avengers 4 is making everyone excited. But Marvel is making sure that they keep the details under wraps. lrmonline.com Marvel hasnt yet revealed anything about what is coming next. Several theories are already doing the rounds on the fate of the superheroes in the movie. Meanwhile, the directors of the movie Russo Brothers are trolling the anxious fans. /media2.fdncms.com So recently, Russo brothers posted and then quickly deleted a post regarding the title of Avengers 4. And since then there have been quite a lot of speculations on what the title for Avengers 4 would be. Take a look at the post below. Screengrab The post appears to be a sign of artist Yayoi Kusamas installation at Houston, called Infinity Mirrored Room: Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity. Since the picture has been put on Reddit by user MoriartyTheGreat, fans are speculating if the title is Avengers: Eternity or Avengers: Aftermath. Previously, Marvel chief Kevin Feige had revealed that the title of Avengers 4 will be unveiled closer to Captain Americas release or at the end of this year. Ranveer Singh and his unique fashion sense have often made headlines. Each time he steps out, he dons a unique outfit and make heads turn with his freaky fashion sense. But did you know, he had an unconventional fashion choice in school too? Ranveer Singh proudly flaunts the badge of being quirky and unconventional as the actor believes there has always been an "atarangi" streak in him. The 33-year-old actor, who endorses fashion brand JACK & JONES, says "edgy" is his middle name. "I have always been 'atarangi' (unique), as my school friend put it. I make authentic choices when it comes to my style. afp "I remember in school too, I was called atrangi (weird) because of my mohawk, ear piercing, and baggy jeans. I have always been this way" "I have always been attracted to fashion, music, personalities, attitudes that are edgy. That is why I relate to JACK & JONES on every level. The brand and I share the same personality, values and are extremely expressive," Ranveer told PTI in an email interview. Known for his out-of-the-box style statement and delivering immersive performances, the Padmaavat star says he does not fear being judged by people for his choices - be it fashion, films or life. afp "I express myself with vibrant colours, printed blazers, ripped denims. I have zero filters as I don't fear anyone judging me. I don't hold back. With anything or anyone, in any situation," he says. On the work front, Ranveer will next be seen in Simmba, which releases later this year. He is also attached with projects such as "Gully Boy", "83" and the recently-announced "Takht". As Kerala battles, an unprecedented deluge, help and support are pouring in from all corners for the victims. The UK based Sikh Charity, Khalsa Aid, known for their humanitarian work for refugees across the world have joined the chorus of the global support for Kerala flood victims. Volunteers from the NGO have set up a langar, (community kitchen) in Kochi to provide food to the flood victims. They are working closely with Gurdwara Sri Guru singh Sabha in Kochi. Gurdwara Sahib members and Khalsa Aid volunteers are cooking and serving hot meals to those affected by the floods. Khalsa Aid have also opened an international fundraiser for the Kerala flood victims. You can also contribute directly to the Kerala Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund by clicking here. Extending his country's support to the flood-hit people of Kerala, the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said his country stands with the people of Kerala. In a series of tweets, in Arabic, English and Malayalam, Sheikh Mohammed said that the people of Kerala have always been and are still part of our success story and stated that it was the responsibility of the people of UAE, to help and support those affected. The state of Kerala in India is currently witnessing huge floods, the most devastating in a century. Hundreds have been killed, hundreds of thousands have been displaced. Ahead of Eid Al Adha, do not forget to extend a helping hand to our brothers in India. pic.twitter.com/cHe4CWzrpO HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) August 17, 2018 UAE and the Indian community will unite to offer relief to those affected. We have formed a committee to start immediately. We urge everyone to contribute generously towards this initiative. pic.twitter.com/7a4bHadWqa HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) August 17, 2018 The people of Kerala have always been and are still part of our success story in the UAE. We have a special responsibility to help and support those affected, especially during this holy and blessed days pic.twitter.com/ZGom5A6WRy HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) August 17, 2018 Encouraging people to contribute generously, he also announced the formation of a national emergency committee to provide relief assistance to people affected by the flood. The committee will be chaired by the Emirates Red Crescent, and include representatives from the UAE's humanitarian organisations. BCCL Oman, another Gulf country with a sizable Malayali population to have extended their support to Kerala. Under the instruction of the Sultan of Oman Qaboos bin Said Al Said, the Royal Oman Air Force will fly a special flight from Muscat to Thiruvananthapuram with the essential material, including drinking water and food, for relief. Malayali community in the Middle East has been collecting aid material and gathering volunteers to help those affected by the devastating floods. Dubai based Aster DM Healthcare headed by Dr Azad Moopen have mobilised a group of more than 200 medical and non-medical volunteers to provide humanitarian aid. In this state of utter devastation and calamity, it is our duty as citizens to come together and help those in need in the best possible way we can. While our Aster Volunteers are leading the Disaster Support Team to help our people, we would urge each and everyone to come forward and lend a helping hand to those in need, Dr Moopen told Muscat Daily. BCCL So far 324 people have been confirmed dead, while some 2 lakh people who have been displaced in the worst flooding in the state's history in nearly a century. Gagandeep Singh, the brave Uttarakhand Police Sub Inspector, who had made headlines after he saved a Muslim youth from a mob has been honoured by the state government. On 15th August, on the occasion of Independence Day, he was given the Frontier Service Respect Mark medal by DGP Anil Rathudi. Singh was hailed a hero, for saving the life of a Muslim boy in May this year when he was about to be attacked by a group of Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad men in Girija village in Nainital. The mob was infuriated after a rumour spread that he was with a Hindu girl at a local temple. By the time SI Singh had reached the spot, the men had surrounded them and began manhandling the boy. In a video which went viral, the young officer was seen confronting the violent mob, who demanded the youth be handed over to them. Fearing the mob turned violent, the officer stood up to them and made sure that the boy escapes unhurt. The United States' government has faced a lot of criticism over separating families and holding children at the border of the US. As a matter of policy, the US government is separating families who seek asylum in the US by crossing the border illegally. More than 2,500 children were separated earlier this year from their parents after families crossed the US border with Mexico illegally intending to stay in the country. reuters The US government continues to hold 565 illegal immigrant children in custody, three weeks after a court deadline to reunite them with parents or guardians, a court filing showed Friday. That included 24 children five years old or younger being cared for by the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Refugee Resettlement. ORR reported the parents of 366 of the 565 children were outside of the United States, making reunifications difficult. The parents of 154 of the children indicated they did not want to be reunified with the children, it said. reuters And for over 180, the children could not be handed back to parents because the parents were flagged as threats to the children. These children were separately held in law enforcement custody, or were facing separate litigation, reported AFP. Rights groups challenged the separations and a federal judge in California ordered the families brought back together by July 26. The Department of Homeland Security, which polices illegal immigration, said a number of parents accepted being sent back over the border, leaving the children to remain in the United States and hoping to join them later legally. ORR said in the filing it continues trying to place the children back with their parents or relatives within the United States. With inputs from agencies Kofi Annan, one of the world's most celebrated diplomats and a charismatic symbol of the United Nations who rose through its ranks to become the first black African secretary-general, has died. He was 80. His foundation announced his death in Switzerland on Saturday in a tweet, saying that he died after a short unspecified illness. "Wherever there was suffering or need, he reached out and touched many people with his deep compassion and empathy," the foundation said in a statement. reuters Annan spent virtually his entire career as an administrator in the United Nations. His aristocratic style, cool-tempered elegance and political savvy helped guide his ascent to become its seventh secretary-general, and the first hired from within. He served two terms from January 1, 1997, to December 31, 2006, capped nearly mid-way when he and the UN were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001. During his tenure, Annan presided over some of the worst failures and scandals at the world body, one of its most turbulent periods since its founding in 1945. Challenges from the outset forced him to spend much of his time struggling to restore its tarnished reputation. His enduring moral prestige remained largely undented, however, both through charisma and by virtue of having negotiated with most of the powers in the world. It is with immense sadness that the Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation announce that Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Laureate, passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness... pic.twitter.com/42nGOxmcPZ Kofi Annan (@KofiAnnan) August 18, 2018 When he departed from the United Nations, he left behind a global organization far more aggressively engaged in peacekeeping and fighting poverty, setting the framework for the UN's 21st-century response to mass atrocities and its emphasis on human rights and development. "Kofi Annan was a guiding force for good," current UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. "It is with profound sadness that I learned of his passing. In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations. He rose through the ranks to lead the organization into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination." Even out of office, Annan never completely left the UN orbit. He returned in special roles, including as the UN-Arab League's special envoy to Syria in 2012. He remained a powerful advocate for global causes through his eponymous foundation. reuters Annan took on the top UN post six years after the collapse of the Soviet Union and presided during a decade when the world united against terrorism after the Sept. 11 attacks then divided deeply over the U.S.-led war against Iraq. The US relationship tested him as a world diplomatic leader. "I think that my darkest moment was the Iraq war, and the fact that we could not stop it," Annan said in a February 2013 interview with TIME magazine to mark the publication of his memoir, "Interventions: A Life in War and Peace." "I worked very hard I was working the phone, talking to leaders around the world. The US did not have the support in the Security Council," Annan recalled in the videotaped interview posted on The Kofi Annan Foundation's website. reuters "So they decided to go without the council. But I think the council was right in not sanctioning the war," he said. "Could you imagine if the UN had endorsed the war in Iraq, what our reputation would be like? Although at that point, President (George W.) Bush said the UN was headed toward irrelevance, because we had not supported the war. But now we know better." Despite his well-honed diplomatic skills, Annan was never afraid to speak candidly. That didn't always win him fans, particularly in the case of Bush's administration, with whom Annan's camp spent much time bickering. Much of his second term was spent at odds with the United States, the UN's biggest contributor, as he tried to lean on the nation to pay almost $2 billion in arrears. Kofi Atta Annan was born April 8, 1938, into an elite family in Kumasi, Ghana, the son of a provincial governor and grandson of two tribal chiefs. reuters He shared his middle name Atta "twin" in Ghana's Akan language with a twin sister, Efua. He became fluent in English, French and several African languages, attending an elite boarding school and the University of Science and Technology in Kumasi. He finished his undergraduate work in economics at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1961. From there he went to Geneva, where he began his graduate studies in international affairs and launched his UN career. Annan married Titi Alakija, a Nigerian woman, in 1965, and they had a daughter, Ama, and a son, Kojo. He returned to the US in 1971 and earned a master's degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management. The couple separated during the 1970s and, while working in Geneva, Annan met his second wife, Swedish lawyer Nane Lagergren. They married in 1984. Annan worked for the UN Economic Commission for Africa in Ethiopia, its Emergency Force in Egypt, and the office of the High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva, before taking a series of senior posts at UN headquarters in New York dealing with human resources, budget, finance, and staff security. reuters He also had special assignments. After Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, he facilitated the repatriation from Iraq of more than 900 international staff and other non-Iraqi nationals, and the release of western hostages in Iraq. He led the initial negotiations with Iraq for the sale of oil in exchange for humanitarian relief. Just before becoming secretary-general, Annan served as UN peacekeeping chief and as special envoy to the former Yugoslavia, where he oversaw a transition in Bosnia from UN protective forces to NATO-led troops. The UN peacekeeping operation faced two of its greatest failures during his tenure: the Rwanda genocide in 1994 and the massacre in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica in July 1995. In both cases, the UN had deployed troops under Annan's command, but they failed to save the lives of the civilians they were mandated to protect. Annan offered apologies but ignored calls to resign by US Republican lawmakers. After became secretary-general, he called for UN reports on those two debacles and they were highly critical of his management. As secretary-general, Annan forged his experiences into a doctrine called the "Responsibility to Protect," that countries accepted at least in principle to head off genocide, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing and war crimes. reuters Annan sought to strengthen the UN's management, coherence and accountability, efforts that required huge investments in training and technology, a new whistleblower policy and financial disclosure requirements. In 1998, he helped ease a transition to civilian rule in Nigeria and visited Iraq to try to resolve its impasse with the Security Council over compliance with weapons inspections and other matters. The effort helped avoid an outbreak of hostilities that seemed imminent at the time. In 1999, he was deeply involved in the process by which East Timor gained independence from Indonesia, and started the "Global Compact" initiative that has grown into the world's largest effort to promote corporate social responsibility. Annan was the chief architect of what became known as the Millennium Development Goals and played a central role in creating the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the UN's first counter-terrorism strategy. Annan's uncontested election to a second term was unprecedented, reflecting the overwhelming support he enjoyed from both rich and poor countries. Timothy Wirth, president of the United Nations Foundation, which disburses Ted Turner's $1 billion pledge to UN causes, hailed "a saint-like sense about him." reuters In 2005, Annan succeeded in establishing the Peacebuilding Commission and the Human Rights Council. But that year, the UN was facing almost daily attacks over allegations about corruption in the UN oil-for-food program in Iraq, bribery by UN purchasing officials and widespread sex abuse by UN peacekeepers an issue that would only balloon in importance after he left office. It emerged that Annan's son, Kojo, had not disclosed payments he received from his employer, which had a $10 million-a-year contract to monitor humanitarian aid under the oil-for-food program. The company paid at least $300,000 to Kojo so he would not work for competitors after he left. An independent report criticized the secretary-general for being too complacent, saying he should have done more to investigate matters even if he was not involved with the awarding of the contract. World leaders agreed to create an internal UN ethics office, but a major overhaul of the UN's outdated management practices and operating procedures were left to Annan's successor, Ban Ki-moon. Before leaving office, Annan helped secure a truce between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006 and mediated a settlement of a dispute between Cameroon and Nigeria over the Bakassi peninsula. At a farewell news conference, Annan listed as top achievements the promotion of human rights, the fighting to close the gap between extreme poverty and immense wealth, and the UN campaign to fight infectious diseases like AIDS. He never took disappointments and setbacks personally. And he kept his view that diplomacy should take place in private and not in the public forum. In his memoir, Annan recognized the costs of taking on the world's top diplomatic job, joking that "SG," for secretary-general, also signified "scapegoat" around UN headquarters. Former US ambassador to the United Nations Richard Holbrooke called Annan "an international rock star of diplomacy." After leaving his high-profile UN perch, Annan didn't let up. In 2007, his Geneva-based foundation was created. That year he helped broker peace in Kenya, where election violence had killed over 1,000 people. reuters He also joined "The Elders," an elite group of former leaders founded by Nelson Mandela, eventually succeeding Desmond Tutu as its chairman after a failed interlude trying to resolve Syria's rising civil war. As special envoy to Syria in 2012, Annan won international backing for a six-point plan for peace. The UN deployed a 300-member observer force to monitor a cease-fire, but peace never took hold and Annan was unable to surmount the bitter stalemate among Security Council powers. He resigned in frustration seven months into the job, as the civil war raged on. Annan continued to crisscross the globe. In 2017, his foundation's biggest projects included promotion of fair, peaceful elections; work with Myanmar's government to improve life in troubled Rakhine state, and battling violent extremism by enlisting young people to help. He also remained a vocal commentator on troubles like the refugee crisis; promoted good governance, anti-corruption measures and sustainable agriculture in Africa; and pushed efforts in the fight against illegal drug trafficking. Annan retained connections to many international organizations. He was chancellor of the University of Ghana, a fellow at New York's Columbia University, and professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore. In his memoir, Annan recognized the costs of taking on the world's top diplomatic job, joking that "SG," for secretary-general, also signified "scapegoat" around UN headquarters. Annan is survived by his wife and three children. The funeral arrangement wasn't immediately announced. Hajj pilgrimage is one of the most important event for Muslims across the world. Every year, about two million Muslims gather in Saudi Arabia this week for the hajj. This pilgrimage is becoming increasingly hi-tech with apps to help the faithful navigate Islam's holiest sites. Every Muslim is required to complete the hajj at least once in their lifetime if they have the means to do so. reuters One of the five pillars of the world's fastest-growing religion, the hajj is expected to draw two million people from around the globe this year. The Pew Research Center says the number of Muslims in the world is expected to rise from 1.8 billion in 2015 to three billion in 2060. This year, the Saudis have launched a "smart hajj" initiative, with apps to help pilgrims with everything from travel plans to medical care. Asefny, for example, is an app launched by Saudi Arabia's Red Crescent to help pilgrims request emergency medical attention. Authorities are able to locate those in need through the app. The Saudi hajj ministry also runs the Manasikana app, which provides translation for pilgrims who do not speak Arabic or English. reuters By Thursday, more than 1.6 million people had already arrived in Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage, which runs from Sunday to Friday. Thousands could be seen arriving in Mecca, with groups from different countries wearing distinct colours to set them apart. Many were visibly moved to be so close to Islam's holiest site -- the Kaaba, a black masonry cube in the centre of Mecca's Grand Mosque. Pilgrims then perform rituals around the Kaaba and on the Mount Arafat plain east of Mecca. The hajj ends with Eid al-Adha, a three-day feast which starts with the "stoning of the devil". Eid al-Adha also includes the slaughter of sheep, with the meat distributed to Muslims in need. The ritual symbolises Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son, Ishmael, on the order of God. With inputs from AFP A young Yazidi woman who fled to Germany but returned home to northern Iraq says she cannot escape her Islamic State group captor who held her as a sex slave for three months. Ashwaq Haji, 19, says she ran into the man in a German supermarket in February. Traumatised by the encounter, she returned to Iraq the following month. Like many other Yazidis, she was kidnapped by IS when the jihadists seized swathes of Iraq in the summer of 2014. afp In their ancestral region of Sinjar in northwestern Iraq, thousands of Yazidi women were killed or sold off as sex slaves. The teenager was held from August 3 until October 22 of 2014, when she managed to escape from the home of an Iraqi jihadist using the name Abu Humam who had bought her for $100, she told AFP in the Yazidi shrine of Lalish, north of second city Mosul. The Yazidis are a Kurdish-speaking religious minority that was brutally persecuted by the jihadists who despise them as heretics. afp Under a German government programme for Iraqi refugees, Ashwaq, her mother and a younger brother were resettled in 2015 in Schwaebisch Gmuend, a town near Stuttgart. Her refuge in Germany, where she took language lessons, was cut short on February 21 when a man called out her name in a supermarket and started talking to her in German. "He told me he was Abu Humam. I told him I didn't know him, and then he started talking to me in Arabic," she said. "He told me: 'Don't lie, I know very well that you're Ashwaq'," she said, adding that he gave her home address and other details of her life in Germany. After that experience, she immediately phoned the local police, who told her to contact a specialised department. afp The judicial police in the Baden-Wuerttemberg region of southwestern Germany said an inquiry was opened on March 13 but that Ashwaq was not present to answer questions. A spokesman for the German federal prosecutor's office told AFP that so far the man's identity could not be confirmed "with certainty". Germany says it has opened several investigations over terrorism charges or crimes against humanity involving asylum seekers linked to jihadist groups in Iraq, Syria or Afghanistan. Ashwaq said she had viewed surveillance videos filmed in the supermarket together with German police and was ready to keep them informed of her whereabouts. But she said that she was not willing to return to Germany for fear of seeing her captor again. She is back in northern Iraq with her mother and brother, but living in fear because she says Abu Humam has family in Baghdad. afp She wears black in a sign of mourning for five brothers and a sister still missing since their own capture by IS. At a camp for the displaced in nearby Iraqi Kurdistan where he has been resettled, her father, Haji Hamid, 53, admits returning was not an easy decision, even though the government proclaimed victory over IS at the end of last year. "When her mother told me that she'd seen that jihadist... I told them to come back because Germany was obviously no longer a safe place for them," he told AFP. Life in Iraq is also not easy for Ashwaq or for the 3,315 other Yazidis who escaped from the jihadists. A similar number are still being held or have gone missing, according to official figures. "All the survivors have volcanos inside them, ready to explode," warned Sara Samouqi, a psychologist who works with several Yazidis. "Ashwaq and her family are going through terrible times." As flood waters close in around the people of Kerala with each passing day, those of us safe far away need to do what we can to help. To that end, a few e-commerce portals are doing their bit to facilitate donations as well, so do try to send even something small. Flipkart Flipkart has tied up with NGO Goonj in order to facilitate people that want to donate to Kerala flood victims. Donations are made in money, which the NGO will then be using to procure things like blankets, tarpaulins, mosquito nets, dry rations, toiletries, cooking utensils, and more. To donate, simply open the Flipkart app on your phone and click the banner ad for Kerala donations. You will be taken to a page where you can make a donation to Goonj. As a bonus, all donations made here receive a 50 percent tax exemption, certificate for which youll receive within a few weeks. Amazon India Amazon has also tied with Goonj, as well as two other charities; Habitat for Humanity India and World Vision India. Clicking on the donation banner here will take you to a description page, as well as links to browse the donation wish lists of all three NGOs. Each of them include things like toiletries, clothes, and cooking utensils, among others. You can pick any items you wish to donate, and then select one of the registry delivery addresses before paying. Paytm Paytm, meanwhile, has partnered with the Kerala Chief Ministers Distress Relief Fund, allowing you to donate money to flood victims. Simply tap the Kerala Floods icon in either the app or on the desktop website, and youll be redirected to a page letting you input your details and donate. Unfortunately, Paytm says it wont be able to provide tax exemption receipts, but they are promising to match every donation Rupee for Rupee up to Rs 1 crore. Big Basket Finally, Goonj is also affiliated with Big Basket, allowing you to specifically donate food to flood victims in need. Simply click on the banner on the website, and itll lead you to a separate shopping page. Here you can pick a bundle of dry rations to have delivered. Right now, only one bundle containing rice, sugar, and dal is available, but hopefully the selection option means more will come soon. Google Aside from that, if youre safe in Kerala and want to donate to others in need, Google has a list of District Needs on its Person Finder site. Theres a listing for a center in each district, with a contact person and what people in the shelters there need most. Just dont put yourself in danger getting the things out there. Find a book that you really love, and believe you me, it will serve as a refuge from all your daily troubles. Reading is a habit that is dying in this world dominated by technology and the need to chronicle your presence at the latest hotspot, every weekend, on social media. But, we have a list of books that could change your plans for the weekend and broaden your mind. For starters, heres a list of biographies of badass women who changed the world. 1. Helen: The Life and Times of an H-Bomb by Jerry Pinto Amazon Mera Naam Chin Chin Choo is a song that resonates with every Indian. Shes called Bollywoods Queen Of Dance and the industrys evergreen star, Helen Richardson Khan. She has enchanted cinema goers for years with her talent. Born Helen Jairag Richardson in Burma in 1939, to an Anglo-Indian father and Burmese mother, Helen's childhood was full of misery. Her father went missing in World War II, and in 1943, she and her family had to escape the Japanese invasion of Burma, finally settling in Mumbai. An actress and dancer Cuckoo, most famous for her role in Andaz (1949) secured work for Helen as a chorus dancer and the rest as they say is history. Helen: The Life and Times of an H-Bomb by Jerry Pinto makes for the perfect weekend biography read. 2. Spy Princess: The Life of Noor Inayat Khan by Shrabani Basu Noor Inayat Khan, an Indian princess, was a direct descendant of Mysores Tipu Sultan. She was a refugee, forced to flee her home due to enemy invasion. Noor Inayat Khan, the indomitable woman was executed by the Nazis for being a brilliant spy. When Paris fell to German invasion, she lost her home and had to flee with her family to London. Swearing to help take down fascism, she immediately volunteered for the Womens Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF). Noor was brutally tortured before being shot to death on September 13, 1944 at a Nazi concentration camp. Radhika Apte will play Noor Inayat Khan, who was also the first female wireless operator. 3. Amy Winehouse: The Biography By Chas Newkey Burden Its been 8 years since Amy Winehouse passed, but memories of this legendary star still remain raw. She died seven years ago in 2011, joining the likes of Kurt Cobain and Janis Joplin in the infamous 27 Club. But, she gradually became addicted to drugs and alcohol. From her wild beehive hairdo to her completely unique take on jazz, she left behind some of the most iconic numbers such as Rehab and Back to Black. Chas Newkey Burdens biography makes for an overwhelming yet compelling read about her tumultuous life. 4. Appetite for Life: The Biography of Julia Child Good Reads A breast cancer survivor, a gripping TV host, and government spy, Julia Child was much more than a simple cookbook author. She even met the inventor of Caesar Salad when she was just a kid. Appetite for Life: The Biography of Julia Child captures her cooking adventures and life as a CIA agent in its entirety. Julie and Julia, with Meryl Streep playing Child makes for the perfect watch after you devour the book. 5. Indira: The Life of Indira Nehru Gandhi by Katherine Frank She was the only woman to be a Prime Minister in India and her life was nothing short of dramatic. From being one of the most controversial person to run office to her life as the daughter of Indias first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, the biography by Katherine Frank brings it all together under one powerful umbrella. 6. Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo by Hayden Herrera The Mexican artist is known primarily for her bold and controversial depictions of womanhood and her tumultuous relationship with fellow artist Diego Rivera, and her fight against an incurable ailment, Frida Khalo was a force to reckon with. Hayden Herreras book on her makes for an empowering read. 7. India's Bandit Queen: The True Story of Phoolan Devi by Mala Sen From roaming bandit to Indian politician Phoolan Devi's story is nothing less than captivating. She was ferocious when it came to seeking gender equality and justice for women in a male-dominated society, Devi transformed into a notorious gang leader and finally ran for Parliament as the "feminist Robin Hood. 8. Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China by Jung Chang Empress Dowager Cixi was the woman who waged a war against primitive practices like foot binding. She brought in change to society at a time when conservatism was at its peak. From staging a palace coup to running an empire as a royal concubine, Cixi shattered stereotypes like nobody before. 9. Mother Teresa: A Complete Authorized Biography by Kathryn Spink Founder of the Missionaries of Charity and winner of the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Teresa worked tirelessly with the world's poor. This is the only authorised biography of Mother Theresa, written by a woman who was by her side through her ups and downs. 10. 'The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut's Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt' by Kara Cooney Hatshepsut was meant to marry her brother and produce out male heirs for the Egyptian monarchy. But she chose to stay out of it at a time when patriarchy reigned high. Hatshepsut shattered stereotypes by cross-dressing to rule her kingdom. She was the only Woman King to have scaled new heights at the time, and her biography is all about her grit and determination. Incessant rains wreaks havoc in cities across the country and when infrastructure is flimsy, accidents are just unavoidable. In another terrifying footage, a two-storey building is seen crumbling under the pressure of heavy rains in Karnataka's Kodagu. The incident took place in Madikeri in Kodagu district in south-western Karnataka. The footage taken by a resident shows the two-storeyed house falling down a hill. Reports state that the building was empty at the time and no one was injured. Many houses were on the verge of sliding down and are balanced precariously off a slope, Deputy Commissioner of Kodagu district, Srividya P, told The News Minute. The last thing you would expect a criminal going through extradition is to do the Kiki Challenge. But this guy didn't guy didn't give two hoots about his situation before attempting the viral Intenet challenge at the most inappropriate time. Facebook Antwan Mims, a Michigan gang member, has been charged with murdering two men in front of dozens of witnesses and is currently on FBIs 'Ten Most Wanted' fugitives list. But like they say, no one can come in the way of a person and their Kiki challenge dance moves. The whole thing was captured on video by WNDU-TV who showed him doing the dance and making a love heart gesture with his hands. The Benton Harbor Director of Public Safety, Dan McGinnis wasn't amused: "It's almost like it was a joke. He's taken two people's lives." While it was weird for Antwan Mims, to do the Kiki move, it goes to show the extent of the Kiki craze. In a shocking incident, Georgia police in the US first tasered then arrested an 87-year-old woman named Martha Al-Bishara who was merely using a knife to cut dandelions in the woods. A report by the CNN said: Chatsworth Police said Al-Bishara did not drop the steak knife despite several commands and a demonstration by officers. At one point, she walked toward officers with the knife. The police tried to defend their actions by saying that the grandmother didn't comply with the instructions. The woman has been charged with criminal trespass and obstructing an officer. But the incident has scarred Al-Bishara who now spends sleepless nights and feels nervous to step out of her house. Here's how Netizens responded to this incident: #1 #Chatsworth (#GA) #Police #chose #to use #Taser on 87-year-old woman cutting #dandelions with a knife. Yes, you heard that right - bully cops decided to PURPOSEFULLY tase an 87-year-old woman WHO HAS DEMENTIA AND WAS CALM. On purpose. In her chest. https://t.co/Oa4x3P7EuP ~Karen (usually) (@Caffeinated_Me) 17 August 2018 #2 Georgia police use Taser on 87 yr. old woman using knife to cut dandelions. Relatives said Al-Bishara doesn't speak English. "If 3 police officers couldn't handle an 87 year old woman, you might want to reconsider hanging up your badge. -Great-Nephew.https://t.co/byYfsV9Fze pic.twitter.com/IhppUYKVkI Shomari Stone (@shomaristone) 16 August 2018 #3 Well we can all rest safe now. Grandma is in custody. I sure am glade they got that menace off the streets Georgia police use Taser on 87-year-old woman cutting dandelions with a knife @CNNI https://t.co/C8G5jjhGIG gizzymoon (@gizzymoon) 17 August 2018 #4 Damn OVERWHELMING force by Police. 87 year old who can barely walk around and can't speak English well. Have you never heard of FOREIGN VISITORS? FAMILY!!! Police Chief Defends Use Of Taser On Elderly Woman Cutting Flowers https://t.co/Y1pa1uvzUv via @Yahoo Steve Smith (I support ) (@steve37341) 17 August 2018 #5 DAMN SHE AINT EVEN BLACK, LUCKY FOR HER SHE ISN'T OR THEY WOULD HAVE SHOT HER INSTEAD Police use Taser on 87-year-old woman using knife to cut dandelions https://t.co/E6hybPOlda via @nbcnews laurabell (@cotureme) 17 August 2018 #6 Regardless of your particular financial status, keeping tabs on the ultrarichwhether with admiration, envy, or resentmentis perhaps more pleasurable and less demanding than researching a mortgage, shopping for online brokers, or getting schooled on complex topics in finance and economics, like how exchange-traded funds work and the pros and cons of gross domestic product (GDP). To be sure, the appeal of wealthy families reflects a culture that fetishizes wealth and lionizes the rich. The upper echelon of business leaders are celebrities of a sort, as scrutinized for their ability to perform as athletes, actors, and politicians. Successful family businesses may offer a universal appeal. Few of us will ever become billionaires, but everyone has a family. Whats more, family businesses imply values of authenticity, tradition, heritage, lineage, and quality. And wealthy families suggest royalty, especially if the wealth is intergenerational. For the sake of simplicity, we have limited our list of richest families to those groups who originally made their fortunes through business, even if some heirs who still enjoy the money havent been employed in the business. The most recent updates are from 2020. Key Takeaways At $215 billion, the Waltons are the richest family in the world thanks to their massive stake in Walmart, the world's largest company by revenue. The fourth generation of the Mars family, the second-richest clan after the Waltons, currently runs the eponymously named Mars candy company. Although estimated to be $95 billion, the exact wealth of the House of Saud is difficult to accurately assess due in large part to the size of the royal family. The least wealthy family on this list is the Albrechts, who still have $41 billion in assets thanks to their highly popular grocery store chains. By focusing solely on families, this list does not include the richest people on Earth, including Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Bill Gates 1. Walton FamilyWalmart Estimated Wealth: $215 billion The Waltons are the richest family in Americaand by some measures, the wealthiest clan in the world. At the top of the value chain, in 2020, Jim and Alice Walton are each worth $54 billion and ranked No.8 and No.9, respectively, on Forbes annual list of billionaires. Walmart is a retail behemoth. Founded by Sam Walton in Arkansas in 1962, Walmart is now the worlds largest company by 2020 revenues, with $524 billion and over 2.2 million U.S. associates. If those people constituted their own city, it would be the fourth most populous American city, after New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. The company operates nearly 11,510 retail stores worldwide and 5,347 stores in the U.S. as of Oct. 31, 2020. Best known for big-box stores in rural and suburban America, Walmart is celebrated for its low-priced products and criticized for its labor practices. The company failed to bring its big-box consumer lifestyle to New York City, unlike its competitor, Target. 2. Mars FamilyMars Estimated Wealth: $120 billion Mars is the Walmart of candy: a multigenerational family business that is ubiquitous, cheap, and popular. Today, the company is better known for making M&Ms than for its eponymous Mars bar. In 2017, the worlds largest candy company diversified with the purchase of VCA, a pet care company, for $9.1 billion. Siblings Jacqueline and John Mars, whose grandfather, Frank Mars, founded the company, each has a net worth of $24.7 billion and are tied for No.29 in 2020 on the Forbes annual list of billionaires. The company is now being run by some of their children, the fourth generation of Mars family members. 3. Koch FamilyKoch Industries Estimated Wealth: $109.7 billion Charles Koch owes his staggering fortune to an oil business founded by his father, but today, he is perhaps better known to the general public for his politics, digging into his deep pockets to place his stamp on it: financing candidates and libertarian think tanks, funding university professorships, and lobbying for policy positions, all aimed at furthering a conservative agenda. Charles partnered with his brother David until the latters death in 2019. Charles is worth an estimated $38.2 billion, tied for the 18th spot with Davids widow Julia Koch and family on the Forbes billionaires list. 4. Al SaudSaudi Royal Family Estimated Wealth: $95 billion The House of Saud, the Saudi royal family, has a monarchical history extending back nearly a century. The familys massive fortune, estimated at $95 billion, has grown thanks to decades of payments from the Royal Diwan, the kings executive office. Ties with Saudi Aramco, the worlds most profitable company and a behemoth of the oil industry, ensure that the Saudi royal family continues to accumulate wealth. Its difficult to accurately assess the wealth of the House of Saud, in part because the family contains as many as 15,000 extended members, many of whom have founded businesses, received government contracts, and more. 5. Ambani FamilyReliance Industries Estimated Wealth: $81.3 billion Indian industrial conglomerate Reliance Industries, the only Asian company on our list, might be the least well known to average readers. Nevertheless, CEO Mukesh Ambani, whose late father founded the company in 1957, is 21st on Forbes' billionaires list, overseeing the companys refining, petrochemicals, oil, gas, and textiles; his brother, Anil, manages telecommunications, asset management, entertainment, and power generation. 6. Dumas FamilyHermes Estimated Wealth: $63.9 billion French fashion house and luxury purveyor Hermes has dazzled the world with its signature scarves, neckties, and perfumes, as well as its iconic Kelly and Birkin handbags. Back in the 19th century, Thierry Hermes fashioned riding apparel for the aristocracy. Today, the company dresses basketball royalty such as LeBron James. Fusing old-school and new technology, Hermes Apple Watches sell for $1,300 to $2,000 and up. Axel Dumas currently serves as the companys CEO and chair, and Pierre-Alexis Dumas is the artistic director. 7. Wertheimer FamilyChanel Estimated Wealth: $54.4 billion French high-fashion house Chanel is legendary for the timeless little black dress, the No.5 perfume, and the late high-profile designer Karl Lagerfeld, who died on Feb. 19, 2019. Brothers Alain and Gerhard Wertheimer now co-own the company that their grandfather staked with founder Gabrielle Coco Chanel. The brothers are both ranked 48th on the Forbes billionaires list, with a net worth of $17 billion each. 8. Johnson FamilyFidelity Investments Estimated Wealth: $46.3 billion Fidelity Investments was founded by Edward C. Johnson II in 1946 and is one of the largest financial services firms in the world, providing investment services to millions of people. The firm is now run by Johnsons granddaughter, Abigail Johnson, who ranks 124th on the Forbes billionaires list at a net worth of $10.8 billion. 9. Boehringer, von Baumbach FamiliesBoehringer Ingelheim Estimated Wealth: $45.7 billion Boehringer Ingelheim is a German pharmaceuticals company with more than 130 years of history. The Boehringer family, along with the von Baumbachs, remain in control of the company several generations later. 10. Albrecht FamilyAldi Estimated Wealth: $41 billion Aldi is an international chain of grocery stores that grew when brothers Theo and Karl Albrecht began to manage their parents grocery store after World War II. Aldi also owns the popular American chain of grocery stores known as Trader Joes. Theo Albrecht and family have a net worth of $17 billion and rank at No.51 on the Forbes billionaires list. The Bottom Line Admittedly, this list may read as a naked celebration of wealth at a time of rising global inequality and the vanishing middle class or an implicit condoning of heedless consumption at a time when the future of wealth itself is in question due to technological disruption and climate change. Moreover, the focus on families means the list doesnt include the worlds three richest individualsJeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Bill Gatesalthough technically they all have families. Which Family Is the Wealthiest on Earth? According to Bloomberg, with $215 billion of estimated wealth in 2020, the Walton family is the richest family in America and possibly the entire world. What 10 Richest Families Are the Wealthiest? The top 10 richest families in 2020 by estimated wealth are: The Walton Family: $215 billion $215 billion The Mars Family: $120 billion $120 billion The Koch Family: $109.7 billion $109.7 billion The Saudi Royal Family : $95 billion : $95 billion The Ambani Family: $81.3 billion $81.3 billion The Dumas Family: $63.9 billion $63.9 billion The Wertheimer Family: $54.4 billion $54.4 billion The Johnson Family: $46.3 billion $46.3 billion The Boehringer and von Baumbach Families: $45.7 billion $45.7 billion The Albrecht Family: $41 billion The owner of one of the countrys most popular tourist attractions is concerned that a proposed new housing development in Cork will negatively impact on the historic character of the area. The Blarney Castle Estate has lodged an appeal against the recent decision of Cork County Council to grant planning permission for a new housing estate near the famous landmark, to building firm, Muskerry Homes. The estate, which is owned by Charles Colthurst, is opposing the 58-unit residential development at Kilnamucky in Tower which lies on a scenic route in the Shournagh Valley Mr Colthurst is claiming the old abandoned Cork-Muskerry railway line which borders the new development should be preserved as an important piece of industrial heritage. While acknowledging the current housing shortage, Mr Colthurst said the design and layout must take into account and positively reinforce the historic qualities of the landscape. Consultants acting for the Blarney Castle Estate say that Mr Colthurst believes it is vital that the historic footprint of the Cork and Muskerry Light Rail line be retained. In addition to providing access to the castle, they said the railway line also served the now derelict Hydropathic Institute, also known as St Annes Hydro, in Blarney, which is next to the new housing development. The facility which closed in 1952 was the first modern Turkish baths in Britain and Ireland. Mr Colthurst said that the estate has invested time and resources in protecting the special historic and scenic qualities of the landscape which he claims are vital for keeping the area attractive for visitors and locals. He described the Cork-Muskerry railway line as regionally important industrial archaeology. Consultants for Mr Colthurst said: Cork County Council are intent on increasing the dwell time of visitors in Co Cork and by protecting our heritage and proving an attractive place to visit, this can be achieved. They claimed the local authority is reneging on the objectives of its own county development plan in relation to protecting significant heritage. By simply incorporating heritage features such as this into modern developments, the memory, stories and significance can be kept for future generations to enjoy, they said. Blarney Castle was the 12th most popular fee-paying tourist attraction here last year with 450,000 visitors. Health authorities have warned of the growing incidence of Legionnaires disease in Ireland with a record level of the potentially fatal infection notified last year. New figures show that the number of cases of Legionnaires disease more than doubled in 2017 to 25, resulting in four deaths. In 2016, there were 10 cases, with one associated death. The HSEs Health Protection Surveillance Unit said last years figures were above historical rates and represented the highest level since figures were recorded in 2000. The annual trend over the last six years indicates that the number of case notifications of Legionnaires disease has been increasing over time, said a HSE spokeswoman. The incidence of the disease is now 5.3 cases per million population but 13.8 per million among those aged over 50 years. The disease is caused by legionella, a common bacterium found in many water-related sources where temperatures are between 20C and 45C such as hot and cold water pipes, air conditioning systems, condensers, humidifiers, taps, showerheads, fountains, jacuzzis, spas ,and sprinkler systems. The infection is spread through the air from the water source with people becoming ill after they inhale mist or steam containing tiny droplets of water which have been contaminated with legionella. The disease can affect all age groups but is most common among those aged over 50 years. Smokers, heavy drinkers, and those with chronic illnesses whose immune systems are weakened are considered at greater risk. The illness, which usually starts between two and ten days after infection, has flu-like symptoms including fever, tiredness, headache and muscle pains. These symptoms can be followed by a dry cough and breathing difficulties that can progress to severe pneumonia. It is estimated that Legionnaires disease is fatal in 10-15% of cases. The majority of cases recorded in Ireland last year related to older males with two-thirds of cases involving people living in the greater Dublin region. The HSE said 11 patients are believed to have contracted the infection while abroad from visits to countries including Spain, Turkey, the UK, and the United Arab Emirates. The HSE has provided hotels, leisure centres, nursing homes, and other similar facilities with checklists on how to reduce the threat from Legionnaires disease with the warning that an outbreak on their premises could have significant legal consequences. The disease acquired its name following an outbreak of pneumonia among delegates attending an American Legion convention in Philadelphia in 1976 in which 29 out of 182 cases died. Adoption campaigners have hit out at Childrens Minister Katherine Zappone for refusing to reveal how many adoption records are being examined as part of the scoping exercise investigating the scale of illegal adoptions. The audit was announced at the end of May following the discovery by Tusla of 126 cases in which births were illegally registered between 1946 and 1969 in the records of St Patricks Guild. The records transferred to the agency in 2016. It is being led by independent reviewer, Marion Reynolds, and will involve the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI) and Tusla. There had been widespread calls for the audit to be based on a large sample of records. The Irish Examiner put questions to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA), asking for sample size and methodology, and whether the audit will involve examining records for other forms of illegal adoption outside of those clearly marked as illegal birth registrations. When more details were sought, it said it had nothing further to add to the response. This refusal to reveal the sample size or methodology has raised concerns that the audit will only examine a tiny percentage of the estimated 150,000 adoption records. Paul Redmond of the Coalition of Mother and Baby Homes Survivors (CMABS) said there is a duty on the minister and her department to ensure all illegally adopted people are told the truth about their identity prevent them giving false and, potentially lethal, family medical histories to doctors: The only ethical way forward is to audit all of the adoption agencies as a matter of urgency. The evidence of fraudulent and fake paperwork is overwhelming in the survivor community. Susan Lohan of the Adoption Rights Alliance said a sample of a small number of records is a wasted exercise given the internal knowledge within multiple State agencies of the scale of illegal adoptions: We raised the spectre of detailed existing knowledge of illegal adoptions within the DCYA, the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI) and Tusla, which they have always denied. I can recount many times that individual social workers and senior officers at the AAI had reacted with near hysteria over the notion that they would ever acknowledge such illegal practices, preferring the sanitised terms of de-facto adoptions or illegal registrations. In fact despite many attempts to engage with the AAI on what might actually constitute an illegal adoption, its executive officers had failed to respond to ARA queries on the matter, she said. As far back as 2015, the Irish Examiner revealed that the AAI had told the department in 2013 that St Patricks Guild was aware of several hundred illegal registrations. The DCYA has also consistently said an audit of adoption records would be of very little benefit and would little useful information. This newspaper revealed in June that Tusla had raised concerns about a further 748 cases from St Patricks Guild. These cases contain evidence of names being changed, payments being made to the agency, placements of children with no corresponding adoption order, and other irregularities. Many of these children are believed to have been sent to the USA. Indeed, the Irish Examiner revealed in July that DCYA officials had acknowledged privately in April that evidence of illegal birth registrations exists in the records of multiple adoption agencies but a full probe into the scale of illegal adoptions would be onerous and require massive resources. By Dan Buckley Talks between Ryanair and the Irish Airline Pilots Association (Ialpa) part of trade union Forsa adjourned last night at Dublin Airport without resolution but they are expected to resume some time next week. Hopes of a breakthrough in the dispute were dashed when discussions, which were in their fourth full day, ended without agreement. Around 100 of Ryanairs 350 Irish-based pilots have been in dispute with the company over base transfers, promotions, annual leave and other issues relating to seniority. The talks follow a five-week long dispute which has resulted in five days of strike action by the Irish-based pilots. Earlier yesterday, Bernard Harbour of Forsa announced that he was hopeful of reaching an agreement with Ryanair. He had said the fact that mediator Kieran Mulvey was continuing with negotiations suggested that there was the possibility of reaching agreement yesterday. Mr Harbour said a fair bit of business has been done during the three days of talks that took place earlier this week, and the union was entering todays discussions with a positive view. However, he said there was still a number of issues to be resolved. But no agreement was reached despite another day of round-table discussions and the talks are expected to resume next week. More than 100,000 passengers have already been affected by cancelled flights due to the strike. Last week, pilots from Belgium, Sweden, Ireland, Netherlands and Germany walked out for 24 hours, affecting 74,000 passengers. Another 50,000 passengers were affected by the 48-hour cabin crew strike on July 25. Google could be probed by the Data Protection Commissioner over location stalking after it emerged the tech giant continues to share information with advertisers. The Data Protection Commissioner has been asked to conduct a serious investigation into the claim by the chair of the Oireachtas communications committee. Committee chair Hildegarde Naughton said Google officials will be asked to appear before it during its early consideration of the Digital Safety Commissioner Bill. The committee has already agreed social media and online platforms such as Google and Facebook cannot be trusted to self-regulate and will now prioritise a Sinn Fein bill to appoint a digital safety commissioner. Communications Minister Denis Naughten had promised the establishment of such a commissioner before year-end but the Government rowed back on its plan and instead opted for self-regulation. It was revealed this week that several Google apps and websites store user location even if users have turned off their location history. Meantime, the online platform has changed its help page to clarify that the company still tracks a users platform even if the location settings are switched off. It acknowledged some location data may be saved as part of a persons activity on other services such as Google search or Google Maps. The Google information page had previously stated that with location history off, the places you go are no longer stored. Ms Naughton said: I have serious concerns regarding the compliance of the recently revealed practice of location stalking with European General Data Protection Regulations. GDPR mandates that data and an individuals location is certainly data can only be shared with a legitimate purpose and proper consent. Given recent revelations that disabling location settings does not prevent your location being shared with Google and advertisers, it is not clear to me how Google is in compliance with GDPR principles of consent. European citizens have a right to privacy and I am determined to ensure it is protected. I have written to the Data Protection Commissioner to ask for a serious investigation into this matter, and will be calling on Google to appear before the committee, she said. Meanwhile, more than 1,000 Google staff have signed a letter protesting against the companys secretive plan to build a search engine that would comply with Chinese censorship. The letter calls on executives to review ethics and transparency at the company. It says employees lack the information required to make ethically informed decisions about our work and complains that most employees only found out about the project nicknamed Dragonfly through media reports. The letter is similar to one which thousands of employees had signed to protest against Project Maven, a US military contract that Google decided in June not to renew. By Fiachara O Cionnaith and Daniel McConnell Fourteen Labour councillors have tonight sought an "urgent meeting" with leader Brendan Howlin to discuss his future. The unhappy councillors have sent the letter by email to Mr Howlin to seek his departure from office. Speaking to the Examiner yesterday, Mr Howlin declined to accept the request for an early meeting, saying he has fixed a meeting for all party members on September 16. The letter, seen by the Irish Examiner, said: "We, Labour Party Councillors from around the country, seek an urgent private meeting with you to discuss the following: 1. Party leadership and the need for change. 2. The future direction of the Labour Party in terms of ideology, policy and practice. Our desire for an urgent meeting stems from the current failure of the Party to be heard in any significant way by the public, the lack of knowledge by the public about what we stand for, our frequently disengaged membership and the failure to make progress in opinion polls." The letter was signed by Cllr. Mick Duff, Cllr Martina Genockey, Cllr. Pamela Kearns, Cllr Breeda Bonner, Cllr Fiona Bonfield, Cllr Noel Touhy, Cllr Alison Gilliland, Cllr. Martin Farren, Cllr Billy Cameron, Cllr Mary McCamley, Cllr. Michael Dollard, Cllr. William Patton, Cllr. Kevin Byrne and Cllr. Terry OBrien. Mr Howlin said he has invited all party members to a meeting in Drogheda on September 16 and that it would be unreasonable to bring forward any meeting. This, bluntly, is a distraction we could do without, he said. The bottom line [is] we are in the middle of holidays. Members of staff are away on holidays. We fixed the date before the summer so people could make arrangements to be available, he said. However, according to one of the signatories Cllr Mick Duff, Howlin cannot drag out growing demands for him to step down until next month and must address the leadership question at a special meeting this month. Duff lashed out at Mr Howlins insistence no discussion on the internal party crisis will take place until September. Mr Duff said up to 16 councillors are now calling for alternative leaders to be considered. Speaking after Mr Howlin broke his silence in yesterdays Irish Examiner to label the resignation calls a distraction and reject demands for a meeting this month, Mr Duff said the response was unacceptable. Warning Mr Howlin that slamming the door shut is not an option, the South Dublin County Council member said the leadership question must be addressed immediately or the party will face annihilation in the local, European, and general elections. The door is not closed on this, he cant be slamming the door shut and waiting until September, said Mr Duff. These references to this being a distraction is wrong, we have to have a debate immediately. It is so much broader than Brendan Howlin and Alan Kelly, but we need to talk about this. Due to Labours stagnation in the polls, languishing between 4% and 6%, there are fears among grassroots members that the party could suffer serious damage in the upcoming local, European, and potential general elections. It is also feared that Sinn Fein is successfully taking over large portions of Labours traditional heartland, an issue from which the party may struggle to recover. The Department of Justice has been rebuked after 68 files, which it said didnt exist, between ex-tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald and a PR firm were discovered following an investigation. The department had initially claimed, in a response to a request for information last year, that no records existed. They emerged on foot of a scope by the information commissioner. In a judgement by commissioner Peter Tyndall, the department was found to have utterly failed to fulfil its legal duty to release the requested documents. The department has been embroiled in controversy since 2014, with one report describing it as suffering from a closed, secretive, and silo-driven culture. The judgement was made after the commissioner reviewed a freedom of information (FoI) request made by journalist Ken Foxe, from the transparency group Right to Know, to the department while Ms Fitzgerald was still minister. In March 2017, Mr Foxe sought the release of communications between Ms Fitzgerald and Terry Prones Communications Clinic. Ms Prone is a columnist with the Irish Examiner. The request was made in the wake of reports that An Garda Siochana had paid the Communications Clinic over 90,000 for media training. The department said it was not aware of any interaction between the then minister and Ms Prones firm. It subsequently came to light that its archive records did contain a substantial number of relevant records. The commissioner quashed the refusal to release the documents and ordered the department to ask Ms Fitzgerald if she personally holds any additional information that is relevant and make a fresh decision about releasing the files. In total, 74 records were uncovered, which the department had not previously considered. It seems that in late January 2018, following concerns expressed by my investigative staff that further records could be held, the department searched archived email accounts, states the information commissioners judgment. My office identified 68 records that fall within the scope of the applicants request and advised the department of this. The other six documents fell outside the terms of the FoI request. The department claimed it would have been inappropriate to ask Ms Fitzgerald about emails in her Gmail account. The department stated that it would not be appropriate to ask the former minister whether she has records in her personal email accounts that might fall within the scope of the request and that the department does not feel it is in a position to go outside of the scope of the FoI Act and seek such information from [the former minister] in an attempt to respond to an FoI request. Mr Tyndall rejected this defence. I cannot accept the departments position that asking the former minister whether any relevant records may exist in her personal accounts or devices is going outside the scope of the FoI Act. I consider that it is reasonable and necessary for the department to enquire of the former minister whether she holds relevant records not filed or stored in official systems but relating to the functions and business of the Department of Justice and Equality. Mr Tyndall found that it appears from the records retrieved by the department and dealt with above that the former minister and some of her staff used Gmail addresses in correspondence with the company about official functions and activities of the department. I do not accept that such content could reasonably be characterised as private. I do not believe that it is particularly relevant that the former minister is no longer working in the department. Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr Foxe said: FoI is not something that departments can treat as an optional extra to manage what information they want in the public domain. Its a legal obligation. If Id taken them at face value, nobody would ever have known about this. It is depressing that the department responsible for law and order would have such a cavalier attitude when it comes to their own legal responsibilities. The Department of Justice said it co-operated fully and promptly with the Office of the Information Commissioner, including taking steps that led to the location of some relevant records. The department received notification of the information commissioners decision yesterday and the content of that decision will now be considered. Appropriate steps will be taken in response, including the release to the requester of any non-exempt documents falling within the scope of his request. LloydsPharmacy workers will strike again today. They will demonstrate at the chemist's outlets across the country in a dispute over low pay and zero-hour contracts. The Mandate union represents 270 of the company's 930 staff. It comes after 96% of Mandate members within the firm voted to reject the company's proposals. Spokesperson for the union, David Gibney, outlines where the strikes will be happening today. He said: "We have about 20 stores across Dublin going on strike. Our other stores include Mullingar, Wicklow town, Wexford and Sligo. "But, all across Dublin most of the stores will be on strike." However, a spokesperson for the pharmacy says all its stores remain open. LloydsPharmacy said today: "There are not 20 stores closed today. We understand it is eight impacted. "A majority of colleagues voted in favour. The ballot was organized and run by the staffs Colleague Representative Committee, the recognised negotiating body in the company. "Neither the CRC or company are aware of who voted in what way, given the vote was anonymous and confidential. However, we do know that a majority backed it." It maintained that Mandate represented less than 20% of the firm's total staff. By Joe Leogue A medicines shortage following the Beast from the East is proof that pharmacists are not crying wolf over the threat of Brexit, warns the professions representative body. Daragh Connolly, president of the Irish Pharmacy Union, said the Government needs to communicate with the industry as to what plans will be in place to offset any negative impact Britains exit from the EU will have on the medicines supply chain. Mr Connolly said the costs in the supply chain have been driven down to the point that pharmacies and wholesalers cannot afford to hold onto stock, and the latter lacks the capacity to stock weeks worth of supplies. The supply chain is now such a fine thread that if any stress is applied, it breaks. Mr Connolly said any delay in that chain has a knock-on effect, adding that 80% of the drugs on my shelf came through the UK, be it through packaging, transport, or manufacturing. Things are hanging by a very, very fine thread when it comes to supply, so a truck that would have previously taken one day to come from Dover that now takes three due to Brexit will hit supply. You just need to look at the shortages we experienced after deliveries were delayed due to the snow earlier in the year to know we are not crying wolf. Mr Connolly said something needs to be done at Government level to establish who will pay for extra stock and where will it be stored. We need pharmacists to get the message out to politicians, regulators, and the Department of Health. This is coming in six months, he said. The industrys other concern is that any regulatory divergence between Ireland and a post-Brexit Britain may see manufacturers pull out of the Irish market if it deems the cost of doing business here too prohibitive. Ireland has had access to the pharma market by piggybacking on the UK. Having some 60m people next door who speak the same language has been beneficial, said Mr Connolly. If manufacturers have to produce different batches, or packaging, or marketing material for Ireland and that drives up costs, they might decide not to bother if they think it wont pay them to do it. Mr Connolly said such scenarios could see pharmacists refer patients back to their doctors for a new prescription, or could mean customers would be forced to import medicines from another country at a greater expense. By Sean ORiordan, Defence Correspondent Figures released by the Defence Forces show that international interest in joining the Army, Naval Service, and Air Corps is extremely high, although the drop-out rate between application and completion of training is worryingly high. Two recruitment campaigns were run last year by the Defence Forces which attracted 8,164 applications. Of those, there were people of 41 different nationalities who expressed interest in an officer cadetship training course and 68 different nationalities who expressed an interest in recruit (enlisted) training. The Defence Forces was unable at this time to provide a full breakdown on the nationalities. However, the Irish Examiner understands that while the vast majority were Irish there was a large number of expressions of interest from Britain, Eastern European countries, and Africa. In recent years, an increasing number of Eastern Europeans have joined the Defence Forces. Most of them were young when their families emigrated here. While the number of expressions of interest was high, there was a significant drop-off after initial contact. Of the 8,164 applications, 1,900 completed and passed the online psychometric (intelligence) test. Having done this, applicants were then eligible for the fitness test/medical and interview, of which 759 passed. In total, 615 individuals commenced recruit training and 142 (23%) of these left prior to completion. As part of a recent recruitment drive for the Naval Service, 65 applicants were invited to the navys headquarters at Haulbowline Island, Co Cork, to complete fitness tests/medicals and interviews. Just six turned up. Concerns were recently raised in a leaked report that the quality of some recruits who had joined the army left a lot to be desired. The classified report was prepared for senior military officers to provide them with a snapshot on training. It stated that a number of the recruits in one recruitment class had learning difficulties which were so pronounced it inhibited them from completing the training course. The report concluded that, in general, there was a very poor standard of recruit and highlighted the very short notice given to suitably qualified training staff to oversee the recruit class. Even with accelerated recruitment, the Defence Forces is not keeping pace with the exodus of highly trained personnel who are leaving to get better pay and conditions in the private sector. Defence Forces members are the lowest paid public service workers and several have left to join the Garda and prison service. Former soldiers are organising a march on the Dail on September 19 in the hope of embarrassing the Government into improving pay and conditions for serving personnel. PDForra, the representative association for enlisted personnel in the Defence Forces, said it was concerned about the drop-off in the numbers from the point of application to finalising training. Its all very well stating the number of people who applied, but the bottom line is the number of people who completed training. We expect that by the end of the year the Defence Forces numbers will have suffered a net loss, despite the heavy recruitment, said PDForra general secretary, Gerard Guinan. The Government and the insurance industry have both been accused of foot dragging and delaying the establishment of a Garda unit to tackle insurance fraud. A Garda Fraud Unit was recommended in January 2017, when the Governments cost of insurance working group published its report but the unit has yet to be established. Insurance companies finally agreed to fund a new Garda unit, dedicated to combating bogus claims, last month at a cost of 1m a year. It is estimated one in 10 claims were exaggerated or fraudulent. However, Sinn Fein justice spokesperson Donnchadh O Laoghaire hit out at the Government for putting the funding responsibility onto private industry and also criticised Insurance Ireland for continuing to stop delivery of the unit. He said the funding of a Garda unit by business sets a dangerous precedent and would put the fraud team on an unstable footing. I support the creation of an Insurance Fraud Unit. Insurance fraud is theft and must be pursued rigorously and prosecuted. However, we still have concerns at the proposal for a section of An Garda Siochana being funded through industry. He was speaking after Sinn Fein received documents under freedom of information which documented a series of missed deadlines by Insurance Ireland since early 2017, to progress the proposal to set up an Insurance Fraud Unit within An Garda Siochana, funded by private industry. The Cork South-Central TD said the Government had also let the proposal slip off the agenda. We finally have sign off from the insurance industry but this could have been put in place and established far quicker if the Government and the gardai had said on the first day they would commit to this. They have essentially abdicated responsibility and allowed a private entity, Insurance Industry Ireland, to string the rest of us along. It sets a very dangerous precedent. He questioned the funding model which, he suggested, could be cut at any time. It raises major questions: what happens if the unit needs additional funds or resources, or if Insurance Ireland feels it can no longer pay towards the running of the unit? The independence of An Garda Siochana is essential, and a direct funding relationship with private interests undermines that independence. This is in a context where the insurance industry is under investigation by the competition authorities in the State and at EU level over anti-competitive practices. Any such unit should be funded by the State and, at a cost of approximately 1m, this is more than within the capacity of Government. It is clear now that Insurance Ireland has, despite protestations that fraud is a cause of increased premiums, decided that. In fact, tackling fraud is not an important part of their agenda Speaking after confirming they would fund the unit, CEO of Insurance Ireland Kevin Thompson said it is now up to the Government to get it up and running. Mr Thompson said: It was part of the recommendations from the Governments cost of insurance working group. We have responded to that recommendation through our analysis, we have confirmed to the Government that the funding is there, and its now for Government to decide when and how this will happen. By Niall Murray, Education Correspondent Five teachers who had to return to their schools after long periods running education centres have been allowed to retain the associated allowances of up to 27,000 a year. Some education centre directors were in the job for over a decade before the Department of Education directed a year ago that nobody can hold such posts for more than five years. Their unions brought a claim when affected teachers were told they would not be able to keep an allowance they had been receiving for the work. The case could not be resolved at the Teachers Conciliation Council, the industrial relations mechanism for teacher unions and the department. The decision last month followed a hearing under the conciliation and arbitration scheme for teachers. The 21 full-time and nine part-time centres have their origins in the early 1970s, and are run by school teachers seconded to director roles. Their main function is to provide professional training for primary and second-level teachers on curriculum developments. The dispute between the department and the Irish National Teachers Organisation, Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland, and Teachers Union of Ireland centred on whether the allowance paid to directors was a principals allowance or an allowance benchmarked against that paid to school principals. The department argued that it could no longer be paid as the associated duties were no longer being done by those returning to their school jobs. The unions cited past correspondence from department officials linking the role directly to that of a principal, and rules that mean a principals allowance being paid for over five years is retained where the recipient is moved involuntarily. The five claimants had served between nine and 12 years in the roles, and stood to lose between 18,600 and 27,200 a year, depending on any allowances they may have already been earning in previous teaching posts. The department had argued that secondment of these teachers to education centres were temporary arrangements that were renewable annually rather than indefinite. Adjudicator Daniel Murphy reported that the department told him an annual renewal was never refused. It is impossible to believe that a process of annual renewal which has produced the same result in respect of every holder of a post of director for over 40 years has any real meaning, he wrote. The department was also unable to tell Mr Murphy why the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform insisted on a five-year term limit. In summary people who had been appointed to positions which they had every reasonable expectation to be of indefinite duration were removed from them for a reason which is not known and at a cost to them running up to almost 30,000 per annum, he said. This can only be described as an extraordinary injustice to the individuals involved, states the adjudicators finding. He says the relationship between the allowance paid to the directors and the principals allowance was so close that rules on retention of allowances should apply. Based on the five claimants combined maximum remaining teaching service of up to 50 years, the total long-term cost could be around 1.4m plus any associated education pension costs. Edge of Seventeen star Hailee Steinfeld is collaborating with Post It on a back-to-school campaign that encourages US students to scribble down dreams. If you write something down you are 47% more likely to achieve it, according to research presented at the 2007 Western Psychological Association Convention, a campaign insight I guess that may help secure Post Its young consumers against simply posting #goals. There is something uplifting about getting organised with school or college supplies anyway. A colourful display of good intentions for the year ahead looks as attractive on your desk as box-fresh beauty does on your dresser. And while kit for your no makeup makeup is nothing like as important as a well-stocked schoolbag, a selection of cute colours and cover-ups can make early starts that bit nicer. Here are some basics to help you meet this terms beauty goals. e.l.f Cosmetics Beautifully Bare Lightweight Concealer Stick, 7.95 Elf is a brand to seek out when you break out. This stick is one for nixing blemishes rather than under-eye shadows, its creamy texture sets to an opaque finish. The chubby-stick shape allows for a dot-and-pat application that minimises potential inflammation. The formula contains kaolin clay, for non-irritating oil control, and a little Vitamin E to combat redness. NYX Professional Makeup Worth The Hype Volume & Lengthening Mascara, 11 NYXs mascara output has benefited from its acquisition by LOreal in 2014. Toni Ko, who founded the brand as a 25-year-old college dropout and sold it for $500 million aged 41, strived to produce luxury makeup at pharmacy prices. LOreal turns out gl-amazing mascaras all the time, including ringers for its own prestige products by YSL and Lancome. Worth The Hype would be an excellent mascara at any price point but happens to the a bargain to boot. Those who like natural lashes will be fine with one coat as the look gets dramatic after that. The bristles are densely packed, so thoroughly coat and fan lashes with each swipe. The pointed tip allows for the separation and capture of tiny lashes. The formula is also available in a waterproof version that better holds a curl. Benefit Brow Contour Pro, 35 at boots. ie, on counters from August 25th Benefits latest brow launch is four products in one. Like one of those chunky, multi-shade pens that saved space in your pencil case, Brow Contour Pro lets you click between a two shaded tips, a highlighting concealer and an edge definer. One coloured tip is deeper than the other, allowing for the shading and contouring of perfect brows. Their mousse-like texture makes blending a cinch and they set to a matte finish. The edge definer is a highlighter meant for tracing and emphasising the shape of the brow while the concealer perfects the skin under the arch. The pen comes in five waterproof shades and if you visit the Benefit BrowBar at Debenhams you can have a complimentary browmapping to determine the best shape for your face. eos Visibly Soft Coconut Milk Lip Balm, 7.80 at feelunique.com Eos (Evolution of Smooth) cosmetics made waves with their Girls With Balls ad campaign but there is more to their lip balms than candy-coloured spheres. This brand has won over 50 beauty awards for their balms, which are all made with organic, sustainably-sourced oils, butters and waxes. From natural beeswax and shea butter to hydrating jojoba and coconut oils, they make skin feel fab while reducing beautys impact on the planet. This one tastes of coconut milk and is paraben and petroleum-free. 3 Concept Eyes Back to Baby BB Cream SPF35, 14.50 at cultbeauty.co.uk Sun protection is the one true beauty essential and a brand throwing in some soothing ingredients and a flattering colour is like Lismore perfuming A4 pads and dying them pink. Elle Woods would surely fall for 3 Concept Eyes dewy BB Cream, which supplies broad-spectrum protection and full coverage base. The formula is high in reparative niacinamide. It also contains diamond, coral and pear powders that effect an all-day glow. Product of the Month: Bobbi Brown Remedies Skin Wrinkle Treatment No.25, 35 This goop from Bobbi Browns Remedies collection has an off-putting name (werent any of the first 24 enough?) but remains an effective skin-smoother packed with reparative ingredients. Plenty of primers are touted as anti-ageing but this one is both treatment and primer. Applied with a mini-spatula attached to the cap, No.25 has a rich, balm-like texture. It smooths over skin without pilling, setting to a well-hydrated, post-facial look after 15-20 seconds. It has noticeable flaw-blurring effects without the tacky, mask-like feeling of other filling products. I especially like the broad range of nourishing, antioxidant-rich plant oils and collagen-promoting peptides on the ingredients list. The formula is fragrance-free and safe for sensitive types. The most prevalent actives include kombucha black tea ferment and mukkel myrrh tree root-extract, both known for their plumping properties. The combined use of proven antioxidants and daily sun protection can improve the look of fine lines and texture over time. No.25 can also be used as an overnight treatment. Curious about a guided holiday, but think its too restricting? It might just be the easiest route to experiencing destinations that youve always wanted to visit. Its not just bus trips One of the biggest misconceptions about guided holidays is that they are buses full of jaded tourists heading off to see some monuments. In fact, they range from city breaks to trips to the Great Wall Of China. Sara Zimmerman, MD of Travel Department, says that the enormous range of guided holidays available today makes it an attractive option for their customers, year in, year out: Our core business is European tours, but then we have everything from city breaks and Christmas markets to seven-night European holidays. We have fabulous long haul holidays everywhere from India to Sri Lanka, to China and Russia, Australia and New Zealand. We go anywhere in the world, pretty much. (www.traveldepartment.ie) Its not just golden oldies While there is no denying that most of the people who book guided holidays are aged 50-plus, there are lots of specialised guided holiday companies aimed at a younger client. G Adventures offer holidays all over the world, aimed at the under-35s market, which promise all the advantages like knowledgeable guides, 24-hour customer service, and small tour groups. Ideal for singles, this is a wonderful and crucially, safe way for younger people to travel. (www.gadventures.com) Communication is key When it comes to a holiday where your every whim is catered to, and your trip is planned from the minute you get off the plane, its essential that the details are looked after, according to Sara Zimmerman. She says most of Travel Departments customers use their pre-trip advice service as much as any part of their offering. People will call us, often several times after theyve booked, for more information or for reassurance, or as they are doing their research. The fact that we give them that time is really important, because they feel that they are building a relationship. Times have changed You might have visions of your granny heading off to Medjugorje for a trip with her friends on a musty-smelling bus and a shouty guide, but escorted holidays have changed dramatically over the last decade. These days its all about the luxury experience. Itineraries are flexible and most have built-in free time for you to get away from the group and do some solo exploring. Hassle-free holidays The true advantage of booking a guided holiday is the fact that once you book it you are off the hook when it comes to planning. Once you arrive to your destination, your guide becomes your personal holiday concierge of sorts. Theyll be on hand to help you with any special requests or help with your hotel most holiday companies offer a 24-hour customer service facility that operates for the duration of your holiday. Local eyes Guides are the real heroes of these holidays, says Sara Zimmerman. At Travel Department, we have very clear criteria for what we are looking for in our guides. They are more than just guides. They represent us and provide warmth and care and insight. Yes, they are knowledgeable about the area and the history and the culture, and they impart all of that. Beyond that, they bring the groups together, they build relationships, they recommend what people should do on their day off if they want that recommendation. Experience the unattainable Escorted tours not only enable you to get under the skin of your destination, thanks to the knowledge of your guide, but they also help you visit places that may have been on your bucket list and always seemed unattainable. Our long haul trips are often a bit different and can take people to iconic places that theyve dreamt of visiting their whole lives, agrees Sara Zimmerman. Think of the Taj Mahal or the Great Wall of China. Often these places feel a little less accessible than more familiar destinations in Europe. Visiting these areas as a part of a guided tour can give you access and insight that may be harder to achieve on your own, and would require huge amounts of research. Time is a premium You will not waste your precious time on a guided tour. While the misconception that every moment of your break will be written down and accounted for is a fallacy, you are guaranteed to pack more in than with independent travel. Often, some meals and tours will be included in the package, leaving you valuable time to soak up the essence of the destination of your choice. Make the most of extensions Lots of companies are offering extensions at the end of long-haul guided holidays, for clients to spend a few days relaxing by a pool or beach before they return to real life. This offers them the best of both worlds, says Travel Departments Sara Zimmerman. We have just introduced a new offer where we can offer completely tailor-made extensions, so people can enjoy one of our long-haul tours, and then we can put together any extension that they choose. The Cosey, Broadway, The Arch names that evoke recollections of bygone nights at the silver screen have been resurrected for a special documentary on cinema-going memories of movie fans in rural Cork towns, writes Joe Leogue Last October, a call went out for Cork movie-goers to share their experiences with Movie Memories, a film funded by Creative Ireland through Cork County Council and UCCs College of Arts,Celtic Studies, and Social Sciences. Generations of cinema-goers from across the county were interviewed for the film, which was produced by Gwenda Young, co-head of film and screen media at UCC, and Dan OConnell who is practitioner-in-residence in film and screen media at UCC. The idea came from myself and Dan as were very interested in cinema culture and especially histories of filmgoing, of cinema theatres, said Ms Young. This existing interest was also further piqued by our knowledge of, and involvement in, the Fastnet Film Festival Schull, which is a festival held in a village without a screen. So, thats also why they got the premiere of the film and some of those involved in that festival are interviewed in the film. We were especially interested in the experience of those living in villages and towns, where the theatres would be more modest, sometimes makeshift, as opposed to the impressive city theatres already documented in John McSweeneys book, The Golden Age of Cork Cinemas. The newly renovated Regal cinema which has just opened in Youghal, Co Cork. Picture: Dan Linehan While cowboy movies and horror films are remembered throughout the film, most of the recollections documented focus on the venues themselves, and the occasion of going to the cinema more than what played out on screen. The film features tales of ingenuity sparked by the silver screen; how Huckleberry Finn inspired some young boys to craft a makeshift raft from household doors, and how frightened young girls scoured the ground for lollipop sticks on their way home from seeing the latest Hammer Horror, in order to make crosses to keep Dracula at bay. The social aspect of going to the cinema is explored; the courtships, the matinees, the travelling cinemas, the gods and the flea pit seats. General manager Scott Wilson in the newly renovated Regal cinema which has just opened in Youghal, Co Cork. Picture Dan Linehan One contributor explains how, on sell-out nights, one cinema operator would call to neighbouring homes, borrow kitchen chairs, and seat patrons down the aisles in a time when health and safety was not a concern. We found that especially among a certain generation, usually older, the memories were more about the experience of going to films, the event of it, the still vivid memories of that experience, and also how its now remembered as a time when you could escape an often dull reality of small town, rural life many of which were economically depressed or a bit insular at the time they remembered, such as the 1940s, 1950s, et cetera, said Ms Young. We found that all interviewees, regardless of age, saw going to the cinema as a kind of rite of passage; a chance to escape into another reality or to live it up with pals. We really wanted to capture that sense of how magical it was when no one had Netflix, DVD, or even VHS and how the memory of it now is both warm and tinged with some sadness. That sadness is most evident in the interview with Michael ORiordan of the Cosey Cinema. Falling attendances and the prohibitive cost of changing from 35mm film to digital film projectors saw him close the door of the cinema in Kanturk something he described as like a death in the family. The Cosey in Kanturk, where interviews for Movie Memories took place. Closing the cinema was like a death in the family, said the owner Michael ORiordan. While other cinemas featured in the documentary have been refurbished and occupied with new tenants, the Cosey remains, and the shut-down theatre, cobwebs woven between the seats, provided a perfect setting to film interviews. We were truly lucky to be able to film in the Cosey in Kanturk, said Ms Young. Initially, we filmed in a hired new cinema venue, the Cameo cinema up in the Montenotte hotel, but one of the first people we interviewed, Mary Crowley, put us in touch with the ORiordan family and they very generously opened up their cinema to us and gave us a whole afternoon of their time. Mary Crowley put filmmakers in touch with the ORiordan family from the Cosey in Kanturk. As you will see, Michael ORiordan ends the film with what is, in my opinion, the most powerful moment of the film. Filming in the Cosey was marvellous. I cant overstate how much it contributed to the film, she said. Movie Memories received a special screening in UCC in June, and further screenings of the film are due to take place in Waterville, Co Kerry, on Sunday, August 26. The producers say they intend to screen it in Youghal and Cobh, and other venues and festivals. - There will be regular updates on Twitter (@corkmoviememory) and on corkmoviememories.com By Jeremy Keehn They say there are only two plots: Species goes on a journey, and aliens arrive in town. UFO sightings aside, humans have been living the first story for decades. The first stage of the trip began in 1957, when Sputnik 1 arced its way around the world, and ended in 1972, when Apollo 17 commander Gene Cernan traced his daughters initials in moondust and stepped off the lunar surface. The second big stage is upon us now. A trail marker was laid down in February, when SpaceX equipped a Falcon Heavy rocket with a Tesla Roadster and a data crystal containing Isaac Asimovs Foundation trilogy and fired it toward Mars, then landed two of the Falcons boosters in synchrony at Cape Canaveral. At least 2.3m people watched the YouTube livestream high by internet standards, if far short of the hundreds of millions who tuned in for the first moon landing. Where the Apollo era was marked by singular, cost-is-no-object technological feats and suffused with political and cultural meaning, the new one has been more diffuse and democratic, fuelled by ever-cheaper launches that have opened space to startups, researchers, and smaller countries. A full-fledged space economy is within reach, and with it, perhaps, a permanent human presence above. Technology has, in stunning fashion, shown us that we can become a spacefaring species. But those of us who dont speak vector calculus will be more than gawkers. Well help to determine how we go. The shift to a more accessible, urgent, and potentially profitable era of space exploration means there are decisions to make about ownership, environmental impact, and more. The groundwork for these debates was laid by the Outer Space Treaty, which went into force in 1967, almost exactly 10 years after Sputnik 1 was launched. The pacts full name the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies captures its spirit. With its first article, the accord held that space exploration shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries, irrespective of their degree of economic or scientific development, and shall be the province of all mankind. It also banned weapons of mass destruction in space, forbade national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, and made parties to the treaty responsible for nongovernmental actors based on their soil. At the time, the pact was seen as a way to head off some of the dystopian nightmares fed by the Cold War and the nuclear arms race. But it also created an optimistic road map, casting spacefaring as a collective project, led by the great powers yet leaving no one behind. Signing the document, the famously combative Lyndon Johnson sounded downright un-Johnsonian. It means that astronaut and cosmonaut will meet someday on the surface of the moon as brothers, he said, and not as warriors for competing nationalities or ideologies. Of course, Johnson had just dramatically escalated the Vietnam War. Nationalities and ideologies die hard. In the wake of the Apollo missions, the UN forged an even more idealistic pact, the Moon Treaty of 1979. Although Armenia became the latest country to accede to it earlier this year, it has mostly foundered, with only 18 parties. Partly this is because the US backed off, under pressure, according to news reports of the day, from the L5 Society, a 3,600-member collection of space-colony enthusiasts. A lobbyist for the group testified that the treaty which cast the moon and its resources as the common heritage of mankind would create a system of international socialism and foreclose the commercial uses of outer space by American private enterprise. Since then, US governments have carved out a bigger role for space capitalism. Under Ronald Reagan, Nasa created a commercial programs office. George W Bush released a policy that emphasised private contracting. Barack Obama signed the US Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act, which held that American citizens could keep anything they brought back from space. (One asteroid-mining executive called this the single greatest recognition of property rights in history. Others saw it as potentially contravening the Outer Space Treatys prohibition on national appropriation.) Donald Trump issued a directive establishing a regulatory one-stop shop under the US department of commerce for companies seeking to launch satellites, land on asteroids, or build fuel stations on the Saturnian moon of Mimas. Just how big a space economy could get is impossible to know, though Morgan Stanley released a study last year estimating that revenue from the global industry will increase to at least $1.1 trillion by 2040, more than triple the figure in 2016. The company ascribes much of that future growth to satellite and rocket services, anticipating products such as orbital internet and even rocket package delivery. $MS reports 2Q18 Net Revenues of .6 Billion and Earnings per Diluted Share of .30. Release: https://t.co/gqGT0zNXAJ pic.twitter.com/AEmPjiu72Z Morgan Stanley (@MorganStanley) July 18, 2018 It doesnt account for the more aspirational possibilities presented by tourism or mining, nor by megaprojects such as Nasas Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway, a proposed staging ground for lunar and other deep-space missions. The moment has echoes of the early seafaring and railway eras. Forge the infrastructure, the thinking goes, and ingenuity will take it from there. The innovations and abuses of those eras argue for careful thought as the tracks go down, though. Will governments take care to prevent space-junk proliferation and ozone-layer depletion? Will it favour the concerns of the wealthy over the interests of the public at large? The megarich are naturally champing to chart humankinds exploratory course. Jeff Bezos, the centibillionaire Amazon founder, wants his startup Blue Origin to land on the moon by 2023, in advance of human settlement. Elon Musks SpaceX hopes to put people on Mars the following year. But we are sceptical about who will benefit from space and how far our ventures should go. A survey conducted by Morning Consult for Bloomberg Businessweek found that only 37% of respondents, drawn from a spectrum of backgrounds and political affiliations, thought private companies should play a major role in space exploration. Some 45% thought they should play a minor role and 18% said they should play no role at all. Asked whether they thought humans should colonise the moon, those surveyed were almost evenly split; asked who should oversee any colonisation of other planets, 58% said a coalition of global governments. The results suggest a persistent idealism about space a belief that its a place to which humankind has a common claim (at least until those aliens show up). But that vision wont be realised by default. It requires considered decisions: Boring committee discussions and multilateral negotiations informed by public interest, public pressure, and public consent. The big international space law that is important to know is the Outer Space Treaty (OST). This treaty, ratified by the U.S. in 1967, forms the basis of space law as we know it today. https://t.co/udAxMTSjG4 Tiffany C. Li (@tiffanycli) August 10, 2018 Governments are constantly interpreting the Outer Space Treaty, asking themselves how to conform to it and what values it expresses. Its a good foundation. In so many realms, from climate change to economic inequality and more, weve seen how hard it is to fix the problems we create. In space, we have a chance to get it right from the start. The Amazon founders rocket company, Blue Origin, has a goal of millions of people working and living off-world, writes Brad Stone. On July 18, outside the West Texas town of Van Horn, hundreds of Blue Origin employees and their families and friends gathered to watch the New Shepard rocket blast off towards the edge of space. The rocket performed the kind of feat that was once the province of sci-fi stories and discarded Nasa white papers. It took off vertically like a conventional rocket, rose 66 miles above Earth to jettison a parachute-equipped crew capsule carrying a test dummy, then returned to the same tract of land and gracefully landed upright, drag brakes deployed, retro booster flaming. The capsule touched down nearby, raising a cloud of dust. Thousands watched this precise interplay of physics and chemistry online, and for those listening closely, 39 minutes and 15 seconds into the broadcast, a familiar, staccato laugh could be heard emanating from the control room: It sounded as if Blue Origins founder, Jeff Bezos, was having a very good day. Hes been having a lot of those lately. With a fortune of about $150bn (132bn), according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, hes the wealthiest person in the world. By a lot. Hes worth approximately one Bill Gates and two-and-a-half Elon Musks. One of his other companies, Amazon, is the worlds second-most valuable corporation and has turned an otherwise dreary summer day in retail into Prime Day, one of the busiest shopping events of the year. Donald Trump is attacking Bezos again on Twitter for, as the US president tweets it, using the Washington Post as a lobbying arm; cities are courting him to secure Amazons second headquarters; and investors have bid its stock up almost 150% over the past two years. Yet guiding Blue Origin is the most important work Im doing. Its crucial, Bezos told an audience in May at the National Space Societys International Space Development Conference. He founded the rocket company 18 years ago in an old warehouse south of Seattle, originally stocking it with tinkerers and science-fiction authors who could help reimagine space travel. Now the company, known in the space business as Blue, employs more than 1,500 software engineers and rocket scientists, most of them at its headquarters in Kent, Washington, and the west Texas launch site. It plans to launch New Shepard with test pilots on board as soon as this year, and in 2019 it will sell tickets to brave tourists who want to sit atop a tank of combustible liquid hydrogen and oxygen to experience four minutes of sublime weightlessness in suborbital space. The ticket price has yet to be revealed. But unlike other space startups that have to make the numbers work, Bezos largely funds the company himself by selling $1bn in Amazon stock every year. Blue Origins eventual goal is millions of people living and working in space, says Bezos. He plans to get there step by step, ferociously, according to Blue Origins motto (gradatim ferociter), which adorns its coat of arms. Launch preparations are underway for New Shepards 8th test flight, as we continue our progress toward human spaceflight. Currently targeting Sunday 4/29 with launch window opening up at 830am CDT. Livestream info to come. @BlueOrigin #GradatimFerociter pic.twitter.com/zAYpAGWB8C Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) April 27, 2018 New Shepard is the first step. The rocket is tall, thick, and cone-tipped its shape strenuously suggests off-colour metaphors that shall not be deployed here. The crew capsule has a half-dozen large windows, so its astronaut-tourists will have a fantastic view of the gentle curvature of Earth. Unlike passengers on Virgin Galactics SpaceShipTwo, which will be dropped from an airplane before its rockets send it soaring upward, Blues astronauts will endure the same blastoff and parachute landing experienced by space pioneers like the vessels namesake, Alan Shepard. Bezos plans get more ambitious from there. Another Blue Origin rocket, New Glenn, will take astronauts and commercial payloads such as telecommunications satellites to low Earth orbit and beyond, with tests starting in 2020. Bezos has also hinted at a future design called New Armstrong, which presumably will voyage to the moon. Bezos says lunar villages can be set up there to mine water ice and other deposits that can be used to manufacture rocket fuel, facilitating travel elsewhere in the solar system. Those big rockets will eventually compete with partially reusable launch vehicles such as the Falcon Heavy and forthcoming BFR, both made by SpaceX, which is owned by that other high-profile spacefaring tech billionaire, Elon Musk. On the surface, Bezos and Musk have plenty in common, including a steadfast belief that reusing rockets can dramatically bring down the cost of getting to space. Beyond that, though, their styles and visions dramatically diverge. Bezos has said relatively little about Blue Origin outside the occasional speech and company promotional video. Musk has almost single-handedly pried open the space business to new entrants by noisily suing the US federal government over its exclusive contracts with Boeing and Lockheed Martin, driving a space capsule around Washington on the back of a flatbed truck to get Congresss attention. Congratulations @BlueOrigin! Todays successful launch of the New Shepard rocket also included five @NASATechnology-supported payloads onboard. For each one of them, this flight was one in a series of suborbital demonstrations of the technology: https://t.co/r5TPNT6EFv pic.twitter.com/DfmT2hl79e NASA (@NASA) July 19, 2018 Unlike Blue Origin, which to date has been something of a personal passion project, SpaceX has been funded by revenue from paying customers, including Nasa, the US Air Force, and commercial satellite companies. Even so, Bezos looms so large in space circles, insiders joke that one day, with much fanfare and media attention, Musk and his crew will set off on what they believe is the first manned expedition to Mars. Upon landing, theyll be greeted there by Bezos and his crew, whove quietly been living there for months. But that belies another stark difference in their philosophies. SpaceX defenders will point out that Blue Origins rockets have yet to reach orbit, a milestone SpaceX passed a full decade ago. And Musk has his eyes on distant planets in a way that Bezos doesnt. By the time Blue Origin sends a rocket to Mars, it may well be called New Musk. But its not even clear Bezos wants to go there. As a child, he devoured sci-fi books at the local library outside his grandfathers ranch in South Texas and eventually discovered the writings of Gerard K ONeill, who spun visions of people living and working in space habitats. Bezos later gave the valedictorian speech at his Miami-Dade high school on the topic, describing a future in which polluting heavy industry is moved into orbit, to be powered 24/7 by solar power, while Earth is rezoned into something resembling a giant nature preserve. Thirty years later, hes still remarkably consistent, captioning a recent Instagram photograph of the Perito Morena Glacier in Patagonia: Weve sent robotic probes to every planet in this solar system. Earth is BY FAR the best one. We go to space to save the earth. New test video of Blues 550K lbf thrust, ox-rich staged combustion, LNG-fueled BE-4 engine. The test is a mixture ratio sweep at 65% power level and 114 seconds in duration. Methane (or LNG) has proved to be an outstanding fuel choice. @BlueOrigin #GradatimFerociter pic.twitter.com/zWV0jWXIvx Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) March 13, 2018 Compared with Amazon, famous for moving fast and pioneering new industries, Blue Origin seems un-Bezos-like. Blue Origin has been very methodical and a little more cautious and patient than others, says Marco Caceres, a senior space analyst at the Teal Group. Their primary thing is to do it right and avoid any failures. While Blue Origin proceeds carefully the recent test of New Shepard was its ninth Bezos speaks with urgency about humanity running out of resources and hitting the limits of growth. As he told the National Space Society gathering, opening up space for heavy manufacturing and exploration is essential. You might not need it, actually, he said. By Joyce Feegan "Is there anyone left who remembers me? read the short note in The Clare Champion. It was written by 80-year-old Irishman Jim Logan from his bed in London. He was wondering how everyone was doing back home and wrote: I was born in June 1938 in Lahinch and lived in Crag from age nine to 16, when I emigrated to England. I attended national school in Lahinch and CBS in Ennistymon. It would be great to hear from anyone from that era. I wonder how many of us are left? It was published in last Fridays edition of the paper and subsequently went viral on social media. By Tuesday, Mr Logan, among other things, had been offered a return flight to visit his home place once more. I was thrilled to get all the lovely letters, calls and generous offers from home and look forward to reconnecting with long-lost friends, he said this week. It is understood that some of the letters Mr Logan received may have included the odd bar of Dairy Milk, perhaps even a Turkish Delight. The whole affair was a welcome reminder of our humanity. It showed us that social media can be a powerful tool to galvanise kindness into caring action. Because all too often, social media appeals to our darker side. Abuse has become commonplace. It is now an accepted form of communication. At the East-Link Toll Bridge in the Dublin Docklands there is a small sign on the window of the cashiers booth that reads: Please do not abuse staff. Perhaps the driving examination needs to be updated to test for manners and basic human decorum. Surely adults do not need to be reminded to not abuse others. But when there is a screen between you and your victim, abuse can flow freely. It flows freely because of a simple two-part equation caused by the online disinhibition effect and the use of dehumanising language. This week, the President of the United States of America described someone as that dog on his personal press release machine, Twitter. He was referring to his recently fired aide, Omarosa Manigault Newman, who is publishing a memoir about her time inside the White House. He also described her as crazed and a crying lowlife, but the word dog is the one to focus in on here. Ms Newman is of human species, not canine. Humans are a social species. It goes against our hardwiring to hurt, harm or kill one of our own kind. But we can and we do. Dehumanising helps to override this hardwiring to do no harm. Dehumanising starts with the language we use. The Nazis did it. During the Holocaust, Nazis described Jews as Untermenschen - subhumans. Jews were called rats and depicted as disease-carrying rodents in all sorts of literature, including childrens books. In the Rwandan genocide, Hutus called Tutsis cockroaches. Michelle Maiese, chair of the philosophy department at Emmanuel College says dehumanisation is a psychological process whereby an enemy image is created. The enemy is seen as inferior, criminal or evil and at the end of the process, any harm done to the person is easily justifiable because they are no longer human. Donald Trumps target this week just happened to be a woman, a black woman. Coincidentally, hate crimes have increased in America in recent times. Last month, the office of the attorney general for the state of California reported that hate crimes had spiked by 44% between 2014 and 2017. And in 2017 alone, there was a 12.5% increase in these types of crimes in Chicago, Dallas, New York, San Diego and Los Angeles, according to police reports there. Words matter. There is a consequence to the language we use. The other part of the abuse equation is the protection that a screen affords to an abuser the online disinhibition effect. It is a theory by John Suler, a professor of psychology at Rider University. It explains how people act out more intensely online than they would in person. One of his principles is dissociative anonymity or you dont know me, so when you feel anonymous, you feel protected. When you are anonymous you do not have to own your behaviour. Another tenet of his theory is invisibility or you cant see me. The internet offers the abuser a shield. Their inhibitions are lowered because they do not have to worry about their body language or tone of voice. Another key factor is dissociative imagination or its just a game. This is the internet, normal rules of interaction do not apply. You can get away with a lot more in the make-believe world of cyberspace. Trump is well-versed in the abusers two-part equation: coupling the online disinhibition effect with the use of dehumanising language. And its rubbing off all around him and moving from online to offline and across borders and international waters. This abuse is now common in Irish online life too. We saw it here in July with revelations by high-profile social media users detailing the years of targeted abuse they received for simply having the audacity to take up space online. Most users were women. Just last week we saw another woman picked apart by the baying mob for being homeless and a mother; being judged and criticised, mocked and condemned. It showed us at our worst. And then there was Jim Logan calling home from London showing us at our best. Both scenes played out online, both using the same tools of expression and communication. But perhaps, the fault is not in social media but in ourselves and all that lies between abuse and respect is a choice: Do I want to harm or to help? This week, an important body of our State, the Department of Justice, has been caught with its pants down. Big time. The Information Commissioner has utterly rejected in the strongest possible terms the departments decision to refuse to release documents to the tenacious journalist Ken Foxe. In a nutshell, Foxe, last year sought the release of documents (which includes memos, emails et al) between then tanaiste and justice minister Frances Fitzgerald and communications specialist Terry Prone, who is a columnist for this newspaper. Foxe sought the release of the documents by way of the Freedom of Information Act. Initially, the Department of Justice claimed there were zero records of communication between Fitzgerald and Prone. But following a review by the Information Commissioner Peter Tyndall, it turns out, in fact, there were at least 68. Thats 68! A reading of the seven-page judgement is a damning indictment of how major Government departments and agencies feel about releasing important documents to the public. That is you and me. Unsurprisingly, departments do not like having to be transparent. But what this judgement shows is the culture of secrecy and ignoring the rules over transparency is alive and well. Lets walk through what happened to Ken Foxe. On March 11, 2017, he requested the release of all correspondence, both written and electronic, between Frances Fitzgerald and/or her private office and any of the following people. The names of the parties sought were given. The willingness of the department was to co-operate was illustrated by the fact it did not issue a decision on the initial request. Foxe, not getting a response, took it his request was declined and requested an internal review. The department wrote to Foxe seeking a time extension as is allowed but as Tyndall pointed out gave no reason for its decision to extend the time. Tyndall said the FOI act does not provide for an extension on the basis that the department is experiencing an increase in FOI requests generally. On the matter being referred to the Information Commissioner, Tyndall pointed out to the department that the onus was on it, not Foxe, that the decision to refuse the release of the documents was justified. Foxe, on being refused, then questioned whether a full and thorough search had been undertaken. He said he found it difficult to believe that within the department there are not records, including records relating to professional and personal email addresses and messaging services like WhatsApp. The Department eventually identified 74 records which it had not previously considered. It seems that in late January 2018, following concerns expressed by my investigative staff that further records could be held, the Department searched archived email accounts, Tyndall concluded. My office identified 68 records that fall within the scope of the request. The other six were created after the FOI request was made, he said. Tyndall made the point, rather sharply, that it is not normally the function of his office to search for records that a requester believed to be in existence, but had to on this occasion. Then the issue of the use of private email addresses like Gmail and other messaging services was addressed. Tyndall found that official information may be transmitted by such means and that public bodies are required to take reasonable steps to search for and extract the required records. If the public body has a legal right to procure the records regardless of whether they are held in official or non-official systems (like Gmail or Hotmail) these records are subject to the FOI act, he concluded. Then it gets interesting. In its submission, the department said searches were conducted of the departmental account for the former minister and also the email accounts of past and current private secretaries. The department said at that stage (August 11, 2017) it is not aware of any interaction between the former minister and the particular service provider individual and her company during the period under review. It also said that personal email accounts are not administered by any Government department. The department referred to section 11 of the FOI Act and said that private email accounts of the now former Minister...could not be said to be under the control of the Department.... The department confirmed that it has not checked whether any records relating to official functions and/or business activities of the department are held in non-official systems. While the department originally stated that it was not aware of any interaction between the former minister and the company, it subsequently came to light that its archive records did contain a substantial number of relevant records. Then amazingly, the department said this. The Department stated that it would not be appropriate to ask the former Minister whether she has records in her personal email accounts that might fall within the scope of the request [Tyndalls emphasis], and that the Department does not feel it is in a position to go outside of the scope of the FOI Act and seek such information from [the former Minister] in an attempt to respond to an FOI request. Tyndall spanked the department hard on this. I cannot accept the Departments position that asking the former Minister whether any relevant records may exist in her personal accounts or devices, is going outside the scope of the FOI Act. It seems to me that the fact that a Minister forwarded some exchanges to staff and others within the Departments official systems does not mean that other official records held in personal accounts are not under the control of the Department, he found. I consider that it is reasonable and necessary for the Department to enquire of the former Minister whether she holds relevant records not filed or stored in official systems but relating to the functions and business of the Department of Justice and Equality. Tyndall found that it appears from the records retrieved by the Department and dealt with above that the former Minister and some of her staff used gmail addresses in correspondence with the company about official functions and activities of the Department. I do not accept that such content could reasonably be characterised as private. I do not believe that it is particularly relevant that the former Minister is no longer working in the Department, he said. Ultimately, having roasted the officials in Justice, he quashed their decision to refuse and ordered them to release the documents. The department has the right to appeal to the High Court. Why is this important? FOI is not something that departments can treat as an optional extra to manage what information they want in the public domain. Its a legal obligation. Also sad to think the only reason that the existence of records is known about is because I didnt trust the dept of justice to make a proper decision. If Id taken them at face value, nobody would ever have known about this. "It is depressing that the department responsible for law and order would have such a cavalier attitude when it comes to their own legal responsibilities, Foxe said. Take a bow, Mr Foxe. The Lower House put on record the proposal of lawmaker Daw Tin Tin Yo which urged the Union government to adopt plans for the conservation of islands which are the habitat of edible-nest swiftlets. In Lower House, the Construction Ministry came under fire once again for completing school construction projects on its own without inviting tenders. Last week, the ministry was rebuked for its poor oversight of road construction projects implemented under the BOT (build, operate, transfer) system. He said a local war veterans organization unfairly confiscated private sugarcane plantations in his constituency, prompting objection from the military representative. Parliament Speaker T Khun Myat declared that the modifier be removed from the record. In Union Parliament, military representative Lieutenant-Colonel Myo Htet Win raised an objection to a term used by lawmaker U Khun Thaung Win of Kachin State Constituency 11 in discussing land confiscation by the military. U Maung Myint of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) raised an objection to the term dark era of education used by U Min Thein in his question to refer to education during the time of military rule. In Lower House, lawmaker U Min Thein of Taungdwingyi Township, Magwe Region, asked if the Education Ministry would appoint more male teachers, citing the low male-female teacher ratio in Myanmar. Deputy Education Minister U Win Maw Tun said that his ministry is making short- and long-term plans to increase the overall number of teachers while enrolling more male teachers in teaching degree courses. The Union Parliament approved the presidents proposal to obtain 30 million euros ($34.4 million) in soft loans from Italy for the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation to supply electricity to rural villages in Chin State . Lawmakers at the Lower House of Myanmars Parliament. / The Irrawaddy Lawmakers at the Lower House of Myanmars Parliament. / The Irrawaddy Youth Should Be Encouraged to Take Part in Peace Process, Camp Participants Say HK Activist to Speak at Press Club on Tuesday, Despite Chinese Pressure Ten Things to Do in Yangon This Week Lack of Funding Fueling Corruption in Forestry Sector, Senior Official Says 5 Months On, Lawmakers Still Waiting to Debate Proposed Protest Law Changes KNU Leader Has Changed His Tune on the Chances for Peace Residents, Some Lawmakers Oppose Hotel on Former Wildlife Area Near Inle Lake 'Hijab is Like a Key': Myanmar Blogger Battles Bias With Beauty Campaign 30 Years on, the Mission of Regime Change Remains a Work in Progress Commission of Enquiry for Rakhine to Report to President Within a Year Facebook Says it was Too Slow to Fight Hate Speech in Myanmar Drug Abuse Leaves Many Palaung Women to Fend for Their Families We do not encourage viewing this site in this width. Please increase the size of your window. The US Government is going after Facebook in a bid to get the social media giant to break the encryption on its Messenger client, in order that it can gain access to voice data reportedly needed for a crime investigation something that Australian Government will have no difficulty doing once its new cyber law is passed. Reuters reported, quoting three people who had been told about the case, that the proceedings were taking place in a federal court in California under seal so that no filings were accessible by the public. In Australia, there would be no need for the case to be under seal, because under the draft law, issued on Tuesday morning for public comment, such matters are not meant to be made public, with big fines for anyone who makes mention of it. Details of the US case were published by Reuters after a hearing on Tuesday regarding a government move to hold Facebook in contempt of court for refusing to provide the contents of the voice conversation. The investigation in question, in Fresno, California, has to do with the MS-13 gang which is active in the US and Central America. The US Government is attempting to force Facebook to rewrite the Messenger software so that it can gain access to the suspect's voice conversation which is encrypted from end-to-end. A similar situation arose in 2016, when the FBI went after Apple in a bid to obtain the data on an iPhone 5C which belonged to one of two terrorists who had been involved in an attack in San Bernardino, California, in December 2015. The FBI took Apple to court, demanding that the company rewrite its iOS operating system in order that the agency could gain access to the data on the iPhone. As part of the evidence that Apple presented to the court to show that this was a Herculean task, was a document written by its user privacy manager Erik Neuenschwander, detailing exactly how difficult and expensive it would be for the company to meet the FBI's demands. Neuenschwander's document pointed out that even if Apple went through all the twists and turns he listed, there was no guarantee that the result would be what the FBI wanted. The case ended before it could come up before a judge, with the FBI saying it had managed to gain access to the data by paying an external contractor to hack the device. In the current case, Facebook has told the court that since Messenger calls are encrypted end-to-end, only the two parties concerned have access to the conversation. The company says it can only meet the government's demand it it rewrites the application to remove encryption or else hacks into either user's account. In 2006, a US federal appeals court in Washington DC, made a ruling that law which makes it mandatory for telephone companies to enable police eavesdropping, also applies to some big companies that offer VoIP, including cable and other broadband carriers servicing homes. But Al Gidari, a director of privacy at Stanford University Law Schools Centre for Internet and Society, told Reuters that officials had not made a bid to extend the law to apps that were not tightly tied to existing phone infrastructure. He insists that messaging platform do not come under the purview of this law. This Week in Review A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. Reddit Email 176 Shares by Thomas Watkins | Washington (AFP) US President Donald Trump said Friday he had cancelled a military parade planned for November due to high costs hours after the Pentagon indefinitely postponed the much-maligned event and would instead head to Paris for ceremonies marking the end of World War I. Trump had ordered a show of military prowess after marveling at Frances Bastille Day parade last year but critics said it would be a waste of money and akin to events staged by authoritarian regimes such as North Korea. Late Thursday, the Pentagon said the controversial event, originally scheduled for November 10 in Washington, was being pushed back to a possible date in 2019. A US official told AFP on Thursday the planning estimate had gone as high as $92 million, though no final figure had been reached. Trump said he pulled the plug because local politicians were charging a ridiculously high price. The local politicians who run Washington, D.C. (poorly) know a windfall when they see it, Trump said Friday. When asked to give us a price for holding a great celebratory military parade, they wanted a number so ridiculously high that I cancelled it. The Republican president vowed to attend a different event at a base near Washington and then go to the Paris parade, celebrating the end of the War, on November 11th. Maybe we will do something next year in D.C. when the cost comes WAY DOWN, Trump said: Now we can buy some more jet fighters! Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser hit back, sarcastically emulating the presidents characteristic Twitter tone. Yup, Im Muriel Bowser, mayor of Washington DC, the local politician who finally got thru to the reality star in the White House with the realities ($21.6M) of parades/events/demonstrations in Trump America (sad), she tweeted. DCs City Council, which has no Republican members, chimed in on Twitter: Better late. Then: never. Tanks but no tanks. Helping veterans Trump reveres all things military, and surrounded himself with former and current generals when he took office. Even before becoming president, aides reported that Trump had considered a military parade to mark his inauguration although that idea was eventually scrapped. Trump went to a military academy, but received multiple deferments, including once reportedly for bone spurs, from having to serve during the Vietnam War. AFP/File / Brendan Smialowski. US President Donald Trump (L) reveres all things military here, he watches an air assault exercise with Army Major General Walter Piatt at Fort Drum, New York, on August 13, 2018. Instead of buying new fighter jets, as Trump had suggested in his tweet, critics said the money saved from not having a parade could be better spent improving the lives of veterans. Until such time as we can celebrate victory in the War on Terrorism and bring our military home, we think the parade money would be better spent fully funding the Department of Veteran Affairs and giving our troops and their families the best care possible, the American Legions national commander Denise Rohan said. Senator Jack Reed, who is the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said halting the parade was the right call. It would have diverted resources and manpower from core missions, he said. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis scoffed at the cost estimate and attacked the media for reporting the number. Whoever told you that is probably smoking something thats legal in my state but is not in most states, said Mattis, who hails from Washington state, where pot is legal. Whoever wrote it needs to get better sources I guarantee you theres been no cost estimate to me, he told reporters traveling with him in South America. Featured Photo: AFP/File / CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT. US President Donald Trump (2nd L) decided he wanted a large military parade in Washington after taking in the Bastille Day parade in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron (2nd R) in 2017. Reddit Email 89 Shares Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) The Mueller probe is looking into whether Elliott Broidy, former vice chair of the Trump Victory Committee and a one time deputy chairman of the Republican National Committee Finance Committee, has been involved in using his connections in the Trump administration to engage in influence peddling and to seek kickbacks from abroad. In particular, allegations have been made that Broidy sought tens of millions of dollars from China and Malaysia. With regard to China, he allegedly attempted to persuade the Trump administration to send a Chinese dissident back to China, a favor sought by the government of Chinese president Xi Jinping. The Department of Justice was investigating a development fund run by the now-ousted, highly corrupt Malaysian government. Broidy asked a Malaysian business official for $75 mn, allegedly pledging in return to squash the investigation. Broidy had also allegedly peddled influence with regard to the United Arab Emirates, for whom he and George Nader acted as mediators. Broidys company had helped set up a private mercenary force in the UAE. He tried to put Trump together with Abu Dhabi crown prince Mohamed Bin Zayed al-Nahayan, who also serves as the head of the UAE armed forces. Broidy lobbied Trump in fall of 2017 to support hawkish UAE projects of colonial conquest like the war on Yemen. He also wanted to drag the US into the spat between Saudi Arabia and Qatar (in which Riyadh is boycotting and blockading little Qatar, which maintains an air base for some 10,000 US military personnel. He also is alleged to have lobbied for the dismissal of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who had intervened to settle the Saudi attack on Qatar. Earlier, in Jan. of 2017, Broidy was part of a meeting where the UAE tried to hook Trump officials up with Russian bankers. Broidy also allegedly paid a mistressa Playboy bunnylarge amounts of money to keep their affair (and her pregnancy secret. For this task he used Michael Cohen, Trumps personal lawyer and fixer. - Bonus video: CNN from May: Reports: Broidy used access to Trump to secure $800 million 28 Shares Share Mr. Smith was a sixty-eight-year-old man who came to the Veterans Affairs hospital where I was a medical student complaining of chest pain. With chest pain, its all about the story, my resident, the physician in charge of our team, said. We talked to him to find out what he was doing when it started, how long it lasted, how intense it was if it was still there. His electrocardiogram hadnt shown signs of an acute myocardial infarction (MI), or heart attack, and we drew blood to make sure there was no detectable damage to his heart. He received some heart medications and over several days waited while we ruled out an MI. The last step in that rule out included a heart stress test, which was not available on weekends and usually took days to obtain due to the high demand. Over the days that my patient waited in the hospital chest pain-free, our team got to know him as a person. We werent in a hurry to do a lot of additional tests for him his plan was clear he was doing well. The chest pain had resolved we were just waiting for the stress test. But those days of waiting together gave us time to discuss his smoking and his blood pressure control. We lamented how the waiting for a test was frustrating. We guessed at how much money the system might save if that test were available much faster and Mr. Smith didnt spend the extra days hospitalized. Even back in the early 2000s, the hospital where I cared for Mr. Smith was a vestige of a different era of medicine. For example, to look at the imaging on my patients, I walked down to the radiology department to get a physical film to put on a light box on rounds to review with the team. All my orders were written on paper, in typical physician handwriting, and notes were brief and pertinent, possibly illegible, but always written daily. For residency, I matched at a university hospital in Boston, which was a leader in electronic health records, and it felt like I had leaped forward in medicine. The electronic system there was among the most advanced in the country I could not only look at all imaging on the computer, but all my orders were typed into a system that had safety checks. Finally, nurses could see exactly what order had been written and order sets groups of linked orders for certain diagnoses would contain all kinds of prompts and double checks about what I might want to order. Did I remember the aspirin, the blood pressure medicine, the blood tests? They were all in a checklist within the order set. In this new hospital, there was more support. For example, when I said I drew blood on Mr. Johnson, I mean that I was at the patients bedside with my resident and we talked to him, and then I put the needle in his arm to get blood in a tube to send to the lab. I did that once in the new hospital until I realized that the lab support was so excellent. All I had to do was put an order in the computer, and it would magically get done. I only had to remember to look for the result later. Previously, I might have spent the day writing orders and faxing them to various departments to get a CT scan or an echocardiogram or another test. Now all I had to do was sit at a computer station and put the order in! It seemed as if I and my co-interns would have all this free time on the wards. Much, I suspect, as the promise of automation has not resulted in our having tons of free time, easier order entry did not result in leisurely coffee breaks for the interns. Since simply ordering the tests didnt take the better part of the day, the tests were done earlier, and by the afternoon of the same day, I could expect to have the results back. The afternoon rounds, which previously might have been a quick check in about what was left to do from the morning or any new patient changes, began to feel like a new set of full rounds. We were acting on the test results that had come back during the day. We had a whole new plan for each patient, and now, instead of having little to do for the nighttime intern, I had a new list of plans for them to implement and follow. In turn, the night-time intern, who had previously been the tired daytime intern on hours 12 through 24 of his work day, was now a fresh intern who knew nothing about the patients and was only there for the 12 hours of night to follow our notes and plans. Over the last 15 years, this speed-up of medicine has progressively gotten faster at hospitals across the country. It seemed logical that having 24/7 immediate testing availability would get patients out earlier, and it generally has. It is unheard of, in a modern hospital anywhere in the US today, for a patient to wait days for a test. Our patients get lots of tests very quickly and can be discharged much faster than previous years (usually only staying two to four days for average hospital admissions). With the speed up and regulations recognizing physician humanity in our need for sleep, we staff hospitals in shifts. This means that more people come in contact with a patient over an ever shorter amount of time. Theres someone admitting the patient overnight, someone else who takes over the next morning, and, with average length of stay decreasing to ever shorter, barely any continuity. We increasingly play a game of hot potato with our patients we need to know just enough to toss them to the next person and hope they dont come back our way too soon. We see them and triage where they need to go next. Or what we need to do for them in the next 12 to 24 hours, but less and less we have time to figure out what patients might need over days or months. We toss people between different settings of care and occasionally they fall and end up back in the hospital for things that might have been preventable. This lack of continuity affects not just our thinking about our patients health issues, but it affects our understanding of our patients as people. Tests are available 24/7, so we get a lot more of them, but its unclear that our patients are recovering any faster. Fortunately, novel ways of reclaiming relationships between patients and their clinicians are emerging. Hospital-at-home models, where patients are cared for entirely in their homes, have made great progress. They have improved a wide variety of outcomes compared with traditional hospital admissions finding not only cost savings but also improved quality and safety and patient and clinician satisfaction. For many common medical conditions such as pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure and cellulitis, among others, having the continuity of a single team getting to know and caring for a patient in their home slows us all down to the pace of human recovery. Not quite the doctor with the handbag who made house calls for patients he had known for years, hospital-at-home models are using team-based care to assure continuity and relationships and reaping lots of benefits for patients in the process. Looking ahead at what the next fifteen years in medicine might bring, it seems unlikely that the amount of time we hospitalize patients would be that much shorter. Will the average length of stay go down to a day? A few hours? Perhaps today Mr. Smith wouldnt even be admitted to the hospital for chest pain. Emergency departments have rapid protocols that rule out an MI and all testing can be completed in six hours or fewer. But it seems quite likely that, increasingly, we will find the idea of imprisoning patients within the walls of a hospital where nobody ever seems to be able to sleep outdated. In fifteen years, I suspect more and more patients will be cared for in their own homes, where a good nights sleep, food, and being surrounded by their family without restrictions would all contribute to recovery. Denitza Blagev is a pulmonary physician who blogs at mybetterdoctor. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Steven Joyce takes a break from baking to comment on Linked In: This New Zealand Herald Story from last week highlights the grave risk to many non-university tertiary providers and to the whole international education sector of the governments proposed changes to visa settings. Removing or curtailing the option to work after study will mean many thousands of fee-paying international students choosing Canada, Australia, or the US for study instead of New Zealand. Its important to note that the vast majority of international students dont stay in New Zealand after study. But the possibility of working after study is a big driver of where a student chooses to study. Students like to have options. The Immigration Minister says that he wants to remove low-level study options that are a back door to immigration. However there is no low-level study option that provides immigration opportunities that door was shut years ago. Now we are talking about study at Levels 5 and 6 which is the equivalent of a builder or a plumber, or a hotel manager. These are not low-level skills. And we need more of them. He also says he wants to remove the rorts and we all agree about that. But the appropriate response is to keep strengthening the regulators of the sector, not suffocating it with what is effectively a blanket ban on larger numbers of potential students. Thousands of education jobs, huge export revenues, and the very viability of many quality public and private education providers is at risk with this proposed change. This is a chance for the new government to show it is using its consultation to truly listen. If it doesnt the black and white reality is that another significant export earner will fall on very hard times. Steven has pretty much kept away from politics since he left Parliament. He must care pretty deeply on this issue, to weigh in on it. Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn More Reddit Pinterest Print Tumblr Country creates only 5,000 jobs in July By Park Hyong-ki The government will rapidly execute its supplementary budget in response to the latest statistics showing a record low number of jobs created in July. Statistics Korea released data Friday that showed the number of new jobs stood at 5,000 last month, the lowest in eight-and-a-half years since the aftermath of the global financial crisis. In an emergency meeting in Seoul, Friday, Economy and Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon said it will push forward with a 4 trillion won ($3.6 billion) fiscal stimulus. "The government will implement a fiscal expansionary measure with an increase in its budget for next year to create jobs," Kim said at the meeting. "Corporate restructuring, a downturn in the self-employed, an increase in factory automation and the minimum wage seem to have overshadowed the job market." The fiscal measure would include increasing and extending the period of unemployment benefits especially for those in their 40s and 50s. The country has been suffering from rising unemployment with the number of jobs created barely staying above 100,000 since February this year. The number of unemployed stood at 1.04 million last month, up 81,000 from a year ago, and remaining above 1 million for seven straight months. The youth unemployment rate reached 9.3 percent in July, but it could be as high as 23 percent after taking into account those studying for state exams and working part-time while seeking full-time regular jobs. The overall employment rate stood at 67 percent in July, down 0.2 percentage points from a year earlier The average number of jobs created per month last year stood at 316,000, according to the statistics agency. The fast declining job growth over the last six months is mostly because of a slowdown in shipbuilding and automobiles, which recently had to restructure their businesses and let employees go. The number of people hired by manufacturing companies stood at 127,000 last month, down 2.7 percent from a year earlier, the lowest in 18 months. "Also, the heat wave during the summer has hurt tourism and lodging here, which ultimately reduced hiring as people left town for cooler places abroad," said Statistics Korea's Bin Hyun-joon. Analysts say the July data was "shocking yet expected" given the poor condition of the automobile and shipbuilding sectors, which used to drive the country's growth. The only industry that was able to maintain growth was semiconductors, which account for 20 percent of total exports. "What the country should have done over the last 10 years was restructure its key players and the self-employed that used to be part of its growth for the new age of competition. Now, they are nearly collapsing," said Park Jeong-woo, an analyst at Korea Investment & Securities. "The country is likely to suffer from rising joblessness as its key industries continue to face slow growth." Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 18) President Rodrigo Duterte slammed China's use of "nasty words" against Filipinos, saying the Chinese do not need to use them. "Just because we are friends, huwag mo na kaming [please don't] 'Filipinos. Go out there or that is your responsibility if anything will happen,'" Duterte said in a speech during the convention of Hugpong ng Pababago in Davao City Friday evening. "And we are not I told you we are not prepared to go to war with you, so why do you have to say those nasty words? There's no need for that." The President was responding to reports of China ordering Philippine aircraft flying over the South China Sea to leave the disputed waters. "Alam naman you know very well that we will not attack anybody there. And we are a claimant of the group of islands," he said. Duterte has been criticized for having warmer ties with China, although it has refused to observe a 2016 ruling granting the Philippines' sovereign rights over parts of the West Philippine Sea. Earlier, the President said China must temper its behavior amid the sea row. But reports said China retorted to Duterte's remarks, adding that Chinese nationals have the right to call out ships and aircraft hovering near its islands. New Delhi [India], Aug 18 (ANI): American supermodel Gigi Hadid visited Bangladesh to meet the Rohingya Muslim refugees. Ahead of New York Fashion Week this September, the 23-year-old model took her time off to partner with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). She met the women and children in Bangladesh benefiting from the charity organization's programs. Posting pictures of her humanitarian trip on Instagram, Hadid revealed that she visited the Jamtoli Refugee Camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. "Millions of people currently require humanitarian assistance, more than half of them are children," she wrote. Rohingyas are a Muslim minority ethnic group in Myanmar and are considered to be illegal immigrants. Scores of Rohingya refugees are languishing in Indian refugee camps, after fleeing a brutal Myanmar army campaign that launched in August last year. They are residing in several parts of the country including Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR, and Rajasthan. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Aug 17: Thousands of mourners jostled and some clambered on trees to capture the moment on their phones as former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's cortege left the BJP's headquarters for Rashtriya Smriti Sthal for the last rites of the poet-politician. People from across the country gathered outside the BJP headquarters and hundreds lined up inside to pay homage to the former prime minister, who wove together pragmatism and a vision for an inclusive India. Vajpayee, 93, passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here last evening after prolonged illness. The young and old, men and women, some with children, collected outside the gates of the BJP headquarters, anxious for a last glimpse of the late leader before the state funeral at the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal on the banks of the Yamuna later in the day. #WATCH: The mortal remains of former PM #AtalBihariVajpayee being taken to Smriti Sthal for the funeral. PM Modi, Amit Shah and other BJP leaders also take part in the procession. pic.twitter.com/k35LfX4Tps ANI (@ANI) August 17, 2018 Some clambered on a neem tree outside the BJP headquarters for a better look, desperate to be part of the proceedings but unable to get inside. Two big LED screens were placed outside the office. Inside, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and a host of ministers and party workers paid their last respects to the late leader, mourned by them and the opposition as one of India's tallest leaders. The air was solemn as Vajpayee's body, draped in the tricolour, was placed on a platform draped in white flowers. Hundreds of people filed past the body in silence, with a large portrait of a smiling Vajpayee -- a BJP flag on either side -- in the backdrop. Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali were among the foreign dignitaries who arrived here to pay their last respects to the former prime minister. Sri Lanka's Acting Foreign Minister Lakshman Kiriella, Nepal's Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali, Pakistan's acting information minister Syed Zafar Ali and a senior minister from Afghanistan are also expected to arrive later in the day, official sources said. Opposition leaders like CPI's D Raja and CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury were among those who visited the BJP headquarters to pay their respects. Earlier in the morning, hundreds of people chanted "Atal Bihari Amar Rahe" as Vajpayee's cortege made its way from his home through the city to reach the BJP office. Mourners walked and ran beside the carriage, also chanting slogans like 'Jab tak sooraj chand rahega Atal ji ka naam rahega", punctuated by patriotic cheers of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and 'Vande Mataram'. A decorated gun carriage carrying his mortal remains had left his home on Krishna Menon Marg around 10 am and reached the party's headquarters at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, about five kilometres away, around 11 am. In the crowd were Ganeshan, 38, and Chennaiah Nadesan, 45, who had flown in from Tamil Nadu. "This massive turnout of people who have come here to pay their respects to Atalji shows that he resided in the hearts of people. Not only has India has lost a leader, a son, the world has lost a statesman," BJP leader Anurag Thakur told reporters. The funeral procession will go through Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Delhi Gate, Netaji Subhash Marg, Nishadraj Marg and Shanti van before reaching Smriti Sthal, Delhi Traffic Police said in a tweet. Police has made elaborate security arrangements for the funeral procession, officials said. Seen as a moderate face of BJP, Vajpayee first became prime minister in 1996, leading a shaky coalition whose members were suspicious of the BJP's right-wing politics. It lasted for 13 days and collapsed after losing a vote of no-confidence. His second stint as prime minister was in 1998 when the National Democratic Alliance again came to power but that lasted for just 13 months. Finally, the NDA with Vajpayee as PM returned to power in 1999 and was voted out in 2004. In the morning, Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Army Chief Bipin Rawat, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat paid homage to the former prime minister at his official residence. In view of the funeral procession, several roads in the national capital have been closed for the public later in the day. Some roads closed from 8 am include Krishna Menon Marg, Sunehri Bagh Road, Tughlak Road, Akbar Road, Tees January Marg, Man Singh Road, Bhagwan Dass Road, Shahjahan Road and Sikandara Road. DDU Marg, IP Marg, BSZ Marg (from Tilak Bridge to Delhi Gate), JLN Marg (from Rajghat to Delhi Gate) will also be closed, the traffic police said. Commuters have been advised to use Aurobindo Marg, Safdarjung Road, Mother Teresa Crescent, Park Street, Mandir Marg to travel between north and south Delhi. Those travelling between east and west Delhi can use Vikas Marg, Shahdara Bridge and Wazirabad Bridge to reach Ring Road. New Delhi, Aug 18: The BJP on Saturday attacked Punjab Minister and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu for hugging Pakistan's Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa and for sitting beside the President of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) at the swearing-in ceremony of new Prime Minister Imran Khan and demanded his suspension from the party immediately. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also used the opportunity to attack the Congress party over statements made by some of its leaders during their visits to Pakistan and asked Congress President Rahul Gandhi whether Sidhu had his permission to go there and whether he would suspend him immediately. "Sidhu during his visit to Pakistan to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Imran Khan as Pakistan's Prime Minister hugged Pakistan's Army Chief," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told reporters adding that he also sat next to PoK President Masood Khan. "It is not an ordinary thing. Sidhu is not an ordinary man but a minister in the Punjab government. And every Indian has taken this issue very seriously," he said asking why Sidhu did not object when the PoK President was made to sit next to him. Firing salvos at the Congress President, Patra said, "Rahulji, did you grant permission to Sidhu to go to Pakistan? Will, you suspend him before his arrival in the country?". Slamming Sidhu, he said that before hugging Pakistan's Army Chief, did he not remember how their army killed innocent people and armymen in India. The BJP spokesperson's remarks came after Sidhu's participation in the ceremony and his remarks to the media there that he hoped ties between New Delhi and Islamabad would improve with Imran Khan at the helm. Praising Khan while speaking to the state-run PTV, Sidhu said: "A new morning is here in Pakistan with a new government which can change the destiny of the country." He hoped that Khan's victory would be good for the peace process between the two neighbours. Raking up the statements of several Congress leaders visiting Pakistan and praising Pakistan, the BJP leader said, "Salman Khurshid went to Pakistan and said Narendra Modi government did not want peace with Pakistan. Even Mani Shankar Aiyar in an interview in Pakistan in November 2015 said that Modi government should be removed," he said. "In June this year, Ghulam Nabi Azad also questioned Army's action in Jammu and Kashmir after he said that the armed forces kill more civilians than the terrorists," he said adding that another Congress leader Saifuddin Soz had said that he stood with Gen Pervez Musharraf and demanded an independent Kashmir. "And today Sidhuji said that he wants to thank the people of Pakistan. For what does he want to say 'thank you' to them? For sending terrorists, for killing innocents, for killing our soldiers?" Patra asked. The BJP leader also slammed the Congress President and its leaders for questioning the surgical strike and its leaders disrespecting the Army Chief of the country. "Your (Gandhi) party leaders disrespect the army chief of the country by calling him a street goon, while your leader (Sidhu) believes Pakistan's army Chief that they want peace," he added. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 18, 2018 06:18 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Bengaluru, Aug 18: The flood situation is turning grave in Karnataka's Kodagu district, where at least 6 people have been confirmed death and thousands left stranded. The relief and rescue operation is underway in full-swing as personnel of the Army, Navy and the National Disaster Response Force have been deployed. "Over 1000 security personnel including NDRF, Navy, Army, Fire Dept, Home Guards etc are involved in rescue operations. Air Force is lifting stranded people and dropping relief material. 200 NCC cadets also working. We are working non stop," said Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy. On the damages and casualties incurred so far, Kumaraswamy claimed that the government has received the confirmation of 6 deaths and destruction of 11,000 houses in the inundated regions. The maximum brunt of floods has been felt in the hinterland areas of Kottamudi, Galibeedu, Karnangeri, Katakeri, Mukkodlu. In Somwarpet and Virajpet, nearly 3,200 people have raised an alarm for rescue as the water level has been rising since early in the day. The Indian Air Force, which has been roped in for the rescue operation, is using M17 helicopters for the airlift operation. Kumaraswamy said the government is taking immediate measures towards minimising the casualties and easing the distress caused to the people. "Banks have been told to stock up ATMs. Officials directed to give a list of roads which are damaged, and start repair work. Many officials from other areas have been shifted to Kodagu," the CM told reporters. The floods in Kodagu and other parts of coastal Karnataka comes amid the unprecedented crisis in neighbouring Kerala, where 324 people have died so far due to the massive floods. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in the state on Friday, has announced Rs 500 crore immediate relief fund. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 18, 2018 02:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). New Delhi, August 18: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kochi on Saturday morning to take a stock of rain-battered Kerala and the relief and rescue operations across the state. The Prime Minister arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday night and will conduct an aerial survey on Saturday. The Prime Minister was received by Kerala Governor P. Sathasivam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his cabinet colleagues among others. On Saturday, Modi along with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will make an aerial survey of the worst affected districts. Before returning to Delhi from Kochi, the Prime Minister will chair a meeting to discuss the grave situation in the state. According to reports, torrential rains, overflowing rivers and a series of landslides have resulted in the death of 385 people, leaving over three lakh people in over 2,000 relief camps. In Pakistan, cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan will be taking oath as Pakistans new Prime Minister on Saturday. The oath-taking ceremony will be held at the Presidents House in Islamabad, Pakistan News agency Dawn reported. The oath-taking ceremony is scheduled to take place at 9.30 am (local time) and Pakistan president Mamnoon Hussain would administer the oath to Khan. Before the ceremony takes place, Pakistans national anthem will be played out, Geo News reported. A Northern California sheriffs deputy fired several beanbag rounds into the back window of a car to free a trapped bear that had probably been searching for snacks. El Dorado County sheriffs spokesman Anthony Prencipe said Thursday that officers were called after the bear was seen rummaging through a Honda Civic in South Lake Tahoe. In a video, the caller says that the bear did not seem very happy and that it looked huge. The deputy says he was going to try to break out the back window. After a few shots, the window breaks open and the bear romps out and into the woods. Advertisement Prencipe said its safer to open a vehicle remotely than to get close to a scared bear. The sheriffs office posted a notice on Facebook that bears can open doors. An Easton Area School District teacher caught on camera roughly disciplining a child on a school bus has won back his job after successfully appealing his termination. Physical education teacher Aaron Dufour will teach classes starting Aug. 27 at Shawnee Elementary School, according to a decision made May 14 by arbitrator Thomas P. Leonard. The decision was obtained by lehighvalleylive.com through a right-to-know request. Dufour was fired after the incident Feb. 8, 2017, on a school bus in front of Paxinosa Elementary School. The school was temporarily housed at that time in the Easton Area Middle School building in Forks Township. The incident was captured on a surveillance camera inside the bus. The school district has refused to release the video to lehighvalleylive.com even though the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, Northampton County Court and the state Office of Open Records have each ordered the school district to hand it over. A source who has seen the video told lehighvalleylive.com that the video shows Dufour shoving a child against a padded barrier, then lifting the child and slamming him down into a school bus seat. Dufour will receive back pay from the date he was fired through until Jan. 22, 2018, according to the arbitration decision. His health benefits have been restored. His time away from teaching won't count against his pension accrual. He must participate in counseling and he's relieved of his professional crisis intervention duties and training. While the district released the arbitration order, it did not release the opinion explaining why Dufour was reinstated. That's confidential, according to school district solicitor John E. Freund III. Dufour's attorney, Jesika Steuerwalt, didn't return phone or email messages. The school district filed court papers Thursday asking the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to block the release of the bus video to lehighvalleylive.com. Freund said students on the bus video have a right to privacy. "The prospect of the unrestricted availability of videotapes of students while at school or on school transportation is truly appalling," he said. "Even more concerning is the ability of members to the public to track kids on buses to observe and discover their identities and to note their bus stops. It is a truly frightening prospect." Lehighvalleylive.com wants the video so it can be released and members of the public can evaluate Dufour's behavior for themselves. Attorney Douglas Smillie represents lehighvalleylive.com in the fight to obtain the video. The Supreme Court has discretion over which appeals it considers. Most are rejected without any review. "In the unlikely event that the appeal is even accepted by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, I would expect that the result will be the same as it was in the three courts that have considered this case so far," Smillie said. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. The Pennsylvania man accused of threatening President Donald Trump and Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli remained on the loose Saturday. Federal authorities announced a newly increased reward of $20,000 for information leading to the direct arrest of Shawn Richard Christy. Christy, 27, of McAdoo, is wanted for burglary, probation violation and failure to appear for an aggravated assault case. He has threatened to use "full lethal force on any law enforcement officer that tries to detain me," the U.S. Marshals Service said in a news release. He is also wanted on a federal warrant issued June 19 for Facebook threats to the prosecutor, stating, "Keep it up Morganelli, I promise I'll put a bullet in your head as soon as I put one in the head of President Donald J. Trump," according to the release. Christy is suspected of stealing a dark green 2001 Jeep Cherokee with Kentucky license plate. It was stolen Aug. 9 in Greensburg, Kentucky, and has a black hood. It also had "US Postal Service" and "Rural Carrier" magnets on the sides and back, and the steering wheel is on the right side. Christy is believed to have abandoned a stolen 2012 Toyota Tundra in the area earlier in the week. Christy should be considered armed and dangerous, federal authorities said. Individuals should not attempt to arrest Christy themselves. The U.S. Marshals Service asks anyone with information about Christy or the stolen Jeep to dial 911 immediately or the U.S. Marshals at 877-926-8332 (877-WANTED-2). Any information will be considered confidential. Those with information may also call the FBI at 215-418-4000. BOLO Shawn Christy by Anonymous arnc2g2N on Scribd Wanted poster for Shawn Richard Christy, fugitive by Anonymous arnc2g2N on Scribd Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. TROPHIES The release of the report on widespread priest sex abuse in Pennsylvania demonstrates just how difficult of a job those on the panel faced. Imagine how emotionally exhaustive it must've been to hear testimony in graphic detail about the abhorrent acts of 301 priests - including . Just reading a few sections of the nearly 900-page document their work produced is enough to make most of us sick to the stomach. But this work needed to be done, and the product of the work needed to become public. Those on that jury are owed a tremendous debt of gratitude. Now, drug addicts seeking help can show up to Easton Police Department and surrender their drugs and paraphernalia without fear of prosecution. The new safe-harbor program assures addicts that an officer will be with them as they get an assessment and treatment plan. Other local departments offer this service. It's a sensible and compassionate approach to combating the opioid epidemic. As Easton police Lt. Robert Weber put it: "We can't arrest ourselves out of this situation." We agree. Despite uncooperative weather, again pulled off a great, 10-day party with its 35 th installment of . Heavy rains on the opening weekend swelled the Monocacy Creek in Bethlehem and forced the closure of some of the festival's venues, but volunteers and others worked diligently to clean up the mess and get the venues reopened as soon as possible. The bad weather continued throughout the week, but the enthusiasm of festivalgoers prevailed. TURKEYS So the entire region's under a flood watch and the Lehigh River's raging at a dangerous level. Yet, Nesquehoning-based Whitewater Rafting Adventures thought it was still a good idea to take more than 200 inexperienced kids out on a rafting adventure. At least 46 rafters were in distress and had to be rescued by first responders near Lehighton. This was a massive, costly and risky rescue effort that could have been avoided by commonsense. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured. We will grant the American Family Association of Pennsylvania this much: Parents should have the right to see any materials shown to their kids in school. And Emmaus High School could have avoided a legal battle simply by coughing up the URLs to videos that were played in April as part of a Gay Straight Alliance event at the school. The American Family Association rightly won the battle, but it only proved the "religious liberty" group is losing the argument. The group has been labeled as an anti-LGBTQ hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Any decent person who watched the videos that were shown in April -- and ultimately released this week - would come to the conclusion that the messages in them are ones of inclusiveness and ought to be heard by all high schoolers. The company proposing the Slate Belt Heat Recovery Center has filed all necessary permit applications with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Synagro Technologies Inc. is also continuing to go through the Plainfield Township planning development process for the proposed plant, which would convert sewage sludge into Class A biosolids. The end product can be used as fertilizer or fuel. It is proposed beside the Green Knight Energy Center at Grand Central Sanitary Landfill. The plant's sludge-drying ovens would harness excess heat created by Green Knight by burning landfill gas, which is primarily methane. Synagro first presented plans to the township in November 2016. Township planners told Synagro, over the course of several meetings since 2016, that it must first acquire the DEP permits before it would consider making a recommendation on approval to the township's board of supervisors. Synagro representatives argued that the normal practice would be to get permits after the project is approved. Securing permits cost money, which would be wasted if the township were to reject approval for the plant, Synagro representatives said. However, township officials pushed back and said the township's zoning ordinance requires necessary permits to be in place before the township could rule on the project. In an email, Synagro representative Lorrie Rossiter wrote the company has "posted information regarding the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PaDEP) determination that all project permit applications relating to our proposed Slate Belt Heat Recovery Center are deemed administratively complete and formally accepted by them for processing." Synagro has links on its website for five permit applications. "These applications have been submitted earlier in the process than is customary in order to address detailed design questions raised by planning commissioners and the public," the website states. The next planning commission meeting for this project is Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. at the Plainfield Township Municipal Building, 6292 Sullivan Trail. John Best is a freelance writer. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. A JUDGE has remanded a 14-year-old boy in Oberstown Children Detention Centre, after he was arrested in connection with an alleged theft of copper, just three days after he was granted bail at another court. The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is facing nine charges of theft, burglary, criminal damage and trespassing. At a vacation sitting of the Limerick District Court last week, Gda Shane Kirwan, of Roxboro Road garda station, said the State was objecting to the accuseds bail. Gda Kirwan said it will be the States case that gardai received a call at 7.10pm on August 7 that three males had entered an address at OMalley Park through the back of the house. He said that damage was done to a shutter and a back window. Gda Kirwan said it will be the States case that an iron bar was thrown at the gardai. The garda did not specify which male threw the iron bar. He said that boy was allegedly out looking to get copper. He said that the accused allegedly attempted to flee by jumping walls but was later arrested. Gda Kirwan said he made certain admissions when questioned at Roxboro Road. The court heard that the boy was granted bail on August 3 in relation to similar offences at Nenagh District Court. The court heard that the accused, on August 1, allegedly stole a chocolate bar and a bottle of Lucozade and concealed them in his clothes. The court heard that the accused faces five counts of theft, two counts of burglary, one count of criminal damage and one count of trespassing a property. Gda Kirwan said: We believe that if he was to get bail today, he will commit further serious offences. The court heard that the boy had been without parental control for up to three months, and at the time of previous alleged offences, he was living with his teenage brother. Defending solicitor Sarah Ryan said that she was instructed that the boy was staying with his mother in refuge accommodation following his appearance at Nenagh Court. She told Judge Marian OLeary: My client would say that he wasnt the ringleader of the three. When the accuseds mother took the stand, she told the judge that his parents have told him to stay away from the two other boys. The court heard that his parents are separated. It was suggested the boy stay away from a residential area in the city, but the mother said the accused has family there. Judge OLeary refused bail to prevent further serious offences and remanded him in Oberstown. The Mendocino Complex Fire, the largest wildfire in California's history, releases clouds of smoke in new photos from NASA, and fires blazing over Canada are visible from a million miles away in space. The Mendocino Complex Fire, spurred onward by high temperatures, low humidity and winds, has continued to expand. As of Tuesday (Aug. 14), the fire had burned 534,410 acres and was 68 percent contained, according to a statement from NASA. The blaze is made up of two different fires, the River Fire and the Ranch Fire as of Tuesday, the River Fire was contained but the Ranch Fire continued to spread north, NASA officials said. [In Photos: The 2018 California Wildfires as Seen from Space] A view posted on Aug. 14, 2018, of the Mendocino Complex Fire in California, which is continuing to grow. It was captured by the Aqua satellite. (Image credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS) project) The crew of the International Space Station have been posting photos of the fires visible on Earth, but they're not the only eyes from the sky: NASA's image releases come from Goddard Space Flight Center's Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS) project, which pulls together satellite observations from Earth and makes it available to the community. Another set of images, taken by the Suomi NPP satellite on Aug. 15, run jointly by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), shows the far-ranging effects of smoke over North America from fires across the western U.S. and Canada. Smoke above North America as seen Aug. 15, 2018, by the Suomi NPP satellite. (Image credit: Lauren Dauphin/NASA Earth Observatory/ GSFC/Suomi NPP) The smoke mostly rises high into the atmosphere and doesn't cause an immediate threat, NASA officials said in another statement, but it can be pulled back down as it moves east and affect the Earth's surface. And the fires can cause sooty black-carbon pollution, which creates problems when breathed in. "Plenty of smoke and airborne particles have been measured near the ground, where it affects the air that people breathe," NASA officials said in the statement. "According to the National Weather Service in Seattle, the air quality in Washington state on August 15 was the worst in the country due to winds carrying smoke from surrounding fires." The next day, wind swept the smoke out somewhat, likely improving conditions. Air quality also was recorded as unhealthy in parts of Northern California, Oregon, Idaho and Montana, they added. More than 500 wildfires in British Columbia added to bad air-quality conditions in Canada's Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba provinces. Canada's fires can even be seen from 1 million miles away (1.5 million kilometers), by a NASA instrument on NOAA's DSCOVR satellite, which launched in 2015 to give a long view of Earth's sphere and also track space weather. Smoke visible from Canadian fires 1 million miles away (1.5 million kilometers) is captured by NASA's Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera on NOAA's DSCOVR satellite on Aug. 15, 2018. (Image credit: Lauren Dauphin/NASA Earth Observatory/GSFC/DSCOVR EPIC) Email Sarah Lewin at slewin@space.com or follow her @SarahExplains. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. Authorities demolished an abandoned home where they said drug users would break into and use it to camp out in the 1600 block of Chicago Street in west central Laredo. "The worst part is that it was right in front of (Farias Elementary). The children walking to school in the morning and in the afternoon were exposed to this criminal element," said Laredo Police Department Chief Claudio Trevino Jr. READ MORE: 78 migrants found inside refrigerated tractor-trailer north of Laredo Officials knocked down the home as part of Operation Crackdown, a joint effort between the Texas Army National Guard's Counterdrug Taskforce Program, the City of Laredo and the U.S. Border Patrol to work together to rid the community of abandoned structures where drug and other criminal activities occur. This is the fifth year that Operation Crackdown has taken place in Laredo. This year, officials demolished 15 abandoned structures over the past two weeks. Laredo Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Jason D. Owens said Operation Crackdown is a collaborative effort to eradicate nuisance facilities so that the criminal element cannot use them for nefarious purposes. "You see a building like this one, that's right across the street from an elementary school," Owens said. "By getting rid of this building, it makes the community a little bit safer for those who live here and especially for the kids." Trevino said authorities work with the community to gather information and deem whether a location is a nuisance or a social problem. READ MORE: Teenager arrested in connection with fatal shooting of 19-year-old man in South Laredo He said criminals may take over an abandoned structure to use drugs. Then, they hover around in the neighborhood, committing burglaries and thefts, thus creating crime in the community, Trevino said. "Once the homes are gone, these people are displaced and the community can rest easier," he said. Capt. Paula Palacios, of the Texas Air National Guard, said the Texas military department's priority is to partner with other local officials for the better of the community. "We're Texans serving Texans. We live and we work in these communities. We serve in these communities. For example, in this particular structure, it's a across the street from an elementary school," Palacios said. "Every single day, when these kids came to school and got out of the school, they were walking by this house that was being used for illicit purposes." READ MORE: Occupied vehicle goes up in flames in central Laredo, driver refuses to exit, LPD reports Since its inception five years ago, about 115 properties have been demolish through Operation Crackdown and that number may continue to grow. "We enjoy coming here. We hope to be back again and we appreciate the support and the partnership that the city gives us," Palacios said. EDWARDSVILLE Plans to test Madison Countys data security were approved by the County Board at Wednesdays meeting. The board OKd spending $39,990.50 with Connecticut-based Janus Associates to perform a penetration test on the Information Technology Department. County officials had been planning on running the test for some time. The county had budgeted $100,000 for the test in the 2017 budget, but carried the money over to the 2018 budget. The company was the second-highest scoring of 11 companies submitting bids with a score of 109 based on the IT Departments criteria, but was almost $60,000 less than the highest-scoring company, which scored 110. The timeline for the testing has not been determined. The board also approved a number of resolutions dealing with Madison County Community Development programs, including: authorizing operation of the Illinois Rental Housing Support Program, submission of 2019 Community Service Block Grant program applications, and submission of 2018 U.S. Housing and Urban Development applications for multiple grants for homeless services. The County Board also approved a dozen zoning requests, including: A request by David Mueller, the owner of a public horse stable at 101 Oaklawn, Glen Carbon, to amend a special use permit to expand the stables hours of operation from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. There was some opposition by nearby residents, including a petition filed against it, according to Planning & Development Administrator Matt Brandmeyer. However, the only issue considered was the hours of operation, while most of the complaints have been about other issues. A request by SJG Land Investments LLC to a variance request to allow 30-foot setbacks instead of the required 50-feet for several lots in the Fawn View Meadows subdivision, located on Maple Grove Road in Edwardsville Township. Several people had objected, primarily to one lot next to a neighboring property. The Zoning Board of Appeals approved three of the four lots, but not the fourth. The Planning & Development Committee OKd that recommendation. A special use permit sought by Corey Benton to allow the continued placement of a double-wide manufactured home at 1219 Lee, Cottage Hills. A variance sought by Brian Robertson and property owners Brian and Kimberly Thompson to allow a 130-foot setback rather than the required 150 feet at 8609 Maple Grove Road, Edwardsville. It was approved with the stipulation that no new driveways be cut into the property. A variance sought by David Templeman for a setback variance to construct an addition 16 feet from the property line instead of the required 50, for an old church he is remodeling as a house at 7505 W. Kirsch, Collinsville. A special use permit sought by Martin Rios to allow a double-wide manufactured home on property on Terry Street near Madison. A request by owners Melodee Mazur-Plummer and Charles Plummer for a special use permit to allow continued placement of a single-wide manufactured home at 1322 8th St., Cottage Hills. A variance by Bethel Chapel Pentecostal Church to allow a 100 square foot sign, rather than the permitted 2 square foot sign, for a church camp at 2900 Pentecostal Road, Edwardsville. A variance by the Eleanora Bakaitis Trust to create a tract with a 25 foot front setback and 25 foot road frontage at 1344 Pleasant Ridge Road, Collinsville. A zoning map amendment by owner JoAnn Dawson to rezone a .15 acre tract to B-3 Highway Business from R-3 Single Family. The property is a bar and its use was grandfathered in when county zoning regulations went into effect, but the owner needs it rezoned to allow video gaming. A zoning map amendment request by Helmsing Development Group Highland to rezone 5.15 acres to M-1 Limited Manufacturing from A Agriculture to allow continued use to manufacture specialty trailers. The rezoning is needed because ownership changed. A special use permit by Daniel Voss, owner, and Adrian Macias, the occupant, to allow placement of a single-wide manufactured home at 13112 Heritage Lane, Pocahontas. Reach reporter Scott Cousins at 618-208-6447. SHAKARDARA, Afghanistan - With every step, the blisters burned. After three days of walking barefoot alongside a highway from Kabul with about 50 other peace activists, Abdul Malik Hamdard, a computer teacher, had only gotten as far as this farming village about 40 miles north of the capital. But he had a point to make, and he said he planned to keep going no matter how much his feet hurt. "War kills Afghan people every day," said Hamdard, 27, as the group stopped to rest in a mosque one day earlier this month. He said he lost three brothers to conflict in the past 25 years. "We will walk from Kabul to Mazar for peace," he said, referring to the northern city of Mazar-e Sharif, about 200 miles north. At the moment, the group's new effort seems both quixotic and timely. In the past several weeks, a burst of insurgent violence has flared across the country, most recently a major ground assault by the Taliban on the southeastern city of Ghazni that killed at least 120 people and a suicide bombing in Kabul by the Islamic State militia that claimed at least 34 lives. The renewed bloodshed has dampened the hopes for breakthrough in the conflict that followed the June cease-fire and a high-level meeting between U.S. diplomats and Taliban representatives in July. But the peace marchers said these setbacks make their mission more relevant than ever. The group originally formed in southern Helmand province after a bombing in March, staging peaceful protests there. Then in May and June, eight of its members walked more than 300 miles to Kabul to persuade the government to negotiate with Taliban insurgents. Along the way, they braved scorching heat and dust storms, but their numbers grew to more than 100. Sometimes, they said they encountered Taliban fighters and begged them to end the war. In Kabul, the group set up tents outside the embassies of Pakistan, the United States and other countries, meeting with diplomats and asking them to step up support for a peace deal. They also met with Afghan officials, including President Ashraf Ghani, calling on them to take "practical steps" to end the war. But the group's leaders said the meetings produced no results, so they decided to take up their peace march again, with almost half of the activists walking barefoot. "I told them that Afghans have lost trust in you entirely. You only made promises in 17 years. We have not seen practical steps towards peace," said Mohammad Iqbal Khaybar, 27, the leader of the movement, who previously ran a private medical clinic in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand. Of those who criticize the marchers for walking barefoot, Khaybar said, "We harm ourselves to make you aware. Why are you silent?" Although most of the marchers are young, some of the older ones are especially motivated by memories of life before their country was torn apart by conflict. Mohammad Seraj, 55, recalled tranquil days in Helmand before the Soviet invasion and civil war of the 1980s. He and his family fled to Iran for nearly 30 years - only to return to a country at war again. "Afghanistan is a good place without war. War is ugly," Seraj said. "We want peace at any cost." Since the formation of the Helmand peace movement, others have sprung up in different areas of the country, holding rallies and sit-ins and calling on all warring parties to hold peace talks. Ghani has praised their efforts, but Taliban officials dismissed them in June as conspiracies and foreign plots. Despite the recent upsurge in violence, the peace activists are still hoping a second cease-fire will take place next week during the three-day Muslim holiday known as Eid al-Adha. In a tweet this week, activist Bacha Khan Muladad wrote, "Every day dozens of young Afghans are dying, this has to stop, we need to stop this 4 decades old cycle of violence or else [we] will not stop walking. #StopWar." As the marchers walked along the highway one recent day, a car drove slowly ahead, broadcasting a Persian-language song for peace. An 11-year-old boy, whose mother had died in a rocket attack in Logar province, walked just behind it. At one point, a white dog began following the group and stayed with them for miles. Some of the marchers said they hoped it would bring them luck. The worst corruption scandal in Navy history reached new heights Friday as federal prosecutors announced bribery and fraud charges against three retired sailors, including an officer who allegedly took part in a wild two-day party with prostitutes in Tokyo that cost $75,000. A grand jury in San Diego indicted retired Capt. David Haas, 50, of Kailua, Hawaii, on charges that he took $145,000 in bribes from Leonard Glenn Francis, a Singapore-based defense contractor known as "Fat Leonard" in Navy circles. Indicted separately on fraud charges were Ricarte Icmat David, 61, a retired master chief petty officer who now lives in the Philippines, and Brooks Alonzo Parks, 46, a retired chief petty officer who lives in Naples, Italy, according to the Justice Department. As of Friday, none of the defendants had made a court appearance, and it could not be determined if they had retained lawyers. It was also unclear if David or Parks would voluntarily return to the United States to face charges or if federal officials would have to seek their extradition. Federal investigators have been scrutinizing Haas' conduct ever since the corruption scandal became public five years ago. Shortly after Francis was arrested in a sting operation in San Diego in September 2013, Navy officials announced that Haas had been suspended from his military duties and placed under criminal investigation by the Justice Department. But authorities provided no further updates on his case until Friday. Haas retired from the Navy in September 2016 and now works for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to his LinkedIn profile. "Capt. Haas is innocent of the charges and we will defend the case in a court of law," said his attorney, Jeremiah Sullivan III of San Diego. According to the indictment, Haas accepted a series of bribes from Francis in 2011 and 2012 when the captain was serving as director of maritime operations for the Navy's 7th Fleet, based in Japan. In exchange, Haas allegedly acted as a secret mole for Francis to help drum up business for his company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia, which held $250 million in contracts to resupply Navy ships and submarines in the Western Pacific. In June 2012, for example, Francis paid more than $75,000 for Haas and other Navy officers to spend an extravagant two days in Tokyo, where they partied at several clubs with prostitutes, according to the indictment. On another night in Tokyo in November 2011, Francis allegedly spent more than $20,000 for Haas and other officers to dine at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and spend the evening with prostitutes. David is charged with accepting $40,000 in cash bribes from Francis, as well as prostitutes and other gifts. Parks is charged with accepting lavish hotel suites, airlines tickets and other gifts from Francis. Francis pleaded guilty to bribery and corruption charges in 2015 and has been cooperating with investigators since then. All told, the Justice Department has filed criminal charges against 32 defendants who worked for the Navy or Francis's company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia. But those represent only a fraction of the people swept up in the scandal. Separately, the Justice Department has provided the Navy with dossiers on 550 people who had contact with Francis - including about 60 admirals - to determine whether they violated military law or ethics rules. In her ruling that five suspects arrested at a New Mexico compound with 11 children could be released to house arrest on $20,000 bonds, Judge Sarah Backus indicated she knew how the decision in the high-profile case would be received. But, she wrote on Monday, "The canons of judicial ethics require that judges not concern themselves with public opinion. . . . The defendants are innocent until they are proved to be guilty beyond a reasonable doubt." The threats started coming the next day, hundreds of hostile calls and emails flooding into the county courthouse in Taos, where she presides, after the news of her ruling spread through far-right social media circles. The court was inundated with calls and emails, "expressing opposition to the judge's ruling and calling the judge various derogatory words," Barry Massey, a spokesman for the New Mexico Administrative Office of Courts, told The Post. One caller threatened to cut Backus' throat, Massey said, one of a handful of death threats. The severity of the messages prompted officers to lock down the court on Tuesday afternoon until its closing to prevent anyone from entering, Massey said. Some administrative officers were also evacuated, the Associated Press reported. The court had never experienced anything like the vitriol and volume of the response, according to Massey, who said it had to set up a messaging system on its phone line to deal with the overwhelming response. "This is a new one for them," he said. "Talked to longtime employee - had some high-profile cases but nothing that has unleashed this kind of venomous response." The court's chief judge, Jeff McElroy, and Massey both issued statements posted prominently on the court's website, pointing to provisions in the state Constitution and criminal procedure laws. "The New Mexico Constitution has guaranteed since statehood that people charged with a crime have a right to be released pretrial, except in limited instances," Massey's statement said. "The state Constitution provides that criminal defendants may be detained in jail pretrial only if prosecutors show by clear and convincing evidence that they are so dangerous that no release conditions will reasonably protect public safety." The strong response is the latest indication of the attention and intensity the New Mexico case has attracted since law enforcement officers raided the compound in a remote northern corner of the state on Aug. 3. There they found five adults, 11 children, multiple guns and many rounds of ammunition at what they described as a squalid desert outpost composed of a trailer sunk into the dirt, a utility truck appropriated as a makeshift bed, and an approximately 100-foot-long tunnel dug into the earth. They also found the body of a young child, whom they identified Thursday as Abdul-Ghani Wahhaj, the son of one of the suspects, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj. Prosecutors charged the five adults: Lucas Allen Morten, 40; Wahhaj, who has been accused of abducting his son in Georgia; Hujrah J. Wahhaj, 37, a sister of Siraj Wahhaj; Subhannah A. Wahhaj, 35, another sister; and Jany N. Leveille, 35, with 11 counts of felony child abuse. The case drew intense media coverage after court documents filed in the arrest contained an allegation that the children had been brought to the compound to receive weapons training. One of the children's foster parents told investigators the child had been trained to use an assault rifle in preparation for future shootings, prosecutors noted in court documents. And the local sheriff, whose office made the arrests, said the group was "considered extremist of the Muslim belief." But in her bail ruling, Backus said prosecutors did not show "clear and convincing" evidence the suspects were a danger to the community. She said the guns found were not stolen or illegal, the defendants did not have a history of criminal charges or failures to appear in court, and the evidence presented of them being "dangerous terrorists with a plot against the Country or institutions" was thin. Further, she seemed to imply she believed the defendants were being treated differently because they were Muslim. "The Court was asked by the State to make a finding of dangerousness and a finding that no conditions of release could insure the safety of the community," Backus wrote. "The State apparently expected the Court to take the individuals' faith into account in making such a determination. . . . The Court is not aware of any law that allows the Court to take a person's faith into consideration in making a dangerousness determination." The threats against Backus appear to have been stoked by anger that traveled quickly across right-wing social media accounts, many of which noted the group's "extremist Muslim" religious affiliation or referred to the compound as a "jihad camp." Accounts like The Red Elephants, (384,000 followers), Happy Hayride (93,000 followers) and Powdered Wig Society (293,000) posted a telephone number or email address at the court for the judge. Other Twitter accounts posted the court's address or Backus' photo, noting that she is a Democrat. "Paul Manafort gets 23 hours of [solitary] confinement every day," wrote one popular account named after the QAnon conspiracy theory on Twitter. "5 Muslim adults living on a makeshift compound with 11 malnourished children training them for school shootings get bond for $20,000. This is not justice. Remember the name: Judge Sarah Backus." Because of the warrant out for Wahhaj's arrest in Georgia stemming from an accusation that he had abducted his 3-year-old son Abdul-Ghani, he will remain in detention awaiting a hearing on his potential extradition, his lawyer, Thomas Clark, told The Post. Leveille, who is from Haiti, is reportedly in the custody of federal immigration officials. It is not clear if the other defendants have been released from jail yet. They will be subject to electronic monitoring and other strict conditions when they are, per Backus's ruling. The defendants' bonds are only due if they do not comply with the terms of their release, Clark said. On Thursday, New Mexico's Office of the Medical Examiner also confirmed that the remains of a child found on the property were Abdul-Ghani, according to the Associated Press. The body had decomposed so badly that investigators were not able to determine how he had died. The boy suffered from severe health effects from a brain disease and is believed to have died in February, at the age of 3, under circumstances that are still unclear. Backus said there was evidence the child had died while in the suspects' custody but said the court had only seen evidence they had prayed over him and touched him on the forehead before he died. The Taos County District Attorney plans to appeal Backus's ruling. District Attorney Donald Gallegos said the judge had all the evidence necessary to continue detaining the defendants and said he wants another "set of eyes and ears" to examine the case, the Associated Press reported. - - - The Washington Post's Ben Neary contributed to this report. President Donald Trump plans next week to unveil a proposal that would empower states to establish emission standards for coal-fired power plants rather than speeding their retirement - a major overhaul of the Obama administration's signature climate policy and one that could significantly increase the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Trump plans to announce the measure as soon as Tuesday during a visit to West Virginia, according to two administration officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the White House was still finalizing details Friday. The Environmental Protection Agency's own impact analysis, which runs nearly 300 pages, projects that the proposal would make only slight cuts to overall emissions of pollutants - including carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides - over the next decade. The Obama rule, by contrast, dwarfs those cuts by a factor of more than 12. The new proposal, which will be subject to a 60-day comment period, could have enormous implications for dozens of aging coal-fired power plants across the country. EPA estimates the measure will affect more than 300 U.S. plants, providing companies with an incentive to keep coal plants in operation rather than replacing them with cleaner natural gas or renewable energy projects. The Washington Post By 2030, according to administration officials, the proposal would cut CO2 emissions from 2005 levels by between 0.7 percent and 1.5 percent, compared with a business-as-usual approach. Those reductions are equivalent to taking anywherefrom 2.7 million to 5.3 million cars off the road. By comparison, the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan would have reduced carbon dioxide emissions by roughly 19 percent during that same time frame. That is equivalent to taking 75 million cars out of circulation and preventing more than 365 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. Under the EPA's new plan, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides that help form smog would be cut between one percent and two percent by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. Under Obama, the agency projected its policy would reduce those pollutants by 24 percent and 22 percent, respectively, by the end of the next decade. EPA did not respond to a request for comment, and the White House said it was looking into the matter. As the world's second-largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions, the United States has targeted the burning of fossil fuels that is driving climate change. The power sector ranks as the second-biggest contributor to the nation's overall greenhouse gas emissions, according to EPA, accounting for 28.4 percent of the total in 2016. Transportation made up 28.5 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions that year. While EPA projects that the U.S. power sector's overall carbon output will decline over time due to market pressures and other factors after the new rule takes effect, the policy shift would make it increasingly difficult for America to meet the international climate goals it adopted under the previous administration. Joseph Goffman, executive director of Harvard Law School's Environmental Law Program andone of the architects of the Obama-era rule, said in a phone interview that the higher emissions that would result from the Trump proposal would damage the climate as well as public health. "These numbers tell the story, that they really remain committed not to do anything to address greenhouse gas emissions," said Goffman, who served as associate assistant administrator for climate in EPA's Office of Air and Radiation between 2009 and 2017. "They show not merely indifference to climate change, but really, opposition to doing anything about climate change." Elements of the proposed rule were first reported by the New York Times on Friday evening. Utility companies, which had joined states in suing to block the Obama climate rule, would save annual compliance costs for the industry by about $400 million a year. Many utilities have moved to retire coal plants in recent years and switch to either natural gas or renewable power, which are now more economically competitive. But the proposed rule, which focuses on improving their heat efficiency and would allow for upgrades without triggering the kinds of pollution controls currently required under federal law, could shift that dynamic. Since the outset of the administration, officials have said they intended to replace the Clean Power Plan because EPA exceeded its legal authority in crafting the policy. The rule, which has been stayed by the U.S. Supreme Court, established a program under which states could achieve emissions reductions by having utilities promote energy efficiency or build renewable power projects such as solar or wind. "We're going back to the agency's historical interpretation and application of its authority" under the Clean Air Act, said one official in an interview. "That is respectful of the boundaries established by Congress." Utility industry executives hailed the administration's proposal as one that adheres to the law and would ease the financial crunch they would have faced under a more sweeping rule. Jim Matheson, chief executive of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, said in a statement Saturday that it appears the measure will "provide electric co-ops the certainty and flexibility they need to meet their consumer-members' energy needs." "The Clean Power Plan would have resulted in stranded assets and stranded debt, significantly increasing electricity costs for many consumers," added Matheson, whose members get 41 percent of their energy from coal-fired generation. The proposed rule, which does not yet have a name, has a 200-page preamble laying out EPA's reasoning for the sweeping changes. Rather than identifying specific reduction targets and then tasking state officials with devising plans to achieve them, it will define what constitutes the "best system of emission reduction" that utilities can undertake with technology that has been demonstrated to work. States will conduct a unit-by-unit analysis of plants in their state and will have three years to develop a plan to make their operations more efficient. EPA will have one year to determine whether to approve a state's plan, and if it does not meet the agency's guidelines the EPA will have another year to impose a federal plan on the state. As a result, it is difficult to determine exactly when the new measurewill be fully implemented. While the proposed rule analyzes its impacts through 2035, officials said, it may not be fully in compliant until 2037. Bracewell LLP partner Scott Segal, who represents utilities that run coal-fired plants, said in an email that the Trump administration has sought to empower the states as it curbs the excesses of its predecessor. "The previous administration's effort to address greenhouse gases was a complex and unnecessarily burdensome overreach that took much of the responsibility for power systems away from the state regulators, who know them best," Segal said. "It is why 29 states pushed back against the rules and the Supreme Court blocked their implementation with an unprecedented stay." Trump has repeatedly praised the U.S. coal industry, and his deputies have sought to enact an array of policies aimed at bolstering it. Those proposals range from relaxing rules for storing toxic waste from coal burning to ordering grid operators to buy power from coal-fired utilities. The EPA's analysis estimated that even under the new proposal, the power sector's overall CO2 emissions would decline between 33 percent and 34 percent compared with 2005 by the time the rule is fully implemented. Conrad Schneider, advocacy director for the environmental group Clean Air Task Force, said emissions may not drop as much as anticipated because of several policies the Trump administration has adopted to boost coal. "This is the latest in the Trump administration's effort to make coal great again," Schneider said. Trump announced more than a year ago that the United States would pull out of the 2015 Paris climate agreement, under which America pledged to cut its overall carbon output between 26 percent and 28 percent by 2025, compared with 2005 levels. While the country's greenhouse gas emissions continues to decline, scientists say the United States cannot meet its Paris climate goal without policies such as the Clean Power Plan. Carbon dioxide emissions from energy use in the United States declined by 0.5 percent last year, according to the International Energy Agency, due to an uptick in renewable energy and reduced overall energy demand. Globally, CO2 emissions from the energy sector rose 1.4 percent, reaching a historic high after remaining flat for three years. Five months ago, Orlando Almanza would have sat in jail for weeks on a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge simply because he could not afford $80 to post bond. He might have lost his job as a landscaper. He would have been apart from his wife and children. He probably would have only eventually entered Bexar Countys jail court to plead guilty and gain his liberty. But on a recent morning this August, Almanza was in jail court after a matter of days of confinement. Not to plead guilty but to be released. He received a personal recognizance bond, meaning he did not have to pay anything for his freedom. His life can continue as his case unfolds, guilty or innocent. He is needed at home, defense attorney Elva Trevino told visiting Judge Philip Kazen, who granted the bond with the condition of weekly drug testing, but no fees. It was a small moment in a small court that exists out of the publics sight inside Bexar County Adult Detention Center. But it was a moment that reflects potentially seismic shifts in how Bexar County, the state of Texas and the nation view the use of cash bail. Like other pieces in our ongoing Unequal Justice project, this editorial is based on more than 15 interviews with legal experts, judges, attorneys, politicians, defendants and criminal justice activists. We also filed numerous records requests, crunched data, reviewed hundreds of pages of studies and observed jail court. The consensus from experts is that bail should be determined by a persons risk to the public, not his or her ability to pay. Cash bail plays no role in whether people show up for court dates or reoffend. But keeping people in jail pretrial specifically those accused but not convicted of nonviolent offenses can fuel recidivism and break families. Its also a violation of Constitutional rights. The presumption ought to be the vast majority of people should be released because you are innocent until proven guilty, said Marc A. Levin, an expert with the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation. Even serving 72 hours in jail is enough time to lose your job and become an increased risk. Jail court was created in 1998 to alleviate jail overcrowding (and yet the jail remains near capacity). Its a small, cramped room where defendants in orange jumpsuits often meet their attorneys for the first time. They confer at small tables with plastic chairs of the type normally found in fast-food restaurants. Jail court speeds up pleas for defendants, but expedience is steeped in guilt. Jail court in effect turns the presumption of innocence on its head, said Jennifer E. Laurin, a professor with the University of Texas at Austin School of Law. In order to get the liberty you are presumptively entitled to, you are going to have to confess guilt. Not so for Almanza, who found himself in jail court as part of the countys new 48-hour bond review hearings. These reviews are designed to identify nonviolent defendants who are languishing in jail simply because they are poor. The hearings began in May and are a good, necessary and humane practice. In essence, these bond review hearings bring a long overdue balance to jail court. While good policy, make no mistake, these hearings are a product of lawsuits that have been filed in Dallas, Galveston and (especially) Harris counties that have put an excruciating spotlight on bail practices. Basically, Bexar County does not want to get sued. Its working 100 percent for the original goal, which is to keep out of that (Harris County) lawsuit, Sid Harle, presiding judge for the Fourth Administrative Judicial Region, said of the hearings. While Almanzas release through the bond hearing represents local progress on this issue, its also a moment that shows the need for much more reform. Simply, local officials should aspire for more than not getting sued. Consider: Like all defendants, Almanza deserves the presumption of innocence, but he still spent five days in jail before his release. This is because weekends delay these review hearings. But again, if he could have posted $80 10 percent of his $800 bond he would have been out immediately. Either way, he poses the same risk, right? Like almost all defendants in Bexar County, Almanza did not have an attorney at his initial appearance when bond was set a gaping hole that Bexar County appears close to addressing. His bail hearing was closed to the public. Almanza was also scored with a risk assessment tool that Shima Baradaran Baughman, a professor at the University of Utahs S.J. Quinney College of Law and author of The Bail Book, characterized as flawed. I think Bexars risk assessment tool is not fair to defendants at all, she wrote in an email. Why? Because it equates two misdemeanors to a felony, is biased against men and doesnt appropriately weigh risk, she said. So if you have two misdemeanor driving offenses, you have the same score as someone previously convicted of rape? she wrote. That doesnt seem right. It needs to be revised. The Arnold Foundation pretrial risk assessment is a better one. Other experts also praised the Laura and John Arnold Foundation risk assessment tool because of the factors it weighs and underlying methodology. The assessment is based on 1.5 million cases across 300 jurisdictions to identify risk factors. All these dynamics, and others, need to change to truly reform cash bail practices here. Beyond this, confusion abounds about the 48-hour bail hearings. Appointed attorneys often do not show up. Hearing times are uncertain. Many defendants 212 in the months of May, June and July have refused these hearings. A better, cleaner practice would have attorneys with the Bexar County Public Defenders Office represent all defendants at magistration. Done right, this would eliminate much of the need for these 48-hour review hearings. The office should also handle the 48-hour bond review hearings, which should happen at the same time each day. Bail reform has garnered state and national attention as people have begun to question a routine practice. The 2015 death of Sandra Bland amplified questions after she was jailed for a routine traffic stop in Prairie View. She was held on a $5,000 bond and committed suicide while in jail. If she had $500, she would almost certainly be alive. Then came a poignant ruling in February about Harris Countys bail practices from the conservative-leaning 5th U.S. Circuit Court. Judge Edith Brown Clement painted a striking portrait of two defendants accused of the same crime, but one is wealthy and the other is poor. As a result, the wealthy arrestee is less likely to plead guilty, more likely to receive a shorter sentence or be acquitted, and less likely to bear the social costs of incarceration, she wrote. The poor arrestee, by contrast, must bear the brunt of all of these, simply because he has less money than his wealthy counterpart. Most recently, Gov. Greg Abbott has pushed for bail reform following the killing of Texas State Trooper Damon Allen during a traffic stop in Fairfield last Thanksgiving. The suspect, Dabrett Black, was released from jail on a $15,500 bond for allegedly assaulting a county deputy. Abbott announced his proposals during a recent press conference in Waco, about 60 miles from Fairfield, saying he wants bond amounts to match the risk of accused defendants. He also called for ensuring judges are aware of a defendants full criminal history and other reforms. Abbotts focus was fundamentally about ensuring people accused of violent offenses are not released. But it is the same principle as bail reform for people accused of nonviolent offenses. Bail should be established by risk to the public, not money. We have got people sitting in jail right now for economic crimes, nonviolent crimes, like driving with a suspended license. And they cannot come up with $1,000, which is 10 percent of a $10,000 bond, state Sen. John Whitmire, a Houston Democrat and leading voice for reform, told us. Conversely, violent offenders, human traffickers, if they have the money, it doesnt matter what (bond) you set. In real life, reform means recognizing the public is better served when someone like Almanza is with his family and employed, being monitored by pretrial services, than sitting in jail, at a taxpayer cost of $50 a day, for alleged pot possession. It also means recognizing that people forced to languish in jail are likely to plead guilty instead of fighting the charge. People such as Cynthia Rios, who told us that roughly nine years ago she spent three or four weeks in Bexar County jail on a shoplifting charge. She pleaded guilty, but if she had made bail, I wouldnt have, she said, adding that she was with other people who had shoplifted. On this occasion, I did have to plead guilty, but I didnt have nothing to do with it, she said. It also means recognizing that simply releasing people on bond is not enough. Vanessa Cano, 32, was arrested earlier this year for possession of methamphetamine, a felony. She told us she had spent about a week in the Bexar County jail because she could not make her $3,000 bond. I was embarrassed, and I didnt want to bother being a burden on anybody else, she said. But also, I didnt have money like that. She would have stayed in jail much longer, but Texas Organizing Project bailed her out for Mothers Day. Cano has two kids. She also said she is bipolar, has anxiety and sees visions. While in jail, she said she received the wrong medication and little to no mental health support. Since her bailout, TOP has connected her with health care and stayed in touch with her about court dates. Jail does not treat the problem, said Laquita Garcia, an organizer with TOP. It does not correct the problem. Jail has its place for people accused of violent crimes or who have a demonstrated risk to the public. But its not the place to hold people simply because they are poor and mentally ill. The time has arrived for meaningful reform in Bexar County and Texas and not just to avoid being sued. Its about achieving equal justice. This editorial is part of the Unequal Justice series, which explores the inequities in Bexar Countys criminal justice system and how they can be fixed. The beginning of the school year when you got to show off your new duds, new cars, new looks! Sports! Playing, cheering, watching high school athletics. The arts: Dramatic arts, musical groups and shows, graphic arts groups, debate, etc. The prom! No dancing the night away or punch bowl antics. The daily interactions. Just being with the group, hanging with friends and classmates. Access to college recruiters and advisors its harder to line up higher education. Walking onstage to get a diploma while all the family is watching with everyone elses family. Vote View Results The aim of the event is to promote the safe and enjoyable use of our waterways and to introduce the sport of snorkelling to new members. Last year there were almost forty participants of all ages who took to the water in Clondra and this year promises to be even better! The event has grown year on year and has proven to be a great way to introduce our sport to new members, said Rose Kane, PRO of the Longford Scuba Divers. Surrounding diving clubs in the midlands region will take part, Roscommon, Athlone, Lanesboro, Banagher, Mullingar and Leitrim, as well as some from the Dublin area. Longford Tri Club will assist with water safety and have their kayakers to guide the snorkelers along the short snorkel route. McPartlands will be hosting a free BBQ for all the participants. Its a great opportunity for anyone who has an interest in scuba diving or snorkelling to try it out in a safe, controlled and fun environment. Waterways Ireland will close the area to marine traffic for the duration of the snorkel which will start at Burkes Lock and finish at Richmond Harbour. The event is supported by Waterways Ireland, Longford Tourism, Longford County Council and the Irish Underwater Council who all help to promote and organise the swim. Longford Scuba Divers are grateful for the local support and interest in the scuba diving club: We hold a flag day and church gate collection annually for our Search & Rescue Unit. We very much appreciate this support. Our Fin Swim is a way to showcase our sport in a positive way and to encourage new members, explained Rose. All are welcome to come along to Clondra on Saturday. Registration will be at 1pm and snorkel will start promptly at 1.45pm. Just bring your own wetsuit and Longford Scuba Divers will supply snorkel equipment for you to use on the day. For more information check out Facebook page Fun Fin Swim 2018 or email countylongfordscubadivers@gmail.com. Rose can be contacted by text at 087 659 4951. Apples faced a modest decline in its profit margin over a period of a few years. Must be time to overreact. Writing for Bloomberg, Shira Ovide says Honey, I Shrunk Apples Profit Margins. (Tip o the antlers to a reader in Dallas.) R&D spending is the culprit How dare they invest in the future! and its hard to tell whether its being put to good use. You mean Apple isnt detailing what its developing?! How very surprising. Financial types trying to understand Apple is perpetual Groundhog Day. But this isnt another tale of Apples impossible-to-believe profit power, because Apple isnt the powerhouse that it used to be. If you look at just this one measure. Ovide references Bloombergs own calculation of operating income as a share of revenue to show that Apple is at its lowest level since 2009. Apples own gross margin figure, on the other hand, shows the company at the same level it was at in 2017, 2016, 2014 and 2013. Apples shifting profit character is dramatic. Using Bloombergs numbers its down 6.7 percent over the last four years, which is not exactly a precipitous fall. Apple forecasts its margin will be flat for the current quarter. More than 100 companies in the S&P 500 have higher profit margins than Apple. Which is another way of saying Apple is in the top 1/4 of S&P 500 companies when ranked by profit margin. Sounds terrible. Ovide is basically comparing everything to Apples high water mark of 2012 to early 2013 which, when you look at the chart, is something of an outlier. By contrast, Amazons profit margin is the perfect example of a Jeff Bezos chart, a line going up dramatically from zero. Nowhere is it noted that its going from zero to 3 percent, which is Amazons current profit margin. Steve Jobs once said that innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. Now it seems as if Apple is putting its foot on the R&D gas, hoping it will result in more innovation. We have no idea what this is going toward so well just assume Apples throwing money at a problem. If Apple hits a growth wall in coming years, its not hard to imagine the company facing similar calls to justify its climbing research-and-development bills. Pundits circa 2011: At 3 percent, Apple isnt spending enough on R&D! Pundits now: At 5 percent, Apples spending too much on R&D! 4 percent was the sweet spot, Apple. Duh. Even as investors stare at those 12 zeros in Apples market value, its tough to argue that the company deserves an even richer valuation, as long as those margins stay squeezed. Amazons PE ratio is still more than seven times higher than Apples. Thats ludicrous (not to be confused with Ludacris, the groceries-buying rapper). Wake The Macalope when Apple has real problems. Thats a joke. The Macalope can never get to sleep in the first place thanks to all the caterwauling about all these little problems. After years of planning, construction and legislative action, MGM Springfield will open its doors to the public on Aug. 24. The opening, which will come three years after officials broke ground on the $960 million resort complex, caps a decades-long push to bring casino gambling to Western Massachusetts. Here's a look back at how a casino finally came to be located in downtown Springfield: (AP Photo/Bill Haber) Riverboat gambling proposed for Springfield In May 1993, Chicopee lawyer Thomas D. Murphy Jr. presented plans to Springfield city officials for a $50 million riverfront gambling casino, which he said would create thousands of jobs and end the flow of betting money out of Western Massachusetts. Murphy's proposal called for a casino on a barge anchored just south of the Memorial Bridge. In April, 1993, Springfield furrier Eugene Zeller and his family, proposed launching a three-level gambling boat from a dock at the Huntsman Motel on Riverdale Street in West Springfield. Don't Edit (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia) Gov. William Weld files bill to legalize riverboat casinos Gov. William F. Weld filed a so-called "Megaplex bill" in July 1993 that would have allowed for up to 12 riverboat casinos in the state. It was the second proposal to be filed in recent weeks to establish riverboat gambling in Massachusetts. A bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Linda J. Melconian, D-Springfield, would authorize riverboat gambling on the Connecticut River in Springfield and three other cities. Don't Edit (AP Photo/Handout) Gov. William Weld proposes 3 water-based casinos Gov. William Weld, in January 1994, proposed allowing three water-based casinos -- one in Fall River and two others at sites to be determined -- as part of his fiscal 1995 state budget. Don't Edit (AP Photo/Steven Senne) Casino panel created Gov. William Weld, in early July 1994, released a fiscal 1995 state budget that included a rider to create a five-member gambling advisory commission, which would review all casino proposals and license applications. On the same day, the legislature approved a Springfield referendum question on the issue of casino gambling. Don't Edit (STAFF/MICHAEL GORDON) Mirage Resorts shows interest in building Springfield casino In July 1994, Mirage Resorts joined a growing list of companies ready to take a chance that Massachusetts would legalize casino gambling. The company had options to purchase at least two parcels in Springfield, including the Hilltop Steakhouse near West and Avocado streets. Riverside Park owner Edward J. Carroll Jr., meanwhile, said at the time that he was in "final negotiations" with Lady Luck Gaming Corp. of Las Vegas, Nev., on a casino proposal for Riverside. Don't Edit Don't Edit (AP Photo/Gail Oskin) Weld approves Western Massachusetts casino In late August 1994, Gov. William Weld announced a deal that would allow the Wampanoag Indian tribe to build a gambling casino in New Bedford, as well as allow for a single casino in Hampden County pending local voter approval. As of the announcement, four casinos projects had been proposed for Western Massachusetts. Casino Magic Corp. was eyeing a complex near the Memorial Bridge, and Mirage Resorts Inc. had obtained an option to purchase the former Hilltop Steak House on West Street. Peter L. Picknelly Sr. and President Riverboat Casinos Inc., meanwhile, teamed up to propose a casino on waterfront property owned by Picknelly near East Columbus Avenue and Avocado Street. Lady Luck Gaming Corp. and Riverside Park also unveiled a proposal for a high-rise hotel, restaurants, tennis courts, swimming pools and other amenities to accompany a gambling boat that would be permanently moored to the west bank of the Connecticut River. Don't Edit Dave Roback Picknelly offers casino complex for Springfield In Sept. 1994, Peter L. Picknelly Sr. unveiled a $150 million downtown development proposal featuring a casino, two new hotels, removal of the Hotel Charles and rehabilitation of Union Station. Picknelly's plan centered on a 75,000 square-foot casino to be built at Main and Liberty streets on the site of the Peter Pan bus station. It replaced his riverboat casino proposal made in February with President Riverboat Casinos of Missouri. Don't Edit SUCHOCKI New casino plan offered for downtown, businessmen push rival to Picknelly proposal In late September 1994, a group of area businessmen unveiled a casino proposal to a rival a plan set forth by Peter L. Picknelly Sr. The newest plan called for a casino and more than 10 acres of development, use of the Hotel Charles property, aerial walkways and other connections to downtown shops and stores. Don't Edit (JOHN SUCHOCKI / THE REPUBLICAN ) Voters reject casinos, governor calls results 'done deal' In November 1994, Springfield voters rejected casino gambling by a 51.3 percent to 48.7 percent margin, while those in Agawam defeated the ballot question by a resounding 69 percent to 31 percent margin. Following the vote, Gov. William Weld offered that Hampden County had its shot for a casino and it won't get another opportunity. "If Hampden County voted 'no' in 1994, that's it," he said. "It's a done deal as far as I'm concerned." Don't Edit Stock photo Wary lawmakers put casino gambling on back burner House Speaker Charles F. Flaherty put out a schedule in January 1995 listing some of the major legislation to be considered through June, and no initiative to legalize gambling was included. "I'm leery of it, to be honest with you," Flaherty said in an interview. "I see more disadvantages than advantages." Holyoke and Chicopee -- and to some extent Springfield -- however, were still hitching their hopes for a casino under a tribal agreement that provided for one non-Indian casino in Hampden County. Don't Edit Don't Edit (Dave Roback / The Republican) Holyoke voters approve casino question In April 1995, Holyoke became the first city in Western Massachusetts to stake its future on legalized gambling with voters resoundingly approving a nonbinding referendum asking if a casino should be built there. With 45 percent of the electorate casting ballots, 5,654 voted in favor and 3,349 were against the question "Shall casino gambling be permitted in the City of Holyoke?" Don't Edit JOHN SUCHOCKI Hyatt and Hollywood Casino make casino pitches for Springfield Hyatt and Hollywood Casino made presentations about their plans for possible downtown Springfield casinos during separate November 1995 news conferences at the Marriott Hotel. Nicholas J. Pritzker, chairman of Hyatt Development Corp., the hotel company's gaming and entertainment division, said the firm's plans include an 80,000- square-foot casino, 350-room hotel, and an entertainment pavilion with restaurants and a small museum. William P. Weider, director of Hollywood Casino, said the company proposal for Springfield would include a casino, an aquarium, a theater and other entertainment areas, a collection of movie memorabilia, and parking space for 3,000 cars. Don't Edit (Don Treeger / The Republican) 4 developers vie for Holyoke casino Three internationally known casino giants and Peter L. Picknelly Sr. of Springfield were announced in February 1996 as the four promoters who will compete to put a multimillion-dollar gambling and entertainment complex in Holyoke. Hilton Gaming Corp. of Las Vegas became the final entrant, joining Hyatt Development Corp. and Bally Entertainment Corp., both of Chicago, and Picknelly, the owner emeritus of Peter Pan Bus Lines and leader of two unsuccessful casino efforts in Springfield. Don't Edit (JOHN SUCHOCKI / THE REPUBLICAN ) Springfield voters again reject casino question Springfield voters rejected gambling for a second time in recent years in November 1995, with 16,169 in favor and 17,852 against. Chicopee voters also shot down casino gambling. The vote on the non-binding referendum was 7,218 in favor of permitting casino gambling in the city and 9,004 against. Don't Edit Mark M. Murray Hollywood Casino turns attention to Palmer Hollywood Casino Corp., in an effort to beef up its odds of bringing a 159-acre casino complex to Western Massachusetts, tried to dazzle Palmer officials with a posh presentation at a local banquet hall in February 1997. The company has long been eyeing Western Massachusetts, originally proposing the idea of bringing a riverboat casino to Springfield. It revived its interest in both Springfield and Chicopee in November 1995, just days before voters in both cities rejected gambling referendums. Don't Edit Don't Edit DAVE ROBACK/STAFF Palmer voters OK casino referendum In April 1997, Palmer voters approved a non-binding referendum to bring a $250 million casino to town. Voters passed the measure 2,444 to 1,935, or 54 percent to 46 percent. Sixty percent (4,496) of the town's 7,526 registered voters cast ballots to decide an issue that had divided the town. Don't Edit (AP Photo/Elise Amendola) Massachusetts House vote kills casino gambling Massachusetts House lawmakers overwhelmingly moved in May 1997 to sink casino gambling, voting 123 to 31 to uphold a negative report on a gambling bill put forth by the Government Regulations Committee. The vote effectively killed any casino legislation for the remainder of the 1997-98 session. Don't Edit Dave Roback Holyoke puts casino gambling on ballot The Holyoke City Council upped the ante for casino gambling in Western Massachusetts by voting in April 2002 to place a non-binding question on the November ballot and to establish a casino gambling committee. It also voted to send state officials the results of a 1995 ballot question, in which voters here supported a casino in the city by a 62-38 percent margin. Don't Edit Patrick Johnson House rejects casinos in Bay State The Massachusetts House voted 122-23 in May 2002 against a plan to license a Wampanoag casino in southeastern Massachusetts, as well as two commercial casinos elsewhere in the state. It was the full House's first vote on casinos since members rejected former Gov. William F. Weld's casino bill five years ago. Don't Edit John Suchocki Holyoke voters again approve casino gambling referendum Holyoke voters, in November 2002, said "yes" again to a non-binding question welcoming a casino. Voters approved the measure by a margin of 53 percent to 38 percent, or 5,957 to 4,203. Don't Edit Don't Edit (Don Treeger / The Republican) Gov. Mitt Romney makes push for slots, lawmakers push back Gov. Mitt Romney Romney floated a proposal in April 2003 to license up to 7,200 slot machines in two to four locations. The plan included a five-year license agreement that could be renewed or scratched if the machines fail to return a combined $1.5 billion over five years. A license could only be awarded in a community that approved a casino referendum, such as Holyoke, Palmer or Warren. Weeks later, House lawmakers voted 95 to 59 against a bill to allow 1,500 slot machines at six locations, including the state's four race tracks and sites in central and Western Massachusetts that would have been provided to the highest bidders. Don't Edit (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) Senate kills casino plan The Massachusetts Senate dropped a proposal in November 2003 to legalize casinos and slot machines in the state. Senate Minority Leader Brian P. Lees, R-East Longmeadow, dropped his bill to establish two casinos, one in Bristol County and one in either Worcester or Hampden counties. Lees' bill, proposed as an amendment to the economic-development package, also would have allowed up to 1,500 slot machines at each of the state's four horse and dog tracks. Don't Edit (submitted photo) Mohegan Sun eyes Palmer casino Although casino gambling had yet to be legalized in Massachusetts, Northeast Realty announced in August 2007 that it had reached an agreement with Connecticut-based Mohegan Sun to develop an entertainment, gaming project in Palmer. More than 100 members of local building unions gathered on Thorndike Street in support of the proposed project. Don't Edit (AP Photo/Bizuayehu Tesfaye) Gov. Deval Patrick proposes legalizing casinos, banning smoking at gaming establishments Gov. Deval L. Patrick submitted legislation in October 2007 to legalize commercial casinos and require that gambling resorts sign an agreement to abide by the state's 2004 law prohibiting smoking in restaurants, bars and other indoor workplaces. The bill sought to legalize casinos in three regions of the state, including one casino for a region that includes Worcester County and the four counties of Western Massachusetts. Don't Edit (AP Photo/Wayne Parry) Trump Entertainment considers Holyoke Mall for casino In November 2007, representatives from Trump Entertainment met with Holyoke Mayor Michael J. Sullivan to discuss building a casino in his city, including converting the mall into a gaming establishment. Don't Edit Don't Edit (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds) Massachusetts House rejects casino proposal On March 20, 2008, the Massachusetts House of Representatives voted 108 to 46 against a proposal that would establish three casino reports in the state. The chamber, however, moved to establish a five-member legislative committee to study the bill and to report its findings by Dec. 31. Gov. Deval Patrick submitted his casino bill in October 2007. Don't Edit (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds) Massachusetts lawmakers approve gambling expansion In late July 2010, Massachusetts lawmakers approved a major expansion of gambling in the state, but Gov. Deval Patrick vowed the reject the measure. The bill called for three casinos and two slot parlors to be bid on by the state's four racetracks. Patrick said he could accept one slots parlor if it were up for bid for any party, instead of limiting the licenses to the racetracks. Don't Edit (Republican file) Hard Rock International considers Holyoke casino site Hard Rock International announced in early November 2011 that it would join a Massachusetts group in developing and managing a casino resort on the 100-acre Wyckoff Country Club located near Interstate 91 in Holyoke. Don't Edit (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds) Expanded Gaming Act signed into law On Nov. 22, 2011, Gov. Deval Patrick signed the Expanded Gaming Act, which allowed for up to three destination resort casinos to be built in three geographically diverse regions across the state, as well as for a single slots facility. Casino gambling bill signed by Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick The legislation set a minimum licensing fee of $85 million for each resort casino and required a capital investment of at least $500 million. It further set standards for gaming and called for the creation of a five-member Massachusetts Gaming Commission to oversee the implementation and licensing process. Don't Edit Michael S. Gordon MGM Resorts eyes Brimfield casino Officials announced in January 2012 that MGM Resorts International was looking into building a $600 million resort casino on a 150-acre site near the Massachusetts Turnpike in Brimfield. Don't Edit Don't Edit Lori Stabile MGM Resorts drops Brimfield casino plan MGM officials, in March 2012, announced that the company would no longer pursue a casino in Brimfield, instead seeking an alternative location for a Western Massachusetts resort. The "Rolling Hills Resort" project was announced with much fanfare in January, with top executives from MGM touting the 150-acre site in the northwest corner of town and the estimated 3,000 jobs it would bring. They brought interested media to the remote site north of the Massachusetts Turnpike after a press conference, and later set up a website dedicated to the project. Don't Edit (submitted photo) MGM unveils $800 million casino plan for Springfield In August 2012, MGM Resorts International became the first casino operator to release its detailed vision for a Springfield casino, unveiling its $800 million plan for parts of the South End that had been devastated by a 2011 tornado. It was also the first casino operator considering a location in Western Massachusetts to pay the non-refundable $400,000 application fee to the state's Gaming Commission. Don't Edit (Submitted) Ameristar Casinos reveals $910 million casino plan for Springfield On Oct. 23, 2012, officials from Ameristar Casinos presented their formal plans for a $900-plus million gaming project on Page Boulevard near Interstate 291. Ameristar Casinos unveils $910 million project at Page Boulevard site The proposal called for 150,000 square feet of casino space, a 500-room luxury hotel, various restaurants, a spa and fitness center and a parking garage with space for 4,300 vehicles. Don't Edit (Dave Roback) Holyoke officials push for Mount Tom casino Holyoke Mayor Alex B. Morse announced in November 2012 that he was mounting a bid to bring a casino gambling resort to Mount Tom in partnership with city native and entertainment mogul Eric Suher. Morse, who was elected in part due to his opposition to a casino, said he was persuaded to support such a project by the reality that a casino will be coming to the region and will affect Holyoke. The proposed casino resort would have been on the 70-acre Mountain Park music venue that Suher owns and that used to be home to the Mountain Park Amusement Park, which closed in 1987. Don't Edit (Mark M. Murray) Ameristar Casinos drops plans for Springfield gaming establishment Ameristar Casinos, in late November 2012, announced that it would no longer pursue a proposed $910 million resort casino on property it owned on Page Boulevard in East Springfield. Ameristar said that various requirements, costs and the local selection process were factors in its decision to not move forward with its casino proposal. Don't Edit Don't Edit (Republican file) Penn National Gaming announces plans for $807 million casino resort in Springfield On Dec. 20, 2012, officials with Penn National unveiled their plans for $807 million resort in Springfield. Plans for the 300,000-square-foot casino complex included 100,000 square feet of gaming space, 2,000 square feet of retail space and a 250-room hotel on about 13.4 acres in the city's North End. Don't Edit (submitted photo) Hard Rock turns attention to West Springfield casino site Despite eyeing potential casinos sites in Westfield, Springfield and Holyoke, Hard Rock International officials announced in January 2013 that the company would focus on building a gaming establishment near the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield. Hard Rock International chose West Springfield because of Big E's 175-acre site, CEO Jim Allen says Hard Rock said it would lease 38 acres near Gate 9, which was used for parking. It planned to invest $700 to $800 million in the casino and hotel project. Don't Edit Mark M.Murray Springfield selects MGM casino project over Penn National Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno announced in late April 2013 that he had selected MGM Resorts International to build a casino in his city under an agreement that includes MGM providing more than $25 million annually in property taxes and other city payments and more than 3,000 jobs. Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno on selecting MGM for casino project: Best for economic development, jobs, revenues MGM's proposal beat out Penn National Gaming's competing offer for a casino in the North End. Don't Edit (submitted photo) West Springfield signs host community agreement with Hard Rock West Springfield Mayor Gregory Neffinger and Hard Rock Chairman James Allen signed a host community agreement in July 2013. The agreement between the city and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino New England to build an $800 million casino project included an annual payment to neighboring communities. Don't Edit Michael S. Gordon Springfield approves host community agreement with MGM Resorts International On July 16, 2013, city voters endorsed an agreement between Springfield and MGM Resorts International, marking a major victory for the company as it sought a state gaming license for its proposed South End resort casino. Under the agreement, approved by a 58 to 42 percent margin, MGM pledged to generate 3,000 permanent jobs and 2,000 construction jobs, as well as agreed to provide $25 million in annual payments to Springfield. Don't Edit Don't Edit John Suchocki West Springfield voters reject proposed Hard Rock casino West Springfield voters, on Sept. 10, 2013, rejected Hard Rock International's plan for a casino on the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition. With 7,578 ballots cast, turnout for the referendum vote was 45.7 percent. The Hard Rock plan failed by a vote of 4,165 against a casino to 3,413 for the proposed resort. In wake of the vote, officials said the company's Massachusetts plans, which had previously involved exploring other cities and partnerships in the state, were now over. Don't Edit Mark M. Murray Voters reject proposed Palmer Casino project On Nov. 5, 2013, voters narrowly rejected Mohegan Sun's plan for a nearly $1 billion resort casino near the Massachusetts Turnpike in Palmer. The defeat left one casino proposal for Western Massachusetts: MGM Springfield. Don't Edit (Don Treeger / The Republican) Gaming Commission awards slots license On Feb. 27, 2014, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission awarded the state's lone slots license to Penn National Gaming for its proposed project at Plainridge Racecourse in Plainville. Massachusetts Gaming Commission awards slots parlor license to Penn National Gaming's Plainville proposal Don't Edit (MARK M. MURRAY / THE REPUBLICAN) Massachusetts Gaming Commission grants MGM Springfield casino license On June 13, 2014, MGM Resorts International became the first company to be granted a license to open a casino in Massachusetts, pending the Supreme Judicial Court's ruling in a case questioning whether a ballot effort to repeal the law is legal. MGM Springfield to become 1st Massachusetts casino as Gaming Commission votes to grant company delayed license Don't Edit (BOSTON HERALD / TED FITZGERALD) Supreme Judicial Court allows casino repeal ballot question to appear on ballot On June 24, 2014, Massachusetts' highest court set the stage for a ballot fight over the 2011 state law that legalized casino gambling in Massachusetts. The court unanimously ruled that the question on repealing the gambling law should go before voters in November. Don't Edit Don't Edit (Bloomberg photo by Scott Eisen) Massachusetts Gaming Commission awards casino license to Wynn Resorts Gaming officials announced in September 2014 that they would award Wynn Resorts the state's sole license for a casino in the east region, sending Mohegan Sun -- which had been pushing for a casino in Massachusetts since 2007 -- back to Connecticut empty-handed. Don't Edit Carolyn Robbins Massachusetts residents vote to keep casino law, pave way for MGM Springfield Voters across the state rejected a Nov. 4, 2014, ballot question that sought to strike down Massachusetts' 2011 Expanded Gaming Act. The vote allowed MGM to move forward with its proposed casino project in downtown Springfield. Don't Edit (Don Treeger / The Republican) Mohegan Sun eyes expansion to compete with MGM Springfield A week after Massachusetts voters held the state's casino law by as 60 to 40 percent margin in the November 2014 election, reports surfaced that Mohegan Sun was considering developing another Connecticut casino to compete with the planned MGM Springfield. Tribal leaders offered that failure to take action to compete with the Massachusetts casinos would be "short-sighted." Don't Edit MGM breaks ground on downtown Springfield casino MGM officials, local lawmakers and dignitaries gathered in downtown Springfield on March 24, 2015 to mark the start of the Western Massachusetts casino project with a ceremonial groundbreaking event. MGM Springfield casino groundbreaking focuses on 'rebirth' of Western Massachusetts Don't Edit Third-Party-Submitted MGM Springfield modifies hotel design MGM Springfield unveiled a revised site plan for its casino project in September 2015. Changes included a proposal to reduce the size of its hotel from a 25-story tower to a six-story hotel at a new location and moving the hotel's location from State Street to the corner of Main and Howard streets. Don't Edit Don't Edit (submitted photo) City Council approves MGM Springfield design changes City councilors, in February 2016, approved MGM Springfield's revised site plan, which included design, protections for abutting properties and elimination of a 25-story hotel tower. The council voted 12 to 1 in favor of the $950 million casino site plan and 12 to 1 in favor of amendments to the host community agreement. Council President Michael Fenton cast the sole "no" vote, saying he supports MGM and the casino, but had objections to some of the negotiated site changes. Don't Edit (Hoang 'Leon' Nguyen / The Republican) MGM Springfield announces opening date MGM Resorts International announced in April that its $960 million resort casino will open on Aug. 24. The company had originally committed to opening the casino project by September 2018. MGM Springfield reveals $960 million resort casino to open earlier than expected (photos, video) Nova Scotia's Springfield is a town that used to be. But it's growing. This Springfield is what Canada considers a "dissolved municipality." It was once a town but surrendered municipal authority to Annapolis County. But census statistics since 2011 show that the population of Springfield increased by 15 percent. That's no surprise to Springfield native Kim Wentzell, 56, a clerk at Tammy's Country Stop, the only business remaining in what amounts to a town center. Springfield is in the midsection of Nova Scotia Route 10, a 55-mile, two-lane trunk road that connects Middleton near the Bay of Fundy and Bridgewater near the Atlantic Ocean. It is 64 miles - as the crow flies - from the provincial capital of Halifax; 84 miles if the crow could drive the curvy, hilly country roads through Nova Scotia's Atlantic Uplands. "I love it here," Wentzell said. "It's quiet; everybody knows everybody ... and the hunting and fishing are good." Local students attend classes in New Germany, 10 miles to the southeast, she said. Looking out the store window onto the trunk road, Wentzell said, "This is about all we have here." The firehouse is across the road and Roy Naugler's garage stands just east of Tammy's. "But the garage has been closed for some time now," Wentzell said. Kathy and James Alexander, both 57, are new residents of Springfield. They've bought a "two-and-a-half-acre piece of heaven" on the lake, Kathy said. The "lake" is Lake Pleasant, an appropriate name for a body of clear water nestled in a forested valley south of the main road. Jim Alexander served in the Canadian air force 36 years. He and Kathy began vacationing 10 years ago at 14 Wing Greenwood, the Canadian military campground and recreation facility on the lake. Kathy manages the bowling alley at the campground. As their retirement neared, the Alexanders decided they're just not suited for city life: "too impersonal, too fast," Kathy said. "Towns like this are dying," James said. "There used to be a lot of logging around here but there is no local industry today." "We enjoy the people here," Jim said. Kathy added that they have already made many friends in Springfield where they and their neighbors enjoy riding all-terrain vehicles along trails in the surrounding forests. Kathy described Springfield as a "friendly community, one in which housing is still comparatively inexpensive." Tammy Aulenbeck, 46, owns the convenience store. She attended elementary school in Springfield, "when there was an elementary school here." She recalls the Springfield of her youth and the "freedom of Springfield's rural hills" where she, her family and friends spent summer days fishing. Tammy's husband, Clifton, works at the Michelin tire plant in Bridgewater, 30 miles to the southeast, and operates a Christmas tree farm in Springfield. It may be the last vestige of the once-thriving logging operations of the past. David DeMone gets his mail delivered from Bridgewater, but he actually lives in Springfield, he said. Local folks consider DeMone something of an expert on this Springfield. DeMone assures: "It is I that you should talk to regarding the 'famous' Springfield." DAVID DeMONE The "famous" Springfield would, of course, be DeMone's Springfield. Clearly, the man is proud of his community and its people. The community was settled in 1819 by John Grinton, DeMone said. For a time, it was known simply as the "Grinton Settlement." Around 1850, DeMone said, springs were found while clearing woodlands for farming and the settlement's name was changed to Springfield. The early economy revolved around the sawmill built and operated by Davison Lumber Co. Constructed around the turn of the previous century, the five-story lumber mill stood on the northeastern shore of Mill Lake, which is known today as Springfield Lake. The Davison mill was the most-productive lumber mill in Eastern Canada when it ceased operations in 1921. Some histories indicate "the big mill" was in Hastings, which also ceased in 1921. DeMone assures the mill was "actually was in Springfield." He said he and a daughter own four acres of what had been mill property. OTHER SPRINGFIELDS Springfield, Nova Scotia, is one of four incorporated Springfields in Canada. Others are in British Columbia, Manitoba and Ontario. A Springfield on Prince Edward Island is an unincorporated area of rolling farmland west of Cavendish. LOCATION: Easternmost Springfield in North America; 600 miles northeast of Springfield, Massachusetts POPULATION: 878 AREA: 1.92 square kilometers (three-quarters of a square mile) ELEVATION: 560 feet above sea level POSTAL CODE: B0R 1H0 COUNTY: Annapolis CLIMATE: Average high temperature 52 degrees F, average low 35, record high 97, record low minus 22. TIME ZONE: Atlantic ECONOMY: Forestry, farming AVERAGE PER-CAPITA INCOME: $43,858 Canadian SOURCE: 2015 Census NOTE: There are at least 64 Springfields in the United States. Several are named after Springfield, Massachusetts; some were named because there was "a spring in a field." Norm Roy, a retired copy editor for The Republican, lives and travels in a motorhome. He is eager to hear from readers about their own travel adventures. Roy has lollygagged in and written about "other" Springfields in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Manitoba, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia. His e-mail address is: lollygaggeratlarge@gmail.com Massachusetts State Police are asking for the public's help identifying a man who allegedly groped two women on the Charles River Esplanade in Boston on Thursday. At about 1:45 p.m. Thursday a man on a bicycle allegedly "grabbed the buttocks of two women" walking just west of the Community Boating building, state police said in a news release. The man, captured on surveillance video, was dressed in all black, wearing a black backpack with two pieces of white tape on it. Anyone with information is asked to contact Trooper Martin Concannon at 617-727-6780. BOSTON -- A former state representative and Dartmouth selectman was sentenced to five months in federal prison after he admitted lying to the court about how much money he could contribute toward restitution in an earlier fraud case. Federal prosecutors said John George Jr. was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Boston Friday after he pleaded guilty in March to a single count of obstructing justice. George was convicted in 2015 of defrauding the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority of hundreds of thousands of dollars and sentenced to 70 months in federal prison. At that time George reported to the court that he had just $28,000 in cash to contribute toward nearly $2 million in restitution and forfeitures. Not long after, federal investigators found more than $2.5 million in cash, Rolex watches and jewelry hidden in safe deposit boxes in New Bedford and Fairhaven banks. In addition to the prison time, George will serve one year of supervised release and forfeit $250,000. Two people have been arrested in connection with the dragging of a state trooper during a traffic stop in Webster Friday afternoon, the Massachusetts State Police have confirmed. In a statement posted on Twitter, the State Police said the female suspect was found inside a green Honda Pilot parked on South Street in Fitchburg Friday afternoon. She was arrested on a warrant. @FitchburgPolice located the SUV on South St in Fitchburg. Female passenger located in veh and taken into custody. MSP Fugitive Unit, Troop C patrols, and MSP K-9 just located male and took him into custody. Both had outstanding warrants. Details to follow later tonight. https://t.co/Fn5mn3i5eJ Mass State Police (@MassStatePolice) August 17, 2018 The male suspect was found later by members of the state police fugitive unit, a K-9 unit and troopers attached to Troop C. The pair were the subject of an intense search starting just after the 12:25 p.m. traffic stop on Chase Avenue Webster. The trooper conducting the stop was standing beside the SUV when the male driver accelerated away, dragging the trooper a short distance. The trooper was taken to a nearby hospital where he was treated for injuries and released late Friday afternoon. SPRINGFIELD -- As urged by residents and local officials, Eversource stepped up its streetlight repair program in recent months, fixing more than 600 lights that had been leaving sections of the city in the dark. Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and At-Large City Councilor Jesse Lederman were among local officials praising the public-private effort to improve safety in the city by significantly reducing the number of broken streetlights. Lederman, a member of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission Streetlight Working Group, said the group will continue to work with Eversource and residents to ensure streets and sidewalks are properly lit. "Ensuring all of our streets lights are operational is important for public safety and neighborhood quality of life," Lederman said. Eversource owns and maintains 14,263 municipal streetlights in Springfield, and an additional 1,870 lights that are billed to private businesses, said Priscilla Ress, a spokeswoman for Eversource. The effort to dramatically reduce burned out lights grew out of a walking tour in the South End last winter led by officials from the city's Department of Health and Human Services and WalkBoston staff, officials said. Other participants included representatives of Way Finders and the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts. The issues were discussed with Eversource, and a concentrated effort by the utility reduced the number of broken street lights in the South End and other neighborhoods from more than 700 to under 100, said Catherine Ratte, a principal planner with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission. Eversource created an online "streetlight trouble tickets" system to pinpoint trouble areas not in the work request system. It received a deluge of forms from residents and reports from the city's Department of Public Works, Ress said. "There were a lot of concerns from residents contacting city councilors and committee members for lights that had been out for extended periods of time because they were not reported to Eversource," Ress said. Richard Walsh, Eversource's strategic account manager, said the utility is grateful to the planning commission and city for bringing the issue to its attention. "We have a strong working partnership, and that's important when working together addressing this important public safety issue," Walsh said. Sarno said he appreciates the follow-up efforts by all individuals involved in the collaboration. WESTFIELD -- Westfield Police Capt. Michael McCabe was pleasantly surprised to find that three police safes dating back to the early 20th century were not empty. "I expected to find nothing," McCabe said Friday when he and lock and safe specialist Brandan Tarbox revealed that they had succeeded in opening the safes. The three safes had not been used since the police station on Washington Street was built in 1972 and the department moved from City Hall. One safe was empty, but the other two contained old city records. One had police arrest ledgers with arrests documented by hand. McCabe said the oldest dates back to the late 1800s. Most of the arrests were for public drunkenness and carried a $5 court fine. There were no clues to the city's only unsolved murder, in 1940, but McCabe said the historical records were interesting. Two of the safes -- a Herring Hall Marvin made in the early 20th century and a 1900 Mosler -- remain stored in the City Hall basement. The third, a 1911 Mosler, was moved to Moseley School eight years ago when City Hall was renovated. The other two safes were never moved because they were too heavy. McCabe said the safe at Moseley was discovered recently at the start of renovations to turn the former school into apartments. "We were able to move that one to the station," McCabe said, guessing it weighs about 3,000 pounds. The move piqued McCabe's curiosity. The safe combinations had been lost long ago, and he had no budget to bring in an expert. McCabe took to social media to call for anyone interested in taking a crack at opening them. Tarbox, of Wendell, said a friend saw the post and forwarded it to him. He reached out to McCabe and offered to try opening the safes. After more than a dozen hours, he was able to manipulate the lock on one of the safes and drilled open the other two. McCabe said the two safes that were drilled have been restored and new combinations were set for all three. The city has no use for the safes any longer and McCabe is working with the purchasing department to sell them. Tarbox is a machinist by day but is a lock and safe expert by night and weekend. "I have always been interested in safes and locks," said Tarbox, 21. "My father taught me how to pick a lock at a young age -- for legitimate purposes only, of course." Tarbox was fascinated with mechanical things as a child. He would take apart and put together lawnmowers, cars and even an old ATM. "ATMs have a safe inside and I practiced on it," he said. "I'd manipulate it to open it and have my dad change the combination and try to open it again." He began opening locks and safes as a hobby and launched his business, Tarbox Lock and Safe, as a side job. He hopes it becomes a full-time job and said although he primarily serves the Franklin County area, he is willing to travel throughout Western Massachusetts. McCabe said he planned to contact the district attorney's office to ask if it wants to archive the ledgers or destroy them. A person was reportedly struck by Amtrak train 448 as it traveled through Pittsfield Friday evening. The unidentified victim was apparently on Amtrak tracks illegally, WWLP-TV reported, when he or she was struck by the Lake Shore Limited out of Chicago as it traveled east to Boston. The incident was reported about 6:15 p.m. Pittsfield police acknowledged there was an incident but said it remains under investigation. Amtrak police are also investigating. There was no word on the condition of the victim. by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, August 17, 2018 A revised Google Account help page updated on Thursday tries to clarify how Google tracks mobile phones on certain apps even when the location history is off. The company came under fire about its electronic tracking practices after the Associated Press released findings from a three-day investigation, which revealed that Google apps track the phones location even when the Location History in the phone is turned off. Google admitted to the tracking practices. The company updated the page to explain how the off setting does not affect other location services on users' devices. It also explains how some location data may be saved as part of the phones activity report on other services such as Search and Maps. The Associated Press points out that Google still must adhere to the terms of a 20-year agreement with the Federal Trade Commission that began in 2011. It requires Google to provide information on how it protects consumer privacy in response to an investigation in which the FTC accused Google of publicly revealing some of Gmail users most used contacts in the now defunct social network service Google Buzz. advertisement advertisement Although mobile phone users need to jump through hoops to find any type of directions in search results, to disable tracking the user must navigate to a setting deep in the Google Account called Web & App Activity. While logged in to any Google product, select your avatar and then Google Account to navigate to Manage Your Google Activity. Follow that to Go To Activity Controls. Beneath Web and App Activity, toggle the switch to pause. Connecting location with Web & App Activity in Google's help pages is not intuitive, which creates a major hurdle for people trying to turn off tracking. Wired points to a May 2018 blog post written by UC Berkeley graduate researcher K. Shankari, who wrote about not being opposed to Google or to background location tracking in general, but said that tracking people without their consent and without proper controls in place is creepy and wrong. Since 2005, the Procter & Gamble brand has brought its portable laundry services to people hit by tragedy. And this week, the Tide mobile laundry unit came to Redding, California, a community wrecked by wildfires. Residents impacted by the fires, and volunteers helping to fight the blaze, can bring up to two loads of laundry per family to be washed, dried and folded. The Loads of Hope truck, equipped with 32 washers and dryers, can handle 300 loads a day. It arrived Thursday in the parking lot of a Walmart in Redding. Disasters like the California wildfires often trigger charitable acts by businesses and individuals, sometimes even too much so. The Sacramento Bee reported that after the 2015 wildfires in Napa Valley, so many donations came in, 18 semi-trailers hauled away items that werent needed. advertisement advertisement Businesses do their part, too. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have pledged at least $200,000 to help local aid organizations provide help to victims of various disasters. Duracell often shows up, giving away batteries at a time people may really need them. Anheuser-Busch has in the past switched off the beer taps and bottled water instead to send to disaster victims who need it. Many California labor unions have started wildfire relief efforts. GoFundMe has organized a section of its site for people looking for ways to donate help to victims of the latest wildfire. Certainly, companies can and do commit acts of kindness without obvious ulterior motives. But it doesnt hurt. A doing good by doing well trend has developed in the last few years as marketers have discovered consumers increasingly favor brands that have a good public-spirited sense. A 2014 Nielsen survey disclosed 55% of consumers worldwide would be willing to pay for goods and services provided by a company committed to positive social and environmental impact, up 10 percentage points from four years previously. In the U.S.,the percentage was lower (42%), but it was up by 7 percentage points. More recent statistics show a majority of consumers want brands to stand for something and have a social commitment. Loads of Hope was founded after the devastating Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Since then, its arrived at the scene of disasters in Texas, North Carolina, North Dakota and Tennessee, among other places. Victims of the latest disaster also received a CARE kit of P&G products. Tide also offers vintage Tide-logo t-shirts at a Loads of Hope website, and $4 from each sale goes to disaster aid. by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, August 17, 2018 Amazon Music announced the launch of a new advertising campaign titled A Voice is All You Need to highlight powerful vocals of notable songs and the simplicity of using voice on Alexa to search for music. Ariana Grande, Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Queen, and Kane Brown are the featured artists in the campaign at launch. The pairing of these artists' iconic vocals from some of their most popular songs with dynamic visuals, demonstrate the ease and power of using your voice to find the music you love on Amazon Music, wrote an Amazon spokesperson in an email to MediaPost. The ad creative, developed with global agency Wieden+Kennedy, celebrates the growth of Amazon Music and lead in voice while playing off powerful, yet isolated vocals from notable artists. On Monday, Amazon launches the first video creative. Kendrick Lamar and SZA are featured in "All The Stars" for Amazon Music advertisement advertisement This is one of four animated videos launching throughout the next month. The videos for A Voice Is All You Need combines Alexa requests with vocals from songs including Ariana Grandes No Tears Left to Cry; Kendrick Lamar and SZAs All The Stars; Kane Browns Lose It," and the unrivaled voice of Queens legendary Freddie Mercury singing Somebody to Love, followed by excerpts of each artists hit songs to demonstrate the powerful impact of voice with Amazon Music. Through the creative, voice becomes the hero, the spokesperson wrote. The ability to use ones voice has been a key driver in the growth and success of Amazon Music. For the campaign, Amazon tapped into animation to bring to life powerful voices and connect back to the music services encouraging consumers to use their own voice on mobile or other devices. The multi-channel awareness campaign incorporates media across online video, out-of-home, social platforms, network and streaming radio, digital display, search, and select creative airing nationally on TV later this year. Amazon Music hours streaming globally on Alexa-enabled devices has doubled during the past six months compared with the same time last year. A Voice is All You Need will begin appearing today in select U.S. cities and expand to the U.K. and Germany throughout the year across media channels including national online video, radio, and out-of-home billboard advertisements in support of upcoming new releases. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, August 17, 2018 Siding against VidAngel, a federal appellate court has refused to revive the company's claims that the major studios committed antitrust violations. "VidAngels factual allegations do not give rise to a plausible claim for relief," a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said in an decision issued Friday. The ruling marked the second time the 9th Circuit ruled against VidAngel in its battle with the movie studios. Last year, the court upheld an injunction prohibiting the company from operating a supposedly "family friendly" streaming video service. VidAngel, which declared bankrupcy last year, operated a streaming video service that allowed users to censor nudity, violence, and other material from videos. The company purchased newly released DVDs like "The Martian" and "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," and then streamed them from its own servers, without obtaining licenses from the studios. VidAngel effectively charged its users just $1 to stream the edited films. advertisement advertisement In June of 2016, Disney, Warner Bros and 20th Century Fox sued VidAngel, arguing that the startup was infringing copyright by streaming programs without a license. VidAngel argued that its activity was protected by the Family Movie Act, a 2005 law aimed at empowering parents to censor movies by stripping them of material they deem inappropriate for children. The Family Movie Act provides that copyright infringement laws don't apply to technology that mutes or hides "limited portions of audio or video content" from an authorized copy of the movie. Last year, the 9th Circuit rejected that argument, ruling that the Family Movie Act doesn't apply to VidAngel because the company filters a version of the movie that was ripped from a DVD, as opposed to an "authorized" file. The judges said at the time that VidAngel's interpretation of the 2005 Family Movie Act "would create a giant loophole in copyright law." VidAngel also countersued the studios for alleged anticompetitive activity and for interference with "prospective economic relations." Among other claims, VidAngel alleged that the studios blocked potential deals with Google Play and YouTube. A trial judge dismissed VidAngel's counterclaims last year, ruling that the company had not presented the kinds of facts that, if true, would support the conclusion that the studios acted anticompetitively. VidAngel then appealed to the 9th Circuit. The judges on that court also found that VidAngel's allegations weren't strong enough to support its claims. "VidAngel did not have prior commercial ties to Google, and the negotiations between them do not make it reasonably probable the contemplated economic advantage would have been realized but for the studios interference," the appellate judges wrote. New research has revealed that having a preference for evening activities, going to bed late, and not getting enough sleep may lead to weight gain among people with prediabetes. Share on Pinterest A preference for late-night activities may cause people to gain weight. Prediabetes affects around 84 million people in the United States. That is, 1 in 3 U.S. individuals are living with the condition, and 90 percent of them are not aware that they have it. In prediabetes, blood sugar levels are higher than what is considered normal, but not high enough to warrant a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes is a serious condition in its own right, putting people at risk of not only type 2 diabetes, but also stroke and heart disease. Insufficient sleep or a disrupted sleep pattern are also known risk factors for obesity and diabetes. Previous research has suggested that being a night owl, or having a preference for activities in the evening and going to bed late, raises the risk of being overweight, as well as having type 2 diabetes and dying prematurely. So, researchers led by Dr. Sirimon Reutrakul, an associate professor of endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism in the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, set out to examine whether being a night owl influenced body mass index (BMI) among people with prediabetes. BMI is a measure of body fat in relation to a persons height and weight. Thunyarat Anothaisintawee is the first author of the paper, which was published in the journal Frontiers in Endocrinology. The trailer of Manoj Bajpayee's award-winning film 'Gali Guleiyan' is out and it is gritty and gripping, to say the least. Backed up by a cast par excellence - Ranvir Shorey, Neeraj Kabi, and Shahana Goswami, the movie looks promising in every frame and will leave you with a string of various questions by the end of the trailer. (c) Youtube The trailer shows us Manoj Bajpayee aka Khuddus, who is trying to keep a tab on what's happening with a child next door. He listens to a ruthless father (Neeraj Kabi) mercilessly beating up his child every night. We also see Shahana Goswami as a mother, trying to protect the kid from her husband's wrath. Bajpayee, throughout the clip, is concerned and wants to save the kid. However, nothing is clear in this psychological roller coaster, and that's the brilliance of it. (c) Youtube Though the trailer does raise a set of questions. First of all, why is the child being beaten up so brutally? Why is Bajpayee so concerned? Is he just a concerned neighbour or there is something more to the story? The flow of the story is intriguing and keeps you involved. Coming to the screen is also the talented Ranvir Shorey as Bajpayee's friend, who tries to understand what is going through his friend's mind. (c) Youtube The trailer reads, A psychological drama about a man who is trapped within the city walls and in his own mind. He attempts to break free to find a human connection. Check out the trailer: The movie has already been showcased at a few International film festivals and has won awards too. Helmed by Dipesh Jain, the film will release September 7, 2018 So, do you think you are a fuckboi? Yeah, I guess so. What makes you think that? Just you know, I date girls and we likehang out." I detected a hint of a smile through his beard as he said this. The beard made him look older than he really was and his oversized t-shirt hung loosely over his shoulders. There was nothing extraordinary about him, as he was a cardboard copy of the guys which in his fancy South Mumbai college. But then, these days you no longer need to stand out to date. You just need to be signed up on dating apps and know how to swipe using your finger. via GIPHY Looking at him, I wondered what had gotten into me to really go around the colleges in Mumbai and ask students about their opinions on dating. I suppose it was partly because I was curious to know how dating has changed since my college days. To be honest, I started thinking about all the women I had dated after the whole #metoo movement. The fact that there is a movement with a hashtag in its name says something about where we are truly living. But more about that some other time. When the disturbing details about one of my favourite Indian American TV stars' (Aziz Ansari) misbehaviour with a woman he was on a date with came out, I thought about all the women I had dated, and of one in particular. We were just friends in college but I always had a crush on her. We stayed in touch after college ended and I was excited when she agreed to meet me for dinner one day. Even though she told me that she had a boyfriend, I kissed her. when I was dropping her off. She was too surprised then to react and instead, just smiled. It was the last time we had any contact with each other. Even though I apologized to her, it wasn't until the Aziz Ansari scandal broke out that I thought about her again, and how she must have felt. Today, conversations are more out in the open than they were ever before, and dating has become a lot more casual. The idea and the very definition of romance have changed and the surge of dating apps has surely played a major role in that. via GIPHY And yet, men continue to behave in such a way that women are put off by the very idea of men. Hell, there is a word epitomized for such men--Fuckboi. Fuckboi, a word in the internet slang says a lot about a man...albeit nothing positive. Women don't swoon over fuckbois, they don't particularly entertain them and they definitely see through their bullshit. Scrolling through Twitter or Instagram, it is easy to find women sharing screenshots of chats with men whom they know are fuckbois. They have this unique and strange ability to turn any conversation into a string of cheesy unimpressive lines. Just like the conversation below. Women are simply calling out the bullshit which ranges from men sending the same message to multiple women (and all of them find each other on twitter and it goes viral!) to women calling out men by sharing screenshots of their chats and publicly shaming them. Fuckbois are...to rather not put it delicately, fucked. As I too hopped on the Tinder wagon, swiping women based on the flimsy criteria set by an app because of its designI realized that I had more fun when I had no expectations at all from my date. I stopped thinking of dating as a game and started taking it as an experience. The best part is that it is up to you two entirely, to define that experience. It is either positive or negative; lasts an hour, a night or a week or even more. What matters is how that time is spent together. Look at it as that time of your life which will not come back, and in a lot of cases, not with the same person at all! Use this time to know the other person and where they have come from. via GIPHY And when you listen to her, a story emerges. A unique story which is very different from your own. Sometimes it will be fascinating and sometimes, it will be a sheer waste of time. But that's okay, it happens. Sometimes you will be able to relate to it, and sometimes you'll find your mind drifting away to dessert. You don't connect with every person you meet in your life, so why expect the same here? Take a keen interest in your date not only because sex is involved, but simply because the older you get...the fewer people you will come to know and the fewer perspectives you will know of. Also, a date which is interesting and fun will anyways have a higher chance of ending up in sex than a dull one. ;) Coming back to the bearded boy with the oversized t-shirt, he also felt that women who are on dating apps will at least put out with him at the end of the date and anything less than that was a rejection. We men do have a tendency to think from our penis at times. Rather than doing that, ask her why she is there. Different women have different expectations and they vary from person to person. Just ask her. Some women are there because they are new to the city, or have recently broken up and have been pushed by their friend or are looking for some sort of connection in this lonely life. Even if she seems coy and hides her reason, it is okay. It is her secret to divulge when she is comfortable and maybe she is still sizing your intentions. via GIPHY I have met women who are committed but are simply looking for friends, to women who just want to take it casually and not be bothered by the burden of relationships. I have turned down those who have been looking for serious relationships, simply because I am not. Be honest about your intentions. The worst part is leading people on and ghosting them. You both may not be in the same space and not be looking for the same things either, which happens often. Besides, new women are joining these apps every day so it's not like you are out of options. Once I had matched with a woman but she didn't respond to my message. So I stalked her on Facebook and dropped her a message there. She did reply, but her response was not what I had hoped it would be. She was in fact creeped out that I had followed her online. Our bearded friend has also dropped messages on social media to women he has matched with and his response is a very casual So what else do we do man? Ah, we men are so helpless in the face of rejection. It's an endless stream of heys until women have to block these men. If you are this guy, and if you think that one day the girl will just answer you then you have been given the wrong idea of women. If she wants to go out with you, she will tell you. After all, you both have matched voluntarily. But there will be times when she won't respond at all. Do not go around following her social media accounts and dropping DMs in the hopes that she will answer you one day. via GIPHY It. Doesn't. Work. As for me, I simply apologized to her and told her I won't contact her again. It didn't matter though, she had already blocked me. She just didn't want to deal with another stalker. Dating has become much easier and it is even possible to meet women whom you would have never met before. Hell, I have even dated a bartenderand believe me, I am not the guy to chat up bartenders at all! But dating apps enable that, so men Let's just be better fuckbois because we all know that sex is just one aspect of dating. via GIPHY Don't make it the most important one. Follow the author on Instagram @ashex08 for more. Our former prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, passed away on August 16th, in New Delhi. He was 93. Learned, wise and a man of great stature, Vajpayee Ji was a whole nation's ideology on its own and he never failed to promote his progressive ideas, in the then regressive environment. His prime-ministership lasted for 6 years, from 1998 to 2004 and he was the first non-Congress politician to complete 5 years as the PM of India. (c)Twitter A Bharat Ratna awardee, his premiership was significant and eventful in shaping India's democracy back then and definitely making it the fastest growing economy, post globalisation. Not just that, he also put in a lot of effort for the downtrodden by introducing social reforms to uplift their standard of living. I personally feel Atalji is among the best PM's that our country has ever experienced, just by the sheer abundance of his knowledge, his stance on the nation's progress, sans favouritism in any way and his relations with the country's people and the world outside. Here's taking a look at 10 of his remarkable achievements, through his tenure from 1998 to 2004 as the prime minister Of India. 1. His Excellent Work In Foreign Policy There's been some really good work that's gone into maintaining bilateral relations with a lot of countries, post the cold war era. Vajpayee boosted trade relations with the US, which in turn led to the historic visit of the then president Bill Clinton in 2000. His government also put in a lot of efforts to improve economic ties between India and China but due to the border dispute tension, not much was achieved from that. To resolve the border dispute issue, Vajpayee's government initiated a structural mechanism for a 'high-level' dialogue, to absolutely do away with the dispute. His 'Look East' policy also helped in improving India's ties with countries in South East Asia. This policy is being carried out by PM Modi till date. (c)Twitter 2. Strengthening Indo-Pak Ties Vajpayee's greatest foreign policy move till date has been improving the severed ties between India and Pakistan and he didn't leave any leaf unturned while trying his best to mend the ties between the two conflicted countries. I am sure most of you remember a bus service that was started between Delhi and Lahore. Yes, that was under his efforts to normalise the situation as much as he could. On February 19, 1999, a bus service from Delhi to Lahore was inaugurated and he was the first to travel to Pakistan to meet his then counterpart, Nawaz Sharif. (c)Twitter The effort was well received by the people but Vajpayee was also laughed at for his pragmatism. But this move paved way for a larger cause. There was untimely peace seen between the two nations through the Lahore declaration, which also opened up talks on nuclear non-proliferation and increasing trade relations. The two nations finally saw common goals being put into place. (c)Twitter 3. Privatisation One of the most important achievements during his tenure, was his commitment to reducing the government's role in carrying out businesses and this led to the formation of a disinvestment ministry. He privatised VSNL, BALCO and India Petrochemicals Corporation Limited. Of course, there was a lot of controversy looming around his actions post globalisation, but this also set the government in motion for the future to come, through his move to privatise a few companies. (c)Twitter 4. Putting India On The Nuclear Map On May 11, 1998, Vajpayee announced that India had carried out three nuclear tests, which shocked the media and the public. Two days later, India carried out two more tests. The Pokhran-II nuclear bomb tests were carried out at the Pokhran test range in Rajasthan. While the US and other nations imposed sanctions and questioned the scientific validity of these tests, for us as a nation, it was a day of great technological advancement and a rather bold move by the three top politicians who had conducted the tests- Atal Bihari Vajpayee, defence minister George Fernandes and foreign minister Jaswant Singh. This move put India on the nuclear map, amongst other powerful nations and the government later declared May 11 as 'Technology Day'. (c)Twitter 5. His Contribution Towards The Education Sector Remember the 'Sarva Siksha Abhiyan', which was launched in 2000-2001, by the Vajpayee government? The then NDA government, under this dream project, had announced to provide free and compulsory education to children between the ages of 6-14 years. (c)Twitter Due to the success of this project, which was introduced in 2000, there was a significant decline in school dropouts from 80 lakh in 2009 to 30 lakh in 2012! Today, there are 19.67 crore children enrolled in 14.5 lakh elementary schools in the country, as told by the SSA official website. This is the best move the education sector has seen in our country so far. (c)Sarv Siksha Abhiyan 6. Revolutionising The Telecom Industry The Vajpayee government's telecom policy revolutionised the telecom industry in India and till date, Vajpayee is referred to as the 'father of modern telecommunication in India'. The NTP (national telecom policy) was a big success under his leadership. The telecom sector witnessed an unprecedented growth in the number of mobile subscribers, foreign and domestic investment and a number of reforms which were imperative for the industry back then. (c)Twitter He was an ace economic reformer of course, and due to that very reason, the telecom industry saw some really positive changes, all of them which are still beneficial to us till date. The new telecom policy which was introduced by his government allowed companies to provide mobile services on a revenue share basis, as opposed to the fixed fees they were paying. This was one of the things which led India to open its doors to become a globally competitive nation. 7. He Led The First Successful Coalition Government Coalition politics was absolutely a new concept back then and it led to Vajpayee leading large coalition parties with diverse backgrounds and different ideologies. He was the first PM to lead a coalition government and he did it very successfully and without biases. He was also the first non-congress Prime Minster to complete 5 years in office. (c)Twitter 8. Improvement In Infrastructure The Vajpayee government launched 'The Golden Quadrilateral' (GQ), which was one of the biggest projects in the roadways sector, in post-Independent India. The GQ project connected Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai through a network of highways. Another infrastructural project which was very successful was the 'Pradhanmantri Gramin Sadak Yojna'. The project aimed at connecting even the inaccessible roads, through all the villages in India. Both these projects were an immense success in the roadways and infrastructure sector and definitely had a positive hand in India's economic growth. (c)Twitter 9. His Presence Of Mind During The Kandahar Fiasco On December 24, 1999, Indian Airlines flight IC-814, from Kathmandu to New Delhi with 176 passengers on board was hijacked by a Pakistani extremist group Harkat-Ul-Mujahideen. They demanded the release of three terrorists who were being held as prisoners in India, in exchange for the passengers on the flight. Vajpayee surrendered to their demands and saved the lives of the people on board. The then defence minister Jaswant Singh escorted the prisoners to Kandahar himself, where the aircraft was stationed. (10) Introduction of The Fiscal Responsibility Act Vajpayee's government help raise the GDP to about 8 per cent, while it was in power! He also introduced the 'Fiscal Responsibility Act, which aimed to reduced India's fiscal deficient and boost the public-sector savings, which rose from 0.8% in GDP in FY 2000 to 2.3% in FY 2005. (c)Twitter 11. His Stern Message To Narendra Modi During The Gujarat Riots During the Godhra riots, the NDA government was criticised for its complacency and was accused of doing nothing to condone the riots back then. This was also because Gujarat had the BJP government in power, led by the now PM, Narendra Modi. In a rebuke to the then Gujarat CM, Vajpayee stated his grief and his disbelief of the events that had happened there, in a statement addressed directly to the CM saying- "CM Modi should follow his Rajdharma, and not discriminate on the basis of caste, creed or religion." This statement was as genuine as it could be and we knew that the Vajpayee government absolutely condoned the vicious acts of violence that took place in Gujarat in 2002. (c)Twitter Vajpayee was known as the 'Bheeshm Pitamah' of the Indian politics, and rightfully so. The country saw its truest, most utmost development back then and his reforms are still carried out by today's government. The best orator, Vajpayee was selected by the PM before him, P.V Narasimha Rao, to lead the delegation and represent India in Geneva and address issues pertaining to Kashmir back then. Even though Vajpayee was from the opposition, Rao had enough faith in a man who would put all his biases aside and stand for what is right. And he did that till the last day of his reign in the year 2004. (c)Twitter The only PM who stood on an even ground when India was going through one of the most turbulent times while dealing with religious and political instability. He saw through all of that and was greatly respected and accepted by all the politicians across party lines and by the democracy at large. I am sure his legacy will continue to live on and also hope the current and the future government(s) abide by the beautiful example he has set on how to run a country, flawlessly. MEADE TOWNSHIP A 37-year-old Harbor Beach woman has been charged with felonious assault following a call to police that someone had been assaulted with a knife. Deputies were sent to a residence on Crown Road in Meade Township shortly after 3:30 p.m. Thursday, according to a news release from the Huron County Sheriff's Office. Cebu City (CNN Philippines, August 18) A group of Catholics on Saturday slammed President Rodrigo Duterte's offer of 5 million reward money for the head of each cop involved in illegal drugs. "Why do you need to pay people to kill people?" Fe Barino, Commission on the Laity in the Archdiocese of Cebu, said in a gathering to condemn the spate of drug killings in Cebu City. Around 700 parish leaders, church volunteers and lay faithful participated in the event. "We just pray for our President to be guided by the Holy Spirit. We understand the country has so many problems, so we pray that he be guided by the Holy Spirit," Barino said, stressing the value of human lives. She added they do not have the capacity to end the killings but they can pray for government leaders to adhere to the law. The Catholic flock for the first time recited the Oratio Imperata, a special prayer to end the spate of killings issued by Archbishop Jose Palma. Duterte on Friday night raised the bounty on "ninja cops" policemen who use drugs or are involved in illegal drugs operations to 5 million from an earlier 3 million. "Kung dalhin mo 'yan sakin patay, 5 million. Pag buhay bigyan kita diyes mil (10,000)," Duterte said during a speech in Davao City. [Translation: "If you bring him to me dead, 5 million. If you bring him to me alive I'll give you 10,000."] Duterte said he is not asking people to kill cops, but urging the policemen to surrender instead within 48 hours. "Wala akong sinabing patayin mo, pero pag dinala mong buhay bigyan kitang diyes mil," he said. [Translation: "I did not say you should kill, but if you bring them to me alive I'll give you 10,000."] Philippine National Police Chief Oscar Albayalde welcomed the President's move as a "very strong deterrence against these few bad cops from continuously treading on their crooked path." "It is also a very huge incentive for the majority of our good cops to aggressively root out these ninja cops from our ranks, in a manner that should be patently smart and legal. Simply put, all operations against erring cops must be in accordance with the law," he said. A total of 58 uniformed personnel have been arrested for their involvement in drugs since Duterte assumed office and launched his bloody war on drugs in July 2016, according to government data released Friday. CNN Philippines' Eimor Santos contributed to this report. Automotive Retailers Association presents scholarship check SHELTON The Connecticut Automotive Retailers Association recently presented a $750 check to student Jacquelyn Hesse on behalf of the CARA Scholarship Program, according to a news release. She is the daughter of Robert Hesse, a technician at Curtiss Ryan Honda. We realize as members of CARA how important it is to aid our employees and their families and we are proud to be a part of this effort, Ed DeMarseilles, COO of Curtiss Ryan Honda, said in the release. We would like to convey our best wishes and congratulations to both of them. CARA, founded in 1921, is a statewide trade association that represents Connecticuts new-vehicle dealerships. Curtiss Ryan Honda is located at 333 Bridgeport Ave. and can be reached at 203-929-1484 or curtissryan.com. Bond expands Connecticut presence NEW HAVEN Bond, a building, civil, utility and energy construction firm based in Boston, has expanded its New Haven office, according to a news release. The team aims to serve traditional Building Division clients in the education, healthcare and district energy markets, the release said. Staff working in the Connecticut market include Tim Peer, vice president, district energy; John Turner, project executive; Mark Rollins, project superintendent; Lee Ann Sullivan, LEED AP, senior estimator; Eric Fontaine, superintendent; Kevin McConnell, project manager; and Dale Burr, senior project manager, according to the release. We are excited to expand our New Haven, Connecticut office with an exceptional new Building Division Team, Daniel Ramos, Bonds regional manager, Southern New England, said in the release. Weve established many successful client relationships and business partnerships throughout Connecticut and Southern New England. This team will allow us to provide the most reliable services to our clients. The Connecticut office is located at 370 James St., Suite 405. For more information, contact Bo Koloski, director of client services, at jkoloski@bondbrothers.com or 401-429-0808. Business Networking Breakfast Sept. 6 HARTFORD The Connecticut Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce will hold a Business Networking Breakfast from 8-9:30 a.m. Sept. 6 at AARP, 21 Oak St., Suite 104. (Park in garage and AARP will validate parking.) Register online at http://members.ctglc.org/events. Invention commercialization course MILFORD Michael A. Blake, a registered patent attorney, will teach a one-evening course from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Oct. 4 on how to commercialize an invention. Topics will include can I make money with my invention, when to monetize, investors, do I need a prototype, should I worry about infringing other patents, how to license my invention and more, according to a news release. The course will be held at Law High School, Room 101, 20 Lansdale Ave. Cost is $30. To register, contact Milford Adult Education at www.milforded.org/academics/adult-education or 203-783-3461. MIDDLETOWN This summer, three Wesleyan University students are helping local children prepare for a successful transition into kindergarten. Through the five-week Kindergarten Kickstart program, Cara Bendich 19, Amy Breitfeller 19, and Emma Distler 19 are working with area youth at four locations to improve their school readiness skills through the research-based, high-impact, low-cost innovative and nurturing preschool program. Associate Professor of Psychology Anna Shusterman and three of her students first launched Kindergarten Kickstart in summer 2012. For this summer session, students are hosting the Kickstart program at Middletowns Bright and Early Childrens Learning Center, Town and Country Early Learning Center, and the Middlesex YMCA preschool. The students hold an additional playgroup at Russell Library Tuesdays for anyone in the community. Today were playing with moon sand, which is a mixture of flour, glitter and baby oil, Breitfeller said during a July 31 gathering at the library. The children can feel and play with the sand, which promotes physical development, and also aids in social skills with other children. Through a partnership between university-based research labs, Middletown Public Schools and local community organizations, Kindergarten Kickstart aims to bridge the research-to-practice gap. The majority of the preschoolers will attend kindergarten this fall at Bielefield, Farm Hill and Macdonough elementary schools in Middletown. This year, the Kickstart mentors took advantage of an opportunity to shift from running their own standalone summer classroom to embedding the program into existing Middletown programs. We were able to use the methods and materials we have developed over the last six years, using a high-quality, play-based, research-informed curriculum, along with key practices like scaffolding childrens language and concepts and carefully supporting their emerging sense of self and their social skills, Shusterman said. The new model was very successful, in my opinion, because we were able to serve many more children and engage more deeply with the existing early childhood infrastructure in Middletown. The Wesleyan students poured their energy into creating thoughtful and delightful interventions that the children looked forward to each visit. During World Travelers Week, each child received a passport to travel to different countries. They visited Italy, China, and the Amazon rainforest (which we explained extends over multiple countries). In each place, they learned how to say hello, goodbye, and I love you in the native language and did an activity relating to the culture, Bendich explained. In China, they traced Chinese characters, and in Italy they made pasta necklaces. During Five Senses Week, the children learned about their senses through activities. They used magnifying glasses to find hidden pictures, took turns smelling candles and guessing their scent, played animal noises bingo, and had to guess what was in a bag using just their hands to feel. Although the program benefits area children, the Wesleyan students learn from the experience as well. Distler, whos double majoring in psychology and Italian studies, appreciates the hands-on experience shes gained by enhancing the childrens cognitive skills and, most importantly, being their friend, she said. Throughout the summer, I learned that patience goes a long way; however, I personally believe that creativity and being yourself are the true keys to success when working with children. Working with kids definitely makes one think differently. In college, its easy to take for granted the vocabulary and knowledge one has; but with children, one must make sure that the child fully understands the words youre using otherwise, youre staring at a face with quizzical eyes, Distler said. Im glad that I also learned that even as an adult, we can still have fun! This is the second year that Bendich, a psychology major and education studies minor, taught Kickstart. I had such a great experience last summer working with the kids, forming close bonds with them, and getting to know their families. It was also a great way for me to become more connected to Middletown and get to know the community beyond the campus. For information, email Anna Shusterman. Olivia Drake is newsletter editor and campus photographer at Wesleyan University. Reprinted with permission from the News @ Wesleyan blog . As it became clear Eva Bermudez Zimmerman wasnt going to pull off an outsider victory in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor, she found herself looking out at a sea of supporters with tears in their eyes. Her own eyes dry, she didnt bemoan the loss or throw herself a pity party thats not her style. I played the role on election night mostly of consoling others, Bermudez Zimmerman said Thursday. When you work that hard and you have so many people looking up to you, of course its disappointing ... But I was a winner from day one. Coming from another candidate, it would be a cliche in the truest sense. But in many ways, Bermudez Zimmerman, who prides herself on authenticity, accomplished exactly what shed hoped since entering the race for lieutenant governor just 48 hours before the state Democratic convention in May. A longtime activist and union organizer, Bermudez Zimmerman, 31, pulled in nearly 40 percent of the vote Tuesday, mirroring the support she received at the convention. She challenged a longtime politician in Susan Bysiewicz, the party-endorsed candidate, pushed her further to the left, and brought light to a question thats plagued the Democratic party across the country: Does the party represent the diversity of its base? Bermudez Zimmerman is part of a wave of progressive candidates across the country challenging longtime politicians backed by the Democratic party. In most cases roughly 89 percent of the time, according to a study published this week by Ballotpedia and FiveThirtyEight the party-endorsed candidates are winning primaries against their more progressive challengers, but not without a fight. We were coming in with the least amount of time and I was going up against a 30-year political veteran, Bermudez Zimmerman said. There was no reason she shouldnt have swept the floor with me. I didnt have the name recognition, but Im proud of where I went, and I know I have a lot of supporters out there. As for whether shell run again, Bermudez Zimmrman wont rule it out, but she never wanted to be a career politician or a career candidate. For now, shes focused on November. Bermudez Zimmerman plans to work with local Democratic town committees across the state to help them figure out how to tap into the energy her campaign garnered among young and minority voters, and do what she can to help propel the Democratic ticket. She wants to focus on improving voter turnout and engaging unaffiliated voters. Im in my early 30s, Ive got a lot of energy. Im going to use that energy to organize, she said, adding, Theres a lot of town committees that dont have any idea how to activate voters and theyre just trying to motivate people. Why not go from town to town and say, Heres best practices, heres what I learned in my campaign. She plans to return to work for the Service Employees International Union next week as soon as shes done handwriting 2,000 thank you cards to her volunteers and supporters and, with her newfound free time, she is taking the lead on organizing a campaign school for people called I believe that I can win. Itll be geared for getting people of color engaged in the political process to become campaign managers, to become actually integrated and running for office, said Bermudez Zimmerman, who is Latina. Nick Balletto, chairman of the state Democratic party, said the party welcomes outsider candidates like Bermudez Zimmerman, and is glad shell continue her involvement with the party. Were a big tent party weve got room for everybody, Balletto said Thursday. Ive known Eva for a long time, and she ran a great race and channeled a lot of excitement. I spoke to her yesterday, and I know that shes going to continue to be active in our party. There is no doubt she will continue to be a leader in our party and shes got a bright future ahead. kkrasselt@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2563; @kaitlynkrasselt AUSTIN, Texas A pilot is conscious after the T-38C Talon aircraft that he was flying crashed near Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma, according to the Air Force. The crash occurred at 1:48 p.m. about 50 miles west of the base in Enid, Okla. The pilot, a training instructor, was conducting a training mission and was the only person on the plane, said Joe Wiles, a member of the base's public affairs office. Wiles did not name the pilot, but he said the pilot ejected before the crash, is conscious and being treated by local emergency response personnel. Officials from the base are en route to begin their investigation into the accident. Located about 90 miles northwest of Oklahoma City, Vance is home to about 1,200 active-duty and Reserve servicemembers. It is the northernmost Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training base in Air Education and Training Command. The 71st Flying Training Wing trains pilots on the T-1A Jayhawk, T-6A Texan II and T-38C Talon. Still undetermined is whether the impact caused the October leak, or if the line was hit by something else at a later date. The Rangers annnounced today that they have acquired minor-league lefty Joshua Javier from the Diamondbacks. Hell represent the player to be named later from the agreement that sent veteran southpaw Jake Diekman to Arizona at the trade deadline. Javier, 19, showed well last year in the Dominican Summer League. He reached the Rookie level Arizona League in 2018, marking his first time playing professionally outside of his native Dominican Republic. Through 35 1/3 innings over four starts and six relief appearances, he carries a 2.80 ERA with 33 strikeouts and 15 walks. Otherwise, there isnt much information available publicly on Javier, who is a native of the Dominican Republic. Hell join young righty Wei-Chieh Huang in constituting the return for Diekman. While both pre-MLB hurlers seem to have their share of promise, it doesnt appear to be a major haul of talent, though neither was one expected for a rental reliever who has his share of demerits on the hill. Of course, the 31-year-old Diekman still brings a mid-nineties heater and has dominated right-handed hitters this year, contrary to his more typical career platoon numbers. He owns a 3.86 ERA with 11.1 K/9 and 5.8 BB/9 this year through 42 innings and figures to be a useful asset for Arizona down the stretch. YPSILANTI - In its eighth year, Ypsilanti's seasonal arts and crafts festival is going strong. The DIYpsi Indie Art Fair (pronounced "dip-see"), which hosts summer and winter shows each year, was organized by Ypsilanti artists Cre Fuller, Sherri Green and Marcy Davy in 2010. This year's summer show features more than 80 vendors in and outside Arbor Brewing Company Microbrewery, 720 Norris St. After longtime contributor Matt Nisbett died in February, the festival set up a scholarship in his name, providing free booths to three artists who carry on the spirit of his work. "He was very much loved in the community," Fuller said. One recipient, Sarah Moeding of Louisville, Ky., celebrated the fifth anniversary of her first art show Saturday. Like Nisbett, the Minnesota native makes art from ethically-sourced animal remains, incorporating polished bone, horn, shells and even coyote teeth into her jewelry. DIYpsi runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 18 and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 19 at Arbor Brewing Company Microbrewery, 720 Norris St. in Ypsilanti. A $1 donation is suggested at the door. Alongside the vendors, the festival offers live music, craft beer and specialty menu items from Arbor Brewing. ANN ARBOR, MI - Louisa Pieper, known as a tireless advocate for historic preservation and someone who spent decades working to connect Ann Arbor to its past, has died. She was 80. Members of the local preservation community are mourning the passing of Pieper, who died Wednesday, Aug. 15. "Louisa Pieper was a major figure in the historic preservation network in Ann Arbor, perhaps the most important one, because she was the one who created the historic commission for the city of Ann Arbor," said local historian Ray Detter. "She's been a very significant person in Ann Arbor over the years and was known by everybody," he said, calling her a "major force" behind the Downtown Ann Arbor Historical Street Exhibit program. Pieper is survived by her husband Al, daughters Lisa and Gillian, her sister Joan, and six grandchildren. Before she became the longtime historic preservation coordinator for the city of Ann Arbor and co-founded the Michigan Historic Preservation Network, Pieper appreciated the beauty of older buildings in her hometown of Buffalo, New York. In Ann Arbor, she helped set up 12 of the city's historic districts, ranging from Cobblestone Farm to the Old West Side, and spent her career working to preserve Ann Arbor's historic buildings and character, while telling stories of the city's history. "After coming to Ann Arbor in 1968, Louisa spent years with Ann Arbor's Historic District Commission, first as staff director and then as Historic Preservation Coordinator for the last 17 years of her career," Andrew MacLaren of the Ann Arbor District Library writes in a remembrance posted on the AADL website. "In these positions she fought to preserve the fabric of Ann Arbor's past through architecture, helping to establish 12 of the city's Historic Districts. Many of the buildings in these areas would long since have disappeared or been changed beyond recognition were it not for her tireless efforts. She was also a founding member of the Michigan Historic Preservation Network, which works on legislative issues at the state level to protect and restore Michigan's architectural heritage." Pieper spent decades researching and writing about Ann Arbor's history. Some of the fruits of her labor can be found in the form of historic information panels inside the Michigan Theater and scattered all around the downtown area as part of the Downtown Ann Arbor Historical Street Exhibit program. She worked on the Historical Street Exhibit project for more than two decades until recently, along with other local historians such as Detter and Grace Shackman. In a July 1997 writeup in The Ann Arbor News, Pieper, who at that point was said to have worked for the city since 1975, explained her passion for historic preservation. "It's not just a job, it's a cause," said Pieper, who administered the city's 14 historic districts, among other responsibilities. "The older you get, the more you lose friends, buildings -- the things you depended on aren't there anymore. You begin to care about hanging on to what's left," she said. "Young people sometimes think they're indestructible. History doesn't seem real when you're younger. The challenge is to make history relatable to people and to make it come alive." In 1998, when First Martin Corp. of Ann Arbor proposed tearing down the city's landmark bus depot on Huron Street to erect a mid-rise commercial and residential building, Pieper spoke up. "I think Bill Martin (president of First Martin Corp.) needs to know there are a lot of people who care about this building and will be angry if they muck around with it," she said at the time. First Martin later changed its plans and won approval from the HDC in January 1999 for a proposal to preserve the 1940 bus depot facade and incorporate it into a new 10-story building. After many years passed, First Martin finally incorporated the historic bus depot facade and sign into a new hotel a few years ago, now adorned with Historical Street Exhibit plaques that tell the depot's history. Bill Martin said he always respected Pieper and it was always his intention to preserve the old bus depot facade. Eleven years of research, planning and fundraising resulted in the Historical Street Exhibit's first installation in 1999, with panels around the the county courthouse at Main and Huron. One of those panels, titled "The Last Deposit," tells the story -- and shows photos -- of when four fully loaded railroad freight cars broke loose on a hot night in August 1927 near the county fairgrounds, now Veterans Memorial Park, and rolled into downtown. The cars came down Huron Street and then hopped the tracks where there was a 90-degree turn onto Main Street, smashing into the lobby of the Farmers & Mechanics Bank building at 40 mph. At other spots, seven-foot-tall glass panels as part of the Historical Street Exhibit superimpose photos of vanished historic buildings over modern-day structures, while wall displays tell other parts of Ann Arbor's history going back to centuries past. "Having these images right out there where people walk by and relate to what's there is just great," Pieper told The News in 1999. "It will be a real enhancement for our downtown." When she retired as the city's historic preservation coordinator in 1999, Pieper reflected on one of the smaller battles she and the HDC fought in the interest of preserving some of Ann Arbor's historic character: A nearly four-year standoff from 1994 to 1998 with Craig Trombley. Trombley replaced the front door of his home at 512 W. William St. with one the HDC determined was too elaborate for his modest house in the Old West Side historic district. "It looked, in a word, stupid," Pieper recalled in 1999. "Well, he went public with his nonconforming door and then took it to appeal. But the state review board said the HDC acted properly." In the end, the door came down, and Pieper offered this advice to homeowners in historic districts: "If you have the good fortune to own historic property, then you have the responsibility to maintain that property in a way that doesn't compromise it." Detter said Pieper had battled with a number of illnesses and was being cared for in a hospital intensive care unit after a serious fall before she died on Wednesday. Plans for Pieper's memorial service haven't been announced yet. "Louisa inspired us all as she continued to live an active life and be involved in local issues despite adversity," Chris Crockett, president of the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood association and a longtime preservationist in Ann Arbor, wrote in an email. "She was instrumental in shaping Ann Arbor and to keep it a beautiful place to live through her endless work in historic preservation." Pieper was an Ann Arbor Historical Foundation board member and an advisor for the Washtenaw County Historical Society. She also was involved with the Kempf House Museum and other causes, including establishing the Museum on Main Street. She served on the board of the historic Michigan Theater and wrote and organized "The Ford Gallery of Ann Arbor Founders," a history exhibit permanently housed in the lobby of the theater. She also helped with the "Making of Ann Arbor" project, an innovative website sponsored by the Ann Arbor District Library visually exploring the history of the Ann Arbor area. She was a founder and co-chair of the Ann Arbor Preservation Alliance, an advocacy/education group that Detter says has been very effective in speaking up on preservation issues at times when local historic preservation was under attack. Detter said Pieper also played a lead role in the 2008 updating of Ann Arbor's historic district ordinance, which serves as the basis for future historic preservation in Ann Arbor, and she helped establish the Cobblestone Farm Association that preserves and manages a local historic farmhouse and grounds. She also is said to have been instrumental in the formation of the Ann Arbor Historical Foundation. Melissa Milton-Pung, president of the Ann Arbor Historical Foundation, said Pieper is set to receive a posthumous award from the Michigan Historic Preservation Network at a conference in May 2019. "It is inadequate to say all that Louisa was and did," Milton-Pung wrote in an email, calling Pieper an energetic and involved member of many efforts. "More importantly, she was a kind person, a brilliant mind, and a genuinely good friend. When I came to Washtenaw County back in 2005, she was among a handful of preservation people who warmly welcomed me and made me want to engage deeply at the local level. "I am humbled and grateful when considering her impact, and that of the the generation of preservationists like her, who laid the groundwork for our current endeavors. My heart is heavy with this loss, but light with memories of Louisa." Detter said Pieper aready received a lifetime achievement award from the Michigan Historic Preservation Network in 2010. Detter nominated her for the award, noting she was one of the leaders who founded the network in the 1980s and "participated in all three generations of amendments to keep the state enabling legislation updated for the establishment of local protective ordinances and historic districts." Detter said Pieper also worked tirelessly to get state legislation passed to provide tax credits for the rehabilitation of historic properties, among other accomplishments. Detter said Pieper helped get Ann Arbor's historic commission started and, from 1975 to 1999, worked tirelessly for the commission, first as a part-time volunteer and later as full-time secretary and then historic preservation coordinator of the commission. "Her position in city government was created and then expanded because of Ann Arbor's recognition and admiration of her earlier and continuing volunteer commitment," Detter wrote in nominating Pieper for a lifetime achievement award in 2010. "Working in those early years from a basement office in the historic Kempf House, Louisa went on to play a leading role in shaping the study groups and public action that have now produced fourteen Ann Arbor historic districts." Local historian and preservationist Susan Wineberg said she first met Pieper in 1976 when the United States was celebrating the bicentennial and historic buildings were a major focus. "But the University of Michigan was determined to demolish the historic Barbour-Waterman gym," Wineberg wrote in an email. "I met Louisa at the protests to save this building. We had buttons that said 'Recycle Barbour-Waterman.' We spoke at hearings. Of course we lost. But I had made a new friend." The next year, Wineberg said, Pieper helped her navigate the bureaucracy at city hall when housing inspectors wanted her to remove the historic doors in her 1866 house. "She told me who to talk to and that led to an appeal which was granted," she said. "Also at that appeal hearing was Ray Detter --appealing to keep his historic doors as well." Later that year in 1977, Wineberg said, they organized a study committee to prevent the Campus Inn from tearing down a house on Ann Street to have another exit from its parking lot. She said that later became the Ann Street historic district, which was expanded to the Old Fourth Ward historic district in 1983. "Louisa was instrumental in getting these moved through the system," Wineberg said. "We had countless meetings, some at night, and Louisa was at all of them. She mentored me and so many others and gave so much of her time to this cause which she so ardently believed in. Her ardor was infectious and here I am today still fighting to save our historic buildings. She was always upbeat, positive and had a smile on her face. Ann Arbor has lost a true champion." ANN ARBOR, MI - Jake Kershaw hasn't yet received his high school diploma, but the 17-year-old Michigan blues guitarist is playing major concerts and festivals alongside award-winning performers. Kershaw has played in front of thousands of people at the DeltaPlex Arena in Grand Rapids and has shared the stage with international artist Jonny Lang. He began performing publicly in 2014. On Saturday, Aug. 18, Kershaw and his band opened the second day of the Ann Arbor Blues Festival at the Washtenaw Farm Council Fairgrounds. A year after releasing a debut album, "Piece of My Mind," Kershaw said he never imagined his career would progress so quickly. "Blues is not a super-popular genre, and it came as a surprise to me that people took me in like they did," Kershaw said. "It's surprising, but nice to know that I've grown this fast and had all these opportunities to work with people and meet people that some people wait their entire lives to work with. "It's really cool and humbling. I can't believe I'm 17 and have done some of the stuff I've done." Kershaw, of Albion, began playing acoustic guitar at age 9, but shifted to the electric guitar after receiving a Fender Starcaster combo kit for Easter when he was 11. After starting with rock-and-roll music, Kershaw in summer 2013 received a Stevie Ray Vaughan album. He fell in love with the blues. "It was something different," Kershaw said. "It's where rock and roll came from and it's where about every genre of music popped out of, besides jazz. It speaks to me in a different way." Kershaw said his guitar playing "came so natural," and he thought it would be a great way to impress his friends. He did not envision making a career out of it. In January 2014, Kershaw made his public debut in front of about 600 people. He continued to play shows, including monthly gigs at the Bohm Theater in Albion. He soon found himself playing alongside nationally known performers like Anthony Gomes, Albert Cummings Larry McCray and Walter Trout. When not touring, Kershaw plays the euphonium in the marching band at Marshall High School, where he is about to begin his senior year. He said playing shows can be extremely difficult while attending high school. If Kershaw misses a certain number of days this year, he may not graduate. "We have to plan around that -- plan around marching band, homework and exams," he said. "It's going to be a lot of late nights with homework and getting home late." Kershaw also records music and released his debut album "Piece of My Mind" in summer 2017. He said he had to navigate a "learning curve" to record the seven-track CD. "I did the vocals on that album so much it would blow your mind. It was ridiculous," Kershaw said. "After we were done, and we released it, we learned so much that when we come back in to make our next one, hopefully we'll be in-and-out." The album garnered Kershaw a "Jammie" award for "Listeners Choice Best Album by a New Artist" from WYCE, a radio station in West Michigan. Kershaw's future plans include continuing to tour and putting out new material in the form of singles. Kershaw said he likes recording in the studio but prefers performing live shows. "There is nothing like performing in front of people," he said. "I love playing live because you can speak to people... It's just an awesome experience." LAPEER COUNTY, MI - Two 16-year-olds are in serious condition at a local hospital after a crash Friday afternoon on a dirt road in Lapeer County's North Branch Township. Deputies with the Lapeer County Sheriff's Office responded around 1:30 p.m. Aug. 17 to a single-vehicle injury crash on Snoblin Road, east of Jones Road. A preliminary investigation has revealed a 2004 GMC Envoy being driven by a 16-year-old North Branch boy was heading east on Snoblin Road when the vehicle lost stability and went off the south side of the road. The vehicle hit a tree on the front driver's side and turned before coming to a rest along the south shoulder of the road, police said. The driver and one passenger, a16-year-old Clifford girl, were trapped inside the vehicle. North Branch and Deerfield firefighter extricated the occupants from the vehicle. The occupants were transported to McLaren-Lapeer and listed in serious, but stable, condition. The Lapeer County Sheriff's Traffic Crash Reconstruction Unit is conducting a speed analysis to determine if speed played a factor in the crash. The road was closed for several hours to allow for rescue and investigation. Deputies were assisted at the scene by the North Branch Fire Department, Deerfield Township Fire and Rescue, Lapeer County EMS Ambulance Service, and the Michigan State Police Lapeer Regional Post. The crash remains under investigation by the Lapeer County Sheriff's Office. Anyone with information on the incident may contact Detective Sgt. Jason Parks at 810-656-1015 or email jparks@lapeercounty.org. WYOMING, MI -- A dog and cat died in a fire that damaged a Wyoming house while the family was away, fire officials said. The fire in the 4400 block of 56th St. SW was reported about 5:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 17. Wyoming Fire Lt. Dennis Van Tassell said the fire, in the basement, was extinguished fairly quickly but firefighters discovered that a dog and cat perished. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Van Tassell said the fire started while the family was gone. The American Red Cross was called to assist two adults and two children with immediate needs because the house was not inhabitable. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A judge is expected to decide soon whether an officer's bodycam video -- showing a former Kent County assistant prosecutor after a 2016 crash -- will be seen by jurors at his upcoming trial. Joshua Kuiper's wrong-way crash into a parked car in November 2016 ultimately led to the discipline of two officers and firing of another because of an attempted cover-up. Kuiper at the time was cited for going the wrong way on a one-way street, but conversations on a recorded police phone line showed the on-scene officer believed Kuipeer was "hammered." Police did not believe the line was recorded. After the recordings were revealed, Kuiper was charged with reckless driving causing serious impairment. His pickup struck a PT Cruiser as a man was retrieving a coat from the vehicle. Daniel Empson, the man getting the coat, said he was thrown an estimated 60 feet and seriously injured. During a hearing Friday, Aug. 17, Kent County Circuit Court Judge Joseph Rossi heard arguments from Kuiper's attorney and prosecutors about the video. Police in December 2016 publicly released two segments of bodycam video from the incident, including one showing Kuiper performing dexterity tests to look for drunkenness. Kuiper's attorney, Craig Haehnel, said the video would be prejudicial to Kuiper if shown without testimony from the officer, Adam Ickes. Ickes was one of the disciplined officers and, according to both the prosecution and defense, may assert Fifth Amendment rights to not testify. But Aubrey Koches, a Kalamazoo County Prosecutor's office attorney handling the case for Kent County, said the video would simply show the demeanor and condition of Kuiper and not be prejudicial. Haehnel, during arguments Friday, said it's his contention that Kuiper's condition that night -- the video shows him unsteady on his feet -- was due to being briefly knocked unconscious by the crash and having a potential concussion. The judge said he plans to review the bodycam video in the next several days and set an evidentiary hearing if necessary. He also plans to gauge whether a Fifth Amendment claim would be valid since prosecutors already have cleared the three officers of criminal wrongdoing. ADDISON, MI - Years passed and by about 1989, Mitchell Bowman realized his stepson Andrew "Drew" Greer never was coming home. "I just hoped we would find out why," Bowman said Friday, Aug. 17. Bowman, 70, had almost given up on that too. It was only in the last months that he learned Greer, 15, had run away, hitchhiked more than 700 miles to Georgia and died when he was hit by a semitrailer Feb. 14, 1979 on I-75 near Macon, about 90 miles south of Atlanta. Michigan State Police announced this week authorities had used familial DNA to confirm the "John Doe" crash victim was Greer. "It was hard on me for 40 years. It was hard on everybody. It wasn't just me. It involved the whole community," Bowman said. "I think we are thankful it is over." With the gratitude, there is some bitterness too, bitterness that it took this long. Most difficult is knowing the mystery might have been solved two days after Greer disappeared, said Bowman, standing on the property where Greer last lived and Bowman still lives, on Burton Road in Lenawee County's Rollins Township. His former wife Joyce Bowman, who died in 2017, reported Greer missing Feb. 12, 1979. Her son, likely headed to see a relative in Key West, Florida, had gotten into trouble at Addison High School and did not wish to come home and "face the music," said his stepfather, a retired boilermaker. Mitchell Bowman recalls returning from work and Greer was gone. He recalls too the bitter cold that lasted 21 days that winter, the conflicting stories, and the lingering uncertainty. "I've lost many tears over the years thinking about Drew. It wasn't easy," he said. "Every time they re-investigated, it brought back the same old feelings." He said the initial police investigation started slowly because there was an assumption Greer would return. "Which he never did." The case went cold. Years of speculation followed. If not for the persistence of one deputy in Bibb County, Georgia, speculating might have been all relatives ever did. Anthony Strickland, summoned to be a witness as a young deputy in 1979, watched the unidentified crash victim buried in a pauper's grave in Macon, according to news reports. No one in Michigan knew of the crash, in that decade or the last. Greer did not carry identification. "Time progressed, and I felt somebody's got to be missing this kid. Somebody's got to be loving this kid," Strickland told The Telegraph in Macon for a story published in April. Late last year, Strickland, now retired and having never forgotten, made the connection through computer or online searches, according to The Telegraph. Greer's information was at last in a national database for the missing, which did not exist in 1979. Michigan State Police Detective Larry Rothman had re-opened the case, a fact noted online by The Daily Telegram in Adrian, contacted in the last few years by Bowman's son, James, who had hoped to draw attention to his half-brother's disappearance. "It was an act of God we found out," said Mitchell Bowman, who received a phone call that about had him falling out of his chair. Greer's father and mother were dead by then. "I could be dead too," Bowman said. "I might have never put it to rest." In April, Rothman, contacted by Strickland, went to Georgia to exhume the body, done successfully with help from the Bibb County Sheriff's Office, the Macon district attorney's office and the National Center for Missing of Exploited Children, according to the state police. A forensic analyst from the Center for Human Identification at the University of North Texas made the DNA match. Next month, Bowman and his son will travel south to retrieve the remains. Greer has been cremated and there will be a Michigan memorial service in the Detroit area. Bowman plans to speak face-to-face with Strickland. He wants to meet the man who brought the family resolution. "I never knew whether (Drew) ran away, or whether he came home," he said from from his front deck along the dirt road. Bowman, long divorced from Greer's mother, is surrounded by swamp and country that in the past, he has been hesitant to closely examine for fear of what he might find. He has endured restarted inquires, and so many questions, some he couldn't answer despite any contrary suggestions or rumors. "I really had no idea," Bowman said when asked what he thought happened to Greer, a troubled young man, one of several Bowman and his wife were raising then. They were foster parents, living on a farm near Hudson before they moved to Burton Road. "I had to be a good parent to a lot of different boys... I am sure I could have been a better parent to Drew." Bowman said he holds some guilt. "I also think that I, under the circumstances, did the best I could." The two hunted together. He took the boy north once. Bowman has thought a lot about what Greer might have become. "I hope he would have straightened up like a lot of kids do." Bowman has some peace now. The recent developments bring him that. "Like I say, I never thought this day would come." COMSTOCK TOWNSHIP, MI -- A 79-year-old Battle Creek woman died and four other people were injured in a two-vehicle crash at E G Avenue and 31st Street, police said. The crash happened about 1:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 17. Kalamazoo County sheriff's deputies said a vehicle carrying two people was on 31st Street when the driver pulled out onto E G Avenue in front of another car. The other car had three people inside, police said. Deputies said the Battle Creek woman was critically injured and was later pronounced dead at an area hospital. Four other people in the two vehicles were taken to hospital for injuries not considered life-threatening. MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI - Killing a man in a traffic crash wasn't enough to send UT Dewayne Howard to prison, but carrying a knife in his car was. Howard, 30, of Muskegon Heights was sentenced Aug. 2 to 13 months to 5 years in prison for carrying a concealed weapon. The sentence was handed down by Muskegon County Circuit Judge Annette Smedley. Howard pleaded guilty to having a "stabbing instrument," essentially a knife, in his vehicle on April 20, at Sherman Boulevard and Peck Street in Muskegon Heights, according to court documents. That was the same location where, on Oct. 5, 2017, Howard caused a crash that resulted in the death of Sterling Bushnell Jr., 92, of Roosevelt Park. Bushnell's wife was seriously injured in the crash, according to a prosecutor. Howard was charged with a misdemeanor charge of moving violation causing death, and was sentenced to 67 days in jail for the crash. Howard was traveling south on Peck Street and had stopped at the stoplight but then proceeded through a red light and struck the car carrying Bushnell. Howard has prior convictions in Clayton County, Georgia, for aggravated assault. State-owned general insurance companies have been instructed to settle claims under the Jan Suraksha insurance schemes as well as Fasal Bima crop insurance on an immediate basis in Kerala. The insurance schemes under include the term insurance scheme (Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana) as well as the personal accident scheme (Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana). Rajeev Kumar, the financial services secretary of the finance ministry said that the claims will be settled instantly to compensate for the loss of life in the Kerala floods. Over 300 people have due to heavy rainfall and flooding in Kerala. Jeevan Jyoti Bima and Suraksha Bima will offer Rs 2 lakh insurance to families for the affected parties. These are state sponsored insurance schemes with annual premium of only Rs 12 (for accident insurance) and Rs 330 (for term insurance). Kerala floods LIVE updates: Toll reaches 324, PM announces financial assistance of Rs 500 crore Similarly, the finance ministry has also asked the PSU general insurers to settle the crop insurance claims to help farmers in Kerala. Yesterday, the insurance regulator asked companies to simplify claims settlement procedure for Kerala flood victims and their kin. Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has said the insurance companies should follow a procedure similar to the one used to settle claims after the Chennai floods in 2015. Also Read | Kerala floods: 'Houses can still be repaired, but how do you mend lives?' During the Chennai floods, insurance companies had done away with the practice of waiting for a death certificate in case a persons body was not found. Instead, a statement from a municipal body or a list of deceased from government hospitals was considered adequate for settling death claims. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Further consolidation cannot be ruled out, but once 10,495 gets taken out, the index can head towards 11,640 in the short term. On the other hand, 11,366 11,340 shall act as a key support zone for the index, Gaurav Ratnaparkhi, Senior Technical Analyst, Sharekhan by BNP Paribas, said in an interview with Moneycontrols Kshitij Anand. Q) Indian markets closed volatile week on a positive note. The Nifty held on to 11,400 levels. How is the technical setup looking for the index? What are the crucial levels to watch out for next week? A) Yes, thats right. The Nifty has posted a fourth consecutive positive close on the weekly chart. The week went by started on a negative note; however, the bulls managed to push the index higher towards the end. In terms of the wave structure, the index has completed an Impulse on the upside from 10,557 to 11,495. The hourly chart reveals that the fall from the recent high of 11495 is a corrective structure. This means that the fall is unlikely to turn out to be a deep one. A higher degree structure shows that this is a fourth wave consolidation, which is typically a sideways one. Further consolidation cannot be ruled out till the index trades below the level of 11,495. Once that get taken out, the index can head towards 11,640 in the short term. On the other hand, 11,366 11,340 shall act as a key support zone for the index. Q) How is rupee looking on technical charts? A) USD/INR, in the last week, has broken out from a bullish Flag pattern with a breakaway gap. The bullish price breakout has occurred on the backdrop of bullish daily momentum indicator. The conservative pattern target has already been met on the upside whereas the subsequent targets are 70.60 and 71.50. On the other hand, the gap area of 69.40 69.02 shall now assume the role of support. Q) Small & midcap stocks have picked up momentum which was not visible in earlier rallies. Do you think that the recovery has begun in this space? A) The small-cap & mid-cap indices have witnessed a sharp bounce over the last few weeks. On the way up, they have surpassed their respective multi-month falling trendlines. This is a bullish sign from a short to medium term perspective. So, there is indeed a sign of recovery in the broader market Q) Top three-five stocks (with rationale) which investors can look at with a holding period of 1 month? A) Here is a list of top three stocks which could give up to 10-13% return: L&T Finance Holdings: Buy| LTP: Rs 181.95| Target: Rs 200| Stop loss: Rs 173| Return: 10.5% The stock has formed a bullish Flag pattern on the daily chart and is on the verge of a breakout on the upside. In the last session, it has given a bullish breakout from an Inside bar Ambuja Cements: Buy| LTP: Rs 228| Stop loss: Rs 220| Target: Rs 252| Return: 10% The stock has completed a three wave correction after an Impulse on the upside. Post the correction, the stock has taken support near the key daily moving averages. Hereon, next set of Impulse is expected to start on the upside. Raymond: Buy| LTP: Rs 794| Stop loss: Rs 756| Target: Rs 900| Return: 13% The stock has formed an Ending Diagonal pattern after a substantial fall & has broken out on the upside in the last session. The daily momentum indicator is showing a positive divergence, which is a bullish sign. : The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on Moneycontrol are his own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. The Women and Child Development Ministry has summoned Air India chief Pradeep Singh Kharola next week seeking explanation behind the delay in completing probe in a sexual harassment case, a senior official said. Union Minister Maneka Gandhi had directed the head of the Internal Complaints Committee of Air India to complete the inquiry in June. The complaint of sexual harassment was lodged by an air hostess of the national carrier against its senior executive. However, the inquiry has not been completed yet and the ministry has summoned Kharola on August 23 to explain the reason behind the delay, the official said. According to a WCD Ministry official, Gandhi had also taken up the matter with Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu. The air hostess has alleged that she had been harassed for the last six years by the senior executive, describing him as a "predator" and equal, if not worse, than Harvey Weinstein, the Hollywood filmmaker charged with sexual misconduct by leading actresses. "This senior executive is a predator and has sexually propositioned me, abused me, used abusive languages on other women in my presence, spoken of sexual acts with me and other women in my presence in office premises... "He has insulted me and denied me positions and privileges after I rejected his advances and he had made my life a misery at work and continues to do so," she said in her letter, dated May 25. The air hostess maintained that she had lodged a complaint with Air India last September and written to the CMD of the airline, but "none was forthcoming". She also accused the airline's women cell of dragging its feet on the issue. In a letter addressed to Prabhu and also marked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the air hostess had asked for appointing a "neutral" investigation committee to look into the incident. Responding to the letter, the civil aviation minister had tweeted, "Asked Air India CMD to immediately address the issue. If necessary, will appoint another committee. **FILE** New Delhi: In this file photo former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is seen at his residence in New Delhi. Vajpayee, 93, passed away on Thursday, Aug 16, 2018, at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi after a prolonged illness. (PTI Photo) (PTI8_16_2018_000172B) *** Local Caption *** From the 1998 nuclear tests that angered China to initiating a new boundary talks mechanism in 2003, Atal Bihari Vajpayee is regarded here as an architect of India's China policy, according to Chinese scholars. While the Pokhran tests by India, seen as an attempt to secure nuclear deterrence mainly against its giant neighbour raised concerns in China, the then Indian prime minister's initiative to set up the Special Representative (SR) mechanism to resolve the boundary dispute has helped stabilise bilateral ties, Ma Jiali, Director of the Centre for Strategic Studies at China Reform Forum said. Ma, who worked closely with former Chinese premier Wen Jiabao on the Sino-India ties, said Vajpayee's visit to China in 2003 contributed a great deal in stabilising bilateral relations. "During Vajpayee's rule, India-China relations improved a lot. After his visit in 2003, India-China relations improved quite fast in the political, economic and cultural field," he said. In 2016, Dai Bingguo, China's long-term negotiator of boundary dispute with India, wrote in his memoir that Vajpayee was eager for an early settlement of the Sino-India boundary dispute but lost the opportunity when he lost the 2014 general elections. It was during a dinner meeting with his counterpart Wen in 2003 when Vajpayee mooted the idea of setting up of the SR mechanism, former state councillor Dai wrote in his memoir 'Strategic Dialogues'. Vajpayee had wanted the SRs to detach themselves from the current boundary negotiations and directly report the progress to their prime ministers to find a solution "from a political level", Dai wrote in his book. The boundary mechanism headed by the National Security Advisors (NSAs) of both the sides has so far met 20 times and largely worked out the modalities for future settlements. The first round was held between Brajesh Mishra, who was the NSA in the Vajpayee government and Dai, the then state councillor a top diplomatic post in China. The 21st round of boundary talks are due to be held in the coming weeks between NSA Ajit Doval and State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing. Wang was the Vice Foreign Minister when Vajpayee visited Beijing in 2003. Dai, who held the border talks with four Indian NSAs Brajesh Mishra, J N Dixit, M K Narayanan and Shivshankar Menon, has said in the book that Mishra pushed for an early settlement, preferably during Vajpayee's tenure as prime minister. Dai wrote "prime minister Vajpayee is 79-year-old and very concerned about the boundary question. Mishra was himself 75, and said he hoped to settle it as early as possible". Dai wrote that he believed a settlement was possible but the opportunity was lost when Vajpayee failed to win the 2004 elections. He stated that Mishra told him that he would like "to speed up the progress of the SRs meetings to push for an early settlement after the 2004 general elections in India. Dai, who is now retired, said that he believed Mishra's words were not empty rhetoric and he felt that an early settlement was perhaps possible. "I had hopes (during that time) that the SRs' meeting would achieve results as early as possible," he said. Though a settlement still appeared to be a long way after 20 rounds of talks, the mechanism with annual meetings has helped evolve modalities and identify areas of agreement and differences. The India-China dispute cover 3,488 km long the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and China's claims of Arunachal Pradesh being part of Southern Tibet remains a sticking point. Two days ago, Bharatiya Janata Party General Secretary Ram Madhav told the media here that a "large segment" of the border with China barring the western sector has been resolved and talks are moving in the positive direction. Doval's predecessor Shivshankar Menon, who represented India in several rounds of border talks, said in 2014 during a meeting here that all the technical work has been done and it is for the leaders of both the countries to take a call. After relinquishing his post, Menon told a meeting in Beijing along with Dai that when the SRs were appointed in 2003, the two sides set off a three-stage process. The two countries first reached an agreement on the guiding principles and setting political parameters for the settlement in 2005, he said. The second stage is to agree for a framework of settlement to be followed by the final step of drawing the boundary line based on the framework agreement, Menon said. "We are now in the second half of the second stage, heading in the right direction," he told a gathering in Peking University in December 2014. Now the meeting of the SRs which is held once a year has been upgraded to discuss all aspects of India-China relations and work out durable solutions. It is crucial to protect, propagate and conserve Hindi in its pure form as language and culture are interconnected, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said at the 11th World Hindi Conference which began here today by paying tribute to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The three day conference, aimed at expanding the reach of the Hindi language at a global level, started by observing a two minute silence to pay tribute to Vajpayee, who died in New Delhi on Thursday at the age of 93 after a prolonged illness. In her opening statement, Swaraj said with this convention, Hindi representatives from across the globe are paying tributes to Vajpayee, who was an exponent of Hindi and established the language at the international level by addressing the UN for the first time in Hindi. Emphasising on the protection of India's culture and Hindi, Swaraj said India has taken the responsibility to protect the language in other countries. She said the BJP-led government is making efforts to make Hindi one of the official languages of the United Nations. A Hindi weekly news bulletin from the platform of the UN has started broadcast as part of a pilot project, she said. All Hindi-speaking people from across the world can listen to the news broadcast from the UN, she said. "This weekly bulletin could be converted into a daily bulletin. For that the world body will oversee the response of listeners and rate accordingly for two years. If the response will be good, then it will be converted into a daily news bulletin," she said. Swaraj said a UN twitter account in Hindi has also been started to give Hindi speaking public access to the programmes and news related to the UN. "India has made it clear that it is ready to bear all expenses to make Hindi one of the official languages of the UN, but its rules for acquiring such a status prevents the country from doing so," she said. Underlining that language and culture are interconnected, she said obsolescence of a language is also followed by that of culture so it is necessary to protect, propagate and conserve the language in its pure form. She said that unlike the previous world Hindi conventions where the emphasis was on language and literature, this time, culture has also become an important part of it. The minister said that several countries have raised concerns regarding the protection and promotion of Hindi language. In such scenario, it is the responsibility of India to prevent the language from becoming obsolete in these countries. The World Hindi Conference is organised every three years and in the past it has been organised thrice in India, twice in Mauritius, and one time each in Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, the UK, the US and South Africa. This year the symbol of the world Hindi conference is "a peacock and a dodo.bDodo symbolises the gradual obsolescence of Hindi and the Indian peacock will come to save the dodo. On the occasion, Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth issued two new postage stamps one has the image of the national flags of India and Mauritius while the other has the image of national birds, peacock and dodo. The prime minister also announced to name the cyber tower in Mauritius made with the Indian assistance as "Atal Bihari Vajpayee tower. Goa Governor Mridula Sinha and West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi also took part in the inaugural session. During the conference, delegates from India and various countries will deliberate on eight subtopics on 'Hindi World and Indian Culture'. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's ashes will be immersed in various rivers across the country, starting with the Ganga at Haridwar tomorrow, the BJP said today. The immersion ceremony at the holy city tomorrow will be attended by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, his Uttarakhand counterpart Trivendra Singh Rawat, chief ministers of other states and BJP president Amit Shah among others, party leader Bhupender Yadav told reporters in Delhi. He added that a procession carrying the former prime minister's ashes will start from the Shanti Kunj Ashram in Haridwar, cover a distance of around five kilometres and reach the Har Ki Pauri ghat for the immersion. One of the most charismatic leaders in independent India, Vajpayee passed away in Delhi on Thursday at the age of 93. He was cremated with full State honours at the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal in the national capital yesterday. Yadav said an all-party prayer meeting for the BJP stalwart will be held in Delhi on August 20 and another such meeting will be organised in Lucknow on August 23 since Vajpayee's appeal cut across political divide. Apart from the home minister and Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Vajpayee's relatives will attend the Lucknow prayer meeting, he said, adding that the former prime minister's ashes will also be immersed in the Gomati river there. The prayer meeting in Delhi will be attended by leaders from different political parties and noted citizens, Yadav said. "His (Vajpayee's) ashes will be immersed in various sacred rivers across the country and the 'asthi kalash' taken to all the districts headquarters and state capitals. Prayer meetings will take place in the state capitals, district headquarters and at the panchayat level," he added. The Uttar Pradesh government said Vajpayee's ashes will arrive at the Lucknow airport tomorrow evening. "The ashes of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will arrive at the Lucknow airport tomorrow at around 4 pm. It shall be escorted in a cavalcade to the Uttar Pradesh BJP headquarters," a spokesperson of the Uttar Pradesh government said. Meanwhile, the saffron party also expressed solidarity with the people of Kerala, who are bearing the brunt of torrential rains and floods, and said its workers will visit every household in the affected areas of the southern states as a part of the rehabilitation measures. BJP national secretary P Muralidhar Rao said the state units of the party were collecting relief materials from across the country, while the units in the neighbouring states of Kerala were planning to send doctors' teams to the flood-hit state. "The BJP is with the people of Kerala," he told reporters in Delhi, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the home minister had already announced an assistance of Rs 500 crore and Rs 100 crore respectively.The prime minister, Rao said, had also appealed to the insurance companies to expedite the disbursement of compensations, including those towards crop insurance. Kofi Atta Annan | A Ghanaian diplomat and a Nobel Peace Prize winner, Kofi Annan served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1997 to December 2006. He passed away at the age of 80. He was the founder and chairman of the Kofi Annan Foundation, as well as chairman of The Elders, an international organization founded by Nelson Mandela. (Image: Reuters) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today condoled the death of former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, describing him as "a great African diplomat and a humanistic personality". In his condolence message, Kumar called Annan "a strong votary of international peace and security" and prayed for succor to his near and dear ones and his supporters. Kofi Annan, who served two terms as UN secretary General from January 1, 1997, to December 31, 2006, died at the age of 80 in Switzerland. Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri sector with unprovoked shelling this evening, although there was no loss of life, police said. "Some mortar shells were fired by Pakistani forces on the Thajal-Chranda area of Uri (in north Kashmir's Baramulla district)," Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Baramulla, Imtiyaz Hussain said. One of the shells hit a washroom adjacent to a house in Thajal and damaged it, he said. No loss of life has been reported, the SSP added. Yoginder K Alagh Invited to write on former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who passed away on August 16 at the age of 93, my memories are that of a fascinating individual, with whom one could disagree but it would be churlish to be disagreeable. When he was sworn in as prime minister, I was invited for the swearing-in ceremony. Being an Opposition Member of Parliament, I felt I must go as we always did when governments changed. When I reached the venue the only other Opposition MP there was Sharad Pawar, who asked me to sit next to him. After taking the oath, Vajpayee met the dignitaries and straight came to greet us. As science and technology minister in the late nineties, I supported various space projects, and as member of the Planning Commission, I negotiated for collaborations in Space technology. However, post Gorbachev, the Russians dragged their feet in these collaborations. France agreed to collaborate with us in nuclear energy and this was announced by French President Francois Mitterrand. The Pokhran nuclear tests, conducted while Vajpayee was prime minister, was a logical extension of this. Prime Minister Vajpayee decided that it was high time the process of selecting and training the higher civil services was revised, and for that he set up a committee under me. The report presented by the committee is still the Magna Carta for civil service selection, lateral entry and lifetime training. In 2002, events in Ahmedabad led to an existential crisis. Gandhians Chuni Vaidya (Chuni Kaka) and Narayan Desai, son of Mahadev Desai, called a silent peace march from the Kochrab Ashram to Sabarmati Ashram. Chunni Kaka asked me to join the march. The city was still burning and there were only 60-odd people when we started the march from Kochrab Ashram. But the caravan kept on expanding and at Sabarmati Ashram, about eight kilometres away, around 5,000 of us passed a resolution demanding peace. It was carried in the press all over the world and, as I was a former minister, the resolution was sent in my name. Vajpayee sent a message that the army and help was on the way. Later, KS Gill was sent for confidence building and he insisted on my joining him in all his meetings. However, the response from the state administration was weak. Once during a Rajya Sabha session, a member from Rajasthan asked a question on drought and fodder. The minister concerned gave a formal reply. In a supplementary, I said the North-Eastern part of Gujarat adjoins Rajasthan and our famous cattle breeds were starving. This time the minister dismissed the question saying that it was not on the agenda. After a hint from Vajpyee, finance minister Jaswant Singh announced that the government would resolve the problem. Singh set up an advisory group on economic policies for drylands with Congress Ram Niwas Mirdha and me on it. While in Parliament, I kept on lobbying for my pet peeves. On one such occasion, I marked a copy to the Prime Ministers Office. At a dinner in Vigyan Bhawan, Vajpayee asked me to join him at the high table. He told me that my letter was received and that it has been taken care of. I demurred: Sir the problem is still there. Nahin, wo sulja di hain, Dr Alagh, Vajpayee said. I did not have the strength to persist. Todays dog-eat-dog politics is a different world from yore. As we remember him, lets say that he set a tradition, and traditions become lessons in history even when legacies are not always followed. (The writer is a former Union minister, is currently Chancellor, Central University of Gujarat. The views expressed are personal) The Asian rout | The continents 128 billionaires lost $144 billion in 2018. The top three losers were from China, with Wanda Groups Wang Jianlin losing $11.1 billion this year. Close to 40 percent of the Asians under the index, lost their billionaire status as of December 7. (Image: Reuters) China said on Saturday it has sacked six senior officials at its food and drug regulator after a safety scandal at vaccine maker Changsheng Biotechnology Co revealed failings at the government body including inadequate supervision. In a posting on its website, the State Administration for Market Regulation said that among officials dismissed were Ding Jianhua, who headed two departments at the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA). The same statement was posted on the CFDA's website. Changsheng was accused in July of falsifying data for a rabies vaccine and manufacturing an ineffective vaccine for babies, sparking widespread public anger and multiple probes including police investigations. The Changsheng case exposed that the CFDA officials "did not provide sufficient supervision, strong enough oversight, nor were they strict enough in their inspections", the posting said. While there were no known reports of people being harmed by the vaccines, regulators ordered Changsheng to halt their production and recall the rabies vaccine. Changsheng has apologised and said it is cooperating with investigations. On Friday, Beijing said it had sacked a senior provincial official and was probing a former top drug regulator. Xinhua also reported that more than 40 government officials, including seven at the provincial level, have been held accountable for the scandal and some have been sacked. In a separate Saturday report, Xinhua said the central province of Hubei has removed six government officials from their posts in relation to another inferior vaccines case involving Chinese company Wuhan Institute of Biological Products. The company on Friday said on its website that it has dismissed its deputy general manager in charge of production and warned or fined eight other employees. Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a meeting with ministers in Caracas, Venezuela. (REUTERS) Venezuela's highest court has authorised the government to demand the extradition of exiled former state prosecutor Luisa Ortega and former oil chief Rafael Ramirez both opponents of President Nicolas Maduro. The move follows a similar decision on Thursday by the Supreme Court to seek to extradite opposition leader Julio Borges, who is accused of being involved in an alleged attempt to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro last month. Like Ortega before him, Borges has taken refuge in neighboring Colombia. Ramirez, the former head of state oil company PDVSA and a powerful opponent of Maduro, has fled to Spain. The opposition has dismissed the court as a tool of Maduro, who it says has used his power to wrest control of state institutions. Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza earlier this week accused Ortega of being an "accomplice" in the August 4 incident, in which Maduro was seen reacting on live television to the first of two explosions as he addressed a military parade in Caracas. Maduro said the blasts were from explosives-laden drones sent to assassinate him, though opposition figures accuse him of fabricating the incident to step up repression. Ortega, an unwavering opponent of Maduro, denied any involvement. "My struggle against tyranny is only with weapons that the law gives me," she replied in a tweet. "But you and Nicolas Maduro well know that when I plan things, I do them well. If I had been behind this plan, the country would be celebrating its freedom." Ortega participated in a symbolic trial of the exiled opposition-run supreme court in Colombia which sentenced Maduro to 18 years for corruption. Ramirez, meanwhile, is accused of fraudulent embezzlement as part of a "web of corruption" for which 90 ex-employees have been arrested, part of a crackdown on opponents by Maduro. Venezuela has arrested 14 people over the attack, including an opposition politician, a general and a colonel. The United States on Friday condemned alleged arbitrary detentions and forced confessions by Caracas in its investigation into the failed August 4 drone "attack". Unitatea Administrativ-Teritoriala Municipiul Galati anunta finalizarea proiectului cu titlul Cresterea performantei energetice a blocului de locuinte M, str. Albatros nr. 1 din Municipiul Galati, cod SMIS 122620, finantat prin Programului Operatio ... Bovine constiente in timpul sacrificarii, abatorizarea vacilor gestante cu extragerea fetusilor, sange prelevat pentru extragerea serului fetal. Un investigator de la L214, asociatie pentru apararea animalelor folosite ca resurse alimentare, s-a in ... Guvernul Ungariei le va cere angajatilor din institutiile de stat sa fie vaccinati impotriva COVID-19, dupa o crestere a numarului de contaminari, a anuntat joi seful de cabinet al premierului ungar Viktor Orban, Gergely Gulyas, informeaza Reuters. P ... A surging oil and gas sector continued to strengthen the Midland labor market in July, according to figures released Friday by the Texas Workforce Commission. The commission reported the July unemployment rate in its Midland metropolitan statistical area fell to 2.2 percent from 2.4 percent in June and 3 percent last July. Midland reported the states lowest unemployment. The Odessa metropolitan statistical area saw its unemployment rate drop to 2.9 percent from 3.2 percent in June, tying Midlands western neighbor with Amarillo for the states second lowest unemployment. We have a very hot economy in the Permian Basin, observed Willie Taylor, chief executive officer of the commissions Workforce Solutions Permian Basin. He noted that the areas dominant industrial sector, Mining, Logging and Construction, which includes the oil and gas industry, seems to be expanding. In Midland, the sector now comprises 34 percent of its industrial composition, up from an average 32 percent. Taylor added that Midlands strong wages among the highest in the state - reflect the fact we dont have enough workers. He put average weekly wages in the Permian Basin at $1,200 compared to $1,100 statewide and Midland is even higher. Mining, Logging and Construction is driving the economy; everything else is along for the ride, he said. Midlands civilian labor force topped 100,000, coming in at 101,167, up from 100,082 in June and 93,349 in July 2017. Midland has seen an increase of about 1,000 in its workforce every month since January of this year, James Beauchamp, president of the Permian Basin Coalition, a public-private alliance supporting safe, reasonable development in the Permian Basin, told the Reporter-Telegram by email. It is a tremendous increase, and frankly, it is an increase that one, most people are not really aware of, and two, that we are simply not prepared for. The coalition recently hosted a regional luncheon at the Petroleum Museum to discuss how infrastructure needs, from roads to housing to pipelines, could hamper the regions economic growth. Most of the Texas Department of Transportation energy sector projects are all centered around the Delaware Basin, so there isn't really much added capacity for roads outside of projects that were leveraged through the Midland Development Corp., such as completion of North Loop 250, and county efforts aimed at the county road extension that could someday serve as South Loop 250, Beauchamp continued. He went on to add, While Midland has had tremendous gains in housing, those gains have not kept up with demand. Additionally, it isn't possible to add additional housing as fast as we are adding people, and as these folks look for places to live, it is going to drive up the price of housing units and rents. Infrastructure was also on Taylors mind as he told the Reporter-Telegram that infrastructure will play a significant role in the regions growth. We want people to be able to bring their families. That means teachers, people in the medical field, he said. Midland added 400 nonfarm jobs from June to July, bringing the total to 104,000. The Education and Health Services sector added 400 jobs during the month, followed by the Mining, Logging and Construction sector with 300 jobs. But those gains were offset by the loss of 200 jobs in the Trade, Transportation and Utilities sector and 100 jobs in the Leisure and Hospitality Sector. For the 12 months from July 2017 to July 2018, the Midland MSA added 9,500 nonfarm jobs for a growth rate of 10.1 percent, a number Taylor called phenomenal. The Mining, Logging and Construction sector added 7,400 jobs, followed by the Leisure and Hospitality sector with 600 new jobs. The Trade, Transportation and Utilities sector added 500 new jobs and the Education and Health Services 400 new jobs. Some 300 new jobs were added in the Professional and Business Services sector while the Manufacturing sector, Information sector and Other Services sector each added 100 new jobs. Were going to continue to see growth. We cant just sit back and watch it, Taylor warned. The areas cities and counties need to get aggressive in addressing how theyre going to handle the growth, he said. And, he added, We need to look at our mentality towards growing communities. He said continues to encourage younger residents without skills to go to the local colleges and upgrade their skills. It can make the difference between making $15 an hour and $20 an hour. Statewide, the unemployment rate remained at 4 percent in July. The Workforce Commission said the state added 23,500 seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs, marking 25 consecutive months of employment growth. For the year, the commission says the state has added 377,100 jobs for an annual employment rate growth of 3.1 percent. While Midland reported the lowest unemployment, McAllen-Edinburg-Mission posted the highest at 6.9 percent. Midland unemployment January 2018 2.4 percent January 2017 4 percent February 2018 2.5 percent February 2017 3.8 percent March 2018 2.4 percent March 2017 3.5 percent April 2018 2.1 percent April 2017 3 percent May 2018 2.1 percent May 2017 3 percent June 2018 2.4 percent June 2017 3.2 percent July 2018 2.2 percent July 2017 3 percent Preliminary numbers for July with June numbers in parentheses: Midland 2.2 (2.4) Amarillo 2.9 (3.1) Odessa 2.9 (3.2) Austin-Round Rock 3.1 (3.2) College Station-Bryan 3.3 (3.5) Sherman-Denison 3.3 (3.6) Lubbock 3.4 (3.6) San Angelo 3.4 (3.6) Abilene 3.5 (3.7) San Antonio-New Braunfels 3.5 (3.7) Dallas-Plano-Irving 3.6 (3.8) Fort Worth-Arlington 3.7 (3.8) Tyler 3.7 (3.9) Wichita Falls 3.7 (3.9) Waco 3.9 (4.1) Laredo 4.0 (4.3) Victoria 4.1 (4.3) Killeen-Temple 4.2 (4.4) Longview 4.3 (4.5) El Paso 4.4 (4.7) Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land 4.4 (4.6) Corpus Christi 5.2 (5.5) Texarkana 5.3 (5.6) Beaumont-Port Arthur 6.3 (6.4) Brownsville-Harlingen 6.6. (6.9) McAllen-Edinburg-Mission 6.9 (7.2) Mella McEwen is the Oil Editor and covers the latest business and energy news. You can read more from her here. | mmcewen@mrt.com | JOLIET (AP) George Anthos spent just three years in the Army, from 1955 to 1957, before returning home to Illinois and pursuing a profession as a hair dresser. But at age 83, he puts on a military-style uniform every Tuesday and reports to Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery near Joliet. Since 2003, he has been a part of its Memorial Squad men and women who provide military honors for veterans buried there. We have a code in the military of no man left behind, he said. Its my way of bringing veterans home for the last time. About three dozen people accompany veterans on their last journey. They present the colors, play taps, fire 21-shot salutes and present U.S. flags to survivors. The cemetery, which is the only active national one in the Chicago area, opened in 1999 on the grounds of the former Joliet Arsenal. More than 50,000 veterans, their spouses and certain other relatives are buried there, in graves or columbaria. The federal government pays for the burial, the marker and the burial flag. Anthos said Mondays and Fridays are typically the busiest days. The rites take place at three committal shelters, not the grave sites. Anthos used to be one of the riflemen. Now, he folds the U.S. flag and presents it to the survivors. The squads also present three spent shells, in plastic sleeves, to represent the three volleys. Theres a World War II veteran in the ranks, who is in his 90s. They do their jobs in all types of weather. Im going to try to do it as long as I can, said Anthos, a former resident of Downers Grove and Woodridge. One of the younger members of a Tuesday squad is Bruce Ty Keller, 46, of Braidwood. He was a machine-gunner in the Marine Corps from 1990 to 1993, discharged as a lance corporal E3. Kellers road to the squad was winding. He has post-traumatic stress disorder but says he got it together in 2012. He has become a chaplain, is involved in K9s for Veterans and works with a veterans outreach center. The honor guard just seemed like it was a good fit, he said. And he has found a brotherhood similar to when he was in the military. It was a way to give back, to honor the men and women who fought for our freedom long before we did, Keller said. Larry Richards, 76, of New Lenox kind of stumbled into it. His brother, also a veteran, was being buried, and there was no bugler to play taps. Richards, who played with the 5th Army Band during his stint from 1962 to 1965, stepped up. Ive been bugling ever since, he said. He is now a member of Buglers Across America. Many of the veterans being buried served during the Vietnam and Korean War eras, Anthos said. But they are seeing more funerals for younger people, especially those who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder or drug addiction or who took their own lives, Keller said. Civilians serve, too. Steve Joutras, 65, of New Lenox and Mark Menig, 63, of Minooka said they do it to honor veterans, including their relatives who served. I felt that I needed to give back, Joutras said. Sometimes, it is just them, a funeral director and a cemetery administrator at the rite. It is sad to see these one-car, two-car, no-car services, Richards said. At other times, people turn out in droves to honor veterans, even ones they didnt know. Last year, a World War II veteran killed at Pearl Harbor was moved from the national cemetery in Hawaii to Abraham Lincoln. Hundreds of people attended that ceremony, Menig said. Attendance also was good at the recent quarterly ceremony where indigent veterans, with no relatives, were committed. The more people who show up for the service the better, Menig said. And that explains why Anthos who will be buried there himself carries on. Because I am a veteran and I feel it is an obligation to take care of my friends to give them their last honors before they are laid to rest, he said. One of the pre-eminent civil rights organizations was born from one of the worst moments in Springfields history. In August 1908, a white mob, thwarted in an attempt to lynch two black inmates in the Sangamon County Jail, went on a rampage. They destroyed dozens of black-owned businesses and homes in Springfield. Two black men were lynched and five white men died during the riot, with dozens more injured. Other deaths connected to the riots happened in the days prior to and after it ended. Appalled that such an event took place in Abraham Lincolns hometown, civil rights activists in New York began meetings that led to the formation of the NAACP. For numerous reasons, noticeable tension along racial lines existed among the 50,000 people who lived in Springfield in 1908. That tension boiled over in August, having simmered for at least a month after the first of two high-profile accusations were made against black men. . New to town On or near June 1, 1908, 17-year-old black teenager Joe James jumped off a freight train passing through Springfield. Police ordered him to leave but James stuck around, and was eventually arrested for loitering. Late the evening of July 4, when he was granted a temporary parole from jail for good behavior, by James own account, he must have wandered drunk and fell asleep outside. That same night, an intruder resembling James description entered the Ballard home. Alerted by his daughter Blanches screams, Clergy Ballard, a popular white mining engineer, caught up to the stranger outside the house. The two scuffled and Ballard returned bleeding profusely. He died the next day. Ballards sons and other young men searched the neighborhood and found a sleeping James and beat him senseless. Police arrived and broke up the bludgeoning. James denied knowing anything about the home invasion or Ballards injuries, still he was charged with the crime. Perhaps the rage would have faded and James trial would have been held without incident had Mabel Hallam not falsely claimed a black man named George Richardson sexually assaulted and dragged her from her Springfield house near midnight on Thursday, Aug. 13, 1908. . The first day Crowds grew outside Sangamon County Jail, where Richardson was being held, as news of Hallams alleged rape spread. The state militia was summoned, but it would take hours for troops to arrive. Sangamon County Sheriff Charles Werner decided to sneak Richardson and James out of the jail, hoping that if the crowd learned they were gone, people would go home. Werner had a fire station nearby sound its alarm and dispatch its trucks past the crowd. Werner was able to get prisoners out of the jail and into a car that sped off to Bloomington. The crowd became incensed when it was discovered they had been duped. A handful of militiamen arrived at the jail and pushed back the crowd. But by then, word had spread the car used to escort James and Richardson out of town belonged to Harry Loper, a white downtown restaurant owner. Within minutes, thousands assembled in front of Lopers restaurant. An estimated 5,000 rioters destroyed Lopers restaurant and torched his car. Then, organized groups methodically decimated dozens of black businesses and tenant rooms with bricks, torches and bullets. Several black residents, either working downtown or who were out at the wrong place at the wrong time, were attacked and beaten. By 11 p.m., the mob had reached the Badlands, where many of the citys black families lived. The mob spent the next four hours torching roughly 40 black homes, avoiding those lived in by whites. At about 2 a.m., the mob reached Scott Burtons home. Burton had already lost his barbershop business and had sent his family away. He was soon beaten and lynched; his body was mutilated for the next half hour with bullets and knives. Only after Col. Richings J. Shand ordered his militia troops to fire low into the crowd shortly after Burtons lynching did rioting end for the day. . The second day By Saturday morning, Aug. 15, six were dead or dying and more than 100 whites and blacks had been injured. Many black residents had fled the city, although some found shelter in the basements of white neighbors while others organized defensive fronts and patrols. Dozens sought refuge at Camp Lincoln and inside the Illinois State Arsenal, where the militia, sent from throughout the state early Saturday morning, pitched tents. Stationed at various locations throughout the city, law enforcement officers fanned across town chasing small outbreaks and rumors of outbreaks the second day of the riot. Organized rioting seemed to be over, but between 7 and 8 p.m., smaller bands began forming. They gathered quickly, struck, dispersed, then gathered somewhere else with little warning. At about 8 p.m., roughly 1,000 rioters approached the Arsenal. But they scattered once militiamen there showed their guns. The mob reorganized several blocks to the southwest, outside the home of William Donnegan, an elderly black man and retired shoemaker who owned considerable property. He also was married to a white woman. Rioters dragged Donnegan, 84 years old and begging for mercy, out of his home. They slashed his throat and proceeded to lynch him. Militia and city police arrived as Donnegan was being raised. He died the next day. . Aftermath Although Donnegans murder traditionally is seen as the last act of the two-day riot, hate crimes and threats continued for months. More than 100 white residents would be indicted on riot-related charges, including murder. Trials were held but only one person Abe Raymer, an accused ringleader was charged in relation to the riots (with petty larceny). Hallam, the young married woman whose rape claim pushed the town over the edge, would later confess she concocted her story (possibly, according to one newspaper, to conceal an affair with a white lover). Richardson had been one of several black laborers working on a house near her home and made an easy scapegoat. He was released from jail and returned to Springfield, eventually retiring from Bell Telephone as a janitor. In September, James, the 17-year-old boy who had wandered into town in June, was tried for the Ballard attack. He was sentenced to death and later hanged outside the county courthouse. We are not at loggerheads with ... Sacramento, CA California lawmakers want to eliminate money bail for defendants awaiting trial under a proposal unveiled Thursday. Under the plan, most suspects accused of nonviolent misdemeanors would be released within 12 hours of being booked in jail. People accused of serious, violent felonies would not be eligible for pretrial release. The proposal would give courts wide latitude to decide whether to release other suspects before trial, based on their likeliness to return to court and the danger they pose to public safety. Under the current system, defendants had to put down bail, which was in the form of money or property, to be released from jail. Failure to appear in court would result in the forfeiture of the bail. Supporters say the current system unfairly penalizes low-income people. The new proposal would end that system in the fall of 2019. California lawmakers are also considering whether to limit the states felony murder rule. It holds accomplices just as responsible for the crime as if they had personally committed the crime. Supporter of changing the rules argue that it is unfair that accomplices can face execution or life prison sentences even if they were unaware that a killing would or did take place. Prosecutors counter it could create problems in resentencing prior offenders. Istanbul, Turkey President Donald Trump denounced the continued detention of American pastor Andrew Brunson and threatened to levy more sanctions against Turkey, a move that has rattled its currency and financial markets. "We will pay nothing for the release of an innocent man, but we are cutting back on Turkey!" Trump wrote on Twitter Thursday. He urged the evangelical missionary who has been held since October 2016 on espionage and terror charges to serve as a "great patriot hostage." A appeals court upheld a decision this week to keep Brunson under house arrest. Turkey is calling for the U.S. to extradite Fethullah Gulen, a Pennsylvania-based Islamic cleric it claims engineered a 2016 coup attempt. The U.S. has refused. In December 2016, when Brunson was charged, his case got little notice. But it has come to mirror the unraveling relationship between Turkey and the U.S. For many in Turkey, Brunson's story has little to do with his Christian proselytization in a Muslim-majority country and everything to do with how Washington addresses the concerns of Turkey. Many Turkish people believe Washington, D.C., is behind the two most vilified groups in the country: the Kurdistan Workers Party or PKK, which has fought a three-decades-long insurgency for Kurdish autonomy; and followers of Gulen. Brunson and his wife have lived since 1993 in Turkey, which is home to about 5,000 Protestant Christians, the vast majority of them converts. Unlike in many other Muslim-majority countries, establishing churches and proselytizing are legal in Turkey. Brunson rented a space in Izmir for the Resurrection Church. When Syria's civil war broke out in 2011 and refugees crossed the border, Brunson coordinated relief work for a network of missionaries that set up small churches. The charges stem from that work. The indictment alleged that Brunson had ties with Gulen's network, which was ostensibly an Islamic movement, but was known in Turkey for its outreach to other faiths. Stigma against Gulen's movement is so widespread today that many nongovernment interfaith groups have stopped using the words "interfaith dialogue" out of fear they could be linked to the controversial cleric. BETHLEHEM Town police report that a 13-year-old girl who has been missing since Wednesday has been located in Chicago. Madison Mutziger of Glenmont, who was last seen Aug. 15 in Glenmont, was located around 2:20 a.m. Saturday in Illinois and is receiving appropriate medical treatment, Bethlehem police said. Students sent home after gas leaks found Routt Catholic High School students were sent home early Friday after several gas leaks were discovered inside the school just after noon. Fire Department Capt. Brian Nyberg said a science teacher lit something, causing a small fire that extinguished itself. It was almost like a spark, enough to ignite and then go out, Nyberg said. Students were evacuated to the Church of Our Saviour prior to firefighters arrival and were sent home after the leaks were found. We found at least two small leaks within the building, but some of it was underneath the concrete, Nyberg said. Ameren crews found an additional gas leak in one of the main lines outside the school. The unidentified teacher suffered minor burns. Morgan County Jacksonville Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Michael A. Rogers, 27, of 910 Doolin Ave. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 8:18 p.m. Thursday on charges of criminal trespass to land and criminal damage to property. Kyla M. Buhlig, 30, of 317 Wilson St., Bluffs, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 2:35 p.m. Friday on a domestic battery charge. David E. Swarringin, 27, of 925 N. East St. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 6:17 p.m. Friday on charges of criminal trespass to land and criminal damage to property. ACCIDENTS Becky L. Painter, 55, of Jacksonville was injured after police say the vehicle she was driving was hit in the rear by a vehicle being driven by Joel S. Williams, Jr., 55, of Silvis about 4:54 p.m. Friday on East Morton Avenue. Painter was transported to Passavant Area Hospital, but her condition was not available Friday. Williams was cited on a charge of failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. South Jacksonville Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Kayla A. Mattes, 22, of 1850 S. Main St. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 10:15 a.m. Friday on a theft charge. Greene County Sheriff ARRESTS, CITATIONS Starr E. Lippincott, 51, of Alexander was lodged in the Greene County Jail at 11:26 p.m. Tuesday on charges of driving under the influence and failure to report an accident after striking an unattended vehicle. Steven S. Durhan, 47, of Roodhouse was lodged in the Greene County Jail at 3:15 a.m. Sunday on charges of driving while license is suspended and operating an uninsured motor vehicle. Carrollton Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Sarah R. Baumgartner, 38, of Carrollton was lodged in the Greene County Jail at 4:10 p.m. Thursday on a charge of driving while license is suspended. Brian E. Phipps, 47, of Carrollton was lodged in the Greene County Jail at 1:30 a.m. Sunday on a charge of aggravated battery. Greenfield Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Allen J. Wheeler, 33, of Nilwood was lodged in the Greene County Jail at 1 a.m. Sunday on a charge of reckless driving. Roodhouse Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Rebecca L. Newingham, 32, of Roodhouse was lodged in the Greene County Jail at 2:50 a.m. Monday on charges of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Ashley R. Shipley, 32, of Roodhouse was lodged in the Greene County Jail at 2 a.m. Sunday on a charge of battery. Talisha A. Mehrhoff, 32, of Roodhouse was lodged in the Greene County Jail at 9:06 p.m. Aug. 11 on charges of battery and disorderly conduct. Scott County Sheriff ARRESTS, CITATIONS Eric E. Berry, 39, of Bluffs was lodged in the Greene County Jail at 10:50 a.m. Aug. 11 on charges of residential burglary, possession of burglary tools, theft and criminal damage to property. Amanda J. Gooding, 35, of Bluffs was lodged in the Greene County Jail at 10:10 p.m. Aug. 11 on charges of residential burglary, possession of burglary tools, theft and criminal damage to property. Winchester Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Bryan R. Smith, 47, of Roodhouse was lodged in the Greene County Jail at 8:32 p.m. Aug. 9 on a Scott County arrest warrant accusing him of criminal trespass to a residence ad two counts of domestic battery. Compiled by David C.L. Bauer, Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree and Greg Olson (CNN) Malaysia has repealed a controversial anti-fake news law, which has been widely condemned for stifling free speech since its introduction in April. The law, created by former Prime Minister Najib Razak, made it an offense to create, publish or disseminate any fake news or any publication containing fake news. Those found guilty faced up to six years in prison and fines of up to $130,000. Current Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who was one of the first people investigated under the new law, defeated Najib in a stunning election in May. During his campaign, Mahathir promised to repeal the law and he delivered on that promise Thursday, when the Malaysian parliament passed the Anti-Fake News (Repeal) Bill 2018, according to state media Bernama. The news was met with a warm welcome from press freedom groups and advocates. Teddy Brawner Baguilat, a board member of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, called the decision "a huge step forward for human rights in Malaysia." "This is a law that was clearly designed to silence criticism of the authorities and to quell public debate -- it should never have been allowed to pass in the first place." Free speech controversy Najib had rammed the bill through Parliament days before it dissolved and elections were called, and with Najib's ruling coalition holding a parliamentary majority, the bill was easily passed. It defined fake news as "news, information, data and reports which is or are wholly or partly false," and an offender as somebody who by any means "knowingly creates, offers, publishes, prints, distributes, circulates or disseminates any fake news or publication containing fake news." The law also raised international concerns, as it gave Malaysian government extra-territorial reach -- foreigners, too, could be prosecuted if the fake news "concerns Malaysia or ... a Malaysian citizen." Najib's government justified the move as necessary for state security, but many within the country's media, legal fraternity and civil society expressed alarm that it could be used to punish dissenting or satirical voices. "This law is necessary for Najib, but not the country. He needs this to put fear in people, that they can go to jail if they criticize him," Zaid Ibrahim, a former minister in charge of legal affairs, told CNN in April. Ahead of the bill's passage into law, Brad Adams, Asia director for Human Rights Watch, called it a "blatant attempt by the government to prevent any and all news that it doesn't like, whether about corruption or elections." Even Najib's own brother, Nazir Razak, chairman of the CIMB banking group, called for it to be deferred. "This is about basic rights of individual expression, and instilling fear of such draconian punishment based on ambiguous definitions, will retard our society," he wrote on Instagram. BERLIN - It was the wedding event of the Austrian summer, and all the stars of the country's political universe were there. Plus a foreign guest who brought with him a bouquet of yellow flowers, a troupe of singing Cossacks and a heap of controversy. When Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl tied the knot at a vineyard in the hills of southern Austria on Saturday afternoon, Russian President Vladimir Putin was on hand to give his blessing. He stayed for a little over an hour and briefly danced with the bride; he in a dark blue suit, she in a cream-and-white dirndl, the region's traditional dress. His gift to the newlyweds was a performance by a deep-voiced choir outfitted in vivid red and flown in from Russia just for the occasion. The country's Foreign Ministry said the ceremony was private, with just 100 attendees. But with Putin among them, the personal event took on a very public meaning for Europe while generating a backlash in Austria. Austria has for decades been neutral in the struggle between East and West, maintaining strong ties with both Russia and with its allies in the European Union, not to mention the United States. But the small Alpine country of 9 million has pivoted toward to Moscow since the end of last year, when a government coalition of the center-right People's Party and the far-right Freedom Party took office. The latter in 2016 signed a cooperation pact with Putin's United Russia Party. The 53-year-old Kneissl, an academic and journalist before taking office in December, is officially independent. But she was selected for her post by the Freedom Party. Like the party, she opposes Europe's sanctions against Russia. When other EU nations expelled Russian diplomats in March in retaliation for the poisoning of a former Russian double agent on British soil, Austria pointedly declined to take part. As Putin and President Trump planned their summit this summer, the Kremlin initially favored Vienna as the venue before Helsinki won out. Although Kneissl is not believed to be personally close to Putin, she invited him to her wedding when he visited Vienna in June. The Kremlin announced he had accepted the invitation this week. Kneissl married Wolfgang Meilinger, an entrepreneur. The wedding gave Putin a highly symbolic platform to demonstrate his deepening ties with political leaders in Europe. Putin has long regarded the EU as an adversary, and Russia has sought to sow division on the continent. That effort has received a boost in recent years by the electoral success of populist parties, many of which share Moscow's contempt for Brussels. The timing is particularly apt for Putin given that Austria currently holds the rotating EU presidency. In addition to Putin, the two most powerful figures in Austria - Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Vice Chancellor Heinz Christian Strache, who leads the Freedom Party - also attended Saturday's wedding. Kurz has called for Austria to be "a bridge builder" between Russia and the West. But Putin's presence was criticized by opposition lawmakers in Austria. "How is Austria's presidency of the European Union meant to live up to the government's own claims of building bridges and being an honest broker when Austria's foreign minister and chancellor are so obviously on one side?" asked Andreas Schieder, a lawmaker from the center-left Social Democrats. That view was echoed in Ukraine, where Russia has used military force to annex territory - Crimea - and to support separatists attempting to cleave off even more of the country. "If you invite Vladimir Putin to your wedding, you are not neutral anymore," tweeted Ukraine's foreign affairs committee chair, Hanna Hopko. "From now on, Austria can't be a mediator in Ukraine. Period." A Freedom Party lawmaker, Johann Gudenus, said Kneissl should be able to invite whomever she wants to her wedding and accused critics of trying to interfere in her private life. Putin's attendance at the wedding overshadowed his visit later on Saturday to Germany, where he met with Chancellor Angela Merkel for the second time in the past three months. In the talks,at Merkel's countryside residence Meseberg, outside Berlin, the pair was expected to focus on the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine. No major decisions were expected, but the two have stepped up their engagement as ties with the United States have frayed. "I am of the opinion that controversial issues can only be addressed in dialogue and through dialogue," Merkel said in a brief statement before the talks. The leaders were not expected to speak publicly after the meeting. - - - The Washington Post's Luisa Beck contributed to this report. BEIRUT - When a Syrian warplane gathers speed along the runway, seconds from takeoff and minutes from action, a covert race to save civilian life begins. It starts in nearby Syrian hills with a single flight spotter and his cellphone. Moments later, details of the flight are beamed to a server abroad, analyzed to identify targets and then converted into warnings that are blasted back into the country via social media. Across rebel strongholds, rescue workers pull on their boots as surrounding hospitals brace for casualties. "Everyone is holding their breath," said Abu Zeid, one of the plane spotters, in a recent interview. "It's a wait that feels like hell." As rebels battling President Bashar al-Assad's government have fought on the ground, Syrian and more recently Russian jets have pounded opposition territory from above, shattering neighborhoods and killing or maiming many of the hundreds of thousands of people who live there. That carnage has forced innovation. Civilians, at first, used walkie talkies to warn of warplanes. Fledgling rescue teams developed ever more sophisticated ways to liberate families from the rubble. In hospitals, doctors developed work-arounds for when lights go out and drugs run dry. And then in 2016, a team of computer developers found a way to link all those efforts. The result is Hala Systems - known to many Syrians as the Sentry system - an organization that can win crucial minutes for residents to find safety when warplanes are thundering toward them. "We set out to disrupt the nature of warfare, even in a very small way," said American entrepreneur Dave Levin. "It was a crazy idea, but we decided it would be unconscionable not to try." Levin founded the operation with former U.S. diplomat John Jaeger, a Mideast hand, and a Syrian computer coder who asked that his name be withheld for fear of Syrian government reprisal. The undertaking is financed by Western governments and the donations of friends and family. First, the team needed a human network, and month by month they developed one. Reaching out through trusted contacts, they recruited teachers, engineers and even farmers as potential plane spotters, some living near Russian or Syrian air bases, others in the heart of opposition-held territory. Equipped with a simple smartphone app, these volunteers watch the skies on eight-hour shifts and, when an aircraft appears, share information about its location, direction and, if possible, type. That information is refined with complementary data from remote sensors. Hidden atop trees and tall buildings, these collect acoustic data that can be used to determine speeds and aircraft models. Seconds later, Hala's software compares the new information with that from previous episodes, calculates the chances of an airstrike and arrives at predictions for the aircraft's likely targets, as well as when an attack might occur. The projections are immediately broadcast over social media channels, and a network of alerts is triggered. When warplanes approach, sirens wail in the street and parents scoop up their children as they run for basements. In hospitals, flashing lights warn doctors that their doors could burst open with casualties. A preliminary analysis commissioned by Hala suggests that the technology has helped save hundreds of lives and prevent thousands of injuries. As a Russia-backed offensive pounded the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta earlier this year, residents scheduled their lives around Hala's warnings. "They were the only glimmer of hope that we had," said one former resident, speaking on the condition of anonymity out of safety concerns. "It's hard to believe we survived those days, truly. So many people died." The early warnings were widely and rapidly disseminated through Hala's arrangements with the White Helmets rescue group, which conducts search-and-rescue operations in rebel-held areas, and with opposition-affiliated radio stations and medical facilities. With Syria's seven-year war now reaching its final stages - the opposition is hemmed into northern Idlib province, and most of the country has been restored to government control - the spotters may be faced with their most urgent task yet. They may be called on to help soften the blow of what could be the war's bloodiest offensive. For the spotters, it's a dangerous job, putting them at risk of reprisals, and several said threats from pro-government militias were common. The spotters are also exposed at times to airstrikes, though there are no known instances of them being intentionally targeted. "I've sat there delivering warnings as the blasts rage all around," said Abu Zeid, who fled Eastern Ghouta this year as government forces advanced. But the spotters describe the job as a rare chance for action in the face of overwhelming atrocity. "The violence has been relentless, but you can't imagine the feeling when these warnings save lives," said Abdul Razzak, an observer in the opposition-held northern town of Maarat al-Numan. "It's so big you feel like you're bursting." On April 4, 2017, one spotter, Mahmoud al-Hasna, caught a radio signal between a pilot and a command center on his handheld walkie talkie, and it sent shock waves through the network. He had been tracking the squadron commander for months, and he knew that the plane only ran one kind of mission. "Guys, it has chemicals with it, I am sure of that," he radioed out, according to a transcript from the day. His panic rose with each new message. "Guys, tell people to wear masks." "There is another aircraft behind it." Minutes later, the warplanes dropped nerve gas on the northern town of Khan Sheikhoun, and scores of civilians suffered agonizing deaths. Many were killed in their sleep. Jaeger said it was unclear whether Hala saved lives during this attack, which took place during the system's rollout phase. "I wish more people could have received our warning that day," he said. In May of this year, the Hala team learned that Hasna had been killed in his hometown, Kafranbel, in Idlib province. His application sprang back to life the next day. In the organization's head office, the Syrian co-founder was stumped. How could a dead man warn of incoming warplanes? Hasna's widow would answer the mystery. The morning after the spotter's death, she found their 7-year-old son in his seat. He had watched his father for years, first using his walkie talkie to warn residents of incoming airstrikes and later joining a nationwide effort with Hala. So when a plane crested the horizon, he knew what to do, and he grabbed the phone, found the app and spread the word. - - - The Washington Post's Zakaria Zakaria in Istanbul contributed to this report. It turns out that unraveling Barack Obama's environmental agenda is harder than it looks. Federal judges have ruled against the Trump administration three times in the last three days, arguing that the administration short-circuited the regulatory process in its push to reverse policies on water protections, chemical plant safety operations and the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. In each instance, the courts either reinstated the existing rule or delayed the administration's proposal from taking effect. On Friday, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency's move to delay new chemical and safety requirements was "arbitrary and capricious." The day before, a judge on the U.S. District Court in South Carolina reinstated a rule in 26 states limiting the dredging and filling of streams and waterways on the grounds that the EPA had not solicited sufficient public input. And on Wednesday, a judge on the U.S. District Court of Montana ordered the State Department to conduct a more extensive environmental impact statement of the Keystone XL's proposed route through Nebraska. "It's certainly been a very bad week EPA's deregulatory agenda," said Georgetown University law professor Lisa Heinzerling, who served as a senior EPA official under Obama. The recent decisions come on the heels of a major loss for the administration Aug. 9, when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ordered the EPA to ban a widely-used pesticide known as chlorpyrifos, linked to developmental problems in children, within 60 days. In March 2017, then-EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt had rejected a petition by environmental and public health groups to take the pesticide off the market. The recent rulings all date back to decisions made early in President Donald Trump's tenure - often at the urging of industry groups who accused Obama officials of federal overreach. In the case of the Risk Management Plan amendment, or Chemical Disaster Rule, which was reinstated Friday, chemical manufacturers and refiners had urged EPA to suspend a rule aimed at promoting safety at chemical plants. The rule was crafted in response to the 2013 fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas, that killed 15 people, including a dozen first responders. It requires companies to better coordinate with emergency responders, share information about chemical threats with local communities and assess whether alternative technologies could prevent injuries in the case of a chemical accident. In Friday's decision, judges Judith Rogers and Robert Wilkins stated that EPA's argument that industry needed 20 months to determine how to meet the new standards "makes a mockery of the statute." In other losses last week, a federal judge in Los Angeles ordered EPA to restrict stormwater discharges from commercial and industrial sites, and the U.S. Court of International Trade halted imports of all seafood caught with gillnets in Mexico because the practice threatens the critically endangered vaquita porpoise. Noting that Trump officials sought to modify the ban, Judge Gary Katzmann wrote that it did not make sense given that "there is a real danger that the vaquita will disappear from the planet." "What the courts are saying is we're going to enforce the laws that Congress wrote, and this administration is breaking those laws, and needs to stop," said Natural Resources Defense Council's litigation co-director Michael Wall. Myron Ebell, who directs the Center for Energy and Environment at the conservative Competitive Enterprise Institute, said in an interview that "there are likely to be setbacks in court" when federal officials undertake major rules changes. He noted that the same court that ruled against EPA on the chemical safety rule stayed the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan, which limited greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants. Ebell said "several factors" contributed to the recent legal losses, including the fact that "Pruitt was a lot more about advocating and promoting the Trump agenda, rather than being on top of it." In other losses over the past week, a federal judges in California ordered EPA to restrict stormwater discharges from industrial operations and overruled a Fish and Wildlife Service policy. D.C. Circuit Judge Brett Kavanaugh was a member of the three-judge panel that heard arguments in the case but withdrew after being nominated for the Supreme Court. Asked for comment Friday, EPA spokeswoman Enesta Jones said agency officials "are reviewing the decision." It remains unclear whether the administration will appeal some of these rulings, and if so, whether the Supreme Court would intervene. Heinzerling noted that given the Supreme Court's more conservative tilt, there is a chance it would rule differently from the lower courts. But she added that several of the setbacks involve "really plain administrative law," which is less a matter of ideology than "pretty basic errors." "It would be very surprising if the Supreme Court would reverse them all," she said. Ebell, for his part, said that his greatest concerns is that these legal battles will drag on for a couple more years. "One of the things our side has to worry about is that some of these legal disputes might not be resolves until a second Trump term. And we might not get a second Trump term," he said. "The voters get to decide that." - - - The Washington Post's Chris Mooney contributed to this report. A San Antonio mother who gave birth at a Chick-fil-A fast food restaurant last month had known her labor and delivery would be out of the ordinary. Both mom and baby were considered high risk due to health complications. Doctors planned for a packed labor room with all kinds of specialists. Falon Maggie Griffins baby would then be whisked to neonatal intensive care. But no one could foresee how unusual the procedure would be in a bathroom stall, the baby delivered by her husband, Robert Griffin, 47, while Chick-fil-A employee Brenda Enriquez served as a go-between with a 911 operator. This is the best team, Maggie Griffin said Friday at a reunion at the restaurant one month after Gracelyn Mae arrived. I couldnt have had a baby in a better location. I knew what could have gone wrong and it didnt. Griffin, 36, had two children and didnt plan another pregnancy after being diagnosed with epilepsy years ago. Gracelyn was a surprise. Doctors warned she would be born with Down syndrome and it would be critical to take her into intensive care to measure her lung capacity and check her heart for holes or murmurs. Griffin was at risk for having a seizure during labor. Her doctor at University Hospital, at a July 17 checkup, estimated the baby wouldnt arrive for another three to seven days. Griffin got a pedicure before going home. That evening she experienced contractions, sometimes 20 minutes apart, other times five minutes. By 9:30 p.m. the couple decided to leave their Spring Branch home and head to the hospital. But first, theyd drop their two older girls off at a friends house. On the drive from suburban Comal County, Griffin really had to go to the bathroom. Stop anywhere, she told her husband. They called the friend, who met them at the Chick-fil-A off U.S. 281, north of Loop 1604. It was already closed but employees were inside who let them in when Robert Griffin banged on the door. Maggie Griffin ran for the bathroom. Two minutes later, Robert Griffin cradled Gracelyn in his shirt. The stall measured less than 2.5 by 5 feet. He had crawled behind her to help as his wife gave birth standing up. Enriquez had called 911. Maggie Griffin said couldnt hear her baby in Roberts arms behind her. I didnt know if I had delivered a stillborn, she said but prayed aloud, thanking God when Gracelyn eventually cried. She had to keep standing until medics arrived. The umbilical cord was twice wrapped around Gracelyns neck. Waiting was the worst, because Maggie Griffin could have had a seizure at any minute, her husband said. Employees raced to get warm towels from the office. As it happened, the office air conditioner was broken and the towels were naturally warm. There was a quiet moment while the Griffins waited. Robert Griffin told his wife, We just had a baby in a Chick-fil-A, and they laughed. In that moment, he knew theyd be all right. On Friday, Enriquez, 23, played the security camera footage over and over again for everyone at the reunion. With their healthy Little Nugget in tow, the couple, Roberts parents and their two older daughters Dakota, 9, and Makayla, 6 celebrated the miracle at Chick-fil-A. Gracelyns birth certificate, on display at the front entrance, showed nurses had crossed out the hospital where she was born and wrote Chick-fil-A. They also crossed out physician and delivery nurse and replaced both with Dad. Maggie and Robert Griffin asked Enriquez to be Gracelyns godmother. She tearfully accepted. And Maggie Griffin refused to go in the bathroom again. Krista Torralva covers several school districts and public universities in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | Krista.Torralva@express-news.net | Twitter: @KMTorralva It was a late-night flight from Las Vegas, and the woman rested her head on the window as the plane neared Detroit. She was startled awake by the man in the middle seat next to her. His hand was down her unbuttoned pants, and her shirt was undone. The 22-year old woman fled to the back of the plane to alert flight attendants. But first she had to get past two obstacles: Prabhu Ramamoorthy, the man in the middle seat, and his wife in the aisle seat - an arm's length away from a chill-inducing Jan. 3 incident later described in court. A federal jury convicted Ramamoorthy, 35, of sexual abuse on the Spirit Airlines flight. Ramamoorthy, an Indian national in the United States on a work visa, faces up to life in prison. He will be deported after serving his sentence, U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider said in a statement. "Everyone has the right to be secure and safe when they travel on airplanes. We will not tolerate the behavior of anyone who takes advantage of victims who are in a vulnerable position, and we are glad the jury agreed," Schneider said. "We appreciate the victim in this case for her courage to speak out." Jurors deliberated three and a half hours before returning their decision, he said. Ramamoorthy initially told investigators he had taken a pill and fallen into a deep sleep. He said he hadn't done anything besides learning from his wife that the woman, who was not named in the complaint, was sleeping on his knees. He and his wife later acknowledged the pill was plain Tylenol, according to prosecutors, and gave conflicting reports of what happened. His wife told investigators that she asked to switch seats because of the woman falling asleep, but the attendants told authorities no one else had asked to switch seats other than the victim. The wife was not named. Ramamoorthy told an FBI agent he "might have" unhooked the woman's bra, and then unzipped her pants, the complaint said. He tried to put his fingers inside the woman, but he told the investigator he was unsuccessful. But the prosecution presented evidence Ramamoorthy penetrated the woman with his fingers, Schneider said. Ramamoorthy could not be reached for comment. His attorney James Amberg and Spirit Airlines did not return a request for comment. In the trial, Amberg said his client's understanding of the legal process was based on Indian law. Ramamoorthy believed anything he told police was inadmissible in court, according to a motion Amberg filed to suppress his statements. He also believed he would be tortured unless he gave incriminating statements, the motion said. Amberg cited "Visaranai," a 2015 Indian film about corrupt police using violence to coerce guilty pleas, as evidence of Ramamoorthy's belief he faced a similar threat in the United States. It is not clear if Ramamoorthy will appeal the conviction. The FBI, which investigates crimes on aircraft, has said sexual assault in the air has increased in recent years. There were 63 reports of sexual assault on flights last year, the agency said, up from 38 in 2014. David Rodski, an FBI special agent assigned to investigate crimes out of Baltimore-Washington International Marshall Airport, said many incidents either go unreported or victims take time to alert authorities, The Post's Lynh Bui reported in June. "Hit that call button . . . notify the flight crew immediately," Rodski said. - - - The Washington Post's Eli Rosenberg contributed to this report. Mayor Ron Nirenberg has a transit plan, but can you describe it? What is the plan? Where will it go? How will it be funded? These questions have no answers. Nirenberg was elected, in part, on a pledge to address the transit crisis here. It was an important piece of his compelling and optimistic vision for San Antonio. But more than a year later, his transit plan is no clearer than a VIA Metropolitan Transit service map. Such lack of clarity came into painfully sharp focus over the course of several meetings earlier this summer for ConnectSA, the nonprofit tasked with making the mayors plan a voter-approved reality. At those meetings, city staff outlined funding options. One funding source, sales tax dollars used for Edwards Aquifer protection and completing the Howard W. Peak Greenway Trail System, became a point of dispute. Several officials in separate May and June meetings were left with the impression from City Manager Sheryl Sculley and Deputy City Manager Peter Zanoni that aquifer protection funds were off the table. Sculley has said she was simply outlining tough choices that will have to be made to fund transit. Nothing is off the table. In a text message, City Spokesman Jeff Coyle said Zanoni also said no such thing at the June meeting. Coyle said Zanoni spoke up when Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff mischaracterized Sculleys comments from the May meeting. Whatever the case, the disconnect is surprising. Nirenberg has spoken publicly about the possibility of shifting sales tax dollars from these very sources to his transit plan. Understand, possibility does not mean certainty. Nirenberg has always said he would only support shifting these sales tax dollars if other funds, namely bonds, could support Edwards Aquifer protection and the greenway system. I do not see an end to these programs, Nirenberg said. There are legitimate questions about whether bond dollars could be used for conservation efforts outside city limits, let alone Bexar County. Still. The point here is its an idea the mayor has floated as a possible elegant solution. In that context, there shouldnt be any confusion. Peter said that one is off the table, District 4 City Councilman Rey Saldana told me, speaking of aquifer protection funding. I personally believe it makes a lot of sense to look at a funding source that doesnt ask the residents to pay anything more than they are paying today. Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff also questioned Zanoni. I said, Wait a minute, who is in charge here? Wolff recalled. And then Rey backed up the mayor. One observer, Lauren Mandel, who attended the June meeting and is chief of staff for Bexar County Commissioner Kevin Wolff, said everybody was kind of in shock because it appeared the mayor and Sheryl were on two completely different pages, and the conversation between Councilman Saldana and Peter was one of disagreement. There are some important issues to unpack here. First, the question of just who is in charge at City Hall puts in high relief a long-simmering tension. Right or wrong, one perception is whether the tail is wagging the dog. Are unelected officials supporting the mayors vision (which voters backed) or undermining it? It also raises questions about how strained the relationship is at the highest levels between the city and county. Can the city and county work together? These transit meetings, for example, suggest they cannot. Same with the city-county squabble over Bexars new Justice Intake and Assessment Center And, of course, it raises a serious question about the mayors transit plan. Does it lack a clear and viable source of local funding? No, I dont think so because there are other sources of revenue, Nirenberg said. He and Sculley dismissed the disconnect of these meetings, saying staff has only outlined funding possibilities. They remain optimistic and excited about improving transit in San Antonio. He and I are on the same page, Sculley said of the mayor. But what is that page exactly? Its up to Nirenberg to tell us. After all this time, no one knows what would be built, where it would go, how it would be funded or even when a vote might happen. I dont know what the deal is now, Wolff said. The plan to get San Antonio moving looks stalled, and ConnectSA looks more like DisconnectSA. jbrodesky@express-news.net On Monday, there will be a hearing for Joe Bryan in the Comanche County Courthouse in Comanche. For the past 30 years, Joe Bryan has been in prison based on a highly questionable conviction for killing his wife. Bryan, who was a highly regarded high school principal in Clifton, is now 77 years old and has never wavered in his innocence. Recent activity and attention on his case has further solidified the strong case for Bryans innocence. Last month, the Texas Forensic Science Commission held a hearing on the bloodstain pattern evidence presented in this case. This evidence was the linchpin of the prosecution case and has been strongly challenged by Bryans attorneys. At the hearing, the commission received testimony from Celestina Rossi of the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office stating that the bloodstain pattern evidence presented at Bryans trial was egregiously wrong. This hearing followed years of litigation on Bryans behalf by Waco attorneys Walter Reaves, who serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project of Texas, and Jessica Freud. The attorneys presented evidence that Bryan could not have committed this murder because he was more than 100 miles away from Clifton attending a principals conference in Austin; that there was absolutely no reason for Bryan to harm his wife; and that the state relied on junk science to obtain a conviction. Moreover, evidence points to another suspect as the most likely perpetrator of this murder. This summer, former Texas Monthly Executive Editor Pam Colloff wrote a series of articles in the New York Times with ProPublica tracing the history of the Bryan case and detailing how the states bloodstain pattern evidence was presented by an unqualified witness and was scientifically invalid. Colloffs reporting once again has focused national attention on Texas and its criminal justice system. Unfortunately, despite the tremendous progress made statewide to free innocent people from prison and address the causes of wrongful convictions, this time the Texas official with the power to do the right thing has refused to do so. Adam Sibley, the Bosque County district attorney, is the prosecutor representing the state in the Bryan case. Sibley was not in this position 30 years ago when Bryan was convicted, but he had been the assistant district attorney in the county since July 2012 and has been the district attorney since January 2017. And he has steadfastly refused to consider the possibility of Bryans innocence, opposing DNA testing of crucial evidence. Someone murdered Joe Bryans wife, and that persons DNA may be found on this evidence evidence that may both identify the true murderer and add to the strong case of Bryans innocence. Texas has had more than 50 DNA exonerations, with almost half from Dallas County. Many of the Dallas County exonerees had their initial requests for DNA testing thwarted, even with the passing of the 2001 testing bill, and delayed by prosecutors using the same tactics as Sibley. In a number of cases where DNA testing was finally allowed, the evidence showed that the real perpetrators of the offense had gone on to commit other offenses. Michael Morton of Texas, one of the best-known exonerees in the country, had the same experience: languishing in prison for decades while prosecutors used the same tactics Sibley is using to fight against DNA testing in Bryans case. When Morton finally received the DNA test, it both cleared him and identified the person who actually killed his wife. The criminal justice system in Texas has undergone an evolution in the past decade. The current district attorneys in the five largest counties in the state (Dallas, Harris, Tarrant, Bexar and Travis) have formed Conviction Integrity Units within their offices to address wrongful convictions. As a result of this evolution, prosecutors in Texas rarely oppose DNA testing. Sibleys position is unjustified, legally and morally. Texans, including prosecutors, have stepped up to deal with the problem of wrongful convictions. The results have been impressive. Hopefully, Sibley will study this history and join the vast majority of Texas prosecutors who take seriously their oath to seek justice. Mike Ware is the executive director of the Innocence Project of Texas, a statewide organization that works to free the wrongfully convicted from Texas prisons. From 2007 to 2010 Ware served as chief prosecutor in the Dallas County District Attorneys Office Conviction Integrity Unit. When defendants appear at bond hearings in Bexar County, a prosecutor will make an argument for the state, and a judge will ask questions and set bail. But a defense attorney will almost never be there. Thats about to change, and not a moment too soon. The lack of a defense attorney at these initial hearings as charges are filed and bail is set known in Texas as magistration is a gaping hole in the justice system. No defense attorney means no one to argue for a lower bond or ensure a defendant doesnt make an incriminating statement. Throughout our ongoing Unequal Justice series we have called on local officials to provide defense counsel at bond hearings. Whether it is because of our calls or a result of officials own reasoning and sense of justice, the response to the crisis is welcome. Bexar County is very close to providing counsel to all defendants at bail hearings. I believe that ensuring all arrested individuals have adequate representation at their initial magistrate hearings will improve public safety, enhance our criminal justice system, and save our taxpayers in the long run, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff wrote in a letter this month to state District Judge Ron Rangel. I will support providing the Bexar County Public Defenders Office with additional resources they need to provide this representation. Rangel is the administrative judge for the district courts, which handle felonies and have the power to approve this program. In a separate letter to Rangel this month, Michael Young, chief of Bexar Countys Public Defenders Office, said he is meeting with other county officials to estimate the appropriate budget for this task. He asked for support and input from the district judges. In an interview, Rangel said he and his colleagues are on board. Its not anything the district judges would be opposed to in any way, he said. We think about justice. What does justice mean? It would be a benefit for every defendant to have an attorney argue on their behalf. If Bexar County follows through with this step, it will pay dividends for defendants, particularly those accused of nonviolent offenses who have languished in jail. Public defenders already provide representation to some but not nearly all defendants with mental illness at these initial appearances. The program has been successful. Defendants are more likely to receive mental health treatment and meet bond conditions. As important and welcomed as this step is, other reforms remain. Public defenders must also be present at bail hearings conducted by the city of San Antonio. As we noted in a previous editorial, the city is not partnering with the county at its new Justice Intake and Assessment Center. But as long as the city is doing its own magistration and processing, a county public defender should be present for those hearings as well. Otherwise, two defendants charged with the same crimes and in similar circumstances one in the county and one in the city could have very different bail hearing outcomes. The Public Defenders Office should also represent defendants at the countys 48-hour bond review hearings. As we noted in todays editorial about bail reform (on the front page of this section), these bond hearings are good policy but are a bit messy. Private attorneys are not always showing up. Scheduling has been inconsistent. Since a public defender will be at all initial hearings, it makes sense to have the same office at these 48-hour reviews. This would be for bond purposes only, so private attorneys wouldnt lose clients. Bexar County should create an office that fields complaints about private court-appointed attorneys. Bail hearings should always be open to the public, at least via video monitor. Our request to view these hearings was rejected. The Public Defenders Office should be expanded. The office is limited to 14 attorneys and has a large focus on mental health cases. The private court-appointed system is begging for reform. The pay is too low, there is little oversight, and the pay structure for misdemeanors incentivizes plea agreements, even where guilt may very much be in doubt. A better way can be found in Lubbock County, where officials use a managed-assigned counsel system. The system has more oversight, uses a different pay structure and takes the appointment process out of the hands of judges, who receive campaign contributions from attorneys. Our point is this: Defense representation at initial appearances is a welcome and vital step. But it shouldnt be the only step Bexar takes to reform and improve the criminal justice system. ZIMBABWES renewed efforts under President Emmerson Mnangagwas administration to mend relations with the West and re-join the international community suffered a major setback after the United States extended sanctions against the southern African country, outlining key reforms Harare should implement before the embargo can be scrapped. Last week, US President Donald Trump renewed punitive sanctions against Zimbabwe, condemning the country to more years of isolation. The US insists the embargo will only be scrapped if Harare shows commitment and political will to return to democracy through fostering the rule of law and holding credible elections, among other key reforms. Last months landmark polls, widely expected to open a new chapter for Zimbabwe to restore cordial relations with the West, were marred by violent protests that erupted in the aftermath of the July 30 general election. Washington renewed sanctions against Zimbabwe after the country held a relatively peaceful but disputed poll whose aftermath was marred by violent protests which claimed at least six lives in the wake of the militarys intervention to quash a demonstration. Mnangagwa polled 50,8% of the vote, narrowly beating his closest rival MDC Alliance candidate Nelson Chamisa who obtained 44,3% of the ballot. Chamisa is contesting the declared result at the Constitutional Court. The European Union (EU), though it has gradually eased its own set of restrictive measures against Harare, noted that Zimbabwe had failed the poll credibility test, further denting efforts to repair broken fences with the bloc. The bloc has also emphasised that re-engaging with Harare would, among other conditions, be based on the credibility of the recently held elections. The US slapped Harare with sanctions in 2001 under the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (Zidera) during former President Robert Mugabes 37 years of ruinous rule which saw the southern African country plunging into an economic crisis and civil unrest. The embargo is meant to encourage Zimbabwe to uphold human rights as part of a reform framework Harare should implement to end international isolation. Mugabes belligerent stance, particularly against Britain and the US, punctuated by decades of flawed elections and gross human rights abuses, condemned Zimbabwe to isolation as the West piled pressure on Harare through the imposition of sanctions. Compounding Zimbabwes decades-long economic crisis, the country is also suspended from accessing fresh lines of credit from international financial institutions for failing to extinguish an over US$12 billion external debt. The international lending institutions have also cobbled together a cocktail of structural reforms Zimbabwe should implement to unlock fresh lines of credit. Mnangagwas ascendance to power last year through a millitary coup that toppled Mugabe was widely expected to set the tone for Zimbabwes renewed efforts to reengage with the West, while adding impetus towards the drive to put the countrys fragile economy on a firm recovery and growth trajectory. Until the botched election scuttled the re-engagement efforts, the West had, by some measure, generally warmed up to Mnangagwas Zimbabwe is open for business mantra, with the United Kingdom (UK) extending a US$100 million facility in over two decades to help the southern African country revitalise its fragile industrial base. However, the West has led the chorus of international condemnation against the heavy handed approach by Zimbabwes heavily militarised state in quelling violent protests that erupted after the announcement of the disputed poll results. The US, in particular, has castigated the reported abduction of opposition activists in the wake of post-election protests that rocked Harare. Washington has also raised the red flag over the deportation of MDC Alliance principal Tendai Biti from Zambia and his subsequent arrest by local security agents on charges of inciting political violence and flouting the electoral law. The US is also considering reviewing its aid to Zambia. While Zimbabwean authorities expressed dismay at the latest renewal of sanctions in over a decade by the US, Harare can only normalise relations with the worlds most prosperous nation if the pariah state takes bold steps to implement the raft of reforms Washington has spelt out. Fostering democracy, upholding the rule of law and human rights as well as holding credible polls are some of the sign posts that Washington has flagged for Harare to emerge from the woods of international isolation. Judging from the US stance, it is almost clear that no amount of rhetoric and piecemeal reforms by Mnangagwas administration would thaw frosty relations between the two countries, critical for Zimbabwe to rebuild its broken economy. Analysts say that the preconditions set by the West and in particular the US, to normalise relations with Harare, are not unreasonable in the circumstances. Rhodes University political science lecturer Mike Mavura said without implementing the required re-engagement reforms, Harare would continue to languish in isolation, while missing the golden opportunity to restore relations with some of the worlds wealthiest nations. The onus was and is on Harare to take the necessary steps to have sanctions removed. The conditions for the removal of sanctions are not outlandish. A credible, free and fair election would have sent the right signals to the world. Instead, the world saw soldiers shooting and beating up people on the streets of Harare. That is an own goal. Those jujitsu games with AK7s and whips on Harares streets in full view of the international media makes diplomatic manoeuvring difficult in efforts to normalise relations, Mavura said. Political analyst Maxwell Saungweme said the controversial deployment of gun-toting soldiers on the capitals streets to quell a demonstration by the opposition would dampen hopes of normalising relations with the US. He said the re-engagement conditions set by the US are not preposterous. Harare simply needs to do the needful to get the sanctions scrapped: remove the military from civilian and political affairs; respect for human rights; stop elections theft; realign laws to the Constitution; account for Itai Dzamara and other disappeared human rights defenders, he said.. As the US sanctions enter a second decade, Harare will continue to lurch from one economic crisis to another, missing the golden opportunity to re-engage with the worlds wealthiest nation to ensure recovery. Zimbabwe Independent Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News CHIEF Justice Luke Malaba yesterday issued a controversial directive which shocked a meeting of lawyers for the applicant and respondents, as well as one candidate in the recent disputed presidential election, in the case in which main opposition leader Nelson Chamisa is challenging President-elect Emmerson Mnnagagwas hotly-disputed victory. The case will be heard at the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) starting next Wednesday at 10am. The matter which has far-reaching implications for Mnangagwas presidency and the nations politics and future might be broadcast live if an application for that is filed or a request is made in writing to the ConCourt and granted. Chamisa is challenging Mnangagwas contentious win, saying it was secured through manipulation, irregularities and fraud, charges the president-elect denies. Mnangagwa won with a wafer-thin 50,8%, while Chamisa got 44,3%. The remainder of the vote went to 21 other candidates. The case started on a dramatic note yesterday during a meeting on preparations and procedures, setting the stage for a bruising and explosive battle which may leave Zimbabwe deeply divided and stuck in a deepening legitimacy crisis. Judiciary sources said Malaba stunned the meeting attended by Chamisa and Mnangagwas lawyers, as well as some respondents when he gave an extraordinary directive that any respondent who would want to make a submission supporting Chamisa in the case will not be allowed to do so. However, any respondent backing Mnangagwa will be allowed to make a submission without any problem. Malaba did not explain why. Those in the meeting did not ask why either, sources said. Lawyers said it was unprecedented and unheard of that a judge, let alone a chief justice, would brazenly want to manage and even influence a major case like that through such an intervention. They said his directive is being studied and could be legally challenged. The order came as Mnangagwas attorneys and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) boss Justice Priscilla Chigumba scrambled for technical reasons to get Malaba and the ConCourt bench to refuse to hear Chamisas case or dismiss it on technicalities. Some of the technicalities being brandished include that the application was filed late, is incomplete, defective or invalid. Alternatively, they say it has no merit and must be dismissed. Chamisa, however, insists he has overwhelming evidence of flaws, unlawful activities and criminalities massive rigging which influenced the outcome of the election. United Democratic Party leader Daniel Shumba, a losing candidate and respondent in the case who was at the meeting yesterday, confirmed Malabas directive. We attended a preparatory meeting where there was the applicant (Chamisa)s lawyers, the first respondent (Mnangagwa)s attorneys, Zec representatives and myself, among others, Shumba said in an interview with the Zimbabwe Independent. At the meeting, the chief justice, who was chairing and had come alone without his full ConCourt bench, gave a directive which shocked the legal fraternity, constitutional bodies and the democratic sphere. He said any respondent supporting the applicant (Chamisa) will not be allowed to make submissions. The court will only accept submissions from any respondent supporting the first respondent (Mnangagwa). This is unbelievable. We are currently making consultations to see if we can legally challenge this, and if we can request the chief justice to recuse himself. We think he is conflicted. The chief justices directive and role is more worrying when taken together with the relevant background and context of this case. We should remember that he (Malaba) was the one who swore in the first respondent (Mnangagwa) last November (after the coup). He went on to hear a constitutional application which sought access to the ConCourt to challenge Mnangagwas ascendancy. As the same person who had sworn in Mnangagwa, thus giving him constitutional and legal legitimacy, Malaba should have recused himself, but he didnt. Now here we are again with him (Malaba) presiding over a court challenge to Mnangagwas recent disputed election victory. We strongly believe there are grounds for him to recuse himself, given all this. We were perplexed and shocked by his directive which is unprecedented and unheard of. Malabas ruling, sitting in ConCourt chambers in the matter of Liberal Democrats and Others v Mnangagwa and Others, raised very serious legal and jurisprudential questions. In this matter, two political parties named Liberal Democrats and Revolutionary Freedom Fighters, together with Vusumuzi Sibanda, Linda Masarira and Bongani Nyathi, sought direct access to the ConCourt to bring an application against Mnangagwa, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Speaker of the National Assembly and former president Robert Mugabe. Malaba had to decide whether it was in the interest of justice that direct access should be given. The alternative for the applicants was to start their case in a lower court. The essence of their case was that Mugabes resignation on November 21, 2017 in the midst of a military coup which brought in Mnangagwa to power, was not free and voluntary. They argued that it was a direct result of the military action of November 14, 2017 and the presence of military vehicles in the streets of Harare between 14 and 21 November 2017. They also said the subsequent impeachment proceedings were intended to aid and abet take-over of power by the military. Further, they challenged the constitutionality and legality of the assumption of power by Mnangagwa on November 24, 2017. However, the applicants were in default on the date of the hearing. No one appeared on their behalf. In order for Malaba to decide whether direct access should be granted, he had to consider the applicants prospects of success before the ConCourt. In the process, the chief justice concluded that Mugabe had resigned of his own volition or free-will. He held that the resignation of Mugabe was voluntary as evidenced by the letter of resignation and the communication with the Speaker of the National Assembly on the day. Malaba decided the legality of the coup relying on a court order issued without reasons by Judge President Justice George Chiweshe in the case Joseph Evurath Sibanda and Leonard Chikomba v President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Robert Gabriel Mugabe N.O. and Minister of Defence and Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and Attorney-General of Zimbabwe (HC 10820/2017) on November 24 2017. There is a rich history of case law within the Commonwealth, where there have been legal challenges to the unconstitutional overthrow of elected governments. These cases and incisive commentary on them are set out in an interesting book by Professor John Hatchard and Dr Tunde Ogowewo titled Tackling Unconstitutional Overthrow of Democracies: Emerging Trends in the Commonwealth. Hatchard and Ogowewo develop a new theoretical construct the implicit bargain theory to explain the existing jurisprudence on coups. Their study critically examines the evolution of judicial decisions on the subject. In doing so, it also evaluates jurisprudential theories underpinning these judgments. Most judges rely on the dodgy Dosso jurisprudence which can be traced to the judgment of the Pakistan Supreme Court in State v Dosso, a decision that has been termed a carte blanche for treasonable conduct. Malaba and his colleagues almost certainly relied on this and also the doctrine of necessity to justify their decisions. To understand the nature of the existing jurisprudence on coups, it is important to understand what in fact produced it, Hatchard and Ogowewo write. For this, a new theoretical construct the implicit bargain theory is introduced to tell the story. Judges are important players when there is a coup. The immediate effect of a coup is to eliminate two branches of government the executive and the legislature. The judiciary is left intact. The judiciary is left intact for two reasons. First, because judicial affirmation of the regime of usurpers confers legitimacy on the usurpers. Second, because even usurpers need to govern in a system characterised by law and order, and an existing judicial system even if tweaked is indispensable. Shumba, cited as one of the 25 respondents in the Chamisa case, yesterday said: I am going ahead to file my papers. It is my constitutional right to do so. Prior to the interview, Shumba had addressed a press conference and emphasised that he would challenge Malabas directive. It does not matter whether I am a respondent or applicant; I have the right to be heard. According to Section 167(a), (b) and (c), rules of the ConCourt must allow a person when it is in the interest of justice with or without leave of the ConCourt to bring a constitutional matter directly to the court, to appeal directly to the ConCourt from any other court, to appear as a friend of the court, Shumba said. I will not be intimidated to abandon my democratic and constitutional right. Zimbabwe Independent Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News CHIEF Justice Luke Malaba has given MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa a deadline of 12 noon today to file his answering affidavit in support of his petition to the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) challenging the results of the July 30 election won by President-elect Emmerson Mnangagwa. Justice Malaba issued the order in his chambers on Thursday as the courts nine judges prepare to determine the highly contested matter on Wednesday next week. The applicant (Chamisa) is to file and serve the answering affidavit simultaneously with heads of argument on the respondents (Mnangagwa and 21 other losing presidential candidates, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) and its chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba) by no later than 12 noon on Saturday August 18, 2018, the order read. The respondents are to file and serve heads of argument by no later than 10am on Monday August 20, 2018. (4):- The respondents who are all within their dies induciae (time limit) are free to file and serve their documents in the matter. (5):- All documents referred to herein are to be served by the Sheriff and (6):- Consolidation of the record is to be attended to by the Registrar at 11 am on Monday August 20, 2018. All parties are expected to attend. The MDC Alliance leader petitioned the court seeking nullification of the presidential votes, claiming he garnered 2 674 032 votes against Mnangagwas 2 008 639. In his founding affidavit, Chamisa claims that about 700 000 votes remained unaccounted for and as such the results declaring Mnangagwa winner of the presidential elections were dubious. The votes announced by Zec however, give a total depending on whether one considers the announcement or that on the CD, some 4 775 640 and 4 774 878 respectively. That means from the results announced by Zec, more than 700 000 votes cannot be accounted for. Obviously, that huge figure materially affects the outcome of the election, he said. The youthful leader also alleges there were a number of irregularities, which included double counting of votes and embarrassing mathematical errors which were significant to affect the outcome of the poll. Chamisa claims he was robbed of a win through mathematical errors by Zec. But Mnangagwa dismissed the opposition leaders averment, saying his victory was based on his preparedness and the will of the electorate. In his founding affidavit, Mnangagwa said Chamisas application was not bona fide, but simply meant to delay his inauguration and to also find an opportunity to make political statements in court. Chigumba also dismissed Chamisas victory claim, arguing that the electoral body had carried out its mandate according to law and that its findings and decision in favour of Mnangagwa was final. In his founding affidavit through his lawyers, Charles Nyika and Tawanda Kanengoni, Justice Chigumba said the electoral body followed all the processes as provided for in the electoral law, relating to collation, verification and announcement of presidential election results. Chigumba also said the hacking of the electronic voters roll that the electoral commission affords to the public has resulted in a denting of the credibility of the voters roll. There is no basis for the allegation that the provision of sample ballot papers, which was done for every political party contesting the election, created fertile ground for rigging through ballot swapping and stuffing, she said. Thee sample ballots are clearly marked sample how such a ballot could be swapped and pass for the actual ballots used in the election is again not explained by the applicant. Further still, the counting process at the close of the poll is witnessed by polling agents and election observers, if any instances of sample ballots having found their way into the ballot boxes, as the applicant alleges, existed, surely the thousands of polling agents and scored of election observers across the country would have picked that up during the count. Chigumba also dismissed claims that polling stations disappeared on the polling day and challenged Chamisa to state the names of the said stations. No polling station disappeared on the polling day. The applicant does not state the names of the polling stations that he alleges to have disappeared on the polling day. No polling stations were created on the polling day. 1HRDC and 2HRDC that the applicant cites as examples of created polling stations are in fact not polling stations. The former stands for ward 1 Hurungwe Rural District Council and the latter stands for ward 2 Hurungwe Rural District Council, Chigumba said. NewsDay Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News An Angolan army sergeant was jailed for 18 years on Tuesday for shooting dead a 14-year-old boy at a protest two years ago, in a sentence welcomed by rights groups. Rufino Antonio died after the military opened fire in August 2016 at a demonstration against the demolition of houses for an industrial project in Zango, a working class suburb on the outskirts of the capital Luanda. Witnesses said the soldiers fired without warning into the air and at protesters feet to disperse the crowd, with Antonio shot fatally in the neck in an incident that caused widespread anger in Angola. The judge at the court in Luanda sentenced Jose Alves Tadi, who was found guilty of the killing, to 18 years in jail and ordered him to pay 1,000,000 kwanza ($3,700) to the boys family. We hope todays verdict and sentence will send a clear message that nobody is above the law in Angola, Zenaida Machado, Angola specialist at Human Rights Watch, told AFP. Family lawyer Luis Nascimento confirmed the sentences, but called for higher compensation. Three other soldiers were sentenced to one year in jail. DailyMail Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News Shortly after results of the presidential poll, Peta Thornycroft interviewed winning candidate, Zimbabwean President-elect Emmerson Mnangagwa at State House in Harare. The constitutional court will next week hear argument challenging the result by the opposition candidate, Nelson Chamisa. PT: Who gave the army the order to go into the city on August 1? EM: I consulted the commissioner-general of police and he indicated to me that in terms of the law, the commissioner of police can contact his counterpart who commands the local unit to give him immediate support while the process is ongoing. The entire country was in a jovial mood. No-one expected the violence that happened so suddenly. The police were taken by surprise. They were deployed country-wide, covering the election process, so suddenly the small unit (left in Harare) could not control what was happening: In terms of the law, police are allowed to summon assistance to bring order. We regret what happened thereafter and since then. This should not happen again. We are instituting a commission of inquiry and to give it more flavour and transparency we are bringing people in from abroad. I have one name from SA, one from the UK to consider with three names to join us to look at the matter. The inquiry will begin immediately after the inauguration. PT: You have made such an effort to rebuild the party and now this tragedy after peaceful elections. EM: Fortunately I am not doing it alone, I am doing it with my team, we all agree that Zimbabwe must change. We must have a different image from the isolationist posture of the past. Zimbabwe must embrace the international community totally and we are doing everything possible for political reform. For us again to relate and to cooperate with the international community and international business. PT: There is one photograph shown in the media of a soldier shooting and another soldier stepping forward and stopping him on August 1. What are your views on that? EM: I have not seen that picture. PT: Its a shocking picture. Why hasnt he been arrested? EM: Orders have been given about all those people who took the law into their own hands, whether it was police or others who take the law into their own hands. I also dont want to pre-empt the outcomes of the commission I am instituting. PT: Human rights groups say there are 150 cases of unconstitutional violence since August 1. Do you agree? EM: Let me assure you, the best thing to do is get the list of 150 cases and pass it onto us. This is fake news and its flying left right and centre. We were told (of these cases) by Philippe van Damme, the EU ambassador here, and we took him to task and said lets go around all the hospitals in Harare and see if there is any record of people in hospitals. He had to later apologise as this was not true. PT: Human rights groups have details of those cases. EM: Be wary of Zimbabwe human rights groups. They have an agenda. They have always been against the government. They have not changed their minds, they have not shifted their mindset to become democratic but that will take time. We must deal with facts and not any speculation. Whatever you hear try to check and I think the police will be able to assist you in checking. PT: Human rights people are desperately looking for the Commissioner of Police. EM: So why would they come to you the journalists? Let them go to the commissioner, he is in the country, he is in townbefore they make such statements, let them verify these issues with the right authorities. Thats what should be done. PT: MDC Alliance MP Tendai Biti fled the country and went to Zambia. There was a warrant for his arrest. EM: What I saw on TV, was that statement issued by the police, that they wanted him to come to Harare Central Police station to clarify certain issues. This has been on the radio. If he was really innocent and had not done anything, he should have quickly gone to Harare police station and stated the issues he wanted to clear. Why did he skip the country? Weve also had some discussion with some of the observers. We had set up a call centre where they allegedly received calls from people saying they were threatened here and there. We asked for the addresses of those people threatened in order to investigate. PT: But many people are fearful nowadays especially when they see people in uniform. EM: I have not received information from my party or from the general public or from any citizen saying I am fearful. Never, never. You will see the police walking in uniform. It is legitimate, its allowed by the law. You will see soldiers in their trucks. They are not on a mission to intimidate. Our police and our army they are very friendly, we have defence forces week, where they go around building clinics. building schools to show the army and the public are in good relations. So this fake news about our people..that they are afraid of the army. PT: How will Zimbabwe now move along after these terrible turn of events? EM: We will continue preaching peace, peace, unity, unity, love, love to our people, it is a culture and we want its roots to go deeper and deeper. The good will always prevail over evil. Yes, we have people who peddle evil, but what is correct will prevail. PT: Were you surprised at the election results only .8 percent above 50 percent. (To avoid a run off the winner must have 50% +1.) EM: We have 133 political parties. Of the 133, 54 political parties were participating in the elections and 22 were bidding for the office of presidentall 22 were fighting me, and I am so proud that I beat not only the 22 but the entire 54. And I got 2.4 million votes against 2,1 million.. 22 political parties and I beat them all. PT: The MDC Alliance has gone to court to challenge your victory. What are your views? EM: I am not privy to their thinking. As a government we have not interfered with the process of the ZEC (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission), we are staying aloof, we allow the law to take its course. This is my attitude. And we are already moving the trajectory of growth, so what will happen will be the continuation of the trajectory of growth, we are going to be out there with more focus, more energy, to make sure that in the course of business, Zimbabwe needs to become more competitive, so that we can again catch up with the rest of the developing countries ahead of us. PT: Will the Mugabe family have some of their many farms taken away? EM: Its not a question of voluntary giving up, but about complying with the policy. I am still receiving evidence of what the (former) first family had. When that process is complete they will select one farm and the rest will be given elsewhere. We have the land commission, and this is one of the matters they are seized with attending to. Its not on the basis of the family, (one family, one farm). It is on the basis of government policy. There are so many others families who have more than one farm. It must all be governed by the size of the farm. PT: Is there anything you regret in your life? EM: I dont think I regret anything. I have no other life I know except politics from when I was 17. I never worked for anyone but the people and the party. I dont regret I chose that life. At the end of the day, I did what I did for my country. PT: Will the new truth commission you signed into law, to deal with thousands of murders of opposition supporters from the 80s, get enough money to operate properly? EM: When they (commission officials) want money, they dont go to journalists let them come to me. You must first ask them, did you go to the president? PT: What do you say about those massacres, known as Gukuruhundi, following independence? EM: Well, our former President (Mugabe) described it and said it was a moment of madness. Thats how he described that event. I have said we cant live in the past, and that should never again happen in our country. Let us be a family and forge ahead, whatever wrongs we regret and they should never again visit our country. I second the position taken by our former president a moment of madness. PT: In Mugabes statements to the press before the elections, he said he never trusted you. EM: I trusted him to the end and its only now that Ive learnt he doesnt trust me. We shared the deepest issues together. PT: Mugabe has talked about you and Dan Stannard, the former Rhodesian head of security who later became head of Zimbabwes security about some of the activities you got up to. What is your thought on this? EM: During the era of independence some South Africans and Selous Scouts (Rhodesian soldiers) were going to blow up heads of state and Prince Charles, Indira Gandhi, at Rufaro Stadium. They brought in some Sam 7 missiles, and the person who alerted us was Dan Stannard. We removed them. Even Claymore Mines were put in Rufaro grounds and this is why Stannard got an award. I think it is his (Mugabes) old age, that he has forgotten. He said I was a Rhodesian spy? Old age is bad if his mind twists that way. Why would he work with me for 54 years if I was a Rhodesian spy? Rubbish and nonsense this is. PT: What about the immediate post-independence period of instability in the country. EM: I should give credit for how we handled matters post-independence. The president, prime minister (Mugabe) back then espoused national reconciliation. We had some whites who went out to reverse our gains but we were able to outmanoeuvre them and establish peace. At the time there were a lot of bandits and dissidents killing people in Matabeleland North, the Midlands. I am happy that at the end of the day reconciliation won because it was not an easy task to marry three armies which had different orientations. PT: What about violence against the MDC post-2000? Many were killed and jailed and none have been prosecuted for those crimes. EM: You can go back to the police and find out who was not charged. Go to the police and ask what happened to those cases. Anyone who committed a crime the police would have had a duty to arrest, them. PT: What about the G40 faction within Zanu PF that has been loyal to Mugabe what happened to them? EM: I have never been a member of G40. I dont know what they are planning or not planning. I hear from security that they continuously tweet. They continuously make statements. To me. I am looking forward to the future. There is no reason for living in the past. We must all preach peace and unite our people even those who were antagonistic. We are Zimbabweans and come together. PT: Returning to the shooting in Harare on August 1. Who gave the order to the army because General Valerio Sibanda says he did not give the order? EM: I have replied to this. You are so repetitive This is typical like Mugabe. We walked together for 54 years and he didnt trust me. No one gave orders there is this perception and it is disjointed. I explained, the army has a strict command structure, I am the commander-in-chief and matters are handled according to the process. Independent Foreign Service Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News While some fans are pleasantly surprised and filled with admiration for Nollywood actress Chika Ike and her seemingly hot body, others are however concerned with the authenticity of her body, especially her 'booty'. It is gradually becoming a common thing for Nigerian celebrities to carry out cosmetic surgery on their bodies for one reason or another. While some are private about it, others tend to go public about it. Nollywood actress, Tonto Dikeh was one of those who let her fans in on her multi-million naira surgery. Well, fellow Nollywood actress, Chika Ike, has got tongues wagging about her body which appears a bit more curvier, especially around her 'booty' area. The Nollywood actress who recently released her first book has since been flexing on the 'gram and getting her fans curious most especially about her body. She recently shared a photo of herself and as usual, flaunted her curvy body, leaving many fans in awe. Well, while others were throwing compliments, a curious fan asked the actress if she did a hip or booty implant. The actress in turn replied letting fans know it was all natural. READ ALSO: Viral photos of Senate President Bukola Saraki and his family See the exchange below: Screenshot of the exchange between Chika and a fan Source: Instagram READ ALSO: My husband deceived me, he introduced his lover to me as his aunt - Nigerian woman cries out A while ago, she had put up a post on her page revelaing her insecurities about her body when she was growing up. According to the Boss Up author, she felt she was too thin and tall and said she did everything to put on weight. Going further, she stated that the reverse is the case today as she has to constantly work out in the gym to keep fit as being slim is finally cool to her. See her post below: PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News on Legit.ng News App Get the hottest gist on Africa Love Aid Nigeria Celebrities: How Much Do They Spend On Luxury Life? | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng - INEC in Lagos state has published the notice of elections in the state office, INEC local government offices - INEC will also publish the notice in each constituency in respect of which an election is to be held As part of its preparations for the 2019 general elections, the Independent National Electoral (INEC) in Lagos state on Friday, August 17 published the notice of elections at its state office, INEC local government offices, and state Registration Areas. INEC gave this directive in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Mr Femi Akinbiyi. The action is in accordance with the approved deadline for the conduct of the 2019 general elections, as contained in Section 30 of the Electoral Act, Akinbiyi said. READ ALSO: Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Enugu on the list of states with high number of youths in politics The Electoral Act states that: The Commission shall, not later than 90 days before the day appointed for holding of an election under this Act, publish a notice in each state of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory. Akinbiyi explained that the Act requested the commission to state the date of the election and appoint the place at which nomination papers are to be delivered. He added that the Act also demands that the notice should be published in each constituency in respect of which an election is to be held. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that both the Presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on Feb. 16, 2019, while the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections are slated for March 2. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app Legit.ng earlier reported that Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue on Friday, August 17, advised Benue people to take advantage of the two weeks extension of the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) registration by INEC by ensuring that they registered. Ortom gave the advice on Friday in Gboko Local Government Area (LGA), Benue during the Supreme Council of the Tiv Nation. Nigeria Election 2019: What are Bukola Sarakis chances against President Buhari | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng News - A Nigerian man identified as Firday Uko, has been sentenced to death for killing his wife in Akwa Ibom - According to reports, he kicked her for allegedly taking N1,000 out of his pockets to cook food for their 7 kids to eat - After judgement was passed, Uko pleaded for mercy in order to take care of his children 7 children have been made motherless by the very hands of their own father. Identified as Friday Uko, the father of 7 has been sentenced to death by an Akwa Ibom State High Court, sitting in Ikot Ekpene, for killing his pregnant wife. According to police reports, he kicked his 3 months pregnant wife, Patience, on August 14, 2014 at about midnight because she removed N1000 from his pocket and used it to cook food for their 7 children (6 girls, 1 boy) the oldest being 10-year-old. Speaking during the sentence, Justice Ntong Ntong expressed his concern stating that a pregnant woman who is supposed to be pampered due to her condition, was treated the way Uko did his wife. READ ALSO: Viral photos of Senate President Bukola Saraki and his family Friday Uko Source: Facebook/Harrison Essien He said: "The accused pushed her down having known that she was pregnant and that he ought to know that a pregnant woman ought to be pampered and treated with love and not violence. This case is straightforward. The accused has told this Court through his extrajudicial statement that he caused the death of his wife. Anyone who unlawfully kills another is entitled to face the law. READ ALSO: My husband deceived me, he introduced his lover to me as his aunt - Nigerian woman cries out The accused pushed his wife down with pregnancy and she raised an alarm and died instantly showing the force the accused exerted in pushing her down. I have sworn to interpret the law no matter whose ox is gored." The convict, whose lawyer was not present in Court, pleaded for mercy so as to enable him go and take care of his children. PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News on Legit.ng News App Get the hottest gist on Africa Love Aid Nigeria Latest News: Woman Laments Bitterly After her Sister Sent Assassins to Kill Her| Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - President Erdogan of Turkey said his country would boycott US electronic goods over the sanctions imposed on it the US - He said his country would opt for indigenous products and products from other countries instead - Following Erdogans statement, Turks started destroying their iPhones and other US products Turkish men are reportedly smashing their iPhones with sledgehammers, shooting them at point plank range, and setting them on fire after their president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, called for a boycott of all products produced by the United States. The Turkish president called for the boycott in a fiery speech on Wednesday, August 15, in response to the US sanction against the country. He warned the US that it would turn to domestically produced goods or rival firms in South East Asia in retaliation, Dailymail reports. READ ALSO: Why I cannot join PDP - Atikus political friend reveals he will remain in APC Legit.ng gathered that President Donald Trump imposed the sanctions over the detention of an American pastor Andrew Brunson on terrorism-related charges. We will boycott US electronic goods, Erdogan reportedly said in a televised speech. If (the US) have the iPhone, there's Samsung on the other side, he said, referring to US giant Apple's phone and the top South Korean brand. We (also) have our Venus and Vestel, he said about homegrown Turkish electronics brands. Turks quickly followed his lead, destroying their American devices en-masse and posting the footage on social media in protest. In one of the videos, Dailymail reports that a man addresses the camera while four boys kneel in front of a Turkish flag in the background, then hand him their phones so he can smash them. The man then smashed each phone with the sledgehammer before saying: Look now what will happen to you iPhones on the orders of Erdogan. He asked President Trump: Who do you think you are? If you threaten us with hunger you will only make us laugh. Do whatever in your power. In another video reported by the same news portal, Turkish Nationalist Movement Party MP Cemal Enginyurt buys a Samsung phone as his colleague throws his iPhone on the floor and jumps on it. The US is being dragged across the floor, the second lawmaker said as he smashed the phone. Other videos included a man shooting his iPhone at close range with a gun, a phone being burned in a box of matchsticks, and a boy dumping Coca-Cola down the toilet. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that President Trump said he would be willing to shut down the government if the Democrats do not give their votes for the country's border security. He made the threat on his Twitter page on Sunday, July 29, in which he said the United States must get rid of the lottery and have a system of immigration that is merit-based. Street Gist: Will Nigeria be a better place with Trump as president? | on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit Editor's note: The convener of Akwa Ibom Politburo For Good Governance, Bassey Amba Offong, writes on the rumours that Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom state, might be on his way to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Read also: The report that His Excellency, Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom state will soon join the APC is causing sleepless nights for Senator Godswill Akpabio. The reason Akpabio is jittery is because he knows that such a move will confirm to the whole world that Governor Emmanuel had since taken over the political structures in Akwa Ibom state. Before Akpabios defection to the APC the general belief was that Akpabio was the political godfather who was totally in charge and that Emmanuel was a neophyte who had no roots nor structures. But how has the mighty fallen? Akpabio left PDP to the APC with only 2 out of the 26 members of the House of Assembly and only 2 out of the 13 members of the National Assembly and only one member of the State Working Committee of the PDP. Political heavyweights in Akpabios Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District all abandoned Akpabio and declared their support for Udom Emmanuel. These political gladiators include the Deputy Governor Mr. Moses Ekpo, Senator Emmanuel Ibokessien, Mr Emmanuel Enoidem, national legal adviser PDP, former deputy governor, Obong Chris Ekpenyong, Sir Udo Kerian Akpan, House Leader, Obong Ukata Akpan, Obong Bassey Inuaeyen, Obong Eno Akpan, Mr. Etido Inyang, Chief Micheal Afangide, Sir Emem Akpabio, Prince Ukpong Akpabio, Hon.Udo Ekpenyong, Dr. Iniobong Essien, Mr. Ufot Ebong and others too numerous to mention. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app Indeed Godswill Akpabio is an empty shell who has been unceremoniously rejected and abandoned by at least 97 per cent of his erstwhile political allies. Indeed the political demystification of Godswill Akpabio has run full circle. It is against Akpabios current status of a political leper that his desperation to stop Governor Udom Emmanuel should be understood. Akpabio sponsored a false publication claiming that Chief Don Etiebet and other APC leaders were opposed to Governor Udom Emmanuel joining the APC. It is instructive that Chief Don Etiebet has denied issuing any such vexatious and childish statement. Governor Udom Emmanuel has the right to join the APC like every other Nigerian. If Godswill Akpabio whose defection has been of inconsequential value to the fortunes of the APC in Akwa Ibom state (as stated by Patrick Ekpotu, former deputy governor) can join the APC why not Udom Emmanuel a sitting governor? With Akpabios defection confirming Governor Udom Emmanuels rising political strength and exposing Akpabio as an overhyped political paperweight living on past glory, APC at the state and national levels will be strengthened if Emmanuel decides to join. Governor Udom Emmanuel will be the real game changer as APC takes over Akwa Ibom state without firing a shot. It is a development well meaning APC members will happily welcome. Why is Senator Godswill Akpabio, the self acclaimed political godfather who has now been unmasked (and no longer has unlimited access to Akwa Ibom treasury) so afraid of Udom Emmanuel s political shadow? Governor Emmanuel enjoys the same constitutional right of freedom of association, which Akpabio has exercised by his joining the APC. It sounds so funny that the same man, who did not have any iota of consultations with leaders of the party in the state should invoke the influence of the leaders to frustrate the governors entry into the APC. I am sure no leader of the party at the national level will listen to such self-limiting effort. Let Governor Emmanuel come to APC and let godfather and godson showcase who actually is on the ground politically. Akwa Ibom state will be better off with the entrance of Governor Emmanuel into the party. It will spell the end of PDP, which Akpabio and his cohorts have used to despoil our state. Between Emmanuel and Akpabio who should APC debar from joining the party? Akpabio created all the problems in the state including the widespread and sponsored violence that characterized the 2015 governorship and presidential elections. Governor Udom Emmanuel is a child of circumstance and destiny who has refused to be Akpabios stooge by deciding to serve the people of Akwa Ibom State and the Almighty God. The days Baal in Akwa Ibom state are over. Governor Udom Emmanuel, a thorough bred professional in politics is highly regarded by the presidency and the federal government. The time for him to join the APC family is now. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Legit.ng. Your own opinion articles are welcome at info@corp.legit.ng drop an email telling us what you want to write about and why. More details in Legit.ngs step-by-step guide for guest contributors. Were ready to trade your news for our money: submit news and photo reports from your area using our Citizen Journalism App. Contact us if you have any feedback, suggestions, complaints or compliments. We are also available on Twitter. Nigeria is practicing Oligarchy (Nigerian Street Interview) on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng - NiMet has predicted thunderstorms and rains over Kano, Gusau, Kebbi, Yelwa - It also predicted cloudy conditions with the chances of rains over Enugu, Owerri, Awka and Abakaliki - The agency also predicted moderate rainfall over the entire south-south region The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted thunderstorms and rains over Kano, Gusau, Kebbi, Yelwa and Sokoto in the morning hours of Saturday, August 18. NiMet made this known in its Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office in Abuja on Friday, August 17. READ ALSO: I can never join PDP - Atikus political ally Barka declares, remains in APC It said that thunderstorm would be expected over Maiduguri, Potiskum, Nguru, Katsina and the environs later in the day. The agency added that, day and night temperature in the northern region would be in the ranges of 28 34 degree Celsius and 22 25 degree celsius respectively. NiMet predicted morning thunderstorms over Gombe, Abuja, Bauchi, Minna, Bida, Jos and Mambilla Plateau. It envisaged thunderstorms and rains over most places of the central states in the afternoon and evening hours. The agency said that day and night temperature in the region would be in the range of 27 32 degree celsius and 20 24 degree celsius respectively. NiMet also predicted cloudy conditions with the chances of rains over Enugu, Owerri, Awka and Abakaliki in the morning hours. It added that afternoon and evening rains would be expected over most places in the southeastern states. The agency said that, day and night temperature would be in the range of 30 31 degree celsius and 22 24 degree celsius respectively in the region. Nimet predicted cloudy conditions with prospect of rains over Ijebu-Ode, Akure, Oshogbo and Ibadan in the morning hours. It envisaged rains over most parts of the southwestern states later in the day with day and night temperature in the range of 26 30 degree Celsius and 21 23 degree celsius respectively. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app According to NiMet, cloudy conditions are likely with chances of rains over Calabar, Uyo, Ikom and Eket during the morning hours. It predicted moderate rainfall over the entire south-south region with day and night temperature in the range of 29 31 degree celsius and 21 24 degree celsius respectively. Nigeria Election 2019: What are Bukola Sarakis chances against President Buhari | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - Police officers in Imo state have been warned against conducting stop and search in plainclothes - Consequently, the police urged residents of the state to report officers caught conducting stop and search without uniforms - Acting President Yemi Osinbajo had recently directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris to immediately overhaul activities of SARS Commissioner of police in Imo state has directed all tactical teams in the command operating in plainclothes to henceforth appear in their official conventional uniforms while conducting stop and search. The police disclosed this in a statement signed by Andrew Enwerem, police public relations officer, Imo state command, on Friday, August 17. READ ALSO: I can never join PDP - Atikus political ally Barka declares, remains in APC In the statement sighted by Legit.ng, police commissioner CP Dasuki D. Galadanchi said it is important for officers of the command to obey the directives. Going further, the police urged citizens to report officers who are found conducting stop and search without their uniforms. "In line with the presidential directives and the Inspector-General of Police IGP Ibrahim K. Idris NPM, mni implementation on the re-organization of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) nationwide, the Commissioner of Police Imo State Command CP Dasuki D. Galadanchi has warned all tactical teams operating in the state to comply with the directives. "The commissioner of police further directs that all tactical teams in the command operating in plain clothes such as T-Shirts etc, should henceforth appear in their official conventional uniforms while conducting stop and search. "Members of the public are urged to report any police team or teams seen conducting stop and search within the state dressed in plain clothes through the Commissioner of Police Public Complaint SMS line No. 08106160007 or to the state command control room distress call line 08034773600," the statement read. Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that Acting President Yemi Osinbajo directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, to immediately overhaul the management and activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Legit.ng reported that the personal assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on new media, Bashir Ahmad, made it known in a tweet on Tuesday, August 14. #ENDSARS or #REFORMSARS? Nigerians blow hot - on Legit.ng TV. Source: Legit.ng - APC has said again boasted that it would win 2019 presidential election - The party, through its national publicity secretary, Yekini Nabena, said that the PDP has realised that 2019 election has been won and lost - Nabena said the PDP was being obsessed with the amendment to Nigerias Electoral Act which had not been signed The All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared that it would have landslide victory during the 2019 general elections, adding that the poll had been won and lost. Vanguard reports that a statement by the partys national publicity secretary, Yekini Nabena, accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of using propaganda to attract votes. Legit.ng gathered that the APC said the party was being obsessed with the amendment to Nigerias Electoral Act which had not been signed. READ ALSO: APC, Senate caucus consider Lawan, Adamu, Ndume for Sarakis seat The statement reads: The PDP has realised that the 2019 election has been won and lost. If the election is held today, it is clear that the APC will win by a landslide, judging by visible and landmark achievements recorded by the President Buhari administration. "This is an apparent fact that gives the PDP sleepless nights. Hence its daily lies and propaganda in its desperate early campaign to attract non-existent votes PDPs attempt to hide under the yet to be assented Electoral Act Amendment Bill is an attempt to draw attention away from the treasonable actions of the Senate president, Dr. Bukola Saraki who has refused to convene the National Assembly to consider at plenary the crucial 2019 election Budget of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The Electoral Amendment Bill passed by the National Assembly is alive and awaiting assent. However, assent to bills in all democratic governments reflects the prudence and discretion of the president in balancing the powers of key constitutional bodies and understanding the concerns of the executive. While we strongly condemn the abuse of office by the Senate president backed by his PDP cohorts in sabotaging the executive, specifically INEC, all well-meaning Nigerians have a duty to speak up and ensure that the National Assembly performs its constitutional role and not serve an individuals personal interest. We call on all Nigerians, civil society and indeed the international community to resist the ongoing travesty and legislative rascality being perpetuated by the Senate president and the PDP. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app "The sanctity of our electoral system is being threatened by this orchestrated sabotage and deliberate attempt to weaken INEC as we prepare for the general elections in 2019. The National Assembly must be convened immediately." Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) asked the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to urgently reconvene the National Assembly to enable the passage of the Electoral Amendment Act Bill. Nigeria Latest News: Here's What Saraki and Tambuwal's Defection Means for the APC | - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit #Loeries2018: Hall of Fame inductee Greg Gray and all that Romance This year's Loeries Hall of Fame inductee is... Greg Gray of Romance Films! My focus has always been on producing quality work and not chasing awards. If the work garners recognition then that is amazing, but not something you seek out. For me, this induction is much the same. "It was a complete surprise and something I never expected, but having said that, I feel very honoured to receive recognition for the role I have played in our industry. "More importantly it is great to see that the role of production is valued and recognised for its part in the advertising process. Greg Gray, director at Romance Films In this exclusive interview, Gray lets us in on his directing journey, having learnt from the masters before his career even began, being closely involved in some of South Africas most iconic TV commercials from the outset. What did it take to get to where you are today? What did it take to get to where you are today? I dont think anyone ever expects to be recognised for their contribution to any industry, says Gray."It was a complete surprise and something I never expected, but having said that, I feel very honoured to receive recognition for the role I have played in our industry."More importantly it is great to see that the role of production is valued and recognised for its part in the advertising process.In this exclusive interview, Gray lets us in on his directing journey, having learnt from the masters before his career even began, being closely involved in some of South Africas most iconic TV commercials from the outset. Tell us more about the mentorship youve received and from where you derive inspiration. Tell us more about the mentorship youve received and from where you derive inspiration. One of your more recent campaigns (Chicken Licken 'Sbu 2.0') won a bronze film craft lion at Cannes. What did this win mean to you/for Romance Films? One of your more recent campaigns (Chicken Licken 'Sbu 2.0') won a bronze film craft lion at Cannes. What did this win mean to you/for Romance Films? What do you think makes this campaign in particular unique? What do you think makes this campaign in particular unique? What other campaigns/work of yours are you particularly proud of and why? What other campaigns/work of yours are you particularly proud of and why? What is unique to your direction/work? What is unique to your direction/work? Comment on the current state of film in South Africa and how this compares globally. Comment on the current state of film in South Africa and how this compares globally. Globally I feel a very similar phenomenon where pleasing everyone has become paramount. We need to take risks again. Good is the evil of great. What are you most looking forward to? Any emerging trends in the industry? What are you most looking forward to? Any emerging trends in the industry? As August is Womens Month, what do you think of the role of women in the creative industry, particularly in film? As August is Womens Month, what do you think of the role of women in the creative industry, particularly in film? The demise of the boys club has been a long time coming, but it is happening across the board in clients and agencies, and I can see a big change afoot in film production too. What has been your greatest learning? What has been your greatest learning? Jessica Tennant's articles About Jessica Tennant Jess is Senior Editor: Marketing & Media at Bizcommunity.com. She is also a contributing writer. Jess is Senior Editor: Marketing & Media at Bizcommunity.com. She is also a contributing writer. moc.ytinummoczib@swengnitekram I was really fortunate to work for Giaco Angelini and then Keith Rose right up until my directing career began. It meant being closely involved in some of South Africas most iconic TV commercials from the outset. I guess if you could do an apprenticeship in directing, then I did it with the masters.I won the trust of Jupiter and Hunt Lascaris during that time and was very fortunate to get a break from them, directing great creative scripts. I cant say it ever got easier, but it has never stopped being exciting.I was extremely fortunate to learn from two icons in our local industry: Giaco and Keith, who both played huge roles in my learning my craft. They were both a huge inspiration for me as they had enormous knowledge to impart and both come from cinematography backgrounds.What inspires me on so many levels are the narrative, filmic aesthetic and performances we see in so many film mediums today. You have to keep watching work across the board, and from those, I constantly learn and see myself evolving.Recognition for work at Cannes is becoming harder and harder to achieve. They are all about the idea over execution, and concepts that havent been seen and done are a challenge. So, it was great to see a South African narrative cutting through. This is, of course, great for Romance, Joe Public and SA. It keeps us all on the global map, I guess.Artificial intelligence is very topical right now. There are people out there who have created AI replicas of themselves. However, they havent used them as ingeniously as Sbu did. So, taking a current topic and looking at it from a different perspective is both clever and funny in this instance.Ones work is like ones children hard to pick favourites. Though I only have one child, so thats easy. With regard to my work, I guess Virgin Atlantics Love Story, MTNs The Clap, Dialdirects The Notebook and Bells The Reader are up there. They are very different, yet I think they best represent the work I like to do. Emotionally uplifting and very human.I like storytelling injected with emotion. Now, that emotion can make people laugh or cry, or just feel moved. So, that is what I try to do: narratives that leave you feeling something.There is a lot of talk about the demise of the advertising industry and more specifically the demise of the television commercial. But South Africa has created and continues to create some of the greatest, most memorable stories on film. Our challenge is to maintain that standard of strong conceptual ideas. When a project has a smart idea, it permeates throughout the process; it creates an excitement that you see in the end product.We used to have a lot of fun at work, but that has certainly been dampened by fear. That can start right at the top amongst clients and their respective agency and works all the way through to the bottom.I think that we can all now see that commercials and especially content still has its place, perhaps more so than ever before. Besides television, which in SA is still watched by 70% of the country, social networks are the new vehicle of delivering content.I see a big trend in producing bigger and longer pieces of communication, and we need to be creative in how we bring this about.I dont think that there should be any discrimination based on race or gender in any industry. In film production, directors have historically tended to be male, as have the technical departments on set.We need to be part of the solution, by helping bring about change, and mentoring and nurturing young talent, especially in South Africa.Cliched Im sure, but loving what you do permeates into the work you produce. When you stop learning, enjoying your work and feeling fulfilled, then its time to make a change. - The electoral commission has said there are no plans to postpone the 2019 general elections - The commission said no provision under Section 26 of the Electoral Act allows for postponement of elections - Mahmood Yakubu also said that for the first time, Nigerians have details of INEC's election budget The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will not postpone the 2019 general elections because of the delay in the passage of its budget. INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, made the clarifications while fielding questions from State House correspondents on Friday, August 17, in Abuja. He said that there was no provision under the law for postponement of elections. I have said this over and over again; there are no conditions under which elections should be postponed, under section 26 of the Electoral Act. The date is formed and fixed, February 16, 2019; we issued the timetable way in advance; for the very first time in the history of our nation, citizens of Nigeria know when elections will take place one year in advance. It has never happened before. READ ALSO: APC, Senate caucus consider Lawan, Adamu, Ndume for Sarakis seat Secondly, for the very first time in the history of our country, citizens know the budget of the electoral commission; citizens know line by line how much the commission proposed; what the money is going to be spent on. I think I am very happy with this process. He said that as provided in the constitution, INEC had, since April 27, 2017, been registering voters consistently in response to appeal by Nigerians. Yakubu said that INEC had created more centres for the registration but finally decided that it should suspend the process as provided for by the law, six months to the elections. He said however that in response to appeal by Nigerians, again, INEC extended the exercise to the end of August. As at Saturday last week- Aug. 11- we have registered 12.1 million citizens; this will eventually be added to the 70 million voters that are already registered for the 2019 general elections. We have voters register of over 80 million citizens. Let me make this very important clarification; the registration is going to take place between 9am in the morning and 5pm daily including weekends but excluding the public holiday. You know Tuesday and Wednesday next week have been declared public holiday. The second important clarification that I should make is that the end of the continuous voters registration is Aug. 31 but that does not mean the end of the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). Collection of PVCs will continue until at least one week to the general election in February 2019, he said. READ ALSO: 2019 election won and lost - APC boasts to PDP The INEC boss said he was not worried that the virement for the conduct of 2019 election was still before the National Assembly as he remained optimistic. He said he had made the clarifications that the National Assembly asked for; adding the two committees on INEC expressed satisfaction on his clarifications. He said he looked forward to hearing what the National Assembly would say. Yakubu said that Nigerians needed to know that what the commission requested for was N189.2 billion which the executive proposed to the National Assembly. According to him, there are no discrepancies in the figures. He said he was in the Presidential villa to fine-tune modalities on how Nigeria would help Guinea-Bissau in its forthcoming elections as the country had requested Nigerias assistance. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had asked the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to urgently reconvene the National Assembly to enable the passage of the Electoral Amendment Act Bill. The APC in a statement released by its acting national publicity secretary, Yekini Nabena, on Friday, August 17, said the Electoral Amendment Bill is alive and waiting assent. Nabena also alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party is hiding under the "yet to be signed bill" to draw attention away from the treasonable actions of the Senate President for refusing to reconvene the National Assembly. Nigeria Latest News: Here's What Saraki and Tambuwal's Defection Means for the APC | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - About 120 operatives of the SARS, Ikeja, Lagos state police command have applied to be transferred out of the unit - The operatives are reportedly ordered to desist from wearing FSARS/SARS black uniforms or any other dress earlier approved - The inspector general of police, Ibrahim Idris, is said to have declared that any officer who flouts the order will be severely sanctioned Emerging reports claimed that about 120 operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, Lagos state police command, applied to be transferred out of the unit. New Telegraph reports that the panic transfer moves came on the heels of a signal received from force headquarters, Abuja, by the inspector general of police, Ibrahim Idris. The police source disclosed that at least 120 SARS operatives had applied for transfer from the unit, stressing that to remain was really a killing mission. READ ALSO: Former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan dies at 80 It was learnt that a police wireless message sent to different commands across the nation, revealed that SARS operatives, with immediate effect, should desist from wearing FSARS/SARS black uniforms or any other dress earlier approved. Accordingly, all personnel must wear normal police uniforms, displaying clearly their name tags, force numbers in the case of the rank and files, police identification tags, pending IGPs determination of their operational dress code. The IGP further directs that any officer who flouts this directive will be severely sanctioned, while supervising officers under whom this order is flouted will be held liable. Treat as very important please. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app To further underscore Idriss instruction, the Lagos state commissioner of police, Edgal Imohimi, ordered all policemen under his watch to immediately be on police uniform. This includes operatives of X-squad and monitoring units. Another police source said: Majority of the SARS men have chosen to leave the SARS unit. The application asking to be transferred is called demobbing. It is allowed in police. These SARS men said it wouldnt be easy for them to chase after armed robbers and kidnappers while in full police uniform. It will make them become easy target for these criminals. They called it a killing oneself mission. Nobody wants to die. They have wives and children. If they are killed by armed robbers, nobody cares for their wives or children. Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that the acting president, Yemi Osinbajo, directed the inspector general of police, Ibrahim Idris, to immediately overhaul the management and activities of the SARS. The personal assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on new media, Bashir Ahmad, made it known in a tweet on Tuesday, August 14. He said: "Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, orders immediate overhaul of the SARS." Osinbajo said based on the persistent complaints and reports on the activities of SARS that border on allegations of human rights violations, there should be overhaul of the management and activities of SARS to ensure that any unit that would emerge from the process should be intelligence-driven. #ENDSARS of #REFORMSARS? Nigerians blow hot - on Legit.ng TV: Source: Legit - Yemi Osinbajo visited the scene of a building collapse in Abuja on Friday, August 17 - The acting president said the incident is an unfortunate one - According to him, the whole process of ensuring that those who may be trapped under this collapsed building are rescued is well underway The acting president, Yemi Osinbajo, on Friday, visited the scene of a building collapse in Jabi area of Abuja, Nigeria's capital city. Osinbajo was at the building site in company of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha and the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Muhammad Bello. A statement by the senior special assistant to the acting president on media and publicity, Laouly Akande said Osinbajo assured Nigerians that all relevant public agencies are on ground to ensure rescue operations were effectively carried out. READ ALSO: Days after Akpabio's defection, Saraki, Melaye storm Akwa Ibom (photos) Also commiserating with victims and relatives of the incident, Osinbajo expressed the hope that those who might still be trapped under the building would be rescued. The acting president visited the scene of the collapse. Photo credit: Facebook, Aso Rock The acting president said: First, I want to say the collapse of this building is a very unfortunate incident. As you know, it was a building under construction. It appears to have collapsed a few hours ago." "I think that the most important thing at the moment is that we have all of the relief, safety and emergency management agencies all here. NEMA is here, the FCT authorities are here, the Hon. minister himself is here, the executive government is here. Osinbajo described the building collapse as unfortunate. Photo credit: Facebook, Aso Rock READ ALSO: Breaking Kofi Annan dead: Former UN Secretary General dies aged 80 So, the whole process of ensuring that those who may be trapped under this collapsed building are rescued is well underway. As you can see, all of the emergency equipment, help movers and the equipment that are required, are here. There is enough for us to expect that they should at least be able to rescue anyone who may still be trapped in this building. I am quite satisfied so far with the level of the activities to ensure that this very unfortunate incident is not made worse by any loss of lives," Osinbajo said. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that one person was reported dead while about 18 others are feared trapped after a building collapsed in Abuja on Friday, August 17. T the four-storey building was under construction when it collapsed on the workers and food sellers in the Jabi area of the city. It was also gathered that so, eight people have been rescued, including the site engineer, who had his two legs broken as the building which was abandoned for 15 years collapsed. News Nigeria Today: Who is Nigerias Smartest Politician? | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit Residents in Port Harcout, the Rivers state capital, are reporting heavy shooting in their area as the Port Harcourt Constituency III by-election for a seat in the state House of Assembly is taking place on Saturday, August 18. Some residents say the gun shots are from thugs led by a former member of the Rivers state House of Assembly, who is now the Port Harcourt City local government chairman, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Legit.ng could not verify the veracity this information as at the time of this report. READ ALSO: Osun 2018: The big issues of the election campaign Some All Progressives Congress (APC) agents also claimed PDP thugs are intimidating them at Ward 10, Unit 11 during the exercise. In Ward 18, Unit 6, an APC member, John Orjiafor said the PDP guy hijacked the ballot box in the area, accusing the police on ground of aiding and abetting them. He, however, called for the deployment of the SARS unit of the police to provide adequate security. The Rivers state police command had earlier announced a restriction of movement in some parts of the state for the election. The state commissioner of police, Zaki Ahmed, said this directive will take effect from 6am to 6pm only in areas where voting is to take place. He also assured that adequate deployments of security personnel have been made to ensure a free, fair, credible and violence free election. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app The incidence is coming a week after the House of Representatives by-election in Lokoja/Kotonkarfe federal constituency in Kogi state on Saturday, August 11, was marred by violence as a supporter of the APC was stabbed to death. The deceased, Yahaya Umoru, was stabbed to death by a supporter of rival political party, after he resisted attempts by thugs to cart away a ballot box. The thugs reportedly stormed a polling unit in Lokoja, the state capital, and attempted to forcefully take away the ballot box at the unit. Nigeria Election 2019: Kenneth Okonkwo Interview - Buhari will win | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng Editor's note: Philip Agbese, a UK based public affairs commentator writes on the politics of Nigeria and the defection of many big wigs including the governor of Sokoto state, Aminu Tambuwal. Agbese analyses Tambuwal's presidential ambition and his recent ideologies about the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, the Governor of Sokoto state, is a man who will soon be consumed by his inordinate ambition. He will be consumed not because he dared to aspire to the highest office in the land but because of the questionable route has decided to travel in his quest to clinch the nations number one job. He thinks he has struck the magic bullet that will see the whole nation eating out of his palm. Tambuwal, who recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to root, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is now obsessed with blaming and castigating his sojourn in the APC a misadventure for which every other person other than himself is responsible and one recounted to omit the goodies he left the ruling party with, to wit the governorship seat from where he has amassed the billions of naira required to pursue a presidential ticket PDP style. The Sokoto governor in the murk with the likes of former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who is a known money bag as per the office he once held; former Jigawa governor, Sule Lamido; incumbent Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, Gombe state governor, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo and a host of others who easily dwarf Tambuwal in political stature and nuisance value. He is therefore pressed to make himself stand out so that he can be seen as standing a chance in the presidential primary of the PDP - assuming the party is able to successfully break away from its past and embrace internal democracy. READ ALSO: Breaking: Heavy shooting reported in Port Harcourt by-election as exercise turns violent His strategy he resorted to in order to get the desperately desired visibility is to create out of himself a monstrous hybrid of US President Donald Trump and the outgoing governor of Ekiti state, Ayodele Fayose, which basically involves an uninhibited brashness on one hand and playing the victim on the other. If each of these negative characteristics had worked for these two politicians under different circumstances in the past, Tambuwal possibly figures they are the cards he needs to play, first to diminish the PDP titans he has found himself in the ring with and then to curry sympathies from Nigerians so that he can be elevated into being the leading candidate of his new party. Unfortunately, Tambuwal has done these without decorum, at least not a pretence of being decent about it. He therefore found it convenient to make President Muhammadu Buharis health the issue of his own campaign as if that is the most pressing thing for Nigeria at the moment. Contrary to what the former Speaker of the House of Representatives would have his followers believe, the leave undertaken by President Buhari to London did not in any way cripple the country - in line with the constitution, he handed over to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who unlike Tambuwal is capable of safeguarding the interest of the boss. That Tambuwal can allege failing in the country on account of a trip by Mr. President, to say the least, confirms him as a dangerous character that must never be entrusted with anything higher than the position of state governor that he accidentally attained for the mere fact that he rode on the combination of Buhari and APCs 2015 popularity to win the position. He has now exposed himself as man who will never allow his deputy act in his stead even when it is time to take a necessary annual vacation. If someone in this mould ever becomes the president then whoever is his Vice President can be guaranteed that they would wallow in irrelevance because Tambuwal believes that he is the only person of sound mind and body to get the work done. If this is not rolling megalomaniac into messiah syndrome then nothing else is. Making issues out the presidents travel further confirms the Sokoto governor to be a bigot. Had the Vice President been of northern extraction and Muslim would he have had issues with Mr. President travelling? READ ALSO: Nigerian pastor cuts down 100-year-old tree in local community, says it's evil (photo) The answer is a resounding no. Tambuwal could not reconcile himself with the idea of a southern Christian Professor Yemi Osinbajo standing in for his boss and doing a good job at it. If the Sokoto governor have this kind of disdain for the everyday Nigerian, who do not reduce issues to the banalities of ethnicity and sectarian trivialities, then it defies reason that he has the effrontery to have indicated interested in managing the affairs of a secular state. Additional evidence of his duplicity in this regard is the way he has craftily left in place, supported and expanded the theological structure built by the previous administrations in Sokoto state while financing same from proceeds of Haram the federal allocations he has repeatedly collected to fund Islamic extremism is derived in part from taxes on alcohol and piggeries. Yet, a man who has till date failed to make the distinction for his people and save them the peril of indirectly eating things that are forbidden to them, which he has continued to serve them as a governor. For a man who has proven to be an accomplished liar in addition to being inordinately ambitious, Tambuwal has surpassed even himself and is set to keep besting himself in being dubious. When he is able to take a break from making an issue out of President Buharis health it is for him to lament how the country has not been properly managed. He does this without acknowledging his own role and that of his new co-traveller, who had always been on the same side with him anyway. For this governor, the comical side of his quest is not lost on those who know the true state of affairs in Sokoto for he is one the Abuja Governors. People who were elected to pilot the affairs of their state but ended up making Abuja into their state capitals. Tambuwals diary easily shows that he has spent more time in Abuja, chasing shadows than he has spent at the duty post for which he is drawing salary and allowances this itself is a form of corruption that borders on theft because he is receiving money as a governor for almost four years when in reality he has been busy working for his presidential ambition. Of course, this is the kind of behaviour that has not allowed state to deliver the expected impact, which in turn made citizens to become over-dependent on the Federal Government. The lie this man and his associates have been attempting to make Nigerians believe is that they have no role in the situation the currently finds itself in. In reality, Tambuwal, like a host of others had at some point been on either side of the divide so whatever ills they may point out today is one they actively contributed to creating. That they are now crying wolf should not in any way be construed as them having a change of heart. Far from it. What they are doing is perfecting a strategy they had tested several time: switch sides and castigate the latest place you just defected from as a strategy to rise one notch higher. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app When playing the victim card, anyone that hears his laughable lamentations would be misled into thinking Tambuwal was elected as co-president to Buhari and not as governor of Sokoto state. His keening suggests he was expecting to be handed decision making in the presidency in his capacity as an incoming president undergoing tutelage. There is nothing wrong with being mentored to take on greater roles of course. Only that there are no records of anyone entering such agreement with him. At least he has not at any time been found capable and worthy to take on such roles, it is not an assignment for errand disloyal errand boys, something a Hausa speaking person should convey to the mini emperor in case the English concept is too complex for him to digest and understand. Once he begins to appreciate this intricacy, it is for the populace to ask the Sokoto Governor to put his patriotism to the test. If his rants are genuinely about liberating the country, like he claims, then he should dare to do it without seeking elective office as an immediate payback. His brash and headline seeking posture would then be seen as something propelled by the dissatisfaction he alleges he has with the way things are being run in the country. Even this is not a claim that is original to him because he apparently simply gauged the mood of the vocal minority, the type reflected by the Our Mumu Don Do movement and concluded that it was something he can run with without first verifying that the matters raised truly resonate with citizens and not just a few celebrities that have social media platform to harangue the government. The joke is thus on Tambuwal. He must have thought that the larger population is still in the mumu mode, where every lie he tells with his new friends would be swallowed without recourse to verification. We became wiser than that and it has been for a while now, at least we do not intend to become fiefdoms for Najib Waziri, his son. The Sokoto Governor should then tell us when his own mumu will come to an end so that he will acknowledge that bashing the government of the day or exploiting Buharis health is not going to make us sheepishly place the noose over our own heads for him. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Legit.ng. Your own opinion articles are welcome at info@naij.com drop an email telling us what you want to write about and why. More details in Legit.ngs step-by-step guide for guest contributors. Were ready to trade your news for our money: submit news and photo reports from your area using our Citizen Journalism App. Contact us if you have any feedback, suggestions, complaints or compliments. We are also available on Facebook and Twitter. Nigeria Latest News: Who is responsible for the siege on the National Assembly?| Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng Editor's note: Ex-All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Comrade Timi Frank, in this piece, writes on the activities of the national chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, accusing the former governor of Edo state, of not having knowledge about party politics and party administration. Read below: The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart. - Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart Today, the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has vowed not to eat nor drink until he forcibly removes the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki from his position. Yet he is the chairman of APC and not the chairman of the National Assembly. He is the head of a political party and not a member of parliament. The former Edo state governor is boisterous and ready at all times to take on issues he least comprehends. His ongoing shenanigans bothers on the antics of a show master who put up stunts to emasculate his obvious flaws of incompetence and lack of understanding of the larger issues in political party administration. He presently sees himself as both the leader of the APC and the National Assembly. After vowing not to loose sleep over defecting APC senators, he now conducts incessant nocturnal meetings with APC governors and senators in hotels and guest houses in Abuja, on how to raise money to bribe senators to forcibly and illegally remove Saraki as President of the Senate. READ ALSO: PDP senators begin sleeping at NASS to prevent Sarakis impeachment According to Wikipedia, the role of a party chairman is often quite different from that of a party leader. It added that: The duties of the chairman are typically concerned with the party membership as a whole, and the activities of the party organization. Chairmen often play important roles in strategies to recruit and retain members, in campaign fundraising, and in internal party governance, where they may serve as a member of, or even preside over, a governing board or council. They often also have influence in candidate selections, and sometimes in the development and promulgation of party policy. It must be noted that no where in the above analysis was it mentioned that in a presidential system of government, which we run in Nigeria, that a party chairman can assume the duties or play the role of a party leader or directly assuming leadership of the party caucus in the parliament of which he is not a member like Oshiomhole has now done. Right from the First Republic, the post of a national party chair has always been reserved for charismatic personality who through force of personal example and high sense of integrity work to build bridges of unity to weld the disparate members of the party together and not those who will ride roughshod over the membership of the party. Oshiomhole has betrayed the solid foundation laid by his predecessors in the office of the national chairman of front-line political parties in the country, like Chief Solomon Lar, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Chief Barnabas Gemade, Dr. Amadu Ali, Vincent Ogbulafor, Okwesilieze Nwodo, Chief Bisi Akande, Uche Secondus and Chief John Odigie-Oyegun. He may have ridden roguishly to ascend the national chairmanship seat of the APC merciless plunder of the common patrimony of the good people of Edo state for eight years, the APC ought to have realized following his balkanizing and authoritarian activities in the last few weeks that they have the type of chairman they never bargained for in their wildest imaginations. After Oyegun, they now have a chairman that is bereft of knowledge about party politics and party administration. He looks at APC from the prism of unionism which is his natural turf but I doubt if Nigerians will be comfortable with the new unionist bent of the APC movement as being orchestrated and championed by Oshiomhole. In addition, his barbarism as a union leader has failed to serve him in an enlightened setting he now finds himself, yet he continues to cling to a dead horse in his past thinking he can go far in his new assignment riding on the same spot. He thinks by his signature verbal effusions, confused ideology and undemocratic tendencies, he can run a a political party in this brave new world. He often attempts to hypnotize listeners with his avalanche of words, yet his words drips off like water off the back of a duck. He thinks that by assaulting his hearers with illogicalities, he can hide his shallow academic assets. Let Oshiomhole wake up to the realities of the times we live in. He is not conversing with textile line workers huddled in a side caravan to sip from their beer mugs. Nigerians have read him and they have discovered rightly he has nothing to offer. He has sold a dummy to APC authorities which they bought hook, line and sinker. He is here to destroy and not to build and I dare say that that we are are looking for doers and not talkers like Oshiomhole. He needs to wake up right now. It is no longer might but right that triumphs. Oshiomhole is like a novice captain who has commenced the process of ruining the APCs unstable ship. Oshiomhole is the white man in Things Fall Apart. He came stealthily and today he has exalted himself far and above those who he begged to make him chairman of APC. He is not accountable to anybody even Buhari. Recall that barely a few days after he assumed office, he had threatened to expel Ngige from the APC while hinting that Buhari condones disrespect for his office. He has no place among respected former and contemporary chairmen of political parties in the nations history who were thoroughbred and refined administrators, built bridges of unity, valued internal party cohesion and religiously adhered to due process rather than Machiavelli tactics. With only a handful days in the saddle, Oshiomhole has burned the existing bridges of peace in the APC and has set in motion activities that would sooner than later put the party in total disarray. We thought we saw reached its lowest ebb in Oyegun, but Oshiomhole had shattered the records in this Hall of Shame with his thuggery orientation and undemocratic attitude which has set the party spinning dangerously into infamy. Like the story of the white man in Things Fall Apart, Oshiomhole has ascended the chairmanship position of the APC through subterfuge. He made himself beholden to President Muhammadu Buhari, and through the presidents influence goaded the APC governors to crown him without any form of contestation as befits a political party in a democracy. As a misbegotten APC chairman, he is now out to ruin the party. That is his style. He believes in the principle of unopposed which he used largely to his favour during his unionism days. He is not here to help but to hurt the APC. As an autocrat and demagogue, he sees himself above the party he was chosen to serve. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app Little wonder that he thought he could deride Buhari and order the minister of labour and employment, Senator Chris Ngige and the minister of state for aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika with threats to expel them from the APC until Ngige publicly cut him to size. Speaking to State House correspondents on Monday, July 23, 2018, Oshiomhole accused the two ministers of failure to inaugurate boards of parastatals under their ministries as directed by Buhari and threatened to expel them from the APC and also prevail on Buhari to sack them from the cabinet. Oshiomhole said of Ngige and Sirika: If the minister refuses, we will suspend him from the party. For me it is the height of mischief for any minister, you cannot purport to be an honourable minister and you act dishonourably and nobody is greater than the party. And if the president condones disrespect for his office, I will not condone disrespect for the party (emphasis mine). And when we expel the minister we will prevail on the president that he can't keep him in his cabinet. He is a man of many words who is ignorant about the true essence of words. He claims to be a Christian, but the scriptural injunction in Proverbs 10:19, which says that In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise means nothing to him. He speaks to destroy and not to build. He intervenes to curry advantage out of any crisis and not to engender peaceful coexistence between feuding parties. He is an army of occupation and not a benevolent master. He needs a job description and a crash course on how to pilot the affairs of a party in a democracy. Oshiomhole has become a shame and an albatross in the APC. His very action may destroy the APC and truncate democracy if urgent steps are not taken by sane leaders still in the APCs fold to reclaim the party from him. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Legit.ng. Your own opinion articles are welcome at info@corp.legit.ng drop an email telling us what you want to write about and why. More details in Legit.ngs step-by-step guide for guest contributors. Were ready to trade your news for our money: submit news and photo reports from your area using our Citizen Journalism App. Contact us if you have any feedback, suggestions, complaints or compliments. We are also available on Twitter. Nigeria Latest News How Masked DSS Gunmen Stormed the National Assembly (The True Story) Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - Kofi Annan's wife, Nane Maria has reacted to the death of former UN secretary-general - Maria told Ghana's president, Nana Akufo-Addo, in a phone call that her husband died peacefully in his sleep - President Akufo-Addo extended his condolences to the late diplomat's family The family and foundation of former UN secretary-general, Kofi Annan, have confirmed his death and provided additional information on his final moments. Annan was said to have fallen ill while on a trip to South Africa and had been flown back to his Switzerland base for treatment. The late diplomat's widow, Nane Maria, however, disclosed to Ghana's president, Nana Akufo-Addo, in a phone call that he died peacefully in his sleep. READ ALSO: Heavy shooting reported in Port Harcourt by-election The late Kofi Annan. Image Credit: Facebook.com/Kofi Annan The Kofi Annan Foundation confirmed this in a statement issued on Facebook, adding that Kofi Annan's children, Ama, Kojo and Nina, were by his side during his last days. The statement read: "It is with immense sadness that the Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation announce that Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Laureate, passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness." Kofi Annan and his wife, Nane Maria. Image credit: Eveyo.com The foundation called for privacy for Kofi Annan's family as they mourn and make preparations for his funeral. The former UN secretary-general's death has stunned and saddened Ghanaians, with many people taking to social media to mourn him. President Akufo-Addo said he was deeply saddened by the death and extended his condolences to the late diplomat's family. Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that world leaders reacted to the death of former UN secretary-general, Kofi Annan who died at the age of 80 in the early hours of Saturday, August 18, in Switzerland. The leaders include British Prime Minister Theresa May, France Prime Minister Emmnauel Macron and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres among other. Theresa May said: A great leader and reformer of the UN, he made a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into. My thoughts and condolences are with his family." PDP's Magnificent 7 For 2019 Election | Legit.ng TV: Source: Legit - Actress and philanthropist, Tonto Dikeh, defends her recent visit to South Africa - Some reports claimed that the mother of one visited famous pastor, Shepherd Bushiri, for special business where she was payed N18 million - Tonto has called out anyone perpetrating the falsehood, saying its an evil story Legit.ng earlier reported how South Africa was happy to receive actress, Tonto Dikeh, who visited Enlightened Christian Gathering Church (ECG), where her presence was acknowledged by Flamboyant pastor, Shepherd Bushiri. Following her special visit, Tonto shared photos with her fans, stating that her visit was a result of the grace of God in her life and employed her followers to watch out for what is coming in the nearest future. To the surprise of many, what followed was a story that clipped the faith of many who were starting to believe in the preaching of the actress. A report that went viral claimed that Dikeh had visited South Africa on a 'special' arrangement with pastor in which she was paid N18 million. READ ALSO: Davido shares photo with Chioma from his first trip on his private jet At first, the mother of one was mute about the accusation which stated that she traveled to SA to sleep with the pastor for money, in effect, prostitute her surgically enhanced body. Tonto has however addressed the news where she was accused of sidelining the woman who made the 'deal' happen. In a recent post shared on her Instagram page, Dikeh, revealed that no such thing happened and she's not in the league of women who prostitute with pastors. She further shared that her aim of going to South Africa was to honour the invitation as a special guest as well as for a youth seminar in which she was paid. Read her post below: Meanwhile, recently, Churchills brother revealed messy details about Tonto Dikeh, accusing her of running after 70-year-old men. PAY ATTENTION: Read best news on Nigeria's #1 news app Top 3 Pastors Scandals: Which Are The Most Discussed? on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - Bukola Saraki expresses sadness over the death of Kofi Annan, an ex-secretary general of the UN - Saraki notes that the late Annan was God-sent to Africa and the world - The Senate president describes Annan's death as a loss to Africa Bukola Saraki, the president of the Nigerian Senate, on Saturday, August 18, joined world leaders to mourn Kofi Annan, the late former secretary general of the United Nations (UN) describing him as sent by God. Saraki noted that the late Annan lived and worked with dignity, finesse, admirable restraint and wisdom. READ ALSO: JUST IN: Heavy shooting reported in Port Harcourt by-election Annan was an African avatar and Gods messenger of peace to the world. His demise is a huge loss to the international community and to humanity. Africa has indeed lost one of her best. He shall be sorely missed, Saraki said in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Yusuph Olaniyonu in Abuja. Stressing that Annans death marked the end of a golden era in global politics and international relations, Saraki added: Late Annan deployed his vast capacities to tackle intractable global challenges ranging from hunger, conflict, epidemic and restoration of peace in war-torn countries. Saraki also recalled that developing nations benefitted immensely from the humanitarian efforts of the late Annan while he was alive. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app Saraki said he commiserated with the wife and children of the deceased, the government and people of Ghana, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), African Union (AU), the United Nations, international humanitarian organizations and the diplomatic community over the incident. Legit.ng earlier reported that Kofi Annan was dead. Kofi Annan is said to have died at the age of 80 in the early hours of Saturday, August 18, in Switzerland. Annan, who was born in Ghana in 1938, served as the seventh UN secretary general, from 1997 to 2006, and was the first to rise from within the ranks of the United Nations staff. Nigeria Election 2019: What are Bukola Sarakis chances against President Buhari | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng News Nigerias former president, Goodluck Jonathan, on Saturday, August 18, described late Kofi Annan, a former secretary general of the United Nations (UN), as one who managed contending powers in the international organisation. Jonathan said he was saddened by the death of Kofi Annan, who he called an international public servant and one of Africas prominent diplomats. READ ALSO: JUST IN: Heavy shooting reported in Port Harcourt by-election I am deeply saddened by the death of Kofi Annan, a world renowned icon of peace and diplomacy. He was a distinguished and accomplished international public servant and one of Africas most prominent diplomats. As the United Nations secretary-general, Annan introduced far-reaching reforms that reinvigorated the UN systems and positively impacted international relations. A consummate diplomat, Annan successfully managed the contending powers in the UN and stood firmly for development, human rights and a peaceful world; a commitment that earned him the Nobel Peace prize. Even after leaving active service, Annan remained robustly engaged in promoting good governance, diplomacy, mediation, and humanitarian services. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app His demise is a sad loss to Africa and the world, he said in a personally signed statement. Legit.ng earlier reported that Bukola Saraki, the president of the Nigerian Senate, on Saturday, August 18, joined world leaders to mourn Kofi Annan, the late former secretary general of the United Nations (UN) describing him as sent by God. Nigeria Election 2019: What are Bukola Sarakis chances against President Buhari | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng - A 14-year-old girl has been paraded by the Edo State Police Command for killing her madam - According to reports, she killed her by smashing her head with a stone - The suspect however, blamed the act on unseen voodoo which she claims to possess Identified as Anna Amos, the secondary school student is currently cooling her heels in police custody after she was arrested for the murder of her madam in Benin, Edo state. The Edo State Police Command paraded the suspect on August 17 for the crime. According to the 14-year-old who admitted to killing the 71-year-old identified as Helen Adodo, she stated that she carried the act out by by smashing her head with a stone. She however blamed the act on spirits who she claimed asked her to do it. Giving a detail description of how she killed the woman who she had lived with since March, 2018, as a house-maid, Anna who was in tears the whole time revealed how she was treated fairly by the lady all through her time spent with her. READ ALSO: My husband likes to 'eat' me more than food - Nigerian lady cries for divorce The teenage suspect being paraded by the police Source: Facebook According to the teenage suspect, in the morning of that fateful day, she boiled water for the deceased to bathe, after which she served her a meal, before she killed her. After that, I packed the dirty plates outside to wash them. As I opened the door and stepped on the varanda, something just came into my body as if possessing me. I no longer know what I was doing and I abandoned the plates. I was supposed to wash. I stood on the stone, and later took it, went inside with it and hit it on her head. I do not know what entered my body. It was a spirit. It told me to go and kill her. She did not offend me. she narrated. READ ALSO: Man receives death sentence for killing his pregnant wife in Akwa Ibom According to police reports, Anna had reported the murder, stating that unknown persons allegedly sneaked into her residence on Guobadia Street, in Benin, at about 7am, blindfolded the her (Anna), before killing the 71-year-old. When asked why she lied initially, she said: "The thing that entered into me was controlling me, it told me that if I expose it, it will kill me. She later confessed her crime to the son of the deceased, who handed her to the police operatives. PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News on Legit.ng News App Get the hottest gist on Africa Love Aid Osun Devotees Reveal How The River Goddess Answered Their Prayers| Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng Nigerias President Muhammadu Buhari, in the evening of Saturday, August 18, landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport after being away on official vacation in London for 10 days. The presidential aircraft reportedly touched down at the airport thus ending speculations that Buhari was planning to increase the number of days he had spent on vacation. Ahead of his arrival, a guard of honor had been mounted at the airport. READ ALSO: JUST IN: Heavy shooting reported in Port Harcourt by-election Legit.ng earlier reported that President Muhammadu Buhari was expected back in the country on Saturday, August 18 after a 10 working day holiday in the United Kingdom. A guard of honour mounted to receive the president: Credit: Bashir Ahmad PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app Reports had said that the president would be received on arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja by top government officials led by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo. Buhari is expected to proceed to Daura for the Sallah celebration. Credit: Bashir Ahmad The President Buhari plans to go to Daura this weekend to observe the Eid-el-Kabir holiday in his hometown. Source: Legit - The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) held its third quarter route march exercise on Saturday, August 18 - The exercise is a quarterly routine aimed at keeping the personnel of NAF fit and for bonding - It is also aimed at enhancing the physical and mental alertness of officers and men of NAF The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Saturday, August 18, held its 2018 third quarter route march exercise for personnel serving in Abuja. The exercise, which was held simultaneously in all NAF Units across the country, was led by the chief of policy and plans, Air Vice Marshal Muhammadu Muhammed, who represented the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, at the event in the nation;s capital. Chief of Policy and Plans, Air Vice Marshal Muhammadu Muhammed, represented the CAS at the exercise. Photo credit: NAF READ ALSO: Angry 120 SARS operatives to leave Lagos command The aim of the routine exercise is to keep officers and men of the service physically and mentally fit for the effective performance of their various duties towards fulfilling NAFs constitutional roles as an effective military arm of Nigeria. While speaking at the end of the exercise, the representative of the CAS commended personnel for demonstrating high level of physical fitness, stating that officers and men of the NAF have proved beyond reasonable doubt that they are willing, able and ready to serve the nation and defend its territorial integrity. Officers and men of the Nigerian Air Force during the third quarter 2018 route march for personnel in Abuja. Photo credit: NAF He urged the personnel to sustain the military culture of regular exercise in order to maintain their personal physical fitness to enable them carry out assigned tasks and perform their jobs more efficiently. He said the huge number of personnel that turned up for the exercise are available to serve this nation, adding that these are men and women that fight for people that cannot fight for themselves. You have given us reason to believe that the men and women we have are physically fit and you are reassuring this country, that they have very fit men and women in the Nigerian Air Force, he added. NYSC members also participated in the fitness exercise. Photo credit: NAF National Youth Service Corps members serving with the NAF as well as journalists also participated in the 10km march, which kicked off from Mogadishu Military Cantonment to Niger Barracks and back. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Meanwhile, in its bid to curtail armed banditry and other security challenges in Zamfara state, NAF has constructed and commissioned 2 new helipads at 207 Quick Response Group (207 QRG) in Gusau. The 2 helipads, would enable NAF combat helicopter gunships to operate from Gusau thereby increasing their reach during air operations within Zamfara state and environs. Nigerian Air Force Operations Against Boko Haram | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - The Depot Nigerian Army says it is planning to conduct a shooting exercise in Zaria - Leutenant Adekunle Akinyele advised residents to keep off the area while the exercise lasts - Akinyele urges the residents of the affected area not to panic when they hear sounds of gunshot The Depot Nigerian Army, on Saturday, August 18, warned that it would be conducting an outdoor range classification exercise for its 77 regular recruits intake from Monday, Aug. 20 to Saturday, September 1, in Zaria. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quotes a statement by Leutenant Adekunle Akinyele, the assistant director, Army Public Relations, Depot Nigerian Army, Zaria, as revealing this. The report said Akinyele advised residents of the area to keep-off the area of the exercise. READ ALSO: Breaking: After much speculations, Buhari finally arrives Nigeria, lands in Abuja The exercise is scheduled to take place at its shooting range located at Kabama and Tohu Villages off Zaria-Kano Expressway from Monday, 20 August to Saturday, 1 September 2018. The exercises will involve firing of live ammunition using small arms. The authority has put in place safety measures and precautions to ensure a safe and hitch free exercise. However, residents of the affected communities are advised to stay away from the range general area within the scheduled period, the statement said. Akinyele further advised residents of Kabama and Tohu villages not to panic on seeing movement of troops and hearing the sound of gunshot as it was a routine exercise for the recruits on training in Depot Nigerian Army. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app Legit.ng earlier reported that the Nigerian Army announced its plan to begin an annual training programme of "Operation Python Dance III" popularly referred to as Exercise Egwu Eke III in the southeast states. The exercise which had its two previous phases, I and II, would take place in states' formations and units under the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army. Street Gist: What Are You Proud of As a Nigerian? | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit Nigeria Yves here. Please note that Ive re-headlined Richard Murphys post, since he did himself a disservice by making it anodyne and thus greatly underplaying the important issue he raises. In addition, I am aware that Shakespeares First, lets kill all the lawyers, which is widely treated as a disparagement of the profession, is actually a vote of support for their role. From Miller Samuel: Perhaps one of the most misused phrases in the history of literature is the reference to a quote in Shakespeares play Henry VI, First lets kill all the lawyers. The line is from The Second Part of Henry VI, act IV, scene ii, line 86; spoken by Dick the butcher, a follower of Jack Cade of Ashford, a common bully who tries to start a rebellion on which the Yorks can later capitalize to seize the throne from Henry. The plan would be to take away the rights of common citizens but that would only work if they killed all the lawyers. Nevertheless, the popular misconstruction is so evocative that its hard not to use it. The points that Murphy raises about the extent and significance of misvaluation is particularly pressing in the financial services industry, where the double-entry-bookkeeping methodology of accounting does not map at all well onto instruments that have a lot of optionality. From a seminal 2010 post by Steve Waldman, Capital cant be measured, that I strongly urge you to read in full: Bank capital cannot be measured. Think about that until you really get it. Large complex financial institutions report leverage ratios and tier one capital and all kinds of aromatic stuff. But those numbers are meaningless. For any large complex financial institution levered at the House-proposed limit of 15, a reasonable confidence interval surrounding its estimate of bank capital would be greater than 100% of the reported value. In English, we cannot distinguish well capitalized from insolvent banks, even in good times, and regardless of their formal statements. Lehman is a case-in-point. On September 10, 2008, Lehman reported 11% tier one capital and very conservative net leverage. On September 25 15, 2008, Lehman declared bankruptcy. Despite reported shareholders equity of $28.4B just prior to the bankruptcy, the net worth of the holding company in liquidation is estimated to be anywhere from negative $20B to $130B, implying a swing in value of between $50B and $160B. That is shocking. For an industrial firm, one expects liquidation value to be much less than going concern value, because fixed capital intended for a particular production process cannot easily be repurposed and has to be taken apart and sold for scrap. But the assets of a financial holding company are business units and financial positions, which can be sold if they are have value. Yes, liquidation hits intangible franchise value and reputation, but those assets are mostly excluded from bank balance sheets, and they are certainly excluded from tier one capital calculations. The orderly liquidation of a well-capitalized financial holding company ought to yield something close to tangible net worth, which for Lehman would have been about $24B. In other words, the definitive legal account of the Lehman bankruptcy has concluded that while executives may have shaded things a bit, from the perspective of what is actionable within the law, Lehmans valuations were legally indistinguishable from accurate. Yet, the estimate of net worth computed from these valuations turned out to be off by 200% or more. So, for large complex financials, capital cannot be measured precisely enough to distinguish conservatively solvent from insolvent banks, and capital positions are always optimistically padded. Given these facts, and I think they are facts, even hard capital and leverage restraints are unlikely to prevent misbehavior. Can anything be done about this? Are we doomed to some post-modern quantum mechanical nightmare wherein Schrodingers Banks are simultaneously alive and dead until some politically-shaped measurement by a regulator forces a collapse of the superposition of states into hunky-doriness? Now to Richard Murphys post. By Richard Murphy, a chartered accountant and a political economist. He has been described by the Guardian newspaper as an anti-poverty campaigner and tax expert. He is Professor of Practice in International Political Economy at City University, London and Director of Tax Research UK. He is a non-executive director of Cambridge Econometrics. He is a member of the Progressive Economy Forum. Originally published at Tax Research UK I suggested yesterday that the failures in auditing at PWC might be systemic, even though (inevitably) the Financial Reporting Council did not test that hypothesis. Today I want to go a little further and suggest that the failure in accounting is systemic. My suggestion is that accountancy has been complicit in the valuation of things that simply do not exist. One of the accusations against PWC was that they had signed off accounts which stated assets to have worth which was simply not in existence. So, an investment was stated to be worth more than 200 million when in fact it was worth, at most, 1. There were other examples. But the issue is not specific to BHS and the companies associated with it. The problem is systemic. Accountancy is riddled with intangible assets. And arbitrary valuations. Im not seeking to get too technical here. What I am referring to are four basic categories of assets. Being more specific does not help the argument. The first such asset is goodwill. This is the excess value paid when acquiring a business over the sum that can be attributed to tangible, physical assets that can be valued in their own right. The second group of assets are legally constructed property rights. These are things like patents and copyrights that only have value by presuming there is a future income stream. The third are those supposedly marketable assets that apparently generate an income but for which there is no current market and to which a value is attributed on a mark to market basis using models that might be as accurate as a forecast that it will snow in the UK today. And finally are assets created intra-group. These are investments, loans and liabilities created in an intense web of transactions that are in themselves likely to be largely commercially meaningless but which leave a trail of interdependencies that render the accounts that include them largely incomprehensible in themselves, but which are nonetheless declared to be true and fair. You can argue there are more or fewer such groupings. You can discuss which is more or less esoteric. I have problems with them whichever way you address the issue. The problems are, essentially, twofold. The first is that these assets may simply not exist. Indeed, in isolation, they do not. So, goodwill is not independent of the underlying entity; intra-group debt is only of worth if the whole group might be, but not even then necessarily, and copyright only has worth as long as the property it relates to is still seen, heard or read. So the fact that someone once paid for these things is proof of nothing more than potential misjudgement at some time in the past. Too often that is now proving to be true. Not always, I stress. But too often. Which suggests that unquestioning acceptance of valuations based on pure history or models is failing accountancy. And second? The problem is in the income statement. We recognise income from these assets in many cases (intra-group debt often excepted). But when we do we do not apparently think it appropriate to recognise that in most cases we bought that income. In other words, goodwill simply represents a purchased income stream. And an acquired copyright had a cost to buying the future income. And I think it should be mandatory that the cost in question be written off against the income. In fact, it should be written off even when there is no or little income. But accountancy is far too lax on this now, albeit it once was not. Accounts are riddled, in my opinion, with assets that do not exist because they are at best nothing more than purchased income streams whose cost should have been written off against that revenue. Or the assets are simply manufactured. I am not suggesting there is never a reason to recognise these assets. There may be, albeit with an over-riding requirement of prudent valuation that is now entirely absent from accounting. But, and this is key, investors need to be vastly more aware of their existence so that they can appraise the risk in an entity. So too do auditors need to do that because, simple souls that they seem to be, they are apparently quite unable to appraise this risk at present even when it hits them in the face. The need is for a test of resilience. That is, a measure of the durability of the company when all these assets are stripped from consideration. Thats a second balance sheet in effect. The directors would, of course, be wholly at liberty to say why they thought this misrepresented the position of the company: I would have no difficulty with that, as long as they were personally liable for their claims. And then the investor can decide. Do they want the accounting hubris, or not? Some fundamental accounting might do no harm. The comfort of having your own home is something a group of volunteers in Clonmel is trying to secure for people who need a support structure in their lives. Community suicide awareness workers in Clonmel (C-Saw) are appealing to the public to support the group in a bid to provide the stability of a permanent home to people availing of the services it provides at 24 Wellington Street in Clonmel. The goal is to purchase the house which they have been using for the last three years so that once ownership is secured they can offer more services and they could move on to develop as an organisation knowing they had a permanent base. C-Saw, founded five years ago, has appealed to local business interests to support their campaign to purchase the house and are actively pursuing raising enough funds to make that crucial step. It's an open house, a place where everybody is welcome with a friendly group combining to provide a relaxed atmosphere. "The house is for sale at the moment and we have an agreement to buy it, we just have to raise the money now. We like where we are and the people who call in are very happy here" said Joe Leahy one of the founding members of the group. Tommy Cahill, one of the volunteers, said they were all trained in counselling. Initially people who call enjoy a cup of tea and a chat and if they want to avail of counselling or bereavement counselling they can opt for that in a private and confidential setting. The house is not just for people in Clonmel, with people coming from West Waterford up to Monard. Patrick is a regular caller to the house and remembers the difficult place he was inwhenhe first called two years ago. "I suffered a trauma way back and I never went for treatment for it. I went around the town letting on I was fine but I was not. It was a struggle to actually take that step to come in but I got over that. I came to the right place, the counsellors are gold and I am in a good place now" said Patrick. The organisation works to reduce the number of suicides in Tipperary by raising awareness, educating the community and providing emotional and practical support to those in need, as well as those bereaved by suicide. Its services - all of which are provided free by trained volunteers and volunteer professionals - are provided at 24 William Street, Last year, more than 500 people availed of the services provided at C-SAW House. These include a Listening Ear Support Service, which is totally confidential and held between 6.30-7.30pm every Monday and Thursday evening; bereavement counselling from 2-3pm every Thursday; and a free coffee morning from 11am-1pm every Wednesday. Take Time to Talk Counselling with qualified counsellors is also available, by appointment. C-SAW has trained more than 200 people in recent years in SafeTalk and ASIST. Both courses are certified by the HSE and equip people with the skills to assess and intervene in crisis situations. When Pope Francis arrives on his historic visit to Ireland for the World Meeting of Families, he will be greeted by musicians from the Bru Bru heritage centre in Cashel on the tarmac of Dublin airport. Comhaltas Ceoiltoiri Eireann are playing an integral role throughout the Papal visit and the honour of being part of the warm welcome extended to Pope Francis at Dublin airport on Saturday 25th August has been awarded to the Bru Boru musicians. Eight Bru Boru musicians, who finish their season of summer shows this Thursday night in Cashel, will be among nineteen Comhaltas musicians to provide the welcome at Dublin airport. "It will be an historic moment, it is an honour for the musicians to be asked to be part of the welcome for Pope Francis" said Comhaltas Director General Labhras O Murchu. The welcome party of musicians will only be the beginning of the Comhaltas involvement during the visit of Pope Francis. "We feel privileged and honoured to be involved in so many events. Family is very much the ethos of Comhaltas. We are going to be presenting Irish traditional arts to the world. The Fleadh Cheol is on at the weekend in Drogheda and on Tuesday Comhaltas will begin their role in the World Meeting of Families" said Mr O Murchu. "The Fleadh, Faith and Family will all be linked in a very busy week for Comhaltas. It is one of the biggest challenges Comhaltas has ever faced. We are very proud of what we have to show the world and humbled to be given such a stage" he said. Comhaltas will create a virtual Fleadh Cheoil on the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday as part of the World Meeting of Families. It will involve twelve different groups from all provinces and will be performed in an enclosure in the RDS and there will be pop up recitals within the main campus . A Comhaltas folk orchestra will also be performing and will be playing on the Sunday in Phoenix Park when the relics of Saint Therese will be arriving and will play four especially prepared pieces as the Pope arrives. A number of the Bru Boru musicians will be among the orchestra. "It will be a very special moment for all involved" said Labhras. On the Friday at 6pm, Bru Boru will play in the main concert hall at the RDS for the World Meeting of Families. On Friday morning in the RDS, thirty Comhaltas musicians will be staging a performance entitled Ceole Le Cheile (Music Together) that will show the relationship betweem music and family over the generations. "From baptisms to funerals, weddings to anniversaries, traditional music, singing and dancing have always drawn people together, uniting the generations, bridging the distance between home and overseas, between past and present, between the head and the heart. Ceol Le Cheile will explore how the tradition of music and song have marked time to lifes milestones and mysteries, both joyful and sorrowful, for countless generations, a never ending rhythm that still beats at the heart of Irish family life today." said the Comhaltas Director General. (Natural News) President Donald Trump wants Attorney General Jeff Sessions to file a federal lawsuit against opioid makers and suppliers, he said during a Cabinet meeting Thursday. (Article by Evie Fordham republished from DailyCaller.com) Id also like to ask you to bring a major lawsuit against the drug companies on opioids, Trump said Thursday according to Fox News. Some states have done it, but Id like a lawsuit to be brought against these companies that are really sending opioids at a level that it really shouldnt be happening. People go into a hospital with a broken arm, they come out, theyre a drug addict. The proposed suit would come as opioid manufacturers, like Purdue Pharma, face or have faced suits from multiple states, including Texas, Nevada, North Carolina and, most recently, New York. Trump also asked Sessions to look into opioids entering the U.S. from China and Mexico during the meeting, reported Fox. New York filed suit against Purdue Pharma blaming it for downplaying the dangers of opioids while marketing its opioid products including the narcotic OxyContin, reported Reuters. At least 3,086 people died from opioid overdoses including prescription painkillers and heroin in New York in 2016. Opioids overdoses killed more than 42,000 people in the U.S. in 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The opioid epidemic was manufactured by unscrupulous distributors who developed a $400 billion industry pumping human misery into our communities, Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement Tuesday. Purdue said it vigorously denies New Yorks accusations in a statement, according to the New York Post. We believe it is inappropriate for the state to substitute its judgment for the judgment of the regulatory, scientific and medical experts at [Food and Drug Administration], the statement continued, according to the NY Post. (RELATED: CDC Estimates That Drug Overdose Deaths Hit Record Level In 2017) Purdue had to pay more than $630 million after the company and three of its leading executives were investigated by the Department of Justice and pleaded guilty to misbranding OxyContin in 2007, reported Reuters. Read more at: DailyCaller.com and visit Overdose.news for more coverage of drug addiction. A new discovery of a beetle preserved in 99-million-year-old amber offers a picture of some of the earliest pollinating insects on the planet. The pollinating relationship between bees and butterflies with flowers is well-documented. Less well-known is the pollinating abilities of bees, which dates back to millions of years and involves non-flowering plants or gymnosperms. First Evidence Of Insect, Gymnosperm Relationship In the new research published in the journal Current Biology, scientists share their findings on the oldest known fossil evidence of the bond shared by gymnosperms and insects. Specifically, the team found and analyzed a 99-million-year-old boganiid beetle trapped inside a Burmese amber from Kachin State, Myanmar. The insect was found with tiny grains of cycad pollen, confirming early suggestions that cycads were pollinated by beetles. Some of the beetle's special adaptations are mandibles with hairy cavities that are meant to carry and transport the cycad pollen collected. After the study researchers cut, trimmed, and polished the specimen, they examined it under a microscope. Indeed, the beetle had clumps of pollen grains with it. A consulting expert confirmed the pollen came from a cycad plant. Chenyang Cai, study lead author and now a research fellow at the University of Bristol, explains that he was instantly intrigued by the discovery of the beetle. "Boganiid beetles have been ancient pollinators for cycads since the Age of Cycads and Dinosaurs," he points out in a statement. In the study, the authors also take a dive into the boganiid beetle's family tree. The fossilized insect is reportedly related to an Australian beetle that's still in existence and remain pollinating cycads. Cai has been attempting to find similar beetle pollinators that are left undiscovered. What The Findings Mean The new study reveals that ancient beetles pollinated cycads way before other insects pollinated flowering plants. The beetle and amber discovered may have been only 99 million years old, but Cai and fellow author Michael Engel believe that it could be representative of a process that possibly dates back to the Triassic Period, according to New York Times. If this is true, beetles may have been pollinating gymnosperms for over 100 million years before the bees and the butterflies even started pollinating angiosperms. "Insects and plants are the two dominant titans of our world," Engel tells New York Times. "The intimate, love-hate relationship between these two behemoths of diversity through time is a major tale to tell, and this fossil is just one component of that." Pregnant women with high levels of the pesticide DDT have a higher risk of giving birth to a child with autism, a new study reveals. The controversial chemical DDT made its mark as a powerful pesticide in the early 1900s, but is now banned in most countries around the world for its effects on the environment, wildlife, and human health. DDT And Its Effects On Autism The study, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, examined blood samples from over a million mothers in Finland who were pregnant from 1987 to 2005. From this pool, the team identified 778 children diagnosed with autism, then pulled 778 children without the diagnosis to serve as control subjects. After analyzing the blood samples of the children's mothers, the researchers found that pregnant women with higher concentrations of DDE the metabolic by-product of DDT are 32 percent more likely to give birth to children with autism than those with lower levels of DDE. Mothers with elevated DDE levels were also shown twice as likely to have children with both autism and an intellectual disability. According to Live Science, the results stayed consistent even when the researchers adjusted other factors such as the mother's age, socioeconomic status, and a history of psychiatric disorders. The study provides the first biomarker-based evidence that a mother's exposure to insecticides is associated with autism. The researchers also tested the blood samples for another banned chemical PCB, but no links were found to autism. Potential Reasons Behind The Association There is still a lack of clear reason behind DDT's significant impact on autism. However, the study's lead researcher Alan Brown, a psychiatrist and epidemiologist at Columbia University, offers two potential explanations, according to Nature. One is DDT's known effect of low birth weight and premature birth, both of which are related to autism. The chemical also binds to proteins known as androgen receptors, which has been shown in rodent studies to interfere with fetal brain development. Still, Brown says the overall risk of autism remains low, even in children whose mothers were found with higher concentrations of DDE. While the findings were significant, the authors also stress that the study does not prove that DDT directly causes autism. It may simply be a single contributor in a myriad of factors that lead to the disorder. "Very likely, you need other predisposing factors [for autism] in addition to [DDE]," Brown explains to Live Science. "I don't think moms should be going out and getting tested for these things." DDT In The Environment DDT has been banned for a few decades in many countries, but it's still occasionally used in Africa to keep mosquito populations down. It is also a chemical that breaks down extremely slowly, so DDT is still lingering in the soil and water today. The East Side Union High School District (ESUHSD) Superintendent made a bold announcement in this school years welcome letter with the hopes of starting a conversation and to stop hiding from the truth. Chris Funk stated that racism and bias are partly to blame for the ongoing achievement gap for students in the American education system since African American, Latino and disabled students are "still facing a default future that is pre-determined." Some students, including an African American and a Latina, are glad their superintendent finally went there. "Im glad hes expressing it and not trying to hide it anymore because it is a problem," said junior Luther Dunn II. Funk stated in the letter that Hispanic and Black students are often more punished and further behind their White and Asian counterparts. "We have to address those issues. Not that were calling anyone racist. Were not saying 'youre a bigot.' Were just saying that our biases, and everyone has them, impacts our policies and how we interact with each other," Funk said. The school board just allocated more than $2 million on a professional development plan to look for solutions to the achievement gap. "It doesnt mean were going to fix it overnight," said Funk. "But if youre not willing to put race on the table and our implicit bias on the table, well never close the opportunity or the achievement gap." There are many success stories in the ESUHSD. Annually, African American and Latino students are being accepted into Harvard, Yale, and MIT. The hope is the letter will embolden even more students to succeed. San Francisco is preparing to open two safe injection sites this summer in hopes of getting a handle on rampant drug use and cutting down on the spread of disease. Mayor London Breed touted the effectiveness of safe injection sites in her inaugural address. In addition, people always point to Vancouver as a shining example of how how well the centers can work. But on Friday, opponents, including a man from Vancouver, held a protest in opposite of the sites and poked holes in that theory. But there are plenty of critics voicing opposition to a plan that is not protected by California law. "We are ready to fight San Francisco if they insist to open up illegal drug injection centers," said Frank Lee, who is part of the coalition opposing safe injection sites. A gloomy projection about a strategy San Francisco is deploying to deal with needles and drug use. "From being a drug addict, or recovering drug addict myself, we absolutely know that when a drug addict becomes high, they're not looking for recovery, they're looking for their next hit!" said Bishop Ron Allen, International Faith Based Coalition. State Sen. Scott Wiener has been an early advocate of safe injection sites and insists supplying medical personnel onsite is far better than the alternative. "When someone is injecting in an alleyway, that's not helping anyone," Wiener said. "There has never been an overdose death at one of these safe injection sites." Wayne Lo came from Vancouver to participate in Friday's protest in San Francisco. He said more than 400 people overdosed in the Vancouver metro area in 2017. An NBC Bay Area review of the latest date from British Columbia's coroner's service confirms a spike -- Vancouver had 38 overdose deaths in 2018 and 366 in 2017. But Wiener contends that is a commentary on a drug crisis, not the centers themselves. "Our injection problem with heroin, with meth, has been going up everywhere,whether or not you have a safe injection site." Wiener said. "We have a problem that is spiraling out of control." The two safe injection sites San Francisco plans on opening this summer are privately funded because California does not provide legal protection to those who work at or use them. Sen. Wiener is co-author of a bill that could change that in San Francisco if it passes the senate. Funeral services will be held Monday for the Utah firefighter killed while battling the largest recorded wildfire in California history. The services for Battalion Chief Matt Burchett of the Draper Fire Department will be held at 11 a.m. at the Maverik Center in the Salt Lake City suburb of West Valley City, and a private interment will follow at Eastlawn Memorial Hills Cemetery in Provo. The 42-year-old was hit by a tree Monday while fighting a wildfire north of San Francisco. He was flown to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Burchett was among numerous out-of-state firefighters who joined the front lines of the massive wildfire. See the Size of the Mendocino Fire With more than 283,000 acres burned, the Mendocino Complex Fire in Northern California is now the biggest-ever in the state. But how big is it, in relation to places you recognize? Use the map below to explore the size of the fire on top of your city, state, or zip code. A San Francisco Police Officer filed a lawsuit Thursday accusing other officers of sexual orientation harassment, sexual orientation discrimination and retaliation. Officer Brendan Mannix said two sergeants at San Franciscos Central Station made repeated sexist and homophobic remarks to him and when he complained, no one stopped it. Retired SFPD Leutenant Colleen Fatooh now teaches criminology at City College and is not familiar with the suit but said a hostile workplace doesnt belong in law enforcement. "There's the danger factor the people you work with they're supposed to be your back up that's impacted there's also the emotional factor," Fatooh said. Mannix also claims that when he called for backup, it was slow to arrive. A serious allegation police records should settle. "Those allegations I believe you should be able to substantiate you can find out how long did it take for backup," Fatooh said. This isnt the first time SFPD has been accused of discrimination, in 2015, homophobic and racist text messages sent and received by a group of officers rocked the department. However, it also has a record of reaching out to the LGBT community in recruiting and in 2012 it was one of the first police forces to make an It Gets Better video, a campaign aimed at empowering LGBT youth. "We take all allegations of discrimination and officer misconduct seriously and will thoroughly investigate all complaints," said SFPD in a statement through the citys attorneys office. A conservative rally against "far-left violence'' was organized in downtown Boston a year after a similar demonstration drew tens of thousands of counterprotesters. A man, who wished to be identified only as Jon, said they were there to protect the Constitution. "No one here is saying anything hateful or violent," he said. Boston Free Speech, the group organizing the event, said on its Facebook page that its rally was scheduled for noon at City Hall Plaza. The rally spilled onto City Hall Plaza in the afternoon, remaining primarily near the John F. Kennedy Federal Building. A few dozen people with Boston Free Speech were surrounded by more than 100 counterprotesters, who tried to drown them out. "You can have your free speech, but that does not protect you from the consequences," said a counterprotester who wanted to remain anonymous. Brandon Navom, one of the organizers of Boston Free Speech, says they've been falsely labeled neo-Nazis and racists. "All we want to do is come out and peacefully express ourselves," he said. Navom sued Boston Mayor Marty Walsh for slander after last year's rally. "We're trying to engage in an open discourse, and it's these people who want to shut us down," Navom said. A heavy police presence helped separate both sides. There were a few shoving matches quickly broken up by police, but there were no reports of any arrests, serious violence or injuries. The protest lasted less than an hour. Police shut down the rally when the protesters tried to continue into Boston Common because they didn't have a permit. Authorities were seen escorting the group away. Counterprotesters Clash With Rally Attendees in Boston Organizer John Medlar said the event was meant to call out Internet censorship and "violent suppression of discourse in the public square.'' The counterprotesters gathered at the State House for a planned march to City Hall organized by Stand Against Hate-Boston and the Democratic Socialists of America. They could be heard shouting "cops and Klan go hand-in-hand." A conservative rally against far-left violence was organized in downtown Boston a year after a similar demonstration drew tens of thousands of counterprotesters. Last August's "free speech'' rally happened on Boston Common days after a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, left one counterprotester dead and 19 injured. Two people have been arrested after a Massachusetts State Police trooper was dragged by a vehicle in Webster Friday. Police say the trooper stopped a Honda Pilot driven by 27-year-old Cory Peterson, with 40-year-old Jessica Crutchley as a passenger, around 12:25 p.m. in the area of Chase Avenue. When the trooper was on foot, the SUV sped up and dragged him a short distance. The trooper was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester. State police announced around 5:30 p.m. that he had been released. Peterson and Crutchley fled on Chase Avenue toward Dudley, where they both live. After hours of searching, the SUV was found on South Street in Fitchburg around 5:10 p.m. Crutchley was found inside the vehicle and taken into custody, while state police set up a perimeter and searched for Peterson. Just after 6 p.m., police say Peterson was found hiding under the deck of a home about a block away. Peterson faces charges of assault with intent to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault on a police officer, possession of a weapon while commiting a felony, resisting arrest, failure to stop and giving a false name. He also had three outstanding default warrants on charges of larceny over $250, resisting arrest and breaking and entering. Crutchley also had an outstanding warrant for a probation violation from East Brookfield District Court. Both suspects are being held without bail until their arraignments, which are expected Monday. It was not immediately clear if they had attorneys. President Donald Trump is showing renewed interest in a proposal by Blackwater founder Erik Prince to privatize the war, current and former senior administration officials told NBC News. The idea envisions replacing troops with private military contractors who would work for a special U.S. envoy for the war who would report directly to the president. It has raised ethical and security concerns among senior military officials, key lawmakers and members of Trump's national security team. But a year after Trump approved boosting the U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan, his advisers are worried his impatience with the Afghanistan conflict will cause him to seriously consider proposals like Prince's or abruptly order a complete U.S. withdrawal, officials said. Prince, a staunch Trump supporter whose sister is Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, said he hasn't spoken directly to Trump about the plan, but told NBC News he plans to launch an aggressive media "air campaign" in coming days to try to get the president to embrace it. What to Know Mecca is the holiest city in the religion of Islam Every year, millions of Muslims make the trip to Mecca in the hajj pilgrimage More than 2 million Muslims began the annual hajj pilgrimage at first light on Sunday in Saudi Arabia, circling the cube-shaped Kaaba in Mecca that Islam's faithful face five times each day during their prayers. The five-day hajj pilgrimage represents one of the world's biggest gatherings every year, and is required of all able-bodied Muslims once in their life. The hajj offers pilgrims an opportunity to feel closer to God amid the Muslim world's many challenges, including the threat of violence and extremists in the Mideast and the plight of Myanmar's Muslim Rohingya minority. "We are very blessed by Allah to be in this place, and we pray to Allah to make the Islamic nations from the West to the East in a better situation," said Essam-Eddin Afifi, a pilgrim from Egypt. "We pray for the Islamic nations to overcome their enemies." Muslims believe the hajj retraces the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad, as well as those of the prophets Ibrahim and Ismail Abraham and Ishmael in the Bible. Muslims believe God stayed the hand of Ibrahim after commanding him to sacrifice his son, Ismail. In the Christian and Jewish version of the story, Abraham is ordered to kill his other son, Isaac. The Kaaba represents the metaphorical house of God and the oneness of God. Muslims circle the Kaaba counter-clockwise seven times while reciting supplications to God, then walk between the two hills traveled by Hagar, Ibrahim's wife. Mecca's Grand Mosque, the world's largest, encompasses the Kaaba and the two hills. Before heading to Mecca, many pilgrims visit the city of Medina, where the Prophet Muhammad is buried and where he built his first mosque. After prayers in Mecca, pilgrims will head to an area called Mount Arafat on Monday, where the Prophet Muhammad delivered his final sermon. From there, pilgrims will head to an area called Muzdalifa, picking up pebbles along the way for a symbolic stoning of the devil and a casting away of sins that takes place in the Mina valley for three days. At the hajj's end, male pilgrims will shave their hair and women will cut a lock of hair in a sign of renewal for completing the pilgrimage. Around the world, Muslims will mark the end of hajj with a celebration called Eid al-Adha. The holiday, remembering Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son, sees Muslims slaughter sheep and cattle, distributing the meat to the poor. Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki, the spokesman of the Saudi Interior Ministry, told journalists Saturday that over 2 million Muslims from abroad and inside the kingdom would be taking part in this year's hajj. Saudi Arabia's ruling Al Saud family stakes its legitimacy in part on its management of the holiest sites in Islam. King Salman's official title is the "Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques," at Mecca and Medina. Other Saudi kings, and the Ottoman rulers of the Hijaz region before them, all have adopted the honorary title The kingdom has spent billions of dollars of its vast oil revenues on security and safety measures, particularly in Mina, where some of the hajj's deadliest incidents have occurred. The worst in recorded history took place only three years ago. On Sept. 24, 2015, a stampede and crush of pilgrims in Mina killed at least 2,426 people, according to an Associated Press count. The official Saudi toll of 769 people killed and 934 injured has not changed since only two days afterward. The kingdom has never addressed the discrepancy, nor has it released any results of an investigation authorities promised to conduct over the disaster. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia also faces threats from al-Qaida militants and a local faction of the Islamic State group. Days earlier, the Interior Ministry acknowledged arresting a Saudi wearing an explosive vest in the kingdom's central al-Qassim region who shot at security forces. Meanwhile, a Saudi-led war in Yemen against Shiite rebels drags on without an end in sight. The rebels have fired over 150 ballistic missiles on the kingdom during a conflict that has seen Saudi airstrikes hit markets and hospitals, killing civilians. At least 23 people were shot one of them fatally Friday in a series of shootings across Chicago over 24 hours. A single shooting in the South Side Englewood neighborhood wounded seven people, including a 3-year-old boy. Most of the group was on a sidewalk about 8 p.m. when shots rang out in the 1600 block of West 65th Street, according to Chicago police. The boy was shot in the left shin and taken to Comer Childrens Hospital, where his condition stabilized. A 30-year-old man who was shot in the back showed up at Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was in serious condition, police said. Paramedics took four other men, ranging from age 26 to 30, to local hospitals, where they were treated for their gunshot wounds. Their conditions had stabilized. A seventh person, a 38-year-old woman, was standing in a nearby backyard when a stray bullet grazed her in the left arm, police said. She was treated on the scene and released. Fridays only homicide happened in the Englewood neighborhood, police said. A 27-year-old man was shot in his chest and arm about 2:50 p.m. in the 7000 block of South Sangamon, according to police. He was taken to St. Bernard Hospital in critical condition, police said. He was later transferred to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The Cook County Medical Examiners Office hasnt released details about the death. Police were conducting a homicide investigation. The last shooting Friday wounded a 15-year-old boy in the West Englewood neighborhood. About 11:50 p.m., the teen was sitting inside a home in the 2000 block of West 68th Street when he gunfire outside, police said. A bullet went through a window and struck the boy in his chest. He was taken to Comer Childrens Hospital in fair condition. Minutes earlier, two 19-year-old men were wounded in a shooting in the Archer Heights neighborhood on the Southwest Side. The men were traveling in a vehicle about 11:25 p.m. in the 4600 block of South Pulaski Road when someone inside a gray Jeep pulled up behind them and fired three shots, police said. They were struck in their shoulders and backs and were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where their conditions had stabilized, police said. About 11 p.m., a man and woman were wounded in a shooting in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side. The two were standing near each other outside in the 700 block of North Ridgeway Avenue when shots rang out, according to police. Neither person saw the shooter. The 23-year-old woman was struck twice in her leg and the 35-year-old man was shot once in his torso. Both of their conditions had stabilized at hospitals, according to police. The woman was taken to Stroger Hospital and the man was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital. A man was wounded in a West Pullman neighborhood shooting on the Far South Side. The 23-year-old was walking down the street about 10:35 p.m. when someone walked up to him and shot him in the leg in the 11600 block of South Yale, police said. His condition stabilized at Metro South Medical Center in Blue Island. About 9:45 p.m., a man was shot in the Grand Crossing neighborhood on the South Side. The 19-year-old was standing outside when he was shot in the leg in the 1300 block of East 75th Street, police said. His condition stabilized at University of Chicago Medical Center. Earlier in the morning, a man was critically wounded in the Loop near the Chicago River in the second downtown shooting overnight. The shooting happened about 12:40 a.m. in the first block of East Wacker Drive, according to police. A 34-year-old man was struck in his abdomen and took himself to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in critical condition, police said. The shooting happened minutes after a man was shot in a Streeterville parking garage. He was taken to the same hospital in critical condition. Seven other people were wounded Friday in shootings throughout the city. .large div.leadMediaRegion {border:none} .large .leadMediaRegion.city_module iframe {height:650px;} NBC 5 and Telemundo Chicago have teamed up with animal shelters to waive adoption fees across the Chicago area and help pets 6 months and older find forever homes. The pet adoption initiative known as Clear the Shelters takes place 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 18, 2018. Each shelter's adoption process and policy will still be in place during this event. Use the map to search for a shelter near you or search by zip code above. For more information on the 2018 Clear the Shelters event, click here. Full list of Chicago-area participating shelters below: A.D.O.P.T. Pet Shelter 420 Industrial Drive, Naperville, IL 60563 (630) 355-2299 A Refuge for Saving the Wildlife (Birds only) 2720 Dundee Road, Suite 229, Northbrook, IL 60062 (847) 509-1026 Anderson Animal Shelter North Aurora Adoption Ctr. 188 N. Randall Road, Aurora, IL 60542 (847) 697-2880 ext. 80 Animal Outreach Humane Society 3370 Shoppers Drive, McHenry, IL 60051 (815) 385-0005 Animal Services and Assitance Programs (Cats only) 19309 Kishwaukee Valley Road, Marengo, IL 60152 (815) 568-2921 Aurora Animal Care & Control 600 S. River Street, Aurora, IL 60506 (630) 256-3630 Cat Habitat 17930 S. Halsted Street, Homewood, IL 60430 (708) 308-8817 CatNap From the Heart 1101 Beach Ave., LaGrange Park, IL 60526 (708) 352-3914 Chicago Animal Care & Control 2741 S. Western Ave., Chicago, IL 60608 (312) 747-1406 Cicero Waggin' Tails Shelter 1800 S. Laramie Ave., Cicero, IL 60804 (708) 652-0825 DuPage County Animal Care & Control 120 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton, IL 60187 (630) 407-2800 Friendly & Feral Cat Rescue 1375 N. Roselle Road, Schaumburg, IL 60195 (847) 394-0260 Heartland Animal Shelter 2975 Milwaukee Ave. Northbrook, IL 60062 (847) 296-6400 Help Save Pets Chicago 511 W. North Ave. Chicago, IL 60610 (312) 428-2571 Help Save Pets Downers Grove 941 63rd Street, Downers Grove, IL 60516 (815) 436-2700 Hinsdale Humane Society 22 N. Elm, Hinsdale, IL 60521 (630) 323-5630 Humane Indiana 421 45th Ave., Munster, IN 46321 (219) 922-3811 Humane Society of Northwest Indiana 6100 Melton Road, Gary, IN 46403 (219) 938-3339 Magnificient Mutts and Meows (Dogs only) 720 E. Ogden Ave., Naperville, IL 60563 (708) 703-5047 Magnificient Mutts and Meows (Cats only) 198 North Ave., Villa Park, IL 60181 (708) 205-6862 McHenry County Animal Control and Adoption Ctr. (Cats only) 100 N. Virginia Street, Crystal Lake, IL 60014 (815) 459-6222 Michiana Humane Society & SPCA, Inc. 722 IN-212, Michigan City, IN 46360 (219) 872-4499 Naperville Area Humane Society 1620 W. Diehl Road, Naperville, IL 60563 (630) 420-8989 New Beginnings for Cats 7701 E. 3500N Road, Bourbonnais, IL 60914 (815) 472-4734 Orphans of the Storm 2200 Riverwoods Road, Riverwoods, IL 60015 (847) 945-0235 PAWS Chicago 1997 N. Clyborn Ave., Chicago, IL 60614 (773) 687-4700 Precious Pets Almost Home (Cats only) 3640 N. Elston Ave., Chicago, IL 60618 (773) 887-2286 and 3757 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL 60613 (708) 352-3914 Rover Rescue of Illinois (Dogs only) 1512 S. Randall Road, Geneva, IL 60134 (630) 232-6467 South Suburban Humane Society 1103 West End Ave., Chicago Heights, IL 60411 (708) 755-7387 Spay and Stay (Outdoor location) 555 E. Townline Road, Vernon Hills, IL 60061 (847) 289-4557 Tails Humane Society 2270 Barber Greene Road, DeKalb, IL 60115 (815) 758-2457 The Anti-Cruelty Society 157 W. Grand Ave., IL 60654 (312) 644-8338 Tree House Humane Society (Cats only) 7225 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL 60645 (773) 262-4000 Wheeling Animal Group Saves 532 S. Elmhurst Road, Wheeling, IL 60090 (847) 520-7387 Winnebego County Animal Services 4517 N. Main Street, Rockford, IL 61103 (815) 319-4100 4 Paw Sake (Dogs only) 2739 Glenwood Dyer Road, Lynwood, IL 60411 (708) 758-3647 The federal government is fighting Ibrahim Parlak. Again. Parlak, the Michigan restauranteur who has been relentlessly pursued for years as a potential terrorist by U.S. immigration authorities, has the backing of virtually his entire community in the vacation neighborhoods on the Michigan shore. Indeed, on a drive down the Red Arrow Highway through New Buffalo or Union Pier, it has been a familiar sight to see Free Ibrahim signs in store windows and front yards. Last month, Parlak won a major victory, as an immigration judge ruled he would almost certainly be tortured if Homeland Security got its wish and deported him to his native Turkey. Being able to see a day like this, its a great feeling, Parlak told NBC5 Thursday. In many different ways, she cleared my name. But that relief was short lived. Federal authorities have announced their intention to appeal the courts ruling, saying they believe the court did not give adequate weight to the evidence. Parlaks attorney Robert Carpenter expressed disappointment with the governments decision not to drop the case. We are confident the board will agree with the immigration judges analysis, Carpenter told NBC5. In the end, we believe the appeal will only prove to waste valuable tax dollars and resources that should be used elsewhere. Parlak, who runs the popular Cafe Gulistan in Harbert, near New Buffalo, came to the United States in 1992. Initially he was welcomed with open arms, even granted asylum. But in 2004, he was accused of lying on immigration documents about alleged past associations in Turkey with the Kurdish separatist group PKK. Parlak always denied the charges, but was arrested and served 10 months in custody before eventually being released in June of 2005. Since that time, he has fought repeated deportation efforts, but has enjoyed enthusiastic support from Democratic and Republican lawmakers, as well as the wider community and Chicagoland visitors on the Michigan shore. A big thank you and hug to all of those people, Parlak said. All of the good of America circled me and carried me through the most difficult times. Last month, Republican congressman Fred Upton, a longtime Parlak supporter, hailed the courts decision. Justice has prevailed, Upton said in a statement. Weve always supported Ibrahim because we know who he truly is: A fantastic father, local business owner, and friend to many families here in Southwest Michigan. While the court decision did not mean permanent relief for Parlak, it did mean that the threat of imminent removal was lifted. While Turkey was demanding his return, he holds no travel documents for any other country. After receiving the courts decision, Parlak told NBC5 his greatest hope remained full citizenship in his adopted America. And he spoke lovingly of the wider community which despite varying political views, has consistently rallied together to keep Parlak in the United States. We hold onto the American values, he said. Even at the most difficult times, that kind of gave us hope to go forward! Hate Mondays? Maybe you should consider moving to Colorado. A school district in the Centennial State has canceled school on Mondays in favor of a four-day school week. But Garfield-like attitudes is not why school district 27J, located outside Denver, made the decision. The district, which serves 18,000 students in Brighton, Commerce City, Henderson, Thornton and Aurora, believes that the shorter week will cut costs by roughly $1 million in the first year. By not having classes on Mondays, the school district will only need to pay for services like school buses and substitute teachers four days out of the week. District 27J public information officer Tracy L. Rudnick tells CNBC Make It that the district expects for these savings to increase over time as administrators find new ways to improve efficiency. "[One million] is a small portion of our overall operating budget, but we anticipate as we continue down this path additional savings will be seen year after year," says Rudnick. "We have been able to put a counselor in every elementary school and roll out our One-2-Web program which puts a Chromebook in the hands of every middle and high school student." In a statement, Superintendent Chris Fiedler confirmed that the decision was widely influenced by the district's financial realities as well as the need to attract and retain teachers in the district. "In the context of our financial reality, we must be increasingly strategic in allocating our resources (including our use of time) to the priorities that matter the most for our students and their learning," he writes. "A prepared tomorrow begins with the best teaching and learning today and that requires attracting, retaining and developing the best teachers and support staff so we can deliver on our mission." According to Rudnick, 27J is among the lowest funded school districts in the Denver-metro area, making it difficult to keep high-quality teachers. "We have had years when we have lost over 15 percent of our teaching staff because they can make $10,000 more in a neighboring district," she explains. Indeed, in April, thousands of teachers in Colorado walked out of their classrooms in protest of low wages and low school funding. While the school district may save some money with the new initiative, parents of young children may have to spend a bit more on child-care. The district plans to provide all-day child care services on Mondays for $30 a day per student in order to help families with parents who work on Mondays. This story first appeared on CNBC.com. More from CNBC: The Democratic candidate for Connecticut governor said he'll create an "opioid czar" if he's elected in November. "The opioid crisis is touching every corner of our state," Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont said Friday, and that's why he wants a cabinet-level position to oversee what he calls a crisis. The proposed czar would report directly to the governor. Lamont announced his proposal during a visit to the Fair Haven Community Health Center in New Haven, a city where a batch of synthetic marijuana has been blamed for sending more than 100 people to the hospital. He said his proposed czar would also oversee the state's response to such non-opioid overdose spikes. Last year, there were 1,038 drug overdose deaths in Connecticut. The campaign for Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Stefanowski did not immediately respond to a message from the Associated Press. What to Know The Trump administration was telling Congress Friday it wouldn't spend $200 million on Syria stabilization projects as planned, sources said The sources said the cut will be more than offset by an additional $300 million pledged by coalition partners The move is a sign the administration is heeding the president's demand to end U.S. involvement in Syria and reducing its commitment there The Trump administration is ending funding for Syria stabilization projects as it moves to extricate the U.S. from the conflict, citing increased contributions from anti-Islamic State coalition partners. The State Department said it had notified Congress on Friday that it would not spend some $230 million that had been planned for Syria programs and would instead shift that money to other areas. Most of that money, initially pledged by former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in February, had been on hold and under review since he was fired in March. A small fraction of that amount was released in June. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the cut, which was authorized by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and does not include humanitarian aid funds, will be more than offset by an additional $300 million pledged by coalition partners, including $100 million that Saudi Arabia announced it had contributed late Thursday. "As a result of key partner contributions by coalition members, Secretary Pompeo has authorized the Department of State to redirect approximately $230 million in stabilization funds for Syria which have been under review," she said in a statement. Nauert said Pompeo's decision took into account the White House's desire to increase burden sharing with allies. The funds will be redirected "to support other key foreign policy priorities," said Nauert, who along with other officials rejected suggestions that the elimination of the funds showed diminishing U.S. interest in Syria. Nauert, along with David Satterfield, the acting assistant secretary of state for the Middle East, and Brett McGurk, the special envoy for the anti-IS coalition, told reporters on a conference call that the U.S. would remain active in Syria until the Islamic State has been defeated. "This decision does not represent any lessening of U.S. commitment to our strategic goals in Syria," Nauert said. Still, the move was seen as a sign the administration is heeding Trump's demand to end U.S. involvement in Syria and reduce its commitment there. "This is astonishingly shortsighted," Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee tweeted. They called it a "lack of US leadership" and said it was "undercutting US interests in Syria and around the world." In a bid to reassure its partners in the coalition against IS as well as opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad, Pompeo appointed veteran diplomatic troubleshooter, James Jeffrey, to be a special envoy for Syria, Nauert said. Jeffrey, a former U.S. ambassador to Turkey, Iraq and Albania who also served as a deputy national security adviser to President George W. Bush, will hold the title of "special representative for Syrian engagement." Jeffrey, who retired in 2012, also holds the highest rank in the U.S. Foreign Service: career ambassador. He will lead U.S. efforts to reinvigorate a long-stalled peace effort known as the "Geneva Process" between Assad, the opposition and other countries with equities in Syria, Nauert said. Yet Friday's funding cut is the latest Trump administration financial retreat from Syria. In May, the State Department announced that it had ended all funding for stabilization programs in Syria's northwest. IS militants have been almost entirely eliminated from that region, which is controlled by a hodgepodge of other extremist groups and government forces. In June, the administration freed up a small portion $6.6 million of the $200 million that Tillerson had pledged in order to continue funding for the White Helmets, a Syrian civil defense organization, and the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism, a U.N. agency that is investigating war crimes committed during the conflict. That left $193.4 million in limbo that would have had to have been returned to the Treasury Department on Sept. 30 at the end of this budget year if it had remained unspent. Last month, the U.S. helped to organize the evacuation through Israel of White Helmet workers from Syria's south, where Assad's Russian-backed forces launched a new offensive despite a de-escalation agreement between Washington and Moscow. Nauert said that Friday's decision would not affect "life-saving, needs-based humanitarian assistance to vulnerable Syrians" or U.S. support for the White Helmets or the U.N. mechanism. Gentrification is the term for affordable, older neighborhoods becoming too expensive for the people whove been living there and its a growing fear in parts of Dallas where new development is creeping in. The Fair Park area has new home construction underway. City leaders hope it will increase with a big plan in the works to turn operation of Fair Park over to a private group for a year round attraction. Resident Frankie Simpson said she is concerned that rising property value and rent will force her out of the 90 year old home she leases. Its not going to get any cheaper, she said, Quite naturally its going to get more expensive. The new City of Dallas budget plan includes $1 million to help keep existing affordable homes and neighborhoods more habitable for people already living there. We want to make sure that these areas get an infusion of money, to help stabilize the areas, said Fair Park area City Council Member Kevin Felder, who is also a realtor. Felder said the money will repair aging sidewalks and streets, and fund things like home repair and affordable housing incentives. In the past, Felder said Dallas neglected such areas, accelerating market forces, so developers moved in faster with expensive housing that forced residents out. Felder called this new approach a paradigm shift. I understand some of the cynicism because City Hall has failed this area in the past. But I think you have a new administration and a new Council person, so I think you have some hope, Felder said. On the other hand, Felder said new construction and new residents with more spending power are needed to support businesses. We have to have a mix, he said. Across town in the 10th Street Historic District of Oak Cliff, Realtor Angellet Jones was scouting for vacant lots Friday where she could build new homes. The area is adjacent to a planned deck park over the I-35E Freeway across from the Dallas Zoo, just minutes from Downtown Dallas. So it is prime real estate in this area to be able to come in and build the most expensive things, Jones said. But she is hoping to build more modest new homes and not price existing residents out. I dont disagree with development, but I dont want us to develop so much that people cant afford to stay in the communities that they love, Jones said. She was encouraged to hear about the new plan to fight gentrification. That is new and different and if the city is willing to work with the smaller developers and smaller builders, they might be more able to accomplish their goal, said Jones. Public meetings are being held around the city for input on the proposed city budget. Classes start Saturday morning for DFW Academy of Cannabis Science. The school is offering a 5-week course to learn an industry that isn't legal in Texas. "This is a new economy," said Holly Law, President of DFW Academy of Cannabis Science. "It's worth billions of dollars in this state and so, gosh, legislators for that reason alone, pass it!" Law believes Texas will legalize medical marijuana one day. She said the classes offered prepare people to work in that business when that day comes. "The early bird gets the worm," Law said. "You look at all these CBD shops that are popping up all over the place. Well, what do you think those are going to be when the law changes? Those are going to be dispensaries." A poll done this summer by the University of Texas and Texas Tribune showed 53-percent of registered voters in Texas would favor legalizing pot. 31-percent would legalize medical marijuana, and 16-percent said it should remain illegal in all forms. Law said the classes are all books and theory, no practical hands-on experience with plants. "We do not touch the flower at all. There's no product whatsoever. It's illegal," explained Law. For Law, the 5-week course is personal. "Opiods stole my mother," said Law, whose mother died of a prescription drug overdose. She believed if medical marijuana had been an option, things might have been different. "That's what drives me for this, more than anything." Law is planning another 10-week class to start in October. Three University of Texas professors have lost another legal round in their challenge to a Texas law allowing people with concealed-handgun licenses to carry weapons on public university campuses. The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday refused to revive their lawsuit, which had been dismissed last year by a federal judge in Texas. Lisa Moore, Mia Carter and Jennifer Glass had challenged the law on numerous constitutional grounds. They argued that fear of having armed students in their classrooms would have a chilling effect on free speech. A three-judge panel rejected the argument, saying there is no proof of impending harm that would justify such fear. They also rejected an argument that the Texas law violates the Second Amendment by not sufficiently regulating classroom firearms. Jose and Tammy Vega arrived at the Camden County Animal Shelter in New Jersey early Saturday morning in search of a four-legged companion. The couple, who was first in line at the facility for its Clear the Shelters event, fell in love with a 7-year-old stray Chihuahua named Pot Pie. "He was just really calm tempered, my wife looked over and saw him and we knew he was 'the one,'" Jose Vega told NBC Philadelphia's Jessica Boyington. Clear the Shelters, the fourth annual pet adoption drive sponsored by NBC- and Telemundo-owned television stations, culminated Saturday with more than 1,200 shelters participating in dozens of communities across the country. A new wave of bartenders are championing zero-waste techniques in a global movement known as "closed-loop" cocktails. More than 91,900 pets were adopted since this year's event was launched last month, over 26,000 on Saturday alone. To encourage families to find a new pet, whether a cat, dog, ferret, rabbit or bird, many of the participating animal shelters and rescue organizations reduced or waived adoption fees. At the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland in Westbrook, Maine, workers were hopeful that 13-year-old June Bug, a "sato" feral dog in Puerto Rico rescued after Hurricane Maria, would finally get the companion she deserved. June Bug had been at the shelter since the winter and on Saturday, she was adopted by a woman "who came in specifically for her," said Jeana Roth, director of community engagement at the shelter. "We all cried," Roth added. Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland Holly, another dog born on the streets of Puerto Rico, ended up going home with a Nothern California couple. Holly was originally sent to Miami to be adopted but due to the devastating Hurricane Irma she was transferred again, this time to Berkeley, where she found her forever family on Saturday. "If I can give a shelter animal a good home, whether they're traumatized or not, I'm doing what I should be doing," said Erik Hesse, a UC Berkeley professor who adopted Holly. Cleo, a Husky mix, was also in need of a good home. The 5-year-old dog was rescued on July 4 from a sweltering hoarder house in Selden, New York, with no food or water. Pat, from Queens Village, had adopted "the best cat ever" 20 years ago from Last Hope Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation in Wantagh, and returned to the shelter on Saturday in search of a new furry companion. Pat set her heart on Cleo and the once abandoned Husky will now live his best life thanks to Pat. Getty Images It's not just dogs that found fur-ever homes during Clear the Shelters. Molly, an 11-year-old dark grey tabby cat, was adopted Saturday from the Camden County Animal Shelter. Molly's new mom, Jane DeNoto, had been thinking about getting a cat to replace her beloved Gretal who died eight months ago. "She's a little bit shy, quiet," DeNoto said of Molly. "When I saw her, I thought, 'She's another Gretel!'" Getty Images In Atlanta, Georgia, 6-year-old Cameron was thrilled to adopt her first pet ever, a kitten, from Lifeline Animal Project's Fulton County Animal Services. Lifeline spokeswoman Karen Hirsch told NBC its shelters in DeKalb and Fulton counties have been taking in up to 10 litters of kittens a day, "so every adopted kitten is a victory for us." Another successful adoption on Saturday for Lifeline came for Stacy, a deaf cat that arrived at the DeKalb County Animal Services with a broken leg and hip, and had to have femoral head ostectomy surgery. In a sea of available kittens, people often passed over an older cat with a disability. But when Valery Kratovil arrived at the shelter on Aug. 18, she didn't see any of Stacy's limitations. Instead, she saw "the most beautiful cat in the room," and fell in love with him immediately. Lifeline Animal Project When Aces arrived at the Irving Animal Shelter in Texas he was very skittish and scared, and needed surgery to remove his right eye. The Shepard mix was surrendered to the shelter because his owner had too many pets. "Hes a little broken, and Im a vet, so Im a little broken, so well help each other, said his new mom Olivia, who adopted Aces on Saturday. "And I just lost a dog in May so, I know hes going to help. Even those covering the event couldn't help themselves. Telemundo 39 anchor Norma Garcia said she "couldn't say no" to an adorable puppy at the Irving shelter in North Texas on Saturday and decided to adopt him. web DCFS In Illinois, Bethy found the perfect dog in Joey the Chihuaha. The Chicago resident lives in a seniors building and has been wanting a dog for a long time. "I'm so happy," she said. Brothers Tito and Thomas, 3-month-old Chihuahua Terrier mixes, both found forever homes on Saturday during the Clear the Shelters event at the Humane Society of Greater Miami in Florida. Nicole Wade adopted Tito and friend Suzanne Hosang took home Thomas. In California, when Kate Rivera first saw a beautiful Siberian Husky at the Irvine Animal Care Center the dog appeared emotionless and did not want to get up. But as soon as Rivera approached the pooch, the Husky jumped up and all the sudden had a bunch of energy and "was accepting of all the love." "She's the one, she's gotta be the one," Rivera said. Apple says quarterly revenue fell for the first time in more than a decade, as iPhone sales fell compared with a year ago. That's putting more pressure on the world's most valuable public company to come up with its next big product. Apple sold more than 51.2 million iPhones in the first three months of 2016 - while racking up $10.5 billion in quarterly profit. That was more than many analysts expected, but still fewer than the 61 million iPhones sold a year earlier. The Husky was one of more than 13,800 pets adopted across the Greater Los Angeles region. Several facilities around the country reported clearing their shelters over the weekend. In Texas, animal shelters in the cities of Bedford, Cleburne, Murphy, Royse City and Wylie were cleared on Saturday. The Animal Welfare League of Arlington in Virginia and the Kansas Humane Society also emptied their shelters. The Fredericksburg SPCA in Fredericksburg, Virginia, helped 93 animals find their forever homes on Saturday leaving only two dogs behind at the end of the day. But on Sunday, Little and Ginger were also picked up and are now in loving homes. When Moki the pit bull was adopted, she was instantly obsessed with the guinea pig cage in her new house. Their mom decided to introduce them but the guinea pigs were not into it at first. Moki persisted with all her "pittie" affection until the little piggies loved her right back. Many other shelters reported record adoptions during Clear the Shelters. In Chicago, Mayor Rahm Emanuel thanked staffers, volunteers and Chicagoans for helping Chicago Animal Care and Control reach a milestone over the weekend with a record 59 adoptions. The East Bay SPCA had one of its biggest adoption weeks ever, while the Bowling Green-Warren County Humane Society and the Barren River Animal Welfare Association set single day records. "Congratulations to all the new pet parents who adopted a pet through our Clear the Shelters campaign. Our 2018 campaign was a great success. We couldnt have inspired thousands of families to open their hearts and homes to shelter pets without the support of our partner shelters, affiliate stations, sponsors Cats Pride and Hills Pet Nutrition, and our Comcast NBCUniversal family including our sister networks and all the celebrities who helped us amplify our message of pet adoption and animal welfare issues through their social platforms. Together, we helped thousands of families find their perfect pet, and helped pets finally get a new home to call their own. We look forward for to the return of Clear the Shelters in 2019, said NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations President Valari Staab. Still, the need remains great. The number of animals entering shelters each year is about 6.5 million, 3.3 million dogs and 3.2 million cats, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Though the number has declined from about 7.2 million in 2011, with the biggest drop in the number of dogs, approximately 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized each year. Every year approximately 3.3 million dogs enter the shelter system. These are the 10 most common dog breeds found in shelters nationwide. On the happier side, about 3.2 million shelter animals are adopted annually and another 710,000 are returned to their owners. Clear the Shelters began in North Texas in 2014 as a partnership among the NBC and Telemundo stations in Dallas-Fort Worth and dozens of North Texas animal shelters. More than 2,200 homeless animals were adopted that first year, the most in a single day in North Texas. A year later that number jumped to nearly 20,000 as the adoption drive went national, with more than 400 shelters taking part across the country. Last year, as the event was extended over a month, more than 80,000 pets were adopted from over 900 shelters. [NATL] These 9 Breeds Make Excellent Guard Dogs Crowds packed the California African American Museum Friday night to honor an army veteran, longtime cop, mother and grandmother. The Los Angeles Police Department gathered to celebrate Regina Scott, the first African-American woman to achieve the rank of Deputy Chief. "This promotion is more than just me, it is for those who paved the road before me, and those who dare to dream big," she said. "I am ready to help build trust and help bridge the gap between the police and communities we serve." People hugged Scott in celebration of her achievement, shared words of admiration and took pictures with her. "We've known her. We've loved her. It was time," said Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti. A New Jersey native, Scott started her career of service going to the U.S. Army after highschool. She joined LAPD in July 1987 and worked as the Commander Officer of Information Technology Bureau. With her new promotion, she will take the Command of Operations-Central Bureau which oversees over 900,000 residents. The Central Bureau's population is the most ethnically and culturally diverse in Los Angeles. "We have a right to be concerned. Before I became a cop I was a Black woman and a mother," Scott shared with the public gathered at her celebration, "I will always have that, and I will never forget where I came from." Elizabeth Campos contributed to this story. A pickup truck carrying what appeared to be firearms and explosive weapons prompted police to activate security threat protocols, limit traffic, and summon the LAPD bomb squad to Los Angeles International Airport Friday morning. Some of the "weapons" turned out to be harmless props, though a pistol and rifle were real, police said. The emergency restrictions backed up traffic heading into the LAX Central Terminal area, and travelers worried about missing flights. Ultimately, police determined all of the devices were possessed legally and did not pose a threat, and that no crime had been committed. Airport police were conducting a vehicle checkpoint at the entrance from northbound Sepulveda Blvd. arond 8:20am when the pickup's driver volunteered that he had a weapon in the vehicle, and officers pulled it aside for inspection. What they saw prompted them to secure the area, block certain airport entrances, and launch an investigation that took 45 minutes, according to Airport Police Capt. Michael Scolaro. The grenades were quickly determined to be inert movie props, according to the LAPD. One firearm was a nonworking replica and the other two -- a rifle and a pistol -- were legally registered to the owner. The items were part of the man's collection of military memorabilia, and used for military re-creations, the man told police. He said he had come to LAX to pick up a friend, a fellow devotee flying in for an event this weekend in Ventura County. Scolaro said the friend was also questioned and confirmed the man's account. The man was not arrested, and after speaking with investigators, was allowed to leave with his pickup and his real and replica weapons. The pickup had out of state license plates. Although no threat or danger was found, airport police told NBC4 the precautions were warranted. The LAPD bomb squad halted traffic at LAX to investigate a truck -- but it turned out to be full of replica guns and grenades. Angie Crouch reports for the NBC4 News at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. Five years ago at LAX, a disturbed man with a vendetta against the TSA had been dropped off at Terminal 3 with an assault rifle and ammunition hidden inside a bag. Inside the terminal, he began shooting, wounding three, and taking the life of TSA Officer Gerardo Hernandez. On July 4, 2002, another armed lone attacker opened fire in the international terminal and killed two people and wounded four more before he was shot dead by an airline security officer. Travelers cannot bring loaded guns to the airport, but are permitted to bring unloaded weapons that have been secured for transport as baggage. If firearms are legal, unloaded, secured, and declared, they may be brought through an airport checkpoint. "It may not be the smartest thing in the world to do," Scolaro said. "But it's legal." By 9:50 a.m. all police activity had concluded and all traffic lanes were reopened, but residual slowing extended through the afternoon. What to Know Help pets in need find loving forever homes on Saturday, Aug. 17, with our fifth annual nationwide Clear the Shelters adoption drive 100+ tri-state shelters are participating this year; use the map above to find one nearest you Across the country, over 100,000 pets were adopted during last years event, but millions more remain homeless NBC 4 New York and Telemundo are helping pets in need find loving homes Saturday with our fifth annual Clear the Shelters drive, a national effort that has seen hundreds of thousands of pets adopted over the last few years. More than 100 tri-state shelters and rescues are participating in this year's event. Refer to the interactive map above to find a participating one near you. On Aug. 17, all participating animal shelters and rescues will offer low cost or waived pet adoption fees to help families adopt a new pet. Local shelters and rescues interested in joining the adoption drive can learn about how they can register here. Across the country, over 100,000 pets were adopted during last years event, but millions more remain homeless. Every year, 6.5 million animals end up in shelters nationwide and only 3.2 million are adopted, according to the ASPCA. What to Know A man convicted of targeting couples at NJ motels, forcing them to have sex at gunpoint before robbing them has been sentenced to 148 years Rasheed Powell, 43, was convicted in March on 60 counts, including aggravated sexual assault and robbery charges Prosecutors say the assaults occurred during a two-month period in 2012 at motels in Linden and Elizabeth A man convicted of targeting couples at New Jersey motels and forcing them to have sex at gunpoint before he robbed them has been sentenced to 148 years in state prison. A judge told Rasheed Powell "your reign of terror ends here" when he imposed the sentence Thursday. The 43-year-old Elizabeth man was convicted in March on 60 counts, including aggravated sexual assault and robbery charges. Union County prosecutors say the assaults occurred during a two-month period in 2012 at motels in Linden and Elizabeth where he robbed, psychologically tortured and sexually assaulted four couples staying at local motels. Beginning on Saturday, March 10, 2012, Powell targeted couples checking into motels along U.S. Routes 1&9 in Elizabeth and Linden, prosecutors say, adding that Powell stalked couples as they entered their rooms, then forced his way inside and ordered the couples to engage in sexual acts at gunpoint. He then locked the men up in the bathroom and sexually assaulted the women. Authorities used DNA to identify Powell as a suspect and was subsequently arrested on April 16, 2012 while at Springfield Municipal Court, where he was responding to a traffic summons. Powell had six indictable convictions on crimes in three other New Jersey counties before 2012. He remained jailed on $3 million bail following his arrest. Following an eight-week trial and three-and-a-half days of jury deliberations, he was convicted in March 2018 on 24 counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, 12 counts of second-degree sexual assault, eight counts of first-degree robbery, four counts of second-degree burglary and 12 related weapons offenses. The judge ordered that sentences for 12 of the crimes be served consecutively, with the remainder to be served concurrently. Police are investigating a bizarre break-in at a Manhattan restaurant in which the burglar got naked before he snatched cash and electronics, then dressed himself again before running off. The thief broke into Adalya restaurant at 55 Irving Place in Gramercy at around 7 a.m. Thursday, July 5, and took off his clothing, according to police. He then took $600 from the cash register, an iPad, a cordless phone and a company credit card. Then he put his clothing back on and ran off. The suspect is about 28 to 35 years old with a slim build. He was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, dark shorts, white socks and blue sneakers. Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS. Adalya is billed as a casual Mediterranean restaurant in the heart of Gramercy. What to Know New Jersey has finalized a plan to use more than $10 million in federal and state funds to beef up election security The plan funds an elections-focused position in the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness or Division of Military & Veterans Affairs It also would establish programs to assess the physical vulnerability of polling places for county officials New Jersey has finalized a plan to use more than $10 million in federal and state funds to beef up election security. Secretary of State Tahesha Way's office announced the plan Friday after Congress approved the funds earlier this year. The plan includes funding an elections-focused position in the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness or the Division of Military and Veterans Affairs. It also would establish programs to assess the physical vulnerability of polling places for county officials. The plan comes about three months before this year's mid-term elections, when a U.S. Senate contest will top the ballot. The funds include about $9.7 million from the federal government with about $500,000 from the state. The money will finance programs through 2023. What to Know A $20,000 reward is being offered for the arrest of Shawn Richard Christy, 27, of McAdoo, Pennsylvania. Officials say Christy threatened both President Trump and Northamtpton County District Attorney John Morganelli on Facebook. Christy also allegedly stole a 2001 Jeep Cherokee in Kentucky. A $20,000 reward is being offered for the arrest of a Pennsylvania man accused of threatening President Trump and other elected officials. A federal warrant was issued on June 19 for Shawn Richard Christy, 27, of McAdoo, Pennsylvania. The warrant was related to threats Christy made against Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli and President Trump on Facebook, officials said. Investigators say Christy wrote, Keep it up Morganelli, I promise Ill put a bullet in your head as soon as I put one in the head of President Donald J. Trump, in a Facebook post. Christy also has multiple arrest warrants in Pennsylvania for burglary, probation violation, and failure to appear for an aggravated assault case. Officials say Christy has threatened to use, full lethal force on any law enforcement officer that tries to detain me. Christy is also a suspect in the theft of a dark green 2001 Jeep Cherokee with the Kentucky license plate 095-WYT. Officials say the vehicle was stolen on Aug. 9 around 8:30 a.m. on the 900 block of Brockman Keltner Road in Greensburg, Kentucky. The vehicle has a black hood, US Postal Service and Rural Carrier magnets on the sides and backs and a steering wheel on the right side. Officials also believe Christy abandoned a stolen 2012 Toyota Tundra in the area earlier this week. Christy stands 5-foot-10 and weighs about 160 pounds. He has a tattoo of a cross on his right upper arm, short dark blonde hair and a beard. He also speaks with a noticeable lisp and claims to be a survivalist, police said. Officials are offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to Christys arrest. If you have any information on his whereabouts, please call the U.S. Marshals at 1-877-926-8332 or the FBI at 215-418-4000. Christy is considered armed and dangerous and anyone who spots him should not engage him but instead call authorities immediately. What to Know Severe storms caused flooding in various parts of Pennsylvania Monday. Gov. Tom Wolf declared the areas a disaster after touring some of the damage. Days after parts of eastern Pennsylvania were hard-hit by flooding, Gov. Tom Wolf has signed a "disaster emergency" proclamation for the area. Friday's move allows the state to ask for a federal disaster declaration and seek funding for damages and needed supplies for clean-up. On Thursday, Wolf heard stories of heroism around suburban Philadelphia, from civilian and municipal workers who rescued a police officer to people who joined officers and formed a chain to rescue a grandmother from the floodwaters. The governor praised citizens and first responders for stepping up to help each other. The rains triggered flash flooding in parts of central and eastern Pennsylvania on Monday, closing down a heavily traveled interstate and sending water into homes in the mountainous coal regions. The director of human resources of Philadelphia City Council was gunned down by her estranged husband in what Philadelphia police call a murder-suicide inside her Northeast Philadelphia home. The babysitter arrived around 7:40 a.m. to care for the couples twin 4-year-old girls at the home on 4000 block of Meridian Street in the Holmesburg neighborhood, Philadelphia Police Capt. John Ryan said. She heard arguing and gunshots before fleeing the home. The girls then fled the home and went to a neighbors house, Ryan said. SWAT officers surrounded the home for about an hour before entering the home and finding the bodies of 37-year-old Linda Rios-Neuby and 43-year-old Haywood Neuby. Medics pronounced both dead of gunshot wounds to the head around 8:40 a.m., police said. Neuby shot Rios-Neuby three times in an upstair bathroom then himself on the first floor, police said. A gun was found by Neuby's feet. No one else was hurt. Supplied by family Neuby wasnt living in the home and had arrived there Friday morning saying he wanted to see his daughters, Ryan said. Police had been called to the house back in June over a report of a verbal argument. City Council President Darrell Clarke said he was heartbroken by Rios-Neubys death. Linda Rios was more than a dedicated public servant; she was a beloved colleague and friend to so many in City Council, Clarke said in a written statement. She was a loving mother to two little girls, she was a counselor in whom everyone could confide. I am so sad and angry that she died this way. My entire Administration is saddened by the news of the passing of Linda Rios, Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney said. I had the privilege of working with Linda for years during my tenure on City Council and I knew her to be a dedicated public servant. Rios-Neuby had worked at City Council since she was 16, Ryan said. Clarke tweeted about joy over her pregnancy back in 2013. Congrats + blessings to #PHLCouncil HR Director Linda Rios-Neuby, expecting twins! pic.twitter.com/zIf9dL1R0G Darrell Clarke (@Darrell_Clarke) November 8, 2013 The couple's 4-year-old daughters were left orphaned. Clarke, a Democrat, pledged that City Council will be there to support the girls so that they have every opportunity to grow into the healthy, cherished adults Linda dreamed they would be. Counseling would be made available for any city staff needing someone to speak to, Kenney said. Clarke urged people suffering in an abusive relationship to seek help. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HELP: The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or 800-787-3224 (TTY) provides people in distress, or those around them, with 24-hour support. SUICIDE PREVENTION HELP: Here is information on suicide prevention from the National Institute of Mental Health. If you are in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting Home to 741741. What to Know Clear the Shelters is a nationwide pet adoption initiative. Fifty area animal shelters and rescues are participating this year. Join the conversation on social media using #ClearTheShelters Diane Williams came to Brandywine SPCA in West Chester in search of a little dog for her niece, a shy girl who peeped out of a cloud of black curls. Her niece didn't smile much as she waited in line until she met Bear, who appeared have some Shih Tzu in him. And then, her grin lit up the shelter. Nearby, Angel Buzby was looking for a big dog. "We feel like we need one more family member," she said. "What kind of puppy are you looking for?" she asked her young daughter. "A fluffy one!" the girl shouted. Today, 50 animal shelters and rescues will waive all adoption fees for Clear the Shelters! The annual event hopes to find a furever home for animals across our region. Families like these grew Saturday as thousands of adoptions happened across Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware during Clear the Shelters. NBC10 and Telemundo 62 join the national campaign each year. As of 6 p.m. Saturday, more than 1,160 animals had been adopted in the Philadelphia metro area in just one day. Throughout the entire Clear the Shelters campaign this year, more than 4,500 Philadelphia-area animals found new homes after being adopted from 50 participating shelters. Clear the Shelters 2018: Thousands of Pets Adopted The First State Animal Center and SPCA in Delaware said they had done 34 adoptions in just one day. That's the number they usually do in a week, the shelter reported. The Brandywine Valley SPCA adopted 243 animals throughout the day. And the Animal Rescue League of Berks County said it adopted 16 cats, 28 dogs, 60 -- yes, 60 -- kittens and one puppy. Clear the Shelters is a national initiative spearheaded by NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, with sponsorship from Cats Pride and Hills Pet Nutrition. Nationally, the initiative has helped find homes for more than 150,000 pets since 2015. Help an animal in a local animal shelter or rescue find their furever home Saturday at the annual Clear the Shelters event! Adoption fees have been waived at 50 local shelters. The numbers are big, but the personal stories are even more touching. Eight months ago, Jane DeNoto's beloved cat, Gretel, passed away. She'd been thinking about getting another. But it was tough to even contemplate replacing her pet. "It's hard to get over it, when you love a pet so much," said DeNoto, of Williamstown, New Jersey. But she steeled herself and came out to the annual Clear the Shelters event Saturday, visiting the Camden County Animal Shelter. She was thinking about adopting an older kitty, and wanted a calm cat, just like Gretel had been. NBC10 And then she found the dark grey tabby she's planning to name Molly. Molly is 11 years old, placid, perfect for DeNoto. "She's a little bit shy, quiet," DeNoto said. "When I saw her, I thought, 'She's another Gretel!'" DeNoto said. The two went home together. Have you been thinking about adopting a new furever friend? During Clear the Shelters today, adoption fees are waived! CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correctly reflect how many animals were adopted at the Brandywine Valley SPCA. There are more opioid-related drug deaths and crime in San Diego now than ever before, the District Attorney warned Friday. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2017 were up nearly 7 percent from 2016. Preliminary data shows more than 72,000 Americans died last year from overdoses. San Diego County District Attorney, Summer Stephan said it is no different locally, as opioid overdoses and drug-related crimes continue to spike. Here in San Diego this year for the first time, the overdose deaths from opioids has surpassed every kind of drug, including methamphetamine, said Stephan. Weve had over 250 overdose deaths related to opioids. The DA said the spike this year is coming from an increase in consumption and addiction to legally prescribed painkillers. Stephan said it only takes five days to get addicted to pills like Vicodin and Oxycontin. Robberies of convenience stores that sell pharmaceutical products in San Diego, like CVS, have doubled in the last year, Stephan added. She said her office is working around the clock to try to keep drugs from illegally being brought over the U.S.-Mexico border. Cartels will bring drugs here through tunnels, drones, by strapping them onto children who walk across the border, said Stephan. Cartels will give children quick cash to do dangerous and illegal drug transportation jobs that could be deadly. More and more minors are being arrested for carrying fentanyl and heroin. About 900 D.C. Public Schools teachers will begin the school year unlicensed Monday, according to a review by the News4 I-Team. Records provided by the D.C. Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education show 104 teachers have received licenses since June 1, when a News4 I-Team review found almost 1,000 teachers were working without licenses. A District official said more applications are being processed each day. He said almost 600 more teachers have begun the licensure application process during the summer break. An I-Team analysis of databases obtained under the Freedom of Information Act from D.C. Public Schools and the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) showed approximately one of every four D.C. Public Schools teachers worked without licensure during the 2017-18 school year. The unlicensed included new and veteran teachers, including at least four members of the elite Chancellors Teachers Cabinet, which advises top school district officials on policies and meets monthly with the schools chancellor. D.C. Deputy Mayor for Education Ahnna Smith said D.C. Public Schools is violating D.C. regulations by employing unlicensed teachers. In doing so, the school district leaves itself vulnerable to possible sanctions and loss of grant money from the U.S. Department of Education, according to Smith. OSSE is working with DCPS on a corrective action plan to help DCPS fully comply with local teacher licensing regulations and ensure that current and future DCPS educators obtain and maintain the proper credentials," an OSSE spokesman told the I-Team. "Once the corrective action plan is complete, OSSE will monitor their progress against the plan to determine what other actions might be necessary. A D.C. Public Schools spokesman told the I-Team the school district will begin stiffening its requirements for the 2018-19 school year. He said the school district will require all newly hired teachers apply for their license with the OSSE before beginning work. The spokesman said the school system would work with the teacher's union to notify veteran teachers about the need to get licenses. DCPS says it conducts background checks on all applicants for positions. Parents and community leaders said the I-Teams findings raise questions about the quality of some public school educators and about whether D.C. is jeopardizing children in other communities. How do we ensure the teachers coming into D.C. Public Schools are properly trained and prepared for the students, without licensure? asked Joe Weedon, the father of a middle school student and member of the DC State Board of Education. Licensing (of teachers) is the safety net." Neighboring school districts, including Prince Georges County Public Schools and Anne Arundel County Public Schools, said 100 percent of its teachers are licensed through the state. Any teachers without a license is considered and classified as a substitute teacher. Licensure is just one of many components we look at to determine whether a teacher is meeting our high standards," a DCPS spokesman told the I-Team. "Even before they receive an offer letter, teachers must complete a rigorous selection process that identifies the teachers with the greatest potential to thrive in DCPS classrooms. Teaching licensure also helps prevent teachers with histories of misconduct from crossing state lines to find work in other school districts. The national NASDTEC database red flags teachers who have had licenses revoked, disqualifying them from obtaining licenses and teaching positions in other states. The database includes approximately 80,000 names. But teachers who work without licenses can avoid being detected by the NASDTEC system, because they do not have licenses to be revoked. The safety risk is not just for kids in D.C., but in other jurisdictions, Weedon said. Licensure requirements exist for a reason. It doesnt make a lot of sense that the District hasnt embraced a good credentialing system, said Gaston de los Reyes, father of two students at Oyster-Adams Bilingual School. What to Know Government officials are preparing for the hotly contested congressional elections in November DHS is working with state and local cybersecurity organizations under the umbrella of the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis DHS says it is planning ways to communicate various issues that may arise both to election officials and the public With all the concern over cybersecurity heading into the midterm elections, it's actually quite difficult for outsiders to directly manipulate votes. Unlike corporate networks and email systems, voting machines aren't connected to the internet, making them hard to access. So as government officials prepare for the hotly contested congressional elections in November, their focus is more on protecting the integrity of the systems that support the pre- and post-voting periods than on the ballots themselves. "This is about more than just voting machines," Jeanette Manfra, the top cybersecurity official at the Department of Homeland Security, told CNBC in an interview on Wednesday. "If an [attacker] was intent on sowing discord, how could they do that? It involves us looking at the broad elections administration process." Manfra was in Washington, D.C., this week for a three-day series of simulated cyberattacks. Officials from 45 states and territories participated, both in Washington and remotely, in an effort to consider a vast array of scenarios that could be used to interfere with the elections. It's a different approach than what you will find at hacker conferences, which have tried to show how easy it is to break into voting machines. For example, last week children as young as 11 took part in an educational exercise at the DEF CON hacking conference in Las Vegas, demonstrating that even kids can crack into the machines and change votes. But according to Manfra, that's not how it works, in part because states are required to use machines without internet connections. To tamper with such a device, someone would need direct access to it. Additionally, each state has its own protocols and their voting machines consist of hardware and software that differ from place to place. The more concerning methods are those that could affect much wider swaths of voters. As the Russians showed in 2016, there's a coordinated effort to cast doubt on results and "sow uncertainty and discord" in the election process itself, Manfra said. DHS has been working to protect places where hackers could do real harm, like administrative offices and the databases that house voter registration information. The agency has placed new sensors on the databases to monitor web traffic in and out so it can more precisely spot malicious activity. DHS is also working with state and local cybersecurity organizations under the umbrella of the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center, an organization that allows specialists at the state and local level to swiftly share data about potential attacks. Greater communication and collaboration is important, Manfra said. DHS is planning ways to communicate various issues that may arise both to election officials and the public. Upgrades in Georgia? None of this is to say that voting machines are perfectly secure. One key safeguard to the machines themselves is giving all of them the capability to print out paper records right after someone votes so that any discrepancies can be discovered. While most states have adopted that feature, Georgia is among the few that have not. Spurred by stories of foreign interference in the 2016 election, a group of voters in Georgia filed an injunction earlier this month to stop the state from using the existing machines in November. David Cross, a partner at law firm Morrison & Foerster who is representing Georgia voters in the case, cited work by security researchers and academics showing that these machines may not be reliable. "Now that we know that a sophisticated nation-state was actively trying to intervene, we're concerned that [an attack] would not be that difficult," Cross said, in an interview. Russia has "been clearly working and focusing on this for years," he said. This story first appeared on CNBC.com. More from CNBC: *Judge in Manafort trial says he has been threatened *Pentagon says it's postponing Trump's military parade *Trump cites Russia probe as reason for revoking Brennan's clearance It's been exactly one month since a 71-year-old New Hampshire woman came face to face with a bear in her kitchen. That woman is still in rehab at a facility in Bedford. She spoke with NBC10 Boston between appointments Friday. Apryl Rogers always considered herself a strong woman, but her strength was never tested the way it was last month when she woke up in the middle of the night to find a black bear rummaging through the kitchen in her Groton home. "I just froze, I didn't know what to do," she said. Rogers, who uses a wheelchair, says she had no other choice than to sit right where she was. "All of a sudden, he just let me have it," she said. "He just grabbed my whole face and pulled it down." Hours after the attack, her kitchen looked like a crime scene. There were shattered glass, claw marks and a trail of blood from Rogers making her way to the phone to call 911. "I just thank God every day I am here," she said. Rogers suffered broken bones in her face and a fractured vertebrae. Her left eye was so badly damaged, she had to have it removed. "I'm not going to let it get me down," Rogers said with a laugh. Rogers says she's happy to hear that authorities haven't yet caught the bear, because she doesn't want to see it euthanized. "The bear was just being a bear," she said. Rogers says she's looking forward to going home. Firefighters battled a barn fire for two hours late Friday night. According to Topsfield Fire, Wenham Fire responded to Topsfield Road in Wenham, Massachusetts after receiving a call just before midnight. The fire fully involved the barn and was threatening a shed and home on the property when Wenham Fire arrived at the scene, Topsfield Fire said. Officials remained at the scene for two hours, attacking the fire, preparing for imminent building collapse and overhauling the fire to completely extinguish it, Topsfield Fire said. The Cape Cod beach where a man was bitten by a shark earlier this week remains closed to swimming until further notice due to "continued shark activity," according to police. Swimming has been prohibited at Long Nook Beach in Truro, Massachusetts, since 61-year-old William Lytton of Scarsdale, New York, was bitten by a shark 30 yards off shore. Lytton suffered deep puncture wounds. He was taken by medical helicopter to Tufts Medical Center, where he remained in critical condition Friday. Town officials announced Friday afternoon that Long Nook Beach would reopen to swimmers at 9 a.m. Saturday. Later in the evening, however, the Truro Police Department said on Facebook that swimming at the beach would remain barred indefinitely. The New Hampshire parents of a 7-year-old who shot himself Thursday night in Manchester have been arrested. Miguel Roman, 30, and Jennifer Puglisi, 29, were taken into custody without incident on Friday at 39 Walnut St. as a result of an investigation into the incident. Roman was charged with reckless conduct, falsifying physical evidence, and endangering the welfare of a child. Puglisi was charged with reckless conduct and endangering the welfare of a child. Police were called to an area hospital at about 8 p.m. Thursday for a report that a child has received a non-life threatening gunshot wound. Both parents are expected to appear in Hillsborough County Superior Court-North on Aug. 20. Loyola Medicine is offering cancer patients a treatment that reduces the risk of hair loss by cooling the scalp. During chemotherapy sessions, the patient wears a silicone cooling cap. The cap contains a circulating coolant that reduces the temperature of the scalp by a few degrees. Breast cancer patient Jennifer Blattner, of Elmhurst, Illinois, is the first Loyola patient to undergo scalp cooling. Ms. Blattner said the treatment has preserved about 50 percent of her thick, wavy brown hair, enough so that she does not need to wear a wig or scarf. "The preservation of as much hair as you can is good for your self-esteem," she said. "This is an amazing technology." Ms. Blattner said the first few minutes of scalp cooling are uncomfortable, "but you get used to it." Loyola is offering scalp cooling because studies have found that for many patients, hair loss is one of the most distressing side effects of chemotherapy, said Ms. Blattner's oncologist, Shelly Lo, MD. Chemotherapy targets rapidly growing cells, including cancer cells and hair follicles. Many chemotherapy drugs cause hair loss beginning around two weeks after the first round of chemotherapy. Scalp cooling reduces this risk by constricting blood vessels and blood flow to hair follicles, reducing the delivery of chemotherapy drugs to the scalp, along with the metabolic rate. The cooling method used by Loyola, Paxman Scalp Cooling System, recently was cleared by the Food and Drug Administration for patients with breast and other solid tumors. A multicenter study of the system, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that among 101 breast cancer patients who underwent scalp cooling, 66.3 percent experienced hair loss of 50 percent or less. Among a comparison group of 16 chemotherapy patients who did not receive scalp cooling, none experienced such hair preservation. In the cooling group, 3.8 percent of patients experienced mild headaches and 2.8 percent discontinued the treatment due to feeling cold. "The findings of this study were impressive, so we feel it is important to offer scalp cooling as an option for our patients," Dr. Lo said. Dr. Lo said scalp cooling does not work with some chemotherapy drugs, and results vary according to the patient's age, hair, cancer and other factors. The cost, about $2,000, is not covered by insurance. Loyola offers scalp cooling at the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, located on Loyola Medicine's main campus in Maywood. The center includes clinic areas, chemotherapy services, research laboratories and the spa-like Coleman Foundation Image Renewal Center, which provides services such as hair care, breast prosthesis fittings and massage therapy. Marvel's new Iron Fist probably is a Chinese hero that's been waiting in the wings for years Marvel may have revealed the new Iron Fist the moment it announced Danny Rand's retirement Kolkata : Bangladesh, which is importing around 700 megawatt (mw) of power from India, is looking to ramp up its electricity import from the country, an official of the neighbouring nation said here on Friday. "We are currently importing around 700 mw of power from India and import of about 500 mw of additional power will be commenced very soon. Grid transmission line of 400 KVA has been completed," said Md. Abdul Kalam Azad, Principal Coordinator (SDGs) Prime Minister's Office of Bangladesh. "We have signed an agreement with an Indian company to import 600-800 mw of power through a dedicated transmission line. We have received proposals from several Indian power generating companies which are wanting to set up transmission line to sell power to Bangladesh," he said on the sidelines of CII Energy Conclave. The neighbouring country is aiming at importing 10,000 mw from India, he said. He said both the countries have been working together to develop the infrastructure. Power sector cooperation between the two countries is "not limited to transmission and supply only." India is "supporting its neighbouring country to enhance the capacity building", particularly, human resource development for power generation, transmission and distribution. "In Bangladesh, power capacity has been increased by five times in the last 10 years and we are getting support from India for human resource development," he added. Islamabad : A four-member delegation from Pakistan will be attending the last rites of former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Friday, the media reported. Caretaker Law and Information Minister Ali Zafar, Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal and other senior officials from the Law Ministry will represent Pakistan at Vajpayee's funeral, Geo News reported citing sources. The delegation will return the same day after attending the funeral, it said. Vajpayee, 93, had battled poor health for years, and died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi on Thursday. His last rites will be performed at 4 p.m. at Smriti Sthal. Paris : France on Friday condoled the death of former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, saying his name will remain linked to Indo-French friendship as he shaped the strategic partnership that the two countries share. "It was with deep grief that we learnt of the demise of former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee," the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "France offers its condolences to his family as well as the Indian authorities and people," it said. "Poet, politician, visionary, he left his mark on India's history. His name remains linked to the Indo-French friendship, which he shaped by launching the strategic partnership that has united our two countries since 1998." Vajpayee, 93, passed away on Thursday evening at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences here following a prolonged illness. New Delhi : Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday condoled former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's death describing him as a "good friend of Japan". "I am deeply saddened to learn of the demise of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee," Abe said in a message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the copy of which was shared by External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar over Twitter. Recalling Vajpayee's visit to Japan in 2001, Abe said that the late Indian leader "made significant contributions to friendship between our two countries as a good friend of Japan". Vajpayee, 93, passed away on Thursday here after a prolonged illness. He was cremated at Smriti Sthal here on Friday. Abe said that Vajpayee "established the cornerstone of Japan-India relations today". Describing Vajpayee as an eminent leader of India, Abe said: "I pray from the bottom of my heart that his soul may rest in peace." Kathmandu : Nepal Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali left for New Delhi on Friday to attend the funeral of former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who died a day earlier, an official statement confirmed here. Nepal's top leadership including Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli have paid their tributes to the the veteran leader who also made significant contribution in advancing Nepal-India ties during his term in office. In his condolence message, Oli said: "I am deeply shocked to learn that former prime minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee has passed away in New Delhi. On behalf of the government and people of Nepal and my own, I extend respect to late Vajpayee." India and the world lost a towering political figure and Nepal, a true friend and well-wisher, Oli said, adding that his contribution to strengthening Nepal-India relations will be remembered forever. Vajpayee, 93, died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi on Thursday. His funeral procession will begin at 1 p.m. and the last rites will be performed at 4 p.m. at Smriti Sthal. New Delhi : The Congress clarified on Friday that there has been no change in the engagements of Congress President Rahul Gandhi during his scheduled visits to Germany and the UK and accused the BJP of trying to undermine the visit because "it is getting popular". Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi said there is "absolutely no change in Gandhi's itinerary". "He will go as per schedule of the itinerary decided by the Indian Overseas Congress (IOC). He will engage and interact with various sections of people as per the schedule. There is no change in the plans," she said. "BJP is trying to undermine the entire visit because they know how popular it is getting and how people wish to hear Rahul Gandhi and want to reach out to him," she added. Chaturvedi said if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was attempting to get any invite withdrawn, it exposes "its pettiness and its shortsightedness" at a time when leaders from across the political spectrum were appreciating the democratic norms followed by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Congress sources said IOC Chairman Sam Pitroda had conveyed that there had been no change in the proposed visit of Gandhi to the UK Parliament. A media report said on Friday that Indian-origin millionaire Dr Rami Ranger, co-chairman of the Conservative Friends of India, and Tory peer Baroness Verma have rescinded an invitation to Rahul Gandhi during his trip to London saying the event had been cancelled. It also said Labour MP Keith Vaz has sponsored a room elsewhere in the Parliament and Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) has taken over running the event. Rahul Gandhi will be visiting Germany and London next week to meet businessmen, politicians, academics and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs). Sam Pitroda said in a tweet on Thursday that Gandhi will be visiting Germany on August 22 and 23 and London on August 24 and 25. Islamabad : The Pakistan Foreign Office has denied allegations that Pakistani citizens supported the Taliban attack on Afghanistans Ghazni last week, a media report said on Friday. "We have not received any evidence to back up these spurious accusations and reject these baseless allegations," Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Faisal said, rejecting allegations made by Afghan officials and others. On August 10, some 1,000 Taliban fighters stormed the city of Ghazni and retreated five days later, reports Dawn news. Afghan Defence Minister Tariq Shah Bahrami said earlier this week that the Ghazni attack had been carried out by Taliban with the support of external elements, including Pakistanis. The New York Times also reported that Afghan officials had claimed the Taliban were aided by foreign fighters, including Pakistanis and Chechens, and even some Al Qaeda affiliates. Faisal said that Pakistan was fencing the border with Afghanistan with the objective of restricting cross-border movement of both "men and material" as part of its counterterrorism efforts. He expressed the hope that the border fencing would help achieve long-term regional stability and improve relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The spokesman disclosed that Pakistan and Afghanistan, under a new framework for bilateral relations, were negotiating "a time bound" repatriation plan for Afghan refugees. "An Afghan delegation from the Ministry of Refugee and Repatriation will visit Islamabad shortly for consultations," he added. Singapore : Singapore on Friday condoled former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's death describing him as a selfless and visionary leader. "Deepest condolences to the government and people of India on the passing away of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee," Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, a person of Indian origin, wrote in the condolence book at the Indian High Commission here. "Mr Vajpayee was a selfless and visionary leader who made great contributions to India, transforming her economy and elevating her standing in the region and the world," Balakrishnan said. "He oversaw strong growth in the relations between our two countries and will always be remembered as a good friend of Singapore." Vajpayee, 93, passed away here on Thursday evening after a prolonged illness. New Delhi : Condoling former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's death here on Thursday, Chinese Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui said that the late Indian leader met three generations of Chinese leaders and credited him for taking the initiative of holding the special representative (SR)-level dialogue mechanism on the border issue between the two countries. "Shri Vajpayee met 3 generations of Chinese leaders," Luo tweeted on Thursday evening after Vajpayee, 93, passed away at AIIMS here following a prolonged illness. "During his trip to China as PM in 2003, he (Vajpayee) proposed establishing the mechanism of SR on the Boundary Question, and also donated an Indian style Buddhist temple in Luoyang City of China," the Chinese envoy said. India and China share a nearly 3,500 km-long international border. Luo also shared pictures of Vajpayee with former Chinese Presidents Mao Tse Tung, Deng Xiaoping and then with Hu Jintao during a 2003 visit to China. In an earlier tweet, soon after learning of Vajpayee's demise, Luo said that the former Indian Prime Minister's contribution to India-China relations will never be forgotten. "Deeply saddened by the passing away of the Honorable Atal Bihari Vajpayee," Luo stated. "We will never forget his great contribution to China India relations," he said. Jerusalem : Condoling the death of former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Israel on Friday said that it will always remember him as a genuine friend. "We extend our deepest condolences to the government and people of India at the loss of India's former Prime Minister Vajpayee," the Israel Foreign Ministry said on Twitter. "He will always be remembered as a genuine friend of Israel," it stated. Vajpayee, 93, passed away on Thursday in New Delhi after a prolonged illness. His funeral was held on Friday. Sorry! This content is not available in your region Dear Newsie Readers, Newsie has now permanently ceased it's services as of Friday 20th December 2019. Newsie has been an owner-funded operation since day one. Coming up to three years old, while we still firmly believe Newsie has a place in the New Zealand media landscape, the cost in both time and money has become too burdensome for the owners to continue alongside other ventures. With the current government looking to restructure public broadcasting, and seemingly supporting NZME buying a ring-fenced Stuff, the time seems right to call it a day. Should it happen, the combination of NZME and Stuff will ensure New Zealands national media will die a death by a thousand opinion-based articles. Newsie has always tried to stick to balanced news, to inform readers of the facts of a situation, amid being largely ignored by government. Hopefully, one day someone else will take up the challenge to fight the good fight. The good news, however, is that there were no job losses as a result of Newsie closing. Thanks to careful structuring, everyone involved in Newsie will retain their current positions. We hope you all have a happy Christmas and new year. Stay safe, and stay out of the news. The team at Newsie In 2010, the thunderbolt struck. Divers found zebra mussels in Lake Lillinonah. We knew the ecosystem would change, said Greg Bollard, one of the founders of Friends of the Lake, the group formed 15 years ago to advocate for Lillinonah. There are other changes coming. Two highly invasive non-native plants water chestnut and curly-leaf pondweed are now growing in the lake or just north of it, in the Housatonic River. Add them to the persistent mats of Eurasian watermilfoil that thrive in the lake and youve got a mess looming. Rebecca White, one of the directors of Friends of the Lake, said at the groups annual meeting this month that if anything, the new invasives could be worse than the old ones. If you think milfoil is a problem, youve got another think coming, she said. And there are the annual algae blooms, fed by fertilizer and treated sewage effluent flowing down the Housatonic into Lillinonah. One of them blue-green algae or cyanobacteria can release toxin that can irritate skin and sicken pets who swim in it, then lick their fur. Which is why Friends of the Lake is now planning an ambitious undertaking a comprehensive management plan to address all the problems in the lakes ecosystem. Friends of the Lake plans to hold a public meeting in September to discuss the plan, which Aquatic Ecosystem Research LTD is now writing. The key to its success will be to have all Lillinonahs towns and lakeside communities buy in on the plan. The idea will be for everybody to work together, rather than every man for himself, said Greg Petriccione, chairman of the Lake Lillinonah Authority, the six-town board that oversees the lake. Bollard said, as it stands now, different communities do different things to address water quality and invasive plants. Some communities use chemicals to control watermilfoil. Some are adamantly opposed to that. The result is a scattershot approach to lake management. If everybody is doing different things, it doesnt help, Petriccione said. The communities also have to agree on the looming problems the lake now faces. Friends of the Lake is pushing now to stock Lillinonah with sterile grass carp to feed on watermilfoil. But the selective use of herbicides might also be necessary, its leaders say. Right now, were putting a Band-Aid on a gunshot wound, said Jeff Silverman, who, like Bollard, helped found Friends of the Lake. Lake Lillinonah is relatively new, created in 1955 when Connecticut Light & Power Co. completed the Shepaug Dam across the Housatonic River. At 1,547 acres, its the states second-largest inland body of water after Candlewood Lake. But unlike Candlewood, its a hybrid: part lake, part river. Because its the first large impoundment on the Housatonic, it receives an upstream stew of pollution and invasives that glom together in its waters. The zebra mussels, for example, may have come from Laurel Lake in Lee, Massachusetts. The lake feeds into the Housatonic; researchers found zebra mussels there in 2009. As anticipated, the mussels have changed Lillinonahs ecosystem. Because they feed on zooplankton, the mussels act as water filters. With hundreds of thousands of them pumping away, they change the water. Bollard said in recent years, Lillinonahs water has become much clearer because of the zebra mussels. In turn, more sunlight penetrates the water, he said. That means aquatic weeds like watermilfoil get more sunlight and grow thicker than ever. This year, the mussel population collapsed. Theres not nearly as many in the lake as in 2017. David Fischer, manager of the Hudson River Studies program at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millerton, New York, said researchers there have seen the same thing happen with zebra mussels in the Hudson. Its sort of a boom-and-bust cycle, he said. They either run out of food or it gets too hot. Fischer said, however, a drop in zebra mussel populations doesnt mean theyre gone for good. Theyll just boom again in years to come. Theyll still be there, he said. The drop in zebra mussels this year, however, allowed zooplankton and algae to build up the filters were turned off. As a result, Bollard said, algae has bloomed thick and green this year in Lillinonah. Because these problems change, Bollard said the comprehensive plan will have to adapt with solutions shifting to meet new challenges. It will be a fluid document, he said. It will change year to year. Contact Robert Miller at earthmattersrgm@gmail.com Academics proposed a tax on all working adults aged under 40 in China and the money would go to a Reproduction Fund to reward families who have more than one child. In the first six months of 2018, the number of births in mainland China fell by 15 to 20% in many provinces from 2017. In 2017, 17.58 million babies were born which was down 630,000 from 2016. The idea has also drawn criticism from the public, and even from state media. State broadcaster CCTV called the proposal absurd in an editorial on its website on Friday. A protest Friday morning by several hundred activists outside the downtown Stamford headquarters of Purdue Pharma highlighted the growing grassroots campaign seeking accountability from the OxyContin maker, which faces hundreds of lawsuits for allegedly fueling the national opioid crisis. In perhaps the largest-ever demonstration outside the companys offices at 201 Tresser Blvd., about 500 people, including many parents of children who died of opioid overdoses and advocates in recovery from opioid addiction, gathered for around two hours of speeches, marching and chanting. Ryan Hampton, 38, a Los Angeles-based activist and author who battled addiction to opioids including OxyContin for 10 years, and Cheryl Juaire, 59, a Marlborough, Mass.-based advocate whose 23-year-old son died of a heroin overdose in 2011, led the event, which drew attendees from across the country. You dont care, but we do, Juaire said of Purdue, during a speech that described the toll of the epidemic of opioid abuse. We are coming after you, Purdue, together and united ... and we are going to bring you down. In response, Purdue issued a statement that said the company shared the protesters concerns about the opioid crisis and respected their right to peacefully express themselves. Purdue is committed to working collaboratively with those affected by this public health crisis on meaningful solutions to help stem the tide of opioid-related overdose deaths, read part of the statement. During the protest, Hampton, and Juaire went in the building to deliver a letter to Purdue CEO and President Craig Landau, demanding that Purdue create a fund to tackle the opioid crisis, similar to the one established by tobacco companies as part of a nationwide settlement in 1998 that was worth $246 billion. They did not meet Landau; they said they were told he was out of town. My first drug dealer was a person in a white coat that gave me enough OxyContin to almost kill me, Hampton told the crowd. I am a survivor of this crisis, the crisis that the company behind me started. No Purdue officials came outside to meet the protesters, many of whom carried signs with pictures of family members and friends who had died of opioid overdoses. The company did not immediately make any executives available for an interview with Hearst Connecticut Media. Paralleling Hamptons speech, many of the other protesters gave speeches and held signs that described Purdue as a criminal culprit of the opioid crisis that has swept the country since OxyContin, Purdues top-selling drug, went on the market in 1996. From 1999 to 2016, more than 200,000 people in the U.S. died from overdoses related to prescription opioids, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overdose deaths involving prescription opioids in 2016 totaled five times the toll in 1999, while sales of those drugs quadrupled, the CDC said. Purdue killed my son, said Westport resident Jim Hood, 66, holding a picture of his son, Austin, who died in 2012, at age 20, from an overdose of an undetermined mixture of opioids. I will never forget the day I walked in, and he was lying almost lifeless on our sofa. This was the beginning of the journey. I didnt know what the hell was going on. He couldnt move, he couldnt talk. Later on, we found out he was given OxyContin by a friend. And he was hooked. Aligning with the protesters arguments, the hundreds of lawsuits filed by local and state governments in recent years have alleged that Purdue has lied and misled medical prescribers and patients about the risks and benefits of its opioids. The company has denied the lawsuits accusations. Borrowing a tactic from a protest in March at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan which has a wing named after several members of the Sackler family that owns the privately held Purdue protesters deposited empty pill bottles in front of the buildings main entrance. The capsule labels listed the Sacker family as the prescriber, with a warning of extremely addictive, will kill and an Rx number of 200,000 dead. They knew that (OxyContin) was addictive, said Rhonda Lotti, 48, of Watertown, Mass., whose 19-year-old daughter, Mariah, died of a heroin overdose in 2011. She had previously used OxyContin. They lied and still continued to push it on doctors to prescribe. Several police officers were deployed at the protest. There were no altercations, but there were a few tense moments, including when protesters booed a group of people in business attire who walked into the building. Many passing cars, meanwhile, honked in apparent support of the demonstration. Fridays gathering marked the third protest in the past three months outside Purdues building. The recent demonstrations included a June 22 incident in which a 10-foot spoon sculpture weighing several hundred pounds, which was stained to represent burnt heroin, was briefly installed outside the companys building. It can be healing to the family members to feel like theyre doing something, Lotti said. If seeing our faces and the pictures of our childrens faces changes the mind of just one person driving by, then it will be worth it. NORTH HAVEN The state Department of Labor has cited two companies doing steel work on the sprawling Amazon warehouse being built on Washington Avenue for workers compensation violations. Employees of Cooper Steel Fabricators of Shelbyville, Tenn., and TCI Construction of Elgin, Ill., both were issued stop-work orders late Thursday, Paul Oates, a Department of Labor spokesman, said Friday. Oates was uncertain how many workers were ordered off the job as a result . We are working with both companies to see that they are brought into compliance, Oates said. Officials from neither company were immediately available for comment Friday. Oates said work being done by other companies at the Amazon construction site went on as scheduled Friday. Amazon officials were not immediately available for comment Friday. Construction of the sprawling, 1.2-million-square-foot warehouse started in mid-February. The $255 million project is expected to be finished and operating by May or June of next year. More Business Microsoft and Amazon integrate Cortana and Alexa The warehouse is being built on the site of a former Pratt &Whitney plant, which closed in 2001. First Selectman Mike Freda has said the warehouse will add 1,800 jobs to the local economy initially, with employment levels expanding to 3,000 over time. Freda was not available for comment Friday regarding the stop work order issued against the two companies. The full economic impact of Amazons project on the town is expected to be realized starting in 2020, when Freda has said the town is expected to see an average of $5 million in annual local real estate and personal property taxes. Amazons plans for the North Haven site were announced in June 2017. The company also has a fulfillment center in Windsor and a sorting center in Wallingford. Amazon plans to open what company officials are calling a delivery center in the former Yarde Metals plant on Horizon Drive later this month or in early September. The facility is designed to take items that have already been packaged and sorted and load them onto small vans for delivery to individual ZIP codes, company officials have said. luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com WASHINGTON (HTV) Key combatant commands across the US military were not giving enough support or personnel to their cyber operations, which impacted their ability to "effectively plan and integrate cyberspace" into the country's defensive and offensive operations, a previously classified assessment obtained Friday by the Hearst National Investigative Unit shows. The document, dated December 8, 2014, but just released today in response to a nearly four-year old public records request filed by this reporter in 2014, is heavily redacted but makes clear failures in sharing mission-critical information still existed more than a decade after post-9/11 reforms were implement across the government. NORWALK Two congressional lawmakers updated area healthcare providers and others on Republican efforts to undermine the Affordable Care Act during a roundtable discussion at Norwalk Hospital on Friday afternoon. The president, every week, seems to come up with new and creative ways to try to destabilize the existing healthcare system, said U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. And its kind of hard to figure out what the root causes are of his crusade to try to sabotage not just the Affordable Health Care Act but the broader healthcare system other than hes mad that the system has President Obamas signature. Murphy, a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., and state Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, led the discussion with about two dozen healthcare providers and consumers over what they described as the Trump administrations latest efforts to sabotage the Affordable Care Act. While Republicans under Trump havent been able to repeal Obamas signature law, they have removed the individual coverage mandate, resulting in 13 million Americans losing coverage and increasing insurance premiums for others, according to Murphy. He described the short-term insurance plans introduced by the Trump administration as junk and carrying fewer consumer protections. Murphy said personal bankruptcies in the U.S. have been cut in half since the introduction of the Affordable Care Act. Beforehand, more than 1.5 million such bankruptcies were caused by medical debt. Since introduction of the law, more than 750,000 bankruptcies have been lopped off the court system, he added. The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, was passed in 2010 following fierce debate among Congressional lawmakers as well as the general public. While Republicans fought the law, some Democrats also opposed it, arguing instead for implementation of a single-payer healthcare system as is in place in many other industrialized nations. Dr. Chuck Herrick, chairman of the psychiatry department for the Western Connecticut Health Network, which operates Norwalk Hospital, asked the lawmakers about the prospects of bringing such as system to the U.S. Is there a long-term plan that the Democratic Party is attempting to put together to address universal healthcare? Herrick asked. Murphy said the U.S. has come pretty darn close to universal health care through adoption of the Affordable Care Act. He has advised his congressional colleagues to focus on the here and now. If we spend all of our time designing a health-care system that we can implement once we get control of the House, the Senate and the presidency, we may have lost the health-care system that we have now because of the changes that the president is making and the continued desire of this Congress to unwind what we have, Murphy said. Remember, at the heart of that repeal bill is the end of Medicaid. U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., said Democrats have no pre-baked plan to introduce a single-payer system and that tensions exist within the party over the idea. He and Murphy lent their support to expanding Medicare, the federal health-care insurance program for people aged 65 and over as well as the disabled. Medicare is a program that pretty much everybody loves but it also has some very serious long-term sustainability issues, Himes said. So theres already, given the demographics of the country, very substantial overhang liabilities that have not been funded by the Medicare system. Under Murphys plan, those liabilities would be dealt with by pricing Medicare in an actuarially neutral way, Himes said. Regardless, of the provider model or the administrator model that we go to, we are still left with this immensely difficult challenge of getting costs under control, Himes added. Craig Glover, Norwalk Health Care Center CEO, said lawmakers can increase access to healthcare services amid the broader debate over whether to expand or repeal the Affordable Care Act. He said Medicare pays for only certain services, particularly in the areas of behavioral health. Licensed family therapy services arent among them. When we see a Medicare patient, we cant provide that service, Glover said. To me, thats a simple fix, a legislative thing saying here are these folks that have the credentials, the credential organizations are established. Why cant they be considered as folks that can provide a service? PLAINS, Ga.- Jimmy Carter finishes his Saturday night dinner, salmon and broccoli casserole on a paper plate, flashes his famous toothy grin and calls playfully to his wife of 72 years, Rosalynn: "C'mon, kid." She laughs and takes his hand, and they walk carefully through a neighbor's kitchen filled with 1976 campaign buttons, photos of world leaders and a couple of unopened cans of Billy Beer, then out the back door, where three Secret Service agents wait. They do this just about every weekend in this tiny town where they were born - he almost 94 years ago, she almost 91. Dinner at their friend Jill Stuckey's house, with plastic Solo cups of ice water and one glass each of bargain-brand chardonnay, then the half-mile walk home to the ranch house they built in 1961. On this south Georgia summer evening, still close to 90 degrees, they dab their faces with a little plastic bottle of No Natz to repel the swirling clouds of tiny bugs. Then they catch each other's hands again and start walking, the former president in jeans and clunky black shoes, the former first lady using a walking stick for the first time. The 39th president of the United States lives modestly, a sharp contrast to his successors, who have left the White House to embrace power of another kind: wealth. Even those who didn't start out rich, including Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, have made tens of millions of dollars on the private-sector opportunities that flow so easily to ex-presidents. When Carter left the White House after one tumultuous term, trounced by Ronald Reagan in the 1980 election, he returned to Plains, a speck of peanut and cotton farmland that to this day has a poverty rate of nearly 40 percent. The Democratic former president decided not to join corporate boards or give speeches for big money because, he says, he didn't want to "capitalize financially on being in the White House." Presidential historian Michael Beschloss said that Gerald Ford, Carter's predecessor and close friend, was the first to fully take advantage of those high-paid post-presidential opportunities, but that "Carter did the opposite." Since Ford, other former presidents, and sometimes their spouses, routinely earn hundreds of thousands of dollars on speeches. "I don't see anything wrong with it; I don't blame other people for doing it," Carter says over dinner. "It just never had been my ambition to be rich." - - - Carter was 56 when he returned to Plains from Washington. He says his peanut business, held in a blind trust during his presidency, was $1 million in debt, and he was forced to sell. "We thought we were going to lose everything," says Rosalynn, sitting beside him. Carter decided that his income would come from writing, and he has written 33 books, about his life and career, his faith, Middle East peace, women's rights, aging, fishing, woodworking, even a children's book written with his daughter, Amy Carter, called "The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer." With book income and the $210,700 annual pension all former presidents receive, the Carters live comfortably. But his books have never fetched the massive sums commanded by more recent presidents. Carter has been an ex-president for 37 years, longer than anyone else in history. His simple lifestyle is increasingly rare in this era of President Donald Trump, a billionaire with gold-plated sinks in his private jet, Manhattan penthouse and Mar-a-Lago estate. Carter is the only president in the modern era to return full-time to the home he lived in before he entered politics - a two-bedroom ranch house assessed at $167,000, less than the value of the armored Secret Service vehicles parked outside. Ex-presidents often fly on private jets, sometimes lent by wealthy friends, but the Carters fly commercial. Stuckey says that on a recent flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles, Carter walked up and down the aisle greeting other passengers and taking selfies. "He doesn't like big shots, and he doesn't think he's a big shot," said Gerald Rafshoon, who was Carter's White House communications director. Carter costs U.S. taxpayers less than any other ex-president, according to the General Services Administration, with a total bill for him in the current fiscal year of $456,000, covering pensions, an office, staff and other expenses. That's less than half the $952,000 budgeted for George H.W. Bush; the three other living ex-presidents - Clinton, George W. Bush and Obama - cost taxpayers more than $1 million each per year. Carter doesn't even have federal retirement health benefits because he worked for the government for four years - less than the five years needed to qualify, according to the GSA. He says he receives health benefits through Emory University, where he has taught for 36 years. The federal government pays for an office for each ex-president. Carter's, in the Carter Center in Atlanta, is the least expensive, at $115,000 this year. The Carters could have built a more elaborate office with living quarters, but for years they slept on a pullout couch for a week each month. Recently, they had a Murphy bed installed. Carter's office costs a fraction of Obama's, which is $536,000 a year. Clinton's costs $518,000, George W. Bush's is $497,000 and George H.W. Bush's is $286,000, according to the GSA. "I am a great admirer of Harry Truman. He's my favorite president, and I really try to emulate him," says Carter, who writes his books in a converted garage in his house. "He set an example I thought was admirable." But although Truman retired to his hometown of Independence, Mo., Beschloss said that even he took up residence in an elegant house previously owned by his prosperous in-laws. As Carter spreads a thick layer of butter on a slice of white bread, he is asked whether he thinks, especially with a man who boasts of being a billionaire in the White House, any future ex-president will ever live the way Carter does. "I hope so," he says. "But I don't know." - - - Plains is a tiny circle of Georgia farmland, a mile in diameter, with its center at the train depot that served as Carter's 1976 campaign headquarters. About 700 people live here, 150 miles due south of Atlanta, in a place that is a living museum to Carter. The general store, once owned by Carter's Uncle Buddy, sells Carter memorabilia and scoops of peanut butter ice cream. Carter's boyhood farm is preserved as it was in the 1930s, with no electricity or running water. The Jimmy Carter National Historic Site is essentially the entire town, drawing nearly 70,000 visitors a year and $4 million into the county's economy. Carter has used his post-presidency to support human rights, global health programs and fair elections worldwide through his Carter Center, based in Atlanta. He has helped renovate 4,300 homes in 14 countries for Habitat for Humanity, and with his own hammer and tool belt, he will be working on homes for low-income people in Indiana later this month. But it is Plains that defines him. After dinner, the Carters step out of Stuckey's driveway, with two Secret Service agents walking close behind. Carter's gait is a little unsteady these days, three years after a diagnosis of melanoma on his liver and brain. At a 2015 news conference to announce his illness, he seemed to be bidding a stoic farewell, saying he was "perfectly at ease with whatever comes." But now, after radiation and chemotherapy, Carter says he is cancer-free. In October, he will become the second president ever to reach 94; George H.W. Bush turned 94 in June. These days, Carter is sharp, funny and reflective. The Carters walk every day - often down Church Street, the main drag through Plains, where they have been walking since the 1920s. As they cross Walters Street, Carter sees a couple of teenagers on the sidewalk across the street. "Hello," says the former president, with the same big smile that adorns peanut Christmas ornaments in the general store. "Hey," says a girl in a jean skirt, greeting him with a cheerful wave. The two 15-year-olds say people in Plains think of the Carters as neighbors and friends, just like anybody else. "I grew up in church with him," says Maya Wynn. "He's a nice guy, just like a regular person." "He's a good ol' Southern gentleman," says David Lane. Carter says this place formed him, seeding his beliefs about racial equality. His farmhouse youth during the Great Depression made him unpretentious and frugal. His friends, maybe only half-joking, describe Carter as "tight as a tick." That no-frills sensibility, endearing since he left Washington, didn't work as well in the White House. Many people thought Carter scrubbed some of the luster off the presidency by carrying his own suitcases onto Air Force One and refusing to have "Hail to the Chief" played. Stuart Eizenstat, a Carter aide and biographer, said Carter's edict eliminating drivers for top staff members backfired. It meant that top officials were driving instead of reading and working for an hour or two every day. "He didn't feel suited to the grandeur," Eizenstat said. "Plains is really part of his DNA. He carried it into the White House, and he carried it out of the White House." Carter's presidency - from 1977 to 1981 - is often remembered for long lines at gas stations and the Iran hostage crisis. "I may have overemphasized the plight of the hostages when I was in my final year," he says. "But I was so obsessed with them personally, and with their families, that I wanted to do anything to get them home safely, which I did." He said he regrets not doing more to unify the Democratic Party. When Carter looks back at his presidency, he says he is most proud of "keeping the peace and supporting human rights," the Camp David accords that brokered peace between Israel and Egypt, and his work to normalize relations with China. In 2002, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. "I always told the truth," he says. Carter has been notably quiet about President Donald Trump. But on this night, two years into Trump's term, he's not holding back. "I think he's a disaster," Carter says. "In human rights and taking care of people and treating people equal." "The worst is that he is not telling the truth, and that just hurts everything," Rosalynn says. Carter says his father taught him that truthfulness matters. He said that was reinforced at the U.S. Naval Academy, where he said students are expelled for telling even the smallest lie. "I think there's been an attitude of ignorance toward the truth by President Trump," he says. Carter says he thinks the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision has "changed our political system from a democracy to an oligarchy. Money is now preeminent. I mean, it's just gone to hell now." He says he believes that the nation's "ethical and moral values" are still intact and that Americans eventually will "return to what's right and what's wrong, and what's decent and what's indecent, and what's truthful and what's lies." But, he says, "I doubt if it happens in my lifetime." On Church Street, Carter points out the mayor's house with his left hand while he holds Rosalynn's with his right. "My mother and father lived in that brick one," he says, gesturing toward a small house across the street. "We use it as an office now." "That's Dr. Logan's over here." Every house has a story. Generations of them. Cracked birdbaths and rocking chairs on somebody's great-grandmother's porch. Carter knows them all. "Mr. Oscar Williams lived here; his family was my competitor in the warehouse business." He points out the Plains United Methodist Church, where he spotted young Eleanor Rosalynn Smith one evening when he was home from the Naval Academy. He asked her out. They went to a movie, and the next morning he told his mother he was going to marry Rosalynn. "I didn't know that for years," she says with a smile. They are asked if there is anything they want but don't have. "I can't think of anything," Carter says, turning to Rosalynn. "And you?" "No, I'm happy," she says. "We feel at home here," Carter says. "And the folks in town, when we need it, they take care of us." - - - Every other Sunday morning, Carter teaches Sunday school at the Maranatha Baptist Church on the edge of town, and people line up the night before to get a seat. This Sunday morning happens to be his 800th lesson since he left the White House. He walks in wearing a blazer too big through the shoulders, a striped shirt and a turquoise bolo tie. He asks where people have come from, and from the pews they call out at least 20 states, Canada, China, Denmark and Kenya. He tells the congregation that he's planning a trip to Montana to go fishing with his friend Ted Turner, and that he's going to ride in an autogiro - a sort of mini-helicopter - with his son Jack Carter. "I'm still fairly active," he says, and everyone laughs. He talks about living a purposeful life, but also about finding enough time for rest and reflection. Then he and Rosalynn pose for photos with every person who wants one, including Steven and Joanna Raley, who came from Annandale, Virginia, with their 3-month-old son, Jackson Carter Raley. "We want our children to grow up with a heart of service like President Carter," says Steven, who works on Navy submarines, as Carter once did. "One of the reasons we named our son after President Carter is how humble he is," Joanna says. Carter holds the baby and beams for the camera. "I like the name," he says. When they reach their property, the Carters turn right off the sidewalk and cut across the wide lawn toward their house. Carter stops to point out a tall magnolia that was transplanted from a sprout taken from a tree that Andrew Jackson planted on the White House lawn. They walk past a pond, which Carter helped dig and where he now works on his fly-fishing technique. They point out a willow tree at the pond's edge, on a gentle sloping lawn, where they will be buried in graves marked by simple stones. They know their graves will draw tourists and boost the Plains economy. Their one-story house sits behind a government-owned fence that once surrounded Richard Nixon's house in Key Biscayne, Florida. The Carters already have deeded the property to the National Park Service, which will one day turn it into a museum. Their house is dated, but homey and comfortable, with a rustic living room and a small kitchen. A cooler bearing the presidential seal sits on the floor in the kitchen - Carter says they use it for leftovers. In a remodel not long ago, the couple knocked down a bedroom wall themselves. "By that time, we had worked with Habitat so much that it was just second-nature," Rosalynn says. Rosalynn Carter practices tai chi and meditates in the mornings, while her husband writes in his study or swims in the pool. He also builds furniture and paints in the garage; the paint is still wet on a portrait of a cardinal that will be their Christmas card this year. They watch Atlanta Braves games or "Law and Order." Carter just finished reading "The Innovators" by Walter Isaacson. They have no chef and they cook for themselves, often together. They make their own yogurt. On this summer morning, Rosalynn mixes pancake batter and sprinkles in blueberries grown on their land. Carter cooks them on the griddle. Then he does the dishes. WATERBURY Superior Court Judge Linda K. Lager has refused to remove the claims against Larry Gottesdiener, chief executive officer of Northand Investment Corp., in a suit filed on behalf of former Church Street South housing tenants. Lager did, however, dismiss the claims against two entities: Northland Fund II LP and Northland Fund II Partners LLC. The allegations in the operative complaint and the reasonable inferences to be drawn therefrom, viewed in the light most favorable to the plaintiffs, suffice to allege Gottesdieners personal liability, subject to trial proof of Gottesdieners direct involvement in the conduct alleged, Lager wrote. She explained that a motion to strike a defendant from a suit obligates the court to examine the allegations of the complaint in the light most favorable to the plaintiffs. Attorney David Rosen filed a class-action suit against Northland in fall 2016, charging that Gottesdiener and the two other business creations allowed the complex to fall into disrepair so they then could raze the apartments and use the land for a better return. Rosen represents 271 tenants, while six are named as plaintiffs. Contractors currenty are demolishing all the apartments on the 13-acre site. Northland bought the property in 2008 and by end of 2015, the tenants were moving out after many spent time temporarily in hotels because of the condition of the buildings. The plaintiffs allege that as a result of the conduct of the defendants, the tenants suffered physical and emotional injuries, loss of personal property and other losses. Lager wrote that the courts role is not to decide whether the evidence will support the cause of action but only to determine whether the allegations are legally sufficient to state the cause of action. The class-action status is expected to come up when court resumes hearing the case Aug. 30 in Waterbury. The two corporate entities and Gottesdiener said the complaint fails to allege sufficient facts to impose liability Rosen claims that Northland Fund II LP and Northland Fund II Partners LLC were shell defendants which cannot insulate Northland from liability under the general law of corporations and partnerships. Lager wrote that usually a corporate structure protects shareholders and corporate leaders. The doctrine of piercing the corporate veil allows a court to disregard the corporate structure. The multiple Northland entities were established in Delaware. Delaware law favors coporate structures, Lage wrote in her ruling. Quoting another case: It should be noted at the outset that persuading a Delaware Court to disregard the corporate entity is a difficult task. The legal entity of a corporation will not be disturbed until sufficient reason appears, according to the Delaware case. Quoting another case, Lager wrote that the fraud or injustice must consist of something more than the alleged wrong in the complaint and relate to a misuse of the corporate structure. The bottom line is Lager found that the plaintiffs failed to meet the requirements to pierce the corporate veil to connect the multiple Northland entities to wrongdoing. The suit seeks to hold Gottesdiener personally liable for the conditions at Church Street South. The plaintiffs suit says there are differences between the corporate protections for Northland Fund II LP and Northland Fund II Partners LLC, and the law governing Gottesdiener. They said Connecticut law applies to the CEO and there are no piercing the corporate veil stipulations. The plaintiffs charge that Gottesdiener, from the beginning, was involved in the purchase and day-to-day management of Church Street South, including moving families to motels. It states that he and the other officers knew that in order to provide decent, safe and sanitary housing, the complex needed a lot of work. The defendants say there are not enough specific facts to back those allegations. Lager pointed out that at this stage, the court must deal only with the sufficiency of the allegations and not their accuracy as the court must presume compliance with the Practice Book .... requirement that there is good ground to support the allegations of the complaint. mary.oleary@hearstmediact.com; 203-641-2577 8:00 p.m. UPDATE: A controversial quote painted in a hallway at a Houston Independent School District Middle School will be taken down, according to a press release by the district. In a statement to the Houston Chronicle, district officials wrote, "The quote does not align with HISD values, and it will be taken down." The quote, "The more you act like a lady, the more he'll act like a gentleman," is currently featured at Gregory Lincoln, a K-8 school. A photo was tweeted by a Houston resident Friday afternoon and went viral with many calling for the quote to be covered up. ORIGINAL STORY: A Houston ISD school is drawing criticism online for a quote featured in a hallway above the lockers. The quote, "The more you act like a lady, the more he'll act like a gentleman," is featured at Gregory Lincoln, a K-8 school, at 1101 Taft St. A photo of the quote was tweeted by Houston resident Stephanie Wittels Wachs Friday afternoon and has since gone viral. STACKING CASH: These are the 41 highest-paid high school principals in the Houston area "This outrageous victim-blaming message is painted on the wall of a MIDDLE SCHOOL in @HoustonISD, blatantly perpetuating the horrific myth that girls are to blame for sexual violence against them. Absolutely disgusting. Paint over it now," Wachs tweeted. The quote has resulted in more than 40 responses, most of which agree with Wachs. Gregory Lincoln confirmed the quote was at their school but declined to comment. A request for comment was placed with HISD. This story will be updated with more information as it becomes available. Fernando Alfonso III covers everything from crime to weird internet trends. Read him on the breaking news site chron.com and the subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com. | fernando.alfonso@chron.com For years, the USS Ling gave New Jersey residents a chance to explore a piece of valuable American history. Now, as it sits filled with 10 feet of water, its future remains uncertain. The World War II submarine was flooded and had four commemorative plaques stolen from it last weekend, in what police now believe were two separate incidents, according to Hackensack Police Capt. Petter Busciglio. The investigation into the vandalism and the theft is ongoing, Busciglio said. The Ling was an exhibit of the New Jersey Naval Museum located at the former River Street site of North Jersey Media Group, which published The Record newspaper before it was sold to Gannett. Developers plan to demolish the former Record building to make way for luxury apartments at the 20-acre site, and museum staff were working to relocate. The Ling was forced to close after Hurricane Sandy damaged a connecting pier in 2012. "I don't know how much is salvageable. It all depends on how long the water has been inside," said Les Altschuler, the Vice President of the Submarine Memorial Association, which has been responsible for the submarine's upkeep since it was first placed in the Hackensack River in 1973. Altschuler said, that the boat is still filled with all of the electronics and displays it hass had since it came to live in the river. The Submarine Memorial Association is currently unable to plan what the future holds for the USS Ling as they are waiting to hear back from the U.S. Navy on what proper protocol is, Altschuler said. Local environmentalists believe that removing the water from the inside of the sub would be a straight forward process, once the museum officials get approval to do so. "This is all pretty simple. You've essentially got a flooded boat and there are multiple companies in the region who have the machinery to remove and filter water and separate anything that's not water," said Hugh Carola, program director with the Hackensack Riverkeeper. Carola said that because all of the water is contained inside the sub, the process to clear out the water and waste is a relatively quick process. Once any offending material is cut off and taken out, the water can be filtered and then be pumped back into the river. "It hits me two ways. I'm obviously an environmental advocate but I'm also a student of history," Carola said. "When we take kids out onto the river we pass it and we talk about the boat and when she went into service and how she was in the Panama Canal, and how she looks exactly like she did in the second world war." For Altschuler, the vandalism and theft have been particularly devastating. He served on the Ling in 1963. After his time in the service, he moved from New York to New Jersey and reconnected with ship when he accompanied his son on a trip to the N.J. Naval Museum with the Cub Scouts. He then became a part of the Submarine Memorial Association in 2004 and had been an active member ever since. "To us, the memorial is priceless," Altschuler said. "I just hope that some good comes out of this because for us submariners you never want to see a submarine filled with water." Olivia Rizzo may be reached at orizzo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LivRizz. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips As fans mourned Anthony Bourdain in June, CNN aired past episodes of his acclaimed food travel series, "Parts Unknown," and proceeded to air the last three episodes in the 11th season of the show. But there is still more of Bourdain to come. First, the 12th season of "Parts Unknown" is set to air this fall. The episodes were not finished when Bourdain died, but the Los Angeles Times reports producers are using audio of Bourdain from the set to complete the work. Now, CNN also says it is producing a documentary film about the continent-hopping chef who grew up in Leonia. Vanity Fair reports the film will be screened at festivals and be released in theaters before airing on CNN. The report says the film, which could be out by 2019, is currently in pre-production, and that the project is a collaboration with Zero Point Zero, the production company responsible for "Parts Unknown." "As well as we knew Tony, because he did reveal himself in the series, there was still a hunger to know more about him, and to honor his work and celebrate him," Amy Entelis, CNN's executive vice president for talent and content, told Vanity Fair. "The documentary format became one of the more obvious ways to go." Among the other films that CNN has produced is "RBG," the documentary about Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, which has been in theaters and will air on the network on Sept. 3. Bourdain, who when 61 when he died by suicide in France on June 8, was born in New York but attended Englewood's Dwight-Englewood High School and spent his summers at the Jersey Shore. The writer, chef and ultimate foodie dedicated a 2015 episode of "Parts Unknown" to New Jersey and did the same 10 years prior with his Travel Channel series, "No Reservations." Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook. JERSEY CITY -- Brightly colored saris fluttered in the breeze and traditional music filled the air as India's 72nd Independence Day was celebrated outside Jersey City City Hall today. "We were under British rule for more than 200 years and for the last 72 years we are free and we celebrate this," said Mamta Singha, of Jersey City, who founded the Indians in Jersey City Organization which organized the event. From a block away, the smell of traditional Indian dishes could be smelled as vendors filled dishes and those attended sat on the steps of city hall or in folding chairs enjoying their meals. On the menu were items such as chicken tikka masala, dal tadka, pav bhaji, vegetable samosas and rice kheer. Vasu Vishwanadhula, the owner of Mantra Indian Restaurant on Washington Street said Indian culture is all about food and family. "Our culture is about food and ultimately, the food brings us together," said Vishwanadhula as his food was being served and performers danced and sang on a stage in front of city hall Downtown at 280 Grove Street. Abbas Syed of Khabab Grill on Bergen Avenue said religion is also a key element of Indian culture but the celebration "is not about any religion. We all celebrate together." Shabbir Dahodwala, of Jersey City, held his 5-year-old son in his arms at the festival as they took in the sights, smells and sounds. "It's important to let the kids know what the country we left behind is all about - to let them know about the culture," said Dahodwala, who came to the United States about 15 years ago. JERSEY CITY -- NJ Transit Police tracked down and arrested two men this week wanted in connection to a July 21 robbery at Jersey City's Martin Luther King Jr. light rail station in which the victim's skull was fractured. At about 4:30 a.m. on the day of the incident, Tybrie Benjamin, 20, and Benjamin Green, 19, approached a man waiting for a train on the platform and Green allegedly struck the man in the head twice, police said. Police allege that Green then took $65 from the man before the pair fled heading south on Martin Luther King Drive. The victim suffered skull and facial fractures, and spent a week recovering in the hospital. The suspects were identified using security video. Benjamin was arrested on Monday and Green was arrested on Wednesday, both in Jersey City, police said. Green is charged with attempted murder, robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery. Benjamin is charged with robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery, police said. When Green appeared in court on Thursday, the judge told him there was also a warrant for his arrest out of Hudson County Superior Court for failing to appear for a sentencing. "The New Jersey Transit Police Department is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for everyone on our transit system, and won't stop working any case until we locate and arrest the perpetrators," said NJ Transit Police Chief Christopher Trucillo. The chief continued saying "We ask all of the NJ TRANSIT family to follow the 'See Something, Say Something' program and help us identify leads that help protect the public." To report a crime, suspicious activity or unattended packages, contact the NJTPD at (888) TIPS-NJT or send a text message to NJTPD (65873). NASA successfully launched its latest probe toward the sun this week. This is the first NASA mission to be named after a living person, Dr. Eugene Parker, a pioneer in solar astrophysics. Our star is a massive ball of hot gasses. So when NASA mentions that the probe will "touch" the sun, it is speaking metaphorically, because the sun has no solid surface. What we see when we look up on a nice sunny day is the photosphere - a shell of gasses that is about 10,000 degrees. Above this layer is the chromosphere, a layer of the sun's atmosphere that is only visible in specially equipped solar telescopes (and during an eclipse). The temperatures here can range from 10,000 to 36,000 degrees. Beyond is the high thin atmosphere called the corona. This is the "crown" of the sun that appears during a total solar eclipse. One long-standing mystery about the corona is that it is much hotter than the layers below it. Temperatures here can reach 5 million degrees. Solar astronomers have some theories but we need measurements from inside the corona and that's one of the main goals of this mission. At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 37, the Delta IV Heavy rocket with NASA's Parker Solar Probe, lifts off at 3:31 a.m. EDT on Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018. The spacecraft will perform the closest-ever observations of a star when it travels through the Sun's atmosphere, called the corona. The Parker Solar Probe will use the gravity of Venus seven times during nearly seven years to gradually bring its orbit closer to the Sun. Toward the end of the mission, it will fly directly through the sun's atmosphere, as close as 3.8 million miles from its surface. This is several times closer than any previous spacecraft has flown. During its closest approach to the sun, it will hurtle past at speeds up to 430,000 miles per hour. That's fast enough to get from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. in one second! NASA's Parker Solar Probe is heading to the Sun.Thermal Protection System Engineer Betsy Congdon (Johns Hopkins APL) outlines why Parker can take the heat. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Parker's first encounter with Venus is coming up soon, on Sept 28. Then, on Nov. 1, it rendezvous with the sun. After multiple encounters with both Venus and the sun during the next few years, the spacecraft makes it first close pass to the sun in December 2024. For updates on the spacecraft's progress, visit the Parker Solar Probe website. Kevin D. Conod is the planetarium manager and astronomer at the Newark Museum's Dreyfuss Planetarium. For updates on the night sky, call the Newark Skyline at (973) 596-6529. You can burn down the house, but you can't get rid of the ghosts. That seems to be the story at the Caldwell Parsonage in Union Township. The question is, whose ghost is it? Could it be Hannah Caldwell, presumably shot by a British soldier during the Battle of Connecticut Farms on June 7, 1780? Or is it her husband, James Caldwell, the Presbyterian minister considered a dangerous "rabble-rouser" by the British during the American Revolution who was murdered 18 months later? This is a story with several ghosts. Those that haunt the Union historic site, and the Ghost of New Jersey History, that nagging ethereal presence the state has long-ignored at the expense of local pride and heritage tourism dollars. The Caldwell Parsonage, at 909 Caldwell Ave., is struggling, another victim of New Jersey's neglect of our fascinating history. Like many local historic places, the Caldwell Parsonage gets no state aid, except for grants from the Historic Trust that amount to "a couple of thousand (dollars) a year," said David Arminio, president of the Union Township Historical Society. Their biggest source of income is a rented apartment attached to the back of the main house. The large Colonial home is surrounded by modest post-World War II homes built in the early days of suburban sprawl. There is a road sign and a bronze plaque on a boulder telling the story. But visitors are so infrequent the historic society only opens by appointment, except for two Sundays a month in January and February. "We never say no," Arminio said. "We open the (parsonage) museum any time somebody wants to come." But another good source of income are ghost hunts. Armino said each one puts a few hundred dollars in the museum's accounts. John Ruggerio of New Jersey Paranormal has investigated ghosts in the parsonage about 10 times. For the past five years the public has been invited as a fundraiser for the museum. The next one is Oct. 20. "I'm always drawn to the story behind a building," he said. "The story is what drew me (to the Caldwell Parsonage). But we only go to places where we have evidence of paranormal activity. We have to be convinced people have heard noise, or footsteps, or have seen shadows. Otherwise, we would lose credibility." Portrait of James Caldwell, the 'Fighting Parson' Caldwell, North Caldwell and West Caldwell all carry the name of the "Fighting Parson," a Presbyterian minister so hated by the British they burned down two of his churches. The high school in West Caldwell and an elementary school in Springfield are named after him. Hannah Caldwell's name is on an elementary school in Union. The Caldwell name is part of New Jersey lexicon, and the story of the Caldwells is one of the most compelling of the Revolution, in terms of the human cost of war. Yet the parsonage is manned and maintained by the small Union Township Historical Society, with very little state aid, and now only open by appointment. (The phone number is 908-687-7977.) "I tell everybody the story of James and Hannah Caldwell would make a fantastic movie," Arminio said. "They made 'The Patriot' with Mel Gibson. Well, James Caldwell was more than a patriot, he was an American hero. He and his wife gave their lives for the cause." James Caldwell was born in Virginia to parents of Scots-Irish descent, which might explain why he hated the British. Most Presbyterians did, and in the Caldwell Parsonage today are informational posters which explain that overlooked religious aspect of the war. "Presbyterian Churches were centers of revolutionary activity," said Barbara La Mort, of the historical society. Caldwell graduated from the College of New Jersey, before it became Princeton, and took over the First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethtown. "Just the people he recruited to fight was a huge factor in the war," said Arminio. The 100 Revolutionary War soldiers from the church included Jonathan Dayton, the youngest person to sign the U.S. Constitution, newspaper publisher Shepard Kollock and Stephen Crane, a member of the Continental Congress and the great-great-grandfather of the "Red Badge of Courage" author. Crane was 71 when he was bayoneted by a British soldier. Several members of the Ogden family, the founders of Elizabethtown, fought in the war, including Aaron Ogden, who became governor of New Jersey in 1812, and Moses Ogden, who died in the Battle of Connecticut Farms (now Union) at age 20. In January of 1780, the British burned down the Elizabeth church and Caldwell's home. Caldwell moved his family four miles west to Connecticut Farms, then joined the army at Jockey Hollow. Portrait of Hannah Caldwell, killed by a British soldier His wife was there during a British attack five months later and was shot while in a room with her two youngest children and her live-in nanny. The Union County seal depicts the shooting but places her outside the house. After removing her body, they burned it down. The current parsonage was built in 1782. Hannah Caldwell's death and her husband's murder 18 months later by an American sentry, in what appeared to be a British plot, left their nine children orphaned. End of story. Enter the ghosts, those wisps of cold air, those thumps in the night, and those guttural moans that raise the hairs on the back of your neck. The New Jersey Paranormal team comes with about $10,000 worth of equipment: hypersensitive infrared cameras and digital recorders to pick up sights and sounds not apparent to the naked eye or ear. "We have cameras and microphones in every room," Ruggerio said. And they have picked up ghostly sounds and movements. "We've heard a female voice, which we believe is Hannah," he said. "We've asked specific questions, like, 'Hannah, are you still here?' And she answered, 'Yes.' "The cameras have picked up shadowy figures or balls of light," he said. "Spirits are energy, and they give off images." Ruggerio got into the ghost business because he is a history buff and his team goes to historic buildings all over the state. Last stop was the Burlington jail. The ghosts, Ruggerio said, draw people, who in turn, learn local history. "In a perfect world, the history should be enough to draw people," he said. "But you'd be surprised how many people come and say, 'I never knew this was here.' Hopefully, they'll come back again after we're gone." Mark Di Ionno may be reached at mdiionno@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarkDiIonno. Find NJ.com on Facebook. A Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued two passengers on a cruise ship heading back to Bayonne from Haiti on Friday morning. According to a press release from the Coast Guard, two passengers on the ship had symptoms of a heart attack. Royal Caribbean's cruise line, Anthem of the Seas, first contacted the Coast Guard late Thursday morning to report about an 18-year-old man who needed medical assistance for heart attack symptoms. Officials from the Coast Guard's 5th District headquarters in Portsmouth, Virginia, told the cruise line to get closer to North Carolina shore so they could rescue them. However, by Thursday evening, the cruise line contacted the Coast Guard again to report an 82-year-old passenger's heart attack symptoms. The Coast Guard's North Carolina crew rescued the two passengers on Friday morning according to the press release. "We train every day for types of scenarios like long-range medevacs in order to maintain our proficiency and our mission readiness," Petty Officer 2nd Class Andrew Ruga, a rescue swimmer on the case, said in a press release. "Our crew is thankful that we were able to get these men the proper medical attention they needed." The status of the two men, who were transported to New Hanover Regional Medical Center in North Carolina, was unknown. Royal Caribbean could not be reached for comment on Saturday. The ship was heading back to Bayonne on Saturday from Labordee, Haiti, according to a crew schedule listen on Crew Center, a cruise information site. Taylor Tiamoyo Harris may be reached at tharris@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ladytiamoyo. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Thousands of people were without power when they woke up Saturday morning after powerful storms rolled through the state overnight. And, more rain is on the way. The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for much of New Jersey. Forecasters called for up to 3 inches of rain for the state, with Saturday's flash flood watches in Bergen, Essex, Passaic, Union, and Hudson counties. A Flash Flood Watch is now in effect for most of eastern PA and NJ, as showers and thunderstorms this afternoon and evening may result in heavy rain and flash flooding. pic.twitter.com/FRwlYTUR3g NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) August 18, 2018 Several rounds of heavy showers and thunderstorms will affect the area through this evening, according to the NWS. The heaviest rainfall is expected this afternoon and this evening as a cold front moves across the area. Roads are still wet and the National Weather Service said many grounds remain fairly saturated due to recent heavy rain over the past several weeks. In Brick, residents are still recovering after numerous homes and businesses were devastated by recent flash floods from storms. Gov. Phil Murphy was in Brick on Friday morning, meeting with residents and discussing options for aid. PSEG has a range for customers to have their power restored between 5:45 p.m. and 9:45 p.m., according to the utility company's outage map. JCP&L has time estimates for restoration as early as 1 p.m. but the majority are between 6 p.m and 11 p.m., spokeswoman Tricia Ingraham said. As of 3 p.m., PSEG reported 73 outages affecting 1,259 customers. JCP&L is also actively working to restore power to customers. As of 3:20 p.m., 399 customers were affected in Morris county , 325 customers were without power in Union county, 248 customers in Somerset county and 237 customers in Ocean county were without power. Those outages are expected to be restored by 11 p.m. Loading... Loading... Taylor Tiamoyo Harris may be reached at tharris@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ladytiamoyo. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Can Americans still have a sensible and friendly political discussion across the partisan divide? The answer is yes, and we intend to prove it. Julie Roginsky, a Democrat, and Mike DuHaime, a Republican, are consultants who have worked on opposite teams for their entire careers yet have remained friends throughout. Here, they discuss the week's events, with prompts from Tom Moran, editorial page editor of The Star-Ledger. Q. A fresh Monmouth poll shows that Rep. Tom MacArthur, R-3d, has lost his lead in the race against Democrat Andy Kim, and Cook Political Report now call it a tossup. What explains the swing towards Democrats? Roginsky: Trump DuHaime: Brevity Q. Ok, but Trump was around three months ago, and the races are tightening. What explains the momentum? Roginsky: Voters are starting to pay attention more and more and the president and his policies are becoming more and more unmoored from what is acceptable to those of us in the reality-based community. DuHaime: Congressman MacArthur won by more than 20 points two years ago. Liberals have been more focused and energized for a longer period of time, and that means better Democratic recruitment and fundraising than in the past. But I will eat a Sunday edition of the Star Ledger if Tom MacArthur loses. No chance he loses. Roginsky: The Sunday edition isn't what it used to be in terms of thickness, but I wouldn't bet that. Maybe a slow weekday edition. DuHaime: Okay, I will just eat our column, which is nutrition for the soul anyway. Q. President Trump revoked the security clearance of John Brennan, the former director of the CIA, saying he was unhinged and partisan. I'm trying to restrain myself. Does this cross any new lines? Roginsky: Speaking of unhinged and partisan, the president seems to be projecting quite a bit. Yes, it crosses every new line. The first step of any authoritarian leader is to silence his critics. And if you want to know why Republican congressmen in NJ are struggling, it's because none of them has the fortitude to call the president out on this. DuHaime: Well, while Brennan has been quite a critic, that doesn't justify stripping his security clearance. He's earned the highest security clearance because of all he has done for America. His criticism of the president does not suddenly make him untrustworthy or a security threat. It strikes me as petty. The president would be better off talking about low unemployment and a stronger economy on his watch than using his power to try to punish critics. Q. Gov. Phil Murphy used his veto power to block the appointment of an ally of Senate President Steve Sweeney, former Sen. Ray Zane, as general counsel at the South Jersey Port Corporation. That was the first time the governor used this power to confront Sweeney like this. Is that a big deal? Roginsky: It is. The governor's office comes with immense power and the governor has exercised it. DuHaime: The governor sometimes needs to remind everyone that he's the governor, so yes it is a big deal to exercise this authority to hurt an ally of the senate president. The relationship between the governor and senate president continues down a rocky path. Q. All seven New Jersey Democrats in Congress called for the resignation of the spokesman for Newark's ICE office, Emilio Dabul, after a Star-Ledger editorial described his links to anti-Muslim hate groups. How is the friction over ICE playing in the Congressional races? Roginsky: I don't get the sense that ICE is a looming issue in these races. But this administration has had a nasty habit of empowering racists and anti-Muslim bigots. Any president that would give someone like Sebastian Gorka a senior job in the administration is not past giving someone tied to hate groups a job at ICE. DuHaime: I'm not familiar with this staffer or the allegations, but obviously it would be unacceptable to have someone tied with hate groups in any position regardless of the agency. I agree largely with Julie that ICE is not going to be a major issue in the election. Some Democrats are likely to overplay their hand on this ending up going further and further left on border security, and Republicans would be wise to focus on accomplishments and policy differences around taxes and the economy, rather than a protracted fight on immigration policy when we still have parents separated from children. Q. A former aide to President Trump, Omarosa Manigault Newman, who is African-American, claims that the president used the N-word on tape, a claim that Trump denies. My dilemma is that neither of them has even one scrap of credibility. How do you read this one? Roginsky: I have never once watched one minute of reality television in my life and I tremendously resent having to live in a reality television show world despite that. There is plenty of evidence that Donald Trump is a racist, going back many decades to when he discriminated against minorities during his real estate career. I don't need to hear evidence of him using the N-word to know that. DuHaime: Omarosa only cares about where the reality TV cameras are and doing what she can to make sure they are focused on her. So, I don't want to contribute to it by talking any more about her. Q. Finally, a Quinnipiac poll showed 51% of GOP respondents agree with President Donald Trump's characterization of the press as "enemy of the people." That terrifies me. Should it? Roginsky: Remind me not to stand too close to you if we're ever surrounded by Republicans. Yes, it should terrify not just you as a reporter but anyone with any respect for our Constitution. Those are literally words invoked by Joseph Stalin that the president is echoing. The media serves a vital function in holding the powerful accountable. Every day, reporters provide the first draft of history and, when done right, they do it without fear or favor. This should not be a partisan belief. DuHaime: The overheated rhetoric against reporters is wrong and should stop. The vast majority of reporters are trying to do their best to be fair and accurate. That doesn't mean they don't make mistakes, and it doesn't mean reporters and publications don't come with a point of view that political opponents will see as bias. Fox has a point of view, and so does MSNBC. And so did the publications that Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson used to excoriate each other (under pseudonyms I might add) during the formative days of our republic. For its part, many in the media lack the self-awareness to admit many publications and networks do have inherent liberal biases, and the rejection of it helped fuel the rise of Donald Trump. Both sides (politicians and media) should stop whining. It only fuels the angst and pulls away from reporting actual news. The state of New Jersey will soon get $5 million from its sixth-largest town for a piece of land that housed an institution for the disabled closed by Gov. Chris Christie four years ago. Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law Friday authorizing Woodbridge to buy the 54 acres of land where the Woodbridge Developmental Center used to sit in the Avenel section of town. The law (A4065) authorizes the state treasurer to allow the sale. The state Department of Human Services under Christie closed the 50-year-old facility in 2014 as part of the then-governor's push to develop more privately operated community housing and rely less on expensive state institutions. Christie's administration also shuttered the North Jersey Developmental Center in Totowa that year. Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac said he's not "100 percent sure" what the township will do with the land. But he said it will have "commercial, educational, and health-care components" and will not include housing of any kind. McCormac -- a former state treasurer and former member of Murphy's transition team -- said town officials have "talked to potential interested parties." Christie defended closing the facilities despite some opposition. He said he was shocked to learn New Jersey was second only to Texas in the number of large institutions it operates and the number of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who live in them. "I cannot sleep at night knowing I'm institutionalizing people by my hand as the governor," Christie said at the time. The state declared the Woodbridge land surplus. Its sale will be only a drop in the bucket of New Jersey's $37.4 billion state budget. NJ Advance Media staff writers Susan K. Livio contributed to this report. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. New Orleans police have arrested a 17-year-old in connection with a Thursday (Aug. 16) armed carjacking that targeted a car with a woman and an infant inside, according to arrest documents. Mairon Avila was booked Thursday evening, within hours of the carjacking. His charges include two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, armed robbery with a firearm, armed robbery and illegal possession of stolen things. Avila is also accused of resisting an officer by providing false identification after police say he gave an alias, "Kob Avila," to the arresting officer. The carjacking occurred about noon Thursday in the 4800 block of Gilbert Street in New Orleans East, according to an initial report by the NOPD. The car's owner, a 40-year-old woman, told police that she had stepped out of her vehicle for a moment, leaving her baby in the back seat while the car was still running. Another passenger, a woman, also remained in the car, according to arrest documents for Avila. After the car's owner stepped out, two males got into the car and forced the other woman and infant out of the vehicle at gunpoint, the arrest documents state. The car's owner said the carjackers also pointed guns at her "when confronted" and demanded she take her baby and leave, according to the documents and the NOPD initial report. With the women and baby out of the vehicle, the carjackers drove off in the car, a white Subaru Tribeca, police said. Avila was arrested Thursday evening, after police responded to a "suspicious person" call regarding two teenagers in a stolen vehicle, according to arrest documents for Avila, sworn by NOPD officer Christopher McGaw. Someone reported that the pair, described as boys ages 14 to 16, parked the car in the 11400 block of Curran Boulevard and then got out and fled toward Bullard Avenue. The car was later identified as the stolen Subaru, the arrest documents show. Hearing a description of the teens, an off-duty NOPD officer radioed in that a teen matching one of the descriptions was standing in front of a store at Bullard Avenue and Hayne Boulevard. McGaw drove to the store and found Avila and two other teens, including the teen who matched a description of a carjacking suspect. That teen is named in arrest documents as an accomplice of Avila. NOLA.com|The Times-Picayune is withholding his name because it's not clear whether he is a juvenile and his charges, if any, are not publicly accessible in Orleans Parish court records. Video footage from the store showed Avila and his alleged accomplice arriving at the store, removing their dark clothing, and buying the white T-shirts that they wore when found by police, according to the arrest documents. 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 One of the carjacking victims then identified Avila as one of the gunmen. In addition, Avila was found with a pink iPhone stolen during the carjacking, according to the documents. Officers also recovered an LSU hat, reportedly worn by one of the carjackers, and a handgun near the intersection of Lakeland Court and Bullard Avenue, which is where the McGaw first "made visual contact" with the three teens. The other two teens were detained, but it's not clear whether they were arrested. The carjacking occurred less than a month after an Orleans Parish judge issued a warrant for Avila in a separate case. In that case, he is accused of illegal possession of stolen things in connection with a May 26 arrest. His bond on that charge was set at $3,500. After a bond-reduction hearing in June, Avila was released "only to be transferred to Covenant House" for inpatient treatment, court records show. However, a week later, the court noted that Avila had been released but was not at Covenant House--instead, he was in the Jefferson Parish juvenile jail. By June 22, Avila had been released from the juvenile jail but failed to report to Covenant House, according to court records. On July 23, the judge issued a warrant for Avila's arrest after he failed to appear in court for his arraignment. Friday night, Avila remained in the Orleans Justice Center jail with his bond set at $152,500, court records show. Maria Clark contributed to this report. An argument outside the Presbytere turned violent when one man pulled out a knife and stabbed another, New Orleans police said Saturday (Aug. 18). It was one of two major crimes reported in the French Quarter in six hours. Police said Clifford Holcomb, 54, and a 34-year-old man were arguing Friday at about 1 p.m. at St. Ann Street and Place Jean Paul Deux when Holcomb produced a pocketknife and stabbed the man in the left hand. Police arrested Holcomb at the scene, and Emergency Medical Services took the victim to a hospital. At about 5:40 p.m. in the 500 block of Decatur Street, an unknown man and woman approached two women, ages 21 and 22. The man "poured liquid on the victim's shoes and then demanded money," police said in a preliminary report. The women handed over $52. The robbers left. No further information was immediately released by police. The domestic abuse case of a New Orleans Police Department officer accused of slamming his then-girlfriend's head into a police vehicle on Christmas Eve is expected to go to trial next month. Officer Robert Dees Jr. was arrested Dec. 24 afternoon and bonded out of jail Christmas Day. The woman who claims Dees, her former boyfriend, abused her sat on one side of the Orleans Parish Magistrate Courtroom Thursday (Aug. 16), joined by her parents who flew in from New Jersey. Dees, 34, sat on the other side of the courtroom. NOPD officers prepared to testify against him sat a row or two in front of him. The trial was delayed, however, because Dees' attorney John Fuller was unavailable due to family circumstances, Magistrate Judge Harry Cantrell said. The new trial date was set for Sept. 20. Assistant District Attorney Michael Henn noted the state ready to proceed. Dees, a 14-year veteran of NOPD, has been on "administrative assignment" with the department pending the outcome of the criminal case. NOPD placed Dees on emergency suspension shortly after his arrest. However, he is currently working in NOPD's Alternative Response Unit, where police take reports about less serious crimes over the phone, department spokesman Andy Cunningham said. According to a warrant for his arrest, Dees was in uniform when three witnesses said they saw him slam his girlfriend against a wall in the 7th Ward, "then slammed her head against the police unit." The woman sustained minor lacerations on her arm, toe and mouth, the warrant states. NOPD said in a statement at the time of his arrest that the Public Integrity Bureau corroborated the allegations. The Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office filed a bill of information on April 19 formally charging Dees with domestic abuse battery. Dees' attorney at the time of his arrest, Donovan Livaccari, said Thursday night he is "sure Officer Dees will be cleared" upon completion of an investigation. At the time of Dees arrest, NOPD issued a statement: "Allegations of domestic abuse are taken very seriously by NOPD and are investigated thoroughly." An Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office sergeant was punched in the face Monday (Aug. 13) by one of the jailed men he told to stop playing cards and go to their beds, records show. An arrest warrant for Michael Lewis, 27, states Lewis was among a group of jailed men playing cards in the common area of a housing unit who he instructed to go to their beds while the staff locked down certain people and did a security check. Lewis was the only one who did not follow the instructions, according to the warrant, and behaved "irate" using profanity against the sergeant. The sergeant told an OPSO investigator Lewis then "became combative by punching him in the facial area," the warrant states. The alleged battery occurred shortly before 11 p.m. in a unit on the jail's fourth floor, records show. Lewis was booked Thursday (Aug. 16) on a new charge of battery of a correctional facility employee. Lewis had been jailed since July 27 on charges of simple criminal damage to property, domestic abuse battery, home invasion and flight from an officer, records show. He was not taken to court for his first appearance hearing Friday because he was considered "high risk security," court records show. Orleans Magistrate Judge Harry Cantrell found probable cause for the charge and assigned the Orleans Public Defender's Office to represent him while he was incarcerated. A Westwego man has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges for moving more than two pounds of heroin from Atlanta to New Orleans. A U.S. Homeland Security Department investigation showed that Mohammed Fatty, 28, transported a total of more than a kilogram of the drug over the course of trips beginning in September 2016, federal prosecutors said. Fatty was employed by Hector "Tito" Mata Jr. of Marrero, who was heard on wiretaps emphasizing he should drive safely and lawfully so as to avoid police encounters, according to court records. After Mata's arrest Dec. 15, 2016, investigators interviewed Fatty, who admitted his role and said he was paid about $1,000 per round trip. He pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court in New Orleans. He faces 10 years to life in prison and a maximum fine of $10 million, although maximum sentences in federal court are rare for first offenders, however. Mata, too, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy, possession of a gun during a drug trafficking crime and obstruction of justice, and is to be sentenced Nov. 8. When he was arrested, he offered $20,000 to detective Nicki Garnier of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office to take him to the Mexican border and release him, authorities say. Here's one of the remarkable things about Kevin Buckel's Adopt-A-Family Uniform Drive: In the past 25 years, it has raised over $1 million to provide uniforms for New Orleans schoolchildren. "It's going good this year," he told me, when I called him last week. "The money is starting to come in. All I have to do now is let everything go in motion." What gets him started at the beginning of every August is the loyal donors who give year after year. What helps him expand the drive is finding new donors so he can reach more schools and more students in need. "I'm starting to get requests from the various schools now," he told me. "Every year, there seem to be more." 2017 was one of the most successful drives. It raised around $50,000. "We were able to help 1,005 students," he said. Buckel's drive grew out of the Adopt-A-Family program he started in 1992 to match New Orleans families in crisis with families and organizations with a desire to help. At that time, Orleans Parish public schools had started requiring uniforms, and struggling parents kept telling him that what they needed most was uniforms for their children. So he came up with a simple plan that still works today: Caring people send contributions in any amount for uniforms, and school counselors and social workers identify the students most in need. They use $50 vouchers -- enough for two new shirts and two skirts or pairs of pants -- for each student. Everyone who donates gets a receipt for the uniform purchase, a copy of the annual audit, and a personal hand-written thank-you note from a grateful student. "I've always believed those notes are the reason people keep wanting to give," Buckel said. The ones from elementary school kids are often illustrated, showing rainbows and flowers and smiling children in new uniforms. Sometimes, the notes from older children or teenagers tug at your heart. They might tell of a fire or an illness or some other family tragedy. Most, though, are short and sweet, like these: "Thanks for letting me come to school on the first week because I wouldn't be at school without the uniform." "Thanks for my uniforms. They fit perfect, so now I can go to class." "Thank you for helping me with getting school uniforms. My mother did not have money for me this school year." "You are kind to make sure I have a uniform to wear to school and more than one. That's what I'm talking about!" "Thanks a bunch for helping me with my uniforms. I was really grateful that you guys had my size and were there when I needed you." Each note is different, but what they all seem to be saying is, "Thank you for helping me fit in." Here's another remarkable thing about the Adopt-A-Family Uniform Drive: All the money raised goes directly into uniforms. Adopt-A-Family is the only non-profit group I know of that has no operational expenses in its budget. Buckel and a handful of loyal volunteers spend their time and resources to make it work. "I'm really proud that all the money people give goes directly to the kids," he said. Here's another remarkable thing about the program: Buckel has kept it going for a quarter of a century even though he moved from New Orleans to Long Beach, Miss., to buy a health club in 1996. "I'm from New Orleans, and you don't just give up on your city when you leave," he told me. In 2005, I wrote about the drive a few days before Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent levee break wiped out much of New Orleans and basically did away with the need for school uniforms. The storm sent Kevin's home in Long Beach out to sea, and he lost more than a decade's worth of Adopt-A-Family records along with all his other possessions. But he kept the program alive. When he called in 2006, he assured me he would be there for the students who had come back home. "I figure families in New Orleans need help more than ever after the hurricane," he said. Last summer, when I heard from Buckel, I was surprised to learn he was even farther from New Orleans. He and his two dogs, Scout and Maggie, now spend more than half the year in Upstate New York, where he runs a sightseeing cruise boat on the Hudson River. He also handles marketing for Ship Island Excursions in Mississippi, and lives in Long Beach during the fall and the winter. "We're up here March through October," he said last week. "But I can still do the drive because of the great help I have at home." The first step is for school counselors and social workers to identify the students without uniforms and to email their requests to Buckel. Donneisha Wilson, a counselor at Morris Jeff Community School-Lopez Campus, sent her list as soon as school opened and she learned which students were most in need. "Some of them lack the most basic necessities, like uniforms and new shoes," she said. "We don't turn them away, but it's really uncomfortable for them if they don't have uniforms." What keeps things running smoothly with the drive every year is that Cynthia Cabibi Bird at Cabibi and Cabibi Law Firm in Metairie volunteers her time to do the bookkeeping, and staff members at Pedelahore & Co., a New Orleans accounting firm, take care of the paperwork -- gathering the donations and sending out receipts and thank-you notes to donors. The company also generously provides the postage. "They make it easy for me to keep it going from up here," Buckel said. "I just have to approve the uniform orders and make sure we get the thank-you notes from the schools." Linda Domangue at Pedelahore & Co. started volunteering to help Buckel with the clerical work in 2013, and she looks forward to doing it every year. Now that school has started, donations are coming in every day. "A lot of them come with really nice notes," she said, as she sorted through some on her desk. "This one says, 'God bless you for taking care of our children,' and this one says, 'Congratulations on 25 years of such a fruitful, needed effort. We are grateful for you.'" She makes copies of the notes to send on to Buckel, who dreamed up the perfect little program that through the years has helped well over 20,000 New Orleans schoolchildren. What she likes even more than the notes from the donors is the thank-you notes from the children. ""You don't want to see a child left out," Domangue said. "When you see a little girl who had no uniforms and she's just so happy to get them, it makes you feel wonderful. That's satisfaction. That's gratification." Mail donations in any amount to Adopt-A-Family Uniform Drive, c/o Linda Domangue, Pedelahore & Co., 1010 Common St., Suite 2100, New Orleans, LA 70112. Miss America Cara Mund sent a letter this morning to all state titleholders detailing the silencing she's experienced at the hands of Miss America Organization chairwoman Gretchen Carlson and claiming that she is the victim of workplace bullying. "Our chair and CEO have systematically silenced me, reduced me, marginalized me, and essentially erased me in my role as Miss America in subtle and not-so-subtle ways on a daily basis. After a while, the patterns have clearly emerged, and the sheer accumulation of the disrespect, passive-aggressive behavior, belittlement, and outright exclusion has taken a serious toll," Mund wrote. The letter was given to AL.com this morning by a former pageant participant. Mund was given three talking points she was required to mention to the press including: Miss America's relevance to the #MeToo movement and Carlson's Stanford pedigree. "I was told that it's my fault sponsors have dropped MAO, because I am supposedly 'bad at social media,'" Mund wrote. Mund described how Miss America staff encouraged her to stay off camera during the Good Morning America segment on Miss America's ousting of the swimsuit competition. Mund, a graduate of Brown University, also talked about having her social media posts removed and having others pretend to be her on social media. "I understand that I am the representative of a brand and a company and employed to do a job," wrote Mund to former Miss America winners. "That does not mean that an employer can treat you however they feel like treating you that day. Employers are legally required to provide a workplace free from harassment and bullying. I have been constantly reminded of the provisions in my employment contract that prohibit me from speaking freely." Heather Whitestone McCallum, former Miss Alabama 1994 and former Miss America 1995 is one of almost 5,000 signees calling for the resignation of Carlson and a change in leadership among the board of trustees. The Change.org petition calls for the new leadership to made up of former Miss America titleholders. "If you want Miss America to be relevant, then the leadership needs to understand she is not a wind-up toy who they can power up to spit out the meaningless words that are put into her mouth, and then put back on the shelf until it's time to do it again. I do not want her to have to stand in the back, literally or metaphorically," Mund wrote. Omarosa Manigault Newman seems to believe that she can prove what President Donald Trump thinks of black people with alleged audio recordings of Trump using the epithet Webster's dictionary calls "the most offensive and inflammatory racial slur in English." She seems unaware that Trump's opinion of black people was evident when he as a candidate made her director of African-American outreach and later hired her as a White House liaison. One needn't have ever watched "The Apprentice" to know that black America has thought of Omarosa as a kind of Cruella de Vil. She showed herself to be a black person willing to destroy, humiliate and belittle other black people in order to advance her own interests. Every bit as ruthless and nasty as Trump is and just as much of a bully, a couple months before the 2016 presidential election, Omarosa cackled that "Every critic, every detractor, will have to bow down to President Trump. It's everyone who's ever doubted Donald, who ever disagreed, who ever challenged him. It is the ultimate revenge to become the most powerful man in the universe." Omarosa's comments were made soon after a Fox News poll showed that about 4 percent of black voters were planning to vote for Trump and a Wall Street Journal / NBC News poll measured his black support at 1 percent. While in that comment Omarosa didn't mention black people, how do you think black people, the demographic that polls revealed disliked Trump the most, took her prediction that they'd be made to bow down before him? So, no, we don't need audio recordings of Trump using that epithet to know Trump's feelings toward black people. His feelings were apparent when Richard Nixon's Justice Department sued him for barring black people from renting his New York apartments. They were apparent when he refused to admit that he'd been wrong about the Central Park Five, whose executions he'd called for after they were wrongly accused of having raped a Central Park jogger. He led the racist "birther" conspiracy theory that claimed that President Barack Obama, the country's first black president, was foreign born and, thus, an illegitimate president. He said black Americans, all of us, are "living in hell," and said we should vote for him because what do we have to lose? We could tell what he thought of black people when he described Rep. John Lewis, a self-sacrificing hero of the civil rights movement, as "all talk, talk, talk -- no action." In the 1980s, when Jeff Sessions was nominated for a federal judgeship, Coretta Scott King helped block his nomination in a letter to the Senate describing him as an enemy of civil rights. Trump picked Sessions to be U.S. attorney general, that is, the person in charge of enforcing the nation's civil rights laws. He made Omarosa the only black senior official in the West Wing of the White House. There are no black senior officials at the White House now, and according to April Ryan, a White House correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks, this is the first time that's been the case in the last 50 years. And Omarosa thinks we need to hear some tapes? For what it's worth, Trump's sexism was apparent before the release of the Access Hollywood recordings where he's bragging about how he likes to grab women between their legs. The broadcast of his admitting to predatory behavior didn't cost him enough support to lose the election. It's unclear if it cost him any support at all. As for the claim that there exist other tapes that capture the president being openly racist, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said she "can't guarantee" that such recordings won't emerge. The most common argument I've seen is that even if such tapes exist and are publicly played that it won't matter to Trump's loyal supporters. That argument predicts that they'll find a way to rationalize it, make it acceptable. I'm choosing to believe that there's a point beyond which the American people will not allow Trump to go. It might be naive to say so, but I'm choosing to believe that we're a better country than those cynics say we are and that there are things we simply will not tolerate. Granted, too many people have already tolerated too much from Trump, but just because people tolerate more than they should doesn't mean that they'll tolerate anything. As for Omarosa, we'd be foolish to believe that she's trying to hurt Trump for the benefit of black people. She's no less self-centered than he, and, thus, it is far more likely that she's seeking to embarrass and humiliate him because he embarrassed and humiliated her when he had her fired and dragged out of the White House. She chose to work for a man whose disrespect for black people, black icons and the black experience seemed limitless. Now here she comes running with the news that he thinks poorly of black people. We know, Omarosa. He chose you to talk to us. Jarvis DeBerry is deputy opinions editor for NOLA.COM | The Times-Picayune. He can be reached at jdeberry@nola.comor at twitter.com/jarvisdeberry. The exercise is as old as the Republic, but the first thing you need to understand about redistricting is that hot-water cornbread is as ubiquitous in north Louisiana as etouffee is in the south, says Rick Gallot, the Ruston Democratic representat Roseburg, OR (97470) Today Cloudy with occasional showers. Low around 50F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Cloudy with occasional showers. Low around 50F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. Viewed 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. It was Aretha Franklins first No. 1 hit, the cry of empowerment that has defined her for generations: Respect. But for the roughly seven million times the song has been played on American radio stations, she was paid nothing. When Ms. Franklin died on Thursday at age 76, fans celebrated the song all over again as a theme for the womens rights movement. But in the music industry, Respect has also played a symbolic role in a long fight over copyright issues that, advocates say, have deprived artists like Ms. Franklin of fair royalty payments. Under an aspect of copyright law that has long irked the record business, American radio stations pay only the writers and publishers of a song, not the artists who perform them. Respect was written by Otis Redding, who sang it as a mans demand for recognition from his wife. Ms. Franklin turned the song upside down or right-side up and took it to heights Mr. Redding never dreamed of. Sometimes it seems as if were living under a constant barrage of heavy news. But it isnt all bad out there. This feature is meant to send you into the weekend with a smile, or at least a lighter heart. Want to get The Week in Good News by email? Sign up here. Here are five great things we wrote about this week: Students and parents of the New York University School of Medicine rejoiced this week when the university announced it would cover the tuition of all current and future students. Thats $55,000 per student in annual tuition. (Room and board not included.) This decision recognizes a moral imperative that must be addressed, as institutions place an increasing debt burden on young people who aspire to become physicians, said Robert I. Grossman, dean of the medical school and chief executive officer of N.Y.U. Langone Health. Students have increasingly forgone careers in family medicine, pediatrics and research in lieu of top-paying specialties. A handful of institutions have tried to make medical education tuition-free in response including Columbia, which announced a $250 million gift in December that would go toward students with the greatest financial need. I thought about what are the problems that are most likely to affect the future of the world or future of humanity. Elon Musk, a South African-born engineer, inventor and billionaire, is one of the most important entrepreneurs in the world. But the 47-year-old is no stranger to turmoil, and by his own account his career has been full of highs and lows. Just three years ago, I was showering at the Y and sleeping on the office floor. And now, I have got a million-dollar car and quite a few creature comforts. After making a fortune with his first successful startup, Zip2, Musk gained fame as the co-founder of PayPal in the late 1990s. So this is an ATM. What were going to do is transform the traditional banking industry. The company lost hundreds of millions of dollars, and Musk was ousted as CEO because of internal turmoil. But when PayPal went public in 2002, and then was sold to eBay, Musk as the biggest shareholder walked away with $200 million. By the mid-2000s, Musk had turned around and invested almost all of his PayPal fortune into his new companies: SpaceX, Tesla and SolarCity. With SpaceX, Musks aspiration is out of this world literally. Its a commercial space flight company, which designs and launches advanced rockets into space. Behind me is where Falcon 9 would sit during launch. One of its ambitions is to eventually send people to Mars. And I cant think of anything more exciting than going out there and being among the stars. But it has faced some roadblocks. Their first three rocket launches failed, burning through almost all of the companys assets. But SpaceX has had recent successes. The Falcon Heavy launch earlier this year was a big milestone and it carried an interesting payload: a dummy astronaut riding a Tesla car that was orbiting space. The company has also landed contracts with NASA, but questions about safety and cost remain. We sold over 1,000 cars and by sold I mean people put down a substantial deposit on the car. Tesla, Musks electric car company, is one of the first of its kind to work on a large scale. It has also successfully disrupted the auto industry. The company is valued at over $50 billion. The Tesla Model S has been called the greatest car ever built. But Tesla has also faced some setbacks, including car batteries that caught on fire, recalls and production delays. SolarCity, Musks renewable energy venture, initially had a bright future. Its the largest provider of rooftop solar systems in the U.S., and the company boomed on Wall Street. But after investors raised doubts about its business model, SolarCitys shares quickly lost value, and Tesla had to take over in what was widely seen as a bailout. We really need to make solar panels as appealing as electric cars have become. But while Musk may have been flirting with bankruptcy and calamity for years, his projects continue to captivate the collective imagination. Life has to be more than about solving problems. There have to be things that make you proud to be a member of humanity. Want climate news in your inbox? Sign up here for Climate Fwd:, our email newsletter. WASHINGTON The Trump administration next week plans to formally propose a vast overhaul of climate change regulations that would allow individual states to decide how, or even whether, to curb carbon dioxide emissions from coal plants, according to a summary of the plan and details provided by three people who have seen the full proposal. The plan would also relax pollution rules for power plants that need upgrades. That, combined with allowing states to set their own rules, creates a serious risk that emissions, which had been falling, could start to rise again, according to environmentalists. The proposal, which President Trump is expected to highlight Tuesday at a rally in West Virginia, amounts to the administrations strongest and broadest effort yet to address what the president has long described as a regulatory war on coal. It would considerably weaken what is known as the Clean Power Plan, former President Barack Obamas signature regulation for cutting planet-warming emissions at coal-fired plants. That rule, crafted as the United States prepared to enter into the 2015 Paris Agreement on global warming, was the first federal carbon-pollution restriction for power plants. In 2016, the Supreme Court temporarily blocked the regulation from taking effect while a federal court heard arguments from a coalition of coal states that sued to block the rule. It remains suspended. Want climate news in your inbox? Sign up here for Climate Fwd:, our email newsletter. With his comments this week on Californias recent spate of vicious wildfires, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke waded into a longstanding debate over how forests are managed. Mr. Zinke and his boss, President Trump, also dismissed the impact of global warming on the fires. But the secretary later clarified his comments, responding of course when asked if he accepted that climate change was part of the problem. In radio and television interviews while in California visiting with firefighters, Mr. Zinke acknowledged that fires had been getting worse. But he said what was driving this summers severe blazes including the Mendocino Complex fire north of San Francisco that is now the largest in the states history was fuel load, or the presence of dead and dying trees that have not been cleared from forests. In one interview, with Breitbart Radio, Mr. Zinke blamed environmental terrorist groups for the situation, saying their legal efforts had prevented the widespread harvesting of dead timber. The report also said the school had used the concept of in loco parentis, or its responsibility to stand in for students parents, as both a sword and shield to excuse behavior that crossed boundaries with students and allowed sexual misconduct to take place. The investigation, which was conducted by the international law firm Locke Lord, documented sexual abuse by seven former faculty members that occurred between 1969 and 1992, which primarily involved unwanted sexual contact and intercourse. Investigators also received highly credible allegations against three adults who had been members of the Hotchkiss community, including former faculty members and the spouse of a faculty member. Some of the former faculty members went on to teach or work with children elsewhere. One teacher, Leif Thorne-Thomsen, who was a classics teacher from 1964 to 1992, abused multiple students over the course of years, according to the report it includes the accounts of seven women who said they were sexually abused by him. The report described his relationship with one former student in particular as emotionally coercive. When the student told Mr. Thorne-Thomsen she was having issues with her father, he replied, I will be your father. One womans parents found her staying in a hotel with Mr. Thorne-Thomsen the summer after she graduated, and told the headmaster and the chairman of the schools board of trustees about the discovery. Mr. Thorne-Thomsen was placed on a paid leave of absence and then allowed to return the following year. The letter offering him his job back spoke of his having the most honorable and most open intentions. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Democratic candidate for Congress who quickly became a star of progressive politics after winning an upset victory in a New York House primary this summer, came under fire this week for excluding the press from two community meetings that were otherwise open to the public. Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, who is predicted to win the 14th Congressional District, which includes parts of Queens and the Bronx, did not allow reporters to attend town hall meetings with residents on Aug. 8 and Aug. 12, The Queens Chronicle, a local weekly newspaper, reported Thursday. By Friday, the decision had become a flash point for arguments over politics and press freedom. Some journalists pushed back on Twitter and advocated open access to public events one scoffed that Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, a political newcomer, would be in for a rough time on Capitol Hill, where reporters roam freely. Others on social media made comparisons with President Trumps claim that the media is the enemy of the people and argued over what constitutes a public or private event. David Rothenberg, an artist from Las Vegas, known as Dave Dave, who was badly scarred as a boy when his father tried to burn him to death, an incident that became the basis of a movie, died on July 15 in Las Vegas. He was 42. The cause was being investigated by the police, said John Fudenberg, a coroner in Clark County, Nev. The death was not widely reported at the time. Years after the burning, Mr. Rothenberg became a close friend of Michael Jackson, who encouraged him to pursue a career in art. Through brightly colored 1960s-style Pop Art paintings and drawings, he sought to promote positivity, he wrote on his website, particularly through a series called Lifted. There is a lot that happens in peoples lives, but that doesnt define them as a human being, it makes them stronger, Mr. Rothenberg told The Las Vegas Review-Journal in 2016. Though Bill Clinton was a far better talker than he was an orator, at least one of his sentences should be carved in stone: There is nothing wrong with America, he said in his 1993 Inaugural Address, that cannot be cured by what is right with America. Thats a line Andrew Cuomo might want to commit to memory. The New York governor is in the news for saying on Wednesday that America was never that great. He went on to explain that the U.S. will reach greatness when every American is fully engaged while complaining that Donald Trumps Make America Great Again slogan was retrospective and intended to return the country to darker times past. As political gifts to the Trump 2020 campaign go, its hard to think of one so perfectly wrapped. Fox News was all over it. So was Stephen Colbert. For conservatives, the remark is proof of moral ignominy; for liberals, of political stupidity. And it was particularly rich coming from someone whose own campaign slogan, from 2010, was, Together, we can make New York great again. But its also a statement more than a few people agree with, not least among progressives Cuomo is trying to woo in his primary campaign against challenger Cynthia Nixon. So its worth reminding ourselves of just what it is that really makes America great. Today lets talk about the evil deeds of Betsy DeVos. Weve been distracted, what with Omarosa and the Manafort trial and that $90 million military parade we were so looking forward to. At the same time, our secretary of education has been busy, working to protect for-profit colleges from their students. Yes! We keep being told that Donald Trump was elected because working-class Americans were worried that their kids wouldnt be able to move up in the world. And now DeVos is making it easier for those very same kids to be cheated when they try to prepare for a career. Its quite a story, just as DeVos is quite a gal. Probably the first secretary of education with a $40 million family yacht thats registered in the Cayman Islands, presumably to avoid American taxes. Is that the yacht that got mysteriously untied the other day? Yes, it was moored in Ohio and an unknown person set it adrift, causing up to $10,000 in damage. We do not approve of this sort of behavior, people! Somebody could have gotten hurt. And the DeVos family might have been without a floating residence, except for the other nine yachts they own. Judge Brett Kavanaughs supporters have spent the last month lavishing him with acclaim. Hes a legal superstar, they say, one of the most qualified Supreme Court nominees in history. So why are Senate Republicans so afraid of letting Americans learn more about him? After what they did to Judge Merrick Garland in 2016 obliterating Senate tradition by outright ignoring President Barack Obamas third Supreme Court nomination for partisan political gain you might think it would be hard for Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, and Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, to inflict any more damage on the court. Surprise! Theyre now running the most secretive and incomplete confirmation process in modern history. They scrambled to set the start of Judge Kavanaughs confirmation hearing for Sept. 4, even as they have refused multiple requests by their Democratic colleagues to see more than one million documents covering his years as White House staff secretary to President George W. Bush. Judge Kavanaugh has called that job, which he held from 2003 to 2006, the most interesting and informative of his career in terms of preparing for his work on the bench. These documents could contain important information about his role in some of the Bush administrations most controversial actions, including its warrantless wiretapping program and its torture policy. Judge Kavanaugh was evasive during his 2006 confirmation hearing for a seat on the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., where he currently sits. He denied any involvement in those policies, but Democratic senators have long believed that his answers to them were, at best, misleading. And at least one former Bush official appeared to directly contradict him. So what was his true role? The documents may or may not answer that question definitively, but well never know without seeing them. Cara Mund, whose reign as Miss America comes to a close next month, accused the pageants parent organization of systematically silencing her in a letter made public Friday. It was the latest setback for the organization, which has struggled to reinvent itself after a string of scandals. In a missive that ran over 3,000 words long, Ms. Mund said that the pageants leadership had reduced me, marginalized me, and essentially erased me in my role as Miss America in subtle and not-so-subtle ways on a daily basis. She went on to say that members of the organization had prevented her from posting in her official capacity on social media and had criticized her appearance on multiple occasions. She added that she had researched New Jersey state laws and that the mistreatment amounted to workplace bullying. She said that she had been condescended to in a manner that suggested I dont understand this big girl job or how and why Miss America is relevant, and that she had often been reminded that she was dispensable. In a potentially major setback for the effort to prosecute five Guantanamo Bay detainees accused of aiding the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, a military commission judge ruled on Friday that prosecutors may not use a key piece of evidence against the men: statements they made to F.B.I. interrogators shortly after their transfer out of the C.I.A.s black site prisons nearly a dozen years ago. The decision brought to a head a long-running and potentially irreconcilable tension in the case: Defense lawyers say they need to thoroughly investigate the torture of their clients at the hands of the C.I.A. for there to be a fair death penalty trial. But the government says there is a national security imperative to keep certain facts related to that period like the identities of C.I.A. personnel who worked at certain prisons secret. The ruling centered on a fight over a technique the F.B.I. used to try to get statements out of the detainees including Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the self-described architect of the attacks that could be used as courtroom evidence, despite their abuse in C.I.A. custody. To attenuate that, the bureau sent in a clean team, whose agents did not know what the detainees had previously said, to start over with questioning them. But defense lawyers argue that the lingering effects of their clients previous torture tainted those interrogation sessions, too. WASHINGTON The Justice Department threw its support on Friday behind housing advocates who accuse Facebook of violating fair-housing laws. In a so-called statement of interest, the department suggested that Facebook could be held liable if housing providers like real estate developers and landlords used the sites targeting tools to discriminate against prospective renters and buyers in advertising their properties. Such tools limit who can see ads based on factors like sex, religion and nationality, and advertising restricted along those lines violates the Fair Housing Act. Statements of interest are typically reserved for cases that directly affect the federal governments interests, like national security and diplomacy. President Trump revoked the security clearance of John O. Brennan, the former C.I.A. director under President Barack Obama, on Wednesday, citing his erratic behavior and increasingly frenzied commentary. It was an act of retaliation that alarmed members of the intelligence and spy community and a potential threat of using presidential power against anyone connected to the Russia investigation. Mr. Brennan, in an opinion article in The New York Times, said the decision was politically motivated and an attempt to scare into silence others who might dare to challenge him. The president has indicated that he might revoke the clearances of other officials including a career employee at the Justice Department, Bruce Ohr in response to their criticism or perceived opposition. The special counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election has told a judge that a former adviser to the Trump campaign repeatedly lied about his contacts with Russian operatives and caused damage to the governments inquiry. In a document filed Friday evening, the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, said that the former adviser, George Papadopoulos, misled investigators about the timing, extent and nature of the meetings. During one of them, Mr. Papadopoulos was told that Russia had damaging information about Hillary Clinton in the form of thousands of emails. The memo said that Mr. Papadopouloss attempts to mislead the F.B.I. had a significant effect on the open investigation into whether President Trump or his advisers coordinated with Russias attempts to disrupt the 2016 presidential election. The defendant lied in order to conceal his contacts with Russians and Russian intermediaries during the campaign, the memo said. It happened early in the investigation when key investigative decisions, including who to interview and when, were being made. Then the buyer calls and says, I paid too much, send me back $100, or $400, Ms. Sykes said. They try to get the customers banking information that way. Wiring money can be another way to obtain a persons account information. The bank, on Californias affluent central coast, also has seen a major uptick in check fraud, with more than five times as many fraudulent check cases reported so far in 2018, compared with the same period of 2014, she said. Its been a heartbreaking year, she said. As they see more fraud directed at older customers, banks are stepping up their warnings, monitoring and education efforts. First Financial Bank in Abilene, Tex., for example, certifies its employees as fraud busters after they are trained to recognize potentially fraudulent actions. More active steps, including the education of customers, are likely to spread under the Senior Safe Act, as banks tackle the reluctance that many older people have to report fraud. Noel A. DeSantis, an assistant district attorney in Philadelphia who specializes in financial crimes against seniors, said older people can be ashamed and afraid to admit they are victims. Ms. DeSantis prosecuted one case in which an 87-year-old Philadelphia woman suddenly withdrew $600, which was most of her savings, from her bank branch. Accompanying her at the bank was a younger woman whom the teller did not recognize. The teller knew the account holder and was concerned she wasnt acting normally, but she said she wanted the money. So he had to give it to her, Ms. DeSantis said. The teller alerted the bank manager, who preserved the video of the transaction. Later, when the customer reported the episode to the police, the video was used as evidence to convict the woman who accompanied her. Dr. Michael Holicks enthusiasm for vitamin D can be fairly described as extreme. The Boston University endocrinologist, who perhaps more than anyone else is responsible for creating a billion-dollar vitamin D sales and testing juggernaut, elevates his own levels of the stuff with supplements and fortified milk. When he bikes outdoors, he wont put sunscreen on his limbs. He has written book-length odes to vitamin D, and has warned in multiple scholarly articles about a vitamin D deficiency pandemic that explains disease and suboptimal health across the world. His fixation is so intense that it extends to the dinosaurs. What if the real problem with that asteroid 65 million years ago wasnt a lack of food, but the weak bones that follow a lack of sunlight? I sometimes wonder, Dr. Holick has written, did the dinosaurs die of rickets and osteomalacia? Dr. Holicks role in drafting national vitamin D guidelines, and the embrace of his message by mainstream doctors and wellness gurus alike, have helped push supplement sales to $936 million in 2017. Thats a ninefold increase over the previous decade. Lab tests for vitamin D deficiency have spiked, too: Doctors ordered more than 10 million for Medicare patients in 2016, up 547 percent since 2007, at a cost of $365 million. But few of the Americans swept up in the vitamin D craze are likely aware that the industry has sent a lot of money Dr. Holicks way. A Kaiser Health News investigation for The New York Times found that he has used his prominent position in the medical community to promote practices that financially benefit corporations that have given him hundreds of thousands of dollars including drug makers, the indoor tanning industry and one of the countrys largest commercial labs. The addiction treatment program at Highland Hospitals emergency room is only one way that cities and health care providers are connecting with people in unusual settings. Another is in San Francisco, where city health workers are taking to the streets to find homeless people with opioid use disorder and offering them buprenorphine prescriptions on the spot. The city is spending $6 million on the program in the next two years, partly in response to a striking increase in the number of people injecting drugs on sidewalks and in other public areas. Most of the money will go toward hiring 10 new clinicians for the citys Street Medicine Team, which already provides medical care for the homeless. Members of the team will travel around the city offering buprenorphine prescriptions to addicted homeless people, which they can fill the same day at a city-run pharmacy. What the relationship between Mr. Reitman and Professor Ronell illuminates most clearly is the obsessive and overwhelming role an adviser can have in the life of a graduate student, especially, perhaps, in the humanities, where a job market that has been contracting for nearly two decades often leaves students feeling entirely reliant on those advisers to help them get them tenure-track positions. Mr. Reitman has had three prestigious fellowships since he finished his Ph.D., the current one nonpaying, but fellowships are default positions for people who dont get jobs. Mr. Reitman, in fact, received not a single offer from the 20 schools to which he applied for teaching positions. Whether this has to do with the complicated nature of his relationship to Professor Ronell, who he claims sent letters of recommendations on his behalf that were all too tepid and never pushed for him anywhere, the realities of a depressed academic market, or deficiency on his part, is hard to know. Whatever the truth, these letters of recommendation hold far more importance than they do in other professional fields. A letter for a young academic specializing in 17th-century Portuguese history, for example, must make a case for that candidates exceptionalism in relation to the competing candidates in the field. If it cannot do that, the prospects can be nonexistent. This sense of dependency that a student has on an adviser is a holdover from the medieval roots of academia, when the student is in the thrall of the master, Leonard Cassuto, an English professor at Fordham University who has written extensively about the challenges of modern graduate schools, told me. When the student is in the hands of a star who commands great authority over the world of a rarefied discipline, the dynamic of the worshiper and the worshiped can seem immutable. Both the Title IX report from N.Y.U. and a lawsuit that Mr. Reitman filed this week against the university and Professor Ronell, as well as a statement that she issued on Thursday evening in response, include floridly worded communications between the two that suggest an unusually intense relationship. The emails and texts included in Mr. Reitmans complaint depict a needy woman making demands on his time: I was crying when I did not hear back from you. It was a hard night, read one. Or: I am on a need to hear from you basis, please dont refrain much longer! Professor Ronell, who denies all allegations of harassment and assault and stalking, provided excerpts from emails in her statement which are meant to demonstrate Mr. Reitmans devotion: Sweet Beloved, I was so happy to see you tonight, and spend time together. It was so magical and important, crucial on [sic] so many ways. Our shared intimacy was a glorious cadence to our time in Berlin. Yet as ardent as his emails seem, almost all of them, she maintains, included a request to review and edit his writing. David E. McReynolds, a pacifist, socialist and sometime political candidate whose activism spanned many decades, died on Friday in Manhattan. He was 88. The War Resisters League, where Mr. McReynolds had been a staff member, confirmed his death. He was taken to Mount Sinai Beth Israel hospital after falling in his Manhattan apartment, a friend, Bruce Cronin, said. Mr. McReynolds was best known for his demonstrations against the draft during the Vietnam War, his advocacy of pacifism and denuclearization, and his two bids for president in 1980 and 2000 as an openly gay man running on the Socialist Party USA ticket. Hell be known for the lifetime of leadership and the pacifist movements that, to a large degree, he defined in the post-World War II, Cold War era, said Professor Cronin, the chairman of the political science department at City College of New York. But what I think helped to define him was that he was as much a humanist as he was an activist. He had met Mr. McReynolds at a denuclearization rally in the 1980s. Kofi Annan, the soft-spoken and patrician diplomat from Ghana who became the seventh secretary general of the United Nations, projecting himself and his organization as the worlds conscience and moral arbiter despite bloody debacles that stained his record as a peacekeeper, died on Saturday in Bern, Switzerland. He was 80. His death, at a hospital there, was confirmed by his family in a statement released by the Kofi Annan Foundation, which is based in Switzerland. It said he died after a short illness but did not specify the cause. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001, Mr. Annan was the first black African to head the United Nations, doing so for two successive five-year terms beginning in 1997 a decade of turmoil that challenged that sprawling body and redefined its place in a changing world. On his watch as what the Nobel committee called Africas foremost diplomat, Al Qaeda struck New York and Washington, the United States invaded Iraq, and Western policymakers turned their sights from the Cold War to globalization and the struggle with Islamic militancy. The most significant change to Judaism was its untethering from the ancient tradition of praying for an altogether human messiah to deliver the Jews back to Jerusalem, restore the ancient temple destroyed in the year A.D. 70 and re-establish the House of David to rule over Jews in their ancient land of Zion, as prophesied in the Bible. These were among the enduring 13 principles codified as central to Judaism by Maimonides in the 12th century. In 1841, the Jews of Charleston, S.C. then the largest Jewish community in the United States rebuilt Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim synagogue after a fire and installed an organ, provoking a seminal court battle. The new building posted Maimonidess main principles but eliminated the ones about going back to Zion. Gustavus Poznanski, the synagogues spiritual leader, declared at the dedication, This synagogue is our temple, this city our Jerusalem, this happy land our Palestine, and as our fathers defended with their lives that temple, that city, and that land, so will their sons defend this temple, this city, and this land. Rejecting the plea for a personal messiah was hardly without controversy. After disavowing the practice of praying for a personal messiah, Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise was ousted from his synagogue in Albany, N.Y., on the eve of Rosh Hashana in 1851 and got into a fistfight with his detractors when he defiantly tried to take the Torah from the ark anyway. The ensuing riot had to be quelled by the police. But the abandonment of a belief in a Jesus-like messiah figure generally prevailed, as did the growing use of the term temple in the United States to describe a Jewish house of worship, as if to imply that the ancient temple of Jerusalem had become irrelevant. Yet Jews continued to be drawn to the concept of an era of redemption as foretold by the ancient prophets, a time when the wolf would lie down with the lamb. The difference was that while Jews prayed for such a prospect, they increasingly understood that it was up to humans to work to achieve it. In this, American Jews were influenced by the mainstream Protestantism of the Second Great Awakening, the Transcendentalists and others who substituted human agency for Gods work. Increasingly, Jews in America saw themselves as playing a redemptive role. We are deeply convinced that Israel has been called by God to be the messiah of the nations and spread truth and virtue on earth, as Chicago Sinai Congregation put it in the 1860s, using Israel as a reference to the Jewish people. The idea of a special messianic mission for Jews achieved an apotheosis at the conclave of rabbis in Pittsburgh who established what became known as Classical Reform Judaism. The Pittsburgh Platform declared in 1885 that it was the duty of Jews to participate in the great task of modern times, to solve, on the basis of justice and righteousness, the problems presented by the contrasts and evils of the present organization of society. These pioneering Jews also redefined their history of the diaspora, or exile, seeing these punishments less as retribution for misdeeds committed in antiquity and more as a sacred assignment to disperse, proclaim justice and set an example for a world in need of repair. But, to be useful, these vehicles also need to get people to their destinations in one piece. Which is why Mayor Bill de Blasios administration needs to commit to expanding and improving the citys network of protected bike lanes. Citi Bike has been in New York for five years and is increasingly popular. The system clocked more than 80,000 trips in one 24-hour period this summer thats equal to about a quarter of the 300,000 yellow cab trips that take place in a typical day. Even during the frigid first three months of the year, the system averaged nearly 30,000 trips a day. Contrary to the overblown jeremiads against them, the bikes have not caused mass chaos. The city and Motivate, the company that operates Citi Bike (and whose core operations are being acquired by Lyft ), ought to keep expanding the system. New York is already making room, too, for electric bikes. E-bikes, as theyre called, are outfitted with battery-powered motors that make pedaling less effortful. Citi Bike is planning to introduce them this week . It eventually will add a thousand as part of the plan to help commuters affected by the impending L train shutdown in April. The city also has started field trials with several similar firms with catchy names like Lime, Pace, Ofo and Jump, which is owned by Uber offering bike rentals, both traditional and electric, in the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island. Then there are electric scooters. Also powered by batteries, scooters can travel as fast as 15 miles per hour and are meant to be ridden in bike lanes. Electric scooters are currently illegal in New York, but at least one company, Bird yes, a name four letters or less does seem to be required in this sector already is exploring introducing them here in coming months; other services will surely follow. So far, scooters or, really, their riders have not universally won over cities where theyve landed. Yes, both scooters and e-bikes are useful to people who cannot get on a regular bicycle for health or fitness reasons, or who prefer not to arrive at work drenched in sweat. But in certain places, pedestrians have been imperiled by users riding scooters on sidewalks. And that dangerous tendency is only where the complaints begin. There are about 30 million deer in the lower 48 states, 47 million ducks, a million elk, and 15 million pheasants, and they produce offspring annually and from a young age. Compare that with a female grizzly, who doesnt have cubs until shes between 3 and 8, and may keep her cubs for up to three years. Its no surprise that more than 40 years after grizzlies were protected in the lower 48, there are still only about 1,800 of them roaming the West. Of course, the notion of protection needs to be put in context: nearly five dozen grizzlies died here last year: in vehicle collisions and unexpected encounters with humans, as well as from natural causes and intentional shootings for property damage, aggressive behavior or attacks on livestock. (Bear 610 may have become a casualty. There have been no confirmed sightings of her this year.) Despite these sobering statistics, and numerous independent biologists expressing concern over the future of the grizzly bear, Wyoming is planning to move ahead with the hunt. I trust the scientific experts at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to manage bears in a way that ensures they never require federal protection again, Wyomings governor, Matt Mead, said earlier this summer. But this hunt is neither about managing a wildlife population that has exceeded the carrying capacity of its habitat, nor about putting healthy food on the table. Instead, this hunt is about what the great conservationist and thoughtful hunter Aldo Leopold, called a certificate a trophy proving that its owner has been somewhere and done something. In the case of killing a grizzly, it means youve done something that has been considered difficult and dangerous. And it was, when you were hunting with a spear. But anyone who has shot a high-powered rifle knows that knocking off a grizzly bear is no more than an exercise in marksmanship, like shooting an elk. The difference is, you eat the elk. Grizzly bears are not hunted for their meat. Wyomings hunting regulations make this clear. If you shoot whats called a big game animal in Wyoming, like an elk, a deer or an antelope, youre legally bound to bring all the edible portions of the animal out of the field. But if you shoot whats called a trophy animal, like a mountain lion, a black bear and, now, a grizzly, all you have to bring out is its skull and pelt. Some wildlife managers argue that we should nonetheless hunt grizzlies to keep them wary of people and reduce human-bear conflicts , an argument that sounds similar to saying that police should randomly kill teenagers to reduce school shootings. No one discounts the potential danger that grizzlies pose, and the wise hiker ventures into bear country armed with pepper spray. But why not remove these infrequent problem bears on a case-by-case basis rather than using hunting as a blind form of wildlife management? Unfortunately, these arguments often fall on deaf ears in Wyoming, where some otherwise-smart politicians continue to claim, at least in private, that we should hunt grizzly bears because here in Wyoming, its our culture to shoot animals. We can only hope that the federal judge hearing the challenge to the delisting, Judge Dana Christensen, makes a stab at changing that culture, before 20 or so scarce grizzlies, including perhaps 399 and 610, are made into rugs. Ted Kerasote is a writer and the author, most recently, of Pukkas Promise: The Quest for Longer-Lived Dogs. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook and Twitter (@NYTopinion), and sign up for the Opinion Today newsletter. Since the late 1990s, reducing animal shelter populations through adoption has been a prime piece in the no kill strategy. Shelter hours have been extended to accommodate working people in the hopes theyll visit and find a pet. Volunteers and staff members post cute photos and videos online; supervised dog play groups let would-be adopters see animals happily romping together, rather than caged and lunging at the bars. Thousands of independent rescue groups of all sizes have taken custody of shelter animals; they have fostered, groomed, spayed and neutered them, medically treated and trained them, and found them homes. All of this is a good thing. The problem is that while regions like New England and the Pacific Northwest report shortages of shelter animals, nationwide its a different story. Because of the continued high intake volume in many states, the United States still euthanizes up to two million dogs and cats a year, with rates highest in disadvantaged communities. Not coincidentally, shelter intake is higher in those communities as well. Take parts of Los Angeles, which has had an explicit no-kill policy for its shelters since 2012. At the moment, every public shelter in the city is full, and the South Los Angeles shelter, in one of the most densely populated and disadvantaged parts of town, has been crowded for months, with dogs being housed two and three to a cage. A big part of the reason shelters fill is poverty: An estimated one-quarter of shelter animals are there after their owners have surrendered them because of family dysfunction or financial pressure. A dog may be sick and theres no money for a vet; a landlord may be threatening eviction. The animals of the poor end up in shelters even when their owners desperately want to keep them. If a dog gets out and is picked up by animal control, for instance, impound and reclamation fees and fines can make retrieving it unaffordable. Ignorance and misinformation about sterilization, and not enough affordable, easily available surgery options, result in even more dogs that no one can care for. Adoption promotion and events like low-price giveaways address none of these issues and can create problems of their own by enabling abusers and, far more commonly, impulse buyers. Adoption becomes a feel-good numbers game, in which we carefully and proudly track only how many animals have left the shelter. No one notes how many of them end up back in the system. The head of a well-established rescue group told me that just days after a clear the shelters event, she saw three recently adopted dogs being returned to two Los Angeles-area shelters. The adopters had changed their minds, she said. Indeed, no one knows how any of these animals fare at all. A longtime Los Angeles shelter volunteer observed that had Valerie not come across the path of the Ghetto Rescue people, no one would even know her story. Among his many friendships with Republicans, Mr. Brown cherished his friendship with Earl Warren. When Mr. Brown defeated Richard Nixon to win re-election in 1962, he and Mr. Warren toasted the victory. When Mr. Brown lost four years later to Ronald Reagan, Mr. Warren was dismayed and wrote to his friend, You have given our state good, progressive government for eight years and that is all any man could have done. Mr. Reagan also governed in the spirit of the Party of California. He campaigned as a tax-cutter, but he proposed the largest tax increase in the states history. He signed a law that legalized abortion and supported environmental initiatives that included creation of the Air Resources Board, which regulates emission standards. Mr. Schwarzenegger, another movie star elected governor, circulated Mr. Starrs op-ed among his senior staff as a road map for the new administration. Mr. Schwarzenegger faced more crises than triumphs during his seven years in office, but Jerry Brown credits his predecessor for initiatives that Governor Brown adopted and advanced, like the cap-and-trade program to curb greenhouse gas emissions, a high-speed-train route, tunnels to draw water from north to south and circumvent the fragile Delta, and juvenile justice reform. Jerry Brown modeled his second act after leaders on Mr. Starrs list like Hiram Johnson, Earl Warren and his father, whom he identified as the most successful governors, the people who built the state, who were innovators and who were not ideologues or people who were pigeonholed into one partisan box. In January, Governor Brown used his final State of the State address to highlight bipartisan accomplishments: global warming initiatives, changes to the pension and workers compensation systems, a state water bond, the rainy day fund. In a state that has become so reliably Democratic that people forget that only four Democrats have been elected governor in modern times, the fastest-growing segment of California voters is those who decline to enroll in any political party. The independent voters outnumbered Republicans for the first time this year, a reflection of both shifting partisan allegiances and the historically weak nature of political parties in California. Among the states youngest registered voters, independents outnumber Democrats. They are the potential heirs to the tradition that goes back to Californias Gilded Age philosopher Josiah Royce, who preached the philosophy of loyalty that guided Governors Johnson, Warren, Reagan and Brown, father and son. The Party of California is part spiritual commitment to the idea that there is something special about this place, part pragmatic bow to the reality of governing the worlds fifth largest economy, a vast, diverse nation-state. Ever since California became the most populous state more than five decades ago, it has had more of almost everything: billionaires and homeless, agriculture and high tech, immigrants from almost any land. Republicans, a quarter of the registered voters, still number close to five million and dominate in districts that have sent to Congress prominent conservatives like Kevin McCarthy and Devin Nunes. One major focus was a demand for the release of Andrew Brunson, an American Christian pastor held by Turkey for nearly two years on bogus charges of complicity in the 2016 aborted coup. Under pressure from evangelicals, Mr. Trump earlier this month imposed sanctions on Turkey, shaking its fragile economy, in an effort to secure Mr. Brunsons release. The president has been silent about 19 other detained Americans, including a NASA scientist who is Muslim. The presence of a Hungarian delegation seemed particularly at odds with conference aims of promoting equality under the law. Although Hungarys authoritarian prime minister, Viktor Orban, has turned the Christian-majority country from democracy to nationalism and Islamophobia, he was praised by the evangelical Christian leader Tony Perkins for supporting persecuted Christians around the world. President Barack Obama made a point of reaching out to the Muslim world, as well as to other faith communities. And like previous presidents, he tended to consider religious rights within the broad spectrum of human and civil rights. Countries that deny religious freedom invariably restrict other freedoms as well. Many evangelicals, however, are increasingly promoting religious freedom as our first freedom, as Mr. Pence did in his speech. Their argument is that human rights are becoming politicized and conflated with economic and social goals, such as equal rights for workers, women and gay and transgender people. There are other reasons to question the administrations motives, starting with the fact that it has been reliably tough on human rights abuses only when they involve adversaries like Iran, North Korea and Cuba. Last year, then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told aides not to let human rights concerns create obstacles in pursuing American interests. In a memo, one of his advisers said that Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the Philippines, whose repressive leaders are admired by the president, should be given a pass on rights questions. Then there are Mr. Trumps disgraceful attempts to ban Muslims from some countries from entering the United States; his reprehensible treatment of refugees and immigrants, especially in separating children from their parents; and his continued support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen, which has caused a humanitarian catastrophe. Such behavior hardly reflects the tolerance and appreciation of human dignity that conference documents endorsed. With no warning, he pulled me to him, crushing me in the blackness of his robe, my cheek so close to his heart that I could hear it pounding. He pulled back, appraising me. I looked away, terrified by this display, focusing intently on a nearby studio portrait of me and my sisters. He bent his knees, so we were at eye level, and tipped my chin toward him. Then he kissed me, his lips wet and flaccid, his mouth open wide enough that his teeth dug into my lower lip. His tongue probed for mine. I stood frozen, my arms at my sides. It was my first kiss. No one had to tell me it was my duty to give this strange comfort to our parish priest. This ritual, where I would be told to entertain Father Bradel in the living room, then be the star student at the dinner table, took place three or four times a year all throughout high school; it was as unchanging as the consecration of the host at Mass. No one had to tell me it was my duty to give this strange comfort to our parish priest. I knew from my catechism book that following the wishes of authority figures was a way of showing God how much we love him. We show this especially when we obey in something we do not feel like doing . More than that, I wanted desperately to believe that this man saw something special in me intelligence, maybe ? A rebellious spirit? Or a deep, keening loneliness that he shared. A few years later, when I was in college, Father Bradel called to say he was coming to take me out to dinner. Dont wear jeans, he said. He took me to a fancy restaurant outside Philadelphia where there was one menu for the gentleman, with prices, and another for the lady. He ordered a Manhattan. I ordered a Tab . Maybe youve heard, he said. Im leaving the priesthood. I hadnt heard. Ive come for your blessing, he added. I understood that the moment was significant, that it was a rite of some kind, something like the moment when a young man asks a girls father for her hand in marriage. But I had no idea what my role was. Whatever dark power he had possessed back in my suburban dining room, where he had made me feel special, was gone. I saw him as he was: a 53-year-old man in clerical garb at a restaurant where, all around us, people his age were out for a romantic dinner. I just wanted to get out of there. Maybe I could have him drop me off at the dive bar where they took my fake ID. In the last 10 years, 94 percent of net new jobs have appeared outside of traditional employment. Already approximately one-third of workers, and half of young workers, participate in this alternative world of work, either as a primary or a supplementary source of income. Internet technologies have certainly intensified this development (even though most freelancers remain offline). But services like Uber and online freelance markets like TaskRabbit were created to take advantage of an already independent work force; they are not creating it. Their technology is solving the business and consumer problems of an already insecure work world. Uber is a symptom, not a cause. Its worth stressing that the technology of temp work and the possibility of replacing entire work forces with it existed for years before corporations made the decision to start adopting it. Todays smartphone app is an easy way to hire a temp, but is it really that much easier than picking up a phone was in 1950? Indeed, shortly after World War II, a Milwaukee man named Elmer Winter founded Manpower, the first major temp agency, to supply emergency secretaries. But by the end of the 50s, Winter had concluded that the future growth of Manpower was in replacing entire work forces. He was uniquely positioned to teach corporate America how to reduce its work forces, since nearly all of the Fortune 500 companies used his services, and he tried to do so. But persuading companies to abandon how they operated was easier said than done, even though Winter could readily demonstrate that it would be cheaper. Few companies took him up on his offer. Higher profits were possible, but not as important, in the lingering wake of the Great Depression, as the moral compact between employer and employee. What changed this? The emergence in the 1970s of a new, strictly financial view of corporations, a philosophy that favored stock and bond prices over production, of short-term gains over long-term investment. Theories of lean corporate organization became popular, especially those sold by management consultants and business gurus. Big corporations had always had their critics, but no one before the 70s would have thought that smaller companies would be better run than large ones. Large companies had resources, economies of scale, professional managers, lots of options. Yet terms like small and efficient and flexible would come to seem like synonyms. And with the rise of the lean corporation, work forces became expendable and jobs more precarious. When was the last time centrist talking heads declared, Donald Trump just became president (because he bombed someone, or something like that)? I think its been more than a year. At this point, you have to be a truly fanatical practitioner of bothsidesism not to see that Trump is every bit as terrible a human being, and every bit as much a menace to the republic, as some of us warned when all the cool kids were busy snarking about Clintons emails. The real news of the past few weeks isnt that Trump is a wannabe Mussolini who cant even make the trains run on time. Its the absence of any meaningful pushback from Congressional Republicans. Indeed, not only are they acquiescing in Trumps corruption, his incitements to violence, and his abuse of power, up to and including using the power of office to punish critics, theyre increasingly vocal in cheering him on. Make no mistake: if Republicans hold both houses of Congress this November, Trump will go full authoritarian, abusing institutions like the I.R.S., trying to jail opponents and journalists on, er, trumped-up charges, and more and hell do it with full support from his party. But why? Is Trumpocracy what Republicans always wanted? Well, its probably what some of them always wanted. And some of them are making a coldblooded calculation that the demise of democracy is worth it if it means lower taxes on the rich and freedom to pollute. INTERNATIONAL An article on Friday about the discovery of a plane wreck from 1946 in Switzerland referred incorrectly to the organization that operated the crashed plane. It was a division of the United States Army, not the Air Force, which was established in 1947. WEEKEND ARTS A review on Friday about art shows in Los Angeles misspelled the surname of an artist. She is Christina Quarles, not Quales. OBITUARIES An obituary on Friday about the convicted drug dealer Herbert Sperling misstated the year the James Cagney crime film Angels With Dirty Faces was released. It was 1938, not 1932. An obituary on Friday about Aretha Franklin referred incorrectly to the shooting of her father, the Rev. C. L. Franklin, in 1979. He was shot in the knee and the groin, and one bullet severed an artery, limiting the flow of blood to his brain; he was not shot in the head. Tucked into an unlikely intersection of central Prague set partially under a highway, between a bus terminal and train station exists a new frontier of Pragues steadily diversifying culinary scene. Manifesto Market, which opened in early June, has brought back life to a long derelict space in the city center, even though its just a few minutes walk from tourist landmarks like Cafe Imperial and the Powder Tower. Some of Pragues more eclectic food vendors inhabit this cashless , open-air village of 27 attractively arranged converted shipping containers, offering a fine-tuned collection of global cuisines. Everything is served with a side of culture, including daily concerts, free (and English-friendly) film screenings, and arts workshops. Technically a pop-up, Manifesto will eventually relocate or extend its two-year lease on this site, which awaits a future development designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. I love this site because nothing else was here. It was awful, a no-go zone, said Manifestos organizer, Martin Barry, a New Yorker turned expat and founder of reSITE, a nonprofit aimed at improving the urban environment. The first idea was to change this, to get people to come to a place they normally wouldnt. The second thing was to do it with food and culture. When Dr. Jeffrey Epstein showed up at the American Airlines ticket counter at Orlando International Airport at 6 a.m. for a 6:24 a.m. flight, he got a response he did not like. He was too late to check in, airline employees told him on Thursday. Dr. Epstein, 59, argued with the employees and began yelling loudly. When police officers arrived, Dr. Epstein yelled at them, too, insulting them and telling them to get him a flight or arrest him, according to cellphone video of the encounter. They arrested him. But he did not go easily, falling to the ground and pulling his hands close to his chest. As officers struggled to put him in handcuffs, Dr. Epstein was pepper-sprayed. Dr. Epstein, who is white, repeatedly yelled out Oh, my God and, in one profanity-laden line, that he was being treated like a black person, the video shows. The word Mormon is out, says the president of the Utah-based church. But the proper term for what to call the faith and its followers is a mouthful. In an announcement on Thursday, President Russell M. Nelson insisted that Mormons and non-Mormons alike stick to the term the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mr. Nelson, 93, said that the policy change came to him in a revelation from God and that members of the church must work to adjust their vernacular. The Lord has impressed upon my mind the importance of the name He has revealed for His Church, he said in a statement. The churchs updated style guide specifies that Mormon Church, Mormons and Mormonism are no longer acceptable. And no, you should not use the abbreviation L.D.S., either. WASHINGTON States around the country are clamping down on pharmaceutical companies, forcing them to disclose and justify price increases, but the drug manufacturers are fighting back, challenging the state laws as a violation of their constitutional rights. Even more states are, for the first time, trying to regulate middlemen who play a crucial role by managing drug benefits for employers and insurers, while taking payments from drug companies in return for giving preferential treatment to their drugs. The bipartisan efforts by states come as President Trump and his administration put pressure on drug companies to freeze prices and reduce out-of-pocket costs for consumers struggling to pay for drugs that often cost thousands of dollars a month. Twenty-four states have passed 37 bills this year to curb rising prescription drug costs, according to Trish Riley, the executive director of the National Academy for State Health Policy, a nonpartisan forum of policymakers, and several state legislatures are still in session. We had a reporter inside Ghazni, canvassing neighborhoods. Although the countrys cellphone networks failed in Ghazni, making it hard to check the official narrative, we also found people who could get a cell signal on the outskirts or upper floors of Ghazni buildings, or who fled and brought their stories to us. One of our reporters, Fahim Abed, got through on the phone to the director of Ghazni Hospital, Baz Mohammad Hemat, who spoke from a hospital floor awash in blood, bodies stacked in storerooms because the morgue was full. Dr. Hemat counted 113 dead on day two, and more arriving hourly. Most were in uniform, belying official claims of minimal casualties. In Ajristan District, our Afghan reporters heard that disaster had befallen an elite Army commando unit defending that remote area. As our reporter Jawad Sukhanyar called around to officials in the surrounding areas, he found that the Ministry of Defense was doing the same thing; they didnt know what had happened either. It turned out that insurgent suicide bombers destroyed the commando companys base, and as the defenders fled, Taliban fighters picked them off. Out of a base force of more than 100 commandos, police and militia fighters, only 22 survived, fleeing into the desert with no water or food. Jawad reached a surviving commando, Sgt. Eid Mohammad, 30, on the phone. He described how they had drunk one anothers urine while fleeing pro-Taliban Kuchi nomads. The sergeant also repeated a version of something widely heard in the 25 of Afghanistans 34 provinces actively at war now: No one from the government gave us anything. All we got was promises, no action. That was true 300 miles north of Ghazni, at a place called Chinese Camp, where an Afghan Army company struggled through three days of heavy Taliban attacks, begging for resupply and reinforcements, and especially air support, which were promised, but never arrived. Our reporter Najim Rahim had been on the phone every day for a week with the defenders, including their captain, who had become Najims friend. On Sunday someone else answered the captains phone. I started crying when I heard he was killed, Najim said. By Tuesday the defenders at Chinese Camp were almost out of ammunition, they told Najim. Half were dead or wounded and the rest surrendered except for a lieutenant who escaped. Najim managed to track him down, so we knew what had happened. If you kick an angry dog, hell bite you and he wont let go, said Alain Gimenez, a community leader, as others who had gathered in the raffish Place du Puig, or Hill Square in the local Catalan, nodded their assent. So, what are we here, nothing? They say were dirty, said Mr. Gimenez, who calls himself Nounourse, or teddy bear, mocking his own portliness. The problem is, they dont talk to us, they just say we are dirty. The truce achieved with the city over the demolitions is only temporary, said Jean-Bernard Mathon, head of the local preservation society. At least 37 more buildings in Saint Jacques were slated to come down, he said. What we want is the rehabilitation of the old core, Mr. Mathon said. What they want to do is demolish. But they have rebuilt nothing. Its hideous. Saint Jacques, dilapidated, crumbling and now threatened, even drew the backing of President Emmanuel Macrons special emissary on historical preservation, the French television personality, Stephane Bern. Mr. Bern wrote on social media that he was scandalized and shocked by the images of destruction in the center of Perpignan, and promised his support and solidarity. ROME Italy mourned those killed in the collapse of a bridge in the northern city of Genoa with a state funeral on Saturday as the country struggled to come to terms with a tragedy that government officials, families of victims and some experts say could have been prevented. But some families of the victims boycotted the event. Flags flew at half-staff across the country on a day of national mourning. Stores shut their doors or draped black ribbons on their windows. And a solemn ceremony was held in Genoa for 19 of the victims of the Aug. 14 collapse. The death toll rose to 40 on Saturday when one of the 10 wounded people still in hospital died and another victim was found, according to local officials. At least three people are still missing and a car matching the description of their vehicle was discovered on Saturday morning. But no bodies were found with the car. The families of some victims shunned the funeral ceremony to protest against what they saw as a country that had betrayed their loved ones by not ensuring their safety. BERLIN The personal relationship between Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia is often boiled down to certain anecdotes: her put-downs about his role in the K.G.B., his attempts to rattle her by bringing his large black Labrador to a meeting, knowing her fear of dogs. But the two countries long history of alienation and rapprochement was also at play when Ms. Merkel and Mr. Putin met for three and a half hours on Saturday at the German governments villa in Meseberg, outside Berlin. It was their second meeting in three months. The two leaders concluded the talks without issuing statements. Before the meeting began, they told reporters that bringing stability to eastern Ukraine and Syria and addressing the future of the Iran nuclear deal were the top issues on their agenda. Analysts had viewed the meeting as a chance to put relations between Berlin and Moscow on more pragmatic ground after years of increasing tensions. Mr. Putin seemed to suggest the same in his comments beforehand, saying in particular that he wanted Germanys help in rebuilding Syrias infrastructure so refugees could return to the devastated country. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has always shown a mastery for playing to the cameras, whether posing bare-chested on horseback, dancing with Tartars or riding Harleys with bikers. On Saturday, that command was on display again, this time as the Russian leader made a brief personal appearance in the Styrian Alps at the wedding of Austrias foreign minister, before continuing north to Germany where he was to hold talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel. Mr. Putins brief visit he stayed for an hour and 20 minutes created a buzz throughout the alpine nation and beyond. Not all of it was positive. Opposition politicians and Ukranian leaders said the Russian presidents presence could harm Austrias foreign policy at a time when it holds the European Unions rotating presidency. WADI NATRUN, Egypt Christian monks living in the solitude of Egypts deserts have always faced the threat of attack from outside. In the early centuries, they built drawbridges and windowless towers to repel marauding nomads. More recently, barricades and armed police officers ring the monasteries to guard against Islamic State suicide bombers, who target Christians. But now, to the shock of the faithful, it turns out that danger also lurks inside the monastery walls. The death of Bishop Epiphanius, the abbot of the fourth century Monastery of St. Macarius, last month has set off an ecclesiastical murder mystery worthy of a Dan Brown novel. More than a simple whodunit, the case has exposed simmering tensions of a theological, if not personal, nature in an influential corner of the Coptic Orthodox Church. An independent global media rights body, Committee to Protect Journalist (CPJ) has asked the Ugandan government to immediately drop charges of incitement and malicious damage to property against two NTV journalists. Herbert Zziwa and Ronald Muwanga were arrested and assaulted by security personnel believed to be presidential guards, Special Forces Command (SFC) on August 13 while covering violent clashes in Arua ahead of the parliamentary seat by-election. Zziwa and Muwanga were detained overnight and charged on August 14 with incitement to violence and malicious damage to property before they were released on police bond. Herbert Zziwa (R) and Ronald Muwanga at Gulu police station shortly after being released Also that same night, security personnel assaulted and harassed Julius Bakabaage, John Kibalizi, and Benson Ongom, journalists of NBS TV who were also reporting live the shooting of Kyadondo East legislator Robert Kyagulanyi's driver, Yasin Kawuma. "Journalists reporting in crisis zones should do so without fear that the security personnel that are supposed to look out for their safety will turn on them and assault them. The charges brought against Herbert Zziwa and Ronald Muwanga are also groundless, suggesting that authorities are trying to legitimize the arrest and assault of these journalists," said CPJ's sub-Saharan African representative, Muthoki Mumo. "Ugandan authorities should immediately drop the charges and ensure those responsible for violence against journalists are held accountable." On Monday, August 13 chaos and violence erupted in Arua at the conclusion of campaigns for the Arua municipality by-election when President Yoweri Museveni's convoy was allegedly stoned by opposition supporters. After safely seeing off the president who boarded a chopper back to Kampala, SFC soldiers stormed Hotel Pacific to arrest opposition MPs and supporters who they believed were responsible for the attack on the president's motorcade. It was during the scuffle that Kawuma was shot dead while inside Kyagulanyi's car. Zziwa told CPJ that he, Muwanga, and cameraman Jeff Tumwesigye were reporting live from the Pacific Hotel, where the driver had been shot, when security personnel confronted them. The security officers, whom Zziwa could not identify as belonging to any specific security agency, went after Muwanga, who was holding a camera light, and started beating him with sticks and their fists, Zziwa and Ongom, who also witnessed the incident, told CPJ. Tumwesigye, the cameraman, ran to safety. Zziwa, who had initially tried to help Muwanga, also decided to flee to safety but ran into another group of about five security officers who beat him with sticks, slapped him, and kicked him. He told CPJ that he escaped them, running towards a nearby security van with intention of surrendering himself for arrest to avoid further assault. Zziwa said that he found his colleague, Muwanga, already detained in the vehicle. Zziwa told CPJ that military personnel operating the security van used a rope to tie him together with Muwanga and two other individuals. These soldiers confiscated their phones before driving them to two unknown locations, according to Zziwa and a statement from NTV Uganda. At around 1:00am on August 14, they were taken to Arua central police station where they were handcuffed, and then they were driven around 250 kilometers to Gulu central police station, where they spent the night and were charged in the morning. Zziwa told CPJ that he and Muwanga suffered minor injuries to their backs and heads. As conditioned by their bond, yesterday, the duo appeared at Gulu police station, where police extended their bond to August 27 when they are expected to report again. Zziwa told CPJ they were directed to pick up their phones at Arua police station. Similarly, the NBS TV crew that was reporting live from Hotel Pacific was also assaulted including their cameraman Julius Bakabaage who was beaten on his back and head with the butts of guns. Ongom and the third member of the NBS crew, reporter Kibalizi, escaped by running away from the officers, they recounted. Ongom told CPJ that later that night, between 8:45pm and 9:00pm, he and Kibalizi received phone calls from someone claiming to be Zziwa, the arrested NTV Uganda journalist. The caller was using Zziwa's phone number and asked the journalists to bring their equipment and footage to a room at the Blue Dove Hotel in Arua. However, Ongom told CPJ that they were suspicious, since they had witnessed Zziwa's arrest earlier in the evening, and did not go to the hotel room. Daily Monitor, a publication that shares a parent company with NTV, reported that Zziwa's colleagues had that night received calls made from his phone by "unknown people." Zziwa told CPJ he did not know about these calls. The NBS crew went back to report from Hotel Pacific on the morning of August 14 but a group of presidential guards were blocking the road, according to Ongom and Bakabaage. Unable to access the hotel, they started setting up their equipment at a distance from the soldiers, with the intention of reporting live. However, three of the soldiers ran towards them, threatening them with guns and telling them to stop filming, they told CPJ. Although the three journalists managed to get away from the soldiers, their equipment, including a camera and a tripod, was confiscated. They recovered the equipment from Arua central police station that evening, according to Bakabaage and Ongom. Military spokesperson Richard Karemire said it was "regrettable" that the journalists had been "caught up in this fracas." He declined to discuss specific allegations of assault but said that the military would investigate any formal complaints filed with them. Police spokesperson Emilian Kayima told CPJ that journalists were not specifically targeted in Arua. He said that "all issues would be looked at and sorted" though he said he could not commit on whether the case against the two NTV Uganda journalists would be dropped. He did not respond to CPJ's question about whether police had used Zziwa's confiscated phone to call other journalists. 5/1281 TV Media in India is accused of portraying non-issues as real issues, while ignoring the real issues and the latest example being Lakhimpur violence. TV Media in India is accused of portraying non-issues as real issues, while ignoring the real issues and the latest example being Lakhimpur violence. 7th Pay Commission: What CG employees got and what they did not get 7th Pay Commission: Another RBI study likely to stand in the way of pay hike India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Aug 18: The speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort clearly did not bring any joy for the Central Government employees who were waiting for good news regarding the 7th Pay Commission. They were expecting a major announcement, but there was none. As a result of this the painful wait for an announcement on the hike in basic minimum pay and fitment factor would continue. 7th Pay Commission: Govt will not go beyond fitment factor 2.80 Now this brings us to the question as to whether there would really be a pay hike beyond the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission. Some believe that there could be some announcement, but others believe that there would be none at all. Several persons that OneIndia spoke with appeared to be confused. One person even said, " I have been hearing that there would be a pay hike. However there is nothing confirmed." Another said, " I am sure that there would be announcement, but it is likely to happen only in November. All BJP ruled states are implementing the 7th Pay Commission recommendations and I do not see why the Central Government will not make any announcement in this regard," he also said. During the deliberations within the government, it has been said that the likely roll out of a pay hike could be expected and the fitment factor may be 2.80. As per the ongoing discussions, the government may announce a pay hike with the fitment factor 2.80 instead of 2.57. The 7th Pay Commission had used fitment factor with which the basic pay in the 6th Pay Commission is multiplied for the basic pay of the 7th Pay Commission. The 7th Pay Commission had recommended the minimum pay from Rs 7,000 to Rs 18,000 a month with a fitment factor of 2.57. The pay panel had also recommended a 14.27 per cent hike in the basic pay at the junior levels, which incidentally is the lowest in 70 years. 7th Pay Commission latest: This report will stand in the way of a pay hike Meanwhile an RBI study has found that the controversial note ban imposed in November 2016 has led to further decline in the already falling credit to the MSME sector, while GST rollout has not made any significant positive impact on overall credit to the sector but has deeply dented their exports. The credit disbursal to the MSME sector has, however recovered a tad since the lows of 2017 to reach the mid-2015 level, notes an RBI report called the Mint Street Memo. Though micro-credit, including loans by banks and NBFCs to the sector has grown in recent quarters, exports have been hit badly since the GST implementation. These are also factors that may stand in the way of going beyond the 7th Pay Commission recommendations. Rahul Gandhi visits flood-hit Wayanad, says 'called PM and sought Centre's help' IAS officer Kannan Gopinathan, who shot to fame during Kerala floods, resigns over restrictions Rahul writes to Centre seeking help for flood relief works in Kerala AP announces Rs 10 crore aid to rain affected Kerala India oi-Madhuri Amaravati, Aug 18: Andhra Pradesh government has announced a financial assistance of Rs 10 crore to rain-ravaged Kerala. Expressing grief over the devastation, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said his government would extend all possible help to Kerala. Kerala floods: PM Modi grants Rs 500 crore interim relief "Our moral support will always be there. We will also help the state in kind and other ways as well," the chief minister said in a statement. He hoped that the situation in the state would return to normal soon. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, August 18, 2018, 11:07 [IST] Congress war room gets active with elections related meeting to push the BJP to corner India oi-Vinod By Vinod New Delhi, Aug 18: The Congress leadership has met with all Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chiefs at the Congress war room at Gurudwara Rakabganj road to sharpen the strategy of the party for the next Lok Sabha elections next year and a few Assembly elections this year. The party decided to go not only aggressive but decided to make Rafale a poll strategy. They have also discussed many other issues about the Lok Sabha elections including ticket distribution. Sources in the party said that the issue of Rafale was discussed in the meeting in the presence of all senior leaders. It was also discussed that what should be the strategy of the Congress to attack the government on Rafale which has been claiming to be a government without any corruption charges all this whiel. All state presidents have been asked to provide state-centric inputs and strategy to deal with the BJP or the party in the state. Sources said that the party also discussed about distribution of tickets and to start the process of giving tickets to contenders so they get enough time to prepare. There was an agreement that ticket should be given early where Lok Sabha and Assembly elections are together. The state presidents have been asked to provide inputs on which the government could be put in dock. Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Mijoram was also discussed with the Congress having fair chances in Rajasthan with anger against the incumbent chief minister of the state. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, August 18, 2018, 16:24 [IST] Ahead of 2022 UP polls, BJP sends Diwali gifts to its 30 lakh booth-level workers Prashant Kishor in viral video: With or without Modi, BJP will be centre of Indian polity for decades Corporator thrashed for opposing tribute to Atal Bihari Vajpayee India oi-PTI Aurangabad, Aug 18: BJP corporators on Friday thrashed a Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (MIM) member who opposed a resolution in the municipal corporation to pay tributes to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The assault happened during the general body meeting of the civic body, an official said. After the meeting began, BJP corporator Raju Vaidya tabled a proposal to pay tributes to Vajpayee. MIM corporator Sayed Mateen opposed it, which infuriated the BJP members, who rushed to him and thrashed him in the House. A journey former of PM Vajpayee that began from 110 South Avenue to... A video of Mateen being kicked, punched and slapped by the BJP corporators has gone viral on social media and was aired by some TV channels. In it, the Corporation security officials can be seen coming to Mateen's rescue and taking him out of the House through a side exit. He was later taken to a nearby hospital. A BJP corporator said the MIM member has been creating nuisance and had earlier opposed singing of the national song in the House. For editor Vajpayee death of S P Mukherjee became turning point in life Mateen told PTI that he was opposing the move of paying tribute (to Vajpayee) in a "democratic manner" but around a dozen BJP corporators assaulted him. He named some of them. Immediately after the incident, alleged MIM supporters damaged a car belonging to a local BJP functionary and also beat up the driver. BJP corporator Pramod Rathod, who was named by Mateen as one of his assaulters, demanded that Mateen be expelled from the civic body for his "anti-national" move in opposing a tribute to Vajpayee. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, August 18, 2018, 6:45 [IST] Dabholkar murder case: CBI arrest man from Auranganbad, allegedly one of the shooters India oi-Deepika By Deepika Aurangabad, Aug 18: The Central Bureau of Investigation on Saturday arrested Sachin Prakasrao Andure of Aurangabad (Maharashtra) in connection with Dabholkar murder case. He was allegedly one of the shooters who fired at rationalist Narendra Dabholkar. The arrest comes two weeks after the the Bombay HC had pulled up the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Special Investigating Team (SIT) for slow progress in the investigations into the murders of rationalists Dr Narendra Dabholkar and Dr Govind Pansare. Dabholkar murder case- Bullets sourced from Belagavi, says CBI Sachin Prakasrao Andure, a resident of Aurangabad, was nabbed from Pune late in the evening, a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) spokesperson said. He will be produced before a Pune court tomorrow, he added. Andure was believed to be one of the shooters who fired at Dabholkar while he was on a morning walk on the Onkareshwar Bridge in Pune on August 20, 2013, the CBI spokesperson said. Earlier, the CBI chargesheet had named Sarang Akolkar and Vinay Pawar, both absconding, as the shooters. Asked about this and the agency's latest claim that Andure was one of the shooters, the spokesperson said the probe was going on. Andure was arrested on a tip-off from the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), which had last week arrested three persons for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to carry out blasts in the state. One of the arrested accused gave the input about Andure's involvement in Dabholkar's murder, which the ATS shared with the CBI, the spokesperson said. During the questioning of the accused in police custody, one of them revealed about his direct participation in Dabhoikar's murder, the ATS said in a statement. "He further revealed that along with him, one more person was also directly involved and they used a motorcycle," it added. Considering the importance of the revelation, the ATS shared the details of the second person with the CBI, based on which the agency carried out its own preliminary investigation and arrested Andure, the statement said. Dabholkar, a rationalist and an anti-superstition activist who had founded the Maharashtra Andhashradhha Unmoolan Samiti, was shot dead on August 20, 2013 while he was on a morning walk on the Omkareshwar bridge near the Balgandharva Rangamandir. CBI makes first arrest in Dabholkar murder case Dabholkar was 68 at the time of his death. He was the influence behind the anti-superstition bill which was pending in Maharashtra Assembly for 18 years. The CBI had taken over this case in May 2014 on the directions of the Bombay High Court. Tawde was allegedly the mastermind of the killing, the CBI had said. Rahul Gandhi meets party leaders from Gujarat, asks them to be prepared for assembly polls Rahul has lunch at roadside eatery in Goa, rides pillion on two-wheeler taxi for few kms Declare Kerala floods a national disaster: Congress India oi-Deepika By Deepika New Delhi, Aug 18: The Congress on Saturday demanded that the floods in Kerala be declared a national disaster, even as it accused the Narendra Modi government of discriminating between BJP and non-BJP-ruled states on the issue of offering aid. Taking to twitter Congress President Rahul Gandhi wrote, "Dear PM, Please declare #Kerala floods a National Disaster without any delay. The lives, livelihood and future of millions of our people is at stake." His statement comes an hour after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Rs 500 crore interim relief to the state following a review meeting with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Minister KJ Alphons. Kerala floods: Hanan Hamid, trolled for selling fish, donates Rs. 1.5 lakh Meanwhile, other Congress leaders also demanded more help from the Centre and other states for the flood-hit state. "Rahul Gandhiji and the Congress party demand that the floods in Kerala be declared a national calamity, and the Government of India should provide help to the state on a priority basis," said Randeep Surjewala, in-charge of AICC communications department. Kerala: PM reviews flood situation, announces Rs 500 crore "Rahul Gandhiji also made the plea that there should not be any politics done on the issue of flood relief. Modiji should stop discriminating in matters of flood relief between BJP and non-BJP governments... It is time Prime Minister Modi must rise above political partisan game and come forward as a nation to help people of Kerala, people of Karnataka and other states affected by the flood and declare Kerala floods a national calamity," said Surjewala. Surjewala informed that the Congress-ruled states of Punjab and Karnataka have donated Rs 10 crore each to Kerala, while the government of Puducherry has sent Rs 1 crore. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, August 18, 2018, 16:29 [IST] Cruise drugs party organisers took nod from Centre, not Maha govt, says Nawab Malik Engineer, lawyer come together to monitor, biased and fake news India oi-Madhuri Mumbai, Aug 18: An aeronautical engineer from Mumbai and a Delhi-based lawyer have come together to set up a group, which will monitor news reports and social media posts that are "biased and fake" and take necessary action. The organisation, "India Against Bias Media" (IABM), has been formed by Vipul Saxena, an aeronautical engineer, and Vibhor Anand, a Supreme Court lawyer. The group has been filing cases against disseminators of reports, which are aimed at, "destroying religious and social fabric of the country", Saxena said. However, journalists expressed concern over the setting of the group, saying it may harass and intimidate scribes and social media users. The duo had been working on the project for the last two years, but made a soft-launch of the forum on Twitter over a week ago. WhatsApp forwards limited to just 5: Here is how it works Since then, they have filed almost two dozen cases, mainly of sedition, across the country against several people. "We are getting full support from people of clean and responsible media and not going to deter from wrong doers. Either self regulate or we regulate them legally. We are teams of professionals from all domains backed by strong teams of lawyers across," Saxena tweeted yesterday. The 54-year-old dismissed suggestions that his organisation was like a pressure group or a media watchdog and also denied any political affiliation. "Our team of legal experts will deal with those who indulge in circulation of biased, fake, manipulated, morphed or doctored contents which could create social or religious disharmony, trigger riots or show disrespect to people on top constitutional posts like prime minister and president. "We will never stage dharna or protest march, but will deal with such people legally as we have full faith in the Constitution," Saxena told PTI. He said in the last four to five days, IABM has filed sedition cases against actor Swara Bhasker in several police stations across the country and also a Youtuber, Dhruv Rathi. Bhasker had tweeted a picture of a man tied to a jeep as a "human shield" by an Army officer in Kashmir last year to deter stone-pelters. Besides, cases were lodged against a few journalists for their tweets in the wake of an attack on JNU student leader Umar Khalid in New Delhi, Saxena said. Fake news chaos: WhatsApp rolls out feature to highlight forward messages "Most of the cases have been filed under IPC sections like 120(B) (criminal conspiracy), 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 153(A) (promoting enmity between different groups)," he said. If individuals booked under these charges express regret or say sorry for their comments or tweets, IABM will withdraw the cases against them, Saxena said. "We are not trying to silence dissent or suppress the freedom of speech and expression. We are trying to make people responsible for what they speak or write," the aeronautical engineer said. "We can not remain a mute spectator and see the country's social harmony being vitiated," he asserted. Asked who will decide whether a news report is "biased or fake", Saxena said, "We have teams of professionals who know which news contains truth and which one is motivated." He said the Press Council of India (PCI) has proved ineffective in its job as a media regulator. "When the PCI starts doing its true job, we will pack our bags," Saxena added. City-based journalist Jatin Desai was critical of the new group, saying its existence will prove detrimental to democratic values of the country. "Forming different opinions and openly expressing them are the heart and soul of a democratic country. These people are trying to harass journalists and people (social media users) by selectively filing cases against them. "Dissent can never be suppressed. Otherwise, we will have a handicapped democracy," said Desai, a member of the Mumbai Press Club. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, August 18, 2018, 14:20 [IST] Floods claim 868 lives in 7 states India oi-Madhuri New Delhi, Aug 18: As many as 868 people have lost their lives, 247 of them in Kerala, due to rains, floods and landslides in seven states during the monsoon season so far, the Home Ministry said. According to the Home Ministry's National Emergency Response Centre (NERC), 247 people have died in Kerala, where 2.11 lakh people in 14 districts have been badly hit by the rains and floods and over 32,500 hectares of crops damaged. Kerala: PM reviews flood situation, announces Rs 500 crore As many as 191 people have died in Uttar Pradesh, 183 people in West Bengal, 139 in Maharashtra, 52 in Gujarat, 45 in Assam and 11 in Nagaland. A total of 33 people have also been missing, 28 in Kerala and five in West Bengal, while 274 have been injured in rain-related incidents in the states. The deluge and rains have hit 26 districts in Maharashtra, 23 in Assam, 23 in West Bengal, 14 in Kerala, 13 in Uttar Pradesh, 11 in Nagaland and 10 in Gujarat. Nearly two lakh people have been living in relief camps in Kerala and 43 teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) consisting of nearly 2,000 rescuers and 163 boats have been deployed in the state. Water levels rising: Storage in 91 reservoirs 4 per cent higher The IAF has deployed 23 helicopters and 11 transport aircraft. Some of the aircraft are being flown in from Yelahanka (Karnataka) and Nagpur (Maharashtra). The Indian Navy has deployed 51 boats along with diving teams and 1,000 life jackets and 1,300 gumboots are being rushed to Kerala today. It has flown 16 sorties in last two days in rescue operations and it will airdrop 1,600 food packets today. The Coast Guard has deployed 30 boats along with rescue teams, 300 life jackets, seven life rafts and 144 life buoys. The Army has pressed into service 10 columns, 10 Engineering Task Forces (ETFs), 60 boats and 100 life jackets. How to help flood-hit people of Kerala One unit of the Territorial Army has also been deployed in Kerala. In Assam, 11.45 lakh people have borne the brunt of the rains and floods, which have also hit crops in 27,600 hectares of land. Altogether 14 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), comprising 357 rescuers, are engaged in rescue and relief operations in Assam, the NERC said. In West Bengal, 2.27 lakh people have been affected by the floods and crops in 48,550 hectares have been damaged. In Uttar Pradesh, 1.74 lakh people are affected by the monsoon rains which have also damaged 33,855 hectares of crops. Nine NDRF teams are deployed in Uttar Pradesh, eight in West Bengal, seven in Gujarat, four in Maharashtra and one in Nagaland. Forces on high alert as terrorists in northeast play into Chinese hands Delhi on very high alert as ISI backed Khalistan forces look to infiltrate tractor parade Delhi on high alert as Pak terror groups look to strike Delhi ahead of Independence Day Punjab on high alert after tiffin box bomb found in Amritsar, apparently dropped by drone from Pak High alert: Godavari, river in spate at AP, Telangana India oi-Madhuri Amaravati, Aug 18: The Godavari river is in spate in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana with the government machinery put on high alert in three districts, officials said. The second flood warning was issued as the discharge from the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage crossed 13.15 lakh cusecs at 9.30 pm, according to the State Disaster Management Authority. Earlier, the first level warning was issued as the water flow at Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage at Dowaleswaram in East Godavari District was over 12.1 lakh cusecs. NCMC reviews Kerala flood situation, decides to mobilise unprecedented rescue, relief operations As the river carried over 12 lakh cusecs of water in the wake of heavy rains in catchment areas, emergency rescue and relief teams, including that of national and state disaster response forces, have been positioned in East and West Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh to meet any eventuality. Two villages have been marooned in East Godavari district leading to evacuation of around 100 families as the first flood warning was issued in the state and in Badrachalam in Telangana. Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister (Home) N China Rajappa appealed to people living along the river's banks in East and West Godavari districts to be on alert and move to safety when required, said. In Telangana, water level in Godavari river in the temple town of Bhadrachalam was close to the second warning mark of 48 feet today, officials said in Hyderabad. Bhadradri-Kothagudem district Collector Rajiv Gandhi Hanumanthu directed the official machinery to be on alert. A flood control room had been opened and further measures, including setting up relief camps for accommodating people from low-lying areas, would be taken based on further rise in the water level, they said. Kerala: Explore possibility of bring down water level at Mullaperiyar from 141 to 139 ft says SC East Godavari district Collector Kartikeya Misra told PTI over phone from Kakinada that the situation was under control right now and they were closely monitoring the flood. "Some 100 families have been affected in the two villages under Devipatnam mandal that were marooned and we have moved them to safety. Revenue, police, the NDRF and SDRF teams have been deployed in Rajamahendravaram and we are prepared to tackle any eventuality," he said. Misra said the flood flow would be closely monitored for the next 12-13 hours. In West Godavarai district, road communication network to over 15 tribal villages has been cut off as the Kotturu Causeway was inundated with flood water. Construction work on the Polavaram Dam had been stopped in view of fhe flood in Godavari. Water level at Polavaram was around 42 feet this afternoon. Rajappa directed the Water Resources Department officials to take urgent steps to prevent breaches in canal bunds along the Godavari. He asked people not to commute by country boats in the river. The state disaster management authority in a release said control rooms had been opened in East and West Godavari districts while two relief camps set up in Rajamahendravaram in East Godavari. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (Incois) has advised fishermen not to venture into sea along and off the Andhra coast as high swell waves in the range of 2.5 to 3 metres were expected till August 19. The state of the sea would be rough to very rough, it warned. Strong surface winds from westerly direction with speed reaching 45 to 50 kmph were likely along and off coastal AP, it said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, August 18, 2018, 9:57 [IST] Before the ceasefire on Feb 24, Pakistan resorted to over 4,000 border violations Amidst ceasefire claims, Pakistan continues to keep J&K on the boil 664 ceasefire violations this year in Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistan: MHA No ceasefire violation along LoC in Kashmir since February agreement J&K: 3 terrorists killed near LoC in Kupwara's Tangdhar sector India oi-Deepika By Deepika Srinagar, Aug 18: Three terrorists were killed near Line of Control in Tangdhar sector, Kupwara district on Saturday evening. "Militants were trying to infiltrate from across the LoC in Tangdhar sector in Kupwara district of north Kashmir. Three of them were killed," a police official said, adding a search operation was on in the area. Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police (DGP) S P Vaid also confirmed the killing of terrorists. "Three terrorists killed by Army while infiltrating in Tangdhar sector of Kupwara today," Vaid tweeted. Earlier in the day, Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri sector with unprovoked shelling. There was no loss of life, police said. "Some mortar shells were fired by Pakistani forces on the Thajal-Chranda area of Uri (in north Kashmir's Baramulla district)," Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Baramulla, Imtiyaz Hussain said. One of the shells hit a washroom adjacent to a house in Thajal and damaged it, he said. No loss of life has been reported, the SSP added. COVID-19 pandemic showed how technology can be game-changer: AIIMS chief Jayalalithaas death: AIIMS doctors summoned by probe panel India oi-Madhuri Chennai, Aug 18: The Justice A Arumughaswamy Commission of Inquiry, probing the circumstances leading to former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's death, has summoned three doctors of AIIMS, who examined her at the Apollo Hospital here, to appear before it on August 23 and 24. The commissioned has summoned G C Khilnani of the Department of Pulmonology, Anjan Trikha, Professor of Anaesthesiology, and Nitish Nayak, professor at the Department of Cardiology. The doctors had periodically examined Jayalalithaa when she was undergoing treatment at the Apollo Hospital between September 22 and December 5, 2016. Was Jayalalithaa pregnant? Never says TN government The expert doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) will be examined as the commission's witness on both the days, panel sources told PTI. Summonses have already been served on them and they have accepted it, the sources added. So far the commission's 75 witnesses and seven others who had voluntarily petitioned the panel have been examined. Of them, over 30 have been cross-examined by counsels for V K Sasikala, the jailed aide of late AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa. It may be recalled that the examined witnesses include over a dozen doctors (government and Apollo Hospital), retired and serving government officials and police officers. In September 2017, the Tamil Nadu government constituted the panel under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952. The panel's terms of reference was to inquire into the circumstances leading to the hospitalisation of Jayalalithaa on September 22, 2016, and treatment provided by the hospital till her demise on December 5, 2016. The Commission had invited all those having "personal knowledge and direct acquaintance" in the matter to furnish information to it. What did Jayalalithaa last say, probe panel releases details Following Jayalalithaa's death, suspicion on the circumstances leading to her demise was raised by several people, including the present Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and his followers. Then a rebel party leader, Panneerselvam and his followers had demanded a probe into her death, either a judicial inquiry or a CBI probe. After unification of the factions led by Chief Minister K Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam, the government notified constituting the panel. The probe was a key precondition put forth by the Panneerselvam panel for the merger. DMK Working President M K Stalin had batted for a CBI probe as well. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, August 18, 2018, 14:08 [IST] Kerala floods: Hanan Hamid, trolled for selling fish, donates Rs. 1.5 lakh India oi-Chennabasaveshwar By Chennabasaveshwar Kochi, Aug 18: Kerala college girl Hanan Hamid, who was trolled for selling fish in her uniform, has donated Rs 1.5 lakh for flood relief in the state. Kerala's worst monsoon in a century has killed 324 people so far. "Keeping the special flood situation in Kerala in mind, I have decided to donate Rs 1.5 lakh to Kerala chief minister's disaster relief fund. I am planning to hand over the cheque to the chief minister on Saturday," Hanan told News18 over phone. Kodagu floods: 6 dead, Govt announces Rs. 5 lakh ex-gratia to kin of deceased Early this month she walked the ramp at Onam Bakrid Khadi Expo in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday. Hanan surprised everyone with her never-seen avatar in the fashion show. Khadi board has organised the event in connection with the state-level inauguration of Onam-Bakrid Khadi fest. The fashion show proved that Khadi will give a tough competition to modern fashion brands. Hanan Hamid, a graduate student of Chemistry came into the limelight after she was spotted selling fish in her college uniform by reporters from Mathrubhumi, following which a story on her was featured on the paper. Kerala: PM reviews flood situation, announces Rs 500 crore The story showed Hanan in her college uniform and a plastic cap, selling fish in the Palarivattom-Thammanam junction in Kochi. The news did the rounds on social media and Hanan went viral. Following this, channels hounded her, and several users applauded the girl for her grit and attitude to life. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, August 18, 2018, 14:47 [IST] Kerala CM assures Rs 10,000 to even those who leave relief camps Kerala floods: Amid row over foreign aid, state focuses on rehabilitation India oi-Madhuri Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 24: With rescue operations in rain-ravaged Kerala nearly over, the focus is now on taking care of the over 10.40 lakh people staying in relief camps and rehabilitating people whose houses were destroyed in the deluge, even as the row over accepting foreign aid for relief work saw the Congress and Left attacking the Centre. More than 50,000 volunteers have taken up the task of cleaning houses and public places filled with mud deposits and debris dumped by the floodwaters in the rain fury. Meanwhile, health department officials said post-floods their focus has shifted to ensuring medical attention for the injured and the people living in shelter camps, cleaning of houses and wells, distribution of medicines and cleaning materials to the affected people. As many as 387 people have been killed while over nine lakh are sheltered in relief camps in the state. How to help flood-hit people of Kerala Here are the Highlights on Kerala rains: Cochin Airport suspends operations till Aug 26 The waters may be receding in Kerala but previous post-flood scenarios in other states suggest it could take years for the southern state to help rebuild its people's lives, destroyed in one of the worst floods in a century, and some more to implement measures that could significantly minimise the impact of a similar disaster. [Kerala cancels Onam celebrations after worst floods hits the state] The Kerala government has estimated a loss of Rs 20,000 crore, with Idukki, Malappuram, Kottayam and Ernakulam districts being the worst affected. Government officials say the state's topmost priority is to rescue people and provide lakhs of the affected with relief materials. They, however, admit that rebuilding the state will be a "daunting task". Kerala people are part of our success story: UAE offers help to flood-hit state India oi-Deepika By Deepika Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 18: Kerala, facing one of the worst floods in a century, has been offered help by the United Arab Emirates. Sheikh Khalifa, the president of the UAE, has asked for the formation of a national emergency committee to provide assistance to the people affected by the floods, news agency ANI reported. How to help flood-hit people of Kerala In a series of tweets, Sheikh Mohammed said, "The state of Kerala in India is currently witnessing huge floods, the most devastating in a century. Hundreds have been killed, hundreds of thousands have been displaced. Ahead of Eid Al Adha, do not forget to extend a helping hand to our brothers in India." The state of Kerala in India is currently witnessing huge floods, the most devastating in a century. Hundreds have been killed, hundreds of thousands have been displaced. Ahead of Eid Al Adha, do not forget to extend a helping hand to our brothers in India. pic.twitter.com/cHe4CWzrpO HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) August 17, 2018 "UAE and the Indian community will unite to offer relief to those affected. We have formed a committee to start immediately. We urge everyone to contribute generously towards this initiative," he added. Kerala: PM reviews flood situation, announces Rs 500 crore Sheikh Mohammed said they have the responsibility to help and support the affected people, especially during these holy days leading up to Eid Al Adha. "The people of Kerala have always been and are still part of our success story in the UAE," siad Sheikh Mohammed. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, August 18, 2018, 17:07 [IST] Karnataka: One more positive Covid-19 case reported in Kodogu; total number of infections 15 In pics: Hailstorm in parts of Karnataka's Kodagu district; Bengaluru rain takes city by surprise Kodagu floods: 6 dead, Govt announces Rs. 5 lakh ex-gratia to kin of deceased India oi-Chennabasaveshwar By Chennabasaveshwar Kodagu, Aug 18: Karnataka government announced Rs. 5 lakh compensation to the kin of deceased and Rs. 2 lakh for those who have lost their houses in Kodagu floods. Also, the state will take up all the medical expenses of the flood victims. The death toll has reached six and over 11,000 houses were damaged in the flood-affected district. Landslides were reported at several places on Madiker-Kushalnagar roads on Saturday. Briefing the media in Bengaluru about the rescue operations in the district, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said, Over 1000 security personnel including NDRF, Navy, Army, Fire Dept, Home Guards etc are involved in rescue operations." Kodagu floods: Check here for helpline numbers "Air Force is lifting stranded people and dropping relief material. 200 NCC cadets also working. We are working non stop," said the CM. About the losses to public perty in the incessant rains, CM said, "Over 11,000 houses damaged. 6 people have died in Kodagu. Banks have been told to stock up ATMs. Officials directed to give a list of roads which are damaged, and start repair work. Many officials from other areas have been shifted to Kodagu." Kerala: PM reviews flood situation, announces Rs 500 crore Meanwhile, Urban development Minister UT Khadar met rescued flood victims at relief camps in Sampaje, Kallugundi and Aramtodu. Kodagu district in-charge Minister Sa Ra Mahesh also visited the relief camps. Relief camp At this point of time, Kodagu urgently needs clothes, ready-to-eat food items and drinking water more than monetary contributions. There could be a gas cylinder shortage soon, so ready-to-eat food is preferred. Courtesy: @KodaguConnect Journalist-turned-relief workers They went to flood-affected areas to report stories. When they saw the plight people, they became full-time volunteers and are helping Army and Navy personnel in rescue operations now. Hats off to the team of young journalists from Kodagu. Courtesy: @KodaguConnect Landslide near Jodupala Madikeri-Mangaluru national highway near Jodupala is destroyed by flash floods and landslides. Courtesy: @KodaguConnect Campaign for relief materials People of Kodagu working in Bengaluru and Mysuru are collecting relief materials for the flood-affected residents in Kodagu. Courtesy: @KodaguConnect Kodagu floods: Check here for helpline numbers India oi-Chennabasaveshwar By Chennabasaveshwar Coorg, Aug 18: Heavy rains in Kodagu district has virtually turned the district into an island. All routes connecting Madikeri have been cut off due to heavy downpour and landslides blocking national highways. Madikeri-Mangaluru national highway near Jodupala is destroyed by flash floods and landslides. Situation remains grim in Kodagu as people were stranded in flood-affected areas. Schools and community halls have been converted into temporary relief centres opened at Katakeri, Madenadu and Jodupala in the district. Rescue personnel were seen going from door to door in rain-hit areas of Madikeri to rescue the people. Karnataka Congress unit sets up 3 teams to assess flood situation Minister Sa Ra Mahesh, said, "Rescue operations will be over by evening. Chief Minister will visit Kodagu today to review flood situation. Relief camps have been set up for people. Food, water, doctors & all facilities have been made available to them in relief camps." Karnataka rains: CM Kumaraswamy to visit Kodagu to review flood situation HELPLINE NUMBERS: DC Kodagu: +91-9482628409 +91-9482628409 CEO ZP Kodagu: +91-9480869000 +91-9480869000 Helicopter helpline: Alpy +91-8281292702, Chandru - +919663725200, Dhanjay- +91 9449731238, Mahesh - +91 9480731020 Alpy +91-8281292702, Chandru - +919663725200, Dhanjay- +91 9449731238, Mahesh - +91 9480731020 Army: +91-9446568222 Men who said they fired at Umar Khalid fail to surrender India oi-Madhuri New Delhi, Aug 18: Two men, who had claimed responsibility for the attack on JNU student leader Umar Khalid and said that they would surrender in a village in Punjab, did not turn up yesterday, police said. A team of Delhi Police's Special Cell visited the village of Sikh revolutionary Kartar Singh Sarabha where the duo, Darwesh Shahpur and Naveen Dalal, had said they would surrender. Attacked Umar Khalid, wanted to give Independence Day gift say two men A senior police officer said the two did not turn up there and have not been seen in their native village Jhajjar in Haryana for the past few days. In a video uploaded on Facebook on August 15, the duo claimed the attack on Khalid was supposed to be an "Independence Day gift" to the citizens. Police are verifying the authenticity of the video and trying to trace the IP address from where it was uploaded. "We respect our Constitution. But there is no provision in our Constitution to punish mad dogs. By mad dogs, we mean the JNU gang that is making the country weaker and their number is increasing. Our elders in Haryana have taught us that such people should be taught a lesson," Darwesh Shahpur had said in the video message. The duo also requested the police to not trouble anyone and said they would surrender at the village of Sikh revolutionary Kartar Singh Sarabha on August 17. Umar Khalid was attacked on Monday when he was on his way to take part in an event at the Constitution Club here. He, however, escaped unhurt. Cops release footage of man suspected to have fired at Umar Khalid On Tuesday, the Delhi Police handed over the case to its Special Cell, which incidentally is already probing a sedition case against Umar Khalid and two other JNU students. The police had also said that they were not "intimated" about Monday's event attended by Umar Khalid. A police officer, privy to the probe, said the police had seized the weapon used in the crime and preliminary forensic examination suggested that the pistol had jammed when it was used against Umar Khalid. He said they were yet to ascertain whether shots were fired as no empty cartridges were found at the spot. A case of attempt to murder has been registered by police in the incident. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, August 18, 2018, 13:29 [IST] NGT will decide on Sterlite Copper at Tuticorin India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Aug 18: The Supreme Court refused to entertain Tamil Nadu government's plea against the National Green Tribunal's order allowing mining major Vedanta access to the administrative unit inside its closed Sterlite Copper plant at Tuticorin and asked the NGT to "finally decide" the matter. A bench comprising Justices R F Nariman and Indu Malhotra said that the NGT would hear the matter on merits and also on the issue of maintainability raised by the state government. "We may clarify that NGT may continue to hear the matter on merits and finally decide the matter on maintainability also. It is open for the state to argue on maintainability after which the tribunal will give its findings," the bench said. Sterlite plant in Tamil Nadu to remain shut: NGT The green tribunal had on August 9 allowed Vedanta to enter its administrative unit inside its Sterlite copper plant, observing that no environmental damage would be caused by allowing access to the administrative section. The state government had challenged the NGT's order in the court. During the hearing today, senior advocate C A Sundaram, appearing for Vedanta, told the court that the state has suppressed facts before the court. He said that "spate of orders" were passed against the company by the state without issuing it show cause notices. "Without any notice, I (Vedanta) was shut. There are 67 industries in the industrial complex. 14 of them are hazardous plants," he said while terming the issue "political". Sundaram said the matter was already listed for hearing before the NGT on August 20. The counsel appearing for Tamil Nadu raised the issue of maintainability of plea filed by Vedanta before the NGT. In its August 9 order, the NGT had said that the plant would remain closed and the company would not have access to its production unit and directed the district magistrate to ensure this. NGT orders sealing of illegal borewells in Delhi 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. 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 then chief minister J Jayalalithaa had ordered its closure. The company had appealed to the NGT which had overturned the government's order. The state had 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 the environment. Following the latest protests and police firing, the plant was closed on March 27. After Sterlite announced its plans to expand 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. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, August 18, 2018, 6:33 [IST] Digital Health ID Card 2021: How to apply, registration, benefits; all you need to know No difference between 'party' and 'state' under Modi regime: Sibal India pti-PTI New Delhi, Aug 18: Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Saturday said the dividing line between the "state" and the "party" was blurred under the BJP led government. Speaking at a panel discussion here, the former Union minister also said that the UPA government which was accused of lacking a "strong leader" delivered better economic growth. He was speaking on the topic 'Conflict in Democracy'. To a question about the alleged use of "street violence" by those in power, Sibal said, "This is a problem which arises when there is no difference between the state and the party. "The reason why this is happening on the streets is that the party is ruling the government, but the government is not ruling this nation. "If the BJP comes back to power, this will continue, and if there is a coalition government, this will not happen," he opined. The senior Congress leader argued that coalition politics produced much more economic growth for the country than a government led by a strong leader, in an apparent swipe at the Narendra Modi regime. "We (UPA government) had GDP (growth) of 8.1 per cent for 10 years. According to this government, we had no strong leader, but yet we delivered and it is the coalition that delivered, not a party which had absolute majority," he said. "The quality of democracy in the country is now different from that between 2004 to 2014, but democracy is still alive, no matter who is in power," Sibal said. "However, the nature of democracy has changed and the reason why the nature of democracy has changed (is) because we have a centralised system of decision-making (now)," he said. The government is being run solely by the Prime Minister's Office, he claimed. "Key institutions in this country are now suspected of collaborating with the government. It is true of the Election Commission, CBI, Enforcement agencies, Income Tax, so they are long arms of the government," the Congress leader said. "Earlier, the party in power did not amalgamate itself into the state, the two remained separate; but now for the first time in our history, there is no difference between the party and the state," Sibal said. "Nagpur controls India", the eminent lawyer said, alluding to the RSS which has its headquarters in the city. PTI Cruise drugs party organisers took nod from Centre, not Maha govt, says Nawab Malik Protest march taken out to protest arrests in Maharashtra explosives case India oi-Madhuri Mumbai, Aug 18: Local right-wing groups took out a protest march seeking the release of Vaibhav Raut, arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Squad of Maharashtra police in an explosives seizure case, at Nallasopara near Mumbai. The ATS had arrested Raut on August 10 and claimed to have seized a huge quantity of explosive materials from his house and shop in Nallasopara, allegedly meant to be used to carry out blasts in the state. Right wing outfit member arrested by Maharashtra ATS, bombs seized The protest march against his arrest was organised by some local Hindu organisations, an ATS official said here. Over two thousand people participated in the march from Sopara village to Nallasopara railway station this afternoon, he said. Raut allegedly ran a pro-cow protection outfit in Nallasopara. He was arrested alongwith Sharad Kalaskar and Sudhanva Gondhalekar. Maharashtra ATS recovers huge cache of explosives, 3 arrested in Mumbai Alleging that the trio were planning to carry out blasts in the state ahead of Independence day and Bakri-Eid festival, the ATS had said it would also probe if they had any connection with the killings of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare and journalist Gauri Lankesh. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, August 18, 2018, 12:45 [IST] Rahul has lunch at roadside eatery in Goa, rides pillion on two-wheeler taxi for few kms Rahul Gandhis UK trip under cloud as Parliament event changes hands India oi-Madhuri New Delhi, Aug 18: Congress president Rahul Gandhi is set for a two-day UK visit next week but the tour has been overshadowed by behind the scenes developments around one of his planned speaking arrangements. The Congress MP will arrive in London on August 24 from Germany and was scheduled to address an event in the Houses of Parliament complex hosted by the Conservative Friends of India (CF India), a membership-led group that promotes links between the UK's ruling Conservative Party and India. However, the event has now changed hands to be held in a different room within the House of Commons complex after CF India claimed it was unable to confirm its room booking. Security lapse in Rahul Gandhi's security: HC notice to TN govt "Our event could not go ahead as we were unable to confirm the room booking in time, this being parliamentary recess period," said Rami Ranger, CF India co-chairman, who was hosting the event alongside Indian-origin peer Baroness Sandy Verma. According to reports, Verma had backed out of the event leaving it without parliamentary backing and led to the Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) stepping in to take charge of the meeting, scheduled for August 24, with the help of Indian-origin Labour MP Keith Vaz. It is now being billed as a cross-party event to distance itself from the influence of local BJP operatives, who were reportedly unhappy with CF India's support for the event. "The Houses of Parliament programme is now being hosted by IOC. This is to allow IOC to manage the attendees," said IOC spokesperson Gurminder Randhawa. The group is also hosting a flagship diaspora event in honour of the Congress president on August 25 evening, which has been described as an interaction with the "inspirational and prestigious leader". Randhawa added: "The main purpose of the event is to bring together NRIs living in the UK and for them to be part of the Indian Overseas Congress UK Mega Conference 2018. "This will be an opportunity for the Indian Overseas Congress and Rahul Gandhi to share their views with the wider audience." Besides the IOC organised events, Gandhi is set to address a gathering on 'India's Economic Growth and Foreign Policy in an Uncertain World' as well as a gathering of students and academics at an event organised by the National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU) UK to launch its "Perspective India Townhall" at the London School of Economics (LSE). Who switched off Rahul Gandhi's mic? "The aim of the event is to promote dynamic and unbiased discussions on issues facing contemporary India as well as the opportunities India presents," said Sanam Arora, Chair of NISAU UK. "Our Townhall intends to bring together visionary leaders and do-ers, students, young professionals, academics and researchers in India and the UK for healthy and action-oriented discussion, debate and dissent," she said. The Indian Journalists' Association (IJA) in the UK is also set to host a working lunch with Gandhi during the short visit. "This tour of Rahul Gandhi to Germany and UK comes at a time when events in Turkey and free fall of Lira is getting global attention on the type and style of leadership and its impact on social, political and economic fabric of a country," said Indian entrepreneur and inventor Sam Pitroda, who will be accompanying Gandhi and is the Guest of Honour at the IOC organised events. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, August 18, 2018, 11:28 [IST] WATCH: Alert passenger saves Indore woman from falling under train while boarding moving train in MP Railways follows up on PM's I-day announcement, floats tender for 58 Vande Bharat trains Cabinet approves Productivity Linked Bonus to railway employees for the financial year 2020-21 Railways doing everything to help people in Kerala: Goyal India pti-PTI New Delhi, Aug 18: Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said that his ministry was doing everything to help people stranded in flood-hit Kerala. According to state disaster management authority, 194 people have lost their lives and 36 are missing in Kerala since August 8 due to rains and landslides, while over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. "We are concerned about the well being of people affected by Kerala floods & the Central government is committed to providing all possible help. "Railways will now provide free transportation of relief material for Kerala through various State Govt. agencies, PSUs and other Government agencies," Goyal tweeted. While rakes of 14 trains with drinking water is being sent from Pune, 15 rakes of mail will set off from Gujarat's Ratlam. According to a statement by railways yesterday, a special train with seven open wagons (BRN) containing tanks carrying 2.8 lakh litre of drinking water was dispatched from Erode station in Tamil Nadu on Friday. The Railways has made arrangements for the emergency movement of drinking water by this train to Kerala. PTI VHP meets legislators and state government for creation of ministry for cow protection and promotion India oi-Vinod By Vinod New Delhi, Aug 18: Amid lots of controversy over people getting killed by cow vigilantes across the country, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has started a campaign for the creation of ministry for cow protection and promotion especially Indian breeds of cow. To make this a reality the VHP is meeting MPs, MLAs and state governments. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has already met with over 370 members of Parliament during the recently concluded Monsoon session to push for its demand for the creation of ministry for cow protection and augmentation. Vishwa Hindu Parishad secretary general Milind Parande said that the VHP leadership is meeting legislators from every party to generate support for creation of this ministry. Further on the VHP is meeting with the state government for the similar cause so that cow progeny is protected in India. VHP secretary general to meet leaders, workers to discuss road map for organisations' programme Vishwa Hindu Parishad spokesperson Vinod Bansal said that the Rajasthan government has already created this ministry. "We will be meeting all state governments in the country and maximum possible MLAs from every state to push our cause that cow slaughter should be banned and a ministry protecting cow, promotion and augmentation of its breed should be constituted." The organization has already sent a letter to the Prime Minister passed by its Kendriya Karya Samiti (national executive) in this regard. If need be the VHP will seek time to meet the PM. Though Madhya Pradesh government has not so far constituted ministry but there is a Cow Protection Board in the state. But sources said that the government is in the process of making a cow protection ministry. VHP to organise all India protests if government acquires Hindu shrines Different Sangh organisations are working for the protection and growth of Indian cow progeny. A research centre on cow development has been working for which Rs 1000 crore has been sanctioned. Chairman of the Madhya Pradesh Gau Samvardhan Board (cow protection board) Swami Akhileshwaranand Giri too sought formation of 'Cow Ministry in the state. As per the board's proposal to the government, the ministry can avail of a part of the funds earmarked for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act works. The VHP plans to take up this issue to all the forums which could help the purpose. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, August 18, 2018, 16:04 [IST] This woman spits mouthwash back into the bottle, video goes viral Walmart completes deal to acquire 77% stake in Flipkart India pti-PTI Mumbai, Aug 18: US-based retail giant Walmart Inc on Saturday said it has completed deal with Flipkart and now holds 77 per cent stake in the Indian e-commerce major. Besides, the Bentonville giant's investment includes USD 2 billion of new equity funding to help accelerate the growth of the Flipkart business. "With the completion of the investment, Walmart now holds approximately 77 per cent of Flipkart. The remainder of the business is held by other shareholders, including Flipkart co-founder Binny Bansal, Tencent, Tiger Global and Microsoft Corp," a statement said today. Moving forward, Flipkart's financials will be reported as part of Walmart's International business segment, it added. "Walmart's investment includes USD 2 billion of new equity funding to help accelerate the growth of the Flipkart business. Both companies will retain their unique brands and operating structures in India," the statement noted. It added that Flipkart's existing management team will continue to lead the business. "Our investment will benefit India by providing quality, affordable goods for customers, while creating new skilled jobs and opportunities for suppliers... we are delighted to learn from, contribute to and work with Flipkart to grow in India, one of the fastest-growing and most attractive retail markets in world," Judith McKenna, president and CEO of Walmart International, said. Binny Bansal, Flipkart co-founder and group chief executive officer, said by combining Walmart's omni-channel retail expertise, supply-chain knowledge and financial strength with Flipkart's talent, technology and local insights, we are confident that together we can drive the next wave of retail in India" The unseen side of Vajpayee and how national security was everything for him India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Aug 18: The three stints that Bharat Ratna, Atal Bihari Vajpayee had as Prime Minister of India were filled with challenges, especially when it came to Pakistan. Be it the Khandahar hijack, Kargil War, Parliament attack, the challenges were immense and Vajpayee spent a considerable amount of time with the security mechanism. C D Sahay, the former chief of the Research and Analysis Wing who had a long association with Vajpayee between 2000 and 2004 says he was a man with a golden heart, who spoke less and did more. Sahay took time off to speak with OneIndia and share some very memorable moments he had with the Vajpayee which is not in public domain. Atal ji will live on in hearts and minds of every Indian: Modi My first meeting with Vajpayee: " My first meeting with Vajpayee was after in 2000. The Khandahar hijack had taken place and I was nominated to go to Afghanistan to be part of the negotiations along with Ajit Doval and Vivek Katju. There was a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS). I was supposed to brief the CCS and such things which usually last for 10 minutes ended up being a 40 minute affair." " I briefed the CCS for a good 40 minutes, which involved various components on how the attackers had come, obtained identification documents etc. It was decided that Doval would be part of the negotiations and Katju would handle the diplomatic side of it." " Those were hard times and the nation did not back Vajpayee. People were backing their political views instead. We were as divided as we are now. However during the meeting, Vajpayee listened through the entire presentation and did not ask a single question. He listened intensely, but remained cool. He was absorbing every bit of it." To pay Vajpayee a tribute, PM Modi walks the distance Vajpayee's gestures: After the entire episode had come to a close, there was another meeting of the CCS. All of us had returned fro Afghanistan. We were tired and had not eaten properly. At the meeting, when the tea and snacks were brought in, some said, ' what is the need for all this.' Vajpayee who was seated across just raised his hand as if to suggest, ' it is alright.' The tea and snacks were served. He realised that we were tired after this exercise. Following the meeting, I went up to him and said, " sir, the team has done some outstanding work in such tough conditions. It would be nice if we could get a photograph with him. He was under immense stress at that time. However he smiled and finally gave us that exclusive photograph. Kargil: When Vajpayee stood firm and got Nawaz Sharif to buckle From the heart: I became the R&AW chief in March 2003 and had various interactions with him. At every interaction, for Vajpayee the rank did not matter. It was what you were saying to him that mattered. Whenever I asked him for a meeting, it was immediately. He had a lot of consideration for intelligence, but never blindly believed anything that was told to him. He made his own decisions and had a mind of his own. In April 2013, when he went to Srinagar, he extended his hand of friendship to Pakistan. It came from the heart. When I met him, I asked, " what did you say?" He responded, " how was it?" I then asked him," did you speak from the heart or mind.?" He did not say anything, but only touched his heart. He was under immense pressure at all times. Be it security or the problems of coalition politics. Not many were with him on the same page when it came to Kashmir or Pakistan. He balanced it all out. A journey former of PM Vajpayee that began from 110 South Avenue to... I always had the privilege of briefing him directly. Usually such meetings last ten minutes. However every meeting that I have had with him has lasted over 60 minutes. Can you imagine a PM giving so much time? That is the patience he would have and during meetings, he would listen very carefully and ask pointed questions. I am holding my knees: When I was asked to play a role in the Indo-Pak relations, I was asked to go and meet Vajpayee. I went in and asked him what is my brief. He said, " I am confident what you will do would be in the interest of the nation and whatever you do I am with you." There was a time when I could not make it to a meeting as I had a slip disc and my back was hurting. I got a call asking why I had not met with the PM. I explained that my back was hurting. I finally met the PM during which he said, " you remain busy all the time?" I replied, " I had problems with my back and did not want to present myself in front of you that way." Why did Vajpayee weep before becoming Prime Minister? Vajpayee who had knee surgery at around the same time replied, " main gutne pakad ke baita hun, aap peet pakad ke bait jayiye." ( I am holding my knees and sitting down, you hold your back and sit down too) There was another instance when his sister had passed away and I had a pre-scheduled meeting at 11 am that same day. I saw it in the news that his sister had passed away and I presumed that the meeting would be cancelled. I got a call asking if I would be going to the meeting. He had cancelled all meetings except for the one with Secretary R. I met him and he called for tea. I politely told him no to the tea as his sister had passed away. He appreciated that. The Vajpayee I knew was a man with a golden heart. I never saw a touch of anger in him. He would listen a lot and would never forget. Covid-19 confusion deepens as 25 per cent of new black fungus patients have no coronavirus record Viral video: Bangle seller thrashed in MP's Indore; Minister says used fake name Indore completes inoculating entire eligible population with first dose of COVID-19 vaccine Vyapam scam: No bail for ex-chairman of Pvt college Indore oi-Madhuri Indore, Aug 18: A special court here rejected the bail plea of a former chairman of a private medical college in a money-laundering case linked to the alleged Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh. Special Judge Samaresh Singh remanded accused Vinod Bhandari to judicial custody. The case against Bhandari was registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Vyapam scam: CBI court awards 4 years imprisonment to 4 accused An ED official said Bhandari was the chairman of Indore-based Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences and Medical College (SAIMS) at the time of the alleged admission-and-recruitment scam, commonly known as the Vyapam (Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board) scam. Bhandari was booked on charges of colluding with Madhya Pradesh government officers and the exam mafia responsible for committing irregularities in holding the entrance exams for graduate and post-graduate medical courses during 2012 and 2013, the ED official said. The exams were conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board. CBI arrests medical officer in connection with Vyapam scam Bhandari allegedly collected a huge amount, selected ineligible candidates after the entrance examination and granted them admission in his college, the ED alleged. The agency official said Bhandari was accused of buying properties worth Rs 7 crore with the black money earned in the process. The ED has already attached the immovable assets of Bhandari. The agency has also lodged cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against the government officials who are accused in the Vyapam case. It has also filed a prosecution complaint in the court. For more Indore news, Click here Indian techie assaulted sleeping woman on flight as wife sat next to him International oi-Madhuri Washington, Aug 18: A 35-year-old Indian IT manager has been convicted of sexually assaulting a sleeping woman aboard a Detroit-bound flight in the US, media reports said. Prabhu Ramamoorthy, who worked for an IT company for over two years, will be sentenced on December 12 by US District Judge Terrence Berg, The Detroit News reported. Ramamoorthy faces up to life in prison. If released, he will be deported to India. The verdict came seven months after he assaulted the 22-year-old woman during a Spirit Airlines flight from Las Vegas while his wife sat in the next seat, the report said. A federal jury in Michigan's largest city Detroit convicted Ramamoorthy, who lived in Rochester Hills city, of sexually assaulting the woman. IndiGo Delhi-Pune flight diverted to Indore after passenger suffers cardiac arrest Following a five-day trial, the jury deliberated for less than four hours before convicting Ramamoorthy, it said. "We will not tolerate the behaviour of anyone who takes advantage of victims who are in a vulnerable position, and we are glad the jury agreed," US Attorney Matthew Schneider said in a statement. "We appreciate the victim in this case for her courage to speak out," Schneider said. The woman said she was sitting in a window seat next to Ramamoorthy, whose wife was in the aisle seat. The victim said that she fell asleep and woke up to discover a hand in her pants and noticed that her pants were unbuttoned and her shirt untied. When she woke up, the man stopped, and the woman alerted a flight attendant, the report said. Delhi: Air India flights delayed at IGI airport due to server failure Ramamoorthy initially told investigators that he was in a deep sleep and did not do anything, it said. Later, he told an FBI agent he "might have" undone the woman's bra and cupped her breast, according to court records, the report added. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, August 18, 2018, 6:26 [IST] Signature Bridge across Yamuna will be completed by October, HC told New Delhi oi-Madhuri New Delhi, Aug 18: The Delhi High Court was informed today that the long-delayed Signature Bridge across the Yamuna would be completed by October after which trial will be conducted. A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao asked the authorities to file a status report while fixing the matter for November 14. "List the matter in second week of November to enable the respondents (authorities) to complete the project and do the trial and file a report," the bench said. The court was informed by the counsel for the Public Works Department (PWD) that the project will be completed by October and trial run will be conducted thereafter. DGCA backs airlines in HC, says ticket prices are driven by market forces The court had earlier frowned upon two city government departments for "quibbling over" the amount to be paid for the construction of the "long overdue" Signature Bridge. It had directed the chairperson of the Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC) and the chief of engineering of the PWD to physically inspect the bridge and the alternatives provided to the citizens to satisfy themselves about the construction. The bridge connects Delhi with Uttar Pradesh's industrial areas such as the Tronica city in Ghaziabad. The court was earlier informed by the PWD that it has already paid Rs 1,344 crore for the project as against the initially agreed cost of Rs 544 crore, and now the DTTDC was asking for Rs 200 crore more. The DTTDC on the other hand had told the court that the cost of the project has escalated. Delhi HC reserves order on Suhaib Ilyasi's appeal against his conviction in wife's murder The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) by advocate Pratibha Chopra, who pointed to the inordinate delay in the project and alleged that the construction of the bridge had missed several deadlines since 2011. Announced in 2004, the project received a nod from the Delhi Cabinet in 2007 and was initially expected to be completed at a modified estimate of Rs 1,131 crore by the Commonwealth Games held here in October, 2010. In 2015, the cost of the project rose to Rs 1,594 crore. Reportedly, the bridge was proposed for the first time as early as in 1997 at an initial cost pegged at Rs 464 crore. The Signature Bridge, when completed, is expected to share the burden of vehicular traffic which is being borne by the Wazirabad bridge, which itself, according to the PWD, requires "structural rehabilitation and strengthening". According to the government, the bridge had obtained environmental clearance in 2011 and was set to be completed by December 2013. The date of completing project was pushed to June 2016 and then to July 2017, which has been further shifted to December, 2017. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, August 18, 2018, 13:17 [IST] Bihar: Mob attacks Professor for anti-Vajpayee comments Patna oi-Chennabasaveshwar By Chennabasaveshwar Patna, Aug 18: After BJP supporters attacked social activist Swami Agnivesh in New Delhi, a Professor was thrashed by a mob allegedly for sharing an FB post critical of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Sanjay Kumar, Sociology Professor at the Mahatma Gandhi Central University, was attacked by the mob. 'Some elements have been targeting me for speaking against the VC and this was another excuse,' Sanjay Kumar was quoted by news agency ANI as saying. [Also Read: Gopaldas 'Neeraj' predicted friend Vajpayee's death; Some more luminaries who died within a month] The Motihari Central University Teachers Association has issued a strong statement condemning the incident. The Association's statement says the beating and setting on fire was a pre-planned conspiracy and pointing an accusing finger at the Vice Chancellor of the University. [Read more: Motihari University woes continue as relay strike against VC enters 43rd day] Mahatma Gandhi Central University is in news for the hunger strike by the faculty members demanding the removal of Vice-Chancellor Dr. Arvind Kumar Agrawal The faculty had alleged that VC Dr. Arvind Kumar Agrawal is harassing and threatening to implicate them under false charges. I recently completed reading Twelve Years a Slave, the autobiography of a free Negro from New York who was drugged, kidnapped, and sold into slavery in 1841. Maybe we don't need these graphic reminders of the brutality with which slaves were routinely treated in America's ante-Bellum Deep South, but two things about Northup's account command our attention. First, his extraordinary erudition and fine writing style, in a man who had limited educational opportunity early in life, and who, prior to writing this volume, had not been permitted paper or pen for 12 years. Second, and more remarkable yet, is the generosity of spirit with which he regards the very men responsible for the whippings and deprivations that made his life a living hell. I can only compare him to Nelson Mandela, who so magnanimously forgave the men who held him a political prisoner for 27 years. Solomon Northup (Image by original publication, 1853) Details DMCA Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. Reprinted from www.dailykos.com Because it could be witness retaliation to threaten someone who has provided truthful testimony to the government. Appearing as an analyst on Brian Williams's MSNBC show, Former Federal Prosecutor Ellie Honig explained that retaliating against a witness be a federal offense. "The revocation of Brennan's security clearance is a new angle here, and I think the president is getting into even more dangerous ground," he said. "I think we're all familiar with the concept of obstruction of justice. But what I don't know that everybody understands is that it's also a crime to retaliate against someone who is a witness." Brennan is probably not a witness, Honig said, but someone like former FBI director James Comey certainly is a "crucial witness." "Its is a federal crime, -1513 if anyone wants to look it up, to retaliate against someone for providing truthful information to law enforcement," he said. "So he's getting closer and closer to really dangerous ground here. " The relevant section of the law is this. 18 U.S. Code - 1513 - Retaliating against a witness, victim, or an informant (e) Whoever knowingly, with the intent to retaliate, takes any action harmful to any person, including interference with the lawful employment or livelihood of any person, for providing to a law enforcement officer any truthful information relating to the commission or possible commission of any Federal offense, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both. (f) Whoever conspires to commit any offense under this section shall be subject to the same penalties as those prescribed for the offense the commission of which was the object of the conspiracy. As noted Brennan may not be a witness, but it's likely that Comey and McCabe would likely be witnesses on the obstruction of justice case while Bruce Ohr and Peter Strzok could be witnesses on the underlying intelligence and conspiracy investigation. Technically only Ohr probably still has a clearance, but that's really not the point -- the threat to harm their potential livelihood is the retaliation because even .it would be only minimally effective in some cases, it's clear that the White House thinks it would effective as punishment for what many of these people have said and most of that has been under oath, or likely to the Special Counsel. Let's just recall that Trump already said this to the WSJ. "I call it the rigged witch hunt, (it) is a sham," he told the WSJ."And these people led it! " So I think it's something that had to be done." Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Reprinted from www.dailykos.com by Aldous J Pennyfarthing John Dean knows a little something about awful, criminal, paranoid presidents with berserk rage boners for the popular Democratic presidents who preceded them. As White House counsel under President Nixon, he was deeply involved in the Watergate coverup. Eventually he flipped on the president, cooperating with investigators and pleading guilty to a single felony count. Click Here to Read Whole Article So if things seem a tad Watergate-y to you these days, imagine how Dean feels. He's seen this movie before. Hell, he's helped make this movie before. And now he's saying to White House staffers, "Whatever you do, don't be me": RT @JohnWDean: Memo To Trumps White House Staff: FYI. Very few people who worked at Nixons White House later included that fact on their at Boomer53 (@TwoDawgies) August 18, 2018 Come on, John. Worst in history? That's " okay, yeah, you're right. And unless we discover that James Buchanan nailed Stormy Daniels' great-great-grandmother after she spanked him with a copy of Old Farmer's Almanac, he'll likely hold onto that status for a while. But this tweet does raise an interesting question. What could be a worse job to list on your re'sume' than White House staffer during the Trump administration? McDonald's pink-slime wrangler? Steve Bannon's personal bathtub attendant? Dick Cheney's organ-donor clone? KKK cross-oiler? 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. Rashida Tlaib has nothing about war or peace on her website. And she's going to be elected to the seat held by Congressman John Conyers, famous for giving speeches for things like impeaching George W. Bush while telling reporters and colleagues that impeaching Bush needed to be avoided. So, take statements for what they're worth (very little until followed by action). But action rarely follows silence, and Tlaib just said this: "I don't support military operations. If you go to the Department of Defense website, every day, Monday through Friday, there is an area called 'contracts.' Go there. You want to pay for college? Medicare for All? Pay to take care of Americans dying from famine to basic human rights abuses? Look at those contracts. I'm floored at how much money [they're spending]." When asked "Do you want to divert the DOD budget into social services?" Tlaib replied: "Yes. We can build safer and more vibrant communities. I am tired of the earmarks for corporations. They aren't going to Americans. They're going to private companies. Not only have we made prisons into private corporations, wars are a for-profit industry. The [DoD is] a cesspool for corporations to make money." Those in the pay or hoping to be in the pay of the war profiteers don't talk like this. This is socialism with seriousness, not the nonsense shell game where you claim you'll provide decent services but refuse to mention the place where all the money is. (I'm looking at you, Senator Sanders.) Congress members do not talk like Rashida Tlaib, or Ilhan Omar, or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Omar's predecessor never talked this way. Even John Conyers never talked this way, with or without meaning it. Yet these three are very likely to be in Congress, and if they at all act on their professed positions, we need to demand that their colleagues join them. To some extent, not entirely but to some small extent, I suspect that the blowback when these candidates say something honest or humane about Palestine is and will continue to be opposition to their entire antiwar position. Opposing Israeli wars is taboo in the United States, but so is opposing U.S. wars and U.S. preparations for more wars. That position needs to be made acceptable. So, when three candidates for Congress who've won their primaries and are virtually guaranteed to join Congress speak up for peace, we need to celebrate it, make it more than just acceptable, make it enviable by other seekers of power. Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121 To remove advertising from OpEdNews, please become a premium member "Rob Kall's must-read book offers a VIP look at todays many "connection revolutions," plus key suggestions for bottom-up leadership in each one." Susan Strong, author of Move Our Message: How to Get America's Ear Progressive Content Not Found Sometimes, authors delete their progressive content after publishing. To see if the progressive content was renamed or re-published, please click here. Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. Signpost Sticker in Belgium (Image by frankieleon) Details DMCA Reprinted from theintercept.com WHEN ADOLF HITLER came to power, after the Nazis had shut down all of Germany's independent newspapers and magazines and ended press freedom in the country, Hermann Ullstein, a member of a highly regarded German publishing family, fled to New York and wrote a penetrating memoir of the rise and fall of his family's media empire. His father, Leopold Ullstein, a Jewish newspaper dealer, had founded Ullstein Verlag, the family publishing house, which at its pre-Nazi peak owned some of Germany's most important publications, including the Vossische Zeitung newspaper. But when Hitler stole their press holdings, Hermann Ullstein and other family members fled, and by World War II, the Ullstein presses were being used to print Das Reich, a newspaper created by Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels. From his refuge in New York, Hermann Ullstein wrote critically of the failure of the German press to confront Hitler more aggressively when it still had a chance -- before he came to power. In his 1943 book, Ullstein chastised the mainstream press in Germany for being too cautious in the pre-Nazi years, especially in comparison to the aggressive right-wing media that was rising during the late 1920s and boosting Hitler's political fortunes. He lamented the weak response of "the loyal press," his phrase for the pre-Nazi mainstream press "whose efforts were devoted to democracy, and whose failure was to a large extent due to mildness of language, to the tired and cautious spirit in which they fought." Hermann Ullstein's criticism of the mainstream press of the pre-Nazi era would sound eerily familiar to anyone following the American media today as it tries to confront Donald Trump. Trump has repeatedly castigated the American press as "the enemy of the people" and has brought his political supporters to such a crazed pitch that many of them now consider journalists to be traitors. Some of Trump's backers even seem to think that physical attacks on reporters are acceptable. Read the rest of the article here: Theintercept.com 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. (Image by Frontnews) Details DMCA President Trump called the EU a "foe" on trade just few weeks ago, but later on he spoke of the "close friendship" and predicted a "new phase in the relationship between the United States and European Union." Two weeks after reaching an agreement with European Commission President Jean-Claude Junker to calm trade talks and while everyone expected a resumption of dialogue that could help repair relations between the longtime allies, Mr. President's comments about the EU and other countries during a private ceremony has leaked. Trump said that those who think that they can take their fate into their own hands are living in an illusion and are doomed to failure. He continued that the reality is that no country is capable to talk about independence without the US and they can only consider their power in relation with some other countries but not the U.S. Trump also said that it was so obvious for him that soon enough the EU will express its dependence on the U.S. and he believes that even China and Russia will one day, not too far, come to understand that they should accept the one and only power of the world. After a White House meeting on 25 July, Donald Trump said that he and Mr. Juncker, President of European Commission are working together to eliminate tariffs and barriers on trade and ease the escalating trade war. The EU, in return, will make purchases of the U.S. soybeans and liquefied natural gas, continued the president. Soon after Trump's announcement, the State Department called the EU embassies for identifying those business areas ready for lowering of tariffs or cutting of red tape. No more details or commitments is revealed. On Aug. 20, senior EU and U.S. trade officials meet in Washington hoping to reduce the brewing trade war between the two parties. The U.S. and EU have a $1-trillion bilateral trade relationship, the largest in the world but Trump's trade policies toward the EU may result in instability and uncertainty for the global economy. Many are concerned that Trump abuses his power and causes the world to suffer from an economic crisis that it has never experienced. However, by now, we know that Mr. Trump said neither side would impose new tariffs as long as talks continued. Even in the unipolar world, the United States should not humiliate states and nations. Humiliation creates the most powerful motivating force for rebellion. In recent months, Trump easily humiliates nations and governments all around the globe which increasingly makes the situation worse for the U.S. The negation of the independence of nations and governments has definitely no result. As you sow, so shall you reap; Trump's fire and fury will burn the United States into ashes. 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. Between her new "tell-all" book and her use of taped conversations to promote it, Omarosa Manigault Newman (former "Assistant to the President and Director of Communications for the Office of Public Liaison") has the White House in a tizzy. President Donald Trump publicly refers to her as a "crazed, crying lowlife" and a "dog." There's quite a bit of pearl-clutching over one recording which seems to have been made in the White House Situation Room, where some of the government's most secret stuff gets discussed. All of which is par for the course in Trump's America. I can understand why some people were surprised when a reality TV personality got elected president. I can understand why some people were surprised when that reality TV personality president hired another reality TV personality (in fact, someone he had twice reality-TV-"fired") to work at the White House. What I can't understand is why anyone would expect two reality TV personalities to stop acting like reality TV personalities just because their new show broadcasts from a new set at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Is there a serious side at all to these made-for-reality-TV melodramatics? Yes. The Trump campaign organization has invoked the arbitration clause of its non-disclosure agreement versus Omarosa, and rumors (stoked by Trump, presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway, and others) imply another NDA specific to her White House employment but generalized beyond the bounds of protecting classified information. Exposing the likely existence of that second NDA, along with hopefully successfully defying it, makes Omarosa the current front-runner for the title of "Best, Maybe Even Only, Public Servant Produced by the Trump Administration." The sustaining fiction of American government is that citizens and taxpayers are the real employers -- the ultimate bosses -- and that even the top-most government employees are answerable to us. Fictions like that can only be stretched so far. The idea that Donald Trump can legally interpose himself between Omarosa's desire to dish on White House life and our desire to listen to her do so stretches this particular tale to the breaking point. A shift manager at McDonald's doesn't get to swear the cooks and cashiers to silence should the corporation's CEO happen along with questions for them. If it was up to me, the Oval Office and the entire West Wing of the White House would be covered 24/7 by publicly accessible live-streaming web cameras. THEY claim to work for US, remember? The employees don't get to hide from the employers. What they do on the clock, and how they do it, is our business, not their privileged secret. Of course, it's not up to me, and the fiction will likely survive even without turning the White House into an uncut (and probably even more boring) version of Big Brother or Keeping Up With the Kardashians. But Omarosa's book and its promotion campaign are turning into a much-needed test case for just how far from transparency the executive branch can go without the public, and possibly the courts, finally putting our feet down. Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. Reprinted from williamblum.org July 18, 2018 Dear Mr. Birnbaum, You write Trump "made no mention of Russia's adventures in Ukraine". Well, neither he nor Putin nor you made any mention of America's adventures in the Ukraine, which resulted in the overthrow of the Ukrainian government in 2014, which led to the justified Russian adventure. Therefore "? If Russia overthrew the Mexican government would you blame the US for taking some action in Mexico? William Blum Dear Mr. Blum, Thanks for your note. "America's adventures in the Ukraine": what are you talking about? Last time I checked, it was Ukrainians in the streets of Kiev who caused Yanukovych to turn tail and run. Whether or not that was a good thing, we can leave aside, but it wasn't the Americans who did it. It is, however, Russian special forces who fanned out across Crimea in February and March 2014, according to Putin, and Russians who came down from Moscow who stoked conflict in eastern Ukraine in the months after, according to their own accounts. Best, Michael Birnbaum To MB, I can scarcely believe your reply. Do you read nothing but the Post? Do you not know of high State Dept official Victoria Nuland and the US Ambassador in Ukraine in Maidan Square to encourage the protesters? She spoke of 5 billion (sic) dollars given to aid the protesters who were soon to overthrow the govt. She and the US Amb. spoke openly of who to choose as the next president. And he's the one who became president. This is all on tape. I guess you never watch Russia Today (RT). God forbid! I read the Post every day. You should watch RT once in a while. William Blum To WB, I was the Moscow bureau chief of the newspaper; I reported extensively in Ukraine in the months and years following the protests. My observations are not based on reading. RT is not a credible news outlet, but I certainly do read far beyond our own pages, and of course I talk to the actual actors on the ground myself -- that's my job. And: yes, of course Nuland was in the Maidan -- but encouraging the protests, as she clearly did, is not the same as sparking them or directing them, nor is playing favorites with potential successors, as she clearly did, the same as being directly responsible for overthrowing the government. I'm not saying the United States wasn't involved in trying to shape events. So were Russia and the European Union. But Ukrainians were in the driver's seat the whole way through. I know the guy who posted the first Facebook call to protest Yanukovych in November 2013; he's not an American agent. RT, meanwhile, reports fabrications and terrible falsehoods all the time. By all means consume a healthy and varied media diet -- don't stop at the US mainstream media. But ask yourself how often RT reports critically on the Russian government, and consider how that lacuna shapes the rest of their reporting. You will find plenty of reporting in the Washington Post that is critical of the US government and US foreign policy in general, and decisions in Ukraine and the Ukrainian government in specific. Our aim is to be fair, without picking sides. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). India Electronic Power Steering (EPS) Market By Prominent Key Players (JTEKT, Nexteer, Denso, ZF India, Robert Bosch GmbH), CAGR Analysis, Competitive Market Share and Forecasts 2018 2023 Electronic Power Steering (EPS) Market https://www.marketprognosis.com/sample-request/15974 https://www.marketprognosis.com/buyReport/15974 https://www.marketprognosis.com/enquiry/15974 https://www.marketprognosis.com Marketprognosis.com Publish a New Market Research Report On India Electronic Power Steering (EPS) Market - Segmented by Type, Component Type, and Vehicle Type - Growth, Trends, and Forecast (2018 - 2023) which contains India key players survey information and forecast to 2023.Overview of the India Electronic Power Steering (EPS) Market:The report spread across 80 pages is an overview of the India Electronic Power Steering (EPS) Market - Segmented by Type, Component Type, and Vehicle Type - Growth, Trends, and Forecast (2018 - 2023). These report study based on the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) Market. It is a complete overview of the market, covering various aspects prevailing market landscape. It accumulates comprehensive information and research methodologies.Get a Sample Copy of this Report @The India Electronic Power Steering (EPS) Market is expected to grow at an impressive Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) from 2018 to 2023.Over the years, the demand for fuel-efficient vehicles has been growing, continually. Automotive manufacturers have always focused on the same by reducing weight wherever possible, which is considered to be a good technique in decreasing the fuel consumption. One such area where weight reduction is popular is steering system, in which bulky mechanical parts are replaced with light-weight electric parts that reduce the vehicles weight while providing a comfortable steering pleasure.Currently, India follows BS IV norms that allow emissions of 0.74 g/km of CO & 0.39 g/km of NOx for light-duty diesel vehicles and 2.27 g/km & 0.11 g/km for light-duty petrol vehicles. This has forced steering system manufacturers to introduce new technologies that can reduce the systems weight, which directly results in lesser emission. This requirement has pushed the market from hydraulic or mechanical steering systems to electric power steering systems which consist of lesser mechanical parts that reduce the weight and decrease emissions from vehicles.Purchase this report online with 80 Pages, Top Key Players Analysis and List of Tables & Figure @India is moving towards becoming an all-electric vehicle country and in support to this the government has introduced various schemes for faster adoption and manufacturing of electric and hybrid vehicles in India under the National Electric Mobility Mission 2020. This move by the government is expected to encourage the progressive induction of reliable, affordable, and efficient electric and hybrid vehicles in the country. Electric and hybrid vehicles have an extensive range of features, which include a mandatory electric power steering. Therefore, the growth of electric vehicles is expected to significantly help augment the growth of the electric power steering market.Major Key Players:1 JTEKT2 Nexteer Corporation3 Denso Corporation4 ZF India5 Anand Group6 Sona Koyo Steering Systems Ltd7 Robert Bosch GmbH8 Rane GroupAny Query? Ask to our Expert @This study answers to the below key questions:1 What will the market size be in 2023 and what will the growth rate be?2 What are the key market trends?3 What are the challenges to market growth?4 Who are the key players in this market?5 What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key players?In the end, this report covers data and information on capacity and production overview, production, market share analysis, sales overview, supply, sales, and shortage, import, export and consumption as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin of Electronic Power Steering (EPS) Market.Table of Contents:1 Introduction2 Research Methodology3 Market Insights4 Market Dynamics5 Market Segmentation and Analysis (Market Size, Growth, and Forecast)6 Future of the Market7 Competitive Landscape8 Company Profiles (Company Overview, Financials**, Products & Services, Recent Developments, And Analyst View)About us:We at Market Prognosis believe in giving a crystal clear view of market dynamics for achieving success in todays complex and competitive marketplace through our quantitative & qualitative research methods.We help our clients identify the best market insights and analysis required for their business thus enabling them to take strategic and intelligent decision.We believe in delivering actionable insights for your business growth and success.Contact us:ProgMark Pvt. Ltd.Thane 421501India.sales@marketprognosis.com+1 973 241 5193 Mobility on Demand Market 2018 Global Key Leaders Denso Corporation, Intel Corporation, Tomtom NV, Robert Bosch Gmbh, International Business Machines Corp. https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/3271 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/mobility-demand-market-3271 Mobility on Demand Market, By Service (E-hailing), By Vehicle Type (Micro Mobility Vehicles), By Data Service (Information, Payment, Others), By Vehicle Connectivity (Vehicle to Infrastructure, Vehicle to Vehicle) - Global Forecast 2023Market Scenario:Mobility on demand refers to innovative service in automobile. The mobility on demand system offers users with real time data, fine grained mobility demand sensing and provides stacks and racks of light electric vehicles or bicycles at closely placed intervals.Bring your own device (BYOD), big data and new analytics, smart cities and internet of things are the cutting-edge technologies boosting the mobility on demand market. According to the study, by service segment e-hailing accounts for largest market share in mobility on demand market. The increasing working population in urban areas, rising knee problems and development in the healthcare sector are the prime factors driving market growth. By vehicle type, electric vehicle is estimated as fastest growing segment in mobility on demand market owing to technology advancement in automobile sector and emerging of driverless cars. Asia-Pacific region is expected to account for highest market share in electric vehicle segment. Vehicle emission, reduced congestion, crash avoidance and improved travel time reliability are the factors imposing positive impact on mobility on demand market.The segmentation of mobility on demand market system is done on the basis of service that includes e-hailing, car sharing, car rental and station based mobility. E-hailing service accounts for highest market in mobility on demand market. E-hailing service provides users with seamless platform for booking car, taxi, limousine or any other mode of transportation. E-hailing application enabled users to book taxi with their smartphones, it offers efficient service to both driver and the consumer. It provides great service especially during storm or rainy season.The mobility on demand market is expected to grow at approximately USD 186 Billion by 2023, at 18% of CAGR between 2018 and 2023.Key Players:The prominent players in the Mobility on Demand Market are- Uber Technologies Inc. (U.S.), Delphi Automotive Plc (U.K.), Denso Corporation (Japan), Intel Corporation (U.S.), Tomtom NV (Netherlands), Robert Bosch Gmbh (Germany), International Business Machines Corp. (U.S.), Didi Chuxing (China), Gett, Inc. (U.S.), Lyft (U.S.), among others.Get Sample Report @Study Objectives of Mobility on Demand Market: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast of the various segments and sub-segments of the mobility on demand market. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To analyze the mobility on demand market based 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 country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective. To provide country level analysis of the market for segment on the basis of service, vehicle type, data service, internet connectivity and vehicle connectivity. 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 mobility on demand market.Segments:Mobility on demand market for segment on the basis of service, vehicle type, data service, internet connectivity and network connectivity.Mobility on demand Market by Service: E-hailing Car Sharing Car rental Station-Based MobilityMobility on demand Market by Vehicle Type: Four Wheelers Micro Mobility VehiclesMobility on demand Market by Data Service: Navigation Information Payment OthersMobility on demand Market by Internet Connectivity: 3G 4G 5G Wi-FiMobility on demand Market by Vehicle Connectivity: Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2I) Vehicle to Pedestrian (V2P) Vehicle to Network (V2N)Regional Analysis:The regional analysis of mobility on demand market is being studied for region such as Asia Pacific, North America, Europe and Rest of the World. North America region is expected to be fastest growing in mobility on demand market due to increased adoption of bring your own device (BYOD) technology, growing urban population and increased adoption of e-hailing service by citizens. Asia-Pacific region accounts for highest market share in mobility on demand market owing to increasing IT infrastructure and growing population in urban areas.Get Report Details @Intended Audience Investors and consultants System Integrators Research/Consultancy firms Technology solution providers IT Solution Providers Original Equipment ManufacturersLIST OF TABLESTABLE 1 MOBILITY ON DEMAND MARKET, BY SERVICE,TABLE 2 MOBILITY ON DEMAND MARKET, BY VEHICLE TYPETABLE 3 MOBILITY ON DEMAND MARKET, BY DATA SERVICETABLE 4 MOBILITY ON DEMAND MARKET, BY INTERNET CONNECTIVITYTABLE 5 MOBILITY ON DEMAND MARKET, BY VEHICLE CONNECTIVITYContinued.LIST OF FIGURESFIGURE 1 RESEARCH TYPEFIGURE 2 MOBILITY ON DEMAND MARKET: BY SERVICE (%)FIGURE 3 MOBILITY ON DEMAND MARKET: BY VEHICLE TYPE (%)FIGURE 4 MOBILITY ON DEMAND MARKET: BY DATA SERVICE (%)FIGURE 5 MOBILITY ON DEMAND MARKET: BY INTERNET CONNECTIVITY (%)Continued.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst membersContact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Food Processor Market 2018 Flourishes with International Prestigious Players | GEA Group, Anko Food Machine Co, KRONES AG, Thurne, Shanghai Shininess Industrial Co, Buhler and Unified Brands, Etc. https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2511 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/food-processor-market-2511 Market Overview:In depth analysis of the markets segments and sub-segments. To estimate and forecast market size by type, technology, application and region. To analyses key driving forces which are influencing the market. Region level market analysis and market estimation of North America, Europe, Asia, and rest of the world (ROW) and their countries. Value chain analysis & supply chain analysis of the market. Company profiling of major players in the market. Competitive strategy analysis and mapping key stakeholders in the market. Analysis of historical market trends and technologies along with current government regulatory requirements.Food processor is the electric appliance which is used for slicing, shredding, mincing, chopping, pureeing and processing at high speed. Some food processors are similar to blenders and blenders with interchangeable blades and disks rather than a fixed blade are becoming popular among consumers. Generally very small amount of liquid is required in the operation of the food processor, unlike a blender, which requires a certain amount of liquid for the particles to move around the blade. Among various types of food processor coffee grinders, bread machine and electric pressure cooking are in high demand due to its increasing application in restaurants, bakery and home.Get a Sample Report @Key Players:The key players profiled in the food processor market are as GEA Group (Germany), Anko Food Machine Co. Ltd (Taiwan), KRONES AG (Germany), Thurne (U.K.), Shanghai Shininess Industrial Co. Ltd., (China), Buhler AG (Switzerland) and Unified Brands (U.S.)Intended Audience:Processed food manufacturersKitchen appliances industryFood and beverages industryHotel and restaurantsE-commerceRetailers and wholesalersTraders, importers and exportersKey Findings:Food processor application in meat/poultry processor is growing at higher rate in North AmericaTop five exporters of food processor are Singapore, China, Australia, U.S. and GermanySegments:Food processor has been segmented on the basis of type which comprises full sized food processor, slicer/choppers, grinder, blender, hand operated, mini food processor and othersFood processor has been segmented on the basis of technology which batch bowl, continuous feed, bowl and continuous feed, buffalo choppers and othersFood processor has been segmented on the basis of application which comprises dairy processing, meat/poultry processing, beverage processing, bakery, fruit and vegetable processing and othersRegional Analysis:The global food processor market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and rest of the world (ROW). Among these Asia pacific region has the major market share followed by North America. Increase in technology and application of food processor by RTE (Ready to Eat) product manufacturers is driving the growth of various types of food processor in Asia Pacific region. Increased used of food processor in U.S. and Canada is fueling the food processor market in North America region. Australia, Singapore, U.S., Germany and U.K. are the major importers of food processor in the world.The food processor market is segmented under the following regions mentioned below:Access Full Report Details @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.ContactMarket Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Nuclear Power in United Kingdom, Market Outlook to 2030, Update 2017-Capacity, Generation, Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), Investment Trends, Regulations and Company Profiles Nuclear Power www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW0001985412/sample www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW0001985412/buying Nuclear Power in United Kingdom, Market Outlook to 2030, Update 2017-Capacity, Generation, Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), Investment Trends, Regulations and Company Profiles", is the latest report from GlobalData, the industry analysis specialists that offer comprehensive information and understanding of the nuclear power market in United Kingdom.The report provides in depth analysis on global nuclear power market with forecasts up to 2030. The report analyzes the power market scenario in United Kingdom (includes thermal conventional, nuclear, large hydro, pumped storage and renewables) and provides future outlook with forecasts up to 2030. The research details nuclear power market outlook in the country and provides forecasts up to 2030. The report highlights installed capacity and power generation trends from 2006 to 2030 in United Kingdom nuclear power market. A detailed coverage of nuclear energy policy framework governing the market with specific policies pertaining to nuclear is provided in the report. The research also provides details of active nuclear reactors in the country, market size of major equipment and company snapshot of some of the major market participants.Get Free sample copy atThe report is built using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, secondary research and in-house analysis by GlobalData's team of industry experts.Scope-A brief introduction on global carbon emissions and global primary energy consumption.-Historical period is during 2006-2016 (unless specified) and forecast period is for 2017-2030.-Overview on the global nuclear power market with installed capacity and generation trends, installed capacity split by region in 2016, installed capacity split by major nuclear power countries in 2016 and investment trends.-Power market scenario in United Kingdom provides detailed market overview, installed capacity and power generation trends by various fuel types (includes thermal conventional, nuclear, large hydro and renewables) with forecasts up to 2030.-Details of United Kingdom nuclear power market with installed capacity and generation trends, installed capacity by reactor type, installed capacity share by contractor/owner and information on major active and upcoming projects.-Key policies and regulatory framework supporting nuclear power development.-Company snapshots of some of the major market participants in the country.Reasons to buy-The report will enhance your decision making capability in a more rapid and time sensitive manner.-Identify key growth and investment opportunities in United Kingdom nuclear power market.-Facilitate decision-making based on strong historic and forecast data for nuclear power market.-Position yourself to gain the maximum advantage of the industry's growth potential.-Identify key partners and business development avenues.-Understand and respond to your competitors' business structure, strategy and prospects.Companies MentionedThe United Kingdom Atomic Energy AuthorityRWE Power AGNuclear Decommissioning AuthorityHorizon Nuclear PowerElectricite de France S.A.EDF Energy Nuclear Generation Group LimitedInquire for Report atAbout ReportsWeb:ReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queriesPune:505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028 Chromatography Systems Market: Roadmap to Win and Drive Customer Value https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2324 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/chromatography-systems-market-2324 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/2324 Market Research Future recently announced the addition of a new research study to its comprehensive collection of research reports. The report Global Chromatography Systems Market 2018 offers vital insights on every market segment in terms of market size analysis for automotive hybrid fuel sensors across the different regions.Chromatography Systems Market - OverviewThe chromatography systems market is growing mainly due to increase in R&D expenditure in the pharmaceutical industry. According to a recent study report published by the Market Research Future, the chromatography systems market is booming and expected to gain prominence over the forecast period. The market is forecasted to demonstrate a spectacular growth by 2022, surpassing its previous growth records in terms of value with a striking CAGR during the anticipated period (2017 2022).Request Sample with New Market Trends @Chromatography is a laboratory technique which enables us easy and efficient separation of the mixture of the essential particles and the chemical compounds. Chromatography system is designed in such a way that the mixture of compounds is dissolved in a fluid which is called as a mobile phase. Fluid carries mixture through a different material which is called as stationary phase.Chromatography Systems Market -Growth and AnalysisNotably, rising research and development expenditure is the primary driver for chromatography systems market. In the year of 2016, the R&D expenditure in the Pharmaceutical Industry was EUR 35000 million, suggested by European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Association. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the per capita national health expenditures in 2015 was amounted to be USD 9,990 and total national health expenditure was USD 3.2 trillion. It is also reported that out of total national health expenditures in the US, prescription drugs 10.1% share.Other push factors such as, technological advancements in instrumentation, government investments in academics and life sciences, therapeutic conversion to new biological entities, increasing application in Life Science and Biotechnological Industry are also fuelling the growth of the market.Growth in generics and CROs due to increasing demand for drug development and new convenient methods developments have also led to increase the market growth. Generics market is expected to account for more than 80% of pharmaceutical market in coming years, hence increasing the demand for the chromatography systems.Obtain Report Details with TOC @Despite these drivers, high cost of systems, and stringent government policies and regulations are expected to hinder the growth of the market. The developing market due to high cost are not using the technique which made the technique unavailable for the potential segments. Also the developing countries which are considered to be the major growth regions, due to high cost are considering other cheap options then an automated instruments and are shifted towards the normal conventional cheap techniques.Chromatography Systems Market - Competitive AnalysisAgilent Technologies (US), Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (US), GE Healthcare (UK), Roche Diagnostics Limited (US), Waters Corporation (US), Shimadzu Corporation (Japan), GL Sciences Inc. (Japan), JASCO (US), Novasep Holding S.A.S. (France), O.I. Corporation (US), PAC L.P. (US), Pall Corporation (US), PerkinElmer Inc. (US), Phenomenex Inc. (US), QUADREX CORPORATION (US), Siemens Industry Inc. (US), Apex Chromatography Pvt. Ltd. (India), Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc. (US), and others are some of the prominent players at the forefront of competition in the chromatography systems market and are profiled in MRFR Analysis.The Chromatography Systems market is currently dominated by various players. Due to rising research and development expenditure various existing and new marketers are continuously coming up with advanced systems. The global chromatography systems market is currently dominated by numerous players.Agilent Technology is another renowned market player that provides analytical instruments, software, services and consumables for the complete laboratory workflow. On March 8, 2017, Agilent Technologies Inc. launched New Research-Grade Triple Quadrupole LC/MS System to expand its portfolio of scientific instruments.Get Excusive Discount @Major Points form TOC for Chromatography Systems Market Research Report Forecast to 2023Chapter 1. Report PrologueChapter 2. Market IntroductionChapter 3. Research MethodologyChapter 4. Market DynamicsChapter 5. Market Factor AnalysisChapter 6. Global Cancer Immunotherapy Market, By TypeChapter 7. Global Cancer Immunotherapy Market, By TreatmentChapter 8 Global Cancer Immunotherapy Market, By End UserChapter 9. Global Cancer Immunotherapy Market, By RegionChapter 10 Company LandscapeChapter 11 Company ProfilesChapter 12 MRFR ConclusionChapter 13 AppendixAbout 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 Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System Market Set for Rapid Growth and Trend by 2022: Top Key Players - Checkpoint Systems, Tyco Retail Solutions, Nedap, Hangzhou Century, Gunnebo Gateway Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System Market https://www.businessindustryreports.com/sample-request/106709 https://www.businessindustryreports.com/buy-now/106709/single https://www.businessindustryreports.com/check-discount/106709 Global Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System Market Report 2018 report provides the newest industry data and industry future trends, allowing you to identify the products and end users driving Revenue growth and profitability. The industry report lists the leading competitors and provides the insights strategic industry Analysis of the key factors influencing the market.Global Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System Market Overview:The report spread across 120 pages is an overview of the Global Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System Market Report 2018. The Global Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System Market is projected to grow at a healthy growth rate from 2017 to 2022 according to new research. The study focuses on market trends, leading players, supply chain trends, technological innovations, key developments, and future strategies.Available Exclusive Sample Copy of this Report @This report studies the Global Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System Market over the forecast period of 2018 to 2022. The Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System industry has also suffered a certain impact, but still maintained a relatively optimistic growth, the past four years, Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System market size to maintain the average annual growth rate of 3.68% from 1005 Million $ in 2014 to 1120 Million $ in 2017, research analysts believe that in the next few years, Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System market size will be further expanded, we expect that by 2022, The market size of the Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System will reach 1260 Million $.Increasing the number theft incidents of merchandise & books at retail stores attract key players to invest in the Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System and this is expected to boost the market in the coming years. Further, rise in demand of EAS systems in healthcare to cure various injuries is also anticipated to fuel the market. However, high implementation cost is expected to hinder the growth of the market. Moreover, integration of RFID with EAS system is major opportunity for key players in the Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System Market.A complete analysis of the competitive landscape of the Global Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System Market is provided in the report. This section includes company profiles of market key players. The profiles include contact information, gross, capacity, product details of each firm, price, and cost. This report investigates new project feasibility with a purpose of enlightening new entrants about the possibilities in this market. In this report, thorough SWOT analysis & investment analysis is provided which forecasts imminent opportunities for the Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System Market players.Purchase this report online with 120 Pages, List of Tables & Figures and in-depth Table of Contents on Global Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System Market Report 2018 @Major Key Players:1 Checkpoint Systems2 Tyco Retail Solutions3 Nedap4 Hangzhou Century Co., Ltd5 Gunnebo Gateway6 Sentry Technology and More...............Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report covers:1 North America Country (United States, Canada)2 South America3 Asia Country (China, Japan, India, Korea)4 Europe Country (Germany, UK, France, Italy)5 Other Country (Middle East, Africa, GCC)Grab Your Report at an Impressive Discount @This study answers to the below key questions:1 What will the market size be in 2022 and what will the growth rate be?2 What are the key market trends?3 What are the challenges to market growth?4 Who are the key players in this market?5 What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key players?In the end, this report covers data and information on capacity and production overview, production, market share analysis, sales overview, supply, sales, and shortage, import, export and consumption as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin of Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System Market.Major Points in Table of Contents:Global Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System Market Report 20181 Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System Product Definition2 Global Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System Market Manufacturer Share and Market Overview3 Manufacturer Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System Business Introduction4 Global Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System Market Segmentation (Region Level)5 Global Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System Market Segmentation (Product Type Level)6 Global Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System Market Segmentation (Industry Level)7 Global Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System Market Segmentation (Channel Level)8 Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System Market Forecast 2018-20229 Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System Segmentation Product Type10 Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System Segmentation Industry11 Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) System Cost of Production Analysis12 ConclusionAbout usBusinessindustryReports.com is digital database of comprehensive market reports for global industries. As a market research company, we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well-defined we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.Media ContactBusiness Industry ReportsPune Indiasales@businessindustryreports.com+19376349940 Saudi Arabia Medical Devices Market 2018 Professional Industry Survey by Top Brands | Johnson & Johnson, General Electric, Medtronic, Baxter International | Forecast to 2023 Saudi Arabia Medical Devices Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2801 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/2801 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/2801 Saudi Arabia Medical Devices Market - Regional AnalysisThe Healthcare Sector of Saudi Arabia is divided between private and state. The public healthcare expenditure accounts for approximately 75% of total health expenditure in 2014. Local manufacturing represents a poor outlook which is limited to consumables and ordinary articles. The government has established some of the best hospitals in the region such as King Faisal specialist hospital and research center, Riyadh military hospital, Saudi Arabias National Guard health affairs hospital etc. Saudi Arabia is extremely dependent on imports for medical devices and imports account for approximately 92% of total market for medical devices. U.S. medical device suppliers dominate the scenario with European vendors in the second position. Among the regions of Saudi Arabia Riyadh tops the healthcare expenditure list followed by Tabuk, Makkah and Madina.Get Sample Report @Saudi Arabia Medical Devices Market Predominant PlayersThe major participants of this market are: Johnson & Johnson, General Electric, Medtronic, Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV., Baxter International, Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co., Cardinal Health, Al-Salehiya Medical Estableshment, Saudi Pharmaceutical Industries & Medical Appliances Corporation (SPIMACO), Al Amin Medical Instruments Company (AMICO), Al Faisaliah Medical Systems (FMS), Siemens Ltd and others.Industry/Innovation/Related News:May 16, 2018 Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions (UK), a global organization, in charge of the healthcare portfolio and Global Exhibitions division, announced the Global Health Exhibition to be held from 10-12 September 2018 at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center, Saudi Arabia. One of the objectives of the exhibition is to avail Saudi Arabia's leading healthcare platform to the global market to meet and network with Saudi healthcare sector's pioneers and officials. More than 10,000 industry professionals across the globe are expected to explore the opportunities, along with the more than 500 Saudi-based and international exhibiting companies showcasing the latest advances in health services, pharmaceuticals, training and education, and medical device technologies.Saudi Arabia Medical Devices Market - SegmentationMRFR has segmented into 4 key dynamics for the convenience of the report and enhanced understanding;By Product Types: Comprises Diagnostic Devices, Monitoring Devices, Diagnostic Molecular Devices, Surgical Devices, Drug Delivery Devices, Bio Implants and Stimulation Devices, Automation and Robotics among others.By Therapeutic Applications: Diagnostic Imaging, General Surgery, Respiratory, Cardiovascular, Orthopaedics, Dental, Neurology, Ear-Nose-Throat (ENT), Ophthalmology, Nephrology and Urology, among others.By End-Users: Ambulatory, Home and Hospitals among others.By Regions: Geographical regions & Continents of Saudi ArabiaGet Discount on Report @Saudi Arabia Medical Devices Market HighlightsA Medical Device is any instrument, appliance including any software, biologic or non-biologic material, to be used for the diagnostic or therapeutic use for management of diseases and disorders.The Medical Device Industry witnessed one of the fastest growths propelled by innovation and rapid uptake of technologies. The Medical Devices Market has also resulted in the successful fusion of information technology and healthcare. Technology and product development remain the main pillars for the growing market for medical devices. The market involves two segments one high-tech devices with extreme sophistication and another is the low tech improved devices. The high tech segment such as diagnostic imaging devices is witnessing higher rates of growth. The low tech segment is also growing at a good rate but has witnessed growth in developing regions as the market for these in developed regions is stagnant. The other market driving factors are rising public healthcare expenditure in Saudi Arabia, development of large hospitals such as King Faisal hospital in Riyadh, demand for noninvasive therapy etc.The market constraints are strict and ambiguous regulatory framework, growing concern for security especially data security, differential availability between developed and developing regions, connectivity issues in Saudi Arabia, the interference Sharia courts etc.The future developments will include cloud integration, connected healthcare devices and growing demand for personalized medical wearable devices. Healthcare mobile applications will also lead the market.To Know More Enquire @Major Table of Content1 Introduction1.1 Definition1.2 Scope of Study1.3 Research Objective1.4 Assumptions & Limitations1.5 Market Structure:2 Research Methodology2.1 Research Process2.2 Primary Research2.3 Secondary Research3 Market Dynamics3.1 Drivers3.2 Restraints3.3 Opportunities3.4 Challenges3.5 Macroeconomic Indicators4 Market Factor Analysis.ContinuedAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: salesteam@marketresearchfuture.com Blood Glucose Test Strip Market Future Scope till 2027 like Abbott Laboratories, Acon Laboratories, Inc, B.Braun Melsungen Ag, HMD Biomedical etc. Blood Glucose Test Strip Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/892 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/892 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/892 Blood Glucose Test Strip Market SegmentsThe Blood Glucose Test Strip Market can be segmented in to 2 key dynamics for the convenience of the report and enhanced understanding;By Technologies: Comprises Thick Film Electrochemical, Thin Film Electrochemical, & Optical among othersBy Regions: North America, Europe, APAC and Rest of the World.Get Sample Report @Blood Glucose Test Strip Market Industry, Innovation & Related NewsApril 13, 2018 Livongo Health (US) a start-up developing connected devices and software for diabetics and other chronic conditions. The company completely devoted to providing cost-competitive aid for diabetes, has already developed its own glucometer & apps providing accurate readings. Livongo, also ships test strips to patients at no additional cost. The company announced that it has bagged the investment for USD 105 million to support the further development of its technology and a partnership from Cambia Health Solution.Blood Glucose Test Strip Market Key PlayersSome of the key players for Blood Glucose Test Strip Market are:Abbott LaboratoriesAcon Laboratories, IncAllmedicusApex Biotechnology CorporationAscensia Diabetes Care Holdings AgBraun Melsungen AgHMD BiomedicalI-Sens, Inc.Lifescan, Inc.Roche DiagnosticsTaidoc Technology CorporationBlood Glucose Test Strip Market OverviewBlood Glucose Test Strips are small disposable strips which are used in conjugation with blood glucose meters for monitoring and controlling diabetes. These strips have glucose oxidase impregnated on them, which when reacts with glucose present in the blood gluconic acid. The market for Blood Glucose Test Strips is expected to grow at steady CAGR by the end of the forecasted period.Blood Glucose Test Strip Market Regional AnalysisNorth America market leads the Global Blood Glucose Test Strip Market with the significant market share. The market is further expected to reach astronomical amounts growing at a substantial CAGR throughout the forecast period (2017-2027). Well-developed healthcare sector, increasing prevalence of diabetes in the U.S. & Canada coupled with the high per capita healthcare expenditures of these economies, together drive the regional market growth. Moreover, presence of some of the matured market players fuels the market growth.Get Discount on Report @Europe & Asia Pacific is the second & third largest market respectively in the Global Blood Glucose Test Strip Market. Expected to be a fastest growing market Asia pacific region is estimated to grow rapidly over the projected period. Increasing healthcare expenditures along with favorable government policies of developing economies like India and China foster the market growth in APAC.While the worlds second largest market of Blood Glucose Test Strip, Europe is predominantly driven by the availability of funds for research, well-developed healthcare infrastructure, huge patient population, & government support for research & development. Besides, economies having high healthcare expenditures such as the UK & Germany propel the growth of the Europe market.Major Table of ContentChapter 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 DynamicsContinued.To Know More Enquire @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: salesteam@marketresearchfuture.com Lancet and Pen Needles Market 2018 Industry Size, Share, Growth with Global Manufacturers like Becton Dickinson, Sanofi, Medtronic, Abbott and Many by 2027 Lancet and Pen Needles Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/555 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/555 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/555 Lancet and Pen Needles Market - SegmentationThe Global Lancet and Pen Needles Market is segmented on the basis of type, application, and end user. On the basis the type, it is segmented into lancets and pen needles. The lancet segment is further segmented into safety lancets and regular lancets. The safety lancets is further sub-segmented into push button safety lancets, pressure activated safety lancets, and side button safety lancets. The pen needles is further sub-segmented into standard pen needles and safety pen needles. On the basis of the application, it is segmented into insulin, capillary blood sampling, hormones, GLP, skin testing, and others. On the basis of the end users, it is segmented into hospitals & clinics, diagnostic centers & medical institutions, home care & home diagnostics, research & academic laboratories, and others.Get Sample Report @Lancet and Pen Needles Market Competitive LandscapeHTL-STREFA S.A. is the leading medical device company that develops, manufactures and sells safety lancets, personal lancets, lancing devices, pen needles and safety pen needles. Key elements of its strategy focus on manufacturing for top multinational medical device corporations. They also market their own products under the companys brand in cooperation with the local distributors. It has adopted the strategy of collaboration with other leading organizations to sustain their position in the market. The company is spread in more than 80 countries. They are the leading provider of blood micro-sampling medical devices across the globe with nearly 50% of the global safety lancets market share and 2nd largest provider of personal lancets globallyHoffmann-La Roche Ltd. is second largest medical device company, by holding a share of 19.1% as of 2016. F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. develops and manufactures pharmaceutical, medical and diagnostic products. The company has a huge brand image, broad product portfolio, and strong distribution network around the globe. Roche is known for their technological innovations in Lancet and pen needle market. In the recent years, Roche acquired Signature Diagnostics AG (Signature), a privately held company based in Potsdam, Germany. Furthermore, Roche also acquired Signature Diagnostics AG (Signature), a privately held company based in Potsdam, GermanyBecton, Dickinson, and Company (known as BD) manufacture medical devices and instruments. The company's customers include healthcare institutions, science researchers, clinical laboratories, and the pharmaceutical industry. BD operates in more than 50 countries. For Instance, in March 2015, Becton, Dickinson, and Company announced the acquisition of CRISI Medical Systems, a medical technology company focused on providing safe delivery of IV injectable medications. The acquisition will strengthen BDs position in addressing preventable medication errors and improve the care delivery.Lancet and Pen Needles Market - Key PlayersSome of the key players in this market are B. Braun Melsungen AG, Terumo Corporation, Becton Dickinson, Sanofi, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Bayer AG, Novo Nordisk A S, Eli Lilly and Company, Owen Mumford Ltd, Medtronic, Ypsomed Holding AG, Sarstedt AG & Co, Greiner Bio One, Abbott Laboratories, HTL-STREFA S.A, Improve Medical, UltiMed, Inc., Allison Medical, Inc., Artsana S.p.a., VOGT MEDICAL, Perrigo Diabetes Care, MedExel Co., Ltd, ARKRAY Inc., Simple Diagnostics, Stat Medical, Terumo, Trividia Health, and others.Get Discount on Report @Lancet and Pen Needles Market HighlightsRising cases of blood infections coupled with increasing focus on the development of drug delivery methods are the major factor affirming growth of Lancet and Pen Needles Market.Lancets are one of the widely used alternative devices to obtain blood samples. The Global Lancet and Pen Needles Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.30% during the forecast period, 2018-2027.Incidence of contagious diseases is increasing rapidly on a global level, some of these diseases include Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, HIV/AIDS, Lyme disease, hemolytic uremic syndrome, and others. The need to monitor these diseases along with the requirement of advanced techniques for drug delivery methods associated with the non-contagious diseases such as diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney diseases, lung disease, and some heart diseases are expected to impact the growth of global lancets and pen needle market. There are over 35 million healthcare workers globally. These workers face an increased risk of infection from blood-borne pathogens simply because of their exposure to blood and other bodily fluids (World Health Organization (WHO)). Infectious disease such as plaque (Black Death) reported an estimated 50 million deaths in the 14th century (WHO).Lancet and Pen Needles Market - Regional AnalysisEurope dominates the global lancet and pen needles market owing to the increasing prevalence of patients, the presence of major market players. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the healthcare expenditure in Germany was EUR 321 billion in 2014 while France recorded the second highest level of current healthcare expenditure of EUR 237 billion.The Americas hold the second position in the market owing to increasing support from the government, the presence of huge geriatric population, and high healthcare spending. Moreover, improvement in medical device regulation, the presence of a strong economic condition, and focus of research institutions on updating technology for new and advanced treatment methods for lancet and pen needles are some of the other factors contributing to the growth of this market in the region.Asia Pacific is the fastest growing market owing to the presence of more number of developing nations such as India and China in this region. These countries are encouraging the growth of the lancet and pen needles market.The Middle East & Africa is expected to hold the least market share due to less availability of medical facilities, and less development in the healthcare domain. However, countries such as Qatar and Kuwait are focusing more on the healthcare sector and developing medical facilities, which will boost the market of this region.To Know More Enquire @Major Table of ContentChapter 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 DynamicsContinued.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: salesteam@marketresearchfuture.com Heat Exchanger Market Size Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress | Worldwide Industry Top Key Players: Kelvion Holdings Gmbh , Southern Heat Exchanger , Danfoss A/S , SPX Corporation , Xylem Inc. https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2963 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/heat-exchanger-market-2963 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/2963 Global Heat Exchanger Market Research Report, By Type, Application and by Region.Global Heat Exchanger Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.2% during the forecasted period:Market Highlights:-According to a recent study report published by the Market Research Future, The global market of heat exchanger is booming and expected to gain prominence over the forecast period. The Global Heat Exchanger market is forecasted to demonstrate an exponential growth by 2023, surpassing its previous growth records in terms of value with a whooping, CAGR of 8.2% during the estimated period (2017 2023).Get sample Copy @Top Key Players:-Alfa Laval AB (Sweden), Kelvion Holdings Gmbh (Germany), Southern Heat Exchanger (U.S.) Danfoss A/S (Denmark), SPX Corporation (U.S.), Xylem Inc. (U.S.), API Heat Transfer Inc. (U.S), Gunter AG & Co. KG (Germany), Sierra S.p.A (Italy), and Hamon & Cie International SA (Belgium) are some of the prominent players profiled in MRFR Analysis and are at the forefront of competition in the Global Heat Exchanger Market.Market Segmentation:-On the basis of application, the heat exchangers market is further classified into chemicals, oil & gas, power generation, HVACR, food & beverages, and others. Chemicals segment hold the largest market share in the heat exchangers market due to their high importance in reaction systems, which involve reactors, purification systems, and distillation columns. Oil & gas industry also holds strong market share, owing to refineries drawing out advantage from different boiling points of different end products of crude oil.Industry News:-In November 2017, US-based LNG equipment provider Chart Industries completed the acquisition of the heat transfer solutions company, Hudson Products, for USD 410 million.In April 2017, Wabtec Corporation has acquired Thermal Transfer Corp., a supplier of industrial heat exchangers. The company has annual sales of about USD 25 million.Modine Manufacturing Company, a diversified global leader in thermal management technology and solutions, announced the completion of its previously disclosed agreement to purchase Luvata Heat Transfer Solutions (HTS). The agreement to acquire the company was announced on September, 2016. The purchase price was approximately USD 418 million.Access Complete Report @Market Research Analysis:-European region dominates the global Heat Exchanger Market. It is one of the leading region for plate & frame heat exchangers with respect to demand as well as production capacity. In Europe, Germany, U.K., and France are major contributors for the growth of the market. Additionally, it is the home of major heat exchanger manufacturers such as Kelvion Holdings Gmbh, Gunter AG & Co. KG and others.Asia Pacific region is expected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period. China, India, Japan, Australia and Indonesia are among the major markets for Heat Exchanger in the Asia Pacific region. Rapid industrialization and urbanization driving the growth of the market in the region. Middle East is also the major market for the heat exchanger mainly due to growth in use in the refineries in Middle EastMajor Points of Table Of Content:-1 Executive Summary2 Scope Of The Report3 Market Landscape4 Market Dynamics5 Global Heat Exchangers Market, By Type5.1 Introduction5.2 Shell & Tube5.2.1 Market Estimates & Forecast, 2018-20235.2.2 Market Estimates & Forecast By Region, 2018-20235.3 Regenerative5.3.1 Market Estimates & Forecast, 2018-20235.3.2 Market Estimates & Forecast By Region, 2018-2023For more information or query @5.4 Plate5.4.1 Market Estimates & Forecast, 2018-20235.4.2 Market Estimates & Forecast By Region, 2018-20235.5 Air Cooled5.5.1 Market Estimates & Forecast, 2018-20235.5.2 Market Estimates & Forecast By Region, 2018-2023Continued..................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 ServicesContactMarket Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Telecom Software Market Is Thriving including key players Amdocs, Ericsson, HPE & Huawei Telecom Software Market https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/1302764-global-telecom-software-professional-services-market-1 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/1302764-global-telecom-software-professional-services-market-1 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=1302764 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/1302764-global-telecom-software-professional-services-market-1 https://www.linkedin.com/company/13388569/ https://www.facebook.com/htfmarketintelligence/ https://twitter.com/htfmarketreport https://plus.google.com/u/0/+NidhiBhawsar-SEO_Expert?rel=author HTF MI recently introduced Global Telecom Software Professional Services Market study with in-depth overview, describing about the Product / Industry Scope and elaborates market outlook and status to 2023. The market Study is segmented by key regions which is accelerating the marketization. At present, the market is developing its presence and some of the key players from the complete study are Amdocs, Ericsson, HPE & Huawei etc.Request Sample of Global Telecom Software Professional Services Market Size, Status and Forecast 2018-2025 @:This report studies the Global Telecom Software Professional Services market size, industry status and forecast, competition landscape and growth opportunity. This research report categorizes the Global Telecom Software Professional Services market by companies, region, type and end-use industry.Browse 100+ market data Tables and Figures spread through Pages and in-depth TOC on " Telecom Software Professional Services Market by Type (Hosted and Product Related Services, Systems Integrated & Outsourced Services), by End-Users/Application (Large Enterprise & Small and Medium Enterprise), Organization Size, Industry, and Region - Forecast to 2023". Early buyers will receive 10% customization on comprehensive study.In order to get a deeper view of Market Size, competitive landscape is provided i.e. Revenue (Million USD) by Players (2013-2018), Revenue Market Share (%) by Players (2013-2018) and further a qualitative analysis is made towards market concentration rate, product/service differences, new entrants and the technological trends in future.Enquire for customization in Report @Competitive Analysis:The key players are highly focusing innovation in production technologies to improve efficiency and shelf life. The best long-term growth opportunities for this sector can be captured by ensuring ongoing process improvements and financial flexibility to invest in the optimal strategies. Company profile section of players such as Amdocs, Ericsson, HPE & Huawei includes its basic information like legal name, website, headquarters, its market position, historical background and top 5 closest competitors by Market capitalization / revenue along with contact information. Each player/ manufacturer revenue figures, growth rate and gross profit margin is provided in easy to understand tabular format for past 5 years and a separate section on recent development like mergers, acquisition or any new product/service launch etc.Market Segments:The Global Telecom Software Professional Services Market has been divided into type, application, and region.On The Basis Of Type: Hosted and Product Related Services, Systems Integrated & Outsourced Services.On The Basis Of Application: Large Enterprise & Small and Medium EnterpriseOn The Basis Of Region, this report is segmented into following key geographies, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), and market share, growth rate of Telecom Software Professional Services in these regions, from 2013 to 2023 (forecast), covering North America (U.S. & Canada) {Market Revenue (USD Billion), Growth Analysis (%) and Opportunity Analysis} Latin America (Brazil, Mexico & Rest of Latin America) {Market Revenue (USD Billion), Growth Share (%) and Opportunity Analysis} Europe (The U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Sweden & RoE) {Market Revenue (USD Billion), Growth Share (%) and Opportunity Analysis} Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Rest of Asia) {Market Revenue (USD Billion), Growth Share (%) and Opportunity Analysis} Middle East & Africa (GCC, South Africa, North Africa, RoMEA) {Market Revenue (USD Billion), Growth Share (%) and Opportunity Analysis} Rest of World {Market Revenue (USD Billion), Growth Analysis (%) and Opportunity Analysis}Buy Single User License of Global Telecom Software Professional Services Market Size, Status and Forecast 2018-2025 @Have a look at some extracts from Table of ContentIntroduction about Global Telecom Software Professional ServicesGlobal Telecom Software Professional Services Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 2017Telecom Software Professional Services Market by Application/End UsersGlobal Telecom Software Professional Services Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Applications(2013-2023) table defined for each application/end-users like [Large Enterprise & Small and Medium Enterprise]Global Telecom Software Professional Services Sales and Growth Rate (2013-2023)Telecom Software Professional Services Competition by Players/Suppliers, Region, Type and ApplicationTelecom Software Professional Services (Volume, Value and Sales Price) table defined for each geographic region defined.Global Telecom Software Professional Services Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales DataAdditionally Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors list is being provided for each listed manufacturersMarket Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018) table for each product type which include Hosted and Product Related Services, Systems Integrated & Outsourced ServicesTelecom Software Professional Services Manufacturing Cost AnalysisTelecom Software Professional Services Key Raw Materials AnalysisTelecom Software Professional Services Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers, Industrial Chain AnalysisMarket Forecast (2018-2023)........and more in complete table of ContentsBrowse for Full Report at:Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the Accurate Forecast in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their Goals & Objectives.Contact US :Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager)HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private LimitedUnit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJNew Jersey USA 08837Phone: +1 (206) 317 1218sales@htfmarketreport.comConnect with us at Electroceutical Devices Market - Global Forecast to 2026 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/1958 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-customization/1958 Electroceuticals is recently coined term for an old therapeutic modality, which broadly encompass all the bioelectric medicine. It includes any type of electrical stimulation, which affects and modify functions of the body and neural implants such as cochlear implants, retinal implants or spinal cord stimulators, cardiac pacemakers, and implantable defibrillators. Over a period of time, electroceutical expanded their applicability to include deep brain stimulation and the electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve. Electroceuticals are also called as bioelectronics, which encompass tiny electronic implants, which are capable to treat wide range of chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma, arthritis, hypertension and other heart ailments, and gastrointestinal diseases.Request a sample copy of this report @Bioelectric medicine is an innovative approach to diagnose and treat injuries and diseases, as all major organs of the body are connected to the nerves, which allows the brain to monitor and regulate the functions of the organs. Bioelectric medicine refers to the usage of a device to modulate and read the electrical activity within the bodys nervous systems. Nerve blocking devices or nerve stimulating devices that are held against the skin or implanted on a nerve have the potential to regulate specific nerve activity, make specific changes in organ function, and also restore health without side effects of pharmaceutical agents. Bioelectric medicine technology is used to record, block, and stimulate neural signals, which can be used to the change the way diseases and injuries are treated. Biogenetic medicine are also used for the treatment of conditions such as cancer, paralysis, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes.The global electroceutical devices market size was valued at US$ 17,479.8 Mn in 2017, and is expected to witness a CAGR of 8.0% over the forecast period (2018 2026).Increasing Engagement of Key Players to Accelerate Drug Discovery and Development Process is expected to Aid in the Market GrowthCollaborations, advancements in technology, innovations in the field of bioelectric medicines such as non-invasive devices are the major factors driving growth of the bioelectric medicine market. For instance, in October 2016, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced US$ 20 million funding for the treatment of disease with electrical stimulation, which aims to improve maps of the peripheral nervous systemthe bodys electrical wiringand generate sophisticated systems that can hack into its codes. Moreover, the funding is part of a US$ 248 million, seven-year program, which the NIH Common Fund announced in 2014.Furthermore, in 2016, GlaxoSmithKline Plc. (GSK) merged with Googles parent company Alphabet to set up a new bioelectric company called Galvani Bioelectronics, which will benefit over 2 billion people suffering from chronic diseases. GSK invested around US$ 615 million for the development of Galvani Bioelectronics.High Prevalence of Chronic Diseases among Global Population is Propelling Demand for Electroceutical DevicesOther factors boosting growth of the bioelectric medicine market include increasing number of diseases in geriatric population such as cardiac arrhythmias, Parkinsons disease, Alzheimers disease, epilepsy, and depression, and rise in chronic diseases such as neurological and cardiac disorders. For instance, according to a study conducted by Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care in 2017, four major chronic diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases were the major cause for 82% deaths in India. According to a study conducted by World Health Organization (WHO), in 2017, non-communicable diseases are expected to contribute to death of 52 million people by 2030 globally.According to the Data published in Current Pharmaceutical Design Journal in 2017, ion channel and neurotransmitter modulators can act as electroceutical approaches to control the cancer. Furthermore, in March 2014, Cancer-Code Corporation (C3) announced issuance of patent which entitles: Method and System for Processing Cancer Cell Electrical Signals for Medical Therapy, which covers an innovative approach to eradicate cancer in humans and animals. Moreover, high prevalence of cancer and increasing awareness regarding early detection and treatment of cancer is further expected to drive growth of the global electroceutical devices market. For instance, in 2012, according to American Cancer Society data findings, North America accounted for high incidence rate of cancer in children as compared to any other region worldwide. Moreover, according to the same source, in 2012, North America accounted for 13.1% of total estimated cases of cancer worldwide.Furthermore, increasing incidence of diabetes mellitus worldwide is expected to drive growth of the market. For instance, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 2016, an estimated 422 million adults are suffering from diabetes. The major spike in incidence of type 2 diabetes over the last decade (2006-2016) is mainly attributed to high prevalence of obesity.Moreover, electrical stimulation and electroceutical treatment effectively restores injury, expediting normal healing and reducing chronic inflammation, biofilms, infection and associated symptoms, such as pain and high exudate. Electroceutical therapy for wound management uses a small, targeted, electrical current to create a physiological change that recompense the impaired biological functions in the wound, starting the healing process in the wound. Synapse electroceutical Ltd.: a medical technology company from U.K. offers AccelHeal: a small disposable class IIa portable medical device. Accel-Heal uses the patented Synapse Sequence programmed technology to promote healing in leg ulcers through the use of electroceutical energy.Ask for customization @Moreover, high prevalence of wound and ulcers among the global population is expected to augment growth of the electroceutical devices market. For instance, according to National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel, 2017 data findings, 2.5 million patients develop pressure ulcer annually, in U.S. Furthermore, pressure ulcer shows national incidence rate of 2.5% in hospitals.Key players operating in electroceutical devices market include Medtronic plc, Abbott Laboratories, Cochlear Ltd. Sonova Holding AG, Advanced Bionics AG, Boston Scientific Corporation, electroCore, Inc., Biotronik, ReShape Lifesciences, Inc., and LivaNova, PLC.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.Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com Ear Infection Treatment Market 2018-2023 Ongoing Trend | Growing at Remarkable CAGR of 6.6% with Heine USA Ltd., , Welch Allyn, TorquePharma, Medtronic, Intersect ENT, Inc. Ear Infection Treatment Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/4563 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/4563 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/4563 Market ScenarioAn Ear Infection occurs due to invasion by bacteria or virus causing pain, inflammation and fluid build-up in the ear. Most ear infections are acute but chronic ear infections can cause permanent damage to the middle and inner ear. Eustachian tubes, small tubes running from ear to the back of the throat, get swollen or blocked causing fluid to build up in the middle ear.The causes of Eustachian tube blockage include allergies, colds, sinus infections, excess mucus, etc. Other factors that increase the risk of developing an ear infection are altitude changes, climate changes, recent illness, exposure to cigarette smoke, etc. Common symptoms of ear infections include pain, persistent feeling of pressure inside the ear, pus like ear drainage, hearing loss etc. Serious complications include hearing loss, speech or language delay in children, infection of the mastoid bone in the skull (mastoiditis), bacterial infection of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord (meningitis), ruptured eardrum and other.Ear Infection Treatment Industry Segments:The global ear infection treatment market has been segmented on the basis of type, pathogen diagnosis, treatment, and end user.Based on the type, the market has been segmented as outer ear, middle ear, inner ear.Based on the pathogen, the market has been segmented as bacteria, virus and others.Based on the diagnosis, the market has been segmented as hearing test, microbial test, otoscopy and tympanometry, Computerized Tomography (CT), other.Based on the treatment, the market has been segmented as surgery, drugs, and others.Based on the end user, the market has been segmented as hospitals & clinics, academic and research, and others.Get Sample Copy @The market drivers for global ear infection treatment market are rise in risk factors, increasing awareness regarding the severity of untreated ear infection, development of healthcare, technological development in diagnostic devices and surgery segment especially the advancements in minimally invasive surgery etc. The market restraints are the complications of surgery, high cost of treatment, emergence of bacterial resistance, etc.The Global Ear Infection Treatment Market is expected to reach USD 22.3 Billion by 2023, and the market is projected to grow at a CAGR of Approx 6.6 % during the forecast period 2017-2023.Intended Audience:Global ear infection treatment manufacturers & suppliersResearch and development (R&D) companiesHospitals and clinicsAcademic institutes and universitiesKey Players in the Global Ear Infection Treatment Market:American Diagnostic Corporation, Pfizer plc., Heine USA Ltd., , Welch Allyn, TorquePharma, Medtronic, Intersect ENT, Inc., Olympus Corporation, Grace Medical, American Diagnostic Corporation and others.Gulf nations such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE are estimated to drive the Middle East & African market. Other Middle East nations to watch out for are Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt and Iran. The African region is expected to witness a moderate growth owing to poor economic and political conditions, and poor healthcare development.Apply for Exclusive Discount @Table Of Content1. Report Prologue2. Market Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope Of The Study2.2.1 Research Objective2.2.2 Assumptions2.2.3 Limitations3. Research Methodology3.1 Introduction3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary Research3.4 Market Size EstimationSend an Enquiry @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: salesteam@marketresearchfuture.com Coma Diagnosis and Treatment Market 2018 Global Major Key Players: GE Healthcare, Siemens Healthcare, Philips Healthcare, Shimadzu Corporation, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation upto 2023 Coma Diagnosis and Treatment Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/4990 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/4990 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/4990 Market ScenarioComa refers to a state of unconsciousness in which a patient remains unresponsive to anything around them for a prolonged period of time. Depending on the severity of the coma, patient may require life-saving resuscitative measures and once the patient is medically stable, treatments can be used to treat original problem that is causing the coma.There are various causes of coma such as traumatic brain injuries and are often caused by accidents or acts of violence. Strokes occur due to reduced or interrupted blood supply to the brain which is caused by blocked arteries or a burst blood vessel resulting in a coma. The other main cause of coma is tumors in the brain or brainstem. In some cases overdosing on drugs or alcohol can result in coma. Moreover, people with diabetes, blood sugar levels that become too high (hyperglycemia) or too low (hypoglycemia) causes coma. People who have been rescued from drowning or those who have been resuscitated after a heart attack may not awaken due to lack of oxygen to the brain. Furthermore infections such as encephalitis and meningitis cause swelling or inflammation of the brain, spinal cord or the tissues that surround the brain in severe cases of these infections can result in coma. Moreover, in some cases exposure to toxins, such as carbon monoxide or lead, can cause brain damage and coma.Get Sample Copy @Increasing prevalence of neurological disorders, increasing investment by biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries in R&D, and rising need for the better treatment methods drive the growth of the market. Moreover, favorable reimbursement policies, increased application and significant investments in the development of new technologies for the treatment of diseases will fuel the market growth during the forecast periodAccording to the World Health Organization estimates, neurological disorders are responsible for 4.5%-11% of all illnesses including low or high income economies. This is far higher as compared to the number of respiratory ailments, gastrointestinal disorders, or cancers, and the burden is expected to increase further over the coming years.However, limited availability of facilities and higher treatment cost may hamper the market growth during the forecast period.The global coma diagnosis & treatment market is expected to grow at a CAGR of ~7.1% during the forecast period 2017-2023.Regional AnalysisThe Americas dominate the global coma diagnosis & treatment market owing to well-developed technology, increasing patient population for brain disorder, high health care spending, and increasing government support for research & development. Furthermore, increased R&D activities and the concentration of major companies have fuelled the growth of the market in this region.Europe holds the second position in the global coma diagnosis & treatment market owing to the government support for research & development and availability of funds for research. This is expected to continue to drive the European market over the forecasted period. For instance, developed economies such countries such as Germany and France are increasing investment in the healthcare domain and are focusing more on hospital infrastructure.Asia Pacific is the fastest growing coma diagnosis & treatment market owing to the presence of rapidly developing healthcare technology, increasing stressful life, and high healthcare expenditure. Moreover, increasing patient population in countries like India and South Korea are likely to emerge as the fastest growing market across the globe. Furthermore, increasing demand for quality devices in the healthcare is projected to lead the use of advanced equipment, which, in turn, may increase the market growth in this region.On the other hand, the Middle East & Africa holds the least share of the market owing to less availability of funds, limited medical facilities, and deprived political conditions in Africa.SegmentationsThe global coma diagnosis & treatment market is segmented on the basis of types, diagnosis, treatment, and end user.On the basis of the type, it is segmented into toxic- metabolic encephalopathy, anoxic brain injury, persistent vegetative state, locked-in syndrome, and brain death.On the basis of diagnosis it is segmented into physical examination, blood test, brain scans, and others. Brain scan is further segmented into computerized tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electroencephalography (EEG).On the basis of treatment it is segmented into medical treatment, and others.On the basis of the end user, it is segmented into hospitals & clinics, research laboratories and others.Key PlayersSome of key the players in the market are Fujifilm Holdings (Japan), GE Healthcare (U.S.), Siemens Healthcare(U.S.), Philips Healthcare (U.S.), Shimadzu Corporation (Japan), Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Japan), Carestream Health (U.S.), Nihon Kohden Corporation (Japan), Electrical Geodesics Inc. (U.S.), Masimo Corporation (U.S.), Hologic (U.S.), Esaote (Italy), and others.Apply for Exclusive Discount @Top 5 Reasons to Get this Report:Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent development activitiesMarket Strategic Business Influence DataMarket Research Future recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimationsMarket share analysis of the top industry playersMarket forecasts for a minimum of 5 years of all the mentioned segments, Trends and the regional markets With SWOT AnalysisDetailed 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 Mega Trends4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators5. Market Factor Analysis5.1 Value Chain Analysis5.2 Porters Five Forces5.3 Demand & Supply: Gap Analysis5.4 Pricing Analysis5.5 Investment Opportunity Analysis...ContinuedSend An Enquiry @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: salesteam@marketresearchfuture.com Tunisia: 4G Network Expansion and Fiber-Optic Infrastructure Development to Drive Telecom Growth-Ooredoo Tunisia, Orange Tunisie, Tunisie Telecom Fiber-Optic Infrastructure http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW0001655643/sample http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW0001655643/buying "Tunisia: 4G Network Expansion and Fiber-Optic Infrastructure Development to Drive Telecom Growth," a new Country Intelligence Report by Publisher, provides an executive-level overview of the telecommunications market in Tunisia today, with detailed forecasts of key indicators up to 2021. Published annually, the report provides detailed analysis of the near-term opportunities, competitive dynamics and evolution of demand by service type and technology/platform across the fixed telephony, broadband and mobile sectors, as well as a review of key regulatory trends.In 2017, Tunisia will generate total telecom service revenue of $1.4bn (or 3.3% of its nominal GDP) , a decrease of 3.4% over 2016, due to local currency depreciation. Mobile voice will continue to be the largest revenue-contributing segment (53.1%) in 2017, with its share expected to decline to 49.2% by 2021. Mobile data will grow at a CAGR of 1.5% over 2017-2021, aided by the continuing expansion of 4G services and the growing adoption of smartphones, data bundles and value-added services. MNOs should focus on offering value-added services and low-cost bundled plans as smartphone penetration continues to increase.Request a Sample Report@Report Scope:- Overall telecom service revenue in Tunisia is estimated to generate $1.4bn in 2016 and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 0.1% during 2016-2021.- Mobile revenue will account for 82.9% of total telecom revenue in 2021.- The Tunisia telecom market will be dominated by Ooredoo Tunisie and Tunisie Telecom. Operators will continue to focus on 4G coverage expansions, deployment of fiber-optic networks and offering innovative and attractive data plans to stimulate data adoption.The Country Intelligence Report provides in-depth analysis of the following -- Regional context: telecom market size and trends in Tunisia compared with other countries in the region.- Economic, demographic and political context in Tunisia.- The regulatory environment and trends: a review of the regulatory setting and agenda for the next 18-24 months as well as relevant developments pertaining to spectrum licensing, national broadband plans, number portability and more.- A demand profile: analysis as well as historical figures and forecasts of service revenue from the fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice and mobile data.- Service evolution: a look at changes in the breakdown of overall revenue between the fixed and mobile sectors and between voice and data from 2016 to 2021.- The competitive landscape: an examination of key trends in competition and in the performance, revenue market shares and expected moves of service providers over the next 18-24 months.- In-depth sector analysis of fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice and mobile data: a quantitative analysis of service adoption trends by network technology and by operator, as well as of average revenue per line/subscription and service revenue through the end of the forecast period.- Main opportunities: this section details the near-term opportunities for operators, vendors and investors in Tunisia's telecommunication market.Reasons to buy:- This Country Intelligence Report offers a thorough, forward-looking analysis of Tunisia's telecommunication market, service providers and key opportunities in a concise format to help executives build proactive and profitable growth strategies.- Accompanying Pyramid Research's Forecast products, the report examines the assumptions and drivers behind ongoing and upcoming trends in Tunisia's mobile communications, fixed telephony and broadband markets, including the evolution of service provider market shares.- With more than 20 charts and tables, the report is designed for an executive-level audience, boasting presentation quality.- The report provides an easily digestible market assessment for decision-makers built around in-depth information gathered from local market players, which enables executives to quickly get up to speed with the current and emerging trends in Tunisia's telecommunication market.- The broad perspective of the report coupled with comprehensive, actionable detail will help operators, equipment vendors and other telecom industry players succeed in the challenging telecommunications market in Tunisia.Inquire before Buying@Companies Mentioned:Ooredoo TunisiaOrange TunisieTunisie TelecombeIN Sports and OSNTable of Content:Executive summaryMarket and competitor overview Fixed services 25Regional contextEconomic, demographic and political contextRegulatory environmentDemand profileService evolutionCompetitive landscapeMajor market playersSegment analysisMobile services 21Pay-TV 27Identifying opportunitiesOpportunities in the marketDemand profileAbout the authorsCountry Intelligence Report coverageAbout ReportsWeb:ReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queriesPune:505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028 Structural Adhesives Market In Depth Analysis on 3M Company, Arkema, L&L Products, Lord Corporation, Illinois Tool Works, Dow Chemical Structural Adhesives Market, Structural Adhesives Market Study, Structural Adhesives Market Size, Structural Adhesives Market Segm https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/289526/ https://www.marketstudyreport.com/check-for-discount/289526/ https://bit.ly/2MzOETH https://www.marketstudyreport.com https://www.marketstudyreport.com/blog/ Market Study Report recently introduced new title on Global Structural Adhesives Market Report that provides an in-depth overview of industry and competitive landscape, covering multiple market segments and elaborates market outlook and status to 2024.Structural Adhesives Market size will cross USD 7 billion by 2024. Structural adhesives market application sector will likely be signified by the joining of composite materials. This application segment gauged over a third of the total share owing to the popularity of composites in automotive and aerospace industries.This report focuses on the top Manufacturers and players in global market are given bellow - Henkel AG, 3M Company, Arkema, L&L Products, Lord Corporation, Illinois Tool Works, Dow Chemical Company, Ashland, SIKA AG, Scott Bader, Parson Adhesives, Panacol-Elosol, Elantas, Master Bond, Permabond, and Hubei Huitian Adhesive Enterprise.Request a Sample of this premium Research Report@Strict regulations pertaining to aerospace adhesives and sealants mandated by regulatory bodies such as SAE international, ASTM, ANSI, AITC, DIN, EN, and ISO characterize the global structural adhesives market. High load bearing parts and critical applications lead to stringent product norms to meet required specifications. For instance, ASTM regulation D3762 lays down the standard test method for adhesive-bonded surface durability of aluminum (Wedge Test) also known as Boeing wedge test?, wherein the adhesion; cohesion; or adherend failure are noted down after opening the specimen after the test period. Such regulations may hamper the structural adhesives market growth in the coming years.Another important factor impacting the structural adhesives market is the occupational hazards associated with some product types. Epoxy based products pose considerable risks of burns during manual application as they liberate certain amounts of auxiliary materials and contaminants during heat curing. Polyurethane products contain isocyanates, which can cause skin and eye irritation and are carcinogenic in nature. Methyl methacrylate or MMA products have strong and pungent odor, causing headache, nausea, dizziness, and pulmonary problems. Such health hazards defined by OSHA may restrict the global structural adhesives market growth.Double component structural adhesives market is driven by its exclusive usage for high load bearing joints and crucial applications. It accounted for over two-third of the overall share in 2015. PU registered more than 50% of the global structural adhesives market in terms of volume. Their cost efficient and fast curing nature to provide a strong bonding for larger areas give them a competitive advantage over other product types.Structural Adhesives Market Size By Component (Single, Double)By Product Polyurethane Epoxy Acrylic Cyanoacrylate Methyl Methacrylate SiliconeBy Application Composites Metals Plastics Concrete & Tiles Wood LeatherBy End-User Automobiles Aviation & Aerospace Marine, Construction Furniture Water & SewerIndustry Analysis Report, Regional OutlookU.S., Canada, Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, China, India, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, and GCCRequest a Discount on standard prices of this premium Structural Adhesives Market Research Report@Applications in construction industry includes fiber composite materials, cellulose and wood materials, stone, ceramics, and glass. Rapid urbanization in the BRICS nations, coupled with escalating population will increase the housing demand, hence supporting the construction industry in the coming years. The global construction industry, led by China, India, and the U.S., was valued at over USD 8 trillion in 2015 and is expected to reach a value close to USD 17 trillion by 2024, growing at a CAGR of about 8%.In 2015, North America Structural Adhesives market size was over USD 200 million. Escalating electronic, automotive and aerospace industry in the region is the prime growth factor. Asia Pacific, mainly led by India, China and Japan is likely to observe highest growth more than 20% between 2016 and 2024. Inclining medical and pharmaceutical industry China and India is the chief factor driving the regional Structural Adhesives market size by 2024.Acrylic are expensive and accounts a decent chunk in revenue generation of structural adhesives market. In 2015, this segment was worth over USD 1.5 billion. Acrylic products are available in low viscosity to paste viscosity range, and give a product line with wide selection of mechanical properties, color, and cure speeds.With increasing light-weight personal vehicles demand in the recent years, structural adhesives market for automobile sector in 2015 was worth over USD 1 billion. Aviation and aerospace industry followed it as the product improves overall aircraft efficiency by substituting mechanical joints such as fasteners and welds.Chapter 1. Methodology and Scopeo Methodology Initial data exploration Statistical model and forecast Industry insights and validation Scope & assumptionso Data sources Secondary sources Primary sourcesChapter 2. Executive Summary 2.1. Structural adhesives industry 360? synopsis, 2013 ? 2024 2.1.1. Business trends 2.1.2. Component trends 2.1.3. Product trends 2.1.4. Application trends 2.1.5. End-user trends 2.1.6. Regional trendsChapter 3. Structural Adhesives Industry Insights 3.1. Industry segmentation 3.2. Industry size and forecast, 2013 ? 2024 3.3. Industry ecosystem analysis 3.3.1. Vendor matrix 3.3.2. Distributor matrix 3.4. Industry impact forces 3.4.1. Growth drivers 3.4.1.1. Increasing adoption in automobile industry 3.4.1.2. Growing aerospace industry 3.4.1.3. Booming construction industry 3.4.2. Industry pitfalls & challenges 3.4.2.1. Stringent government regulations for aerospace adhesives and sealants 3.4.2.2. Operational and health safety issues with some types of structural adhesives 3.5. Growth potential analysis, 2015 3.6. Regulatory trends 3.6.1. U.S. 3.6.2. Europe 3.6.3. China 3.7. Porter?s analysis 3.8. Company market share analysis, 2015 3.9. PESTEL analysis 3.10. Regional price trends 3.10.1. Cost structure analysis 3.10.2. Raw material trendsChapter 4. Structural Adhesives Market, By Component 4.1. Structural adhesives market share by component, 2015 & 2024 4.2. Single component 4.2.1. Market estimates and forecasts, 2013 ? 2024 4.2.2. Market estimates and forecasts by region, 2013 ? 2024 4.3. Double component 4.3.1. Market estimates and forecasts, 2013 ? 2024 4.3.2. Market estimates and forecasts by region, 2013 ? 2024Get More Information @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 Report4 North Main Street,Selbyville, Delaware 19975USAPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email:sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:Blog: Acute Hospital Care Market 2018 Major Key Companies HCA Holdings, Inc., Community Health Systems LLC, Universal Health Services, Inc., Tenet Healthcare Corp.and Company Forecast 2023 Acute Hospital Care Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/4931 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/4931 Market ScenarioAcute care is a branch of health care in which short-term treatment is provided to patients with medical conditions such as severe injury and recovery from surgery. Acute conditions such as asthma attack, broken bone, bronchitis, burn, common cold, flu, heart attack, pneumonia, and others require treatment in acute hospital care. Various services are included in acute hospital care such as coronary care, intensive care, neonatal intensive care, cardiology, and others. The acute care market growth is majorly attributed due to the rising incidences of trauma injury, the presence of a large base of the patient population, increasing number of hospital, unmet medical needs in emerging economies. Moreover, the geriatric population having acute diseases are projected to boost the market growth over the forecast period.According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, during 2011-2014, asthma prevalence was 8.8% among all adults. During this period, asthma was more common among adults with obesity (11.1%) compared with adults in normal weight (7.1%) and overweight (7.8%) people.Get Sample Copy@As per reports from American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeon, broken bones are a common injury i.e an average of 6 million people in the U.S is likely to break a bone each year. Most of these broken bones heal without problems. However, about 300,000 patients are slow to heal or do not heal at all with traditional methods. Since broken bone is a common problem, it needs acute hospital care, Therefore, it is estimated to fuel the market growth during the forecast period.However, limited availability of facilities and equipment may hamper the market growth during the forecast period.The global acute hospital care market is expected to grow at a CAGR of ~7.8% during the forecast period 2017-2023.Intended AudiencePharmaceutical and Biotechnological CompaniesResearch and Development (R&D) CompaniesAmbulatory Care CentersHospitals and ClinicsAcademic Institutes and UniversitiesMarket Research and Consulting Service ProvidersPotential InvestorsSegmentationsThe global acute hospital care market is segmented on the basis of medical condition and services.On the basis of the medical condition, it is segmented into emergency care, urgent care, short-term stabilization, pre-hospital care, critical care, trauma care, and acute care surgery.On the basis of the services, it is segmented into coronary care, intensive care, neonatal intensive care, cardiology, and emergency department.Regional AnalysisThe Americas dominate the global acute hospital care market owing to well-developed technology, increasing patient population, high health care spending, and increasing government support for research & development. Furthermore, increased R&D activities and the concentration of major companies have fuelled the growth of the market in this region.Europe holds the second position in the global acute hospital care market owing to the government support for research & development and availability of funds for research. This is expected to continue to drive the European market over the forecasted period. For instance, developed economies such countries such as Germany and France are increasing investment in the healthcare domain and are focusing more on hospital infrastructure.Asia Pacific is the fastest growing acute hospital care market owing to the presence of rapidly developing healthcare technology, huge patient population, and high healthcare expenditure. Moreover, increasing demand for acute hospital care in countries like India and South Korea are likely to emerge as the fastest growing market across the globe. Furthermore, increasing demand for quality devices in the healthcare is projected to lead the use of advanced equipment, which, in turn, may increase the market growth in this region.On the other hand, the Middle East & Africa holds the least share of the market owing to less availability of funds, limited medical facilities, and deprived political conditions in Africa.Top Key PlayersSome of key the players in the market are HCA Holdings, Inc. (U.S.), Community Health Systems LLC (U.S.), Universal Health Services, Inc. (U.S.), Tenet Healthcare Corp. (U.S.), Vanguard Health System Inc. (U.S.), Ardent Health Services (U.S.), Kindred Healthcare, Inc. (U.S.), PruittHealth (U.S.), National HealthCare Corp.(U.S.), and others.For More Enquiry@Market Research Future has the distinguished objective of providing the optimal quality research and granular research to clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help answer your most important questions.Contact Us:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +91 841 198 5042Mail: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Digital Assurance Market 2025 Key Growth, Developments and Innovations - Accenture, Cognizant, Cigniti, Hexaware, SQS, TCS, Wipro ReportsWeb http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW00012188578/sample http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW00012188578/discount http://www.reportsweb.com/global-digital-assurance-market-size-status-and-forecast-2025 ReportsWeb Includes Global Digital Assurance Market Size Status and Forecast 2025 The aim of the study is to define, describe, and forecast the size on the basis of technologies, stages, components, applications, deployment types, organization size, industry types, and regions.Global Digital Assurance Market Size Status and Forecast 2025The major drivers of the market include increasing digital transformation initiatives, increasing use of DevOps and agile application development methodologies, increasing test automation for lower operational costs and enhanced quality assurance, and increasing Application Programming Interface (API) monitoring in the digital economy.This report focuses on the global top players, coveredCapgemini, Micro Focus, Accenture, Cognizant, Cigniti, Hexaware, SQS, TCS, WiproGet sample copy of this report:Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaMarket segment by Type, the product can be split intoApplication Programming Interface (API) testingFunctional testingNetwork testingPerformance testingSecurity testingUsability testingMarket segment by Application, split intoSmall and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)Large enterprisesGet Discount of this report:Table of Content:1 Industry Overview of Digital Assurance2 Global Digital Assurance Competition Analysis by Players3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 Capgemini3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Digital Assurance Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.2 Micro Focus3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Digital Assurance Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.3 Accenture3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Digital Assurance Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.4 Cognizant3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Digital Assurance Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)4 Global Digital Assurance Market Size by Type and Application (2013-2018)5 United States Digital Assurance Development Status and Outlook6 EU Digital Assurance Development Status and Outlook7 Japan Digital Assurance Development Status and Outlook8 China Digital Assurance Development Status and Outlook9 India Digital Assurance Development Status and Outlook10 Southeast Asia Digital Assurance Development Status and Outlook11 Market Forecast by Regions, Type and Application (2018-2025)12 Digital Assurance Market Dynamics13 Market Effect Factors AnalysisComplete Report:Contact Info:Name: Sameer JoshiEmail: sales@reportsweb.comOrganization: ReportsWebPhone: +1-646-491-9876ReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028 Storage as a Service Market 2018 by Major Product (Stand-Alone and Platform-Attached Storage, Cloud Archiving, Cloud Backup) and Global Forecasts to 2025 ReportsWeb http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW00012197435/sample http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW00012197435/discount http://www.reportsweb.com/global-storage-as-a-service-market-size-status-and-forecast-2018-2025 A comprehensive study of the Global Storage as a Service Market is been done in this intelligence report. It includes the investigations done on the past progress, ongoing market scenarios, and future prospects.Global Storage as a Service Market Size Status and Forecast 2018-2025Storage as a Service is a business model in which a large company rents space in their storage infrastructure to a smaller company or individual.The impact of the Dodd-Frank Act on the storage market will be a key factor spurring the growth prospects for this market during the estimated period. Recently, in the global financial sector, a number of rules and regulations for swaps came into effect under the Dodd-Frank Act. This act has completely overhauled the global financial sector by promoting financial stability and creating transparency and accountability in the financial systems. Since sectors like utilities, chemical, mining, airlines, agribusiness, and commerce require the implementation of appropriate business, management, and technology tools, the need for the Dodd-Frank Act will increase as it mandates record keeping for business documentation purposes.The Americas accounted for a market share of around 48% during 2017 and will be the largest region for this market until the end of 2023. In this region, the rising need for backup and data archiving in the cloud will lead to the strong growth of this market. In addition, the implementation of cloud-based storage solutions across industries like BFSI, healthcare, and education will also result in the growth of the market in the Americas.Get a Sample Copy atThe key players covered in this studyAT&T, AWS, Google, HPE, IBM, Microsoft, ...Market segment by Type, the product can be split intoStand-Alone and Platform-Attached StorageCloud ArchivingCloud BackupMarket segment by Application, split intoSmall and Medium EnterpriseLarge EnterpriseMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaCentral & South AmericaThe study objectives of this report are:To analyze global Storage as a Service status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players.To present the Storage as a Service development in United States, Europe and China.To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their development plan and strategies.To define, describe and forecast the market by product type, market and key regions.Check Discount atTable of Contents1 Report Overview1.1 Study Scope1.2 Key Market Segments1.3 Players Covered1.4 Market Analysis by Type1.4.1 Global Storage as a Service Market Size Growth Rate by Type (2013-2025)1.4.2 Stand-Alone and Platform-Attached Storage1.4.3 Cloud Archiving1.4.4 Cloud Backup1.5 Market by Application1.5.1 Global Storage as a Service Market Share by Application (2013-2025)1.5.2 Small and Medium Enterprise1.5.3 Large Enterprise1.6 Study Objectives1.7 Years Considered2 Global Growth Trends2.1 Storage as a Service Market Size2.2 Storage as a Service Growth Trends by Regions2.2.1 Storage as a Service Market Size by Regions (2013-2025)2.2.2 Storage as a Service Market Share by Regions (2013-2018)2.3 Industry Trends2.3.1 Market Top Trends2.3.2 Market Drivers2.3.3 Market Opportunities3 Market Share by Key Players3.1 Storage as a Service Market Size by Manufacturers3.1.1 Global Storage as a Service Revenue by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3.1.2 Global Storage as a Service Revenue Market Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3.1.3 Global Storage as a Service Market Concentration Ratio (CR5 and HHI)3.2 Storage as a Service Key Players Head office and Area Served3.3 Key Players Storage as a Service Product/Solution/Service3.4 Date of Enter into Storage as a Service Market3.5 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion Plans4 Breakdown Data by Type and Application4.1 Global Storage as a Service Market Size by Type (2013-2018)4.2 Global Storage as a Service Market Size by Application (2013-2018)See More atReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028 Global Aircraft Thrust Reverser Market 2018 Top Key Players Safran S.A., Nordam, UTC Aerospace Systems, Triumph Group, GKN Aerospace and Spirit AeroSystems Aircraft Thrust Reverser Market https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/2311 https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/2311 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/aircraft-thrust-reverser-market http://freeautomotivenews.com www.gminsights.com Market Overview:-Aircraft Thrust Reverser Market is anticipated to exceed USD 2.2 billion over the forecast timeframe. Increasing demand of products offering superior safety to the airplane during aborted takeoff and landing will drive industry growth. Implementation of aircraft thrust reverser provides supplementary force particularly on wet, icy and slippery runways. Growing demand for commercial airplane can be credited to increasing air passengers, infrastructure development and price affordability.Cascade is estimated to continue its dominance over the forecast study frame. The demand can be credited to growing installation in advanced new generation airplanes. Bucket aircraft thrust reverser is likely to exhibit growth at over 4% from 2017 to 2024. Shifting trends towards replacing the conventional air fleet with advanced aircraft will boost the product demand.Request For Sample Copy Of This Report @Electric aircraft thrust reverser market is likely to exhibit gains at 5.5% over the forecast timeframe. The product offers reduced weight owing to eliminating implementation of corrosive heavy fluids. Industry players are developing electric thrust reverser for airplane fleet. In 2016, hydraulics accounted for major share of aircraft thrust reverser market. The dominance can be credited to simplified installation and functioning of the system.Top Key Players:-The key players of global Aircraft Thrust Reverser Market are Triumph Group, GKN Aerospace, Safran S.A., Nordam and UTC Aerospace Systems.Regional Segmentations:-In 2016, North America aircraft thrust reverser market led by the U.S. contributed over 55% of the business share. The dominance can be credited to notable deliveries from the manufactures coupled with superior demand for single aisle airplanes in the region. The U.S. exports for airplanes and spacecraft accounted over USD 130 billion in 2015.Europe led by France, UK and Germany will witness significant growth in the exports over the forecast timeframe. Germany, UK and France collectively contributed around USD 115 billion in 2015. Stringent airline safety regulations in the region will positively drive the product penetration. Obligatory implementation, narrow and widebody airplane will support the aircraft thrust reverser market share.Asia Pacific led by Japan, India and China will witness robust growth up to 2024. This can be attributed to high demand for single aisle & widebody, proliferating passenger traffic, and regional deliveries. Growing population coupled with affordable air tariffs are the prime factors supporting the industry growth. Developing GDP, affordability, industry consolidation and stable economic performance will positively drive the aircraft thrust reverser market from 2017 to 2024.Make an inquiry before buying this report @Major Points of Table Of Content:-Chapter 1. Methodology and Scope1.1. Methodology1.1.1. Initial data exploration1.1.2. Statistical model and forecast1.1.3. Industry insights and validation1.1.4. Scope, definition and forecast parameters1.2. Data Sources1.2.1. Primary1.2.2. SecondaryChapter 2. Executive Summary2.1. Aircraft thrust reverser industry 3600 synopsis, 2013 - 20242.1.1. Business trends2.1.2. Product trends2.1.3. Aircraft trends2.1.4. Manufacturing Process trends2.1.5. Mechanism trends2.1.6. Regional trendsChapter 3. Aircraft Thrust Reverser Industry Insights3.1. Industry segmentation3.2. Industry landscape, 2013 - 20243.3. Industry ecosystem analysis3.3.1. Suppliers3.3.2. Manufacturers3.3.3. Profit margin analysis3.3.4. Distribution channel analysis3.4. Pricing analysis3.4.1. By region3.4.1.1. NA3.4.1.2. Europe3.4.1.3. APAC3.4.1.4. LATAM3.4.1.5. MEA3.5. Cost structure analysis3.6. Technology landscape3.7. Regulatory landscape3.7.1. U.S.3.7.2. EU3.7.3. China3.8. Industry impact forces3.8.1. Growth drivers3.8.1.1. North America3.8.1.2. Europe3.8.1.3. Asia Pacific3.8.1.4. LATAM3.8.1.5. MEA3.8.2. Industry pitfalls & challenges3.9. Innovation & sustainability3.10. Aircraft and spacecraft export by region3.11. Aircraft backlog by region3.12. Growth potential analysis3.13. Porter's analysis3.14. Competitive landscape, 20163.14.1. Company market share analysis3.14.2. Strategy dashboard3.15. PESTEL analysisBrowse Full Report @Hand layup accounted for over 50% volume share of aircraft thrust reverser market in 2016. Advancement of the process contributing mass production, enhanced manufacturing method and ease in fiber processing are the major factors boosting the business demand. AFT/ATP will exhibit over 4.5% CAGR up to 2024. Shifting trend towards advanced production process along with automation offering reduced processing time is attributed to product growth.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: 1-888-689-0688Auto Blog:Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb: E-commerce Payment Market Outlook to 2025 - CCBill, PayPal Holdings, Amazon Payments, WePay, Alipay, Visa, MasterCard Incorporated, Stripe, American Express Company, UnionPay International Co. Ltd. E-commerce Payment Market Growth Projections to 2025: Reach US$ 64.69 Million at 13.1% CAGR http://bit.ly/2L5f5M8 http://bit.ly/2L3wBk0 http://bit.ly/2MxHJdU http://bit.ly/2nNApwJ http://bit.ly/2MYek9F Global e-commerce payment market is expected to grow from US$ 24.26 Bn in 2017 to US$ 64.69 Mn by 2025 at a CAGR of 13.1% between 2018 and 2025.Owing to this, several global online merchants are willing to invest in this region. From SMART Money and Globe GCash in Malaysia to Alipay and Unipay in China, there are various solutions that are enabling the online merchants to connect and open their businesses to shoppers in Asia Pacific.An exclusive E-commerce Payment market research report created through broad primary research (inputs from industry experts, companies, and stakeholders) and secondary research, the report aims to present the analysis of Global E-commerce Payment Market By Type, By Application, By Region - North America, Europe, South America, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa. The report intends to provide cutting-edge market intelligence and help decision makers take sound investment evaluation. Besides, the report also identifies and analyses the emerging trends along with major drivers, challenges and opportunities in the global E-commerce Payment market. Additionally, the report also highlights market entry strategies for various companies across the globe.Request sample copy of this research study atLeading E-commerce Payment Market Players:1. PayPal Holdings, Inc.2. Amazon Payments, Inc.3. CCBill, LLC4. WePay Inc.5. Alipay6. Visa, Inc.7. MasterCard Incorporated8. Stripe Inc.9. American Express Company10. UnionPay International Co., Ltd.The Asia Pacific is one of the prominent regions in e-commerce payment market which is contributing highest revenue globally due to the presence of youth population. Also, rapidly growing economies in Asia-Pacific with significant growth in spending capacity will propel the growth for e-commerce payment market. The Asia Pacific is a diverse region, both in terms of culture as well as online payments. China, India and Australias sizable credit card base offers a robust foundation for advancement in e-commerce.Worldwide E-commerce Payment Market Analysis to 2025 is a specialized and in-depth study of the E-commerce Payment industry with a focus on the global market trend. The report aims to provide an overview of global E-commerce Payment market with detailed market segmentation by product/application and geography. The global E-commerce Payment market is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the E-commerce Payment players and offers key trends and opportunities in the market.ORDER a copy of this Research Report atThe report aims to provide an overview of global e-commerce payment market with detailed market segmentation. Also, it analyzes the current e-commerce payment market scenario and forecasts the market till 2025. The report covers market dynamics affecting the e-commerce payment market during the forecast period. Furthermore, the report analyzes the competitive scenario, geographic trends, and opportunities in the e-commerce payment market with respect to all geographic regions. The report also includes the detailed company profiles of the key players in the e-commerce payment market along with their market strategies. The report also provides value chain along with the SWOT analysis for all company profiled in the report.The report provides a detailed overview of the industry including both qualitative and quantitative information. It provides overview and forecast of the global E-commerce Payment market based on product and application. It also provides market size and forecast till 2025 for overall E-commerce Payment market with respect to five major regions, namely; North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South America (SAM), which is later sub-segmented by respective countries and segments. The report evaluates market dynamics effecting the market during the forecast period i.e., drivers, restraints, opportunities, and future trend and provides exhaustive PEST analysis for all five regions.Also, key E-commerce Payment market players influencing the market are profiled in the study along with their SWOT analysis and market strategies. The report also focuses on leading industry players with information such as company profiles, products and services offered, financial information of last 3 years, key development in past five years.Inquire for Discount atThe report focuses on an in-depth segmentation of e-commerce payment market based on type and industry. The geographic segmentation of the report covers five major regions including; North Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South America (SA). The regional e-commerce payment market has been further bifurcated by respective countries. By industry segment, service industry & others accounted for the largest share of the e-commerce payment market in 2017; whereas electronics & media is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.Reason to Buy:1. Save and reduce time carrying out entry-level research by identifying the growth, size, leading players and segments in the global E-commerce Payment market2. Highlights key business priorities in order to assist companies to realign their business strategies.3. The key findings and recommendations highlight crucial progressive industry trends in the E-commerce Payment market, thereby allowing players to develop effective long term strategies.4. Develop/modify business expansion plans by using substantial growth offering developed and emerging markets.5. Scrutinize in-depth global market trends and outlook coupled with the factors driving the market, as well as those hindering it.6. Enhance the decision-making process by understanding the strategies that underpin commercial interest with respect to products, segmentation and industry verticals.For More Information atKey questions answered in this Research Study:1. What will the market size and the growth rate be in 2025?2. What are the key factors driving the Global E-commerce Payment Market?3. What are the key market trends impacting the growth of the Global E-commerce Payment Market?4. What are the challenges to market growth?5. Who are the key players in the Global E-commerce Payment Market?6. What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the prominant palyers in the Global E-commerce Payment Market?7. What are the trending factors influencing the Global E-commerce Payment Market shares of the North Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South America (SA)?8. What are the key outcomes of the SWOT analysis and PEST analysis of the Global E-commerce Payment Market?E-commerce payment market is experiencing growth all across the globe, with the rising preference for making online payments due to the availability of several payment methods. Furthermore, the rising adoption of smartphones and availability of internet is also propelling the e-commerce payment market growth. Moreover, the increasing number of banking population and digitalization, the e-commerce payment market is anticipated to flourish during the forecast period.Get Complete Report With TOC and Company Profiles atAbout Us:The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We are a specialist in Technology, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Automotive and Defense.Contact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@theinsightpartners.com LTE-Advanced Mobile Technologies Market Analysis by Key Players like Nokia, Alcatel-Lucent, EE Limited, Cisco, Ericsson, AT&T, Huawei, Samsung, NTT Docomo, LG, ZTE LTE-Advanced Mobile Technologies Market http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW00012198910/sample http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW00012198910/discount http://www.reportsweb.com/buy&RW00012198910/buy/3900 Market Research Report on LTE-Advanced Mobile Technologies Industry providing Global Market Landscape, Profiles of Leading Companies, Customized Competitive Intelligence, Detailed Geographical Coverage and its Growth Prospects over the coming years till 2025 is now available at ReportsWeb.com.This report studies the global LTE-Advanced Mobile Technologies market status and forecast, categorizes the global LTE-Advanced Mobile Technologies market size (value & volume) by key players, type, application, and region. This report focuses on the top players in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, and Middle East & Africa.LTE-Advanced Mobile Technologies companies include Nokia, Alcatel-Lucent, EE Limited, Cisco, Ericsson, AT&T, Huawei, Samsung, NTT Docomo, LG, ZTE, SK Telecom, Royal KPN, and among others....Get PDF Brochure @Besides, the report also covers segment data, including: type segment, industry segment, channel segment etc. cover different segment market size, both volume and value. Also cover different industries clients information, which is very important for the manufacturers.Market segment by Type, the product can be split intoCoordinated Multi-Point TechnologyRelay TechnologyCarrier Aggregation TechnologyOtherMarket segment by Application, split intoMobile VideoConnected CarsCloud ApplicationsIoT ApplicationsOtherMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaCentral & South AmericaIf you need more information, please contact Publisher.INQUIRE before Purchase for Discount on Global LTE-Advanced Mobile Technologies Market Report @Table of ContentsGlobal LTE-Advanced Mobile Technologies Market Size, Status and Forecast 20251 Report Overview1.1 Study Scope1.2 Key Market Segments1.3 Players Covered1.4 Market Analysis by Type1.4.1 Global LTE-Advanced Mobile Technologies Market Size Growth Rate by Type (2013-2025)1.4.2 Long Term1.4.3 Short Term1.5 Market by Application1.5.1 Global LTE-Advanced Mobile Technologies Market Share by Application (2013-2025)1.5.2 Individuals1.5.3 Enterprises1.6 Study Objectives1.7 Years Considered2 Global Growth Trends3 Market Share by Key Players3.1 LTE-Advanced Mobile Technologies Market Size by Manufacturers3.1.1 Global LTE-Advanced Mobile Technologies Revenue by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3.1.2 Global LTE-Advanced Mobile Technologies Revenue Market Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3.1.3 Global LTE-Advanced Mobile Technologies Market Concentration Ratio (CR5 and HHI)3.2 LTE-Advanced Mobile Technologies Key Players Head office and Area Served3.3 Key Players LTE-Advanced Mobile Technologies Product/Solution/Service3.4 Date of Enter into LTE-Advanced Mobile Technologies Market3.5 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion Plans4 Breakdown Data by Type and Application12 International Players Profiles12.1 Nokia12.1.1 Nokia Company Details12.1.2 Company Description and Business Overview12.1.3 LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) Mobile Technologies Introduction12.1.4 Nokia Revenue in LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) Mobile Technologies Business (2013-2018)12.1.5 Nokia Recent Development12.2 Alcatel-Lucent12.2.1 Alcatel-Lucent Company Details12.2.2 Company Description and Business Overview12.2.3 LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) Mobile Technologies Introduction12.2.4 Alcatel-Lucent Revenue in LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) Mobile Technologies Business (2013-2018)12.2.5 Alcatel-Lucent Recent Development12.3 EE Limited12.3.1 EE Limited Company Details12.3.2 Company Description and Business Overview12.3.3 LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) Mobile Technologies Introduction12.3.4 EE Limited Revenue in LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) Mobile Technologies Business (2013-2018)12.3.5 EE Limited Recent Development12.4 Cisco12.4.1 Cisco Company Details12.4.2 Company Description and Business Overview12.4.3 LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) Mobile Technologies Introduction12.4.4 Cisco Revenue in LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) Mobile Technologies Business (2013-2018)12.4.5 Cisco Recent Development13 Market Forecast 2018-202513.1 Market Size Forecast by Regions13.2 United States13.3 Europe13.4 China13.5 Japan13.6 Southeast Asia13.7 India13.8 Central & South America13.9 Market Size Forecast by Product (2018-2025)13.10 Market Size Forecast by Application (2018-2025)Place a DIRECT Purchase order for complete report @Note: If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.ReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.Contact Info:Name: Sameer JoshiOrganization: ReportsWebPhone: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.com Beneath Camp Meriwether's flagpole stood 11 girls, right arms bent and raised to their brows in a salute. In that moment, they made history. The girls were among 200 boys at Camp Meriwether, Oregon's historic Boy Scouts camp, as they became pioneers in breaking down the 108-year-old scouting organization's gender barrier.The Boy Scouts of America officially introduce girls into its upper ranks early next year, but Camp Meriwether is taking the lead as the only scout camp in the Cascade Pacific Council to open its doors early to a handful of girls, 11 to 15, in preparation for a full transition into a coed camp next summer. The girls are organized into posts, or "prototroops," as Todd McDonald, director of program and member experience for the Cascade Pacific Council calls them. They spent this week firing arrows, kayaking and camping in the woods as part of a weeklong summer camp at Camp Meriwether, the nationally recognized Boy Scout camp on the central Oregon coast. "Words can't describe how excited and enthusiastic and supportive the community is right now," Matthew Devore, CEO of the Cascade Pacific Council, said of the incorporation of girls into all aspects of scouting by Feb. 1, 2019. At that time, the Boy Scouts program name will become Scouts BSA, though Boy Scouts of America will remain the organization's name. Camp Meriwether, on 780 acres nestled between Cape Lookout State Park and Sand Lake Recreation Area, has served up summer experiences to hundreds of thousands of boys since being established in 1926. "The girls have been saying for years that they just want to do the same stuff as the boys," McDonald said. Last week, they did. The dense fog, spread like a blanket over the camp Tuesday morning, didn't slow the kids down. The sound of waves tumbling along 2 miles of oceanfront served as a soundtrack for dozens of excited voices as the boys and girls prepared for their day of sand surfing, metal working and basketry. The 11 girls split between two posts meandered around their campsite, braiding their hair, slinging backpacks over their shoulders. It was 7:30 a.m., and they were about to head to a flag-raising ceremony. This was one of Sydney King's favorite parts. After lowering her arm at the first flag ceremony that week, King heard one boy say to another, "Oh, the girls actually do know how to salute." "You have to show that girls should be there," said King, 15, who attended Meriwether this week with Post 868 out of Beaverton. Though there were a number of logistics to sort through in making the camp coed -- designating some bathrooms and showers girls only, for example -- the community has "a great deal of willingness to say, 'Let's figure this out," said Kaleen Deatherage, family scouting chair for the Pacific Cascade Council, which oversees scouting regions in northern Oregon and southern Washington. This trail-blazing mentality is what helped quickly give girls the opportunity to experience the Boy Scouts from more than just the sidelines or less-established coed programs, such as Venturing Crews. "It's wonderful to get them connected to nature and disconnected from the rest of the world," Devore said. "It's really amazing how hungry young people in this area are for outdoor experiences." One goal of bringing the first batch of girls to camp this summer was to prepare them to help lead the dozens of girl troops that will spring up across the state early next year. John Cimral, who leads Post 555 out of Westlin, attended camp this week with five girls, including his 15-year-old daughter, Juliana. He hopes she will be one of the first girls to achieve the nationally recognized designation of Eagle Scout, the highest rank the Boy Scouts offers. His son, Juliana's twin, achieved the rank two weeks ago. Cimral, who graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1975 at a time where women weren't yet admitted, called the scouts' decision a "huge, important change." "I'm lucky because these changes come through very seldom," he said. "For my daughter to be on the edge of history is cool." Registration for summer 2019 is already open on Camp Meriwether's website, with six of its eight summer weeklong sessions listed as coed. The other two sessions are boys only. --Anna Spoerre Music can transcend boundaries and benefit people of all backgrounds. Two non-profit groups are working together to assist children in Uganda through a music program with the help of local sponsors. Agape Community Transformation Uganda began in 2003 when a Ugandan woman, Generous Turinawe, sent out letters to international organizations asking for aid for villagers in Muko, Uganda. Sue Waechter, of Midland, was the only one to respond to the letter and eventually formed ACT U.S. ACT U.S. and ACT Uganda's ministry branched out from purchasing an ambulance to implementing sustainable farming practices, sponsoring orphans, founding a high school, making crafts and beginning a music program. Waechter eventually recruited other Midlanders to the organization, including former resident Karen Viele, who became involved with ACT Uganda nearly 10 years ago. "(My husband and I) went over for the first time in 2010 and at that time I was going to be a sponsor (of an orphan)," Viele explained. Shortly after their trip to Muko, the team leader of the orphan sponsorship program left and Viele stepped up to the plate. Having conducted orchestras at H. H. Dow High and Northeast Middle schools for 14 years, Viele wanted to share music with the residents of Muko; in 2012 ACT formed the Muko Uganda Stringed Instruments for Children program with Viele as the team leader. "We started with taking 70 recorders and we started teaching them how to read music. The next time we took violins," Viele said. Viele's team hosted recitals and puppet shows for the children, hoping to pique their interest in music. One individual named Howard Biryomuriwe came up to Viele and impressed her with his performance of an adungu, a Ugandan instrument similar to a harp. "That young man became our teacher. He was very naturally talented," Viele stated. Today the MUSIC program teaches traditional Ugandan music as well as Western songs to high school youth. Biryomuriwe expanded his repertoire from the adungu to violin, viola and cello and travels around Muko on his motorcycle - often carrying instruments - to teach 50 musicians. This spring the MUSIC program received a donation of 46 instruments from Marshall Music Co., based in Lansing. Transporting the collection of gently used stringed instruments will take the MUSIC team several trips, but the outcome is well worth the effort. "It's allowing us to expand our program from the Muko high school kids to primary schools." In addition to reaching younger students, Viele hopes the donated instruments will be used to teach at summer camps in Muko, begin a community orchestra, play at important events, and to show musicians how to properly care for the instruments themselves. The ultimate goal is for the students to learn something that they will use the rest of their lives. "Music is such a bonding experience," she said. "When you come together with other people and make music, it's an amazing thing." Viele and the MUSIC team continue to accept donations of instruments in sturdy, full working condition. Those interested in making a donation can contact Viele at 989-430-6136 or ksmov3@gmail.com For more information about ACT Uganda and ACT U.S., visit www.actuganda.org Sentences may vary based on previous offenses committed by the defendant. Some sentences include other fees imposed by the state. Compiled by reporter Kelly Dame. The following people were sentenced recently in Midland County's 42nd Circuit Court by Judge Michael J. Beale or Judge Stephen P. Carras: The Midland County Foster Closet will be hosting an open house next week to share its vision for children in the Midland County Foster System. The Closet, located at Holy Family Episcopal Church, 4611 Swede Ave., will be open for tours from 4-6 p.m. on Thursday. The mission of the Closet is to provide clothing, shoes, outerwear, new toys, personal hygiene goods, new books, baby equipment and other items to foster children from infancy to age 18. Organization President Nancy Wolanin of Midland explained how crucial the Closet is in helping local children who are placed in foster care or a court-ordered family placement. "Often the kids are placed very quickly and they come with very little," she said. Wolanin noted that when there are reports of a drug-related arrest in the news, it may mean children need to be removed from the premises on short notice. "They may leave in the middle of the night and can't take anything with them -- not a favorite blanket, or stuffed animal or clothes," she said. That's where the Foster Closet steps in by providing essential items. The Foster Closet is a 501(c)(3) organization that is less than two years old. It has a six-member board of volunteers that grew out of members of Midland Area Interfaith Friends who wanted to do something to make a difference in the community. The group is not associated with any church, but uses space donated by both Holy Family Episcopal and Floyd Church of God, Wolanin said. She said the Foster Closet has helped children from 1 week to 18 years of age. "I still get my fix to help children... It's very fulfilling," said the retired teacher, who will turn 69 on Monday. Items will not be distributed during the open house. Foster families will need to set up an appointment to return on Tuesday, Aug. 28, from 4-6 p.m. for the Closet's "Back to School" event. To donate or for more information about the Midland County Foster Closet, call 989-513-0568; email info@midlandfostercloset.com; or on the web go to www.midlandcountyfostercloset.com. Wolanin explained how local drug abuse affects more than the people arrested, when the suspects have families. "The fallout is that kids are often times being take out of their homes. We can't necessarily help those parents, but we can certainly help their children." To the editor: Nationally, one in five adolescents ages 13-18 have or will have a serious mental illness. Almost 50 percent of students with a mental illness age 14 and older drop out of high school. About 80 percent wont receive counseling or any other forms of treatment and without treatment, adolescents with mental illness will go on to suffer for a lifetime. In school, mental illness is often mistaken for behavioral issues and can negatively impact the learning environment for all students. Mental illness in schools does not simply impact the student, but classroom learning, school climate and ultimately greater society. Mental illness can present in many ways, for students however, symptoms are often perceived as disruptive behavior. This disruptive behavior can frequently be associated with a mental health diagnosis, but unfortunately is rarely treated as such. Students with mental illness are six times more likely to be suspended, expelled or arrested. It is important to note the School-to-Prison Pipeline phenomena and its economic repercussions. Children with mental illness disproportionately comprise the school to prison pipeline and it costs the citizens of Michigan $35,809 to house an inmate for a year. The yearly economic burden of mental illness in the United States is $57.5 billion. These economic and social impacts necessitate the improvement of mental health services in schools. Counselors are one of the few school professionals trained to recognize the symptoms of mental illness. However, there is a critical lack of counselors in Michigans schools. This is a direct result of the lack of adequate school funding in the state. Clearly, Michigan schools are in dire need of more school counselors in order to meet the needs of students in many areas, but perhaps most importantly their mental, social, and emotional health needs. The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommends a student to counselor ratio of 250 to 1. The current student to counselor ratio in the United States is 482 to one. Currently in Michigan, the average student to school counselor ratio has risen 15 percent over the past ten years, from 634 students per counselor to 729. Michigan House Bill 5874 is an attempt to increase resources for the mental health of Michigans youth and would require all Michigan school districts to employ a minimum of one counselor for every 450 students enrolled. It is crucial and urgent that Michigans citizens contact Rep. Tim Kelly, chair of the Michigan House Committee on Education Reform, and urge him to add House Bill 5874 to the agenda at the next Committee meeting for review. The time to address the mental health needs of Michigans youth is now. The Honorable Tim Kelly Michigan House of Representatives N-1198 House Office Building P.O. Box 30014 517-373-0837 TimKelly@house.mi.gov Twitter: @timothykelly KIM HARCHELROAD Midland To the editor: Kowtow to Russian dictators, Mr. Manville writes. Mr. Manville, do you remember any time since the Cold War that any president has sent almost a hundred missiles against a major Russian ally? I dont. If I remember correctly some of the missiles landed around Russian troops and some Russian contractors, which were probably Russian troops anyhow, and some were hurt or killed. Also know he has put some very hard sanctions on Russia. But I also remember President Barack Obama, cutting a large percent out of our first line fighter budget so there was not enough spare parts and very little maintenance. I also remember Obama having a redline about gassing women and children and did nothing. With a president like that, no wonder the Russians felt emboldened, and invaded its neighbors. Now I agree with you, that President Donald Trump is no statesman no 50-year politician, and maybe a little different at times. But weve had other different presidents like Bill Clinton. And as far as other politicians, look at Chuck Schumer, Maxine Waters and Nancy Pelosi. We can no longer completely rely on the White House," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told the Funke newspaper group. And that is the way it should be when you live under American protection, and dont even pay what you agreed upon to help defend yourself, and then buy billions of dollars of gas and oil from Russia to help with their military buildup. Yes, Mr. Manville you are right about everything. PHILIP WALKER Sanford In June, a controversial bill was signed into law in Rhode Island that allows a drug dealer to be given a life sentence if their clients overdose. The new law known as Kristens Law was named after 29-year-old Kristen Coutu, who died in 2014 from heroin laced with fentanyl. Despite the laws seemingly good intentions, many public health officials argue that it could criminalize addicted users while simultaneously failing to combat the opioid crisis, an argument supported by reporting from The Appeals Abdullah Shihipar and Meghan Peterson. There are multiple concerns over Kristens Law, which were expressed in a June 13 letter from opponents to Gov. Gina Raimondo before she signed it into law. First, charging a dealer with a homicide means the dealer had intent to kill. However, in a 2017 study of illicit opioid users in Rhode Island in the International Journal of Drug Policy, many of them said they didnt prefer fentanyl. Many of the users also couldnt identify fentanyl if it was in their drugs. Another concern is that the law goes after drug dealers, a term that is expansively defined. Due to this broad definition, some fear it could include a person who simply shares drugs with a friend. The opponents letter to Raimondo said: The bills language does not prevent the prosecution of small time dealers who trade or sell drugs, and who may themselves struggle with substance use disorder, or those who provide drugs to a friend for a few dollars or in exchange for a bed for the night. It is these individuals, not drug kingpins, who are most likely to get charged under this law, and who will almost certainly be forced to plead rather than risk facing the harsh punishment this bill metes out. To add to the list of concerns, this law will have the greatest impact on minorities, creating an even worse racial disparity in the state. According to the ACLU of Rhode Island, the states black residents are three times more likely to be arrested for drug possession than whites. Finally, health officials fear the impact on how many people will call 911 when they witness an overdose. A 2002 survey published in the Journal of Addictive Diseases revealed that 75 percent of people who witnessed an overdose said concerns about police involvement delayed their 911 call. In response, the Rhode Island Senate added in a Good Samaritan clause thats supposed to protect dealers or anyone who calls to report the overdose, and essentially help the victim. However, several lawmakers expressed concern that the mere existence of the law will cause other people involved in the overdose to flee the scene without calling 911 for fear of being charged with a homicide. Democratic House Speaker for the Rhode Island House of Representatives Nicholas Mattiello sponsored the bill that faced backlash from health officials and his colleagues. Rep. Moira Walsh (D-Providence), who said her brother is a heroin addict, argued, This will save not lives, it will ruin them. She went on to say, This is the second bill offered by the Attorney General, whose solution to this crisis seems to be to incarcerate all of those affected by it. At the end of her argument she told her brother, No matter what the final vote tally is, I love you and you are not a murderer. Rep. Michael Chippendale (R-Foster) voiced similar fears to Walshs: My fear is were going to kill more people with this bill, he said. Rhode Island, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Kansas and Pennsylvania have all passed drug-induced homicide laws. Two Pennsylvania nonprofits are in the running for a $25,000 grant from the State Farm Neighborhood Assist program. Contact Helpline, a nonprofit based in Lower Paxton Township and The Habitat Homeownership Program: Valley Street Project, an Easton nonprofit are two of 200 finalists for forty $25,000 grants. State Farm Neighborhood Assist will award $25,000 grants to 40 different nonprofits across the United States. The program has three phases. First, the nonprofits were nominated. Next, the State Farm Review Committee narrowed down the submissions to the top 200. The two nonprofits are part of the third phase where the public will vote to select the top 40. Each of the top 40 organizations will then receive a $25,000 grant. Anyone can vote up to 10 times a day at www.neighborhoodassist.com between now and 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 24. Voting began on Wednesday. Contact Helpline, a Harrisburg-area nonprofit provides callers from around the country, around the clock listening and health/human services information and referrals. Contact Helpline is also the PA 2-1-1 provider of information and referral to health and human services in eleven counties. Between information and referral calls, the nonprofit says it is on target to take 60,000 total calls in 2018, up from 43,000 total calls in 2017. The nonprofit was founded in 1970. The $25,000 grant would be used to hire additional staff to serve the nonprofit's growing call volume, the nonprofit said. Habitat for Humanity of the Lehigh Valley's Homeownership Program serves low income families in Northampton and Lehigh counties. As of 4 p.m. on Friday Habitat for Humanity of the Lehigh Valley's Homeownership Program was ranked no. 122 and Contact Helpline was ranked no. 133. The winners will be announced on Sept. 25. Hurricane Diane in 1955 dumped more than 10 inches of rain in eastern Pennsylvania, Aug. 18-19. Diane came just days after Hurricane Connie on Aug. 12-13. Hurricanes Connie on Aug. 12-13 and Diane on Aug. 18-19 dealt Pennsylvania a flood disaster. More than a foot of rain from the combined storms fell on eastern Pennsylvania. Nearly 100 people died. Particularly hard hit were communities along the Delaware River, Roaring Brook and Brodhead Creek including Scranton, Easton, Stroudsburg and East Stroudsburg where multiple roads and bridges were washed away. Communities had no electricity and no telephone service. The Evening News on Aug. 20, 1955, put the death toll in Northeast Pa. at 46 including 26 in the Stroudsburg area. Deaths from Diane also were reported in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and Rhode Island. On Aug. 22, The Evening News reported that people in the flooded areas also were faced with a threat from typhoid fever. President Dwight Eisenhower flew over the flooded areas then met with the governors of the states affected. Eisenhower put a rush on a $80 million flood relief package to help. Gov. George Leader and other state officials toured the flood damaged areas including Scranton and Stroudsburg, which were deemed "critical." On Aug. 26, state lawmakers agreed on a 1 cent gas tax increase to raise $57 million to pay for flood damage. In the civil war erupting over the future of the Miss America pageant - with former winners and state organizers at odds over the controversial new leadership of Gretchen Carlson - one voice had been notably absent: Miss America's. But now the reigning titleholder, Cara Mund, is speaking out, describing a desperately unhappy year in a job that once turned young women into pop-culture sensations. In a letter to several former Miss Americas on Wednesday, the 24-year-old North Dakota native blasted Carlson's team for having "silenced me, reduced me, marginalized me, and essentially erased me in my role as Miss America." Mund, a graduate of Brown University, described being sidelined at key meetings and media events, undermined by pageant staff, criticized for her clothing choices and barred from penning her own social-media posts. "My voice is not heard nor wanted by our current leadership," she wrote, "nor do they have any interest in knowing who I am and how my experiences relate to positioning the organization for the future." And she claims that she has been punished for giving an interview this month to the Press of Atlantic City newspaper. After the publication of the story, in which she acknowledged "it's been a tough year," she was told her farewell appearance at next month's pageant would be limited to 30 seconds. "I haven't felt like Miss America for the last 8 months, and now, they are even taking away my goodbye," Mund wrote. The letter is the latest blow to the struggling 97-year-old pageant during a season that some had hoped would mark its comeback. Carlson, the former Fox News host - and Miss America 1989 - took over as chair in January after the ouster of longtime CEO Sam Haskell, for emails in which he mocked and disparaged several former Miss Americas. Her announcement in early June that Miss America would get rid of its age-old swimsuit competition - a move she said would open up the pageant to more women by emphasizing brains and accomplishment - made national headlines. But it also triggered a rift in the network of volunteers and boosters who keep the pageantry going. Twenty-two state pageant organizers issued a call for her resignation and four new board members left the organization, alleging that they were misled about the reasons for axing the swimsuit contest amid other complaints about governance; last month, Marjorie Vincent-Tripp, Miss America 1991 and an assistant state attorney general in Florida, resigned from her new role as head of the group's scholarship fundraising arm. And last week, 11 former Miss Americas echoed the call for Carlson's removal. It's unclear whether any of this criticism will gain traction - but it seems guaranteed to make for an uncomfortable time in Atlantic City next month, when the pageant world gathers to crown a new Miss America. The Miss America Organization - Mund's official employer for the next three weeks - did not immediately respond to The Washington Post's inquiry about her letter Friday. In an interview last month, Carlson attributed the criticism to "a vocal minority" and that "change is difficult." Mund wrote in her letter that after Carlson's board took over in January, she "was given three talking points" and told to stick to them: That "Miss America is relevant"; that "the #MeToo movement started with a Miss America" (Carlson, who sued her Fox News boss Roger Ailes for sexual harassment in 2016); and that both she and Carlson were graduates of elite colleges. "Right away, the new leadership delivered an important message: There will be only one Miss America at a time, and she isn't me," Mund wrote. She noted that Carlson was the only person used to talk publicly about the pageant's changes, even though "I, as a young leader, have firsthand knowledge and experience regarding the ways in which MAO is supposedly poised for the future," Mund wrote. And at a meeting with this year's contestants, Mund said she was not permitted to speak openly and the organization's new president, Regina Hopper, referred to her by another Miss America's name. "It was another low point for me," she wrote. "No Miss America should be humiliated or erased. Ever." While past Miss Americas had clothing provided by sponsors for their year of public events, the organization did not secure a sponsorship this year, and Mund "spent all year buying my own appearance wardrobe," she wrote. "Most of what I bought was rejected, and I was told what I wasn't permitted to wear. What happened to the new motto of Miss America getting to express her own sense of style?" Reporter Amy Argetsinger wrote this story. (c) 2018, The Washington Post MONTPELIER, Vermont -- A former Vermont utility executive on Tuesday became the first transgender candidate from a major political party to be nominated for governor, and she'll face the Republican incumbent who survived a bitter backlash from his base over gun restrictions he supported. FILE - In this April 11, 2018, file photo, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott speaks before signing a gun restrictions bill on the steps of the Statehouse in Montpelier, Vt. Scott, despite a backlash from his base over gun restrictions he supported, won his party's primary to seek a second term as governor on Tuesday, Aug. 14. GOP Gov. Phil Scott defeated a challenge from Springfield businessman Keith Stern in his quest to win a second term. He will face Christine Hallquist, who won the Democratic primary to run for the state's highest office in November, when she would become the nation's first transgender governor if elected. Scott said he expected the race to be closer than it was. "I know there are some who are still upset with me who may not welcome tonight's result but there's so much more that unites us than sets us apart," Scott said. "And no one agrees with their friends all the time, but as our success shows we can make a lot of good progress when we have clear priorities and we pull in the same direction." Hallquist said her campaign would focus on improving the state's economy, yet she acknowledged the symbolism of being an openly transgender candidate. "The whole world is looking at this as a historic moment for a transgender candidate, but that's not what Vermont looked at," Hallquist said. "Vermonters looked at, 'What's Christine and her team going to do for Vermont?'" "Look to Vermont," she said. "We continue to demonstrate leadership in civil rights and how to honor and work with each other. We can be a beacon for the rest of the world." Vermont Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ethan Sonneborn, who is a 14-year old student, talks with supporters at his election night party in Winooski, Vt., Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2018. Sonneborn has taken advantage of a quirk in state law that doesn't require gubernatorial candidates to be registered voters. Scott, first elected in 2016, faced a rebellion from his base due to his support for a series of gun restrictions that, while mild by national standards, angered many members of Vermont's avid hunting community. The restrictions, which Scott signed into law in April, came after the arrest of a teenager on charges he was plotting a school shooting. They included raising the age to buy firearms from 18 to 21, restricting the size of gun magazines and requiring background checks for most private gun sales. Scott will seek re-election by continuing his pledge to make the state more affordable, not raise taxes or fees, foster a better environment for businesses and attract newcomers to the state. Hallquist defeated environmental activist James Ehlers; dance festival organizer Brenda Siegel; and 14-year-old student Ethan Sonneborn, who was on the ballot because a quirk in state law doesn't require candidates to be of voting age. Democratic state Sen. John Rodgers, from Vermont's remote and conservative Northeast Kingdom, failed in his bid for a grassroots write-in campaign, largely motivated by his displeasure with firearms restrictions. -- Wilson Ring of the Associated Press wrote this story. Two firefighters are expected to recover from injuries they sustained while fighting a fire caused by lightning. Crews in Palmyra were dispatched at 6:23 p.m. Friday to the 200 block of Parliament Drive for a reported fire, CBS21 reports. Officials believe a lightning strike sparked a fire in the attic of the residence. Two people inside of the residence were able to get out safely, according to the report. Two firefighters were spraying the house from the inside when ceiling came down on top of them. The firefighters were taken to a local hospital for treatment, Deputy Fire Chief Travis Duncan with Palmyra Fire Company told CBS21. Two years ago, Penn State University agreed to pay approximately $93 million in compensation to 33 victims of Jerry Sandusky. Within a year, Penn State's settlement - which was administered on merit and case by case - had grown to $109 million. At the time, it was one of the largest sex abuse settlements for an American university. This year, the $500-million settlement brokered between Michigan State and the 332 victims of convicted rapist Larry Nassar, a former university physician, eclipsed Penn State's settlement. Neither has yet surpassed the whopping 2007 victims settlement of $650-million out of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles. All are poised to serve as blueprints for what could be an historic reparations settlement between six Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania and untold thousands of victims who were raped as children by priests. The idea has emerged in the wake of a scathing 1,400-page report out of the 40th Statewide Investigating Grand Jury. In its findings made public this week, the grand jury found that over the course of six decades, 301 priests had raped and sexually molested some 1,000 children across the dioceses. Attorney General Josh Shapiro warns that there are thousands of other victims. Investigators from the state Office of Attorney General predict that hundreds more victims are likely to come forward. Shapiro has set up a hotline for clergy sex abuse victims and has stressed that his investigation is not over. Since 2002, when the clergy sex abuse scandal in the Archdiocese of Boston made headlines, Catholic dioceses across the country have increasingly entered into such agreements amid allegations that church leaders have helped to shield predators for years. To be sure, the idea has its supporters and detractors. Camille Biros, who has authored and implemented several landmark victims compensation programs, espouses their success. "These cases are all barred by statute of limitations," said Biros, fund administrator for the Feinberg Rozen Law Firm. The firm brokered compensation programs for victims of 9/11, the BP Gulf oil spill, Penn State and now those sexually abused by clergy in five dioceses in New York, including the flagship archdiocese. "These people for years got nothing. Received nothing. It was almost as if they didn't exist and their cases were not real. All of the sudden there's a program where they are being recognized and it's acknowledge that this happened." Victims advocate state Rep. Mark Rozzi, on the other hand, worries that a victims reparations program will leave out a sizable community of victims. "The majority of victims of sexual abuse have nothing to do with Catholic clergy," said Rozzi, a Berks County Democrat who himself was abused by a priest when he was 13. "We are shutting out so many other victims from seeking that same justice that clergy abuse victims would get." Biros acknowledges settlements from victims funds typically come nowhere near the compensation offered to victims out of court settlements. However, she finds that victims are typically open to the narrower criteria required by victims funds - including considerably lower levels of proof. Biros is working on the victims fund brokered with the Archdiocese of New York and four other dioceses from that state. She previously executed similar funds for the diocese in Brooklyn, Long Island and Syracuse, among others. Her firm sets up the program, reviews and determines eligibility and compensation offers case by case. "I think it's helpful," Biros said. "People are in various economic situations. If you have somebody who is all of the sudden hospitalized or paralyzed, an influx of some financial assistance is extremely welcomed. Some of these people are in dire straits. They have been in therapy for years. In a lot of cases, one constant characteristic is that the effect on lives is dramatic and everlasting. ..Having additional money is very helpful... it's by no means closure. No one ever uses that word." On that much Judith Weiss Collins agrees. The Lehigh Valley resident says her life has been devastated by the sexual abuse she suffered as a girl at the hands of a priest from the Diocese of Allentown, one of the six dioceses in the report. "I don't want their money but that is the only recourse I have," Weiss Collins said. "What I really want is to have my childhood back and that is not going to happen but at the same time, you can't put finances before the welfare of children." Weiss Collins, 66, says she was sexally abused as a child by a former Allentown Diocese priest, Monsignor Thomas Benestad, now of the Diocese of Palm Beach in Florida. The grand jury report notes in graphic detail what investigators deemed as credible accusations against Benestad: that the priest from 1981 to 1983 sexually abused a boy starting when the boy was nine when he was a student at St. Bernard's Catholic School in Easton. In 2011, then a young man, the victim reported the abuse to the Northampton County District Attorney's Office. In delivering the findings of the grand jury to the public this week, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro noted the citation in the report of how the priest sexually molested the boy then squirted holy water into the youngster's mouth "to purify him." Weiss Collins says Benestad had other victims, in addition to her and the victim detailed in the report. In an email to PennLive, the Diocese of Palm Beach, said that in 2007, Benestad relocated on medical leave of absence from the Diocese of Allentown, to Boca Raton. The Diocese of Allentown advised the Diocese of Palm Beach that Benestad was a priest in good standing, "that there were no impediments to his ministry, and that the Bishop of Allentown at the time, had no objection to his ministry in the Diocese of Palm Beach." Allentown deemed Benestad of good moral character and fit for the duties of this office. After credible allegations of sexual abuse of minors were received on the priest, the Diocese of Palm Beach removed him from ministry in 2011. Benestad has not functioned as a priest in any parish in the diocese since that year. According to a report this week in the Palm Beach Post, Benestad's attorney sent a letter to the grand jury explaining how the Vatican in 2014 cleared the 73-year-old priest of wrongdoing. "Monsignor Benestad has never done anything that would be deemed inappropriate with any individual," attorney John Waldron wrote to the grand jury on Benestad's behalf, the report notes. "Officials in Rome ... adjudicated Monsignor Benestad's case" and found there was no reason to place any restrictions on his ministry, Waldron wrote. Weiss Collins says that even though the abuse destroyed her life, she has not previously entertained the idea of a monetary settlement. But she says a settlement fund would be "a lot gentler than suing" the church. "Some people think we are doing this for the money," she said. "I told (Bishop Alfred) Schlert that I have exposed my vagina to the world. There is nothing in this for me. There is no money in this for me. I've lost everything. My marriage, my house, even my daughter won't live in the same state." Schlert, the Allentown Diocese bishop, is mentioned in the grand jury report 26 times, sometimes in his capacity as current bishop but mostly in his past role as monsignor. Asked if the Diocese of Allentown would consider a victims fund, spokesman Matt Kerr said: "Right now the Diocese's focus is on continuing to protect children, on caring for victims and survivors and on understanding the Grand Jury Report so that the Diocese may continue to improve its programs to prevent abuse from happening again. The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference is the public affairs arm of all the Dioceses in Pennsylvania. Any questions about legislation should be directed there." Money may bring financial reprieve, but it won't bring closure. She says a friend of hers, who was also sexually abused by a priest, collected roughly $2 million from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Weiss Collins said her friend burnt through the money in a year. "You know why? She is homeless," she said. More than 500 victims claimed reparation in Los Angeles. As in Pennsylvania, many of the allegations in Los Angeles stretched back 70 years. Chester Gillis, a professor of theology at Georgetown University and an expert on the U.S. Catholic Church, points to the fact that in the church, dioceses are run autonomously by bishops, whose only authority is the pope. Whether victims of clergy sex abuse in Pennsylvania are offered restitution settlements will hinge solely on the decision of each individual bishop. "It's a legal question," Gillis said. "It would be appropriate and ethical for the church to make restitution. Legally I don't know what their obligation is." Indeed, with the exception of one guilty conviction and an arrest thus far of priests, the overwhelming number of cases of abuse logged by the grand jury are outside the bounds of the state's statute of limitations. Essentially, victims who have timed out of the legal system, have no recourse to seek justice against predators. The current six bishops from dioceses at the center of a grand jury investigation include: (top row from left) Allentown Bishop Alfred A. Schlert, Harrisburg Bishop Ronald Gainer and Erie Bishop Lawrence Persico. (Bottom row from left) Pittsburgh Bishop David Allen Zubik; Greensburg Bishop Edward Malesic and Scranton Bishop Joseph C. Bambera. Victims in the New York Archdiocese have to forego lawsuits against the archdiocese to collect compensation through the church fund and agree to files of the abuse remaining private. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the New York archbishop, agreed that victims need "a tangible sign of the church's outreach and sense of reparation," according to media reports. "The wounds of many continue to fester, and they understandably tell us they await more compassion." So far, no bishop out of the six Pennsylvania dioceses investigated - nor out of previous investigations in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia or the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown - have signaled the possibility of a similar fund. Fund or no fund the tide might be on the side of victims. "The church itself has spent tons of money on the priests but not much on victims, unless they are forced to," said Thomas Doyle, a Dominican priest, canon lawyer and renowned victims advocate. Doyle is one of the earliest church whistleblowers in this country. In 1984, Doyle forced church officials to take note of the nascent clergy sex abuse scandal in the Archdiocese of Louisiana, which opened the pandora's box in this country. Since then, the Catholic Church in this country has paid out nearly $5 billion in settlements and awards to victims of clergy sex abuse. "Anything they've done up to now, any programs....every bit of that has been forced on the bishops because they would not have done one thing were it not for the fact that victims, courts and public opinion have forced them to do something." Across the country, several dioceses have had to apply for bankruptcy protection; others have been forced to close churches and schools, and sell off property to deal with mounting legal costs. But the court of public opinion, Doyle said, could ultimately play as pivotal a role in whatever measure the Pennsylvania dioceses find themselves in the wake of the grand jury report. Beyond legal and financial suits, the community of the faithful has increasingly leveraged its influence and demands. Nowhere has this been as compelling as in Chile, a predominantly Catholic country that has been rocked by a downward-spiraling clergy sex abuse scandal. No longer can the Vatican wait it out and let it subside, Doyle said. "It's becoming clear to them that people aren't going to back up from taking action," Doyle said. "They are no longer afraid of these guys. They no longer hold them in esteem and that's what protected them." For now, beyond public outcry, the fallout from the Pennsylvania grand jury report could at the very least help pivot either a victims fund or legislative reform. In New York, it should be noted, Dolan announced the archdiocese victims fund program at a time when victim advocates are pressuring the state legislature to reform statutes of limitations. In states such as Delaware, the reform of state laws, have resulted in multimillion-dollar settlements for hundreds of victims and bankruptcy for the archdiocese. That said, Catholic dioceses typically have untold and vast amounts of financial resources at their disposal. Establishing a reparations fund for victims for most dioceses would have minimal impact on its solvency. "An individual diocese has all sorts of funding sources," said Thomas Neuberger, a Wilmington, Delaware attorney who has represented hundreds of survivors of child sexual abuse. "They have assets." Neuberger, who was involved in the 2009 bankruptcy reorganization of the Diocese of Delaware, concluded that the diocese had a value of $2.1 billion, which included land holdings, property, stocks and bonds and other assets. One funding stream alone - to the tune of $70 million dollars - came from one wealthy individual. Only the Vatican knows the financial assets of individual dioceses; and the church doesn't have to file an annual report with the IRS. For now, Rozzi can point to the fact that no Catholic bishop in Pennsylvania has shown any sign that he wants to establish a victims fund - "a good faith step to help victims." Still, such a move, in the end, could hamper efforts in the Legislature to reform statute of limitations, said Rozzi, who has for years led efforts to do just that. "A crimes assistance fund if that stalls then we are shutting out so many other victims from seeking that same justice that clergy abuse victims would get," he said. "What do we do with other victims just because Catholics have the power to do what they want all the time. We are going to cower to what they want. If they want to set fund that is on them....as far as the majority of victims, they have nothing to do with clergy sex abuse. It would be disheartening for them." Ultimately, if individual dioceses decide to establish victims' funds, one victims advocate warns they should proceed with care. "Anything they do they have to be careful," said Jennifer Storm, Pennsylvania's Victim Advocate, who has been working closely with dozens of victims impacted by clergy abuse. "Anything that they would do involving victims should be done in concert with existing victims service providers. A lot of individuals do not feel safe going to church now...There's no trust there." WILLIAMSPORT - A man is in custody in Indiana, accused of slaying his wife in Williamsport by slashing her throat and killing his two dogs. Edward Heck, 49, is detained in Indiana awaiting extradition back to Pennsylvania to face charges of homicide, aggravated assault and cruelty to animals. He is charged with killing Sonja Rowe Heck, 49, in their home in the 2600 block of Linn Street. Her body was found Friday afternoon by her daughter, Emily Rowe. The woman had been dead sometime before her body was found, Lycoming County Coroner Charles E. Kiessling Jr. said Saturday. An autopsy is planned early next week, he said. Arrest documents do not give a motive for the slaying but Rowe told police she caught her stepfather cheating on her mother recently. She also said her mother had demanded Heck take his two dogs to the SPCA because she did not want them in the house any longer, the arrest affidavit states. The dogs were found dead in the cellar from blunt force injuries, police said. Rowe told police she had received a text message from her stepfather Thursday that stated something to the effect: "I'm sorry, I didn't do it." She thought the text might have been meant for someone else and ignored it, she told investigators. When her mother's employer on Friday notified Rowe she had not come to work, she went to the house and found the body, police said. While being interviewed Friday at police headquarters, Rowe received a text message from her stepfather advising her not to go to the house, the affidavit states. The document also states a note was found on the kitchen table in the house but the contents were not disclosed. A number of objects that could have been used to inflect the fatal wounds on the woman and dogs were found in the house, they said. None has yet been identified as the murder weapon, they said. Heck was arrested about 8 p.m. Friday after his vehicle was located near a motel in Lebanon, Indinana. Sources say police tracked him through the use of his cell phone. The couple had moved to Williamsport from Exeter within the past several months, police say. You can already see that the Susquehanna River is higher than normal for mid-August, after several weeks of heavy rains. But now there's a complicating issue, after nearly 35 million gallons of untreated waste discharged into the river by the City of Binghamton, New York, according to a report on timesleader.com. That prompted New York officials to issue a public safety alert, blaming the discharge on heavy rain, construction at a waste treatment plant that was at capacity,and flood conditions. According to the alert, the discharge began Monday and lasted for more than four days. Binghamton treats its waste at a joint-owned facility with the Village of Johnson City. A spokesperson at that facility said the City of Binghamton discharged the waste before it reached the wastewater treatment center. READ MORE: How Pennsylvania's failing drinking water system is hurting you Colleen Connolly, community relations coordinator for the Northeast office of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, said her agency was not notified of the discharge, the timesleader.com story said. At the same time, she said, the heavy rains should alleviate any impacts on the water's quality. The Susquehanna River runs for 464 miles, making it the longest river along the East Coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean. The main branch starts around Cooperstown, New York, and it joins the West Branch in Pennsylvania's Northumberland County. It continues through central Pennsylvania and northeastern Maryland before emptying into Chesapeake Bay at Perryville and Havre de Grace. West Shore Regional Police are asking for help identifying a man they said robbed the Member's First Federal Credit Union in Lemoyne on Friday. Police did not say what time, but the man was at the bank on South 10th Street Friday. They did not say how the man robbed the bank. Anyone with information is asked to call the West Shore Regional Police Department at 717-238-9676. By Gail Wright Millions of parents are once again preparing to drop off their college-age sons and daughters at campuses across the country. When they say goodbye, they assume their children will be safe. For the most part, our universities have first-rate procedures and systems in place to justify these expectations. However, as new risks arise and methods to counter those threats are discovered, it's up to the leadership at these institutions to take additional precautions. For instance, just 12 colleges and universities in America require the meningitis B vaccination. Bucknell and Lehigh are the only schools in Pennsylvania that mandate the shots for incoming students. Health care organizations and advocacy groups in states where a Big Ten university is located are now calling upon each school's leadership to place the meningitis B vaccination on the list of required vaccines, in addition to the shots that protect against the other strains of the disease. This campaign, known as Beware of B, was first rolled out in 2015 throughout Indiana. Since then, seven schools in the state (including Indiana and Purdue) have added the meningitis B vaccination to the required list of vaccinations for admittance. The expanded Beware of B campaign challenges the remaining 12 Big Ten universities to mandate the meningitis B vaccination. Why does this matter? Each year, approximately 1,000 people contract a form of meningococcal disease in the United States. Since 2013, at least 46 college campuses have reported cases of meningococcal disease. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has found that among those who become infected, 10 to 15 percent will die. Of those who survive, another 20 percent will suffer from permanent disabilities, such as brain damage, loss of limbs, hearing loss and/or other serious impacts to the nervous system. In the past few years, cases and deaths from group B meningococcal disease have occurred at Drexel, San Diego State, Georgetown and UC-Santa Barbara. Others were confirmed at the University of Oregon, Princeton, Providence College and Yale. Here in Pennsylvania, Drexel University student Stephanie Ross of suburban Pittsburgh tragically lost her life to meningitis B in 2014. Students and young adults are among those most likely to contract meningitis B, especially in settings like college dorms where students are living in close proximity to each other and sharing drinks and food. At most universities, students have a list of required vaccinations that includes the meningococcal conjugate vaccination, which protects against meningitis strains A, C, W and Y. But just being vaccinated against those four strains is not enough. The B strain accounts for 50 percent of all meningococcal cases in the U.S. and 100 percent of the college outbreaks since 2011. In June of 2016, Penn State took the positive step of "strongly" recommending all incoming students receive the meningitis B vaccination. I'm asking Penn State to now join Indiana, Purdue and the two other Pennsylvania schools that have already made the meningitis B vaccine mandatory. Because of its stature, Penn State could have a profound and impactful influence on other Big Ten schools, as well as leading institutions of higher learning across the country. Penn State and its Big Ten peers don't shy away from making tough decisions. This one, however, is easy. It must take this additional step to ensure its students are the most protected in the nation. I ask that all Big Ten members join together as a conference to be leaders in student health and safety and require students on their campuses to be vaccinated against all strains of meningococcal disease. Gail Wright is board treasurer for the PA Immunization Coalition in York, Pa. Readers may email her at wrightgaile@verizon.net. Anyone with pertinent information about any of the incidents is asked to contact state police, 717-567-3110, or Perry County Crime Stoppers, 1-866-210-8477 or www.perrycountycrimestoppers.org. Crime Stoppers offers cash awards for tips that lead to arrests. John Wright, 69, of Newport was driving east on Creek Road when he struck a slowing 2006 Dodge Ram on a curve with his 2004 Ford F-150 at 3:50 p.m., July 30, in Juniata Twp. near Milford Road. The Ford then struck a monument and a tree. Wright, who was not using a seat belt, was taken to Holy Spirit Hospital by New Bloomfield EMS for treatment of injuries. He was charged with driving vehicle at safe speed. The other driver was using a seat belt and was not injured. New Bloomfield Fire Company and Newport fire and EMS assisted at the scene. Fuller's Towing towed the F-150. -- -- -- Nathan Myers, 40, of Hanover was traveling south on Route 74 in Spring Twp. when he failed to yield to an eastbound 2006 GMC Envoy, which collided with his 2014 Honda Odyssey at 10:41 a.m., July 29, at the intersection with Route 274. Myers was wearing a seat belt and was not injured. He was cited with stop signs and yield signs. Three passengers in the Odyssey were using seat belts and were not injured. The other driver and a passenger were wearing seat belts and were not injured. Landisburg EMS assisted at the scene. Both vehicle sustained disabling damage. -- -- -- Brian Hummel, 57, of Shermans Dale was driving north in the first block of Richwine Road in Carroll Twp. when he lost control of his 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier, which went into a ditch, at 7:35 p.m., Aug. 1. Hummel was using a seat belt and was not injured. He was cited with driving on roadways laned for traffic. -- -- -- Matthew Baraniak, 29, of Duncannon was charged through district court with harassment after an incident involving a Duncannon woman at 8 p.m., June 27, in the 3200 block of Susquehanna Trail, Watts Twp. -- -- -- A gray wheelbarrow, valued at $200, was reported stolen from Your Dry Basement in the 4800 block of Spring Road in Carroll Twp., Shermans Dale, between June 1 and Aug. 1. -- -- -- A Duncannon woman reported the theft of a cellphone from her vehicle between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., July 5, in the first block of Business Campus Way, Penn Twp. -- -- -- Scrap metal was reported stolen from the rear of Maguire's Ford in the first block of S. Main Street, Duncannon, between 7:46 and 8 p.m., July 3. The vehicles used in the theft were a black and blue Volkswagen GTI and a blue Chevrolet C/K 1500. -- -- -- An eastbound BMW R1200GS slowed for deer on Route 274 in Toboyne Twp. at 2:57 p.m., Aug. 3. It was rear-ended by a 2015 KTM 1190R, driven by Terry Barwick, 51, of Hudson, Fla. Barwick was cited with following too closely. Both operatores, who were wearing motorcycle helmets, were taken to Holy Spirit Hospital by Fannett-Metal and Blain EMS units for treatment of minor injuries. -- -- -- Salvatore Ercolino, 51, of Newport was charged with DUI through district court after state police found him opearting a 2000 Chrysler while under the influence of drugs at 10:32 a.m., July 7, in the 200 block of Fickes Lane, Newport. -- -- -- Lisa Ritter, 55, of Mifflintown was driving west on Route 322 in Howe Twp. when she lost control of her 2006 BMW 325 XI at 12:57 p.m., Aug. 3, near the Newport exit. The vehicle struck an embankment and rolled two to three times. Ritter, who was using a seat belt, was injured and taken to Holy Spirit Hospital by Newport EMS. She was cited with driving vehicle at safe speed. Newport Fire Company assisted at the scene. -- -- -- A Yamaha Jet prop boat motor was reported stolen at 1:26 p.m., Aug. 3, in the 200 block of Bloomfield Avenue, Oliver Twp. -- -- -- State police stopped Corey Wiltsie, 51, of Duncannon in a 2007 Ford Focus at 12:10 a.m., July 7, on Benvenue Road in Reed Twp., Dauphin County. He was arrested for DUI and charged through district court. -- -- -- A set of vehicle keys were reported stolen from a home in the first block of N. Second Street, Newport, June 29-30. -- -- -- State police stopped a 2005 Nissan Altima on Benvenue Road in Reed Twp., Dauphin County, at 2:15 a.m., July 29. The operator was found to be under the influence of a controlled substance. Charges are pending a toxicology report. -- -- -- A Schwenksville man reported the theft of a 200-foot spool of 10/2 gauge SJO insulated wire, value of $125, and a 75-foot spool of 10/3 gauge insulated wire with twist-lock connection, value of $350, on Lower Bailey Road, Miller Twp., between July 9 and Aug. 5. -- -- -- An eastbound vehicle struck a utility pole at 6:56 p.m., Aug. 2, on Montour Road in Tyrone Twp. and fled the scene. The vehicle is believed to be a black Chevrolet Malibu with dark-tinted windows and possible Pennsyl vania registration of HH8342. -- -- -- Michael Eugene Stone, 51, of New Bloomfield was charged through district court with public drunkenness after state police encountered him at 5:12 p.m., Aug. 3, on Newport Road in Wheatfield Twp. -- -- -- Items were reported stolen on S. Fourth Street in Oliver Twp., Aug. 3-4. A brown and light blue, pub-style table, value of $100, and a brown and light blue, pub-style chair, value of $40, were taken from a side porch. The home also was entered. The bathroom was ransacked and a sump pump, value of $170, was stolen. -- -- -- A set of keys -- Ford key, zebra print key and Noaker's Autobody key chain --- was found in the 300 block of Windy Hill Road in Wheatfield Twp. at 8:23 p.m., Aug. 5. -- -- -- A Duncannon man reported the theft of two wide drag slick wheels, value of $2,000, and an after-market axle, value of $2,000, from an older model Volkswagen Beetle that was being restored on Paradise Road, Wheatfield Twp., between June 15 and July 10. -- -- -- Multiple mailboxes on Evergreen Road in Carroll Twp. were damaged at 1 a.m., July 10. Damage was estimated at $50 each. -- -- -- Robert John James, 39, of Millerstown was charged with corruption of minors and indecent exposure after alleged sexual advances toward a minor at 10:45 a.m., July 30, on Susquehanna Trail, Buffalo Twp. He also was cited with two counts of harassment after an alleged physical altercation with two women from Mechanicsburg and Liverpool. -- -- -- Travis Lightner, 19, of Newport was traveling north on Spring Road in Carroll Twp. when he rear-ended a 2014 Fiat 500L, that had stopped for traffic, with his 2001 Saturn Ion at 5:07 p.m., Aug. 6, at the intersection with Rambo Hill Road. Lightner was using a seat belt and was not injured. He was cited for following too closely. The other driver was using a seat belt and was not injured. Shermans Dale Fire Company, fire police and EMS assisted at the scene. Henry's Towing towed both vehicles. -- -- -- Gary Johnson, 19, of Millertown, was taken into custody for DUI by state police after crashing his 2008 Honda Civic into a residence at 9:16 a.m., July 21, on W. Juniata Parkway, Greenwood Twp. He also was charged with multiple summary traffic violations. -- -- -- Ina Mutzabaugh, 91, of Duncannon was driving west on New Bloomfield Road in Wheatfield Twp. when she lost control of her 1998 GMC Jimmy on a curve at 9:18 a.m., Aug. 8, at the intersection with McNaughton Road. The vehicle went through a yard, struck a mailbox and utility pole and went up a small embankment. Mutzabaugh, who was using a seat belt, had minor injuries and was transported to Holy Spirit Hospital by Duncannon EMS. She was charged with driving on roadways laned for traffic. Duncannon Fire Company assisted at the scene. Edkin's Towing towed the Jimmy. -- -- -- The driver of a 2010 Toyota Prius, Matthew Yeckley, 32, of New Bloomfield, was arrested by state police for DUI at 3:19 a.m., July 7, at N. Market and Rachel streets in Duncannon. -- -- -- Jasmin Gueits, 41, of Duncannon was charged with simple assault and harassment through district court following a fight at 7 p.m., July 31, at Ann and High streets in Duncannon. She allegedly struck a Duncannon woman in the face with a closed fist and hit a 9-year-old Duncannon male in the back of his head with her arm during the altercation. Duncannon EMS assisted at the scene. Pairing Northern Michigan craft beer with Halloween candy Parents who like to steal a piece of candy or two may find that Halloween candy pairs nicely with area craft beer. iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- Federal officials this week warned police around the country that drones are posing an ever-growing threat to safety and security. Citing the Aug. 4 attack during an appearance of Venezuelas president, the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and National Counterterrorism Center issued an intelligence bulletin with the starkest of warnings: An attack could be conducted by one person or several people using a commercially available, off-the-shelf (drone) to target venues which attract large crowds, such as sporting facilities, concerts, and transportation terminals, or public figures. The bulletin, dated Aug. 13 and obtained by ABC News, went on to say details on building or modifying (drones) by terrorists as a means to deliver a weapon, are available on the internet and online forums, making it feasible for a person with sufficient technical experience or motivation to conduct an attack. Unmanned, high-tech flying machines have been proliferating throughout the United States in recent years. The feds noted that in 2017 there were 3,000 reports of drones flying over or near critical sites in the U.S. That number is expected to grow as technology improves while costs continue to come down. The bulletin says that ISIS has already started using drones in Iraq and Syria both for surveillance and to commit attacks. Commercially available (drones) may be used by threat actors to deliver hazardous payloads, including explosives, chemicals, or biological or radiological agents, to conduct an attack, and recent (drone) employment tactics could expand options for potential attackers to conduct precise, according to the bulletin. The threat from drones was driven home on international TV early this month when low-flying devices exploded over a military ceremony in Caracas, Venezuela, just as President Nicolas Maduro was speaking. Following the attack, U.S. officials went public with their own concerns about drones. The danger from weaponized drones is real, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen tweeted the day after the Maduro attack. It is time for Congress to give (DHS) the authority to counter this rapidly evolving threat. Security expert Steve Gomez, the retired chief of counterterrorism at the FBIs Los Angeles office, said American officials have been slow to recognize this new threat. Even though we havent seen terrorists in the U.S. utilizing this method for attack, this has been seen outside the country, said Gomez, an ABC News contributor. Law enforcement has to be proactive. This is just one more example of terrorists identifying a new technology and this technology is going to be getting better. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. 5.7k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard MSNBCs Rachel Maddow did a deep and detailed interview with John Brennan and the picture that his answers painted showed why Trump is running scared from the Mueller investigation. Video: MSNBCs Rachel Maddow did a deep and detailed interview with John Brennan and the picture that his answers painted showed why Trump is running scared from the Mueller investigation. https://t.co/TFkl9KmW9J pic.twitter.com/eV77yFdd60 PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) August 18, 2018 One exchange between Maddow and Brennan captured why Trump is so scared: Brennan: I know what the Russians did in interfering in the election. I have 100% confidence in what they did. For Mr. Trump to stand on that stage in Helsinki with all the worlds eyes upon him and he doesnt understand why would the Russians interfere in the elections. Hes given them a pass time after time after time and keeps referring to it as a witch-hunt and bogus and, to me, this was an attack against the foundational principle of our republic the right of all Americans to choose their elected leaders. For Mr. Trump to so cavalierly so dismiss that, yes, sometimes my Irish comes out in my tweets and I did say that it rises to and exceeds the level of high crimes and misdemeanors and nothing short of treasonous because he had the opportunity there to be able to say to the world that this is something that happened. It should never, ever happen, if Russia tries at all to do it, theyre going to pay serious price for it. I dont expect Mr. Putin to acknowledge it. He is going to deny, deny, deny. But for the president of the United States to continue on this issue, I think, does a great injustice and a disservice to the men and women of the intelligence law enforcement community and does a great disservice to the citizens of the United States. And thats why I said it was nothing short of treasonous. I didnt mean that he committed treason. But it was a term that I used, nothing short of treasonous. Maddow: But you didnt mean that he committed treason, though. Brennan: It was nothing short of treasonous. Thats the term I used. Maddow: If we diagram the sentence, nothing short means its treason. I mean, the reason Im bringing this out is because when you say, I know what the Russians did and when you knowing what the Russians did observing the presidents behavior, you go to the word treason and suggest that you think that the president may be serving a foreign country rather than our own. Brennan: Well, yeah. I think he has crossed the line repeatedly in terms of his failure to fulfill the responsibility of the office. And to look Putin square in the eye and say, this should never, ever happen again. Brennan later said in the same interview that he was glad that Trump yanked his security clearance because it served as a wake up that caused people to take a look around and see what is going on. John Brennan said that he didnt say that Trump committed treason, but Maddow broke apart his statement and it means that Trump committed treason. The Maddow/Brennan interview, when taken in total, provided a perfect snapshot of why Trump is running scared. John Brennan knows what the Russians did for Trump, so Trump is trying to discredit Brennan. Maddow and Brennans discussion went beyond impeachable offenses and to the sort of betrayal of the country that the United States has never seen from a president. The criticism gets under Trumps skin, but it is what people like John Brennan know that has this president living in fear. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook. 255 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) hit back at President Trump on Friday after the president continued his attacks on Cuomo for saying that America was never that great. We know how tough Trump is: hiding behind tweets & ripping babies from their mothers arms. Lets get something straight: America is great because it rejects your hate-filled agenda of bigotry & sexism Nyers have your number @realDonaldTrump & will fight you all day. Bring it on. We know how tough Trump is: hiding behind tweets & ripping babies from their mothers arms Let's get something straight: America is great because it rejects your hate-filled agenda of bigotry & sexism Nyers have your number @realDonaldTrump & will fight you all day Bring it on Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) August 17, 2018 The response from Cuomo is the latest development in a saga that started earlier this week. On Wednesday, Cuomo had said America was never that great, which appeared to shock the crowd at an event where he signed anti-sex-trafficking bills into law. Were not gonna make America great again, Cuomo said at the event, It was never that great. We have not reached greatness, he continued. We will reach greatness when every American is fully engaged. The remarks immediately generated widespread criticism including from President Trump, who blasted Cuomo and questioned how he could survive in the state. Trump tweeted Friday morning: How does a politician, Cuomo, known for pushing people and businesses out of his state, not to mention having the highest taxes in the U.S., survive making the statement, WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, IT WAS NEVER THAT GREAT? Which section of the sentence is worse? How does a politician, Cuomo, known for pushing people and businesses out of his state, not to mention having the highest taxes in the U.S., survive making the statement, WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, IT WAS NEVER THAT GREAT? Which section of the sentence is worse? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2018 Cuomos office initially tried to explain his statements on Thursday afternoon, clarifying what the governor meant by saying: America is great and that her full greatness will be fully realized when every man, woman, and child has full equality. America has not yet reached its maximum potential. When the President speaks about making America great again going back in time he ignores the pain so many endured and that we suffered from slavery, discrimination, segregation, sexism and marginalized womens contributions. Even though Cuomo quickly walked back his ill-considered remark, Trump continued to tweet about it all week. On Friday he wrote that Cuomos political career is over because of the statement: Which is worse, Hightax Andrew Cuomos statement, WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, IT WAS NEVER THAT GREAT or Hillary Clintons DEPLORABLES statement. I say Andrews was a bigger and more incompetent blunder. He should easily win his race against a Super Liberal Actress, but his political career is over! Which is worse, Hightax Andrew Cuomo's statement, WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, IT WAS NEVER THAT GREAT or Hillary Clintons DEPLORABLES statement Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2018 I say Andrews was a bigger and more incompetent blunder. He should easily win his race against a Super Liberal Actress, but his political career is over! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2018 The president was referring to actress Cynthia Nixon, the former Sex and the City star who is challenging Cuomo in the New York governors Democratic primary. Despite Cuomos comment it is doubtful that his political career is over. There may be many voters in New York who agree with the sentiments that he was trying to express by his original comment. For people who arent white and rich America has not always been great or even a land of opportunity. It is highly probable that Andrew Cuomo will win reelection, and it is good that he is standing up to the bully in the White House. As it said in Cuomos tweet, Americans will continue to resist Trumps hate-filled agenda of bigotry & sexism and we will prevail. 2k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyers have filed a request in federal court to halt a lawsuit surrounding President Trumps hotel in Washington, according to the Associated Press (AP). Justice Department lawyers asked a federal judge Friday to let them file a legal appeal that could, for now, keep President Donald Trumps critics from getting access to financial records related to his Washington, D.C., hotel. Justice Department lawyers asked a federal judge Friday to let them file a legal appeal that could, for now, keep President Donald Trump's critics from getting access to financial records related to his Washington, D.C., hotel. (By @latams for @AP) https://t.co/Q4ZrTUfnfr Zach Everson (@Z_Everson) August 18, 2018 The government lawyers want the lawsuit to stop while they file an appeal. This will accomplish their goal of also stopping the release of the Trump-owned propertys financial records and related information. The financial information the government is seeking to keep secret would reveal how much income President Trump has received from foreign governments in violation of the emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution. Also included in the information might be significant tax information that would provide for the first time public insight into the presidents taxes. The request by DOJ lawyers was sent to U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte, who is presiding over the emoluments lawsuit. Last month he had ruled that the lawsuit could move forward even though government lawyers argued that it should not. The lawsuit alleges that Trump is profiting from foreign governments spending money at his D.C. hotel and this is a violation of the emoluments clause and therefore should stop. DOJ lawyers made the argument that conducting discovery on a sitting president will create significant separation-of-powers concerns. The discovery process requires that Trump give confidential information to opposing attorneys, which in this case would include the financial records of Trump and his real estate holdings. Moreover, the public interest is decidedly in favor of a stay because any discovery would necessarily be a distraction to the Presidents performance of his constitutional duties, the DOJ attorneys wrote. Government officials in Maryland and the District of Columbia have been trying to obtain access to financial records on Trump and his properties since the lawsuit began. This is the only way they can prove how much Trump is profiting by obtaining lucrative business from foreign governments seeking to curry favor with the U.S. government. The Maryland and D.C. attorneys have argued and alleged in the lawsuit that Trump is personally benefiting from his presidency, contrary to the Constitutions requirements. In addition, they say that he is causing financial harm to competing businesses in the area. D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine said in a statement: After winning two major rulings in this case already, we anticipated President Trumps most recent motion. Nonetheless, our case is still moving forward. We are on track to propose a schedule for discovery by September 14, and we hope to request relevant documents shortly thereafter. This lawsuit is just one of several legal challenges that Trump is facing concerning his violation of the emoluments clause. The Constitution clearly states that elected officials are prohibited from receiving gifts or benefits from foreign governments without the approval of Congress. Because Trump did not divest ownership of any of his vast global business interests he is clearly benefiting financially from his presidency but being in violation of the U.S. Constitution is not something this particular president cares about. He is violating his oath of office every day, and causing much harm to the country. The fact that he is using government attorneys for his private benefit in this current lawsuit is just one more example of how he is misusing his power. Six Russian military manufacturers are in the Defense News 2018 Top 100 ranking of global arms traders, all of them within the top 50 list. One company, JSC Concern Almaz-Antey a major government contractor made to the top 10, moving up from 11th last year to 8th this year. The Defense News ranking shows, that 100% of JSC Almaz-Anteys revenue comes from defense which accounted for a 39% increase from $6.58 billion in 2016 to $9.1 billion in 2018. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute rank for JSC Almaz-Antey is slightly lower -- 24th in 2016 but still up from 26th in 2015. The Russian state media reported the ranking as the nations major achievement emphasizing the accomplishment despite the fact that for the last four years the company has been under sanctions, both from the United States and the European Union. The CEO of JSC Concern Almaz-Antey Yan Novikov in a statement regarding his firms 2018 ranking specifically pointed to the expansion of the companys exports in spite of the sanctions. He said Almaz-Antey delivers its products to global arms markets directly and via state defense agency Rosoboronexport, which is also under U.S. and EU sanctions. For the rest of the world both the U.S. and EU sanctions do not really mean anything, Siemon Wezeman Senior Researcher Arms and Military Expenditure Program at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) told Polygraph.info. Thus, Russia could and did just go on selling weapons to other countries. As long a no U.S. or European actors, territory or components are involved, there is no problem for either Russia or the buyer, Wezeman said. The SIPRI 2018 report places Russia as the second [after the United States] largest arm exporter in the world with 22 percent of global share. The success of JSC Concern Almaz-Anteys is not surprising, Wezeman said. The company produces highly advanced air defense systems that do very well in Russia and the world market with only limited competition, selling for example to India, Vietnam, China, Algeria, Egypt and Turkey. Almaz-Anteys most famous or, rather, infamous product is the Buk missile system, the same one used to shoot down the Malaysian passenger jet MH-17 over eastern Ukraine in July 2014. The Joint Investigation Team said Russia was responsible, and identified the Buk, and the Russian military unit to which the individual missile was assigned. In 2015, Almaz-Antey's CEO Yan Novikov said evidence showed the plane was indeed hit by one of its BUK missile systems, but that the weapon was an older Soviet model no longer used by the Russian military. The later has been debunked as a false claim. There are several factors complicating analysis of the export-import schemes and mapping Russian arms trade, mainly due to the lack of transparency. In November 2016, Vladimir Putin signed a presidential decree making top secret all information regarding Russian Federation military-technical cooperation with foreign states, stating that distribution of such information can cause damage to the state security. Almaz-Antey has, since 2014, not published any official data and its results could only be estimated based on various pieces of information from company statements or other sources, Wezeman said. You are the owner of this article. Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations. The Post and Courier provides a forum for our readers to share their opinions, and to hold up a mirror to our community. Publication does not imply endorsement by the newspaper; the editorial staff attempts to select a representative sample of letters because we believe its important to let our readers see the range of opinions their neighbors submit for publication. The Saint Johns Bible, representing a massive modern undertaking of an ancient art form, will be available for viewing in the Rochester area starting Monday. The Bible, which is normally on view at Saint Johns University in Collegeville, Minn., can be seen Monday through Wednesday at Madonna Towers, Aug. 27-28 at Madonna Summit in Byron, and Aug. 30-31 at Madonna Meadows. All are part of the Benedictine Health System, while Saint Johns University is affiliated with the Order of Saint Benedict. The project began in 1998 after Welsh artist Donald Jackson said it had been a lifetime dream of his to create an illuminated Bible. Saint Johns University commissioned the project, which became the first handwritten Bible by a Benedictine monastery since the advent of the printing press. Jackson was named artistic director for the project, and worked with a team of calligraphers in Wales, as well as with monks and scholars at Saint Johns. Theyve created a work of both art and theology. "The Bible is the calligraphic artists supreme challenge, our Sistine Chapel, a daunting task," Jackson said. Jacksons calligraphers in Wales work in a converted mechanics shed known as the "schoolroom." The first completed section of the Saint Johns Bible, Gospels and Acts, was revealed in 2002. The seventh and final section, Letter and Revelations, was completed in May 2011. Since then, the Bible has been available for viewing at Saint Johns University, while 299 so-called Heritage Editions of the Bible, each with finishing treatments by hand, have been created and made available for viewing at other sites. Five things to know about the Saint Johns Bible: The seven volumes contain the 73 books of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. The Saint Johns Bible is two feet tall and three feet wide. The Saint Johns Bible has 160 illuminations and numerous special text treatments filling its 1,100 pages. Although every letter of the Bible was rendered by hand, state-of-the-art computer technology was used to create and manage page layouts. Other than that, the Bible was created using medieval traditions. It was written on calfskin vellum using turkey, goose and swan quills. The scribes used natural hand-made inks and hand-ground pigments. The original Saint Johns Bible is housed at the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library at Saint Johns University. "Immigration Law 101" will be the subject of the Third Sunday Forum at 10:15 a.m. on Sunday at Christ United Methodist Church, 400 Fifth Ave. SW, in Rochester. Jean Binkovitz will be the instructor for "Immigration 101." Binkovitz, who has practiced immigration law since 1989, is a longtime member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She has served in justice programs to task forces in the state of Minnesota, has taught constitutional and international law classes. Childrens Heart Project celebrated A 20-year celebration of the the Childrens Heart Project will be held 1 p.m. Sunday at Calvary Evangelical Free Church. Samaritans Purse, through its Childrens Heart Project, and Mayo Clinic have partnered to provide 91 life-saving operations for children from Bosnia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Kosovo, Mongolia and Honduras, who could not obtain appropriate health care in their home country. Representatives from Rochester International Airport, Childrens Heart Project, Mayo Clinic and the wider community will gather for the debut of a short documentary. The event is free and open to the public. Calvary Evangelical Free Church is located at 5500 25th Ave. NW in Rochester. Predestination controversy explained BYRON The eighth annual St. Olaf Heritage Association Ice Cream Social will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the historic Tverberg House, 6200 County Road 3 SW. The program will explain the Predestination Controversy of 1889-1917 that caused a schism in the church. Three skits, written by Norman Senjem, will illustrate how the parishioners and pastors responded to the controversy. Music will be provided by Don and Peg Holtan. Pie and ice cream will be served. Admission is free; a free-will offering will be taken. For more information, call 365-8101. I was driving from my home along the Jefferson School boulevard earlier this summer when I noted a worker spraying around the trees and on the sidewalk. I kept going but then thought, "If not me, then who" will ask the simple question, "What are you doing?" So I circled around the block, pulled over and politely asked the young man with a school district four-wheeler what chemical he was spraying. He thought for a moment and said it was a "generic version of Roundup." I asked him why he was spraying the sidewalk cracks, which had small amounts of less than one-inch high vegetation growing in them. He thought a little longer this time before saying, "They make snow plowing difficult." Two years ago, when my grandson started elementary school, it was brought to my attention the school district did a lot of chemical spraying, both inside and outside of school buildings. I met with district officials and felt as if they would be making some changes to reduce or eliminate some of their spraying activities after I did. Thus, I was surprised to see them still spraying Roundup around trees and on sidewalks in areas where children play, especially since it is now banned, restricted or proposed to be banned in many countries. So I contacted my former teaching colleague, and now school board chairwoman, Jean Marvin with my concerns. I got an immediate email back from her indicating she "thought we had addressed and resolved this last summer." She also said she would check into it further and get back to me. It had been more than a couple weeks without hearing from Marvin, so I thought I would send her an email earlier this week to see if she had learned anything about current district spraying policies. Oddly enough, on that same day, before I sent that email to her, the news discussed a $289 million settlement awarded to a man who believed he got non-Hodgkin lymphoma from years of spraying Roundup for a California school district. An email from Marvin that same day indicated, "The district has discontinued spraying schoolyards pending getting additional feedback and research." If I had not gotten the responses I did from Marvin, I was considering attending the open comment period at an upcoming school board meeting. There, I would put 10 drops of Roundup in a clear, liter bottle. Then I would then begin diluting it with water from another bottle and ask board members and administrators to raise their hands when they would be willing to drink that mixture. I am guessing I would see no hands up, but yet they have been willing to authorize putting this same chemical on school grounds and elsewhere in the buildings where children are supposed to be provided a "safe learning environment." I am bothered by all the chemicals we release into the environment, many of which have harmful effects on our health and the health of our children and grandchildren. But I think I am equally concerned by parents and other grandparents who will not ask this not-so-hard question: "What and why are schools spraying in schools and on school grounds where my children or grandchildren learn and play?" Many parents go to great lengths to protect their children, but few seem to feel these chemicals pose a threat. So as school starts for thousands of Rochester and surrounding area children, I encourage parents, and even grandparents, to ask your school officials some hard questions about what the children are being exposed to. If you get the names of some of the chemicals being used and look them up online, I am sure you will be alarmed at all the warnings they carry or by the fact no one can guarantee there will not be any long-term effects on our children from their use. And for those of you who regularly have exterminators come to your homes, ask them the same questions. Silver Lake Friends meeting At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Silver Lake Friends group will meet at the East pavilion. Anyone interested in making Silver Lake a better park is encouraged to attend this one-hour meeting.Greg Munson is a volunteer naturalist and freelance writer. If you have questions, comments or column ideas, contact Munson at naturenutgm@gmail.com. Jake Faunces drama degree from the Juilliard School (earned this past May) promises to be a solid foundation for his future in the theater arts. Growing up in Rochester, 22-year-old Faunce filled his resume working with several theater groups in town, including Otherwise Actors, Words Players, and the Repertory Theater before heading off to New York City in the fall of 2014. Faunces acceptance into a class of 18 students at the prestigious arts school was a credit to his talent and hard work. The intense drama program met six days a week from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. during the academic year for four years. The format of this conservatory program not only built a "close bond" amongst classmates but also "required everyone be present" so that all students received the most of their drama education. With a youthful appearance, Faunce has an edge over young actors competing for the same part. With his classical training, he has "an understanding of technique," thanks to his Juilliard degree. As he shared, he wants to "make it look effortless and make people think, Anyone can do this." Faunces dream is to be a working actor. While he isnt set on stage vs. film, he hopes that someday he will have the luxury to choose. Since graduation, he has earned a callback for Harry Potter on Broadway and filmed for television in Los Angeles. Look for Faunce this October on CBS "NCIS." Faunces role will likely be a recurring character and his scene partner is LL Cool J. A perfect match Team Rubiconis a nonprofit organization comprised of military veterans and civilians promoting the mission, "serving vulnerable and at-risk populations affected by disaster." Local 911 dispatcher Deanna Tompkinsrecently served for the first time with Team Rubicon in Marshalltown, Iowa, after the town was struck by a devastating tornado on July 19. Tompkins husband, Jeff,retired earlier this month after 23 years of military service (10 in the U.S. Air Force and 13 in the Air Force Reserve). Over time, Deanna has built strong relationships via social media, connecting with people who are passionate about supporting military families. When she learned about Team Rubicon, she knew it was a perfect match. With her training as a 911 dispatcher and a penchant for hard work, Deanna was the ideal volunteer. When Tompkins arrived in Marshalltown, it was hard to "hold back tears" seeing the damaged town. She shared that a "very poor part of town was hit." During her four days of work, she was amongst two waves of approximately 50 volunteers. The "grey shirts" (in reference to the official Team Rubicon shirts) worked in three capacities: damage assessment, strike teams (clean-up), and sawers (running the chainsaws). Tompkins worked as part of a strike team, arriving at homes to remove debris and take down structures deemed unsafe. At one home, the owner had been told it might be months to get all of the brush and debris removed. Tompkins told her, "We got it," and the crew cleaned up her yard. Tompkins said she was surrounded by "like-minded people who just want to help." She shared her "small world" moment: two Rubicon volunteers in Marshalltown were from her hometown of Roseville, Calif. Her time assisting and supporting those in the aftermath of the tornado was so rewarding that Tompkins is saving her vacation time so she can serve on another Team Rubicon mission in her home state, assisting with the California fires. It's OK. The error is fixable and not intentional Terrible lack of due diligence I am not sure I don't care Vote View Results I must say I enjoy watching Senate Democrats throwing a fit over their inability to get millions of pages of Brett Kavanaugh-related documents in time for his confirmation hearing. Apparently, the Dems cant find anything in the many hundreds of judicial opinions Judge Kavanaugh has written or signed that will come close to sinking his nomination. Thus, they have pinned their hopes on finding a gotcha in some paper Kavanaugh wrote when he worked in the Bush administration. I very much doubt such a sentence exists. By many accounts, Kavanaugh is the kind of person who planned to be a judge from the moment he entered law school. Or maybe high school. Im pretty sure he was very careful about he wrote while working in the White House. His most controversial statements are probably those he wrote as a judge, where his job requires him to decide highly controversial issues. In any event, Republicans arent going to (1) insist on the production of the millions of papers Kavanaugh handled as White House staff secretary or (2) hold up his confirmation while the Archives struggles to produce all of the papers he wrote when he worked in White House counsels office. The leaderships response to Democratic whining is just what the Democrats response would be if the shoe were on the other foot: Pound sand. Instead of pounding sand, Democrats are going to sue. In this case, it probably amounts to the same thing. Last week, Judiciary Committee Democrats filed FOIA requests with the National Archives, the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Central Intelligence Agency, giving the agencies until September 6 to comply with the massive document requests. Knowing that the agencies wont cant comply, the Dems are prepared to sue. Sen. Chuck Schumer said today: Were announcing that we stand ready to sue the National Archives for Judge Kavanaughs full records if necessary. Unfortunately for Schumer and his fellow Democrats, there is no way their lawsuit could be resolved before the Kavanaugh hearings begin on September 4. Moreover, even if it were resolved in the Democrats favor, there would no way all of the documents could be produced, much less combed for a gotcha, in time. What the Democrats really need is a court order requiring the Senate to postpone the Kavanaugh hearing. Im pretty sure we havent yet reached the point where a judge would issue such an order or at least the point where such an order would stick. But let the Democrats knock themselves out suing. In the very unlikely event the case reaches the Supreme Court, Justice Kavanaugh can recuse himself. UPDATE: The Democrats are also fishing for evidence that Kavanaugh leaked grand jury information during the Starr independent counsel investigation. An outfit called American Oversight has filed a request in federal court to unseal the special masters report concerning allegations of such improper disclosure. There is no reason to believe Kavanaugh leaked anything when he worked for Ken Starr. This is almost certainly another dry hole for the desperate Democrats. Liberals control every newspaper in America, as far as I know, except the Manchester Union Leader. They control CBS, ABC, NBC and every cable network except Fox News. They control what is left of the news magazines, and pretty much every other magazine, too. Only talk radio and the pesky internet lie outside their grasp, so that is where they seek to impose censorship. But they have a problem: the First Amendment. The government cant suppress conservative speech on the ground that it is hate speech, i.e., something that liberals dont like. That was recently reaffirmed by a 9-0 decision of the Supreme Court. So liberals have outsourced censorship of the internet to the tech titans of Silicon Valley. Unfortunately, most political conversation these days occurs not on the free internet, where independent sites like Power Line reside, but rather on social mediaFacebook, Twitter, YouTube and so on. Other players include Google (in its search capacity), Apple, Pinterest, Spotify, etc. Happilyif you are a leftistall of these tech companies are run by liberals. And because they are private companies, they are not constrained by the First Amendment. They can restrict or ban conservative communications on the ground that they are hate speech, or on no grounds whatsoever, with impunity. And that is exactly what they are doing. This is a big topic. I brought it up this morning while hosting the Laura Ingraham radio show, and it blew up, ultimately consuming half of the three-hour show. Many aspects of the lefts outsourcing of censorship to liberal-run corporations need to be explored, but for now, this is an astonishing example: Silicon Valley Strikes Back: Facebook Censors PragerU After Google Lawsuit. Dennis Prager is probably the foremost public intellectual of our time. His Prager University has been wildly successful. It brings a much-needed conservative antidote to the liberal nonsense to which so many Americans, especially young people, are subjected. That has made Prager a key target of the Left. It started when YouTube downgraded PragerUs videos. Weird: PragerUs videos are enormously popular, and YouTube makes money when people watch videos. Moreover, PragerUs videos are among the most high-quality, intellectually sound productions on YouTube. Nevertheless, YouTube (which is owned by Google) has tried to suppress traffic to PragerUs products. PragerU has sued Google as a result. So this is the latest: Facebook has shadow banned PragerU into complete silence to its more than 3 million followers, internal analytics revealed. Our last 9 posts have been completely censored reaching 0 of our 3 million followers, PragerU media personality Will Witt posted on Facebook Friday. At least two of our videos were deleted last night for hate speech including a post of our most recent video with The Conservative Millennial, Make Men Masculine Again. Internal Facebook analytics reveal that as of Thursday, Aug. 16, at 10:00 PM PDT, posts by PragerU on the social media platform have been completely invisible to its more than 3 million followers, PragerU reported in a news release Friday. Currently, visitors to PragerUs Facebook page are unable to see any of its most recent posts. This is a first for us, PragerU Chief Marketing Officer Craig Strazzeri said in a statement. While weve experienced blatant discrimination from Google/YouTube, which is why weve filed legal action against them, this represents a whole new level of censorship by Facebook. at this point, Facebook has provided little clarity saying it will get back to us in another two to three business days, which in the world of social media might as well be an eternity. Tech titans stick together. Two weeks ago, Apple, Facebook, YouTube and Spotify simultaneously de-platformed Alex Jones and Infowars. Twitter held out briefly, and then, in response to demands from liberals, also banned Jones and Infowars. I have never paid attention to Infowars and have no idea whether its content has merit. But simultaneous bans and suspensions across platforms can hardly be coincidental. The phrase combination or conspiracy in restraint of trade comes to mind. In any event, any claim by the Left that companies aligned with it are merely cleansing themselves of disreputable content would be absurd. First, PragerU is among the most reputable content on the internet. Second, they have taken no action against left-wing extremists like the fascist Antifa, which disseminates its hate speech freely on every social media platform I am aware of. The Lefts attempt to outsource censorship to its Silicon Valley allies is one of the most important issues of our time. The proper solution may lie in creating competitive platforms, or in legislative, regulatory or judicial action. Perhaps platforms fitting a particular legal definition should be regulated as public utilities. After all, Federal Express doesnt refuse to deliver packages to the National Review office on the ground that they may contain conservative communications, and telephone companies havent tried to cut off connections when two conservatives are talking. Why should Facebook, Twitter and YouTube be permitted to engage in political discrimination? That is a big topic for another day. Back in June Paul and I both noted the view of economist Irwin Stelzer, who is no fan of Trump, that Trump might in fact win a trade war with China, because Trump has the better poker hand. And I concluded, File this one away for further reference. Well lookie here, on the front page of the Wall Street Journal today: Chinese and U.S. negotiators are mapping out talks to try to end their trade standoff ahead of planned meetings between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping at multilateral summits in November, said officials in both nations. The planning represents an effort on both sides to keep a deepening trade disputewhich already has involved tariffs on billions of dollars of goods and could target hundreds of billions of dollars morefrom torpedoing the U.S.-China relationship and shaking global markets. Scheduled midlevel talks in Washington next week, which both sides announced on Thursday, will pave the way for November. Of course, talks alone dont assure a deal can be reached. But it does seem to me that China has blinked first. Moreover, turns out some folks on the left think so, too. Robert Kuttner, editor of the lefty journal The American Prospect, wrote yesterday to his email list: Trump as China Diplomat: Suppose His Shock Diplomacy Works? Trump started a tariff war with Beijing. China vowed to retaliate in kind. But Beijing was more vulnerable because China has more to loseit exports far more than it imports and China indeed violates trade norms of fair pricing and fair access. A number of commentators, me included, faulted Trump for the incoherence of his moves. But Trumps blunderbuss approach seems to be harming the Chinese economy and catching the leadership off guard. Whether by luck or design, Trump picked a moment when Chinas economy was precarious, due to its heavy reliance on debt, the instability of many of its money-losing enterprises, and its inflated stock market. Now Chinese President Xi Jinping, who seemed to have consolidated power, is facing criticism for bungling the trade conflict to Chinas detriment. With the value of Chinas currency falling, some observers are even comparing China to Turkey. You almost have to feel a little sorry for Xi. The Chinese leadership is skilled at scoping out Americas trade policy, cutting separate deals with multinational corporations, buying influence, and besting Washington at trade negotiation. But how do you play chess when the other guy is playing a schoolyard game that he makes up as he goes along? Bottom line: China was more vulnerable all along than Americas Wall Street-dominated trade elite was willing to believe, or act on. We might have had a trade policy that looked out for the interests of U.S. manufacturing and American workerssomething that Trumps approach does not deliverand that did not risk starting a wider conflagration with Beijing, as Trumps approach does. But the last several American presidents were too compromised and too wedded to a preposterous, corporate conception of free trade. And so America rolled over. We do need a resetting of the U.S.-China relationship, but a mortally wounded Chinese economy is in nobodys interest. Yet Trumps apparent success, flawed as it is, offers one more illustration of how the corruption of ruling U.S. elites created a vacuum that opened the door to Trumpism. When your opposition is sputtering in grudging admiration and veiled support, you can mark it down in the winning column. P.S. Ann Althouse think Trump has trumped the critics of his military parade idea: Holman Jenkins finds press coverage of the origin of the FBI counterintelligence investigation wanting. Today he elaborates on this theme in his Wall Street Journal column The press abets a coverup. The counterintelligence investigation has been taken over by Robert Mueller. Mueller is to unravel the Trump campaigns alleged collusion with the friends of Vladimir Putin. One problem, if the Steele Dossier os taken at face value: only the Clinton campaign colluded with the friends of Vladimir Putin. Yet the Mueller project has dogged the first two years of the Trump presidency and fed the medias crazed anti-Trump mania. The damage done is incalculable. As we search for the origin of the counterintelligence investigation and the collusion hoax, we arrive inevitably at Obamas man at the CIA, former CIA Director John Brennan. I took a look at Brennans New York Times op-ed column laying out his case for Trunps collusion with the friends of Vladimir Putin earlier this week in The Brennan factor. It didnt take long to review Brennans case. He didnt have one. Here is Jenkinss take on Brennans case: In his New York Times op-ed this week after being stripped of his courtesy, postretirement security clearance, the CIAs Mr. Brennan finally put his collusion cards on the table: Mr. Trumps ill-advised remark during the campaign inviting Russia to find the missing Hillary Clinton emails. Really? This is it? Mr. Trumps behavior was typically unpresidential in the fashion that we have now become used to, such as referring to a fired White House employee as a dog. But his jibe was at least as much aimed at the media, which he correctly noted would eagerly traffic in the stolen emails even as it deplored Russian meddling. When Mr. Trump tweets and blurts out so many offhand things, are you really going to build a treason case (a term Mr. Brennan has used) out of just another free-form Trump campaign riff of 2016? If thats all hes got, the secret knowledge Mr. Brennan keeps hinting at is a fabulous fraud. Which brings us to the press. Fabulous fraud is the judgment I came to as well, without the alliteration. I borrowed Brennans euphemism hogwash. For hogwash read bull****. Bull**** good enough for the Times! PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-18 11:13:56 Press Information Published by ACN Newswire +65 6304 8926 e-mail https://www.acnnewswire.com/ # 635 Words ACN Newswire+65 6304 8926 JAKARTA, Aug 13, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Two devastating earthquakes struck Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. The first quake, which struck on Sunday, July 29 and reported at a magnitude of 6.4, was followed by an even stronger quake at 7.0 on the following Sunday, August 5. Unlike its predecessor, the second quake created intensity VIII on the MMI.At the time of writing, West Nusa Tenggara was still suffering aftershocks from the major quakes; about 652 aftershocks, with 24 of them recorded as powerful tremors, struck the island and the surrounding islets, causing destructions particularly in the Regency of North Lombok. The earthquakes also debilitated the economy and the lives of the inhabitants.Kusmayadi, the Coordinator for Aksi Cepat Tanggap's (Fast Response Action) Emergency Response Team that had been in Lombok since the first earthquake, on Wednesday, August 8, reported that the number of casualties was more than 381 due to the second destructive earthquake. "The highest number of casualties is in North Lombok and is feared to keep hiking, considering that all roads and bridges are damaged and isolated many areas," Kusmayadi said.Kusmayadi also said that the tense situation was immensely felt especially in North Lombok as many were killed and injured from being crushed by collapsing buildings - such as the Muslim worshippers who were observing the evening prayer on Sunday, August 5, when the mosque they were praying in collapsed on top of them.Prior to the incident, ACT's Emergency Response Team had been on a high alert to aid the earthquake victims. "We have been helping in the post-earthquake evacuation process, and our medical team has also been treating those who are injured and wounded," Kusmayadi continued.The President of Aksi Cepat Tanggap, Ahyudin, explained that as a humanitarian organization ACT had to quickly respond to any disaster. The Lombok earthquake disaster prompted ACT to form a strategic agenda; in conjunction with saving lives in the emergency phase, ACT also focused to rebuild the lives of the survivors.As its endeavor, ACT is aiming to build 500 shelters for the victims who have lost their homes in the earthquakes. ACT is also preparing Lombok Humanitarian Ship to alleviate the lives of those who are affected. Working hand in hand with the Indonesian National Armed Forces, corporate, and its partners, ACT is targeting to distribute one thousand tons of aid to West Nusa Tenggara as well as encouraging non-money donations worldwide."ACT has been on Indonesia's side ever since the nation is more and more widely known as a generous nation that lends a hand in helping and rebuilding lives. Keeping this spirit up is a part of ACT's endeavor. The nation's zeal is an effort that needs to be consistent and fought for," Ahyudin said.Lombok Humanitarian Ship is scheduled to depart on Indonesia's Independence Day on August 17. Starting its journey from the Military Sea Lanes Command Dock at Tanjung Priok Port and will moor at North Lombok Port, it is estimated that the trip will take up to three days.The devastating earthquakes caused West Nusa Tenggara residents to suffer from immense losses and adversities. In order to alleviate their pain, ACT is inviting not only Indonesians but also the world to give a helping hand to the victims.Mohamad Faisol Amrullah from ACT's Global Partnership Network said that the global citizens could participate in helping the Lombok's earthquake victims through the Emergency Response for West Nusa Tenggara Earthquake campaign supported by ACT on launchgood.com Beginning in Ramadan 2018, ACT and Launchgood have been working together to aid disaster victims all over the globe. Readers are encouraged to donate for the humanitarian cause through Launchgood. --Antara.Topic: Press release summaryFrom the Asia Corporate News NetworkCopyright 2018 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. A division of Asia Corporate News Network. PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-18 08:01:32 Press Information Vector Wealth Management 43 SE Main St Suite 236 Minneapolis, MN 55414-1048 Ezra Firkins Owner 6123787560 email https://www.vectorwealth.com/ # 428 Words 43 SE Main St Suite 236 Minneapolis, MN 55414-1048Owner6123787560 Minneapolis, MN This year, Vector Wealth Management is celebrating 20 years of Sojourn, their custom designed wealth management application and client experience. Vector Wealth has refined their wealth management and financial modeling application over the last two decades in order to give clients greater confidence and understanding around their financial lives.Sojourn helps us communicate clearly to clients how the assets they have worked so hard to build can now best work for them, says Thomas Fee, the Principal and Managing Partner of Vector Wealth Management. Our job is to present information that allows those we serve to make better decisions about their finances. Common sense and experience has shown us that our clients make better decisions when we present their financial lives to them in a clear and understandable fashion. We can do this because of Sojourn. Fee founded Vector Wealth Management in 1993 as an alternative to financial firms that benefited from commission-only structures. The firm takes a fiduciary, fee only approach, putting clients best interests first. Vector Wealth Management began developing the financial application software in 1998 to better serve clients. Sojourn is a proprietary system that allows customization of financial strategies based on how each client wants to live their financial life and presents the information visually in a very understandable way.Over the last 20 years, Sojourn has served our clients well through two of the worse market downturns of the last 90 years, says Fee. None of our clients spend the same in their 60s as they do in their 80s and Sojourn does a great job of enlightening them around this concept of non-linear spending. It allows us to help our clients be stewards of their assets while at the same time get today right. ###Vector Wealth Management ( www.vectorwealth.com) was founded in 1993 as a fiduciary wealth management firm. Its headquartered in Minneapolis, MN with offices in Bloomington, MN and Chicago, IL. As a fiduciary, Vector Wealth Management believes that there should be no conflict of interest between the client and the firm. For more information on asset management, please contact Tom Fee 612-378-7560, tfee@ vectorwealth.com Vector Wealth Management is a registered investment adviser. Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and, unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Be sure to first consult with a qualified financial adviser and/or tax professional before implementing any strategy discussed herein. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-18 09:01:00 Press Information Jeff Kramer | Highlands Residential Mortgage 18383 Preston Rd #150 Dallas TX, 75252 Jeff Kramer NMLS#290136 Highlands Ltd. Sponsor NML Owner 9729305922 email http://jeffkramerteam.com/ # 412 Words 18383 Preston Rd #150 Dallas TX, 75252Owner9729305922 Dallas, Texas- Aug 18, 2018- Jeff Kramer, a senior loan officer with Highlands Residential Mortgage, an equal housing lender, is excited to announce the launch of his new website. Added features have made it easier for customers to find resources and tools when looking for financing on a home purchase. The new site can be found at http://jeffkramerteam.com/ With many highlights, the website offers fantastic explanations of the vast array of mortgage products offered through Jeff Kramer | Highlands Residential Mortgage. Descriptions are easy to understand and help customers gain a better understanding of what each loan type entails.It can get confusing choosing the right mortgage that works for a specific situation. There are over 20 different residential loans available to home buyers, and many are explained in great detail in the Find Your Mortgage tab. Types of mortgage loans include First Time Home Buyers(FHA), USDA, Self-Employed Loans, VA Loans, and many more.Jeff Kramers site has made it simple to figure a rough estimate of your mortgage with a mortgage calculator tool. Also found on the website are useful forms that are commonly used during the mortgage process. The forms can be downloaded and printed out for ease of use.Current contact information is up-to-date to better serve customers, and to assist with getting in touch with the Jeff Kramer Team. If needing to meet with the team or want to ask questions in person, their office is located at 18383 Preston Rd #150 Dallas TX, 75252.If downloading and printing out forms to turn into the office seems a little inconvenient, no worries! Theres a quicker way to apply! The Jeff Kramer Team have an online application available to customers that is accessible any time of the day. The application process, when done online, can be paused at any time. This means that a customer can finish their home mortgage loan whenever works for them.About Jeff Kramer:With over 20 years of experience in the residential loan industry, Mr. Kramer has helped numerous customers achieve their dream of homeownership. He specializes in VA loans for veterans that are 100% disabled. Working for Highlands Residential Mortgage, Jeff Kramer provides a wide array of home mortgage options.If you would like to know more about The Jeff Kramer Team with Highlands Residential Mortgage visit the new website, http://jeffkramerteam.com/ . If you have questions about a home loan Jeff Kramer is available by phone at (972) 930-5922 or by email at jkramer@ highlandsmortgage.com Abuja doctors threaten to embark on strike The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Abuja chapter, says it will commence an indefinite strike on August 25. The union in a statement jointly signed by its president, Michael Olarewaju, and secretary, Roland Aigbovo, said the impending strike follows the failure of FCT Administration to repay obnoxious tax deduction from July salaries of staff, among other demands. The association had earlier condemned the tax deduction of N78, 000 from each of its members July salaries. It said the current deduction was against the initial N36, 000 deductions imposed on the doctors. Court strikes out suit against genetically modified crops in Nigeria The Federal High Court in Abuja struck out a suit filed against the issuance of permits and subsequent release of Genetically Modified (GM) crops including BT cotton in the country. Though a cause of action was established, Justice Ahmed Mohammed held that the court was compelled to strike out the suit because it appeared statute barred. This means that the suit was brought a year after the permits had been issued. WHO donates 31 million doses of Yellow fever vaccines to Nigeria The World Health Organisation (WHO) has pledged to donate 12 million doses of Yellow fever vaccines in 2018 and 19 million in 2019 to support Nigerias campaign against the disease. Charity Warigon, WHO Communications Officer, said that the intervention would be carried out with the support of GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance. The campaign will protect at least 154,131 people from the disease. Ms Warigon said it would ensure all persons aged nine months to 45 years were vaccinated during the ongoing yellow fever campaign in Danja Local Government Area of Katsina State. USAID donates $11 million to Nigeria for health survey The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has donated $11 million for the conduct of the 2018 Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). The Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, said the survey will be conducted by his ministry and the National Population Commission from August 15 to December 15 in the 36 states of the federation and the FCT. The survey is a five-year periodic worldwide survey programme designed by USAID with support from international donor organisations to assist countries in households sample surveys to monitor changes in population, health and nutrition. Scottish women retain right to take abortion pills at home The Scottish governments decision to allow women to take the abortion pill in their homes has been upheld following a legal challenge by the society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) Scotland. Doctors welcomed the ruling by the Court of Session in Edinburgh as a very significant step forward after the anti-abortion campaign group argued that the licensing of the drug misoprostol for home use was unlawful and a threat to womens health and that of their unborn babies Across Scotland, England and Wales, most abortions take place before 12 weeks with the use of drugs to induce miscarriage. These medical abortions accounted for 82.9% of terminations performed in Scotland in 2016. Ondo state government approves 5 mother/child hospital Ondo state government has approved five more Mother and Chilkd hospitals to render qualitative healthcare services to pregnant women and under five years old children at no cost. The five hospitals will be sited in Ikare, Owo, Ore, Okitipupa and Igbojoda making seven with two of such hospital already established in Akure and Ondo. Over 500 health facilities across the state would continue to serve as mini centre for the vulnerable. Nigeria loses N6.6 trillion annually to inadequate breastfeeding UNICEF Offficial UNICEF says when the cost of low cognitive development and low intelligence quotient (IQ), as well as health cost are added, inadequate breastfeeding is estimated to cost the Nigerian economy US$21 billion (N6.6 Trillion) per year, or 4.1 per cent of its gross national income. Philomena Irene, UNICEF nutrition specialist, said breastfeeding benefits not only individual children and families, but also the entire economy. The World Banks new investment framework for nutrition notes that every dollar invested in promoting breastfeeding can generate a return of $35 in economic benefits. The police in Imo on Friday arrested some women protesting over the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) for allegedly conducting an unlawful assembly. Some of the women, mostly of middle age and from the Southeast states, were half nude, while others dressed in black and marched through the streets of Owerri. They disrupted vehicular movement and other activities in some parts of the town. The protesters chanted war songs and displayed different placards with inscriptions asking the federal government to release Mr Kanu. The women claimed that the security agencies knew the whereabouts of Mr Kanu who has been out of public view since he had an encounter with the military in Umuahia about one year ago. They asked Governor Rochas Okorocha to help them actualise their dream of a getting Biafra. The women later barricaded the popular Government House Roundabout and created a chaotic atmosphere around the area. One of their leaders, Ann Ibe, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that they came out in full force to fight for the actualisation of their dream. She said they were ready to die for the cause. When a special team of police officers sent by the Commissioner of Police, Dasuki Galadanchi, arrived at the scene, the protesters broke into a dance. Some of them pulled off their clothes and danced naked, while others lay on the ground and dared the police. The police succeeded in arresting some of the protesters in spite of their offering serious resistance. Commenting on the development, the Police Public Relations Officer, Andrew Enwerem, said the women were arrested for conducting an illegal assembly and holding an unlawful protest. (NAN) Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, a Ghanaian has died. The Kofi Annan Foundation said the former UN boss, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for humanitarian work, died on Saturday aged 80. He died in Switzerland, after a brief illness, according to a tweet by the Foundation It is with immense sadness that the Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation announce that Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Laureate, passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness, the Foundation tweeted. Mr. Annan served as U.N. Secretary General from 1996 to December 2006. He had earlier served in different capacities within the same organisation. The Ghanaian was the second African to head the UN after Egypian Boutrous Boutrous Ghali, who was in charge between January 1992 to December 1996. His tenure as UN secretary-general coincided with the Iraq War and the HIV/Aids pandemic. After serving for 10 years at UN, Annan served as the UN special envoy for Syria, leading efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. Kofi Annan described his greatest achievement as the Millennium Development Goals which for the first time set global targets on issues such as poverty and child mortality. Mr. Annan was born in Kumasi Ghana on 8 April 1938. After studying at Kwame Nkrumah University, he went on to study economics at Macalester College, International Relations from the Graduate Institute Geneva and Management at MIT. He joined the UN in 1962, working for the World Health Organisations Geneva office. He went on to work in several capacities at the UN Headquarters including serving as the Under-Secretary-General for peacekeeping between March 1992 and December 1996. He was the first UN Secretary General to be appointed from within the organisations bureaucracy. His first marriage was to Titi Alakija, from 1965 to 1983. After the marriage collapsed, he married Nane Maria Lagergren in 1984. He is survived by his wife, Nane and three children, Kojo, Ama and Nina. NAN One person was confirmed dead after a building under construction collapsed in Abuja on Friday, the National Emergency Management Agency said, but residents say at least 10 persons remained under the rubble. At a press conference Saturday, Mustapha Maihaja, the director general of NEMA said besides the single fatality, one other person was critically injured and five others rescued alive at the site in Jabi, Abuja. But residents rejected the claim, and complained about the rescue effort. On Friday evening, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo visited the scene and commended rescue efforts. The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Musa Bello, expressed sadness over the collapse when he also visited. Rescue efforts were carried out by NEMA, FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Federal Road Safety Corporation, police and other security agencies and fire service. Earlier reports said two people died but NEMA said that could not be confirmed. But multiple witnesses who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES insisted that more than 10 people were trapped in the debris as at Saturday morning when rescue efforts ended. From the beginning, the rescue mission was at zero level because everything has a plan, said Nonso Amado, a building technologist. The collapsed slab is supposed to be cut and then pulled out, the pillars and beans too. NEMA tried but there is no structural or rescue engineer on site. They were just doing as if it was our first time experiencing this kind of collapse or if we inherited this in Nigeria. They were supposed to have a good strategy. The first D7 caterpillar that was brought could not lift a pillar. The sad thing is the people are still trapped inside, the owner of the building is no where to be found. Some bystanders including policemen who have been monitoring the rescue mission also spoke. Food sellers are under here, workers, the concrete mixers and there concrete mixing machines are still under there. Where are they? one of the police officers asked rhetorically. At least let them bring out the concrete mixing machine so we know they have tried, another officer quipped. They didnt do a perfect job. One woman was calling from inside, she said the heat was too much but now her number is no longer reachable, a bystander noted. They even helped to bury this people deeper into the ground because they only concentrated on the surface. Mr Nonso, the building technologist also gave a possible analysis as to what led to the collapse. This building has been here for more than 15 years. The bearing of the land has problem. If the engineer knows that the bearing cannot carry the casting of foundation, they should have done more reinforcement before continuing. I tested the concrete and noticed a loss in the strength of the material. The ratio of mixing is not standard. The reinforcement from one level to the other is not standard. He said the FCDA and other agencies did not do a proper check on the construction. FCDA might have done foundation test and first flow test but obviously didnt complete test on the other floors. They should have given a stop work order if they noticed the plan is not corresponding with what is on ground. They should also be coming here from time to time to question why this construction is poorly managed like this but obviously they didnt. A protest occurred Saturday afternoon at the site of a collapsed building in Abuja as government agencies including the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA ended its rescue mission. One person was confirmed dead after the building under construction collapsed on Friday, the NEMA said, but residents said at least 10 persons remained under the rubble. The already vexed residents described as unsatisfactory the efforts of the agencies on the rescue mission. From the beginning, the rescue mission was at zero level because everything has a plan, said Nonso Amado, a building technologist. The angry mob were dispersed by the police as their momentum increased. Several shots of tear gas were released by the police in a bid to restore calm. Earlier at a press conference Saturday, Mustapha Maihaja, the Director-General of NEMA said besides the single fatality, one other person was critically injured and five others rescued alive at the site in Jabi, Abuja. But residents rejected the claim, and complained about the rescue effort. They said two people died and insisted that more than 10 people were trapped in the debris as at Saturday morning when rescue efforts ended. Meanwhile, Umar Shuaibu, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council Coordinator of the FCT said the police have been instructed to arrest any scavenger caught prawling on the site. There will be scavengers who will want to prowl on the remnants of the rubble. We have instructed the police to arrest such people. Its unfortunate but we thank all the agencies that swiftly responded in the rescue mission. We worked overnight in record time and combed everywhere and we found out that there is no single person left inside. We will now commence investigation on what really happened. The first stage is to comb this place and the next is to evacuate this rubble. Many builders, construction and architectural associations also visited the site taking samples in a bid to also determine what caused the collapse. There is a lot administrative documention to follow up on. From now till Tuesday we will do that and commence our own investigation into what happened, Nina Bricks, the Chairman Abuja Union of Architects said. Nobody here can give you a categorical answer on what really happened here as at now without conducting the required tests, thats almost impossible. Between 1 and 2 pm on Friday, the building situated within Jabi/Utako park, directly opposite Panda Shopping Mall, collapsed to the consternation of many residents and passersby. Friday, August 17, 2018 at 4:29PM By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla IKEA is the Swedish brand that is known for making sensible and practical furniture that you have to build yourself. IKEA also makes fixtures, batteries, cookies and accessories. Did you know that IKEA makes Bluetooth speakers? The IKEA Eneby lin of speakers are appealing retro-inspired Bluetooth speakers starting at $60.00 for the 8 x 8 Eneby 20 and $100 for the larger 12 x 12 Eneby 30. Unlike the majority of IKEA products, the Eneby speakers come assembled. You have the option of connecting an included handle (they provide the tools and there's also an optional $20 battery pack that's worth buying if the speaker is going to be moved around. The Eneby 20 is the perfect size for carrying around the house or filling up a dorm room with music. IKEA has created an intuitive interface with one button that serves to power the speaker, work the volume as well as put it in Bluetooth pairing mode. I like the inclusion of a 3.5 mm AUX cable which makes the Eneby 20 eminently more useful. I an connect an ancient DiscMan to play CDs, connect my old iPod as well as various other devices that don't have Bluetooth. Once set-up the Eneby can connect to up to 8 different devices via Bluetooth. I connected the Eneby 20 to an old DiscMan CD player and was blown away by the quality of the audio, the loudness as well as the overall clarity this speaker produced. The Eneby 20 has the same quality as a vintage guitar amp or hi-fi speaker. The sound is full, organic and well distributed. Too bad you can't create a stereo pair with two Enebys because they would make spectacular companions to a turntable or smaller home audio system. There's loudness but no distortion, full volume and delicate nuances that had me digging up my CD collection just so I could re-listen to some of my favourite tracks. Of course, the idea is to hook this up via Bluetooth so you can stream from apps, that works well, too. IKEA has created a tremendous line of speakers built for the modern age, but which demonstrate the values of classic hi-fi equipment. Great wood and fabric construction, 20 W of amplified sound and versatility in connectivity.I've tested all the smart and assistant powered speakers out this year and IKEA's $60 Rnrby 20 speaker it the one that's got me excited the most. It is practical and an outstanding value. Anyone looking for a stylish and great sounding Bluetooth speaker should give the Eneby a look and a listen. It also blends in nicely with IKEA furniture, Rating: 4.5 out of 5 The Nigerian Army has announced it will start another round of its Operation Python Dance II( Exercise Egwueke II) in the Southeast. The previous rounds of the exercise stirred controversy, but the army on Saturday announced it would soon stage a third edition of the exercise in the region. The new General Officer Commanding 82 Division of Nigerian Army, Enugu, EB Kabuk, a major general, announced this in Umuahia, capital of Abia state. He was on a familiarisation visit to the Umuahia Forward Operation Base (FOB) of 145 Battalion. Egwueke II which held last in 2017 was marred by controversy amid allegations of killings by the military of pro-Biafran agitators. Also, the Umuahia country home of the Indigenous People of Biafras leader, Nnamdi Kanu, was raided during the period of the exercise by soldiers. Mr Kanus whereabout remains unknown till date. Announcing that Egwueke III would be holding this year, Mr Kabuk said preparations had commenced towards a successful outing. He urged the soldiers to be ever prepared for the exercise which he said would be carried out in line with the vision of the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai. Egwu Eke so is not just an operation, it is a training activity for Nigerian Army on how to handle internal security challenges, he said. If in conducting those training and there are situations that need to be addressed in order for south east to have the best security and peace that we are talking about, the troops will embark on that. The issue of preparation is common because training in the Nigerian Army is continues. It is not just only for Egwu Eke, we have what is called on the job training it is a daily activity in the various units and formations of the Nigerian army. But this time around, it is focus training because it is an exercise that is at army level and we are the host. So we have to be prepared to make sure that we perform our responsibility consistent with the vision of the chief of army staff in other to achieve the set objectives for that exercise. The GOC who oversees army commands in the five southeastern states including 13 Brigade, Cross River State, assured states under his command of adequate security in the region throughout his stay in office. He called for professionalism among the soldiers while discharging their duties and warned the troops against violation of citizens rights. He warned against extortion on motorists. As the General Officer Commanding 82 Division, I have to bring the troops to focus on what the vision of the chief of Army staff. In line with that vision, we shall give the south east the best security. It is only in a secure environment that economic activities can thrive. It is the only condition to ensure that law abiding Nigerians go about their activities undisturbed. Without security a society is nothing. So, the desire of the chief of army staff is for all parts of Nigeria to be secure, peaceful and suitable for law abiding Nigerians and we shall ensure that here, he said. The Chairman, Nigerian Ports Consultative Council (NPCC), Kunle Folarin, says Nigeria controls 70 per cent of cargo traffic of West and Central Africa. Mr Folarin made this known on Friday in Lagos during the 3rd Annual Maritime Conference in honour of Taiwo Afolabi, the Chief Executive and Vice Chairman, Sifax Group. The Theme of the conference was: Port Costs and Ports Charges: A Recurring Decimal under Port Reform Regime, held on Friday in Lagos. According to the maritime economist, the percentage is far from the formal trade alone and will certainly be bigger if we consider the informal trade aspects of cargo movements. He said that the traffic into Nigeria by latest data was over 5,307 ships per annum. The potential is certainly bigger when we consider the capacity of cargo traffic to Nigerias landlocked neighbours such as Niger Republic and Chad. In real terms, over 85 per cent of all the goods and services that entered Nigeria came through the seaports. The current aggregate value exceeds $15 billion dollars a year through normal imports. Nigeria also imports over two million tonnes of non-oil cargo yearly. It is therefore, no doubt that the maritime sectors performance is indeed a major contributor to the economy and must be given attention when discussing port costs and port charges. In 1970, following the end of civil war in Nigeria, government adopted a policy that focused on the need to reconstruct the infrastructure and superstructure of areas that were crucial to the commercial and industrial sectors of the country. In order to give effect to the implementation of the policy, importation of building materials was done by about 600 vessels, most of which arrived at the same time and created port congestion, Mr Folarin said. He recalled that the available port infrastructure at that time could not handle more than 12 vessels at a time in Apapa Port Complex, which resulted to long queue of ships waiting to berth. Mr Folarin said that consequently, ship owners incurred huge running costs and this led to demurage as a result of penalties put in place by the chartered parties. He said that the port cost and charges reform policy of the Federal Government started in 1993 by the Federal Ministry of Finance apparently to address the issue of rising costs in the delivery of port services and several others. The NPCC boss said that the port concessioning started in 2006 by transfering operations of public sector activities to private sector to improve productivity and achieve competiveness at the ports. He said that there was need for port industry to be truly productive, competitive and earn a hub status in the region, adding that otherwise, Nigerian ports would continue to perform at best a little above average. In a keynote address, Mr Afolabi, who was represented by his daughter, Mirian Afolabi, recalled that the exchange rate of Naira to dollar in 2006 was between N125 and N131. Many obligations of terminal operators are expected to be discharged in dollars and how much naira will be enough today to purchase the required dollars, he asked. Mr Afolabi said that 12 years after the historical concession, the value of naira had changed. By what percentage will the cost of service be adjusted upward to reflect the astronomical change in foreign exchange regime? So many questions seeking answers. These are matters of immediate and practical concern to every Nigerian and the regulatory authorities, Afolabi said. He commended the organisers of the Maritime Forum, who were students of the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, for the steadfastness and diligence they demonstrated in sustaining the yearly event. In his opening remarks, a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Adebayo Sarumi, said that government should not run port operations, adding that it was indeed a business for the private sector. Mr Sarumi said that port concessioning was a business venture that concerned both the consumers and the producers of shipping services. Up to the time I returned to NPA in 2003, NPA was using the tariffs that we got from the Price Income and Productivity Board, approved in 1993. It was so surprising to see that a tariff of 1993 was still being used in 2004. There is no way you could do that business gainfully. More worrisome was the quality of service NPA was giving. Low turnaround time of ships and shallow channels, Sarumi said. He, however, urged government to ensure that port infrastructure were in good shape. Mr Sarumi recalled that immediately the concession started, APM Terminals invested heavily on infrastructure and bought 11 cranes. He said that the concession regime had increased cargo throughput (imports and exports) A former President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Olayiwola Shittu, said that there was need to look for lasting solutions to the continuous problem of rising port costs. Mr Shittu said that things could only change positively in the industry if all the operators were ready to positively change their attitude. Also speaking, the Executive Director, SIFAX Group, retired Maj Henry Ajetunmobi, said that terminal operators invested a lot of funds on additional port infrastructure. The Director General, Nigerian Chamber of Shipping, Obiageli Obi, said that there was need to bring down the high costs to encourage port business. A Maritime Lawyer, Victor Onyegbado, said that there was need to have an economic regulator as well as the enactment of the Port and Harbour Bill. Another Maritime Lawyer, Ademola Afun, said that there was also need for availability of the political will to enable all our operators to work harmoniously to improve operations and increase government revenue. (NAN) Kofi Annan, a former Secretary-General of the United Nations, has died after a brief illness, Ghanaian media and his foundation announced on Saturday. Mr Annan spent two terms as the head of the world diplomacy body, stepping down in 2006. Several Ghanaian media outlets have reported that Mr Annan passed on in Switzerland on Saturday morning. He was 80. The Kofi Annan Foundation also announced the development on Saturday morning in a full statement that detailed how he passed on and requested that his loved ones be allowed some privacy in the meantime. It is with immense sadness that the Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation announce that Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Laureate, passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness. His wife Nane and their children Ama, Kojo and Nina were by his side during his last days. Kofi Annan was a global statesman and a deeply committed internationalist who fought throughout his life for a fairer and more peaceful world. During his distinguished career and leadership of the United Nations he was an ardent champion of peace, sustainable development, human rights and the rule of law. After stepping down from the United Nations, he continued to work tirelessly in the cause of peace through his chairmanship of the Kofi Annan Foundation and as chair of The Elders, the group founded by Nelson Mandela. He was an inspiration to young and old alike. Kofi Annan was a son of Ghana and felt a special responsibility towards Africa. He was particularly committed to African development and deeply engaged in many initiatives, including his chairmanship of the Africa Progress Panel and his early leadership of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). Wherever there was suffering or need, he reached out and touched many people with his deep compassion and empathy. He selflessly placed others first, radiating genuine kindness, warmth and brilliance in all he did. He will be greatly missed by so many around the world, as well as his staff at the Foundation and his many former colleagues in the United Nations system. He will remain in our hearts forever. The family kindly requests privacy at this time of mourning. Arrangements to celebrate his remarkable life will be announced later, the statement read in full. It is with immense sadness that the Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation announce that Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Laureate, passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness pic.twitter.com/42nGOxmcPZ Kofi Annan (@KofiAnnan) August 18, 2018 Mr Annan served two terms as Secretary-General at the UN in New York from 1997-2006. He later retired in Geneva, Switzerland, but continued to participate in diplomatic activities across the world. The current UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement that Mr Annan led the organisation into the millennium through uncommon demonstration of dignity and perseverance. In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations. He rose through the ranks to lead the organization into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination, Mr Guterres, who was led the UN refugees department, said in a statement. When Mr Annan led the UN peace-keeping and humanitarian efforts in the 1990s, he was harshly criticised failure to end the genocide in Rwanda. But he was later hailed for his efforts to reunite Cyprus during his days as the Secretary-General, although the efforts fell apart with the 2004 referendum that rejected the plans. Mr Annan was the first UN career diplomat to rise to the post of Secretary-General, an achievement he was widely praised as having guarded jealously and responsibly. Ghanaian President Nana AkufoAddo was amongst the first set of African leaders to pour encomiums on the memories of Mr Annan,describing him as a highly respected man of excellence. I have directed that, in his honour, Ghanas national flag will fly at half-mast across the country and in all of Ghanas diplomatic missions across the world, Mr Akufo-Addo wrote on Twitter Saturday. The exercise will begin on August 20 through 27, the president said, after condoling with Mr Annans widow and children. From Nigeria, Senate President Bukola Saraki extolled the late diplomats virtues, saying he would be missed. Kofi Annan was a purposeful optimist who spoke for the voiceless, a diplomat who worked for peace in a tumultuous world, and a leader who dedicated his life to advocating for the liberty and freedom of all mankind, Mr Saraki said on Twitter. We shall miss him. Kofi Annan was a purposeful optimist who spoke for the voiceless, a diplomat who worked for peace in a tumultuous world, and a leader who dedicated his life to advocating for the liberty and freedom of all mankind. We shall miss him. pic.twitter.com/15MijiC29f Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki) August 18, 2018 Also, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar described Mr Annan as a man whose contributions to humanity will not be forgotten. He was a global statesman deeply committed to a fairer and more peaceful world, Mr Abubakar added in a Twitter update Saturday. Kofi Annan, former @UN Secretary General's indelible contributions to humanity will not be forgotten. He was a global statesman deeply committed to a fairer & more peaceful world. My condolences to his family & people of Ghana. He will be sorely missed.https://t.co/DGoccgpOEx Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) August 18, 2018 It was not immediately clear when Mr Annans remains would be flown back to Ghana for burial. Days after PREMIUM TIMES published an investigative report detailing the fraud surrounding Nigerias drivers licence scheme, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has vowed to investigate and punish corrupt officials and driving school operators across the country. In a statement issued Saturday and signed by Bisi Kazeem, the FRSC spokesperson, the corps noted that all operational lapses highlighted in the reports do not enjoy the support of the corps. The FRSC spokesperson added that the corps would punish all misconducts proven against its personnel. The attention of the Federal Road Safety Corps has been drawn to a story published on 21 July and 15 August, 2018 in Premium Times on alleged drivers licence fraud in some states of the country, the statement read. While the Corps appreciates Premium Times and the Nigerian media in general for their contribution to road safety management in the country, we like to state clearly that the operational lapses and misconducts exposed in the reports do not enjoy institutional backing. There are lots of great, honest and committed officers and men in our Corps. But like all human institutions, the FRSC will not lay claim to perfection. There are perhaps a few personnel who appear to have failed to key into the uncompromising anti-corruption regime put in place by the leadership of our organisation. But this Corps, reputed widely for its transparency, integrity and unrepentant stand against corruption, is determined to severely punish all misconducts proven against its personnel. As is well known within and outside this organisation, the Corps Marshal, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, has never wavered in showing good examples and in ensuring that corrupt personnel are tried and dismissed from service. The two-part investigative report exposed how, with the grand collusion of touts, agents and officials of the FRSC, VIO and MVAA, many Nigerians obtain drivers licences without going through the approved processes. The report also exposed how the institutionalised fraud frustrates many Nigerians who are eager to go through due process in Lagos, Ogun, Kwara, Oyo and other parts of the country. Mr Kazeem, in his statement said the Corps Marshal treasures the Nigerian press for being the watchdog of the society and appreciates their resilience, tenacity, objectivity and contributions to stability and good governance particularly at this time in the history of our beloved nation. Reacting to the publication by PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Oyeyemi also said: We have noted the issues raised by the publication. We will investigate the allegations made against our personnel and take decisive actions. Already, drastic measures are being instituted to nip in the bud the identified mischiefs being perpetuated by some tendentious driving schools across the country. The Corps Marshal, the statement said, equally encouraged the media to continue to expose wrongdoing as this will help redirect the wheels of governance in the country. Let me also encourage the media to endeavour to always stand on the path of truth, justice and unbiased reportage especially when it concerns matters relating to irregularities of operatives and other stakeholders in the Corps, the statement quoted Mr Oyeyemi as saying. He added that despite the challenges confronting the Driving School Standardisation Programme and the National Drivers Licencing Scheme processes, the Corps remains resolute in its fight against corruption and will continue to wage war against indiscipline within its system and among its stakeholders. The statement said some of the issues raised by the articles were already receiving attention, adding that recently, the corps ordered an investigation into reported sharp practices involving 124 indicted driving schools. The operations of the schools were first suspended pending the outcome of investigation, the statement noted, adding that of the 124 suspended after preliminary investigation, 53 schools were reopened while the remaining 71, undergoing investigation remain blocked. As a way of putting the nations driving schools on the path of sanity, the Corps, between 04 July and 07 August, 2018 organised national workshop for driving school operators in four locations across the country. The locations are: Ibadan (July 4, 2018), Kano (July 23), Owerri (July 30) and Abuja (August 7). Of the total 1450 registered driving schools in the country, 919 participated in the workshop, Mr Kazeem said. At the workshops, some action plans were agreed upon to address sharp practices by driving schools operators. These action plans are currently being implemented across the country.The Corps also recently organised a workshop for Sector heads of Driving Licence Centres to discuss measures for authenticating driving school certificates, learners permit through driving test and visual acuity test of applicants. The highlight of that workshop, held August 1 in Abuja, was a stern warning by the corps marshal to personnel to desist from nefarious practices capable of tarnishing the image of the Corps or endangering safety on our roads. No fewer than three people have been killed and hundreds of people displaced following a monsoon rainfall in Adamawa. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a heavy rainfall was recorded in some areas of the state last Thursday night. NAN gathered that the affected areas included Yolde-Pate, Jambutu and Loko in Yola South, Yola North and Song Local Government Areas of the state, respectively. Reacting to the development, Muhammad Suleiman, the Executive Secretary, Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA), however said that only one person lost his live in the flood. One person lost his life, while over one hundred people mostly women and children displaced in the recent flood at Yolde-Pate in Yola South Local Government Area. Many people are also affected by the flood in Loko village and Jambutu area in Song and Yola North Local Government Areas of the state, Mr Suleiman said. He said that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), especially from Yolde-Pate, were camped at the primary school in the area. The scribe said that the agency has provided relief materials to the victims and appealed to humanitarian actors in the country to come to the aid of the victims. (NAN) The Nigeria military on Saturday handed over 23 arrested children who were formerly associated with Boko Haram insurgents, to UNICEF through the Borno State government. The children, according to the military, were picked up during various military raid operations around the north-east region. Aged between 17 and 10 years, the boys and girls confessed to the military that they have been assisting the Boko Haram insurgents either as fighters or domestic helps in the camps. Though, they were not allowed to speak directly to the press, some of them who spoke off the camera said they were forced or lured into joining the terror group, an action they said was regrettable. The Theatre Commander of a military counterinsurgency force, Abba Dikko, said the 23 children were released in line with Nigeria militarys commitment to the observance of human rights. In as much as we are in a conflict environment, we know that these children are victims, who by their natural instability would have little or no option but to flock along in whichever circumstance they find themselves. But by the (tint) of luck and by our structures of interventions, we were able to identify this category of people, especially the women, the aged and children to whom it behooves our sense of duty and responsibility to ensure that they are removed from harms way and reconditioned and then passed on to those institutions that are responsible for their reintegration to normal ways of life. Having established a component of the Operation Lafiya Dole which monitors and ensures adherence to rights protection, Mr Dikko, a Major General, said the Nigeria military will continue to abide by the global best practices in its effort to remove all children associated with armed conflicts in northeast Nigeria. He said it was on that note that the 23 children, among whom were teenage girls that are pregnant, were handed over to the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) through the Borno State government. The Head of the UNICEF field office in Borno State, Geoffrey Ijumba, said the release of the 23 children was a demonstration of the militarys commitment towards the protection of peoples rights in conflict situation. This, to us, is a clear sign of commitment by the Nigerian military to protect the rights and wellbeing of conflict affected children, he said. We have the highest regard for the Nigerian militaryand we thank them for this positive development which they have done today. These children can only be seen as victims of this conflict; otherwise they should be in schools just like your children and mine, so that in future they can become future leaders of this country. He said UNICEF will work with the Borno State ministry of women affairs to provide the children with medical and psychosocial support before reuniting them with their families and integrating them in the larger society. He said after the handover ceremony, the children will be camped at the state rehabilitation centre where they will stay for a minimum of 12-weeks during which they will be given varying support; including medical. He said UNICEF has, since 2017, supported the social and economic reintegration of more than 8, 700 children previously associated with non-state actors in the northeast Nigeria by helping to trace their families, returning them to their communities and offering them psychosocial support and informal apprenticeship to help better their livelihoods. A permanent Secretary at the Borno State ministry of women affairs and youth development, Yahaya Dankoli, thanked the military on behalf of the state government for the gesture and other previous releases of kids that were associated with the armed conflicts. Barely two months to the end of his tenure, the Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, is set to recruit 1000 teachers and another 1000 workers of different categories into the states civil service. The move is currently creating angst within the camp of the governorelect, Kayode Fayemi, who has rejected the move and called on the citizens to be wary of such employment. But Mr Fayose has argued that the recruitment was in keeping with his promise to the people of Ekiti State. A statement on Friday by the governors Special Assistant on Public Communication and New Media, Lere Olayinka, said the final process of the recruitment exercise had commenced. In addition to the forms already obtained free of charge by the applicants, forms are now available at the Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Civil Service Commission, Ministry of Health and other relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, he said. Forms for applicants seeking employment into the junior cadres of the public service are available at N500 each while those for the senior cadres are N1,000 each till August 24, 2018. Mr Olayinka berated Mr Fayemi and his party, APC, for criticising the recruitment exercise. With less than two weeks to the end of his tenure in 2014, Fayemi appointed eight permanent secretaries and they are still in office up till now, Mr Olayinka recalled. He also recruited several workers behind closed doors and they are still in the service. He stated that Mr Fayemi should wait till October 16 when he would be sworn in governor, rather than acting as an alternate government. It is on record that Governor Fayose announced in January this year that recruitment will be made into the state public service and this was followed up with distribution of employment forms in May, Mr Olayinka further said. This was consequent upon the existing vacancies in the public service, especially the teaching sector. There are schools without adequate teachers in critical subjects like Mathematics, Physics, English and others. So the students that are resuming in September should wait till Fayemi assumes office? Most importantly, Fayose will carry out all the functions of his office till October 16 and since there is need to employ workers, the government will do so through a transparent process. Isnt it funny that the same APC people that criticised the government for constructing a modern Oja Oba Market in Ado Ekiti are now kicking against allocation of the shops to the people? So Governor Fayose should build the market for Fayemi to come and allocate the shops to his cronies? The APC in Ekiti State should therefore be reminded that there is still a government in the State and that government will not change until October 16, 2018. Earlier, Mr Fayemi had described the last minute move by the outgoing administration of Governor Fayose to recruit the workers as a deliberate effort to put obstacles in the way of the in-coming administration. A statement by the Director of Media and Publicity in the Office of the governor-elect, Wole Olujobi, berated Mr Fayose for embarking on a last minute mass recruitment to allegedly deceive the unsuspecting victims and set a booby-trap for the incoming administration. He said Mr Fayose was playing on the intelligence of the people to paint a picture of a man of the masses in clear infraction on the law. It is a grand deception and sheer wickedness for a governor that has refused to pay workers and pensioners for between six and 10 months to now turn around to recruit about 2,000 workers in a selective manner to favour his supporters only, said Mr Olujobi. He also described the governors planned recruitment as an act of desperation by a governor who never cared for the people but would always take advantage of them in a most dehumanising manner. Once again, we call on Ekiti people as we did in our recent press release to be wary of Fayoses last minute illegal deals, transactions and mass recruitment which do not follow due process, he added. Any transaction so done shall be reviewed by the incoming administration. Friday, August 17, 2018 at 9:31AM Tesla Canada is suing the Ontario provincial government forllowing the cancellation of EV incentives for buyers of the all-electric Tesla vehicles. The PC govermnent under Doug Ford shut down numerous progressive EV and Hydrogen vehicle incentives. The move was done to ostensibly bring down the price of fuel in the province. The province claims cancelling the cap-and-trade program will help it achieve its goal of bringing gas prices down by 10 cents a litre and cutting costs for Ontarians by $1.9 billion per year. This move cuts incentives wirth thousands of dollars to Canadians opting to buy an electric car, hybrid or hydrogen car. Tesla Canada, which sells the most premium and luxurious EVs, feels it has been singled out. The company says customers of competing EV and hybrid car manufacturers can still avail of on substantial rebates on electric car purchases. The cancelled program offered rebates of up to $14,000 on qualifying vehicles, so long as they were under $75,000. Tesla Canada claims the government "deliberately and arbitrarily" excluded its customers, while providing no warning or the chance to offer any input. "The Minister of Transportation's decision suddenly left hundreds of Tesla Canada's Ontario customers in the unfair position of no longer being eligible for the rebate they had expected to receive when they ordered their vehicles," the lawsuit states. Tesla vehicles are usually ordered years in advance and sight unseen. Many buyers factored the incentives and discounts into their Tesla purchase. Tesla customers usually have to pay a reservation fee worth thousands of dollars just to get in the queue. Tesla is notorious for missing delivery deadlines, mostly because it has had trouble scaling production. The company has also been knocked for sub-standard after sales service, usually requiring months to act on a part replacement or a recall. Tesla customers put up with all this in order to enjoy the promise of a sleek, high-tech zero carbon footprint motoring. The Ontario government's cancellation of incentives pulls support for public EV chargers nad makes considering the move to an EV, PHEV or hybrid less attractive to Canadians. Many consider it to be a step back. Saturday, August 18, 2018 at 9:09AM Prince's out of print music is now finally being made available in digital streaming format for the first time, including a large chunk of releases covering 1995-2010 culminating in a new Prince Anthology:1995-2010 that focuses on the highlights of the period. Prince was a prolific musician who had released albums and singles each year. He also kept hundreds of songs under lock and key in what is known as The Vault. Since the artist's sudden passing in 2016, this music, which some believe Prince never wanted released, has been trickling out to streaming services or reissued as LPs and CDs by his estate. Certain albums from this period which are now rare to find in any form include Musicology and Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic. Thanks to streaming services, Prince's music is not only preserved, it is accessible and easy for old fans and new ones to discover. Source: Engadget 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. NEW YORK, Aug. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationally acclaimed investor rights law firm, announces that it has filed a new securities class action lawsuit on behalf of those who purchased or acquired the securities of Farmland Partners Inc. ("Farmland" or the "Company") (NYSE: FPI; FPI-PB) between March 16, 2016 and July 10, 2018, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). The lawsuit, which expands the class period asserted in the recent lawsuit filed against the Company concerning the revelations made by the Rota Fortunae report, seeks to recover Farmland shareholders' investment losses. To join the Farmland class action, and/or to discuss your legal rights and options, please visit Farmland Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Daniel Sadeh toll free at (877) 779-1414 or [email protected]. According to the lawsuit, throughout the Class Period Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose: (1) that Farmland artificially increased revenues by making loans to related-party tenants who round-tripped the cash back to Farmland as rent; (2) that as a result, Farmland's earnings during fiscal year 2017 were materially overstated; (3) the true extent and effect of Farmland's non-arm's length transactions; and (4) as a result, Defendants' statements about the Company's business, operations and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked reasonable bases at all relevant times. On July 11, 2018, Rota Fortunae published a report stating, among other things, that "FPI is artificially increasing revenues by making loans to related-party tenants who round-trip the cash back to FPI as rent; 310% of 2017 earnings could be made-up." The report further stated that "FPI has neglected to disclose that the majority of its loans have been made to two members of the management team, including Jesse Hough, CEO Paul Pittman's long-time business partner," and "[w]e found evidence that strongly supports FPI has significantly overpaid for properties." On this news, Farmland's stock fell $3.37 per share, or over 38%, from its previous closing price to close at $5.28 per share on July 11, 2018, damaging investors. The new class action is pending in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, under docket number 1:18-cv-02104. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than September 10, 2018. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff. If you choose to take no action, you may remain an absent class member. To join the Farmland class action, and/or to discuss your legal rights and options, please visit https://www.bernlieb.com/cases/farmland-partners-inc-fpi-class-action-lawsuit-73/ or contact Daniel Sadeh toll free at (877) 779-1414 or [email protected]. Since 1993, Bernstein Liebhard LLP has recovered over $3.5 billion for its clients. In addition to representing individual investors, the Firm has been retained by some of the largest public and private pension funds in the country to monitor their assets and pursue litigation on their behalf. As a result of its success litigating hundreds of lawsuits and class actions, the Firm has been named to The National Law Journal's "Plaintiffs' Hot List" thirteen times and listed in The Legal 500 for ten consecutive years. ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. 2018 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. The lawyer responsible for this advertisement in the State of Connecticut is Michael S. Bigin. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. Contact Information Daniel Sadeh Bernstein Liebhard LLP http://www.bernlieb.com (877) 779-1414 [email protected] SOURCE Bernstein Liebhard LLP Related Links http://www.bernlieb.com United Nations, Aug 18 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is saddened by the loss of lives and the destruction due to the Kerala floods and the world organisation is following the situation very closely, according to his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. The UN "is saddened by the loss of life, destruction and displacement caused by the floods in India," which is the worst flooding in about 100 years, Dujarric told reporters on Friday. Asked if India had asked for UN assistance, he said there has been no request for help and added, "as you know India has quite a well-operating machinery to deal with natural disasters." "But of course our country team -- I have been in touch with our Resident Coordinator (Yuri Afanasiev ) they are following closely, they are in touch with partners on the ground," he said. Chennai, Aug 18 : The first stand-alone health insurance company, Star Health & Allied Insurance Company Ltd, will change hands soon will all its existing shareholders exiting in favour of Safecrop Holdings Pvt Ltd, a consortium with WestBridge AIF, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala and Madison, the company said. "The existing management is likely to continue for some more time. Whether the purchase price to be paid up front or on milestone basis is not known," a company official told IANS. Star Health on its website on Friday announced that Safecrop Holdings, a consortium with WestBridge AIF, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala and Madison Capital, has signed definitive agreements with the shareholders of Star Health to purchase their shares. The existing shareholders of Star Health include Star Health Investments Pvt. Ltd. and funds managed/or advised by ICICI Venture, Tata Capital and Apis Partners. The transaction is subject to regulatory and certain other approvals, the company said. However, it was silent on the purchase price. Declining to share any financial and non-financial details V. Jagannathan, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Star Health told IANS: "I am very happy with the deal." The health insurer has about 11,000 employees. He said: "We have started from a humble beginning and have come to this level with an excellent team work. We feel new investors, with their abundance experience and golden touch, will enable the company to scale further heights. "We are really excited about Star Health, a dominant market leader in the retail health insurance industry. We believe the retail health insurance industry will continue to grow at a healthy pace in the coming decade, driven by increasing penetration," said Sumir Chadha, Co-Founder & Managing Director, WestBridge Capital. "This aligns well with WestBridge's investing philosophy and long-time horizon. We are highly confident of Star's business model and believe that Star will continue to lead the retail health insurance space." Washington, Aug 18 : Special Counsel Robert Mueller recommended that a federal judge to sentence George Papadopoulos, a former campaign aide of US President Donald Trump, to up to six months in prison for lying to investigators in relation to the ongoing Russia meddling probe. "The government does not take a position with respect to a particular sentence to be imposed, but respectfully submits that a sentence of incarceration, within the applicable guidelines range of 0 to 6 months' imprisonment, is appropriate and warranted," Mueller wrote on Friday in a government sentencing memorandum to the US District Court for the District of Columbia. "The defendant's crime was serious and caused damage to the government's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election," Mueller added. "The defendant lied in order to conceal his contacts with Russians and Russian intermediaries during the campaign and made his false statements to investigators on January 27, 2017, early in the investigation, when key investigative decisions, including who to interview and when, were being made." Papadopoulos, a former foreign policy adviser in Trump's 2016 campaign, pleaded guilty in October to making false statements to the special counsel's team, becoming the first person to admit guilty to Mueller's federal prosecutors, reports Politico news. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) accused him of lying to investigators when it asked him about whether he had advance knowledge that Russians had obtained emails connected to Hillary Clinton's campaign and whether they intended to distribute them. According to his plea agreement, Papadopoulos admitted to lying about the timing of his contacts with a professor, Joseph Mifsud, in London. Mifsud, according to prosecutors, told Papdopoulos after he had joined the Trump campaign in spring 2016 that Russians had obtained "dirt" on Clinton. But Papadopoulos, according to Mueller, repeatedly denied that he interacted with the professor before to joining the campaign team. Mueller wrote in Friday's filing that Papadopoulos "was explicitly notified of the seriousness of the ongoing investigation", and warned by the special counsel's prosecutors "that lying to investigators was a 'federal offense' that could get him 'in trouble'", Politico reported. Mueller also maintained that Papadopoulos' false statements "were intended to harm the investigation, and did so." "His lies negatively affected the FBI's Russia investigation, and prevented the FBI from effectively identifying and confronting witnesses in a timely fashion... His lies were not momentary lapses. He lied repeatedly... and his lies were designed to conceal facts he knew were critical." Mumbai, Aug 18 : The State Bank of India (SBI) has donated Rs 2 crore for the Kerala flood victims and initiated several other ground-level measures in the deluged state, an official said on Saturday. The SBI has encouraged all its 270,000 staffers to contribute to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF), and the bank would contribute an equivalent amount. It also announced a waiver of fees and charges on services like loans for flood relief, duplicate passbooks, ATM cards, cheque books and EMI delays, besides making attempts to restore the working of branches and ATMs in the flood affected regions of the state. Besides, the SBI has decided to waive all charges on remittance to the CMDRF, penalty on non-maintenance of minimum account balance from proceeds of relief fund provided by the government and agencies and if already recovered, such charges would be refunded for customers in the state. The bank has extended Xpress Credit to existing customers with relaxed norms for a month, deployed cash at PoS (Point of Sale) to enable people avail Rs 2,000 to meet daily cash requirements across the state. Persons who have lost or displaced personal documents can open small accounts with only photos and signature or thumb impressions and all employees of SBI deployed to address requirements of the customers and ensure best possible service. At least 180 persons have lost their lives, thousands displaced or stranded as incessant rains pounded Kerala since the past 10 days, causing havoc in 12 districts. Srinagar, Aug 18 : Militants attacked the residence of a National Conference (NC) leader in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district on Saturday, police said. The militants fired at the guard post outside NC leader and sitting legislator, Showkat Hussain Ganai's house in Chitragam village at around 4.30 a.m. "Alert guards retaliated after which the militants escaped. No casualty was reported," the police added. Lucknow, Aug 18 : A 55-year-old woman and her 27-year-old son have been hacked to death in Uttar Pradesh's Jalaun district, police said on Saturday. The villagers, on Saturday, woke up to discover the twin murders, which took place in Baagi village in the night. The deceased -- Munni and Kuldeep -- were found lying on their cots, with several wounds on their bodies inflicted by a sharp-edged weapon, a police official told IANS. "We have informed the husband of the deceased who works in the town and are probing all angles to the incident, including disputes and animosity if any," he said. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem and the police is questioning the neighbours to know more details. Kabul, Aug 18 : The Taliban has repeated its call for direct talks with the US, a statement said on Saturday. Describing the US-led forces presence in Afghanistan as the cause of conflict, Taliban chief Mullah Hebatullah Akhundzada in the statement said: "Lone option is to end the occupation of Afghanistan," reports Xinhua news agency. "The Islamic Emirate (Taliban) continues to call for understanding and sound logic instead of force and points them towards options that can guarantee the cessation and end of this long war," the leader said. The Taliban has repeatedly refused the Afghan government's offer for talks, blaming the US for continued war and instability in the country. "Since the ongoing war in Afghanistan is the birth-child of US occupation therefore we have and continue to insist on direct talks with Washington to bring it to an end," the statement added. Dhaka, Aug 18 : Six people were killed on Saturday in a clash between two rival factions of a political party in Bangladesh's Chittagong district. A police officer told Xinhua news agency that the clash erupted in the Shonirbhor Bazar area of Khagrachari town at around 8.30 a.m. He said the clash occurred between two rival factions of the United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) which is a regional political party based in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. "One of the six victims killed in the clash has been identified as a UPDF leader." Mumbai, Aug 18 : Actor-politician Rajinikanth has praised the Victor Banerjee-starrer "The Answer", which traces the life of yoga guru Paramhansa Yogananda's late American devotee James Donald Walters -- popularly known as Swami Kriyananda. Ahead of the film's release on August 31, Rajinikanth saw the film in Chennai and was happy that it spreads the message of spiritualism. "The film is a moving tale of a guru-shishya relationship. Picturised beautifully, it will surely resonate with the followers of Guru Paramhansa Yogananda and Swami Kriyananda," Rajinikanth said in a statement. The much-loved actor has been following Mahavatar Babaji, Paramhansa Yogananda and has been practicing Kriya Yoga for a long time. "Rajni sir is so unassuming - as he is known to be. The way he readily agreed to see the film shows his stature not only as an ultimate superstar but also as a profound human being. We are very happy that we could show him the film", said Madhureeta Anand, who is the Worldwide Business Consultant for the film. The film is based on the true story of an American, James Donald Walters (played by Leonidas Gulaptis), later christened as Swami Kriyananda and his encounter with spiritual master Paramhansa Yogananda in California, which resulted in his devotion to the guru and his teachings. Paramhansa Yogananda authored the "Autobiography of A Yogi". "The Answer" is backed by Pia Singh of DLF, directed by Pavan Kaul and distributed by Panaroma Studios Distribution LLP. Mumbai, Aug 18 : Eight months after the January 1 caste riots in Bhima-Koregaon rocked Maharashtra's politics, the first hearing by a judicial commission of enquiry will begin here in September, a top official said on Saturday. The hearings will be conducted before a two-member Judicial Commission comprising former Chief Justice of Bombay High Court and former Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court, Justice J.N. Patel, and Maharashtra former Chief Secretary Sumit Mullick, from September 5 to 7. "Among other things, the commission will enquire into the incident, its causes and consequences, whether the police and civil administration had made adequate arrangements on that day or not," Special Public Prosecutor Shishir Hiray told IANS. The Commission will also examine the sequence of events resulting in the violence, the persons/organisations/groups responsible for it and the related security aspects during the gathering of over 200,000 Dalits at the venue. Soon after the riots shook the state polity with its wide ramifications, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced a probe by a Judicial Commission which was appointed on February 9 with a tenure of four months. According to Hiray, the commission -- the highest level ever appointed for any such probe in the country -- has already visited the riots site in Pune district, taken pictures and videos, collected research material and other documents so far. "A total of around 500 witnesses are likely to be examined during the hearings, starting with around a dozen (witnesses) next month, besides examining the voluminous documents running into more than 10,000 pages filed before the Commission," Hiray added. Around 500 affidavits have already been filed before the Commission including by the Pune Rural Police, members of the public, various organisations and NGOs, and even by one of the prime accused in the riots, Hindutva leader Milind Ekbote, head of the Hindu Ekta Samiti, arrested in March and currently on bail. New Delhi, Aug 18 : There has been "misinformation campaign" about cancellation of Congress President Rahul Gandhis visit to British parliament during his forthcoming visit to UK and he will have interactions as planned, Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) Chairman Sam Pitroda said on Saturday. In a press release, Pitroda said Gandhi will have have interactions in London at a think tank, the parliament, London School of Economics and several other institutions with political leaders, businessmen, academicians and students. "Rahul Gandhi's visit to London is on as planned," Pitroda said. He said Gandhi will also interact with Indian Journalists Association in London and address a large public meeting of IOC on August 25. "In fact, the demand for interactions with Rahul Gandhi by institutions and individuals is so high that even if he spends whole week in London, he may not be able to make everyone happy," he said. Pitroda said he was being approached for Gandhi to speak at various events but it was not possible "to meet the huge demand" due to limited time. Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi had clarified on Friday that there has been no change in the engagements of Gandhi during his scheduled visits to Germany and the UK and had accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of trying to undermine the visit because "it is getting popular". A media report had said on Friday that Indian-origin millionaire Rami Ranger, co-chairman of the Conservative Friends of India, and Tory peer Baroness Verma had rescinded an invitation to Rahul Gandhi during his trip to London saying the event had been cancelled. It said Gandhi will no longer be attending an event in parliament hosted by the Conservative Friends of India. The report also said Labour MP Keith Vaz has sponsored a room elsewhere in the Parliament and Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) has taken over running the event. Gandhi will be visiting Germany on August 22 and 23 and London on August 24 and 25. Agartala, Aug 18 : A Chinese delegation would visit Assam and Tripura next month to study the possible investment sectors in the resource-rich northeast India, Tripura Health and Family Welfare Minister Sudip Roy Barman said on Saturday. Roy Barman, who as member of the Indian delegation visited China earlier this week, said : "A Chinese delegation would visit Assam and Tripura in September to study the probable investment sectors in the northeastern region and the region's available resources. After visiting Assam, the delegation would visit Tripura." The Chinese official delegation, he said, would talk to top officials, traders, investors and experts of the northeastern region comprising eight states in Guwahati, the Minister, who returned here on Friday, told IANS. An Indian delegation led by Bharatiya Janata Party General Secretary Ram Madhav on a visit to the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou since August 11 met Indian and Chinese officials and businessmen from different parts of the country. Senior Ministers from Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat -- the states governed by the BJP -- were the part of the 10-member delegation, which was jointly supported by the Union Ministry of Industries and Commerce and India Foundation, a NGO runs by Ram Madhav. Roy Barman, who also holds the Information Technology, Science, Technology and Environment Departments, said that the Indian delegation first visited a waste management plant in Guangzhou that generate power from garbage and waste materials in a very eco-friendly process. "We have apprised the Chinese officials, investors and businessmen about the variety of enormous resources, both forest and mining, available in the northeastern region. Surface connectivity, including railways, has developed to a large extent in the northeast region and transportation now become easier between the region and the rest of the country via Bangladesh, he added. The minister said after the completion of the under construction bridge over river Feni (135 km south of Agartala) in southern Tripura, the region would be directly connected with the Chittagong international sea port in neighbouring Bangladesh. The Chittagong sea port, only international port nearest to northeast India, is 72 km from southern Tripura's border town Sabroom. "The Feni bridge would turn Tripura into a abusiness hub' for all the northeastern states," the Minister said, adding the state government has also invited investors to set up rubber based industries as Tripura is the second largest rubber growing state after Kerala. Northeast India's only 250 km out of 5,687 km outer perimeter touches India. The remaining 5437 km represents international boundaries with China (1300), Myanmar (1643 km), Bangladesh (1880 km), Bhutan (516 km) and Nepal (98 km). Mumbai, Aug 18 : Actor Vijay Deverakonda is loving the overwhelming response to his new release "Geetha Govindam", which is a take on love and courtship. Excerpts from the interview: Q. What has the response been so far? Has the audience understood your impatience with conventional treatment of love and courtship? A. Response is shocking. I can't even begin to assess what it is that's happening. My phone's ringing off the hook. Everyone is trying to understand what is happening. It's crazy! I am not even attempting to understand the response to "Geetha Govindam". Q. The film deals with the dynamics of courtship in a healthy manner. How much of your own views are projected in the film? A. I am figuring out my personal views. And evolving as a person every day. I have no fixed views on men, women and other issues. How I feel about various things is constantly changing, evolving. Breaking moulds wasn't on our minds. It's only a happy by-product. Q. In the film, the heroine is shown to take advantage of your vulnerable situation. Normally it is men who are shown to be exploitative? A. More than exploiting, I feel she has this pent-up anger and frustration at the sight of him. She is gracious enough to give him the benefit of the doubt and say he was not the one who harassed her when asked by her brother at their first meeting, seeing the trauma it would put his family through. But that in no way meant she forgives him, and they are forced due to situations to spend so much time together. So then she gives him a tough time. I don't blame her though. Q. But so many times men get wrongly accused of sexual harassment? A. That is an extremely scary and discomforting thought. But in "Geetha Govindam", even though unintended, he shouldn't have gotten himself into that position. He could have avoided getting so friendly with a girl he had just met. Q. Are you consciously breaking conventional moulds through your roles and films? A. It's more unconscious. I am just drawn to this stuff more. Q. Though clean and wholesome, the film is not shy about the gender equations. Do you think it's time Telugu cinema explored the man-woman equation beyond the surface level? A. Cinema everywhere is growing up. We are no exception. I am glad "Geetha Govindam" has found an audience. If it hadn't, I'd still not embrace the conventional. That's not me. Patna, Aug 18 : Brajesh Thakur, the main accused in the Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case, on Saturday said there was a threat to his life as he was currently lodged in jail along with Maoist rebels. "I strongly fear threat to my life in the jail," Thakur informed the local court when he was produced before it via video conference and its intervention. But the court has refused to intervene saying it was the jail's matter. Thakur has been lodged in the Muzaffarpur Central Jail since June 2. He was shifted to the prisoners ward from the hospital ward this week. The Muzaffarpur case came to light when the Bihar Social Welfare Department filed an FIR based on a social audit of the shelter home conducted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. The CBI is probing the case. Hyderabad, Aug 18 : Actor Rajkummar Rao, who on Saturday addressed the officers of the Indian Police Service (IPS) at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA) here, praised the policemen for their bravery. The "Newton" actor tweeted: "It was such an honour to address the most prestigious SVPNPA in Hyderabad. I salute the courage and selflessness with which our cops perform their duties. Thank you SVPNPA." SVPNPA is the national institute for training of IPS officers before they are sent to their respective state cadres to carry out their duties. Along with the tweet, Rajkummar shared a photo in which he can be seen posing in the front of the Academy's building. On the work front, Rajkummar will next be seen in Amar Kaushik directorial film "Stree", scheduled to release on August 31. New Delhi, Aug 18 : The Congress on Saturday demanded that floods in Kerala should be declared a "national calamity." All elected representatives of the party would donate one month's salary towards relief efforts in the state, it said. The decision to donate salaries was taken at a meeting of Congress general secretaries, party in-charges of states, legislative party leaders and state unit chiefs, which was presided over by party chief Rahul Gandhi. Gandhi had earlier in the day urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately declare the floods in Kerala as "a national disaster." Briefing reporters after meeting of Congress office-bearers, party communications in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said the Modi government should come forward to help Kerala where over 180 people have died and property worth over Rs 3,000 crore has been damaged due to floods. "It was decided that all Congress MPs in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Congress MLAs across India and party MLCs will donate one month's salary, which will be sent through the AICC for relief measures in Kerala," Surjewala said. He said it was also decided that all Congress governments will come forward to help the people of the state. Surjewala said Punjab government has already donated Rs 10 crore to the Kerala Relief Fund and JD-S and Congress- government in Karnataka has also donated Rs 10 crore to the relief measures. The government in Puducherry has also donated Rs 1 crore. He said special relief committees will be formed in adjoining states including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu apart from Puducherry. Material collected by Congress workers will be sent to the people of Kerala. Surjewala said the party also noted with concern the grave situation due to floods in Karnataka and some other parts of the country. "Modiji should stop discriminating in matters of flood relief. The Prime Minister must rise above party-politics and come forward to help Kerala, Karnataka and other flood-affected states. The Prime Minister should declare Kerala floods as a national calamity," Surjewala said. Overflowing rivers and a series of landslides in Kerala have resulted in the death of 180 people as of Saturday morning, with over 3 lakh others forced to move to some hundreds of relief camps. Mumbai, Aug 18 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday announced an emergency financial aid of Rs 20 crore plus food and other essentials for the flood hit victims of Kerala, an official said here. From Sunday, the government, in collaboration with various agencies and NGOs will make arrangements for food and other items of daily need for the flood victims. A consignment of six tonnes will be despatched to Kerala on Saturday, while another five tonnes will follow shortly. In this, realtors, umbrella bodies, MCHI and CREDAI have contributed foodgrains worth Rs 1.50 crore while the Rajasthani Welfare Association and JITO have extended help of Rs 51 lakh each. The private sector ICICI Bank also announced a contribution of Rs 10 crore towards Kerala flood relief, besides waiving off various penalties on late EMI payments for all retail loans, credit card dues and cheque bouncing cases for the current month. While Rs 8 crore of the contribution will go to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF), the rest will be in the form of essential commodities, food, medicines, clothes, sanitation and hygiene products, to the 14 worst-hit districts, said the bank's Executive Director Anup Bagchi. Earlier on Saturday, the State Bank of India donated Rs 2 crore and initiated several ground-level measures in the deluged state. Besides, the SBI has encouraged all its 270,000 staffers to contribute to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF), and the bank would contribute an equivalent amount. The bank also announced a waiver of fees and charges on services like loans for flood relief, duplicate passbooks, ATM cards, cheque books, EMI delays, etc, besides making attempts to restore the working of branches and ATMs in the flood affected regions of the state. Besides, SBI has decided to waive all charges on remittances to the CMDRF, penalty on non-maintenance of minimum account balance from proceeds of relief fund provided by the government and agencies, and if already recovered, such charges would be refunded for customers in the state. The bank has extended Xpress Credit to existing customers with relaxed norms for a month, deployed cash at PoS (Point of Sale) to enable people avail Rs 2,000 to meet daily cash requirements across the state. Persons who have lost or displaced personal documents can open small accounts with only photos and signature or thumb impressions with all employees of the SBI deployed to address the requirements of the customers and ensure the best possible service. Dharamsala, Aug 18 : Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has written to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and made a donation towards relief and rescue efforts. "I am writing to express my sadness at the loss of life and devastation of property," the letter said, "as well as the hardship caused to so many people due to unprecedented flooding in parts of your state. "I appreciate that every effort is being made to rescue those affected and that relief efforts are underway. As a mark of my solidarity with the people of Kerala, I am making a donation from the Gaden Phodrang Trust of the Dalai Lama towards relief and rescue efforts," it said. "I offer my condolences to you, to the families who have lost loved ones, and to all affected by the flooding," said the Tibetan spiritual leader. Chandigarh, Aug 18 : Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday said the state would provide a financial assistance of Rs 10 crore to flood-affected people and for rescue operations in Kerala. The people of Kerala have been facing heavy losses of life and property due to severe floods and Haryana is with Kerala in this hour of need, an official statement quoting Khattar said. Overflowing rivers and a series of landslides have caused the death of 180 people as of Saturday morning, with over three lakh people forced to move to some 2,000 relief camps. Chennai, Aug 18 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami on Saturday said the state would release an additional sum of Rs 5 crore as relief to flood hit Kerala and also supply rice, milk, milk powder, bedsheets, clothes and medicines. In a statement issued here, Palaniswami said considering the extent of flood damage in Kerala, the Tamil Nadu government will release a further sum of Rs 5 crore from Chief Minister's Relief Fund. With this the total sum released for Kerala will be Rs 10 crore. Palaniswami also said the state would also supply 500 tonnes of rice, 300 tonnes of milk power, 15,000 litres of ultra high temperature (UHT) processed milk, clothes, 10,000 bedsheets and essential medicines to Kerala. He said materials worth several crores of rupees collected from the people of Tamil Nadu is being sent to Kerala by the respective districts. Palaniswami also conveyed his grief and condolences on the behalf of the people of Tamil Nadu to the families of the dead in Kerala floods. New Delhi, Aug 18 : Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday visited the residence of the late former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee here to pay his respects to the family. The Chief Minister spent about half-an-hour at the residence and also penned some of his feelings for Vajpayee, whom he remembered meeting for the first time in 1970, in the visitors' book. The Chief Minister met Vajpayee's foster daughter Namita and son-in-law Ranjan Bhattacharya, along with other family members, to express his condolences, according to an official spokesperson. Recalling Vajpayee's 1970 Punjab visit, Amarinder said: "Atal-ji had come there to campaign for him and spent three days in Patiala". The Chief Minister reminisced that he had come out of the Indian Army in 1968 and was contesting his first election, a bypoll from Dakala in 1970 after the sitting legislator Basant Singh was killed by Naxalites. The Chief Minister remembered the former Prime Minister as a great leader, an excellent statesman, a dignified politician and a fine human being. His death has left a vacuum that would be hard to fill, said Amarinder Singh. Indian Navy rushes fleet replenishment tanker - INS Deepak to Kochi with 8 Lakh litres of drinking water as part of relief work for Kerala floods, from Mumbai on Aug 18, 2018. Image Source: IANS Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 18 : The death toll due to rains and floods in Kerala has gone up to 357 this monsoon season, as 22 more deaths were reported on Saturday and red alert continued in 11 districts following prediction of more rains. The death toll due to torrential rains since August 9 -- the third spell during this year's monsoon in the southern state -- reached 194 with the casualties reported on Saturday in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Idukki, Pathanamthitta and Chengannur districts. The India Meteorological Department forecast on Saturday afternoon that widespread rains, with heavy rains at isolated places, is likely to continue over Kerala following low pressure area very likely to develop over northwest Bay of Bengal and the neighbourhood during the next 24 hours. Barring Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kasargode, the remaining 11 districts of Kerala continued to be on red alert following prediction of more rains. The worst affected places include Aluva, Chalakudy, Chengannur, Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta, where massive rescue operations were on as scores of persons were rescued. Media houses continued to be flooded with requests from friends and relatives of those stranded in affected areas. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held a review meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kochi. In a memorandum submitted to the Centre, Vijayan said that the death toll in rain-related incidents since May 29 had climbed to 357. Over 3.53 lakh affected persons had been lodged in over 2,000 relief camps, he said. Modi sanctioned Rs 500 crore to the flood-battered state, apart from Rs 100 crore announced earlier by the Centre on August 12, before returning to Delhi after an aerial survey of the affected areas. Vijayan told the media here that the situation is "very serious and grave". "The death toll would have been higher, but for the work we did. Things are under control," said Vijayan, whose government was flayed by Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala for failing to take up rescue and relief work effectively. Food Minister P. Thilothaman, camping at Chengannur, told the media: "The need of the hour is to provide food packets and drinking water to the people. About 15 small boats of the Navy are expected to join rescue and relief work. But, after dusk, no rescues are possible. Helicopters are also needed for faster evacuation." Meanwhile, anger mounted across Kerala as coordination of rescue work went haywire due to the magnitude of calamity. Flaying the state for "failing in the endeavour", Leader of Opposition Chennithala said: "I have been flooded with calls from the affected persons. Even now, thousands of people are stranded. The Chief Minister dismissed with contempt when I said this week that rescue and relief should be handed over to the Army. I do not want to blame anyone but it has been proved beyond doubt that the state government has failed." More fishing boats from various places reached the affected areas during the day. Alappuzha Superintendent of Police A.P. Surendran said: "Things are moving fast on Saturday. Helicopters and more boats have been pressed into service. We are confident we will be able to rescue more stranded people." The situation in Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad and Wayanad inched towards comparative normalcy as rains slowed and water level receded, with many living in crowded relief camps awaiting return to their homes. At several places in waterlogged areas, banks could not function normally since staff faied to report for duty due to the flooding. Railway services between Ernakulam and Thrissur remained suspended on Saturday, with long-distance trains diverted via the Nagercoil route. Certain blockades on the Thrissur-Palakkad highway though were cleared for traffic. Army personnel worked hard to clear the roads to Munnar. Kerala is facing the heaviest rains and consequent widespread floods and destruction since 1924, which the state estimates has caused a loss of over Rs 19,500 crore. Madrid, Aug 18 : Tributes to former UN Secretary-General and Nobel Prize Laureate Kofi Annan started to pour following the announcement of his death on Saturday. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres lamented the death of his 80-year-old predecessor, describing him as "a guiding force for good", as well as a good friend and mentor. "He provided people everywhere with a space for dialogue, a place for problem-solving and a path to a better world," Guterres said in a statement. "In these turbulent and trying times, he never stopped working to give life to the values of the United Nations Charter," he added. "His legacy will remain a true inspiration for all of us." India also expressed condolences to the former Ghanaian diplomat's family and the UN community as a whole. "Sorry to learn of the passing of former Secretary General of the UN Kofi Annan," the official Twitter handle of the Indian President said. UN Human Rights chief Zeid Raad al-Hussein said he was "grief-stricken" over the news of the Ghanaian politician's death. "Kofi was humanity's best example, the epitome, of human decency and grace," he said. UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said in a tweet he was "learning with deep sadness of the passing of Kofi Annan," who he went on to describe as an "international leader, wise mentor, valuable adviser, good friend and role model." Spain's Prime Minister Pedro SAnchez tweeted: "Today we lose a great humanist. Former UN Secretary General and Nobel Peace Laureate Kofi Annan has left us, but we still have his legacy to continue working for peace, security and to reinforce the defence of human rights." UK Prime Minister Theresa May said Annan was "a great leader and reformer of the UN, he made a huge contribution to making the world he had left a better place than the one he was born into." French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted that France paid tribute to Annan: "We will never forget his calm and resolved gaze, nor the strength of his fight." Annan passed away died in a hospital in the Swiss city of Bern after a short illness, with his wife and three children by his side. He was the first black African to take up the role of the world's top diplomat, serving two terms from 1997 to 2006. He received the Nobel Peace Prize along with the UN in 2001 for revitalizing the UN and making human rights a priority. He also led a UN commission to investigate the Rohingya refugee crisis in Myanmar. New Delhi, Aug 18 : The Congress on Saturday said that it will launch a month-long nationwide agitation from next week on what it said was "Rafale scam" of the Modi government and other issues. Congress sources said that the party will hold around 80 press conferences, to be addressed by its Spokespersons and senior leaders, across the country on the Rafale aircraft deal inked with France and other issues. The Rafale deal came up for discussion at a meeting of Congress General Secretaries, party in-charges of states, legislative party leaders and state unit chiefs, which was presided over by Congress President Rahul Gandhi. The meeting discussed the party's preparations for the Assembly polls this year in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram. Briefing reporters later, Congress Communications incharge Randeep Singh Surjewala said that the meeting discussed "political challenges in the election-bound states". He said the Congress will launch an agitation to highlight "bhrashtachar ka khel, Rafale" (corruption in Rafale deal) that allegedly caused a loss of Rs 41,000 crore to the exchequer. "It was decided that the scams of the Modi government, particularly the Rafale scam, will be taken to the people of India. In the next 30 days, Congress workers will fan out and hold district and state-level demonstrations," Surjewala said. He alleged that a contract in the Rafale deal had been "snatched away" from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, a public sector undertaking. Surjewala said that party leaders, including Congress Working Committee members, General Secretaries and Secretaries, will approach people at block, district and state levels and "ensure that a fair and independent probe and a JPC (joint parliamentary committee) probe into the Rafale deal is constituted immediately." "We will push the government. We will not stop, we will not be deterred," Surjewala said. Party sources said that a team has been formed to coordinate the efforts. United Nations, Aug 18 : Kofi Annan, the gentle global statesman who died on Saturday, led the world body for two terms during which brought focus to development as the foundation of peace and security. During his tenure from January 1997 to December 2006 as Secretary General, he steered the UN in making development a top priority, even as he guided it through through several crises, among them the heightened post 9/11 terrorist threats, the Afghan and Iraq wars, the Balkan conflicts which saw the worst bloodshed in Europe since World War II, and the liberation of East Timor. In 2001, he and the UN received the Nobel Peace Prize. Current Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in his tribute called "Kofi Annan a guiding force for good". "He provided people everywhere with a space for dialogue, a place for problem-solving and a path to a better world," he added. Annan was outspoken at times, but always maintained dignity and upheld the best traditions of diplomacy, leaving the way open for consensus. The Ghanian diplomat was 80 when he died, surrounded by his Swedish wife Nane, and his children -- Ama, Kojo and Nina -- the Kofi Annan Foundation said. The Millenial Development Goals (MDGs) adopted by world leaders at their 2000 Summit under his leadership continue to inspire the UN as it works with renewed efforts like the current Agenda 2030 for sustainable development. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: "Kofi Annan's significant contribution to the MDGs will always be remembered." During his 2005 visit to India, Annan said in New Delhi: "Development is the subject of the first and longest chapter in the report, which maps out a detailed and practical strategy for reaching the MDGs by 2015." Annan also advocated Security Council reform, a goal dear to India. He said during the visit that while the reform should be reached by consensus, the lack of consensus should not become an excuse for postponing action. Among his other accomplishments as the UN head, were starting reforms of the UN bureaucracy and structure, setting up of the Peacebuilding Commission and the Human Rights Council. His worst days as Secretary General, he later recounted, was the powerlessness to do anything about the US-led Iraq War in 2003 that sparked a catastrophe in the Middle East that the region was yet to recover from. More recently Annan led an effort to resolve the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar, heading a commission at the invitation of the government there to propose an internationally accepted framework for the return of refugees, and a Syrian peace effort at the request of the Arab League. He served as the chairman of the group of statespeople founded by South African leader Nelson Mandela, which was known as "The Elders", and sought to play an international role in promoting peace and democracy through moral authority and persuasion. Annan is the only one of the seven secretaries-general from Sub-Saharan Africa, a continent that has become central to the UN's missions of peacekeeping and development. He made two official visits to India in 2001 and 2005, when he met the spectrum of political leaders in the government and in opposition, as well as development experts. New Delhi set up the a supercomputing and technology development faciity in Ghana in 2003 and named it in his honour as the Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in Information Communications Technology. It was inaugurated by the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Annan began his international civil servant career as a budget officer for the World Health Organisation in 1962. Along the way, he worked for the UN High Commission for Refugees and as a UN Assistant Secretary-General holding key portfolios of security and administration. He rose to become the head of UN peacekeeping operations in 1993 and a under Secretary-General in 1994. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in) Gurugram, Aug 18 : The Haryana Special Task Force (STF) arrested a wanted criminal with Rs 1 lakh bounty on his head along with his accomplice after a brief exchange of fire, the STF Deputy Inspector General said on Saturday. The accused, Moninder alias Monu, is a resident of Gurugram's Tiger village. STF DIG B. Satheesh Balan said 18 cases are registered against Monu, which include murder, attempt to murder, robbery and other crimes. Balan said acting on a tip-off, Inspector Surender Kumar and his team set up a barricade in Sector 34 near Delhi-Gurugram expressway late on Friday night. When the vehicle, in which the alleged criminals were travelling, was signaled to stop by the police team, they opened fire on the STF team. Balan said the two were arrested after a brief exchange of fire. Monu received a bullet injury in his leg. Three pistols and cartridges were recovered from the arrested. Monu's accomplice was identified as Udham alias Bacchi, a resident of Rahimpur Village in Haryana's Palwal district. Bern, Aug 18 : Former UN Secretary-General and Nobel Prize Laureate Kofi Annan passed away at the age of 80 on Saturday, prompting an outpouring of tributes from world leaders and diplomats. Annan was the first black African to take up the role of the world's top diplomat, serving two terms from 1997 to 2006. He died in a Swiss hospital here after a short illness, with his wife Nane and three children -- Ama, Kojo and Nina -- by his side, the foundation named after him said. Annan had been living near Geneva for several years. His home country, Ghana, declared a week of national mourning. In a statement announcing his death, the Kofi Annan Foundation described him as a "global statesman and deeply committed internationalist who fought throughout his life for a fairer and more peaceful world". "During his distinguished career and leadership of the UN, he was an ardent champion of peace, sustainable development, human rights and the rule of law." Annan was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with the UN in 2001 "for their work for a better organized and more peaceful world." His tenure as the UN chief coincided with the Iraq War and the HIV/Aids pandemic. He later served as the UN special envoy for Syria, leading efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. He also led a UN commission to investigate the Rohingya refugee crisis in Myanmar. Current UN chief Antonio Guterres led the tributes to his predecessor, describing Annan as "a guiding force for good". "In many ways, Kofi Annan was the UN. He rose through the ranks to lead the organisation into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination," he said. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said "the world has lost not only a great African diplomat and humanitarian but also a conscience keeper of international peace and security". UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein said he was grief-stricken over Annan's death. Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo ordered flags be flown at half-mast across the country and in diplomatic missions across the world for seven days, starting on Monday. He called Annan "one of our greatest compatriots". UK Prime Minister Theresa May said Annan was "a great leader and reformer of the UN, he made a huge contribution to making the world he had left a better place than the one he was born into". "We will never forget his calm and resolved gaze, nor the strength of his fight," tweeted French President Emmanuel Macron. NATO leader Jens Stoltenberg tweeted that the world had lost one of its giants. However, Annan was not immune from criticism. His critics blamed him for the UN's failure to halt the genocide in Rwanda in the 1990s when he was head of the organisation's peacekeeping operations. Later, after the US-led invasion of Iraq, he and his son were accused of being involved in the "oil for food corruption scandal" that led some to call for his resignation, though he was later exonerated. Kodagu (Karnataka), Aug 18 : Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday visited the flood-hit Kodagu district in the southern state, where hundreds are marooned in villages and towns due to heavy rains. "At least 1,500 people are stranded in various parts of the district, but the rescue officials have not been able to reach them due to bad weather and landslides. Efforts are being made to rescue them," Kumaraswamy told reporters here. The Chief Minister earlier in the day held a meeting with district officials on the flood situation in Kodagu, and on heavy rains lashing coastal and south interior districts. He made an aerial survey of the coffee-growing district, about 270km from the state capital Begaluru. THe district is one of the worst-hit districts in the southern state.A "The officials are trying to airlift people in the district, but the weather has not been very favourable," the Chief Minister said. Heavy rains, flooding and landslips in the district have claimed six lives so far, a statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said. The state has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of those who lost their lives due to the rains. The Chief Minister earlier announced Rs 200-crore fund to take up relief measures in the rain-hit districts. Kumaraswamy, who also visited a relief camp in Madikeri in the hilly district in Western Ghats, told people that the state is taking up rescue and relief operations on a war-footing. The water being released from Harangi reservoir in the district across Harangi river, one of Cauvery's tributaries, has been flooding several towns and villages in the region. Over the last 24 hours, Madikeri received a very heavy rainfall measuring up to 30 cm, while the district received an average rain upto 16 cm, according to the weather office. About 60 Dogra Regiment soldiers and 12 expert naval divers rescued 873 marooned people in the flood-hit district till Friday, where overnight heavy rains caused landslides and inundated low-lying areas at Makkanduru. Another 525 personnel from the fire services, home guards and civil defence teams are working on the rescue operations in the district. In all, 948 specialised rescuers from various state and central agencies are working in Kodagu district, a CMO statement said. So far, more than 1,250 people have been rescued and shifted to about 30 relief camps set up across the district, the statement added. Heavy rains have also been lashing coastal districts of Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada over the past few weeks. The Bengaluru division of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts heavy rains will continue over the next two days in the coastal and south interior districts of the state, including Kodagu. New Delhi, Aug 18 : Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday announced that all Delhi Ministers, party MLAs and MPs will donate a month's salary to help flood-ravaged Kerala, grappling with its worst floods since 1924. He also urged the Delhi government employees to donate one day's salary for the humanitarian cause, apart from appealing to the people to donate blankets, clothes and bedsheets. "All Aam Aadmi Party MLAs and MPs and Ministers will donate one-month salary for Kerala," Kejriwal tweeted. "I appeal to all employees of the Delhi government to donate at least one day's salary each." On Friday, Rs 10 crore donation was announced to flood-ravaged Kerala from the Delhi Chief Minister's Relief Fund. The death toll due to rains and floods in Kerala this monsoon season has gone up to 357. Barring Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kasargode, the remaining 11 districts of Kerala continued to be on red alert following prediction of more rains. The death toll since August 9 stands at 194. On Saturday, Kejriwal held a meeting on the issue of extending more financial and other help to Kerala, during which he decided on sending relief material to the southern state. Resident Commissioner of Kerala, Puneet Kumar, informed Kejriwal during the meeting that the flood situation remained serious and listed out immediate requirement of bottled water, biscuits, dry ration packets, blankets, bedsheets and clothes. "The office of all Sub-Divisional Magistrates will work as donation centres to enable the Delhi residents to give donations/relief material," Kejriwal said. The Delhi government will send bottled water, biscuits and dry ration, he added. Later speaking to the media, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that the Delhi government will do whatever it can, but urged the people to contribute as well. "Those desirous can also contribute to the Kerala Chief Minister Distress Relief Fund," he said. Bengaluru, Aug 18 : Infosys Chief Financial Officer (CFO) M.D. Ranganath has resigned and will continue in the executive post till November 16, the IT major said on Saturday. "The Board of Directors accepted the resignation of Ranganath as the CFO and key managerial personnel. He will continue in the post till November 16. The Board will soon search for the next CFO," said the city-based software firm in a statement here. Claiming that he resigned to pursue professional opportunities in new areas, Ranganath said he had an 18-year successful career in the $10.9-billion global firm and as its CFO for the past three crucial years. "I am grateful to the iconic firm for giving me an opportunity to serve as CFO. I am also proud that during its critical phase, we delivered strong financial outcomes, strengthened its competitive position and enhanced the value of its stakeholders," said Ranganath in the statement. Ranganath, 55, is the third CFO to leave Infosys in the last six years after then CFO V. Balakrishnan was elevated to the Board as a Director and head of the company's back office operations (Infosys BPO) in October 2012. Balakrishnan left Infosys subsequently in December 2013. Rajiv Bansal, who succeeded Balakrishnan in November 2012, resigned from the high-profile executive post in October 2015 amid a raging controversy over governance issues between the company's co-founders and previous Board of Directors. Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy also objected to the hefty severance package given to Bansal, who was a party to the "costly" acquisition of the US-based Panaya software firm in February under the company's first non-promoter Chief Executive Vishal Sikka, who too resigned on August 18, 2017. According to the company's 37th annual report, Ranganath's annual compensation in fiscal 2017-18 was Rs 7.98 crore, including Rs 7.03 crore as salary, Rs 24 lakh as retrials and 71 lakh shares as stock options. Ranganath, who owned 9,256 shares at the beginning of fiscal 2017-18, exercised 7,662 shares and held 16,918 cumulative shares at the end of last fiscal. Commenting on the CFO's contribution, co-founder and Board Chairman Nandan Nilekani said Ranganath had played a pivotal role in the company's growth and success. "During his 18-year long stint, I have seen Ranganath in leadership roles and delivering results with distinction. With him as CFO, the company had resilient financial performance, implemented capital allocation policy and earned respect of stakeholders for enhanced value creation," said Nilekani. Chief Executive Salil Parekh said that he worked with Ranganath over the past few quarters in shaping the company's strategic direction. "I admire Ranganath's financial acumen, understanding of the company's business and ability to deliver results. He played a crucial role and provided leadership. I am confident he will ensure a smooth transition," added Parekh. In a separate statement, Narayana Murthy said that Ranganath had worked with him for over 15 years and found him to him to be one of the best CFOs in the country. "Ranganath's ability to take tough decisions in challenging situations, his financial expertise, strong value system, unfailing courtesy and flawless execution always distinguished him as an exemplary leader and a key asset for Infosys," said Murthy. Lauding Ranganath for raising investor confidence in the company during the last five years by managing costs and margins, Murthy said the outgoing CFO was a rare individual who understood all stakeholders, including clients, delivery teams, employee aspirations, finance, investors, governance, law and the role of an ethical business. "Ranganath is everything the idea of Infosys has always stood for. His departure is an irreplaceable loss for the company at this critical juncture. I wish him the best in his future endeavours, Murthy said. As part of the leadership team, Ranganath has played key roles in consulting, finance, strategy, risk management and M&A (mergers and acquisitions) and worked with the board and its committees in formulating and executing the firm's strategic priorities. Ranganath was also the company's chief risk officer from January 2008 to July 2013. Imphal, Aug 18 : Five persons have been arrested and 16 gold bars valued at Rs 1 crore seized from them, Assistant Commissioner of Customs Division R.K. Dorendrajit said on Saturday. The division's anti-smuggling unit made the arrests on Friday evening after two passenger vehicles bound for Nagaland were intercepted at Mantripukhri and North AOC in Imphal. The five, all from outside Manipur, were travelling towards Dimapur and had procured the contraband from Myanmar. A case was registered and the arrested persons handed over to police for further action. Dorendrajit said that a kg of gold is cheaper by Rs 3 lakh in Myanmar compared with India. Hyderabad, Aug 18 : The Telangana government has dispatched 100 metric tonnes of nutritious food for children in flood-hit Kerala. The food manufactured by Telangana Foods, a state government enterprise, was airlifted to Kerala on Saturday. According to officials, the food known as 'Balamrutham' is worth Rs 52.5 lakh. The food was airlifted by two Defence aircraft (C17 Globemaster) from Begumpet Airport. The food is expected to provide supplementary nutrition to about 50,000 children for 10 days, said the officials. This assistance is in addition to Rs 25 crore aid announced by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday. The Chief Minister has directed officials to provide all necessary help to Kerala in the relief operations. Rao has also appealed to industrialists and businessmen to come forward and donate generously for the flood-hit Kerala. Mumbai, Aug 18 : Corporate Affairs Secretary Injeti Srinivas on Saturday said maximisation of asset-value of insolvent companies and being fair to lesser creditors are vital for the success of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). "For the IBC to achieve a path-breaking success, the maximization of the asset-value of the insolvent company and attaining a balance with regards to the interests of all creditors is vital," said Srinivas speaking on the IBC at a CII conference here. On achievements of the Code, he stated that the insolvency cost in many cases under the insolvency resolution process is 1 per cent as against the 9 per cent under the now dissolved Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR). Srinivas pointed out that the haircut, or the loan losses, given to the creditors needed to be seen from the perspective of the enterprise value and not from the claimed value, which includes interest, penal interest and compounding interest. Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) Chairman M.S. Sahoo said challenges are related to the haircut offered to the creditors and the fiduciary duty of financial creditors with regards to other stakeholders of the bankrupt company. "The financial creditors have the right to decide the haircut but at the same time they should delimit the haircut for other creditors. The committee of creditors being a statutory body is at the position of being a trustee," Sahoo stated. The Code is not only a mechanism of recovery for the creditors but also an opportunity to revive the insolvent company, Sahoo added. CII President Designate Uday Kotak lauded the pro-active approach of the government and regulators with respect to making appropriate and timely changes to the Code. Kotak said one of the most noteworthy achievements of the Code is the caution and discipline the system has infused while borrowing money from the market. CII National Committee on Legal Services Chairman Shardul Shroff highlighted the challenge related to Information Utility that is weak due to the tough regime of privacy in India. It is leaving a gaping hole in the success of the Code, he said. E-admission on template basis for insolvency cases should be allowed and National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) should act as a one-stop shop for the submissions under the Code, Shroff added. Jaipur, Aug 18 : A biker, part of a motorcycle adventure rally, was found dead in Rajasthan after he apparently lost his way while exploring the surroundings of Jaisalmer, officials said on Saturday. Asbak Mon, 34, originally from Kerala, was keen to participate in the "India Baja" off-road rally which was to be flagged off on Saturday. On Friday morning, he was found dead. His bike was lying on ground beside him at Shahgarh Bulj area, around 200 km from Jaisalmer, and his water bottle was empty. The post-mortem examination report stated that the biker had died of dehydration, said Superintendent of Police Jagdish Chandra Sharma. His body was handed over to his wife and father-in-law. Speaking to IANS, the police officer said Mon had travelled all the way from Bengaluru to participate in the two-day adventure event. He hailed from Kerala's Kannur district but was residing in Bengaluru where he was working with a private firm. He went out on his own to explore the city and surroundings on Thursday. In fact, he was yet to register with the race. "When he did not return, we collaborated with police and sent our parties to search for him," said one of the organisers of the race, on the condition of anonymity. Prime facie, it seems that Mon had lost his way while the other members who also visited the locale returned. It seems he was exhausted with water he had and hence feeling dehydrated, he had fallen from his bike and later did not wake up as there was no water left in his body, the police officer said. A case of doubtful death has been registered in this context and investigations have started after the post-mortem report came. "We shall inquire the organisers, his colleagues and teams as our next point of action," said Sharma. Mumbai, Aug 18 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) late Saturday evening arrested one of the two gunmen who killed Maharashtra rationalist Narendra Dabholkar in 2013, official sources said here. "Sachin Prakashrao Andure of Aurangabad is one of the two persons who shot at (Dr) Dabholkar. Further investigations are underway," a CBI official said. The arrest comes just two days before the 5th death anniversary of Dabholkar, 67, who was shot dead while on a morning walk near his Pune home on August 20, 2013. The tip-off for the arrest came from the Maharashtra Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS), Thane, which had arrested three persons in a different case of explosives seizure. During custodial interrogation, one of these three made the sensational revelation that he and another person (Andure) were directly involved in the Dabholkar killing which hit national headlines. The Thane ATS alerted the CBI of the development, which in turn summoned Andure and confirmed the information given by his accomplice. The CBI arrested Andure during late evening hours in Pune. Dabholkar, a well-known rationalist and anti-superstition activist who founded the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS), was shot and killed by two motorcycle-borne assailants near Omkareshwar Temple in Pune. The case was initially investigated by the Deccan police, but following a furore, it was transferred to the CBI in May 2014, with the agency increasing the reward money on the killers from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 25 lakh. Shortly after Dabholkar's murder, the state enacted the country's first legislation against superstition and black magic. The activist was posthumously conferred the Padma Shri in 2014. Since then, the All Indian Peoples Science Network (AIPSN) and others observe his death anniversary (August 20) as "National Scientific Temper Day" to create awareness against superstitions. Kolkata, Aug 18 : Organs of a 15-year-old girl from West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district, who was declared brain dead at a city hospital, were donated to three critically ill patients on Saturday, the hospital authority said. Two kidneys and the liver of Siliguri resident Mallika Majumdar were donated to three patients after she was declared brain dead in the Institute of Post-Graduate Medical Education (IPGMER) here on Friday while her skin and cornea have been preserved for appropriate receptors. "The donor was admitted to our hospital on July 23 with brain infection. She slipped into coma on August 14 and was declared brain dead yesterday. Her family members agreed to donate her vital organs," Mrinmoy Banerjee, IPGMER Superintendent told IANS. "Her skin and cornea have not been placed in any patients as of now. That requires some procedure. It can't be an instant process," he said. While the kidneys were successfully transplanted to two patients in IPGMER, liver was given to a 44-year-old patient from Hyderabad, admitted in east Kolkata's Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals through a "green corridor" felicitated by the city police in the early hours on Saturday. The hospital authority later praised the role of police and state administration for their proactive attitude which helped in the successful transplant. "Our daughter was brain dead. There was no chance for her to live again. But we are happy and proud that her organs helped save the lives of other people," Majumdar's father said. Bhopal, Aug 18 : At least six persons, including four children, were killed on Saturday as lightning struck Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri district, officials said. Three villages were struck by lightning on Saturday noon, according to the officials. The dead include three girls and three members of another family, including their child. The children have been identified as Shakiri Patelia, Sona Patelia, Pappu Patelia and Kaali Singh. An aerial view of the flood-hit areas of Kerala on Aug 18, 2018. Overflowing rivers and a series of landslides have caused the death of 180 people as of Saturday morning, with over three lakh ... Image Source: IANS/RB Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 18 : The death toll due to rains and floods in Kerala has gone up to 368, as 33 more deaths were reported on Saturday even as around 58,000 people were rescued in different parts of the state, and red alert is now there in just three districts, down from 11. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, while giving the latest figures, told the media late on Saturday that the flood relief work is going on in full swing and things are slowly coming under control and more helicopters and personnel would be engaged in the rescue and relief operations on Sunday. The 33 deaths reported during the day took place in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Idukki, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts. Rejecting a demand from the Congress-led opposition and Kerala BJP to hand over the rescue operations to the Army, he said: "In a rescue operation, the most important thing is that it should be done only by the local authorities who are well-versed with the locality, and the Army and other agencies' help is sought and a combined operation is done." The India Meteorological Department on Saturday afternoon forecast that widespread rains, with heavy rains at isolated places, are likely to continue over Kerala following low pressure area very likely to develop over northwest Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood during the next 24 hours. While more than 58,000 people were rescued in districts like Ernakulam, Chengannur, Pathanamthitta and Thrissur, there are still many more waiting to be rescued. Vijayan said that the red alert has now been limited to Ernakulam, Idukki and Pathanamthitta districts only. The worst affected places include Aluva, Chalakudy, Chengannur, Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta, where massive rescue operations were on as scores of persons were rescued. Media houses continued to be flooded with requests from friends and relatives of those stranded in the affected areas. Earlier in the day, Vijayan told Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a review meeting in Kochi that the death toll since May 29 had climbed to 357 and over 3.53 lakh affected persons had been lodged in over 2,000 relief camps. Modi sanctioned Rs 500 crore to the flood-battered state, apart from Rs 100 crore announced earlier by the Centre on August 12, before returning to Delhi after an aerial survey of the flood-ravaged areas. Vijayan in the morning told the media that the situation is "very serious and grave". Meanwhile, anger mounted across Kerala as coordination of rescue work went haywire due to the magnitude of the calamity. "There are many people waiting to be rescued in areas like Pandanad (near Chengannur) and I saw two bodies floating in the water. If there is anymore delay in, things will taken a turn for the worse. We are drinking rain water to keep us going...," said a resident of Pandanad. On Saturday night, a 150-member National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team started rescue operations in and around affected areas of Chengannur. Congress legislator V.D. Sateeshan, who was spearheading the rescue operations in Paravur in Ernakulam district, said that he stood before a rescue boat team with folded hands and they obliged and rescued several people. National award winning actor Salimkumar, after remaining holed up in his house along with 45 others for three days, was finally rescued by a fishing boat on Saturday evening. Flaying the state for "failing in the endeavour", Leader of Opposition Chennithala said: "I have been flooded with calls from the affected persons. Even now, thousands of people are stranded. The Chief Minister dismissed with contempt when I said this week that rescue and relief should be handed over to the Army. I do not want to blame anyone but it has been proved beyond doubt that the state government has failed." More fishing boats from various places reached the affected areas during the day. Alappuzha District Collector S. Suhas said since morning 150 boats including house boats have been engaged in rescuing people and "today (Saturday) we evacuated about 75 per cent of people who were waiting to be rescued". "Around two lakhs people are now in various camps. This could well be the biggest rescue operation," Suhas said. Journalist-turned-CPI-M legislator Veena George on Saturday turned critical "due to the way the government machinery in Pathanamthitta has been working". "None has a clue of how many people have been rescued and how many are left to be rescued. There seems to be disconnect in coordination of the operations," said George. The situation in Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad and Wayanad inched towards comparative normalcy as rains slowed and water level receded, with many living in crowded relief camps awaiting to return home. However, a landslide near Nelliyampathy in Palakkad district has left around 1,000 people cut off from the mainland and the Army is working to clear the debris. At several places in waterlogged areas, banks could not function normally since staff failed to report for the duty due to flooding. Railway services between Ernakulam and Thrissur remained suspended on Saturday with long-distance trains diverted via the Nagercoil route. A special train will be back on the Kottayam sector on Sunday, after all services on this route were suspended for the past two days. Certain blockades on the Thrissur-Palakkad-Aluva highway was cleared for traffic. Army personnel worked hard to clear the roads to Munnar. Kerala is facing the heaviest rains and consequent widespread floods and destruction since 1924, which the state estimates has caused a loss of over Rs 19,500 crore. Photo: Twitter There's something fishy going on at a North Okanagan boat manufacturing company. For years, the staff at Kingfisher Boats have been raising Chinook salmon so they can release them into a local river and keep the circle of life going. Dena Sharkey, with Kingfisher Boats, said the three-inch long salmon fry will be released into the Shuswap River, Saturday, at the Kingfisher Interpretive Centre on Mabel Lake Road. KingFisher receives fertilized salmon eggs in the fall, and then watches them transform from Alevin to Fry then releases them into their natal river. This is something we do every year. We are quite involved with the egg capture every fall at the Kingfisher Interpretive Centre with Neil Brooks, said Sharkey. It's the same program they do at elementary schools. In the program, fertilized eggs are established in a fish tank and cared for until they hatch and are large enough to be released into the wild. We're kind of in the business of fishing ... and we are a generous donor to the Kingfisher Interpretive Centre as well because they have some amazing programs. We help out where we can, said Sharkey. New Delhi/Kochi, Aug 19 : State-run Air India's subsidiary -- Alliance Air -- will commence operations from Kochi naval base to aide the rescue operations in flood-hit Kerala. According to the airline, flight operations will commence from August 20. Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu in a series of tweets said that due to disruption of flights from Kochi Airport, a joint team sent by the Ministry approved to commence scheduled flights by Alliance Air ATRs between Bangalore and Kochi naval air base. Prabhu further said that more destinations, including Madurai, will be added soon and that other airlines are also likely to join the effort. "In view of disruption of flights from Cochin airport due to floods, a joint team sent by @MoCA_GoI has approved starting of scheduled commercial flights using ATRs by Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India, between Bangalore and Cochin Naval Air base. #KeralaFloods," the Minister tweeted. "The flight operations between Bangalore and Cochin Naval air base will be starting from 20th August morning. More destinations such as Coimbatore, Madurai are also in the pipeline. Other airlines are likely to join this effort too. All possible steps are being taken #KeralaFloods." Earlier in the day, Alliance Air operated a proving flight to the Kochi naval base. "As an exemplary initiative to fly out stranded people, AI's subsidiary Alliance Air operated a non-commercial proving flight on an ATR (turboprop) to Kochi's naval base with a team of DGCA, AAI and flight safety officials," Air India said in a statement. "This whole exercise is aimed at confirming the feasibility of having Alliance Air operate more flights to Kochi's defence airbase with turboprops to evacuate passengers." The development comes as the state reels under torrential rains and the worst floods the state witnessed. The grim situation has left the state with only two operational civil airports at Thiruvananthapuram and Calicut, as operations at Kochi airport have been suspended till August 26 on account of rising water levels in the operational area. The civil airport in Kochi is severely flooded and stands closed till August 26. Islamabad, Aug 19 : Pakistan on Saturday summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh and condemned the "unprovoked ceasefire violations" by the Indian forces along the Line of Control (LoC) in its administered Kashmir, resulted in the death of a civilian. The Foreign Ministry said that a 65-year-old man was killed while a boy was injured in Indian firing on August 18 in Dana Sector along the LoC. "The Indian forces along the Line of Control and the Working boundary are continuously targeting civilian populated areas with heavy weapons," Director General at the South Asian desk of the Foreign Ministry Mohammad Faisal who summoned the Indian diplomat said. Faisal also serves as spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Giving update of the cross-LoC shelling, the Foreign Ministry said in 2018, the Indian forces have carried out more than 1,900 ceasefire violations along the LoC and the international border, resulting in the deaths of 31 innocent civilians while injuring 122 others. "This unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India is continuing from the year 2017 when the Indian forces committed 1970 ceasefire violations," he said in a statement. The spokesman said the "deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas" is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws. "The ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation," Faisal told the Indian deputy high commissioner. Pakistan and India had declared ceasefire in 2003, however, both accuse each other of skirmishes. The spokesman urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement, investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations, and instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC and the Working Boundary. He urged that the Indian side should permit UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions. Barrel, an independent creative and digital marketing agency based in New York, announced the launch of a newly redesigned website for its client MOSCOT, a New York-based luxury eyewear company (https://moscot.com). MOSCOTs new e-commerce flagship brings the brands storied history to life and provides the best-in-class service that customers experience while shopping in brick and mortar MOSCOT Shops around the world. Built on Shopify Plus, the new mobile-optimized website experience is a major overhaul for the luxury eyewear brand, featuring a seamless prescription lens ordering system, as well as a HIPAA-compliant data platform that stores sensitive customer medical data. The website also strengthens the brands global exposure by supporting local currency transactions across North America, Europe, and Asia. Evolving our 103+ year-old, five generation optical business into the digital arena was critical for MOSCOT, said Zack Moscot, 5th Generation, Chief Design Officer, MOSCOT. Combining Barrels expertise in the digital space and Shopifys back-end and front-end customizations along with the idiosyncrasies of the eyewear business made for a fruitful and productive partnership. Working with an iconic brand like MOSCOT to elevate their digital presence was an amazing experience. The investment in e-commerce shows MOSCOTs ability to shift with the marketplace and provide the best experience for their customers in 2018 said Sei-Wook Kim, Co-founder and Managing Director, Barrel. We look forward to continuing the relationship and growing MOSCOTs sales online. An NYC institution since 1915, MOSCOT is a globally recognized fashion brand renowned for its iconic eyewear. To this day, the company is a family-owned business currently operated by the 4th and 5th generation Moscots. MOSCOTs new website will be updated on a regular basis with new product launches, collaborations and brand storytelling. The MOSCOT website adds to Barrels wide portfolio of clients on Shopify Plus, including M.Monroe, Peach & Lily, Gitman Bros, Parachute, SmartyPants Vitamins and Hurom. Barrel Barrel is an independent creative and digital marketing agency with offices in New York City and Los Angeles. The team is comprised of entrepreneurs, technologists and designers with expertise in digital strategy, branding and marketing. Launched in 2006, Barrel creates impactful experiences and marketing campaigns for brands including KIND Snacks, Peloton, Well+Good, Brooklyn Boulders, and Austin Eastciders. For more information, visit http://www.barrelny.com. Media Contacts: info(at)barrelny.com, press(at)moscot.com Charles E. Crutchfield III, MD I was delighted and optimistic when the care staff at the Minnesota Zoo asked if I would help administer Botox to Haps the shark to help improve his condition of scoliosis." Said Dr. Crutchfield. Charles E. Crutchfield III, MD, and Crutchfield Dermatology (Eagan, Minnesota) recently assisted the veterinary staff with a unique patient, Haps, a sand tiger shark, to help with his scoliosis (abnormal curvature of the spine) at the Minnesota Zoo (Apple Valley, MN). Sharks in the wild, as well as in human care, can develop scoliosis. Some types of scoliosis are caused by an abnormal and persistent contraction of muscles along just one side of the spine that causes the spine to be curved. Veterinary and animal care professionals are investigating possible contributing factors for this type of scoliosis, but they have not yet identified an apparent cause for the condition. Veterinarians in Australia reported that Botox has the potential to correct the spinal curvature in sharks. Earlier this month Dr. Crutchfield III (also a Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the University of Minnesota Medical School) worked with the Minnesota Zoos veterinary staff to administer Botox to Haps the shark. They are happy to report that there is an improvement in the spine curvature of Haps, the shark. The case of scoliosis for Haps remains challenging. The animal care team continues to support Haps and work to maintain the best quality of life for him. I was delighted and optimistic when the care staff at the Minnesota Zoo asked if I would help administer Botox to Haps the shark to help improve his condition of scoliosis. Over the past 18 years, Ive administered almost a million units of Botox to humans, but this was the very first shark. In fact, by all accounts, Haps was the very first shark ever treated with Botox in the United States. I was extraordinarily impressed with the dedication and care of the veterinary and support staff at the Minnesota Zoo. They treat every animal entrusted to their care just like family. It is quite remarkable. Dr. Rachel Thompson, the Minnesota Zoo's veterinarian, and I planned out the procedure, and I assisted her in the administration of Botox to the stiffened muscles along his spine. Dr. Thompson is a top-flite veterinarian and, as I discovered, a natural at injecting botox. I am happy to report that after just a couple of weeks, Haps is doing better, and that warms my heart, said Dr. Crutchfield. Both the Minnesota Zoo's Veterinary staff and Dr. Crutchfield recognize that there is still a lot to learn about sharks. They are honored to be contributing research to the shark community and providing exceptional care to and attempting to improve the quality of life for Haps the shark by going well 'above and beyond the call of duty.' About Charles E. Crutchfield III, MD: Charles E. Crutchfield III, M.D. is a graduate of the Mayo Clinic Medical School and a Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He currently is the Medical Director of Crutchfield Dermatology in Eagan, (serving the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul area), Minnesota. Dr. Crutchfield is an annual selection of the Top Doctors issue of Mpls. St. Paul magazine and the Top Doctors for Women issues of Minnesota Monthly Magazine. Dr. Crutchfield is the co-author of a childrens book on sun protection and dermatology textbook. He is a member of the AA National Medical Honor Society, an expert consultant for WebMD and CNN, and a recipient of the Karis Humanitarian Award from the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine. Dr. Crutchfield was also given first a physician award, Healthcare Hero, 100 most influential, and one of the Top 100 African American Newsmakers in the United States by TheGrio, an affiliate of NBC News. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grio_Awards. Dr. Crutchfield is the President of the Minnesota Association of Black Physicians. He resides in Mendota Heights, MN with his wife and three children and several hairless sphinx cats. Pregnancy is a special time, but it also brings increased risk of gum disease. The studies provide even more evidence of the well-known importance of oral health to the health of the entire body and, in this case, to both a mother and her new child. An August 7 article in UAB The Mix reports on two University of Alabama studies indicating that premature births and low birth weight could be significantly reduced if women were more vigorously encouraged to improve their oral hygiene, as well as being proactively treated for gingivitis (gum disease) which a very large number of pregnant women suffer from to some extent. West Covina dental office A-Z Dental Care says that the studies provide even more evidence of the well-known importance of oral health to the health of the entire body and, in this case, to both a mother and her new child. The office says that, while its important for all of us to obtain twice yearly teeth cleaning and once yearly oral exams, proper dental hygiene is especially important during the vital pre-natal period when a new life is developing. The offices says that problems in the womb can lead to issues that, in some cases, can last well after the child has been born and on into adulthood. The fact the gum disease and periodontitis, its more serious cousin, becomes much more common during pregnancy due to hormonal changes, means that all women really should be visiting the dentist to minimize the issue, says the office. A-Z Dental Care adds that, unfortunately, many new mothers avoid the dentist for two reasons: some are concerned about discomfort, but even more may be concerned about the cost of dental visits. Regarding discomfort, the office says that its founding dentist, Mirhamid Salek, D.D.S., is known for his gentle and compassionate treatment of his patients; it adds that he is constantly seeking to make sure that patients, especially moms to be, are as at ease as possible. As for finances, while new parents especially need to be careful with their finances, investing in dental health is made easier by the offices commitment to providing outstanding care at the most affordable prices possible, including free consultations and discounts. It notes that it offers payment plans to make it easier for families on a budget to have the dental care they need. For patients with insurance, it accepts most types as well as Denti-Cal. Most importantly, the office advises that excellent oral hygiene and preventive care is not only vital considering the stakes involved with bringing a new life into the world, its also immensely less expensive than addressing serious dental problems later. Readers from throughout the San Gabriel Valley and Southern California who would like to learn more about A-Z Dental Care in West Covina are invited to call 626-966-8408 or visit the offices web site at http://www.A-ZDentalCare.com. Volaris to offer new non-stop service between Albuquerque International Sunport and Guadalajara Making Albuquerque directly accessible to international markets is a critical component to tourism and economic development. This direct service to Mexico will not only open up new opportunities for us to share our city, but will also give New Mexicans more options when traveling internationally. Today Mayor Tim Keller announced the arrival of a new airline to Albuquerques Sunport to make international tourism and trade more convenient. Volaris will be offering direct service to Guadalajara for as low as $285 round trip. Volaris, Mexicos largest low-cost carrier, is slated to bring international service to the Albuquerque International Sunport beginning Nov. 17. This will be the first international passenger service out of the Sunport in more than eight years. Making Albuquerque directly accessible to international markets is a critical component to tourism and economic development, stated Mayor Tim Keller. This direct service to Mexico will not only open up new opportunities for us to share our city, but will also give New Mexicans more options when traveling internationally. We are excited to bring international passenger service back to the Sunport, and our partnership with Volaris brings a wonderful new option for New Mexicans, said Nyika Allen, Director of Aviation for the City of Albuquerque. Volaris provides a fast and economical alternative to ground transportation for those visiting friends and relatives across the border in addition to providing other opportunities for travelers. Volaris announcement comes less than six months after the Mayors appointment of Aviation Director Nyika Allen, the first female Director of the Sunport and the first millennial to lead a city department of over 200 employees. It also highlights one of the tenets of Mayor Kellers new economic development strategy, which identifies international business as a top priority. New Mexico tourism is up for the sixth year in a row and the Sunport has also seen growth in recent years, with an increase in passenger numbers of nearly 15 percent over 2017. We are extremely happy about the amount of flights already booked through our website for the route between Albuquerque Guadalajara, said Enrique Beltranena, CEO and General Director for Volaris. We will continue to support destinations that make sense to our core market, VFR, and continue to do this with the best possible fares and the youngest fleet of the Americas. Bolstering international travel is a key component to economic development in our city, said Synthia Jaramillo, Director of Economic Development for the City of Albuquerque. We look forward to expanding tourism with our sister city. "This is an important step in strengthening the historic and trade relationship between Mexico and New Mexico. With this initiative, we get ready to begin in 2019 the celebration of the 170th anniversary of the establishment of the Consulate of Mexico in Albuquerque," said Norma Ang, Consul of Mexico. "To my friends in Albuquerque, I send you a warm greeting. We are very pleased that having been sister cities since 1985, there will finally be a direct flight between Guadalajara and Albuquerque," said Enrique Ibarra, Mayor of Guadalajara. Tickets for Guadalajara and Albuquerque service may be purchased at http://www.volaris.com. Summary of new service: Start Date: Nov. 17 Guadalajara Albuquerque Departs: 7:54 a.m. Arrives: 10:13 a.m. Albuquerque Guadalajara Departs: 11:33 a.m. Arrives: 3:25 p.m. Flights will take place every Monday and Saturday on an A320 aircraft. About Volaris: Volaris is an ultra-low-cost airline with more than 173 routes to 69 airports in Mexico, the United States, Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. With more than 334 daily flights on routes connecting cities in Mexico and the United States, Volaris advertises inexpensive ticket offerings to develop the market, offering customers a quality service and a vast choice of products. Volaris vision is to go above and beyond to create the best travel experiences and enable more people to travel well. Photo: BC Wildfire Service Some good news for residents concerned about the Gottfriedsen wildfire in the Pennask area, near the Okanagan Connector. A large portion of troops from the Canadian Armed Forces brought in to assist with wildfires in B.C. have been dispatched to the fire. About 200 troops have been deployed to the province, with another 100 on stand-by in Edmonton. Lieut. Melissa Kia with Maritime Forces Pacific says land forces based in Merritt are being tasked with mop-up operations. "What that means is when a fire is under control or even has been put out ... in order to allow those attack teams from BC Wildfire to get out and combat more fires, we send in our people to ensure all hot spots or any potential problem areas have been contained," says Kia. "We are in a supporting role, as we always are when we are operational in Canada. We take our request from the province and BC Wildfire, and we turn them into action." Lightning sparked the Gottfriedsen fire on Aug. 9. Despite progress made on the fire, an evacuation alert remains in effect for the Pennask Lake and Hatheume Lake area. Deacon Jim Bowman, Event Coordinator - had this to say. Second Baptist Church (SBC) continues to raise awareness about the importance of encouraging boys and men to live healthy lives. Second Baptist Church of Santa Ana, CA (SBC) Lake Forest Campus would like to invite you to take part in our upcoming Mens Day Health Event. The event will be held at the SBC Lake Forest location: 22600 Lambert Street, Bldg. D, Ste 1006 Lake Forest, CA 92630 http://sbc.family Event Hours are: 8:30 am to 12:00 Noon A Continental Breakfast will be served The conference will focus on prostate cancer, heart health and stroke awareness. This is a no charge program - aimed at all Men of Southern California. Intended to be interactive, it will provide those attending - professional information and meaningful responses to their concerns. This is an opportunity for individuals and families to learn to actively participate in the fight against these health issues. The session will be Informational and Educational, NO health screenings will be conducted. Live presentations will be given by health care professionals on the topics. Vendors will also be available with information and handouts. Deacon Jim Bowman, Event Coordinator - had this to say. Second Baptist Church (SBC) continues to raise awareness about the importance of encouraging boys and men to live healthy lives. SBC is led by Rev. Dr. Ivan S. Pitts, Sr. Pastor. At 95 years old SBC is the oldest historically African-American church in Orange County, CA. From two locations SBC is vibrantly multi-cultural and multi ethnic, serving the Hispanic community in Spanish, with multiple services each week. An Asian and Caucasian congregation worship in the facility weekly. For More information contact SBC at http://sbc.family or visit the Santa Ana Campus at 4300 Westminster Ave in Santa Ana, CA. 92703. Like Us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SBCFamilySantaAna/ Phone 714.741.0590. Contact Deacon Jim Bowman or Deacon Byron Culp. Careys novel Little (Riverhead, Oct.)also illustrated by the authortells the story of a very small, very industrious girl who becomes the famous Madame Tussaud. Why this particular subject? I did visit Madame Tussauds as a child, and it was always terrifying (but in a way that I liked to be terrified). I remember seeing other traumatized children all about me. It was awful. It was wonderful. When I was older I took a job there, to stop people from touching the wax models. I used to keep very still and frighten the tourists by blinking or dropping a very quiet hello at them when their faces were up close, commenting on how realistic I was. It was there I learned that Marie Tussaud modeled (or said she modeled) Voltaire, Franklin, Louis XVI, the murdered Jean-Paul Marat, and that later she came to London and became famous in her own right. I remember standing next to her own model, dressed in Victorian bombazine, looking small and clever and toothless. She seemed wise and strange, a mythical character in her own right... can such a person really have done everything she said she did? She seemed like shed dropped out of a Bruegel painting. Did images and records of the historical characters in Little disturb your imagination as you were creating them? Yes, enormously. I have never written about real people before (except for a Queen Victoria cameo). It was more than a little inconvenient to acknowledge the real facts of my characters lives. I had to do a great deal of research, which was wonderful, but also its impossible to read everything written, youd drown. Researching Tussaud, it became apparent that she embellished her own life, so I began to relax a little and thought, If she can make up her own life, then why cant I make up her lifeof course always sticking to the principal facts. Drawing the characters, I had to be reasonably accurate (Napoleon, for example), but I could also make up charactersthe Revolution was full of monstersand drop them into the savagery. I didnt want Marie to have parentsparents get in the way; like in fairy tales, its best to dispatch with parents as soon as possible. Inanimate objects speak and have lives of their own. What inspired that? I grew up in an old Tudor house in the east of England. The foundation was a Saxon hall. History was everywhere... all those other bodies that had inhabited the same space over so many hundreds of years. That house made many strange noises and seemed to be talkingonly I wasnt sure of the language. My family goes mudlarking on the banks of the Thames at low tide, where you can pick out of the mud small pieces of history, a clay pipe, a Tudor shoe, a bit of Roman tile. The Thames throws up its history every day, objects trying to bear witness to their lives. Im a strong believer in second chances, says George Pelecanos, whose new novel, The Man Who Came Uptown, his first in five years, explores themes of justice, redemption, and the transformative power of the written word. Known for his work as an executive producer on the groundbreaking HBO series The Wire, Treme, and most recently as the cocreator (with David Simon) of The Deuce, Pelecanos has returned to the form that put him on the map. Informed by the authors own experience conducting reading and writing programs in prisons and jails, The Man takes readers into a D.C. jail, where 28-year-old Michael Hudson awaits trial for armed robbery. Anna Byrne, a young librarian, brings books into the jail and runs a regular book discussion group. She has earned the respect of the inmates, many of whom had never been exposed to books before. Under Byrnes careful guidance, Hudson discovers an entire world that he didnt realize was available to him. She gives him novels by John Steinbeck, Chris Offutt, and Elmore Leonard, which transport him to a world outside the confines of the jails walls, free of the shackles of race, economic background, and social status. When he read a book, the door to his cell was open, Pelecanos writes. He could step right through it. He could walk those hills under that big blue sky. Breathe the fresh air around him. See the shadows moving over the trees. When he read a book, he was not locked up. He was free. Sometimes a private investigator I know will take me into a facility to meet an inmate who wants to speak with me, Pelecanos says. Its not allowed, but I bypass the rules by registering as an investigators assistant. Hudson was based on some of the thoughtful, intelligent men Ive met in lockup. The novel provides a revealing glimpse into a system that has failed many of the men, who followed a path from juvenile offender to career criminal before theyd even become adults. For a precious few, books illuminate the way to a better path forward. Sadly, as Pelecanos shows us, a majority have been so damaged by institutionalization that they are simply lost in the correctional system. Theres a science to brain development, he says. The brains of teenage boys are crowded with impulse and adrenaline. By the time they hit their 20s, their brains are dominated by conscience and reason. From my own teens into young adulthood, I was in and out of trouble. And here I am now, a different person. The organizations I work with stay with these young men when they get out in the world and help them find a way to integrate themselves back into society. The careful reader of The Man Who Came Uptown will notice that Pelecanos challenges assumptions about the skin colors of his characters. No one in this book is identified by race, he explains. White writers, myself included, identify black characters by their race but never white characters. Black writers tend to do the same thing, in reverse. Weve been programmed to write that way and to expect the color of the character to be delivered to us when we read. I wanted to try something different. The fates of the three main charactersHudson, Byrne, and Ornazianprovide the dramatic framework for what is perhaps Pelecanoss finest novel to date. Hudson suddenly finds himself released from jail when Phil Ornazian, an investigator for Hudsons lawyer, convinces the states key witness that it would be in his best interests not to testify. As we soon discover, Ornazian runs a side business robbing drug dealers with his friend, Thaddeus Ward, a bail bondsman and ex-cop. Hudson returns home to live with his mother until he can get himself established. He quickly finds a dishwashing job at a local restaurant and devotes himself to changing the course of his life. He has become a voracious reader and one of his first priorities is to get a library card (his first)and he soon discovers bookstores. Things are looking good until Ornazian appears. Its payback time, and the investigator needs a wheelman for his next criminal outing. Hudson faces a classical dilemma: will he follow the new path or drift back into his old life? Meanwhile, Byrne runs into Hudson, and the two characters maintain a careful, platonic friendship. Byrne is married to a man she loves, but their life together seems plotted out in a comfortable, if prescribed, arc. She resigns herself to the fact that life isnt perfect, gets satisfaction from her work, and tries to stay grateful. Im intrigued by people who make their modest living doing good things for others, Pelecanos says. Teachers, nonprofit workers, librarians... those are the heroes in our society. These days, the 61-year-old author divides his time between Silver Spring, Md., and New York City, where hes been busy working on The Deuce. Starring James Franco and Maggie Gyllenhaal, the series masterfully documents the lives of prostitutes and follows the rise of the hardcore pornography industry in 1970s New York. The show is about the commodification of sex and also about labor, he says. In terms of labor, women are at the bottom of the food chain. The prostitutes give their earnings to their man. The porn actresses are working in a factory where their own flesh is sold as product. With an uncompromising attention to period detail, the show is a time capsule. Pelecanos and Simon plan to carry the series forward into the mid-1980sdocumenting the rise of HIV, the real estate boom that cleaned up Times Square, and the relocation of the porn industry to the West Coast. With a writers room that boasts the combined talents of Pelecanos, Richard Price, Megan Abbott, Lisa Lutz, and others, its no surprise that the writing sizzles. Asked if he has any other projects going, Pelecanos offers a tantalizing response: None I can speak of, but I can give you a hint. Up the road, we are talking about putting the old gang back together to do a crime thing set in Baltimore. And no, its not a sequel to The Wire. But its going to be good. Patrick Millikin is the editor of Phoenix Noir and The Highway Kind, and is a frequent contributor to PW. War is hell even for the victors, especially when enemy casualties number in the millions. This truth is at the heart of Uncompromising Honor, the first new novel in David Weber's ongoing Honorverse series in five years. The series is beloved by fans for its sprawling and detailed world and its heroine, Fleet Admiral Lady Dame Honor Alexander-Harrington, who charms instantly with her composure, grace, and playfulness. She is aided by her steadfast companion, Nimitz, a talking treecat who rests on her shoulder. Readers who have followed the series since On Basilisk Station (first published by Baen in 1993) will finally see the conclusion of a major story arc in this book, as Honor once again rises to the occasion. Uncompromising Honor finds the Star Empire of Manticore at war with the corrupt Solarian League, with whom they've engaged only defensively. Their superior technology and tactical leadership has resulted in the near-total destruction of the Solarian Navy's 11th Fleet, causing a "Sargasso Sea of starships" to appear, in the view from a Manticore captain's cockpit, as evidence of "an act of murder, not war." The irony of this perspective reverberates throughout Uncompromising Honor, because the Manticore forces (allied with other peaceful star systems) are simply trying to prevent the Solarians from committing atrocities against civilians. Weber, a historian by training, with a background in war games design, sees himself as a "worldbuilder" and a "craftsman working at his craft, not an artist working at his art." Above all, he is a storyteller. "It's taken me 25 years to get to this point," he says, "and in that time, Honor has transformed into someone who is as brilliant strategically as she is tactically, and has attained the highest level of political skills." The book opens with Honor taking up her new role as senior field commander of the Grand Alliance against Solarian aggression. She is the voice of moderation, advising that the only way to defeat the Solarians' corrupt leadership is to win the hearts and minds of the citizens. But when allied casualties reach the tens of millions, the war becomes personal for Honor. As Weber explains, "Moderation is the very last thing she wants." The series' early books are available through the Baen Free Library, which offers free downloadable e-books of select Baen titles. Weber says this "has done nothing but increase my readership and hence my sales." Weber encourages readers to "launch themselves into the Honorverse at the beginning, because a gradual and complete understanding is the best way to experience the series." Weber credits his readers, in part, with the development of Honor Harrington. He is deeply engaged with his fans via his website and the Royal Manticoran Navy, his 5,000-member fan club. "I think that, especially in the case of a character you know your readers love, you become more sensitive or attuned to how you approach that character, the ways he or she deals with joy, loss, grief, duty," he says. "The surprise has been the extent to which that collaboration lies at the very heart of what I do. When I get it right, my readers are as much involved in that process as I am." As Honor prepares for the ultimate confrontation with the Solarians, she reflects on the hatred she feels for the enemy, "a deep, visceral, ravening need to wreak death and destruction that burned like liquid oxygen." Do her allies and those closest to her feel this way? And if not, is she losing the qualities that have made her a noble leader? With her finger on the missile launch button, Honor's climactic response is understandable, given what she has witnessed and lost. However, she is still Honor Harrington, and must determine how to live up to her name. We asked childrens book publishers to tell us about some of their more recent efforts to market and promote books that encompass social and emotional learning themes. In addition to sharing how they connect with educators, librarians, caregivers, and counselors, publishers also pointed to some of the top titles theyve been spotlighting in this area. Author appearances and promotional giveaways at library and educator conferences, advertising in teacher- and librarian-centric journals, and creating an educators or readers guide rank as some of the most tried and true strategies employed by publishers when getting the word out about SEL-related books. Of course, depending on the author, or the book, this kind of familiar marketing can still feel fresh. Such is the case with author Susan Verde, whose wellness picture booksI Am Yoga (2015), I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness (2017), and the forthcoming I Am Human: A Book of Empathy (Sept.), all illustrated by Peter H. Reynoldspromote the concepts of empathy, resilience, and inclusiveness, and really tap into the conversation were having now about the importance of social and emotional learning, Hallie Patterson, associate director of publicity at Abrams, says. Verde typically leads children in yoga and meditation practices during her appearances; she will be on a national tour of bookstores and schools in September to promote I Am Human. Patterson notes that Verdes books tie in nicely with increasingly popular yoga storytimes, which she says incorporate both movement and mindfulness into one lesson, and a meditation activity can be a great way to help children calm down after an energetic movement song. As an example of putting marketing energies into educational conferences, Scholastic will be hosting an event focusing on what Lizette Serrano, executive director of educational marketing and event strategy, describes as SEL books and more for early childhood educators during the National Association for the Education of Young Children national conference in Washington, D.C., in November. Kits Creating physical kits of marketing materials remains a viable marketing approach, and certain books lend themselves to this treatment. Random House Childrens Books is having great success with a Were All Wonders Classroom Kit and Educators Guide, which provides activities and discussion ideas for the books Were All Wonders and Wonder by R.J. Palacio. The kit also contains information about the #ChooseKind campaign, the Certified Kind Classroom Challenge, and the Daily Wonder app, which all celebrate acts of kindness and are components of the ongoing initiatives inspired by Palacios bestseller and its subsequent companion titles. We are hearing more and more from teachers that they are focusing on social and emotional learning, because it is such an important foundation for their students to have. Adrienne Waintraub, executive director of school and library marketing, says. Students are dealing with many different challenges in their lives, and teachers want to help them deal in a positive way. Waintraub says that using educational social media handles, posters with educator guides on the back, and thematic displays at conferences are among the typical tools in her departments arsenal. But a recent proliferation of relevant books has inspired her team to do something new. This year, we have a nice group of new titles that are perfect for this theme, so we have produced a Social and Emotional Learning Kit, she says. It consists of a brochure that discusses how picture books can help with teaching social and emotional learning lessons, shows how our books fit into the social and emotional learning framework, and gives a short teaching idea. Stickers for students starring characters from the featured books are included as well. At Macmillan, school and library marketing director Lucy Del Priore says highlights of SEL-related titles on her companys list include last falls Wishtree by Katherine Applegate, which remains a bestseller and is being used in and considered for many one book, one school/community campaigns, as its message of acceptance and kindness is universal and timeless, according to Del Priore. Were supporting one-book campaigns and encouraging teachers and librarians to make their own school or library a welcoming place with a newly created All Are Welcome Here kit, she adds. Physical kits were distributed at the recent ALA and ILA conferences, and were placing print and online ads to offer a physical kit and/or downloadables (via wishtreebook.com/resources) for back-to-school timing. In addition, Del Priore says Macmillan is publishing an adult edition of Wishtree in January 2019 in order to encourage the group discussion appeal of the story. Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller is another Macmillan title appealing to those looking for social and emotional learning themes. We displayed the book at all our winter and spring teacher-librarian conferences and already have attendees telling us they use the book for both one-on-one reading time and as a readaloud, she says. And the title alone gets as much attention as the be kind message can, and is mentioned and heard everywherein the media, classroom, library, home, workplace. To support its 2017 title Mustaches for Maddie by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown, Shadow Mountain created a Compassion in Action kit featuring a readers guide, postcards containing concrete suggestions for how to show compassion, stickers, and thank you coupons that read I noticed you being kind! to hand out. Newsletters Turning to digital marketing plans, SEL was the focus of two recent Candlewick Classroom for Teachers e-newsletters that included relevant book titles. We are always looking for opportunities to promote social and emotional learning, which we see as a natural extension of the themes of empathy and understanding that suffuse so many of our titles, Kathleen Rourke, executive director of sales and marketing, says. In addition, Rourke mentions an issue of the e-newsletter showcasing the works of author-illustrator Bob Graham, whose work she says is widely beloved for its thoughtful, sensitive portrayal of feelings. Newsletters play a big role at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, too. As Victoria Stapleton, executive director of school and library marketing, reveals, We are doing a dedicated issue of our Little, Brown School & Library newsletter that will focus on SEL titles, of which well have quite a few across age groups, with tips for using these books in an educational setting, audio and video assets, and further readers advisory suggestion. And in looking at key offerings from the LB list, Stapleton says, On the social and emotional learning front, we always start with Todd Parr, who has a truly unique connection to his young audiences. Few authors are able to communicate with that age group as he does. Social Media Social media figures prominently in most publishers marketing efforts. Our Pinterest boards are a key form of outreach, says Phoebe Kosman, assistant director of marketing, publicity, and events marketing at Candlewick. Under its Candlewick Classroom for Teachers account, the company has created boards devoted to numerous topics appealing to teachers and librarians, and has one dedicated to Social and Emotional Learning (using the hashtag #SEL). Other featured boards include #WeNeedDiverseBooks, #OwnVoices, Immigrant Experience, and #ReadKindBeKind. Candlewick initiated a #ReadKindBeKind campaign back in 2016 grounded in the idea that, as Rourke puts it, stories allow the sharing Zand empathy. Understanding and empathy foster kindness. The company created a dedicated Pinterest board containing relevant #ReadKindBeKind book titles, promoted the hashtag across other social media channels, and produced and distributed #ReadKindBeKind bumper stickers. The #ReadKindBeKind Pinterest board has more than 3,700 followers. Macmillan leverages social media in other ways, as well. Del Priore says her team coordinates efforts with our advertising and promotions department to focus on social media influencers who have teacher/librarian followers, and use digital tactics to find teachers and librarians who have purchased similar titles. Online Earlier this year, Lee & Lows literacy specialist Katie Potter hosted a webinar for educators on using diverse books to teach social and emotional learning. During the presentation, she spoke about how she researched and developed an extensive Social and Emotional Learning Diverse Reading List, and highlighted exemplar titles for the key social and emotional themes. The response was great, Hannah Ehrlich, director of marketing and publicity of the webinar, says. She adds that the booklist has been incredibly popular with educators thus far. Links to both of these projects can be found on Lee & Lows website (leeandlow.com). At Simon & Schuster, v-p and director of education and library marketing Michelle Leo touts one of the online resources: Our Book Pantry recommendation program is one of the primary ways we promote these types of books to teachers and librarians, she says. The Book Pantry website bills itself as a guide to book discovery and provides teaching and literary resources for your classroom and library. Among the offerings are such features as Seasonal Spotlight; Author of the Month; and access to reading guides, catalogues, and an archive of the publishers seasonal book preview presentations. On its website, Sourcebooks offers a resource page for educators and librarians, highlighting titles that have educator or discussion guides, lesson plans, or activity books. SEL titles can be found under the Social Responsibility and Growth Mindset sections on the page, and include the What Does It Mean to Be...? series by Rana DiOrio from Little Pickle Press (which became an imprint of Sourcebooks Jabberwocky last year). Hitting the Target As the childrens book imprint of the American Psychological Association, Magination Press has some advantages when it comes to spreading the word about its SEL-related titles. Our core audience is librarians and teachers who also have a degree or some sort of other related training in psychology or counseling, says Jason Wells, marketing director for APA Books and Magination Press. They help us get our message out to a wider audience. We also have a unique connection to school counselors and social workers, who use our books to help improve kids lives. Magination does dedicated email marketing to these groups and can target mailings to the APAs member psychologists, more than 100,000 in all. And, as Wells explains, unlike any other publisher, nearly all of our books have built-in notes to parents and caregivers, so the story can be read, then the content discussed. For some of Candlewicks more targeted efforts: We reach out to organizations that promote social awareness and character education in schools, Rourke says, such as Social-Emotional Learning Alliance for Massachusetts, which advocates for SEL in all Massachusetts schools, and Open Circle, which provides an SEL program for grades K5. The 2018 International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Conference took place in Chicago, June 2427. We checked in with some of the librarians and educators who attended and presented sessions there to see whats new in the world of education technology. Prior to the official conference kickoff, Follett hosted the first ever Future Ready Librarian Leadership Summit on June 23. The Future Ready Librarians initiative is an expansion of the Future Ready Schools initiative launched in 2014 by former president Barack Obama as a project of the Alliance for Education. The mission of the initiative is to ensure that all students graduate from high school ready for success in college, work, and citizenship, and that technology and digital learning are part of reaching that success. Attendees of the all-day workshop learned about the new Future Ready Librarian Framework, explored new tools to use with students that inspire collaboration and critical thinking, and heard about new strategies for ensuring that the school librarian is an integral part of curriculum planning and decision making in the school. Mark Ray, director of innovation and library services for Vancouver (Wash.) Public Schools, and Shannon McClintock Miller, a Future Ready Librarian spokesperson, consultant, and K12 teacher librarian in Van Meter, Iowa, were coleaders of the workshop. According to Miller, more than 100 librarians from around the country participated in the Leadership Summit. During the event, an updated, second version of the Future Ready Librarian Framework was announced. Literacy was added to our framework, Miller says, and it surrounds the center/hub, which is now called learner-centered, replacing Personalized Student Learning. The change was made because, according to Miller, learners are not just students, but teachers, administrators, families, and people in the community, too. In the new FRL Framework, the language that reinforces the literacy component reads: Future Ready Librarians support student-centered learning through literacy by inspiring and supporting the reading lives of both students and teachers. They create inclusive collections that acknowledge and celebrate diverse experiences and provide instructional opportunities to empower learners as effective users and creators of information and ideas. Joseph South, chief learning officer of ISTE, kicked off the summit by introducing the Future Ready Librarians Crosswalk, which illustratesin visual side-by-side comparisonsthe relationship between the FRL Framework and the ISTE Standards for Educators, which were revised in 2017. A similar crosswalk showing how the recently revised American Association of School Librarians Standards and the ISTE Standards for Educators align is in the works and will be announced soon. With all of the standards that we have and follow as librarians, to have one more thing can be overwhelming, Miller says. Its so important for Future Ready Librarians to have this crosswalk and to be able to integrate what we know and value as librarians and what we follow from the standards for educators from ISTE. Since everybody in the school follows the ISTE Standards for Educators, not only the librarians but the educators and administrators look at them, too; to be able to show them how it ties into what we do as Future Ready Librarians is really going to strengthen that conversation and strengthen our roles as leaders in our school. Bill Bass, innovation coordinator for instructional technology, information, and library media for Parkway School District in West St. Louis County, Mo., and president-elect of the ISTE board of directors, believes the new Future Ready Librarians Crosswalk is a great fit for both parties. When I think about Future Ready, its this idea of helping kids to be flexible thinkers and evaluators of information, he says. The partnership between ISTE and Future Ready makes a ton of sense, because what the ISTE standards indicate are what we want kids to be, and the Future Ready Framework helps us to understand how we get kids to be those things. I think its a really good marriage; I think theyre very supportive of each other. In addition to revealing the crosswalk, South announced the launch of ISTEs Librarians Are Transforming Learning websitea clearinghouse of information, resources, and tools specific to librarians. Visitors to the site will find the new FRL Framework/ISTE Standards for Education Crosswalk, a link to a new ISTE U online course called Exploring Future Ready Librarianship: Practices for the Emerging Leader, personal development book recommendations, and links to the ISTE blog and the official site for the ISTE Librarians Network, one of the organizations numerous personal learning networks, which now has upwards of 2,000 members. We had been waiting for this site, Miller says. To have all the new information weve been working on available in one place now is just awesome. It was a really great day. Bill Bass Innovation coordinator for instructional technology, information, and library media Parkway School District West St. Louis County, Mo. The best book I read this summer, reread actually, was Creative Confidence by Tom and David Kelley. Rae Anne Locke Elementary library media specialist Saugatuck Elementary Westport, Conn. The best book I read over the summer was undoubtedly Less by Andrew Sean Greer, winner of the Pulitzer Prizebeautiful and funny. Two of the best books I read over the summer that I cant wait to share with my students are Front Desk by Kelly Yang and Bob by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead. In Front Desk, Mias trials and tribulations at age 10, working at the front desk at the Calavista Motel with her Chinese immigrant parents striving for the American dream, are outstandingI didnt want to leave Mia when doneand will be great for discussion. Bob is an enticing mystery and friendship story that many students will gravitate toward, and it is sure to be well-loved. Cassy Lee Learning center coordinator Chinese American International School, Middle School San Francisco The best book I read this summer, hands down, was Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. I know Im behind on this, as people have been talking about it for years, since it came out in 2014, but I finally got around to it and cannot recommend it highly enough for those who want to understand the problems of our criminal justice system better. The New Jim Crow did this for me, but Just Mercy made it hit home even harder by pulling me into such human and heartbreaking stories and also offering so much hope. I also read The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater and will be pitching that to my older students who are looking for a good nonfiction book, as it takes some of the social justice issues that Just Mercy brings up around how youth are treated in our system and makes them accessible and compelling in a book for students. Emily Volence Reading specialist and reading teacher Wilson West Middle School Sinking Spring, Pa. I have been reading with my students in mind. I just finished Every Day by David Levithan, which is about a teen who jumps from body to body. He cant inhabit the same persons for more than one day. Pretty interesting concept! I really enjoyed Solo by Kwame Alexander and everything by Jason Reynolds. I ordered a bunch of Reynoldss books for my classroom. Meghan Maughan Fourth grade teacher Le Jardin Academy Kailua, Hawaii For pleasure, I read The Lightkeepers Daughters by Jean E. Pendziwol, but this has nothing to do with my teaching. Unfortunately, I did not read or discover any books over the summer for my students. Sad. Erin Ruggiero English teacher Moon Area High School Moon Township, Pa. The best book I read so far this summer was Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney. It was such a page-turner! I havent read much this summer that works for the classroom, but I did take a course called Spanish for Educators and look forward to integrating some of the strategies for my ELL students. Sara Malchow Digital learning specialist Pulaski Community School District Pulaski, Wis. LOL. With all of the conferences Ive attended, unfortunately, I havent had any extra time this summer for pleasurable reading. Ive done a fair amount of reading, but its all been school-relatedgranted, I enjoy that, but its not the same as sitting down with a great dystopian novel! Maybe over the next couple of weeks Ill still be able to sneak something in. Stephanie Hoos Middle school English faculty The King School Stamford, Conn. The best book I read this summer, without a doubt, was Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera. She came to speak to our middle school students during the academic year, and her book is a revelation. It encapsulates what it means to struggle with so many aspects of identity; Juliet takes on tough questions regarding her race, gender expression, sexuality, language, heritage, and culture all in one summer. I have students who are POC, speakers of a second language, nonbinary, LGBTQ+, etc., and I really want to recommend this book for our Independent Reading program and possibly use excerpts of it while teaching more canonical texts like To Kill a Mockingbird. My hope is that each student will build a personal library, both fiction and nonfiction, that continues to fill with resources that they can reference throughout their lifetimes. This library serves as an educational tool but also a space to feel less alone in a world that can sometimes feel very lonely. Sherry Gick Director of Innovative Learning Five-Star Technology Solutions Frankfort, Ind. Along the professional development line, I read Nicholas Provenzanos new book, The Maker Mentality. I love Nicks point of view, from what hes done in the classroom to now running a makerspace in his school. He speaks it because he lives it. That makes it really meaningful to me. I also have an advance copy of a book coming out in September that I was blown away by. I wasnt really expecting that. Its called You Dont Know Everything, Jilly P! by Alex Gino, who wrote George. I was intrigued by this one because its a middle grade book about a girl whose sister is born deaf. I was a special education teacher in my first education career, and I actually wanted to do deaf education but found out I kind of stink at sign language. But this book goes deeper, because it addresses the stigma of not only deaf culture vs. hearing culture but goes on to bring in race, and there are some other themes woven in there, too. I read it in one sitting. Been staring at a blank laptop screen for hours? Wastebasket overflowing with crumpled balls of paper? Cant even write a grocery list? If so, read on for exciting news. In 1925, a tinkerer named Hugo Gernsback invented an amazing antidote for writers blockthe Isolator Helmet. This device eliminated all outside distractions by isolating the author inside a peaceful cocoon of silence. Eyeholes revealed only the blank writing pad. Pure oxygen flowed from a tank to sharply focus the mind. That same year, undocumented reports surfaced of two washed-up authors who gained unauthorized access to helmets and immediately wrote bestsellers. Then something odd happened. In early 1926, the Isolator Helmet disappeared. Eleven original helmets had been built, yet all units vanished. When technical drawings mysteriously went missing at the U.S. Patent Office, rumors began to swirl that a Literary Deep State was involved. Fortunately, we can now announce that Gernsbacks helmet has been resurrected! Earlier this year, while browsing through a musty 1925 science magazine, I spotted an articlealong with detailed photosthat described the Isolator Helmet. Amazing! I thought. The perfect remedy for stuck writers. So I retained a Silicon Valley teenager to reverse engineer design specs from the old photos. After trademarking several key marketing features, I applied for a new patent. And manufacturing of the 2018 Isolator Helmet launched in a deserted truck-tire factory in Belarus. Operating instructions follow: 1. Pull the MuffleZone helmet snugly over head and shoulders. 2. Tighten neck drawstring to engage the SoundSeelz gasket. 3. Check that the CleerEyze lenses are free of smudges. 4. Open the OxyStim tank valve for a rush of brain-clearing O2. 5. Reach for that dreaded blank pad of paper. 6. Be gobsmacked as your words flow like melted butter. The new helmet remains faithful to the 1925 design (see photo above). For example, the 2018 Isolator Helmet still includes the unique CiggieBox attached to mouth area. Simply insert a Chesterfield, Cuban cigar, or joint into the hole and puff away comfortably while writing. But be forewarned: although it resembles a divers helmet, this device is not recommended for underwater useparticularly for depths exceeding 20 feet. You may have seen recent online posts suggesting an unnamed Silicon Valley ninth grader used a beta model to descend 50 feet into San Francisco Bay, but that surely is fake news. Although company policy forbids commenting on rumors, we can state unequivocally this could not have been done while smoking. But now, dear friend, lets cut to the chase. Naturally, we anticipate crushing demand from the writing community. However, at $34,999.98 per helmet (oxygen tank not included), this might seem a bit pricey. Perhaps yesbut please consider the seven-figure advance youll surely receive for your next book. And get this! Were now offering an exclusive 2-for-1 dealtwo helmets for just $34,999.98. A backup unit will be handy in the event of sound leakage due to manufacturing flaws or an oxygen fire spontaneously igniting within the helmet. To order, go to Guccifer2.0.com and click link for Amazing Isolator Helmet. Purchase by Bitcoin preferred. Credit card payment must include account number, security code, and Facebook and LinkedIn passwords. Act nowand banish writers block forever! A generous credit on your next books acknowledgment page would be appreciated. Happy writing! John Emmerling is an author/illustrator. His most recent book is WoofiLeaks: Your Dogs Secrets Revealed. Norton Grabs Mustafahs Face In a North American rights agreement, Nortonsboughts debut novel, The Beauty of Your Face, at auction. The book, sold byandat the Robin Straus Agency, is about a young Palestinian-American woman whose sister disappears. The agency said the novel follows how Afaf Rahman and her family are forever changed by the disappearance of her older sister and a shooter who threatens the Nurrideen School for Girls, where Afaf is the principal. Mustafahs first book, the short story anthology Code of the West (Willow Books), was published in 2017; her short fiction has also garnered a number of literary honors, earning her, among other nods, three Pushcart Prize nominations and the Guild Literary Complex Prize. Bentley Closes Double at Berkley Tom Colgan at Berkley took world English rights, in a preempt, to two books by Don Bentley. The first title, launching a new thriller series, is called Without Sanction; the second book is a currently untitled novel. Berkley said Without Sanction, which Barbara Poelle at the Irene Goodman Literary Agency sold, follows a PTSD-stricken DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency) officer named Matt Drake, who must to return to Syria to face his biggest failure but unearths much more than he bargained for, including his own redemption. The book is set for spring 2020. Orbit Buys Merbeths Fortuna For Orbit, Bradley Englert nabbed world English rights to Fortuna, the first title in a space opera trilogy by Kristyn Merbeth. The series, Merbeths agent, Emmanuelle Morgen at Stonesong, said, is about following a family of interplanetary smugglers in which a young woman must assume leadership of the familys black-market business dealings after her mother, the matriarch, steps down, only to find that she has inherited far more than a ship and a crew. Fortuna is slated for fall 2019. Briefs Science journalist Maia Szalavitz (Unbroken Brain) sold Undoing Drugs: The Untold Story of Harm Reduction and the Future of Addiction to Renee Sedliar at Da Capo Lifelong Books. Da Capo said the book, which Andrew Stuart at the Stuart Agency sold, is a narrative history of the philosophy and activists behind harm reduction, a simple yet revolutionary idea that has begun to transform the treatment of addiction. The book is set for spring 2021. Aces Rebecca Brewer took North American and open market rights to two novels by Sarah Pinsker. The author, an award-winning short story writer, sold a work of speculative fiction called Song for a New Day through the deal; Ace said it is set in the virtual reality dominated near future of Pinskers Nebula Awardwinning novelette Our Lady of the Open Road. New Day, which Kim-Mei Kirtland at Morhaim Literary sold, is set for October 2019. Susan Ashline sold Without a Prayer: The Death of Lucas Leonard and How One Church Became a Cult to Katie McGuire at Pegasus Books. McGuire, who bought world English rights from Lane Heymont at the Tobias Literary Agency, said the book follows the case of Leonard, who died in 2015 after being extensively tortured by his parents and other members of their congregation turned cult, the Word of Life Christian Church. McGuire elaborated, saying Ashline delves deep into the Leonard family history and the darkness within the Word of Life community. Correction: An earlier version of this article mistakenly recounted the details of the case that Susan Ashline's book, Without a Prayer, chronicles. For more childrens and YA book deals, see our latest Rights Report. Photo: Colin Dacre A young Penticton man has been sentenced to 10 months in jail for a pair of serious assaults, one of them a savage ambush outside the Mule nightclub. Damien Keddie, 21, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault causing bodily harm stemming from two attacks last year. Crown prosecutor John Swanson told the courtroom police were called to the Mule nightclub on Martin Street on Aug. 12, 2017 at 3:15 a.m. for a report of a man being attacked by a group. The victim told police he exited the nightclub and saw a person who motioned that he wanted to talk to him in a nearby alleyway. The victim followed, and was met by three men who promptly attacked him. This was basically an ambush of a drunk coming out of a bar, an ambush by a group of people, Swanson said. Defence lawyer Nelson Selamaj took some exception to the Crown calling the assault an ambush noting there was previous confrontation in the club involving Keddies friend and the victim but admitted it was not a consensual fight the victim was attacked three on one, and never fought back. The victim suffered facial fractures and required stitches, but no lasting injuries. Keddie was also sentenced for an assault just two months prior on June 12. One of his friends had been involved in a consensual fight at Princess Margaret Secondary, and arrangements were made to continue the fight at another location later in the day. When the complainants arrived at the agreed upon location in their car, they spotted a much larger (both in number and stature) group people and turned the car around and tried to drive away. As they were leaving, the car stalled, and Keddie and one of his friends began punching the victims through the car windows. Keddie threw between five and eight punches. The two incidents make up the fifth and sixth assault convictions for Keddie, who last served 94 days for an assault causing bodily harm. The Crown sought a 18 month total sentence, while the defence asked for 10-13 months. During his lengthy closing arguments, Selamaj painted a picture of his client that has owned up to his actions, is remorseful, and has turned a corner on his life for the first time. Mr. Keddie does not want me to say, on his behalf, that hes been unlucky, that you should feel sorry for him, Selamaj said. He knows that for a period of his life that he did not appreciate the breaks he was given. He explained that Keddie has since moved to White Rock with his mother and has offers of employment from family. In handing down her sentence, Judge Michelle Daneliuk said she could not ignore Keddie's violent past and chastised him for violently inserting himself into incidents that had nothing to do with him, but spoke optimistically about support from his family. He was sentenced to eight months for the nightclub attack and 60 days for the after-school fight for a total of 300 days behind bars. Daneliuk allowed Keddie to hug his family goodbye before being led out of the courtroom in handcuffs, which he did so in tears. Rich Rewards The weeks top titles have been selling well all year, and yet still managed to improve their numbers. The #1 book in the country, Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis, which swept the middle and southern U.S., as well as much of the East Coast, is up 54% compared to the previous week. Its sold 334K print copies since it pubbed in February. The conventional edition of Crazy Rich Asians is the countrys #2 book and the favorite in the Northeast, Middle Atlantic, and Pacific regions. Print unit salesthe editions best since its 2014 releaseare up 18% compared to the previous week, bringing 2018 sales to 229K print units. The movie opened August 15. (See all of this week's bestselling books.) Women and Women First Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas debuts at #3 in childrens frontlist fiction. Its the third entry in the DC Icons series, which pairs big-name YA novelists with DC Comics characters. The first book in the series, 2017s Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo, arrived on the heels of the blockbuster Wonder Woman movie and had the best first-week sales of the series so far. New & Notable Tailspin Sandra Brown #1 Hardcover Fiction, #3 overall Browns many fans will be pleased, our review said, with this suspenseful romantic thriller in which a pilot teams up with a doctor to guard a black box whose contents several people are willing to kill for. Everything Trump Touches Dies Rick Wilson #7 Hardcover Nonfiction The Republican strategist offers a scathing, profane, unflinching, and laugh-out-loud funny rebuke of Donald Trump and his presidency, our review said. Trump supporters may dismiss Wilsons vitriol as the cathartic screed of a Never Trump Republican dinosaur, but those who share his views will find this rewarding. Dopesick Beth Macy #12 Hardcover Nonfiction Our starred review said that the journalist potently mixes statistics and hard data with tragic stories of individual sufferers, as well as those who love and attempt to treat them, in a forceful and comprehensive overview [that] makes clear the scale and complexity of Americas opioid crisis. Top 10 Overall Rank Title Author Imprint Units 1 Girl, Wash Your Face Rachel Hollis Nelson 46,889 2 Crazy Rich Asians Kevin Kwan Anchor 25,390 3 Tailspin Sandra Brown Grand Central 18,943 4 Origin Dan Brown Anchor 18,300 5 You Will Pay Lisa Jackson Zebra 16,846 6 The President Is Missing Clinton/Patterson Little, Brown/Knopf 15,931 7 The Russia Hoax Gregg Jarrett Broadside 15,924 8 Liars, Leakers, and Liberals Jeanine Pirro Center Street 15,318 9 Magnolia Table Joanna Gaines Morrow 15,169 10 You Are a Badass Jen Sincero Running Press 14,540 All unit sales per Nielsen BookScan except where noted. LONDON A no-deal Brexit would risk "catastrophic" consequences for cancer patients, other people suffering from diseases, the health workforce, and the nation's health, British doctors warned this week. In a briefing paper, the British Medical Association (BMA) warned that the UK's recent scramble to prepare for a no-deal Brexit that in a worst-case scenario, a no-deal Brexit could: See fewer doctors and other medical staff, when there are already "huge shortages" of such roles, due to uncertainty over future immigration status, and confusion around the continued mutual recognition of medical qualifications across the EU. Too little, too late The BMA is the UK's largest doctors' union and has officially called for a second Brexit referendum, warning there is "too much uncertainty on the implications for the NHS and its staff" around the country's EU exit. The BMA says "imperative" that the public has a vote on any final proposed Brexit deal, warning that the challenges posed by Brexit to the medical industry are "considerable," despite some recent progress in negotiations. The BMA's members voted overwhelmingly in favour of a second referendum at a recent vote, and the Royal College of Nursing, which represents around half a million nurses and midwives, also supports the idea. "The consequences of 'no deal' could have potentially catastrophic consequences for patients, the health workforce, services and the nations health," said Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA council chair, in a statement this week. "The UK government has finally started planning to ensure the health sector and industry are prepared in the short term for a no deal Brexit, but this is too little, too late and quite frankly, proof that the impact on the NHS has not received the attention it deserves in the Brexit negotiations. "Some will say we are scaremongering by warning of the dangers of a 'no deal' Brexit, but this is not the case. We aren't shying away from being honest about what is at stake for health services if the UK and the EU fail to reach a deal. President Donald Trump's threatened tariffs on imported cars and auto parts would cause massive economic upheaval in the US, but some states would get hit worse than others. Trump proposed a 25% tariff on imported cars and auto parts in May, drawing immediate condemnation from other countries and the auto industry. The major automakers warned that while the tariffs would apply to imported cars and parts, the move would also devastate US companies and lead to layoffs at stateside factories for foreign firms. For instance, Volvo warned that the 4,000 jobs it planned to bring to South Carolina could be scuttled if Trump moves forward with the tariffs. An agreement between Trump and the European Union seems to have put the possibility of auto tariffs on hold for now, but in the announcement the president said that the restrictions could move forward at any time. While the tariffs are on hold, the prospect that the hammer could fall at any time may make workers in some states more nervous than others. To get a sense of the possible impact on each of the states, we broke down the percentage of each state's workforce that has a job in the auto industry using data from the In addition to the economic cost for the states, the move would also carry a political risk for Trump. Nine of the top 10 states and 18 of the top 20 voted for Trump in the 2016 election. The only two states in the top 20 that were won by Hillary Clinton are Sometimes you don't realize what makes your country unique until you hear it from an outsider. Aniruddh Chaturvedi, a senior software designer at LinkedIn, came to the US from India in 2011 and was immediately surprised by certain aspects of American culture. He now lives in California. In a Quora post, Chaturvedi explained what he found most surprising about the US, drawn from his experience at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and from his time working at various Silicon Valley tech companies. He emailed additional thoughts to Business Insider. Here are the highlights, from the apparent high integrity of American students to the outrageously low price of soda: In America, "everyone is highly private about their accomplishments and failures." " Shopping in America is a chore. "The retail experience is nowhere near as fun/nice as it is in India. Because labor is cheap in India, there is always someone who will act as a 'personal shopper' to assist you with holding your clothes, giving suggestions, etc." "In America, on the other hand, even if you go to a Nordstrom or Bloomingdales, there is almost nobody to help you out while you're shopping. Shopping in America is more of a commodity/chore than it is a pleasurable activity." American students love to collaborate and support one another. But students seem to know where to draw the line. "E "Unfortunately, it is expensive to be healthy in America." "Rich people are thin/well maintained, poor people are fat. This stems from the fact that cheap food is fatty, rich people don't eat cheap food they tend to eat either home-cooked food which is expensive or eat at expensive/healthy places. Unfortunately, it is expensive to be healthy in America." And overweight people have it harder in society, too. There is a "dearth of African-Americans in technical fields." "This probably stems from the fact that they aren't given enough opportunity." Americans place an emphasis on nature and the outdoors. " In American restaurants, the serving sizes are huge. "I am by no means a small eater, but it usually takes me at least 1.5 meals to finish the entree." And Americans tend to 'waste a lot of food.' "It is very easy to buy in bulk because it's so much cheaper, and as a result, a lot of wastage occurs." Americans are obsessed with buying coffee. " Single-parent households aren't unusual in the US. "Split families, not having married parents, etc., is not seen differently than the contrary." Americans support the LGBT community in great numbers. Supermarkets in America have a strange way of pricing their goods. "The way that stores price their products makes no apparent economic sense, and is not linear at all." "For example, at a typical store:"- 1 can of coke : $1.00"- 12 cans of coke : $3.00"- 1 Haagen-Dazs ice cream bar : $3.00"- 12 Haagen-Dazs ice cream bars : $7.00" Somehow, in America, soda is "cheaper than bottled water." And fast food is cheaper than healthy food. "Fruit and vegetable prices, as compared to fast food prices: "- Bag of grapes: $6.00"- Box of strawberries: $5.00"- 1 lb tomatoes: $3.00"- McChicken: $1.00"- McDouble: $1.00" Americans may not realize "the sheer variety of products available" at stores. And Americans get to take advantage of amazing return policies. In the US, you get unlimited soda refills and lots of soda options. American flags "are displayed everywhere." Holidays in the US are "over-commercialized." Americans seem to live in an "almost classless society." "Anybody can buy anything," thanks to credit. In America, "it's very difficult to tell who's wealthy and who's not." "The wealthy people usually don't have many material possessions. Every millionaire I know drives old cars, wears Levi's jeans, etc. They tend to spend more on experiences." "A lot of people I know who have fancy stuff usually go into credit card debt in order to fund their lavish lifestyle. It's strange! Perhaps expensive material possessions are simply a form of validation that rich people usually derive from their work, their family, friends, etc, which may not necessarily be the case for the average consumer." "I'm almost certain that the 1% isn't the main clientele for any luxury brand in the US." The US is very spread out, and Americans don't mind driving long distances. " Many major US cities are "riddled with homeless people." "It's unfortunate, and the worst part is that the homeless here will come up to you and misbehave. I know of numerous cases where my friends have been heckled, assaulted, etc." "I've been called racist expletives by homeless people who asked me to stop gentrifying the city. That never happened in India where the homeless were generally polite and knew that they'd face immediate consequences if they talked back or misbehaved with you." "San Francisco, New York, LA, and other cities in the US are really glitzy and glamorous from the outside cities with a lot of money, amazing infrastructure, the best minds and industries. While this all holds true, nobody talks about the homeless people other than the people who live in those cities (and surrounding areas)." American infrastructure isn't up to par. "Honestly speaking, there's a dearth of modern infrastructure in the United States. All the hallmarks of American infrastructure are now crumbling and at least 100 years old." "LAX, for example, smells of sweat and tears from people whose flights have been delayed for the fourth time. Compare that to India where the airports are modern, roads are wide and clean, there's new and shiny metro systems everywhere, etc." In much of the US, "most people think of it as a very big deal to leave the country." "I don't know why they think that, especially given that it's usually cheaper to fly to the EU or South America than it is to fly to a city in a neighboring state!" She was made to sign a bond of good behaviour for two years (24 months) following her conviction by an Accra Circuit Court. In default, she will serve a six-month prison term. The text messages by Nana Adwoa, 20, also included threats and abusive language. On April 6, 2018, Adwoa sent some abusive and threatening messages to her boyfriends mother wishing her dead, according to the state prosecutor. If you are really sick like you claim, I wish you dead, the prosecutor, Agnes Boafo, read to the court. She also told the court that Adwoa sent a threatening message to the woman saying she would die soon. In one of the messages, she also referred to the woman as an old wretched witch and that the woman had killed her husband. READ MORE: University student cries as tall soldier boyfriend proposes to her The woman after receiving Adwoa's messages lodged a complaint at the Nungua Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service. He adds that if government were to tax mobile money transactions, there will be broad consultation with stakeholders and done in a "sensitive" way. He was speaking at MTNs Mobile Money Stakeholders Forum in Accra last Wednesday on the theme: "Digitizing Payments In Ghana: The Implications of Additional Taxes on Mobile Money Transaction at Kempinski Hotel." Well I would say that in the coming budget, government has not made a decision to impose taxes on mobile money transactions as it is being suggested, but if at all government is minded to introduce any taxes related to mobile money, government will do so sensitive to the consequences and well make sure that the balance is right," said the minister. He added: It is not possible to, at this point, say that government will do one thing or will not do one thing. What I can assure you is that it is with a lot of difficulty that we made those decisions to introduce the tax measures we did in the mid-year review. "We will not introduce new taxes unless we genuinely believe that we are better off doing that in keeping the macroeconomy stable, so our businesses can grow and keep the economy strong. A report from the Bank of Ghana says mobile money transactions reached GH2.3 billion as of December 2017 while subscribers reached 30 million of June 2018. The amount represents a growth of 84.6 percent over the December 2016 amount of GH1.3 billion. Government drew controversy in the lead up to the presentation of the 2018 budget when the minority in parliament said the Finance Minister was considering taxing mobile money transactions. READ MORE: Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan dead Here are ten (10) things you didn't know about him. 1. Kofi A. Annan was the 7th Secretary-General of the United Nations. 2. Kofi Annan joined the UN system in 1962 as an administrative and budget officer with the World Health Organization in Geneva. 3. He's the founder and chair of the Kofi Annan Foundation. 4. In 2001, he and the United Nations were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. Kofi Annan was praised for being pre-eminent in bringing new life to the organization. (Norwegian Nobel Committee, October 2001) 5. He was the UNArab League Joint Special Envoy for Syria, mandated to seek a resolution to the conflict there, from February to August 2012. 6. Mr. Annan is the founding Chairman of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), which works for a food secure and prosperous Africa by promoting rapid, sustainable agricultural growth based on smallholder farmers. 7. He chairs the African Progress Panel, which advocates at the highest level for equitable and sustainable development in Africa. 8. He's the author of Interventions: A Life in War and Peace was published in 2012. 9. Kofi Annan joined the UN system in 1962 as an administrative and budget officer with the World Health Organization in Geneva. Since the news broke, tribute has been pouring in from all walks of life, including President Nana Akufo-Addo, who described him as "Consummate international diplomat." In a statement, the president said he was "deeply saddened" by the news of Annan's death. "The Government and people of Ghana, First Lady Rebecca and I are deeply saddened by the news of the death, in Berne, Switzerland, of one of our greatest compatriots, Mr. Kofi Annan. "I extend, on behalf of the entire Ghanaian nation, our sincere, heartfelt condolences to his beloved widow, Nane Maria, and to his devoted children, Ama, Kojo and Nina, on this great loss. I am, however, comforted by the information, after speaking to Nane Maria, that he died peacefully in his sleep," the statement from the president noted. He then went on to pay the ex-UN chief a glowing tribute: "Consummate international diplomat and highly respected former Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan was the first from sub-Saharan Africa to occupy this exalted position. He brought considerable renown to our country by this position and through his conduct and comportment in the global arena. "He was an ardent believer in the capacity of the Ghanaian to chart his or her own course onto the path of progress and prosperity. Undoubtedly, he excelled in the various undertakings of his life, leaving in his trail most pleasant memories. His was a life well-lived." The president has also directed national flag should fly at half-mast in hour of Kofi Annan. The vice president and his wife will join thousands of Ghanaians and millions of Muslims around the world in performing this years Hajj.The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and fulfils one of the conditions for total submission to the will of Allah."While on the Pilgrimage Vice President Bawumia will use the spiritual exercise to among others pray for the people and nation of Ghana and request Allahs blessings for Ghana," a statement from the vice president's office said. READ MORE: Ghanaian Hajj pilgrim dies in Mecca"The Vice President returns to Ghana on Monday 27th August, 2018." Below is the statement Anas tweeted Saturday that he was "deeply saddened by the death of Kofi Annan." "He's always been a constant inspiration for us to go further and reach higher. Rest in peace, General," he added. The Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation confirmed his death with "immense sadness" in a statement posted on Twitter. "It is with immense sadness that the Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation announce that Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Laureate, passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness," the opening paragraph of the statement read. Annan was the 7th Secretary-General of the UN and is the founder and chair of the Kofi Annan Foundation. In 2001, he and the United Nations were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. Kofi Annan was praised for being pre-eminent in bringing new life to the organization. (Norwegian Nobel Committee, October 2001). He was born in Kumasi, Ashanti Region on April 8, 1938. Photo: BC Gov Flickr An inmate at the Okanagan Correctional Centre in Oliver has had another 30 days tacked on to his sentence for attacking one of the guards. Nathan Durant, 22, pleaded guilty Friday in Penticton court to assaulting a corrections officer on Feb. 11, as that guard was coming to fetch him from his cell for yard time. Durant threw kicks and punches at the officer, who pressed his panic button alerting other guards who rushed to the scene with pepper spray. Crown prosecutor Kurt Froehlich said the corrections officer missed two days of work with injuries due to the assault, but argued the absence of serious injury should not undermine the seriousness of the offence, it's only because the officer was able to block the blows that he isnt seriously injured. Froehlich asked for a 4-6 month sentence, stating corrections officers need to be protected on the job, adding the assault was completely unprovoked. Defence lawyer Jordan Watt argued his client had already been punished for the assault with 40 days in solitary confinement, and added the authorities dragged their feet on having charges laid. Despite the assault taking place in February, charges were not approved until July 30, something Durant didnt even learn about until Aug. 7 a week before he was set to be released from his previous sentence. Durant was, in fact, sentenced in May for the term he was previously serving and would have pleaded guilty to the attack on the guard at that time had been been charged. Its difficult to understand how an offense that occurred on Feb. 11 could linger until an information is sworn July 30, which just happens to correspond to within two weeks of his planned release date, Judge Michelle Daneliuk said, calling it an absolute failure in the system to deal with the matter in a timely fashion. She also agreed to take Durants time in solitary into consideration, stating 40-plus days in segregation flies in the face of recent Supreme Court decisions limiting time inmates can spend segregated. The court also heard that Durant was off his two antipsychotics when the attack on the guard took place. Durant showed remorse, and apologized for the incident. During my stay at OCC, [victim] was one of the nicer guys. He was compassionate in the way he treated inmates and a friendlier guard," Durant said. "Although inmates usually dont talk to guards, he was easy to talk to when you had to, and I feel very sorry and would like to apologize to him." After the credit for the five extra days of time hes already served, Durant will be released in 25 days. The difficult truth is that once you get into the wealth and prosperity sphere, you necessarily slip into the tax and accounting line, Nana Akufo-Addo indicated at the 2018 Synod of the Global Evangelical Church in Accra. Reacting, Prophet Badu Kobi described the move as "nonsense," quizzing: "how can you be happy and say you want to tax the church, are you a fool?" He vowed to quote the manifesto of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) this coming Sunday that said taxing "is a lazy man's approach" to raising revenue. "Sunday, I 'm coming with NPP manifesto and I will show you the page which they said taxes must not be part of governance and taxes is a lazy mans approach," he said. "The things I will prove to them and eventually will speak throughout the whole of Ghana. They should come and tell us where this nonsense entered their head. According to him, "If they want to tax the church, we must tax their campaign money and if they don't want pastors to drive the best, they should go to campaign on trucks. Nonsense." READ MORE: I prophesied Ebony had a short life Prophet Badu Kobi"When they were doing their campaign, under's Ghana law, you don't take money from anywhere. Nana Akufo-Addo should come and tell me if they took money from somewhere or not because I know where they took their money from. "I know how the campaign money came to Ghana. I'm going to expose them," he said. READ MORE: Minister begs Tamale Teaching Hospital staff to return to work The workers in a meeting with the Northern Regional Minister Salifu Saeed had said they will consider returning to work if a police post is established at the hospital, perpetrators of the lawlessness are arrested and an unqualified apology is rendered to the CEO. The ringleader of the attack, Baba Alhassan, has been arrested and given bail. A team of police personnel have deployed to the facility. Alhassan has issued an unqualified apology to the medical staff of the hospital from the police Cells where hes being held on charges of unlawful entry, offensive conduct and assault. President Nana Akufo-Addo in a statement said he was "saddened" by his demise, ordering the national flag to fly at half-mast for one week. "The Government and people of Ghana, First Lady Rebecca and I are deeply saddened by the news of the death, in Berne, Switzerland, of one of our greatest compatriots, Mr. Kofi Annan. "I extend, on behalf of the entire Ghanaian nation, our sincere, heartfelt condolences to his beloved widow, Nane Maria, and to his devoted children, Ama, Kojo and Nina, on this great loss. I am, however, comforted by the information, after speaking to Nane Maria, that he died peacefully in his sleep," the statement from the president noted. ECOWAS chairman and President of Nigeria, Mahammadu Buhari said Mr Annan's legacy will remain "indelible in the history of the entire world, especially the efforts to combat HIV/AIDS in Africa and the launch of the UN Global Compact." Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Theresa May tweeted: "Sad to hear of the death of Kofi Annan. A great leader and reformer of the UN, he made a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into. My thoughts and condolences are with his family." Former Australia Prime Minister Kevin Rudd tweeted, "The world has lost a great leader today. Kofi initiated the Millenium Development Goals. He did everything possible to prevent the Iraq War. He spoke for our common humanity. I will miss him too as a dear friend, colleague and source of encouragement." Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, "We express our profound sorrow at the passing away of Nobel Laureate and former UNSG Mr. Kofi Annan. The world has lost not only a great African diplomat and humanitarian but also a conscience keeper of international peace and security. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement: "Kofi Annan was a guiding force for good. It is with profound sadness that I learned of his passing. In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations. He rose through the ranks to lead the organization into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination. Like so many, I was proud to call Kofi Annan a good friend and mentor. I was deeply honoured by his trust in selecting me to serve as UN High Commissioner for Refugees under his leadership. He remained someone I couldalways turn to for counsel and wisdom and I know I was not alone. He provided people everywhere with a space for dialogue, a place for problem-solving and a path to a better world. In these turbulent and trying times, he never stopped working to give life to the values of the United Nations Charter. His legacy will remain a true inspiration for all us. My heartfelt condolences to Nane Annan, their beloved family, and all who mourn the loss of this proud son of Africa who became a global champion for peace and all humanity." Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta noted: In this moment of sorrow, I condole with his family, relatives and friends. My thoughts and prayers go out to them as they come to terms with this sad news. Former Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi wrote: His death is a loss not only to Africa but to the rest of the world. He was a public servant who was committed to peace and harmony for all mankind. His commitment to resolution of conflict through dialogue will be his biggest legacy. The Elders (group of global leaders) in statement said: He played a vital role in leading The Elders work, and was a voice of great authority and wisdom in public and private. He was a constant advocate for human rights, development and the rule of law. Kofi Annan had a life-long commitment to the cause of peace and was known for his staunch opposition to military aggression, notably the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Former President John Mahama tweeted: He lived and worked for global peace, security and sustainable development in very challenging times. A proud son of Ghana and Africa. French President Emmanuel Macron said: France pays tribute to him. We will never forget his calm and resolute approach to matters, nor the strength of his commitments. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said: Annan was a great leader and diplomat extraordinaire who had advanced the African agenda within the United Nations and had flown the flag for peace around the world. UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash: Former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan departed this world after an impressive political career, a diplomat who distinguished himself with his performance in a demanding job under difficult circumstances. "Laura and I send our sympathies to Nane and the Annan family on the passing of Kofi Annan. Kofi was a gentle man and a tireless leader of the United Nations. His voice of experience will be missed around the world," Former US president George Bush said in a statement. Using radio, television, community durbars, church and mosque programmes we have been one such strong force in sensitizing and educating the Ghana populace for a shift in socio-cultural change into best waste disposal. As a company we believe that no matter the interventions we make, if we do not change our attitude then nothing positive can be achieve". As a people we need to change our attitude towards the waste menace. People will have to be educated to know that even though Zoomlion and other waste management companies exist to clean, the country, it could be better off if we act responsibly especially in the area of waste management. With your posture Mrs. Dapaah, we have no shred of doubt that there is light at the end of the tunnel. We therefore call on the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Authorities to ensure that the various sanitation bye-laws are enforced to the letter. We want to assure you and Ghanaians that we shall continue to educate and clean the environment for a cleaner nation. In radio and television interviews while in California visiting with firefighters, Zinke acknowledged that fires had been getting worse. But he said what was driving this summers severe blazes including the Mendocino Complex fire north of San Francisco that is now the largest in the states history was fuel load, or the presence of dead and dying trees that have not been cleared from forests. In one interview, with Breitbart Radio, Zinke blamed environmental terrorist groups for the situation, saying their legal efforts had prevented the widespread harvesting of dead timber. But John Barnwell, director of government affairs with the Society of American Foresters, said there was no single reason this summers fires have been so severe. I have to respectfully disagree with Secretary Zinke and say that a multitude of factors contribute to the tinderbox conditions in California and across the West, Barnwell wrote in an email. He identified lack of management of overstocked stands, changing climate and weather patterns, and insect and disease as the primary drivers for these large, catastrophic blazes. In his comments, Zinke said clearing of dead timber should be allowed, and other methods should be used to reduce the risk of catastrophic fires, including small prescribed burns early or late in the fire season. The issue of timber clearing in Western forests has simmered for decades. Selective thinning of some trees and underbrush what is called fuels treatment and prescribed burning have been supported by both Republican and Democratic administrations and environmentalists as necessary to improve forest health and reduce fire risk. But many environmental groups argue that aggressive harvesting of dead trees goes too far. Fuels treatment is important, said Lynn Scarlett, a former Interior official in the George W. Bush administration and now a policy director with the Nature Conservancy. But theres a difference between fuels treatment and timber harvesting and clear-cutting. Zinke also dismissed the impact of climate change on the fires in an interview Monday with a Sacramento television station. This has nothing to do with climate change, he said. This has to do with active forest management. Those comments earned him praise from Trump at a Cabinet meeting Thursday. Ryan, youre saying its not a global warming thing; its a management situation, Trump said. Zinke later clarified that he accepted that climate change was a factor. But his earlier comments, and those of the president, drew condemnation from scientists and environmental groups. Philip B. Duffy, executive director of the Woods Hole Research Center, a climate change research group in Massachusetts, said the comments were clearly and demonstrably incorrect. Scientific research has shown that the enormous increases in fire activity experienced recently in the West are driven to a large extent by climate change, Duffy said in a statement. Simply put, climate warming results in longer fire seasons and larger and more intense fires. Scarlett said Zinkes and Trumps comments addressed only part of the problem. On the one hand it is true that fuels treatment remains an important part of reducing risks, she said. On the other hand thats not the full picture, and climate does make a difference. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. This cause was demonstrated with the unveiling in Lagos of Mrs. Ulunma Izejiobi as the 8th recipient of the 7Up Harvard Business School MBA Scholarship for 2018. Ulunma joins the ranks of Misan Rewane, Olujimi Williams, Mayowa Kuyoro, Oluwasola Olaniyan, Bankole Makanjuola, Chidozie Ibekwe and Ahmed Alimi, all former recipients of the 7UP HBSS Award who have gone on to make marks in their chosen fields. Accompanied by her husband, daughter, parents, and numerous well-wishers, Ulunma gave an eloquent speech appreciating her parents for her upbringing and her husband for his continuous encouragement, she was all smiles as she accepted and thanked 7UP for making her dreams a reality. The first recipient of the 7UP HBSS award, Misan Rewane, shared her experience as a winner at the event. She spoke of how the scholarship has empowered her to achieve her dream thereby providing her with a great platform aimed at impacting the lives of youths through her organisation, West Africa Vocational Education (WAVE) which is in its 5th year. The 2017 recipient Ahmed Alimi was also on hand to share his current Harvard experience. Also speaking at the unveiling event, the Senior Brand Manager Seven Up Bottling Company, Segun Ogunleye representing the Head of Marketing, Mr. Norden Thurston stated that what the scholarship offers on a national scale is the opportunity for succession planning as these young Nigerians are expected to assume leadership of the commanding heights of the economy in the near future. He noted that countries growth are tied to the quality of their leadership. Ulunma Izejiobi is the eighth recipient of the 7UP Harvard Business Scholarship. For more information, visit www.sevenup.org/hbs/ We want to replicate what we have done in the corporate world, servicing 23 banks across Nigeria and many other corporate companies. We want to offer these growing small and medium business the support they require to flourish in their various industries, Ikumariegbe said. Speaking on the features of the product, the Marketing Communications Manager, VDT Communications, David Ese stated that the VDT SMEmpower is a dedicated internet service, nationwide offering 5 megabyte per second, zero down time connection for up to 10 number of users depending on the plan subscribed to. Ese explained that with VDT SMEmpower, small businesses can now have access to expert technical support to customize their internet solutions as they choose. 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Abbah Dikko, Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, who disclosed this at the command headquarters in Maiduguri, said the exercise was in conformity with international best practise. Dikko said, In compliance with global best practise, we handed over these children associated with armed group to UNICEF, Dikko said. He explained that the gesture was in line with the commitment of the army to promote civil military relationship toward achieving lasting peace in the Northeast. In his remark, Mr Geoffrey Ijumba, UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Borno State, who received the minors, welcomed the release of the 23 boys and girls aged between 12 and 17 years from the military custody. He said UNICEF was working with the military and Borno government through the Ministry of Women Affairs to provide medical attention, psychological and social supports to victims displaced by the Boko Haram conflicts. He said, For these children, the long journey towards reuniting with their families, with their communities and fulfilling their dreams starts immediately. Pernille Ironside, UNICEFs Nigeria Acting Representative, stressed that the UN would continue to work with the military and other authorities to support the reintegration of all children released by the military. A statement by Lt. Adekunle Akinyele, Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Depot Nigerian Army, Zaria and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Zaria disclosed this on Saturday. Akinyele advised residents of the area to keep-off the area of the exercise. He said: The exercise is scheduled to take place at its shooting range located at Kabama and Tohu Villages off Zaria-Kano Expressway from Monday, 20 August to Saturday, 1 September 2018. The exercises will involve firing of live ammunition using small arms. The authority has put in place safety measures and precautions to ensure a safe and hitch free exercise. However, residents of the affected communities are advised to stay away from the range general area within the scheduled period. He said this shortly after arriving Abuja on Saturday, August 18, 2018, according to Channels Television. The President was away in London on a 10-day working vacation. No more free money like GEJs time Buharis vow is coming after the spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC),Yekini Nabena said that President Buharis administration will not share money like his predecessor, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan. Nabena said The way they used to share the money is no longer there. They are angry because Buhari is not sharing money. So, some of them are defecting because of that. When you work and get paid, you will spend such money wisely; nobody will go out and spend the money he genuinely earns carelessly. Those days when you went to the airport, you would see a lot of private jets, go to Maitama and Asokoro, you will see a lot of houses and people are not living in them. 2 Ex-Governors sentenced to jail On Tuesday, June 12, 2018, Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the FCT High Court found former Plateau Governor, Joshua Dariye guilty of 15 counts out of 23 counts preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Justice Banjoko also sentenced the former governor to 14-years in prison. Also, in May 2018, Justice Banjoko sentenced former Taraba state Governor, Jolly Nyame to 14 years imprisonment without an option of fine. The Governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello recently described President Buharias a man who is trusted by the international community to take Nigerians to the promise land. The uncompleted building located in Jabi also sheltered Usman and his twelve colleagues. As rescue operations progressed, Usman looked out for his friend, Kabir. His hope was dashed. As I was coming back from the mosque, I saw a friend of mine who sells sugarcane. He told me that the place I was working had collapsed. I was confused, Usman told in smattering English. As I came closer, I saw people running -. I then realized that there was trouble. I reached for my phone and called my friend, Kabir. His phone rang but he did not respond. He called later to say the heat was too much under the ground. I left him behind to go and pray because it was almost time for prayers; I was almost late. At 8pm, I called again, his number was no longer reachable. Kabir must have died, Usman said as tears cascaded down his cheeks. Kabir may not be the only one allegedly trapped under the rubble as eyewitnesses claimed the workers, food sellers and two engineers had not been rescued as at noon of Saturday, August 18, 2018. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said seven persons had been rescued. When the building collapsed, my friend who works and sleeps there was trapped. He is a wheelbarrow pusher, said Danladi Musa, a petty trader at the site. Two Fulani women who sell fura da nunu are still under the ground. One was asked to take the milk to the manager who was on the third floor when it happened. A woman who sells food was about entering the building when it happened. She threw away the food on her head and started running and crying. Seven or eight people were rescued and taken to the hospital yesterday but those were not all the people in the building. They were those at the top floor. "Those who came for the rescue operation have not done any job because there are still a lot of people down; those mixing sand and cement, workers carrying it up, those building and some people who live on the ground floor in batchers (a term used for substandard wooden houses). There are almost 15 batchers where people sleep on the last floor. Lots of people live in those batchers, Musa said, authoritatively. Why the building collapsed Multiple eyewitnesses who spoke to claimed the building had remained uncompleted for over fifteen years. Azubuike Chinonso, a builder, blamed the collapse of the building on the use of substandard materials. This building has been here for more than 15 years, Chinonso said. The bearing of the land has problem. If the engineer knows that the bearing cannot carry the casting of foundation, they should have done more reinforcement before continuing. I tested the concrete and noticed a loss in the strength of the material. The ratio of mixing is not standard. The reinforcement from one level to the other is not standard. He should have demolished and began the building afresh, he added. Umar believed the foundation was too weak. The engineer had just taken delivery of a trailer of cement for construction work at the site when the building collapsed. The decking was over fifteen years before they started building again. The foundation and decking was already too weak, he said. Tension, protest, teargas On Saturday morning, angry family members and friends had arrived the site of the collapsed building to demand intensified rescue operation. Trouble however started when the NEMA officials said there were no persons under the debris. A protest broke out. Police officers were deployed to the area to ensure that there was no breakdown of law and order. But the situation soon got out of hand. Why will they say there is no person under the ground?, a protester said. At about 6pm, one of the labourers under the ground called my friend to say that heat was too much and that someone should come and help him come out. I called the number over ten times this morning, there was no response. The phone rang and no one picked up. He probably would have died. No one should say that theres no one under the ground because people are there. Even if it is their dead bodies, bring them out. Is it because they are poor? If it was a child of a Minister that was trapped inside the ground, will they just leave without bringing the child out? How can this type of thing happen in the Federal Capital Territory and they would leave just like that? This is not fair, the protester added. The protesters became confrontational with some of the agitated youths throwing sticks and stones to the road in an attempt to cause gridlock. The Police fired some teargas canisters to disperse the protesters. They disappeared. At least, most of them. NEMA DG visits site About thirty minutes later, the director-general of NEMA, Mustapha Maihaja, arrived the collapsed building site in company of some directors at the Agency. After an assessment, Maihaja confirmed to journalists that seven persons had been rescued; 1 person dead, 1 critically injured and 5 others rescued alive. The rescue operation has been called off. Police officers were instructed to arrest scavengers who would want to prowl on the remnants of the rubble. Osinbajo to the rescue Meanwhile, Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, was at the site of the collapsed building on Friday evening. Osinbajo who visited the scene at about 6.47 p.m on Friday, said that all hands were on deck to rescue and save the lives of those who could have been trapped in the building. He said that all the agencies concerned were present, including the necessary equipment to rescue the trapped persons. The Eid-el-Kabir is an annual Islamic festival of ram sacrifice decreed to able faithful as an act of Ibadah (worship) to Almighty Allah as practiced by Muslims globally. A NAN correspondent who visited the Deidei livestock market and Dutse market, respectively, reports that the prices of small, average and big rams at both markets ranged between N35,000, N60,000 and N100,000. ALSO READ: Ram dealers worry over low patronage NAN reports that some of the buyers expressed dissatisfaction with the high cost of the rams in the markets. At Dei-dei market, a buyer, who identified himself as Malam Isah Nanono, attributed the situation to the prevailing economic challenges in the country. Nanono told NAN that he came to purchase a big ram but ended up with a small one because he couldnt afford his choice due to its high price. The one I ended up buying cost me N35,000, while the medium size I wanted to buy went for a negotiable price of N60,000. I have visited many ram markets around town but couldnt buy any because of the high cost, that is why I came here hoping it would be better. Many buyers came here and couldnt afford the rams and they went home disappointed. I am appealing to the government to look into the problem or else many Muslims will not be able to afford rams during this Eid-el-Kabir and more to come, he said. Another prospective buyer, Mr Rilwanu Isa, said that he could not believe what he was asked to pay for an average sized ram. According to him, Allah does not put a burden on anyone who couldnt afford the sacrifice. He said: I could not buy and I just had to go back and from all indications, it will be higher in the few days remaining for the festival. If Allah permits me to buy, I will come and buy but people must know that Allah has not put a burden on any Muslim who cannot afford a ram. If you can afford, good, buy it, and if you cant, then leave it. It is not a luxury, it is for sacrifice. Isa noted that although the traders have their reasons for the high prices, they should also put into consideration the purchasing power of an average income earner, while emphasising that people are only trying to fulfil their religious obligations. However, Malam Ibrahim Liman, who sells ram at Deidei market, attributed insurgency and high cost of living in the country as some of the major causes for the rise in cost. He explained that some of them in the business from the north-east have lost their animals to the insurgency and have been forced to import from Niger Republic and Chad, just to remain in the business. Bringing rams from these countries can be very expensive, plus one has to transport them to other states, Abuja inclusive. I arrived here with some of my boys with the commodity since about a week now, with over 200 rams yet we could only sell a few, not up to 50. Buyers come, bargain prices and go without buying because they are also complaining that there is no money in the country, everything in the market has increased in price, not just ram. It is not our fault, we did not buy them cheap too and even the ones we reared ourselves are expensive because it is not easy to feed and rear animals for two or more years, it costs money, he said. Mr Pedro Awili, NSCDC State Commandant, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Akure. Awili said that the deployment was in line with the directive and operational order from the NSCDC Commander-General, Abdulahi Gana to roll out for proper monitoring and protection of people of the state. According to him, the security agency will be on the street to further protect lives and property; and our men will be on standby day and night during and after the Muslim festival. So, for this year , 1,500 of our men have been deployed in order to ensure that no criminal element is allowed to operate across all the 18 Local Government Areas of the state. As usual, we are doing this in collaboration with other security agencies. This is part of social responsibility of the command to protect people of the state. Meanwhile, we have all agreed that there no stone will be left unturned and we are going to ensure that whoever commits crime will be arrested and prosecuted accordingly, he said. The commandant warned that whoever intends to commit crime should relocate to other state, saying his command would not tolerate any criminality in the state. For those who intend to commit crime. We want to remind them that Ondo State is now a safe haven for everybody and there is no hiding place for criminals, he said. Awili, who urged the Muslims faithful to be security conscious during their celebration, advised them to show love to adherents of other faiths Fashola made this known during an interactive session with 10 social clubs on Friday in Lagos City Hall and appealed for patience from road users. The minister said parts of the technology were being manufactured abroad and would soon be shipped in to upgrade activities in the ports. He said that port access roads were in bad shape when the present government took over but added that contracts for the repair of the roads had been awarded. The minister said that the ports had not been expanded beyond what the colonial regime left in the 1920s for about 70 years. Fashola also said that the Federal Ministry of Transportation was tackling the issue of expansion of the ports which was not concluded by the previous administration. On the Third Mainland Bridge, he said it would soon be shut for three days for inspection to be sure that assessments done during procurement of the contract of the bridge had not changed. The minister said that the Lagos State Government and other stakeholders would be carried along before the closure for actual repairs of the bridge. He said that the construction of the Apapa-Oworonsoki Expressway would soon begin to ease gridlock during repairs of Third Mainland Bridge. On the Second Niger Bridge, he said that actual work had just begun on the bridge, adding that the hype about the bridge by the previous administration did not yield any progress. Fashola explained that the previous contract on the bridge did not put into consideration the traffic volume. He said the old design which was reviewed did not also link the bridge to Onitsha and Asaba. He said that the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund was on the ground and captured the Second Niger Bridge, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway reconstruction and rehabilitation, Abuja-Kaduna and Ilorin-Jebba Road projects. Those projects would not stop because of funding, he said. Meanwhile, Fashola said that a recent study by Julius Berger Plc and some foreign firms revealed that bridges in Lagos were not threatened by stationary articulated vehicles heading for the ports. He, however, said that the ministry frowned at indiscriminate parking of trucks on the bridges even as the static load from stationary trucks did not threaten the structural integrity of the bridges. We have sought since December last year expert opinion from Julius Berger, United Kingdom and I believe from Israel, and this is written advisory, that static load is not the threat to the bridges at all structurally. And that the real danger lies in when the trucks are fully loaded and speeding on the bridge. That is written, and written to us, because I am not an engineer but I have asked those who should know and that is the opinion they have signed off on. That said; let us also understand that most of the trucks that are coming into the ports are coming to receive cargo, although it is fair to acknowledge that some of them are also exporting cargo. So, they are not fully loaded trucks going in, that you see on the bridge. Then, it is also important to also say that, when you take the numbers, a significant number of them are carrying containers they are going to return because of a policy by the ports managers that charges them certain amount for demurrage for late containers. So essentially, there is a sizeable amount of empty trucks coming that way. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a heavy rainfall was recorded in some areas of the state last Thursday night. NAN gathered that the affected areas included Yolde-Pate, Jambutu and Loko in Yola South, Yola North and Song Local Government Areas of the state, respectively. Reacting to the development, Dr Muhammad Suleiman, the Executive Secretary, Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA), however said that only one person lost his live in the flood. One person lost his life, while over one hundred people mostly women and children displaced in the recent flood at Yolde-Pate in Yola South Local Government Area. Many people are also affected by the flood in Loko village and Jambutu area in Song and Yola North Local Government Areas of the state, Suleiman said. He said that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), especially from Yolde-Pate, were camped at the primary school in the area. In a statement on Saturday in Benin, Obaseki said Annan was a shining light of the African continent, who, strode like a colossus in the diplomatic community and worked tirelessly for a peaceful and fair world. I received the news of the passing away of Kofi Annan with a heavy heart. He lived a noble, courageous life and was an example of excellence in public service. From his humble beginning in Ghana, Annan grew to conquer the world, displaying an expert understanding of the complexities of the world and working to entrench the respect for human rights in the UN system. I commend his impact on global peace, Obaseki said. Serving as the 7th Secretary General of the UN, he contributed immensely to global peace, which was acknowledged with the award of the Nobel Peace Prize, alongside the UN. Obaseki noted that Annan lived a life that was not only worth celebrating but also portrayed a commitment to service and a rare grace that marked his various engagements at the UN while he led the global body. The governor urged youths to toe the path of the statesman and global icon, noting that the virtues portrayed by Annan while he lived, would not only stand young people out, but also set them on the path of success in their chosen careers. According to AFP, the former UN chief died on Saturday, August 18, 2018 after a brief illness, at the age of 80. Annan was the first person from Sub-Saharan Africa to become UN chief and he served from 1997 to 2006. Announcing his death, the Kofi Annan foundation put out a post on Twitter, saying It is with immense sadness that the Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation announce that Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Laureate, passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness. UN Secretary-General speaks In his reaction, UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres expressed sadness over the news of Annans demise. Guterres, who described the former UN chief as a mentor also said "in many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations. "He rose through the ranks to lead the organisation into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination. Indias Prime Minister, Modi Indias Prime Minister, Narendra Modi also commented on the death of the former UN boss. Modi, in a series of posts on twitter said, Mr. Kofi Annans significant contribution to the MDGs will always be remembered. My thoughts are with his family and admirers in this hour of grief. May his soul rest in peace. What the President of India, Rashtrapati Bhavan had to say Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan tweets Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan described Annan as a bridge builder who dedicated his life to human rights. Sad to hear the news of the death of Kofi Annan. As a former UN secretary-general and Nobel Peace Laureate, he dedicated his life to human rights and building bridges between nations. He will always be remembered as a great humanitarian and a tireless advocate for peace, he added. President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta Ghanas President, Nana-Akufo-Addo Nana-Akufo-Addo, the President of Ghana expressed sadness following the former UN chiefs death. He also posted on Twitter saying, The Government and people of Ghana, First Lady Rebecca and I are deeply saddened by the news of the death, in Berne, Switzerland, of one of our greatest compatriots, Mr. Kofi Annan. Nigeria's Senate President, Saraki, others react The victory guarantees Keita another five years at the helm of affairs after winning 67.17% of the total votes cast. - Ghanaian Police killed 27-year-old inmate, Abdul Raman Osman, while he was trying to escape with other inmates at Nsuta, a town near Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region of the country. - Three dormitories were burnt down at Rioga Secondary School, Nyamira County in the former Nyanza Province of Kenya. - Three people were killed when a vehicle they were travelling in hit an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at Elwak, Mandera County, Kenya. - After months of social media pressure from Nigerians for the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to be scrapped, the federal government ordered an 'overhaul' this week. - Nigerian soldiers took over an airport and shot in the air for hours in protest of their redeployment to a restive region of the Boko Haram-ravaged Borno State. - One woman and at least 22 schoolchildren drowned when their boat sank after it suffered from engine failure in Bouhayra in Nile State, Sudan. - A court sitting in Luanda sentenced an Angolan army sergeant to 18 years imprisonment for killing 14-year-old Rufino Antonio at a protest two years ago. - Tunisian president, Beji Caid Essebsi, announced plans to submit a draft bill to parliament to equalise inheritance rights between men and women. The country's law currently stipulates that male heirs should receive double the assets given to females of the same level of kinship. - Egyptian authorities arrested six suspected members of a "terrorist cell" behind a failed suicide attack on a church in the outskirts of Cairo. According to Daily Post, the Governor said As far as we know, Nigerians are happy and satisfied with the performance of Mr. President. He is honest man who is trusted by the international community to take Nigeria to the promise land and will therefore be re-elected next year by the masses of this great nation. It is unfortunate that the opposition was doing everything to bring the nation down to justify their desperation to return to power. When a child defecate on a chair, it is expected that the chair will be cleaned and allowed to dry before the child can sit on it again. The Nigerian system is undergoing serious cleansing process and Mr President should be allowed to conclude his Nigerian rebirth Agenda. Buhari must continue Governor Bello also said that those who love Buhari want him to continue with his giant strides. Those who love Nigeria and the strides of Mr President want him to continue the rebuilding process. Our nation was a subject of international scorn for corruption and insensitivity to the plight of the masses. Today, the respect is back because of the personality of Mr President. Our economy is looking up and it is trickling down to the states. Kogi State has keyed into the agricultural policies of the Federal Government to create more jobs and wealth. Our youth and vibrant populace now see a career in agriculture. The Federal Government has been very supportive of our war against criminality in the state; the same way the war against insurgency has been waged with serious mindedness. Nigerians surely do no want the gains of this administration reversed, he added. ALSO READ: How Governor Yahaya Bello murdered sleep On the crisis in the National Assembly, Bello also said Our National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has stated the position of the party. I have nothing more to say about it. What I will just tell Nigerians is that it is not enough to have President Muhammadu Buhari. They must also strive to vote equally patriotic Nigerians into the National Assembly to work with Mr President to make Nigeria great. We must have a National Assembly that has the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians at heart. Balogun disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), stressing that the men will also be assisted by some volunteers on security matters, who are spread across the state. He said the corps would be collaborating with other security agencies in Lagos State to secure the state during and after Sallah holiday, noting that people coming and going out of the state were well secured. He urged Lagosians to be security conscious, live in peace with one another and cooperate with security personnel, by providing information on any strange person, group or object. Balogun advised the public against anything that could cause disaster, accident or emergency. The by-election was fixed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for today, Saturday, August 18, 2018 to replace Hon. Victor Ihunwo. Ihunwo, who represents Port Harcourt Constituency 3 in the Rivers State House of Assembly, recently became the Executive Chairman of Port Harcourt City local government council, according to Daily Post. APC blames PDP Speaking on the incident, the Rivers All Progressives Congress (APC) spokesman, Mr. Chris Finebone said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) sponsored the thugs. He said The PDP leaders in ward 10 have deployed some hoodlums who are going round threatening and intimidating APC members. That is the situation right now. We dont know how much effort the security agencies can put to stop that situation right now. We are making efforts to reach them (party agents). The true situation is that, PDP hoodlums came in and were shooting at random, going after known APC individuals and they have to quickly call in the state security, the Police and others. But in the main time, they have to take refuge here and there. We are still trying to re-establish contact with them, Finebone added. PDP reacts The PDP also accused the the factional chairman of the APC in Rivers of using men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) to intimidate voters. Saraki, in a statement by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Yusuph Olaniyonu, spoke in Uyo when he led a delegation of some People's Democratic Party (PDP) Senators on a solidarity visit to Governor Udom. He noted that the Governor has succeeded in sustaining the stability, unity, infrastructure development and economic progress in the state such that even partisan manipulations in the state remained unnoticed. "We are here on solidarity visit to you and your government to let you know we are strongly and truly with you. We are here because we can see you have successfully united the people behind your administration. We can see you are serving the people well. "The people of Akwa Ibom have shown they are with you. That is why even with the shout of defection across the country, you retained well over 95 percent of the elected and appointed officials in the ruling party. My experience in politics shows that once your people are with you, you need to fear nobody. "With what I have seen and heard about your administration, your people know that you mean well. You have displayed capacity and demonstrated leadership. This Governor is definitely a dedicated, brilliant, focused and dynamic administrator", the Senate President stated. He told his audience which included key stake-holders in the State that he and his colleagues came to appreciate the development efforts going on in Akwa Ibom State and not to play politics. Commending the Governor, Saraki said "The way all the elders and key stakeholders are supporting you shows that you respect your elders and carry your people along. It also shows that you are delivering on your promises." The Senate President also advised the Governor not to allow politics of his re-election to distract him from continuing with his development projects, programmes and policies. Udoms reaction In his reaction, Udom said the stakeholders in the State gathered to receive the Senate President because they appreciated his role in the country today as the conscience of the nation's democracy. "Mr. Senate President, our view is that you are being tackled now because you are about to score a big goal. We, in Akwa Ibom, appreciate you and love the way you have been protecting the Nigerian Project. You have definitely fought a good fight. You have again and again proved that a lion cannot give birth to a goat. A Saraki can only give birth to a Saraki. "You have the support of our people, even though you said you are not here to play politics now. Let me assure you that people will form a wall of defence around you if you hold a flag of Nigeria in your hands across the country. Akwa Ibom is PDP and PDP is Akwa Ibom. What our people say here now is that 'there is no shaking'. Our principle is that if one man cooks for a whole village, there will be insufficiency but when the whole village cook for one man, the food will be plenty. "Our plan is not only to prepare our children for the future, but to also prepare the future for the children. In our history, we will remember that at times like this, you stood by us. Love begets love, friendship begets friendship. Thank you for coming back to your home and party. The other one was a mere alliance. Bye bye to an alliance", Udom stated. Mr Geoffrey Njoku, Communication Specialist, UNICEF made the assertion in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Saturday. The statement quoted the Nigeria Acting Representative of UNICEF, Mr Pernille Ironside as saying that the release by the Nigeria Army brings the number of children rescued and released this year to 207. For these children, the long journey towards reuniting with their families, reintegrating with their communities and fulfilling their dreams starts today. We must support these children to fulfill their hopes and aspirations. UNICEF will continue to work with military and the authorities to support the reintegration of all children released, until there are no more children in administrative custody. Ironside said that UNICEF will also work with the Borno State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and partners to provide the children with medical attention and psychosocial support. He said this support would begin the process of reuniting them with their families and reintegrating them into society. He added that since 2017, UNICEF had supported the social and economic reintegration of more than 8,700 children previously associated with non-state actors in North-east Nigeria. He said the organisation had also helped trace their families, returning them to their communities, and offering them psychosocial support, education, vocational training and informal apprenticeships, and opportunities to improve their livelihoods. Saraki in a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Mr Yusuph Olaniyonu, described the late Annan as a quintessential African diplomat on the global plane and a citizen of the world. He said the deceased deployed his vast capacities to tackle intractable global challenges ranging from hunger, conflict, epidemic and restoration of peace in war torn countries. Saraki noted that many developing nations benefitted immensely from the humanitarian efforts of late Annan as he was able to raise the concerns and challenges confronting forgotten peoples and nations in the Assembly of world powers. Annan was a quintessential African Diplomat, who bestrode the world stage with dignity, finesse, admirable restraint and wisdom. He was a diplomats diplomat. He dedicated his immense expertise, experience and energies to resolving some of the worlds most pressing problems and conflicts, including most recently, the Rohingya refugee crisis. He was a citizen of the world, an African avatar and Gods messenger of peace to the world. His demise is a huge loss to the international community and to humanity. Africa has indeed lost one of her best. He shall be sorely missed. The president of the senate commiserated with the wife and children of the deceased, the Government and people of Ghana. He also commiserated the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), African Union (AU), the United Nations, international humanitarian organisations and the diplomatic community over the irreparable loss. He prayed God to grant the soul of the deceased mercies and to count him among the righteous ones in His abode. Mr Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary General between 1996 and 2007, was a recipient of the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize. The charismatic, quiet-spoken career diplomat will be remembered as the United Nations' star secretary-general -- and arguably the world body's most popular leader. But, as peacekeeping chief, two of the UN's darkest chapters -- the Rwandan genocide and the Bosnian war -- happened on his watch. "I have sought to place human beings at the center of everything we do -- from conflict prevention, to development, to human rights," Annan said in his 2001 speech after accepting the Nobel Peace Prize. At the time, as the world was reeling from the September 11 attacks, Annan and the organization were jointly given the honor "for their work for a better organized and more peaceful world." Promoted from within Annan -- the seventh secretary-general -- devoted four decades of his working life to the United Nations and was the first chief to rise from within the organization's ranks. After heading up UN human resources and then its budget office, he was appointed peacekeeping chief in 1993, a post he held until he was catapulted to the top UN job four years later. In recent years, Annan had returned to the diplomatic stage to lead an advisory commission in Myanmar on the crisis in Rakhine state. He had encouraged the government to grant citizenship to the Muslim Rohingya. More than 700,000 Rohingya were driven out of Rakhine in an army campaign last year. He also set up a foundation devoted to conflict resolution and joined the Elders group of statesmen, which regularly speaks out on global issues. UN failures In his autobiography "Interventions: A Life in War and Peace," Annan wrote that he envisioned the United Nations as serving "not only states but also peoples" as "the forum where governments are held accountable for their behavior toward their own citizens." The UN's failures to live up to that promise in Rwanda and Bosnia would shape Annan's tenure as secretary-general, he wrote. The blue helmets pulled out of Rwanda in 1994 during the bloody chaos and a year later, the world body failed to protect its own "safe area" of Srebrenica when Bosnian Serb forces rounded up and killed thousands of Muslim men and boys. Those debacles "left me with what would become my greatest challenge as secretary-general: creating a new understanding of the legitimacy, and necessity, of intervention in the face of gross violations of human rights," Annan wrote. 'Diplomatic rock star' While Rwanda and Srebrenica cast a pall over his tenure as peacekeeping chief, Annan transitioned into his new role as UN chief with ease. He quickly became a familiar face on television, his name made newspaper headlines, and he was a sought-after guest at gala events and New York dinner parties. He was often described as a "diplomatic rock star." Annan owed his appointment to the United States, which had vetoed a second term for Egypt's Boutros Boutros-Ghali after relations went sour, but he often proved his independence from major powers. He annoyed the United States when he said the 2003 invasion of Iraq was "illegal" because it was not endorsed by the UN Security Council. Annan was later accused of corruption in the Iraq oil-for-food scandal, one of the most trying times of his tenure. Some commentators saw the 2005 investigation of Annan and his son as payback for his invasion comments. A commission on inquiry cleared Annan of any serious wrongdoing, but found ethical and management lapses linked to his son Kojo's ties with a Swiss firm that won lucrative contracts under the scheme. Annan later admitted that the scandal had sorely tested his mettle not only as secretary-general, but as a father. From Ghana to Geneva Born in Kumasi, the capital city of Ghana's Ashanti region, Annan was the son of an executive of a European trading company, the United Africa company, a subsidiary of the Anglo-Dutch multinational Unilever. In his autobiography, he describes coming of age along with the independence movement in Ghana, and experiencing a "complete change in culture and society." He attended a Methodist-founded boarding school at the age of 13 and went to university in Kumasi before receiving a scholarship to study in the United States. He studied economics at Macalester College in Minnesota and management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also attended the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. In 1965, Annan married Titi Alakija, a Nigerian woman from a well-to-do family. They had a daughter, Ama, and Kojo, but the couple separated in the late 1970s. He was married a second time in 1984 to Nane Lagergren, a Swedish lawyer at the United Nations and the niece of Raoul Wallenberg. They have a daughter, Nina. After ending his second term as UN chief, Annan went on to take high-profile mediation roles in Kenya and in Syria. He enjoyed some success in ending post-election turmoil in Kenya in 2007, but he resigned from a peace mission for Syria. They also called for an "inclusive political process to allow lasting peace in the region". President Bashar al-Assad has set his sights on retaking control of the northwestern province of Idlib -- the biggest area still in rebel hands after seven years of war. Last week, government helicopters dropped leaflets over towns in Idlib's east, urging people to surrender. Idlib, which sits between Syria's Mediterranean coast and the second city Aleppo, has been a landing point for thousands of civilians and rebel fighters and their families as part of deals struck with the regime following successive government victories. The United Nations has called for talks to avert "a civilian bloodbath" in the northern province, which borders Turkey. Merkel and Macron also called for a "coordinated European solution" to migrant arrivals in the Mediterranean after another NGO rescue ship was left adrift this week before eventually being allowed dock in Malta. After being turned away by Italy, the ship, which was carrying 141 people, was eventually given permission Tuesday to dock in Malta after five EU members -- France, Germany, Spain, Portugal and Luxembourg -- offered to take in the newcomers. The agreement was the fifth of its kind between Western European governments since June when the new populist government in Italy -- a main landing point for migrant boats bearing Africans across the water -- began turning away NGO rescue vessels. SPOe MEP Evelyn Regner said the invite sent a "shameful" image of Austria to its EU partners, branding it "a provocation of European proportions". The Greens called for Kneissl's resignation, pointing out that "Vladimir Putin is the EU's most aggressive enemy in matters of foreign policy". Kneissl, 53, who was nominated for the post by the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe), will marry businessman Wolfgang Meilinger in a ceremony in a wine-growing village near the southeastern city of Graz. Putin confirmed he would be attending the wedding before heading to talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel near Berlin on Saturday evening. Putin's attendance was originally described as a "private event" by Kneissl's office but has since been upgraded to a "working visit". Several hundred police officers will take part in the security operation around the wedding. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz of the centre-right People's Party (OeVP) and FPOe Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache are also expected at the ceremony. In 2016, the FPOe signed a "cooperation pact" with Putin's United Russia party. The invitation to Putin has angered Kiev, which said it would prevent Austria playing a role in the Minsk agreements aimed at ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine. The foreign ministry has insisted that Putin's visit "will not change anything in terms of Austria's foreign policy positions". The invitation has even provoked some criticism from within Kurz's own OeVP party, with one of its MEPs Othmar Karas saying: "I can't grasp the logic and the purpose of making such a personal occasion political and open to misuse in this way". Russia has been accused of seeking to weaken and divide the EU, notably by maintaining links with populist parties in several European countries. "We ordered the dismantling of this camp because of possible exploitation of children and the reaction it provoked among the public," Nebojsa Stefanovic said. Since early August around four dozen boys and girls between the ages of 14 and 23 had been attending the "Patriotic Youth Camp" on Zlatibor, a mountain 200 kilometres (125 miles) south of Belgrade. The camp, which organisers say focuses on survival skills, was run by veterans groups from Serbia and Russia. Last April, some 30 children from Serbia travelled to Russia for similar training. Local reports about this year's camp on Serbian soil drew criticism from rights groups and opposition parties, who slammed the training as indoctrination. Zeljko Vukelic, a Serbian veteran of the conflicts in former Yugoslavia and one of the camp's organisers, criticised the sudden closure. "The camp was organised like others that have existed for years in Russia and tend to reinforce patriotic feelings" among children, he told the press. He insisted a similar training would be organised in Serbia next year because "patriotism has no price". Russia and Serbia are key allies. He struck a pro-European note when addressing MPs during Friday's session, saying he was committed to seeing Slovenia "remain a part of the so-called core states" of the EU. Sarec's LMS party came second in the June 3 election, but he plans to form a government with four other centre-left parties, which will be supported by the far-left Levica party in parliament. The biggest single winner in the election was the anti-migrant centre-right Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), headed by Janez Jansa. It won the most seats, 25, but failed to gather enough allies to form a ruling majority. Sarec told MPs: "I am aware of my faults and mistakes but I have courage and persistence". The following are some land challenges that Kenya's second in command has encountered as his business empire grows. DP Ruto ordered to return 100 acres of land On 27 June 2013, the High Court in Nairobi ordered DP Ruto to return a 100 acre piece of land he had acquired irregularly to its rightful owner- an internally Displaced peasant farmer Gilbert Adrian Muteshi. Ruto was also ordered to pay the farmer Sh 5 million. On 15 August 2013, the media reported that DP Ruto had complied with the court orders and returned the land in a low-key event away from the glare of the public and the media. Weston Hotel land on public land-KCAA Amidst mounting public pressure calling for the demolition of Weston Hotel which reportedly sits public land, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority Director Gilbert Kibe has clarified that the land on which DP Rutos Weston Hotel sits belongs to the authority. With the matter still in court, it is not clear how DP Rutos luxurious Weston Hotel acquired the land. The public is keenly watching to see if the hotel will be brought down in the on-going demolition targeting buildings standing on riparian land and irregularly acquired public land. Nation reporters roughed up filming construction of Shanzu beach linked to Weston Hotel On Thursday, Nation Media Group journalists were roughed up and arrested while filming the construction of a beach-front hotel that has encroached into the Indian Ocean. As the media delved into the issue, it emerged that the Weston hotel owned by DP Ruto was behind the construction of the beachfront property that had reportedly encroached into the ocean. Langata road primary school land and tear-gassing of pupils On January 2016, Langata Road Primary School play-ground was hived off and a perimeter wall erected round it. The public reacted with outrage after it emerged that the play-ground would be used to construct a parking lot for Weston Hotel- a hotel that DP William Ruto admitted that he owns on a live media interview. 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! RED VS. GANGONE NO ROPES, ARIES DEFENDS IMPACT TITLE, CALLIHAN VS. LOW KI, SURPRISE APPEARANCE OF WWE HALL OF FAMER: HOUSE OF GLORY 'HIGH INTENSITY 7' COVERAGE Welcome to PWInsider.coms live, ongoing coverage of House of Glory High Intensity 7 at Club Amazura in Jamaica, Queens! Note: Due to upgrades in their production, I am set up in a different area, as the stage I usually sit on is being used for ring entrances this time out, so the sightline isnt the best. So, this may not be as detailed as my usual live play by plays are. I apologize in advance. Evander James vs. Matt Travis vs. Mantequilla to determine top contender for HOG Crown Jewel Champion Real hot opener. They started off hot with some big dives early. Mantequilla went for a dive off the top but James caught him in mid-air with a suplex attempt. James sent him like a lawn dart into Travis in the corner. They whipped out a Tower of Doom spot. James finally scored the pin on Mantequilla. Strong bout with the crowd into everything. Everyone worked really hard and I really enjoyed this. Brian XL came to the ring. He said they started seven years ago with 20 fans and tonight, they are running Summerslam weekend with a sellout crowd. He said he believes one day HOG will the biggest wrestling company in the world, thanked everyone for coming out and asked them to enjoy the show. HOG Women's Champion Violette & Shee vs. Sonya Strong & Jessicka Havok Shee and Strong opened the bout. They went back and forth. Strong was cut off and worked over by Violette and Shee, who tagged in and out. Havok made the hot tag and faced off with Shee. They did some big spots where they were so powerful, they couldnt take down the other. Havok and Strong finally scored the win. Violette cut a promo saying Strong once again sabotaged her and issued her an open challenge to face her right now. She said she didnt need Shee, so the referee tossed her out of the building. They announced it would be for the HOG Womens title. Strong nailed a roundhouse kick and scored the pin to win the title. That was a nice surprise and the crowd loved everything as they really behind Strong. Violette's promo was real good, easily the best one I've seen her cut. Shee has improved since I last saw her as well. They announced 9/15 and 10/10 return dates at Amazura. HOG Tag Team Champions LAX vs. Hollywood's Top Models vs. The Masons vs. Private Party Completely entertaining from bell to bell. Private Party have a great athletic look and their charisma comes out more and more every time I see them. LAX were like homecoming heroes. At one point, the two teams had a dance-off and the place became completely unglued. The Models had some nice team moves as well. This was all action with some dives. Everyone worked really, really hard. Lots of near falls. Party hit stereo dives. The Masons doubleteamed Ortiz and nearly had the pin but one of Private Party broke it up. LAX finally scored the pin. This came dangerously close to going too long, but it was all big spots and fun action. Coverage continues on Page 2! If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here! What is Flash Memory Technology? Flash memory was first introduced in the 1980s and since then it has been used in many applications and products: USB memory sticks, Compact Flash cards, SD memory cards, computer non-volatile memory, solid state hard drives and more. Flash Memory Tutorial Includes: What is Flash memory technology How Flash memory works Flash lifetime & reliability Memory card buying guide Return to: Memory types & technologies Flash memory technology is used for many forms of electronic data storage. Its convenience of use has meant that in recent years its use has increased significantly and it is available in many formats. Flash memory is a non-volatile form of electronic data storage and as a result it is used in many areas where short and medium term data storage is needed. Flash memory technology is visible in many forms: everything from the familiar Flash USB memory sticks and camera memory cards like compact Flash cards or CF cards and SD memory cards, right through to applications as computer solid state hard drives where it is replacing the older disc technologies which are slower, less reliable and more fragile. With its widespread usage, Flash has become one of the more widely used forms of semiconductor memory, and with its use extending from the widely seen memory sticks and camera memory cards etc, into items like solid state hard drives for computers, the technology is being seen even more. USB memory stick uses Flash technology What Is Flash memory? Flash memory storage is a form of non-volatile memory that was born out of a combination of the traditional EPROM and E2PROM. These two forms of memory are only seen occasionally these days and other forms of memory, including Flash have taken over. In essence Flash memory uses the same method of programming as the standard EPROM and the erasure method of the E2PROM. One of the main advantages that flash memory has when compared to EPROM is its ability to be erased electrically. However it is not possible to erase each cell in a flash memory individually unless a large amount of additional circuitry is added into the chip. This would add significantly to the cost and accordingly most manufacturers dropped this approach in favour of a system whereby the whole chip, or a large part of it is block or flash erased - hence the name. Today most flash memory chips have selective erasure, allowing parts or sectors of the flash memory to be erased. However any erasure still means that a significant section of the chip has to be erased. Flash memory used in laptop computer as solid state hard drive Flash memory development history Flash memory dates back to around 1980 when the concept was developed at Toshiba by Dr. Fujio Masuoka. It was then later presented at the 1984 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting, IEDM held in San Francisco, California. The basic laboratory concept took a few years to develop into a product that could be launched commercially. Intel introduced the first commercial chips onto the market in 1988 - these were NOR based types. The NOR flash memories had relatively long erase and write times. Toshiba again developed their technology further and were able to announce NAND technology at the 1987 IEDM. This technology, though, still needed further development to take it through to commercial launch. The advantage of NAND flash was that it had reduced erase and write times and it had a greater storage density. Flash memory has developed significantly in recent years and is widely used in many applications being found as USB memory sticks, compact Flash cards, SD memory cards and even as Flash hard drives, also called solid state drives in some computers. How Flash memory works The technology used to manufacture flash memories is based on EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory) chips, which consist of memory banks formed of storing cells disposed in a grid of columns and rows. The basic Flash memory cell consists of a channel about 1m long with the source and drain electrodes either end. Above the channel in the Flash memory cell there is a floating gate which is separated from the channel by an exceedingly thin oxide layer which is typically only 100 A thick. It is the quality of this layer which is crucial to the reliable operation of the memory. It is the charge storage on the floating gate which is key to the operation of the Flash memory cell. Read more about . . . . how Flash memory works. Flash memory reliability and life When Flash memory was first introduced it had a relatively short lifetime. The repeated use of the cells caused the memory to degrade. As such Flash memory was only used for a restricted number of read / write cycles. Nowadays Flash memory technology has been significantly improved and reliability is not the issue that it was. Nevertheless Flash memories to incorporate a scheme of what is termed wear levelling to reduce the impact on cells or areas of the memory that may be subject to high use. The wear levelling monitors the usage of different areas of the overall memory and seeks to use all areas equally, thereby levelling the usage. Read more about . . . . Flash memory life and reliability. Flash memory advantages & disadvantages As with any technology there are various advantages and disadvantages. It is necessary to consider all of these when determining the optimum type of memory to be used. Flash Memory Advantages Non-volatile memory Easily portable (e.g. USB memory sticks, camera flash cards, etc) Mechanically robust Flash Memory Disadvantages Higher cost per bit than hard drives Slower than other forms of memory Limited number of write / erase cycles Data must be erased before new data can be written Data typically erased and written in blocks Obviously when considering the use of Flash memory in any particular application, it is necessary to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages. Typical SD Flash Memory Card Flash memory types There are two basic types of Flash memory. Although they use the same basic technology, the way they are addressed for reading and writing is slightly different. They two flash memory types are: NAND Flash memory: NAND Flash memories have a different structure to NOR memories. This type of flash memory is accessed much like block devices such as hard disks. When NAND Flash memories are to be read, the contents must first be paged into memory-mapped RAM. This makes the presence of a memory management unit essential. NAND Flash memories have a different structure to NOR memories. This type of flash memory is accessed much like block devices such as hard disks. When NAND Flash memories are to be read, the contents must first be paged into memory-mapped RAM. This makes the presence of a memory management unit essential. NOR Flash memory: NOR Flash memory is able to read individual flash memory cells, and as such it behaves like a traditional ROM in this mode. For the erase and write functions, commands are written to the first page of the mapped memory, as defined in "common flash interface" created by Intel. NAND / NOR tradeoff: NAND Flash memories and NOR Flash memories can be used for different applications. However some systems will use a combination of both types of Flash memory. The NOR memory type is used as ROM and the NAND memory is partitioned with a file system and used as a random access storage area. Flash memory is a particularly important form of semiconductor memory. It is now widely used and is possibly one of the most important forms of medium term storage. As mentioned Flash memory can be seen in a variety of forms and uses ranging from Flash memory USB memory sticks to Compact Flash cards used for cameras, SD cards in cameras micro SD cards in phones. In addition to this many other items of electronics can be seen using Flash memory. It is also making significant inroads into the computer hard drive market where solid state hard drives are now widely used. In view of all is applications, Flash memory technology is one of the key forms of semiconductor memory technology in use today. More Electronic Components: Resistors Capacitors Inductors Quartz crystals Diodes Transistor Phototransistor FET Memory types Thyristor Connectors RF connectors Valves / Tubes Batteries Switches Relays Return to Components menu . . . With 80 days to go before the midterm elections, the conventional wisdom is that the Republicans will be hard-pressed to hold their majority in the House. The generic ballot is against them, Donald Trumps job approval rating isnt where Republicans would like it to be, and midterms are historically difficult for the incumbent presidents party anyway. However, all the wind is not in Republicans faces. There are countervailing trends at work, too, including these eight: Critics of the president may still be underestimating the strength of the Trump movement, as they did in 2016. Trump rallies are still standing room only, with lines out the door. The GOP is fully behind the president, whose his approval rating is about 85 percent among his base. Most of the candidates hes endorsed in primaries have won. Moreover, his support has boosted voter turnout. Trump is a stronger candidate than he was in 2016. One of the most important predictors of a midterm election is a presidents popularity. On Election Day in 2016, Trumps approval to disapproval differential was 21 points and today it is nine points according to the RCP polling average. In other words, despite the pummeling he takes in the press, Donald Trump is more popular today than he was on Election Day 2016. With a shove from progressives with 2020 presidential ambitions, most notably Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, the Democratic Party has veered left in the 2018 season primary season. Universal health care, free college tuition, and a guaranteed basic income may play well in some Democratic primaries. But theres little evidence that this is what independent voters are looking for, and independents are the key voting bloc in competitive races in swing districts. Wave elections dont usually correspond to a humming economy and low unemployment rates. Democrats are saying on the campaign trail that the economic recovery began under the Obama administration. Republicans counter that the government action that solidified the recovery were the GOP-enacted tax cuts opposed by every Democrat in Congress. The upshot is that, historically, voters have been reluctant to punish the party in power when the economy is this strong. President Trump has expanded the Republican voter base. He appears to have brought millions of rural white voters previously disillusioned with the GOP back into the fold. But thats not all. In 2016, exit polls showed he received 8 percent of the African-American vote. Today, his job approval rating among African-Americans is above 20 percent. Trumps Hispanic approval rating is growing as well. Low unemployment, rising wages and better job opportunities do make a difference with working-class voters of all stripes. The Republican Partys grassroots network is underrated. Under President Obama, the Democrats lost more than 1,000 seats at the federal, state, and local levels. Almost all of these elected officials are now out campaigning for the Republican ticket. The Republican National Committee has raised $100 million more than the DNC. The RNC is making substantial disbursements to key state party committees, which send out mail, make television commercials and help local candidates. The media focuses on the Democratic Partys success in special elections as evidence of the energized base. However, there have been 10 special elections where Republicans were defending a House or Senate seat and the Republicans won eight of them. The exceptions have been Rep. Conor Lamb in Pennsylvania and Sen. Doug Jones in Alabama. Special elections are not a strong indicator for a general election because they are open seats held at unusual times with heavy party involvement. The cultural chasm remains between the national Democratic Party leaders and the key part of their coalition once known as Reagan Democrats. If anything, its growing. These voters, now known as Trump Democrats, helped vault Trump to victory in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin and Michigan. Slightly left of center on economic issues, these voters are blue-collar, rural, patriotic, and law-and-order-oriented. For the most part, they are energized by moderate Democrats such as Lamb and New Jersey state Sen. Jeff Van Drew, but they are harder to find this election cycle. However, when New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is filled with such anti-Trump bile that he says America was never that great to begin with, well, it doesnt make many Trump supporters regret their vote. Romania sang the ballad of the Black Sea's strategic importance long before Crimea's 2014 annexation by Russia. In its efforts to join NATO (in 2004) and the European Union (in 2007), Bucharest sold itself as a key geostrategic player based on its seafront property, and a loyal ally. Bucharest offered the West territorial access to a region both vital in connecting Eurasia to the Mediterranean and Middle East and rich in energy resources. By establishing a Western foothold in the Black Sea basin, Romania sought to resolve its own security shortfalls. 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 By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 08/17/2018 ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. star Anfisa Arkhipchenko has sparked pregnancy rumors.Anfisa and her husband Jorge Nava have been vacationing in Punta Cana, and Anfisa got people talking when she posted a photo of herself wearing a flowing white dress with her arms wrapped around her stomach.Anfisa captioning the image with both an angel emoji and a baby emoji.Because of the baby emoji, fans immediately began asking whether she's expecting her first child with Jorge."Are you pregnant? That's why the baby emoji?" one person asked, before more of her followers asked questions about her alleged pregnancy or criticized her for not being ready to be a mother.Such speculation is a little hard to believe, however, considering Anfisa has been showing off her washboard abs in numerous other photos from the trip. It also appears she has dropped a lot of weight recently.Fans will be able to hear more about Anfisa's trip to Mexico when she posts a video log about her adventure with Jorge.Jorge and Anfisa appeared on Season 4 of before starring on Season 3 of the franchise's : Happily Ever After? spinoff.Anfisa and Jorge began their relationship on Facebook when he contacted her in Moscow, Russia, while he was living in Riverside, CA.She was hesitant to respond to Jorge's messages at first, but then she agreed to meet with him and he took her on an expensive European vacation.Anfisa eventually decided to travel to the United States to be with Jorge, but the couple ran into problems given he had pleaded guilty to marijuana trafficking. Jorge's friends and family were also concerned Anfisa was in the relationship just for money.Regardless, the pair still got married in Summer 2016. Despite having a few blowout arguments and even a separation period, they are still together and appear to be supportive of one another.A different spinoff of called : Before the 90 Days currently airs on Sunday nights at 8PM ET/PT on TLC. Athens, GA (30605) Today A shower is possible early. Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Low near 50F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A shower is possible early. Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Low near 50F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. 3 1 of 3 Contributed photo / Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Contributed photo / Show More Show Less 3 of 3 TORRINGTON The Northwest Connecticut Learning Center held an end of summer party for a group of about 20 students and their families, celebrating the end of a successful summer session. June Zeiner, program volunteer director, hosted the party in the learning centers second floor suite, located in the Glass Building on East Main Street. Students enrolled in the Learning Center began their summer program on July 10 and ended Thursday in a celebration of the students accomplishments. Tutors presented certificates to each of their students. The Northwest Learning Center features a one-on-one learning experience for enrolled students. A Russian woman who has been charged in Washington with acting as an unregistered agent for the Russian government has launched an online fundraising campaign to pay for her legal defense. Maria Butina, 29, opened a website to raise money for her case after being arrested last month, her lawyer and media reported on August 17. Before her arrest, the gun rights advocate had built up a network of prominent Republican contacts in Washington, including at the powerful National Rifle Association (NRA), while working toward a master's degree in political science at American University. "I'm Maria and I need your help," the website of Butina's new fundraising foundation says, with pictures of the smiling redhead at different sites around the United States. A native of Siberia, the website says "she championed peace and positive relations between her homeland and the United States" while she studied and hosted "insider" dinners on Russian themes. "But after graduating with honors, she was arrested by the U.S. government for crimes she did not commit," it says. The website did not indicate how much money she has raised so far. While Butina is charged with spying on the United States, her lawyer, Robert Driscoll, has insisted that "this is not a spy case." He told TASS, the Russian news agency, that she expects to attract donations from Russia, the United States, and elsewhere around the world. "We will be very grateful for donations from friends and supporters. Information about sponsors will be strictly confidential," the website says in both English and Russian. In court filings, the Justice Department called Butina a "covert Russian agent" who maintained contacts with Russian spies and pursued a mission "to penetrate the U.S. national decision-making apparatus to advance the agenda of the Russian Federation." She built contacts through the NRA in part by setting up her own gun rights group in Russia, where private firearms are strictly controlled. Her enthusiasm for gun rights enabled her to meet and mingle with senior U.S. Republican lawmakers and operatives who have championed gun rights in the United States, many of whom she met through her boyfriend, a Republican operative, court documents say. The documents say that while living with the unnamed operative, she offered sex to someone else to get a job at a U.S. lobbying group. On July 18, Butina pleaded not guilty to two criminal charges of conspiring to act as a foreign agent without registering and acting as a foreign agent. The first charge brings a maximum five years in prison, while the second carries a maximum 10 years. Her lawyer told the Russian newspaper Izvestia on August 16 that after appearing as a witness on Capitol Hill, Butina provided the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee documents related to her relationship with Russian Central Bank Deputy Chairman Aleksandr Torshin, with whom Butina once worked, and the NRA. Torshin is believed to be the person described in court papers as Butina's contact, handler, and financier in Russia. Butina's next court appearance will be on September 10, Driscoll said. Meanwhile, Interfax reported on August 17 that the Russian Embassy in Washington plans to lodge a complaint with the U.S. State Department claiming that Butina has been subject to "psychological pressure" and "humiliating treatment" at the Washington jail where she is being held. The embassy said Butina has not been allowed outdoor walks and guards have been conducting inspections of her jail cell every 15 minutes at nighttime -- a procedure used for inmates who are considered likely to commit suicide -- even though Butina is not considered a suicide risk. Butina also has been subject to strip searches that require her to fully undress after every meeting with her lawyers, embassy representatives, or other acquaintances, Interfax quoted the embassy as saying. The embassy also claimed Butina has not received medical attention she needs and has been barred from receiving letters in Russian because U.S. authorities said they might contain "coded messages." With reporting by AFP, Interfax, Izvestia, and TASS Taliban leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada has repeated his call for direct talks with the United States to end what he said was the foreign "occupation" of Afghanistan. In a statement on August 18, Akhundzada said the militant group wanted "sincere, transparent, and result-oriented negotiations" with Washington. He also said any peace settlement negotiated between the two sides must "preserve our Islamic goals, sovereignty of our homeland, and ensure an end to the war." Akhundzada, believed to be living in hiding in neighboring Pakistan, has previously said the militants would not negotiate with the Afghan government, which he labelled a "corrupt regime" and a puppet. His statement came ahead of Eid al-Adha, an Islamic holiday that runs from August 21-25. The government is expected to announce a temporary truce with the militants coinciding with the three-day holiday. Akhundzada made no mention of the cease-fire in his statement. The Kabul government and the Taliban declared a three-day cease-fire in June coinciding with the Eid al-Fitr holiday that ends the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The brief cessation of hostilities was the first ever between Kabul and the Taliban, and although fighting has resumed, the respite increased optimism that the sides could reach some final peace deal. A Taliban official told RFE/RL that Taliban representatives met with U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Alice Wells in Qatar on July 23. The official said the meeting was "very preliminary and the aim was to prepare for future contacts." The meeting came amid growing momentum in Washington and Kabul to find a way to end the war. The Kabul government has struggled to fend off a resurgent Taliban, as well as Islamic State (IS) and Al-Qaeda militants, nearly two decades after a U.S.-led coalition drove the Taliban from power in Afghanistan in 2001. With reporting by AP Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has appointed a new prime minister and carried out a significant reshuffling of the government. In a decree published on the presidential website on August 18, Lukashenka tapped Syarhey Rumas, head of the state-owned Development Bank, as prime minister to replace Andrey Kabyakou, who has served as head of the government since 2014. Lukashenka also named Alyaksandr Turchin, the cabinet's chief of staff, as first deputy prime minister. Ihar Petrishenka, ambassador to Russia, was named deputy prime minister in charge of social affairs. Lukashenka also replaced several ministers. Lukashenka hinted that he would reshuffle the government on August 14 after a visit to the eastern part of the country during which he complained that his instructions were not being carried out. "These matters have been on the agenda for some time, at least for me as the president," Lukashenka was quoted in his decree as saying. "And they became particularly urgent after the events in eastern Belarus. At that time, I made the decision to renew the government, especially its leadership." Lukashenka, an authoritarian who has ruled Belarus since 1994, said he made his decisions in consultation with "civil society." With reporting by RIA Novosti and Interfax Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has died at the age of 80 of an unspecified illness. Annan died in the early hours of August 18 in a hospital in Bern, Switzerland. "It is with immense sadness that the Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation announce that Kofi Annanpassed away peacefullyafter a short illness," the foundation said in a statement. Current UN head Antonio Guterres called Annan "a guiding force for good." "In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations," he added. The president of Annan's native Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, called Annan "one of our greatest compatriots" and ordered flags lowered to half-mast for one week. World leaders paid tribute to Annan, who became the UN's first black African secretary-general in 1997 and served two terms until 2006. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Annan "inspired me and many others with his ideas, his firm convictions and, not least, his charisma." French President Emmanuel Macron said that "we will never forget his calm and resolute look, nor his strength in battles," while British Prime Minister Theresa May said Annan "made a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into." Russian President Vladimir Putin said he "sincerely admired his wisdom and courage as well as his ability to make balanced decisions even under the most dire and critical circumstances." Former U.S. President Barack Obama said Annan "embodied the mission of the United Nations like few others." U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the former UN chief "spent his life advocating for peace and human dignity during his long career at the United Nations." "Even after leaving his post as secretary-general, he embodied the mission of the United Nations, by sowing the seeds of peace as Chair of The Elders, an independent group of global leaders committed to advancing the cause of peace and promoting human rights around the world," Pompeo added. Annan spent virtually his entire career at the United Nations. As head of UN peacekeeping operations in the 1990s, Annan was harshly criticized for the UN's failure to stop the Rwandan genocide in 1994 and to prevent the massacre of more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica in 1995. He became the organization's first black African secretary-general in 1997 and served two terms until 2006. Although the UN experienced turbulence and scandals during Annan's tenure, his personal style and charisma were seen as key factors enabling the body to weather them. Annan and the United Nations were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001 "for their work for a better organized and more peaceful world." It was widely accepted that Annan left the UN a stronger organization with a clearer agenda for peacekeeping, promoting human rights and development, and combating poverty. Guterres noted on August 18 that Annan led "the organization into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination." In an interview in 2013, Annan said his "darkest moment" was his inability to stop the U.S.-led war against Iraq in 2003. "I worked very hard," he said. "I was working the phone, talking to leaders around the world. The U.S. did not have the support in the Security Council. So they decided to go without the council. But I think the council was right in not sanctioning the war." With reporting by AP, Reuters, and dpa Irans defense minister says the country will continue to focus efforts on developing missile capabilities and will next week unveil a new fighter jet amid U.S. efforts to curb Tehrans weapons programs and regional influence. "Our top priority has been development of our missile program, Brigadier General Amir Hatami was on August 18 quoted by the semiofficial Fars news agency as saying. "We are in a good position in this field, but we need to develop it," he added. Hatami said the new jet will be presented to the public as part of efforts to celebrate National Defense Industry Day on August 22 and that "people will see it fly." Irans air force has struggled to build capabilities because of international sanctions and embargoes against the country. It has been forced to rely on aging U.S. strike aircraft acquired before relations broke with the 1979 Iranian revolution. It also has several Russian jets in its inventory. Because of the restrictions, Tehran has worked to develop a domestic arms industry, and in 2013, it unveiled the Qaher 313, a domestically built fighter jet. But some experts at the time expressed doubts about its viability. Meanwhile, the countrys navy also announced on August 18 that it has mounted a domestically developed advanced-defensive weapons system onto a warship for the first time. The semiofficial Tasnim news agency quoted Navy Commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi as saying that "coastal and sea testing of the short-range defense Kamand system was concluded successfully, and said this system was mounted...on a warship and will be mounted on a second ship soon." The announcement comes as the U.S. military has said it has seen increased Iranian naval activity, including in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic artery for oil shipments. In a move apparently designed to send a message to Washington, Iran on August 2 launched major naval exercises in the Persian Gulf involving more than 100 vessels, U.S. officials told Reuters. The timing of the drills is unusual, as Iran's navy usually conducts annual exercises later in the autumn, officials said. Tensions between Washington and Tehran have escalated since U.S. President Donald Trump announced in May that he was pulling out of Iran's nuclear deal with world powers and reimposing sanctions on Tehran, the first batch of which took effect on August 7. The United States maintains that Tehran's actions, including the testing of ballistic missiles, violate the spirit of the 2015 nuclear agreement. The administration also accuses Iran of arming Yemen's Shi'ite Huthi rebels in their war against the country's Saudi-backed government -- a charge Tehran denies. With reporting by Fars and Reuters The judge presiding over the trial of U.S. President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort says he has received threats that have made him fear for the "peace and safety" of the jurors deciding Manafort's fate. U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III revealed his concerns on August 17 when explaining why he doesn't intend to make jurors' names public, as U.S. courts usually do at the end of a trial. "To do so would create a risk of harm to them," the judge said. "It's important to keep their names confidential." "I've received criticism and threats," he said, without elaborating. "I imagine they would, too." Ellis said he is currently under the protection of U.S. marshals because of the threats. "I had no idea this case would excite these emotions," he said. The 12 jurors ended their second day of deliberations on August 17 without reaching a verdict. They will return to deliberations on August 20. Manafort's financial fraud trial is the first to emerge from U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into ties between Russia and Trump's 2016 election campaign. The case does not involve any work Manafort did during his five-month stint as Trump's campaign chairman, but it centers on charges that Manafort hid income he earned from political consulting work for a former pro-Russia president of Ukraine from 2010 to 2014 to escape paying U.S. taxes on that income. On August 17, Trump criticized Mueller's prosecution of Manafort. "He worked for me for a very short period of time," Trump told reporters at the White House. "But you know what, he happens to be a very good person and I think it's very sad what they've done to Paul Manafort." Manafort is accused of hiding from U.S. tax authorities an estimated $16 million out of $60 million that he earned advising former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych's political party until 2014, when Yanukovych was ousted by street protests and fled into exile in Russia. After Manafort's income from Ukraine dried up, prosecutors charge, he lied to get loans from banks. In all, he faces 18 felony counts of tax evasion and bank fraud. If convicted on all counts, he could face up to 10 years in prison. To decide the case, jurors must sort through the complexities of U.S. tax and banking laws. One charge, for example, is that Manafort hid some of the money he earned from Ukraine in foreign accounts in Cyprus, which he used to pay for $6 million in U.S. real estate purchases as well as other luxuries to support his lavish lifestyle -- in an elaborate scheme to avoid paying U.S. taxes. Manafort's defense says he isn't guilty because he left the detail of his finances to others, including his longtime deputy, Rick Gates, who was the government's star witness. Manafort worked on the presidential campaigns of three Republican presidents in the 1970s and 1980s -- Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush -- as well as Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole in the 1990s. He was Trump's campaign chairman from May to August 2016. Manafort was forced to step down from the Trump campaign when questions emerged about his work for Yanukovych. With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters A Kremlin spokesman says talks between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin ended after three hours, calling the conversation "very serious and detailed." The remarks to journalists early on August 19 by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, reported by the Russian state-run TASS news agency, were the first comments after the meeting of the two leaders at Meseberg Castle outside of Berlin. Officials have said the leaders will not hold a news conference following their talks. Before the meeting on August 18, Merkel said she would discuss the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria, as well as Iran and the Nord Stream 2 gas-pipeline project with Putin. Addressing reporters outside Meseberg Castle before their talks, Merkel said she would also raise human rights issues and bilateral relations. "I am of the opinion that controversial issues can only be addressed in dialogue and through dialogue," she said before leaving for talks with the Russian leader. The two leaders took no questions. On the planned Nord Stream 2 pipeline to carry Russian gas under the Baltic Sea to Germany, Merkel said "Ukraine must continue to play a role in the transit of gas to Europe once Nord Stream 2 is in place." She welcomed the start of discussions between the European Union, Ukraine, and Russia on the issue. Putin told reporters that such a move had to make sense for Moscow from a business perspective. "I would like to stress that the main thing is that the Ukrainian transit -- which is traditional for us -- meets economic demands," he said. "Nord Stream 2 is exclusively an economic project." The United States is against the pipeline and claims it will increase Germany's dependence on Russia for energy. Ukraine fears the pipeline will allow Russia to cut it off from the gas transit business. Germany's eastern European neighbors, nervous of Russian encroachment, have also raised concerns about the project. But Merkel has maintained that the Nord Stream project is an economic, not political matter for Germany. She is also under pressure from German businesses to maintain ties with Russia on that and other important economic projects. Putin also called on Europe to intensify humanitarian aid to Syria, where Moscow has backed President Bashar al-Assad's war against opposition rebels and militant groups. The Russian leader also said he would discuss with Merkel the 2015 nuclear deal between world powers and Iran, which he labelled an important agreement. U.S. President Donald Trump exited the deal in May. Putin arrived in Berlin after attending the wedding of Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl on August 18. Opposition politicians have accused Kneissl of undermining EU foreign policy by inviting Putin. Merkel Dampens Expectations Merkel warned on August 17 against expecting too much from her discussions with Putin. "We want good relations with Russia," she told reporters in Berlin. "It's a work meeting from which no specific results are expected, but the number of problems we are preoccupied with -- from Ukraine and Syria to the issue of economic cooperation -- is so big that it is justified to be in a permanent dialogue." "Russia has huge influence on all these issues, and if we want peaceful solutions, we have to try to achieve them through discussions over and over again," she said. "There will be controversies, and there will be issues where together we will see where we can enhance and improve bilateral and international cooperation," she added. The two leaders last met in Sochi in May and struggled to overcome differences. Russia and the West remain locked in dispute over Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and the conflict between Kyiv and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. On Syria, Germany wants Putin to finalize a lasting cease-fire there in agreement with the United States. Merkel said a four-way meeting on Syria involving Germany, Russia, Turkey, and France is possible. While Merkel was cautious about the likelihood of making progress on longstanding disputes, others in her new governing coalition seemed more hopeful. "We can be cautiously optimistic," Juergen Hardt, foreign policy spokesman for Merkel's conservative bloc, told the Stuttgarter Zeitung and Stuttgarter Nachrichten newspapers in an interview published on August 18. "The Russian president has maneuvered himself into a dead end on Syria and eastern Ukraine, and needs international partners. For that he has to move," he said. Achim Post, a senior member of the Social Democrats, junior partners in the coalition government, said that he expects both Merkel and Putin to look for pragmatic solutions based on common interests. "In a world that is increasingly uncertain, we must speak particularly with difficult partners like Russia," he said. With reporting by Reuters and TASS Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) says an alleged confession of spying by Ukrainian blogger and RFE/RL contributor Stanislav Aseyev that aired on Russian TV was highly questionable and demanded his immediate release from detention by Moscow-backed separatists. "We question the circumstances of this purported confession, RFE/RL spokeswoman Joanna Levison said on August 17. We have no idea when it was made, or under what conditions or duress. We continue to demand that Stanislav Aseyev be released from detention immediately," she added. The report and confession aired on Russian state TV channel Rossiya 24 on August 17. Aseyev, who has reported for various Ukrainian media outlets, also contributes to RFE/RL's Ukraine Service and writes under the name Stanislav Vasin. He disappeared in Donetsk on June 2, 2017, and weeks later, Amnesty International said it had received information from sources in the Donetsk region that Aseyev was being held by the self-styled security organs of the Russia-backed separatists. A friend of Aseyev's and a former lawmaker, Yehor Firsov, in July said the prisoner had declared a hunger strike and was being "kept in a damp room, sick, but does not receive the necessary medications" while under separatist custody. Firsov said the separatists had accused Aseyev of spying for the Ukrainian government and threatened him with up to 14 years in prison. RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service has been unable to contact him since his disappearance and his current condition is unknown. The bipartisan U.S. Congressional Press Freedom Caucus on August 8 called for Aseyev's immediate release, describing him as "one of the few independent journalists to remain in the region under separatist control to provide objective reporting." "He has been denied visitation and there have been reports that he may be charged with spying -- an accusation international observers say is politically motivated because of his reporting." The statement also noted that Aseyev had reportedly gone on hunger strike and that his "situation is becoming dire." U.S. Republican Senator Marco Rubio on July 20 also called for Aseyevs release. Human rights groups have expressed concerns over Aseyev's whereabouts and said the separatists must release him immediately if they are holding him. More than 10,300 people have been killed since April 2014 in the conflict between Ukrainian forces and the Russia-backed separatists in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. BUCHAREST -- Romania's left-wing prime minister has defended the use of force by police to break up antigovernment protests in Bucharest a week ago, in an incident that left more than 450 people injured and drew criticism from the European Union. Romanian media on August 17 reported that Prime Minister Viorica Dancila sent a letter to EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker claiming that center-right President Klaus Iohannis and other politicians had attempted to "violently remove a legitimate government." She asserted that the authorities acted legally in their efforts to defend government offices from protesters who tried to break through police lines. "I consider that these attempts to overthrow a legitimate government with violence could represent a dangerous precedent for democratic states," Dancila was reported as saying in the letter, written in Romanian. A commission spokesman confirmed that the letter had been received, saying a response would be issued "in due course." In the August 10 protests, some 450 protesters required medical assistance after riot police used water cannon and tear gas against an estimated 100,000 mostly peaceful protesters in a display of violence unseen in Romania since the early 1990s. Many of the demonstrators were expats who came home to protest against corruption, poverty, and what they see as the Social Democratic Party's (PSD) repeated attacks against the judiciary. The violence against protesters was criticized by Iohannis, rights groups, and the European Commission. EU spokesman Christian Spahr said on August 16 that "peaceful protests ended in violence, and violence can never be a solution in politics." Iohannis has been at loggerheads with the ruling PSD, accusing it of attempting to weaken the fight against corruption, putting pressure on the judicial system, and of implementing bad fiscal policies. An RFE/RL correspondent said some 350 people returned to the streets late on August 17, gathering in front of government buildings in Bucharest to mark one week since the August 10 crackdown. Members of the crowd stood silently for several minutes with their hands in the air and their backs turned to the government building -- a gesture symbolizing what the protesters called their nonviolent tactics during the demonstrations and their dissatisfaction with the current government. After the minutes of silence, the crowd shouted "resignation" and "anticipate" (early elections). With reporting by AP, AFP, Agerpres, and RFE/RL correspondent Eugen Tomiuc in Bucharest. VLADIMIR, Russia -- The unique, UNESCO-protected 12th-century Golden Gate is a gem of this ancient city some 200 kilometers east of Moscow. Currently, it is owned by the Culture Ministry and houses an exhibition about the seizure of the city by Mongols in 1238. It is one of the key stops along the legendary Golden Ring tourist route of quintessential medieval cities including Yaroslavl, Suzdal, Kostroma, Rostov, among others. But if the Russian Orthodox Church gets its way, the Golden Gate could soon become church property. The church has submitted a claim to the fortification, one of hundreds of similar claims it has filed with the government since passage of a 2010 law on the restitution of church property. Officials and many locals in Vladimir are not happy at the prospect of turning over a talisman of the city to the church. "The Golden Gate has long been the symbol of our city -- and not a religious symbol," said Aleksandr Karpilovich, spokesman for the mayor's office. About 1,000 people have signed an online petition urging that the church's request be denied. Local activist Ilya Kosygin, who started the petition and whose grandmother's family actually was assigned housing inside the Golden Gate in the 1920s, agrees. "It is the foundation of our local identity," he said. "This is the Golden Gate Vladimir is an ancient city, a former capital. This is an important feeling to have." The church's claim to the edifice is based on the presence of a small church above the gate, inside the fortification. "But the Golden Gate was never a working church," said Alica Aksyonova, former founding director of the Vladimiro-Suzdal museum complex. "In all eight centuries of its existence, almost nine now, they only held services there for [only] 40 years." She added that one must ascend 64 medieval steps to reach the church, meaning it is essentially useless for services intended for the Russian Orthodox Church's largely elderly constituency. In addition, she added, the museum complex has never stood in the way of the church conducting services in any of the buildings under its control. But now things have changed. "The main thing [for the church] is to be able to report that one more monument of the 12th century belongs to the church," Aksyonova told RFE/RL. "They are going after everything -- every day, insatiably." The 8-year-old restitution law was intended to enable the church to regain control of religious buildings that were forcibly nationalized by the atheist Soviet government. Many of those buildings were destroyed, while others were abandoned or used as storage. Beginning in the 1960s, however, many of the most prominent monuments were restored by the government and turned into museums. Under the 2010 law, the decision on restitution is up to the government's property agency, Rosimushchestvo, which is one of the most opaque agencies in the Russian government. The Culture Ministry, which owns many of the properties in question, is only able to submit a counterstatement with its objections. The law stipulates that if a property is handed over to the church, the state must give an "equivalent" property to the previous owner. In the case of the Golden Gate, said museum director Igor Konyshev, that is simply nonsense. He added that past experience shows that restitution to the church means sharply reduced public access to the country's cultural heritage. "In the mid-1990s, about 15 local churches were handed over to the church," Konyshev said. "Among them was the UNESCO monument the Prokrov na Nerli Church. These days, the Prokrov na Nerli Church has basically been eliminated from the tourist agenda.... Yes, you can see it on the covers of [history and culture] textbooks, but just try to get inside it!" Since 2012, the church has applied to have 26 monuments in Vladimir Oblast restituted, including the Georgiyevsky Cathedral in Gus-Khrustalny and the Spaso-Yefimiyevsky Monastery in Suzdal. Most of the church's applications are eventually granted because, under the law, they can be refused only if it can be demonstrated the building never served a religious function. But it is far from a local phenomenon. There is no general database, but local media reports from the last few weeks show the church seeking three buildings in downtown Yekaterinburg, a residential building in Moscow, a riverfront plot of land in Cheboksary, and the St. Nicholas Cathedral in St. Petersburg. According to the newspaper Delovoi Peterburg, authorities in St. Petersburg alone have transferred 101 monuments to religious organizations since the restitution law was passed -- most of them to the Russian Orthodox Church. Last month in Yaroslavl, church lawyers gathered for a seminar on how to make applications under the 2010 law. On August 10, the entire country was rocked when the iconic, 18th-century wooden Uspensky Church near the far northern town of Kondopoga went up in flames and was completely destroyed. Although authorities suspect arson, some experts are blaming the Russian Orthodox Church, which gained ownership of the masterpiece from the Culture Ministry in May 2017. "The church was given a gift of enormous value," said Vyacheslav Orfinsky, a professor of architecture and director of the Folk Architecture Research Institute. "The church definitely bears responsibility. We all thought those people would be doubly interested in protecting it -- for religious reasons and because of their moral code. But this incident shows their complete lack of care. Gaining control of such a monument, they should have done everything to protect it. The church has to answer for what happened." "This was not only a religious monument," he added. "It was a cultural monument, a monument of our common culture. I think that in the best case, what happened shows irresponsibility and bungling by the church.... Such national treasures must be under the protection of the Culture Ministry." Written by RFE/RL senior correspondent Robert Coalson based on reporting by RFE/RL Russian Service correspondent Svetlana Prokopeva U.S. President Donald Trump says he is considering moving "very quickly" to revoke the security clearance of a Justice Department official who had connections with a firm that produced a controversial dossier on Trump's ties to Russia. Trump told White House reporters on August 17 that it is a "disgrace" for Bruce Ohr to be at the department. It was the latest indication that Trump is targeting law enforcement and security officials who have been involved in the department's investigation into Russian ties with his 2016 election campaign. Trump on August 15 revoked the security clearance for former CIA Director John Brennan, in what he said was a move to do "something" about the "rigged" Russian investigation. Brennan and other Trump critics called it an act of political vengeance. Ohr came under Trump's scrutiny because of his contacts with Glenn Simpson, the co-founder of Fusion GPS, the opposition research firm that hired former British spy Christopher Steele during the 2016 campaign to compile the dossier on Trump and his Russia ties. Ohr reportedly had contacts with Steele about the dossier, which contained some unsupported allegations that were never publicly released or supported by the department. Ohr's wife, Nellie, also worked for Fusion GPS during the campaign something Trump has cited in asserting the Russia investigation is politically biased against him. Unlike some other officials the White House has said Trump is targeting, Ohr is still employed at the department and stripping him of his security clearance might make it impossible for him to continue some or all of his duties there. In an opinion piece in The New York Times on August 16, Brennan said Trump's decision to deny him access to classified information was a desperate attempt to end the investigation, which is being led by U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Brennan, who served under President Barack Obama and has become an outspoken Trump critic, called Trump's claims that he did not collude with Russia "hogwash." Brennan said the only question remaining is whether the collusion amounts to a "criminally liable conspiracy." Trump's move against Brennan has prompted a growing outcry in Washington from lawmakers and former top officials in U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies. Former CIA directors and other top national security officials are typically allowed to keep their security clearances, at least for some period, so they can advise their successors and continue to work in the foreign affairs field. On August 17, 60 former CIA officials issued a statement saying they have a right to express unclassified views on national security issues without fear of being punished for doing so. That followed a joint letter signed by seven former CIA directors, six former CIA deputy directors, and two former national intelligence directors calling Trump's move against Brennan "ill-considered and unprecedented" and "an attempt to stifle free speech." Among the prominent officials who signed that letter were Robert Gates, George Tenet, Porter Goss, Leon Panetta, and David Petraeus. Two of those who signed the statement -- former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former CIA Director Michael Hayden -- were named by the White House as among those who might next be stripped of their security clearances. "We have never before seen the approval or removal of security clearances used as a political tool," the officials wrote. Some legal experts say Trump's actions likely are drawing scrutiny from Mueller, who is investigating whether Trump's firing of people on the Russia investigation and other moves to intimidate investigators constitute obstruction of justice, which is a crime in the United States. With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has raised the death from a suicide bombing at an education center in Kabul to 40. Afghan authorities initially reported 48 were killed in the August 15 attack but revised the number down to 34. But in a statement on August 18, UNAMA said it had verified that 40 students were killed and 67 wounded after a suicide bomber detonated his explosives inside a classroom in the Mawoud Academy in Dasht-e Barchi, a predominately Shiite neighborhood in western Kabul. An attack deliberately targeting students can only be described as a cowardly act of terror, said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the UN secretary-general's special representative for Afghanistan and the head of UNAMA, in a statement on August 18. This atrocity not only robbed these young women and men of their futures but also deprived Afghanistan of all the benefits that their education and potential would have brought this country, he added. The Islamic State (IS) extremist group claimed responsibility for the attack. IS extremists have carried out similar attacks in the past, hitting Shi'ite mosques, schools, and cultural centers. Children prepare for the start of the Rainbow Run during last years event, and celebrate with each other afterwards. Amarinder Singh spent about half an hour at the house Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday visited the 6-A Krishna Menon residence of former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to pay his respects to the family. The Chief Minister spent about half an hour at the house and also penned some of his feelings for Vajpayee, whom he remembered meeting for the first time back in 1970, in the visitors book. The Chief Minister met Vajpayees foster daughter Namita and son-in-law Ranjan, along with other family members, to pay his personal condolences, according to an official spokesperson. Amarinder Singh visited Vajpayee's residence to pay his respects to the family Advertisement Recalling Vajpayees 1970 Punjab visit of Atal ji, Captain Amarinder said Atal ji had come there to campaign for him and spent three days in Patiala. The Chief Minister reminisced that he had come out of the Army in 1968 and was contesting his first election a bypoll from Dakala in 1970 after the sitting MLA, Basant Singh, was killed by Naxalites. The Chief Minister remembered the former Prime Minister as a great leader, an excellent statesman, a dignified politician and a fine human being. His death had left a vacuum that would be hard to fill, said Captain Amarinder Singh. PM reviews flood situation in Kerala Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed today the flood situation in rain-battered Kerala at a high-level meeting in Kochi. Earlier, there were reports that the prime minister's helicopter could not take-off for an aerial survey of flood affected areas due to bad weather. But, there was no official confirmation from the state and the Union government. "The prime minister is reviewing the flood situation in Kerala at a high-level meeting. @CMOKerala," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) tweeted. Leaving for Kerala to take stock of the flood situation in the state. Advertisement August 17, 2018 Modi, after an overnight stay in the state capital, left for Kochi this morning for the aerial survey and the review meeting to get a first-hand knowledge of the enormity of the mayhem caused by the southwest monsoon. Meanwhile, rains lashing several parts of the state since this morning is causing concern as it could hamper the rescue and relief operations. Chengannur in Pathnamthitta, Chalakudy in Thrissur and various parts of Ernakulam district are among the worst hit where rescue efforts are likely to be concentrated today. Flood situation in rain-battered Kerala Advertisement Since airlifting is the only option in some remote areas, where people are marooned since the past four days, the state government has sought more helicopters for airlifting them, chief minister said. Chengannur MLA Saji Cherian pleaded for more help and said thousands of people were stranded in houses without food and water, if immediate steps are not taken to evacuate them, their life will be in danger. Kerala Floods "For the past five days people are without food in many places. We urgently need food, medicines, water. People need to be airlifted urgently. Evacuation by Army, Navy and Air Force are urgently needed," Cherian told a television channel this morning. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ramesh Chennithala said the government machinery has to be properly coordinated to ensure all the needy get help. As per information from the control room of the State Disaster Management, since August 8, 194 persons have lost their lives so far and 36 are missing. Advertisement Evacuation by Army, Navy and Air Force are urgently needed Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. The maximum deaths have been reported from Thrissur (42), Idukki (37) and Malappuram (35). According to the latest weather report, heavy rains accompanied with gusty wind speed reaching 60 kmph is expected in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki and Ernakulam districts. The state is facing its worst flood in 100 years with 80 dams opened and all rivers in spate. Sukhbir Singh Badal Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today urged union external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to take up the issue of repeated hate crimes against Sikhs in the United States with its government, even as he appealed to Sikh institutions in the US to launch a campaign about the Sikh faith and beliefs to counter hate attacks. In a statement here, the SAD president said the murder of Terlok Singh yesterday in New Jersey was the third hate crime against Sikhs in the United States in the last three weeks. Union external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj Advertisement This has set alarm bells ringing amongst Sikhs in the US and urgent steps need to be taken to address their deep sense of anguish. I urge Ms Swaraj to take up this issue at the highest level so that the life and property of Sikhs in the US is safeguarded, he added. The SAD president said the murder of Terlok Singh followed the July 31 attack on Surjit Malhi in California and the attack on 71 year old Sahib Singh, also in California on August 6. He said these attacks proved that US society was still not sufficiently aware about the Sikh faith and that steps needed be taken to address this. Terlok Singh murdered in New Jersey He said while Ms Swaraj could request Indian Consulates in the US to spread awareness on this front, he said he would also request the SGPC and Sikhs institutions worldwide to launch an appropriate campaign. He said the Sikh community in the US should also be associated with this campaign so that it could address their concerns as well as sensitize the US society about Sikh religion and culture. Mr Badal also expressed his deep condolences with the family of Terlok Singh who was stabbed to death in his store in New Jersey and prayed to the almighty to give them the strength to bear this irreparable los Sukhbir Singh Badal today condemned the attack on a Sikh family in Hisar Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today condemned the attack on a Sikh family in Hisar by miscreants yesterday and urged Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar to take appropriate action in the matter. In a statement here, the SAD president said it was condemnable that a Sikh family which had been living in Haryana for 43 years was termed as outsiders and attacked when they protested against inappropriate and vulgar remarks being made against their women folk. Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar Advertisement He four intoxicated miscreants physically assaulted a member of the family by tugging him holding his beard besides tossing his turban. The goonda elements did not stop at this. They even kicked a seven month pregnant amritdhari woman in the stomach. Mr Sukhbir Badal said despite such a crime, the Hisar police did not first reach the restaurant where the attack took place in time. He said the four miscreants were finally rounded up at the restaurant but by the time the aggrieved family reached the sector 16 police station in Hisar they were let off. Miscreants physically assaulted a member of the family He said the Hisar police did not even seem it fit to verify if the goondas were intoxicated at the time of the crime, as reported by the complainants. The SAD president said in a further insult to the aggrieved family the Hisar police had registered a case against their male members under section 307 IPC. He demanded that this false case should be withdrawn immediately and that a case under section 295 A (hurting religious sentiments) and other appropriate sections should be registered against the four miscreants. Advertisement Sikh family attacked and insulted in Hisar Meanwhile SAD Kalanwali legislator Balkor Singh visited the aggrieved family in Hisar and assured it full support. The Sikh sangat also collected at the Hisar gurdwara and decided to protest against this injustice. Balkor Singh said he had met the district police chief and demanded suspension of the Hisar Sector 16 police station SHO besides cancellation of the false case against the aggrieved family. He said the Hisar police had not taken any action on his memorandum. Most of the plastic objects we see are created using injection molding, but designing such molds is a difficult task, usually requiring experts. Now, computer scientists from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria), the University of Tokyo, and CONICET have created an interactive design tool that allows non-experts to create molds for an object of their choice. The software will be presented at this year's SIGGRAPH conference. Molding is a popular method for the mass production of objects. Essentially, two (or more) mold pieces are fit together, leaving the shape of the desired object as a hole. During fabrication, a fluid is introduced into this cavity and is allowed to harden. Once the fluid has solidified, the pieces of the mold are removed, leaving behind the molded object. While the process is fairly simple, creating the mold to produce an object is extremely difficult, and a multitude of considerations go into its creation. How should the object be oriented and divided to ensure that the pieces of the mold can be removed? If the object should be hollow, how should it be decomposed into pieces? Figures with loops or holes add further complications, as do aesthetic considerations, such as avoiding a parting line through a face. In mass fabrication, the high costs of the initial mold design are offset by the low per-unit cost of production. For a small-scale designer, however, or a novice interested in experimenting with injection molds, hiring a professional mold designer is impractical, and creating the molds unaided infeasible. Similarly, 3D-printing the desired number of objects would be far too time- and resource-intensive. CoreCavity, a new interactive design tool, solves this problem, and allows users to quickly and easily design molds for creating hollow, free-form objects. Created by Kazutaka Nakashima, a PhD student from the University of Tokyo visiting IST Austria, Thomas Auzinger (IST Austria), Emmanuel Iarussi (CONICET, IST Austria), Ran Zhang (IST Austria), Takeo Igarashi (University of Tokyo), and Bernd Bickel (IST Austria), this software tool opens up opportunities for small businesses and enthusiasts. Given a 3D-scan of an object, the software analyzes the object, and creates a "thin shell," essentially a hollow version of the object, where particularly small gaps are considered solid -- another of the team's innovations. The software then proposes a decomposition of the object into pieces; each piece will be created by one mold, then joined together at the end. Moreover, the program is able to suggest slight modifications to the original design, for instance to eliminate tiny hooks that might complicate unmolding. "Previous tools were unable to suggest such changes," says Thomas Auzinger, a postdoc at IST Austria. The user can adjust the decomposition simply by clicking, and choose to accept or reject any proposed modifications. When the user is satisfied, the software automatically produces the mold templates, which can then be 3D-printed and used for molding. The decompositions suggested by the design tool are often surprising: "The computer is able to find solutions that are very unintuitive," says Bernd Bickel, professor at IST Austria. "The two halves of the rabbit, for instance, have a curving, complicated connection -- it would have been extremely difficult for a human to come up with that." Industry designers, as well as previous design programs, generally rely on straight cuts through the object. In practice, this often leads to a larger number of pieces, as well as "unnatural" divisions. "The software tool could also be extremely useful in industry -- it would fit seamlessly into the production process," adds Bickel. The team has already tested some of their molds at an injection-mold factory near Linz. "The factory employees were surprised at how easy it was to extract the finished objects, as well as how durable the 3D-printed molds were. Even after creating a hundred objects, the molds were still working," says Auzinger. The team already has further improvements in mind. One idea is the inclusion of connectors that snap together to ease the final assembly of the object. A new study by researchers at Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City has found that patients with low-risk blood clots may be better off receiving treatment at home versus being admitted to the hospital. For the study, published in the journal CHEST, researchers tracked 200 patients who were treated for acute pulmonary embolisms or serious lung blood clots in five Intermountain Healthcare emergency departments, including Intermountain's Level I trauma center, Intermountain Medical Center, from 2013 to 2016. Through a series of tests including echocardiograms and ultrasounds, the patients were determined to have a low risk of developing severe complications from the blood clots. Instead of being admitted to the hospital, patients were given an outpatient management strategy, which included steps like an oral anticoagulant or blood thinner, and/or blood thinner injections administered at home, and close follow up in clinics. The patients were then tracked for 90 days. Researchers found that only one out of 200 patients enrolled in the study had any follow-up incidents that required hospitalization, and that patient's hospitalization was the result of an accident. The study also found that patients were much more satisfied with at-home care. "We found a large subset of patients with blood clots who'd do well at home -- in fact who probably did better at home," said Joseph Bledsoe, MD, research director in emergency medicine at Intermountain Medical Center. "When patients are sent home versus staying in the hospital, they're at lower risk of getting another infection. It's a lot less expensive, too." Currently, the standard of care in the United States for acute pulmonary embolisms, which affect more than 200,000 patients in the U.S. annually, is hospitalization for all patients. That's recommended, in part, because their overall mortality rate is 17 percent. However, the lower mortality rate among some appropriately risk-stratified patients suggests that at-home care, which has become the norm in some European countries, leads to better outcomes for those patients overall and less chance of a hospital-introduced infection, said Dr. Bledsoe. "Our findings show that if you appropriately risk stratify patients, there are a lot of people with blood clots who are safe to go home," he said. Dr. Bledsoe says the next step for researchers is for similar research to be conducted outside of the Intermountain Healthcare system to confirm the results, and with a larger group of people. Most of the objects we see are colored by pigments, but using pigments has disadvantages: such colors can fade, industrial pigments are often toxic, and certain color effects are impossible to achieve. The natural world, however, also exhibits structural coloration, where the microstructure of an object causes various colors to appear. Peacock feathers, for instance, are pigmented brown, but -- because of long hollows within the feathers -- reflect the gorgeous, iridescent blues and greens we see and admire. Recent advances in technology have made it practical to fabricate the kind of nanostructures that result in structural coloration, and computer scientists from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria) and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have now created a computational tool that automatically creates 3D-print templates for nanostructures that correspond to user-defined colors. Their work demonstrates the great potential for structural coloring in industry, and opens up possibilities for non-experts to create their own designs. This project will be presented at this year's top computer graphics conference, SIGGRAPH 2018, by first author and IST Austria postdoc Thomas Auzinger. This is one of five IST Austria presentations at the conference this year. The changing colors of a chameleon and the iridescent blues and greens of the morpho butterfly, among many others in nature, are the result of structural coloration, where nanostructures cause interference effects in light, resulting in a variety of colors when viewed macroscopically. Structural coloration has certain advantages over coloring with pigments (where particular wavelengths are absorbed), but until recently, the limits of technology meant fabricating such nanostructures required highly specialized methods. New "direct laser writing" set-ups, however, cost about as much as a high-quality industrial 3D printer, and allow for printing at the scale of hundreds of nanometers (hundred to thousand time thinner than a human hair), opening up possibilities for scientists to experiment with structural coloration. So far, scientists have primarily experimented with nanostructures that they had observed in nature, or with simple, regular nanostructural designs (e.g. row after row of pillars). Thomas Auzinger and Bernd Bickel of IST Austria, together with Wolfgang Heidrich of KAUST, however, took an innovative new approach that differs in several key ways. First, they solve the inverse design task: the user enters the color they want to replicate, and then the computer creates a nanostructure pattern that gives that color, rather than attempting to reproduce structures found in nature. Moreover, "our design tool is completely automatic," says Thomas Auzinger. "No extra effort is required on the part of the user." Second, the nanostructures in the template do not follow a particular pattern or have a regular structure; they appear to be randomly composed -- a radical break from previous methods, but one with many advantages. "When looking at the template produced by the computer I cannot tell by the structure alone, if I see a pattern for blue or red or green," explains Auzinger. "But that means the computer is finding solutions that we, as humans, could not. This free-form structure is extremely powerful: it allows for greater flexibility and opens up possibilities for additional coloring effects." For instance, their design tool can be used to print a square that appears red from one angle, and blue from another (known as directional coloring). Finally, previous efforts have also stumbled when it came to actual fabrication: the designs were often impossible to print. The new design tool, however, guarantees that the user will end up with a printable template, which makes it extremely useful for the future development of structural coloration in industry. "The design tool can be used to prototype new colors and other tools, as well as to find interesting structures that could be produced industrially," adds Auzinger. Initial tests of the design tool have already yielded successful results. "It's amazing to see something composed entirely of clear materials appear colored, simply because of structures invisible to the human eye," says Bernd Bickel, professor at IST Austria, "we're eager to experiment with additional materials, to expand the range of effects we can achieve." "It's particularly exciting to witness the growing role of computational tools in fabrication," concludes Auzinger, "and even more exciting to see the expansion of 'computer graphics' to encompass physical as well as virtual images." The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has excoriated the Navys plan to retest part of the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard for radioactivity as inadequate and unscientific, threatening to pursue a rare dispute process if changes arent made, according to letters obtained by The Chronicle. Without the requested changes, the approach will not provide the necessary confidence level to establish when Parcel G would be suitable for redevelopment, Angeles Herrera, assistant director of the EPAs Superfund Division, wrote to the Navy on Tuesday, referencing another letter the EPA sent to the Navy in March that raised many of the same concerns. The letters are significant because for the first time they articulate the tension between the EPA and the Navy over the extent of the problems associated with the shipyard cleanup and how to go about making the site safe. The Navy owns the 500-acre shipyard, which is a Superfund site heavily contaminated with toxic materials that include heavy metals, asbestos and radioactivity. The EPA oversees the cleanup, which has been ongoing for more than two decades. The dispute over retesting the property comes after a year in which state and federal agencies accused Tetra Tech, an environmental engineering company that was paid $280 million for its role in the cleanup, of faking thousands of soil samples across multiple parcels to speed up the work. Two Tetra Tech supervisors pleaded guilty to fraud and were sentenced to federal prison. Tetra Tech has stood by its work and contends that any wrongdoing was limited to a cabal of rogue employees. The scandal has stalled the Bay Areas largest redevelopment project, which is scheduled to eventually include more than 12,000 homes, 300 acres of parkland, three schools, and millions of square feet of space dedicated to retail, office and research and development. Development of new housing at the shipyard started in 2014 and so far about 450 homes are completed or under construction in an area known as Parcel A. The Navy now plans to retest multiple portions of the shipyard, starting with Parcel G, a 40-acre, rectangular piece of land just south of Parcel A. But in Tuesdays letter, Herrera suggested that the Navys work plan for retesting Parcel G was too cursory and contended that it did not reflect recommendations made by both the EPA and the California Department of Public Health. If any contamination is found in the first stage of retesting, the Navys current plan would no longer be sufficient by itself to demonstrate protection of human health and the environment, Herrera wrote. According to the EPA, the Navys planned surveys may miss critical radioactivity issues and they may have to take more samples than proposed to make any reliable conclusions about safety. The EPA also urged the Navy to explain things more clearly to the public as the next draft of the Work Plan will receive a great deal of attention. While community members had criticized the cleanup for years, the allegations gained more attention in January when the Navy issued a preliminary report compiled by five outside consultants who concluded that nearly half of the data Tetra Tech collected from the Superfund site were flawed. That data include samples collected mostly between 2006 and 2012 from 300,000 cubic yards of soil, 20 buildings, 30 former building sites and 28 miles of storm drains. Then in April, an environmental watchdog group released a letter written by John Chesnutt, manager of the EPAs local Superfund Division, which stated that as much as 97 percent of Tetra Techs cleanup data from Parcels G and B were suspect and should be retested. Tetra Tech has disputed that analysis. A Tetra Tech spokesman declined to comment on the dispute over the cleanup plan. The retesting is expected to delay redevelopment of the shipyard by at least a year. On Friday, others who have voiced concerns about the Navys retesting plan said they hope the agency heeds the EPAs warnings. The Navy seems to be intent on going full speed ahead, and damn the torpedoes, on a retesting plan, said Daniel Hirsch, retired director of the Environmental and Nuclear Policy Program at UC Santa Cruz. Even as its sister agencies are shouting that you arent doing this right, the public will not be protected if you continue on this path. Shipyard resident Linda Parker Pennington said, If the EPA thinks it should be more rigorous, then of course the Navy should follow their lead. 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. The EPA has a more objective approach to the issue Im not sure why the Navy is unwilling to listen, said Pennington, who lives in Parcel A, the part of the site that has been developed and is occupied by residents. A Navy spokesman referred questions to a statement on its website, which specifies the Navy is evaluating whether to incorporate the public comments into its work plan and is committed to conducting 100 percent of needed remediation if remaining contamination is found. The Navys plan calls for independent contractors to gather new radiological data at Parcel G by evaluating former sanitary sewer and storm drain trenches, as well as a portion of the property previously identified as having possible radiological contamination. It also calls for scanning six buildings identified as radiologically impacted according to historical use, the Navy said. The Navy said the new soil data would be analyzed at approved off-site laboratories to determine if it meets cleanup objectives. If results do not meet the cleanup objectives, the samples will go through an additional radiological assessment. Supervisor Malia Cohen, whose district includes the shipyard, said she has made clear to the U.S. Navy that we cannot accept their positions at face value moving forward. I dont claim to be a scientist, but in the interest of public safety I am pressing for the Navy to consider the EPAs comments and work to establish a viable threshold to ensure that the land being tested is not radioactive and the new contractor doing the testing is not making mistakes and covering up bad behavior, Cohen said. If the EPAs proposed changes are not included, the agency may push the Navy into an interagency dispute process to force resolution. That process can further delay cleanup work and is invoked only when an agreement cannot be reached informally. Cynthia Dizikes and J.K. Dineen are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: cdizikes@sfchronicle.com, jdineed@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @cdizikes @SFjkdineen Eighteen people serving life without the possibility of parole for murder in California will have a chance at freedom after Gov. Jerry Brown agreed to commute their sentences. The 18 are among 31 prisoners granted clemency and 36 ex-convicts pardoned by the governor Friday. The pardons were mostly for drug-related or nonviolent crimes, but Browns mercy also fell on Vanna In, a 42-year-old Fresno pastor from Cambodia who was convicted of murder in 1994, when he was 17, for shooting a gang rival. He was facing possible deportation to a country he hasnt been in since he was 2. The pastor, who has since dedicated his life to helping former gang members get their lives together, wasnt the only convicted murderer who got a break. Brown commuted the sentences of people who had been found responsible for gang-related slayings, revenge slayings and multiple murders. The commutations mean, in most cases, that the inmates can make their case before a parole board for freedom. Those granted pardons all completed their sentences years ago and demonstrated exemplary behavior and have lived productive and law-abiding lives following their conviction, said a news release issued Friday by the governors office. Pardons are not granted unless they are earned. In, a father of three, was released from prison in 2001 after serving six years for second-degree murder and started Jobs of Hope, which helps former gang members. He is now a pastor of student and family ministries at North Fresno Church Mennonite Brethren. A Change.org petition asking the governor to grant him a pardon garnered 7,000 signatures. Those who won commutations included Kimberly LaBore, who has served 20 years for participating in the slayings of two men in Santa Cruz while she was high on methamphetamine. Had it not been for my addiction and criminal lifestyle, I know these crimes would not have happened, she wrote in her request to Brown. My dream is to do my best to bring awareness to the death and mayhem addiction can bring to your life. Most of the other convicts whose sentences were commuted expressed remorse. I regret every single second of that night, and I wish I could undo all the pain and suffering I caused the victim and everyone affected by my crime, wrote Ardell Adams, who in 1993 shot a man during a botched robbery attempt outside a Sacramento market. He is suffering from colon cancer and has been given only months to live. Even if I dont benefit from this commutation, he said, Id still like to take responsibility for the crime and show that I am a better person. The governor said all of those who won commutations displayed evidence of rehabilitation. Among those whose life-without-parole sentences were commuted were Virgil Eugene Holt, who gunned down his supervisor at an Alameda County fast food restaurant in 1989 after the boss fired him, and Deryus Brown, who participated in a 2004 gang shooting in Sacramento County when he was 19. Other Bay Area killers whose sentences were commuted were David Bom Le, who in 2006 participated in a gang-related shooting in Alameda County, and Ronald George, who assisted his brother in killing a San Mateo County man over a drug debt in 1979. Two other men were pardoned by Brown before they could be deported. Phal Sok of Los Angeles served 15 years in state prison for an armed robbery he committed when he was 17. He was ordered deported to Cambodia in 2016, a place he hadnt been to since his parents left in 1981, when he was an infant. 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. Sok has worked at a nonprofit organization that connects children to their incarcerated parents and as an organizer with the California Youth Justice Coalition. I believe Ive done some good after paying the price for the crimes I committed. But immigration law does not see it that way, Sok wrote in a 2017 edition of the Criminal Justice Newsletter. It only sees the 17 year old that made those choices. It only sees the bad hombre. Im not that person anymore. Heng Lao, a small business owner in the Los Angeles area who served two years in prison for a 1998 assault, also was pardoned. The pardons, which are filed with the secretary of state and the Legislature, wipe the crimes off the California Department of Justice and FBI books. David Swing, the president of the California Police Chiefs Association, said he was surprised that the governor would release convicts serving life for murder. Clearly those are serious, violent offenders who committed very heinous crimes, and they should remain in custody, Swing said. I think that the residents of California deserve to live in a safe environment, and increasing the number of people in our communities who have the propensity to commit violent crime like murder makes the job of law enforcement more challenging. Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite Two-term San Francisco school board incumbent Emily Murase missed a filing deadline and has been disqualified from running in the November election, leaving three seats open. Murase announced on her campaign website Friday that she would not challenge the ruling and is suspending her run for a third term because, as a department head, I do not wish to sue another department. I have exhausted all other avenues to challenge my disqualification, she wrote. Obviously, I am devastated by the situation. Murase said she was late filing for re-election because I had relied on mistaken deadline information I received from Elections Department staff. John Arntz, the director of elections in San Francisco, said the filing deadline was 5 p.m. Aug. 10 for incumbents and Aug. 15 for non-incumbents. All the candidates were given that deadline, Arntz said. She did not (file), and I dont have the authority under any circumstances to give the incumbent an extension. Thats how the law reads. Murase, who lost her first bid for a seat on the school board in 2008, was elected in 2010, becoming the first Japanese American woman to hold elected office in San Francisco. She was re-elected in 2014 and served as board president in 2015. She is one of three incumbents stepping down from the seven-member board, including board President Hydra Mendoza McDonnell and Shamann Walton, who is running for supervisor. Nineteen candidates are running for their seats in the Nov. 6 election. Murase, whose last day will be Dec. 31, said she is proud of her work promoting bilingual, bicultural education. She co-authored an African American Achievement Leadership Initiative, which helped find corporate sponsors for the African American honor roll celebration. She also championed the San Francisco Unified School District Arts Center and pushed for a 25 percent salary increase for educators. 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. She said her forced retirement would allow her to read more books, binge-watch cable television, go camping and get to know my family again. This could be a blessing in disguise, she wrote. I believe strongly that when one door closes, an even better one opens. Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite The previous Portals described how a young man named Walter Noble Burns, while eating breakfast in a San Francisco restaurant in the late 19th century, saw an advertisement in a newspaper for whaling crews and impulsively signed up. At the time, San Francisco was the most important whaling port in the world, home to 30 or more whaling ships. Burns ship, the Alexander, was a 128-ton brigantine, stoutly built of oak to withstand arctic conditions, with tryworks to convert blubber into oil. As Burns recounts in the book he wrote about his experiences, A Year With a Whaler, the Alexanders 24 crewmen were a wildly mixed lot. The captain was an old New England sea dog, and the mate a Yankee who had only been ashore for a few weeks in 30 years and constantly swayed. The second and third mates were blacks from the Cape Verde Islands. One of the boat steerers was a mulatto from Barbados. Five of the forecastle crew were veteran deepwater sailors, including an American, a German, a Norwegian and two Swedes. The green hands included a Western mule skinner, a cowboy, a farmer, a man suspected of being in trouble with the police, an ex-burglar, an Irishman and a sketchy former whaler, a shiftless, loquacious product of city slums who had signed up because it beats hoboing. The Alexander departed San Francisco a few days before Christmas in 1890, and the green hands were immediately set to work learning the ropes, standing lookout, and reefing and furling sails. Going aloft was a terrifying ordeal at first to several of the green hands, Burns wrote. If the ship were pitching, a fellow had to look sharp or he would be thrown off; if that happened, it was a nice, straight fall of 80 feet to the deck. By the time the ship reached a place called Turtle Bay on the Baja coast, the crew members had learned they would be paid only $1 each at the end of the voyage, and plans to run away became rife. Thinking it would be easy to cross the mountain range that was visible in the distance and get to a Mexican settlement on the Sea of Cortez, Burns was about to swim ashore when the captain, who had gotten wind of the impending mass desertions, casually pointed out a pile of stones with a cross sticking in it and told the sailors it was the burial place of three sailors who had deserted. This is a bad country to run away in, the captain said. No food, no water, no inhabitants. Its sure death for a runaway. Burns changed his mind and decided to endure the focsle. Trivia time The previous trivia question: What was the "Cocktail Route"? Answer: A tavern-filled promenade in the G ay '90s, running from Montgomery and Washington to Eddy and Mason. This week's trivia question: Which San Francisco mayor intoned, "The horse car had to go, the cable cars have to go"? Editor's note Every corner in San Francisco has an astonishing story to tell. Gary Kamiya's Portals of the Past tells those lost stories, using a specific location to illuminate San Francisco's extraordinary history - from the days when giant mammoths wandered through what is now North Beach to the Gold Rush delirium, the dot-com madness and beyond. His column appears every other Saturday, alternating with Peter Hartlaub's OurSF. See More Collapse Burns was not free of the bigotry of his time. He describes how he raged impotently at being ordered around by a black man, the third mate Mendez, an imperious officer known as the Night King. The day after he was punished by Mendez, the ship was alerted by the cry of Blow! Blow! Theres his old head! from the lookout. It was a magnificent sperm whale. The boats were lowered and the chase was on. The whale dived, leaving the boatmen searching for the lost trail. Suddenly it surfaced, between the boats and the ship. The captain signaled its position to the boats. The Night King alerted his boat, which caught the wind and hurtled toward the whale. The boat landed on the whales back and the Night King, standing on the bow, hurled two harpoons into it. The enraged whale smashed the boat with a blow that hurled the sailors into the sea, then swam off like an express train. The wound had not been mortal. The other boat rescued the half-drowned sailors. They found the Night King dead, tangled in the rigging. In the instant before the whale smashed the boat, he had heroically cut the line with his knife, thus preventing it from dragging the boat away. The Night Kings last act had saved the lives of his companions, Burns writes. Before the Night Kings body was committed to the sea, the captain asked Burns to read a passage from the Bible. He opened to a random page and read, Judge not, that ye be not judged. As the body slid into the ocean, a Hawaiian crewman emptied a bucket of slops over it a sea ritual to prevent a ghost from haunting the ship. 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. After Burns and a few others tried unsuccessfully to escape in Hawaii, the Alexander sailed through terrifying storms to the bow and right whale grounds off the Siberian coast. Caught in solid ice for three weeks in June, they passed the time by walking to visit nearby ships known as gamming and exchanging books. When the ice broke up, they were almost crushed by icebergs, and had to winch their way out. After a dangerous hunt in icy seas, they killed a bowhead whale, removed its baleen, peeled off its blubber, cut it up and dried it. The men ate whale steaks for weeks. In Siberia, the crew visited with the Inuit and one of the Swedish sailors tried to run away with an Inuk girl. They also met a desperate runaway who had jumped ship the year before, not realizing that only whaling ships ever put in there. He was forced to spend the winter with the Inuit. The man approached every whaler, including the Alexander, but none of the vindictive captains would take him. The ships sailed away, leaving him to his fate, Burns writes. I never learned whether he ever managed to get back home or left his bones to bleach upon the frozen tundra. Finally, on Oct. 10, the ship broke out the American flag and, as every man aboard cheered, headed back to San Francisco. They carried 1,800 pounds of baleen worth $6.50 a pound and had full casks of oil. The total value of the catch was $50,000, of which the captains share was $8,000. The higher-ranking crewmen also made big money. Burns and his hapless fellow forecastle hands made one big iron dollar. It was long after darkness had fallen that (we were towed) into San Francisco harbor, past the darkly frowning Presidio and the twinkling lights of Telegraph Hill, to an anchorage abreast the city, brilliantly lighted and glowing like fairyland, Burns writes. I never in all my life heard sweeter music than the rattle and clank of the anchor chain as the great anchor plunged into the bay and sank to its grip in good American soil once more. My whaling voyage was over, Burns concludes. It was an adventure out of the ordinary, an experience informing, interesting, health-giving, and perhaps worth while. I have never regretted it. But I wouldn't do it again for ten thousand dollars. Gary Kamiya is the author of the best-selling book Cool Gray City of Love: 49 Views of San Francisco, awarded the Northern California Book Award in creative nonfiction. All the material in Portals of the Past is original for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: metro@sfchronicle.com Youd think that with President Trumps budgets aimed at killing the countrys homelessness advisory agency, a visit to San Francisco by the head of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness for a first meeting with Mayor London Breed might have a bit of tension attached. Nothing of the sort. Trumps opening salvos turned out to have been blunted somewhat surprisingly by the Republican-led Congress. Not only did the Interagency Council on Homelessness stay in place, but San Francisco actually got $9 million more this year in homeless grants than it did last year. So when Executive Director Matthew Doherty, otherwise known as the U.S. homelessness czar, met with Breed on Thursday, it was all smiles. This wasnt the kind of visit that gets trotted out with great publicity, but the stuff they powwowed about was gravely serious they agreed on just about everything. The need for more supportive housing? Check. More mental health facilities and funding to rescue severely mentally ill people from the street, a pet subject of Breeds? Check. More rehab help for drug addicts? Check. Breed said afterward she was glad for the chance to talk about how to better coordinate our local and federal approaches. Dohertys counterpart in the city, Department of Homelessness and Supportive Services Director Jeff Kositsky, declared himself very happy. Kositsky then led Doherty on a tour of some of the citys scruffiest homeless camps and talked about whats being done to address them. I think we showed were moving ahead, yes? Kositsky said at a sit-down with The Chronicle and Doherty at a Tenderloin restaurant before the national czar flew back to Washington. 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. Doherty, an evaluative sort not given to effusive flattery, said he was impressed with the citys efforts. Having held the job in both the Obama and Trump administrations, Doherty has seen San Francisco develop its Navigation Center shelters, ramp up street-addiction treatments and launch other techniques that have helped keep San Franciscos homeless population flat at about 7,500 while every other street count along the West Coast has ballooned. Youre really starting to see the benefit of the consolidation of departments, particularly with the Encampment Resolution Team, he said, noting that this week marks the second anniversary of the late Mayor Ed Lee creating Kositskys department. I do think it would have been harder to get people into better outcomes without it. Keep it up. Kevin Fagan Email: cityinsider@sfchronicle.com, kfagan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfcityinsider @KevinChron I, for one, am ready to join President Trumps crusade against fake news, and the first target should be Trump himself. Trump says the press should not be reporting fake news, i.e., stories or statements that are politically slanted and have little or no basis in truth. Given that Trump himself can barely finish a sentence without delivering some type of baseless charge or misinformation, perhaps the press should stop covering his statements as well. We could start with his endless tweets, which are sent out over the cable news channels as if they were the golden words of a supreme ruler, rather than what they really are, the childish blather of a sleep-deprived narcissist. Maybe we should also boycott Trumps appearances. At least until he gets his facts straight. Just think of the look on Trumps face if he stepped out of the White House and there were no cameras to feed his ego. Just think how nice it would be for a single day to be free of his tweets. It would be priceless. Hello, goodbye: Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom was at his glad-handing best at the recent ribbon-cutting for the new Transbay Terminal. The smiling and casually attired Newsom arrived about an hour ahead of the ceremony and promptly declared, I can only stay a minute. I have another commitment I have to make. And he repeated the Great seeing you gotta go line over and over for the next hour as he worked his way through the assembled crowd posing for selfies and making small talk with the guests. Gavin managed to have a word with everyone from Mayor London Breed to Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to the centers construction workers, and he still got out before the dozen or so speakers took the stage for what turned out to be a very long ceremony. Swalwells odds: I have to admire Democratic East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwells presidential ambitions, but I dont see how he gets the Democratic nomination for the 2020 run. Swalwell is young and smart, and he works hard. His presence on the House Intelligence Committee has given him national exposure. Unfortunately for Swalwell, he lacks a made-for-TV life story or any ethnic identity or a major union backing him. Hes not all that witty on the stump, either, so it is going to be hard for him to instantly connect with a big crowd. Plus, everyone confuses Swalwell with fellow Intelligence committee member Adam Schiff. Union trouble: Bouncing around Union Square the other day, I couldnt help but notice that 1 in 4 of the once-stylish, high-end storefronts are now empty. Is it the sky-high rents? The rise in internet shopping? The headache of the never-ending construction surrounding the square? Or maybe shoppers have just grown tired of the homeless. And its not just the stores that are suffering. I checked in with the areas parking garages and was told that, with the exception of the Sutter Stockton Garage, none of the garages is anywhere near reaching its capacity on a regular basis. The rerouting and closing of streets to accommodate the Central Subway project had made driving a car impossible. Drivers coming in from the suburbs or from across town are lucky if they can even make their way to the entrance of the Union Square or Ellis Street garages before giving up and heading elsewhere. Connor Radnovich / The Chronicle 2015 Word is out that the heavily traveled Embarcadero is next in line for improvements. The idea is to put in protective bike lanes, a move that will make the already clogged street even more of a nightmare to drive for both locals and tourists. 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. Lets leave the Embarcadero as it is: a lovable and enjoyable space along the waterfront that also serves as a major corridor for those who drive. Movie time: BlacKkKlansman. Ron Stallworth and Spike Lee team up to present one of the best films of the year. Its a message movie that highlights a little-known chapter of our nations history with hate groups. It also has a number of humorous scenes. The David Duke portrayal alone is worth the price of admission. And the comparisons between this story and President Trumps electoral success are uncanny. Put it on your must-see list. Then and now: Speaking of lists, when I was a kid in Mineola, Texas, I got the biggest kick reading the First List, published every month in Ebony magazine. The first black person to attend Harvard. The first black person to be elected to a city council. The first black judge. How I aspired to be among them. These days, when I pick up the Chronicle obits, I find myself reading a new list. A list of the lasts. The last of the Tuskegee Airmen. The last of the early civil rights leaders, or the last of the Negro League players. And this time, Im just glad Im not among them. Want to sound off? Email: wbrown@sfchronicle.com Tesla investors have, for years, obsessed over CEO Elon Musks every tweet, public utterance and printed quote, sifting them for clues about the electric automakers finances and plans. On Friday, he gave them plenty. And Teslas stock tanked in response. In a lengthy interview with the New York Times, Musk frequently grew emotional, admitted sometimes needing Ambien to sleep, tried to explain a possibly misleading tweet about taking Tesla private, complained of the jobs physical and emotional toll and said that anyone who could do a better job running Tesla can have the reins right now. Such comments would have seemed remarkable coming from any CEO of a company worth more than $50 billion. For Musk, they capped months of what many observers consider to be self-inflicted wounds. Tesla stock plunged nearly 9 percent Friday to close at $305.50. As Tesla struggled to ramp up production of its make-or-break Model 3 sedan this year, Musk at turns has insulted financial analysts for asking boring, bonehead questions, scolded reporters for questioning the safety of the companys Autopilot self-steering feature and suggested that a diver involved in the Thailand cave rescue was a pedophile. And in a move now reportedly being scrutinized by federal regulators, he announced last week that he was considering taking the company private, releasing the news in a tweet so short and seemingly off-the-cuff that many people mistook it for a joke. I think they actually need a first-in-command who is not Musk, and I say that seriously, said Erik Gordon, a corporate governance expert at the University of Michigans Ross School of Business. He wants to say flippant things that are potentially damaging to the company, and he doesnt learn. Hes smart enough to learn anything but arrogant enough not to learn anything. Musks comments placed Teslas board of directors in a difficult position, several analysts said. The directors were reportedly stunned by his proposal to go private, and they have scrambled to react, issuing press releases detailing how they plan to evaluate the idea. After Fridays interview, several analysts said, the directors may face pressure to rein in their headstrong celebrity CEO with his vast fan following, hire another executive who can ease the load of running Tesla, or both. Maybe he needs a co-chair, a co-CEO to help him get through this, who actually has experience in the automotive sector, unlike himself, said Bill Selesky, senior analyst with Argus Research. Not everyone is convinced, however, that Teslas board will stand up to Musk, who serves as its chairman. Several directors including Musks brother, Kimbal have long-standing ties to the entrepreneur. I dont think the investment community sees them as being very independent from Mr. Musk, said Charles Elson, director of the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware. He suggested splitting Teslas CEO and chairman positions, or designating a lead director to speak for the board. There are a lot of things they can do, Elson said. Im not sure theyre going to do them. Although Musk helped found the company and was its first significant investor, he was not its first CEO, nor its second or third. But since its original luxury electric car, the limited-edition Roadster, seized the publics attention a decade ago, Musk has become inextricably tied to the companys image and brand. With more than 22 million followers on Twitter, he has become the companys visionary and voice, as well as a forceful evangelist for electric vehicles and renewable power. When people are investing in Tesla, theyre mostly investing in Elon Musk, said Efraim Levy, senior equity analyst at the CFRA research firm. Is there a car company and a brand that could go on without him? Yes. But it would be greatly diminished. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes The Securities and Exchange Commission has reportedly questioned Tesla about Musks assertion, in his initial tweet about possibly going private, that he had already secured funding for the deal. In a blog post released nearly a week later, Musk explained that Saudi Arabias sovereign wealth fund had suggested the deal and expressed interest in backing it. The same post, however, made clear that the fund would need to scrutinize the financial terms of any deal before approving it. In his Friday New York Times interview, Musk said he tweeted his initial comment on going private en route to the airport and did not show it to anyone else in advance. The Times, citing unnamed sources, also said that Teslas board is indeed searching for a second-in-command to help Musk run the automaker, which he leads in addition to his SpaceX rocket company and his tunneling-equipment startup, the Boring Co. But Musk has developed a reputation as a difficult boss to please. Are they going to be able to find someone to take that position? Elson said. Would you want to be second banana to this CEO? Despite Fridays interview, several financial analysts said their opinion of Teslas performance as a business hasnt changed. Selesky, for example, said the company finally appears to be working out the kinks in the Model 3 production process and may have turned a corner on years of losses. Musk has insisted that Tesla will become profitable on a sustainable basis in the second half of this year. Its not going to be a straight line all the way up, Selesky said. As long as they can get their production problems fixed, they have a product American consumers want. David R. Baker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dbaker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @DavidBakerSF The pending departure of North Face, a landmark outdoor apparel company founded in San Francisco in 1966, highlights the challenges for nontech businesses in a region with the countrys highest housing costs. The expense of the Bay Area was a factor in the decision, announced last week, to move the companys headquarters from Alameda to Denver, said Craig Hodges, a spokesman for North Faces parent company, VF. VF, a Fortune 250 company that bought North Face in 2000, is itself relocating from North Carolina to Denver, and bringing JanSport, another Alameda subsidiary, there as well. North Face and JanSports move will mean the relocation of 650 jobs. The North Faces retail stores, including three in San Francisco, wont be affected by the move. But its a conspicuous addition to the roster of companies that have recently left the Bay Area. San Francisco engineering giant Bechtel is moving its headquarters by the end of the year to Reston, Va., where it has already expanded to be close to its federal government clients. In the past two years, Bare Escentuals, a cosmetics company, left San Francisco for New York and Jamba Juice moved from Emeryville to Frisco, Texas. Spectrum Location Solutions, a consultant for company relocations, found that 9,000 California companies had moved their headquarters or chosen to expand outside of the state between 2008 to 2015. Colorado was the fourth-most-popular state destination. Spectrum blamed Californias high taxes and strict regulations. Besides costs, other factors included VFs desire to consolidate its U.S. brands and operations, Hodges said. Its something the company has already done in Asia and Europe. Business just gets done faster and more efficiently, he said of the overseas offices. Colorado also agreed to give VF $27 million in tax credits for the move, though Hodges said the company plans to donate an equivalent amount to its charitable foundation. VF is not the kind of company that bases long-term business decisions like this based on some kind of incentives that it receives, he said. Founded in 1899, VF Corp. also owns Vans sneakers, and apparel and footwear brand Timberland, both of which wont relocate to Denver. Vans is located in Costa Mesa (Orange County), and Timberland is in Stratham, N.H. Two mountain-climbing enthusiasts, Doug Tompkins and his then-wife Susie Tompkins Buell, founded North Face in the mid-1960s, when mountaineering and hiking were catching on with Sierra Clubbers and other Bay Area outdoors buffs. The companys name comes from the side of a mountain that is typically the iciest and hardest to climb in the northern hemisphere. (Tompkins died in 2015 in a kayaking accident.) The company moved from San Francisco to Berkeley, then San Leandro, and finally in 2012 Alameda. North Face occupies more than 200,000 square feet of office space at 2701 Harbor Bay Parkway. The 6-year-old headquarters includes environmental features like solar panels and a rock climbing wall. Hodges said the future of the Alameda office, which VF owns, hasnt been determined. Christopher Thornberg, founding partner of Beacon Economics, a Los Angeles research firm, said relocations dont have a significant impact on the state or local economy, even though they grab headlines. I always think it's funny that these corporate relocations get such massive attention, he said. Corporate relocations are a minuscule portion of employment. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Job growth remains robust in the Bay Area, with unemployment below 4 percent in San Francisco, Alameda and Santa Clara counties in June. Many companies leave California because theyre struggling financially; one such example is Toyota, which moved its North American headquarters from Southern California to Texas in 2014, Thornberg said. You come to California when you're healthy and strong, and you leave when you're sick and weak, he said. However, VF has continued to grow despite turmoil in the retail industry. Last month, the company reported fiscal first quarter revenue of $2.7 billion, a 23 percent jump from the previous year. This in no way is a downsizing, said Hodges of the relocation, adding that all current employees will be offered jobs in Denver. Thornberg believes North Faces relocation wont hurt Alamedas economy significantly, but it is an indication of the challenges that companies and cities face. Seattles Amazon is in the midst of a high-profile hunt for a second corporate headquarters location, and no cities in the Bay Area are among the 20 finalists for the new office site. The Bay Area has become housing-constrained, Thornberg said. In that kind of environment, only the strongest survive. Right now, the strongest is tech. Roland Li is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: roland.li@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rolandlisf SACRAMENTO As fires burned across Northern California last fall, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. launched a lobbying campaign whose outcome could mean billion of dollars for the utility. PG&E, joined by Californias other big utility companies, pushed Sacramento to change a system that holds them financially liable for any wildfires sparked by their equipment, whether or not they followed the states safety rules. They found a powerful ally in Gov. Jerry Brown, who argued that as wildfires increase in size and intensity, the current system risks destabilizing the companies that supply the states electricity. The utilities 10-month lobbying push, however, appears to have failed. At least for now. On Saturday, a key state senator working with the governors office said the proposed liability changes would not pass during the current session, which ends Aug. 31. Slammed by opponents as a utility bailout, the proposed changes were too contentious and complex to settle in the sessions remaining days, said Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, co-chairman of the legislative conference committee on wildfire preparedness and response. And the debate made it difficult for lawmakers to focus on other fire-related measures, such as how the state can better manage the millions of drought-killed trees that are fueling the fires. Dodds comments came days after Senate Republican leaders called for dropping the liability issue for now. It was a tough fight, Dodd said of the liability changes. So we are pivoting. The conference committee, he said, will release a plan next week on what lawmakers feel they can accomplish this month. PG&E, which could face up to $17 billion in damages from the October wildfires, declined to comment Saturday, as did the governors office. The utilities are unlikely to give up the fight. But they will have to pursue it without Brown and his renowned arm-twisting prowess, because the governors final term ends in January. The issue of changing liability rules touched off a fierce lobbying campaign that intensified in recent weeks. Homeowners suing PG&E, as well as North Bay city and county officials, argued against any changes to the system, even drawing public support from longtime PG&E foe Erin Brockovich, whose fight against the utility over groundwater contamination was depicted in a movie. The utilities, backed by labor unions and business groups, formed the BRITE Coalition, for Building Resilient Infrastructure for Tomorrows Economy, and blanketed the airwaves with ads that called the current liability system unfair. Under a doctrine known as inverse condemnation, California utility companies can be held liable for economic damages from wildfires sparked by their equipment, even if they followed all of the states safety rules. As wildfires in the state grow more frequent and destructive, utility lobbyists have warned lawmakers that the companies could eventually be driven into bankruptcy if that system doesnt change. Fire investigators have blamed PG&Es equipment for starting 16 of the wildfires that devastated Northern California last fall. In 11 of those cases, investigators with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection found evidence that the company violated state safety laws. The cause of the most destructive fire the Tubbs Fire that tore through Santa Rosa has yet to be released. Fire Tracker Follow wildfires across the state Latest updates on wildfires burning across Northern and Southern California PG&E already took a $2.5 billion charge against earnings this year a figure larger than the companys profit for all of 2017 to cover the minimum liability that the company expects to face from last falls fires. While Wall Street analysts say the company is not in danger of bankruptcy, PG&E executives have warned that its cost of obtaining insurance is skyrocketing an expense that will eventually be passed on to customers. The liability changes Brown had proposed would have required courts to take into account whether utilities acted prudently in maintaining their systems before holding them liable. He also wanted judges to weigh the damage caused by a fire against the public benefit of providing electricity. Browns proposal would have applied only to fires that began after Jan. 1, purposely excluding Octobers deadly Wine Country fires and the blazes that tore through Ventura and Santa Barbara counties in December. Critics called it both a bailout for the utilities and a potential violation of the state Constitution, because it could have deprived property owners of their right to compensation when a utility providing a public benefit took or damaged their property. Victims of last years fires and future victims can breathe a sigh of relief that their constitutional rights are protected, said lobbyist Patrick McCallum with Up From the Ashes, a campaign funded by lawyers suing PG&E that had been fighting to block changes to the states liability laws. He said, however, that negotiations would continue on other fire-related reforms, including ways to make sure the utilities remain financially stable. Lawmakers have discussed possibly creating an insurance pool for the companies. Melody Gutierrez and David R. Baker are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: mgutierrez@sfchronicle.com, dbaker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MelodyGutierrez, @DavidBakerSF Just days before Nia Wilson was fatally stabbed in the neck last month at an Oakland BART station, two other female passengers were threatened with a similar fate by the same man, according to attorneys for Wilsons family. A man at Civic Center Station in San Francisco looked at one of the women and slid his hand across his neck to imply he would slit her throat, while another woman in a separate incident saw a man brandish a knife on a train, the attorneys said. John Lee Cowell a transient and frequent BART passenger charged with murdering 18-year-old Wilson was the man in both incidents, attorneys said. Despite the womens efforts to alert authorities of Cowells threats, attorneys said, no BART personnel could be found in the station. Attorneys for Wilsons family revealed the allegations Friday morning, the same day they filed a claim against the transit agency, a precursor to a lawsuit expected to be filed in a few months. Wilsons killing was a simple case of cause and effect, according to the claim. If BART authorities had maintained the standards required to keep riders safe, attorneys said, Cowell wouldnt have been on the MacArthur Station platform on July 22. And if Cowell werent there, Wilson would still be alive. Nias death is not some horrific anomaly that occurred in two seconds that nobody could do anything about, attorney Robert Arns said Friday. Theres a serious and endemic public safety problem on BART, and just about everybody who rides BART knows that. Wilsons family, dressed in Nia T-shirts, sat behind the attorneys and dabbed their eyes as Arns spoke to reporters. Among the family members present Friday were Wilsons sisters Letifah and Tashiya, who both saw their sister die on the BART station platform. Letifah was stabbed in the neck as well but survived. The family declined comment Friday. In an emailed statement, BART spokeswoman Anna Duckworth said the agency expresses its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Nia Wilson. We have not yet been served and we cant comment on pending litigation, but we can say that safety is our top priority and we remain committed to do all we can to ensure a safe trip for our riders, Duckworth said, adding that the agency is investigating the additional claims of threats made by Cowell. Wilsons death capped off an especially violent week for the transit agency, marking the third fatal attack on BART property in five days. The wave of crimes prompted officials to roll out a blueprint they say will make the rail lines safer. The plan includes adding police patrols on BART trains, installing emergency call boxes, and speeding up construction that would make fare evasion more difficult. The correlation between fare evasion and BART crime is central to the Wilson familys claims against the transit line. Arns said experts will testify that, in other large cities, mass transit crimes are most often committed by those who dodge payment. There is no known study on this correlation in the Bay Area, Arns said. BART has a history of failure to take action against fare evasion, according to the claim. Attorneys pointed to a 2017 figure released by BART officials, which noted that about 22,000 people sneak through the fare gates every day. 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. The looming suit says Cowell should have been apprehended after either of the two threats one of which was apparently reported to police at a later date or he shouldnt have been allowed on the platform at all if he didnt pay his fare. The suit will seek three things, attorneys said: transparency when it comes to criminal activity on BART property, a new system to prevent fare evaders, and just compensation for Wilsons family. Attorneys did not specify a dollar figure, adding that would be up to a jury to decide. This week, BART officials told The Chronicles editorial board there is a correlation between crime and fare evasion. But they said they didnt know whether Cowell evaded fare on the evening of July 22, though he was cited for the same offense days earlier. A BART spokeswoman did not respond to the same question Friday. Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy A San Francisco police officer was harassed because of his sexual orientation in a yearlong bullying campaign by superiors that only got worse when he reported the behavior, according to a lawsuit filed this week against the city. Brendan Mannix, 28, accused members of the Police Department of sexual harassment, sexual discrimination based on his sexual orientation, and retaliating against a whistle-blower. Mannixs attorneys filed the suit Thursday in San Francisco Superior Court. Mannix said two sergeants at Central Station frequently made comments about his sexual orientation, including calling him a queen, too dramatic and insulting his masculinity, attorney Lawrence Organ wrote. When he tried to report the behavior, Mannix allegedly faced retaliation, and he said the department didnt do anything to stop the harassment. The Police Department said it could not comment on the lawsuit but takes allegations of discrimination and officer misconduct seriously and will thoroughly investigate all complaints. The San Francisco Police Department is committed to diversity, tolerance and respect for the public and all of our members, said David Stevenson, a police spokesman. Department members are sworn to hold each other accountable and required to act swiftly to report any misconduct. The San Francisco city attorneys office said it has not been served with the lawsuit and could not comment on it. The city of San Francisco, including the Police Department, has been a leader on LGBT rights for decades and remains committed to providing a safe and respectful work environment for all, said John Cote, a spokesman for the city attorneys office. Mannix who is still employed as a San Francisco police officer graduated from the police academy in May 2015 and was assigned to the Richmond Station, where he completed his field training over a probationary period. In the fall of 2016, he transferred to the Central Station, where officers are assigned to patrol the Financial District, the Embarcadero, Chinatown and North Beach. Thats when the trouble started, Organ said. Mr. Mannix quickly noticed the Old Boys Club atmosphere of the station: Anyone who did not fit a precise mold broadly speaking, straight, cisgender, white and male was targeted for mistreatment; those who complained about it were treated even worse, Organ wrote. The bulk of Mannixs accusations focus on two sergeants. One suggested Mannix was in a sexual relationship with the other gay officer at the station, and when Mannix did or said something the sergeant believed was stereotypically gay, he would say ugh, you gays! or God, you gays! Organ said. The sergeant, Organ said, would also mock Mannixs hair style and physical appearance, making comments like, Is that hair big enough?! and How much do you weigh? One hundred pounds soaking wet? In one instance, when they discovered a dead body in the water at night, the sergeant told him, dont be such a queen, when Mannix said he was cold, Organ said. Mannix later confronted the two sergeants in a station conference room, asking them to stop the harassment, Organ said. The second sergeant, he said, got in Mannixs face and told him, if you think I am a bully, file a fing complaint. In another instance, a sergeant talked positively about how back in the day, the police would round up all of the trannies who were prostitutes, which Mannix found offensive and concerning, his attorney said. 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. Mannix claims the sergeants then began retaliating against him. In April 2017, he chased a robbery suspect down Market Street and radioed for backup. No one from his station immediately showed up to help and Mannix apprehended the suspect himself, Organ said. Officers from a neighboring station eventually arrived on the scene to assist, he said. The alleged harassment began to take a toll, Organ said, prompting Mannix to take a three-month leave beginning May 1, 2017, to maintain his mental health. When he returned in August, Mannix filed a formal complaint, but the sergeant who took the report was dismissive and omitted many of the incidents he reported, Organ said. The complaint was later closed. In September, Mannix and his partner responded to a domestic violence call and the suspect shot at them, forcing them to retreat. Backup later arrived and shot the man. Mannix complained that he had to accompany the suspect to the hospital, where he waited through the night, spending more than 12 hours on shift. Mannix said he was later given unfavorable assignments at the station. He was later summoned into a meeting with a lieutenant to discuss the harassment complaints with his sergeant. The sergeant told him that he had inappropriately addressed her and violated policy by discussing an active Internal Affairs investigation, Organ said. Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky A jury trial in the Ghost Ship fire case probably will not begin until 2019, attorneys for the two defendants said following a brief hearing Friday in Oakland. The need to arrange a trial timeline came after Alameda County prosecutors told a judge and defense lawyers this week that they will no longer negotiate any plea agreements. Alameda County Superior Court Judge James Cramer last week rejected a deal for Derick Almena, master tenant of the warehouse where 36 people died in the 2016 fire, because he wasnt convinced of Almenas remorse. Since the plea agreement was a package deal with defendant Max Harris, creative director of the artist collective, his also was set aside. The men had each pleaded no contest to 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter as part of the rejected deal. Almena, 48, would have been sentenced to nine years in county jail and Harris, 28, would have received a six-year sentence. Defense lawyers accused the district attorneys office of flip-flopping and acting at the behest of victims families, rather than within the bounds of legal reason. Prosecutors David Lim and Autrey James acknowledged in the letter that their view and analysis of the case were deeply affected by statements from friends and relatives of victims during a two-day sentencing hearing last week. Victims families traditionally want far more than what the law allows, said Tony Serra, an attorney representing Almena. Most of them want blood, no matter what my guy did or said. You cant cue off them for sentencing, but thats now what the district attorneys office is doing, which in my mind almost always results in a miscarriage of justice. A fire investigation concluded that the cause of the blaze could not be determined. It began in the northwest corner of the ground floor, investigators said. Serra said he will file motions contesting Cramers authority to toss the plea agreement given that it was a different judge who had initially accepted the deal and to move the case to another county. He said he will argue that the jury pool in Alameda County is too tainted by media coverage of the case. Curtis Briggs, an attorney for Harris, said he is refreshed and excited for a trial and the opportunity to attain an acquittal for his client. He called on District Attorney Nancy OMalley to personally try the case and explain why her office did not file charges against property owner Chor Ng or any government official who failed to respond to the dangerous conditions inside warehouse. 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. Briggs, whose fees are being paid by the county, said a trial will be costly for the public. The victims families suffered a horrible tragedy, but that doesnt mean they get a blank check to try a case thats weak, he said. This case was settled out for a minimal amount of time, but because (prosecutors) cant handle the pressure and pushback from families, they are going to put a couple million dollars of taxpayers money possibly down the tubes if we acquit Max Harris. Briggs accused judges in the case of similarly being terrified of victims families and the political pressure that would result from approving a deal for Harris. The next scheduling hearing in the case is Sept. 7. Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov CINCINNATI Rookie pitcher Dereck Rodriguez was one of the first Giants off the bench as catcher Nick Hundley and the Dodgers Yasiel Puig squared off Tuesday at Dodger Stadium. Being in Puerto Rico and watching my dad over the years, you kind of know when stuff starts to heat up, said Rodriguez, son of Hall of Fame catcher Ivan Rodriguez. Once I saw Puig look at Hundley and start saying some words, I knew something was going to go down. I had one foot out of the dugout, and when (Puig) pushed him, I took off. I didnt want (Hundley) to be there by himself. Rodriguez was on a peacekeeping mission, he said, adding, Im not a big altercation guy. As it turned out, Rodriguez strained his right hamstring during the tussle and on Thursday was sent to the 10-day disabled list. Friday, with his left leg wrapped in ice, Rodriguez said he felt what he thought was a leg cramp when running onto the field. When Rodriguez was holding back players during the scrum, he felt it more. He figured it would go away overnight, but it didnt. An MRI exam showed a Grade 1 hamstring strain, not as severe as Grade 2, but enough to keep him off the mound. Rodriguez threw on flat ground Friday and said he felt fine throwing but would have issues fielding his position and hitting. He is eligible to pitch Thursday in New York (10 days is retroactive to his last start), but that might be premature. Rodriguezs absence he has a 2.25 ERA in 14 games (12 starts) and 1.28 ERA since June 24 could hurt his Rookie of the Year candidacy, but more than that, hell be missed as an integral part of the rotation. He said if he were an American Leaguer, with the designated hitter rule, he could keep pitching, but Giants manager Bruce Bochy denied such a possibility. Its unfortunate, Bochy said. This guy was throwing the ball as well as anybody. Hell be down 10 days at least. Strickland to return: Hunter Strickland will come off the DL on Saturday after missing two months with a broken hand, and Bochy said he could use the right-hander in the sixth, seventh or eighth innings. Strickland hasnt pitched in the majors since June 18, when he gave up three runs to the Marlins and punched a clubhouse door. His six-game minor-league rehab assignment ended Wednesday. Its definitely taken longer than I wanted, but its part of it, Strickland said. Its something I brought on myself, so youve just got to deal with it and move forward. John Shea is The San Francisco Chronicles national baseball writer. No phones allowed. That was the one request Jack White had during his show Thursday, Aug. 16, in San Francisco. Patrons could either leave them outside the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium or put them in a locked bag created by a 4-year-old San Francisco startup called Yondr that they could carry with them but could only access outside the hall. (So if a concertgoer had to check in with the babysitter, they could.) The idea is rooted in a simple concept that is increasingly hard to achieve in an era when we check our phones 80 times a day: Be here now. And for the nearly two-hour concert, most of the crowd soaked in the moment. Those who survived without a reach for the unreachable were rewarded with a different kind of euphoria. The kind they felt back in 1998, when phones had cords. I loved it, said Dan Hirsch, 50, of Mill Valley, after the show. You could escape for two hours without thinking about it. It was like how life used to be. David James Swanson The idea is catching on, as musicians including Childish Gambino, Bruno Mars , the Lumineers and Ariana Grande and comedians Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle are among the more than 300 artists who have worked with Yondr to create phone-free shows. Yet Whites simple request has certainly been harder to live by since the iPhone entered the world in 2007. Since then, the sea of hands in the air at a concert havent been clapping theyve been gripping a phone. Filming something. Anything. Often, poorly. Then posting it. Or letting it clog the phones storage space for years. And if the song was boring, well, then its time to tune out of the show to check Twitter. Or ESPN. But that vibe vanished Thursday. People talked to each other before the show and between sets. They didnt stare at their phones in the bathroom. Only a handful went to the phone-permitted zones near the bar. During his encore Thursday, White took advantage of having his audiences rapt attention to implore them to clap along. Cmon, he said. You dont have your hands full tonight. They listened. When White closed the show with his anthemic Seven Nation Army, there wasnt a sea of cameras in the air, there was a sea of waving hands. Many were holding cups of beer. For a moment, it was 1998 again. Youd think this ban would hit digital natives the hardest, as their generation doesnt remember a world where they couldnt pack a high-quality recording device into their pocket. A 2015 survey by Ticketfly found that 31 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds who attend live music shows say theyre on their device for half the show. Only 15 percent said they dont spark up their phone during a concert. But several said they were OK with enjoying photos of the show on Whites Instagram page. The trade-off was worth it. I didnt realize how great it would be to not have people putting their phones in front of my face all the time, said Lexi Kookootsedes, 23, of Fairfax. Jamaal Ellis / Hearst Newspapers And there wasnt a huge logjam to unlock phones and return the Yondr bags on the way out the door. It was just like returning 3-D glasses after a movie. The reason people go to experience live music is to be swept up into a shared mood, Yondr founder Graham Dugoni told The Chronicle this week. He believes that collective mood that invisible, shared connection between performer and the audience changes as soon as somebody in the crowd whips out their phone. What that does is create a little paper cut. That energy leaves the room and doesnt come back. At least for this one night, that energy stayed in the room. But as one bartender working Thursday cautioned, This is great to see. But this crowd is a little older. You wouldnt want to try this at an EDM show. Those people would go crazy without their phones. Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli A federal judge says California and its local governments can sue to stop the Trump administration from adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census, noting that the state has much at stake the potential loss of seats in Congress and billions in federal funds. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross decision to ask all residents whether they are U.S. citizens has drawn lawsuits from about two dozen states, mostly with substantial immigrant populations and Democratic majorities. Ross contends the questions would help the Justice Department enforce the Voting Rights Act by getting a more accurate count of potential voters and making it easier to design minority-controlled districts. But opponents say the real motivation is to reduce participation and population counts in immigrant communities. The states would lose House seats, mainly in Democratic districts, and substantial federal funding based on population. A federal judge in New York allowed a multistate suit to proceed in July, saying the states had made plausible claims that the citizenship question was discriminatory. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg of San Francisco rejected the administrations motion to dismiss a suit by California and several local governments, including Los Angeles, Oakland, San Jose and Fremont. While Trump administration lawyers argued that the state could not point to any harm it would suffer, Seeborg disagreed. He said the suit plausibly alleged that a citizenship question will depress response rates, particularly among immigrants and relatives of immigrants who may feel trepidation identifying themselves or others as noncitizens. He also said the acting Census Bureau director, Ron Jarmin, had acknowledged in recent congressional testimony that the question would probably depress participation in the once-per-decade census. Seeborg rejected the administrations argument that the census law allowed only Congress, and not the courts, to review the contents of the questionnaire. He allowed California to pursue a claim that the judge in New York had dismissed that the addition of a citizenship question would violate the constitutional requirement to conduct an accurate enumeration of the entire population every 10 years. The lawsuit, Seeborg said, presented a long list of government policies, actions, and rhetoric within the last year that would tend to make noncitizens and their family members potentially afraid to divulge their households citizenship status to a federal agency. 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. In the current political climate, he said, the state has presented enough evidence to pursue its claim that the change would undermine the strong constitutional interest in accuracy of the census. Attorney General Xavier Becerra said the ruling allows the state to obtain evidence from the Trump administration to understand the decision-making behind the administrations efforts to disrupt an accurate census count. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko Thursday was an important legislative deadline for California lawmakers it was the last day of this legislative session for fiscal committees to meet and move bills. The results of their last-minute deliberations contain more than a few surprises. Lawmakers in both houses allowed scores of controversial bills to die and many others to pass. Their action on Thursday offers important lessons about the challenges that lie ahead for California. Marijuana bank. Cannabis farmers, shop owners and investors have complained about being unable to deposit their money in federally chartered banks. Many face elevated security risks from having to hold large amounts of cash. This is a real problem thats crying out for a real solution. Unfortunately, SB930, authored by state Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Los Angeles), would have created significant problems for the state. The bill also would have allowed the state to license private banks to handle cannabis industry dollars. But according to a legislative analysis, the bill wouldnt protect the banks from federal law enforcement action and might have even made them easier targets for it. Health care for undocumented immigrants. Currently, only undocumented children are eligible for Medi-Cal, Californias low-income health care program. Lawmakers decided not to move forward two bills that could have extended Medi-Cal services to undocumented adults: SB974, which would have granted expanded access to those age 65 and older, and AB2965, which would have extended Medi-Cal to the age of 26. Expense was the culprit for these bills demise: Legislative analysis found both bills would have cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars a year. State lawmakers are right to be cautious, yet the episode is a grim reminder of the fact that too many Californians are struggling to make ends meet. This brings us to a controversial bill the Legislature did choose to move forward: Bail reform. SB10, a proposal to end the cash bail system for certain defendants awaiting trial, passed out of the Assemblys appropriations committee. Both Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins have made bail reform a top priority. They are right to do so the cash bail system has little to do with public safety and everything to do with a defendants wealth. But SB10, which would set up a pretrial release system based on individual risk assessments for defendants, was amended several times and has lost many of its original advocates. The revised version of SB10 does not have strong controls on the tools used to evaluate suitability for pretrial release, said Anne Irwin, director of Smart Justice California. Her organization once supported the bill but has taken a neutral position after its amendments. What we know from research across the country is that without strong controls those assessments can be incredibly racially biased. Should SB10 pass its final votes, its success will depend on how judges choose to implement its strictures. State lawmakers will need to be as vigilant about its fulfillment as theyre being about its strictures. 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. Eighteen people serving life without the possibility of parole for murder in California will have a chance at freedom after Gov. Jerry Brown agreed to commute their sentences. The 18 are among 31 prisoners granted clemency and 36 ex-convicts pardoned by the governor Friday. The pardons were mostly for drug-related or nonviolent crimes, but Browns mercy also fell on Vanna In, a 42-year-old Fresno pastor from Cambodia who was convicted of murder in 1994, when he was 17, for shooting a gang rival. He was facing possible deportation to a country he hasnt been in since he was 2. The pastor, who has since dedicated his life to helping former gang members get their lives together, wasnt the only convicted murderer who got a break. Brown commuted the sentences of people who had been found responsible for gang-related slayings, revenge slayings and multiple murders. The commutations mean, in most cases, that the inmates can make their case before a parole board for freedom. Those granted pardons all completed their sentences years ago and demonstrated exemplary behavior and have lived productive and law-abiding lives following their conviction, said a news release issued Friday by the governors office. Pardons are not granted unless they are earned. In, a father of three, was released from prison in 2001 after serving six years for second-degree murder and started Jobs of Hope, which helps former gang members. He is now a pastor of student and family ministries at North Fresno Church Mennonite Brethren. A Change.org petition asking the governor to grant him a pardon garnered 7,000 signatures. Those who won commutations included Kimberly LaBore, who has served 20 years for participating in the slayings of two men in Santa Cruz while she was high on methamphetamine. Had it not been for my addiction and criminal lifestyle, I know these crimes would not have happened, she wrote in her request to Brown. My dream is to do my best to bring awareness to the death and mayhem addiction can bring to your life. Most of the other convicts whose sentences were commuted expressed remorse. I regret every single second of that night, and I wish I could undo all the pain and suffering I caused the victim and everyone affected by my crime, wrote Ardell Adams, who in 1993 shot a man during a botched robbery attempt outside a Sacramento market. He is suffering from colon cancer and has been given only months to live. Even if I dont benefit from this commutation, he said, Id still like to take responsibility for the crime and show that I am a better person. The governor said all of those who won commutations displayed evidence of rehabilitation. Among those whose life-without-parole sentences were commuted were Virgil Eugene Holt, who gunned down his supervisor at an Alameda County fast food restaurant in 1989 after the boss fired him, and Deryus Brown, who participated in a 2004 gang shooting in Sacramento County when he was 19. Other Bay Area killers whose sentences were commuted were David Bom Le, who in 2006 participated in a gang-related shooting in Alameda County, and Ronald George, who assisted his brother in killing a San Mateo County man over a drug debt in 1979. Two other men were pardoned by Brown before they could be deported. Phal Sok of Los Angeles served 15 years in state prison for an armed robbery he committed when he was 17. He was ordered deported to Cambodia in 2016, a place he hadnt been to since his parents left in 1981, when he was an infant. Sok has worked at a nonprofit organization that connects children to their incarcerated parents and as an organizer with the California Youth Justice Coalition. I believe Ive done some good after paying the price for the crimes I committed. But immigration law does not see it that way, Sok wrote in a 2017 edition of the Criminal Justice Newsletter. It only sees the 17 year old that made those choices. It only sees the bad hombre. Im not that person anymore. Heng Lao, a small business owner in the Los Angeles area who served two years in prison for a 1998 assault, also was pardoned. The pardons, which are filed with the secretary of state and the Legislature, wipe the crimes off the California Department of Justice and FBI books. David Swing, the president of the California Police Chiefs Association, said he was surprised that the governor would release convicts serving life for murder. Clearly those are serious, violent offenders who committed very heinous crimes, and they should remain in custody, Swing said. I think that the residents of California deserve to live in a safe environment, and increasing the number of people in our communities who have the propensity to commit violent crime like murder makes the job of law enforcement more challenging. Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite This story appeared on KCRA. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KCRA) A man used a stolen California Highway Patrol cruiser to steal a bus from the Sacramento State campus Friday afternoon, Sacramento State spokesman Brian Blomster said. Aaron David Avitan, 34, of Vallejo, was involved in a crash on Highway 50 when a CHP officer came by to help, according to the CHP. As the officer was helping the other driver, Avitan got into the CHP cruiser and drove it to Sacramento State, the CHP said. Avitan then used the cruiser to pull over a Delta College bus about 12:30 p.m. at the Sacramento State campus. He took the wheel of the bus and started driving away, officials said. Passengers on the bus realized something was wrong and "subdued" Avitan, according to witnesses. CHP said Avitan then tried to get off the bus, but several people outside held the doors closed. Avitan was taken into custody by Sacramento State police short time later, CHP said. There was no danger to the campus, but the school's north entrance on J Street was closed while authorities investigate. No one was injured. The Delta College bus had about 10 students onboard and was on its way to a student-government retreat at Lake Tahoe. The students were passing through Sacramento State when their bus was stolen. "We are relieved that there were no injuries, and we are thankful for the brave actions of our students in reportedly subduing the driver," Delta College officials said in an email to KCRA. "We are also thankful for the prompt response of law enforcement." No other details have been released. Silicon Valleys going old school. As tech companies like Facebook and Google vacuum up billions of dollars in online advertising, theyre pouring their own marketing dollars into billboards and other forms of outdoor signage. Thats driving growth in one of the oldest forms of marketing and is one reason why the category is the only traditional channel expected to grow this year. Facebook recently ran an outdoor campaign to promote its new approach to user safety and privacy. Music-streaming pioneer Spotify Technology SA teamed up with the Brooklyn Museum to honor music icon David Bowie and promote the free version of the companys app in subway advertising. And semiconductor maker Intel Corp. hyped its artificial-intelligence technology thats used to help find criminals in a crowd. Tech companies have become massive spenders of outdoor advertising but in specific ways, Vincent Letang, executive vice president of global market intelligence at research firm Magna, said in a phone interview. Bus stops, train stations and airports are good places for these companies to reach an active workforce and to generate social buzz. Apple, Google and Amazon.com ranked among the top six spenders on out-of-home advertising last year, and Netflix made it into the top 15, according to the Outdoor Advertising Association of America. The category includes traditional roadside billboards, plus digital signs at bus stops and train stations, as well as signs mounted in stadiums and arenas. Revenue from out-of-home advertising is forecast to expand 2 percent this year to $8 billion, up from 1 percent in 2017, Magna said in a June report. The ads have come a long way since the hand-painted billboards of the 1900s. Today, digital displays can rotate images every 10 seconds or so, providing wider exposure to a broader range of products. Whats more, theyre still one of the most cost-effective ways to reach consumers, said James Goss, an analyst at Barrington Research Associates Inc. A billboard is a display that is difficult to ignore, he said. Alex Bodman, Spotifys global executive creative director, said he was stunned by the number of social media shares that the Bowie campaign racked up. The campaign in June won a gold award in the Cannes Outdoor Lions category, which celebrates creative outdoor campaigns featuring partnerships, people and storytelling. If you do any outdoor campaign in a unique and creative way, all the people connected on their mobile phones will want to share it on social media, he said. Outdoor advertising can become social media. Until recently, its been much easier to collect and analyze data for online advertisements, giving the medium a clear advantage over outdoor campaigns. But thats beginning to change. Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, which has more than 1,200 digital roadside billboards across 28 U.S. markets, said its now using mobile data from a third-party provider to detect which phones pass in front of its billboards. Thats helping to make the case that physical ads in public spaces still work. Things that people can physically see and touch are much more believable, said Chris Garbutt, global chief creative officer for ad agency TBWA, which works with top tech companies including Apple and Intel. It makes sense for these tech companies to use outdoor advertising. Caleb Mutua is a Bloomberg writer. Email: dmutua@bloomberg.net Tesla is not considering hiring a second in command, CEO Elon Musk said in wide-ranging comments to the New York Times. Musks remarks during the hourlong interview came despite long-running efforts by the company to recruit a chief operating officer who could assume some of his day-to-day responsibilities. He also discussed the extraordinary demands of running Tesla and the profound effect it has had on his personal life. To the best of my knowledge, Musk said Thursday, there was no active search right now. People familiar with the matter, however, said that executives are looking for a No. 2 executive, and one person said the hunt has intensified in recent weeks. A couple of years ago, Tesla approached Sheryl Sandberg, currently Facebooks second most senior executive, about the job, Musk said. Here are four other takeaways from the interview, at his home in Los Angeles. Impromptu tweet: Musk provided a detailed timeline of the events that preceded the tweet that roiled financial markets, outlining how the day began with an early workout at his home before he drove himself to the airport in a Tesla Model S. En route, he typed out the message that provoked the latest crisis over his leadership of Tesla. Am considering taking Tesla private at $420. Funding secured, he wrote. Musk said no one reviewed or saw the tweet before he sent it, but the post sent Teslas shares soaring. He then reached the airport and took a private jet to a Tesla battery plant in Nevada. Later that evening, he flew to the Bay Area and held meetings into the night. When Musk sent out the tweet, Teslas share price rocketed upward, finally closing up 11 percent to finish the day just above $379. He said in the interview that he had sought to offer shareholders a roughly 20 percent premium over where the stock had recently been trading, and rounded up to $420 a share. Since then, however, Teslas share price has nose-dived. The stock closed Friday at $305.50 per share, down about 9 percent for the day. No regrets: Although his tweet prompted questions from the Securities and Exchange Commission such information is usually issued through official channels after extensive preparation and from his own board, Musk said he did not regret sending it. Why would I? he asked. The Tesla chief said he did not plan to stop using Twitter, either. Some board members have recently told him that he should lay off and focus on his company, according to people familiar with the matter. Not on weed: Once Musks tweet about taking Tesla private was posted, speculation was rife that his target share price, $420, held an implicit message the number has become code for marijuana in counterculture lore. Musk was, however, definitive in his response. I was not on weed, to be clear, he said. Weed is not helpful for productivity. Theres a reason for the word stoned. You just sit there like a stone on weed. He did note, though, that he sometimes takes Ambien to help him sleep when he is not working, a practice that has worried some of Teslas board members. They worry that the drug does not put Musk to sleep, but instead contributes to late-night Twitter sessions, a person familiar with the matter said. Some board members are also aware that Musk has occasionally used recreational drugs, according to people familiar with the matter. The worst is yet to come: Musk outlined the toll that running Tesla had taken on his personal life, from spending the entirety of his birthday at work to nearly missing his brothers wedding, where he was to be best man. But while that effort appears to have helped Tesla gain a firmer footing, things could get worse for him personally, he said. I thought the worst of it was over I thought it was, he said. The worst is over from a Tesla operational standpoint. But from a personal pain standpoint, Musk added, the worst is yet to come. Prashant S. Rao is a New York Times writer. Firefighters were making progress on extending containment lines on the largest wildfire in California history, though unhealthy ozone levels caused by smoky conditions and 90-degree temperatures will challenge crews through the weekend, fire officials said Saturday. The Mendocino Complex, comprising the Ranch Fire and River Fire, grew slightly overnight on the northern edge and reached 334,770 acres. It was 76 percent contained by Saturday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. The blazing fires in Northern California have worsened air quality in the Bay Area, prompting officials to declare the eighth Spare the Air alert of the year for Sunday. Officials with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District announced the alert Saturday, advising residents that ozone pollution is forecast to reach unhealthy levels Sunday because of a mixture of wildfire smoke, exhaust emanating from vehicle tailpipes, and warm temperatures. The smoke from the wildfires in California, Oregon and British Columbia is exacerbating the poor air quality, said Kristine Roselius, a spokeswoman for the air district. As the temperatures get hotter, the air quality declines, so thats when well see the worst air quality of the day Sunday. Residents are advised to take public transit or carpool if they must travel. Officials advised residents to avoid exposure to the smog if possible by staying indoors with the doors and windows closed until the alert is lifted. The unhealthy ozone levels can be harmful for young children, seniors and people with respiratory and heart conditions. Firefighters working on the fire line will face diminished air quality due to fine particulate matter in the air, Roselius said A high-pressure system over the blaze is creating smoky and hazy conditions for crews on the ground and in the air, said Idamis Del Valle, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Its still going to be warm and dry for crews at the Mendocino Complex fire, Del Valle said Saturday. Smoke and haze will increase today because of that system, but there wont be any strong, gusty winds. Cal Fire officials said heavy smoke is making it impossible for fixed-wing aircraft to navigate, but Del Valle said another weather system is expected to push through Sunday afternoon and last into next week, which she said should clear out much of the smoke and haze. In the meantime, crews are planning to take advantage of an inversion layer of smoke that clears midafternoon to fly aircraft over the blaze and drop retardant. Crews have been mopping up and constructing containment lines on the northern portion of the Mendocino Complex fire, officials said. On the southern portion of the fire, suppression repair efforts will continue throughout the day, Cal Fire said. Firing operations will continue as weather conditions and fuel moistures allow. Roughly 3,470 fire personnel are working to extinguish the Mendocino Complex, which is expected to be fully contained by Sept. 1. Officials say 200 engines, 89 water tenders, 21 helicopters and 62 bulldozers are responding to the fire. Two people have been injured and one Utah firefighter, Matthew Burchett, was killed fighting the Mendocino Complex. Firefighters in Redding worked to construct containment lines through the night on the Carr Fire, which has burned 227,085 acres since it sparked from a mechanical vehicle failure on July 23. The blaze was 81 percent contained by Saturday, officials said. The blaze has killed three firefighters, including Redding fire inspector Jeremiah Jeremy Stoke, who was killed by a catastrophic fire tornado. Melody Bledsoe, 70, and her two great-grandchildren, James Roberts Jr., 5, and Emily Roberts, 4, also died in the blaze. Jairus Ayeta, an apprentice lineman with PG&E, was the seventh fatality related to the Carr Fire. It is not known when the blaze will be fully contained. Near Yosemite, the Ferguson Fire grew slightly to 96,824 acres with 87 percent containment Saturday, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Lauren Hernandez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LaurenPorFavor An inmate firefighter needed to be hoisted to safety by a helicopter after becoming overheated while fighting the Hirz fire north of Shasta Lake, according to the California Highway Patrol, which posted video of the rescue late Friday. While working on a firefighting crew, the incarcerated man started "suffering from heat related symptoms," the CHP said in a statement. MORE: Plum gig or slave labor? California inmates fight wildfires for $1 an hour The fire is burning in Shasta National Forest with 784 people working to contain it, tearing through conifers, oaks, and detritus acting as fuel on parts of the land used for timber, officials say. Containment is expected by September 1. It would have taken more than an hour to get the man out on foot, but luckily, the helicopter provided a faster option. Dispatched from Redding, the helicopter navigated to the fire area and located the man fitted with a saddle "in remote terrain near the fire," and hoisted him into the helicopter. RELATED: 102 female inmates fought on front lines of North Bay wildfires He was transported to Mercy Hospital in Redding and treated in the ER, the CHP said. Over 3,000 inmates from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation work to clear brush and dig fire lines for pay that averages $2 a day, or $1 an hour when they're fighting an active fire, according to Cal Fire. The program has been criticized for failing to translate into the possibility of jobs as firefighters for inmates after they leave prison, but this year, the state has allocated $26.6 million to create a training and certification program so that people who fight fires while incarcerated can more successfully apply for firefighting jobs with local and state agencies on the outside upon their release. The Hirz fire started burning in the early hours of Aug. 9 and has since grown to 12,550 acres with an estimated 11 percent containment as of Saturday morning, according to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group. Filipa Ioannou is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at fioannou@sfchronicle.com and follow her on Twitter An 85-year-old man is in custody in connection with the shooting of his adult nephew during a family dispute Saturday morning, officials said. San Francisco police officers responded to the 1100 block of Fell Street near Alamo Square Park just before 9 a.m. and found a 49-year-old man suffering from a least one non-life-threatening gunshot wound, according to the San Francisco Police Department. When Playland-At-The-Beach shuttered at San Francisco's Ocean Beach in 1972, its comic and family-oriented attractions weren't discarded. Nearly all of its arcade games and quirky oddities eventually saw daylight again in 2008, when Playland-Not-At-The-Beach opened in nearby (and landlocked) El Cerrito in tribute. But all good things end, and after more than a decade, items in the museum of "vintage circus collectibles, funhouse fixtures, arcade games and slices of San Francisco history" will be auctioned off to the public in mid-September, as Playland-Not-At-The-Beach closes to make way for a new condo development. WASHINGTON Special Counsel Robert Mueller has urged a federal judge to sentence George Papadopoulos to up to six months in prison, saying in a court filing that his lies harmed the Russia investigation. The defendants false statements were intended to harm the investigation, and did so, prosecutors wrote in a scathing sentencing memo filed Friday night. Papadopoulos, a former foreign policy aide to the Trump campaign, was the first person charged in the Russia investigation. He pleaded guilty last year to making false statements to FBI agents, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 7. One of those lies which occurred when he first met FBI agents on Jan. 27, 2017 may have allowed a key figure in the case to slip away, according to the court filing. Papadopoulos told the agents that he hadnt talked to a London academic who had Russian connections until after he joined the Trump campaign. Those statements substantially hindered investigators ability to effectively question the professor when the FBI located him in Washington, D.C., approximately two weeks later, the court filing said. The defendants lies undermined investigators ability to challenge the professor or potentially detain or arrest him while he was still in the United States. The FBI first launched the Russia counterintelligence investigation in mid-2016 after Papadopoulos reportedly told an Australian diplomat in London that he heard Moscow had political dirt on Hillary Clinton, including hacked emails. Australian officials passed the information to their U.S. counterparts. Friday nights prosecution memo was filed hours after Trump again denounced the Mueller investigation as a rigged witch hunt, and appeared to blame it on Democrats, not Russias interference in the election. Chris Megerian is a Los Angeles Times writer. WASHINGTON Justice Department lawyers asked a federal judge Friday to let them file a legal appeal that could, for now, keep President Trumps critics from getting access to financial records related to his Washington hotel. Trump has been fighting multiple lawsuits that argue that foreign representatives spending money at the Trump International Hotel is a violation of the U.S. Constitutions emoluments clause, which bans federal officials from accepting benefits from foreign or state governments without congressional approval. U.S. District Judge Peter Messitte, who is based in Maryland, ruled last month that one of those lawsuits could go forward. In a sally to prevent the case moving on to legal discovery which would potentially unearth financial records such as Trumps income tax returns Justice Department lawyers asked Messitte on Friday to put the case on hold while they appeal his decision to a higher court. In court documents, the Justice Department objected to any discovery on a sitting president in his official capacity because of separation of powers concerns, in order to avoid a constitutional confrontation between two branches of government. The emoluments clause has never been fully tested in an American courtroom. Two other lawsuits accusing the president of violating the emoluments clause are also being heard in other federal courts. Neither has reached the discovery stage. Messittes ruling last month that an emolument extends to any profit, gain or advantage was the first time a federal judge had defined the terms application to the president. It is that definition, and the argument that the plaintiffs have suffered actual harm and have a right to sue, that the Justice Department wants reviewed by a higher court. Tami Abdollah is an Associated Press writer. When officers attempted to stop it, the suspects fled north on Karlov and slammed into a light pole in the 4100 block of West Madison Street. The vehicle continued and struck two vehicles in 3900 block of West Madison before coming to a stop, police said. The robbers were described as two or three black men, one of whom is about 19 years old and between 6 feet to 6 feet, 2 inches tall. He had dreadlocks and was last seen wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt, a black shirt and black pants. A second suspect is between 5 feet, 2 inches to 5 feet, 5 inches tall. He was last seen wearing a blue jacket and black pants. SAN JOSE (BCN) A 19-year-old man fell to his death Thursday morning from the tower of a residential building under construction in San Jose, the construction company confirmed today. The man was identified as Gavin Lam of San Jose, according to the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner's Office. San Jose police declined to release information on the incident because it is believed to be a suicide. At about 6 a.m. Thursday, Lam, who is employed by the Swinerton firm which has been providing consulting services on the project, was on an upper floor of the under-construction Silvery Towers site at 188 W. St. James St. in downtown San Jose when the fall occurred. Though officials with Swinerton said in a statement that Lam's death "was not related to construction activities," an investigation is underway by the state's Division of Occupational Safety and Health, or Cal/OSHA, a Swinerton representative confirmed. Lam was "previously a part of the team assisting the owner with limited consulting services," but was not engaged in those activities at the time of his fall, said Swinerton spokesperson Meggie Hollywood. 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. OAKLAND (BCN) Students and Oakland schools staff came together on Wednesday to remember a beloved Montclair Elementary School music teacher who died last month. Wanda Redman-Eklund, who taught music at the school for decades, died July 23 of gallbladder cancer, school officials said. She was 71. The celebration of life was attended by more than 100 former students, families and staff whose life were touched by the longtime teacher, according to a release from Oakland Unified School District communications director John Sasaki. Her friends, fellow teachers and former students spoke about the impact that "Ms. Wanda" had on their lives. "I'm going off to (the University of California, Santa Barbara) in September and I'm going to be minoring in music and I think that probably wouldn't be the case if it weren't for Wanda," former student Garrett Post said in a news release from the district. Redman-Eklund had "such a large impact on all of us, and potentially the rest of my career and life," Post said. Redman-Eklund started off in 1994 as a music enrichment teacher, funded by the school's PTA. She taught many of her students in private lessons and became a full-time teacher at the school more than 10 years ago. She retired last year, according to Sasaki. "She's a really amazing teacher because she makes such a special bond with all of her students," said former student Veronica Jordan. "She's one of the main reasons I was able to break out of my shell... and I really hope all of you will remember the amazing person that she was." Nina Senn, OUSD Board of Education Director for District 4, said in the release that "Children know when a teacher loves them and Miss Wanda loved every single one of her students." 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 FRANCISCO (BCN) A driver accused of being intoxicated and fleeing after fatally striking a bicyclist on Tuesday in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood made his first court appearance this afternoon. Michael Smith, 41, has been charged with murder, gross vehicular manslaughter, driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury, driving with a 0.08 percent blood-alcohol concentration causing injury and hit-and-run causing serious and permanent injury or death for the collision that killed 65-year-old Gregory Blackman. Just after entering the courtroom in an orange jumpsuit, Smith immediately broke down in tears, sobbing uncontrollably. Smith, who is being represented by the city's Public Defender's Office, did not enter a plea and his arraignment was postponed to Aug. 21. He remains in custody without bail. Smith was arrested just a block away from the scene of the 5:50 p.m. collision at Turk and Taylor streets after a mob of witnesses allegedly chased his car and then identified him to police, court records said. Prior to the fatal collision, court records allege that Smith had been drinking in Oakland. When he decided to drive to San Francisco, Smith's wife warned him not to drive because he was drunk. Smith, however, didn't listen to his wife and instead took her BMW and drove to San Francisco, while continuing to drink wine from a bag. Court documents allege that Smith also had another wine bottle in the passenger compartment of the car. Surveillance cameras showed that once in San Francisco, Smith made a right turn onto Turk Street from Mason Street. He then accelerated at a high rate of speed, heading west on Turk Street. Despite nearly hitting a pedestrian on the side of the street, Smith continued to speed on Turk Street as he approached Taylor Street. At the same time, Blackman was riding his bicycle, heading north on Taylor Street. Although Blackman went against a red light at the intersection, court documents allege that traffic was moving slowly and the roadway appeared to be clear from Blackman's vantage point. As Smith continued to speed down Turk Street, he failed to see that Blackman was riding through the intersection and struck him. The force from the impact caused Blackman to be thrown several feet into the air before falling onto the pavement. As a visibly bloody Blackman lay in the street, Smith allegedly backed up the BMW and veered it around Blackman, driving to the end of the block. He then stopped the car in a parking lot near Turk and Jones streets, court documents said. After police arrived on the scene, medical personnel took Blackman to the hospital, where he died a short while later. At the scene, Smith initially denied striking Blackman, but then later recanted and said to officers "I did it, I'm drunk, I drove, just take me to 850 (Bryant Street)," "now I'm in trouble, I got life in jail now," and "it's over, I am going to jail for life," according to court documents. Smith has already had two previous DUI convictions, and during his last conviction, had been warned by a judge that a third DUI conviction that involved a fatality could result in him being charged with murder, court documents said. In addition, Smith has several previous convictions dating as far back as 1999, which include grand theft, robbery, reckless driving, transporting a controlled substance, assault and battery, human trafficking and pimping and pandering. In the wake of Blackman's death, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition said it would work with police and Supervisor Jane Kim to evaluate opportunities to advocate for further safety improvements to the intersection. Both Turk and Taylor streets have been identified by the city's Department of Public Health as high-injury corridors. 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 FRANCISCO (BCN) Less than four weeks after the violent murder of 18-year-old BART rider Nia Wilson at Oakland's MacArthur station, attorneys representing her family have filed a claim against the transit agency charging that her death was preventable. According to the claim, BART failed to take action when the suspect, John Cowell, is believed to have jumped a BART turn-style to avoid paying a fair and that the agency should have known he was a threat, because two other riders complained about his behavior in the days prior to Wilson's death. John Cowell was arrested while riding a BART train a day after allegedly slashing Wilson's throat on the MacArthur station platform on July 22 around 9:35 p.m. Cowell also stabbed her sister Letifah Wilson, 26, in her neck as another sister, Tashiya Wilson, 21, watched in horror. Cowell has been charged with murder for allegedly killing Nia Wilson and with premeditated attempted murder for the alleged attack on Letifah Wilson. At his San Francisco office this morning, accompanied by Wilson's sisters and her parents, Attorney Robert Arns said, "What the family wants to do with this lawsuit, one of the main things, is make BART safe for everyone. Nia, in her short life at age 18, she wanted to save lives," he said, adding that she dreamt of becoming a medical technician and joining the U.S. Navy. "Nia's death is not some horrific anomaly that occurred in two seconds and that nobody could do anything about," he said. "There's a serious and endemic public safety problem on BART and just about everybody who rides BART knows that." According to the claim, BART has continuously failed to stop people sneaking onto the system without paying. Arns said his attorneys plan to prove a link between fare evasion and crime on public transportation, adding that public records show more than 22,000 people ride BART illegally on a daily basis. Arns said Cowell had been cited for fare evasion on BART at least once before. In addition, Arns said two different people have contacted his law firm since Nia Wilson's murder, claiming that Cowell had threatened them on BART in the days before the July 22 killing. One, a 72-year-old woman, said that as she was leaving San Francisco's Civic Center station, Cowell accosted her. She said he made a slashing movement across his neck in a threatening manner when she told him "I'm not afraid of you," The woman then went to report the threat to the station agent, but couldn't find one and ultimately did not report it, Arns said. Another person told Arns they also encountered Cowell at the MacArthur station and noticed he had a knife. That person also tried to report it to the station agent but ultimately couldn't find one. "If BART stopped criminal fare evaders, Nia would be alive," Arns said. "What is the standard for BART? That they must use the highest care to protect passengers from assault." The claim is seeking that BART institute a program called the Nia Wilson Crime Statistics Notice, displaying crime data for the last four years at each BART station, including in the parking lots, platforms and on cars. It's also seeking that BART implement safety measures and staffing policies to prevent fare evasion and criminal activity at all BART stations. The claim was filed today with BART as a public entity claim because the transit agency is a public entity. BART must respond to the claim within six months, attorney Jonathan Davis said. If the claim moves forward, a lawsuit will then be filed in Alameda County Superior Court, according to Davis. Wilson was one of three people who died on the BART system in a five-day period in late July. In statement in released earlier this month in anticipation of the claim, BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost said, "Nothing is more important than the safety of our riders and employees." Trost continued, "In the last several years BART has launched a multi-prong approach to reduce fare evasion, including a new proof of payment ordinance and inspection teams as well as infrastructure changes to make it harder to bypass fare gates." Trost said BART has also installed working cameras on all train cars and has "a robust network of more than 4,000 surveillance cameras." Additionally, she said BART has increased patrols using overtime since the spring of 2017 and has "worked tirelessly" to fill officer vacancies. "Arrests surged last year by nearly 40 percent due to the fact our officers were in the right place at the right time," she said. "The murder of Nia Wilson on BART is a tragedy and we continue to extend our deepest condolences to the Wilson family. We are thankful the suspect is in custody due in large part to our surveillance system," Trost said. 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 FRANCISCO (BCN) Twelve people were arrested by San Francisco police in connection with eight cases of auto burglaries in the Japantown area, police announced Friday. The burglaries occurred between July 26 and Wednesday. Suspects were booked on a variety of charges including burglary, possession of stolen property, probation violations, resisting arrest and more, police said. The arrests are part of ongoing citywide efforts by the San Francisco Police Department to curb auto burglaries. As of the end of June, auto burglaries were down 20 percent for the year, police said. 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. Less than four weeks after the violent murder of 18-year-old BART rider Nia Wilson at Oakland's MacArthur station, attorneys representing her family have filed a claim against the transit agency charging that her death was preventable. According to the claim, BART failed to take action when the suspect, John Cowell, is believed to have jumped a BART turnstile to avoid paying a fair and that the agency should have known he was a threat, because two other riders complained about his behavior in the days prior to Wilson's death. Cowell has been charged with murder for allegedly killing Nia Wilson and with premeditated attempted murder for the alleged attack on Letifah Wilson. "Nia's death is not some horrific anomaly that occurred in two seconds and that nobody could do anything about," Attorney Robert Arns said. "There's a serious and endemic public safety problem on BART and just about everybody who rides BART knows that." Arns also said two different people have contacted his law firm since Nia Wilson's murder, claiming that Cowell had threatened them on BART in the days before the July 22 killing. A San Jose woman died Thursday and her husband was arrested after a domestic violence assault last week left her with life-threatening injuries, San Jose police said. Cam Ngoc Le, 48, was already in custody at Santa Clara County Jail on attempted murder charges after the assault. The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office will determine if charges will be upgraded to murder by early next week, according to public information officer Sean Webby. At about 4:45 p.m. Aug. 8, police responded to a domestic disturbance call at a home on Muirfield Court in San Jose. Officers discovered a woman suffering major head trauma from an apparent assault. Le was on scene and subsequently taken into custody. His wife was taken to a local hospital where she remained until she succumbed to her injuries Thursday. Anyone with information on the case may contact Detective Sgt. Jesus Mendoza or Detective Todd Jennings at (408) 277-5283. Information may be provided anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers tip line, (408) 947-STOP (7867). A driver accused of being intoxicated and fleeing after fatally striking a bicyclist on Tuesday in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood made his first court appearance Friday afternoon. Michael Smith, 41, has been charged with murder, gross vehicular manslaughter, driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury, driving with a 0.08 percent blood-alcohol concentration causing injury and hit-and-run causing serious and permanent injury or death for the collision that killed 65-year-old Gregory Blackman. Just after entering the courtroom in an orange jumpsuit, Smith immediately broke down in tears, sobbing uncontrollably. Smith has already had two previous DUI convictions, and during his last conviction, had been warned by a judge that a third DUI conviction that involved a fatality could result in him being charged with murder, court documents said. In the wake of Blackman's death, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition said it would work with police and Supervisor Jane Kim to evaluate opportunities to advocate for further safety improvements to the intersection. Both Turk and Taylor streets have been identified by the city's Department of Public Health as high-injury corridors. A San Jose woman died Thursday and her husband was arrested after a domestic violence assault last week left her with life-threatening injuries, San Jose police said. Cam Ngoc Le, 48, was already in custody at Santa Clara County Jail on attempted murder charges after the assault. The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office will determine if charges will be upgraded to murder by early next week, according to public information officer Sean Webby. At about 4:45 p.m. Aug. 8, police responded to a domestic disturbance call at a home on Muirfield Court in San Jose. Officers discovered a woman suffering major head trauma from an apparent assault. Le was on scene and subsequently taken into custody. His wife was taken to a local hospital where she remained until she succumbed to her injuries Thursday. 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. Continued smoke from Northern California wildfires, along with pollution from cars, has prompted the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to issue a Spare the Air Alert for Sunday. Air quality is forecast to be unhealthy around the region on Sunday and officials with the district warned that if the smell of smoke is present, Bay Area residents should stay inside if possible. The district also urged the public to stay off the roads this weekend. "The millions of vehicles on Bay Area roads during these hot summer months create unhealthy air quality and make breathing more difficult for many," said Jack Broadbent, executive officer of the air district. The alerts are issued when ozone pollution is forecast to reach unhealthy levels. Ozone, or smog, can cause throat irritation, congestion, chest pain, trigger asthma, inflame the lining of the lungs and worsen bronchitis and emphysema. The Spare the Air alert for smog on Sunday is the eighth issued this year by the district. An alert was also issued for today. Real-time air quality readings around the Bay Area can be found at https://go.usa.gov/xUwyz. 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. MADISON, WIS. A week after accusing a billionaire donor of attempting to buy a Wisconsin U.S. Senate seat, Republican nominee Leah Vukmir is now hoping to persuade the same Illinois businessman to open his wallet for her campaign against Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin. Vukmir's change of heart comes after she won Tuesday's divisive and expensive Republican primary over Kevin Nicholson, the preferred candidate of megadonor Dick Uihlein. He spent nearly $11 million on the race for Nicholson and now, as Republicans try to unite behind Vukmir, the big question is whether Uihlein will get involved in the effort to defeat Baldwin. "I hope that he will want to continue with his commitment," Vukmir said in a radio interview Wednesday on "The Mark Belling Show." ''Let's face it: He wants to defeat Tammy Baldwin." That's not what Vukmir was saying last week on "The John Muir Show." "I think it leaves a bad taste in the mouth of a lot of people that a particular out of state donor is spending as much money as he is to, in essence, almost try and buy a Senate seat and that's not what Wisconsin politics is about," Vukmir said on Aug. 6, a clear reference to Uihlein, although she doesn't name him. Vukmir isn't the only one hoping Uihlein spends some more. "I'll certainly be twisting his arms to do so," Republican Sen. Ron Johnson said Thursday. Johnson is trying to unite Republicans behind Vukmir. Nicholson tweeted his endorsement of Vukmir Wednesday. Walker, a close ally of Vukmir's who didn't officially endorse her in the primary, called Nicholson a "class act" for the move. Nicholson and Vukmir are both scheduled to attend a unity fundraiser organized by the National Republican Senatorial Committee on Friday in Milwaukee. Uihlein and Diane Hendricks, another billionaire who backed Vukmir, is co-hosting the event. Johnson said he was optimistic "we will have a unified party," but he didn't know whether Uihlein would actually attend the fundraiser as a visible sign of support to Vukmir. "Dick generally does not show up to events, although he certainly has been very generous in terms of his financial support," Johnson said. Uihlein did not immediately return a message left Thursday at his office at Uline Corp., the shipping and packaging supply company he founded. Leaders of super PACs that received Uihlein's money in the primary are also in the dark about his plans. Americas PAC leader Tom Donelson said Uihlein's intentions should be more clear within days. He declined further comment. America's PAC, which is funded by Uihlein, spent $3.3 million to support Nicholson and oppose Baldwin. The founder of another Uihlein-funded group, Restoration PAC, issued a statement that did not address what role, if any, it will play in the general election. "We congratulate Leah Vukmir on a hard fought primary victory and urge all Republicans to unite behind her candidacy," group founder Doug Truax said. "Restoration PAC remains opposed to ultra-liberal Sen. Tammy Baldwin and we are committed to defeating her in November." Restoration PAC spent $4.2 million on the Senate race primary supporting Nicholson and opposing Baldwin. Baldwin's campaign spokesman, as well as the Wisconsin Democratic Party, declined comment. Wisconsin's Senate race has been the most expensive to date at $38.5 million, based on data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics. This week, scientists published evidence that 3,200-year-old remnants discovered in a jar in an Egyptian tomb likely contained cheese quickly dubbed "the world's oldest cheese" in headlines. The paper, published in the journal Analytic Chemistry, tested the contents of a jar found in the tomb of Ptahmes, an Egyptian official who lived in the 13th century and whose tomb was first unearthed in the late 19th century, but then was buried in sand and rediscovered in 2010. It should come as a surprise to no one who has ever gone on the internet that people on Twitter were soon clamoring to eat the "mummy cheese." ALSO: Man wants to drink hideous red liquid found in mystery sarcophagus That's a bad idea, first and foremost, because the cheese was poisonous even in its day it contained peptide markers that suggest the presence of a bacterium called Brucella melitensis, which causes brucellosis, an infectious disease that can cause swelling of the testicles and heart, per the Centers for Disease Control but also because, degraded by time and the alkaline conditions of the desert, it would not be very delicious. What would it taste like if we were to eat it now? A study from the 1940s, a surprisingly rich time for archaeological study of ancient foods, suggests it might taste like dust, according to Paul Kindstedt, a professor at the University of Vermont who studies the chemistry and history of cheese. "This interesting foodstuff in the tombs is nothing new; it's been of intense interest for 100 years," he said, "And it's just now that the analytical capabilities are really coming into the forefront to allow some of these mysteries to be uncovered." The 1942 study analyzed residues from jars in an Egyptian royal tomb. "According to the authors, these solid and powdered cheese residues, which were about 2,000 years older than the one in the latest study, 'have no smell and only a dusty taste,'" he said. At the time it was fresh, though, what it would've tasted like is more of an open question. "We know it was made mostly from sheep's and goat's milk, but for me it's really hard to imagine a specific flavor," Enrique Greco, lead author of the paper, said by email. "I'm Italian. I love cheese and I know how much they can change in flavor and appearance even with very few differences in ingredients and process. It is these small variations and the specificities in the regional processes that have allowed the development of so many varieties in my country." Kindstedt guesses it would've been a simple acid coagulated cheese tangy, tart and acidic with a spreadable texture, something like modern goat cheese. But without an analysis of the proteins found in the remnants, its impossible to know which of the three major families the cheese belonged to, and thus what it tasted like, he said. There's also a possibility that it was an acid-heat coagulated cheese. "That would be high moisture, spreadable, like ricotta almost a sweet cheese," Kindstedt said. Whatever we learn about this ancient cheese could well be the tip of the iceberg, as modern methods can now be applied to glean new insights about a host of ancient cheese remnants, he said. "I think you're gonna see lots and lots of these new discoveries coming down the pike," said Kindstedt. "It's this incredible narrative cheese originated one place and spread in every direction, thousands of miles over thousands of years, and Egypt is part of that." Filipa Ioannou is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at fioannou@sfchronicle.com and follow her on Twitter LONDON In Britain, there is a growing sense of Brexit deja vu. Two years after the country voted to leave the European Union, emotional arguments about membership in the bloc are raging as fiercely as they did during the 2016 referendum. With seven months until Britain officially leaves the bloc, negotiations faltering, chances are rising of an acrimonious divorce and the one thing that pro- and anti-EU forces have in common is that they are both unhappy. Former UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage announced Saturday that he is returning to political campaigning in a bid to derail British Prime Minister Theresa Mays plan for future ties with the EU. Farage, the right-winger who helped lead the successful Leave campaign in 2016, wrote in the Daily Telegraph that he will join a cross-country bus tour by the group Leave Means Leave to oppose Mays cowardly sellout. Referring to British politicians and civil servants, he said unless challenged, these anti-democrats will succeed in frustrating the result of the referendum. Negotiations on future relations between Britain and the bloc have faltered, largely because of divisions within Mays Conservative government over how close an economic relationship to seek with EU. Last month the government finally produced a plan, proposing to stick close to EU regulations in return for free trade in goods. That infuriated Brexit backers such as Farage and former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who say it would leave britain tethered to the bloc and unable to strike new trade deals around the world. Opponents of Brexit say that, even if the EU accepts Mays plan which appears unlikely it would still erect barriers between Britain and the EU, its biggest trading partner. Meanwhile, time is running out. Britain and the EU say they aim to hammer out an agreement on divorce terms and future trade by October or, at the latest, December so that it can be approved by all individual EU countries before Britain leaves the bloc on March 29. British businesses have warned that leaving without a deal could cause mayhem for trade and travel, bringing higher food prices, logjams around British ports and disruption to everything from aviation to medical supplies. The British government says it remains confident of reaching a deal, but is preparing for a no deal scenario. Anti-Brexit campaigners are urging a second referendum on whether to accept any agreement that is reached. The idea is opposed by the government but supported by a growing number of politicians, trade unions and groups including the British Medical Organization. Jill Lawless is an Associated Press writer. Ticket Hawkers invade the Whitehall Ferry Terminal 7 Gallery: Ticket Hawkers invade the Whitehall Ferry Terminal STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Cruise through Times Square during rush hour and you'll have to push through massive crowds of people to get from one end of the street to the other and dodge traffic. But costume characters and ticket hawkers who roam the streets around the clock likely won't be as much of a problem. That's because in Times Square there are designated activity zones marked by a blue rectangular box where people doing things in exchange for money -- like ticket sellers and costume characters -- must remain or risk getting arrested or hit with a fine. Get off the escalators at the South Ferry subway station 20 minutes from Times Square and ticket hawkers will immediately greet you and try to get you to buy a tour to see the Statue of Liberty or go on a helicopter ride around Manhattan. They roam around virtually all of the entrances of the South Ferry and Bowling Green subway stations, and you will run into them not just at the ferry terminal, but on the surrounding streets too: At the corner of State Street, around the Charging Bull, at the corner of Whitehall Street and South Street. Sometimes they will simply walk away if you say no to their offers, but other times, tourists say ticket hawkers try to deter them from riding the Staten Island Ferry, or tell them it's not actually free to ride. There is no official designated area where they can operate like in Times Square, and some officials want to change that. CONFRONTATIONS Vendors have gotten into fights, assaulted one tourist and tricked others into buying tickets to the free Staten Island Ferry. The NYPD increased their presence near the terminal after a tourist was punched several years ago. The Advance spotted at least a dozen ticket hawkers just this week, working at every subway stop in the area, at street corners across the street from the terminal, and even in the ferry waiting area sometimes walking out with prospective customers. Ticket vendors are required to have a city license under a 2016 law that was intended to regulate ticket sellers who scam tourists and pester commuters. THEY'RE BACK A ferry security official said they had pushed the ticket sellers farther up the street near the Charging Bull earlier this summer, but in the last month, the official said the sellers had come back to the terminal and were selling tickets wherever they pleased despite getting warned by officials to leave the area. "Without a designated area or a permanent solution, it's like a movable problem, it just continues to happen," said Nicholas Siclari, the chairman the Island's Community Board One, who commutes by ferry to his office in Times Square during the week. DESIGNATED AREA FOR HAWKERS URGED Siclari and Councilwoman Debi Rose (D-North Shore) say the city needs to reign in the ticket hawkers and create a designated area for them to work, similar to what's in place at Times Square. Rose said she is in talks with lower Manhattan Councilwoman Margaret Chin and the NYPD about how to further regulate the ticket sellers so their "overly aggressive methods are not allowed to perpetuate." "It is really time for us to address [the ticket hawkers] and try to get it to a place where ... we can pretty much regulate it," she said. Denzil Pudota who was visiting from the United Kingdom with his family, told the Advance a ticket hawker who approached them was aggressive and said it would take a total of two hours to ride from Whitehall to Staten Island and back. Two women visiting New York City from Germany told the Advance that a ticket hawker told them the Staten Island Ferry was not free, but they had done their research ahead of time and knew the person was lying. "We're not stupid," the German tourist said. GUIDELINES IGNORED The New York Police Department said ticket hawkers are not allowed to sell tickets in or outside of the ferry terminal, at Battery Park, around the National Museum of the American Indian, or by the Charging Bull. The NYPD will arrest the ticket hawkers or issue them summonses if they are caught operating in unauthorized areas. But outside of those areas, they can sell tickets where they please, the NYPD said. The Parks Department also has several officers that patrol Battery Park, and around the ferry terminal who issue summonses to ticket sellers if they are caught selling tickets on Parks property. The department said the only operators they have authorized to sell tickets at Battery Park are: the NY Water Taxi, Statue Cruises, and Manhattan by Sail. FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- With the MTA's newly redesigned Staten Island express bus network set to launch Sunday, Aug. 19, New York City Transit is dispatching customer ambassadors at several locations on Staten Island and Manhattan. Additional bus dispatchers and customer service ambassadors will staff various express bus stops on Staten Island and Manhattan, answer questions, and take feedback from Sunday until the week after Labor Day -- and possibly longer, if necessary. "For years, customers on Staten Island have endured express bus rides that were not at all express, and we heard them loud and clear," said Andy Byford, president of the MTA Bus Company "With their help and the support of Borough President James Oddo and our labor partner, ATU Local 726, we are now able to give those customers what they deserve -- faster, shorter routes and more service at all hours of the week. We are extremely grateful to the Borough President and Local 726 for helping us make this redesign possible," he added. The ambassadors will be at the following locations from Sunday, Aug. 19 through Labor Day week: Eltingville Transit Center Monday, August 20 Wednesday, August 22 Tuesday, August 28 Thursday, August 30 College of Staten Island Campus: Thursday, August 23 Monday, August 27 Staten Island Mall, on Marsh Avenue at Richmond Hill Road: Tuesday, August 21 Wednesday, August 29 New York City Transit is also manning a "situation room" at the Bus Command Center with senior operations, customer service managers, and representatives from NYPD who'll be in contact with New York City Department of Transportation and New Jersey Department of Transportation officials. Customer ambassadors have been out at these locations on Staten Island and in Manhattan since Aug. 6. Dispatchers will be closely monitoring bus movement via GPS tracking, and bus operators have been instructed to be extra vigilant in reporting any issues, such as crowding or traffic congestion, particularly on the express bus routes that use the Lincoln Tunnel and may be affected by construction in the area. Express bus riders can sign up for email or text alerts here for updates about possible detours or service advisories. New York City Transit's Twitter account, @NYCTBus, will also have updates. Byford and Darryl Irick, senior vice president of the NYC Transit's Department of Buses, will also be out at express bus locations locations on Staten Island and in Manhattan on Sunday and Monday to monitor the service in person and get feedback from customers and personnel. "We're excited to get on the ground and get our buses on these new routes, because we have worked hard to make sure we get this first bus network redesign done right," said Irick. "Now that this moment is here, all of us are committed to its success, and will be all hands on deck for as long as needed." STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- A Staten Island family is suing the Department of Education for $5 million after their autistic son was suspended for defending himself against bullies, according to the New York Post. In 2016, the suit claims the boy was an eighth-grader at Paulo Intermediate School, (IS 75) Huguenot when two classmates threw him down the stairs, breaking his arm, said the report. A year later, the family said the boy then pushed both bullies to the ground while they were in the schoolyard, and was subsequently suspended and forced to miss the school formal, the Post reported. The family's suit claims the school should have stopped the bullying, the report said. More than 170 federal candidates will not accept corporate PAC donations toward their election campaigns, according to a new report from the Associated Press. Eschewing corporate donations in favor of individual financial support has been on the rise and is seen as a way to rid corporate influence on politics. But election law experts say corporate PAC money represents a fraction of donor money flowing into campaigns, and the move is just a symbolic gesture that does little to fix the actual problem. What do you think? PERSPECTIVES Voters have become much more concerned about who is funding political candidates in the years since Citizens United allowed corporations to funnel nearly unlimited money into political campaigns. Per the New York Times: As candidates are making their final pushes in primary campaigns across the country, the Democratic National Committee reversed its rules on accepting donations from members of the fossil fuel industry. The DNC has said this new resolution was written in response to concerns from unions that the ban was "an attack on workers." The Huffington Post reports: The Huffington Post notes that only 4.4 percent of coal, oil, and gas workers are union members. Critics are concerned the DNC is going to be opening up candidates to influence by corporations. Some supporters of corporate PAC money see the pushback against donations as an empty gesture. Joseph Albanese, writing for the Hill, argues that PACs are separate from the corporations they are affiliated with and as such, the money is coming from employees. The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Local Media, LLC property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt, on Instagram @TheTylt or on Facebook, we'd love to hear what you have to say. And then, somewhere in Detroit in the summer of 2015, the Satanic Temple unvieled a one-ton bronze-coated rendering of Baphomet. Left off was Baphomet's traditional hermaphroditic breasts and it added two little kids at his side to make the statue more publicly palatable. The temple hoped to install it next to a Ten Commandments monument at the Oklahoma Capitol. But the plan fell through after the Oklahoma Supreme Court ordered the Ten Commandments taken down because they violated state laws on the separation of church and state. President Donald Trump made waves by revoking the security clearance of former CIA director John Brennan. While the president is within his rights to do so, he strayed from protocol by not giving Brennan ample notice or a chance to appeal the decision. The White House says the president is revoking the clearances of people who used sensitive information for personal gain. Critics, including members of the intelligence community, say the president is setting a dangerous precedent by revoking clearance for personal reasons. What do you think? PERSPECTIVES The president revoked Brennan's security clearance after the former CIA director lobbied harsh criticism at him via Twitter and other outlets. "It's astounding how often you fail to live up to minimum standards of decency, civility, & probity," Brennan said on Twitter after the president lashed out at Omarosa Manigault Newman. It is highly unusual, though, for a president to revoke someone's security clearance over personal slights. Per The New York Times: Brennan was not the only official to have his security clearance revoked. Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders read a list of people the president deemed unfit to maintain a security clearance. One such person was Bruce Ohr, a career Justice Department official whose wife works for the research company that compiled the infamous Steele Dossier. While Ohr seems to have no connection with the Russia investigation, President Trump still saw fit to revoke his clearance. According to The New York Times, Sanders maintained that Ohr, along with Brennan and the other officials on the list, had all acted inappropriately. Most security experts emphasize the abnormality of Trump's decision. Security clearances are typically revoked for cause-alcoholism, theft, criminal activity -- not for personal reasons. Per the New York Times: Bradley P. Moss, a lawyer who has written extensively about the issue, notes that Trump appears to be the first president to ever take such a step. While Trump's move is out of the ordinary, many of his supporters say that he is not only within his rights to revoke the clearances, he is responding appropriately. The New York Times talked to Sen. James Lankford, member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, about his thoughts on the matter. Career intelligence officials have roundly condemned the president's decision. White House spokesperson Kellyanne Conway argued that no officials are entitled to maintaining their security clearance and, as such, the president acted appropriately. The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Local Media, LLC property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt, on Instagram @TheTylt or on Facebook, we'd love to hear what you have to say. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. --After plans surfaced for two boutique hotels on Port Richmond Avenue, Senator Diane Savino (D-Staten Island/Brooklyn) has introduced legislation to combat the increasing number of hotels across the city in neighborhoods that don't have a market need. Senator Diane Savino (D-Staten Island/Brooklyn) has introduced legislation to combat the increasing number of hotels across the city in neighborhoods that don't have a market need (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez) The recent outcry against hotels planned for Port Richmond on Staten Island inspired the bill to ensure there is a need for hotels before they are approved. "It's clear that the city has failed New Yorkers with its indiscretion when it comes to allowing hotels and motels in areas that simply don't need them," said Savino. The main concern within the Port Richmond community is that the hotels would not generate legitimate business, instead being turned into de facto homeless shelters. "The use of hotel rooms as makeshift homeless shelters has had a rippling effect throughout the city. Unscrupulous business owners have found how profitable it can be with overcrowded shelters and a lack of progress from the city on finding permanent housing for the homeless. This legislation will require these business owners prove that hotels in these neighborhoods will benefit the community," said Savino. Her legislation would require business owners perform a market feasibility study to ensure that there is a need for a hotel in a specific neighborhood. If the owner can't show that there is a market for the hotel, they wouldn't receive approval to build. Leaders of Port Richmond Strong, a group formed to fight the construction of the two hotels, say Savino's legislation is a step in the right direction. "We (Port Richmond Strong) applaud Senator Savino's dedication and responsiveness to the threat of predatory development in our community," said Phil Coard, Co-Leader of Port Richmond Strong and Port Richmond resident. "If passed, this legislation will give communities, such as Port Richmond, a chance to thrive once again. In the future, we hope to work with Senator Savino's office to secure permanent housing solutions that are beneficial to all parties involved," he added. 'HORRORS IN HOMELESS HOUSING' In 2017, Savino released a report, Horrors in Homeless Housing, on the conditions of hotels the city has used to make up for the lack of shelters. At that time the report found that 78 percent of identified hotels had 433 open violations. "It is unconscionable to allow children and families to be forced to live in these violation ridden hotels and cluster sites. These sites lack the basic services that homeless families should have access to and make living a normal life difficult, if not impossible," said Savino at the time. Savino has been an outspoken opponent of the Port Richmond hotels, with a fear that the sites will eventually be used as unsuitable accommodations for the homeless. For more on this issue, read: Activist: 'We aren't going to let Port Richmond become a ghetto' Opposition grows for 2 planned hotels in Port Richmond BP Oddo: Two 7-story hotels being built on Staten Island New group forming to fight plan for 7-story North Shore hotel Plans surface for new, 7-story hotel on North Shore FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and TWITTER To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! Here's the catch: The "Jewish character of the state" will be guaranteed under "any demographic circumstances." So even if Palestinians become a majority, as they probably soon will, they will still somehow have to live in a "Jewish state." Arbess clarifies that a central feature of any such arrangement will be sustaining "Jewish control of immigration and other policies of national identity and security." Again, apparently under any demographic conditions. Among the many disturbing parts of the New York Times interview with embattled Tesla CEO Elon Musk, this line got my attention: "Some board members have expressed concern not only about Mr. Musk's workload but also about his use of Ambien, two people familiar with the board said." If Tesla directors are worried about Musk - and they should be, based on this unhinged interview, which sent Tesla's shares plunging on Friday - then here is advice for them: Do your jobs.' Tesla shares capped their worst week since 2016, tumbling 8.9 per cent - the most in two years - to close at $US305.50, a far cry from Musk's $420 buyout proposal. The fourth straight day of declines has wiped out Tesla's year-to-date gains and pushed the shares down 14 per cent this week. If Tesla directors are worried about Musk - and they should be - here is advice for them: Do your jobs. Credit:Alamy Corporate directors are the ultimate bosses of a company. They are empowered by the shareholders who own it to exercise oversight over all aspects of operations, including management. Australia's funeral businesses are facing a difficult truth: not enough people are dying. To be more exact, vendors are saying numbers point to "softer" market conditions in recent months - meaning a drop off in death that hasn't been great for business. Priscilla Nelson Feaver's family has been in the funeral business for five generations. The teacher of embalming and says the sector has become "more competitive". Credit:Jusin McManus On Thursday, ASX-listed funeral home giant InvoCare reported a 50 per cent drop in half-year profit that sent its share price down by more than 12 per cent to sit at $12.73 on Friday afternoon InvoCare's data, drawn from Births, Deaths and Marriages in the states where it operates, suggests a drop in the number of deaths of 1.2 per cent for the first half of the year, and down 1.5 per cent for the second quarter, compared to the same time last year. The Turnbull government's $444 million grant to a small non-profit group that wasn't even seeking money has been slammed as "ludicrous" and "unfair" by the country's $135 billion charity sector facing ever more onerous red tape, the head of the industry's peak body says. David Crosbie, chief executive of the Community Council for Australia, said the manner in which the government gifted Great Barrier Reef Foundation more than 44 times its annual funds, had stunned his industry. Community Council for Australia chief executive David Crosbie says the charities industry is 'blown away' by the largesse handed out to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. Credit:Colleen Petch "[We] think there is no justice, there is no fairness in the way governments allocate money to charities," said Mr Crosbie, who has led organisations such as the Mental Health Council for two decades. "It just exacerbates the feeling that this is becoming really difficult and increasingly unfair. 'Rolling their eyes' You have to deal with things like terminal cancer and miscarriages when youre working as a sonographer. But this occasion, it still sickens me to this day. They said something along the lines of We need to know the sex, because if its a girl we are going to terminate it, they said. A number of years ago, the sonographer was asked by a couple at their scan around 12 weeks to tell them the gender of their developing baby. New Australian research, revealed this month, has indicated that a group of parents could be aborting female babies because of a preference for sons. Its led to questions over whether it is necessary to provide parents with early information about the sex of their fetuses. Already, many obstetricians and sonographers dont routinely provide gender information at the 12-week scan when people can still readily access abortion, largely because its not always accurate and there is rarely any medical purpose. Yet there is an unwillingness to follow in the path of China and India, where abortion of female foetuses is a well-identified problem, and there are bans on early gender reveals. Advances in science and technology mean Australians are now able to find out the sex of their baby from as early as 10 weeks, via a blood test that also screens for chromosomal disorders such as Down syndrome. Others may find out their babys sex during an ultrasound around the 12-week mark. While ultrasound providers have different protocols on whether they reveal the gender of the baby at the first scan, its the stance of the Australasian Sonographers Association that they should play no part in the debate around gender selection. The associations chief executive, Jodie Long, said if the sonographer was confident in being able to identify the gender, then they would provide that information if asked. Pia Miller got her big break when she won Dolly magazine's annual modelling contest in 1998, aged 14. She later moved on to acting and is probably best known for playing policewoman Katarina Chapman on Home and Away. After finishing on the popular soap earlier this year, Pia, 34, is back on our screens in the Nine Network's new thriller series, Bite Club. Dion Lee bustier, $390, and skirt,$690. Credit:Bec Parsons You're no stranger to Melbourne Fashion Week what's it like to be the ambassador this year? I'm a Melbourne girl and my mum, brother and sister still live here, so it's like going home. I walked the runways here as a teenager I remember being in shows for Lisa Ho, Collette Dinnigan, Wayne Cooper and Alannah Hill. It feels like it's come full circle. How would you describe your personal style? I read the saddest thing the other day. Ive been doing a little research about the single life of late, rather than indulging myself in my own rambling nonsense. Clare Paynes insightful book One: Valuing the single life, Jane Mathews practical The Art of Living Alone and Loving It, and going back to Hugh Mackays Australia Reimagined to see what one of Australias best social researchers had to say about the power of one. I cant remember where I read what Im about to reveal, it wasnt in one of those books, probably on some Google search late at night, on some website written by some other loner. This pearl of wisdom suggested that if you missed holding hands with someone - and I do - then you should hold your own hand. The simple connection of holding hands is a powerful thing. Oh god, is that what my life has become? Could there be anything sadder? Tensions are high in the new suburb of Coombs as frustrated residents continue to fight for a supermarket three years in the making. Developer Renato Cervo said on Friday he had secured one tenant, although would not provide details of the business. He said he was in negotiations with others. The approved development allows a 1000-square-metre supermarket and nine smaller tenancies. Noble family members, William, Oliver, Kimberly, Zachary, Lillian, Alexander and Chell, are frustrated by the delays to get the Coombs Shops built and a lack of information in the community. Credit:Elesa Kurtz The construction of the shops has become a protracted battle since the ACT government sold the land to Mr Cervo in 2015. Just a week before the auction, the government reduced the size of the proposed shopping centre which arguably made it more difficult for the eventual purchaser to find a tenant. Vietnam veteran Army warrant officer John Kearns recalled a time when, dancing at his nephew's wedding, a Vietnam-era song began playing. Holding his wife, he began to cry. "A song, sound, smell, anything can set you off," Mr Kearns said, as he stood in the rain among friends and dignitaries at a ceremony for Vietnam Veterans Day on Saturday. He was one of dozens of veterans, partners, children and dignitaries who braved the weather to commemorate the day, at an event in front of the Vietnam War Memorial on Anzac Parade. Governor-General Peter Cosgrove acknowledged that each year, the contingent wanes. Since my son's open-heart surgery and subsequent grateful participation in the City2Surf to raise funds for cardiology at Westmead Hospital I have taken a much greater interest in the race, and in what motivates people to participate ("Pains and pleasures of City2Surf help Sydney shine", August 12). From medical research to environmental awareness, from charity support to community spirit, from personal fitness to rehabilitation to just plain fun, the race is every bit a challenge. Line honours may go to the swift, but the prize is for all who give it a go with passion and purpose. Meredith Williams, Dee Why Opera stairs step too far Our wonderful Opera House always was and continues to be a flawed masterpiece ("A house divided", August 12), compromised from the beginning by Utzon's resignation, the disputed claims of the Australian Opera and the SSO over who should occupy the major hall and the acoustic and staging problems which have only recently been addressed. The developer paints an attractive picture of a new town centre in God's own country, with 880 apartments, dozens of shops, a hotel and medical centre. An added bonus for rugby league fans is the proximity of Woolooware Bay Town Centre to Shark Park and the Cronulla Sharks Leagues Club. The Cronulla Sharks development will house 880 apartments as well as shops, a hotel and refurbished club facilities. Credit:Wolter Peeters The Sharks were visionary when they decided to transform their landholdings into a master planned residential community and new town centre, Ben Fairfax, the managing director of developer Capital Bluestone, said. However, the $752 million development has aggrieved some residents and Sutherland Shire Council, which expressed concerns about the height and scale of buildings and the likely impact on traffic and parking. Thousands of people are shot in Chicago every year. Hundreds of them die. What most of us know of the precise moments when metal pierces flesh often is incomplete the best that police officers and journalists can piece together after a shooting by talking with eyewitnesses and inspecting evidence. Sometimes fragments of information do take us to a scene: I heard something go past my ear, and it wasnt a fly, said Sebastian Moore, who might have been speaking metaphorically about all the gun violence but was recounting the day he fled a notorious South Side shooting. Moore didnt realize until afterward that hed been grazed in the foot. A balloon is being partially blamed for contributing to Sydney's transport chaos as the Transport Minister sought to explain what exactly unfolded on Friday night and Saturday that led to passengers being stuck on trains between stations and major delays across the network. In a statement to the Herald late on Saturday evening as delays continued, NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance apologised for the chaos, saying "the unsatisfactory performance of the rail network over the past 24 hours is unacceptable. I apologise to our customers". He said problems began when a metallic balloon got caught between wires on Friday night. Ex-Comancheros boss Mahmoud Mick Hawi was assassinated outside his Sydney gym for a financial motive, police say. The motive was financial rather than a typical dispute between outlaw motorcycle gangs, assistant commissioner Mal Lanyon said on Saturday morning, following the arrest of two members of the Lone Wolf bikie gang and an associate of the gang for Mr Hawis murder. Former bikie boss Mick Hawi was executed outside the Rockdale Fitness First gym in February this year Credit:Edwina Pickles Yusuf Nazlioglu and Ahmad Doudar were arrested on Friday, mid-haircut, at a Bexley barber shop. Both were charged with murder, and Mr Doudar cried when he was arrested. Later that evening, Moustafa Salami was arrested during a dinner at a Balmain restaurant, and was later charged with accessory after the fact to murder. Fire crews worked through the night on Saturday to protect homes from an out-of-control blaze north of Newcastle, following an emergency warning urging people to take shelter or flee. The Salt Ash fire burnt through more than 1400 hectares, hitting the communities of Tanilba Bay, Mallabula and Lemon Tree Passage on Saturday night. As weather conditions eased late on Saturday and into Sunday, the fire was downgraded from emergency to "advice", the lowest level of bushfire alert. Firefighters continued backburning operations overnight. An out of control bushfire that has been burning all day near Oyster Cove, Port Stephens. The Rural Fire Service had advised the fires would be "uncontrollable and move quickly" and "flames may burn higher than roof tops" but, about 11pm, firefighters were able to carry out backburning along Oyster Cove Road and Lemon Tree Passage Road. Lord Mayor Clover Moore has called on the NSW government to increase funding on social and affordable housing despite the City of Sydney recording a significant drop in the number of people sleeping rough in the city. The street count found 278 people sleeping rough on August 14 compared to the 386 counted in August 2017. More than 100 fewer people were counted sleeping rough in February 2018 compared to the previous year. Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore has called on the state government to increase funding for affordable and social housing. Credit:Michel O'Sullivan The decrease in the street count followed the dismantling of the controversial homeless tent city in Martin Place in 2017, which brought attention to the issue in Sydneys CBD. But rough sleepers account for only a small proportion of the 37,515 people in NSW who were homeless on census night in 2016 - an increase of more than 30 per cent from the 2011 census. The state government is considering adding demerit points to penalties for drivers who park illegally in allocated disability spaces after a grassroots campaign. The news has been welcomed by the disability community, but the state opposition believes demerit points should be used only for "road safety offences". The potential introduction of demerit points will hopefully deter disability parking thieves. According to Brisbane City Council, drivers who park illegally in allocated disability spaces face a $261 fine. Transport Minister Bailey described offending drivers as "arrogant and reprehensible" and said he was happy to discuss implementing demerit point penalties. For one Sydney mother, battling her violent ex partner in court has been a protracted nightmare. Christine, not her real name, "first stood up to the violence" about three years ago. She has two small children with her former partner and had to involve both the police and the courts as she fought for her own safety and that of her children. Christine's battle with her violent ex-partner involved the police and the courts. Credit:smh Navigating the family law system has not been easy. She is well-educated but has been representing herself in court, while her former partner has lawyers acting on his behalf. In a recent video for the Public Education Foundation, a NSW not-for-profit whose name describes its mission, three high-profile alumni of government schools talk up the sector. Professor Larissa Behrendt, the first Aboriginal to graduate from Harvard Law School, former High Court judge Michael Kirby and The Chaser and War on Wastes Craig Reucassel recall fondly the teachers who set them on a path to distinction. Reucassel tells how he often meets public school graduates who are visible ministers, media personalities, people in the arts "but they dont really brag about it. Maybe we should be bragging a bit more about the schools we went to". Illustration: Matt Davidson Indeed, and maybe governments should be bragging a bit too, spruiking their sector, trumpeting its achievements, reassuring the 60 per cent of taxpayers whose children attend government schools that they have their backs, will not tolerate complacency, mediocrity, ill-discipline. Lets hear ministers crow about sending their own kids to the local high. We rarely hear such sentiments because since the Howard years theres been an undeclared war yes, a class war against public education, with our political lords eroding confidence in the system either through overt rhetoric or in more subtle ways, the negative messaging amplified by obscene funding inequities. The reasons for the war: 1. Like elsewhere in the West, Australias political elite is disconnected from the concerns of ordinary people, and 2. Our political leaders are hostage to a private schools lobby that purrs about wanting the best for all schools, but they dont, obviously, because its a law of the market that competitors seek to crush each other. A young boy is fighting for life after being hit by a car in Melbourne's east on Saturday. He was struck by a van while crossing Springfield Road in Blackburn shortly before 6.30pm. A 10-year-old boy is fighting for life after being hit by a car in Melbourne's east on Saturday. Credit:9 News Melbourne The 10-year-old from Croydon was with his six-year-old sister and a 10-year-old friend on a signalised crossing when he was injured, Victoria Police told media. He was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries to his head, chest and pelvis. Malcolm Turnbull's eleventh-hour refit of his signature energy policy has plunged the Coalition into disarray, with MPs split on the proposed changes and critics maintaining they will cross the floor to vote against their own government. Although an imminent leadership challenge remains unlikely, MPs are now casting the future of the government's flagship National Energy Guarantee as an explicit test of Mr Turnbull's tenure. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton was forced to play down reports he is considering a leadership tilt, pledging his support for the PM in a tweet on Saturday. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton played down reports of a leadership tilt on Saturday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The latest NEG revision abandons the government's plan to legislate an emissions reduction target of 26-28 per cent by 2030. Instead, it would be regulated by the minister but their discretion would be constrained by other factors, including advice from the competition regulator. For safetys sake, though, its important not to simply trust in responsible owners, but to insist on them. To remove roaming dogs from neighborhoods before they become a problem. To crack down on owners who let their dogs run loose, who dont license their dogs or vaccinate them against rabies. And when a dog attacks, its important to find its owner and hold him or her accountable. Households will be promised a $165 cut to their electricity bills in a new political contest on energy, Loading as Labor and the Coalition race to announce tough new measures on big retailers, including penalties for price gouging. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will reveal plans for simpler bills with capped prices under a Labor government, assuring voters he will force the big electricity companies to scrap standing offers that push up costs. The move comes as Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull also prepares a power price crackdown that will set a price range for default electricity packages and fine the big retailers if they exceed the cap. Malcolm Turnbull has been given a reprieve on leadership while he faces a test on policy. His fate depends on an unlikely perhaps impossible settlement to his own partys endless wars on climate change. The Prime Minister has given his critics a huge concession on the National Energy Guarantee but it is not enough. It will never be enough. A clash is certain. 'It's personal': former prime minister Tony Abbott. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Tony Abbott attacked the original energy plan to legislate a cut to carbon emissions in the electricity sector. Now he condemns the idea of using regulation instead. Whatever the policy, his goal is simple: Turnbulls head on a plate. Good eggs in Parliament Fraser Anning in Parliament House on Wednesday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen As it happened TFF was in Parliament House on republican business on Tuesday, the day when Anning made his speech. Even before his remarks I was impressed with just how truly appalled politicians from both major parties were with the rising frequency of such sentiments in the public domain. Despite it all, we do have many decent people in Canberra. And they are the ones we need to hear more from. For the political dynamic described above equally applies to the media. Yes, there might be ratings and circulation bumps to be found by providing a platform for bigots see Nazi supporter Blair Cottrell on Sky After Dark, for example but for the good of the country, the way forward is to resist the temptation to do so. Those of us who want a decent Australia are in the vast majority and the outcry against Sky has to be the exemplar of how we can make our weight felt. Tweet of the week Goes to Rob Oakeshott he of 17 minutes of fame commenting on Tony Abbott and Barnaby Joyce's denial of climate change. Take it away, @RobOakeshott1: The Riverview School science department has a lot to answer for ...." Joke of the week Adam and Eve turn their faces skyward and speak to the heavens: Lord, yes we love each other, but so too are we sometimes lonesome for company. Loading The lord booms back: No problem! I will create a companion for you that will be a reflection of my love for you. Regardless of how selfish you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do. And God creates a wonderful new animal, which never ceases wagging its tail, no matter the circumstances. God says: Because I have created this new animal to be a reflection of my love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own name and you will call him Dog. And Dog lives with Adam and Eve and is a companion to them and loves them. But after a while it comes to pass that the Archangel Gabriel comes to the Lord and says: Lord, Adam and Eve have become filled with pride. They strut and preen like peacocks and they believe they are worthy of adoration. Dog has indeed taught them that they are loved, but perhaps too well. And God says: "No problem! I will create for them a companion who will be with them forever and who will see them as they are. The companion will remind them that they are not always worthy of adoration." And God creates Cat to be a companion to Adam and Eve. And Cat will not obey them. And when Adam and Eve gaze into Cats eyes, they are reminded that they are not the supreme beings. And Adam and Eve learn humility. And they are greatly improved. And God is pleased. And Dog is happy. And Cat really doesnt give a damn one way or the other. Quotes of the week There was hardly a group in Australia he didn't offend. Unless you were almost a member of the Ku Klux Klan. - Senator Derryn Hinch, one of the many MPs objecting to Fraser Anning's maiden speech, which called for a plebiscite on Muslim immigration as part of a final solution. Senator Derryn Hinch takes his seat on Wednesday after speaking on Senator Fraser Anning's first speech. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The missing baby phenomenon may have reached Australia. Credit:Louise Kennerley A Google search of "how to conceive a girl" offers 25.2 million results, while the same question for "boy" gives just 19 million. You'd think that would give us a lot more girls. But not everywhere, and possibly not in Australia. The "missing girls" phenomenon, noted on a grand scale in China and India and in some south-east Asian nations, may be being replicated in families of migrants to Australia from these nations. Research reported in The Sun-Herald last week and today reveals that mothers from some key migrant communities are recording sons at rates of 122 and 125 for every 100 daughters in later pregnancies. The typical boy/girl ratio is 105:100. The skew towards boys became more noticeable after a girl, or girls, had been born. Researcher Kristina Edvardsson from La Trobe University believes some women from Chinese, Indian and South-East Asian families are terminating pregnancies after discovering they are expecting a girl. Real-time tracking of patients' prescription medication to stop doctor and chemist shopping and reduce overdoses would be introduced under a NSW Labor government. The Opposition will today announce its election policy to implement the system, which the state's deputy coroner has said should be made a priority in NSW. Coroner Harriet Grahame last month recommended that "urgent consideration is given to raising the priority for the introduction of Real Time Prescription Monitoring (RTPM) in NSW". It followed a coronial inquest into the "preventable" death of Sydney mother, Alissa Campbell, who died of an overdose in 2015 after a long history of prescription drug abuse. In her report, the Coroner said it was "frustrating and depressing" to hear that NSW did not have a timetable to implement real-time prescription monitoring and that it did not intended to introduce the system until it was being done at a federal level. The average punter would be forgiven for thinking "tea" is a catch-all term for hot, leafy drinks with a caffeine kick. In fact, tea (beverages made with the camellia sinensis plant) and tisanes (beverages made with herbs and flowers) are not one and the same. It's a distinction the Sydney Tea Festival on today at Carriageworks in Eveleigh, seeks to clarify. "It's about providing that opportunity for discovery, a discovery of loose-leaf tea," says Corinne Smith, co-founder of the festival and co-owner (with partner Amara Jarratt) of The Rabbit Hole Organic Tea company and tea bars. "Through discovery of that is a discovery of a slower lifestyle, one that can fill the bucket rather than drain it." Sydney Tea Festival co-founder Corinne Smith with a pot of blue Vivid Colour Changing Tea Credit:Steven Siewert Smith, Jarratt and Renee Creer and Paul Tooth, of Perfect South Green Tea, founded the festival in 2014 after recognising the demand for tea as a product and lifestyle. It's the fifth year of the event, which has grown from 43 stallholders in 2014 to 80 today. Over half of the stalls are sellers of specialty tea. T Totaler, a Sydney-based tea company with tea bars in Newtown and the Galeries in the CBD, is an event regular. Owners Amber and Paul Sunderland say the festival provides an outlet for those on both sides of the kettle. Beijing: China said on Friday the politicising of a Chinese-run cultural organisation by some people in the United States showed "a lack of self-confidence", after the University of North Florida said it would close a campus branch of the Confucius Institute. The Jacksonville-based university said on Tuesday it had determined after "careful consideration" that the Confucius Institute, which opened a branch there in 2014 to promote language and culture, did not meet the university's mission. A pedestrian walks past a statue sitting outside the Chinese Institute in New York. Credit:Bloomberg A number of US legislators, including Florida Senator Macro Rubio, have been critical of the more than 100 Confucius Institutes hosted at universities across the United States, saying that they are a vehicle of Chinese influence on international higher education. "Some in the United States baselessly politicising Confucius Institutes, a normal China-US education and exchange programme, is typical Cold War thinking and shows a lack of self confidence," China's foreign ministry said in a fax response to a Reuters question. New Delhi: The Indian state of Kerala has been hit with its highest rainfall in a century leaving more than 300 dead, after widespread flooding submerged roads, power lines went down and dams reached bursting point. Pinarayi Vijayan, the southern state's chief minister, said: "Kerala is facing its worst flood in 100 years. 80 dams opened, 324 lives lost and 223,139 people are in about 1,500 relief camps." A car is submerged as roads and houses are engulfed in water following heavy rain and landslide in Kozhikode, Kerala state, India. Credit:AP The death toll of 324 includes fatalities from a previous bout of monsoon storms last month, as well as the fatalities since last week which are thought to number up to 175. Hanoi, Vietnam: The United States said it was deeply concerned over Vietnam's conviction and sentencing of an activist this week, calling the trend of increased arrests and harsh sentences of government critics "troubling." A State Department statement on Friday also called on the communist government to release all political prisoners and allow all individuals to express their views freely and assemble peacefully without fear of retribution. Activist Le Dinh Luong stands trial in central province of Nghe An, Vietnam. Credit:AP Le Dinh Luong was sentenced to 20 years in prison and five years' probation on Thursday after being convicted of attempting to overthrow the government. The State Department called the charge "vague" and urged the government to ensure its actions and laws, including the Penal Code, are consistent with the human rights provisions of Vietnam's Constitution and its international obligations and commitments. A woman holds a Spanish flag around her body during a ceremony marking the first anniversary of a terror attack in Las Ramblas promenade in Barcelona, Spain. A woman holds a Spanish flag around her body during a ceremony marking the first anniversary of a terror attack in Las Ramblas promenade in Barcelona, Spain. Credit:AP Barcelona on Friday marked the first anniversary of terror attacks that killed 16 people, with commemorations attended by Spain's King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, other government officials and hundreds of people. AP U.S. Attorney General Jeff Session's recent change of policy to not allow victims of domestic and gang violence to even seek asylum completely ignores the fact that people do not find protection in their own countries. The European Union is at least trying to address the causes of its own massive migration problem. In February it established a trust fund of 3.5 billion euro to invest in Africa in the coming two years for employment opportunities. This administration does the opposite: It threatens to cut foreign aid to Central America and reduces the refugee quota to an all-time low. This is appalling! Washington: When Martha Al-Bishara went on a walk near her home in northern Georgia last week, she was on a quest for dandelions. The stroll would end in her getting stunned by a Taser and arrested by police officers. The 87-year-old woman often ventured outside - with a kitchen knife and a plastic bag in hand - to cut and collect the plants for cooking, her family said. She was doing just that last Friday afternoon when she crossed the street from her home in Chatsworth, Georgia, and arrived at a partially fenced lot belonging to a branch of the Boys and Girls Club. There, she began gathering the plants she needed. Martha Al-Bishara, 87, was charged with criminal trespass and obstructing an officer when police held her at gunpoint before bringing her to the ground with a jolt from the electrified prongs of a stun gun. Credit:AP Someone on the property, however, called emergency services to report a woman in a blue dress and a brown headscarf on their site. "She told me she doesn't speak English and she's walking up our bike trail with a knife towards me," a man said in the call obtained by WRCB News. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that conservative voices were being unfairly censored on social media, hinting that he might intervene if his allies' accounts continued to be shut down. "Social Media is totally discriminating against Republican/Conservative voices," Trump wrote on Twitter, saying that "censorship is a very dangerous thing." "Speaking loudly and clearly for the Trump Administration, we won't let that happen," he added. Social media companies, facing pressure from lawmakers and users over their role in the rise of misinformation and partisan division, have promised to step up their enforcement practices. They have banned a number of pages and accounts in recent weeks for being involved in activity intended to disrupt the midterm elections, and almost all of the major platforms removed content from Alex Jones, the far-right conspiracy theorist, this month over what they called hateful and violent speech. Madre de Dios, Peru: When Yaneth was 14-years-old, her aunt sent her to work as a waitress in one of the scores of bars along the highway cutting through the Amazon jungle region of Madre de Dios, in the heart of Peru's illegal gold mining region. Within weeks, Yaneth, now 15, found a very different reality to the one she had been promised. A prostitute covers herself with a sheet as she waits to receive a free HIV/AIDS test at a brothel in Callao, Peru. Credit:AFP Trapped in a bar that doubled as a brothel, she was forced to have sex with miners who flock in their thousands to the vast and remote southern rainforest hoping to strike gold. "At first it was just drinking and dancing with the miners but then it was sex. I was ashamed of myself," said Yaneth, who was rescued in a police raid and taken to a state-run shelter. PHILIPSBURG:--- The Police Department (KPSM) is hereby informing the general public with following. In connection with the large number of unclaimed scooters and motorcycles which were confiscated by police for traffic violations or for other investigations, the following dates and time have been set for the owners of the vehicles to come forward and claim their scooter or motorcycle. These dates are Wednesday August 22nd and Thursday August 23rd 2018. The times are 11.00 a.m. to 02.00 p.m. Only those persons with valid documents to prove ownership should come and claim their scooter or motorcycle. Persons without any valid documents claiming any scooter or motorcycle will not be eligible to receive any of these vehicles. To claim any of these scooters or motorcycles on other dates that are mentioned will not be possible. The scooters of motorcycles that are not claimed would then be disposed of in an appropriate manner. Please visit the Sint Maarten Police Force Facebook page to view the pictures of the scooters and motorcycles in question. PHILIPSBURG:--- Marine ship Zr.Ms. Friesland in a joint action with the St. Maarten Coast Guard intercepted a go-fast during a patrol in the Caribbean Sea, in the night hours of August 14, 2018 into the morning hours of August 15th, 2018. Three sailors were arrested and later handed over to authorities on Sint Maarten. The go-fast was spotted suspiciously parked next to another vessel, which triggered the notion that a possible contraband exchange was taking place. As the go-fast began to sail off in another direction, the maritime NH90 helicopter on the marine ship began following it. The Commander of the Friesland declared the go-fast stateless when no form of identification could be seen. After ignoring warning signals, the Commander gave instructions to fire warning shots from the NH90 helicopter. Subsequently the sharpshooter aboard the NH90 disabled the engine of the go-slow. The Friesland together with a team from the coast guard launched 2 FRISCs. The Coast Guard vessel Poema towed the go-fast to the headquarters. A thorough search for contraband was carried out at sea, however nothing was found, resulting in the release of the three suspects. CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. Tucked inside a former space shuttle parking garage is Boeing's CST-100 Starliner capsule. It's one of two new private space taxis that NASA has commissioned to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS). On Aug. 9, Boeing invited members of the media into the company's facilities here at NASA's Kennedy Space Center for a behind-the-scenes tour and a chance to meet the astronauts who will be flying the spacecraft as early as next year. NASA announced those "Commercial Crew Nine" astronauts on Aug. 3, during a ceremony at Johnson Space Center in Houston. [Meet the SpaceX and Boeing Astronaut Crews] A Road to Orbit Boeing's CST-100 Starliner, the first to carry a human crew, is seen under construction inside the Boeing Starliner Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The spacecraft is scheduled to launch NASA astronauts Eric Boe, Nicole Aunapu Mann and Boeing astronaut Chris Ferguson in 2019. (Image credit: Space.com/Amy Thompson) Before Starliner becomes operational, it must go through a series of uncrewed and crewed test flights. During each of these, Starliner will launch and dock with the space station. While the capsule is in orbit, crews will evaluate the vehicle's systems, ensuring that everything is working as planned. The first of those tests, an uncrewed mission, could be carried out as soon as the end of this year, NASA officials have said. Following that flight will be the first crewed test mission. Boeing's Chris Ferguson will join NASA astronauts Nicole Aunapu Mann and Eric Boe in the Starliner capsule as it ferries its first set of people to the space station. This test flight, scheduled for mid-2019, could mark the first time astronauts will have launched into space from U.S. soil since the end of the shuttle program, in 2011. (However, SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule the other private astronaut taxi is currently slated to fly its first crewed test mission in April 2019.) Ferguson, now a private astronaut working for Boeing, also flew on that last shuttle mission. "It's a really exciting time," Ferguson told reporters during the Aug. 9 event. "What's cool is this is our ride right here behind us," added Boe, who flew on two shuttle missions. "Nicole and Chris and myself have a chance to go fly this thing sometime in the near future." That mission will be the first spaceflight for Mann. "I'm the rookie of the team, and today I got to climb inside my first spacecraft," she told Space.com. "I thought it would be pretty exciting, but I tell you, the feeling was really overwhelming." [Boeings CST-100 Starliner: A 21st Century Space Capsule in Photos] NASA astronauts Eric Boe and Nicole Aunapu Mann and Boeing astronaut Chris Ferguson will be the crew that flies on the first crewed test mission of the Starliner spacecraft. (Image credit: Amy Thompson/Space.com) All the astronauts were excited to meet the people working diligently to construct their ride to space. "I think the most rewarding part is working with the people who are making this happen," explained NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, who will be flying on the first official crewed mission with crewmate Josh Cassada. Mann said she was thrilled to see engineers bolting in the avionics system on the spacecraft she will be flying on next year. She described the crew's visit to the launchpad, saying there are about 300 steps they'll have to climb to get to the crew access arm and the "white room" the last stop before boarding their spacecraft. "I can imagine the rocket [on the pad] with the Starliner stacked on top, and I look forward to the day we launch from Florida," Mann said. When Starliner takes off, it will be perched atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. Ferguson explained that the last time an American launched to space aboard an Atlas was 55 years ago. That astronaut was Gordon Cooper, one of the original Mercury Seven. "To know that the last person that flew an Atlas was one of your heroes that's pretty cool," Ferguson said. According to Boe, it will take about 10 minutes to get to orbit aboard the Atlas V/Starliner, and the ride will be much smoother than the ones astronauts experienced on the shuttle. [NASA's Space Shuttle Program in Pictures: A Tribute] Orbital flight testing NASA astronaut Eric Boe (top foreground), Boeing astronaut Chris Ferguson (top background) and NASA astronaut Nicole Aunapu Mann sit inside a mockup of a Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft. The three astronauts form the test flight crew for Boeing's first crewed Starliner flight in 2019. (Image credit: NASA) Ferguson said the uncrewed test mission will have about 220 flight-test objectives. For example, does the vehicle get to the proper orbit? Does it navigate itself like it should, and does the propellant system work? Can it dock with the space station? Boeing hopes to check off at least 80 percent of those objectives, Ferguson said. The crewed flight tests will have different objectives, he said. The goal is to make sure the vehicle's systems work so that when people climb aboard, they will just be testing the human element of the vehicle answering questions like how loud the jets are, whether the hygiene and environmental control systems work, and what the noise levels are like inside the capsulen. "We want to verify that it accommodates humans," he explained. Ferguson also revealed that during the uncrewed test flight, crews on the ground will take over during part of the flight to ensure that the craft can be controlled from the ground as expected. Williams said she is really looking forward to the test campaign. "This is really a test pilot's dream," she told Space.com. The veteran Williams, who will fly with rookie astronaut Josh Cassada, said she was ready to hang up her space shoes, but then this opportunity came along and she could not pass it up. "[Josh and I] can't wait to see how the vehicle docks to the space station," she explained. "It's going to do it by itself, and we're excited to see the software really work." "I wasn't sure the [astronaut] office called the right number," Josh said when asked how he felt about being chosen. "But this is what we've been training for, and I can't possibly imagine a better opportunity in spaceflight." Both Williams and Cassada described the generalized training astronauts receive at NASA, which includes points like what the spacecraft is supposed to do and where it's supposed to go. But coming out to the cape to train with the crew at Boeing and the actual spacecraft is an incredible opportunity, Williams said. "It's different than shuttle and [Russia's] Soyuz, because everything's already been mapped out," Williams said. "Here, it's still being created and is brand-new." According to Williams, the big difference between Starliner and the other spacecraft she has flown is the novelty. She and the rest of the crew are essentially writing the instruction manuals that future astronauts will use to fly Starliner. "There's definitely going to be a learning curve," she said. "Our job is to learn this spacecraft, focus on this vehicle specifically, so that it will be easier for future astronauts." Safety first This Boeing CST-100 Starliner space capsule will be used for an uncrewed pad abort test to check the spacecraft's emergency escape system. (Image credit: Space.com/Amy Thompson) Another major difference between past vehicles and Starliner is the new craft's launch escape system: an ejection system for the crew that will whisk them away to safety in an emergency. "We hope to never [have to] use this system," Ferguson said. "This vehicle has a full capability to abort anywhere in the ascent trajectory." The space shuttle did not have that capability. Williams said that even though Starliner is a new vehicle, she feels it is safer than previous ones, because past lessons are being incorporated into the new craft's design. The astronauts have been lucky enough to work with the folks in Houston in simulators, making sure things get better and better, she added. "We bring our experience from the past, and these guys are answering the call," she said. "This vehicle is better, safer and smarter than previous ones." But "we can't eliminate all risk. We'll never get down to zero," Cassada added. "If we needed and demanded zero risk, then no one would ever leave their home." Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. Lucasfilm has released the first trailer and story synopsis for its upcoming "Star Wars Resistance" animated series. Check out the trailer above! And the official synopsis for the first episode, "The Pilot": "Resistance fighter Poe Dameron tasks young pilot Kazuda 'Kaz' Xiono with spying on the First Order. At the time, little was known about the secretive organization and its strength. In order to fulfill his mission, Kaz travels to the space station Colossus, which is being used by many ships as a port to refuel and do repairs. However, there are also dangerous races taking place there. After Kaz bragged with his piloting skills at his arrival there, he is soon drawn into one of the races" [The Best 'Star Wars' Spaceships from a Galaxy Far, Far Away!] Oscar Isaac and Gwendolyn Christie will reprise their roles as Poe Dameron and Captain Phasma. Joining them in the voice cast in unrevealed roles are Bobby Moynihan, Donald Faison, Christopher Sean, Suzie McGrath, Scott Lawrence, Myrna Velasco, Josh Brener, Jim Rash, and Rachel Butera. "The idea for 'Star Wars Resistance' came out of my interest in World War II aircraft and fighter pilots," said Star Wars animation vet Dave Filoni, who created the show. "My grandfather was a pilot and my uncle flew and restored planes, so thats been a big influence on me. There's a long history of high-speed racing in Star Wars, and I think weve captured that sense of excitement in an anime-inspired style, which is something the entire team has been wanting to do for a long time." "Star Wars Resistance" will debut October 7 at 10:00 p.m. Eastern on the Disney Channel, with future episodes airing on Disney XD. Originally published on Newsarama. The Home of Starliner Amy Thompson/Space.com Take a look inside the CST-100 Starliner hangar, where Boeing is building the private space capsules that will fly NASA astronauts and more into space! This photo shows an exterior view of the Boeing Starliner Facility, which once housed the space shuttle Discovery. Starliner Astronauts Amy Thompson/Space.com Commercial Crew astronauts, Sunita Williams Williams and Josh Cassada don white bunny suits to examine a Starliner capsule. A Space Capsule Forms Amy Thompson/Space.com A view of the Starliner capsule which will transport Williams and Cassada on their mission to the space station. Building Starliner Amy Thompson/Space.com A close-up view of the Starliner spacecraft under construction. A Rookie Astronaut's Spaceship Amy Thompson/Space.com NASA astronaut Joe Cassada describes what it feels like to be a commercial crew astronaut. Starliner's 1st Space Station Crew Amy Thompson/Space.com Williams and Cassada inspect their future Starliner capsule. Checking Starliner Amy Thompson/Space.com : Boeing engineers work on the Starliner capsule that will be used on the first crewed mission to the space station. Starliner's First Crew Amy Thompson/Space.com NASA astronauts Eric Boe and Nicole Aunapu Mann and Boeing astronaut Chris Ferguson will be the crew that flies on the first crewed test mission of the Starliner spacecraft. Pad Abort Starliner Amy Thompson/Space.com A view of the Starliner spacecraft (used for pad abort testing) in the Boeing facilities. A Boeing Astronaut Amy Thompson/Space.com Boeing astronaut Chris Ferguson discusses his role as a Boeing employee and now a Commercial Crew astronaut. Test Flight Crew Speaks Amy Thompson/Space.com NASA astronaut Eric Boe discusses his training schedule leading up to the first test flight, which is currently scheduled for 2019. A United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket launches NASA's Parker Solar Probe on its epic sun-studying mission on Aug. 12, 2018, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The deep-space journey of NASA's epic sun-touching mission has started out well. The Parker Solar Probe, which launched early Sunday morning (Aug. 12) from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, is notching flight milestones according to plan, NASA officials said today (Aug. 17). For example, the spacecraft deployed its high-gain antenna, which it uses to communicate with Earth, a day after liftoff. Also, on Aug. 13, the Parker Solar Probe powered up one of its four instrument suites the one known as the Fields Experiment. [NASA's Parker Solar Probe Mission to the Sun in Pictures] In addition, the probe has been using its thrusters to reduce momentum, an activity designed to stabilize its flight profile, NASA officials said. "Parker Solar Probe is operating as designed, and we are progressing through our commissioning activities," mission project manager Andy Driesman, of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, said in a statement. "The team which is monitoring the spacecraft 24 hours a day, seven days a week is observing nominal data from the systems as we bring them online and prepare Parker Solar Probe for its upcoming initial Venus gravity assist," he added. A diagram showing the planned path of the Parker Solar Probe's mission. (Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL) That Venus flyby will occur on Oct. 3, paving the way for the Parker Solar Probe's first close encounter with the sun on Nov. 5. The $1.5 billion mission will make a total of 24 close solar flybys over the next seven years. And more Venus gravity assists are coming, too six more, in fact, after the October encounter. These Venus flybys will help sculpt and shrink the Parker Solar Probe's elliptical orbit, helping it get much closer to our star than any human-made object ever has before. During its final solar flyby, for example, the spacecraft will get within just 3.83 million miles (6.16 million kilometers) of the sun's surface. The current close-approach record is 27 million miles (43 million km), set by the German-American Helios 2 mission back in 1976. The sun's powerful gravity will accelerate the Parker Solar Probe to record-shattering speeds during these encounters. During that final solar flyby, the spacecraft will reach a top speed of about 430,000 mph (690,000 km/h). That's more than double the current mark, set by NASA's Juno probe during its arrival at Jupiter in July 2016. The Parker Solar Probe will gather a variety of data during these close passes, studying the sun's electric and magnetic fields and waves and characterizing the charged particles rocketing away from our star, among other things. These observations could help solve some long-standing mysteries why the sun's outer atmosphere, or corona, is so much hotter than its surface, for example, and how the charged particles that make up the solar wind are accelerated to their high speeds. As of noon EDT (1600 GMT) yesterday (Aug. 16), the Parker Solar Probe was 2.9 million miles (4.7 million km) from Earth and zooming through space at 39,000 mph (63,000 km/h), NASA officials said. Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com. I'm worried for those who are just getting by, whose lives are more chaotic than mine and for whom a grotesquely punitive, regressive fine for not promptly renewing a sticker that other big cities don't even require is a real blow. WBEZ and ProPublica Illinois have done excellent reporting on this topic recently, pointing out that those who must park their cars on the street are subject to multiple expired-sticker tickets, even on the same day, and that expired-sticker tickets "disproportionately go to drivers on Chicago's West and South sides, neighborhoods where the majority of the residents are low-income and black." NORWALK Eversource electric cables wont be the only utility lines needing relocation due to the Connecticut Department of Transportations upcoming replacement of the Walk Bridge over the Norwalk River. This month, the Norwalk Common Council authorized Mayor Harry Rilling to write the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Connecticut Department of Transportation, expressing the citys support for the temporary and permanent relocation of Metro-North Railroads transmission, communication and signal cables. Theyre going to put in temporaries now one for the communications for Metro-North, the other for power of the bridge so it will continue to work, said Norwalk Director of Public Works Bruce Chimento. Afterward the temporary cables will be removed, except for power to the bridge. That will stay to the north (of the bridge). As part of the Metro-North communications-and-signal systems upgrades along the New Haven Line, a new submarine cable crossing the Norwalk River will be installed. The project is part of the CP243 project, an upgrade to track and signals being done in advance of the Walk Bridge replacement. Like the overarching Walk Bridge program, the installation of this submarine cable is one more element of the project designed to enhance reliability along the New Haven Line corridor, said Judd Everhart, DOT spokesman. We have learned the hard way what happens when this bridge fails to open and close properly. Our customers expect good service and we want them to have confidence that were working hard to improve the overall customer experience. This is one small piece of that effort. The proposed submarine cable will comprise seven 4-inch diameter individual cables that will be bundled and placed within a trench, excavated seven feet below the riverbed, north of the Walk Bridge. Maps provided to the council show the proposed new submarine cables placed in the same location as the existing cable just north of the bridge. The anticipated construction schedule is between Dec. 1, 2018, and Jan. 31, 2019, or alternatively, between Dec. 1, 2019, and Jan. 31, 2020. Dredging is restricted to those periods under U.S. Army Corps guidelines. During the construction, the contractor will block one or more navigation channels. Emergency vessels, including police and fire along with small boats, will be able to pass through the one open channel. Any vessels requiring opening of the Walk Bridge will require four hours advance notice, according to a summary of the project provided to the council. The trench excavation and cable laying will occur only during incoming and slack flood tides as requested by the Norwalk Shellfish and Norwalk Harbor commissions. That was the principle concern of the Shellfish Commission and the Harbor Commission to avoid any contaminated sediment being carried downstream, said Geoffrey Steadman, planning consultant for the harbor commission. The DOT adjusted their plan to do that. The estimated $1.24 million submarine cable project is separate from Eversource Energys plan to relocate 115,000-volt transmission lines that now run atop the Walk Bridge. The plan to run those below the riverbed, south of the bridge and through the area of the Norwalk Visitors Docks at Veterans Memorial Park has caused concern among harbor commissioners. W hen we think of a day trip from London, places like Bath and Brighton spring to mind but have you ever considered New York City for a day trip? With Norwegian Airs announcement that they now have a day return trip from London to New York, FairFX has rounded up the best speed trip destinations around the world you can visit for a day and still have at least seven hours in your chosen locale. In fact, flying to Marrakesh in Morocco for a day is 49 cheaper than a peak day return train ticket from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston. Whether you fancy lying on a tropical beach in the Bahamas or taking a dip in Icelands Blue Lagoon, these destinations are sure to indulge your wanderlust. 1. Marrakesh, Morocco Unsplash Flight time: 3hrs 30 min each way Cost of return flights: 289 Time in city: 9 hrs 25 mins This bustling, vibrant city is the perfect day trip. Wander around the souks of Medina the seemingly endless maze of markets and find hidden gems to take home with you. 2. New York City, United States Unsplash Flight time: 8hrs 20 min each way Cost of return flights: 447 Time in city: 13 hrs 10 mins Luckily, Manhattan is easy to navigate in a day. Grab a pastrami sandwich at Katz Deli or a duck pancake at Vanessas Dumplings and work your way up the city. Walk around the Lower East side for China Town haunts and a wander through Little Italy. Make your way through Washington Square Park to Chelsea and do some celeb spotting. Then spend your afternoon discovering Central Park and lying in the sun, before bee-lining to Times Square for the lights and a quick show before you jump on your flight home. 3. Reykjavic, Iceland Unsplash Flight time: 3 hrs 25 min each way Cost of return flights: 310 Time in city: 8 hrs Touching down in Reykjavic, jump on a tour bus and head out to the Blue Lagoon where you can bathe in the warm waters while admiring Icelands unique landscape. Alternatively, spend your day wandering around the Icelandic capital for delicious food and striking architecture and keep an eye out for the northern lights. 4. Tenerife, Spain Unsplash Flight time: 4 hrs 30 min each way Cost of return flights: 350 Time in city: 8 hrs 20 mins From scuba diving, lounging on the beach to visiting a number of historical sites Tenerife is the perfect day trip for every kind of traveller. 5. Helsinki, Finland Unsplash Flight time: 2 hrs 50 min each way Cost of return flights: 567 Time in city: 8 hrs 20 min Walk around the Market Square in Helsinkis Old Town to take in some culture before finding a sauna to relax in after all Finland is the home of the sauna. 6. Toronto, Canada Unsplash Flight time: 7 hrs 45 min each way Cost of return flights: 1,221 Time in city: 12 hrs 10 mins Canadas calling and a visit to Toronto warrants a quick trip to the Niagara Falls just a 90-minute drive away. In the city, walk past the CN Tower or head on up to the lookout and for foodies head to Chinatown, Little India, Little Italy and more for global cuisines. 7. Washington DC, United States Unsplash Flight time: 8 hrs 45 mins each way Cost of return flights: 1,128 Time in city: 10 hrs 55 mins A day is more than enough time to hit up all the capitals landmarks. Start at the White House before walking past the Washington Monument and up through the National Mall. You will probably be able to fit in some time at one of the Smithsonian museums or (a personal favourite) the Newseum. 8. Boston, United States Unsplash Flight time: 8 hrs 5 mins each way Cost of return flights: 1,191 Time in city: 9 hrs 15 mins Three words: Red Sox game. Otherwise, check out the Harvard University campus, Fenway Park and the Museum of Fine Arts. 9. Dubai, United Arab Emirates Unsplash Flight time: 6 hrs 45 mins each way Cost of return flights: 954 Time in city: 7 hrs 20 mins Dubai is nothing if not extravagant, so embrace the wealth and roll with it. If you have time, try and head out to the desert to see the exquisite sand dunes, or wander through the many malls or get your tan on at Jumeirah Beach. 10. Chicago, United States Unsplash Flight time: 8 hrs 45 mins Cost of return flights: 1,950 Time in city: 10 hrs 35 mins A walk through Millennium Park is a given where you can check out one of the citys most famous sculptures: Cloud Gate. If its raining, head on inside to the Art Institute which is home to some of Americas greatest art collections. 11. Bahamas Unsplash Flight time: 9 hrs 45 mins Cost of return flights: 1,863 Time in city: 7 hrs 10 mins A murder investigation is under way after a man in his 50s was stabbed to death in south east London. Police were called to a property in Ringstead Road, Catford, at about 4am on Saturday. The man was suffering stab injuries and was taken to hospital, but was pronounced dead at 5.30am. A police cordon remained in place between Reeds Rains estate agents and the London and Rye Wetherspoon pub on Saturday morning. No arrests have been made. Rui Garcia, from La Ciabatta coffee shop just outside the cordon, told the Standard: "I came to open at 8.30am and all these officers were here. "Apparently there were some guys on the roof of the house, but I don't know if that's connected to the incident." It was the capitals third stab death in the space of 24 hours. Early on Friday morning, a 42-year-old man was stabbed to death in Chingford. A 16-year-old boy and 35-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of murder. And on Friday afternoon in Southwark, a man in his 50s was found dead with stab wounds at a property near the Old Kent Road. A man has been arrested after a victim was stabbed in the hand in front of horrified shoppers on a busy east London high street. Police officers were called to Green Street, near Upton Park tube station, at 12.50pm on Saturday. The suspect was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm while the male victim was taken to hospital. It happened in front of shoppers outside Green Street Library, with huge crowds pictured at both ends of the police cordon as the victim was lifted into an ambulance. Transport for London (TfL) was forced to divert five of its bus routes because of the incident. It comes as the capitals knife crime epidemic shows no sign of ceasing. Between Friday and Saturday morning, three men in their 40s and 50s were stabbed to death in the space of 24 hours in Waltham Forest, Southwark and Lewisham. A 29-year-old man from Birmingham has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly driving a car through crowds outside the Houses of Parliament . Salih Khater, a Sudanese born UK national, will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday following the incident in central London last Tuesday morning. The suspect allegedly drove his vehicle into pedestrians before deliberately swerving towards police officers. He was arrested after crashing into barriers outside the Palace of Westminster. Police investigation: Forensics officers work near the car that crashed into security barriers outside Parliament / AP He is charged with the attempted murder of members of the public and the attempted murder of police officers. Prosecutors will be treating his case as terrorism, the Metropolitan Police said after charging him on Saturday. Police cordoned off Parliament Square following the incident last Tuesday morning / PA The force said in a statement: "The charges follow an incident in which Khater drove his car into a stationary group of members of the public then at police officers, before crashing into the barriers outside the House of Parliament. I n London there are no safe houses for male victims of domestic abuse, despite the Metropolitan Police receiving over 150,000 calls per year. Figures show that in two and a half years police attended 329,666 calls relating to domestic abuse all over London nine per cent of which led to someone being charged. A campaigner has questioned why there are no safe refuges for men with children, suggesting London is not interested in addressing the issue. The police attended at least one call a day about domestic abuse between January 2016 and April 2018, official figures show. The highest amount of these calls were in Croydon for the two and a half years, with 17,629 calls being made. In the same period in Croydon only 1,368 people were charged. Other boroughs with high numbers of domestic violence reports included Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham and Southwark. Boroughs with the lowest amount of calls included Kingston upon Thames, Richmond and Kensington and Chelsea. Loading.... A spokesman for Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he is working on encouraging more victims to come forward and report abuse. The Mayor also hit out at cuts to local authorities over the years, arguing that cuts have given councils no choice but to reduce vital services. Mark Brooks, chair of the ManKind Initiative, said questions needed to be answered about why so few people are being charged for domestic violence, calling for more support for male victims. He said: Serious questions have to be answered about why there is such a difference between calls and charges. We also need to know what support is given to those who make the calls - are they assessed, are they referred to local organisations, are they offer a range of safe places to go to? About one in four reports are from male victims but very few end up being signposted and supported by specialist organisations and professionals. Our concern is why so few are being supported. He added: In terms of refuges and safe houses, in London, there are no places for male victims including if they have children. This still remains a terrible situation that sadly London's councils and housing associations do not seem interested in addressing. A spokesman for the Maoyr said tackling domestic violence is a key priority / Getty Images Crisis support charity, Hestia, added that two thirds of Londons MPs are being approached by their constituents for help about domestic abuse. An independent poll by the charity found that 67 per cent of the capitals MPs had been approached in July for help, compared with the national average of 55 per cent. The charity also found that when a victim is trying to get help, there can be hurdles along the way when trying to get the appropriate support. On average, a victim of domestic abuse will encounter as many as 13 different agencies before they get the correct support, the charity said. Mr Khan said tackling domestic violence remains one of his priorities as mayor. A spokesman said: We are working to encourage more victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence men and women to come forward and report, so that they can get access to the support they need, and so the police can take action to catch those responsible. Tackling domestic violence is a key priority in the Mayors Policing and Crime Plan. He has provided 2 million of funding for the Pan London Domestic Abuse Service the biggest of its kind in London which is open to men and women. Through Survivors UK, the Mayor also supports male victims of rape and sexual abuse with funding to help them receive counselling through one-to-one support and advocacy support should they wish to report to the police and proceed through the criminal justice route. Clearly, funding cuts to local authorities over recent years have given them no choice but to reduce vital services. We have, and will, continue to lobby the Government to address this funding crisis through its Domestic Abuse Bill. The ManKind Initiative offer confidential help on 01823 334244 Hestia offer support to adults and children across London in times of crisis and offer an app, Brightsky, for victims to use for free. A body has been found by police searching for a missing teenager on the Isle of Lewis. Hannah Mackenzie, 17, was reported missing in Stornoway on Thursday evening following the first day back at school after the summer holidays on the Western Isles. She was last seen outside her school, the Nicholson Institute, at 4pm on Thursday. Searches were focused on the grounds of Lews Castle following a potential sighting in the area on Thursday and Police Scotland said a body was found in the area on Friday evening. Police said Hannah had intended to walk to the Western Isles Hospital to meet her mother when she went missing. Formal identification is still to take place but the family of the 17-year-old have been informed, police said. B ritains largest warship, HMS Queen Elizabeth, has departed Portsmouth and set off for the US on its maiden voyage. Large crowds gathered to watch the 3billion aircraft carrier dubbed 'Big Lizzie' leave its home city on Saturday evening. The ship is set to land two F-35 fighter jets on its deck for the first time during the 11-week trip across the Atlantic, which is due to end in New York. Commodore Andrew Betton, commander of the UK Carrier Strike Group, said that the carrier would be provided full protection in the face of threats from Russia. Royal Navy's new 3bn aircraft carrier departs on maiden voyage to US He said: "Russian submarines are more active in the North Atlantic than they have been since the Cold War and we take that very seriously, the ship will be well protected as she makes her transit across the Atlantic. Crowds gather to watch HMS Queen Elizabeth leave her home city for the US / PA "We will seek to operate professionally and within the standard laws of the high seas operating in international waters going about our business. "We are not seeking confrontation, we are heading to the east coast of the United States to conduct trials." The vessel will undergo flight trials with fighter jets for the first time / PA Captain Jerry Kyd, the carrier's commanding officer, said: "The increase in Russian activity we have seen in the last couple of years is frightening and for national security reasons it just underlines why we need to maintain a balanced, strong and able, capable fleet. "It's been quite eye-watering what we have seen in the last couple of years." During its trip, the warship will embark two US F-35B test aircraft based at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, which are expected to carry out 500 landings and take-offs during the carrier's 11 weeks at sea. The aircraft carrier left Portsmouth on Saturday evening / PA Capt Kyd said: "This deployment to the United States will be another first for my ship. "Crossing a major ocean with 1,500 sailors, aircrew and marines embarked and the spectre of the first F-35B Lightning landing on the deck in September is very exciting for us all. "It has been an incredible journey since we left Rosyth just over a year ago and we are all looking forward to this next seminal chapter in HMS Queen Elizabeth's life." He added: "People are looking forward to seeing the jets because we have been talking about them for flipping years. "There's a lot of excitement on board." Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: "HMS Queen Elizabeth is a true statement of our national power and the whole country can be proud to see this magnificent symbol of our engineering prowess and international ambition leaving port to sail on to the world stage. "Her voyage to America not only shows her global reach but strengthens our special relationship with the US forces who we have worked hand-in-hand with on this iconic programme. "As she sails along the east coast of the USA, she will signal our determination to keep fighting alongside our allies in all corners of an ever more complex and uncertain world." Large crowds gathered in Portsmouth to watch the ship depart on Saturday evening / PA The honour of landing the first of the training jets on to the carrier will go to one of three British pilots taking part in the US deployment. The pilot in charge of flight operations on the new carrier today said he is "massively excited" to see fixed-wing aircraft operating on the flight deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth. Commander (Air) James Blackmore flew the last Harrier to take off from HMS Ark Royal in 2010. He is now in charge of flight operations on board the Royal Navy's new carrier, which is about to undergo trials with the F-35B jets in the USA. He said: "It's a full-circle process, it's great to be back here with the same captain, we are now working together again to bring jet aviation back to sea. "It's massively exciting and this marks the start of the next chapter." Describing the amount of preparation, Cdr Blackmore, whose position is affectionately known as "Wings", said: "This goes back almost to the point when we last finished jet flying at sea but, really, the last few years, since the ship came out of build and has been at sea, then we have been working hard as a team to get ready to bring an F-35 to the deck for the first time. "Part of that was operating helicopters and understanding how the ship works, and we have also done a lot in simulators and working as a team with our US colleagues in the Integrated Test Force so we are ready to bring the jet to the deck in September." Asked if he had any nerves about the process, he said: "Little bit, but I have got massive confidence in the team, certainly the team in my air department then collectively as a whole ship, we have all been working towards one common goal throughout the last couple of years, so everyone's focused, everyone's trained and we're ready to go." S ince Fifty Shades of Grey took over the world, what pleasantly feels like ages ago, more and more people have opened their eyes, minds and hearts to the concept of erotica. But BDSM-related material is only the tip of the iceberg with erotic fiction ranging from tame coming-of-age tales to more sexually sordid stories. There are thousands of steamy novels around so where is one supposed to start? Is it the less scary-sounding romance tales? Or should you just dive straight into a real eye-opener and prepare for a few shockers? Weve compiled a list of five naughty reads to stay home with, take on holiday or liven up your city commute. From certainly steamy to just wow , these books will satisfy anyone looking for an alluring read. The best part? Theres no mention of a certain Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele. Wetlands by Charlotte Roche Wetlands is narrated by 18-year-old Helen Memel and is possibly the raunchiest book youll ever come across. Using every inch of the female body (as well as avocado stones) to dissect womens sexual pleasure, the author somehow manages to make haemorrhoids and hairy armpits inherently sexy. When it was first published in Germany there were reports of people actually fainting from reading the book. 8.10 | Amazon | Buy it now I Am a Woman by Ann Bannon Revered for her revolutionary depiction of gay and lesbian relationships, Ann Bannons I Am a Woman is one of the defining erotic fiction books of the 1950s. Set in New York, it follows heartbroken sorority member Laura Landon as she enters the enchanting lifestyle of Greenwich Village and meets the bold Beebo Brinker. A book that stays far away from stereotypes, this read was way ahead of its time. 9.99 | bookdepository | Buy it now What Belongs to You by Garth Greenwell Hailed as one of the most powerfully erotic books in recent years, What Belongs to You examines how personal histories and cultures can change the way we love. The story centres on a teacher in southern America who pays a young man for sex in a public toilet, only for their relationship to dramatically evolve over the coming months 7.99 | Waterstones | Buy it now Constant Craving by Tamara Lush Smart smut pretty much sums up this story which sees journalist Justine Lavoie receive an offer from her first love that will save her newspaper from bankruptcy. All she has do to is agree to anything Rafael asks of her for the next month. Power, romance and the concept of second chances all make this a must-read piece of erotica. 7 | Amazon | Buy it now Asarotica by Asa Akira Ever wondered what porn stars fantasise about? Well-known adult film star Asa Akira asked over twenty of them to pen a short story on their dreamiest erotic situation. The resulting book, Asarotica, is a truly original tome that will open the eyes of any inquisitive reader. 12.99 | Amazon | Buy it now Verdict: B reak-up or break-time, bad day or good luck its no exaggeration to say that chocolate has become something of a panacea to any eventuality in life, ever since it was brought over to Britain in the 17th century. But the actual origins of the sweet treat that we know and love today goes back centuries. In fact, it has been discovered that as early as 1900BC, those living is what is today known as Mexico fermented, roasted and ground the cacao plant to produce a paste that was then mixed with water and flavourings and drunk. Some time after this, the Europeans adapted the recipe for the original cacao drink by adding large amounts of sugar to suit the palate of the West and it wasnt until 1847 that Joseph Fry discovered how to convert chocolate back into a solid, thus resembling something close to what we think of as chocolate nowadays. So, what of the chocolate of current times? Well, dont get me wrong, we all enjoy a good old galaxy bar now and again but theres something particularly special about the higher-end chocolate brands that makes the whole experience that little bit more tempting. Perhaps its the packaging the pristinely wrapped box tied up tightly with ribbon that promises the secrets of all sorts of untold happiness. Or maybe its the act of gifting itself we often give chocolate to friends and loved ones as a sign of appreciation, meaning any future box is bound to be filled with goodness. Personally, though, I think its all about the taste. Good-quality chocolate just brings something extra to the table. So heres a list of our top luxury chocolate brands all of which have excellent vegan options too for all the free-from friends out there that are sure to tantalise taste buds. Chococo Chococo Chococo may not have as long-established a history as some of the other luxury chocolate labels out there but that doesnt mean their expertise is any less. In fact, many in the field would say that with such an abundance of brands out there, its even more impressive that Chococo has managed to make a dent in the high-walled chocolate world and thus rightfully take their place among many of the big names. This independent artisan group was founded by husband and wife team Andy and Claire Burnet, who struck gold with the decision to focus on producing chocolates that are fresh in the truest sense of the word. By using locally sourced and seasonal ingredients, they have carefully created a brand that knows what theyre doing, and does it really well. You can really tell the attention to detail that goes into the chocolates, with each one almost looking like a miniature piece of art because of the way there are put together and the taste is nothing short of fantastic too. If you thought I was finished there, youre mistaken. Chococo has maximised its potential and also broken into the realm of brownies, which look positively mouth-watering. Need I say more? Paul A Young Paul A Young If putting a name to a face is on your agenda when picking brands, Paul A Young is the place to head. Paul has spent time honing his craft, working hands-on with his team at their two London shops, and that effort is certainly reflected in the superior-quality chocolates he produces. Everything is made by hand in-shop, using fresh ingredients that are free from additives or preservatives, and you only need to look to the numerous awards that his products have won to be able to appreciate his mastery of the chocolate realm. His chocolates come in a mixed medley of flavours from elderflower and gin, to peach, pineapple and pina colada, and even the divisive love-hate Marmite truffle that are guaranteed to stimulate taste buds with their uniqueness. If youre bored of traditional chocolates and are wanting something that offers exciting and new tastes, head over to Paul A Young today (either in person or on his new online webshop). If one things for certain, wherever flavour goes, Paul follows. Coco Coco I first came across Coco at their little shop in Edinburgh and have constantly come back to them as a reference for chocolate done well not just in taste, but also sourcing. Chocolate sourcing has often been put under scrutiny because of the sometimes unscrupulous methods that pay pennies to cocoa farmers whilst the big bosses sit on their riches. But this is not the case with Coco, who use Columbian locals to help source and farm the cocoa beans, ensuring that more money stays in the country and so supporting developing economies. All of their chocolate come in beautifully designed packaging, with bright colours and patterns that truly sing to the thought and effort that goes into each bar. They come in a variety of flavours, with the unusual but surprisingly delectable haggis, as well as Isle of Skye sea salt, clearly referencing their Scottish heritage, and Earl Grey tea and gin and tonic proving interesting twists on the classics. Through its diversity of flavours, Coco is the perfect example of how a brand can both do good, as well as taste good. Friars Friars Friars offer more varieties of chocolate than you could imagine; from no added sugar and gluten free, to palm oil-free, they have made it their mission to ensure that no one misses out on indulgence. The focus here is founded in quality, with any new product set before a strict tasting panel who will only introduce it to the line if the product scores above 9/10. This ensures taste remains a primary focus that continues to serve the founders original message. If youre after a bit of fun, Friarss novelty selection is just the (golden) ticket where chocolate takes on a number of interesting shapes (games controllers, breasts, tool kits, makeup, cigars, golf balls and pizza to name but a few). However, where they really lead the way is in their free-from section and, after taking a look at their extensive collection, its easy to see why. Instead of the very limited, if not non-existent, offerings of the past, the brand has ensured they are keeping up to date with current trends by making a range of free-from offerings where the carefully crafted exterior is also matched in taste. What a revolution! Hotel Chocolat Hotel Chocolat If chocolate was like fashion, then Hotel Chocolat would fall in the high end of the high street. Its hard to find a quality chocolate brand that isnt more than a pretty penny, but Hotel Chocolat fills that space between off-the-rack and designer wear. Their mouth-watering chocolate comes in a range of flavours and prices so theres sure to be something for everyone. Their slabs are the perfect thing to sink your teeth into or, for those who fancy something a little more refined, their chocolate boxes come in a huge variety of flavours that change regularly with the seasons. I recently tried their vegan sleekster box and was pleasantly surprised by how creamy the nutmilk chocolates were. My top pick was definitely the peanut butter and nutmilk buche its just a shame you cant buy them individually! More luxurious than a Mars bar but less frivolous than Moet, Hotel Chocolat falls perfectly between your everyday chocolate and the stuff of connoisseurs. Goodio Goodio If you need an excuse to eat chocolate without the guilt, try Goodio. As the name suggests, their chocolate is stuffed full of goodness. Using organic, nutritious ingredients and made from raw cacao which is classed a superfood due to being rich in antioxidants their raw, vegan chocolate bars are nothing short of inspiring. But the buck doesnt stop there. The brand was founded on the principals of sustainability, transparency and wellbeing, meaning you can be certain that purpose comes before profit. The flavours of their chocolate are inspired by the Nordic countries think buckthorn and wild blueberry, as well as the more typical mint and sea salt which truly brings a new side to traditional flavours of old. Goodio has a great thing going here, setting a precedent for the future of chocolate and bringing an inspiring product to the masses. Rococo Rococo Id be surprised if you havent already heard of renowned chocolatiers Rococo, as they truly are part of the creme de la creme of the chocolate-making world. Established in London in 1983, the brand offer a real tasting experience through their chocolates that is matched by few. Their five-pillar philosophy, which is rooted in taste and quality, attests to the care and detail that goes into every product. The bars come in an abundance of tantalising flavours, including spice island and big smoke, but it is their chocolate boxes that really sing of their superior quality. As well as the well-loved classes such as their rose and violet creams and dark chocolate ginger, Rococo also offer a whole host of mixed boxes to truly indulge in. I particularly like the dark and nutty collection, which is filled with an enticing array of almond and orange, raspberry and almond, and yuzu and date pralines, enrobed in rich dark chocolate. They are the perfect thing for a post-dinner sweet kick and just so happen to be vegan too! Charbonnel et Walker Charbonnel Does anyone think of luxury chocolate without thinking of Charbonnel et Walker? Considering theyre endorsed by the royal warrant as one of the few chocolatiers to the Queen, I think its unlikely. Britains first chocolatier was founded in 1875 after a uniting of Mrs Walker and Mme Charbonnel, encouraged by the then Prince of Wales. They later set up shop in New Bond Street and have remained there ever since, so clearly must be doing something right. Charbonnel et Walkers range is extensive; along with the typical milk, white and dark chocolate, they also have an assortment of truffles and products for all manner of occasion and dietary requirement. Their truffles come in a variety of interesting flavours, from sea salt banana to pistachio (and even English afternoon tea), with the Marc de Champagne a particularly hard-hitter. If simpler flavours are more your thing, I highly recommend the dark mint thins (which are also suitable for vegans). With a gentle minty freshness, they have all of the richness youd expect of high-quality dark chocolate with a subtle lift of mint that really give it that edge. If its good enough for Her Majesty Raphia Raphia Blending eastern flavours with the European sweet tooth, Raphia brings the spice and vibrancy of Morocco to life with every bite of their delightful confections. From dark chocolate-dipped nuts, indulgent chocolate truffles, jewel-like dark fruits and chocolate squares wrapped in gold foil, Raphias offering is made for sharing with friends and loved ones. Pierre Marcolini Pierre Marcolini You might recognise famed Belgian chocolatier, Pierre Marcolini, for his iconic chocolate hearts. Knockout ganaches, silky-smooth caramels and pure milk pralines are beautifully presented and make an elegant gift for the sweet-tooth in your life. Farhi Selfridges Ideal for handing over as a gift, this stunningly decorated box is intricately painted in opulent reds and golds - so you can skip the wrapping paper. Inside youll find slices of spicy candied ginger blanketed with rich dark chocolate. Elegant and sophisticated, this is the grown-up way to enjoy chocolate. Venchi Venchi Purveyors of the finest Italian chocolate, this generous hatbox contains an assortment of their prized sweets. Delve into the sensory high that is Chocaviar with flavours ranging from pistachio, creme brulee and the almost sinfully indulgent creme cacao, a double whammy of delicious chocolate. Booja Booja Booja Booja No dairy? No problem. Indulge in delicious handmade Fine de Champagne chocolate truffles from boutique confectioner Booja Booja. This box holds 16 richly flavoured vegan sweets in a charmingly patterned box thats just made for celebrations. Verdict Volunteer opportunities available at local organizations Weber Human Services is looking for people who can help Northern Utah nonprofits. For more information on volunteer opportunities or to post an opportunity for your organization, call 801-625-3777 or 801-778-6897. If you are interested in volunteering and do not see what interests you please call us as we have many more opportunities available and will help you find what interests you and best uses your skills. If your organization is in need of volunteers, please give us a call. Hill Air Force Base Retirees Activities Office (RAO) is looking for retired military or spouses of ... Some confections, like Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, Hersheys bars and Baby Ruths have been popular ever since trick-or-treating came into vogue. But other candies have gone in and out of fashion (and production). What was in your trick-or-treat bag when you were going door-to-door? To determine the top candy of every decade, The Daily Meal researched treat trends and when todays most popular candies debuted. So, take a walk down memory lane and see the newest and most beloved Halloween candies of every decade. 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 Several years ago the Commonwealth of Virginia enacted a law restricting firearms purchases to one per month. This was intended to discourage smuggling of weapons to urban areas outside Virginia with tight gun control laws and (unsurprisingly) high homicide rates. The law didnt seem to do much good and in a rare outbreak of common sense was later repealed, though theres recent misguided talk from Attorney General Mark Herring of reviving it. During its short period in force, the prohibition spawned a popular saying in the Old Dominion: Buy one gun a month its the law! A similar attitude may be appropriate in light of an estimate that due to vague statutes and the proliferation of federal regulations which have the force of law we wake up in the morning, go to work, come home, eat dinner, and go to sleep unaware we may have committed several federal crimes in the course of the day. The number varies but the average number of crimes per American seems to be about three. The more important point is that every one of us is probably guilty of something. There is no one in the United States over the age of 18 who cannot be indicted for some federal crime, retired Louisiana State University law professor John Baker told the Wall Street Journal in July 2011. That is not an exaggeration. This means that if they want you, they can get you. That in turn means that who gets charged, prosecuted, and jailed is a matter of the relevant officials discretion. And that in turn means that discretion can and will be politicized. Like the boychiks used to say in the good ol NKVD (Peoples Commissariat for Internal Affairs; ): Give Us the Man, and We Will Make the Case. (I guess nowadays, we should say person.) Lets stipulate that the true Rechtsstaat, where justice is administered in a politically neutral manner is few and far between in human history. The norm is politicized justice where holders of power in an elective system, the winners use the justice system to harass and terrorize the losers. But America today must be the only country thats ever been so goofy that the losers are able to terrorize the winners. Whatever your feelings about the current administration, consider: the feds come in like gangbusters, breaking down doors, rousting targets from their beds, seizing their personal documents and devices, and subjecting them to piled-on charges and questioning designed to result in perjury, obstruction, and conspiracy charges especially the phony crime of lying to the FBI adding up to decades in jail. Those accused are forced to plead guilty to a lesser charge or bankrupt themselves hoping they will be vindicated by a jury of sheep their peers, where the feds have a 90 percent-plus conviction rate. Thats treatment meted out to Paul Manafort, Mike Flynn, George Papadopoulos, Michael Cohen, and others. Conversely, clear evidence of crime, such as mishandling classified material, is a freebie: No reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case. Oh, some of the emails are personal? Thats OK, you decide whats what we trust you! Theres a claim a foreign power hacked a computer server, which some compare to an act of war demanding retaliation no, we dont need to see the server itself, your contractors report is good enough for us! And while youre at it, go ahead and purge your electronic records (even material youre obligated to preserve) and smash up your smart phones and pull out SIM cards. Oh, hey, does anyone need immunity? No need to bargain, were happy to provide! Thats the treatment accorded to Hillary Clinton, Huma Abedin, Cheryl Mills, Tony Podesta, and their ilk. Its no coincidence, Comrades, that this disparity is the work of denizens of a law enforcement and intelligence apparatus that is focused like a laser on two closely linked objectives: One, get Donald Trump. Two, at all costs, make sure that he cannot in any way move forward on his stated objective to improve ties with Russia. Those objectives are the two sides of the coin called Russiagate. All else, including the disparity of treatment given those close to Trump versus his opponents, is a function of Russiagate. Three other things also follow: Trumps powerlessness, even within his own administration. What kind of Chief Executive is reduced to tweeting what his subordinates ought to do for example, providing Congress with documents demanded from the Department of Justice versus ordering them to do it? Trumps personnel. People wonder, especially on foreign policy, why has Trump surrounded himself with a swarm of neoconservatives and Bush-retread Republicans? Maybe he is one of them. Or maybe anyone who dissented from the established warmongering line would be putting his head through a noose. Flipping the Russians did it narrative: Among the Presidents defenders, on say Fox News, no less than among his detractors, Russia is the enemy who (altogether now!) interfered in our elections in order to undermine our democracy. Mitt Romney was right! The only argument is over who was the intended beneficiary of Muscovite mendacity, Trump or Hillary thats the variable. The constant is that Putin is Hitler and only a traitor would want to get along with him. All sides agree that the Christopher Steele dossier is full of though theres literally zero actual evidence of Kremlin involvement but a lot pointing to Britains MI6 and GCHQ . : Among the Presidents defenders, on say Fox News, no less than among his detractors, Russia is the enemy who (altogether now!) interfered in our elections in order to undermine our democracy. Mitt Romney was right! The only argument is over who was the intended beneficiary of Muscovite mendacity, Trump or Hillary thats the variable. The constant is that Putin is Hitler and only a traitor would want to get along with him. All sides agree that the Christopher Steele dossier is full of Russian dirt The Russia! Russia! Russia! hysteria is sometimes called a new McCarthyism, but thats unfair to Tailgunner Joe. In his day, whatever his excesses, there really were Stalinist agents at the State Department. This new panic is nothing weve seen before, except maybe during the Salem witch frenzy of the 1690s. Which brings us to Maria Butina, a Russian grad student and Second Amendment advocate jailed (and refused bail) on thin allegations of unregistered lobbying. As Phil Giraldi observes: If you are a Russian and you are caught talking to anyone in any way influential, there is potentially hell to pay because the FBI will be watching you. You are automatically assumed to be part of a conspiracy. Once evidence is collected, you will be indicted and sent to prison, mostly to send a message to Moscow. It is the ultimate irony that how the old Soviet Unions judiciary used to function is now becoming standing operating procedure in the United States. Butina has been portrayed as some kind of honey pot femme fatale, a cross between Anna Chapman and Natasha from The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, using her Slavic charms to bewitch the naive O crowd at the National Rifle Association. Among Butinas nefarious activities: networking at the National Prayer Breakfast. If they arrested everyone with foreign government connections schmoozing at the Prayer Breakfast, theyd have to shut the thing down. Honestly, I doubt even the investigators believe Butina is guilty of anything, and if she were any other nationality but Russian she wouldnt be facing years in jail. [ATTENTION: A legal defense fund for Butina has now been formed!] Which brings us to the biggest threat to whats left of our liberties as Americans. (No, not the yanking of the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan.) As is well known, we are facing an unprecedented, coordinated campaign of deplatforming, shadowbanning, flitering, and other foul means of putting dissenting voices into a digital GULag. While the glove belongs to tech giants and their executives, the hand inside is the governments. Using Russian meddling as a pretext, companies that do billions of dollars of business with the federal government are only too happy to police the web of suspected Russian-linked accounts. And since, as Hillary says, Putin is the leader of the worldwide authoritarian, white-supremacist, and xenophobic movement who is emboldening right-wing nationalists, separatists, racists, and even neo-Nazis, anything and anybody that fails Virginia Senator Mark Warners or Mark Zuckerbergs sniff test is now fair game. We are told that to sow discord and chaos Russian troll farms and social media ads target divisive issues related to race, Black Lives Matter, and Ferguson, absent which wed all be holding hands singing Kumbaya. Connecting Putin and Russia with racism feeds into a cockamamie phantasmagoria of Crimethink concepts that increasingly are considered outside the protection of what was once quaintly known as free speech: hate speech, fake news, conspiracy theories, white nationalism, white supremacy, white privilege, patriarchy, cisgenderism, and many more. The idea of I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it is out the window. Instead we have: anyone to the right of me gets what he deserves. While we hear a lot about the input end violation of free speech rights, a deadly, valid concern even more worrisome is the output: limiting what Americans can see and hear that differs from the official media line, itself largely a bulletin board for government sources. Unsurprisingly, that line is unfailingly for war and intervention. As Patrick Armstrong puts it, maybe the censors could just buy some old Soviet jamming equipment. It is hard to escape the notion that we are approaching the edge of some profound historical moment that will have far-reaching, literally life and death consequences, both domestically and internationally. In the period preceding World War I how many Europeans suspected that their lives would soon be forever changed and, for millions of them, ended? Who in the years, say, 1910 to 1913, could have imagined that the decades of peace, progress, and civilization in which they had grown up, and which seemingly would continue indefinitely, instead would soon descend into a horror of industrial-scale slaughter, revolution, and brutal ideologies? Whether opposition to the gathering darkness can be effective is uncertain. But what is not uncertain is our duty to oppose it, even at the risk of committing three felonies a day. Fellow Thought criminals unite! [A version of the foregoing was delivered to the Ron Paul Institute Media & War 2018 Conferenceon August 18, 2018.] Washington is concerned about Ukraines shipments of aircraft engines to China. Since Ukraine is obeying the letter of the international law, targeting Kiev in the ongoing war of sanctions cannot be officially justified, yet the US still feels betrayed. Washington might change its attitude toward Ukraine. Given the countrys dependence on America, Kiev is playing with fire. Chinas naval pilots use JL-10 trainers to hone their aircraft-carrier landing skills. According to the Washington Times, the aircraft are powered by engines supplied by Ukraine. The source reports, Critics say the Trump administration should pressure Ukraine to halt the engine sales along with other military transfers to China. William C. Triplett, a former counsel to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, believes Ukraine is stabbing the US in the back. It should be noted that the military cooperation between Ukraine and China goes much further than just those aircraft engines that the Washington Times wrote about. Any American military technology that is shared with Ukraine will most certainly get into Chinas hands. And that problem is bigger than just China. To provide some context, lets look back at the report on the North Korean missile program issued by a UN panel of experts in March that linked Ukraine to that program in Pyongyang. Those intercontinental ballistic missiles used engines (Soviet-era RD-250s) of Ukrainian origin. A New York Times report and other US sources also confirmed the story. According to Dmitry Kiku, a Ukrainian member of the UN team on N. Korean sanctions, Kiev has confirmed that it is very probable that Ukrainian-manufactured components are being used by North Korean ballistic-missile engineers. In 2002, the US accused Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma of authorizing the illegal $100 million sale of four Kolchuga radar stations to Iraq in violation of UN sanctions. Last year, the international journalism organization known as the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) claimed that Ukraine was involved in a network that is illegally re-exporting arms from EU countries to Africa and the Middle East. That same year, the Amnesty International human-rights group issued a report on Ukrainian arms sales to South Sudan in violation of the United Nations embargo. All this can be added to the fact that Ukraine itself has become a supermarket for illegal weapons. The US 2019 NDAA that was signed into law just a few days ago authorizes $250 million in security assistance for Ukraine. In April, Washington delivered Javelin antitank missile systems to Kiev. As one can plainly see, the United States continues to sell weapons to countries with dubious human-rights records that are involved in conflicts Americans know little about. The fact that the weapons might be used for other purposes than the ones they were supplied for or might end up in the wrong hands does not stop those deliveries. The New York Times has published an extensive report on corruption in the ranks of Ukraines military. The US had a painful experience in Iraq when the weapons it sent to the Iraqi military ended up in the hands of Islamic State terrorists. Hundreds of US, British, Canadian, and Lithuanian military instructors are training Ukrainian military personnel at the Yavorov firing range. Who knows how many of the trainees will turn up in Syria, Iraq, or somewhere else to fight Americans? Today, Islamic State militants are finding their way to Ukraine. They feel safe there. In April, the US State Department published its annual report on human-rights practices in Ukraine. The paper mentions torture, arbitrary detention, and enforced disappearances, among other crimes committed by government security forces there. The report claims that such human-rights violations seem to have become somewhat routine occurrences. Media outlets are facing censorship and websites are routinely blocked. The perpetrators of violence against journalists go unpunished. The UN human-rights commissioners March report on Ukraine is filled with stories about human-rights abuses, violations of fundamental freedoms, and other crimes. Nor can it be disregarded that Ukraines commitment to democracy is open to question, given the number of tycoons who hold power in that country. It is no secret that a kleptocracy flourishes there. The nations ruling elite make a mockery of the Western support that comes in, which is often pocketed. According to US State Department data, US foreign assistance contributed to Ukraines seizure of roughly $1.3 billion in cash, with the discovery of more than $3.24 billion in stolen public funds. Ukraine is the 130s least corruption nation out of 180 countries, according to the 2017 Corruption Perceptions Index reported by Transparency International. The country topped the 2017 fraud survey conducted at the direction of Ernst & Young. Nationalist movements are a force to be reckoned with and they are gaining strength. Who knows where all this is heading? That said, can Ukraine a fragile state involved in an internal conflict with a dismal record of human-rights abuses and a high level of corruption be considered a safe bet for US arms sales? Hardly. Its really difficult to understand how military assistance to Kiev could enhance American national security, but its easy to see how it could undermine it. Photo: sharknews Its great to be able to help people, especially my lifesavers, who helped me out of the darkest place I have ever been in. Matt Appletons giving back a 40-year-old living with ME, or chronic fatigue syndrome, whos now a volunteer field officer working with young members of CCIS, or Complex Chronic Illness Support, the group improving the quality of life for people suffering complex chronic illnesses. I am back in quite good head space, says Matt. And its nice going into CCIS, somewhere you feel like a regular human being again. Because for the best part of 20 years he hasnt felt normal. I thought I was losing my sanity, going crazy. Matt was racked with chronic fatigue syndrome, debilitated by unrelenting tiredness and pain, and no-one was able to tell him what was wrong. So frustrating, says Matt. Hes bravely sharing his ordeal with CFS to promote the CCISs biennial seminar at the Otumoetai Baptist Church auditorium on Otumoetai Road at 11am on Saturday, August 25. The spotlight will be on Dr Ros Vallings New Zealands pre-eminent ME/CFS specialist. She will be reporting on cutting edge research into ME/CFS from a conference in London recently, and anyone with an interest in this challenging chronic condition is welcome. Dr Ros Vallings was the GP who nailed Matts condition. Until that point, I was unable to wake up in the morning, he explains. I regularly slept until one or two in the afternoon, but I still woke up exhausted. I was very dysfunctional. I was unable to guarantee doing anything at any specific time. I couldnt make an appointment and guarantee to keep it. He says doctors didnt know what to do with him. One doctor put me in the depression basket because after four or five years of feeling terrible and having no answers, you think you are going mental. And there was little sympathy or understanding because he looked pretty normal. Then Matt and his mother put the pieces together and suggested to a doctor he had CFS. But the doctor didnt believe in ME or CFS, he explains. We were asking him to diagnose something he didnt believe in. It was crushing. Matt Appleton went to see Dr Vallings. I remember it well - it took her all of two minutes. It was nice to get confirmation and to know you arent going crazy. His dark times continued though. I suffered a heart attack at 35 not just as a result of CFS, but it certainly played a part. The stress didnt help, and not being able to exercise. Then the hair and makeup artist by trade was forced to say he couldnt work, as he just wasnt physically reliable enough to work. He also walks with a stick. I feel old before my time, he says, and if he goes to a mall to shop he has a certain window of opportunity. I have to be in and out and gone in a certain time before I topple over. But Matt Appletons counting his blessings. Life is challenging and frustrating, but with surprising benefits. He has learned to appreciate the smaller things. When I have a good day, when I do feel a little more pain free and have a little more energy, I am very grateful for that. Then he hooked up with Tina Richards and Kira Follas at CCIS and did their Towards Wellness programme. They really had to encourage me though, I was quite resistant, he says. I said no, I am fed up with this and Im not bothering. But he did bother. They were incredible and overwhelming. They were lifesavers, 100 per cent. Although he rates himself only 50 to 60 per cent of what he was pre-ME or CFS. No sports. I cant exercise for any measurable time, and I struggle with mundane things like doing the dishes and cooking. And the CCIS volunteer can ring in on a bad day, when hes not up to doing much, and he doesnt have to explain. Nothing more needs to be said. The prognosis is day by day, but hes in good head space. And that feels good. A $25,000 grant for youth programme OneChance New Zealand was among more than $370,000 granted to the Rotorua community by The Southern Trust. OneChance NZ manager Alan Tane Solomon says $5,000 will assist with a salary with the remaining $20,000 going towards the purchase of a minivan. Having an OneChance minivan will mean much less stress for programme managers - and in some extreme cases that they wont have to borrow vehicles from friends to ensure youth can attend programmes. He says. OneChance is very grateful to The Southern Trust for the grant. He is confident OneChance will shortly be able to confirm a further $27,000 in funding to purchase the van ahead of next year when they are extending their programmes significantly. Between April last year and March 2018 OneChance has assisted 97 students to attain 1,441 Level 3 credits across seven NZQA Units Standards in the Social Services sector and more than 500 people have attended their community events. Having a minivan will make it easier for OneChance to build upon this work as they will be assured they can take youth to activities around Rotorua and the country whatever the weather. Partnerships with venues across New Zealand provide funds to assist community organisations the length and breadth of the country, says the Southern Trust CEO and trustee Karen Shea. Our policy is to return 95% of the proceeds raised in an area back to the same area, with the remaining 5% used for national purposes. The Trust is consistently receiving more applications for funding than there are funds available in the majority of areas. Community organisations from Rotorua can apply for funding from The Southern Trust. The Trust continually reviews applications with most processed within 20 working days. Requests larger than $30,000 are reviewed at monthly Board of Trustees meetings. Our team can easily advise on application criteria, which can save organisations a lot of time, says Karen. Community organisations considering applying for funding should firstly call The Southern Trust funding team on 0800 4 CHARITY (0800 42 42 74). DEWITT, N.Y. -- Blake J. Lucas was supposed to move into his college dorm this weekend. He was days away from taking his first class at SUNY Binghamton. But Lucas -- a teen known for his musical talent and kindness -- died Wednesday after crashing into the Community Library of DeWitt and Jamesville. His death is a suicide, said Trooper Jack Keller, a New York State Police spokesman. A Lucas family member said they believe the cause of the crash remains under investigation. Lucas, of Jamesville, was 18 years old. He is survived by his parents, younger sister and many other loved ones. Blake Lucas graduated from Jamesville-DeWitt High School in June 2018. "He had a lot of friends and loved to help people," said Jane DeMarco, Lucas' aunt. Lucas was driving east on Quintard road around 8 p.m. when his SUV hit a utility pole on Jamesville Road and crashed into the front of the DeWitt library. He was rushed to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, where he died. Lucas graduated from Jamesville-DeWitt High School in June. In high school he was active in theater and the school's musicals. He starred in J-D's production of "All Shook Up" last winter. As a kid, Lucas developed a lifelong passion for music and books, DeMarco said. The teen also liked to help others, his aunt said: Lucas spent three years volunteering with the Central New York Chapter of the Autism Society of America's iCan Shine bike program. "He was a talented musician and actor," DeMarco said. "He had such a funny, dry sense of humor with a big heart." Lucas planned to study biochemistry, his aunt said, and become a medical researcher. The teenager's family -- and community -- is devastated. "There has been so much support from people that knew him," DeMarco said. "Our family can really feel how much he was loved." Where to get help If you or someone you know is dealing with suicidal thoughts, these services are available: BATH TOWNSHIP, OHIO -- An Upstate New York man suspected of running over a pedestrian Friday in Ohio may try to flee to New York, troopers said. Paul D. Randall Jr. is wanted for murder and robbery in Summit County, announced the Ohio State Highway Patrol. The 34-year-old man is from Dolgeville, New York -- a village about 40 minutes east of Utica. The fatal crash was reported at 11:17 p.m. at a rest stop on Interstate 77 in Bath Township. Witnesses told troopers Randall stole a man's Ford F-350 truck after an argument at the rest stop, reported Cleveland.com. Troopers said Randall hit the man and ran him over as he fled without stopping, according to Cleveland.com. The victim -- Scott Reichard, 42, of North Olmsted -- was killed, reported New 5 Cleveland. His truck was found abandoned in a downtown Cleveland parking lot, said the TV station. Randall may still be in the Cleveland area, troopers said, or attempting to escape to New York. Randall is 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighs about 245 pounds. The brown-haired, brown-eyed man was last seen wearing blue jeans and either a black or red shirt. "Mr. Randall is considered dangerous," troopers said. "Do not attempt to approach him. The Ohio State Highway Patrol asked anyone with information about where Randall is to call 911. Pennsylvania State Police are investigating a Johnstown, Pa., man after he appeared in Upstate New York trying to sell 1,000 pounds worth of brass military grave markers, authorities said. New York State Police contacted the Cambria County-based Ebensburg station on Thursday, notifying authorities of a man trying to sell the markers in Waterloo, Seneca County. Troopers did not publicly identify the man. New York police called the barracks because the markers had Ebensburg, Pa., markings on them. Police said it is likely the markers were stolen from cemeteries within the Ebensburg barracks' jurisdiction. State Police in Pennsylvania are looking for families who may have been victimized by these alleged thefts. Anyone with information can call the barracks at 814-471-6500. Why it matters: The U.S. government is requesting that Facebook break the encryption on Messenger to assist in a criminal investigation. However, complying with the request could set a dangerous precedent for other privacy minded companies. The United States government wants Facebook to break the end-to-end encryption on its Messenger app in order to snoop on a suspect in an ongoing MS-13 criminal investigation. So far, Facebook has not complied with the request. While the case itself is under seal in California and therefore no public filings are available, three anonymous sources revealed some of the details to Reuters. The Department of Justice argued in court that Facebook should be held in contempt for failing to comply with the governments request. Facebook argues that in order to comply, it would have to completely remove encryption from Messenger for all users. Even for an individual person, which is what the government is asking for, Facebook wouldnt be able to easily remove the encryption. For clarification, Facebook Messenger is not encrypted end-to-end for normal conversations. However, there is a Secret Conversation feature that allows all messages between two people to be secured where not even Facebook could decrypt it in transit. The MS-13 suspect is likely using this feature to communicate. If this sounds familiar, a similar thing happened in 2016 after the San Bernardino shooting. The FBI wanted Apple to break into the locked iPhone 5C of Syed Rizwan Farook. A California magistrate judge signed a court order compelling Apple to unlock Farooks iPhone. Apple fought the court order with CEO Tim Cook writing an impassioned customer letter arguing against what he perceived as government overreach. The FBI eventually dropped the case after using a third party company to break into the phone. If Facebook complies with the governments request, then it could set a dangerous precedent. Major tech companies like Apple have been trying to position themselves as privacy and security minded. Facebook in particular is still facing the ramifications after the Cambridge Analytica scandal and Russian interference campaigns. Companies such as Apple, Signal, WhatsApp (which is ironically owned by Facebook), and Telegram pride themselves on offering apps that allow people to securely and privately communicate with each other. Additionally, Facebook will likely face the wrath of President Trump given his proclivity for using MS-13 as an example of the problems with Americas immigration system. According to the Reuters article, legal experts say the government must meet a high legal standard when seeking to obtain phone conversations, including showing there was no other way to obtain the evidence. If the government can prove that Facebook complying is the only way to get evidence, Facebook could be forced to help the government. People were treated to the magnificent view of an extremely bright fireball over SouthEast Alabama nighttime sky on Aug. 16 at 1:19 a.m. EDT. The fireball was also detected by all six NASA meteor cameras. The NASA Meteor Watch described the fireball to be at least 40 times as bright as the full moon. The agency said a small asteroid of about 6 feet in diameter caused the fireball. An update from Dr. Bill Cooke from NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center states that the meteor was first spotted at an altitude of 58 miles above Turkeytown, Alabama, northeast of Gadsden. It was moving west of north at 53,700 miles per hour, exploding into fragments at about 18 miles above the small town of Grove Oak. "We are still assessing the probability of the fireball producing meteorites on the ground - whether it did or not, it was an extremely bright event, seen through partly cloudy skies and triggering every camera and sensor operated by the Meteoroid Environment Office in the region," NASA Meteor Watch wrote on Facebook. Eyewitnesses Saw Fireball Over Alabama The American Meteorological Society has received numerous reports about the fireball from many eyewitnesses who saw it burning across the sky. Its official website has a list of dozens of pending fireball reports coming from witnesses in Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Separate videos from Dan Kent, taken with his ring doorbell camera, and from Barry Pender showed a circular glimmering fire streaking across the sky. What Is A Fireball The American Meteor Society explained that a fireball is a term used to describe an extremely luminous meteor. The latter is an asteroid that burns and vaporizes when it enters the Earth's atmosphere. Meteors are commonly referred to as shooting stars. Interestingly, Perseid meteor shower happened over the weekend. It peaked on the nights of Aug. 11 to 12 and Aug. 12 to 13. Fireballs are generally brighter than the planet Venus when the planet is seen in the morning or the evening sky. A fireball, which leaves a bright terminal flash at its end after exploding, is called the bolide. This type of fireballs has often visible fragmentation. If a meteor, on the other hand, survives and able to pierce through the atmosphere unscathed, landing on the ground, it is called a meteorite. The American Meteorological Society encourages individual reports about fireballs. All accounts submitted to the website are saved for statistical study purposes. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Scientists from Harvard University say one in three of the exoplanets discovered contained more water than Earth. This suggests they can support life just like planet Earth. Specifically, 35 percent of the exoplanets with sizes bigger than Earth is found to be abundant with water, as 50 percent of their weight is comprised of the colorless liquid. In comparison, Earth's weight is only composed of 0.02 percent of water. The team believed that these exoplanets, now referred to as water-worlds, formed similarly with how Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune were formed. Since they are two to four times larger than Earth, these water-worlds may provide the best chance of supporting new life, the scientists said. The Water-Worlds For their study, which was presented at the Goldschmidt conference in Boston on Aug. 17, the scientists used the data from NASA's Kepler Space Telescope and the Gaia mission. The group of international experts analyzed the exoplanets with regard to their mass measurements and radius measurements. The group then created a general model of the exoplanet's internal structure. The model showed that those exoplanets with a radius of about 1.5 times the Earth radius consist of rocks that are about five times the mass of Earth. On the other hand, the exoplanets with a radius of about 2.5 times the Earth's radius and a mass of around 10 times that of Earth belonged to the group now referred to as water-worlds. Dr. Li Zeng, the lead researcher from Harvard University, said the water in these exoplanets is not commonly found on Earth. For one, the water's surface temperature is expected to be about 300 to 900 degree Fahrenheit. "Moving deeper, one would expect to find this water transforms into high-pressure ices before reaching the solid rocky core," Zeng explained. "Life could develop in certain near-surface layers on these water worlds when the pressure, temperature and chemical conditions are appropriate," she added. Exoplanets Exoplanets were discovered as early as 1992 orbiting around other stars. To date, scientists have found 4,000 of confirmed and candidate exoplanets and the interest in knowing whether they are suitable to develop or support life are growing as ever. NASA has specifically placed the number of confirmed exoplanets at 3,700. The agency said there could more of them, even tens of thousands of them. They may also be discovered as highly advanced and robotic telescopes are deployed into space. For one, NASA's newly launched TESS mission aims to find more of the exoplanets. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, on the other hand, aims to characterize the atmosphere of these Super-Earths. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. While Louisianas first batch of medical marijuana is expected to begin growing next week with product available as early as November, it may be months longer before many patients are able to get the drug. Some of the nine pharmacies licensed across the state likely wont be open until December or January at the earliest, and relatively few doctors 40 in the state so far appear willing to recommend the drug to patients. Also, those doctors are currently hampered by a 100-patient cap that would mean about 4,000 people at the most could get treatment. Even that number may not get treatment because not all 40 doctors are expected to take on medical marijuana patients immediately. Lawmakers this summer expanded the list of conditions that qualify for medical marijuana to include chronic pain and other conditions, a move that was expected to greatly increase patient demand for the drug. The state Board of Medical Examiners has discussed loosening its rules, and is expected to take up the 100-patient cap and other issues at its September meeting. Dr. Vincent Culotta, executive director of the board, said any changes would go into effect immediately. GB Sciences was given preliminary approval on Friday from state agriculture regulators to begin production in a former Pepsi distribution center in south Baton Rouge using a small temporary pod designed to get product on the shelves quickly. The company will begin growing plants from tissue cultures for extraction and formulation for patients sometime next week, said Frances Gould, a spokeswoman for the LSU AgCenter. The AgCenter, under state authorizaton, contracted with GB Sciences as its grower for a non-smokable medical marijuana drug program. The product could be available to pharmacies as early as November, Gould said. That is two months later than earlier hoped, after GB Sciences this week cited regulatory delays at the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. Patients who are able to obtain a recommendation and find an open pharmacy could access the drug shortly thereafter. Dr. Victor Chou, one of the only doctors in the state who has become licensed for therapeutic marijuana and actively pursued the practice, has fielded hundreds of calls in Baton Rouge from patients. By July he had filled 100 spots for consultations. Because of the state cap, Chou said he expects to have a waiting list of at least 300 patients as soon as the product becomes available. We are woefully behind on the doctor end of things, Chou said. We need to get the ball rolling on all fronts. Some patients who want to use the drug but cant find a physician licensed and willing to recommend it are frustrated. Kathleen Clark has an impending neck surgery scheduled and knows from past experience she will be prescribed opioids for pain something she wants to avoid. After searching in vain for a responsive doctor with a marijuana license, she was able to land on Chous waiting list. Clark said she's is willing to drive from her home in St. Charles Parish to Baton Rouge for consultations, if allowed. Now, shes taken to writing the Board of Medical Examiners, encouraging it to loosen its rules. I just think its very unfair that patients have the ability to be treated with a natural, holistic way to control pain but we cant get help, Clark said. I have to go and badger the medical board and legislators to get help. Cameron Hennes, who lives in the small town of Violet, outside of Chalmette, said he has searched for months for a doctor willing to recommend marijuana, a drug he said will help with his incessant seizures and other health issues. Inside info on doing business in Acadiana We'll keep you posted on the Acadiana economy. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up But that search has not yielded results, and Hennes is also on Chous waiting list. Im not sure what my next move is, Hennes said. Given the increased number of patients we feel like we have to go up on the base (100 patient) number and continue to have the exemption, where doctors already can individually ask the board to lift the cap, said Culotta, the medical examiner board executive director. Culotta also said it may be too early to say patients wont have access to medical marijuana because of insufficient doctors since the product is not yet available. Also, doctors are wary of running afoul of federal law, which still labels marijuana as illegal. That's why state law allows doctors to recommend the drug, rather than prescribe it. Its a very nuanced, difficult issue for people to clearly understand, Culotta said. People are afraid. Some of the nine pharmacies licensed to dispense the drug across various regions around the state said they would be open by November. The north shore regions pharmacy, Willow Pharmacy, said it will be open by October or November at its Madisonville site. Lafayettes Apothecary Shoppe at 620 Guilbeau Road will open in November, owner Eric Vidrine said. Barring construction or other delays, the Baton Rouge regions marijuana pharmacy, Capitol Wellness Solutions, should be open in December or January, the owner said. That facility will be located at 7941 Picardy Ave. in the Baton Rouge Health District. The New Orleans marijuana pharmacy, H&W Drug Store, has told at least one patient it will be open in February, though another pharmacy applicant has sued the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy and asked a judge to vacate H&Ws license. That litigation that is still pending. Owner Ruston Henry did not return calls this week seeking information about when the pharmacy will open. LSU selected GB Sciences, a publicly-traded, Las Vegas-based company, to run its marijuana growing operation last year, despite the companys persisting financial woes, including a recent $5.1 million loss in the second quarter of this year. However, the firm landed a local investment from a group led by Charlie Hohorst, the founder of online specialty food seller cajungrocer.com, and has moved forward with its operations in Baton Rouge. This week, GB Sciences said it has been ready to begin production for at least two weeks and lamented the slow pace of the state Department of Agriculture and Forestrys regulatory approval process. Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain said the company had not provided all the necessary information. After an hours-long meeting between regulators and the company on Wednesday, the agriculture department inspected the companys site off Petroleum Drive on Thursday and gave the preliminary go-ahead on Friday. Regulatory approvals are still pending for GB Sciences full operations. GB Sciences will begin a larger-scale production in the same facility later and hand over the temporary pod to LSU researchers. The company told LSU in its application it would initially produce the drug in tincture and lozenge form, in formulations that vary the effects of the drug. A dialogue on race and policing in Baton Rouge has led to recommendations that Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome set up a council to work with the citys police chief, launch a more extensive community policing program and establish a new policy for law enforcement interactions all aimed at bettering relationship between minority residents and officers. The proposals were the culmination of a series of discussions that began in June and included input from local law enforcement leaders, social justice activists and academics. A joint effort of the national non-profit Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and local nonprofit Dialogue on Race Louisiana, the series discussed how improve the relationship between police and minority residents, ultimately to improve public safety. +4 Fourth and final session discussing race and policing in Baton Rouge finishes with action plans The fourth and final session of the Dialogue on Race and Policing concluded Friday with action plans formed by participants to address issues Dialogue participants strongly believe the lack of transparency between law enforcement and the community cultivates mistrust and suspicion, wrote Kristen Clarke, president and executive director for the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law, in her letter to Broome. When the media reports information that law enforcement agencies have not communicated to the public, the barrier between the two parties becomes more substantial. A spokeswoman for Broome's office said that they had received the letter, plan to review the recommendations and respond in the coming week. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The letter said the participants, which included members of the East Baton Rouge Sheriffs Office and Baton Rouge Police Department, decided that a citizen council working with BRPD Chief Murphy Paul would improve communication between the department and residents. Law enforcement, community members take part in ongoing series discussing race and policing A group of Baton Rouge citizens, community and criminal justice leaders met at the LSU Museum of Art on Friday for the first of a series calle Clarke also wrote that the demeanor of officers during citizen engagements was a clear grievance from dialogue participants. They hope to address this through a mandated Procedural Justice Engagement Policy, which would standardize procedures like commands and officer presence, aimed at increasing police legitimacy. Finally, the group wants the parish to establish a "Community Policing Plus" program, to create local liaisons from churches, city offices, and social service agencies to connect with the officers who patrol their places of work, as well as connections in neighborhoods they patrol. "Law enforcement cannot effectively promote safety without the trust and cooperation of the communities they serve," Clarke wrote. "Improving the relationship between police and communities of color is of paramount concern for the City." A New Orleans man who was ordered to spend the rest of his life in prison for marijuana possession as a habitual offender will instead walk free by next year, thanks to a sentence reduction accepted by prosecutors. It was the latest example of District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro backpedaling on a long sentence imposed earlier under his watch for drug offenses. At the prompting of the Orleans Public Defenders, Criminal District Court Judge Robin Pittman on Aug. 3 reduced house painter Jody Butlers sentence from life imprisonment to 10 years. The 46-year-olds arrest eight years ago for marijuana and cocaine possession was once criticized by an appeals court as a constitutional violation, but the Louisiana Supreme Court ultimately upheld his conviction. Yet prosecutors raised no objection as Pittman dipped below a mandatory minimum sentence. The news came as an unexpected relief to Butlers fiancee, who has supported him during his years of incarceration in the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. Oh my God, oh Jesus, Jacinta Johnson said. It means the world for him to have a second chance at life. Butlers long stint at Angola is an example of how even a minor drug bust can result in life imprisonment in Louisiana. On July 27, 2010, New Orleans police officers spotted him leaning into an SUV at Seventh and Danneel streets, said to be a known hot spot for drug-selling. As two officers approached, the SUV sped off. Butler hopped onto his bike and rode away on the sidewalk but stopped when asked, police said. An officer patting him down discovered marijuana in his shoe and five rocks of cocaine in his hat pocket, police said. Butler reportedly told the cops they had messed up his day because he was planning to go home and get high. Instead, he was charged with possession of marijuana and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. A jury convicted him of marijuana possession and simple possession of cocaine. Pittman initially sentenced Butler to four years in prison. But Cannizzaros office cited previous felony convictions to deem him a habitual offender under state law. Butler had prior convictions for simple robbery, purse snatching and drug possession. Attorney Aaron Zagory, of the Orleans Public Defenders, said Butler's prior convictions meant he was a mandatory lifer for the marijuana, his third pot conviction. He was due a mandatory minimum 20-year sentence on the cocaine charge, Zagory said. In 2011, Pittman gave him life. Butler appealed, arguing the cops had no legal justification to run their hands over his body. In 2012, a three-judge panel of the state 4th Circuit Court of Appeal took his side. The judges said the police never claimed they saw Butler trying to sell drugs. He had stopped immediately when asked. There was no lump in his waistband or outline of a gun under his clothes. Taken together, the judges said, the officers had no reasonable suspicion on which to search Butler. 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 In a reference to then-current events, the panel said the case appears to exemplify the concern expressed by the Justice Department (and ultimately conceded by the city in the NOPD consent decree) pertaining to inadequate training of NOPD officers with regard to the constitutional parameters of search and seizure. However, the state Supreme Court reversed the lower courts decision the next year. The justices said the officers had the right to search Butler because he was committing a municipal violation riding his bike on the sidewalk. Butlers prospects dimmed until last year, when Pittman appointed the Orleans Public Defenders to handle Butlers request for a new sentence. Zagory said the District Attorney's Office was initially hesitant. But after internal discussions, prosecutors agreed to negotiate with the public defenders, Zagory said. The two sides settled on a 10-year term. In reducing Butlers term, Pittman cited a 1993 state Supreme Court ruling against constitutionally excessive sentences. After the judge slashed his sentence, she got off the bench, walked over to him and said she had never stopped thinking about his case. Johnson, Butlers high school sweetheart, said she broke down in tears when she arrived in the courtroom soon afterward to hear the news. Similar scenes played out in other courtrooms this month as New Orleans judges resentenced various inmates to lighter terms under a January state Supreme Court decision, although that decision did not affect the outcome of Butlers case. Cannizzaros office has reversed course in at least two other cases where prosecutors had secured lengthy sentences for marijuana convictions under the habitual-offender statute. Corey Ladd had his 17-year sentence for possession reduced to 10 years in 2017, and Bernard Noble had his 13-year term for pot possession cut to eight years in 2016. Zagory credits the compromise in Butlers case to a sea change in attitudes toward drug crimes and Louisianas stringent habitual-offender laws. I think youre seeing a lot of reform in the Legislature about how long we should be sending people to prison, as well as a tremendous change in how we treat marijuana offenses, he said. Butlers new date of release with good behavior is Oct. 30, 2019, and he is eligible for parole ahead of that, state corrections officials said. Johnson said her fiancee has three children as well as an ailing father who has suffered two strokes. She hopes Butler will be released soon to care for his father. She said that after the resentencing, she told Butlers father, You gotta hold on. Jodys coming. A state appeals court ruled Friday against New Orleans prosecutors who were trying to keep secret the transcripts of grand jury testimony in a highly contentious gang murder case. Criminal District Court Judge Laurie White was within her rights to release the full grand jury transcripts to defense attorneys whose clients are charged with seven murders or attempted murders, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeal said. Judges Paula Brown, Sandra Cabrina Jenkins and Tiffany Chase joined in the short decision. The District Attorney's Office will appeal to the state Supreme Court, a spokesman said. White said she had to take the dramatic step of releasing the transcripts because prosecutors abused the grand jury process to hide evidence that could have aided the three remaining defendants in the case. Vernell Nelson, Edmond Bacchus and Andre Francis are accused of roles in a weeklong killing and robbery spree that spanned the 7th Ward, St. Roch and New Orleans East. Among the victims was a young mother of five children who was described as an innocent bystander. Prosecutors maintain that White is putting witnesses at risk by releasing the transcripts of grand jury testimony by cooperating co-defendants ahead of the trial. Three men have already pleaded guilty in connection with the killing spree. White said they likely received reduced sentences in return for their agreement to testify against the remaining defendants. 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 In an Aug. 8 court filing, prosecutors said White's decision was "contrary to all Louisiana jurisprudence related to this issue and completely disregards the fundamental rules of grand jury secrecy." "The trial court appears to have based its rulings on its own personal beliefs and its own assessment of the credibility of the state and its witnesses instead of basing those rulings on the law and the facts," the DA's Office said. White and District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro have clashed repeatedly in recent years. In addition to ruling against the DA's Office, the 4th Circuit panel lifted a stay that had prevented defense attorneys from reviewing the grand jury transcripts. White gave the defense attorneys the transcripts in the middle of an Aug. 3 court hearing. But within hours the appeals court ordered the defense attorneys to return them while it considered the issue, setting off a scramble to the courthouse. Prosecutors are asking the Supreme Court to reinstate the stay as well as to overturn White's ruling. Whatever the high court decides could have widespread implications for gang prosecutions in Orleans Parish, which often rely on the testimony of cooperating co-defendants. The warden of the main jail in New Orleans has been suspended without pay pending an investigation, the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office said Friday. Maj. Nicole Harris, who oversaw operations at the Orleans Justice Center, has been suspended as investigators probe whether she and a relative who also works at the jail committed payroll fraud, a law enforcement source said. The suspension was first reported by nola.com. Sheriff's Office general counsel Blake Arcuri confirmed the suspension but declined to discuss it further. The suspension represents the latest turmoil at the top for the agency, which has seen constant turnover in its upper ranks since agreeing to a reform pact with the federal government and lawyers for inmates in 2013. In January, an administrator appointed to run the jail's day-to-day operations resigned in the wake of a harshly critical report from federal monitors. Sheriff Marlin Gusman has been sidelined from the jail's management since 2016 as a result of the reform agreement and a federal judge's orders. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up A new compliance director, Darnley Hodge Sr., assumed leadership at the jail in February. Within days, he fired a human resources director who had failed to disclose accusations that she had a history of writing bad checks. Harris became warden of the Orleans Justice Center only within the past year. Her duties involved overseeing four floors of the jail that house hundreds of inmates. Federal monitors have cited high employee turnover as one of the main reasons the jail struggles to contain inmate-on-inmate violence. A woman said her baby was sitting in the backseat when two armed men approached her in New Orleans East, ordered her to take the baby, then stole the car Thursday. The incident occurred shortly before noon in the 4800 block of Gilbert Street, according to police. The woman, 40, said she had left the car running as she got out to go to the door of a nearby home. In other matters recently handled by local authorities: A 21-year-old man said a person he had an "ongoing dispute" with sprayed him with pepper spray, then stabbed him early Friday. The incident occurred about 2 a.m. near North Claiborne and Esplanade avenues. The man was stabbed in the shoulder and the head, police said. He was taken to a hospital, where his condition was not available. New Orleans police on Friday said they had arrested six suspects in three separate armed robbery cases. Mikeise Jefferson was booked Wednesday in the 4500 block of Skyview Drive in connection with an unspecified robbery at gunpoint as well as the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Also, Trina Jefferson was booked with illegally possessing guns that had been stolen from Kenner and unincorporated Jefferson Parish. Also on Wednesday, authorities booked three Kenner men in connection with an Aug. 12 robbery in the 700 block of Delachaise Street. Daquan Davis, 19; Eric Bridgewater, 21; and Ralph Holmes, 19, face counts of armed robbery with a firearm, aggravated battery and criminal conspiracy. Police recovered a 9-mm, Smith & Wesson pistol. On Tuesday, authorities arrested Santana Ladd on allegations that he participated in an armed robbery on July 20 in the 4800 block of Sandalwood Street in New Orleans East. 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 Taja Reaux, 18, is wanted on allegations that she pointed a gun at a store clerk and then stole candy from the business on Aug. 8 in the 3700 block of Gen. de Gaulle Drive in Algiers, New Orleans police said. Accused of threatening to shoot everyone in the store, Reaux faces counts of aggravated assault with a firearm and theft of goods. Mohammed Fatty, 28, of Westwego, pleaded guilty in New Orleans federal court Thursday to transporting a kilo of heroin between Georgia and the local area on two occasions, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. Fatty faces between 10 years and life imprisonment, as well as a maximum fine of $10 million. A 32-year-old man was shot in the 1000 block of Estalote Avenue in Harvey before 5 p.m. Friday, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said. Meanwhile, another man was shot before 7 p.m. Friday at South Causeway Boulevard and Lausat Street in Metairie. Neither victim's life was believed to be in danger, the Sheriff's Office said. The agency didn't discuss possible motives or identify any suspects in either case. Marvin Acevedo, a former Gretna resident using the name of a man jailed in Puerto Rico, received a 20-year prison sentence this week and was told to a pay a fine of $50,000 following his being convicted of possessing about 4,000 grams of cocaine, the Jefferson Parish District Attorney's Office said Friday. Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office narcotics agents found the stash in his Belle Chasse Highway storage unit, the DA's Office said. Martin Shkreli's cohort in crime may be a "mensch" and an Eagle Scout who's devoted his life to serving others, but that didn't save Evan Greebel from a prison sentence for aiding the Pharma Bro in an $11 million ($15 million) fraud. Greebel on Friday was ordered to serve 18 months behind bars for conspiring with Shkreli, as U.S. District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto in Brooklyn, New York, turned aside his plea to remain free. Evan Greebel (on right, in white shirt) with Martin Shkreli (second from left) and their defense attorneys in court as they faced their conspiracy charges. Credit:AP "I will regret every day of my life the day that I met Martin Shkreli," Greebel told the judge. "But I want to be clear, I only hold myself responsible." Greebel was convicted last year of helping Shkreli steal $US11 million to repay investors after the hedge-fund-manager-turned-drug-executive, lost their money in risky trades. Greebel, a New York attorney, was the outside counsel to Retrophin, which Shkreli co-founded. My main concern was that they not go too far in how they depicted the police officers. Thats all I asked That you be honest to the profession as much as possible while still doing your Hollywood flourishes. And for the most part they did what I asked and Im very pleased with the movie. When Lee shows our hero played by John David Washington, son of Denzel on his first undercover assignment at a gathering where former Black Panther Stokely Carmichael whips the crowd into a frenzy with his talk of a coming revolution, thats pretty much as it happened. Stallworth had been sent there to monitor his speech and gauge audience reaction in case something might erupt within the city. But as he listened to Carmichaels speech, he admits, I got caught up in the emotion of it, as a black man, and started yelling right on and black power and raising my fist. Then it dawned on him that he was there to observe, not to join the revolution. And I came back into my police persona. Laura Harrier plays Patrice Dumas in the film. The real Ron Stallworth admits he could see the appeal of black power. Credit:David Lee That moment was testament to the rhetorical power of Carmichael (who appeared on the night under his African name, Kwame Ture), but Stallworth admits it also tapped into his own lived experience. What he was saying, from my perspective as a black man, made absolutely perfect sense. And yet it ran contrary to what my job was as a police officer. It was a real conflict and one that, he adds, I felt every time I put the uniform on and wore the badge and went to do the job. I was a black man in a white racist-dominated society enforcing the law. He loved the job, though he served for 32 years, and after leaving the force he became a consultant to law enforcement agencies on gang culture but doing it meant learning to live with a certain internal conflict. I was too black for the white community and too blue in terms of the uniform for the black community, he says. So you walk in that no mans land, and that was normal. The real Ron Stallworth at the premiere of the film last month. Credit:Andy Kropa/Invision/AP It must have been lonely at times. It wasnt lonely. You just choose your friends very cautiously. In BlackKklansman, Stallworths chief ally is a white Jewish officer called Flip, played by Adam Driver. Called Chuck in the book, Stallworth has said he is an amalgam of a couple of people he worked with and whose identities he wishes to protect. They operate as a double act, Stallworth doing all the phone talk with the Klan, including its leader, David Duke (played by Topher Grace), while Flip plays the character of Ron Stallworth, a white man who hates all non-whites, in the flesh. Loading In the films most outrageous sequence, the black Stallworth is assigned as police protection to Duke when he visits Colorado Springs; he even contrives to get a photo taken with Duke and - at the last second and to the absolute horror of the Grand Wizard - throws a sneaky arm around his shoulder. This too happened, as did the follow-up phone call in which the white Stallworth quizzed Duke about his visit to his hometown. And he proceeded to tell me about the n----- cop that had threatened to have him arrested if he touched him. And I proceeded to tell David that we have to watch out for these n-----s, if they get too much authority theyre going to use the power against us white people, we have to do this, we have to do that. As soon as he hung up the phone, Stallworth burst out laughing at the fact he had so comprehensively pulled the wool over the eyes of a man whose main mission in life was to assert the superiority in every respect of the white race over all others. Spike Lee at the premiere of his film in Cannes in May. Credit:Joel C Ryan Duke would have thought the black Ron Stallworth had the mental capacity of an ape, he points out. So this ape-like character, in their minds, was literally making fools out of them and destroying the myth of white supremacy every time I talked to one of them on the phone. That must have been enormously satisfying. It still is, all these years later. The most audacious sequence in the film, though, features two simultaneous gatherings a screening of D.W. Griffith's Birth of a Nation for the Klansmen, and a gathering of young black activists to hear the testimony of an elderly witness of a public lynching. Its classic Spike Lee, didactic, a little overwrought and teetering on the point of collapse under the weight of its own grandiosity. But it works, just about, pointing to the power of storytelling in inciting the emotions, for good and bad. The KKK burn a cross in the film. Under Trump, white supremacists have once again felt emboldened. Credit:Universal There are other moments, though, when the film seems a little too programmatic for its own good, when it feels like Lee has stuffed the words of contemporary Trump supporters into his period film. But then comes that coda, that sudden jolt into the present-day horror of America, and suddenly it all becomes clear: the sentiments, the words, the politics havent really changed at all in the past 40 years. And maybe a lot longer than that too. There is a historical thread from the American Confederacy in the late 1800s to the Ku Klux Klan in the 20th century to Charlottesville to Donald Trump, says Stallworth. And Spike was weaving that thread throughout the movie. The America I was dealing with in 1978, when this investigation took place, is not much different from the America of today and especially the America that Donald Trump is populating, he adds. We have in many cases gone backwards under Trump, and that is a sad testament to us as a nation. A PLACE TO CALL HOME Final series return, Sunday 8.30pm, Showcase As the sun begins to slowly set on the Bligh homestead, where an extended family have loved, lost and weathered the changing times, the legion of fans who have seen A Place To Call Home safely through three network changes can rest assured that, although their beloved characters will remain forever in the 1950s, their journeys will come to a satisfying close. Steely matriarch Elizabeth Bligh (Noni Hazlehurst) in A Place to Call Home. Leading man Brett Climo, who first worked with prolific series creator Bevan Lee on Sons and Daughters in 1982 and has barely been out of work since, likens this epic period melodrama set against the picturesque backdrop of rural New South Wales, to having a "very special, beautiful, favourite piece of art " on his wall. He's not sure what he can possibly hang next to it. But, he says, the inevitable finale, which occurs in 1959, and was written by Lee with the input of fans, is a "nice, kind landing for the show". It's been six television years since Marta Dusseldorp's troubled nurse, Sarah Nordmann, travelled the dusty road to the grand house ruled by fierce matriarch Elizabeth Bligh (Noni Hazlehurst), and met the heartbroken George Bligh (Climo), with whom she would form a deep connection, despite considerable odds. But this was never going to be just a boy-meets-girl story. "From the outset, Bevan said, I don't want to disappoint you, Brett, but this is a love story between two women [Elizabeth and Sarah], and George will fit into that. In conventional drama, the women are passive. What attracted me to this script was the power of the women and the well-defined female characters. The men have had a nice time as well, but we're playing supporting roles to the women and I rejoice in that. I grew up with three wonderful, beautiful strong women in my life, without a father, and I hopped into this with happiness and with ease." The consolidated audience of around 1.1 million viewers the series attracted when it launched on Channel Seven in 2013 would today be trumpeted as a success for a local drama. Back then, before catch-up TV had really caught on, and those figures weren't taken into account, it wasn't sufficient to secure its future with the network. Fortunately, Foxtel recognised the appeal of the product to a perhaps older demographic, and the Blighs' story continued, first on SoHo and now Showcase, the platform for many a homegrown hit. Although the attention to period detail is meticulous, the costumes lavish and the restored cars attracting a niche audience all on their own, the storylines of A Place to Call Home frequently resonate today. Issues around race, sexuality and a woman's place in society have been addressed both in a historical context and in a way that questions how far we have really progressed. "It's such large-picture storytelling and I think that's why the audience responded on so many levels, not just here but internationally as well. Those issues gave it weight and meaning." Perhaps surprisingly for such a placid character, George's steadfast refusal to budge from his position of old-fashioned restraint divided fans. At his local shops, Climo was accosted by women asking when George was going to "get some balls". Repay hundreds of thousands of dollars owed to a former Comancheros boss - or pay less than $50,000 to make the debt go away? Police sources say that an unnamed figure in the construction industry was half a million dollars in debt to Mahmoud Mick Hawi. Mick Hawi was gunned down outside Rockdale Fitness First after he finished his workout in February this year Credit:AAP After paying down several hundred thousand dollars owing to what is believed to be Mr Hawis scaffolding business, the man - who has not been charged - instead allegedly paid $40,000 to Lone Wolf bikies Yusuf Nazlioglu, 37, and Ahman Doudar, 38. We will allege there was a financial motive to Mr Hawis murder and his death was to prevent further money from being paid to Mr Hawi rather than any traditional OMCG conflict, Assistant Commissioner Mal Lanyon said at a press conference on Saturday morning. The case broke for the lunch break and when the hearing restarted, with Mr Zegers set to start giving evidence, he wasnt there. His lawyer said his client, who is aged in his 70s, was feeling faint and left to get medical attention. His sudden illness, described as curious by Justice Dixon, wouldnt stop the bombshell that unfolded and led to a whopping $810,000 defamation payout, one of the highest to be awarded against an individual in Victoria. It could also see Mr Zegers face criminal charges for perverting the course of justice. But before that, Mr Zegers would make one last-ditch effort to destroy the smoking gun that would obliterate his false denials. On the day he supposedly fell ill, March 2, the court heard a large number of files were deleted from his computer, many of them emails. While a digital forensic expert went away to investigate Mr Zegers computer at Justice Dixon's request, Mr Zegers took the stand and continued to deny he sent the anonymous emails or that he was linked to the domain names behind them: victorianshooters.com and straightshootersau.com. And then the forensic expert Leanne Balits report came in. She found the deleted emails and among the slew of documents she recovered was the correspondence between Mr Zegers and the computer repairman, Peter Erkens-Goss, who set up the two domains. The damning correspondence detailed how the pair concocted a story that they didn't know each other after Mr Erkens-Goss was subpoenaed to give evidence. When Mr Erkens-Goss was told by Mr Zegers that he should deny his involvement, he replied: "You want me to lie?" Mr Zegers replied: "They have been lying all the time, so even though it may seem reprehensible, we may have to do a bit of that as well... I have an appointment with a lawyer this Thursday afternoon... What I want to know from him is what we can get away with regarding the subpoena..." The email continued: "We/you may have to deny some things. For arguments sake, we dont know each other. How would they prove we do? I told no-one, ever! We will beat the bastards, thats what they are." In another email, Mr Zegers drafted a reply to the subpoena for Mr Erkens-Goss that he could file in court. That document claimed the owner of the domains was someone called "Steve" who had won the hosting service in a competition. Soon after Mr Zegers' lies were revealed, the lawyers representing him quit. When asked what he wanted to do, Mr Zegers returned to the witness box. He apologised and confessed to making false statements to the court. After being warned by Justice Dixon that he might be incriminating himself, Mr Zegers continued his admission. All I wanted was the members to know what was going on ... I believed that I acted as a whistleblower, he told the court. On Thursday Justice Dixon awarded a payout of $810,000 to the plaintiffs, which was split between the eight board members and Mr Wegman. The imputations were serious slurs on the reputations of the plaintiffs, he said. The anonymous and confusing emails challenged the honesty, integrity and character of the plaintiffs in their professional context. They are mostly persons whose work and life depends upon their honesty, integrity and judgment. Justice Dixon said Mr Zegers lied, deliberately gave false evidence and manufactured it. He only admitted to his lies, Justice Dixon said, when digital forensics expert Ms Balit revealed them. Dinh Nguyen remembers dreaming of sugar and fats. This, he says, is what the body craves when it is truly hungry. Mr Nguyen understands hunger like few other Australians. He was held in a prison camp run by the Vietnamese Communist Party for 6 years. During his re-education he was forced into hard labour felling trees, tilling soil while rationed barely enough to stay alive. Mr Nguyens family literally tightened their belts to eat less of their meagre supplies so they could bring him food. When he was released, Mr Nguyen was 32 years old and weighed 35 kilograms but his ordeals had only just begun. A reward of $500,000 has been offered to help investigators solve a ''heinous'' sexual attack on a woman who was dragged into a North Melbourne laneway before she was bashed, kicked and sexually assaulted five years ago. Crime Stoppers Victoria have released a rare re-enactment video of the attack in the hopes that the vision may jog the memory of potential witnesses from the night. This is the first time police have produce a re-enactment in over a decade. Police believe they are close to making an arrest, but are hoping to hear from four men that Chloe may have spoken to as she made her way north up King Street after her first night out as a new mother, then aged 22. Washington: President Donald Trump faced an unprecedented outcry from former intelligence officials on Friday after stripping the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan, but Trump defended his move and said he planned another one soon. Separately, the Mueller probe revealed George Papadopoulos, who served as a foreign policy adviser to Trump's 2016 campaign, caused irreparable damage to the investigation by lying repeatedly to officials. The bipartisan group of US intelligence figures, which included Robert Gates, George Tenet, David Petraeus, James Clapper and Leon Panetta, lashed out at the president in a scathing letter released late on Thursday. By Friday evening, another 60 former intelligence officers added their voices in their own letter. Brennan, a former official in the Obama administration and sharp critic of Trump, has said he will not be deterred by the removal of his security clearance. Brennan described Trump's actions at a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki last month as treasonous. American Honda today announced the return of its venerable side-by-side and ATV lineup for the 2019 model year, featuring a mix of entertaining and capable machines sporting a wide range of new colors. The Pioneer and FourTrax lines are renowned for being fun, rugged, and reliable, and the two sport ATV modelsthe TRX250X and TRX90Xcontinue their legacy as great vehicles for enjoying the outdoors. The announcement comes shortly after Honda's manufacturing plant, Honda of South Carolina Mfg., Inc. (HSC), celebrated its 20th anniversary of producing Honda powersports products. Located in Timmonsville, South Carolina, and driven by the widespread success of Honda's side-by-side and ATV lines, HSC has twice been named S.C. Large Manufacturer of the Year and, together with Honda, remains committed to the principles upon which the company was founded: to be a leader in the industry and improve people's lives through mobility and by having a positive impact on the local economy. "It's exciting to announce the return of Honda's rugged and fun side-by-sides and ATVs as we celebrate 20 years of producing Honda Powersports products at Honda of South Carolina," said Lee Edmunds, American Honda's Manager of Motorcycle Marketing Communications. "Together with HSC, Honda is proud to bring so many capable and versatile machines to the market, and we look forward to doing so for years to come." Side-by-Sides Pioneer 1000 The industry's benchmark multipurpose side-by-side boasts the market's only six-speed automatic Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) gearbox. Two limited-edition versions come with I-4WD, featuring brake traction control combined with a torque biasing limited-slip front differential, which provides the tractive force of a locking differential but with reduced steering effort and kickback, delivering excellent traction on a wide range of challenging surfaces, along with a more relaxed driving experience. Alongside the I-4WD system, the LE models offer hill-start assist, electronic brake force distribution, and many additional upgrades to improve suspension performance, protection, convenience, and style. Colors Pioneer 1000-5 LE: Matte Silver Pioneer 1000-5 Deluxe: Honda Phantom Camo, Red, Black Metallic Pioneer 1000-5: Red, Olive Pioneer 1000 LE: Matte Silver Pioneer 1000 EPS: Honda Phantom Camo, Red, Active Yellow Pioneer 1000: Red, Olive, Active Yellow Price: Starting at $14,699 Availability: October 2018 Info: https://powersports.honda.com/pioneer/1000/home.aspx Pioneer 700 The popular, midsize Pioneer 700 lineup includes two Deluxe models that boast aluminum wheels, electric power steering, and color-matched suspension springs, as well as a fully automatic transmission with a manual mode and painted plastic for a bright, durable finish. The two four-seater Pioneer 700 models boast QuickFlip seating, allowing the two rear seats to fold into the bed. Colors Pioneer 700-4 Deluxe: Honda Phantom Camo, Diver Blue Pioneer 700-4: Red Pioneer 700 Deluxe: Honda Phantom Camo, Pearl Orange Pioneer 700: Olive Price: Starting at $10,799 Availability: October 2018 Info: https://powersports.honda.com/pioneer/700/home.aspx Pioneer 500 The industry's top-selling entry side-by-side is suitable for both beginners and experts. It boasts a longitudinally mounted four-stroke engine allows for efficient power transfer, an automatic five-speed gearbox with manual mode. Compact in design to fit easily in garages, full-size pick-up-truck beds, and narrow trails, the Pioneer 500 nonetheless has an ample 8.5-inch ground clearance and 450-pound payload capacity. Colors: Honda Phantom Camo, Red, Olive, Active Yellow, White Price: TBD Availability: October 2018 Info: https://powersports.honda.com/pioneer/500/home.aspx ATVs FourTrax Rincon Boasting Honda's biggest ATV engine (a liquid-cooled 675cc single with a twin-plug cylinder head), the FourTrax Rincon proves that a luxurious user experience is possible even in the rough world of ATVs. Standout features include independent rear suspension and a smooth three-speed automatic transmission. Colors: Honda Phantom Camo, Red Price: Starting at $9,399 Availability: August 2018 Info: http://powersports.honda.com/2019/fourtrax-rincon.aspx FourTrax Foreman Rubicon The four-member, 500-class family of Foreman Rubicon ATVs combines premium performance and premium comfort for the ultimate user experience. Making it easier than ever to pick the appropriate model through standout packages, the Rubicon 4x4 EPS is the only ATV offered with a combination of manual-shift transmission and independent rear suspension, and for those who'd rather not do all the shifting themselves, the other three variations come with Honda's revolutionary automatic DCT technology. Meanwhile, the IRS contributes to an impressively comfortable ride, even when spending long days in the saddle, along with excellent handling over rough terrain. A long list of available features includes Electric Power Steering (EPS), and all models can be switched between three drivetrain settings: 2WD, 4WD, and 4WD with front differential lock. New for this year, the FourTrax Foreman Rubicon DCT EPS Deluxe is even available in Matte Gray Metallic with a fully blacked-out design. Colors FourTrax Foreman Rubicon DCT EPS Deluxe: Honda Phantom Camo, Matte Gray Metallic (Black Out Edition) FourTrax Foreman Rubicon DCT EPS, FourTrax Foreman Rubicon DCT: Red, Olive FourTrax Foreman Rubicon 4x4 EPS: Honda Phantom Camo, Red, Olive, Shale Blue Price: Starting at $8,599 Availability: July 2018 Info: http://powersports.honda.com/2019/fourtrax-foreman-rubicon-4x4.aspx FourTrax Foreman 4x4 Strong, rugged, and reliable, Honda's Foreman 4x4 is as dedicated to the job (and having fun) as you are. Both variations of this durable ATV are equipped with swingarm rear suspension and an enclosed axle, the Foreman 4x4 ES EPS adding Electronic Power Steering and Electric Shift Program for that little bit of electronic assist during a long work day. Packaged around a proven, fuel-injected 500-class engine, strong chassis, and long suspension stroke, both versions are the ultimate tools for a long day of work or play. Colors FourTrax Foreman 4x4 ES EPS: Honda Phantom Camo, Red, Zest Orange FourTrax Foreman 4x4: Red, Olive, Active Yellow Price: Starting at $7,299 Availability: June 2018 Info: http://powersports.honda.com/2019/fourtrax-foreman-4x4.aspx FourTrax Rancher Combining innovation and performance, the Honda Rancher is all about getting owners wherever they want to gowhether it's a hard-to-access deer stand, a favorite fishing spot, or a trail in one of the local OHV areas. Available in six configurations, the 420cc, liquid-cooled Rancher is offered with manual transmission, push-button Electric Shift Program (ESP), or automatic Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT), and there are also choices between IRS and a solid rear axle, as well as 2WD and 4WD. Colors FourTrax Rancher 4x4 AT IRS EPS: Honda Phantom Camo, Vapor White FourTrax Rancher 4x4 AT IRS: Red, Olive FourTrax Rancher 4x4 AT EPS: Honda Phantom Camo, Red, Olive FourTrax Rancher 4x4 ES: Honda Phantom Camo, Red, Olive FourTrax Rancher 4x4: Red, Olive, Blue FourTrax Rancher: Red, Olive Price: Starting at $5,349 Availability: June - August 2018 (Varies by model) Info: http://powersports.honda.com/2019/fourtrax-rancher.aspx FourTrax Recon The FourTrax Recon packs big ATV benefits like durability, power, and build quality into a package with a smaller footprint and lighter overall weightgreat for tighter trails or frequent loading and unloading. Featuring a 250-class engine tuned for low-rpm torque and power, the Recon is the workhorse that's sized right and engineered to last. There are even options when it comes to transmission, with a manual, foot-shift gearbox and electric, push-button ESP shifting both available. Colors: Red, Olive Price: Starting $4,199 Availability: July 2018 Info: http://powersports.honda.com/2019/fourtrax-recon.aspx TRX250X Honda's TRX250X is designed for enjoying the great outdoors, its 250-class four-stroke engine offering a broad, user-friendly powerband and its capable chassis welcoming everyone from beginner riders to longtime ATV enthusiasts through its confidence-inspiring trail performance. Out front, the independent double-wishbone suspension tackles off-road obstacles with ease, providing a smooth ride, and the single-shock rear suspension ensures that the ATV tracks straight and level. Add in low-maintenance features like the shaft final drive, plus user-friendly technology like SportClutchTM, which can be fun for experienced riders but also enables new riders to learn clutch control without worrying about stalling, and the result is a machine that urges owners to get out and have fun. Colors: Red, Metallic Blue Price: $4,849 Availability: July 2018 Info: http://powersports.honda.com/2019/trx250x.aspx TRX90X Going riding has never been easier than with Honda's proven TRX90X, now available in white with a pink stripe to give customers even more options. With beginner-friendly features like an 86cc engine providing smooth power delivery, plus a no-clutch transmission and compliant suspension, the TRX90X simplifies getting outdoors and riding with loved ones. And because it's a Honda, every component of the TRX90X is built to high quality standards, meaning less time in the garage and more time enjoying the outdoors. Colors: Red, Olive, White Price: $3,099 Availability: September 2018 Info: http://powersports.honda.com/2019/trx90x.aspx # # # ABOUT AMERICAN HONDA American Honda Motor Co., Inc., is the sole distributor of Honda motorcycles, scooters, ATVs and Side-by-Sides in the U.S. American Honda's Motorcycle Division conducts the sales, marketing and operational activities for these products through independent authorized Honda retail dealers. For more information on Honda products, go to powersports.honda.com. 18-Year-Old Charged for Pushing Friend off 60-Foot Bridge Taylor Smith who pushed her friend, 16-year-old Jordan Holgerson off a 60-foot bridge on Aug. 7 has been charged with reckless endangerment. Holgerson suffered six broken ribs, a punctured lung and an air bubbles in her chest from her drop into the waters of Moulton Falls Regional Park, Washington. The prosecutors filed the charge on Aug. 17 along with part of the arresting officers statement which read, It is clear that Taylor Smith engaged in conduct which created a substantial risk of death and resulted in serious physical injury to Jordan Holgerson,ABC reported. Under Washington state law, reckless endangerment is considered a gross misdemeanor. Smith could receive up to 364 days in jail or up to a $5,000 penalty, or both for a gross misdemeanor. In an interview with Michael Strahan, the 18-year-old said that Holgerson asked her to push her because Holgerson wanted to jump but she was afraid she wouldnt be able to. Smith said she did it without thinking about the consequences, ABC reported. Smith said she was surprised by the severe injuries Holgerson had suffered, but added that she knew something was wrong when her friend came out the water. She could be in trouble prosecutors say later today they will announce whether shell face any charges.- @joefryer says of the girl who pushed her friend off of a 60-foot bridge pic.twitter.com/LXFEFDoMz0 TODAY (@TODAYshow) August 17, 2018 After the incident, Holgerson said in an interview that Smith should sit in jail and think about what she did. Smith said she was shocked that Holgerson wanted her to go to jail, because the two had been friends for many years. Smith added, however that it was understandable because Holgerson was experiencing a lot of confusion. After arriving at the hospital, Smith was asked to leave and told that she wasnt allowed to see Holgerson. Smith said that she has apologized several times after the incident and that the two have communicated through Snapchat and text messaging. Initially Holgerson replied with forgiveness, telling her it was fine and I know you didnt mean to hurt me. Then one day Holgerson stopped replying. Strahan prompted her about the future of their friendship, the possibility of them ever being friends again. I hope so, I really do. I love that girl, I hope so, the balls in her court, said Smith. She clarified that she did not have any malicious or ill intent in the act. I never intended to hurt her, ever, said Smith, nor would I never intend to hurt anyone. Im really sorry it turned out that way, but, I just pray that she heals and gets better. Seeing Holgersons response change from forgiveness to complete silence wasnt surprising for Smith. She said that she didnt know what it was like to be in Holgersons positionto have people give her their opinions on what had happened, and to have her feelings change along the way. Smith said that all she could do is hope for the best. Despite facing one count of reckless endangerment, Smith said she is willing to accept the prosecutors decision since she caused Holgerson bodily harm and emotional trauma. She added that at the end of the day, she just hopes her friend will have a quick recovery. Colorado Man Allegedly Killed His FamilyReason Unknown A Colorado man has been arrested on the suspicion of murdering his pregnant wife and two young children. The reason for his committing the alleged crime is unknown. Christopher Watts, 33, was arrested at 11:30 p.m. on August 15, on three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of tampering with a deceased human body. He has not yet been charged by the District Attorney. His victims were the his wife Shanann, 34, who was about 15 weeks pregnant with the couples first son, and their two daughters, Bella, age 4, and Celeste, age 3. Breaking: more police just showed up with evidence bags and three just went into the home. Jace Larson has confirmed that Chris Watts has been detained, confessed and said where the bodies of his wife and two children are. pic.twitter.com/MH9n3UVvSs Jaclyn Allen (@jaclynreporting) August 16, 2018 NBC affiliate KUSA reported that Watts has confessed to police to killing his wife and children to police, but that has yet to be confirmed. The 33 year-old however has to appear before a judge by Aug. 20 to be formally charged or released. The bodies of his wife and children were recovered on August 16, on a property owned by Anadarko petroleum, the firm which employed Watts until August 15. According to KMGH, the bodies were found in mostly full tanks containing petroleum products. Watts reportedly placed the bodies in the gas or oil tanks to conceal the smell as they decayed. A Happy Life on the Surface Shanann Watts appeared to be an effervescent, optimistic young mother, who was satisfied with her marriage and family life. In an Instagram post from their fifth wedding anniversary, Shanann wrote, Chris these have been the best years of my life! Our love just grows strong everyday! We have two beautiful little girls that call us mommy and daddy! Since Jan. 2016, Shanann Watts had worked for a multi-level marketing firm called Le-Vel, selling Thrive health and wellness products, according to her LinkedIn profile. She was popular and performing well in her job. She was so successful at Le-Vel, she and her family were featured in a May, 2018 article in the company magazine. Shanann Watts also worked as a human resources specialist at Childrens Hospital Colorado. On July 31, she posted on Facebook, You know what I love about waking up everyday Its a brand new day to have a fresh start, to be better than I was yesterday, To help someone feel better and happier, to make someone smile and laugh! By most accounts, Shannan Watts appeared to be content with her family circumstances. Her husband however, was perceived by some to be less satisfied with their life together. #Breaking: I've just been told by by two law enforcement officials with knowledge of the investigation that the husband of the missing Frederick family has confessed to killing them and officials believe they know where the bodies are. pic.twitter.com/XRAkAbs75W Jace Larson Denver7 (@jacelarson) August 16, 2018 The Watts had visited Shananns family in North Carolina several weeks before the killings. While there, they met Shananns mother, Sandi Onorati, at the hair salon where she works. A co-worker, Danell Search, recalled their visit. (Shanann) was one of those people, when she walked in the room it was just like sunshine, Search told WRAL. Chris was very standoffish. He didnt really say anything. I said, Hi to him, and he kept his head down. According to Search, Shananns mother had said there were problems in the marriage and that the couple was considering separation. #BREAKING: High-ranking sources tell @JennKovaleski the bodies of the 2 Watts girls were concealed inside oil and gas tanks. Live update on #Denver7 in just a few minutes: https://t.co/ivlxVOSr9r #ShanannWattsInvestigation pic.twitter.com/lkpVPSjOhf Denver7 News (@DenverChannel) August 17, 2018 Bankruptcy, Lawsuit, Debt While the true state of their marriage may be unclear, it is obvious that the Watts were experience significant financial problems. The family filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in June 2015, and was granted it in October of that year. Watts had been working at Anadarko for six months, earning $61,000 per year. Shanann brought in about $30,000 working at the hospital call center. But the couple was struggling with student-loan and credit-card debt. According to the Heavy.com, they were $448,000 in debt, with annual expenses of about $60,000, and less than $900 in savings. MORE: Court documents show Chris Watts, and his wife Shanann, were scheduled to appear in court together later this month. Their HOA was suing them for $1,533.80. Chris is now scheduled for his first court appearance re: murder of his wife/kids in 45min. @CBSDenver pic.twitter.com/YpYSK3mTf9 Dillon Thomas (@DillonMThomas) August 16, 2018 There are no records showing how much Shanann made at Le-Vel, but multi-level marketing businesses often require sellers to buy large amounts of inventory to get started. She traveled a lot on business, but whether that ultimately added to or lessened her income is not known. Also, the homeowners association in the neighborhood where they lived, Wyndham Hill Master Association Inc., had filed a lawsuit against the couple for $1,533.80 on July 12, 2018 for financial reasonspresumably unpaid homeowners association dues. Impossible to Understand It remains a mystery as to why Watts committed the alleged acts of murder. Apple, iPhone, and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. The couple showed no major signs of marital problems. Watts showed no notable signs of excessive anger or despondency. People who knew the couple are shocked by what Chris Watts has allewge Nick and Amanda Thayer were friends with the Watts. When Shanann and the children were reported missing, they invited Christopher to come stay with them. Had we had any inclination that we thought he was involved at all no way would I have let him in my house with my wife and kid, Nick told NBC News. Its all we can do is say were sorry that we defended him on social media, we really had no idea that he was capable of doing something like this. Watch Next: Why is Falun Gong Persecuted? Although its freely practiced in over 70 countries, doing this in China can lead to unlawful arrest, imprisonment, torture, or even death. Bella Watts, Celeste Watts, and Shanann Watts in file photos. The cause of death for the three females may have been strangulation. (The Colorado Bureau of Investigation via AP) Colorado Mother and Two Daughters May Have Been Strangled Court documents revealed that the cause of death for the Colorado woman and her two daughters found dead this week may have been strangulation. The documents revealed the bodies of Shanann Watts, 34, and her two daughters, Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3, were found on the property of Anadarko Petroleum on Aug. 16. Shanann Watts and husband Chris Watts, 33, both worked for Anadarko. Autopsies for the three bodies were scheduled for Aug. 17, right after a court appearance by Chris Watts. Cause of Death May be Strangulation The cause of death may have been strangulation, according to a forensic expert cited by the defense. James Merson, a defense attorney for Watts, said in the motion (pdf) that the defense wanted DNA taken from the throats of the two girls. Citing Richard Eikelenboom, the forensic expert, said that DNA would still be present on the throats of the girls despite their bodies being submerged in the oil for multiple days. I have a lot of experience taking samples from dead bodies getting good results after strangulation, Eikelenboom wrote in his recommendation to the defense attorneys. In my opinion the presence of oil will not destroy the DNA. He also recommended taking DNA samples from the girls hands and the nails and hands of Shanann Watts. DNA Request Denied However, the requests were denied by a Weld County District Judge. Eikelenboom was not allowed to testify as an expert witness in a 2016 trial, reported the Denver Post. That decision by a Denver District Court judge came after Eikelenboo admitted he had no direct experience in DNA extraction of analysis and that his lab was unaccredited. Formal charges against Chris Watts are expected to be filed on Aug. 20. He is scheduled to appear next in court at 10 a.m. on Aug. 21, during which time the charges will be read. Sources told multiple news agencies that Chris Watts confessed to killing his pregnant wife and two daughters. Shanann Watts and her two daughters initially went missing on Aug. 13, with a friend saying she dropped her off at the Watts home in the early hours of the morning following a work trip. An endangered missing alert was broadcast on Aug. 14, and a search by law enforcement officials turned up nothing. Chris Watts was arrested late Aug. 15, and prosecutors said on Aug. 16 that his family was murdered inside of his home. The police have not released any information about possible causes of death or motive. From NTD.tv Former Federal Prosecutor Nominated By Trump As U.S. Attorney President Donald Trump nominated a former federal prosecutor who is now a partner in a corporate law firm in San Francisco as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California on August 16. David Anderson, 55, a partner in the San Francisco office of Chicago-based Sidley Austin LLP, must be approved by the U.S. Senate before taking office. The Northern California U.S. attorney supervises 135 federal lawyers in civil and criminal cases concerning the U.S. government in a district that encompasses the Bay Area and coastal Northern California to the Oregon border. The U.S. Attorneys Office is based in San Francisco and has branches in San Jose and Oakland. Anderson previously worked in the U.S. Attorneys Office as a prosecutor from 1998 to 2002 and later as first assistant U.S. attorney, or second in command, under U.S. Attorney Joseph Russoniello from 1998 to 2002. He graduated with honors from San Jose State University in 1985 and Stanford Law School in 1990. In 1991-92, he served as a law clerk to recently retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. As a private lawyer, Anderson represented companies and individuals in civil and criminal cases. His corporate clients have included AT&T Inc., Facebook Inc., Genentech Inc. and Wells Fargo & Co., according to Sidley Austin. Anderson said in a statement, I am honored and grateful to have received this recognition.If officially nominated and confirmed, I would love to re-enter government service and lead the team of professionals in the U.S. Attorneys office, he said. If approved by the Senate, Anderson will replace Acting U.S. Attorney Alex Tse, who was temporarily appointed to that position by Attorney General Jeff Sessions in January. Tse previously served as first assistant U.S. attorney. Tse stated, I have known Dave Anderson for almost three decades and I am certain he will be an outstanding U.S. attorney. I am honored to continue in the role of U.S. attorney until he is confirmed and I look forward to a smooth transition to his leadership. Former UN Chief and Nobel Laureate Kofi Annan Has Died Kofi Annan, the controversial seventh secretary-general of the United Nations, has died. His death, at age 80, was announced by the Kofi Annan Foundation. Annan, of Ghanaian nationality, died in hospital in Bern, Switzerland, in the early hours of Aug. 18, two close associates of his said. Annans foundation announced his death in a tweet on Saturday, saying that he died after a short unspecified illness. During his tenure, Annan presided over some of the worst failures and scandals at the world body, one of its most turbulent periods since its founding in 1945. Challenges from the outset forced him to spend much of his time struggling to restore its tarnished reputation. Annan led a bold thrust to revitalize the United Nations institutions, as the Economist reported, but was also criticized for diplomatic ineffectiveness in the run-up to the Iraq war, and was beset by questions of personal integrity around the infamous oil for food scandal. Annan objected to the invasion of Iraq and made strident diplomatic efforts to stave it off, including traveling to Iraq to negotiate in person with Saddam Hussein. Yet his efforts to both bridge the deep rifts within the UNs Security Council and bring about a diplomatic resolution proved futile, with a U.S.-led coalition of the willing declaring that diplomacy has failed and, convinced that Saddams Iraq harbored weapons of mass destructionwhich were ultimately never foundproceeded to invade Baghdad without UN approval. More personally, in 2004 reports surfaced that the UN had awarded a lucrative contract to a Geneva-based company that employed his son, Kojo Annan, in a humanitarian program in Iraq known as oil for food. Kojo had not disclosed payments he received from his employer, which had a $10 million-a-year contract to monitor humanitarian aid under the oil-for-food program. The company paid at least $300,000 to Kojo so he would not work for competitors after he left. An independent inquiry committee led by Paul A. Volcker criticized the secretary-general in its report for being too complacent, saying he should have done more to investigate matters even if he was not involved with the awarding of the contract. The family kindly requests privacy at this time of mourning, the announcement states. Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report. Bella Watts, Celeste Watts, and Shanann Watts in file photos. The cause of death for the three females may have been strangulation. (The Colorado Bureau of Investigation via AP) Girls Killed by Colorado Father Were Submerged in Oil The bodies of the two young girls allegedly killed in Colorado by their father had been submerged in oil. Defense attorney James Merson said in a court motion Friday, August 17, that the bodies were in crude oil for four days before being found, reported the Associated Press. The motion asks the judge to order that DNA samples be taken from the childrens throats; in another motion, the attorney requests that DNA samples be taken from the hands and nails of the body of the girls mother. The bodies were submerged inside oil and gas tanks that were mostly full, sources added to ABC 7. The placement of the bodies of Bella Watts, 4, and Celeste Watts, 3, was made to conceal the smell of the bodies while hiding them in the tanks owned by Anadarko Petroleum, the sources said. Police officials in Frederick said late on Aug. 16, that the bodies of the girls were found close to those of their mother, Shanann Watts, who had worked for Anadarko. Watts Reportedly Confesses Chris Watts, 33, was arrested on Aug. 15 for the murders of his wife and two young children. The Colorado man confessed to killing his pregnant wife and two daughters, sources told ABC 7. Shanann Watts brother posted on social media stating that Chris Watts had confessed, reported KDVR. He was charged with three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of tampering with evidence. Watts initially maintained he didnt know where his family had gone and said in a local broadcast he wished they would return home. Before her death, his wife had painted a happy picture of married life. Death Penalty Possible While prosecutors could push for the death penalty, Colorado state law requires them to establish at least one of 17 aggravating factors to pursue it. Aggravating factors include the death of a police officer, firefighter, judge, or a person in several other jobs; the use of dynamite or another explosive device in a murder; and especially heinous, cruel, or depraved conduct. Criminal defense attorney Chris Decker told KDVR that the case for executing Chris Watts is strong, noting it seems to meet at least three of the factors: he killed more than one person, two of the victims were young children, and one was pregnant. Apple, iPhone, and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. There may be other mitigating circumstances, however, that also apply. Cooperating with police is one of those mitigating factors. If Watts led police to his wife and childrens bodies, it could potentially save his life, Decker said. I wouldnt go as far as to say its being offered up or negotiated, but certainly law enforcement will be advising him that his participation would at least be some form of mitigation under the circumstances. Colorado has executed around 101 people in total but the death penalty in the state has only been used once since it was reinstated in 1978, in 1997. Gary Davis, who was convicted of kidnapping and raping a 33-year-old woman, was executed by lethal injection that year. From NTD.tv Workers cast shadows as they stroll among the office towers Sydney's Barangaroo business district in Australia's largest city, May 8, 2017. (Reuters/Jason Reed) Is Meaningful, Part-Time Work in Retirement a Myth? CHICAGOAs Pamela Pommer entered her 60s, she planned to work part-time helping aging people deal with financial troubles. But like many baby boomers she realized that a meaningful position is much harder to find than she had imagined. About a year ago, Pommer was laid off from a human resources job at a for-profit college in suburban Minneapolis. I had read the book: Do What You Love and the Money Will Follow,' said Pommer, 64. I devoured it. But it turned out to be elusive. Numerous studies suggest Pommers experience is not unusual. Only 11 percent of people aged 61 to 66 found part-time jobs as they transitioned into retirement, according to a 2017 study by the U.S. General Accountability Office. The research, commissioned by the U.S. Senates Special Committee on Aging, found that even though baby boomers, unlike earlier generations, want to work part-time before entering full retirement, few employers policies allow itessentially the same as 10 years ago. Companies are reluctant to hire older workers because of legal and operational issues, the study found, citing high health insurance costs and fear of discrimination lawsuits if younger employees are not given the same flexibility. Managers also complain about tracking time on the job, accounting for merit increases, bonuses, and juggling schedules, the GAO said. That does not mean you should give up on a meaningful career move or a part-time job in retirement. Just know that many potential employers may not be there with open arms. Here is advice from experts and people who have taken the leap. Ask Anyway Although most organizations are not set up to give people in their 60s flexibility, companies are starting to rethink policies because millennials also want the freedom to work on less rigid schedules, said David DeLong, founder of Smart Workforce Strategies, a consultancy in Concord, Massachusetts. Long before asking for flexibility, have a heart-to-heart with your boss to make sure you are a valued employee, said DeLong. Make sure your job can work on flex-time. Northeast Bank in Minneapolis tried to accommodate a valued branch manager and commercial lender who wanted to semi-retire, but it did not work out, Human Resources Director Sue Johnson LaGue said. With time away from the office, deals were not getting done quickly enough. The bank ended the arrangement but continues to offer part-time work to retired tellers and receptionists. We love our baby boomers, said LaGue. They have a ton of experience, need no training and are dedicated and dependable. Think Temporary Encore careers are often short-term. You may do best by consulting and moving from gig to gig rather than trying to settle into one position. Matt Budd, founder of Financial Executives Consulting Group in Darien, Connecticut, advised accepting a less-than-ideal job and then seeking a better one from a position of strength. Get a title and a business card, he said. Just Do It Starting an encore business may be easier than finding a willing part-time employer, but start-up costs and attracting new customers can be overwhelming. When Russ Ferance lost his computer hardware and software sales job in northern Michigan at 65, he could not get rehired at companies which were looking for young salesmen. Ferance obtained the necessary certification to sell Medicare-related health insurance. Now the 73-year-old moves between the warm weather of Sarasota, Florida, and his northern Michigan home. It was not easy starting fresh, but the independence is invaluable, he said. By Gail MarksJarvis Italian Media: Death Toll Rises to 41 in Bridge Collapse Italian media say three more bodies have been found in rubble of the Genoa bridge collapse, raising the death toll to 41. Genoas prefects office said it didnt immediately have official confirmation of the reports by ANSA news agency and other Italian news media Saturday that the bodies were found by rescuers overnight. ANSA said the bodies were found inside a car smashed under a huge block of concrete from the collapse on Tuesday, Aug. 14. The Italian news service said the discovered bodies were those of three family members, including a child, who had been traveling for a vacation when their car, with about 30 other vehicles, plunged when the bridge gave way. Triangle of Survival Firefighters lifting away the rubble on Friday said they had not given up hope of finding someone alive three days after the collapse. Rescuer Stefano Zanut said there was a triangle of survival where rubble or beams form a protective cover. We are working in synchronization with earth-moving equipment and sniffer dogs, Zanut told Reuters at the site. We are trying to find points where we can penetrate this incredibly heavy rubble. Then the earth-moving equipment moves in to create an opening from where the dogs enter, said Zanut, one of some 340 firefighters working shifts at the scene since Tuesday. Officials said on Friday, Aug. 17, that there still may be up to 20 people missing. Victims Laid to Rest Relatives and friends gathered on Friday for the emotional funeral of four friends who died in the bridge collapse in Genoa. The Basilica of Santa Croce in the southern town of Torre del Greco was packed as hundreds of people arrived to pay their respects. Hundreds of people packed into the square outside. Some accused the state of inadequate oversight and regulation of the bridge operator. My son didnt die he was killed because the state did not look after its citizens. Its not just my son that is dead, 40 people are dead and they are still digging, said Roberto Battiloro, father of Giovanni Battiloro, a young man killed in the collapse. In Genoa on Saturday, relatives and mourners gathered next to the coffins of the victims ahead of a state funeral. Displays of white roses lay on the top of the 19 coffins which stood in rows in a convention hall at the Exhibition and Trade Centre in the northern port city. A small white coffin carrying a child stood out amongst the others. Many of the victims families have boycotted the event and held their own private services for their dead, as a sign of protest that what they say was a tragedy that should never have happened. Savona mayor, Ilaria Caprioglio, said Italy must look at the security of its infrastructure and a tragedy such as this should never be allowed to happen again. Crumbled Like Papier-Mache The 51-year-old bridge, part of a toll motorway linking the port city of Genoa with southern France, collapsed during torrential rain on Tuesday, sending dozens of vehicles crashing onto a riverbed, a railway, and two warehouses. The scene is apocalyptic, like a bomb had hit the bridge, Matteo Pucciarelli, a journalist for the Italian daily La Repubblica, told the Guardian shortly after the bridge toppled on Tuesday. People are in shock. Footage of the collapse, with cries from an onlookerOh God! Oh God!showed a flash of light as the bridge crumbled out of view. Rescuers have worked around the clock since the vast span gave way, combing through the debris for survivors. Were not giving up hope, weve already saved a dozen people from under the rubble, a fire official, Emanuele Giffi, told AFP. Were going to work round the clock until the last victim is secured. Eyewitness Ivan, 37, evacuated from a nearby building, described the collapse as unbelievable. To see a pylon come down like papier-mache is an incredible thing, he said. Its been a lifetime that weve known there were problems. It is in continual maintenance. In the 90s they added some reinforcements on one part, but also underneath you can see rust. Imposing the Highest Penalties Possible Furious government ministers lashed out at the bridge operator, saying it should pay for the disaster and lose its concession. Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said the private company that operated the bridge had earned billions from tolls but did not spend the money they were supposed to. Imposing the highest penalties possible and making sure that those responsible for the dead and the injured pay up for any damages and crimes is the very least, Salvini said. Italys deputy prime minister, Luigi Di Maio, said in a Facebook post on Aug. 15, Those responsible for the tragedy in Genoa have a name and a surname, and theyre called Autostrade per lItalia. For years its been said that private management would be better than that of the state, Di Maio said. And so today, we have one of the biggest dealers in Europe telling us that the bridge was safe and there was no worry of it collapsing. Autostrade had to maintain it but didnt. Autostrade, a unit of Milan-listed Atlantia group, said it had done regular, sophisticated checks on the structure before the disaster, relying on companies and institutions, which are world leaders in testing and inspections and that these had provided reassuring results. These outcomes have formed the basis for maintenance work approved by the Transport Ministry in accordance with the law and the terms of the concession agreement, it said. Danilo Toninelli, the infrastructures and transport minister, said on Wednesday the collapse was unacceptable and that if negligence was a factor whoever made a mistake must pay. Autostrades Genoa area director, Stefano Marigliani, called the collapse unexpected and unpredictable. Queues of cars and the volume of traffic cause intense decay of the Morandi viaduct structure on a daily basis, Marigliani said, the Daily Mail reported. The bridge was constantly monitored and supervised well beyond what the law required, he said. There was no reason to consider the bridge dangerous. Autostrade was about to launch a 20 million euro ($23 million) bidding process for major safety improvements to the bridge. The tender would have covered strengthening of the bridges pier cables, including those of pier nine, the one that collapsed on Tuesday. Italian prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into the cause of the disaster. Engineering experts say its too early to say why the bridge disintegrated, but point to a history of problems with its design. A Tragedy Waiting to Happen The aging bridge, designed by the renowned Italian engineer Riccardo Morandi, was fraught with structural doubts. That is how an article in the specialist engineering website Ingegneri.info referred to the structure, calling it a tragedy waiting to happen. In its design, Morandi used a patented prestressed reinforced concrete technology, which later proved problematic. Antonio Brencich, a professor of reinforced concrete construction at the University of Genoa, told Radio Capitale that Morandis technology was affected by extremely serious corrosion problems and was over time shown to be a failure. Guido De Roeck, professor emeritus at KU Leuven, a university in Belgium, told VRT news a vulnerable point of Morandis design was the limited number of cables, not steel cables, but pretensioned concrete cables, which are subject to corrosion. But while rusting metal parts are by definition the weakest link in a construction like Morandis, it is very unlikely that corrosion bad enough to cause a collapse would have gone unnoticed, according to Agathoklis Giaralis, deputy director of the University of Londons Civil Engineering Structures Research Centre, who spoke to the Daily Mail. I would say that most probably something went wrong with the foundation or supporting ground rather than with the pier, the deck, or the cables, he said. Ian Firth, former president of The Institution of Structural Engineers, told the Daily Mail, It is too early to say what caused the tragic collapse, but as this reinforced and prestressed concrete bridge has been there for 50 years it is possible that corrosion of tendons or reinforcement may be a contributory factor. In the wake of the disaster, Giuseppe Conte, the prime minister, said that all infrastructure across the country needed to be double-checked. We must not allow another tragedy like this to happen again. Toninelli echoed these concerns, saying that many structures in Italy suffer from insufficient safety checks. There has not been sufficient maintenance and checks, and safety work for many bridges and viaducts and bridges in Italy constructed almost all during the 1960s, he said. Italian civil engineering association CNR reportedly said structures as old as the collapsed Morandi bridge had exceeded their lifespan. Tens of thousands of bridges and viaducts built in the 1950s and 1960s should be repaired or replaced. Updating and reinforcing the bridges, CNR said, the Telegraph reported, would in many cases be more expensive than demolishing them and building new structures from scratch. John Smithies of The Epoch Times, the Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report Veteran political consultant Paul Manafort arrives for arraignment on a third superseding indictment against him by Special Counsel Robert Mueller on charges of witness tampering, at U.S. District Court in Washington on June 15, 2018. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) Judge in Manafort Trial Received Threats, Travels With Marshals The judge presiding over the trial of veteran political consultant Paul Manafort said on Aug. 17 that he received threats related to the trial and was being protected by U.S. marshals. U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis also rejected a motion by some news organizations to make public the names of the jurors, saying he was concerned about the jurys peace and safety. I had no idea this case would excite these emotions I dont feel right if I release their names, the judge said. In an indication that the six women and six men of the jury may not reach a verdict on Aug. 17, they sent the judge a note asking that they be permitted to finish their work for the day at 5 p.m. because one juror has a social engagement. President Donald Trump on Aug. 17 called the tax and bank fraud trial of his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort very sad and described the defendant as a very good person. Manaforts trial in federal court in Alexandria is the first stemming from special counsel Robert Muellers 15-month-old investigation of Russias role in the 2016 U.S. election. Paul Manafort briefly worked for Trumps campaign in 2016. The charges against Manafort are not related to Trump, Russia, or the campaign. In remarks to reporters at the White House, Trump again called Muellers investigation a rigged witch hunt. The president declined to say whether he would issue a presidential pardon for Manafort. I think the whole Manafort trial is very sad, when you look at whats going on there. I think its a very sad day for our country, Trump said. He worked for me for a very short period of time. But you know what? He happens to be a very good person. And I think its very sad what theyve done to Paul Manafort. Trump made his comments while the jurors deliberated behind closed doors on Friday morning, Aug. 17. The jurors met for about seven hours on Aug. 16 without reaching a verdict on 18 criminal counts Manafort is charged with. As president, Trump has the power to pardon Manafort on the federal charges. He has already issued a number of pardons, including for former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio. Asked by a reporter on Aug. 17 if he would pardon Manafort, Trump said, I dont talk about that now. Manafort, 69, faces five counts of filing false tax returns, four counts of failing to disclose his offshore bank accounts and nine counts of bank fraud. If convicted on all counts, he could spend the rest of his life in prison. Jurors in the trial are not sequestered but have been instructed not to watch news reports or talk to others about the matter. The jury sent a note on Thursday afternoon asking Ellis four questions including one about defining reasonable doubt. In a criminal case, a jury must find a defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This was not the first time Trump commented on the trial. On the first day the jury heard testimony, Trump said Manafort had been treated worse than 1920s gangster Al Capone. Reuters contributed to this report. Man Connected to Chaotic Mass Overdoses in Connecticut Arrested A 53-year-old man has been arrested in connection with more than 100 synthetic-marijuana overdoses, many of them in the same New Haven park, after authorities say they caught him with 32 bags of the drug, police said Friday. Some of the victims identified John Parker, of New Haven, as one of the people who was dealing K2 on the New Haven Green, where most of the overdoses occurred Wednesday and Thursday, Police Chief Anthony Campbell said. No deaths were reported, and officials said most people recovered quickly. No overdoses were reported Friday. Parker, who was arrested Wednesday, was charged with drug crimes after being found in possession of the K2 bags, Campbell said. He was also charged in connection with drug sales in the city earlier this year, the chief said. Campbell also said two other people were arrested one by New Haven police and one by federal authorities but investigators were trying to determine whether they were connected to the overdoses. Authorities described chaotic scenes at the park near Yale University, with people falling unconscious at the same time. Others became nauseated and vomited, officials said. Some people who overdosed returned to the green and overdosed again, officials said. Parker was detained on $225,000 bail. A public defender said there was no proof linking any drugs Parker may have had to the overdoses. The arrests do not mean all the bad K2 has been located, Campbell said. We want people to be warned that what they have could be extremely dangerous and they should not use it, he said. One of the other men arrested, Felix Melendez, 37, was charged with drug crimes during the investigation, but Campbell said it hadnt been determined whether he was connected to the overdoses. He was found in possession of K2 and received a two-year probation sentence earlier this year for selling the same drug on the green. Apple, iPhone, and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. It wasnt immediately clear whether Melendez had a lawyer who could respond to the allegations. Federal authorities arrested a third person, who was not identified, Campbell said. Synthetic marijuana, called spice and other names, usually is plant material sprayed with chemicals or other substances that are sold in small, colorful packets. It has been blamed for other mass overdoses across the country. In May, more than 50 people in New York overdosed on K2, none fatally. Man Takes Selfie Close to Bears, Now Faces Charges A man caught taking a selfie with bears escaped without being attacked but he now faces charges, federal officials said. An online bear camera that continuously broadcasts from Katmai National Park in Alaska captured the man entering a closed area and taking a selfie with multiple bears in the background. The man and two companions violated National Park Service wildlife viewing regulations, putting themselves and wildlife at risk, the service said in a statement. People need to recognize that these are wild brown bears. These visitors are lucky that they escaped the situation without injury. The possible consequences for the bears and themselves could have been disastrous, said Superintendent Mark Sturm. Officials said the bears were concentrating on feeding, otherwise, they may have attacked the tourist. Man Taking Selfie Caught on Camera Video footage shows the middle-aged man, dressed in cargo shorts and a white t-shirt, wade into the water approximately 20 yards from the bears, take out his phone, snap pictures of the bears, then turn his back on the bears and snap a selfie. Rules stipulate visitors to the national park must stay at least 50 yards away from bears who are using a concentrated food source, such as migrating salmon. The National Park Service said the incident took place just before 7 p.m. on Aug. 9. Because bears love the area where the selfie was snapped, which is below Brooks Falls, the area is closed off from June 15 through Aug. 15 to allow for undisturbed feeding. While the area is closed off, elevated viewing platforms at nearby Brooks Camp enable visitors to watch the bears. People watching the webcam, which is run by Explore.org, alerted federal officials to the incident. Rangers later made contact with the man and his two companions. News Release: Charges Pending for Visitors Who Approached Bears in Closed Area https://t.co/CDjuEFNtZr pic.twitter.com/NrIqD8k51N Katmai National Park (@KatmaiNPS) August 10, 2018 Charges Pending for Trio Peter Christian, a National Park Service spokesman, told KTVA that there appears to have been alcohol involved in the selfie incident. I know that alcohol is likely involved, Christian said. This is a Here, hold my beer moment. Officials said charges are pending for the trio; possible charges include entering a closed area, reckless endangerment, and harassing wildlife, Christian said. The last recorded fatality by bears in Katmai was back in 2003. Timothy Treadwell, 46, and his camping companion Amie Huguenard, 37, were found mauled to death by aggressive bears; Treadwell had been the founder of Grizzly People, which sought to promote peaceful human-bear interaction. The National Park Service said that prior to that attack, no fatal bear attacks in the park had occurred for at least 15 years. From NTD.tv New Car Found in Rubble of Collapsed Genoa Bridge Another car has been found by rescue workers searching the rubble of a collapsed motorway bridge in the northern Italian city of Genoa, local authorities said on Saturday. Spokespeople for the fire brigade and the Genoa prefecture said the car which was found under slabs of concrete was compatible with one believed to carry a family of three, but neither updated the death toll, still officially at 38. Rescuers have been working to search for survivors since Tuesday, Aug. 14, after a 200-meter (660-foot) stretch of the Morandi bridge gave way in busy lunchtime traffic, plunging dozens of vehicles 50m (160 feet) below. Officials said on Friday, Aug. 17, that there still may be up to 20 people missing. Triangle of Survival Firefighters lifting away the rubble on Friday said they had not given up hope of finding someone alive three days after the collapse. Rescuer Stefano Zanut said there was a triangle of survival where rubble or beams form a protective cover. We are working in synchronization with earth-moving equipment and sniffer dogs, Zanut told Reuters at the site. We are trying to find points where we can penetrate this incredibly heavy rubble. Then the earth-moving equipment moves in to create an opening from where the dogs enter, said Zanut, one of some 340 firefighters working shifts at the scene since Tuesday. Emotional Funeral for Victims Relatives and friends gathered on Friday for the emotional funeral of four friends who died in the bridge collapse in Genoa. The Basilica of Santa Croce in the southern town of Torre del Greco was packed as hundreds of people arrived to pay their respects. Hundreds of people packed into the square outside. Some accused the state of inadequate oversight and regulation of the bridge operator. My son didnt die he was killed because the state did not look after its citizens. Its not just my son that is dead, 40 people are dead and they are still digging, said Roberto Battiloro, father of Giovanni Battiloro, a young man killed in the collapse. In Genoa on Saturday, relatives and mourners gathered next to the coffins of the victims ahead of a state funeral. Displays of white roses lay on the top of the 19 coffins which stood in rows in a convention hall at the Exhibition and Trade Centre in the northern port city. A small white coffin carrying a child stood out amongst the others. Many of the victims families have boycotted the event and held their own private services for their dead, as a sign of protest that what they say was a tragedy that should never have happened. Savona mayor, Ilaria Caprioglio, said Italy must look at the security of its infrastructure and a tragedy such as this should never be allowed to happen again. Crumbled Like Papier-Mache The 51-year-old bridge, part of a toll motorway linking the port city of Genoa with southern France, collapsed during torrential rain on Tuesday, sending dozens of vehicles crashing onto a riverbed, a railway, and two warehouses. The scene is apocalyptic, like a bomb had hit the bridge, Matteo Pucciarelli, a journalist for the Italian daily La Repubblica, told the Guardian shortly after the bridge toppled on Tuesday. People are in shock. Footage of the collapse, with cries from an onlookerOh God! Oh God!showed a flash of light as the bridge crumbled out of view. Rescuers have worked around the clock since the vast span gave way, combing through the debris for survivors. Were not giving up hope, weve already saved a dozen people from under the rubble, a fire official, Emanuele Giffi, told AFP. Were going to work round the clock until the last victim is secured. Eyewitness Ivan, 37, evacuated from a nearby building, described the collapse as unbelievable. To see a pylon come down like papier-mache is an incredible thing, he said. Its been a lifetime that weve known there were problems. It is in continual maintenance. In the 90s they added some reinforcements on one part, but also underneath you can see rust. Imposing the Highest Penalties Possible Furious government ministers lashed out at the bridge operator, saying it should pay for the disaster and lose its concession. Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said the private company that operated the bridge had earned billions from tolls but did not spend the money they were supposed to. Imposing the highest penalties possible and making sure that those responsible for the dead and the injured pay up for any damages and crimes is the very least, Salvini said. Italys deputy prime minister, Luigi Di Maio, said in a Facebook post on Aug. 15, Those responsible for the tragedy in Genoa have a name and a surname, and theyre called Autostrade per lItalia. For years its been said that private management would be better than that of the state, Di Maio said. And so today, we have one of the biggest dealers in Europe telling us that the bridge was safe and there was no worry of it collapsing. Autostrade had to maintain it but didnt. Autostrade, a unit of Milan-listed Atlantia group, said it had done regular, sophisticated checks on the structure before the disaster, relying on companies and institutions, which are world leaders in testing and inspections and that these had provided reassuring results. These outcomes have formed the basis for maintenance work approved by the Transport Ministry in accordance with the law and the terms of the concession agreement, it said. Danilo Toninelli, the infrastructures and transport minister, said on Wednesday the collapse was unacceptable and that if negligence was a factor whoever made a mistake must pay. Autostrades Genoa area director, Stefano Marigliani, called the collapse unexpected and unpredictable. Queues of cars and the volume of traffic cause intense decay of the Morandi viaduct structure on a daily basis, Marigliani said, the Daily Mail reported. The bridge was constantly monitored and supervised well beyond what the law required, he said. There was no reason to consider the bridge dangerous. Autostrade was about to launch a 20 million euro ($23 million) bidding process for major safety improvements to the bridge. The tender would have covered strengthening of the bridges pier cables, including those of pier nine, the one that collapsed on Tuesday. Italian prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into the cause of the disaster. Engineering experts say its too early to say why the bridge disintegrated, but point to a history of problems with its design. A Tragedy Waiting to Happen The aging bridge, designed by the renowned Italian engineer Riccardo Morandi, was fraught with structural doubts. That is how an article in the specialist engineering website Ingegneri.info referred to the structure, calling it a tragedy waiting to happen. In its design, Morandi used a patented prestressed reinforced concrete technology, which later proved problematic. Antonio Brencich, a professor of reinforced concrete construction at the University of Genoa, told Radio Capitale that Morandis technology was affected by extremely serious corrosion problems and was over time shown to be a failure. Guido De Roeck, professor emeritus at KU Leuven, a university in Belgium, told VRT news a vulnerable point of Morandis design was the limited number of cables, not steel cables, but pretensioned concrete cables, which are subject to corrosion. But while rusting metal parts are by definition the weakest link in a construction like Morandis, it is very unlikely that corrosion bad enough to cause a collapse would have gone unnoticed, according to Agathoklis Giaralis, deputy director of the University of Londons Civil Engineering Structures Research Centre, who spoke to the Daily Mail. I would say that most probably something went wrong with the foundation or supporting ground rather than with the pier, the deck, or the cables, he said. Ian Firth, former president of The Institution of Structural Engineers, told the Daily Mail, It is too early to say what caused the tragic collapse, but as this reinforced and prestressed concrete bridge has been there for 50 years it is possible that corrosion of tendons or reinforcement may be a contributory factor. In the wake of the disaster, Giuseppe Conte, the prime minister, said that all infrastructure across the country needed to be double-checked. We must not allow another tragedy like this to happen again. Toninelli echoed these concerns, saying that many structures in Italy suffer from insufficient safety checks. There has not been sufficient maintenance and checks, and safety work for many bridges and viaducts and bridges in Italy constructed almost all during the 1960s, he said. Italian civil engineering association CNR reportedly said structures as old as the collapsed Morandi bridge had exceeded their lifespan. Tens of thousands of bridges and viaducts built in the 1950s and 1960s should be repaired or replaced. Updating and reinforcing the bridges, CNR said, the Telegraph reported, would in many cases be more expensive than demolishing them and building new structures from scratch. John Smithies of The Epoch Times and Reuters contributed to this report James OKeefe founder and president of Project Veritas at their office in Mamaroneck, N.Y., on Oct. 31, 2017. (Benjamin Chasteen/The Epoch Times) Project Veritas to Expose Deep State in New Whistleblower Platform Will hope to hear from insiders in big tech and major media as well Project Veritas is launching a new platform that welcomes underground information from whistleblowers while ensuring their confidentiality. The non-profit said their new platform, dubbed Veritas Leaks, will be ready to hear from insiders in big tech, major media, and whats known as the Deep Statea group of career politicians, also referred to as the permanent government, who are pushing an agenda that goes against the Constitution and U.S. law. Veritas is known for exposing corruption through undercover journalism. Project Veritas Communications director Stephen Gordon told The Epoch Times the new project will help keep Americans informed of such high-level corruption. The Deep State has indeed been hidden from public viewhence their nickname, Gordon said via email on Aug 17. One of our goals is to shine a media spotlight on them so the actions of our government are exposed to the people from whom they derive their power. To quell confidentiality fears, Veritas said there will be an entire team dedicated to protecting the identities and anonymity of sources. They said they will expose the greatest threats facing the United States including corruption, hypocrisy, and bias at the highest levels. The companys founder and president, James OKeefe, went further in describing their protections. I will go to jail to protect a sources identity, OKeefe said in a statement. Security is our paramount concern. The goal is for our combined efforts to expose corruption to have a positive impact while protecting the identities of highly-placed informants. Gordon said there not many who are exposing the people near to and within the federal government who are undermining our national policies, the law, and the Constitution of the United States. Since the mainstream media wont do it, it falls upon people like us to keep the American public informed, he said. The newly established team will directly work with insiders who contact Veritas and will ensure all transferred information is secure and safeguarded. The team will monitor incoming communications on a variety of encrypted messaging applications. Slain Colorado Familys Babysitter Speaks Out There are still more questions than answers as the Christopher Watts investigation moves forward. Close friends are looking for any clues from their past conversations with the Watts family. Christopher Watts, a 33-year-old Colorado man, was arrested on Aug. 15 in connection to the death of his wife, 34-year-old Shanann, and two daughters, 4-year-old Bella and 3-year-old Celeste. Shanann, who was 15 weeks pregnant, vanished on Aug. 13 with her two girls. Watts confessed to killing the three missing females after first proclaiming innocence, the Epoch Times reported. In a video interview with KMGH-TV, Watts can be heard pleading I want them back now. The authority recovered the body of Shanann on property owned by Anadarko Petroleum, where Watts worked as an operator. He was fired the same day he got arrested. Bodies of the two girls were also found nearby. Defense attorney James Merson said that bodies of Bella and Celeste were in crude oil for four days before being found, the Associated Press reported. Weld County prosecutors believed the mother and two girls were killed inside the familys home. The Epoch Times reported that they may have been strangled. Watts faces investigations on three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of tampering with a deceased human body. Weld County prosecutors are expected to file formal charges against him before the afternoon of Aug. 20. Hes a monster Family and friends of Shanann Watts are left searching for answers, trying to reconcile Watts cheery Facebook posts about her daughters, her pregnancy, and her love for her husband with the pending charges. On Aug. 17, Lauren Naumanna close friend and babysitter of the Watts familystopped by the Watts house, lighted a candle at their memorial. Shanann, she just had a smile that made everybody smile, Naumann told KDVR-TV, everyone who looked at Shanann and Chris they just, immediate thought was love. This is exactly how Shanann portrayed of her husband and two daughters on Facebook. According to the Associated Press, she called her husband my ROCK! and said he was the best dad us girls could ask for. That idyllic image was shattered when Watts was arrested. Naumann stated she definitely didnt expect the tragedy would happen and that she wanted to defend Watts before he confessed, nobody that knew him wanted to believe it was him. Hes a monster, hes a monster, hes a monster who let us comfort him and feel absolutely no remorse for what hes done, Naumann said. Motive under investigation Police have not released any information about a motive or how the three were killed. According to a June 2015 bankruptcy filing, Christopher Watts had gotten a job six months earlier as an operator for Anadarko, and paystubs indicate his annual salary was about $61,500. Shanann Watts was working in a call center at a childrens hospital at the time, earning about $18 an hourmore for evenings, weekends, or extra shifts she sometimes worked. Apple, iPhone, and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. But the family remained caught between a promising future and financial strain from debt and other obligations. The couple had a combined income of $90,000 in 2014. But they also had tens of thousands of dollars in credit card debt, along with student loans and medical billsfor a total of $70,000 in unsecured claims on top of a sizable mortgage. They said in the filing that their nearly $3,000 mortgage and $600 in monthly car payments formed the bulk of their $4,900 in monthly expenses. The Associated Press contributed to this report. From NTD.tv National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will try to impose the strongest penalty against Toyota. (Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images) Toyota Negligent, Family Is Paid $242 Million A Texas jury awarded damages of $242 million to a Dallas family after finding that defects in the familys Lexus sedan caused injuries to their two children during a rear-end collision, the law firm representing the plaintiffs said on Friday. The verdict by the jury in Dallas County District Court includes more than $143.6 million in punitive damages after jurors agreed that the actions of Lexus-maker Toyota Motor Corp and Toyota Motor Sales amounted to gross negligence, the Law Offices of Frank L. Branson said in a statement. The collision involving the familys 2002 Lexus ES 300 sedan occurred in September 2016. The 3-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter of Benjamin and Kristi Reavis were in the cars back seat, in child safety seats, the statement said. The jury found that the sedans front seats were unreasonably dangerous and the defendants failed to warn about those dangers, the statement said. The automaker made a conscious decision to protect front-seat occupants from crash injuries like whiplash at the expense of rear-seat passengers, attorney Frank Branson said in the statement. Toyota said it would consider its options going forward. While we respect the jurys decision, we remain confident that the injuries sustained were the result of factors specific to this very severe collision, not a defect in the design or manufacturing of the 2002 Lexus ES300, a Toyota spokesman said in an emailed statement. Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Ismail Shakil Swab tests at residences in Fort Benning, Georgia, reveal in red the presence of lead in this undated handout photo obtained by FOIA from the US Army. Received by Reuters on Aug. 15, 2018. (U.S. Army FOIA/Reuters) US Senators Demand Answers From Army After Reuters Report on Lead Poisoning Four U.S. senators on Friday urged the Army to detail the steps it is taking to safeguard children from lead poisoning, citing a Reuters investigation into hazards on military bases. We write to you today concerned about recent reports of lead poisoning at a number of Army installations, the senators wrote. The health and safety of our servicemembers and their families are of the utmost importance. The letter, written by Democratic Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner of Virginia, along with Republican Senators David Perdue and Johnny Isakson of Georgia, came a day after Reuters reported that more than 1,000 young children tested at military clinics had elevated lead levels between 2011 and 2016. The Reuters investigation also found that several military bases had not been reporting childrens blood test results to state health departments, violating state laws and creating public health blind spots. The Army said those test results are now being reported. The lawmakers requested a detailed briefing on the Armys strategy to keep military families safe and proposals for potential action from Congress. The Armys most valuable asset is its soldiers and their families, and we honor the sacrifices they make to serve our nation, said Army spokeswoman Colonel Kathleen Turner. We are committed to providing a safe and secure environment on all of our installations, and to providing the highest quality of care to our service members, their families and all those entrusted to our care. Further Testing As part of its examination, Reuters provided lead testing to families at several U.S. bases, finding lead paint hazards in Georgia, Texas, Kentucky and New York. Senators Perdue and Isakson represent Georgia, where Reuters tested five older homes at Fort Benning and found hazards in all five. Senators Kaine and Warner represent Virginia, where a 2015 Defense Departments Inspector General report had discovered lead hazards at Fort Belvoir. We ask that you provide our offices with a detailed briefing as soon as possible outlining the immediate and long-term mitigation strategy to keep military families safe, provide medical treatment for those potentially or previously affected, make long-lasting repairs, and finally, provide legislative proposals or guidance on legislation needed to hold maintenance contractors accountable, the senators concluded in their letter. By Andrea Januta and Joshua Schneyer NORWALK Rene Soto is a gallery owner, a magazine editor and an artist. Hes also an immigrant, and a physical education teacher in his home country of Guatemala. He came to America only seven years ago and didnt have access to simple supplies such as paint and canvas for much of his life. His mother died two years ago, a year after he lost two brothers. Sotos taken a difficult and unlikely path to Norwalk, and through whatever hardships he has faced, art has helped him persevere. Art has saved my life in many ways, Soto said Thursday at his recently opened Rene Soto Gallery. When I have nightmares sometimes, I go to paint and I make horrible things through the painting. Its the best way to show things you cant say. All the stress goes away. Weverson Ponte shares Sotos belief in the ability to transcend fear through art. Being courageous is not about not having fears, its about being able to face your fears, Ponte said. An architect, Zumba instructor and artist, Ponte organized Emotional Explosion. A Community Art Project. Using a soon-to-be demolished home in Westport as canvas, Ponte and a group of other local artists, including Soto, graffitied their fears onto almost every square inch of the house one day in April. Then, symbolically, the house and fears were torn down. It was the first in what Ponte hopes will be a series of community-based art installations that encourage personal growth. Were calling this a movement of sorts. Were trying to encourage people to face their fears and improve their lives, Ponte said. As of Sept. 1, the second step in Pontes movement will debut at the Rene Soto Gallery. The exhibition, dubbed the Strength Showcase by Ponte, will feature the same artists that tagged the Westport home, showcased for a month in one of the gallerys two exhibition spaces. The gallery show, like Emotional Explosion, is partly improvisational, in that the artists are asked to create a work on theme specifically for the show. The result, sometimes, is anxiety felt by the artists as they struggle with the concept. When I did the house, I had no idea until the day of. Im feeling that now, but today I had a few ideas pop up, artist Jessica Ortega said. On the day she was to graffiti the house, Ortega said she went in with an idea of the color scheme, but without a concept for her piece. The result was a large-scale work about self-advocacy, in which she painted No Means No above the houses garage doors. Ortega, who is also an art therapist and Pontes girlfriend, said shes still unsure what shell create for the upcoming show. Im just struggling to identify what I would consider strength, Ortega said. Ponte, too, is juggling several ideas for the show. Ive been finding words to kind of describe my strengths, he said. On the house, he painted a cosmic design that to him represented risking failure by stepping into the unknown. For the gallery show, Ponte hopes the artists will be able to communicate their stories of triumph over fear in the process. At least in part, Sotos goal for the gallery to foster creativity in the community mirrors Pontes. We want to encourage more artists to create. That makes people happy and we need more happy people in the world, Soto said. The whole idea is positivity. justin.papp@scni.com; @justinjpapp1; 203-842-2586 NORWALK Truck drivers not paying attention or misjudging the clearance of the Metro-North Railroad Bridge over Washington Street strike the structure at least once a month. The Norwalk Department of Public Works and state and federal governments hope to reduce such strikes at the span in South Norwalk by installing an Over-Height Vehicle Detection System. If we put a couple of lasers on the bottom of the railroad bridge and a truck comes along and breaks those lasers, warning lights will flash that hes too high, said Norwalk Director of Public Works Bruce Chimento. They may have to back down the road but at least we dont have them hitting the bridge. The Department of Public Works has scheduled a public information meeting on the project at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Room 231 of Norwalk City Hall, 125 East Ave. Business owners, commuters and other interested individuals are encouraged to take the opportunity to discuss the project. If theyre agreeable with the project, theres a two-week comment period after that, and then after that wed go to the (Common) Council with a resolution to move the project into final design, said Michael Yeosock, assistant principal engineer in the public works department. Were looking at advertising this toward the end of next year, probably installation in the spring of 2020. I think its a pretty interesting project. Yeosock said a Federal Highway Administration grant would cover 90 percent of the $450,000 project. That would leave the city picking up $45,000 of the cost. The project would entail installation of foundations, message poles and variable message signs on all four approaches to the railroad bridge, which crosses diagonally above the intersection of Washington and North and South Main streets in the heart of SoNo. Its going to be like an LED sign, Yeosock said of the message signs. Basically, theres an ultraviolet light that goes from one side of the road to the other. An over-height vehicle will break that beam. It will make the computer say, you have an over-height vehicle. Yeosock said similar detection systems are in place elsewhere, one along Route 1 in Darien and along the Merritt Parkway in Greenwich. While large trucks also strike the Metro-North bridge above East Avenue in Norwalk, the strikes arent as frequent as those occurring at the Washington Street bridge, he said. System wide, bridge strikes are roughly a daily occurrence for Metro-North Railroad. Structural damage and track realignment can occur whenever an over-height vehicle strikes a railroad bridge. To ensure safety, a temporary 15 mph speed restriction is put into place along the bridge until a bridge inspector is dispatched to ensure the integrity of the bridge and tracks. Metro-North has four bridges Fenimore Road and Mamaroneck Avenue, both in Mamaroneck, N.Y., as well as Westchester Avenue and King Street, both in Port Chester, N.Y. that are equipped with accelerometers and communications equipment. When a bridge strike occurs, the railroad receives an email with a graphic indication of the severity of the strike. Metro-North plans to expand the program to include an additional eight bridges, all in New York, according to the railroad. While such bridge strikes are primarily the concern of the railroad, local police are also engaged whenever an incident occurs. That includes the Washington Street Bridge. We do respond to these accidents in order to check for injuries/hazards and control traffic; however, they are investigated by the MTA Police, Lt. Terry Blake, Norwalk police spokesman, said, referring tyto the Metropolitan Transportation Authority police department. Generally, these incidents do cause significant traffic backups or even temporary road closures. We would hope that the audible warning system would significantly lessen the incidence of bridge strikes and help make the intersection safer. Elias Christakos, owner of Famous Pizza on North Main Street near the Washington Street bridge, said the structure is hit about once a month. He lent his support to the plan to install the laser detection system on the approaches to the bridge. It probably will reduce it, Christakos said said of strikes. Its something thats been overlooked for a long time. Unless they raise the bridge, which I doubt it, theres no other solution really. WE do not recognise them and will never do so. And certainly not under these circumstances. Colonel Azali Assoumani is a liar. HE announces everywhere that he will resign. Yet in the transitional clauses of this illegal referendum text, he talks about taking leave and appointing himself the person who will oversee the presidential elections. In addition to that, he appoints all the members in charge of the elections. From polling station members to Supreme Court members to soldiers who will monitor the election, Colonel Azali decides absolutely everything. Under these illegal circumstances, Azali hopes to be elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2024 to eventually finish in 2029. In the meantime, he might find another excuse to change the constitution once again and remain in power till his death. We have boycotted this election because we knew that the vote would neither be transparent nor fair. Before that electoral masquerade, there was already a flagrant violation of the current constitution. And this, showed us clearly that the election would be rigged and illegal. So there were no reason to go vote, when the results of the vote were already known. Let us tell you, even if 99% of the Comorian people had voted no at this so called election, the Supreme Court would still have told us that the yes had won. Never a president, even though Colonel of the army, was allowed to amend nor to change the constitution without consulting the people. And this is exactly what has happened before the referendum. Because when Colonel Azali removed the Constitutional Court whose eight members are appointed by eight different authorities (Colonel Azali himself, the President of the National Assembly, each of the 3 Vice- Presidents and each of the 3 Governors) and he then replace it by the Supreme Court where all the members are appointed by decrees of Colonel Azali alone, you realize that there is a real problem of transparency. Colonel Azali becomes judge and party at this controversial election. Moreover and this is a reminder, if Colonel Azali, who was considered to be in the opposition in 2016, has become president and is still president today, it is precisely because the Constitutional Court was there. And curiously today he does not want this constitutional court anymore. The quorum would have been attained if he had allowed the members appointed by the governors of Anjouan and Ngazidja to take the oath. To reach quorum it takes 5 out of 8 members. So that means half of the members plus one. And thats exactly the members that would have been in the constitutional court. There are many arbitrary arrests, particularly in the ranks of politicians from the opposition. All the leaders of the Union of the Opposition, without exception, have either been imprisoned or are subject of ongoing legal proceedings. This is to show you the dictatorial drift in which the country is. Nearly 50 regional leaders of the Juwa party in Anjouan, have been kidnapped or arrested by Azalis special forces. The families of many of them are still wondering where their loved ones are being held and the reasons of their arrests. Some of the people arrested have seen their parents and siblings arrested too. There is therefore a real climate of terror throughout the country. Colonel Azalis friends draw up lists with names of people to stop and neutralize. The opposition members have tried several times to express themselves but have always been severely repressed by Colonel Azalis special forces. At each peaceful demonstration we counted dozens of wounded and dozens of arrests. Some more serious than others. All of this have created a climate of terror in the country. People for fear of demonstrating, show their dissatisfaction by leaving public places at the arrival of the Colonel. The real problem does not come from the army itself. The real problem comes from a group of heavily armed police men who are responsible of arresting people. Abubakar Aboud is an advisor of former President Sambi and Ibrahim Mohamed Soule, MP and former General Secretary of the Juwa party 1 hour ago US, EU reach agreement to settle rift over Trump-era tariffs ROME (AP) The U.S. and European Union have reached an agreement to settle their diplomatic rift over Trump-era steel and aluminum tariffs, the White House announced Saturday, as President Joe Biden is in Rome attending the Group of 20 summit. The Trump administration had placed taxes on EU steel and aluminum in 2018 on the claim that the foreign products produced by American allies were a threat to U.S. Read Article The 11th "Chinese Bridge", the Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students in Vanuatu Division was held on Friday in the Confucius Classroom at the Emalus campus of the University of the South Pacific with the participation of 15 students. The 15 contestants were from Central School, Vila East School and Malapoa College. The top two winners will be travelling to China to represent Vanuatu in the further rounds this October. The contestants were evaluated from three aspects: self-introduction, talent show and Q&A. Although the majority of them have been learning Chinese for less than six months, their clear pronunciation, fluent response and marvelous talent show reflect their Chinese competence, their understanding and love for China and the Chinese culture. As one of the contestants, Sandy Madilson, a 15-year-old student, told Xinhua that the Chinese language is unique and very interesting, she wants to learn it well and help increase the mutual understanding and cooperation between the two peoples of Vanuatu and China. Yang Hui, Chinese director of the Confucius Institute at the the University of the South Pacific, said that this competition is very important and has positive influence as this is to check the students their study of the Chinese language and encourage them to continue their study of it. For his part, Ruben Markward, director of the Emalus campus at the University of the South Pacific (USP), voiced his satisfaction with the competition. As a useful platform and bridge, Confucius Institute has not only enriched his campus' study, but also helped deepen the friendship between the two countries, he said. The Confucius Classroom at Emalus Campus of USP in Vanuatu was officially inaugurated in May 2015. It has held four Chinese Bridge competitions since its establishment, with eight Vanuatu's middle school students being sent to China to study Chinese and learn about the Chinese culture. A cross-Strait book fair opened Friday in Taipei, drawing about 300 exhibitors from Taiwan and the Chinese mainland. The 14th Cross-Strait Book Fair has an 8,000 square meter exhibition area, with more than 180 organizations from the mainland and more than 120 from Taiwan in attendance. About 100,000 books, including periodicals and comics, are being presented at the show. Besides the main area in Taipei, the event also has other exhibition areas in Taiwan, including Keelung, Taichung, Chiayi, and Pingtung. "The exhibition is a grand event for the publication circles of the mainland and Taiwan," said Shen Xianyang, with the event's organizer. "It is not only a display of the latest books but also a platform for people across the Strait to get together and communicate." The book fair has seen a transaction of books worth 420 million yuan (62 million U.S. dollars) since it was launched in 2005. This year's fair will conclude on Aug. 23. While Valentine's Day is celebrated in many countries on Feb. 14, the Qixi Festival is regarded as being China's Valentine's Day. Falling on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, the Qixi Festival, also widely known as Double Seventh Festival, takes place on August 17 this year. The traditional festival which was added to China's National Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2006, has a lineage of over 2,000 years. However, not many people know that it originated as a festival for young ladies and the "real" Valentine's Day in ancient China was actually celebrated on the 15th day of the first lunar month best known as the Lantern Festival. The Qixi Festival was initially to highlight people's worship of nature and women's domestic skills. Only later did it become associated with romance thanks to a popular folktale of an ill-fated love between a cowherd and a weaving maid. A mark of eternal love As with many traditional Chinese festivals, the romantic legend behind the day of love has endured for thousands of years. The story goes that a warm-hearted cowherd called Niu Lang, who lost his parents and led a hard life with an old ox, fell in love with a girl named Zhi Nyu, a weaving maid who escaped from the heaven because its rigid rituals made her life dull. They got married, soon had two children and lived together happily for a few years. However,Zhi Nu's mother, the Empress of Heaven, was enraged to find that her daughter had married a mere mortal and sent soldiers to fetch her back. The cowherd's friend, the old ox, decided to sacrifice itself and offer its skin so that the cowherd could use it and enter Heaven to find his wife. When the devastated cowherd arrived in Heaven with the two kids, the Empress was furious and created a huge heavenly river in the sky to separate the lovers as a punishment. The magpies in the land were deeply moved by the cowherd's pure love, so flew up to the Heavens and formed a bridge over the river. Even the Empress was touched by the loyalty shown by the cowherd and eventually allowed him to meet her daughter on the magpie bridge every Double Seventh Day. Eventually, the cowherd turned into the star Altair and his wife into the star Vega, forever shining in the sky as a mark of their love. This romantic tale is told every year during the Qixi Festival to commemorate the eternal love between the cowherd and the weaving maid, to celebrate the reunion of their family and also to express their wishes for pure love. Worship of nature, respect for women Though the legendary love story makes the day a Chinese equivalent of Valentine's Day, the Qixi Festival, in essence, goes much farther and embraces more profound meanings. The festival originated from ancient time when people worshiped and had great respect for nature and the cosmos. Writers from the Han Dynasty (206 BC 220 AD) personified the stars of Altair and Vega while describing the night view during the Qixi Festival in their works, which then evolved into the romantic myth. The Qixi Festival was originally named "the Qiqiao Festival" which means to pray for intelligence and on the eve on Double Seventh Day, girls used to offer fruit, flowers and even their their sewing kits to the Altair and Vega stars, to pray for more wisdom and marital happiness. Needlework is considered representative of mastering the domestic skills, which was very important for young girls in traditional Chinese culture, thus the young women would show their dexterity by speedily threading a needle under the moonlight on that day. In addition to their sewing, they also prepared a table of offerings including tea, wine and fruits. Red dates, hazelnuts, peanuts and melon seeds were also offered to the stars to wish for a good husband, healthy children and a happy family. As most of the traditional customs for the festival are related to young ladies, it obtained the nickname of "Daughters' Day", which was recorded for the first time during the Yuan Dynasty, and further highlighted the essential domestic role played by women. Aside from the traditions involving sewing, people also made and ate a specialty called "skill fruit" a kind of fried, thin pastry made into different shapes to present their talent. Finally, the skill fruit biscuits would be threaded together by the red string and offered in batches. Today, the Qixi Festival is much more commercialized with meals, chocolates and flowers in a way that is similar to Valentine's Day, but it also includes other celebrations such as wearing traditional Han Chinese clothing and floating river lanterns to pay respect to traditional culture. Chinese people, nowadays, still prepare offerings and enjoy the traditional fruit biscuits on this special day, not only just to celebrate love but to show their awe for the beauty of nature and to ask for wisdom and fortune. Foul stench of sewage in black-water canal spurs Phuket hotel wastewater inspections PHUKET: Outcry by local residents has spurred Phuket officials into dredging a canal in Kamala, on Phukets west coast, that has turned stagnant with the black water reeking of the foul stench of sewage so it can flow freely into the sea. tourismpollutionenvironmentnatural-resourcesconstruction By The Phuket News Saturday 18 August 2018, 01:23PM The water in the canal has turned black and reeks of sewage. Photo: Kamala OrBorTor The water in the canal has turned black and reeks of sewage. Photo: Kamala OrBorTor Tourists look on as workers clear the sand so that the filthy black water, reeking of sewage, can flow freely into the sea. Photo: Kamala OrBorTor Tourists look on as workers clear the sand so that the filthy black water, reeking of sewage, can flow freely into the sea. Photo: Kamala OrBorTor Tourists look on as workers clear the sand so that the filthy black water, reeking of sewage, can flow freely into the sea. Photo: Kamala OrBorTor Work began on clearing the canal, which empties directly onto Kamala Beach, yesterday (Aug 17) after the Phuket Provincial Office of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) and Kamala Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor) received a slew of complaints through the Pineapple Eyes community Line Group. The group acts a community watchdog for atrocious acts of pollution across the island. (See here.) An officer at the Phuket MNRE office, who asked not to be named, told The Phuket News yesterday, We started the dredging from 2pm. The water in the canal stinks because there is nowhere for the water to go. The officer said the work was being carried out in co-ordination with the Kamala OrBorTor and the Kathu District Office. Kamala OrBorTor Deputy Chief Executive Nopporn Karuna told The Phuket News that previous attempts to clear the filthy canal had been made, but failed due to the heavy weather Phuket has been experiencing over the past two weeks due to the onslaught of the southwest monsoon. We started to dredge the sewage out of canal on Aug 10, but we could not continue because of the weather. The monsoon season hit on that date, he said. Mr Nopporn blamed businesses in the area for the foul condition of the water. We are planing to inspect suspicious hotels in the area from Monday (Aug 21), he said. Kathu District Chief Somprad Prabsongkram concurred. We are not sure where the dirty water came from, but we will have officials inspect the wastewater from hotels in the area, he told The Phuket News. Parks department wins dispute over land on Koh Poda BANGKOK: The Appeal Court has ordered former Krabi Town Mayor to return a large block of land on Koh Poda in Krabi to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP). tourismlandnatural-resourcesconstructioncrime By Bangkok Post Saturday 18 August 2018, 09:44AM Tourists bake in the sun at a beach on Koh Poda in Krabis Muang district. Photo: Yvonne Bohwongprasert The department has been locked in a dispute for several years with Mr Chuan over ownership of 77 rai of land on the island, which is not far off the coast in Muang district. Mr Chuan sued the DNP in the Provincial Court in 2015 for encroaching on the land that he claimed to have owned since 1952. The Krabi Court ruled in July last year in his favour, forcing the agency to remove all structures from the island, but did not award him the B3 million in damages he claimed. DNP Director-General Thanya Nethithammakul said yesterday (Aug 17) that the Appeal Court had on Thursday reversed the preliminary ruling and ordered Mr Chuan to return the land to the agency and pay the department's legal costs of B500,000, plus B400,000 in court fees. Mr Thanya praised the work of all agencies involved in the successful appeal, which included the Department of Special Investigation and Department of Agriculture. Aerial pictures of the disputed land and scientific proof of the age of the coconut trees planted in the area were among evidence used to dispute the plaintiff's claim of ownership, he said, without going into further details. Mr Chuan could not be reached for comment. He is a former mayor of Krabi municipality and built a resort on the island, famous for its snorkeling sites and beautiful beaches. The department has consistently argued that the land is part of Nopparat Tara-Mu Koh Phi Phi National Park. Read original story here. Officials and experts from China, Africa, the African Union and other international organizations gathered in Beijing Friday at a session themed "China-Africa Cooperation in Maternal and Newborn Health." The 2018 High-Level Meeting on China-Africa Health Cooperation is held in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 17, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua] The session, co-organized by China's National Health Commission (NHC), UNICEF and the African Union, was part of the High-Level Meeting on China-Africa Health Cooperation that opened Friday. Approximately 7,000 newborns die every day from mostly preventable causes, according to the UN. A child in sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for 38 percent of global neonatal deaths, is nine times more likely to die in the first month than a child in a high-income country. China is one of few countries that has seen a rapid reduction of neonatal and under-five mortality rates in recent decades, benefiting from efforts such as promoting hospital deliveries and basic health insurance. "We see China as an extremely important development actor for Africa, and we see great scope for aid and investment to be expanded together in the maternal, newborn and child health arena," said Shahida Azfar, UNICEF deputy executive director. "China-Africa South-South Cooperation is a win-win partnership." The delegates discussed progress in maternal and child health in China and Africa, South-South pilot programs experiences, and transferability of China's experiences, and expressed their hope of making more of China's policies and interventions, including those in its underdeveloped areas, to benefit Africa under South-South Cooperation. "South-South Cooperation -- the sharing of expertise and best practices across countries -- presents an immense opportunity for us to tackle the unacceptably high rates of maternal and newborn mortality in Africa, together as partners," Azfar said. Song Li, deputy director general of the Department of Woman and Child Health Services of the NHC, said: "China is willing to continue to fulfill its international responsibilities to address the maternal and child health issue together with other countries." The High-Level Meeting on China-Africa Health Cooperation, which will run until Saturday, is part of a series of activities ahead of the upcoming 2018 Beijing summit for the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. With nine thematic sessions held, it focuses on China-Africa cooperation in various aspects such as the health industry and medical-specialist training. "African countries can learn from China's experiences of healthcare system building," said Ren Minghui, assistant director-general of the World Health Organization for communicable diseases at the opening of the meeting. Phuket Governor to appeal to Cabinet for B108mn to improve marine safety PHUKET: The Phuket Governor will make a special request to the mobile Cabinet meeting this coming week for an additional emergency budget of B108.2 million to improve marine safety in Phuket and the facilities at Chalong Pier, reports state news agency NNT. tourismtransportmarineSafetyeconomics By The Phuket News Saturday 18 August 2018, 04:55PM Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong (left) at a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday (Aug 17) reviews the details of the request to be made to Cabinet this week. Photo: NNT Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong (left) at a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday (Aug 17) reviews the details of the request to be made to Cabinet this week. Photo: NNT The request is to be made to the Cabinet at the mobile meetings for Southern Thailand to be held in Ranong and Chumphon on Monday and Tuesday (Aug 20-21). (See story here.) Governor Norraphat Plodthong revealed the news at a meeting in Phuket yesterday (Aug 17), noted the NNT in a report in Thai. (See story here.) The aim is to enhance security measures and the services provided to the public, and to tourists, to enhance the image of tourism, Gov Norraphat said. In announcing the news, Governor Norraphat noted nine projects for improving marine safety in Phuket, of which four are already complete or still underway. A sum of B5.9mn had already been allocated from the 2017 fiscal year budget to install CCTV cameras at Chalong Pier with a further B29.288mn also drawn from the same budget to install CCTV cameras at 32 points as well as to provide for the construction of bathroom and shower facilities, a prayer room, upgrading the lighting system and upgrading the pavement and drainage along the pier, Gov Norraphat explained. Those funds spent followed B120,000 drawn from the 2016 fiscal budget to carry out renovations at the pier and the installation of a seating area for tourists. It also followed the Chinese Consulate office in Phuket handing over B200,000 to pay for two CCTV cameras at the end of last year, Gov Norraphat added. (See story here.) Yet Governor Norraphat is to request specifically B62,423,300 baht to expand and upgrade the docking facilities at Chalong Pier covering a space of not less than 3,072 square meters and a further B5mn for a full-colour LCD outdoor screen to be installed at the pier. A further B40mn is to be requested for a firefighting boat, B326,000 to improve the radio communications systems at the pier and B776,700 to have AED defibrillators available at six major tourist pier in Phuket. If the Cabinet approves the request, the funds will be used to improve marine tourism safety in Phuket, Governor Norraphat said. The additional budget support from the Cabinet will make it possible for Phukets marine safety authorities to have right tools for issuing alerts, carrying out rescues and the database system will be complete, he said. The Phuket Model is ready to accommodate tourists. It has a world-class maritime security system that is recognized globally. This will create confidence for the people and tourists to create a good image for Phuket, he said. Truck driver blames reckless tourist for motorbike slam PHUKET: Police are investigating an accident at the entrance to Surin Beach yesterday (Aug 17) after a heavy dual-rear-axle crane truck failed to brake in time to avoid hitting a tourist riding a motorbike. tourismaccidentspolitics By Eakkapop Thongtub Saturday 18 August 2018, 09:35AM The tourist suffered serious injuries to his right knee. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub The accident occurred at the entrance to Surin Beach at about 4:50pm. At the scene officers found the tourist, who they later named as Rajif Defnani, from India, on the ground. He was wearing a helmet at the time but suffered concussion, facial injuries and a large gaping gash to his right knee. The Yamaha M-Slaz motorbike Mr Defani was riding was heavily damaged, still jammed under the front of the truck. Rescue workers from Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor) administered first aid at the scene and transported Mr Defani to Thalang Hospital. At the scene the truck driver, Wichitchai Perngporphan, 44, told police that he was driving from Patong back to the company office of Chockchai Kreuasant Co Ltd in Baan Manik when the accident happened. Mr Wichitchai said that while driving down the hill toward Bang Tao, the tourist pulled out from the beach entrance and cut across the front of his truck. He said he was unable to brake in time to avoid hitting the motorbike. Police had Mr Wichitchai bring himself and the truck to the police station and said were continuing their investigation. Officers have yet to announce if any charges will be pressed over the incident. For Subscribers Nepotism probe, marijuana put spotlight on South Dakota Capitol Legislative investigations, votes on cannabis policy and wins and losses for government transparency make for a hectic week in South Dakota politics. Julius Caesar star rating 2.5 (out of 4) By William Shakespeare. Directed by Scott Wentworth. Until Oct. 28 at the Festival Theatre, Stratford. Tickets at stratfordfestival.ca Theres a famous Alfred Hitchcock quote that advises, Film your murders like love scenes, and film your love scenes like murders. It came to mind during that pivotal moment in Shakespeares historical tragedy Julius Caesar, which opened at the Stratford Festival Thursday night. As Seana McKennas wreathed tyrant meets his fate surrounded by conspirators with daggers at the ready, director Scott Wentworth places Caesars final moments under a dramatic spotlight (lighting design by Louise Guinand), with red rose petals falling gently from above. The final blow, delivered by Caesars trusted ally Marcus Brutus (Jonathan Goad), is an intimate, consensual one; the two men holding each other close, locking eyes, the dying pseudo-tyrant acquiescing to the inevitable and baring his chest. He dies in a close embrace with his murderer and its romantic as hell. This moment stands out in Wentworths production for several reasons. First, the whole play is enraptured with the tension between love and violence. Brutus in particular is adamant that his act of violence is done out of devotion to his country, and that he is an honourable man a sentiment that Marc Antony (Michelle Giroux), in whats considered one of the great orations in written history, uses to turn the Roman public against him. With a brutal downfall waiting for Brutus and his co-conspirator Cassius (a stone-cold Irene Poole), Julius Caesar makes the uncontroversial argument that murder is never justified, even when the intention is believed to be noble (and Wentworths floral fanfare suggests it really is). It also stands out because its one of the few moments that shows a distinct aesthetic directorial choice. Instead of fashionable contemporary references and characters, Wentworth plays Julius Caesar in a straightforward fashion dim lighting, dark and heavy colours, Elizabethan dress and Roman armour (design by Christina Poddubiuk), and performances that are intended to investigate the toxic masculinity of ancient Rome ingrained in the characters. Wentworth, known until recently primarily as an actor at the Festival (this summer, he pulls double duty as James Tyrone in Eugene ONeils Long Days Journey Into Night, opposite his Caesar, McKenna, as Mary) places his actors at the centre of the production, rather than any period setting or visual thematics. Pooles Cassius reeks of indignance and self-importance, finding his deepest resentment in his criticisms of Caesars physical power. Pooles delivery of the line I did hear him groan/Ay, and that tongue of his that bade the Romans/Mark him and write his speeches in their books/Alas, it cried, Give me some drink, Titinius,/As a sick girl. has a particularly loathsome finish, especially coming from Poole, a woman, playing such misogyny. In this context, Monice Peters Portia is similarly indoctrinated into the periods toxicity, judging her worthy of Brutuss companionship due to her proximity to powerful men: Think you I am no stronger than my sex/Being so fatherd and so husbanded? Talk about portraying love scenes like murder scenes, you can practically see Portias sense of self-worth eroding with every casual wave from her husband, giving way for her eventual suicide after he leaves for war. In the twilight of prohibition, as these final weeks burn down toward legalization, you might think Canadas longest-serving cannabis prisoner would have something to say. On Facebook or Twitter. On TV or on your phone, even. You might expect at least a few tellings of the nearly forgotten yet jaw-dropping exploits of Robert Rosie Rowbotham, who spent decades of his life in a defiantly pitched battle against the law that is about to expire Oct. 17. No one person can claim martyrdom for Canadian marijuana reform. But when it comes to audacious cannabis crime resulting in brutally hard time, nobody took bigger chances with sheer tonnage, nor paid a heavier price for it, than Torontos Rowbotham. Where others involved in the hippie-era drug trade laid low, the flamboyant Rowbotham was defiant to a fault. With each life-altering bust he would take his punishment with explosive speeches to the court, declaring the law an ass and vowing to carry on upon his release. At his peak as a world-class smuggler based in Toronto, Rosie had big names on his side two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author Norman Mailer, in 1977, and singer/songwriter Neil Young in 1985, each stood in the witness box speaking in his defence as sentencing loomed. Mailer described Rowbotham as equal parts swashbuckling Errol Flynn and for-the-people Robin Hood, saying locking him up would be bad for the cosmos. Young, whose brother Bob was among the co-defendants in 85, stressed that Rowbothams Toronto network drew a moral line of trading only in cannabis. And the only thing wrong with that, said Young, is that the governments not getting its share. Read more: Countdown to Cannabis: The case for amnesty Privately run cannabis stores are best way to curb black market, Ontario Tories say Marijuana advocates eager for cannabis tourism in Canada, but uncertainty looms over how itll look And what a share it would have been. Rowbothams last bust involved a staggering 15,500 lbs. of high-grade Lebanese hashish, smuggled from the Bekaa Valley in the midst of a civil war, cloaked by crates of dates and sailed out of a naval blockade of Beirut. And eventually brought by stealth to Canada. Street value: $50 million. It all added up to 20 years in prison five times longer than Vancouver activist/entrepreneur Marc Emery, who is routinely referred to as Canadas Prince of Pot. Even as former police and politicians switch sides, assuming executive positions intent upon harvesting a soon-to-be-legal Canadian cannabis market that one StatsCan analysis estimates will be worth $6 billion annually, Rowbotham is off the radar. This week we found out why: it turns out Rowbotham, now 67 and very much a free man, is not on Facebook or Twitter. Or anything else. He doesnt even have an email address. After so many years under police surveillance, he values privacy foremost. He is artfully unplugged. But Rowbotham made an exception when the Star came knocking. Over the course of three hours at his modest bungalow in North Toronto, he pulled back the veil on how he feels now, on the cusp of a change that consumed much of his life. The first thing I want to say is I absolutely am not interested in sympathy. Nobody owes me anything. I never backed down from a fight and thats all on me. As far as regrets go I have only one my children. I failed them. I wasnt there. And I wasnt able to provide. Eventually, I was able to reach them and explain my part in this cannabis war. Life throws curveballs when you least expect it. Rowbotham and his partner Meaghan have a cosy home now bursting with the infectious smile of a nine-month-old baby girl, Mia Rose. The children he sired as a younger man two girls and two boys survived and eventually thrived in his absence and he is grateful to have grown closer to them as adults. But his new daughter offers a second chance at full parenthood and so now he finds himself watching his sugar intake, drinking tea and making doctors appointments, determined to be there for the girl as long as he can. Look at me now drinking tea! Im a teetotaller. But I love it. Rowbothams still close to Neil Youngs brother Bob, who drops by several times a week to visit the family. He picked up the nickname Rosie as a boy and says hes looking forward to the word games he can play with the baby when she starts talking. Hey Mia Rose Me A Rose, too! If it all seems a world removed from the one he once knew, Rowbotham shrugs. He still remembers. Hes willing to share albeit with a tinge of caution, because there are some things he knows from back in the day that perhaps could still do him harm. With a baby on board he warns that whatever you write, dont put a bulls-eye on my forehead. Long story short, Rosie was born and raised in Belleville to a family of devout Anglicans. His dad and grandfather fought in the first and second world wars conflicts Rowbotham learned more about when he spent part of his second long imprisonment as a student, earning a history degree. But his war was cannabis. And it was at Torontos Rochdale College epicentre of the Toronto hippie scene where he first did battle. Long hair, free love, no rules. Small bags to start. And then, just like that, huge amounts. He struggles today to even explain how easily he came to oversee a network that at one point was able to import and distribute as much as 1,000 lbs. of hashish a week, coast to coast. Honesty was key people were getting scammed with garbage and they soon learned they could come to me and it was the real thing. I guess I just had a knack. Its almost like Im savant or something. I dont know why I was so good at it. Partly it was luck and, dear reader, you can decide whether good or bad. Rowbotham recalls a pivotal moment in the early 70s, he was standing with a friend in front of A&A Records flagship store on Yonge St. when he was approached by a man in a tidy suit and fedora, asking, Are you Rosie Rowbotham? The man then pointed to a car where two other men, similarly attired, stood waiting. We have business to discuss, one said. They were Lebanese businessmen and already they knew everything there was to know about Rowbotham. They handed him a key to a car they said was parked outside Varsity Stadium. The trunk was filled with a ton of hashish. We know you can do this. Sell it for us. He asked how to contact them. You wont find us well find you. With that, Rowbotham entered through the rarest of portals, into a world of serious tonnage. His ability to secure, smuggle and distribute in ever increasing quantities continued for the better part of a decade until 1982, when the Toronto Police drug squad unleashed Operation Rose a $6-million effort, all told, that ended with Rosie and nearly 60 others in custody, awaiting the trial that would see Neil Young arrive in a plea for clemency. At his first trial, just before he was sentenced to 14 years in prison, Rowbotham heaped scorn upon the court in blistering remarks that lasted well over an hour, accusing the Canadian authorities of meekly falling in line with U.S. drug policy and insisting that the only moral stand is open defiance against a law that does more harm than the weed it is intended to suppress: I didnt break Gods law and you people spend millions of dollars over a plant that grows out of the ground through my culture I tried to make the new world. Remember the Beatles songs. Maybe were dreamers, maybe were idealists. Though Rowbotham has told this story a few times before, theres new information in circulation. Rowbothams primary stateside partner, Richard Stratton, who spent eight years in a U.S. prison for his part in the gigantic 15,500 lb. shipment of Bekaa Valley hashish, two years ago told his version of events in Smugglers Blues: A True Story of the Hippie Mafia. Stratton details how he first came to Rochdale and fell in with Rowbotham as a brother-in-arms and how together they were responsible for vast amounts of high quality Lebanese hashish entering North America. It was Stratton who was on the Beirut end of that fateful final shipment, arranging payments so soldiers would turn a blind eye at checkpoints and allow the load to make its way from the plantations in the Bekaa Valley to the port. In that moment, Stratton was a peacenik in a Lebanese civil war. One especially audacious twist, all the slabs of hash had the Stratton/Rosie freak family imprint all over it our telltale stamp, both marketing contrivance and slap in the face to authorities. Stratton, like Rowbotham, presents theirs as the decidedly non-violent end of the business. They traded only in cannabis and never with guns. But in Smugglers Blues, Stratton, a Boston native, describes how he was confronted by the New York mafia with an ultimatum share or be killed. He further claims he was rescued from the crisis by none other than Whitey Bulger, the boss of Bostons Winter Hill crime gang, who extended his protection, effectively saving him. Rowbotham cautions not to believe it all. I love Stratton but I think theres a bit of creative licence happening there. I will say this the mafia part I believe is true. And I will say, we never had anything like that on the Canadian side of the family. There were a few tensions in those days but nothing serious. When you are successful of course others want to take what you have. We were able to stand up to the few challenges that came. I do remember one time, the Vagabonds (motorcycle club) pulled up outside my place. It was my birthday four bikes in the front and four in the back with a limousine in the middle. The door opened and the club president stepped out with a birthday cake. We just want to pay our respects. We have no problem with you. Happy birthday. That was it, they got back in and rode away. Stratton describes himself as addicted to the adventure of the smuggle as much as anything. The cat-and-mouse games with police, trying to stay one step ahead of their world caving in. But he describes Rowbotham as driven by something else besides a compulsion to stand up loudly against an unjust law. Rosie got to love that man, the marijuana martyr, done more for the herb than anyone else in the history of the nation. He glories in the role, loves to rub his defiance in their faces, Stratton writes. (But) hes too f------ flamboyant. Its like he needs to get caught to validate who he is and what he does. That flamboyance and the sheer scale of what he was smuggling comes up when talk turns to amnesty. Rosie is resigned to the likelihood that while the Trudeau government now is making sounds about expunging the records of those convicted of minor possession, he is the last man on a Canadian cannabis conviction list that numbers as many as a half-million. Expunge all the possession records immediately. Stop the suffering all these people have endured, the shrunken lives, said Rowbotham, who still enjoys smoking pot, though in nowhere near the amounts he imbibed in his youth. And if that should extend to me, wonderful. But I dont see it. There were police and prosecutors that made their careers on me. They needed a bogeyman and I was handy. I was made out to be the monster, pure evil, in order for it all to fit together. If they let me, Id love to be put in charge of the governments legal sales. It would delight me to pay every tax dollar. It would delight me to have a Canada Revenue person right inside the accounting office. Id do it right because Id love to show the people on the other side that despite everything youve heard I care about society too. Our kids all go to the same schools. It matters to me just as much. My message to the people who went out of their way to put me behind bars is: I forgive you all and I sentence you to be yourselves for the rest of your lives. Any of us can learn to do better with the time we have left. Everyone has lessons to learn. St. George Station was on lockdown after an unconfirmed bomb threat was issued late Friday evening. Police activity also caused significant subway closures. The station has since reopened and service has resumed. Const. Allyson Douglas-Cook told the Star police received an unconfirmed threat and subsequently placed the station on lockdown and evacuated people inside. Police tweeted that there were reports of a suspicious package. Police investigated along with the Chemical / Biological / Radiological / Nuclear/Explosive (CBRNE) Team and K9 units who deemed the area safe. The TTC says service was halted on Line 1 between Museum and St. Clair West, and on Line 2 between Ossington and Broadview. Regular service resumes. Police west of Toronto say a man has been released from hospital after a shooting Friday night. Police in Peel Region say they responded to a shooting in Mississauga, Ont., at about 10 p.m. They say a 42-year-old-man was taken to hospital in stable condition and was released the following morning. Investigators did not release any information about possible suspects, and are asking anyone with information to get in touch. Read more about: Government officials in five Chinese cities were asked to step up regulation to contain housing market speculation after house prices in the cities saw rapid rises recently. The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development on Friday held talks with officials in the cities of Haikou, Sanya, Yantai, Yichang and Yangzhou, urging them to further implement housing control measures, according to the ministry. The talks reiterated that "houses are for living in, not for speculation" and required local officials to take measures such as increasing effective housing supplies and encouraging renting to contain housing prices. China's property market remained generally stable in July thanks to continued government control measures, with new house prices in four first-tier cities rising at a slower pace compared with June, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed. However, house prices in smaller cities have seen notable increases. Haikou saw new houses prices increase 2.3 percent month-on-month in July, while in Sanya prices jumped by 3.7 percent compared with June. Officials of the five cities pledged to improve control measures to ensure a stable housing market, according to the ministry. One person was injured after a three-vehicle collision in downtown Toronto Saturday afternoon, police say. Paramedics responded to the call just after 12:15 p.m. in the area of University Ave. and Elm St. They transported one patient to a local trauma centre. Police said the injuries were not life-threatening. The intersection was closed in all directions for more than two hours, but it has since reopened. Traffic investigators are on scene. A grand jury document unsealed earlier this week reveals several Pennsylvania-based priests committed assaults in the Greater Toronto Area, while others were sent here for treatment after sexually assaulting children. The shocking 900-page document, released on Tuesday, determined that Church leaders covered up more than 1,000 cases of child molestation since the 1940s, details hundreds of allegations and incidents in six Catholic dioceses and discusses 300 priests. Described by Pennsylvania State Attorney General Josh Shapiro as the largest, most comprehensive report into child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church ever produced in the United States, the report is difficult reading, filled with examples of abuse and superiors who turned a blind eye to it and includes incidents that occurred in Canada. For example, documents say Rev. Robert G. Wolk and multiple other priests performed sado-masochistic acts with altar boys. He allegedly assaulted one boy more than 200 times in Canada, Virginia, Florida and Ohio. Rev. Theodore P. Zabowski allegedly took a child on a trip to Canada, served him alcohol and assaulted him. After the allegations, he was placed on administrative leave. Rev. Michael Barletta was on a retreat in Toronto and brought two teens with him to a hotel room, where he assaulted them. He initially denied the accusations, but later admitted to them in a letter in 2012. At the time of the incident, Barletta was sent to Aurora-based Southdown Institute, a psychiatric rehabilitation facility that helps clergy deal with mental health issues, addictions and sexual disorders, from September 1994 until August 1995 on a sabbatical. Southdown Institute, which has since moved to Holland Landing, is the largest Toronto connection in the report. At least seven priests accused of sexual abuse were sent to the facility, with at least one returning to work with little repercussion afterward. Rev. John P. Connor was arrested in 1984 and charged with sexually molesting a 14-year-old. He was sent to Southdown for eight months, where his problems were blamed on alcohol. The report states: He acts out sexually with some preference to late adolescent males, and specifically warned against giving Connor responsibility for adolescents. He was eventually assigned to minister at a church in Wexford, Pa., where he was encouraged to educate youth, according to allegations in the report. Years later, he was sued by an alleged victim for abuse. In the wake of the explosive revelations, the Vatican issued a statement about the release of the documents, saying the Holy See condemns unequivocally the sexual abuse of minors. Issued by Greg Burke, the director of the Holy See press office, it stated: There are two words that can express the feelings faced with these horrible crimes: shame and sorrow. The abuses described in the report are criminal and morally reprehensible. Those acts were betrayals of trust that robbed survivors of their dignity and their faith. The church must learn hard lessons from its past, and there should be accountability for both abusers and those who permitted abuse to occur. Holy Father understands well how much these crimes can shake the faith and the spirit of believers and reiterates the call to make every effort to create a safe environment for minors and vulnerable adults in the Church and in all of society. The report is still the subject of an ongoing legal battle, with redactions shielding the identities of some current and former clergy named in the report while the state Supreme Court weighs their arguments that its wrongful accusations against them violates their constitutional rights. It also is expected to spark another fight by victim advocates to win changes in state law that lawmakers have resisted. The majority of the cases in the report are too old to be prosecuted, but charges have been filed against two priests, who are accused of abusing minors. With files from the Stars wire services WASHINGTON One way or another, Nov. 6 will mark a turning point in Donald Trumps presidency. Americans will vote in midterm congressional elections that will shape the remaining two years of Trumps term. Trump will not be on the ballot, but his level of popularity may well be the primary factor in the outcome. Early signs have been positive for the Democrats, prompting talk of a looming blue wave. Trump insists, with scant evidence, that there will be a Republican red wave. Many Republicans are just hoping to avoid a big loss. What are Americans voting on? All 435 seats in the House of Representatives. Thirty-five of the 100 seats in the Senate. Thirty-six of the 50 state governorships. And state referenda on a variety of issues, from marijuana to Medicaid health insurance. Whats the situation in the House and Senate? Republicans are trying to maintain control of both chambers of Congress. Democrats are trying to win back control of at least one of them. The presidents party typically loses seats in midterm elections the Democrats lost 63 House seats in Obamas first midterm in 2010 but seizing either chamber this year will be a challenge for the Democrats. The easier of the two challenges, relatively speaking, is the House. Democrats have 193 seats to Republicans 236, and previously won two of the six seats that are vacant, for a total of 195. That means Democrats have to make a net gain of 23 seats to win a 218-member majority in the 435-seat chamber. Such a gain would be right about average for the presidents opposition in a post-Second World War midterm. The Democrats are down 51 to 49 in the Senate, which means they need to pick up just two seats for a majority. But this years roster of Senate races is especially tough for the party. Democrats are defending 26 of the 35 seats being contested, Republicans just nine. In other words, there are far more opportunities for Republican gains than Democratic gains. And many of the Republican opportunities are pretty good: 10 of the 26 incumbent Democrats are in states Trump won in 2016. Whats at stake in the congressional elections? If the Republicans gain any additional Senate seats, they might be able to dismantle key parts of Obamacare. Their efforts failed by just one vote in 2017. If Democrats win control of either chamber, they could stop all or almost all of Trumps legislative agenda. That means, for example, no border wall and no major cuts to the social safety net. Democrats would also gain extensive oversight powers by winning either chamber. They could compel Trump appointees and associates to testify under oath, force the administration to produce documents, and launch investigations into the actions of Trump and his team. And if Democrats win the House, they could potentially impeach Trump. (There is no sign this would be imminent, and there is virtually no chance Democrats would have the votes necessary to remove Trump from office even if he were impeached by the House: theyd need two-thirds of the Senate.) How are things looking? A lot can change by November. But the general consensus of election analysts is that the Senate is likely to stay Republican, though Democrats have an outside chance to win it, while Democrats have somewhere between a slightly-better-than-50 per cent chance and a 76 per cent chance to take the House. Democrats have held a consistent lead in generic ballot polls asking people which party they intend to support. That lead was eight points (47.7 per cent to 39.9 per cent) as of Friday, according to the statistical analysis website FiveThirtyEight. Trumps approval rating has rebounded slightly from the depths of last fall, but it remains low: 43 per cent, according to the RealClearPolitics average, lower than Obamas 45 per cent on the same date before his 2010 midterm disaster. All metrics suggest the Democratic base is far more enthusiastic about voting than the Republican base. Democrats have excelled in state-level elections and in special elections to replace departing members of Congress; while Republicans have won most of these special elections, which have mostly been held in very conservative areas, their vote share in even the victories has fallen substantially from 2016. For example, Troy Balderson is currently leading in last weeks still-not-decided special House election in Ohio by less than one percentage point; Trump won the district by 11 points. On the flip side, the Trump-era economy is humming along. Republicans also have a significant structural advantage: because Democratic voters tend to be clustered in a smaller number of areas, and because Republican state politicians have designed congressional maps to their advantage, Democrats may have to win the national popular vote by more than five percentage points to win the House. What are the key House races? Analysts at the Cook Political Report rate only 64 of the 435 House races as competitive at this point. Of those, 29 are considered toss-ups that could easily go either way. The 64 competitive races are sprinkled around the country. In the mid-terms, there are important swing races even in states that are not swing states at the presidential level. Some of Democrats best targets are the 25 districts that voted for Hillary Clinton over Trump but still elected a Republican representative. California has the highest number of these districts, with seven. There are others in Democratic-leaning states such as Virginia, New Jersey, Washington and Colorado. Democrats will also try to take advantage of a flurry of Republican retirements, since incumbents tend to do better than new candidates. Nineteen of the 64 competitive seats are open. What are the key Senate races? Republicans have a chance to unseat several Democrats in deep-red states. Among their targets: Sen. Joe Manchin in West Virginia, which went for Trump by 42 points; Sen. Heidi Heitkamp in North Dakota, which Trump won by 36 points; Sen. Claire McCaskill in Missouri, which Trump won by 20 points; and Sen. Joe Donnelly in Indiana, which Trump won by 19 points. They also have a strong candidate, Gov. Rick Scott, against Florida Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson. Democrats see one strong opportunity for a gain: Republican Sen. Dean Hellers seat in Nevada, the only Clinton-won state where a Republican senator is up for re-election this year. They see two decent opportunities in Republican-leaning states: the seat being vacated by Sen. Jeff Flake in Arizona, where Rep. Kyrsten Sinema leads in early polls (Republicans havent yet chosen their candidate), and the seat being vacated by Sen. Bob Corker in Tennessee, where the Democratic candidate is popular former governor Phil Bredesen. Democrats are also trying to reach for Texas Sen. Ted Cruzs district, where underdog Democrat Beto ORourke has amassed a huge fundraising haul. Read more about: GENEVAKofi Annan, one of the worlds most celebrated diplomats and a charismatic symbol of the United Nations who rose through its ranks to become the first black African secretary-general, has died. He was 80. His foundation announced his death in Switzerlands capital, Bern, on Saturday in a tweet , saying he died after a short unspecified illness. It did not give details and remembered the Nobel Peace Prize winner as radiating genuine kindness, warmth and brilliance in all he did. The president of Ghana, where Annan was born, said in a tweet that I am ... comforted by the information, after speaking to (Annans wife) Nane Maria, that he died peacefully in his sleep. Annan spent virtually his entire career as an administrator in the United Nations. His aristocratic style, cool-tempered elegance and political savvy helped guide his ascent to become its seventh secretary-general, and the first hired from within. He served two terms from Jan. 1, 1997, to Dec. 31, 2006, capped nearly midway when he and the U.N. were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001. During his tenure, Annan presided over some of the worst failures and scandals at the world body, one of its most turbulent periods since its founding in 1945. Challenges from the outset forced him to spend much of his time struggling to restore its tarnished reputation. His enduring moral prestige remained largely undented, however, both through charisma and by virtue of having negotiated with most of the powers in the world. When he departed from the United Nations, he left behind a global organization far more aggressively engaged in peacekeeping and fighting poverty, setting the framework for the U.N.s 21st-century response to mass atrocities and its emphasis on human rights and development. Kofi Annan was a guiding force for good, current U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. It is with profound sadness that I learned of his passing. In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations. He rose through the ranks to lead the organization into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination. Even out of office, Annan never completely left the U.N. orbit. He returned in special roles, including as the U.N.-Arab Leagues special envoy to Syria in 2012. He remained a powerful advocate for global causes through his eponymous foundation. Annan took on the top U.N. post six years after the collapse of the Soviet Union and presided during a decade when the world united against terrorism after the Sept. 11 attacks then divided deeply over the U.S.-led war against Iraq. The U.S. relationship tested him as a world diplomatic leader. I think that my darkest moment was the Iraq War, and the fact that we could not stop it, Annan said in a February 2013 interview with TIME magazine to mark the publication of his memoir, Interventions: A Life in War and Peace. I worked very hard I was working the phone, talking to leaders around the world. The U.S. did not have the support in the Security Council, Annan recalled in the videotaped interview posted on The Kofi Annan Foundations website. So they decided to go without the council. But I think the council was right in not sanctioning the war, he said. Could you imagine if the U.N. had endorsed the war in Iraq, what our reputation would be like? Although at that point, President (George W.) Bush said the U.N. was headed toward irrelevance, because we had not supported the war. But now we know better. Despite his well-honed diplomatic skills, Annan was never afraid to speak candidly. That didnt always win him fans, particularly in the case of Bushs administration, with whom Annans camp spent much time bickering. Much of his second term was spent at odds with the United States, the U.N.s biggest contributor, as he tried to lean on the nation to pay almost $2 billion in arrears. Kofi Atta Annan was born April 8, 1938, into an elite family in Kumasi, Ghana, the son of a provincial governor and grandson of two tribal chiefs. He shared his middle name Atta twin in Ghanas Akan language with a twin sister, Efua. He became fluent in English, French and several African languages, attending an elite boarding school and the University of Science and Technology in Kumasi. He finished his undergraduate work in economics at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1961. From there he went to Geneva, where he began his graduate studies in international affairs and launched his U.N. career. Annan married Titi Alakija, a Nigerian woman, in 1965, and they had a daughter, Ama, and a son, Kojo. He returned to the U.S. in 1971 and earned a masters degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technologys Sloan School of Management. The couple separated during the 1970s and, while working in Geneva, Annan met his second wife, Swedish lawyer Nane Lagergren. They married in 1984. Annan worked for the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa in Ethiopia, its Emergency Force in Egypt, and the office of the High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva, before taking a series of senior posts at U.N. headquarters in New York dealing with human resources, budget, finance, and staff security. He also had special assignments. After Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, he facilitated the repatriation from Iraq of more than 900 international staff and other non-Iraqi nationals, and the release of western hostages in Iraq. He led the initial negotiations with Iraq for the sale of oil in exchange for humanitarian relief. Just before becoming secretary-general, Annan served as U.N. peacekeeping chief and as special envoy to the former Yugoslavia, where he oversaw a transition in Bosnia from U.N. protective forces to NATO-led troops. The U.N. peacekeeping operation faced two of its greatest failures during his tenure: the Rwanda genocide in 1994, and the massacre in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica in July 1995. In both cases, the U.N. had deployed troops under Annans command, but they failed to save the lives of the civilians they were mandated to protect. Annan offered apologies, but ignored calls to resign by U.S. Republican lawmakers. After became secretary-general, he called for U.N. reports on those two debacles and they were highly critical of his management. As secretary-general, Annan forged his experiences into a doctrine called the Responsibility to Protect, that countries accepted at least in principle to head off genocide, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing and war crimes. Annan sought to strengthen the U.N.s management, coherence and accountability, efforts that required huge investments in training and technology, a new whistleblower policy and financial disclosure requirements. In 1998, he helped ease a transition to civilian rule in Nigeria and visited Iraq to try to resolve its impasse with the Security Council over compliance with weapons inspections and other matters. The effort helped avoid an outbreak of hostilities that seemed imminent at the time. In 1999, he was deeply involved in the process by which East Timor gained independence from Indonesia, and started the Global Compact initiative that has grown into the worlds largest effort to promote corporate social responsibility. Annan was chief architect of what became known as the Millennium Development Goals, and played a central role in creating the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the U.N.s first counterterrorism strategy. Annans uncontested election to a second term was unprecedented, reflecting the overwhelming support he enjoyed from both rich and poor countries. Timothy Wirth, president of the United Nations Foundation, which disburses Ted Turners $1 billion pledge to U.N. causes, hailed a saintlike sense about him. In 2005, Annan succeeded in establishing the Peacebuilding Commission and the Human Rights Council. But that year, the U.N. was facing almost daily attacks over allegations about corruption in the U.N. oil-for-food program in Iraq, bribery by U.N. purchasing officials and widespread sex abuse by U.N. peacekeepers an issue that would only balloon in importance after he left office. It emerged that Annans son, Kojo, had not disclosed payments he received from his employer, which had a $10 million-a-year contract to monitor humanitarian aid under the oil-for-food program. The company paid at least $300,000 to Kojo so he would not work for competitors after he left. An independent report criticized the secretary-general for being too complacent, saying he should have done more to investigate matters even if he was not involved with the awarding of the contract. World leaders agreed to create an internal U.N. ethics office, but a major overhaul of the U.N.s outdated management practices and operating procedures was left to Annans successor, Ban Ki-moon. Before leaving office, Annan helped secure a truce between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, and mediated a settlement of a dispute between Cameroon and Nigeria over the Bakassi peninsula. At a farewell news conference, Annan listed as top achievements the promotion of human rights, the fighting to close the gap between extreme poverty and immense wealth, and the U.N. campaign to fight infectious diseases like AIDS. He never took disappointments and setbacks personally. And he kept his view that diplomacy should take place in private and not in the public forum. In his memoir, Annan recognized the costs of taking on the worlds top diplomatic job, joking that SG, for secretary-general, also signified scapegoat around U.N. headquarters. Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Richard Holbrooke called Annan an international rock star of diplomacy. After leaving his high-profile U.N. perch, Annan didnt let up. In 2007, his Geneva-based foundation was created. That year he helped broker peace in Kenya, where election violence had killed over 1,000 people. He also joined The Elders, an elite group of former leaders founded by Nelson Mandela, eventually succeeding Desmond Tutu as its chairman after a failed interlude trying to resolve Syrias rising civil war. Annan represented our continent and the world with enormous graciousness, integrity and distinction, Tutu said Saturday in a statement, adding that we give great thanks to god for him. As special envoy to Syria in 2012, Annan won international backing for a six-point plan for peace. The U.N. deployed a 300-member observer force to monitor a ceasefire, but peace never took hold and Annan was unable to surmount the bitter stalemate among Security Council powers. He resigned in frustration seven months into the job, as the civil war raged on. Annan continued to criss-cross the globe. In 2017, his foundations biggest projects included promotion of fair, peaceful elections; work with Myanmars government to improve life in troubled Rakhine state; and battling violent extremism by enlisting young people to help. He also remained a vocal commentator on troubles like the refugee crisis; promoted good governance, anti-corruption measures and sustainable agriculture in Africa; and pushed efforts in the fight against illegal drug trafficking. Annan retained connections to many international organizations. He was chancellor of the University of Ghana, a fellow at New Yorks Columbia University, and professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore. His homeland of Ghana was shaken by his death. One of our greatest compatriots, President Nana Akufo-Addo said, calling for a week with flags at half-mast. Rest in perfect peace, Kofi. You have earned it. Annan is survived by his wife and three children. Funeral arrangements werent immediately announced. Read more about: Russian President Vladimir Putin told German Chancellor Angela Merkel he supports the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland, warning that Europe cant afford another migration crisis. Putins remark, made before his first bilateral meeting with Merkel in Germany since 2013, hinted at the tension between the two leaders even as U.S. President Donald Trumps disruption of the global order pushes them into alliances of convenience after years of antagonism. The invitation by Merkel, Putins most implacable critic since he annexed Crimea in 2014, is a break in his isolation that also reaffirms the German leaders pivotal role in Europe. Yet while Putin dangled the vista of humanitarian aid paving the way for some Syrian refugees to return home, German officials say thats unrealistic for now. I remind you that there are a million refugees in Jordan and a million in Lebanon, Putin told reporters alongside Merkel on Saturday before they met at a German government chateau north of Berlin. There are 3 million refugees in Turkey. This is potentially a huge burden on Europe, so it is better to do everything possible so that they can return home. For all their differences, Merkel and Putin agreed that they want to preserve the nuclear accord with Iran after Trump withdrew U.S. support for the deal. Theyre also pushing ahead with the Nord Stream 2 natural-gas pipeline from Russia to Germany over U.S. objections. Putin, alongside Merkel, cited the pipeline as a key economic bond. Nord Stream 2 is a purely economic project, Putin said, adding that the Ukrainian transit route should be economically viable. Merkel has said a certain level of gas transit through Ukraine must be ensured. Merkel opened her remarks by telling Putin that Russia has an elevated responsibility to solve global crises. The German leader, who faces pressure from German industry to lift economic sanctions on Russia, said the leaders would discuss a possible United Nations peace mission for the conflict in eastern Ukraine between government forces and pro-Russian separatists. We have a responsibility Germany, but mainly Russia as a permanent member of the Security Council, Merkel said. So we should work on finding solutions. In Syria, Putin has used his military to tip the civil war in President Bashar al-Assads favour and Russias joined with Turkey and Iran in trying to engineer a settlement. In the years since Putins previous bilateral visit to Germany, he and Merkel have met at international events including the 2017 Group of 20 summit in Hamburg. Merkel has also visited Putin in Russia several times, most recently in May. Shes advocated engagement, principally to deliver blunt messages rather than being a bridge between the European Union and Russia. The Kremlin views divisions between the U.S. and Europe over trade and the Iranian nuclear deal as a chance for Russia to mend relations with Germany by presenting itself as a more reliable partner in negotiations. Trump last month slammed Germany as totally controlled by Russia because of its dependence on Moscow for natural gas supplies. Work on a new gas pipeline linking the two countries, the Gazprom PJSC-backed Nord Stream 2, began in May amid a U.S. threat of sanctions targeting the project. Putin came to Schloss Meseberg after attending the wedding of Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl, at which the Russian leader danced with the bride and brought along a Russian choir. Kneissl is an appointee of the far-right Freedom Party, which has long-standing ties with Russia. It was very good trip and nice, Putin said of jaunt to Gamlitz, Austria, near the border with Slovenia. It was a private visit. Read more about: Premier Doug Ford bragged about the size of the PC caucus this week, noting that the people of Ontario voiced their opinion on electing 76 members across the province. After a tumultuous summer sitting of the legislature, a good number of Ontarians must be wondering what happened to 75 of the Progressive Conservatives they sent to Queens Park two months ago. And, most particularly, the 20 who joined Ford in cabinet. Because, more days than not, the running of Ontario has seemed to be a one-man show. Unless, that is, Environment Minister Rod Phillips a well-respected business and civic leader really does think that tearing up contracts, including one project $100 million and 10 years in the making, is the right way for the government to do business and attract foreign investment. And Health Minister Christine Elliott, long a fierce advocate for those with special needs, suddenly believes Ford knows more than health experts on how best to save the lives of drug addicts. And Municipal Affairs Minister Steve Clark has somehow convinced himself that his constituents in Leeds-Grenville, all the way east of Kingston, really did elect him to slash Torontos council in half. As members of Fords cabinet, these are among the things they have spent their days publicly extolling. And its instructive to recall a crucial point during the provincial election campaign where Doug Ford started to look particularly unready to govern Canadas largest province. His steady stream of simplistic slogans in place of answers to Ontarios problems was wearing thin. His refusal to produce a costed platform was raising questions. And scandals in ridings were starting to add up. Thats when the Progressive Conservative campaign machine shifted the focus to the partys star candidates, including Phillips, Elliott and Caroline Mulroney. The subtext was clear: These were the people who would temper Fords my-way-or-the-highway bully tendencies that were so evident during his time at Toronto City Hall. That is, of course, a variation of what people said about U.S. President Donald Trump during his nasty and chaotic campaign, and weve all seen how well that has worked out. But instead of lifting Ontario beyond Fords brand of populist measures and chaos creation, his cabinet seems to be trailing behind as he races from one policy file to the next. Hes thrown into turmoil Hydro One and green energy companies; Canadas largest city whose election is now the subject of at least one court proceeding; schools on the issue of sex education; and the lives of the poorest among us who have lost part of a much-needed welfare increase and are bracing for yet more changes. The Government House Leader Todd Smith summed all this up in a cheery fashion as the legislature adjourned until Sept. 24. The one thing I learned about our premier over the last couple of weeks is that he loves this place, he loves keeping his promises and he doesnt like to keep people waiting, he said. Ford has moved fast, especially when it comes to getting rid of people, policies and programs tied to the last Liberal government. Hydro Ones CEO and board, Ontarios chief investment officer and chief scientist were all shown the door. Ontarios cap-and-trade program to tackle climate change through pricing carbon, a modern sex education curriculum that raised the ire of social conservatives, a basic income pilot for the poor and a law that would have enhanced police oversight were all tossed aside. Theres been much less on the building side of things. Ford handed the Toronto police chief millions to do with as he sees fit, privatized cannabis sales and launched buck-a-beer. Now, it is possible that some of Fords cabinet ministers put their professional lives on hold to run for office because they thought the minimum price of beer was too expensive, by 25 cents. But its doubtful. And yet, they have been reduced to touting this policy that breaks just about every conservative principle of government there is. Ford promised it and so theyre nodding along like it's a great thing even though theyve had to provide a form of subsidy to beer makers to make it happen on even the smallest of scales. On beer this hardly matters. But what happens when Ford turns his mind to actually governing Ontario? That means health care, finance and substantive issues in education, social services, justice and the environment. Will his 20 cabinet ministers and the rest of his caucus simply go along with whatever Ford and the unelected officials in his office come up with? Thats certainly what they did with the shocking surprise he delivered to Toronto. They have vigorously adopted Fords ridiculous line that they consulted with voters on halving city council, two months into a municipal campaign, because they promised to reduce the size and cost of government. Its nothing short of preposterous to claim this provincial election slogan provides a mandate for undermining municipal government. Its an enormous hoax perpetrated by Ford and the all-stars in his cabinet are helping to prop it up. What will it take for these cabinet ministers to find their voice? As the summer session ended this week, Community and Social Services Minister Lisa MacLeod said: I dont think that this is necessarily the barometer for the next four years. She was speaking of the fiery tone of the debate in the legislature. But, hopefully, when they return to the legislature it turns out to mean more than that. Read more about: The current debate about whether John A. Macdonald statues should be removed ignores a basic truth. Almost by definition, everyone on earth is a descendant of conquerors otherwise we wouldnt be here. Where do we draw the line? Rewriting history is a messy business and an attempt to lay blame on individuals who had no personal responsibility for sins of the past is a mugs game with no winners. Pav Penna, Georgetown If anyone is upset with Sir John A. Macdonald being on their $10 notes, please send them to me. I will ensure they are disposed of as quickly as possible. I need a new car. Jason Shron, Thornhill This is the land where making amends for historical wrongs committed long ago has become de rigueur, and our self-flagellating exercise of applying todays moral and social standards to historical circumstances has turned into a politically driven new version of historical revisionism. Now that the statue of Sir John A. Macdonald has tumbled, how soon will Queen Victoria fall, under whose reign residential schools were established in 1857, some 10 years prior to Macdonald becoming Canadas first prime minister ? Perhaps Victorias city council is already busy reconciliating itself into searching for a less offensive name for B.C.s. capital city! E. W. Bopp, Tsawwassen, B.C. Would Mr. Fords advisers please remind him that we have just experienced a huge number of painful hearings on residential schools and restitution sessions. Did he miss these? Victoria is not dumping the Macdonald statue. It is respecting the wishes of Indigenous people to avoid walking by it when visiting city hall and thus be reminded of a horrible past! It appears that Victoria has a better sense of government for the people than does Mr. Ford. Carol Robertson, Toronto Elected officials act for the citizens who elected them. People like Langevin and Macdonald were elected officials and acted on behalf of Canadian citizens. More importantly, they got re-elected after the actions they took regarding the residential schools. It is not these elected officials who should be blamed for these national sins, but the citizenry of Canada. The statues and naming for elected officials should stand. Take other actions to hold the Canadian body politic accountable for these past sins. L. B. Moore, Brantford I have no issue with removing the statue, as it was happened at the urging of local Indigenous bands. It should be pointed out that Macdonald died in office in 1891 almost 130 years ago. Perhaps subsequent prime ministers should also be held to account. VANCOUVERPolice arrested seven people Friday they said were involved in a home invasion that wounded one of two residents in the targeted Port Coquitlam house. RCMP said the break-in occurred Thursday around 1:30 p.m. in the suburban community of nearly 70,000 east of Vancouver on a small cul-de-sac, Liverpool Street. Police tracked the suspects to a residence in Maple Ridge roughly half an hour from the alleged crime scene. The victim was treated on scene for a minor injury, and there was some violence or threatened violence, said Cpl. Michael McLaughlin in a phone interview Friday afternoon. Were not going into great detail; we cant go into exactly how the injury was sustained. Home invasions are certainly rare in the Port Coquitlam and Coquitlam areas; its something we take very seriously. As to how officers managed to locate the suspects within a day, McLaughlin said police used a variety of investigative techniques to track them to this house in Maple Ridge, whey they arrested seven people. We wont go into exact techniques because thats going to be important for the investigation going forward. Some of those arrested were quite well-known to police, he added, but could not reveal any their identities or what charges may be recommended, but no formal charges have been laid at time of publication. Police are still determining whether there are any potential links between suspects all of whom remained in custody at time of publication and alleged victims. There are so many charges possible, McLaughlin said, starting with robbery, aggravating circumstances, if there was theft or assault with a weapon that could be in there, as well as aggravated intent. It all depends on what the intent, motive and injuries are, but its something the courts take very seriously. Read more about: VANCOUVERJumbo Glacier Resort may still have a chance after the B.C. Supreme Court ruled Friday that the developers environmental certificate should not have been ended by the province. Glacier Resorts Limited has been embroiled in legal battles over the development of the Jumbo Glacier Resort site near Invermere, involving both the time frame of the development and the consent of the Ktunaxa Nation, which considers the site sacred ground. In 2015, then minister of the environment Mary Polack ruled that the projects Environmental Assessment Certificate (EAC) had expired, as projects outlined in the plan had not been substantially started by its 10-year deadline. But the developer appealed that decision on the grounds that it was unreasonable. In Fridays ruling, Justice Carla Forth said Glacier has shown an intent to complete the project within the stated time frame. This is not a case in which Glacier showed a casual or dilatory approach to this project or the granting of the EAC ... Glaciers actions demonstrated an understanding and desire to get on with the project within a reasonable amount of time once the EAC was issued. Read more: Opinion | With B.C. ski resort decision, Supreme Court takes a pause from promoting Indigenous rights Supreme Court approves B.C. ski resort development on Indigenous lands Protesters fighting eviction of anti-Trans Mountain pipeline camp say they have religion on their side A statement released by Glacier Resorts Limited said the company will ask the province to carry out the judges instructions expeditiously, as noted. Environmental advocates, who have been protesting against the development since it began, expressed disappointment in the ruling. John Bergenske, spokesperson of the group Wildsight, said in a statement that delays in the environmental assessment which Glacier said were due to factors outside their control were the fault of the company. Theres a lot in the decision about the slow-moving bureaucratic process, but having been deeply involved in this fight for years, we know that Glaciers own delays in meeting the deadline were a major factor, said Bergenske. He added that the resort would be built on the habitat of grizzly bears, negatively affecting their population. The construction of this project would fragment a critical section of one of North Americas most important wildlife corridors an area grizzlies depend on to maintain healthy populations regionally and even continentally. We remain committed to doing all that we can to ensure this region is protected. Read more about: VANCOUVERCanadas $4.5-billion purchase of the Trans Mountain pipeline from Texas energy giant Kinder Morgan has gained a key U.S. regulators blessing. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States which scrutinizes some international transactions for national security concerns gave the green-light to the deal signed May 29 but not yet closed, Canadas finance ministry and the company confirmed Friday. The required regulatory approvals necessary for the close of the sale have been received, said Pierre-Olivier Herbert, press secretary to Finance Minister Bill Morneau, in an email. The transaction is proceeding as scheduled, and construction activities are on track as detailed in line with the 2018 work plan. The Trans Mountain expansion is in the national interest and it must be built. The company also applauded the decision. In an email, Trans Mountain spokesperson Ali Hounsell said the firm now has all the required regulatory approvals needed to close the sale of the existing 1,100-kilometre pipeline system and the planned $7.5-billion expansion. The next step is the Kinder Morgan Ltd. shareholders meeting to approve the transaction, Hounsell said, scheduled for Aug. 30. Read more: Key questions answered about Ottawas takeover of the Trans Mountain pipeline project The other end of the Trans Mountain pipeline: As B.C. protests, an Alberta hamlet hopes B.C. Grand Chief urges action to prevent catastrophic climate chaos as costs of Trans Mountain pipeline rise The expansion would see the bitumen flow from Albertas oilsands to the B.C. coast nearly triple to 890,000 barrels a day, thereby increasing oil tanker traffic sevenfold. According to Eugene Kung, a lawyer with West Coast Environmental Law, the U.S. regulators approval isnt the final hurdle. There are conditions of the deal that still to be met, he suggested, and much uncertainty with multiple lawsuits against the project awaiting judges decisions. Last month, Canada missed its deadline to quickly find another, private buyer of the pipeline before it took ownership itself. And Kinder Morgans own shareholders voted for environmental resolutions put forward at the companys Texas annual general meeting earlier this year. This is just another hurdle in a decathlon that still has a long way to go, Kung said in a phone interview. The purchase itself hasnt finalized, and clearly no buyers have stepped forward. So Canada will be the ones who have to move forward with construction, and it will remain to be seen how that plays out with the continued uncertainty from the court cases and their eventual appeals. That plan has sparked years of opposition from many though not all First Nations along the land and water route, as well as B.C.s New Democrat government, environmental groups and the cities of Vancouver and Burnaby. Hundreds of protesters have been arrested at the companys gates in Burnaby, B.C., including several seniors who have been jailed for seven days this month as penalties increase for violating a court injunction. The Alberta government supports the project and says it is economically crucial to get bitumen to tidewater, blaming B.C. for delaying the project that was already approved by Ottawa and the previous B.C. government. This week saw police evict and arrest opponents of the pipeline from a long-standing protest camp outside Kinder Morgans facility in Burnaby. An Indigenous-led Watch House remains nearby on Burnaby Mountain. Even if the expansion is built, Kung argued, Canadas global climate commitments would require we use less, not more, oil to reduce emissions by 2050. Ottawa absolutely risks finding itself owning a stranded asset, he said, long before the pipelines lifetime ends. Read more about: EDWARDSVILLE Members of the watchdog group Edgar County Watchdogs called for the removal of members of the Fosterburg Water District for partying down at taxpayer expense, and attempted to talk about the countys policy on allowing public speakers, but were not allowed to because of those same rules. John Kraft spoke about the water district, suggesting that County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler, who currently appoints members of that board, remove them. This comes after legislation allowing the removal of water district trustees for misconduct or neglect by their appointing authority went into effect Aug. 7. Prenzler currently has the authority to appoint members to that board, but after recent controversy over appointments a referendum to elect members is set for the November ballot. Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, who sponsored the bill in the Illinois Senate, said in a press release that it was in response to a Fosterburg Water District trustee who profited more than $14,000 on contracts between his business and the district despite being prohibited from having any direct or indirect interest in any contract or work of the district. The Edgar County Watchdogs have published reports about alleged illegal contracts between Aljets Automotive Inc., partially owned by Trustee Frederick Fritz Aljets, but Kraft did not comment on that issue. Instead, he referred to several parties and weekend retreats held for board members. They partied on the public dime, he said, suggesting that Prenzler remove them. The watchdog group had previously criticized the district for a Super Bowl weekend board retreat in 2017, as well as several other large expenses for parties in the past year. Water Board Chairman Steve Strohbeck said at the time the activities were done as a way of showing appreciation to board members in lieu of a $1,200 stipend allowed by law. Board members do not take the stipend. The report also criticized spending of $900 for a Christmas party at Bluff City Grill in Alton, $490 for another party at the Grafton Winery and Brewhaus, and the purchase of food for a funeral dinner for a family member of a board member. The report also says the board violated the Illinois Open Meetings Act by holding the retreats. Strohbeck said at the time that he had stopped the practices, and since no business was discussed it did not fall under the Open Meetings Act. After Kraft spoke, Kirk Allen attempted to speak on the County Boards policy regarding public speaking, but was not allowed because he had not followed the rules covering public speakers. According to a long-standing ordinance, speakers must sign up two days in advance. A total of five speakers are limited to three minutes each. Prenzler said that Allen had told him he wanted to speak without signing up. Prenzler also said he had wanted board action to waive the rules to allow Allen to speak, but after consulting with Madison County States Attorney Tom Gibbons said that the ordinance does not allow that. Gibbons noted that state law requires allowing public speakers, but the way it is done can be regulated. Prenzler also said he thinks the county policy needs to be reviewed, and was sending the issue to the Government Relations Committee. Allen tried several times to make or read a statement, but Board Member Art Asadorian, D-Granite City, shut him down, saying it wasnt allowed. At the end of the meeting under new business, Board Member Mike Parkinson, D-Granite City, who has also been criticized by the watchdog group, said they should look into issues with the Metro East Sanitary District and its executive director, Steve Adler; and also issues with business trips taken by the Information Technology Department. Parkinson cited the dumping of raw sewage into the Mississippi River after a line break in June 2017, and a recent court decision that the MESD illegally created a separate taxing district for sewer service. He also criticized a recent conference trip by IT employees, accusing employees of spending money to buy rolling papers. Reach reporter Scott Cousins at 618-208-6447. ALTON Soon, lighting at riverfront parking lots will appear brighter and whiter, with forthcoming, efficient LED lights to save utility costs for the city, and ultimately, taxpayers. The imminent light-replacement project at the city-owned parking lot on the southwest corner of Landmarks Boulevard and Henry Street, is in cooperation with Ameren Illinois, Commercial Lighting Group LLC of Traverse City, Michigan and Argosy Casino. It only will cost Alton a $500 copay. Ameren Illinois has been handling the public sector just since last year, in June (2017) for energy efficiency from the (Illinois) Future Energy Jobs Act, said Ken Woolcutt of Peoria, manager of energy efficiency for Ameren Illinois. Ameren Illinois serves the public sector and the private sector. We have wonderful incentives for changing out lights to more efficient equipment, namely providing 75 cents per watt usage reduced by the new lighting. The program includes replacing street lights, besides lighting in parks and parking lots. According to an Ameren report, the replacement fixtures and light emitting diode (LED) lights at the Henry Street lot annually will save 18,403.770 in kilowatt hours, or $14,744.30 in electricity costs. The parking lot currently has high intensity discharge lights. Ameren, in turn, is providing an incentive of $24,433.50 to Commercial Lighting Group, the Small Business program ally, for the switch-out project. At the Aug. 8 City Council meeting, aldermen suspended the rules to more quickly to OK a resolution allowing Alton officials to sign an agreement with Argosy and Commercial Lighting Group to allow electricians access to the parking lot, take measurements, install and inspect lights on the parking lot, performance and liability issues and for the city to provide the $500 co-pay. The second phase in Alton will be to replace older lights at the city-owned parking lot closer to the casino and Liberty Bank Alton Amphitheater, then at Gordon F. Moore Community Park and other city parks, Barnhart said. We have been working with a company (Commercial Lighting Group) evaluating our lighting system throughout the city, said Bob Barnhart, Alton director of the Public Works Department. They are going to retrofit with high-efficiency LED fixtures. The cost is almost zero to the city, and we coordinate the evaluations. It is foolish not to participate in this, the lights last 10 years and there is no maintenance. He said local union tradesmen will do the work. The Michigan company is the small business ally, for the local programs participants but does not do the installation. Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity previously operated the energy efficiency, Small Business program, which Ameren subsidized, Barnhart said. The Small Business program originally served businesses, per its name. To avoid confusion when Ameren extended the services to public entities that use the Delivery Service 2 electric rate, the utility kept the name unchanged, Woolcutt said. We had the Small Business program in the past, before picking up municipalities in the state, Woolcutt said. We are trying to encourage municipalities to participate, we are trying to get the word out. Our Small Business energy advisors are glad to talk to the cities, the cities can choose program allies to work with that are on our website (amerenillinoissavings.com/for-my-business/explore-incentives). We feel there is a lot of opportunity. Woolcutt was in Chicago on Wednesday explaining the program to representatives of various municipalities to encourage participation. The amount of money a municipality saves in electric costs, of course varies by what type of bulbs they currently use, and number of lights. In some areas, they generally use 150 to 175-watt mercury vapor light bulbs and they are going down to 40 watt, Woolcutt said, with the LED replacements. It is a big savings when you multiply them by the number of street lights that are turned on 365 days a year. Ameren also provides bonuses to participants if they complete their projects by certain dates. Besides saving on electricity costs, LED lights burn cooler, which means insects are not as attracted to them, a bonus particularly in city parks. Bugs are attracted to heat, Woolcutt said. LED lights are cool to touch so they will not fly around them at night. As Woolcutt said, Amerens Small Business Program now is linked to the states Future Energy Jobs Act that went into effect June 1, 2017. Its main components are: energy efficiency, renewable energy, job training and helping customers pay for efficiency upgrades. Per the energy efficiency portion of the act, Commonwealth Edison and Ameren Illinois have to expand their programs, reduce electricity waste Ameren by 16 percent and lower electric bills through 2030. According to the Citizens Utility Board website (https://citizensutilityboard.org/future-energy-jobs-act), the act: Expands the definition of low income beyond just people who qualify for state assistance, and it directs the utilities to engage with economically disadvantaged communities in designing and delivering new programs for customers most challenged to pay bills. The act also is to prompt investments in wind and solar power, and creates a community solar program for neighborhoods to share solar energy; devotes $750 million for training for new energy jobs and means for customers to reduce utility bills; and utilize the states financing program to help people pay for efficiency upgrades via their utility bills. Reach Linda N. Weller at 618-208-6450 or on Twitter @Linda_Weller The former Staples store location at 1813 W. Morton Ave. is being transformed into a tool store. Harbor Freight Tools is expected to open in October, according to company officials. Were thrilled to be opening our 31st Harbor Freight Tools store in Illinois and very pleased by the warm welcome weve received in Jacksonville, Harbor Freight Tools President Eric Smidt said. The Jacksonville store will employ about 40 people in the 15,000-square-foot building. Founded in North Hollywood, California, in 1977 and now based in Calabasas, California, Harbor Freight Tools is a discount tool retailer with more than 900 stores nationwide. Harbor Freight Tools stocks more than 7,000 items in several categories, including automotive, air and power tools, shop equipment and hand tools. In addition to about 900 stores nationwide including Quincy and Springfield in west-central Illinois Harbor Freight Tools has an online and mail order business that has served about 40 million customers over the years, according to the company. Weve also invested millions of dollars to build and operate our own state-of-the-art quality test labs to ensure that were constantly driving quality at the lowest possible price, Smidt said. Greg Olson can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1224, or on Twitter @JCNews_Greg. The adage that failures can teach many lessons seems quite... When Hiren Mukherjee died in 2004, Ashok Mitra extolled the splendour of Hiren Mukherjees vocabulary and his total command over the manner in which he deployed it. His accent was impeccably Oxonian. That was the least part of it though. It was Mukherjees passion, welded onto his ideology, which mattered. Replace Hiren Mukherjee with Somnath Chatterjee. The tribute would fit. Dont take my word; take a prime ministers. At the 2008 Hiren Mukherjee Memorial Lecture by Amartya Sen, Manmohan Singh called Somnath a true inheritor of the legacy of Comrade Hiren Mukhejee. Journos of my gen missed Hiren. But those of us who sat in the press galleries in the 1990s remember watching CPIs Indrajit Gupta and CPI(M)s Somnath Chatterjee bettering the best in Westminster. Elder scribes, who had seen the Oxonian Hiren, used to assure us that the two Cambridge commies were as goodin diction, demeanour, declamation and delivery. It was said of Hiren that Nehru would miss major meetings in South Block just to hear him in the house. My generation has seen Narasimha Rao ambling into the house just when Indrajit, Somnath, Atal Bihari Vajpayee or George Fernandes was rising to speak. Illustration: Bhaskaran A funny lot, these communists. They damn parliamentarianism as a cardinal sin. Many a promising proletarian political career has been mercilessly sacrificed at their ideological inquisition for being a parliamentarianist. The saddest case was of Saifuddin Choudhury, a parliamentary prodigy and a deputy of Chatterjee. Yet the same comrades, along with their socialist cousins like Ram Manohar Lohia, Nath Pai, Madhu Dandavate and George, have also supplied Indias most outstanding parliamentarians. Hiren, Indrajit and Somnath were the finest among them. They and their comrades back in Bengal like Jyoti Basu presented another paradox. They came from true-blue bhadralok ranks, went to Oxford or Cambridge, were called to the bar or took DLitt, drank sherry, went strawberry-picking in Kent, watched Wimbledon, and yet commiserated with peasants, workers, trade unionists, and le miserables. English gentlemen in speech and bearing, they had their hearts beating for India on the left side of the body politic. Somnath was the last of them. While pillorying prime ministers for their political ineptitude, these men would also use their debating skills to bail out governments if national interests were at stake. A shining example was how Somnath and Indrajit used their masterly skills to turn around the debate in an adjournment motion against Rao over the burning down of Charar-e-Sharif, when they realised that irresponsible voices were targeting the Army for the crime. To Somnath, Parliament was paramount. When an assertive court began usurping the realms of a weakened executive and a listless legislature in the 1990s, it was the foursome phalanx of Somnath, Indrajit, Chandra Shekhar and P.R. Dasmunsi who zealously defended the powers, privileges and paramountcy of Parliament. Somnath continued the war from the speakers chair in the 2000s, refusing to answer the courts summons in a case over his disqualification of MPs, and questioning the court for directing the Jharkhand legislature on how to conduct its business. And lets not forget, it was Somnath who moved the only motion ever in the Indian Parliament to impeach a Supreme Court judge. Even the highly-rated advocacy skills of Kapil Sibal, who spoke from the bar of the house (he wasnt a member) in defence of Justice V. Ramaswamy, paled before the masterly debating skills of Somnath and George. Still the motion failed, when Rao directed his Congress to abstain. A case of the executive letting down the legislature to bail out the judiciary. prasannan@theweek.in As the 71st anniversary of our Independence Day comes and goes, it is time to reflect on the Idea of Indiaor rather, on two duelling ideas of India that are now before us. They both date back to before independence, when our nationalist movement was divided between two sets of ideasone held by those who saw religious identity as the determinant of their nationhood and the other by those who believed in an inclusive India for everyone, irrespective of faith. The former became the idea of Pakistan, the latter the idea of India. This nebulous Idea of Indiathe phrase is Tagoresis, in some form or another, arguably as old as antiquity itself. However, the idea of India as a modern nation based on a certain conception of human rights and citizenship, vigorously backed by due process of law and equality before law, is a relatively recent and strikingly modern idea. Illustration: Bhaskaran Despite the mystical influence of Tagore, and the spiritual and moral influences of Gandhiji, it is a robustly secular and legal construct based upon the vision and intellect of our founding fathers, notably (in alphabetical order) B.R. Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru and Vallabhbhai Patel. The Preamble of the Constitution, in its description of the defining traits of the Indian republic, in its conception of justice, of liberty, of equality and of fraternity, firmly proclaims that the law, and not religion or community, will be the bedrock of the idea of India. Indias democracy imposes no narrow conformities on its citizens. The whole point of Indian pluralism is you can be many things and one thing: you can be a good Muslim, a good Keralite and a good Indian all at once. The Indian idea, as I have long argued, is that a nation may endure differences of caste, creed, colour, conviction, consonant, culture, cuisine, costume and custom, and still rally around a consensus. And, that consensus is around the simple idea that in a democracy you do not really need to agreeexcept on the ground rules of how you will disagree. My idea of India celebrates diversity: If America is a melting-pot, then to me India is a thali, a selection of sumptuous dishes in different bowls. Each tastes different, and does not necessarily mix with the next, but they belong together on the same plate, and they complement each other. Many of us complacently assumed that this idea of India was immutable and universally held. But, we were wrong; before Mohammed Ali Jinnahs Muslim League passed its notorious Pakistan Resolution in 1940 demanding the vivisection of the country, the Hindu Mahasabha had in 1937 advanced the theory that Hindus and Muslims were two nations. Todays ruling BJP is the political arm of the RSS, which remains committed to the doctrine of hindutva and advocates a Hindu rashtraa Hindu nation-state. Such an idea has nothing in common with the idea of India I have described. It is divisive rather than inclusive, embodied in a chauvinism intolerant of diversity and difference. The BJP/RSS idea of a Hindu rashtra is the mirror image of Pakistana state with a dominant majority religion that seeks to put its minorities in a subordinate place. That would be a hindutva Pakistan, and it is not what our freedom movement fought for, nor is it the idea of India enshrined in our Constitution. This is a battle for Indias soul. Indias founding fathers wrote a Constitution for their dreams; we have given passports to their ideals. Let us not, seven decades after their triumph, let them down by surrendering our India to the idea of Pakistan. editor@theweek.in Ranveer Singh proudly flaunts the badge of being quirky and unconventional as the actor believes there has always been an "attarangi" streak in him. The 33-year-old actor, who endorses fashion brand JACK & JONES, says "edgy" is his middle name. "I have always been 'attarangi' (unique), as my school friend put it. I make authentic choices when it comes to my style. "I have always been attracted to fashion, music, personalities, attitudes that are edgy. That is why I relate to JACK & JONES on every level. The brand and I share the same personality, values and are extremely expressive," said Ranveer. Known for his out-of-the-box style statement and delivering immersive performances, the Padmaavat star says he does not fear being judged by people for his choicesbe it fashion, films or life. "I express myself with vibrant colours, printed blazers, ripped denims. I have zero filters as I don't fear anyone judging me. I don't hold back. With anything or anyone, in any situation," he says. On the work front, Ranveer will next be seen in Simmba, which releases later this year. He is also attached with projects such as Gully Boy, 83 and the recently-announced Takht. The Congress on Saturday demanded that the floods in Kerala be declared a national disaster, even as it accused the Narendra Modi government of discriminating between BJP and non-BJP-ruled states on the issue of offering aid. Rahul Gandhiji and the Congress party demand that the floods in Kerala be declared a national calamity, and the Government of India should provide help to the state on a priority basis, said Randeep Surjewala, in-charge of AICC communications department. Earlier on Saturday, Gandhi tweeted: Dear PM, Please declare #Kerala floods a National Disaster without any delay. The lives, livelihood and future of millions of our people is at stake. The demand by the Congress for the floods to be declared a national calamity was made on a day Modi toured Kerala to take stock of the situation and announced an aid package of Rs 500 crore. Rahul Gandhiji also made the plea that there should not be any politics done on the issue of flood relief. Modiji should stop discriminating in matters of flood relief between BJP and non-BJP governments... It is time Prime Minister Modi must rise above political partisan game and come forward as a nation to help people of Kerala, people of Karnataka and other states affected by the flood and declare Kerala floods a national calamity, said Surjewala. The devastation caused by floods in different states, particularly Kerala, was discussed in a meeting Gandhi held on Saturday with AICC general secretaries, secretaries, in-charges, PCC chiefs and CLP leaders. It was decided that all Congress MPs, both from the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, as well as MLAs and MLCs will donate one month's salary towards flood relief in Kerala. Surjewala informed that the Congress-ruled states of Punjab and Karnataka have donated Rs 10 crore each to Kerala, while the government of Puducherry has sent Rs 1 crore. The party's units in the adjoining states of Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have been asked to mobilise relief for the flood-hit people of Kerala. Incessant rains, a swelling river, overflowing reservoirs, landslides and house collapses have caused six deaths in Kodagu district, with the land of coffee becoming devastated and crying for help. Heavy rains have made rescue operations daunting as rising water level and landslides have cut off access to marooned villages. For the last three days, distressed families have been perched on rooftops in the layouts in Kushalnagar, and on the hills near Madikeri to save themselves from the rising water level. To make matters worse, massive landslides in the region have claimed lives and damaged property. Many people are feared trapped in their homes as villages are inundated in water and the access roads have caved in. More than 945 rescue personnel including the Indian Army engineers' task force, surface rescuers from Indian Navy, NDRF, fire force, home guards, civil defence, quick response teams and NCC have moved into the district and have so far rescued more than 3,500 people. According to disaster management department officials, as many as 1,250 peopleincluding 16 railway staff stuck at Yedakumeri railway station near Sakleshpur, 30 people from Mukkodlu and 347 people stranded in Jodupalawere saved. In all 1,206 houses have been damaged (845 in Kodagu and 361 in Dakshina Kannada). In the last four days, 98 roads, 58 bridges and culverts, 243 government buildings and 3,006 electric poles and transformers have been severely damaged. The roads connecting Bhagamandala, Napoklu and Ayyageri and roads connecting Kushalnagar-Madikeri and Madikeri-Hassan have been blocked due to landslides. Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, who held an emergency meeting of senior officials on Saturday morning, has constituted a high-level committee headed by the chief secretary to prioritise release of funds and monitor the rescue and relief operations. While an Indian Air Force chopper has been kept on standby, the operation has been stalled due to bad weather. Kumaraswamy is expected to carry out an aerial survey of the district. The district administrations of Kodagu and the coastal districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada have stepped up relief operations and are taking stock of the extent of damage (roads, houses, and crop loss). The district in-charge ministers have rushed to take stock of the situation. The overflowing reservoirs in Hassan, Shimoga and Mysuru has caused flooding and led to loss of crops, houses and also lives. But the situation in Kodagu is grave owing to landslides and the rising water levels. We are rushing in the rescue teams and also the relief material to the 70 relief camps set up across the flood-affected districts. Kodagu alone has 31 relief centres, where more than 2,250 people have been camping, Kumaraswamy said. For people who lost their homes, the government will immediately release compensation of Rs 2 lakh to rebuild homes. For people who have lost their Aadhaar and ration cards, our officers will issue provisional documents for disbursal of compensation. Besides, compensation of Rs 5 lakh will be given to the family of the deceased, said Kumaraswamy, who is scheduled to inspect the affected areas. While NGOs too have mobilised volunteers and are moving in relief material to the camps, disruption of telephone lines and electricity supply has made relief operations difficult. The Kodava Samaj volunteers in Bengaluru and Mysuru are working as nerve centres for collecting relief material from people. THERE IS AN easy camaraderie between Bellala Padma, 43, Bellapu Anuradha, 54, and Potluri Kranti, 37, as they sit on the diwan of a small house in Telangana. It is difficult to imagine that they were political prisoners who had been arrested on charges of Naxalism and imprisoned for many years in various prisons of IndiaKranti in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh from 2011 to 2016, Padma in Chhattisgarh from 2008 to 2018, and Anuradha in Jharkhand from 2009 to 2013. They seem jovial and rib each other about how old they look and how much weight they have put on after getting released. It was so overcrowded that if you stretched, you bumped into the next person.... We used to fight for space the way some people fight for land. Bellala Padma The first thing that happens when we get out of jail is that we put on a lot of weight, as we try to compensate for all that we didnt get in jail, says Anuradha. Within a year of getting out, she put on 18 kilos, and within 20 days, Padma put on eight kilos. I speak mostly with Anuradha, as the others do not speak English. They do, however, say that they have picked up other languages in prison. Kranti learnt Oriya, Anuradha and Padma, Hindi. I used to set myself a daily target of learning 25 to 30 words in Hindi, says Padma. You are not allowed to write letters in your mother tongue, so you are forced to learn another language. Anuradha jokes that if she is ever imprisoned again, she hopes it will be in a different jail, so that she can pick up another language. Kranti is the quietest of the three. She seems animated only when she talks about the deep scars that prison life has left. I was interrogated by the police for three days in Visakhapatnam, she says. I was badly beaten up during this time. They hit me on the ear so hard that my hearing was damaged. After three days, they said they had to do a nude search before I re-entered prison. I protested. I was in police custody for three days. What could I have been carrying? She says one of the worst aspects of prison life was the toilet facilities. In the Odisha prison where she was lodged, there was only a basin in the cell with no hole and no tank. You had to do your business in a bucket and then wrap it up in paper and keep it till the next morning, when you could throw it outside. There were 10 people in a cell built for two. After 2pm, she would not drink water so that she did not feel like urinating in the night. They would be served dinner at 4pm, which they used to eat outside, because it stank so bad in the cell. I lived with that stink for four years, she says. Even after leaving the jail, I used to get it. Many people faced the same problem. Even in the toilets outside, says Anuradha, the doors were left half open to make sure the prisoners did not commit suicide. There were no locks on them. You have to do a balancing act by keeping the door shut with one hand and doing your business with the other, she says. Some jails have no doors and the prisoners have to hang up a lungi to get some privacy. Kranti says that in the Odisha jail where she was lodged, there was no roof on the toilets, and the guard on the adjacent building could see what was happening inside. In the Chhattisgarh jail, prisoners lay in the wards in two rows. It was so overcrowded that if you stretched, you bumped into the next person, says Padma. There were a lot of quarrels because of lack of space. We used to fight for space the way some people fight for land. There were no nails to hang your clothes on. So, everything had to be kept in a bundle by your head, including your chappals. Some people sat in the aisle between the rows because of lack of space. The medical facilities, too, they say, were pathetic. Once, when Anuradha developed a bone problem and could hardly walk, she was neither given any treatment nor taken to the hospital because there were no escorts. Since I was such a dangerous prisoner, how could I be taken to the hospital without an escort? she says. What if I threw a bomb on the police station [on my way to the hospital]? It took a three-day hunger strike to get the problem solved. Prisons were so overcrowded that infectious diseases used to spread like wildfire. In the Odisha prison, there used to be many cases of malaria. Only chloroquine would be prescribed as they could not afford costlier drugs. In the Malkangiri sub-jail in Odisha, only Rs 5,000 was allocated per year for medical expenses. Once, when Kranti fell ill, the doctor was called. He held her hand for a while and then diagnosed her with depression. Just give her some sedatives and shell be fine, he said. After protesting a lot, she was taken to the hospital, where she tested positive for tuberculosis. I still suffer from recurring bouts of it, she says. When they had to be produced before the magistrate, they would be given a bath and made to look good, says Anuradha. The police officials tell the magistrate that the prisoner has just been arrested and request custody for a number of days. The magistrates are mostly indifferent. Theyre always writing something [on their notepads] and hardly ever lift up their heads to even look at us, she says. If you are aware, you could tell the magistrate that youve already been in custody for xx days. But then, if the magistrate rejects what you said, you risk revenge from the police officials [for daring to contradict them]. Padmas warrant came in the name of Lalitha. No alias was given. She was forcefully made to sign it even when she protested that the names of her father and brother in the document did not tally. Some of us have been charged for crimes that happened outside when we were still in prison, she says. Anuradha says that like jet lag, many of them suffer from something they call jail lag. Youll still be in a prison mindset for many days after you are released, she says. During the night, when I used to go to the toilet, I would pinch myself to see if I was really out of prison. Mirror mirror: Indrani Mukerjea found it difficult to adjust to her altered appearance | PTI In August 2015, Indrani Mukerjea, a former media executive, was arrested by the Mumbai Police for murdering her daughter, Sheena Bora. In a chapter of his book, The Sheena Bora Case, author Manish Pachouly gives details of Indranis stay at the Byculla Prison in Mumbai. There were three groups that were fighting for supremacy in Byculla jail, and a new inmate had no choice but to join one of them. Inmates who were poor or with no connections were not pursued by any of these groups. But somebody like Indrani was like a hot cake. The moment she was sent to judicial custody and then transferred to the jail, she garnered attention from all three groups... ...The jail was already abuzz with the sensational Sheena Bora murder case and the implication of a business tycoon in that. The leaders of these groups, who either had read about the case or found out her social status, jumped to make Indrani a part of their gang. While all this time jail politics was raging high around her, she, on the other hand, paid little attention to them. Besides, she was depressed, unable to accept the prison environment that had forced her into a different world. But she had to confront the hard and darker reality of jail life when she was hounded to prove her allegiance to any of these groups. She realised that her posh attitude, which had worked so well earlier, wouldnt work anymore within the four walls of the jail. She was nobody in front of the powerful undertrials ruling the jail dynamics. She was like a deer caught in the headlights, not knowing which group to be associated with, and was scared, not knowing what to do next. As Mrs Mukerjea she had many powerful friends whom she could call even late at night to ask for a favour, however tiny that might be, and she was always obliged. Now, even the closest of friends had dissociated themselves from her, some even refusing to acknowledge their friendship publicly. A few believed that the allegations levelled by the probe agency were true. In this situation, Indrani changed track soon. She started interacting gradually and somehow managed to win the trust of all the groups. After all, she was still a rich woman with access to enormous amounts of money. But there was another area of concernthe way Indrani actually looks, in the absence of make-up, was now being exposed. Indrani loved her branded clothes and the luxury labels. Besides her charming personality, imported make-up accessories and hair dyesaid to be imported from Franceplayed key roles in enhancing her looks that made her so ravishing and irresistible to quite a few men. All these were inaccessible now, which revealed her actual age. Added to this was the stress of a long legal battle and jail life which made her pale and robbed her of her famed looks. It was not only the outside world that was shocked with her changed look. Indrani too was severely disturbed when she first saw herself in a mirror. Sources in Byculla jail said that she was inconsolable after she saw how she looked and was distressed at the idea of going out like that. The hair was grey; the face had lines; the softer look with its charm had now all disappeared. At times, she pleaded for her expensive imported make-up kit and hair dye, but [the] rules did not allow the same, said a policewoman who had seen Indrani in the new avatar. Left with no other option, Indrani decided to hide her hair with a dupatta on her head. But the truth couldnt be hidden for too long, and photos were soon splashed in the media. That was a highly depressing moment for her, said another cop who accompanied Indrani to her court on her dates. She had claimed that she was born in 1972 but shorn of her adornments with the age showing through, she could now never convince people that Sheena was her sister. The make-up and hair colour always helped her pass off as the dead youngsters sister. Excerpted with permission The Sheena Bora Case Author: Manish Pachouly Publisher: Roli Books Pages: 230 Price: Rs 395 One day in 1980, Reny George and three of his friends drove from Madras to Thiruvalla in Kerala to rob his elderly uncle and aunt who lived there. They were high on drugs and ended up stabbing the couple to death and stealing his aunts ornaments. On October 6, 1980, they were arrested and later sentenced to life imprisonment. Six years later, while out on parole, he happened to attend a prayer meeting that transformed his life. He became reborn as a Christian and, upon being released in 1995, started the Prison Fellowship in Bengaluru with his wife to visit and counsel inmates, and Renys Children, to provide shelter for children of prisoners. Today, the 65-year-old has helped rehabilitate more than 500 prisoners through his organisation. I was born and brought up in a middle-class family. I started battling with personality issues from a young age. I was expelled from two schools and finished my 10th grade in the third one. In college, I was active in politics and was part of a political outfit that organised many strikes. I was kicked out of the first college and dropped out from the second. Then, I moved to Chennai. I wanted to make money, so I started dealing in drugs with three friends, a Kenyan, Malaysian and Mauritian. One day, we drove down to Kerala and murdered my uncle and aunt for money. We were arrested 10 days after the crime took place. It became so sensational that I started thinking of myself as a hero. Even when the judge pronounced the verdict, I was sitting in the courtroom and smiling. During the first six years in prison, I became a big-time leader among the prisoners. I researched different types of crime. I wanted to become another Dawood Ibrahim. I continued using drugs in prison. Someone used to come through the outer ward and throw bundles of dope for the prisoners. In 1987, I planned to rob a bank while out on parole. While I was preparing for the bank robbery, someone visited me at home.He offered to take me to a prayer meeting. I was not at all interested; but just to please the guy, I agreed. He took me to the same town where I committed the murderThiruvalla. I thought I would just sit for a while, but at some point during the meeting, my conscience started pricking me. For the first time in my life, I experienced guilt. I felt like I was the most wretched person on earth. It made me cry bitterly. I was broken and started repenting. I was 33 years old then, and I was cleansed of all my iniquities and shortcomings. While I was out on parole, a cooperative bank in Chengannur was robbed and Rs 15 lakh worth of gold was stolen. My friends thought I had done it. They expected the booty when I came back. Instead, I returned with a Bible. They thought I was pulling a fast one on them and wanted the money for myself. I used to be a man of action in prison, but afterwards I became alone. Many weeks and months later, my friends realised that the change in me was real. They started coming to me one by one. When people ask me about rehabilitation centres, I say that the most effective [way to get rehabilitated] is spiritual. I gave up drugs and alcohol. It is not like I never felt tempted again. Even today, I dont drink coffee or tea to avoid temptation. Many people look at me with suspicion. He has cars, they say. He lives in a three-acre facility. I know this is the talk about me. But if I listen to such talk, life will become miserable. I will not be able to hold on to my decision. Fear and doubt are the reverse gear of faith. Even though the path is narrow, I have been given many blessings. Can you imagine any woman wanting to marry [someone like] me? My friends told me that it was better to tie a stone around my neck and throw myself into the river. When I speak to prisoners, I tell them about my own experience. What I am today is not because of willpower. Reny George was a devil, until Jesus started his life in me. AS TOLD TO ANJULY MATHAI WHILE some scientists in the country are taxing brain to come up with child-friendly diagnostic test for Tuberculosis (TB), a recent study shows that trained rats increase the detection of the disease in children significantly and could help address the childhood TB diagnosis challenges. The study conducted by the Sokoine University of Agriculture-APOPO TB Tanzania, indicated that when trained rats were given childrens sputum samples to sniff, they were able to pinpoint 68 per cent more cases of TB infections than detected through standard smear tests. SUA -APOPO TB Tanzania Programme Manager, Dr Georgies Mgode told the Daily News yesterday that TB diagnosis in children is a challenge with up to 94 per cent of children with the disease treated empirically in TB high-burden countries. Dr Mgode said that the current TB detection methods are far from perfect, especially in under-resourced countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia where the disease is prevalent, and where a reasonably cheap smear test is commonly used. Problems with this type of test are that the accuracy varies depending on the quality of sputum sample used, and very young children are often unable to provide enough sputum to be analysed, he said. He added, As a result, many children with TB are not bacteriologically confirmed or even diagnosed, which then has major implications for their possible successful treatment hence need for new diagnostic tests to better detect TB in children, especially in low and middle-income countries. Dr Mgode further said TB is a deadly disease, which killed 1.7 million people worldwide in 2016, of which 130,000 were children. Sub Saharan Africa and South East Asia are among the regions with the highest burden of TB. He noted that a large proportion of TB patients remain undetected in most high-burden areas due to the poor sensitivity of smear microscopywidely used in these areas. In many low-income countries, the diagnosis of pediatric TB is solely based on clinical evidence and smear microscopy. He said the sensitivity of adult sputum culture is 80 per cent but for children it is challenging to produce a sufficient volume of good-quality sputum needed for smear microscopy. In northern Tanzania, it was found that pediatric TB contributed to 13 per cent of the total TB burden and 75 per cent of these had pulmonary TB, of which only 5.8 per cent of all TB patients were bacteriologically confirmed. Nearly all of the children with TB were thus treated empirically. Trained TB detection rats have been in use in Tanzania and Mozambique as an enhanced case-finding tool under research, after smear microscopy, whereby they have increased TB case detection by over 40 per cent. The TB detection facilities use African giant pouched rats, nicknamed HeroRATs, to detect the disease, the technology developed by a Belgian organisation -APOPO. Dr Mgode noted that if the rats detect positive cases, the results will further be confirmed using a World Health Organisation (WHO) endorsed concentrated microscopy techniques before the patients start treatment. The objectives of the study were to determine the ability of trained rats to detect pediatric TB, and whether rats could enhance the detection of pediatric TB over standard of care. The study was conducted in three regions in the country namely Dar es Salaam, Coast and Morogoro, from January 2011 to June 2015. Over 90 per cent of the participants were from Dar es Salaam city with a population of nearly 5 million people. In March 2014, James Tooley, a professor of education policy at the University of Newcastle, was arrested in Hyderabad for alleged irregularities in the funding of his NGO, the Educare Trust. In Comeuppance, he writes about the week or so he spent as an undertrial at the Cherlapally Central Jail, Hyderabad, and the long-winding trial proceedings he went through. TWO GUARDS TOOK me down a corridor, turned right, then left, and right again. I didnt take much in, just the bars on the cell, the musty smell, and the distant echoes of people shouting. They stopped in front of Cell 13 and opened the barred door. The cell was about nine square feet. On the far wall was a big, barred window at shoulder height, looking out on a space between two buildings, strewn with rubbish. The walls were covered with the spit of men down the agesthe red spit they eject while chewing betel. The floor was rough concrete and set in the high ceiling was a long white fluorescent tube light from which hung cobwebs replete with long-dead flies. There was no furniture. The cell was completely bare apart from a piece of dirty cardboard in one corner, three piles of s**t in the middle, and s**t apparently also smeared over much of the floor. The turds were small (like a childs, I reasoned), which made it more worrying. I pointed it out to my jailers, who shrugged at my concern and said it would be cleaned after some time an Indian expression which always annoys me outside, but on this occasion, I accepted it without so much as a blush. (It was not cleaned until the morning.) Meanwhile, I brushed it away from the corner which was not visible from the barred cell door using the cardboard, and there I made a pillow of my jacket. I was worried about needing to urinate at night, but it was pointed out that there was an en suite facility; by the window there was a tiny separate room without a door. It was surprisingly clean, given the state of the cell, with a hole in the ground of the rough floor, a tap that didnt leak, and a small, not too dirty bucket next to it. The door was bolted behind me. I was on my own. It struck me as odd how much we learn about what to do in such circumstances, from watching films about prison. They tell you that it is possible to cope. There is no point in feeling sorry for yourself or repeating that you have done nothing wrong, and that it was all unfair. You had to pull yourself together; that was your only option. The first thing to do, I recalled, was to carefully investigate your surroundings. I paced the cell and measured it at nearly three paces by three paces. I observed the number 786 scrawled in large numbers on the wall above where I had placed my jacket. Was that the number of days that someone had spent there? No; I recalled from my visits to the Old City that one of the schools the Educare Trust had helped was called 786 High School. Wasnt it a Muslim sacred number, the number you get if you add up the numerical values of the opening phrase of the Quran? I didnt investigate the s**t on the floor any further. That was my cell. Standing at the barred door, I looked across the six-foot wide corridor to the larger cells opposite, with a dozen or more people in each. The Indian inmates crowded at their doors to see the foreign arrival. One young man spoke good English. What time do they serve food? I asked. Food was two hours ago, he said. Nothing until cup of tea at 6am. Where can I get drinking water? I asked. You get water after 6am, he said. When do they bring blankets? I asked. I was feeling a bit chilly. You bring your own blankets, he said. I had to cope. I instantly put out of my mind any possible downside of everything I had just learnt. Instead, I pointed to the fan. Can I turn it down? Im rather cold, I said. Its either on of off, theres no speed control, he said. Best keep it on, or the mosquitos will eat you alive. Helpfully, one of his companions demonstrated from his side how to switch off the fan in case I changed my mind. You stuck your arm out through the bars in the door and bent in backwards to get to the fan switch further along the wall outside. I tried to do it from my side, but mistakenly I switched off my light instead. Suddenly they seemed rather nervous. This was a serious mistake, I decided; I must put it back on quickly. To universal relief, I managed to do so. When is lights out? I asked finally. The young man shook his head. There was no lights out. I paced back into my cell. I didnt feel anything. I had to cope, I had to survive. After a few minutes, the prisoner who spoke good English called across the corridor from his cell. The prisoners had got together a package consisting of a banana, an orange, some grapes, a half loaf of bread, some jam, a blanket and a big bottle of water. I will never forget that moment. They didnt have to do anything for me; who was I to them? They could have simply ignored my problems; they themselves had few comforts, and fewer to spare. Instead, they responded with this deep generosity and kindness, helping me in my hour of need. Something stirred in me at that moment, which carried me through the whole experience. Excerpted with permission Comeuppance: My Experiences in an Indian Prison Author: James Tooley Publisher: Speaking Tiger Pages: 253 Price: Rs 299 CARRYING A BOUQUET of bright yellow lilies, Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee walked into 10 Janpath on August 1, for a meeting with United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi. When she came out, she quoted Rabindranath Tagore to explain who would be the face of the opposition alliance. Seen as a claimant to the post, Mamata quoted the Tagore song Amra Sobai Raja (Everybody is king). This is the spirit of democracy, she said. Everybody is king. Everybody is equal. Mamata has been positioning herself as a prime ministerial probable, refusing to accept the primacy of the Congress in an opposition alliance. But with the Congress making conciliatory noises, the West Bengal chief minister announced that there was no race for the top job. The need for a coordinated approach to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi inside and outside Parliament is agreed upon by opposition parties. Shortly after Mamatas Delhi trip, the opposition was unanimous in deciding to approach the Election Commission to demand a return to the ballot system of election. According to a top Congress leader, a broad consensus has been reached that the issue of who will be the prime ministerial nominee will be taken up only after the elections. Our primary job is to defeat the BJP and the RSS. What happens after the elections will depend on how different parties perform, he said. Trinamool MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said Mamata had been working to create a united force to take on the Modi government. She is not hungry for power. She has said that if the need arises, she shall stand last in the queue, he said. However, just days after the show of solidarity, strains were quite visible in the tenuous opposition unity as the ruling National Democratic Alliance scored a comfortable victory in the election to the post of deputy chairperson of the Rajya Sabha. The NDA nominee Harivansh Narayan Singh of the JD(U) got 125 votes, while opposition candidate B.K. Hariprasad got only 101 votes. We were expecting around 120 votes, but some members could not reach Parliament. We sent a strong message to the government. This is one more step towards strengthening democracy, said Hariprasad. His attempts to downplay the worse-than-expected show only helped highlight the oppositions handicaps in managing numbers and the ability of the NDA to reach out to fence-sitters. The negotiations within the opposition camp on the election went on for weeks. The weakened position of the Congress was visible, with none of its nominees getting the support of other parties, especially the Trinamool. The name of Trinamool leader Roy was considered, but it was rejected as the left would not have supported him. The opposition finally zeroed in on NCPs Vandana Chavan. However, with the BJD, whose support could have swung the election either way, having pledged its support to the NDA nominee, and the Shiv Sena not having any issues with supporting Harivansh, the NCP backed out. With none of the other regional parties ready to take the field, it was left to the Congress to nominate a candidate. The Trinamool, however, was uneasy with the Congress taking the lead, and it was not particularly averse to voting for the JD(U) candidate. The YSR Congress, a fence-sitter and a rival of the Congress in Andhra Pradesh, which had earlier declared that it would vote against the NDA candidate, had a change of heart when the Congress fielded Hariprasad. Jaganmohan Reddys party subsequently decided to abstain. The Aam Aadmi Party wanted Rahul to call up party leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal soliciting support. The Congress, which detests the AAP for having snatched away its vote bank in Delhi, has vehemently kept Kejriwals party out of the opposition bloc, and Rahul did not call Kejriwal. And, the AAP, too, abstained. The conflict in the opposition camp also points to other issues that are likely to crop up while stitching together alliances in the states. Opposition leaders say the party which dominates in a particular state will lead the charge there. This will help regional leaders play on their popular appeal. Who the individual parties will project in their respective electoral contests is for them to decide, said NCP leader D.P. Tripathi. That should not pose a problem for opposition unity. Going by this formula, in West Bengal, the Congress and the left ought to be aligning with the Trinamool. But, it seems unlikely. In Delhi, the AAP is the leading anti-Modi force. But, the Congress has decided against allying with it. The BJDs move to support the NDA candidate in the deputy speaker election shows that an alliance between the Congress and the Odisha party can be ruled out, and that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik hopes to gain from a three-way contest that involves the BJP, splitting anti-incumbency votes. In Andhra Pradesh, the YSR Congress, which has taken over the Congress vote bank, is averse to being on the same page as the Congress, and is keeping its options open. A top Congress leader said in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the basic architecture of the opposition alliance would work on the lines of the Kairana Lok Sabha byelection, where all anti-Modi parties got together. He said the Congress had an alliance with the NCP in Maharashtra and with the JD(S) in Karnataka. An alliance with the BSP in the upcoming assembly elections could lead to a nationwide tie-up for the Lok Sabha polls. Bihar showed that the BJP could be vanquished by a mahagathbandhan, said RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. His recent protest in Delhi against the Nitish Kumar government saw an impressive line up of opposition leaders. Said Tejashwi, If we are together in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand, there is no way Modi is coming back to power. Notwithstanding the optimism, the opposition unity is still a work in progress. New Delhi, Aug 17 (PTI) Civil aviation regulator, DGCA, today told the Delhi High Court that airlines in the country are not charging fares that are unlawful, discriminatory or exorbitant and the ticket prices change according to market forces. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) also told a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao that under the Aircraft Act it was not empowered to make "financial regulations" with regard to air fares. The regulator took the stand in an affidavit filed in response to a PIL seeking capping of air fares charged by airlines in the country. The plea by consumer rights activist Bejon K Misra has alleged that the authorities, including DGCA, were acting as "silent spectators" to the "arbitrary" fixing of fares by the airlines. Denying the allegation, DGCA said in its affidavit that "change in air fares was dynamic". "Fare increase with increase in demand for seats on any given flight and as a flight's available seat inventory diminishes, lower bucket fares consequently may no longer be available. "It is denied that air fares charged by the airlines are unlawful and discriminatory and that the respondents (DGCA and the Centre) have shirked their responsibility," the aviation regulator said while urging the court to dismiss the plea. The court took the affidavit, filed by advocate Anjana Gosain, on record and listed the matter for further hearing on October 9. Explaining how the fares are calculated, DGCA in its affidavit said that airlines adopt a dynamic pricing mechanism in which prices are changed often depending on the day of a week, time of day, numbers of days before the flight and other factors like number of seats and departure time. The regulator also said that "prevailing airline practices with regard to the type of fares offered and their charging method by private and government owned airlines are same and in line with practices followed globally". The DGCA also said that "petitioner's averments regarding charging of exorbitant airfares by private airlines have not been substantiated" as the prices charged by them do not exceed the fare buckets (levels) displayed on their website. Misra in his plea has claimed that capping of air fares was necessary as airlines often charge more than 10 times the base rate when there is a shortage of seats. In support of his claim, he has referred to the incident of IndiGo airline cancelling a large number of its flights after some of its A320N aircraft were grounded due to engine trouble. Misra has alleged that due to the cancellation of these flights, IndiGo passengers had to book tickets at the last minute on other airlines at "exorbitant prices". He has sought that airlines should not be allowed to charge more than a justified hike in the advance booking fare. The petitioner has said that capping of air fares or guidelines to regulate them are necessary to ensure "greater transparency and accountability" and "discourage profiteering and undue enrichment in the business of civil aviation". PTI HMP SKV RT RT Islamabad, Aug 18 (PTI) Imran Khan has sought UK's help to combat the menace of money laundering during a conversation with his British counterpart Theresa May, Pakistani media reported, a day after he vowed to act against those who "looted" the country. Khan's request is significant as former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his close relatives are currently jailed in one corruption case and are facing more allegations of money laundering and graft. Hours after Imran Khan was elected the new prime minister of Pakistan yesterday, May called him to congratulate and offer her best wishes, Dawn newspaper reported. The British Prime Minister, during her telephonic conversation with Khan, said that her government is ready to further improve Britain's relations with Pakistan. "We are ready to open new avenues of partnership with Pakistan," May told Khan. "We will fully assist the new government." Khan, after thanking May for her call, said that he hopes to work with the British government to root out the menace of money laundering. "Money laundering is a severe problem for developing countries," he said. "To stop this we want to work with foreign governments, especially Britain's," Khan was quoted as saying. Prime Minister May agreed to Khan's desire of working together to eradicate the practice, the report said. In his inaugural address to the newly-elected Parliament, Khan said, "I promise my nation today that we will bring the tabdeeli (change) that this nation was starving for." "We have to hold strict accountability in this country; the people who looted this country, I promise that I will work against them," he vowed. "The money that was laundered, I will bring it back - the money that should have gone towards health, education, and water, went into people's pockets," Khan said. Sharif, 68, along with his daughter Maryam, 44 and his son-in-law Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar are already serving jail terms of 10-years, seven years and one year respectively in the 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 ownership of the four London flats by the Sharif family surfaced in the Panama Papers in April 2016, indicating that the posh properties were managed through offshore companies owned by Sharif's children. The Panama Papers cases were launched on September 8, 2016 following the Supreme Court verdict of July 28 that disqualified Sharif as prime minister and ordered the National Accountability Bureau to probe corruption cases against him. PTI AKJ AKJ AKJ United Nations, Aug 18 (PTI) UN chief Antonio Guterres has expressed sadness over the flooding and extensive damage and displacement caused in rain-battered Kerala. Kerala is witnessing the worst flooding in 100 years. About 80 dams have overflowed and more than 300 lives have been lost. Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. "Our humanitarian colleagues as well as the country team in India have been following the recent floods very closely. The United Nations is of course saddened by the loss of life, destruction and displacement caused by floods in India," Stephane Dujarric, the UN Secretary-Generals spokesperson, told reporters here yesterday. When asked if the UN been asked for help in India in the Kerala floods, he said the world body has not received any direct request from the Indian Government for aid. "As you know, India has quite a well-operated machinery to deal with natural disasters but of course our country team I was in touch with our Resident Coordinator today they're following closely and they're in touch with partners on the ground," he said. PTI YAS AMS AMS Islamabad, Aug 18 (PTI) Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief Shahbaz Sharif is set to become the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly as 111 lawmakers have nominated him for the slot, a media report said today. The leader of the opposition will be notified on Monday. National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser told the house yesterday that he had received 66-year Sharifs nomination as the opposition leader signed by 111 members from the opposition benches, Dawn reported. The PML-N's strength in the house is 82 followed by the Mutahidda Majlis-i-Amal (15) and the Awami National Party (one). The collective number of the three opposition parties is 98 and the support of 111 lawmakers to Sharif indicated that some Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) members also supported his candidature for the slot of the leader of the opposition, the paper added. The PPP had abstained from voting for Sharif for the post of prime minister yesterday. The PPP has a total of 43 lawmakers. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan defeated Sharif in a one-sided election in the National Assembly to become the 22nd prime minister of Pakistan. Khan secured 176 votes while his only rival Sharif got 96 votes. Sharif, the younger brother of jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, served as the chief minister of the politically crucial Punjab province from 2013 to 2018. He became PML-N president after his elder brother was barred from holding the top party position and public posts. PTI ZH ZH New Delhi, Aug 17 (PTI) As many as 868 people have lost their lives, 247 of them in Kerala, due to rains, floods and landslides in seven states during the monsoon season so far, the Home Ministry said today. According to the Home Ministry's National Emergency Response Centre (NERC), 247 people have died in Kerala, where 2.11 lakh people in 14 districts have been badly hit by the rains and floods and over 32,500 hectares of crops damaged. As many as 191 people have died in Uttar Pradesh, 183 people in West Bengal, 139 in Maharashtra, 52 in Gujarat, 45 in Assam and 11 in Nagaland. A total of 33 people have also been missing, 28 in Kerala and five in West Bengal, while 274 have been injured in rain-related incidents in the states. The deluge and rains have hit 26 districts in Maharashtra, 23 in Assam, 23 in West Bengal, 14 in Kerala, 13 in Uttar Pradesh, 11 in Nagaland and 10 in Gujarat. Nearly two lakh people have been living in relief camps in Kerala and 43 teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) consisting of nearly 2,000 rescuers and 163 boats have been deployed in the state. The IAF has deployed 23 helicopters and 11 transport aircraft. Some of the aircraft are being flown in from Yelahanka (Karnataka) and Nagpur (Maharashtra). The Indian Navy has deployed 51 boats along with diving teams, 1,000 life jackets and 1,300 gumboots are being rushed to Kerala today. It has flown 16 sorties in last two days in rescue operations. It will airdrop 1,600 food packets today. The Coast Guard has deployed 30 boats along with rescue teams, 300 life jackets, seven life rafts and 144 life buoys. The Army has pressed into service 10 columns, 10 Engineering Task Forces (ETFs), 60 boats and 100 life jackets. One unit of the Territorial Army has also been deployed in Kerala. In Assam, 11.45 lakh people have borne the brunt of the rains and floods, which have also hit crops in 27,600 hectares of land. Altogether 14 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), comprising 357 rescuers, were engaged in rescue and relief operations in Assam, the NERC said. In West Bengal, 2.27 lakh people have been affected by the floods and crops in 48,550 hectares are damaged. In Uttar Pradesh, 1.74 lakh people are affected by the monsoon rains which have also damaged 33,855 hectares of crops. Nine NDRF teams were deployed in Uttar Pradesh, eight in West Bengal, seven in Gujarat, four in Maharashtra and one in Nagaland. PTI ACB AAR AAR Additional police deployment at Goa bridge to ease traffic woes Panaji, Aug 17 (PTI) The Goa government has deployed two platoons of the state police's India Reserve Battalion to decongest a section of the national highway connecting the North and South districts of the state, a senior official said today. Heavy traffic jams have been witnessed for the past few days at Agassaim village on the national highway near Zuari bridge, about 15 kilometres from here, the official said. The issue had drawn protests from political parties as well as people who had missed their flights as the highway is the sole access road for people of North Goa to the international airport. "Two platoons of IRB have been deployed. Police have issued detailed instructions to field formations for continuous monitoring of traffic situation," a senior Chief Minister's Office official told PTI today. He claimed that since the deployment of the two IRB platoons at the site, traffic had been moving smoothly on the highway. The official said that, as instructed by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar who is currently in the United States for a medical check-up, senior state officials had visited the site of the traffic bottleneck. "As per the instructions of the chief minister, Chief Secretary Dharmendra Sharma, Director General of Police Muktesh Chandar, Principal Secretary to CM P Krishnamurthy, accompanied by traffic police and PWD officials, visited both sides of the bridge," the official said. The official informed that the state PWD department had been directed to construct a slipway from Cortalim junction at the south of the Zuari bridge to ease the flow of traffic moving towards Margao. "Traffic police has been directed to deploy additional manpower to ensure lane driving and regulate smooth movement of traffic," the official added. PTI RPS BNM BNM BNM RDS RDS RDS Maratha quota stir: Indefinite protest from Aug 20 in Pune Mumbai, Aug 18 (PTI) Two Maratha outfits agitating for reservations in jobs and educational institutions for the community have decided to hold an indefinite protest from August 20 in Pune. In a meeting held today, the Maratha Kranti Morcha and Sakal Maratha Samaj said that the protest, which would be held at the Pune Divisional Commissioner's office, was to demand withdrawal of police cases against agitators as well as jobs for the kin of those who had committed suicide in connection with the stir. The information was given by coordinator Shantaram Kunjir, Balasaheb Amrale, Tushar Kakde, Rekha Konde and Sushil Pawar in Pune. They added that a code of conduct had been prepared for the protesters. The Maratha stir, demanding 16 per cent reservations for the community which comprises 30 per cent of Maharashtra's population, had turned violent in several areas in July and early August. PTI MM BNM BNM BNM Guj announces judicial inquiry into fires at groundnut godowns Ahmedabad, Aug 18 (PTI) Chief Minister Vijay Rupani today announced an inquiry commission headed by a retired High Court judge to probe cases of fires in godowns storing groundnuts. A state government release said that Justice (retired) H K Rathod would head the commission set up under the Commission of Inquiry Act. The move comes after the opposition Congress demanded a judicial probe into what it claimed was a groundnut procurement scam. The state, in the past few weeks, has seen several instances of fire in godowns stocking groundnuts procured by the Centre's National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED). While groundnuts worth Rs 3 crore was gutted at a warehouse at Sapar in Rajkot district in May this year, another fire destroyed stock worth Rs 28 crore in the district's Gondal taluka in February. PTI KA PD BNM BNM BNM Aurangabad, Aug 18 (PTI) A corporator has been arrested here for opposing a resolution in the municipal corporation to pay tributes to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a police official said today. Syed Mateen Sayyad Rashid, a member of the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) belonging to the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), a Hyderabad-based political party, was apprehended last night, he said. The arrest was made after a complaint was filed against him by the AMC's security officer, he said. Rashid has been booked under IPC sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 294 (obscene acts in public) at the City Chowk police station, police said. Earlier yesterday, the 32-year-old was allegedly thrashed by BJP corporators for opposing the condolence motion tabled for paying homage to Vajpayee, who died in New Delhi on August 16. The alleged incident took place during the general body meeting of the civic body, ruled by the BJP-Shiv Sena combine, here in central Maharashtra, an official had said. After the meeting began, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator Raju Vaidya tabled a proposal to pay tributes to Vajpayee. Rashid opposed it, which infuriated the saffron party members, who allegedly thrashed him, he said. A video clip purportedly showing Rashid being kicked, punched and slapped by BJP corporators has gone viral on social media and was also aired by some TV channels. Rashid has lodged a separate complaint against two BJP corporators and some other members in connection with the assault on him, the police official said. Yesterday, the general body of the AMC passed a resolution to cancel Rashid's membership, a civic official said. Soon after the fracas at the meeting, Deputy Mayor Vijay Sainath Autade had directed the AMC's security officer to lodge a complaint against the AIMIM corporator for attempting to create enmity between two communities, he said. Rashid was arrested from the Government Medical College and Hospital where he was admitted for treatment of injuries he suffered in the attack, the police said. The AIMIM corporator yesterday told PTI that he was opposing the move to pay tributes to Vajpayee in a "democratic manner", but was assaulted by around a dozen BJP corporators. The Aurangabad civic body is ruled by the BJP-Shiv Sena combine. PTI DC COR RSY GVS GVS Bhopal, Aug 18 (PTI) The Centre, acting on the recommendation of the Madhya Pradesh government, has decided to prematurely retire a 1995 batch Indian Police Service officer "in public interest" with immediate effect, an official said today. IPS officer Mayank Jain (51) was suspended after the Lokayukta police raided his properties in May 2014 claiming to have unearthed illegal wealth allegedly amassed by him. The state government in March had asked the Centre to prematurely retire Jain, an official said, adding that such retirement might be the first for an IPS officer serving in the state. "The Central government after careful consideration of the proposal of the state government and the performance of Mayank Jain, IPS (MP-1995) has come to the conclusion that the officer is not fit to be retained in service in public interest," the order from the Centre read. "The Central government has, therefore, decided to retire Mayank Jain prematurely from service, in public interest with immediate effect," it added. The order of the Centre stated that the action against Jain was being taken under sub rule 3 of Rule 16 of the All India Services (Death Cum Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958. State Home Department Principal Secretary Malay Shrivastava told PTI that the state government would serve the Centre's order, dated August 13, to Jain on Monday. PTI LAL BNM DIP DIP Bhopal, Aug 18 (PTI) The Madhya Pradesh government today announced a host of measures, including instituting awards, establishing museums, parks and libraries, as a tribute to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the life of Vajpyee, who was born in Gwalior, would be included in the school curriculum from the next academic year and the late prime minister's ashes would be immersed in different rivers of the state. "Atalji was a multi-faced personality. So the state government has instituted national awards in three categories, with a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh each- for a budding poet, an extraordinary journalist, and a bureaucrat excelling in governance," Chouhan told reporters here. The Gorkhi School, where Vajpayee studied from Class VI to VIII, would be transformed into a top quality education centre having smart classrooms along with a museum dedicated to the late prime minister, he added. The chief minister also announced that parks would be built in Vajpayee's memory in Gwalior and Bhopal while the Global Skill Park in Bhopal and the Vidisha Government Medical College would be named after the late icon. World class libraries would be set up in the name of Vajpayee in the smart cities coming up in Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Sagar and Satna, Chouhan said. PTI LAL BNM SNE SNE Morigaon (Assam), Aug 18 (PTI) The principal of a missionary school in Assam's Morigoan district was arrested on charges of dishonouring the national flag, police said today. According to district's Deputy Superintendent of Police Mrinmoy Goswami, Father James Xavier was arrested yesterday after locals complained that he did not hoist the national flag in his school on Independence Day and also defied a government order to fly it half mast from August 16 for seven days as a mark of respect to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Father Xavier was released on bail by a local court today, the DSP added. Locals had lodged the complaint at Morigaon police station yesterday against Xavier, who is the principal of Saint Eugene School which is located about eight km from the district headquarter town. A case was filed under Section 2 of the Prevention of Insult to National Honour (Amendment) Act 2005 and the principal was arrested as all educational institutions have to hoist the flag on Independence Day, Goswami said. PTI cor ESB KK RT RT Royal Bengal tigress released in Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary Bhubaneswar, Aug 18 (PTI) A two-year-old Royal Bengal tigress from Madhya Pradesh was released into wild in Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary in Odisha's Angul district, a top Forest official said today. Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) Sandeep Tripathy said the tigress was released yesterday in the wildlife sanctuary. The tigress was was brought to Satkosia from Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh on June 28 and was kept under observation in a special enclosure at Satkosia Tiger Reserve. Earlier, a three-year-old Royal Bengal Tiger was relocated from Madhya Pradeshs Kanha National Park and released in the Satkosia Tiger Reserve on July 7. "An expert team of Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has been monitoring movement of the big cats round-the-clock in the forest," Tripathy said. The two RBTs, one male and another female, were translocated as a part of inter-state re-introduction of tigers, as per the the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) guidelines. The Odisha government has planned to bring six tigers from Madhya Pradesh and release them into the Satakosia tiger reserve to increase the big cat population. PTI AAM RG RG RG Chandigarh, Aug 18 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today said that the state government would provide financial assistance of Rs 10 crore to flood affected people and for rescue operations in Kerala. He said that the people of Kerala had been facing heavy losses of life and property due to severe floods, and Haryana is with Kerala in this hour of need. Punjab, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu have already announced aid for flood-ravaged Kerala. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced an immediate financial assistance of Rs 500 crore to the state, after reviewing the flood situation there. As many as 194 people have lost their lives and 36 are missing in Kerala since August 8 due to rains and landslides, while over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. The southern state is facing its worst flood in 100 years with 80 dams opened and all rivers in spate. A body blow has been dealt to the scenic state, with its infrastructure, standing crops and tourism facilities severely hit. PTI VSD RCJ RCJ New Delhi, Aug 18 (PTI) The Women and Child Development Ministry has summoned Air India chief Pradeep Singh Kharola next week seeking explanation behind the delay in completing probe in a sexual harassment case, a senior official said. Union Minister Maneka Gandhi had directed the head of the Internal Complaints Committee of Air India to complete the inquiry in June. The complaint of sexual harassment was lodged by an air hostess of the national carrier against its senior executive. However, the inquiry has not been completed yet and the ministry has summoned Kharola on August 23 to explain the reason behind the delay, the official said. According to a WCD Ministry official, Gandhi had also taken up the matter with Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu. The air hostess has alleged that she had been harassed for the last six years by the senior executive, describing him as a "predator" and equal, if not worse, than Harvey Weinstein, the Hollywood filmmaker charged with sexual misconduct by leading actresses. "This senior executive is a predator and has sexually propositioned me, abused me, used abusive languages on other women in my presence, spoken of sexual acts with me and other women in my presence in office premises... "He has insulted me and denied me positions and privileges after I rejected his advances and he had made my life a misery at work and continues to do so," she said in her letter, dated May 25. The air hostess maintained that she had lodged a complaint with Air India last September and written to then CMD of the airline, but "none was forthcoming". She also accused the airline's women cell of dragging its feet on the issue. In a letter addressed to Prabhu and also marked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the air hostess had asked for appointing a "neutral" investigation committee to look into the incident. Responding to the letter, the civil aviation minister had tweeted, "Asked Air India CMD to immediately address the issue. If necessary, will appoint another committee." PTI UZM SMN SMN New Delhi, Aug 18 (PTI) A fire was reported this evening in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) headquarters located on the sixth floor of Lok Nayak Bhawan in Khan Market area of the city, but no files were damaged, officials said. A call about the fire at the 11-storey Lok Nayak Bhwan housing important government offices, including the ED headquarters, was received around 5 PM. Eight fire tenders were rushed to contain it, said a senior Delhi Fire Services(DFS) officer. "The fire was on the sixth floor of the building. It was controlled in half an hour. The cause of the fire was not known yet," he said. A room of the ED headquarters was gutted in the blaze, however, no damage to any file was reported since no documents were kept there, agency officials said. The fire fighters broke many windowpanes for smoke to escape. The building is secured by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The building also houses offices of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the 1984 anti-Sikh riots ases, some departments of home affairs and the Revenue Department. PTI VIT/NES VIT TIR TIR Chandigarh, Aug 18 (PTI) The Congress MPs and MLAs in Punjab will donate a month's salary for the relief work in flood-ravaged Kerala, a party spokesman said. The decision follows a directive from Congress president Rahul Gandhi to all party MPs and MLAs from across the country to donate one-month salary for relief measures in the southern state. According to the party spokesperson, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has announced his decision to immediately donate the one-month salary. Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Sunil Jakhar said he had already directed party MPs and MLAs to provide the monetary help to Kerala flood victims on priority. The party workers have been asked to ensure that the money reaches the Kerala authorities over the next two-three days without delay, he said. Yesterday, Singh had announced Rs 10 crore for Kerala. While Rs 5 crore has been transferred to Kerala Chief Minister's Relief Fund, the remaining is being sent in the form of ready-to-eat food items and other essential supplies, according to an official spokesman. Around 40,000 food packets, weighing 40 metric tonne, was dispatched today, while another 60,000 such packets will be flown out from the Halwara airport tonight, he said. Two more sorties have been scheduled for Monday and Tuesday. As many as 194 people have lost their lives and 36 are missing in Kerala since August 8 due to rains and landslides, while over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. PTI VSD TR HP AQS CK CK Kolkata, Aug 19 (PTI) A city court has sentenced a woman to two months' imprisonment for falsely accusing a barber of sexually assaulting her minor daughter. During examination of witnesses in the case earlier this week, the woman admitted in the court that she had levelled false allegations against the man under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The woman had lodged a complaint at the Phoolbagan police station here in June, that the barber had sexually assaulted her eight-year-old daughter while giving her a haircut. The man, who is in his 40s, was arrested following the complaint and was in custody since then. During trial before the Special judge (P) Jimut Bahan Biswas at Sealdah Court, when the mother of the child was being questioned as a witness, the woman said she had made false allegations against the man, public prosecutor Vivek Sharma said. She admitted before the court that she had also made the allegations in a confidential statement made before a magistrate. She, however, did not tell the court the reason for levelling the false charges, Sharma said. The judge acquitted the man of all charges and ordered his release. The Judge then initiated proceedings against the woman and sentenced her to two months in jail for bringing the false charges against the man, who had also been behind bars for over two months. Sharma said that under the POSCO Act, there is provision of sentencing a person up to six months in jail for bringing false charges. The woman was taken in custody and sent to a correctional home here. PTI AMR PR DIP DIP Chennai, Aug 18 (PTI) The Justice A Arumughaswamy Commission of Inquiry, probing the circumstances leading to former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's death, has summoned three doctors of AIIMS, who examined her at the Apollo Hospital here, to appear before it on August 23 and 24. The commissioned has summoned G C Khilnani of the Department of Pulmonology, Anjan Trikha, Professor of Anaesthesiology, and Nitish Nayak, professor at the Department of Cardiology. The doctors had periodically examined Jayalalithaa when she was undergoing treatment at the Apollo Hospital between September 22 and December 5, 2016. The expert doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) will be examined as the commission's witness on both the days, panel sources told PTI. Summonses have already been served on them and they have accepted it, the sources added. So far the commission's 75 witnesses and seven others who had voluntarily petitioned the panel have been examined. Of them, over 30 have been cross-examined by counsels for V K Sasikala, the jailed aide of late AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa. It may be recalled that the examined witnesses include over a dozen doctors (government and Apollo Hospital), retired and serving government officials and police officers. In September 2017, the Tamil Nadu government constituted the panel under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952. The panel's terms of reference was to inquire into the circumstances leading to the hospitalisation of Jayalalithaa on September 22, 2016, and treatment provided by the hospital till her demise on December 5, 2016. The Commission had invited all those having "personal knowledge and direct acquaintance" in the matter to furnish information to it. Following Jayalalithaa's death, suspicion on the circumstances leading to her demise was raised by several people, including the present Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and his followers. Then a rebel party leader, Panneerselvam and his followers had demanded a probe into her death, either a judicial inquiry or a CBI probe. After unification of the factions led by Chief Minister K Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam, the government notified constituting the panel. The probe was a key precondition put forth by the Panneerselvam panel for the merger. DMK Working President M K Stalin had batted for a CBI probe as well. PTI VGN ROH SMN SMN New Delhi, Aug 18 (PTI) A 62-year-old woman known as the "godmother of crime" in south Delhi's Sangam Vihar, who was wanted in connection with the killing of a man, was arrested, police said today. The accused identified as Basiran was declared a proclaimed offender, they said. A total of 113 criminal cases including that of bootlegging, murder, robbery, contract killing and snatching have been registered against Basiran and her family members, police said. Acting on a tip-off, the accused was arrested from Sangam Vihar where she had come to meet her family members to decide further strategy in connection with seizure of her property, said Romil Baaniya, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (south). In September 2017, a partially decomposed body was recovered from the jungle of Sangam Vihar. A case was registered in connection with the murder following which a juvenile was apprehended in this case in January 2018, he said. The juvenile then disclosed name of his associates namely Aakash, Vikash, Neeraj, Munni Begum and Basiran, he added. After the co-accused were arrested, Basiran fled away and was evading her arrest since then, the DCP said. On May 25, Basiran was declared proclaimed offender in connection with the case. Subsequently, her property attached and sealed, he said. Meanwhile, the accused also filed an application seeking anticipatory bail at Delhi High Court and also sought release of her property at Saket Court. However, the Delhi Police strongly objected to it, giving her previous criminal background following which both applications were then dismissed by the court, the senior officer said. During interrogation, Basiran admitted that she had taken a contract of Rs 60,000 to kill Miraz who was a step-brother of one of the accused Munni Begum, he said. Basiran along with her associates hatched a conspiracy to kill Miraz. As per the plan, on the intervening night of 8 and 9 September 2017, Munni Begum took Miraz to Basiran's house and from there her associates took Miraz to a jungle in Sangam Vihar's K block where they intoxicated him and strangulated him to death using leather belt. The accused then burnt the body to hide his identity and buried it in the jungle, the officer added. It was learnt that Basiran did not have any permanent source of income and so she started selling illicit liquor. The accused even motivated her eight sons including a minor to commit crime, the DCP said. Once, she acquired dominance in the area, with the help of her sons, she captured government water borewells in Sangam Vihar and was running a water supply mafia, he said. She was absconding since last eight months and was hiding in cities like Allahabad, Ahmedabad, Mainpuri and Firozabad, he added. Police said a case of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999 (MCOCA) has been registered against her son Shamim. She along with other family members will also be booked in connection with the case for amassing wealth from crime proceeds, the police said. PTI AMP VIT RCJ TN announces Rs 5 cr more, relief materials, medical teams for Kerala Chennai, Aug 18 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami today announced relief materials including rice, milk and Rs five crore more for relief operations in the flood ravaged Kerala. Palaniswami said essential medicines and teams comprising medical and veterinary doctors will be immediately dispatched to the neighbouring state. Over and above the Rs five crore contribution for relief given to Kerala on August 10 by Tamil Nadu, the Chief Minister said,"an additional Rs five crore," will be provided from the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund. On August 9, Palaniswami had announced the Rs five crore for relief and rehabilitation work. As regards relief materials, 500 tonne rice, 300 tonnes of milk powder and 15,000 litres of Ultra-High Temperature (UHT) processed milk, 10,000 blankets besides dhoties and lungies (coloured dhoties) will be immediately sent to Kerala, he said. "Also, relief materials worth crores received from Tamil Nadu people have already been sent to Kerala through authorities in districts and this work will continue," Palaniswami said in an official release here. To coordinate relief-related tasks to help Kerala, two senior IAS officials have been assigned to work under Commissioner for Revenue Administration, K Sathyagopal, the Chief Minister noted. Expressing anguish over the loss of lives, Palaniswami conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced an immediate financial assistance of Rs 500 crore to Kerala, after reviewing the flood situation in the state. According to the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, since August 8, 194 people have lost their lives so far and 36 are missing. Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. PTI VGN ROH RBS RBS RBS Three held for trying to blackmail man with daughter's morphed photos Hyderabad, Aug 18 (PTI) Three people, who allegedly tried to extort money from a man by blackmailing him with his daughter's morphed photos, were arrested here, police said today. The man, a resident of Himayat Nagar here, complained that he received a call on August 9 and the caller had demanded Rs five crore, saying he was in possession of some personal photographs of his daughter and that he would upload them on social media, a police release said. A trap was laid and the complainant was asked to accede to their demand of rs one crore, it said, adding the accused wanted Rs 20 lakh as initial amount. When they came to collect the amount, they were arrested. They had come on two motorcycles which were seized along with three cell phones, the release said.PTI SJR BN BN BN BN Engineer, lawyer set up group to monitor "biased, fake" news Mumbai, Aug 18 (PTI) An aeronautical engineer from Mumbai and a Delhi-based lawyer have come together to set up a group, which will monitor news reports and social media posts that are "biased and fake" and take necessary action. The organisation, "India Against Bias Media" (IABM), has been formed by Vipul Saxena, an aeronautical engineer, and Vibhor Anand, a Supreme Court lawyer. The group has been filing cases against disseminators of reports, which are aimed at, "destroying religious and social fabric of the country", Saxena said. However, journalists expressed concern over the setting of the group, saying it may harass and intimidate scribes and social media users. The duo had been working on the project for the last two years, but made a soft-launch of the forum on Twitter over a week ago. Since then, they have filed almost two dozen cases, mainly of sedition, across the country against several people. "We are getting full support from people of clean and responsible media and not going to deter from wrong doers. Either self regulate or we regulate them legally. We are teams of professionals from all domains backed by strong teams of lawyers across," Saxena tweeted yesterday. The 54-year-old dismissed suggestions that his organisation was like a pressure group or a media watchdog and also denied any political affiliation. "Our team of legal experts will deal with those who indulge in circulation of biased, fake, manipulated, morphed or doctored contents which could create social or religious disharmony, trigger riots or show disrespect to people on top constitutional posts like prime minister and president. "We will never stage dharna or protest march, but will deal with such people legally as we have full faith in the Constitution," Saxena told PTI. He said in the last four to five days, IABM has filed sedition cases against actor Swara Bhasker in several police stations across the country and also a Youtuber, Dhruv Rathi. Bhasker had tweeted a picture of a man tied to a jeep as a "human shield" by an Army officer in Kashmir last year to deter stone-pelters. Besides, cases were lodged against a few journalists for their tweets in the wake of an attack on JNU student leader Umar Khalid in New Delhi, Saxena said. "Most of the cases have been filed under IPC sections like 120(B) (criminal conspiracy), 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 153(A) (promoting enmity between different groups)," he said. If individuals booked under these charges express regret or say sorry for their comments or tweets, IABM will withdraw the cases against them, Saxena said. "We are not trying to silence dissent or suppress the freedom of speech and expression. We are trying to make people responsible for what they speak or write," the aeronautical engineer said. "We can not remain a mute spectator and see the country's social harmony being vitiated," he asserted. Asked who will decide whether a news report is "biased or fake", Saxena said, "We have teams of professionals who know which news contains truth and which one is motivated." He said the Press Council of India (PCI) has proved ineffective in its job as a media regulator. "When the PCI starts doing its true job, we will pack our bags," Saxena added. City-based journalist Jatin Desai was critical of the new group, saying its existence will prove detrimental to democratic values of the country. "Forming different opinions and openly expressing them are the heart and soul of a democratic country. These people are trying to harass journalists and people (social media users) by selectively filing cases against them. "Dissent can never be suppressed. Otherwise, we will have a handicapped democracy," said Desai, a member of the Mumbai Press Club. PTI APM RSY RSY RSY SRE SRE SRE New Delhi, Aug 18 (PTI) The Indian Commercial Pilots' Association (ICPA) today wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing its willingness to fly planes to Kerala on a "voluntary basis" in the larger interest of the affected people in the state. "We are willing to fly the planes without payment on voluntary basis to the cause of these operations. We consider this a unique privilege that we can use to assist in such operations," the association said in the letter. "We have full faith that Sir you will surely turn your attention to the plight of Air India and Air Indians once calm is restored," the letter stated. The association's letter to the prime minister comes a day after the pilots threatened to stop operations if their flying allowance dues were not paid immediately. "ICPA pilots on the Airbus 320 and Boeing 787 in Air India are ready and committed to the cause of OPERATION MADAD & OPERATION SAHYOG. We will support the government and the PMO in the endeavour to help our fellow citizens in Kerala," the letter said. Air India has always come forward during natural calamities by operating relief flights and by evacuating Indians from war zones like Kuwait, Libya, Lebanon or Yemen, General Secretary of the association T. Praveen Keerthi said. "We are ready for any help as pilots on voluntary basis for Kerala, like we have always done in the past," the letter added. PTI SAN SNE SNE New Delhi, Aug 18 (PTI) Delhi Mahila Congress chief Sharmishtha Mukherjee today alleged wrong-doings in a women's shelter home in Karkardooma area and demanded action by the city government and police in this regard. A complaint was lodged by the Delhi Mahila Congress workers at Anand Vihar police station claiming that "terribly wrong things" were detected by them in a sting operation at the facility, she said in a press conference. The Congress leader demanded the AAP government to order a social audit of government shelter homes for women by a neutral agency. In the wake of the Muzaffarpur and Deoria incidents, Congress president Rahul Gandhi had asked the All India Mahila Congress to find out the condition of state-run shelter homes for women across the country, she said. The Delhi Women Congress volunteers approached seven shelter homes in the city with a plea of distributing sweets and fruits to the inmates. We were given access by three of the homes, Mukherjee said. "The condition at two of these shelter homes was satisfactory, while at the Karkardooma shelter home, the party workers found the condition terribly wrong," she added. A video of the sting operation was also released by the party. PTI VIT SRY SRY New Delhi, Aug 18 (PTI) A 25-year-old man, who was allegedly posing as a doctor at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here, was arrested today, police said. Ashish Tripathi, a resident of Ghaziabad, was found roaming inside one of the wards of the hospital wearing a white coat, they added. When Tripathi was intercepted by the guards at the hospital, he claimed to be a senior resident doctor. However, when asked, he failed to produce an identity card, Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) Romil Baaniya said. During interrogation, Tripathi told the police that his pregnant wife was admitted to the hospital and he thought it would be easy to enter the wards wearing a white coat, the DCP added. The police said the accused used to give training to the patients admitted to AIIMS regarding dialysis and was found to have a diploma in operation theatre and management from an institute in Lucknow. A case has been registered in connection with the incident. PTI AMP PLB RC RC New Delhi, Aug 18 (PTI) A fruit trader misled the police by lodging a false complaint today about being robbed in a bid to gain sympathy from his creditors, the police said. The man, a papaya trader from Azadpur, was facing losses in his business for the last few months and owed Rs 20 lakh to his creditors. He was running the business along with two of his brothers and some others. He called the Police Control Room (PCR) at around 5.45 pm, alleging that he was robbed of Rs 10.8 lakh and 420 grams of gold at gunpoint by four miscreants, the police said. The fruit trader, one of his brothers and his labourers were questioned and contradictions were found in their statements. The businessman claimed that the incident happened at 3.30 pm. Asked about the delay in approaching the police, he did not have any satisfactory answer. On further interrogation, he confessed that he had narrated a false story in order to gain sympathy from his creditors and also to buy time to pay the loan, the police said. No case has been registered in connection with the matter. PTI SLB RC RC New Delhi, Aug 18 (PTI) Two bike-borne men allegedly opened fire outside a restaurant in east Delhi's Geeta Colony today, police said. At least six rounds were fired by the duo outside the restaurant in the afternoon, they added. The police suspect that the miscreants opened fire to instil a sense fear in the mind of the restaurant owner. The owner and two of his employees rushed inside the restaurant on hearing the gunshots. The accused then fled the spot. The police rushed to the spot after they were informed of the incident by the owner of the restaurant. On inspecting the crime scene, they found empty cartridges. The police are scanning through the CCTV footage obtained from the area to ascertain the identity of accused. A case has been registered. PTI AMP RC RC The following companies are subsidiares of AMETEK: AMETEK CTS GmbH, AMETEK Germany GmbH, AMETEK Hong Kong Private Limited, AMETEK Instruments Group UK Limited, AMETEK Italia S.r.l., Amekai Singapore Private Ltd., Amekai Taiwan Co. Ltd., Haydon Linear Motors (Changzhou) Co. Ltd., SPECTRO Analytical Instruments Inc., Tubes Holdco Limited, AEM Limited, AIP/MPM Funding Inc., AIP/MPM Holdings Inc., AMESP USVI LLC, AMETEK (Barbados) SRL, AMETEK (Bermuda) Ltd., AMETEK (GB) Limited, AMETEK (Thailand) Co. Ltd., AMETEK Aegis Inc., AMETEK Aerospace & Defense Group UK Ltd, AMETEK Aerospace & Power Holdings Inc., AMETEK Aerospace LLC, AMETEK Aircraft Parts & Accessories Inc., AMETEK Airtechnology Group Limited., AMETEK Ameron LLC, AMETEK Arizona Instrument LLC, AMETEK B.V., AMETEK CTS Europe GmbH, AMETEK CTS US Inc., AMETEK Canada 2 ULC, AMETEK Canada 3 ULC., AMETEK Canada Limited Partnership, AMETEK Co. 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Ltd., Universal Analyzers Inc., VTI Instruments Corporation, VTI Instruments Private Limited, VTI Integrated Systems Private Limited, Vision Research Europe B.V., Vision Research Inc., Vision Research srl, Zemetrics Inc., Zygo Corporation, Zygo Pte Ltd., Zygo Richmond Corporation, and ZygoLamda Metrology Instrument (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.. Melrose Industries PLC engages in the aerospace, automotive, powder metallurgy, air management, and other industrial businesses in the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, North America, and internationally. Its Aerospace segment provides airframe and engine structures, and electrical interconnection systems for the aerospace industry in civil airframe and defense platforms. The company's Automotive segment designs, develops, manufactures, and integrates driveline technologies; and epowertrains and intelligent all-wheel drive systems. Its Powder Metallurgy segment offers precision automotive components and components for industrial and consumer applications; metal powder for powder metallurgy; and additive manufacturing parts for prototypes. The company's Nortek Air Management segment manufactures and sells ventilation products for the professional remodeling and replacement, residential new construction, and consumer DIY markets. This segment also manufactures and sells split-system and packaged air conditioners, heat pumps, furnaces, air handlers, and parts for the residential replacement and new construction markets; and custom designed and engineered products and systems for non-residential applications. Its Other Industrial segment provides turbo generators, transformers, and switchgears; develops and manufactures security, home automation, and access control technologies for the residential and commercial markets; and designs, manufactures, and distributes ergonomic products for use in a various working, learning, and healthcare environments. The company was formerly known as New Melrose Industries PLC and changed its name to Melrose Industries PLC in November 2015. Melrose Industries PLC was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Read More Wall Street analysts have given BlackRock Long-Term Municipal Advantage Trust 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 BlackRock Long-Term Municipal Advantage Trust wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. ALBANY It wasnt always like this. Jon Paulines block on Clinton Avenue between North Lake Avenue and Robin Street used to be bustling. During this time of the year, you would see dozens of families mingling outside their homes in the West Hill neighborhood. There used to be a meat market at the end of the block, but it burned down years ago, Pauline recalled. His family moved into their two-story home in the late-1970s, and then watched building after building fall into neglect. But now Pauline has a front row seat to the rehabilitation of several of those buildings adorned with red Xs signs meant to demarcate an unstable structure to first responders. Albany needs to be restored, he said. It should have been done a long time ago. I see it coming around. While some development has been sparked privately like the multi-million-dollar housing project on lower Clinton Avenue by Rochester-based Home Leasing multiple structures across from Paulines home were sold through the Albany County Land Bank to ambitious people looking to breathe new life into the decaying buildings and vacant lots. Since the land bank began in 2014, it has sold 300 of the roughly 750 properties it has acquired in Albany County. About half the sales are vacant lots nestled in some of the most socioeconomically distressed neighborhoods of the capital city. But the nonprofits scope touches all over, from the Hilltowns to smaller cities in Albany County such as Cohoes and Watervliet. Rather than sending the properties to auction and selling them to the highest bidder, the land bank takes properties foreclosed on by the county and aims to find a responsible often local buyer who will fix up the property and put it back into productive use. The land bank also has the power to take the properties back if buyers dont follow through on plans and fall behind on taxes. In the past two years, the nonprofit has seen sales skyrocket as the organization finds its stride and increases capacity and community outreach, Executive Director Adam Zaranko said. A vacant lot on Clinton Street in the South End of Albany was one of several sold recently to get the land bank to the 300th mark. Its a pivotal moment, Albany Legislator Chris Higgins said. Each year, little by little, the land bank gets bigger and disposes of more properties. Its going to take time to see that transformative change. And the devil is in the details: Not every land bank purchase will be glitz and glamor, but it does put property occupied and back on the tax rolls, Zaranko said. Many people expect that once the land bank sells a property there should be an instant transformation of the building, he said. But for most people, these are major projects and they are trying to address properties that have been ignored for five to 15 years, and to expect that to happen overnight is not reasonable. Typically, rehabs take about 12 months to complete after closing, but those taking on the task could run into delays on required municipal approvals, damage done to the property, or personal emergencies, that extend the timeline, Zaranko said. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Roughly 90 percent of the properties sold by the land bank are to Capital Region residents 85 percent of them being Albany County residents living in the town or city theyre purchasing property in, Zaranko said. Albany Legislator Merton Simpson, whose county district encompasses the Arbor Hill neighborhood where affordable housing units are proposed, said the land bank is something thats needed, but things could be improved. We just need to make sure that they are efficient as they possibly can be, he said. The real answer to housing is to rehab that housing stock and make it affordable. There seems to be a trend of gentrification in the downtown areas at the expense of the heart of the black community. Further up on Clinton Avenue, which crosses Arbor Hill and West Hill, the swath of buildings and vacant land across from Paulines home were purchased by Albany developer Patrick Chiou in May. Chiou said hed eyed the properties for years but was hesitant until additional investment in the area began, like Home Leasings $48 million plan to rehabilitate 70 buildings on the lower portion of Clinton. The properties along 521-535 Clinton Ave. (except for 529 Clinton, which Chiou doesnt own) will be renovated into studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments for a total of 20 units that will be a blend of market-rate and affordable housing, he said. Were not trying to displace people. I want to create an environment where there is a better selection of apartments that could be affordable for the general population, he said. Theres a lot happening on Clinton Avenue. I think its a block that has been lost, but its going to come back with all this investment thats going into it. ALBANY Albany Bishop Edward Scharfenberger is urging Capital Region Catholics to keep the faith following the release of a new report detailing abuse by more than 300 priests in Pennsylvania's Catholic Church. In a letter to parish leaders on Friday, Scharfenberger recognized that the community's "deep faith in God" was being challenged, but encouraged them to not "lose hope" after learning the details of Pennsylvania's grand jury inquiry, which looked at more than 1,000 instances of clergy sexual abuse dating to 1947 in six dioceses. "Together we can get to the bottom of this and discover the goodness of God's grace, renewing our wounded Church, so beautiful in each and every one of you, praying and working together," he wrote. "Saint Francis of Assisi once heard God call him to 'rebuild my church.' Now we are all called to do the same," Scharfenberger wrote. "Please join me in this challenge. We will stand together in the storm, face the Lord of all truth with courage and confidence, and follow his lead, as he steers us safely home." Officials in Pennsylvania accused people connected with the Catholic establishment in the state of attempting to block the release of the report, and succeeding in getting large portions of the findings redacted. "Some may be afraid of the truth, but we needn't be," Scharfenberger wrote on Friday. "The truth is beautiful: it sheds light and dispels evil. We have nothing to fear from the truth. And we must demand nothing less." Scharfenberger, who was pastor of a church in Queens before he became Albany's 10th bishop in 2014, is a canon lawyer and was admitted to the New York state bar in 1991 a year after he graduated from Fordham Law School. He was a member of Brooklyn diocese's review board for sexual abuse of minors. Earlier this month, following the revelation that Washington Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick allegedly sexually abused minors and adult seminarians for decades, Scharfenberg called for the creation of a commission of Catholic lay people to investigate his "brother bishops." "Bishops alone investigating bishops is not the answer," Scharfenberger said in a statement. "To have credibility, a panel would have to be separated from any source of power whose trustworthiness might potentially be compromised." Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. In contrast, McCarrick's successor called for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to create a panel of bishops to look into any allegations of sexual misconduct by members of the organization. Scharfenberger also encouraged the Rev. Desmond Rossi, a priest in Glens Falls, to speak out about his abuse by McCarrick decades ago in New Jersey In 2002, in the midst of a wide-ranging child sex abuse scandal, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops adopted a zero tolerance policy for priests accused of abusing children. David.Lombardo@timesunion.com @poozer87 518.454.5427 ALBANY - Cynthia Nixon's last, best chance to wrest the Democratic nomination from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo could be the same opportunity that helped catapult his father into the post 36 years ago. Heading into a series of debates in the summer of 1982, then-Lt. Gov. Mario Cuomo was the underdog in the Democratic gubernatorial primary against New York City Mayor Ed Koch, whose formidable candidacy had scared away other challengers. Former Associated Press Capitol reporter Marc Humbert said Mario Cuomo showed a depth of knowledge during the debates about state government and turned some of Koch's previous statements against him. "He really created an impression that he was for real and he was the guy who could take Koch on," Humbert said. The roadmap to a similar upset is littered with more obstacles for Nixon, who just gets one primary debate, has less time to build momentum and is squaring off against a more battle-tested debater. Nixon and Cuomo will meet for their lone debate on Long Island, where they'll share the stage for an hour in front of 150 people during a commercial-free broadcast on local CBS affiliates. "It's fascinating the current situation with Cynthia Nixon and Andrew Cuomo, because when it comes to gubernatorial debates, his father's gubernatorial career was really made by debates," Humbert said. The agreement on the scheduled one-on-one matchup comes more than three months after Nixon first challenged the governor to a televised debate. Cuomo, who avoided a debate in 2014 against his Democratic primary challenger, was non-committal for most of the summer about debating Nixon, saying only that "there will be a debate." Nixon's campaign accused Cuomo of ignoring two earlier televised debate invitations and then dictating the terms of the scheduled debate. "CBS management has acknowledged that the only way to get Gov. Cuomo to show up is by giving him everything he wants," Nixon campaign senior advisor Rebecca Katz said. "We weren't even given a seat at the table." Cuomo campaign spokeswoman Lis Smith called the complaints "another manufactured melodrama by Nixon." From a political perspective, it's understandable if Cuomo didn't want to debate Nixon. With a massive lead in the polls, an overwhelming fundraising advantage, and the Democratic establishment behind him, the entrenched incumbent may only stand to lose by sharing the spotlight. "There is very little ground to gain if you're like Gov. Cuomo, in this case, with a healthy double-digit lead in the polls," said Bob Bellafiore, who helped Gov. George Pataki prepare for his 2002 debates. "The person ahead always has the most to lose." The goal of a challenger, he said, is to "prod their opponent into some kind of gaffe or mistake or statement that their opponent would regret saying, which can help to undermine the leader and give the challenger an opening that didn't exist before the debate." Katz said Nixon's strategy is to present a stark contrast for voters, with Cuomo framed as the "corporate" option. "The governor is running for a third term, so it's about his record over the last eight years and our vision for a more progressive New York," she said. Smith said Cuomo is looking forward to a "substantive, in-depth debate about the issues that matter most to New Yorkers." Democratic consultant Bruce Gyory said it will also be on Nixon to demonstrate a depth of knowledge about state government, and to appear ready for the office and to pass the "gravitas test." Conversely, he said, "[Cuomo] needs to avoid coming across as a bully or arrogant, because [Nixon] has told everybody time and time again he is a bully." Cuomo, who has more than a decade of experience in public forums and fielding questions from reporters, will be balanced against Nixon's acting experience, so Gyory doesn't anticipate either would self-sabotage their campaign. It's unlikely that anyone besides the most ardent political observers or committed Democratic primary voters will watch the debate when it initially airs. "In a debate like this ... most people learn about the debate from the coverage that comes after," Gyory said, pointing to news reports and social media as the filters for that information. While Mario Cuomo had more than a month after his fifth primary debate to capitalize on his advantage, there will be only two weeks between the debate and the Sept. 13 Democratic primary. "The governor's people have played this very well to their own advantage," Bellafiore said. "Even if the governor was to make a significant gaffe ... Cynthia Nixon would only have two weeks to use it and it may not be enough to make any kind of significant gain." Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Because of the governor's position in the race, Bellafiore believes the debate could have ramifications for Cuomo's long-rumored White House ambitions. "A lot of people who are going to being paying attention to this ... are national Democrats, because they want to see how he performs against somebody who, while not formidable politically, has done improv and line delivering her whole life," he said. "This is not Jimmy McMillan and Carl Paladino anymore." "People here are going to be looking for signals,"Bellafiore added. "Is he presidential? Can he handle a circumstance like this? On a national campaign, there are tons of debates." Debating Cuomo Cuomo's last one-on-one televised debate was in 2006, when he squared off against Republican Jeanine Pirro in the race for state attorney general. Those debates included a familiar refrain about releasing tax returns, as Cuomo urged Pirro to release 14 years of tax returns instead of 12, with his surrogates and campaign team this year calling on Nixon to release five years of returns instead of one. "Only then can we have an honest debate about the future of New York," Smith said. In 2002, Cuomo faced off in a series of debates against Comptroller Carl McCall for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. They largely agreed on policy, but Cuomo, the underdog at the time, needled McCall on his tactics. McCall won the nomination that year and lost the general election to Republican George Pataki, who ran as a two-term incumbent. In 2010 and 2014, Cuomo refused to debate his Republican opponents, preferring instead to fill the stage with third-party candidates, which is a move from his father's playbook. After Mario Cuomo was elected in 1982, Humbert said, "You had to drag Mario kicking and screaming to get into a debate." With Cuomo prescribing the ground rules for his upcoming debate, Katz said the Nixon campaign expects he will be prepared. "I wouldn't underestimate him," she said. But Katz also expects the debate will force Cuomo to answer hard questions on the spot, which has resulted in mistakes in recent months. She noted that the governor has found ways to avoid the press lately, including conference calls with state government reporters who were one floor away in the Capitol. "The best part about a debate is that you cannot call into it," Katz said. David.Lombardo@timesunion.com - 518.454.5427 - @poozer87 GEICO Asks: Were Florida Drivers REALLY Prepared for Hurricane Irma Last Year? Every year, the National Oceanic (News - Alert) and Atmospheric Administration tracks over a dozen hurricanes nearing the U.S., but if you live on the coast, it only takes one to disrupt your life. The 2018 hurricane season seems benign so far, but GEICO - after handling over 20,000 Florida auto loss claims from Hurricane Irma last year - thinks residents in Florida can never be too prepared. Remember this? Last year Florida issued evacuation orders for 5.6 million residents because of Hurricane Irma; roughly four in 10 gas stations ran out of fuel; and about 65 percent of the state lost power. With that in mind, here are some recommendations from GEICO: 1. Keep your gas tank filled - If you need to evacuate, you want enough gas to get out of town. 2. Park your vehicle on higher ground - Avoid any low lying areas if you can. 3. Protect your car in a garage or parking shelter. 4. Build a disaster kit- Include three days of water, medications, toiletries, cash and charging cables. Add food if and when needed. Don't forget pet supplies. 5. Have an evacuation plan - Identify shelters and discuss how you will communicate with your family if you are separated. For a complete hurricane preparation checklist, log onto GEICOMore.com and additional tips. Should you need to evacuate, please click on safe driving in the heavy rain and getting your home Flood-Ready. If you have a loss, please report it as quickly as possible. To speed up your claims process use GEICO Mobile, log in at GEICO.com or call (800) 841-3000 24 hours a day. GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company) is a member of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies and is the second-largest private passenger auto insurance company in the United States. GEICO, which was founded in 1936, provides millions of auto insurance quotes to U.S. drivers annually. Using GEICO's online service center, policyholders can purchase policies, on motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), boats, travel trailers and motorhomes (RVs). Coverage for life, homes and apartments is written by non-affiliated insurance companies and is secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency, Inc. Commercial auto insurance and personal umbrella protection are also available. make policy changes, report claims and print insurance ID cards. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180818005010/en/ When copycats start copying other copycats, real differentiation between products becomes harder to find. One of the most egregious examples of homogeneity in the smartphone market as of late has come from an unlikely source: Motorola. Just one month ago, we praised the company for its commitment to offering compelling, unique devices at every price range. (Image credit: The Motorola P30 is only the latest handset to copy Apple's design language. (Credit: Motorola)) And then, we caught wind of its next big phone: the Motorola P30. Its easy to call the P30 an iPhone X clone, with its wide notch and vertically stacked dual cameras stashed in the upper-left corner of its glass backside. But so many phone makers have done that look to death already that you can barely even call it Apple's anymore. If that wasn't flagrant enough, the aptly named P30 can be had in a blue-and-purple ombre a motif clearly lifted from Huawei's P20 Pro, another device that also looks like an iPhone X, save for the fact that it has three cameras on the rear, rather than two. Huawei calls that colorway Twilight; Motorola's name for it is an "Aurora gradient." So far, the P30 has been announced only for China. However, Motorola's long-rumored One Power phone looks quite similar to the P30, and will probably wind up being the variant of the handset that we'll eventually see in the U.S. "The iPhone X proves that consumers will spend more for differentiation that they value." Avi Greengart, research director, GlobalData Of course, Motorola is hardly the first Android device partner to crib Apple design, nor is it the first desperate to revitalize its lineup with something that looks vaguely like another product people actually want to buy. "The smartphone market is maturing, and replacement cycles are lengthening, which has impacted nearly every smartphone vendor," Avi Greengart, research director at analytics firm GlobalData, told Tom's Guide. In the most recent quarter that just closed, smartphone vendors shipped 342 million devices worldwide, according to data sourced from market intelligence group IDC. That's 1.8 percent less than the 348.2 million devices shipped during the same period last year. In fact, phone sales have declined year-over-year for the last three consecutive quarters. Almost universally, this phenomenon of people holding onto their devices for longer has resulted in slower sales. It's why Samsung sold considerably fewer Galaxy S9s than it expected, and why the just-unveiled Galaxy Note 9 faces a similar dilemma. But Greengart says Apple found a way around that. "Apple has not been able to grow unit sales, but it has managed to sharply increase revenue by convincing consumers to spend more on the iPhone X," Greengart said. "The iPhone X proves that consumers will spend more for differentiation that they value." Motorola, Huawei, LG and their ilk are missing the point. Adding a notch to your phones won't drum up sales, but being able to establish ownership of a byword for innovation will. Whether or not you believe the iPhone X actually offers anything substantially new or valuable, Apple's clout means that the changes they make from generation to generation such as Face ID matter. And, as it turns out, people are willing to pay for them. Samsung stuck in limbo Unfortunately, that's left a major player of the industry in a phase of perceived stagnancy. You could certainly argue that Samsung's Galaxy S8 offered a revolutionary design at the time of its release. But by opting for more iterative improvements with the S9, coupled with increasing the phone's price when purchased through most carriers, Greengart says Samsung has been less successful in persuading users to upgrade. That doesn't bode well for the Note 9, which, despite reviewing well, has received similar criticism for rehashing too many aspects of its predecessor. It also costs $50 more than the Note 8 did at launch. (Image credit: Samsung's Galaxy Note 9 recycles the same cameras used in the Galaxy S9+, but adds AI scene optimization. (Credit: Shaun Lucas/Tom's Guide)) This comes at a time when some insiders project Samsung will sunset the Note brand after the Note 9, given the increasing similarities between it and the Galaxy S+ series. (The Note 9's display is just a tenth of an inch larger than the one inside the Galaxy S9+.) And even more worrisome, Greengart warns that the ghost of the Note 7 might still be haunting Samsung, but not in the way you'd expect. "There isn't a natural two-year upgrade for the Note 9, as the Note 7 was explosively recalled," Greengart said. "Most users reportedly moved to the Galaxy S7+, but some left Samsung entirely." The irony in all of this is that Samsung is one of the only big phone makers that has resisted the temptation to copy Apple's design trajectory. Though, even if it did, the current state of the market suggests it wouldn't make much of a difference anyway. The next (real) innovations Although tech companies' propensity to copy each other might seem discouraging for innovation, the fact is that we have a pretty good idea of what a few of the next breakthroughs in phones are going to be. Better yet, some of them are already here well, sort of. Take the in-display fingerprint sensor, for example. There are a few devices in China that have launched with the technology, the most notable of which is Vivo's Nex S. I reviewed the device, and although I can say it's a magical feeling to provide your fingerprint to a screen instead of a button, the hit rate whenever I tried to unlock the phone was inconsistent. (Image credit: The Vivo Nex S is one of the first widely-launched phones with an in-display fingerprint sensor, but you still can't buy it in the U.S. (Credit: Shaun Lucas/Tom's Guide)) That could explain why we've yet to see handsets with in-display sensors launch in the West, even as we're consistently told such devices will arrive soon. What will likely take much longer are flexible devices, like the oft-rumored foldable Galaxy X. But until that can happen, manufacturers will first have to figure out how to produce transistors reliable enough to survive repeated bending. It's quite possible that killer feature won't pertain to design, but rather the superfast network your future handset runs on. Verizon and Motorola are partnering to deliver a 5G Moto Mod for the new Moto Z3, while Sprint and LG say their first 5G phone will be available early next year. "I think 2019 is going to be an exciting year that some of these things 5G, fingerprint scanning and foldable screens are going to come out. But I think its going to take several years for some of those things to really take hold." Ramon Llamas, research director, IDC As of now, however, both companies and their customers are in a holding pattern before the next big thing arrives. There are still hurdles in the way of every major development. Progress doesn't happen overnight, even though it might look that way to end users. "I think [2019] is going to be an exciting year that some of these things 5G, fingerprint scanning and foldable screens are going to come out," IDC research director Ramon Llamas told Tom's Guide. "But I think its going to take several years for some of those things to really take hold." The present isn't so bad In the meantime, Llamas says he's more enthusiastic about some of the recent advancements already available to the public today, like augmented reality. Yes, we've been living with AR for a long time, particularly in the gaming space. But thanks to Apple and Google expanding the presence of AR in iOS and Android, the technology is going to flourish in other use cases. (Image credit: Asus' ZenFone AR used Google's defunct Project Tango AR tech, though that's been folded into the newer ARCore platform to be used in a wider range of devices. (Credit: Shaun Lucas/Tom's Guide)) "I took out my iPhone and I busted open the Ikea app on it, just to see if a piece of furniture would fit into my living room," Llamas said. "And everyone who was there with me went, 'Oh my God, that's the coolest thing ever!' "You can do [that] now," Llamas said. "This is available currently. If you apply what Ikea's doing to just about any other aspect of your life fold in Wayfair, other furniture stores, cars or anything else that is where I'm excited. I think in 2019 were going to start seeing a little more of what people can do with augmented reality." At that point, it's simply a matter of communicating to people that the devices in their pockets are already capable of some pretty amazing things, even though they might not realize it. That's not the innovation we tend to romanticize, but it is the path toward the real game-changers, including 5G and the like. In the meantime, you might want to hold onto your current phone a bit longer and get used to seeing a whole lot of copycats. Comprehensive Kansas City Manslaughter Guilty Plea Report Kansas City Convict Confession KC man guilty of kidnap and torture over stolen drug money | The Kansas City Star A Kansas City man known as "Joker" pleaded guilty to kidnapping and torturing an Independence man over a bag full of stolen drug money. The defendant's father, known as "Peckerwood," had also pleaded guilty. Gun Questions After Killing FBI answers lead to more questions on how felon passed background check to buy gun KANSAS CITY, Mo -- An FBI background check wasn't enough to stop a dangerous felon from buying a gun he used to shoot three Kansas City police officers. You saw it first on FOX4 Tuesday night, the breakdown that allowed Marlin Mack to buy the gun. Local Weed Take Down Mexican Meth Town Hard Time Independence husband sentenced to prison for deadly stabbing of his wife KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- An Independence man will spend life in prison with no chance of parole for the deadly stabbing of his wife. Vincente Roldan-Marron was charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the January 2017 stabbing of Yadira Gomez. Doggie Cruelty Ring Busted Possible dog-fighting operation raided in northeast Kansas The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is investigating a possible dog-fighting operation after 45 dogs were removed from a property in rural northeast Kansas. The agency said Friday it worked with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to gather evidence and the dogs in Bendena, in Doniphan County. Drunken Crackdown Starts Now Kansas begins 18-day statewide crackdown on drunk drivers Law enforcement agencies across Kansas are beginning a crackdown on drunk driving that will continue through Labor Day, Sept. 3. The annual campaign is called, "You drink. You drive. You LOSE." More than 150 agencies across the state are increasing the number of officers on the roads, to watch for signs of impaired driving. A great many links on the topic of alleged misdeeds and local wrongdoing. Here's a glimpse at suspects who didn't make the cut and law enforcement power plays after the jump . . . Without a real plan to build something new . . . Here's a bit of TV news wishful thinking and a realization that the project isand still confronts more construction and political debate that won't happen until after election season.Read more: Politically Speaking: As campaign season ramps up, McCaskill prepares to meet Kavanaugh Friday's edition of Politically Speaking explores three different storylines to watch as candidates and campaigns ramp up for the November election. The first one that St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies tackle is U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill's upcoming meeting with Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's latest pick for the U.S. Here's the prelude to decision that might make or break her career and leave a lot of voters frustrated with bad choices all around. Meanwhile, the fate of the nation pretty much rests with the next SCOTUS selection . . . CLOSE The Miss Black America pageant is not to be regarded as a black Miss America pageant. Since its founding in 1968, the organization has forged its own path -- with its own syndicated television network -- to proudly celebrate the beauty, talent and intelligence of black women, long excluded from mainstream pageants. Missouri protection order law has no mandate against guns | The Kansas City Star A judge had banned David Love from possessing weapons. But last August, he grabbed a gun and killed his ex-girlfriend. Now, nearly a year later, a "failure of the system" has kept him from facing any legal repercussions. Check the newspaper writing editorials with their headlines just like any decent blogger and offering a solution to local violence . . . More legislation attacking the 2nd Amendment to compliment the rest of laws that also don't work . . . Read more: It looks like Subaru made an oopsie with a batch of Ascents. Out of 293 of the new SUVs manufactured last month, the automaker didnt make the correct spot welds on the B-pillar during manufacturing. The company has issued a notice to all its dealers to stop sales immediately until a factory representative has inspected them. A handful of people who have bought the car from this batch will get a brand new Ascent in exchange. But whats the remedy for the faulty cars? Simple - Destroy them! The Details The problem came to light on July 21, when a routine sampling inspection at Subarus Indiana factory revealed vehicles with missing spot welds around the B-pillar Subaru manufactured the affected vehicles from July 13 to July 21, 2018. Improper software programming for the welding robots caused them to miss the spot welds. The problem came to light on July 21, when a routine sampling inspection at Subarus Indiana factory revealed vehicles with missing spot welds around the B-pillar. The company concluded its investigation into the issue on July 26 and ordered this recall shortly thereafter. What They Said? All potentially affected vehicles will be inspected by an SIA factory representative, and if the vehicle is missing any spot welds, the vehicle will be replaced with a new one According to a document submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Subaru said, "All potentially affected vehicles will be inspected by an SIA factory representative, and if the vehicle is missing any spot welds, the vehicle will be replaced with a new one. There is no physical remedy available; therefore, any vehicles found with missing welds will be destroyed," A company spokesperson told Consumer Reports that it had only sold nine Ascents with this problem. The rest were still at dealers when the automaker discovered the issue. About The Car The car starts at $32,000 and is one of Subarus top-selling products. The Ascent uses Subarus new 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine that produces 260 horses and 277 pound-feet of torque. It is mated to a CVT that sends power to all of the wheels. Top-trim models get features like LED headlights, powered tailgate, and a panoramic moonroof, to name a few. The multimedia package comes with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system and two iPads. The car starts at $32,000 and is one of Subarus top-selling products. Subaru has delivered 6,486 examples of the Ascent in 2018, including 4,589 of them in July. With that said, these are the things the Japanese manufacturer should be careful of. Since theres no solution to fix such a problem, destroying the cars is going to cost them dearly; or is Subaru doing so well to afford such mistakes? Let us know your thoughts on this incident in the comments section below. Further reading Read our full review on the 2019 Subaru Ascent. Read our full review on the 2017 Subaru Ascent Concept. Read more Subaru news. Following a series of high profile visits in the past two weeks, Moscow and Islamabad have upgraded their bilateral ties just as a new government is poised to come into power in Pakistan. The Russian Ambassador to Pakistan Alexey Dedov recently carried a special message from President Putin to Pakistan's new Prime Minister-elect Imran Khan conveying "wishes to improve relations with Pakistan(and) foster economic cooperation and people-to-people contact as well." In response, Khan also expressed his keen interest in enhancing ties with Russia. Sharing many objectives, both nations are focused on regional peace and have a similar diplomatic stance on important issues, such as the U.S. decision to abandon the JCPOA nuclear deal with Iran, containing terrorism in Afghanistan to stabilize it for advantageous regional trade and smooth completion of China's Belt and Road Initiative. Strengthening Track II diplomacy, encouraging academic and cultural ties, as well as improving people-to-people links are also on the agenda. According to a Pakistan Foreign Ministry press release, "Pakistan and Russia have been successful in developing a strong partnership, which is based on mutual trust, commonality of interests and convergence of views on important global and regional issues." Economic ties have improved in the last few years, especially with their largest ever economic deal worth $2 billion in 2015, and developing a 1,100-kilometer gas pipeline from Karachi to Lahore. Thus, business ties are on an upward trajectory as in the 1970s era when the erstwhile Soviet Union built the Pakistan Steel Mills. Now, both Russia and Pakistan are part of the Belt and Road Initiative as well as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and have common economic and strategic regional interests in this region. Along with the agreed North-South gas pipeline, Russia has plans for a similar Iranian-Pakistani-Indian offshore one worth $10 billion, which could transit across the China Pakistan Economic Corridor and become a parallel energy corridor. In the future, there are also possibilities for Pakistan to become a member of the Eurasian Development Bank. Enhancing multi-dimensional ties with Moscow, further incentives are to be provided to Russian companies for investments in the domestic energy sector and efforts will be made to increase the trade volume. On the military front, removal in 2014 of an arms embargo against Islamabad has been hailed as a milestone in defense ties. Agreeing to sell four Mi-35M helicopters to Pakistan back then, Russia went on to hold the joint exercise "Druzhba" in 2016 and 2017 and the naval exercises "Arabian Monsoon" in 2014 and 2015. Visiting Islamabad for the first session of the Russian-Pakistani Military Consultative Committee on Defense and Security Issues last week, the Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin met with both the military and political top leadership to discuss bilateral cooperation. While the two sides shared views on "regional security and the state and prospects of bilateral cooperation in the military and military-technical areas," ties were further elevated. A Russian foreign ministry statement said the meeting confirmed a bid to deepen the dialogue and develop contacts in the defense sector. Further possibilities could exist for the sale of more military equipment to Pakistan after these high-level dialogues. The new agreements between Pakistan and Russia happened to coincide with the recent suspension of a decade-old arrangement for Pakistan Army officers to train at American military institutions such as the NDU. The International Military Education and Training (IMET) program has been a hallmark of U.S.-Pakistan relations in the past. Even as the U.S. mulled over options to fill the 66 places falling empty in the next academic year, Russia and Pakistan pre-empted that move by agreeing to establish an apparent alternative educational military mechanism. In retrospect, even the American-Indian strategic partnership may have set off the chain reaction of altered South Asian power dynamics of recent years. Having the potential to bring non-traditional countries together in a different paradigm, foreign relations do have a ripple effect. Even a decade ago, such a Russia-Pakistan equation might have been considered an unlikely prospect. Upgrading relations has been an ongoing process based on mutual benefits and on a solid footing, it is not transitory phenomenon. Undoubtedly, a positive development in the complicated geopolitics of this region, Russia-Pakistan ties are essential for stability and have great value. Leaving the Cold War era behind, both countries have converging interests in Afghanistan and maintaining the peace there remains top priority. Though both countries had been on opposite sides of the fence since the last few decades, this improvement in their ties proves that there are no permanent friends and enemies in geopolitics. Sabena Siddiqui (Twitter: @sabena_siddiqi) is a foreign affairs journalist and lawyer based in Pakistan. Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 17 With the arrest of two notorious snatchers, both proclaimed offenders, the crime branch of the Chandigarh Police claims to have solved five cases of snatching and seven cases of vehicle theft. A team led by Inspector Amanjot Singh, in-charge of the crime branch, arrested Shane Alam, alias Ashlam (31), and Dalip Kumar (24), from an area falling under the jurisdiction of the Sector 49 police station. The police said both were notorious criminals and had came in contact with each other in jail. After getting released on bail, the accused started committing snatchings. They used to steal two-wheelers and then use these for targeting people. The police have recovered five gold chains, a gold locket and 11 two-wheelers, of which seven were stolen from Chandigarh. Of the 11 two-wheelers, four were stolen from Panchkula and Mohali, said a police official. Criminal past Both accused have a criminal past. Shane Alam has been involved in chain snatchings and vehicle thefts since 2005. In the past, he has been arrested in 48 cases by the Chandigarh Police, in 12 cases by the Panchkula police and in nine cases by the Mohali police. Similarly, Dalip Kumar also has several cases registered against him in Chandigarh and two each in Panchkula and Mohali. Most-wanted snatcher Shane Alam, a former accomplice of notorious snatcher Vicky, figures on the list prepared by the Chandigarh Police of most-wanted snatchers in the city. Vappala Balachandran Vappala Balachandran Former Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat Shorn of pretensions, Vajpayee had no issue squeezing in the back of a car with Balram Jakhar and Bansi Lal, or being dragged to a museum much against his will! The year 1983 saw many visits to Europe by our parliamentarians. Some came independently while others came as part of delegations. One such delegation to France was led by the then Lok Sabha Speaker, Dr Balram Jakhar. It was a delegation to the European Parliament located in Strasbourg. Other members were senior BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Congress MP Bansi Lal, who did not hold a Cabinet post and was the chairman of the Estimates Committee. But he was the erstwhile strong man in the Indira Gandhi Cabinet and also the face of the Emergency. We did not know how seniority was counted among parliamentarians in our country. In the US, seniority is counted on the length of time a Senator or Representative serves in the committee. The UK follows nearly the same principle. The father of the House is the longest, continuously serving member. The date and time of swearing in decides the seniority. Based on this, Vajpayee should have been the seniormost among the three, as he was elected to Parliament in 1957. Bansi Lal, although a chief minister since 1968, was elected to Parliament in 1980. So was Dr Balram Jakhar, who became an MP only in 1980. I was deputed as the liaison officer during their visit to Paris for two days. But the protocol formalities connected with this high-level visit caused jitters. The embassy had only one car to spare. In those days, the government did not allow hiring of cars except for prime ministerial visits. How could the three powerful visitors be herded into one car? Here was a powerful former foreign minister who, although not No. 2 in seniority in the 1977 Cabinet, was the decisive face for external relations in the Morarji Desai Cabinet. We also had to count on the past ranking of Bansi Lal. No doubt, Dr Jakhar would be the leader as Speaker. I was apprehensive how I would handle these titans together, especially because of their personal stature and opposing political alignments. I also knew that Dr Jakhar always took time off to visit art museums in Paris. Once he missed his flight to Madrid since he lingered on at the Louvre, despite the embassy officials warning on the traffic congestion on the Boulevard Peripherique in the afternoon. But all my apprehensions vanished when I received Vajpayee. He was the first to arrive. He put me at ease with his modesty and warmth. He had no aides with him and travelled alone. He did not resent that he was being received by a middle-level officer when he was always received earlier by ambassadors, as the highly visible foreign minister of the Janata government. I told him frankly that he would be sharing the car with Dr Jakhar and Bansi Lal. He did not mind. He told me that they were his good friends. I had expected some protests from Dr Jakhar and Bansi Lal because of their official stature. I had also expected them, being from the ruling group, to treat Vajpayee as the junior member of the delegation in view of the small size of his party in the Lok Sabha. But it was not so. I was pleasantly surprised that they happily squeezed in together in the rear seat. Not once did they complain about this arrangement during their stay, fulfilling all their engagements, including meetings at the Palais Bourbon (National Assembly) and lunch at the ambassadors residence. They were happy together as schoolboys out on a picnic, forgetting their politics, cracking jokes at one another and regaling with funny anecdotes. I had never expected politicians, who were at the throat of one another in Parliament, to be happy and comfortable with one another during private visits. As usual, Dr Jakhar decided to spend a few hours visiting art museums after lunch and asked me where they should go. At that time, the centennial of the famous French Impressionist painter, Edouard Manet, was going on in the cavernous halls of the elegant Grand Palais. Without consulting Vajpayee and Bansi Lal, he asked me to drive them there. The place was teeming with hundreds of visitors. Vajpayee, who had difficulty in walking long stretches, asked me how long the walk was in the Palais. He let out a groan when I told him that it would be a 2-3 km walk to see the whole exhibition, with hundreds of paintings like The Olympia, Concert in the Tuileries, The Dead Toreador, and Luncheon on the Grass. To the amusement of the other two, Vajpayee vehemently protested why they should see the exhibits at all. Dr Jakhar told him that it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. That did not convince Vajpayee who went on protesting, but still slowly walked all the way behind them. All throughout, the other two were teasing him for his slow pace. He would constantly protest at Dr Jakhar for dragging him to the exhibition. I kept company with him while the other two went ahead. Back in the car, the three had a hearty laugh over the whole episode. Compared to the present times, politics in those days was a dignified affair. Vajpayee was a sterling example of that era. monicakchauhan@gmail.com Johannesberg, August 18 A South African Indian-origin man has been charged with murder for allegedly shooting dead his cousin during a heated argument over a TV remote control, police said. The unemployed 47-year-old man from Pietermaritzburg in the KwaZulu-Natal province , who was not named because of a pending psychological evaluation, murdered his cousin Rooksana Cassim, 42, they said. Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Thulani Zwane confirmed that the man had been arrested and a firearm and ammunition had been seized. He has also been charged with attempting to murder his aunt, Maymoona Cassim, 80, who was shot in the leg during the incident. The family had apparently been involved in an argument over watching television, which the accused man said was against his Islamic religious beliefs. He wanted to force the rest of the family to subscribe to this belief as well, the reports said. A source close to the family was quoted as saying that the man was being confronted by Rooksana's father Mohamed, 82, about repeatedly hiding away the TV remote control to stop the others watching TV as well. He allegedly fired away at them, killing the cousin, who jumped in front of her father to avoid him being shot first. The unmarried deceased woman had spent her life looking after her aged parents, according to a neighbour. Rooksana's brother, Yusuf Cassim, said the suspect, who had several health problems, including epilepsy, had been living with the family for almost 15 years, but was not under any medical treatment for it. He called for the accused, who has been remanded in custody, to be subjected to serious psychiatric evaluation before his reappearance in court next week. PTI singhking99@yahoo.com Kollavarsham, the new year of the Malayalam calendar, has dawned on the worst-possible note for the people of Kerala. The rain fury has decreased but not the danger of spills in several parts of Kerala from the overflowing dams. Malayalees, long used to a relatively efficient and responsive public infrastructure, have by all accounts never suffered such a dislocation in their lives. Smart-phones, a constant companion today, have fallen silent because of lack of electricity, water is contaminated and food scarce. These are the normal hazards of a natural calamity and Kerala was unfortunate to face unprecedented monsoon frenzy. To put the situation in perspective, it received four times more rainfall than the 2013 Uttarakhand cloudburst, reckoned as the worst natural calamity since the 2004 tsunami. Picking up the pieces will be even more agonising. Almost all the roads have been washed away, schools and houses submerged and power transmission pillars uprooted. It is standard to seek more attention from the Centre and Kerala should get more rescue personnel and facilities when PM Modi takes an aerial tour on Saturday. The heartwarming examples of civic consciousness officials working round the clock, temples, churches and madarsas turning into relief centres and fishermen and disaster relief personnel putting their lives on the line need a major booster dose from the Centre, possibly declaring the floods as a national calamity. But when the waters recede and Kerala begins picking up the pieces, its people must realise the price they have paid for resorts and commercial plantations nine lakh hectare of forest land has been lost in the past 40 years. Most of the death toll is from Idukki. Besides being a watershed with a maze of dams, this is where most encroachment has taken place. The idea of environmentally sustainable development was sacrificed at the altar of corporate and individual avarice and party coffers. There are two months of respite before thulavarsham, the north-east monsoon, sets in. Kerala will need to demonstrate that it cannot be business-as-usual in its fragile highlands or the price to be paid in future will be heavier. editorial@tribune.com Sushil Manav Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 18 Days before Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattars rally at Dabwali in Sirsa on August 25, rival factions of the BJP on Saturday clashed at Ahmadgarh Darewala village resulting in injuries to Dev Kumar, the ruling partys nominee from there in the 2014 Assembly elections. Kumars supporters have accused BJP leader Aditya Chautala, a grandson of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal, of orchestrating the attack, while the latter has accused the former of vitiating peaceful atmosphere of the area by derogatory utterance against his grandfather. Dr Mahinder Singh Bhadu, SMO, Dabwali Civil Hospital, where Dev Kumar was first taken for treatment, said that he had informed the police about the injuries and referred the victim to Sirsa Civil Hospital in view of his serious condition. The Dabwali SHO said that they had received a complaint from Ram Kumar, husband of Ahmadgarh Darewala sarpanch and some others accusing Dev Kumar of trying to disrupt a peaceful public meeting being addressed by Aditya. While Dev Kumar was unable to speak due to injuries, his supporter Surinder Sharma, Chairman of the Block Samiti, Dabwali, alleged that Kumar was addressing public meetings in villages to mobilise support for the rally when Aditya came there with his supporters and started thrashing him. This is not the first instance when Aditya has behaved like this. He and his supporters have been misbehaving with Kumar and his supporters ever since the Chief Ministers rally has been announced, Sharma alleged. Since the police have already been informed by the doctors, Kumar will give his statement as soon as he is declared fit, he said. Aditya, however, described Dev Kumars injuries as gimmick and alleged that he himself invited the wrath of villagers by speaking derogatory words against Devi Lal. Speaking derogatory words against Devi Lal in villages of his own Dabwali area cannot be tolerated by people, he said. Aditya is a cousin of Leader of Opposition Abhay Chautala. While supporters of Dev Kumar claim that he is convener of the rally, Aditya claims that he is to preside over the rally in which Khattar is to announce a major irrigation project for the farmers of the area. editorial@tribune.com Shiv Kumar Sharma Tribune News Service Yamunanagar, August 17 The state government has ordered a special girdawari to assess standing crop loss due to recent heavy rain and flood water. The Department of Revenue and Disaster Management, Haryana, had issued a directive to the Deputy Commissioner (DC), Yamunanagar, to conduct the special girdawari on August 14. In a major development, this time the government has decided that the girdawari shall be carried out by sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs). However, in the past, the work of special girdawari was usually done by patwaris and kanoongos. It is observed that in the past, special girdawari is traditionally carried out by the patwari and kanoongo. The government has now decided that this special girdawari is to be carried out only at the level of sub-divisional officers (civil), reads the letter issued by the Revenue Department to the DC. Besides, the facts of report will be reviewed or rechecked by the DC and Divisional Commissioner at the personal level. The representative of Agriculture and Irrigation Department may also be associated while conducting special girdawari. The government has also asked the DC to ensure that the damaged area covered under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) or any other crop insurance scheme should not be included while sending damage report. While conducting the special girdawari, the details of the affected farmers bank account may also be collected so that the compensation may be paid direct in their accounts through DBT, reads the letter. According to information, besides rain, the flood water of Yamuna river and several seasonal rivulets, including Som and Pathrala, have affected hundreds of acres crops of paddy, sugarcane and vegetables in several villages of Yamunanagar district located along the Yamuna river and seasonal rivulets. The rain and flood water affected crops on 8,417 acres in 72 villages of the district in recent past, the district revenue department report said. SDM Jagadhri, Bilaspur and Radaur shall conduct the special girdawari in their respective areas. Jagadhri SDM Bharat Bhushan Kaushik said he had called a meeting of Revenue and Agriculture departments on Monday. After holding a meeting, we shall soon start the work of special girdawari, said Bharat Bhushan Kaushik. editorial@tribune.com Pradeep Sharma Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 17 After preparing a draft Bill on regularising the services of 4,654 employees adversely affected by a recent judgment of the Punjab and High Court, the state government has taken a U-turn on the matter by deciding to file a special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court against the HC verdict. On May 31, the HC had quashed four policies framed by the Haryana Government in 2014 to regularise the services of contractual and ad hoc employees. The decision to file the SLP was taken at a meeting presided over by Advocate General Baldev Raj Mahajan and attended by former Advocate General Hawa Singh Hooda, INLDs representative Naresh Singh Shekhawat and Bharatiya Mazdoor Sanghs (BMS) representative Parvinder Chauhan. Official sources claimed it was decided unanimously that the state government and the BMS would file the SLP. State INLD president Ashok Arora, however, disputed the governments claim the decision was taken unanimously. At no point during the meeting did the INLD representative concur with the governments changed stance about employees affected by the HC order, he said. The INLD is not aware of the reason behind the government changing its stand from bringing a Bill in the Vidhan Sabha to filing the SLP, Arora said. Recently, after meetings with the Sarv Karamchari Sangh, the state government prepared the Haryana Regularisation of Services Bill, 2018. It was to be brought in the forthcoming monsoon session of the Assembly. The draft Bill sought to regularise the services of Class C and D contractual employees of the Haryana Government affected by the May 31 judgment. Point & counter-point It has been decided unanimously that the state government and the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh will file a special leave petition in the Supreme Court against the High Court decision on the regularisation policy. Government spokesman At no point during the meeting did the INLD representative concur with the governments changed stance about employees affected by the HC order. The governments claim is mischievous and a distortion of facts. Ashok Arora, State INLD Chief editorial@tribune.com Our Correspondent Sonepat, August 17 A farmer Joginder, aged 30, of Butana Kundu village in the district, was shot dead allegedly by 11 persons of the village when he, along with his family members, was returning home from the fields late on Thursday evening. In the attack, the victims two brothers, Rohit and Mohit, and father Ram Chander were injured and were admitted to BPS Government Women Medical College in Khanpur Kalan. The sharing of irrigation water of gram panchayat was stated to be the reason of dispute and enmity between the rival families of the village. According to the police, on the statement of Ram Chander, a case of murder and attempt to murder had been registered in the Butana police post against 11 villagers, identified as Pawan, Jai Narain, Pale Ram, Jagdish, Naveen, Praveen, Kuldeep, Ranjit, Sandeep, Ravinder and one relative of Jai Narain. In another case, Virender, sarpanch of Chawlka village in the district, was shot and injured alleged by four youths. Three of them were identified as Sanjay, Chunchun and Ajai of the same village. The victim was walking near a drain when the incident took place near the village this morning. He was rushed to the Community Health Centre at Kharkhoda, where doctors referred him to the PGIMS, Rohtak, where he was stated to be out of danger, A case of attempt to murder was registered against four persons in the Kharkhoda police station. editorial@tribune.com Bijendra Ahlawat Tribune News Service Faridabad, August 18 Officials of the Child Welfare Council (CWC) and the local police recovered three runaway minor girl inmates of a Bal Greh (Child Shelter Home) of Bahadurgarh, from the Old Faridabad railway station here Friday night. The girls have been sent to the Nari Niketan at Karnal. The girls aged between 14 and 17 years had allegedly fled the Bal Greh on Thursday night and reached Panipat. They boarded a train for Mumbai from the Panipat station. Four girls had fled the shelter home on an assurance by one of them, who hails from Panipat, that they would get jobs and accommodation in Mumbai. Three of them had actually taken the train for Mumbai from Panipat, while the Panipat girl decided to stay back, said police sources. However, the police, officials of the Bal Greh and the Child Welfare Council managed to trace the trio by tracking their mobile phone calls and recovered them from the Old Faridabad station around 8 pm on Friday. They were produced before Harish Malik, Chairman, District Child Welfare Council (CWC), who asked them about the reason for fleeing the shelter home. While none of them complained of harassment or torture at the Bal Greh, they revealed their plan to shift to Mumbai on an assurance given by the fourth inmate, who hails from Panipat, said Malik. Though the four girls had gone to Panipat from Bahadurgarh, three of them took the train for Mumbai on Friday. They reportedly planned to go to Mumbai to find jobs as the mother of one of them lives there. The Bal Greh at Bahadurgarh has 26 minor inmates at present and a majority of them belong to poor families. They are either abandoned children or orphans. Bal Krishan Goel, Member, State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Haryana, said that the inmates had been safely recovered with the help of the CWC and the anti-human trafficking cell of the police. Three of them had been sent to the Nari Niketan, Karnal, while the fourth had been handed over to her family, he added. editorial@tribune.com Majid Jahangir Tribune News Service Srinagar, August 18 At least three unidentified militants were killed in a gunfight in the Tangdhar sector in north Kashmirs frontier district of Kupwara when they were trying to infiltrate into the Valley, defence officials said. The gunfight erupted on Saturday evening at Balthdiayan, Tangdhar, over 180 km from Srinagar, when the Army noticed suspected movement close to the Line of Control (LoC). When challenged militants opened fire, triggering a brief gunfight. During the search operations, three bodies of the militants were recovered, Srinagar-based defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said. The combing operation in the dense forest area is still underway. Police sources said two or three militants who were part the group may have returned after the incident. The Tangdhar sector has been witnessing frequent ceasefire violations since August 13. However, the Saturday evening gunfight was in a different area in the Karnah region. For the fourth consecutive night on Friday, Pakistan violated ceasefire and resorted to shelling in the Tangdhar sector that left two people injured, officials said. Tensions started mounting in the Tangdhar sector after an Army man was killed along the LoC on August 13 allegedly in a Pakistani sniper fire. The Army had, however, maintained that the soldier was killed while foiling an infiltration bid. A day later, the Army had claimed it killed two Pakistani soldiers in retaliatory action. The cross-border shelling started at 9 pm on Friday and the exchange of fire continued till 4 am. Pakistan violated the ceasefire again on Friday night and the two sides exchanged heavy and small arms, Senior Superintendent of Police, Kupwara, Ambarkar Shriram Dinkar said. Two civilians received minor injuries at Gabra during the shelling, he added. The continuous exchange of fire during the past four nights has spread panic among the residents in at least a dozen villages. The villages worst hit by the shelling include Hajitra, Dhanna, Gabra and Forward Sudpura. Locals said rooftops of many houses and crops had been damaged in the shelling. During night, we get really scared, a resident from Tangdhar said over phone. For the past four nights, heavy exchange of fire and shelling begins around 9 pm and intermittent exchange of fire continues till morning. Our day-to-day life has been disrupted since the resumption of cross-border shelling, he said. Defence officials said the exchange fire was frequent in the recent past and was initiated by the Pakistan army to provide cover for infiltrating militants by pinning down Indian posts. Meanwhile, a massive combing operation is underway near the LoC in the Gurez sector of Bandipora district. Police sources said on Friday night, some shots were heard from the forest area near the LoC. Truce violated in Uri Pakistan violated ceasefire in the Uri sector of Baramulla district on Saturday. The police said some mortar shells were fired by the Pakistan army into the Thajal-Churanda area of Uri. "A shell hit the washroom near the house of one Mohammad Hussain at Thajal, causing some damage to it," a police officer said. There was no report of any casualty in the cross-border shelling MLC's guard attacked Militants attacked a residential guard of MLC Showkat Hussain Ganie at Chitragam, Shopian, in south Kashmir. Security sources said the police guards retaliated and compelled the attackers to retreat. A policeman was also injured in a stone-throwing incident in south Kashmir's Pulwama district You are here: World Flash Ecuadorian police discovered 637 kilos of marijuana stashed on the Colombian bus that crashed outside Quito, killing 24, a top official said on Friday. The drugs had "a value of 1.7 million U.S. dollars," Ruth Palacios, Ecuador's acting attorney general, told reporters at a press conference. An investigation will be conducted to find out the source and destination of the drugs, in addition to the ongoing investigation to determine the causes of the accident, she said. Carlos Alulema, director of the national anti-narcotics agency, told reporters the marijuana was detected by sniffer dogs and would have been "almost impossible" to uncover in a routine border control check due to the elaborate concealment methods used. The packaged drugs, found in four hiding places in the bus, which belonged to Colombian company Cotrans Especiales del Oriente, were marked with the words "knight, gift and king." The public prosecutor has opened a culpable homicide case against the bus driver, who survived, and there will be ongoing cooperation with the Colombian police, Alulema added. The predawn accident occurred around 3 a.m. on Tuesday along a stretch of roadway known as "deadman's curve." The bus, carrying some 38 passengers, reportedly crashed into a passenger car, turned over, skidded and struck three homes by the side of the road before coming to a stop. Preliminary reports suggest the bus' brakes crystallized. In addition to the 24 lives lost, 22 people were injured. Following the tragic accident, Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno fired three directors of transit. amansharma@tribunemail.com Tribune News Service Srinagar, August 18 Three unidentified militants were killed during a gunfight after Army foiled an infiltration bid along Line of Control in Tangdhar sector of north Kashmir's frontier Kupwara district on Saturday evening. Meanwhile, an army man was killed in a landmine blast close to LoC in Kupwara district in the evening. The infiltrating group of militants was intercepted by the Army at around 4.30 pm at Balthdiayan Tangdhar, nearly 180 km from Srinagar in the sector. "They were challenged and instead they opened fire triggering a gunfight. During combing three bodies have been recovered," a police officer said. The massive combing operation is still under way. There was no immediate report of casualties to the forces during the gunfight. The identity and the group affiliation of the slain militants could not be established immediately. After a soldier was killed on the LoC at Tangdhar on August 13, there have been frequent ceasefire violations in the sector. editorial@tribune.com Arteev Sharma Tribune News Service Jammu, August 17 Amid the growing clamour for deportation of Rohingya refugees living illegally in the state, the Centre has admitted that not even a single Rohingya immigrant has been deported from the state till date. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs stated this while responding to an RTI application filed by Rohit Choudhary, a Jammu-based activist, seeking details on the deportation of Rohingya refugees from the state. No Rohingya immigrants have been deported so far, Pramod Kumar, Director, Foreigners Division, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, said in a single-liner response. Last month, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, in the Rajya Sabha, had said India was in talks with Bangladesh over the deportation of Rohingya immigrants and the process would begin after getting the status report from the states where they were living illegally. Rajnath had also said all states had been issued an advisory that no identification documents be issued to the Rohingya immigrants. The state government had admitted in the Legislative Assembly last year that 5,743 Rohingya refugees were illegally staying in the state, predominately in Jammu and Samba districts. Sources, however, claimed that their number could go up to over 10,000 in Jammu. While the state government claimed there was no instance of Rohingya immigrants involved in militancy-related incidents in the state, voices against their illegal stay in Jammu had gone shriller after the Sunjuwan terror attack in February, where the involvement of Rohingya immigrants, settled in the vicinity of the Sunjawan military station, was suspected. On August 8, the Jammu police had recovered Rs 30 lakh from a shanty of Rohingya immigrants in the Channi Himmat area here. What Rajnath had said gspannu7@gmail.com Srinagar, August 18 Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmirs Uri sector with unprovoked shelling this evening, although there was no loss of life, police said. Some mortar shells were fired by Pakistani forces on the Thajal-Chranda area of Uri (in north Kashmirs Baramulla district), Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Baramulla, Imtiyaz Hussain said. One of the shells hit a washroom adjacent to a house in Thajal and damaged it, he said. No loss of life has been reported, the SSP added. PTI editorial@tribune.com Samaan Lateef Tribune News Service Srinagar, August 18 The PDP received a major setback after 11 of its MLAs refused to join their party president Mehbooba Mufti in attending the funeral of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in New Delhi. As a show of strength, Mehbooba, on Friday, took her MLAs and MLCs to New Delhi to pay tributes to Vajpayee. Out of 28 MLAs of the PDP, only 17 joined her. However, the rebel group of the PDP says five in the Mehboobas entourage were their members, while 11 refused to join it. The rebel group of the PDP held a late-night meeting on Thursday at a former ministers house in the high-security Tulsi Bagh locality of Srinagar. During the meeting, a senior leader in the rebel group said it was decided to send five of its members to attend Vajpayees condolence meeting to keep an eye on the activities of the PDP led by Mehbooba. Mehbooba scored a self-goal by making it public that her support in the party has dwindled. Our five members were part of the condolence meeting to keep an eye on her activities in New Delhi, a PDP rebel leader said. Sources said three former ministers switched off their phones after they received calls from Mehbooba to attend the condolence meeting in New Delhi. It was a clear message to Mehbooba that we wont toe the line of dynasty politics. We had enough of her, said a former PDP minister, who has joined the rebel group. Soon after the BJP pulled out from the coalition government with the PDP in June, five PDP MLAs Imran Ansari, Abid Ansari, Javid Baigh, Abbas Wani, Majeed Paddar and two MLCs Saif-ud-Din Bhat and Yasir Reshi openly disapproved of Mehboobas leadership. The PDP rebel group is backing Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Lone, who is an ally of the BJP, to be the next chief minister of J&K in alliance with the saffron party. Lone, who has been a cabinet minister from the BJP quota during the PDP-BJP government, is believed to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The PM, during his visit to Kashmir in May, had walked to Lone in a hotel lounge and asked him not to hide but lead from the front. The Lone-led government will be seen as an extension of BJP's Central Government to J&K. While the PDP legislators have shown open defiance against the party and NC leader Omar Abdullah has been repeatedly sought dissolution of the Legislative Assembly to keep his flock together, Lone is holding all cards close to his chest and not giving a whiff to the parties about his next move. Lone is discreet and both the parties are waiting for his next move. 5 members 'kept an eye' on party leaders vinaymishra188@gmail.com Amarjot Kaur All that stirs her soul Prabhsimar Kaur, a 22-year-old student of Government College of Art, is fascinated by studio photography, based on a certain concept. It clicks: She has worked on three concepts Indian Goddesses, depression and exorcism. The most challenging one: For me, Exorcism series were the most challenging. I wanted to evoke horror by showing Satan and a possessed woman. Selling point: I havent sold any yet. My style: I go by general observations and also personal experiences. Awards: Even though she hasnt won any award, Prabhsimars works have been displayed at various exhibitions. From the other side Clicking away since 1971, Vijay Ozo is one of the finest art photographers in the city. He has shot on films and now on digital camera. It clicks: Vijay is not a fan of glamorous beauty. He rose to fame during the 80s with Focus On Girl, a picture for which he was awarded by UNICEF. The most challenging one: Nothing; photography is my way of worshiping. Selling point: Ive sold some, but not in Chandigarh. My style: I am driven by impulse. Awards: He received an outstanding award by North Zone Cultural Centre (NZCC) in 1987 at Chandigarh Festival. Struggle that motivates Ajay Kalwaniya, 28, has been photographing since 2010. He started off with a digital camera, but has also experimented with the reel camera. It clicks: He has clicked pictures of homeless vagabonds of Mumbai, mountain cutters of Uttarakhand and even captured the obsolete objects. Selling point: He hasnt sold a picture yet. My style: Anything that motivates me. The most challenging one: Its stifling to find a new subject that moves my soul. Awards: I have received awards from Chandigarh and Punjabs Lalit Kala Akademi in student and professional category, along with another award by Indian Academy of Fine Arts, Amritsar. Capturing Punjabs heritage Jaspal Kamana, who teaches at PGGCG11, has romanced the camera for 12 years now. It clicks: Having exhibited his works at a solo exhibition in 2016, he has been documenting Punjabi culture and its heritage documentation since seven-eight years. The most challenging one: Getting the right light; and since I also do travel photography at extreme locations like Ladakh and Spiti, it gets hard to handle the camera, light and temperature at such places. Selling point: I sold 10 pictures in Delhi, Punjab and even Chandigarh. My style: I like capturing and immortalising old Punjabi monuments. Awards: Six awards by Chandigarh and Punjabs Lalit Kala Akademi, and one by the National Lalit Kala Akademi. Lost & found in Kumbh Street photographer Hardev Singh has been working with camera for some eight years now. His works made it to the merit list of NZCC and he was selected, among seven other photographers from India, to shoot at Ujjains Kumbh Mela. It clicks: Hardev loves the natural frame and capturing the movement. The most challenging one: The white-skin fixation of Indians. Selling point: I sold 10 to 15 in USA, Chandigarh, Bhopal and Delhi. My style: I love black and white pictures that show our society from a real perspective. Awards: Apart from NZCCs Kumbh Mela project, which was exhibited at Hyderabad, Indian Habitat Centre and IFACS, I received a scholarship from CLKA. Of human faces In love with the camera since 2007, Gurdeep Dhiman loves clicking portraits, and wrinkled faces fascinate him the most. It clicks: Human faces attract Dhiman the most. The most challenging one: I feel Barsana Holi was the most challenging because there was water being thrown from all places. Selling point: I do paid projects, like the ones by Round Glass and EDIFACS and Indiana Art Gallery. My style: Before clicking a picture, I interview people. amarjot@tribunemail.com ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Bollywood celebrities have expressed their heartfelt condolences over the demise of former Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Praising Vajpayees openness and his skills as an orator and poet, celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Rajinikanth, Priyanka Chopra, and Paresh Rawal, paid their tributes minutes after Vajpayees death was announced. Shah Rukh Khan took to his official Twitter handle and penned down a heartfelt message. SRK said he considered himself lucky to have got the opportunity to meet him and have had Vajpayees influence during his growing-up years. My father used to take me for every speech that Vajpayee made in Delhi when I was growing up. Years on, I had the opportunity to meet him and spend lots of time discussing poetry, films, politics and our ailing knees! I also had the privilege of enacting one of his poems for the screen. He was fondly addressed as Baapji at home. Today the country has lost a father figure and a great leader, he wrote. Life lessons Reciting one of his poems, veteran actor Anupam Kher posted a video of himself thanking Vajpayee for his life lessons. Im saddened to hear the demise of a great statesman Shri Vajpayee ji. May his soul Rest In Peace, wrote superstar Rajinikanth. Actor and politician Paresh Rawal also took to Twitter and wrote, He had no enemy in politics because he believed that in politics there are no enemies...only opposition! RIP- Atal Ji. Om Shanti. Former Prime Minister Shri #AtalBihariVajpayees visionary ideas and contributions for India were truly remarkable. The nation will always remember... #RIP. My thoughts and condolences to the family, tweeted Priyanka Chopra. ANI Musical soul for his poetry Bahut shauq se sun raha tha zamana, Hamin so gaye dastaan kehte kehte While the nation mourns the demise of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, city-based music composer Kanwar Iqbal Singh and Patiala-based classical dance-choreographer Daizy Walia recall their tryst with Vajpayees ornate poetry exuding divine intoxication and patriotic fervour. Daizy Walia shares that in 2001 her late husband SK Walia, then Director, NZCC, observed that there was a lot of substance in the anthology Meri Ikavan Kavitayein by Vajpayee and deserved more applause as well as attention. We then met music director Kanwar Iqbal Singh and the project Bharat Kal, Aaj Aur Kal was born, she says. On his part, Kanwar shares, I really worked hard to compose and recompose parts of the poems. The recordings were done at Sur Sangam Studio. Classical vocalists from the region, late Ratnika Tewari and late Shamim Iqbal from Malerkotla, lent their melodious voices to the poems. In September 2001, we met Vajpayee ji. He listened to the 40-minute audio with rapt attention and congratulated us for our efforts. I was at cloud nine as he especially mentioned. Sardar Saheb, you have done real justice by giving musical soul to my poetry and I shall be glad to watch your musical dance spectacle shortly. SD Sharma An extremely rare human being A stalwart, a poet, a writer, an enlightened mind and a compassionate being leaves this world thats how megastar Amitabh Bachchan began his tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, whose demise has left the nation mourning. Vajpayee died on Thursday at AIIMS Hospital in New Delhi, after weeks of being hospitalised. He was 93. He was an admirer of my father and his work,s and there were many an occasion when I would be present at their meetings, Amitabh, son of late poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan, wrote on his blog. He said his father knew Vajpayee, who was then a student. Harivansh Rai, he says, was very impressed by Vajpayees oratory skills, which was his virtue. His oratory powers were unmatched and the usage of words exemplary. They were filled with the power of pronunciation. The rendition of the word was enough to give it meaning... One did not need to understand the language; that was his brilliance. Some of his public speeches and ones done in the Houses of Parliament are testimony. A poet, a writer, a politician, a Prime Minister... an extremely rare human, Amitabh wrote. IANS monicakchauhan@gmail.com Dehradun, August 18 An 11-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped and killed after being kidnapped from her house in Uttarkashi district, police said on Saturday. The accused barged into the girl's house at Bhakda village of the district on Friday after cutting off the power lines and abducted her while she was sleeping along with her parents, said Uttarkashi Superintendent of Police Dadan Pal. They took her to some place away from her house and took turns in raping her, he said. After committing the crime, they allegedly killed her and dumped the body on a bridge near the village, the SP said. Four suspects, who worked as labourers in the area, had been arrested in connection with the incident which had sparked tension in the village, he said. District Magistrate Ashish Chauhan and SP Dadan Pal reached the spot to pacify locals who are protesting against the alleged failure of the administration to provide safety to the residents of the area. PTI rohitb@tribuneindia.com Sreevalsan Thiyyadi The sun on Friday occasionally peeped through the dark menacing clouds over Kerala, lending a ray of hope to the people caught in a deluge that has submerged vast swathes of the coastal state, claiming 173 lives in a week. The state had last witnessed floods of such severity in 1924. There were signs of a let-up in the monsoon fury in several parts with the water level in most of Keralas 41 rivers receding below the danger mark. However, hill tracts along the Western Ghats in upstate Malabar continued to report random landslips. With rescue operations strengthened owing to better deployment of Central forces and 2.23 lakh people shifted to 1,568 relief camps, charity organisations and private enterprises have begun collecting funds and clothes for the affected many of them stranded atop homes, hostels and even hospitals. Forty-two teams of the Indian Navy and 16 of the Army have been pressed into service. The IAF has chipped in too with 23 helicopters. As many as 250 motorised boats are providing help to those marooned in the worst-affected districts of Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur. The boats are lined along major rivers the Periyar, Bharatapuzha and Pampa. The police and disaster management personnel are working round the clock. Twelve of the states 14 districts continue to be under red alert. However, the fear of heavy weekend rain has waned with the weather office announcing that a low-pressure trough on the Odisha coast has changed course and is now moving towards Madhya Pradesh. State officials on Friday put the death toll at 173. He said the authorities were striving to restore road and train traffic. While the states busiest airport near Kochi was yet to start operations, the citys elevated Metro rail was running free service. The situation in the south-central districts of Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta is grim too. The 170-km Achankovil river continues to be in spate along the Pathanamthitta stretch. The pilgrim town of Pandalam is entirely under water. Deep south Kerala is relatively calm with Thiruvananthapuram largely escaping the natures onslaught. Even as PM Narendra Modi arrived in Thiruvananthapuram late Friday evening to undertake an aerial view of the flood-hit areas, the Supreme Court has asked the state to ensure the water level at the Mullaperiyar dam on the Periyar does not exceed 139 feet. Godavari in spate in Andhra, Tgana The Godavari is in spate in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana; the government machinery has been put on high alert in three districts Second flood warning issued as the discharge from Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage crosses 13.15 lakh cusecs at 9.30 pm The first level warning issued as water flow at Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage at Dowaleswaram crosses 12.1 lakh cusecs Emergency rescue and relief teams positioned in East and West Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh for any eventuality Coastal state submerged 2.23 lakh people lodged in 1,568 relief camps On rescue mission 42 teams of the Navy 16 of the Army 23 IAF helicopters 250 motorised boats Rs 10 crore worth relief by Punjab High alert in 12 of Keralas 14 districts Worst-hit districts: Thrissur, Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta rchopra@tribunemail.com New Delhi, August 18 All AAP MPs, MLAs and ministers will donate one-month salary for the relief work in flood-ravaged Kerala, where 194 people have died. Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Friday announced Rs 10 crore relief for the state from the government. In a tweet, Kejriwal on Saturday said, All AAP MLAs, MPs and ministers (are) donating one month salary for Kerala. Kejriwal appealed to the public to make donations to the crisis-hit state. The Delhi chief minister also spoke to his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan. Spoke to Kerala CM. Del govt is making a contribution of Rs 10 cr. I sincerely appeal to everyone to donate generously for our brothers and sisters in Kerala (sic), Kejriwal tweeted on Friday. This is the deadliest deluge in Kerala in close to a century, which has claimed 194 lives since August 8. Further, a body blow has been dealt to the scenic state, with its infrastructure, standing crops and tourism facilities severely hit. Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. PTI singhking99@yahoo.com Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 17 Two persons who had claimed to have attacked JNU student leader Umar Khalid and had said they would surrender at the house of revolutionary Kartar Singh Sarabha on August 17, failed to turn up at the village. The Naujawan Bharat Sabha, meanwhile, protested outside the house of Sarabha and condemned the two youths, who had claimed to have attacked Khalid. RSS/Hindu radicals are behind this. They want to fool countrymen by making false claims. We condemn the attack on the student leader, said Sabha general secretary Kulwinder Singh. Sarabha villagers also protested against the proposed surrender. They appealed to the police not to let such a thing happen near Sarabhas house as the latter was a great revolutionary. Activists of the Naujwan Bharat Sabha, Pendu Mazdoor Union, Punjab Students Union, Lok Kala Manch Mandi, Mulanpur, Taraksheel Society, Inqalabi Kender, Punjab, had gathered at Sarabha village. SHO Jodhan Harjinder Singh, however, said it seemed to be a hoax claim as none turned up for the surrender. Flash China's top political advisor Wang Yang held talks with Pakistan's Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani on Friday. "China and Pakistan have always been good neighbors, friends, partners, and brothers no matter how the international environment and their domestic situations change," said Wang, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). He hoped the two sides would implement the important consensus reached by their leaders, maintain their tradition of frequent high-level visits, and firmly support each other on issues concerning respective core interests and major concerns. Wang called on the two countries to expand their security, economic and trade cooperation, boost people-to-people exchanges, accelerate construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, so as to enrich their all-weather strategic cooperative partnership. The CPPCC stands ready to have more exchanges and cooperation with Pakistan' Senate and advance the two countries' governance experience exchanges, to contribute to the China-Pakistan community of a shared future, Wang added. Hailing the fruitful outcome yielded from the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Sanjrani expressed Pakistan's willingness to make joint efforts with China to consolidate friendship and deepen bilateral ties. singhking99@yahoo.com Patna, August 17 The CBI on Friday raided nearly a dozen properties in four districts of Bihar, including residences of former state minister Manju Verma in Patna and Begusarai, in connection with the Muzaffarpur shelter home sex scandal case, officials said. Properties at seven locations in Muzaffarpur were raided, including a hotel belonging to main accused Brajesh Thakur and residences of a few of his friends and relatives, they said. The central probe agency also raided the residence of Madhu Kumari, said to be closely involved with Thakurs NGO activities. She has been absconding. The agency raided Thakurs home in his ancestral village Panchdaha in Muzaffarpur district. The residence of Ravi Raushan, an accused in the case and who was posted as district child protection officer in Muzaffarpur, was also raided in Motihari in East Champaran district. Raushan has been arrested. During investigation, Raushans wife had taken the name of former minister Vermas husband Chandeshwar Prasad Verma in connection with the sexual abuse of 34 girls lodged at the state-funded shelter home run by Thakurs NGO in Muzaffarpur city. She alleged that Vermas husband was a frequent visitor to the shelter home. Verma resigned as social welfare minister last week after it was disclosed that Thakur had spoken to her husband 17 times between January and June this year. Speaking to the media from a prison van inside a court complex, Thakur last week admitted he had been speaking to Vermas husband but maintained they had discussed political issues. CBI officials arrived at Vermas residence on Strand Road in Patna this morning and carried out an intensive search. The residence of her in-laws under Cheria Bariarpur Assembly segment in Begusarai, which she represents, was also raided. Other places raided in Patna included the office of Thakurs Hindi daily Pratah Kamal and the home of a counsellor attached to the state social welfare department. After the scandal broke out nearly two months ago, Opposition parties had demanded a CBI probe into the case and its monitoring by the high court. The state government conceded both demands and requested the high court to monitor the probe. 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 by Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Social Sciences. The audit report stated that girls at the shelter home had complained of sexual abuse. PTI amansharma@tribunemail.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 18 Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday revoked the suspension of senior leader Mani Shankar Aiyar from party's primary membership. In a release, AICC general secretary (organisation) Ashok Gehlot said the Congress president has approved the recommendation of the Central Disciplinary Committee of AICC for revocation of suspension of Mani Shankar Aiyar from the primary membership of the party with immediate effect. Aiyar was suspended from the party in December last year after he had reportedly called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "neech aadmi" (vile man). Aiyar had set off a political firestorm when he had called Modi a "neech kism ka aadmi" (a vile man), a remark the latter claimed was a casteist slur against him. The comment had drawn criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party and Modi who attributed the use of the word to Congress' feudal arrogance. After the controversial remark, then Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had taken to Twitter to publicly censure Aiyar. Gandhi had disapproved of Aiyar's remark and said both he and the party expected the senior leader to apologise. The former Rajya Sabha MP had expressed regret for his comments later. In his defence, diplomat-turned-politician Aiyar had contended that he could not understand the word's implications when he used it since he is not a Hindi-speaking person. - With agencies gspannu7@gmail.com Port Louis, August 18 It is crucial to protect, propagate and conserve Hindi in its pure form as language and culture are interconnected, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said at the 11th World Hindi Conference which began here on Saturday by paying tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The three-day conference, aimed at expanding the reach of the Hindi language at a global level, started by observing a two-minute silence to pay tribute to Vajpayee, who died in New Delhi on Thursday at the age of 93 after a prolonged illness. In her opening statement, Swaraj said with this convention, Hindi representatives from across the globe are paying tributes to Vajpayee, who was an exponent of Hindi and established the language at the international level by addressing the UN for the first time in Hindi. Emphasising on the protection of Indias culture and Hindi, Swaraj said India has taken the responsibility to protect the language in other countries. She said the BJP-led government is making efforts to make Hindi one of the official languages of the United Nations. A Hindi weekly news bulletin from the platform of the UN has started broadcast as part of a pilot project, she said. All Hindi-speaking people from across the world can listen to the news broadcast from the UN, she said. This weekly bulletin could be converted into a daily bulletin. For that the world body will oversee the response of listeners and rate accordingly for two years. If the response will be good, then it will be converted into a daily news bulletin, she said. Swaraj said a UN Twitter account in Hindi has also been started to give Hindi speaking public access to the programmes and news related to the UN. India has made it clear that it is ready to bear all expenses to make Hindi one of the official languages of the UN, but its rules for acquiring such a status prevents the country from doing so, she said. Underlining that language and culture are interconnected, she said obsolescence of a language is also followed by that of culture so it is necessary to protect, propagate and conserve the language in its pure form. She said that unlike the previous world Hindi conventions where the emphasis was on language and literature, this time, culture has also become an important part of it. The minister said that several countries have raised concerns regarding the protection and promotion of Hindi language. In such a scenario, it is the responsibility of India to prevent the language from becoming obsolete in these countries. The World Hindi Conference is organised every three years and in the past it has been organised thrice in India, twice in Mauritius, and one time each in Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, the UK, the US and South Africa. This year the symbol of the world Hindi conference is a peacock and a dodo. Dodo symbolises the gradual obsolescence of Hindi and the Indian peacock will come to save the dodo. PTI gspannu7@gmail.com New Delhi, August 18 A 62-year-old woman known as the godmother of crime in south Delhis Sangam Vihar, who was wanted in connection with the killing of a man, was arrested, police said on Saturday. The accused identified as Basiran was declared a proclaimed offender, they said. A total of 113 criminal cases including that of bootlegging, murder, robbery, contract killing and snatching have been registered against Basiran and her family members, police said. Acting on a tip-off, the accused was arrested from Sangam Vihar where she had come to meet her family members to decide further strategy in connection with seizure of her property, said Romil Baaniya, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (south). In September 2017, a partially decomposed body was recovered from the jungle of Sangam Vihar. A case was registered in connection with the murder following which a juvenile was apprehended in this case in January 2018, he said. The juvenile then disclosed name of his associates namely Aakash, Vikash, Neeraj, Munni Begum and Basiran, he added. After the co-accused were arrested, Basiran fled away and was evading her arrest since then, the DCP said. On May 25, Basiran was declared proclaimed offender in connection with the case. Subsequently, her property was attached and sealed, he said. Meanwhile, the accused also filed an application seeking anticipatory bail at Delhi High Court and also sought release of her property at Saket Court. However, the Delhi Police strongly objected to it, giving her previous criminal background following which both applications were then dismissed by the court, the senior officer said. During interrogation, Basiran admitted that she had taken a contract of Rs 60,000 to kill Miraz who was a step-brother of one of the accused Munni Begum, he said. Basiran along with her associates hatched a conspiracy to kill Miraz. As per the plan, on the intervening night of 8 and 9 September 2017, Munni Begum took Miraz to Basirans house and from there her associates took Miraz to a jungle in Sangam Vihars K block where they intoxicated him and strangulated him to death using leather belt. The accused then burnt the body to hide his identity and buried it in the jungle, the officer added. It was learnt that Basiran did not have any permanent source of income and so she started selling illicit liquor. The accused even motivated her eight sons including a minor to commit crime, the DCP said. Once, she acquired dominance in the area, with the help of her sons, she captured government water borewells in Sangam Vihar and was running a water supply mafia, he said. She was absconding since last eight months and was hiding in cities like Allahabad, Ahmedabad, Mainpuri and Firozabad, he added. Police said a case of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999 (MCOCA) has been registered against her son Shamim. She along with other family members will also be booked in connection with the case for amassing wealth from crime proceeds, the police said. PTI uttara@tribuneindia.com GENEVA, August 18 Kofi Annan, the former United Nations Secretary-General and Nobel Peace Prize laureate who died on Saturday, will be remembered as a dedicated humanitarian whose career was tarnished by ugly conflicts that spun out of control. Annan was unable to bring peace to Syria and bring to rest the failures of diplomacy in Rwanda, Bosnia, Darfur, Cyprus, Somalia and Iraq, which are likely to drown out the plaudits for his softly spoken mediation and efforts to eradicate poverty and AIDS that won him the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. Annan was brought up in an ethnically divided culture in his native Ghana, but one where dialogue was prized and outright conflict rare. It was a time of optimism and confidence as Ghana headed for independence from Britain. "He's driven by the idea of 'don't think no', always looking for the best outcome," Fred Eckhard, Annan's spokesman during his time as secretary-general, once told Reuters. His reputation as a mediator was burnished by his success in halting a spiralling conflict in Kenya in 2007, when rival claims to the presidency caused ethnic massacres in which more than 1,200 died. Annan put the rivals in a room and told them: "There is only one Kenya". He helped persuade one of them to accept the post of prime minister in a joint government. The violence ended. But earlier in his career, Annan's record was less successful. He was head of UN peacekeeping in 1994, when he acknowledges he should have done more to help prevent the slaughter of 800,000 Rwandan Tutsis and moderate Hutus. The greatest reproach was that Annan failed to act on a telegram from the UN peacekeeper commander, General Romeo Dallaire, urging a move against arms caches being built up by Hutu extremists as they prepared mass murder. "I believed at that time that I was doing my best," Annan said years later. "But I realised after the genocide that there was more that I could and should have done to sound the alarm and rally support." In a book scathing about the world's failure to act, Dallaire had only praise for Annan, describing his "humanism and dedication to the plight of others". When his UN career ended in 2006, he listed his main achievements as establishing the concept of a responsibility to protect civilians when their rulers will not or cannot. But his tenure was littered with diplomatic disasters. Bloodshed His worst moments, Annan said, included not being able to stop the bloodshed in Sudan's Darfur, the oil-for-food debacle and the Iraq war, after which he lost his voice for months. The oil-for-food scandal broke in early 2004 when it emerged that Saddam Hussein had cheated the $64-billion programme designed to relieve the pain of UN sanctions on the Iraqi people. The sanctions were imposed after Baghdad's troops invaded Kuwait. While few UN officials were accused of enriching themselves, the world body was blamed for lax management and not blowing the whistle on Saddam's tactics. Although Annan was cleared of wrongdoing, his son Kojo was found to have used UN contacts to his improper advantage. Then came the most painful event the bombing of UN headquarters in Baghdad on August 19, 2003, that killed 22 people after Annan had decided, at the urging of the United States, to send senior UN staff back to Iraq, including his envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello, who was among the victims. "It hit me almost as much as the loss of my twin sister," Annan told his last news conference as secretary-general, his voice choking. Efua Annan died of an illness in 1991. Annan was also at the helm at the time of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia, where insufficient U.N. peacekeeping forces again failed to stop the killing, and during a fiasco in Somalia that preceded Rwanda. His defenders say he tried to get enough troops and the big power support to make a difference in Bosnia and Rwanda. Critics argue that he was held back by respect for the limits he had learned in decades as a UN functionary. At an event in April to mark his 80th birthday, Annan was defensive about his role in Rwanda, joked wryly about being mistaken for actor Morgan Freeman after retiring, and decried a lack of strong leaders to help handle crises. "We have had difficulties in the past but in some cases leadership has made a difference," he said, ending on an upbeat note: "I am a stubborn optimist, I was born an optimist and will remain an optimist. The moment I lose hope all is lost, I encourage you to keep hope as well." Reuters rchopra@tribunemail.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 18 The Congress on Saturday demanded national calamity status for Kerala floods, and also announced a month-long campaign against supposed irregularities in the Rafale deal. The decisions were taken at a meeting of Congress General secretaries and in charges, legislature party leaders and state chiefs chaired by party president Rahul Gandhi here on Saturday. The meeting discussed the grave situation of floods in Kerala and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to discriminate between BJP and non BJP states in matters of flood relief. Congress media head Randeep Surjewala said after the meeting: A relief of Rs 100 crore is not enough where the damages have exceeded Rs 2,000 crore. The meeting urged the Government to declare Kerala floods a national calamity and extend help. This morning PM Narendra Modi announced RS 500 crore relief for Kerala in addition to Rs 100 crore announced earlier by the Home Ministry. Congress governments in Punjab (gave Rs 10 crore), Karnataka (Rs 10 crore) and Puducherry (Rs 1 crore) have announced relief amounts. Gandhi is learnt to have also urged the party MPs and MLAs to donate a months salary for Kerala flood relief besides asking all party leaders to hold agitation against alleged corruption in the Rafale deal at district and state headquarters. Surjewala said the agitation will see the participation of all CWC members and senior leaders who will expose the corruption in Rafale deal. ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Vibha Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 18 Navjot Singh Sidhus behaviour at the oath-taking ceremony of Imran Khan in Islamabad has earned him a sharp rebuke from the BJP, with his former party berating him for hugging Pakistan army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa a culprit of India and sitting next to so-called president of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) Masood Khan. Sidhu should not have hugged Bajwa and should have refused to sit with Khan. By doing so, he has committed a heinous crime for which he is answerable to 125 crore Indians, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, attempting to corner him and the Congress on the issue. He (Sidhu) said General Bajwa sahib hugged me and said we want peace, Patra said, adding it was clear that Congress leaders believed the Pakistan army chief more than they believed their own Army Chief from whom they had demanded proof of surgical strikes and insulted him. And what was he (Sidhu) thanking Pakistan for? For sending terrorists to India? said Patra, asking Congress president Rahul Gandhi to suspend him from the party. The BJP asked Gandhi whether it was he who had granted permission to Sidhu to attend the swearing-in. Gen Bajwa, a Jat by caste like Sidhu, belongs to Gujranwala. In Pakistan, he is considered a proponent of peace. gspannu7@gmail.com Hyderabad, August 17 The Telangana Government on Friday announced an assistance of Rs 25 crore to rain-ravaged Kerala. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has directed Chief Secretary S K Joshi to see that the money reaches Kerala immediately, an official release said. Rao has also instructed that water purifying machines worth Rs 2.50 crore be supplied to Kerala as drinking water gets polluted due to floods, it said. The chief minister has appealed to industrialists, prominent persons in IT sector and others in Telangana to help the rain-hit state, it said. He said donations, if they are made to the CMs Relief Fund, would be forwarded to Kerala. Expressing sorrow over the loss of life and property in Kerala due to the heavy rains, Rao said he hoped that the coastal state would recover from the calamity at the earliest. PTI rchopra@tribunemail.com Dubai, August 18 The United Arab Emirates (UAE) prime minister and Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has come out in support for deluge-hit Kerala and ordered the formation of an emergency committee to provide relief to the victims hit by devastating rains and floods in the state. In a series of tweets in English as well as in Malayalam on Friday, he said, The people of Kerala have always been and are still part of our success story in the UAE. We have a special responsibility to help and support those affected.\ Sheikh Al Maktoum, who is also the vice president of the UAE, said the UAE and the Indian community would unite to offer relief to those affected. We have formed a committee to start immediately. We urge everyone to contribute generously towards this initiative, he said. The state of Kerala in India is currently witnessing huge floods, the most devastating in a century. Hundreds have been killed, hundreds of thousands have been displaced. Ahead of Eid Al Adha, do not forget to extend a helping hand to our brothers in India, he further tweeted. Meanwhile, Indias ambassador to the UAE, Navdeep Singh Suri, said he would chair a meeting on Sunday with community organisations, activists and business leaders to coordinate relief support for Kerala from the UAE. Please contribute generously during this unprecedented crisis, Suri tweeted. As per an official data, since August 8, at least 194 people have lost their lives so far and 36 are missing in the Kerala flood. Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. The Indian community in the UAE, numbering 2.6 million, constitutes 30 per cent of the total population. It is the largest expatriate community in the country. PTI THE United Nations Agency for Refugees (UNHCR) Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, Mr Volker Turk, has commended Tanzania for her commitment to refugee protection and longstanding generosity towards those fleeing conflict and persecution. Briefing reporters in Dar es Salaam on Thursday evening on his four-day official visit to the country, Mr Turk, pointed it as a strong tradition in refugee protection in the country. International community, particularly the UNHCR is deeply grateful for all what Tanzania has done in refugee protection for decades, said the UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Protection after completing his visit. The visit took him to the Nduta Refugee Camp in Kibondo where he met with refugees and witnessed the voluntary return process for Burundian refugees. More than 42,000 refugees have so far returned to Burundi. Mr Turk noted that the purpose of his visit was to discuss with the government and partners on refugee protection, challenges and solutions for more than 340,000 refugees and asylum seekers in the country. It was encouraging forme to see that there was a close collaboration with the host communities, refugees and the government on addressing challenges facing the refugees and host communities, he observed. Mr Turk informed that the government of Tanzania has assured UNHCR that the choice of refugees whether to return will be respected, saying it was vital for refugees to have a meaningful choice about whether they wish to return based on the facts and realities on the ground. It is absolute paramount to ensure the freedom of choice of each and every individual, when it comes to the decision to return and we were assured by the government that indeed the exercise of returning to Burundi is taking place on the basis of voluntariness, he said. Mr Turk urged the international community to ensure adequate funding was provided to address the needs of refugees and host communities as the exercise of return to Burundi was ongoing. The Burundi situation remains one of the worlds most underfunded humanitarian crises. UNHCR and partners have received only 12 per cent of 391 million US dollars appealed for in 2018. In 2017, only 21 per cent of the funds to meet the needs of Burundian refugees were received. In light of this, Mr Turk called upon the international community to put the spotlight on the forgotten situation and to address the urgent humanitarian needs. You are here: World Flash China said on Friday that it believes Turkey can overcome temporary economic difficulties and hopes parties involved will resolve differences using dialogue. Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang made the remark online amid the Turkish lira's slump against the US dollar. Turkey on Friday threatened to respond if the United States levied further sanctions due to the detention of an American pastor. China is concerned with the developments, Lu said, adding that Turkey is a key emerging market and its stability and development benefits peace and stability. At a forum on the Belt and Road Initiative held in Ankara, Turkey, last month, the Turkish subsidiary of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China signed agreements totaling $3.8 billion with Turkey. Lu said China has always attached importance to bilateral trade and finance cooperation. He said China supports companies from both countries to negotiate and sign deals on projects in accordance with market principles. editorial@tribune.com Rajmeet Singh Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 17 In a swoop on private technical education institutions, affiliation of seven polytechnics and three pharmacy colleges across the state has been cancelled by the State Board of Technical Education and Industrial Training. Another eight private polytechnics have been given partial affiliation. Two new pharmacy colleges have been denied fresh affiliation for academic year 2018-2019. The unprecedented action follows surprise checking of 162 polytechnics and 65 pharmacy colleges by 33 different teams of experts, comprising members of the Technical Education Department, government universities and government medical colleges. The inspections revealed inadequate infrastructure and teaching faculty in the already running polytechnics and pharmacy colleges that are supposed to be annually inspected by the board authorities. The premises of two disaffiliated pharmacy colleges were also being used to run a degree college and a nursing institute. Sharing details of the inspections, Charanjit Singh Channi, Punjab Technical Education Minister, said as there were complaints of poor infrastructure and teaching faculty and the board authorities in the past were not doing proper inspections, experts from government universities and medical colleges were roped in to do the annual inspections. To bring transparency in the inspections, panel of experts heard the view of the authorities of affected colleges and checked the reports of the inspection teams before recommending action against the erring colleges. A petition against the disaffiliation filed by three affected pharmacy colleges in the Punjab and Haryana High Court was dismissed last week. Sending a strict message to the private institutions, the 10 disaffiliated institutions were not allowed to admit students for the academic year 2018-2019 and eight other polytechnics were given affiliation for only those courses against which the institutes had adequate infrastructure, said Chander Gaind, Secretary, State Board of Technical Education and Industrial Training. Paying the price for poor infrastructure Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Global Polytechnic College, Indergarh, Moga Baba Deep Singh Polytechnic College, Muktsar Doaba Polytechnic College, Raipur, Nawanshahr Jiwan Jyoti Polytechnic College, Jalalabad Patiala Institute of Engineering and Technology for Women, Patiala Krishan College of Pharmacy, Budhlada, Mansa Maa Saraswati Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kala Tibba, Abohar Punjab Polytechnic College, Raipur, Bahadurgarh, Patiala Radiance Polytechnic, Pahuwind, Tarn Taran Vidya Jyoti College of Pharmacy, Kotla Lehal, Lehragaga Government institutions register increased enrolment The immediate fallout of the checking is that admissions to private polytechnics and pharmacy colleges have dropped to 27,249 this year, against 38,599 admissions last year. August 15 was the last date for admissions. At the same time, admissions to government institutions have touched 82 per cent, against 60 per cent last year. gspannu7@gmail.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 18 Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday visited the residence of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to pay his respects. The chief minister spent about 30 minutes and wrote in the condolence book some of his feelings for Vajpayee, whom he remembered meeting for the first time back in 1970. The chief minister met Vajpayees foster daughter Namita and son-in-law Ranjan Bhattacharyya along with other family members, to pay his personal condolences, according to an official spokesperson. Recalling Vajpayees 1970 Punjab visit, the CM said Atal ji had come there to campaign for him and spent three days in Patiala. The chief minister reminisced that he had come out of the Army in 1968 and was contesting his first election a bypoll from Dakala in 1970 after the sitting MLA, Basant Singh, was killed by Naxalites. The chief minister remembered the former prime minister as a great leader, an excellent statesman, a dignified politician and a fine human being. His death had left a vacuum that would be hard to fill, he said. editorial@tribune.com Anirudh Gupta Ferozepur, August 17 A CBI team raided the office-cum-official residence of Ferozepur Zone Inspector General (IG) Gurinder Singh Dhillon late on Thursday, even as the investigating agency arrested a Ludhiana resident for accepting bribe allegedly on the IGs behalf. An SIT headed by Dhillon is probing the 2012 patwari frame-up case, in which ex-SSP Shiv Kumar Sharma and five other cops are the accused. The raids were conducted in Ferozepur and Patiala following Sharmas complaint. Sources said a four-member team swooped down on the IGs office here and questioned him about the ongoing investigation. Based on the interrogation, the CBI laid a trap and arrested alleged middleman Ashok Goyal in Ludhiana. In the complaint dated August 13, Sharma had accused Goyal of demanding a bribe of Rs 22 lakh on Dhillons behalf to settle the case. He claimed to have paid Rs 5 lakh to Goyal on August 9 at a hotel in Chandigarh. Searches at the middlemans house led to the recovery of Rs 5 lakh, the first instalment of the bribe taken in Chandigarh, the CBI said in a statement. The CBI sleuths reached here at 7:30 pm. Accompanied by local police officials, they went to the IGs official residence. They stayed till around 4:30 am on Friday before going back to Chandigarh. The team took away documents related to the investigation into the patwari Mohan Singh case. Dhillon reportedly told the CBI sleuths that he had no link with the arrested person. Later, talking to mediapersons, he said attempts were being made to put him under pressure and sabotage the ongoing investigation. Regarding the complaint lodged by Sharma with the CBI, Dhillon said the accused were trying to browbeat him since he was the SIThead. We will not allow the investigation, which is in a conclusive stage, to be impeded by such false allegations, the IGsaid, adding that the SIT was conducting the probe on merit with all honesty, based on the evidence and facts that had emerged during the course of the investigation, all of which had been brought on record. It seems to be a last-ditch effort by the accused to save their skin, Dhillon said. Sources said the CBI sleuths had an audio recording in which Goyal was heard demanding bribe. He (IG) was asked questions on the evidence against Sharma and the alleged demand of bribe by a Ludhiana-based person, they said. Dhillon said, The conversation between Sharma and the arrested man is concocted. They know each other and are trying to malign my reputation. I have told the CBI officials that charges have already been framed against Sharma. He added that the SIT headed by him had enough evidence against all accused police officers who had framed the patwari. Last month, the SIT had added Sections 377 (unnatural sex), 511 (attempt to commit offence punishable with life term), 193 (false evidence), 295-A (malicious acts to outrage religious feelings) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC to the FIR registered at Ferozepur under Sections 167 (public servant framing an incorrect document), 211 (false charge), 355 (assault or criminal force) and 506 (criminal intimidation) against VB officials in the 2012 frame-up case. Last year, Mohan Singh said he had written to the Chief Minister, seeking a fresh inquiry into the case. It was subsequently marked to the Ferozepur IG through the Chief Director, Vigilance Bureau. Meanwhile, ex-SSP Sharma appeared before the SIT for the fourth time at Sadar police station on Friday. He was interrogated for almost two hours. He alleged that the SIT officials had demanded Rs 1 crore from him to let him off, and later settled for Rs 22 lakh. We had already paid Rs 5 lakh. The conduit (Ashok Goyal) was pressuring us to pay the rest (Rs 17 lakh), said Sharma. Earlier, the SIT had raided Sharmas palatial house on the Hambran road in Ludhiana, besides his native village, Rurki in Fatehgarh Sahib district. Several documents related to his properties and bank accounts had been seized by the team. In July 2012, an inquiry by Kahan Singh Pannu, then Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, had indicted six cops for misusing official powers to settle a score and framing a patwari. The then Jalandhar range VB SSP Surjit Singh Grewal had been indicted for his role in threatening Mohan Singh not to seek information under the RTI Act against Sharma. Case in a nutshell Patwari Mohan Singh demanded Rs 20 as government fee from then SSP Shiv Kumar Sharma for mutation of land at Rurki village in Fatehgarh Sahib in name of Sharmas son in November 2009 Offended, SSP allegedly threatened to frame the patwari. Later, Mohan Singh was falsely implicated in a corruption case In July 2012, inquiry conducted by Kahan Singh Pannu, then Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, indicted six cops for misusing official powers to frame the patwari Then CM ordered registration of criminal case against then Moga SSP Surjit Grewal; former Ferozepur SSP Jaspal Singh; former SSP Shiv Kumar Sharma (now retired); retired SP Banarasi Dass; Inspector Isher Singh; and then VB joint director Surinderpal Singh Patwari seeks more security Patwari Mohan Singh said the CBI complaint was lodged to put pressure on IG Dhillon, who was conducting the probe with honesty. Sharma and his accomplices can go to any extent to intimidate SIT officials and hamper the investigation, he said. Demanding more security for himself, Mohan Singh said he could be Sharmas next target. (With inputs from Aman Sood, Patiala) editorial@tribune.com PK Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 17 A youth, identified as Gurpreet Singh of Sheikhu Mohalla of Jandiala, was allegedly kept in illegal custody by the Jandiala Guru police here. A warrant officer deputed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court raided the police station on Thursday evening, but the youth was not there at that time. Advocate Gurjinderjit Singh Sahota, who accompanied the warrant officer, said three persons present in the lock-up said the police shifted the boy minutes ago. He said warrant officer Manoj Kashyap had submitted his report to the High Court. The victims family said they couldnt trace him. His mother, Paramjit Kaur, told mediapersons that the Jandiala Guru police picked him up from their residence on Sunday and asked them to produce her younger son, Gagandeep Singh, whom they suspected to be involved in drug trafficking. Gurpreet is a student, while Gagandeep is a dropout. She added that Gagandeep had been missing for the past three months. She said they made rounds of police officials, pleading to release Gurpreet, but they did not pay heed to their requests. Later, they approached the High Court, which deputed a warrant officer to verify the allegations. She said when the warrant officer along with advocate Gurjinderjit reached the police station, only a head constable was present there. She said Gurpreet was not there in the lock-up. She said three persons in the lock-up told them that Gurpreet was shifted shortly ago, which meant that information about the warrant officers visit had been leaked before he reached there. She alleged that a constable posted in the Majitha police station was harassing the family. He had a dispute with Gagandeep, so he got Gurpreet picked up by the police. She claimed that the same cop was also present at the police station when the warrant officer conducted a raid. Gurmeet Singh Cheema, DSP, also reached the spot. He said an investigation would be carried out to verify the charges. He denied illegal custody of any person in the police station. Amritsar rural Senior Superintendent of Police Parampal Singh said he would look into the matter, though he stated that he was not aware of illegal detention of any youth. DSP denies illegal custody editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 17 Former Akali minister Sucha Singh Langah on Friday asked Akal Takht to review the excommunication pronounced upon him last year as he had now been absolved of all charges. Langah was excommunicated from the Sikh community by Akal Takht after a video clip in which he was seen in a compromising position with a woman went viral. He was booked on the charges of rape, cheating, ransom and criminal conspiracy under Sections 376, 420, 384 and 506 of the IPC on a womans statement on September 29, 2017. The former MLA from Dera Baba Nanak was recently acquitted in a rape case as the prosecution failed to establish the allegations in the court. Langah has written a letter to Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh, urging him to take him back into the Sikh fold. The Jathedar said the issue would be taken up at the next meeting of the five high priests. editorial@tribune.com Ruchika M Khanna Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 17 The state governments ambitious crop diversification plan has been hit this year, thanks to the hike in the MSP of paddy by Rs 170 per quintal. The area under cotton has shrunk by around 95,000 hectares as compared to 2017. Most of this area is now under paddy cultivation. A minimal increase is expected in the area under sugarcane and maize, while the Horticulture Department is trying to use vacant panchayat lands to plant horticulture crops and raise the area under fruits and vegetables by 15,000 acres. There has been a sharp focus by the Congress government on crop diversification ever since it took over last year. Five year targets were made for diverting the area under water-guzzling paddy to cotton, sugarcane, maize, oilseeds and fruits and vegetables. However, with the Centre announcing a hike in the paddy MSP, farmers have gone in for reverse diversification (where cotton growing area has been diverted to paddy). Jasbir Singh, Director, Agriculture, says area under sugarcane has gone up from 95,000 hectares last year to 1 lakh hectares this year. We had a target to increase the area under maize by 10,000 acres from 1.14 lakh hectares to 1.25 lakh, although the area under maize is 1.23 lakh hectares, he says. Even in terms of horticulture crops, the state government has drawn an ambitious plan to increase the area under fruits and vegetables from 4.6 per cent of the total cultivable area last year to 5.5 per cent of the total cultivable area this year. PS Aulakh, Director, Horticulture, told The Tribune that to meet the target of increasing this area under horticulture, they were going to use the village common lands for sowing fruits and vegetables. This will help us increase the area under horticulture to 40,000 acres, he said. Information gathered by The Tribune, however, reveals that sufficient water was not released in the irrigation channels of the state during the cotton and vegetable sowing season in the south Malwa region. Also, with the number of tubewell connections released last year, mostly in the south Malwa regions cotton growing areas, farmers have diverted from cotton to paddy crop. Besides, sugar prices in the market have fallen since last year. Sugarcane growers have not been paid their dues by private as well as cooperative sugar mills. This too has contributed to less than expected diversion towards sugarcane this year. The reason for this is simple there is still no market support for the alternative crops that can lead to diversification. Dr MS Sidhu, an eminent agro economist, says for diversification to be successful, the government needs to give market support to crops other than paddy and wheat, which is not there. Balbir Singh Rajewal, president, BKU, rues that though Punjab could do well in growing pulses and oilseeds, the government has not tied up with NAFED to buy oilseeds and pulses. Haryana has been successful in tying up with NAFED, and thus they have diversified their cropping pattern, he adds. amansharma@tribunemail.com Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 18 Ruling that a fair investigation is a part of right to fair trial guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution, the Supreme Court has set aside the conviction under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act of a man from Punjab who was allegedly caught with 4-kg opium by a police officer. A three-judge bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi emphasised that in cases under the NDPS Act where the burden of proof was reversed, the investigation carried out should be free from apprehension of bias or unfairness. The bench, which set aside the conviction of accused Mohan Lal -- sentenced to 10-year imprisonment with a fine of Rs 1 lakh in a 21-year-old case -- said a law with certainty is required to be laid down owing to the importance of a fair investigation as a Constitutional Right under Article 21, particularly from the point of view of an accused. The ruling clears the air on the contentious issue on which two-judge benches of the top court had earlier expressed contradictory opinions. "A question like this cannot be left open to be determined on the individual facts of a case," it said. Normally, it is for the prosecution to prove the guilt of the accused in any criminal case. But under the NDPS Act, burden of proof has been shifted to the accused, who has to prove his/her innocence. However, writing the judgment for the bench, Justice Navin Sinha said this presumption was "rebuttable". The bench, which also included Justice R Bhanumathi, said the requirement of the prosecution to prove a prima facie case beyond a reasonable doubt cannot be done away with based on the presumption under the NDPS Act, especially when the provisions are so stringent. "The case of the prosecution cannot be allowed to rest on a preponderance of probabilities," the top court noted. "Unlike the general principle of criminal jurisprudence that an accused is presumed innocent unless proved guilty, the NDPS Act carries a reverse burden of proof under Sections 35 and 54. But that cannot be understood to mean that the moment an allegation is made and the FIR recites compliance with statutory procedures leading to recovery, the burden of proof from the very inception of the prosecution shifts to the accused, without the prosecution having to establish or prove anything more. The presumption is rebuttable," explained the bench. "It is therefore held that a fair investigation, which is but the very foundation of fair trial, necessarily postulates that the informant and the investigator must not be the same person. Justice must not only be done, but must appear to be done also," it said. The accused was "caught" by Sub-Inspector Chand Singh of Balianwali Police Station while on patrol duty on February 3, 1997. He was accompanied by Sarpanch Darshan Singh and Assistant Sub-Inspector Balwinder Singh. Rajinder N Dhoke (IPS) was called and the appellant was searched, leading to recovery of 4 kg of opium in a bag carried by him. Allowing the appeal, the bench said, "In a case like this with a reverse burden of proof, if the informant police official was himself carrying out the investigation, the investigation will be marred by serious apprehensions regarding his impartiality and fairness. The result of such an investigation will be viewed as a 'foregone conclusion'." editorial@tribune.com Rajmeet Singh Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 17 A special court in Delhi has issued non-bailable warrants against Narinder Singh Bogarh, sarpanch of Malsian Patti village in Nakodar (Jalandhar), in connection with the 32-year-old murder of his sister-in-law in Vernon (Canada). Saminder Kaur was found dead in her house in December 1986. In 1985, Narinder had migrated to Canada to live with his brother, Paramjit Singh Bogarh, who was married to Saminder. However, he returned to India in 1987 for family reasons. The warrants have been issued on the basis of an application moved by the Union Ministry of External Affairs under Section 34-B of the Extradition Act, 1962. Earlier, the Department of Justice, Canada, had written to the MEA, seeking Narinders provisional arrest in view of the investigation being conducted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The Canadian authorities have also sought his blood samples. In 1987, officers of the RCMP had visited Punjab to interrogate him. In 2001, the Canadian authorities, through Interpol and the CBI, had sought directions from the special CBI court in Patiala to collect his blood samples. In 2004, the Supreme Court, on his petition, rejected a CBI plea for taking his sample for DNA testing for being a suspect in the murder case, holding that under Canadian law a person could not be forced to do so unless he had given his consent. Now, Narinder has moved a plea before Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking a probe into the matter. In a communication to the Punjab Chief Secretary, the PMO has sought details of the petitioner. Narinders attorney Amit Sharma said the MEA did not bother to check the previous record while filing an application to take blood samples. We have already got interim stay orders from the Delhi High Court against the special court order, he said. The fresh request from the Canadian authorities follows Paramjits extradition from the US to Canada on murder charges. Paramjit had shifted to the US in 1987. vinaymishra188@gmail.com Pushpesh Pant The Vedas often mention Somras, a drink that was worshipped as an elixir. Not much is known about Somras just that gods thirsted for it and it is not even certain that this was a swadeshi alcoholic beverage. But then ancient texts of Ayurved are replete with prescriptions and recipes for production of asava and sura (mritsanjivani sura and drakshasava to name just two) that involved fermentation and distillation resulting in natural alcohol production. There are innumerable references in Sanskrit, Pali-Prakrit, Tamil and literature in other languages that chronicle enjoyment of alcoholic beverages in Indian subcontinent. Shudraks Mrichchkatikam depicts scenes of Madanotsava, an uninhibited Bacchanalia. Mada is believed to be derived from madhu (honey) that in many civilisations was used to produce mead and madeira. Mahua, too, seems to have been named following the same logic. Swadeshi drinks Ancient and medieval India had a rich heritage of indigenous alcoholic drinks but after the arrival of East India and company and subsequent conquest of India, the victors pronounced all local alcoholic beverages as illegal so as to promote their own liquor. Over 200 hundred years of colonial rule eventually made us slavishly ape the manners of the victors even after we gained independence. The tendency to denigrate everything native and aspire for all that was imported eroded memories of our own drinks, beers, wines and other stronger spirits. We easily forgot how villagers and the tribesmen had for millennia enjoyed toddy tapped from the palm trees. Those who liked their liquor stronger distilled arak or sharab. Plebeian drinks of tharra and mahua had been traditionally looked down upon though many were unaware that princes in Pahari kingdoms had patronised brewers and distillers who produced indigenous alcoholic beverages of very high quality. There was paan ka tharra, prepared for the royals of Kathmandu before monarchy abolished it. It could hold its own against any single malt, Russian vodka or fancy gin. From the valley of gods In Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh they have an alcoholic drink called ghanti or chulli brewed and distilled from apples and apricots that grow here in abundance. Its a clean, crisp, smooth vodka-like beverage with pleasant fruity notes. It is enjoyed almost daily and lifts the mood when temperature drops. Similar to sake, chhang is a rice beer that is brewed across the Himalayan and trans-Himalayan region. Low in alcoholic content, it has a strong smell and is a bit of acquired taste. But it is quite capable of combating the cold at high altitudes. The best thing about chhang is that if a stronger drink is required then it can be distilled more to yield arak or sharab. In many tribal communities in the plains a rice beer akin to chhang is relished. In Jharkhand and adjacent parts of Bihar it is called handia and enjoys similar popularity. It was usually not produced for commercial purposes, as no one bought the stuff. People produced what they consumed. However, creeping encroachment of excise laws into the customary rights and traditional practices impacted the production and the consumption of handia. Though it is still possible to enjoy the velvety notes of handia at village fairs at times. In Orissa, too, handia is what gives poor people a high and at times a hangover. In Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and parts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, its mahua that reigns supreme. This alcoholic beverage, prepared with flower and fruit of Maduca Indica, is considered ambrosial. If folklore is to be believed, monkeys and wild elephants get tipsy by gorging on the fermented overripe fruit in season. Royal connection The joys of home-made brew have not been restricted to the underprivileged. The Indian princes, notorious for their gargantuan consumption of Scotch, too, indulged in exotic liquors, especially those with a reputation of a potent aphrodisiac. The first to appear outside the borders of Rajasthan was eponymously named Asha (hope). In 1970s, it found its way to Delhi and remained in vogue as an after-dinner companion to dessert. Supply was erratic and soon it disappeared. Years later Vijay Mallya bought the Udaipur distillery and marketed Asha though it vanished. Even rarer to encounter was kesar-kasturi. As the name indicates it incorporates extremely expensive ingredients like saffron and musk. The zealously guarded recipe lists over 40 fruits, dried fruits, herbs, nuts, spices, condiments and aromatic substances. This is stuff dreams are made of and no moonshiner-bootlegger can dream of concocting in a hidden garage or basement still. The only problem is that ingredients like musk are on the banned list of the IUCN and trying to source these can bring you in conflict with the law of the land! However, the Rajasthan Government has plans to revive these heritage drinks as a part of its tourism promotion. Maybe there is hope for Asha and its lovers yet! Heady notes Sikkim has a large population comprising mostly people of Nepalese stock. Hence chhang here has a large footprint. Zutho is the rice wine from Nagaland that resembles chhang. In Arunachal Pradesh, apo is a popular rice wine. Mizos prefer a stronger grape wine, sweet and fruity, called zawlaidi that is believed to be a love potion. Alcoholic drinks were an important source of revenue as mentioned in Kautilys Arthashastra though Buddhist texts advise monks and novices to stay away from intoxicating alcohol as it leads to heedlessness. An advice that remains relevant even today. vinaymishra188@gmail.com Parul Agrawal Around a month ago, Delhi saw a revised version of the Chipko movement. Hundreds of residents of the Capital took to the streets to protest against the scheduled cutting of more than 14,000 trees. This was done for the redevelopment of a few areas in the city that reportedly needed a makeover. A month later, thanks to public protest and legal intervention, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has been asked to revisit the layout plan and figure out ways to transplant the trees instead of cutting them. While the citizens and the government officials have rejoiced the idea, the decision has not gone down too well with the conservationists and tree experts. Critics say that transplantation is a process that requires expertise, time and patience. Determining factors like weather conditions and suitable climate also play a part. The survival rate is directly impacted by these. Most trees cannot survive transplantation, particularly the big-old ones. The success rate is extremely low, says CR Babu, professor emeritus, Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems. Transplanting trees is an expensive affair and not many in India can claim to be an expert at the meticulous process. The survival depends on the consistent care of uprooted trees and a lot of complementary factors that are difficult to control. The success rate in certain cities in India has been as low as 2 per cent. Despite all odds, citizens, environmental activists and tree experts across India are increasingly getting together in favour of tree transplants. In other words, with higher costs and lower success rates, can tree transplantation emerge as a feasible mid-way solution to the reducing green cover in India? One stem at a time Ramchandra Appari from Hyderabad, who started a private horticulture firm in 2010, claims that his company has successfully translocated more than 9,500 trees to date. Appari's firm has assisted Hyderabad metro rail project, Pune metro and a couple of other highway projects in transplanting trees that were scheduled to be chopped. Tree transplantation is a fairly new thing in India. People watch videos of huge trees being lifted and planted abroad and they want the same to be replicated here. In India, half of those things don't work. So, it is challenging, but by no means impossible. Apparis firm is one of the many private companies in India that are trying to venture into the tree transplant market to make the process of environmental conservation sustainable and profitable. The market is growing. However, not a single research institute or agricultural university in India offers knowledge, expertise or courses, teaching technicalities of tree transplants. Almost everybody in the field is learning by experience and foreign literature that is available online. Indian soil is different, so are our weather conditions. India has different varieties and species of trees. There is very less that we can learn from foreign examples, adds Appari. Government officials are still not aware of transplantation techniques and a lot of contracts are given to the firms that are not competent enough, leading to poor success rates. Rahul Mahajan, a resident of Chandigarh, has transplanted more than 120 trees, entirely with his own expertise and money. Mahajan believes that transplantation cannot be the substitute for indiscriminate cutting of trees. It is though the best available solution for saving trees that are older and of rare species. Mahajan says that he has mostly transplanted trees that were old and abandoned. These were either blocking a construction site, or decaying, or got uprooted due to weather. The success rate for most of tree transplantations done by me has been more than 85 per cent, and the reason is meticulous pre and post care. He states that the biggest challenge is the short notice that is given to the experts for starting the process. Preparing the tree for transplant involves various processes and treatments. Those who approach want the tree to be uprooted in the next few days. This affects the chances of survival. Making a mark In December last year, a group of citizens and a tree doctor in Bengaluru came together to save 115 trees that were marked to be cut for the Metro rail construction in the Whitefield area. Ram Kanala, a software professional from Bengaluru, ran from pillar to post and persuaded metro corporation to donate its machinery and Satya Sai Hospital in Bengaluru to mark space for transplanted trees. The stakeholders collectively took up the task of post-transplant tree care. Six months later, the trees came alive. Mission Green Century as it was named is the first instance in India of over100 trees successfully transplanted in an entirely citizen-led initiative at the one-fourth cost. What makes this initiative rare is how citizens and different stakeholders came together to make it a success. If cost and success rate are the reasons we let the trees die an untimely death in India, Mission Green Century has proved there is an alternate solution, says Vijay Nishanth, an urban conservationist and a tree doctor, who is known for reviving and rejuvenating the dead trees in Bengaluru. A concerted effort The average cost for a tree transplant is anywhere between Rs 10,000 to Rs 90,000, depending upon the number of trees and their age. There is no legitimate data available about the number of trees transplanted in India and their survival rates, but in most cases where government authorities have transplanted trees in exchange for the permissions to remove them, the trees have died due to lack of long-term care and a sense of ownership. Private companies led and run by environmentalists and subject experts have shown better results, but the commercial costs of tree transplants are still very high. It is this dynamic that can change if various stakeholders come together for a green cause. The real activists are the people who can make a lot of impossible possible if they come together. If corporates, government machinery and activists get together, tree transplantation costs would reduce and success rates would double, says Nishanth, hoping that more people in India look at trees as a crucial asset. You are here: World Flash Six people including a local political leader were killed on Saturday in a clash between two rival factions of a political party in Bangladesh's southeastern Chittagong Hill tracts, combining three hilly districts of Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachari. Police chief in Khagrachari Ali Ahmed Khan told Xinhua via telephone that the clash erupted in the Shonirbhor Bazar area of the Khagrachari district town at around 8:30 a.m. local time. He said the shootout occurred between two rival factions of the United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) which is a regional political party based in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. "One of the six victims killed in the clash has been identified as a UPDF leader." No further details were immediately available. vinaymishra188@gmail.com Manisha Gangahar For 70-year-old Halimah Wok, the day begins and ends at Bus Stop 50191, Bef Balestier Plaza, Singapore. On all six days, Sunday being the rest day, he takes a different bus, a different route, but with no agenda. Bus routes are narratives of a kind, they make an interesting read, he candidly shares with an onboard tourist. He has heard stories of migration from his parents and now makes a living telling stories to children and he picks them all from the bus rides. Well, bus service of Singapore is something one would certainly like to bring back home. Convenient, comfortable, frequent and affordable, public buses of this country reach the remotest, the busiest and even the nearest destinations. But as one stops for a hop, what is missed is the bus stop they are peculiar, hold a story and they have numbers too! Ask around if this is so and an equally peculiar expression comes as a reply. People just dont stop long enough at the stop to notice, perhaps. Aft Craig Rd Bus Stop, number 05421, has a high nostalgic value. The only one of its kind, shaped like a small hut, it tells the story of the bygone years of 1960s when sarong kebayas, satay sellers and Magnolia soft drink bottles were commonly seen in Singapore. Though the graffiti on the bus stop wall is gone, informs Jun Kai, who has been using this stop since his childhood, the shops along the Tanjong Pagar road are still conserved in their old charm. The area is also known for some great food and beverages outlets. A more recent history draws the attention to Bus Stop number 05059 Hong Lim Park. Perhaps, it is only incidental that design of the bus shelter is suggestive of Pink Dot, an LGBT movement, which has been holding events in the area for the past many years. The Hong Lim Park is the only place in Singapore where public rallies and demonstrations are officially permitted. Yet another bus stop that could bring back not-so-nice memories for some and cherished bonds for others is the number 77171 Opp Pasir Ris Town Pk. This is the drop off point for many a Singaporean boy, as they take on their journey towards becoming National Servicemen, undertaking the compulsory Basic Military Training for two years, explains Xin Yi, who is quite familiar to the bus stop. Today, after 33 years of his first ride at Pasir Ris, he gives a goodbye hug to his son, reminiscing the days of getting on the 3-tonner Bedford truck, now replaced by more comfortable bus ride. For tourists and shopping buffs, IKEA is a marked destination on the city map. So, a bus ride to the far east of Singapore is not a big thing. This area is called TampinesSAFRA Tampines/75059 Bus Stop that goes back to the Franklin and Jackson map of 1828. Once upon a time, tampinis tress grew here in abundance and the oldest street dates back to the time when carts treaded the tract. The stark and bare structure of Tampines bus stop is a little quirky in its design though the bright colours orange and red brightens up the wait. Another weird bus shelter is Valley Pt Condo / 13059. One could simply miss the bus while trying to make sense of the design, if at all it has been designed a fork-shaped structure, aggressive, trying to keep the roof down. Equally bizzare bus shelter is the Synergy / 28041. Resembling a bird, no a UFO more precisely or instead a spaceship, why would a bus stop be so designed? A mistake, a misfit, one believes, unless one walks a little ahead to find its muse the Synergy Business Park Building. To compliment the concrete think-tank, set up for R&D and undertake backroom operations, stands this futuristic bus stop. These are not just shelters for commuters, as Virginia Woolf writes in Jacobs Room, Its not catastrophes, murders, deaths, diseases, that age and kill us; its the way people look and laugh, and run up the steps of omnibuses. The unique bus stops add character to the landscape, each has a story to tell, a past to keep alive, a linkage to nurture. If only one could stop and take note of the bus stop! vinaymishra188@gmail.com Rameshinder Singh Sandhu Zest runs high in the words of tour guides as they daily introduce their large groups to the famed Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain in Chicagos Grant Park that beautifully overlooks Lake Michigan in front and spectacular skyscrapers behind it. Not just because it is one of the worlds largest decorative fountains but also because of its nostalgic and inspiring story. Donated to the city on August 26 in 1927 by Kate Buckingham in the memory of her late brother Clarence, who was also an ardent art lover like her, she decided to give birth to this fountain. Covering enormous area, the very first glimpse makes it clear that it rolls out a quintessentially European allure. Thanks to Kates frequent trips to various pockets of Europe, where she admired the huge artistic public fountains and whenever she narrated the charm those fountains carried to her brother, he always got thrilled. As she had drawn major inspiration for it from Bassin De Latone fountain at the Versailles Palace near Paris, she roped in Beaux arts architect Edward H. Bennet for the overall design and French sculptors Marcel F. Loyau for the statues surrounding its basins. Entrancingly, it also connects one with local geography as its main basin represents Lake Michigan while four pairs of sea horses (statues) scattered in four different corners of the basin symbolise four states (Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana) surrounding the lake. And, this intrigues many. The fountain turns into action with commencement of every hour from 8 am to 11 pm (April to October), its every show lasts for nearly 20 minutes. Its centre jet the cynosure shoots up to 150 feet in the air but it starts with small sprays and finally takes off with participation of all 134 jets dotted all around. Within minutes, its grandiosity exceeds expectations of all be it young or the old. As the sun leaves and moon takes over, the shows are choreographed with 320 colourful lights and Mozart style music. Its time when its grandiloquence soars and exciting more. The skyscrapers around also lit up by this time, making the scene more beguiling. Thats why in most Chicago art shops, you will find plethora of its paintings and posters at souvenir points besides the infinite post cards that also underline its eminence. Meanwhile, in 1959 when the city of Chicago hosted Queen Elizabeth II, her Chicago sightseeing with the officials started right with this memorial. Lastly, since it is dedicated to a brother from a sister many visitors, especially siblings, and sometimes even parents, can be seen throwing coins in its water to seek blessings to intensify love and bond among the siblings. Talk to any local about it and suggestion for this will come ebulliently running to their tongue while some may rightly add rare is such a love to be seen in the materialistic world of today. Happy Raksha Bandhan! Viney Sharma Viney Sharma The North American nation is drawing farmer-entrepreneurs in large numbers from Indias breadbasket Punjab and Haryana. No, they arent the rich ones buying luxury villas in exotic locales. They are the aspiring ones who expect to hit pay dirt as authorities in the former English colony provide agricultural land at abysmally low prices as compared to India. Farmers are going to be driving Lamborghinis, said global investor Jim Rogers. And adding another dimension to the quote is 43-year-old Sushil Yadavs thought: Fund managers will become farmers. Considering the plight of the farming sector in India, this may not hold true, but the sons of soil are scripting a different success story in faraway lands with sheer perseverance and there is no dearth of rags-to-riches stories emanating from the Indian diaspora in Canada. Reaping dividends Yadav, who chose farming as his vocation after working in the IT sector for over 15 years in Canada, now has a farm close to the serene Niagara Falls. And hes not the only one. Almost 37 years ago, when Paramjit Singh Minhas from Kouhja village near Adampur landed in Toronto in 1981, he had no inclination for farming. However, the lack of a suitable job left him with no option but to sow seeds of success. There has been no looking back for Minhas and today, he is the biggest Indian cucumber farmer in Canada. Similarly, Sikh farmer Peter Dhillon is Canadas biggest cranberry producer and so is Karnail Sidhu, who owns one of the largest wineries Kalala Organic Estate in Canada. The list goes on.and doesnt just include people coming from traditional farming backgrounds. Three years ago, Yadav and his partner Ramanpreet Kaur, both IT professionals with over 15 years of experience, started their organic farm near Niagra Falls. They gave up their plum jobs with a leading MNC two months ago to dedicate themselves to this venture. People will never stop eating, so you always have assured consumption, laughs Yadav. I scouted many options and finally zeroed in on this sector. It is lucrative and profitable. First, the land is cheap as compared to that in India. It costs anywhere between Rs 7-15 lakh per acre, depending on the location, he says. The fact that a number of government and private agencies are ready to fund farming ventures is another advantage for taking to farming here. But, it is not a cakewalk all through. The focus is always on buying land in the first place, but it is also important to form a corporation and build a credit history of at least two years before actually buying land for farming. Thats how one becomes eligible to avail of the funding options, says another progressive farmer Kulwant Singh, from Waterloo near Toronto. Migration is not new Punjab and Haryana are not new to migration of farmers as well as other skilled and unskilled workers. Punjabs farmers began migrating to greener pastures as early as in the 1850s. Later in 1901, a major exodus of farmers took place mainly from Ludhiana, Patiala and Jalandhar to barren lands near Lahore, now in Pakistan, where the ruling British government of the time established canal colonies. These colonies got barren lands under canal irrigation. Punjabis were largely traders or warriors, but not farmers. It was in 1901 when Punjabi farmers realised the agricultural potential in faraway lands. And by the 1950s, farmers started migrating to the United States and Canada. However, migration among farmers to overseas shores in other states such as Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar started much earlier, in the 16th century during the time of Mughal emperor Akbar. Interestingly, in the latest phase of migration from the Punjab-Haryana belt, though Canada is the hot destination, farmers are trundling to African countries Kenya, Ghana, Namibia and Ethiopia as well. These nations are looking for right farming skills and modern practices to boost output to combat poverty. Rajeev Jayaswal Rajeev Jayaswal in Chandigarh India could brave the global financial tsunami about a decade ago because of its resilient economy and the robustness of its financial institution. This was backed by most experts who had explained the meltdown of 2008. Finance ministrys carefully calibrated policies and prudent functioning of Indian bankers under the watchful eyes of the banking sector regulator, the Reserve Bank of India, were credited for the financial stability. Experts said commercial banks of India were saved from the subprime crisis that saw collapse of several global financial institutions as they operated in a conservative policy environment, backed by prudent financial norms and sound institutional mechanisms. During that period, Indias scheduled commercial banks had Rs 68,220 crore of gross non-performing assets (NPAs). The paradigm shifted dramatically in less than a decade and the banking system was found under severe stress. The symptoms The NPAs grew to Rs 10,35,528 crore by March 31, 2018, an unprecedented 2,000 per cent jump in 10 years. The industry apprehends that this figure would have already surpassed the Rs 11,00,000-crore mark. So, what happened to the governments conservative banking policies and the RBIs firewall that had protected the domestic financial institutions in the 2008 rout? Apparently, the muck was always there, albeit under wraps through accounting jugglery. Banks abused tools like strategic debt restructuring scheme to postpone their problems of bad loans and make their books look clean. This phenomenon was explained by the then RBI governor, Dr Raghuram Rajan, at an industry function in 2016: In 2008-09, after the global financial crisis, the Reserve Bank agreed to forbear on certain kinds of stressed loan restructuring, hoping that this was a temporary need pending stronger growth. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, the stress has not been temporary, and growth in these sectors has proved elusive. Therefore, early in the process, the Reserve Bank set about giving banks the tools to deal with stressed loans, including information about the degree of the borrowers collective indebtedness from the system and more effective ways to reduce the projects financial stress, such as the joint lenders forum, the strategic debt restructuring mechanism and the 5/25 mechanism. In a way, the RBI has been trying to create a functioning resolution process in a situation where the existing bankruptcy system functions poorly. According to Rajan, the tools were used not to resolve a problem, but also perversely, to avoid it. The diagnosis The ailing banking system started showing pathological symptoms. They were manifested in a disgraced Vijay Mallya, absconder Nirav Modi and fugitive Mehul Choksi. They publically exposed the rot that had plagued the banking system for more than a decade. In fact, the rot was detected internally much before Mallya fled the country in March 2016. It happened in April 2015, after the RBI initiated the Asset Quality Review (AQR) aimed at cleaning up the balance sheets of banks. Interestingly, banks approached the court to prevent the wilful defaulter from leaving the country only one week after his escape. Some rogue elements within the banking system might be more loyal to the client than to the bank for obvious reasons. This should be a matter of interest for agencies probing cases of bank frauds. The AQR revealed high incidence of NPAs. Stressed loans, earlier concealed under the RBIs tools for flexibility, were reclassified as NPAs. The regulator acted. It withdrew all schemes for restructuring stressed loans. Despite that, the gross NPAs of scheduled commercial banks increased from Rs 3,23,464 crore on March 31, 2015 to a stagerring Rs 10,35,528 crore in just three years. The surgery The surgery that was done under the AQR in 2015 did expose hidden bad loans, but failed to check the rising number of NPAs. The phenomenon was quickly justified through an alibi created around two key factors: stressed banks and strained corporate. It was a fit case for the twin balance sheet problem. Corporates invested profusely to over expand their businesses during boom time, but failed to service their debts that created NPAs for banks. This is how the balance sheets of both parties got stressed, squeezing the room for any fresh investment, adversely impacting growth. It is logical for experts from within the system to find justifications to protect institutions and individuals. Aggressive lending practices, wilful defaults, loan frauds, corruption and economic slowdown have been cited as reasons for the spurt in NPAs. However, no institution or individual was found to be responsible for the systemic lapses. Custodians of banks have neither been questioned nor have they revealed the motive behind hiding stressed loans. Despite all justifications, it is hard to believe that offenders like Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, Neeraj Singal and Mehul Choksi embezzled thousands of crores from banks without any internal or external help. While these conmen stand exposed, hundreds of defaulters have been kept in the safe house of investigative agencies on the grounds that revelation of their names would hamper commercial interests of banks and adversely impact the investors sentiment. All culprits, directly and indirectly involved in bank frauds, may never be brought to book, more due to the lack of political will than commercial concern. However, the wide publicity given to the bad loan issue has forced the government to take definite steps to clean up the mess. The recovery In February, the RBI issued a revised framework to the banks for dealing with stressed assets in a time-bound manner. To recover old dues, banks are now armed with the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, which has been enacted to resolve stressed assets in a time-bound manner. The RBI, in June last year, issued the first list of a dozen large defaulters (outstanding amount over Rs 2,00,000 crore) and directed the lenders to initiate bankruptcy proceedings against the firms, including Essar Steel, Bhushan Steel, Bhushan Power & Steel, Monnet Ispat, Alok Industries, ABG Shipyard and Jyoti Structures. Subsequently, names of several defaulters have been listed for action by the RBI. Since the first list, cases of four defaulters in the list of Dirty Dozen have been resolved. The RBI is prodding lenders to recover old dues, which is a good sign. But, the rising level of NPAs is a cause of concern. Unless the regulator takes prompt action to contain fresh accumulation of bad loans, health condition of banks could relapse. pardeepdhull@gmail.com Tuxtla Gutierrez, August 18 Mexican authorities said they found 122 sea turtles dead on a beach in the southern state of Chiapas, mostly from an endangered species. The cause of death was not immediately clear, though around 10 percent of the turtles had wounds to the head or shell and showed signs of injuries from fish hooks or fishing nets, the environment ministry said in a statement. It said authorities had not been able to carry out autopsies due to the advanced state of decomposition in which they were found. The turtles were found yesterday on the beaches of Puerto Arista, a small town on the Pacific coast. Most of them 111 were from the endangered Pacific Ridley species (Lepidochelys olivacea). Mexico banned the capture of sea turtles in 1990, but there is still a lucrative black market for their eggs. AFP sanjiv@tribunemail.com Sydney, August 17 A schoolboy who dreamed of working for Apple hacked the firms computer systems, Australian media has reported, although the tech giant said on Friday no customer data was compromised. The Childrens Court of Victoria was told the teenager broke into Apples mainframe-a large, powerful data processing system-from his home in the suburbs of Melbourne and downloaded 90GB of secure files, The Age reported. The boy, then aged 16, accessed the system multiple times over a year as he was a fan of Apple and had dreamed of working for the US firm, the newspaper said, citing his lawyer. Apple said in a statement today that its teams discovered the unauthorised access, contained it, and reported the incident to law enforcement. The firm, which earlier this month became the first private-sector company to surpass $1 trillion in market value, said it wanted to assure our customers that at no point during this incident was their personal data compromised. An international investigation was launched after the discovery involving the FBI and the Australian Federal Police, The Age reported on Thursday. PTI pardeepdhull@gmail.com Beijing, August 18 Chinas Defence Ministry has lodged a complaint with the United States about a Pentagon report that said Chinas military was likely training for strikes against the United States and its allies, saying it was pure guesswork. The assessment, at a time of heightened US-China tensions over trade, was contained in an annual report that highlighted Chinas efforts to increase its global influence, with defence spending that the Pentagon estimated exceeded $190 billion in 2017. Chinas Defence Ministry said in a statement late on Friday that the Pentagon report misrepresented Chinas strategic intentions and exaggerated the so-called China military threat. Chinas military expresses resolute opposition to this and has lodged stern representations with the US side, it said. China is on the path of peaceful development and pursues a defensive national strategy, and has always been a contributor to world peace and protector of the global order, the ministry said. The Chinese militarys strengthening of modernisation is to protect the countrys sovereignty, security and development interests, as well as global peace, stability and prosperity, it said. The Chinese militarys reform, weapons development and defensive capabilities in the internet space are just and reasonable. The criticism in the US report is pure guesswork. The Pentagon report said that while the Peoples Liberation Army had continued to extend operations, it was not clear what message Beijing was looking to send by carrying out bomber flights beyond a demonstration of improved capabilities. This year, Chinas air force landed bombers on islands and reefs in the South China Sea as part of a training exercise in the disputed region. In January the Pentagon put countering Beijing, along with Russia, at the centre of a new national defence strategy. Chinas Defence Ministry said the peaceful construction work in the South China Sea was its right as a sovereign country, and it criticised the United States for its freedom of navigation operations there. It said the report by the United States harms mutual trust between the two countries, the ministry said. We demand the US side abandons Cold War thinking, objectively and rationally views Chinas defence and military construction, stops issuing the relevant reports, and takes actual steps to promote and protect the stable development of military-to-military relations, it said. While Washington and Beijing maintain a military-to-military relationship aimed at containing tensions, this has been tested in recent months, notably in May when the Pentagon withdrew an invitation to China to join a multinational naval exercise. In June, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis became the first Pentagon chief to visit China since 2014. Reuters pardeepdhull@gmail.com Shanghai, August 18 Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit Pyongyang next month at the invitation of North Korea leader Kim Jong Un to attend the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of North Koreas founding, Singapores Straits Times newspaper reported. It will be the Chinese leaders first visit to the North Korean capital since he took power in 2012, and 13 years after the last visit by a Chinese President, when Xis predecessor Hu Jintao visited in 2005, the newspaper said on Saturday. The Straits Times did not say where it obtained the information and the Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. North Koreas celebrations are set to take place on Sept. 9 and the Straits Times said that Xis visit could still be subject to last-minute changes. China is the reclusive countrys most important trading partner and Kim has visited China three times so far this year during which he has held talks with Xi on improving cooperation between the two countries and economic reforms. The United States has stepped up sanctions on North Korea to pressure Pyongyang to give up its nuclear program. This week, the United States imposed sanctions on Chinese firms for exporting alcohol and cigarette products to North Korea in breach of those sanctions. Reuters amansharma@tribunemail.com Smita Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 18 It was late in the evening of November 26, 2008, as then Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi finished addressing the media after a long day of talks. India-Pakistan bilateral exchanges had become routine in the last four years and the particular press conference hardly had a headline to offer as it concluded. But within hours the state of relations would change and how as news poured in of Mumbai under siege. Maximum city had been taken hostage by 10 terrorists of Lashkar-e-Toiba who attacked the cultural capital and killed 166 people, including foreign citizens, as bloodshed played out for the next three days. Read: Imran Khan takes oath as 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan To the media's surprise, Qureshi and the Pakistani delegation chose to not cut short their visit and the Pakistani foreign minister kept his date for an interaction with women journalists the next afternoon. While at the Indian Women's Press Corps, Qureshi received an angry phone call from Pranab Mukherjee and shifted to an adjoining secluded room for the conversation. Soon after the delegation flew back to Islamabad. Today Qureshi is back in the limelight again as Foreign Minister of 'Naya Pakistan' under 'Kaptaan' Imran Khan. The former leader of Pakistan People's Party, considered a hawk on Kashmir, also has a legacy of failed talks and disastrous press conference with his counterpart S M Krishna when the Indian foreign minister visited Islamabad in 2010. Amid speculations that another hawk, Shireen Mazari, could become defence minister, the portfolio has been handed over to Pervez Khattak, former chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where Imran Khan's PTI managed a provincial win in 2013 elections. Mazari has been made Human Rights Minister with the possibility of Kashmir rhetoric high on her agenda. Of Imran's 15 cabinet members and five advisers appointed today, several faces have the stamp of old Pakistan. Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, who had served Musharraf as Information Minister and later Railways Minister, is now back with the railways portfolio. As Mosharraf Zaidi, a former adviser to Minstry of Foreign Affairs tweeted, "The Imran Khan cabinet is many things, but "change", it is not. Nine out of 15 ministers, and three out of five advisers were senior officials in the Gen Musharraf era (1999-2007). pardeepdhull@gmail.com Accra/Geneva, August 18 Former United Nations Secretary-General and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kofi Annan has died at the age of 80, his foundation said on Saturday. Annan, a Ghanaian national, died in hospital in Bern, Switzerland, in the early hours of Saturday, two of his close associates said. In Geneva, the Kofi Annan Foundation announced his peaceful death with immense sadness after a short illness, saying he was surrounded in his last days by his second wife Nane and children Ama, Kojo and Nina. Annan served two terms as UN Secretary-General in New York from 1997-2006 and retired in Geneva and later lived in a Swiss village in the nearby countryside. In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations. He rose through the ranks to lead the organization into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whom Annan had chosen to head the UN refugee agency, said in a statement. As head of UN peacekeeping operations, Annan was criticised for the world bodys failure to halt the genocide in Rwanda in the 1990s. The UN can be improved, it is not perfect but if it didnt exist you would have to create it, he told the BBCs Hard Talk during an interview for his 80th birthday last April, recorded at the Geneva Graduate Institute where he had studied I am a stubborn optimist, I was born an optimist and will remain an optimist, Annan added. Annan was guiding force for good, says Guterres United Nations chief Antonio Guterres expressed deep sorrow on Saturday at the news his predecessor Kofi Annan had passed away, calling him a guiding force for good. Kofi Annan was a guiding force for good, Guterres said in a statement shortly after news broke of Annans passing in Switzerland. In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations. He rose through the ranks to lead the organisation into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination, he added. Agencies Flash Beijing has issued strong objections to a Pentagon report that alleged China is building its military might and poses a threat to the US. China's military has expanded its bomber operations in recent years while "likely training for strikes" against the United States and its allies, a report released on Thursday said. While China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) had continued to extend operations, it was not clear what message Beijing was seeking to send by carrying out the flights "beyond a demonstration of improved capabilities," the Pentagon report said. The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Saturday issued a strong objection, accusing the US of distorting facts and interfering in China's military affairs. "China strongly rejects the US criticism of Chinese national defense building and its efforts to defend national sovereignty and territory," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters. China always upholds a peaceful development path and contributes to world peace and stability and defends the international order, Lu said. He urged the US to abandon its Cold War mentality and to make real efforts to build bilateral ties. China's Defense Ministry also reacted quickly. It issued a statement late Friday on its website, saying China strongly objects the report as it misinterpreted China's military strategy, exaggerated the rhetoric of the "China military threat" and provoked the cross-Strait relations. Beijing has brought up solemn representation to the US side, the statement said. China always adheres to the path of peaceful development with a defensive national policy, and it always contributes to world peace and stability by actively participating in peacekeeping, overseas escort and disaster relief missions, it said. "China is taking more responsibility and providing more public security goods to the world, and it is applauded by the international society for making such efforts," the statement added. China's military modernization is to strengthen its ability to defend its sovereignty and territory and to defend world peace, stability and prosperity, it stressed. It went on to say that Taiwan is part of China, and it is an "iron fact." It called on the US to stick to its longstanding one-China principle. It also warned the US over navigation in the South China Sea. China is actively engaged in direct negotiation and talks with its neighboring countries to resolve the South China Sea issue, and China has the right to construct peaceful and civilian facilities on these reefs, the Defense Ministry said. The US' so-called "freedom of navigation" in the water is escalating the tension and poses a real threat to regional stability, it added. The "Annual Report on Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China" is a US government report mandated by Congress, which details Chinese military developments over the previous year. The ministry warned such report is provoking and will damage the China-US mutual trust, and urged the US to abandon its Cold War mentality and to make real efforts to build bilateral military ties. pardeepdhull@gmail.com Islamabad, August 18 Imran Khan has sought UKs help to combat the menace of money laundering during a conversation with his British counterpart Theresa May, Pakistani media reported, a day after he vowed to act against those who looted the country. Khans request is significant as former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his close relatives are currently jailed in one corruption case and are facing more allegations of money laundering and graft. Hours after Imran Khan was elected the new Prime Minister of Pakistan yesterday, May called him to congratulate and offer her best wishes, Dawn newspaper reported. The British Prime Minister, during her telephonic conversation with Khan, said that her government is ready to further improve Britains relations with Pakistan. We are ready to open new avenues of partnership with Pakistan, May told Khan. We will fully assist the new government. Khan, after thanking May for her call, said that he hopes to work with the British government to root out the menace of money laundering. Money laundering is a severe problem for developing countries, he said. To stop this we want to work with foreign governments, especially Britains, Khan was quoted as saying. Prime Minister May agreed to Khans desire of working together to eradicate the practice, the report said. In his inaugural address to the newly-elected Parliament, Khan said, I promise my nation today that we will bring the tabdeeli (change) that this nation was starving for. We have to hold strict accountability in this country; the people who looted this country, I promise that I will work against them, he vowed. The money that was laundered, I will bring it back - the money that should have gone towards health, education, and water, went into peoples pockets, Khan said. Sharif, 68, along with his daughter Maryam, 44 and his son-in-law Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar are already serving jail terms of 10-years, seven years and one year respectively in the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, after an accountability court convicted them on July 6 over the familys ownership of four luxury flats in London. The ownership of the four London flats by the Sharif family surfaced in the Panama Papers in April 2016, indicating that the posh properties were managed through offshore companies owned by Sharifs children. The Panama Papers cases were launched on September 8, 2016, following the Supreme Court verdict of July 28 that disqualified Sharif as prime minister and ordered the National Accountability Bureau to probe corruption cases against him. PTI sanjiv@tribunemail.com Mecca: Two million Muslims gather in Saudi Arabia this week for the hajj as the annual pilgrimage becomes increasingly hi-tech with apps to help the faithful navigate Islams holiest sites. This year the hajj comes with the ultra-conservative kingdom witnessing an unprecedented pace of change, finally ending a ban on women driving while remaining firm in the face of any dissent. This year, the Saudis have launched a smart hajj initiative, with apps to help pilgrims with everything from travel plans to medical care. Asefny, for example, is an app launched by Saudi Arabias Red Crescent to help pilgrims request emergency medical attention. AFP Google staff protest secret work on China search engine Washington: Hundreds of Google employees have signed a protest letter over the companys reported work on a censor-friendly search engine to get back into China, The New York Times said. The employees are demanding more transparency so they can understand the moral implications of their work. It has been signed by 1,400 employees. The letter argues that the search engine project and Googles apparent willingness to accept Chinas censorship requirements raise urgent moral and ethical issues. Google withdrew its search engine from China eight years ago due to censorship and hacking. The new project is said to be code named Dragonfly. AFP Johansson beats Jolie to become highest-paid actress Los Angeles: Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson has become the best-paid actress in the world, according to Forbes magazine. Johansson, 33, made $40.5 million in pre-tax earnings from June 1, 2017, to June 1, 2018, quadrupling her income from the previous year. She played Black Widow in this years hit Marvel movie Avengers: Infinity War and will return to the role in the 2019 instalment from Walt Disney Cos Marvel Studios. Johansson beat out Angelina Jolie, who ranked second with $28 million thanks mainly to her upfront pay for Maleficent 2. Jennifer Aniston came in third with $19.5 million. PTI sanjiv@tribunemail.com Washington, August 17 A multimillion-dollar military parade planned by US President Donald Trump through the streets of Washington DC in November has been postponed until 2019, the Department of Defence has announced. President Trump, also the commander-in-chief of the US military, got the idea of holding the grand parade while viewing Frances Bastille Day Parade in July 2017 along with French President Emmanuel Macron. The parade was originally conceived to mark the centenary of the end of World War I, on November 11. The news about the parades postponement came amid reports that the event could cost about $90 million, more than three times the original estimate. A memo when the plan was first mooted said no tanks would be used so as not to damage the roads of Washington. The Pentagon said the military would march from the White House to the Capitol, and the parade would feature a heavy air component at the end. The focus was to be on the work of US military veterans through the ages, starting with the American Revolutionary War. PTI Costly Affair Success is measured not by having a degree but by how you impact the lives of others. This was the message to graduates of The University of the West Indies (The UWI) Faculty of Social Sciences yesterday by construction magnate Sieunarine Coosal. Coosal, who is the executive chairman of the Coosals Group of Companies, was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD) by The UWI during the virtual graduation ceremony. Prastaavofferings of prayer, musical upliftment and renewed hope during one of the darkest times in this countrys history. Thats the positive energy emanating from the National Council of Indian Cultures (NCIC) 2021 Divali Nagar, in Chaguanas, this Festival of Lights, says organiser George Singh. Sponsored: Ministry of Planning Climate Change and Land Degradation are two significant environmental issues facing the world today. We see many countries in the news talking about their strategies towards dealing with these, but what is our country doing? More here It has been a good week for heritage art. Two different sets of stolen cultural treasures were returned to their rightful owners earlier this week from the countries which had stolen them. The most famous of the lot was the Benin Bronze depicting Oba, the King of Benin, which was looted by British soldiers in 1897. The sculpture, valued at US$4 million, was returned to Nigeria by the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. Hi, we will be staying in Perth for 3 nights before we leave Australia for Dubai. Could anyone recommend a nice 5 star hotel in the city? Also how far is the airport from the city and whats the average cost for a taxi? Many thanks -:- 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. Many if not most ryokans in Japan communicate by FAX (indicated on their official website), while those using e-mails would be smaller in number. Many ryokans can simply omit/take out allergic food items specified; others can go a bit further by substituting it by another item that is non-allergic (highly depends on ryokan). There are Japanese people who don't like/allergic to fish, so I don't think it would cause a big trouble as long as you don't book a ryokan which prouds itself in serving seafood cuisine; Japanese cuisine using peanut or dairy is less common (although they do exist), so that shouldn't be a big issue either. About eggs - this could be a slightly larger issue, as there can be some food items using egg, but I guess as long as you explain what you cannot eat and ask to simply omit or substitute for another food item beforehand, I think it should be okay with many ryokans. But it is true that the Japanese people are told to enjoy whatever that is offered without being fussy and picky - unless there is some sort of allergy, of course. A written request or inquiry by FAX should usually solve the problem (there is a possibility of using E-mail after a second communication, maybe, but usually they don't communicate by e-mails, avoiding spams, easy and picky orders and cancellation, reliability and safeguarding personal information issues, etc.). Edited: 3 years ago Welcome to Japan Forums! Others can advise you on details of traveling at your age. I know that some hotels require a parent complete a form, taking responsibility. You cannot have an adult book on your behalf and take the reservation; the reservation must be in your name. Your passports will be photocopied when you check in, and the last thing you want is to be turned out on the street with no place to stay. The other issue, a spacious room: In these cities, hotel rooms tend to be small, expensive or both. You mean one or two extra suitcases in addition to your own gear? That can make train travel complicated. You could send each suitcase back to the airport (specifying delivery times two days to a week ahead). Kyoto is only a half hour from Osaka with several trains per hour. You could stay in one and commute to the other. Can anyone please advise me if this day itinerary makes sense and is doable? We are coming to Japan in feb 2019 for the first time to ski and I am trying to fit in a sight seeing day when we return from Shiga Kogen. So far this is what I am thinking , please advise if it would be too long a day, or doesnt make sense. Leave yudanaka for Nagano by train morning about 9-10 am Arrive Nagano See zenkoji temple and maybe some shops , have lunch Take train to Matsumoto and see castle in mid to later afternoon Travel on train back to Nagano and transfer to Tokyo train Arrive Tokyo for the night We dont want to be arriving too late into Tokyo as its our last night before departing for Canada and we want to have dinner and maybe shop a small bit. If this itinerary would get us into Tokyo much later than say 5 or 6 pm then we would likely have to cut either the temple or the castle. Advice and comments all welcome! Cheers Sorry, but with all the current multiple postings, I am still unclear how to go about this. We are Australians and planning to travel New York to Buffalo airport. We then need to get to Toronto to fly to Quebec to embark on a cruise back to New York. All indications are that we should stay a night or two on the Canadian side of the Falls. Now for the crossing. Should we take an Uber to the US side of the crossing (Rainbow Bridge?). Then walk across, clear immigration and customs and then take another Uber/cab on the Canadian side to the hotel? Is this the best way to do it? Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks. Cabinet Secretary for Interior and Co-ordination of National Government Fred Matiang'i has declared Tuesday, August 21, a public holiday. This is meant to give Muslims chance to celebrate Idd al-Adha. READ ALSO: When is Eid al Adha 2018 in Kenya? READ ALSO: Eid al Adha 2018 - messages and wishes Eid al-Adha is a Muslim holiday celebrated worldwide each year, just after Eid al-Fitr. In this holiday, Muslims honour Ibrahim (Abraham) for his willingness to attempt to sacrifice his only son Isaac as an act of obedience to God. In 2017, there was confusion about the holiday after Matiang'i said only Muslims would celebrate it despite the fact that his predecessor, the late Joseph Nkaiserry, having declared it a national holiday in 2016. 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 In My Feelings Drake: When Your Woman is At it Again | Tuko TV Source: Tuko Breaking News - Martial rubbed club chiefs the wrong way when he abruptly left Manchester United's US tour - The Frenchman refused to return to America after the birth of his son - Mourinho confirmed Martial was fined during United's pre-match press conference Manchester United forward Anthony Martial was fined for not returning to the clubs tour of the United Stars after the birth of his son. Martial however seemed completely unapologetic after flying to Paris to be with his expectant partner, Melanie Da Cruz, and even took to social media and said that family came first for him. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Real Madrid launch fresh KSh 34.4 billion bid for PSG forward Neymar READ ALSO: Manchester United rubbish Pogba and Mourinho's feud, label reports as absolute nonsense According to Daily Mail (UK), Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho revealed the development while stressing that Martial was the only player to have been fined in the club since he joined. The ex-Chelsea and Real Madrid manager revealed the punishment when asked if Paul Pogba would be fined if he discussed his situation at Old Trafford. I don't care, Mourinho said. You have to ask Paul. I'm here for two years and a couple of months, and the only player that was fined was Anthony Martial. So it's not easy to be fined here, he went on. The Red Devils manager had reached Martial on phone and requested him to return to LA, but the ex-Monaco player declined opting to stay on with his family. Martial in action in the US before he left to be with his expectant partner. Source: Getty Images He has the baby and after the baby is born beautiful baby, full of health, thank God he should be here and he is not here, Mourinho said in a previous interview. However, after he made it clear to friends that he had no intention of coming back, the French forward stressed that family comes first and hinted there had been problems with the birth. Thank you all for your posts. My little Swan is fine, for the mom it was harder but thanks to God she's better now. Sorry but my family will always come first, Martial tweeted. PAY ATTENTION: Stay updated with the latest EPL news, fixtures, standings and odds with TUKO.co.ke Mourinho was eager to offload Martial in this transfer window, and the 22-year-old is ready to leave, but it appears he will remain at Old Trafford until January 2019 window. TUKO.co.ke formerly reported that United strongly denied reports that manager Mourinho and Pogba were involved in a major bust-up. United are livid with the claims calling them "absolute nonsense", insisting that Pogba and Mourinho's relationship was "good". 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 Try Not to Laugh Kenya Challenge at Tuko Sports | Tuko TV Source: Naij.com Source: Tuko News - Senate Majority leader Kipchumba Murkomen was accompanying President Uhuru to the Kenya Music Festivals gala in Sagana - He posted his photo with Uhuru in an unnamed restaurant and thanked him for buying him tea - Kenyans on Twitter could not however see his cup of tea in the photo It is the small things in life which matter, just like a debate on who could afford to buy another tea resulted to a fist fight between Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen and Mathare MP Anthony Oluoch. Oluoch was offended on Thursday, October 26, 2017 when Murkomen offered to pay for his tea and his comrades and this could be the reason why the Majority leader still attaches much value to the beverage which has been used as a code name for bribe. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Murkomen's response after fist fight with NASA MP at city hotel is just class READ ALSO: Francis Atwoli is rich but he never uses his money to control me - TV girl Mary Kilobi In his tweet of Friday, August, 17, seen by TUKO.co.ke, Murkomen was excited to have been offered a cup of tea, not by Oluoch or the Opposition MPs but by President Uhuru Kenyatta. Murkomen stated in the tweet he was accompanying Uhuru to grace the climax of the Kenya Music Festivals at the Sagana State lodge in Nyeri when they stopped by an unnamed joint and the Head of State offered to foot the bill of the hot beverage. READ ALSO: Raila, Ruto clash over 2017 elections during burial of ex-minister Henry Obwocha In the photo accompanying the tweet however, only a heartily laughing Uhuru is seen with a cup of the beverage most of us have rarely seen him take. Murkomen who returned the laughter in equal measure was only intertwining his left and right hand fingers with humility with his next sentiments showing he was indeed a grateful man blessing those who had blessed him. Some curious Kenyans questioned where the tea he was bought was, since his cup was nowhere to be seen save for a bottle of ketchup and salt shaker on the table in front of him. "Ubarikiwe sana boss (Much blessings to you boss)," read part of the tweet of the senator who had apparently recently referred to the president as a mkora (cunning man) when the Mau Forest debate got to the boiling point. READ ALSO: Uhuru appears in public with first ever assistant female aide-de-camp, Rachael Nduta Murkomen who sat close to the president during the music gala appreciated the talents showcased and even pledged to support the Ministry of Education to continue empowering the young learners. "Kenya has amazing talent and we shall continue to support the Ministry of Education as they do an amazing job with our children," he added. 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 Untold Stories: Rejected For Naming Son Uhuru Kenyatta | Tuko TV Source: Tuko - The suspects were nabbed in Nairobi's Roysambu, Umoja and Kasarani estates - The conmen start by befriending unsuspecting Kenyans on social media - Once confidence and trust is build, they promise to send gifts via DHL - They will later call pretending to be DHL officials requesting for clearance fees at the airport - Another call will be made requesting for extra money for other documentation - Once money is send to them, they go offline Officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on the morning of Saturday, August 18, arrested 19 Nigerian nationals believed to be behind online fraud in Nairobi. The suspects are reported to be using social media to defraud unsuspecting Kenyans. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Bobi is hurting everywhere, we nearly lost him - Barbie Kyagulanyi The suspects are reported to be using social media to defraud unsuspecting Kenyans. Photo: Directorate of Criminal Investigations Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Prosecution of 54 suspects in the NYS scandal to start in January 2019 According to a brief statement issued by the DCI on their Facebook page and seen by TUKO.co.ke, the suspects live in Nairobi's Roysambu, Umoja and Kasarani estates. "Nineteen Nigerian citizens residing in Umoja, Kasarani and Roysambu estates within Nairobi have this morning been arrested for engaging in electronic fraud targeting Kenyans," read the statement. While giving a blow by blow account of how the Nigerians carry out their fraud, DCI warned they start by befriending Kenyans on social media, mostly on Facebook. After initiating the friendship, they later on pick up friendly chats with them. READ ALSO: Murkomen excited after Uhuru buys him cup of tea The suspects live in Nairobi's Roysambu, Umoja and Kasarani estates. Photo: Directorate of Criminal Investigations Source: Facebook Once the unsuspecting victims become comfortable with the friendship, the Nigerians promise to send them gifts through DHL to be picked at the airport. "The following day a call will be made and someone will pretend to be an attendant at the DHL office. They will tell the victim to pay clearance fees for the same parcel they claim to have sent you," explained the DCI. Immediately the money is send through Mpesa, the gang will make another call requesting for some extra money for other documentation and taxes. READ ALSO: Francis Atwoli is rich but he never uses his money to control me - TV girl Mary Kilobi The suspects are reported to be using social media to defraud unsuspecting Kenyans. Photo: Directorate of Criminal Investigations Source: Facebook Once the victims have paid all the dues demanded, further calls inquiring for the said parcel will not be picked. "Thats the time you realise that you have been conned. This is therefore to warn members of the general public against such fraudsters," warned the DCI. Their arrest came barely hours after DCI boss George Kinoti claimed the fight against cyber crime was facing a number of challenges because criminals had come up with sophisticated avenues to defraud innocent Kenyans. The suspects live in Nairobi's Roysambu, Umoja and Kasarani estates. Photo: Directorate of Criminal Investigations Source: Facebook Prior reports by TUKO.co.ke indicated a number of suspects including Safaricom employees were arrested in connection with SIM swap fraud. Among the things found in the hands of criminals arrested within Nairobi and Eldoret cities on separate days included an Apple laptop, 2,160 unused Safaricom SIM cards, 44 used Safaricom SIM cards and five agent till numbers, three Mpesa record books, a router, two mobile phones - a blackberry and Samsung J7. Following a rise in the wave of crime involving fake SIM cards, the Communication Authority of Kenya (CAK) warned mobile phone users against disclosing their PIN numbers to third parties. 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. Socialite Bridget Achieng wants to be Kenya's next president - on TUKO TV Source: Tuko.co.ke - The information on NEMA website clearly showed the authority approved the application referred to as NEMA/EIA/PSR/6437 - The National Construction Authority (NCA) also gave the owner green light to erect the building - Two journalists attached to Nation Media Group were assaulted for taking photos of the establishment approximated to be worth over KSh 1 billion Weston Hotel Limited which is associated with the Deputy President William Ruto is once again at the centre of a land grabbing saga following reports it applied for a license to extend its premises into the Indian Ocean, a gazetted sea land. The information until Friday, August 17, which has since been deleted from the National Environment Authority (NEMA) website, clearly showed the authority approved the application referred to as NEMA/EIA/PSR/6437. READ ALSO: William Ruto linked to beach hotel encroaching on ocean in Mombasa The entrance to Weston Hotel, Nairobi. The hotel chain management has been accused of grabbing land. Photo: Weston Hotel/Facebook. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Aviation Authority confirms DP Ruto grabbed its land to build Weston Hotel The National Construction Authority (NCA) also gave the owner the green light to erect the building via registration number 301031560016. Initially, Dolphin Hotel in Shanzu Beach, was on the spot for grabbing ocean land where its premises are being extended. TUKO.co.ke on Thursday, August 16, reported how two journalists attached to Nation Media Group were assaulted for taking photos of the establishment approximated to be worth over KSh 1 billion. READ ALSO: Mbunge avua nguo kusalia na chupi wakati wa kutoa hotuba bungeni Weston Hotel management was on the spot in 2015 for grabbing the Langata Road Primary School playground in an attempt to convert it into a parking lot. Elsewhere, the parliamentary committee members on Sunday, July 29, visited a section of Kibarani in Mombasa where two private companies were allocated part of the Indian Ocean in Mombasa. 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 Trending News: Nazlin Umar - Ruto Is Behind The Sugar Scandal | Tuko TV Source: Tuko - Abubakar Bin said Muslims had agreed on Wednesday, August 22, for the same - He accused the government of declaring Idd al-Adha celebrations without consulting the Chief Kadhi's office - Eid al-Adha is a Muslim holiday celebrated worldwide each year, just after Eid al-Fitr The Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya has accused the government of declaring Tuesday, August 21, Idd al-Adha celebrations without consulting the Chief Kadhi's office. The council's North Rift Valley branch chairman Abubakar Bin said it was wrong for the Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i to make the announcement given that Muslims had agreed on Wednesday, August 22, for the same. READ ALSO: Mbunge avua nguo kusalia na chupi wakati wa kutoa hotuba bungeni Muslim preachers have accused Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i for declaring Tuesday 21, for Idd al-Adha celebrtions without consultations. Photo: Fred Matiang'i/Facebook. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Raila, Ruto clash over 2017 elections during burial of ex-minister Henry Obwocha Abubakar wondered why the CS did not engage with the top Muslim leadership as has always been the case in previous years, regretting the move might cause disunity within the Islamic faith. "We are shocked Matiang'i did not consult Chief Kadhi in this. Chief Kadhi is the only one who speaks on behalf of all Kenyan Muslims. As Imams, we had agreed on Wednesday 22 for celebrations," he said while addressing journalists in Eldoret on Saturday, August 18. Eid al-Adha is a Muslim holiday celebrated worldwide each year, just after Eid al-Fitr. READ ALSO: Raila, Ruto clash over 2017 elections during burial of ex-minister Henry Obwocha On this holiday, Muslims honour Ibrahim (Abraham) for his willingness to attempt to sacrifice his only son Isaac as an act of obedience to God. In 2017, there was confusion about the holiday after Matiang'i said only Muslims would celebrate it despite the fact that his predecessor, the late Joseph Nkaiserry, having declared it a national holiday in 2016. 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 Trending News: Matiangi Talks Tough as He Burns Gambling Machines | Tuko TV Source: Tuko - The leaders eulogised Annan as an iconic figure whose contribution in seach for cohesion would not go unnoticed - Raila expressed deep gratitude and appreciation to the late Annan for his dedicated work in encouraging Africa to aspire to higher ideals of democracy - Kofi is reported to have died in Switzerland after a short illness - The former UN chief will be remembered in Kenya for brokering a peace deal between Raila and Kibaki following the 2007-2008 post-election violence The world continues to mourn the untimely death of former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan who died aged 80 years. In Kenya, President Uhuru Kenyatta, Opposition chief Raila Odinga and ex-president Mwai Kibaki eulogised Annan as an iconic figure not only in Africa but across the globe whose contribution in seach for cohesion would not go unnoticed. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Mbunge avua nguo kusalia na chupi wakati wa kutoa hotuba bungeni READ ALSO: She died without knowing who killed her husband- Raila mourns Ouko's widow The diplomat is reported to have died in Switzerland after a short illness on the early morning hours of Saturday, August 18. "My thoughts and prayers go out to them as they come to terms with this sad news. We pray that the Almighty God will grant his family, relatives and friends the strength and grace to bear the loss," said Uhuru. On his part, Raila expressed deep gratitude and appreciation to the late Annan for his dedicated and tireless work in stabilising the world and encouraging Africa to aspire to higher ideals of democracy. READ ALSO: Uhuru mourns eight children killed in horror crash along Mwingi-Garissa road Kofi will be remembered in Kenya for brokering a peace deal between Raila and ex-president Mwai Kibaki following the 2007-2008 post-election violence. Photo: Nation. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Raila, Ruto clash over 2017 elections during burial of ex-minister Henry Obwocha "More than any other UN Secretary General, Annan best understood and pushed the world to see the importance of human rights to peace, security, humanitarian affairs, economic and social development. His death is a major blow to the push for respect of human rights across the globe," mourned the NASA co-principal. The former UN chief will be remembered in Kenya for brokering a peace deal between Raila and ex-president Mwai Kibaki following the 2007-2008 post-election violence which saw over 1,000 people dead and hundreds of thousands others forcibly evicted. "The late Annan will be remembered for mediating for the return of peace in Kenya when our country encountered political turbulence in 2007," Kibaki recalled in his condolence message. When he stepped out of Kilaguni Resort where peace negotiations were taking place in February, 2008, Annan's opening remark was "we do have a deal", signalling an end to three months of turmoil. This is how other top leaders joined the world in celebrating the the second African at the apex of the UN. 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. huru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga: Full Speech at Harambee House - TUKO TV Source: Tuko - The High Priest of Lost Israelites of Kenya Eliab Masinde said Jehova Wanyonyi would return - He said Kenyans questioning where Wanyonyi was needed to repent and get ready for the rapture - Masinde said they had cut off two senior priests who alleged Wanyonyi had sent them to take over his place - He said the two used false dream interpretation doctrines and were cohabiting thus defiling the church - Elizabeth Akata and Joab Muhando had in 2016 said they had been sent by Jehova as earthly intermediaries since he had take a spirit form Followers of self-declared 'god' Jehova Wanyonyi who reportedly died on Saturday, July 18, 2015, have said he is about to come back with redemption, and the world should watch out for the great return. TUKO.co.ke established Kenyans were curious to know where the supreme being of the Lost Israelites of Kenya church who hailed from the silent but densely populated Chemororoch village in Uasin Gishu county was, three years his death. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Panties, bras: 8 creative inventions by Kenyans seeking cheaper masks to keep away COVID-19 Eliab Masinde the High Priest of the Lost Israelites of Kenya who took over the leadership of the church following the disappearance of Jehova Wanyonyi in 2015. Photo: The Standard. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Rais wa Madagascar adai kupata dawa ya kuponya virusi vya corona In an exclusive interview with TUKO.co.ke on Saturday, August 18, 2019, Kuhani Mkuu (High Priest) Eliab Masinde who took over Wanyonyi's throne after his mysterious death and burial said those questioning the whereabouts of Mwenye Enzi (glorified), needed to focus on the signs of the time. "Why should you say God has gone to be himself? It is possible though because he is everything and he can be all including himself if that is what the world perceives. It is sad people are not keenly looking at the signs of the times and see Wanyonyi will keep his word and return soon," said Masinde while making reference to the book of Daniel in the bible. Masinde said increasing bizarre incidences of Kenyans killing their loved ones, parents defiling their children and vice versa were reasons enough to prove Wanyonyi, who he said was hoovering in spiritual realm to bring redemption, was neigh. Jehova Wanyonyi has been missing from his Chemororoch and multiple wives' homes since 2015 when he was reported to have died though the folowers said he was alive. Photo: daily Nation. Source: UGC READ ALSO: 10 coronavirus hotspots with over 5 cases in Nairobi, Mombasa "We believed in his word and we will not change. Jehovah said he will come back when such ills begin to increase and you see, it is all right in our door. It is time to cleanse ourselves rather than ask when the greatest of them all is coming," Masinde reiterated. The self-declared priest told TUKO.co.ke the church was going on well and that it had made necessary preparations to ensure Wanyonyi found them in order. He said they had exterminated senior priests Joab Muhando and Elizabeth Akata who had threatened to divide the sect by declaring Wanyonyi had delegated his position to them. "Mwenye Enzi approached me in Lodwar and told me to be his intermediary on earth since he had assumed a new spiritual form and was hoovering above the Indian Ocean," said Akata in 2016. Joab Muhando and Elizabeth Akata had once climed they were sent by Jehiva Wanyonyi who hed transformed to a spirit to take over his place. Photo: The Standard. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Yoweri Museveni says coronavirus has proved Uganda is safest place on earth Masinde said Akata and Muhando, the latter who hails from Luanda in Vihiga county, were cohabiting and relying on non-scriptural doctrines as Wanyonyi had instructed, thus were cut off. "They were contradicting Jehovah which is tantamount to blasphemy. They used to share a house and used interpretation of dreams as their guide yet our God told us to use the old and new testament of the bible which we still use in our Saturday services," Masinde clarified. The High Priest, however, decried hard financial times since Wanyonyi's departure. 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 Trending News: Nazlin Umar - Ruto Is Behind The Sugar Scandal | Tuko TV Source: Tuko - President Uhuru said he has never withdrawn his support for the anti-graft agency - The Head of State called on EACC to work with other government agencies collaboratively and not compete to win war against corruption - He said EACC needed to work closely with Directorate of Criminal Investigations and Director of Public Prosecutions - EACC briefed the president about its 2018/2019 working plan President Uhuru Kenyatta has called on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to fearlessly go for all corrupt individuals perpetrating economic crimes vowing to give the independent body his full support. The Head of State nonetheless advised EACC to work closely with other agencies mandated to fight the vice, adding that the war against graft should not be taken as a competition between government agencies. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Huyu ndiye afisa wa polisi mwenye macho na shepu maridadi zaidi Kenya? President Uhuru Kenyatta and Ethics and Ant-Corruption Commission chairman HEliud Wabukala. he pledged full support for institution's activities. Photo: Uhuru Kenyatta/Facebook. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Matiang'i's ministry is the most corrupt Kenyan ministry - EACC survey Speaking in State House on Saturday, August 18, when he hosted the top leadership of EACC led by chairman retired Archbishop Eliud Wabukala and CEO Halake Waqo, he said it would be a lie for anyone to insinuate he did not support the agency. The commission has been facing huge public criticism for alleged poor performance compared to the impressive offices of the Director of Public Prosecutions and Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). Nothing will be further from the truth to say that you do not have my support, said the President, as he urged the commission to work harder to support the achievement of Kenyas development goals. President Uhuru Kenyatta pledged to walk step by step with EACC called on the agency to work with other investigative agencies. Photo: Uhuru Kenyatta/Facebook. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Ruto pleads with Musalia Mudavadi to support his bid in 2022 According to Uhuru, the anti-corruption fight would bear fruits if it was conducted through a multi-agency framework bringing together the DCI, ofice of the DPP, EACC and citizens. A reignited anti-corruption drive led to unprecedented arrests of graft suspects and arraignment in court of senior government officials suspected of involvement in the theft of public resources. The EACC leadership updated Uhuru on recent milestones achieved by the commission in the fight against corruption during the meeting. The commission stated it had in the financial year 2017/2018 recovered illegally acquired assets and money amounting to KSh 488 million from individuals and institutions through court proceedings and out-of-court settlements. The president met with EACC top leadership in State House on Saturday, August 18. Photo: Uhuru Kenyatta/Facebook. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: All the gorgeous photos from Emurua Dikir MP Johanna Ng'eno's wedding Of the KSh 488 million collected, KSh 76 million was cash while KSh 412 million was in form of assets comprising land and other fixed assets. Wabukala told Uhuru that the agency had acted proactively and intercepted 12 suspected cases of corrupt dealings and in the process, saved the country an estimated KSh 4.7 billion which would have otherwise been lost. The retired cleric also briefed the president about EACCs strategic plan for the year 2018/2019 in which the commission prioritised its involvement in policy formulation and the promotion of ethical conduct among Kenyans. "EACC is continuously and closely monitoring the use of funds in the counties and is working with wananchi to ensure public resources are used prudently," Wabukala said. 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 Trending News: Nazlin Umar - Ruto Is Behind The Sugar Scandal | Tuko TV Source: Tuko Former Coast based NTV news reporter Peter Mwangangi has found his lost rib with whom he will spend the rest of his life with. Mwangangi who has since joined British media giant BBC, left the bachelors' club on Saturday, August 18, in a colourful wedding at the Scot Christian University in his Machakos county home. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Mbunge avua nguo kusalia na chupi wakati wa kutoa hotuba bungeni Mwangangi has left the bachelors' club on Saturday, August 18, in a wedding ceremony attended by top media personalities and friends.Photo: Kennedy Muriithi Bundi/Facebook. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Pastor Pius Muiru's son walks down the aisle in lavish wedding The Daystar University alumnus, exchanged vows with Carol, a lady he has dated since his university days. The wedding was attended by the who is who in media including his new workmates from BBC and old workmates from NTV. Media lab guys who joined nation the same time with Mwangangi from Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya and South Sudan graced the lavish occasion too. READ ALSO: Wedding aborts as groom's ex-wife and daughter storm venue in Ruiru READ ALSO: My current relationship will lead to a wedding or a funeral - Sonko's daughter Mwangangi was NTV's senior reporter in Mombasa before he was headhunted by former NTV news anchor Larry Madowo to join the BBC business team. Larry Madowo led the the BBC team. The wedding had all the markings of a pompous and well organised ceremony. The Daystar University alumnus, exchanged vows with Carol, a lady he has dated since his university days. Photo: Ferdinand Omondi/Facebook. Source: Facebook Clad in African print and white bottom, complete with a hat and a walking stick signalling transition into the 'wazee' stage, the youthful journalist danced alongside his wife as relatives joined in. 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. Socialite Bridget Achieng wants to be Kenya's next president - on TUKO TV Source: Tuko - Ruto said his friendship with Mudavadi and Opposition leader Raila Odinga strengthened while in Orange Democratic Movement - He challenged Mudavadi and Raila to support him because he was closer to victory - The DP blamed the controversial 2007 presidential results to his fallout with Raila and Mudavadi - According to Ruto, ODM had reserved for him prime minister position but the chao made him end in The Hague - Ruto called on western Kenya voters to pray for Mudavadi and Raila to abandon their quest for the presidency Deputy President William Ruto has pleaded with Opposition leader Raila Odinga and Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi to support his presidential bid in 2022. The DP said his friendship with Raila and Mudavadi dated back to their days in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party and that it was time they reunited and worked together ahead of the next General Election which is four years away. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Mbunge avua nguo zote mbele ya lango kuu la bunge Deputy President William Ruto and Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi. He called on Mudavadi to support his presidential bid in 2022. Photo: William Ruto/Facebook. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: More Luhya Opposition MPs embrace Ruto, dismiss Railas NASA Speaking at Mwangaza Secondary School grounds in Kakamega county during a thanksgiving ceremony for Lurambi MP Titus Khamala, on Saturday, August 18, Ruto urged the two strong Opposition leaders to back him. He said they should back him because he left lucrative positions for them in 2008 after the bungled presidential election. We agreed in 2007 elections that Raila Odinga takes the position of president, my brother Mudavadi, was to be the vice president and the position of prime minister was to be mine, said Ruto. The DP who has been recently touring the western Kenya region perceived to be the Opposition's stronghold said the controversial presidential results of the 2007 General Election bungled their solid long term working plan. Deputy President William Ruto chats with Vihiga Governor Wilbur Ottichilo. He called on Western voters to support his 2022 bid saying he was closer to the State House. Photo: William Ruto/Facebook. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: All the gorgeous photos from Emurua Dikir MP Johanna Ng'eno's wedding "However, because of what happened, we finally got the position of the prime minister which was to be mine but went to Raila while the slot of deputy prime minister was taken up by Mudavadi. I had nothing but was taken to The Hague," narrated Ruto. According to the DP, his political friends in ODM left him to fight for his survival at the International Criminal Court (ICC) instead of standing with him during the difficult moments which resulted from the 2007/2008 bloody post polls chaos. I prayed to God over the ICC issue and was finally vindicated and this is why we are where we are today. This is why I ask my brother Mudavadi to support me for the top seat in 2022, now that I am just one step to the presidency, he added. From right; DP William Ruto chats with MSports CS Rashid Echesa, Sabatia MP Alfred Agoi and Vihiga Governor Wilbur Ottichilo. Photo: William Ruto/Facebook. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Kofi Annan dies in Switzerland The DP who has on numerous occasions boldly declared his religious position said it was even scriptural for one to ask what they desired. Even in the Book of Mathew 7:7, the Bible ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you'. This is why wananchi should pray for Raila and Mudavadi to leave the seat for me in 2022 as I am closer to the top seat than they are," he pleaded. He also said government was ready to work with Parliament to establish whether the sugar imported into the country was fit for human consumption. William Ruto said his friendship with Mudavadi began when they were in Orange Democratic Movement. Photo: William Ruto/Facebook. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Uhuru, Kibaki and Raila lead Kenyans in mourning iconic diplomat Kofi Annan He wondered why the Parliamentary joint Committee on Trade and Agriculture was quick to compile a report demanding action on two cabinet secretaries instead of calling for action against those who imported the sugar. The DP said the government was committed to addressing the challenges facing the Mumias sugar factory with a view to transforming the lives of cane farmers in the region. We have asked the management of Mumias to come up with a turn around plan for Mumias Sugar Factory. We have already injected Sh 1.4 billion to facilitate operations but ready to do more to improve service delivery of cane farmers from this region, said Ruto. Other leaders who attended the event included Devolution and Planning Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa , Vihiga Governor Wilber Otichilo , Senator Moses Wetangula (Bungoma), Benjamin Washiali (MP, Mumias East) , Didmus Barasa (Kimilili) and former Kakamega Senator Bonny Khalwale. 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 Trending News: Nazlin Umar - Ruto Is Behind The Sugar Scandal | Tuko TV Source: Breaking News One of this years UWI honorary graduates is known to almost every person in the country, th The life of Ukrainian film director Oleg Sentsov illegally imprisoned in Russia is in imminent danger, he must be immediately freed. "We agree with UN experts, who said: Sentsovs life is in imminent danger. His hunger strike follows a trial and a conviction that has fallen short of international law. We urge Russian authorities to unconditionally release him as a matter of urgency," the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine wrote on Twitter. As reported, UN experts called on Russian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Ukrainian film-maker Oleg Sentsov while expressing grave concern for his physical and mental integrity. Oleg Sentsov, a Ukrainian film-maker and outspoken critic of the Russian occupation of Crimea was arrested by Russian authorities in May 2014 and convicted to 20 years imprisonment in a Russian prison, as a Russian citizen, on charges of terrorism. He went on hunger strike three months ago to protest what he believes is the politically-motivated incarceration of 64 Ukrainians in Russian prisons. ish President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has authorized Justice Minister Pavlo Petrenko to sign agreements between Ukraine and the Republic of Kazakhstan on extradition and legal assistance in criminal matters. The corresponding decrees were published on the website of the head of state. "To authorize Justice Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Petrenko to sign the treaty on extradition between Ukraine and the Republic of Kazakhstan," the presidential decree reads. By another decree, Poroshenko authorized Petrenko to sign the treaty on legal assistance in criminal matters between Ukraine and the Republic of Kazakhstan. ish The militants exacted the "confession of espionage" from Ukrainian journalist Stanislav Aseyev. Ukraine's Representative in the humanitarian subgroup of the Tripartite Contact Group (TCG) for the Donbas settlement, First Deputy Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Iryna Gerashchenko says the Ukrainian side at a TCG meeting in Minsk on August 21-22 will demand that OSCE coordinator Toni Frisch be urgently allowed access to Ukrainian journalist Stanislav Aseyev held by Russia-backed separatists in Donbas. Read alsoRFE/RL says it questions 'confession' of Ukrainian blogger held by Russia-backed separatists "The militants exacted the 'confession of espionage' from journalist Stanislav Aseyev. This horror was shown on Russian propaganda TV. I have no doubt that the 'confessions' were obtained under torture. Stanislav is kept in complete isolation. His relatives, the OSCE, the ICRC have no access to him," she wrote on Facebook on August 18. "In Minsk, we will draw the Russians' attention to the actions of their proxies from ORDLO [certain areas in Russian-occupied Donbas], who are torturing the journalist. We will demand that OSCE coordinator Toni Frisch be immediately allowed access to Stanislav," the official added. According to Gerashchenko, Aseyev was included in the swap list. "Another issue, the release of hostages is still blocked. Looks like the Kremlin is not going to release anyone. Neither half-dead Oleh [Sentsov] nor morally suppressed Stanislav. Neither from Russian prisons nor from the occupied territories," she said. As UNIAN reported earlier, Aseyev who published materials in Ukrainian media outlets under the pen name Stanislav Vasin, staying in the occupied Donetsk, went missing on June 2, 2017. His family members and friends feared that he had been arrested by the occupying authorities and was facing torture and ill-treatment. Until now, there had been no reliable report about his whereabouts. The militants of the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic" ("DPR") claimed they did not have any information about the journalist's disappearance. On September 8, 2017, Gerashchenko stated the militants confirmed they detained Aseyev and included him in the swap list. A friend of Aseyev's and a former lawmaker, Yehor Firsov, in July said the prisoner had declared a hunger strike and was being "kept in a damp room, sick, but does not receive the necessary medications" while under separatist custody. On the eve of the meeting in Meseberg, Merkel's spokesperson Steffen Seibert named three key topics the pair would concentrate on: Syria, Ukraine and the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. German Chancellor Angela Merkel says Germany will seek the establishment of ceasefire in Donbas by the beginning of the school year in Ukraine. Merkel made the relevant statement before the start of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to be held in the German government's retreat in Meseberg, a picturesque castle outside Berlin, Deutsche Welle reports. Read alsoNo breakthroughs on Ukraine expected at Putin-Merkel summit - media In a brief statement to the press, which outlined the main topics of the forthcoming dialogue, Merkel noted that a stable ceasefire in eastern Ukraine was still not achieved. She said she would discuss with Putin the possibility of engaging the UN peacekeeping mission, which might have played a role in the pacification of the parties. Putin, in turn, noted Russia's interest in the work within the Normandy format and the contact group for the Donbas settlement. Moscow will continue to assist the "UN special monitoring mission", he emphasized. On the eve of the meeting in Meseberg, Merkel's spokesperson Steffen Seibert named three key topics the pair would concentrate on: Syria, Ukraine and the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. One of the possible subjects of discussion is the format of a possible UN peacekeeping mission in eastern Ukraine. Moscow advocates that, in case of sending "blue helmets" to the region, they are deployed along the demarcation line, separating Kyiv-controlled areas from the so-called "DPR" and "LPR" (unrecognized self-proclaimed "Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics"). One of the major tasks of peacekeepers should be the protection of the OSCE SMM. Kyiv and Western countries offer to place "blue helmets" throughout the conflict area and significantly expand their range of tasks. Another issue is the situation in Idlib, one of the last Syrian provinces controlled by the opposition. Syrian government forces plan a major offensive there, which will inevitably lead to mass casualties, including among the civilian population. The third issue of mutual interest is the construction of the 1,200-kilometer Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and the role of Ukraine in gas transit from Russia. Berlin expects certain guarantees from the Kremlin in this regard. On the eve of the meeting, experts expressed doubt that the sides will be able to achieve a decisive breakthrough in Meseberg. Expert at Berlin-based Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) Sabine Fisher noted that Russia's position on Syria and Ukraine had not undergone any significant changes lately. Merkel also said that it would be a working meeting, and one should not wait for special results from it. One of them was filmed on a video from surveillance cameras as a person who bought sulfuric acid. Officers of the National Police and the SBU Security Service of Ukraine on August 17 detained two more men suspected of organizing and participating in an assassination attempt against Kherson activist and official of Kherson City Council Kateryna Handziuk. "In particular, the detainees include citizen H., who was previously placed on the wanted list by the National Police as he was filmed on a video from surveillance cameras as a person who bought a means of crime (sulfuric acid)," the National Police's media liaison office reported. The man was detained under Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code and investigative actions are being conducted with him. Read alsoHunt for activists As for another accomplice, investigators are also establishing his role in the crime. Kherson activist, adviser to the Mayor of Kherson and acting manager of affairs at Kherson City Council's executive committee Kateryna Handziuk on July 31 survived an act of acid throwing. Handziuk's injury was over 30% of the total body surface area, and doctors assessed her condition as serious. As the case gained wide media coverage, the police reported the detention of the first suspect, a local resident whose name is Mykola Novikov, 39, but witnesses claim he has an alibi. Kherson's city court on August 6 ruled that he should be remanded in custody. A bipartisan U.S. congressional caucus on August 8 called for Aseyev's immediate release. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) says an alleged "confession" of spying by Ukrainian blogger and RFE/RL contributor Stanislav Aseyev that aired on Russian TV was highly questionable and demanded his immediate release from detention by Moscow-backed separatists. "We question the circumstances of this purported confession," RFE/RL spokeswoman Joanna Levison said on August 17. "We have no idea when it was made, or under what conditions or duress. We continue to demand that Stanislav Aseyev be released from detention immediately," she added. The report and confession aired on Russian state TV channel Rossiya 24 on August 17. Read alsoSelf-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic admits arrest of Ukrainian journalist Aseyev Aseyev, who has reported for various Ukrainian media outlets, also contributes to RFE/RL's Ukraine Service and writes under the name Stanislav Vasin. He disappeared in Donetsk on June 2, 2017, and weeks later, Amnesty International said it had received information from sources in Donetsk region that Aseyev was being held by the self-styled security organs of the Russia-backed separatists. A friend of Aseyev's and a former lawmaker, Yehor Firsov, in July said the prisoner had declared a hunger strike and was being "kept in a damp room, sick, but does not receive the necessary medications" while under separatist custody. Firsov said the separatists had accused Aseyev of spying for the Ukrainian government and threatened him with up to 14 years in prison. RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service has been unable to contact him since his disappearance and his current condition is unknown. A bipartisan U.S. congressional caucus on August 8 called for Aseyev's immediate release, describing him as "one of the few independent journalists to remain in the region under separatist control to provide objective reporting." "He has been denied visitation and there have been reports that he may be charged with spying an accusation international observers say is politically motivated because of his reporting." The statement also noted that Aseyev had reportedly gone on hunger strike and that his "situation is becoming dire." U.S. Republican Senator Marco Rubio on July 20 also called for Aseyev's release. Human rights groups have expressed concerns over Aseyev's whereabouts and said the separatists must release him immediately if they are holding him. The occupiers opened aimed fire from grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms. Russia's hybrid military forces mounted 10 attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas on Saturday, August 18, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as killed in action (KIA) and another one as wounded in action (WIA). Read alsoOSCE spots amassing of heavy weapons, new ammunition crates in occupied Donbas "During the current day, from 07:00 to 18:00, Russian occupation forces violated the ceasefire 10 times, including once using heavy weapons," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation said in an update on Facebook as of 18:00 Kyiv time on August 18, 2018. The occupiers opened aimed fire from grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms at the Joint Forces positions near the towns of Zolote and Popasna, as well the villages of Novo-Oleksandrivka, Hnutove, Pavlopil, Lebedynske, and Shyrokyne. In addition, the defenders of the town of Avdiyivka came under 82mm mortar fire. "The situation in the area of the Joint Forces Operation remains controlled," the press center added. As UNIAN reported earlier, Russian-led forces mounted 40 attacks on Ukraine's Joint Forces positions in the past 24 hours, with two Ukrainian soldiers reported as wounded in action. Eleven Ukrainians have been seriously injured. Three people were killed in a tragic accident that occurred in Poland late in the evening on August 17, when a bus with Ukrainian tourist drove off the road and plunged down a slope near the village of Leszczawa Dolna, not far from the city of Przemysl. Read alsoUkrainian bus rams height barrier in Budapest, almost three dozen people injured (Photo) According to preliminary data, about 50 were injured, including children. Most of the passengers were sleeping at the time of the accident. When rescuers arrived at the scene, some of the victims had already escaped from the bus, while the rest were trapped in the vehicle, some of them were unconscious. According to physicians, all passengers were hospitalized. Eleven people have been seriously injured. Some passengers say the bus driver was driving too fast. The bus was carrying tourists from Lviv, and was moving to the border crossing with Slovakia, TVN 24 reported. Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) on Saturday announced the 'admissions schedule' of its merit-based programs offered in the current semester Autumn, 2018. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Aug, 2018 ) :Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) on Saturday announced the 'admissions schedule' of its merit-based programs offered in the current semester Autumn, 2018. The programs offered on merit based includes: Ph.D, MS/M.Phil, COL (Commonwealth of Learning) MBA/MPA, M.Sc (Statistics), M.Sc (Public Nuitrition) and BS Programs, a press release said. All those interested for admission in these programs have been advised to send their application form directly to the concerned department without admission fee before the stipulated date. The last date for the admission isSept5. . Admission forms of these programs could also be downloaded from the University's official website. Test/interview for the admission would be held on15 to 20 Octoberwhich will be intimated by the concerned department. Merit list would b e displayed at the University's website on31stOctober. According to the directions of the Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Shahid Siddiqui, all the departments will be strictly following the prescribed merit criteria, in order to encourage the talented and well-deserved students. This is also aimed at ensuring quality education at the higher education level. (@FahadShabbir) The Abu Dhabi City Municipality, ADM, reviewed the best practices of using drones to monitor projects. ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 18th Aug, 2018) The Abu Dhabi City Municipality, ADM, reviewed the best practices of using drones to monitor projects. A delegation from the Zayed City Municipal Center attended a workshop held at the Security Media Department, Abu Dhabi Police GHQ, with the aim of spreading the legal practice of using drones and the criteria for granting permits in this regard. The delegation was received by Colonel Mohammed Ali Al Muhairi, Director of the Security Media Department, Abu Dhabi Police, in the presence of Lt. Colonel Mohammed Al Menhali, Deputy Director of the Security Media Department, Captain Yousef Al Hosani, First Sergeant, and Issa Al Yamahi, drones use specialist. The Abu Dhabi Police experts briefed the municipal delegation about the legal aspects of using drones and the criteria for granting licences in this regard. Both sides discussed several topics relating to the use of drones including registration and permits required, specifications, uses, prohibited areas for drone use, areas of applications within the competencies of the municipality, and areas of providing services. Topics discussed also included the response speed, tolerance during extreme climatic conditions, drone range (distance and height), quality and assurance, documentation and imaging of several areas linked to operations and the call centre for follow-up and guidance, as well as other services under development. Rashid Khalifa Al Rumaithi, Director of Zayed City Municipal Center, praised the concerted efforts of the General HQ of the Abu Dhabi Police and its keenness to strengthen cooperation and communication with strategic partners. "The municipality is thankful to the Abu Dhabi Police for enhancing the knowledge and expertise about the use of drones through hosting a series of gatherings with local entities and government departments. Such events aim to enhance the use of drones in monitoring and supporting projects as well as other municipal tasks," Al Rumaithi said. He also complimented the valued initiatives of the Security Media Department in offering training to organisations on the proper uses of drones. The workshop issued general recommendations including an agreement to work on a field experiment in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Police on the use of drones. The Yemeni Ambassador to the UAE has commended the country's humanitarian efforts that, he said, are inspired by the long-lasting legacy of late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 19th Aug, 2018) The Yemeni Ambassador to the UAE has commended the country's humanitarian efforts that, he said, are inspired by the long-lasting legacy of late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Speaking to the Emirates news Agency (WAM) on the occasion of the World Humanitarian Day (WHD), Ambassador Fahad Saeed Al Menhali, said the UAE's colossal efforts and contributions in his country will remain an indelible testament to the support provided by the country's wise leadership to Yemen; people and government, at a time the Houthi rebels are blocking aid convoys dispatched by the UAE to address the basic needs of locals at the embattled nation. "The UAE humanitarian role in Yemen comes in continuation of the time-honoured relations between the two brotherly peoples and countries," he said, adding that the UAE noble humanitarian role will go down in the annals of history as the world's largest donor of development aid relative to its national income. The ambassador highlighted the extensive and far-reaching aid provided by the UAE during the Year of Zayed, including the assistance directed to build hospitals, houses, roads, power grids and water wells in the country to improve living conditions of Yemenis and help them survive their daily suffering. "Since the country's establishment in 1971, the UAE has been following in the path of goodness and nobility, the seeds of which have been sown by late Sheikh Zayed and pursued until now by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan," said the ambassador, affirming that the UAE comprehensive humanitarian aid distinguishes itself by the fact that it does not discriminate on the basis of religion, belief, sect, faith, creed, or race. (@FahadShabbir) Bushra Bibi, wife of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Saturday said she yearned for Pakistan to become a Madina-like welfare state providing social justice and equality to all. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Aug, 2018 ) :Bushra Bibi, wife of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Saturday said she yearned for Pakistan to become a Madina-like welfare state providing social justice and equality to all. In an exclusive talk with APP after his husband took oath as prime minister here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, Bushra Bibi said such a model of governance free from unnecessary protocols would ensure the well-being of the people. Clad in head-to-toe white silk attire and face-covering veil, Bushra Bibi said it was a day of happiness for the Pakistanis. "I have prayed for this day to become a reality for the betterment of Pakistanis," Bibi said when asked to share her views on the swearing-in of Prime Minister Imran Khan. Bushra Bibi witnessed the ceremony sitting in the front row of guests facing the oath-taking dais. Prime Minister Imran Khan right after his swearing-in alighted from the dais and exchanged felicitations with Bushra Bibi. The Prime Minister's wife later mingled with the women guests and exchanged pleasantries with them. Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani has underscored the need for overcoming trade imbalance as Pakistan strongly believes in free trade regimes and will continue to support all efforts aimed at promoting free trade and open market policies. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Aug, 2018 ) :Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani has underscored the need for overcoming trade imbalance as Pakistan strongly believes in free trade regimes and will continue to support all efforts aimed at promoting free trade and open market policies. He expressed these views in meeting with Wang Yang, Chairman Chinese Peoples' Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing. In a message received from China, the Chairman Senate thanked China for providing the balance of payment support of US$ 2 billion. He urged the Chinese investors to explore more avenues of cooperation and investment in Pakistan and the government of Pakistan would provide all possible support to encourage Chinese investment in Pakistan. On the personal intervention of Chairman Senate, the Chinese leadership decided to send a high powered delegation comprising of businessmen and investor in explore possibilities of investment in Pakistan and to bridge the trade deficit gap and to increase Pakistani imports to China. He said that China is a closest and strongest friend. He said that Pakistan continues to support one china policy. He said that China's rise is source of regional and global stability for Pakistan. He said that the emerging regional scenario calls for indigenous solution to the issues being faced by the Asia and China can play a major role in overcoming the challenges hampering regional development. The Chairman Senate, along with his delegation, also met the Chairman of National People's Congress (NPC) Li Zhanshu . During meetings he emphasized the need for overcoming trade imbalance between Pakistan and China. He said that Pakistan and China share a common vision for prosperity of Asia and both Islamabad and Beijing must reinforce strategic cooperative partnership by maintaining close engagement on all issues of regional and global importance. He said that Pakistan deeply appreciates China's steadfast and principled stand on a non-discriminatory approach towards NSG membership of non-NPT states. During the meetings, the Chairman Senate underscored the need for more close cooperation in fields of education, science and technology and said that people to people contacts and cultural cooperation will help cement ties. He said that enhanced interaction between different institutions, academia and think tanks will further enhance our mutual trust and understanding. Regarding economic and trade relations, the Chairman Senate said that there is need to explore new vistas of cooperation and both the countries should engage in constructive discussions to reduce trade imbalance. While discussing regional peace and stability, the Chairman Senate said that Pakistan wants peaceful solution to all the issues. He said that peace and stability in Afghanistan is in the best interest of Pakistan. He appreciated China for spearheading trilateral mechanism and hoped to get good results through this mechanism. He also highlighted the human rights violation committed by the Indian forces in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IoK). He said that India has unleashed a reign of terror in IoK and innocent civilians are being killed brutally. On CPEC, Sadiq Sanjrani said that Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a model of connectivity. Promoting economic development and bringing prosperity to the people of the region. He said that CPEC as a flagship project of BRI has a strategic and economic significance for Pakistan and it enjoys support of all political parties and institutions in Pakistan being the harbinger of common good and prosperity. He appreciated President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative and his vision of shared prosperity and win-win cooperation. The Chairman Senate also emphasized the need for further strengthening parliamentary cooperation between the two sides. He said that the friendship group in the parliament can play an effective in further cementing ties. He said that friendship with Chian is corner stone of our foreign policy and we take pride in our friendship with China which our Iron-Brother. Both the Chairmen CPPCC and NPC thanked Chairman Senate for his remarks. He said that Pakistan is trusted friend and friendship between the two is time tested. They said that China accords high priority to its relations with Pakistan and would make efforts to encourage investors to benefit from the trade and investment potential in Pakistan. The Chinese leadership agreed to send importers to Pakistan and facilitate increased trade to improve balance of trade. (@rukhshanmir) Director General Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) Dr Rizwan Naseer paid tribute to rescuers and all humanitarian workers on the World Humanitarian Day which takes place every year on 19th August. LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Aug, 2018 ) :Director General Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) Dr Rizwan Naseer paid tribute to rescuers and all humanitarian workers on the World Humanitarian Day which takes place every year on 19th August. He said these humanitarian workers were real heroes of any society as they sacrifice their time, efforts and even risk their lives to provide support to the people affected by any accident, emergency or disaster in any country. He said all human beings deserve right to timely emergency care without any discrimination in case of any emergency or disaster. The Rescue 1122 has provided life-saving assistance to over six million victims of accidents, emergencies and disasters without discrimination, making it the leading emergency humanitarian organization of Pakistan, he added. The DG said that Rescue 1122 through its community safety programme has so far trained over 150,000 rescue scout volunteers to work as humanitarian workers in every union council to promote safety culture and provide timely emergencyresponse in case of any untoward incident. Senior environmentalist Zabardast Khan Bangash said Pakistan is contributing only 0.8 per cent to the global emissions contributing to climate change. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Aug, 2018 ) :Senior environmentalist Zabardast Khan Bangash said Pakistan is contributing only 0.8 per cent to the global emissions contributing to climate change. Addressing a seminar on "Climate change a global emerging issue and its implications for Pakistan" Bangash deliberated upon various factors playing role in grief environmental effects that started taking place after the World War II. He said the earth has under gone blatant violations of the nature which ultimately resulted into serious repercussions jeopardizing human existence in the universe. "Every living being and things associated with it including infrastructure and others are at stake in the contemporary degrading environmental regime", he added. "If earth loses oxygen for five seconds then all concrete buildings would turn into dust", he remarked while explaining the vulnerability of human ecological system. Bangash believed that it is high time for the country to develop disaster preparedness oriented policies, indigenous solutions for local problems, extensive research on environment rather focusing on futile endeavors. He said the biggest polluters of the world were USA and China as contributing 23 per cent and 18 percent to the total worldwide pollution respectively with a total of 45 per cent only by G8 nations. "The energy trapped by man-made global warming pollution is now equivalent to exploding 400,000 Hiroshima atomic bomb per day 365 days per year", he added. He said according to German fact finding of 2014, Pakistan is at number seven of Climate Risk Index, hence determining its ecological susceptibility. There is an urgent need, he said, to strengthen the national institutions and key players for environment conservation. The government should also sensitize farmers and individuals belonging to all walks of life about the crucial impacts of climate change on the regional environment, he added. The seminar was organized with the collaboration of Human Resource Development Network (HRDN) and Brac Pakistan. Brac Pakistan representative, Muhammad Saeed said climatic changes are not only affecting under developed countries rather developed one as well. He said his NGO has signed 10 memorandums of understandings (MoUs) with variousinternational NGOs and other INGOs for bilateral cooperation on initiatives to develop sustainable healthy environment in the region. He said that his organization has planned to develop schools facilitating 25 million communities and would sensitize associated communities about global warming and climate change. In continuation of its investor awareness drive, the SECP conducted an awareness session titled 'Benefiting from SECP's Investor Education Program' at Rotary Club of Islamabad Metropolitan (RCIM) here Saturday. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Aug, 2018 ) :In continuation of its investor awareness drive, the SECP conducted an awareness session titled 'Benefiting from SECP's Investor Education Program' at Rotary Club of Islamabad Metropolitan (RCIM) here Saturday. The SECP's Executive Director, Investor Education Department (IED), Ms Khalida Habib and her colleagues, were welcomed by the RCIM President, Ms Fakhira Khanum, and Secretary Shaukat Mukaddam,said in statement issued by SECP. The members of the club attended the session to gain insights into the SECP's investor education program and to become SECP's ambassadors in their respective circles of influence. The audience was apprised about SECP's role as the apex regulatory authority and its overarching Jamapunji awareness campaign. The talk explained various investment avenues. The audience informed that mutual funds were safer for those who lacked expert knowledge of the stock market. Tax rebate is also available for investment in mutual funds. The session targeted members and volunteers of Rotary, which is an international service organization that brings people from all walks of life together to provide humanitarian services to communities in need. By apprising the club members about do's and don'ts of savings and investment, the SECP aims to utilize their mobility in far-flung and neglected areas of the country to spread financial awareness. The SECP representatives had interactive communication with highly energetic club members and volunteers who expressed their interest in the SECP's Jamapunji campaign and suggested to utilize educational activities of the drive in their ongoing service projects. The president RCIM lauded SECP's efforts and suggested that the Jamapunji investor education session should be conducted at their fellow Rotract Club, whose members are between the ages of 18 and 30. ED (IED) extended her full support and pledged to continue collaboration with Rotary in the future to build a financially aware Pakistan. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Suppliers and Vendors Defence Exhibition (SAVDEX 2018) Saturday organized by the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and Defence Export Promotion Organization (DEPO) concluded successfully here at the Lahore Expo Center on Saturday. LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Aug, 2018 ) :Suppliers and Vendors Defence Exhibition (SAVDEX 2018) Saturday organized by the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and Defence Export Promotion Organization (DEPO) concluded successfully here at the Lahore Expo Center on Saturday. High officials of DEPO, Pakistan Ordinance Factory (POF), LCCI President Malik Tahir Javaid, Senior Vice President Khawaja Khawar Rasheed, Vice President Zeshan Khalil addressed the concluding ceremony.Over 20,000 people visited the exhibition on final day. This exhibition had also provided a platform for the Pakistani entrepreneurs to establish new trade & economic relations with their foreign counterparts who showed their keen interest in Pakistani products. LCCI President Malik Tahir Javaid said that this exhibition was mainly organized to establish meaningful partnerships between the private sector and government departments in the defence sector. Malik Tahir Javaid said that all over the world, fairs and exhibitions were considered to be the most effective tool of marketing and reaching out to potential customers. He said that Germany or France were making the best use of this tool. He said that fairs and exhibitions not only helped attract foreign buyers and bring in much needed foreign exchange but also highlighted the soft image of Pakistan. The LCCI president said that taking part in exhibitions was not just an opportunity to improve the competitiveness of products, it could also make the manufacturer more competitive by optimizing business processes, expanding service range, increasing brand awareness and customer loyalty, he added. The other speakers were of the view that Pakistani business community had the ability to do miracles at economic front. They said the government considered business community an engine of growth and making all out efforts to provide good business atmosphere to the businessmen. The police Saturday arrested two persons allegedly involved in a dacoity worth Rs 17.5 million. :SIALKOT, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Aug, 2018 ) :The police Saturday arrested two persons allegedly involved in a dacoity worth Rs 17.5 million. According to police sources the arrested Ubaidullah and his brother Khalid looted the houses of Barkat Ali and Amjad Ali in village Dhol Bajwa-Phalora, Pasrur tehsil on Friday night. Police have registered a case and started investigation. (@rukhshanmir) Russia and the Arab League are actively engaged in preparations for the fifth Arab-Russian Cooperation Forum, which is expected to take place in Moscow in November, the organizations new ambassador to Russia, Jaber Habib Jaber, told Sputnik. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th August, 2018) Russia and the Arab League are actively engaged in preparations for the fifth Arab-Russian Cooperation Forum, which is expected to take place in Moscow in November, the organizations new ambassador to Russia, Jaber Habib Jaber, told Sputnik. "The preparations for the fifth session of the Arab-Russian Cooperation Forum, which will likely be held in November, are underway. This year, the event will be held in Moscow, because the host city is determined on a rotating basis among Moscow and the Arab states' capitals; the previous session took place in the United Arab Emirates," Jaber said. Both Moscow and the Arab League had also entered the final stage of preparations for a Russian-Arab economic forum, the diplomat added. However, the date of this event has yet to be determined. If the two sides manage to hold the economic forum, gathering financiers, businesspeople and representatives of large companies, it would give an impetus to bilateral cooperation, the diplomat pointed out. "We also have an agreement for the creation of a Russian-Arab cultural center, and there is a strong willingness from both the Arab and Russian sides to promote this project, simultaneously with similar ones in key capital [cities]," the ambassador pointed out. The Arab League has been represented in Russia since 1990. In 2015, the sides signed an agreement to upgrade the status of the Arab League mission to grant representatives a higher diplomatic status that would allow them to sign contracts, buy property and take part in judicial proceedings in Russia. Arab League representatives now enjoy the same rights as representatives of other international organizations working in Russia. The Arab League's previous representative, Jalal Mashta, died in 2016. The organization delayed the appointment of a new ambassador, Jaber, until August 6. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl plans to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at her upcoming wedding that will be attended by the Russian leader, Austrias ORF broadcaster reported on Friday. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th August, 2018) Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl plans to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at her upcoming wedding that will be attended by the Russian leader, Austrias ORF broadcaster reported on Friday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday said that Putin was invited to Kneissls wedding during his last visit to Vienna on June 5. The spokesman noted that the Russian president would visit the wedding on his way to Germany, where he is set to hold talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The wedding will be held at the Gasthaus Tscheppe restaurant, located in the Austrian southern Styria state, according to media reports. Putin may present a performance by Don Cossacks as a possible gift to the newlyweds. Ten people from the performance ensemble are set to sing several songs at the event, the Kurier newspaper reported. At the same time, due to the high-profile nature of the event, the Austrian authorities decided to enhance security checks at Graz Airport, which is located near the Gasthaus Tscheppe restaurant, according to the newspaper. Kneissl is a member of Austria's coalition government formed by the Austrian People's Party (OVP) and the right-wing Freedom Party of Austria (FPO). A tour bus accident in Poland left 37 Ukrainians injured, one is in grave condition, the deputy head of the Ukrainian Directorate General for Consular Service said Saturday. KIEV (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th August, 2018) A tour bus accident in Poland left 37 Ukrainians injured, one is in grave condition, the deputy head of the Ukrainian Directorate General for Consular Service said Saturday. A bus on its way from Lviv to Vienna drove off the road and off the slope in Podkarpackie Voivodeship, between Sanok and Przemysl, on Friday. "There are 37 Ukrainian citizens hospitalized in various hospitals ... One of the injured is in a serious condition," Vasyl Kyrylych said, as aired on 112 Ukraina broadcaster. The diplomat added that other injured people were stable. According to Kyrylych, there had been 51 tourists, two drivers and a guide in the bus. Speeding is considered as one of the possible causes of the accident, the Ukrainian diplomat said, citing the Polish prosecutor's office. Earlier in the day, Polish media reported that the driver had been detained. China is ready to develop further cooperation with Iran and condemns the use of unilateral sanctions in international relations, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Saturday during a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif. BEIJING (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th August, 2018) China is ready to develop further cooperation with Iran and condemns the use of unilateral sanctions in international relations, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Saturday during a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif. "China attaches a great importance to Chinese-Iranian relations and is ready to continue developing mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Iran," Wang said, as quoted by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, adding that Beijing had opposed the use of unilateral sanctions in international relations. For his part, Zarif said Iran highly appreciated Chinas role in safeguarding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal. The Iranian minister also expressed readiness to boost coordination with all parties to the accord. The JCPOA was signed in 2015 by Iran, the European Union and the P5+1 group of countries China, Germany, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The deal stipulated the gradual lifting of the anti-Iran sanctions in exchange for Tehran maintaining the peaceful nature of its nuclear program. On May 8, US President Donald Trump announced that his country would exit the agreement. On August 7, Washington re-instated the first package of its sanctions against Iran, previously lifted under the deal. The sanctions target Iran's acquisition of Dollar bank notes, trade in gold and other metals, transactions related to the Iranian rial, as well as other countries' transactions and trade activities with Iran. Another wave of US sanctions on Irans energy sector is expected to be re-imposed in November. After the US withdrawal, other parties to the agreement have expressed their commitment to the accord. (@FahadShabbir) China is ready to develop further cooperation with Iran and condemns the use of unilateral sanctions in international relations, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Saturday during a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif. BEIJING (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th August, 2018) China is ready to develop further cooperation with Iran and condemns the use of unilateral sanctions in international relations, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Saturday during a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif. "China attaches a great importance to Chinese-Iranian relations and is ready to continue developing mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Iran," Wang said, as quoted by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, adding that Beijing had opposed the use of unilateral sanctions in international relations. For his part, Zarif said Iran highly appreciated Chinas role in safeguarding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal. The Iranian minister also expressed readiness to boost coordination with all parties to the accord. The JCPOA was signed in 2015 by Iran, the European Union and the P5+1 group of countries China, Germany, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The deal stipulated the gradual lifting of the anti-Iran sanctions in exchange for Tehran maintaining the peaceful nature of its nuclear program. On May 8, US President Donald Trump announced that his country would exit the agreement. On August 7, Washington re-instated the first package of its sanctions against Iran, previously lifted under the deal. The sanctions target Iran's acquisition of Dollar bank notes, trade in gold and other metals, transactions related to the Iranian rial, as well as other countries' transactions and trade activities with Iran. Another wave of US sanctions on Irans energy sector is expected to be re-imposed in November. After the US withdrawal, other parties to the agreement have expressed their commitment to the accord. (@ChaudhryMAli88) The Estonian servicemen have terminated the active searches for a missile mistakenly launched by a Spanish fighter jet earlier in August, Col. Riivo Valge, the commander of the Estonian Air Force, said on Friday. TALLINN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th August, 2018) The Estonian servicemen have terminated the active searches for a missile mistakenly launched by a Spanish fighter jet earlier in August, Col. Riivo Valge, the commander of the Estonian Air Force, said on Friday. On August 7, a Eurofighter Typhoon 2000 fighter jet belonging to the Spanish Air Force mistakenly fired a missile while flying over Estonia's south. The missile traveled approximately 80 kilometers (49 miles) after which it allegedly fell in a deserted area not far from the Endla Nature Reserve in central Estonia. The Estonian servicemen have not managed to find neither missile nor its fragments during careful searches in the area. "All the sites, where the missile might have landed, have been carefully searched. During two-week searches we have used three helicopters and five ground patrols. Drones and mine clearance specialists from the emergency department have also taken part in the searches. Despite the regular searches, the missile's impact site has not been identified ... The active searches have been terminated," Valge said. The Estonian Air Force commander added that if some new information is received, the searches might be continued. (@rukhshanmir) The Estonian servicemen have terminated the active searches for a missile mistakenly launched by a Spanish fighter jet earlier in August, Col. Riivo Valge, the commander of the Estonian Air Force, said on Friday. TALLINN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th August, 2018) The Estonian servicemen have terminated the active searches for a missile mistakenly launched by a Spanish fighter jet earlier in August, Col. Riivo Valge, the commander of the Estonian Air Force, said on Friday. On August 7, a Eurofighter Typhoon 2000 fighter jet belonging to the Spanish Air Force mistakenly fired a missile while flying over Estonia's south. The missile traveled approximately 80 kilometers (49 miles) after which it allegedly fell in a deserted area not far from the Endla Nature Reserve in central Estonia. The Estonian servicemen have not managed to find neither missile nor its fragments during careful searches in the area. "All the sites, where the missile might have landed, have been carefully searched. During two-week searches we have used three helicopters and five ground patrols. Drones and mine clearance specialists from the emergency department have also taken part in the searches. Despite the regular searches, the missile's impact site has not been identified ... The active searches have been terminated," Valge said. The Estonian Air Force commander added that if some new information is received, the searches might be continued. He also said that the Estonian military was unaware of what exactly happened to the missile. "The missile could have exploded in the air or after crashing into the ground. It could also have exploded underground. We cannot rule out that the missile hit the ground without causing detonation of the explosive contained inside," Valge said. The Spanish plane, which accidentally launched the missile, was participating in NATO's rotating Baltic Air Policing Mission, which aims to ensure the security of Baltic airspace. The European Network of Councils for the Judiciary (ENCJ) may suspend Poland's membership in the organization because of the country's failure to conform with the European Union's requirements for judicial reforms, the ENCJ said. BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th August, 2018) The European Network of Councils for the Judiciary (ENCJ) may suspend Poland's membership in the organization because of the country's failure to conform with the European Union's requirements for judicial reforms, the ENCJ said. In December 2017, the European commission expressed its concern over the rule of law in Poland after a total of 13 controversial pieces of legislation seriously affecting the judicial system were adopted in the country. The European Union argues that the country's authorities allow the executive and legislative branches to intervene in the judicial branch's affairs, which undermines the judicial independence in Poland. "On 16th August 2018 the ENCJ board informed the Polish KRS [National Court Register] that it would convene an Extraordinary General Assembly on 17 September 2018 in Bucharest, to decide on the position of the KRS in the ENCJ. The Board has proposed to the Members of the ENCJ to suspend the membership of the KRS as it no longer meets the requirements of ENCJ that it is independent of the Executive and Legislature so as to ensure the Independence of the Polish Judiciary," ENCJ said Thursday in a statement published on its official website. In 2017, the Polish parliament passed yet another controversial law, which lowered the retirement age for the country's Supreme Court members from 70 to 65 years, forcing 27 out of 72 judges, including the court's first president, to retire prematurely. The European Union slammed the reform as distorting the country's courts' independence and violating the principle of irremovability of judges, as although the law allows the judges to ask for their terms' extension, there are no criteria defined for this decision. On Tuesday, the EU Commission warned Poland that the country's authorities had one month to take measures against the law, otherwise the commission may take the case to the EU Court of Justice. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Saturday refuted the reports that recent changes in the government could be linked to the upcoming 2020 presidential election. MINSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th August, 2018) Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Saturday refuted the reports that recent changes in the government could be linked to the upcoming 2020 presidential election. On Tuesday, the president dismissed the country's industry, architecture and construction ministers and warned two other officials that they might lose their jobs too, unless their performance got better. "When I read [media reports on the potential links between the election and president criticizing the government], I thought to myself: when is the presidential election ... It turns out, the timeline is [no later than] 2020 ... What populism ahead of election can there be? It is just that someone wants to have the election tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow. But I have already answered this question. We will hold the presidential election strictly according to the constitution of our country," Lukashenko said, as quoted by Belta news agency. The president stressed that there was no need to hold election in the near future and therefore promote some populist decisions. Earlier in the day, Lukashenko appointed Sergey Rumas, the former head of the Development Bank of Belarus, as the country's prime minister. Belarus is expected to have both presidential and parliamentary elections in 2020. (@FahadShabbir) A total of 136 refugees have returned from Lebanon to Syria over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry's Center for Refugee Reception, Distribution and Settlement said Saturday. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th August, 2018) A total of 136 refugees have returned from Lebanon to Syria over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry's Center for Refugee Reception, Distribution and Settlement said Saturday. "Over the past day, in total 136 people left Lebanon for Syria via the Jaydet-Yabus, and al-Qusayr [40 women and 73 children]," the center said in its bulletin. A total of 7,229 people have returned from Lebanon to Syria since July 18, 2018, the center added. Moreover, 297 internally displaced Syrians have returned to their homes over the past 24 hours. The Kadyrov Regional Public Fund has also carried out a humanitarian mission in the Hirdjilla refugee camp in the Damascus province, delivering over 600 sets of clothes. According to the centers estimates, there are 1,712,234 Syrians in nine countries who expressed their desire to return to Syria, over 889,031 of whom are currently in Lebanon. Syria has been in a state of civil war since 2011, with the government forces fighting against numerous opposition groups and terrorist organizations. Russia along with Turkey and Iran are guarantors of the ceasefire in Syria. Russia is actively helping Syria achieve nationwide peace. As part of its efforts, the Russian military announced in late July the creation of a refugee center in Syria that would receive, relocate and accommodate civilians who repatriated from neighboring states. Eighty percent of the food-producing businesses that had stopped work in the armed conflict in the province of Damascus have now resumed work, an administration official told reporters. DAMASCUS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th August, 2018) Eighty percent of the food-producing businesses that had stopped work in the armed conflict in the province of Damascus have now resumed work, an administration official told reporters. "During the war, the food business in Damascus was in decline. Sixty percent of the factories stopped work or were even fully destroyed. Now, our businesses are experiencing a rebirth, 80 percent of the ones that had been stopped have started work again," Talal Kaliazhi said. The official added that the companies could resume work because the territory had been cleared from terrorists and added that the business would be reinvigorated faster if Western countries lifted sanctions off Syria. "We have certain issues because of the Western sanctions: the equipment bought abroad at some point in the past is impossible to repair. At the same time, we have gradually stopped buying imported products," Kaliazhi said. Some businesses moved to Damascus from other provinces a coffee-roasting factory moved to Damascus from the province of Daraa. Milad Adro, the factory's engineer, said there were no plans for the business to go back. The factory produces four tonnes of coffee every day and may further grow capacities. The hostilities in the suburbs of Damascus took place from 2012 to May 2018, when the government forces, backed by the Russian Aerospace Forces, were able to fully liberate the territory. Russian President Vladimir Putins attendance at the upcoming wedding of Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl will have no impact on Vienna's foreign policy, a representative of the Austrian Foreign Ministry said on Friday MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th August, 2018) Russian President Vladimir Putins attendance at the upcoming wedding of Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl will have no impact on Vienna's foreign policy, a representative of the Austrian Foreign Ministry said on Friday. On Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Putin planned to attend Kneissl's wedding on his way to Berlin on Saturday. Member of the European Parliament of the Austrian The Greens party Michel Reimon has called on Kneissl to resign over Putins attendance at her wedding ceremony. "That is primarily a private celebration and a private visit, which will have no impact on Austrian foreign policy positions," the ministerial representative told the APA news agency. The ministry also noted that Putins arrival would be regarded as a working visit, and the security measures would be similar to those typically applied during a visit of a foreign head of state. According to APA, security will be maintained by hundreds of police officers in Austria's southern Styria, where the ceremony is to take place. The Austrian Foreign Ministry has said that Russia would cover the costs of the visit. The wedding ceremony will be held at a winery located in the south of Styria on Saturday. The event will be attended by Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz but not by President Alexander Van der Bellen. The United States is unlikely to ignore the alleged supplies of Ukrainian aircraft engines to China, which Washington views as its major opponent in global trade, MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th August, 2018) The United States is unlikely to ignore the alleged supplies of Ukrainian aircraft engines to China, which Washington views as its major opponent in global trade, and might in this regard use this issue as an instrument of political pressure on Kiev and freeze its program of military assistance to the country, experts told Sputnik on Friday. On Wednesday, The Washington Times newspaper reported that the Ukrainian Motor Sich company had supplied China with 20 jet engines for 12 JL-10 jet trainers. The Ukrainian Chinese contract, worth $380 million, provides for the deliveries of a total of 250 jet engines. Neither Ukrainian authorities nor the Motor Sich leadership have commented on the reports so far, while many experts in the United States have not hesitated to classify the reported move as "betrayal" and a "stab in the back" arguing that Ukraine was receiving the money of US taxpayers. On Monday, US President Donald Trump signed the country's 2019 defense budget worth about $716 billion. The budget stipulates that the United States will allocate $250 million in military assistance to Ukraine in 2019, including in the deliveries of lethal weapons. KIEV STRENGTHENING BEIJING'S MILITARY CAPACITY A representative of the Russian Centre for Analysis of World Arms Trade told Sputnik that in the light of the announced assistance, the US Congress will not fail to notice Kiev's motion. "While the United States allocates $250 million in military assistance to Ukraine, Kiev by delivering jet engines is strengthening the military capacity of Beijing, which has been proclaimed as one of Washington's main military and economic opponents. It looks like a very interesting collision, which, I am sure, will not be left unaddressed by the Congress and Trump's administration," the representative said. The expert suggested that such "political duplicity" might result in grave consequences for Kiev, including the suspension of the US military assistance to the country. "[Ukrainian President Petro] Poroshenko is trying to milk all the world's major players regardless of taken obligations, and if the Congress takes responsibly the security of the US, then it has to halt allocation of money for Ukraine's armament and freeze the military assistance program to this country," he said. Member of the Russian Presidential Council for Interethnic Relations Bogdan Bezpalko in his comments to Sputnik suggested that Washington could not have been unaware of the engines' deliveries to China and might use the issue in order to pressure the Ukrainian presidential candidates. "It might be soft interference in the election campaign, in other words a warning for the current Ukrainian presidential candidates to rely on the United States ... I doubt that the United States was unaware of the deliveries to China. I am confident that they are well aware of everything that is going on in Ukraine. It is more likely a pretext," Bezpalko indicated. Bezpalko agreed with the representative of the Russian Centre for Analysis of World Arms Trade and argued that the United States might resort to economic pressure and halt its assistance to Kiev in order to block the Ukrainian-Chinese deal. "The United States might demonstratively cease its assistance to Kiev. It may affect the governing elite. The United States can use economic tools," Bezpalko stated. He added that since the United States was the main beneficiary of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kiev should fear that the deliveries of jet engines to China might affect the IMF decision on the allocation of another credit tranche to the country. Bezpalko stressed that the case once again proved Ukraine's dependence on external political players and inability to make independent decisions. (@ChaudhryMAli88) The Islamic faith, at least the Salafi and Wahhabi versions of it, imposes everyday rules that are perceived by other communities in Europe as disruptive to society BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th August, 2018) The Islamic faith, at least the Salafi and Wahhabi versions of it, imposes everyday rules that are perceived by other communities in Europe as disruptive to society: women wearing a niqab or full veil in public; women precluded from shaking hands or being examined by a male doctor or in the absence of the husband; and more recently, the wearing of burkinis in public swimming pools, where long trunks and other large pieces of clothing are normally forbidden for hygienic reasons. The reaction to these rules is a marker of a growing rejection of the Islamic faith in Europe. The niqab is controversial. France was the first country to pass laws in order to forbid the niqab and all other forms of full veils, including the hijab and burqa, which covers the whole body from the top of the head to the ground with a cloth grille in the hood to allow the wearer to see in front of her. Moreover, the 2004 French law not only targeted the niqab, but any religious emblems and items in schools kippas for Jews or large crosses for Christians. But, it was the Muslim clothing that became at the center of the debate. In July 2010, the French National Assembly passed and act prohibiting people from concealing their faces in public spaces. Violators were now subject to fines of up to 150 Euros ($171.14 at current rates) and mandatory classes on French citizenship. Anyone found to have forced a woman to wear a religious garment faced up to two years in prison as well as a 60,000 euro fine. Then President of France Nicolas Sarkozy publicly stated that "the burqa is not welcome in France because it is contrary to our values and the ideals we have of a woman's dignity. The French government sees this as a way to successfully ease Muslims into French society and to promote gender equality." Since then, the debate has been raging in Europe, with all populist parties demanding that the niqab be banned in public places. More recently, calls for a burkini ban on beaches and in swimming pools have emerged. At the beginning of August, Denmark became the fifth country in Europe to ban the niqab in public places, despite protests from the Islamic World League. The Guardian reported an incident where a Danish woman in early August tried to tear a niqab off the face of a Muslim woman. The police intervened and fined the Muslim woman 140 euros. France, Belgium, Austria, the Netherlands and Bulgaria have passed similar laws, at least to ban these Muslim garments from schools, but many towns and local districts, such as tourist locations and beach resorts, in other European countries have banned the full veil. In Germany, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has included a pledge to ban the niqab and burqa from any public place and in the administration in their program. AfD leader in the Bundestag Alice Weidel reminded Sputnik that she had repeatedly brought up this matter in parliament. "This disguise cannot be reconciled with a European society of free individuals. The problem is that the CDU [Christian Democratic Union] of Mrs. [Chancellor Angela] Merkel is divided over it, so nothing has been done yet in Germany. But this situation will not last long," she said. The topic of islam in Belgium, where a deadly terrorist attack struck the capital on March 22, 2016, has long been acute. Contrary to what Imam Galaye N'Diaye of the Great Mosque of Brussels said at a parliamentary commission investigating the attack, students from the mosque have joined the ranks of the Islamic State (IS, a terrorist group outlawed in Russia). An example is a young woman who left for Syria in 2013 with her daughter, barely five years old, after marrying a Franco-Tunisian jihadist fighter via Skype. She considered Belgium a "country of disbelievers whom I hate and ask Allah to destroy. " Before leaving for Syria, the young woman had followed training, provided by a Moroccan preacher, at the great mosque. She had been fined in Brussels for carrying the niqab. The fine had been paid by the Islamic and Cultural Centre (CCIB). "We knew that the Great Mosque, managed by Saudi Arabia [in particular, the Islamic World League], was at the heart of a system of financing of institutions that propagate Salafism, Wahhabism, which are versions ultra-rigorous forms of Islam, considering Westerners as kuffars - disbelievers, obliging women to wear the niqab or forbidding them to see a male gynecologist. We have decided to stop the link between the great mosque and Saudi Arabia," George Dallemagne, a member of the Belgian Federal parliament and member of the committee on the terrorist attacks, told Sputnik. Nicola Tournay, the communications director of the Belgian People's Party (PP), warned about the rise of stricter religious attitudes not only among Muslims in Europe but also in secular Muslim-majority countries such as Turkey. "It is true that very few women dare wear the niqab or burqa in most European countries, but in the UK, or in the USA, you see plenty of them in areas where there is a Muslim population. Countries such as Turkey, where the legacy of Ataturk had pushed back religious obscurantism, the niqab is back with a vengeance. In some areas of Istanbul, it is now the normal garb. This points to a rampant Islamization of Europe," she said, stressing that "populist" European parties such as the PP now found it relatively easy to satisfy their electorate at little cost by lobbying for things such as burqa bans. In 2014 and 2017, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) upheld the French ban on face veils, ruling against Muslim women who wanted to wear the burqa "as a matter of religious freedom." Sputnik has not received any answer to its calls to the Islamic World League offices or the Islamic and Cultural Centre of Brussels. Nobody is available to comment on this issue. Young French writer Majid Oukacha, the author of "Face To Faith With Islam" and someone who has been critical of the religion of his Algerian father, spoke to Sputnik and said that European Muslims in favor of conservative religious rules often exaggerate the scale of "moral corruption," and make fallacies and incorrect assumptions when evaluating the merits of Western secularism. "Too often, Muslims try to value Islam by pretending that Western culture is synonym of depravity and humiliates Muslims. When in Europe, people who are feminists publicly deplore on the social networks that women with faces hidden by a burqa or veiled little girls can walk in the public space in France, I read reactions of Muslims who say in comparison: 'do you think it's better to have girls walking half-naked in the street?' Why should Muslims play the opposition of our veiled women against your undressed women? It is ridiculous to believe that without a veil, a woman automatically wants to walk half-naked. They should compare what is comparable: criticize the unveiled face, but nothing more. The technique of opposing the fabric hiding the face with buttocks in the air is very dishonest," Oukacha said, also stressing the issue of security that was of concern for European law enforcement when faced with face-covering clothes. The face veil is, indeed, a security threat. It conceals the identity of the wearer, who could, for example, be a male. The full long dress can also hide a belt of explosives, and this is a great fear among people in charge of security at airports. The fight against terrorism costs tens if not hundreds of billions of euros for the globe every year, and as such there is little chance that these pieces of legislation will be reversed. KRASNODAR (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th August, 2018) The Kuban Cossack Choir has confirmed reports that it was to perform at the upcoming wedding ceremony of Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl, a source in the regional culture community told Sputnik on Friday. The wedding is scheduled for Saturday. According to the Kurier newspaper, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has been invited to the wedding, is going to present a performance by the Cossacks as a possible gift to the newlyweds. "About ten performers of the Kuban choir are already in Austria. They have been sent there to sing the best Kuban songs at the wedding of the Austrian minister. I do not know for sure what songs exactly they will perform, but they have been preparing several," the source said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday said that Putin was invited to Kneissls wedding during his last visit to Vienna on June 5. The spokesman noted that the Russian president would visit the wedding on his way to Germany, where he is set to hold talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The Slovenian parliament on Friday appointed Marjan Sarec, a former comedian and ex-mayor of Kamnik, as prime minister-designate, more than two months after the country's parliamentary election. BELGRADE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th August, 2018) The Slovenian parliament on Friday appointed Marjan Sarec, a former comedian and ex-mayor of Kamnik, as prime minister-designate, more than two months after the country's parliamentary election. Sarecs appointment was voted by 55 out of 90 lawmakers, while 31 others voted against. Sarec needed to secure at least 46 votes to be appointed as prime minister. Sarec now has 15 days to form a government. On June 3, Slovenia held parliamentary elections, which led to the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) securing a victory. Sarecs List of Marjan Sarec (LMS) party finished second with 13 seats in parliament. Following the election, SDS leader Janez Jansa, was supposed to form a government. However, in late July, Jansa informed Slovenian President Borut Pahor that he was unable to get enough support for a majority coalition. At 40, Sarec will become Slovenias youngest ever prime minister. Choe Ryong-hae, known as North Korea's second most powerful man, is visiting Cuba to discuss ways to improve the countries' bilateral relationship, a wire report said Friday. SEOUL/MEXICO CITY, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Aug, 2018 ) :Choe Ryong-hae, known as North Korea's second most powerful man, is visiting Cuba to discuss ways to improve the countries' bilateral relationship, a wire report said Friday. According to Cuba's official news agency Prensa Latina, Choe, vice chairman of the Central Committee of the North's Workers' Party, arrived in Havana, the capital of Cuba, on Thursday, leading a North Korean delegation. "Choe is on a working visit to the island and was received yesterday by the first vice president, Salvador Valdes, with whom he reviewed the ties between both countries," the report said. Choe also met with Cuban foreign minister Bruno Rodriguez, and they discussed international issues as well as bilateral matters. The news agency quoted the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs as saying, "The meeting took place in a fraternal context, where the visitor and Rodriguez agreed to highlight the bonds of brotherhood and fraternity that unite peoples, parties and governments." Cuba and North Korea have maintained relations since 1960 and currently have agreements for cooperation in various sectors, including education and agriculture, it added. Choe's visit came about a month after Ri Su-yong, director of the Workers' Party International Affairs Department, visited Havana for meetings with top Cuban leaders, including President Miguel Diaz-Canel and Raul Castro, first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba. Ri also paid a visit to Iran later. The successive visits to Cuba by top North Korean officials are seen as part of Pyongyang's efforts to cement relationships with its socialist allies amid the world's rapidly changing diplomatic environment, watchers say. They also speculate that Pyongyang may use Cuba, whose relations with the U.S. have recently been strained under the Trump presidency, to put pressure on Washington to declare the end of the Korean War. Indeed, the North's media have recently stepped up calls on the U.S. and South Korea to formally end the 1950-53 war and ease sanctions ahead of an upcoming Pyongyang visit by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. "North Korea seems to pursue a strategy of blaming the U.S. if the ongoing bilateral negotiations are broken. The North is also applying pressure on the U.S. by widening its diplomatic boundary and trying to present itself as a normal state," professor Kim Joon-hyung of Handong University said. On the other hand, some analysts say Choe is in Havana to invite top Cuban officials to attend the North's 70th founding anniversary ceremony that falls on Sept. 9. "Choe is a very high-ranking envoy, and his Primary goal of visiting Cuba may be to ask for the dispatch of a high-ranking congratulatory delegation," said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. Shin Beom-chul, a senior fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said Pyongyang could be persuading Cuba to send a congratulatory delegation on the occasion of the North's founding anniversary. "In truth, North Korea has lost many diplomatic channels, having been sanctioned for its nuclear weapons development," Shin said. "The North is now trying to break away from U.S. pressure diplomacy by restoring its traditional friendship abroad." Turkmenistan will host the summit of leaders of the founding member states of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea on Friday, local media reported. ASHGABAT (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th August, 2018) Turkmenistan will host the summit of leaders of the founding member states of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea on Friday, local media reported. Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow signed a decree on the summit at a joint session of the government and the security council, according to Neytralny Turkmenistan newspaper. The summit is expected to be attended by presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The foundation was set up in 1993 in order to address the economic and environmental concerns in the region. Turkmenistan is chairing the foundation in 2017-2019. The Aral Sea, located in Central Asia, was the fourth largest saline lake in the world in the beginning of the 20th century. However, the water level in the Aral Sea has been decreasing since 1960s due to water being diverted for irrigation projects. The lower water level led to the desertification of the surrounding territory, which makes the lands impossible to use for planting crops or other plants. The Aral Sea gradually drying out has also resulted in more dust storms and greater water salinity. (@ChaudhryMAli88) The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on Saturday confirmed that several Ukrainian citizens had died and some more were injured in a bus accident in Poland, and the Ukrainian consul has set off for the region of the accident. KIEV (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th August, 2018) The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on Saturday confirmed that several Ukrainian citizens had died and some more were injured in a bus accident in Poland, and the Ukrainian consul has set off for the region of the accident. Earlier in the day, Polish media reported that a bus with Ukrainian tourists overturned in Poland, killing three people. Fifty-one individuals were hospitalized. "The Ukrainian consul has urgently left for Przemysl because of the road accident that happened there on August 17 ... According to the police, there are Ukrainian citizens among dead and injured," deputy head of the Department of Consular Service Vasily Kirillich told the UNN news agency. According to Kirillich, the injured are in the hospitals of Przemysl and Sanok. UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths has sent invitations to the warring parties to participate in the Yemeni settlement consultations, United Nations Office at Geneva's (UNOG) spokeswoman Alessandra Velucci said Friday. GENEVA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th August, 2018) UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths has sent invitations to the warring parties to participate in the Yemeni settlement consultations, United Nations Office at Geneva's (UNOG) spokeswoman Alessandra Velucci said Friday. "I can confirm that the office of the special envoy has sent the invitations to the government of Yemen and to Ansar Allah," Velucci told a briefing. The spokeswoman noted that the UN Office in Geneva would be closed due to national holidays on September 6, when Griffiths planned to hold talks. Yemen has long been engulfed in the armed conflict between the government headed by Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and the Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah. The conflict has resulted in thousands of people being killed and a major nationwide humanitarian crisis. The conflict has already left 8.6 million children in Yemen without regular access to safe drinking water, according to UNICEF figures. Uruguay is planning to open a consulate general in Mongolia soon in a bid to promote bilateral ties, especially tourism exchanges, the Mongolian Foreign Ministry announced Saturday. ULAN BATOR, Aug. 18 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Aug, 2018 ) :Uruguay is planning to open a consulate general in Mongolia soon in a bid to promote bilateral ties, especially tourism exchanges, the Mongolian Foreign Ministry announced Saturday. Mongolia and Uruguay agreed to enhance bilateral ties and cooperation in a wide range of areas, including trade, economy, tourism and agriculture, the foreign ministry said. The agreement was reached on Friday between State Secretary of the Mongolian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Damdinsuren Davaasuren, and a visiting Uruguayan delegation led by Fernando Cabral, head of the International Economic Cooperation Department at Uruguay's Foreign Ministry. Cabral said that Uruguay would like to enhance cooperation with Mongolia in various fields, especially in economy and tourism. Mongolia and Uruguay established diplomatic ties in October 1997. Except for the embassy in Ulan Bator, there is no consulate of Uruguay in the Asian country yet. The two countries signed a visa-free agreement in April allowing for 30-day visa-free travel for visitors from each other's countries, which came into force on June 1. The US decision to redirect $230 million away from stabilization efforts in Syria will allow Russia and Iran to strengthen their support for President Bashar Assad, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Bob Menendez said in a press release on Friday. WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th August, 2018) The US decision to redirect $230 million away from stabilization efforts in Syria will allow Russia and Iran to strengthen their support for President Bashar Assad, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Bob Menendez said in a press release on Friday. Earlier in the day, the State Department announced it was redirecting $230 million in Syria stabilization funding towards other foreign policy priorities yet to be determined. "Worse yet, [Trump] is rolling out the red carpet for Russia and Iran who will seize the vacuum of US presence and assistance to double down on their support of the Assad regime," Menendez said. Syria without the stability funding, Menendez added, will also remain a threat to Israels security. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert in a press release on Friday said the US government will continue to fund White Helmet operations in Syria. This decision, Nauert added, does not represent a change in Washingtons commitment to its goals in the middle Eastern country. In a separate conference call with reporters, Nauert said former US Ambassador to Iraq Jim Jeffrey has been appointed to serve as Representative for Syrian Engagement. During the same call, a state department official said the United States has made it clear to Russia that no reconstruction funding for Syria will be provided until the UN validates that an irreversible political process is underway. WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th August, 2018) The United States will continue to take action against those responsible for human rights violations in Myanmar, US Envoy to the United Nations Nikki Haley said in a statement on Friday, just hours after the Treasury Department slapped new sanctions on alleged human rights violators in the country. "We will continue to shine a light on these atrocities and take action against the perpetrators," Haley said. Haley added that the United States would continue to call for the release of a Reuters journalists who has been jailed in Myanmar for almost a year. Earlier on Friday, the US Treasury Department said it sanctioned four people from Myanmar and two divisions of the country's army under the Global Magnitsky Act in an effort to stop brutal human rights violations including ethnic cleansing, massacres and sexual assault. Rohingya, a Muslim minority in Myanmar, have been fleeing their homes to avoid waves of violence following the government's deployment of police and military units in response to an attack by Rohingya insurgents on security posts in the Rakhine State. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), nearly 700,000 Rohingyas have left the country for Bangladesh since last August for the fear of persecution. CHAMA Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) Secretary General, Dr Bashiru Ally yesterday issued a strong warning against ruling party members who are fighting to succeed Zanzibar President, Dr Ali Mohamed Shein. Dr Shein will not run in the next Zanzibar presidential election after serving his two terms, and presents an opportunity for a new CCM candidate to take over the reins at the Isles State House. No wonder some interested CCM cadres are queuing up with reports suggesting that there is stiff battle for the position among senior members, including serving ministers. In his first ever tour of Zanzibar since being appointed as new CCM Secretary General, Dr Allytalked tough against members he described as position seekers, who nurse dreams of succeeding Dr Shein. There are people who dream to become the next Zanzibar president, that position has not been declared vacant, it still has its owner, he told a sizeable crowd of party members at CCM Zanzibar headquarters Kisiwandui, Urban West at the start of his four-day tour of the Spicy Islands. And, once the presidential position is vacant, there will be procedure and that procedure is yet to be announced, so you must stop it, stop that behaviour, a vividly riled Dr Ally charged. He told the dreamers to forget about the presidency, warning that the party is watching closely their actions and will take stern disciplinary measures against the culprits. The new CCM boss said the party would not tolerate members who are conspiring to succeed Dr Shein during the 2020 general election, and accused them of fanning divisions over the Isles presidential seat. We know some of you and your days are numbered, he told the meeting, which was attended by the Second Vice-President Ambassador Seif Ali Idd and other senior government and party leaders. The CCM Secretary General warned party members who will attempt to bribe their way to secure positions, reminding them that the party chairman, Dr Magufuli, Vice-Chairman Dr Shein and himself were not corrupt. Dr Ally was speaking about three pillars underlining the new CCM, under the chairmanship of President John Magufuli. He named the three pillars as goodwill and ability to unite people, discipline and integrity and unwavering attitude. He, thus, said one of the qualities of any government and party leader is his readiness and ability to unite Tanzanians, noting that there was no chance for discriminatory and divisive leaders. Unit is a must not an option, he said, adding that if a leader cannot unite Tanzanians they should leave their positions in the government or in the ruling party and go elsewhere. He insisted on discipline and integrity, saying leaders must demonstrate those attributes through their words and actions. He thus, warned party members who spend most of their time on social websites, debating matters that should be discussed through official channels, to stop it. Social networks are not part of the CCM constitution, and leaders who spend most of their time on social media are not leaders, he said. He added that there were still bad elements within the party, but vowed they will be dealt with accordingly, insisting the party leadership is well-prepared to uproot all bad weeds. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, 3-time Indian prime minister, died on August 16 at the age of 93. By Robin Gomes Indias Catholic Church has expressed profound sadness at the death of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 93. Vajpayee headed Indias government three times: first for just 13 days in 1996, for 13 months in 1998, and then from 1999 to 2004. Indian Churchs homage In his death, India has lost one of its tallest leaders and the world bids good bye to one of its greatest statesmen. The Christian Community has lost a friend who was attentive to its needs and gave a patient hearing to its concerns, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, the president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India wrote in a condolence statement. Vajpayee died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, where he had been hospitalized for more than two months with a kidney infection and chest congestion. He had suffered a stroke in 2009. His funeral ceremony, including his cremation, took place Friday afternoon in the capital. Warm human relationships In his condolence message, Cardinal Gracias noted that what endeared Vajpayee to all was his graceful dealings with all. He will be remembered as a person who cultivated warm human relationships cutting across religious, political or regional divides. The Indian bishops president recalled Vajpayees speech in his last Independence Speech where he said India is a multi-religious nation. It is against both its nature and culture to practice discrimination or to do injustice to anybody on the grounds of faith. We should always care for the minorities and be attentive towards their welfare." Cardinal Gracias, who has had several encounters with Vajpayee, noted the warmth of his person, his sharp intellect and his passion for the country. He wanted an India where no was one was excluded, no one suffered want, and everyone enjoyed the benefits of progress. John Paul II, Mother Teresa Vajpayee was prime minister when St. Pope John Paul II visited India in 1999. Vajpayee thanked the Pope for being in India on the occasion of Deepavali, the festival of lights. Cardinal Gracias recalled the tribute that the late prime minister paid to Mother Teresa at her death in 1997. "At a time when humankind is being increasingly driven by selfish motives, she gave selflessly to those whom society has forsaken and forgotten. In the age of cynicism she was a symbol of understanding faith," Vajpayee had said. Angry residents of a Brazilian border town, Pacaraima, ran riot and drove out Venezuelan immigrants on Saturday after a local restaurant owner was stabbed and beaten, residents and government officials said. The demonstrations forced hundreds of Venezuelans to flee back across the frontier on foot and residents set fire to the belongings they left behind and to tires to block the only road crossing between the two countries, video images released by the state of Roraima government showed. The outburst of anger was sparked by the robbery and severe beating of a resident in his home on Friday night, Roraima state security secretary Giuliana Castro said by telephone. After crossing back into their country, Venezuelans attacked a group of 30 Brazilians who were shopping across the border and who had to be taken to a shelter, Castro said. Venezuelas Information Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for information. Tens of thousands of Venezuelans have poured over the border into Roraima state over the last few years, fleeing economic and political turmoil in their country. The influx has overwhelmed the state's social services and brought a rise in crime, prostitution and disease, as well as incidents of xenophobia, Brazilian government officials say. A Pacaraima resident who asked to be identified only as Ismael said by telephone that four Venezuelans allegedly entered the restaurant owner's home, tied him and his wife up and stabbed and beat the man severely before robbing his house. "The people here are up in arms. They are burning the belonging of Venezuelans who were camped out here," Ismael said. He said police were looking for the four men. "Out, out, out, go back to Venezuela," demonstrators shouted at the Venezuelans as they rushed passed the border post carrying what they could, video images distributed by the Roraima government showed. The four Venezuelan suspects stole $5,800 from the restaurant owner, identified only as Raimundo. He suffered head injuries and was taken to hospital unconscious but was reported to be out of danger, Castro said. Brazilian army soldiers stationed at Pacaraima to help maintain order asked Venezuelan immigrants to return across the border for their own safety, Castro said. Venezuela's economy has been in steep decline and there are periodic waves of protests against the leftist government of President Nicolas Maduro. Maduro argues that he is the victim of a Washington-led "economic war" designed to sabotage his administration through sanctions and price-gouging. "The only people responsible for this tragedy are Maduro and his gang," tweeted Venezuelan opposition politician Ismael Garcia about the flare-up in Brazil. The Roraima government has declared the immigration influx a social crisis and asked Brazil's federal government to close the border, which it will not do for humanitarian reasons. A driver whose car collided with several people before crashing outside Britain's Parliament has been charged with attempted murder. Police say 29-year-old Salih Khater was charged Saturday with trying to kill police officers and members of the public. Three people were injured when Khater -- a British citizen originally from Sudan -- hit a group of cyclists before colliding with a security barrier guarded by police outside Parliament on Tuesday. The incident sparked a huge police response. Last year London was hit by several attacks in which vehicles were used as weapons. Police say that because of the methodology and iconic location, the case is being treated as terrorism, although Khater has not been charged with a terrorist offense. Khater is due to appear in a London court on Monday. With the Democratic Republic of Congo facing its second major Ebola outbreak this year, emergency responders have worked to contain the spread of the disease. Scientists, meanwhile, are testing the effectiveness of experimental vaccines in the field. Alongside these efforts, researchers in the DRC are collecting data that will improve how we respond to, and prevent, future outbreaks of Ebola and other infectious diseases. Their work involves building a comprehensive picture of how diseases like Ebola spread by tracking cases and mapping where people live, work and seek health care. Over time, a more sophisticated understanding of the environments through which contagious diseases spread will lead to faster, more effective treatment. Long-term response efforts Anne Rimoin is an associate professor of epidemiology at the UCLA School of Public Health. Shes also the director of the UCLA-DRC Health Research and Training Program, an effort based in Kinshasa, Congo, thats been underway for 16 years. Rimoin returned to the U.S. last month from fieldwork in the DRC. She told VOA that her group is collecting data that will benefit responses to not just Ebola but also emerging infectious diseases. In an outbreak, you have to understand where people are and what their patterns of travel are. Where theyre going, where theyre working, where their fields are, Rimoin said. If you dont know where things are, it becomes very difficult to define a response. Collecting this kind of data is especially important in a country like Congo, where small, unmapped villages checker vast forests, and the infrastructure hasnt, for the most part, been developed. The DRC is a very large country, Rimoin said. There havent been good, accurate maps of the DRC available to date. High-tech and local knowledge Rimoins group partners with several organizations, including the DRCs Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Rimoin said the Health Research and Training Program in Kinshasa uses a mix of high-tech solutions and local knowledge. The group analyzes satellite imagery to understand the terrain and population centers in the DRC. But they also rely on insights from residents to compile a more accurate and complete data set. These data-collection tools allow Rimoins team to figure out not just boundaries but human activities, including traffic flows and health centers. They plot important landmarks like roads, rivers and health centers. They also track exposure to health care workers and people who have been vaccinated to compare them to other populations, building a more complete understanding of how prevention drugs work. Its important for data to be available so that you can look for trends between outbreaks and try to find commonalities and try to be able to quickly ascertain similarities between outbreaks, Rimoin said. Local knowledge Working with local populations is critical to the projects success. Its these experts who know the terrain and the population, and that expertise often proves invaluable, especially when faced with skepticism from residents about the efficacy of vaccines. By partnering with local organizations and international efforts with a long-term commitment to the country, Rimoin said, the Health Research and Training Program is better positioned to work with communities to understand their needs, concerns and beliefs. Its really important to work with people who are there all the time not parachuting in, Rimoin said. Greece officially ends its international bailout program on Monday, after eight years of massive loans and relentless austerity measures. The completion of the loan program is a major accomplishment for Greece, but the country still faces an uphill battle to regain its economic stability. The office of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras described the final bailout loan last week as the last act in the drama. Now a new page of progress, justice and growth can be turned. Greece has managed to stand on her feet again, his office said. Economic growth, but challenges Economic growth in Greece is slowly growing again, tourism is up nearly 17 percent in Athens this year, and once-record levels of joblessness are finally receding. However, the country still faces massive challenges, including weak banks, the highest debt load in the European Union at 180 percent of GDP, and the loss of about a half-million mostly younger Greeks to Europes wealthier neighbors. Greece will also need to continue to repay its international loans until 2060. By the time Greece completes the bailout program Monday, the country will have had three international bailouts, which took Europe to the brink of crisis. The financial troubles exposed dangers in the European Unions common currency and threatened to break the bloc apart. The large debt that remains in Greece and an even larger debt in Italy continue to be a financial danger to the EU. Demonstrations The bailouts also led to regular and sometimes violent demonstrations in Athens by citizens angry at the governments budget measures required by international lenders in return for the bailouts. While Greece has begun to make economic progress, economics say the bulk of the austerity measures will likely need to remain in place for many years for the country to tackle its massive debt. Some international economists have called for part of Greeces loans to be written off in order for Greece to keep its ballooning debt payments in check. However, any kind of loan forgiveness would be a tough sell in Germany where the initially bailouts were unpopular. The austerity measures included massive tax hikes as high as 70 percent of earned income and pension cuts that pushed nearly half of Greeces elderly population below the poverty line. Pensioner Yorgos Vagelakos, 81, told Reuters that five years ago he would go to his local market with 20 euros in his pocket, while today, he has just 2 euros. He says for him, the bailout will never end. Its very often that just like today, I struggle, because I see all the produce on display at the market and I want to buy things, but when I dont have even a cent in my pocket, I get really sad, Vagelakos said. As the death toll from the worst floods in a century climbed relentlessly in Indias southern Kerala state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took an aerial tour, inspecting the massive damage that engulfed villages and cities, and announced emergency aid of over $70 million. The situation is grim in the picturesque, coastal state famed as a tourist destination -- rivers, dams and reservoirs have overflowed following record monsoon rains that swept away roads and homes and forced more than 220,000 people to seek shelter in relief camps. A massive rescue and relief effort has been stepped up as the scale of the disaster widens and distress messages continue to pour in from people stranded on rooftops and in remote villages. Officials said the torrential rains in the last ten days have claimed 165 lives, but the toll since the monsoon arrived three months ago is 324. Boats are reaching those marooned by the swirling waters, while about 30 military helicopters are pressing into areas inaccessible by boat. They are flying from first light to last light, said navy spokesman, D.K. Sharma, as helicopters flew hundreds of sorties, distributing food and water and plucking survivors off rooftops. It is a challenging task because with much of the state swamped by floodwaters, there is no place for helicopters to land. It is unknown terrain, there are high-tension wires, there are trees, there are population, there are obstruction, all these make the situation very difficult, Sharma said. Describing the challenge for pilots, he said the helicopter has to be hovered in a very, very steady position. Then you pick up the survivor and then move to the next one, and the next one. Yesterday one helicopter brought in 26 survivors. Local fishermen have also pitched in, plying their boats to rescue people. Many victims were crushed under landslides triggered by the torrential rains the state has received 37 percent more rain than usual due to low pressure over the region. However, environmentalists also blamed the severe flooding on unplanned development and deforestation on mountain ranges in the north. The northern and central parts of the state - which is home to 33 million people - have been hit the worst. Power, transport and other infrastructure has taken a huge hit and the international airport in the main city, Kochi, has been shut. Kerala's chief minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, said the state faces an extremely grave crisis and the economic damage is likely to run into billions of dollars The nation stands firmly with Kerala in this hour," Prime Minister Modi tweeted after conducting an aerial survey on Saturday. He promised more assistance to the rescue and relief effort. It could take months for a state with a tourist-dependent economy to recover. The manager of a four-star hotel in Kochi, who did not want to be named, said business has been battered. There are no flights here," she said. "It's affected our hotel badly. I dont think we will get customers in the near future. With many water treatment plants damaged, she expressed fears that we will run short of water also. The worst may not be over for the anytime soon meteorologists are forecasting more rain for the state. Its Italys national day of mourning Saturday after the collapse of the Morandi highway bridge Tuesday in the port city of Genoa killed 42 people. Three more bodies were recovered by rescuers overnight and Italian state radio reported another was body found Saturday morning. Authorities said all those missing have now been accounted for. But not all the families of the victims agreed to take part. Applause broke out at the funerals as rescuers and members of the civil defense department arrived to take part in the service. Authorities used an exhibition center in the area of the Genoa fair grounds as a church. The building was adorned with flowers and photographs for the occasion. In front of the altar and below a large crucifix, 18 coffins were covered with white roses, including those of two Albanian Moslems who died, and a small white casket for the youngest victim, an eight-year-old who died alongside his parents. Large screens were set up outside the exhibition center for many others - Italians from all over the country and tourists - who turned out to follow the service. Many said they came out of solidarity with relatives of the victims because what happened could have happened to anyone. The archbishop of Genoa, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, celebrated the solemn service. Italys top officials and politicians, including head of state Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, attended the ceremony. Family members of other victims decided to bury the dead in their towns of origin, some declining to participate in the state funerals in anger at having lost their loved ones in an accident that may have been caused by poor design or improper maintenance. The president, who visited the site of the disaster and the injured in the hospital before attending the service, has defined the bridge collapse as absurd and frightening, saying the tragedy struck not only Genoa but the whole nation. Cardinal Bagnasco, who presided at the service, said, "The collapse of the Morandi bridge over the Poncedera River caused a rift in the heart of Genoa. The wound is a deep one and consists above all of the endless pain for those who have lost their lives and the missing, for their relatives, for the inured, for the many displaced. Many have been the signs of shock and closeness that have come from not only from Italy but from all over the world. In his homily, the cardinal added that Genoa will not surrender and will continue to fight despite the huge loss of its most important artery. Applause broke out when the cardinal thanked firefighters for their tireless work. He spoke of the strength of the injured and expressed hope that the displaced may soon find another home. The government has set up a commission to investigate the causes of the bridge collapse. The disaster sparked a huge debate in Italy about the state of the countrys infrastructures. Autostrade per l'Italia, the company that manages Italys highway system, held a news conference Saturday in Genoa, promising it would provide details about measures it will be taking to support victims' families and the hundreds of people that had to evacuate their homes following the deadly collapse. A federal judge Friday called on the U.S. government and the American Civil Liberties Union to come up with a plan to address the rights of parents and children separated at the U.S.-Mexico border to seek asylum. The request was made during a hearing a day after U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw extended a freeze on deportations of recently reunified families, giving a reprieve to hundreds of children and their parents who want to remain in the United States. In issuing the order, Sabraw wrote that hasty removal of these children and their parents at the expense of an ordered process provided by law would go against the publics interest and deprive the minors of their right to seek asylum. During Fridays hearing, Sabraw asked the two sides to come to an agreement over whether some parents who were deported without their children should be returned to the U.S. to pursue asylum with the minors. Lee Gelernt, an ACLU attorney representing separated families, said some deported parents should be allowed to return to accompany their children through the asylum process. He told the judge others should be let back in because they were misled into believing that if they agreed to be deported, they would be reunited with their children. As many as 366 parents who were deported to their homelands have not yet been reunited with their children. Sabraw asked the government to provide a detailed report next week on the progress of its efforts to reunify those families. The government has opposed delaying deportations, saying parents waived the rights of their children to pursue asylum claims after the adults signed deportation forms. The order to extend the freeze, which Sabraw first put in place July 16, affects many of the more than 2,500 children who were separated from their parents. Sabraw said delaying the deportations would not unfairly or unduly tax available government resources. He said claims of people persecuted in their homelands should at least be heard as they seek asylum. Many families have said they were fleeing violence in their home countries in Central America and planned to seek asylum. The court is upholding the rights provided to all persons under the United States Constitution, rights that are particularly important to minor children seeking refuge through asylum, Sabraw wrote. In late June, Sabraw ordered that children younger than 5 be rejoined with their parents in 14 days and children 5 and older be rejoined in 30 days. The order came days after President Donald Trump, amid public outrage about children being taken from their parents, halted the zero-tolerance policy implemented in the spring that split up families at the border. The government so far has reunified at least 2,089 children with their parents or others, including sponsors. More than 560 were still separated. A decade-long dispute between Kosovo and Serbia is compelling both countries to consider a territorial swap along ethnic lines a move that has long been opposed by both Brussels and Washington. But the leaders of both Balkan countries say redrawing the borders could help them resolve their differences and advance in their quest for European integration. Experts have mixed opinions over whether such a deal is workable or even desirable. Ten years after Kosovo declared independence, there has been little to no progress between the two countries in settling their disputes. Kosovo considers itself a sovereign nation, though Serbia refuses to recognize it as such. Both countries want to join the European Union, but Brussels will not allow it until disagreements over Kosovo's sovereignty are settled. WATCH: Trade of territory by Kosovo, Serbia brings concerns Now, Kosovo's President Hashi Thaci and Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic have suggested a deal to trade territory or change borders that could spark a breakthrough. Some experts caution, however, such a move could create myriad problems. "It would create instability, it would be dangerous. It could spark violence in Kosovo as well as in Serbia," said David L. Phillips, director of the Program on Peace-building and Rights at Columbia University's Institute for the Study of Human Rights. The proposed exchange would involve Serbia getting part of northern Kosovo, an area with a mostly Serb population, and Kosovo getting Serbia's Presevo Valley, inhabited by a majority of ethnic Albanians. It also would mean the change would be along ethnic lines anathema in Western thinking. "The principle of pluralism and democracy is something that is a cornerstone of U.S. policy. It's also a cornerstone of Europe's approach to countries that aspire to membership," Phillips said. But David Kanin, adjunct professor of international relations at Johns Hopkins University and a former CIA senior analyst, notes that Europe has a history of changing borders and population movements. "That has not stopped. Every change in Yugoslavia since the old Yugoslavia collapsed has been about changing borders, moving people around, some supported by the West, some opposed," he said. Diplomatic gap? In the past, both Brussels and Washington have shot down the idea of redrawing borders along ethnic lines, but this time it appears they are not in agreement. The European Union has not openly commented on this issue. The office of the EU's top diplomat, Federica Mogherini, has not responded to VOA questions about this issue. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has rejected any changes to the borders, saying, "The territorial integrity of the states of the Western Balkans has been established and is inviolable." The U.S. position has been more ambiguous. In a statement to VOA's Albanian Service, the State Department said the solution should come from the parties themselves. It also said the parties should show flexibility, but stopped short of rejecting the idea of a border change. "If Kosovo and Serbia were able to agree on a settlement that would allow for permanent peace that would allow for mutual recognition, I think that would help settle politics in Serbia in some ways. It would give Kosovo a way forward," said Kurt Volker, U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO. Phillips, a former State Department senior adviser, suggested a lack of clarity does not signal a new policy. "The U.S. government does not have a coherent policy toward Kosovo. It doesn't pay any attention to the Western Balkans. I don't think we should read too much into these vague and ambiguous statements. Right now U.S. policy remains as it always has been. It recognizes Kosovo within its current frontiers. That hasn't changed." Benefits, ramifications Even if the idea is officially included in the EU-mediated Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, many questions remain, including whether Serbia should recognize Kosovo first and what that would portend. "The discussion right now around partition, as noisy as it is, is dealing with the secondary issue of who gets what territory," said Kanin. "The question of Kosovo's sovereignty is the central issue and that will remain open as long as it is not recognized by Serbia and by the five outstanding EU members. And I see no sign that this is going to change." EU members Spain, Slovakia, Cyprus, Romania and Greece still have not recognized Kosovo's independence. "Here it is a disservice to everybody in the Balkans, first of all the Kosovars, that their state is not recognized by Serbia, that they are not recognized by all members of the European Union and therefore they're blocked in some of their relationships with the EU," said Volker. Experts and former diplomats warned that rethinking borders in the Balkans would pose a risk to stability in the region. "If the EU isn't prepared to mediate a deal that allows Serbia to recognize Kosovo within its current frontiers, then Albanians will start thinking of unification of Albanian territories and creating an Albanian state that encompasses lands where all Albanians live," Phillips predicted. That concern is amplified, given the sizable Albanian minority in Macedonia, a country dealing with its own agreement about a name change with Greece. And Serbs in Bosnia already have said if Kosovo gets a U.N. seat, they will request the same. The latest debate suggests there are no clear-cut prescriptions for a region attempting to shed the vexing legacy of the 1990s conflicts. Renewable energy proponents have seized on the fatal collapse of a dam in Laos in their push to steer the country away from its hydropower binge. Laos is planning to build about 140 hydropower dams in its quest to become the battery of Southeast Asia according to the policy think tank the Stimson Center. The plan has drawn heavy criticism from conservationists and rights groups who argue the countrys ruling class are enriching themselves from projects that severely impact the rural poor. Two dams fail Twice in the past year one of these facilities has collapsed, more recently at the end of last month when scores were killed and thousands left homeless after an auxiliary dam at the Xe Pian Xe Namnoy hydropower complex burst. While the dam break is a national tragedy, it ushers in a new hope for a more optimal, sustainable and less contentious path for development of one of the greatest rivers in the world, Mekong River Commission (MRC) CEO Pham Tuan Phan said in a statement released this week. The Xe Pian Xe Namnoy dam harnesses power from a tributary of the Mekong River, the more than 4,000 kilometer long waterway that is vital to the tens of millions of people who rely on it for fishing and agriculture in Laos and its five other riparian countries. WATCH: Laos Bullish on Dams Despite Fatal Catastrophe Fragile ecosystem Conservationists say the river systems fragile ecosystem is under assault from the hydropower ambitions of the different countries that often secure financing for their projects through contracts to sell power across each others borders. In April, the MRC presented findings of a six-year, multimillion-dollar council study that predicted alarming impacts if present development plans on the river went forward, including a shocking 97 percent loss of sediment to the Mekong Delta by 2040. And by 2040, the loss will increase up to nearly 40 percent, so almost 1 million tons of fish lost annually with the value of 4.5, 4.7 billion U.S. dollars annually, MRC Chief Environment Management Officer So Nam said at the time as he presented the study. Safety did not feature among the most prominent concerns raised by the MRC, but now that two dams have collapsed in Laos within such a short time, it has become another point of intense criticism leveled at hydropower technology. Hydropower binge Brian Eyler, Southeast Asia director at the Stimson Center, has been trying to convince the Laos government that solar and wind technology can produce comparable power output at cost competitive rates without the laundry list of damaging impacts hydropower brings with it. He says investors financing Laos hydropower binge should think again. I think investors should be worried. Look how the Korean companies that are listed joint stock companies on the bourse in Korea took a hit and still have not recovered after this Xe Pian Xe Namnoy dam disaster a few weeks ago, he said. But as long as Laos is able to secure power purchase agreements for its projects, financing will still come, especially from China through institutions known for investing in projects that arent necessarily commercially viable by satisfying political needs, Eyler said. The company that built the collapsed dam, SK E&C, has declined VOAs multiple requests for comment, including direct visits to their field office at the affected area in Attapeu province, Laos. Review of projects Last week the Laos government announced a review of all existing hydropower projects before any new dams would be approved. Multiple requests to officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Energy and Mines for an elaboration of what exactly the review will entail have yielded no response. For those hoping the review may usher in a broader rethink of Laoss energy policy though, other signs have not been good. A day after the review was announced, Laos and its partner member countries in the MRC, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, agreed to begin negotiations for the regional consultation process on another newly announced mainstream Mekong River dam, the Pak Lay, according to Eyler. Bruce Shoemaker, who studied the financing of these dams for his book Dead in the Water: Global Lessons from the World Banks Hydropower Project in Laos, wrote in a recent commentary that Western institutions are also helping to finance irresponsible hydropower development in Laos. The World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and other international donors have consistently favored the interests of private developers over local communities in Laos, by promoting and facilitating models of hydropower financing that allow outside investors to largely avoid or limit their responsibility for the social and environmental costs of their projects, he wrote. In Attapeu province, more than 13,000 people have been affected by the dam collapse with 7,095 left homeless, according to recent government figures. For many of them, it was not the first time the project had destroyed their lives thousands were displaced to make way for the dam in the first place. When San Benito, Texas, school leaders learned of an influx of children to a migrant shelter in their small town near the U.S.-Mexico border, they felt obliged to help. The superintendent reached out and agreed to send 19 bilingual teachers, mobile classrooms and hundreds of computers to make the learning environment resemble one of his schools. While a government contractor bears responsibility for educating children at the highly guarded center, local officials say they stepped up partly because of a law that calls on school systems to educate any child, anywhere within their district. "This is not a political issue. This is not a racial issue. This is a moral obligation, and actually our legal obligation," said Michael Vargas, who leads the board of the San Benito Consolidated Independent School District. San Benito is one of a small number of U.S. school systems that are preparing for the first day of school on both their public campuses and in new classrooms set up at nearby federal youth migrant shelters. In neighboring Brownsville, Texas, the superintendent is working on an agreement to deploy teachers and services to help educate 800 children housed in federal facilities in her district. The school systems are pitching in amid an outcry over the separation of children from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border under the Trump administration's zero-tolerance policy for illegal immigration. Several hundred children remain separated from their parents, but most of the thousands of young people held in federal shelters across the U.S. are unaccompanied minors who arrived in the country without their families. The Associated Press inquired with public school districts in 61 cities nationwide where shelters are known to exist within their boundaries. Among the 50 that responded, most said they had no contact with the shelter or federal program authorities. Some outside the border states, including Camden, New Jersey, said they only recently discovered the existence of migrant shelters in their community. Many noted they would educate all children regardless of immigration status, as required by law, if their families or legal guardians sought enrollment on their campuses. "Until this becomes a real-time issue for us, we have no official position," said Superintendent Dennis Blauser of the Oracle, Arizona, school district. In Texas, some districts already had longstanding agreements to run classrooms with public school teachers at migrant shelters. By law, the federal contractors that operate the shelters are required to have a "care provider" give children six hours a day of structured learning time. Southwest Key, the largest contractor operating such facilities, has agreements with two school districts, including San Benito. It is also working to create partnerships with the Brownsville Independent School District and with a charter school network run separately by Southwest Key's parent organization. Salvador Cavazos, Southwest Key's vice president of educational services, said the nonprofit shelter operator has for years offered great basic services but is now welcoming more help from outside school systems as an enhancement as the number of children in its care grows. He said Southwest Key gets appreciative feedback from families after the average 30- to 45-day stay for each child, and most students leave with some level of academic gain. He said the children do "a lot of good work" studying through a project-based curriculum that is aligned with state standards. "They do history projects. They do class presentations. They do read-alouds with the books and novels that they're reading," said Cavazos, a former school teacher and administrator. The districts' role is largely limited to their regular school year, though the shelters also provide supplemental curriculum during summer months. Rochelle Garza, a Brownsville, Texas-based attorney who advocates for the children in court said the students can be detained for a semester or more with repeating instruction as other kids cycle in and out. Brownsville Superintendent Esperanza Zendejas said she felt a responsibility to honor the spirit of a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that affirmed all children in the United States are entitled to enroll in their local public school district for a free education. Zendejas said the district also has an obligation to work around the troubling circumstances of such a vulnerable population of children, just as the law enforces for homeless children. She said her school district is well-equipped and willing to handle the important task, and ready to provide teachers and special education, bilingual and support services. "The question of who gets educated in our country is coming up and my belief is everybody should receive an education if you are in this country," Zendejas said. But Thomas Saenz, president of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said the children should be released from custody and be allowed to learn at public school campuses instead of the schools creating an inadequate experience within the confines of the shelter. "It's not a time for amateurs, and some school districts are frankly amateurs in dealing with short-term incarcerated youth after trauma" from family separation, Saenz said. The San Benito school district's agreement with Southwest Key, signed in May, is modeled on a similar arrangement in Harlingen, Texas. It gives the district control of curriculum and instruction, while Southwest Key has responsibilities that typically would fall to a guardian, including getting the children ready for school. It also requires facility staff to assist in the classrooms and intervene in the event of a crisis. The district said it will recoup its costs for the teachers and the 570 Chromebooks and laptops on the federally contracted sites by counting those children as part of its official enrollment. The district expects that will bring in about $2.8 million in state funding. Still, there has been some blowback from critics over a school district that in recent years struggled financially. Vargas, of the San Benito district board, said he was confronted with unexpected hostility by some in the impoverished border town who fear the plan will syphon resources from their own schools. "I would hear it from other people going to church: `Why are we going to help - insert derogatory term - kids?"' he said. The Texas Education Agency has said local school districts intervening would be doing so voluntarily because the legal obligation to provide educational services to children in federal detention lies with the federal government. Cavazos said Southwest Key's ultimate goal is to help the children transition into a regular classroom environment so they can continue their education. "I would hope that they are able to thrive in the communities that they end up (in), even if it is their home country," he said. The reigning Miss America says she has been bullied, manipulated and silenced by the pageant's current leadership, including Gretchen Carlson. In a letter sent Friday to former Miss Americas, Cara Mund says she decided to speak out despite the risk of punishment. Her letter is reminiscent of the movie Mean Girls, in which characters Gretchen and Regina bully the heroine and make her life miserable. That's what happened to her in real life, Mund wrote. Carlson is chairwoman of the Miss America Organization; Regina Hopper is its CEO. Her letter exponentially increased the turmoil surrounding the pageant three weeks before the next Miss America is to be crowned in Atlantic City. "Let me be blunt: I strongly believe that my voice is not heard nor wanted by our current leadership; nor do they have any interest in knowing who I am and how my experiences relate to positioning the organization for the future," Mund wrote. "Our chair and CEO have systematically silenced me, reduced me, marginalized me, and essentially erased me in my role as Miss America in subtle and not-so-subtle ways on a daily basis. After a while, the patterns have clearly emerged, and the sheer accumulation of the disrespect, passive-aggressive behavior, belittlement, and outright exclusion has taken a serious toll." Mund said she's been left out of interviews, not invited to meetings and called the wrong name. When she obliquely hinted at trouble with pageant leadership in an interview earlier this month with The Press of Atlantic City, Mund said she was swiftly punished by having her televised farewell speech cut to 30 seconds, and was told a dress she had been approved to wear in the traditional "show us your shoes" parade cannot be worn. This year's competition will not include swimsuits, and pageant officials from at least 19 states have called for the current leadership to resign. There was no immediate response from The Miss America Organization or from Carlson and Hopper, who were singled out in Mund's letter. Mund said she was given three talking points to be made in every appearance: "Miss America is relevant. The #MeToo movement started with a Miss America, Gretchen Carlson. Gretchen Carlson went to Stanford." (Mund said she was allowed to mention that she went to Brown to show that both women were highly educated.) "Right away, the new leadership delivered an important message: There will be only one Miss America at a time, and she isn't me," Mund wrote. Mund, who was Miss North Dakota and won the crown on a platform of increasing the number of women elected to political office, said she was treated better by the previous Miss America leadership that was forced from power after sending emails ridiculing the appearance, intellect and sex lives of former Miss Americas. She cites examples of mistreatment including being excluded from the nationally televised announcement that swimsuits were being eliminated even though she was with Carlson at the TV studio where it was made. She says pageant handlers ridiculed her clothing choices and chided her for wearing the same outfits too often. When she reached out to former Miss Americas to see if they had been treated similarly, "I was reprimanded by Regina who told me that problems and concerns had to be kept 'in the family.'" A delegation from the global financial watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has held meetings with Pakistani authorities to review the country's measures against money laundering and terror financing. A six-member team from the Asia Pacific Group (APG) was in Islamabad this past week to monitor Pakistans progress after the country was placed on FATFs gray list in June, following months of negotiation by Pakistan to avoid being put in the list. At the time, Pakistan submitted a comprehensive 26-point strategy to fight terror financing and ensured the international community that it will take adequate steps to bar militant groups from laundering money. But Pakistans efforts failed to convince the global watchdog, and Islamabad was placed on the watchdogs list. This week, the FATF representatives met with government officials in Pakistan and evaluated the countrys progress in its fight against terror financing. The APG delegation will submit its findings to the Paris-based FATF. No formal announcement was made either by the APG or the Pakistani government regarding the meetings. The recent meetings between FATF and Pakistani officials should be taken in a positive way. Pakistan is a big country and has some international responsibilities to play its role towards terror financing and money laundering, Dr. Salman Shah, an economist and former finance minister of Pakistan, told VOA. There are some loopholes in the system, but Pakistan is adamant to overcome these shortfalls and to combat terrorism in any form. Im sure Pakistan will take FATFs suggestions seriously and will manage to evade the gray list soon, Shah added. If Pakistan fails to take adequate measures in accordance with the guidance of FATF, the country could be placed on the group's black list, further undermining the countrys already fragile economy as international investors would be discouraged from investing in the country. Findings According to local media reports, the FATF delegation found that Pakistan would need to implement stricter laws, strengthen law enforcement agencies, and make terror financing and money laundering extraditable offenses. While the APG applauded some measures taken by the Pakistani security and financial authorities, it noted that the government needs to adopt an "enhanced legal framework" to overcome inadequacies regarding nonprofit and charitable organizations, and to form counter-terror finance measures to point out suspicious transaction reports (STRs). Some Pakistani analysts, including Ayub Tareen, think Pakistan has, in recent years, implemented strict measures in its banking sector that bars individuals and groups from laundering money and getting involved in terror financing -- activities they had previously been able to do without being noticed and scrutinized. Pakistan has enacted strict banking laws that make it virtually impossible to move money through banking channels. It is unfortunate that the Asia Pacific group did not take a closer look at Pakistans financial system, Tareen, an economist from Pakistan, said. Others believe the main issue that needs to be tackled is the informal financial channels that militants rely on to funnel and launder money. While Pakistan has made substantial banking reforms, the problems lie outside the banking system, Khalid Farooqi, a security analyst based in Brussels, told VOA. It is mainly informally channeled money that is being moved inside and outside the country that leads to Pakistans reputation for terror financing, Farooqi added. Terror financing remains a threat within Pakistan, where terror groups allegedly continue to gather hefty amounts of money under the guise of religion and welfare for the poor. Foreign funding, drug trafficking, extortion from businesses and kidnapping for ransom are other means of income for militants in Pakistan. Hawala system, an alternative or parallel banking system, is also frequently used by terrorists to launder money. New regulations In June, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), the national financial authority, introduced new regulations to choke terror financing and money laundering to comply with the FATFs guidelines. The framework, named Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Regulations, 2018, is designed to help identify criminals and militant elements that hide behind the complex ownership structure of companies or other similar forms." Prior to that, SECP issued in January a notification that banned individuals and groups placed on terror watch lists by Pakistan and the U.N. Security Council from collecting funds. The directive also banned those groups from arranging any political, social, welfare or religious events in the country. The international community has repeatedly voiced concerns over Pakistan's noncompliance to established international guidelines to choke terror financing. Pakistan denies the allegations and maintains that it has curbed the financial assets of militant elements without any discrimination. Gray List Earlier this year, the United States, France, Britain and Germany submitted a motion to the FATF alleging Pakistan had failed to adhere to the watchdog's guidelines on terror financing and anti-money laundering regulations. In February, during a meeting of FATF-member countries in Paris, it was decided that Pakistan be put on the FATF's gray list. The purpose was to put pressure on Pakistan to beef up its efforts against terror financing. Lisa Curtis, a U.S. National Security Council official, visited Islamabad after the FATF decision and raised U.S. concerns over the issue. "There has been a long-standing concern about the ongoing deficiencies in Pakistan's implementation of its anti-money laundering/counterterrorism finance regime, Curtis said at the time. Pakistan has been placed on the FATFs gray list previously. The country was on the list from 2012-2015. Nafisa Hoodbhoy of VOAs Urdu service contributed to this report from Washington. According to a CNN report, munitions experts say a U.S.-made bomb was used by the Saudi-led coalition in a recent airstrike in Yemen that hit a busload of children in a marketplace, killing 51 people, including 40 children. CNN said Friday that the experts identified the bomb used in the attack from images taken of a piece of shrapnel shortly after the deadly strike. According to CNN, the numbers on the shrapnel indicated the explosive was a 227-kilogram, laser-guided MK 82 bomb manufactured by top U.S. defense contractor Lockheed Martin. Seventy-nine people were also wounded in the strike, including 56 children. A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition said earlier this month the airstrike targeted Houthi rebels in the market and conformed with international and humanitarian law. U.S. President Barack Obama banned the sale of precision-guided weaponry to Saudi Arabia in 2016 after Saudi Arabia used a similar bomb in another deadly attack. The Trump administration, however, overturned the ban last year. Liz Throssel, a spokeswoman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said after the August 9 airstrike that hit the bus that "any attack which directly targets civilians not directly taking part in hostilities or civilian objects amounts to a war crime." She said the perpetrators must be identified, brought to justice and held accountable no matter where, when, or by whom the violations or abuses were committed. The Ugandan government is under pressure from human rights activists to explain pictures and reports of the brutal torture of legislators by security forces. Five legislators Kasiano Wadri, who won the election; Robert Kyagulanyi, commonly known as Bobi Wine; and Francis Zaake, Paul Mwiru and Gerald Karuhanga and former legislator Michael Mabike were campaigning for an opposition candidate in Monday's by-elections in the Arua municipality when they were arrested. Four of the legislators are among 33 people charged with treason for allegedly pelting President Yoweri Museveni's armored vehicle with stones. On Thursday, gruesome pictures shared on social media showed Zaake, his fingers and head swollen, at a hospital in Gulu district in Northern Uganda. "You just see the effect of torture on him," said opposition leader Betty Aol Ochan. "The head is swollen. They have covered the mouth and it looks like even the feeding is done through the nose. He is on a life [support] machine. I am sure he was brought here, probably just pushed, because they fear he was going to die." Prosecutors charged Kyagulanyi in a military court with possession of illegal firearms and ammunition, equipment the government claims is "ordinarily a monopoly of the Defense Forces." "He is just there in seclusion," his lawyer, Erias Lukwago, said after seeing him. "He's in the hands of those soldiers there. He has not been allowed access to his own medical doctor or physician. He has not been taken to a private hospital. So, he is just languishing there in pain, if you touched him. Everywhere especially at the back here. He says he was hit here at the head. And it was at that moment that he blacked out." The Uganda Human Rights Commission and the U.S. Mission, among others, expressed concern about reports the legislators and journalists have endured brutal treatment at the hands of security forces. They called for humane treatment, due process and transparency. Brigadier Richard Karemire, spokesman for the Uganda People's Defense Force, rejected claims of torture. He said Kyagulanyi and the others were injured during the Arua chaos. "What I can tell you for sure is that it's not a culture of the UPDF. UPDF is trained to handle suspects. So, definitely we cannot be held responsible for that. He is being taken good care of by the Uganda People's Defense Forces, since he is now under the safe custody of our institution," Karemire said. Museveni said he was not injured in the clashes. He warned that other political leaders have been acting with impunity and vowed they would be punished according to the law. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday called on Europe to financially contribute to the reconstruction of Syria to allow millions of refugees to return home. "We need to strengthen the humanitarian effort in the Syrian conflict," he said ahead of a meeting with his German counterpart Angela Merkel at the government retreat of Meseberg castle 70kms (45 miles) north of Berlin. "By that, I mean above all humanitarian aid to the Syrian people, and help the regions where refugees living abroad can return to." There are currently one million refugees in Jordan, the same number in Lebanon, and three million in Turkey, Putin said. Germany has accepted hundreds of thousands of migrants since 2015 -- the height of the migration crisis -- which has weakened Angela Merkel politically and split the European Union. "This is potentially a huge burden for Europe," Putin said. "That's why we have to do everything to get these people back home," he added, emphasizing the need to properly restore basic services such as water supplies and healthcare. Merkel said the priority in Syria was "to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe", but did not give any further details. Ukraine stalemate Also on the agenda for the two leaders is the Ukraine crisis, which "unfortunately does not advance at all," Putin said. The Minsk agreements, a peace process sponsored by Germany and France aimed at ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine, is at a standstill, Merkel said, pointing at the absence of a "stable ceasefire." A United Nations mission on the ground, which will be discussed during the talks, "could perhaps play a pacifying role" in the region, she said. Earlier, Germany's foreign minister Heiko Maas said he was "relatively optimistic about the chances of a United Nations mission," telling the Die Welt newspaper: "We want to give a new dynamic to the Minsk process." Russia is accused by Kiev and Westerners of militarily supporting the separatists in eastern Ukraine, which it denies. Economic cooperation, particularly over energy, was also billed as a central theme in the discussions. Russia and Germany are partners in the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, a project criticized by US President Donald Trump due to Berlin's reliance on Moscow. Ukraine worries that the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline from Russia to Germany will transport gas now flowing through its territory and deprive it of crucial transit fees. Russia has shut off gas supplies to Ukraine in the past, having knock-on effects in the European Union. "Ukraine must, in my opinion, play a role in the transit of gas to Europe," even after the start of Nord Stream 2 in 2019, the German Chancellor said. Putin once again defended the project "which addresses the growing demand of the European economy for energy resources". "I want to stress here that Nord Stream 2 is only an economic project and it does not close the door to the continuation of gas transit through the territory of Ukraine," he said. In July, Putin assured that Russia was willing to keep Russian flowing through Ukraine after the pipeline was commissioned, but without going into details on volumes or tariffs. Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday for talks about the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria, as well as the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project that has drawn U.S. ire. Putin arrives in Germany after a stop at an Austrian vineyard to attend Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl's wedding to entrepreneur Wolfgang Meilinger. Merkel warned on Friday against expecting too much from her discussions with Putin at the government's Meseberg palace, but said the two countries needed to remain in "permanent dialogue" on the long list of problems they face. "It's a working meeting from which no specific results are expected," she told reporters. The two leaders last met in Sochi in May and struggled to overcome differences. But both Juergen Hardt, foreign policy spokesman for Merkel's conservative bloc, and Achim Post, a senior member of the Social Democrats (SPD), junior partners in the coalition government, were more upbeat. "We can be cautiously optimistic," Hardt told the Stuttgarter Zeitung and Stuttgarter Nachrichten newspapers in an interview published Saturday. "The Russian president has maneuvered himself into a dead end on Syria and eastern Ukraine, and needs international partners. For that he has to move." A senior German official told the papers: "There has been some movement," but gave no details. Post said in a statement that he expected both Merkel and Putin to look for pragmatic solutions based on common interests. "In a world that is increasingly uncertain, we must speak particularly with difficult partners like Russia," he said. Russia and the West remain at loggerheads over Moscow's annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine in 2014 and the ensuing conflict between Russian-backed separatists in the country's east and the Ukrainian army. On Syria, Germany wants Putin to finalize a lasting cease-fire there in agreement with the United States. Merkel on Friday said a four-way meeting on Syria involving Germany, Russia, Turkey and France was possible. Germany is also under strong pressure from the United States to halt work on the planned Nord Stream 2 pipeline that will carry gas from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea. The United States says it will increase Germany's dependence on Russia for energy. Ukraine fears the pipeline will allow Russia to cut it off from the gas transit business. Germany's eastern European neighbors, nervous of Russian encroachment, have also raised concerns about the project. Merkel and Putin will each make statements at 1600 GMT on Saturday before the start of the talks. They do not plan to take questions. Taliban insurgents unleashed a fresh wave of attacks across Afghanistan this week, overrunning at least two Afghan military bases and launching a sustained attack on a key city, in a multifront show of strength that left hundreds dead and threatened to upend recently begun peace talks with Washington. As recently as last month, it appeared efforts to end the war were gaining traction, amid reports that American and Taliban officials had held a series of initial meetings in Qatar. The talks had followed a three-day cease-fire in June between the Taliban, the U.S. and the Afghan government. But starting last week, the Taliban mounted a nationwide offensive, beginning with an attack on the strategic city of Ghazni, less than 100 kilometers from the capital, Kabul. After days of fighting, U.S. and Afghan forces appeared to regain control of most parts of the city. But the attack left as many as 500 people dead, destroyed much of Ghazni's infrastructure, and again exposed Kabul's security vulnerabilities. The Taliban then overran two Afghan military bases in the northern provinces of Faryab and Baghlan, killing or capturing dozens of government forces. Insurgents also conducted major attacks in the provinces of Zabul, Kandahar, Helmand and Uruzgan. Separately, an Islamic State suicide attack on a school killed at least 34 people Wednesday in a Shiite neighborhood of Kabul. 'Upping the ante' Pentagon chief Jim Mattis played down the importance of the Ghazni attack, insisting the Taliban failed to seize any territory in what he called "principally an information operation to grab a lot of press attention." "This is what we've seen before in insurgencies, when there's going to be a negotiation or a cease-fire, [insurgents] try to up the ante. This enemy does it by murdering innocent people," Mattis said. It's not clear whether the Taliban offensive will derail talks with Washington, which are still in the very early stages. Several reports suggest the Taliban-U.S. discussions are preparatory in nature, essentially talks about future peace talks. But that still may represent progress, as the U.S. appears to be relaxing its opposition to the Taliban's demand that it negotiates only with the Americans, not the Afghan government. "[The Taliban] want to gain as much territory as they can and make sure militarily they're in a secure position" in case the talks move to a more advanced stage, said Omar Samad, a former Afghan ambassador to Canada and France. 'They believe they are winning' But it's far from certain that the Taliban is interested in genuine peace talks, says Seth Jones, a former senior Pentagon official in Afghanistan who is now with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "They are willing to talk that's pretty common in any insurgency. But to seriously sit down and negotiate, I see no evidence of that right now," said Jones, who added he's been in contact with Afghan and U.S. officials involved in the preparatory discussions with the Taliban. "This is just the prosecution of a war. What we've seen in the last couple years is the Taliban trying to focus on urban areas they consider vulnerable. We saw it in Kunduz two years ago and I think in the case of Ghazni this was an attempt to take districts around the city and then to push in fighters," Jones said. Although the Taliban often attack key cities, they have been unable to control urban areas for longer than a few days or even hours before being repelled, often with the help of U.S. airstrikes, as in Ghazni. As of May, the Taliban controlled or influenced 19 percent of Afghan territory, mostly rural areas, according to U.S. military figures, while 22 percent of the country is contested. U.S. military officials call the war a stalemate. But the Taliban's battlefield successes may be incentive enough to keep fighting, says Thomas Johnson, an Afghanistan specialist who teaches national security affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. "I don't believe the Taliban are interested in sincere negotiations. They believe they are winning," said Johnson, author of the book Taliban Narratives. Intel failure The ongoing violence is a further blow to the government of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, just months ahead of a parliamentary election. The Ghazni attack was particularly embarrassing, as the government apparently failed to act on months of repeated warnings of Taliban fighters massing in the area. "This was a major intel, plus security failure," said one Afghan government official in Kabul, who did not wish to be identified because he was not authorized to comment on the matter. "People think that Taliban want leverage for the negotiations. But the fact is, that the country still remains fragile." The violence comes almost exactly a year after the White House announced its new Afghanistan strategy. Under the new strategy, the U.S. military no longer will impose timelines for withdrawal, an approach that effectively commits the U.S. indefinitely to the conflict. The plan also involves a massive surge in airstrikes. Through the first half of 2018, the U.S.-led coalition has dropped more bombs on Afghanistan than any other year stretching back to 2004, according to publicly available Pentagon data. But the biggest problem with the U.S. strategy, according to Jones, is that the Trump administration has not been able to persuade Pakistan to end its support for Afghan militants. "The U.S. has really done nothing to dislodge the Taliban's sanctuary in Pakistan. They have an entire leadership structure on the other side of the border," he said. Pakistan's role in the conflict resurfaced again this week, when Afghan officials reported finding Pakistanis and other foreign fighters among the dead insurgents in Ghazni. Islamabad has denied playing any role in the Ghazni attacks. "We are all outraged," said Wazhma Frogh, a women's rights activist and member of Afghanistan's High Peace Council. She says the Taliban wouldn't be able to carry out such sophisticated attacks without the help of Pakistan. Unless the trajectory of the conflict changes, Frogh says, many are concerned Afghanistan will return to a level of violence not seen since the 1990s civil war. But with the Taliban seemingly determined to fight on, and the U.S. insisting it is digging in for the long-term, it's not clear things will change anytime soon. The fugitive Taliban leader renewed his call Saturday for direct talks with the United States, dismissing as impractical and unacceptable "propositions" he asserted Washington has offered to promote a negotiated end to the war in Afghanistan. Malawi Hibatullah Akhundzada, in a message to his followers ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid, has for the first time offered some details of a recent preliminary meeting between Taliban and American officials. Senior diplomat for the region, Alice Wells, led the U.S. delegation in the July 23 talks in Qatar, where the Taliban operates its so-called Political Office." But neither side shared any detail until now. The Taliban confirmed and described the discussions as useful, saying they were aimed at paving ground for future contacts between the two sides. But the insurgents shared no other details until now. Afghan government officials did not participate in the talks reportedly due to opposition from the Taliban. Akhundzada explained the demand for direct peace talks with the U.S., saying the ongoing war is the birth-child of American occupation and only Washington can determine a deadline for the withdrawal of all American and NATO forces from Afghanistan. But in order to avoid responsibility for this war, the Americans propose options other than constructive negotiations that are neither rational nor practical; rather it is these same propositions that prolong this war for America, make it costlier and nudge it towards failure. Akhundzad did not elaborate on exactly what options U.S. officials put on the table. But Washington maintains it is ready to support and facilitate an intra-Afghan peace process under the leadership of the government in Kabul, cautioning that no solutions imposed from outside could help end the conflict. The Taliban dismisses Afghan rulers as stooges of America and refuses to engage in any intra-Afghan talks until all foreign forces leave the country. The Taliban chief asserted that Washingtons readiness for a sincere, transparent and results-oriented direct dialogue will be viewed by his group as a sound step by America and accepting the Afghan ground realities. But negotiations must be sincere and productive, free from any fraud and deception and must revolve around the core issue and not be used for propaganda or misleading the common thinking, said Akhundzada. The Taliban controls or hotly contests nearly half of the 407 Afghan districts. The insurgents have in recent weeks captured new territory and inflicted massive battlefield casualties on embattled Afghan security forces. The Taliban last week came close to capturing the strategically important southeastern city of Ghazni before they were forced to retreat by Afghan forces with support from U.S. airpower after several days of deadly fighting. The clashes reportedly killed 500 people, including Afghan forces, insurgents and civilians, beside causing massive destruction in the historic city. In June, the Islamist insurgency for the first time in the 17-year war had ceased hostilities for three days, allowing Afghans to peacefully celebrate the Eid-ul-Fitr festival marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. The unprecedented temporary cease-fire coincided with the Afghan governments unilateral cease-fire. The mutual gesture, though temporary, enabled Afghan soldiers and Taliban insurgents to interact, share Eid greetings and gifts, suggesting both sides were tired of the prolonged conflict. But the Taliban swiftly dismissed those assertions and insisted its cease-fire was meant primarily to discredit "propaganda" the insurgency was not a unified force and did not have control over its field commanders. Afghanistan and the rest of the Islamic world are preparing to celebrate another annual festival next week, known as Eid-ul-Adha. There are hopes the warring sides may again observe a cease-fire to ease sufferings of ordinary Afghans, although Taliban chief Akhandzada in his Saturdays Eid message did not hint at any such undertaking. Afghan officials said Saturday President Ashraf Ghani was consulting his aides, civil society representatives and government peace negotiators on whether or not the government should halt counter-insurgency operations during the upcoming Eid festivities. According to findings of a European Union-funded survey released Saturday, more than 90 percent of Afghans want the government and the Taliban to observe a permanent cease-fire. Two U.S. Catholic bishops named by grand jury in a Pennsylvania sex abuse report have apologized to victims but also defended their own actions. Harrisburg Bishop Ronald Gainer spoke at a Mass of forgiveness in Harrisburg Friday, saying, In the name of our global church, I voice again my heartfelt sorrow and sincere apology to all survivors of clergy sexual abuse. Gainer said most of the abuse happened long ago and said the church has since then taken significant and effective measures to protect our children and remove any person who intends to do harm to them. The grand jury report criticized Gainer for not removing an abusive priest. The 900-page report, released Tuesday, said more than 300 predator priests had abused more than 1,000 children in six Pennsylvania dioceses over the span of 70 years. Indiana bishop In Indiana, Catholic Bishop Kevin Rhoades, who was a bishop in Harrisburg from 2004-2009, told a news conference that he offers his sympathies to the victims and their families. The church failed you, and for this I apologize. He said he notified law enforcement when he heard about allegations of sex abuse in the Harrisburg diocese. The grand jury report mentions two cases of abuse that I was presented with during my time as bishop of Harrisburg. In each of these instances, upon learning of the allegations, I notified law enforcement and punished each individual, Rhoades said. Vatican statement Late Thursday, the Vatican broke its silence about the Pennsylvania grand jury report, calling the sex abuse described in the report as criminal and morally reprehensible. A statement by the director of the Vaticans communications office, Greg Burke, said the Vatican expressed shame and sorrow at the revelations. The acts were betrayals of trust that robbed survivors of their dignity and their faith. The church must learn hard lessons from its past, and there should be accountability for both abusers and those who permitted abuse to occur, Burke said. The church has been facing accusations of sexual abuse by the clergy in many countries. Just recently five bishops resigned in Chile in a sexual abuse scandal there. And next weekend Pope Francis will be travelling to Ireland, which is also no stranger to sex abuse by priests. Victims should know that the pope is on their side. Those who have suffered are his priority, and the church wants to listen to them to root out this tragic horror that destroys the lives of the innocent, Burke said. The United States intensified its sanctions against Myanmar Friday, blacklisting four commanders and two units of security forces for their alleged role in violent campaigns against Rohingya Muslims and other ethnic minorities. Myanmar security forces have engaged in ethnic cleansing, massacres, sexual assault, extrajudicial killings and other human rights abuses, said Sigal Mandelker, Treasury Department undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence. Treasury is sanctioning units and leaders overseeing this horrific behavior as part of a broader U.S. government strategy to hold accountable those responsible for such wide-scale human suffering, Mandelker said. Earlier sanctions The Trump administration earlier imposed sanctions on the chief of Myanmars western military command, but has faced pressure from human rights groups and lawmakers to impose more sanctions on those involved in a crackdown that began in August 2017 in western Rakhine State where a brutal military operation in response to attacks on security forces sent 700,000 Rohingya fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh. The Rohingya have long faced severe discrimination in the majority Buddhist nation and were the target of violence in 2012 that killed hundreds and drove more than 140,000 people, predominantly Rohingya, from their homes to camps for the internally displaced. The government refuses to recognize the Rohingya as a legitimate native ethnic minority, and most Rohingya are denied citizenship and other rights. Myanmar, however, has staunchly denied that its security forces have targeted civilians in so-called clearance operations in Rakhine State on Myanmars west coast. Newly sanctioned Fridays action sanctions four commanders with the Myanmar military and border guard police plus two military units for their alleged involvement in ethnic cleansing in Rakhine and other human rights abuses in Myanmars northern Kachin and Shan states, the scene of separate, ethnic armed insurgencies against the central government. Those sanctioned are: military commanders Aung Kyaw Zaw, Khin Maung Soe, Khin Hlaing and Thura San Lwin; and members of the 33rd and 99th light infantry divisions. The sanctions block any property they own within U.S. jurisdiction and prohibit U.S. citizens from engaging in transactions with them. The U.S. already maintains restrictions on visas, arms sales and assistance to Myanmars military. In a statement, Myanmars embassy in Washington said: Security forces have been instructed to adhere strictly to the code of conduct in carrying out security operations, to exercise all due restraint, and to take full measures to avoid collateral damage and the harming of innocent civilians. No one is above the law in present Myanmar and those who breach the law will be brought to justice. Shadow on transition to democracy The crackdown on the Rohingya has cast a shadow over Myanmars transition to democracy after decades of direct military rule and has set back a rapprochement with Washington initiated by the Obama administration. Myanmars civilian leader, Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has little control over security operations but has faced stark international criticism for failing to protect the Rohingya. On Friday, 17 U.S. senators appealed to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to make public a State Department report detailing atrocities conducted against the Rohingya and submit the report to the departments Office of the Legal Adviser for a determination of whether crimes against humanity and genocide were perpetrated by the security forces in Myanmar, also known as Burma. The United States on Friday announced it was cutting about $230 million in stabilization money to northeast Syria and said future global reconstruction funds for the country will depend on a U.N.-led peace process. The U.S. State Department in a statement said the decision, which was authorized by the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, was made after other members of the global coalition against the Islamic State (IS) made contributions and pledges of about $300 million to Syria. This decision was made by the secretary, in consultation with the White House, and took into account the already significant military and financial contributions made by the United States to date, the presidents guidance on the need to increase burden-sharing with allies and partners, and significant new pledges made by coalition partners, the statement read. In the past, U.S. officials have repeatedly said their priority in Syria is the enduring defeat of the IS terror group, which according to the coalition has lost control over all but a few areas it previously held. Earlier funds frozen Earlier this year, U.S. President Donald Trump announced he wanted to withdraw from the war-ravaged country. It was reported in late March that he froze more than $200 million in recovery funds to Syria, questioning how the money was being used in the country. Speaking to reporters at a press conference Friday at the State Department, Brett McGurk, U.S special presidential envoy for the anti-IS coalition, said the stabilization funding was used to help residents return to areas recaptured from IS. Since the start of this campaign against ISIS, our military campaign has been planned in close coordination with humanitarian and stabilization plans to follow on the military operations, McGurk said, using an acronym for the militant group. That is why all the territory that has been retaken from ISIS it is about 99 percent of what used to be the physical caliphate has all held. Our stabilization programs are targeted, they are prioritized, and they are focused on saving lives, demining, water, electricity and the basic necessities. Diminishing US role? McGurk added the decision to cancel the $230 million funds would not diminish the U.S. role as the top international player in northeast Syria. He said the move is to ensure other members of the anti-IS coalition equally share the burden of making recaptured areas livable for the Syrian people. The State Department said Friday that Saudi Arabia announced new funding of $100 million to northeast Syria to help stabilization projects in cities like Raqqa, the former de facto capital of Islamic State. The United Arab Emirates has also pledged $50 million in contributions, the State Departments statement said. UN peace process McGurk said the funding was not targeted at reconstruction programs, adding that international assistance to rebuild areas destroyed by war will not come until a United Nations-backed political peace process is achieved. Seven years of a brutal civil war in Syria has cost nearly a half-million lives and the displacement of 11 million other Syrians. Earlier this month, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia said it estimated the cost of destruction in the country to be $330 billion, with approximately $120 billion in material damage. $300 billion damage International efforts to achieve a political settlement to the conflict have so far failed to stop war. The U.S. and its European partners support a U.N.-led process known as the Geneva peace talks. Russia, Iran and Turkey have tried to find an alternate solution through tripartite meetings. We have been very clear, as clear as its possible to be, with the government of Russia that there will be no international reconstruction assistance for Syria without the irreversible political process validated by the U.N., David Satterfield, the acting assistant Secretary of State for the Middle East, said during the Friday conference call. Satterfield did, however, say the U.S. would remain active in Syria until a lasting defeat of Islamic State is achieved. The United States is sending a U.S. Navy hospital ship to Colombia to help treat some of the hundreds of thousands of people who have poured over the border fleeing violence in Venezuela. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters traveling with him to Washington from Bogata, Colombia, Friday that he would likely be sending the USNS Comfort based at Norfolk, Virginia. Mattis said those he spoke with in Bogata were embracing and enthusiastic about the upcoming ship deployment, which he stressed was absolutely a humanitarian mission. We're not sending soldiers, were sending doctors, Mattis said, without providing details on when the ship would set sail. Hospital ships are typically deployed to provide life-saving treatment and medical care and to relieve the pressure on national health systems. The U.S. defense secretary said he was given specific input, such as where best to deploy the ship, during talks Friday with his defense counterpart and newly inaugurated Colombian President Ivan Duque. They (Colombian leadership) not only agreed in principle, they gave details of how we might best craft the cruise through the region, Mattis said. Chile, Argentina and Brazil the other stops on his South America tour also provided input on the hospital ship deployment, according to Mattis. Aware of Venezuelan sensitivities, Mattis stressed the U.S. hospital ship would not go into Venezuela's territorial waters. Jason Marczak, director of the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center at the Atlantic Council, told VOA the situation in Venezuela has led to a migration crisis of global proportions that is on track to potentially parallel or surpass the numbers that (have been) coming out of the Middle East. If those migration numbers are not managed in an orderly, effective way, that has the potential to create greater instability in the countries to which migrants are going, Marczak said. As of June, an estimated 2.3 million people had fled Venezuela, mainly to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil, according to the United Nations. U.N. officials reported at that time that more than half of those who fled were suffering from malnourishment. The U.S. Navy has one other hospital ship, the USNS Mercy, which is based at San Diego, California. USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy usually deploy for humanitarian missions with a diverse group of doctors on board hailing from multiple countries. The wife of a jailed Iranian dissident says her ailing husbands doctor has warned prison officials that they are putting her husbands life in danger by denying him medical treatment in a hospital. Speaking by phone from Tehran to the Friday edition of VOA Persians NewsHour program, Rezvan Beigi said her jailed husband, Behfar Lalezari, has been struggling with asthma and heart problems. Despite numerous requests that (my husband) has made and the following up we have done, he has not been given medical treatment and they have denied him permission to go to the hospital, Beigi said. Lalezaris wife said he has not been allowed a temporary medical leave since he began serving a five-year sentence at Tehrans Evin prison last October. Even his doctor has told officials that my husbands medical conditions could worsen if not treated immediately and that his life is in danger, so I am really worried for his physical state right now, she said. In a report published in March, exiled Iranian rights group Campaign for the Defense of Political and Civil Prisoners said Lalezari had been convicted by a Tehran court of insulting Islam and the nations Islamist leadership on social media. The group said he was first arrested in relation to the charges in 2014 and detained for three weeks before being released on bail. It said a court handed him a five-year prison term in 2015, a sentence upheld by an appeal court in 2017. He turned himself in to Evin prison shortly after that ruling. In the March 2018 report, the rights group quoted people close to Lalezari as saying he had written an article criticizing Irans Islamist laws and constitution. Iranian state media have been silent on Lalezaris medical condition in detention. This report was produced in collaboration with VOAs Persian Service. Caldera 813 m (2,667 ft.) / Anak Krakatau: 189 mSunda Strait, Indonesia, -6.1S / 105.42E(3 out of 5)1530, 1680-81, 1684, 1883 (Plinian eruption), 1927-30, 1931-32, 1932-34, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938-40, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1946-47, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1958-59, 1959-63, 1965(?), 1969(?), 1972-73, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1988, 1992-93, 1994-95, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2007-8, April 2009-early 2010, Oct 2010 - March 2011, July-Oct 2011, Jan-May + Sep 2012, 2015(?), 2017, 2018 ( 22 Dec eruption & tsunami ), 2019-ongoingExplosive. Construction of a cinder cone island (Anak Krakatau) inside the caldera formed by the 1883 eruption. Frequent strombolian activity.(16-days study and photo tour to Java, Indonesia)(4-week round-the-world trip to Hawaii - Vanuatu - New Zealand - Indonesia)(expedition to study & observe Anak Krakatau volcano and its activity) If you havn't done it yet,to get one of the fastest volcano news online: The lighthouse of the Thyrrhenian Sea - thanks to its typical, regular explosions that coined the term "strombolian activity", Stromboli is one of the most famous and photogenic volcanoes in the world. Experience one of the geologically most active areas on the planet: the Danakil desert in northern Ethiopia: climb Erta Ale and enjoy the powers of Northen and South craters, the surreal colorful world of salt, geysers and springs at Dallol, the UNESCO world heritage site of the rock hewn churches of Lalibela and the beautiful Semien Mountains! We're proud to present our 2019 volcano calendar: 13 different and attractive images of volcanoes, volcanic landscapes and phenomena taken during volcano tours over the past few years. A remote island in the Flores Sea of Indonesia formed by a single volcano that has been in strong strombolian eruption for years. We regularly lead expeditions to there where we camp several days to observe it. For each month since July 2012, we publish a summary of quake activity world-wide: find the list of largest quake, a map showing all significant quakes as well as detailed statistics on seismic activity during this time. 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: stratovolcano 1117 m / 3,665 ftKyushu, Japan, 31.59N / 130.66E(3 out of 5)1955-ongoing, 1954(?), 1950, 1948, 1946, 1942, 1941, 1940, 1939, 1938, 1935, 1914-15, 1899(?), 1860, 1799, 1797, 1794, 1792, 1791, 1790, 1785, 1783, 1782, 1779-81, 1756, 1749, 1742, 1706, 1678, 1670(?), 1642, 1478, 1471-76, 1468, 778, 766, 764, 716-18, 712(?), 708Explosive(5-day volcano expedition to observe Sakurajima volcano's activity from close) If you havn't done it yet,to get one of the fastest volcano news online: Ijen volcano in East Java has one of the most impressive sulfur deposits on earth. They are so hot that the sulfur often ignites - a mysterious display at night caught on camera. The term for all fine-grained volcanic products fragmented during explosive eruptions. Some rarely visited volcanoes, unspoiled nature, lots of WWII remnants - browse through several galleries from our tours to the Kuril Islands. Kamchatka in Russia's far east is one of world's remotest regions and has an almost unparalleled density of active volcanoes. Look at photos taken during our expeditions from this wonderful corner of the world! Check which volcanoes are currently active (erupting). Our daily updated maps give a quick overview. 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: Walmart is losing one of its highest-ranking female executives. Marybeth Hays, who had served as executive vice president of consumables and health and wellness for more than a year, will leave the company in January, according to an internal memo sent Friday by Greg Foran, Walmarts U.S. chief executive. Hays joined Walmart in 2009 from the Lowes home improvement chain and had risen quickly up the ranks, but was sidelined when the company named a former Humana executive to run the health-care unit last month. Bowser, a private and habitually cautious politician who is on a glide path to reelection in November, is not known for grand gestures or showiness. When she adopted her child in May, she eschewed the publicity awaiting an unmarried mother in charge of a large city and hunkered down with the challenges of early parenthood. (The babys name and gender were first disclosed through anonymous sources.) The 2018 PARCC results help us get a better picture of our students readiness for college and career, and we look forward to digging deeper into the data to help us focus on the areas that need improvement, Stover wrote in an email. Surrick and other accusers said it was widely known that some Key teachers had sex with underage students. Some teachers were fired after complaints from students or parents, according to interviews with accusers. But many stayed in the classroom, continuing the alleged abuse. The accusers, now in their 50s and 60s, say the school has yet to confront the scope of the behavior, its effects still felt more than four decades later. Looking back recently, Pugh said Baltimore became a model for how other cities could handle their controversial monuments. But she was otherwise fairly subdued on the subject. She said she didnt have any particular feelings watching the monuments come down and was just focused on preventing the kind of violence that had broken out elsewhere. Its not going to lose him the election, but it might lose him some relationships, one veteran Democratic state lawmaker said. It puts him in the position of having to win on the merits, and this is a tough race. I mean, look at that, the lawmaker said, gesturing to Hogan, who was posing for photos with the children of other elected officials. In looking back we shall all record how we responded to the escalating horrors of the last four years, he said. And as we do so, there are questions that each of us will have to answer. What did I do? Could I have done more? And could it have made a difference? Did I let my prejudice, my indifference and my fear overwhelm my reason? And how would I react next time? Mr. Boswell, a Democrat, focused throughout his political career on agriculture, securing services for veterans and their families and helping college students with financial aid. He served in the Iowa state Senate before he was elected to the U.S. House in 1996. He was from tiny Davis City, in southern Iowa, and represented a district that stretched almost all the way across the state. He was born in Paris and was an adolescent when he arrived with his family in New York City in 1940, just ahead of the Nazi occupation of France. His mother worked in a millinery on 57th Street to make ends meet. Kicked out of a Jesuit school for disobedience defending a younger brother from a priest who was beating him the restless Prince Michel persuaded his father to let him join the U.S. Army at 17. I told my father I had to kick Hitler out of France, he once said. Driscoll said D.C. jail officials had been largely responsive to the issues but that it took 20 days for Butina to be allowed to place a phone call to Russia, and it also took some time to provide her with her eyeglasses and to allow the funding of her canteen jail account. She is seeking better arthritis treatment for one of her legs, he said. She later explained that the couple reassessed his role after learning that his contacts with the London professor Joseph Mifsud led the FBI to open a counterintelligence investigation into possible links between the Trump campaign and Russia. And Papadopoulos was also upset to learn that a Cambridge professor who hired him to write an energy paper in the fall of 2016 was a source for the FBI, she said in June. The black Infiniti was carjacked by two men about 10:30 p.m. on July 1. Prince Georges County police said a woman sitting in the car in the 9400 block of Fontana Drive reported that two men, one holding a handgun, ordered her out of the vehicle. Police said she refused and one man struck her on the head with the gun and pulled her from the sedan. A sailboat under sail and not running its engine has the right of way, police said, speaking generally. A fishing boat could have priority if engaged in a certain kind of fishing, but authorities declined to say whether that was the case here. and also did not say whether the sailboats engine was running. 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 He recalls that at the time he recognized that the policy was overly broad, and he didnt expect it would be the last word. He said he intended to wait until the Geller controversy blew over, and then hoped the Metro board would revisit the policy and come up with more finely tuned allowances and restrictions. The app is fairly straightforward. After registering, users enter their destination and time of departure and are then taken to a screen that offers them a menu of options, each with a different point value. Also included: the distance to the destination, the amount of gas expected to be used and an estimate for how long the trip would take. Some people, of course, will feel the urge to put the bulk of the responsibility on these families because it is easier to criticize them for needing public help than to fix the system on which they rely. The problem with that approach, besides its lack of compassion, is that there will always be people in need of public assistance, and if we ignore this issue, we are ensuring that these children will grow up to be among them. MS-13 suspects charged : A federal grand jury in California indicted 12 men suspected of being members of the violent MS-13 gang on charges that include murder, extortion, arson and drug trafficking, authorities said. The men indicted Thursday in San Jose lived in Santa Cruz and their victims included immigrants from El Salvador living in the area, prosecutors said. The charges mark the latest development in a case that created a rift between federal and local authorities involving Santa Cruz's sanctuary city policy. The defendants were arrested in early 2017 as part of a five-year investigation involving federal and local law enforcement agencies. Local authorities later said they were duped into helping make immigration arrests, violating the city's sanctuary law. A motion filed Friday by attorneys defending Christopher Watts, who investigators believe killed his pregnant wife and daughters, asked that DNA samples be taken from the childrens necks. The document cites an expert who argued that DNA would still be present on the bodies even though they had been submerged in crude oil for four days before they were found but that evidence would be lost once the autopsies were performed. For decades, police investigators at crash scenes used chalk marks, tape measures and roller wheels to record measurements and skid marks to help them assess what happened. More recently, many have used a laser-scanning tool to map the scene. But often those measurements can take hours, during which lanes may need to be shut down or the road closed entirely, putting emergency responders and crash investigators in harms way near traffic whizzing past. Since taking office, Trump has sought to roll back several major climate regulations, proposing earlier this month to freeze tailpipe emissions standards for cars and light trucks, starting in 2020, for six years. He delivered on a key campaign promise more than a year ago when he announced that the United States would pull out of the 2015 Paris climate agreement, under which the country pledged to cut its overall carbon output between 26 percent and 28 percent by 2025 compared with 2005 levels. The exhibition is now at Oakland University near Detroit, and its making its way around the country. If you cant catch it in person, you can learn more online: The Confronting Violence website has pictures, lesson plans and more information about the nurses and their advocacy. I had to laugh at the Aug. 9 letter Snow days help parents, too, about how schools requiring children to learn online at home during snow days will be difficult for working mothers. For mothers who dont work, I suppose, it will be easy. When are we going to lay to rest this supposition that mothers who work to earn money while raising children are superheroes? Work is defined as activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result, according to the Oxford Living Dictionaries. It is not defined as earning money. Every mother who raises her children full time works. In fact, the work is so complex and emotionally and physically draining that going to earn money at an office can seem like a vacation. I remember doing so and being in a state of wonder at the cleanliness, freedom and ease of working to earn money vs. being in the trenches with my beloved children. The Aug. 10 Metro article Retired vet puts a spring in pets steps was not the first time one of Lincoln Parkess carts graced the pages of The Post. That happened on April 22, 2001, in my essay, So Long, Sonntag, in which I wrote about the full life of my German shepherd Sonntag in his K-9 Cart, including an incredible 12,500-mile, 42-day road camping trip to the Arctic Ocean in Alaska. Canine wheelchairs were so rare back then that, as I wrote, one couple, thinking I had Sonntag in some kind of punishment device, turned me in to the police for animal cruelty. (I forgave them in my essay.) I returned to Parkes in 2012 for a new wheelchair for my next dog, Leben, and he followed in his predecessors paw-steps the front two, that is. After The Posts piece about Sonntag, and articles elsewhere about him that followed, a competitor to Parkes told me that the wheelchair business for dogs exploded across the world. How nice it is to see the power of the press helping people and their dogs live happier lives. The PSDs assault on the rule of law could still be turned back by Romanias constitutional court. Not surprisingly, the popularity of Mr. Dragnea and his party is declining, but the next parliamentary election could be more than two years away. That means the cause of Romanian democracy needs more help from the E.U. leadership and that of other Western democracies, including the United States. The European Commission should step up pressure on the government to nullify or drastically amend the new laws. And the Trump administration should sanction Romanian officials involved in corruption and the use of violence against peaceful demonstrators under the Magnitsky Act, which was designed to address such abuses. A historic achievement, the consolidation of democracy in former communist states of the Soviet bloc, is in jeopardy in Romania, Poland and Hungary. The Western nations that helped foster it must do more than watch. The Aug. 12 front-page article A fast-moving future for gene-edited foods reminded me of articles written 30 years ago on transgenics, the first genetic-engineering technique. As a scientist working on genetic-engineering issues at the time, I remember the breathless quality of the arguments and the limitless array of products that would solve all manner of problems, including freeing agriculture of its dependence on pesticides. Genetically engineered crops now dominate U.S. row crop agriculture but have done little to change or improve it. In fact, in terms of productivity and pesticide use, it is hard to distinguish U.S. agriculture from European agriculture, which generally rejected genetic engineering. This time around, we should be wary of the hype. Gene editing, as with transgenics, offers appealing but not transformative products. We can and should take the time to evaluate their risks and benefits before they go on the market. I was initially heartened to read the Aug. 12 obituary for Arsene Tchakarian, Fought for French resistance in WWII, which described a heroic historical story that few of us had heard. But then I reached the part that noted that Tchakarian was a survivor of the Armenian genocide. The obituary put quotes around the word genocide and gave equal time to Turkish denialism. Three of my four grandparents narrowly escaped being killed and lost most of their families and all their property during the Armenian genocide. I have read The Post for many years, and I have noticed that on the occasions when the Armenian genocide comes up, The Post almost always frames it as a matter of debate rather than the historical fact that it is. Its deeply insulting and, given the context of the obituary, ironic, because one of the most famous quotes about the Armenian genocide is the remark attributed to Adolf Hitler, Who remembers now the extermination of the Armenians? Yet, the Pentagon has hardly ignored space. Its 159 satellites represent the largest fleet of any single organization in the world. The Air Forces Space Command boasts a budget of $8.5 billion and 36,000 employees. Far more goes to the classified space operations that the intelligence community controls. More may be needed, but the Brookings Institutions Michael OHanlon pointed out that splitting the Air Force might not be the way to increase its or the new Space Forces pull in Congress. It would be simpler to promote officers who work on space issues to the highest levels of the Pentagon or centralize budgeting for military space operations. Moreover, it is far from clear that creating a new independent Pentagon fiefdom would promote any more integration with the Army or Navy. After its creation, the Air Force struggled for decades to cooperate with the other branches. I do not see very many issues this administration is trying to work with China on, said Bonnie Glaser, a China analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. The effort to come up with new things where our interests converge has been abandoned. I think this administration is in agreement that China is a competitor, and the effort here is really focused on how we have a more effective competitive strategy with China. Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- The Department of Housing and Urban Development has filed a formal complaint against Facebook for allowing landlords to target specific racial groups or other demographic groups in violation of the Fair Housing Act. Facebook has previously faced lawsuits from housing groups after ProPublica reported in 2016 that advertisements for rental homes were targeting ads based on an "affinity" for demographics like African-American, Asian-American or Hispanic or excluding people interested in terms that could be associated with protected groups. HUD's complaint specifically says that as of July 2018, Facebook's ad targeting tools allowed advertisers to show ads only to men or women, not show ads to users interested in terms associated with persons with disabilities, religions, having children, or even other countries. HUD also said that Facebook allowed advertisers to discriminate by race by "drawing a red line around majority-minority zip codes and not showing ads to users who live in those zip codes," according to the complaint. The Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination including those who might limit or deny housing options with a click of a mouse, said Anna Maria Farias, HUDs Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. When Facebook uses the vast amount of personal data it collects to help advertisers to discriminate, its the same as slamming the door in someones face. Facebook has previously said that it would address advertising options that allowed advertisers to target these groups and said the company would fight lawsuits alleging it allowed discrimination. In addition to the complaint filed by HUD. the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York filed a statement challenging Facebook's advertising platform. HUD's complaint is the result of an investigation and will lead to a formal fact-finding investigation. If the department finds reasonable cause that Facebook violated the Fair Housing Act they could refer a discrimination charge to the Justice Department. A Facebook spokesman said they will work with HUD to respond to their concerns. "There is no place for discrimination on Facebook; its strictly prohibited in our policies. Over the past year weve strengthened our systems to further protect against misuse. We're aware of the statement of interest filed and will respond in court; and well continue working directly with HUD to address their concerns," the spokesperson told ABC News in a statement. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. TENDENCY by most patients not seeking regular medical care contributes to rising cases of heart diseases in the country which are potentially preventable. The Director of Clinical Support Services at the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI), Dr Delila Kimambo, disclosed on the sidelines of echocardiogram training (heart surgery using ultrasound) conducted by the institute through the support of Merck in Dar es Salaam, yesterday. The training brought together 80 heart specialists and other hospital attendants in the region operating in the cadre to obtain knowledge on the best practices of attending to patients and detection of heart problems through the procedure. According to Dr Kimambo, most patients often go late for medical care while the diseases are already in a critical stage. Most people usually start by visiting our district, regional and other hospitals with specialised heart services before coming here, we found it crucial to conduct the training to add up to the knowledge they already have in the area of echocardiogram. By building capacity of medical staffs, it also helps in early detection of diseases and in turn saves a lot of cost to be incurred by the government, said Dr Kimambo. She pointed out that the session is also going to create a good consultation network in case the physicians face challenges when attending to patients. Considering the fact that the response of the participants was appealing, she said they hoped to make the session continuous and extend it to other parts of the country to facilitate delivery of health services to patients. JKCI Director of Cardiology, Dr Peter Kisenge observed that the training went hand in hand with pacemaker device implantation to 21 patients suffering from heart failures and a problem of electrical conduction system through the support of Madaktari Africa. Dr Kisenge noted that the camp which started on Monday and ended yesterday saved over 800m/- to be spent by the government for treatment abroad. We attended to patients whose heart beats were as low as 40 per minute and those with heart failure of less than 35 percent...we implanted special batteries identified as ICD and CRTD to prevent them from facing sudden deaths, said Dr Kisenge. He established that the problem is caused by severe alcohol consumption, smoking, poor lifestyles and old age, calling on people to adopt healthy lifestyles to overcome attack of heart diseases. A specialist from the Department of Hypertension Clinic at the Amana Hospital, Dr. Natalius Kapilima applauded JKCI for the initiative to increase their knowledge on the procedure. With the knowledge they have obtained, Dr. Kapilima said they intend to bring in new machines which will boost efficiency in delivery of heart surgery by ultra sound. Another name was added to the list on Friday, that of Robert Gates, who had served as CIA director under President George H.W. Bush and later as defense secretary under both George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Gates has been a measured critic of some of Trumps actions but has not been on the front lines of taking on the president. He was a late signatory only because he was out of pocket when the original letter was being assembled, but his was a notable addition to the letter. Success, in this regard, can be measured several ways. If Democrats defeat Kavanaugh, that would be the biggest victory. But even if he is confirmed, Democrats can at least try to galvanize voters ahead of the fall elections in some key states and lay the groundwork for elevating the courts as an issue for the 2020 presidential campaign. He stayed for a little over an hour and briefly danced with the bride; he in a dark-blue suit, she in a cream-and-white dirndl, the regions traditional dress. His gift to the newlyweds was a performance by a deep-voiced choir outfitted in vivid red and flown in from Russia just for the occasion. With Syrias seven-year war now reaching its final stages the opposition is hemmed into northern Idlib province, and most of the country has been restored to government control the spotters may be faced with their most urgent task yet. They may be called on to help soften the blow of what could be the wars bloodiest offensive. The group originally formed in southern Helmand province after a bombing in March, staging peaceful protests there. Then in May and June, eight of its members walked more than 300 miles to Kabul to persuade the government to negotiate with Taliban insurgents. Along the way, they braved scorching heat and dust storms, but their numbers grew to more than 100. Sometimes, they said, they encountered Taliban fighters and begged them to end the war. President Donald Trump brought a long-simmering debate on Wall Street to the surface on Friday when he prodded regulators to look into scaling back how often publicly traded companies report financial results. Trump's proposal, released via Twitter, would do away with the decades-old tradition of obligating companies to file quarterly reports and move to a semi-annual system. Trump picked a good moment to put the idea forward: Elon Musk is in the midst of a dramatic push to take Tesla private in large part, he says, to remove the pressures of having to report quarterly earnings. To those across the investing community in favour of less-frequent reporting, the move is just what's needed to reduce corporate costs, boost a flagging IPO market and get companies to move away from the sort of short-term focus that can harm long-term growth. To its detractors, it is, in the words of Hilton Capital Management's Dick Bove, "a horrible idea." Of the $14 million it has received in mostly private donations in those five years, $6 million has been spent or donated, according to accounts provided to the charity watchdog and the Herald. Mr Egan, in his Facebook post addressing financial questions, said cash in the bank was to fund ongoing programs. He told the Herald it was important to have reserves for unforeseen natural disasters such as floods, safeguard the long-term sustainability of the charity, and provide the ability to invest in projects like Virtual Psychologist. Aussie Helpers charity founder, Brian Egan. Credit:AAP We dont just use money because weve got it, he said. You dont know whats going to happen tomorrow, or the next year or the next year or the next year. On Facebook, Mr Egan also addressed property assets, saying YES we have some before referencing warehouses and depots in multiple states, vehicles and a new national headquarters. Aussie Helpers owns upwards of $2.5 million in property, plant and equipment, which also includes a small home for the Egans in Charleville and two other homes in the town which Mr Egan said were to house volunteers. A $399,000 home near Bundaberg with four bedrooms and a pool had been bought as a holiday spot for farmers last year, Mr Egan said, but they had decided to sell it as too few farmers could leave their properties. Aussie Helpers employs the Egans' daughter Sam Price and another part-time staff member, spending about $75,000 on wages. Neither Mr Egan nor his wife had ever received any wages or payments, he said, although he often worked from 6am to 10pm. Another charity forced to defend itself was Rural Aid, sponsored by Woolworths, Qantas, the Commonwealth Bank and the Penrith Panthers, which faced qustions about wages. Rural aid CEO Charles Alder. Mr Egan said after a farmers meeting in Canberra this week, he expressed concerns to Senator Jim Molans office about expenditure by Rural Aid, which he said has used intellectual property meant to belong to Aussie Helpers. Rural Aid, which denies any wrongdoing, was founded by Charles Alder, who used to do marketing work for Aussie Helpers. Mr Alder told the Herald his charity now employed 17 people, and had taken in more than $5 million in the past six months, much of it in recent weeks. His Facebook post addressing financial questions on Thursday said Rural Aid had that day allocated $300,000 in gift and fuel cards from Woolworths and Caltex and organised 15 hay drops. At the moment, all charities are trying to run as fast as they can to provide assistance in what is almost a panic state in our rural communities, he said. But questions have been raised about 2016-2017 employee expenses - $354,000 of the total $951,000 taken in that year. That money went to six full-time employees, including $110,000 to key management personnel, according to accounts. Mr Alder said the $110,000 was paid to him as chief executive, a salary the charitys board considered fair given his skills and hard work. He would not say how much his wife Tracey, also a full-time employee, earned but said the pair worked 120 to 130 hours a week. We certainly dont overpay ourselves, thats for sure, he said. As the sole shareholder and director of another entity, Charity Hub Pty Ltd, Mr Alder earns more income from Rural Aid. Charity Hub, a company providing shared or temporary work spaces for not-for-profits, subleases part of its Brisbane premises to Rural Aid for about $4000 a month, which Mr Alder said was board approved and at market rates. A dispute between Mr Egan and Mr Alder arose over the trademark Buy a Bale, the name of a scheme that allows donors to purchase hay for farmers for $20 a bale. Rural Aid now runs the scheme. But Mr Egan said Mr Alder, after undertaking marketing work for Aussie Helpers, trademarked it in his own name without permission. Loading There was absolutely no truth to that, said Mr Alder, who told the Herald he had created the logo as well as domain names for the tagline. Mr Alder also went on to register Buy a Bale of Hale Pty Ltd, which was owned by another Alder company, The Give Back Campaign Pty Ltd. The parent company, which ran a platform meant to incentivise donations from businesses, went into liquidation in 2016 owing $29,000 to a digital advertising company. A south coast man with mental health issues who was denied entry to his local RSL because of his companion animal has won a human rights case against the club. Federal Court judge Brigitte Markovic found Club Jervis Bay discriminated against Vincentia resident Peter Reurich on eight occasions in 2014 and 2015 by not allowing him to enter the club or ride the courtesy bus while in the company of his bearded collie, Boofhead. Peter Reurich with his companion dog Boofhead. "The old saying goes that a dog is a mans best friend but, as this case demonstrates, sometimes a dog can be more than that, Justice Markovic said in her ruling on Friday. Boofhead, sometimes referred to as Boofy or Boof, has been with Mr Reurich since his birth in 2007. Police have on Monday focused their search for missing man Alexander Henderson on Craigie and Padbury. As the search for the missing grandfather continued over the weekend, police called for residents in Craigie to check or send through any CCTV footage from Thursday, after searching land near the Craigie Open Space, near Whitfords Avenue/Craigie Drive and the Mitchell Freeway. Emergency services began searching Perth's northern suburbs for the missing 87-year old on Friday afternoon, after he was last seen leaving his Hillarys home on Thursday afternoon, about 4.30pm. He is described as fair skinned with a slim build, 165cm tall and white hair. This, Professor Blair says, is what makes the detection so exciting. Thered always been this hope that we could detect neutron stars thatd always been our target, he said. An artist's impression of a neutron star, the dense, collapsed core of a massive star that exploded as a supernova. Credit:NASA/Dana Berry. That discovery was absolutely momentous, all our Christmases came at once." The gravitational waves and gamma rays had travelled for about 130 million years before reaching Earth only 1.7 seconds apart. Professor Blair said the observation confirmed to researchers to the most enormous precision that gravity travelled at the speed of light, proving one of Albert Einsteins biggest predictions. To think that we, in our very first observation, we find out that gravity and light travel at the same speed to this amazing precision, confirming what Einstein had predicted, is absolutely astonishing, he said. If that werent enough, the discovery also shed light on another cosmic conundrum: where gold comes from. Scientists had been scratching their heads for years pondering what produced the universes stock of gold, but when researchers examined the data from the gamma rays produced by the neutron star collision, there were telltale signs of its production. Now from the observations weve had, we can see how often these things are happening and we can calculate how often theyre happening, Professor Blair said. We know that black holes are coalescing about once every five minutes and neutron stars are coalescing about four times a minute in the whole universe. And we know that, for the black holes at least, we only have to make the [gravity wave] detectors about 10 times better and well be able to hear the whole universe. Our big hope is that we will be able to hear to the very birth of the universe, and hear the universe being born David Blair Turn up the volume There was a time when researchers believed gravitational waves would never be detected. They had been indirectly observed, through the motion of star systems with two neutron stars, but it wasnt until the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory project became operational that scientists were able to open a new window to the universe. As Professor Blair describes it, the project was the equivalent of a deaf person being given a bionic ear. We used to be able to see the universe, but as they said in space no one can hear you scream, well we always knew that we should be able to hear black holes screaming and things like that through space because gravity waves are just ripples of space that travel through space, he said. Loading Just like if you were in a forest and if you were deaf and you blocked your ears, youd still see all the beautiful flowers and the trees, and things like that. But then to be able to listen and hear the wind in the trees and sticks falling down and birds calling and the sound of a river or waterfall, thats another whole dimension to your experience, and thats what weve now given humanity I believe, this new dimension for hearing the universe. Having already been used shed light on some of the most mind-bending phenomena in the universe, where time, space and the laws of physics descend into chaos, Professor Blair believes LIGO and gravitational-wave observations can go further, even right back to the very beginning of the universe itself. Our big hope is that we will be able to hear to the very birth of the universe, and hear the universe being born, he said. Because we know we cant see it, because we know light cant travel through a certain barrier that happens about 400,000 years after the Big Bang, so you cant see to the Big Bang, but we do know that gravity waves can pass through that, so with gravity waves we should be able to hear the moment of the birth of the universe. The next generation of physicists Partially retired, but still attending to a following of students, Professor Blair is passionate about bringing his love of physics to the next generation. He is leading the Einstein-First Project in WA, aiming to teach young children the core tenets of Einsteinian physics. Just recently with a group of eight-year-olds we taught them the whole story of what we had discovered in gravity waves just one year ago [on Friday], he said. And this weekend the Gravity Wave Research Facility will pay homage to the neutron star discoverys anniversary with the appropriately-named Hot To Make Gold event. The event will take place across Saturday and Sunday, August 18 and 19, and will showcase the activities used in the classroom to teach students about the German physicists work as well as shedding light on just how, exactly, a lot of the universes gold comes to be. For Professor Blair, there was never any doubt gravitational waves would be discovered, and this new avenue of research fills him with excitement about what else can be seen or heard in the void of space. A former teacher at a Catholic Aboriginal mission in rural Western Australia has been found not guilty of molesting a member of the Stolen Generation in the 1960s. Michael Francis Moran, 83, went on trial in the District Court of WA this week, charged with indecently dealing with a child. The complainant, now 68, came forward after the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, filing a statement with police in 2015. Michael Francis Moran has been found not guilty of molesting a member of the Stolen Generation in the 1960s. Credit:File The court heard she was removed from her family, made a ward of the state and taken to the mission at age four, where she was initially raised by nuns. Parliament will become an open field where four or five armies will compete to win the day not just on energy policy but on the bigger prize of political power. Turnbull must hold his ground with an energy plan that environmental groups dismiss as too weak at the same time Abbott rails against it as economic lunacy. Shorten sees an opportunity to let the Liberals tear themselves apart while he looks over his shoulder at Greens leader Richard Di Natale, ready for a fight over deeper cuts to emissions. The Nationals and Liberals can argue over public subsidies for coal at any moment. Any leader who tries to hold the middle ground must fight on two fronts. Abbott has no such handicap while he targets Turnbull without stop. There is no hope of policy consistency on climate change after the last decade of Australian politics. Abbott made headlines in July 2009 by calling on Liberals to back Turnbull and help pass the emissions trading scheme put forward by the Labor government. Five months later he was crusading against the policy and bringing down Turnbull. Abbott has backed the idea of a price on carbon, called climate science crap, argued for an emissions trading scheme, torn down a carbon tax and promised action on the environment with a direct action policy. Abbott led a government that signed up to the Paris agreement on climate change and promised cuts of 26 per cent to emissions. Now he rejects the Paris agreement and calls for a retreat on the target. There is no possibility of a negotiation that satisfies Abbotts demands. The government has no solution to prevent Abbott crossing the floor in Parliament. A handful of other MPs feel strongly enough to join Abbott in voting against the emissions target and the Paris agreement. Turnbull and his Energy Minister, Josh Frydenberg, are preparing for a Coalition party room meeting on Tuesday by drafting tougher pricing rules for electricity retailers, as revealed by Fairfax Media on Thursday. No matter how severe, these rules will not prevent the biggest climate sceptics from crossing the floor. This is not about a group that is led by Abbott. When Western Australian Liberal Andrew Hastie was asked his position on Sky News on Thursday night, he described his concerns as a policy dispute over the Paris target. Its been construed as [about] leadership, its not, its one of principle, he said. That quote was conspicuously absent from some of the reporting, given the eagerness in some quarters to escalate the pressure on Turnbull. Barnaby Joyce is another who has concerns about the NEG but rejects the idea of a bloc. This is not a case of being in a team with Abbott or being in a team with somebody else. In fact, I find that to be a complete misreading of it, he said on Tuesday. Those who want to vote against the NEG are a tiny but noisy minority. There are 85 members in the Liberal Party room and only a handful may cross the floor. The rebels do not have the numbers to get their way but that will not stop Abbott from pursuing his goal. The lesson of 2009 is that he can weaken the leader in a war of attrition. Abbott gives Shorten an immense opportunity. Will they vote together to humiliate Turnbull? The opportunity is irresistible. Loading The conventional wisdom in recent months has been that the Labor leader would end up agreeing to the NEG and the emissions target in order to cement the policy now and seek to amend it if he wins power at the next election. That scenario looks less likely with every delay. Every day that Labor governments in Victoria and the ACT hold out against the NEG gives federal Labor more reason to postpone a decision and watch their Liberal rivals argue in public. When a vote comes on energy and climate, Shorten can walk to the despatch box and find a reason to oppose the government bill. He can argue that the target is too low to satisfy the Labor caucus and that the question must be decided at the next federal election. This would not only heighten pressure on the Coalition but avoid putting Labor at risk of a bigger attack from the Greens. Turnbull, with only 76 members in a chamber of 150, will be exposed to defeat on his flagship energy policy. The national interest would be better served by a consensus in Parliament, but that is not what voters have learned to expect on climate change. Shorten would have to hold his nose and vote with Abbott. The reward would be another Liberal boilover that could only weaken the government as it heads to the election. Given consistent polling on leadership contenders, Shorten has no reason to fear a conservative spill that installs Peter Dutton as leader if the Home Affairs Minister wants to take the risk. Australians should look unflinchingly at the actions of Australian soldiers in war zones, no matter how uncomfortable it makes us, say military historians who have strongly criticised comments this week by War Memorial director Brendan Nelson. Dr Nelson, a former Liberal defence minister, said allegations contained in articles in Fairfax Media about Victoria Cross winner and former SAS trooper Ben Roberts-Smith were an attempt to "tear down our heroes". Brendan Nelson and Ben Roberts-Smith, VC MG, at the Australian War Memorial. Credit:Katherine Griffiths Reporting of an alleged domestic violence incident was "one of the lowest blows I have ever seen," he said, adding in comments to The Australian, "I am very concerned that if the media pursuit of Ben Roberts-Smith and others continues we run the risk of becoming a people unworthy of such sacrifice. Of Mr Roberts-Smith's war service, Dr Nelson told radio 2GB, I dont doubt that what you and I might think, in the cold, hard light of day, that bad things have happened. War is a messy business. It is the derisive adage that renders all Australians smug only in America. And this week these words were firmly in mind amid my ab-crunching, leg-crossing convulsions of laughter at our allys expense. Sacha Baron Cohen in character on Who Is America? I can thank Sacha Baron Cohen, the genius that brought us Borat, Grimsby, Bruno and Ali G for my late-night belly laughs, courtesy of his new not so much as biting but savaging series, Who Is America?. Oh, where to begin with the hilarity and what is inflicted on unsuspecting Americans in this latest series, which purports to explore the countrys divide in the time of Trump? Im still tittering as I type thinking about the morals crusader and anti-porn advocate Republican Assembly national director David Pyne, a man who believes in compulsory prayer in public schools and abstinence-only sex education, being read a childrens book. Only in this book, written by Cohens so-left-hes-off-the-ledge self-hating white male character Dr Nira Cain-NDegeocello, the bunny rabbits are engaging in sordid group sex with baby bunnies looking on. While Mehreen Faruqi was farewelling the NSW Parliament this week, another politician was on his feet in Canberra stealing the nation's attention with a plea to ban Muslim immigration. In Fraser Anning's Australia, Faruqi would never have come here from Pakistan in 1992. She never would have managed major engineering projects across the state, never would have raised a family in Sydney's inner-south, never would have entered the NSW upper house and certainly never would have joined Anning in the federal Senate, as she will on Monday. Anning's incindiary speech was "the worst of Australia", Faruqi says. As a Muslim woman - the first to sit in the Senate - she gets to see the country's darker side more than most, whether it be "toxic racism and sexism" on social media or the constant struggle to prove herself as a loyal Australian. "Politics is not a career": incoming Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi. Credit:James Brickwood In recent weeks, her son Osman - an ABC journalist and Twitter personality - has received abusive calls and death threats after his phone number was published in the nether regions of Facebook. Liberal MPs told Fairfax Media on Friday the idea of installing Mr Dutton as leader was a sign of desperation in some quarters because there was no strong plan B to Mr Turnbull despite the divisions over energy and climate change. A clash on climate change is certain because former prime minister Tony Abbott rejected Mr Turnbulls new plan for energy policy within hours of it being reported in the media. Another outspoken critic of the National Energy Guarantee, Sydney Liberal MP Craig Kelly, also warned against the new approach to energy soon after it was revealed. Craig Kelly is chair of the Coalition's backbench environment and energy committee. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Liberals who are threatening to cross the floor on energy include Eric Abetz, Kevin Andrews, Andrew Hastie and Tony Pasin, as well as Mr Kelly and Mr Abbott. Nationals who may do the same include Andrew Gee, George Christensen and Barnaby Joyce. Mr Hastie said on Thursday it was wrong to construe his concerns about the Paris target to cut emissions as a push for leadership change. The new stance on energy was revealed by Fairfax Media shortly before 6pm on Friday after the Prime Minister spent most of the day negotiating the changes with Treasurer Scott Morrison and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg. Mr Turnbull was also in contact with Mr Dutton during Friday. Loading Contrary to some reporting, the revised position agreed by ministers does not abandon the governments commitment at the Paris talks on climate change, keeping the 26 per cent target agreed by Mr Abbott as prime minister in 2015. The new approach also leaves the mechanism of the National Energy Guarantee unchanged to apply benchmarks for reliability and emission reductions. The most significant change is to rewrite the federal bill to be put to Coalition MPs on Tuesday to enforce the emission reductions, putting a priority on price and affordability for consumers. While the original bill imposed the 26 per cent cut by legislation, the revised bill will apply the cuts by regulation with a mechanism to adjust the target according to advice on the price and affordability of electricity. The new approach meets a demand from Victorian Labor premier Daniel Andrews and his energy minister, Lily DAmbrosio, to allow more flexibility in setting the target. It also avoids requiring Coalition MPs to vote in parliament for a fixed, legislated target they do not support. However, it opens the government to new criticism from Mr Abbott and Mr Kelly that the regime makes it too easy to increase the target with the stroke of a pen under a future minister, helping a Labor government impose its target of 45 per cent. In a check on this power, the government will legislate a review mechanism so that changes to the target must be done on advice from experts about prices and affordability, with the advice likely to come from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the Australian Energy Regulator. Labor pointed to the extraordinary backdown by Mr Turnbull by highlighting his comments on Tuesday when he warned against the idea of imposing the 26 per cent cut by regulation rather than legislation. Labor wants to have it done by regulation so that the Parliament would not have a voice, Mr Turnbull said at the time. Now, we believe in democracy. We believe the Parliament should have a say in this and so if we legislate that, then a subsequent government whether its of our side of politics or the other would have to persuade both houses of parliament to make any change to it, and that is a great security. The details of the new approach are yet to be revealed and will be discussed by ministers at a dinner with Mr Turnbull at The Lodge on Sunday night, followed by a cabinet meeting on Monday night ahead of a Coalition party room meeting on Tuesday to discuss the plan. The government has said it would introduce the energy bill to federal parliament in the week ahead. Loading Mr Kelly said on Saturday morning the new approach to imposing the target made him less likely to support the bill. Mr Turnbull and his advisers do not expect the new approach to prevent Mr Abbott and some others from crossing the floor on the issue. Some MPs, however, may be mollified by the decision to make price the key factor in setting the target by regulation. A dramatic drop in the number of international students enrolling in WA could be costing the state hundreds of millions of dollars, according to the opposition. New figures released by the federal Department of Education revealed 8.2 per cent fewer overseas students commencing studies this year in WA, the only state to record a decline. The number of new international students climbed by 7.7 per cent in Victoria, 7 per cent in Queensland and 6.3 per cent in New South Wales. A row erupted in parliament on Thursday after the state government promised to introduce a pathway for high-achieving foreign graduates to migrate. "As the Premier has pointed out, it is a very valuable and important relationship to Australia." Media becomes the story as state's daily takes offence On Sunday Opposition Leader Mike Nahan poked a bear when he told the WA Liberal state conference his party won the Darling Range byelection because it engaged voters with social media and shoe leather, rather than the dinosaur of traditional media. According to Dr Nahan, voters "weren't reading The West Australian". Battle lines have been drawn between Mike Nahan and the WA Liberal party and The West Australian newspaper. Credit:Fairfax Media This prompted a furious reaction from the daily newspaper, which ran several front page stories mocking Dr Nahan and labelling him a "dead man walking". Editor of the The West Australian Brett McCarthy told the Liberal party his paper wouldn't be reporting on the opposition. He told WAtoday if Dr Nahan didn't like it, he could complain to "the editor of Facebook or Twitter". The paper issued a stern editorial demanding his removal as leader of the opposition, a call that so far has not been heeded by the Liberal party, who have rallied behind their leader. More on Huawei, the tender that won't go away A $136 million state government contract awarded to Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei has been a slow and controversial burn for the Premier. As Mr McGowan was again on his feet in parliament defending the deal, news broke that the United States had passed a law banning its government from buying technology from the company. But Western Australia will be paying Huawei to build 80 mobile mobile towers along Perth rail corridors to provide data and communications to trains. A WAtoday investigation revealed on Monday Huawei's remarkable networks in WA, which stretch from Chairman of Seven West Media Kerry Stokes, who sits on its International Advisory Council, to former Treasurer Eric Ripper, who part-owns the firm acting as its lobbyist in WA. The government, which handed out the contract without consideration by cabinet, can expect the opposition to keep after this issue, especially when Transport Minister Rita Saffioti, who is on bereavement leave, returns to parliament. But the opposition was bitten by the Huawei bug as well this week, when it was revealed a Liberal staffer had a crack at photographing a confidential letter about the contract in a security briefing. He might have got away with it, too, if it wasn't for that iPhone flash. Darren West sent off to parliament's umpire Upper House Labor MP Darren West has been referred to parliament's privileges committee, accused of giving false information to Education Minister Sue Ellery that she used in parliament to answer questions about Moora Residential College. It's rare for the state Legislative Council to go so far, but President Kate Doust was less than impressed with the whole affair, which involved claims and counter-claims. "False and misleading information knowingly provided by a person for the purpose of a minister answering a parliamentary question is a contempt," she told parliament. Mr West will be investigated and, if found to have misled the minister, will probably cop a slap on the wrist. Skirmish on foreign property buyer tax It's possible the state government's plan to tax foreign property buyers will be knocked off the upper house after the Liberals and Nationals agreed to vote it down. The government and opposition have been trading press releases at ten paces all week about the issue. Treasurer Ben Wyatt's office was still firing off media releases on Friday afternoon. Labor promised to introduce a 4 per cent tax on foreign buyers of WA residential properties, before decided to increase it to 7 per cent before the tax was even introduced. Opposition Treasurer Dean Nalder said the tax would be a weight on house prices. "If it wasnt enough that the Liberal and Nationals parties have left the people of Western Australia with $40 billion of debt, they now appear hell bent on ensuring that WA families continue to carry the burden," Mr Wyatt said. Washington: A judge presiding over the fraud trial of Paul Manafort, Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, disclosed he had received threats and was under police protection. District Judge T S Ellis III also told a court on Friday that he feared for the "peace and safety of the jurors". Sketch depicts Rick Gates, right, testifying during questioning in the bank fraud and tax evasion trial of Paul Manafort at federal court in Alexandria, Va. US district Judge T.S. Ellis III presides at top right. Credit:AP In the US, jury lists are presumed to be public unless a judge gives a reason for keeping them secret. The judge said he would not be revealing the jurors' names because of his safety concerns. Jurors have been deliberating for two days following a two-week trial in which Mr Manafort faces 18 charges of bank fraud and tax evasion. In an opinion piece in The New York Times, Brennan said Trump's decision, announced on Wednesday, to deny him access to classified information was a desperate attempt to end Mueller's investigation. Brennan, who served under President Barack Obama and has become a vocal Trump critic, called Trump's claims that he did not collude with Russia "hogwash." The only question remaining is whether the collusion amounts to a "constituted criminally liable conspiracy," Brennan wrote. Later Thursday, the retired Navy admiral who oversaw the raid that killed Osama bin Laden called Trump's moves "McCarthy-era tactics." Writing in The Washington Post, William H. McRaven said he would "consider it an honour" if Trump would revoke his clearance, as well. "Through your actions, you have embarrassed us in the eyes of our children, humiliated us on the world stage and, worst of all, divided us as a nation," McRaven wrote. That was followed late on Thursday by a joint letter from 15 former senior intelligence officials calling Trump's action "ill-considered and unprecedented." They said it "has nothing to do with who should and should not hold security clearances - and everything to do with an attempt to stifle free speech." The signees included seven former CIA directors, six former CIA deputy directors and two former national intelligence directors, James Clapper and retired Navy Admiral Denny Blair. Clapper and former CIA Director Michael Hayden have appeared on a White House list of people who may also have their security clearances revoked. Then on Friday, 60 former CIA officials issued their own statement, joining a chorus of opposition from the intelligence community to Trump's decisions to threaten to or actually pull clearances. They said former government officials have a right to express unclassified views on national security issues without fear of being punished for doing so. They said they did not necessarily concur with all the opinions expressed by Brennan, or the way in which he expressed them. But they said they believe the "country will be weakened if there is a political litmus test applied before seasoned experts are allowed to share their views." Trump on Wednesday openly tied his decision to strip Brennan of his clearance - and threaten nearly a dozen other former and current officials - to the ongoing investigation into Russian election meddling and possible collusion with his campaign. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Trump again called the probe a "rigged witch hunt" and said "these people led it!" "So I think it's something that had to be done," he said. The president's comments were a swift departure from the official explanation given by the White House earlier Wednesday that cited the "the risks" posed by Brennan's supposed "erratic conduct and behavior." It marked the latest example of the president contradicting a story his aides had put forward to explain his motivations. Says Trump has disgraced the nation: Retired US Navy Admiral William H. "Bill" McRaven Attorneys said the revocation appeared to be within the president's authority. But they noted the power play also could be used to reinforce a case alleging obstruction of justice, following the president's firing of former FBI Director James Comey and his repeated tweets calling for the investigation to end. Patrick Cotter, a former assistant US attorney in the Eastern District of New York and a longtime white-collar defence attorney, said that while a prosecutor could argue that Trump's targeting of clearances was intended as a warning that "if you contribute to, participate in, support the Russia probe and I find out about it, I'm going to punish you," it is likely not obstruction in itself. But, he said the move would be a "powerful piece of evidence" for prosecutors as part of a pattern to demonstrate an intent to use presidential power in connection with the probe. Renato Mariotti, a former federal prosecutor agreed. "What it shows is that the president is fixated on the Russia investigation, he's angry about it, and he wants to do everything he can to discourage or slow down the investigation," he said. Mueller and his team have been looking at Trump's public statements and tweets as they investigate whether the president could be guilty of obstruction. "I don't think it advances the criminal obstruction case, but I think it's factually relevant," said Mark Zaid, a national security attorney. "I think it shows the state of mind and intent to interfere or impede any unfavorable discussion of his potential connection to Russia." Courts Premium You do not deserve the title father victims reveal how they suffered horrific sexual crimes as County Wexford man is jailed for five years Few (sane) Manitobans havent daydreamed about living somewhere else during the depths of our dark, long winters. And while were ensconced in the heat of a Manitoba summer, make no mistake: winter is coming, again and again and again. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 18/8/2018 (1169 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion Few (sane) Manitobans havent daydreamed about living somewhere else during the depths of our dark, long winters. And while were ensconced in the heat of a Manitoba summer, make no mistake: winter is coming, again and again and again. The inevitability of roughly five months of cold prompts thousands of silver-haired Winterpeggers to fly south every winter. Many were astute enough to buy real estate down south following the crash in 2008 snapping up abodes in Phoenix, for example, for significantly less than they could purchase a home in Winnipeg. Prices have since recovered in these desirable snowbird locations, making them an impossible dream for younger folks hustling full-time, who are challenged enough to pay for a home by retirement, let alone a vacation property. Still, if you have dreamed of buying a little piece of paradise, dont lose hope. Plenty of less-costly opportunities exist for the budget-restricted investor, said a U.S.-based foreign real estate investment expert. Cody Shirk is a 32-year-old, California native and venture capitalist who got into buying on foreign soil simply because property ownership in the U.S. at least its desirable parts were too rich for his income as an ocean lifeguard with the Los Angeles County Fire Department (yes, like Baywatch). "Even when the U.S. had its housing crash, real estate was still expensive compared to many other parts of the world," said Shirk, a partner at Explorer Equity Group LLC. So a home in California worth US$1 million before the crash dropped to US$500,000 afterward, he said. "It (my interest) started out just from a price standpoint, but then I came to the realization that there are many very underrated cities throughout the world." Nice places with even nicer prices, these locales were either not on North Americans radar or overlooked because of bad reputations. "Its hard to comprehend when you are looking from the outside in," he said. "If youre in the U.S. or Canada right now and you think about a city like Medellin, Colombia, youre probably thinking there is no way that its better than where youre at." Most people think Drug War, cocaine, murders and Pablo Escobar. But this major city like so many others is for the most part safe, very cosmopolitan with great culture and most importantly affordable by our standards. Of course investing in land abroad is by no means straightforward. The rules vary by location and they can be significantly different than our own. "Whatever youre used to when it comes to a property transaction and ownership, be ready for something different," Shirk said. Yet dont get too anxious about a lack of rules or ones that might favour the government confiscating your new vacation home. "Now, that can certainly happen in some countries, but in general it is a false belief," he said. "There are many countries throughout the world that actually have stronger property rights than the U.S. or Canada." Still, just like the warning, Dont try this on your own at home, the same thing applies when buying real estate abroad. "Do not go buy foreign property on your own," he warns. "That is what many people do, and then things go sour because they missed an important step in the buying process." Hire a professional with the understanding things are different there, Shirk adds. Find a local realtor catering to foreign buyers and a lawyer with strong local knowledge. Even with help, the potential for a purchase to go wrong is real as with any investment only more so. The farther you are away from it, the more likely your venture can go sideways. But Shirk argues the biggest risk is associated with peoples mindset. "The number one problem I have seen with people buying foreign real estate is that they get emotionally attached to a location in just one visit." Hes seen it happen frequently in Central America, where tourists fall in love with the beauty of the scenery and the warm weather. "Within a week or so, they are owners of property in a location that they really know nothing about," he said. "Fast forward about a year, and they realize that they made a huge mistake." The formerly nice weather is mostly oppressively hot and humid not to mention there are bugs the size of your fist. "The relaxing lifestyle they thought they were going to live is now a stressful existence, as they dont speak the local language, have no friends and cant integrate into the community they thought would be their home." Long story short: know what youre getting into. Visit locations many times before buying, maybe even rent for a year. After all, if this is a retirement plan, you have time to plan in detail. "Renting is a great way to get a preview of what you think you want," he said. But when you do find a sweet spot at the right price point, a lot of good things can follow. "I think the biggest upside is that people can afford things that they never thought would be possible." "Imagine going out to dinner at a very nice restaurant... costing less than it does now for you to cook your meal at home," he said. "All of those things totally change your lifestyle and you can afford them because your housing costs significantly less." 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. Moreover, sites such as Airbnb allow owners to rent out their pads most of the year, without long-term commitments. Sure, there is no certainty regarding having renters, but yields from short-term rent are much higher than long-term rents. "If you want a long-term renter that requires very little management, expect sub-10 per cent yields," he said. "But if you want to rent out to short-term tenants (Airbnb), you could see your yields skyrocket." For example, its not unusual for investors who buy properties around the US$50,000 mark to see 30-plus per cent yields because theyre able to rent their place for US$50 a night, he adds. Albeit, this is merely fodder for your pipe-dream while lounging around this summer. But as winter creeps closer, its appetizing food for thought. Foreign food at that. OTTAWA Manitobas pork producers are worried about a plunge in hog prices and are pressuring the federal Liberals to ink a major trade deal. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 18/8/2018 (1169 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA Manitobas pork producers are worried about a plunge in hog prices and are pressuring the federal Liberals to ink a major trade deal. The head of the Manitoba Pork Council said his fellow producers are suffering from a spinoff of the United States tariffs, even though no tariffs directly impact Canadian pork. "This is not a business for nervous nellies," Andrew Dickson said. "[But] theres been a dramatic drop of prices in the U.S., and for us in Canada its like they get a cold and we get pneumonia." American hog prices were already on a downswing due to oversupply that left processing plants struggling to keep up. The Trump administration then decided to levy tariffs on Mexico and China, prompting retaliatory levies from both countries on U.S. pork. That forced American farmers to drop their base prices as of early July, to dissuade foreign companies from sourcing pork elsewhere. Canadian pork prices are benchmarked to the daily American average pork rate, to ensure hogs from Canada remain competitive. Dickson says thats meant a single pig that sold for roughly $175 last year now sells closer to $120 and at one point sold for even less than $100. Federal data compiled from provincial governments and associations show hog prices dropping nationwide. Manitoba pork sells per kilogram 15 per cent lower than the same week a year ago, while its almost 20 per cent lower in Saskatchewan. "Our prices have come down in lockstep. The one thing thats saving us is that our Canadian dollar has gone down and weve sort of gotten some preferential treatment in certain markets." Portage-Lisgar MP Candice Bergens riding includes some of those hog farmers. None has contacted her about the issue, but shes concerned by the data. "Weve been asking and warning about these problems for more than year," she said, "and I dont think [Prime Minister Justin] Trudeau is even recognizing the impact this is having on our agricultural producers." Dickson said Manitoba farmers are impatiently waiting for the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) to become active, a trade deal that includes Canada as well as Japan and South Korea, two markets that lean heavily on Manitoba pork. He said putting the deal in place would immediately drop levies on pork that Manitoba already sends to those countries, bolstering their budgets amid U.S. uncertainty. Nationally, it could account for an extra half-billion in annual revenue, he claimed. "We wish the federal government would get on with ratifying CPTPP, because it would give us a real boost in the marketplace," Dickson said. "Its absolutely huge for us." That deal involves 11 countries and only comes into force two months after six countries ratify it; so far, only three have done so. Tory Leader Andrew Scheer asked the Liberals last month to reconvene the House of Commons for an emergency sitting this summer, to pass the legislation required to ratify CPTPP. As the Conservatives House Leader, Bergen said her MPs would limit their debate in order to pass the bill, but she admitted its unclear how the NDP would respond the party blocked a Tory motion seeking unanimous consent to fast-track the bill in June and some MPs have raised concerns about labour issues. Its also unknown whether senators would have an appetite to meet prior to their scheduled Sept. 18 sitting; the bill would need the Red Chambers approval to pass. Bergen said Ottawa "cant have a crystal ball" but ought to have prepared ways to mitigate blows from the U.S. and spinoffs such as the pork issue that end up hitting Canadians. "Sometimes its too little too late." She said the Liberals ought to have included a contingency fund in their spring budget to subsidize industries hit by tariffs. (In late June, the Liberals announced compensation for the metals industry.) Winnipeg South Centre MP Jim Carr became minister for trade diversification a month ago. His office said there is "a very specific threshold for recalling Parliament" and chastised Scheers talk on trade. "The Conservative leader and his party seems more focused on parliamentary stunts than constructive cooperation," wrote spokeswoman Ann-Clara Vaillancourt. "I hope their ultimate goal is not to stoke peoples anxiety." 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. Vaillancourt claimed the Tories left office in 2015 with "stalled talks" and "were only too happy to give up on our intellectual property." Last November, Trudeau reportedly stalled negotiations by not showing up to a meeting in Vietnam and instead meeting his Japanese counterpart. A photo of his empty chair made newspaper front pages. "The Tories should have aimed higher, but didnt. We did. We took some short-term knocks for doing so and now we have a truly comprehensive, fair deal on the cusp of ratification," wrote Vaillancourt, adding that "the NDP remain locked in an anti-trade straitjacket." She said the Liberals expect to ratify the deal "late this year or early next." Dickson said Winnipeggers can expect lower pork prices at the grocery counter this winter, prompting greater demand, which will later help lift those prices higher. dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca OTTAWA Kapyong Barracks has attracted much attention in recent years, from suggestions to set up a refugee camp to confusion over whether the site will have adequate electricity. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 18/8/2018 (1169 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA Kapyong Barracks has attracted much attention in recent years, from suggestions to set up a refugee camp to confusion over whether the site will have adequate electricity. Hundreds of pages of emails obtained from Canada Lands Co. (CLC) reveal the Crown corporation fielded a range of interest in the property from the public and various levels of government during the past three years. PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS files The Canada Lands Co. has been involved in negotiations with Treaty 1 First Nations since 2015. Seven First Nations confirmed in April they had reached an agreement in principle with Ottawa. The documents show the CLC has been closely involved in Canadas negotiations with Treaty 1 First Nations since September 2015, days after former prime minister Stephen Harper decided against taking Ottawas fight to the Supreme Court (and one month before Justin Trudeaus Liberals took office). In November 2015, a retired Winnipegger with military experience told media the Kapyong buildings would be an ideal spot to house Syrian refugees arriving as part of the Liberal governments looming airlift, despite Kapyong buildings being deemed uninhabitable. The next day, a Canadian company specializing in project design and management approached CLC about supervising the building of temporary dorms on the Kapyong site to house refugees. The agency referred questions to the military, though CLC staff was perplexed by the idea. "This is definitely not up my alley of understanding," one official wrote. Another said it could be "a great opportunity," but "who knows when the refugees would be resettled and the property vacant again it would take years." The documents also show CLC met with Mayor Brian Bowman in April 2016, which appears to be the first time a federal agency formally discussed Kapyong with the city in roughly a decade. In September 2017, rumours of an imminent deal on Kapyong led to CLC fielding requests for more information, including from other CLC employees. JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Kapyong Barracks -vacant since 2004 when the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, relocated to CFB Shilo, Manitoba- Buildings as seen after 12 years of being vacant in Winnipeg- Nov 17, 2016 -( See story) Meanwhile, a confused Manitoba Hydro employee reached out to CLC last November, asking for clarity about what will come of the site, so they could revamp aging infrastructure in time for any future residents to access electricity. "Here at Manitoba Hydro, we have been getting bits and pieces of what is being proposed for the barracks site, but nothing reasonably solid," the Hydro official wrote. 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. The documents also show the federal public works department sought information from CLC about Kapyong to prepare the introductory binder for its new minister after the Trudeau governments fall 2015 election; they flagged Kapyong as a "property with hot-button issues." In April, seven Treaty 1 First Nations confirmed an agreement in principle with Ottawa to acquire 110 acres of the former Kapyong Barracks land on Kenaston Boulevard and convert it into an urban reserve. Another 50 acres will be developed by the CLC. Long Plain Chief Dennis Meeches, speaking on behalf of the consortium of First Nations, said the site would likely involve a mix of commercial and residential development, with a cultural component. Meeches said Treaty 1 aims to get renderings completed by this fall with the help of CLC, though the corporation was hesitant to confirm that. "We are currently focused on furthering our work with the Nations," wrote spokeswoman Manon Lapensee, as well as working "with the city and the community on developing a new vision for the site. An exact timeline has not been established." dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 18/8/2018 (1169 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Local cannabis advocate Allan Pineda dreams of welcoming weary travellers to a cannabis-friendly Airbnb in Winnipeg. He and his associates are already renovating three empty units for the project somewhere in the city (hes keeping the location to himself for now). Two of the units will be normal guest suites like any other, and a third unit will be a private suite where marijuana consumption is allowed. Pineda figures that should be in line with the Manitoba governments restrictive approach to cannabis use, which effectively limits consumption to private property. "Youll have keycard access to come in so its not public, its still private," he explains. "And then in that area, youll have a little lounge area. People can medicate in there when they want." Pinedas dreams of growing Winnipegs cannabis culture go beyond hospitality. He says hes planning cannabis-friendly "foodie tours" of Winnipeg, and even wants to launch a cannabis festival thats a bit more mainstream than Winnipegs annual 4/20 smoke-fest. "I want to do it almost like the jazz festival or the reggae festival, in the Cube (Stage)," he says. "Like, that big." Joe Mahoney / The Canadian Press files Legal cannabis in Colorado has attracted tourists from other states across the U.S. In the meantime, local tourism and development organizations are taking a wait-and-see approach to the idea of marijuana tourism in Manitoba. "From a tourism standpoint, its a little more difficult just given the restrictions on where cannabis can be consumed here," says Matt Schaubroeck, the corporate communications manager for Economic Development Winnipeg. "People come here for our food scene and our craft beer scene," he says. "There may be a demand for cannabis, but the real question on everyones mind is, where can you consume it?" "If you can only have it in someones home, its hard to set up a commercial tourism industry or even a business that you would have to head over to someones living room to consume." If it turns out that tourists do come to Winnipeg specifically to use legal recreational marijuana, he says, "then thats an economic driver that could potentially be good long-term news for the city." Linda Whitfield, Travel Manitobas vice-president of marketing and communications, says theres "very limited research showing that the legalization will lead to an increase in visitation to Canada, and specifically theres no research existing that tells us that for Manitoba." "I know Quebec, for example, looked into it to see if there was potential for an increase from the U.S., and what they determined in their research was that there wouldnt be, simply because there are enough U.S. states that also have legalization status." WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Charlotte Bell, president and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, says tourism opportunities will become more obvious after legalization on Oct. 17. Whitfield says Travel Manitoba is waiting for further guidance on the issue from Destination Canada, the federal Crown corporation that promotes tourism. If the research indicates Manitoba could benefit from focusing on cannabis tourism, she says, Travel Manitoba would try to work with the provincial government to take advantage of the opportunity. On a national level, exactly how Canadas tourism industry could be reshaped by legal weed is still hazy for many hoping to capitalize on the potential of providing green-focused getaways. Charlotte Bell, president of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, points to a lack of clarity from federal, provincial and municipal governments on what will and will not be allowed, and the likelihood that what is already known could very well be undone by upcoming provincial elections, such as New Brunswicks on Sept. 24. Bells organization, whose members include attractions, concert halls, convention centres, festivals, restaurants, arenas, transportation and travel services, says the prospect of pot-driven tourists will be discussed at an upcoming congress in November. "There will definitely be opportunities," is pretty much all she feels comfortable saying now. "Its still early days." Uncertainty over weed is especially high in the hospitality world, where myriad regulations on related sectors could make or break their pot potential. Bell notes that rules vary widely across the country on where cannabis can be sold, with some municipalities taking a harder line than others. Richard Vogel / The Associated Press files Tourists pass a joint during a cannabis bus tour on the Green Line Trips bus in L.A. Manitobas Non-Smokers Health Protection and Vapour Products Act allows hotel operators to permit marijuana smoking in designated smoking rooms, a provincial spokesman says. Manitoba Hotel Association president and CEO Scott Jocelyn says he hasnt yet heard from any Manitoba hotel operators that will try to focus on cannabis tourism. 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. "Its more and more difficult to even find hotels that even allow people to smoke in their guest rooms it really puts that room out of bounds for the potential next customer whos a non-smoker." Jocelyn says the Manitoba Hotel Association is focused on finding opportunities for hoteliers to retail cannabis, particularly in rural Manitoba. But if hotel customers want the ability to use cannabis in their rooms, hes confident someone will make it happen. "Were in the customer-service business," he says. "If theres something people are looking for, and the operators can create that experience, then we will have operators that will try their best to make sure theyre providing that." With files from The Canadian Press solomon.israel@freepress.mb.ca @sol_israel Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 18/8/2018 (1169 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion I woke up when the grenade bumped against my foot. It was 1991, during the first war between Ethiopia and Eritrea, and I was on my way from Sudan to the Eritrean port of Massawa. Together with two other aid workers, we were travelling by car to meet the first shipment of emergency food to arrive in that recently liberated port. To get there, we journeyed at night on bumpy, boulder-strewn roads and riverbeds to avoid being seen by the Ethiopian fighter jets that patrolled the skies, looking for vehicles to strafe and bomb. During the day, we hid in intricate cave networks carved out of the hills by enterprising Eritreans, our vehicle covered with camouflage netting. Previous occupants had signed their names in the rooms inside the caves; I was delighted to stay in a room where Dan Rather of CBS and other U.S. reporters had once stayed. It was common for vehicles to be flagged down by Eritrean soldiers needing a ride to the front. One we picked up put his AK-47 between us in the back seat, dropped his ammunition belt on the floor and promptly went to sleep. I fell asleep, too, in the pitching and rocking car until I felt something repeatedly bumping against my foot. It was the grenade. It had come loose from his belt during the trip and was now rolling back and forth on the floor. Since we didnt speak each others language, I poked him in the ribs and pointed to the grenade. He picked it up and put it away. We both then went back to sleep. Looking back, maybe I should have been more worried. At the time, I wasnt. But now I think back and wonder: what if the pin had come loose while the grenade was rolling around? What if it had exploded? Those thoughts come to me now. Back then, it was just one more detail in a trip that included visits to old battlefields where we saw the bones of dead Ethiopian soldiers scattered around. I held the skull of a dead soldier in my hands. Nearing Massawa, we passed by the corpses of Ethiopian soldiers killed in the recent fighting, sprawled in the bush and sand. Arriving at the port, we found the town almost totally destroyed. But the ship was there, unloading food during a fragile ceasefire between the two opposing forces. Altogether, those experiences have stayed with me. They came back this week as I thought about World Humanitarian Day, Aug. 19. The day, which is an official date on the UN calendar, pays tribute to those who risk their lives in service to those caught in conflict and disasters. I never felt in serious danger, but maybe thats because I was young and it was a great adventure. But many aid workers have paid the ultimate price. The Aid Worker Security Report said that in 2016 there were 158 major attacks against aid workers. One hundred and one were killed, 98 wounded and 89 kidnapped. Most of those who were killed or wounded were local people. But not all were; last year, American Michael Sharp, a UN worker and son of an acquaintance of mine, was killed in Congo, along with his colleague, Zaida Catalan from Sweden. 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. With today being World Humanitarian Day, its a good time to reflect on those who deliver aid in dangerous and volatile situations, or travel overseas to report and observe it. What kind of mark does it leave on people? One answer comes from a 2016 mental health and well-being survey by the Global Development Professional Network. Seventy-nine per cent of aid workers who responded to the survey stated they had experienced mental health issues as a result of their work. Writing about the survey on Reliefweb, the leading source of humanitarian aid information on global crises and disasters, Rachel Douglas and Ruth Quinn wrote, "Whether we acknowledge it or not, working in conflict zones, assisting during disasters or vicarious exposure to the effects of extreme poverty all make their mark." I had supper with two friends who spent their careers as aid workers in some of the worlds most difficult places. One of the worst, they agreed, was in Rwanda, where both were on the ground in response to the 1994 genocide. I asked them about their most enduring memory of that experience. "The smell of Dettol and death," said one, referring to the antiseptic cleaning agent that was used to clean buildings where massacres had taken place. The other agreed. And for a moment there was quiet, as each remembered things they would likely prefer to forget. John Longhurst directs resources and public engagement for Canadian Foodgrains Bank. jdl562009@gmail.com Wall Street analysts have given iShares MSCI Emerging Markets 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 Emerging Markets ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. The Boeing Co. is an aerospace company, which engages in the manufacture of commercial jetliners and defense, space and security systems. It operates through the following segments: Commercial Airplanes; Defense, Space and Security; Global Services; and Boeing Capital. The Commercial Airplanes segment includes the development, production, and market of commercial jet aircraft and provides fleet support services, principally to the commercial airline industry worldwide. The Defense, Space and Security segment refers to the research, development, production and modification of manned and unmanned military aircraft and weapons systems for global strike, including fighter and combat rotorcraft aircraft and missile systems; global mobility, including tanker, rotorcraft and tilt-rotor aircraft; and airborne surveillance and reconnaissance, including command and control, battle management and airborne anti-submarine aircraft. The Global Services segment provides services to commercial and defense customers. The Boeing Capital segment seeks to ensure that Boeing customers have the financing they need to buy and take delivery of their Boeing product and manages overall financing exposure. T Read More Gildan Activewear Inc. manufactures and sells various apparel products in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It provides various activewear products, including T-shirts, fleece tops and bottoms, and sport shirts under the Gildan, Gildan Performance, Gildan Hammer, Comfort Colors, American Apparel, Anvil by Gildan, Alstyle, Prim + Preux, and GoldToe brands. The company also offers hosiery products comprising athletic; dress; and casual, liner, therapeutic, and workwear socks, as well as sheer panty hoses, tights, and leggings under the brands of Gildan, Under Armour, GoldToe, PowerSox, GT a GoldToe Brand, Silver Toe, Signature Gold by Goldtoe, Peds, MediPeds, Kushyfoot, Therapy Plus, All Pro, Secret, Silks, Secret Silky, and American Apparel. In addition, it provides men's and boys' underwear products, and ladies panties under the Gildan and Gildan Platinum brand names; and ladies' shapewear, intimates, and accessories under the Secret and Secret Silky brands. The company sells its products to wholesale distributors, screen printers, or embellishers, as well as to retailers and consumer brand companies. The company was formerly known as Textiles Gildan Inc. and changed its name to Gildan Activewear Inc. in March 1995. Gildan Activewear Inc. was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Read More 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. Antofagasta plc, through its subsidiaries, primarily engages in the exploration, evaluation, development, and mining of copper properties in Chile and internationally. It operates through Los Pelambres, Centinela, Antucoya, ZaldAvar, Exploration and Evaluation, and Transport segments. The company explores for copper concentrates containing by-products, such as molybdenum, gold, and silver; and copper cathodes. It holds a 60% interest in the Los Pelambres mine; a 70% interest in the Centinela mine; a 50% interest in the ZaldAvar mine; and a 70% interest in the Antucoya mine located in Chile. The company also provides rail and road cargo, and other ancillary services. In addition, it offers rail and truck services to the mining industry in the Antofagasta Region. The company was incorporated in 1888 and is based in London, the United Kingdom. Antofagasta plc is a subsidiary of Metalinvest Establishment. Read More Aviva plc provides various insurance, retirement, and savings products in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, France, Italy, Poland, and internationally. The company offers life insurance, long-term health and accident insurance, savings, pension, and annuity products, as well as pension fund business and lifetime mortgage products. It also provides insurance cover to individuals, small and medium-sized businesses for risks associated with motor vehicles and medical expenses, as well as property and liability, such as employers' and professional indemnity liabilities, and medical expenses. In addition, the company offers personal and commercial lines insurance products; long-term insurance and savings products, primarily for individuals. Further, it provides investment management services for institutional pension fund mandates; and manages various retail investment products, including investment funds, unit trusts, open-ended investment companies, and individual savings accounts for third-party financial institutions, pension funds, public sector organizations, investment professionals, and private investors. Additionally, the company offers asset management and protection insurance products. Aviva plc markets its products through a network of insurance brokers, as well as MyAviva platform. The company was formerly known as CGNU plc and changed its name to Aviva plc in July 2002. Aviva plc was founded in 1696 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Read More Baker Hughes, a GE company provides integrated oilfield products, services, and digital solutions worldwide. Its Oilfield Services segment offers drilling, wireline, evaluation, completion, production, and intervention services; and drilling and completions fluids, completions tools and systems, wellbore intervention tools and services, artificial lift systems, pressure pumping systems, and oilfield and industrial chemicals for integrated oil and natural gas, and oilfield service companies. The company's Oilfield Equipment segment designs and manufactures products and services, including pressure control equipment and services, subsea production systems and services, drilling equipment, and flexible pipeline systems; and onshore and offshore drilling and production systems, and equipment for floating production platforms, as well as provides a range of services related to onshore and offshore drilling activities. Its Turbomachinery & Process Solutions segment provides equipment and related services for mechanical-drive, compression, and power-generation applications across the oil and gas industry, as well as products and services to serve the downstream segments of industry. Its product portfolio includes drivers, compressors, and turnkey solutions; and pumps, valves, and compressed natural gas and small-scale liquefied natural gas solutions. This segment serves upstream, midstream, onshore and offshore, industrial, engineering, procurement, and construction companies. The company's Digital Solutions segment provides sensor-based measurement, non-destructive testing and inspection, turbine, generator and plant controls, and condition monitoring, as well as pipeline integrity solutions for a range of industries, including oil and gas, power generation, aerospace, metals, and transportation. It serves through direct and indirect channels. The company is based in Houston, Texas. Baker Hughes, a GE company is a subsidiary of General Electric Company. Read More Wall Street analysts have given Chinook Energy 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 Chinook Energy 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 Lloyds Banking Group: A G Finance Ltd, A.C.L. Ltd, ACL Autolease Holdings Ltd, ADF No.1 Pty Ltd, Addison Social Housing Holdings Ltd, Alex Lawrie Factors Ltd, Alex. Lawrie Receivables Financing Ltd, Amberdate Ltd, Anglo Scottish Utilities Partnership 1, Aquilus Ltd, Automobile Association Personal Finance Ltd, BOS (Ireland) Property Services 2 Ltd, BOS (Ireland) Property Services Ltd, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages (Scotland) No. 2) Ltd, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages (Scotland) No. 3) Ltd, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages (Scotland)) Ltd, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 1 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 2 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 3 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 4 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 5 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 6 plc, BOS (USA) Fund Investments Inc., BOS (USA) Inc., BOS Edinburgh No 1 Ltd, BOS Mistral Ltd, BOS Personal Lending Ltd, BOSSAF Rail Ltd, Bank of Scotland (B G S) Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland (Stanlife) London Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Branch Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Central Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Edinburgh Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Equipment Finance Ltd, Bank of Scotland Foundation, Bank of Scotland LNG Leasing (No 1) Ltd, Bank of Scotland London Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Nominees (Unit Trusts) Ltd, Bank of Scotland P.E.P. Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Structured Asset Finance Ltd, Bank of Scotland Transport Finance 1 Ltd, Bank of Scotland plc, Bank of Wales Ltd, Barents Leasing Ltd, Barnwood Mortgages Ltd, Birchcrown Finance Ltd, Birmingham Midshires Financial Services Ltd, Birmingham Midshires Land Development Ltd, Birmingham Midshires Mortgage Services Ltd, Black Horse (TRF) Ltd, Black Horse Executive Mortgages Ltd, Black Horse Finance Holdings Ltd, Black Horse Finance Management Ltd, Black Horse Group Ltd, Black Horse Ltd, Black Horse Offshore Ltd, Black Horse Property Services Ltd, Boltro Nominees Ltd, British Linen Leasing (London) Ltd, British Linen Leasing Ltd, British Linen Shipping Ltd, C.T.S.B. Leasing Ltd, CBRail S.A.R.L., CF Asset Finance Ltd, CF1 Ltd, CM Venture Investments Ltd, Cancara Asset Securitisation Ltd, Capital 1945 Ltd, Capital Bank Leasing 12 Ltd, Capital Bank Leasing 3 Ltd, Capital Bank Leasing 5 Ltd, Capital Bank Leasing 9 Ltd, Capital Bank Property Investments (3) Ltd, Capital Personal Finance Ltd, Cardiff Auto Receivables Securitisation 2018-1 Plc, Cardiff Auto Receivables Securitisation 2019-1 Plc, Cardiff Auto Receivables Securitisation Holdings Ltd, Cardnet Merchant Services Ltd, Cashfriday Ltd, Cashpoint Ltd, Caveminster Ltd, Cedar Holdings Ltd, Celsius European Lux 2 S.A.R.L., Central Mortgage Finance Ltd, Chariot Finance Ltd, Cheltenham & Gloucester plc, Cheltenham II Securities 2020 DAC, Cheltenham Securities 2017 Ltd, Chepstow Blue Holdings Ltd, Chepstow Blue plc, Chester Asset Options No.2 Ltd, Chester Asset Options No.3 Ltd, Chester Asset Receivables Dealings Issuer Ltd, Chester Asset Securitisation Holdings Ltd, Chester Asset Securitisation Holdings No.2 Ltd, Chiswell Stockbrokers Ltd, Clerical Medical Finance plc, Clerical Medical Financial Services Ltd, Clerical Medical International Holdings B.V., Clerical Medical Investment Fund Managers Ltd, Clerical Medical Managed Funds Ltd, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Guadalix Hold Co BV, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Guadalix Spanish Prop Co SL, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Megapark Hold Co BV, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Megapark Prop Co SA, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Property Company S.A.R.L., Cloak Lane Funding S.A.R.L., Cloak Lane Investments S.A.R.L., Conquest Securities Ltd, Corbiere Asset Investments Ltd, Create Services Ltd, Credit Card Securitisation Europe Ltd, Dalkeith Corporation, Deva Financing Holdings Ltd, Deva Financing plc, Deva One Ltd, Deva Three Ltd, Deva Two Ltd, Dunstan Investments (UK) Ltd, Edgbaston RMBS 2010-1 plc, Edgbaston RMBS Holdings Ltd, Elland RMBS 2018 plc, Elland RMBS Holdings Ltd, Eurolead Services Holdings Ltd, First Retail Finance (Chester) Ltd, Fontwell Securities 2016 Ltd, Forthright Finance Ltd, France Industrial Premises Holding Company, General Leasing (No. 12) Ltd, General Reversionary and Investment Company, Gresham Nominee 1 Ltd, Gresham Nominee 2 Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 1) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 10) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 11) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 12) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 13) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 14) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 15) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 16) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 19) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 20) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 21) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 22) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 23) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 24) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 25) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 26) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 27) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 28) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 29) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 3) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 30) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 31) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 32) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 33) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 34) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 35) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 36) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 37) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 38) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 39) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 40) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 41) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 44) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 45) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 46) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 47) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 48) UK Ltd, Guildhall Asset Purchasing Company (No 3) Ltd, Guildhall Asset Purchasing Company (No.11) UK Ltd, HBOS Covered Bonds LLP, HBOS Final Salary Trust Ltd, HBOS Financial Services Ltd, HBOS Insurance & Investment Group Ltd, HBOS International Financial Services Holdings Ltd, HBOS Investment Fund Managers Ltd, HBOS Social Housing Covered Bonds LLP, HBOS UK Ltd, HBOS plc, HSDL Nominees Ltd, HVF Ltd, Halifax Credit Card Ltd, Halifax Financial Brokers Ltd, Halifax Financial Services (Holdings) Ltd, Halifax Financial Services Ltd, Halifax General Insurance Services Ltd, Halifax Group Ltd, Halifax Investment Services Ltd, Halifax Leasing (June) Ltd, Halifax Leasing (March No.2) Ltd, Halifax Leasing (September) Ltd, Halifax Life Ltd, Halifax Loans Ltd, Halifax Ltd, Halifax Mortgage Services Ltd, Halifax Nominees Ltd, Halifax Pension Nominees Ltd, Halifax Premises Ltd, Halifax Share Dealing Ltd, Halifax Vehicle Leasing (1998) Ltd, Heidi Finance Holdings (UK) Ltd, Hill Samuel Bank Ltd, Hill Samuel Finance Ltd, Hill Samuel Leasing Co. Ltd, Home Shopping Personal Finance Ltd, Horizon Capital 2000 Ltd, Housing Association Risk Transfer 2019 DAC, Housing Growth Partnership GP LLP, Housing Growth Partnership LP, Housing Growth Partnership Ltd, Housing Growth Partnership Manager Ltd, Hyundai Car Finance Ltd, IBOS Finance Ltd, ICC Enterprise Partners Ltd, ICC Equity Partners Ltd, ICC Holdings Unlimited Company, Inchcape Financial Services Ltd, Intelligent Finance Financial Services Ltd, Intelligent Finance Software Ltd, International Motors Finance Ltd, Kanaalstraat Funding C.V., Katrine Leasing Ltd, LB Healthcare Trustee Ltd, LB Motorent Ltd, LB Quest Ltd, LB Share Schemes Trustees Ltd, LBCF Ltd, LBG Brasil Administracao LTDA, LBG Capital Holdings Ltd, LBG Equity Investments Ltd, LBI Leasing Ltd, LDC (General Partner) Ltd, LDC (Managers) Ltd, LDC (Nominees) Ltd, LDC GP LLP, LDC I LP, LDC II LP, LDC III LP, LDC IV LP, LDC Parallel (Nominees) Ltd, LDC V LP, LDC VI LP, LDC VII LP, LDC VIII LP, LTGP Limited Partnership Incorporated, Legacy Renewal Company Ltd, Leicester Securities 2014 Ltd, Lex Autolease (CH) Ltd, Lex Autolease (VC) Ltd, Lex Autolease Carselect Ltd, Lex Autolease Ltd, Lex Vehicle Finance 2 Ltd, Lex Vehicle Leasing (Holdings) Ltd, Lex Vehicle Leasing Ltd, Lime Street (Funding) Ltd, Lingfield 2014 I Holdings Ltd, Lingfield 2014 I plc, Lloyds (Gresham) Ltd, Lloyds (Gresham) No. 1 Ltd, Lloyds (Nimrod) Specialist Finance Ltd, Lloyds America Securities Corporation1, Lloyds Asset Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Branches) Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Colonial & Foreign) Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Fountainbridge 1) Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Fountainbridge 2) Ltd, Lloyds Bank (I.D.) Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank (International Services) Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Stock Exchange Branch) Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank Asset Finance Ltd, Lloyds Bank Commercial Finance Ltd, Lloyds Bank Commercial Finance Scotland Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (HP) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (No.1) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (No.2) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (No.3) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (No.4) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets Wertpapierhandelsbank GmbH, Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets plc, Lloyds Bank Covered Bonds (Holdings) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Covered Bonds (LM) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Covered Bonds LLP, Lloyds Bank Equipment Leasing (No. 1) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Equipment Leasing (No. 7) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Equipment Leasing (No. 9) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Financial Services (Holdings) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Foundation for England & Wales, Lloyds Bank Foundation for the Channel Islands, Lloyds Bank General Insurance Holdings Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Insurance Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 11) Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 17) Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 20) Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 3) Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 5) Ltd, Lloyds Bank GmbH, Lloyds Bank Hill Samuel Holding Company Ltd, Lloyds Bank Insurance Services Ltd, Lloyds Bank International Ltd, Lloyds Bank Leasing (No. 6) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Leasing (No. 8) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Bank MTCH Ltd, Lloyds Bank Maritime Leasing (No. 10) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Maritime Leasing (No. 13) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Maritime Leasing (No. 17) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Maritime Leasing (No.16) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank Offshore Pension Trust Ltd, Lloyds Bank Pension ABCS (No. 1) LLP, Lloyds Bank Pension ABCS (No. 2) LLP, Lloyds Bank Pension Trust (No. 1) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Pension Trust (No. 2) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Pensions Property (Guernsey) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Properties Ltd, Lloyds Bank Property Company Ltd, Lloyds Bank S.F. Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank Subsidiaries Ltd, Lloyds Bank Trustee Services Ltd, Lloyds Bank plc, Lloyds Banking Group Pensions Trustees Ltd, Lloyds Capital GP Ltd, Lloyds Commercial Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Commercial Properties Ltd, Lloyds Commercial Property Investments Ltd, Lloyds Corporate Services (Jersey) Ltd, Lloyds Development Capital (Holdings) Ltd, Lloyds Engine Capital (No.1) U.S LLC, Lloyds Far East S.A.R.L., Lloyds General Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Group Holdings (Jersey) Ltd, Lloyds Holdings (Jersey) Ltd, Lloyds Hypotheken B.V., Lloyds Industrial Leasing Ltd, Lloyds International Pty Ltd, Lloyds Investment Bonds Ltd, Lloyds Investment Fund Managers Ltd, Lloyds Investment Securities No.5 Ltd, Lloyds Leasing (North Sea Transport) Ltd1, Lloyds Leasing Developments Ltd, Lloyds Nominees (Guernsey) Ltd, Lloyds Offshore Global Services Private Ltd, Lloyds Plant Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Portfolio Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Premises Investments Ltd, Lloyds Project Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Property Investment Company No. 3 Ltd, Lloyds Property Investment Company No. 4 Ltd, Lloyds Property Investment Company No.5 Ltd, Lloyds Secretaries Ltd, Lloyds Securities Inc., Lloyds TSB Pacific Ltd, Lloyds UDT Asset Leasing Ltd, Lloyds UDT Asset Rentals Ltd, Lloyds UDT Hiring Ltd, Lloyds UDT Leasing Ltd, Lloyds UDT Ltd, Lloyds Your Tomorrow Trustee Ltd, Loans.co.uk Ltd, London Taxi Finance Ltd, London Uberior (L.A.S. Group) Nominees Ltd, Lotus Finance Ltd, MBNA, MBNA Direct Ltd, MBNA Europe Finance Ltd, MBNA Europe Holdings Ltd, MBNA General Foundation, MBNA Global Services Ltd, MBNA Indian Services Private Ltd, MBNA Ltd, MBNA R & L S.A.R.L., MBNA Receivables Ltd, Mainsearch Company Ltd, Maritime Leasing (No. 19) Ltd, Membership Services Finance Ltd, Mitre Street Funding S.A.R.L., Molineux RMBS 2016-1 plc, Molineux RMBS Holdings Ltd, Moor Lane Holdings Ltd, NFU Mutual Finance Ltd, NWS Trust Ltd, Nominees (Jersey) Ltd, Nordic Leasing Ltd, Ocean Leasing (July) Ltd, Oystercatcher Nominees Ltd, Oystercatcher Residential Ltd, PIPS Asset Investments Ltd, Pacific Leasing Ltd, Penarth Asset Securitisation Holdings Ltd, Penarth Funding 1 Ltd, Penarth Funding 2 Ltd, Penarth Master Issuer plc, Penarth Receivables Trustee Ltd, Pensions Management (S.W.F.) Ltd, Peony Eastern Leasing Ltd, Peony Leasing Ltd, Peony Western Leasing Ltd, Permanent Funding (No. 1) Ltd, Permanent Funding (No. 2) Ltd, Permanent Holdings Ltd, Permanent Master Issuer plc, Permanent Mortgages Trustee Ltd, Permanent PECOH Holdings Ltd, Permanent PECOH Ltd, Perry Nominees Ltd, Prestonfield Investments Ltd, Proton Finance Ltd, R.F. Spencer And Company Ltd, Ranelagh Nominees Ltd, Retail Revival (Burgess Hill) Investments Ltd, SARL Coliseum, SARL Hiram, SAS Compagnie Fonciere De France, SCI Astoria Invest, SCI De LHorloge, SCI Equinoxe, SCI Rambuteau CFF, SW Funding plc, SW No.1 Ltd, SWAMF (GP) Ltd, SWAMF Nominee (1) Ltd, SWAMF Nominee (2) Ltd, Saint Michel Holding Company No1, Saint Michel Investment Property, Saint Witz 2 Holding Company No1, Saint Witz 2 Investment Property, Salisbury II Securities 2016 Ltd, Salisbury II-A Securities 2017 Ltd, Salisbury III Securities 2019 DAC, Salisbury Securities 2015 Ltd, Sandown 2012-2 Holdings Ltd, Sandown 2012-2 plc, Sandown Gold 2012-1 Holdings Ltd, Sandown Gold 2012-1 plc, Savban Leasing Ltd, Scotland International Finance B.V., Scottish Widows Administration Services (Nominees) Ltd, Scottish Widows Administration Services Ltd, Scottish Widows Annuities Ltd, Scottish Widows Auto Enrolment Services Ltd, Scottish Widows Europe, Scottish Widows Financial Services Holdings, Scottish Widows Group Ltd, Scottish Widows Industrial Properties Europe B.V., Scottish Widows Ltd, Scottish Widows Pension Trustees Ltd, Scottish Widows Property Management Ltd, Scottish Widows Schroder Personal Wealth (ACD) Ltd, Scottish Widows Schroder Personal Wealth Ltd, Scottish Widows Schroder Wealth Holdings Ltd, Scottish Widows Services Ltd, Scottish Widows Trustees Ltd, Scottish Widows Unit Funds Ltd, Scottish Widows Unit Trust Managers Ltd, Scottish Widows Fund and Life Assurance Society, Seabreeze Leasing Ltd, Seaspirit Leasing Ltd, Share Dealing Nominees Ltd, Shogun Finance Ltd, Silentdale Ltd, St Andrews Group Ltd, St Andrews Insurance plc, St Andrews Life Assurance plc, St. Marys Court Investments, Standard Property Investment (1987) Ltd, Standard Property Investment Ltd, Sussex County Homes Ltd, Suzuki Financial Services Ltd, Swan Funding 2 Ltd, Syon Securities 2019 DAC, The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation Plc, The British Linen Company Ltd, The Halifax Foundation for Northern Ireland, The Mortgage Business plc, Thistle Financing Holdings Ltd, Thistle Investments (AMC) Ltd, Thistle Investments (ERM) Ltd, Thistle Leasing, Three Copthall Avenue Ltd, Tower Hill Property Investments (10) Ltd, Tower Hill Property Investments (7) Ltd, Tranquility Leasing Ltd, Trinity Financing plc, UDT Budget Leasing Ltd, UDT Sales Finance Ltd, Uberior (Moorfield) Ltd, Uberior Co-Investments Ltd, Uberior ENA Ltd, Uberior Equity Ltd, Uberior Europe Ltd, Uberior Fund Investments Ltd, Uberior Infrastructure Investments (No.2) Ltd, Uberior Infrastructure Investments Ltd, Uberior Investments Ltd, Uberior Nominees Ltd, Uberior Trading Ltd, Uberior Trustees Ltd, Uberior Ventures Australia Pty Ltd, Uberior Ventures Ltd, United Dominions Leasing Ltd, United Dominions Trust Ltd, Universe The CMI Global Network Fund, Upsaala Ltd, Vine Street IX LP, WCS Ltd, Ward Nominees (Abingdon) Ltd, Ward Nominees (Birmingham) Ltd 1, Ward Nominees (Bristol) Ltd 1, Ward Nominees Ltd 1, Waverley Fund II Investor LLC, Waverley Fund III Investor LLC, Waymark Asset Investments Ltd, West Craigs Ltd, Wetherby II Securities 2018 DAC, Wetherby III Securities 2019 DAC, Wetherby Securities 2017 Ltd, Wood Street Leasing Ltd, and Zurich Insurance Group - UK Workplace Pensions and Savings Business. 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 White Mountains Insurance Group Ltd. engages in the acquisition of businesses and assets in the insurance, financial services and related sectors. It operates through the following segments: HG Global/BAM, NSM, Kudu, and Other Operations. The HG Global/BAM segment refers to the White Mountains's investment in HG Global Limited, and the consolidated results of Build America Mutual Assurance Company (BAM). The NSM segment comprises of full-service managing general underwriting agency and program administrator for specialty property and casualty insurance. The Kudu Segment provides capital solutions for boutique asset managers for a variety of purposes including generational ownership transfers, management buyouts, acquisition and growth finance and legacy partner liquidity. The Other Operations segment comprises of the Company, its wholly-owned subsidiary, WM Capital, its wholly-owned investment management subsidiary, WM Advisors, and its other intermediate holding companies, as well as certain consolidated and unconsolidated private capital and other investments. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Hanover, NH. Read More Everest Re Group Ltd. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of reinsurance and insurance services. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Reinsurance, International, Bermuda, and Insurance. The U.S. Reinsurance segment writes property and casualty reinsurance and specialty lines of business, including marine, aviation, surety, and accident and health business, on both a treaty and facultative basis, through reinsurance brokers, as well as directly with ceding companies primarily within the U.S. The International segment offers foreign property and casualty reinsurance through Everest Re's branches in Canada and Singapore and through offices in Brazil, Miami, and New Jersey. The Bermuda segment comprises reinsurance and insurance to worldwide property and casualty markets through brokers and directly with ceding companies from its Bermuda office and reinsurance to the United Kingdom and European markets through its UK branch and Ireland Re. The Insurance segment writes property and casualty insurance directly and through brokers, surplus lines brokers, and general agents within the U.S., Canada, and Europe. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartere Read More Royal Bank of Canada operates as a diversified financial service company worldwide. The company's Personal & Commercial Banking segment offers checking and savings accounts, home equity financing, personal lending, private banking, indirect lending, mutual funds and self-directed brokerage accounts, guaranteed investment certificates, credit cards, and payment products and solutions; and lending, leasing, deposit, investment, foreign exchange, cash management, auto dealer financing, trade products, and services to small and medium-sized commercial businesses. This segment offers financial products and services through branches, automated teller machines, and mobile sales network. Its Wealth Management segment provides a suite of advice-based solutions and strategies to high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals, and institutional clients. The company's Insurance segment offers life, health, home, auto, travel, wealth, annuities, and reinsurance advice and solutions; and creditor and business insurance services to individual, business, and group clients through its field sales force, advice centers, and online, as well as through independent insurance advisors and affinity relationships. Its Investor & Treasury Services segment provides asset, cash management, transaction banking, and treasury services to institutional clients; correspondent banking and trade finance services for financial institutions; and short-term funding and liquidity management services. The company's Capital Markets segment offers corporate and investment banking, as well as equity and debt origination, distribution, sale, and trading services for corporations, institutional investors, asset managers, governments, and central banks. Royal Bank of Canada has a strategic partnership with Royal College Of Physicians & Surgeons Of Canada to support the needs of Canada's medical specialists. The company was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Read More TANZANIAN engineers based in Japan together with their local counterparts, as well as those from Rwanda and Uganda, are meeting in Arusha to come up with ways of assisting the country to upgrade its industrial technology. We are simply responding to President John Magufulis fifth phase government industrial development initiative, but as engineers, we are aware that, this requires new technology, advanced machinery and qualified manpower to handle the equipment, said Prof Cuthbert Mhilu, the Chairman of the Organising Committee. He was speaking during the 5th International Conference on Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, taking place for two days at the Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science of Technology (NM-AIST) in Tengeru area. He said the scientific meeting is targeting technology development and innovation among engineers; If Tanzania is to forge ahead in industrial development, then the country needs more technologically advanced machinery, said Prof Mhilu, adding that as technology continues to advance, the quality of products also improves. Rector at the Nelson Mandela Institute of Science and Technology, Prof Anthony Mshandete said having engineers was not enough, because at the moment the world relies on creativity, innovation and advanced technology. We want our engineers to come up with innovative ideas that are to solve peoples and national problems, said Prof Mshandete, adding that in order to effectively compete in international markets there is need to produce competitive goods for both internal usage and exports. The conference, themed, Promoting engineering innovations for sustainable Development, is an international forum organised to bring together researchers and practitioners to share ideas and observe the latest research, problems and solutions relating to the multifaceted aspects of Mechanical, Industrial, Materials, Textile and Manufacturing Engineering as well as Gas and Oil Technology and Management. Engineers meeting in Arusha include those based in Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and overseas countries like Norway and Japan, but with affiliations here. Mr Moi Msombe from the University of Dar es Salaam pointed out that industrial development is all about having competitive edge, And, this requires new machinery; we cannot pretend to be productive by investing in old analogue equipment, he said. He added that the country must invest in technology despite the fact that automated machinery spell doom to human labour force. People should move from doing manual work and start innovating by letting the machinery do the production as it is the case in Japan and other developed nations, he said. Msombe was, however, concerned that to achieve it, massive capital mobilisation will be needed and that most countries in Africa may not be able to afford. The following companies are subsidiares of Illinois Tool Works: A V Co 1 Limited, A V Co 2 Limited, A V Co 3 Limited, ACCU-LUBE Manufacturing GmbH - Schmiermittel und -gerate -, AIP/BI Holdings Inc., Accessories Marketing Holding Corp., Advanced Molding Company Inc., Allen Coding GmbH, Allen France SAS, Alpine Automation Limited, Alpine Engineered Products, Alpine Holdings Inc., Alpine Systems Corporation, Anaerobicos S.r.l., AppliChem GmbH, Arylux Hungary Elektromechanikus Alkatreszgyarto Kft, Avery Berkel France, Avery India Limited, Avery Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avery Weigh Tronix, Avery Weigh-Tronix (Suzhou) Weighing Technology Co. Ltd., Avery Weigh-Tronix Finance Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Holdings Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix International Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix LLC, Avery Weigh-Tronix Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Properties Limited, Azon Limited, B.C. Immo, Beijing Miller Electric Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Berkel (Ireland) Limited, Berrington UK, Brapenta Eletronica Ltda., Brooks Instrument (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Brooks Instrument B.V., Brooks Instrument GmbH, Brooks Instrument KFT, Brooks Instrument Korea Ltd., Brooks Instrument LLC, Buell Industries Inc., CAPMAX Logistica S.A. de C.V., CCI Realty Company, CFC Europe GmbH, CS (Australia) Pty Limited, CS (Finance) Europe S.a.r.l., CS Mexico Holding Company S DE RL DE CV, CSMTS LLC, Calvia Spolka z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnosci, Capital Ventures (Australasia) S.a r.l, Capmax Logistica S.A. de C.V., Celeste Industries Corporation, Coeur, Coeur (Shanghai) Medical Appliance Trading Co. Ltd, Coeur Asia Limited, Coeur Holding Company, Coeur Inc., Compagnie Hobart, Compagnie de Materiel et d'Equipements Techniques-Comet, Constructions Isothermiques Bontami C.I.B., Crane Carrier Company, Despatch Industries, Diagraph Corporation Sdn. Bhd, Diagraph ITW Mexico S. de R.L. De C.V., Diagraph Mexico S.A. DE C.V., Dongguan Ark-Les Electric Components Co. Ltd., Dongguan CK Branding Co. Ltd., Dorbyl U.K. (Holdings) Limited, Duo Fast de Espana S.A.U., Duo-Fast Korea Co. Ltd., Duo-Fast LLC, E.C.S. d.o.o., ECS Cable Protection Sp. Zoo, ELRO (Holding) AG, ELRO Grosskuchen GmbH, ELRO-WERKE AG, Elga Skandinavian AS, Elro Group, Eltex-Elektrostatik-Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Envases Multipac S.A. de C.V., Eurotec Srl, FEG Investments L.L.C., Fasver, Filtertek, Filtertek De Mexico Holding Inc., Filtertek De Mexico S.A. de C.V., GC Financement SA, Gamko B.V., Gun Hwa Platech (Taicang) Co. Ltd., HOBART Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Hartness International, Hobart (Japan) K.K., Hobart Andina S.A.S., Hobart Brothers International Chile Limitada, Hobart Brothers LLC, Hobart Dayton Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Hobart Food Equipment Co. Ltd., Hobart Foster Belgium, Hobart International (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Hobart Korea LLC, Hobart LLC, Hobart Nederland B.V., Hobart Sales & Service Inc., Hobart Scandinavia ApS, Hobart Techniek B.V., Horis, ILC Investments Holdings Inc., ITW (China) Investment Company Limited, ITW (Deutschland) GmbH, ITW (EU) Holdings Ltd., ITW (European) Finance Co. Ltd., ITW (European) Finance II Co. Ltd., ITW (European) Finance III Co. Ltd., ITW (Ningbo) Components & Fastenings Systems Co. Ltd., ITW AEP LLC, ITW AOC LLC, ITW Aircraft Investments Inc., ITW Alpha Sarl, ITW Ampang Industries Philippines Inc., ITW Appliance Components EOOD, ITW Appliance Components S.A. de C.V., ITW Appliance Components S.r.l.a, ITW Appliance Components d.o.o., ITW Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, ITW Australia Property Holdings Pty Ltd., ITW Australia Pty Ltd, ITW Automotive Components (Chongqing) Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Components (Langfang) Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Japan K.K., ITW Automotive Korea LLC, ITW Automotive Parts (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, ITW Automotive Products GmbH, ITW Automotive Products Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Bailly Comte, ITW Befestigungssysteme GmbH, ITW Belgium, ITW Brazilian Nominee L.L.C., ITW Building Components Group Inc., ITW CER, ITW CP Distribution Center Holland BV, ITW CS (UK) Ltd., ITW Canada Inc., ITW Celeste Inc., ITW Chemical Products Ltda, ITW Chemical Products Scandinavia ApS, ITW Colombia S.A.S., ITW Construction Products (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ITW Construction Products (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., ITW Construction Products AB, ITW Construction Products AS, ITW Construction Products ApS, ITW Construction Products CZ s.r.o., ITW Construction Products Italy Srl, ITW Construction Products OU, ITW Construction Products OY, ITW Contamination Control (Wujiang) Co. Ltd., ITW Contamination Control B.V., ITW Covid Security Group Inc., ITW DS Investments Inc., ITW DelFast do Brasil Ltda., ITW Delta Sarl, ITW Denmark ApS, ITW Dynatec, ITW Dynatec Adhesive Equipment (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., ITW Dynatec GmbH, ITW Dynatec Kabushiki Kaisha, ITW EAE B.V., ITW EAE Mexico S de RL de CV, ITW EF&C France SAS, ITW EF&C Selb GmbH, ITW Electronic Business Asia Co. Limited, ITW Electronic Components/Products (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ITW Electronics (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., ITW Epsilon Sarl, ITW Espana S.A., ITW FEG Hong Kong Limited, ITW FEG do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW Fastener Products GmbH, ITW Finance Designated Activity Company, ITW Finance Europe S.A., ITW Fluids and Hygiene Solutions Ltda., ITW Food Equipment Group LLC, ITW France Finance Alpha S.A.S., ITW GH LLC, ITW GSE ApS, ITW GSE Inc., ITW Gamma Sarl, ITW German Management LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings Y Compania Sociedad en Comandita por Acciones, ITW Global Investments II Inc., ITW Global Investments Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Europe GmbH, ITW Global Tire Repair Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Japan K.K., ITW Graphics (Thailand) Ltd., ITW Graphics Asia Limited, ITW Graphics Italy S.R.L. in liquidazione, ITW Great Britain Investment & Licensing Holding Company, ITW Group France (Luxembourg) S.ar.l., ITW HLP Thailand Co. Ltd., ITW Holding Quimica B.C. S.L. Sole Shareholder Company, ITW Holdings Australia L.P., ITW Holdings I Limited, ITW Holdings II Limited, ITW Holdings III Limited, ITW Holdings IV Limited, ITW Holdings IX Limited, ITW Holdings Inc., ITW Holdings UK, ITW Holdings V Limited, ITW Holdings VI Limited, ITW Holdings VII Limited, ITW Holdings VIII Limited, ITW Holdings X Limited, ITW Holdings XI Limited, ITW Hungary Finance Beta Kft, ITW ILC Holdings I Inc., ITW IPG Investments LLC, ITW Imaden Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW India Private Limited, ITW International Holdings LLC, ITW Invest Holding GmbH, ITW Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company, ITW Ireland Unlimited Company, ITW Italy Finance Srl, ITW Italy Holding Srl, ITW Japan Ltd., ITW Korea LLC, ITW LLC & Co. KG, ITW Limited, ITW Lombard Holdings Inc., ITW Lys Fusion S.r.l., ITW M FILMS II LLC, ITW MH LLC, ITW Meritex Sdn. Bhd., ITW Metal Fasteners S.L., ITW Mexico Holding Company S. De R.L. de C.V., ITW Mexico Holdings LLC, ITW Morlock GmbH, ITW Mortgage Investments II Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments III Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments IV Inc., ITW Netherlands Administration BV, ITW Netherlands Beta B.V., ITW Netherlands Finance Alpha BV, ITW New Universal LLC, ITW New Zealand, ITW Novadan Sp. Z.o.o., ITW PPF Brasil Adesivos Ltda., ITW Packaging Technology (China) Co. Ltd., ITW Participations S.a r.l., ITW Pension Funds Trustee Company, ITW Performance Plastic (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Japan Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Korea Limited, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids OOO, ITW Performance Polymers (Wujiang) Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers ApS, ITW Performance Polymers and Fluids Group FZE, ITW Peru S.A.C., ITW Philippines Holdings LLC, ITW Poly Mex S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Polymers Sealants North America Inc., ITW Pronovia s.r.o., ITW Pte. Ltd., ITW Qufu Automotive Cooling Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Real Estate Germany GmbH, ITW Residuals III L.L.C., ITW Residuals IV L.L.C., ITW Rivex, ITW SMPI, ITW SPG Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Simco-Ion (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., ITW Slovakia s.r.o., ITW Spain Holdings S.L., ITW Specialty Film LLC, ITW Specialty Films France, ITW Specialty Materials (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., ITW Spraytec, ITW Sverige AB, ITW Sweden Holding AB, ITW Test & Measurement Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, ITW Test & Measurement GmbH, ITW Test and Measurement Italia Srl, ITW Test and Measurement Services Industry and Trade Ltd., ITW Texwipe Philippines Inc., ITW Thermal Films (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ITW UK, ITW UK Finance Beta Limited, ITW UK Finance Delta Limited, ITW UK Finance Gamma Limited, ITW UK Finance Limited, ITW UK Finance Zeta Ltd., ITW UK II Limited, ITW Universal II LLC, ITW Welding, ITW Welding AB, ITW Welding GmbH, ITW Welding Products B.V., ITW Welding Products Group FZE, ITW Welding Products Group S. DE R.L. De C.V., ITW Welding Products Italy Srl, ITW Welding Products Limited Liability Company, ITW Welding Produtos Para Solgdagem Ltda., ITW Welding Servicios Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Welding Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW de France, ITW do Brasil Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Ideal Molding Technologies LLC, Illinois Tool Works (Chile) Limitada, Illinois Tool Works (ITW) Nederland B.V., Illinois Tool Works Norway AS, Impar Comercio E Representacoes Ltda., Industrie Plastic Elsasser GmbH, Inmobiliaria Cit. S.A. de C.F., Innova Temperlite Servicios S.A. de C.V., Innovacion y Transformacion Automotriz S.A. de C.V., Instron (Shanghai) Ltd., Instron (Thailand) Limited, Instron Brasil Equipamentos Cientificos Ltda., Instron Foreign Sales Corp. Limited, Instron France S.A.S., Instron GmbH, Instron Holdings Limited, Instron International Limited, Instron Japan Company Ltd., Instron Korea LLC, International Leasing Company LLC, International Truss Systems Proprietary Limited, Isolenge - ITW Sistemas de Isolamento Termico Ltda., KCPL Mauritius Holdings, Kester, Kester Components (M) Sdn. Bhd., Kleinmann GmbH, Krafft S.L., Loma Systems, Loma Systems (Canada) Inc., Loma Systems BV, Loma Systems sro, Lombard Pressings Limited, Lumex Inc., Lys Fusion Poland Sp. z.o.o., M&C Specialties (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., M&C Specialties Co., MAGNAFLUX GmbH, MEHB Holdings Limited, MGHG Property LLC, MOA Enterprises Inc, Manufacturing Avancee S.A., Meritex Technology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Meurer Verpackungssysteme GmbH, Miller Electric Mfg. LLC, Miller Insurance Ltd., NDT Holding LLC, NOVADAN APS, Norden Olje AB, North Star Imaging Europe, North Star Imaging Inc., Nova Chimica S.r.l., Orbitalum Tools GmbH, PENTA-91 OOO, PR. A. I. Srl, PT ITW Construction Products Indonesia, Pacific Concept Industries Limited (Enping), Panreac Quimica S.L., Paslode Fasteners (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Peerless Machinery Corp., Penta Dnepr LLC, Penta Sever OOO, Penta Volga OOO, Polyrey, Premark FEG L.L.C., Premark HII Holdings LLC, Premark International, Premark International LLC, Prolex Sociedad Anonima, QSA Global Inc., Quimica Industrial Mediterranea S.L., Ramset Fasteners (Hong Kong) Ltd., Rapid Cook LLC, Refrigeration France, S.E.E. Sistemas Industria E Comercio Ltda., ST Mexico Holdings LLC, Sealant Systems International Inc., Sentinel Asia Yuhan Hoesa, Shanghai ITW Plastic & Metal Co. Ltd, Simco (Nederland) B.V., Simco Japan Inc., Societe de Prospection et dInventions Techniques SPIT, Speedline Holdings I Inc., Speedline Holdings I LLC, Speedline Technologies GmbH, Speedline Technologies Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Speedline Technologies Mexico Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Stokvis Celix Portugal Unipessoal LDA, Stokvis Danmark ApS, Stokvis Holdings S.A.R.L., Stokvis Promi s.r.o, Stokvis Prostick Tapes Private Limited, Stokvis Tapes (Hong Kong) Co. Limited, Stokvis Tapes (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes (Taiwan) Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes BVBA, Stokvis Tapes Benelux B.V., Stokvis Tapes Deutschland GmbH, Stokvis Tapes France, Stokvis Tapes Italia s.r.l., Stokvis Tapes Limited, Stokvis Tapes Limited Liability Company, Stokvis Tapes Norge AS, Stokvis Tapes Oy, Stokvis Tapes Polska Sp Z.O.O., Stokvis Tapes Sverige AB, Stolvis Holdings II S.A.R.L., Technopack Industria Comercio Consultoria e Representacoes Ltda., Teknek (China) Limited, Teknek (Japan) Limited, Teksaleco Ltd., The Miller Group Ltd, Thirode Grandes Cuisines Poligny, Tien Tai Electrode (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., Tien Tai Electrode Co. Ltd., Unichemicals Industria e Comercio Ltda., VR-Leasing Sarita GmbH & Co. Immobilien KG, VS European Holdco BV, Valeron Strength Films B.V.B.A., Veneta Decalcogomme S.r.l., Versachem Chile S.A., Vesta, Vesta (Guangzhou) Catering Equipment Co. Ltd, Vesta Global Limited, Viltronics Soltec, Vitronics Soltec B.V., Wachs Canada Ltd., Wachs Subsea LLC, Weigh-Tronix Canada ULC, Weigh-Tronix UK Limited, Wilsonart International Holdings LLC, Wynn Oil (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd., Wynn's Automotive France, Wynn's Belgium BVBA, Wynn's Italia Srl, Wynn's Mekuba India Pvt Ltd, ZF TRW (Engineered Fasteners and Components), and Zip-Pak International B.V.. The following companies are subsidiares of InterContinental Hotels Group: 2250 Blake Street Hotel LLC, 24th Street Operator Sub LLC, 36th Street IHG Sub LLC, 426 Main Ave LLC, 46 Nevins Street Associates LLC, Allegro Management LLC, Alpha Kimball Hotel LLC, American Commonwealth Assurance Co. Ltd., Asia Pacific Holdings Limited, BHMC Canada Inc., BHR Holdings B.V., BHR Luxembourg SARL, BHR Pacific Holdings Inc., BHTC Canada Inc., BOC Barclay Sub LLC, Barclay Operating Corp., Bristol Oakbrook Tenant Company, Cafe Biarritz, Cambridge Lodging LLC, Capital Lodging LLC, Compania Inter-Continental De Hoteles El Salvador SA, Crowne Plaza Amsterdam (Management) B.V., Crowne Plaza LLC, Cumberland Akers Hotel LLC, Dunwoody Operations Inc., EVEN Real Estate Holding LLC, Edinburgh IC Limited, General Innkeeping Acceptance Corporation, Guangzhou SC Hotels Services Ltd., H.I. (Ireland) Limited, H.I. Soaltee Management Company Ltd, HC International Holdings Inc., HH France Holdings SAS, HH Hotels (EMEA) B.V., HH Hotels (Romania) SRL, HI Sugarloaf LLC, HIM (Aruba) NV, Hale International Ltd., Hoft Properties LLC, Holiday Hospitality Franchising LLC, Holiday Inn Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Holiday Inns (China) Ltd, Holiday Inns (Chongqing) Inc., Holiday Inns (Courtalin) Holdings SAS, Holiday Inns (Courtalin) SAS, Holiday Inns (England) Ltd., Holiday Inns (Germany) LLC, Holiday Inns (Guangzhou) Inc., Holiday Inns (Jamaica) Inc., Holiday Inns (Malaysia) Ltd., Holiday Inns (Middle East) Ltd., Holiday Inns (Philippines) Inc., Holiday Inns (Saudi Arabia) Inc., Holiday Inns (South East Asia) Inc., Holiday Inns (Thailand) Ltd., Holiday Inns (UK) Inc., Holiday Inns Crowne Plaza (Hong Kong) Inc., Holiday Inns Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd, Holiday Inns Inc., Holiday Inns Investment (Nepal) Ltd., Holiday Inns of America (UK) Ltd., Holiday Inns of Belgium N.V., Holiday Pacific Equity Corporation, Holiday Pacific LLC, Holiday Pacific Partners LP, Hotel Inter-Continental London Limited, Hotel InterContinental London (Holdings) Limited, Hoteles Y Turismo HIH SRL, IC Hotelbetriebsfuhrungs GmbH, IC Hotels Management (Portugal) Unipessoal Lda, IC International Hotels Limited Liability Company, IHC (Thailand) Limited, IHC Buckhead LLC, IHC Edinburgh (Holdings), IHC Hopkins (Holdings) Corp., IHC Hotel Limited, IHC Inter-Continental (Holdings) Corp., IHC London (Holdings), IHC M-H (Holdings) Corp., IHC May Fair (Holdings) Limited, IHC May Fair Hotel Limited, IHC Overseas (U.K.) Limited, IHC UK (Holdings) Limited, IHC United States (Holdings) Corp., IHC Willard (Holdings) Corp., IHG (Australasia) Limited, IHG (Marseille) SAS, IHG (Thailand) Limited, IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan LLC, IHG ANA Hotels Holdings Co. Ltd., IHG Bangkok Ltd, IHG Brasil Administracao de Hoteis e Servicos Ltda, IHG Commission Services SRL, IHG Community Development LLC, IHG Cyprus Limited, IHG ECS (Barbados) SRL, IHG Franchising Brasil Ltda, IHG Franchising DR Corporation, IHG Franchising LLC, IHG Hotels (New Zealand) Limited, IHG Hotels Limited, IHG Hotels Management (Australia) Pty Limited, IHG Hotels Nigeria Limited, IHG Hotels South Africa (Pty) Ltd, IHG International Partnership, IHG Istanbul Otel Yonetim Limited Sirketi, IHG Japan (Management) LLC, IHG Japan (Osaka) LLC, IHG Management (Maryland) LLC, IHG Management (Netherlands) B.V., IHG Management MD Barclay Sub LLC, IHG Management SL d.o.o, IHG Management d.o.o. Beograd, IHG Orchard Street Member LLC, IHG PS Nominees Limited, IHG Systems Pty Ltd, IHG Szalloda Budapest Szolgaltato Kft., IHG de Argentina SA, IND East Village SD Holdings LLC, Inter-Continental D.C. Operating Corp., Inter-Continental Florida Investment Corp., Inter-Continental Florida Partner Corp., Inter-Continental Hospitality Corporation, Inter-Continental Hoteleira Limitada, Inter-Continental Hotels (Montreal) Operating Corp., Inter-Continental Hotels (Montreal) Owning Corp., Inter-Continental Hotels (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Inter-Continental Hotels Corporation, Inter-Continental Hotels Corporation de Venezuela C.A., Inter-Continental Hotels of San Francisco Inc., Inter-Continental IOHC (Mauritius) Limited, Inter-Continental Management (Australia) Pty Limited, InterContinental (Branston) 1 Limited, InterContinental (PB) 1, InterContinental (PB) 2, InterContinental (PB) 3 Limited, InterContinental Berlin Service Company GmbH, InterContinental Brasil Administracao de Hoteis Ltda, InterContinental Gestion Hotelera S.L., InterContinental Hotel Berlin GmbH, InterContinental Hotel Dusseldorf GmbH (Germany), InterContinental Hotels (Puerto Rico) Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd, InterContinental Hotels Group (Australia) Pty Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group (Canada) Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group (Espana) SA, InterContinental Hotels Group (Greater China) Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group (India) Pvt. Ltd, InterContinental Hotels Group (Japan) Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group (New Zealand) Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group (Shanghai) Ltd., InterContinental Hotels Group Customer Services Ltd., InterContinental Hotels Group Healthcare Trustee Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group Operating Corp., InterContinental Hotels Group Resources Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group Services Company, InterContinental Hotels Group do Brasil Limitada, InterContinental Hotels Italia S.r.L., InterContinental Hotels Limited, InterContinental Hotels Management GmbH, InterContinental Hotels Nevada Corporation, InterContinental Management AM LLC, InterContinental Management Bulgaria EOOD, InterContinental Management France SAS, InterContinental Management Poland sp. z.o.o, InterContinental Overseas Holding Corporation, Intercontinental Hotels Corporation Limited, KG Benefits LLC, KG Gift Card Inc., KG Liability LLC, KG Technology LLC, KHP Washington Operator LLC, KHRG 11th Avenue Hotel LLC, KHRG 851 LLC, KHRG Aertson LLC, KHRG Alexandria LLC, KHRG Alexis LLC, KHRG Allegro LLC, KHRG Argyle LLC, KHRG Austin Beverage Company LLC, KHRG Baltimore LLC, KHRG Born LLC, KHRG Boston Hotel LLC, KHRG Canary LLC, KHRG Cayman Employer Ltd., KHRG Cayman LLC, KHRG DC 1731 LLC, KHRG DC 2505 LLC, KHRG Donovan LLC, KHRG Employer LLC, KHRG Goleta LLC, KHRG Gray LLC, KHRG Gray U2 LLC, KHRG Hillcrest LLC, KHRG Huntington Beach LLC, KHRG King Street LLC, KHRG La Peer LLC, KHRG Miami Beach LLC, KHRG Muse LLC, KHRG NPC LLC, KHRG Onyx LLC, KHRG Palladian LLC, KHRG Palomar Phoenix LLC, KHRG Philly Monaco LLC, KHRG Pittsburgh LLC, KHRG Reynolds LLC, KHRG Riverplace LLC, KHRG SFD LLC, KHRG Sacramento LLC, KHRG Savannah LLC, KHRG Schofield LLC, KHRG Sedona LLC, KHRG State Street LLC, KHRG Sutter LLC, KHRG Sutter Union LLC, KHRG Taconic LLC, KHRG Tariff LLC, KHRG Texas Hospitality LLC, KHRG Texas Operations LLC, KHRG Tryon LLC, KHRG VZ Austin LLC, KHRG Vero Beach LLC, KHRG Vintage Park LLC, KHRG WPB LLC, KHRG Wabash LLC, KHRG Westwood LLC, KHRG Wilshire LLC, KHRG Zamora LLC, Kimpton Hollywood Licenses LLC, Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group, Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group LLC, Kimpton Phoenix Licenses Holdings LLC, Kimpton Sedona Licenses LLC, Louisiana Acquisitions Corp., MH Lodging LLC, Mercer Fairview Holdings LLC, PML Services LLC, PT SC Hotels & Resorts Indonesia, Pollstrong Limited, Powell Pine Inc., Priscilla Holiday of Texas Inc., RM Lodging LLC, Regent Hotels and Resorts, Resort Services International (Cayo Largo) L.P., SBS Maryland Beverage Company LLC, SC Cellars Limited, SC Hotels International Services Inc., SC Leisure Group Limited, SC NAS 2 Limited, SC Quest Limited, SC Reservations (Philippines) Inc., SCH Insurance Company, SCIH Branston 3, SF MH Acquisition LLC, SPHC Group Pty Ltd., SPHC Management Ltd., Semiramis for training of Hotel Personnel and Hotel Management SAE, Six Continents Corporate Services, Six Continents Holdings Limited, Six Continents Hotels Inc., Six Continents Hotels International Limited, Six Continents Hotels de Colombia SA, Six Continents International Holdings B.V., Six Continents Investments Limited, Six Continents Limited, Six Continents Overseas Holdings Limited, Six Continents Restaurants Limited, SixCo North America Inc., Solamar Lodging LLC, Southern Pacific Hotel Corporation (BVI) Ltd., Southern Pacific Hotels Properties Limited, Universal de Hoteles SA, White Shield Insurance Company Limited, and World Trade Centre Montreal Hotel Corporation. Wall Street analysts have given iShares MSCI South Korea 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 South Korea 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 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 Moody's: Administracion de Calificadoras S.A. de C.V., BlackBox Logic, Bureau van Dijk EP DMCC, Bureau van Dijk Editions Electroniques S.A.S., Bureau van Dijk Editions Electroniques SRL, Bureau van Dijk Editions Electroniques Sarl, Bureau van Dijk Edizioni Elettroniche S.p.a, Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing AB, Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing ApS, Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing B.V., Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing Beijing Co. Ltd., Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing GmbH, Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing Hong Kong Limited, Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing Inc., Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing K.K., Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing LLC, Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing Ltd., Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing Pte. Ltd., Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing Pty. Ltd., Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing S.A. de C.V., Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing Unipessoal Lda., Bureau van Dijk Electroniq Publishing S.A. (Pty) Ltd, Bureau van Dijk Publicaciones Electronicas S.A., Bureau van Dijk Publicacao Eletronica Ltda., DVBS Inc., Equilibrium (Chile) Holding SpA, Ethical Investment Research Services (EIRIS) Limited, Fermat International SA, Four Twenty Seven, Four Twenty Seven France SAS, Four Twenty Seven Inc., GGYAXIS Inc., Gilliland Gold Young Consulting Inc., ICRA Lanka Limited, ICRA Limited, ICRA Nepal Limited, ICRA Online Limited, KIS Pricing Inc., Korea Investors Service, Korea Investors Service Inc., Lewtan Technologies Inc., MIS Asset Holdings Inc., MIS Quality Management Corp., MIS Support Center Private Limited, MIS Support Services CR Sociedad de Responsabilidad Ltda., Midroog Ltd., Moody's (China) Limited, Moody's (Japan) K.K., Moody's (UK) Limited, Moody's America Latina Ltda., Moody's Analytics (DIFC) Limited, Moody's Analytics (India) Private Limited, Moody's Analytics (Malaysia) Sdn.Bhd., Moody's Analytics (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Moody's Analytics Australia Pty. Ltd., Moody's Analytics Canada Inc., Moody's Analytics Czech Republic s.r.o., Moody's Analytics Deutschland GmbH, Moody's Analytics Global Education (Canada) Inc., Moody's Analytics Holdings (UK) Limited, Moody's Analytics Hong Kong Ltd., Moody's Analytics International Licensing Gmbh, Moody's Analytics Ireland Limited, Moody's Analytics Japan K.K., Moody's Analytics Knowledge Services (Jersey) Limited, Moody's Analytics Knowledge Services (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Moody's Analytics Knowledge Services Holdings (Mauritius) Limited, Moody's Analytics Knowledge Services Research (Mauritius) Limited, Moody's Analytics Korea Co. Ltd, Moody's Analytics SAS, Moody's Analytics Singapore Pte Ltd., Moody's Analytics Technical Services (Hong Kong) Ltd., Moody's Analytics Technical Services (UK) Limited, Moody's Analytics UK Limited, Moody's Analytics do Brazil Solucoes para Gerenciamento de Risco de Credito Ltda, Moody's Asia Pacific Limited, Moody's Asia-Pacific Group (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Moody's Canada Inc., Moody's Canada LP, Moody's China (B.V.I.) Limited, Moody's Company Holdings (BVI) I Limited, Moody's Company Hong Kong Limited, Moody's Credit Ratings (China) Limited, Moody's Deutschland GmbH, Moody's EMEA Financing (Cyprus) Limited, Moody's EMEA Holdings Limited, Moody's Eastern Europe LLC, Moody's Equilibrium I (BVI) Holding Corporation, Moody's Equilibrium II (BVI) Holding Corporation, Moody's Finance (BVI) Limited, Moody's Financing (BVI) Limited, Moody's Financing (Cyprus) Limited, Moody's France SAS, Moody's Group (BVI) Limited, Moody's Group (Holdings) Unlimited, Moody's Group Australia Pty Ltd, Moody's Group Cyprus Limited, Moody's Group Deutschland GmbH, Moody's Group Finance Limited, Moody's Group France SAS, Moody's Group Holdings (BVI) Limited, Moody's Group Japan G.K., Moody's Group NL B.V., Moody's Group UK Limited, Moody's Holdings (B.V.I.) Limited, Moody's Holdings Limited, Moody's Holdings NL B.V., Moody's Indonesia (B.V.I) Limited, Moody's Information Consulting (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Moody's International (UK) Limited, Moody's International Holdings (Cyprus) Limited, Moody's Investment Company India Private Limited, Moody's Investors Service (BVI) Limited, Moody's Investors Service (Beijing) Ltd., Moody's Investors Service (Korea) Inc., Moody's Investors Service (Nordics) AB, Moody's Investors Service Cyprus Limited, Moody's Investors Service EMEA Limited, Moody's Investors Service Espana S.A., Moody's Investors Service Hong Kong Limited, Moody's Investors Service India Private Limited, Moody's Investors Service Limited, Moody's Investors Service Middle East Limited, Moody's Investors Service Pty Limited, Moody's Investors Service Singapore Pte. Ltd., Moody's Investors Service South Africa (Pty) Limited, Moody's Israel Holdings Inc., Moody's Italia S.r.l., Moody's Latin America Agente de Calificacion de Riesgo S.A., Moody's Latin America Holding Corp., Moody's Lithuania UAB, Moody's Local PA Calificadora de Riesgo S.A., Moody's Local PE Clasificadora de Riesgo S.A, Moody's Mauritius Holdings Limited, Moody's Risk Assessments Limited, Moody's SF Japan K.K., Moody's Shared Services India Private Limited, Moody's Shared Services UK Limited, Moody's Singapore Pte Ltd, Moody's South Africa (B.V.I.) Ltd., Moody's de Mexico S.A. de C.V. I.C.V, Moodys Advisors Inc., Moodys Analytics Inc., Moodys Analytics Knowledge Services Solutions (US) Inc., Moodys Analytics Solutions LLC, Moodys Assurance Company Inc., Moodys Assureco Inc., Moodys Capital Markets Research Inc., Moodys Group Holdings Inc., Moodys Holdings LLC, Moodys International LLC, Moodys Investors Service Inc., Moodys Overseas Holdings Inc., Moodys Risk Assessments Holdings LLC, Moodys Risk Assessments Inc., Moodys Shared Services Inc., Nile 1 Limited, Nile 2 Limited, Nile 3 Limited, Nile 4 Limited, Nile 5 Limited, Omega Performance, Omega Performance Corp./S.C.C. A Rendement Omega, Omega Performance Corporation, Omega Performance Corporation Pty. Limited, Omega Performance NZ Limited, Omega Performance Pte. Ltd., PT ICRA Indonesia, Pragati Development Consulting Services Limited, RBA International, Reis, Reis Inc., Reis Services LLC, Risk First (Holdings) Limited, Risk First (IP) Limited, Risk First Enterprise Limited, Risk First Group Limited, Risk First Inc., Risk First Limited, Risk First Management Services Limited, Skyval Holdings LLP, Skyval Limited, The Moodys Foundation, Vigeo, Vigeo Belgium NV, Vigeo Eiris, Vigeo Eiris Canada Inc., Vigeo Eiris Chile SpA, Vigeo Eiris Hong Kong Limited, Vigeo Eiris USA LLC, Vigeo Group, Vigeo Italia S.r.l, Yellow Maple Holding B.V., Yellow Maple I B.V., Yellow Maple II B.V., and Zephus Ltd.. National Bank of Canada provides various financial products and services to retail, commercial, corporate, and institutional clients in Canada and internationally. It operates through four segments: Personal and Commercial, Wealth Management, Financial Markets, and U.S. Specialty Finance and International. The Personal and Commercial segment offers personal banking services, including transaction solutions, mortgage loans and home equity lines of credit, consumer loans, payment solutions, savings and investment solutions; various insurance products; and commercial banking services, such as credit, and deposit and investment solutions, as well as international trade, foreign exchange transactions, payroll, cash management, insurance, electronic transactions, and complimentary services. The Wealth Management segment provides investment solutions, trust and estate services, banking services, lending services, guaranteed investment certificates, mutual funds, notes, structured products, and other wealth management solutions through internal and third-party distribution networks. The Financial Markets segment offers risk management products and services; and debt and equity underwriting; advisory services in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, and financing. The U.S. Specialty Finance and International segment provides specialty finance expertise; financial products and services to individuals and businesses in Cambodia; and the activities of targeted investments in certain emerging markets. The company also offers credit cards. It provides its services through a network of 483 branches and 1,573 banking machines. The company was founded in 1859 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Occidental Petroleum: 1PointFive Inc., 1PointFive P1 LLC, APC Aviation Inc., APC International Holdings LLC, APC Midstream Holdings LLC, APC Venezuela Srl, ARCO Long Beach, Altura Energy, Amarok Gathering LLC, Anadarko 20-25 Company, Anadarko 20-36 Company, Anadarko 20-47 Company, Anadarko 20-48 Company, Anadarko 20-49 Company, Anadarko Algeria Block 403 c/e Company, Anadarko Algeria Block 406B Company, Anadarko Algeria Company LLC, Anadarko Algeria Oil & Gas Company, Anadarko Brazil Investment I LLC, Anadarko Brazil Investment II LLC, Anadarko Canada E&P Limited, Anadarko China Holdings 2 Company, Anadarko Colombia Company, Anadarko Consolidated Holdings LLC, Anadarko Cote d'Ivoire Block 103 Company, Anadarko Cote d'Ivoire Company, Anadarko DBMOS Operator LLC, Anadarko Development Company, Anadarko Development Holding Limited, Anadarko E&P Onshore LLC, Anadarko Egypt Holdings Company, Anadarko Energy Holding Limited, Anadarko Energy Services Company, Anadarko Exploracao e Producao de Petroleo e Gas Natural Ltda., Anadarko Finance Company, Anadarko Gabon Company, Anadarko Ghana Mahogany-1 Company, Anadarko Global Energy S.a.r.l, Anadarko Global Funding 1 Company, Anadarko Global Funding II Ltd., Anadarko Guyana Company, Anadarko Holding Company, Anadarko International Development S.a.r.l, Anadarko International Energy Company, Anadarko International O&G Company, Anadarko International Trading Corporation, Anadarko Jordan Company, Anadarko Kenya Company, Anadarko LMM S.a.r.l, Anadarko Land Corp., Anadarko Mexico B.V., Anadarko Mexico S.a.r.l, Anadarko Midkiff/Chaney Dell BR Corp., Anadarko Midkiff/Chaney Dell LLC, Anadarko Natural Gas Company LLC, Anadarko New Zealand Company, Anadarko OGC Company, Anadarko Offshore Holding Company LLC, Anadarko Offshore Well Containment Company LLC, Anadarko Oil & Gas 5 LLC, Anadarko Peru B.V., Anadarko Petroleum, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, Anadarko Realty LLC, Anadarko Rockies LLC, Anadarko Royalty Holdings Company, Anadarko UK Corporate Limited, Anadarko US Offshore LLC, Anadarko USH1 Corporation, Anadarko Venezuela Company, Anadarko Venezuela LLC, Anadarko Venezuela Srl, Anadarko WCTP Company, Anadarko West Texas BR Corp., Anadarko West Texas LLC, Anadarko Worldwide Holdings C.V., Atlantic Rim Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Aventine LLC, Baseball Merger Sub 2 Inc., Bear Branch Exploration LLC, Big Island Trona Company, Bitter Creek Coal Company, Bravo Pipeline Company, Cain Chemical, Cain Chemical Inc., Carbon Finance Labs LLC, Concord Petroleum Corporation, Conn Creek Shale Company, D.S. Ventures LLC, DMM Financial LLC, Deerwood Exploration LLC, Downtown Plaza II, Elk Hills Field, FLAG Development LLC, FP Westport Commodities Limited, FP Westport GmbH, FP Westport LLC, FP Westport Limited, FP Westport Services LLC, FP Westport Trading LLC, Fosters Mill Exploration LLC, Glenn Springs Holdings Inc., Globrep Representaciones S.A., Grand Bassa Tankers Inc., Grupo OxyChem de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Headwater II LLC, Houndstooth Resources LLC, INDSPEC Chemical B.V., INDSPEC Chemical Corporation, INDSPEC Chemical Corporation, INDSPEC Chemical Export Sales LLC, INDSPEC Holding Corporation, Ingleside Cogeneration GP LLC, Ingleside Cogeneration Limited Partnership, Interore Trading Ltd., Joslyn Partnership, KERR-McGEE TT E&P LTD., KM BM-C-Seven Ltd., KM International Insurance Ltd., Kerr-McGee Corporation, Kerr-McGee Natural Gas Company Inc., Kerr-McGee Oil & Gas Onshore LP, Kerr-McGee Shared Services Company LLC, Kerr-McGee Stored Power Corporation, Kerr-McGee U.K. Energy Corporation, Kerr-McGee Worldwide Corporation, Kerr-McGee do Brasil Ltda., Kerr-McGee of Canada Northwest Ltd., Laguna Petroleum Corp., Laguna Petroleum LLC, Liwa Oil & Gas Ltd., MC2 Technologies LLC, Mariana Properties Inc., Marico Exploration Inc., Miller Springs Remediation Management Inc., Moncrief Minerals Partnership L.P., NGL Ventures LLC, Natural Gas Odorizing Inc., New OPL LLC, OEVC Energy LLC, OEVC Midstream Projects LLC, OIH LLC, OLCV CE Holdings ULC, OLCV CE US Holdings Inc., OLCV Net Power LLC, OLCV Services LLC, OOG Partner LLC, OOOI Chem Holdings LLC, OOOI Chem Sub LLC, OOOI Chemical International LLC, OOOI Chile Holder LLC, OOOI Ecuador Management LLC, OOOI Oil and Gas Sub LLC, OOOI South America Management LLC, OPM GP Inc., OPM Holdco LLC, OTCF LLC, OTH LLC, OXY CV Pipeline LLC, OXY Campus LLC, OXY Inc., OXY LPG LLC, OXY Libya E&P Area 103 BR4 B.V., OXY Libya E&P Area 35 Ltd., OXY Libya E&P Concession 103 Ltd., OXY Libya E&P EPSA 102 B.V., OXY Libya E&P EPSA 1981 Ltd., OXY Libya E&P EPSA 1985 Ltd., OXY Libya E&P NC 143 144 145 150 B.V., OXY Libya Exploration SPC, OXY Libya LLC, OXY Little Knife LLC, OXY Mexico Holdings I LLC, OXY Mexico Holdings II LLC, OXY Middle East Holdings Ltd., OXY Oil Partners Inc., OXY PBLP Manager LLC, OXY Support Services LLC, OXY Tulsa Inc., OXY USA Inc., OXY USA WTP LP, OXY VPP Investments LLC, OXY West LLC, OXY of Saudi Arabia Ltd., OXYCHEM (CANADA) INC., OXYMAR, Oakwood Exploration LLC, Occidental (Bermuda) Ltd., Occidental (East Shabwa) LLC, Occidental Advance Sale Finance Inc., Occidental Al Hosn LLC, Occidental Angola Holdings Ltd., Occidental CIS Services Inc., Occidental Canada Holdings Ltd., Occidental Chemical Asia Limited, Occidental Chemical Belgium B.V.B.A., Occidental Chemical Chile Limitada, Occidental Chemical Corporation, Occidental Chemical Export Sales LLC, Occidental Chemical Far East Limited, Occidental Chemical Holding Corporation, Occidental Chemical International LLC, Occidental Chemical Investment (Canada) 1 Inc., Occidental Chemical Receivables LLC, Occidental Chemical de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Occidental Chile Investments LLC, Occidental Chile Minority Holder LLC, Occidental Colombia (Series G) Ltd., Occidental Colombia (Series J) Ltd., Occidental Colombia (Series K) Ltd., Occidental Colombia (Series L) Ltd., Occidental Colombia (Series M) Ltd., Occidental Colombia (Series N) Ltd., Occidental Colombia (Series O) Ltd., Occidental Crude Sales Inc. (Canada), Occidental Crude Sales Inc. (International), Occidental Dolphin Holdings Ltd., Occidental Energy Marketing Inc., Occidental Energy Ventures LLC, Occidental Exploradora del Peru Ltd., Occidental Exploration and Production Company, Occidental Hafar LLC, Occidental International (Libya) Inc., Occidental International Corporation, Occidental International Exploration and Production Company, Occidental International Holdings Ltd., Occidental International Oil and Gas Ltd., Occidental International Services Inc., Occidental Joslyn GP 2 Co., Occidental LNG (Malaysia) Ltd., Occidental Latin America Holdings LLC, Occidental Libya Oil & Gas B.V., Occidental MENA Manager Ltd., Occidental Middle East Development Company, Occidental Midland Basin LLC, Occidental Mukhaizna LLC, Occidental Oil Asia Pte. Ltd., Occidental Oil Shale Inc., Occidental Oil and Gas (Oman) Ltd., Occidental Oil and Gas Corporation, Occidental Oil and Gas International Inc., Occidental Oil and Gas International LLC, Occidental Oil and Gas Pakistan LLC, Occidental Oil and Gas of Peru LLC, Occidental Oman (Block 27) Holdings Ltd., Occidental Oman Block 51 Holding Ltd., Occidental Oman Block 51 LLC, Occidental Oman Block 65 Holding Ltd., Occidental Oman Block 65 LLC, Occidental Oman Block 72 Holding Ltd., Occidental Oman Block 72 LLC, Occidental Oman Gas Company LLC, Occidental Oman Gas Holdings Ltd., Occidental Oman North Holdings Ltd., Occidental Oriente Exploration and Production Ltd., Occidental Overseas Holdings B.V., Occidental PVC LLC, Occidental Peninsula II Inc., Occidental Peninsula LLC, Occidental Permian Ltd., Occidental Permian Manager LLC, Occidental Permian Services Inc., Occidental Peruana Inc., Occidental Petrolera del Peru (Block 101) Inc., Occidental Petrolera del Peru (Block 103) Inc., Occidental Petroleum (Pakistan) Inc., Occidental Petroleum Corporation, Occidental Petroleum Corporation Political Action Committee, Occidental Petroleum de Venezuela S.A., Occidental Petroleum of Nigeria, Occidental Petroleum of Oman Ltd., Occidental Petroleum of Qatar Ltd., Occidental Power Marketing L.P., Occidental Power Services Inc., Occidental Qatar Energy Company LLC, Occidental Red Sea Development LLC, Occidental Research Corporation, Occidental Resource Recovery Systems Inc., Occidental Resources Company, Occidental Shah Gas Holdings Ltd., Occidental South America Finance LLC, Occidental Specialty Marketing Inc., Occidental Tower Corporation, Occidental Transportation Holding Corporation, Occidental West Texas Overthrust Inc., Occidental Yemen Ltd., Occidental Yemen Sabatain Inc., Occidental del Ecuador Inc., Occidental of Abu Dhabi (Bab) Ltd., Occidental of Abu Dhabi (Shah) Ltd., Occidental of Abu Dhabi Holdings Ltd., Occidental of Abu Dhabi LLC, Occidental of Abu Dhabi Ltd., Occidental of Bahrain Ltd., Occidental of Bangladesh Inc., Occidental of Colombia (Chipiron) Inc., Occidental of Colombia (Cosecha) Inc., Occidental of Colombia (Medina) Inc., Occidental of Colombia (Putumayo) Ltd., Occidental of Colombia (Teca) Ltd., Occidental of Colombia PUT-36 LLC, Occidental of Dubai Inc., Occidental of Iraq Holdings Ltd., Occidental of Iraq LLC, Occidental of Oman Inc., Occidental of Russia Ltd., Occidental of South Africa (Offshore) Inc., Occidental of Yemen (Block 75) LLC, Oceanic Marine Transport Ltd., Opcal Insurance Inc., Oryx Crude Trading & Transportation Inc., Oxy BridgeTex Limited Partnership, Oxy C & I Bulk Sales LLC, Oxy Canada Sales Inc., Oxy Carbon Solutions LLC, Oxy Carbon Storage LLC, Oxy Climate Ventures Inc., Oxy Cogeneration Holding Company LLC, Oxy Colombia Holdings LLC, Oxy Colombia TopCo Ltd., Oxy Delaware Basin LLC, Oxy Delaware Basin Plant LLC, Oxy Dolphin E&P LLC, Oxy Dolphin Pipeline LLC, Oxy Energy Canada Inc., Oxy Energy Services LLC, Oxy Expatriate Services Inc., Oxy FFT Holdings Inc., Oxy Holding Company (Pipeline) Inc., Oxy International Ventures Ltd., Oxy LPG Terminal LLC, Oxy Levelland Pipeline Company LLC, Oxy Levelland Terminal Company LLC, Oxy Low Carbon Ventures LLC, Oxy Midstream Strategic Development LLC, Oxy Oleoducto SOP LLC, Oxy Overseas Services Ltd., Oxy Permian Gathering LLC, Oxy Permian Plaza LLC, Oxy Petroleum de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Oxy Renewable Energy LLC, Oxy Salt Creek Pipeline LLC, Oxy TL LLC, Oxy Taft Hub LLC, Oxy Technology Ventures Inc., Oxy Transport I Company LLC, Oxy Vinyls Canada Co., Oxy Vinyls Export Sales LLC, Oxy Vinyls LP, Oxy Westwood Corporation, Oxy Y-1 Company, OxyChem Ingleside Ethylene Holdings Inc., OxyChem do Brasil Ltda., OxyChile Investments LLC, Oxychem Shipping Ltd., Permian Basin JV Tax Matters Member LLC, Permian Basin Limited Partnership, Permian VPP Holder LP, Permian VPP Manager LLC, Phibro, Placid Oil LLC, Ramlat Oxy Ltd., Rio de Viento Inc., Rodeo Midland Basin LLC, San Patricio Pipeline LLC, Scanports Shipping LLC, SequestCo LLC, Stetson Exploration LLC, Sun Offshore Gathering Company, Swiflite Aircraft Corporation, Transok Properties LLC, Troy Potter Inc., Turavent Oil GmbH [in liquidation], Tuscaloosa Holdings Inc., UP Petroleo III Ltd., Upland Industries Corporation, Venezuela US SRL, Vintage Gas Inc., Vintage Petroleum, Vintage Petroleum Argentina Ltd., Vintage Petroleum Boliviana Ltd., Vintage Petroleum International Finance B.V., Vintage Petroleum International Holdings LLC, Vintage Petroleum International LLC, Vintage Petroleum International Ventures Inc., Vintage Petroleum Italy Inc., Vintage Petroleum South America Holdings Inc., Vintage Petroleum South America LLC, Vintage Petroleum Turkey Inc., WGR Asset Holding Company LLC, WGR Canada Inc., Wardner Ranch Inc., Western Gas Resources Inc., Western Gas Resources-Westana Inc., Western Midstream Holdings LLC, Woodlands International Insurance Ltd., and YT Ranch LLC. The following companies are subsidiares of Lithia Motors: 797 Valley Street LLC, Albany CJD Fiat, Baierl Auto Group, Baierl Auto Parts LLC, Baierl Automotive Corporation, Baierl Chevrolet Inc., Baierl Holding LLC, Broadway Ford, Buhler Ford Inc, Cadillac of Portland Lloyd Center LLC, Camp Automotive Inc., Carbone Auto Body LLC, Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat of Morgantown, Cranberry Automotive Inc., Crater Lake Ford Lincoln, Crater Lake Mazda, DCH (Oxnard) Inc., DCH Auto Group, DCH Bloomfield LLC, DCH CA LLC, DCH Calabasas-A LLC, DCH California Investments LLC, DCH California Motors Inc., DCH DMS NJ LLC, DCH Del Norte Inc., DCH Essex Inc., DCH Financial NJ LLC, DCH Freehold - V LLC, DCH Freehold LLC, DCH Holdings LLC, DCH Investments Inc. (New Jersey), DCH Investments Inc. (New York), DCH Korean Imports LLC, DCH Mamaroneck LLC, DCH Mission Valley LLC, DCH Monmouth LLC, DCH Montclair LLC, DCH Motors LLC, DCH NY Motors LLC, DCH Nanuet LLC, DCH North America Inc., DCH Oxnard 1521 Imports Inc., DCH Riverside-S Inc., DCH Simi Valley Inc., DCH Support Services LLC, DCH TL Holdings LLC, DCH TL NY Holdings LLC, DCH Temecula Imports LLC, DCH Temecula Motors LLC, DCH Thousand Oaks-F Inc., DCH Torrance Imports Inc., Dah Chong Hong CA Trading LLC, Dah Chong Hong Trading Corporation, Daron Motors LLC, Day Auto Group, Downtown LA, Driveway Motors LLC, Elizabeth Collision LLC, Florida SS LLC, Ford Lincoln of Morgantown, Freehold Nissan LLC, Fuse Auto Sales LLC, Hamilton Honda, Hazleton Honda, Hutchins Eugene Nissan Inc., Hutchins Imported Motors Inc., Jaguar Landrover Mission Viejo, LA Motors Holding LLC, LAD Advertising Inc., LAD Carson-N LLC, LAD Mission Viejo-JLR Inc., LAD Mobu Inc., LAD-AU LLC, LAD-MB LLC, LAD-N LLC, LAD-P LLC, LAD-T LLC, LAD-V LLC, LBMP LLC, LFKF LLC, LGPAC Inc., LLL Sales Co LLC, LMBB LLC, LMBP LLC, LMOP LLC, LSTAR LLC, Lithia AcDM Inc., Lithia Aircraft Inc., Lithia Anchorage-C LLC, Lithia Anchorage-H LLC, Lithia Armory Garage LLC, Lithia Auction & Recon LLC, Lithia Auto Services Inc., Lithia Automotive Inc., Lithia BA Holding Inc., Lithia BNM Inc. (nonoperating), Lithia Baierl-S LLC, Lithia Bryan Texas Inc., Lithia Buffalo-A LLC, Lithia CCTF Inc., Lithia CDH Inc., Lithia CIMR Inc., Lithia CJDO Inc., Lithia CJDSA Inc., Lithia CJDSF Inc., Lithia CM Inc., Lithia CO Inc., Lithia CSA Inc., Lithia Community Development Company Inc., Lithia Crater Lake-F Inc., Lithia Crater Lake-M Inc., Lithia DE Inc., Lithia DM Inc., Lithia DMID Inc., Lithia Des Moines-VW LLC, Lithia Dodge of Tri-Cities Inc., Lithia Eatontown-F LLC, Lithia FLCC LLC, Lithia FMF Inc., Lithia Financial Corporation (previously Lithia Leasing Inc. and Lithia Credit Inc.), Lithia Florida Holding Inc., Lithia Ford of Boise Inc., Lithia Fresno Inc., Lithia HDM Inc., Lithia HGF Inc., Lithia HMID Inc., Lithia HPI Inc. (nonoperating), Lithia Hamilton-H LLC, Lithia Hazleton-H LLC, Lithia Idaho Falls-F Inc., Lithia Imports of Anchorage Inc., Lithia JEF Inc., Lithia Klamath Inc., Lithia Klamath-T Inc., Lithia LBGGF Inc., Lithia LHGF Inc., Lithia LSGF Inc., Lithia MBDM Inc., Lithia MMF Inc., Lithia MTLM Inc., Lithia McMurray-C LLC, Lithia Medford HON Inc., Lithia Middletown-L LLC, Lithia Monroeville-A LLC, Lithia Monroeville-C LLC, Lithia Monroeville-F LLC, Lithia Monroeville-V LLC, Lithia Moon-S LLC, Lithia Moon-V LLC, Lithia Morgantown-CJD LLC, Lithia Morgantown-F LLC, Lithia Morgantown-S LLC, Lithia Motors Support Services Inc., Lithia NA Inc., Lithia NC Inc., Lithia ND Acquisition Corp. #1, Lithia ND Acquisition Corp. #3, Lithia ND Acquisition Corp. #4, Lithia NDM Inc., Lithia NF Inc., Lithia NSA Inc., Lithia Northeast Real Estate LLC, Lithia Orchard Park-H LLC, Lithia Paramus-M LLC, Lithia Pittsburgh-S LLC, Lithia Ramsey-B LLC, Lithia Ramsey-L LLC, Lithia Ramsey-M LLC, Lithia Ramsey-T LLC, Lithia Real Estate Inc., Lithia Reno Sub-HYUN Inc., Lithia Reno-CJ LLC, Lithia Reno-VW LLC, Lithia Rose-FT Inc., Lithia SOC Inc., Lithia SSP LLC, Lithia Salmir Inc., Lithia Sea P Inc., Lithia Seaside Inc., Lithia Spokane-B LLC, Lithia Spokane-S LLC, Lithia TA Inc., Lithia TO Inc., Lithia TR Inc., Lithia Uniontown-C LLC, Lithia VAuDM Inc., Lithia VF Inc., Lithia Wexford-H LLC, Lithia of Abilene Inc., Lithia of Anchorage Inc., Lithia of Bend #1 LLC, Lithia of Bend #2 LLC, Lithia of Bennington - 1 LLC, Lithia of Bennington - 2 LLC, Lithia of Bennington - 3 LLC, Lithia of Bennington - 4 LLC, Lithia of Billings II LLC, Lithia of Billings Inc., Lithia of Casper LLC, Lithia of Clear Lake LLC, Lithia of Concord I Inc., Lithia of Concord II Inc., Lithia of Corpus Christi Inc., Lithia of Des Moines Inc., Lithia of Eureka Inc., Lithia of Fairbanks Inc., Lithia of Great Falls Inc., Lithia of Helena Inc., Lithia of Honolulu-A Inc., Lithia of Honolulu-BGMCC LLC, Lithia of Honolulu-F LLC, Lithia of Honolulu-V LLC, Lithia of Killeen LLC, Lithia of Lodi Inc., Lithia of Maui-H LLC, Lithia of Missoula II LLC, Lithia of Missoula III Inc., Lithia of Missoula Inc., Lithia of Pocatello Inc., Lithia of Portland I LLC, Lithia of Portland LLC, Lithia of Robstown LLC, Lithia of Roseburg Inc., Lithia of Santa Rosa Inc., Lithia of Seattle Inc., Lithia of South Central AK Inc., Lithia of Spokane II Inc., Lithia of Spokane Inc., Lithia of Stockton Inc., Lithia of Stockton-V Inc., Lithia of TF Inc., Lithia of Troy LLC, Lithia of Utica - 1 LLC, Lithia of Utica - 2 LLC, Lithia of Utica - 3 LLC, Lithia of Utica - 4 LLC, Lithia of Walnut Creek Inc., Lithia of Wasilla LLC, Lithia of Yorkville - 1 LLC, Lithia of Yorkville - 2 LLC, Lithia of Yorkville - 3 LLC, Lithia of Yorkville - 4 LLC, Lithia of Yorkville - 5 LLC, Medford Insurance LLC, Milford DCH Inc., Northland Ford Inc., PA Real Estate LLC, PA Support Services LLC, Paramus Collision LLC, Paramus World Motors LLC, Personalized Marketing LLC, Prestige Auto Group, RFA Holdings LLC, Ray Laks Acura, Ray Laks Honda, Sacramento-L Inc., Salem-B LLC, Salem-H LLC, Salem-V LLC, Sharlene Realty LLC, Shift Portland LLC, Southern Cascades Finance Corporation, Subaru of Morgantown, Tampa-H LLC, Tustin Motors Inc., Wesley Chapel-H LLC, Wesley Chapel-T LLC, Zelienople Real Estate I L.P., and Zelienople Real Estate L.L.C.. United Technologies Corporation provides technology products and services to building systems and aerospace industries worldwide. Its Otis segment designs, manufactures, sells, and installs passenger and freight elevators, escalators, and moving walkways; and offers modernization products to upgrade elevators and escalators, as well as maintenance and repair services. The company's Carrier segment provides heating, ventilating, air conditioning, refrigeration, fire, security, and building automation products, solutions, and services for commercial, government, infrastructure, residential, and refrigeration and transportation applications. This segment also offers building services, including audit, design, installation, system integration, repair, maintenance, and monitoring. Its Pratt & Whitney segment supplies aircraft engines for commercial, military, business jet, and general aviation markets; and provides aftermarket maintenance, repair, and overhaul, as well as fleet management services. The company's Collins Aerospace Systems segment provides electric power generation, power management, and distribution systems; air data and aircraft sensing systems; engine control, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems; engine components; environmental control systems; fire and ice detection, and protection systems; propeller systems; engine nacelle systems; aircraft lighting, seating, and cargo systems; actuation and landing systems; space products and subsystems; avionics systems; flight controls, communications, navigation, oxygen, and training systems; food and beverage preparation, and storage and galley systems; and lavatory and wastewater management systems. The company offers its services through manufacturers' representatives, distributors, wholesalers, dealers, retail outlets, and sales representatives, as well as directly to customers. United Technologies Corporation was founded in 1934 and is headquartered in Farmington, Connecticut. Read More American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved. 326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at [email protected]marketbeat.com | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research. 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. The Southern pays an annual dividend of $2.64 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 4.21%. SO has a dividend yield higher than 75% of all dividend-paying stocks, making it a leading dividend payer. The Southern has been increasing its dividend for 20 consecutive years, indicating the company has a strong committment to maintain and grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio of The Southern is 81.23%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable. Based on earnings estimates, The Southern will have a dividend payout ratio of 74.37% next year. This indicates that The Southern will be able to sustain or increase its dividend. View The Southern's dividend history. HARBIN - Liu Lixia walks into the classroom wearing her dancing gear and proceeds to warm up in front of the mirror. She dances every week and enjoys her weekly university-style life. Nothing unusual there perhaps, except that the "university" Liu attends is Harbin Senior Citizen School. It was established in 1984 and is one of China's first educational establishments aimed solely at senior citizens. More than 200,000 students have graduated from it over the past 30 years. All the students enrolled here are over 50 years old, and have had their lives enriched through attending the school. Following her musical accompaniment, Liu spins and jumps gracefully to the beat. It is difficult to imagine that she is over 50 years old. "It has been more than three years since I first came to this class. Not only did dancing give me a new lease of life, but I also became more cheerful and confident," Liu said. Around 1,500 workers employed by US-based aluminium company Alcoa in Western Australia (WA) are continuing indefinite strike action in a protracted dispute over a new enterprise agreement (EBA). The current deal covers employees at the companys refineries in Kwinana, Pinjarra and Wagerup and its Huntly and Willowdale bauxite mines south of Perth. The walkout on August 8 was sparked when EBA negotiations that have been ongoing for around 20 months stalled. Alcoa applied to the federal governments pro-business tribunal, the Fair Work Commission, to allow it to terminate the current work agreement. If Alcoas application is granted, the workers could be forced back onto the base industrial award, leading to massive pay reductions and sweeping cuts to working conditions. The company is demanding that the workers vote on its EA proposal before the end of this month. The same tactic, of seeking to force workers onto the base award, has been used by companies in numerous disputes over the last three years, including at Glencores Oaky North mine in Queensland and Griffin Coal in WA. In each case, it has been used by the companies, assisted by the unions, to pressure workers into accepting regressive agreements that slash wages and conditions. Companies can apply for the termination of agreements under Fair Work industrial laws introduced by the former Labor government, with the support of the unions. The legislation also contains draconian anti-strike provisions which have been used to suppress workers opposition in dispute after dispute. The strike at Alcoa erupted despite the efforts of the Australian Workers Union (AWU) to contain all opposition to sporadic limited stoppages while it attempted to broker a sell-out deal with the company. In the wake of last weeks walkout, AWU Western Australian state secretary Mike Zoetbrood told the media that while the unions members were sensible, and only want what is fair and reasonable, they wont accept the company using threats of termination as a means of pressuring the workforce into accepting sub-par working conditions. Zoetbrood admitted that the union had offered concessions during negotiations. The union has not made public the details of the concessions or what sub-par working conditions Alcoa is seeking to impose. But it is clear that the company wants to increase workplace flexibility and management prerogatives so that it can restructure to take advantage of market opportunities. A statement by Alcoas corporate affairs director Jodie Read last week pointed to the agenda to be enshrined in the new EBA. Read declared that Alcoa wants to establish a modern EBA to allow it to manage our operations efficiently and productively, and gives us the ability to respond to changing market and operating conditions. She further stated that the company is determined to remain internationally competitive throughout the business cycle through the implementation of the EBA. The demand for international competitiveness has been the banner under which companies, aided at every point by the unions, have destroyed thousands of jobs and eliminated working conditions to slash costs and get an edge over their rivals in the struggle for market share. Remaining internationally competitive will mean escalating the drive to increase productivity while forcing down labour costs. Last year, Alcoa gained regulatory approval from the WA state government to ship 2.5-million tonnes of bauxite from its WA mines to third-party customers, mainly to China. This tonnage is on top of the bauxite that is mined to feed Alcoas own WA alumina refineries that have a capacity of around 9.3 million tonnes or some 8 percent of the worlds alumina supply. Alongside expanding operations, the company has carried out a cost-cutting operation in Australia, as part of a worldwide restructure announced in 2009 that included a 13 percent cut to its global workforce to offset falling aluminium prices. This has seen sweeping attacks on the rights of Alcoa workers around the world. Around 1,000 Canadian workers at an ABI smelter in Quebec, Canada, majority-owned by Alcoa, have been locked out since January, as the company demands cuts to jobs and conditions. Similar measures have already been carried out in Australia. In 2014, the AWU worked with Alcoa to carry out an orderly closure of its Point Henry smelter in Geelong, Victoria and preventing any struggle against the shutdown. The closure cost 1,000 jobs. The company also shuttered its Yennora aluminium rolling plant in Western Sydney destroying another 250. The next year Alcoa closed its mine and power station at Anglesea, which used to supply the Port Henry smelter, axing nearly 90 jobs. In 2017, Alcoa, with the connivance of the AWU, used the threat to close its smelter at Portland, in south-western Victoria, to secure a $230 million government subsidy. The reprieve for the 600 workers at the plant could be withdrawn at any time and the facility shutdown. Significantly, the closure threat came just one year after the AWU agreed to a one-year wage freeze for the Portland workforce, saving the company $1.5 million. It followed successive rounds of job cuts since 2009. The strike is part of a growing wave of opposition, in the working class, and among Alcoa employees around the world, to the offensive against jobs, wages and conditions spearheaded by the major corporations since the 2008 global financial crisis. The historical record demonstrates that these struggles can only go forward through a complete break with the corporatised unions. New organisations of struggle, including independent rank-and-file-committees, must be established to resist the AWUs attempts to suppress the strike and turn to other sections of workers in Australia, Canada and internationally to spearhead a counter-offensive involving the entire working class. Such organisation require a new political perspective, aimed at establishing a workers government that would place essential industries, including mining and resources, along with the banks and corporations, under public ownership and democratic workers control. A border search-and-rescue group, Aguilas del Desierto, or Eagles of the Desert, found over a dozen remains of migrants after it was given special permission to search for a missing person within a limited southern section of the Barry Goldwater Air Force bombing range in Welling, Arizona, along the US/Mexico border. The bombing range is a vast 70-mile vast swath of land that stretches from Southeast of Yuma, Arizona all the way to the Sonoran Desert National Monument. The range crosses through well-known migrant routes and has remained inaccessible to human aid groups or forensics teams. Eagles of the Desert (EED) was the first group ever allowed to perform searches on the high security bombing range which is utilized for air-to-ground bombing practice by A-10s, F-16s and F-35 Lightning II Air Force Jets. The base is also used for Marine Corps and NATO allied flight crews while deployed to any of the aforementioned bases for training. EED was allowed limited access to an unused area to search for the individual for whom they had a missing persons report. The migrant was never found, but in the short time frame of searching, the group came across 13 human remains in a very small section of the bombing range. The concentration of remains in the limited area leaves little doubt to EED that the number of remains is likely in the hundreds, if not thousands. Last year a Texas sheriff commented, For every one [body] we find, were probably missing five. The treacherous deserts along the Southwest have taken the lives of untold tens of thousands of migrants coming to the United States. Investigative reporter John Carlos Frey helped break the story, which points unmistakably to negligence by the authorities, as well as the utter disregard by officials for the lives of migrants. Frey told Democracy Now, For the most part, sheriffs, police departments, police agencies in the United States do not count migrants who are missing as missing persons. So these individual names are not being turned over to the database. So theres no way for someone in Latin America to search for their loved ones through a DNA sample, because those names have not been entered in the database....The federal government has washed its hands of these individuals and is not assisting, either financially or by allowing names to be put into the database. Frey also commented on the direct correlation between the denial of asylum at the border and the high volume of those perishing while crossing. Hundreds of asylum seekers have continued to camp out for days and weeks, only to be turned away by the Border Patrol citing the June announcement by US Attorney General Jeff Sessions that Washington will no longer consider victims of domestic or gang violence for asylum status. Individuals who are trying to make a claim of asylum have fled their countries because they dont have a choice. Theyre fleeing for their lives. If we are not allowing them in to make a claim of asylum, they will go another way. And the route thats available to them are the deserts of the American Southwest. It is most likely now that individuals who cross that desert will be put in peril. They will suffer just going through, especially this time of year. We can count on the fact that many of these individuals may perish, Frey told Democracy Now . Refusing to accept asylum applications is a flagrant violation of international human rights law. The 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees provides that no one shall expel or return a refugee against his or her will, in any manner whatsoever, to a territory where he or she fears threats to life or freedom. The reality is that Washingtons policies of denying asylum have forced many migrants to partake in the brutal 7-10 day journey across scorching desert in temperatures that soar over 110 degrees Fahrenheit. The endless lines at the border and outright denial of asylum explode all of the noxious rhetoric that immigrants should be crossing legally. In 2015 another mass grave in Brooks County, Texas came to light, which contained the remains of more than 300 immigrants which federal agents gathered from the desert. At that time, a reporting team that included Frey found that many of the migrants had died after waiting hours for Border Patrol to respond to their 911 calls. It can only be concluded that Washington relies on great numbers perishing in the treacherous conditions. Revelations early this year detailed the systematic destruction of lifesaving aid by Border Patrol agents and the increasing harassment and surveillance of humanitarian organizations such as No More Deaths (NMD) and Border Angels. Organizations reported that between 2012 and 2015, on average occurring more than twice a week, 3,586 gallons of water were vandalized. In addition, this year nine members of NMD faced federal prosecution for the supposed crime of leaving water and medical aid to migrants on the verge of death in the Arizona desert. Scott Warren, an instructor at Arizona State University, faces a felony charges for harboring two people and providing food and water for approximately three days, according to the US District Court of Arizona. Warren could face up to five years in prison. These charges harken back to the harboring of Jews during the Holocaust or of Japanese in California during internment. Increasingly, Washington continues to pursue the working class as it mounts an offensive to protect refugees and immigrants across the globe. The devastation immigrants flee is the result of decades of US involvement throughout Central and Latin America, which has created violent conditions and maintain the high levels of poverty reflected in state and gang violence. The same process on the other side of the globe results in the death of thousands who have drowned in the Mediterranean fleeing Washingtons wars. Only the fight for socialism, predicated on internationalism and opposition to imperialist war, can break apart the violent, militarized borders and the nation state, finally allowing humanity to move freely across the globe. Supporters of WikiLeaks editor Julian Assange took part in a demonstration outside the Ecuadorian embassy in London Thursday to mark six years since he sought refuge there and was granted political asylum. Chanting slogans including Protect all journalists, free Assange! protesters held placards reading, Free Julian Assange, Free Press! Free Assange! No Internet Censorship and Bring Julian Home. Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno, under pressure from the United States with which he seeks closer relations and investment, has stepped up moves to eject Assange from the embassy. Protesters at Thursdays vigil at the Ecuadorian embassy in London If Assange is forced out, he faces immediate arrest by waiting British police and imprisonment on minor bail infringement charges relating to a case dropped by the Swedish authorities over a year ago. Assange fears that if detained by the British authorities he will be extradited to the US. The WikiLeaks editor is now the subject of the investigation headed by US Special Counsel and former FBI director Robert Mueller into alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 presidential election. Following his indictment of 12 Russian intelligence officers last month, Mueller is now seeking to prove that WikiLeaks was part of a conspiracy to hack and publish emails sent by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Hillary Clintons campaign chair, John Podesta. Assange continues to face a secret grand jury trial in Virginia, home of the Pentagon and CIA, on multiple charges under the 1917 Espionage Act. These moves are aimed at denying free speech to Assange and WikiLeaks, who over the last decade have exposed the war crimes, coup plots and mass surveillance carried out by the US government and its allies. World Socialist Web Site reporters spoke to some of those at the protest. Mr. Tan from Singapore, who is holidaying in the UK, said he fully supported Assange and was pleased to see people still defending him. I think Julian Assange has done more than anyone this century to promote freedom of speech. In my own country, Singapore, we have been a so-called democratic state since independence [in 1965 from Britain] but it has been the same party in power, the Peoples Action Party [PAP], ever since. For a lot of that time the same man, Lee Kuan Yew, was the prime minister. So you could say Singapore is a one-party state. And even though it has absolute power the PAP uses the courts and all sorts of underhand ways to stop opposition parties growing. We are ranked as one of the worst countries in the world in terms of press freedom. And it is getting worse, with more and more restrictive laws. Although the government says it does not censor political opinion on the internet, nearly all the online news channels are owned by the big newspaper companies which are tightly controlled or censor themselves. I will have to look at the World Socialist Web Site when I get back home. The government says we have freedom of speech. They say you can go to Speakers Corner in Hong Lim Park and say what you want. But you have to register with the park authorities, and everywhere else all demonstrations have to get a permit from the police, who can stop them if they decide it has political purposes. Foreigners, and remember we have hundreds of thousands of immigrant workers, are not allowed to take part in political activity. In Singapore, people can be held in a detention indefinitely without being charged. The government can also spy on you when it wants. So you can see why I am sympathetic to Julian Assange and the way he revealed what was going on. Another protester, Khoo, cited the case of the young internet blogger, Amos Yee, and said he flew to the US and was given asylum [in 2016] after being jailed for his political beliefs. He criticised religion, which is more or less forbidden in Singapore. I agree with you that increasing repression is linked to increasing inequality. I had not thought about it like that before. Singapore is the richest country in Asia, but I think it is also the most unequal. There were lots of stories in the press last month about how the top billionaires increased their wealth by 11 percent last year. It is absolutely incredible, especially when you think the government has been talking about inequality being the biggest threat to Singapore and made it a top priority. Saleh and Ameena are young Saudi nationals. Saleh spoke to the WSWS, while Ameena wanted to hold a Socialist Equality Party placard reading, Defend Assange. Saleh said, I feel strongly about the right to freedom of speech. Assange is a prisoner here, getting lower treatment than a prisoner. All he has done is show the truth to the people of the world, with WikiLeaks. Freedom of speech is very important: the right to say what you think is as basic as the right to have food or water. There is no freedom of speech where I come from. When I am here, I feel free to be myself and talk about what I want. When I am back home, I have to behave like an actor. When there is no free speech, it means that those in power can do what they like and can also lie. The attacks on Iraq, Syria, Libya were all based on lies. The Islamists also are against free speech, in the same way as the UK and US governments. Maybe that is why they are on the same side in Syria. With more freedom of speech comes more social justice and less poverty. In Saudi we have a lot of poverty, it is hidden and it is controlled No one can talk about it freely. The author also recommends: Socialist Equality Party leader Julie Hyland speaks at London vigil to demand freedom for Julian Assange [ 20 June 2018 ] Protesters at Ecuador embassy vigil in London demand freedom for Julian Assange [21 June 2018] Hundreds of Google employees have protested the companys moves to build a censored search engine in China, the New York Times reported Friday. The Times article follows an August 1 article by the Intercept reporting that the company has secretly devoted a team of engineers and developers to constructing a search engine that would comply with Chinas strict regime of Internet censorship. Google famously ended its search operations in China in 2010, protesting the countrys strict demands that users be prevented from accessing critical websites and topics. But it has dropped all such scruples in the more recent period. Google CEO Sundar Pichai confirmed the existence of the operation, known internally as Project Dragonfly, at an all-hands meeting with employees on Thursday. At the same time, he sought to downplay the revelation, saying the company was not close to rolling out the product and that Googles expansion in China was slow-going and complicated. The letter by employees does not address the substance of the moral and ethical issues raised by Project Dragonfly, but demands that the company provide employees with more information about the tools it is developing. We urgently need more transparency, a seat at the table, and a commitment to clear and open processes: Google employees need to know what were building, the letter concludes. The letter and Thursdays meeting follow the publication of an open letter in April, signed by over 1,000 employees, demanding that the company end its collaboration with the Pentagon on artificial intelligence systems designed to power the US militarys drone warfare program. Google was forced to backtrack, nominally canceling the Project Maven program and adopting a set of ethical guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence. Its collaboration with the US military, however, has intensified, and the company is in the running for a massive Pentagon contract, known as Project Jedi, to host a large portion of the militarys technical infrastructure. The news of Googles efforts to create a censored search engine for the Chinese has elicited denunciations from sections the of US press, which have scolded the company for collaborating with a totalitarian government. In fact, Googles proposed censored search engine in China represents a development of, not a departure from, its overall trajectory. In April 2017, Google responded to intensifying pressure from the US political establishment and intelligence agencies by implementing a censorship system in the United States targeting principally left-wing, anti-war and socialist organizations. At that time, Google Engineering Vice President Ben Gomes announced changes to the companys search algorithm aimed at promoting authoritative news sources over alternative viewpoints. By using search evaluators to train the companys artificial intelligence system, the company has down-ranked domains presenting an alternative viewpoint unless the query clearly indicates the user is seeking an alternative viewpoint. The effect of these measures has been a massive down-ranking of left-wing sites, particularly the World Socialist Web Site, whose search traffic from Google plunged by 75 percent. Google gave no explanation as to which sites were being targeted and why, and told reporters that its rating system was free of political bias. In the ensuing year, this approach has been embraced by other technology giants, including Facebook, whose CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, said earlier this year that the company would reduce the propagation of what it called fake news instead of simply removing it, because such censorship was a sensitive issue. Googles claim of being free of political bias in its downgrading of websites is a lie that has been fully exposed by its increasingly aggressive efforts to decrease or block readers access to sites that promote oppositional information and viewpoints. The development of a search engine that completely blocks a set of terms and domains at the request of a government is simply the next step for Googles censorship regime. Pichai has made clear that the project will go ahead despite political pressure not only from employees, but also from sections of the political establishment that fear it may cut across their anti-China policies. The United States is locked in a bitter dispute with China over its technology sector, with Washington seeking to block the growth of smart phone makers Huawei and ZTE, while promoting the expansion of US technology firms such as Google in the Chinese market. The determination of Google to proceed with its China project indicates that the censorship methods Google is developing nominally for China are seen as having utility elsewhere, including within the United States itself. With sales of smart phones expected to plateau, growth declining in other sectors, and record-breaking fines being imposed by the European Union amid deepening trade and economic tensions with the United States, Google, like other technology giants, is seeking closer collaboration with the American government and other governments to bolster its revenue stream. And with the United States, China and other countries increasingly focused on domestic repression and military expansion, this collaboration inevitably takes the form of partnering in police and military operations. The ultimate outcome of Googles efforts to create a censored search engine in China may well rest on high-level state negotiations. As the New York Times wrote: The Chinese government could nonetheless use Google as a chip in its negotiations with the American government, which has been critical of the way China limits market access for United States technology companies. By letting Googles search engine back into China, the Chinese government could give President Trump a political victory, earning some good will. Regardless of the outcome of the talks, it is clear that Google has no objection to state censorship and is willing to collaborate with any government, whether Trumps America or Xis China, to implement it. In the midst of a deepening crisis of the world capitalist system, every ruling class internationally, fearful of growing left-wing and socialist opposition within the working class, is seeking to implement and expand state censorship of the Internet. We urge workers all over the world to take up the struggle against state censorship by contacting the World Socialist Web Site. US Defense Secretary Gen. James Mattis wound up his first official visit to Latin America in Colombia and headed back to Washington on Friday, having used the four-nation tour to warn against growing Chinese influence in the region and press for closer ties between the US and Latin American military commands. Three of nations chosen for the tourBrazil, Argentina and Chilehave all seen changes of government that have brought in increasingly right-wing regimes more amendable to developing their collaboration with the Pentagon. All three were also ruled 40 years ago by fascist-military dictatorships backed by the Pentagon and the CIA that murdered, tortured and imprisoned hundreds of thousands of workers, students and others perceived as hostile to military rule. The fourth and final stop on Mattis tour was Colombia, long Washingtons closest military ally in the region. Mattis visit comes less than two months after a similar trip to Latin America by Vice President Mike Pence. Like Pence, the Pentagon chief made threatening noises about restoring democracy to Venezuela, while claiming that this was not a military question and would best be left under the leadership of Brazil. This, despite a recent report by the Associated Press establishing that President Donald Trump repeatedly pressed his aides over why Washington could not invade Venezuela, as it did Grenada in 1983. The central focus of Mattis discussionsand of Washingtons overall geostrategic objectives in the lands south of its borderwas China. US imperialism, which long referred to the region contemptuously as its own backyard, has faced mounting challenges from Beijing to its historic regional hegemony. Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged to invest $250 billion directly into the region and generate $500 billion in trade between 2015 and 2019; it has already surpassed the US as the largest trading partner in two of the countries visited by Mattis, Brazil and Chile, as well as Peru. Since 2005, lending from Chinese state-run banks to Latin America has exceeded the combined loans provided by the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank and the Corporacion Andina de Fomento (CAF), a Latin American development bank, reaching more than US$20 billion in 2015 and 2016. While the US remains the largest source of Latin Americas FDI (foreign direct investment), its share fell to 20 percent in 2016 from 25.7 percent in 2015, according to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. Meanwhile, Chinas has steadily risen over the past decade, increasing by US$70 billion since 2012. While US FDI is dominated by finance capital seeking super profits through emerging market investments, Chinas investment in infrastructure has vastly outstripped that of the US. Mattis spelled out the purpose of his trip even before setting foot on Latin American soil. Theres more than one way to lose sovereignty in this world; its not just by bayonets, he told reporters on the way down. It can also be by countries that come in bearings gifts and large loans that pile up massive debt on countries, knowing they will not be able to repay it, or large projects where people dont get the jobs for them. Other countries bring in their own workers. The reference to countries bearings gifts and large loans was clearly to China. Mattis met with Brazils defense minister, Gen. Joaquim Silva e Luna, on Monday for discussions that included the subjects of China and Venezuela, as well as proposals for the US to secure use of Brazils Alcantara satellite launching center on the countrys northern Atlantic coast, in the state of Maranhao. The location, just two degrees from the equator, provides significant advantage for launches. In a speech delivered the next day to Brazilian officers at the countrys war college, Mattis explicitly linked US interest in the site to Washingtons preparation for war in space. He pointed to a more than decade-old incident in which China used a missile to destroy one of its own satellites in space. We understand the message China was sending, that they could take out a satellite in space, the defense secretary told his audience. We dont intend to militarize space. However, we will defend ourselves in space, if necessary. He went on to claim that the Pentagon wanted to make use of the Alcantara base not because it lies along the equator, a happy accident of geography, but because we want to work with Brazilians - our hemispheric neighbors whose values we share politically, as well as your technological orientation. To what political values was Mattis referring? Certainly they have nothing to do with democracy. The Brazilian regime of President Michel Temer, brought to power through the impeachment of his predecessor Dilma Rousseff on trumped up charges of budget mismanagement, is riddled with corruption and enjoys virtually no popular support. On the other side stands the administration of Donald Trump, who increasingly speaks for a faction of the financial oligarchy that wants to encourage the growth of a fascistic movement to confront the working class. In reality, Mattis appeal was predicated on Washingtons calculation that it can leverage its military superiority and the cultivation of militarism within Latin America itself to counter the influence of China, as well as Russia, in the region. The Pentagon chiefs visit has come amid the growing influence of the military in political life in the region. In Brazil, the military has taken over domestic policing in Rio de Janeiro, while top generals have issued thinly veiled threats of military intervention in response to the crisis and corruption of the civilian government. Similarly, in Argentina, the right-wing government of President Mauricio Macri recently issued a decree mandating the employment of the military in domestic policing, a highly controversial move in a country where the armed forces exercised dictatorial rule after a US-backed coup in 1976 and operated torture and extermination centers. Troops have also been sent to the impoverished north of the country on the pretext of combatting illicit trafficking. Promoting closer ties between the US and Latin American militaries, Mattis told the officers at the Brazilian war college, We want to be your partner of choice especially if trouble looms ... when threats to your sovereignty or way of life manifest. Mattis did not spell out these coming threats to sovereignty and way of life. There is no doubt, however, that he was referring, in the first instance, to a future military confrontation with China for dominance over Latin America. As for the way of life of Latin America, the most socially unequal continent on the planet, the regions financial and corporate oligarchs will understand very well the threat the US defense secretary has in mind. As in the 1960s and 1970s, Washington and its military-intelligence apparatus are prepared to work with the armed forces of Latin America in arranging military coups and dictatorships to confront a rising revolutionary challenge from the working class. During the end of the movie Thor: The Dark World in 2013, we saw Loki succumb to his death, and his brother Thor was devastated. Little did Thor know that Loki was still alive as he took the guise of their father Odin and accepted Thor's resignation. So in the next Thor instalment Ragnarok, Loki has a lot to answer for. Tom Hiddleston, the actor who plays Loki in the films told a reporter that, "'Thor 3' is happening at some point and the last time we saw Loki he was on the throne, so there's some questions to be answered," according to The International Business Times. In a 2013 interview, Hiddleston admitted that he does not know what happens to the lives of Thor and Loki. "I love that it leaves you hanging there. It's one of those things where it's a constantly evolving map or a jigsaw puzzle where the picture keeps changing and he keeps me on my toes, believe me," he told Slash Film. What Hiddleston likes about Loki is that he's very unpredictable, and the actor who plays him and the audience never really knows what he's up to. "That is one aspect of Loki that I love playing, the poker game that he has the most unreadable face. He will never show his true hand except in extremes," he said. Hiddleston said that while he enjoys playing Loki, he's concerned his hair might fall off if he continues to do so. "I think if I keep dying my hair black, it's going to fall out," he jokingly said. "I love the character. It's a great character; it's amazing how the whole Marvel world has been embraced by people who love film." Lead actor Chris Hemsworth, who plays the mighty Thor also has no clue what Ragnarok will be all about, but he guessed that it would be a pretty exciting playing field. "I think that in the comic book the sort of end-of-days, Armageddon aspect is probably the direction in which it will all head in," Hemsworth told Screen Rant. "Where it's sort of the end of all things and there's obviously no script or anything, when I read the comic books, I thought it was an interesting way to go." The possible villain of Ragnarok is reportedly Sutur, leader of the Fire Demons of Muspelheim. According to the comic books, the storyline has a "mythical cataclysmic event" that would cause the unfortunate deaths of the gods and the destruction of their home Asgard. Ragnarok will be released on November 3, 2017 to accommodate the recent inclusion of Marvel's Spider-Man. Abuse & Cancer Survivor Turns Misery into Ministry Contact: Debbie Roth, 952-412-6311, debbie@restinhimministry.com ENUMCLAW, Wash., Aug. 17, 2018 /Christian Newswire/ -- Debbie Roth suffered abuse, neglect, rape, and betrayal at the hands of people she trusted. Drenched in pain and anger, she hid her misery for years, refusing to acknowledge its existence. When a fresh storm raged through her life, the dam holding back the pain of her past broke open. In her new book, Drenched: Only Hope in the Storm, Roth shares stories from her life and the scriptures that helped her persevere toward healing and hope. "Perseverance is not just gritting our teeth," she says. "Perseverance involves action." Through examples and applicable Bible passages, Roth instructs readers in how they can: recognize and acknowledge pain; understand God's forgiveness, grace, and mercy; apply God's forgiveness to those who may never ask for it; trust God's promises of comfort, peace, rest, and hope; be refreshed and enabled to truly worship God; and turn misery into ministry. Moments of guided reflection in each chapter invite readers to seek God's presence, experience release from pain, anger, and unforgiveness, and be drenched instead by the healing comfort of God's love. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Debbie Roth is the founder of Rest In Him Ministry as well as a paraprofessional who works in a transitional school for young adults with special needs. A vocal coach, singer, speaker, author, wife, mother, and grandmother, Debbie lives in Rosemount, Minnesota, with her husband and two dogs. Connect with Debbie Roth on social media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/debbieroth.restinhimministry Twitter: twitter.com/Hope55Deb Instagram: www.instagram.com/dabldo2004/ Blog: debbieroth.wordpress.com/ For review copies and media interviews, contact: Debbie Roth (952) 412-6311 debbie@restinhimministry.com The waters that surround the Danish Faroe Islands, located between Norway and Iceland, recently washed on the shore blood-red. According to Express, this wasnt due to a natural phenomenon it was because of the areas annual summer whale culling, which draws local participants as young as 5 years old. Since the 16th century, residents of the Faroe Islands have spent part of the summer herding pilot whales, smaller mammals that resemble porpoises, to shallow waters so they can kill the animals by breaking their spines. This year hundreds of the whales were slaughtered in an annual act that helps the Faroese prepare for harsh winters. Many Faroese eat the whale meat through the winter and use the animals organs as bait for fishing, according to the report Small Cetaceans, Big Problems, by the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), Pro Wildlife and Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC). The same report notes a rising concern from conservationists about these kills, since there is no regulated quota for how many pilot whales are allowed to be killed each year. Additionally, sometimes other kinds of whales or porpoises that are illegal to hunt are accidentally killed in the cull. WARNING: Graphic Imagery Below While the winters in the Faroe Islands are difficult, the report notes that pilot whale meat might not be the best answer for survival. RELATED: A Pilot Whale Has Died in Southern Thailand After Swallowing 17 Pounds of Plastic Waste The meat, intestines, and blubber of the hunted animals are heavily contaminated with mercury and organochlorines, such as polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). These contaminants lead the Faroe Islands Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Physician in 2008 to warn that pilot whales should not be considered fit for human consumption, reads the recent report. Still, the Faroese continue to kill and consume hundreds of whales each year. Unfortunately, this isnt the only instance of massive whale kills in the world. Most people think of Japan and the Faroe Islands when talking about dolphin hunts but, numerically, the Faroe Islands are not in the top 10 of small cetacean-killing nations and Japan is only ranked 10th. That is because Peru, Nigeria and Madagascar kill small cetaceans not only for food but also for bait, and are now among the most dangerous places on earth for these animals, Sandra Altherr, biologist for the Germany-based charity Pro Wildlife, said in a statement. Donald Trump Says He Canceled Military Parade Because of the 'Ridiculously High' Cost President Donald Trump announced that he decided to cancel an upcoming military parade in Washington, D.C. because it was going to be too expensive. Sharing the news on Friday morning, Trump wrote on Twitter that he had decided to cancel the event because the local politicians who run Washington, D.C. (poorly) know a windfall when they see it. When asked to give us a price for holding a great celebratory military parade, they wanted a number so ridiculously high that I cancelled it. Never let someone hold you up! he continued. In a separate tweet, Trump added that he will instead attend the big parade already scheduled at Andrews Air Force Base on a different date, & go to the Paris parade, celebrating the end of the War, on November 11th. Maybe we will do something next year in D.C. when the cost comes WAY DOWN, he continued. Now we can buy some more jet fighters! The local politicians who run Washington, D.C. (poorly) know a windfall when they see it. When asked to give us a price for holding a great celebratory military parade, they wanted a number so ridiculously high that I cancelled it. Never let someone hold you up! I will instead... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2018 ....attend the big parade already scheduled at Andrews Air Force Base on a different date, & go to the Paris parade, celebrating the end of the War, on November 11th. Maybe we will do something next year in D.C. when the cost comes WAY DOWN. Now we can buy some more jet fighters! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2018 RELATED: President Trump Slammed Over Military Parade Idea: He Isnt a King In response to Trumps tweets, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, seemed eager to take responsibility for the presidents decision to cancel the parade. Story continues Yup, Im Muriel Bowser, mayor of Washington DC, the local politician who finally got thru to the reality star in the White House with the realities ($21.6M) of parades/events/demonstrations in Trump America (sad), she wrote. Yup, Im Muriel Bowser, mayor of Washington DC, the local politician who finally got thru to the reality star in the White House with the realities ($21.6M) of parades/events/demonstrations in Trump America (sad). https://t.co/vqC3d8FLqx MurielBowser (@MurielBowser) August 17, 2018 Trumps tweets came one day after CNBC reported that the estimated cost of the parade could be as high as $92 million. NBC News was also able to confirm the estimate. In a statement from the Department of Defense on Thursday, Col. Rob Manning claimed that while the parade was originally being planned for November, they were now looking into 2019 dates, according to NBC News. RELATED VIDEO: PEOPLE Writer Natasha Stoynoff Breaks Silence, Accuses Donald Trump of Sexual Attack Trump has spoken publicly and privately in the past about having a parade to showcase the might of the military, most notably after attending the annual Bastille Day military parade in Paris last July with French President Emmanuel Macron. In February, a military official told The Washington Post that Trump had given marching orders to White House and Pentagon officials, saying, I want a parade like the one in France. A White House official told the Post that the presidents intention was to highlight the service and sacrifice of the military and have a unifying moment for the country, but the idea was criticized by many Americans as being authoritarian and even abusive of the military. TV news networks pounced on DC mayors response to President Donald Trumps tweets claiming city officials looking for a windfall drove up the pricetag on his military parade so high he pulled the plug on the plan. Yup, Im Muriel Bowser, mayor of Washington DC, the local politician who finally got thru to the reality star in the White House with the realities ($21.6M) of parades/events/demonstrations in Trump America (sad), tweeted DCs mayor. Trumps morning tweet blamed the local politicians who run Washington, DC (poorly) for the cancellation of his parade, which he said he scrubbed because local politicos who know a windfall when they see it.wanted a number so ridiculously high for his great celebratory military parade. Added Trump in his tweet, Never let someone hold you up!' Bowser apparently took his advice. Trump began talking about a military parade in Washington DC since attending the Bastille Day Parade in Paris. The mayors tweet: Yup, Im Muriel Bowser, mayor of Washington DC, the local politician who finally got thru to the reality star in the White House with the realities ($21.6M) of parades/events/demonstrations in Trump America (sad). https://t.co/vqC3d8FLqx MurielBowser (@MurielBowser) August 17, 2018 Related stories Bill Maher On Trump's Aretha Tribute: President Can't Say RIP Without Lying Donald Trump Insists He Canceled His Parade, But Blames Washington Locals Stephen Colbert Tickled Omarosa Getting Under Donald Trump's Skin WASHINGTON Hundreds of newspapers around the country ran editorials on Thursday highlighting the value of a free press amid attacks on the media as fake news and the enemy of the American people. Last week, the Boston Globe called on publications to run the editorials, as concern rises that President Donald Trumps routine criticism of the news media are going beyond normal tensions between journalists and those who hold power. Criticizing the news media for underplaying or overplaying stories, for getting something wrong is entirely right. News reporters and editors are human, and make mistakes, the New York Times wrote in its editorial. Correcting them is core to our job. But insisting that truths you dont like are fake news is dangerous to the lifeblood of democracy. And calling journalists the enemy of the people is dangerous, period. Many of the editorials, though, focused on the value of the free press not just at the national level but in local communities. Publications in small towns and medium-sized cities have struggled to stay afloat as ad dollars and circulation shrinks. In its editorial, the Tribune in San Luis Obispo, Calif., noted that while we fly under the presidents radar, the paper also has been undermined by Trumps campaign to demonize journalists. Over the past couple of years, here at the Tribune weve encountered a steady barrage of criticism: We suck. We lie. We are part of a vast conspiracy aimed at (you name it). We cant be objective (or knowledgeable) because of where we live or what religion we practice or because all journalists are part of the lying, liberal media. Were on the payroll of the DNC. We should start mowing lawns or washing cars, because our industry is failing and its all our fault. None of this is new, but the chorus of haters has gotten bigger and louder and meaner, and it affects the entire staff. Story continues One of its staffers received a threat from a reader upset with the papers content, and the paper noted the fatal shooting at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Md. in late June. Before anyone condemns or dismisses this as just more Trump bashing, consider it instead a respectful and urgent request of our President Donald Trump to stop belittling and insulting dedicated, hard-working reporters and to instead offer the same respect his office commands, read and editorial in the News Tribune in Duluth, Minn. Consider it a call to stop lumping together as the media both legitimate news-gatherers and those whose practice of propaganda is meant to mislead and misinform for self-serving purposes. The New York Times ran a roundup of all of the editorials here. Trumps attacks on the media also were expected to come up at a Senate hearing on Thursday. Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) said that he planned at bring it up a Senate Commerce Committee oversight hearing of the FCC, where all four commissioners are scheduled to appear. The Society of Professional Journalists, with more than 7,000 members, issued a letter in which its incoming president, J. Alex Tarquinio, noted that its code of ethics includes four tenets: Seek truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently, and be accountable and transparent. These goals may sound uncontroversial, he wrote. Yet since the United States inception, some in positions of power have sought to silence the vigilant and courageous watchdogs of the press. Current times are no different. The more those with power spread rhetoric to silence journalism, the more evident it becomes that it is direly needed. On Thursday morning, Trump tweeted, THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA IS THE OPPOSITION PARTY. It is very bad for our Great Country.BUT WE ARE WINNING! THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA IS THE OPPOSITION PARTY. It is very bad for our Great Country.BUT WE ARE WINNING! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 16, 2018 Related stories Republicans Try to Tie Jon Tester to Pearl Jam Poster Featuring Trump's Dead Body Sarah Huckabee Sanders Blames Media for Spurring Trump's Attacks on Omarosa Trump Calls Omarosa a 'Dog' After CBS News Plays Another Secret Recording Subscribe to Variety Newsletters and Email Alerts! GFA Launches Disaster Relief Effort to Aid Victims of 'Grave' Kerala Flooding Helpers make 'please pray' appeal as emergency supplies are rushed to Indian state hit by worst flooding in almost a century Contact: Gregg Wooding, 972-567-7660 WILLS POINT, Texas, Aug. 17, 2018 /Christian Newswire/ -- GFA (Gospel for Asia, www.gfa.org) has issued an urgent appeal for help in responding to some of the worst flooding in almost a century that has claimed several hundred lives and displaced nearly a quarter of a million people in southern India. Photo: GFA's disaster relief fund helps take relief supplies to victims of natural disasters like this onethe worst flooding in India's Kerala state in almost a century. For more information, go to gfa.org/flood. GFA-supported workers have already begun distributing emergency supplies to some of the victims of the torrential rain in Kerala state, which has disrupted transportation and communication. Official rescue and relief efforts are also getting underway in many places with government help. Some people have had to be rescued from rooftops by helicopter and by boat, while buildings and bridges have been swept away. Thirteen of Kerala's 14 districts have been affected in what chief minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, has called an "extremely grave" crisis. While GFA-supported workers are gathering dry ration kits containing food, clean water and other essentials like clothes, tarps and toiletries, they are still waiting to learn the full extent of their own losses from the flooding in the region, where they have been involved in a wide range of caring ministries for decades. So far, at least one church led by a GFA-supported pastor and several Bridge of Hope centers are known to have been damaged. "I have never seen rain like this in my life," said GFA founder, Dr. K.P. Yohannan. "No matter which way I look, it is like I am surrounded by an ocean of water. Many have escaped with only the clothes on their backs. To rebuild and restore what has been lost will take time. We are doing all we can to help those in immediate need, and we are asking people everywhere to stand with us through prayers and giving so that we can do more to bring comfort and care in the name of Jesus." In a special emergency appeal report posted at GFA's website, video footage from GFA-supported workers in the area shows water surging up the side of buildings, and people lining up to be taken away by boat. Standing in water that covers the main local highway, Dr. Daniel Johnson, leader of GFA-supported medical ministry, says, "We are helping. We are trying to do what we can, but do pray. There is a lot more help we need." Donations to support GFA's disaster relief work in Kerala can be made at gfa.org/flood. To schedule an interview with a GFA representative, please contact Gregg Wooding @ 972-567-7660 or gwooding@inchristcommunications.com. GFA (Gospel for Asia, www.gfa.org) and its worldwide affiliates havefor almost 40 yearsprovided humanitarian assistance and spiritual hope to millions across Asia, especially among those who have yet to hear the Good News. Last year, this included more than 70,000 children, free medical services in over 1,200 villages and remote communities, 4,000 wells drilled, 11,000 water filters installed, Christmas gifts for more than 200,000 needy families, and spiritual teaching available in 110 languages in 14 nations through radio ministry. Share Tweet Jimmy Carter is the only modern-era president to return full-time to the house he lived in before he entered politics. In fact, hes also the only living president who saves taxpayers money, specifically less than half the $952,000 budgeted for George H.W. Bush and the $1 million for Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Carter, who will become the second president ever to reach age 94, opened up about his modest life in Plains, Georgia, with wife, former first lady Rosalynn, telling The Washington Post, It just never had been my ambition to be rich. Unlike his successors, the Democratic former president, who served one term, purposefully chose not to join corporate boards or get paid as a public speaker because he didnt want to capitalize financially on being in the White House. While others choose to fly via private jet, the Carters fly commercial. RELATED: The Inside Story of the Ex-Presidents Club Hurricane Aid Video That Conspicuously Excluded Donald Trump While he doesnt see anything wrong with other former presidents collecting monetary gain from their White House experiences, (I dont blame other people for doing it, he tells the Post), Carter, who is now cancer-free three years after a melanoma diagnosis on his liver and brain, reveals that he prefers a simpler life. He enjoys spending time in his study or swimming in the pool, even occasionally building furniture and painting in the garage. Meanwhile, his wife likes to practice tai chi and meditate in the mornings. After making their own yogurt, the couple watches Atlanta Braves games or Law and Order in the afternoons inside their two-bedroom rancher assessed at $167,000. WATCH: Barack Obama Bemoans Head-Spinning and Disturbing Events in Speech After Trump-Putin Meeting The Carters frugal living may have to do with their failed peanut business. They returned to Plains from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. when he was 56 years old as his peanut business was $1 million in debt. We thought we were going to lose everything, Rosalynn told the Post of the company her husband was forced to sell. Story continues These days, they live off the income of his numerous books as well as the $210,700 annual pension all former presidents receive. He doesnt like big shots, and he doesnt think hes a big shot, said Gerald Rafshoon, who was the 39th presidents former White House communications director. As for what he thinks of current commander in chief, President Donald Trump? I think hes a disaster, Carter, who has rarely spoken out about Trump, told the Post. In human rights and taking care of people and treating people equal. Special counsel says up to 6 months jail 'warranted' for Trump aide-turned cooperating witness originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Special counsel Robert Mueller is recommending a judge sentence one-time Donald Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos to up to six months in jail for lying to the FBI, a request that includes a strong rebuke of a man who allegedly failed to assist with the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 elections, according to documents filed with the court. Prosecutors did not make a specific recommendation but urged the judge to give Papadopoulos jail time and said a sentence within the guideline range of up to six months imprisonment was "appropriate and warranted." The government said he should be held accountable for having repeatedly misled them about critical facts, in an investigation of national importance, after having been explicitly warned that lying to the FBI was a federal offense. The nature and circumstances of the offense warrant a sentence of incarceration. Papadopoulos wife Simona on Friday evening told the ABC7 Chicago I-Team that unfortunately they [prosecutors] didnt value Georges cooperation. Simona Mangiante Papadopoulos said that federal authorities have ignored evidence favorable to her husband. Papadopoulos, who had served as a volunteer to the Trump team, traveled as an emissary from the campaign to foreign leaders in the Middle East and the Mediterranean. In July 2017, he was charged with lying to the FBI about his contacts during the campaign with a professor who had substantial connections to Russian government officials," and accused of trying to conceal his contacts from the FBI. PHOTO: This undated image posted on his Linkedin profile shows George Papadopoulos posing on a street of London. (AFP/Getty Images) Court records filed by special counsel Robert Mueller describe how the professor approached Papadopoulos after learning of his role in the Trump campaign. The court filing does not name the professor, but he has since been widely identified as Joseph Mifsud, then the director of the London Academy of Diplomacy. ABC News has been unable to reach Mifsud for comment. Story continues The professor told Papadopoulos the Russians had dirt on Democrat Hillary Clinton in the form of thousands of emails that they had procured, according to the court documents. (MORE: Wife of George Papadopoulos sits for 4-hour session with House Democrats) Papadopoulos reportedly bragged about that offer to an Australian diplomat, who then tipped off the FBI and launched that agencys counterintelligence investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Papadopoulos was arrested by the FBI when he arrived at Dulles International Airport in July 2017 and charged under seal. He agreed to cooperate with investigators in exchange for a lighter sentence. The governments sentencing recommendation includes clear signs the Mueller team felt betrayed by Papadopoulos after he struck a plea agreement and pledged his full cooperation. The filing says Papadopoulos repeatedly withheld key details about his contacts with Russians and neglected to turn over the cell phone he used to communicate with Mifsud until the government expressly asked for it. His lies negatively affected the FBIs Russia investigation, and prevented the FBI from effectively identifying and confronting witnesses in a timely fashion, the filing says. His lies were not momentary lapses. He lied repeatedly over the course of more than two hours, and his lies were designed to conceal facts he knew were critical: the importance of the information he received from the Professor, and his own communications and contacts with Russians and Russian intermediaries during the Trump campaign. The filing also says that, even after his initial FBI interview, Papadopoulos made repeated attempts to land jobs with the fledgling Trump administration, including a high level post with the National Security Council. In the hours after being interviewed by the FBI, the defendant submitted his biography and a description of work he did on the campaign in an effort to obtain a position as a Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Energy Department, the filing says. Papadopoulos continued to deceive Mueller investigators during a critical period in early 2017, when Mifsud was visiting Washington, D.C., and could have been detained and questioned effectively. The defendants lies undermined investigators ability to challenge the Professor or potentially detain or arrest him while still in the United States, it says. The Professor left the United States on February 11, 2017 and he has not returned to the United States since then. Papadopouloss legal team will file their own sentencing assessment to the court in two weeks, and is expected to ask for probation. The sentence recommendation comes as Simona Mangiante Papadopoulos has mounted the latest in a series of publicity campaigns this one suggesting her husband has misgivings about his plea agreement. PHOTO: George Papadopoulos married Simona Mangiante in Chicago, March 2, 2018. (Obtained by ABC News) Back in December, in an interview with ABCs George Stephanopoulos, she had described her spouse as the "John Dean" of the Russia probe, a reference to the Watergate-era former White House counsel who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obstruct justice and became a key witness against President Richard Nixon and his aides. George is very loyal to his country, she said at the time. He is already on the right side of history. I think he will make a big difference. (MORE: Mueller moves to prepare Papadopoulos for sentencing) Earlier this month, Papadopoulos received a sealed sentencing document prepared for the court. After that, the defendants wife began an aggressive media blitz in which she strongly hinted her husband is considering changing lawyers and rescinding his plea deal. After appearing before Democratic members of the House intelligence committee earlier this summer, she said that Papadopoulos has come to believe the professor may have been working for Western intelligence agencies and set him up. "I actually never said explicitly that it was an entrapment from the FBI. I just said that he definitely was...the target of a different set-up," she said. In June, the Daily Caller News Foundation reported that Simona Papadopoulos said, "It looks to be one among a series of attempts to entrap George," adding, "The question today to me [is whether] these people are simply shady businessmen or are they part of a greater attempt to entrap George in illegal activity. Since her husbands guilty plea in exchange for cooperation with the Mueller probe, Papadopoulos has been living in Chicago. Federal investigators have imposed restrictions on his travel until his sentencing, which is now scheduled for September 7. Luther Younger walks six miles, each way, to visit his wife in the hospital. (Photo: Spectrum News) Luther Younger, a 98-year-old Korean War veteran, walks about six miles each way, rain or shine, to visit his paralyzed wife in the hospital, according to Spectrum News Rochester. Luther and his wife, Waverlee, have been married for over 50 years. I aint nothing without my wife, Younger told Spectrum News. Its been a rough pull. Its been tough. Luther Younger and his wife, Waverly, have been married more than 50 years. Due to health issues, she's been hospitalized for nearly two weeks. Even in the rain, he walks to be by her side. pic.twitter.com/O1NbFS9hOP Spectrum News ROC (@SPECNewsROC) August 17, 2018 They both live with me, the couples daughter, Lutheta Younger, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. I moved them out of their house, moved them in with me. Along with her sister Joyce Johnson, the two have been taking care of Waverlee and Luther, in the same way her mother always took care of her and her siblings, Lutheta says. According to Lutheta, her father has been walking to and from the hospital for a long time. He doesnt have to, but he wants to. I can drive him. He just doesnt want to wait; hes impatient. Luther Younger kisses his wife, Waverlee. (Photo: Courtesy of Lutheta Younger via Facebook) Waverlee has suffered from brain cancer since 2009, but Luther fondly remembers their years together. Shes the best cup of tea I ever had, the devoted husband told Spectrum News. She would come in and kiss me and say baby and feed me in the bed, and this is what I need right here. The whole time she was sick, he would stay overnight [in the hospital], Lutheta says. He wouldnt leave her. When asked what her father thinks of all the attention hes receiving, Lutheta says, You know, he just wants the best for my mom. A GoFundMe page was recently set up for the family to help with hospital expenses and the cost of rides to and from the hospital. Story continues Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. Scary news: Substantial levels of glyphosatea chemical linked to cancer and found in weedkillers like Rounduphave been found in various breakfast cereals, granola, snack bars and oatmeal. According to independent laboratory tests reported by the Environmental Working Group, glyphosate was found to be present in 43 of the 45 oat-derived products that were sampled. Almost three-fourths of the samples tested exceeded what the EWG classifies as safe for children to consume, even though the levels are technically legal. Just because a pesticide level is legal in food doesnt mean that level is safe, EWG told People. You May Also Like: A Rare and Deadly Type of Skin Cancer Is on the Rise Among the companies that were found to contain glyphosate were major brands like Kelloggs, General Mills and Quaker. I grew up eating Cheerios and Quaker Oats long before they were tainted with glyphosate, said EWGs president, Ken Cook in a statement. No one wants to eat a weedkiller for breakfast, and no one should have to do so. Unsurprisingly, these major companies had a lot to say in defense about the findings. Our products are safe and without question they meet regulatory safety levels, General Mills said in a statement to Fast Company. The EPA has researched this issue and has set rules that we follow as do farmers who grow crops including wheat and oats. Quaker Oats also responded to the allegations, saying that they proudly stand by the safety and quality of their products and that they do not add glyphosate during any part of the milling process. While these claims that their products are safe are reassuring, its important to keep in mind that chemicals like this do pose a potential threat to our healtheven in small (and legal!) amounts. Americas very first dog cafe makes sipping a cup of coffee way more magical. Los Angeles-based The Dog Cafe serves as a halfway home for pups in search of humans. Their mission puts a twist on pet adoption, reinventing how people connect with rescues by serving up coffee along with cuddle time. They work closely with volunteers at local kill shelters to rescue dogs in need, regardless of age, breed, or behavioral issue. Visit virtually with our video above and just try not to fall in love with the little mutt Vienna. If youre in the L.A.-area snag a spot with an online reservation ($15 per person, drinks are separate). The cover charge goes towards providing a home, medical care, food, toys, etc., for their furry residents. The business is nonprofit; all proceeds go towards helping the dogs. We know our rescues extremely well and can match adopters with their perfect puppy-soulmate, the website proudly promises. Follow them on Instagram for sweet snaps to show their success stories. People who just need a puppy fix for an afternoon are also welcome; adoption plans are not a must. The Dog Cafe is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Learn more about the awesome work they are doing on their website and Instagram. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. (Photo: Instagram via Fatboy Sse) Target shoppers got a pleasant surprise this week when a guardian Instagrammer swooped in to pay their bills. Instagram star and rapper Fatboy Sse aims to spread love and make the world smile, and he does so by handing out cash. The New Jersey local was in California this week for the premiere of The After Party, and apparently took some time to do a little Target shopping. He shared videos on Instagram of customers in shock as he approaches them with a wad of cash, handing bills to the cashiers and saying, its on me today. In the first video, a customer can be heard saying, are you serious? before Fatboy Sse pays her $100+ bill. Young boys filling her cart inform her that hes from the internet. He pays another womans $56.75 bill, and doesnt even use her coupons. Fatboy Sse, who just made his acting debut in The After Party, paid for at least three Target shoppers. SPREADING LOVE EVERYDAY MAKE THE WORLD SMILE , he captioned the post. The post has 540k likes. While most of the commenters are amazed by his generosity, some are finding fault in the act. The major problem people have is with who he chose to donate to. idk about this tho. Giving money to white people so they can like us. I mean not all white ppl hate us and I dont think she didnt have enough money, I think fat boy just came out of nowhere and said Im paying. Cool thing to do but is it necessary, eh probably not, one person wrote. My dawg targeted all the milfs you aint slick lmao, said another. Why all white women? another follower commented. Man start helpin black people bro these mfs already got it. Many fans came to his defense, saying things like, Spreading love knows no race, color, ethnicity or sex. Love shit like this. This is the norm for Fatboy Sse, whos known to hand out money from time to time. In May, he showed up at a high school prom in New Jersey and gave money to a few lucky teens. Hes shared videos in which hes handing out money to students in Jamaica, and money and new underwear to homeless men and women. In April, he showed up at Paterson mayoral contender Pedro Rodriguezs campaign headquarters during a rally for Fetty Waps endorsement giving out $20 bills. Hes a social media celebrity, Rodriguez told NewJersey.com. Its part of his act. Its something he has done many times. Story continues Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. Cara Mund was crowned Miss America 2018 on Sept. 10, 2017, in Atlantic City, N.J. (Photo: Donald Kravitz/Getty Images for Dick Clark Productions) [UPDATE: This story has been updated to include a statement from the Miss America Organization, below, which was received after publication.] Just before Cara Mund was crowned Miss America 2018 last year in Atlantic City, she made an empowering statement about success: If you have the ability to do it and you dream it, you can do it, she declared from the stage. Now, nearly one year later, she sounds defeated and is pointing her finger at leaders of the 97-year-old Miss America Organization as the reason. In the midst of continued turmoil there following leadership changes earlier this year, Mund is making public claims that shes been belittled, erased, silenced, and bullied by those now in charge, including board chair Gretchen Carlson. It was devastating was how Mund summed up her 2018 experiences in a letter that she posted on a popular online pageant forum and also sent to all state titleholders on Friday morning. The Miss America Organization issued a brief statement to Yahoo Lifestyle in response to Munds letter: The Miss America Organization supports Cara. It is disappointing that she chose to air her grievances publicly not privately. Her letter contains mischaracterizations and many unfounded accusations. We are reaching out to her privately to address her concerns. Gretchen Carlson, seen in May, has been a polarizing figure since taking on leadership roles at the Miss America Organization. (Photo: Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images) Mund, 24, who began speaking out about her tumultuous year earlier this month through coverage in the Press of Atlantic City, further elaborated in the lengthy letter on what she calls condescending treatment. Her alleged experiences include being pressured to stay off camera and to stick to three main talking points in public (including the contests relevance in the #MeToo era), hurting her relationship with sponsors, and controlling what she wore and what she said at community volunteer events. She writes that she recently began researching definitions of workplace bullying, and found that in the State of New Jersey, it is defined as deliberate insults, threats, demeaning comments, constant criticism, overbearing supervision, profane outbursts, blatant ostracism, being overworked or simply not communicating with colleagues, with more subtle forms including withholding or supplying incorrect work-related information, sabotaging projects, passive/aggressive behavior, blocking promotions, providing unclear or contradictory instruction or requesting unnecessary or menial work. Story continues And that, Mund notes, is my year in a nutshell. Munds letter has found swift support from some former Miss America titleholders, including Miss America 2016 Betty Cantrell, who posted about it on Instagram with the hashtag #StandWithCara, and Miss America 1992 Carolyn Sapp Daniels, who posted her support on Facebook. This morning a brave and shocking letter was leaked out from our Miss America, Sapp Daniels wrote. She has been bullied and belittled. I am writing to urge you to take action today by signing the state org petition and the Change.org petition for leadership change at the Miss America Org. This leadership behavior is not what any of us stand for and not why we volunteer. Please join me and urge swift action. The petition Sapp Daniels references, already signed by more than 7,000 supporters, calls for a vote of no confidence in the current Miss America Organization leaders, Carlson and president Regina Hopper. The two women came aboard in January, after Miss America CEO Sam Haskell, President Josh Randle, and several board members all resigned following HuffPosts publication of internal emails that insulted contestants. Carlson (who was Miss America 1989) made waves several months later, in June, when she announced that the pageant would no longer include a swimsuit competition. That news not necessarily the content of it but the way in which it was sprung on others, reportedly then led to the directors of 22 state pageants calling for the resignations of both Carlson and Hopper. It also resulted in the departure of four people who had joined the board with Carlson in January, including two former Miss Americas who quit over what they called a toxic environment. As the Washington Post noted recently, many involved in Miss America are conflicted about the swift changes and fret that Carlson is projecting her own brand as a fierce, brainy commentator who helped launch a movement when she sued Fox News CEO Roger Ailes for sexual harassment on an organization that, for all its eager attempts at social relevance, still wants to be fun. I feel like theyve tried to take Miss America and attach it to Gretchens MeToo movement, Mansfield Bias, longtime chairman of the Miss Georgia pageant, told the Washington Post. There are a lot of people who are upset about that. Carlson, however, has publicly chalked up all the strife to growing pains. Change is difficult, Carlson told ABC News in July, in response to the petition calling for her ouster. When I took on this role of leading this organization six months ago, we had a lot of work to do. And swimsuit has been a part of Miss America since it started in 1921, and many of the volunteers and state executive directors have been around for a long time, and it is tradition. But at the same time, this board unanimously decided that we needed to move this program forward, and we are so thrilled with the people that we have heard from. Mund did not respond to a request from Yahoo Lifestyle for further comment. But she made this point in her letter: I dont want to leave this mess for the next Miss America. This is not a self-serving organization, and I want her year to be better than my year. This letter is for her. I dont want her to have to live in constant fear, expecting to be degraded and punished while she should be having an amazing experience. If you want Miss America to be relevant, then the leadership needs to understand she is not a wind-up toy who they can power up to spit out the meaningless words that are put into her mouth, and then put back on the shelf until its time to do it again. Miss America is fragile right now. She needs all of us if she is going to survive. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: #FallingStars2018 is sweeping over Russia, but will it make its way to the rich and bored of America? (Photo: @fallingstarschallenge via Instagram) Remembering planking? It was the very brief internet craze in which people would take photos of others lying perfectly straight and still, face down, in weird locations? #FallingStars2018 is a lot like planking, except rich people are best at it because they have the means to really sell the image. Another way its different from planking? It appears that those involved in the photos are pretending to be dead. The superwealthy of Russia are sharing their best fake fatal falls on Instagram, often employing private jets or luxury vehicles to really impress, and then nominating their friends and followers to do the same. #Repost volkonskaya.reshetova #fallingstars #fallingstars2018 A post shared by fallingstarschallenge (@fallingstarschallenge) on Aug 8, 2018 at 1:25pm PDT #Repost rudkovskayaofficial #fallingstars #fallingstars2018 A post shared by fallingstarschallenge (@fallingstarschallenge) on Aug 9, 2018 at 12:39pm PDT It appears that even American model Arizona Muse has joined in on the macabre fun, posting a photo of her body seemingly chucked out of a DHL van. Miss Ukraine contestant Catherine Ramos opted for a shot of herself less-than-gracefully falling down the steps of a private jet. Personally, I love this trend. If theres one thing I excel at, its falling on my own face and having a good cry. Might as well get a couple of social media likes while Im at it, right? Story continues The only question that remains is why the elite of Russia would choose to dirty what I assume is designer clothing while they pose on the ground like some common rube? Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. Tim Cook Getty An Australian teenager has pleaded guilty to hacking Apple, stealing 90 gigabytes of secure files, and accessing customer accounts. The 16-year-old broke into Apple's mainframe several times over the course of a year, according to The Age, and stored hacking instructions on his laptop under a folder named "hacky hack hack." Apple identified and reported the hack to the FBI. It said "at no point during this incident" was personal user data compromised. An Australian teenager managed to hack Apple, steal 90 gigabytes of secure files, and access customer accounts, a court has heard, according to The Age. The Australian newspaper reported on the hearing, which took place at a childrens court in Melbourne on Thursday, and has prompted Apple into issuing a statement reassuring users that their data is safe. The Age said the 16-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons broke into Apple's mainframe several times over the course of a year, using a system of "computerised tunnels and online bypassing systems." He downloaded secure files and accessed customer accounts, using instructions stored on his Apple laptops, seized in a raid on his suburban home, under a folder named "hacky hack hack." Apple detected his presence and reported the teenager to the FBI, who in turn passed the case to Australian police. The suspect has pleaded guilty, The Age said, and Reuters reported that he will be sentenced on September 20. The teenager's lawyer reportedly said he targeted Apple because he is an admirer of the trillion-dollar company and hopes to work for it one day. He is said to be well-known in the international hacking community. Business Insider has contacted Apple for comment. In a statement to Reuters and The Guardian, the company sought to play down the impact of the hack. "At Apple, we vigilantly protect our networks and have dedicated teams of information security professionals that work to detect and respond to threats," a spokesman said. Story continues "In this case, our teams discovered the unauthorised access, contained it, and reported the incident to law enforcement. We regard the data security of our users as one of our greatest responsibilities and want to assure our customers that at no point during this incident was their personal data compromised." NOW WATCH: Everything wrong with the iPhone See Also: SEE ALSO: 'Lunchtime got a whole lot more exciting': Tim Cook posts gif of Apple Park's spectacular sliding doors Demonstrators protest against the Trump administration's immigration policies, which resulted in more than 2,500 children being separated from their parents. (Photo: Drew Angerer via Getty Images) Only a small fraction of the nearly 600 migrant children reported to still be in the custody of the U.S. government at the beginning of the month have been reunified with their families, according to a status update from the Trump administration filed Thursday. In the court filings, lawyers for the U.S. Justice Department reported that a total of 565 children, including 24 who are younger than 5, remain in government-contracted shelters, separated from their parents. More than two weeks earlier, the government had reported that there were 572 migrant children still in custody. Thats only seven more children than reported on Thursday, though lawyers noted that the total numbers on the reports are approximate as data continue to be updated. In June, U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw ordered the Trump administration to reunite the more than 2,500 children who were split up from their families as part of Attorney General Jeff Sessions zero tolerance crackdown on illegal immigration. But when the July 26 deadline approached three weeks ago, there were still more than 700 children who remained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. The government said the children who remained in custody were not reunified with family because their parents had been deported, had failed a background check or had yet to be located. According to Thursdays court filings, the parents of 366 detained migrant children were outside the U.S. and have not had the chance to be reunited. The Trump administration is embroiled in a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, which has spearheaded efforts to end ICEs practice of separating migrant families at the border. In the report filed in early August, the Trump administrations lawyers argued that it was on the ACLU and its considerable resources and network, to locate the parents of the detained children, but Sabraw disagreed. All of this is the result of the governments separation and then inability and failure to track and reunite, the judge said in a conference call a day after the previous report was filed. Story continues And for every parent who is not located there will be a permanently orphaned child, and that is 100 percent the responsibility of the administration. As of Thursday, 2,089 migrant children of the total 2,654 who were taken from their families had been reunited. Related Coverage Judge Blocks Trump From Separating Families At The Border Trump Administration Keeps 700 Kids Separated From Parents After Court Deadline Migrant Kids Choose Between Possible Death And Never Seeing Parents Again Nearly 600 Migrant Kids Are Still Separated From Parents A Week After Court Deadline It's '100 Percent' On Trump Administration To Locate Separated Parents, Judge Says Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump has said he's yanking former CIA Director John Brennan's security clearance and threatened to do the same to other current and former officials tied to the federal investigation into Russian election interference. Trump told The Wall Street Journal he made the move because he believes the probe is "rigged" and he felt he had to act. The decision has drawn sharp criticism as an extraordinary act of retribution. But what is the practical impact? And what can Brennan do about it? Here's a look at the controversy surrounding Trump's move: ___ Q: WHY DID TRUMP REVOKE BRENNAN'S SECURITY CLEARANCE? A: Historically, former heads of intelligence and law enforcement agencies have been allowed to retain access to classified information after they leave government service as a professional courtesy and so they can provide counsel to their successors. But Trump decided that any benefits that current senior officers might glean from Brennan's counsel "are now outweighed by the risks posed by his erratic conduct and behavior." Trump accused Brennan, who has criticized Trump's statement and policies, of leveraging his status as a former top intelligence official to make "unfounded and outrageous allegations" about his administration. That was Wednesday afternoon. Hours later, Trump directly linked his action to the Russia probe, telling The Wall Street Journal that the investigation is a "sham" and that "these people led it!" He said pulling Brennan's clearance is "something that had to be done." ___ Q: WHY DOES THIS MATTER? A: Critics see this as an example of politics seeping into intelligence and national security. Intelligence officials are asked to shun politics while collecting and distributing unvarnished information to top U.S. policymakers. They see their mission as "speaking truth to power," a mantra often used in describing the intelligence agencies' historical relationship with any president. Story continues In punishing a former official, who was also a public critic, Trump could send a message to current officials that he does not want to be challenged. "Disastrously, the president's openly retaliatory actions could reverberate throughout the government, silencing whistleblowers and potentially giving other officials a carte blanche to do the same," said Danielle Brian, director of the Project On Government Oversight, a nonpartisan government watchdog. Trump said in a statement: "Any access granted to our Nation's secrets should be in furtherance of national, not personal, interests. For this reason, I have also begun to review the more general question of the access to classified information by former Government officials." ___ Q: WHY DO FORMER OFFICIALS RETAIN ACCESS TO CLASSIFIED INFORMATION ANYWAY? A: Mostly so they can give advice. The government keeps the clearances active for some former high-ranking officials only so they can be consulted on specialized or secret matters, said John Sipher, former deputy group chief of Russian operations in the CIA's Central Eurasia Division. For example, Michael Morell, former deputy and acting director of the CIA, headed a review on the National Security Agency after former NSA contractor Edward Snowden released classified documents, he said. These former officials don't have access unless the U.S. government needs them for something, Sipher said. They do not retain unfettered access to classified computer systems. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said there's a good reason that former national security officials are granted continued access to sensitive information. "Their knowledge and understanding and, in many cases, direct involvement of complex global issues is second to none, and they offer invaluable service by collaborating with current national security leaders," she said. But many former officials use their clearances to help secure positions in the private sector or at federal contractors or security firms where clearances are required. If Trump followed through on his threat to revoke the other officials' clearances, it could mean a financial hit for them. ___ Q: CAN BRENNAN CONTEST THE PRESIDENT'S ACTION? A: It's still unclear whether Trump's pulling of Brennan's clearance was an official "revocation" or an "administrative termination." When asked, the White House referred questions to the CIA, which holds Brennan's clearance. The CIA said it does not comment on individuals' security clearance matters and referred calls back to the White House. The difference matters. Administrative terminations are common and typically occur when a security clearance holder leaves one job and could end up working in another agency or company that requires one, according to John V. Berry, an attorney who represents federal intelligence employees on security clearance issues. In these cases, the clearance is deactivated until it is reactivated at a later time. Official revocations are different. A person whose clearance has been revoked typically can appeal the decision. But it's unclear if that due process applies to Brennan and how an appeal would work. "This has never really been done before. There's the question of who is going to hear the case? The White House? The president could designate someone to do it or hear it himself," Berry said. Steven Aftergood at the Federation of American Scientists' Project on Government Secrecy said he doubts that the right to appeal included in the executive order would be available in Brennan's case. "Brennan's clearance was not revoked by an agency head, but by the president," Aftergood said. "There is no higher authority in the executive branch to whom Brennan could appeal." Brennan has not said what he'll do next. Alex Jones, the conspiracy theory-peddling host of Infowars, deleted evidence that links him to multiple defamation lawsuits brought against him by the families of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, according to a new motion. The motion filed Friday in Texas by attorney Mark Bankston accuses Jones of having intentionally deleted a variety of social media pages and video content relating to the Sandy Hook shooting earlier this month. Jones is currently facing three separate defamation lawsuits from the parents of children who were gunned down in the elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012. Jones has repeatedly called the parents crisis actors and has said interviews with outlets including CNN were faked with green screens. He published a video last year titled Sandy Hook Vampires Exposed. Many of Jones followers believe the shooting was a hoax perpetrated by the government, and they still harass the parents of victims. The new motion was filed on behalf of Neil Heslin, who lost his 6-year-old son in the shooting. It argues that mounting pressure from the lawsuits drove Jones to destroy evidence of his actual malice and defamatory conduct. Infowars deleted critical evidence at the precise moment plaintiff and his experts were attempting to marshal that evidence. Alex Jones willfully destroyed evidence related to his Sandy Hook defamation cases, a lawyer for the parents says. (Photo: Illustration: HuffPost. Photo: Reuters) Jones and his lawyer could be fined thousands of dollars if a judge finds that evidence was willfully destroyed, The New York Times points out. This could become another nail in a slowly assembled coffin for Jones livelihood. Major tech companies including YouTube and Facebook have banned Jones from their platforms in recent weeks, presumably leading him to lose revenue. Jones is also facing two other defamation lawsuits, including one from a man whom Infowars falsely identified as the Parkland, Florida, school shooter earlier this year. That man is also being represented by Bankston. A Texas judge is currently deciding whether to accept Jones motions to dismiss the Parkland case and a Sandy Hook case involving parents Leonard Pozner and Veronique De La Rosa. Jones attorney, Mark Enoch, attempted earlier this month to make public the addresses of Pozner and De La Rosa. After HuffPost reported on the story, he said in a new court filing that was not his intent. Story continues A hearing for Jones motion to dismiss Heslins case is set to take place on Aug. 30 in Austin, Texas. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. When I read the grand jury report on the Catholic Church from Pennsylvania, which after two years of combing 70 years of records found that over 300 priests sexually abused more than 1,000 known victims, I saw a lot that I recognized and have experienced myself and much that could be changed if there was the willpower to do so. Im a Catholic priest who himself survived sexual abuse from a member of a clergy, though not in Pennsylvania. The perpetrator was a visiting priest who repeatedly molested me when I was a 15-year-old altar boy from New Jersey and who I remember telling me about the others that is, the other boys and the other priests he sometimes shared them with. In 1991, eleven years after he abused me, I filed a complaint against him with Archdiocese of New York. And for nearly two decades after, I tracked his movements throughout the country and fought to remove him from the various positions he held across several states: as a pastor (including at schools) and, after he was defrocked in 2006, as a hospital chaplain, among others. I kept notes. I investigated and found other victims and spoke with them. I was stunned by the responses I received from Church officials. One monsignor, later a bishop, dismissed it as a summer romance as if it could ever have been consensual. I recall an Archdiocesan official suggesting I made it all up, and accusing me of having committed incest with my own mother prior to the events, which he said inspired some kind of projection onto the priest. I remember that some asked why I wanted to ruin the mans life that I was the abnormal one. These conversations did not happen because the Church or the police came to me with their own investigations. Had I not devoted myself to my own work fueled by my need to protect my sanity as those in power called me a liar I could well be one of the countless other survivors who remain unknown including in Pennsylvania, where the grand jury relied heavily on documents provided by the dioceses. The perpetrators that those official records dont include remain uncounted. Story continues The Pennsylvania report is the largest investigation of its kind. It is not large enough. The report plainly presents evidence that the Churchs deliberate cover-up frequently resulted in expiration of the statutory limitations period which legislators should extend or eliminate and that law enforcement was overly deferential to the Church. To remedy this wrong, every legal jurisdiction in the United States and its territories should convene an exhaustive grand jury investigation modeled on Pennsylvanias. The grand jury describes how dioceses had a common playbook by which they managed the crisis. This enabled them to escape public accountability. It is time for national transparency, accountability and justice. But this need not come only from law enforcement. The National Church has become adept at offering shallow and hollow apologies, statements about shock, disgust and pledging promises. Dioceses are releasing statements emphasizing these crimes concern the past and not the present, stating there are policies in place for a safe future. It sounded more like a capital campaign slogan, not a call to action and reform. These pious platitudes do not create transparency or promote trust. Church officials must tell the truth all of it, without varnish. They must admit to the wrongdoing without making justifications and excuses. They must speak from the heart and truthfully. That they havent so far should signal to the Church that it is developing the wrong sort of leaders. We must therefore reform the way Bishops are selected. As the report confirms, the current system relies on cronyism and what could be called a kind of nepotism: the bishops reproduce themselves, and thus no new blood enters the system. The early Church let Gods people choose their priest, who was then vetted and confirmed by the surrounding local bishops. We need to involve more people clergy and laity in the selection process, which is currently secretive. The primary criteria ought to be a man who is a seasoned pastor of souls, not a bureaucrat or functionary or even just a friend of the nominating bishop. Pope Francis has considered this, but it has not come about. To this end, there should be a screening process for candidates in seminaries one that should include screening seminary professors and formators. When discussing the Anglican Churchs plan to psychologically test ordinands, professor Leslie Francis of Warwick University said, It is wise for the Church [of England] to consider pathologies. The same is true of the Catholic Church. He specifically cited narcissism, machiavellianism and psychopathologies as the dark triad to be vigilant against. We too must prevent candidates who exhibit these pathologies, which are already present in our seminary systems, to keep them from spreading. And finally, we must let those who know most deeply how this evil spreads feel welcome and enable them to come forth and speak, and to teach what they know. The Pennsylvania grand jury rightly said that they need us to hear the odious stories of what happened to survivors. It is beyond time for Church leaders to invite us through the door to help their diocese overcome inertia, by including us on all panels and decision-making bodies, including diocesan review boards. Sincerity on the part of bishops should include the establishment of an independent truth and reconciliation commission, in which they voluntarily release all their records without the threat of subpoena. Let the truth come out, a national reckoning be made and a path to reconciliation be opened. While bishops may be afraid of us holding them accountable and speaking uncomfortable truths, they need us even if they dont want us even as they think of us as a children of a lesser god. Yes, we are angry. But St. Augustine taught, Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are anger and courage; anger at the way things are and the courage to see that they do not remain the way they are. Survivors have the courage to face this evil. There are many faith-filled and faithful survivors who desperately want the Church to succeed. They are not the enemy within. Every time the Church fails to resolve the crisis, these survivors hurt. Bishops hurt. Priests hurt. Gods people hurt. And God hurts for us. It is time we let our common hurt be the common ground upon which we can stand, in conversation and dialogue, for the common good of all. The Very Rev. Bambrick is pastor of St. Aloysius Church in Jackson, N.J.; he is a member of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, and a founding member of both Jordons Crossing and Catholic Whistleblowers, as well as a board member of New Jersey Child Assault Prevention; in 2002, he testified before the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Nearly every spot on Earth is, effectively, a planetarium. Wait for the sun to go down, hope for a cloudless sky, and look up. The shows been running every night for 4.5 billion years now. But for the best stargazing, some places are clearly better than others. Theres the great observatory atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii, 13,796 feet above sea level; theres the University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory in Chile, at a nosebleed altitude of 18,500 feet. And then theres Stellafane, a cluster of permanent telescope observatories built near a bubble-gum pink clubhouse on Breezy Hill in Springfield, Vermont. The Hill part gives away that this wont be the site of the next multi-million dollar university observatory at just shy of 1,300 feet, Stellafane cant compete with those famous high-altitude spots. As the sun starts to set, people set up their telescopes, many of which are home-made, on Breezy Hill in Springfield, Vermont. But thats fine. Stellafane has charm to burn, as was evidenced between August 9-12, 2018, when amateur stargazers from around the world converged there for the annual Stellafane Star Party. Edinburgh-based photographer Robert Ormerod was among the star enthusiasts who made the trip, many with their own telescopes. The images he captured there reveal why the party has been going on for close to a century and why itll probably never stop. It was on August 17, 1920 that the first group of fifteen men and one woman gathered on Breezy Hill to learn how to grind their own telescope mirrors, an artisanal skill taught to them by Arctic explorer and amateur astronomer Russell W. Porter. In December 1923, the group formerly established itself as Springfield Telescope Makers, Inc. That same year, the clubhouse was built, and Porter dubbed it Stellar-fane, Latin for shrine to the stars. Later, it was condensed to a catchier Stellafane. Joe Bergeron (right), an author and illustrator from Endwell, New York. Amateur stargazers have gathered at Stellafane in August every year for nearly a century. Ever since, the club and the Springfield community have done what they can to protect Breezy Hills appeal for amateur astronomers. Mostly, that means keeping it as free as possible from light pollution, which can spoil the nightly show. When a new state prison was approved for construction in the town in 1999, the Stellafane club, along with the International Dark Sky Association, successfully lobbied the state and the prison designers to adopt a plan with only minimal light spill. When the prison went into operation in 2003, the stargazing was unaffected. Story continues Zane Landers, 15, from Connecticut, with one of his home-made telescopes. Stellafanes dark-sky policies apply for visitors, too. You can forget about campfires portable grills or a proper cook stoves only, please. And after the evening talks on Fridays and Saturdays, make your escape quick. Car headlights are permitted only for half an hour, after which its lights-out again. LeeAnna Goulette, 8, and Kaitlyn Goulette, 10. The sisters were encouraged by their parents to develop an interest in astronomy. Dee and Roy Diffrient, from Monkton, Md. This is the couple's 25th year attending Stellafane. But as Ormerods pictures attest, its all worth it. The overwhelming majority of us will never visit space, and the few of us who have ventured beyond Earths atmosphere have never journeyed more than a quarter million miles away. The whole of the universebillions of light years widelies beyond that point. Its our great fortune that the stars and planets and moons and nebulae have always been perfectly willing to send their exquisite, otherworldly lights to us. There are uncounted places on the planet to stand and appreciate that beauty. But few are better than atop Breezy Hill. Josh Knight, a retired computer scientist from Mohegan Lake, N.Y., with his telescope. Paris (AFP) - Former UN chief Kofi Annan, who died on Saturday, lashed out at the state of global leadership in an exclusive interview with AFP last year, urging more cooperation to deal with terrorism, migration and climate change. "Honestly speaking, we are in a mess," the Nobel peace laureate said on December 12 ahead of a major climate conference in Paris. "In the past when we went through this sort of crisis, you had leaders who had the courage and the vision to want to take action, to understand that they needed to work with others." Speaking two years to the day after the Paris climate deal was agreed -- and following President Donald Trump's announcement that the United States would leave the pact -- Annan remembered "the enthusiasm, the excitement and the energy that was brought to bear" in 2015. "When you walk away from a conference like this, you expect people to go away fully determined to implement, to continue and move," he said. "But that hasn't happened, I think. We've slackened a bit... We haven't followed through." "We must also remember that only promises that are kept are promises which matter." "Today, leaders are going in the wrong direction," Annan said. "Leaders are withdrawing." He expressed particular concern over escalating tensions with North Korea, warning: "One miscalculation, one mistake and we are all victims". "It may not be a deliberate decision to start a nuclear war," he added, adding that inflammatory rhetoric -- without mentioning Trump or North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by name -- was not helping. Annan spoke to AFP as part of The Elders group of senior statesmen and women. There was an outpouring of grief-stricken tributes on Saturday from leaders around the world for Annan after his foundation announced he died at the age 80 after a short illness. burs-dl/txw Tim Pawlentys defeat in Minnesota has party operatives hoping base turnout can be enough to beat back the Democrats Donald Trump at a rally in Ohio earlier this month. Polling has shown that the Republican base is still overwhelmingly in favor of Trump. Photograph: John Minchillo/AP On another night of critical primaries in advance of the midterm elections, another establishment Republican was beaten by an outsider sounding a Trumpian tone. This week, it was former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlentys turn to grapple with a party that no longer has room for his kind. Once seen as a fresh-faced leader with national appeal, Pawlenty was attempting to reclaim his old job. But he was decisively beaten by Jeff Johnson, a county commissioner backed by grassroots conservatives. The upset brought renewed focus on the direction of the Republican party. The Republican party has shifted, Pawlenty told reporters. It is the era of Trump, and Im just not a Trump-like politician. The irony of Pawlentys statement was not lost on those who have followed his career, in which he has always drawn heavily on his working-class roots. Although he lost his bid for the presidential nomination in 2012, he has remained prominent in Minnesota politics. Its another example of how fast the party has changed, said Alex Conant, a partner at consulting firm Firehouse Strategies who worked on Pawlentys presidential campaign. Ten years ago, Pawlenty was a rising star and wildly popular among Minnesota Republicans. And now hes out of sync with Trumps party. Trump rose to prominence on a sharply anti-immigrant platform and proved immune to controversies that would have ended the career of any other politician. Pawlenty was among those who endorsed the former reality TV star in 2016. He rescinded his support in the wake of the Access Hollywood tape, in which Trump bragged about groping and kissing women without their consent. Trump, Pawlenty said then, was unsound, uninformed, unhinged and unfit to be president of the United States. Ten years ago, Pawlenty was wildly popular among Minnesota Republicans. And now hes out of sync with Trumps party Alex Conant Story continues Two years later, Johnson seized on those words, telling voters in his closing ad: Tim Pawlenty stuck his finger in the wind I wont panic when it matters most. Pawlenty faced other obstacles, among them the fact that he has been working in Washington, lobbying on behalf of Wall Street, at a time when the electorate is turned off by corporate interests and political insiders. Conant said there was reason not to draw overly broad conclusions from one race. But he nonetheless acknowledged: Pawlenty is like a lot of elected Republicans around the country who have really struggled to navigate Trumps style of politics. We will have a giant Red Wave! Polling has shown that the Republican base is still overwhelmingly in favor of Trump. But the presidents low approval ratings at the national level present a challenge to Republican incumbents. They have found themselves attacked from the right, for being insufficiently zealous in their support of the president, while being squeezed from the left by Democrats energised by opposition to Trump. To the extent that Trump can drive Republican turnout in Republican districts, hes a tremendous asset, said Conant. But candidates need to be careful that they dont inadvertently drive Democratic turnout by making the election about Trump. Trump has remained characteristically bullish. As long as I campaign and/or support Senate and House candidates (within reason), they will win! he wrote in a tweet earlier this month. I LOVE the people, & they certainly seem to like the job Im doing. If I find the time, in between China, Iran, the Economy and much more, which I must, we will have a giant Red Wave! That tweet came the morning after a high-profile special election in Ohio was left hanging, Republicans struggling to defend a long-held House seat despite an 11th-hour appearance by the president. The 12th district, outside Columbus, was not meant to be competitive, Trump having carried it by double digits in 2016. Republicans were forced to pour millions of dollars into the race. The latest tallies show Troy Balderson beating his Democratic opponent, Danny OConnor, although the race has not been formally called. Troy Balderson appears to have narrowly held off Danny OConnor in Ohio, although the race has not been formally called. Photograph: Jay LaPrete/AP It was not the only district that has unexpectedly come into focus. In March in south-western Pennsylvania, the Democrat Conor Lamb pulled off a major special election upset in a district Trump won by nearly 20 points. In order to take control of the House of Representatives for the first time since 2010, Democrats must flip 24 Republican seats while retaining 194. The party has experienced its own upsets in New York in June, the progressive Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez beat Joe Crowley, the fourth-ranking House Democrat. Republicans have sought to link other Democrats to Ocasio-Cortezs brand of socialism. But the 28-year-old is not yet a household name and is unlikely to be as potent an influence as a sitting president. Michael Steel, a Republican strategist who was an aide to the former House speaker John Boehner, said the Trump effect varied by district. But the president would ultimately be an asset, if he could help drive his supporters to the polls. Most elections these days are won more by turnout than by persuasion, Steel said. Because the base of the Democratic party has such a white-hot hatred for the president, they are inclined to turn out. I think where the president can be most helpful and persuasive is convincing his strongest supporters to avoid complacency. Steel acknowledged that though Trumps appeal remains strong among the Republican base, such popularity does not necessarily extend to college-educated and suburban voters, particularly women. In those cases, he noted, Republicans will have to distinguish themselves in their pitch to voters. A disciplined message Carlos Curbelo is a Republican seeking re-election in a Miami district that went for Hillary Clinton by 16 points. He declined to endorse Trump in 2016 and has expressed sharp disagreements with the president on issues ranging from immigration to climate change. Curbelos attempts to cast himself as a Republican willing to stand up to Trump have shown signs of bearing fruit, with even Democrats own polling finding him ahead. I think that most of the distractions are specific to only one figure to President Trump himself Michael Steel But for many Republicans, finding a distinctive message has been far from easy. Even when the president has taken the stump on behalf of conservative candidates, his rallies have often become repetitive rollcalls of his greatest campaign hits. Rather than emphasize the overhaul of the tax code or reversals of Obama-era policies, Trump has railed against the special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. He has gone to war with former intelligence officials and found his White House embroiled in controversy following explosive claims made by a former aide, Omarosa Manigault Newman. Steel said most within Trumps party would prefer if he were able to focus relentlessly on a disciplined message around the economy and national security. But he pushed back against the notion that the presidents travails would have a trickle-down effect on the ballot. I think that most of the distractions are specific to only one figure to President Trump himself, Steel said. I dont think anyone blames Republican candidates up and down the ticket for things the president may or may not have done. A rejection of Trump has, however, emerged as one of the central motivations of the so-called resistance. Democrats have seen a surge in turnout in primaries this year. Republican turnout has stayed relatively flat. The bigger risk, Conant said, is that Republicans who have mixed feelings about Trump but voted for him because they couldnt stand the thought of Clinton being president may stay home this fall. Midterms are a turnout contest. The party that does a better job turning out its base is going to win. Ghana announced a week of national mourning on Saturday following the death of Kofi Annan, as tributes came in from across global politics for the former Secretary General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace price winner. Annan, perhaps the world's most famous Ghanaian and a source of great national pride, passed away after a brief illness at the age of 80. A statement from the Kofi Annan foundation said he had passed away peacefully, with his wife Nane and their children Ama, Kojo and Nina by his side. The career diplomat, who served Secretary-General from 1997 to 2006, is credited with raising the UN's international profile during his two terms and won over many world leaders with his "calm charisma". His early career was marked by the UN's failure to prevent civilians during the Rwandan genocide in 1994, when he was head of the body's peacekeeping division. He was later key in the development of the responsibility to protect doctrine, which was adopted in 2005 as a pledge by all member states to take action against genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. It is with immense sadness that the Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation announce that Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Laureate, passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness... pic.twitter.com/42nGOxmcPZ Kofi Annan (@KofiAnnan) August 18, 2018 Tributes to the West African diplomat poured in from politicians of all stripes on Saturday, among them Tony Blair, former Egyptian autocrat Hosni Mubarak and Javad Zarif, the Iranian foreign minister. "Im shocked and distressed to hear the news about Kofi. He was a good friend whom I saw only weeks ago. Kofi Annan was a great diplomat, a true statesman and a wonderful colleague who was widely respected and will be greatly missed," said Mr Blair. Story continues And, in a sign that Annan's appeal extended far beyond western liberal democracies, Mr Zarif wrote on Twitter: "Extremely saddened by passing of Kofi Annan, a toweing global leader and an unwavering champion for peace, justice and rule of law. Rest in peace my dear old friend." Russian President Vladimir Putin said: "I sincerely admired his wisdom and courage as well as his ability to make balanced decisions even under the most dire and critical circumstances." Current UN chief Antonio Guterres voiced deep sadness at the news, describing his predecessor, who was the first secretary-general from sub-Saharan Africa, as "a guiding force for good". Annan was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize along with the UN in 2001 "for their work for a better organised and more peaceful world". Former United Nations (UN) secretary-general Kofi Annan Credit: Denis Balibouse/REUTERS "He rose through the ranks to lead the organisation into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination," Mr Guterres added. "Like so many, I was proud to call Kofi Annan a good friend and mentor." Theresa May also paid tribute to the "great leader and reformer" in a post on Twitter. 'A titan determined to advance world peace': Gordon Brown remembers Kofi Annan "Sad to hear of the death of Kofi Annan. A great leader and reformer of the UN, he made a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into. My thoughts and condolences are with his family," she said. In a statement to the Sunday Telegraph, Jack Straw, the former UK foreign secretary, paid tribute to Annan for "navigating the UN through the immense post-9/11 turmoil with consummate skill" and described him as a "truly great man." Sad to hear of the death of Kofi Annan. A great leader and reformer of the UN, he made a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into. My thoughts and condolences are with his family. pic.twitter.com/P0SWagShJM Theresa May (@theresa_may) August 18, 2018 Tom Tugendhat, the chair of the UK parliament's foreign affairs committee, added: "Kofi Annan was one of the great international champions...his quiet voice was always worth hearing and we are all the poorer for his death." Born in Kumasi, the capital city of Ghana's Ashanti region, Annan was the son of an executive of a European trading company, the United Africa company, a subsidiary of the Anglo-Dutch multinational Unilever. After ending his second term as UN chief, Annan went on to take high-profile mediation roles in Kenya and in Syria. He later set up a foundation devoted to conflict resolution and joined the Elders group of statesmen which was founded by Nelson Mandela to promote universal human rights. The UN high commissioner for human rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said he was grief-stricken over Annan's death. "Kofi was humanity's best example, the epitome, of human decency and grace. In a world now filled with leaders who are anything but that, our loss, the world's loss becomes even more painful," he said. "He was a friend to thousands and a leader of millions." By Byron Kaye and Stephen Nellis SYDNEY/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc said on Friday no customer data was compromised after Australian media reported a teenager had pleaded guilty to hacking into its main computer network, downloading internal files and accessing customer accounts. The boy, 16, from the southern city of Melbourne, broke into the U.S. computer giant's mainframe from his suburban home many times over a year, The Age newspaper reported, citing statements by the teenager's lawyer in court. The teen downloaded 90 gigabytes of secure files and accessed customer accounts without exposing his identity, the paper said. Apple contacted the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation when it became aware of the intrusion, The Age said, quoting statements made in court. The FBI then referred the matter to the Australian Federal Police (AFP). The report said an AFP raid on the boy's family home produced two laptops, a mobile phone and a hard drive that matched the intrusion reported by Apple. The sensitive documents were saved in a folder called "hacky hack hack", the report said. It said the boy had boasted about his activities on the mobile messaging service WhatsApp. An Apple spokesman said the company's information security personnel "discovered the unauthorised access, contained it, and reported the incident to law enforcement" without commenting further on the specifics of the case. "We ... want to assure our customers that at no point during this incident was their personal data compromised," the spokesman said. The AFP declined to comment because the matter was before the court. A court spokeswoman also declined to comment other than to say the teenager would be sentenced on Sept. 20. The boy's name could not be made public because he was a juvenile offender. (Reporting by Byron Kaye in SYDNEY and Stephen Nellis in SAN FRANCISCO; Editing by Leslie Adler and Paul Tait) Miami Herald In a decision that could have far-reaching free speech implications for faculty at universities and colleges across Florida, the University of Florida has refused to allow three political science professors to continue to serve as expert witnesses in a case that challenges a new state law that restricts voting access. Pregnant women who have high levels of a byproduct from the banned insecticide DDT in their bodies may be more likely to have a child with autism, a new study finds. Researchers looked at nearly 800 mothers from Finland who had children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and found that these women had higher levels of DDE, a byproduct of DDT, than did mothers whose children did not have ASD. The finding sheds light on another potential cause of autism, a neurodevelopmental condition that affects communication, behavior and the ability to interact with others. But DDE is likely just "one piece of a puzzle," said study lead researcher Dr. Alan Brown, a professor of psychiatry and epidemiology at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. [8 Ways That Air Pollution Can Harm Your Health] "Very likely, you need other predisposing factors [for autism] in addition to [DDE]," Brown told Live Science. "I don't think moms should be going out and getting tested for these things." To do the study, Brown partnered with researchers in Finland, a country with a universal health care system that tracks diagnoses, such as autism, in all people living there. The researchers identified 778 cases of children diagnosed with autism who were born from 1987 to 2005, then matched those individuals with controls that is, children who were born during that same period but did not have an autism diagnosis. Then, the researchers analyzed blood samples that had been taken from these children's mothers during early pregnancy. After analyzing these blood samples for DDE, the researchers found that mothers with higher levels of the compound were more likely to have children with autism. What's more, the DDE levels were even higher in mothers whose children had both autism and an intellectual disability, Brown said. To be specific, the odds have having a child with autism were 32 percent greater in the women with higher DDE levels compared with the women with lower DDE levels, Brown said. In addition, the odds of having a child with autism and an intellectual disability were increased by more than twofold when comparing the women whose DDE levels were in the top 25 percent of the group with those who had low DDE levels. Story continues The finding held even when the researchers controlled for several factors, including the age of the mother, the mother's socioeconomic status and whether the parents had a history of psychiatric disorders. The researchers also tested the mothers' blood samples for PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), another class of environmental pollutants, but found that these substances were not associated with autism risk. PCBs and DDT have both been banned for more than 30 years in many countries, including the United States and Finland. But because these chemicals break down very slowly, they stick around in the environment and the food chain. "What happened was DDT was sprayed in the air as an insecticide to kill mosquitoes, to kill bugs on fruits and vegetables," Brown said. "Then, it got into the soil and groundwater." Virtually everybody has some level of DDT and PCBs in their body. When the body metabolizes DDT, the chemical breaks down into DDE, Brown said. When a woman is pregnant, the fetus is exposed to even higher levels of these chemicals than the mother is exposed to, "because they kind of get concentrated when they go through the mom's blood to the placenta," he said. "Then, they get into the fetal brain, and they alter fetal brain development." [11 Facts Every Parent Should Know About Their Baby's Brain] Brown recommended that women who are pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant eat organic fruits and vegetables, as well as wash produce to rinse off toxic residues, but "I wouldn't say it's cause for alarm," Brown said. "We showed that overall in autism, there was a modest increase in risk [from DDE], but the vast majority of offspring who are exposed to the high levels still won't get autism." As mentioned, DDE may just be one piece of the puzzle for explaining what causes autism. Hundreds of other studies show that additional factors also play a role, including low birth weight, the age of the parents (older parents tend to have a greater risk), whether the mother takes the anticonvulsant valproic acid while pregnant, whether the parents have a close relative with autism and whether the mother has increased levels of inflammation while pregnant. But this study may play an important role when politicians craft public policy, at least when it comes to using certain chemicals in the environment, Brown said. That idea was echoed by Marc Weisskopf, a professor of environmental epidemiology and physiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who was not involved in the new research. "DDT is very long-lived in the body, so a woman with high levels may not be able to do much about it at the time she starts thinking of getting pregnant," Weisskopf told Live Science in an email. "For any individual mother, I would still stress that the absolute increase in risk from such exposure still certainly remains small. From a larger societal point of view, it is more evidence to try and limit DDT exposures overall." The study is the first to connect an insecticide with risk for autism by testing a mother's blood sample. It was published online today (Aug. 16) in the American Journal of Psychiatry. Original article on Live Science. Editor's Recommendations Gianna Masciantonio (Photo: Facebook) When Pope Francis kissed baby Gianna Masciantonio in 2015, some saw it as an encouraging sign. The 1-year-old had been diagnosed with a brain tumor, Philadelphias Fox 29 News reported at the time. Doctors had not expected that she would make it to her first birthday, but she overcame the odds and days after her birthday, Pope Francis kissed her head. CBS Philadelphia reported that Gianna has histiocytosis, a rare condition that made it impossible for her to have surgery to remove the tumor. The blood disorder caused lesions on her brain stem, the outlet explained. Gianna was treated with chemotherapy, and CBS Philadelphia reports that now, Gianna is in good health and will begin preschool this year. Pope Francis kisses a child during his visit to Philadelphia in 2015. (Photo: AP) To commemorate Giannas recovery, her parents, Joey and Kristen Masciantonio, donated $50,000 to the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, where Gianna was treated. They made the donation in the name of the foundation they started, For the Love of Grace. Grace is Giannas middle name, and the foundation is dedicated to helping children with brain tumors and histiocytosis. From what I thought at age 4 months when I operated on her, if you would have told me shed be running around getting ready to start preschool, I would have told you youd be crazy. It just wouldnt happen, Dr. Phillip Storm, the hospitals chief of pediatric neurosurgery, told CBS Philadelphia. Whether or not Giannas recovery was affected by the kiss from Pope Francis, it sounds as if the medical team who worked with the baby is thrilled with her recovery. Pope Francis has apparently taken an interest in Giannas recovery, too. He didnt know she was suffering from a brain tumor at the time of his visit to Philadelphia. But hes kept up with the news of her condition, according to a 2016 report from CBS Philadelphia. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. Children will fall for peer pressure from robots, and then what will become of society? (Photo: Oli Scarff/Getty Images) While adults seem to be able to resist the charms of robots, school-age children fall easily for their robotic wiles. According to a new study, children will repeat incorrect responses that robots give to a simple visual task, whereas adults, who often fall prey to peer pressure from their human counterparts, resist pressure from the robots. Rather than seeing a robot as a machine, children may see it as a social character, says psychologist Anna-Lisa Vollmer of Bielefeld University in Germany. This might explain why they succumb to peer pressure [applied] by robots. Peer pressure now, world domination tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/9i9ltZr0wc Corey Lambrecht (@HomeInspectorOk) August 17, 2018 The research built on a previous study from the 1950s in which adults agreed with a group of their peers who were told to say that lines of a different length were actually the same length. Participants in that study, ages 18 to 69, agreed with their peers incorrect judgments. When the same study was performed with robots in place of human peers, however, adults disagreed with the robots. But the children in the current study, who were 7 to 9 years old, agreed with three-quarters of the robots answers. Why does it matter? Robots seem to have some sort of power over children, which should be kept in mind when we design artificial intelligence. The study reads: In this light, care must be taken when designing the applications and artificial intelligence of these physically embodied machines, particularly because little is known about the long-term impact that exposure to social robots can have on the development of children and vulnerable sections of society. More specifically, problems could originate not only from intentional programming of malicious behavior (e.g., robots that have been designed to deceive) but also from the unintentional presence of biases in artificial systems or the misinterpretation of autonomously gathered data by a learning system itself. For example, if robots recommend products, services, or preferences, will compliance and thus convergence be higher than with more traditional advertising methods? Story continues Thats just like when my older brother replaced my Teddy Ruxpin cassette tape with a Motley Crue tape, and the talking bear encouraged me to go smoke in the boys room. So impressionable. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. World leaders past and present are honoring the memory of former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who died Saturday at age 80. Annan was the U.N.s first black Secretary-General, and its seventh overall. During his 10 years in that post, Annan collected the Nobel Peace Prize and built a reputation as one of the worlds most beloved diplomats, despite presiding over the U.N. during a volatile decade marked by wars and terrorism. His death, resulting from a short but unspecified illness, sent shockwaves through the global political community on Saturday, prompting world leaders including former President Barack Obama, current U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and more to issue tributes. Flags outside the U.N. headquarters will also fly at half-mast for three days, the organization announced. NEW: Former Pres. Barack Obama issues a statement on the death of former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan: "Kofi Annan was a diplomat and humanitarian who embodied the mission of the United Nations like few others." https://t.co/uTbAyOTz4K pic.twitter.com/Q9hYbBZbyZ ABC News (@ABC) August 18, 2018 Kofi Annan was a guiding force for good. I join the world in mourning his loss. In these turbulent and trying times, his legacy as a global champion for peace will remain a true inspiration for us all. https://t.co/psJ9viPIeu pic.twitter.com/SKfBk5zaY2 Antonio Guterres (@antonioguterres) August 18, 2018 Sad to hear of the death of Kofi Annan. A great leader and reformer of the UN, he made a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into. My thoughts and condolences are with his family. pic.twitter.com/P0SWagShJM Theresa May (@theresa_may) August 18, 2018 We express our profound sorrow at the passing away of Nobel Laureate and former UNSG Mr. Kofi Annan. The world has lost not only a great African diplomat and humanitarian but also a conscience keeper of international peace and security. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 18, 2018 Kofi Annan didnt just talk about building a more just and peaceful world, he dedicated his life to doing it - and the world is a better place because of him. Its now up to all of us to carry his work forward. Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) August 18, 2018 Kofi Annan inspired me and many others with his ideas, his upright beliefs, and, not in the least, his charisma, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a statement. Chinas powerful Politburo announced disciplinary action Thursday against more than 40 officials, state media said, in the latest fallout over a vaccine scandal that has undermined trust in the ruling Communist Party. The 25-member body led by President Xi Jinping ordered an investigation into the countrys former top food-and-drug regulator, Wu Zhen, the official Xinhua News Agency said Thursday. The body also demanded the resignations of the mayor of the northeastern city of Changchun, Liu Changlong, and the vice minister of the State Administration for Market Regulation, Bi Jingquan, Xinhua said. Xis personal involvement in the punishment of relatively low-level officials illustrates the leaderships concern over a scandal that has led protesters to picket government offices and rattled the countrys $120 billion vaccine industry. The president last month called allegations that Changsheng Bio-Technology Co. and Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co. produced low-quality vaccines shocking and demanded action against those involved. The vaccine scandal along with an economic slow down and a tanking stock market has helped feed discontent in the worlds second-largest economy. The episode has exposed new doubts about Xis leadership, months after setting himself up for indefinite rule by abolishing presidential term limits. General Secretary Xi Jinping has attached great importance to the matter and issued several sets of instructions, calling for thorough investigation and punishment according to the law, Xinhua said, citing the Politburos decision. The Politburo also called for improving long-term oversight mechanisms for vaccine production, upholding public safety and safeguarding peoples health. Shares of Changchun-based Changsheng Bio-Technology have plunged every day theyve traded since the vaccine scandal emerged. The stock is down 80 percent since July 13, falling 5 percent in early trading Friday in Shenzhen. Health-care companies in the Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 index slipped more than 2 percent Friday. With assistance by Peter Martin Washington (AFP) - A military parade ordered by US President Donald Trump for later this year has been postponed until at least 2019, a defense official said Thursday, following reports the cost had soared to over $90 million. "The Department of Defense and White House have been planning a parade to honor America's military veterans and commemorate the centennial of World War I," Pentagon spokesman Colonel Rob Manning said in a statement. "We originally targeted November 10, 2018 for this event but have now agreed to explore opportunities in 2019," he added. When the White House in February announced the commander-in-chief's desire to hold a parade in Washington, the budget director said it would cost between $10 million and $30 million. But a US official told AFP earlier Thursday the planning estimate had now gone as high as $92 million, though no final figure has been reached. The parade had been planned for the Veterans Day weekend, and was expected to include a large show of air power. The request for the event came after Trump was impressed by France's Bastille Day parade, where he was received with great fanfare by French President Emmanuel Macron in July 2017. US media were quick to highlight how the ballooning costs stood in contrast to his concern about the expense of conducting joint military exercises with South Korea. "We will be stopping the war games, which will save us a tremendous amount of money," Trump said in June after meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. It later emerged that the drills cost about $14 million, a fraction of the price of a military parade. The United States normally holds military parades to mark the end of a conflict, such as in 1991 when president George HW Bush held a National Victory Parade in Washington to celebrate the end of the first Gulf War. Trump's request was popular among many Americans but drew scorn from critics, who said it would be a waste of money and was akin to events organized by authoritarian regimes. A seagull struggles to take flight covered by a plastic bag, on the seashore at Caleta Portales beach in Valparaiso, Chile - AFP Researchers believe an Australian bee which produces a cellophane-like material for its nests could help to end the worlds reliance on disposable plastics. The native Hylaeus nubilosus masked bee, known for the distinctive yellow badge on its back, does not sting or live in hives but it has generated interest because of the nesting material it produces, which is non-toxic, waterproof, flame-resistant and able to withstand heat. A biotech company in New Zealand, Humble Bee, is trying to reverse-engineer the material in the hope of mass producing it as an alternative to plastic. Veronica Harwood-Stevenson, the firms founder, said she began investigating the potential plastic alternative after noticing a throwaway line in a research paper about the cellophane-like qualities of the masked bees nesting material. "Plastic particles and chemicals have permeated ecosystems and organisms around the world, [from] foetal blood of babies [to] the most remote arctic lakes; it's so pervasive, it's terrifying," she told The Sydney Morning Herald. "It's about biomimicry, about copying what's in the natural environment, and we've been doing it in design for centuries, from plane wing design inspired by birds of prey to train shapes reflecting bird beaks." Richard Furneaux, a chemistry professor at the Victoria University of Wellington, said the discovery of the new material was almost too good to be true. File image of bees working on their hive Its robustness is beyond what you would have expected, he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Scientists analysed the genetic makeup of the bioplastic by studying the bees glands. Humble Bee plans to initially use the material to make outdoor apparel, such as camping gear, which often use toxic chemicals to keep them waterproof. "Outdoor apparel is definitely what were most interested in because of the chemicals being used and because chances are, if you like the environment, you don't want the products you enjoy to be screwing up the environment," Ms Harwood-Stevenson said. Story continues Scientists believe chemicals used to change the properties of plastic such as those that make it harder or waterproof may be harmful and could increase the risk of heart disease, cancer or infertility. The bioplastic could also be used for aviation, electrics and construction products. It is resistant to acid which could allow it to coat medicines and help them to pass through the stomach. The firm hopes to start selling the bioplastic in five years. Harrowing new footage released by California's firefighting agency Cal Fire reveals the massive fire tornado that led to the death of a firefighter on July 26. The fire tornado was part of the Carr Fire that's engulfed 223,610 acres of land in Northern California so far. A report from Cal Fire breaks down the details surrounding the fiery phenomenon. SEE ALSO: A fire tornado hit California. Here's how it happened. Per the report, the tornado "was a large rotating fire plume that was roughly 1,000 feet in diameter at its base" and managed to reach a height of 40,000 feet. Https%3a%2f%2fvdist.aws.mashable.com%2fcms%2f2018%2f8%2f96079a04 5d0a da6d%2fthumb%2f00001 In late July, we covered news of a fire tornado in the area on the evening of July 26. It's unclear whether the fire tornado in the report is the same as the one that garnered media attention at the time, according to Cal Fire. "Observations from witnesses and other evidence suggest that either several fire tornados occurred at different locations and times, or one fire tornado formed and then periodically weakened and strengthened causing several separate damage areas," the report says. Https%3a%2f%2fvdist.aws.mashable.com%2fcms%2f2018%2f8%2fe24f00fd c3cb b6d2%2fthumb%2f00001 Fire tornados can happen when extreme heat spins up from the ground. As Mashable's Mark Kaufman explained at the time: Firefighters captured the disturbing video above from a helicopter, as well as footage taken from a fire engine, and from the Keswick Dam on the Sacramento River. Https%3a%2f%2fvdist.aws.mashable.com%2fcms%2f2018%2f8%2f90572cb4 c627 9cf0%2fthumb%2f00001 The Carr Fire continues to ravage parts of Shasta County and Trinity County. It is 77 percent contained, and other fires continue to rage in Northern California and other areas These fires are spurred on by extreme heat and dryness in the region. While human-caused climate change isn't necessarily the direct cause of any single weather event, like these fires, it can make extreme weather more likely now and in the future. WASHINGTON (AP) Senate Democrats said Thursday they will file a federal lawsuit next month if government agencies deny their requests for documents from Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's days as an aide to President George W. Bush. The threat represents Democrats' latest attempt to focus the public and perhaps more importantly, senators on potential game-changers they hope are hidden in millions of unreleased pages from Kavanaugh's White House days. So far, Republican leaders have said they expect Senate approval of Kavanaugh by the Oct. 1 start of the court's new term. Democrats' effort to head that off has so far seemed uphill. The GOP has a slender 50-49 Senate majority, due to ailing GOP Arizona Sen. John McCain's absence. The votes of two Republican and at least six Democratic senators remain unclear, with a simple majority required for Kavanaugh's approval. "We don't know if there's some sort of revelatory bombshell," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. Kavanaugh served under Bush from 2001 to 2006. Democrats hope to find documents that would reveal his views on high-profile issues including the torture of terrorism suspects and abortion rights. Blumenthal said Democratic senators who would file the suit, all of them members of the Judiciary Committee, would pay its costs from "our own pockets" and not use taxpayers' money. He said they are also allowed to use campaign funds for this expense. Republicans have allowed the release of well over 100,000 pages of Kavanaugh's papers, including papers from his time as a White House counsel to Bush, his later work as an appellate judge and his earlier time as aide to special counsel Kenneth Starr, who investigated President Bill Clinton. More are on track to be released. Democrats want the release of all Kavanaugh documents, including his three years as White House staff secretary, which Republicans have refused to request from the National Archives. The Archives says those alone could total several million pages. Story continues Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the GOP's refusal to seek those papers is "one of the worst moments" in Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's time as Senate leader, "and history will show it." Democrats have complained that most of the released documents have come from Bush's lawyer, Bill Burck, who is vetting them, rather than the traditional process conducted by the National Archives. They say Burck could well be withholding potentially embarrassing items. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has said he's not asked the Archives to provide documents from Kavanaugh's time as White House secretary because they are sensitive and "at the heart of executive privilege." Democrats filed Freedom of Information Act requests last week with four federal agencies requesting the papers. They say they'll file their lawsuit if those documents aren't provided within the legal deadline of 20 days. Grassley has scheduled four days of confirmation hearings beginning Sept. 4. Elon Musk has a tough schedule. In an explosive interview published Thursday night, the Tesla CEO defended sometimes erratic behavior by revealing details about his 120 work weeks, factory all nighters on his birthday, and a sleep schedule thats all but impossible to maintain without Ambien. It is often a choice of no sleep or Ambien, Musk told the New York Times. Two people familiar with the board told the publication that some members are concerned about his use of the drug, with some noting that instead of going to sleep Musk stays up and posts on Twitter. Tesla has faced intense pressure over the past year, after the $35,000 Model 3 entered production in July 2017. The relatively lower price, coupled with a backlog of nearly 500,000 orders, necessitated a production expansion from around 2,000 cars per week total to an end of June rate of 7,000. Tesla is also planning to boost production of its solar roof, and launch three new models of vehicle over the next two years. Ambien, a brand name for zolpidem, works similar to benzodiazepines like Valium and Xanax in that it slows down brain activity. This is meant to induce sleep, but it can also lead to some unexpected behaviors while awake. Musk has made some bizarre Twitter posts during Teslas high-pressure expansion, but Musks interview did not specify any tweets that were written under the influence of the drug. In March, he announced an intergalactic media empire called Thud, in April he claimed he had prehensile eyebrows, and in May he posted an image of a woke frisbee. Other posts have been less innocuous: Musk was forced to apologize after describing a Thai cave rescue hero as pedo guy. Its also not the first time Musk has mentioned Ambien use. A little red wine, vintage record, some Ambien ... and magic! Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 7, 2017 One post that Musk is serious about, though, is his plan to take Tesla private with a buyout offer of $420 per share. The offer was 20 percent higher than the share price on the day of the announcement, but the number is common in marijuana culture, which some interpreted as meaning that Musk was not serious about the offer. Tesla has shared more details about the plan since the post, and in the Thursday interview he rebuffed suggestions that there was any weed involved in the post. Story continues It seemed like better karma at $420 than at $419, Musk said. But I was not on weed, to be clear. Weed is not helpful for productivity. Theres a reason for the word stoned. You just sit there like a stone on weed. Photos via Elon Musk More From Inverse In The Boss, women share how they became successful and the lessons they learned along the way. Once you become a boss, youll never be able to work for anyone else again. I grew up hearing my dad say that over and over again, and it undoubtedly put me on the path that Im on today. Ampersand As Apostrophe, my handbag company, wasnt my original plan. I studied interior design at Miami University, and after graduation I was recruited to work for an architecture firm in Seattle. I was doing what I loved, and working on huge retail projects all over the world. I should have been happy, but I wasnt. I was so passionate about design, structure and aesthetics, but I still felt unfulfilled. Almost every day Id ask myself, Am I supposed to be doing something else? Ampersand As Apostrophe handbags. After three and a half years, in 2010, I decided to take a break and visited some friends in New York. Id saved about $800 for a new handbag, and after finding nothing in Seattle that I liked, I knew Id probably have more luck in NYC most likely at Barneys. I wanted something that was simple, with clean lines and a sophisticated structure, but nothing too stuffy or run-of-the-mill either. I also needed it to fit and flatter my body type Im petite, just a little over five feet tall but I wasnt willing to spend thousands on a luxury brand either. I found nothing. I was frustrated, and on the plane ride home I started to sketch what would become the first design in my line. It was just a marker doodle over the text on a magazine page, but when I got back to Seattle, I took my sketch and a 100-year-old mailbag that had been sitting in the trunk of my car for months to a sewing shop that repaired the sails on sailboats. There, I created the bag that changed my life. Ampersand As Apostrophe handbags. The fashion editor at Seattle Metropolitan magazine, Laura Cassidy, stopped me on the street and begged me to make one for her; four hours later I decided to start the brand. She wrote a beautiful, full-page feature for the launch, and Ampersand As Apostrophe started getting attention from fashion blogs all over the world. Executives from big-name brands started offering my jobs and celebrities were featured in magazines wearing my bags. Somehow, the organizers of Los Angeles Fashion Week decided to award me a booth. Orders started pouring in, but in order to fund my manufacturing costs I made customers pre-pay for their bags. During this time I was also maxing out my credit cards, paying them off, and then maxing them out again. I bought leather hides instead of dinner; thats how determined I was. Story continues I didnt know the first thing about fashion in the technical or formal sense, and I didnt know how to run a business. Every time someone told me I couldnt do it, I tried harder. I was 26 years old when I entered the cutthroat world of fashion and manufacturing. The men who owned and managed the factories where I eventually started producing my bags didnt always take me seriously. They wont listen to me. They dont believe Im the boss, and they think there has to be a man running the company, I remember telling my dad. So, invent him, my father replied bluntly. And so I did. When problems arose at the factories, as they always do, Id tell them that I was going to call my boss and that he wont be happy about this. Instead, Id call my dad, and hed catch me up on family stuff back home in Michigan, while Id scribble down notes on what needed to be done next to ensure the success of my company. When youve got hundreds of thousands of dollars on the line, and your financial security is on the line, you do whatever you have to do to make things happen. In the long run, I knew it would all be temporary. Sometimes I think of myself as more of a professional risk taker than a fashion designer or entrepreneur, and gaining that confidence was always the hardest part of starting my own business. Talking things over with my dad and hearing his straightforward and tough-love advice was essential for me. Still, running a company was hard. In fact, after so many difficult production runs and the challenges of running a business on my own, I was about to give up altogether until I got a call from Bobbi Brown the professional makeup artist and entrepreneur one day. There she was on the other end of the line, saying, Hi, Jessica? Its Bobbi Brown. Im your biggest fan. Soon, she was placing orders that were 60 times larger than any I had received up until that point. I felt a sigh of relief and felt like this is really going to work. All of my emotions around failure started to dissipate. Browns belief in my brand was the confidence boost that I needed to keep going. At the end of 2016, I moved Ampersand As Apostrophe to New York City. We were doubling our sales every season and I knew that if I wanted to grow and challenge myself even more, Id have to be in the fashion capital of the U.S. Today, we sell globally to boutiques around the world, with showrooms in Los Angeles and Manhattan. I have three full-time employees in my design studio and we work with over a dozen consultants on a daily basis. My team and I are a small group of hardworking, driven women who are looking forward to the future of Ampersand As Apostrophe. Persistence is another characteristic that my dad drilled into me over and over again growing up. Its the number one trait thats essential to success, more so than talent, money or luck. My greatest accomplishment has been building this brand from the ground up. I really couldnt imagine doing anything else with my life. By Andreas Rinke and Vladimir Soldatkin MESEBERG, Germany (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria, as well as Iran and a gas pipeline project that has drawn U.S. ire during tough talks outside Berlin that ended with no clearcut progress. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters no agreements were reached, but the meeting had simply been intended to "check the watches" after Merkel's meeting with Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in May. Ties between the two countries have been strained since Russia's annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine in 2014. The two leaders both viewed the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project as a purely commercial venture, despite persistent fire by the U.S. and Ukrainian governments, Peskov said. "Thats why it is necessary to take measures against possible non-competitive and illegal attacks from the third countries in order to complete this project eventually," he told reporters shortly before Putin flew back to Russia. It was not immediately clear what such "measures" could entail. At the start of the talks, Merkel underscored her expectation that Ukraine should continue to have a role in gas transit to Europe, and welcomed the start of discussions among the European Union, Ukraine and Russia on that issue. Putin, speaking at the German government's Meseburg castle, said such a move had to make sense from a business perspective. "The main thing is that the Ukrainian transit which is traditional for us - meets economic demands," he said. "Nord Stream 2 is exclusively an economic project." The United States is pressing Berlin to halt the pipeline that will carry gas from Russia under the Baltic Sea, arguing it will increase Germany's dependence on Russia for energy. Ukraine fears the pipeline will allow Russia to cut it off from the gas transit business, while Germany's eastern European neighbours worry about Russian encroachment. Peskov said the threat of possible U.S. sanctions against companies involved in the project was not discussed on Saturday. Standing beside Putin before the talks, Merkel said both countries - but especially Russia as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council - had a responsibility to try to solve the ongoing fighting in Ukraine and Syria. She said she also planned to raise potentially thorny human rights issues with Putin, and discuss bilateral relations. "I am of the opinion that controversial issues can only be addressed in dialogue and through dialogue," she said. Both leaders raised concerns about Syria and the plight of the many refugees created by the seven-year-old war there. Merkel said it was important to avert a humanitarian crisis in Idlib, Syria and the surrounding region, and said she and Putin had already discussed the issue of constitutional reforms and possible elections when they last met in Sochi in May. Putin told reporters that everything must be done to help Syrian refugees to return to their country and that Syria needed assistance to rebuild. The two leaders took no questions. On Ukraine, Merkel said she hoped fresh efforts could be undertaken at the beginning of the new school year to disentangle Ukrainian military forces and separatists on the front lines in the Donbass region. Putin arrived in Germany on Saturday evening after a stop at an Austrian vineyard where he danced with Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl at her wedding to entrepreneur Wolfgang Meilinger. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper Germany hoped to "create new momentum" in the Minsk peace process. Sanctions relief for Russia would only be negotiated if the Minsk accord was implemented, he added. Maas said he had spoken with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin this week, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was due to visit Berlin again on Sept. 14 after a meeting with Merkel in the German capital last month. (Reporting by Andreas Rinke and Vladimir Soldatkin; writing by Andrea Shalal; editing by Andrew Roche and Chris Reese) BERLIN (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday for talks about the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria, as well as the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project that has drawn U.S. ire. Putin arrives in Germany after a stop at an Austrian vineyard to attend Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl's wedding to entrepreneur Wolfgang Meilinger. Merkel warned on Friday against expecting too much from her discussions with Putin at the government's Meseberg palace, but said the two countries needed to remain in "permanent dialogue" on the long list of problems they face. "It's a working meeting from which no specific results are expected," she told reporters. The two leaders last met in Sochi in May and struggled to overcome differences. But both Juergen Hardt, foreign policy spokesman for Merkel's conservative bloc, and Achim Post, a senior member of the Social Democrats (SPD), junior partners in the coalition government, were more upbeat. "We can be cautiously optimistic," Hardt told the Stuttgarter Zeitung and Stuttgarter Nachrichten newspapers in an interview published on Saturday. "The Russian president has maneuvered himself into a dead end on Syria and eastern Ukraine, and needs international partners. For that he has to move." A senior German official told the papers: "There has been some movement," but gave no details. Post said in a statement that he expected both Merkel and Putin to look for pragmatic solutions based on common interests. "In a world that is increasingly uncertain, we must speak particularly with difficult partners like Russia," he said. Russia and the West remain at loggerheads over Moscow's annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine in 2014 and the ensuing conflict between Russian-backed separatists in the country's east and the Ukrainian army. On Syria, Germany wants Putin to finalize a lasting ceasefire there in agreement with the United States. Merkel on Friday said a four-way meeting on Syria involving Germany, Russia, Turkey and France was possible. Germany is also under strong pressure from the United States to halt work on the planned Nord Stream 2 pipeline that will carry gas from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea. The United States says it will increase Germany's dependence on Russia for energy. Ukraine fears the pipeline will allow Russia to cut it off from the gas transit business. Germany's eastern European neighbors, nervous of Russian encroachment, have also raised concerns about the project. Merkel and Putin will each make statements at 1600 GMT on Saturday before the start of the talks. They do not plan to take questions. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Mark Heinrich) Geneva (AFP) - From his native Africa to the United States, tributes continued to pour in from around the world Sunday after UN chief, Nobel peace laureate, and "diplomatic rock star" Kofi Annan died at the age of 80. The Ghanaian national was a career diplomat who projected quiet charisma and was widely credited for raising the world body's profile in global politics during his two terms as head of the UN from 1997 to 2006. The first secretary general from sub-Saharan Africa, Annan led the United Nations through the divisive years of the Iraq war and was later accused of corruption in the oil-for-food scandal, one of the most trying times of his tenure. Annan "astutely guided the United Nations organisation into the 21st century defining an ambitious agenda that had made the UN truly indispensable to peace, prosperity and human dignity around the world," Annan's successor as UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, said in a statement. Annan's family said he had passed away peacefully on Saturday after a short illness. Annan, who lived not far from the UN European headquarters in Geneva, died in a Bern hospital, Swiss media reported. His foundation told the ATS news agency Sunday his funeral would be a private event, but did not provide further details. It said a separate UN ceremony would be held at a later date. - 'Guiding force for good' - Current UN chief Antonio Guterres described his predecessor as "a guiding force for good". "In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations," he said. "He rose through the ranks to lead the organisation into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination." The UN said it would fly flags at half mast at all of its locations around the world through Tuesday. And Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo announced a week of mourning for "one of our greatest compatriots". In 2001, as the world was reeling from the September 11 attacks in the United States, Annan was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with the world body "for their work for a better organised and more peaceful world". Story continues Another Nobel laureate, retired South African archbishop Desmond Tutu, described Annan as "an outstanding human being who represented our continent and the world with enormous graciousness, integrity and distinction." - 'Diplomatic rock star' - Born in Kumasi, the capital city of Ghana's Ashanti region, Annan devoted four decades of his working life to the UN and was the first chief to rise from within the organisation's ranks. In 1993, he took over as peacekeeping chief -- a position he held through two of the UN's darkest chapters: the Rwandan genocide and the Bosnian war. His tenure as UN chief was tarnished by a 2005 investigation of Annan and his son over the oil-for-food scandal, seen by some as payback for his comments that the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq was "illegal". An inquiry cleared Annan of any serious wrongdoing, but found ethical and management lapses linked to his son Kojo's ties with a Swiss firm that won lucrative contracts in the oil-for-food scheme. Annan later admitted the scandal had sorely tested his mettle not only as secretary general, but as a father. Despite the lows, he left the post as one of the most popular UN leaders ever, and was considered a "diplomatic rock star" in international diplomatic circles. After ending his second term as UN chief, he kept up his diplomatic work, taking high-profile mediation roles in Kenya and in Syria, and more recently leading an advisory commission in Myanmar on the crisis in Rakhine state. He enjoyed some success in ending post-election turmoil in Kenya in 2007, and on Saturday the two main players in that crisis, former president Mwai Kibaki and his opposition rival Raila Odinga celebrated his efforts. Annan resigned from the peace mission for Syria in 2012 after just a few months, saying a Security Council stalemate had turned it into a "mission impossible". He also set up his foundation devoted to conflict resolution and joined the Elders group of statesmen which speaks out on global issues. - 'Embodied the UN mission' - But he had recently spoken of his despair at the state of global leadership and the lack of will to engage in resolving crises. "Honestly speaking, we are in a mess," he told AFP last December, warning that "today, leaders are going in the wrong direction... leaders are withdrawing." Despite his criticism, current and former world leaders voiced their admiration for Annan. Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed his "wisdom and courage", while German Chancellor Angela Merkel celebrated the "exceptional statesman in the service of the global community." President Donald Trump had yet to comment, but his Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo on Sunday hailed a life spent "advocating for peace and human dignity". And US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said Annan "never stopped fighting for the dignity of every person". Former US president Barack Obama earlier said Annan "embodied the mission of the United Nations like few others". By Joseph Menn and Paresh Dave SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google is not close to launching a search engine app in China, its chief executive said at a companywide meeting on Thursday, according to a transcript seen by Reuters, as employees of the Alphabet Inc unit called for more transparency and oversight of the project. Chief Executive Sundar Pichai told staff that though development is in an early stage, providing more services in the world's most populous country fits with Google's global mission. Hoping to gain approval from the Chinese government to provide a mobile search service, the company plans to block some websites and search terms, Reuters reported this month, citing unnamed sources. Whether the company could or would launch search in China "is all very unclear," Pichai said, according to the transcript. "The team has been in an exploration stage for quite a while now, and I think they are exploring many options." Disclosure of the secretive effort has disturbed some Google employees and human rights advocacy organizations. They are concerned that by agreeing to censorship demands, Google would validate China's prohibitions on free expression and violate the "don't be evil" clause in the company's code of conduct. Hundreds of employees have called on the company to provide more "transparency, oversight and accountability," according to an internal petition seen by Reuters on Thursday. After a separate petition this year, Google announced it would not renew a project to help the U.S. military develop artificial intelligence technology for drones. The China petition says employees are concerned the project, code named Dragonfly, "makes clear" that ethics principles Google issued during the drone debate "are not enough." "We urgently need more transparency, a seat at the table and a commitment to clear and open processes: Google employees need to know what we're building," states the document seen by Reuters. The New York Times first reported the petition on Thursday. Google declined to comment. Company executives have not commented publicly on Dragonfly, and their remarks at the company-wide meeting marked their first about the project since details about it were leaked. Employees have asked Google to create an ethics review group with rank-and-file workers, appoint ombudspeople to provide independent review and internally publish assessments of projects that raise substantial ethical questions. Pichai told employees: "We'll definitely be transparent as we get closer to actually having a plan of record here" on Dragonfly, according to the transcript. He noted the company guards information on some projects where sharing too early can "cause issues." Three former employees involved with Google's past efforts in China told Reuters current leadership may see offering limited search results in China as better than providing no information at all. The same rationale led Google to enter China in 2006. It left in 2010 over an escalating dispute with regulators that was capped by what security researchers identified as state-sponsored cyberattacks against Google and other large U.S. firms. The former employees said they doubt the Chinese government will welcome back Google. A Chinese official, who declined to be named, told Reuters this month that it is very unlikely Dragonfly would be available this year. (Reporting by Joseph Menn and Paresh Dave; Editing by Dan Grebler and Lisa Shumaker) The Karnes County Residential Center has held immigrant families since 2014. (Photo: Drew Anthony Smith via Getty Images) Sixteen migrant fathers who had previously been separated from and then reunited with their children were forcibly separated from them again and taken to another detention center without explanation on Wednesday, they told the legal aid group RAICES. The fathers were returned to the Karnes County Residential Center in south-central Texas on Thursday, following a night of fear and worry. Neither the men nor their lawyers know why it happened. Immigration and Customs Enforcement released a statement saying there had been a disturbance on Wednesday involving about 40 detained men, but declined to offer further details. RAICES staff attorney Ryan Clough said an ICE officer at the Karnes center told him that the fathers refused to go with the flow and werent taking their kids to classes or other activities. Clough said he suspects the sudden move may have been related to news that the fathers were preparing for a hunger strike. The facts strongly seem to suggest that this was retaliation for otherwise perfectly lawful, peaceful protest, he said on a Friday call with reporters. The Karnes County Residential Center is currently holding some of the immigrant families previously separated by the Trump administration, which took more than 2,000 children away from their parents as part of a crackdown on illegal border crossings. A court ordered the Trump administration to stop family separations in June and to reunite those it had already split up by July 26. The administration missed that deadline, and even now about 565 children remain apart from their parents. RAICES and the fathers allege that the 16 families at Karnes were wrongly separated again on Wednesday, after more law enforcement officers showed up at the facility. Visitors, including attorneys, were abruptly ushered out. One father, who spoke to reporters through an interpreter on Fridays call, said he was in his room Wednesday afternoon when officers with helmets and guns knocked on his door and asked for him by name. He said he was handcuffed and taken with other men to a facility in Pearsall, Texas, some 80-plus miles away. He said the men had done nothing wrong. Story continues The fathers asked officers why they were being removed from Karnes and what would happen to their children, he said, but they were not given any information. He said he could not imagine being separated from his child again without being able to say goodbye. Children were likewise left in the dark with little or no information about where their parents had gone, said the RAICES lawyers. One child who spoke to reporters said he spent the whole day crying. The next day, the fathers were returned to the Karnes center and reunited with their kids, but were still not given an explanation, the dad on the call told reporters. In a statement given to HuffPost on Friday, ICE said that about 40 men detained at the Karnes County Residential Center were involved in a disturbance on Wednesday. ICE San Antonio deployed additional law enforcement resources to control the situation, and as a precautionary measure, instructed all visitors to leave the facility, ICE said. No children housed at KCRC were involved in this incident; all were attending school at the time. Sixteen adult male residents were transferred out of KCRC and housed overnight at another facility, but will be returned to KCRC Thursday evening. No one was injured during this incident. The agency declined to answer additional questions, including about the allegation of potential retaliation. The families were shaken by the incident, RAICES legal assistant Casey Miller told reporters. Fathers broke down in tears afterward while talking to her, she said. Theres a lot of fear, theres a lot of sadness, theres a lot of anger, Miller said. Also on HuffPost Undocumented immigrants who turned themselves in after crossing the border from Mexico into the U.S. await processing near McAllen, Texas, on April 2, 2018. Families who crossed the border near McAllen, Texas, on May 9, 2018. A U.S. Border Patrol spotlight shines on a mother and son from Honduras on June 12, 2018, in McAllen, Texas. Central Americans seeking asylum wait as U.S. Border Patrol agents take them into custody on June 12, 2018, near McAllen, Texas. A Honduran mother stands with her family at the U.S.-Mexico border fence on Feb. 22, 2018, near Penitas, Texas. U.S. Border Patrol agents take a Central American family into custody on June 12, 2018 near McAllen, Texas. U.S. Border Patrol agents take a father and son from Honduras into custody near the U.S.-Mexico border on June 12, 2018, near Mission, Texas. A Central American family waits to be taken into custody on June 12, 2018, near McAllen, Texas. Central American migrants wait as U.S. Border Patrol agents take people into custody on June 12, 2018, near McAllen, Texas. Two women and a child who crossed the border on Feb. 22, 2018, near McAllen, Texas. A Honduran child who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border with her family on Jan. 4, 2017, near McAllen, Texas. U.S. Border Patrol agents take Central American immigrants, including this young child, into custody on Jan. 4, 2017, near McAllen, Texas. A Honduran woman and child on Jan. 4, 2017, near McAllen, Texas. A U.S. Border Patrol agent checks birth certificates while taking Central American immigrants into detention on Jan. 4, 2017, near McAllen, Texas. Adults and children await processing near McAllen, Texas, on April 2, 2018. Guatemalan immigrant families turn themselves in to U.S. Border Patrol near McAllen, Texas, on May 8, 2018. U.S. Border Patrol agents take Central American immigrants into custody on Jan. 4, 2017, near McAllen, Texas. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. India is a country carrying increasing expectations. With a population of 1.3 billion that's expected to grow and outnumber China's by 2022, the South Asian giant is a market targeted by great powers such as the United States and China, and boasts an economy that's growing fast while still battling high inequality. Now, as its influence has expanded in several industrial sectors, the government has emphasized that the country's ambitions transcend this world and aim toward the heavens. Addressing the nation during the Aug. 15 celebrations for India's independence from the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed the country's plans to have one astronaut in space by 2022 as part of Gaganyaan, India's ambitious human space flight plan. "We have decided that by 2022, when India completes 75 years of independence, or before that, a son or daughter of India will go to space with a tricolor (India's national flag) in their hands," Modi said. The mission was originally scheduled to take up to seven days and -- before Modi's statement -- carry up to three people on board. Such an expedition could help India join the group of three world superpowers -- the U.S., Russia, and China -- that have ventured into space with manned missions. The costs may go as high as $1.7 billion. Yet as ambitious as India's plans may look, it would not be the first time the regional power has achieved a major space accomplishment. In September 2014, the low-cost Indian spacecraft Mangalyaan reached Mars and entered its orbit, marking the first time an Asian country reached the red planet. India also became the first country to complete the Mars trip on its first try. According to news agency Reuters, the cost of the mission was only $74 million, around 10 times less than what NASA, the U.S. space agency, spent to send its own spacecraft to Mars. In the early 1960s, India was already launching its first rockets, and in 1975 , the country launched its first satellite, Aryabhata. More than three decades and numerous tests and launches later, the Indian Space Research Organization, or ISRO, succeeded at launching the country's first lunar probe, which functioned until August 2009 and made India the fourth nation to plant its flag on the moon -- after the U.S., the former Soviet Union and Japan. India also has launched 237 satellites belonging to customers from 29 countries, and already reported one citizen in space in 1984, traveling aboard a Soviet mission. Story continues ISRO officials say they are ready to make Modi's dreams come true and see Indians in space. Speaking to local media, Kailasavadivoo Sivan, head of ISRO, said the organization has developed the "critical technologies" required for the manned space mission. Yet there are several challenges facing India's human mission, mainly related to having a person on the craft. The crew needs to be provided proper training, while a quality life-support system must be tested and able to respond to unexpected problems. "We cannot take any risks," science journalist Biman Basu told the local media. "If a satellite is lost, no life is lost, but here everything has to be taken care of (so that) there is no hitch and no failure at any given time in the mission." 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. STILLWATER, Minn. (AP) A man in prison for murder has been indicted in the death of a Minnesota prison guard who was killed with a hammer. A grand jury returned the indictment on first-degree murder charges Tuesday against Edward Muhammad Johnson, 42. He's accused of killing Department of Corrections Officer Joseph Gomm at the Stillwater state prison on July 18. According to the new charges, Johnson repeatedly struck Gomm in the head and face with a hammer that he checked out from an industrial workshop on the third floor of the correctional facility. Johnson was initially charged with second-degree murder and assault. He's now charged with first-degree premediated murder and first-degree murder of a prison guard. Minnesota Public Radio reports that state law requires a grand jury to approve the more serious charges. In Minnesota, a first-degree murder conviction carries a life sentence without possibility of parole. Johnson's public defender, Laurel Ann O'Rourke, declined comment Thursday except to say Johnson is presumed innocent. Johnson is due in court Friday on the first-degree murder indictment. Johnson is serving a 29-year sentence for fatally stabbing his roommate in 2002. Gomm, who had just marked 16 years as a correctional officer, is believed to be the first Minnesota correctional officer killed while on duty. His funeral drew thousands of law enforcement officers. After Gomm's death, union leaders representing Minnesota corrections workers called for more prison officers. More than 1,600 inmates are housed at the century-old Stillwater prison. About a third of the prisoners are serving time for homicide. ___ Information from: Minnesota Public Radio News, http://www.mprnews.org By Carl O'Donnell and Ross Kerber NEW YORK/BOSTON (Reuters) - Several Tesla Inc shareholders have told Reuters they are concerned that the electric car maker will have to pay more to fund its growth if it becomes a private company and loses the ability to sell new shares to stock market investors. The issue has come to the fore as a special Tesla board committee considers Chief Executive Elon Musk's idea of taking the loss-making company private in a deal that could be worth as much as $72 billion. Tesla, whose bonds are rated "junk" by credit rating agencies due to its $11 billion (8.7 billion) debt pile and its negative cash flow, has tapped the stock market six times in the last eight years through share sales, raising nearly $4.3 billion (3.4 billion), according to data from Dealogic. Without that ready access to capital, Tesla investors who would consider keeping their stake in a private Tesla - as Musk has suggested - wonder how Tesla would fund itself as a private company. "It ultimately comes down to if you can afford to be private and if you can get funding, and what the cost of that funding is," said Craig Birk, chief investment officer for Personal Capital Advisors Corp, a Tesla shareholder which owned about 97,000 shares as of June 30. Musk shocked investors last week with a tweet that he was considering taking Tesla private at a price of $420 a share and that funding was "secured." He elaborated on Monday that he believed Saudi Arabia's PIF, a new shareholder in Tesla, could provide the necessary funding, although sources close to the sovereign wealth fund have played down that prospect. The 47-year-old entrepreneur and engineer said this week he believes two-thirds of existing Tesla shareholders would roll over their holdings into a private company, rather than cash out, and that he was still talking with major shareholders and advisers before settling on a structure for a deal. It remains unclear how any deal would be financed. Story continues LACK OF LIQUIDITY Musk has cited his long-running vendetta with short-sellers, who are betting that Tesla's stock will go down, as well as Wall Street's short-term focus on quarterly earnings, as reasons to take the company private. The implications for the company's funding, however, show that exiting the stock market will likely come with costs for Tesla. Musk said on Monday he did not want to saddle Tesla with more debt, meaning it would then have to rely on private fundraising rounds like Uber Technologies Inc and other venture-backed companies, likely incurring a much higher cost of capital. Estimates on how expensive private equity fundraising is compared with secondary share sales in the stock market vary. Venky Ganesan, investing partner at Menlo Ventures, said in an interview that the cost of capital - the rate of return required by an investor to persuade them to make a given investment - averages 17 percent to 18 percent for private companies compared with 6 percent to 7 percent for public companies. "The primary downside of going private is the higher cost of capital that investors demand for the lack of liquidity, being able to buy and sell at a fair price at short notice," Jacobs Thomas, professor of accounting and finance at Yale School of Management, wrote on the university's website earlier this month in a post on Tesla. The issue of funding is not merely academic. Tesla burnt through $3.4 billion (2.7 billion) of cash last year and has said it expects to invest another $2.5 billion (1.9 billion) this year. Musk has said repeatedly since April that Tesla has no need to raise new capital. But analysts expect Tesla will require billions of dollars more over the next several years to fund its expansion plans and to develop new electric premium vehicles to take on German rivals. On top of that, the company's battery Gigafactory outside Reno, Nevada is still only partially complete, and Musk has said that an announcement about a European plant will likely come by the end of this year. Another big-ticket item for Tesla is its recently announced China factory in Shanghai, although Musk has said funding for the roughly $2 billion (1.6 billion) cost would come from local debt. NEW CARS IN DEVELOPMENT Getting access to cheap capital is a constant challenge for automakers, which can spend $1 billion or more engineering a single new model and bringing it to mass production, only to have the vehicle flop because of a cyclical sales slump or a shift in market tastes. Mainstream automakers have historically failed to earn their cost of capital of about 9 percent because investments in new models, new technology and production equipment do not generate sufficient profits, the late Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV chief executive Sergio Marchionne said in an April 2015 investor presentation. Three new vehicles are in development at Tesla, the Model Y compact SUV, a new $200,000 (157,344 pounds) Roadster and an electric heavy-duty truck that Musk unveiled last November, with production start dates in 2019 and 2020. Analysts say that a lot will depend on the forecasts that investors make on the company's profitability for the next few years. The quicker Tesla can turn a sizeable profit, the easier it will be able to fund itself. "Tesla is clearly capital-intensive... but it's also a disruptor that's growing like crazy, perhaps making it more akin to high-growth tech companies," Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi wrote in a research note on Thursday. (Reporting by Carl O'Donnell in New York and Ross Kerber in Boston; Additional reporting by Heather Somerville and Alexandria Sage in San Francisco, Joe White in Detroit and Harry Brumpton and Liana B. Baker in New York; Editing by Greg Roumeliotis and Bill Rigby) LONDON (Reuters) - Iran said on Saturday it would resist the pressures of U.S. sanctions by relying on its natural and human resources, as Washington pushes allies to cut economic ties with Tehran. "It is a critical moment for our economy, but we are not in a dead end," Vice President Eshagh Jahangiri was quoted as saying by the state news agency IRNA. "This country has plenty of human and natural resources that can rely on." "The size of our oil and gas resources is number one in the world. In minerals and metals we are among the top 10 countries, Jahangiri said. Washington has withdrawn from a deal that had lifted sanctions on Tehran in return for curbs on its nuclear program. Sanctions imposed in August target Irans trade in gold and other precious metals, its purchases of U.S. dollars and its car industry. U.S. President Donald Trump has said a new round of sanctions will be imposed in November, targeting Iranian oil sales. Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last week rejected Trumps offer of talks. Iran's rial currency has lost about half of its value since April, driven mainly by heavy demand for dollars among ordinary Iranians trying to protect their savings. (Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin; editing by Andrew Roche) Miami (AFP) - An Iraq war veteran who pleaded guilty to fatally shooting five people during a rampage at a Florida airport last year was sentenced to life in prison on Friday, prosecutors said Esteban Santiago Ruiz, who is now 28, opened fire in a busy terminal at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on January 6, 2017, after arriving on a one-way ticket from Alaska. Six people were also wounded in the shooting frenzy. He quickly dropped to the ground and peacefully surrendered to a sheriff's deputy, authorities said. He pleaded guilty in May to five counts of committing acts of violence at an international airport causing death and six counts of committing acts of violence at an international airport causing serious bodily injury. On Friday, federal Judge Beth Bloom sentenced him to five consecutive life terms and six consecutive 20-year prison terms on the lesser charges. "While nothing can ever heal the wounds inflicted by the defendant's unspeakable and horrific acts of violence, we hope that the life sentence imposed today provides at least some sense of justice for the victims and their loved ones," US Attorney Benjamin Greenberg said in a statement. Santiago -- a former member of the Puerto Rico and Alaska National Guard -- served in the Iraq war from April 2010 to February 2011. He was discharged from the military in August 2016. Not long before the shooting, Santiago had gone into an FBI satellite office in Anchorage, saying his mind was being controlled by national intelligence agencies that had forced him to watch videos of the jihadist Islamic State group. The FBI said his "erratic behavior" led agents to contact local police, who took him for a mental health evaluation. The government is demanding Autostrade per lItalia rebuilds the bridge at own expense - Getty Images Europe The Italian government has issued an ultimatum to the company in charge of the motorway bridge that collapsed with the loss of nearly 40 lives, giving it 15 days to demonstrate that it maintained the structure properly. The transport ministry demanded that Autostrade per lItalia show that it had previously met all its contractual obligations to ensure the proper functioning of the Morandi bridge. Should the companys response prove inadequate, the government will judge it to be in breach of the terms of its concession to run the toll-road. The lucrative concession would then be withdrawn from Autostrade, part of the holding company Atlantia, which is controlled by the Benetton fashion empire. The coalition government has adopted an aggressive stance towards the company, blaming it for the collapse of the bridge, which has so far claimed the lives of 38 people and injured 15 others, nine of them critically. The bridge gave way during an intense thunderstorm on Tuesday, plunging around 50 vehicles to the ground, where they were crushed by giant slabs of concrete and steel girders. Between 10 and 20 people are still missing. The transport ministry is demanding that the company commit to rebuilding the bridge at its own expense and within a set period of time. It also called on the company to pay to rebuild apartment blocks that will have to be demolished and to repair damaged buildings beneath the 51-year-old bridge. Matteo Salvini, the interior minister, said he expects Atlantia to donate up to 500 million to help families and local government Credit: PIERO CRUCIATTI/AFP Matteo Salvini, the interior minister, said he expects Atlantia to donate up to 500 million to help families and local government deal with the aftermath of the disaster. I will listen to the directors of Autostrade per lItalia but I expect to see concrete gestures (from the company) immediately, Mr Salvini said. Genoa cannot wait and the injured cannot wait. While the lawyers and the investigators do their job, we are doing all we can to obtain from Autostrade all that is possible for the relatives of victims, the injured, the people made homeless and the city of Genoa. Story continues As for concessions and penalties, we can talk about those from next week onwards. Luigi Di Maio, the head of the Five Star Movement and Mr Salvinis partner in the populist coalition, said he was determined that the companys right to manage the toll road would be revoked. Not only will we use the law to revoke the concession, but well also apply a fine of 150 million. If they want to fight it, well see them in court, he said. The Italian state might have to step in and run the motorway, along with others managed by Autostrade per lItalia, he said. Genoa (Italy) (AFP) - Thousands of mourners attended a state funeral in the Italian city of Genoa to bid a solemn farewell to victims of a bridge collapse that has sparked nationwide anger, while rescuers pulled more bodies from the rubble. Large crowds packed inside an exhibition hall turned into a makeshift chapel where coffins adorned with flowers and photographs were lined up, although the families of some victims shunned the state event. "I lost a friend but I came for all the victims," local resident Nunzio Angone told AFP. Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte presided over the hour-long Catholic service, which coincided with a national day of mourning for Tuesday's disaster. A visibly shaken Mattarella spoke of an "unacceptable tragedy". The death toll now stands at 40 including several children after the discovery Saturday of the body of a labourer in his 30s in the rubble and the death of another man in hospital, officials said. Local media reported that the bodies of three family members, including a nine-year-old girl, had also been found inside a car under debris. At the ceremony, there was applause as a priest read out the names of the dead. "The Morandi bridge collapse has pierced the heart of Genoa. The pain is deep," Archbishop Angelo Bagnasco said. Solemn chants of "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest) then rang out as an imam led prayers for two Muslim victims. His presence was particularly poignant in a staunchly Catholic country, where the far-right is now in power and which has seen a rise in attacks on foreigners. - 'Rigorous investigation' - The populist government has blamed Autostrade per l'Italia, the operator of the viaduct, for the collapse and wants to strip the company of its lucrative contracts. Autostrade chief executive Giovanni Castellucci said at a press conference that 500 million euros ($570 million) will be available from Monday to help Genoa and to rebuild the bridge while funds would be set up to help victims. Story continues The government has accused the infrastructure giant of failing to invest in sufficient maintenance. Interior Minister Matteo Salvini had demanded that the company offer up to 500 million euros to help families and local government deal with the aftermath of the disaster. The government was set to hold an emergency meeting in Genoa on the disaster later Saturday. "Everyone who has come here in recent years has gone over that bridge. I have travelled along that bridge many times too, also recently," Mattarella said, vowing to carry out a "rigorous investigation" into the accident. - 'Farce of a funeral' - Relatives of victims comforted each other as they huddled around each of the 19 caskets. Among the coffins was a small white one for the youngest victim, an eight-year-old boy who was killed alongside his parents as they prepared to catch a ferry to the holiday island of Sardinia. The dead also include three Chileans and four French nationals, while 10 people remain in hospital. "I don't know those who have died in the bridge collapse but I wanted pay my respects regardless. This shouldn't have happened," Genoa resident Claudio Castellaro, 73, told AFP. Applause erupted as firefighters entered the hall ahead of the ceremony. There was also loud clapping for co-deputy premiers Matteo Salvini and Luigi di Maio who have led angry tirades against Autostrade. But more than half of the families of the victims refused to take part, some preferring a more intimate funeral, while others announced a boycott. "It is the state that has provoked this; let them not show their faces, the parade of politicians is shameful," the press quoted the mother of one Italian victim as saying. Roberto, father of another victim, used social media to vent his anger: "My son will not become a number in the catalogue of deaths caused by Italian failures." "We do not want a farce of a funeral but a ceremony at home." - Riddled with problems - The Morandi viaduct dates from the 1960s and has been riddled with structural problems for decades, leading to expensive maintenance and severe criticism from engineering experts. Its collapse prompted fears over ageing infrastructure across the world. Italy has announced a year-long state of emergency in the region. Autostrade, which operates and maintains nearly half of Italy's motorways, estimates it will take eight months to build a new steel bridge, according to Castellucci. It denies scrimping on motorway maintenance, saying it has invested over one billion euros a year in "safety, maintenance and strengthening of the network" since 2012. Atlantia, the holding company of Autostrade which is 30 percent owned by iconic fashion brand Benetton, has warned that the government would have to refund the value of the contract, which runs until at least 2038. Mark Johnston recorded a double to draw level with Richard Hannon seniors all-time mark Mark Johnston is on the cusp of becoming the winning-most trainer of all-time after Dr Richard Kimble won the final race at Redcar on Saturday. Victory put him on a career total of 4,193 winners, tying the retired Richard Hannon seniors record. Johnston, who started the day two adrift, had nine runners across meetings at Doncaster, Newbury, Newmarket and Ripon. READ MORE: Hamada enhances Melbourne Cup claims with Geoffrey Freer win Quintada (9/2) scored, upsetting Mehdaayih in the fillies maiden at Doncaster, before another 9/2 shot Dr Richard Kimble made every yard of the running under Johnstons long-time ally Joe Fanning in the concluding mile-and-a-half handicap at the North Yorkshire track. Fanning said: Its nice to be on the one that equals the record. This is a nice horse, hes been to some of the bigger meetings, and the blinkers helped him bounce back today. Its a great firm to ride for, Ive been there a very long time now. They never tie you down with orders. Ive been with him so long I think we both know each other well enough now. His horses are so straightforward and usually very simple to ride. Johnston, who is based in the Yorkshire village of Middleham, trained his first winner in 1987 and his victories have earned 53m in prize money. The trainer has a chance to break the record on Sunday, with Lynwood Gold at Pontefract (2:30pm). Kellyanne Conway, President Donald Trumps chief counselor, found a unique way to let her husband know how she feels about his public bashing of her boss. During an interview with Washington Post reporter Ben Terris, Conway complained that her husbands recent tweets about Trump were disrespectful and possibly violated their marital vows, but insisted that she was speaking off the record. She asked Terris to be quoted as a person familiar with their relationship not as herself. Terris, who was working on a story about their marriage, wouldnt let her. He published their full exchange in the Post on Wednesday in a wild profile revealing how Conways job as Trumps right-hand woman has affected her relationship with George Conway, a former Trump supporter who has become a vocal critic of the president on Twitter. When Terris asked Conway about her husbands tweets criticizing Trump, she appeared to complain about him candidly before Terris reminded her that she was speaking on the record. I told you everything about his tweets was off the record, Conway told Terris. No, thats not true. That never happened, he replied, later adding, We never discussed everything about his tweets being off the record. Fine, Conway relented. Ive never actually said what I think about it and I wont say what I think about it, which tells you what I think about it. You can read Terris transcript here. The stunning exchange gave the public a rare look into how Conway deals with the media when the news cameras arent live. I'm late to this but Kellyanne Conway trying to go on background to badmouth her husband tells you everything you need to know about Kellyanne Conway https://t.co/hu8GetVyeJ pic.twitter.com/FHPN8cFEyp Haley Byrd (@byrdinator) August 15, 2018 Of course @KellyannePolls tried to throw her husband under the bus on background. https://t.co/KxaJ31PVbG Matt Wilstein (@mattwilstein) August 16, 2018 Despite his wifes position in the White House, George Conway, a conservative, began openly criticizing the president on Twitter in 2017 and ramped up his attacks this year. The same week the Posts profile was published, he used an analogy of a lying and scheming CEO to describe Trumps presidency. Story continues Terris profile of the Conways marriage paints a picture of a successful couple whose bickering usually over the wifes boss, Trump straddles the line between playful and personal. In one exchange between the couple, Kellyanne Conway refers to the Taj Mahal casino, Trumps former Atlantic City, New Jersey, property, as wildly popular and her husband replied, It went bankrupt twice. In another scene, George Conway said he regretted introducing his wife to Trump, which he did when he passed on an offer to be on the condominium board of the Trump World Tower in Manhattan. Knowing what I know now ... I would have said no, and never mentioned it when I got home, he told Terris. Conway also threatened to push back on Terris if his profile on their marriage was all about about her husband. Nobody knows who I am because of my husband, Conway told Terris later in the profile. People know of my husband because of me. Hours after the profile was published on Wednesday, George Conway retweeted a CNN legal analyst who criticized the White House. George Conway has been tweeting his criticisms of Trump (and retweeting others' complaints) since 2017. (Photo: Twitter/George Conway) Read the publics response to the Conways Washington Post profile below. I mean ... You almost have to admire the sheer chutzpah here. Kellyanne Conway tries to give the Washington Post a comment about her own marriage as "a person familiar with their relationship". https://t.co/3CBWc1WoAt pic.twitter.com/UzCnxWbroc Barry Malone (@malonebarry) August 15, 2018 This is the greatest exchange with Kellyanne Conway I've seen since 'alternative facts.' Just read. https://t.co/BVYUMBMxPA pic.twitter.com/Pqvsl9zjf3 Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 15, 2018 Thanks to this new WaPo article I will forever believe that any anoynomous White House source or Trump staffer is actually Kellyanne Conway. pic.twitter.com/4V5F2Y4Y0a Farron Cousins (@farronbalanced) August 15, 2018 In which we are treated to the most Trump-era exchange ever: Kellyanne Conway trying unsuccessfully to go off the record to blast her husband's anti-Trump tweets as a violation of their marital vows https://t.co/KcDMnFYsl0 Julie Davis (@juliehdavis) August 15, 2018 Related Coverage Kellyanne Conway's Husband Says Trump's 'Sad' Travel Ban Tweets 'Won't Help' Kellyanne Conway's Husband Is Going Rogue George Conway Appears To Shut Down Rudy Giuliani's Claim About Stormy Daniels Payment Kellyanne Conway's Husband Slams Trump With Business Analogy Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. SHAH ALAM, Malaysia (AP) Two women accused in the brazen assassination of the North Korean leader's half brother were told Thursday to make their defense after a Malaysian judge found evidence they participated in a "well-planned conspiracy" to kill, extending their murder trial until next year. Indonesia's Siti Aisyah and Vietnam's Doan Thi Huong are accused of smearing VX nerve agent on Kim Jong Nam's face in an airport terminal in Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 13, 2017. They face the death penalty if convicted. High Court Judge Azmi Ariffin found inadequate proof of a political assassination and said he wasn't persuaded by defense arguments that the women thought they were playing a prank for a hidden-camera show. But enough evidence had been presented in the six-month trial to infer the women and four North Korean suspects at large had meticulously engaged in a "well-planned conspiracy" to kill Kim "systemically," he said. "I must therefore call upon them to enter their defense," the judge said after reading his ruling for more than two hours. Indonesian Ambassador Rusdi Kirana told reporters outside court that he was shocked by the decision but his government will abide by it. In Huong's village in Vietnam, her family said they were sad to hear she was not acquitted. Her father, Doan Van Thanh, said he could not sleep the night before, anxious to hear the ruling. "I had hoped the court would announce that she is innocent but now we are really worried for her," he said. Huong's brother, Doan Van Binh, said the family hopes she will receive a fair trial. Aisyah, 25, and Huong, 29, told the court they would testify under oath in their defense. Aisyah, who will be the first to take the stand when the trial resumes Nov. 1, later cried and was consoled by her lawyers and Indonesian officials. Huong was calm. The judge set hearing dates that extend until next February. Story continues The women are accused of colluding with four North Korean suspects who fled the country the morning Kim was killed. Aisyah and Huong are the only suspects in custody. According to the case presented so far, the four men known to Aisyah and Huong by code names recruited and trained the women and supplied the banned chemical weapon they smeared on Kim's face. Airport security footage shown in court captured the moment of the attack and prosecutors also said the camera images linked the women to the four male suspects. Shortly after Kim arrived at the airport, Huong was seen approaching him, clasping her hands on his face from behind and then fleeing. Another blurred figure was also seen running away from Kim and a police investigator testified that it was Aisyah. Kim died within two hours of the attack. Defense lawyers have said the prosecution failed to show the two women had any intention to kill key to establishing they are guilty of murder. But the judge said their intention to kill can be inferred from targeting Kim's eyes, where the nerve agent would penetrate faster. He said evidence pointed to a "simultaneous act" by the women and that their subsequent hurrying to separate washrooms was not a "mere coincidence" but established their intention to cause Kim's death. "There is no slightest doubt in my mind that it can be inferred that their desperate act of rushing to the toilet was solely for the purpose to decontaminate the poisonous VX on their hands," Azmi said. He said they seemed worried and tense before washing their hands, but relaxed afterward. "The onus is on the accused to explain their conduct," he added. Lawyers for the two women have said their clients were pawns in a political assassination with clear links to the North Korean Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. The judge said the four North Koreans played a "substantial role" and were "part of the chain that led to the murder" of Kim. The defense has argued the real culprits are the four North Korean suspects and have pointed to an embassy employee who helped arrange their travel as evidence of embassy involvement. Azmi said he "cannot rule out that this could be a political assassination," but found no concrete evidence of one. Malaysian officials have never officially accused North Korea and have made it clear they don't want the trial politicized. Kim, the eldest son in the family that has ruled North Korea since its founding, had been living abroad for years after falling out of favor. It is thought he could have been seen as a threat to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's rule. The death of Kofi Annan, the former Secretary-General and first black African to lead the United Nations, has prompted loved ones to reflect on his lifelong commitment to humanitarian aid. While the Nobel Peace Prize recipient is best known for establishing the Kofi Annan Foundation and serving as chairman of the Elders, an international organization founded by Nelson Mandela, Annan also established The Global Fund, the worlds largest financial backer of research, prevention, and treatment tools in the fight against HIV/AIDS. On Saturday, The Kofi Annan Foundation confirmed its founders death in a statement posted on Twitter. Annan, who was born in Ghana in 1938, served as the seventh UN Secretary-General from 1997 to 2006, but started his career with the international body in 1962 when he joined the World Health Organization. Throughout his years in the UN, he saw how epidemics such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria stood in the way of global development, which he would later make a priority as Secretary-General. Kofi Annan in 2012. After years in public health, Annan, who had a degree in economics, wanted to bring global attention to the ways in which an untreated epidemic directly affects the UNs development agenda in Africas poorest nations. In April 2001, Annan stood before Nigerian President Obasanjo and other UN officials at the African Summit on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Other Infectious Diseases in Abuja, Nigeria and proposed a global AIDS fund. This is a conference about Africas future, Annan said before unveiling his action plan to fight the pandemic. AIDS has become not only the primary cause of death on this continent, but our biggest development challenge. And that is why I have made the battle against it my personal priority. Annans call to action against the AIDS epidemic first addressed ways to improve prevention in developing nations through education. He also acknowledged the dire need of improving underprivileged peoples access to medication and sought to work with pharmaceutical companies in offering medications to developing nations at greatly reduced prices. Story continues Annan also championed the advancement of scientific research on the virus. We must deliver scientific breakthroughs, he said in the proposal. We are still a long way from finding a cure for HIV/AIDS, and a long way from finding a vaccine against it. We must make sure that the search is given the highest priority in scientific budgets, and be ready, as soon as it produces results, to make them available where they are most needed not only to those who can afford them. Recognizing the money was needed for build awareness campaigns and fund research, Annan requested that the United Nations spend an additional seven-to-ten billion dollars a year on the struggle against HIV/AIDS over an extended period of time. By June of 2001, the UN General Assembly approved the action plan and the permanent secretariat of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (usually shortened to just the Global Fund) was established the following year. The Global Fund is now considered the worlds largest fund to support the prevention and treatment of AIDS and other epidemics, having dispersed more than 33 billion dollars in aid to countries facing health crises since its creation. According to the organization, it has supported 11 million people on antiretroviral therapy for AIDS and saved 22 million lives worldwide. So this is a moment of hope, and potentially a turning point, Annan said of establishing The Global Fund. We can defeat the scourge of HIV/AIDS. For the sake of Africas future, we must. Photos via Wikicommons More From Inverse Kofi Annan, a former United Nations secretary-general, died at the age of 80 early Saturday at a hospital in Bern, Switzerland, following a short unspecified illness. The Kofi Annan Foundation confirmed the death of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who was born in Ghana in 1938. It is with immense sadness that the Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation announce that Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Laureate, passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness... pic.twitter.com/NDOy2NmAAs Kofi Annan Foundation (@KofiAnnanFdn) August 18, 2018 His wife Nane and their children Ama, Kojo and Nina were by his side during his last days, the foundation named after him wrote. Annan became the seventh U.N. secretary-general (and its first black African one) in 1997, after rising through the systems ranks from his first role at the World Health Organization of administrative and budget officer in 1962. He remained in the top secretary-general position for two terms, until 2006. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001, jointly with the U.N., for revitalizing the body and giving priority to human rights. But as the Reuters news agency noted, Annan was criticized during his earlier time as head of the U.N.s peacekeeping forces for failing to halt the genocide in Rwanda in the 1990s. The international community failed Rwanda and that must leave us always with a sense of bitter regret, Annan said, on reflection, in 2004. I believed at that time that I was doing my best. But I realized after the genocide that there was more that I could and should have done to sound the alarm and rally support. The U.N. Oil-for-Food scandal also occurred on his watch. During his tenure, Annan campaigned against the second Iraq War. After leaving the top role, Annan later served as U.N. special envoy for Syria. Story continues The Kofi Annan foundation has hailed Annan as a global statesman and a deeply committed internationalist who fought throughout his life for a fairer and more peaceful world. It called him an ardent champion of peace, sustainable development, human rights and the rule of law. He will be greatly missed by so many around the world, as well as the staff at the Foundation and his many former colleagues in the United Nations system, it added. He will remain in our hearts forever. "Kofi Annan was a guiding force for good. It is with profound sadness that I learned of his passing." - @antonioguterres Former @UN Secretary General and Nobel Peace Laureate Kofi Annan passed away on Saturday, 18 August. Statement: https://t.co/YkcMqTk0qI pic.twitter.com/DdYbVW6MT5 UN Geneva (@UNGeneva) August 18, 2018 Current U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described Annan as a guiding force for good, a good friend and mentor and someone I could always turn to for counsel and wisdom. He provided people everywhere with a space for dialogue, a place for problem-solving and a path to a better world, Guterres said via a statement shared online. In these turbulent and trying times, he never stopped working to give life to the values of the United Nations Charter. His legacy will remain a true inspiration for all of us. Ghanas President Nana Akufo-Addo praised Annan for bringing considerable renown to our country by this position and through his conduct and comportment in the global arena. He was an ardent believer in the capacity of the Ghanaian to chart his or her own course onto the path of progress and prosperity, he added on Twitter. The U.N.s Migration Agency paid tribute to visionary Annan with this post: Today we mourn the loss of a great man, a leader, and a visionary: former @UN Secretary General @KofiAnnan. A life well lived. A life worth celebrating. pic.twitter.com/3sLmy7VS2p IOM - UN Migration (@UNmigration) August 18, 2018 Hundreds of tributes have also flooded in for the diplomat, including one recalling his humble reaction after being mistaken for Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. We're extremely saddened by the demise of Kofi Annan, an exemplary humanitarian, a nobel laureate & a champion of peace around the world. The world will miss his presence, our thoughts & prayers are with his family. pic.twitter.com/SCacINQHfz Congress (@INCIndia) August 18, 2018 Former U.N. Secretary and Nobel Peace Prize winner Kofi Annan has passed at age 80. The world needs visionaries of peace more than ever, and his life is an example of the possible. Thank you for your service to us all, sir. Rest now, in peace. George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) August 18, 2018 After retirement, Kofi Annan went for a vacation in a resort in Italy. One day he went to buy newspapers at nearby town. He was mobbed by crowds wanting autographs. They confused him with Morgan Freeman. He didnt want to let them down. He signed the name Morgan Freeman and fled. pic.twitter.com/N0kY7D0zsz January Makamba (@JMakamba) August 18, 2018 Sad to hear of the death of Kofi Annan. A great leader and reformer of the UN, he made a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into. My thoughts and condolences are with his family. pic.twitter.com/P0SWagShJM Theresa May (@theresa_may) August 18, 2018 The Nelson Mandela Foundation mourns the passing of Kofi Annan #HambaKahle https://t.co/WON3xERXKk pic.twitter.com/RwS3f2fv0n NelsonMandela (@NelsonMandela) August 18, 2018 We express our profound sorrow at the passing away of Nobel Laureate and former UNSG Mr. Kofi Annan. The world has lost not only a great African diplomat and humanitarian but also a conscience keeper of international peace and security. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 18, 2018 Kofi Annan was a great champion of peace, development ,human rights and a formidable leader of the @UN. With serene calm and determination, he consistently stood up for the value and necessity of international cooperation.The best tribute we can give Kofi Annan is to do the same. Jan Eliasson (@JanKEliasson) August 18, 2018 Incredibly sad day to wake up to the news that the wonderful Kofi Annan is no longer with us he was an extraordinary individual who committed his life to guiding the world to a better place https://t.co/hUoQEaHPNG pic.twitter.com/iafxqvPsdI Richard Branson (@richardbranson) August 18, 2018 The world has lost a great man in Kofi Annan. I will miss him. George Soros (@georgesoros) August 18, 2018 .@KofiAnnan dedicated his life to working for peace and to ensure that we strive to maintain the highest possible moral standards while confronting our greatest challenges collectively. My heart goes out to Nan and his entire family. Al Gore (@algore) August 18, 2018 The world has lost a great humanitarian, leader, and self proclaimed stubborn optimist. Rest in peace, Kofi Annan. Jacinda Ardern (@jacindaardern) August 18, 2018 To educate girls is to reduce poverty. (Kofi Annan) May his noble soul rest in peace. Ameen Ziauddin Yousafzai (@ZiauddinY) August 18, 2018 He lived and worked for global peace, security and sustainable development in very challenging times. A proud son of Ghana and Africa. RIP Kofi Annan. pic.twitter.com/xevF6TZdOu John Dramani Mahama (@JDMahama) August 18, 2018 TB: Im shocked and distressed to hear the news about Kofi. He was a good friend whom I saw only weeks ago. Kofi Annan was a great diplomat, a true statesman and a wonderful colleague who was widely respected and will be greatly missed. My deepest sympathy to Nane and his family Tony Blair Institute (@InstituteGC) August 18, 2018 Kofi Annan was not just a great breaker of glass ceilings, he was a leader and a visionary, who worked to foster international cooperation and a more united world. pic.twitter.com/1MNSPhWuuR David Lammy (@DavidLammy) August 18, 2018 A leader of leaders, a titan amongst world statesman, a wonderful humanitarian and the most compassionate and caring of individuals. Kofi Annan will be sorely missed. Gordon & Sarah Brown (@OfficeGSBrown) August 18, 2018 Kofi Annan dedicated his life to building a more just and peaceful world. His efforts in support of conflict resolution and human rights will be remembered. He looked for a peaceful path when others looked for war. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones. Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) August 18, 2018 I have no words to express the shock and sorrow I experienced on learning about Kofi Annans passing. A remarkable leader and great human being, he will be sorely missed, particularly by fellow members of the @OneYoungWorld family. pic.twitter.com/l3cR15RKAe Prof Thuli Madonsela (@ThuliMadonsela3) August 18, 2018 Deeply saddened by the passing away of Kofi Annan. One of the true global leaders of our age. A man of courage, wisdom and friendship. Im honored to have had the privilege of working for him. pic.twitter.com/a9pTv0cdF1 Carl Bildt (@carlbildt) August 18, 2018 Saddened to hear that Kofi Annan has passed away. His warmth should never be mistaken for weakness. Annan showed that one can be a great humanitarian and a strong leader at the same time. The UN and the world have lost one of their giants. Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) August 18, 2018 Peace Laureate and former @UN secretary general @KofiAnnan has sadly passed away. Annan was awarded the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize thanks to his work for a better organised and more peaceful world. Learn about his humanitarian work in his Nobel biography: https://t.co/Zx87N6Jz5b pic.twitter.com/v5uHEhUIMC The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) August 18, 2018 Also on HuffPost This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Paris (AFP) - In an age of austerity and budget cutbacks, the deadly bridge collapse in Genoa, Italy, has put the spotlight clearly on the lack of public funding for road networks across the globe, from France and Germany, to the United States and beyond. - Dilapidation everywhere - A report by the World Economic Forum published late last year found that, out of 137 countries, road quality was highest in the United Arab Emirates, with Singapore in second place. Switzerland came third. Among its European partners, the Netherlands followed in fifth place, France in seventh, Germany 15th, Italy 45th and Belgium 46th. In France, a recent government-commissioned audit found that one out of every three bridges is in need of repair. In Belgium, around 80 bridges, viaducts and tunnels have been placed under heightened scrutiny due to their state of disrepair, according to a De Standaard newspaper report. In Germany, "it's only a matter of time before a similar catastrophe happens," the head of the DIW economic think-tank, Marcel Fratzcher, said on national radio. According to the Federal Highway Research Institute, only one motorway bridge out of every eight is classified as being in "good" or "very good" condition. One particular bridge across the Rhine at Leverkusen in Germany's industrial heartland was closed to heavy goods vehicles in 2012. The Swedish Transport Administration estimates that some 850 bridges across the country need to be reinforced by 2030 after heavier trucks were allowed onto its roads. In Bulgaria, the EU's poorest member whose infrastructure is notoriously dilapidated, Prime Minister Boiko Borissov has called for the renovation of all of the country's bridges. In the United Kingdom, public debate about the state of the country's roads tends to focus more on potholes than on the condition of tunnels and bridges. The RAC Foundation however published a report last year which found that more than 3,000 bridges were not fit to carry the heaviest vehicles. Story continues The US Transportation Department estimated last year that more than two thirds of American roads and nearly 143,000 bridges were in need of urgent repair or improvement. - Budget cutbacks - In Spain, where motorways and fast roads are relatively new, the Spanish Road Association AEC expressed concern, particularly about the state of the regional road networks, which has deteriorated as a result of successive budget cutbacks following the 2008 financial crisis. In the wake of the collapse of the decades-old Morandi bridge in Genoa, Italy, which killed 38 people, Italy's hardline eurosceptic Interior Minister Matteo Salvini accused the European Union of prioritising balanced budgets over safety, austerity over public need. The European Commission hit back, insisting it had always "encouraged" Italy to invest and take advantage of the EU's available structural funds. Germany, which has a budget surplus, has frequently been called on by the likes of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to be "more energetic" in its public investment. In 2018, the government earmarked 3.9 billion euros ($4.4 billion) in investment for roads and bridges. The DIW think-tank calculates that closer to 10 billion euros is needed. - Future funding - In France, the government-commissioned audit recommends substantially boosting funds for the maintenance and modernisation of national roads, compared with the annual average of 666 million euros earmarked between 2007 and 2017. French Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne said in May she intended to spend one billion euros, compared with 800 million euros in 2018 and 700 million euros in 2017. In June, the Swedish government unveiled an ambitious plan to invest 67 billion euros in infrastructure by 2029. The Spanish government has pledged to invest five billion euros in the country's roads over the next four years. US President Donald Trump has announced plans to spend $1.5 trillion on infrastructure, but no concrete details for the roll-out of such plans have so far been forthcoming. Mexico City (AFP) - Mexican marines seized a record 50 tons of crystal meth from a drug lab in the state of Sinaloa, authorities said Friday. The military said it detected the lab in the town of Alcoyonqui, near the state capital Culiacan, and raided it on Thursday. "A clandestine narco-lab and two underground store rooms were secured and dismantled, with approximately 50 tons of processed crystal meth in solid and liquid form," the marines said in a statement. Sinaloa is home to the drug cartel of the same name, formerly run by drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman until his extradition to the United States in January 2017. Local media reports said the lab was on territory controlled by the Sinaloa cartel. The Mexican government deployed the army to fight the country's powerful drug cartels in 2006. The strategy has led to numerous high-profile kingpin arrests and drug seizures. But it has also been accompanied by a wave of violence that has left more than 200,000 murders in its wake. The ACLU sent a letter to a southwest Georgia county election board warning that its proposed closure of seven polling places was discriminatory against black voters. (Photo: adamkaz via Getty Images) Election officials in a rural southwest Georgia county are defending a plan to suddenly close seven of the countys nine polling places against allegations of racial discrimination, saying the ones it wants to close are not sufficiently accessible to people with disabilities. Randolph County, the site of the proposed changes, is more than 60 percent black, with a little over 30 percent of residents in poverty more than double the national level. The Georgia chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter to the election board earlier this week warning of a lawsuit because the proposed closures discriminated against black voters. Those voters, the group said, were less likely to own a car and would be required to walk over three hours to one of the two remaining polling locations because there is no public transportation to get them there. The ACLU also noted the voter makeup of one of the polling places officials wanted to close was 96.7 percent black. During a public meeting to discuss the changes Thursday evening, Mike Malone, a consultant hired by the county, said the seven polling places did not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Officials said they dont have time to fix them, so they would close them instead, WALB reported. Sean Young, the ACLU of Georgias legal director, attended the meeting Thursday night and dismissed the suggestion that a lack of ADA compliance meant the polling places had to close. Randolph County residents who attended were also skeptical of the excuse, according to local reports. If a government building is not ADA compliant, the solution is to make them ADA compliant. If you cut your hand, you dont chop off your arm, you heal the wound, he said. They have had decades to fix these issues and have had elections in these polling places. The better question is why havent these issues been fixed? And why, instead of fixing them, are you shutting them down? Story continues Todd Black, the countys director of elections and registration, did not return requests for comment. A second public meeting is scheduled for Friday night. A vote is expected Aug. 24. In the letter to the county board, the ACLU said there was evidence of discriminatory intent in the proposal. They pointed to the fact that Stacey Abrams, the first female black nominee for governor from a major party, will be on the ballot this fall. This is a Black Belt county that has twice the rate of African-American population as the rest of the state. With the ugly history of voting discrimination that Georgias a part of, you need to think twice before you eliminate 75 percent of the polling places in a majority black county, Young said. We have expected high turnout this fall. You have to ask, why were these polling places enough for the primary and runoff earlier this year, but not good enough for this Novembers election? he added. The timing is very suspicious. Abrams is facing off against Brian Kemp, the Republican Secretary of State of Georgia. In a statement, Kemp said he was opposed to closing the polling locations. As soon as we learned about this proposal, we immediately contacted Randolph County to gather more information. Although state law gives localities broad authority in setting precinct boundaries and polling locations, we strongly urged local officials to abandon this effort and focus on preparing for a secure, accessible, and fair election for voters this November, he said. In a statement Friday, Abrams said she supports keeping the polling places open. Randolph County tends to lean Democratic. Barack Obama carried it in both 2008 and 2012 and Hillary Clinton defeated Donald Trump there by just over 11 percentage points in 2016. Georgia was one of nine states that had to seek approval from the federal government before making changes to its election practices under the 1965 Voting Rights Act. In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court nullified that requirement, ruling the formula used to determine which states had to get approval was unconstitutional. Chief Justice John Roberts, who authored the majority opinion, pointed to progress in getting rid of racial discrimination to justify why the formula should be struck down. In a dissent, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg famously wrote that Roberts reasoning was akin to throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet. Rick Hasen, a law professor at the University of California, Irvine, said the proposed changes in Randolph County showed the significance of the Supreme Courts decision to get rid of the preclearance formula. Had the Supreme Court not killed the Voting Rights Act, then the county would not have been able to make these changes without demonstrating to the Justice Department or a three-judge court that the changes would not make minority voters worse off, he wrote in an email. The Chief Justice assured us that things have changed in the South, but apparently they havent changed enough. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. As fires burn across the state, residents livestream the destruction first-hand: That was a moment Ill never forget The Holy fire was raging through southern Californias Cleveland national forest, and his family had already complied with a mandatory evacuation order, but Daniel Perez decided to take the risk anyway. At lunchtime on Thursday 9 August, Perez convinced public officials to allow him to return to his evacuated neighborhood for one last thing: to turn on his home security cameras, connect them to the internet, and point them in the direction of the oncoming flames. I went back to work, went about my day, occasionally checking my phone, Perez recalled. Then, around 4.45pm, I noticed that my cameras went into night vision. Through the dark pink tint of the night vision lens, Perez watched as little glowing things burning embers, he soon realized blew toward his house. When they landed, they stayed glowing, and I said, OK, here we go, Perez said. I just watched live as everything went from normal to up in flames, and Im just sitting at work, shaking. As internet-connected home security cameras grow in popularity and climate-change fueled natural disasters continue to ravage communities around the globe, a new phenomenon has emerged: witnessing your worst nightmare, remotely. I had my co-workers next to me, and they couldnt believe it, Perez said. I was looking at my hands. That was a moment Ill never forget. Just knowing that thats your house, and you dont know what could happen at any second it was a frightening experience. Pics from my backyard security camera of #HolyFire, a million thanks to this hero in my backyard! pic.twitter.com/vuKu2VyJps Daniel Perez (@ddgrs2009) August 10, 2018 A neighbor of Perez, Frank Grosso, had only moved into his new house in a small community about 45 miles south-east of Los Angeles one month before the Holy fire threatened. Story continues Grosso, his wife, and their dog evacuated to a family members home in Orange county, and Grosso, who said he always had security cameras in his homes, made sure that one of his eight cameras was pointing toward the canyon out the back. All day, I was watching the fire march toward my house, Grosso recalled. Then all of a sudden, I got notified that someone was coming toward my door a notification that arrived on his smartphone. The visitor was a firefighter checking to see if anyone was home, and using his wifi-connected, video doorbell, the 40-year-old Grosso was able to respond. I was just saying, Im not there, Im okay, dont break the door, Grosso said. When the firefighter left to battle the flames, Grosso and his wife followed along, switching from camera to camera on his smartphone to see the firefight in action. It was just crazy just watching it live, and all the emotions, Grosso said. I watched it all from my phone. Both Grosso and Perez were lucky: the firefighters saved their homes. Grosso has established a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for county firefighters in thanks for their work. The Holy fire, which officials believe was started intentionally, swept through nearly 23,000 acres and is now largely contained. Both men said they were happy to have been able to witness the disaster, though Perez was conflicted about whether he should have told his wife what was happening. Im the type of person who would rather know, he said. Id rather see it. I saw it. And now I know what to expect. LIMA (Reuters) - The government of Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra is going to start barring Venezuelan migrants from entering the country unless they have passports, two government sources said on Thursday, following a similar decision in neighboring Ecuador. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the measure aims to curb a surge in immigration from crisis-stricken Venezuela that has driven hundreds of thousands of desperate migrants to Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Chile and Brazil. Ecuador and Peru now allow Venezuelans to enter with only their national ID cards. That has been a significant advantage for Venezuelan migrants, who struggle to obtain passports amid chronic shortages. One of the sources said an announcement in Peru would likely be made later on Thursday or on Friday. (This version of the story removes incorrect reference in third paragraph to Venezuela being a member of the Andean Community.) (Reporting by Mitra Taj; Editing by Sandra Maler) ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) Donald Trump is the phantom of U.S. District Courtroom 900. His name has rarely been uttered during the two-week trial of his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort. References to his campaign and administration have slipped in only through carefully scrubbed exchanges. The Trump name has been so studiously avoided that when the trial judge said "Mr. Trump" during a morning hearing Thursday, courtroom spectators jumped. This is the first major courtroom test of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian contacts with the Trump campaign. But the president's absence is strictly intentional. All sides have feared that too much Trump could prejudice the jury somehow and they don't know which way in a case that has little to do with the most polarizing figure in American politics. Mueller's team, Manafort's attorneys and U.S. District Judge T. S. Ellis III all took actions either before trial or during proceedings in the historic Alexandria courthouse to erase almost all mentions of the president. "There is a very real risk that the jurors in this case most of whom likely have strong views about President Trump, or have likely formed strong opinions as to the well-publicized allegations that the campaign colluded with Russian officials will be unable to separate their opinions and beliefs about those matters from the tax and bank fraud matters to be tried before them in this case," Manafort's lawyers said in a June filing. Trump's absence from the trial also has much to do with how the special counsel's team has built its case and the way Manafort's lawyers responded. The prosecution's massive cache of Manafort-related emails and financial documents and the witnesses that prosecutors put on were largely designed to establish a narrative that Manafort's crimes were of his own making and committed long before he took over Trump's campaign in April 2016. Story continues In any case, the trial does not involve allegations of Russian election interference or possible coordination with the Trump campaign. But the president has been watching it closely as he seeks to publicly undermine Mueller's probe. In recent weeks, Trump has blasted out tweets minimizing Manafort's campaign role and comparing him sympathetically with mobster Al Capone. Manafort's attorneys, too, have mostly steered clear of Trump references, preferring to go after the prosecution's star witness, Rick Gates who also worked for Trump and chip away at the government's hundreds of emails, tax documents and financial records. The trial's Trump sensitivity held to the end. In closing arguments, defense attorney Richard Westling listed all of the Republican presidents and national candidates that Manafort had advised to show his bona fides as a "highly regarded political consultant." They included "Trump" but said no more about him. So it was no surprise Thursday morning when courtroom spectators waiting for Ellis to send jurors to deliberate on Manafort's fate suddenly looked up, startled. Ellis had addressed a well-coiffed man in a dark suit sitting in a back row about a routine criminal case. "Mr. Trump." For a moment, as spectators swiveled around, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Trump, no relation, had the courtroom's rapt attention. Then, grinning, he answered the judge's question. President Trump's role or lack thereof in the case has been an issue from the outset. In a filing last June, the defense had submitted a formal motion asking Ellis to prohibit any evidence concerning "Manafort's or the Trump campaign's alleged collusion with the Russian government." Prosecutors agreed to limit their references to the Trump campaign but said they wanted to make reference to it during testimony concerning Manafort's bank fraud charges. "We'll try to do it in a discreet way, but it's hard to take out those facts, if not impossible," prosecutor Greg Andres said during a later hearing. Ellis agreed to restrict references to Trump, but gave prosecutors leeway to carefully use them in the bank fraud evidence. At trial, prosecutors flashed an image on courtroom wall screens of a note between Manafort and Gates documenting a 2013 meeting and a request to leave a group of tickets "for Trump." The reference was never explained in testimony. Defense lawyers also ventured into Trump territory as they tried to sting at prosecution witness Gates. Lawyer Kevin Downing asked whether Mueller's investigators had interviewed Gates about his role in the Trump campaign. That prompted an immediate objection from prosecutors and a sidebar conference with Ellis. ___ Associated Press writer Matthew Barakat contributed to this report. Rancagua (Chile) (AFP) - The prosecutor in charge of investigating a massive sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church in Chile said several bishops could face charges after he questions the Cardinal Archbishop of Santiago, Ricardo Ezzati, for the first time next week. Prosecutor Emiliano Arias will on Tuesday take a statement from Ezzati, the head of the church in Chile, who has denied allegations that he covered up cases of abuse, including those by a top aide who was jailed earlier this year. Other bishops "whose actions are being analyzed, could also be accused," Arias told AFP in an interview at the Rancagua prosecutor's office 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Santiago. State prosecutors began investigating scores of abuse cases last month after outrage around the country over the church's own probe into decades of abuse by priests, crimes over which it often failed to take any action or handed down too-lenient punishments. Now bishops and other priests accused of abuse in Chile will face the full force of secular law. Arias said he will have to determine if Ezzati "fulfilled or failed to fulfill his obligations" to protect victims and enforce church regulations. Ezzati has come under pressure after prosecutors ordered a search of church headquarters in Santiago after it refused to hand over documents linked with how it dealt with abuse cases. "The church should have acted immediately to denounce the abuse. It is in its interest to make it stop," says Arias. He pointed out that "not having an obligation to report (abuse) does not mean they are forbidden" to do so. Chilean prosecutors announced last month they were investigating 158 members of the church, both priests and lay people. The cases related back as far as the 1960s and involved 266 victims, including 178 children and adolescents. Pope Francis has already apologized repeatedly to Chileans over the scandal, admitting the Church failed "to listen and react" to the allegations, but vowed to "restore justice." Story continues In May, the entire Chilean hierarchy of bishops who Francis summoned to Rome, tendered their resignations over the pedophile priests scandal. So far, five Catholic bishops have resigned and a priest, Oscar Munoz -- a former top aide to the archbishop - was jailed for the abuse of at least seven minors. - Trials in six to eight months - The first cases will come to trial within "six to eight months" Arias told AFP. He said cases where clerics are charged with covering up crimes would take longer, being more "difficult" to prove wrongdoing. "The fact that a person is cited as being complicit in a cover-up does not mean that they are guilty," he cautioned. Arias has lashed out at the church over the destruction of evidence in the sex-abuse cases but said he was confident it "will help more than hinder" him in an attempt to apportion blame in the cases. What matters more, he says, is that "the victims come forward" with evidence so the perpetrators can be tried before ordinary courts. Arias says around half of the cases are subject to the statute of limitations, though investigating them will help "to specify the behaviour deployed in the past" by church authorities, especially the tactics they used to conceal abuse. The prosecutor does not think the sex abuse scandal in Chile is comparable to the church scandal in Pennsylvania, where prosecutors found more than 1,000 children had been abused over decades by some 300 priests, while bishops covered up their crimes. "Hopefully it is different because here the authorities in charge of public criminal prosecution have acted against the perpetrators," he says. Vienna (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the wedding of Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl on Saturday, in a visit that the opposition says has damaged Austria's reputation for political neutrality. Putin was one of around 100 guests at Kneissl's wedding to businessman Wolfgang Meilinger in the picturesque village of Gamlitz in southeastern Austria. The Russian leader was pictured dancing with Kneissl during the festivities. He also brought a Cossack choir to perform for the newly weds. Austrian opposition politicians had criticised the invitation to Putin saying it undermined Austria's claim to be an "honest broker" between Europe and Russia, with the Green party calling for Kneissl's resignation. Russia has been accused of seeking to weaken and divide the EU, notably by maintaining links with populist parties in several European countries. Hundreds of police officers were deployed for the ceremony and the road from nearby Graz airport to Gamlitz was shut in both directions for Putin's arrival and departure. Putin was accompanied to the airport by Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and went straight on to Germany for a planned meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel. Among the other guests at the wedding were Kurz, of the centre-right People's Party (OeVP) and Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache, of the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe). Kneissl was nominated for the post of foreign minister by the FPOe, which since 2016 has had a "cooperation pact" with Putin's United Russia party. Since last December, the FPOe has been in government in coalition with Kurz's OeVP after a campaign in which both parties ran on an anti-immigration platform. Putin's visit comes amid reports of other Western countries becoming warier of intelligence co-operation with Austria because of suspicion that the FPOe and its Interior Minister Herbert Kickl are trying to exert influence on intelligence agencies. Unnamed intelligence officials told the Washington Post newspaper that police raids on the BVT domestic intelligence agency in February caused particular concern. "The alarms are going off. What happened in Austria reminds me of what autocrats would do," one senior European intelligence official told the paper. Don McGahn, the White House counsel, has been cooperating extensively with special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation largely in order to shield himself from charges, The New York Times reported Saturday. McGahn has even divulged information that investigators would not have otherwise been aware of, such as President Donald Trumps push to fire the special counsel, the paper reported. The Times cited interviews with a dozen current and former White House staffers regarding interviews with McGahn spanning some 30 hours. The attorneys cooperation stemmed from an initial recommendation by the presidents original lawyers John Dowd and Ty Cobb, who argued that if Trump has nothing to hide, why not cooperate fully? But McGahn had a change of heart. He and his own attorney became suspicious of Trumps desire to allow his White House counsel to speak so freely with Mueller, who is investigating whether Russia colluded with the Trump campaign during the 2016 election. McGahn began to fear that Trump was setting him up to take the blame for any possible obstruction charges, according to the Times. And so he started talking more to protect himself. McGahn was leery of becoming Trumps John Dean. So, after Cobb and Dowd encouraged cooperation with Mueller, McGahn - fearful he was being set up for blame on obstruction issues - talked and talked. @nytmike and me https://t.co/g0rA69t8ak Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) August 18, 2018 The paper estimates that McGahn gave investigators a mix of damaging and favorable information on Trump, noting that as White House counsel, McGahn serves the office of the presidency, not Trump personally. McGahn is especially useful to Mueller because he has been directly involved in nearly every episode they are scrutinizing to determine whether the president obstructed justice, the paper said. Those included the presidents push to reinstall Attorney General Jeff Sessions as head of the probe, his decision to fire the FBI Director James Comey and his decision to fire national security adviser Michael Flynn. Story continues In a post to his personal Twitter account, the president asserted that he was actually behind McGahns cooperation. I allowed White House Counsel Don McGahn, and all other requested members of the White House Staff, to fully cooperate with the Special Counsel, the post said, claiming more than a million pages of documents had been turned over to investigators. I allowed White House Counsel Don McGahn, and all other requested members of the White House Staff, to fully cooperate with the Special Counsel. In addition we readily gave over one million pages of documents. Most transparent in history. No Collusion, No Obstruction. Witch Hunt! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 18, 2018 McGahn and Trump have at times clashed. Multiple news outlets reported that McGahn threatened to quit in June 2017 when Trump ordered him to fire the special counsel. But the Times now describes a distant relationship between the two men, with McGahn calling the president King Kong behind his back. The White House counsel and his attorney eventually came to determine they had overestimated the amount of thought Trump put into his legal strategy, the Times reported, quelling McGahns fears. Trumps current personal legal team is attempting to negotiate narrow terms for an interview with Mueller. Although the president believes he can clear his name, he has yet to sit down to an interview in the Russia investigation he so frequently mocks. This story has been updated with Trumps response on Twitter. Related Coverage Trump: Mueller Should Never Have Been Appointed Watergate Figure Says Nixon 'Might Have Survived' If Fox News Had Existed Carl Bernstein: Trump Tower Meeting Was 'Convened For The Purpose Of Collusion' Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Getty As Paul Manafort's first federal criminal trial came to a close in Virginia, attorneys rushed to prepare for his next one just around the corner. They still have quite a bit of work ahead of them: lawyers for Donald Trump's former campaign manager requested a second extension from Judge Amy Berman Jackson to review "well over 1,000 proposed exhibits" provided by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, according to court filings revealed Thursday. "Review of these materials will be time-consuming, Mr Manafort's defence team wrote. "This task simply cannot be accomplished while Mr. Manafort's legal team is engaged in trial before Judge (T.S.) Ellis." The judge granted attorneys an additional four days to review the proposed evidence in Mr Manafort's latest court case. The president's former campaign manager has been accused of tax fraud and other charges related to his overseas political work. Mr Mueller's office opposed the multiple deadline extensions since the defence team which was aware of the trial dates for nearly six months ago made the decision to split Mr Manaforts criminal charges into two trials. The evidence his office has provided for the upcoming case is more than triple the exhibits offered in the trial in Alexandria, Virginia. The jury in that trial is currently on day two of deliberations. With the latest extension, the Special Counsel and Mr Manafort's lawyers are expected to release a joint pretrial statement detailing proposed evidence, listing expert witnesses and providing estimates on timeframe for each of their respective cases on 24 August. In her decision to provide the extension, the judge "encouraged" Mr Mueller "to review the exhibit list closely with an eye towards streamlining the presentation of its case. Judge TS Ellis III, who is presiding over Mr Manafort's case in Virginia, had also requested efficiency in the ongoing trial. He gave the Special Counsels office just two weeks to present their evidence, when it had initially requested more time. Task and Purpose, Brad Howard Security, Europe The marque TU-22M3 Backfire bomber that was comparatively a cheaper, shorter-range version of the United States B-1B Lancer, is finally rolling off the lot with the M3M designation upgrades it needs to fight well into the 21st century. Russia's Backfire Bomber Is Back (And Ready to Wage a Nuclear War or Kill Aircraft Carriers) Despite its occasional flashes of inspiration when it comes to military tech, Russia is still touting the same Cold War-era bomber fleet that threatened naval carrier task forces with the specter of cruise missile destruction throughout the 1980s. But now, the marque TU-22M3 Backfire bomber that was comparatively a cheaper, shorter-range version of the United States B-1B Lancer, is finally rolling off the lot with the M3M designation upgrades it needs to fight well into the 21st century. - TU-22M3M Backfire, already capable of flying at over 45,000 feet and up to Mach 1.4 with a range of 3,000 miles, is getting its legacy communication, weapons, and navigation systems upgraded to match the TU-160M2 Backfire. The upgraded nav system will be primed to use the Russian version of GPS, Glonass, which eliminates dependence on American satellites for both navigation and guided weapons. - The Tu-22M3M is now capable of launching carrier killing Kh-32 cruise missiles from over 1000 km (or 620 miles) away, a major increase over its previous range of just 600 km with the Kh-22. - The most significant weapons upgrade is also its scariest: The bomber is also now capable of carrying Kh-15 airborne ballistic missiles, enabling it to function as a nuclear strategic bomber, adding one more arrow to the Russian nuclear quiver. - But wait, theres more! In July a Tu-22M3 accompanied a MiG-31 toting a hypersonic Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missile, hinting at a future capability for the Backfire bomber as a rival to Chinese and U.S. hypersonic aspirations. Finally, Aerospace Force Commander Viktor Bondarev told the Russian news service TASS that the planes are being adapted for being furnished with modern Kh-32 precision cruise missiles and also with hypersonic missiles. Story continues The Backfire bomber has been a cornerstone of Russian close air support for the last three decades, with combat time over Afghanistan in the 1980s, Chechnya in the 1990s, Georgia in 2008, and, most recently, over the skies of Syria in support the Assad regime. The rollout of the TU-22M3M version of the airframe is clearly part of a concerted effort by the Russian military to modernize and upgrade their military forces after the 1990s. The hawks in the Russian government are known as the Silovik, politicians who were birthed from the security services of the Soviet Union, and afterward, the Russian Federation. These pols have been pining for modernization of their strategic military forces to keep pace with the United States since the dark ages of Russian military, also known as the 1990s. With a hypersonic weapon capable Tu-22M3M, they may not be far off. This article originally appeared at Task & Purpose. Follow Task & Purpose on Twitter. More Articles from Task & Purpose: - 7 Veteran-Friendly Manufacturers That Are Hiring - The 6 Types Of Contractors You Encounter Overseas - Heres How Marines Fared On The New Physical Fitness Test Image: Creative Commons. Read full article MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AP) Saudi Arabia is preparing to host the annual hajj pilgrimage beginning Sunday, as over 2 million Muslim faithful are ready to take part in the ultraconservative kingdom. The pilgrimage represents one of the five pillars of Islam and is required of all able-bodied Muslims once in their life. In recent weeks, the faithful have arrived in Mecca from across the world, all chanting "Labayk Allahuma Labayk," or "Here I am, God, answering your call. Here I am." The hajj offers pilgrims an opportunity to feel closer to God amid the Muslim world's many challenges, including the threat of extremists in the Mideast after the Islamic State group was beaten back in Iraq and Syria and the plight of Myanmar's Muslim Rohingya minority. "My feeling is indescribable to perform the hajj," said Imad Abdel-Raheem, an Egyptian pilgrim. "I also want to pray for all Muslim countries, for them to live free in all places, in Palestine and in Burma, in all places, in Afghanistan and in India." Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki, the spokesman of the Saudi Interior Ministry, told journalists Saturday that over 2 million Muslims from abroad and inside the kingdom would be taking part in this year's hajj. Men attending the hajj dress in only terrycloth, seamless white garments meant to represent unity among Muslims and equality before God. Women wear loose clothing, cover their hair and forgo makeup and nail polish to achieve a state of humility and spiritual purity. Since arriving, many have circled the cube-shaped Kaaba in Mecca Islam's holiest site. The Kaaba represents the metaphorical house of God and the oneness of God in Islam. Observant Muslims around the world face toward the Kaaba during their five daily prayers. Muslims believe the hajj retraces the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad, as well as those of the prophets Ibrahim and Ismail Abraham and Ishmael in the Bible. Story continues After prayers in Mecca, pilgrims will head to an area called Mount Arafat on Monday, where the Prophet Muhammad delivered his final sermon. From there, pilgrims will head to an area called Muzdalifa, picking up pebbles along the way for a symbolic stoning of the devil and a casting away of sins that takes place in the Mina valley for three days. At the hajj's end, male pilgrims will shave their hair and women will cut a lock of hair in a sign of renewal for completing the pilgrimage. Around the world, Muslims will mark the end of hajj with a celebration called Eid al-Adha. The holiday, remembering Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son, sees Muslims slaughter sheep and cattle, distributing the meat to the poor. While a holy, once-in-a-lifetime experience for pilgrims, the hajj is by no means an easy journey. The temperature in Mecca and Mina will be around 42 degrees Celsius (107 degrees Fahrenheit). Pilgrims walk between 5 to 15 kilometers (3 to 9 miles) a day. Long lines and even longer waits can strain even the most patient as they weave through the throngs of people. For Saudi Arabia, the hajj is the biggest logistical challenge the kingdom faces. Its ruling Al Saud family stakes its legitimacy in part on its management of the holiest sites in Islam. King Salman's official title is the "Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques," at Mecca and Medina. Other Saudi kings, and the Ottoman rulers of the Hijaz region before them, all have adopted the honorary title The kingdom has spent billions of dollars of its vast oil revenues on security and safety measures, particularly in Mina, where some of the hajj's deadliest incidents have occurred. The worst in recorded history took place only three years ago. On Sept. 24, 2015, a stampede and crush of pilgrims in Mina killed at least 2,426 people, according to an Associated Press count. The official Saudi toll of 769 people killed and 934 injured has not changed since only two days afterward. The kingdom has never addressed the discrepancy, nor has it released any results of an investigation authorities promised to conduct over the disaster. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia also faces threats from al-Qaida militants and a local faction of the Islamic State group. Days earlier, the Interior Ministry acknowledged arresting a Saudi wearing an explosive vest in the kingdom's central al-Qassim region who shot at security forces. Politics often intrude into the holy pilgrimage. Saudi Arabia under King Salman and his son, the assertive 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, have had strained ties with Iran, which boycotted the 2016 hajj They will be there this year, as will Qataris, whose small country on the Arabian Peninsula is being boycotted by Saudi Arabia and three other Arab nations. Meanwhile, a Saudi-led war in Yemen against Shiite rebels drags on without an end in sight. The rebels have fired over 150 ballistic missiles on the kingdom during a conflict that has seen Saudi airstrikes hit markets and hospitals, killing civilians. And perhaps most surprising, Canadians recently found themselves in the cross-hairs of Saudi anger over their diplomats tweeting their desire to see detained women's rights activists released. Al-Turki, the Interior Ministry spokesman, acknowledged both the threat posed by a possible missile launch from Yemen's rebels and militant attacks during the hajj. "Our policemen are ready to deal with any such threat and to sacrifice their lives in order to protect the pilgrimage from any threat," he said. Those on the hajj said they hoped for better relations across the Muslim world. "I hope this year would be a good one for the Islamic nations," said Ahmad Mohammad, an Egyptian pilgrim. "I hope the situation will be better, and I ask Allah to accept my pilgrimage." That was a feeling shared by Jordanian pilgrim Jehad Hussein. "I pray to Allah to grant victory to all of them, the people of Palestine, the people of Gaza, Syria and all Arab countries. Allah willing," she said. Mecca (Saudi Arabia) (AFP) - Mansour al-Amer swipes a card to reveal a narrow sleep pod, reminiscent of Japan's famed capsule hotels. But this pod is in Saudi Arabia, where the Muslim hajj pilgrimage begins Sunday. The kingdom has plans to introduce capsule rooms in the western city of Mina in the coming days, as an estimated two million Muslim faithful gather for the six-day hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam. The free nap pods are part of new measures Saudi Arabia is rolling out this year in a bid to modernise the centuries-old practice of hajj. The government has also introduced apps for on-the-spot translation and emergency medical care. Amer is the head of a Saudi charity, the Haji and Mutamer Gift Charitable Association, which is offering between 18 and 24 capsule for pilgrims to nap in for free in the coming days. Each fibreglass pod -- less than three metres long and just over one metre high -- features a mattress, clean sheets, air conditioning and a large, well-lit mirror. The pods can be lined up horizontally or stacked vertically to save on space. "We are always thinking about pilgrims and how to make them more comfortable during the rituals of hajj," Amer told AFP. - 'Nap-share economy' - The nap pods provide a solution for pilgrims of limited means who cannot afford to book hotels on site but need a quick rest during hajj. Each napper will have three hours of access to the pods, which are imported from Japan at cost of around $1,114 (1,000 euros) each. When the pilgrim wakes for prayer time -- five times daily in Islam -- workers will sterilise the pod before handing it over to the next pilgrim. "The idea already exists globally, in Japan for example, and in several cities across the world," Amer said. "We believe it's extremely well-suited for crowded places in our holy sites and in Mecca." But for hajj, which takes pilgrims across Mecca and Mina -- two cities in western Saudi Arabia home to the holiest sites of Islam -- the pods were also inspired by the rising popularity of car- and bike-sharing. Story continues "The capsules work through a share economy, like bicycles that you can rent for an hour and then leave for someone else," said Amer. A trial run of 12 pods earlier this year was, he said, a success. Amer estimates 60 people used each pod every day during the holy fasting month of Ramadan. The hajj presents the Saudi authorities with major logistical challenges, as Islam is currently the world's fastest-growing religion, according to the Pew research centre. Providing accommodation for two million pilgrims is no small feat, with travellers staying in everything from five-star hotels to tents pitched in empty lots. Saudi authorities are pushing a "smart hajj" initiative to meet with the growing demands of hajj, which coincide with the kingdom's unprecedented modernization drive. Saudi Arabia, one of the world's most restrictive countries, this year lifted a ban on women driving and has seen a string of reform initiatives spearheaded by the powerful young Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. But the kingdom has also tightened its grip on dissent, with around a dozen women's rights campaigners arrested in recent weeks. Some have been released. Every Muslim is required to complete the hajj at least once in their lifetime if they have the means to do so. The annual pilgrimage sees the Muslim faithful gather in Mecca, all clad in white, to perform rituals around the black Kaaba cube. The hajj also features a symbolic stoning of the devil ceremony, marking the start of Eid al-Adha, a three-day feast. Eid al-Adha includes the slaughter of sheep, with the meat distributed to Muslims in need. The ritual symbolises Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son, Ishmael, on the order of God. Genoa (Italy) (AFP) - Grieving relatives wept over the coffins of dozens of victims of Genoa's bridge disaster Friday amid growing fury over a planned state funeral, while rescuers pressed on with their tireless search for those missing in the rubble. The collapse of the Morandi bridge, a decades-old viaduct that crumbled in a storm on Tuesday killing at least 38 people, has stunned and angered the country, with Italian media reporting that some outraged families would shun Saturday's official ceremonies. Italy's government has blamed the operator of the viaduct for the tragedy and threatened to strip the firm of its contracts, while the country's creaking infrastructure has come under fresh scrutiny. Authorities plan a state funeral service on Saturday at a hall in Genoa, coinciding with a day of mourning. Relatives who gathered at the hall on Friday embraced and prayed over lines of coffins, many adorned with flowers and photographs of the dead. But according to La Stampa newspaper, the families of 17 victims have refused to take part, while a further seven have yet to decide whether they will attend. "It is the state who has provoked this; let them not show their faces, the parade of politicians is shameful," the press cited the mother of one of four young Italians from Naples who died. The father of another of the dead from Naples took to social media to vent his anger. "My son will not become a number in the catalogue of deaths caused by Italian failures," said his grieving father, Roberto. "We do not want a farce of a funeral but a ceremony at home." - Search for missing - Despite fading hopes of finding survivors, rescue workers said they had not given up as they resumed the dangerous operation to search through the unstable mountains of debris. "Is there anyone there? Is there anyone there?" one firefighter shouted into a cavity dug out of the piles of concrete and twisted metal, in a video published by the emergency services. Story continues The civil protection service said Friday evening they were searching for five missing people -- down from 10-20 thought to be missing on Thursday. Hundreds of rescuers are using cranes and bulldozers to cut up and remove the biggest slabs of the fallen bridge, which slammed down onto railway tracks along with dozens of vehicles. "We are trying to find pockets in the rubble where people could be -- alive or not," fire official Emanuele Gissi told AFP. Officials say about 1,000 people in all are working on the disaster site, 350 of them firefighters. - Grief and anger - The populist government has accused infrastructure giant Autostrade per L'Italia of failing to invest in sufficient maintenance and said it would seek to revoke its lucrative contracts. Interior Minister Matteo Salvini demanded the company offer up to 500 million euros ($570 million) to help families and local government deal with the aftermath of the disaster. The dead also include children, one as young as eight, and three Chileans and four French nationals. - Infrastructure alarm - The Morandi viaduct dates from the 1960s and has been riddled with structural problems for decades, leading to expensive maintenance and severe criticism from engineering experts. Its collapse prompted fears over ageing infrastructure across the world. Autostrade, which operates and maintains nearly half of Italy's motorways, estimates it will take five months to rebuild the bridge. It denies scrimping on motorway maintenance, saying it has invested over one billion euros a year in "safety, maintenance and strengthening of the network" since 2012. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said Autostrade "had the duty and obligation to assure the maintenance of this viaduct and the security of all those who travelled on it." The disaster is the latest in a string of bridge collapses in Italy, where infrastructure generally is showing the effects of a faltering economy. Senior government figures have also lashed out at austerity measures imposed by the European Union, saying they restrict investment. But the European Commission said it had given Rome billions of euros to fix infrastructure. burs/bmm/har/amu Dissatisfaction with capitalism has reignited a debate about socialism, but people cannot agree on what "socialism" means. (Photo: stevanovicigor) Socialism has become the new political buzzword. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) surprised many during his 2016 presidential run by winning the votes of millions as an explicitly socialist candidate. In 2018 were seeing a rash of candidates running on socialist tickets. Most high-profile of these is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who was propelled into the public eye along with her progressive policies like job guarantees and universal, single-payer health care following her unexpected victory against veteran incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley in a New York Democratic primary. In contrast, capitalism, once defended as a seemingly unassailable ideology, is showing deep fractures. While the U.S. economy booms, workers have been getting ripped off, a New York Times editorial said in August. House candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is projected to become the youngest woman elected to Congress this November when she will be 29 years old. (Photo: Mario Tama via Getty Images) Broadly felt problems with capitalism rising inequality, stagnating wages and severe instability have led to major global political and cultural shifts. Certainly, this is manifesting itself in the U.K.s decision to leave Europe, the election of Donald Trump, Italys new anti-establishment government and the rise of right-wing populism throughout Europe. But we can also see this in an increased appetite to seek alternatives to capitalism. A Gallup poll this month looking at U.S. attitudes toward socialism and capitalism said for the first time since the organization started tracking the issue in 2010 that Democrats have a more positive image of socialism than capitalism. Their positive feelings toward capitalism have plummeted. Theres a problem with this resurgence of interest in socialism, however. People cannot agree on what the term actually means. Socialism is an economic theory thats been around since the early 19th century. It gained an increased prominence later that century with the publication of Das Kapital, the critique of capitalism by socialisms most famous theorist, Karl Marx. A statue of Karl Marx in Kaliningrad, Russia. (Photo: Alex Potemkin via Getty Images) As ideas about socialism took hold and spread, the economic theory has morphed, bending and adapting to different cultures, economies and political systems. Peoples interpretations of the true meaning of socialism also started to diverge, as did their theories on how best to make the transition from capitalism to socialism. Story continues Two major and clashing interpretations have prevailed over others. Both interpretations use the same word, socialism, but they give it very different meanings. Rethink the whole system In one camp are those who believe socialism would involve a fundamental change in the structure of our economy, to completely undo our current systems division of people into categories of employee and employer. Those who support this interpretation point to Marxs explanation of capitalism. He wrote that under capitalism, workers who make up the vast majority produce surpluses. This refers to the value left over after producing goods or services once the costs of production and the amounts needed to sustain the producers are taken into account. In other words, the profit. Under capitalism, this surplus is immediately taken by the employer, who uses it to reinforce a system where they dominate economically, politically and culturally. For those who believe socialism means structural change, this relationship would be replaced by a democratic community of people who would produce goods or services. This same community would then collectively own the surplus it produced and democratically decide how to use it. In other words, this scenario involves dismantling the employer/employee relationship. Capture the state Others think very differently. As socialism spread quickly during the latter half of the 19th century, across Europe and beyond, many of its advocates were impatient to make the transition from capitalism to socialism. They wanted a strategy, and some socialists, Marx included, provided one: Take control of the state. Once state power was captured by a coalition of capitalisms critics and victims, the theory went, it would lead to socialism. The problem with this focus on the state was that it led to considerable confusion over how states and economic systems relate. Within this state-focused socialism there were two schools of thought. Some believed that once the state was captured, all private business previously owned and controlled by private individuals should be put into state hands. State officials would hire workers, supervise their work and sell their products and services. The nationalization of industry in Soviet Russia is an example of this thinking. However, others came to believe that given historical conditions, the most a captured state could do would be to regulate and control private capitalism, which would largely remain in private hands. The goal would be at the very least to protect, and at best to advance, the interests of workers in their endless negotiations and struggles with capitalist employers. Realism, these thinkers often insisted, placed limits on what could be done. These socialists called their position social democracy, or democratic socialism, to indicate a progressive, state-regulated private capitalism. The most visible example of this is in the social democracies of the Scandinavian countries, which practice a gentler, kinder form of capitalism. Also known as the Nordic model, its based on national health insurance, subsidized education and transportation, and other policies aimed at social equality. We need to think bigger This interpretation of socialism the social democracy of the Nordics has come to dominate the public debate about socialism. But this misses the bigger picture. It is a limited interpretation of socialism, better characterized as state capitalism, that fails to redraw the oppressive employer/employee relationship. All the modifications made to capitalism by social democracies were difficult to achieve and remain inherently insecure. First in the U.K. and later to varying degrees across much of Western Europe, strongly social democracies established during the 1930s and 1940s have been weakened and rolled back. Such changes to capitalism fall far short of the more fundamental change required for genuine socialism. As people argue between conventional capitalism and the gentler capitalism of social democracy, so countries have swung from one to the other. The modern world has repeatedly observed its private capitalist phases accumulate dissatisfied citizens, conflicts and tensions that eventually explode. When the internal strains and structural problems of private capitalism are felt, for example after the Great Depression of the 1930s, so an era of more state-based capitalism is ushered in, exemplified in the New Deal. And vice versa. Transitions between two forms of the same economic ideology have proved easier to imagine and pursue than a transition to a totally different system. But these repetitions show that neither transition has solved capitalisms underlying problems. Critics of capitalism need to ask themselves a basic question. Is it not time to say Stop, enough, not another oscillation between different ideas of capitalism? We need to bring back from the margins of socialism the perspective that prioritizes transition beyond the employer/employee structure of production. My vote goes for the democratization of businesses for a transition from top-down, hierarchical organization to democratic, worker co-op organization. This is already being achieved in the Emilia Romagna region of northeast Italy, for example, where worker cooperatives make up over 40 percent of the economy. The northern Spanish town of Mondragon is home to the Mondragon Cooperative Corporation, the worlds biggest worker cooperative, which has succeeded and grown for half a century. And in Californias Bay Area, the Arizmendi bakeries offer another long-term worker co-op success story. Transitioning to democratic worker co-op forms like these will be central to our eras way of going beyond capitalism to something better. For more content and to be part of the This New World community, follow our Facebook page. HuffPosts This New World series is funded by Partners for a New Economy and the Kendeda Fund. All content is editorially independent, with no influence or input from the foundations. If you have an idea or tip for the editorial series, send an email to thisnewworld@huffpost.com. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. GAROWE, Somalia (Reuters) - Military forces of Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region have retaken a strategic town from Islamic militant group al Shabaab, an officer said on Friday. Captain Saiid Mohamed Diriye said his forces retook Af Urur without a fight. The town is important because the main road that links the cities of Garowe, Bosaso and the Somali capital Mogadishu passes nearby. "The militants fled into the hills and we are pursuing them," Diriye told Reuters from Af Urur. Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab fighters had captured the town - which they and Puntland forces have fought over several times - last month, he said.. Al Shabaab wants to expel the African Union-mandated peace keeping force AMISOM from Somalia, topple its central government and establish an administration based on its strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law. Attacks are relatively rare in Puntland, which has its own government and security forces patrolling its territory on the northeastern tip of the Horn of Africa, jutting out into the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea. (Reporting by Abdiqani Hassan; Editing by George Obulutsa and John Stonestreet) SpaceXs manned launches are taking one step closer to reality. New images published this week shows how Elon Musks space-faring firm is preparing to send its first humans into space on the new Crew Dragon capsule. The flights, alongside missions planned with Boeings CST-100 Starliner, will be the first to send American astronauts into space on board a commercial spacecraft. The somewhat grainy images below, alongside ones captured by Teslarati images, are a big glimpse of the walkway at Floridas Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex pad 39A. The Crew Access Arm is set to complete installation by the end of August, ahead of planned missions as early as April 2019. The missions will send NASA scientists to and from the International Space Station, a critical function as the agency retired the shuttle program in 2011 and the current contract to use Russias Soyuz craft will expire in November 2019. Earlier this month, NASA released images of the first nine astronauts on these Boeing and SpaceX flights, with the astronauts set for the latter mission meeting the SpaceX team earlier this week. More crummy photos from my smartphone. pic.twitter.com/ZWzvLfC6V5 Stephen C. Smith (@WordsmithFL) August 15, 2018 See more: NASA Astronauts Just Met SpaceX Crew Dragon Team Ahead of Historic Flight The pieces are falling into place for SpaceXs next mission. The company has unveiled the full spacesuit, complete with 3D printed helmet. It showed interior and exterior images of the new capsule, a reconfiguration of the Dragon cargo pod thats been sending deliveries to the space station since 2012. Its also completed testing in a wave-absorbing anechoic chamber to check for electromagnetic interference. The four lucky astronauts that will walk down the pictured arm are Robert Behnken, Douglas Hurley, Victor Glover and Michael Hopkins. Missouri native Behnken has undertaken six spacewalks, and hell be flying with New York native Hurley on the test flight. Both have worked as astronauts since 2000. For the first mission, first-time astronaut Glover will be joined by two-time spacewalker Hopkins, who has completed 166 days at the International Space Station. Story continues Musk has suggested the first manned flight could occur as soon as April 2019. That would enable NASA to continue operations with no gaps after the Soyuz contract expires, but the Government Accountability Office has suggested a more likely date for certification would be January 2020. The race is on to keep scientific operations running at the space station. Photos via SpaceX More From Inverse Santiago (AFP) - Chilean miners at the world's biggest copper mine, Escondida, signed an agreement on Friday with Anglo-Australian owners BHP to avoid a strike announced two weeks ago when unions rejected as insufficient a proposed salary hike. BHP said "a new collective contract" had been agreed with the No.1 union, which represents 2,500 miners, preventing a potentially crippling shutdown at the mine, which produces five percent of the world's copper. Neither the union nor BHP divulged the terms of the new deal but local media reported miners would get a 2.8 percent salary increase and a bonus of almost $28,000 per worker for ending negotiations. The union had called for a five percent salary increase and bonus of about $34,000 while BHP's counter offer was 15 million Chilean pesos ($23,000) per worker. Chilean miners earn between $2,500-3,000 a month -- a comfortable sum in a country where the minimum wage is $800. But the workers argue they deserve such a premium because of their harsh working conditions. Negotiations had dragged on for weeks, increasing fears that miners would go on strike for the second year in a row. Last year, Escondida miners spent 44 days on industrial action, provoking a 39 percent drop in production over the first half of the year -- and costing the company $740 million. BHP is a multinational mining, metals and petroleum company that posted revenues of $38 billion and $5.9 billion in bottom line profit last year. Escondida is one of the most profitable copper mines in the world. It earned almost $1.2 billion last year, a 20 percent increase on the previous year, despite the lengthy industrial action. That hurt the local economy, though, in a country that produces almost a third of the world's copper, around 5.6 million tons, fueled largely by China's insatiable appetite for the red metal. The Escondida mine is located in the world's driest desert, the Atacama in northern Chile, at more than 3,000 meters (10,000 feet) in altitude. It's the same area where eight years ago, 33 men were trapped 700 meters underground for 69 days following a cave-in at the Copiapo mine. Last month, at another mine in Chuquicamata, run by the state-owned Codelco company, workers briefly went on strike to demand the reinstatement of sacked colleagues. U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, who is presiding over the trial of Paul Manafort, said he personally had received threats related to the trial and was being protected by U.S. marshals. The judge also rejected a motion by some news organizations to make public the names of the jurors, saying he was concerned about the jurys peace and safety. Chris Dignam report. Tehran (AFP) - With its air raid simulator and battlefield reconstructions, the state-of-the-art Holy Defence Museum in Tehran seeks to glorify the Iran-Iraq war as a time when the country faced down "the whole world". As Iranians prepare to mark the 30th anniversary of the end of the devastating conflict on Monday, they are being urged to display the same steadfastness as country after country falls in line with crippling unilateral sanctions being reimposed by Washington after its abandonment of a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major powers. "The message of the museum is perseverance, resistance and the protection of our honour," deputy director Seyyed Mohsen Hajbabian told AFP. "We teach younger generations the spirit of combat. Iraq was backed by the whole world and Iran was alone in defending itself, but thanks to God... we were victorious in this war." For Iranians, it is "the imposed war", started by Iraq's then-leader Saddam Hussein on September 22, 1980 and ended by a ceasefire on August 20, 1988. The Iraqi dictator sought to present himself as a bulwark against the revolutionary ideology of the fledgling Islamic republic, which had overthrown the pro-Western shah only a year earlier, and which was seen as a major threat to the Gulf monarchies and other Arab autocracies. The resulting war was the longest of the 20th century, a ruinous conflict of attrition that has often drawn parallels to the First World War in Europe. It ultimately led nowhere, ending with zero territorial gains for either side -- even if it reinforced Saddam's grip on power in Iraq, as well as that of the Islamic republic in Iran. - Reconstructing horror - But the human cost was horrifying. Although the often-cited figure of a million dead may be an exaggeration by both sides, according to French historian Pierre Razoux, he still estimates a total of 680,000 lives lost. Of those, Iran bore by far the heavier losses, with around 500,000 dead or missing, he said. Story continues Built by the Tehran municipality, the Holy Defence Museum opened its doors in 2012 and receives more than 300,000 visitors per year, Hajbabian said. On a recent summer afternoon, it was mostly young men and groups of school children on trips organised by Islamic institutions. In the first halls, the visitor is plunged into the ruins of Khorramshahr, the border town in the southwest that was seized by the Iraqi army on October 24, 1980 and still bears some of the worst scars of the war. The "bombing raid simulator" recalls the terror of air strikes suffered by Iranian cities, replete with trembling walls and floors. There are models of the refineries targeted with missile strikes by both sides, as the belligerents sought to sap each other's energy reserves and main source of income. - Mass mobilisation - The museum also glorifies the immense public mobilisation that saw everyone from children to pensioners sign up and sacrifice themselves as martyrs at the front. An audio commentary in Persian, English and Arabic accuses "numerous Western media of... serving as a platform for the Iraqi regime" by closing their eyes to Saddam's use of chemical weapons. Photo montages recall the support Western powers, Arab monarchies and the then Soviet Union all gave to Saddam. There is no mention, however, of the support Iran received from Israel -- now its mortal enemy -- but then both sharing a greater fear of Saddam's brutal regime. Nor is there any discussion in the museum of the weapons provided by the United States under the highly controversial Iran-Contra deal, in which Tehran was supplied with arms in exchange for help in securing the release of hostages held by Iran's ally Hezbollah in Lebanon. "Now I have a deeper and more profound understanding of the war," said one young visitor, Ali Jafarzadeh, at the exit. "We fought the whole world, who supported Iraq, and we resisted for eight years." With tensions mounting between Tehran and Washington over renewed sanctions, he says he is ready to participate "without fail" in any new conflict "to defend my country". An 80-year-old man was charged with the cold case killing of a woman found shot dead in Texas nearly 50 years ago, authorities said. Ralph Tyrone Cooper was charged with murder in the death of Mary Ann Burton, his common-law wife who was just 21 years old when she her body was found in a vacant field in Houston on July 20, 1969, police said. Cooper is accused of getting into an argument with Burton before shooting her in the head in their home. He was believed to have fled the city, and though investigators obtained a warrant for Coopers arrest at the time, it was dismissed in 1973, KHOU-TV reported. But this June, Burtons loved ones contacted the Houston Police Departments cold case unit with information about Coopers whereabouts. Authorities learned he was serving time in a Huntsville prison for an unrelated murder conviction. Detectives traveled to the prison, where Cooper allegedly admitted to killing Burton. RELATED STORIES Cold Cases That Have Seen Breaks After Years of Unanswered Questions DNA Links Convict to Multiple 1984 Cold Case Murders: Cops Knife-Wielding Man Who Died After Jumping Out of Restaurant Freezer Was Suspected Cold Case Killer Related Articles: New Delhi (AFP) - Thousands of mourners in white funereal dress escorted the coffin of three-time prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee through the Indian capital on Friday, showering his body in rose petals before his cremation. Vajpayee, a poet and spellbinding orator respected across the political divide in India, died Thursday after a long period of declining health. He was 93. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who described Vajpayee's passing as "a personal and irreplaceable loss", lead the procession through Delhi to the leafy cremation grounds near the sacred Yamuna River. Senior cadres from Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the ruling party that Vajpayee nurtured into power, mourned alongside foreign dignitaries including Bhutan's king and Afghanistan's former leader Hamid Karzai. He was placed on a sandalwood pyre set alight by his foster daughter, as family poured sacred grains on the burning logs and incantations were recited by Hindu priests. Mourners had lined the streets for hours to catch a glimpse as Vajpayee's coffin, wrapped in the Indian tricolour flag, made its final sombre journey. Despite not making a public appearance in years, Vajpayee continued to inspire devotion in many parts of the country, especially in key bellwether Hindu-heartland states in north and central India. "He was a Hindu by heart, but a leader of all by his deeds," said Kumar Krishnen, a mourner on a Delhi streetside. "It was India's poor who lived in his heart and who he worked for," said another, Rajkumar Tripathi, who also turned out to farewell Vajpayee. "He was a poet and a writer, but all his literature was based on the common man and his aspirations. I salute this immense personality with all my heart." Vajpayee was seen as a more moderate face of Hindu nationalism during his time in office, although he struggled to hold back the more hardline members of the BJP who went on to run the party and the current government. Story continues His often conciliatory tone, and poetic jibes directed at opponents, won admiration on both sides of the political divide. In the financial capital Mumbai, the main opposition Congress Party hung large posters from buildings bearing Vajpayee's commanding profile and a message of tribute to the late leader. He was the first non-Congress leader since India's independence in 1947 to complete an entire term in office as head of a BJP-led ruling alliance between March 1998 and May 2004. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who sat alongside former prime minister Manmohan Singh at Vajpayee's cremation, had described the late leader as a "great son" of India. A former journalist and poet-turned-politician, Vajpayee was one of the few opposition lawmakers inside parliament when India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, still held office. His more than five-decade-long career peaked in the 1990s, when his masterful oratory attracted tens of thousands of people to his rallies across the country. By Jeff Mason and Jonathan Landay WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump faced an unprecedented outcry from former intelligence officials on Friday after stripping the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan, but Trump defended his move and said he planned another one soon. The bipartisan group, which included Robert Gates, George Tenet, David Petraeus, James Clapper and Leon Panetta, lashed out at the president in a scathing letter released late on Thursday. By Friday evening, a separate group of 60 former intelligence officers added their voices in their own letter. Brennan, a former official in the Obama administration and sharp critic of Trump, has said he will not be deterred by the removal of his security clearance. Brennan described Trump's actions at a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki last month as treasonous. Trump defended his decision, announced on Wednesday, saying it had elevated the former CIA chief rather than hampered his freedom of speech. The president also told reporters he was likely to revoke the clearance of Bruce Ohr, a Department of Justice official who is linked to a dossier on Trump's campaign and Russia compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele. Trump lashed out again at Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is leading an investigation into possible collusion between his 2016 campaign and Moscow. Without citing evidence or offering proof, he said Mueller had conflicts of interest. In the statement released late on Thursday, officials who served under Republican and Democratic officials said they did not necessarily agree with Brennan's harsh criticism of the president but that security authorizations should be based on national security, not politics. "We all agree that the president's action regarding John Brennan and the threats of similar action against other former officials has nothing to do with who should and should not hold security clearances - and everything to do with an attempt to stifle free speech," the former CIA directors, deputy directors and directors of national intelligence said. "We have never before seen the approval or removal of security clearances used as a political tool," they wrote. Petraeus, one of the signers, was once considered by Trump as a candidate for secretary of state. Like the signatories of the first letter, the 60 former CIA officers said that while they do not necessarily agree with Brennan's opinions, "It is our firm belief that the country will be weakened if there is a political litmus test applied before seasoned experts are allowed to share their views." The second group included Henry Crumpton, who also served as the State Department's top counter-terrorism official and Letitia Long, a former head of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, which oversees the military satellites used for intelligence collection, navigation and communication. In another pushback against the president, retired Navy Admiral William McRaven, who oversaw the operation that killed Osama bin Laden, praised Brennan and asked Trump to revoke his security clearance as well, writing in a Washington Post opinion piece that he would "consider it an honor." MORE TO COME Trump challenged the suggestion that he was trying to silence critics by taking away security clearances. "There's no silence. If anything, I'm giving them a bigger voice," Trump said. "Many people don't even know who (Brennan) is, and now he has a bigger voice. And that's OK with me, because I like taking on voices like that. I've never respected him." The White House said it was studying a list of other individuals for security clearance review, and Trump suggested Ohr was at the top of that list. "I think Bruce Ohr is a disgrace," he said. "I suspect I'll be taking it away very quickly." Ohr works in the Justice Department's criminal division, and was in contact with former British spy Christopher Steele, who compiled a dossier of allegations of possible collusion between Trump's camp and Russia during the 2016 presidential campaign. Russia denies having meddled in the 2016 election, but three U.S. intelligence agencies reported in January 2017 that Moscow had intervened and tried to help Trump beat Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Putin told reporters in Helsinki, while standing next to Trump, that he had wanted the former New York businessman to win the White House. (Additional reporting by Susan Heavey; editing by Jonathan Oatis and James Dalgleish) Tucker Carlson likes his tacos to be American. The Fox News host went on an odd taco tangent during a discussion of a Mexican restaurant in Houston facing criticism for posting an image of Attorney General Jeff Sessions eating there last week and saying it was an honor to serve him. The restaurant, El Tiempo Cantina, deleted its social media accounts as the backlash grew and some called for a boycott. The restaurants owner has said he regrets the post, which was made without consulting him. But in a clip posted online by Raw Story, Carlson was perplexed by the controversy, seemingly feeling as if his right to eat tacos was under attack. Im totally opposed to illegal immigration. I think that our legal immigration should be lower because the country is getting too volatile. Those are my sincere views, Carlson told his guest, Univision anchor Enrique Acevedo. I also like Mexican food, since I grew up on the Mexican border. Should I be allowed to eat Mexican food? Acevedo said critics of the restaurant and Sessions were pointing out the contradiction between attacking someones culture and story and then celebrating their food. Carlson interrupted. What do you mean their food? Its American food, he cried out with a giggle as his voice rose in pitch. Its American! What do you think, you own tacos now or something? I love this, its so crazy! Acevedo said of course not and added that no one owns tacos. Oh, really? Carlson shot back. Because it sounds like you feel like you own tacos. I feel like I do. I feel like theyre an American food, and Im going to keep eating them even though I agree with Jeff Sessions. Acevedo said its fine to celebrate each others cultures, but Carlson wouldnt play along. No! What do you mean each others cultures? Its an American food! Its an American food! Youre not going to appropriate my culture, he said. Im from San Diego, man. Those are my tacos. Mine! Also on HuffPost Story continues Shift Your Salsa It's hard to imagine a taco without a chunky, tomato-based sauce, yet too often we don't give much thought to the red (or green) stuff. Making your own salsa can be as simple as chopping tomato, onion and some jalapeno -- and making minor tweaks to the formula can yield massive results in the flavor department. Try adding tomatillos (this recipe uses them exclusively) or, as chef Alex Stupak, author of Tacos: Recipes and Provocations, suggests, use roasted onion, for a subtly sweet flavor. Go Beyond Iceberg Many of us were brought up with chopped iceberg lettuce, says Stupak. Yet for that light, vegetal crunch, he prefers lettuces with flavor. Watercress, cabbage and arugula leaves all make incredible, interesting toppings for tacos. Use A Burger Condiment Stupak may run some of New York's hottest high-end Mexican restaurants, but he turns to a surprisingly basic dressing whenever he's eating seafood-based tacos: mayonnaise. Try it on a fish taco and tell us that sweet tang isn't a welcome contrast to fried seafood. Take A Granola-Like Turn Nuts and seeds may seem a little out there, but they're an unexpected way to bring a savory snap to any taco. In Pati Jinich's new book, Mexican Today: New and Rediscovered Recipes for Contemporary Kitchens, she cooks sliced scallions and chopped jalapeno in a bit of oil, then incorporates chopped walnuts, hulled raw pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds and fries them for a few minutes, until they're lightly toasted. The mixture is terrific on vegetarian plantain tacos, as well as on chicken or pork tacos. Get the recipe: Walnut, Pepita and Sunflower-Seed Crunch Add Bacon (But Not Like You Think) Yes, crumbled bacon bits taste great on tacos, but we love this tip from Jinich: Crisp bacon in a skillet, then stir in pieces of beef and cook them in the bacon fat. It'll make your taco filling taste unbelievably rich and smoky. Crisp Your Chicken As you've probably figured out by now, a great taco has both soft and crisp elements. Here's one way we never thought to add crunch: chicken. Stupak recommends fried chicken wrapped in a supple, warm tortilla for the perfect textural combo. He also likes to roast a whole bird with oil, salt and pepper; once it's cooked and cooled, he pulls the meat from the bones. He then lays an assortment of white and dark meat, plus some of the crackled, roasted skin, into a tortilla. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. ANKARA (Reuters) - A Turkish court has rejected an appeal to release American Christian pastor Andrew Brunson from house arrest, broadcaster Haberturk said on Friday. Brunson, an Evangelical pastor residing in the coastal province of Izmir, is standing trial in Turkey over terrorism charges. His case now lies at the heart of a diplomatic crisis between Turkey and the United States that has prompted a crash of Turkey's lira currency. The lira, which has lost some 40 percent of its value this year, weakened beyond 6.21 against the U.S. dollar after the news, from 6.04 beforehand. (Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu and Ece Toksabay; Editing by Humeyra Pamuk) NEW YORK (AP) Responding to what it calls a "moral catastrophe," the leading body of U.S. Catholic leaders said Thursday it would ask the Vatican to investigate the scandal involving a former cardinal who allegedly engaged in sexual misconduct with children and adult seminarians. The request by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for an investigation into the actions of Theodore McCarrick came as the Vatican expressed "shame and sorrow" over a grand jury investigation this week that found rampant sexual abuse of more than 1,000 children by about 300 priests is six Pennsylvania dioceses over a 70-year period. Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said that victims should know "the pope is on their side." The Pennsylvania scandal and the damaging allegations about McCarrick one of the most influential Catholics in the country have engulfed the church in scandal reminiscent of what happened in Boston with clergy sex abuse in the 2000s. The conference president, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, said a full investigation is necessary "to prevent a recurrence, and so help to protect minors, seminarians, and others who are vulnerable in the future." Using formal church terminology for high-level Vatican investigations, DiNardo said he would travel to Rome and ask the Vatican to conduct an "apostolic visitation" to address the McCarrick case, working in concert with a group of predominantly lay experts. DiNardo also deplored the findings of the grand jury report and said the bishops would work to create a new process to review allegations of misconduct by bishops. "We are faced with a spiritual crisis that requires not only spiritual conversion, but practical changes to avoid repeating the sins and failures of the past," DiNardo said. "I have no illusions about the degree to which trust in the bishops has been damaged by these past sins and failures." Story continues Any in-depth investigation of the McCarrick case is likely to shed light on the timetable for when senior Catholic officials in the U.S. and at the Vatican know about the multiple allegations against McCarrick. Some U.S. Catholics sought to warn Vatican officials about McCarrick in 2000, but he was still appointed Washington archbishop and made a cardinal in 2001. If the accusations against McCarrick are substantiated, that could confront Pope Francis with major decisions in terms of possible punishments. McCarrick, the 88-year-old retired archbishop of Washington and confidante to three popes, was ordered removed from the public ministry by Francis in June. The sanction was issued pending a full investigation into a "credible" allegation that he fondled a teenager more than 40 years ago in New York City. Cardinal resignations are extremely rare, and McCarrick's was the first time a prelate had lost his cardinal's rank in a sexual abuse scandal. There were also calls Thursday for the resignation of Cardinal Donald Wuerl, who replaced McCarrick and also served in Pennsylvania when some of the abuse allegedly occurred. The release of the Pennsylvania report this week worsened the crisis for the church, with dozens of examples of shocking abuse committed against children by priests. Burke said Pope Francis is committed to reform and "those who have suffered are his priority, and the church wants to listen to them to root out this tragic horror that destroys the lives of the innocent." In the bishops' statement, the council acknowledged that "one root cause is the failure of episcopal leadership. The result was that scores of beloved children of God were abandoned to face an abuse of power alone. This is a moral catastrophe. It is also part of this catastrophe that so many faithful priests who are pursuing holiness and serving with integrity are tainted by this failure." ___ Associated Press Writers Nicole Winfield and Frances D'Emilio contributed to this report. Excited staff greet Tsai Ing-wen, the President of Taiwan, at a branch of 85C in Los Angeles - Tsai Shih-ying/Facebook A bakery in California has found itself at the centre of an international storm after it welcomed the president of Taiwan with a cup of coffee and a goody bag. The result was a major diplomatic incident as Chinese customers launched a boycott of the 85C Bakery Cafe, which rapidly disappeared from online ordering platforms on the Chinese mainland. The episode highlight's Beijing's sensitivity over an island that considers itself a sovereign state, but has never declared formal independence. The Taiwanese-owned chain apologised and distanced itself from the views of Tsai Ing-wen, the pro-independence leader of the island, after she dropped in on Wednesday en route to visiting allies in South America. Excited staff gave her a gift bag and took selfies, as images were uploaded to Facebook by part of her delegation. A woman looks at her mobile phone at a 85C Bakery Cafe in Hangzhou in China's eastern Zhejiang province Credit: AFP They have since been removed but it was too late to prevent the diplomatic fallout. Beijing - which has been working to isolate countries that recognise Taiwan - warned it would oppose any businesses that support Taiwanese independence. A company official in Taipei, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that it had been removed from several online platforms, telling the AFP news agency: "We have noticed the situation and we hope it won't be permanent." 85C began in Taiwan but has since expanded to earn more than 60 percent of its revenue in China. Losing its presence on food delivery apps would be devastating. At a glance | The One China policy China views the island as part of its own territory, and has escalated a campaign to isolate Taiwan internationally since Ms Tsai came to power in 2016. A growing number of international companies including airlines and hotels have been bending to pressure from Beijing to refer to Taiwan as part of China. The election of Donald Trump has added to Chinese unease as he showed little regard for the fine lines and grey areas of the "one China policy". Story continues Taiwan's state-aligned Central News Agency on Thursday quoted a top official with China's Taiwan Affairs Office, Long Mingbiao, as saying in Beijing that any company that expects to invest and "make money" in China must adhere to its policies. 85C's problems began after Tsai stopped off at a Los Angeles branch of the cafe this week during an American visit in which she became the first Taiwanese leader in 15 years to give a public speech on American soil, something Beijing staunchly opposes. Internet users in China lashed out with boycott threats and calls for the coffee chain to quit the Chinese market. Ipiales, Colombia Venezuelan citizens wait in line to cross to Ecuador at the Rumichaca international bridge in Ipiales, Colombia, on Aug. 11, 2018. (Photo: Rodrigo Buendia/AFP/Getty Images) The Pentagon is preparing to dispatch a hospital ship to Colombia and possibly other parts of South America to help relieve strain on health care systems overloaded by an influx of hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans who have fled that crisis-racked nation, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Friday. It is absolutely a humanitarian mission, he told reporters returning with him to Washington after a six-day tour of South America. Mattis would not say when the USNS Comfort would arrive off the coast of Colombia, but it apparently will not be in the next few weeks. Dana W. White, the chief Pentagon spokeswoman, said it would be in the fall, but she would not be more specific. As a result of a dire economic and health care situation, rising numbers of Venezuelans are joining an exodus that has set off alarms across Latin America. The United Nations said earlier this week that an estimated 2.3 million Venezuelans have fled the crisis-torn country as of June, mainly to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil. (AP) See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Twitter and Tumblr. An outspoken activist in Vietnam was jailed for 20 years Thursday for allegedly calling for an election boycott and inciting environmental protests in the one-party state that has little tolerance for dissent. The communist country is notorious for jailing its critics but the harsh sentence was the heaviest in years as a hardline administration in charge since 2016 intensifies its crackdown against activists. Le Dinh Luong was convicted for "attempting to overthrow the state" in a half-day trial against the 52-year-old who appeared gaunt and grey-haired in court in central Nghe An province. The swift trial was conducted with none of his witnesses allowed to testify, which the court mysteriously blamed on "health reasons", his lawyer Ha Huy Son told AFP. "I asked for a cancellation because witnesses were not allowed to speak, but they were not brought to court," Son said, confirming the 20-year jail term. A prominent activist in the region, Luong was accused of posting clips online inciting people to join months-long protests following a toxic leak by a Taiwanese steel firm that caused mass fish deaths in 2016. Luong was also blamed for calling for an election boycott that year, according to state media. His wife told AFP Thursday he had been unfairly targeted for trying to help people. "My husband is innocent. He has only acted on behalf of the poor and victims of injustices," Nguyen Thi Quy said. Luong joins scores of dissidents, bloggers and lawyers behind bars in Vietnam, where public protests of any kind are banned and political parties prohibited from forming. All media is state-run in the country and many activists like Luong have turned to social media to air grievances. But a new cybersecurity bill that requires Facebook and others to hand over user data and remove "offensive" content if requested by the government threatens to censor one of the few remaining platforms available to activists in the country. Human Rights Watch slammed the charges against Luong ahead of Thursday's verdict. "Locking people up for simply exercising their rights isn't working, and more activists will continue to step forward," deputy Asia director Phil Robertson said. RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Virginia's attorney general has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the state's appeal of a ruling granting new sentencing hearings for the man serving life terms for the sniper shootings that terrorized the Washington, D.C., region when he was a teenager. Attorney General Mark Herring filed a petition Friday asking the high court to review a ruling by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In June, the appeals court ruled that Lee Boyd Malvo should be resentenced in Virginia under U.S. Supreme Court rulings that mandatory life-without-parole sentences for juveniles are unconstitutional. Herring argues that Malvo's sentence already complies with those rulings. Malvo was 17 when he and John Allen Muhammad fatally shot 10 people in Maryland, Virginia and Washington. Muhammad was executed. Malvo was sentenced to multiple life terms, including four in Virginia. It's hard to believe that The Poet and The Boy, which won Best Screenplay at the Busan Film Critics Awards and the Women in Film Korea Awards, is only the feature debut of director Kim Yang Hee. In the film, married poet Mr. Hyeon (Yang Ik Joon) finds inspiration and infatuation in attractive young man Se Yoon (Jung Ga Ram) who works at a donut shop near his home. There are many questions about whether Mr. Hyeon and Se Yoon are truly in love or not. Rather than giving an exact answer, Kim Yang Hee shows the parallel between the backgrounds of the two and their surrounding characters. Mr. Hyeon is out of ideas and teased by other poets for writing vague and lame poems. With his wife (Jeon Hye Jin) urging him for a baby, he is even more stressed to learn that he has low sperm count. While in his slump, Mr. Hyeon meets his muse Se Yoon by chance, which helps the poet a lot both in life and at work. Vulnerable and desolate, Se Yoon quit school to join the labor force and take care of his gravely ill father. Mr. Hyeon is the only one who cares about him and supports him mentally and financially. Both of them are desperately in need of certain things that they find in each other. So, is it a genuine romance or a merely platonic love and sympathy? In the final scene of the movie, when they meet each other again a few years later, their facial expressions in the close shots reveal their feelings for each other. Though he says "it's already the past," Se Yoon also expresses his hope to stay with the poet by uttering "come with me" in a slightly despairing tone. I was deeply moved by this scene, especially Jung Ga Ram's complicated yet sorrowful expression. I first knew Jung Ga Ram from OCN's recent mystery thriller series Mistress. Much to my surprise, he actually debuted in 2011 and appeared in dramas like High Kick and The Heirs. As a rising actor, he shines with his outstanding performance in this movie, even alongside experienced actors like Yang Ik Joon and Jeon Hye Jin. There is no doubt that the ever depressed and pessimistic Mr. Hyeon gains a better and more fruitful life through his encounter with Se Yoon. Some might be confused about the poet's love as he provides financial support to the boy, which turns him into something of a "sugar daddy." Just as Se Yoon's father tells Mr. Hyeon that he wants to die because this is the only way his pitiful son can live a carefree life, Mr. Hyeon is perhaps willing to give the boy all his money in hopes that he can enjoy freedom that is the only thing he can do for him. In fact, Mr. Hyeon struggles as well with the question of whether he truly loves Se Yoon and if he should leave his wife and baby for the young man. Though there is now high global awareness of LGBT issues, it is still a sensitive topic to some people. Kim Yang Hee handles this potentially sensitive issue quite well in The Poet and The Boy. The film reflects the thoughts and reactions of different people towards same-sex love in a society filled with stereotypical beliefs on gender. Everyone around Mr. Hyeon and Se Yoon criticizes their relationship, particularly Se Yoon's gang of friends who make malicious comments towards Mr. Hyeon when he begs Se Yoon to run away with him. Despite being mocked by others, the two never feel ashamed of their fondness for each other, and Se Yoon seems certain and sincere about his bond with the poet. Even when Mr. Hyeon's wife asks the poet if he is gay, he just casually answers, "I would've been a bisexual in that case." He struggles with his sexual orientation at first, but never considers it as something wrong or embarrassing. Perhaps the meaning of the poet and the boy's relationship is exactly how Mr. Hyeon puts it: "A poet is someone who cries in place of other people. To a poet, sadness is an ingredient of writing poetry." Se Yoon is woefully destined to be his unfulfilled love and poetry inspiration. China will continue its cooperation and relations with Iran, state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday, citing a statement from Chinese State Councillor Wang Yi. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the 2015 deal in which Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear work in return for the lifting of most Western sanctions, is in line with the international community's "common interest", the Chinese diplomat said in a phone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, according to Xinhua. The protection of Palestinian civilians could be improved by the deployment of UN-mandated armed forces or unarmed observers, a beefed-up UN civilian presence or expanded UN assistance, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wrote in a report on Friday. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The United Nations General Assembly requested the report in a resolution adopted in June that condemned Israel for excessive force against Palestinian civilians and denounced the firing of rockets from Gaza into Israeli civilian areas, but did not mention Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza. The resolution asked for proposals to ensure "the safety, protection and well-being of the Palestinian civilian population under Israeli occupation, including ... recommendations regarding an international protection mechanism." Antonio Guterres (Photo: AFP) Guterres outlined four options, but he did not make a specific recommendation. He noted that all options would need the cooperation of both parties, a sustained cessation of hostilities and additional resources to ensure they were viable. "The combination of prolonged military occupation, constant security threats, weak political institutions, and a deadlocked peace process provides for a protection challenge that is highly complex politically, legally and practically," he wrote. Armed UN peacekeepers or armed forces from a group of like-minded states operating under a United Nations mandate could be deployed to offer physical protection, Guterres said. This option, however, would need a Security Council mandate and the United States, a close ally of Israel, would likely wield its veto. A UN or non-UN civilian observer mission could be deployed "with a specific mandate to report on protection and well-being issues and provide local mediation," Guterres said. This would also need a UN-mandate. A third option could be expanding current UN programs and development and humanitarian aid to address the needs of Palestinian civilians more effectively and strengthen Palestinian institutions, he wrote. The final option could be to send additional UN human rights, coordination and political officers to boost monitoring and reporting on the situation and increase the UN's visibility, Guterres said. The General Assembly resolution requesting the report was adopted with 120 votes in favor, eight against and 45 abstentions. It was put forward in the General Assembly after the United States vetoed a similar resolution in the 15-member UN Security Council. "The best way to ensure the safety and protection of the Palestinian civilian population is still the negotiation of a comprehensive, just and final settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict," Guterres said. Hamas's Gaza deputy leader Khalil al-Hayya, who is still in Cairo, said that negotiations regarding a long term ceasefire arrangement with Israel are in their final stretch, but will only be completed until after the holiday of Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice), at the end of August. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter According to al-Hayya, the potential arrangement is based on the understandings reached following Operation Protective Edge. "We are in favor of calm in Gaza so that our people can live in dignity while continuing the fight," he said. On Wednesday, a delegation headed by al-Hayya left Gaza for Cairo, where the representatives of the Hamas leadership abroad have been temporary residing for several days. Almost all the Palestinian factions have sent their representatives to attend the discussions in Cairo, with the exception of Fatah, whose members are still boycotting the procedures. Gaza protest (Photo: AFP) On Thursday, Hamas concluded a round of discussions with the representatives of other Palestinian factions in Gaza, deliberating not only the truce with Israel but also a renewal of a reconciliation process with Fatah. As previously mentioned, the talks will resume a week after the Eid al-Adha celebrationswhich are expected to last all throughout the upcoming week. Senior Hamas official Izzat al-Rishq, who was one of the terror groups leaders present during the Cairo talks addressed the progress of the negotiations. "Today we concluded a round of consultations with the Palestinian factions on the ceasefire arrangement with Israel and reconciliation with Fatah, and we have made it clear that we wish to adhere to the idea that all decisions should be made as part of a national framework. We presented our position on the issue and heard the position of the factions representatives. The talks will be renewed after the holiday," al-Rishq concluded. Hamas delegation On Friday, following a few days of relative calm along the southern border, hundreds of Palestinians demonstrated near the border fence. Two demonstrators were killed during clashes with IDF forces and another 60 had been injured. The protesters threw rocks and fire bombs, from behind clouds of black smoke of burning tires, at IDF troopswho responded with tear gas and sometimes live fire. In addition, two fires broke out in the Gaza border region, one of which started in the area of the Be'eri Forest, as a result of incendiary balloons launched into Israel from the strip. Gaza border region fire X Earlier Friday, some 200 people came to support the family of the late Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, whose body has been held in the Gaza Strip for four years. Goldin's parents and brother arrived, for the 16th time, at the "Black Arrow" monument at the Gaza border. The father, Prof. Simha Goldin, criticized Netanyahu: "After the spin doctors were frightened by the term 'cease-fire', because Hadar was killed and kidnapped during a humanitarian ceasefire, they invented a new term'arrangement'. So from here on out, I want to say to Netanyahuthis is not a ceasefire or an 'arrangement'- it's called 'appeasement.' Netanyahu knows exactly what it is; his father wrote a lot about it." Iran's navy has mounted a locally built advanced defensive weapons system on one of its warships for the first time, the Iranian navy chief was quoted as saying on Saturday, as tensions mount with the US military in the Gulf. Iran's Revolutionary Guards confirmed earlier this month it held war games in the Gulf, saying they were aimed at "confronting possible threats" by enemies. Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit Pyongyang next month at the invitation of North Korea leader Kim Jon-Un to attend the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding, Singapore's Straits Times newspaper reported. It will be the Chinese leader's first visit to the North Korean capital since he took power in 2012, and 13 years after the last visit by a Chinese President, when Xi's predecessor Hu Jintao visited in 2005, the newspaper said on Saturday. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot, visited on Friday the tomb of Sheikh Amin Tarifthe Druze's holy place, in the northern Druze village and local council of Julis, ahead of the upcoming Eid al-Adha holiday, also known as the Festival of Sacrifice. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter During the visit, Eizenkot met with representatives of the Druze community and its spiritual leader Sheikh Moafaq Tarif, as well as representatives of the Bedouin community. The chief of staff also met with Druze and Bedouin IDF officers during the visit and discussed the IDFs efforts to integrate the minority populations into the IDF ranks. (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit) The IDF said that over the past year there has been a 30 percent increase in the recruitment of members of the Bedouin community, while the Druze community has continued its integration into a wider range of IDF units. Lt. Gen. Eizenkot also reiterated the importance of the minority communities contribution to the countrys military during his speech. "In order for the military to fulfill its mission, it requires high-caliber people in its ranks, and I witness the contribution of the Bedouin and Druze communities each time I visit the IDF. We need to look with pride at the past 70 years, as well as look 70 years ahead for a common future. Its not about integration but rather about a shared responsibility and a mutual commitment. "The proof of that is the increasing number of Druze IDF officers and Bedouin enlistment. The IDF gives its young people an equal opportunity no matter where they come from and we will continue to integrate all soldiers of different ethnic groups," Eizenkot exclaimed. The head of the Population Administration, Lieutenant-Colonel Shadi Abu Fares, emphasized that the IDF can greatly assist the communities by integrating them into Israeli society. "The Population Administration is a body that is responsible for integrating all members of all minority communities into the IDF, we see the whole picture, starting with the recruitment process, the service itself and the day after release. Many see the IDF as an excellent platform for integrating into Israeli society. We believe in empowering and expanding the recruitment of minorities to the IDF ranks and we expect to see minority soldiers in a variety of units, he concluded. The visit comes in light of the passing of a controversial Nation-State Law, which the Arab-speaking minority communities in Israel view as discriminatory. The Nation-State Law, emphasizes that the State of Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people and that Hebrew is the official language of the state. Arabic was defined as having a special status, with the official state use of Arabic to be determined in separate legislation Qatar has accused Saudi Arabia of barring its citizens from this year's haj, something Riyadh denies, saying a diplomatic dispute is not stopping Qataris from making the pilgrimage to Mecca. Although 1,200 Qataris are eligible to perform the haj under a quota system, Qatar says it has become impossible to get permits, blaming the campaign by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt to cut trade and diplomatic ties with the country. Former United Nations Secretary-General and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kofi Annan has died at the age of 80, his foundation said on Saturday. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Annan, a Ghanaian national, died in hospital in Bern, Switzerland, in the early hours of Saturday, two of his close associates said. In Geneva, the Kofi Annan Foundation announced his peaceful death with "immense sadness" after a short illness, saying he was surrounded in his last days by his second wife Nane and children Ama, Kojo and Nina. Kofi Annan (Photo: Reuters) Annan served two terms as UN Secretary-General in New York from 1997-2006 and retired in Geneva and later lived in a Swiss village in the nearby countryside. "In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations. He rose through the ranks to lead the organization into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whom Annan had chosen to head the UN refugee agency, said in a statement. Kofi Anna and Hillary Clinton (Photo: Reuters) As head of UN peacekeeping operations, Annan was criticised for the world body's failure to halt the genocide in Rwanda in the 1990s. "The UN can be improved, it is not perfect but if it didn't exist you would have to create it," he told the BBC's Hard Talk during an interview for his 80th birthday last April, recorded at the Geneva Graduate Institute where he had studied "I am a stubborn optimist, I was born an optimist and will remain an optimist," Annan added. Before leaving office, Annan helped secure a truce between Israel and Hezbollah during the Second Lebanon War in 2006, and mediated a settlement of a dispute between Cameroon and Nigeria over the Bakassi peninsula. The family of Ahmad Muhammad Mahamid, from Umm al-Fahm, who was shot dead after attempting to stab a policeman in the Old City of Jerusalem on Friday, claimed that he is not a terrorist but a sick individual with serious mental health issues. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter "He suffers from a mental illness and he tried several times to commit suicide. We did not know he was in the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday, he never usually goes there, said Ahmads brother Naseem, in an interview with Ynet. Mahamid family "My brother is a mentally ill person who never thought of harming people We thought at first that he was misidentified. My brother is not a terrorist. Everyone needs to understand his mental state and not jump to conclusion that are so far from the truth," Naseem vented. The family also believes the police could have neutralized Ahmad without having to shoot him dead. "The police did not have to shoot him dead, they could have shot him in the leg," the family asserted. Ahmad Muhammad Mahamid The police released footage of the attempted attack showing the policeman looking at his cell phone as the terrorist approaches him. The terrorist walked slowly, and when he recognized the policeman, he took the knife out of his pocket and tried to stab the officer. He did not succeed, and was soon shot and killed by the officers. The suspect's uncle, Mustafa Mahamid, has also expressed his dismay at the actions of his nephew. "He is not really a religious person and is not used to going to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, so it was a surprise to hear about the incident. Also, the footage of the incident shows that the attack could have been stopped without the shooting. There were dozens of policemen who could have caught him or harmed him without killing him. To pull a trigger is the easiest option, bemoaned the uncle. He also referenced an incident that occurred several months ago in the city of Hadera when a 40-year-old man drove into a police station threatening to run over and even kill the officers but was apprehended. Mahamid family "We saw the incident in Hadera with the guy who threatened to run over the policemen. Even though he was dangerous, they did not harm him, and let him curse and threaten. However, when its an Arab then they pull the guns out straight away, he opined. According to the police, the perpetrator left the Council Gate located at the entrance to the Temple Mount at about 5:30pm. He then noticed a group of policemen stationed a few meters away, and tried to stab one of them with a knife he was holding. After a fight between the police and the suspect, he was shot and killed by police officers at the scene. The police responded to the incident by blocking the alleys surrounding the crime scene and opening an investigation into the identity of the perpetrator. Knife used in the attack (Photo: Police Spokesperson) Following the orders of Jerusalem district police commander Maj. Gen. Yoram Halevy, a search was conducted throughout the Temple Mount area, and police removed people from the scene. Last week, police officers foiled another stabbing attack in Jerusalem's Old City. The officers arrested a 26-year-old Palestinian from Hebron who planned to stab Israeli civilians or security forces in the city. People across Africa are expressing shock and sorrow over the death of Ghanaian-born Kofi Annan, the first black African to become UN secretary-general. His death at age 80 was announced Saturday. "We are devastated," the Nelson Mandela Foundation says in a statement. "Africa and the world has lost a special human being." Annan had been chair of The Elders, an elite group of former leaders founded by Mandela. African leaders including Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa are offering condolences. The US Consular Agency in the northern city of Haifa will be closed until further notice starting September 1. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The agency, which is located on 26 Ben Gurion Boulevard, provides consular services to US citizens, including issuing and renewing passports, birth registration, notarial services, name changes, and more. To receive those services, a US citizen in Israel had to set an appointment for a meeting with the American consul, who would come to Haifa. US Consular Agency in Haifa (Photo: google earth) The consular agency helped thousands of American citizens living in northern Israel, saving them the hassle of traveling to Tel Aviv or Jerusalem for these services. But an announcement made by the US Embassy in Jerusalem said that "The US Consular Agency in Haifa will be closed for public services from September 1, 2018, until further notice. This includes appointments for American Citizen Services (passports, Consular Reports of Birth Abroad, notarial services, and other special consular services)." American citizens will now have to turn to the US Embassy in Jerusalem or the consulate in Tel Aviv, and those who set appointments for September 1 and later would have to move their meetings to the Tel Aviv consulate. An official at the US Embassy explained the "suspension of services is part of internal planning of the embassy and of administrative reasons." Jordan denounced on Saturday the closing of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the removal of worshipers from the complex after an attempted stabbing attack on Friday. "We denounce and oppose these steps, which hurt the sanctity of the place and the feelings of those who pray there, and Muslims around the world, Amman said in a statement. It is a violation of Israels commitments. The Israeli government is responsible for these provocations and must stop them immediatly. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stressed Friday he would not allow a separate Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip and that any humanitarian aid to the strip must go through the Palestinian Authority. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Speaking at the closing session of the Palestinian Central Council meeting, Abbas said that "There is no state in Gaza nor an autonomy in the West Bank, and we will not accept this. We will never accept the separation of Gaza (from the West Bank)." "Either we take control of authority as it is in Gaza and the West Bankwith one state, one system, one law and one weaponor they (Hamas) takes control instead (in Gaza)," he said. Egypt is finalizing details of a long-term truce deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza amid repeat rounds of hostilities between the two sides. Cairo has also brokered a Palestinian reconciliation agreement that provides for Hamas to cede control of Gaza to Abbass Palestinian Authority. A dispute over power-sharing has hindered implementation of the deal, an Egyptian security source told Reuters Cairo was still seeking progress on the issue. In Ramallah, Abbas insisted that reconciliation between his party Fatah and Hamas is not the same as a long-term agreement with Israel. "Reconciliation for us does not mean a truce, ceasefire or humanitarian assistance. Reconciliation means that unity should be reinstated," he said. Abbas also said that any humanitarian aid or financial support to Gaza must go through his own government. "Who rehabilitated the strip after the campaign in 2014? The money was transferred to me and we rebuilt. We rebuilt some 90 percent of the houses, they (Hamas) didn't rebuild even one house," he claimed. Egypt has brokered an interim truce between Israel and Hamas that has allowed commercial goods into Gaza ahead of the Muslim Eid al-Adha feast which starts next week. We are putting the final touches to the terms of the truce that will be signed by all sides, and we expect to announce the terms next week if Fatah helps us to do so, the source said, referring to Abbass mainstream party which dominates the occupied West Bank. Officials from Fatah have not joined those of Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, and other Palestinian factions for the talks in Cairo on the long-term truce. But Fatahs backing is crucial for any deal as the party retains a large presence in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and has overall control in areas under Abbass Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. The period of calm will be for one year, during which contacts will be held to extend it for another four years, the source told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. According to the Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen, the ceasefire will also include a sea route between Gaza and Cyprus with Israeli security supervision. Also as part of the deal, Qatar, with help from Egypt, will pay the salaries of Gaza government workers as well as pay the electricity bills in the strip, with help from Israel. A long-term truce could pave the way for talks on other issues, including the easing of a blockade that has crippled Gazas economy and allowing a possible swap of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers. The source said Egyptian intelligence chief, Abbas Kamel, was expected to meet Abbas in Ramallah after similar talks in Israel, and a deal could be announced by next week. An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed Kamel had met with Netanyahu in Israel this week, but gave no details. A Palestinian source in Ramallah said Kamel has left without seeing Abbas, who had been preoccupied with a Palestinian leadership conference. But the source said Abbas had informed Egypt that Fatah representatives would join the Cairo talks later this week or next week. At the Palestinian Central Council, the Palestinian leader reiterated his opposition to American mediation in the conflict, saying "The US forced itself as a mediator between Israel and the Palestinians, and it cancelled the Quartet and others. There won't be any contacts between us and the American administration until they go back on their positions on Jerusalem, the refugees and the settlements." He rejected US involvement as either the only mediator or as a part of an international group of mediators. Abbas further stressed the Palestinians would turn to the UN General Assembly to demand a resolution against Israel's Nation-State Law. "The law says only Jews have the right for self-definition in the land of Israel. Where is the land of Israel? I don't know. Every state needs to have residents, a government and borders. Where are Israel's borders?" Hamas's Gaza deputy leader in Gaza Khalil al-Hayya has said the negotiations on a long-term ceasefire were in their final stretch, but will only be completed after the holiday of Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice), at the end of August. "We are in favor of calm in Gaza so that our people can live in dignity while continuing the fight," he said. On Friday, following a few days of relative calm along the southern border, hundreds of Palestinians rioted near the Gaza border fence. Two were killed during clashes with IDF forces and another 60 were wounded. The protesters threw stones and Molotov cocktails from behind clouds of black smoke of burning tires at IDF troops, who responded with tear gas as well as live fire. Some 100 people protested at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv on Saturday night against what they say is government inaction about the security situation on the Gaza border. They called out "Bibi Bibi, wake up, the entire south's on fire" and "We're not cannon fodder." They also carried signs saying "The south is on fire" and "We're tired of burned fields and weeping children." Residents of the Gaza border and their supporters protested in Tel Aviv on Saturday night, demanding the government to "restore the sense of security." Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The protesters called out "We're not cannon fodder" and "Bibi, Bibi, wake up, the south is burning"referring to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by his nickname. Gaza border residents fly mock incendiary balloons (Photo: TPS) They carried signs saying: "The south is on fire" and "We're tired of burned fields and weeping children." The demonstration began at Rabin Square, with protesters then making their way on Ibn Gabirol Street toward Rokach Boulevard while sounding the Code Red rocket-alert siren and dropping to the ground as they do at home on the Gaza border when a real siren is sounded. Gaza border residents drop to the ground at the sound of a Code Red siren (Photo: Motti Kimchi) They also flew balloons in protest of the reality forced upon them of incendiary balloons from the Gaza Strip causing fires on their lands every day. Gaza border residents fly mock incendiary balloons (Photo: TPS) "We're protesting because of the lack of security," said one of the organizers, Alona Brown, from Kfar Aza. "We demand to have our sense of security restored, and this is a basic demand for life in any country, and particularly in Israel." She went on to lament the fact that "over the past 17 years, we've been living from one round (of fighting) to the next. Our children grow up with existential anxieties. We realized that if we didn't protest this lack of security policy, the government intends to leave us this wayliving from one operation to the next. Every time, Hamas or the residents of Gaza find a different way to disrupt our daily lives." Signs: 'Our children's childhood robbed'; 'Government wake up, the south if burning!' (Photo: Motti Kimchi) Yonatan Shamriz, 28, also from Kfar Aza, stressed that "the problem is not with the Gaza border communities, it's the government that has been neglecting the citizens in the area for 17 years. Every part of the population can get hurt. This is a protest that is relevant to all residents of the country." "I come to the protest in an effort to unify all residents of the arearight wing, left wing, religious, secularsunder one clear message: We want quiet and security in our region," he added. Gaza residents protest in Tel Aviv (: / TPS) X Ohad Madmoni, 28, from Sderot, said that one of the motives for the protest was to tell politicians to start sitting and thinking about solutions for the security problems that we have here, that have been going on for many years. Madmoni referred to a possible agreement with Hamas: I dont take this talk about agreements so seriously, I remember in Protective Edge when they said that theres a ceasefire. But this protest doesnt have to do with this agreement. The situation with Gaza needs to be resolved now. We should not be a punching bag, like we have been for the past 14 months. Every day we experience another inventionincendiary kites and balloons. We dont deserve this. Signs saying 'Entire families black!' and 'Existential anxiety is no way of life!' (Photo: Motti Kimchi) The protests Facebook page said: the residents of the south continue to raise their voice, and invite all of Israels citizens to express sympathy with the intolerable situation in the south and join the protest! The message went on to say: The Israeli government has been drugging the residents of the south with numbing drugs: financial benefits, tax reductions, top priority region... This is only part of what we were injected with in order to numb us to the situation. But if we wake up from the economic blur, well understand very quickly that were hooked. Wed look and be amazed at how we had just sat here and let them do what they will with us. We'd be amazed of how we did not rise up as one and said that we are taking responsibility for our own lives and for our region, they concluded. What the hell is going on with the Shin Bet? Has someone there lost his mind? In very extreme cases, the state is allowed to question visitors when there's concern they might carry out hostile activity against it. And it is a state's right to deny entry to those who reject its right to exist. Any civilized nation has a list of undesirables, and Israel's lists are not much different to those of Britain or the US. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter But something has changed. Someone's got a happy trigger finger. Now it's the "questioning" of Peter Beinart , which follows other unnecessary questioning of "suspects" that there was no reason to suspect them of anything. Not everyone who wrote an article against Israel or against one policy or another of the Israeli government needs to be questioned. And if that was the case, then 80 percent of academics, NGO members and journalistsincluding yours trulywould have to be detained and questioned. The thing is that in recent months, someone at the Shin Bet has decided to act in the service of Israel's vilifiers and provide proof to those who claim Israel has stopped being a democracy. Peter Beinart (Photo: AP) Beinart is a very prominent figure in the Jewish left-wing in the US. I have a profound disagreement with him. I had a public confrontation with him in London. I'd rather dedicate an article to his distortions and positions, but his questioning at Ben-Gurion Airport forces me to write an article against the Shin Bet, instead. About two weeks ago, Iranian-American author Reza Aslan was also detained and questioned for hours. And this is how Israel gets a double dose of negative PR. These detainments don't point to Israel deteriorating and turning into a police state, or to the end of democracy. They point to the loss of discretion and to a severe level of stupidity, and that is no less grave. Reza Aslan (Photo: AP) And anyway, why is a journalist being questioned? After all, everything Beinart and his ilk have to say, they say in writing. They don't belong to any underground movement. They don't hide anything. So what is there to ask? Leading newspapers around the world have published far more scathing articles against Israel than Beinart's. Does the Shin Bet plan on detaining each and every one of these writers, if and when they arrive at Israel's gates? We don't have to wait for it to happen to know that every detainment like this is a propaganda gift to Israel's haters on the one hand, and useless on the other. People like Beinart can write in almost any important newspaper in the world. And it's clear even before it happens that any detainment or questioning of such journalists will get worldwide coverage, and not be limited to social media. So, why? Beinart, by the way, has already recounted his experience in Forward magazine. It was obvious this would happen. It was good that Netanyahu ordered to look into Beinart's questioning. It won't prevent the damage that has already been caused, but perhapsand hopefullyit could stop the unnecessary questionings. Beinart's reaction was, of course, arrogant: He took advantage of the opportunity to demand of Netanyahu to stop the harm done to Palestinians at checkpoints. Come on. Too many Palestinians have tried to enter Israel to carry out terror attacksand not because of the occupation, but because of the incitement to hate Jews for being Jews. Because they're part of jihad. There's no correlation between detaining and questioning Palestinians at the entrances to Israel and the detaining and questioning of left-wing activists. One unnecessary kind of questioning doesn't mean the other type of questioning is unnecessary as well. There's no need to mix one matter with another. The fact the prime minister apologized for the incident proves this was stupidity, not policy. But Beinart has a hard time understanding this. The Shin Bet needs a political Commissar; someone who understands the global left-wing map. Someone who could differentiate between the activists of the campaign to eliminate Israelwho should be denied entryand journalists or left-wing activistswho have a right to criticize Israel, call for a boycott on settlement products and even curse the Israeli government without anyone detaining them as they enter or leave Israel. US National Security Advisor John Bolton will be arriving in Israel for a quick-visit on Sunday. This is to be Bolton's first visit to Israel since he was appointed to the role last March. He will have dinner with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his residence, and the two will meet again the next day at the Prime Minister's Office. Bolton fosters a very firm approach against Iran and was one of the main advisors who persuaded President Donald Trump to withdraw from the nuclear deal. Yuma News Yuma, Arizona - At Wednesday nights City Council meeting August was proclaimed Drowning Impact Awareness Month in the City of Yuma by Mayor Douglas J. Nicholls. This proclamation was also being made for the State of Arizona by Gov. Douglas A. Ducey. The purpose is to raise awareness of the number of cases and the impact of child drowning in Arizona. Even though Arizona is considered a desert state, on average, drowning incidents take the lives of many of our states children. Children 4 years old and younger are in the highest risk group. Every year in Arizona dozens of people drown. So far this year, in just the Phoenix area alone (Maricopa and Pinal Counties), there have been 33 drowning deaths (12 of which were children) resulting from 108 water related incidents, with many more deaths and incidents throughout the state. The Yuma area is not immune with at least 3 near drowning incidents, 1 non-fatal drowning (saved by CPR) and 1 drowning death so far this summer (all involving children). Families can take simple steps to protect their children around water and avoid the tragedy of unnecessary loss of life. The most basic of these steps comes down to constant, responsible, focused, adult supervision of any child around water. Never let a child unattended around water for any length of time. It takes just a few seconds for a life to be lost and a family to be changed forever. All too often first responders hear I only looked away for a few seconds or I thought someone else was watching them. Barrier fencing is another important safety factor for children around pools. Pool owners should ensure there are no gaps in their fencing and that self-closing/self-latching gates are working properly. Door alarms should be tested, and kept in good working order (even if irritating, they are that way for a reasonto get your attention in a life threatening emergency). Even personal alarms are available to attach to a child that will activate when exposed to water. Temporary summer pools should be kept just as secure, inside fenced/secure areas and emptied when they are not being played in. Although you cannot waterproof a child, you can make them more drowning resistant by being sure they learn to swim. However, even children with proven swimming abilities need constant adult supervision. Keeping children healthy and safe are the goals of Fire Departments and other prevention institutions in Arizona. Drowning Impact Awareness Month is one way to raise awareness and remind people that there is no substitute for constant, responsible, focused, (even relentless!) adult supervision of children around water. The consequences of failure are just too great Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. - A human rights activist has given account on how his brother mysteriously died on his way to Libya - Prince Amoh-Ayensu detailed in his story how his brother risked traveling illegally to Italy because of his girlfriend Each and every day, several Ghanaians risk their lives to travel the Sahara Desert in search of greener pastures abroad. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) always shows troubling statistics on how many risks their lives on the seas and also the Sahara Desert. Real life accounts have been very hard to come by especially when those expected to tell their harrowing stories remain corpses on the dark stretch of the desert. READ ALSO: Mensa Otabil admonishes Ghana and Africa to adopt bold ideas Interestingly, a human rights activist and member of the Migration Media Alliance (MMA), Prince Amoh-Ayensu, has given a chilling account of how his brother died while traveling through the Sahara Desert in search of greener pastures abroad. In an extensive narrative, the former illegal migrant details all that ensued in June 2017 during his venture of Italy. Below is the full account: It all began somewhere in June 2017 during the Ramadan when my junior brother told me he wanted to join our kid sister, Cynthia in Italy. I was not happy about the idea so I quickly asked him, what informed his decision to embark on such a perilous journey knowing very well about her girlfriends plan to fly him over to Germany so they can both live together after having secured for herself the necessary legal documentation that would guarantee her peaceful stay. So I asked him again, 'why are you worrying yourself to go the illegal way to Italy instead of waiting on your girlfriend to deliver on her promise at God's own time?' Which he did reply to me instantly by saying, 'oh no, I just want to go!' At that point in time, all I could say was 'youre an adult, therefore, I cant decide for you, if you so wish to, then you can go ahead, wishing him well'. He told me his checks have proved that the road is clear of harassment from border guards as well as security officers, therefore, made up his mind to leave the following day. True to his words, he dressed up in a blue jeans trousers with a fashionable T-shirt top to match when I spotted him the next day very early in the morning. He had a small travelling bag packed with his personal belongings including cream cracker biscuits, water bottle. He bid me farewell as he headed towards Kaneshie Station in Accra to board a bus bound for Niger. That was the last time Samson ever set eyes on his kid brother, Prince Amoh-Ayensu, until news of his bizarre demise hit him with shock. I got a phone call from him three days later in the evening around 4:00 pm, informing me of his safe arrival at Niger, with the plan to continue to Agadez (the Nigerien city where many West African migrants cross the Sahara Desert to Libya) to get to Libya before finally crossing the Mediterranean Sea in boat to Italy. Then in less than a week, lets say in 4-5 days time I wasnt hearing from him again so I called my Junior sister in Italy to find out whether he has heard of him or not. She told me no, but noted that she has called an agent at Libya who confirmed to her that he is on the way coming to Libya. I later got the news that the agent said theres a lady on board the same pickup with him on the Sahara Desert who called the agent to inform him that my brother had kicked the bucket. All of a sudden, cold gripped me, I was thrown into a state of shock and disbelief upon hearing my brothers sad demise. According to Samson his sister in Italy revealed that the same lady who broke the sad news was very close to Prince during their time of transit. She was described as a nursing mother whom Prince had been assisting with her baby while on transit. She [the nursing mother] revealed that on their way to Libya, my brother started behaving strangely; he was heard murmuring strange words like someone who is struck with a high fever," Samson stated. At a point in time, he even claimed seeing coffins among other unseen images which looks very strange to everyone on board the pickup vehicle they were travelling across the desert. She concluded that nobody touched my brother, tortured or brutalised him in any way to warrant his strange behaviour. That guy was a very strong man, he was even stronger than me," said Samson. He is convinced something strange might have happened to his brother while crossing the Sahara Desert to Libya. Could it be that he was secretly attacked and killed by an unknown assailant which was not confirmed to Samson? These are serious questions that demand answers. Samson says he will continue pushing for answers and unravel the mystery behind his brother's demise. Meanwhile, Samson hopes that by sharing his brother's story it will discourage the youth in Ghana from illegal migration to Europe in search of greener pastures. Before embarking on such a perilous journey, Prince already had a job of his own. He was a second-hand clothes dealer at Kantamanto market in Accra. According to his brother, he was already living a normal life and able to cater for his family. He was married with two children. Samson revealed what pushed his brother to migrate outside Ghana was the drive to seek for greener pastures abroad since he was not content with the kind of lifestyle his was living here in this country. READ ALSO: 5m was proceeds from property sale not loan Kofi Amoabeng clarifies Though he agrees with the idea that there are numerous job opportunities in Europe, the Middle East and other parts of the world compared to Ghana, he holds the view that it is possible for the youth to make it here in Ghana. Ghana News Today: Is President Akufo-Addo's government becoming too big? | #Yenkasa Want to be featured on YEN.com.gh? Send us a message on our Facebook page or on Instagram with your stories, photos or videos. Source: Yen - Ebony's father has accused Bullet of sexually abusing his daughter - Ebony died in February this year, just a week to her 21st birthday The battle between Ebonys father, Nana Opoku Kwarteng, and Bullet is getting worse. Mr. Poku Kwarteng in his latest interview accused Bullet of sexually abusing his daughter when she was alive. Ebony passed on in February this year, when her car was involved in a head-on collision with a bus while travelling from the Brong Ahafo Region to the Greater Accra Region. READ ALSO: You talk too much - Samini mocks Shatta Wale YEN.com.gh previously reported that Ebonys father and Bullet have been at each others throat over some royalties belonging to Ebony which her father never received. Ebonys father, Nana Opoku Kwarteng in an interview with Peace FM said even though his daughter told him about the predicament she found herself, worried as he was, he couldnt really do much to free her from the shackles of Rufftown Records because Ebony was bound to a contract. She told me about the abuse severally, she was not happy with her management led by Bullet, she complained bitterly about her situation, he said. READ ALSO: NAM1 has been a blessing to the youth - Bulldog He continued, As a father who so much loved his daughter that hurt me. I was always praying for her to get out of that situation but there was a contract shed signed, so she needed to abide by that, she had no option. I just kept my cool about what she was going through. In an earlier YEN.com.gh report, Mr. Poku also revealed that, at midnight Bullet demanded to see the corpse of his daughter, when her death was first announced. According to him, Bullet said he could resurrect Ebony. READ ALSO: Ghanaians are not serious people - Shatta Michy In My Feelings Drake: Stop It! | #Yencomgh: Read more: https://yen.com.gh Your stories and photos are always welcome. Send us a message via YEN's official Facebook page Source: Yen.com.gh - Three Ghanaians emerge top winners in global ACCA examinations - The trio competed with 80 other students for the prizes Three Ghanaians have emerged top globally in the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) exams. Kwaku Osei-Mensah, emerged the worlds best performing student in ACCAs Audit and Assurance paper out of over 12,000 students who sat the exam globally in the September 2017 exams. An elated Kwaku told the media he could not believe the news initially. Kwaku Osei-Mensah World #1 in Auditing & Assurance (Sept 2017). Source: ACCA Ghana. READ ALSO: Akufo-Addo disgraces Bawumia at Jubilee House public event The feeling was great. I just couldnt contain it. For me, from the beginning I have been putting in my best. He encouraged students taking the ACCA to stay focused. For students sitting the exams, you should focus, its all about you, you have to work hard, he added. Another top prize winner from Ghana was Desmond Bredu who emerged the worlds second best performing student in Advanced Audit and Assurance out of over 800 students who sat for the exams globally in March 2018. Desmond Bredu, Prize winner Advanced Audit and Assurance (March 2018-#3 Global). Source: ACCA Ghana Also, Alex Dankyi Asare emerged the third best performing student in Corporate Reporting amongst over 8500 students who sat the exams globally in March 2017. READ ALSO: GHC5m was proceeds from a property sale not loan Kofi Amoabeng clarifies The three Ghanaians were amongst 80 other global winners who were awarded at the just ended ACCA Ghana Annual Students Summit and Job Fair 2018. Alex Dankyi Asare, Prize winner for Advanced Audit and Assurance (September 2017). Source: ACCA Ghana. The Summit which was under the theme Becoming a Strategic Business Leader saw close to 2,000 participants throng the Accra International Conference Centre with keen interest in understanding ACCAs new qualification and ways to improve their employability skills. Ghana News Today: Is President Akufo-Addo's government becoming too big? | #Yenkasa READ ALSO: Dr. Obengfo asked me to pay GHC 30k to help me reduce my 'Tundra' - Actress Want to be featured on YEN.com.gh? Send us a message on our Facebook page or on Instagram with your stories, photos or videos. Source: Yen.com.gh - A man caused a roar on social media after he shared a photo of a Gucci product that was recently released - The man shared the price of a Gucci belt shoelace which cost $6500 (GHC31,000) - This photo got many social media users reacting to the price A newly released Gucci product has caused uproar on Twitter users. The new product is a black shoelace which reportedly cost 6500 dollars, approximately GHC 31,000. The man, simply identified as Blake, who is believed to be a Nigerian shared the photo and price of the black shoelace in naira. Many Nigerian Twitter users found the price ridiculous, expressing that a shoelace shouldn't be that expensive. Some users even joked about the fact that the amount of money could be used to pay for people's education while other noted that the cheaper replica of the shoelace would soon start selling in Nigerian markets. READ ALSO: 5 powerful men Becca allegedly dated before meeting the man she's wedding tomorrow (Photos) Echems was not sure the price was right: Peerow was not interested one bit: READ ALSO: Akufo-Addo ignoring Bawumia's handshake generates controversy on social media Pius asked a hilarious question: READ ALSO: "Are you a fool?" - Badu Kobi wildly attacks Akufo-Addo over plan to tax churches (Audio) Olowolagba made an interesting point: Tee could use the same amount to pay for her school fees and accomodation: In My Feelings Drake: Stop It! | #Yencomgh: Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh? Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now! Source: Yen.com.gh The field of art and painting has been steadily growing and gaining more popularity in Ghana in recent times. This new found popularity has been spurred by young talented artists/painter who are striving to make ends meet. One such artist/painter is Clark Amissah, a young graduate of the Tema Methodist Day Senior High School. Some of Clark's works (Photo source: YEN.com.gh) Looking at pictures of some of his works, there is no doubt that Amissah is very talented. READ ALSO: 5 powerful men Becca allegedly dated before meeting the man she's wedding tomorrow (Photos) The good thing is that the young artist is only 18 years old and will only get better as he grows. READ ALSO: Wild video of Obinim offering help to 'sakawa' boys to dupe 'clients' pops up In a chat with YEN.com.gh, Amissah disclosed that he hopes to continue his education, preferably at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). Apart from painting portraits, YEN.com.gh gathered, Amissah also engages in general house painting and interior designing. Clark Amissah designing a room (Photo source: YEN.com.gh) A friend of Amissah who only identified himself as Perry described the young as a very talented person. READ ALSO: Kumawood Kwadwo Nkansah Lilwin now chief in Ashanti Region "He is very good and I can see a bright future in him," Perry declared. One of Clark's beautiful paintings (Photo source: YEN.com.gh) Going through the paintings of Amissah, it was realised that one of his best works was that of Dancehall stalwart, Shatta Wale. READ ALSO: 2 top prophets have just dropped death prophecies on Ebony's father over Bullet Interestingly, Amissah stays at Ashaiman, the stronghold of Shatta Wale's bitterest rival, Stonebwoy. Is it not curious that an Ashaiman boy will do such a good work for Shatta Wale rather than Stonebwoy? The Bhim Nation boss will likely feel jealous after seeing the painting. In My Feelings Drake: Stop It! | #Yencomgh: Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh? Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now! Source: Yen.com.gh - The DCE for Asunafo South has admonished the police to shoot all residents who attack them - Osei Bonsu Snr believes this move will bring calm and sanity to the area - President Akufo-Addo has spoken vehemently against police brutality A District Chief Executive (DCE) in the Brong Ahafo Region has given the police the go-ahead to shoot down any civilian who attacks them. Osei Bonsu Snr, the DCE of the Asunafo South constituency has argued that such actions by the police will instill discipline in society and shore up respect for the police service. Speaking to the media after the handover event of the police station in the region, the DCE laments how " some residents are now taking the police for granted". READ ALSO: 4 reasons some Ghanaian men prefer prostitutes Any civilian who attacks the police should be shot because we dont have to take things for granted. Because the way these people are harassing the policemen in fact if they sit down and say they are from our area so we would not mind them they would take over the police," he stated. According to the DCE, authorities have already made a case for police officials to take this drastic measure. The township of Anwiam is noted for high cases of armed robbery and hooliganism as residents there live in fear and insecurity. Police brutality remains one of the reasons why many Ghanaians are concerned about the state of security in the country when it comes to the police service. READ ALSO: A man identified as a police officer beats carpenter at Tepa Following recent cases of police brutality, including the assault on a mother at Midland Savings and Loans, President Akufo Addo has made a case for authorities at the Police Service to deal mercilessly with police officials who abuse and let alone shoot civilians. In My Feelings Drake: Stop It! | #Yencomgh: Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh? Please contact us on Facebook. Source: Yen - Samini has revealed that he will only perform with Shatta Wale when they are paid one million dollars each - The two super stars are rivals when it comes to music Dancehall artiste, Samini, has expressed his readiness to perform with rival Shatta Wale. According to the My Own hitmaker, he will only do that if they are paid one million dollars each. Shatta Wale and Samini have been at the throat of each other and that has over the years boosted their career. READ ALSO: Youth dressed like Anas to celebrate 'Yeeyeye' festival in Accra (photos) Their followers have on several occasions asked that they feature on a show organised for just the two of them. Samini who seems to like the idea in an interview on Accra-based Happy FM intimated that Between two of us, we still owe the country a big concert to prove that this is it, but this will involve a big budget and its a big business, give us each a million dollars. He added that That will be a full stadium so if an investor comes forward, I will perform, its a huge business and the venue would have to be the stadium because that is where fans from each party can be contained. Since its under renovation, we will be the first to use it once its done, or better still we can use the Fantasy Dome. READ ALSO: Meet Clark Amissah whose painting of Sarkodie, Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy has mesmerised us YEN.com.gh earlier reported how Samini mocked Shatta Wale for claiming the African Dancehall King title. According to Samini, he is the originator of that term and Shatta Wale dont have that locus to say he is the African Dancehall King. READ ALSO: Prophets Cosmos Affran and Stephen Adom drop death prophecies on Ebony's father over Bullet Ghana News Today: Shatta Waly May Become A President Of Ghana | #Yencomgh Your stories and photos are always welcome. Send us a message via YEN's official Facebook page Source: Yen - Former UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, is dead - The diplomat is reported to have died in Switzerland after a short illness YEN.com.gh has learned that the former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, is dead. The statesman died in Switzerland after a short illness. He reportedly took ill after while on a trip to South Africa. He was 80. The news has been confirmed by his family, YEN.com.gh understands. READ ALSO: Latest News from GHANAWEB - Read Now on YEN.COM.GH Kofi Annan is respected across the world as the force of peace and reconciliation. Kofi Atta Annan was a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1997 to December 2006. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. Statement from family: Meanwhile, family of Kofi Annan has issued a statement confirming his death. The family stated that Kofi Annan "passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness. His wife Nane and their children Ama, Kojo and Nina were by his side during his last days." "The family kindly requests privacy at this time of mourning. Arrangements to celebrate his remarkable life will be announced later," the statement noted. READ ALSO: 7 top churches where God is not worshipped He is the founder and chairman of the Kofi Annan Foundation, as well as chairman of The Elders, an international organization founded by Nelson Mandela. Soon after taking office in 1997, Annan released two reports on management reform. On 17 March 1997, the report Management and Organisational Measures introduced new management mechanisms through the establishment of a cabinet-style body to assist him and be grouping the UN's activities in accordance with four core missions. READ ALSO: ADOM FM | Listen Free Internet Radio Online A comprehensive reform agenda was issued on 14 July 1997 entitled Renewing the United Nations: A Programme for Reform (A/51/950). On his Twitter handle, the news of his death was also confirmed as family and friends took over hos posts and social media engagements. READ ALSO: Run away from these churches before it's too late Key proposals included the introduction of strategic management to strengthen unity of purpose, the establishment of the position of Deputy Secretary-General, a 10-percent reduction in posts, a reduction in administrative costs, the consolidation of the UN at the country level, and reaching out to civil society and the private sector as partners. READ ALSO: Peace FM: Listen Online Here Ghana News Today: Is President Akufo-Addo's government becoming too big? | #Yenkasa Want to be featured on YEN.com.gh? Send us a message on our Facebook page or on Instagram with your stories, photos or videos. Source: Yen - Nana Addo has ordered for all national flags to be flown at half mast - The president paid tribute to Kofi Annan describing him as one of Ghana's greatest compatriots - Kofi Annan died at Switzerland aged 80 President of the republic, Nana Akufo-Addo, has paid tribute to the late Kofi Annan after his passing in Switzerland. The president, describing Kofi Annan as one of Ghana's greatest compatriots, has directed that all national flags be flown at half-mast in honour of the president. "I have directed that, in his honour, Ghanas national flag will fly at half-mast across the country and in all of Ghanas diplomatic missions across the world, from Monday, 20th August, 2018, for one week," the president wrote on his Facebook wall. READ ALSO: Run away from these churches before it's too late Meanwhile, family of Kofi Annan has issued a statement confirming his death. The family stated that Kofi Annan "passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness. His wife Nane and their children Ama, Kojo and Nina were by his side during his last days." "The family kindly requests privacy at this time of mourning. Arrangements to celebrate his remarkable life will be announced later," the statement noted. Kofi Annan is respected across the world as the force of peace and reconciliation. Kofi Atta Annan was a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1997 to December 2006. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. READ ALSO: 7 top churches where God is not worshipped Key proposals by the late Kofi Annan during his tenure as UN secretary general included the introduction of strategic management to strengthen unity of purpose, the establishment of the position of Deputy Secretary-General, a 10-percent reduction in posts, a reduction in administrative costs, the consolidation of the UN at the country level, and reaching out to civil society and the private sector as partners. Ghana News Today: Is President Akufo-Addo's government becoming too big? | #Yenkasa Want to be featured on YEN.com.gh? Send us a message on our Facebook page or on Instagram with your stories, photos or videos. Source: Yen The family and foundation of former UN secretary-general, Kofi Annan, have confirmed his death and provided additional information on his final moments. YEN.com.gh earlier reported that Kofi Annan died after a short illness in Berne, Switzerland, on Saturday. He was 80. He had reportedly fallen ill while on a trip to South Africa and had been flown back to his Switzerland base for treatment. The late Kofi Annan. Image Credit: Facebook.com/Kofi Annan The late diplomat's widow, Nane Maria, has revealed to Ghana's president, Nana Akufo-Addo, in a phone call that he died peacefully in his sleep. The Kofi Annan Foundation confirmed this in a statement issued on Facebook, adding that Kofi Annan's children, Ama, Kojo and Nina, were by his side during his last days. "It is with immense sadness that the Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation announce that Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Laureate, passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness," the statement said. Kofi Annan and his wife, Nane Maria. Image credit: Eveyo.com READ ALSO: Becca's husband-to-be's real identity revealed The foundation called for privacy for Kofi Annan's family as they mourn and make preparations for his funeral. The former UN secretary-general's death has stunned and saddened Ghanaians, with many people taking to social media to mourn him. President Akufo-Addo said he was deeply saddened by the death and extended his condolences to the late diplomat's family. The former president, John Mahama, described Kofi Annan as "a proud son of Ghana and Africa". "He lived and worked for global peace, security and sustainable development in very challenging times," he wrote on Facebook. YEN.com.gh can also report that flags across Ghana will fly at half-mast for a week in honour of the late son of the land. READ ALSO: 7 top churches where God is not worshipped Kofi Annan was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001. He was the first black African to lead the UN. A global statesman and a deeply committed internationalist, he fought throughout his life for a fairer and more peaceful world. During his distinguished career and leadership of the United Nations he was an ardent champion of peace, sustainable development, human rights and the rule of law. After stepping down from the United Nations, he continued to work tirelessly in the cause of peace through his chairmanship of the Kofi Annan Foundation and as chair of The Elders, the group founded by Nelson Mandela. He was an inspiration to young and old alike. Share your Kofi Annan tributes in the comments section below. Ghana News Today: Is President Akufo-Addo's government becoming too big? Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through Facebook. Source: Yen News The death of former UN Secretary of State, Kofi Annan, has sent shock waves to the entire world as tributes have poured in massively. President of the republic, Nana Akufo-Addo, has paid tribute to the late Kofi Annan after his passing in Switzerland. The president, describing Kofi Annan as one of Ghana's greatest compatriots, has directed that all national flags be flown at half-mast in honour of the president. READ ALSO: Run away from these churches before it's too late "I have directed that, in his honour, Ghanas national flag will fly at half-mast across the country and in all of Ghanas diplomatic missions across the world, from Monday, 20th August 2018, for one week," the president has revealed. Meanwhile, Joy News has revealed some 10 facts 1. He was born in Kumasi.. 2. He grew up in Fanti New Town and Asokwa bungalow. 3. His dad was a former Ashanti regional minister. 4. He attended Asem Boys and KNUST. 5. He was staunch Kotoko FC fan. 6. His title Busumburu was conferred on him by Manhyia Palace. 7. As the UN Secretary General, he once visited iconic political activist Baffour Akoto at Asokwa bungalow in 2001. 8. Through assistance he sought from Kumasi Traditional Council..the long chieftaincy feud in Akwamu was brought to an end. 9. He still has family members living in Kumasi. 10. The last time he visited Kumasi was in 2017, during the funeral rites of the late Asantehemaa. Meanwhile, the family of Kofi Annan has issued a statement confirming his death. The family stated that Kofi Annan "passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness. His wife Nane and their children Ama, Kojo and Nina were by his side during his last days." "The family kindly requests privacy at this time of mourning. Arrangements to celebrate his remarkable life will be announced later," the statement noted. READ ALSO: 7 top churches where God is not worshipped Kofi Annan is respected across the world as the force of peace and reconciliation. Kofi Atta Annan was a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1997 to December 2006. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. Ghana News Today: Is President Akufo-Addo's government becoming too big? | #Yenkasa Want to be featured on YEN.com.gh? Send us a message on our Facebook page or on Instagram with your stories, photos or videos. Source: Yen Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Popular gladiators would even have action figures of themselves sold at little carts around the arenas ... although looking at them today, the "action" part might be debatable. Continue Reading Below Advertisement All this stuff was actually supposed to be in the movie, but it was cut because it made it all seem too much like a parody. Yes, real life in ancient Rome was too sensationalist for a Hollywood production. Which is doubly ironic since gladiators were as close to television as the Romans could get. Even if it was less Nickelodeon and more HBO. And you know what? We still have gladiator action figures. Support your favorite Cracked writers with a visit to our Contribution Page. Please and thank you. Also, we'd love to know more about you and your interesting lives, dear readers. If you spend your days doing cool stuff, drop us a line at iDoCoolStuff at Cracked dot com, and maybe we can share your story with the entire internet. For more, check out Did Some Litter Win The Civil War For The Union? and Soviet Russia Invented A Flying Tank (Seriously). Follow us on Facebook. If you like jokes and stuff. Ivana Trump enjoyed a cozy stroll with a mystery man in Saint Tropez, France, on Friday evening after spending most of her summer in the coastal town. The 69-year-old wore an eye-catching purple wrap dress featuring a pink and orange palm tree design as she walked arm-in-arm with an unidentified man. The two appeared to be returning from dinner at Le BanH-Hoi, a little Vietnamese restaurant located in the heart of the Old Town of Saint Tropez. Out and about: Ivana Trump, 69, was spotted walking arm-in-arm with an unidentified man in Saint Tropez, France, on Friday evening Summer outfit: Ivana wore a purple wrap dress featuring a pink and orange palm tree design Ivana's dinner companion carried a white shopping bag featuring the restaurant's logo in one hand and her dog's leash in the other. While the tiny dog trotted in front of them, Ivana held on to the man's arm as they made their way through the cobblestone street. A younger man and woman walked closely behind them, but it's unclear if they were together. For her night out on the town, the Czech businesswoman layered black liner on her top and bottom eyelids and sported rose lip liner and lipstick. She paired her colorful wrap dress with red suede flats and carried an orange zipper clutch in her free hand. Fun times: The two appeared to be returning from dinner at Le BanH-Hoi, a little Vietnamese restaurant located in the heart of the Old Town of Saint Tropez Mystery: It's unclear if the dark-haired gentleman she is a love interest or just a dear friend Ivana's platinum blonde hair was styled in her signature beehive 'do, and silver hoops hung from her ears. She wore a long layered orange beaded necklace that matched her clutch and a sleek bracelet watch on her left wrist. The man was dressed for a casual dinner in a striped button-down shirt that he wore unbuttoned at the collar, faded jeans, and black leather slip-on loafers. It's unclear if the dark-haired gentleman is a love interest or just a dear friend, but he didn't seem pleased to be having his photo taken by the paparazzi. At one point, he was seen raising his hand in front of him while Ivana smiled for the cameras. Their evening stroll comes less than a month after she was spotted walking through Saint Tropez with her ex-husband Rossano Rubicondi, whom she often vacations with. Trademark look: Ivana's platinum blonde hair was styled in her signature beehive 'do Group outing? A younger man and woman walked closely behind them, but it's unclear if they were together Living it up: Although her dinner companion didn't seem pleased to be having his photo taken, the former model had a smile on her face Ivana and Rossano, 46, married in April 2008 before announcing their split in December of that same year. Ivana filed for divorce in December 2009. They have remained close despite the breakup and have been spotted both in New York City, where Ivana lives, and in his hometown of Rome. In May, they traveled to Rome to appear on the TV show Ballando Con Le Stelle, Italy's version of Dancing with the Stars. After filming, they headed to Capri before making their way to Saint Tropez. Ivana has been traveling to the lavish vacation destination in France for decades, and she has spent most of her summer there so far. She and Rossano were spotted walking her dog in June, and she has also been seen strolling by the streets herself, wearing her beloved Adidas tracksuits. It's unclear if Rossano is still in Saint Tropez with her. Her ex-husband was accused of violating his probation in July following his 2016 DUI arrest. Companion: Ivana was spotted walking through Saint Tropez with her ex-husband Rossano Rubicondi last month. They traveled to France after visiting Capri in May (pictured) History: Ivana and Rossano, 46, married in April 2008 before announcing their split later that year. They are pictured at Ivana's birthday party in Saint Tropez in 2007 Legal documents obtained by DailyMail.com revealed Rossano had 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 former model was placed on probation last July after he was arrested for drunk driving in Loxahatchee, Florida on December 8, 2016. Last year, the DUI charge was dropped and Rossano 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, but he failed to fulfill any of those requirements. Rossano was ordered to attend a hearing for violation of his probation earlier this month but did not show. It was rescheduled for August 13. The Italian native is at risk of having his license suspended if he does not comply with the conditions. The darkness of the cab felt like a confessional. It was the week before Christmas; groups of office workers in festive jumpers and girls huddled in high heels flashed past the passenger window. It was usually my favourite time of the year. But I felt nothing. Or worse than nothing. And now I found myself confiding in a bald, sixtysomething cabbie. All hed done was comment that I looked relaxed and out it all spilled, along with an ocean of tears. I feel as if Im having a breakdown, I said. Like Im losing my mind. Marianne Power, pictured, followed the rules of a different self-help book for each month for a year The driver stared at me in the mirror as I told him I couldnt seem to do anything I used to work, enjoy nights out and had alienated my closest friends. I was even dreaming about killing my parents and was haunted by images of my funeral. I think the world hates me and that I am a bad person, I found myself saying. The reason for this sudden collapse? Ironically, it was something that Id thought would help me. A year earlier, aged 36, permanently single and in debt with my life going nowhere, I had set myself a challenge. I would follow the rules of a different self-help book each month for a year no matter how ridiculous, embarrassing or cringe-making. I would systematically tackle my flaws one book at a time: money (never good with money, I was 15,000 in debt), my inability to find a man (my relationships never lasted longer than six months and occurred with less frequency than the Olympics) and the constant whir of worry . . . Then, at the end of the year, Id be . . . perfect! One book had got me to face my deepest fears by jumping into an icy pond, chatting up strangers on the Tube and doing a stand-up comedy routine. In the name of self-help Id even walked over hot coals, literally, and spent a month purposefully getting rejected by as many people as possible (more of which later . . .). Marianne Power was never good with money and had debts of 15,000 and trouble finding a man Far from feeling empowered, however, here I was weeping in a black cab. It turns out too much self-examination or toenail contemplating as my bewildered mother puts it can turn into self-loathing. Although I didnt expect the taxi driver to understand, he surprised me. What youre doing is kamikaze, love, he said. Youve been poking around in your head and thats dangerous stuff. Then he added: Youre touching the void and youve got to step back because you wont be any good to anyone if you go under. I was shocked by his insight. Thats exactly what it had begun to feel like. Id started the year thinking I wanted to change, but if I wasnt the old me, then who was I? What if I was just going to stay a broken mess like this for ever? A spontaneous therapy session with a London cabbie was just one of many bizarre experiences in a turbulent year. Like my long-suffering mother (who, when I explained I was replacing negative thoughts with positive ones, replied: You mean delude yourself?), my two sceptical sisters and my bemused friends, you may well ask why Id started the whole thing in the first place. After all, my life wasnt bad. Far from it . . . I was a successful freelance writer living in London. I had friends and family who cared about me. I bought overpriced jeans and drank overpriced cocktails. I went on holidays. I did a pretty good impression of someone having a good time. But I wasnt. I was lost. As friends re-grouted bathrooms and planned villa holidays, I spent weekends drinking or lying in bed watching the Kardashians. I was always single, I didnt own a house and I didnt have a plan. Marianne faced her fears during one particular month by swimming outside at a lido The tears that were usually confined to my bedroom had started making public appearances at office dos and friends parties until finally, Id become that woman at weddings, the one who lurched from drunkenly dancing to Beyonces Single Ladies to sobbing in the bathroom. One hungover Sunday I realised things couldnt go on as they were; more than ever, I felt that I was wasting my life. Why self-help? Ever since the formerly cynical 24-year-old me ditched a dull temping job and landed a job at a newspaper after reading Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway by the American psychologist Susan Jeffers, Id been hooked. This book has sold millions of copies around the world and has been translated into more than 35 languages. Published in 1987, the basic premise of Feel The Fear is that if we sit around waiting for the day that we feel brave enough to do the things we want to do, well never do anything. The secret of happy and successful people is not that they are any less scared but that you guessed it they feel the fear and do it anyway. That American can-do attitude was highly intoxicating. It was the exact opposite of my English/Irish pessimism to her, anything was possible. After that, if a book was promising to change my life in my lunch hour or give me confidence/ a man/money in five easy steps I was sold. Books such as the 1997 bestseller The Little Book Of Calm by Australian meditation teacher and businessman Paul Wilson, which advised on how to tackle stress in situations, The Rules Of Life by Richard Templar (the personal code for living a better, happier, more successful kind of life) and The Power Of Positive Thinking, by the motivational speaker American Methodist clergyman Norman Vincent Peale (first published in 1952), which advised on how to achieve an optimistic attitude, were all read, cover to cover. Passages underlined. Notes in the margin. My friend Sarah found my growing piles of self-help books hysterically funny. Dont they all say the same thing? she asked. Be positive. Get out of your comfort zone? In October Marianne was mainly laid up in bed at her Mums, suffering from a virus, being fed toast and paracetamol Sarah had a point. After all, if one book really could unlock the secret to happiness and success, why on earth would we ever need to buy another? I figured the problem was that people rarely carried out their advice. Despite my extensive self-help library, I had actually acted on it only once, even though it had worked. On the strength of Feel The Fear I had quit my temping job, with no work lined up. A week later, I heard that a friend of a friend of a friend was working at a newspaper. I called her and, when she didnt pick up, I kept calling. I showed a tenacity that was entirely new to me. Finally, she returned my call I could come in on work experience. Two weeks later I was offered a job. The risk had paid off. Logically then, if I followed more self-help books to the letter Id be, well, fixed? Some people were more convinced than others by my audacious plan. Please dont use the word journey, said Mum. I wont, I replied. Good. I prefer spiritual path. Oh Marianne . . . My experiment started in January, when I returned to my old favourite, Feel The Fear. The first book Marianne read was Feel the fear and do it anyway by Susan Jeffers Basically, I have to do something scary every day, I told my flatmate, Rachel. We drew up a list that ranged from outdoor swimming (in winter) to being a nude model. As I ticked them off, I felt high on triumph. Who knew the sensation of being stabbed by a million tiny icicles while swimming in North Londons Hampstead Ponds was oddly life-affirming? Or that despite my many body hang-ups, posing naked at a life drawing class had not proved beyond me even though a guy I fancied drew my backside the size of Australia? Or that I could do stand-up comedy in front of an audience of strangers and was good at public speaking? I did more crazy things in January than Id done in a lifetime. And it made me feel alive. So FAR, so good. Next, I attempted to tackle a major problem in my life: the fact Im a total disaster with money. In her book Money, A Love Story, American entrepreneur, millionaire and financial wellness expert Kate Northrup argues that those who dont look after their money are self-sabotaging. A London cabbie recommended that Marianne see a therapist who said she had been 'conducting experiments on herself.' For the first time, I added up my debt: it totalled 15,109.60, a figure that made me feel physically sick. But by the end of the month I had vowed to face up to my problem, by selling my old stuff on eBay, maybe even drawing up a budget plan. Marchs message, however, was somewhat contradictory. The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne, said I could have anything I wanted in life if I just believed. No need to work, study or do anything, really just wish for it. According to this 2006 bestseller, which has been translated into more than 50 languages, and read by more than 30 million people worldwide, its all down to the law of attraction, which states that thoughts become things. So if you think about money, youre going to get lots of money. Hmmm. Even though the book is a global bestseller, I had trouble with this argument from the start, but still I merrily stuck a Post-it note with my ideal weight over my true weight on the dial of the bathroom scales and created vision boards of the perfect me with my perfect home and ideal man. Much to Mums frustration, I even wrote myself an imaginary cheque for 100,000. (We all have a genie in a bottle, do we? she said.) By April, I was enduring Canadian entrepreneur Jason Comelys masochistic Rejection Therapy. This started as a card game and has turned into a global phenomenon. The aim is simple: I had to get rejected once a day. Not try to get rejected or attempt to get rejected but actually get rejected. The idea is that were all living in fear of rejection so we dont do half the things we want to because were scared people will say no. By exposing ourselves to this uncomfortable feeling more regularly, we learn not to fear it. My hope was it would help me in all aspects of my life particularly my uneventful love life. I started small in the local pub, asking the stuck-up barwoman to let me pull my own pint (she did) and a group of girls Id never met whether I could join their table (they said yes). Marianne also read Unleash the Power Within: An Owner's Manual for the Brain by Anthony Robbins Proof that rejection happens less often than you think it will. This rolled over into May and by the end of the month Id approached new publications for work and succeeded asked out a man in a coffee shop and gone on an actual date. All positive outcomes. So where did it all go wrong? I suspect it was at the point I started taking it all a bit too seriously. Before, Id been able to laugh at my extracurricular reading habits, but by June (the month of John C. Parkins F**k It: The Ultimate Spiritual Way), I didnt want to hear anything even vaguely critical about my project. In his international bestseller, John, a British advertising executive who now runs a holistic centre in Italy, says the moment we say f**k it we stop obsessing about things which are not important. Its an expression that says ultimately that nothing matters that much. Its certainly liberating to say f**k it to having that glass of wine, or to whacking a big payment on the credit card. Its not so liberating when your credit card starts being refused at cash points. I also started to push friends away, fearing their negativity about my interest in self-help. Before, I would have been devastated at the thought of hurting a friend, but I was now saying f**k it to being nice. For example, I told Sarah that I didnt want to go to the pub and moan and rant with her any more. Turns out she wasnt that thankful for my moment of honesty. Gradually, it was also dawning on me that self-help can be dangerous for someone like me. I was too busy reading books, spouting affirmations and dreaming big to get on with silly stuff like earning enough money to pay the bills. So, despite the fact I managed to walk on hot coals (in an East London car park with 7,000 others attending Tony Robbinss Unleash The Power Within seminar) in July, I put self-help on hold in August. By then, nearly 20,000 in debt, I shut myself away to work. September found me back on track tackling American motivational speaker and New Age author Doreen Virtues many books about angels but her theory that we all have angels looking after us, and all we have to do to contact them was to write them letters and wait for white feathers to fly in front of us, was difficult even for me to accept. I was beginning to feel more than a little spun out by all the conflicting bizarre ideas floating about in my head. Also, nine months into my challenge, I was more stupid with money than ever and had put on nearly a stone. In his international bestseller, John Parkin, a British advertising executive who now runs a holistic centre in Italy, says the moment we say f**k it we stop obsessing about things which are not important. And where was my perfect man? I couldnt manage a book in October: I was mainly laid up in bed at Mums, suffering from a virus, being fed toast and paracetamol. Mum certainly thought that my sickness was a sign. All this thinking about yourself is not good for you, she urged. I had to agree that Id become sick of myself. Literally. Despite the daring deeds and beautiful moments, I felt a bigger failure than ever because I was failing at self-improvement. I had told myself that the secret to happiness lay in the next book, or the next book, or the next book . . . But rather than pulling myself together I was starting to come apart. At night, I was having nightmares about killing members of my family. In the daytime, I felt like that onscreen spinning wheel of doom which tells you that your computer is about to crash. In this context, perhaps it wasnt the best idea to plan my own funeral. Novembers book, The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey, says that most of us are climbing ladders that are leaning against the wrong wall. This 1989 bestseller, which sold more than 25 million copies worldwide, argues that we need to identify what we really want in life and the best way to do that is to imagine your own funeral and what youd like others to say about you. What came to mind was pretty bleak: friends and family blaming me for the end of my life. When I started imagining my fictional suicide, I knew that it was time to stop. Thats how I found myself confessing all to a London cabbie. His suggestion was that I should see a real therapist, advice that I followed. And the therapist made a lot of sense. Im not surprised youve come unstuck, she said. Youve been conducting experiments on yourself. You have been your own guinea pig and youve had no supervision. Although she didnt tell me to stop what I was doing, she said I needed help in doing it. An outside perspective. So, after a months break, I carried on with professional guidance. As the year drew to a close, there was much that I still wanted to achieve. I now realised Id pushed friends and family away because they represented unvarnished reality the real me. Surely self-acceptance was key was there a way to achieve that? And then there was the biggest fear of all to tackle love. My self-help project wasnt finished yet. Adapted from Help Me! One Womans Quest To Find Out If Self-help Really Can Change Her Life by Marianne Power, published by Picador on September 6 at 14.99. Marianne Power 2018. To order a copy for 11.99 (offer valid until August 25, 2018) visit mailshop.co.uk/books or call 0844 571 0640. P&P is free on orders over 15. The devastating impact of chronic wounds has been laid bare as research reveals that hundreds of thousands of patients suffer with pain and immobility for more than a year. One in ten sufferers is even taking antidepressants to cope, with many more unable to work or leave the house. About a million patients are undergoing five dressing changes a week, with 90 per cent of those claiming their quality of life is severely affected. New research has shown that hundreds of thousands of patients are being left to suffer from chronic leg wounds for more than a year More than 2.8 million Britons are living with a chronic wound, defined as one that does not heal within three months. But the new normal is that patients are affected for eight months, according to the survey by Swedish health firm Molnlycke, with an estimated 300,000 going beyond the one-year mark. Although normal care for wounds such as cuts and grazes involves keeping the area clean and covered, in the case of chronic wound there is often also a problem with the circulation a result of another underlying condition such as diabetes or heart disease that means standard care does not lead to healing. Vascular surgeon John Scurr, an expert in chronic wound care, claims sufferers are being fobbed off and given wrong treatment, leading to long-term problems. The reason these wounds arent healing is because patients arent getting the care they need, he says. Given the right treatment, it can six to 12 weeks, but this may require surgery and medication, given by specialist doctors and nurses. Often patients are simply in the care of their local GP, who is only able to give dressings. They are really just being fobbed off. Dr Una Adderley, of the Legs Matter campaign for better wound care, said: Community nurses are under pressure when it comes to wound patients Just four per cent of patients surveyed said they were under the care of a specialist nurse at a wound care clinic. Dr Una Adderley, of the Legs Matter campaign for better wound care, said: Community nurses are under pressure when it comes to wound patients. Dr Adderley, a lecturer in community nursing at Leeds University, added: In this study, patients report an average dressing time of 18 minutes, but this is rarely enough time to provide the care that is needed. The burden of living with a wound impacts on patients lives, with 18 per cent unable to work full-time and a further 15 per cent unable to work at all. The problem can also lead to social isolation, with more than a quarter seeing friends or family less and nearly half struggling to exercise or walk for long periods. Many patients rely on painkillers or sleeping pills to ease their discomfort. One in ten patients reported needing antidepressants. Christopher Robin Cert: PG, 1hr 44mins Rating: Winnie-the-Pooh once described himself as a bear of very little brain, which, as fans of all ages will know, was both typically self-effacing and patently untrue. After all, how could the inventor of Poohsticks, vanquisher of heffalumps and most loyal friend of Christopher Robin possibly be dismissed as of very little brain. That said, you dont need much brain to see that Walt Disneys latest take on the group of friends who live in and around Hundred Acre Wood is, alas, a film of only very limited charm. It starts out with the best of intentions, promising that it has been inspired by the characters created by AA Milne and the illustrator EH Shepard, but what comes across, first and foremost, is the influence of Disney itself. Ewan McGregor (right) gives a so-so performance as Christopher Robin who prioritises work over family at the start of the movie Which perhaps is not surprising given that the company first bought a licence for Milnes characters almost 60 years ago and has produced well over 20 feature films and television series in the decades since, many of them much loved. Christopher Robin, however on no account to be confused with last years wonderful grown-up drama Goodbye Christopher Robin feels like a mis-step, where creative decisions that have proved both successful, and lucrative, in the past result in less happy outcomes now. Presumably inspired by the success of the recent Paddington films, Christopher Robin is a mix of live action and visual effects, albeit with Pooh represented here as a walking, talking teddy bear rather than the friendly, hat-raising but essentially real bear that is Paddington. On more than one occasion I found myself thinking that this mix of the real and the animated was exactly the sort of film that Mary Poppins creator, PL Travers, so desperately tried to prevent Walt Disney from making. Alas, AA Milne has been dead for 60 years and is in no position to be so protective. Pooh is represented as a walking, talking teddy bear, unlike the 'real' bear in the recent Paddington films The story is a slightly strange one, beginning with the Alice-in-Wonderland-style tea party held for Pooh and friends to say goodbye to Christopher Robin, who is off to boarding school. Then it jumps forward 30 years to a post-war London where Christopher Robin by now married, with a daughter, and played by Ewan McGregor is trying to hold down his dull job at a struggling luggage company. Cuts must be made, insists his boss, new strategies drawn up, and if that means Christopher Robin cancelling a long-planned family weekend in the country, so be it. His wife (Hayley Atwell) is furious, his daughter (Bronte Carmichael) inconsolable. Christopher's wife (right, Hayley Atwell) and daughter (left, Bronte Carmichael) are furious when the pressure of work leads Christopher threatening to cancel a weekend away Christopher Robin is a man who is getting his priorities all wrong putting career before family, a cardinal Disney sin so guess who comes to perch behind him as he sits gloomily in a leafy London square. Yes, its his old childhood friend, Pooh, who has travelled through some kind of tree portal. And here a new problem arises the voices. Pooh is still being voiced by Jim Cummings, an American actor who has lent his thin, reedy tones to the character for 30 years. At a time when Ben Whishaw has given us a near definitive voice of Paddington, having the thoroughly British Pooh voiced by a quivery 65-year-old American seems more wrong than ever. Eeyore, voiced by Brad Garrett, and Tigger, voiced by Cummings again, also have American accents. An opportunity to reboot the franchise, to return Pooh and Co to their authentic British roots, goes begging. Which is a shame. Eeyore (second from the right) is voiced by Brad Garret, Piglet (left) by Nick Mohammed, whilst Jim Cummings performs the voice for both Pooh (second from the left) and Tigger (right) German director Marc Forster explored similar ground with Finding Neverland, about JM Barrie 14 years ago, but while he certainly delivers some knockabout fun here, he never really gives us any lasting magic. The visual effects are fine as youd expect but the camerawork has some odd moments, and McGregor and Atwell are no better than so-so. And while the young target audience may still enjoy jokes about honey and bounding Tiggers, their parents may not. SECOND SCREEN The Equalizer 2 (15) Rating: The Festival (15) Rating: The next film from the great 12 Years A Slave director Steve McQueen will apparently be based on the Eighties television crime drama Widows. Which would be extraordinary but for the fact that Denzel Washington is now starring in the second, multi-million-dollar Hollywood film to be based on another TV thriller series from the same era, The Equalizer. Alas, we can only hope McQueen fares better because The Equalizer 2 is no improvement on the 2014 movie. Washington continues in the role of Robert McCall, the former CIA man and part-time avenging angel. If he finds a wrong, you just know hes going to put it right, so when someone murders one of his few friends, we know exactly where we are heading. Denzel Washington plays the role of former CIA agent Robert McCall, but his performance fails to hit the mark in this violent and action-packed movie What Id forgotten is how unpleasantly violent it all is, although lines such as, Im going to kill each and everyone of you; the only disappointment is that I only get to do it once do provide a clue. Washington is 63 now, which is getting on a bit for an action hero and hes not on top form here but if youre in the mood for something with a mounting body count and a western-style shoot-out be my guest. Joe Thomas (above) leads a well-chosen cast in The Festival; a film based on the hilarity of the mad and bad experiences which two friends share while at a popular music festival These days music festival-goers can be anything from eight to 80 but The Festival is aimed squarely at the 15-25-year-olds who grew up with The Inbetweeners on TV and continue to find that mix of bodily functions, recreational drugs and excruciating social embarrassment involving either nudity, dancing or declarations of love extremely funny. Which lets face it, they often are. Production values arent high but with Inbetweeners star Joe Thomas leading a well-chosen cast there is fun to be had amid the mud, madness and drugged-up Smurfs. Anybody who has spent time on a film set will know that the word wrap, shouted at the end of a days filming, invariably signals a scramble for the exit. But it wasnt like that at White Waltham aerodrome in Berkshire last autumn when filming was under way for the new Second World War film Hurricane. Instead of the usual sprint for the doors, the entire crew would gather to watch the star of the film head serenely off to her temporary lodgings. Before doing their own thing, everyone would just wait to watch her go, says Simon OConnell, the films aerial coordinator. Id never seen anything like it. Theyd just quietly stand there in total awe. Which is pretty amazing as she is over 80 years old. The star in question was a magnificent Hawker Hurricane fighter, a surviving stalwart of the Battle of Britain and painstakingly reconstructed over several years by Anglia Aircraft Restoration. Wed spent the week before she arrived filming around a full-sized replica of a Hurricane, recalls the films director, David Blair. When we saw the real thing we realised it had been like working with a stuffed parrot. Suddenly we were confronted with this incredible piece of machinery. She was just wonderful. The star of the film is the Hawker Hurricane fighter, a surviving stalwart of the Battle of Britain and painstakingly reconstructed over several years by Anglia Aircraft Restoration The Hurricane may be the unquestioned star of the picture but at its heart, the story is a human one. This is the true tale of the RAFs hastily assembled No.303 (Polish) Fighter Squadron. Put together in the summer of 1940, as Britain faced the most concerted military threat in its history, this was a unit made up almost exclusively of Polish airmen. After failing to stop the Nazis overwhelm their homeland, about 150 Polish pilots (in 303 and 302 Squadron) and ground crew made their way across the Channel in order to continue their war. Initially they were treated with scepticism, but as the shortage of experienced British airmen became critical, they were soon corralled into frontline duty and supplied with Hurricanes. I had no idea about their story, says Iwan Rheon, who plays Jan Zumbach, a devil-may-care Polish adventurer who ended up, after the war was over, flying as an aerial mercenary in Africa. At school what we learned of the Second World War was all about D-Day and Dunkirk. So it was really fascinating to discover what these guys did. Their contribution was nothing short of miraculous. The fact is they helped to save Britain. Rheon is not exaggerating. 303 Squadron turned out to be among the most productive flying units in the RAF, responsible for downing some 126 Luftwaffe aircraft in just six weeks during the Battle of Britain. Zumbach alone was responsible for eight confirmed German kills and one probable. The incredible thing about Zumbach was he didnt need to be there, says Rheon, best known for his role as Ramsay Bolton in Game of Thrones. He had a Swiss passport, he could have gone to a neutral country and sat out the war. But he got himself to England and deliberately sought out battle. As Witod Urbanowicz, the most senior of the Polish pilots, played in the film by Marcin Dorocinski, puts it: We dont beg for freedom, we fight for it. 303 Squadron turned out to be among the most productive flying units in the RAF, responsible for downing some 126 Luftwaffe aircraft in just six weeks during the Battle of Britain To assimilate the role of Zumbach, Rheon, who grew up speaking Welsh, was obliged to learn another language: Polish. Well, almost. Im bilingual, which is supposed to make new languages easier, he smiles. But theres very little connection with English or Welsh, so little to grasp on to. In the end I didnt learn it, I just learned the lines. The insistence on Polish was part of Blairs search for authenticity. Speaking in broken English among themselves, he reckoned, would not sufficiently communicate a sense of how these foreigners were set apart from British life. Not least by the man who was put in command of the squadron, a Canadian pilot named Johnny Kent, played in the film by Milo Gibson, son of Mel. Reading up about the guy theres no doubt he was initially very apprehensive about taking on a bunch of Poles, says Gibson, the star of Hackshaw Ridge. But as he got to know the guys, as he realised the struggle they had come from, and as he saw them in action, he began to grow in appreciation. He came to call them his brothers. At the heart of Blairs quest for truth was his venerable lead: the Hurricane itself. The aircraft used in the film was on its first sortie after being freshly restored. This was not a cheap operation: the three arms of the propeller alone cost 20,000 apiece. When it was on set, the plane was filmed constantly by helicopters, tracked by drones or recorded in flight by other aircraft. On the ground it was under relentless scrutiny from lens and microphone. Just once one morning, a bit like most 80-year-olds tend to do, she was reluctant to start first thing, he says. Other than that she was a real trouper. She needed to be. A huge amount of footage had to be accrued because this was the only Hurricane the film-makers had at their disposal. We wanted to do everything as authentically as possible, explains Blair. Unfortunately, there was only one plane available, so we couldnt fly it in formation or start destroying it in a dog fight. Instead we fed the footage we had into special effects software. Ultimately though, all of those involved in the film are anxious that it is the pilots rather than the plane that are memorable. In a prescient echo of current times, of the Windrush scandal and the Brexit fallout, it is what happened to the Poles after the war was won that, from a British perspective, is the least distinguished part of their story. Iwan Rheon and Milo Gibson in Hurricane. After the war the courage of the Polish pilots went unrecognised, both at home and in Britain One thing that blew my mind was that the Polish airmen were not allowed to march in the victory parade on VE Day, says Gibson. These were men whose bravery had helped save Britain and here they were being told, now theyd done their job, they werent wanted. And it wasnt just that they werent recognised for what they did, at the end of the war a lot of them were told to leave. When they went back to Poland, they were regarded as traitors, ill-treated, some were even executed. These are heroes who went completely unnoticed. Until now. And, like the amazing aircraft they flew, it is high time they were remembered. Hurricane will be released in cinemas and on Rakuten TV from September 7, uk.rakuten.tv It is a baking hot day on a run-down side-street in the 20th arrondissement of Paris, and in front of me is a scene that has become all too familiar in recent years: the road is in lockdown as armed police surround the door to an apartment. Im crouched behind an armoured personnel carrier as men with automatic weapons burst in to the building. Just as quiet descends, there is a huge explosion. But this isnt a terrorist atrocity, its the new Amazon series Jack Ryan being shot on location. Filming is taking place not long after real terrorist attacks in Paris, so its hardly surprising to see local residents peaking anxiously through shutters. Ironically, its the sight of American actor John Krasinski (husband of one of Hollywoods hottest stars, British actress Emily Blunt) exiting the building with his gun drawn that calms local nerves. John Krasinski as Jack Ryan. Author Tom Clancys ten original Ryan novels sold more than 50 million copies and spawned five feature films grossing in excess of $800 million Krasinski plays Jack Ryan, and hes the fifth high-profile actor to take on one of the most popular characters in modern fiction. Author Tom Clancys ten original Ryan novels sold more than 50 million copies and spawned five feature films grossing in excess of $800 million, as Ryan went from marine to CIA analyst to field agent to US President. Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck and Alec Baldwin have all played the Ruskie-bashing action hero. Krasinski is massive in his black flak jacket and boots. He comes from a military family and, with the training hes undergone for the role, hes believable as a former marine. But hes also a little goofy and relatable, as anyone who saw him playing Martin Freemans character in the US version of The Office would know. Not content with a British wife and starring in the remake of a classic British comedy, Krasinski admits that his new drama also echoes our most famous secret agent. Jack Ryan is kind of like our James Bond, says the American actor. And he might be our Bond with a lot less sex, which is a little disappointing but certainly in our show its a much more realistic scenario. The Clancy novels were set in the twilight of the Cold War and the world today is a very different place. The task of rebooting the novels for a big-budget TV series fell to Carlton Cuse and Graham Roland, the team behind the hugely successful TV series Lost. A still from the TV series. The new Jack Ryan starts as a CIA analyst stuck behind a desk. When he notices a series of transactions that suggest there is a new Islamic terrorist kingpin in the Bin Laden mould at large One of the critical components of the Clancy franchise was that he wrote these geopolitical thrillers that were very much of the moment, says Cuse. If Tom Clancy was alive right now what would he be writing about? And absolutely he would be writing about terrorism. The new Jack Ryan starts as a CIA analyst stuck behind a desk. When he notices a series of transactions that suggest there is a new Islamic terrorist kingpin in the Bin Laden mould at large, Ryan passes the information on to his superiors. His super-power, at least at first, is not his sharp shooting but his intelligence, and it was this that made Krasinski interested in the role. The pitch to me was, The reason why were not doing another movie and were doing a series instead is because the character has never been fully investigated. The two-hour movies are entertaining and fun. I loved Harrison Ford in The Hunt For Red October, which I saw before I read any of the books. But the truth is that when you read those books the Jack Ryan character is very rich and very deep. And in an eight-hour series were going to get a chance to learn all about him. Krasinski heads back to the set. The scene is played several different ways but always with one outcome unlike some action heroes, in this instance he doesnt get his man or the girl. The operation flounders. Confusion reigns. Scene complete. They shot on location wherever possible, filming in five cities on three continents over six months. (They asked to shoot in the St Denis area of Paris where the real raids took place in the aftermath of the Bataclan atrocity but were told it was too sensitive.) And they tried to avoid racial and religious stereotypes. You can get the impression in other shows that all Islamic characters are bad, says Graham Roland. Thats not true. A couple are terrorists but a number of our Islamic characters are heroic. John Krasinski is the husband of one of Hollywoods hottest stars, British actress Emily Blunt If youre worried that the new Jack Ryan is going to be so cerebral that therell be no excitement, dont: as Krasinski bursts from the building once more, he stands a head taller than the crowd and reaches for his gun. Theres no doubt that this Jack Ryan is still our hero. Theres a machismo to it, says Krasinski. And that side to it is a blast. When I was a little kid my dad asked me, If you could click your fingers what would you be? I said, A Navy Seal that could play the guitar. I dont know what that means Im sure somebody could analyse that to death. But its true. These guys are true heroes and the image of what we all hope to be. Working out for a role, getting to wear a gun, running through the streets and doing all these crazy things? Its awesome. The fact that hes this highly intelligent guy who happens to be hopping on helicopters, thats the best thing of all. Jack Ryan starts on August 31 on Amazon Prime Q My husband is having chemotherapy for bowel cancer. Is it true that turmeric can be helpful with the outcome? A Turmeric, known as the golden spice, has been recognised in Ayurveda, the traditional medical system of India, for millennia. With powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, the root a relation of ginger is used to treat a host of ailments including arthritis, back pain and respiratory problems. Turmeric, known as the golden spice, has been recognised in Ayurveda, the traditional medical system of India, for millennia More than two decades ago, a colorectal surgeon in London told me it could help reduce polyps in the bowel, which are almost always the forerunners of colon cancers. Now researchers are looking at the potential of giving curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, to stop bowel cancer developing or coming back after surgery, as well as enhancing the effectiveness of chemotherapy. Cancer researcher Professor Karen Brown of the University of Leicester and her colleague Dr Sameena Khan, an oncologist who has also studied curcumin for bowel cancer, tell me that it definitely works in laboratory models to stop the cancer cells dividing so it prevents the tumour growing and spreading. One possible mechanism is that curcumin acts on the cancer stem cells within the tumour. These cells drive the development and possible recurrence of cancer tumours, but they are resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Curcumin causes the cells to die [called apoptosis], or to differentiate so they no longer act as cancer stem cells, explains Prof Brown. There is evidence of benefit in small human trials, but bigger trials are needed. However, Prof Brown and Dr Khan have just seen the results of their own trial on patients with advanced bowel cancer. We wanted to see if it was safe, did not cause side effects or interfere with standard chemotherapy. The good news is that the trial, which was led by researcher Dr Lynne Howells and should be published this winter, confirmed this, says Prof Brown. If one of her family had advanced bowel cancer, Prof Brown says she would recommend curcumin alongside standard treatment. The trial dose was two grams daily. One product option is Lamberts Curcumin Ultra (35.95, victoriahealth.com), which is highly absorbable. Better You Turmeric Oral Spray (17.95, victoriahealth.com) has also been shown to be well absorbed, and avoids the patient having to take more pills. (The dose for two grams is six sprays, which can all be taken at one time.) These products contain three active curcuminoids but not the many other compounds in the root. Ayurvedic practitioner Sebastian Pole of Pukka Herbs says, both history and science show the whole root is more potent. Pukka Herbs is collaborating in a clinical trial in Israel where a group of patients with colonic polyps are taking four to eight capsules of Pukkas Wholistic Turmeric (16.96, pukkaherbs.com) daily, to compare changes in the number and size with a matched group taking a placebo. Turmeric may help in other types of cancer, with the best effects on breast, stomach and skin cancer cells, according to Cancer Research UK. A recent trial in Italy showed quite impressive results in pancreatic cancer, according to Prof Brown. Last year, The British Medical Journal reported the case of a patient with end-stage myeloma whose doctors agreed that curcumin had helped keep her blood cancer at bay after years of invasive treatment failed. For an elegant pyjama set, try the womens T-shirt and trousers in dusky pink Pjs get practical Staying in hospital can be a challenge when it comes to getting dressed. The Inga Wellbeing patient clothing range includes jersey tops, trousers and dresses with popper openings for IV lines, drains and monitors. For an elegant pyjama set, try the womens T-shirt and trousers in dusky pink (right, 129.90). Our male tester was delighted with a soft long-sleeved top (59.95) and matching trousers (69.95, all ingawellbeing.com). However, it did take him a few minutes to work out the fastenings. Website of the week reboothealth.co.uk In 1998, Sara Davenport founded the charity Breast Cancer Haven, which set her on a quest investigating holistic health and healing to help everyone live better. Her new website, ReBoot Health, offers practical information on a range of topics, supported by scientific research plus the opinions of doctors and patients, as well as Saras own experience. Saras book, Reboot Your Health, is published by Hay House, price 12.99. To order a copy for 10.39, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 0844 571 0640; offer available until 2 September; P&P is free on orders over 15. Saras book, Reboot Your Health, is published by Hay House, price 12.99 Always consult your doctor if you have a medical problem Its a crime that few of its victims are willing to talk about the men who are coerced by women into having sex. But a ground-breaking study is bringing their experiences to light and looking to change the law. Anna Moore reports Picture this: a woman on a night out with her boyfriend. He orders shot after shot, always urging her to drink one more. By the time theyre in the taxi to his place, shes so drunk she can barely see. She collapses on the bed, fully clothed, craving oblivion but her partner starts kissing her and fumbling with her zips. She gently tells him no then passes out only to wake later to find shes naked and her partner is under the covers, performing a sex act on her. Again she pushes him away, says no and passes out. When she next wakes, hes on top of her, holding her arms down, having sex. At the end, he kisses her passionately and says, See? Thats better. A forced-to-penetrate case could be tried as sexual assault or causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent lesser offences with different sentencing structures and parameters when compared with the offence of rape Clearly this is sex without consent rape in the eyes of the law. But now switch the roles around because thats how it happened. In this case, it was the man who collapsed on his girlfriends bed, said no to sex and then passed out. It was his girlfriend who had sex anyway. Unsurprisingly, for years he told no one. He didnt have the words. Now, though, hes added his voice to a ground-breaking study the first of its kind in the UK which set out to examine mens experience of non-consensual sex with women. The paper has the awkward title of Forced-to-Penetrate Cases because in the UK, theres no legal term to describe it. By law, rape is something only men can do, yet most of the men in this study believe rape is exactly what happened to them. The author is legal academic Dr Siobhan Weare of Lancaster University Law School. She became interested while teaching the law around sexual offences as set out by the 2003 Sexual Offences Act. I was wondering why it had been decided that forced to penetrate cases shouldnt be included in the definition of rape, says Dr Weare. Where was the evidence to suggest it wasnt as harmful? When I looked, I found there wasnt any. There were no studies at all just a massive gap in knowledge. I was interested to learn more about these mens experiences. The first hurdle was to accept that its even possible. Disbelief is incredibly common, admits Dr Weare. Penetration requires physical cooperation, which some see as evidence of consent. But an erection is purely a physiological bodily response, says Dr Weare. It does not denote arousal or consent. In fact, it can also denote fear or pain. Just last month, it was reported that Samantha Mears, a 19-year-old from Montana in the US, hid in her ex-boyfriends house with a machete and forced him to have sex. She was charged with aggravated burglary and assault. Indeed, such cases often betray a dubious double standard. When a 47-year-old German woman held a man prisoner during a one-night stand, forcing him to have sex repeatedly until he escaped from a balcony, she was labelled by a UK tabloid a nymphomaniac who had forced her victim to make love eight times. (If the perpetrator had been a man, hed surely be a sex offender not a nymphomaniac. It would be rape not making love.) The 154 participants in Dr Weares study were recruited through word of mouth, social media and mens support groups. For most, the incidents took place when they were between the ages of 16 and 25 though all ages were covered and the oldest victim had been 61. Most perpetrators were partners, ex-partners, friends or acquaintances. While verbal pressure, manipulation, lies or blackmail were the most common methods, some men were incapacitated by alcohol or simply overpowered. The accounts make harrowing reading. She started trying to have sex with me and I told her I did not want to as I was drunk and very tired and felt sick, writes another male victim. She didnt take no for an answer and started hurting me, forcing herself on me, hands around my neck, telling me I would do it or she would kill me. I didnt know how to face her the morning after. I felt shameful and violated; I didnt know what to do or how to act around her. I have a fear of ever seeing her again. Another writes, I had told the girl in question that I wished to end our relationship. She became extremely emotional and began saying that she was going to commit suicide because she couldnt handle it. Ive never seen someone so distraught. Sex took place, but it was not what he wanted. I spent the rest of the evening thinking about what had happened and running through it time and time again in my head, he continues. I couldnt explain it but it felt as though Id been made to have sex and been raped. Ive never talked to anyone about it because they wouldnt understand how I could have sex against my will, but it happened. The impact on some was no different to the impact we expect when a woman is raped. The lucky boy syndrome is such a powerful stereotype, says Dr Weare. The belief that all men are studs, always happy to get sex. While some men in the study were not badly affected by the experience, most had been. When asked to rate the emotional impact from one to ten, ten was the most frequent response though only two men reported the incidents to the police. (And neither resulted in prosecution.) A lot of men felt isolated and ashamed, says Dr Weare. It impacted their sex drive, their ability to develop relationships or maintain an erection. Some have never dated since. Several felt angry at themselves for allowing it to happen. At the most extreme end, there was clinical depression, self-destructive behaviours, drug abuse and suicidal thoughts. All this is backed up by wider research, especially from the US. At the University of South Dakota, psychology professor Dr Cindy Struckman-Johnson has been looking at this area for more than 30 years, having stumbled into it by accident. In 1985 I was a new professor at the university and date rape was in the media a lot so I decided to do a survey on campus, she says. I asked 500 students if theyd been pressured or forced into sex on a date. Though the survey reached everybody, she was really aiming her question at women. The results surprised her. While 22 per cent of the women said yes, so did 16 per cent of the men. THE FACTS ABOUT MALE CONSENT In the UK, women are not legally recognised as capable of rape except as accomplices to men. A forced-to-penetrate case could be tried as sexual assault or causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent lesser offences with different sentencing structures and parameters when compared with the offence of rape. In contrast, rape cases are heard in crown court and the maximum sentence is life imprisonment. While there are no UK statistics, a US survey of 16,500 adults found 4.8 per cent of men reported being made to penetrate. The most common emotional impact on male victims is anger, guilt and shame. Men affected can call National Male Survivor Helpline on 0808 800 5005 Advertisement Dr Struckman-Johnson decided to dig deeper, asking both sexes if theyd ever persisted with sex after a partner had told them no. Again, 43 per cent of men admitted they had but so did 26 per cent of women. (Their most common tactic was persistent kissing and touching, telling lies, threatening to break up or questioning the mens sexuality.) When she looked at how men were impacted, there was a proportion who didnt care but one in five felt violated in much the same way as the women. Duncan Craig, CEO of Survivors Manchester, a support group for male survivors of sexual abuse, isnt at all surprised. Craig helped Dr Weare recruit men for the study. It feels so cutting edge but the truth is that sexual assault and forced-to-penetrate cases have gone on since time immemorial, he says. We just havent recognised it. Craig recalls one victim whose ex-partner insisted on sex before allowing access to their young children. When he turned to friends for support, they told him he was lucky. He thought there must be something wrong with him, says Craig. If he wasnt ready for sex, he couldnt be a real man but he used the word rape for what took place. Thats a big word and men such as him deserve to feel the world is listening. Shame grows in dark places. When victims are believed and taken seriously, they can start to feel valued. This is Dr Weares first hope that her study kickstarts a conversation about men as victims. This isnt at the expense of the conversations were already having about women victims, she adds. It should happen alongside them. Maybe further down the line, there should be changes to the law, she continues. But at this point, I hope it creates a space so that men feel more able to come forward, put what happened into words and find support. In fact, raising awareness has never been more important. New research reviewed by Dr Struckman-Johnson suggests that the women most likely to force sex from an unwilling man are those who believe in the stereotype that men always want sex with any woman at any time. Most shocking of all, its also on the rise. Two pieces of research from Dr Struckman-Johnson suggest millennial women are more likely to have coerced men into sex than previous generations. One sample found 37 per cent of millennial women admitted to coercing sex, compared to 17 per cent of baby boomers and generation X. While there are no UK statistics, a US survey of 16,500 adults found 4.8 per cent of men reported being made to penetrate I think casual sex, sexual freedom and gender equality has made young women more likely to cross the line, says Dr Struckman-Johnson. Theres a huge push for consent education for young men right now. Were all aware its an issue but women need to know they must have consent, too. From my own perspective as a mother of three daughters, the eldest now at university, Ive always felt well-informed and up to date on the issue of sexual abuse and coercion. Time and again weve discussed their freedom to choose, their control over their body, their right to give no for an answer. Ive never thought to mention their need to accept no for an answer as well. Maybe its a conversation we all need to have. If you are a man who has been affected by the issues discussed, and are interested in sharing your story as part of Lancaster Universitys research, please visit wp.lancs.ac.uk/forced-to-penetrate-cases/ While the men were at war, women ruled the streets of Londons East End. Kate Thompson celebrates the lives of the tough matriarchs who helped their neighbours with everything from delivering babies to paying the rent Kate Thompson (no relation) was a woman who took multitasking to the extreme. The mother of nine raised all her children in three rooms of a stinking slum in Bethnal Green, East London, yet still she found time to nurse her neighbours son through double pneumonia, fight her greedy landlords for a ground-breaking reduction in rent and extinguish fires caused by incendiary bombs during the Blitz. Clad in a starched apron, this well-upholstered and formidable wartime matriarch seemed indestructible. Yet, sadly, she was not. At the age of 63, with the Second World War in its fourth year, Kate was killed on a night of sheer hell. On 3 March 1943 she, along with 172 other men, women and children, were crushed to death, most of them in the space of a few minutes, when an explosion caused by testing a new anti-aircraft rocket triggered a stampede down to Bethnal Green underground station. Families were torn apart by the loss of so many relatives. East Ender Kate Thompson (front, circled), in 1935, eight years before she was killed. Kate Thompson was a woman who took multitasking to the extreme Alice Walker behind the counter of her butchers shop in Stepney. Mum acted as a moneylender, helping out women for whom there was more week than money, confides her daughter Marie Butwell (nicknamed Girl Walker) Girl Walker, right, and her mother Alice. When Girl was six, war broke out and she was evacuated to Windsor Babs Clark with her mother Bobby and elder sister Jean, who were all caught up in the crush at Bethnal Green station I lament Kates passing, too. It might seem odd to grieve for a woman I did not know, but thats where history is a great connector. For when I saw her name my name on the order-of-service card at a memorial service to commemorate the disaster, I felt an emotional connection, and the quest to find out more about my namesake has led me on a journey upon which Ive uncovered the lives of some remarkable East End women. I discovered the complexity of working-class life, and the plethora of roles women undertook before the formation of the welfare state. Denise, 65, from Stepney, whose mum was a street matriarch as well as a mother to seven girls, sums it up like this: Every turning had a matriarch like my mum, a go-to woman when something needed sorting. If a woman fell behind with her rent, Mum would step in and negotiate with the rent collector to stop her being evicted. If there were any dodgy-looking men hanging about, shed see em off. If there was trouble, Mum sorted it. Baby needed delivering? Mum was the one the local girls turned to. She was a midwife, nurse, social worker, Citizens Advice and Neighbourhood Watch rolled into one. However, I have had to conceal Denises identity for her mother, a respectable childminder by day, performed abortions after dark at a time when it was illegal and birth control was inadequate. Over the years, dozens of girls traipsed through her door, pale-faced and terrified. During the war, out-of-wedlock sex was no longer taboo and imminent danger acted as a powerful aphrodisiac, leading to many unwanted pregnancies. The huge influx of American GIs to Britain from early 1942 added to the potent mix. Consequently, the number of illegitimate births in England and Wales jumped from 24,540 in 1939 to 35,164 in 1942. Another woman who played a vital role in the wartime economy of her street was Alice Walker. Mum acted as a moneylender, helping out women for whom there was more week than money, confides her daughter Marie Butwell. Along with the pawnshop and buying items on tick, women like Alice enabled others to pay the rent or tallyman when he called round. Sprightly 86-year-old Marie, nicknamed Girl Walker, was born in Stepney. Her mother raised her with five strict rules: speak the truth and shame the devil; work hard; have a running-away fund; never borrow money; if you lose your way, never ask a copper or a priest ask a tramp, and then give him tuppence for a cup of tea. When Girl was six, war broke out and she was evacuated to Windsor. Here she was treated like so many other so-called lousy Londoners and suffered shocking abuse at the hands of the woman she was billeted with. When Alice, Stepneys chief female, got wind of this, she swept in like a hurricane and knocked out the abuser with one punch, before marching her daughter back to the East End. During the Blitz, Girl was buried in an Anderson shelter when a railway siding was bombed and fell on top of it, trapping her for three days before she was rescued on New Years Day 1941. Despite this, throughout five years of continuous bombing, running from V1 rockets, shortages and rationing, she was never allowed to cry or show her fear. I remember calling out to my mum in the street once, I love you more than all the money in the world two bob. I dont know where I got you from, Mum replied. The women were tough back then because they had to be. Strict conduct governed the East End streets. Alice insisted her four daughters refer to the older matriarchs as Auntie. To call them by their real names would have been disrespectful a crime punishable by a swift clout round the head. Babs Clark, 86, from Bethnal Green, is another indomitable East Ender whose entire childhood seems to have been spent narrowly escaping death. Like Girl Walker, she was abused when she was evacuated to Torquay. When her costermonger mother Bobby who, according to Babs, had muscles any docker would be proud of discovered this, she dished out a revenge similar to that of Girls mum. Then, when she and her daughters were machine-gunned on the beach in Torquay by a German plane, Bobby declared: Sod that, well be safer off back in the East End. Sadly, this was not to be as Bobby, Babs and her sister Jean were caught up in the devastating crush at Bethnal Green underground station that killed Kate Thompson. Babs was wrenched free by her big sister. Bobby survived the war but died of a heart condition aged 52. East Ender Beatty Orwell with husband John in 1939. When her father died aged 44 of a stroke when Beatty was 13, leaving her mother Julia to care for three daughters, the tight-knit Jewish community around Petticoat Lane rallied round FROM LEFT: Dr Joan Martin, who tended victims of the Bethnal Green disaster, and air-raid warden Mrs Chumbley The war had one final trick up its sleeve for Babs when a V2 rocket exploded near her school, causing the classroom ceiling to cave in and kill the boy sitting next to her at his desk. Hard work, along with a fierce sense of belonging and altruism, was instilled in the many women I talked to, with all insisting that the entire street parented them. Keeping a close eye on her neighbours kids in Deptford was Irish mother of seven Mrs Dudgeon, who cared for local children so that their mothers could go to work. She did it in exchange for a bit of shopping or having her steps scrubbed. Her matriarchal duties extended to helping birth the babies of the street, cutting the cord with a sterilised razor blade before wrapping the newborn infant in a boiled shirt, as well as laying out the dead. She was also influential in family planning. At a time when birth control was virtually unheard of, Mrs Dudgeon would melt down antiseptic soap, such as Wrights Coal Tar, and fill up thimbles with it. When hardened, it was used as a DIY pessary by girls in the hope of killing sperm. But Mrs Dudgeon came into her own when the Luftwaffe was battering her close dockside community. She ran the local shelters, making sandwiches and soothing fractious babies, even encouraging parents to go to the local for a drink, provided they come back when the raids began. Helping to run the underground station shelter in Bethnal Green was a formidable matriarch and air-raid warden by the name of Mrs Chumbley. She had been a nurse during the First World War and, with a booming voice, ensured that the hundreds of children who slept there nightly filed sensibly down the shelter steps. But her most challenging time came the night of the stampede disaster, when she helped to wrench children free from the crush. One man I spoke with, Alf Morris, 88, still weeps as he recalls the dark night when Mrs Chumbley saved his life. Her heroics were not isolated acts. Dr Joan Martin saved life after life during the Blitz as one of the few female medics practising back then, moonlighting by night as an escort with ambulance crews. Six months before her death aged 102, she was at pains to stress to me who the true heroes of the Blitz were. The wartime mothers of the East End, she insisted. They were remarkable, tough women who suffered great deprivation, but always put their children first, often going hungry themselves so that they might eat. I saw such terrible suffering in the East End. Malnourished children with rickets, covered in scabies and bug bites. The kids would come in and, when given a glass of milk, would ask politely, How much can I have? They were stunned to hear they could drink a whole glass. Those strong mothers who raised polite children in the teeth of such poverty are the ones who deserve the medals. Beatty Orwell, aged 101 Beatty Orwell, aged 101, grew up watching what I have come to call the Stepney Doorstep Society caring for its own. When her father died aged 44 of a stroke when Beatty was 13, leaving her mother Julia to care for three daughters, the tightknit Jewish community around Petticoat Lane rallied round, cooking Julia meals to ensure her children did not have to queue outside soup kitchens. People would share what little they had with each other; you were never really alone and neighbours looked out for one another, Beatty told me. After the war, Beatty vowed to put the past behind her and look instead to the future by becoming a councillor and lady mayoress of Tower Hamlets in 1966, when her husband John was made mayor. Together they worked hard to provide better housing for East Enders and helped to establish community funding. The Stepney Doorstep Society was killed off by a combination of postwar suburbanisation and the institutionalisation of roles women took for granted, but these rich stories give us a chance to celebrate those women missing from the history books. The Stepney Doorstep Society by Kate Thompson will be published on Thursday by Michael Joseph, price 12.99. to order a copy for 10.39 (a 20 per cent discount) until 2 September, visit mailshop.co.uk/books or call 0844 571 0640; P&P is free on orders over 15 In our new series, the stars take us back to a significant time in their lives. This week: beauty entrepreneur Jo Wood on the year she started modelling. Beauty entrepreneur Jo Wood ONE TO WATCH This photo (below) was taken when I became The Suns Face of 1972. It was a big deal and I went on TV. I remember being asked what was on trend and saying, The natural look. Whatever that means! I was over the moon to wear this Biba dress. I still collect Biba from vintage shops. Jo Wood, The Suns Face of 1972 MY ROLE MODEL I was desperate to be like Twiggy. My mum and dad asked a photographer called Robert Hallmann to take some test shots of me that I could show to an agent. This was one of them, taken near Basildon, Essex, where I grew up. I love that Im here with a little squirrel. Role models: 'I was desperate to be like Twiggy,' says Jo I WASNT SHY I began modelling in the summer after leaving school and was voted the Face of 1972 just before Christmas. I never felt overwhelmed by the attention. I jumped at the chance to wear bikinis and a fur coat without a bra. Jo was voted the Face of 1972 just before Christmas DADS ADVICE When I told my dad [pictured below] I wanted to be a model, he said, Model is another word for prostitute! But when I became one he was proud of me. He was obsessed with Lambrettas and asked me to pose on one. I love the hotpants Im wearing theyre in again now! Jo posing with her dad on a Lambretta I STARTED YOUNG I began going into London aged 14 to do a modelling course. Looking back, it was quite brave. I wouldnt have let my daughter do it but my mum had three younger children to look after, so she couldnt take me. Youth: Jo began going into London aged 14 A TASTE OF THINGS TO COME This was taken in Southend, Essex. As a model I was going out to restaurants, clubs and parties it got me used to the life that Ive ended up living. FINDING MY OWN STYLE I look a bit like Twiggy in this fashion shoot for the Daily Mirror, but the more I worked the more I developed my own identity and stopped wanting to be her. This week its all about cool collabs and creativity as selected by Fashion Assistant Joanne Toolan. Editors picks with Joanne Toolan 1. A feast of florals Just when we thought J Crew couldnt get more covetable, along comes a collaboration with Abigail Borg, the British illustrator and designer famous for her big, beautiful florals. The 20-piece collection features prints designed especially for the label, adorning everything from skirts to dresses, tops to totes and swimwear. From 39.50, jcrew.com 2. Pop'n'mix Embrace your inner designer with the Stella & Dot Colour Pop collection jewellery that can be customised to suit your mood or outfit. Choose from a range of earring or pendant sets comprising vibrant leather components in various sizes and colours and go minimal or max out with your very own statement piece. From 34 for a two-piece earring set, stelladot.co.uk 3. Get preening Studio by Preen at Debenhams is one of my go-tos for A/W 18. Think a palette of both earthy and jewel colours and patterns from florals to checks that are perfect for mixing up. Layer them together or go for a standout stripy piece such as my favourite this wrap dress that can be worn with jeans and a poloneck or solo with heels. Dress, 89, Studio by Preen at Debenhams 4. Suits me to a T Fashion-world darling Clym Evernden is one of the most in-demand artists around power brands from Louis Vuitton to Tiffany & Co cant get enough of his inky illustrations. Now his artworks adorn the more affordable T-shirt in a capsule collection, printed in the UK using low-waste ink technology. The perfect go-with-everything piece. clymstore.teemill.com, @clymdraws T-shirt, 22, Clym Evernden 5. Eco Sneakers Celebrating a mutual love of craftsmanship, comfort and great design, Belgian lifestyle brand Bellerose and French footwear label Veja have collaborated on a version of the latters classic V-10 trainer (above). All Veja products are environmentally friendly, fair trade and made using organic and sustainable materials, so you can look stylish and help save the planet. Trainers, 130, Veja x Bellerose, veja-store.com Insurers increasingly lure customers into buying home and motor cover with a low initial price, then prey on fears and tempt purchasers to take out additional cover charging extra for the privilege. Premiums for these add-ons are cleverly pitched at a low level so as not to deter buyers from making the final purchase. Such policies are a huge money spinner for insurers. Direct Line revealed earlier this month it pockets almost 6million a year from selling legal cover add-ons to home and motor customers. Insurance add-ons: Such policies are a huge money spinner for insurers Other companies cash in on the insurance extras trend, adding low premium 'optional' cover to go with purchases for theatre tickets, mobile phones and car finance loans. Martyn James, of online complaints service Resolver, says many of these policies are unnecessary. He says: 'Most are sold at the point of sale, meaning we tend to just click or tick to accept because it is not that much money and not doing it seems like a costly error.' The reality is that the majority of these policies are never likely to be claimed on resulting in big profits for the industry. James says: 'Insurers should play fair. If these extras are considered necessary, then include them in the main policy.' He adds: 'You need to be strong to resist the pressure to buy certain policies. I turned down roughly 30 small insurance products on everything from train tickets to small gifts and delivery in the run-up to Christmas last year.' Many people feel baffled by optional add-ons, are unsure of their value and are panicked into buying them. The Mail on Sunday takes a look at some of the most common extras and their benefits or otherwise. ACCIDENTAL DAMAGE Good quality home cover will include accidental damage to home and contents. But increasingly this cover is excluded for contents and homeowners need to decide whether to add it for an extra premium. Around 40 per cent of all home insurance claims are for accidental damage, according to the latest data from insurer Aviva. Common claims include accidental damage to televisions, laptops, tablets and mobile phones as well as damage to flooring, such as cracked tiles and spills on carpets. Yet just 16 per cent of home contents policies include accidental damage as standard (meaning you do not have to pay an additional amount for the cover), according to researchers Defaqto. Hannah Maundrell, of comparison website money.co.uk, says homeowners need to weigh up the costs and the risk. She says: 'It can be hard to gauge the optimum level of cover. Buying the optional add-ons may result in you paying more than you would ever need. Purchase too little and your provider might not pay out when you come to claim.' Maundrell says it is a good exercise to regularly assess the value of contents in your home particularly new larger or expensive items, such as furniture and flooring. If you know it would be a stretch to replace them, then paying an additional premium can be worth it. If you have young children or lots of guests at your home, this is another reason to think about the add-on as accidents may be more likely. Be aware that if damage is caused by paying guests for example if you are an Airbnb host then you will not be covered. Accidental damage cover is priced on your individual risk. But as an example, contents-only cover for total possessions worth up to 50,000 in a three-bedroom house in Sheffield would cost from about 46 a year, according to website Comparethemarket. Yet adding accidental damage cover would only increase this to 48 for the year. Policyholders would have to pay 350 as an excess the amount you must contribute towards any claim. So this cover may not be suitable for those who may need to make smaller claims. Opting to reduce this excess, to 200 for example, will push up the annual premium. Our 'bolt-on' policy was worth it after I lost my 3k Cartier watch at a festival For Janette Gallier, paying for personal possessions cover as an add-on to her Halifax home insurance was worth the extra cost. Janette, 62, a first-aid trainer from Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, lost a treasured Cartier watch at an art festival last summer. It had been a gift from her husband Graham and was worth 3,000. Janette, a keen artist, claimed on her home policy and received 1,400 after the 100 excess. 'With the payout I have been able to replace my watch,' says Janette. 'I have had this cover for more than 15 years and this was the first time I have had to claim. There was not a big increase in the annual premium at renewal. It was great to have the extra cover in place. I was devastated to lose my watch.' Payout: Janette Gallier, who lost her watch at an art festival, received 1,400 If your home contains many expensive gadgets, jewellery or designer clothes, you may want to cover them when you are out and about. Most home contents policies will not cover loss or theft of items outside the home. To make sure they are covered, opt for 'personal possessions' cover also known as 'all risks'. Up to one in three cases where a home insurance claim is declined relates to an item outside the home when the policyholder does not have this element as part of their cover. Martyn James, at Resolver, says: 'I'd argue that if the extra cover is necessary which the number of declined claims suggests then insurers should put it in the main policy.' Cover for expensive phones, cameras, watches and jewellery could prove invaluable should the worst happen, particularly in the summer months when people are more likely to go on holiday, take weekend breaks, attend weddings, parties and festivals. But check the exclusions if something is stolen from a hotel room, for example, an insurer may only pay out if there has been forced entry. Also, typically there will be an excess to pay on the claim. If the items are worth little more than the excess, there is no point in claiming. Individually priced personal possessions cover can be expensive increasing annual contents-only premiums by as much as 50 per cent. Renewal premiums are also likely to rise following a claim so for many policyholders it may not be worth the extra outlay. For those with valuable items, consider a standalone gadget or jewellery policy do not just accept the policy pushed by the retailer you buy from. Worldwide cover for loss, theft and accidental damage to wedding and engagement rings, phones and laptops may only cost from a few pounds per month, and there is no excess when you claim, unlike with household cover. Protect Your Bubble, Switched On Insurance and Debenhams are among the best for value. LEGAL EXPENSES This cover can help when an incident requires legal input, perhaps a personal injury claim, tax disputes with the Revenue & Customs, a falling-out with neighbours over property or if you lose your job. You need to decide whether you are actually ever likely to claim. If you want advice on a row with a neighbour over noise, then a free visit to Citizens Advice might be enough. But given the potentially high cost of legal disputes and actions which can run into tens of thousands of pounds many consumers choose to purchase the cover for peace of mind. Expect to pay around 30 per year on top of your annual premium. There is usually a maximum claim limit, such as 100,000. Martin Scott, head of home cover at Churchill Insurance, says: 'Legal expenses cover can provide support, protecting householders from legal costs relating to a wide range of issues from personal injury claims following accidents at work or employment disputes for unfair dismissal to contractual disputes with builders for poor workmanship.' Claim: Philip and Christine Lee used legal cover Motor insurance legal expenses cover can be useful if you are involved in an accident being hit by an uninsured driver, for example or you want to reclaim an excess you had to pay in a claim that was not your fault. Usually a free legal helpline is included. Sometimes comprehensive cover will include legal expenses so check before purchasing separately. By choosing to add legal expenses cover for both your home and motor policies you may not necessarily be 'doubling up' on cover. Kevin Pratt, insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket says legal expenses protection for home and motor policies will cover different areas. 'Motor legal expenses are usually restricted to your car and motoring while home legal cover relates to property, employment and consumer rights.' Some bank customers with premium or packaged current accounts may already have legal cover thrown in so check before buying. Retired civil servant Philip Lee, 61, from Newcastle upon Tyne, and his wife Christine, 61, a retired nurse, made a claim under legal expenses cover on their motor policy after a serious road accident in 2016. Philip and Christine were driving home after a day trip when a motorist on the opposite side of the road blacked out, veering on to their side of the road and collided head-on with their vehicle. Philip and Christine spent more than a week in the trauma unit at hospital and suffered fractured ribs, cuts and bruising. Philip also fractured his sternum and Christine broke her collar bone and fractured her ankle. At the time the couple were both still working. Philip was off work for almost three months and Christine was away for almost five months leading to a loss of earnings. Philip says: 'The accident has had a long-term effect on us. Christine still struggles with pain in her ankle. Thankfully we were able to claim under our legal expenses cover and we both received substantial payouts worth tens of thousands of pounds. It has certainly helped during a stressful time.' HOME EMERGENCY COVER Insurance for home emergencies covers a crisis such as a broken boiler or plumbing leak but as two-thirds of households never claim, they can be a waste of money. Such policies are sold as a bolt-on to standard home insurance or as a standalone policy from providers such as British Gas, Homeserve and the AA. But behind the special offers to lure you in can be deals that offer poor value for money. For example, British Gas charges 18 a month for a HomeCare package covering the boiler, drains and plumbing that also includes an annual service. That peace of mind costs 216 a year. The money might be better salted away in a savings account with perhaps 100 a year used for an annual service and the rest kept aside for further repairs. Remember, if anything goes wrong under an emergency cover policy there is usually an excess fee of 60 or more. While the cover may boast of a 24-hour emergency hotline, that does not mean someone will fix a problem within that time. Many heating systems are also already covered under a manufacturer's warranty or home insurance policy so check first. Bob Diamond, the former Barclays chief once dubbed the unacceptable face of banking, has come under attack from investor groups ahead of his new banks annual meeting. Two influential shareholder adviser groups have raised red flags over corporate governance issues at London-listed Atlas Mara, a bank Diamond set up to focus on Africa. Glass Lewis has recommended that investors should vote against Diamonds election as chairman because as a co-founder of the firm he is not considered independent. Under fire: Atlas Mara chief Bob Diamond Fellow adviser group ISS has raised similar concerns and recommends that investors abstain from the vote on August 29. The organisations are urging shareholders to vote against three non-executive directors including Michael Wilkerson, chief executive of Atlas Maras largest shareholder Fairfax Africa, arguing that he is not independent. The other two directors are former Bank of Ireland chief executive Richie Boucher and Hisham Ezz Al-Arab, chairman and managing director of the Commercial International Bank of Egypt. Both groups also oppose a motion that would allow Atlas Mara to sell 15 per cent of its shares without first offering them to existing investors. Diamond, who resigned from Barclays at the height of the Libor-rigging scandal in July 2012, founded Atlas Mara in 2013 and has been chairman since October 2016. Atlas Maras shares have fallen 80 per cent in five years. In 2010, the then Business Secretary Lord Mandelson criticised Diamonds rewards at Barclays and described him as the unacceptable face of banking. Atlas Mara said it takes governance very seriously, adding that Diamonds continued leadership at the board is important to delivering on our business plan and performance objectives. SPECIAL INVESTIGATION: 'I was duped,' says Barry Middleton. 'Why are groups like that not regulated by the authorities? 'Why has no one investigated diligently, given what we now know? It staggers me that this guy could blatantly get away with this.' Mr Middleton, 74, is a retired RBS bank manager. He is one of 7,000 small investors who signed up to the Royal Bank of Scotland Shareholders Action Group. The 'guy' he refers to is an Irishman called Gerard Walsh with a documented record of fraud and deception, who co-founded the group in 2009. Claim: Barry Middleton, pictured, invested 12,000 in RBS The action group portrayed itself as a public-spirited organisation that would lead an army of aggrieved small investors in a battle for compensation from RBS. In itself, that was a worthy cause: the bank, then run by disgraced chief executive Fred Goodwin, had misled its own shareholders into investing in a doomed 12 billion attempt to bolster its balance sheet in the financial crisis. So when the action group won a 200million settlement last summer, it seemed like a cause for celebration. In fact, it was the start of a new nightmare for Barry and his fellow investors. They were about to find out they had been taken in twice: not only by the bank but also, they say, by the man behind the action group supposedly helping them. The action group presented itself as a white knight, acting for small shareholders against big bad RBS. I hope the full weight of the law comes down on that guy's head But the victims now believe Walsh used the group to concoct a scheme for his own enrichment. A court heard that he attempted to take 3.75million for himself from the settlement, to be funnelled to him through a separate company set up to pay millions of pounds to beneficiaries whose identities were not disclosed to investors. But no one in authority seems to care. The glaring question at the heart of the case is this: Why are regulators, politicians and officials unable or unwilling to investigate? This failure is particularly shocking as the affair involves very large sums of taxpayers' money. On top of the 200million settlement, RBS spent more than 100million on legal fees defending itself. As it is still majority-owned by the Government, it means the case has consumed 300million of taxpayers' funds. Scheming: Gerard Walsh Over the course of a ten-month investigation, this newspaper has exposed the ugly saga behind the RBoS Shareholders Action Group. It is a cautionary tale for anyone tempted to sign up to an action group without first checking out the organisers' bona-fides. Astonishingly, Walsh was able to co-found the RBoS Shareholders Action Group apparently without any checks from the authorities on whether he was a fit and proper person to do so. And during the course of our inquiries, our journalists have been subjected to a campaign of intimidation and abuse including malicious and baseless allegations of anti-semitism and attempts by deception to find a reporter's home address. Again, this raises worrying questions about the conduct and credibility of those behind the action group. Communicating with the group's administrators is like entering a hall of mirrors. Emails are signed off in a variety of names - some of which lawyers involved in the case suspect to be false. But when Barry Middleton signed up to the group, he had no reason to suspect anything was amiss - he just wanted compensation for his losses after investing 12,000 of his modest savings in RBS in 2008. He sent a cheque for 50 on October 1, 2009, to join the group, and estimates he paid up to 2,000 in subscriptions in the following years. Alert: The Mail on Sunday warned of Walsh's 'get rich' bid last April Small investors like Barry, from Inverurie in Aberdeenshire, are still waiting for full payment of their claims. In a High Court case this spring, the judge described the situation as 'absolutely extraordinary'. He added that consideration should be given to 'whether the action group should be delivered into other hands because its direction is unclear and its compliance with [court] orders lamentable'. Walsh was also accused in the High Court - in a case relating to the running of the action group - of being responsible for registering 130million 'phantom shares', which would have inflated the value of the claim against RBS. The court heard that if true, this could constitute the 'criminal offence of fraud'. The action group denies this. In any event, when Walsh cofounded the action group in 2009 he already had a history of dishonesty and fraud. In two civil cases - one of which came to court later, in 2014 - he has been found to have cheated a wealthy family and a businesswoman out of hundreds of thousands of pounds. In 2011, he was made bankrupt. It begs the simple question of how the authorities ever let a man with this track record set up a group at all, let alone one in which thousands of RBS small shareholders invested their hopes - and thousands of pounds of subscriptions. Why, given the size and importance of the case, did no one check Walshs background? And why is no one in officialdom prepared to look into the case even now? The group appears to have fallen through the cracks. Commercial claims management firms are supervised by the Claims Management Regulator, which is part of the Ministry of Justice. However, not-for-profit action groups are not covered. The CMR decided last year that the RBoS Shareholders Action Group did not fall under its remit, despite the fact Walsh hoped to make large sums for himself, as did other individuals and firms. Liberal Democrat MP Norman Lamb met with the CMR last month to urge it to reconsider. Law firm Signature Litigation, which now represents the 7,000 investors who signed up to the group, also attended at the request of Lamb. It would be a criminal offence if the MoJ finds the group was not regulated when it should have been. The City of London Polices Action Fraud unit has been asked to probe the group by at least four small investors. The Financial Conduct Authority, the top City regulator, is taking over claims management regulation from the MoJ next year. Decades of deception: How Walsh has cheated victims out of millions 1997 In civil proceedings the High Court of Ireland finds Gerard Walsh guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation by posing as a Lamborghini salesman. Along with others, he had persuaded antiques dealer Amanda Forshall to part with 677,000 in 1990 for nine Lamborghini Diablo cars that were never delivered. Evidence given by Walsh was rejected by the court as neither accurate nor credible. Ms Forshall was awarded 677,000 in damages. 2008 He is stripped of an honorary fellowship at Cardiff University after failing to pay a 2.5million donation he had promised. The university has reformed its rules on accepting donations and awarding honorary fellowships. Duped: Walsh induced the Nolans, a wealthy Irish haulage family, into making millions of euros worth of investments that failed 2009 Walsh co-founds the RBoS Shareholders Action Group. 2011 He steps down as a director of the group after being made bankrupt but is subsequently accused in court of having continued to act as a shadow director. 2014 The Jersey Royal Court describes Walsh as a fraudster after he induced the Nolans, a wealthy Irish haulage family, into making millions of euros worth of investments that failed. He spent large amounts of their money on himself, including 210,000 towards a 10 per cent deposit on a luxury flat in Londons Belgravia. A source close to the Nolans, who were awarded damages but have never seen a penny of it, said the family see him as a predator. Tory MP Nicky Morgan, chair of the Treasury Select Committee, has been alerted by several MPs but has declined to intervene. Supporters of Walsh deny any wrongdoing and argue he is entitled to the 3.75million for his work. He does not have a criminal conviction for fraud, but has been named as a fraudster by a judge in two civil cases. Mouthpieces for him have also made a barrage of unsubstantiated claims against other parties in the RBoS affair. These include property tycoon Trevor Hemmings, who made large losses on RBS shares and signed up to the action group. Hemmings has now taken control of the 200million settlement via one of his investment vehicles, Manx, and a law firm, Signature, which is acting on behalf of the investors. The action group has attacked this newspaper for declining to print allegations against Hemmings, Manx and Signature. We asked for evidence but none was forthcoming. Founded after credit crisis: The Royal Bank of Scotland Shareholders Action Group portrayed itself as a public-spirited organisation that would lead an army of small investors aggrieved with RBS In emails under the name of Margaret Hewitt, the action groups administrators have circulated malicious and false accusations against Mail on Sunday City Editor Ruth Sunderland, without a shred of evidence, including allegations of anti-semitism, conspiracy and attempts to pervert the course of justice. On Friday the MoS received an email from the group which threatened to publish a leaflet detailing our allegations against her and said it would be distributed at tube and train stations. So far, Walsh has been thwarted in his efforts to get his hands on the 3.75million. The action group says Walsh has a contract setting out the terms of his consultancy. It added he is unable to comment because he has been in a bike accident. As for Mr Middleton, he has asked Action Fraud and his local MP to investigate. I still feel there ought to be a reckoning, he says. And I hope that in due course the full weight of the law will come down on that guys head. A former submarine scientist has entered the race to build Britain's first privately funded railway. George Bathurst wants to connect the train lines running through Windsor by building a new stretch of tunnel under the Royal Berkshire town. Windsor's two stations remain unconnected since they were built in 1849, despite being only 300 metres apart. The 370million link would improve connections for people living in the 'M3 and M4 corridors', opening up a new direct route from Slough through to London Waterloo. Connected: The home of Harry and Meghans wedding A second phase, costing around 1billion, would create direct rail links to Heathrow from the west and south of the airport, amid plans for a third runway. Bathurst believes the scheme would be the first new rail line to be fully privately funded since the railways were nationalised in 1948. His Windsor Link Railway consortium is backed by Swedish construction giant Skanska and the 6.2billion French investment fund Meridiam. They plan to recoup their investment through fares revenue and building a 'significant number' of new homes in Windsor and nearby towns. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling invited rail bids from private firms to 'relieve the burden on taxpayers and farepayers'. The DfT is expected to make a decision in the autumn. Bathurst said: 'The new links will create new rail journey opportunities in these economically important areas of the UK and complement connections to Heathrow.' The family of a dyslexic boy claim he was banned from his school prom over a vendetta sparked by staff making him shave and are calling for the headteacher to be sacked. Kyle Gordon, 16, was told by St. Thomas More Catholic Primary School that he could not attend his prom on July 6 as he had not done enough extra curricular activities. In May last year, Kyle was forced to shave for the first time ever, cutting his face several times, after it was judge his facial hair, which his father described as 'five strands of hair on his chin', was inappropriate. A picture of Kyle which his family claim shows his facial hair shortly before he was forced to shave by St. Thomas More Catholic Primary School Kyle's family claim the teenager was banned due to a vendetta against them waged by its principal. Pictured Callum with his mother Fatima and father Allan Kyle Gordon, pictured, was told by St. Thomas More Catholic Primary School that he could not attend his prom on July 6 as he had not done enough extra curricular activities The family of Kyle, who also has learning difficulties, claim that the teenager was given a two-hour detention after being forced to shave. After the incident, which Kyle's family claim caused his face to bleed considerably, his mother Fatima complained to the local authority. After an investigation it judged that the school, which is in Eltham in south east London, had 'behaved inappropriately' and 'caused immense emotional distress to Kyle'. Kyle's dad, Allan, is adamant Mr Ryan banned him from the school as revenge for Kyle's mother complaining to the school about him being forced to shave Kyle's dad, Allan Gordon, claims the school's headteacher Markus Ryan banned him from the prom as revenge for Kyle's mother complaining to the school about him being forced to shave and for making a complaint to the local authority. Mr Gordon, said: 'My family is absolutely devastated. 'My son has done absolutely nothing. He is a very quiet sensitive lad. 'When you leave school you are meant to have happy memories. It has really taken its toll on him. It has been a complete nightmare. 'My son has done lots of extra curricular things showing parents around at parents' evening at the school and making up hampers in school for the elderly [in the area]. 'He has been so ill, he has probably lost a stone in weight. He hasn't been sleeping properly. he is always waking up throughout the night like he is a baby. 'What we would like to happen now is to have the headteacher dismissed.' In a letter, which has been seen by Mail Online, Mr Ryan told Mr Gordon that he could not attend as he had not participated with extra-curricular activities or other activities. The complaint against the school's conduct against Kyle, who has an older brother called Callum, was upheld in July last year and the school was asked not to force pupils to shave in the future. Director of Children's Services for the Royal Borough of Greenwich, Florence Kroll told Mr Gordon in a letter about the decision: 'The conclusion of the LADO investigation is that the allegation is substantiated. There is evidence to confirm that a professional has behaved in a way that was inappropriate , it caused immense emotional distress to your son and the child was significantly harmed as a result, albeit minor.' The family claim Mrs Gordon was banned from entering St. Thomas More from mid-2017 and asked to leave a Sixth Form Evening at the school. The Greenwich Inclusion Project, which examines institutional cases of racism, is investigating the family's complaints about the behavior of the principal, according to The Voice. Mrs Gordon was banned from entering St. Thomas More from mid-2017 after she complained about her son being made to shave in school It has received eight complaints against St. Thomas More School during the last two and a half year, according to the website Speaking to The Voice, Giles Cabon, the Chief Executive Officer of the project, said: 'The organisation I work for has received a significant number of complaints from parents at this school, on educational and exclusion issues. 'If it is proved that Kyle has experienced victimisation under the Equality Act the headteacher and board of governors at St. Thomas More could be taken to court and the Gordon family may receive financial compensation.' More than 1800 people signed a petition calling for the decision to ban Kyle from the prom to be reversed. The day before the prom took place , the school wrote to parents saying that senior managers at the school would meet to discuss whether the prom would take place following adverse publicity. Despite this the prom still went ahead. A spokesman for St. Thomas More, said: 'The school is unable to comment on an individual student due to data protection and safeguarding reasons. 'However, attendance to the Leavers' Ball is by invitation and permission to attend based on a number of factors. Unfortunately, each year there may be a number of students who cannot attend the event. A rescinded invitation could be for a number of reasons. 'Complaints should be directed to the school and will be investigated through its Complaints Procedure. 'The Greenwich Inclusion Project has not been in contact with the school regarding a complaint it may have received. ' Three men have been charged over their roles in the assassination of ex-bikie boss Mahmoud 'Mick' Hawi. Police confirmed those arrested were two members of the Lone Wolf outlaw motorcycle gang (OMCG) and an associate. The two gang members, aged 37 and 38, were arrested as they left a barber shop in Bexley at 4.15pm on Friday. The associate, 36, from Brighton Le Sands was detained at Balmain at 8pm that evening - with all three men due to appear at Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday. Police will allege the 37-year-old shot Mr Hawi while the 38-year-old planned and coordinated the shooting. The 36-year-old has been charged with accessory after the fact to murder. On February 15, 2018, the former Comancheros boss was leaving a gym in Rockdale, in Sydney's south. The 37-year-old was brazenly shot in the Fitness First car park while he was in his Mercedes four-wheel drive. On February 15 2018, former Comancheros boss Mick Hawi (pictured) was leaving a gym in Rockdale, in Sydney's south He was brazenly shot in the Fitness First car park while he was in his Mercedes four-wheel drive In a statement on Friday police said: 'A police operation is underway across Sydney this evening. 'The search warrants relate to ongoing investigations by the Criminal Groups Squad into the murder of Mahmoud 'Mick' Hawi. 'Two men have been arrested during the operation. 'Further information will be available when it comes to hand.' No one has been charged. The Daily Telegraph reported two of the men arrested are Yusuf Nazlioglu and Ahmed 'Adam' Doudar. NSW Police have now arrested two men in relation to the murder as part of an ongoing investigation Earlier this month strike force detectives executed search warrants on six properties across Sydney's south and southwest in Bardwell Park. The properties were in Beverly Hills, Brighton Le Sands, Carlton, Hurstville, and Padstow. Police seized $22,000 cash, electronic storage devices, mobile phones, documentation, a portable radio capable of monitoring operational police activity and four vehicles of interest to their investigation as a result of the raids. The prominent female New York University professor being sued by a former male student who has accused her of sexual harassment said that her relationship with him was not sexual and that the affectionate emails they exchanged were just 'gay-coded' correspondence. Professor Avita Ronell, 66, a world-renowned professor of German and comparative literature, released a statement on Friday in response to a lawsuit filed against her this week by former student and advisee, Nimrod Reitman, 34. In the lawsuit, Reitman said he was subjected to unwanted kissing and groping, and he said he received many messages that made him uncomfortable. Professor Avita Ronell, 66, is being sued by former student, Nimrod Reitman, 34, who claims she sexually harassed him and has been sabotaging his efforts to get a teaching position In a Friday statement, Reitman denied having any sexual contact with Ronell and said that their affectionate email exchanges were 'gay-coded.' Ronell is gay and Reitman is a lesbian Ronell denied having any sexual contact with her former student and said their emails contained 'exaggerated expressions of tenderness' because they are both gay, not because she was sexually harassing him. She also said her messages were reciprocated. In her statement, she included several purported excerpts of their emails, in which she alleges Reitman referred to her as 'beloved and special one,' ''Baby' and 'Sweet Beloved.' Ronell said their emails were usually related to their working relationship, though they often contained 'literary allusions' and 'poetic runs.' Reitman, who received a doctorate from NYU in 2015, said the professor created 'a fictitious romantic relationship' and sabotaged his efforts to get a teaching position. He also is suing the university, alleging administrators failed to take action after he told a vice provost about the misconduct while still a student. He is seeking unspecified damages. Reitman also stated that Ronell reciprocated her effusive language at the time. She also said that the lawsuit is about Reitman's 'inability to find a job.' The university opened an investigation last summer shortly after Reitman, who is married to a man, made a formal complaint. NYU's Title IX office concluded that Reitman was sexually harassed and suspended the professor for a year and stipulated that any future meetings with students be supervised. It cleared her of allegations that her actions amounted to sexual assault. It said it did not believe that filing a lawsuit against it 'would be warranted or just.' In the lawsuit, Reitman accuses the professor of demanding he address her in 'over-the-top, effusive language, including that he constantly express his love for her, and his failure to do so would result in Ronell angrily reprimanding him and refusing to work with him.' Ronell said she uses the same type of flowery language in her emails with many others. She said that Reitman reciprocated this language to her while simultaneously telling others she was a 'witch,' ''evil' and a 'monster.' Ronell said the lawsuit is really about 'the inability of Reitman to find a job,' and not sexual. Ronell has had a successful career as an author, chair of Philosophy at the European Graduate School and was recently given the award of Chevalier of Arts and Letters by the French government. Her students have gone on to teach at leading research institutions in the US, France and Germany. Earlier in August, Ronell told the New York Times that, 'Our communications - which Reitman now claims constituted sexual harassment - were between two adults, a gay man and a queer woman, who share an Israeli heritage, as well as a penchant for florid and campy communications arising from our common academic backgrounds and sensibilities.' Details have surfaced of an odd meeting that Omarosa Manigault-Newman and President Donald Trump once had with veterans groups, in which Trump argued with the war vets over the film Apocalypse Now. The meeting took place in the White House on March 17, 2017, early in Trump's term, with Manigault-Newman in attendance in her short-lived role as a liaison on veterans affairs issues. Early in the meeting, Rick Weidman, co-founder of Vietnam Veterans of America, brought up the issue of access to treatment for illnesses linked to Agent Orange, a defoliant used to remove forest cover during the Vietnam War. Trump abruptly replied, 'that's taken care of', puzzling the veterans group leaders, sources in attendance told the Daily Beast. Trump is seen at the March 17, 2017 meeting with veterans group leaders, at which he reportedly argued over the difference between napalm and Agent Orange Omarosa Manigault-Newman (seen this week) was a liaison on veteran's issues early in the Trump administration, before she reportedly 'lost interest' and dropped those responsibilities Photos from the meeting do not show Manigault-Newman, though she may have been standing to the side, or joined after the photo-op. Early in the Trump administration, her ill-defined responsibilities had included veterans' outreach. As the discussion progressed, with Weidman insisting that the heath care issue still needed work, Trump began asking the attendees if Agent Orange was 'that stuff from that movie,' the sources said. Eventually, it became clear that Trump was referring to the film Apocalypse Now, in particular the famous helicopter attack scene. As the veterans insisted that the film depicted the incendiary agent napalm, not Agent Orange, Trump reportedly persisted, saying 'no, I think its that stuff from that movie'. Manigault-Newman is not seen in photos of the meeting (above) but may have been standing along the wall, or joined the meeting late after the photo-op The napalm drop scene depicted in Apocalypse Now is seen above. Trump reportedly argued that the scene actually showed Agent Orange in a strange discussion with veterans groups Trump is said to have then polled the group, asking each person whether they thought the movie showed napalm or Agent Orange. When he got to Weidman, the Vietnam Vet insisted that it was napalm, and added that he believed Apocalypse Now did a disservice to veterans of the war. 'Well, I think you just didnt like the movie,' Trump is said to have replied before moving on. Weidman, while refusing to discuss the specifics of the meeting, told the Daily Beast that Trump had 'said something where it was clear he was confused by napalm and Agent Orange'. Veterans groups were reportedly unhappy dealing with Manigault-Newman as a liaison, and veterans issues were removed from her portfolio shortly after the March 2017 meeting after she is said to have 'lost interest' in the subject. She then went on to become the administration's self-styled czar of African-American outreach before she was fired from the White House in December 2017. Manigault-Newman has returned to the headlines in recent days as she promotes her new book, which includes unverified claims about Trump, such as that he tried to have a tanning bed installed in the White House, and is on tape saying the n-word. An FBI investigation has found that the Catholic church had a 'playbook' for covering up sex abuse crimes by its priests. A grand jury report released Tuesday, revealed that hundreds of Roman Catholic priests in Pennsylvania have molested more than 1,000 children and that senior church officials, including the now archbishop of Washington, D.C. covered up the abuse. The report said the numbers of actual victims and abusers could be much higher. It found that the church systematically covered up the abuse using 'a playbook for concealing the truth.' Archbishop Donald Wuerl prays in 2010. The report from a Pennsylvania grand jury alleges that more than 300 priests abused more than 1,000 children in six Pennsylvania dioceses which was led for 18 years by Cardinal Donald Wuerl, now archbishop of Washington D.C. State Attorney General Josh Shapiro said at a news conference: 'We saw Catholic priests weaponizing their faith, using their faith as a tool of the abuse, and all the while the bishops, the monsignors, the cardinals covered it up.' The grand jury report found that while each case differed slightly, they way the church handled them was 'as if there was a script,' the York Daily Record reports. 'While each church district had its idiosyncrasies,' the grand jury reported, 'the pattern was pretty much the same. The main thing was not to help children, but to avoid 'scandal.' That is not our word, but theirs.' The FBI's National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime found that the church used a number of techniques for avoiding bringing attention to assault claims. Such as never using words such as rape in reference to such claims, but simply calling them 'boundary issues' or 'inappropriate contact' One priest, accused of repeatedly violently sexually assaulting children, was referred to as having 'his difficulties.' Rather than investigate, the church would simply ask suspected abusers about the claims and accepted what they said without question, the report stated. If the claims against a priest began to mount, he would be transferred to a new parish where no one knew his reputation - a practice which became common, according to the report. In one case, a priest was moved from Allentown to New Mexico and then west Texas after multiple accusations of abuse emerged. He was finally arrested in Briscoe County, Texas, for molesting a boy. If the abuse claims became such a problem that the priest needed to be removed from the church, their absence would be explained as 'sick leave'. Or they would simply be removed without warning. When they were removed, they would not be reported to police but would be sent for 'evaluation' at a church-run psychiatric facility. St. Luke's Institute, e in Silver Spring, Maryland, was commonly used to 'treat' priests accused of abuse. The report states that at least 30 priests have been sent to the institute over the past few decades including Father Joseph Mueller in April 1986 after he tried to pull down the pants of a teenager. Rev. Richard Terdine was sent after he allegedly patted the genital area of a boy. St. Luke's is a Catholic organization which originally opened to treat addition but broadened its treatment to other issues. But even if the institute did find the priest was a danger to others, it was up to the church to act. In 1996, St. Luke's warned Edward Kryston of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, should have 'NO contact with adolescents' and he should avoid any ministry focused on junior or high school students, adding that there was cause for 'extreme caution'. The information was sent to Bishop Donald Wuerl who still appointed Kryston as a parochial vicar at St. Albert the Great in Baldwin in 1996. He became pastor there three years later. In 1988, St Lukes recommended Father James E. Somma should not be allowed at home alone with children and adolescents. Yet, he was allowed to remain in the priesthood until at least 2002. During that time, at least one victim accused Somma of sexually abusing him, adding that he often saw 'the same boys hung around the rectory with him.' Wuerl was alerted about another priest in October 1998, Rev. Paul Spisak, who was found to have compulsive sexual disorder and 'significant interest in grade school boys.' Wuerl assigned Spisak to residence at St. Mary of Mercy in Cecil. Spisak wasn't removed from ministry until 2003 after more allegations were made. Other treatment centers included St. John Vianney and Southdown Institute. The grand jury said the centers 'allow these experts to 'diagnose' whether the priest was a pedophile, based largely on the priest's 'self-reports',' and regardless of whether the priest had actually engaged in sexual contact with a child.' The final but one of the most important rules in the church, according to the report, was not to call the cops about sex abuse allegations. 'Handle it like a personnel matter, 'in house,' the grand jury reported. A top Pennsylvania Catholic leader has since vowed to ensure abuses 'never recur' after the report and said Friday he has 'profound remorse' and offers his 'heartfelt apology' to the victims. Bishop Ronald Gainer, of the Harrisburg Diocese, celebrates mass at the Cathedral Church of Saint Patrick in Harrisburg. He has since vowed to ensure abuses 'never recur' after the report Speaking at a Mass of forgiveness, Harrisburg Bishop Ronald Gainer opened by reading the first paragraph of this week's stunning report that said more than 300 predator priests had abused more than 1,000 children in six Pennsylvania dioceses. Forty-five of the priests named in the report served in the Harrisburg diocese. The first paragraph of the nearly 900-page report said the grand jury knows the truth: that child sex abuse within the Catholic church happened everywhere. 'In the name of our global church, I voice again my heartfelt sorrow and sincere apology to all survivors of clergy sexual abuse,' Gainer said. While acknowledging the church is faced with a 'spiritual crisis,' Gainer said most of the abuse happened long ago. The diocese has taken 'significant and effective measures to protect our children and remove any person who intends to do harm to them,' he said. The grand jury report criticized Gainer for failing to advocate the defrocking of an abusive priest. The diocese defended Gainer, saying he took swift action against that priest and another abusive priest after becoming bishop in 2014. In early August, the diocese released the names of 71 priests and other members of the church who had been accused of child sex abuse and said it was holding accountable all Harrisburg bishops of the last 70 years, announcing their names would be stripped from church properties. Friday's Mass attracted an unusually large turnout of some 350 worshippers. They included Irene Youngman, a retired social worker from Hershey, and her friend, Susan Shebosky, a retiree from Harrisburg, each of whom held a cigar box filled with white ribbons. They intended to distribute the ribbons as a way to show support for abuse victims. Youngman said she was so angry when the grand jury's report came out Tuesday that she stayed home from Mass that day. 'There's such a sense of betrayal. And an anger I have that the hierarchy isn't responding,' she said. 'I hope they will do more than they've done already. Hold the bishops accountable.' Shebosky encouraged fellow Catholics to speak up. 'Too many Catholics are in our homes, gnashing our teeth about this and I think we need to come out in a positive, supportive way and not let this be brushed aside,' she said. Steve Ciccocioppo Sr., a retired rail worker from Harrisburg, said the church had suffered a 'black eye,' but predicted it would 'withstand and grow stronger.' Ciccocioppo, who said he is a friend of Gainer's, expressed confidence in the bishop's leadership. Wuerl, seen in 2011. He served as the bishop of Pittsburgh from 1988 to 2006 and did discipline some priests but the grand jury also wrote that he reassigned other predator priests 'He's deeply in turmoil about it, but he's going to put an end to this. Things are in the process of changing that need to be changed,' he said. The grand jury report faulted Gainer over his handling of the case of the Rev. Joseph Pease, an abusive priest who retired in 2003 after admitting to sexual misconduct with a minor. In a 2014 letter to the Vatican, Gainer said he didn't want to kick Pease out of the priesthood altogether, asking that he instead live the rest of his life 'in prayer and penance, without adding further anxiety or suffering to his situation, and without risking public knowledge of crimes.' The report cited another 2014 case in which Gainer failed to call for the defrocking of a priest who'd admitted that he'd sexually abused seven young girls, raping one of them over a period of years. The Rev. James Beeman had been suspended from ministry since 1991; he died in 2016. The diocese said in a statement that since canonical trials weren't a viable option against either priest at the time, Gainer took action to make permanent the existing penalties against each one. The form letter that Gainer sent in each case 'is regrettably not written well and does not accurately represent the action that was taken,' the statement said. 'Unlike recent attempts to portray this as a cover-up, this was the only means of resolving their canonical status.' Dramatic footage of the moment two Lone Wolf members were arrested on Friday over the assassination of ex-bikie boss Mick Hawi has been released by police. Three men have now been charged over their alleged roles in the assassination of ex-Comanchero boss Mahmoud 'Mick' Hawi. Police confirmed two of those arrested were members of the Lone Wolf outlaw motorcycle gang - Yusuf Nazlioglu, 37, and Ahmad Doudar, 38. The third man arrested, associate Moustafa Salami, 36, has been charged with accessory after the fact to murder. Mal Lanyon, commander of the New South Wales Police State Crime Command, told reporters on Saturday the shooting was sparked by financial reasons linked to the Sydney construction industry. On February 15 2018, former Comancheros boss Mick Hawi (pictured) was leaving a gym in Rockdale, in Sydney's south The third man arrested, Moustafa Salami (pictured), 36, has been charged with accessory after the fact to murder 'We will allege there was a financial motive to Mr Hawi's murder and his death was to prevent further money being paid to Mr Hawi rather than any outlaw motorcycle gang conflict,' he said, Nine News reported. Police will claim Mr Hawi's life was only priced at $40,000, a sum shopped out to the two Lone Wolf members arrested for his murder - according to the Daily Telegraph. It will be alleged Doudar was offered $40,000 to resolve an issue with Hawi relating to a property dispute - at this stage it is not known if he was paid the sum or what he was expected to do for it. 'It's the fact people are allegedly brazen enough to murder an individual for an amount of money that we find so appalling and reason why we take these sorts of investigations so seriously,' Mr Lanyon said. The two gang members, aged 37 and 38, were arrested as they left a barber shop in Bexley at 4.15pm on Friday. The Lone Wolf members charged with his murder didn't apply for bail at Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday with the pair's lawyer, Leo Premutico saying they were expected to apply for bail at Central Local Court next week. The associate, Salami, a tow truck driver from Brighton Le Sands, was detained at Balmain at 8pm that evening and will also remain behind bars after he didn't apply for bail on Saturday. It will be alleged Salami helped dispose of one of the getaway cars. Police will allege the 37-year-old shot Mr Hawi while the 38-year-old planned and coordinated the shooting. Two men were arrested as they left a barbershop in Bexley at 4.15pm on Friday He was brazenly shot in the Fitness First car park while he was in his Mercedes four-wheel drive The 36-year-old has been charged with accessory after the fact to murder. The Toaster apartment block in Circular Quay where Nazlioglu and Doudar had been staying were raided by police following the arrests. The three matters have been adjourned to Central Local Court on August 23 where the men are expected to apply for bail. On February 15, 2018, the former Comancheros boss was leaving a gym in Rockdale, in Sydney's south. The 37-year-old was brazenly shot in the Fitness First car park while he was in his Mercedes four-wheel drive. In a statement on Friday police said: 'A police operation is underway across Sydney this evening. 'The search warrants relate to ongoing investigations by the Criminal Groups Squad into the murder of Mahmoud 'Mick' Hawi. 'Two men have been arrested during the operation. 'Further information will be available when it comes to hand.' NSW Police have now arrested two men in relation to the murder as part of an ongoing investigation Earlier this month strike force detectives executed search warrants on six properties across Sydney's south and southwest in Bardwell Park. The properties were in Beverly Hills, Brighton Le Sands, Carlton, Hurstville, and Padstow. Police seized $22,000 cash, electronic storage devices, mobile phones, documentation, a portable radio capable of monitoring operational police activity and four vehicles of interest to their investigation as a result of the raids. Hawi at the time of his killing had mainly flown under the radar following his release from prison in 2015. He had been jailed over the 2009 bashing death of Hell's Angels associate Anthony Zervas in a wild brawl at Sydney Airport. An off-duty police officer that stepped in during a fight at a community hall is now fighting for his life in hospital. The officer was stabbed multiple times in the stomach after a group of teenagers attempted to crash a 16-year-old's birthday party in Sydney's south-west overnight. Emergency services were called to the scene at Chopin Close in Bonnyrigg Heights at 11pm, where they found the 36-year-old man with the stomach wounds. The man was reportedly working at the 16th birthday party as a security guard, when a group of teenagers attempted to gatecrash at 10.45pm. Investigations are ongoing after an off-duty police officer got stabbed multiple times in the stomach after he intervened during a fight It is believed that a teenager allegedly attempted to punch another partygoer in the face. The teenager and three other males immediately fled from the scene where the officer pursued them on foot. The officer then got in an altercation with one of the teenagers as he tried to arrest him, before they both fell to the ground. During the struggle, he was then stabbed several times in the stomach. Although he was wounded, he was able to hold the teenager until emergency services arrived. He was rushed to Liverpool hospital for surgery in a critical condition, as the three other teenagers fled the scene. The 17-year-old male was taken into custody, but police are still looking for the other teenagers involved in the incident and have urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers. A 10 centimetre knife was found at the crime scene and is currently undergoing testing. Assistant Commissioner Peter Thurtell said the uninvited guests tried to enter the hall, resulting in the violent incident. The off-duty police officer was rushed to Liverpool hospital for surgery in a critical condition 'Some of the people in the hall attempted to speak to the people, and an off-duty police officer was stabbed several times in the stomach,' he said. 'We are looking for two other males who we believe were involved in the incident,' Assistant Commissioner Thurtell said. 'Once again, this act of bravery confirms that police officers are never off-duty, and will up-hold their oath of office to protect life and property at all times,' he said. Investigations are still underway and police urge anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers. Rescuers had to saw off a bear's head after it latched onto a man's leg in a horrific attack. Bridger Petrini was out walking his dogs in Raton, New Mexico, last month when he came face-to-face with a 400-lb bear. The bear charged at Petrini, knocking him over the edge of the hill and sending both of them rolling down the slope as the animal mauled him. Petrini managed to pull out a pistol and shoot the bear dead, but its jaw remained clamped around the 36-year-old's leg until rescue crews sawed the head off so they could free him. Rescue crews had to saw off the head of a 400-lb bear after it latched onto a man's leg during a horrific and unusual attack in New Mexico last month Bridger Petrini, a rancher and big-game hunter from Raton, described how the bear charged at him while he was out for a walk with his dogs a few weeks ago. The bear knocked Petrini, pictured, over a hill and mauled him as they tumbled down the slope before Petrini shot it Petrini detailed the shocking experience this week, admitting that he has gotten 'way too close' to the 'overly aggressive' bear. 'When he saw me, he pinned his ears down and immediately made a big charge at me,' the rancher and big-game hunter told local TV station KRQE. 'Down the hill, we went again rolling and he had bit me a time or two but he was never able to get on my upper body, so my legs took most of it.' Petrini shot and killed the bear while he was being mauled, but that didn't manage to free him from the animal's clutches. 'Somehow or another, he had bitten down on my calf muscle it had basically twisted it over his bottom jaw so he died with his teeth locked and so I wasn't able to get away from him,' he said. Before they could release Petrini's leg from the massive bear's jaw, rescuers with the Raton Fire Department and the state department of Game and Fish had to saw off the animal's head Petrini is pictured shortly after emergency crews freed his leg from the bear's brutal bite The task of moving the massive bear proved to be quite a challenge for emergency responders from Raton Fire Department and the state department of Game and Fish. They were ultimately forced to saw off the bear's head, leaving it attached to Petrini's leg before they could maneuver it off of him. Petrini was transported to University of New Mexico Hospital, where he received more than 200 stitches. Resident physician at UNM Steve McLaughlin said the hospital treats bear attack injuries every so often, but that this this one was 'extremely unusual'. 'I've never seen this before,' he said. 'Bears are huge so you can see all kinds of different injuries from bites to scratch marks from the claws to blunt force trauma.' Petrini was released after a week of recovery but has been left with extensive nerve and tissue damage in his right leg. Two Uber passengers could have 'nearly died' after their taxi plunged into the sea - yet he was still charged an 18 fare. Nick Christoforou, 31, and Sophia Toon, 23, were forced to swim for their lives after their taxi drove into the water. Mr Christoforou said he managed to open the car door and find the others after the vehicle hit the water during a work trip to the south of France. He said: 'If I wasn't in a fit and able state we would all be 100 per cent dead.' Nick Christoforou, 31, (left) and Sophia Toon, 23, (right) were forced to swim for their lives after their taxi drove off a marina and into the sea The real estate workers from Cockfosters, north London, was picked up at 1.30am in Cannes by a driver in a Citreon DS5. The car sank 10ft off the Port Pierre Canto, a marina for 500 yachts in the city. He managed to swim to a nearby boat and drag the others to safety. The driver of the vehicle also made it out alive and was breathlysed. He was found to be sober and no arrests have been made. Mr Christoforou added: 'Even now I am not certain what caused it.' A police spokesman told The Sun: 'Luckily the car sank slowly, allowing some time for the occupants to get out safely.' A route of the map which the Uber in Cannes followed whern it drove into the water Uber took the 18 fare from Nick's account, but have since refunded him. They also offered 800 compensation, which he has refused. Uber has since said he should claim on the driver's insurance as he is technically self-employed. An Uber spokeswoman said: 'We contacted both passengers to ensure they were OK and are offering counselling while they await the outcome of their claim. 'The driver involved is no longer able to use the Uber app.' ABC News(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump on Friday said he is on the verge of stripping the security clearance of a longtime Justice Department official who has emerged as a target and political talking point for Republicans upset over special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. "I think Bruce Ohr is a disgrace. I suspect Ill be taking it away very quickly," Trump said of Ohr's security clearance on Friday, just two days after the White House announced it had taken away clearances for former CIA director John Brennan, a ferocious critic of Trump. "For [Ohr] to be in the Justice Department, and to be doing what he did, that is a disgrace," Trump added. But -- even after months of repeated attacks on him from Trump and the president's political allies -- it's still unclear exactly what, if anything, Ohr did. Trump has attacked Ohr by name frequently in recent months, as his reportedly private fuming over Mueller's probe increasingly seeps onto his Twitter feed. On Tuesday, Trump accused Ohr and his wife, Nellie, of being "in on the act big time" to undermine his presidential campaign in 2016. In early 2016, when Trump was still vying for the Republican nomination, a young adviser on his campaign told an Australian diplomat he had reason to believe the Russian government had obtained "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. The diplomat alerted the FBI, which opened a counterintelligence investigation into the matter. Around the same time, backed by money from Democratic operatives, the research firm Fusion GPS hired former British spy Christopher Steele to look into Trump's alleged ties to Russia. Steele was friendly with a Fusion GPS employee's husband Bruce Ohr, an organized crime expert who was serving as associate deputy attorney general in the Justice Department. Steele ultimately compiled a "dossier" filled with an array of controversial allegations against Trump. Ohr "wasn't working on the Russia matter," Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein recently told lawmakers. Nevertheless, Ohr gave a copy of the dossier to the FBI - but by then the FBI had already obtained a copy of the dossier from another source. The dossier helped push the FBI to expand its counterintelligence investigation into whether anyone associated with Trump's campaign may have been coordinating with Russians to influence the 2016 presidential election. And, for a short period then, the FBI was in contact with Steele about his work on the matter. In October 2016, the dossier was one of many pieces of evidence the FBI used to justify its secret monitoring of Trump campaign adviser Carter Page, who the FBI believed was working as an agent for Russia and who the FBI knew had been targeted three years earlier for recruitment by Russian spies. Page has denied working for the Russians. The FBI's probe of Russian meddling and possible ties to Trump associates was being run by Peter Strzok, the now-fired FBI veteran. In late 2016 or early 2017, around the same time the FBI decided to cut off contact with Steele, Strzok and Ohr spoke as many as five times about "operational" and "investigative matters," Strzok recently told a House panel. Citing orders from FBI attorneys, Strzok wouldn't offer any more details about their interactions. But under oath he insisted to lawmakers that the true nature of what Ohr did --when it can be made public -- will both "reassure" and "disappoint" concerned Republicans. It's unclear if Ohr was using those contacts with Strzok to pass information from Steele to the FBI. At the time, Ohr was assigned to work on matters completely unrelated to Russia. A State Department website shows that in October 2017, while still in the deputy attorney general's office, he traveled to Honduras to speak at a forum about security issues facing Central America. But when Rosenstein then learned that Ohr had been in contact with Steele, "we arranged to transfer Mr. Ohr to a different office," Rosenstein recently told lawmakers. The Justice Department's inspector general is now looking into Ohr's actions, Rosenstein said. In recent months, many Republicans -- led by Trump and a small group of House members --have used Ohr to push their view that Mueller's probe is tainted. "I think that Bruce Ohr is a disgrace with his wife Nellie," Trump told reporters on Friday. "And Mr. Mueller has a lot of conflicts also." A source with knowledge of the Mueller probe described such allegations against Ohr as "a fishing expedition." Before joining the deputy attorney general's office, Ohr served as director for the Justice Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces. In 2013, the State Department described him as "a Department of Justice subject matter expert" on transnational organized crime. He had spent several years in senior positions within the department, overseeing gang- and racketeering-related prosecutions. From 1991 to 1999, he served as an assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York. He also served in private practice, and has a law degree from Harvard Law School, according to government documents posted online. On Wednesday, when the White House announced it had stripped Brennan of his security clearance, Trump spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Trump was contemplating whether to strip several others, including Ohr, of their clearances. At least two of those she mentioned, former FBI director James Comes and former deputy director Andrew McCabe, lost their clearances some time ago. In response to Brennan's loss of security clearance, a dozen senior intelligence officials -- who served Republican and Democratic presidents -- issued a joint statement, saying, "[T]he president's action regarding John Brennan and the threats of similar action against other former officials has nothing to do with who should and should not hold security clearances and everything to do with an attempt to stifle free speech." Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. But he did-- in the Arizona Senate race. Polling consistently shows that quasi-Democrat Kyrsten Sinema would beat any of the Republican Senate candidates. As you see from the graphic below, the only Republican who even gets close to Sinema in a head-to-head match-up is the one mainstream candidate, Martha McSally. McSally is also the choice of the NRSC and the DC and Phoenix establishments. They feel strongly nominating her is the only chance they have to hold onto the seat. Politico that Trumpanzee' refusal to explicitly endorse any of them for the August 28 primary "has led to a total muddle, prolonging the GOP slugfest in one of the most important Senate races in the country and allowing the presumed Democratic nominee, Kyrsten Sinema, to get a free pass... [E]stablishment Republicans have grown increasingly anxious that theyre squandering a critical window of time to define Sinema, who faces a nominal primary opponent. Shes spent millions of dollars running positive TV ads to boost her image and set the terms of the general election, while no Republican groups have countered." McConnell and NRSC chair, Cory Gardner (R-CO), have been begging Trump to endorse McSally. So far he hasn't. His base prefers the two extremist crackpots in the race, Kelli Ward or Joe Arpaio. All 3 candidates pretend that they have Trump's endorsement . Trump hasn't endorsed but he's said nice things about each one that each one is exploiting. Alex Isenstadt reported inthat Trumpanzee' refusal to explicitly endorse any of them for the August 28 primary "has led to a total muddle, prolonging the GOP slugfest in one of the most important Senate races in the country and allowing the presumed Democratic nominee, Kyrsten Sinema, to get a free pass... [E]stablishment Republicans have grown increasingly anxious that theyre squandering a critical window of time to define Sinema, who faces a nominal primary opponent. Shes spent millions of dollars running positive TV ads to boost her image and set the terms of the general election, while no Republican groups have countered." The keys to controlling the Senate next year rests with Republican-held Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Tennessee and Democratic-held North Dakota and Florida. People close to the president say not to expect any firm endorsement in the contest. President Trump has not endorsed anyone in the GOP Senate primary in Arizona and any photos or other general expressions of support shouldnt be read as such, said someone familiar with the operations of the Trump campaign. He likes all of the candidates in the race very much and looks forward to supporting our nominee in the fall campaign to replace Jeff Flake in the Senate. Two senior Republicans in the state say they expect Trump to hold a post-primary "unity" rally, though the White House hasnt yet announced any plans for an Arizona trip. In a statement to Politico, Arpaio said he was not bothered by the efforts by Republican leaders to secure a Trump endorsement for McSally. At this time my only comment is my relationship with the President speaks for itself. It is no secret that Mitch McConnell and the Establishment do not want me in the US Senate, he said. Ward, in an interview in Washington last month, said much the same. I know that the Mitch McConnell faction and the establishment pushes [McSally] out as much as they can because that's their insider advantage that I don't have, she said. While Republicans continue to slug it out, Sinemas campaign has run free on the airwaves. Shes spent more than $4 million on TV, running six different ads on health care, her work with veterans and her record of independence. Her first ad, launched in April, featured her brother, who is a veteran and police officer. One-third of Arizona voters dont identify with either party, and Sinemas ads have been aimed squarely at those voters-- none of them mention the word Trump or Democrat. The ad campaign has been so sustained that going "negative against her is going to be extremely difficult, said veteran Arizona Democratic strategist Andy Barr. Travis Smith, a consultant for McSallys campaign, brushed aside concern about Sinema owning the airwaves all summer. He said internal polling between April and July showed only a small uptick in Sinemas favorability rating, while her negative ratings also rose by a slightly higher amount. National Democrats havent had to spend to boost Sinema. Instead, a super PAC, Red and Gold, which was formed this month and hasnt filed any information on its donors, has spent $1.6 million airing anti-McSally ads. Defend Arizona, a pro-McSally super PAC, launched an ad Wednesday pushing back on the Democratic primary meddling. The group has also been running multiple attack ads against Ward. We are focused first on the primary, said Barrett Marson, a spokesman for Defend Arizona, "and then we will focus on Kyrsten Sinema's liberal record. Four ageing drug smugglers who imported more than 2million worth of cannabis into the UK disguised as dog and cat biscuits have been jailed for a combined 28 years. Brothers Kevin, 57, and John Downes, 58, Brian Chapman, 64, and 73-year-old Thomas Abrahams arranged for 747kg of cannabis resin to be delivered to a remote unit at Wallend Farm on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent. The drugs were dropped off there on 30 September 2016 in cardboard boxes that had been shipped from Guadarrama, in Spain, via couriers DHL who were unaware of the cargo, the Old Bailey heard. A fictional company, Levante European, was set up as a smokescreen to accept the consignment, which had been stuffed with hundreds of packets of pet food to mask the smell. Four aging drug smugglers who imported more than 2 milloin worth of cannabis into the UK disguised as dog and cat biscuits (pictured) Officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) had the farm under surveillance and watched on as John Downes unloaded the van. He, along with his brother and Chapman were subsequently arrested while Abrahams was apprehended the following month. The former three all admitted their involvement in the plot before the latter was convicted of the sole charge of conspiring to import class B drugs into the UK following trial back in June. Jailing the criminals, Judge Rebecca Poulet QC said: The defendants plan involved the importation into the UK of some 747kg of cannabis resin. This has been valued at between 1.6million and 2.1million street value, and 748,000 wholesale. The scheme came to fruition on 30 September 2016 when the defendant John Downes took delivery of the cannabis consignment at Wallend Farm on the Isle of Sheppey, in Kent - a remote and carefully chosen location. Kevin Downes, of Rotherhithe, southeast London, was jailed for nine years and ten months This large consignment had been imported from Spain via couriers DHL. The two pallets of cannabis packages came under the cover of dog and cat biscuits. This, and several features of the case, suggest a sophisticated and well-thought-out plan. Heidi Stonecliffe, for the prosecution, explained how the haul came in under a false company name with an entirely invented individual, named Matt Alexander, attached. An unregistered telephone number was also created while bogus business cards were printed in the month leading up to the shipments arrival by a firm based close to where the Downes were living. These were found at the site of the importation and were designed to lend a further air of legitimacy to all involved, said Ms Stonecliffe. John Downes, of Bermondsey, southeast London, was jailed for seven years and four months Judge Poulet also noted that it was clear from the messages recovered from their decrypted phones that other importations were planned. She said Kevin Downes was the organiser of this conspiracy who was undoubtedly planning further deliveries. His brother was placed into a similar role, having sorted the arrangements in Kent as well as being the one who recruited and directed Abrahams. The oldest in the gang was tasked with finding a place to store the consignment, with Chapman being the go-between between the brothers and overseeing the onward distribution of the drugs. Brian Chapman, of Rotherhithe, southeast London, was jailed for five years and four months Both Downes brothers and Chapman were last convicted back in 2012 over a similar plot to import 400kg of cannabis resin and 147kg of amphetamines, again using a fake company as cover. Kevin Downes was also jailed in 2007 for trafficking offences committed in Belgium. Whilst serving a seven-year sentence for producing four kilos of amphetamines imposed in 1983, Abrahams was handed an extra year inside for possessing the same drugs as well as a quantity of cannabis ready to supply. The pensioner was later jailed for nine years, in 1996, for smuggling in 148kg of cannabis resin which had been stashed inside the refrigerated unit of a freight trailer. Thomas Abrahams, of Minster-on-Sea, Kent, was jailed for five years and six months That shipment had also been imported under a false company name with paperwork suggesting it was beer. Fake business cards for the company were later recovered from his address. Kevin Downes, of Rotherhithe, southeast London, was jailed for nine years and ten months. John Downes, of Bermondsey, southeast London, was jailed for seven years and four months. Chapman, of Rotherhithe, southeast London, was jailed for five years and four months. Abrahams, of Minster-on-Sea, Kent, was jailed for five years and six months. At the end of the hearing, when Kevin Downes called out to his brother who was appearing via video link, John could be heard shouting: Oi, Kev, f**k em. NCA Branch Commander Jacque Beer said: Todays sentencing marks the end of a long investigation that was undertaken over a number of months, in which we worked closely with our colleagues from Kent and Essex police. This is a significant disruption of an organised crime network intent on bringing illegal drugs into the UK. The Downes brothers, Chapman and Abrahams are career criminals. They were all seeking to profit from the misery that illegal drugs cause our communities. The cannabis had a street value of more than 2.1 m and no doubt the proceeds would have funded further criminality. We take all importations of illegal drugs seriously and this joint policing operation has prevented a substantial quantity of drugs from ending up on our streets. Survivors of tragedies such as this weeks Genoa bridge collapse are filled with a toxic mixture of utter relief (sometimes disbelief) that theyre alive, and an overwhelming sense of guilt that others perished. This, combined with the terror theyve experienced and the horror theyve witnessed, can put them at a high risk of mental health problems. Studies show that around 7 per cent of soldiers who served on the front line in Afghanistan or Iraq display signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following their return. But these are individuals specially selected and trained to cope in high- pressure environments: rates of PTSD are far higher in the civilian population following trauma. So what can be done to help the survivors in the aftermath of such a disaster? Well, it isnt what you might think. A woman is comforted as she mourns a victim of a collapsed highway bridge, Genoa, Italy My heart sank a little when I read about the hordes of psychologists descending on hospitals in Genoa to support survivors and witnesses. I hope to God they are providing comfort and reassurance and avoiding therapeutic intervention. It may sound strange, but thats the last thing traumatised people need. The belief that its helpful for people to share the horrific experiences theyve just endured is a myth. Indeed, it could be disastrous for them. Sometimes, it really isnt good to talk. What we have learned from studies of military personnel in recent years is that the brain is actually rather good at processing terrible events but quietly and at its own pace. Problems develop when, in the hours after the event, people are encouraged to recount what happened to them and what they saw. Its no protection at all against related mental health issues in the future. Indeed, it actually raises the risk of mental illness such as PTSD. We know, for example, that soldiers who attend de-briefing sessions after witnessing traumatic incidents actually do worse in the longer term than those who missed the session. Going over the experience so soon after it has occurred links it with the powerful, still-raw emotions felt at the time fear, revulsion, anger, helplessness, despair etc. The survivors memories are consolidated and a pathway is created in the brain that allows the mind to run through them again and again, as though it is stuck in a groove. Of course, Im not saying that people might not need therapy down the line. But that is very different to giving therapy prophylactically before symptoms have developed. On July 7, 2005, I was working at a London hospital that had taken in survivors from the terrorist bombings in the capital. As the psychiatrist on call, my job was to go round the wards to ensure that none of the staff was asking patients about what happened. People mourn a victim of a collapsed highway bridge, at the Fiera di Genova exhibition center You can hold someones hand and reassure them if theyre distressed, I explained, but dont ask anything that might force them to relive what they went through. I also made sure that every patient had night sedation written on their charts as an option if they needed it. Sleep is the best medicine in situations like this a chance for the brain to get on and do what it does well: process traumatic experiences and render them safe so that the mind can cope. If sleep wont come naturally, then tranquillisers or even a stiff drink may help. When my partners sister rang from the Manchester Arena last summer shed been just a few feet from the foyer where the bomb went off and saw some truly horrific sights thats exactly what I advised. Your brain can do the rest, I told her, if you just give it a chance. Theres no such thing as a shopping disorder Shoppers walk past a Debenhams shop in Oxford Street, central London Do you love to shop? Do you dread your credit card bill each month, with proof of just how your purchases stack up? Well, fear not: youre probably suffering from a new condition, Compulsive Shopping Disorder. Unbelievably, there are calls to make this an official diagnosis because of the growing number of people who say that because they just cant stop buying, they must be ill and so seek help. What a relief that would be for profligate shoppers! Once something is deemed an illness, the only proper response is sympathy: That 300 pair of shoes isnt my fault, darling, its my CSD playing up. You cant chastise someone who has a disorder. I despair of what I see as the creeping medicalisation of everyday life: it removes any sense of personal responsibility for our behaviour and its consequences, and any need for self-discipline. Its the same with sex addiction, now a formally recognised condition: No, Im not a sleazy character who cant keep his hands to himself. Im ill. Similar attitudes are rife in schools. Children are labelled with terms such as school refusal disorder (not wanting to go to school) and oppositional defiant syndrome (hostile behaviour to figures in authority). Its simply an excuse not to think about, and address, the underlying cause social or environmental factors or to discipline the child, while determining what needs to change to improve the situation. Advertisement Passengers travelling on state-of-the-art trains along a new 15billion, 60-mile rail line will need strong bladders because none of the carriages will have a loo. The fleet of 70 Bombardier Class 345 trains built in Derby and costing well over 1billion in total will cover the 102-minute journey on the Crossrail service from Reading in Berkshire to Shenfield in Essex. Anyone caught short will have to get off the train to use station toilets. Scroll down for video Passengers travelling on state-of-the-art trains along a new 15billion, 60-mile rail line will need strong bladders because none of the carriages will have a loo Some of the lavatory-free trains are already running on shorter journeys along the Elizabeth Line, which won't be fully completed until December 2019. It will take in Reading, Heathrow, Liverpool Street, Paddington, Abbey Wood in south-east London and Shenfield. Each 200m train will be almost twice as long as a London Tube train, and will carry up to 1,500 people at peak times. Transport for London, which is overseeing the partly public-funded project, said adding toilets would 'displace' 600 passengers an hour. But the prospect of making the full journey without a toilet on board has unnerved some. Valerie Graves, from Tilehurst in Reading, said: 'Many passengers will be elderly and disabled, parents of young children, not to mention anxious travellers. 'Trains break down, signal failures occur, and many stations do not have working toilets. These trains will not be like Underground trains, which go much shorter distances than Crossrail.' A TfL spokesman said: 'The Elizabeth Line will be a high-frequency, metro-style service. The average time a passenger will travel will be 20 minutes.' When Katie Stubblefield's boyfriend broke up with her, in a moment of madness and despair, the pretty teenager snatched her brother Robert's hunting rifle, locked herself in the bathroom and shot herself in the head. When Robert kicked down the door, he discovered his sister with her face 'gone'. The bullet, which was fired upwards as she rested the gun barrel under her chin, had destroyed almost everything in an upwards and inwards triangle, from her chin to between her eyebrows. Katie Stubblefield, 21, is the youngest person to get a full face transplant (right), three years after she shot herself in the head aged 18 (left) The 18-year-old's nose and sinuses, her mouth (apart from the corners of her lips), part of her forehead, and most of her jaw and facial bones were destroyed. Her eyes were so badly damaged she was left with limited vision. Astonishingly, Katie survived. Perhaps even more astonishingly, doctors have been able to give her a new face and the opportunity of a life with some semblance of normality. Three years and 22 operations later, Katie became, at the age of 21, the youngest person ever to receive a full face transplant. She is one of 40 people worldwide to have undergone the procedure, but surgeons who treated her believe she had the worst injuries of any patient to date, requiring one of the most extensive transplants yet undertaken. It culminated in an epic, 31-hour procedure at the world-famous Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, during which a team of doctors effectively replaced 100 per cent of her facial tissue with that of a 31-year-old female donor. Katie's incredible story, documented by a team from National Geographic magazine, was published this week. The bullet destroyed almost everything in an upwards and inwards triangle, from her chin to between her eyebrows Even now, her ordeal is not over. She is, in effect, a human guinea pig in an immensely complicated specialism still in its infancy. Her progress indeed, her survival is fraught with the risk of her body rejecting the transplanted face, so she must remain on high doses of powerful immuno-suppressive drugs and be constantly monitored by doctors. There is also, sadly, a risk of Katie herself 'rejecting' her new identity. At least one other face transplant recipient has committed suicide. What emerges from her story is Katie's determination to embrace this second chance she's been given, whatever the challenges. Raised in a devoutly Christian family in Lakeland, Florida, Katie was 'fearless and a lot of fun' as a child, and shared a sardonic wit with her older brother, Robert, according to their sister, Olivia. As she matured, she became immensely competitive at school and in sport. But after the family moved to Oxford, Mississippi, she suffered a succession of setbacks, including medical problems and her mother losing her job as a teacher at Katie's school. Three years and 22 operations later, Katie became, at the age of 21, the youngest person ever to receive a full face transplant Then, in March 2014, Katie discovered her boyfriend was sending text messages to another girl, and he ended their relationship. Distraught, she went to her brother's home and attempted suicide. In the aftermath, she was taken to a local hospital and then transferred to another in Memphis, Tennessee, where surgeons managed to keep her alive but failed in their attempt to cover the huge wound in her face with a tissue graft from her abdomen. Five weeks later, she was moved to the Cleveland Clinic, where surgeons looked at her tiny, 7 st 7 lb frame and wondered whether they could find enough tissue for the reconstructive work she required. Katie's brain was partially exposed and had suffered traumatic injury. Some on her team of 15 specialists feared she might die, but in a string of operations, they stabilised her condition and patched up her face. Brian Gastman, a plastic surgeon and one of the team leaders, created a rudimentary nose and upper lip using tissue from her thighs, while a piece of her Achilles tendon was used to rebuild her chin and lower lip. Using a three-dimensional model made from a scan of Olivia's jaw, the team built a new lower jawbone from titanium and a piece of her calf bone. It culminated in an epic, 31-hour procedure at the world-famous Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, during which a team of doctors effectively replaced 100 per cent of her facial tissue with that of a 31-year-old female donor Her eyes had been displaced by the force of the bullet, and so they moved them closer together. Katie got to know her embryonic new face by touch, but it was a long way from her dream of an appearance that wouldn't automatically make her stand out in a crowd. Most noticeably, it featured a crooked sausage of flesh in the centre and a bulbous chin below. Katie called it her 'Shrek face', a reference to the pudding-faced film character. A face transplant was the only option. Her parents, who had left Mississippi to live in a house near the clinic (owned by a charity for parents of hospitalised young patients), hadn't realised such surgery was possible until a doctor in Memphis mentioned it. Katie's father, Robb, a former church minister, has said: 'There was an older trauma surgeon who told us: 'It's the worst wound I've ever seen of its kind.' He added: 'The only thing I can think of that would give her functional life again is a face transplant.' Adrea Schneider, 31, (left) was the donor face after she died of a cocaine overdose. Her facial tissue and bones were used to construct Katie's new face (right) Katie said she, too, was dumbfounded when told about the revolutionary procedure. 'I had no clue what a face transplant was. When my parents helped explain everything, I was very excited to get a face again,' she said. She says she cannot remember anything about the day she shot herself or, indeed, the operations that followed, and that she had never thought of suicide before. She 'felt so guilty that I had put my family through such pain'. It proved crucial that psychiatrists were persuaded her suicide attempt was, as her family insisted, an impulsive act that wasn't reflective of her normal personality. One of the earliest transplant patients, a man who had also shot himself, was given a new face by doctors in Paris. It was judged a success, but he killed himself three years later. The team who had worked so hard to repair him were devastated, and their leader urged others in the field not to operate on other 'survivors' of suicide. Katie underwent an extensive psychological evaluation before the operation to ensure she was mentally stable, aware of the risks, and could be trusted to stick to an exacting medical regimen. Katie with her parents, who live with her near the clinic, after the operation She learned that she would be a beneficiary of some 14 years of experience in the field, with much of the expertise developed at the Cleveland Clinic. Until 2004, the best a patient in her position could have hoped for was a 'Shrek face'. Then, in 2005, French surgeons performed the world's first partial facial transplant. The first full face transplant was carried out in Spain in 2010 on a man injured in a shooting accident. Maria Siemionow, a scientist at the Cleveland Clinic, radically advanced what was possible after working with animals. But it wasn't until last year that a suitable donor was found for Katie. In May 2017, Sandra Bennington agreed to donate her granddaughter Adrea Schneider's face, after she died from a cocaine overdose. Katie's surgery was financed through the U.S. Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine, which researches the treatment of injured servicemen. Her age and injuries provided the institute with a close equivalent of a typical battlefield victim. The 31-hour operation began on May 4 three days after Adrea had died. It involved 11 surgeons and several other specialists who had been practising for months on cadavers, one team removing the face of the donor and the other attaching it to the recipient. The new face was transferred to the adjacent theatre where surgeons placed it on Katie and immediately started to connect up arteries and veins Adrea's body on a ventilator to keep her organs and tissues supplied with oxygen and blood was in an adjoining operating room. (Her liver, kidneys, lungs and heart were also being donated.) Dr Gastman made the first incision on the donor's face and, over the course of 16 hours, three to four surgeons bent close over Adrea for their painstaking work. After removing her eyes so the corneas could be donated to another recipient, the surgeons delicately dissected the main nerves controlling the muscles governing facial expression, and the sensory fibres that provide taste to the tongue and to glands allowing salivation and tears. Next, they cut into bone the upper and lower jaw, most of the cheekbones and bones near the eye sockets. All of these would be transferred to Katie. The blood vessels were removed last, to reduce the time the face was without a blood supply, and 'tagged' so they could be matched to what remained of Katie's vessels. Shortly after midnight on the second day of the operation, Adrea's face was finally removed and placed on a surgical tray, floating in preserving solution. Its eye sockets empty, mouth open and the skin turning pale as it was deprived of blood, it resembled a rubber Halloween mask. Katie walks down the hospital hallway days after the surgery as she endures a long recovery It was transferred to the adjacent theatre where surgeons placed it on Katie and immediately started to connect up arteries and veins. As soon as they unclamped Katie's veins and arteries, the blood rushed in and the face 'blushed'. 'There was a very large internal sigh of relief by almost all of us surgeons,' said Dr Gastman. The team reversed the steps they had taken to remove the face, working from the neck up. Its bones were connected to Katie's bones with special plates. Some nerves were left to regenerate, others were connected by micro- surgeons with stitches no thicker than a strand of hair. The eyes were sewn shut to protect them. Then, the team encountered a problem. The original plan had been to do only a partial face transplant, replacing the missing central triangle of Katie's face. They would leave alone the surrounding areas cheeks, forehead, eyelids and the sides of her face to preserve the features that made her recognisably Katie, and reduce the risk of her body rejecting the transplanted skin. The team reversed the steps they had taken to remove the face, working from the neck up. Its bones were connected to Katie's bones with special plates However, they discovered the donor's face was too big and its skin tone noticeably darker than Katie's. A full transplant would look much better, but was riskier. After recalling how Katie just wanted to be 'a face in the crowd that no one looks at', her parents made the agonising decision for the surgery to continue. Katie was discharged from hospital in August 2017 to continue convalescence and therapy. She takes 'a two-and-a-half-page list' of drugs each day, works with a speech therapist because her tongue isn't functioning properly, studies Braille because of her limited vision and has physical and occupational therapy. She's had three major 'clean-up' operations since the transplant to fine-tune the transformation, including one to help her speak more clearly. There will be more operations to come, and Katie and her parents are still living near the clinic. One possibility is 'whole eye' transplants which scientists say will be possible within a decade to improve her sight. The psychological adjustments for all concerned have proved a challenge. Katie's mother says she saw nothing of her daughter in her new face, and even wonders if she might have inherited a new personality. There will be more operations to come, and Katie and her parents are still living near the clinic. One possibility is 'whole eye' transplants which scientists say will be possible within a decade to improve her sight For the surgeons who gave her that second chance, she remains a testament to many things to the terrible consequences of a single, rash decision, to strength in adversity and, above all, to the indomitable human spirit to live Katie's future is uncertain; her body could reject the transplanted face and the immunosuppressant drugs she must take to reduce the risk make her vulnerable to infection and cancer. However, her doctors deem the surgery a success, not least because her body hasn't rejected her transplant so far. But they had hoped her vision would be better. Katie herself describes her rehabilitation process as 'many, many daily steps', adding: 'I am able to touch my face now, and it feels amazing.' She is busy planning for the future and hopes to take an online university course and become a counsellor and motivational speaker, steering teenagers away from suicide. 'Life is an amazing gift and I am thankful to have a second chance to live my life,' she says. 'So many people have helped me; now I want to help other people.' For the surgeons who gave her that second chance, she remains a testament to many things to the terrible consequences of a single, rash decision, to strength in adversity and, above all, to the indomitable human spirit to live. Police are investigating claims a recruit was waterboarded at world-renowned military academy Sandhurst. Two officer cadets are alleged to have pinned down their victim before pouring water over a cloth covering his face, the Sun reported. The process induces the feeling of drowning. Royal Military Police are investigating claims that two officer recruits at Sandhurst pinned down a third man and waterboarded him (file image) The Royal Military Police were called into Sandhurst - which was once attended by Princes William and Harry - when allegations were reported to senior officers. A source told the paper: 'Everyone in the Army is talking about this. 'To allegedly happen somewhere like Sandhurst makes it all the more shocking.' Colonel Richard Kemp, former Commander of British Forces in Afghanistan, said: 'Sandhurst doesn't breed soldiers, it breeds leaders. 'That is why allegations of bullying, especially bullying involving waterboarding, will be so shocking to those running Sandhurst today. 'This behaviour must never be tolerated, and I'm certain the Army will take the firmest action if these sickening allegations prove true.' Brigadier Bill Wright, Commander of the academy in Camberley, Surrey, said: 'The Army and I expect the highest standards of behaviour at Sandhurst. 'Anyone found to have fallen short is dealt with robustly, including dismissal, if appropriate.' Rasheed Powell, 43, was sentenced to 148 after forcing couples to have sex at gunpoint before raping the women A father-of-two has been sentenced to 148 years in prison for forcing couples to have sex at gunpoint in New Jersey motels, before locking the men in bathrooms and raping the women. Rasheed Powell, of Elizabeth, was convicted in March for 60 counts that include aggravated robbery and sexual assault. The crimes took place in the towns of Elizabeth and Linden in New Jersey over the course of two months in 2012, and there were eight victims four men and four women in total. On four occasions, Powell, 43, stalked his victims before forcing his way into their motel rooms, making the couples perform sex acts in front of him, then locking up the men in the bathroom and raping the women. Springfield Municipal Court heard how Powell would make his victims 'loudly compliment' him so their locked-up partners would hear. He was caught when responding to a traffic summons in court April 2012. When arrested his bail was set at $3million. It took two hours for Powell to be read his fate in court when he was sentenced August 16. A jury deliberated over three-and-a-half days at the end of the eight-week trial. The Union County Prosecutor's Office Special Victims Unit tried for 200 years but he was given 148. His sentencing was based on 24 counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, and eight counts of robbery which is a first degree crime. In addition, Powell was charged with 12 counts of sexual assault, 12 weapons offenses, and four counts of burglary, which is a second degree crime. One victim says she's afraid of people and what theyre doing after the traumatizing incident at the Swan Motel in Linden (picture above) Powells attorney Erin Cook asked he only be punished per couple, not per individual, so that he would only get 80 years. He has already spent a total of 14 years in prison and has been in trouble with the law since he was 14 years old. Superior Court Judge, Robert Kirsch, was having none of it though, calling Powell a serial rapist and mentioning the extensive evidence they had against him. As well as his ex-girlfriend handing in the mask he used to disguise his identity as well as his jacket and gun, rape kits were used to match his DNA. Your reign of terror ends here, now, the judge added. It didnt stop Powell from claiming he didnt get a fair trial, however. mycentralnewjersey.com reports he said: In due time proof will come out. I'm innocent. Four of his victims were present in court, two men and two women, who shared the stories of how the horror affected their lives. Attendees at Springfield Municipal Court (pictured) heard how Powell would make his victims 'loudly compliment' him so their locked up partners would hear A woman assaulted at a Route 1&9 motel said: I hope you don't have the option to see daylight again. Powells victim faced him to call him a monster and told those in attendance 'I'm afraid of people and what they are doing. I focus on work, family and I go straight home.' She was attacked at the Swan Motel in Linden. The Benedict Motel in Linden, now called the Bentley, was also the setting for one of his horrific crimes. In Elizabeth, his victims were at the Spring Lane Motel and the Royal Motel. Another woman, who was raped on Easter Sunday in 2012 and asked for him to get life in prison, told the packed court how she has since suffered from panic attacks and had nightmares. Additionally she has self-mutilated and had suicidal thoughts after Powell threatened to kill her if she told anyone. New court documents suggest that within weeks of a south Georgia teacher's 2005 disappearance, two of her ex-students told friends at a party they had killed her and burned her body. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Ryan Alexander Duke and Bo Dukes made the admission a month after Tara Grinstead was reported missing in October 2005. However, authorities told the newspaper in February 2017 that Duke 'never came up on our radar until the last few days.' The tip led the Duke's arrest. One week later, Dukes was arrested. Grinstead, 30, an Irwin County High School teacher and former beauty queen, was last seen on October 22, 2005, when she left a cookout and said she was going straight home. Two days later, she was reported missing when she didn't show up to teach history. New court documents reveal that two men indicted in 2017 for the 2005 murder of missing high school teacher Tara Grinstead allegedly told friends at a party that they killed Grinstead shortly after her disappearance Ryan Alexander Duke (left) was arrested and indicted on multiple charges including felony murder in 2017. Authorities said he burglarized the teacher's home and killed her with his hands. Bo Dukes (right) was indicted in 2017 on charges including concealing a death Duke shown in court in 2017 and in his 2002 high school yearbook photo. Both Duke and Dukes attended the school that Grinstead taught at Her house was found locked, her car parked in the driveway. Her dog and cat were home, but Grinstead's purse and keys were gone. A latex glove - the type worn by police officers and medical workers - was found in her yard. Authorities suspected foul play from the beginning, but found little physical evidence, leading her to be classified as a missing person. Because Duke and Dukes were identified as suspects in 2005, but not charged until 2017, all but the murder charge should be dropped, Duke's public defenders claimed in one of two dozen motions filed in the past week. Court documents filed this week in Irwin County Superior Court, in Ocilla, Georgia, said their comments were reported to police but they weren't arrested until 2017. Duke's attorneys said in court motions that because it took so long to arrest them, all but the murder charge should be dropped, due to the statute of limitations. 'It is undisputed that Irwin County law enforcement knew of these crimes within months of the disappearance of Tara Grinstead,' a court motion states. 'In fact, a search of the area where Ms. Grinstead's body was allegedly burned was conducted ...' 'Duke and Dukes were identified as suspects and known to law enforcement in 2005,' the motion states. 'By a generous application of the statute of limitations of four years, the statute would have run (expired) near December of 2009.' Grinstead, 30, was an Irwin County High School teacher and former beauty queen. She was last seen on October 22, 2005, after leaving a cookout and saying she was going straight home The Georgia Bureau of Investigation declined to comment and referred questions to the district attorney who could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon. In another motion, Duke's attorney asks that his indictment be dismissed because the language used is too 'vague, ambitious and indefinite.' In April 2017, a grand jury indicted Duke on six counts, including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, burglary and concealing the death of another. Authorities said that Duke allegedly burglarized the teacher's home, and used his hands to kill her inside the residence, according to warrants that were read at a court hearing when his arrest was announced. He then supposedly removed her body from the home with the intent of concealing her death, the warrants said. In June 2017, Dukes was indicted on charges including concealing a death, tampering with evidence, and hindering apprehension of a criminal. Dukes is the nephew of the owner of a pecan farm where authorities believe they found evidence linked to Grinstead's murder. A hearing on the motions has been scheduled for September 20 in Irwin County. British Airways has been accused of giving special treatment to City workers British Airways has been accused of giving special treatment to City workers by continuing to offer them complementary food and drink in economy class. The airline faced a backlash from passengers after scrapping these perks on short haul economy flights in January last year. But the service is still ongoing under its CityFlyer brand from London City airport a major hub for business travellers. A BA plane lands as two other grounded planes sit on the runway at Heathrow Airport Passengers say that the service in CityFlyers economy class including extra legroom is a stark contrast to the increasingly pared back, cramped experience in economy class with BA. One CityFlyer passenger said he was offered coffee and a snack on his flight from Edinburgh, adding that BAs subsidiaries normally operate a superior service to BA. James Daley, of Fairer Finance, said: I can see why people would get upset that business travellers get special treatment while families flying with BA get a pared back service. BA said that CityFlyer is used by holidaymakers as well as business travellers. It added that free food and drinks will be ditched on the CityFlyer service next year. Violence in schools is becoming more frequent and intense, yet some believe that the students' parents are to blame. A record number of teachers in New South Wales schools have lodged compensation claims regarding violence inflicted by students. NSW is believed to be the worst state in the country when it comes to violence in schools, and the numbers only seem to be getting worse. New figures have shown that violence in schools is rising, yet some believe that students' parents are to blame (stock image) Last year saw figures more than double from 17 violence-related claims lodged in 2016, to 41 in 2017, The Saturday Telegraph reported. There has already been 15 assaults lodged so far this year, with expectations for more to come. Australian Catholic University Associate Professor Philip Riley said that the children may be repeating behaviour they are enduring at home from violent parents. 'Kids are seeing parents modelling this sort of behaviour. We have a much more ingrained problem with violence in this country than we're caring to admit,' he said. Professor Riley said that the violence is becoming more and more intense, and unfortunately more frequent. 'It is everything; biting, scratching, kicking, throwing things,' he said. While many believe NSW is the worst state when it comes to violence, just last month it was revealed that staff at Queensland schools submitted 359 claims of physical violence between June 2017 and June 2018. A record number of teachers in New South Wales schools have lodged compensation claims regarding violence inflicted by students (stock image) This number is higher than the previous year by 55 claims, and includes incidents of students punching teachers, throwing chairs or tackling them to the ground. A spokesman from the NSW Department of Education said that they are trying to combat the issue by modifying violent student's behaviour. The spokesman also said that they're implementing strategies to support teachers and education employees that are affected by workplace injuries. 'The programs implemented under the strategy have focused on injury prevention support and recovery at work for staff,' they said. Police in London have accepted equipment donated by the public in their bid to crack down on knife crime, it emerged last night. Mark Webb, 49, who lives near the scene of the attacks in Camberwell, told the Telegraph he has raised almost 1,000 in donations and cash to buy kit for his local police teams. The equipment was being used to search for caches of weapons hidden locally by gang members, Mr Webb said. Police in London have accepted equipment donated by the public in their bid to crack down on knife crime, it emerged last night (file photo) I was doing weapons sweeps with the police and they didnt have any metal detectors or equipment that would be helpful, such as powerful torches and inspection mirrors, he said. I created a package explaining what was going on in the local area, what was needed and that the police didnt have the money for it. Mr kemp approached local businesses, including the local Co-op which gave almost 330 to the cause. I bought equipment off Amazon and gave it to the police, he said. Shopkeeper Heinnie Hayes also contributed powerful torches to be used by police during weapons searches. Chief Inspector Anne-Marie Cowley from the Metropolitan Police said: 'Responding to the needs and priorities of local neighbourhoods is the top priority for police in Southwark. 'Our neighbourhood policing set-up is committed to local communities, with two dedicated ward officers and a dedicated PCSO in each Southwark ward. 'The rollout of mobile technology will also allow them to spend more time on their ward, increasing their capacity for engagement activity, including community contact sessions and via social media. 'Officers from the Territorial Support Group and Violent Crime Task Force are also available to assist with major incidents such as the awful series of stabbings which occurred in Camberwell on Thursday night.' 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Lindsey Robert Rose shot dead Fatma Ozanal before stabbing his former lover Kerrie Pang to death and setting fire to what was then a massage parlour. The Flagstaff Street property in Gladesville is now set for the wrecking ball after it was it was purchased last week by the owner of a neighbouring property, realestate.com.au reported. Lindsey Robert Rose killed two people at what was then a massage parlour in Flagstaff Street, Gladesville, Sydney, on Valentine's Day 1994, before setting it on fire (pictured) The Gladesville property (pictured) was reportedly sold for $1.81million last week Lindsey Robert Rose (pictured) was responsible for the deaths of a total of five people in Sydney between 1984 and 1994 Rose murdered his former girlfriend Kerrie Pang (left) after shooting dead Fatma Ozanal (right) at the Gladesville property The contracts of sale had notified buyers of the 'deaths in the property'. Under New South Wales law, real estate agents must disclose 'material facts' including a violent death which could affect a property sale. The site is likely to be combined with the neighbouring property to create one commercial site. Rose, a former 'hero' paramedic, brothel owner, drug dealer and private investigator, was responsible for the deaths of a total of five people in Sydney. He shot dead Bill Cavanagh and Carmelita Lee in their home in 1984 after an altercation. Three years later he stabbed Reynette Holford more than 30 times with a screwdriver after allegedly attempting to rob an apartment. He remained a free man as police could not find the culprit. He then murdered Ms Pang and Ms Ozanal at the Gladesville property on Valentine's Day, 1994. Lindsey admitted to his crimes when being questioned by police, who described him as 'an absolute clinical psychopath', and he was sentenced to five life sentences without parole. The Greenwich property (pictured) where reclusive hoarder Bruce Roberts lived and died has been cleaned up and put on the market for $1.8million A mummified body was recently discovered at the Greenwich property among years of accumulated rubbish The Gladesville address is one of a string of property's across Sydney up for sale that have a grisly past. The Greenwich house where a mummified body was discovered among years of accumulated rubbish has been cleaned and put on the market for $1.8million. The home belonged to Bruce Roberts, a reclusive hoarder who died of a heart attack in July, 2017, almost a year before the body was uncovered. The mummified body was identified in June as Shane John Snellman, a small-time criminal who would now be 55 if had he lived. He is believed to have died of a gunshot wound. Police are still investigating the possibility that Roberts was living with Snellman's corpse for as long as a decade. The Surry Hills property where the decomposing body of Natalie Jean Wood (pictured) was found in 2011 is up for sale Ms Wood died some time after Christmas in 2003 in the bedroom (pictured) of her home in but her body was not found until police searched the property in July 2011 Also up for sale is a three-bedroom terrace on Kippax Street, Surry Hills, where an elderly woman's body lay decomposing for eight years. Natalie Jean Wood died at the age of 87 of natural causes and lay unnoticed on the floor of her bedroom until her body was discovered when police searched her property in July 2011. The property was then boarded up until it was sold in 2016 for $1.1million, before it underwent a renovation. It is up for sale again with a reported price guide of $1.5million. A white woman has been filmed calling the cops on a black corrections officer for 'breaking into' his own car. Corvontae Davis says he was topping up the parking meter in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, when he was approached by the unidentified woman. 'So, apparently now black people can't enter their own vehicles,' Davis wrote, as he shared the video on Facebook. A white woman has been filmed calling the cops on a black corrections officer for 'breaking into' his own car Corvontae Davis says he was topping up the parking meter in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, when he was approached by the unidentified woman (pictured) 'RepoRachel called the cops on me today here in the historic word of Milwaukee Wisconsin as she believed I was breaking into my own car. 'When I went back to retrieve change to put into the parking meter.' The Oak Creek resident said he struggled briefly to open the doors of his 2016 Ford Mustang with his keyless entry. So he attempted to enter from both sides of the car before he eventually was able to enter. But he says that rather than ask what was wrong, the woman crossed to the other side of the street and then called the police. 'I was getting ready to put money in a meter or whatever, and she has nothing else better to do and asked me if I was breaking into my car,' Davis said on video. Corvontae Davis was outraged when the woman called the cops on him for trying to enter his own car Davis (pictured on his car) a local prison officer added that the whole incident was 'very embarrassing' He told the Milwaukee Journal that the whole incident was 'very embarrassing.' 'I work for the State of Wisconsin as an officer at a local prison and to be accused of such behavior, it's mind-boggling,' he said. Davis said he decided to wait until the police arrived. 'She stood there for a while. When she noticed that the cops arrived, she went off and didn't interact with the police department. She didn't interact with me,' Davis said. 'She left me out there to explain myself and the situation and what was going on.' Davis said he was quickly able to establish he was the owner of the car. He also said the police apologized for the woman's call. Davis said that he is hoping to identify the woman but all he wants from her is an apology. 'MPD did get involve but handled it appropriately and let me enjoy my day,' he said. This incident is just the latest in a series of ignorant white people calling the cops on people of color for living their day to day lives. Last month a cashier at a Dollar General store, dubbed 'Coupon Carl', called the police on a black customer after he deemed she had used too many coupons. Madonna Wilburn was checking out with $30-worth of groceries at the discount shop in Buffalo, New York, on July 18 when a manager believed to be Ken Dudek accused her of 'trying to take advantage of the system' by using digital coupons. Dudek became increasingly frustrated while trying to figure out how to apply the coupons, allegedly telling the mother-of-four: 'I hate people like you'. This incident is just the latest in a series of ignorant white people calling the cops on people of color for living their day to day lives. Last month a cashier at a Dollar General store, dubbed 'Coupon Carl', called the police on a black customer after he deemed she had used too many coupons Wilburn, a mother-of-four, started recording the incident after Dudek accused her of 'trying to take advantage of the system', also allegedly telling her: 'I hate people like you' After he called the police, Wilburn met responding officers outside the store, who declined to file and charges and gave her permission to leave. A similar incident was reported on July 14 at a CVS in Chicago, where a white manager called the police on black customer Camilla Hudson, 53, because he didn't recognize the coupon she was attempting to use. The ordeal went viral on social media as the offending manager, Morry Matson, was dubbed 'Coupon Carl'. The drug store later issued an apology to Hudson and confirmed that Matson and another manager involved in the incident had been fired. While Dudek hasn't yet been given a nickname, he joins the ranks of Coupon Carl, Barbecue Becky, Permit Patty, Permit Betty and Pool Patrol Paula, all of whom have been caught on camera reporting seemingly innocuous behavior by African-Americans or other minorities to police. Barbecue Becky made headlines in May for calling the cops on two Black men who were grilling in an Oakland park. Shortly after came Permit Patty who called the cops on an eight-year-old girl who was selling bottles without a permit. Then came Pool Patrol Paula who was arrested after she assaulted a 15-year-old black teen at a South Carolina pool. Most recently, Permit Betty made headlines after she called authorities on a vendor. Permit Betty had questioned whether or not the vendor had a seller's license. New powers to crack down on McMafia-style crime lords have only been used three times since they were first launched six months ago, it has been revealed. The 'unexplained wealth order' was introduced earlier this year to help officials identify and seize British property suspected of being bought by dirty money laundered by corrupt foreign criminals. All three UWOs have so far been used by the National Crime Agency against properties owned by the big-spending wife of a fat-cat banker. Ministers vowed to use 'unexplained wealth orders' to crack down on McMafia-style gangs in cities like London by seizing property, but the new powers have barely been used (file) But campaigners have complained that the orders have been used on too few occasions and lack transparency - adding that officials who promised to 'go after' corrupt crime lords and politicians have failed to fulfil their promise, the Times reported. The four other government agencies allowed to use the seizure powers include HM Revenue & Customs, the Serious Fraud Office, the Financial Conduct Authority and the Crown Prosecution Service. But not a single one has deployed them. Ben Wallace, the security minister, said earlier this year that he wanted to use the 'full force of the government' against people suspected of money laundering. He said: 'When we get to you we will come for you, for your assets and we will make the environment that you live in difficult.' He added that he would exert pressure on law enforcement agencies to start used the orders. Boris Johnson, at the time the foreign secretary, said that the use of the orders 'would be intensified' in response to the novichok attack in Salisbury. Transparency International, an NGO which fights corruptions, claims to have identified British properties worth 4.4billion linked to criminals or 'politically exposed persons' and demanded an increase in the use of the orders. Rachel Davies Teka, of Transparency International, said: 'Asset recovery rates have been woefully low compared with the scale of the problem. Boris Johnson vowed to 'intensify' the use of such orders in response to the Salisbury poisoning, but they have so far been used just three times 'While we understand the need to test the new power, there is no shortage of cases and the government should ensure a notable increase in the use of UWOs. 'Failure to do so would damage the credibility of the UK's rhetoric on providing a hostile environment to dirty money.' Corruption Watch hit out at the 'veil of secrecy' surrounding economic crime cases in the courts, adding that the 'the privacy safeguards around UWOs are too strict, preventing any meaningful scrutiny from the public'. It is understood that the National Crime Agency is examining using the order against more than 120 wealthy foreign citizens. Some senior law enforcement officials have been concerned at what they felt were overpromises by government officials and emphasised that UWOs are 'not a silver bullet'. They say that the orders face tough challenges in the courts where investigators are required to prove that a suspect's wealth was acquired illegally. In the case of countries such as Russia, with which Britain has no legal cooperation, it might be impossible to obtain that proof. The first UWO was used this year against the wife of a 'fat cat banker' who splashed over 16million in luxury department store Harrods and is now fighting to keep ownership of her London mansion. The National Crime Agency demanded the fugitive, known only as 'Mrs A', faces losing her British properties unless she reveals the source of her wealth. Jonathan Hall QC, for the NCA, told the court that Mrs A, who is also wanted for trial, had spent a whopping 16m in Harrods over a 10 year span - and would make weekly trips to high-end department stores where she'd splash thousands of pounds each week on a range of luxury goods. But Mrs A claimed in court papers that she gets her money from her husband's successful overseas enterprises. A man who robbed a Canadian bank in 1958 returned to the same spot, six decades later, to enjoy a meal at the restaurant that now sits at that location. Riviera restaurant in Ottawa sits at the former location of an Imperial Bank of Canada, where Boyne Johnston stole approximately $260,000 on a Friday back in 1958. 'It was a great little legend for us, but I don't think any of us knew that he was still alive,' Alex McMahon, Riviera's wine director, explained to CBC. Riviera restaurant in Ottawa sits at the former location of an Imperial Bank of Canada, where Boyne Johnston stole approximately $260,000 in 1958 Johnston was a chief teller at the bank when he made his run for the United States with the money. Pictured (sitting) when apprehended in Denver, 17 days later 'And then a reservation popped up. And in the notes, the guy had said, 'I'm bringing my friend back to the bank that he robbed.'' Last Friday, Johnston visited the restaurant with a friend and was offered a tour of the eatery. 'I guess [Johnston] mentioned to his friend that he would love to come back and see the bank at some point in his life, and they found out that it was a restaurant now so they just made a day trip,' McMahon added. 'It seemed like he was home. He was pretty blown away.' Last Friday, Johnston visited the restaurant with a friend and was offered a tour of the eatery McMahon offered to give the legend and his friend a tour of the facilities, but Johnston wound up informing them of the history behind the building. 'He [took] us through where everything was when it was the bank, and how he did it, how he pulled off the robbery,' McMahon said. Wanted posters shared that Johnston was a 'night club habitue' and a 'champagne drinker [who] enjoys female companionship,' as he was known to go on large spending spree with his stolen funds Johnston - who had been a chief teller at the bank and just walked out when he robbed the bank - quickly ran off to the United States. Wanted posters shared that Johnston was a 'night club habitue' and a 'champagne drinker [who] enjoys female companionship,' as he was known to go on large spending spree with his stolen funds. There was $10,000 reward for his detainment, and Johnston was eventually caught 17 days after escaping. He had been found in a Denver nightclub. At the time he was said to have said he 'knew all along [he'd ] be caught' adding that he was 'glad it's over.' Johnston was sentenced to four years at the former Kingston Penitentiary for his crimes. McMahon and the Riviera's head chef hung on to every detail that Johnston shared from his time, including the Corvette he brought with the money and the company he kept. Johnston (right) was sentenced to four years at the former Kingston Penitentiary for his crimes 'A reservation popped up. And in the notes, the guy had said, 'I'm bringing my friend back to the bank that he robbed,'' said Alex McMahon, wine director at the eatery The group enjoyed a glass of bubbly inside the Riviera's wine cellar - the former bank vault. 'It was really cinematic,' McMahon asserted. 'It was totally like something from a movie.' Johnston signed the wall of the cellar with his name and prisoner number before leaving the restaurant. McMahon and the Riviera's head chef hung on to every detail that Johnston shared from his time at the bank and then on the run, including the Corvette he brought with the money and the company he kept. And when asked by McMahon if the bank heist was worth it, the former robber affirmed but only for one reason. McMahon added: 'He said the experience that he's the most grateful for is the experience of going to prison [and how] you'll never understand how amazing it is to get to live a free life until you've experienced that.' 'He said that every day after he got out of prison has been the best day of his life.' Elon Musk has now admitted he did see Azealia Banks after denying the rapper's claims that she spent a bizarre weekend at his LA home watching him have a meltdown over his 'drug-induced' tweets. The Tesla CEO admitted to the New York Times that he came across the rapper early in the morning on Friday after working out. He insisted it is the 'only time he's ever laid eyes on her'. Musk initially said he had never met Banks after she said she saw him freaking out about his tweet claiming he'd already secured funding to take his firm private. 'I saw him in the kitchen tucking his tail in between his legs scrounging for investors to cover his ass after that tweet,' Banks said of Musk last weekend. 'He was stressed and red in the face. I waited around all weekend while Grimes coddled her boyfriend for being too stupid to know not to go on Twitter while on acid.' A rep for Musk's dismissed Banks' claims as 'absolute nonsense' and denied that Musk had ever met the rapper. 'Elon has never even met Ms. Banks or communicated with her in any way,' they told the Business Insider. Elon Musk (right) has now admitted he did see Azealia Banks (left) after denying the rapper's claims that she spent a bizarre weekend at his LA home But, on Friday, Musk issued an about-face and admitted that some of Banks' claims were true. 'I saw her on Friday morning, for two seconds at about a 30-foot distance as she was leaving the house,' he told the New York Times. 'I'd just finished working out. She was not within hearing range. I didn't even realize who it was. That's literally the only time I've ever laid eyes on her.' Banks had apparently been invited to Musk's home by his girlfriend Grimes, who was planning to collaborate with Banks. But Grimes' rep said there was a miscommunication as Grimes and Musk had made arrangements to go out of town. Banks was left alone in the house, hanging on for Grimes to return. She said she arrived at one of Musk's homes in Los Angeles early on Friday, August 10, but said she was left alone for days while Grimes comforted her boyfriend. Banks finally left on Sunday night. Elon Musk's tweet saying he was considering taking Tesla private has sparked controversy Elon Musk, pictured with his musician girlfriend Grimes last month, has since revealed he was suffering the 'most difficult and painful year of his career' in an emotional interview Tesla shares dropped sharply in early trading, wiping billions off the value of the company 'Staying in Elon musks house has been like a real like episode of 'Get Out', she wrote. 'They bring me out there on the premise that we would hang and make music,' Banks she said. 'But his dumb**s kept tweeting and tucked his d**k in between his a** cheeks once s**t hit the fan.' In subsequent posts, Banks even suggested that the couple may have invited her to their home for 'some weird threesome sex s**t to begin with.' She also went on a vicious rant about Grimes, who she branded an 'idiot, Musk who she called a 'beta male' and branded them both 'crackhead' in a rambling attack. Meanwhile, Tesla's share price plummeted on Friday after Musk, who is facing mounting pressure and an SEC investigation over the tweet he sent claiming to have 'secured funding' to take Tesla private, broke down crying in an extraordinary interview with the New York Times. Tesla shares ended the day down nine percent to $306 after a series of falls in the wake of the tweet and ensuing controversy, wiping around $5.5bn off the value of the company. The controversial rapper Musk was freaking out about having claimed in a tweet last week that he'd already secured funding to take Tesla private. She also claimed that the 47-year-old had taken acid before he sent that tweet Musk described the past year as 'excruciating' and the 'most difficult and most painful year of his career'. The interview also raises concerned about Musk's drug use. It claimed the board is aware that he has occasionally used 'recreational drugs' and Musk himself admits to frequently relying on Ambien to sleep. The paper also claims that Tesla's board is concerned about his posts on Twitter while under the influence of Ambien and have urged him to quit social media. Additionally Musk denied he was 'on weed' or 'stoned' when he sent the tweet claiming to be taking Tesla private for a $420 share, although he acknowledged the value could be taken as a reference to marijuana. He said: 'It seemed like better karma at $420 than at $419. But I was not on weed, to be clear.' The newspaper reported that Musk had 'alternated between laughter and tears' in the interview and said he had not taken more than a week off work since 2001. He admitted he relied on medication to help him sleep, saying: 'It is often a choice of no sleep or Ambien.' According to the New York Times article, board members have noticed that Ambien 'contributes' to his late-night Twitter posts. It says they are also 'aware' that he has occasionally used recreational drugs. Friends are also worried about his health. The entrepreneur said: 'It's not been great, actually. I've had friends come by who are really concerned.' He admitted he had rounded up from $419 to set the possible price, offering an approximate 20 per cent premium over the market value, but said: 'Weed is not helpful for productivity. There's a reason for the word 'stoned.' You just sit there like a stone on weed.' The surprise tweets caught the eye of the Securities and Exchange Commission, with regulators looking into whether the statements were truthful and why Musk announced them via Twitter. Additionally, Musk and Tesla are being sued by investors who claim the plan to go private was part of a 'fraudulent scheme' to punish short-sellers, or investors who borrow stock in a company with the hope shares will fall. The plaintiffs also allege that Musk's announcements artificially inflated Tesla's stock price and violated securities laws. Shares of Tesla were sliding more than 1 percent to $351.80 on Monday morning. Musk attempted to clear up his tweets in the blog post Monday. 'Going back almost two years, the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund has approached me multiple times about taking Tesla private,' Musk wrote in the blog post. Musk added that investor support was 'confirmed' and that the Tesla board had already met 'several times' in the past few weeks to discuss the proposal to take the firm private 'They first met with me at the beginning of 2017 to express this interest because of the important need to diversify away from oil. 'They then held several additional meetings with me over the next year to reiterate this interest and to try to move forward with a going private transaction,' Musk added. Musk's extra-curricular activities have previously hit the headlines when, earlier this year, he admitted attending a now infamous drug-fueled sex soiree in Silicon Valley in June 2017. He said he didn't know it was a sex party. 'Elon was at the party for a couple hours and left around 1am after talking with several DFJ-funded entrepreneurs about technology and building companies', said his reps. 'His impression was that it was a corporate party with a costume theme, not a ''sex party,'' and there was no indication that it would become one after he left,' the statement concluded. The 'sex party' was held at former DFJ investor Steve Jurvetson's home. The widow of a Special Air Service Regiment soldier has defended Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith after allegations of war crimes and domestic violence, which he denies. Leigh Locke-Thomas, who lost her husband, Matthew Locke, to conflict in Afghanistan in 2007, has maintained a close relationship with Mr Roberts-Smith. 'I'm 100 per cent behind Ben. Where's his rights? I just think give him a fair go, he can't defend himself. To me it's bullying,' Ms Locke-Thomas told The Weekend Australian. Retired soldier Ben Roberts-Smith (pictured) has launched a defamation case against Fairfax Media claiming that articles portrayed him as an inhumane murderer and bully Mr Roberts-Smith launched defamation proceedings against Fairfax Media at the Federal Court on Wednesday. The now-retired solider claims that articles published portray him as an inhumane murderer and bully. Mr Roberts-Smith, who now works as a senior executive at Seven West Media, said in a statement that articles published by The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Canberra Times reported 'false statements concerning his war service and personal life.' 'I unreservedly support the media's right to report without fear or favour - it is fundamental to any democratic society,' he said in Friday's statement. The allegations included suggestion that a domestic violence complaint had been made against the war veteran following a function in Canberra's Parliament House in 2016. He was also accused of misconduct on the battle field. Mr Robert-Smith vehemently denies the allegations. Sergeant Matthew-Locke (pictured) fought alongside Mr Roberts-Smith in Afghanistan where he died in 2017. His wife, Leigh Locke-Thomas, has spoken out in support of Mr Roberts-Smith Mr Roberts-Smith was awarded the Medal of Gallantry in 2006 and went on to receive Australia's highest military honour, a Victoria Cross. He fought alongside his close friend Sergeant Locke in Afghanistan who was awarded the Medal for Gallantry in December 2006. Widow Locke-Thomspon - who has since remarried - stressed her support of her deceased husband's friend and discussed the reality of their role in war. 'They weren't over there picking flowers. They were there for war, they weren't there to be friends with anyone. And they were protecting the country. And in my case, my husband never came home,' she said. 'Everyone loves you when you go off to war, but when you come home do you really have to fight another fight?' A monster dad strangled his two young children before hiding their bodies along with that of their pregnant mother in oil tanks, new court papers suggest on the eve of what would have been the mother's party to reveal her baby's gender. Lawyers for Christopher Lee Watts, 33, filed a motion on Friday in Weld County, Colorado, asking for DNA to be taken from the necks of the little girls bodies, and it strongly suggested they were strangled. There has been no official cause of death announced in the case, after the bodies of Shanann Watts, 34, and the couple's two daughters, four-year-old Bella and three-year-old Celeste, were recovered on Thursday from the oil field where Christopher worked. Christopher, 33, is being held without bail and faces three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of evidence tampering. Formal charges are expected to be filed on Monday, and prosecutors are believed to be weighing the death penalty - a rarity in Colorado, which has executed only one offender since capital punishment was reinstated in 1977. Christopher Lee Watts, 33, faces charges in the murders of his wife Shanann and their daughters, four-year-old Bella and three-year-old Celeste. The family is seen above A heartbreaking new court filing suggests that Celeste and Bella (above) were killed by strangulation, as it requests DNA swabs to be taken from the girls' necks Watts is seen in court on Thursday. He is being held without bail, and prosecutors are believed to be weighing whether to pursue the death penalty in the case - a rarity in Colorado Christopher Watts' public defender filed this motion on Friday morning, indicating autopsies for the girls were imminent and requesting DNA swabs from their necks The new filing by court-appointed defense lawyer Megan Ring asks the judge to allow a DNA expert to be called to examine the bodies of the two young girls, and noted that autopsies were scheduled to be performed on Friday. The lawyer said she wants to make sure DNA from the little girls bodies is maintained and she has not been able to ascertain whether the prosecution is taking steps to do so. It does not seem clear that the coroner, pathologist, or anyone working on behalf of the prosecution team in autopsy plan to take swabs of the necks of the two decedent children, she said in a two-page filing to a court in Weld County, Colorado. She specifically asked for several swabs of the neck to be taken, along with control swabs on other parts of the girls bodies. She said without a defense expert taking the swabs that evidence could be lost forever. Ring asked that DNA expert Richard Eikelenboom be allowed to do the testing, saying that he believed that DNA would remain on the necks of the girls in spite of the fact that the remains were in oil for four days - revealing for the first time that the bodies were hidden on Monday. Christopher worked for oil drilling company Anadarko, while Shanann sold weight-loss patches for the multi-level marketing firm Le-Vel Christopher is seen mowing the grass behind the couple's suburban home in Frederick The filing does not suggest taking any swabs from the neck of Shanann, and sheds no light on the pregnant mother's cause of death. The gruesome revelation of the girls' likely cause of death comes as Shanann's friends lament on what would have been the eve of the gender reveal party for her unborn baby. Shanann's brother Frankie Rzucek said in a heartbreaking Facebook post on Thursday that the unborn child was a boy, and the couple planned to name him Niko. Colorado is one of 12 states that does not bring murder charges for the homicide of an unborn child, and Christopher faces only three murder counts. Ashley Bell, a tanning salon owner who became close friends with Shanann after she began coming in as a customer, told KDVR that the baby's gender reveal party had been planned for Saturday in the Watts' suburban home in Frederick, on the northern outskirts of Denver. Instead, the home has become a somber memorial, with a small mountain of stuffed animals piling up outside. On Friday, even people who did not know the couple were passing the home and leaving teddy bears, flowers and candles in the front yard. Shanann is seen showing off her baby bump. She had planned to have a party announcing the gender of her third child, a boy that the couple had decided to name Niko The couple's home, where police say the murders were committed, is seen on Friday Instead of a gender reveal party, the home is now a somber site of mourning, with even strangers visiting to pay tribute to the slain mother and children Police say that the children and their mother were killed inside the home before their bodies were hidden in the oil field. Investigators have not said when the murders were committed, but the new court filing indicated the bodies were hidden on Monday. Shanann was on a work trip to Arizona from August 10 to August 12. She sold weight-loss patches for a multi-level marketing firm, while Christopher was an operator for oil drilling company Anadarko. Christopher claimed in a televised interview that Shanann returned home between 1am and 2am on Monday August 13, and that they stayed up having an 'emotional conversation' until he left for work at 5.15am. He continued to maintain his innocence for several days, making public appeals for his family's safe return, until police said he confessed to the murders on Wednesday. Investigators have not revealed a motive in the case. While some friends of the couple have said that the relationship was under strain and there may have been infidelity, others said the marriage was strong and there were no signs of trouble. The family is seen leaving Colorado for a trip to North Carolina in late June. Shanann and the girls stayed for six weeks visiting her family, while Christopher returned after one week Shanann and the girls had recently returned to Colorado on August 7, after spending six weeks with her family in North Carolina. Christopher returned to Colorado after the first week of the trip as previously planned, according to social media posts. The couple declared bankruptcy in 2015, and despite Shanann's frequent Facebook posts boasting of the Lexus and frequent paid trips she was awarded for selling health supplements, the couple was facing a $1,500 civil suit from their homeowners' association. They purchased their five-bed, four-bath home for $400,000 in 2013, and their mortgage payment was about $3,000 a month, according to bankruptcy records. A candlelight vigil for the slain mom and girls was held outside of the home on Friday evening. Christopher Watts is next due in court on Tuesday. Prosecutors may take several weeks to consider whether to pursue a death penalty case against him. At a minimum, he will receive life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted. Donald Trump reportedly used his presidential veto power on furniture first lady Melania Trump had selected for their White House living quarters. According to a New York Times report Friday, Melania had picked out furnishings for their home at 1600 Penn just before she moved in last June, after having spent the first six months of Trump's presidency in New York City to be with their son Barron, who was finishing school. However, Trump is said to have replaced several of the clean, modern pieces with ones that reflected his much more ostentatious aesthetic. Donald Trump reportedly overrode first lady Melania Trump's decisions on White House decor, replacing several of the furniture items she'd selected with his own picks before she moved in The president is known for his ostentatious style, which is a far cry from Melania's more understated and classic taste. The pair are pictured in his Manhattan apartment in 2003 'In her absence, President Trump whose tastes veer toward the gilded, triumphal style of Louis XIV replaced her choices with several pieces he liked better,' the Times reported. 'One of two people familiar with the episode cited it as an example of Mr. Trump's tendency not to relent on even the smallest requests from his wife.' Melania's communications director Stephanie Grisham responded to the allegations by saying that the couple made decisions about the furniture together, telling The Times: 'They both chose the decor.' '[Melania] is staying true to the independent woman that she is by doing things her own way,' Grisham wrote in an email. 'This should be celebrated, not criticized. Her priorities remain her family, her personal health and her role as first lady.' An old friend of the president told The Times that Melania is the 'strongest voice' in her husband's orbit. 'He listens to her more intently than anyone and respects her advice and counsel not only because she is his wife, but because her loyalty, grace, trust, elegance under fire, intellect and instincts are time-tested and proven,' Thomas J Barrack Jr said of the couple who have been married since 2005. A body language expert has analyzed the television interview a Colorado dad gave pleading for his family's safe return, one day before he allegedly confessed to the murders. Christopher Lee Watts, 33, showed subtle signs of lying in the nationally televised interview, including a defensive posture, conflicting statements, and a lack of emotion, former FBI profiler Mary Ellen O'Toole told CBS News. On Tuesday, Watts gave the interview to Denver 7, lamenting the disappearance of pregnant wife Shanann and their two daughters, four-year-old Bella and three-year-old Celeste, who disappeared on Monday from their home in Frederick, on the northern outskirts of Denver. 'This house isn't the same. Last night was traumatic. Last night - I can't really stay in this house again like, with nobody here,' Watts said in the interview. 'I wanted that knock on the door. I wanted to see those kids running, just barrel rush me and give me a hug and just knock me on the ground, but that didn't happen.' Scroll down for videos Christopher Lee Watts, 33, gave the above interview on Tuesday, pleading for the safe return of his wife and daughters. Police say he confessed to their murders the following day The bodies of pregnant wife Shanann and daughters Celeste and Bella were found stuffed into oil tanks on Thursday. Court filings indicate that the two young girls were strangled O'Toole noted that one sign of guilt in the interview was that Watts talked about himself in a self-centered way, rather than the missing children and wife, using lots of 'I' statements. At the same time, O'Toole said, there was a distinct lack of both emotional affect and emotional language. 'There is a noticeable absence of emotional behavior or words of emotion like, 'I'm so scared,' 'I'm so worried about them,'' O'Toole said. 'He talks about the house being empty, but that's not the same as expressions of empathy. There is an absence of that.' Another telltale sign were the apparent contradictions, O'Toole said. Watts said in the interview: 'I have no idea like, where they went... It's just earth-shattering. I don't feel like this is real right now. This is like a nightmare I can't wake up from.' O'Toole said he had contradicted himself by calling the situation a 'nightmare,' while at the same time maintaining he didn't know what happened. Celeste, three, and Bella, four are seen together in May. Police say the girls were killed in their house along with their mother, and the bodies were moved to an oil field Christopher worked for oil drilling company Anadarko, while Shanann sold weight-loss patches for the multi-level marketing firm Le-Vel Christopher is seen mowing the grass behind the couple's suburban home in Frederick The ex-FBI profiler also pointed out that Watts' body language was defensive over the course of the interview, with his arms crossed across his chest. O'Toole marveled at Watts' 'arrogance' in giving the interview, saying he must have believed highly in his own abilities to persuade. 'When somebody kills their own family and then they go on TV to say 'But I didn't have anything to do with it,' that ability to be so very sure of your own interpersonal skills that you can attempt to fool a national and international audience is very unusual,' she said. 'That's a lot of arrogance and confidence that you could pull this off, and that's not typical.' In the interview, Watts maintained that his wife had arrived home from a work trip between 1am and 2am on Monday, August 13. He said they stayed up having an 'emotional conversation' before he left for work at around 5.15am. A friend came by the house around noon and found Shanann missing, and called Watts. That's when the search began. Shanann (left on August 8) shared an ultrasound (right) in June, calling Watts 'the best dad us girls could ask for'. She worked for a company that sold weight-loss patches A heartbreaking new court filing suggests that Celeste and Bella (above) were killed by strangulation, as it requests DNA swabs to be taken from the girls' necks On Tuesday night, after giving the TV interview, Watts went to stay at the home of close family friends Nick and Amanda Thayer - sleeping just across the hallway from the couple's own five-year-old daughter. 'In the 48 to 72 hours we were with him... he was his normal self,' Amanda Thayer told ABC News. 'He never once cried.' The couple were devastated when police said that Watts had confessed late Wednesday to murdering his wife and children. He was arrested early Thursday, minutes after midnight. 'He fooled us. And I'm so sorry. We just thought we were doing the right thing by being a good friend,' Nick Thayer said, choking back tears. 'We were duped.' Police recovered the bodies of Shanann, Bella and Celeste on Thursday, finding them stuffed inside oil tanks on the property of the drilling company where Watts worked. A court filing on Friday suggested that the cause of death of the two girls was strangulation. The new filing by court-appointed defense lawyer Megan Ring asks for DNA to be taken from the necks of the little girls' bodies, strongly suggesting that they were strangled. Watts is being held without bail and faces three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of evidence tampering. Christopher Watts glances back at a Weld County Sheriff's Deputy as he is escorted out of the courtroom at the Weld County Courthouse on Thursday in Greeley, Colorado The couple's home, where police say the murders were committed, is seen on Saturday Instead of a gender reveal party, the home is now a somber site of mourning, with even strangers visiting to pay tribute to the slain mother and children Formal charges are expected to be filed on Monday, and prosecutors are believed to be weighing the death penalty - a rarity in Colorado, which has executed only one offender since capital punishment was reinstated in 1977. Investigators have not revealed a motive in the case. While some friends of the couple have said that the relationship was under strain and there may have been infidelity, others said the marriage was strong and there were no signs of trouble. Shanann and the girls had recently returned to Colorado on August 7, after spending six weeks with her family in North Carolina. Christopher returned to Colorado after the first week of the trip as previously planned, according to social media posts. The couple declared bankruptcy in 2015, and despite Shanann's frequent Facebook posts boasting of the Lexus and frequent paid trips she was awarded for selling health supplements, the couple was facing a $1,500 civil suit from their homeowners' association. They purchased their five-bed, four-bath home for $400,000 in 2013, and their mortgage payment was about $3,000 a month, according to bankruptcy records. A candlelight vigil for the slain mom and girls was held outside of the home on Friday evening. Watts is next due in court on Tuesday. Prosecutors may take several weeks to consider whether to pursue a death penalty case against him. Tony Abbott has hit out at Malcolm Turnbull just hours after the prime minister backflipped on plans to legislate the Paris emissions reduction target. Faced with a possible leadership challenge from Peter Dutton and the prospect of 10 rebel MPs crossing the floor to vote against his National Energy Guarantee, Mr Turnbull has now reportedly proposed setting emissions targets by regulation. Mr Abbott took to radio on Saturday to slam Mr Turnbull's decision and continue his call for the government to scrap the NEG altogether. Scroll down for video Tony Abbott (pictured) his hit out at Malcolm Turnbull just hours after the prime minister backflipped on plans to legislate the Paris emission reduction target Mr Abbott said on Twitter the Coalition needed to 'create a policy contest on energy, not a consensus' Malcolm Turnbull's backflip on plans to legislate the Paris emissions reduction target could cost Australia billions 'It's no way to run a government, making absolute commitments on Tuesday and breaking them on Friday,' Mr Abbott told 2GB Radio. When asked about whether there would a possible leadership challenge, Mr Abbott said 'I don't know' but added 'what we need to do is change the policy'. He later tweeted: 'To have a chance of winning the next election, the coalition must create a policy contest on energy, not a consensus'. Mr Dutton on Saturday was forced to shoot down reports he was considering taking a tilt at the leadership. 'In relation to media stories today, just to make very clear, the prime minister has my support and I support the policies of the government,' he tweeted. Mr Dutton had confirmed on Friday he was considering all his options, including resigning his ministry and leading a mass exodus of Coalition MPs across the floor over the energy policy, Nine News reported. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton (pictured) on Saturday was forced to shoot down reports he was considering taking a tilt at the leadership Mr Dutton took to Twitter to say the 'Prime Minister has my support' and that he supported 'the policies of the Government' Mr Turnbull's backflip on plans to legislate the Paris emissions reduction target could cost Australia billions. The move could spell the end of a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between Australia and the European Union. The lucrative deal is set to benefit between Australia and the EU, with current two-way trade worth $101 billion. The EU is Australia's second largest trade partner, third largest in export market and second largest services market, and the FTA stands to add $6.4billion to Australia's GDP. According to Trade Minister Steven Ciobo, a failure to meet Paris climate targets could have devastating consequences for the agreement. 'I can tell you one of the very first consequences if we were to adopt that approach (to pull out) is we could kiss goodbye on a trade agreement with Europe,' Mr Ciobo told Sky News earlier this week. A collapse in FTA talks threatens to hurt farmers, and cost consumers who stand to benefit from cheaper imports. What is the National Energy Guarantee? The National Energy Guarantee (NEG) has been designed to offer cheaper and more reliable power. The objective is to do this while lowering carbon emissions. NEG is in response to the county's involvement with the Paris Agreement, which is a push to reduce carbon emissions and action on climate change by 2020. The heart of the policy was the controversial target to cut emissions by 26 per cent by 2030. The Liberal and Nationals MPs who are against NEG and appear willing to cross the floor include Mr Abbott, Andrew Gee, Andrew Hastie, Barnaby Joyce, Craig Kelly, Kevin Andrews, George Christensen as well as Keith Pitt. Advertisement Wine and designer goods from Europe would no longer fall in price, and the current five per cent vehicle tariff and luxury car tax would remain. Australia's pursuit of a free trade agreement between the two 'like-minded' partners was made on June 18 in response to a successful 2017 when the EU was Australia's largest source of foreign investment. The agreement is intended to open up the market for any Australian purveyor or business person. Greater access to the EU market would enable Australian farmers to avoid EU tariff quotas on beef, sheep meat, sugar, cheese and rice. Access to Europe's 510 million consumers through an FTA could deliver a substantial payout between $4.1 and 6.4billion in GDP for Australia by 2030, according to a European Union study published last year. Mr Turnbull on Friday put the deal at risk by dropping the government's plans to legislate the 26 per cent Paris emissions reduction target. The prime minister instead proposed setting emissions targets by regulation, The Australian reported. The plan will formally go to Cabinet on Monday night and will be discussed by the coalition party room on Tuesday. Advice from the competition regulator that power prices would not increase as a result of the commitment will also be required. The backflip comes after a group of right-wing MPs - led by Mr Abbott - told Mr Turnbull they would vote against his energy policy. Since then the group have urged Mr Dutton to mount a leadership challenge following Mr Turnbull's 38th consecutive Newspoll loss to Bill Shorten's Labor Party. Benefits of the Free Trade Deal to Australians A strong European Union is vital to Australian interests in protecting and promoting a rules-based international order. A Free Trade Agreement with the European Union has the potential to open up a market for Australian goods and services of half a billion people. It would provide Australian exporters with a competitive edge, and would give Australian businesses access to a larger export market in the EU. Key Benefits: Significantly improved market access for Australian exports Guaranteed access for Australian services providers Expansion of two-way investment flows A more predictable and seamless business environment Rules to support the digital economy and innovation Reduced costs and red tape, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises Greater consumer choice High standards, including on sustainable development Advertisement While Mr Turnbull has the support of Simon Birmingham and Christopher Pyne, Mr Dutton is backed by Barnaby Joyce and Mr Abbott. Mr Joyce said he had not heard rumours of a challenge, but said leaders should know when it was time to step down. 'I've always said openly that if a person gets to a point where they think they can't win an election then they should consult with their colleagues about what happens next,' Mr Joyce told The Australian. 'My opinion is that you have a responsibility to make sure the nation has the best government.' Another Minister told Nine News: 'If the only way this thing gets up is with Labor's support then there is no way it will fly'. 'There are only two good outcomes here - either the energy policy is dead and we can go to the election fighting Labor on it, or Malcolm goes,' an unnamed MP told The Daily Telegraph. The PM has promised Australia's power bills will be cut by $550 a year with the National Energy Guarantee (NEG). Beginning in 2020 the agreement is designed to bring down the yearly price and requires retailers to source electricity that meets reliability and Paris Agreement emissions reduction targets. A woman who underwent a triple organ transplant in 2005 and was told her desire to have a child was 'ridiculous' has defied the odds and given birth. Lucinda Simpson, from Tamborine Mountain in south-east Queensland, is the first woman to ever give birth after having a heart, double lung and liver transplant. In what doctors have called a 'world-first', the 37-year-old became pregnant in October and delivered her son, Angus Campbell Simpson, via emergency caesarean section just six months later, The Courier Mail reported. More than a decade prior, Ms Simpson, who suffered with cystic fibrosis for many years, gave up her healthy heart to someone in desperate need of it so she could receive a deceased donor's heart, lungs and liver in what is known as a 'domino' transplant. Lucinda Simpson (pictured) is the first woman to give birth after having a triple organ transplant Lucinda had a triple organ transplant in 2005 (pictured at the hospital) and was told she'd never have a child At just 24 years of age, her condition had deteriorated so much that she was in desperate need of new lungs to survive. Due to taking heavy medication throughout her illness, she was also in dire need of a liver. She was told that the surgery would be made easier if all of the organs were transplanted together in one block. Ms Simpson is just one of four people, all living in Queensland, who are successful living heart donors. All four people were involved in 'domino' transplants, where their hearts were gifted to others while they were also receiving organ donations. She is one of seven Australians who have had a triple organ transplant. Doctors said they have not seen any other cases where a woman has successfully given birth following a heart, double lung and liver transplant. Despite being born extremely premature, Damon Simpson, Angus' father, said he had inherited his mother's strength. It's a moment the 37-year-old thought would never come, but after years of being told she would never be able to have a child, Mr and Ms Simpson welcomed their 'miracle' baby, Angus, on April 18 this year. He was born 12-weeks-early and weighed just 832 grams, but the strong boy is doing well. Despite being born extremely premature, Damon Simpson (pictured), Angus' father, said he had inherited his mother's strength After suffering from cystic fibrosis, she needed her lungs and liver replaced but doctors opted to give her the rare triple transplant He was born 12-weeks-early and weighed just 832 grams, but the strong boy is doing well Mr Simpson was by his wife's side, holding her hand as she gave birth to their son, and cutting the umbilical cord once he was out. Angus was held in the neonatal intensive care unit for 24 hours before Ms Simpson could see him, and 11 days before she could hold him for the first time. 'I just cried,' she said. 'I was so happy to have him but at the same time, you dont want him to be in a little glass box. You just want to love him and touch him and hold him. All I could do was put my hands on him firmly and thats it.' Ms Simpson's obstetrician Dr Lee Minuzzo said that she loved helping the couple become parents, and aimed to make the high-risk procedure less complicated, so that Mrs Simpson could enjoy the journey of being pregnant. 'Lucinda is a woman, who because of her illness, would have struggled to have a baby 15 to 20 years ago and now she has a child in her arms - sensational.' GOP fundraiser Elliott Broidy is under investigation for allegedly selling access to Donald Trump. Broidy, who is being investigated by the Department of Justice, reportedly promised foreign officials that the US government would fulfill their wishes if they paid him tens of millions of dollars, sources told The Washington Post. The claims first emerged in leaked emails reported earlier this year. Prosecutors are now probing whether Broidy tried to convince the Trump administration to extradite a Chinese 'dissident' Guo Wengui back to China, an action sought by Chinese President Xi Jinping. GOP fundraiser Elliott Broidy (left) is under investigation for allegedly selling access to Donald Trump (right) Wengui fled to the United States in 2014 where he is now seeking asylum after accusing officials in his native China of corruption. He has since made explosive corruption accusations against China's elite by posting a series of graft allegations on social media, and called for a 'change of the regime' in Beijing. Prosecutors are also looking at if Broidy tried to earn $75 million from a Malaysian businessman Jho Low in exchange for getting the DOJ to drops its investigation into a development fund run by the Malaysian government. Low, a financier at the centre of Malaysias 1MDB mega-scandal, is suspected of being a key figure in one of the world's biggest frauds along with ousted leader Najib Razak and his cronies. He led a high-rolling lifestyle after allegedly stealing huge sums from 1MDB. He hung out with celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio, partied with Paris Hilton, and reportedly spent vast sums in New York's hottest nightspots. As investigations into the controversy accelerated, the Malaysian took to a luxury yacht allegedly bought with stolen cash and sailed around Asia, until the vessel was seized off Bali recently as part of 1MDB-linked probes. The Department of Justice, which has launched lawsuits to seize assets allegedly bought with stolen 1MDB cash in the US, alleges $400 million from the fund was sent to America 'for the personal gratification of Low and his associates'. Broidy's lawyer has denied all allegations. 'Elliott Broidy has never agreed to work for, been retained by nor been compensated by any foreign government for any interaction with the U.S. Government, ever. Any implication to the contrary is a lie,' he said. Scandal-hit Broidy was already forced to step down down from his position as Republican National Committee deputy finance chairman in April this year. The move came after former Playboy model, Shera Bechard, filed a lawsuit against Broidy after reportedly becoming pregnant during their affair. Bechard had agreed to a $1.6 million settlement with the top Trump donor, but has since filed a suit against and her lawyer. She is asking that Broidy hand over $200,000 on top of the remaining $1.2 million she is owed as part of their settlement agreement in a complaint filed on July 6 inCalifornia. The complaint alleges that Broidy made a $200,000 payment one day before a 12-weeks-pregnant Bechard aborted his child, and a second payment in the same amount in April, but then stopped paying out the settlement. It is also revealed in the heavily redacted copy of the court filing, which was previously under seal and has now been obtained by DailyMail.com, that Bechard wants $140,000 from her former attorney Keith Davidson and undisclosed damages from both him and Michael Avenatti for leaking her story to the press. Settle for more: Shera Bechard (above in undated photo) is also suing Elliott Broidy for the remaining $1.2 million of their settlement plus an extra $200,000 for breach of contract Davidson, who previously represented porn star Stormy Daniels in her settlement agreement with President Donald Trump, is also accused of colluding with Broidy's attorney Michael Cohen in the suit. 'On October 31, 2017, Ms. Bechard met with Mr. Davidson and asked for his help dealing with a problem,' states the complaint. 'She was seven weeks pregnant with the child of Mr. Broidy (the then-Finance Chairman of the Republican National Committee), conceived in an extramarital affair.' Bechard is a former Playmate who briefly date Hugh Hefner. She was born in Canada, and like Melania Trump received an elusive 'Einstein visa' back in 2012. Broidy, 62, has three children with wife Robin and was deputy finance chairman of the Republican national Committee until April, when news of the alleged affair broke. He has not made any payments since stepping down from that post. Bechard states that she was 'confused' and 'scared' at the time but things quickly began to move along, and on November 8 Davidson came back and said he had made contact with Broidy's lawyer. Elliott Broidy (pictured with his wife Robin in 2007) is being investigated by the Department of Justice 'Ms. Bechard was surprised to hear that Mr. Davidson had so quickly 15 figured out who Mr. Broidy's lawyer was, so she asked how that had happened,' reads the complaint. 'Mr. Davidson responded that he had a 'relationship' with the lawyer, a guy named Michael Cohen. Ms. Bechard 17 asked, 'wait, he's your friend?' But Mr. Davidson said no.' Just a week after that the deal for $1.6 million was offered to Bechard by her lawyer, with the sum represeneting 'the net present value of child-support payments Mr. Broidy would be expected to make 23 over the 18-year support term of their child.' Davidson told Bechard that 'she would give up all rights to sue Mr. Broidy for past conduct and would be required to 25 never again speak of the affair' if she signed the agreement, terms she agreed to at the time. The agreement was signed on December 1, with Bechar set to receive eight quarterly installments of $200,000, minust Davidson's 35 percent fee for negotiating the deal. 'Mr. Davidson told her that she was not getting paid to have an abortion, but 21 rather to give up her rights to sue Mr. Broidy and to not to talk about the relationship,' states the complaint. On December 5, Bechard received a $200,000 payment and on December 6 she ended her pregnancy after 12 weeks states the complaint. The next payment came on April 1, with Davidson withholding $70,000 from each payment, money which Bechard is now demanding also be returned to her in the lawsuit She wants that money back because of Davidson's past relationship with Cohen, which she learned of in April when The New York Times released a story detailing how the two men worked together while drawing up a settlement for Karen McDougal. She fired Davidson at that time, and soon after Avenatti began to leak details of the settlement. One day after Avenatti teased the story, the Wall Street Journal broke the news of the affair and named both Becar and Broidy. In that same article it was also revealed that it was Cohen who reached out to Broidy. That was further detailed in a subsequent story, with Broidy claiming that Cohen told him: 'It's your lucky day, because you have a big problem and I can help you solve it.' This was also confirmed with the release of Avenatti's March report, which showed three payments of $62,500 being wired to Billionaire Guo Wengui fled to the United States in 2014 where he is now seeking asylum after accusing officials in his native China of corruption Jho Low led a high-rolling lifestyle after allegedly stealing huge sums from 1MDB, reportedly spending vast sums in New York's hottest nightspots Bechard also reveals that Davidson never allowed her to keep a copy of the settlement, and that he responded to requests made by the Journal without her consent. When Bechard tried to obtain the agreement she was told that she owed Davidson $420,000 states the complaint. Furthermore, she claims Davidson changed the contract without her consent, adding a $4.8 million penalty should she breach the agreement. Behar is suing Broidy for breach of contract and Davidson for torturous interference an d conspiracy to commit breach of fiduciary duty. She is asking that Davidson return the payments he has received and that he and Avenatti pay damages to be determined at trial for leaking information of the affair and settlement. 'I did nothing wrong. I owed her no duty and the information was already in the hands of the Wall Street Journal. The allegations against me are frivolous,' said Avenatti when asked for comment. Broidy has also launched his own lawsuit against Ahmed Al-Rumaihi, a Qatari who is accused in court in Los Angeles of boasting that he was trying to bribe Steve Bannon and had targeted other officials. On May 26, Briody accused the investor of being part of a Qatari government plot to hack Broidy's emails and distribute them to the press. The leaked emails showed Broidy was selling his influence with Trump to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), promoting policies favorable to the gulf state, which is Qatar's bitter rival in the region. A Fijian man who allegedly tried to smuggle 50kg of cocaine hidden in a shipment of bottled water has been charged with importing commercial quantities of the drug. John Kaurasi, 29, prepared the $17.5million shipment for export from Fiji before travelling to Australia to collect it, police allege. The package arrived on August 10 and was referred to the Australian Federal Police. Officers from the Australian Border Force allegedly discovered the cocaine at an inspection facility in Sydney. A Fijian man has been arrested and charged with importing a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs after his $17.5m shipment of cocaine was allegedly foiled by police John Kaurasi was arrested on Friday a week after his shipment arrived, following a search on a Hurstville property Kaurasi was arrested on Friday, following a search on a Hurstville property. The Australian Federal Police announced this morning they had arrested and charged the Fijian man - whose shipment was discovered by x-rays used by the Australian Border Force He was later charged with importing a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs. Kaurasi did not apply for bail at Parramatta Court today, meaning he will stay behind bars until he faces court again on Wednesday. AFP investigators are still working to identify the drug's intended recipients The ABF credited recently upgraded x-ray technology for helping its officers discover the shipment. Regional commander Danielle Yannopoulos said: 'Unfortunately, criminals use all sorts of concealment methods to try and beat our border processes.' 'Using a mix of intelligence and our recently upgraded x-ray technology, we are capable of detecting drugs before they can make it into the Australian community. 'We hope it sends a message that, if you're thinking of importing illicit drugs to Australia, it's simply not worth the risk. We will catch you eventually.' Fancy a tarantula taco for a cool $27? Not so fast, Mexican authorities say. A Mexico City market restaurant recently put the arachnids on its menu and posted a video on Facebook showing a chef torching one until blackened. The only problem: The Mexican red rump tarantula is a protected species. The federal environmental protection agency said Tuesday it was alerted to the situation via social media and seized four tarantula corpses that were ready to be served up on tortillas. A Mexico City market restaurant recently put the arachnids on its menu and posted a video on Facebook showing a chef torching one until blackened The tarantula tacos were apparently on offer for 500 pesos, or 50 times the price of a basic street taco. A Facebook video shows the tacos being made. The seared tarantula is paired with a hot tortilla, avocado and just a sprinkle of lime and lemon juice. The crunchy arachnid is said to taste like a cross between chicken and cod, the Telegraph reports. The seared tarantula is paired with a hot tortilla, avocado and just a sprinkle of lime and lemon juice The restaurants menu also features other creepy-crawlies such as grasshoppers, worms and ant eggs, which have a long tradition in Mexican cuisine, and scorpions, which are less common. The Mexican red rump tarantula is about four to five inches across but females can grow to six inches. Most females live up to 25 years while males mature within two years, Tarantula Heaven reports. They have low toxicity in their venom but can become rather aggressive and skittish when need be. A man who shot himself twice in the head with a nail gun at a work is lucky to be alive. Carpenter Josh Ayres was working at a property in the Wide Bay area near Hervey Bay on Queensland's Fraser Coast on Thursday when he fell off a ladder while holding a nail gun. The 24-year-old managed to lodge two 30 millimetre nails into his skull and surgeons were forced to use a drill to remove the nails. Bianca Ginn, Mr Ayres partner, drove from Hervy Bay to Brisbane after finding out her boyfriend had been flown to Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. Carpenter Josh Ayres (pictured, right) was working at a property in Queensland on Thursday when he fell while holding a nail gun The 24-year-old was flown to Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital after he managed to lodge two 3cm nails into his skull 'He rang me from the hospital and said ''hey, I'm at the hospital''. I said ''why, what's happened?'' and he said ''I've got two nails in my head'',' Ms Ginn told the Courier Mail. Ms Ginn said her heart broke when she found out about the shocking work accident. She said her partner knew what had happened and that the adrenaline had kicked in and masked his pain. 'They put a little plate in and then they stitched him back up. I didn't really want to know the details. It's too gory for me. He said he wanted to keep the nails but I told him we're throwing them out,' she said. Despite Mr Ayres working as a carpenter for at least six years, Ms Ginn said she still worries about him every day he goes to work. Ms Ginn said her partner is recovering well from the horrific incident. 'He's pretty much 100 per cent. He's talking, he's got all his vision. They are just keeping him there to keep an eye on things. He's doing very well. He's very lucky,' she said. A Workplace Health and Safety spokesman told the Courier Mail that the incident was being investigated. James Packer's superyacht could be all yours if you have a spare $65.7million floating around. The Australian billionaire has put his brand new 55-metre luxury yacht EJI, on which he has spent the recent European summer on the market, just four months he took delivery of it. Mr Packer's friends said the four-decked yacht is simply 'too small', Fairfax Media reported. The news comes just five weeks Mr Packer and girlfriend New York socialite Kylie Lim entertained Channel 9 host Karl Stefanovic and fiancee Jasmine Yarbrough on the vessel off Capri last month. Scroll down for video Channel 9 host Karl Stefanovic (pictured) and fiancee Jasmine Yarbrough spent time with James Packer and his socialite girlfriend on superyacht EJI last month James Packer's luxury yacht EJI (pictured) come an asking price of $42 million Euros ($65.7 million Australia dollars) Built in Netherlands by Amels, EJI is named after Packer's three children Emmanuelle, Jackson and Indigo to ex-wife Erica Packer. Currently based in the south of France, EJI comes with an asking price of $42 million Euros. Styled to create an 'airy, restful and positive ambiance', six cabins on board accommodate up to 12 people with 12 crew members. 'This remarkable yacht has been designed to take the 'outside-in' concept to another level,' the vessel's advertisement on international superyacht brokerage Burgess Yachts states. 'She has huge windows in all the living spaces and three folding balconies on the main deck......allowing guests to withdraw with a digestif and enjoy the sunset without breaking up the party.' The 'owner's suite' has a study, en suite bathroom complete with walk-in wardrobe/dressing room and its own private folding balcony. Currently based south of France, the superyacht (pictured inside) is an entertainer's dream The superyacht is an entertainer's dream with a bright and spacious bridge deck saloon that opens up to a sky saloon with an al fresco dining area. Guests will be impressed by the bar and teppanyaki grill, while the 3000-litre jacuzzi doubles as a helipad. Mr Packer stepped down as chairman of Crown Resorts earlier this year, citing mental health issues before he checked into a private psychiatric clinic in Boston. He stepped on board EJI in the Mediterranean just one week after its delivery in May, ahead of schedule. 'I have to say, after building several yachts, I've never been able to deliver a yacht a week early,' vessel captain Christian Power told boatinternational.com last month. 'And that's all down to Amels' organisation and skills and it's just amazing that we've got there a week early.' New York State is being forced to make alterations to an Instagram famous waterfall, after at least four people died attempting to get great pictures. Kaaterskill Falls in the Catskills Mountains has become a very popular place to capture shots for the social media platform, but the state is trying to put an end to the tragedies linked to snapping images. Located 100 miles north of Manhattan, the number of visitors have peaked at 100,000 per year recently, a big difference compared to the approximately 10,000 25 years ago. Its believed around 1,000 people go to the area on weekends during the summer. Kaaterskill Falls in the Catskills Mountains has become a very popular place to capture shots Those have included Ezra Kennedy, who was only 17 years old when he passed away in 2016. He was climbing in the area and his mother, Donna Kennedy, confirmed his death was a result of capturing a picture. I think he just went out a little too far and it didnt appear to be slippery. But it was, the New Jersey resident told the New York Times. In November that same year, Anthony Meile died at the waterfall. He was aged just 30. Painter, Lauren Sansariq, witnessed someone die in 2009 when she was creating artwork. Ezra Kennedy (left) was only 17 years old when he passed away in 2016. He was taking a picture. In November 2016, Anthony Meile (right) died at the waterfall. He was aged just 30 years old Over the past four years the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has planned new ways to bring down the number of fatalities, putting in a 200-step stairway made of stones to lead visitors down to a pool that has been filled with trash in recent years. Despite the area not originally being marked as part of the trail, it didnt stop visitors venturing into it. Pastor Gary Rankin was lucky to survive when he fell 70 feet where the steps are now paved but he had to relearn to walk and talk. Although eight people have died there since 1992, only half of those have been officially linked to the desire for an Instagram shot. Technically, visitors are not allowed to go within six feet of a cliffs edge and cannot go beyond 150 feet up to enter the stream in the waterfall. Despite adding a viewing platform, hand rails, warning signs and a bridge, there are fears the area is still a risky place for those hoping to get a good picture. The state has also used funds to make two parking lots bigger to stop cars lining prohibited areas. A whopping $1.25million at the Kaaterskill Wild Forest alone has helped ensure visitors are safe. One change includes a safer path along Route 9D of Breakneck Bridge, a popular place for hikers, and a therell be a reconstruction of a train platform from next year. The British tourist found dead at her holiday apartment in Ibiza was a mother-of-one and survivor of the Manchester Arena terror attack. Tributes have poured in for Jodie Leigh Priest following her sudden death just over a year after the bombing that claimed 23 lives during an Ariana Grande concert. Ms Priest, 34, was found dead in her room at the Ses Savines apartments in the party town of San Antonio at around 9am yesterday. Tributes have poured in for Jodie Leigh Priest following her sudden death just over a year after the bombing that claimed 23 lives during an Ariana Grande concert. Ms Priest, 34, was found dead in her room at the Ses Savines apartments in the party town of San Antonio yesterday Police are awaiting results of a post-mortem, though initial reports suggest she died of natural causes. Her best friend Matthew Hewitt said in a Facebook post that he and Jodie had been left with PTSD after getting caught in the attack as they left the concert. Saying she died just days away from her doting son's seventh birthday, he wrote: 'She's left her little boy Jake who's seven on Tuesday. He was her angel. 'She loved that boy to bits and always will. I just want to know Jodie is ok up there because right now it breaks my heart to even write this post. 'I have tears down my face writing this. I never thought I would be writing anything like this. RIP Jodie I love you so much and always will,' the Mirror say. Several British tourists have already lost their lives in San Antonio this summer. A British 40-year-old died after plunging from an apartment block in San Antonio late on Sunday night. The incident happened at the Tanit building, the same building a 26-year-old Brit named as Callum Marriott, from Clipstone, Notts, died at in August last year after plunging onto the floor of an inside patio from the fourth-floor. Callum had just enjoyed his last night out on the holiday island with friends and was due to catch a plane home later the same day. Police are awaiting results of a post-mortem, though initial reports suggest she died of natural causes. Several British tourists have already lost their lives in San Antonio this summer As well as a head wound, the latest plunge victim is believed to have suffered multiple body injuries. Earlier the same day Conor Lee Spraggs, 23, from Stevenage, Herts died after a fight with a group of Brits on the resort seafront. Last month a 22-year-old Brit died after collapsing in the street in San Antonio and being rushed to a health centre. He was later named as Jack McDonnell, from the West Midlands market town of Salford. Two days before he died on July 20 a British seasonal worker named as Birmingham-born Harry Kingsland, 21, was killed in an altercation at a flat in the party resort. A British tourist has reportedly been found dead in her apartment at a holiday resort in Ibiza. Newspapers said the 34-year-old woman was discovered on Friday in San Antonio It reported the unnamed woman is thought to have died of natural causes, while police local police are said to be investigating. A post-mortem today is expected to to confirm the cause of death The man suspected of delivering the punch linked to his death - Mitchell Loveridge, also 21 and from Llwynypia in the Rhondda, Wales, was arrested after trying to flee the scene by jumping out of the second-floor apartment window. He was remanded in custody after appearing in court. Ses Savines Apartments and Hotel is a two-star complex overlooking the sea. Residents have been told to take shelter in solid structures as fires blaze out of control across New South Wales. Wild winds have caused fires to spread, with one blaze wreaking havoc at Woodstock, near Ulladulla on the South Coast, and the other in the Port Stephens region, north of Sydney. Both wildfires were upgraded to an 'Emergency' level, and continue to burn out of control. Residents have been told to take shelter in solid structures as fires blaze out of control across New South Wales Wild winds fuel out-of-control fire tearing through Salt Ash The New South Wales Rural Fire Service issued further fire danger warnings on Saturday morning as expected winds were forecasted to affect the firegrounds. The inferno at Woodstock in the Mount Kingiman area has ripped through more than 4,000 hectares of land. Once the fire began to spread, the Rural Fire Service warned residents to put their bush fire survival plan into action. 'If your plan is to leave, leave now towards Ulladulla if the path is clear,' they posted to Twitter. The fire was soon downgraded to 'Watch and Act' at about 3pm, as firefighters succeeded in controlling the blaze and 'gaining the upper hand'. North of Sydney, another warning was sent to residents of an 'Emergency' wildfire in the Salt Ash area in Port Stephens. According to the Rural Fire Service, the inferno continued to burn behind containment lines, which was producing large clouds of smoke. Residents were urged to leave immediately at about 3:30pm, once the fire had torn through more than 860 hectares of land. Both wildfires were upgraded to an 'Emergency' level, and continue to burn out of control Fire services were on the scene undertaking property protection as winds could change the direction of the blaze. Both Oyster Cove Road and Lemon Tree Passage Road are closed, and emergency services are urging people in surrounding areas to put survival plans into action as soon as possible. A third fire is tearing through the outskirts of the town of Tabulam, west of Ballina on the NSW far north coast, was upgraded to 'Emergency' before being downgraded to 'Watch and Act' at 4:30pm. The fire crossed the Clarence River and residents were told to take shelter in a 'solid structure'. As of 3:30pm on Saturday, there were 73 bush and grass fires burning across NSW, 44 of which were uncontainted Once the fire began to spread, the Rural Fire Service warned residents to put their bush fire survival plan into action The fire has torn through 174 hectares of land and is being controlled, as firefighters remain on the scene and are slowing the spread of the fire, with the support of aircraft. As of 3:30pm on Saturday, there were 73 bush and grass fires burning across NSW, 44 of which were uncontainted. Firefighters are battling the wildfires in seven regions across the state. The NSW RFS has warned of 'Very High' fire dangers for the Illawarra and Shoalhaven, Greater Sydney, Greater Hunter, North Western, Northern Slopes, New England and Far North Coast regions. Changing wind directions and speeds could cause the fires to gain momentum once again. Boxer Billy Joe Saunders sparked chaos at a Belfast Nando's last night after he launched a half-chicken at American heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder. Both men were in the Northern Ireland capital ahead of Tyson Fury's clash at Windsor Park tonight, with the brash US star expected to commentate from ringside. Footage filmed in the restaurant captures the aftermath as middleweight champion Saunders flees while Wilder - who slips as he makes for the door - gives chase. Scroll down for video Cannot believe what I'm reading. Video of Deontay Wilder (in the red) chasing Billy Joe Saunders (grey and black camo shirt) out of Nando's Belfast tonight after Saunders is said to have thrown chicken at him?! [ Hugh O'Halloran] pic.twitter.com/NEzqy0ZnzX Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) August 17, 2018 A second clip also shows Saunders dashing between tables as a furious Wilder storms down a flight of stairs behind him. Earlier in the day, as Fury weighed in for his bout against the Italian Francesco Pianeta, he and Wilder almost came to blows in a heated exchange. Saunders, a close friend of Fury and a fellow traveller, is said to have gone to the restaurant to confront Wilder, before hurling the Peri Peri chicken in Wilder's face and then making a quick exit. Video emerged on social media shortly after the incident showing a man wearing a camouflage design t-shirt identical to the one Saunders was wearing on Instagram that day. Billy Joe Saunders (said to be on the right of the screen) inside the Nando's restaurant Footage filmed in the restaurant captures the aftermath as WBO middleweight champion Saunders flees while Wilder - who slips as he makes for the door - gives chase The man soon got back to his feet and sprinted outside the restaurant when the footage ends Wilder was in Belfast to commentate on Fury's fight against Italian Francesco Pianeta at Windsor Park this evening. The pair resumed a long running feud after bumping into each other at the Europa Hotel, where Fury was set to weight in ahead of the bout Popular British champion Tyson Fury was cheered to the rafters as he argued with Wilder Witnesses were left stunned as tables and chairs were knocked out of the way as the fight kicked of. Wilder, who is 6ft 7ins, weighs 227lbs and remains unbeaten in 40 fights, took a tumble in haste as the much lighter Saunders, who is also unbeaten, rounded the corner and made off. Saunders has been a vocal defender of Fury in the past and supported the former champion through a series of mental health struggles over the past two years. Saunders has been a vocal defender of Fury in the past and supported the former champion through a series of mental health struggles over the past two years. He was pictured on Instagram earlier in the day wearing the distinctive camouflage design t-shirt Wilder and Fury have reportedly already put pen to paper for their next bout - thought to be a megabucks showdown in Las Vegas. Wilder said of Fury yesterday: 'As soon as he gets this guy out of the way, it's done. That's how simple it is.' The unbeaten American is set to announce the Fury fight on Monday in London - some reports suggest they could meet as early as November. A busy motorway in Russia was turned into an emergency runway as part of a military exercise which saw warplanes thunder over stunned motorists. Vehicles were halted on the Khabarovsk to Komsomolsk-on-Amur motorway to allow Su-30SM, Su-35S and MiG-31 pilots to test their landing and takeoff skills on the narrow road. Halted motorists filmed the amazing scenes as they got a grandstand view for the military exercise close to the Chinese border in the Russian Far East. Vehicles were halted on the Khabarovsk to Komsomolsk-on-Amur motorway to allow pilots to test their take off and landing skills After flying over the bemused motorists the planes and helicopters landed on a nearby runway Halted motorists filmed the amazing scenes as they got a grandstand view of the exercise Traffic was gridlocked in both directions as the military planes swooped over the highway The highway is specially designed for emergency landings and even has markings for the start of the runway The scenario tasked the pilots to use alternative to a damaged runway while under ground fire The spectacle was part of Vostok 2018 (East2018) drills - military exercises ordered by Putin A Sukhoi warplane was one of the jets which took part in the exercise Military Mi-26 helicopters also seen swooped in to land on the highway, which is in East Russia An An-26 warplane touched down on the two-lane road in front of fascinated motorists Military Mi-26 helicopters also swooped in to land on the highway, and an An-26 was seen touching down on the two-lane road. Large traffic jams of cars and lorries formed in both directions. Pilots were ordered to respond to a scenario where they needed to use an alternative to their damaged runway as they came under ground fire. In fact the highway at this point in the Russian Far East is specially designed for emergency landings by both military and civilian planes - and even has markings for the start of the runway. The one-and-a-quarter mile stretch will also be closed for several hours on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday next week for more war games, with armed soldiers blocking traffic. The spectacle along the tree-lined highway is part of the massive Vostok 2018 (East2018) drills - the latest military exercises ordered by Vladimir Putin to ensure his forces are battle-ready. The defence ministry in Moscow announced: "For the purpose of preparing for the Vostok 2018 exercise, the Russian armed forces will hold a special drill to practice tactical support to forces operating in the eastern strategic sector. Last summers Zapad 2017 (West 2017) exercises were strongly criticised by NATO. The massive drills include army, airforce and navy forces. Next week military vehicles arriving by road and rail will be loaded onto warships of the Pacific Fleet. Elsewhere a 3,300 ft pontoon bridge will be constructed over the Zeya River in Amur region for a makeshift rail line to transport military equipment. Russia shares a 2,616 mile border with China and while relations are seen as friendly, Moscow has boosted its military strength under Putin in its eastern as well as western regions. Motorists posted approving comments on the air force display. Cool! Lucky to be stopped, said one. Amazing sight, said another. Beautiful! The large-scale drills East 2018. Serial killer Levi Bellfield has been gifting his friends - including black cab rapist John Worboys - disturbing cards and artwork while serving his whole life sentence in jail. The former bouncer was jailed for life in 2008 for the hammer murders of Amelie Delagrange, 22, and 19-year-old Marsha McDonnell and the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy, 18. Three years later he was convicted of killing schoolgirl Milly Dowler, 13, who was abducted on her way home from school in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, in 2002. His bizarre designs include cartoon depictions of police officers on the toilet and drawings of houses and owls. Serial killer Levi Bellfield has been gifting his friends - including black cab rapist John Worboys - disturbing cards and artwork while serving his whole life sentence in jail A prison source said: 'He'd draw teddy bears and flowers for the girlfriends. He would do funny ones too - like the guy on the toilet. The design would just depend on who it was going to. He would cater for all' A prison source said: 'He started making cards for prisoners to give to their loved ones. It would be wide-ranging. He'd draw teddy bears and flowers for the girlfriends. 'He would do funny ones too - like the guy on the toilet. The design would just depend on who it was going to. He would cater for all. 'After the cards proved popular he moved onto drawing on the back of A4 letters in his cell.' The 50 year old became friends with Worboys in HMP Wakefield, West Yorkshire, and he even helped the serial sex attacker win his legal bid for parole. Bellfield is said to spend 'several nights a week' making artwork in his cell before handing them out The source said: 'He'd hand them to prisoners he took a liking to. When he handed over the drawings he looked very pleased with himself' 'The main prisoner he used to hang around with was John Worboys,' the source added. 'Those two were best mates and use to hang out regularly.' Bellfield is said to spend 'several nights a week' making artwork in his cell before handing them out. The source said: 'He'd hand them to prisoners he took a liking to. When he handed over the drawings he looked very pleased with himself. 'When he was working on the bigger paintings he said it was because he was feeling reflective. 'It was as though he was trying to get approval from us.' Bellfield changed his name to Yusuf Rahim and converted to Islam after being convicted of killing Milly Dowler in 2011. But the prison source has now claimed that Bellfield only changed his name to avoid being attacked after he was moved to HMP Frankland, County Durham, in 2013. They claimed: 'He said he changed his name because he felt safer. He felt safer being part of a gang. They would stick up for him if any trouble came his way.' The 49-year-old was not the driver facing the drink-driving charges in court A restaurant owner has been accused of committing perjury while discussing a drink-driving charge to save $975. Max Paganoni, from Max's Restaurant in the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, has been accused of lying under oath and charged with committing wilful and corrupt perjury, according to The Herald Sun. Mr Paganoni allegedly misled Frankston Court on April 23 by claiming he was not present inside a car driven by a drunk driver on Mornington-Tyabb Road. He allegedly lied to the magistrate in order to have the car allegedly involved in the incident taken out of impound free of charge. Max Paganoni (pictured), from Max's Restaurant in the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, has been accused of lying under oath and charged with committing wilful and corrupt perjury It is alleged that the 49-year-old was the passenger in the company car, according to the publication (Pictured: Frankston Magistrates Court where Mr Paganoni attended yesterday) It is alleged that the 49-year-old chef was a passenger in a company car, but Mr Paganoni allegedly told the court he wasn't in the vehicle when the offence was allegedly committed. The driver, not Paganoni, allegedly blew 0.149 after being pulled over on Mornington-Tyabb Road. Mr Paganoni appeared at Frankston Magistrates Court yesterday. The restaurateur has also been charged with evading car impound costs by lying to police prosecutors. It will be alleged that the supposed deception led to Mr Paganoni saving a $975 fee as police and the magistrate did not oppose the removal of the car from the impound lot. The restaurateur has also been charged with evading car impound costs by lying to police prosecutors Mr Paganoni is disputing the charges. He declined to comment when Daily Mail Australia contacted him. Magistrate Julian Ayres, who heard the original impound case, said he would be unable to hear the case due to a conflict of interest. Mr Paganoni's restaurant has won awards such as the Qantas Tourism Award and been inducted into the Victorian Tourism Hall of Fame. The vineyard has been described as having the 'best views of any vineyard'. The father of Britain's longest missing person investigation has made a desperate plea from his deathbed to find his daughter. The body of Genette Tate, 13, has not been found since she vanished while delivering evening newspapers in Aylesbeare, near Exeter in 1978. The youngster's abandoned bicycle was found by two friends on a path in the small village. John Tate (pictured) 76, has made a desperate plea from his deathbed to find his missing daughter Genette's body Gennette Tate (pictured) was 13 went she went missing in her hometown of Aylesbeare, near Exeter in 1978 After 40 years of heartbreak, her father John Tate, who lives in Manchester, has begged for her body to be found as he battles serious ill-health. The 76-year-old has has diabetes, McArdle's disease, prostate cancer and has recently suffered from a stroke. Mr Tate is now too ill to make his annual trip to Aylesbeare where his beloved daughter went missing and thinks the clock is ticking on being able to finally her to rest. He told The Mirror: 'My life is coming to an end. I dearly want to know where Ginny is. Scottish serial child killer Robert Black (pictured) was responsible for the killing of Genen but he died in prison before he was charged 'Just to know that she has been found and given a Christian burial would be enough. I could go to my grave in the knowledge that we were together again.' Scottish serial child killer Robert Black was found responsible for the murder of the 13-year-old paper girl. After the teenager went missing Black - a delivery driver who stalked the roads of the UK searching for victims- became the main suspect. Mr Tate wants closure over his daughters death who went missing more than 40 years ago The police's lengthy report, which was made up of 500 pages, revealed that officers knew he visited Aylesbeare because they got hold of his petrol receipts. He was convicted in 1994 for the rape and murder of three girls during the 1980s and he was arrested and questioned in 2005 over the Tate case but was never charged. Officers who investigated the disappearance of Genette were weeks from charging the child killer before he died in Maghaberry high security prison in Northern Ireland. Genette's mother Sheila Cook (pictured) with her daughters bicycle that was found abandoned at the side of the road Genette went missing when she was delivering papers- her father has made one final plea to find her body Devon and Cornwall Police said: 'Black was our main suspect and we approached the CPS with a recommendation to charge. 'Currently there isn't an active investigation.' John said: 'It annoys me when people say to me you have got closure. We'll probably never have closure especially now the only suspect is dead. I am not even 100% sure Black did it. 'I need proof that Black killed her. If we could just find her body then that could give me the proof I need.' 'That's why I had to do this because everyone else seems to have given up on her but with my last breath, I will not.' A public school-educated British artist believes he is a secret love-child of Pablo Escobar. Phillip Witcomb, 53, who is now based in Majorca, says he was born Roberto Sendoya Escobar after in his words, a non-consensual encounter between his father, then aged 16, and Maria Luisa Sendoya, who was just 14. The birth was kept quiet and while he does not have a birth certificate naming Escobar as his father, a baptism document says Phillip was born to the drug lord. He also spent time in a Catholic Church orphanage in the Colombian capital Bogota before he was adopted aged four months by British couple Patrick and Joan Witcomb. Phillip Witcomb (pictured), 53, who is now based in Majorca, says he was born Roberto Sendoya Escobar after in his words, a non-consensual encounter between his father, then aged 16, and Maria Luisa Sendoya, who was just 14 At 24-years-old Phillip says he was first told about his biological father from his adoptive parents. His father Patrick claimed he was actually the eldest son of the world's most notorious drug lord, Pablo Escobar. In reality, I hadnt really heard of Pablo Escobar so wasnt really aware of what hed done, Phillip told The Mail on Sunday. But when dad told me about everything, I honestly couldnt believe it. It all came as a complete shock and made me rethink my life. The Colombian narcoterrorist built a multi-billion dollar empire controlling 80 per cent of world cocaine trade. Escobar was shot dead by special forces nearly 25 years ago after slaughtering thousands of innocent people, including politicians, judges, journalists and rival traffickers, while waging war on Colombias government. And as the supposedly unaware heir to an empire of unimaginable power and violence, Phillip claims his adoptive parents surrounded him with security as a child after the Escobar family made several attempts to kidnap him. At 24-years-old Phillip (left) says he was first told about his biological father from his adoptive parents. His father Patrick claimed he was actually the eldest son of the world's most notorious drug lord, Pablo Escobar (right) Seeing the danger his young son was encircled by, Patrick sent Phillip to board first at St Hughs prep school in Oxford, then Lucton School in Herefordshire. I can now see that throughout my childhood hed kept a lot of stuff from me to try to normalise my life as much as possible, Phillip told the Daily Express. I dont know when exactly but somewhere along the line [Escobar] found out about me, somewhere along the line he wanted me back, he says. While for 14 years Phillip was blissfully left ignorant over his biological father's identity, it was no accident that he had to find out when he did, he says. In 1989, when Patrick revealed his belief that Escobar was his son's father, the gangster had reached the height of his murderous power. In 1993 Escobar was gunned down by police in Medellin and the fallout from this led to other big players in the cartel being jailed Yet with such wealth came more enemies and Patrick felt it only fair to warn Phillip of the danger he could be in. He encouraged his son to get a full-time security team. Not only for Phillip's safety but also for the welfare of wife Sue and their two children, Jonathan, then three, and Anna, then just one. Thankfully Phillip never found himself in trouble due to the parentage he claims to have. In 1993 Escobar was gunned down by police in Medellin and the fallout from this led to other big players in the cartel being jailed. Phillip never found his mother - and was told she died - which he says still affects him today. He believes due to her age that the encounter between her and his father couldnt have been consensual and says that is 'difficult to deal with. He is now writing a book about his experiences and has been contacted by one of Pablos legitimate sons, yet is unsure about pursuing that relationship. And while the trouble might seem to be over, Phillip still keeps a gun in the house and is aware of the potential problems going public could cause. On the one hand those from the old days dont have any real power any more. But on the other, I am the first born son of Pablo Escobar, he says. Its blood, its family, thats the way it works down there. Police officers have found at least half a ton of marijuana hidden in the floor of a tourist bus that crashed in Ecuador leaving 23 people dead. Nearly 600 plastic-wrapped packages of the drug were found by a sniffer dog in the wreckage of the bus which crashed on Tuesday near Quito. National anti-narcotics police director General Carlos Alulema told reporters that three buses from Colombia had already been stopped this year and 'more than 400 kilos of cocaine and 600 of marijuana were found in similar circumstances'. The South American countries share a border regularly used by drug-trafficking gangs to ship cocaine to the United States. Police officers have found at least half a ton of marijuana hidden in the floor of a bus that crashed near Quito in Ecuador leaving 23 people dead The bus overturned and crashed into three houses after a collision with an all-terrain vehicle on Tuesday Colombian prosecutors said on Thursday that 80 kilos of cocaine had been recovered from the bus. But Ecuadoran prosecutor Ruth Palacios told the press conference 'marijuana was found, solely and exclusively'. Colombia said Wednesday that 19 of the 23 victims were its citizens. Palacios said the authorities would question the 22 injured passengers, mostly Colombians, to try to determine 'who is responsible' for the drug-trafficking. Nearly 600 plastic-wrapped packages of the drug were found by a sniffer dog. Ecuadoran prosecutor Ruth Palacios said the authorities would question the 22 injured passengers 'Then it will be determined who stays and who is allowed to leave,' she said. The bus overturned and crashed into three houses after a collision with an all-terrain vehicle. Ecuador transport colonel Julio Barba said the driver 'probably overused the brakes... which produced an overheating of the brake system leading to a loss of control of the vehicle.' One of the two drivers, who was injured in the crash, has been arrested. Traffic accidents are among the leading causes of death in Ecuador, averaging seven deaths and 80 injuries a day. This is the shocking moment a laughing tourist pays a homeless man to get his name tattooed on his forehead. Fouad Fawzi, from Cork, Ireland who lives in Ibiza, boasted on social media that it is the 32nd person to get his name tattooed on his body. Mr Fawzi laughed as he live streamed the moment on Facebook of the British homeless man named Liam lying down looking dazed as the new tattoo above his eyebrow is inked. Fouad Fawzi convinced homeless man Liam (pictured) to get his name tattooed on his face and streamed it on Facebook live The moment was live streamed the moment on Facebook as the new tattoo above Liam's eyebrow was inked Fouad Fawzi, from Ireland who lives in Ibiza, has convinced 32 people to get their name tattooed on him Liam is tattooed for nearly ten minutes as a group of boys in swimming shorts gather to watch and laugh. At one point Mr Fawzi turned the camera on himself and held his hand over his mouth in shock as he tried not to laugh. The tattooed man looked stunned as he got up and stared at himself in the mirror but laughed it off and told others in the room he would get another name done for 2,000. In another video, homeless Liam is filmed in a car with showing off his new face tattoo, and is inaudible as he drank a beer and grinned. According to Mr Fawzi Liam lives on the streets of Ibiza goes to hotels to use their pool showers. Mr Fawzi said: 'So I paid my homeless friend Liam to get my name tattooed on his face. 'There is now 32 people with my name tattooed on them, but this is by far the craziest one. It is not known how much Mr Fawzi paid the homeless man. Liam, who is British and lives on the streets of Ibiza, was filmed getting the tattoo done and looked stunned when he looked in the mirror The tattooed man looked stunned as he got up and stared at himself in the mirror Mr Fawzi's social media is littered with photos and videos on socia of other people who have been convinced to have his name tattooed on their bodies. Most of the names appeared to have been tattooed in Ibiza- with dozens getting his full name on their arms, bum, legs and feet. Some of the tattoo's were even performed by Mr Fawzi himself. At one point Mr Fawzi turned the camera on himself and held his hand over his mouth in shock as he tried not to laugh Mr Fawzi has documented dozens of people's tattoos on social media Many of the tattoo's Mr Fawzi has performed himself, convincing one tattooist that he was a professional Tourists have been convinced to have his name permanently inked on their bum, legs, feet and now face On one post he said: 'The tattooist let me do the last one drunk because I told him I was a professional tattooist in Ireland.' One woman, who got the tattoo on her hand, had Mr Fawzi's spelled wrong by the tattoo artist. In the post he said: 'It was spelled wrong with a Y at the end so the tattooist had to add the diamond in at the end to try to fix it.' One tattoo is pictured spelled wrong- which the tattooist had to add the diamond to try and fix Mr Fawzi has boasted about his tattoo conquests on social media which has shocked many users People on social media commented on the face tattoo with a mixture of amusement or horror. One user said: 'Imagine people laughing at this. The lad is homeless and clearly has issues and everyone laughing while this clown takes advantage and pays him cash. The world is gone mad. Imagine the lads parents and family.' Another said: 'He has to be off his head getting it in the first place never mind on his face.' Mr Fawzi (pictured) said the stunt with homeless man Liam was 'by far the craziest one' Mr Fawzi claimed Liam was the only person he had ever paid to have their name tattooed on him One user said: 'He'll blame you when he goes home and can't get a job.' Another user said: 'The poor man will be homeless the rest of his life with that on his face you'd wanna be paying him weekly cause he defo wont be working anywhere anytime soon.' A British stag do sparked fury after last month after they paid a homeless man 100 euros (90) to get the groom's name tattooed on his head. Tomek Matuszewski, 34, called for the drunken louts to be jailed for the inking on his forehead. The group ran into the man living on the streets in Benidorm, Spain, when they got the idea for him to get a tattoo that read: 'Jamie Blake, North Shields, NE28'. Advertisement Britain is set for wet and windy weather tonight as remains of a sub-tropical storm breezes through resulting in downpours of rain across the UK. Storm Ernesto, named by the US National Hurricane Center, is set to cross the UK tonight, by which time it will have weakened into an ordinary low pressure system. Nonetheless, forecasters said rainfall totals in some areas of the North West, North Wales and Scotland could get as high as two inches (50mm), while wind gust speeds might rise to 60mph in parts of the Scottish Highlands. Trees are seen through the thick morning mist yesterday morning near the Wiltshire city of Salisbury as the muggy weather remains The sun casts a beautiful orange glaze as it rises over the cruise ship Ventura docked at Southampton yesterday morning A man jogs through Richmond Park in South West London yesterday ahead of a mixed bag of weather expected this weekend This graphic from the National Hurricane Centre shows sub-tropical storm Ernesto's approach towards Ireland and Britain Adults and children alike enjoy the Green Man Festival at Glanusk Park in South Wales yesterday afternoon Festival goers enjoy the 2018 Green Man Festival at Glanusk Park in the Brecon Beacons, South Wales, yesterday afternoon Today could be 'quite warm' with sunny spells but breezy in central, southern and eastern England with highs of 81F (27C), while further north and west it is likely to be mainly cloudy before the remains of the storm arrive. It will be a humid, muggy and wet evening with temperatures of around 63F (17C) making it uncomfortable to sleep, the Met Office said. Rachael West from the Met Office said: 'The heaviest rain is due to hit Northern Ireland, Scotland, North West England and North Wales. Within that area, there could be 30 (1.2in) to 50mm (2in) of rain. 'In that area, the winds could reach a maximum strength of 40 to 45mph. Further south, it is likely to be cloudy and there could be strong winds of up to 35mph. 'But because the system originates in sub-tropical air, it is likely to be muggy and humid in the South, with temperatures peaking at 26C (79F) to 28C (82F). 'Further north, especially where there is rain, temperatures are likely to only be in the high teens or low 20Cs (low 70Fs).' Tomorrow will see a cloudy start to the day but Storm Ernesto would have largely passed by then although some drizzles of rain will still be had over the south west and north east. By the afternoon it will be largely dry with highs of 72F (22C) in the north and 77F (25C) in the south, forecasters expect. People sit on deckchairs on the beach at Barry Island, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, where numbers have fallen People play tug-of-war on the beach at Barry Island where mixed weather has reduced numbers since the heatwave Some people are seen wearing jumpers as they take a walk on the coast path by the sea at Barry Island on Saturday People enjoy the Vale of Glamorgan beach on Saturday with some visitors in deckchairs and others playing football A group of beachgoers hold hands as they play in the sea at Barry Island, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales today Two women relax by colourful beach huts on Barry Island, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, on Saturday Pictured: The 600-mile wide sub-tropical Storm Ernesto - shown towards the left of the satellite image heading towards the UK Showers are expected in the North and West this morning (left), but should clear most of Wales by the afternoon (right) Showers are expected in many parts of Britain on Sunday (left), but the South East should stay dry for the most part (right) Festival goers sit next to water as they make the most of the 2018 Green Man Festival in the Brecon Beacons yesterday Miles and miles of heather are in bloom under beautiful blue skies across the North York Moors yesterday morning Boaters enjoy the sunshine at Hambleden Lock in Buckinghamshire yesterday morning in the mild weather The Environment Agency said: 'Land and roads may flood on Sunday and there could be disruption to travel, especially in the North-West and Northumberland.' Met Office forecaster Steven Keates said: 'Ernesto will make landfall into Sunday, with up to 50-60mm of rain in six to nine hours in the North-West and wind gusts there of 40mph gale-force or a bit higher, and 35mph inland even in southern England. 'Ernesto's warm and humid air stays here for the first half of the week, with 26-28C from Monday to Wednesday in the South, with mainly dry weather for most. 'A cold front brings rain on Thursday, but the Bank Holiday weekend looks relatively warm at 23C and a degree or two warmer not ruled out. 'The South will be mainly dry, and the North still seeing good sunny spells, but less settled.' The Weather Outlook forecaster Brian Gaze said: 'The official end of summer may be near - but the warmth just keeps on coming.' The rain is helping parched grass to recover after nearly two months of scorching weather in June and July. The colour of the UK last month had even changed when viewed from space - from green to brown and yellow. Next week, it is likely to remain unsettled in the North and West on Monday and Tuesday, and drier and brighter further south. The Met Office said temperatures should remain 'around normal' for the time of year. The officer, who has been identified by media as Senior Constable Branko Markovic (pictured), was stabbed multiple times The wife of an off-duty police officer that stepped in during a fight at a community hall thought she was watching her husband die. The officer, who has been identified by The Daily Telegraph as Senior Constable Branko Markovic, was stabbed multiple times in the stomach after a group of teenagers attempted to crash a 16-year-old's birthday party in Sydney's south-west overnight. A 17-year-old boy has been charged with grievous bodily harm and intimidation over the incident after being detained at the scene. The Senior Constable's wife was one of the first to be by her husband's side after the Bonnyrigg Heights attack. Assistant Commissioner Peter Thurtell told the publication: '[It's a situation where] your husband is potentially going to die in front of you. 'The first notification I got was that things were grim. So she is there thinking that things are grim.' The Assistant Commissioner said there was initial belief that an artery had been hit because of the amount of blood. He went on to praise the officer, who works in the domestic violence team. 'It was a very brave and for him to put him self in danger when off duty, but after he was stabbed, he also maintained hold of the offender,' Ass. Comm. Thurtell said. Mr Thurtell said that what happened shows the dangers of policing and the 24/7 nature of the job. Emergency services were called to the scene at Chopin Close in Bonnyrigg Heights at 11pm, where they found the 36-year-old man with the stomach wounds. The Senior Constable's wife was one of the first to be by her husband's side after the attack The Assistant Commissioner said there was initial belief that an artery had been hit because of the amount of blood. He went on to praise the 36-year-old Mr Markovic was a guest at the 16th birthday party when a group of teenagers attempted to gatecrash at 10.45pm. It is believed that a teenager allegedly attempted to punch another partygoer in the face. The teenager and three other males immediately fled from the scene where the officer pursued them on foot. The officer then got in an altercation with one of the teenagers as he tried to arrest him, before they both fell to the ground. During the struggle, he was then stabbed several times in the stomach. Mr Markovic was a guest at the 16th birthday party when a group of teenagers attempted to gatecrash at 10.45pm (pictured is the scene of the incident) Investigations are ongoing after an off-duty police officer got stabbed multiple times in the stomach after he intervened during a fight Although he was wounded, he was able to hold the teenager until emergency services arrived. He was rushed to Liverpool hospital for surgery in a critical condition, as the three other teenagers fled the scene. The 17-year-old male was taken into custody and has been charged with two counts of grievous bodily harm, intimidation. The teenager was refused bail to appear at a children's court tomorrow. Police are still looking for the other teenagers believed to be involved in the incident. A ten-centimetre knife was found at the crime scene and is currently undergoing testing. The off-duty police officer was rushed to Liverpool hospital for surgery in a critical condition Assistant Commissioner Peter Thurtell said the uninvited guests tried to enter the hall, resulting in the violent incident. 'Some of the people in the hall attempted to speak to the people, and an off-duty police officer was stabbed several times in the stomach,' he said. 'We are looking for two other males who we believe were involved in the incident,' Assistant Commissioner Thurtell said. 'Once again, this act of bravery confirms that police officers are never off-duty, and will up-hold their oath of office to protect life and property at all times,' he said. Investigations are still underway and police urge anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers. Ryanair has been accused of 'forcing' an autistic girl off a flight, leaving her stranded and 'hysterical' in Portugal, as cabin crew did not believe she was flying with family. This was despite Daisy Maddock, 13, flying to Faro with her aunties, uncles, cousins and godmother on Friday, August 10, without any problem. Her mother, Michelle Maddock, 32, of Kirkby-in Ashfield, was unable to fly with her, as she had suffered a bleed on her brain shortly before the family was to travel to celebrate her mother's 60th birthday in the Algarve. Worried Michelle Maddock with her daughter Poppy Jarvis, holding a photograph of her then-stranded daughter Daisy Happier times: Michelle Maddock with her two daughters, Daisy, 13, and Poppy, eight As the teen was still keen to go, the budget airline asked for her to bring a letter of permission from her parents, and a copy of her mum and dad's passports. But when Daisy was about to board yesterday, to return to East Midlands Airport a week later, she went through an upsetting ordeal, which meant she was stranded for 'hours'. Her horrified mother said her daughter was left 'hysterical' as she was forced off the plane at Faro. 'I am really angry and upset. I want to comfort my daughter and I can't. It does not make any sense,' said Michelle Maddock Fighting back tears, she said yesterday: 'My daughter Daisy boarded the flight with the rest of my family with no problem until 10 minutes before the flight was due to take off. 'A lady working for Ryanair came up to my daughter and told her they believed she had gotten on the plane without an adult and she must get off the plane but an adult has to go with her. 'After my family members explained the situation showing them the documents I was told to send she came back with a security guard who forced my daughter off the plane. 'My 13-year-old is autistic and was absolutely hysterical. Her 70-year-old godmother was made to leave the plane with her. 'My daughter was absolutely terrified and is now stranded at Faro airport. I have tried for two hours to get hold of Ryanair with no luck. A spokesman for Ryanair said that Daisy flew back to England later on Friday 'I am really angry and upset. I want to comfort my daughter and I can't. It does not make any sense. 'I would understand going out of this country but they won't let her go back to her own country.' A spokesman for Ryanair said: 'Children under-16 years of age are not permitted to travel unaccompanied. In this instance, the child was booked on two separate bookings for the outbound and return flights. 'While we regret any inconvenience, as no other adult was travelling on the return booking, she could not travel on the flight. 'As a gesture of goodwill, the child and an accompanying adult were moved on to another booking on the next available flight, which departed to East Midlands later that day.' Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has died at the age of 80 after a short illness. Mr Annan spent his final days at his home in Geneva, Switzerland, with his wife Nane and children Ama, Kojo, and Nina. He was the first black African to become UN Secretary-General, a role he held between 1997 and 2006. Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, pictured, has died at the age of 80 after a short illness The Nobel Peace Prize laureate went on to chair The Elders, a group set up by Nelson Mandela, pictured together in 2007, which aims to promote global peace and human rights Mr Annan was the chief architect of what became known as the Millennium Development Goals, and played a central role in creating the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the UN's first counter-terrorism strategy. In 2001 the celebrated diplomat, who was born in Kumasi, Ghana, was a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize with the UN for prioritising human rights in the role. The committee also praised Mr Annan for his efforts to help contain the spread of the HIV virus in Africa as well as opposition to international terrorism. Ghana's national flag will fly at half-mast across the country for an entire week from Monday in tribute to Mr Annan. 'Kofi Annan was a guiding force for good,' current UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said today. A black ribbon and a bouquet of flowers adorn Kofi Annan's portrait upon news of his death His portrait at UN headquarters is New York sits between his predecessor Boutros Boutros-Ghali and successor Ban Ki-moon 'It is with profound sadness that I learned of his passing. In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations. He rose through the ranks to lead the organization into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination.' Tributes have poured in for Mr Annan from across the world. Prime Minister Theresa May said: 'Sad to hear of the death of Kofi Annan. A great leader and reformer of the UN, he made a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into. My thoughts and condolences are with his family.' Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn added: 'Kofi Annan dedicated his life to building a more just and peaceful world. His efforts in support of conflict resolution and human rights will be remembered. A black ribbon reading 'in memoriam' was tied across the left corner of his portrait to mark his death A visitor to the United Nations pauses in front of a different portrait of Annan at UN headquarters on the day of his death The UN flag flew at half-staff outside the organisation's headquarters in New York 'He looked for a peaceful path when others looked for war. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones.' Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the President of Ghana, paid tribute to Mr Annan on Twitter. He wrote: 'The Government and people of Ghana, First Lady Rebecca and I are deeply saddened by the news of the death, in Berne, Switzerland, of one of our greatest compatriots, Mr. Kofi Annan. 'I extend, on behalf of the entire Ghanaian nation, our sincere, heartfelt condolences to his beloved widow, Nane Maria, and to his devoted children, Ama, Kojo and Nina, on this great loss. Mr Annan, pictured here with Bob Geldof and Bono, previously said that his darkest moment was the Iraq war and his inability to stop it His uncontested election to a second term as Secretary-General was unprecedented, reflecting the overwhelming support he enjoyed from both rich and poor countries (pictured with George Clooney in 2006) 'I am, however, comforted by the information, after speaking to Nane Maria, that he died peacefully in his sleep. 'Consummate international diplomat and highly respected former Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan was the first from sub-Saharan Africa to occupy this exalted position. 'He brought considerable renown to our country by this position and through his conduct and comportment in the global arena. He was an ardent believer in the capacity of the Ghanaian to chart his or her own course onto the path of progress and prosperity. 'Undoubtedly, he excelled in the various undertakings of his life, leaving in his trail most pleasant memories. His was a life well-lived. 'I have directed that, in his honour, Ghanas national flag will fly at half-mast across the country and in all of Ghanas diplomatic missions across the world, from Monday, 20th August, 2018, for one week. Rest in perfect peace, Kofi. You have earned it. God bless.' New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern tweetedd: 'The world has lost a great humanitarian, leader, and self proclaimed stubborn optimist. Rest in peace, Kofi Annan.' Former Australian PM Kevin Rudd added: 'The world has lost a great leader today. Kofi initiated the Millenium Development Goals. 'He did everything possible to prevent the Iraq War. He spoke for our common humanity. I will miss him too as a dear friend, colleague and source of encouragement.' Narenda Modi, the Prime Minister of India, said: 'We express our profound sorrow at the passing away of Nobel Laureate and former UNSG Mr. Kofi Annan. The world has lost not only a great African diplomat and humanitarian but also a conscience keeper of international peace and security.' Tributes have poured in for Mr Annan across the world and Nana Akufo-Addo, the president of Ghana, has announced that the national flag will fly at half-mast for a week Tony Blair tweeted: 'Im shocked and distressed to hear the news about Kofi. He was a good friend whom I saw only weeks ago. 'Kofi Annan was a great diplomat, a true statesman and a wonderful colleague who was widely respected and will be greatly missed. My deepest sympathy to Nane and his family.' U.S. President Donald Trump has not yet paid tribute to Mr Annan. Mr Annan took on the top UN post six years after the collapse of the Soviet Union and presided during a decade when the world united against terrorism after the September 11 attacks. 'I think that my darkest moment was the Iraq war, and the fact that we could not stop it,' Annan said in a February 2013 interview with TIME magazine to mark the publication of his memoir. 'Could you imagine if the UN had endorsed the war in Iraq, what our reputation would be like? 'Although at that point, President Bush said the UN was headed toward irrelevance, because we had not supported the war. But now we know better.' Mr Annan's uncontested election to a second term was unprecedented, reflecting the overwhelming support he enjoyed from both rich and poor countries - despite challenges from the outset. During his tenure as Secretary-General, Mr Annan presided over some of the worst failures and scandals at the world body, one of its most turbulent periods since its founding in 1945. His enduring moral prestige remained largely undented, however, both through charisma and by virtue of having negotiated with most of the powers in the world. When he departed from the United Nations, he left behind a global organization far more aggressively engaged in peacekeeping and fighting poverty, setting the framework for the UN's 21st-century response to mass atrocities and its emphasis on human rights and development. A statement from the Kofi Annan foundation earlier today said: 'Wherever there was suffering or need, he reached out and touched many people with his deep compassion and empathy. 'He selflessly placed others first, radiating genuine kindness, warmth and brilliance in all he did. 'He will be greatly missed by so many around the world, as well as his staff at the Foundation and his many former colleagues in the United Nations system. He will remain in our hearts forever.' Tributes have poured in for Mr Annan, pictured here with the Queen in 2007, from across the world The Kofi Annan Foundation described Mr Annan, pictured here with Angelina Jolie in 2003, as a 'deeply committed internationalist' who worked 'tirelessly' for the cause of peace After stepping down from his role in the United Nations Mr Annan set up the Kofi Annan foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that aims to promote better global governance. He also chaired The Elders, a group of elder statesmen founded by Nelson Mandela that promote global peace and human rights. His foundation described Mr Annan as a 'deeply committed internationalist' who worked 'tirelessly' for the cause of peace. In his memoir, Annan recognized the costs of taking on the world's top diplomatic job, joking that 'SG', for secretary-general, also signified 'scapegoat' around UN headquarters. Just before becoming secretary-general, Mr Annan served as UN peacekeeping chief and as special envoy to the former Yugoslavia, where he oversaw a transition in Bosnia from UN protective forces to NATO-led troops. The UN peacekeeping operation faced two of its greatest failures during his tenure: the Rwanda genocide in 1994, and the massacre in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica in July 1995. In both cases, the U.N. had deployed troops under Mr Annan's command, but they failed to save the lives of the civilians they were mandated to protect. As secretary-general, Annan forged his experiences into a doctrine called the 'Responsibility to Protect', that countries accepted - at least in principle - to head off genocide, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing and war crimes. In 1998, he helped ease a transition to civilian rule in Nigeria and visited Iraq to try to resolve its impasse with the Security Council over compliance with weapons inspections and other matters. The effort helped avoid an outbreak of hostilities that seemed imminent at the time. In 1999, he was deeply involved in the process by which East Timor gained independence from Indonesia, and started the 'Global Compact' initiative that has grown into the world's largest effort to promote corporate social responsibility. New Zealand popstar Megan Alatini has claimed she was racially discriminated against on a Jetstar flight for writing notes. The 41-year-old took to social media to describe the incident which she claimed occurred on-board a 2.30pm Jetstar flight from Melbourne to the Gold Coast on Friday. It has been alleged the situation arose as the mother-of-three was pulled aside, questioned and interrogated by a member of staff on what was otherwise an lovely flight. New Zealand popstar Megan Alatini (pictured) has claimed she was racially discriminated against on a Jetstar flight for writing notes. Now an Air New Zealand employee, Alatani found fame in 1999 when she was part of Kiwi pop girl group, TrueBliss, from the reality TV series Popstar The 41-year-old took to social media to describe the incident which she claimed occurred on-board a 2.30pm Jetstar flight from Melbourne to the Gold Coast on Friday Despite telling her Facebook community she would 'not be leaving it at this', there has been no formal complaint made to Jetstar relating to the incident. The TrueBliss star and Air New Zealand employee made the initial social media post on Friday at 4.52pm having only landed at 4:31pm - but quickly deleted it. On Saturday evening a second post was made to Facebook advising fans her heart is crying but she is okay. A Jetstar spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia: 'We take these types of allegations very seriously and are investigating the situation. 'We have reached out to Megan to better understand her experience. 'We sincerely apologise to Megan if she felt she was spoken to unfairly.' Ms Alatini is married to former All Black Star, Pita Alatini and was travelling to the Gold Coast to celebrate with friends at Rick Shores, Burleigh Heads Daily Mail Australia contacted Ms Alatini for comment. Ms Alatini is married to former All Black Star, Pita Alatini and was travelling to the Gold Coast to celebrate with friends at Rick Shores, Burleigh Heads. Now an Air New Zealand employee, Ms Alatani found fame in 1999 when she was part of Kiwi pop girl group, TrueBliss, from the reality TV series Popstar. Her career in the spotlight also awarded her second place on New Zealand's Dancing with the Stars in 2007 with dance partner Jonny Williams and a seat on the judges panel in 2006's New Zealand Idol. The family of a 'beautiful Nan' who was run over and killed while crossing a road have slammed the driver for 'extending the legal process' and refusing to accept responsibility. Tina Singh, 39, appeared at Minshull Crown Court yesterday for sentencing after she was found guilty by a jury last month of causing death by careless driving. The court heard how she had struck down 79-year-old Sheila McGinty while she was driving a Peugeot 107 along Bury New Road in Heywood, after failing to notice her in the road. The hairdresser, who was driving at the speed limit on her way to work, claimed a 'momentary lapse of concentration' was the reason she hit Ms McGinty. However, Judge Paul Lawton said yesterday that he was 'perplexed as to why she thought that she had a defence', and handed her a two-year driving ban. 'The brutal manner of her death must be incalculable for her family,' he added. A police investigation revealed that Singh, of Heywood, Greater Manchester, had 'not applied the brakes' until after she had hit the grandmother on June 22 last year. Judge Paul Lawton sentenced Tina Singh, above, to a 12-month community order and a two-year driving ban, after she was found guilty by a jury last month of causing death by careless driving Prosecuting, Robert Galinski, said: 'There was a trial where a guilty verdict was reached on a single count of causing death by careless driving. 'One of her grandchildren, Rosanna Lloyd, has written a very compassionate victim personal statement.' Ms Lloyd told the court that her family had initially sympathised with Singh, but became saddened that she would not accept her guilt. Sheila McGinty was described as a 'beautiful Nan' in court Paying tribute to her grandmother, she added: 'Nan was the heart and soul of our family. We have so many fond memories of her and we have lost the chance to have any more. 'Tina Singh has shown no compassion and a lack of awareness towards our family. Tina Singh's killing of Nan was completely avoidable. 'Prior to the trial process, we felt no anger towards her in fact, quite the opposite. We felt compassion with her circumstances. 'She had three separate opportunities to accept she caused her death and this means that we have had to go through an extended legal process and hold off our grieving.' Ms Lloyd went on: 'When I heard the news of her death, I was unfortunately in Brazil and I felt so guilty that I couldn't say goodbye to my beautiful Nan. To make it up to her I painted her nails in the chapel. 'Nan, I am really struggling to manage without you. My best friend has been taken away and I think about you every day. 'I will miss your laugh, your random phone calls, your stubborness and your warm compassion. You have shown me how to carry on and live my life to fullest. 'You are one of the most special people I have ever met. 'The impact of the extended court process has caused a huge strain on our family. This could have been avoided if Tina Singh accepted that she caused her death. 'Justice for us would be if Tina Singh understood her actions. 'The death of Nan has created a huge hole in all of our lives and she will be incredibly missed.' Mitigating, Adam Roxborough said that Singh was, 'extremely remorseful and she has never been anything other than remorseful. She is extremely sorry for the pain that she has caused the family. 'She was, perhaps understandably, unable to come to terms with what in essence was an accidental momentary lapse of concentration. 'She has come to terms with that now and she regrets putting the family through angst and pain. She is a mother of a 10-month-old baby and she understands the sanctity of life.' Sentencing, Judge Paul Lawton, said: 'I am perplexed as to why she thought that she had a defence. She switched off at the wheel, that is careless driving.' Handing down a sentence of a 12-month community order and a two-year driving ban, he continued: 'On June 22 you caused the death of Sheila McGinty after hitting her in your black Peugeot 107. Tina Singh arriving at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court, where she was sentenced for causing death by careless driving 'She was crossing Bury New Road in Heywood and you were driving to work. It was a bright, sunny morning and she was clear in the road; but you failed to see her and collided with her at just under 30mph. 'The investigating officer found that brakes had not been applied until after you had hit her. 'Your defence is that you momentarily switched off at the wheel, but that is careless driving. 'Sheila McGinty had four children and was a grandmother, and I feel that she would have lived well on into later age. The brutal manner of her death must be incalculable for her family. 'It was a momentary lapse in concentration and the only aggravating feature is that you failed to have any awareness for vulnerable road users. 'The family have shown a remarkable dignity in this case.' Singh was additionally ordered to undertake 60 hours of unpaid work and put on a three-month curfew between 9pm and 7am. A father is fighting for his life after a car sped through a red light and knocked him off his bike in a horrific crash. Mike Adams, 49, from Wirral, Liverpool had been riding his bike on the outskirts of Las Vegas when a car smashed into him after the driver had reportedly run a red light. The father-of-two, who is an army veteran, suffered a brain bleed, a fractured skull, a broken back and a collapsed lung. Mike Adams, 49, from Wirral, Liverpool was left fighting for his life after a horrific motorcycle crash in Las Vegas The father, who has been riding motorbikes since he was 16, had to be sedated and kept on a ventilator as he struggled to breathe on his own. Doctors say after he recovers he will be in a rehabilitation facility as he regains control of his speech and motor function. The Adams family lived in Wirral for nearly two decades before moving to the U.S where their children Olivia, 21, and Michael, 27, had gone to study and work. Before relocating, Mike and his wife Carol, 50, born in Birkenhead, ran the Good News newsagents in Prenton for 15 years and were well-known in the community. The army veteran suffered a brain bleed, fractured skull, a broken back and his lung collapsed. he is unable to breathe on his own The couple met in Spain and married after five weeks before moving to England. Daughter Olivia Adams told the Liverpool Echo: 'Medical care here is private so it's extremely expensive to get any healthcare. My father is the sole provider of our household and doesn't have any disability leave. Miss Adams set up a Go Fund Me page to try and raise $8000 for treatment. She said: 'We are very grateful that he is alive and we are ready to tackle the long road to recovery.' Mr Adams and Wife Carol, 50, son Michael, 27 and Olivia, 21 moved to Las Vegas from Wirral after owning anewsagents for 15 years 'Any little helps to relieve any stress this may bring to my Mother and our family. His family all live in Pennsylvania and England so this will help him be surrounded by loved ones.' 'We are taking each day as it comes' Kind messages of support poured in on social media for the father-of-two. Mr Adams family are hoping to raise money to pay for his expensive medical bills and treatment One user wrote: 'Mike is a vibrant, eclectic, intelligent, caring, and and enchanting man who has a million stories, recipes, and passions. He cherishes his family above all and welcomes everyone in to be a part of it. Mike is clearly the heart of his family, adored by the ones he loves. 'He would help anyone in need, and always puts others first. He and his family need this help now.' To donate please visit the Go Fund Me page. A man in his 50s has died after being stabbed in south east London in the early hours of the morning. Metropolitan Police were called to Catford at 4am, and the man was taken to hospital where he died at 5.28am. His next of kin have not been informed and no arrests have been made. A police spokesperson said: 'Police were called on Saturday, 18 August at 04:00 hours to a report of a stabbing at an address in Ringstead Road, SE6. 'Officers attended along with the London Ambulance Service and found a man, believed to be in his 50s suffering from stab injuries. A man in his 50s has died after being stabbed in Catford, south east London, at around 4am this morning The man was taken to hospital where he died at 5.28am. No arrests have been made and his next of kin have not been informed yet 'He was taken to a south London hospital where his died at 05:28 hours. His next of kin have not been informed. Formal identification awaits and a post mortem examination will be held in due course.' The spokesperson added that the Homicide and Major Crime Command have been informed. The news comes as the number of fatal stabbings in the capital in 2018 reached 51. Two teenagers, aged 15 or 16, were disembowelled and another two were stabbed as gang violence erupted in Camberwell, south London, over a belt at around 5.30pm on Thursday evening. On Friday morning police arrested a teenage boy and a 35-year-old woman on suspicion of murder after a man was stabbed to death in a Waltham Forest home. Later that day a man was stabbed to death near a knife fight in Old Kent Road in which four youths were injured. Advertisement Moving pictures show Windrush generation children going through a range of emotions as they arrived in Britain in the 1950s from Caribbean countries. The children, many of whom were unaccompanied, looked either happy, confused or nervous, as they started their new lives after being invited to the country by the British Government. Some of the fascinating images revealed by the website Retronaut, show tiny Jamaican girl Veronica Rose Rawle, patiently waiting to disembark from the Begona ship at Southampton docks, as she arrived in Britain to join her father who was working in Birmingham. A West Indian mother and child catch a first glimpse of the land which is to become home as they arrive in Southampton This moving picture shows children being accompanied by policemen when they left boats in Southampton Veronica Rose Rawle, from Kingston, Jamaica, is seen on arrival in Britain aboard the Sibjaki ship This group were party of 583 emigrants from Jamaica arriving at Newhaven to embark on a new life in Britain Other striking shots show a bewildered youngster stepping ashore wearing a towel to keep his shoulders dry from the rain, and holding tight his wide-brimmed hat. A Jamaican woman is also seen carrying her suitcase and son down the gangway of the Tender 'Balmoral' West Indian baby pictured at Southampton on arrival in the Italian liner Ascania, which had 1,100 immigrants on board - the largest number to reach Britain from Trinidad, Barbados and St Kitts. Left, a wide-eyed little girl who arrived with 216 Jamaicans from the West Indies A Jamaican woman carries her suitcase and son down the gangway of the Tender 'Balmoral' followed by other passengers Left a young boy wearing a towel to keep his shoulders dry from the rain, and right a girl having her first glimpse of England after getting off the boat It wasn't just adults who arrived in Britain from the Caribbean after the Windrush during the 1950s - it was children too. Some arrived with one or both parents, others arrived alone to join parents already in Britain. Part of what subsequently became known as the 'Windrush Generation', the children made their lives in Britain, some working for over 40 years and paying taxes. In 2010 the Home Office introduced its hostile environment policy, which aimed to create a really hostile environment for illegal immigrants' The Windrush children were caught up in this environment - despite being brought to the country legally. The onus of proving people's status was placed on employers and landlords, with large fines if they employed or housed someone deemed illegal. This was a seismic shift in policy and culture in the Home Office. People were required to provide evidence of their right to stay - records of National Insurance payments were deemed insufficient in at least one instance. A West Indian girl pictured on arrival at Southampton in the Italian liner Ascania with her mouth wide open - apparently stunned by her new surroundings This dapper West Indian boy (left) arrived on the Italian liner Ascania and a tiny Jamaican girl waits patiently to disembark from the Begona ship after arriving at Southampton A little boy makes his way down some steps carrying suitcase as he starts his new life in Britain This little girl - one of 650 immigrants - wearing a floral blanket over her shoulders, laid down a huge travelling basket and posed for her picture aboard the Liner Ascania when it arrived Immigration officials were not allowed to use their discretion in these cases, but had to follow strict rules and the introduction of 'targets' for deportations. Some people lost their homes and jobs and were denied healthcare on the NHS while others were deported. Since the predicament of the Windrush Generation has been brought to public notice, one Home Secretary has resigned and a Windrush Taskforce has been set up to assist those who want to obtain documents giving a right to stay. A bitter six-year-long neighbourly feud has erupted over a $17,000 boundary fence between two multi-million dollar mansions inside an affluent gated community. Part of the $2.6million property owned by Ronald and Pamela Fisher in Queensland's Sovereign Islands was built on Christian and Karina Wenzel's land, a 2012 and 2014 survey found. But when the Wenzels began legally reclaiming the land - which involved knocking down a wrongly-placed boundary fence - things turned nasty. A bitter six-year-long neighbourly feud has erupted over a $17,000 boundary fence between mansions owned by the Fisher and Wenzel families (Ronald and Pamela Fisher pictured with daughter, Katrina, centre) When the Wenzels began legally reclaiming their land - which involved knocking down a wrongly-placed boundary fence (illustrated as 'Great Wall of China') - things turned nasty The Wenzels bought their home for $2 million in 2011, and a year later discovered the fence between them and the neighbours was on their land and not the boundary. As the Wenzels commenced work knocking down the fence the Fishers took the matter to court, and while it was dismissed one week on, the drama continued. The Fishers filed another application a fortnight later, before The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal gave the Wenzels six weeks to build a replacement at their own cost. Mrs Fisher works for a real estate agent selling homes worth up to $2.5million, while Mr Wenzel is the managing director of a commercial kitchen equipment company. The Wenzels bought their home (number 21) for $2 million in 2011, and a year later discovered the fence between them and the neighbours (number 19) was on their land, not the boundary As the Wenzels commenced work knocking down the fence, the Fishers took the matter to court, and while it was dismissed one week on, the drama continued (properties pictured) When the builder fell ill forcing the construction to take longer than six weeks, the matter returned to the QCAT, which then ordered for the bill to be evenly split. On completion, another complaint was filed to the QCAT from the Fishers, who argued the fence was too high and incomplete on their side. The application was dismissed last week, with the Fishers found not to have told the builder of their dissatisfaction. Mrs Fisher (pictured) works for a real estate agent selling homes worth up to $2.5million, while Mr Wenzel is the managing director of a commercial kitchen equipment company While having successfully erected a new fence and claiming their rightful land, the Wenzels have now claimed the Fishers never picked up their share of the bill. Last week the adjudicator overseeing the tribunal noted each couple had spent $32,000 in legal fees - in a dispute over a fence that cost $17,490 to construct. '[The Fishers] have unnecessarily inconvenienced Mr and Mrs Wenzel and put them to considerable further expense which they have no compensatory or restorative remedy in this Tribunal,' adjudicator Alan Walsh wrote in his decision. When the matter came before him two years ago, Mr Walsh said Mr Fisher had made 'false assertions' to sustain 'successive applications without merit'. He said in doing so, he 'caused Mr and Mrs Wenzel unnecessary disadvantage in having to defend themselves and repeatedly answer spurious allegations'. Daily Mail Australia contacted the Fishers and the Wenzels for comment. Last week the adjudicator overseeing the tribunal noted each couple had spent $32,000 in legal fees - in a dispute over a fence that cost $17,490 to construct (properties pictured) Advertisement This is the moment two great blue herons were captured in a majestic fight during a stunning mid-air battle to stake their territory. In the rare picture the large wading birds jump, hover and dive as they fight for territory in what looks like an amazing aerial dance. The intense battle was photographed on a small lake in the Kiskunsagi National Park, Hungary, just after sunrise. Two Great Blue Herons (pictured above) were captured in a majestic fight during a stunning mid-air battle over territory The picture captures the large wading birds jump, hover and dive as they fight for territory in what looks like an amazing aerial dance Scenes of the intense battle was photographed on a small lake in the Kiskunsagi National Park, Hungary, just after sunrise Engineer and amateur photographer Jun Zuo, travelled all the way from his home in Olathe, Kansas, USA, to capture the beautiful birds in their natural habitat. Great blue herons are common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America and often forage in grasslands and agricultural fields. They often appear blue-gray from a distance, with a wide black stripe over the eye, although in coastal southern Florida a pure white subspecies can typically occur. The birds have long legs, a sinuous neck, broad wings and a thick, dagger-like bill but in flight, the majestic bird curls its neck into a tight 'S' shape. The bird can typically reach between 3.2 to 4.5 feet in height and can cruise at some 20 to 30 miles an hour. Engineer and amateur photographer Jun Zuo, travelled all the way from his home in Olathe, Kansas, USA, to capture the beautiful birds in their natural habitat President Donald Trump has accused social media companies of 'totally discriminating against Republican/Conservative voices.' 'Speaking loudly and clearly for the Trump Administration, we wont let that happen,' the president tweeted early Saturday morning. 'They are closing down the opinions of many people on the RIGHT, while at the same time doing nothing to others. 'Censorship is a very dangerous thing & absolutely impossible to police. President Donald Trump (seen departing from the White House on Friday) has accused tech companies of silencing voices on the Right President Donald Trump has accused social media companies of 'totally discriminating against Republican/Conservative voices' 'Censorship is a very dangerous thing & absolutely impossible to police,' Trump tweeted early Saturday morning 'Who is making the choices, because I can already tell you that too many mistakes are being made,' Trump tweeted on Saturday 'If you are weeding out Fake News, there is nothing so Fake as CNN & MSNBC, & yet I do not ask that their sick behavior be removed. 'I get used to it and watch with a grain of salt, or dont watch at all.' The president continued: 'Too many voices are being destroyed, some good & some bad, and that cannot be allowed to happen. 'Who is making the choices, because I can already tell you that too many mistakes are being made. 'Let everybody participate, good & bad, and we will all just have to figure it out!' Though Trump was not specific, he was likely reacting to the recent decision by tech giants Google, Facebook, Spotify, and Apple to ban the controversial conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. Earlier this week, Twitter Inc banned Jones and his website Infowars from tweeting for seven days, saying their tweets violated companys rules against abusive behavior. Though Trump was not specific, he was likely reacting to the recent decision by tech giants Google, Facebook, Spotify, and Apple to ban the controversial conspiracy theorist Alex Jones (whose Twitter account is seen above) 'Infowars.com is down', tweeted Jones, in what insiders claimed was a distributed denial-of-service (DDOS) cyber attack The microblogging site said it had asked Jones late Tuesday to delete the tweet that contained a video, which according to a company spokesman had a segment that is an 'incitement to violence.' The tweet in question was deleted. The Infowars account repeated the same content that Jones had posted on Tuesday night and the company took a similar action on Wednesday, the spokesman said. The temporary ban means Jones and Infowars can browse and send direct messages to followers, but would not be able to tweet, retweet, or like. Twitters rules against abusive behavior says that a user may not engage in the targeted harassment of someone or incite other people to do so. Last week, major tech companies including Apple, Alphabets YouTube, and Facebook took down podcasts and channels from the Infowars author, saying he broke community standards. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey told NBC News' Lester Holt in an exclusive interview.he resisted banning Jones, the embattled conspiracy theorist and radio host, despite calls to do so from in and outside the firm Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey this week defended the social media network's decision to put Infowars' Alex Jones in a seven-day 'timeout'. Dorsey said he resisted banning Jones, the embattled conspiracy theorist and radio host, despite calls to do so from in and outside the firm. 'We can't build a service that is subjective just to the whims of what we personally believe,' Dorsey told NBC News' Lester Holt in an exclusive interview. WHAT IS A TWITTER TIMEOUT? Alex Jones account has been placed in read-only mode for seven days. Twitter confirmed he can still browse Twitter posts, but can't interact with other users by tweeting, retweeting or liking posts. Jones was also required to delete the offending tweet, which included a snippet of video, Twitter said. Advertisement 'I feel any suspension, whether it be a permanent or a temporary one, makes someone think about their actions and their behaviors,' Dorsey said. When asked by Holt if he believes Jones will change his behavior, Dorsey said he did not know. 'Whether it works within this case to change some of those behaviors and change some of those actions, I don't know,' Dorsey said. 'But this is consistent with how we enforce.' The ban was imposed after InfoWars creator Jones tweeted a link to an online video calling for supporters to get their 'battle rifles' ready against media and others. Austin-based right-wing broadcaster Jones, who believes the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting was a hoax, won't be able to tweet or retweet from his personal account for the next seven days, although he can still browse Twitter. Dorsey said he feels 'terrible' at the pain Jones has caused the Sandy Hook families and acknowledged that the company had been slow to respond. 'I think we have felt behind and we have felt that we have moved too slow in a lot of our actions,' he said. The Sydney rail network was hit by another day of major disruptions, testing the patience of not just frustrated commuters but also train drivers. IT issues affecting communications between trains and stations were blamed for widespread delays across Sydney throughout the day. Services were still affected late on Saturday night, hours after the chaos began. 'Service disruptions and delays across the network are continuing due to technical issues,' Sydney Trains tweeted just before 10pm. 'Allow plenty of extra travel time & listen to announcements for updates. We appreciate your patience and are working hard to provide services where possible.' Scroll down for video Commuters (pictured) faced long delays on the Sydney Trains network on Saturday One train driver made his feelings to passengers that he was as frustrated as they were Buses are supplementing services at major stations on the network, including Campbelltown, Glenfield, Penrith, Sydney Olympic Park and Richmond. Electrical information boards that usually show the arrival time of the trains were blank or blacked out, which added to commuters' confusion and frustration. Many services were delayed by more than hour due to urgent overhead wiring repairs at Wynyard in the city's CBD. Fed up by the lack of communication, one train driver made his feelings known to passengers. 'Sorry to be making all these announcements when we have no further information, but our management feels that you are reassured by it,' he said. 'You won't see our management, but... they want you to be reassured by me making announcements, to tell you that we have no further information. Thank you'. The dramas on the rail network began early Saturday and continued late that night Footage also emerged on social media of an angry commuter taking his frustration out on a Sydney Trains employee at Ashfield, where T2 Inner West/Leppington services were among the most affected, 7 News reported. The irate passenger in hi-vis was filmed yelling at a train worker demanding to know why he wasn't told to go to a different platform. The major disruptions occurred on a day where hundred of commuters converged on Sydney Olympic Park for the AFL match between the GWS Giants and Sydney Swans and the Bledisloe Cup rugby union clash between Australia and New Zealand Electrical information boards that usually show the arrival time of the trains were blank, and some were even completely blacked out across the rail network Many fans decided to drive instead, which led to further traffic chaos on Parramatta Road, the M4 and Homebush Bay Drive. The chaos began early Saturday when Sydney Trains tweeted that services between Wynyard and Central would be suspended in both directions due to the work, with buses replacing them. Later at 9am, they tweeted that the technical issues were affecting indicator boards and train running information that may cause delays and warned that services could be cancelled last minute, terminate early or change platforms at short notice. Technical issues affecting communications between both trains and stations caused massive delays in Sydney on Saturday. Pictured is the chaos at Parramatta on Saturday Many passengers spent more than an hour stranded at stations or sitting on idle carriages in Sydney's inner west. There were also reports of people getting on the wrong trains due to incorrect information being available. Sydney Trains then urged passengers at noon to 'delay non-essential travel' or to utilise local buses due to the major issues. One train was reportedly stopped near Newtown station and another near Petersham station. Large crowds are building at the stations, as trains are stopping unexpectedly throughout the city Multiple passengers have taken to social media to report their delays and frustrations Multiple passengers took to social media to report their delays and frustrations,with many saying that this isn't the first time this has happened. 'I don't understand how a wiring failure at Wynyard can ruin the entire network. The eastern suburbs trains don't even go there,' one user tweeted. Another user noted the poor signage issues: 'Ok I thought I was just being hopeless with the trains and not reading the signs properly. Nice to know it's not me.' The urgent repairs at Wynyard come after passengers had to evacuate a train on Friday night and walk through the tunnel. Passengers had to evacuate a train at Wynyard on Friday night and walk through the tunnel A 15-year-old schoolboy has been charged by detectives probing a mass fight in which two teenagers were disembowelled and a further two were stabbed. The youth, one of six teenagers arrested in connection with the shocking violence in Camberwell, south east London, on Thursday has also been charged with a drugs offence. Police say the most seriously injured of the victims, all believed to be 15 or 16, has now been taken off the 'critical' list. But he remains in a 'serious but stable' condition in hospital, along with one of the other victims who is said to be 'stable'. This is the scene as a boy was left fighting for his life after he was stabbed in the stomach following a knife fight in Camberwell The teenager, who has not been named, can be seen surrounded by police and paramedics after the vicious street fight which involved up to 30 youths The boy was one of four aged 15 or 16 stabbed as violence erupted at around 5.30pm yesterday evening The other two victims have been discharged after treatment. All four were stabbed in broad daylight during a mass brawl. Detective Inspector Luke Williams, of Southwark Police, said: 'A youth has been charged in connection with an incident in which four males sustained stab wounds following an altercation in Camberwell. 'The 15-year-old was charged with possession of a bladed article and possession of cannabis and has been bailed to appear at Camberwell Youth Court on September 5th. 'The remaining five who were arrested, all aged between 15 and 16, were bailed to return to a south London police station in mid-September. DI Williams, who said the investigation was ongoing, added: 'This incident saw another act of serious violence on our streets and is unacceptable. A huge knife was found at the scene of the stabbing attack on Elmington Estate (pictured) Forensics officers photograph the crime scene today where the street is covered in clothes, shoes and medical supplies 'I appeal to anybody who saw what happened or has any information about the events which took place in Camberwell on Thursday to contact us; we need the support of the local community in order to bring those responsible to justice. 'There is a Section 60 and a number of dispersal zone in place across Southwark and some parts of Lambeth. 'We have additional officers on patrol from the Violent Crime Taskforce and the Territorial Support Group in order to reassure that we continue to treat this incident with the utmost seriousness.' A dramatic video from the scene shows police battling to save one of the teenagers' lives after he was attacked with a machete in the brawl over a belt. The latest knife attack was minutes from where drill rapper Sidique 'Incognito' Kamara was stabbed to death this month and there have been four murders within a few Camberwell streets since May. Spanish police have seized almost seven tons of cannabis with a street value of nearly 15 million pounds after smashing a British-led drugs gang. Officers said the group was led by a Brit who was using his home in San Pedro de Alcantara near the Costa del Sol resort of Marbella to store the drugs. A total of 11 people - nine men and two women - have been held. Police say they include Brits, Moroccans, Spanish and Irish nationals. Spanish police have seized almost seven tonnes of cannabis with a street value of nearly 15 million pounds after smashing a British-led drugs gang Officers said the group was led by a Brit who was using his home in San Pedro de Alcantara near the Costa del Sol resort of Marbella to store the drugs The drug traffickers have been accused of using boats to smuggle the cannabis into southern Spain from Morocco. During the investigation drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy were seized along with a frequency jammer, bundles of cash, a gun, nine vehicles and 25 mobile phones. The operation began when a suspect in a van carrying drugs rammed several police vehicles during a chase. Footage showing the seizures - including bundles of euros and pound sterling notes as well as a pistol - were released by police today. A spokesman for Spain's National Police, revealing details of the arrests in a statement, said: 'National Police officers have smashed a criminal gang operating out of Marbella and the nearby town of Estepona which was smuggling cannabis into Spain using boats so it could be sent on to other places. Footage showing the seizures - including bundles of euros and pound sterling notes as well as a pistol - were released by police today During the investigation drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy were seized along with a frequency jammer, bundles of cash, a gun, nine vehicles and 25 mobile phones The drug traffickers have been accused of using boats to smuggle the cannabis into southern Spain from Morocco 'In this operation 11 people - nine men and two women - from Britain, Ireland, Morocco and Spain have been arrested on suspicion of drugs trafficking and membership of a criminal organisation.' He added: 'The operation began in March when officers were tipped off about the existence of a group of Moroccans and Spanish nationals who were smuggling drugs into Spain on boats. 'At the end of May one of the suspects was spotted driving a vehicle through Estepona. 'Suspecting he could be carrying drugs, he was followed until the driver realised he was being tailed and tried to escape. 'After a chase in which he rammed several police vehicles, he was held and it was confirmed he was carrying cannabis. Officers seized 150 packs of cannabis resin, a kilo of cocaine, 208,000 euros (186,000), and a pistol with ammunition which was hidden in the secret compartment of a wardrobe A total of 11 people - nine men and two women - have been held. Police say they include Brits, Moroccans, Spanish and Irish nationals 'The following day another suspect was located in San Pedro de Alcantara. Officers intercepted the van he was in and discovered 35 packs of cannabis resin and arrested him.' Revealing how they subsequently got to the unnamed British gang leader, the spokesman said: 'During the operative to identify the members of the criminal organisation, the police located a group of people from Britain and Ireland and confirmed they included the gang leader and another four members of the organisation. 'They were arrested and the gang leader's home in San Pedro searched. 'Officers seized 150 packs of cannabis resin, a kilo of cocaine, 208,000 euros (186,000), and a pistol with ammunition which was hidden in the secret compartment of a wardrobe. 'The last phase of the operation led to the arrest of another four members of the organisation. 'Three searches led to the seizure of 10,400 euros (9,335) and 312 kilos of cannabis.' Victorias Secret parent company is expected to report yet another quarterly decline in sales next week as the sexy lingerie brand continues to lose market share. L Brands, the Columbus,Ohio-based company which owns Victorias Secret, is likely to report a 5 per cent decline in U.S. sales at its brick-and-mortar locations. That would be the eighth consecutive quarter in which the company reports sagging sales, according to the New York Post. The ongoing decline is a staggering fall from grace for the once-dominant brand, whose top celebrity endorsers include big-names like Gisele Bundchen, Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Karlie Kloss, Gigi Hadid, and Kendall Jenner. From left: Alessandra Ambrosio, Lily Aldridge, Elsa Hosk, Josephine Skriver, Stella Maxwell, Martha Hunt, Liu Wen and Ming Xi walk the runway during the 2017 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai last November Victorias Secret parent company is expected to report yet another quarterly decline in sales next week as the sexy lingerie brand continues to lose market share. From left: Sui He, Lais Ribeiro, Taylor Hill and Romee Strijd post in Shanghai last November The decline in sales of Victoria's Secret products is reflected in the stock price of its parent company, Ohio-based L Brands Inc. Last Christmas, L Brands was selling on Wall Street for more than $60 a share. This past Friday, the company was selling at just $32.55 per share The companys decline can be attributed to a number of factors, including the American consumers abandonment of the mall in favor of online shopping, and the changing taste in womens fashion to include more full-bodied options. Victorias Secret competitors like Adore Me and Third Love have eaten into the companys market share. Those firms offer products that many feel are marketed toward a bigger demographic of women who are not stick-figure thin like Victorias Secret models. Aerie, another Victorias Secret rival, has seen a surge in demand for its products. Aerie, another Victorias Secret rival, has seen a surge in demand for its products. From left: Aerie endorsers Rachel Platten, Yara Shahidi, Aly Raisman, and Iskra Lawrence While Victoria's Secret is floundering, Aerie is rolling. Its parent company, American Eagle Outfitters, was trading at around $10 a share a year ago. As of Friday, AEO was being traded on Wall Street for around $28 a share Thats because the company has appealed to women by using unretouched photos in their ads - a marketing concept known by the hashtag #AerieREAL. Last month, Aerie unveiled a marketing campaign featuring women with medical ailments. One ad showed a woman with an insulin pump attached to her stomach - a message consistent with the companys mission of female empowerment. The trend away from super-thin models and toward fully figured frames is embodied in the newfound rise of plus-sized celebrities Ashley Graham and Iskra Lawrence. The explosion of the #MeToo movement has also fueled a backlash against the objectification of women as sex objects - a trend that has also contributed to Victorias Secrets shrinking bottom line. These changes are reflected in the performance of company stock. Last Christmas, L Brands was selling on Wall Street for more than $60 a share. This past Friday, the company was selling at just $32.55 per share. Aerie, meanwhile, is rolling. Its parent company, American Eagle Outfitters, was trading at around $10 a share a year ago. As of Friday, AEO was being traded on Wall Street for around $28 a share. A family was mortified when police knocked on their door, but it was soon followed by a touching gesture by Constable Luke McDonald. After a disturbance call, Constable McDonald arrived on the doorstep of the De Robbio family's Melbourne home as their inconsolable child was screaming 'robohat' and 'tick tock'. Michael De Robbio, Bernadette Collins and their son, Joseph, had just returned from Scotland and were finding it difficult to adjust to the time difference. It was a mortifying knock on the door from a police officer for one Melbourne family but it turns out Constable Luke McDonald from the Geelong Police Service Area was just ''upholding his solemn oath to serve (biscuits) and protect' Constable McDonald put two and two together and told the embarrassed parents: 'Oh, he probably means Tic Toc biscuits,' 'I can go get some if you want?' he offered. After declining the offer and apologizing, the parents were finally able to get their son to settle and fall asleep. The next night the family were surprised to find a packet of Tic Toc biscuits on their doorstep with a handwritten message from Constable McDonald reading: 'Hope you all get some rest, all the best'. Bernadette shared the story via social media and Michael has since confirmed their son Joseph loves the biscuits. The family came across a packet of Tic-toc biscuits on their doorstep the next night with a handwritten message from Constable Luke The parents are still unsure as to what a 'robohat' is. Whilst some reactions on the Facebook post are angered towards the neighbors who called the police initially, the majority of the sentiment is positive. One Facebook user wrote: 'That is the BEST story (besides the being mortified bit). Hats off to Constable Luke!' Another user wrote 'That's quite the story and there was no wild party! Enjoy the Tic Toc's with a cuppa'. The post was also shared by the Victoria Police with one Twitter user humorously asking: ''Do you do delivery services with Dan Murphy's?'. Joseph's demand for Tic Tocs may have gained the family radio interviews but as for sleep, Bernadette has said he is 'Still waking up in the middle of the night. *Slightly* less hysterical!' Mahmoud 'Mick' Hawi was once a role model for the Lone Wolf bikie member charged with fatally shooting him in a brazen daylight attack in February. Yusuf Nazlioglu, 37, alongside co-accused Ahmad Doudar, 38, was on Friday arrested relation to the assassination of ex-Comanchero boss Hawi, 37. A photograph has now offered insight into what appeared to once be a solid friendship between Hawi and Nazlioglu, with them pictured together in a tight embrace at a beach. Sources have suggested the pair, who stood close for the shirtless photo, were good friends before Hawi snapped at Nazliogu for the way he spoke to a woman, The Daily Telegraph reported. Mahmoud 'Mick' Hawi (pictured with Nazlioglu) was once a role model for the Lone Wolf bikie member charged with fatally shooting him in a brazen daylight attack in February On February 15 2018, former Comancheros boss Mick Hawi (pictured) was leaving a gym in Rockdale, in Sydney's south, when he was shot dead 'Hawi chirped him over the way he spoke to a girl and they haven't been friends since,' a source told the publication. 'Nazlioglu used to look at him as a mentor.' A second person said Hawi decided to cut Nazlioglu off when he found out he had told others what Hawi said about them. The source said Doudar, a fellow Lone Wolf bikie, was one of the people Hawi once had spoken badly to Nazlioglu about. A balaclava found inside an abandoned car near a smash repair business in Sydney's south has been revealed as the vital clue that led police to Nazlioglu and Doudar. Sitting on the passenger side of a Toyota Camry located by police in Rosebery in mid-March, the item allegedly contained traces of DNA belonging to Nazlioglu. Yusuf Nazlioglu, 37, alongside co-accused Ahmad Doudar, 38, was arrested relation to the assassination of ex-Comanchero boss Hawi, 37, on Friday afternoon (photo from shooting) Forensic testing showed the balaclava allegedly had gun residue on it that matched casings recovered from the site of Hawi's murder, outside Fitness First in Rockdale. A third man, associate Moustafa Salami, 36, has been charged with accessory after the fact to murder. Police will allege he helped dispose of one of the getaway cars. Mal Lanyon, commander of the New South Wales Police State Crime Command, told reporters on Saturday the shooting was sparked by financial reasons linked to the Sydney construction industry. 'We will allege there was a financial motive to Mr Hawi's murder and his death was to prevent further money being paid to Mr Hawi rather than any outlaw motorcycle gang conflict,' he said, Nine News reported. Moustafa Salami (pictured), 36, has been charged with accessory after the fact to murder. Police will allege he helped dispose of one of the getaway cars A balaclava found inside an abandoned car near a smash repair business in Sydney's south has been revealed as the vital clue that led police to Nazlioglu and Doudar Police will claim Mr Hawi's life was only priced at $40,000, a sum shopped out to the two Lone Wolf members arrested for his murder - according to The Daily Telegraph. It will be alleged Doudar was offered $40,000 to resolve an issue with Hawi relating to a property dispute - at this stage it is not known if he was paid the sum or what he was expected to do for it. 'It's the fact people are allegedly brazen enough to murder an individual for an amount of money that we find so appalling and reason why we take these sorts of investigations so seriously,' Mr Lanyon said. The two gang members were arrested as they left a barber shop in Bexley at 4.15pm on Friday. The Lone Wolf members charged with Hawi's murder didn't apply for bail at Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday with the pair's lawyer, Leo Premutico, saying they were expected to apply for bail at Central Local Court next week. Two men were arrested as they left a barbershop in Bexley at 4.15pm on Friday The associate, Salami, a tow truck driver from Brighton Le Sands, was detained at Balmain at 8pm that evening and will also remain behind bars after he didn't apply for bail on Saturday. Police will allege the 37-year-old shot Mr Hawi while the 38-year-old planned and coordinated the shooting. The 36-year-old has been charged with accessory after the fact to murder. The Toaster apartment block in Circular Quay where Nazlioglu and Doudar had been staying were raided by police following the arrests. The three matters have been adjourned to Central Local Court on August 23 where the men are expected to apply for bail. On February 15, 2018, the former Comancheros boss was leaving a gym in Rockdale, in Sydney's south. The 37-year-old was brazenly shot in the Fitness First car park while he was in his Mercedes four-wheel drive. NSW Police have now arrested two men in relation to the murder as part of an ongoing investigation Earlier this month strike force detectives executed search warrants on six properties across Sydney's south and southwest in Bardwell Park. The properties were in Beverly Hills, Brighton Le Sands, Carlton, Hurstville, and Padstow. Police seized $22,000 cash, electronic storage devices, mobile phones, documentation, a portable radio capable of monitoring operational police activity and four vehicles of interest to their investigation as a result of the raids. Hawi at the time of his killing had mainly flown under the radar following his release from prison in 2015. He had been jailed over the 2009 bashing death of Hell's Angels associate Anthony Zervas in a wild brawl at Sydney Airport. In a bid to save his prime ministership Malcolm Turnbull is set to cap energy prices and dump big business tax cuts. The Prime Minister and Treasurer Scott Morrison are expected to put the package to a Cabinet dinner on Sunday, which could result in cheaper bills by January. A formal sign-off is not expected until later this week, where penalties for companies who don't lower prices will be discussed. In a bid to stop a party revolt Malcolm Turnbull (pictured) is set to cap energy prices and dump big business tax cuts 'There is no single reason for these prices and so there is no single solution, which is why we have been taking action across the board,' the Prime Minister said in a Facebook video posted on Saturday. He discussed ways the government attempted to lower prices such as imposing export controls. Mr Turnbull said the consumer watchdog has recommended energy prices should be a fixed price so that consumers are easily able to compare discounts. 'Through the competition and all the other changes that price should come down,' he said. 'We will ensure and demand these price savings are passed on to families and businesses. If companies don't pass them on the ACCC will put them on notice. 'If the prices remain too high we will implement penalties until the prices come down.' The video comes after the Prime Minister changed his stance on legislating the Paris emissions reduction targets in his National Energy Guarantee after rebel MPs threatened to cross the floor. Despite Mr Turnbull's u-turn on the Paris climate targets, a senior Liberal source told the Sunday Telegraph the Prime Minister was a 'dead man walking' unless something changed before September. What is the National Energy Guarantee? The National Energy Guarantee (NEG) has been designed to offer cheaper and more reliable power. The objective is to do this while lowering carbon emissions. NEG is in response to the county's involvement with the Paris Agreement, which is a push to reduce carbon emissions and action on climate change by 2020. The heart of the policy was the controversial target to cut emissions by 26 per cent by 2030. The Liberal and Nationals MPs who are against NEG and appear willing to cross the floor include Tony Abbott, Andrew Gee, Andrew Hastie, Barnaby Joyce, Craig Kelly, Kevin Andrews, George Christensen as well as Keith Pitt. Advertisement During the dinner with MPs Mr Turnbull is also expected to discuss the plan to reduce the business tax rate from 30 to 25 per cent, which was rejected by Senate. Those in marginal seats fear Mr Turnbull could lose the election if he insists on cutting taxes for big businesses. Polling data from the Australia Institute found only 45 per cent of Coalition voters supported the business tax cut. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton was also forced to shoot down reports he was considering taking a tilt at the leadership. In a Facebook video the Prime Minister said: 'There is no single reason for these prices and so there is no single solution, which is why we have been taking action across the board' Speculation is rife Mr Turnbull is in trouble amid internal divisions over energy policy and following a radio interview where Mr Dutton said further disagreements could lead to his resignation from cabinet. 'In relation to media stories today, just to make very clear, the prime minister has my support,' Mr Dutton tweeted on Saturday. 'I support the policies of the government. My position hasn't changed from my comments last Thursday.' In Thursday's interview with Ray Hadley on 2GB, Mr Dutton refused to 'bag the prime minister out' on air. Asked if Mr Turnbull would lead the coalition to the next election, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said: 'Of course he will'. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton (pictured) was also forced to shoot down reports he was considering taking a tilt at the leadership Mr Dutton took to Twitter to say the 'Prime Minister has my support' and that he supported 'the policies of the Government' Former Prime Minister Tony Abbot (pictured) has been vocal in his call for the government to scrap the NEG altogether, regardless of regulation or legislation 'He has my support and I'm looking forward to working with him to make sure we continue to put downward pressure on power bills,' Mr McCormack told reporters in Canberra. Former Prime Minister Tony Abbot has been vocal in his call for the government to scrap the NEG altogether, regardless of regulation or legislation. 'It's no way to run a government, making absolute commitments on Tuesday and breaking them on Friday,' Mr Abbott told 2GB Radio. 'To have a chance of winning the next election, the coalition must create a policy contest on energy, not a consensus,' he then tweeted. The president continues to blast John Brennan, tweeting early Saturday morning that the former CIA director 'is a loudmouth, partisan, political hack who cannot be trusted.' 'Has anyone looked at the mistakes that John Brennan made while serving as CIA Director?,' Trump wrote on his Twitter account. 'He will go down as easily the WORST in history & since getting out, he has become nothing less than a loudmouth, partisan, political hack who cannot be trusted with the secrets to our country!' he added. His comments come in the midst of an embroiled war of words between the two men after President Trump revoked Brennan's security clearance Wednesday due to the the former CIA official being an outspoken critic of his. The president tweeted early Saturday morning insulting the former CIA director Donald Trump called John Brennan a'loudmouth, partisan, political hack' Brennan has been an outspoken critic of Trump, asserting that the president colluded with Russia and his meeting with Putin was 'treasonous' Brennan is a longstanding critic of Trump, in July accusing him of being 'wholly in the pocket of Putin' and his conduct 'nothing short of treasonous.' White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders made the stunning announcement of Brennan's security clearance Wednesday, citing Brennan's purported 'erratic conduct and behavior.' In response, Brennan wrote an op-ed in the New York Times revealing that he believes Trump is attempting to silence those who may oppose him. He wrote that the president's statements that there was no collusion were 'hogwash' and that the only question now was whether or not the collusion that took place 'constituted criminally liable conspiracy.' On Friday, Brennan spoke out against the president on MSNBC, saying Trump is 'drunk on power and abusing the powers of that office.' 'These are very frightening times,' he added. The president retorted: 'There's no silence. If anything I'm giving him a bigger voice.' Trump spoke to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House before leaving for a pair of Long Island events and a weekend at his Bedminster, New Jersey, estate Friday. 'Many people don't even know who he is, and now he has a bigger voice. And that's okay with me because I like taking on voices like that,' he said of Brennan. 'I've never respected him. I've never had a lot of respect.' The president has been vocal on Twitter in his criticism of Brennan On Thursday, Trump got a stinging rebuke from a retired naval admiral William McRaven, who mockingly implored him to revoke his own security clearance as a show of solidarity with Brennan. 'I don't know McRaven,' Trump said Friday, declaring that 'I've gotten tremendous response from having done that because security clearances are very important to me. Very, very important.' A dozen former American intelligence chiefs have also supported Brennan, lashing out at Trump Friday for yanking the security clearance as a 'political tool.' The White House is now threatening to cancel security clearances of nine other officials - seen in some circles as a warning shot across the collective bow of his political enemies. Senior administration officials tell the Washington Post that the White House has drafted documents to revoke the security clearances of current and former officials as Trump's punishment for criticizing him or playing a role in the Russia investigation. A pensioner has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 63-year-old man was stabbed to death in London. Police were called to an address in Walworth in the south east of the capital on Friday afternoon. Officers found the victim injured and he was pronounced dead at the scene in Madron Street at 2.14pm. A 67-year-old man was arrested later in the Denmark Hill area and remains in custody. A pensioner has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 63-year-old man was stabbed to death in Walworth, south east London Scotland Yard said formal identification is yet to take place but the victim's next-of-kin have been informed. A post-mortem examination will be held in due course, the Met added. The force said they are not currently looking for anyone else in relation to the investigation. A young boy is in a critical condition in hospital after being struck by a van that police believe failed to stop at a red light. The 10-year-old was with two friends when they crossed a pedestrian crossing on a green light in Blackburn in Melbourne's east, about 6.30pm on Saturday. Behind the wheel of the van - a white Toyota Hi-Ace - was a 45-year-old male from Blackburn North who came to a stop 20metres after striking the child. The 10-year-old was with two friends when they crossed a pedestrian crossing near Blackburn High School (pictured) in Melbourne's east, about 6.30pm on Saturday He was arrested by police and is currently assisting them in their inquiries. The boy, from Croydon, was rushed to the Royal Children's Hospital where he remains being treated for life-threatening injuries. Detective Sergeant Darren Williams said the boy's friends ran ahead, narrowly avoiding the vehicle, which was traveling through a 60km/h zone on Springfield Road. 'The indication at the moment is that they had a green light, that's been confirmed by an independent witness,' he told the Sunday Herald Sun. Behind the wheel of the van - a white Toyota Hi-Ace (stock pictured) - was a 45-year-old male from Blackburn North who came to a stop 20 metres after striking the child 'Something attracted one of the children's attention, they bolted off the crossing. 'Unfortunately the boy was a bit slow to react and has been hit.' Officers were spotted photographing the child's shoe at the scene following the incident. Springfield Road between Primrose Street and Blackburn High School was closed to traffic after the collision. Anyone who witnessed the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. A Vietnam veteran claiming to be a missionary assaulted hotel workers in Uganda in a very ungodly display where he called the employees the n-word and threw punches in the name of 'Jesus'. Jimmy L. Taylor's angry tirade was caught on camera and he was arrested soon afterwards and charged with assault and malicious damage for his attack at the Grand Imperial Hotel in Kampala on Thursday. Video of the 69-year-old's attack has gone viral displaying the Arizona man, seemingly drunk, jump over the hotel front desk to smash glasses and insult workers, all because he wanted to get his room key. He told police he is a former marine and is a missionary. Arizona man Jimmy L. Taylor, above, was arrested in Kampala, Uganda Thursday for assaulting staff at the Grand Imperial Hotel in Kampala, and his rampage was caught on camera Caught: He slapped and punched workers calling them the n-word as he ranted about God At one point he jumped over the hotel's front desk, smashed glass, and went after a worker, pictured above behind the desk He finally ended his rampage after he was given a hotel room key, pictured in his hand above The five minute clip sees Taylor, sporting a Vietnam Veteran cap, follow hotel workers saying 'You hate Jesus, you hate yourself?' then hit a worker in the face, challenging him to fight saying 'come on b***h, come on w***e.' 'F**k Uganda. I've come to love Uganda, I've come to help Uganda, but Uganda hates Jesus through this son of a b***h,' he said pointing at a worker. Then he calls the staff 'n***er b***h' adding 'You're not a human' as he smacks him in the back of the head, ranting about God and demanding his room be opened for him. The video was posted online by Dynamq and quickly went viral with 60,000 views, raising alarm to police and leading to Taylor's arrest on Thursday. Video of the assault went viral with 60,000 views, leading to his arrest. He was charged with assault and malicious damage Arrested: Taylor told police that he was a missionary and a former marine, pictured above being taken away while sporting a Vietnam Veteran cap He said he launched his rampage due to his mental illness induced by stress, on his social media he previously said he had PTSD and bipolar disorder 'Thank you for your vigilance and sending us a video of an incident that happened at Grand Imperial Hotel. We have arrested the suspect, Jimmy Taylor, an American citizen. He was detained at the Central Police Station, Kampala on charges of assault. #CommunityPolicing.' the Uganda Police Force posted on Twitter. But police say Taylor didn't come easily. 'Upon police efforts to effect his arrest, Taylor spat on officers, turned rowdy, uncontrollable and tried to disarm policemen,' a police statement said, according to Chimp Reports. 'The suspect, according to police, confessed his crimes and blamed it on the mental related illness caused by stress,' they added. On his Facebook page Taylor mentioned he grappled with PTSD and bipolar disorder. The investigation into his assault is ongoing. It is unclear if he was in Uganda for missionary work. Speaking on the incident a US State Department spokesperson said to Dailymail.com: 'We have seen this regrettable video. It in no way reflects the attitude of the US government or the American people toward Uganda.' He launched his rampage here at the Grand Imperial Hotel in Kampala, Uganda on Thursday He told police he was in Uganda as a missionary and was a former marine, pictured above in Vietnam Veteran cap A property tycoon cheated death after his boat capsized and was swept over a waterfall into crocodile infested waters below. Millionaire developer Samuel Leeds had a miraculous escape but shattered his kneecap after plummeting 20 feet and striking rocks. The 27-year-old was on an aid mission to bring fresh water to African villages when disaster struck in Uganda as he rafted down the River Nile. Samuel Leeds (pictured above in boat with fellow team members), 27, was swept over into crocodile infested waters along the River Nile after his boat capsized The Wolverhampton entrepreneur, who runs the Leeds Group based at Hilton Hall in Essington, with his brother and business partner Russell, has been told he will never walk properly again. He said he was 'like a rag doll in the water' when he was found and described his ordeal as like a 'horror movie'. He said: 'The boat capsized and we all got thrown down a big waterfall with rocks everywhere. The millionaire developer had a miraculous escape but shattered his kneecap after plummeting 20 feet and striking rocks. Pictured: His shattered knee x-ray (left) and leg (right) following surgery 'All of us had lifejackets and helmets on, but it was a life-threatening situation. 'I was like a rag doll in the water, getting knocked around by rocks. When I plunged down the waterfall my knee smashed into a rock and I knew it was bad.' He will now continue his rehabilitation from his home in Lichfield with his wife Amanda, who is expecting the couple's second child next year, and their daughter Ruby. He was with his brother, his sister-in law Ann and a team of volunteers on a white-water rafting adventure in Uganda, which had been organised in preparation for the harsh conditions they would face on their African trip. He was with his brother, his sister-in law Ann and a team of volunteers on a white-water rafting adventure in Uganda Disaster struck when they took part on the expedition called the Warrior Camp with students on his Property Investors Academy in Jinja, on the shore of Lake Victoria, two hours' drive from the capital Kampala. He was hauled into a rescue boat, before being rushed to hospital where he underwent emergency surgery after losing 25 per cent of blood from his knee. The expedition called the Warrior Camp was in Jinja, on the shore of Lake Victoria, two hours' drive from the capital Kampala. Pictured: Mr Leeds in his safety gear before the accident But his ordeal was not over as the anaesthetic failed to work fully at the Ugandan hospital where he had surgery, meaning he was aware of what was going on. Mr Leeds admitted he feared for his life as he was sucked over the waterfall. He added: 'I'm not the sort of person who is going to let something like this knock me back, I'm determined to prove the doctors' wrong. 'I have a strong faith, a loving family and a huge passion for my work. 'It's like Rocky said, it isn't about how hard you hit, but how hard you get hit and keep moving it.' Also injured was Anna who suffered a chest infection and a sprained knee after she was taken down the river and not found for 45 minutes. He will now continue his rehabilitation from his home in Lichfield with his wife Amanda (left), who is expecting the couple's second child next year, and their daughter Ruby (right) Mr Leeds was treated in hospital and his mother, Sue Gray, flew out from England to bring him home, paying 10,000 for the flight a week later. Back in Birmingham he continued treatment. Mr Leeds has previously appeared on the BBC show The Week Landlords Moved In which challenged successful landlords to spend an eye-opening week living in one of their own rentals, on their tenant's budget, to see life through their tenant's eyes. A couple who saved up 4,000 over two years for their dream holiday were were left furious after they were forced to wade through sewage in their hotel lobby. Shocked Paul and Caroline Williams, from Northampton had gone on holiday to Cuba but were left furious with the appalling conditions at their four-star hotel. The couple stayed for 11 nights at Memories Varadero in Cuba which they booked through Virgin Holidays. Paul and Caroline Williams (pictured) from Northampton had gone on holiday to Cuba but were left furious with the appalling conditions at their four-star hotel The angry couple said they were forced to walk through foul-smelling sewage in the lobby, a room that smelled of urine, broken showers, filthy toilets and dangerous wires hanging out of the wall. And Mrs Williams, 55, even developed a rash on her leg with the holiday leaving her in constant in 'tears'. Mr Williams, 38, who builds parts for F1 cars, wrote a shocking review of the holiday in which he compared the disastrous trip to something out of TV sitcom Fawlty Towers. The couple said they were forced to walk through foul-smelling sewage in the lobby, a room that smelled of urine, broken showers and filthy toilets Mr Williams told Mirror Online: 'We've been in Egypt when there were revolts and bombings, but never before have we wanted to go home early from a holiday before. 'If I could have afforded the 700 flight back, I'd have booked it there and then.' Mr Williams said that said that following a tropical storm, the whole hotel was flooded with dirty ankle-deep sewage water which left guests 'slipping and sliding all over the place'. His wife developed a large and sore rash on her skin- although the holiday company said there is no evidence that this is linked to the flood. Mrs Williams developed a large and sore rash on her skin- although the holiday company said there is no evidence that this is linked to the flood Mr Williams claimed they weren't able to use the toilets and said: 'We refused to use them if fear of becoming ill and had to walk the mile to and from our hotel room whenever we needed the bathroom.' He fumed in a complaint to the holiday company: 'The hotel is like being at Fawlty Towers and we have spent the last eight days waiting for Manuel to jump out at us. 'If this holiday hadn't cost us over 4,000 it would be comical.' The couple saved 4,000 over two years for their dream holiday- only to be reduced to 'tears' at the horrible hotel The couple managed to stay for the duration of their holiday at the hotel from hell where the staff were rude, the hotel was in disarray and the food was inedible. The trip was booked through Virgin Holidays and the company has offered a 200 Virgin Holidays voucher. A Virgin Holidays spokeswoman told Mirror Online: 'We never want to disappoint our customers, which is why it's so disheartening to hear Mr Williams is unhappy with his experience. 'We take complaints like this very seriously and as a gesture of goodwill we have offered a return of 200 on his booking. 'In addition, we've raised the complaint fully with the hotel and have sent senior staff members in to re-audit the property to ensure it meets our exceptionally high benchmarks.' This is the moment a tiny baby orangutan is rescued after being found alone in a palm oil plantation in West Borneo. A plantation worker called Rahman found the adorable ape crying in the bushes and reported the discovery to his manager. Thinking the baby's mother would return to retrieve him, they left him where he was but when they went back the next day they were upset to discover he was still in the same place, all alone. A plantation worker called Rahman found the adorable ape crying in the bushes A team from International Animal Rescue and members of the Natural Resources Conservation Centre in West Borneo travelled to the oil palm plantation in Tanjung Pasar Village A team from International Animal Rescue and members of the Natural Resources Conservation Centre in West Borneo travelled to the oil palm plantation in Tanjung Pasar Village where Rahman and his co-workers were waiting to hand the baby over. The team then named the little ape Rahman, after the man who found him. His rescue came as organisations all over the world were about to celebrate International Orangutan Day on Sunday. 'It's a tragedy to find a baby orangutan without its mother, alone, vulnerable and distressed,' IAR chief executive Alan Knight said. The team then named the little ape Rahman, after the man who found him Rahman being cared for by IAR vets after he was found alone on the palm oil plantation The organisation said it was highly likely his mother was killed by hunters or agricultural workers protecting their crops 'Rahman should have been in his mother's care for the next six or seven years of his life. 'Instead, she is nowhere to be found. It's highly likely that she has been killed as yet another victim of hunters or agricultural workers protecting their crops. 'Thankfully he is in safe hands now and will be given expert treatment and care at our centre which is currently home to 109 rescued orangutans.' Advertisement A Hitler lookalike was among more than 600 far-right extremists who took to the streets ofBerlin today to commemorate the death of a leading Nazi. Counter-demonstrators clashed with the neo-Nazis activists as bottles and stones were thrown during the clashes. The neo-Nazi supporters held a banner reading 'I regret nothing' as they marched through the German capital in memory of Rudolf Hess today. They waved colours of the old German Reich and were protected by police in riot gear as they chanted in the streets. One far-right supporter who resembled Hitler marches with the crowd of neo-Nazis in the centre of Berlin today The far-right supporters held up a banner which read 'we regret nothing'. The banner belongs to the National Socialists of Berlin Far-right supporters waved flags of the old German Reich as they marched through Berlin. Police officers had to escort the neo-Nazis through the streets of the city Police officers escorted protesters of mostly white men through the streets of Berlin today Around 2,300 officers were involved in policing the event today, as some helped to escort the crowd of mostly white men through the streets of Berlin today, as counter-demonstrators also voiced their anger at the far-right supporters. Left-wing counter-protesters held up banners and chanted as they attempted to block the neo-Nazis from carrying on their march. Berlin police spokesman Thilo Cablitz said officers had to physically remove some left-wing demonstrators who had staged sit-down protests along the route of the march. He confirmed missiles were thrown at the far-right protesters, but could not immediately say how many people were injured. Counter-demonstrators took to the streets of Berlin to ward of Nazis and demonstrate against fascism Protesters hold placards during an anti-Nazi demonstration on August 18, 2018 in Berlin on the day of the Neo-Nazi annual march A counter demonstrator holds a sign reading 'Berlin against Nazis' as she and others make their way to block a Neo-Nazis gathering intended to commemorate the anniversary of the death of Rudolf Hess Counter demonstrators chant slogans towards Right-wing supporters gather to march with flags in the colors of the former German Empire Rudolf Hess attempted in a solo mission to negotiate peace with the Allies in 1941, was later sentenced to life in prison and committed suicide in 1987. Hess died after committing suicide in the Spandau Prison, where he served his life sentence. Hess was one of the most prominent Nazi leaders and appointed Deputy Fuehrer by German dictator Adolf Hitler in 1933. The Sweden Democrats party are set to topple 101 years of socialist rule in elections set for September 9. Polls predict that the favoured party, with roots in neo-Nazism and white nationalism, will win as much as 25 percent of the September vote. Despite Swedes enjoying a high living standard and a growing economy, supporters of the party are maintaining populist views with connotations of anti-muslim attitudes. Jimmie Akesson, leader of the Sweden Democrats party, speaking during an interview Last week in Solvesborg, a municipality in the deep south of Sweden, around 4,000 far-right supporters rallied in support of the party - and to plot the downfall of the socialist government. They were joined by the Sweden Democrats leader, Jimmie Akesson who gave a speech at the party's annual summer festival. Amid the heavy metal music, a 71-year-old retiree called Jan shouted: 'He's the only politician I can trust, we need him for our country. I don't have so many years left, but for my children and for my grandchildren.' Migrants off an incoming train are escorted by Swedish police officers as they gather on the platform at the Swedish end of the bridge between Sweden and Denmark in Malmo Sweden is in the grip of rising far-right attitudes as the Swedish Democrats set to grow Sweden has a population of about 10million and took in around 165,000 migrants during the 2015 European border crisis, the most per capita in the world. The Sweden Democrats believe that immigration has stretched the country's public services, and that Muslim entering the country are diluting Swedish culture to the point of near extinction. A Swedish TV channel refused to air a campaign on its channel from the party in 2010, saying it contained racial hatred. People take part in a candle light rally in solidarity with migrants seeking asylum in Europe after fleeing their home countries in Stockholm, Sweden in September 2015 Demonstration in solidarity with refugees seeking asylum in Europe. Stockholm, 2015 Sweden took around 165,000 migrants during 2015 European border crisis - most in the world The TV ad depicted an elderly lady trying to cash her welfare check before being overtaken by a group of women wearing niqab headscarves and pushing strollers. The Sweden Democrats at last week's festival seem to agree with the sentiments of the ad. 'Why should we change into a Middle Eastern country? Why should we care about Islam? Sweden is not an Islamic country. 'Why should we be influenced by one of the worst ideologies in the world? I don't understand it,' Richard Jomshof, a Sweden Democrat lawmaker told NBC. Jimmie Akesson, leader of Sweden Democrats party, is against the large intake of immigrants Jimmie Akesson, speaks during a party event in Sundsvall, Sweden yesterday The party widely claims that gangs of young immigrant men are responsible for soaring violent crime and sexual assault, turning multicultural neighborhoods into so-called 'no-go zones'. In June, Jimmie Akesson, 39, branded the EU 'a large web of corruption', and said Sweden should hold a referendum after the general elections this September. The Scandinavian country has registered 400,000 asylum applications since 2012 - or one for every 25 inhabitants, a record in Europe - with a peak of 162,000 applications in 2015. To contain the refugee influx, the government has re-established border controls and toughened conditions for granting asylum, residence permits and family reunification. This has led to a rise in attitudes like that of the Sweden Democrat Party. This week a Muslim woman won a discrimination case in Sweden after she was rejected during a job interview for refusing to shake the hand of the interviewer. Sweden Muslim woman who refused handshake at job interview won her case this week Farah Alhajeh, 24, had been invited to interview for a job as an interpreter in Uppsala, north of Stockholm in May, 2016. Upon arrival she told the male interviewer that she did not want to shake his hand, citing religious rules of her faith. Ms Alhajeh claims she was then frogmarched out of the office and told the interview was over. This week, the Labour Court ruled in her favour, and ordered the company to pay Ms Alhajeh 40,000 SEK (3,426) in compensation. 'I believe in God, which is very rare in Sweden... and I should be able to do that and be accepted as long as I'm not hurting anyone,' she told the BBC. Jon Christopher Clark, 23, refused to take a lie detector test on Monday. He was arrested on Friday for identity theft and forgery, unrelated to his girlfriend's disappearance The boyfriend of a missing Arizona teenager has refused to take a polygraph test, Phoenix cops say. Police picked up Jon Christopher Clark, 23, at a hotel on Monday and brought him to the police station for questioning, where he refused to take the lie detector test because he didn't want 'an interpretation for my feelings'. His girlfriend Kiera Bergman, 19, has been missing for two weeks. She disappeared on August 4 in Phoenix, just a short time after leaving her hometown of San Diego to move in with Clark. Clark has repeatedly denied having anything to do with her disappearance and police say he's not considered a suspect or person of interest in the case. 'I didnt want to do anything that would give the indication I was hiding anything but also didnt want anything on the record that would have them say I was doing anything or had any part in this,' Clark said to the Huffington Post. 'I told them I would not like a lie detector test because, one, they are not admissible in court, and two, whatever you guys gather from that is basically your interpretation on my feelings. Still missing: Kiera Bergman (left), 19, was last seen by her boyfriend Clark (right) on August 4 around 1pm before she vanished without a trace The couple lived together in Phoenix, Arizona. Clark has repeatedly denied knowing anything about her disappearance and refused to take a polygraph test when asked by police Monday 'So I didnt want [investigators] to pretty much gather [their] conclusions off of something that is not guaranteed,' he added. When cops arrived to talk he felt cornered as he was 'abruptly surrounded by 20 tactical officers'. 'I just really felt like they were treating me like a suspect,' he said. 'They handcuffed me, put me in back of a car and, when we got to the interview room, [they] handcuffed me to a table the entire time,' he added. That same day police had a warrant to search his car, where they discovered material relating to identity theft and forgery. On Friday Clark was arrested for the alleged forgery crimes unrelated to the disappearance of his girlfriend, according to ABC. He was charged with 22 counts of aggravated identity theft and two counts of forgery, according to the Phoenix Police Department. He says they got into a fight before she disappeared without a trace on Saturday August 4 Bergman had moved from San Diego to Phoenix to be with her boyfriend. She left her wallet, purse, and car at the apartment before vanishing Her roommate said the last thing she heard from Bergman was that she was going to meet with a man she had met at a store, something that was unlike the 19-year-old's normal character Clark and Bergman have been dating since December. She moved to Phoenix in March to be with him. Her father described it as a 'on-again, off-again relationship.' Bergman was last seen leaving her job at a furniture store on August 4 'noticeably' upset according to her co-worker. Clark picked her up from work and took her back to the apartment. He said they got into an argument over finances. He added Bergman mistakenly though Clark was leaving Phoenix, where the pair had just moved together from San Diego. He last saw her when she walked out of the house around 1pm and she wasn't heard from since. 'When she left there was no immediate concern because we have had arguments in past where either me or her have left for an hour or a couple at a time to go clear our head. I didnt really find it unusual until she wasnt in contact with me,' he added. She had left her wallet, purse, and car at the apartment. She has been missing for two weeks. Police have not named Clark as a suspect of person of interest in the case despite the questioning on Monday Her roommate Destiny Hall-Chand, who shared the apartment with the couple, said that Bergman texted her saying she was going out with a man she had recently met. 'She was saying that she was going to go out with some guy that she met at the store a couple days ago, which is something that's not like her, I mean, that's not something that she would do,' Destiny Hall-Chand told CBS affiliate KPHO-TV. 'I don't know. I don't know what to think, I don't know what to believe, I don't know. It's just, I know there's something wrong. I'm just hoping she'll come home and everything will be okay,' Hall-Chand added. Kiersten Bragg (R), Kiera's mother, said she received a phone call from one of her daughter's friends soon after she vanished 'They served a search warrant on my phone, car, the place I was staying at and talked to all my friends and family. DNA was one of the stipulations of the court order, so they took my DNA did swabs, all kinds of fingerprints, my wrists, hands, everything and took numerous pictures of me and my tattoos,' Clark said. He added that he fully cooperated with police save for the polygraph test. On Saturday August 12 a vigil was held for Bergman as the search for the 19-year-old missing for two weeks continues. Her mother Kiersten Bragg said that she's been overwhelmed by the amount of support the community has provided during a stressful time. 'We are just being flooded with messages and people telling us that they're praying for us and praying that she comes home safe,' Bragg said. 'They're out there sharing and they're messaging me and telling me they're praying and I'm just so thankful for all those people,' she added. 'You have my heart, so come home,' Chris Bragg, Kiera's father, said. A GoFundMe page has been setup by a member of Bergman's family to help fund the search for Bergman. The family of a British holidaymaker who died after he jumped into the sea near the Ibizan party resort of San Antonio have gone to Spain to collect his body. Paul Gardner, from Newcastle, was celebrating his 24th birthday with friends on the beach when the fatal accident occurred on Tuesday at a cove near San Antonio called Cala Gracio. Contrary to earlier reports, his family have said Paul did not die after falling and hitting his head on the rocks or suffering from a heart attack. Paul and his group of friends jumped into the water but he got into trouble on the swim back to shore and swallowed water and then vomited, blocking his airwaves and causing him to lose consciousness. Paul Gardner pictured with his mother Carla Hunter who paid tribute to her son online His family paid tribute to the young man calling him 'caring', 'intelligent' and that he did not 'have a bad bone in his body.' Paul (centre) on holiday snowboarding in Andorra with his stepbrother Thomas (far left), mother Carla, and stepfather Billy Ions He was pulled from the water by friends, but was the only member of his group who knew CPR, due to his job as a dental technician. Now his family have made an emotional plea for people to learn CPR and the basic first aid that could have saved Paul's life. His stepfather Billy Ions, 49, said: 'Paul did not die due to a heart attack or head injuries but from swallowing water that made him vomit and block his airways. 'He was unconscious when he came out of the water. It was a tragic accident and only happened because the sea was so strong. It was the strength of the sea that killed Paul, not hitting the rocks, and the fact that he was the only one of his friends who knew CPR. There was 10 of them and they all just jumped off the cliff, that was the problem, to get back to the shore was about 100 metres. It was the sheer strength of the sea that has killed him, he was also asthmatic and did not have strong lungs. We are here in Spain now trying to get Paul home on Wednesday, we have been going through the procedures and have seen his body. We are just trying to get on the same flight back home, his mum is in bits and its just such a sad situation. Mr Ions, said Paul, who worked as a dental technician, did not have a bad bone in his body. Paul Gardner, had been celebrating his 24th birthday with friends on the beach in San Antonio, Ibiza He added: Paul was a lovely, caring person, all the tributes to him online have been extraordinary, but that was what he was like. He was such a good boy, he did not have a bad bone in his body and was so intelligent, he was going to take a year off at Christmas to go travelling in Australia, that was his plan. You never think something like this can happen to your family, its just unbelievable. The family have released a small video clip of Paul prior to the jump to highlight the dangers of leaping into the sea and the importance of learning basic first aid skills such as CPR, which could have saved Paul. We had a small clip of Paul just before the jump which we want to release just to highlight the problems. Paul is the type of person who would have wanted that, if it just saves one person or get one person to get trained in CPR, it will be a positive thing. Its really a warning to any young kids thinking of doing it. A number of heartbreaking tributes have today been paid to Mr Gardner, who had flown out to Ibiza on Sunday from Newcastle Airport with a group of friends. The tragedy happened at a cove near San Antonio called Cala Gracio, where Mr Gardner had gone to celebrate his 24th birthday with a dip in the sea. Tributes have today been paid to Mr Gardner, who had flown out to Ibiza on Sunday from Newcastle Airport with a group of friends A Civil Guard source added: 'A routine investigation is underway but everything is pointing to this man's death being the result of a freak accident.' Carla Hunter, described as Mr Gardner's mother posted a family picture of Paul on social media and wrote: 'Love you infinity my bairn.' A friend replied: 'Devastated for you Carla. My eyes have been full since I heard. You absolutely worshipped him. It seems unreal. He was your life, your boy. Sending you strength Carla. 'We feel your pain. He couldn't of wished for a better mother.' Another added: 'Just heard. Absolutely devastating. He was one in a million Carla. A good lad. No words will come close to consoling you at this hard time but you are in my thoughts.' A man celebrating his 24th birthday has died after hitting his head on rocks at the Cala Gracio cove near San Antonio (pictured) Jackie Longstaff wrote: 'Don't know what to say to you Carla. God bless your son. 'They say God only takes the best and he certainly has your beautiful smile.' The group Paul was with checked into the Orosol Hotel on Sunday and were due to leave at the end of the week to fly back home. Several Brits have died in separate incidents in San Antonio this summer. Business consultant Anwaar Lahrichi-Greenwood was found dead near the entrance to San Antonio port on August 5. The Londoner had been missing since the early hours of the previous day after leaving a party in the raucous West End area. His family believe he was killed and and are raising money for the repatriation of his body and his memorial. However, an autopsy is not thought to have detected any evidence he was attacked before he ended up in the water. Last month a 22-year-old Brit died after collapsing in the street in San Antonio and being rushed to a health centre. He was later named as Jack McDonnell, from the West Midlands market town of Salford. Two days before he died on July 20 a British seasonal worker named as Birmingham-born Harry Kingsland, 21, was killed in an altercation at a flat in the party resort. The man suspected of delivering the punch linked to his death - Mitchell Loveridge, also 21 and from Llwynypia in the Rhondda, Wales, was arrested after trying to flee the scene by jumping out of the second-floor apartment window. He was remanded in custody after appearing in court. Conor Lee Spraggs, 23, from Stevenage, Herts, died in the early hours of Sunday morning after getting into a fight on San Antonio's main seafront promenade. Several Brits have been arrested and were appearing in court today. The driver, 27, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving A 21-year-old university student has been killed after being hit by a car in New Malden, south west London. Charlotte Staplehurst was pronounced dead at the scene despite efforts from paramedics trying to save her. The crash happened at around midnight on Monday the 13 of August and the 27-year-old driver of the vehicle was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. Charlotte's boyfriend, 19-year-old Harry Foster, has since posted a touching tribute online saying he promises he will 'see her again one day'. Despite efforts of medics, Charlotte Staplehurst (pictured) was pronounced dead at the scene Harry Foster posted this touching tribute to Charlotte Staplehurst on Instagram on Thursday Harry Foster accompanied his touching tribute with this picture of the couple kissing The driver of the vehicle that killed Charlotte was taken to a south London police station for questioning and has since been released under investigation. Mr Foster's Instagram tribute to Charlotte read: 'Never in the world did I think I would be doing this. These are the types of situations you read about thinking this could never happen to someone you love. 'The times I spent with you were the best of my life and what I feel for you will never change. You were my my world and nobody could or will ever replace you. 'You are the best person I know I would not change a single part of who you are I am so sorry. I promise I will see you again. I love you Charlotte.' The driver was arrested on suspicion of causing Charlotte's death by dangerous driving Charlotte is understood to have been studying pharmaceutical studies at Kingston University Police and ambulance crews rushed to the scene in Coombe Road, New Maldon, shortly before midnight on Monday, but Charlotte died just 30 minutes later. Charlotte, who was from Eastbourne, is understood to have been studying pharmaceutical studies at Kingston University. Her university campus lies around three miles from the site of the fatal crash. Charlotte's next-of-kin has been informed. Officers from the Mets Serious Collision Investigation Unit [SCIU] are appealing for any witnesses or anyone with dash cam footage to contact their incident room on 0208 543 5157 or call 101 quoting CAD 8304/13AUG. GUILTY: MICHAEL FLYNN Pleaded guilty to making false statements in December 2017. Awaiting sentence Flynn was President Trump's former National Security Advisor and Robert Mueller's most senior scalp to date. He previously served when he was a three star general as President Obama's director of the Defense Intelligence Agency but was fired. He admitted to lying to special counsel investigators about his conversations with a Russian ambassador in December 2016. He has agreed to cooperate with the special counsel investigation. GUILTY AND JAILED: MICHAEL COHEN Pleaded guilty to eight counts including fraud and two campaign finance violations in August 2018. Pleaded guilty to further count of lying to Congress in November 2018. Sentenced to three years in prison and $2 million in fines and forfeitures in December 2018 Cohen was investigated by Mueller but the case was handed off to the Southern District of New York,leaving Manhattan's ferocious and fiercely independent federal prosecutors to run his case. Cohen was Trump's longtime personal attorney, starting working for him and the Trump Organization in 2007. He is the longest-serving member of Trump's inner circle to be implicated by Mueller. Cohen professed unswerving devotion to Trump - and organized payments to silence two women who alleged they had sex with the-then candidate: porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal. He admitted that payments to both women were felony campaign finance violations - and admitted that he acted at the 'direction' of 'Candidate-1': Donald Trump. He also admitted tax fraud by lying about his income from loans he made, money from taxi medallions he owned, and other sources of income, at a cost to the Treasury of $1.3 million. And he admitted lying to Congress in a rare use of the offense. The judge in his case let him report for prison on March 6 and recommended he serve it in a medium-security facility close to New York City. GUILTY AND JAILED: PAUL MANAFORT Found guilty of eight charges of bank and tax fraud in August 2018. Sentenced to 47 months in March 2019. Pleaded guilty to two further charges - witness tampering and conspiracy against the United States. Jailed for total of seven and a half years in two separate sentences. Additionally indicted for mortgage fraud by Manhattan District Attorney, using evidence previously presented by Mueller Manafort worked for Trump's campaign from March 2016 and chaired it from June to August 2016, overseeing Trump being adopted as Republican candidate at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. He is the most senior campaign official to be implicated by Mueller. Manafort was one of Washington D.C.'s longest-term and most influential lobbyists but in 2015, his money dried up and the next year he turned to Trump for help, offering to be his campaign chairman for free - in the hope of making more money afterwards. But Mueller unwound his previous finances and discovered years of tax and bank fraud as he coined in cash from pro-Russia political parties and oligarchs in Ukraine. Manafort pleaded not guilty to 18 charges of tax and bank fraud but was convicted of eight counts in August 2018. The jury was deadlocked on the other 10 charges. A second trial on charges of failing to register as a foreign agent due in September did not happen when he pleaded guilty to conspiracy against the United States and witness tampering in a plea bargain. He was supposed to co-operate with Mueller but failed to. Minutes after his second sentencing hearing in March 2019, he was indicted on 16 counts of fraud and conspiracy by the Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., using evidence which included documents previously presented at his first federal trial. The president has no pardon power over charges by district and state attorneys. GUILTY AND GOING TO WEEKEND JAIL: RICK GATES Pleaded guilty to conspiracy against the United States and making false statements in February 2018. Sentenced to 45 days weekend jail and three years probation, December 17, 2018 Gates was Manafort's former deputy at political consulting firm DMP International. He admitted to conspiring to defraud the U.S. government on financial activity, and to lying to investigators about a meeting Manafort had with a member of congress in 2013. As a result of his guilty plea and promise of cooperation, prosecutors vacated charges against Gates on bank fraud, bank fraud conspiracy, failure to disclose foreign bank accounts, filing false tax returns, helping prepare false tax filings, and falsely amending tax returns. GUILTY AND JAILED: GEORGE PAPADOPOLOUS Pleaded guilty to making false statements in October 2017. Sentenced to 14 days in September 2018, and reported to prison in November. Served 12 days and released on December 7, 2018 Papadopoulos was a member of Donald Trump's campaign foreign policy advisory committee. He admitted to lying to special counsel investigators about his contacts with London professor Josef Mifsud and Ivan Timofeev, the director of a Russian government-funded think tank. GUILTY AND JAILED: RICHARD PINEDO Pleaded guilty to identity fraud in February 2018. Sentenced to a year in prison Pinedo is a 28-year-old computer specialist from Santa Paula, California. He admitted to selling bank account numbers to Russian nationals over the internet that he had obtained using stolen identities. GUILTY AND JAILED: ALEX VAN DER ZWAAN Pleaded guilty to making false statements in February 2018. He served a 30-day prison sentence and was deported to the Netherlands on his release Van der Zwaan was a Dutch attorney for Skadden Arps who worked on a Ukrainian political analysis report for Paul Manafort in 2012. He admitted to lying to special counsel investigators about when he last spoke with Rick Gates and Konstantin Kilimnik. His law firm say he was fired. GUILTY: W. SAMUEL PATTEN Pleaded guilty in August 2018 to failing to register as a lobbyist while doing work for a Ukrainian political party. Sentenced to three years probation April 2019 Patten, a long-time D.C. lobbyist was a business partner of Paul Manafort. He pleaded guilty to admitting to arranging an illegal $50,000 donation to Trump's inauguration. He arranged for an American 'straw donor' to pay $50,000 to the inaugural committee, knowing that it was actually for a Ukrainian businessman. Neither the American or the Ukrainian have been named. CHARGED: KONSTANTIN KILIMNIK Indicted for obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice. At large, probably in Russia Kilimnik is a former employee of Manafort's political consulting firm and helped him with lobbying work in Ukraine. He is accused of witness tampering, after he allegedly contacted individuals who had worked with Manafort to remind them that Manafort only performed lobbying work for them outside of the U.S. He has been linked to Russian intelligence and is currently thought to be in Russia - effectively beyond the reach of extradition by Mueller's team. INDICTED: THE RUSSIANS Twenty-five Russian nationals and three Russian entities have been indicted for conspiracy to defraud the United States. They remain at large in Russia Two of these Russian nationals were also indicted for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 11 were indicted for conspiracy to launder money. Fifteen of them were also indicted for identity fraud. Vladimir Putin has ridiculed the charges. Russia effectively bars extradition of its nationals. The only prospect Mueller has of bringing any in front of a U.S. jury is if Interpol has their names on an international stop list - which is not made public - and they set foot in a territory which extradites to the U.S. INDICTED: MICHAEL FLYNN'S BUSINESS PARTNERS Bijan Kian (left), number two in now disgraced former national security adviser Mike Flynn's lobbying company, and the two's business partner Ekim Alptekin (right) were indicted for conspiracy to lobby illegally. Kian, an Iranian-American was arrested and appeared in court charged with a conspiracy to illegally lobby the U.S government without registering as a foreign agent. Their co-conspirator was Flynn, who is called 'Person A' in the indictment and is not charged, offering some insight into what charges he escaped with his plea deal. Kian, vice-president of Flynn's former lobbying firm, is alleged to have plotted with Alptekin to try to change U.S. policy on an exiled Turkish cleric, Fethullah Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania and who is accused by Turkey's strongman president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, of trying to depose him. Erdogan's government wanted him extradited from the U.S. and paid Flynn's firm through Alptekin for lobbying, including an op-ed in The Hill calling for Gulen to be ejected. Flynn and Kian both lied that the op-ed was not paid for by the Turkish government. The indictment is a sign of how Mueller is taking an interest in more than just Russian involvement in the 2016 election. GUILTY AND AWAITING SENTENCE: ROGER STONE Roger Stone, a former Trump campaign official and longtime informal advisor to Trump, was indited on seven counts including obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and lying to Congress about his communications with WikiLeaks in January 2019. Convicted on all counts November 15, 2019, awaiting sentence Stone was a person of interest to Mueller's investigators long before his January indictment, thanks in part due to his public pronouncements as well as internal emails about his contacts with WikiLeks. In campaign texts and emails, many of which had already been publicly revealed before showing up in Mueller's indictment, Stone communicated with associates about WikiLeaks following reports the organization had obtained a cache of Clinton-related emails. Stone, a former Nixon campaign adviser who has the disgraced former president's face permanently tattooed on his back, has long been portrayed as a central figure in the election interference scandal. 'They got nothing,' he said of the special counsel's investigation. Stone gave 'false and misleading' testimony about his requests for information from WikiLeaks. He then pressured a witness, comedian Randy Credico, to take the Fifth Amendment rather than testify, and pressured him in a series of emails. Following a prolonged dispute over testimony, he called him a 'rat' and threatened to 'take that dog away from you', in reference to Credico's pet, Bianca. Stone warned him: 'Let's get it on. Prepare to die.' CLEARED: GREG CRAIG Greg Craig, President Barack Obama's White House counsel, was indicted for failing to register as a foreign agent. Mueller's investigators uncovered Craig's work on behalf the government of Ukraine while probing Manafort, who did business with Craig. Prosecutors released a grand jury indictment of Craig in April 2019, after Craig's law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP agreed to pay more than $4.6 million as part of a settlement. The prominent firm also acknowledged it had failed to register, and placed much of the blame on Craig, a senior partner there. Craig's lawyer blasted the decision as an abuse of prosecutorial discretion, and prepared to argue that omission of information during an interview is not tantamount to making false statements. The charges stem from a 2012 report Craig and the firm produced on behalf of the Ukrainian government on opposition figure and former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko. She was an opponent of Manafort's client , former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. Craig was cleared on September 9 2019. A 16-year-old boy has been charged with murder following the fatal stabbing of a 42-year-old man in Chingford, north-east London in the early hours of Friday morning. The victim was today named as Joseph Cullimore. A 35-year-old woman who was arrested has now been released pending further enquiries. A 16-year-old boy has been charged with murder following the fatal stabbing of a 42-year-old man in Chingford, north-east London in the early hours of Friday morning Emergency services were called to a home in the early hours of yesterday morning where the victim was found with stab wounds and pronounced dead 42 minutes later. Detectives have appealed for witnesses but said they were not currently looking for anyone else in connection with the killing. A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: 'A murder investigation has been launched in Waltham Forest after a man was fatally stabbed. 'Police were called on Friday at around 4.40am to an address in Flaxen Road to a report of a stabbing. 'Officers attended and found a 42-year-old man suffering from stab injuries.. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 5.22am. 'His next of kin have been informed. Emergency services were called to a home in Waltham Forest in the early hours of the morning where the victim was found with stab wounds and pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives have appealed for witnesses but say they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the crime The stabbing comes hours after a boy was knifed in Camberwell, south London. The youngster was one of four stabbed as gang violence erupted on a housing estate echoing with screams of help, help yesterday evening. Residents of the Elmington Estate told how they saw a group of boys running minutes before police arrived on the scene at around 5.30pm Witnesses described how the most seriously hurt teenager fell to the floor clutching his stomach. One witness said: 'I saw the youth come running from the block. He came to the corner and dropped' and described seeing a boy with their 'intestines falling on the ground'. Ten British ships sunk during the Second World War and designated as war graves have been plundered for scrap metal by Chinese pirates, an investigation by The Mail on Sunday has found. Vessels that provide the final resting place for more than 1,000 sailors have been smashed to pieces and looted by greedy salvagers. Last night Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson demanded an immediate investigation. The UK Government absolutely condemns the unauthorised disturbance of any wreck containing human remains, and always has done, he said. A military wreck should remain undisturbed and those who lost their lives on board should be allowed to rest in peace. ARRESTS: These crew were suspected of plundering HMS Prince of Wales and Repulse Ten British ships sunk during the Second World War and designated as war graves have been plundered for scrap metal by Chinese pirates. Pictured: HMS Kuala Experts previously said that six British ships had been plundered. Now they have revealed that four more have been targeted, and the figure is likely to rise. The ten lying off the Malaysian and Indonesian coasts were sunk in late 1941 and 1942. They include HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse, whose hulls had for decades served as graves for the 835 men who went down with the two ships. But the callous gangs of scavengers have now looted around half of their 750ft-long structures, with the remains of fallen heroes dredged up with the metal. Even worse is the fate of the heavy cruiser HMS Exeter, which famously confronted the doomed Graf Spee in the Battle of the River Plate. It went down off Indonesia in 1942 with the loss of 54 sailors, but hardly a trace of her is left on the sea bed. Hundreds more sailors remains are entombed in the wrecks of a further seven British ships lost in the area which have been violated by the pirates. Promising action, Mr Williamson said: I am very concerned to hear any allegations of incidents of Royal Navy wrecks being plundered in the Far East. We will work closely with the Indonesian and Malaysian governments to investigate these claims. HMS Prince of Wales: The battleship has lost more than half of its hull to pirates mostly in the last two years. It was sunk by the Japanese on December 10, 1941, alongside HMS Repulse. The loss of the two warships has been described as Britains Pearl Harbour. Some 327 men on the Prince of Wales died, including Admiral Tom Phillips, the highest ranking British military figure to be killed in battle of in World War II His call was backed by one of the few remaining survivors of HMS Repulse. Maurice Pink, a 96-year-old former Royal Marine bandsman, described the desecration as diabolical. And naval historian and retired Rear Admiral Chris Parry said: We need to be robust with the Chinese and also consider linking the protection of these sites with foreign aid to the countries whose coastline it is. The systematic ransacking is in flagrant breach of the UN International Salvaging Convention which bans the looting of sunken warships. It is also against British, Indonesian and Malaysian law. People can dive near the wrecks but not touch them. Chinese-owned barges fitted with cranes have been carrying out the illegal operations. One Chinese-owned shipping giant, Fujian Jiada, has been linked with the salvaging of the British wrecks, but this weekend denied any involvement. The ten lying off the Malaysian and Indonesian coasts were sunk in late 1941 and 1942. Pictured: HMS Banka was previously known as Singkara The Ministry of Defence says it is working with the Indonesian government to create special protection zones around the site where HMS Encounter, Electra and Exeter sank. But it is a race against time. This newspapers investigation has found that four wrecks those of SS Loch Ranza, HMS Tien Kwang, HMS Kuala and HMS Banka have recently been targeted by scavengers, having previously been ignored. Almost 550 sailors and civilians died with the four ships. Our investigation has revealed how salvage barges take the plundered metal to scrapyards in Indonesia where it is cut into smaller pieces. The scrap is then shipped to China where it enters the global steel market, creating the prospect of the metal appearing as tins of food on UK shop shelves. Experts say Second World War vessels are particularly valuable as they were built and sunk before the era of nuclear explosions. As a result, they have absorbed little background radiation from the atmosphere, making them suitable for medical equipment. Experts previously said that six British ships had been plundered. Now they have revealed that four more have been targeted, and the figure is likely to rise. Pictured: HMS Tien Kwang HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse were sunk on the same day in December 1941 off the Malaysian coast by Japanese aircraft. The incident, labelled Britains Pearl Harbour, was described by Winston Churchill as his worst shock of the war. Earlier that year, HMS Prince of Wales had played a pivotal role in the sinking of the German battleship Bismarck and had ferried Churchill to the US for a secret summit with President Roosevelt, where the pair signed the Atlantic Charter, a document paving the way for the United Nations. In recent years, the wrecks of Prince of Wales and Repulse, a 750ft-long battlecruiser, have been ripped apart and experts believe at least half of their structures have gone. The news of such desecration has angered veterans. Mr Pink, from Ipswich, was a 19-year-old bandsman when the Repulse sank. He said the screams of his trapped, dying shipmates still ring in his ears as they did then. It is terrible, a diabolical thing to happen. I lost a lot of friends on the Repulse, he said. They are desecrating a grave. They were designated as war graves for a reason because hundreds of men died. As well as HMS Exeter, other vessels have been heavily plundered. HMS Encounter, a destroyer which sank in the Java Sea in March 1942 with the loss of eight men, has had 80 per cent of its wreck illegally salvaged, according to expert divers who visited the site in 2016. Admiral Sir Tom Phillips (right), commander of Force Z, and his deputy, Rear Admiral Arthur Palliser, on the quayside at Singapore naval base, 2 December 1941 HMS Banka, a minesweeper which sank off the Malaysian coast in December 1941 with four British officers and 34 Malay crewmen, has also been dredged up completely, according to investigators. Its desecration and that of HMS Tien Kwang, HMS Kuala and SS Loch Ranza has only been discovered in the past year. Despite international bans, more than a dozen Chinese-owned barges fitted with cranes have been involved in salvaging wrecks in the region. Some switch off their transponders to avoid detection on shipping radar. They then drop a 50-ton axe-shaped anchor on the sunken ship to smash its structure before deploying long cranes to scoop up the smashed metal. Australian diving expert Dr Andrew Fock, who has led investigations of wrecks on the relatively shallow and accessible Java Sea bed, said the metal haul from each ship can fetch more than 1million. Indonesia estimates there are 479 sunken ships off its coast alone. Fujian Jiada has supplied five of the eight salvage barges found to be active in the Java Sea in recent years. The vessels have sailed under the Chinese flag and also under those of Cambodia and Mongolia. One of them is the Hai Wei Gong 889, a crane ship which has sailed with a different name and under Chinese and Cambodian flags. Australian and Indonesian experts accused the Hai Wei Gong of looting HMS Banka in 2014 and the ship was impounded by the Malaysian navy for plundering Dutch and Japanese wrecks off their coast in the same year. Malaysian investigators also accused its crew of looting HMS Prince of Wales and Repulse, which lay nearby. British Royal Navy Battleship HMS Prince of Wales Fujian Jiada last night denied any role in illegal salvaging, dismissing claims in the international media as malicious false gossip. A spokesman said: We are only an export agent company. In this case, our businesses about the vessels [barges] were finished while [sic] the vessels left China. Barges owned by other Chinese companies have also been implicated, but not all salvaging companies are Chinese-owned. Three years ago, the Malaysian navy captured a barge with 12 Vietnamese crew plundering the Prince of Wales and Repulse. Precious items from British warships have been found as far afield as Australia. In 2014, the Australian authorities seized a Morse telephone stolen from Repulse, which was about to be auctioned. The phone was then handed back to the British High Commission. Fujian Jiada last night denied any role in illegal salvaging, dismissing claims in the international media as malicious false gossip. A spokesman said: We are only an export agent company Dr Fock, who led a team that recorded the wrecks of Dutch, British and Australian wrecks in 2016, said the industrial scale looting had only recently become apparent. He said: Just imagine if a Chinese company went into France and began digging up a cemetery of the war dead. There would be anger and outrage. But this is what is happening now, but no one is saying anything about it. Asked about work to create special protection zones, Royal Marines Colonel Jaimie Roylance based at the British Embassy in Jakarta said: We hope to establish appropriate zones by the end of this year. Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon said President Donald Trump was 'absolutely correct' when placing blame 'on both sides' following the deadly violence that broke out at the Charlottesville white nationalist rally in August 2017. The rally, which was called 'Unite the Right,' gathered together members of the alt-right, Ku Klux Klan and neo-confederates, among others and was ostensibly aimed at opposing the removal of Confederate hero Robert E. Lee's statute from Emancipation Park in Charlottesville, Virgnia. During the rally on August 12, 2017, which saw white nationalists and counterprotesters clashing, authorities said that neo-Nazi suspect James Alex Fields Jr, 20, purposely drove his car into the crowd of largely peaceful counterprotesters, killing Heather Heyer, 32. Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon said that President Trump was 'absolutely correct' when he blamed the Charlottesville protest violence on 'both sides' Fields was charged with first-degree murder and multiple hate crimes. Two hours after Fields' alleged vehicular attack, Trump said, 'We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, on many sides.' Heather Heyer, 32, was killed when an alleged neo-Nazi purposely drove his car into the crowd of counterprotesters Three days later, during a press conference, Trump said there were 'very fine people on both sides' at the rally and condemned the 'very, very violent' members of what he called the 'alt-left.' In a new interview that aired Friday, just over a year after the protest, Bannon told MSNBC that Trump was 'absolutely correct' when he said what he said, while vigorously pointing out that Trump also made it a point to condemn the hate groups that participated in the rally. 'When you talk about the Confederate monuments,' Bannon said, referring to the debate over whether the monuments should be removed from display or be allowed to remain in place as part of Southern heritage, 'The president is saying there's good people on both sides, okay?' 'When you talk about the people that come there for violence, he's condemned those people,' Bannon continued. Trump 'condemned the neo-Confederates. He condemned the neo-Nazis. He condemned the KKK. He also condemned Antifa [anti-fascists],' Bannon said. Trump blamed 'both sides' for the violence at the Unite the Right rally on August 12, 2017, which included an alleged neo-Nazi mowing down counterprotesters (shown) Although the counterprotesters at the Unite the Right rally were largely peaceful, Antifa members also showed up and physically engaged with hate group members. Here, a protester and a white supremacist fight while a man in a Trump hat sprays something at the protester Bannon said that Trump (on August 14) made a point to condemn the hate groups, while also condemning Antifa which Bannon said is 'as violent as these KKK guys' Bannon went on to blame the 'mainstream media' for giving Antifa a group of anti-fascist militants 'a complete, free pass.' Antifa, Bannon said, 'are just as violent as the Neo-Confederates. They're just as violent as these KKK guys, and they have to be condemned. That's where you're seeing the violence come from.' Bannon went on to say that, 'I think this is where he's being smeared,' regarding Trump's 'both sides' remarks. During the hour-long MSNBC interview, Bannon revealed that he believed that it was a 'big mistake' for Trump to fire former FBI director James Comey and that he thought it would lead to a special counsel being called in to investigate. Bannon also noted that he had been called in as a 'witness of fact' about possible Russian interference during the 2016 election and was questioned on both obstruction of justice and collusion. Regarding the upcoming midterm elections, Bannon predicted that the Republicans would win by November 6 if they are able to get out the Trump base and 'blue-collar Democrats' to vote. 'If we dont get our base out on Nov. 6, were going to have a very bad day at the polls,' he said. Emmanuel Macron is backing a controversial move by Tory and Labour MPs to join forces to counter the risk of Brexit fuelling a rise in UK extremism. The French President has endorsed a bid by Theresa May's former No 10 policy chief to forge a new cross-party 'coalition' of MPs opposed to a 'no-deal Brexit'. Tory MP George Freeman says the UK faces a 'Black Monday' economic meltdown if, as an increasing number of politicians predict, it withdraws from the EU without an agreement in March. Scroll down for video Emmanuel Macron addressed a ketter to George Freeman MP who he is seen here meeting Letter to George Freeman MP from French President Emmanuel Macron dated July 31 Mr Macron's letter in English The President of the Republic, MP George Freeman, I have received the correspondence by which you invite me to deliver a speech at the Big Tent Ideas Festival, to be held on the 7th and 8th in Cambridge. Sensitive to your approach, I thank you very much. Like you, I am determined to take up the great challenges of the planet in order to build a more secure world, which guarantees more growth of justice and ecology. Also, although the constraints of my schedule unfortunately do not allow me to respond favorably to your kind request, I would like to welcome your initiative and wish you all the best for the success of the new edition of this event. I am convinced that this forum will contribute fully to the reflection on the issues we are jointly facing. In renewing my thanks, I beg you to believe, sir, the assurance of my best feelings. Emmanuel Macron Advertisement Mr Macron has sent a letter of support to a 'Big Tent' political rally being hosted by Mr Freeman in Cambridge next month. Mr Freeman, head of the Conservative Policy Forum, denies it is part of a plan to build a new centre party. He says the aim is to produce 'inspiring new ideas' to ensure post-Brexit Britain is a success. But he linked it to a stark warning that a 'no-deal Brexit' could lead to a repeat of the so called 'Black Wednesday' in 1992 when Britain crashed out of the EU's Exchange Rate Mechanism. John Major's Tory Government never recovered from the ensuing economic crisis and Labour won the next three General Elections. Mr Freeman says he fears a Brexit 'Black Monday' would do the same and result in Jeremy Corbyn leading a minority 'Hard-Left' Government. If it did, Mr Freeman says Tory MPs like him could form a 'coalition' with moderate Labour MPs to keep Mr Corbyn out of No 10. Former British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in Central London on Tuesday 14th August Equally, if it resulted in a minority 'Hard-Right' Tory Government led by Boris Johnson or Jacob Rees-Mogg, moderate Conservative MPs could join forces with Labour MPs to keep them out of power too. Leading Tory and Labour figures are to attend Mr Freeman's 'Big Tent' event, which is being co-hosted by Baroness Sally Morgan, a former No 10 aide to Tony Blair. Harriet Harman, ex-Blairite Minister Liam Byrne and anti-Corbyn Labour MP Ian Austin will rub shoulders with Cabinet Ministers Michael Gove and Liz Truss. Scots Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has pledged her support. Mr Macron came to power after breaking away from France's Left-wing Socialist Party with his En Marche (Forward) movement, which crushed the Hard-Right Front National. He has been called a 'French Tony Blair'. Mr Freeman, a descendant of Liberal Prime Minister William Gladstone, said he was 'delighted' to have Mr Macron's support, though some are bound to accuse the President of meddling in British politics. Emmanuel Macron greets Theresa May before a working dinner at the Elysee Palace in Paris In an interview with The Mail on Sunday, the MP said: 'We must recast the language and vision of Brexit. It should be a noble end not a divisive and triumphalist divorce. We will not be thanked by people even those who voted for Brexit who were told they were going to become richer if they become poorer. Unless we build a big tent in the centre for those alienated by Hard-Left Corbynism or Hard-Right (Nigel) Farageism, the Tories will end up as a teepee party piling up votes in traditional heartlands but losing its backbone support in London, from the professional classes, doctors, teachers, science and business.' The MP, who backed Remain in the EU referendum, insisted he did not wish to reverse Brexit and denied his 'Black Monday' forecast was part of 'Project Fear.' Britain formally leaves the EU at 11pm UK time on Friday, March 29. The impact will be clearer when the markets open on Monday, April 1. Mr Freeman explained why a 'no-deal' outcome would be a catastrophe for the nation and the Tories. 'If we get Brexit wrong and crash out without a proper transition agreement, we risk a Black Monday. The sight of a Conservative Government pushed into no-deal and losing control will look to a whole generation like the disastrous Black Wednesday in 1992 which we paid for with 15 years in opposition. We would be seen to have abandoned our core pillar of economic competence.' Emmanuel Macron has been called a 'French Tony Blair'. Pictured here in 2017 Mr Freeman favours a 'Norway style' Brexit, with the UK paying to stay in the European Economic Area coupled to a five-year ban on immigrants claiming welfare in Britain. His main fear is that a 'no-deal' Brexit could lead to Corbyn scraping into Downing Street without an overall majority. He says in that event, Blairite Labour MPs would be ready to 'abandon' the Labour leader. But they would only join forces with the Conservatives if the Tories were a 'sensible One Nation style' party not a 'narrow, isolationist, nationalistic Ukip-style' party. 'We could reach across to moderate Blairites looking down the barrel of a Corbyn Hard-Left minority Government and say 'come and join us in a coalition for prosperity',' said Mr Freeman. He may do likewise to defy a minority Hard-Right Tory Government led by Johnson or Rees-Mogg. 'If we end up with someone leading the Tory Party shamelessly pandering to the Farageite Ukip wing, we will cease to have a majority in Parliament or be supported by mainstream voters.' Challenged whether, in such circumstances, Mr Freeman would team up with Labour moderates to defy them, he does not dodge the question: 'It must work both ways.' He dismisses the idea that talk of 'coalition' with Labour is treachery. 'Conservatives must think about governing through coalitions, which is quite likely. We're in coalition now with the DUP.' Mr Freeman does not share Brexiteers' contempt for David Cameron's Coalition with the Lib Dems. Cameron won a Commons majority in 2015, he points out: Theresa May blew it in 2017. 'The nightmare scenario I fear and foresee is a divided Conservative Party putting its own ideological Brexit triumph ahead of economic competence and driving voters into the arms of Corbyn. Instead of reaching out to Blairites in exile, we lurch to the Right and justify the extremism of Corbyn. That is why we must create a space in the middle.' Danielle Lloyd has made quite a name for herself with her outspoken views and in particular for airing topics that send more sensitive viewers running for the ear plugs. Earlier this year, the model turned television personality explained to the public that she had undergone intimate surgery to combat post-natal incontinence. On another occasion, the panel of ITVs Loose Women learned to their shock that she planned to eat her own placenta. They were discussions that might seem, well, just a little awkward, but have nevertheless generated overflowing mailboxes. Yet of all the uncomfortable subjects Danielle has decided to embrace in the past few years, none has been so dangerously explosive as her recent admission that she has decided to choose the gender of her next child and use medical science to ensure it is a baby girl. Danielle Lloyd, pictured at home with her sons (from left) Harry, seven, Ronnie, 10 months, George, five, and Archie eight, has made a name for herself with outspoken views To Danielle, this is a straightforward matter. She has four boys already and now she wants to bring some balance to her young family. After all, gender selection is already a multi-million-dollar industry in America, where she will go, and it is clear that well-off Britons are already taking advantage of the service offered by clinics in California and elsewhere. But the process, condemned by the World Health Organisation (WHO), is illegal in this country and the backlash against Danielle has been furious. The 34-year-old explains she has received thousands of angry messages on Instagram and Twitter, some of them extreme, the worst from women who admit they cannot have children of their own. Speaking for the first time about the tide of abuse, she says: They called me a selfish, disgusting b**** who should be thankful for my four miracle babies. One desperate woman asked for some of her eggs. I didnt know what to say back. Id never even thought about that. It was all quite shocking, she says. Im very honest and dont beat around the bush, but I didnt expect the amount of vitriol. It was like a bomb had gone off. I didnt even think I had said anything that bad, but I admit that perhaps I didnt really think about it that much. Liverpool-born Danielle had three sons, Archie, Harry and George, with her ex husband Jamie OHara, the former Tottenham Hotspurs midfielder. The couple divorced in 2014. Her fourth son, Ronnie, is with her fiance, electrician Michael ONeill. She continues: I want a girl and if I can pay for it, then thats OK, I can get one. The 34-year-old, pictured at home, has received thousands of angry messages on Instagram and Twitter, some of them extreme, on the subject of gender selection for babies Danielle and fiance, electrician Michael ONeill, during her pregnancy with fourth son Ronnie It is, as she has found, a highly controversial stance which makes it all the more remarkable that Danielle has agreed to address it head-on. The WHO says that sex selection raises serious moral, legal, and social issues and can lead to the devaluation of women and gender imbalance. For all the public and official hostility, though, the fact is that the industry is rapidly expanding to meet a huge and growing demand. And if in Britain the demand remains unspoken, in America it is rapidly becoming the norm for those who can afford it. Dr Jeffrey Steinberg at leading US specialists The Fertility Institutes says he routinely treats A-list actors, pop stars and athletes. Tellingly, of 640 couples who came through his doors in 2017, more than one in ten was British. According to Dr Daniel Potter at rival American clinic HRC Fertility, he sees ten patients a month from this country who want to select the gender of their baby. It is, after all, an age-old wish. From cave paintings depicting a preference for sons, to Aristotles prescription for producing boys (tying off of the mans left testicle), attempts to choose the gender of children go back centuries. But Danielles decision to obtain or effectively buy a baby girl belongs firmly to the scientific realm. She had first heard about the gender selection procedure in the wake of giving birth to Ronnie, now ten months old. Enquiring further, she learnt that the treatment is accurate in 99 per cent of the cases in which a baby is successfully born and started to investigate the possibility of arranging for the selection of a girl child in Northern Cyprus, another state where it is legal. After further questioning, however, she and fiance Michael settled on America, where they felt the overall safeguards would be stronger. The couple will marry next year, and she will travel to California. Danielle Lloyd, pictured with sons (from left) Harry, Ronnie, George and Archie, had three children with former Spurs player Jamie O'Hara and one with electrician Michael ONeill Once there, a number of her eggs will be harvested and fertilised, and then one or two of the resulting female embryos will be reimplanted in the mothers womb. The rest will be stored for possible use in the future. It will cost her about 12,000 plus flights and accommodation and thats just for one round. But to Danielle, getting the little girl that she craves is worth every penny. Theres an urge inside me to have a girl. I just cant let it go, she explains. Ive got such an amazing relationship with my mum. I want to have that bond with my daughter. Why would anyone begrudge me that? I also want my boys to have that brother-sister relationship. Our family is not yet complete. Michael feels the same way. He really wants a girl. If I had four girls, wed be going off and getting a boy. Realistically, if Im going to have one more, if this science is there, why not do it? I dont think its a selfish thing to do. I could be selfish and go on for years having more and more boys. Ive got four lovely boys but I dont want to get to 50 or 60 and think I could have had a girl but didnt, she adds. The thought of not going to my daughters wedding or not having those chats I have with my mum. Girls always have that relationship with their mothers. Her television profile does, she admits, make her a lightning rod for criticism, particularly from those who assume she is not merely comfortably off, but rich. People say, I bet shes got ten nannies. Danielle Lloyd (pictured at home) will go to America for the gender selection procedure, which has been condemned by the World Health Organisation (WHO) It really gets my back up. Actually, no. And, before Michael came along, I did it as a single mother. She claims to understand her critics point of view, yet remains defiantly convinced she has the right to press ahead. When I mentioned it on television, people phoned in and said that if they did what I was doing in China, where they can have only one child, the population would be just boys, she says. They told me stories about baby girls being flushed down the toilet. It makes me feel like crying, but Im nothing to do with that sort of world. If I was sitting here with no kids and saying Im doing gender selection because I only want a girl and not a boy, then of course Id expect criticism. But Im not. I realise people have strong opinions. But I still dont understand how anyone can call me a disgrace because I want a little girl as well as my boys. I genuinely dont get what the big deal is. If we were having this debate in America, the attitude would be completely different because gender selection is perfectly legal and respectable there. Its like IVF. They get the egg, artificially inseminate it and then check if the embryo is a girl or a boy. They give you the option of inserting one or two embryos. It might not work with one, so youd have to pay again. Obviously there are women who cant have children and I can totally understand that. To some of them, what Im going to do makes me a terrible person. But at the same time, a lot of women have asked me to let them know where Im going for the procedure, because theyd love to go there too. Women who had already been through it got in touch to pass on their advice. Her sons, too, are right behind her, she says. They ask me every day Mummy, have you got a baby sister in your tummy yet? When it comes to birthdays and Christmases, they ask for a sister, says Danielle. I can see why some people think its wrong and selfish. Why dont you just appreciate the children youve got? And, so on. But I really do appreciate them. I live for my children and love being a mum; its what I was made to do. A heartbroken husband has condemned a hospital after a series of blunders during a routine test left his wife dead. Stewart Jones is furious that the Princess Alexandra in Essex has still not apologised for the loss of his wife Kate, a devoted mother of four. Mrs Jones, 35, visited the hospital in Harlow in 2013 for an angiogram to check for narrowing of her arteries. But errors by medical staff triggered two heart attacks, the second of which proved fatal. I took my wife to hospital for a test that we thought was perfectly safe and I went home a widower, said Mr Jones, 48. Although the hospital later reached a 700,000 out-of-court settlement with the family, Mr Jones said the lack of apology had made everything so much worse. Stewart Jones is furious that the Princess Alexandra in Essex has still not apologised for the loss of his 35-year-old wife Kate (pictured together on holiday in Lanzarote in 2007) His wife, a beautician, was sent for an angiogram after suffering minor heart palpitations. Despite being young and fit, she had a higher risk of heart disease due to an inherited form of high cholesterol. Angiograms are performed more than 100,000 times each year and involve doctors inserting a wire into the heart through an artery in the groin. Once in place, a dye is released which shows up potential blockages when X-rayed. But the doctor performing Mrs Joness procedure accidentally tore a major artery while inserting the wire, causing her heart to stop. While rare, such incidents are usually rectifiable, and the doctor managed to restart her heart. But, crucially, there was a 15-minute delay in calling for a consultant, during which time her condition had deteriorated. When the consultant cardiologist finally arrived, there was a problem inserting a new wire to repair the injured artery to improve blood flow and Mrs Jones suffered a second heart attack. Mrs Jones (pictured on holiday with her daughter Lily) visited hospital for an angiogram but errors by medical staff triggered two heart attacks, the second of which proved fatal Mr Jones, who lives with the couples children Siena, ten, Lily, eight and Jaxon, six, in Stanstead Abbotts, Hertfordshire, said last night: I brought the legal action because I desperately want lessons to be learned from her death and do not want any other family to go through what weve had to endure. Mrs Jones also had a son Jake, 14, from a previous relationship. Suzanne White, from Leigh Day, the legal firm representing the family, added: This was a truly tragic case, one that has left a family devastated, a husband widowed, and four children without a mother. A hospital spokesman said it was pleased that a settlement had been reached with her family. Bethenny Frankel has been spotted in The Hamptons in one of her first appearances since the funeral of her on-off boyfriend Dennis Shields Monday. Things appear to be getting back to normal for the heartbroken Real Housewives of New York star as she was seen shopping with a friend and getting her nails done at Long Island's Bridgehampton Commons Shopping Center Sunday. Sources tell DailyMail.com they saw Frankel going in and out of TJ Maxx and leaving the Angel Tips Nail Spa with a friend, adding she was 'looking very sad, not speaking with her friend, fully engaged in a conversation with someone on the phone.' Just last Friday, Shields, 51, died in his Trump Tower apartment of an overdose of pain medications that he took for back pain from a 2015 surgery. Bethenny Frankel was spotted Sunday shopping with a friend (left) in Bridgehampton, Long Island, where she owns a home Sources tell DailyMail.com The Real Housewives of New York star appeared teary-eyed while shopping at a TJ Maxx and getting her nails done The source also says that Frankel remained on her phone 'fully engaged in the conversation' Shields was able to tell the emergency responders he had taken oxycodone, Vicodin and a sleeping pill shortly before he was pronounced dead,TMZ reports. Sources close to the businessman told DailyMail.com after his death that his back had been 'acting up' recently and still hadn't recovered from the surgery. In the hours before his death, Shields had asked his maid to buy him Narcan, which reverses the effects of an overdose, from a pharmacy after taking multiple pills the night before. TMZ sources claim the maid gave him two doses of it before EMTs arrived and then authorities administered another dosage. He died before it kicked in. Shields had been taking oxycodone, a powerful and addictive painkiller, since his back surgery in 2015. Frankel was at her home in Bridgehampton when he died. Bethenny Frankel's on-off boyfriend Dennis Shields (above in 2016) reportedly told EMTs that he had taken oxycodone, Vicodin and a sleeping pill to ease back pain before he died She and Shields had been dating intermittently since 2016 and sources close to her say they had been discussing marriage. An emotional Frankel joined his four children and his ex-wife at Shields' funeral in Long Island last week. She was spotted for time just days later wearing a large diamond ring on her right finger which, it was reported, may have been a gift from Shields. Just days after the funeral, Frankel was in court as her convicted stalker ex-husband Jason Hoppy tried to win joint custody of their daughter Bryn. Hoppy questioned Frankel's ability to parent after the death of her boyfriend. He argued that Frankel sometimes left Bryn in Shields' care which he described as a questionable decision. He also suggested that she herself may have an alcohol problem by pointing to footage of her on the Real Housewives of New York where she is inebriated. The judge criticized his style of argument, saying: 'Now you're throwing grenades across the table.' Thomas Markle has hit back at a stream of slurs levelled against him since revealing details of his rift with daughter Meghan and son-in-law Prince Harry. The 74-year-old retired Hollywood lighting director had intended his exclusive interview with The Mail on Sunday last weekend to be his last but now says he feels compelled to correct outright lies in other media. In particular, he said he has been wounded by claims that he is a prescription pill addict, did not attend his daughters first wedding, and is bitter that Meghan did not repay thousands of dollars he says he spent on her private education. Scroll down for video Thomas Markle makes a late night trip to Mexican pharmacy and picks up some Chinese food Ive given just three interviews but there are thousands of stories circulating out there and its not right that people should be allowed to make up lies and get away with it, he said from his home in Rosarito Beach, Mexico. Ive read stories saying Im a drug addict or alcoholic. I dont understand where these stories come from. Ive taken pills when Ive been in pain but Ive never abused drugs. My best friend died from an overdose of OxyContin [a powerful prescription painkiller]. Ive taken drugs but have never been addicted to them. You couldnt move in Hollywood in the 1980s [when he worked there] without seeing bowls of cocaine everywhere. But I dont do drugs and I barely drink. He also denied reports he did not attend Meghans 2011 wedding to Hollywood director Trevor Engelson. The couple divorced just two years later. Published photographs from the four-day celebration in the luxury resort of Ocho Rios, Jamaica, show the couple exchanging vows on the beach and Meghans mother, Doria Ragland, paddling in the sea. But none shows Mr Markle, who was divorced from Doria by then. Prince Harry and Meghan Duchess of Sussex at their wedding at Windsor Castle in May There are no images of me frolicking on the beach because, at the time, I was well into my 60s and not much into frolicking, he said. But I was very much there and there were more than 100 people there to witness it. Doria and I walked Meghan down the beach together. Of course I have photographs of Meghan and me at her first wedding but I choose not to share them because I think that would be in poor taste and offensive to Prince Harry. We booked out the whole resort and I was more than happy to contribute to the cost of my daughters first wedding. I sold a bunch of Facebook shares at a low price to help pay for my share of it. I dont regret it in the slightest because I was happy to help out, but that stock would be worth a fortune now. Im not broke, Im not bitter and I never expected Meghan to pay me back for anything. I was happy as a father to give her a great education. I was happy to provide the best start in life to all my children. Of course I never expected her to pay me back for her schooling. Mr Markle has not spoken to his daughter since Prince Harry called him in hospital after his heart attack days before the Royal Wedding on May 19. During the call, Harry scolded him for co-operating with paparazzi over staged pictures, including one of him apparently being measured for a wedding suit. Mr Markle is furious at claims he missed his daughter's first wedding to Trevor Engelson (right) I was in a hospital bed, Id just had a heart attack. The timing wasnt great, he said. Prince Harry said, If youd listened to me none of this would have happened, meaning I shouldnt have co-operated with the paparazzi. And hes completely right. I made a terrible mistake which I have paid for ever since. There was no yelling or screaming and I didnt slam the phone down. How do you slam a cellphone down? As the MoS reported last week, Mr Markle still hopes for a reconciliation with Meghan. He said: I love my daughter. I love Prince Harry. I wish them nothing but the best. If there is to be a face-to-face rapprochement with the couple, it might come in February. Sources in the US have suggested that early talks have begun about Harry and Meghan attending a charity polo match in Los Angeles or Santa Barbara, California, as part of a US tour. As she walks to her modest two-bedroom, ground-floor apartment in southern Spain, Susan Kim often gazes up at an imposing mansion nearby a place she once called home. As Mrs Victor Chandler, wife of the British betting tycoon, she would sip champagne on the balcony of the 6.6 million mansion Los Guirasols, looking out over the Andalusian town of Sotogrande. Seven years on from her divorce from the charismatic face of the BetVictor TV adverts, Ms Kim is still fighting for a multi-million-pound portion of her ex-husband's fortune a claim that Mr Chandler argues is groundless. Susan Kim (left), ex wife of betting tycoon Victor Chandler (right, with their two children) is still fighting for a multi-million-pound portion of his fortune, which he won't give her Her former husband, 67, is described as 'the last gentleman of gambling' but her own view of Victor Chandler is very different. 'Victor became a monster in my eyes within six months of marrying him there is no other way to describe it,' she says, speaking to The Mail on Sunday for the first time about the collapse of her marriage in a last-ditch attempt to win what she believes is rightfully hers. 'There was a moment when I seemed to have it all happiness, great wealth and a beautiful home. 'But going from being Mrs Victor Chandler to not being Mrs Victor Chandler is a long way down.' The couple met when Mr Chandler travelled to South Korea in 2001. The cigar-smoking betting boss, credited as a pioneer of telephone and online betting, swept Ms Kim off her feet and parachuted her and Jamie, her son from her first marriage, into a life of wealth and comfort in the stunning Spanish countryside. Ms Kim, 51, recalls champagne parties with the jockey Lester Piggott and weekends at Royal Ascot, where she rubbed shoulders with royalty and celebrities. All that is gone now This is the 6.6 million mansion Los Guirasols, looking out over the Andalusian town of Sotogrande, she used to live in with Mr Chandler Several years earlier, Mr Chandler had moved his business interests to Gibraltar for tax reasons. Ms Kim, 51, recalls champagne parties with the jockey Lester Piggott and weekends at Royal Ascot, where she rubbed shoulders with royalty and celebrities. Yet behind the glamour, she says, her marriage was unravelling. 'Very early on in our marriage he simply started to change,' Ms Kim says. 'The well-groomed, charming man who lavished gifts on me started to change before my eyes. 'It was as if a switch had been flicked and, within months of us getting married, he became someone else.' She accuses her ex-husband of being controlling and says their marriage lasted as long as it did only for the sake of their children, Billy, now 14, and Jonnie, ten. By 2009, they were living in separate homes and, when they divorced two years later, Ms Kim received a monthly stipend of 8,200 to cover the family household costs. She now lives in a modest two-bedroom, ground-floor apartment in this complex nearby For years she has argued that she is owed a final settlement of at least 10 million from her former husband, whose personal wealth was estimated in the 2018 Sunday Times Rich List at 230 million. She continues to take her legal fight through the Spanish courts. 'There have been over 20 settlement hearings and sometimes he turns up but I have never seen any compassion in his face,' she says. 'I will never understand why he has been so vindictive.' Mr Chandler declined to comment last night. His lawyers dispute Ms Kim's financial claim. Stormy Daniels (pictured) was reportedly being paid 500,000 to appear on the show but she was furious that broadcasts were going to feature a Mexican-US border wall She has already proved to be a thorn in the side of the most powerful man in the world. So when former porn star Stormy Daniels headed across the Atlantic to make her mark on British television, programme makers should have known they were in for a torrid time. Now The Mail on Sunday can reveal the extraordinary chain of events that led to Stormy living up to her name and walking off the set of Channel 5s Celebrity Big Brother before also failing to appear on ITVs Loose Women. The MoS has learned that Ms Daniels screamed at Celebrity Big Brother executives, I would rather set myself on f****** fire than do your f****** show just two hours before the series was due to be launched on Thursday evening. Ms Daniels was reportedly being paid 500,000 to appear on the show but she was furious that producers had prepared a special White House set, in which she was to be the President, and that broadcasts were even going to feature a Mexican-US border wall. Sources report that Ms Daniels was enraged that her controversial claims that she slept with US President Donald Trump were to dominate the series. But if producers hoped to win her over, things went from bad to worse. Ms Daniels, 39, who had only landed in London from Los Angeles that morning, threw another tantrum when staff rifled through her underwear in the suitcase she was due to take into the house, to make sure she wasnt taking in any banned items. And to round off the disastrous chain of events, staff at Elstrees The Village hotel, just a mile from the Big Brother house, were shocked when they witnessed Miss Danielss fury for themselves this time because chips she had ordered to her room hadnt arrived. One waitress at the hotel where the contestants were staying said: I heard that Stormy threw a huge tantrum because her chips werent delivered. Someone must have forgotten to put the order through. Stormy Daniels, pictured centre with Jane Moore, Kaye Adams, Nadia Sawalha and Penny Lancaster on Loose Women, was reportedly being paid 500,000 for the show The next thing we knew was that she had left and not gone into the Celebrity Big Brother house. A source close to the show said last night: We have seen some meltdowns before but never anything on this scale. Literally everything had been built around Stormy. She was the get of the series and as such the props were built at great expense, but she didnt like that. The fact is that she has been negotiating this appearance for months and now everything is having to be rewritten. This has caused nothing less than a nightmare and it has cost Channel 5 a fortune. Ms Daniels had negotiated her 500,000 deal the highest Celebrity Big Brother fee ever to star for just one week of the series. Now Channel 5 is considering legal action to recover some of its costs. It has been suggested that child custody issues were to blame for Ms Danielss shock withdrawal. But the show source added: There was no talk of custody battles until the very last minute before we went live. It has been going on for weeks, so if it was so significant why did she get on the plane? Her tantrums really were something else, extraordinary. Donald Trump has denied either having a relationship with Ms Daniels or paying her off On Friday morning, Ms Daniels left Channel 5 furious once again when she booked herself to star on ITVs Loose Women to explain it was indeed a custody battle over one of her children that had prevented her from taking part on Celebrity Big Brother. Jane Moore, the Loose Women panellist who met Miss Daniels before the programme, said: All she wants to say is there was a custody development she showed me the official email proving that and she suddenly thought, Ive got this situation, I cant commit. She said, Being a mother comes first. However, after learning of her appearance, Channel 5s lawyers contacted ITV staff to warn them they would be in breach of visa restrictions because they had sponsored her to work in the UK for them and nobody else, and her appearance was cancelled. It is understood Ms Daniels is now staying in a hotel on the outskirts of London until she flies home to the United States. Mr Trump has denied either having a relationship with Ms Daniels or paying her off. The number of 'sub-standard' bridges in the UK has soared in recent years and would cost almost 1 billion to repair, according to alarming new findings. A survey by the RAC Foundation revealed that almost 3,500 British bridges maintained by councils are not considered strong enough to bear 44-ton lorries the heaviest vehicles permitted on our roads placing them at risk of collapse if warning signs are ignored. The figure an increase of almost 45 per cent from the 2,375 recorded in 2015 was correlated after the motoring research charity sent out Freedom of Information requests to all local authorities. Eastham Bridge was reduced to rubble after it dramatically crumbled into the River Teme in Tenbury Wells, Worcester in 2015 Experts at the RAC Foundation believe that reduced maintenance due to budget constraints is partly to blame for the substantial increase, while calculating that the one-off cost of bringing all 'substandard' bridges up to scratch would be around 934 million, or 271,000 per structure. The current total of 3,441 bridges regarded as 'sub-standard' using the widely used 44-ton measure represents 4.6 per cent of the 74,000 bridges on the UK's local road network, or around one in 22 of the total. And while a repeat of a Genoa-like disaster is considered extremely unlikely, bridge collapses on a far smaller scale are not unknown in the UK. In 2016, a school bus carrying 11 pupils nearly plunged into the River Teme when the 225-year-old Eastham Bridge suddenly collapsed in Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire. The driver noticed the road crumbling away and safely reversed off the Grade II-listed structure as it fell apart. This bridge over the River Wharfe that collapsed due to flooding on December 30, 2015 in Tadcaster, England, after Storm Frank An investigation concluded that the bridge had collapsed after fast-flowing water eroded the base of one of its piers. Councils said that many bridges in the 'sub-standard' category were older structures that were often built on country lanes and never designed for heavy traffic. But the RAC Foundation believes an increasing number of bridges that had previously been able to support heavy lorries are now unable to. It also claims that many such structures now have weight restrictions for the first time, while others are 'under programmes of increased monitoring or even managed decline'. There have been many cases in recent years of heavy vehicles courting disaster by crossing bridges with weight restrictions. The three-ton weight limit on the historic 200-year-old bridge across the Thames in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, is frequently flouted by HGV drivers. One, who ended up on the bridge while following his satellite navigation system, caused 200,000 of damage when he got stuck on it in September 2016. Lorry drivers have also been repeatedly fined for breaking the 7.5-ton restriction on England's longest stone bridge at Swarkestone, Derbyshire, which dates back 700 years. The RAC Foundation collected data for its survey from 204 of the 207 highways authorities in England, Scotland and Wales, which replied to its Freedom of Information requests. Suspension bridge in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, which was opened in 1832, has been closed due to damage when a HGV lorry tried to cross it It found that if money was no object, then councils would 'ideally' want to bring 2,077 of the 'sub-standard' bridges back up to standard. But budget restrictions meant that councils anticipated only 370 of the bridges would have the necessary work carried out on them within the next five years. Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: 'The road maintenance crisis faced by financially beleaguered councils is often reported in terms of potholes to be filled. 'This research hints at the wide spectrum of things needing attention, including blocked gulleys, overgrown verges and, of course, fragile bridges.' Former Conservative MP and Father of the House of Commons Sir Peter Tapsell has died aged 88, the chairman of his former constituency party has said. Craig Leyland, the chairman of the Louth and Horncastle Conservative Association, said that Sir Peter had served the constituency loyally and had never been afraid to speak his mind. Sir Peter first entered Parliament in 1959 as MP for Nottingham West and is one for the few MPs to have sat for more then 50 years. He was Father of the House, the oldest serving member of the Commons, from 2010 until he finally stood down at the 2015 general election. Tapsell, pictured left in the House of Commons in 2015 and right earlier in his career, was Father of the House of Commons from 2010 until he finally retired in 2015 The former party chairman Lord Pickles paid tribute, saying he had been a 'formidable contributor' to the Commons chamber. 'I doubt we will see his like again,' he wrote on Twitter. Sir Peter began his political career as a 25-year-old speech writer to prime minister Sir Anthony Eden. After losing his seat in the 1964 general election, he returned two years later as MP for Horncastle - an area he continued to represent for the rest of his time in Parliament. Peter Tapsell, pictured in 2004 with then-Conservative leader Michael Howard (left) and Boris Johnson, first entered Parliament in 1959. He has died at the age of 88 Never afraid to go his own way, he had only a brief spell on the frontbenches as an opposition Treasury spokesman under Margaret Thatcher, a move he later described as the 'single biggest mistake' of his political life. An entrenched opponent of her monetarist policies, he later resigned and voted against Sir Geoffrey Howe's 1981 budget. It made him the first Tory MP to vote against a Conservative budget since the 1930s, plunging him into internal party exile. In later years, he was a fierce critic of the European Union and an opponent of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, calling for the impeachment of Tony Blair for misleading Parliament over the invasion of Iraq. Coles has finally reopened its stores after a technical glitch shut down its registers, infuriating thousands of customers across the nation. The supermarket chain was left in the dark for hours and forced to shut stores as it battled to amend the error, which occurred just before the weekend morning rush. The reason for the malfunction remains unknown, but stores across Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne were all confirmed to have been closed down indefinitely. On social media, disgruntled customers expressed their frustration at the company's technical failure, with one warning others they 'shouldn't bother going to Coles'. Scroll down for video Chaos has erupted in the nation's supermarkets as a computer glitch forced the closure countless stores On social media, disgruntled customers expressed their frustration at the company's technical failure, with one warning others they 'shouldn't bother going to Coles' Another expressed outrage at the lack of communication from the supermarket giant who only hinted at the extent of the chaos through vague signage. 'Would be good if you could post something explaining what's going on with your stores being closed this morning! No explanation on the door besides 'unforeseen circumstances,' she wrote. At one Sydney store, which would typically be buzzing with Sunday morning shoppers, the roller door remained locked down, with only a paper sign as explanation. 'Coles is currently experiencing a state-wide IT system issue and cannot process any transactions,' it explained. 'We apologise for this inconvenience, however Coles will remain closed until the issue is fixed.' The supermarket chain is battling to amend the error, which is believed to have occurred just before the weekend morning rush At one Sydney store, which would typically be busy with Sunday morning shoppers, the roller door remained locked down, with only a paper sign as explanation In a statement, the company attempted to explain the glitch, which has stopped the processing of payments at registers In a statement, the company attempted to explain the glitch, which stopped the processing of payments at registers. 'Due to circumstances beyond the control of our team members, some of our stores around Australia are unable to open this morning until further notice due to an IT issue which is affecting some of our registers,' they said. 'We thank customers for their patience during this time and would like to assure them that we are working hard to ensure all of our stores are open again as soon as possible.' Michael Markle, the older brother of Meghan's father, claimed that his Parkison's disease would not have prevented him from the royal wedding in May Another one of Meghan Markle's family members is voicing their disappointment at not being invited to the royal wedding - this time her father's older brother Michael. The former US diplomat claimed that despite his health woes, he would have made the journey across the pond from his home in Palm Bay, Florida, to walk his niece down the aisle. Michael Markle shared that his battle with Parkison's disease would not have prevented him from going to Windsor Castle in May, the Sunday Mirror reports. Meghan's uncle claimed that he supported his niece and 'done more for her' over the years than anyone else. The 78-year-old admitted that his disease was 'getting me now' but when asked if able to go to the wedding, he added: 'Sure, I could have, if it was coordinated. Yes, I would have done it.' Michael - who lives in a trailer park home - shared that he was surprised that he wasn't invited and wondered if the Royal Family had any sway in the matter. 'I thought I would. But anyhow, I didn't hear from her,' he said. 'And I don't know how much the Royal Family had influence on her or not. They didn't accept anyone else so they couldn't make an exception for me.' The former US diplomat - who lives in a trailer park home - was surprised when he didn't receive an invitation And while other members of Markle's family - including her father and half-sister - have worked to blast the dirty laundry between them and the couple, Michael insists he's only had Meghan's best interest. Michael shared how the Duchess of Sussex landed an internship at an American embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, when she was 20. 'I've done more for her than the others. I've probably done more for her than most. I personally talked to the ambassador in Argentina for her,' he explained. 'I thought I would. But anyhow, I didn't hear from her,' the former US diplomat stated. 'And I don't know how much the Royal Family had influence on her or not. They didn't accept anyone else so they couldn't make an exception for me' Prior to the wedding, Michael had voiced that he felt his nieces' attitude towards her family was 'uncalled for' Michael shared how the Duchess of Sussex used his connections to land an internship at a US embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, when she was 20 (Meghan when she was 21) He added: 'I don't understand why she has been so indifferent towards me. It's uncalled for. I helped her out and I didn't ask for anything in return.' Neighbor's of the former diplomat shared that on the big day, Michael couldn't help but be delighted about the wedding. A source explained to the Sunday Mirror: 'He's very proud of Meghan. When he moved in he asked everyone if they knew who she was and that she was marrying Prince Harry.' Meghan is in the process of moving her mother Doria - the only member of her family invited to the wedding - to London so that she can be close. She and Harry are expected to spend a portion of October in Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand. While in Sydney, they will help launch the Invictus Games - which Harry founded for injured servicemen and women. A popular restaurant in New Orleans has sued celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, claiming his show Kitchen Nightmares fabricated scenes in a 2011 episode to make the restaurant look bad. The owners of Oceana Grill filed the lawsuit on Wednesday in Orleans Parish Civil District Court, after Kitchen Nightmares posted a clip from the old episode to Facebook last week, The Advocate reported. The clip included an extended scene of Ramsay sniffing a container of shrimp in the restaurant's kitchen, and then vomiting dramatically. It also depicted diners sending dishes back to the kitchen, where the head chef brusquely dismissed their complaints, as well as Ramsay opening a rodent trap to find three dead mice in it. Oceana Grill (above) in the French Quarter often draws a crowd, but a 2011 clip from Kitchen Nightmares recently posted on Facebook depicts the restaurant in an unfavorable light Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay (above) filmed seven seasons of Kitchen Nightmares, in which he swooped in to turn around purportedly struggling restaurants The restaurant's parent company, Cajun Conti, says that Kitchen Nightmares staged the scenes to amp up drama for the show, which was premised on Ramsay swooping in to turn around struggling restaurants. Lawyers for Cajun Conti tried to stop the episode from airing, filing a suit that ended in an agreement that footage from the episode couldn't be remixed in the future without a $10,000 payment to the restaurant, and a disclaimer saying that it didn't represent current kitchen conditions. The restaurant group claims that the video posted to Facebook violated that agreement. 'During the episode's filming, defendants went to great lengths to over-dramatize and even fabricate problems with the restaurant in order to increase ratings,' the suit reads. 'The footage intentionally portrayed Oceana and its employees in a patently false and negative light, as it depicted the appealing restaurant as an unsuccessful, unsanitary and mismanaged restaurant.' Ramsay is seen in the episode featuring Oceana Grill, which the restaurant's owners are now suing over, saying that scenes were trumped up to make them look bad In one noxious scene, Ramsay smells this container of shrimp and begins vomiting Ramsay leaned over and vomited dramatically in a trash bin after smelling the shrimp Kitchen Nightmares ended in 2014 after seven seasons. A 2014 Daily Mail report found that over 60 per cent of the restaurants featured on the show subsequently closed, some before the episodes even aired. Oceana Grill, however, is still going strong seven years later, and is by all accounts quite popular, with lines forming out the door on busy days. The French Quarter restaurant, steps off Bourbon Street, serves po-boys, seafood platters, fish entrees and char-grilled oysters. 'The problem we have is the fact that it's so misleading,' Daniel Davillier, an attorney for Oceana Grill, told the Advocate of the episode footage. 'People think it's something current, when in fact it's very old.' Representatives for Ramsay did not return the newspaper's request for comment on the suit. Almost a fifth of all crime suspects arrested by the police are foreigners, shocking figures reveal. Statistics obtained by The Mail on Sunday show a suspected criminal from overseas was detained on average every three minutes last year. And the figures, secretly compiled by the police, graphically illustrate how Britain has become a lucrative target for sophisticated gangs of foreign criminals. In total, 172,732 19 per cent of the 931,155 people arrested in 2016-17 were foreign nationals. Lithuanian builder Arnis Zalkalns (right) was jailed for murdering his wife in his homeland, but was still able to move to London without anyone knowing his background, then murdered schoolgirl Alice Goss (left) That represented a sharp increase from 16 per cent the previous year, according to internal figures collated by the ACRO Criminal Records Office from police forces around the country. In London, as many as a third of all suspects are from overseas and foreign nationals now comprise 11 per cent of the prison population in England and Wales. Last month, a Lithuanian gang was jailed for an audacious 'awayday' raid on a family jewellers in Cornwall. Haroldas Ivanovas, 20, was part of a gang of Lithuanians who masterminded an armed heist to steal 1m worth of jewellery The team of crooks flew into the country specifically to steal millions of pounds of gems and watches from the Truro shop after the plot's mastermind bought getaway cars and planned escape routes. The Mail on Sunday has previously revealed how Romanian pickpockets followed popular bands on tours around the UK, stealing dozens of mobile phones from concertgoers at each gig. And over the past few years, brutal Albanian gangs have cornered the market in smuggling cocaine into the UK, according to the National Crime Agency. The risks of free movement for convicted criminals were starkly illustrated in the case of Lithuanian builder Arnis Zalkalns. He had been jailed for murdering his wife in his homeland, but was still able to move to London without anyone knowing his background. In 2014, he killed schoolgirl Alice Gross, whose body was found in a canal in West London, before hanging himself. In response, police are developing the first national strategy for dealing with the 'growing threat' of FNOs foreign national offenders. Every force has undergone a 'health check' to assess how well they are dealing with problems such as establishing a suspect's identity or criminal record. Tactics to improve their response will include recording nationalities in every case, increasing use of international systems to share data and even the recruitment of 'agents' in immigrant communities to supply crucial intelligence. He and six other robbed the Michael Spiers jewellery store in Truro, Cornwall, shortly after entering the UK in January Police chiefs are also asking the Treasury for an extra 1 million over the next two years to help them plan for the potential loss of crucial EU-wide law enforcement powers after Brexit. If Britain leaves Europe without a deal next year, officers will immediately lose the ability to quickly check records with overseas forces. In a paper presented to chief constables earlier this year, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Richard Martin the national lead for tackling international crime warned of the growing threat from crime tourism. 'Police investigations are becoming increasingly complex due to mass migration, globalisation of business, existing and emerging internet-based communication mediums, together with the ease with which individuals can travel across the world,' he said. 'Police officers are now far more likely to encounter foreign nationals during the course of their duties. 'To address this dynamic aspect of policing requires a change of mind-set. 'Officers and staff need to recognise and understand the threat posed by international criminality and respond accordingly.' Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating whether the Trump campaign and Russia colluded to help Trump win the 2016 U.S. presidential election and whether Trump has unlawfully sought to obstruct the probe. Trump has called the investigation a 'witch hunt.' June 2015 - Donald Trump, a wealthy real estate developer and reality TV personality, announces his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination. March 2016 - Around this date, Russias military intelligence agency, the GRU, begins a cyber campaign aimed at interfering with the 2016 presidential election, according to U.S. intelligence agencies. April 2016 - Trump foreign policy aide George Papadopoulos meets with an academic who has just returned from Moscow. The academic tells Papadopoulos that the Russians have obtained dirt on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, including 'thousands of emails.' June 9, 2016 - Trumps son Donald Trump Jr, Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner and campaign manager Paul Manafort meet at Trump Tower in New York with a Russian lawyer and others. Emails later made public show Trump Jr. believed he would receive information harmful to Clinton. July 5, 2016 - Former British spy Christopher Steele, who was investigating Trumps Russia connections in an effort paid for by the Democratic National Committee (DNC), briefs an FBI agent on his findings. July 22, 2016 - On the eve of the Democratic presidential nominating convention at which Clinton became her partys nominee, WikiLeaks releases 44,000 emails hacked from the DNC. The content of some of the emails prompts the resignation of DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. U.S. President Barack Obama meets Russian President Vladimir Putin during a G-20 summit in China and warns him of a strong response if Russias meddling continues Late July 2016 - The FBI begins a counter-intelligence investigation of Russian meddling in the election. Aug. 19, 2016 - Manafort resigns as Trumps campaign chairman following news reports of his business dealings in Ukraine. Sept. 5, 2016 - U.S. President Barack Obama meets Russian President Vladimir Putin during a G-20 summit in China and warns him of a strong response if Russias meddling continues. Oct. 7, 2016 - Within an hour of the airing of an Access Hollywood video in which Trump talks in vulgar terms about women, WikiLeaks begins serial publication of thousands of private emails belonging to Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Office of Director of National Intelligence issue a statement that for the first time publicly blames Russia for the election-related computer hacks. Nov. 8, 2016 - Trumps wins the U.S. presidential election. Dec. 29, 2016 - Obama, in response to the hacking and harassment of U.S. diplomats in Moscow, places sanctions on Russian intelligence agencies and individuals, expels 35 Russian diplomats and shuts Russian-owned compounds in Maryland and New York. After the sanctions are announced, Trump national security aide Michael Flynn holds a series of phone calls with Sergei Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States. Trump unexpectedly won the 2016 presidential election. He is seen right with Vice President-elect Mike Pence during their victory rally in New York City on November 9, 2016 Jan. 6, 2017 - In an unclassified report, the U.S. intelligence community states that Putin ordered an election meddling effort whose goals eventually included helping Trump and harming Clinton. President-elect Trump is briefed by U.S. intelligence chiefs on the finding, and is told of the existence of information gathered by Steele. Jan. 10, 2017 - BuzzFeed publishes the Steele 'dossier' detailing alleged collusion between Trumps campaign and Moscow and containing salacious allegations regarding Trump. Jan. 20, 2017 - Trump is sworn in as president. Feb. 13, 2017 - Flynn resigns as Trumps national security adviser, reportedly having misled Vice President Mike Pence and others about his talks with Kislyak. March 20, 2017 - FBI Director James Comey for the first time publicly confirms the bureaus Russia counter-intelligence investigation. May 9, 2017 - Trump fires Comey, and days later attributes the dismissal to 'this Russia thing.' May 17, 2017 - Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, the No. 2 Justice Department official, appoints former FBI director Robert Mueller as special counsel to investigate possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. July 26, 2017 - Federal agents execute a pre-dawn raid of Manaforts home. Oct. 30, 2017 - As part of Muellers investigation, Manafort and business partner Rick Gates are indicted on money-laundering and other charges. Manafort pleads not guilty. Gates later pleads guilty to lesser charges and cooperates with Muellers probe. Papadopoulos pleads guilty to lying to the FBI about his Russia contacts and agrees to cooperate with the special counsel. Former U.S. National Security Advisor Michael Flynn resigned as Trumps national security adviser, reportedly having misled Vice President Mike Pence and others about his talks with Kislyak. He is seen above arriving at a Washington, D.C. court July 10 Dec. 1, 2017 - Flynn pleads guilty to lying to the FBI and agrees to cooperate with the special counsel. Feb. 16, 2018 - Mueller charges 13 Russian individuals and three Russian companies, including the St. Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency, with conspiracy to tamper with the 2016 election. April 3, 2018 - Alex van der Zwaan, the Dutch son-in-law of one of Russias richest men, is sentenced to 30 days in prison and fined $20,000 for lying to Muellers investigators, becoming the first person sentenced in the special counsels probe. April 9, 2018 - FBI agents raid the offices and home of Trumps personal attorney, Michael Cohen. The raid is in part related to Cohens payment of $130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an affair she said she had with Trump. June 8, 2018 - Mueller filed new charges against Manafort and Konstantin Kilimnik, a Russian political operative with alleged ties to Russian intelligence. The two men were charged with tampering with witnesses about their lobbying for Ukraine. Mueller has said Kilimnik has links to Russian spy agencies, an allegation Kilimnik denies. July 3, 2018 - A Senate Intelligence Committee report supports three U.S. intelligence agencies conclusion that Russia tried to help Donald Trump win the 2016 U.S. presidential election. July 13, 2018 - A federal grand jury charged 12 Russian intelligence officers with hacking Democratic computer networks in 2016, in the most detailed U.S. accusation yet that Moscow meddled in the presidential election to help Trump. In April 2018, FBI agents raided the office of Trump's former personal lawyer. The raid was in part related to a $130,000 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels (seen left with her attorney, Michael Avenatti) July 16, 2018 - Trump tried to calm a storm over his failure to hold Putin accountable for meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, saying he misspoke in a joint news conference in Helsinki. July 21, 2018 - The FBI released documents related to the surveillance of former Trump presidential campaign adviser Carter Page as part of a probe into whether he conspired with the Russian government to undermine the 2016 U.S. election. July 27, 2018 - Trump denied knowing about the 2016 meeting his son Donald Trump Jr. and other campaign staff held at Trump Tower with a group of Russians who offered damaging information about Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. August 1, 2018 - Trump appealed to Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end the Russia investigation, drawing a rebuke from his fellow Republicans in Congress who said the probe must go on. The president tweeted: 'This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further.' August 5, 2018 - Trump acknowledged that his son met with Russians in 2016 at Trump Tower to get information on his election opponent Hillary Clinton, saying it was 'totally legal' and 'done all the time in politics.' Source: Reuters White House counsel Donald McGahn, left, listens as President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018 As Donald Trump raged in an Oval Office filled with tense senior aides, he trained his eyes on one in particular: White House Counsel Don McGahn. During a tirade on March 3, 2017, Trump erupted over his attorney general's decision to step out of a sensitive investigation on Russian contacts and tangled with his team over how to redo his troubled travel ban. His angriest remarks were reserved for McGahn, who was tasked with making a complex legal case on both fronts to a president concerned about political optics. But less than 24 hours after being on the receiving end of a Trump smackdown, McGahn was in Florida with his boss at an amiable work session and dinner. The new travel ban the president signed days later showed he took the lawyer's advice to stop pursuing his appeal of the first one. In a White House that prides itself on defying the system, McGahn often has the unenviable task of defining that system's parameters. He's an in-house guardrail for a president who likes to veer out of traditional bounds, and McGahn certainly doesn't win all of his battles. Yet for far longer than anyone in the White House outside of Trump's family, McGahn has retained his status of trusted confidant and adviser to a man who isn't interested in making the job easy. 'Don's style is such that it avoids having him get sucked into the vortex,' said Leonard Leo, an adviser to the White House on the Supreme Court nomination process and judicial and legal appointments. 'He's not yapping in the president's ear just for the sake of being close to power. So when they do talk, it's more meaningful.' McGahn - a 49-year-old election lawyer who ended his side-gig as a guitarist in an '80s cover band to take on the all-consuming his White House post - walked into an empty West Wing office on Jan. 20. He's lived the past year and a half in dog years. In rapid fire, he's fielded unprecedented ethics questions, suffered a bruising legal defeat on a signature policy and managed the hiring, and one firing, of prominent officials. A single tweet can send him scrambling without warning, as last weekend when the president accused former President Barack Obama of wire-tapping his phone at Trump Tower. McGahn and his team were dispatched to find out what, if any, options the president had to learn more about the situation, according to former White House spokesman Sean Spicer, who disputed there was anything inappropriate about the inquiry. As the campaign's general counsel, McGahn was with Trump on June 16, 2015, the day he announced his bid for the Republican presidential nomination 'If you know Don and the team here, these are unbelievably talented lawyers,' Spicer said Monday. 'They are very skilled at knowing where the bounds are.' McGahn declined to comment for this story. In one of his few interviews, with a conservative TV station during the Republican National Convention last summer, he laughed when asked to preview what Trump would say in his speech that night: 'I wouldn't dare begin to guess what Mr. Trump is going to say.' His boss' unpredictability isn't McGahn's only challenge. Trump's business ties raise a pile of legal and ethical quandaries for this White House. McGahn has hired 26 senior lawyers for his Office of the White House Counsel, including a team of four to contend with the nonstop questions that dog a billionaire president who retains a financial interest in his global real estate and marketing empire. He has sought advice and support from many of his predecessors, including Obama's first chief White House Counsel Bob Bauer and George H.W. Bush's top attorney C. Boyden Gray. 'It was more of a commiseration,' Gray said of his conversation with McGahn. While the elder Bush had a successful private-sector career in which he pioneered offshore drilling, he'd sold everything off by the time he went into politics, he said. 'There weren't the entanglements the Trump family has.' As the campaign's general counsel, McGahn was with Trump on June 16, 2015, the day he announced his bid for the Republican presidential nomination. He was with him on the ground in every important primary state and again on Nov. 8, 2016, as the final results rolled in. Only Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law-turned adviser, has also traveled each step in Trump's improbable rise. That familiarity has made McGahn comfortable enough with Trump to push him without permanently damaging their relationship - even if a discussion becomes 'heated' or 'spirited,' as two administration officials described last week's exchange. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversations. It fell to McGahn to explain that it was up to no one but Attorney General Jeff Sessions to make the decision to recuse himself from any investigation into Trump campaign links to Russia - a move that Trump argued felt like an admission of defeat. 'It can be emotionally draining,' the adviser Leo said. 'You don't just have to answer complex legal questions, but you have to do so in a way that is accepted and embraced by your boss.' Although Trump's first travel ban was written with little legal vetting, McGahn took heat for it as courts blocked it. Some legal experts called the executive order sloppy. The federal appeals panel said it could not rely on McGahn's after-the-fact written assurance that lawful permanent residents were exempt. The new ban expressly does not apply to that group. McGahn also was in the middle of the ouster of Michael Flynn, Trump's first national security adviser. According to the White House, he was the first to learn from the acting attorney general, Sally Yates, that Flynn had not been forthcoming about the nature of his contacts with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. McGahn took the information to Trump that same day, although Flynn wasn't fired until after details were made public. McGahn, who friends say has both the humor and intensity to withstand pressure, is a former chairman of the Federal Election Commission, where he pushed to give political groups and candidates more flexibility in raising and spending money. His wife, Shannon McGahn, recently joined the Treasury Department as a senior adviser, after serving as staff director for the House Financial Services Committee. Source: Associated Press My stomach lurches as the lion turns to me, unblinking, distracted for a moment from the still-twitching waterbuck he has just slayed. Luckily, my guide, Moses, at the Ila Safari Lodge in Zambias Kafue National Park, is the epitome of calm. Sure enough, the lion flops into the long grass, his indifference almost insulting. Majestic: Lions lie in wait in Zambia's Kafue National Park (above) Kafue, Zambias oldest national park, might come as a shock to those whove done safaris in busier parks. The rarest sightings arent lions, but other people. My most memorable encounters a sleeping pangolin and a rampaging herd of elephants chasing away hungry lionesses are enjoyed without another vehicle in sight. Its also only about a four-hour drive from Zambias capital Lusaka, eliminating the need for expensive air transfers. Day one and the big five are in the bag, plus monitor lizards, basking crocs, pukus and wrinkly-browed vultures (one of Moses ugly five, along with hyenas and warthogs). Ive seen huge herds of impalas, known as African fast-food due to the McDonalds-like M on their bottoms. On my second day, Im joined for a boat ride by two American ladies on their first safari. They spot a hippo, only to panic when it disappears under the water. They scrabble to the other side of the boat and scream at Moses to start the engine. Naturally, he disobeys and, later, I find the ladies soothing frayed nerves with stiff drinks. It was definitely after us, one whispers. My next stop is the riverside Kaingu Safari Lodge, in the Namwala Game Management Area on Kafues border. We drive for two hours along dusty tracks, pausing occasionally when a lion or elephant trundles into the road. Its the only lodge on one of the wilder sections of the Kafue river and leopards frequently wander between the six safari tents. Wild dogs are often spotted here, too and they are at the top of my list. On a walk through the forest, my guide points out weird and wonderful plants such as the euphorbia: its trunk resembles a tree, its upper half a cactus. Its branches contain a poisonous, latex-like substance. Locals throw slices into the ponds, then wait for their fish supper to float to the surface, says the guide. Mother and child: Pictured above is a puku and her calf My final stop is the rustic Musekese Camp, where four thatched chalets have bucket showers, large areas of netting, rather than solid walls, and handheld solar-powered lamps. The camp overlooks a wildlife-filled wetland and downtime is spent admiring elephants and gazelles from the decking. But still those wild dogs elude me. Then a guide points to some scuffs in the sand and tells me theyre footprints. He adds that the dogs are fearsome predators, with an 80 per cent success rate on kills. If only my rate for spotting them was as high. Wild side: Cheetah spotting on safari. Tamara also saw lions and elephants during her trip Back at the camp, Tyrone, Musekeses co-founder, recalls finding a bowl of yoghurt hed laid out for breakfast upended. I noticed the guilty-looking dog in the bushes, he says. His face was covered in yoghurt! Its at Musekese that I develop a new appreciation of birds, thanks to a boat ride up the Kafue. We spot a rare African finfoot, its oversized orange feet visible on a rare foray out of water. I realise its something special when a passenger tells me this sighting tops all others and hes been coming to Africa for decades. I leave without seeing any wild dogs but that only gives me an excuse to visit again. The magnificent French city of Carcassonne the largest walled city in Europe is home to perhaps the most majestic medieval castle you will find anywhere: its the stuff of childrens fairytales. This dramatic setting, where every battlement has a story to tell, is the backdrop to Kate Mosses brilliant and hugely popular trilogy of books set in the Languedoc region, which she began in 2005 with the bestselling Labyrinth. Mosse fell under the spell of this wonderful region of France almost 30 years ago, and it has been inspiring her ever since. Inspiring: Carcassonnes medieval citadel (above) in particular inspired Kate's storytelling As she has previously written in an article for The Mail on Sunday: Its my passion for the history and landscape of the Languedoc region, and Carcassonnes medieval citadel in particular, that inspires my storytelling. Whenever I see its 52 turrets and towers, the mellow stone against the blue sky, I can hardly believe it is real. ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST Join Kate (above) on this magical trip Kate Mosse is an international bestselling author with sales of more than five million copies in 38 languages. Her fiction includes the novels Labyrinth (2005), Sepulchre (2007), The Winter Ghosts (2009), Citadel (2012) and The Taxidermists Daughter (2014). Kates latest novel is The Burning Chambers, left. It is the first in a quartet of novels covering 300 years of history and crossing the world from Carcassonne and Toulouse in the 16th Century and heading, via Amsterdam and the New World, to Franschhoek in South Africa in the 19th Century. The founder director of the Womens Prize for Fiction, Kate was awarded an OBE in the Queens Birthday Honours List in 2013 for services to literature. Kate divides her time between West Sussex and Carcassonne, which is the inspiration for her historical fiction. Burning Chambers by Kate Mosse is published by Mantle, priced 20. Offer price 16 (20 per cent discount) until 26/08/2018 using code FRANCE20. Order at www.mailshop.co.uk/books or call 0844 571 0640, p&p is free on orders over 15. Advertisement On this exclusive tour you will be staying in the heart of Carcassonne, where you will have the chance to discover its atmospheric streets and centuries of dramatic history stretching back to the Crusades. You will also enjoy a special guest appearance from Kate, who will give a private talk and Q&A about her gripping novels and explain why this fascinating region of France has so inspired her storytelling. REASONS TO BOOK Talk with Kate Mosse This holiday is a must for anyone who has enjoyed reading Kates books. As well as hearing about her new historical bestseller The Burning Chambers you will also have the chance to ask Kate your questions during this private talk and Q&A. Private tour of Carcassonne Visit many of the places that feature in Kates Languedoc trilogy on a tour that will also include a special appearance from Kate the perfect person to bring the history and stories of this fascinating city to life. Free copy of Kates new book You will also receive a complimentary hardback of Kates new historical novel, The Burning Chambers, which she will be happy to sign for you during your trip. Le Donjon Hotel One of the only hotels located within the walls of the citadel, Le Donjon is one of Carcassonnes most atmospheric places to stay. The four-star hotel will be your base for the duration of your holiday. Spectacular Languedoc You will also explore the region beyond the walls of Carcassonne, including many other places that feature in Kates books. Toulouse, Narbonne, the traditional market of Mirepoix and Montsegur Castle are all part of your superb itinerary. Vietnams Commercial Affairs office in the Czech Republic, cited the latest data from the Czech Statistical Office, showing that the export-import turnover between the two countries reached USD551.4 million in the first two quarters of the year, a 13.8 percent increase year-on-year. The Czech Republic imported goods worth USD74.9 million from Vietnam in June, a year-on-year rise of 14.2 percent, lifting its total import turnover of the first six months to USD503.7 million. Producing textiles for export (Source: VNA) Meanwhile, the European nations exports to Vietnam during the January-June period were valued at USD47.6 million, up 10.1 percent compared to the same period last year. Vietnams key exports to the Czech Republic during the period included electronics, audiovisual equipment, footwear, rubber, leather products, clothes, mechanical equipment, wood furniture, farm produce, handicrafts, and plastic products. Of which, electronics earned the highest revenue with nearly USD170 million, followed by footwear with USD122.1 million. At the same time, Vietnam imported from the Czech Republic energy furnaces, boilers, and mechanical equipment; video recording equipment; plastic products; military equipment; seeds; pharmaceuticals and medicinal plants; and industrial tree varieties. In 2017, two-way trade between the two countries exceeded USD1 billion for the first time, a rise of 12 percent year-on-year. However, the figure remained modest compared to the economic potential and real demand of both markets. Bilateral trade is forecast to hit over USD1 billion again in 2018, thus creating momentum for promoting investment cooperation between the two sides enterprises, especially in the sphere of high technology, such as biotechnology and nanotechnology./. The hotly-anticipated eighth season of Game Of Thrones is set to be released in early 2019. And Richard Madden, who portrayed Robb Stark in the first three seasons of the HBO series - now in its eighth - has given his theory about how the forthcoming final episode will play out. The Scottish actor, 32, jokingly told i newspaper: 'Jon Snow saves the day and kills everyone,' with a gleeful smile on his face. Theory: Richard Madden, 32, who portrayed Robb Stark in the first three seasons of the HBO series has given his theory about how the forthcoming final episode will play out But he then confessed: 'People often ask me if I know what's happening next. I don't, but I'm going to start making things up.' And while he's happy to fabricate elaborate plots about the fantasy drama series' finale, he won't even touch on his personal life. The actor - who is reportedly dating actress Ellie Bamber, 21 - is fervently intent on keeping his private life, private, refusing point blank to speak about it. Richard did reveal, however, that he made the decision to keep his private life just that, early on in his acting career. Joking: The Scottish actor jokingly told i newspaper : 'Jon Snow saves the day and kills everyone,' with a gleeful smile (Pictured: Kit Harrington as Jon Snow in Games of Thrones) The truth: But he then confessed: 'People often ask me if I know what's happening next. I don't, but I'm going to start making things up' (Pictured as Robb Stark in Game of Thrones) He said: 'I think you have a choice. If you choose to bring your personal life into the public domain and actively do that then once you open that door it's very hard to close it.' And despite starring in Game of Thrones, he admitted: 'I don't feel famous. I choose to stay out of that world as much as possible.' While he won't talk about his personal relationships, Richard is happy to open up about his thoughts on stripping naked for acting roles. After starring in Game of Thrones, in which the depictions of nude sexual encounters detailed in George R. R. Martin's never-ending novels certainly weren't shied away from, Richard admits he worries about his appearance, 'all the f**king time.' Keeping shtum: The actor - who is reportedly dating actress Ellie Bamber, 21 (pictured) - is fervently intent on keeping his private life, private, refusing point blank to speak about it The actor confessed that in every script he reads, his character is required to take his shirt off within 15 minutes, telling the publication: 'It's relentless. I try to take jobs where the nudity is relevant. 'You talk to someone differently when you're naked than when you're clothed so if it's necessary that I'm naked because it is showing an intimacy or a comfortableness such as a scene when I'm naked in bed with a partner I take those things into consideration. 'But if it's just a gratuitous: 'And now we'll have a scene of him in the shower' then that's pointless.' Following his rise to fame in Game of Thrones, Richard went on to play a diverse range of characters, including Prince Charming in Disney's 2013 live action version of Cinderella alongside Lily James, and Oliver Mellors in the BBC's adaptation of Lady Chatterley's Lover, in 2015. Moving on: Following his rise to fame in Game of Thrones, Richard went on to play a diverse range of characters (Pictured as Robb Starke in Game of Thrones) Now he's breaking away once again, to play a troubled former soldier in a new six-part BBC drama, Bodyguard. Richard told inewspaper: 'It was good to take on a much more adult character. We tried to handle his PTSD in a delicate way that wasn't all defining about his man but in a way that we could kind of touch on it sensitively and gently and see what was happening with it and how it was affecting this man's everyday life.' The actor discussed the issues surrounding PTSD, including the reluctance of many sufferers to speak openly about it and support for those who need it. He said: 'One of the problems with PTSD is that people don't talk about it. Latest role: Now Richard is breaking away once again, to play a troubled former soldier in a new six-part BBC drama, Bodyguard (Pictured alongside co-star Keeley Hawes in Bodyguard) 'I'm always moved and fascinated by soldiers who are reluctant to talk about it because a lot of the time their experience is so traumatic that human nature kicks in where they don't want to share that experience because they don't want people to know how bad the world is. 'There is a lack of support there and maybe a lack of dialogue. It's a taboo.' The full interview with Richard Madden is available to read in the latest issue of iweekend newspaper, out on 18th August 2018. David Campbell says he stills gets emotional when he thinks about the night that his rocker father, Jimmy Barnes, admitted he regrets missing his childhood. The Today Extra presenter, 45, said that to this day, it is hard to talk about. Speaking to News Corp recently, the pair revealed how they've mended their relationship over the years and credit their wives for pushing them back together. 'It's a bit hard to say': David Campbell (left) reveals he still gets emotional thinking about when his father Jimmy Barnes (right) admitted that he regrets missing his childhood... as the pair reveal how they've mended their relationship In December 2016, on stage at The Sydney Opera House, Jimmy, 62, told the crowd that he had no regrets about his life, except that he missed David's childhood. David said he was preparing to walk out on stage that night and 'was a mess' after the admission. He said seeing his father's new documentary, Working Class Boy, recently made him recall that moment. Looking back: In December 2016, on stage at The Sydney Opera House, Jimmy, 62, told the crowd that he had no regrets about his life, except that he missed David's childhood. Pictured: Jimmy Barnes and David Campbell 'Seeing the doco (sic) the other night reminded me again, when he had said that "I don't have any regrets but if I had one thing, I would go back" And even now, it's a bit hard to say,' David told the publication. As the publication reports, David was adopted by his maternal grandmother Joan when his father Jimmy had him as a teen. Up until the age of 10, David thought his father was a family friend and his mother Kim, his sister. Father and son have admitted that their relationship really healed when David's wife Lisa came into the fold and encouraged their relationship. Tough past: David was adopted by his maternal grandmother Joan when his father Jimmy (left) had him as a teen. Up until the age of 10, David thought his father was a family friend and his mother, Kim, his sister Bond: Father and son admitted that their relationship really healed when David's wife Lisa (right) came into the fold and encouraged their relationship Jimmy's wife Jane had encouraged him to tell David he was his father and for them to have a relationship. Jimmy added that he wasn't 'together enough' to be in David's life when he was a child, but the pair have a rock solid bond now. 'When you get down to it, we are who we are now it is difficult to have any regrets because I don't know if I could love David any more,' the Cold Chisel star said. Family first: Jimmy's wife Jane (pictured) had encouraged Jimmy to tell David he was his father and for them to have a relationship Jimmy has long been open about his life, and previously admitted to The Courier Mail how he turned to self-harm for decades as he struggled to overcome his 'nightmare' childhood. His childhood was filled with violence, alcoholism and poverty. 'I don't know if i could love David any more': Jimmy added that he wasn't 'together enough' to be in David's life when he was a child, but the pair are rock solid in their bond now Fortitude: Jimmy has long been open about his life, and previously admitted to The Courier Mail how he turned to self-harm for decades as he struggled to overcome his 'nightmare' childhood Last year, Jimmy revealed in the prologue of his book that he attempted suicide in his hotel room in Auckland in 2012. The rock singer wrote that he woke up in his large hotel suite - where he was staying with wife Jane - not remembering that he tried to take his own life. Jimmy said that he attempted suicide after drinking his hotel minibar dry. 'Tied around the clothes rail is the dressing gown cord, just where I must have left it,' Jimmy wrote in the book. 'The rail, the cord and me with the cord around my neck waiting to die. But I didn't. It's not that easy to die, apparently,' he wrote. Rocker life: Jimmy has been frank about his past and previously admitted that he never thought he'd live past the age of 21 Jimmy has been frank about his past before and previously admitted that he never thought he'd live past the age of 21. Speaking to 7.30, he said: '[I've turned] 60, but I never thought I'd make it to 21.' 'I've worked really hard and almost lost everything by going too hard partying, drinking. There were times when I thought I could lose it all.' 'Luckily for me I'm still here, I'm still relevant and still making music.' The rocker was notorious for his drinking and poor money management, which both sent him broke and also eventually destroyed Cold Chisel. While writing his first autobiography, the singer admits he had to ask friends what he was doing at particular times because his memory was hazy. 'You can't go around drinking three or four bottles of whiskey a day and expect to remember everything,' he said. If you are experiencing mental health difficulties, or know someone who is, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. Chart-topping German DJ Zedd has declared his long-time love for Aussie band, Silverchair. Arguably one of the world's most successful DJs, Zedd took to the stage in support of Katy Perry in Sydney this week after shooting to super stardom in 2012. In a recent interview with Confidential, the artist spoke of his early inspirations. Inspiration: Chart topping German DJ Zedd (left) has declared his longtime love for Aussie band, Silverchair. Pictured right: Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns 'I have been a huge fan of Silverchair since forever, Diorama still to this day is probably one of the best albums of all time to me.' The 2002 album so inspired Zedd, born Anton Zaslavski, he named his teenage band, Dioramic, after it. The Grammy award winner insists the Aussie group have been instrumental in his success, and his career as an artist. Lifelong ambition: Zedd(pictured) hopes to one day be able to collaborate with his idol, Daniel Johns, after two failed attempts in the past Aussie legends: The Grammy award winner insists the group have been instrumental in his success, and his career as an artist. Pictured: Silverchair Zedd has collaborated with some of the world's biggest pop sensations including Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez and Alessia Cara. Above all, he's been itching to work with Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns, 39. 'There is only going to be one first time for us to work together. I am still hoping that one day that will happen,' Zedd said in reference of Daniel. Kicking goals: Zedd has collaborated with some of the world's biggest pop sensations, including Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez and Alessia Cara What an inspiration! Above all, Zedd has been itching to work with Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns (left) The pair have already communicated online in relation to potential collaborations on two songs, however Zedd pulled the pin on both options, not wanting to risk producing something that isn't perfect. The Clarity producer continued on to discuss Johns' influence on his music to this day. His latest single, Happy Now, implicitly references Silverchair. The cues of a genius: Zedd refers to Johns' work in his own music and is convinced he wouldn't be making the music he is today if it wasn't for Silverchair 'I don't know which song it is or where they have a chord progression like that, but I think a lot of my songs would be very different if I didn't listen to Silverchair. Daniel Johns is a genius,' Zedd said. 'I probably wouldn't be making the music I make today if it wasn't for them,' he told theMusic in a separate interview. Viewers were left cringing when she came face to face with Dan Osborne in the Celebrity Big Brother mansion during the series' launch on Thursday night. And Gabby Allen's new housemates were quick to grill her on her relationship with the former TOWIE hunk on Friday night's episode of the show, after the pair heavily denied affair claims earlier this year. A curious Rodrigo fuelled the conversation as he noted that Dan was 'nice to look at', prompting Gabby to admit that the allegations had impacted their friendship - something which was evident to see as the pair quarrelled during bedtime. Scroll down for video Getting grilled: Gabby Allen's new housemates were quick to grill her on her relationship with the former TOWIE hunk on Friday night's episode of the show Earlier on in the episode, Rodrigo was seen filling Natalie in on the romance claims between Gabby and Dan, who is currently in an on/off romance with Jacqueline Jossa. While the Bag Girls Star laughed off the rumours, Rodrigo was clearly in the prying mood as he quizzed Gabby later. After revealing he though he Essex native was handsome, Gabby couldn't help but express her frustrations at the way her experience with getting to know Dan panned out. Brushing it off: Gabby and Dan Osborne pair heavily denied affair claims earlier this year 'That was what the most annoying thing, we got on great as mates, my ex-boyfriend said something went on. 'We couldn't really be friends after that but that was it,' she concluded. Meanwhile, referring to his relationship with actress Jacqueline, Dan said: 'I am married yeah, but we separated.' However, when he was asked whether he was single, he failed to answer. Gossiping: A curious Rodrigo fuelled the conversation as he noted that Dan was 'nice to look at', prompting Gabby to admit that the allegations had impacted their friendship Catching up: Earlier on in the episode, Rodrigo was seen filling Natalie in on the romance claims between Gabby and Dan, who is currently in an on/off romance with Jacqueline Jossa Gabby looked visibly uncomfortable by the exchange, and later in the evening her tension with Dan appeared to come to a head as she struggled to get to sleep. The blonde moaned at Dan that he should shut up and had gone too far' after his bedtime antics with the rest of the housemates got too much for her to handle. Ahead of the launch, Dan told The Mirror he has reconciled with Jacqueline and is living with the EastEnders actress and their two children once more. He revealed: 'Me and Jacqueline have had a bad patch but we've been getting on a lot better recently. We've been getting on well. 'We've just had a baby. Things are fine and we're getting on well. I don't think I'm in a position to be thinking about love interests in there'. Cosy chat: While the Bag Girls star laughed off the rumours, Rodrigo was clearly in the prying mood as he quizzed Gabby later Looking good: After revealing he though he Essex native was handsome, Gabby couldn't help but express her frustrations at the way her experience with getting to know Dan panned out The fitness fanatic added that Jacqueline had told him to stay true to himself and enjoy the CBB experience, and insisted again that he and Gabby are just friends, and therefore would not feel awkward living together in the house. Meanwhile Gabby is also entering the house as a single woman, having dramatically split from Marcel Somerville - who she met on Love Island - in May. The Blazin' Squad star, 32, was discovered to have slept with another girl after rowing with Gabby, during their romantic holiday to Mexico. Gabby admitted to New! that Marcel was the last person she thought would cheat, because he had told her he wanted to marry her every day. He's been nursing heartbreak since his split with ex-fiancee, Tara Pavlovic. And on Saturday, Bachelor In Paradise star Sam Cochrane revealed he's clucky for children, as he doted over his newborn nephew. Taking to Instagram, the pint-sized reality TV star shared a snap of himself holding the child, writing: 'I'm kind of ready for this.' Scroll down for video 'I'm kind of ready for this': Bachelor In Paradise's Sam Cochrane (pictured) revealed he is clucky on Saturday as he doted over his newborn nephew... after his split with ex-fiancee Tara Pavlovic amid physical abuse claims 'Uncle Sam would normally be ready to hand this little dude back at this age after a few moments,' Sam wrote in his caption. 'But I could have held him all night.' After raving about the baby's parents, he finished with: 'One day.' Over: Sam has been nursing heartbreak since his split with ex-fiancee, Tara Pavlovic (left) 'Children suit you, Sam,' one follower commented underneath the post. Another added: 'This is a good look for you, Sam!' The blond reality TV star has just returned from Bali, where he spent several weeks away from the spotlight after publicly accusing his ex-fiancee Tara Pavlovic of physical and verbal abuse. During his time there, he reflected on the end of his relationship with the blonde, whom he met on Bachelor In Paradise. 'So many angels over here': Sam has just returned from Bali, where he spent several weeks away from the spotlight after publicly accusing his ex-fiancee Tara Pavlovic of physical and verbal abuse 'Bali, thank you. So many angels over here. You allowed me the time and space to exhale and build again,' Sam wrote on Instagram on Tuesday. 'I'm ready to come home,' he added. In another post alluding to his split with Tara, Sam wrote: 'I've woken up today wondering how I could have misjudged an individual so much.' Emotional: In another post alluding to his split with Tara, Sam wrote: 'I've woken up today wondering how I could have misjudged an individual so much' It follows multiple reports that the couple shared a tumultuous relationship. Since announcing their split in June, both Sam and Tara have accused one another of being abusive in their relationship. Intimate details of their breakup were made public when Sam accused Tara of being physically and verbally abusive towards him. Claims: Since announcing their split in June, both Sam and Tara have accused one another of being abusive in their relationship Tara has since admitted she was violent towards her ex-fiance, but also accused him of being 'emotionally abusive'. They got engaged during the Bachelor in Paradise finale, which was filmed in Fiji last year and aired in late April. She's the surgically-enhanced songstress famous for posting raunchy selfies online. But it appears Olivia Newton-John's daughter, Chloe Lattanzi, may be taking some time away from social media platform, Instagram. The 32-year-old bid farewell to her 47,000 dedicated followers on Saturday morning, citing a need to 'see what it feels like to go back to the early 2000's before all of this'. Scroll down for video Unplugging: Olivia Newton-John's daughter Chloe Lattanzi (pictured), 32, bid farewell to her 47,000 dedicated followers on Saturday morning, citing a need to 'see what it feels like to go back to the early 2000's', before social media She has already promised fans they won't be without her sultry photos for too long, though, vowing she will 'only gonna be gone for a little while'. In her newfound downtime, in which she's also intending to sacrifice time spent watching television, Chloe hopes to find her passion for art, creativity and healing energy. The No Pain songstress has never shied away from her 15-year battle with depression. 'Time for art, creativity and a whole lot of healing energy': Chloe hopes her social media detox will bring her closer to what's real in life She battled anorexia as a teenager and later body dysmorphia, entering rehab in 2013. She has also struggled with drug addiction and alcohol dependency. Despite her determination to unplug, however, Chloe acknowledged the uphill battle ahead. Candid camera: Chloe has been transparent about her plastic surgery and her emotional journey towards inner peace 'Omg this is so hard,' she told fans. 'I just feel I've become addicted to screens and media, and it's distracting me from what's real.' 'I love you all very much and I'll see you very soon!' Chloe has garnered waves of support from her loving fans, who hope to see the starlet return to their screens happier and healthier than ever. The Kardashian-Jenners are known for their friendly rivalries with one another. And it seems another could be brewing as Kylie Jenner's handsome ex-bodyguard has now been hired by older half sister Kim Kardashian. Tim Chung, who previously worked security for the newly 21-year-old Kylie, was spotted with Kim's entourage as the group hung out in Miami on Friday. New gig? Kylie Jenner's handsome ex-bodyguard Tim Chung has apparently now been hired by older half sister Kim Kardashian The hunky sometime-male model was wearing a black t-shirt and black trousers as he escorted Kim and her daughter into a building. Of course Chung became infamous as rumors circulated about him possibly being the real father of Kylie's seven-month-old baby daughter Stormi. After weeks of speculation, Chung finally had to post a statement to Instagram insisting his relationship with the reality star has never been anything but professional. 'I am a very private person and would normally never answer to gossip and stories that are so ridiculous that they are laughable,' Chung began. Setting the record straight: After weeks of speculation, Chung finally had to post a statement to Instagram insisting his relationship with the reality star has never been anything but professional No doubt? Of course Chung became infamous as rumors circulated about him possibly being the real father of Kylie's seven-month-old baby daughter Stormi (pictured with real father Travis Scott) Competition! The Kardashian-Jenners often participate in friendly rivalries with one another 'Out of respect for Kylie, Travis, their daughter and their families, I would like to set the record straight and say that my interactions with Kylie and her family have been limited in strictly a professional capacity only.' 'There is no story here and I ask that the media no longer include me in any narrative that is incredibly disrespectful to their family.' The explanation came after Chung played coy when he was asked about the rumors on an outing to Hollywood hot spot Delilah's. Always nearby: Chung used to work as a bodyguard for the youngest Jenner, Kylie (pictured in 2015) Instead of flatly denying it, the looker smiled and shook his head and could be heard uttering, 'Can't answer that,' making suspicion grow. Chung - whose Instagram account has grown by 200,000 since DailyMail.com's story that fans think he could be Stormi's father - also works part time as a model. According to HollywoodLife, Kylie and Stormi's dad Travis Scott laughed off the ridiculous rumor and 'haven't given it a second thought.' Charlotte McKinney indulged in a little retail therapy in Los Angeles on Friday. The 25-year-old model looked summer chic in a white blouse and blue checkered pants that she paired with kitten heel sandals. She flashed a smile for the cameras as she carried a goody bag of Kate Somerville products. Out and about: Charlotte McKinney was spotted shopping in Los Angeles on Friday McKinney, best known as the model in the 2015 Carl's Jr. Superbowl ad, wore her blonde locks in softs waves as she strolled the streets of West Hollywood. She accessorized with silver hoop earrings and wore a pair of retro sunglasses atop her head. The Orlando native looked fresh faced for the outing. Summer in the city: The 25-year-old model looked chic in blue checkered pants Charlotte recently returned from a trip to Capri, Italy with tattoo artist beau Nathan Kostechko, 38. The couple have been seeing each other since late 2107. In an interview with Hollywood Today, McKinney admitted to being 'really awkward' when it comes to dating. 'I'm not as intimidating as I look,' she said with a laugh. While chatting with Fox News, the blonde bombshell talked about her biggest turn-off. 'The biggest turn-on for me is being nice to everyone and treating others with respect,' she revealed. 'If you don't do that, that's a huge turn-off. I will leave a date.' Model behavior: She flashed a smile for the cameras as she carried a goody bag of Kate Somerville products He's the handsome Bachelor star with his own gym and fitness program, 28 by Sam Wood. And on Friday, Sam found a fun new way to incorporate his family into his exercise regime. The ripped reality TV star enjoyed working out with fiancee Snezana Markoski and their daughter Willow, 11 months, taking to Instagram on Friday to share a sweet clip. 'All you need is one beautiful fiancee and the world's cutest baby!' Sam Wood and Snezana Markoski worked out with 11-month-old daughter Willow on Friday. Pictured from left: Snezana, Willow and Sam In the video, Sam and Snezana do a variety of exercises as Willow sits cooing between them. They also do sit ups as they pass Willow between one another, using her as a weight. In another exercise, they plank as they take turns patting little Willow on the head. Doting dad: Sam captioned the clip: 'Try this little workout over the weekend. All you need: one beautiful fiancee, world's cutest baby, 28 minutes' In the video, Snezana, 37, showcases her toned figure in leggings and an orange singlet that is tied up at the waist. Sam captioned the clip: 'Try this little workout over the weekend. All you need: one beautiful fiancee, world's cutest baby, 28 minutes.' 'You guys! Awesome workout,' one fan commented underneath. Holiday mode: The couple have just returned from a trip to Europe, where they enjoyed time in Snezana's native Macedonia and the Greek Islands (pictured overseas) Another added: 'Ha ha! What happens when they become teenagers?' The couple have just returned from a trip to Europe, where they enjoyed time in Snezana's native Macedonia and the Greek Islands. The pair took along Willow and Snezana's older daughter Eve, 13, from a previous relationship. Apple of his eye! In Mykonos, Sam took to Instagram to share a shot of himself and Snezana by the sea, with the brunette looking stunning in a plunging, thigh-split leopard print dress In Mykonos, Sam took to Instagram to share a shot of himself and Snezana by the sea, with the brunette looking stunning in a plunging, thigh-split leopard print dress. Sam captioned the shot: 'Could she be any hotter.' International supermodel Elle Macpherson is back in New York for business, but for this trip, she's steering clear of the runways. Side by side with her WelleCo business partner Andrea Horwood, Elle, 54, was spotted in SoHo recently, ahead of the international launch of her wellness business. The move is a strategic one for the pair, with Andrea telling The Weekend Australian on Saturday that the US market is continuing to boom for the brand. Elle takes New York: Supermodel Elle Macpherson, 54, is gearing up to launch her wellness company WelleCo in America's SoHo... with big plans for expansion throughout the US It's all about expansion! Side by side with her WelleCo business partner Andrea Horwood (right), Elle (left) was spotted in SoHo recently, ahead of the international launch of her wellness business 'We started to notice it quite early on, but in the last year to 18 months, over half of global sales are going directly to the US without us promoting or having any presence or stockists there,' Andrea said. 'Our customers were finding us. And 75 per cent of our US sales go into four cities - New York, LA, Miami and Houston. So we're going where we're seeing a need for direct contact with consumers.' Ahead of the company's debut in US beauty chain, Sephora, the businesswomen hope to expand the four-year-old franchise within America, basing an office and basement storage facilities to fulfill local online orders with a same-day delivery service. D-Day: The international launch of WelleCo is set for the 21st of September Still a baby: The four-year-old franchise hopes to continue to expand within America, with the brand's businesswomen basing an office and basement storage facilities to fulfill local online orders with a same-day delivery service The Perth-based brand is currently sold in 93 countries via retailers such as David Jones and Harrods. WelleCo initially released The Super Elixir, a plant based 'alkalising greens' supplement developed in response to Elle's personal concerns with her own fatigue and skin complaints. From there, the company launched a series of elixirs and products advertised online 'as a morning ritual, nutritious snack, or for a good night's sleep'. Still got it! WelleCo initially released The Super Elixir in response to Elle's personal concerns with her own fatigue and skin complaints 'This (business) is completely led by personal experience, it wasn't like we said, "Let's jump on the bandwagon and get into wellness." I was feeling unwell and looking unwell and looking for a solution and found a solution,' Elle said. The SoHo store is pegged to open on September 21. From October, it will line the shelves of US Sephora outlets. Mark Wilson/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- White House counsel Donald McGahn has cooperated extensively with special counsel Robert Muellers probe into Russia's meddling with the 2016 presidential election, sources with knowledge of his interviews tell ABC News. McGahn has met with Muellers team at least three times and has been questioned by the special counsels team more extensively than any other member of the White House staff who has gone for an interview, the sources said. The New York Times first reported the extent of McGahns interviews with the special counsel, saying he provided detailed accounts about the episodes at the heart of the inquiry into whether President Trump obstructed justice. Two senior administration officials told ABC News that Trump and McGahn have had a frayed relationship. McGahn has openly expressed his frustrations, and signaled his desire to leave the White House months ago, but decided to stay on to lead the confirmation process of Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh. McGahns attorney, William Burck, said McGahn answered questions "fulsomely and honestly." President Trump, through counsel, declined to assert any privilege over Mr. McGahns testimony, so Mr. McGahn answered the Special Counsel teams questions fulsomely and honestly, as any person interviewed by federal investigators must, Burck said. According to sources familiar with the process, President Trump knew about and approved the staffers whom Mueller interviewed. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the president and McGahn "have a great relationship." He appreciates all the hard work hes done, particularly his help and expertise with the judges, and the Supreme Court nominees, Sanders said in a statement to ABC News. Rudy Giuliani, the president's personal lawyer, told ABC News that after speaking with McGahn's lawyer, "I am confident that he didn't provide any evidence that is remotely harmful to the president." The president tweeted Saturday evening that he "allowed White House Don McGahn, and all other requested members of the White House Staff, to fully cooperate with the Special Counsel." "In addition we readily gave over one million pages of documents," he added. "Most transparent in history. No Collusion, No Obstruction. Witch Hunt!" Mueller had requested to speak with McGahn about the circumstances surrounding former FBI Director James Comeys firing and his reported involvement in the event surrounding Attorney General Jeff Sessions recusing himself from the Russia investigation, the sources said. ABC News reported earlier this year that McGahn was among the White House staffers who were against any notion of President Trumps firing of special counsel Robert Mueller last June when the president wanted to do just that, a source said. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. The information was revealed at a meeting between Deputy Defence Minister Sen. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh and UK Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward in Hanoi on August 17th. Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh (R) receives UK Ambassador Gareth Ward in Hanoi on August 17th (Photo: qdnd.vn) At the meeting, the two sides shared the view that defence cooperation between the countries has been developing well, especially in terms of delegation exchange, training, and participation in the United Nations peacekeeping force. Deputy Minister Vinh appreciated the UKs effective support for Vietnams preparations for sending the level-2 field hospital to South Sudan. He asked the European nation to continue giving Vietnam advice on the deployment of sappers to UN peacekeeping missions and enhance cooperation in defence industry. Host and guest agreed that in order to lift bilateral defence ties to a new height and turn it into a pillar of their strategic partnership, the two sides should increase mutual visits at all levels, add and upgrade cooperation mechanisms, support each other at multilateral forums, and expand foreign language training for their military personnel./. They met in 2003. And Sisqo has finally tied the knot with girlfriend Elizabeth Pham on Friday, according to UsWeekly. The 39-year-old Thong Song hitmaker and the mother of two of his children wed in 'an intimate Catholic service' according to the magazine. Settling down: Sisqo has finally tied the knot with girlfriend Elizabeth Pham on Friday, according to UsWeekly. Seen here in November 2016 The Minnesota service was attended by members of Sisqo's R&B band, Dru Hill. According to Us, member Tao sang A Ribbon In The Sky during the service. Sisqo -whose birth name was Mark Althavean Andrews- shares two children with Pham: son Ryu, six, and daughter Koko, four. New wife: Elizabeth Pham, seen here during a 2013 episode of Wife Swap The rapper and his new bride appeared on an episode of Wife Swap in 2013. The Enter The Dru artist swapped then-girlfriend Elizabeth with Kathy Eicher, who was the wife of fellow rapper Gerardo. Sisqo has two older children, daughter Shaione and a son, Ian, whom he reportedly shares with a fan he met during a tour of Switzerland. Imogen Anthony will 'model in a bikini parade at New Zealand Fashion Week', it has been claimed. The girlfriend of KIIS FM star Kyle Sandilands, 47, is reportedly set to walk for Australian swimwear brand Heaven on August 28. According to Saturday's The Sydney Morning Herald, the 27-year-old will be the 'biggest star' to attend the event 'since Pamela Anderson' in 2009. Making it big across the ditch! Kyle Sandilands' girlfriend Imogen Anthony (pictured) is reportedly set to walk the runway at New Zealand Fashion Week in a 'custom couture bikini' - and will be the biggest star to attend 'since Pamela Anderson' Star ambition! The girlfriend of KIIS FM star Kyle Sandilands (left)is reportedly set to walk for Australian swimwear brand Heaven on August 28 in New Zealand If the reports are in fact true, Imogen will be taking part in the Swim and Activewear show at 2pm on the 28th. The publication claimed Heaven Swimwear has created a 'couture' bikini that's been made specifically for the event. Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Heaven Swimwear and Imogen Anthony for comment. Biggest star! According to The Sydney Morning Herald, 27-year-old Imogen will be the 'biggest star' to attend the event 'since Pamela Anderson' (pictured) in 2009 Imogen has appeared at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week for the last several years, attracting headlines and media attention thanks to her unique fashion sense. This year, the glamorous blonde stepped out in a faux fur coat for the Anna Quan runway show, among many head-turning appearances. Later in the week, she took to Instagram to celebrate the fact she had spent the 'whole night' partying with Jackie 'O' Henderson, - Kyle's radio co-host for more than a decade. Custom made! The publication claimed Heaven Swimwear has created a 'couture' bikini that's been made just for the event (Imogen, pictured at Sydney Fashion Week in 2017) 'Can we just talk about the fact that Jackie O and I went to a Fashion Week show together, then went to the after party... and we partied until almost close,' Imogen wrote. 'Then (we) walked to the bathroom for a last-minute girls' trip, both got stuck talking to a chick whose boyfriend just broke up with her.' Imogen praised Jackie for managing to show up at work the next day at 6am sharp. 'And then she smoke bombed me [left without saying goodbye] from the bathroom. I mean she did have work at 6am in the morning. Sorry Jackie!' she joked. Sofia Vergara was summer chic as she shopped for baby gifts on Friday. The Colombian bombshell donned a floaty strapless top and patterned skirt as she was pictured out in Beverly Hills leaving children's clothing store Monnalisa with a purchase. The 46-year-old looked flawless as ever with her long locks worn loose and some stylish sunglasses covering her eyes. Boho babe: Sofia Vergara is pictured out on Friday picking up a gift in Beverly Hills looking as stylish as ever A pricey Hermes Birkin handbag, which can cost as much as $25,000, hung off Sofia's forearm as she made her back to her car. Some gold sandals completed her boho summery look. Sofia will celebrate three years of marriage to husband Joe Manganiello in November. The Magic Mike hunk recently gushed that being married to the Modern Family star was the 'greatest thing' to ever happen to him. He said in April: 'The biggest adjustment in marriage? Coming to grips with the idea that someone who is not related to you could possibly love you that much. She was it for me. The Colombian bombshell donned a floaty strapless top and patterned skirt as she was seen leaving children's clothing store Monnalisa with a purchase 'People say things like, "Marriage and relationships are work". But it's not. Life is hard. Having somebody to help you deal with it is the greatest thing that ever happened.' Joe isn't the only one who cannot believe his luck after Sofia recently admitted she must have done something good to 'get that reward'. She shared last year: 'I'm very lucky. I must have done something really right in my life to get that reward ... I'm good but I'm not a very, very good person. But, he's better than me. Silly snap: The 46-year-old actress looked exhausted on the set of Modern Family this week 'He supports me in everything. I think he realizes how important it is for [women to have] opportunities, for women to have [their] own thing going [on]. He always, actually, tells me, he's like, 'You know, one of the things that draws me so much to you is that you were, like, the first woman [who] I went out with that is really, really, like, independent. 'And I don't need to ask anyone for anything. You know, you want to give it to me, then give it to me. I'm not asking. I receive gifts, but [I don't need them]. And he loves that and, you know, he supports everything I do and it's amazing.' She has been rocking the neon trend along with a bronze tan to perfectly complement it. But Kim Kardashian proved she's not immune to the dreaded streaky fake tan on Friday as she showcased an ultra sexy and extremely bold look in Miami. Wearing a skirt with a super revealing hip-high slit, Kim, 37, ended up showing a little too much, including her underwear. Uh-oh! Kim Kardashian appeared to have had a tanning disaster as her skirt flashed her blotchy bronze skin on Friday The mother-of-three showed off her trim figure in a one-shoulder crop top in a fluorescent yellow hue along with a matching ruched midi skirt which showed lots of leg. Unfortunately for the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star, the split on her skirt gaped open to show a splotchy tanning job at the top of her leg. But the E! star didn't let it ruin her night as she strut her stuff on the night out with pals Larsa Pippen and Jonathan Cheban. As she got ready for her night out Kim revealed she had a professional apply her body lotion for her. Flashing the flesh: Kim was seen in Miami in a one-shoulder top and skirt with hip-high slit which showed her underwear Golden: Kim, 37, has been rocking the neon trend along with a bronze tan to perfectly complement it Blinding: She has been rocking the neon trend along with a bronze tan to perfectly complement it The star didn't reveal whether the lotion in question was tinted or whether it was just a shimmery moisturizer to finish off her look. She shared multiple clips to her Instagram stories of her assistants getting VERY hands on as she sat in her sexy yellow outfit. Kim is in Miami to attend rapper 2 Chainz wedding to partner Kesha Ward on Saturday. The reality star and her rapper husband Kanye West will be just some of the 75 VIPs gracing the lavish ceremony at Villa Casa Casuarina, where Gianni Versace once lived, as Page Six reported. Mom's night out! And she had help! Kim revealed she had a professional apply her lotion for her before heading out The mother-of-three appeared to have left her young kids at home while she headed out Be our guest: Kim is just one of the VIPs in Miami to celebrate rapper 2 Chainz's wedding to longtime love Kesha Ward this Saturday Matching matching! Kim revealed on her Instagram Story that she chose the bright jeep to match her ensemble Chainz and West collaborated on Ye's track Mercy in 2012. Kanye also contributed a verse to 2 Chainz's Birthday Song, which is considered one of his breakout hits. The sure-to-be stunning wedding ceremony will be followed by an equally exquisite reception to be held at another location, according to an insider. 2 Chainz, real name Tauheed Epps, proposed to his partner of 11-years on the red carpet of the Met Gala on in May. His proposal came with a stunning diamond engagement ring. Getting ready for the big day! The sure-to-be stunning wedding ceremony will be followed by an equally exquisite reception to be held at another location, according to an insider Friends night out! Kim was spotted out with best friend Jonathon Cheban and Larsa Pippen She said yes! 2 Chainz, real name Tauheed Epps, proposed to his partner of 11-years on the red carpet of the Met Gala on in May, above After the special moment she told E! News: 'It's crazy, he just gave me this! So happy! I love it.' The I'm Different rapper previously popped the question to his longtime love all the way back in 2013 at the BET Awards, but the couple never made it down the aisle. Chainz and Ward, also known as Nakesha, share three children: daughters Heaven, nine, Harmony, five, and son Halo, two. They're the Hollywood heavyweights who have remained on amicable terms since their split in 2000. And although Demi Moore, 55, epically 'roasted' ex-husband Bruce Willis, 63, recently on The Comedy Channel, it appeared as though all was forgiven when they reunited for their daughter Rumer's 30th birthday. Reuniting for the event, the duo were seen posing in a photobooth with youngest daughter Tallulah. Scroll down for videos Bruce Willis and Demi Moore reunited for daughter Rumer's 30th birthday on Friday (pictured: youngest daughter Tallulah, 24) Demi flaunted her age-defying good looks in a black ensemble for the birthday celebrations. Bruce went with a lighter style of a Hawaiian inspired shirt and cabbie cap. Just like her mom, Tallulah opted for a plain black T-shirt. The photos saw the parents cuddle up with the 24-year-old, with Bruce even giving her a kiss. And over on middle daughter Scout's social media page, the 27-year-old shared another shot of the sisters altogether with their action star dad. 'Just before we took this photo my dad said, 'hurry up, I have to fart',' she captioned the shot. Daddy's little girls: And over on middle daughter Scout's social media page, the 27-year-old shared another shot of the sisters altogether with their action star dad Bruce being Bruce! 'Just before we took this photo my dad said, 'hurry up, I have to fart',' she captioned the shot Got him back! Bruce and Demi's union comes after she roasted the star back in July for the Comedy Central show that was taped at the Hollywood Palladium (pictured: Far right, Rumer, far left: Tallulah) Bruce and Demi's union comes after she roasted the star back in July for the Comedy Central show that was taped at the Hollywood Palladium. She told jokes about their 12 year marriage, his career and his parenting skills. 'For those of you that don't know me, I am Demi Moore,' she began the show. 'I was married to Bruce for the first three Die Hard movies, which makes sense because the last two sucked.' She also revealed what the now remarried husband of Emma Heming would do when their kids were newborns. 'Bruce is super generous. When our daughter Rumer was a baby and it was his turn to change the diaper in the middle of the night, he would lean over and whisper to me, "I'll give you a thousand dollars right now if you change that diaper".' She also brought in disgraced film director Harvey Weinstein into her spiel - which received mixed reactions. 'I was there for some special moments. Groundbreaking,' she continued. 'Bruce got his career-breaking moment in Pulp Fiction, and it seemed really odd at the time, this big action star in a little indie film, but Bruce went over to Harvey Weinstein's hotel, and I don't know, but he came back and said, 'I got the part!'' The first season of Big Little Lies was a critical and awards smash for network HBO. And on Friday, star Reese Witherspoon took to Instagram to celebrate the final day of shooting the show's second season, by posting photos of herself and co-stars Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley and Meryl Streep. 'You have all inspired me, supported me, made me laugh & cry,' wrote the 42-year-old actress. Having a ball: Reese Witherspoon took to Instagram to celebrate the final day of shooting the second season of Big Little Lies 'Making the second season even more exciting than the last (I cant wait for yall to see it!!)' continued the Academy Award winning actress. 'Thank you @HBO and our amazing Director Andrea Arnold!' 'Big love to my sisters @nicolekidman @lauradern @shailenewoodley @zoeisabellakravitz and #MerylStreep'. Friends: 'You have all inspired me, supported me, made me laugh & cry,' wrote the 42-year-old actress On location: The photos show the cast at various locations around Monterey, California, where the series is set The photos show the cast at various locations around Monterey, California, where the series is set. The show was inundated with awards during awards season, including a Golden Globe and an Emmy for best limited series. Reese was nominated for a Golden Globe, an Emmy and a Critic's Choice Award for her performance as Madeline, but was beaten out by co-star Nicole Kidman each time. Lauded: The show was inundated with awards during awards season, including a Golden Globe and an Emmy for best limited series Tough break: Reese was nominated for a Golden Globe, an Emmy and a Critic's Choice Award for her performance as Madeline, but was beaten out by co-star Nicole Kidman each time They're back: The series will return in 2019 and will co-star regulars: Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley and Laura Dern as well as new cast member Meryl Streep Pay bump: Reports have recently revealed that Reese and Nicole (who both act as starring roles as well as executive producers) have negotiated a pay rise of $1 million per episode The second series will see Zoe Kravitz's character deal with the consequences of manslaughter when she accidentally pushed Alexander Skarsgard's character Perry down a flight of stairs during a brawl. The series will return in 2019 and will co-star regulars: Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley and Laura Dern as well as new cast member Meryl Streep. Reports have recently revealed that Reese and Nicole (who both act as starring roles as well as executive producers) have negotiated a pay rise of $1 million per episode. News.com.au reports that they were previously receiving $250,000 per episode. It's been a challenging five months for Abby Lee Miller. But the 51-year-old Dance Moms star continues to share her cancer battle on Instagram. 'Pray my white blood cell count goes up and my 103 fever goes down! Yikes!' she wrote on Friday from her hospital bed. Thumbs up: On Friday, Abby Lee Miller asked her fans for prayers as she battled a 103 fever and a low white blood cell count On Monday, Abby shared a picture from physical therapy. She was suspended in a harness as she walked on a treadmill post spinal surgery. 'Just put one foot in front of the other & soon you'll be walking out the door!' the former reality TV star captioned the smiling photo as she held onto the bars of the machine. She was working on strengthening her back and legs after the extraordinarily taxing rounds of cancer treatments she's undergone in recent months. Progress: Miller is currently working to strengthen her back and legs after the extraordinarily taxing rounds of cancer treatments she's undergone in recent months The professional choreographer seemed to be in high spirits after undergoing her final spinal tap just days prior. The TV star shared a video to Instagram on Sunday, before getting the procedure. 'Sixth and hopefully the final Lumbar Injection (spinal tap) in this Chemo treatment!' Miller captioned the clip. 'This is my, I hope to God, final lumbar injection,' she explained while filming the inside of the room before her procedure, which she explains in great detail. 'This is the table. They're going to put me on my stomach and then my arms are underneath me so I can't move. And then they twist [your back] on a diagonal so that you're spinal fluid goes down into your spinal cord, lower.' Cancer update: The professional choreographer underwent her 'sixth and hopefully final' spinal tap on Sunday The Pennsylvania native was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma after an emergency spinal surgery in April. Miller learned she had cancer when she was hospitalized for excruciating back pain shortly after being released from prison. The star had been staying in a halfway house following her release from jail, where she was serving a year and one day after being found guilty of bankruptcy fraud. Tammy Hembrow made international headlines after she was identified as the woman who was wheeled out of Kylie Jenner's birthday facedown on a stretcher. She later took to YouTube to offer a tearful apology to her fans and loved ones - her ex-boyfriend and father of her two kids, Reece Hawkins, did not receive an apology. Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia on Saturday at Neon's Influencer Event IN Sydney, fashion designer Reece, 23, revealed the personal and professional impact Tammy's mistake has had on him. EXCLUSIVE 'It's been hard': The father of Tammy Hembrow's two young kids (Reece Hawkins, with Tammy, L and Saskia, 2 and Wolf, 3, R) breaks his silence on the harassment he's suffered after his ex left Kylie Jenner's 21st facedown on a stretcher Everything changed: Last Thursday, Tammy, 24, was rushed from Kylie's 21st at Delilah in West Hollywood and into an ambulance, as Kim Kardashian's father Caitlyn looked on in horror Last Thursday, Tammy, 24, was rushed from Kylie's 21st at Delilah in West Hollywood and into an ambulance, as Kim Kardashian's step-father Caitlyn looked on in horror. Reece was at home in Australia with their two kids - Wolf, three, and Saskia, two - working hard to finalise a partnership between his clothing brand, District, and global streetwear giant Culture Kings. In the wake of the incident, he suffered harassment from fans, strangers and even his friends, bur refused to let the negative press jeopardise his business deal. Reece explained his mindset to Daily Mail Australia: 'I don't let anything affect me, you know what I mean?' 'A lot of people harass': Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia on Saturday at Neon's Influencer Event, fashion designer Reece, 23, revealed the personal and professional impact Tammy's mistake has had on him. Meanwhile: Reece was at home in Australia with their two kids working hard to finalise a partnership between his clothing brand, District , and global streetwear giant Culture Kings Fallout: In the wake of the incident, he suffered harassment from fans, strangers and even his friends, bur refused to let the negative press jeopardise his business deal 'A lot of people harass... I get quizzed about it all the time by different people, whether it's media, or friends and things like that.' Speaking specifically about the impact of Tammy's wild night, he said: 'It is what it is and I'll just keep trucking.' 'It's been hard because I'm in the public eye and it's out and it's everywhere, but honestly, I try not to pay any attention to it because I don't want it to drain my mood. Staying positive: Reece explained his mindset to Daily Mail Australia: 'I don't let anything affect me, you know what I mean?' (Reece is pictured here with his District business partner, Kayne Lawton) 'And you know, It's obviously not a good thing [for me to be associated with]. Thankfully, Culture Kings were able to look past any potential backlash, and ended up signing a deal that Reece says will set him up for the rest of his life. 'I think the business will just turn into a different machine now. This deal has taken District from that first level, to floor ten overnight. 'Just keep trucking': Speaking specifically about the impact of Tammy's wild night, he said: 'It is what it is and I'll just keep trucking... 'And you know, It's obviously not a good thing [for me to be associated with]' 'I just try to stay positive and I think that's showing for itself, with all success I gained from putting my head down and working hard, you know?' he added. 'I've made something of myself, you know what I mean?' Reece and Tammy welcomed Wolf when he was just 19, and by the time Saskia arrived, the pair were Instagram royalty to her 8.6 million followers. But in May, Tammy unexpectedly ended their relationship, forcing Reece to move out and start fresh. Focused: The 23-year-old added: 'It's been hard because I'm in the public eye and it's out and it's everywhere, but honestly, I try not to pay any attention to it because I don't want it to drain my mood' The clothing designer didn't update his fans about the split until June, when he took to his Youtube page in an attempt to explain something he still didn't understand. The good life: Reece and Tammy welcomed Wolf when he was just 19, and by the time Saskia arrived, the pair were Instagram royalty to her 8.6 million followers 'I didn't really want it to happen, and, you know it's been a pretty rough couple months trying to deal with... rejection, I guess it is. I've been rejected by someone,' he said. 'I honestly can't talk about her anything on her side, because I don't know what she wants to do or what she's thinking, or why, but yeah, it's been s***ty. 'It's been probably the hardest 2-3 months of my life. Reece has a much more positive outlook now, telling Daily Mail Australia his main concern was the impact the split would have on his kids. 'The kids have come into a routine and I'm really enjoying it to tell you the truth,' he said of fatherhood. 'You know, obviously it was a little bit rocky at the start, when you're getting into a new routine, but now that I'm completely setup and financially secure and all that sort of thing, it's great!' 'As long as you give them everything you've got, they become the most important thing in your life. 'So if you put them first, and then everything else after, they'll be fine. Shock: But in May, Tammy unexpectedly ended their relationship, forcing Reece to move out and start fresh 'The hardest 2-3 months of my life': The clothing designer didn't update his fans about the split until June, when he took to his Youtube page in an attempt to explain something he still didn't understand Reece excitedly confirmed that District will announce a meet and greet and a launch party with Culture Kings in the coming months He said the deal has given him a new outlook: 'It's probably the first step to a good change in my life.' Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Tammy Hembrow for comment. Fear: Reece has a much more positive outlook now, telling Daily Mail Australia his main concern was the impact the split would have on his kids Home and Away starlet Sam Frost has been braving Sydney's winter chill to film in scenes in bikinis for the past few months. But on Saturday, the blonde enjoyed a day of sunshine as she attended the races with her stunning co-star, Ash Brewer. The blonde beauty got dolled up and posed for a series of gorgeous snaps and selfies in a maroon frock. Summer babes! Home And Away's Sam Frost embraces the warmer Sydney weather as she turns heads at the races with her co-star Ash Brewer Sam dazzled in the long-sleeved dress, which featured a high neck and detailed stitch work. She chose an iconic day to attend the Randwick Races, with famed horse Winx making history, after winning his 26th consecutive race. The former Bachelorette embellished her softly curled up-do with a golden halo headpiece and soft makeup, with a nude, barely there lip. Ex Neighbours and current Home and Away alumni, Ash, looked picture perfect in a classic blue outfit, with a matching wide brim hat. Windswept beauty! Sam dazzled in the long-sleeved dress, which featured a high neck and detailed stitch work ( Pictured with co-star Tim Franklin) Her dapper date! The pair were also joined by co-star, actor Tim Franklin, and Sam's boyfriend Dave Bashford The pair were also joined by co-star, actor Tim Franklin, and Sam's boyfriend Dave Bashford. In a recent interview, the 29-year-old spoke candidly about the role Dave plays in her life, revealing he is a pillar of support through her depression and anxiety. The former Bachelorette told Who magazine: 'He's the one to pick up the pieces after a breakdown or anxiety attack.' 'He knows what triggers my anxiety, and knows how to deal with me when I'm depressed.' Sam also added things are going so well with their relationship, that the couple are considering moving in together. For help with depression or anxiety, call Lifeline 13 11 14 She found love with Josh Denzel in Mallorca this summer. Yet Kazimir Crossley ditched her Love Island beau for the evening to enjoy a solo night out at KoKo in Camden where she was putting on a stunning display. The reality star, 23, flaunted her toned abs and perky cleavage in a sleek silk bralet and a yellow mini skirt as she partied up a storm on Friday night. Stunning: Love Island's Kazimir Crossley flaunted her toned abs in a black bralet and yellow mini skirt as she headed out for night out without beau Josh on Friday Kaz put her lithe legs on display in the form-fitting corduroy skirt, while her top also showed off a glimpse of her cleavage. Pulling her ombre locks into a tight bun, she added a touch of glitter to her look with a pair of gold hoop earrings and accentuated her plump pout with bold red lipstick. The reality star stepped out in a pair of stylish peep-toe boot heels, and completed her ensemble by keeping her personal items in a black handbag. Clearly enjoying her night out on the town, Kaz was in giggles as she executed the 'Dele Alli challenge' - a social media phenomenon in which users attempt to recreat the England player's goal celebration - perfectly. Having a giggle: She found love with Josh Denzel in Mallorca this summer (pictured together at the Love Island Live show earlier this month) Legs for days! Kaz put her lithe legs on display in the form-fitting corduroy skirt, while her top also showed off a glimpse of her cleavage Having fun: Clearly enjoying her night out on the town, Kaz was in giggles as she executed the Dele Alli challenge perfectly Josh and Kaz's romance started to shaky ground after he chose to couple up with her - leaving his former partner Georgia Steel high and dry. But eventually viewers warmed to the pairing - who finished third in the final earlier this month and exited the villa as official boyfriend and girlfriend. Coming out to see the reaction on social media, Josh said during an appearance on BBC Breakfast: 'A bit of criticism is an understatement, I think I was public enemy number one.' Kaz added: 'I wasn't prepared, right now there's a lot of love though, it is a bad thing that you did essentially, but at the time people could see you have a real connection, and it all worked out in the end. Romantic bliss: Josh and Kaz's romance started to shaky ground after he chose to couple up with her leaving his former partner Georgia Steel high and dry 'When we meet fans on the street they're like ''are you and Josh still together''. They ask "are you in love with him? And is it real?" Luckily it was all real emotions, and stuff you're going to ask ''is it fake?'' Since leaving the villa, many fans have eagerly waiting to see what will happen next in Josh and Kaz's relationship, after officially saying their loved each other just days before the show's end. Josh said: 'I watched a few of the big moments, from talking to people you understand that some stuff isn't shown. We probably see it slightly different. Kaz added: 'Things are really crazy, it's important to know what the platform, we're going to make money from it, but it's really important you do that as well.' Happy: After Love Island, Kaz said: 'I wasn't prepared, right now there's a lot of love though' The meeting, which saw the presence of Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Umeda Kunio, local authorities and 150 Japanese firms, was held within the framework of the 'Japan Cultural Day in Quang Nam' and is among the activities to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Vietnam - Japan diplomatic ties. According to Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee, Le Van Thanh, Japan currently ranks third among 20 countries and territories investing in Quang Nam with investments in 20 projects worth more than US$115 million. However, Thanh noted that the Japanese investment in Quang Nam remains modest and has yet to match the potential and strength of both sides. The provincial leader said that Quang Nam has much room for Japanese enterprises to seek investment and business opportunities and the province pledges to create the most favourable conditions for Japanese firms to operate in the province. Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Umeda Kunio said that Japanese firms highly value the investment environment in Vietnam and Quang Nam in particular while expressing his hope for more projects to be developed in Quang Nam in the near future. On the same day, Japanese firms participated in a fact-finding trip to seek investment opportunities in Dien Nam - Dien Ngoc and Truong Hai Industrial Parks. She recently returned to the US after enjoying a lavish holiday in Europe with her husband DJ Rukus. And Shanina Shaik, 27, didn't let jet lag stop her from attending the Kate Somerville Power Serum launch in Los Angeles, on Friday. The former Victoria's Secret model showcased her slender physique in a white T-shirt and high-waisted khaki pants. Dazzling beauty! Victoria's Secret model Shanina Shaik shows off her diamond sparkler in a chic off-duty ensemble at a Los Angeles event on Friday Shanina added a touch of luxury to her outfit with a Gucci belt worth $645. Her makeup was left minimal, showcasing her glowing, dewy complexion with a hint of peach blush on her cheeks, nude pink lips, defined mascara and bold brows. As the Australian-born star walked in to the event she showed off a glimpse of her engagement ring and wedding band. Simple and stylish: Shanina showcased her slender model physique in a white T-shirt and high-waisted khaki pants. She dded a touch of luxury to her outfit with a Gucci belt, worth $645 She's got that glow! Her makeup was left minimal, showcasing her glowing, dewy complexion with a hint of peach blush on her cheeks, nude pink lips, defined mascara and bold brows The couple married in May this year in The Bahamas and the stunning rings were designed by world renowned jeweller to the stars Lorainne Swartz While the price of the jewels is not known, pieces from the designer can cost upwards of $500,000, much like Lady Gaga's heart shaped engagement ring, which she received from her now ex-fiance Tyler Kinney in 2015. Shanina's connection and friendship with the bespoke jeweller began in 2016 when her then-boyfriend proposed to her with two engagement rings. Wedded bliss: The couple married in May this year in The Bahamas and the stunning rings were designed by world renowned jeweller to the stars Lorainne Swartz. Pictured: The couple on their wedding day All smiles! Inside the skin care event, the brunette beauty trialled the new products, along with a bevy of other celebrities 'He asked me to choose my favorite ring, and, unfortunately, I could only choose one,' she told Brides.com. Inside the skin care event, the brunette beauty trialled the new products and blew kisses from the orange-laced balcony to the photographers below. The Kate Somerville Power Serum launch was attended by a bevvy of celebrities, including Pretty Little Liars star Lucy Hale, Kylie Jenner's BFF Jordyn Woods and Kelly Osbourne. He announced his split with fiancee and Instagram star Tammy Hembrow in June. But Reece Hawkins has moved on from the devastating breakup, revealing he's not only adjusted to life as a single dad, but his career is thriving. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia at the Neon Model Management infuencer event in Sydney on Saturday, the 23-year-old announced he's inked a major deal with fashion chain Culture Kings, who will stock his fledgling District Goods fashion label. Going well: But Reece Hawkins has moved on from the devastating breakup from Tammy Hembrow, revealing he's not only adjusted to life as a single dad, but his career is thriving. Reece is pictured with his two children, Wolf, two and Saskia, one. 'I think it will set me up pretty nicely. The business will turn into a different machine. Its taken that from that first level to floor ten overnight,' Reece said, adding that a launch is expected in September or October. As well as a booming business, Reese has two children, Wolf, two and Saskia, one, with his ex Tammy. Adjusting to life as a single dad has been a tad rocky, but the father-of-two says he's making it work. Ready to wear: Speaking to Daily Mail Australia at the Neon Model Management infuencer event in Sydney on Saturday, the 23-year-old announced he's inked a major deal with fashion chain Culture Kings, who will stock his fledgling District Goods fashion label 'The kids have come into a routine. Im really enjoying it. Obviously it was a little bit rocky at the start, when youre getting into a new routine. But now that Im set up and financially secure its great,' he said. Having a booming career has made fatherhood easier, he says, and in fact the Culture Kings deal, 'will set me up pretty nicely' the Instagram star admits. Reece went to reveal that he'd been avoiding stories about his former partner Tammy, who this week made headlines when she was rushed to hospital, face down on a stretcher, from Kylie Jenner's 21st birthday party. Family time: Adjusting to life as a single dad has been a tad rocky, but the father-of-two says he's making it work Moving on: 'The kids have come into a routine. Im really enjoying it. Obviously it was a little bit rocky at the start, when youre getting into a new routine. But now that Im set up and financially secure its great,' he said. Reece is pictured with ex Tammy and their two children 'It's been hard because I'm in the public eye and it's out and it's everywhere, but honestly, I try not to pay any attention to it because I don't want it to drain my mood,' he said. The personal trainer added: 'And its not a good thing anyway. I put my head down and Ive made something of myself.' Reece says his focus now is, 'Being really positive, moving forward, focusing on the business. I think its speaking for itself that kind of attitude. I dont let anything affect me. It is what it is.' Staying out of it: Reece went to reveal that he'd been avoiding stories about his former partner Tammy, who this week made headlines when she was rushed to hospital, face down on a stretcher, from Kylie Jenner's 21st birthday party In June, Queensland-based model and fitness star, Tammy, took to YouTube to reveal exactly why her fiance had been noticeably absent from her life. 'One or two months ago, I decided to end things with Reece. He didn't cheat on me, I didn't cheat on him. It wasn't like that at all,' she said. The pair became parents as twenty-year-olds after just a few months of dating. Reece says his focus now is: 'Being really positive, moving forward, focusing on the business. I think its speaking for itself that kind of attitude. I dont let anything affect me. It is what it is' Over the course of the video, Tammy also touched on the difficulty of managing a split where young children are involved. 'It's a super hard situation, especially where there are kids involved. Everything is just a million times harder than a regular breakup,' she said. 'We love each other very much, and our kids are always going to come first and their health and happiness are always going to be my number one priority.' Jim and Liz McDonald are set to rekindle their tumultuous romance with a risque liason in upcoming scenes on Coronation Street, following their first appearance in 1989. According to The Sun, viewers can expect to see the pair, played by Charles Lawson and Beverley Callard, reunite after two failed marriages - one lasting 23 years from 1974 to 1997, and another from 2000 to 2005. Their steamy encounters come as the mechanic meets the couple's daughter Katie (Hannah Ellis Ryan), who they believed has been dead for 26 years. Hot and heavy: Jim and Liz McDonald are set to rekindle their tumultuous romance with a risque liason in upcoming scenes of Coronation Street Speaking about the couple's racy sessions, an insider told the publication: 'Jim and Liz have always had chemistry and even after two failed marriages theres still a spark there.' Elaborating on their gratification towards each other, they added: 'They end up getting back together after a few moments just the two of them.' The source hinted their reconciliation may include some bumps in the road: 'But in soaps love stories never run smoothly, and its doubtful this will end up in marriage number three.' MailOnline has contacted ITV representatives for further comment. Rekindle: According to The Sun , viewers can expect to see the pair, played by actors Charles Lawson and Beverley Callard, reunite after two failed marriages Over the course of their on-off relationship, the pair endured a turbulent relationship, featuring issues with infidelity and domestic violence. In 1996, Jim attacked Liz after she admitted to an affair with his co-worker Johnny Johnson (played by actors Robert Gwilym and Vincenzo Ricotta). Despite their toxic relationship, the couple re-married in 2000, shortly before the army worker was sentenced to prison for manslaughter. Tumultuous: Over the course of their on-off relationship, the pair endured a turbulent relationship, featuring issues with infidelity and domestic violence (pictured in 1998) After years of waiting for her partner, Liz split from Jim as she grew tired of their stormy relationship. The reconciliation reports come after Jim's emotional reunion with their long-lost daughter Katie in upcoming scenes. A tearful Liz lashes out at her ex, blaming him for Katie's disappearance as they visit their child's gravestone following Jim's release from prison for an armed robbery in 2011. Stormy: In 1996, Jim attacked Liz after she admitted to an affair with his co-worker Johnny Johnson (played by actors Robert Gwilym and Vincenzo Ricotta) Moments later Jim has an emotional reunion with his long-lost little girl, who they thought had been dead for the past 26 years, outside a church in Weatherfield. Heart-wrenching scenes show the dad, dressed smartly in his two-piece deep blue suit, pulling his grown up daughter into an affectionate hug. It is evident the pair are overjoyed to be reunited as they can be seen laughing and beaming in each other's arms. Can't stop the feeling: Despite their toxic relationship, the couple re-married in 2000, shortly before the army worker was sentenced to prison for manslaughter Yet things between the estranged father and daughter turn frosty quickly as they are seen having an icy chat in the car following their reunion - though that's nothing compared to his confrontation with a very distraught Liz. Liz sends her ex flying across the cemetery as she breaks down and punches him in the chest. Corrie fans will remember Jim and Liz mourning the death of their daughter Katie 26 years ago in harrowing scenes on the cobbles. In tears: The reconciliation reports come after Jim's emotional reunion with their long-lost daughter Katie in upcoming scenes (Hannah Ellis Ryan) As it turns out, their daughter Katie has been adopted and living in Australia but her name has been changed to Hannah. 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. Violence: Yet things between the estranged father and daughter turn frosty quickly as they are seen having an icy chat in the car following their reunion - though that's nothing compared to his confrontation with a very distraught Liz 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.' He's the son of Oscar-winner Denzel Washington, 63, and actress Pauletta, 67. And their son John David Washington made sure a reporter knew exactly who both of his parents were during a powerful interview with the Today show last week. Speaking on his latest film BlacKkKlansman, John David, 34, perfectly shut down Today's Craig Melvin after he asked him about being raised in showbusiness by his famous father, but interjected when his equally-talented mother was dismissed. Not OK: Denzel Washington's son John David, 34, perfectly shut down a reporter who dismissed his mother Pauletta despite her own glittering career during a Today interview When asked by Craig about getting started in the film industry 'being the son of Denzel Washington', John David quickly interrupted before the reporter could finish. Unimpressed by the dismissal of his mother, the actor responded: 'And Pauletta Washington', to which Craig thanked him for reminding him. Before the interview continued, John David turned the attention onto this lesser-known parent, who previously worked on the soundtrack for Philadelphia and was featured in Spike Lee's Netflix series She's Gotta Have It. Speaking of his inspirational mother, John David interjected: '[She] was earning more money than he was before they got married. She was on Broadway working and she paid for the first date, paid the bill, paid for the cab ride... Power couple: The celebrated actor has been married to wife Pauletta for more than 35 years and proved that some relationships in Hollywood are capable of lasting (pictured in 2018) Unimpressed: John David (L) perfectly shut down Today's Craig Melvin (R) after he asked him about being raised in showbusiness by his famous father 'And Pauletta': When asked by Craig about getting started in the film industry 'being the son of Denzel Washington', John David quickly interrupted before the reporter could finish Keeping cool throughout the impassioned speech, the Ballers star continued: Shes a classically-trained pianist, went to Julliard. Shes a great artist in her own right and I learned a lot from her. 'My father taught me how to hunt, my mother taught me how to love. TV reporter Craig took the comments in good faith, later tweeting: 'Ha.To be clear. I was a fan John David Washington before our sit down. Am an even bigger fan now. Next time we sit down, Ill be asking about Mrs. Washington first.' John David's father Denzel has been married to Pauletta for more than 35 years and proved that some relationships in Hollywood are capable of lasting. Proud: John David turned the attention onto this lesser-known parent, who previously worked on the soundtrack for Philadelphia and was featured in a number of film projects Standing up: Speaking of his inspirational mother, John David interjected: '[She] was earning more money than he was before they got married Even in an interview with People, Denzel revealed exactly what it has taken in order for his marriage to survive the harshness of being in the limelight. 'I do what I'm told, keep my mouth shut,' Denzel joked with the magazine. He and Pauletta, who have four children together, celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary in June. The Golden Globe-winning actor met Pauletta on set while he was filming a TV movie entitled Wilma. The couple married in 1983 and have four children: John David, Katia, 30; Olivia, 27; and Malcolm, 27. They've been enjoying an idyllic break away in Indonesia, which they have been sharing with fans on Instagram. And Victoria Beckham was back at it again on Saturday, as she posted a video while paddleboarding in their picturesque getaway - during which she displayed her svelte frame in hot pants and a skin-tight black top. Clearly enjoying her break at the Nihi resort on Indonesia's private island of Pulau Sumba, the 44-year-old paddled through the sea in a casual chic ensemble, shortly before posting videos of her sons Brooklyn and Cruz climbing a tree. Relaxing: Victoria Beckham glided through a river on a paddle board as Brooklyn and Cruz broke open coconuts during idyllic break away in Indonesia on Friday The Beckhams have been sharing every minute detail of their holiday on social media much to the delight of their millions of social media followers. Gently gliding through the water while wearing denim shorts and a black tank top, Victoria wrote: 'Yep I was surprised too!' Hiding her locks under a black cap, the former Spice Girl, known in her heyday as Posh Spice - also shared a black-and-white snap from her time in the water, and used the caption: 'Sporty at heart x' Her comment seems to be a reference to Sporty Spice - also known as - Mel C, after comparing seven-year-old Harper's hairstyle to Baby Spice Emma Bunton. Spice up your life: The former Spice Girl shared a black-and-white snap from her time in the water, and used the caption: 'Sporty at heart x', seemingly a reference to 'Sporty Spice' Mel B Exploring: Brooklyn, 19, and Cruz, 13, collected coconuts from atop a palm tree, and were guided by a local on how to open them so that they drink from them Victoria also shared a video clip of her sons Brooklyn, 19, and Cruz, 13, collecting coconuts from atop a palm tree. Guided by a helpful local, Brooklyn threw a coconut to his younger brother, who then banged the sweet treat to open it up and taste the refreshing drink. Later on, she took a clip of her two sons showing off how to break open the coconuts so that they drink from them. Just days before, Victoria gave insight into seven-year-old daughter Harper's newfound Spice Girls obsession as she revealed a Baby Spice-inspired hairdo. Enjoy: Brooklyn threw a coconut to his younger brother, who then banged the sweet treat to open it up and taste the refreshing drink Bottoms up: Later on, she took a clip of her two sons showing off how to break open the coconuts so that they drink from them Her baby! Posh Spice has given further insight into seven-year-old Harper's newfound obsession as she revealed a Baby Spice-inspired hairdo Seemingly heading for an idyllic walk, Victoria posted a shot of the back of Harper's head as she rocked two bunches - in the style of Emma Bunton's Baby Spice. She added a caption over the snap reading: 'My very own Baby Spice', while Harper gave a peace sign - which was frequently flashed up by the group. Last weekend Victoria took to Instagram to announce that Harper has been watching Spice Girls' 1997 movie Spice World. In her original post about the tot's favoured new viewing, she shared a video of the pair cuddled up in bed, as she appeared bemused when her youngest child said she wanted a 'little Gucci dress' to be just like her. Like mother, like daughter: Last weekend, Victoria took to Instagram to reveal her daughter, Harper has been watching Spice Girls' 1997 movie Spice World Role model: Harper shared her mother's love for designer clothes as Victoria wrote atop the video: 'Not only is Harper obsessed with the Spice Bus... She now wants a 'little Gucci dress.'' She tearfully admitted that she was 'super embarrassed' after she was wheeled out of Kylie Jenner's 21st birthday face down on a stretcher earlier this month. But Tammy Hembrow, 24, looked to be enjoying her Bali getaway on Saturday, when she shared a sizzling snap of herself in a skimpy white bikini. Posing with her three sisters, the slender blonde looked a world away from her LA misadventure while posing at the luxurious Hidden Hills villa. Scroll down for video Looking all white! Tammy Hembrow, 24, flaunted her lithe frame in a white bikini while posing with her three sisters on their Bali getaway. Pictured is Emilee, 26 (left) Amy, 28, & Starlette, 18 Striking a sultry pose in the snap, the fitness blogger flaunted her enviable curves and impossibly flat stomach in the white string bikini. In the snap, Tammy is flagged by her three sisters, who are all contorted into a number of different poses at the luxurious hotel. It comes a little over a week after the mother-of-two was carried out of Kylie Jenner's 21st birthday party in West Hollywood, face down on a stretcher. She used the post to promote a competition that would award one devoted fan a chance to holiday like the bikini-clad clan. Bottoms up! Instagram model Tammy Hembrow flaunted her pert derriere in a G-string bikini on holiday in Bali on Friday... a week after being hospitalised at Kylie Jenner's 21st party She was transported from the Delilah nightclub face down in a stretcher after paramedics arrived just before midnight on Thursday, August 9. She was loaded into the back of an ambulance as Kylie's father Caitlyn Jenner, 68, and rumoured girlfriend Sophia Hutchins, 21, looked on in horror. Just hours later, she seemed to have recovered remarkably well and was enjoying a spot of shopping in upscale Beverly Hills. Recovered? Just hours later, on Friday 10 August, Tammy seemed to have recovered remarkably well and was enjoying a spot of shopping in upscale Beverly Hills Arriving back in Australia to a media frenzy, the fitness blogger took a quick escape to Bali in order to get some rest and relaxation. Keeping a reasonably low profile, Tammy has only shared a small number of snaps flaunting her lithe figure while in the holiday destination. On Friday, Tammy posed for the social media snap in an infinity pool, wearing a particularly skimpy blue bikini. The fitness guru leaned forward, accentuating her toned posterior, and glanced seductively towards the camera. She swept her blonde hair over one shoulder and appeared to be wearing a full face of makeup, including false eyelashes and highlighter. Earlier this week, Tammy spoke out for the first time in a YouTube video, blaming 'drinking' and a 'lack of sleep' for her horrifying collapse. She looked visibly exhausted and wiped away tears as she spoke of feeling 'embarrassed' by the incident before pleading with trolls to stop 'being nasty'. She's one of the biggest stars in the world, so it's no surprise she is mobbed by fans wherever she goes. But on Friday, Kim Kardashian's adoring fans nearly impeded in her ability to drive down the street - leaving her security to clear the way for her and ensure admirers were snapping photos from a safe distance. 'Because it gets too crazy with people coming up to the car when we drive, my security has to walk alongside our car,' Kim says in the footage. Pros and cons: On Friday, Kim Kardashian's adoring fans nearly impeded in her ability to drive down the street - leaving her security to clear the way for her and ensure admirers were snapping photos from a safe distance The social media bombshell went to Instagram and posted a video of the chaos surrounding her while out and about in Miami. In the clip, she's seen driving around with pals Larsa Pippen and Jonathan Cheban as fans mob her ride when it comes to a stop. The mother of three's security steps in and has to walk alongside her car to stop onlookers from getting too close. Fans are seen coming up to the vehicle's window trying to snap photos of the star and her famous friends. Security: The social media bombshell went to Instagram and posted a video of the chaos surrounding her while out and about in Miami Intense situation: In the clip, Kim's seen driving around with pals Larsa Pippen and Jonathan Cheban as fans mob her ride when it comes to a stop Famous life: Fans were seen coming up to the vehicle's window trying to snap photos of the star and her famous friends Night out: Kim Kardashian makes fans go wild as she steps out in Miami wearing a bright neon colored outfit and driving a matching colored massive Mercedes Benz during fun night out in Miami Fun with friends: Kim was seen leaving Mr Chow restaurant in Miami South Beach with her friends Larsa Pippen, Jonathan Cheban and club owner Dave Grutman, before arriving at LIV night club Kim was seen leaving Mr Chow restaurant in Miami South Beach with her friends and club owner Dave Grutman, before arriving at LIV night club. That same night Kim and company were seen out and about where Kim flaunted in a neon ensemble that showed off her underwear and splotchy tan job. The makeup mogul showed off her trim figure in a one-shoulder crop top in a fluorescent yellow hue along with a matching ruched midi skirt which showed lots of leg. Why Miami? Kim is in southern Florida city to attend rapper 2 Chainz wedding to partner Kesha Ward on Saturday Fancy life: The reality star and her rapper husband Kanye West will be just some of the 75 VIPs gracing the lavish ceremony at Villa Casa Casuarina, where Gianni Versace once lived, as Page Six reported Unfortunately for the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star, the split on her skirt gaped open to show a splotchy tanning job at the top of her leg. Kim is in Miami to attend rapper 2 Chainz wedding to partner Kesha Ward on Saturday. The reality star and her rapper husband Kanye West will be just some of the 75 VIPs gracing the lavish ceremony at Villa Casa Casuarina, where Gianni Versace once lived, as Page Six reported. Style: That same night Kim and company were seen out and about in Miami where Kim flaunted in a neon ensemble that showed off her underwear and splotchy tan job She's the It-girl daughter of Lionel Richie has modelled for the likes of Chanel, Dolce and Gabbana, Michael Kors and Tommy Hilfiger. And next month, Sofia Richie will travel Down Under for the first time for a special collaboration with an Australian footwear brand. The 20-year-old stunner told The Daily Telegraph ahead of her September visit: 'I am so excited, I have never been (to Australia) so I cant wait!' 'He showed me their shoes and I loved them': Sofia Richie will visit Australia for in-store appearances at Windor Smith after boyfriend Scott Dissick introduced her to the label Her trip is promotional based, and will see Sofia making multiple in-store appearances for label, Windsor Smith. Sofia told the publication that her boyfriend Scott Dissick (the ex of Kourtney Kardashian), introduced her to the brand. 'He showed me their shoes and I wore a white pair of sneakers and I loved them and wore them all the time and thats how it all started.' 'That's how it all started': Her trip is promotional based, and will see Sofia making multiple in-store appearances for label, Windsor Smith, after boyfriend Scott Dissick (LEFT) introduced her to the Australian label However, Sofia appears to be leaving boyfriend Scott at home for the brief vacation, mentioning that her best friend will act as her travel companion and tour guide. 'She has shown me pictures of your beautiful beaches so I definitely want to see them,' Sofia said. Sofia and Scott were first linked in May 2017. Famous father: The It-girl daughter of Lionel Richie (R) has modelled for the likes of Chanel, Dolce and Gabbana, Michael Kors and Tommy Hilfiger However, while the model uses her high-profile as a celebrity to help promote many fashion labels, she hopes to follow in the footsteps of her adopted sister Nicole Richie and launch her own. In my family everyone works hard in their own field and does very well... My dad put a strong work ethic in to us.' 'I want to do my own thing and make my mark on the world. My big goal has always been to have my own clothing line,' she said. She's one of the UK's most stylish stars and even has her own clothing range. And Alexa Chung showed off her flair for fashion once again as she joined her newly flame-haired pal Pixie Geldof on their idyllic beach day in Mallorca, Spain, on Thursday. The former Popworld star, 34, flaunted her slender frame in a black swan print bikini, which had blue and green detailing on the hems. Stylish star: Alexa Chung showed off her flair for fashion once again on an idyllic beach day in Mallorca, Spain, on Thursday She accessorised her effortlessly chic beach look with an oversized straw bag and a pair of simple gold hoop earrings. Later on in the day, Alexa covered-up her swimwear with an oversized red and white striped shirt. She added a white straw hat and brown suede tasselled ballet pumps to complete her stylish ensemble. Star-studded getaway: She joined her newly flame-haired pal Pixie Geldof for the beach day Effortlessly chic: The former Popworld star, 34, flaunted her slender frame in a black swan print bikini, which had blue and green detailing on the hems Style Queen: She accessorised her effortlessly chic beach look with an oversized straw bag and a pair of simple gold hoop earrings Natural beauty: Alexa showed off her flawless complexion as she went make-up free and let her hair dry naturally from a swim in the sea Fun in the sun: The model appeared in good spirits as she joined her friend, Pixie Geldof, and their other pals for the fun beach day Alexa showed off her flawless complexion as she went make-up free and let her hair dry naturally from a swim in the sea. The model appeared in good spirits as she joined her friend, Pixie Geldof, and their other pals for the fun beach day. At one stage, Alexa showed off her flair for watersports as she enjoyed a spot of snorkelling in the crystal clear sea. Yummy: Later on, she enjoyed some lunch on the beach as she tucked into a tasty-looking baguette Talented: At one stage, Alexa showed off her flair for watersports as she enjoyed a spot of snorkelling in the crystal clear sea Adventurous: The group of friends appeared in good spirits as they explored the sea and rocks While later on, she enjoyed some lunch on the beach as she tucked into a tasty-looking baguette. Also making a stylish impression was Pixie, who underwent three outfit changes for the fun day out. The model, 27, whose father is Bob Geldof, looked effortlessly chic in a stylish black swimsuit with thin straps as she brought her beloved pet dog along too. Outfit change: Later on in the day, Alexa covered-up her swimwear with an oversized red and white striped shirt Details: She added a white straw hat and brown suede tasselled ballet pumps to complete her stylish ensemble Fashion pals: Also making a stylish impression was Pixie, who underwent three outfit changes for the fun day out She accessorised the item of swimwear with a silver cross necklace and a collection of bracelets. Later on in the day, she covered-up her swimsuit and wrapped herself up in a strapless pink and sequined mandala patterned dress. While her final outfit change of the day saw Pixie cut a more casual figure of denim shorts over her black swimsuit, which she layered with a blue tropical print shirt. Catch up: The model, 27, whose father is Bob Geldof, looked effortlessly chic in a stylish black swimsuit with thin straps as she brought her beloved pet dog along too 90s style: She accessorised the item of swimwear with a silver cross necklace and a collection of bracelets Fearless: The model let her hair down as she enjoyed the beach day and jumped into the sea from the rocks New hairdo: Pixie showed off her new flame coloured hairstyle for the holiday Chilled: The model appeared in holiday mode as she enjoyed a cigarette with her friends on the beach, cuddled her pet pooch and later enjoyed a spot of picnic-style lunch The model appeared in holiday mode as she enjoyed a cigarette with her friends on the beach, cuddled her pet pooch and later enjoyed a spot of picnic-style lunch. Pixie showed off her new flame coloured locks as she went make-up free. Alexa was thought to have rekindled her relationship with actor Alexander Skarsgard in March, but was seen holding hands with ex Matthew Hitt just two months later. She seemed to reference her split from the rocker in an interview with Porter this February, while simultaneously heaping praise on Tarzan actor Alexander. Beach babe: She went make-up free as she let her red locks dry naturally from the beach day Outfit number three: While her final outfit change of the day saw Pixie cut a more casual figure of denim shorts over her black swimsuit Funky: She completed the ensemble by layering an unbuttoned blue tropical print shirt over the top Healthy: Pixie enjoyed a piece of fruit later on in the day as she headed to their car '[My best friend] was there for the heartbreak years,' she told the magazine. 'I think we spent thousands of dollars on booze and eggs. Then I fell in love with Tarzan,' she said. Referencing Alexander again, she elaborated: 'Hes an amazing man, very structured, responsible and supportive. 'Hes very good at, not making me more grown up, per se, but at making me take myself more seriously.' Meanwhile, the holiday destination will bring back nostalgic and romantic memories for Pixie who married her husband George Barnett in the Spanish destination in 2017. She starred on the covers of glossy magazines all over the world and walked the catwalk for Victoria's Secret. So it's little wonder Behati Prinsloo, 30, looked hot off the runway when she headed out to a club in West Hollywood, California on Saturday. The Victoria's Secret Angel model teased a glimpse of her stomach in her lilac corset-style top which grazed her tummy six months after giving birth to Gio. Sensational shape: Behati Prinsloo displayed her tiny waist in tight lilac corset as she carried her stilettos on night out in West Hollywood on Saturday Behati nailed her double denim look by tying her jacket around her waist and stepping out in distressed jeans. Out on the tiles, the Namibian born beauty braved going barefoot as she kicked off her stilettos and carried them in her hand. The model enhanced her striking good looks with neutral tones of make-up and she tucked her straight locks behind her ears. Stepping out: Out on the tiles, the Namibian born beauty braved going barefoot as she kicked off her stilettos and carried them in her hand Behati was joyous as she spent time with her close friend Matt Holloway, who swapped being her agent for a PR director role at the skincare brand iS Clinical. The runway beauty returned to the runway for an Alexander Wang show in New York City in June for the first time after giving birth to her second daughter Gio Grace. Mother-of-two Behati has snapped back into shape after welcoming her little girl into the world six months ago in February. So trendy: The mother-of-two nailed her double denim look by tying her jacket around her waist and stepping out in distressed jeans She also raises her one-year-old daughter Dusty Rose, whom she shares with her husband Adam Levine. The model and Maroon 5 frontman were married in a romantic ceremony in Mexico in July back in 2014. Behati and Adam have gone from strength to strength since their love story began back in 2012. Must be love: Behati has been happy with her husband Adam Levine with whom she shares her two daughters (pictured together in 2014, New York City) ZEMD stated that the joint venture was set up between the Cuban Mercantile Society Industrias Nexus S.A. and the Vietnamese Thai Binh Detergent Joint - Stock Company, and will be allowed to operate for a period of 30 years. The plant is scheduled to be built over 24 months and have a capacity of producing 50,000 tonnes of detergents for domestic and industrial use per year. It is expected to replace over 90% of Cubas imports of detergent per year. The plant is estimated to have a total investment of US$17.6 million and will be equipped with modern technologies and an automatic control system. The statement also stated that the plant will be environmentally friendly, while requiring lower energy consumption and generating a minimum of industrial waste. The Thai Binh Company has been present in Cuba for 20 years and was one of the first companies to export Vietnamese products to Latin America, including clothing, footwear, consumer goods, food and construction materials. Located 45km from Havana, the ZEDM has 36 approved businesses and is seeking to encourage national production and facilitate foreign investment. He spent the summer looking for romance during his stint on Love Island. And now it appears Dr Alex George has turned his search for love into a search for a new flatmate, suggested by a hilarious Spareroom advert posted online. The A&E doctor, 27, appeared to take to the advertising site in search of somebody to share his Brixton pad with after spending the summer in Majorca. Flatmate search: It appears Dr Alex George has turned his search for love into a search for a new flatmate, suggested by a hilarious Spareroom advert Although it is unclear whether it is actually Dr Alex behind the advert, the tongue in cheek announcement certainly has all the credentials to be the Love Island star. The advert begins: ' Oh hell! Looks like the times come for me to get myself a flatmate. 'I went away for 8 weeks this summer with high hopes of striking up a holiday romance, but it didnt go entirely to plan so now Im back to reality and looking for someone else to fill the spare room in my Brixton flat.' Summer of fun! The A&E doctor, 27, appeared to take to the advertising site in search of somebody to share his Brixton pad with after spending the summer in Majorca Dr Alex then goes on to share a bit about himself, revealing that he is 27 and a junior doctor, but has recently landed himself a TV role. He continues: 'Im originally from Wales, but I moved up to London after my degree at Exeter to start my dream job working in the A&E department in Lewisham. Then I was lucky enough to get some time off this summer to go on an epic trip away, and its changed my life to be honest.' Hoping to find someone with similar interests he also divulges that he enjoys banter, salmon pink shirts, telling people about his job and girls - despite being unlucky in love. Is it him? Although it is unclear whether it is actually Dr Alex behind the advert, the tongue in cheek announcement he certainly has all the credentials to be the Love Island star Dr Alex's new flatmate will also get to meet the cast of the this year's Love Island as the advert states 'his new friendship group will be round a lot'. He also jokes that the lucky tenant will hopefully have some 'attractive female friends' for him to get to know. Giving a further insight into the details of the flat he says: 'The flat is well-sized, good proximity to Brixton tube, and light and airy. Im not in too much, so youd probably get a lot of space I find myself getting all sorts of invites to things these days. 'However when I am around, it would be nice if we could crack open the beers and chat about girls. Or the NHS. An interest in both would be great. 'If you think you fit the bill, drop me a message! But please dont mug me off...' A representative for Dr Alex later said: 'I can confirm that the ad wasnt posted by Alex.' He has showcased his talents by mastering a number of different roles from Sherlock Holmes to Alan Turing in The Imitation Game. So it's no surprise Benedict Cumberbatch has reportedly scooped 7.5million to shoot scenes for the sequel of superhero movie Doctor Strange. The Sherlock star, 42, will reprise his leading part as Dr. Stephen Strange with a 5million pay rise on the money he made while shooting the first movie in 2016. 'He's a huge player in the Marvel universe': Benedict Cumberbatch 'set to bring home 7.5million for Doctor Strange sequel as he scooped FIVE million pay rise' Of his pay rise, a movie source told The Mirror: 'Benedict has become a huge player in the Marvel universe. 'But the nature of the shoot for the sequel means were looking at 2020 for the next time we see the sleuth in a full series if it happens at all.' MailOnline has approached Benedict Cumberbatch's representatives for comment. Money, money, money! The Sherlock star, 42, will reprise his leading part as Dr. Stephen Strange with a 5million pay rise on the cash he made while shooting the first movie in 2016 Benedict is expected to start work on the sequel of Doctor Strange next spring. The first movie charts the story of Dr. Strange's journey into the mystic arts after traditional medicine fails to help him regain the use of his hands. Benedict has reportedly raked in 4.2million from his acting duties on Doctor Strange, Thor Ragnarok and the latest two Avengers movies. Famous faces: He has showcased his talents by mastering a number of different roles from Sherlock Holmes (pictured) to Alan Turing in The Imitation Game Elsewhere, Benedict shared his views that male actors should do more to ensure their female co-stars are paid the same as them. The actor suggested male stars should be asking what their female colleagues are being paid and if it isn't the same, they should take a stand. He told The Radio Times: 'It's about implementation. Equal pay and a place at the table are the central tenets of feminism. Look at your quotas. 'Ask what women are being paid, and say: "If she's not paid the same as the men, I'm not doing it".' Also in the interview, Benedict candidly discussed how he finds learning lines hard despite being one of the most talented actors working in television. He elaborated: 'Ive always found learning lines very hard. It doesnt come easy.' He's the proud father of two beautiful daughters with his wife Blake Lively. And Ryan Reynolds was spotted holding one-year-old Inez's hand as they walked to a deli to get a sandwich in New York City on Saturday. But it seemed to be a bit too far for the little blonde toddler so the 41-year-old swept his youngest up into his arms. Snuggling up: Ryan Reynolds looked set to kiss his youngest daughter Inez, one, when he was spotted carrying her on their way home from a deli in New York City on Saturday Ryan snuggled up to Inez and looked about to plant a kiss on her cheek. The Deadpool star was casually dressed in a dark blue short-sleeved shirt with a red pattern on it, grey skinny pants and white sneakers. A dark blue cap covered his hair and he sported a neatly trimmed salt and pepper beard and mustache. The celebrity wasn't wearing shades, opting for a pair of prescription glasses instead. She's got it: At first the youngster seemed keen to walk as she held her 41-year-old dad's hand Stepping out: Inez showed off her red shoes as she kept up with Deadpool star Ryan Little Inez looked as cute as a button in a flowery blue cotton top, pink shorts and bright red shoes as she toddled along beside her dad. There was no sign of her older sister James, three, or their actress mom Blake Lively, 30. She and Ryan, who hails from Canada, have been married for six years after meeting on the set of 2011's Green Lantern. They both have busy careers. Ryan is voicing Detective Pikachu in a film of the same name - the first live action Pokemon movie - due out May 10. All a bit too much: So Ryan hoisted the little cutie into his arms Fashion creds: The little blonde was dressed in a flowery blue top and pink shorts Casual chic: The hunky star donned a dark blue short-sleeved shirt with a red pattern on it, grey skinny pants and white sneakers He is presently filming action movie 6 Underground, directed by Michael Bay, which has yet to set a release date. He is also reprising his role as the voice of Guy in cartoon The Croods 2, set for release on Septeber 8, 2020. After that he has four movies announced. He will reprise his role as Wade Wilson, aka Deadpool, in X-Force and Deadpool 3; and he's set for Clue, based on the board game. He will reprise his role as Michael Bryce in comedy action-thriller The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard with Samuel L.Jackson and Salma Hayek, the follow-up to 2017's The Hitman's Bodyguard. She's known for her wild outfits when she takes the stage. And on Saturday Ariana Grande was once again turning heads, thanks to her eye-catching garb in New York. The 25-year-old Side To Side songstress kept things simple up top with a black tank layered under a black zip up hoodie. Hard to miss! On Saturday Ariana Grande was once again turning heads, thanks to her eye-catching garb A sliver of her toned legs were visible thanks to her jacket's thigh-skimming hem. Of course the real focal point of her outfit were her retina-searing canary yellow boots, which featured an over-the-knee length and sky-high heels. Her main accessory was a small brown purse worn across her front, and she also carried a beverage in her left hand. She parted her long brunette locks in the middle and allowed them to fall down almost to her waist. Nothing fancy: The 25-year-old Side To Side songstress kept things simple up top with a black tank layered under a black zip up hoodie Statement footwear! Of course the real focal point of her outfit were her retina-searing canary yellow boots, which featured an over-the-knee length and sky-high heels Dark eye-liner, subtle blush and light rose lipstick helped emphasize the Florida native's natural beauty. SNL star Pete, 24, went retro with his outfit, with a black windbreaker with very bright neon green and pink accents. A white t-shirt with 'Balenciaga' emblazoned across the front in hot pink, a pair of black track trousers and white sneakers completed his casual look. Exquisite! Dark eye-liner, subtle blush and light rose lipstick helped emphasize the Florida native's natural beauty Silky! She parted her long brunette locks in the middle and allowed them to fall down almost to her waist Unique style! SNL star Pete, 24, went retro with his outfit, with a black windbreaker with very bright neon green and pink accents The couple appeared to be in a good mood as they conversed and held hands while walking along a New York City sidewalk. And why not, when Ariana recently set a new record on Spotify. According to Chart Data, her new album Sweetener now holds the streaming service's record for biggest opening day for a female artist. The new release received over 15.1 million album streams on the drop day of August 17. Elyse Knowles made headlines earlier this month when it was revealed she was taking her ex-manager Sean Anderson to court. The Herald-Sun reported the reality star is reportedly suing Sean over the $60,000 commission she paid him from her winnings on The Block. But according to Sunday Confidential, this isn't the first time the 25-year-old has had legal dramas with an agent. 'The stress can literally make you sick': Chadwick's director Matthew Anderson told Sunday Confidential this week the modelling agency was previously embroiled in legal dramas with The Block's Elyse Knowles (pictured) The publication reported that Elyse Knowles and her former modelling agency Chadwick also severed ties in acrimonious circumstances. Elyse allegedly fired the modelling agency just as she was poised to sign a huge contract that had been in the works for months. Within days her lawyers sent letters making claims for all commissions in the months prior to the split - a move that led Chadwick to rethink contracts for their talent going forward. 'I've been at Chadwick for over 25 years, and I've never encountered anything like it,' Matthew told the publication. 'The level of trust you need to put in people in this job is immense, and when someone turns on you like that, the stress can literally make you sick.' Shock: Chadwick director and agent Matthew Anderson told the publication: 'I've been at Chadwick for over 25 years, and I've never encountered anything like it.' Pictured: Matthew with colleague Lyli Estalote Showdown: Elyse Knowles is taking her former manager Sean Anderson to court over the $60,000 commission fee he was paid after she and boyfriend Josh Barker won The Block. Pictured: Elyse with celebrity agent Sean Anderson Last week, the Herald-Sun reported Elyse was suing her former manager Sean Anderson for the commission fee he paid him after winning The Block. The bikini model wants the cash back because she's claiming that she applied for the reality show on her own accord without Sean's help, and therefore doesn't owe him the standard manager's fee. However, Sean strongly denies the allegations, telling the publication that he 'looks forward' to defending himself in court. Changes: Elyse's acrimonious split with Chadwick led the modelling agency to rewrite contracts for their talent to prevent the similar legal issues occurring 'We pitched Elyse and [her partner] Josh [Barker] for the show, organised their auditions, negotiated her participation agreement with Nine, managed all her Block publicity and so, quite rightly, commissioned her share of earnings from the show as per our contract,' Sean said in a statement. According to Domain, Elyse and boyfriend Josh Barker pocketed $550,000 after winning the 13th season of The Block last year. Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Elyse Knowles for comment. He's the TV chef-turned-best-selling author that's amassed a fortune thanks to his creative culinary masterpieces. But when it comes to his restaurant empire, Jamie Oliver, 43, has failed to cook up the same kind of success he's experienced in his many other ventures. Discussing the issue the Australian Jamie's Italian restaurant franchise has faced, the star believes Sydney's lock-out laws and his failure to listen to what diners really want caused the venues to struggle Down Under. Scroll down for video 'That's the reality...': Jamie Oliver 'blames Sydney's lockout laws and lack of pizza' as main factors for struggling Italian restaurant empire across Australia. Pictured on May 23, 2018 in London, England During an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday, Jamie discussed what exactly happened after Keystone, the local operator for his Australian franchise, collapsed. 'I went in and saved on the first kind of bit of trouble that we had with Keystone,' Jamie said after the company went under in 2016. 'Which was obviously a shame because they were being run beautifully. They were great restaurants but we got dragged down with the nightclub scenario.' The publication report that Jamie cited Sydney's lock-out laws, which affected Keystone's liquor venues, as blame, saying: 'That's the reality of what happened.' Opening up: During an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald , Jamie discussed what exactly happened after Keystone, the local operator for his Australian franchise, collapsed Making it work: 'I went in and saved on the first kind of bit of trouble that we had with Keystone,' Jamie, who claimed the lock-out laws in Sydney had hit venues hard, said after the company went under in 2016 When asked what he's learned from reclaiming the Aussie venues, Jamie says it has forced him to listen to what diners really want to eat. He added: 'They all really want a good pizza and I'm like: 'No, no, you get pizza at a pizzeria, that's what happens in Italy.' And the truth is, they don't give a s**t.' 'They want what they want so I've had to take a humble pill.' 'I was a bit holier than thou.' Time for change: When asked what he's learned from reclaiming the Aussie venues, Jamie says it has forced him to listen to what diners really want to eat - which mainly includes pizza A slice of the truth: 'They all really want a good pizza and I'm like: 'No, no, you get pizza at a pizzeria, that's what happens in Italy.' And the truth is, they don't give a s**t,' Jamie said Keystone launched Jamie's Italian Australian chain in 2011 and ran the empire for five years before it announced it had gone under in 2016. While the Canberra venue has since shut down, Jamie still has venue's in Sydney's CBD, Parramatta, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. Jamie currently employs 2,000 members of staff across his 25 restaurants all around the world. In February, The Sun claimed the empire had amassed $125 million in debts. If you bought a Powerball ticket in Narwee in Sydney's south for Thursday's $100 million Powerball draw, you just might be the winner of half of it. A unknown shopper has yet to claim their windfall, while a young Melbourne man is already planning what he's going to do with his $50 million Powerball prize. There were two division one winning entries nationally in Thursday's draw - one each from Victoria and New South Wales. Each division one winning entry takes home $50 million. The Lott officials revealed the unregistered Sydney division one winning entry was sold at Broadarrow Newsagency in Narwee. As the southern Sydney entry was not registered to a Players Club card, officials have no way to contact the ticketholder and break the mind-blowing news. Anyone who purchased their Powerball entry from Broadarrow Newsagency is urged to check their ticket immediately. Broadarrow Newsagency owner Mandy Tiaw said she was shocked to discover her outlet sold the division one winning entry. "I'm very happy to hear that of course!" she said. "It's very unexpected. I've only had this store for less than two months. "I hope the winner checks their ticket soon and is united with their prize." Thursday's division one win is the latest in a string of wins for the southern Sydney region. So far this year, the region has enjoyed 14 major lottery prizes worth more than $72.86 million. A man who bashed and stabbed his cable-tied friend, then sent a Snapchat video of the callous suburban Melbourne attack to his ex-girlfriend, has been jailed for more than four years. Jesse Georgiou, 21, assaulted his friend who had visited his Vermont home in February to help repair a vehicle. But Georgiou thought his mate had tried to "get in" with his former partner, so hit the victim on the side of the head three times, and "punched him four or five times in the face"," Judge Paul Higham said in sentencing this week. Georgiou dragged his friend by the hair towards the bathroom and shaved his head with a pair of electric clippers leaving the victim "petrified, his face bleeding and swollen". The victim was then taken to a bedroom for a further assault, bound to a chair with cable ties and filmed, Judge Higham said. Georgiou went through his friend's mobile phone and found a message between his ex-partner and friend "ending with a cross, indicating a kiss". He demanded to know why and again hit his mate in the head. "At this point your victim was crying. He was clearly terrified and in the most abject distress," Judge Higham said. "Your deliberate videoing of him in all of his distress and uploading that to social media for all the world to see - that was a truly callous act." The victim broke free before Georgiou got a knife and stabbed him in the leg, continuing to film. He eventually gave his friend a bandage and water, and let him go. "You were driven by a rage ... that rage was fuelled by your sustained use of methamphetamines," Judge Higham said. "The motive for your attack ... was simply one of jealousy." After receiving the Snapchat clip, Georgiou's ex-girlfriend contacted police. Before the attack, Georgiou assaulted a boy on his way home from school. Georgiou jumped out of a moving car, wrestled the 14-year-old off his scooter and punched him about six times in the head and stomach before grabbing him by the throat and leaving the youngster unconscious. "It was a completely unprovoked attack," Judge Higham said. "Your behaviour was disgraceful." Georgiou, who suffers depression, has a history of violence and drug offending, the judge noted. He pleaded guilty to two charges of intentionally causing injury and one charge of false imprisonment. Georgiou will serve a maximum of four years and six months in prison and will be eligible for parole after two years and nine months. He has already served 182 days. Complaints about the running of the Gladstone Ports Corporation have been referred to Queensland's crime watchdog. Deputy Premier Jackie Trad on Saturday confirmed in a statement that she and Minister for Transport Mark Bailey had received information raising concerns about administration of the GPC, which operates the Ports of Gladstone, Bundaberg and Rockhampton. A spokesperson from Ms Trad's office said the matter was referred by the ministers to the Queensland Treasury last week, with Under Treasurer Jim Murphy referring it on to the Crime and Corruption Commission late Friday. Receiving Australian Ambassador for the Environment Patrick Suckling in Hanoi, the official further stressed that Vietnam has paid due attention to rapid and sustainable development. The country has been aware of risks and challenges caused by climate change, he said, noting that Vietnam has performed as a constructive member on global frameworks like the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris agreement on climate change. At the same time, Vietnam has issued policies and guidelines to effectively cope with impact of climate change, he added. The official said Vietnam is working to diversify sources of energy, improve the content of renewable and new energy towards greater sustainability, and ensure energy security, thus contributing to protecting the environment and promoting sustainable development. For his part, Patrick Suckling placed great value on Vietnams socio-economic development as well as progress made in the Vietnam-Australia strategic partnership, especially in trade and investment. Vietnam is one of the countries hardest hit by climate change, he said, suggesting the country roll out suitable policies, especially those on sustainable energy, in order to adapt to and minimise the adverse impact of the phenomenon. Sharing Australias models on climate change combat, the ambassador emphasised that developing clean and sustainable energy is an important step to reducing environmental pollution and a solution that matches Vietnams potential. The same day, Politburo member Binh hosted a reception for former US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who is also President of Warburg Pincus, an American private equity firm. He highlighted the enhanced comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and the US across many fields, saying that Vietnam hopes to attract more US investors, especially in finance. He also briefed his guest on Vietnams economic situation, particularly the countrys aim to stabilise the macro-economy and maintain its growth rate, as well as its preparations for possible impact of the global trade war. Timothy Geithner expressed his optimism about Vietnams economy holding a lot of potential, especially in terms of cooperation between the two countries. The guest said he is impressed by the countrys marked growth and rosy economic forecast, noting that this is the reason for Warburg Pincus wanting to seek investment opportunities in Vietnam. Victorian truckie Scott Wilson is carting hay into drought-ravaged areas of NSW, doing his bit to help farmers struggling in the state's far west. Three of his rigs rolled into White Cliffs, about three hours northeast of Broken Hill, on Saturday on their way to a nearby station, offering some relief for at least one local grazier. As feed prices skyrocket because of the demand, Mr Wilson has kept his as low as possible. "At the end of the day, we've got to help these farmers," he told AAP. "They're struggling and it's just unfortunate I can't help them all. "I'd like to." The hay he's carting has come from around Horsham, with his company based at Koroit, near Warrnambool. He'll drop his load of about 140 bales off then head straight back with a view to returning to the region next week. Sadly, the hay won't go far. The property he's heading for on Saturday is going through about 400 bales a week to keep its stock alive. Despite the tough times being endured by those in the western districts, Mr Wilson said he remained struck by the determination of locals to continue to pay their own way and to remain positive. "They manage a smile no matter where you go," he said. "They're great people." A pilot who died while waterbombing a NSW bushfire "just loved flying helicopters," his heartbroken father says. Sydney Helicopters pilot Allan Tull crashed west of Ulladulla, on the state's South Coast, on Friday while waterbombing the Mount Kingiman blaze, one of scores burning across the state. The man's New Zealand-based father, Jim Tull, told 1 NEWS his son had flown for 30 years and "learned the helicopter business" while working on a family farm. "He loved flying. He just loved flying helicopters," he told the news program. He added that his son was "a good lad, always helpful". "Didn't see much of him lately 'cause he's always been overseas flying somewhere or other." Allan Tull had been building a home at Tauranga, on New Zealand's North Island. His fiance and two siblings, Sharon and Robyn, were devastated. "They're all pretty sad. Robyn's really hurt. That's the youngest one. She rang up last night, she found out and rang me and let me know and she was in tears," Jim Tull said. The pilot was regarded as one of the most experienced in his field, according to his employer. Friday's crash appeared to have occurred when the water bucket became stuck in trees and pulled the 1994 Kawasaki helicopter down. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating. Today's birthday, August 19: Australian businessman Rodney Adler (1959 - ) Disgraced Australian businessman Rodney Adler was at the reigns of HIH insurance when it collapsed in 2001. He was jailed for two and a half years for misconduct in relation to the fall of the company, and since being released has become a money lender in Sydney's CBD. Adler was born in Sydney in 1959 and is the son of Hungarian immigrant Larry Adler, who founded the insurance company FAI in 1960. He attended Cranbrook school and later earned a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of New South Wales and a Master of Economics from Macquarie University. Following his father's death in 1988, Adler was appointed chief executive by the board of FAI. The company was struggling at the time with a number of loan exposures in the wake of the stock market crash, but by the late nineties, it had stabilised under Adler. In 1998 FAI was acquired by HIH at a cost of $280 million, and a year later Adler became the director of HIH. By the time he took control of the company it was already in serious trouble, due to the under-provisioning of claims, and large losses in the London and US insurance market. Adler resigned as director in January 2001, and two months later the company collapsed. His actions in the lead up to the fall, including several dodgy investments, were called into question in the years following, and he was subsequently charged, tried and jailed in 2005 over breaches of his director's duties. Adler was also disqualified from acting as a director of any company for 20 years, and ordered to pay millions in compensation. He was released from prison in 2007 and described the experience as "degrading, outdated, boring and pointless" in an article written for The Bulletin magazine. The former businessman is now a money lender and corporate advisor and has become a part owner of a trendy Darlinghurst cafe. Last year federal police raided his offices in Sydney in relation to a drugs investigation that snared members of the Ibrahim family. No charges were laid against Adler. Shane Flanagan admits Cronulla must address their attention to detail in attack after being denied five tries in the past three weeks for obstructions. The Sharks had two tries knocked back in their 28-16 win over North Queensland on Saturday night, after one was denied against Melbourne last week as well as two in their loss to Manly a fortnight ago. "We must have (a problem)," Flanagan said. "Just a little bit of attention to detail. I think they have probably all been no tries looking at them. "We just need to fix it up a little bit. It's a matter of centimetres here and there on a couple of them." It's something Flanagan is insistent his team must fix in the next three weeks before the finals begin. "If you don't nail the opportunities in those big games coming up you'll be out the door pretty quickly - we'll fix it up," he said. "We're getting across the line but we've just got to fix up a few attention to detail things off the ball, it's not on the ball." Regardless, Cronulla's attack was good enough to help them keep pace with the top four in Saturday's win. The Sharks are now equal with fourth-placed St George Illawarra and fifth-placed Penrith on wins after the latter's loss on Saturday, but behind them both by less than 20 points in for-and-against. Cronulla look to be the form team of the trio and have the easiest run home in Newcastle and Canterbury, crucial given no team has won the title from outside the top four in the NRL-era. "It'd be nice. We've just got to keep winning with our last two games and see what happens with those other teams," Flanagan said. "If we win our last two games and don't make the top four we've just got to get on with it. "We just need to concentrate on what's next, that's the sort of attitude we have." Flananagn will sweat on the fitness of centres Ricky Leutele (knee) and Jesse Ramien (ankle), who both left the field injured on Saturday night, and didn't return. Flanagan was hopeful after the match neither injuries were major and that both players would miss just one week - in what would be their final home games before the pair leave the club at year's end. Meanwhile, second-rower Wade Graham is expected to make a return from a knee injury against the Knights next Sunday. An elderly pillion rider is fighting for life after falling off a motorcycle in far north Queensland while a man has been charged. The 73-year-old Mount Sheridan man suffered critical head injuries when he fell off the bike along Ray Road in Mareeba about 8.50pm on Saturday. The rider of the motorcycle, a 54-year-old Mareeba man, was charged by police with failing to provide a specimen of breath for analysis and driving under the influence of liquor or a drug. He is due to appear in the Mareeba Magistrates Court on September 3. Australian Luke Jackson has failed in his bid to become a world champion after suffering a ninth-round defeat in his interim WBO featherweight title bout with Carl Frampton. Jackson's trainer Billy Hussein threw in the towel in Belfast with his overmatched and outclassed fighter suffering constant punishment. Brave and determined, the Tasmanian refused to yield against a superior opponent. But Jackson was rocked by a devastating body shot in the eighth round that he never fully recovered from. With Northern Irishman Frampton landing shots at will, Jackson had no answers and soon after his corner saved him from further damage at a sold-out Windsor Park. Coming into the fight the 33-year-old Jackson was unbeaten in his 16-bout professional career but had never fought outside of Australia. The more experienced Frampton, a two-weight world champion, was fighting on home soil and a heavy favourite with the bookmakers. Jackson was hoping to land a major upset but it never materialised. After heavyweight star Tyson Fury had beaten Francesco Pianeta with an easy points victory on the undercard, the two featherweights took centre stage. But hometown hero Frampton was dominant from the opening round and a win appeared a mere formality. The 31-year-old was in control from the opening rounds using his superior hand speed and timing. In the fourth round Frampton landed several hooks as he increased his work rate. Jackson kept his feet but in the fifth round blood started to trickle from his nose. The Hobart native went on the offensive in the sixth, connecting with a strong left hand, but Frampton shrugged it off and continued his domination. Frampton increased his attacks to the head and body in the seventh before stunning Jackson with a huge punch in the next round. Concerned for his fighter's safety, Hussein called an end to the contest soon afterwards. WBO world champion Frampton is now likely to face England's IBF world title fighter Josh Warrington in his next fight. "I was happy, I was comfortable," he said. "I felt fresh. I felt like I was trying to land the perfect shot at times but I'm happy enough with the performance. "I know myself I've still got it but I had to go out and prove it." Prescription medications would be monitored in real-time under a NSW Labor plan to reduce the number of people dying from overdoses. State opposition leader Luke Foley on Sunday committed $30 million over four years if elected in 2019 for a tracking system similar to Victoria's 'SafeScript' scheme. The software will link pharmacies and GP surgeries through a database to stamp out doctor or chemist "shopping" and abuse of prescription drugs that are at high risk of misuse. It would also alert patients who weren't are they were slipping into addiction. It follows a report by the NSW coroner in which she called on the state government to urgently consider real-time prescription monitoring, saying it was "frustrating and depressing" that NSW didn't intend to introduce a system until it was being done at a federal level. The scheme in Victoria monitors prescriptions of opioids, painkillers, stimulants, tranquillisers, sleeping tablets, anti-psychotics and codeine. "The Victorian government is leading the way with Australia's first large-scale real-time prescription monitoring system and NSW needs to catch up," Mr Foley said in a statement. "I urge the NSW government to introduce real-time prescription monitoring. If it doesn't act on this, Labor will if elected in 2019." Burkina Faso is on the front line of the jihadist revolt in the Sahel, with gunmen launching coordinated attacks in March on the French embassy, cultural centre and the Burkinabe military headquarters in Ouagadougou Already burdened with jihadist violence in the north of the country, the fragile Sahel state of Burkina Faso must now confront the reality of an escalating threat in its east. Experts say the spread is the result of a squeeze on the insurgents in neighbouring Mali and Niger -- but to roll the rebels back, one of the world's poorest countries will have to dig deep into its threadbare pockets. Islamist attacks on Burkina Faso began in 2015, starting with cross-border incursions in the north. A toll released in April found that 133 people had died in the north in 80 attacks in three years, many of them state officials. Hundreds of schools and town halls have been closed. The capital Ouagadougou, in the centre of the country, has suffered three attacks in two years, leaving 60 dead. The east of the country is now in the firing line. Last weekend, five gendarmes and a civilian were killed when their convoy was ambushed at Fada N'Gourma, the main town of the Eastern Region. The lead vehicle in the convoy struck a mine, and those behind it came under heavy fire. "The method of attack isn't new -- we have had a number of this kind in the Sahel region. But this is the first in the Eastern Region," said Abdoul-Karim Sawadogo, a West African security expert. "The Eastern Region has been in the eye of the storm for some time. It was already reputed for attacks by criminals but now it is starting to be targeted for terrorist attacks," said Paul Koalaga, a consultant in geopolitics and security. On June 17, a policeman was killed in the town of Comin-Yanga in a simultaneous attack on the local police and gendarmerie stations. - In retreat? - Ironically, the attacks in the east could be a result of pressure exerted on the jihadists in Mali and Niger by France's Barkhane force and the new G5 Sahel force, which pools troops from five states, said Sawadogo. "These repeat terrorist attacks in the east seem to be the work of Abou Walid al-Saharaoui, a warlord in the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara group," he said. "He and his men have been routed in northern Mali and Niger, and ever since then, many people have been thinking that they may have retreated to the Eastern Region" in Burkina Faso. "The incidents there are consistent with his type of fighters, who specialise in ambush-style attacks, explosive devices and suicide attacks." Koalaga said the combatants were mainly "Boko Haram remnants who are falling back from Niger." Boko Haram is a hardline jihadist group that has caused the deaths of at least 20,000 people since it took up arms in northeast Nigeria in 2009. Its insurgency has spilt into neighbouring countries, including southern Niger, Chad and northern Cameroon. "Eastern Burkina is a sparsely-populated area and there are many forests where you can hole up," a military specialist said, speaking condition of anonymity. - Challenges - The expert said Burkina Faso's anti-terrorism strategy was "not up to speed." Its weak point, he said, was in the intelligence services, which were based on the Presidential Security Regiment -- a unit that was dismantled after an attempted coup in 2015 that implicated its former chief, General Gilbert Diendere who also served as the country's spymaster. "There has been a lot of effort, genuine will and reassuring talk by the government, but terrorism has clearly advanced," said Koalaga. "Burkina has to commit major resources to tackle the problem and to stand on its own feet, and not just rely on the G5 Sahel." The Xiamen Airlines aircraft landed on its second attempt before skidding onto the grass, ripping off its left engine and blocking the runway late Thursday evening A Chinese plane that slid off the runway at Manila airport was removed from the muddy spot where it had been stuck for more than a day, officials said, allowing normal operations to resume on Saturday. Around 165 international and local flights were cancelled on Friday and Saturday at the Philippine capital's main airport after the plane's bumpy landing, said airport media officer Connie Bungag. The Xiamen Airlines aircraft landed on its second attempt before skidding onto the grass, ripping off its left engine and blocking the runway late Thursday evening. The 157 passengers and eight crew aboard were able to disembark without suffering any major injuries. Moving the plane was complicated by heavy rains that softened the ground, making it difficult to install the two cranes needed to lift the aircraft, officials said. By noon on Saturday, flights had resumed their normal schedule, but some passengers were not impressed by the speed of the recovery operation. "At last," tweeted one disgruntled observer. "That's a record 36 hours." Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines spokesman Eric Apolonio said investigators had recovered the plane's black box and flight data recorder and would be summoning the pilots next week to find the cause of the mishap. The airport will schedule special flights after midnight to make up for some of the flights that were cancelled earlier, Bungag told AFP. Jockey Hugh Bowman rides Winx during the Winx Stakes race at the Royal Randwick course in Sydney Wonder mare Winx smashed legendary sprinter Black Caviar's Australian win record Saturday when she made it 26 in a row at a race named in her honour. The six-year-old darling of the Australian turf, the world's top-ranked horse, hadn't run since the Queen Elizabeth Stakes in April, but her victory was never in doubt. On a windy day at Sydney's Royal Randwick, Oriental Runner was first out of the gate and the early leader in the 1400m sprint. But with long-time jockey Hugh Bowman in the saddle, Winx positioned herself on the outside and as they came into the final straight powered away from the field to cross the line well ahead of Invictus Prince and D'Argento. "She heard the crowd erupt with 250m to go and she just dropped (her head) and went for it," said Bowman, who has ridden Winx to 25 of her 26 consecutive wins. "She has got absolutely no chinks in her armour." Black Caviar was unbeaten in all 25 races she ran before retiring in 2013 and is widely considered the greatest sprinter the world has seen. Now aged 12, she has since given birth to several foals. It has been thoroughbred Winx, from Magic Bloodstock Racing, who has been invincible in recent times. She has won the last three Cox Plates, Australia's most prestigious weight-for-age race, and been the world's top-rated turf horse for the past two years. She was heavily backed as odds on favourite Saturday with one fearless fan betting a massive Aus$140,000 (US$100,000) that she would cross the line first. "She's an amazing horse," said trainer Chris Waller, close to tears. "I can't really think straight, but she's a sporting icon and I'm so proud. She's just too good." The race, over seven furlongs, was known as the Group 1 Warwick Stakes, but renamed the Winx Stakes last year in the mare's honour. Before the race Waller said she could get even better. "I think there's more chance of her improving than going backwards," he said ahead of Australia's spring racing season. The information was revealed at a meeting between Deputy Defence Minister Sen. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh and UK Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward in Hanoi on August 17. At the meeting, the two sides shared the view that defence cooperation between the countries has been developing well, especially in terms of delegation exchange, training, and participation in the United Nations peacekeeping force. Deputy Minister Vinh appreciated the UKs effective support for Vietnams preparations for sending the level-2 field hospital to South Sudan. He asked the European nation to continue giving Vietnam advice on the deployment of sappers to UN peacekeeping missions and enhance cooperation in defence industry. Host and guest agreed that in order to lift bilateral defence ties to a new height and turn it into a pillar of their strategic partnership, the two sides should increase mutual visits at all levels, add and upgrade cooperation mechanisms, support each other at multilateral forums, and expand foreign language training for their military personnel. A base used by US-backed coalition forces is seen in the northern Syrian town of Manbij on May 8, 2018 US-backed forces have repelled a raid by the Islamic State group targeting barracks housing American and French troops in eastern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Saturday. The Syrian Democratic Forces and the US-led coalition supporting them were on high alert after the raid late Friday at the Omar oil field in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, the Britain-based war monitor said. "The attack targeted the oil field's housing, where US-led coalition forces and leaders of the Syrian Democratic Forces are present," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. Seven jihadists were killed in the attack, which ended at dawn after clashes near the barracks, he added. Contacted by AFP, neither the US-led coalition nor the Kurdish-led SDF were immediately available for comment. In October last year, the SDF took control of the Omar oil field, one of the largest in Syria, which according to The Syria Report economic weekly had a pre-war output of 30,000 barrels per day. "It's the largest attack of its kind since the oil field was turned into a coalition base" following its capture by the SDF, Abdel Rahman said. IS overran large swathes of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, proclaiming a "caliphate" in territory it controlled. But the jihadist group has since lost nearly all of it to multiple offensives in both countries. In Syria, two separate campaigns -- by the US-backed SDF and by the Russia-supported government -- have reduced IS's presence to pockets in Deir Ezzor and in the vast desert that lies between it and the capital. North Korea has accused the US of failing to reciprocate a series of its 'goodwill measures' North Korean state media blamed Donald Trump's political opponents for the "deadlock" over denuclearisation on Saturday, urging the US President to act boldly to make progress on the thorny issue. Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong Un held a groundbreaking summit in Singapore in June, which the US leader touted as a historic breakthrough. At the meeting the pair struck a vague agreement to denuclearise the Korean peninsula, but there has been little movement since. Meanwhile the North has criticised Washington for its "gangster-like" and "unilateral" demands for the complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantling of Pyongyang's atomic arsenal. On Saturday Rodong Sinmun, the North's most prominent daily, praised Trump for seeking to improve US-North Korea ties and achieve world peace, which it said would be the "feat of the century". "However, he faces too many opponents," it said in a signed commentary. The newspaper said Democrats and even some Republicans are hampering Trump's efforts for their own partisan interests while media hostile to Trump are undermining his policies. It accused bureaucrats and Trump's aides of "speaking and moving in contradiction to the president's will" and "distorting facts and covering up his eyes and ears in order to mislead him to a wrong decision". North Korea has demanded that America agree to declare an end to the 1950-53 Korean War, accusing the US of failing to reciprocate a series of its "goodwill measures". These include ending its nuclear and missile testing, the destruction of a nuclear testing site and handing over the remains of US troops killed in the Korean War. When Kim met South Korean President Moon Jae-in in April for their first summit, they agreed to push for a declaration of an end to the Korean War this year. But US officials insist denuclearisation of the North should be realised before such an event takes place. Trump's political opponents are "raising their voice, dismissing the Singapore joint statement and boycotting a declaration of an end to the war", Rodong Sinmun said. "The current deadlock in the DPRK-US relations requires President Trump's bold decision," it added. It also urged Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to brush aside speculation from opponents over the North's intentions. Pompeo, who is preparing for his fourth visit to the North, said Thursday his team was "continuing to make progress" with the North, expressing hope that "we can make a big step here before too long". Syrian fighters attend a mock battle in anticipation of a regime assault on Idlib province, during a graduation of new Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) fighters at a training camp on August 14, 2018 Syria's northern province of Idlib is home to the last major rebel bastion in the country, and part of it could be the next target of Russian-backed government forces. An operation looks imminent but may be limited in scope, giving more time for a deal with Turkey, which also has forces deployed in the area. How soon? The Syrian army, having retaken the entire area around Damascus and rebel strongholds in the south earlier this year, has sent reinforcements to the Idlib fronts. "Tanks are going north and Russian and Syrian officials are banging the drums of war in the media, so it seems likely there will be some form of offensive," said analyst Aron Lund. Syrian civil defence workers search for survivors after an air strike in the rebel-held town of Harem in Idlib province on March 22, 2018 On August 15, the pro-government Al-Watan daily described the reinforcements dispatched to Idlib as the biggest since the start of the war in 2011. The province hosts thousands of rebels who were transferred there after surrendering during previous government operations in other parts of the country. The fighters there, including the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham jihadist group that dominates the province, have been building defensive structures across the province, training new recruits and organising drills. The regime holds a small sliver of territory in the southeast of the province. What scope? The government of President Bashar al-Assad has, with Russian backing, rolled back many of the losses suffered at the beginning of the war. It now controls about 60 percent of Syria and 12 out of 14 provinces. Despite Assad's pledges to assert his authority over the entire territory, it is unclear what the immediate goals of an Idlib offensive would be. "I think a limited operation is most likely at this stage," said Lund, a fellow with The Century Foundation. He argued that taking on the entire province "would be a huge undertaking" and said a fully-fledged province-wide assault would "run up against Turkish resistance". Sam Heller, from the International Crisis Group think tank, also said: "A more limited offensive to capture some peripheral sections of the rebel-held northwest seems very possible, even likely." Experts say key targets could include the Jisr al-Shughur area in western Idlib and the adjacent farming region of Sahl al-Ghab, in the south of the province. Syrians gather amidst destruction in Zardana, in the mostly rebel-held northern Syrian Idlib province, after air strikes in the area late on June 8, 2018 The region is close to Latakia province, the coastal heartland of Assad's Alawite minority which is also home to the Russian military airport of Hmeimim. "The Russians are convinced that the drones that have targeted their airbase in Latakia are emanating from the area around Jisr al-Shughur," Heller said. Other likely targets are areas flanking the key M5 highway that links the country's north and south, running through Idlib. Foreign players The recapture of Idlib would be the final nail in the coffin of the rebellion, whose footprint has shrunk to around 8 percent of the country, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. But the biggest obstacle in the regime's way could be Ankara, which has forces deployed at observation posts there and supports some of the rebel forces. Displaced families from a village in southern Idlib head towards the northern part of the province via the Damascus-Aleppo motorway on December 30, 2017 Just across the border from Idlib, Turkey already hosts three million Syrian refugees and is keen to avoid a fresh influx. The scope of the offensive and the fate of some regions could be decided in ongoing talks between Ankara and Damascus's main Russian sponsor. "Turkey may possibly be willing to accept losses to some peripheral areas, on the condition that accepting them secures more durable Turkish control in Idlib's central and border heartlands," said Charles Lister, of the Middle East Institute. Turkey is being asked to clamp down on Idlib's jihadists, who are mostly members of Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, a strategy it has attempted to advance by uniting other rebel factions. "Simply and brutally, the salvation of Idlib is the death of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham," said Nick Heras, of the Center for a New American Security. Namibian President Hage Geingob, pictured at the UN two years ago, said the West demands things of Africa "they don't demand from other places" Namibian President Hage Geingob, who is hosting a summit of southern African leaders, on Saturday strongly rejected criticism of Africa by the West saying there was undue pressure on the continent. "People have an attitude about Africa," Geingob said in an interview with the French radio network RFI. "Things that they want Africans to do... they don't demand from other places," the president said. "In the United States, there are only two parties there, the same philosophy: how come in America there are no communists, no socialists?" Geingob also commented on the Comoros government crackdown that followed a controversial referendum, boycotted by the opposition, which allowed President Azali Assoumani to run for another term. "We would like to assess how he (Assoumani) wants to go about it. And those of us who have had a little bit of peaceful transitions and peaceful elections, will say 'my brother don't you think we should do it this way. Let us not please the West, but to please our own people," said Geingob. The Comoros is expected to formally join the Southern African Development Community (SADC) at the two-day summit which ends on Saturday. Geingob, who early this year denied corruption accusations stemming from a French anti-graft probe centred on the purchase of Canadian mining company Uramin by French nuclear giant AREVA, said he would never testify in a foreign court for the case. French investigators are believed to be pursuing allegedly illicit monthly transfers of $10,000 (8,750 euros) to Geingob made between 2008 and 2009. "If I committed a crime, it will be (heard) in my courts, nobody else's courts," he said. "I'm never going to testify in a foreign institution. I have my own institutions here. That's why I even oppose the ICC (International Criminal Court) because I say we must have our own institutions." He admitted that a consulting firm he operated while he was not in government had helped Uramin obtain a licence and was paid for that service. "They paid me. I declared that. It ends there," he said. Geingob, 77, was prime minister of Namibia between 1990-2002 and 2012-2015 before becoming president in 2015. Former United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan poses during a photo session in Paris in December 2017 -- the Nobel peace laureate was the first from sub-Saharan Africa to lead the world body Kofi Annan, who died Saturday at the age of 80, led the United Nations through the divisive years of the Iraq war and the trauma of the September 11, 2001 attacks. The first secretary-general from sub-Saharan Africa, Ghanaian-born Annan was credited for raising the UN's profile during his two-term tenure, from January 1997 to December 2006. The charismatic, quiet-spoken career diplomat will be remembered as the United Nations' star secretary-general -- and arguably the world body's most popular leader. But, as peacekeeping chief, two of the UN's darkest chapters -- the Rwandan genocide and the Bosnian war -- happened on his watch. "I have sought to place human beings at the center of everything we do -- from conflict prevention, to development, to human rights," Annan said in his 2001 speech after accepting the Nobel Peace Prize. At the time, as the world was reeling from the September 11 attacks, Annan and the organization were jointly given the honor "for their work for a better organized and more peaceful world." - Promoted from within - Annan -- the seventh secretary-general -- devoted four decades of his working life to the United Nations and was the first chief to rise from within the organization's ranks. After heading up UN human resources and then its budget office, he was appointed peacekeeping chief in 1993, a post he held until he was catapulted to the top UN job four years later. Later in his career, Kofi Annan (C - standing) joined the Elders group of statesman, pictured here in 2010: (From L) Graca Machel, former Brazilian president Fernando Henrique Cardoso, South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former US president Jimmy Carter, former Irish president Mary Robinson, Annan, former Norwegian prime minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari, former Indian parliamentarian Ela Bhatt, former UN special representative Lakhdar Brahimi and former South African president Nelson Mandela (seated) In recent years, Annan had returned to the diplomatic stage to lead an advisory commission in Myanmar on the crisis in Rakhine state. He had encouraged the government to grant citizenship to the Muslim Rohingya. More than 700,000 Rohingya were driven out of Rakhine in an army campaign last year. He also set up a foundation devoted to conflict resolution and joined the Elders group of statesmen, which regularly speaks out on global issues. - UN failures - In his autobiography "Interventions: A Life in War and Peace," Annan wrote that he envisioned the United Nations as serving "not only states but also peoples" as "the forum where governments are held accountable for their behavior toward their own citizens." Annan, shown here in 2008, said his "greatest challenge" as UN chief stemmed from the crises in Rwanda and Bosnia: "creating a new understanding of the legitimacy, and necessity, of intervention in the face of gross violations of human rights" The UN's failures to live up to that promise in Rwanda and Bosnia would shape Annan's tenure as secretary-general, he wrote. The blue helmets pulled out of Rwanda in 1994 during the bloody chaos and a year later, the world body failed to protect its own "safe area" of Srebrenica when Bosnian Serb forces rounded up and killed thousands of Muslim men and boys. Those debacles "left me with what would become my greatest challenge as secretary-general: creating a new understanding of the legitimacy, and necessity, of intervention in the face of gross violations of human rights," Annan wrote. - 'Diplomatic rock star' - While Rwanda and Srebrenica cast a pall over his tenure as peacekeeping chief, Annan transitioned into his new role as UN chief with ease. He quickly became a familiar face on television, his name made newspaper headlines, and he was a sought-after guest at gala events and New York dinner parties. Annan became something of a rock star secretary general -- here, in 2007, he is a literal rock star, with a guitar made from an AK-47 assault rifle in front of workers at Vienna's United Nations headquarters He was often described as a "diplomatic rock star." Annan owed his appointment to the United States, which had vetoed a second term for Egypt's Boutros Boutros-Ghali after relations went sour, but he often proved his independence from major powers. He annoyed the United States when he said the 2003 invasion of Iraq was "illegal" because it was not endorsed by the UN Security Council. Annan was later accused of corruption in the Iraq oil-for-food scandal, one of the most trying times of his tenure. Some commentators saw the 2005 investigation of Annan and his son as payback for his invasion comments. A commission on inquiry cleared Annan of any serious wrongdoing, but found ethical and management lapses linked to his son Kojo's ties with a Swiss firm that won lucrative contracts under the scheme. Annan later admitted that the scandal had sorely tested his mettle not only as secretary-general, but as a father. - From Ghana to Geneva - Born in Kumasi, the capital city of Ghana's Ashanti region, Annan was the son of an executive of a European trading company, the United Africa company, a subsidiary of the Anglo-Dutch multinational Unilever. In his autobiography, he describes coming of age along with the independence movement in Ghana, and experiencing a "complete change in culture and society." Annan, shown here in 2010, was the first secretary general from sub-Saharan Africa He attended a Methodist-founded boarding school at the age of 13 and went to university in Kumasi before receiving a scholarship to study in the United States. He studied economics at Macalester College in Minnesota and management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also attended the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. In 1965, Annan married Titi Alakija, a Nigerian woman from a well-to-do family. They had a daughter, Ama, and Kojo, but the couple separated in the late 1970s. He was married a second time in 1984 to Nane Lagergren, a Swedish lawyer at the United Nations and the niece of Raoul Wallenberg. They have a daughter, Nina. After ending his second term as UN chief, Annan went on to take high-profile mediation roles in Kenya and in Syria. He enjoyed some success in ending post-election turmoil in Kenya in 2007, but he resigned from a peace mission for Syria. Annan complained that divisions among world powers at the Security Council had turned his job as Syria envoy into a "mission impossible." Malian opposition leader Soumaila Cisse said he had won Sunday's run-off poll and dismissed the official results as "parody and lies" More than a thousand supporters of Malian opposition leader Soumaila Cisse gathered in the capital Bamako on Saturday after he lost a presidential run-off to President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita amid accusations of fraud. Keita was re-elected with 67.17 percent of Sunday's vote against 32.83 percent for challenger and former finance minister Cisse. In Bamako, the protesters played vuvuzelas and displayed their candidate's campaign posters, watched by dozens of police officers in riot gear, AFP journalists witnessed. Cisse, who said Friday he had won the poll and dismissed the official results as "parody and lies", joined his supporters mid-morning. "If you exclude the results coming from proven ballot-box stuffing in many polling stations as well as far-fetched results in many northern towns, I won the presidential election with 51.75 percent of the vote," he told reporters on Friday. His campaign team said some of the results clearly showed fraud had occurred -- such as voters casting their ballots in just 40 seconds in some polling stations, while in others 100 percent of the votes were cast in favour of Keita, according to the team's calculations. "The power in place is illegal. This time it is our turn, we have won, we will continue to march until the government resigns," said Fatoumata Konate, a member of the main opposition party. Cisse, 68, said he had filed an appeal to the country's top court for some of the results to be cancelled. Observer missions sent by the European Union and the African Union (AU), however, have said the election was not badly impaired. The three main opposition candidates had mounted a last-ditch legal challenge to the first-round result, but their petition was rejected by the Constitutional Court. Keita, 73, will take office on September 4, with hopes he can strengthen a 2015 peace accord between the government, government-allied groups and former Tuareg rebels. Mali, a landlocked nation home to at least 20 ethnic groups where the majority of people live on less than $2 (1.76 euros) a day, has battled jihadist attacks and intercommunal violence for years. Islamist attacks have spread from the north to the centre and south of the vast country and spilled into neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, often inflaming communal conflicts. US President Donald Trump -- shown here speaking to the press before boarding Marine One at the White House on August 17, 2018 -- took to Twitter to hit out at CNN and MSNBC US President Donald Trump on Saturday accused social media platforms of "totally discriminating" against users with right-wing views while dubbing mainstream news outlets CNN and MSNBC "sick." The president's comments come after several top social media platforms including Facebook and Spotify curbed or banned accounts of far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. "Social Media is totally discriminating against Republican/Conservative voices," Trump said in a series of morning tweets. "Speaking loudly and clearly for the Trump Administration, we won't let that happen. They are closing down the opinions of many people on the RIGHT, while at the same time doing nothing to others." The president called censorship "a very dangerous thing & absolutely impossible to police," adding that "if you are weeding out Fake News, there is nothing so Fake as CNN & MSNBC, & yet I do not ask that their sick behavior be removed." "Let everybody participate, good & bad, and we will all just have to figure it out!" Jones, whose site InfoWars has accused victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting of being "actors" in a plot to discredit the gun lobby, violated Facebook's hate speech policies, the social network said. Facebook said the pages were taken down for "glorifying violence, which violates our graphic violence policy, and using dehumanizing language to describe people who are transgender, Muslims and immigrants, which violates our hate speech policies." Twitter -- Trump's favored medium, where he boasts some 53.8 million followers -- meanwhile opted to allow Jones to keep using the platform but in a limited capacity, removing his ability to tweet for an unspecified period of time. Some reports suggested his account was put in "read-only" mode for a week, meaning he cannot tweet or retweet. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey meanwhile dismissed the idea that the platform discriminates against particular political viewpoints. "Are we doing something according to political ideology or viewpoints? We are not. Period," he told CNN in an interview, set to air in full on Sunday. "We do not look at content with regards to political viewpoint or ideology. We look at behavior." He emphasized that Twitter must "constantly show that we are not adding our own bias, which I fully admit is left, is more left-leaning." "We need to remove all bias from how we act and our policies and our enforcement and our tools," Dorsey said. A media aide for Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, pictured April 2018, took to Twitter to announce Buhari's return from vacation Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari returned from his annual vacation on Saturday, his office said in a statement, as the presidential race in the country intensifies ahead of February polls. "President @MBuhari returns to Abuja from the UK, after a 10 working day vacation," said Bashir Ahmad, Buhari's new media aide, in a statement posted on Twitter. Buhari started his vacation in London from August 3 without disclosing whether he would see his doctor while there, raising concerns about his health and his ability to campaign for re-election next year. The vacation was the latest of several trips that the 75-year-old former general took to the British capital in recent months. Buhari spent almost half of 2017 in London receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment. Nigeria's main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has always insisted Buhari is unwell and unfit to govern, but his aides have dismissed the claims. In recent weeks, Buhari's ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has been hit by a series of defections to the PDP. Though the opposition has yet to declare a candidate, the pressure is on Buhari to keep the broad coalition of APC members together and secure victory. The health of the head of state is a sensitive issue in Nigeria following the 2010 death of then-president Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, which followed months of treatment abroad and sparked political turmoil. Kofi Annan was the first sub-Saharan African to be Secretary General of the United Nations Ghana-born Kofi Annan, who died Saturday aged 80, was the first UN chief from sub-Saharan Africa, and it was on this continent that he experienced both the most difficult moment of his career, as well as some of his biggest diplomatic successes. Like a whole generation of officials, diplomats and foreign ministers, Annan was forever scarred by the failure of the international community to foresee and prevent the 1994 Rwandan genocide, where, according to UN figures, 800,000 people died, largely Tutsi. Kofi Annan was 56 and just one year into his term as deputy secretary general in charge of peacekeeping operations when the deadly machetes rained down on Rwanda's Tutsi and moderate Hutus. Under the military command of Canadian general Romeo Daillaire, the UN's MINUAR peacekeeping mission was deployed in Rwanda when the genocide began. But it failed to prevent the massacre, as a result of a lack of reinforcements, the deployment of which needed a Security Council vote. As the killing spread, the number of MINUAR peacekeepers was even reduced. On several occasions after the genocide, Kofi Annan acknowledged that his actions had not been sufficient to prevent the massacres. - 'Bitter regret' - Annan repeatedly acknowledged that he did not do enough to prevent the genocide in Rwanda "The international community failed Rwanda and that must leave us always with a sense of bitter regret," Annan said on the 10th anniversary of the genocide. At the end of 2006, one month before stepping down as UN Secretary General after 10 years in office, Annan promised never to forget Africa. He told the press that he "was not tired" and would want to "devote some time" to work on Africa, and "offer advisory services if my advice is needed". Just over a year later, that wish was fulfilled and the African Union called on his diplomatic skills to act as mediator in the political crisis in Kenya and to help stamp out the fires of electoral violence. Kofi Annan arrived in Nairobi at the end of January 2008. The country was torn by politico-ethnic violence, which displaced up to 600,000 people, after opposition candidate Raila Odinga contested the re-election of president Mwai Kibaki. Annan took a room in a large Nairobi hotel where he held preliminary mediation talks between the two sides. Hostile statements by representatives of government and opposition at the improvised press conferences in front of the hotel did not augur well. However, at the end of February, massive pressure from the international community -- spearheaded by the US -- Annan managed to wring from the protagonists a power-sharing agreement that gradually restored calm to the country. - 'Elegance' and 'eloquence' - By the time Annan left Kenya, it was almost with the aura of a miracle-worker When Kofi Annan left Kenya it was almost with the aura of a miracle-worker: employees in the Masai Mara wildlife reserve named a baby rhinoceros after him and his picture was frequently plastered over Nairobi's public transport mini-buses. The news on Saturday of his death elicited a wealth of reaction in Kenya. In a statement, former president Mwai Kibaki said that Annan "will be remembered for mediating for the return of peace in Kenya when our country encountered political turbulence in 2007" and he hailed his "inimitable elegance" and "eloquence". Ex-prime minister Raila Odinga said that the world "will always remember and honour Annan for what became known as 'the Annan Doctrine' in which he made it clear that the need to respect sovereignty cannot be used as a shield by governments to brutalize their own citizens and that the international community has a right to intervene, when governments fail to protect the lives of their citizens." Aside from Kenya, Annan oversaw -- in 2006 when he was still UN Secretary General -- an agreement between Nigeria and Cameroon ending a decades-old border dispute over the oil-rich Bakassi peninsula. And in 2000, he could not hide his pleasure when he announced the end of the war Ethiopia and Eritrea, obtained thanks to the mediation of Algeria. In fact, the two countries' armies continued to guard their common border with outright hostility for the subsequent two decades, sometimes with violent outbreaks. Annan nevertheless lived long enough to witness the Ethiopian prime minister and Eritrean president publicly bury the hatchet last month. White House counsel Don McGahn has reportedly extensively cooperated with the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller -- something US President Donald Trump said he authorized US President Donald Trump said Saturday he had authorized White House counsel Don McGahn and other staffers to "fully cooperate" with the investigation into alleged collusion between his campaign and Moscow. Trump's remarks came after The New York Times reported that McGahn had "cooperated extensively" with the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller, taking part in at least three interviews with investigators totaling 30 hours. "I allowed White House Counsel Don McGahn, and all other requested members of the White House Staff, to fully cooperate with the Special Counsel," Trump tweeted. "In addition we readily gave over one million pages of documents. Most transparent in history. No Collusion, No Obstruction. Witch Hunt!" Trump views the investigation headed by special counsel Robert Mueller as a stain on his presidency, and has repeatedly pushed for it to be ended. The Times reported that McGahn had provided "detailed accounts" about episodes relating to whether Trump sought to obstruct justice, citing a dozen current and former officials and other sources. The information McGahn provided included the president's attempts to fire the special counsel, and Trump's comments and actions during his firing of FBI director James Comey, according to the Times. The newspaper said it was unclear whether Trump knew the extent of McGahn's cooperation, noting that it is rare for a lawyer be so open with investigators. He noted that this year, Indonesia and Vietnam have both celebrated their 73rd anniversaries of their Independence Days. Both nations declared independence after World War II in 1945. The ambassador recalled that the first President of Indonesia President Sukarno and Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh were close friends. Ibnu Hadi expressed his joy at the Vietnam-Indonesia strategic cooperation, saying that the process of bilateral cooperation between the two countries has been in line with the Action Plan of 2014-2018. The diplomat highlighted that two-way trade in the first half of 2018 hit nearly US$4 billion, presenting a year-on-year increase of 24%. The figure is likely to double by the end of the year, which is 20% higher than that of 2017. Investment from Indonesia to Vietnam surged 36 percent in 2017, while those from Vietnam to Indonesia also recorded a remarkable growth. The number of Vietnamese and Indonesian tourists visiting the two countries is on the rise, he added. Indonesia is optimistic about achieving the bilateral trade target of US$10 billion by 2020, he noted. The celebration of Indonesia's Independence Day on August 17, 2018 is all the more exciting and meaningful when it takes place the day before the opening ceremony of the 18th Asian Games, Ibnu Hadi said. Indonesia is proud of hosting the event, themed Energy of Asia, for the second time, the ambassador stressed, expressing his hope that Indonesians friendliness and hospitality will impress international friends. The sport event is hoped to strengthen friendship and solidarity among not only athletes joining the event, but also people across Asian nations, he said. I am very impressed with the official visit of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong to Indonesia in August 2017, which was a great success, he emphasised, noting that the visit helped further promote bilateral relations in trade, education, agriculture, and maritime cooperation, he noted. Indonesia is preparing for President Joko Widodos official to Vietnam and his presence at the World Economic Forum on ASEAN 2018 in September, he said. The visits will undoubtedly further bolster bilateral relations between the two Southeast Asian countries across many different fields, he added. The diplomat affirmed that as Indonesias ambassador to Vietnam, he is honoured to cooperate, support, and maintain friendly relations with government officials, partners, friends, and all relevant parties; as well as making every effort to maintain good relations between Vietnam and Indonesia. He underlined that Indonesia has played an increasingly important role in the international arena. As the country with the largest Muslim population, the third largest democratic nation, the 16th largest economy in the world, and a well-known Southeast Asian nation, Indonesia has always contributed positively to prosperity and peace in the region and in the world. Indonesia is the largest economy in Southeast Asia, with its GDP reaching a milestone of US$1 trillion in 2017. HONOLULU (AP) - The Latest on the slowing of Kilauea volcano's eruption (all times local): 3 p.m. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is taking advantage of a lull in Kilauea's eruption to assess damage to the park. This photo provided by the National Park Service shows earthquake damage to Crater Rim Drive inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii on Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. Slowing activity at Hawaii's Kilauea volcano is prompting scientists to downgrade their alert level for the mountain. (Janice Wei/National Park Service via AP) The Park Service said in a statement Friday a specialized team will thoroughly assess damage from the eruption. The assessment will form the foundation of the park's recovery plan. Superintendent Cindy Orlando says the park is exploring short-term repairs to safely reopen at least part of the park. Two million people visit the Big Island park each year, making it the state's biggest tourist attraction. But the park has been closed since May because of the dangers posed by the eruption. That's hurt the island's tourism-dependent economy. The number of travelers to the island dropped 4.8 percent in June from the same month last year. ___ 11 a.m. Slowing activity at Hawaii's Kilauea volcano is prompting scientists to downgrade their alert level for the mountain. The U.S. Geological Survey said Friday it issued a "watch" for Kilauea's ground hazards. That's down from a "warning." But scientists say this doesn't mean the eruption that has destroyed more than 700 homes since May is over. Geologists say lava mostly stopped flowing on Aug. 6. There's a crusted-over lava pond inside a fissure cone and just a few spots where lava is entering the ocean. The volcano's summit hasn't collapsed since Aug. 2. Sulfur dioxide emissions are the lowest they've been since 2007. The agency has maintained a "warning" alert for Kilauea since May 3, when cracks began shooting lava out of the ground in the Big Island's Leilani Estates neighborhood. In this Aug. 11, 2018 aerial photo provided by the United States Geological Survey shows diminished volcanic activity on Kilauea's lower East Rift Zone. Slowing activity at Hawaii's Kilauea volcano is prompting scientists to downgrade their alert level for the mountain. The U.S. Geological Survey said Friday, Aug. 17, it issued a "watch" for Kilauea's ground hazards; that's down from a "warning." Geologists say lava mostly stopped flowing on Aug. 6. (USGS via AP) TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) - Taiwan is responding to China's arms buildup by developing missiles and interceptors of its own that could reduce Beijing's military advantage over the self-ruled island, defense experts say. Since President Tsai Ing-wen took office in 2016, Taiwan has deployed one set of missiles, perfected another and sped production of a third, the analysts say, in the latest sign of how it's handling a Chinese military threat that is raising the chances of an armed confrontation. Chinese President Xi Jinping has taken a hard line against advocates of independence for Taiwan and has sent warships, bombers and fighter planes on training missions circling the democratic island in a show of strength. FILE - In this Sept. 26, 2013, file photo, Taiwan's navy practices loading surface-to-air SM-2 missiles from a Kidd class destroyer during the Hai-Biao (Sea Dart) annual exercises off the northeastern coast of Taiwan. Taiwan is responding to China's defense buildup by developing missiles and interceptors of its own that could reduce Beijing's military advantage over the island, defense experts say. (AP Photo/Wally Santana, File) While Beijing has an increasingly overwhelming military advantage, Taiwan's missile systems advance its odds of holding off China in asymmetrical warfare, said Alexander Huang, strategic studies professor at Tamkang University in Taiwan. The term refers to effective resistance of an enemy with targeted firepower rather than overwhelming force. "Taiwan with limited resources can only invest in the area that would create some kind of asymmetrical advantage, which would dissuade the Chinese from taking actions," Huang said. "President Tsai has committed more or at least expressed willingness to invest more in the asymmetrical capability." The two sides have been separately ruled since the Chinese civil war of the 1940s, and China still claims sovereignty over Taiwan. Beijing has not ruled out using force to unify the sides, a threat it has highlighted amid Tsai's continuing rejection of its demand that both interact as parts of a single Chinese nation. Hsiung Feng IIE missiles built in Taiwan have been deployed to hit military bases in China up to 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) away, said David An, senior research fellow with the policy incubator Global Taiwan Institute in Washington, D.C. Those missiles also underwent a "substantial upgrade" last year to increase their effectiveness against ships, An said. Meanwhile, Taiwan has stepped up production of its indigenous Wan Chien air-to-ground cruise missiles by about 100, An added. Backing up those improvements, the locally developed Tien Kung system can now intercept Chinese missiles at ranges of up to 200 kilometers (124 miles), An said. PAVE PAW, a U.S. long-range early warning radar system located in Taiwan's high central mountain range, would track incoming missiles or aircraft. Taiwanese Defense Ministry spokesman Chen Chung-chi declined to confirm deployment of the Hsiung Feng IIE missiles after the military news website Kanwa Defense Review posted photos indicating they were situated about 50 kilometers (31 miles) west of the capital, Taipei, near the island's major international airport. Kanwa did not answer requests for comment. China's Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comments on Taiwan's missile program. "They are looking more at building their land-based military capabilities," said Collin Koh, maritime security research fellow at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. To pressure Tsai into meeting its demands, the communist leadership has flown military aircraft near the island a dozen times and passed China's only functioning aircraft carrier through the 160-kilometer (100-mile) ocean strait separating them. China has a powerful arsenal of missiles targeting Taiwan and raised its military budget by 8.1 percent this year, compared to Taiwan's increase of about 2 percent in 2017-2018. China is building warships at a world-setting pace, while also developing stealth fighters and bomb-delivering vehicles that travel at up to six times the speed of sound. Military experts call the deployment of the Hsiung Feng IIE missiles likely. "It has been successfully developed," said Andrew Yang, a former Taiwanese defense minister and current secretary general of the Chinese Council of Advanced Policy Studies think tank. "They've test fired many times and called it successful." China and Taiwan have never fought a full-scale war, though in the late 1950s, China shelled outlying islands controlled by Taiwan without taking them. Former Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou eased tensions during his 2008-2016 term by allowing talks with China on Beijing's terms, but frictions have resumed under Tsai. Success in an asymmetric war would hinge on Taiwan's budget, the ability of its hardware and China's attack strategy, military analysts say. Taiwan's current crop of missiles can probably hit ships and sink transport vessels, An said. Taiwan should also focus on resisting an amphibious landing, which China's People's Liberation Army Navy "has not demonstrated the ability to do without significant cost," he said. Taiwan still lags in submarines and stealth aircraft, An said. It looks to the United States for much of its air force fleet and hopes Washington will license it diesel-electric submarine technology. China routinely denounces defense cooperation between Taiwan and the U.S., but has been unable to prevent what limited arms sales and exchanges have occurred. Last Monday, President Donald Trump signed the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act, which among its clauses calls for a "comprehensive assessment of Taiwan's military forces" with an eye toward helping them. "Taiwan's greatest promise is the hope that the United States and its allies could decide to assist Taiwan if and when Taiwan is under threat," An said. FILE - In this Aug. 10, 2011, file photo, Taiwan's indigenous Hsiung Feng III missile is propped against the backdrop of a billboard depicting a missile-riddled aircraft carrier, closely resembling China's carrier "Varyag," during a media preview of the Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology show in Taipei, Taiwan. Chinese characters read: "Aircraft Carrier Killer." (AP Photo/Wally Santana, File) FILE - In this Aug. 13, 2015, file photo, two men speak under the Taiwan-made "Tien-Kung III" surface to air missile during the 2015 Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition in Taipei, Taiwan. Taiwan is responding to China's defense buildup by developing missiles and interceptors of its own that could reduce Beijing's military advantage over the island, defense experts say. (AP Photo/Wally Santana, File) FILE - In this photo Friday, April 13, 2018, file photo, released by Military News Agency, Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, second from left, listens to a brief on a missile at Su'ao naval station during a navy exercise in the northeastern port of Su'ao in Yilan County, Taiwan. Taiwan is responding to China's defense buildup by developing missiles and interceptors of its own that could reduce Beijing's military advantage over the island, defense experts say. (Military News Agency via AP, File) HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - The United States said it was deeply concerned over Vietnam's conviction and sentencing of an activist this week, calling the trend of increased arrests and harsh sentences of government critics "troubling." A State Department statement Friday also called on the communist government to release all political prisoners and allow all individuals to express their views freely and assemble peacefully without fear of retribution. Le Dinh Luong was sentenced to 20 years in prison and five years' probation on Thursday after being convicted of attempting to overthrow the government. Activist Le Dinh Luong, center, stands trial in central province of Nghe An, Vietnam, Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018. Luong was sentenced to 20 years in prison after the court found him guilty of attempting to overthrow the government at the one-day trial. It was one of the toughest sentences in years for national security crimes. International human rights groups have called for his release. (Bich Hue/Vietnam News Agency) The State Department called the charge "vague" and urged the government to ensure its actions and laws, including the Penal Code, are consistent with the human rights provisions of Vietnam's Constitution and its international obligations and commitments. Luong's lawyer, Ha Huy Son, said the main charge against his client concerned encouraging others to join the pro-democracy Viet Tan group in exile in the United States, which Hanoi considers a terrorist organization. Luong also participated and reportedly called on others to join protests in 2016 over pollution by a Taiwanese company that resulted in one of the worst environmental disasters in the country. Despite sweeping economic reforms over the past 30 years that opened the country to foreign trade and investment and made Vietnam one of fastest growing economies in the world, its government tolerates no challenge to its one-party rule. Amnesty International says 97 people are serving prison sentences for violating national security laws, while Human Rights Watch counts 119. ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) - The judge in Paul Manafort's financial fraud trial saiys he has received threats and he fears for the "peace and safety" of the jurors deciding the fate of the former Trump campaign chairman. U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III revealed his concerns Friday when explaining why he doesn't intend to make jurors' names public at the end of the trial. Jury lists are presumed to be public unless a judge articulates a reason for keeping them secret. "I've received criticism and threats," Ellis said. "I imagine they would, too." Kevin Downing, left, and Thomas Zehnle, with the defense team for Paul Manafort, leave federal court during the second day of jury deliberations in the trial of the former Trump campaign chairman, in Alexandria, Va., Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) The judge said he is currently under the protection of U.S. marshals. Jurors ended their second day of deliberations Friday a half-hour early, without reaching a verdict. They sent a note to the judge asking to wrap up at 5 p.m. instead of 5:30 p.m. because a juror had an event to attend. They return Monday morning. The financial fraud trial is the first courtroom test of the Russia probe led by special counsel Robert Mueller. And while the case doesn't involve allegations of Russian election interference or possible coordination by the Trump campaign, it has been closely watched by President Donald Trump as he seeks to publicly undermine Mueller's probe. On Friday, Trump issued a fresh defense of Manafort and called him a "very good person." "I think the whole Manafort trial is very sad," Trump told reporters at the White House. "When you look at what's going on, I think it's a very sad day for our country," he said. "He worked for me for a very short period of time. But you know what, he happens to be a very good person and I think it's very sad what they've done to Paul Manafort." Manafort is accused of hiding from the IRS millions that he made advising Russia-backed politicians in Ukraine, and then lying to banks to get loans when the money dried up. He faces 18 felony counts on tax evasion and bank fraud. The case calls on the dozen jurors to follow the complexities of foreign bank accounts and shell companies, loan regulations and tax rules. It exposed details about the lavish lifestyle of the onetime political insider, including a $15,000 jacket made of ostrich leather and $900,000 spent at a boutique retailer in New York via international wire transfer. Manafort's defense says he wasn't culpable because he left the particulars of his finances to others. His attorneys told jurors to question the prosecution's case as they sought to tarnish the credibility of Manafort's longtime protege Rick Gates, who was the government's star witness. Prosecutors say Manafort earned some $60 million consulting for the Russia-backed political party in Ukraine, and hid at least $16 million in income from the IRS between 2010 and 2014. They say Manafort declared only some of his foreign income on his federal income tax returns and repeatedly failed to disclose millions of dollars that streamed into the U.S. to pay for luxury items, services and property. ___ AP writers Darlene Superville and Anne Flaherty contributed to this report. Online: https://apnews.com/8b1cea8ba9ba49f98e06c77782add2ba Attorney Kevin Downing, with the defense team for Paul Manafort, leaves federal court during the second day of jury deliberations in the trial of the former Donald Trump campaign chairman, in Alexandria, Va., Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Kathleen Manafort, walks into federal court after the court received a note from the jury during the second day of jury deliberations in the trial of the former Donald Trump campaign chairman, in Alexandria, Va., Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AP) - Saudi Arabia is preparing to host the annual hajj pilgrimage beginning Sunday, as over 2 million Muslim faithful are ready to take part in the ultraconservative kingdom. The pilgrimage represents one of the five pillars of Islam and is required of all able-bodied Muslims once in their life. In recent weeks, the faithful have arrived in Mecca from across the world, all chanting "Labayk Allahuma Labayk," or "Here I am, God, answering your call. Here I am." The hajj offers pilgrims an opportunity to feel closer to God amid the Muslim world's many challenges, including the threat of extremists in the Mideast after the Islamic State group was beaten back in Iraq and Syria and the plight of Myanmar's Muslim Rohingya minority. Muslim pilgrims circle around the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, early Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. The annual Islamic pilgrimage draws millions of visitors each year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) "My feeling is indescribable to perform the hajj," said Imad Abdel-Raheem, an Egyptian pilgrim. "I also want to pray for all Muslim countries, for them to live free in all places, in Palestine and in Burma, in all places, in Afghanistan and in India." Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki, the spokesman of the Saudi Interior Ministry, told journalists Saturday that over 2 million Muslims from abroad and inside the kingdom would be taking part in this year's hajj. Men attending the hajj dress in only terrycloth, seamless white garments meant to represent unity among Muslims and equality before God. Women wear loose clothing, cover their hair and forgo makeup and nail polish to achieve a state of humility and spiritual purity. Since arriving, many have circled the cube-shaped Kaaba in Mecca - Islam's holiest site. The Kaaba represents the metaphorical house of God and the oneness of God in Islam. Observant Muslims around the world face toward the Kaaba during their five daily prayers. Muslims believe the hajj retraces the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad, as well as those of the prophets Ibrahim and Ismail - Abraham and Ishmael in the Bible. After prayers in Mecca, pilgrims will head to an area called Mount Arafat on Monday, where the Prophet Muhammad delivered his final sermon. From there, pilgrims will head to an area called Muzdalifa, picking up pebbles along the way for a symbolic stoning of the devil and a casting away of sins that takes place in the Mina valley for three days. At the hajj's end, male pilgrims will shave their hair and women will cut a lock of hair in a sign of renewal for completing the pilgrimage. Around the world, Muslims will mark the end of hajj with a celebration called Eid al-Adha. The holiday, remembering Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son, sees Muslims slaughter sheep and cattle, distributing the meat to the poor. While a holy, once-in-a-lifetime experience for pilgrims, the hajj is by no means an easy journey. The temperature in Mecca and Mina will be around 42 degrees Celsius (107 degrees Fahrenheit). Pilgrims walk between 5 to 15 kilometers (3 to 9 miles) a day. Long lines and even longer waits can strain even the most patient as they weave through the throngs of people. For Saudi Arabia, the hajj is the biggest logistical challenge the kingdom faces. Its ruling Al Saud family stakes its legitimacy in part on its management of the holiest sites in Islam. King Salman's official title is the "Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques," at Mecca and Medina. Other Saudi kings, and the Ottoman rulers of the Hijaz region before them, all have adopted the honorary title The kingdom has spent billions of dollars of its vast oil revenues on security and safety measures, particularly in Mina, where some of the hajj's deadliest incidents have occurred. The worst in recorded history took place only three years ago. On Sept. 24, 2015, a stampede and crush of pilgrims in Mina killed at least 2,426 people, according to an Associated Press count. The official Saudi toll of 769 people killed and 934 injured has not changed since only two days afterward. The kingdom has never addressed the discrepancy, nor has it released any results of an investigation authorities promised to conduct over the disaster. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia also faces threats from al-Qaida militants and a local faction of the Islamic State group. Days earlier, the Interior Ministry acknowledged arresting a Saudi wearing an explosive vest in the kingdom's central al-Qassim region who shot at security forces. Politics often intrude into the holy pilgrimage. Saudi Arabia under King Salman and his son, the assertive 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, have had strained ties with Iran, which boycotted the 2016 hajj They will be there this year, as will Qataris, whose small country on the Arabian Peninsula is being boycotted by Saudi Arabia and three other Arab nations. Meanwhile, a Saudi-led war in Yemen against Shiite rebels drags on without an end in sight. The rebels have fired over 150 ballistic missiles on the kingdom during a conflict that has seen Saudi airstrikes hit markets and hospitals, killing civilians. And perhaps most surprising, Canadians recently found themselves in the cross-hairs of Saudi anger over their diplomats tweeting their desire to see detained women's rights activists released. Al-Turki, the Interior Ministry spokesman, acknowledged both the threat posed by a possible missile launch from Yemen's rebels and militant attacks during the hajj. "Our policemen are ready to deal with any such threat and to sacrifice their lives in order to protect the pilgrimage from any threat," he said. Those on the hajj said they hoped for better relations across the Muslim world. "I hope this year would be a good one for the Islamic nations," said Ahmad Mohammad, an Egyptian pilgrim. "I hope the situation will be better, and I ask Allah to accept my pilgrimage." That was a feeling shared by Jordanian pilgrim Jehad Hussein. "I pray to Allah to grant victory to all of them, the people of Palestine, the people of Gaza, Syria and all Arab countries. Allah willing," she said. A Muslim pilgrim, only hands seen, prays near the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. The annual Islamic pilgrimage draws millions of visitors each year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) Muslim pilgrims touch the Kaaba stone, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, as they pray ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. The annual Islamic pilgrimage draws millions of visitors each year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) Muslim pilgrims touch the Kaaba stone, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, as they pray ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. The annual Islamic pilgrimage draws millions of visitors each year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) Muslim pilgrims touch the golden door of the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, as they pray ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. The annual Islamic pilgrimage draws millions of visitors each year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) Muslim pilgrims pray inside the Grand Mosque, ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. The annual Islamic pilgrimage draws millions of visitors each year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) A Muslim pilgrim takes a photograph of his relative near the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. The annual Islamic pilgrimage draws millions of visitors each year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) Muslim pilgrims circle around the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. The annual Islamic pilgrimage draws millions of visitors each year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) Muslim women pilgrims pose for photographs for their relative near the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, early Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. The annual Islamic pilgrimage draws millions of visitors each year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) Muslim pilgrims circle the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. The annual Islamic pilgrimage draws millions of visitors each year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) Muslim pilgrims leave Grand Mosque, after offering Friday prayers ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, early Friday, Aug. 17, 2018.The annual Islamic pilgrimage draws millions of visitors each year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) Muslim pilgrims walks on a road outside Grand Mosque, after offering Friday prayers ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, early Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. The annual Islamic pilgrimage draws millions of visitors each year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) Muslim pilgrims leave Grand Mosque, after offering Friday prayers ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, early Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. The annual Islamic pilgrimage draws millions of visitors each year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) Muslim pilgrims leave Grand Mosque, after offering Friday prayers ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, early Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. The annual Islamic pilgrimage draws millions of visitors each year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) Muslim pilgrims pray at the Grand Mosque, ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. The annual Islamic pilgrimage draws millions of visitors each year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) Large cooling fans spray water on Muslim pilgrims around the Grand Mosque ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. The annual Islamic pilgrimage draws millions of visitors each year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) Muslim pilgrims circumambulate around the Kaaba in the Grand Mosque, ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. The annual Islamic pilgrimage draws millions of visitors each year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) The sun sets over the city of Mecca as Muslim pilgrims wait to offer evening prayers inside the Grand Mosque, ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. The annual Islamic pilgrimage draws millions of visitors each year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) TRIVANDRUM, India (AP) - Thousands of stranded people were waiting to be rescued and officials pleaded for more help from relentless monsoon floods that have partially submerged the southern Indian state of Kerala, where more than 190 have died in a little over a week. Heavy rains hit parts of the state again Saturday morning, slowing attempts to deploy rescuers and get relief supplies to isolated areas. Many have seen no help for days and can only be reached by boat or helicopter. More than 300,000 people have taken shelter in over 1,500 state-run relief camps, officials said. But authorities said they were being inundated with calls for assistance, local media reported. In this image from video, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks out from inside a helicopter during an aerial survey of flood affected areas in Kerala, southern India, Saturday Aug. 18, 2018. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised more than $70 million in aid for the flood-affected Kerala on Saturday as he undertook an aerial survey to see the devastation caused by relentless monsoon rains.(Doordarshan via AP) "We are receiving multiple repetitive rescue requests," the office of the state's top official, Pinarayi Vijayan, said in a tweet, asking those in need to provide their exact location and nearby landmarks so rescuers can find them. Officials have called it the worst flooding in Kerala in a century, with rainfall in some areas well over double that of a typical monsoon season. The downpours that started Aug. 8 have triggered floods and landslides and caused homes and bridges to collapse across Kerala, a picturesque state known for its quiet tropical backwaters and beautiful beaches. Officials estimate more than 10,000 kilometers (6,200 miles) of roads have been damaged. One of the state's major airports, in the city of Kochi, has been closed. Meteorologists expect the rains to ease up over the next few days. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspected the flooded landscape from a helicopter and met Saturday with the state's top officials, promising more than $70 million in aid. While the central government has dispatched multiple military units to Kerala, state officials are pleading for additional help. "Please ask Modi to give us helicopters, give us helicopters. ... Please, please!" state legislator Saji Cherian said on a Kerala-based TV news channel, the Indian Express newspaper reported. Modi said 38 helicopters had been deployed for search and rescue operations in the state, which has a population of more than 33 million. "We all pray for the safety and well-being of the people of Kerala," he said in a tweet. Initial storm damage estimates were nearly $2.8 billion, Vijayan said. India's navy said it airlifted a pregnant woman from the floods on Thursday in Kerala and she gave birth to a boy shortly after the rescue. A doctor was lowered to assess the woman before she was lifted into a helicopter, the navy said. At least 194 people have died in the flooding and 36 more are missing, according to Kerala's disaster management office. More than 1,000 people have died in seven Indian states since the start of this year's monsoon season, including more than 300 in Kerala. In this image from video, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks out from inside a helicopter to see flood affected areas in Kerala, southern India, Saturday Aug. 18, 2018. Modi promised more than $70 million in aid for the flood-affected Kerala on Saturday as he undertook an aerial survey to see the devastation caused by relentless monsoon rains.(Doordarshan via AP) In this image from video, a man helps explain the terrane below, as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks out from inside a helicopter during an aerial survey of flood affected areas in Kerala, southern India, Saturday Aug. 18, 2018. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised more than $70 million in aid for the flood-affected Kerala on Saturday as he undertook an aerial survey to see the devastation caused by relentless monsoon rains.(Doordarshan via AP) A truck carries people past a flooded road in Thrissur, in the southern Indian state of Kerala, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018. Rescuers used helicopters and boats on Friday to evacuate thousands of people stranded on their rooftops following unprecedented flooding in the southern Indian state of Kerala that killed hundreds, officials said. (AP Photo) A boat carries relief material towards flooded areas in Thrissur, in the southern Indian state of Kerala, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018. Rescuers used helicopters and boats on Friday to evacuate thousands of people stranded on their rooftops following unprecedented flooding in the southern Indian state of Kerala that killed hundreds, officials said. (AP Photo) People salvage motorcycles in a country boat in a flooded area at Kainakary in Alappuzha district, Kerala state, India, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. Rescuers used helicopters and boats on Friday to evacuate thousands of people stranded on their rooftops following unprecedented flooding in the southern Indian state of Kerala that killed more than 320 people in the past nine days, officials said. (AP Photo/Tibin Augustine) Flood affected people are rescued in a tractor, right as volunteers go for rescue work in a truck, left, at Kainakary in Alappuzha district, Kerala state, India, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. Rescuers used helicopters and boats on Friday to evacuate thousands of people stranded on their rooftops following unprecedented flooding in the southern Indian state of Kerala that killed more than 320 people in the past nine days, officials said. (AP Photo/Tibin Augustine) People wait to be rescued in a country boat in a flooded area at Kainakary in Alappuzha district, Kerala state, India, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. Rescuers used helicopters and boats on Friday to evacuate thousands of people stranded on their rooftops following unprecedented flooding in the southern Indian state of Kerala that killed more than 320 people in the past nine days, officials said. (AP Photo/Tibin Augustine) People move past a flooded road in Thrissur, in the southern Indian state of Kerala, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. Rescuers used helicopters and boats on Friday to evacuate thousands of people stranded on their rooftops following unprecedented flooding in the southern Indian state of Kerala that left more than 100 dead. (AP Photo) People move past a flooded area in Thrissur, in the southern Indian state of Kerala, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. Rescuers used helicopters and boats on Friday to evacuate thousands of people stranded on their rooftops following unprecedented flooding in the southern Indian state of Kerala that left more than 100 dead. (AP Photo) In this Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018 photo, an elderly woman is evacuated towards safer area in Thrissur, in the southern Indian state of Kerala. Rescuers used helicopters and boats on Friday to evacuate thousands of people stranded on their rooftops following unprecedented flooding in the southern Indian state of Kerala that left more than 100 dead. (AP Photo) Indian men push their cycles past floodwaters after heavy rainfall in Ahmadabad, India, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. India receives its annual rainfall from June-October. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki) Indian children play in floodwaters after heavy rainfall in Ahmadabad, India, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. India receives its annual rainfall from June-October. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki) Over 2 million Muslims from around the world are beginning the five-day hajj pilgrimage on Sunday. They will circle Islam's most sacred site, the cube-shaped Kaaba in the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca, and take part in a series of rituals intended to bring about greater humility and unity among Muslims. Here's a look at the pilgrimage and what it means for Muslims: ___ Muslim pilgrims touch the golden door of the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, as they pray ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. The annual Islamic pilgrimage draws millions of visitors each year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE HAJJ? The hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, and all able-bodied Muslims are required to perform it once in their lifetime. The hajj is seen as a chance to wipe clean past sins and start fresh. Many seek to deepen their faith on the hajj, with some women taking on the Islamic hair covering known as "hijab" upon returning. Despite the physical challenges of the hajj, many people rely on canes or crutches and insist on walking the routes. Those who cannot afford the hajj are sometimes financed by charities or community leaders. Others save their entire lives to make the journey. A few even walk thousands of miles by foot to Saudi Arabia, taking months to arrive. ___ WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THE HAJJ? While following a route the Prophet Muhammad once walked, the rites of hajj are believed to ultimately trace the footsteps of the prophets Ibrahim and Ismail, or Abraham and Ishmael as they are named in the Bible. Muslims believe Ibrahim's faith was tested when God commanded him to sacrifice his only son Ismail. Ibrahim was prepared to submit to the command, but then God stayed his hand, sparing his son. In the Christian and Jewish version of the story, Abraham is ordered to kill his other son, Isaac. Pilgrims also trace the path of Ibrahim's wife, Hagar, who Muslims believe ran between two hills seven times searching for water for her dying son. Tradition holds that God then brought forth a spring that runs to this day. That spring, known as the sacred well of Zamzam, is believed to possess healing powers, and pilgrims often return from the hajj with bottles of its water as gifts. ___ WHY IS THE KAABA SO IMPORTANT TO MUSLIMS? Islamic tradition holds that the Kaaba was built by Ibrahim and Ismail as a house of monotheistic worship thousands of years ago. Over the years, the Kaaba was reconstructed and attracted different kinds of pilgrims, including early Christians who once lived in the Arabian Peninsula. In pre-Islamic times, the Kaaba was used to house pagan idols worshipped by local tribes. Muslims do not worship the Kaaba, but it is Islam's most sacred site because it represents the metaphorical house of God and the oneness of God in Islam. Observant Muslims around the world face toward the Kaaba during their five daily prayers. ___ WHAT ARE THE RITUALS PERFORMED DURING THE HAJJ? Pilgrims enter into a state of spiritual purity known as "ihram" that is aimed at shedding symbols of materialism, giving up worldly pleasures and focusing on the inner self over outward appearance. Women forgo makeup and perfume and wear loose-fitting clothing and a head covering, while men dress in seamless, white terrycloth garments. The white garments are forbidden to contain any stitching - a restriction meant to emphasize the equality of all Muslims and prevent wealthier pilgrims from differentiating themselves with more elaborate garments. Muslims are forbidden from engaging in sexual intercourse, cutting their hair or trimming nails while in ihram. It is also forbidden for pilgrims to argue, fight or lose their tempers during the hajj. Inevitably, though, the massive crowds and physical exhaustion of the journey test pilgrims' patience and tolerance. ___ THE FIRST DAY OF HAJJ The hajj traditionally begins in Mecca, with a smaller "umrah" pilgrimage which can be performed year-round. To perform the umrah, Muslims circle the Kaaba counter-clockwise seven times while reciting supplications to God, then walk between the two hills traveled by Hagar. Mecca's Grand Mosque, the world's largest, encompasses the Kaaba and the two hills. Before heading to Mecca, many pilgrims visit the city of Medina, where the Prophet Muhammad is buried and where he built his first mosque. ___ THE SECOND DAY OF HAJJ After spending the night in the massive valley of Mina, the pilgrims head to Mount Arafat, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of Mecca, for the pinnacle of the pilgrimage. They scale a hill called Jabal al-Rahma, or Mountain of Mercy. It is here where Muhammad delivered his final sermon, calling for equality and for Muslim unity. He reminded his followers of women's rights and that every Muslim life and property is sacred. Around sunset, pilgrims head to an area called Muzdalifa, 9 kilometers (5.5 miles) west of Arafat. Many walk, while others use buses. They spend the night there and pick up pebbles along the way that will be used in a symbolic stoning of the devil back in Mina, where Muslims believe the devil tried to talk Ibrahim out of submitting to God's will. ___ THE FINAL THREE DAYS OF HAJJ The last three days of the hajj are marked by three events: a final circling of the Kaaba, casting stones in Mina and removing the ihram. Men often shave their heads at the end in a sign of renewal. The final days of hajj coincide with Eid al-Adha, or the festival of sacrifice, celebrated by Muslims around the world to commemorate Ibrahim's test of faith. During the three-day Eid, Muslims slaughter livestock and distribute the meat to the poor. ___ Follow Aya Batrawy on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ayaelb . Muslim pilgrims circle around the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, early Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. The annual Islamic pilgrimage draws millions of visitors each year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) A Muslim pilgrim, only hands seen, prays near the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. The annual Islamic pilgrimage draws millions of visitors each year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) Muslim pilgrims pray inside the Grand Mosque, ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. The annual Islamic pilgrimage draws millions of visitors each year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) BEIJING (AP) - Malaysia's leader courted Chinese e-commerce investment in his country on Saturday, the start of his first trip to China since his stunning electoral victory three months ago. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's visit to the world's second-largest economy is being watched for signs on the fate of multibillion-dollar Beijing-backed projects he's said he wants to cancel. On Saturday, Mahathir toured the campus of Chinese online shopping giant Alibaba Group in the eastern city of Hangzhou, met with the company's founder, Jack Ma, and told the company's executives that Malaysia wants to explore ways to collaborate further with Alibaba, according to Malaysian state news agency Bernama. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad attends a meeting with Che Jun, the Communist Party chief of Zhejiang Province, in Hangzhou in eastern China's Zhejiang Province, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018. Mahathir is making a five-day visit to China at a time when ties between Beijing and the Southeast Asian nation are being tested by the Malaysian leader's suspension of multibillion-dollar Chinese-backed infrastructure projects. (Chinatopix via AP) He also visited Geely, which owns Geely Auto, one of China's biggest independent automakers. It owns 49.9 percent of Proton, a Malaysian automaker. On Sunday he will visit a Chinese drone company and meet with Malaysian businesspeople in Beijing. Mahathir, a vocal critic of Beijing-backed investment in his country, has tested Malaysia's ties with China by suspending multibillion-dollar Chinese-backed infrastructure projects. He's expected to attempt to renegotiate the terms of the projects during his meetings with Chinese officials. He will hold talks with Chinese leaders including Premier Li Keqiang and President Xi Jinping on Monday. Days before heading to Beijing, Mahathir said Malaysia doesn't need a Chinese-backed $20 billion East Coast Rail Link and two energy pipelines worth $2.3 billion. The projects have been suspended pending renegotiation. Malaysia's new government has called for drastic cuts to the projects' ballooning cost, which it estimates at more than $22 billion. Some of that money has already been paid and could be difficult to recoup. China said Tuesday that Malaysia should handle any problems it has with the Chinese projects through talks. The foreign ministry in Beijing defended China's projects in Malaysia, saying such deals have brought tangible benefits to the two countries. "Any problems arising in the cooperation should be handled properly through friendly negotiation," the ministry said in a statement. The projects are part of Xi's Belt and Road initiative to build ports, railways and other trade-related infrastructure across Asia, often built by Chinese contractors and financed by loans from Chinese state banks. Belt and Road projects in Thailand, Sri Lanka and other countries have run into complaints they are too costly, give too little work to local companies or might facilitate embezzlement and other graft. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, left, attends a meeting with Che Jun, the Communist Party chief of Zhejiang Province, right, in Hangzhou in eastern China's Zhejiang Province, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018. Mahathir is making a five-day visit to China at a time when ties between Beijing and the Southeast Asian nation are being tested by the Malaysian leader's suspension of multibillion-dollar Chinese-backed infrastructure projects. (Chinatopix via AP) GENEVA (AP) - The Latest on the death of former U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan (all times local) 3 a.m. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed his sadness over the death of former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and sent his condolences to his family. FILE - In this Wednesday, April 19, 2017 file photo Kofi Annan, former United Nations Secretary General speaks during the Global partners meeting on neglected tropical diseases, (NTDs), at the World Health Organization headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Annan, one of the world's most celebrated diplomats and a charismatic symbol of the United Nations who rose through its ranks to become the first black African secretary-general, has died. He was 80. (Martial Trezzini, Keystone via AP, File) "Mr. Annan spent his life advocating for peace and human dignity during his long career at the United Nations," Pompeo said in a statement. "Even after leaving his post as Secretary-General he embodied the mission of the United Nations, by sowing the seeds of peace as Chair of The Elders, an independent group of global leaders committed to advancing the cause of peace and promoting human rights around the world," he said. The Ghanaian-born Annan, the first black African to become U.N. secretary-general, died Saturday at age 80. ___ 8:20 p.m. Tributes from global leaders continue for Kofi Annan, the first black African U.N. secretary-general who died early Saturday at age 80 after strengthening the world body's focus on peacekeeping and fighting poverty. "The world has lost not only a great African diplomat and humanitarian but also a conscience keeper of international peace and security," Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi says. "We will remember him as a man of much action in the international arena, who fought anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says. "An inspiration," Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa says. One of Annan's last major public statements condemned the deadly violence in Zimbabwe after the July 30 historic election as "completely unacceptable." ___ 5:10 p.m. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations says former U.N. chief Kofi Annan "devoted his life to making the world a more peaceful place" and "worked tirelessly to unite us." Nikki Haley in a statement says the U.S. joins the U.N. and diplomatic community in celebrating the life of Annan, the first black African to become U.N. chief. He died in the early hours Saturday at age 80 after a short illness. Many world leaders from Britain to Germany to Nigeria to India have responded publicly to Annan's death but President Donald Trump has not. ___ 5 p.m. Former U.S. president Barack Obama says former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan "embodied the mission of the United Nations like few others." Obama says in a statement that long after Annan "had broken barriers," he "never stopped his pursuit of a better world." Annan rose through the U.N. ranks to become the first black African secretary-general in 1997. When he departed in 2006, he left behind a global organization far more aggressively engaged in peacekeeping and fighting poverty. Obama added that Annan's "sense of our common humanity always informed his outreach to the community of nations." ___ 3:20 p.m. German Chancellor Angela Merkel says former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan "inspired me and many others with his ideas, his firm convictions and, not least, his charisma." Merkel says in a statement that Annan, who died early Saturday in Switzerland, shaped the United Nations "like hardly anyone before him" and said that "he knew how to spark enthusiasm, particularly among young people." Merkel adds that "in our present time, in which the common search for solutions to global problems is more urgent than ever, we will greatly miss Kofi Annan's voice." European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in a separate statement is mourning the "passing of my old friend and inspiration." He adds that "the greatest recognition we can give Kofi Annan is to keep his legacy and his spirit alive. It has never been more important than in today's world." ___ 2:35 p.m. People across Africa are expressing shock and sorrow over the death of Ghanaian-born Kofi Annan, the first black African to become U.N. secretary-general. His death at age 80 was announced Saturday. "We are devastated," the Nelson Mandela Foundation says in a statement. "Africa and the world has lost a special human being." Annan had been chair of The Elders, an elite group of former leaders founded by Mandela. African leaders including Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa are offering condolences. Nigeria's Amina Mohammed, the U.N. deputy secretary-general, says in a tweet that Annan "gave hope to the voiceless" and she calls him "my friend, my hero, my inspiration." ___ 2:25 p.m. Russian President Vladimir Putin says he admired former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, whose death at age 80 was announced on Saturday, for his wisdom and courage. The Kremlin's press office quotes Putin's message to the current U.N. chief offering condolences to the U.N. as well as Annan's family and his native Ghana. "I sincerely admired his wisdom and courage as well as his ability to make balanced decisions even under the most dire and critical circumstances," Putin says. "Russians will keep the memory of him forever." In Iran, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a tweet calls Annan "a towering global leader and an unwavering champion for peace, justice and rule of law. Rest in peace, my dear old friend." ___ 2 p.m. European leaders are expressing sadness over the death of former U.N. chief Kofi Annan at age 80 and praising his graceful leadership. President Emmanuel Macron says in a tweet Saturday that "we will never forget his calm and resolute look, nor his strength in battles." British Prime Minister Theresa May in a tweet says Annan "made a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into." "He was a titan amongst world statesman who saw wrong and righted it," says former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says on Twitter that Annan's "warmth should never be mistaken for weakness. ... The U.N. and the world have lost one of their giants." ___ 1:50 p.m. Former South African archbishop Desmond Tutu is mourning the death of fellow Nobel Peace Prize winner Kofi Annan, saying "we give great thanks to god" for him. The death of the former U.N. secretary-general at age 80 after a short illness was announced Saturday. Tutu says the Ghanaian-born Annan "represented our continent and the world with enormous graciousness, integrity and distinction." Annan took over from Tutu as chair of The Elders, an elite group of former leaders founded by Nelson Mandela. Tutu calls it a "tremendous honor" to be succeeded by Annan and calls his death an "unexpected and devastating loss." ___ 1:40 p.m. The U.N.'s top human rights official says former U.N. chief Kofi Annan was "a friend to thousands and a leader of millions." Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein says that "in a world now filled with leaders who are anything but that, our loss, the world's loss, becomes even more painful." Annan's death at age 80 was announced Saturday. The Jordanian diplomat, whose four-year term ends Aug. 31, says in a statement he once told Annan how everyone was criticizing him and the former U.N. chief responded that "you're doing the right thing, let them grumble." ___ 1:20 p.m. The death of former U.N. secretary-general and Nobel Peace Prize winner Kofi Annan at age 80 has shaken people in the West African nation of Ghana, where he was born. The government and people of Ghana "are deeply saddened by the news of the death, in Berne, Switzerland, of one of our greatest compatriots," President Nana Akufo-Addo says on Twitter. Former President John Dramani Mahama says that "Kofi Annan lived well and worked for global peace, security and sustainable development in very challenging times. A proud son of Ghana and Africa." ___ 1:10 p.m. The focus of some of Kofi Annan's last statements was Zimbabwe, which the Nobel Peace Prize winner visited last month while urging a peaceful election. While the vote was calm, Annan denounced the violence that erupted in the capital two days later as the military swept into the streets to disperse opposition protesters. Opposition Nelson Chamisa is among those mourning Annan's death at age 80. "Deeply saddened by the sudden passing of the iconic Kofi Annan whom I met a few days ago," Chamisa says on Twitter. "A rare breed of diplomat; soft spoken but unshakeably firm." ___ 12:55 p.m. Shocked reactions are pouring in after the death of former U.N. secretary-general and Nobel Peace Prize winner Kofi Annan at age 80 after a short illness. "He was a good friend whom I saw only weeks ago," says former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. "A great man, a dear brother," says the chair of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat. "He was warm, compassionate & intelligent, exuding dignity & grace," says the new leader of Amnesty International, Kumi Naidoo. "International leader, wise mentor, valuable adviser, good friend, role model," says U.N. refugee chief Filippo Grandi. "We at UNHCR - and millions of others around the world - will miss him very much." ___ 12:40 p.m. The Elders, an elite group of former leaders founded by Nelson Mandela, say they are "shocked and deeply saddened" by the death of their colleague and chair Kofi Annan at age 80 after a short illness. In a statement, The Elders call the former U.N. secretary-general and Nobel Peace Prize winner "a voice of great authority and wisdom in public and private." The organization says Annan's most recent work was in visits to South Africa and Zimbabwe, where the country was preparing for a historic presidential election. "His quiet advice on how best to defuse impending crises was in constant demand from all corners of the globe, in particular from Africa," says deputy chair Gro Harlem Brundtland. ___ 11:55 a.m. Kofi Annan, one of the world's most celebrated diplomats and a charismatic symbol of the United Nations who rose through its ranks to become the first black African secretary-general, has died. He was 80. His foundation announced his death in a tweet on Saturday, saying that he died after a short unspecified illness. Annan spent virtually his entire career as an administrator in the United Nations. He served two terms as secretary-general from Jan. 1, 1997 to Dec. 31, 2006, capped nearly mid-way when he and the U.N. were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001. During his tenure, Annan presided over some of the worst failures and scandals at the world body, one of its most turbulent periods since its founding in 1945. FILE - In this Tuesday March 29, 2005 file photo United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan addresses a news conference at the United Nations. Annan, one of the world's most celebrated diplomats and a charismatic symbol of the United Nations who rose through its ranks to become the first black African secretary-general, has died. He was 80. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File) A man watches a TV screen broadcasting the evening news about the death of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, at a shopping mall in Beijing, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018. Kofi Annan, one of the world's most celebrated diplomats and a charismatic symbol of the United Nations who rose through its ranks to become the first black African secretary-general, has died aged 80.(AP Photo/Andy Wong) FILE - In this file photo dated Tuesday April 15, 1997, Pope John Paul II converses with U.N Secretary General Kofi Annan during a private audience at the Vatican. Annan, one of the world's most celebrated diplomats and a charismatic symbol of the United Nations who rose through its ranks to become the first black African secretary-general, has died aged 80, according to an announcement by his foundation Saturday Aug. 18, 2018.(Plinio Lepri/Pool via AP, FILE) ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) - As jurors weigh Paul Manafort's fate in a sprawling financial fraud case, the former Trump campaign chairman still has another trial looming in the nation's capital - and prosecutors there have a whole new set of charges and a huge volume of evidence. The trial now underway in Alexandria, Virginia, is the first case brought by special counsel Robert Mueller to go to trial. The jury will return Monday to begin a third day of deliberations on 18 counts, including tax and bank fraud and failure to disclose foreign bank accounts. In the District of Columbia, Manafort is scheduled to go on trial in September on charges including conspiracy to defraud the United States, failing to register as a foreign agent, money laundering, witness tampering and making false statements. FILE - In this May 23, 2018, file photo, Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, leaves the Federal District Court after a hearing, in Washington. As jurors weigh Manafort's fate in a sprawling financial fraud case taking place in Alexandria, Va., Manafort still has another, separate trial looming in the nation's capital. Neither case involves allegations of Russian election interference or possible coordination by the Trump campaign, which are at the heart of Mueller's larger investigation. But President Donald Trump has expressed a keen interest in Manafort's fate as he seeks to publicly undermine Mueller's probe. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) Neither case involves allegations of Russian election interference or possible coordination by the Trump campaign, which are at the heart of Mueller's larger investigation. But President Donald Trump has expressed a keen interest in Manafort's fate as he seeks to publicly undermine Mueller's probe. The charges in D.C. could result in an even lengthier sentence than what Manafort faces in Virginia. In a status report filed back in February, prosecutors did a preliminary calculation of how federal sentencing guidelines would apply to Manafort if convicted on all charges. In Virginia, they calculated a sentence of roughly eight to 10 years on the tax fraud charges plus an additional four to five years on the bank fraud. In the District, they calculated a guidelines range of 15 to 20 years, and that was before prosecutors brought the witness tampering charge. Those guidelines are only rough estimates and will be officially calculated by a probation officer before sentencing. And sentencing guidelines are not binding on the judge. The fact that Manafort faces a second trial is entirely of his own choosing. Prosecutors preferred to bring all the charges in the District of Columbia, where their investigation is based and where all other defendants have been charged. But prosecutors lacked venue to bring the tax and bank-fraud charges against Manafort anywhere but Virginia, where Manafort owns a home. Prosecutors requested that Manafort waive his venue rights so all charges could be brought in D.C., but he refused. In some ways, the decision to face some charges in Virginia appears to have paid off for Manafort. Judge T.S. Ellis III has expressed skeptical opinions about the government's case from the outset. In a pretrial hearing, he speculated that prosecutors only decided to bring charges against Manafort to pressure him to "sing" against Trump. He also questioned the fairness of a special counsel law that has allowed Mueller to commit millions of taxpayer dollars to his investigation. During the trial, prosecutors have been frustrated by comments Ellis has made in front of the jury about the evidence and his frequent exhortations to move the three-week trial along at a quicker pace. Despite those frustrations, prosecutors were able to introduce hundreds of documents, including emails from Manafort himself seeming to acknowledge some of the financial misdeeds prosecutors say are at the heart of the case. In the District, meanwhile, Manafort will face a judge who has already seen fit to put him in jail ahead of trial. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who will oversee the criminal trial in Washington, ordered Manafort jailed because of concerns about his alleged efforts to contact two witnesses. Prosecutors filed witness tampering charges against him in June. Initially Manafort was confined to a "VIP" jail in Warsaw, Virginia., where his cell had a private bathroom and he had phone and computer access. But after Manafort's lawyers complained about lengthy 100-mile trips to meet with him, Ellis transferred him to a stricter holding facility in Alexandria. Once a familiarly dapper figure in political circles, known for jet-black dyed hair and a tanned complexion, Manafort is now gaunter and grayer. Officials have not said whether Manafort would be transferred to a jail in the Washington area in advance of the September trial. In the D.C. trial, Manafort may face an even taller stack of evidence. In a court filing Thursday, Manafort's defense lawyer, Kevin Downing, said the special counsel's office has sent him "well over 1,000 proposed exhibits - most of which have not been a part of the trial before Judge Ellis," for review ahead of the September trial in the District. ___ Associated Press writer Stephen Braun contributed to this report. This courtroom sketch depicts U.S. District court Judge T.S. Ellis III speaking to the lawyers and defendant Paul Manafort, fourth from left, as the jury continues to deliberate in Manafort's trial on bank fraud and tax evasion at federal court in Alexandria, Va., Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. Third from left is Manafort's attorney Kevin Downing. (Dana Verkouteren via AP) He said that the conference has decided on a number of key tasks for the future based on thorough discussions of the regional and global situation. First of all, in the context of rapid and complicated changes in the global situation, the diplomatic sector must lead in the efforts to maintain a peaceful and stable environment and mobilise both the internal strength and external resources for the countrys development. Secondly, the sector must conduct research in order to give advice and forecasts to the Party, State, Government and related ministries and sectors in implementing socio-economic development. The Deputy FM stressed that the sector must make accurate and feasible recommendations to the development of policies on external relations and their implementation. Thirdly, the sector should take strong action in economic diplomacy in order to serve national development. Deputy FM Son noted that, at the plenary session chaired by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the PM gave specific instructions on economic diplomacy and diplomacy serving development. He placed emphasis on two points, one of which is to make the people and businesses the centre and subject of service and the second is to combine all diplomatic channels and security-defence to create synergistic strength to maintain a peaceful and stable environment for national development. The official added that the diplomatic sector will also work in a concerted manner in all fields of cultural diplomacy, overseas Vietnamese affairs, citizen protection and external information work. An important outcome of the conference is a specific programme to build a streamlined but effective apparatus of the foreign ministry which is able to meet the requirements of the work in the new situation. Elaborating on the notion of diplomacy serving development, the Deputy FM said the diplomatic sector has been doing several tasks since the 29th conference. The sector has conducted market research and provided updated information for the business community on markets around the world, based on the advantage of diplomatic representative offices in most countries, and it will continue with the work in the future. The sector will also work together with the business community to make inroads into new markets, At the request of the business community, the Foreign Ministry will collect more information and make assessments on foreign markets to supply to the business community. According to Deputy Minister Son, the Foreign Ministry has assisted several domestic companies in their efforts to expand to foreign markets, such as the military run telecom corporation Viettel, the low-cost airline Vietjet Air, or dairy giant TH True Milk. The 30th Diplomatic Conference took place in Hanoi from August 13-17. The five-day event reviewed the recent implementation of external affairs, analysed the regional and international situation, as well as opportunities and challenges facing Vietnam, and proposed a number of countermeasures. Deputy FM Son stressed that the Party and State leaders highly appreciate the performance of the diplomatic sector over the past two years, which, they said, has significantly contributed to the nations achievements in implementing the external relation guidelines in particular and the resolution of the 12th Party Congress in general. CLEVELAND (AP) - Two adult brothers suspected of being involved in the fatal shooting of their physician father before turning guns on themselves during a SWAT standoff were reclusive, paranoid and likely mentally ill, a suburban Cleveland police chief said. Authorities have said Richard Warn, 59, was found shot multiple times Aug. 9 by police officers at his home in the upscale suburb of Beachwood last week after his wife reported she couldn't get inside upon her return from a European vacation. Warn had flown with his wife to Newark, New Jersey, for an overseas connection but then decided not to travel because of motion sickness and drove home in a rental car. A SWAT team accompanied detectives to a modest home in South Euclid that Warn had bought for his sons, 31-year-old Michael Warn and 29-year-old Mark Warn, in 2011 out of foreclosure. The SWAT team breached the front door of the home with an armored vehicle and was met by high-powered rifle fire that shattered the vehicle's ballistic glass window. The SWAT team returned fire and then waited 12 hours before going inside and finding the brothers dead from what a medical examiner has ruled to be self-inflicted gunshot wounds. This photo provided by WEWS-TV in Cleveland shows the home in South Euclid, Ohio, where two brothers were found dead of self-inflicted gun shot wounds Aug. 11. Kevin Nietert, police chief in the Cleveland suburb of South Euclid says he can only speculate why 31-year-old Michael Warn and 29-year-old Mark Warn would have killed 59-year-old Dr. Richard Warn at the podiatrist's home in Beachwood, an upscale Cleveland suburb. Richard Warn was found dead by his wife Aug. 9. A SWAT team went to the brothers' South Euclid home the next night with detectives to serve a search warrant. The brothers opened fire and were found dead of self-inflicted gunshot wounds around 12 hours later. (WEWS-TV via AP) Beachwood Police Chief Gary Haba has said it's unclear whether one or both of the brothers killed their father. South Euclid Police Chief Kevin Nietert told The Associated Press on Friday that he could only speculate why the Warn brothers would have wanted their father dead. "In this case, we're going to struggle to get conclusive answers," Nietert said. It appeared that the brothers relied on Richard Warn for financial support, Nietert said. They had no jobs, no apparent presence on social media, and drove an older model sedan their father bought for them. A Beachwood police report from September 2015 describes Richard Warn's wife and the brothers' stepmother, calling 911 from a bathroom because she could hear voices inside the home. Police officers found the doors locked. Richard Warn soon arrived and said a car in the driveway belonged to his sons. The brothers told police they were looking for hats. "Richard said that Michael and Mark were not to be at the house because they no longer lived there," the police report said. Later that night, two officers returned to the home and listened to a voicemail Michael Warn had left for his father. Michael Warn said in the voicemail that he and his brothers' home was uninhabitable because of mold and that people do "crazy things" when they don't get enough sleep. He then warns his father that if he doesn't give him money, Jehovah might become upset and start burning things. Nietert believes both men suffered from mental illness, although he said no records have been found to show whether they had been diagnosed or received treatment. A Cuyahoga County mental health agency called Mobile Crisis called South Euclid police in November 2015 asking to escort an outreach worker to the home. Nietert said it's unclear who called the agency or what the problem might have been, but nobody answered the door and nothing further was done. South Euclid police reports show that Michael Warn called police a half-dozen times in 2014, mostly to complain about cars parked too close to his driveway. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - So-called tort reform has been an easy sell in states controlled by Republicans, and backers of a lawsuit-limiting proposal on the ballot in Arkansas this fall expected little trouble winning passage until they ran into a surprising obstacle from a reliable conservative ally. A Christian group has begun rallying churches and abortion opponents against the measure, saying that limiting damage awards in lawsuits sets an arbitrary value on human life, contrary to anti-abortion beliefs, and conflicts with biblical principles of justice and helping the poor. Proponents of the measure are stunned by the opposition and worried that it could stir dissension among conservatives who must work together on numerous issues. In this July 26, 2018 photo, an information booklet about a "tort reform" measure appearing on Arkansas' ballot sits on a table at a breakfast meeting of pastors in Little Rock, Arkansas. The Family Council Action Committee, a conservative Christian group, is rallying churches against the ballot measure to impose new limits on lawsuit damages. (AP Photo/Andrew Demillo) "The biggest problem is not the damage" to the tort reform proposal, said Republican Rep. Bob Ballinger, a sponsor of that measure. "The biggest hurdle is the damage to the pro-life cause." The religious argument also could offer tort reform opponents in other states a new weapon for fighting limits. The legal restrictions have been making headway in recent years as the GOP has won control of roughly two-thirds of state legislatures. Arkansas' measure is an effort by an array of pro-business groups, including the state Chamber of Commerce, to reinstate legal caps that have been chipped away over the years by court rulings. The amendment would cap damages for noneconomic losses, such as pain and psychological distress, to $500,000 and punitive damages to $500,000 or three times the amount of compensatory damages awarded, whichever is higher. It also would cap attorneys' contingency fees at one third of the net amount recovered. The proposal doesn't cap economic damages, which go toward verifiable losses such as medical expenses as well as past and future wages. But the conservative Family Council Action Committee argues that putting a cap on other damages devalues the lives of those with no income, such as the elderly and stay-at-home parents, who would receive little compensation for pain and suffering. The Family Council, which championed Arkansas' ban on gay marriages, is organizing meetings with church leaders to call for the measure's rejection. "The Bible is full of references to justice, and (the proposal) creates an environment where the powerful can tip the scales of justice against everybody else, but especially the poor," Jerry Cox, the Family Council's head, said at a recent breakfast meeting with pastors. Pastors were handed informational booklets emblazoned with the words "Don't Put A Price Tag On Human Life." Flyers left on each table offered attendees inserts for their church bulletins. Rose Mimms, the head of Arkansas Right to Life, also spoke out against the measure, writing in a column on the conservative website townhall.com that it "erodes our own pro-life efforts" in the state. The organization has not taken an official position on the measure. Industry groups backing the tort reform amendment questioned whether the Family Council's actions were motivated by $150,000 in donations the group received from a Little Rock law firm. Trial lawyers are the leading opponents of the tort reform movement. "They have sold their brand to trial lawyers to be able to promote this issue," said Carl Vogelpohl, the campaign manager for Arkansans for Jobs and Justice, which is backing the tort reform proposal. Cox said the donation wasn't a factor and that his group announced its position before receiving the money. Using church meetings to rally opposition especially angered the measure's supporters. "When you go to church and you hear somebody speak up against something, generally, you're thinking, 'Well, I'm getting a 100 percent clear picture,'" said Republican Rep. Marcus Richmond, the House majority leader. The nearly hourlong presentation to pastors by Cox and two other officials from his group alternated between a seminar and sermon, as they described the types of claims that could be constrained by the measure. "Can I get an 'amen?'" Cox asked at one point. "Amen," the audience repeated back in approval. Stephen Harrison, a pastor who attended the breakfast, said later he wanted to research the proposal before taking a stance. However, Harrison, who pastors the nondenominational Family Church in Pine Bluff, said, "I don't want to vote for something that will devalue human life or put a price tag on what a life is worth." Vogelpohl said an equally compelling argument could be made to anti-abortion groups and other Christian conservatives that limiting damages could improve medical care in the state and help attract more doctors. The spending on the effort to rally churches pales in comparison to the more than $3 million both sides of the issue have raised. The measure still faces a lawsuit from a former judge who argues it should be disqualified from the ballot. ___ Follow Andrew DeMillo on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ademillo ___ Sign up for "Politics in Focus," a weekly newsletter showcasing the AP's best political reporting from around the country leading up to the midterm elections: http://apne.ws/3Gzcraw MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The past 10 weeks have been a whirl for Ilhan Omar, who suddenly went from being famous for becoming the country's first Somali-American state legislator to being a likely shoo-in for the first Somali-American congresswoman. "It's been a really interesting rush," Omar said in an interview with The Associated Press. She and her rivals had to mount instant campaigns when U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison suddenly decided to leave Minneapolis-area seat to run for state attorney general. She quickly organized a team to nail down the Democratic endorsement to succeed him, then won a six-way primary Tuesday with a strong 48 percent plurality. "You get what you organize for," she said. Only Democrats have represented the 5th District since 1963, so Omar is expected to easily win the general election. Still, she said she's not taking it for granted, and want to generate heavy turnout in the district to help boost statewide Democratic candidates. In this Aug. 16, 2018 photo, Democrat Ilhan Omar, the nation's first Somali-American legislator who won her party's congressional primary in the race, talks during an interview at Peace Coffee in Minneapolis. Just two years ago, the Minnesota Democrat became the first Somali-American elected to a state legislature. Now she's likely to become one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress. (AP Photo/Jeff Baenen) For now Omar, 35, is pausing to focus on getting her three children ready to go back to school. She said she'll figure out everything else about going to Washington later. Omar's family fled Somalia's civil war when she was 8. She spent her childhood in a Kenyan refugee camp and immigrated to the United States at age 12. As a progressive activist who was elected to the Minnesota Legislature in the same year that Donald Trump was elected president, she said she has worked since then to organize resistance to "destructive and divisive" Trump administration policies. "I think my job now is to instill hope in people so that they have the strength to continue to resist and to continue to believe that there is an opportunity for us, for the first time, to really talk about the kind of nation we should be and the kind of nation that we deserve," she said. Omar said 5th District voters are young, so funding for education and college affordability will be a priority for her. She wants to get on the Agriculture Committee, even though she comes from an urban district, so she can promote food security for poor communities. Immigration and criminal justice reform will also be priorities. But she also wants to use her legislative experience to work for federal budgets that include investments in people and communities. "I look forward to being a voice of reason in fighting for transparent and accountable budgets," she said. Omar said people want congressional leaders with "moral clarity and courage" to confront not only Trump's administration but Congress itself, to eliminate corporate influence. She would not say whether that means she'll support or oppose Nancy Pelosi for re-election as the House Democratic leader. Several other Democratic candidates have said they won't. Omar and former Michigan state Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian-American who recently won a Detroit-area Democratic primary and is running unopposed in November, are expected to become the first two Muslim women in Congress. Omar said she thinks Americans should be excited about this "because it is a direct response to the politics of fear and scarcity that the president and his administration push." "Truly this is a nation that sees itself as one that instills hope and is really about allowing people to pursue their dreams." In this Aug. 16, 2018 photo, Democrat Ilhan Omar, the nation's first Somali-American legislator who won her party's congressional primary in the race, talks during an interview at Peace Coffee in Minneapolis. Just two years ago, the Minnesota Democrat became the first Somali-American elected to a state legislature. Now she's likely to become one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress. (AP Photo/Jeff Baenen) In this Aug. 16, 2018 photo, Democrat Ilhan Omar, the nation's first Somali-American legislator who won her party's congressional primary in the race, laughs during an interview at Peace Coffee in Minneapolis. Just two years ago, the Minnesota Democrat became the first Somali-American elected to a state legislature. Now she's likely to become one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress. (AP Photo/Jeff Baenen) CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - Years ago, orthopedic surgeon John Barrasso gave regular health advice on the evening television news, Wyoming-wide exposure that established a reputation as a mild, level-headed caregiver and helped launch his political career. Through 16 years in office, including two elections for the Wyoming Senate and two for the U.S. Senate, Barrasso never faced significant opposition - until now. Dave Dodson, a political newcomer and businessman little known in Wyoming, has made a bold Republican primary bid to tap anger over Barrasso's corporate donations and Washington ties. Dodson has little in common with Donald Trump but it's a Trump-like effort in the state that gave the president his widest margin of victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016. FILE - In this March 20, 2018 file photo, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., right speaks with Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, after a Republican policy luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington. Dave Dodson, a political newcomer and businessman little known in Wyoming, has made a bold Republican primary bid to tap anger over Barrasso's corporate donations and Washington ties. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, file) On Tuesday, Wyoming voters will decide whether they're angry enough to bring home a man whose supporters refer to as "Wyoming's doctor," or are still happy to have Barrasso, a rising star in the Senate, represent them. "I'm involved in politics right now because I'm mad and fired up to do something. I never envisioned ever being in political office at all. But I do think that when this country was founded it was envisioned that regular citizens would from time to time raise their hand and say 'I'd like to go to Washington, D.C., and represent my neighborhood,'" Dodson told The Associated Press. "I actually think that I am doing, if you will, what the Founding Fathers had envisioned." Dodson has invested in a range of industries, from auto parts to telecommunications, since the 1980s. He teaches part time at the Stanford business school but said he has lived full-time in Jackson Hole since 2011. Barrasso has refused to debate Dodson but isn't taking the threat sitting down. One Barrasso ad says Dodson gave $2,300 to Barack Obama and $1,000 to Bernie Sanders, donations reflected in Federal Election Commission records online. "So ask David Dodson, who does he really put first?" says the voice-over. In an online statement, Dodson said he donated to Sanders to oppose Clinton, a contribution he later regretted, and that in 2007 he gave $2,300 to Mitt Romney's campaign before his ex-wife gave the same amount to "her candidate" in his name. Dodson lived in Massachusetts at the time. Less than a week before the primary, Barrasso filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission claiming that several of Dodson's television ads did not meet certain requirements for appearing on screen while stating his approval of them. Dodson responded by pointing out he talks in person in the ads and nobody would seriously doubt that he approved them. Dodson pledged early to spend $1 million of his own money, and as of Aug. 1 had lent his campaign that amount. In addition, he raised $376,000 from individuals, the vast majority from outside Wyoming. He has spent almost all of the $1.4 million. Barrasso has raised almost $5 million in contributions this year and last, the bulk of it from out-of-state individuals and political action committees. He has spent about half. Dodson, 56, launched his campaign as an independent in February, but switched to Republican just before the filing deadline in May. Since then Dodson has crisscrossed the state to campaign and plastered the airwaves and internet with ads pitching his "Plan to Put Wyoming First." The 44-page booklet calls for opposing wholesale transfer of federal lands to states and private interests, promoting overseas exports of Wyoming coal, encouraging health care industry competition and boosting career and technical training. Dodson also advocates term limits and reducing the influence of money in politics. "We need a new way of doing business," Dodson writes in the booklet mailed to voters. Barrasso, 66, chairs the Senate Republican Policy Committee, making him the fourth-ranking member of GOP leadership in the Senate. He chairs the Environment and Public Works Committee and serves on the Energy and Natural Resources, Indian Affairs and Foreign Relations committees. For years, Barrasso has been one of the most outspoken advocates of repealing the Affordable Care Act. He has key endorsements from the National Rifle Association and Trump. "As a doctor, I help people get healthy again. Now, a senator, I fight to protect our state and to make our country stronger," Barrasso says in one ad. Democratic Gov. Dave Freudenthal appointed Barrasso to the U.S. Senate in 2007 after the death of Republican Sen. Craig Thomas. Running against little-known Democrats, Barrasso got 73 percent in a 2008 election to decide who would complete the remaining four years of Thomas' term, and in 2012, he was re-elected with 76 percent of the vote. Barrasso ran unopposed for the Wyoming Senate in 2002 and 2006. Three other Republicans are in the race, most notably former Roman Catholic priest Charlie Hardy, of Cheyenne, who as a Democrat got 17 percent of the vote against Sen. Mike Enzi in 2014. The others, Anthony L. Van Risseghem, of Cheyenne; John Holtz, of Laramie; and Roque "Rocky" De La Fuente, of San Diego, California; are political unknowns who have campaigned little if at all. The winner will face Wilson businessman Gary Trauner, 59, the lone Democrat seeking the Senate seat. ___ Follow Mead Gruver at https://twitter.com/meadgruver ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - An emergency response chief says one person is dead and six are injured after Friday's collapse of a four-story building in Nigeria's capital. Mustapha Maihaja with the National Emergency Management Agency says one of the injured is in critical condition after the shopping complex that was under construction collapsed in Abuja. The spokesman for the agency says rescue efforts have ended. Many people were rescued by bystanders. Rescue workers search for trapped people under the rubble of a collapsed under construction building in Abuja Nigeria, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. Nigerian rescue officials say they are working to pull out a number of people trapped under the rubble of the collapsed shopping complex that was under construction in the capital, Abuja. (AP Photo/Olamikan Gbemiga ) Building collapses are not uncommon in Nigeria, a West African powerhouse where corruption is rampant and infrastructure is often poor. Nigeria's acting President Yemi Osinbajo, left, visits the site of a collapsed under construction building in Abuja, Nigeria, Friday, Aug 17, 2018. Nigerian rescue officials say they are working to pull out a number of people trapped under the rubble of a collapsed shopping complex that was under construction in the capital, Abuja. (AP Photo/Olamikan Gbemiga ) Rescue workers search for trapped people under the rubble of a collapsed shopping complex that was under construction in Abuja, Nigeria, Friday, Aug 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Olamikan Gbemiga ) Rescue workers search for people who may be trapped under the rubble of a collapsed under construction building in Abuja Nigeria, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. Nigerian rescue officials say they are working to pull out a number of people trapped under the rubble of a collapsed shopping complex that was under construction in the capital, Abuja. (AP Photo/Olamikan Gbemiga ) BERLIN (AP) - Hundreds of neo-Nazis waving flags with the colors of the German Reich are marching through central Berlin, protected from counter-protesters by police in riot gear. Berlin police spokesman Thilo Cablitz said officers had to physically remove some left-wing demonstrators who had staged sit-down protests along the route of Saturday's march. He added that stones and bottles were thrown at some of the far-right protesters, but couldn't immediately say how many people were injured. People carry a banner reading 'I don't regret anything' during a demonstration commemorating the 31st death anniversary Hitler's deputy Rudolf Hess in Berlin Saturday, Aug 18, 2018. Hess died 1987 in a prison in Berlin. (Christoph Soeder/dpa via AP) The far-right protesters wore white shirts to commemorate the 31st anniversary of the death of high-ranking Nazi official Rudolf Hess and carried banners with slogans such as "I regret nothing." Hess, who received a life sentence at the Nuremberg trials for his role in planning World War II, died on Aug. 17, 1987. SKOPJE, Macedonia (AP) - Macedonian authorities say two paragliders have died in central Macedonia when their parachutes collided in the air. Police said in a statement Saturday that the accident occurred mid-day Friday near the central town of Krusevo. They say a 56-year-old Ukrainian citizen, identified only by his initials as I.V., was killed at the site, while a 54-year-old British citizen, also identified only by his initials as I.P, died in a nearby hospital during resuscitation attempts. The prosecutor's office said it has ordered that video and data from the paragliders' tracker systems be downloaded and autopsies performed on the two bodies. Krusevo is known as a good location for paragliding. SEATTLE (AP) - Right-wing demonstrators gathered Saturday in Seattle for a "Liberty or Death" rally that drew counter-protesters from the left while dozens of police kept the two sides separated. The right-wing groups Washington 3 Percenters and Patriot Prayer were holding the rally outside Seattle City Hall to protest an effort to launch a gun-control initiative that would raise the age in Washington state for people buying semi-automatic rifles. The left-wing groups Organized Workers for Labor Solidarity, Radical Women and the Freedom Socialist Party were rallying at the same site. A protester stands on the side of the street with members of Patriot Prayer and other groups advocating for gun rights at a rally, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, at City Hall in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Hundreds of protesters on each side of the street were separated by Saturday afternoon by metal barriers and police officers as the left-wing protesters yelled and used cow bells and sirens to try to drown out speeches from the right-wing side. Three men were arrested, all for misdemeanor assault, Sgt. Sean Whitcomb, a Seattle police spokesman, told the Seattle Times. One person on the right-wing group side was treated for an injury at the scene. Additional police also arrived, including police in riot gear with batons who took up positions in the street. Bicycle officers lined up their bikes as a type of moving barrier to keep protesters from entering the street, which remained open to traffic. The gun-control initiative would boost the age for the purchase of semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21 and would expand the background checks for those purchases. The measure would also require people to complete a firearm safety training course and create standards for safely storing firearms. A judge on Friday, however, threw out 300,000 signatures needed to put the initiative on the November ballot, saying the petition's format did not follow election law. The Alliance for Gun Responsibility, the group behind the initiative, has filed a notice of appeal with the Washington Supreme Court. The protest came two weeks after police in riot gear in Portland, Oregon, tried to keep right-wing and left-wing groups apart. The effort mostly succeeded, but police were accused of being heavy-handed, prompting the city's new police chief to order a review of officers' use of force A protester holds up a peace sign while marching on the side of the street of anti-fascist groups counter-protesting as members of Patriot Prayer and other groups supporting gun rights demonstrate across the street during a rally, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, at City Hall in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Mikaele Baker plays the flute as he stands on the side of the street of anti-fascist groups counter-protesting as members of Patriot Prayer and other groups supporting gun rights demonstrate across the street during a rally, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, at City Hall in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) A protester carries a bullhorn while marching on the side of the street of anti-fascist groups counter-protesting as members of Patriot Prayer and other groups supporting gun rights demonstrate across the street during a rally, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, at City Hall in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Seattle Police officers line the street in front of City Hall as they try to keep members of Patriot Prayer and other groups supporting gun rights and counter-protesters from anti-fascist groups separated prior to a rally, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, at City Hall in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Counter-protesters gather across the street from a rally held by members of Patriot Prayer and other groups advocating for gun rights, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in front of City Hall in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Supporters of a rally held by members of Patriot Prayer and other groups advocating for gun rights stand during a playing of a recording of the national anthem, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, at City Hall in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Supporters of a rally held by members of Patriot Prayer and other groups advocating for gun rights ride in a military-style truck, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, near City Hall in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Supporters of a rally held by members of Patriot Prayer and other groups advocating for gun rights yell and cheer, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, at City Hall in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Joey Gibson, founder of the Patriot Prayer group, speaks at a rally supporting gun rights, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, at City Hall in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) A supporter of a rally held by members of Patriot Prayer and other groups advocating for gun rights wears an AR-15 rifle and a sidearm during the rally, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, at City Hall in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) - Residents of the Brazilian border town of Pacaraima attacked Venezuelan immigrants on Saturday after a local storeowner was robbed, stabbed and beaten in an assault blamed on four migrants, authorities said. Pacaraima, in the northern jungle state of Roraima, is a major border crossing with Venezuela, where economic and political turmoil has driven tens of thousands to cross into Brazil over the past few years. After a rally held to protest the attack against the storeowner, groups of residents roamed the town hurling rocks at the immigrants and setting fire to their belongings. Police said the storeowner, who was beaten and robbed on Friday night, has been hospitalized and is in stable condition. The Roraima state government estimates that more than 50,000 Venezuelan refugees have crossed the border, occupying already existing shelters or sleeping in tents, plazas and streets. The influx was nearly equal to 10 percent of the state's population of 520,000 inhabitants. Police said that to escape the violence, hundreds of immigrants crossed the border back into Venezuela. On a video posted by the G1 news portal a man's voice is heard shouting "Get out. Get out. Go back to Venezuela." Wandenberg Ribeiro Costa, one of the organizers of Saturday's rally, told the G1 news portal "we have expelled the Venezuelans." Claudio Lamachia, president of the Brazilian Bar Association, said in a statement that the violence that took place in Pacaraima "exposed the humanitarian drama afflicting our neighbors ... who are trying to improve their lives and survive." "The state of Roraima does not have the conditions to shelter all the immigrants," he said, adding that close to 800 Venezuelans enter Roraima every day. The crisis has prompted state authorities in recent months to try to limit services to Venezuelans and temporarily shut the border. The federal government and high courts have curtailed attempts to do those things. Milene de Souza, a volunteer at an evangelical church, told the Associated Press by phone that the situation is desperate. "The world has to see what is happening here, where no one knows what to do," she said, adding that every day she helps Venezuelan engineers, doctors, lawyers and other professionals who sleep on the streets "with their diplomas tucked under their pillows." ___ Associated Press writer Stan Lehman in Sao Paulo contributed to this report. KAMAS, Utah (AP) - Utah authorities say a bow hunter suffered minor chest and leg injuries when he was attacked by a mountain lion that stalked him and his father before and after the attack. Division of Wildlife Resources spokesman Phil Douglas says the attack happened Saturday in mountains near Kamas, east of Salt Lake City. Douglas says conservation officers were sent to the scene and that a man and his dog were attempting to track the mountain lion so it can be euthanized if found because of the attack. Summit County Sheriff's Lt. Andrew Wright says the wounded hunter declined medical attention because he wanted to continue hunting. The government official made the remarks at a meeting with a delegation of national contributors from Ca Mau province at the Government Office on August 17. Deputy PM Dam expressed his pleasure in receiving the local Heroic Vietnamese Mothers, war invalids and former youth volunteers, while valuing the efforts of the Ca Mau authorities for caring for national contributors in the locality. He also asked the local authorities to continue to pay greater attention to and support families of national contributors to encourage them to overcome difficulties in order to make more contributions to the locality. The Deputy PM expressed his belief that the national contributors from Ca Mau would promote the revolutionary tradition and be examples for younger generations to follow. He affirmed that the Party and State always show gratitude to and create favourable conditions for national contributors to have a better life. The southern province of Ca Mau has more than 107,000 revolutionary contributors including 16,000 war invalids and 2,297 Heroic Vietnamese Mothers. As many as 20,560 national contributors are provided with monthly allowances from the State worth total VND28 billion (US$1.2 million) per month. A father-daughter duo have been arrested for allegedly working together to run a drug operation to deal to high school students. Daniel Williams, 51, and his 17-year-old daughter Morgan Williams are being held without bond on numerous drug-related felony charges after a raid found more than two pound of marijuana, 87 colorful MDMA pills - also known as 'Molly' or ecstasy - and $22,000 in cash. Investigators with the Johns Creek-Alpharetta-Forsyth County Drug Task Force raided the family's home in Cumming, Georgia, as well as a storage unit in Forsyth, leading to their arrest Wednesday night. 'We believe that they were working together to sell drugs in the Forsyth County area,' Sheriffs Office spokesman, Cpl Doug Rainwater said. Daniel Williams, 51, and his daughter Morgan, 17, were arrested Wednesday night for allegedly working together to deal drugs to her high school classmates A raid of their home in Cumming, Georgia, and a storage unit found pounds of marijuana and 87 MDMA pills (pictured) along with $22,000 cash Narcotic detective had been investigating Morgan for month after agents got a tip that a high school student was selling marijuana to other teenagers. During the investigation they learned the student's father was also participating in the alleged drug activity. Morgan is a senior dual enrolled at North Forsyth High School and University of North Georgia, where they allegedly distributed drugs to her classmates. Classes at the high school have been in session since the beginning of August. Morgan Williams has been charged with six felonies, including the sale of marijuana, possession of more than an ounce of marijuana, intent to distribute marijuana, intent to distribute MDMA, tampering with evidence and one misdemeanor count of possession of drug-related objects. Pictured are the two pounds of marijuana that were seized during the raid Authorities found $22,000 cash in a bag Wednesday night In 2015, wife and mother Elaine Williams was arrested for trying to buy a baby online Her father has been charged with felony counts of intent to distribute MDMA and use of electronic communications to facilitate a drug offense. This is not the family's first run-in with the law. In 2015, mother and wife Elaine Williams was arrested for posting an ad on Craigslist looking to buy a baby for her then-14-year-old daughter Morgan. The charges were later dropped. Daniel had also been arrested recently on suspicion of DUI with possession of prescription pills. LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Latest on the arrest by immigration agents of a man as he drove his wife to the hospital so she could give birth (all times local): 4:15 p.m. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says that the California man who was arrested by its agents as he drove his wife to the hospital so she could give birth had a warrant for his arrest in Mexico. In a statement, spokeswoman Lori Haley says Joel Arrona Lara "was brought to ICE's attention due to an outstanding warrant issued for his arrest in Mexico on homicide charges." Arrona remains in custody pending removal proceedings. Haley adds: "ICE continues to focus its enforcement resources on individuals who pose a threat to national security, public safety and border security. ICE conducts targeted immigration enforcement in compliance with federal law and agency policy. However, ICE will no longer exempt classes or categories of removable aliens from potential enforcement." Maria del Carmen Venegas said she and her husband, Joel Arrona Lara, were driving to the hospital Wednesday when they stopped for gas in San Bernardino, just east of Los Angeles. Surveillance footage shows two vehicles immediately flank the couple's van after they pulled into the gas station. Agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement questioned the couple and asked for identification, Venegas said. Venegas, 32, said she provided hers but that Arrona had left his at home in their rush to the hospital. The surveillance footage shows the agents handcuffing the 35-year-old Arrona and taking him away, leaving a sobbing Venegas alone at the gas station. Venegas said she drove herself to the hospital for a scheduled cesarean section for the birth of her fifth child. ___ 3:08 p.m. A California woman said Saturday that she had to drive herself to the hospital and give birth without her husband after he was detained by immigration agents. Maria del Carmen Venegas said she and her husband, Joel Arrona Lara, were driving to the hospital Wednesday when they stopped for gas in San Bernardino, just east of Los Angeles. Surveillance footage shows two vehicles immediately flank the couple's van after they pulled into the gas station. Agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement questioned the couple and asked for identification, Venegas said. Venegas, 32, said she provided hers but that Arrona had left his at home in their rush to the hospital. The surveillance footage shows the agents handcuffing the 35-year-old Arrona and taking him away, leaving a sobbing Venegas alone at the gas station. Venegas said she drove herself to the hospital for a scheduled cesarean section for the birth of her fifth child. Ben Gibson may have to wait for his Premier League debut at Burnley but the defenders professionalism has already won over manager Sean Dyche. Gibson swapped boyhood club Middlesbrough for the Clarets at the start of the month in a 15million switch and made his first appearance in Thursday nights Europa League win over Istanbul Basaksehir. Despite helping the side keep a clean sheet over 120 minutes against the Turkish outfit he is likely to return to the bench against Watford on Sunday, with established pairing Ben Mee and James Tarkowski set to reclaim their places. Ben Gibson joined Burnley from Middlesbrough earlier in the month (Andrew Matthews/PA) They may prove difficult to shift in the short term but Dyche has already seen plenty to like about the 25-year-old. I dont know Ben that well yet but hes come in with the right manner. Hes a very serious professional and we like that here, said Dyche. He looks after himself, hes very fit and he handles himself in the right manner. Hes had one season in the Premier League (with Boro) so hes still developing as a player. Games like Thursday will do him no harm at all. You want competitive spirit, you want guys to be knocking on the door. Dyche will not allow the club record fee he paid for Gibson to guide his team selection, with regular captain Mee and England international Tarkowski a reliable partnership. Indeed, having endured some frustration in the market this summer, the Clarets boss is happy to disregard the numbers entirely. The fees are not relevant at all now, he said. The last few years the money has been ridiculous and theres not many bargains. Its amazing people saying (Gibson is) good value at 15millionimagine that 10 years ago. But thats how mad the market is. The old thing used to be hes carrying the fee around, can he handle it?, now its just what you pay. The main thing is what he does here, how he develops and becomes part of what the club is about. I think hell do that. Universities could be ordered to curb the soaring use of unconditional offers following concerns the practice is damaging for students. Almost 68,000 unconditional offers were made to 18-year-olds in England, Wales and Northern Ireland this year, compared to less than 3,000 five years ago, according to Ucas data. School and college leaders have called for an end to the practice, arguing that such offers can lead to students making less effort in their A-levels, which could damage their job prospects later on. Universities Minister Sam Gyimah has branded the rise in unconditional offers irresponsible and warned handing out them out to put bums on seats undermines the credibility of the university system. (PA Graphics) It is understood the Department for Education (DfE) has asked the Office for Students, a new higher education watchdog, to look at the issue. The department said it expects the regulator to take appropriate action. There was intense competition among universities to attract students this year. Figures released on Thursday showed the total number of students accepted on to courses was down 1% compared with the same point in 2017. However the proportion of 18-year-olds being accepted on to courses broke records. Ucas data published on Thursday showed that in England, a record 27.9% of the 18-year-old population had been accepted on to courses, with a record 26.3% in Wales. Heading to university and not sure what to expect? Our latest blog from @StudentMindsOrg outlines their two new guides for students #KnowBeforeYouGo https://t.co/M8MvA3sYMz pic.twitter.com/ykWqMs2mEP Universities UK (@UniversitiesUK) August 16, 2018 In Northern Ireland, the entry rate was 28.1%, while in Scotland where results were published last week 25.9% of 18-year-olds had been accepted. Ucas figures showed 22.9% of 18-year-old university applicants (58,385) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland had received at least one unconditional offer. Education Secretary Damian Hinds said on Thursday that unconditional offers play a role in the system and are quite significant in some subjects, including art. He added: I am concerned about the rate of growth that we have seen in unconditional offers and what that might indicate. A DfE spokeswoman said on Friday: Giving out unconditional places just to put bums on seats not only undermines the credibility of the university system but does students a disservice by distracting them from their studies and swaying their decisions. We are concerned about the rise in unconditional offers. The Office for Students are closely monitoring the number being issued and we fully expect them as the regulator to take appropriate action. Britain may have to rethink the decision to leave the European Union if the Government is unable to strike a Brexit deal with Brussels, a former head of the Civil Service has warned. Lord Kerslake said the consequences of a no-deal break would be so serious, Parliament would have consider whether it could allow it to go ahead. The peer, who has advised Labour on preparing for government, said that at the least there would have to be a pause in the Article 50 process under which the UK is set to leave the bloc on March 29 next year. In those circumstances, he said, the European Commission would almost certainly insist on some re-examination of the original 2016 referendum decision to leave. His comments came as the Government prepares to publish a series of technical notes on preparations for a no-deal Brexit across dozens of areas of British life, from farming to financial services. Lord Kerslake said the measures were too little, too late and that the Government had not allowed itself enough time to prepare for such an outcome. He told the the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: The consequences of a no deal would be so serious as I think Parliament would have to seriously consider whether it could contemplate this. The question people need ask themselves is: is this a risk that they think we should be taking? If the Government can negotiate a good deal, then so be it. But if they cant and we end up in this position, then we have to reopen the question of whether we go forward with Brexit at all. It is not too late to do that. Lord Kerslake has advised Labour on preparing for government (Peter Byrne/PA) A pause to reflect would certainly be necessary. I think that is a pretty high probability now. But I think that pause would need to include and I suspect this would be insisted on by the (European) Commission some re-examination of the decision itself. The co-chairman of the pro-Brexit Leave Means Leave campaign group, Richard Tice, said Lord Kerslakes intervention was intended to soften people up for a delay to Britains withdrawal. That would be absolutely appalling. People up and down the country would be furious that our civil servants and Government have deliberately ignored the will of he people, he told the Today programme. What we have just heard from Lord Kerslake is part of the deliberate negativity from the Civil Service who are looking to soften people up in order to extend Article 50. It is completely unacceptable. Nigel Farage is to campaign against Theresa Mays Chequers plan (Kirsty OConnor/PA) Earlier it was announced that Nigel Farage was to become vice chairman of Leave Means Leave to spearhead the campaign against Theresa Mays Chequers plan for Brexit, which critics regard as a sell-out. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, the former Ukip leader said: It is now beyond doubt that the political class in Westminster and many of their media allies do not accept the EU referendum result. It is equally clear to me that, unless challenged, these anti-democrats will succeed in frustrating the result. Manchester United midfielder Andreas Pereira is relying on manager Jose Mourinho to help him become a winner. After opening the Premier League campaign with a 2-1 win against Leicester, attention turns to the south coast as United travel to Brighton on Sunday. Pereira will be hoping to retain his place in the side after impressing in midfield last Friday, when he ended an 897-day wait for a United appearance. Andreas Pereira says Manchester United rely on Jose Mourinho (Martin Rickett/PA) The 22-year-old spent time on loan at Granada and Valencia during that period time away that has clearly benefited a player determined to kick on again and become a serial winner like manager Mourinho. We rely on him because he always prepares the team well, Pereira said of the manager. He knows what to do. He is a winner and he always wants to win, so because he is like that we turn into that and we want to be like him, so we turn into winners as well so its very important. Mourinhos track record is certainly impressive, although the pressure will soon mount after a trophyless 2017-18 and background murmurings about the happiness of big-name players. Should things go awry you can be sure that the Portuguese will return to the subject of summer spending but perhaps Pereiras return make him like a new signing Nobody played more minutes than the midfielder during the pre-season tour of America and his promise has led to a maiden call-up to the Brazil squad for next months matches against the USA and El Salvador. An honour that I cannot measure, a joy that explodes the heart, a dream that is realised today! Pereira wrote on social media. Thank you, God! Brazilian with pride and love! Pereiras future certainly looks bright, but the midfielder knows his United game time will come under threat when Nemanja Matic returns to fitness. I will try to do my best, he told MUTV. And when Matic is back, of course he is an unbelievable player. I looked up to him since I was young, so I will see when he is back. But I will always be ready to play and to do my best for the team. Matic and captain Antonio Valencia returned to training on Thursday, but Mourinho says neither will be available for Brighton. The United boss will also be without Marcos Rojo, Diogo Dalot, Ander Herrera and Sergio Romero as the side look to make amends for last seasons loss at Brighton. It will be for sure a difficult game but we will try to prepare for it as best as we can, Pereira added. I think if you want to think about the title you have to think about every game and we have to win every game. Just in this week, so many people told me last year we lost against Brighton, so we have to prepare. I think we are going to get more prepared than last year because we know we lost last season, so this year we dont want to lose. We want to win over there. Tony Blair has led tributes to the former UN secretary general Kofi Annan, describing him as a true statesman. Mr Annan died at the age of 80 follwing a short illness, his foundation announced on Saturday. During his time as secretary general, he clashed with Mr Blair over the 2003 invasion of Iraq by US and British forces, which he denounced as illegal. However the former prime minister whose time in No 10 coincided closely with Mr Annans time in office said their differences had not prevented them remaining good friends. TB: Im shocked and distressed to hear the news about Kofi. He was a good friend whom I saw only weeks ago. Kofi Annan was a great diplomat, a true statesman and a wonderful colleague who was widely respected and will be greatly missed. My deepest sympathy to Nane and his family Tony Blair Institute (@InstituteGC) August 18, 2018 Im shocked and distressed to hear the news about Kofi. He was a good friend whom I saw only weeks ago, Mr Blair said in a statement. Kofi Annan was a great diplomat, a true statesman and a wonderful colleague who was widely respected and will be greatly missed. Theresa May said that she was sad to learn of Mr Annans death and that her thoughts were with his family. Sad to hear of the death of Kofi Annan. A great leader and reformer of the UN, he made a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into. My thoughts and condolences are with his family. pic.twitter.com/P0SWagShJM Theresa May (@theresa_may) August 18, 2018 A great leader and reformer of the UN, he made a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into, she said. Former prime minister Gordon Brown, who is currently the UN special envoy for global education, said Mr Annan had fought throughout his life against poverty and injustice. Kofi Annan was a leader of leaders, a wonderful humanitarian and the most compassionate and caring of individuals. Gordon Brown and Kofi Annan in 2009 (Danny Lawson/PA) Personally modest and always softly spoken, he was a titan amongst world statesman who saw wrong and righted it and who witnessed evil and always fought it. Even in his later years he fought against poverty, injustice and war with all the vigour of youth and I had the privilege of working with him in recent times. A 17-year-old boy has been charged with attempted robbery after a 93-year-old woman was attacked at a bus stop. The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, handed himself in to Greater Manchester Police on Friday night. He was charged in connection with the incident which took place at 11.55am on Thursday at a bus stop in Turf Lane, Chadderton, Oldham. Police in Manchester (PA) A 17-year-old boy has been charged with attempted robbery https://t.co/loeDWYaEWG Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) August 18, 2018 The boy will appear at Tameside Youth Court on September 4. The woman was dragged to the floor, banging her head and leaving her with multiple injuries to her head, knees and hands. She was taken to hospital for treatment and has since been discharged. The offenders fled empty-handed. The Irish Government has hailed former UN secretary general Kofi Annan as a voice for a more peaceful and equal world. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who served two terms as head of the organisation dedicated to maintaining the international order and tackling conflict, died on Saturday aged 80. Mr Annan recognised Irelands central role in peace-building operations overseas and supported the Northern Ireland peace process, foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney said. Very sad to hear of death of #KofiAnnan - he was a hero of mine and earned a reputation for calm, firm and just diplomacy through his roll as Sec Gen of the @UN. His charisma and sense will be missed at a time when effective global diplomacy is badly needed. RIP Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) August 18, 2018 Mr Coveney said: Kofi Annan was an exceptional international statesman who worked tirelessly for a more peaceful and equal world, both during his long and illustrious career in the United Nations and since his retirement, championing the cause of peace and reconciliation, in particular on his own beloved continent of Africa. The 1998 Good Friday Agreement was signed during his tenure. Mr Coveney said Mr Annan had a dedicated interest in Ireland and the maintenance of peace on the island, commentating as recently as April on the Agreement and its legacy. The Good Friday Agreement was achieved after difficult compromises by all and it served us well. Amid the wider political and economic uncertainty caused by Brexit, all stakeholders should place the preservation of peace and security as a high priority. https://t.co/CZKKyCg6zw Kofi Annan (@KofiAnnan) April 24, 2018 In 2004 he met Irish peacekeepers in Dublin to thank them for their service. He also visited Ireland in 2015, marking the 60th anniversary of the Republics membership of the UN and the positive and sustained commitment Ireland has made in peacekeeping, human rights, international development and disarmament. Kofi Annan with Mary Robinson and TD Charlie Flanagan (Maxwells/PA) The Irish army, as part of the UN forces, has had a decades-long role tackling violence in the Lebanon and dozens have lost their lives. Mr Coveney added: With the sad passing of Kofi Annan, the international community has lost one of its greatest champions for these causes. His dedication to a more equal, interdependent and peaceful world is a shining example to all. Kofi Annan has left a significant legacy and it is the responsibility of Ireland and all UN member states to carry his mantle into the future. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said Mr Annan was a true multi-lateralist, at a time when we need multi-lateralism, and a tireless advocate for world peace. He said: He remained involved in public life after his retirement and will be long remembered for his commitment to the betterment of the global community. Irish President Michael D Higgins said Mr Annan was a constant reminder of the importance of multilateral action by states and of the urgent need to tackle climate change and assist vulnerable communities who are experiencing its effects most acutely. "A lifelong advocate of international cooperation, Kofi Annan has left an indelible legacy on the global community" Statement by President Michael D. Higgins on the death of former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan. pic.twitter.com/VmMGqTEfms President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) August 18, 2018 He was a great representative of his country Ghana and of the African continent, and his wisdom, empathy, humour and insights will be greatly missed by all. Sinn Fein president Mary-Lou McDonald said he was a skilled and dedicated international diplomat. Mr Annan was a self-described eternal optimist and a genuine believer in the potential of the international community to rise above our differences. He will be sadly missed. Former Irish president Mary Robinson is part of an international group known as the Elders, of which Mr Annan was the chair. They said: The world has lost an inspiring figure but one whose achievements will never be forgotten, and whose commitment to peace and justice will endure to inspire future generations. Addressing the opening ceremony, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto stressed that the students talent, creativity and renovation spirit will contribute to the social development and put forth solutions to current global issues. The contest, themed Energy Impact, draws the participation of 165 teams across the world. Three teams will form a group by drawing lots to compete with other groups. Different teams will work together each round. A team will take part in eight matches in total. The Vietnamese team consists of four students of the FPT High School. Head of the team Le Ngoc Tuan said two months prior to the competition, each team received a kit containing circuit boards, screws and wheels to design and assemble its own robot. The Vietnamese teams robot design and features won praise from the host committee, he said. A group of Vietnam, Azerbaijan and Slovakia suffered a narrow defeat by their rivals from Switzerland, Paraguay and Cote dIvoire in the first match due to lack of collaboration. Afterward, the Vietnamese students along with their peers from Moldova and Mauritius won a landslide victory against their rivals from Belgium, Guatemala and Papua New Guinea. The group of Vietnam was ranked third in the overall rankings after the second match of the first competition day. FIRST Global Challenge is a non-profit organisation which aims to inspire science and technology leadership and innovation in young people from all nations in order to increase understanding. Tony Blair and Theresa May have joined politicians from around the world in paying tribute to former UN secretary general Kofi Annan, who has died at the age of 80. Mr Annan, who became the first black African to lead the world body, died on Saturday following a short illness, his foundation said. Mr Blair, whose time in No 10 coincided closely with Mr Annans tenure in office, said he had been a true statesman, while Mrs May said he had made a huge contribution to making the world a better place. A career diplomat from Ghana, Mr Annan served two terms as secretary general from 1997 to 2006. In 2001, he was awarded the Nobel Peace prize in recognition of his efforts in fighting for human rights and revitalising the UN, having taken over when its reputation was at a low ebb. In the years that followed, he clashed with the Blair government and the US administration of George Bush over the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Tony Blair said Kofi Annan was a true statesman (Chris Young/PA) He later described his failure to prevent the war a conflict which he denounced as illegal as the darkest moment of his time in office. Despite their differences on such a key issue, Mr Blair said they had remained good friends. Im shocked and distressed to hear the news about Kofi. He was a good friend whom I saw only weeks ago, he said in a statement. Kofi Annan was a great diplomat, a true statesman and a wonderful colleague who was widely respected and will be greatly missed. A leader of leaders, a titan amongst world statesman, a wonderful humanitarian and the most compassionate and caring of individuals. Kofi Annan will be sorely missed. Gordon Brown (@GordonBrown) August 18, 2018 Mr Blairs successor, Gordon Brown who is currently the UN special envoy for global education, said Mr Annan had fought throughout his life against poverty, injustice and war. Kofi Annan was a leader of leaders, a wonderful humanitarian and the most compassionate and caring of individuals, he said. Personally modest and always softly spoken, he was a titan amongst world statesman who saw wrong and righted it and who witnessed evil and always fought it. Current Secretary General Antonio Guterres said Mr Annan had been a guiding force for good. In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations. He rose through the ranks to lead the organisation into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination, he said. Mrs May said she had been saddened to learn of Mr Annans death and that her thoughts were with his family. Sad to hear of the death of Kofi Annan. A great leader and reformer of the UN, he made a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into. My thoughts and condolences are with his family. pic.twitter.com/P0SWagShJM Theresa May (@theresa_may) August 18, 2018 A great leader and reformer of the UN, he made a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into, she said. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: Kofi Annan dedicated his life to building a more just and peaceful world, even in his retirement. His efforts in support of conflict resolution and human rights will be remembered. He looked for a peaceful path when others looked for war. Hundreds of campaigners have attended a rally in Scotland as they stepped up demands for a public vote on the final Brexit deal. Backers of the so-called peoples vote gathered in Edinburghs Festival Square to call for the Governments eventual deal on exiting the European Union to be put before the country. The event was organised by The Peoples Vote campaign, which argues that the Brexit process is a mess. Speakers at the event (PA) Author and broadcaster Gavin Esler, comedian and impressionist Rory Bremner and former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell were among those in attendance at the gathering. Former BBC journalist Mr Esler told the crowd: Truth decay is a rottenness which is undermining our democracy. It has many sources, but one stands out the Brexit bunch. Like most people in this country, whatever we thought of the vote, I accepted it at first thats how democracy works. But Ive change my mind completely over the last two years of lies and incompetence. Great turn out in Edinburgh for peoples vote on Brexit deal and inspiring speakers!#summerofaction pic.twitter.com/m59L0tGJd4 Richard Tallaron (@rtallaron) August 18, 2018 He went on: The Brexit bunch are the most incompetent bunch of politicians in my lifetime and Brexit is in deep trouble, not because of those of us who thought it was a bad idea, but because those who told us it was a good idea are so incompetent, they dont know what it is. He added: We can argue against lies and cheating, we can argue for real democracy, we can argue for a truly fair and free and informed vote. We can continue to expose the hypocrisy of the Brexit bunch, we can argue for a peoples vote. Thank you - and Im delighted to be home in Edinburgh today to speak at a city centre rally on the need to discuss the facts about the mess the Brexit Bunch incompetence has created in our country. https://t.co/kKcmDFvpc4 Gavin Esler (@gavinesler) August 18, 2018 Those attending the rally waved flags and held banners with slogans such as Whose deal is it? Let the people choose and We demand a peoples vote on the Brexit deal. Organisers claimed the event, which was addressed by a number of speakers, was attended by around 1,000 people. Vanessa Glynn, chair of the European Movement in Scotland, told the crowd: There is no good Brexit. There is rightly wide-spread pessimism about the impact of Brexit on Scottish jobs, businesses, farmers and public services. Scots believe that Brexit will make our nations economy weaker, Scotlands NHS worse and our own families significantly poorer Lets stop talking about Brexit and start talking about what we want for our future. We are already 3,500 midwives short... we cannot lose our EU midwives. Brexit will be a disaster for the #NHS @MaryRossDavie from the RCM Scotland at #PeoplesVoteScot rally pic.twitter.com/KD1Wj98utX Women for a People's Vote (@women4PV) August 18, 2018 Mary Ross-Davie, director of the Royal College of Midwives in Scotland, said the organisation supports the Peoples Vote campaign. Were already 3,500 midwives short across the UK and if we lose our hard-working, fantastic midwife colleagues from the EU, it will be a disaster, she told supporters. She argued that the decision on the final Brexit deal must not rest with a few hundred politicians in Westminster. It has to be a decision taken by the tens of millions of us, right across Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland, whose lives will be changed forever by it, she said. It is far too big a decision to be left to the politicians alone. We, the people, must decide in a peoples vote on the final Brexit deal. Russian President Vladimir Putin made a flying visit to Austria to attend the wedding of the countrys foreign minister on Saturday, before heading to Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Austrian authorities imposed tight security measures around the site of the ceremony near the southern border with Slovenia, where foreign minister Karin Kneissl married her partner Wolfgang Meilinger, a businessman. Kneissl, an independent, was nominated by the pro-Russia Austrian Freedom Party, whose leaders also attended the wedding. Photos showed Putin dancing with the bride, who was dressed in traditional Austrian costume. According to Austrian public broadcaster ORF, Putin also took a small Cossack mens choir along to entertain about 100 guests at the wedding. Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies that the Russian president spent about an hour at the wedding. Speaking hours later alongside Merkel before the two leaders held talks at the German governments guesthouse in Meseberg, north of Berlin, Putin said they would discuss bilateral ties, economic co-operation and Russias Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline beneath the Baltic Sea. With protesters audible outside the guesthouse, Putin also raised the issue of humanitarian aid and funding for international reconstruction in Syria. Its important to help those areas that the refugees can return to, he said. I think its in everyones interests, including Europes. Merkel said the talks would also touch on the possibility of establishing a United Nations mission to help bring about peace in Ukraine. The veteran former Conservative MP Sir Peter Tapsell has died aged 88, the chairman of his former constituency party has said. Craig Leyland, the chairman of the Louth and Horncastle Conservative Association, said that Sir Peter had served the constituency loyally and had never been afraid to speak his mind. Sir Peter first entered Parliament in 1959 as MP for Nottingham West in 1959 and is one for the few MPs to have sat for more then 50 years. Sir Peter Tapsell during his time as an MP (PA) He was Father of the House from 2010 until he finally stood down at the 2015 general election. As Chairman of Louth and Horncastle Conservative Association I am very saddened to hear that Sir Peter Tapsell has died. He served this constituency loyally over many years. His knowledge of finance and the Middle East could not be rivalled. Our condolences to Lady Tapsell https://t.co/FO3nE485cL Craig Leyland (Cllr) Leader Eldc (@craigjleyland) August 18, 2018 The former party chairman Lord Pickles paid tribute, saying he had been a formidable contributor to the Commons chamber. I doubt we will see his like again, he wrote on Twitter. Sir Peter began his political career as a 25-year-old speech writer to prime minister Sir Anthony Eden. Sorry to read this, very good and agreeable company. A formidable contributor to the Chamber of the Commons. I doubt we will see his like again https://t.co/zBQloaLzYA Lord (Eric) Pickles (@EricPickles) August 18, 2018 After losing his seat in the 1964 general election, he returned two years later as MP for Horncastle an area he continued to represent for the rest of his time in Parliament. Never afraid to go his own way, he had only a brief spell on the frontbenches as an opposition Treasury spokesman under Margaret Thatcher, a move he later described as the single biggest mistake of his political life. An entrenched opponent of her monetarist policies, he later resigned and voted against Sir Geoffrey Howes 1981 budget the first Tory MP to vote against a Conservative budget since the 1930s, plunging him into internal party exile. In later years, he was a fierce critic of the European Union and an opponent of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, calling for the impeachment of Tony Blair for misleading Parliament over the invasion of Iraq. By Gram Slattery SAO PAULO, Aug 17 (Reuters) - U.S. private equity firm GTIS Partners LP has put four major properties in Sao Paulo up for sale, four people with knowledge of the matter said, in what could be one of Brazil's largest real estate transactions in recent years. GTIS, which has about $5 billion of real estate assets under management, has placed its Infinity and Vista Faria Lima towers on the block, said the sources, who requested anonymity as the matter is private. GTIS has also put two large warehouses outside the city on the market, they added. The auction, which could bring close to $400 million for the office towers alone, is the latest sign of a revival in Brazil's commercial property market as vacancy rates fall following a multi-year rout. Warehouses are also an increasingly hot commodity in Brazil as e-commerce takes off in Latin America's largest economy. The Infinity tower in particular boasts big-name tenants, including the Brazilian units of Goldman Sachs Group Inc and Credit Suisse AG, as well as Facebook Inc, Apple Inc and Thomson Reuters Corp competitor Bloomberg LP. GTIS declined to comment on the sale, but said the firm continues to be an active buyer in Brazilian real estate. The firm would like to sell the assets as a package, two of the sources said, but may sell them in pieces depending on buyers' interest. While the process is in its early stages, private equity funds, sovereign wealth funds and publicly traded firms such as BR Properties SA and Cyrela Commercial Properties SA (CCP) are seen as potential buyers, the sources said. Market sources said the buildings would likely fetch at least 25,000 reais per square meter, which would put their price above 1.3 billion reais ($330 million). The price of the warehouses was unclear. The GTIS sale is considered one of two major corporate real estate deals in Brazil at the moment. The other is the sale of towers owned by South Korea's Mirae in a process that could fetch 1 billion reais. Among the parties with preliminary interest in that asset, Reuters reported in May, is CCP, which has a joint venture with the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board to invest $400 million in Brazilian offices. ($1 = 3.91 reais) (Reporting by Gram Slattery; Editing by Christian Plumb and Dan Grebler) By Nellie Peyton DAKAR, Aug 17 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A deadly Ebola outbreak in a conflict-hit area of the Democratic Republic of Congo poses an "unprecedented" challenge to health workers trying to access victims and contain the disease, medical charities said on Friday. At least 44 people have died in Congo's tenth Ebola outbreak since the deadly virus was discovered in the 1970s, according to the World Health Organization. It started just a week after the country declared an end to an outbreak and marks the first time responders have had to work in an active conflict zone, where armed groups regularly kill and kidnap civilians. "With Ebola, this situation is unprecedented. It will make the response longer and more expensive," said Michelle Gayer, director of emergency health for the International Rescue Committee (IRC), which is working to contain the outbreak. Longstanding conflict in the region has made people more susceptible to disease because of poor sanitation and high levels of malnutrition and displacement, Gayer said, with many people now living in camps. Treatment centres have been set up in towns that are violence free, but surveillance teams cannot access surrounding areas to check for cases, said Papys Lame of the Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA). "Measures are in place to be able to manage it as best as possible despite the insecurity," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The virus, which spreads via bodily fluids and causes vomiting, bleeding and diarrhoea, has already spread from its epicentre in North Kivu province to neighbouring Ituri province since the first cases were detected on August 1. The WHO is having to rely on local health workers in the "red zones" deemed too unsafe for its staff to enter, and has been unable to send in experts, regional emergencies director Ibrahima Soce Fall told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Authorities are trying to negotiate access with the militia, the WHO director-general said earlier this week. It has been difficult to raise support and awareness because the outbreak so closely followed another one, Fall said. "We mobilised very quickly the money needed to respond to the first outbreak, but now we are going back to the same donors and there can be this kind of fatigue," he said. "It is really important for the international community to know that this outbreak is more complex." Millions died in civil wars in eastern Congo from 1996 to 2003, but Ituri province had experienced relative peace until violence erupted again this year. Ethnic rivalries and militia fighting throughout the country have been fanned by a breakdown of state authority since President Joseph Kabila refused to step down at the end of his mandate in 2016. (Reporting by Nellie Peyton, Editing by Claire Cozens. Please credit Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights, and climate change. Visit www.trust.org) GAZA, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Israeli troops killed two Palestinians and wounded scores of other taking part in weekly Gaza border protests on Friday, medics said, as Egyptian mediators tried to clinch a truce deal that would calm the impoverished enclave. After a more than four-month surge in confrontations, Israel this week eased its clampdown on the Gaza Strip border and fishing waters. Cairo said it was finalising the details of a longer-term accommodation between Israel and the dominant Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. Some 20,000 people took part in Friday's protests, which took place a few hundred meters from the fence, though dozens came closer, with some rolling burning tyres, witnesses said. Medics said Israeli gunfire killed two men and wounded at least 270 other Palestinians, 50 of them with live bullets. An Israeli army spokeswoman said troops had responded with "riot-dispersal means" to prevent breaches of the border. Friday's deaths brought to 170 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces since the weekly protests began on March 30. The campaign is pressing for rights to land that Palestinians lost to Israel in the 1948 war of its foundation, and for an end to the Israeli-Egyptian blockade of Gaza. Anger in Gaza has also been stoked by funding cuts by the Western-backed administration of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, which dominates the West Bank and is the rival of Hamas, which runs Gaza. Their efforts at agreeing on a power-sharing unity deal with Egyptian mediation have not borne fruit. Separately, Israeli police said they were attacked on Friday by a knife-wielding man after he emerged from the Jerusalem complex housing Al Aqsa mosque, Islam's third-holiest shrine, and shot him. The police statement did not immediately give the man's condition. It described him as a resident of an Israeli Arab town where pro-Palestinian sympathies are strong. (Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi; Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Gareth Jones) By Tom Polansek CHICAGO, Aug 17 (Reuters) - U.S. wheat futures jumped to their highest prices in more than a week on Friday, supported by concerns that Russia may consider curbs on grain exports, traders said. Talk of potential limits on shipments from Russia, the world's top wheat exporter, fuelled worries about tightening global supplies, after drought has reduced harvests from the Black Sea region to Europe and Australia. Russia will consider restricting 2018-19 exports once they reach 30 million tonnes, following a request from meat-producing regions, according to traders who met with the agriculture ministry. The ministry denied it discussed export curbs, although the meeting still added to doubts about Russia's capacity to export a projected 35 million tonnes of wheat in 2018-19. Constraints on Russian exports would typically increase demand for wheat from the European Union, but the bloc's harvests have suffered from unfavourable dryness, said Arlan Suderman, chief commodities economist for U.S. broker INTL FCStone. "With the smaller crop in Europe this year, the demand would shift to the United States," Suderman said. Most-active wheat futures climbed 13-1/2 cents to $5.75-1/2 a bushel by 12:20 CDT (1720 GMT) at the Chicago Board of Trade. Earlier in the session, the contract hit $5.82-3/4, its highest price since Aug. 7. Most-active soybean futures slumped 12 cents to $8.85 a bushel. Corn futures dipped 3 cents to $3.76-3/4 a bushel, after reaching their highest price since Aug. 10 at $3.82-1/2. Those losses were a turnaround from Thursday when grain and soy prices rose on plans for Beijing and Washington to hold fresh talks to address the trade war that has reduced U.S. agricultural shipments to China. China is the world's top importer of soy and last year bought shipments from the United States worth some $12 billion, making the oilseed America's top farm export to China. The trade stand-off, however, has prompted Beijing to impose extra tariffs on imports of U.S. soybeans and shift its purchases to Brazil. "There is still a lot to overcome between the two countries and we don't want to get too carried away buying beans until more is known," said Tomm Pfitzenmaier, analyst for Summit Commodity Brokerage. Expectations that U.S. farmers will harvest their biggest soy crop ever this autumn and produce record corn yields also hung over the markets. Next week, traders will digest the results of an annual U.S. crop tour that will assess the condition of hundreds of corn and soy fields stretching from Ohio to Nebraska. (Additional reporting by Gus Trompiz in Paris and Nigel Hunt in London, Editing by David Evans and Phil Berlowitz ) Aug 17 (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs Group Inc is facing a probe from U.K. regulators over its reporting practices tied to new rules in European markets, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing people with knowledge of the matter. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has been investigating the matter this year, according to the report https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-17/goldman-is-said-to-face-u-k-probe-over-mifid-reporting-faults. Earlier this year, a former Goldman Sachs employee sent a complaint to the FCA alleging that the bank's approach was to flood regulators with too much data and inaccurate information in breach of compliance guidelines, the report said. The EU's Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II, dubbed MiFID II, which took effect earlier this year, states investment research must be priced separately from other broker services to ensure transparency and better value for money. Goldman Sachs did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment, while the FCA could not be reached outside business hours. (Reporting by Munsif Vengattil in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila) SHANGHAI, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit Pyongyang next month at the invitation of North Korea leader Kim Jong Un to attend the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding, Singapore's Straits Times newspaper reported. It will be the Chinese leader's first visit to the North Korean capital since he took power in 2012, and 13 years after the last visit by a Chinese President, when Xi's predecessor Hu Jintao visited in 2005, the newspaper said on Saturday. The Straits Times did not say where it obtained the information and the Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. North Korea's celebrations are set to take place on Sept. 9 and the Straits Times said that Xi's visit could still be subject to last-minute changes. China is the reclusive country's most important trading partner and Kim has visited China three times so far this year during which he has held talks with Xi on improving cooperation between the two countries and economic reforms. The United States has stepped up sanctions on North Korea to pressure Pyongyang to give up its nuclear program. This week, the United States imposed sanctions on Chinese firms for exporting alcohol and cigarette products to North Korea in breach of those sanctions. (Reporting by Brenda Goh; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore) Thuc stated that over recent years, the special relationship between Vietnam and Laos has been clearly manifested through a collaboration programme in front work between Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, which serves a common goal of uniting the people to pave the foundation for the three countries economic development. Specifically, the coordination programme signed between Vietnam and Laos covers the friendly people-to-people exchange, the building of the Vietnam-Laos borderline, and the enhancement of experience sharing in religious solidarity, he said. The VFF official noted that Vietnams religious solidarity mobilisation has a joint programme for the front agencies, with the active involvement of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) in calling for solidarity among the entire people. The Vietnam Fatherland Front and the Lao Front for National Construction are also implementing many effective coordination programmes, thereby creating favourable conditions for the people of the two countries to develop and affirming the lasting friendship between the Vietnamese and Lao people, he added. On the occasion, Thuc extended his sympathies for the huge damage caused by the recent dam collapse incident in Laos, while affirming that Vietnam has already provided assistance and is willing to offer more in order to help the Lao people promptly overcome difficulties and stabilise their lives. For his part, Most Venerable Veth Masenay stated that since 2005, the Buddhist sanghas of Vietnam and Laos have signed a six-article memorandum of understanding (MoU) aiming to accelerate bilateral relations. He called for more practical activities to be held by the two sides in order to further improve the role of the MoU and enhance the Buddhist cohesiveness between Vietnam and Laos. The police officers stationed in the North are reportedly nonplussed and at a loss as to how they are to carry out the orders issued by Police Chief Pujith Jayasundara they should at least build one house each to be donated to people in the area. Northern Province Senior DIG Roshan Fernando has taken initiative to instruct the police personnel under his command about request made by the IGP. Already, housing construction has been undertaken in most areas of the country for the benefit of needy people. At the moment, 13 houses have been constructed in the area coming under the Vavuniya Police Division and 12 in the Mannar Police Division. The Kilinochchi Police Division has constructed one house and the Mullaitivu Division another. The Northern Province DIG has expressed displeasure that no such work has been undertaken by the Police Divisions in Jaffna and Kankesanthurai. All the 53 police stations have been ordered to complete at least one house each before December 31, 2018. However, police sources in the North said they were in a dilemma as to how money could be raised to implement such housing projects. They said this could even lead police officers to solicit bribes from unlawful business operators such as timber racketeers and sand miners to build houses within the stipulated time.(Kelum Bandara) Sri Lanka's underworld is nowhere else but in universities, Higher Education and Cultural Affairs Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said yesterday. He told a news briefing that the masterminds of the underworld were inside the universities controlling the entire university system. It is because of a few students that the entire university system is in jeopardy. A few students take the initiative in organizing the protests which ultimately have no results. Much of the protest marches are not carried out with the intention of meting out justice but to fulfil the political agendas of bankrupt politicians, he added. The Government spends about Rs.500,000 on a university student, the minister said. He said the prevailing crisis in the university was not the result of a failure in administration but in the ideology of a few university students who are motivated by politically-minded students. Meanwhile, the minister said ragging had become a huge issue in the universities where a lot of students had been inconvenienced and even led to students having to forgo their university education. We hope to carry out stringent action on ragging under the Ragging Act, he said. He said a 24-hour phone line was available - 011 2123700 to lodge complaints by anybody who fell victim to ragging. (Sheain Fernandopulle) Fresh moves by the United States to impose sanctions on Turkey and the impending economic crisis in Iran may affect Sri Lanka as well, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday. He said this at the opening of the Deviduragama Udagama in Moneragala. Economic crises in Turkey and Iran may affect Sri Lanka and as such we should be prepared to face any such calamity, the Prime Minister said while referring to the foreign media reports that the US will impose sanctions on Turkey shortly and the warnings given by the international economic experts that Iranian was on the verge of an economic crisis. However, the Prime Minister was optimistic that Sri Lanka would resolve its debt crisis by 2025. Government revenue was hardly sufficient to meet debt servicing when this government took over in 2015 but now debt servicing had dropped to 70 per cent of the GDP. We hope to bring it down to between 60 and 55 per cent of the GDP by 2025, he said. "The previous regime decided to hold elections because it could not manage debt servicing. It may have thought that Sri Lanka would become another Greece. The opposition also thought that this government will be caught up in a crisis. However we have managed to steady the economy despite difficulties. We had no choice but to go for a standby arrangement with the IMF but we have steadied the economy now, he said. (Yohan Perera) The three-day literary festival, which ends later on Friday (August 17) brought together writers, scholars, authors, intellectuals, poets, musicians and other literary giants from Somalia and the Diaspora. The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) said the fair is another demonstration of the atmosphere of peace and stability being enjoyed in Somalia, as a result of gains made on the security front. "The presence of the AU troops in the Horn of Africa country has ensured progress in the security, political and socio-economic fronts," said the AU mission in a statement issued in Mogadishu. According to AMISOM, thousands of book enthusiasts have thronged the annual Mogadishu Book Fair, which opened its doors to the public on August 15. More than 36 guests and 20 renowned poets from the Middle East, Asia, Europe, North America, the East and Horn of Africa region are attending the three-day festival. About 50 new titles are on display at the Book Fair, while more than 2,000 books on 178 different topics are being exhibited. Somali Deputy Prime Minister Mahdi Guled Khadar who opened the festival underlined the importance of inculcating a culture of reading in the country. "Knowledge should be our guiding principle; we should use our minds creatively. Writing, reading and literary competitions, as well creative ideas, are a prerequisite for development," Khadar said. Mohamed Diini, the fair's organizer, said the Mogadishu Book Fair has for the first time in its history, introduced a reading tent for children, noting that at least 80 children are attending the fair and interacting with storytellers and writers of children's books. "I think this is going to be something great for the parents and children because ultimately what the Book Fair is all about is to promote literacy, reading not just for schooling purposes but reading for fun, reading for pleasure, promoting anything that is related to knowledge, scholarship and uniting authors and professors and poets and playwrights, Somalis and non-Somalis, giving them a chance to network, benefit from each other so that it will contribute, as I say every year, to the building of the new Somalia that will be better tomorrow than today," said Diini. A united Somali society took center stage, advocating for quality Somali education and the promotion of a culture of reading and literacy with the tools to obtain it. Renowned writer Shafie Sharif Mohamed described the festival as a meeting hub of creatives, saying the book fair is the yearly meeting hub of Somali writers. "This is the forum where people from all walks of life present their ideas and gets feedback from experts or people with more experience. It also gives Somali youth a chance to get to see thousands of books which are not available anywhere else. It is a good opportunity for the youth, as well as for the writers," he said. Somali-Canadian novelist and journalist Hassan Gedi Santur is exhibiting at the fair for the first time. His anthology of short stories called "Mediterranean" gives a look at the African migration crisis and the perilous journeys through the Mediterranean, in search of a better life abroad. "As a writer, I feel nothing is more important than writing and reading for the culture, for the civilization of a nation," said Santur. "So instead of fighting and disagreeing with weapons; to be able to disagree and share perspectives through language, through ideas, I think is the basis of any thriving nation. I think this is going to go a long way to helping that and building a more prosperous democratic society," he added. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has sponsored the festival for three years in a row in support of a Somali-driven campaign for literacy. BEIJING, Aug. 17 --Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday sent a congratulatory message to Imran Khan on his election as Pakistan's new prime minister. In the message, Li said the relationship between China and Pakistan, which enjoy an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, has witnessed healthy and steady development despite the challenges of time and changing international situation. In recent years, the two countries have deepened political mutual trust, made remarkable achievements in the Belt and Road cooperation, and achieved fruitful results in building the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which in all have brought tangible benefits to the two countries and peoples, Li said. Li expressed appreciation for Imran Khan's positive remarks on firmly supporting the development of China-Pakistan relations, saying he is willing to establish a sound working relationship and personal friendship with the new prime minister, in a bid to carry on the traditional friendship between China and Pakistan, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, and strive to build the China-Pakistan community of a shared future. Imran Khan was elected as the new Pakistani prime minister on Friday in a polling held by the National Assembly, or lower house of the parliament. He will be sworn in as the 22nd elected prime minister on Saturday. Russian Asbestos Company Makes Trump Its Poster Boy By Nicole Goodkind 7 June 2018 (Newsweek) The Environmental Protection Agency will not consider the health risks and impacts of asbestos already in the environment when evaluating the dangers associated with the chemical compound, Scott Pruitt, the agencys head, quietly announced last week. That means asbestos used in tiles, piping and adhesives throughout homes and businesses in the United States will remain largely unchecked and unaccounted for. Nearly 15,000 Americans die each year from asbestos-related diseases, but President Donald Trump has called the substance 100 percent safe, once applied. In his 1997 book, The Art of the Comeback, Trump argued that the association of the chemical with health risks was part of a mob-created conspiracy. I believe that the movement against asbestos was led by the mob, because it was often mob-related companies that would do the asbestos removal. Great pressure was put on politicians, and as usual, the politicians relented, he wrote.The Trump EPAs decision came in response to new amendments made to the Toxic Substances Control Act in 2016. The additions to the bill mandate that the EPA perform safety reviews of certain chemicals, require testing and public notice of safety info for said chemicals and allow the EPA to ban certain uses of asbestos (previously, the EPA did not have the authority to do so). The EPA announced last Friday that it would evaluate and require approval for new uses of asbestos but would not evaluate the health risks of asbestos already in the environment. The end result will be a seriously inadequate risk evaluation that fails to address major contributors to the heavy and growing toll of asbestos mortality and disease in the United States, said Linda Reinstein, president of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization in a statement. Reinstein, whose husband developed Mesothelioma and passed away in 2006, told Newsweek that she met with Nancy Beck, deputy assistant administrator of the EPAs Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, on two occasions along with representatives from the AFL-CIO and the International Association of Fire Fighters. The group explained the hazards of legacy asbestos and presented over 100 studies confirming that low-dose asbestos exposure caused disease, but were shut down by Beck, she said. Beck was previously a senior director at the American Chemistry Council, a lobbyist group that represents Dow Chemical, DuPont, Monsanto and ExxonMobil Chemical.In August of 2016, the American Chemistry Council sent a letter to the EPA urging the agency to carefully consider its decision regarding asbestos evaluation as the chemical is essential to the chlor-alkali industry, which creates chlorine and sodium hydroxide for industrial use. They asked the EPA to take this into consideration as it determines whether to select asbestos among the initial 10 chemicals for risk evaluation under the changes to the Toxic Substances Control Act. Chemical lobbyist agencies including American Chemical Council held at least four meetings with the EPA last year regarding asbestos policy.If you dont evaluate the dangerous legacy of asbestos you dont know how much contamination still exists in the United States, Reinstein told Newsweek. We know its in our homes, schools, workplace and environment but the average American cant identify and evaluate the risk. We have taken risk evaluation off the table. [more] By Laurent Belsie 16 August 2018 (The Christian Science Monitor) Climate change is starting to pack an economic punch. In California this summer, severe wildfires have intensified a political brawl over who should shoulder the liability. Utility companies, which carry most of the risk if their equipment starts a fire, charge that they could go bankrupt if the legislature doesnt alleviate their legal liability. Insurance companies, which would have to shoulder the risk, argue that climate risk is still manageable. And as hurricane season begins for the United States, low-lying Miami is beginning to see the value of flood-prone coastal properties grow more slowly than real estate on higher ground.The links between these natural disasters and climate change are complicated and nuanced. Further clouding the discussion, many conservative politicians still argue theres no such link. On Sunday, before touring northern Californias deadly Carr fire, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke told a local California TV station that the wildfire has nothing to do with climate change. This has to do with active forest management.Slowly, despite the ongoing political debates over climate changes causes and effects, the economic impacts are beginning to hit home in certain communities. For example: Flood-prone coastal properties in five Southeastern states have lost $7.4 billion in potential value since 2005 because they appreciated at a slower rate than coastal real estate at higher elevations, according to one study released last month.So far, the proven economic impacts of climate change are relatively mild. But if natural disasters become increasingly destructive and these economic effects become more severe, the perception of climate risk could change quickly.If theres water in your street, no one really cares if youre a Republican or a Democrat, says Matthew Eby, the executive director of First Street Foundation, the New York nonprofit that published the five-state study on coastal real estate. They just care about how to get a solution. And if that water continues to rise year over year and the frequency [of flooding] is going up, theyre going to care even more.The nonprofit has set up a website, FloodIQ, so coastal homeowners can determine their risk of hurricane and tidal flooding. [more] By Frank Rich 6 August 2018 (New York Magazine If you were standing in the smoldering ashes of 9/11 trying to peer into the future, you might have been overjoyed to discover this happy snapshot of 2018: There has been no subsequent major terrorist attack on America from Al Qaeda or its heirs. American troops are not committed en masse to any ground war. American workers are enjoying a blissful 4 percent unemployment rate. The investment class and humble 401(k) holders alike are beneficiaries of a rising GDP and booming stock market that, as measured by the Dow, is up some 250 percent since its September 10, 2001, close. The most admired person in America, according to Gallup, is the nations first African-American president, a man no one had heard of and a phenomenon no one could have imagined at the centurys dawn. Comedy, the one art whose currency is laughter, is the cultures greatest growth industry. Whats not to like?Plenty, as it turns out. The mood in America is arguably as dark as it has ever been in the modern era. The birthrate is at a record low, and the suicide rate is at a 30-year high; mass shootings and opioid overdoses are ubiquitous. In the aftermath of 9/11, the initial shock and horror soon gave way to a semblance of national unity in support of a president whose electoral legitimacy had been bitterly contested only a year earlier. Todays America is instead marked by fear and despair more akin to what followed the crash of 1929, when unprecedented millions of Americans lost their jobs and homes after the implosion of businesses ranging in scale from big banks to family farms.Its not hard to pinpoint the dawn of this deep gloom: It arrived in September 2008, when the collapse of Lehman Brothers kicked off the Great Recession that proved to be a more lasting existential threat to America than the terrorist attack of seven Septembers earlier. The shadow it would cast is so dark that a decade later, even our current run of ostensible prosperity and peace does not mitigate the one conviction that still unites all Americans: Everything in the country is broken. Not just Washington, which failed to prevent the financial catastrophe and has done little to protect us from the next, but also race relations, health care, education, institutional religion, law enforcement, the physical infrastructure, the news media, the bedrock virtues of civility and community. Nearly everything has turned to crap, it seems, except Peak TV (for those who can afford it).That loose civic concept known as the American Dream initially popularized during the Great Depression by the historian James Truslow Adams in his Epic of America has been shattered. No longer is lip service paid to the credo, however sentimental, that a vast country, for all its racial and sectarian divides, might somewhere in its DNA have a shared core of values that could pull it out of any mess. Dead and buried as well is the companion assumption that over the long term a rising economic tide would lift all Americans in equal measure. When that tide pulled back in 2008 to reveal the ruins underneath, the country got an indelible picture of just how much inequality had been banked by the top one percent over decades, how many false promises to the other 99 percent had been broken, and how many central American institutions, whether governmental, financial, or corporate, had betrayed the trust the public had placed in them. And when we went down, we took much of the West with us. The American Kool-Aid wed exported since the Marshall Plan, that limitless faith in progress and profits, had been exposed as a cruel illusion.Unlike 9/11, which prompted an orgy of recriminations and investigations, the Great Recession never yielded a reckoning that might have helped restore that faith. The Wall Street bandits escaped punishment, as did most of the banking houses where they thrived. Everyone else was stuck with the bill. Millennials, crippled by debt and bereft of Horatio Alger paths out of it, mock the traditional American tenet that each generation will be better off than the one before. At the other end of the actuarial spectrum, boomers have little confidence that they can scrape together the wherewithal needed to negotiate old age. The American workers in the middle have seen their wages remain stagnant as necessities like health care become unaffordable.In the Digital Century, unlike the preceding American Century, the largest corporations are not admired as sources of jobs, can-do-ism, and tangible goods that might enrich and empower all. Theyre seen instead as impenetrable black boxes where our most intimate personal secrets are bought and sold to further fatten a shadowy Uber-class of obscene wealth and privilege trading behind velvet ropes in elite cryptocurrencies. Though only a tiny percentage of Americans are coal miners, many more Americans feel like coal miners in terms of their beleaguered financial status and future prospects. Its a small imaginative leap to think of yourself as a serf in a society where Facebook owns and markets your face and Alphabet does the same with your language (the alphabet, literally) while paying bogus respects to the dying right to privacy.It would be easy to blame the national mood all on Donald J. Trump, but that would be underrating its severity and overrating Trumps role in creating it (as opposed to exacerbating it). Trumps genius has been to exploit and weaponize the discontent that has been brewing over decades of globalization and technological upheaval. [more] (Bloomberg) Germany, the nation that did more than any other to unleash the modern renewable-energy industry, is likely to fall short of its goals for reducing harmful carbon-dioxide emissions even after spending over 500 billion euros ($580 billion) by 2025 to overhaul its energy system.Chancellor Angela Merkels government is grappling with the implications of failing to sufficiently raise the renewable share. Those may include extending the life of the most polluting fossil-fuel plants and scaling back future climate pledges under the landmark Paris Agreement, negotiated by more than 190 countries in 2015.A shortfall in Germany is an ominous signal for other nations struggling to reach their own targets. Emboldened by its prowess in engineering and a consensus across all political parties in favoring green energy, Germany was the first major economy to make a big shift in its energy mix toward low-carbon sources.Germanys emissions miss should act as a wake-up call to all countries, said Gail Whiteman, professor of environment sustainability at the U.K.s Lancaster University. It does not necessarily mean that China or India or even the U.S.A. cant cut their emissions. The key point is that we need a new kind of climate leadership, both at the nation-state level and across all other actors including companies and mayors. []Merkel, who as environment minister in the 1990s sketched some of the first international climate deals organized by the United Nations, in 2007 pledged to slash emissions by 40 percent by 2020 compared to 1990 levels. She backed that up with more than 100 measures in order to meet that goal. The reductions Germany achieved didnt have a big impact on the picture for global emissions because of an increase in emissions from developing nations.At the time they set their goals, they were very ambitious, recalled Patricia Espinosa, the lead United Nations envoy on climate change. It was a political statement that the chancellor was trying to make. What happened was that the industryparticularly the car industrydidnt come along. Technically they can do it. Economically they can do it. But its political. [more] By Palko Karasz 16 August 2018 LONDON (The New York Times) After an emergency landing on a Swiss glacier, the group of 12 Americans drank melted snow and survived on rations of one chocolate bar a person until daring pilots shuttled them to safety after five days marooned on the ice.Relics of that harrowing adventure and the successful rescue of all those onboard, including an 11-year-old girl and the captains mother, resurfaced after more than 70 years this month when scorching summer temperatures in Europe caused the glacial ice to recede.The melting uncovered a large part of the wreckage of the United States Army transport plane, including a wing and items from the cabin, like canned food and clothes hangers.Parts of the C-53 aircraft, also known as a Dakota, had already been discovered over the past 20 years. But the heat waves washing over much of the Continent this year, which many have linked to climate change, have permitted the retrieval of many more artifacts that recount the death-defying story of the 1946 flight. []The glaciers inexorable slide has moved the plane debris about two miles. Despite the new finds, Adriano Boschetti, an archaeologist for the Bern region, which includes the crash site, said most of the aircraft was still under the ice, at an elevation of 11,000 feet. [more] 16 August 2018 (BBC News) Emergency crews in Australia are battling unseasonal bushfires which have erupted across drought-stricken New South Wales (NSW). Almost 80 fires were burning along the states coast on Thursday, having ripped through more than 1,000 hectares in recent days. No lives or homes were in immediate danger, according to officials. Winter bushfires are uncommon but have flared up this year due to dry conditions, authorities say.Last week, the entire state of NSW was declared to be drought-affected.It is fair to say that the fires we are seeing today is really a result of the drought, NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said on Thursday.He said a combination of dry vegetation, lack of moisture and strong winds over 100km/h (75mph) had caused the fires to spread quickly.We dont even need the increased temperature [of summer], he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. [more] 27 April 2018 (Met Office) A scientific study has given an initial view of potentially significant changes in rainfall patterns across northern England and Scotland by 2100.An experimental approach using the Met Office Unified Model with a resolution of 1.5km provides a first look at changes in rainfall that could affect Scotland and northern England in both summer and winter several decades into the future. The 1.5km model allows us to look at changes in hourly rainfall at kilometre scales, not captured by traditional climate models.The study published in the journal Climate Dynamics showed that during winter daily average rainfall would increase at the end of the 21 Century for most parts of northern Britain, assuming a pathway leading to high greenhouse gas emissions the so-called: RCP8.5 pathway.In contrast, summer daily average rainfall is projected to see large decreases across northern Britain, with many areas including the Central belt of Scotland experiencing a reduction of 2550 percent.However, rainfall events in both summer and winter are likely to become more extreme. So-called high-intensity events, with rainfall of 10mm or more per hour are projected to become more frequent, while lower-intensity events are projected to become less frequent.Steven Chan, a visiting scientist with the Met Office Hadley Centre, is the papers lead author. He said: Developing an improved understanding of rainfall patterns until the end of the century is vital as it allows governments to plan for potential impacts of drought or flooding events.The research builds on an earlier Met Office study (published in Nature Climate Change, Kendon et al., 2014) which focussed on southern Britain.It only uses one model, so is not able to assess how likely the results might be but it does provide an initial look at the type of changes to rainfall patterns that are possible if the world continues on a high greenhouse gas emissions pathway.Later in the year, the UKCP18 project will build on the approach used in this study while additionally looking at a spread of potential outcomes and how likely they are to occur. This will provide a new tool to inform the decisions of policy makers and planners.For winter, the current study suggests a projected rainfall increase of 1035 percent in parts of the Scottish Central Lowlands, the western Scottish Highlands and the Lake District. However, a decrease of 1025 percent is projected around Aberdeen.The 1.5km-model shows a larger increase in extreme precipitation over the northern UK (by about 20 percent) compared to a 12km-model in summer, but a similar increase to the 12km-model in winter.This supports the result found previously for the southern UK that increases in summertime extremes may be higher than predicted by coarser-resolution conventional climate models.The paper Projected changes in extreme precipitation over Scotland and Northern England using a high-resolution regional climate model is a collaboration between scientists from the School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, and the Met Office.The simulations were supported by project NUTCAT2050, which seeks to understand how climate change may impact plant nutrient transport. By Sydney Franklin 6 August 2018 (The Architects Newspaper) Fast Company recently reported on the potential comeback of one of the most infamous building materials of recent memory. Asbestos is now legally allowed back into U.S. manufacturing under a serious of loopholes by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As Fast Company reported, on June 1, the EPA authorized a SNUR (Significant New Use Rule) that allowed the distribution of products containing asbestos on a case-by-case basis. [cf. Russia asbestos company makes Trump its poster boy Donald is on our side! Des]According to Fast Company, the EPAs recently released report detailing its new framework for evaluating the risk of its top prioritized substances states that the agency will no longer consider the effect or presence of substances in the air, ground, or water in its risk assessments. This news comes after the EPA reviewed its first batch of 10 chemicals under the 2016 amendment to the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which requires the agency to continually reevaluate hundreds of potentially toxic chemicals in lieu of removing them from the market or placing new restrictions on their use. The SNUR greenlights companies to use toxic chemicals like asbestos without consideration about how they will endanger people who are indirectly in contact with them. Asbestos was widely used in building insulation up until it was completely banned in most countries in the 1970s. The U.S. severely restricted its use without completely outlawing it. As Fast Company covered, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) revealed in April that asbestos-related deaths now total nearly 40,000 annually, with lung cancer and mesothelioma being the most common illnesses in association with the toxin. []Though the EPA is now easing its regulations against integrating the harmful toxin and others like it under the Trump administration, it will largely be the responsibility of local and state governments, as well as companies and informed consumers to counter these new federal moves. Walsh told Fast Company its up to sustainable building-product manufacturers and ultimately, architects to pressure the market. [more] By Alene Tchekmedyian and Alejandra Reyes-Velarde 16 August 2018 (Los Angeles Times) Each day on the front lines of Californias largest wildfire, firefighters start their shifts noting their safety zones and escape routes. Flames from the Mendocino Complex are still ripping through thousands of acres a day of steep, mountainous terrain packed with dead oak trees standing and fallen and littered with leaves and pine needles.Crews are on especially high alert this week after a firefighter who traveled from Draper City, Utah, to help battle the blaze died Monday while working on an active stretch. Every five or 10 minutes, theyre encouraged to look up, look around and make a sound.We always talk about having our head on a swivel when were out on the fire line, because things could change it could happen right there, in a snap of your fingers, said Trevor Pappas, a firefighter with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. You have to have plan A, B, C, D and sometimes E, F, G.Conditions have been ripe for the erratic fire behavior that has led to explosive growth of the Ranch fire, which along with the River fire makes up the 364,145-acre Mendocino Complex. The days are so hot and dry that whatever gains firefighters see overnight when the humidity goes up quickly fade when the sun hits the fuels and sucks the moisture out. Lately, winds have started to pick up about 5 p.m., gusting between 15 mph and 25 mph.That will really push a fire no person on Earth runs 25 mph, Pappas said. We all want to go home at the end of the day, or the end of the shift, and make it back to our families. []Cal Fire spokesman Cary Wright said the persistent low humidity has allowed the fires to continue growing once by 9,400 acres in just 24 hours. Temperatures were expected to drop and humidity levels to increase this week. Nighttime humidity rose significantly Tuesday for the first time since the fire started, Wright said.Firefighters count on the drop in temperature and increase in humidity that usually occurs naturally overnight to allow them to make progress. But that hasnt been happening in Lake County. Nighttime humidity levels have consistently been in the teens to 30 percent range. [more] He salutes medical workers' crucial role, says their sacrifices benefit all A group of Russian doctors study cupping practice at a traditional Chinese medicine hospital in Gansu province. [Photo/Xinhua] President Xi Jinping called on Friday for greater understanding for medical workers, to help create an atmosphere that respects doctors and acknowledges the importance of hygiene and health work. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remark in an instruction ahead of the first Chinese Medical Workers' Day, which falls on Sunday. Xi said medical workers have traditionally carried forward the spirit of reverence for life, healing the injured and rescuing or bringing comfort to the dying, and their sacrifices have hugely benefited the public. Medical workers play an important role in areas such as preventing and treating diseases, cultivating medical talent and developing medical technology, and fruitful results have been achieved, he said. When faced with infectious diseases or helping survivors of natural disasters, medical personnel have been undeterred and risked their own lives to save others, Xi said, noting that this has won praise from society. Xi also called on medical workers to carry forward the humanitarian spirit to save lives, and to make further contributions to promoting people's health. In November, the State Council, China's Cabinet, approved designating Aug 19 as Chinese Medical Workers' Day. Its establishment reflected the importance that the CPC Central Committee attaches to hygiene and health work, as well as its recognition of the excellent performance of medical workers, Xi said. Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan extended Xi's holiday greetings to the country's health workers when visiting and talking with medical staff in Beijing Haidian Hospital on Friday. Sun said she hoped Chinese Medical Workers' Day could be a new starting point for them to promote public health and well-being with high-quality services. She also urged governments and departments at all levels to implement the decision of the Party's Central Committee and the State Council, so that the hard work of medical workers is recognized. Deng Liqiang, legal affairs director of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, said Chinese Medical Workers' Day, different from International Nurses Day or World Teachers' Day, reflects the country's particular care for China's medical staff. Xi has always stressed a People-centered approach in his governance philosophy, and this instruction is a reflection of this philosophy, Deng said, adding, "It also shows the importance Xi attaches to public health." Deng also said he hoped Chinese Medical Workers' Day could encourage medical workers to make efforts in building a more harmonious relationship between doctors and patients. file photo SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 17 -- Google has updated a help page for customers of mobile phones to acknowledge that they still can be tracked for using its Search or Maps services, even if they turn off the phone's tracking feature. In the help page for the Location History setting, Google clarified, "This setting does not affect other location services on your device, like Google Location Services and Find My Device. Some location data may be saved as part of your activity on other services, like Search and Maps." The Google update came three days after a report of the Associated Press said that several Google apps and websites store user location even if users have turned off Location History. The latest description of the Google help page is an apparent revision of what the U.S. tech giant has previously stated: "With Location History off, the places you go are no longer stored." Google has been criticized for tracking users' locations, which could result from its push to make more profits from advertisers who could target more easily a certain group of users with the Google tracking data. Google's previous statement about Location History could be misleading for users who turned off the tracking feature to show they did not want to be tracked, while the users were not aware that they were still tracked for their movements and locations via other Google services, such as Google Search, Maps, weather updates or browser searches. Google offers users ways to keep their movements or locations private by disabling the "Web and App Activity" option on their mobile devices. A couple both born after 1990 hold their children, an infant daughter and her 18-month-old elder brother, in Shenyang, Liaoning province, on Jan 3, 2016. [Photo by Lihao/For China Daily] The proposal of setting up a childbirth fund to cover expenses of families having second child has drawn a wave of criticism. An article published Tuesday on Xinhua Daily, a Party-run newspaper of Jiangsu province, suggested establishing a childbirth fund which collects a portion of salary from employees under the age of 40 to cover costs incurred during breaks of female workers on maternal leave. The article was written jointly by Liu Zhibiao and Zhang Ye from the Yangtze Institute of Industrial Economy of the Nanjing University. The article said families having a second baby are allowed to draw money from the fund as subsidy for their child rearing. If a family does not have a second child, it can withdraw the money deposited in the fund upon retirement. The article said as the number of Chinese women of child-bearing age is expected to drop dramatically in the next decade, and the positive effect of loosening family-planning policy to wane, China faces a grim prospect of low birth rate and declining working population. The proposal has drawn a wave of criticism from internet users and scholars. "Do you know how much pressure we working people between the ages 25 to 30 suffer? We pay thousands of yuan each month on housing mortgage and car mortgage and social security premiums. We have to empty out our pockets to make the ends meet. Now you reach your hands into our pocket for childbirth fund?" commented an internet user on wallstreetcn.com. He Yafu, a demographer, told Caixin.com that Chinese employees already pay a relatively high level of social insurance premiums - around 39 percent of the total income. Paying for the proposed childbirth fund will push up the cost of employers, which goes against the guideline of the central government to ease burden on enterprises and let employees have more cash in hand. He said to encourage more people to have child, the country should implement more measures to ease financial burdens on families, such as tax break and subsidy for families with new child. According to statistics of National Bureau of Statistics, the total birth rate of China was 1.7 in 2016, below the level needed for population replacement, which is 2.1 by recognized international standard. To reverse the trend of low fertility rate, China loosened its decades-long family-planning policy in 2016, allowing couples to have a second child, and extended maternity leave to parents with new babies. However, the number of newborns in 2017 has dropped by 630,000 from the previous year, which indicates that the "two children policy" has not increased the birth rates. To raise the birth rate, local governments have rolled out preferential policies for families with new child. Xianning city in Hubei province announced policies this month to give subsidies of up to 30,000 yuan to families with difficulties in having baby and exempt a portion of fees for their children to attend kindergarten, and grant priority to families with a second child in applying for low-income houses. In June, Shaanxi province pledged to allow women to give birth to as many children as they want. In Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, a Chinese doctor from the "Trip to Brightness" examines cataracts of a local patient. (Photo/ Xinhua) "China has the practical experience and economic influence to exert great influence to the billions of lives along the Belt and Road," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO). From the prevention and control of infectious diseases and health assistance, to the training of talents and the promotion of Chinese medicine, China has been continuously deepening health exchanges and cooperation with countries along the Belt and Road. Medical cooperation around the world In September 2017, China sent a medical team consisting of 12 staff to provide medical services in the local emergency center jointly built by China and Pakistan in Pakistan's Gwadar, where the health and epidemic prevention situation is dire. Within half a year, the center received over 1,000 Chinese and Pakistani patients. The Chinese medical workers also carried out a physical examination for students of a local primary school. The high-quality medical services earned the Chinese team a fantastic reputation, and Chinese hospitals became the first choice for local patients. In January 2017, China signed a memorandum of understanding on medical and health cooperation with the WHO, expanding this pragmatic cooperation to Belt and Road countries, regions and even the rest of the world. In the Royal Hospital of Kabul, Afghanistan, an expert from the medical team of Chinese Red Cross screens children for congenital heart disease. (Photo/Xinhua) Win worldwide recognition with strong capabilities Since the Belt and Road initiative was proposed, Chinese medical teams have traveled to more places to help prevent and cure diseases, improve medical conditions and train medical personnel for local health centers. A few days ago, the Chinese Navy hospital ship "Peace Ark" finished its friendly visit to Fiji. During its visit, while the main platform of "Peace Ark" remained open around the clock, the hospital ship sent 12 medical teams over four successive days to offer services in local community health centers. The hospital ship even had an ambulance helicopter take a medical team to Vatulele, an island located over 100 kilometers away from Fiji's capital, to offer the most urgent medical services to people on the island. This year, the hospital ship has completed visits to many countries including Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Fiji. Last year, it sailed nearly 30,000 nautical miles along the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road" for 155 days to provide medical services for the people along the way. This May, Chinese doctors performed a total of 208 cataract surgeries within 20 days in Namibia, during an activity undertaken by Peking Union Medical College Hospital. Build international medical service centers China has carried out medical cooperation with many countries along the Belt and Road to make the vision of a "Silk Road of Health" a reality. The country has established an international medical service center in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, to build an international medical center for neighboring countries and promote international exchanges and cooperation of medical services. The hospital has established an international medical service department, staffed itself with a workforce of relevant languages, and opened a "green channel" for foreign patients, to better serve those from other countries. The high-quality medical services, low cost and geographical advantages of the international medical center have attracted many patients from neighboring countries. At present, China is building another Belt and Road international medical service center at the starting point of the Silk Road, in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi province. Upon completion, the center will become a comprehensive international hospital with 15,000 beds. It will bring more benefits to people living along the Belt and Road. Saudi Arabias decision to help Syria Saudi Arabia pledges $100 million for YPG- controlled areas in Syria. US welcomes this decision. Saudi Arabia said early on Friday that it has contributed $100 million to northeast Syria for stabilization projects in areas once held by the Islamic State group and now controlled by U.S.-backed forces. US WELCOMED THE DECISION The United States welcomed Saudi Arabias contribution of $100 million to help stabilize parts of Syria. The Syrian city of Raqqa was the seat of Daesh's self-proclaimed "caliphate" until it was liberated last year. TURKEY SEES YPG AS A TERORIST GROUP The backing of SDF/YPG by the U.S. has brought relations between Ankara and Washington, two NATO allies, to historic lows. Turkey sees the YPG as a terrorist group, an offshoot of the PKK, while the U.S. sees them as the most effective partner against Daesh. "YOU HAVE TO PAY" In May Trump made a visit to Saudi Arabia and met with the diplomats of Saudi Arabia. There he threatened Saudi diplomats again and said, "We've almost completed that task [of defeating ISIL] and we'll be making a determination very quickly, in coordination with others in the area, as to what we'll do. Saudi Arabia is very interested in our decision, and I said, 'Well, you know, you want us to stay, maybe you're going to have to pay'." Against the backdrop of rising protectionism and the struggling structural reform of Europe, many European media outlets and think tanks now seek the profound reasons for China's successful development model through the country's reform and opening-up. China's reform and opening-up contributed significant experience to human development, and is a significant reference point for nations that are now exploring development paths, said Bogdan Goralczyk, director of the Centre for Europe at the University of Warsaw, in his signed article which was published recently. Over the past four decades of China's reform and opening-up, China has created many unprecedented miracles in economic and social development. China's GDP maintained an average annual growth of about 9.5 percent. Currently, China is the world's second-largest economy, the largest industrial country, the largest trader of goods, and the nation with the largest foreign-exchange reserves. French newspaper Le Parisien reported that according to current UN standards, China has removed over 700 million people from poverty in the past 40 years, accounting for more than 70 percent of the world's total and reducing the national poverty rate to just 3 percent. This year, the Agricultural Development Bank of China will invest 51 billion euros (about $58.2 billion) into rural infrastructure and housing construction, as well as rural industry, medical care and education. Thanks to such efforts, China's rural poor population will be rid of poverty by 2020. China's decision to implement the reform and opening-up policy is of great wisdom, which is crucial to the development of both China and the world, said Zarko Obradovic, vice president of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS). He went on to add that China has made remarkable achievements in all fields over the past four decades, and has created miracles in the world's development history. The World Bank estimates that China's economy made up 15.3 percent of the world's total in 2017, contributing 34 percent to world economic growth. In recent years, China's economy has maintained sustained and steady growth, becoming an essential engine of global economic recovery and development, especially China's new measures to promote reform and opening-up, which will bring more opportunities to the world. The weekly French business magazine, L'Usine Nouvelle, quotes from a survey report by French bank Natixis that China has made a reasonable and effective long-term development plan that is worth learning from. The report noted that China's support for developing digital industry boosts the rise of a large number of internet giants and technology enterprises such as Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent. The country also strengthens regulations to ensure stability in the financial market and vigorously develops renewable energies. In addition, the Chinese government strongly supports research and development. China's input into scientific research accounted for 2.1 percent of its GDP in 2016. The number of patent applications in China is ranked first in the world, according to the report. Photo/Xinhua Chinas robot industry has been growing at a pace of nearly 30 percent annually for the past five years, said Miao Wei, Minister of Chinas Ministry of Industry and Information Technology at the World Robot Conference 2018, held in Beijing on August 15, according to Chinanews.com. Chinas robot industry saw revenue of almost $7 billion in 2017, with an industrial robot output of over 130,000 units, said Miao, adding that the country has witnessed encouraging progress in aspects including core technology research and development, construction of industrial chain and application field expansion. According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), the global robot industry exceeded $25 billion in revenue last year and is expected to reach $30 billion in 2018. With the robot industry playing a crucial role in the latest technological revolution and industrial transformation, China is paying close attention to the development of the industry, regarding technological progress and industrial development as essential to the strategic deployment of building a manufacturing power, according to Miao. Miao points out that Chinas robot industry still faces many challenges, saying that China will push the industry forward by further deepening supply-side structural reform, enhancing innovation capabilities and strengthening talent cultivation. China will also adopt the concept of open development, and carry out extensive and in-depth cooperation with organizations around the world in areas such as policy formulation, technology research, product development, market promotion and training, said Miao. "China welcomes companies from all over the world to share opportunities and shoulder the burden of development with us," Miao said, calling on the world to work together to realize the high quality and sustainable development of the robot industry to contribute to the global economy and the progress of human civilization. Seek and ye shall find. Eventually. A legendary Ford Mustang that many thought was destroyed 50 years ago has been discovered rotting away in a Texas field. And it could be worth millions. Watch the latest video at foxnews.com Affectionately called Little Red, the 1967 model was an experimental car that Ford loaned to Carrol Shelby to use as a test bed for the development of performance parts. Little Red and a later car, unofficially known as the Green Hornet, were the only two Shelby GT 500 notchback coupes of their era, each sporting a snazzy vinyl roof. Shelbys crew tinkered with the cars, trying out different body parts, engines and transmissions. Little Red was primarily configured with a supercharged 428 V8 and 3-speed automatic transmission, while the Green Hornet was fitted with a prototype independent rear suspension that never made it into production, but remains on the car today. Little Red made an appearance at a Ford preview event in Los Angeles, where it inspired the creation of the first California Special Mustang, which aped its styling, if not performance. Shelby eventually sent the cars back to Ford for a date with the crusher, as was standard practice for prototype cars, but they both stood it up. The Green Hornet showed up at a Ford employee auction in 1971 and was resold several times until it ended up in the garage of Barrett-Jackson Auction House CEO, Craig Jackson, about 15 years ago. Little Red just disappeared. A half-century of failed attempts to find it seemed to back up the prevailing view that it had been crushed. But like any good mystery, all that was missing was the right key to unlock it. Then Jackson got his hands on it. Jackson and classic car specialist Jason Billups were doing research on the Green Hornet recently and found an inventory sheet from Ford listing its VIN along with those of some other cars. It dawned on Billups that everyone whod been looking through records for Little Red were using its Shelby-issued serial number, rather than the original Ford VIN, which they now had. And just like that, they found it. It was registered in Texas, where they connected with its current owner this past February and the rest of its story unfolded. Jackson told Fox News that Little Red, naturally-aspirated again, was sent to Courtesy Ford in Littleton, Colo., where a wounded Vietnam vet decided to treat himself, not knowing the car he was about to buy was any more special than the other Shelbys on the lot. After driving it for a couple of years he then sold to a man who lived in Wyoming at the time. The second owner later moved to Texas and had it put away in a storage container that got broken into, the thief taking a few parts from the car, which was no longer in running condition. After that, he brought it to his cousins house in Weatherford, Texas, and left it in his yard among a bunch of other old cars, where it was sitting when Jackson and his team arrived. Along with Billups, hed brought along renowned Mustang expert Kevin Marti to authenticate the find. Marti last year confirmed that a Mustang shell that had been sitting in a Mexican junkyard for years was one of the stunt cars used in the Steve McQueen film Bullitt. This one wasnt in much better shape. The engine and transmission are out, the front fenders and hood are missing, and youd never give it a second look if not for the Shelby badge on the roof pillar. The owner told Jackson he had a hunch that it might be Little Red about 25 years ago, but when he reached out to the folks at Shelby, they gave him the crusher story. Confident that it was the real deal, Jackson said the owner sold it to him for a fair price and was glad to be a part of whats to come. FOLLOW FOX NEWS AUTOS ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE Jackson wants to bring it back to life in as close to its ideal condition as possible. Of course, hes not really really sure what that is, since it morphed many times while Ford and Shelby were working with it. So hes launching a website to document the work and crowdsource information from anyone who has any. If your dad worked for Ford or Shelby, talk to them. Or look in your closet and see if you have any old pictures of it. Anything might help, he said. One hint he already has is the presence of two fuel pumps, which supports a rumor that it was twin-supercharged at one time. As for the rest, the work will likely be a yearslong project that Marti thinks will rewrite Mustang history. Jackson didn't say what he planned to do with it when its done, but he did put Green Hornet up for auction in 2013 and the bidding got as high as $1.9 million, which wasn't enough to meet its reserve. Don't expect him to offer a discount for the pair. Glenn Close is sharing her thoughts on the backlash Scarlett Johansson faced following the annoucement she was taking on a transgender role in the film "Rub and Tug." After being asked about Johansson's casting controversy during an interview with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for its latest podcast installment, "The HFPA in Conversation" Wednesday, the 71-year-old star said that she's thought about "whether trans [actors] should always play trans and visa versa." "My thinking right now, is that people who are producing and directing properties like that need to go out of their way to get trans actors jobs," Close, who was nominated for an Oscar for her gender-bending role as Albert Nobbs in the 2011 movie of the same name, explained. "But they also should have the opportunity to cast the best person." Johannson, 33, reportedly quit the moviewhich shares the story of a transgender man who used his Pittsburgh massage parlor as a cover for a brothel in the '70s, according to Bustleafter critics slammed the actress. However, "The Wife" star explained that she believes "acting is a craft" and that "anyone should be able to play anyone." "But I certainly understand the need for those who are the same as the character they are casting, I understand their frustration," Close added. "Hopefully, that will happen. But they also should be able to play straight people, or whatever the opposite is. To me that's the real thing, that everybody could play everybody. But I understand why they are so passionate, because this hasn't happened." Looking back at her own role as Nobbs in the drama-romance movie, Close, who notes that she's "very proud" of the film, explained that even though "some people think" her character is "trans or she's a lesbian" she's actually "neither of those things." "I always thought of her as a woman who is in disguise," Close shared. "I never thought of her as a guy and I never thought of her as trying to be a guy. I think she changed her voice just to blend in. What she would have been if she had a loving relationship? I don't know." Along with addressing Johansson, Close also shared her thoughts on the firing of James Gunn. (Gunn was set to direct the third installment of "Guardians of the Galaxy," but was fired July 20 after decade-old tweets resurfaced in which he joked about topics including pedophilia and rape.) I felt sad. I felt sad certainly for James. I felt sad for the whole situation," Close, who starred as Nova Prime in the first installment of the franchise, admitted. "I felt sad that were in a society where on social media people say things that they might not say in person," she continued. "I think thats a real danger. If youre saying something on social media that you cant say to somebody face to face, you should think about what youre saying on social media. "When I worked with him it was the first time I had been in a movie like that and he was a really good director and he had a great atmosphere on set," Close recalled. Comedian Michelle Wolfs Netflix show has been canceled just months after it debuted, Fox News confirmed Friday. In a statement, a representative for the company confirmed "we are not ordering additional episodes of the series." Ahead of the show's launch, the comedian quipped it would bring the types of jokes my former bosses would tell me we couldnt do on TV, according to The Hollywood Reporter. In addition to The Break with Michelle Wolf, which kicked off in May, THR reported, the streaming giant confirmed they severed ties with The Joel McHale Show With Joel McHale. Viewership numbers were apparently behind Netflixs decision to drop both shows, sources told Deadline. MICHELLE WOLF COMPARES ICE TO ISIS IN MOCK RECRUITMENT VIDEO Wolf grabbed headlines in late April due to the jokes she made during the White House Correspondents Dinner in Washington, D.C. The jabs she made during the event, aimed at President Trump and several members of his administration, reportedly caused some attendees to sit in silence while others left. Trump was not present at the event and the administration was instead represented by White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders. The jokes aimed at Sanders prompted many to call out Wolf for attacks on Sanders' job performance, appearance and even her Southern roots. MICHELLE WOLF DOUBLES DOWN ON SARAH SANDERS INSULTS AS JOURNALISTS DEFEND PRESS SECRETARY "I actually really like Sarah. I think shes very resourceful," Wolf said. "She burns facts and then she uses that ash to create a perfect smoky eye. Maybe shes born with it, maybe its lies. Its probably lies." "I'm never really sure what to call Sarah Huckabee Sanders," the comedian continued. "Is it Sarah Sanders? Is it Sarah Huckabee Sanders? Is it Cousin Huckabee? Is it Auntie Huckabee Sanders? Like, what's Uncle Tom but for white women who disappoint other white women?" Sanders grimaced at the joke, but remained at her seat as she endured the attack. During the run of her now-canceled show, Wolf took aim at first daughter Ivanka in another series of crude jokes. If you see Ivanka on the street, first call her Tiffany. This will devastate her," Wolf said. "Then talk to her in terms shell understand. Say, Ivanka, youre like vaginal mesh. You were supposed to support women but now you have blood all over you and youre the center of a thousand lawsuits. Later in the broadcast, she threw more jabs at the president's daughter. Ivanka, youre like that birth control pill Yaz. At first, it seemed like youd be really cool and helpful but you need to be immediately recalled, Wolf said. Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report. "Jane the Virgin" star Gina Rodriguez wants to use her fame for promoting causes that are close to her heart. The 34-year-old actress, born to Puerto Rican parents, opened up to Fox News about the importance of empowering women at the height of the #MeToo movement and how she is working to protect the rights of immigrants. I am all about human rights and thats what I stand for, Rodriguez told us at the P.S. 142 School in New York City. Every country has immigration rights, every country has borders every country does what America does, but we need to be humane. Rodriguez called the Trump administration's handling of immigration issues "devastating." "I am very vocal about being good to the human race, no matter where you come from, no matter what color or culture you are," she shared. The Chicago native recently made headlines after announcing she would be using her 2018 For Your Consideration Emmy campaign money to send an undocumented high school student to college. The CW star said she convinced her studio to turn the promotional cash into a four-year college scholarship for the young woman, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She got into Princeton! Shes incredible, Rodriguez said of the unnamed student who will now receive an Ivy League education. I have been very vocal about protecting immigrant rights... We have to create a space that is equivalent to what they say America is supposed to be. Rodriguez made history for the CW in 2015 after winning the network's first-ever Golden Globe for her starring role in Jane the Virgin. In the popular series, Rodriguez stars as Jane, a woman who has sworn off sex until marriage but finds herself pregnant after her gynocologist confuses her with another patient and artifically inseminates her. Rodriguez, who has previously said her character is "funny and brave," said Jane, like herself, would vocalize support for the current female-driven #MeToo movement in Hollywood. Prior to Times Up... we just didnt have any voice, she explained. Now we have a voice of all the women who are rising up and saying Youre not alone in this fight. And as a staunch supporter for both immigrant and female rights, the star recently partnered with Always Brand to help end period poverty, a crisis resulting in women not having access to the feminine product resources they need. I was aware of period poverty and I was aware of how it affected girls everywhere else in the world because there are third world countries that suffer immensely, but when I found that one in every five American girls leave school or miss out on school because they dont have period products I said that is bananas, she shared. Tying the knot is a major emotional high but a series of unique cliffside wedding portraits by one New Hampshire husband-and-wife duo take it to a whole new level. Jay and Vicki Philbrick have been in the photography business for over 15 years, and have been snapping newlyweds at great heights since 2008. And though the sky-high portrait sessions last just an hour or less, the memories will surely be cherished for a lifetime. The North Conway pair, who have been married for 35 years, rise before dawn to capture the one-of-a-kind images. To that end, Jay, a professional climbing guide, told Fox News Lifestyle just what the magical experience is really like. A trend that we have seen in the 10 years is that it is always the bride's idea, and if anyone is more uncomfortable it is always the groom! he joked. MASSACHUSETTS MOM CELEBRATES 'RAINBOW BABY' WITH STUNNING PHOTO SHOOT AFTER STILLBIRTH FOX NEWS: When did you begin photographing couples cliffside? JP: My wife Vicki and I began our photography business about 15 years ago. It's our full-time business and it's all that we do. We did our first cliffside session in 2008. Before going full-time into photography, I was a professional climbing guide. That ledge that we use so often is a ledge known to me from my climbing and guiding days. Ever since we began our photography business I had always wanted to put a couple on that ledge for some photos. I thought that the juxtaposition of a couple against the stark granite cliffs would make for an interesting and unique image. We managed to find our first couple when one of our wedding couples happened to mention that they were rock climbers. I asked them if they would be up for doing the shot and they agreed that started it all. What is it like to work side by side and cliffside with Vicki? JP: Vicki shoots all the images from a couple angles as well as the behind-the-scenes shots, while I get images from the top and hanging down the cliff alongside the couple. It works out really well because after having worked together for so long we pretty much know what the other one will be doing and should be doing. This really makes the job, especially at weddings, easier. We start well before sunrise for one of the cliffside sessions. Our goal is to have the couple in place on the ledge, dressed and ready to go a half hour before the sun comes up. This gives us about a half-hour before and after the actual sunrise to capture photos. It gives us two distinctly different kinds of light and looks to capture. Whats a typical cliffside photo shoot like? JP: This time of year we would typically start at around 3:30 in the morning. The mountain guide we usually use, Marc Chauvin of Chauvin Guides International, and I are out at the cliff setting up anchors and putting the ropes in the positions we need them to be in. Ropes are in place for the photos and for the lowering and raising of the couples. The couple and my wife show up a half-hour to an hour later to prepare for the session. We lower both the bride and the groom down to the ledge from the top of the cliff. This is always in the dark and is probably the most exciting moment for the couple! The groom is usually dressed but the bride usually dresses on the ledge. The couples are always either tied into a rope or anchored to the cliff. They are never just standing there. IDENTICAL TWIN NEWLYWED COUPLES HONEYMOON AT DISNEY WORLD All the ropes, harnesses and anchors are hidden from view by wardrobe and camera angle. There is no Photoshop. What is seen in the photos is exactly what I see through the viewfinder in my camera. Once we are done with the photos, which is usually a half-hour to an hour or so after sunrise, we haul the couple back up to the top from the ledge and we are done. Throughout the session, Im going up and down the cliff in various positions, hanging off of ropes to get different shots. Marc sometimes rappels down to provide supplemental lighting if the couple is backlit by the rising sun. Vicki is usually off to the side in one of two places getting some different looks from over there. We use a variety of cameras and focal lengths to get all kinds of different looks for the couple. Each session is a new and exciting adventure and no two are ever the same. The biggest variable is the weather. The best sessions are when we have a great sunrise coupled with valley fog down below the couple. Some of the images we can get on these days approach magical! Anything else you would like to share? JP: We are often asked about two things. The first is why we even do these cliffside sessions, since, to the average person, they seem to be so unsafe. They are not unsafe, not the way we do them. We're not crazy or reckless, and I don't have a death wish! I used to be a climbing guide and Marc is a world-class mountain guide. The techniques we use are as advanced and as safe as they can be. Everything is thoroughly thought out. Statistically, couples are more at risk driving to and from the session than they are on the side of the cliff during one of our sessions. Really. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS We are also often asked why we don't just Photoshop the couples onto the cliff It would be so much easier. Well, that wouldn't be any fun, and anyone could do that! And how much meaning would such a Photoshopped image have to a couple? Not much, I think. These images would not have gone viral if they were fake. We do these sessions because we are trying to give our clients not only unique and fabulous images, but also an experience that is just as exciting and impressive. It's a guarantee that the sunrise each couple witnesses from that ledge is something they will never forget for as long as they live! A quote written in large letters on the walls of a Texas school has been slammed by social media users after it went viral. The quote written on the wall at the Gregory-Lincoln Education Center in Houston, Texas, reads: The more you act like a lady, the more hell act like a gentleman. The line appeared over lockers at the school, KHOU 11 reported. The quote reportedly comes from Sydney Biddle Barrows, also known as the Mayflower Madam who used to own an escort service in New York City. But many social media users called it sexist and misogynistic after a picture of the quote went viral online. OHIO COUPLES EMPTY NEST PHOTOS GO VIRAL This is the wall at Gregory-Lincoln Middle School in Houston ISD. Its perpetuating horrible gender stereotypes, shaming women, and relinquishing boys of all responsibility. Its sexist, misogynistic, and discriminatory! Im horrified, one social media user wrote. So remember girls, if hes treating you horribly then you had it coming. Now enjoy class! - the people who put this up apparently, another social media user wrote. I hope this isnt real, another person tweeted. A teacher at the school who asked to remain anonymous told KHOU 11 she was shocked by the quote. "To me it meant that girls need to take responsibility, not only for their own actions, but for whatever the boys to us as well and I just didnt feel like that was an image of the equality and self-determination that, we as a district or myself as a mother, want to portray," she said. LITTLE RED 1967 FORD MUSTANG SHELBY GT500 FOUND AFTER 50 YEARS, COULD BE WORTH MILLIONS A few social media users questioned if the quote was real but KHOU 11 reached out to the school which confirmed it was on the wall but it would be taken down. The quote does not align with HISD values, and it will be taken down, a statement from the school read. It was not immediately clear when the quote was put up. Supermodel Lais Ribeiro strutted her lithesome 6-foot frame across the stage last November at the annual Victorias Secret Fashion Show, her 31-23-33 figure barely contained in the companys Fantasy Bra. The crowd went crazy, and it was difficult to know if they were cheering the $2 million bejeweled bra Ribeiro was wearing or the Brazilian beauty herself. By most measures, the Nov. 20 extravaganza in Shanghai, China, was a success. Ribeiro and a dozen of her supermodel pals were at their sexy best in an estimated $12 million production that company executives arranged to have telecast around the world. But the world yawned. KATE SPADE SALES INCREASE 31 PERCENT AFTER FOUNDER'S DEATH Viewership of the show plummeted 32 percent from the previous year in the coveted demographic to just 5 million. The company insists it is still the most watched fashion event in the world and that more people are tuning in online. That may be true, but the 41-year-old brand that sells sleek and sexy has clearly grown tired in its middle age, critics say. Once among the hottest and most buzzed about brands in the world, Victorias Secret has posted declining same-store sales at its brick-and-mortar US locations for seven straight quarters, while profit margins have gotten squeezed and inventories bloated. Investors in L Brands, the lingerie makers parent company, are taking a beating as shares are down more than 45 percent this year making it the worst-performing stock in the S&P 500. In hopes of turning things around, company execs have cut prices and extended its sales longer. Neither has worked as sales per square foot, down in the last two years, continued to erode in the first quarter. Perhaps even more troubling, younger and more aggressive rivals are now circling Victorias Secret like a bunch of hungry sharks each with a marketing pitch that is resonating with young women. Victorias Secret is an example of a company that thought it was too big to fail, Lingerie Addict editor and founder Cora Harrington told The Post. I dont think they ever considered that American consumers would go elsewhere. TEXAS WOMAN ARRESTED FOR MARIJUANA TAKES MUGSHOT, GETS REQUESTS FOR MAKEUP TIPS Walk into almost any of the 1,124 Victorias Secret stores across the US, and you can instantly see the problem. Where are all the shoppers? Theres looping video footage of Angels walking the runway, seductive framed photos of them hanging above the lingerie displays, and throbbing music. But one recent afternoon inside the chains Midtown Manhattan flagship the bras and panties on display, meticulously stacked and seemingly untouched spoke volumes about store traffic, or the lack of it. The company has admitted in regulatory filings its customer traffic in stores is troubling. One sale 5 panties for $28.50 stretched longer than usual, but to no apparent benefit. Sales at the brick-and-mortar stores were down 5 percent in the first quarter after falling 6 percent in 2017 and 1 percent in 2016. Its teen-focused Pink brand which has fueled most of the lingerie companys gains over the past five years started to cool late last year and has not rebounded. Operating income for Victorias Secret has decreased 33 percent since 2015. What went wrong? How could an iconic retailer that was the standard bearer of all things sexy, with oodles of pricing power and a stable of super models, fall so hard? Self-inflicted wounds, say industry experts. Victorias Secrets once-effective marketing strategy of using super models Heidi Klum, Gisele Bundchen and Gigi Hadid are Angel alums has for the most part backfired on the Columbus, Ohio, company. Its had the same positioning for decades, associating sexy with super models, and it just doesnt work anymore, said Konik. The #MeToo movement that exploded on the public consciousness last October didnt help. The brands image has been banged up since then, according to a recent survey by YouGov. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS The Angels are unrelatable, while the stores look too much like an outdated boudoir, observed retail consultant Gabriella Santaniello of A-Line Partners. Victorias Secret watched on the sidelines as a growing number of rivals seized on fashion trends like bralettes and plus sizes and thrived. It also failed to react as new competitors, like American Eagles Aerie brand, undercut its pricing by as much as half. Aerie reported a 38 percent spike in comparable store sales in the first quarter this year largely on the strength of its #AerieREAL campaign that featured unretouched photos of both professional models and ordinary customers. Last month Aerie unveiled a marketing campaign featuring women with various medical conditions and diseases, including a young woman with an insulin pump protruding from her belly and another with the skin pigmentation disease, vitiligo. AerieREAL grew from a no-retouching campaign in 2014 to a body positivity and empowerment campaign, a spokesperson told The Post. Read more of this story in the New York Post. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! As one of the engineers who helped build and launch Americas first spacecraft, Ive seen first-hand the evolution of getting into space. Today, massive rockets like Elon Musks Falcon Heavy nail precise landings to recover their own booster rockets. Thats astounding. Because of Musk and the space ambitions of several other billionaires, everything from asteroid mining to space medicine to space tourism is now being developed. A new Gold Rush into space has begun 60 years after America first entered the Space Race. I joined the effort to reach space in 1959 when, right out of college, I was hired by McDonald Aircraft. Contracted by NASA to develop the means to get into space we didnt have a working rocket and we didnt have any idea how, or if, we could keep an astronaut alive. In fact, NASAs own medical experts expressed grave doubts whether human beings could even survive weightlessness. Some feared that zero-g would cause human intestines to explode. Thats how little we all knew. In those days most of us worked at least 18 hour days, seven days a week. We all felt we were on the front line of a desperate race with the Soviet Union. The original seven astronauts were considered mythic heroes willing to risk almost certain death to get America into space and later, to the Moon. But to put this Herculean project into perspective, remember that when JFK promised the nation that we would go to the Moon within 10 years we had less than 15 minutes of manned space flight experience. Fifteen minutes. With nothing to go by, we tried one thing after another to develop spacecraft systems that functioned in orbit. Design and fabrication of new parts and systems was happening at various places across the country. These were shipped to Florida and elsewhere where we would see if they actually worked. Many didnt. Once, I was in the blockhouse when an unmanned Redstone rocket ignited, rose a few inches and came back down on the launch pad. With the umbilical cable already detached there was no way to remove the explosive fuel mixture from the Redstone which could have exploded at any moment. We ran for our lives, six people at a time to a vehicle outside. One man, Walter Burk, a McDonald aircraft vice-president, courageously drove a cherry picker up to the pad and re-energized the spacecraft fuel control circuits before the rocket exploded. Thats the kind of crazy determination I routinely witnessed in the early years. What we achieved way back then was nothing short of a miracle of human effort with more than a bit of luck. I dont believe we could get to the Moon in 30 years, much less 10, with the contracting measures that NASA now employs. However, the recent arrival of private sector companies who are aiming for space has accelerated everything again. I now work, for example, with a scrappy little orbital launch company based in St. Louis, and I know of many other start-ups who remind me both of the people I worked with in the beginning of space travel and of Steve Jobs who invented a new industry in his Palo Alto garage. This is the genius of American innovation that once revolutionized world trade with the invention of fast-sailing Yankee Clippers." These big and small companies are now innovating at a speed not seen since our race to the Moon. They, too, think outside the box and are developing systems and spacecraft that will open up the wealth of asteroids, create human settlements on the Moon and, in the case of the company I now work with, reduce the cost of orbital launches so dramatically that even small businesses will be able to join the new Gold Rush. As the Democrats shift to the left on a number of issues from health care to immigration, theyve already gone all in on one of the most contentious issues around -- gun control A study by The Wall Street Journal found that of the 63 candidates on the House Democrats campaign arms list of seats to flip in November, 62 support expanded background checks for gun purchases. While Dems have long pushed for gun control, there was a time when some candidates ignored the issue, included gun rights as part of their platform or even allied with the National Rifle Association. But support for gun control among candidates has hardened in recent years after a rash of high-profile mass shootings including at schools -- most recently in Parkland, Florida in February and Santa Fe, Texas in May. That shift is being reflected in activity on the campaign trail, with more Democrats being more vocal on gun control and their advocacy of proposals such as background checks. There has been a spike in spending on ads by Democrats that focus on gun control across gubernatorial, Senate and House races, according to USA Today. In 2014, there were 558 pro-gun control spots, mostly from Democrats. In 2018, that number had rocketed to 18,416, in comparison to 8,897 anti-gun control spots by mostly Republicans. In the House races, pro-gun control ads represented about 67 percent of those with explicit messages on guns, compared to just six percent in 2014. DEMOCRATS TEST-DRIVE NEW MIDTERM SLOGAN AFTER FIRST ONE IS MOCKED That has in turn led to some significant about-faces on the issue from long-time lawmakers. The Journal points to Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz. In a 2010 ad, she bragged about her A rating from the NRA, but last month she said she would ban assault weapons and was given an F by the pro-gun rights group. She said her position changed after the shooting of former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in 2011. But while the move may rally the Democratic Party base, it may also give the Republican base a boost -- which has repeatedly shown itself more motivated on Second Amendment issues. The National Republican Congressional Committee suggested that the move was the latest example of the Democratic Party catering to its left-wing base rather than everyday Americans. Republican members and candidates are focused on the issues that are important to their respective districts and Democrats are more concerned about appealing to the most radical elements of their party, an NRCC spokesperson told Fox News. Gun control is always risky politically for Democrats, who are wary of the political lesson learned from the 90s. In September 1994 the Democratic-controlled Congress passed an assault weapons ban, which was subsequently signed into law by President Bill Clinton. Less than two months later the Republicans led by Rep. Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., took control of both the House and the Senate in what was dubbed the Revolution of 94. But Democrats say that their shift represents the changing mood of the nation after a spate of devastating shootings in recent years. 2018 could be the first year in which intensity on our side of the issue exceeds intensity on the other side, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told The Journal. Democrats are likely to be buoyed by the victory of Rep. Conor Lamb, D-Pa., in a March special election -- who won campaigning for background checks in a district Trump won in 2016. Additionally a WSJ/NBC poll found that Democratic voters rated gun control the second-most important issues after healthcare. For Republicans, guns were fifth. In midterms, where the party which motivates its base can decide who takes control of the chambers in Congress, tapping into those issues could be key. But it also represents a broader trend in the party of allowing less diversity on certain litmus issues. Last year DNC Chair Tom Perez said that being pro-choice on the subject of abortion was non-negotiable. "Every Democrat, like every American, should support a womans right to make her own choices about her body and her health. That is not negotiable and should not change city by city or state by state, he said. Egypts interior ministry said on Saturday in a statement that it is raising the security alert level ahead of the countrys upcoming Muslim Eid Al-Adha holiday and the Coptic Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Interior Minister Mahmoud Tawfik called for maximum readiness by police to ensure the security of citizens and religious institutions, especially during Eid Al-Adha prayers, which start on Tuesday. Security will also be boosted at public parks and transport stations. Eid Al-Adha will continue till Thursday, and is celebrated following the Islamic pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. According to the statement, a central operations room encompassing all security apparatuses will be set up to monitor the security situation and measures being taken at parks nationwide. Minister Tawfik has given strict orders to his deputies and security directorates cancelling breaks for all officers until the end of celebrations. The statement added that undercover female police units, as well as policemen from the anti-harassment department, will be deployed in certain areas to catch anything that "undermines general security." The minister has also ordered that security checkpoints and patrols be deployed in the vicinity of Christian churches, and for security forces to be prepared to cordon off these areas if needed. Electronic gates will also be placed at church entrances, with church scouts to assist in identifying any person who is not familiar to the church. Egypt often bolsters security nationwide ahead of major celebrations and public holidays. Search Keywords: Short link: So much for the August recess on Capitol Hill. Or, perhaps, so much for the August session. Either way, theres no vacation in August in Washington. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., initially planned to keep senators in August for most of the month, forgoing the customary and coveted five-to-six-week August recess on Capitol Hill. But McConnells summertime project hasnt quite materialized yet. The Senate met on Aug. 1 before seizing a nearly two-week summertime respite, returning for session at noon on Wednesday, Aug. 15. The Senate met for less than hour on Wednesday. Recessed. Took a procedural vote late that afternoon. Adjourned for the day. Came back into session for a couple of votes on Thursday. After that? Senators cut town mid-Thursday afternoon. The Senate was technically on the clock for about 29 hours. Most senators werent even in Washington for 17 hours. The only thing august about this session involved the actual name of the month. Welcome to the abbreviated week where two Democrats and nine Republicans didnt show up, trumpeted Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., at a press conference. Schumer was referring to the attendance at the Senates final vote for the week on Thursday. That means youre in the majority? observed one reporter. Thats right. We are, replied the New York Democrat. Just remember the Senates math. Fifty-one Republicans. Forty-nine senators who caucus with the Democrats. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has been out since last December, dealing with brain cancer. So, for all intents and purposes, the Senate is really 50-49 in favor of the Republicans. But including McCains absence -- under the unique August math -- Democrats theoretically control the Senate 47-42 this month. Of course, thats not reality. But as recently as 2001, the Senate did flip from Republican to Democratic control in the middle of a congressional session. The Senate was 50-50 that year. But Republicans and Democrats forged an agreement that the GOP would hold the majority since Vice President Dick Cheney could break any ties. Then Sen. Jim Jeffords of Vermont -- who was a Republican abandoned his party to become an independent. The now-late Jeffords would caucus with the Democrats. Control of the Senate truly changed, awarding the Democrats a 51-49 edge Schumers plight during the abridged Senate week is akin to a conundrum facing President Lyndon Johnson when he served as Senate Democratic leader in the mid-1950s. Deaths flipped the Senate majority back and forth a staggering 12 times during the two-year period constituting the 83rd Congress. In 1954, LBJ and Democrats touted more members than Republicans. But senators allowed Sen. William Knowland, R-Calif., to remain as majority leader. At least for August, Schumer can perhaps commiserate with the hand dealt Knowland. I have the responsibilities of being the majority leader in this body without having a majority, said Knowland. And McConnell could sympathize this past week with Lyndon Johnson. If anyone has more problems than a majority leader with a minority, its a minority leader with a majority, Johnson said to Knowland. Fox is told McConnell wasnt pleased with the sparse attendance on his side of the aisle. Two Republican senators who penned a letter urging McConnell to nix the August recess were nowhere to be found: Mike Lee of Utah, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina. During the short week, senators voted to confirm Marvin Quattlebaum and Julius Ness Richardson as judges on the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. The Senate then launched debate on a combined bill to fund the Pentagon and Departments of Labor/Health and Human Services. Senators hope to wrap debate on the appropriations package by the end of next week. If thats the case, the Senate will have approved nine of the 12 annual spending bills that run the federal government. Thats no small feat, as the Senate often lags the House. This is the fastest clip at which the Senate has OK'd appropriations bills in years. It has been more than a decade since the Senate passed a Labor-HHS appropriations bill. And it has been a dozen years since the president was able to sign a defense appropriations bill into law before the end of the fiscal year. These two records must be broken, said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala. But senators from both parties groused about returning to meet for parts of two days over a two-and-a-half-week period. They wondered if the Senate couldnt have returned next week and been more productive, remaining in session through Labor Day. McConnells office portrayed the week as a hectic one. The leaders aides sent Capitol Hill reporters a memo with the subject line Busy, busy. The note declared that the Senate would remain in session the rest of August despite rumors to the contrary. All month? Or just a few days each week. That remains to be seen. The Senate will likely pass the appropriations bills late next week. Theres also a water bill, more nominations and, as the memo from McConnells office stressed many other items. When McConnell announced the cancellation of the August recess, Schumer said Democrats would devote the month to health care. Democrats held a conference call with reporters on the topic two weeks ago. They also staged a Capitol Hill forum this week. But at the sole Democratic leadership press conference, Democrats lamented their access to documents from Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Democrats said they may sue the National Archives for access to Kavanaughs paperwork. When asked, Schumer insisted the party was still focused on health care. Last week, if you read The Washington Post, a paper that you have a great deal of respect for, there was story how Democrats throughout the country are talking about health care very successfully, said Schumer. And then it was back to Kavanaugh. Schumer said hed huddle with Kavanaugh in the coming days. Ill ask him all about these documents and what he intends to do about it, said Schumer. He cant duck then. But a shadow looms over the Senate across the river in Alexandria, Virginia. The Senates hardly the biggest game in town this August. A verdict is expected soon in the tax evasion and fraud trial of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. JUDGE IN MANAFORT TRIAL SAYS HE'S BEEN THREATENED OVER CASE A verdict will roil Washington. A guilty verdict will bolster the Russian election meddling investigation by by Special Counsel Robert Mueller and enrage the president. Not guilty will give Trump plenty of ammo to argue that Muellers investigation is a witch hunt. After Judge T.S. Ellis sent the Manafort jury to deliberate on Friday morning, he conducted a hearing in an unrelated case. Ellis inquired about the absence of several of the plaintiffs attorneys. The counsel who was present told Ellis that his colleagues were on vacation. Vacation, you say? replied Ellis, feigning a struggle to pronounce the word correctly. Ill have to look that word up. You should take one, your honor, suggested the counsel. But then, we wouldnt have a really big news story in August. Capitol Attitude is a weekly column written by members of the Fox News Capitol Hill team. Their articles take you inside the halls of Congress, and cover the spectrum of policy issues being introduced, debated and voted on there. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has been floated as a possible 2020 Democratic presidential pick, was forced to backtrack this week after saying America was never that great -- the latest example of top Democrats criticizing what they see as the countrys injustices. But now Republicans are saying that it represents part of a broader theme for top Democrats, saying that they are united in their "collective bashing of America." Cuomo shocked supporters, and sparked a national controversy when he said at a bill signing: Were not going to make America great again, it was never that great. We have not reached greatness, we will reach greatness when every American is fully engaged, we will reach greatness when discrimination and stereotyping against women, 51 percent of our population, is gone, he went on to add. Cuomo was criticized for the remark on both sides of the political spectrum. On the left, gubernatorial challenger Cynthia Nixon told NY1 it was another example of Andrew Cuomo trying to figure out what a progressive sounds like and missing by a mile. GOV. ANDREW CUOMO'S INCREDIBLE STATEMENT DISSING AMERICA SHOWS BANKRUPTCY OF DEMOCRATIC IDEAS President Trump meanwhile, tore into his long-standing rival in a series of tweets in recent days. He called it a career threatening statement from Cuomo and predicted that his political career is over. Cuomo has been walking back the statement. His office released a statement saying that he does, in fact, believe that America is great, but that it has yet to reach its full potential. Meanwhile on Friday in a call with reporters, he said the remark was inartful." Of course America is great and of course America has always been great. No one questions that, he said. But the remark is the latest in a series of bolder statements from Democrats in calling out what they see as injustices or inequalities in America. Its also something that Republicans are keen to exploit, believing that while such statements may play well with left-wing activists, it will be rejected by the nation at large. In an email blast this week, The Republican National Committee said that the only thing that seems to unify prominent Democrats these days is their collective bashing of America. Trump suggested Cuomos remark was an extension of 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clintons famous statement that half of Trump supporters could be put into a basket of deplorables. Right? The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic -- you name it, she said. That remark was widely perceived to have hurt her campaign, and many Trump supporters now wear the deplorable tag as a badge of honor. Last week she was criticized for supporting an 11-year-old student who refused to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. "Keep up the good work Mariana," she tweeted. But the RNC pointed to other remarks from other possible 2020 candidates who appeared to take a swing at America, or large numbers of people in it. Earlier this month Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., told an audience in New Orleans that things are savagely wrong in America and that there is a normalcy of injustice. CORY BOOKER SAYS HE'S CRIED 'TEARS OF RAGE' OVER TRUMP RHETORIC, CLAIMS SOMETHING 'SAVAGELY WRONG' WITH US Im a big believer that if America, if this country hasnt broken your heart, then you dont love her enough. Because theres things that are savagely wrong in this country. Theres a normalcy of injustice that weve accepted, he said. Also this month, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who ran against Clinton in the Democratic primary, said that there was something fundamentally immoral about America due to its economic inequality. I think that there is an understanding there is something fundamentally immoral and wrong about a nation in which we have three people who own more wealth than the bottom half of the American people. That does not make sense, Sanders said in an appearance on CBS. Meanwhile Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., came under fire from police groups when she described Americas criminal justice system as racist front to back. The hard truth about our criminal justice system: Its racist ... front to back. she said before a college audience. POLICE, SESSIONS SLAM WARREN FOR CALLING CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM 'RACIST' The GOP said that the remarks show that Democrats are out of touch, and it would appear to be an issue where there isnt much support from the public. A 2016 Washington Post poll found that only seven percent of those polled said that America has never been great. President Trump on Saturday took aim again at former CIA Director John Brennan, whose security clearance he yanked days ago, calling him a political hack who cannot be trusted with national secrets. Has anyone looked at the mistakes that John Brennan made while serving as CIA Director? He will go down as easily the WORST in history & since getting out, he has become nothing less than a loudmouth, partisan, political hack who cannot be trusted with the secrets to our country! he tweeted. Brennan, who has been a frequent, very vocal critic of Trump, had his security clearance revoked on Wednesday, with the White House saying he had been leveraging his clearance to make wild outbursts against the administration. For his part, Brennan declared the move to take away his clearance part of a broader effort by Mr. Trump to suppress freedom of speech & punish critics. 12 EX-INTEL OFFICIALS SLAM TRUMP FOR 'ILL-CONSIDERED AND UNPRECEDENTED' ACTION AGAINST BRENNAN The move sparked a backlash in the intelligence community, with 12 former officials issuing a statement criticizing what they called an ill-considered and unprecedented decision by Trump. The presidents action regarding John Brennan and the threats of similar action against other former officials has nothing to do with who should and should not hold security clearances and everything to do with an attempt to stifle free speech, the statement said. Among the signers were six former CIA directors -- including retired Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, who was a potential candidate for secretary of state in the early days of the Trump administration. But Kris Tanto Paronto, who was part of the CIA team that fought back during the 2012 terror attack in Benghazi, Libya, said Brennan got what he deserved. SPECIAL OPS SHOOT DOWN BRENNAN AND HIS DEFENDERS: 'YOU PUT YOUR POLITICS BEFORE US He is lucky the security clearance is all he is getting away with, Paronto told Fox News in an interview on Friday. He had previously accused Brennan of putting his politics before those in the field. We come back from being on the ground to be treated as a second-class citizen. You come back and youre called a liar, Paronto said. Brennan came in and there was no talk of Hey, good job guys, not that you look for it, but instead, it was Dont say anything guys, we dont want the truth to get out. Fox News Brooke Singman and Lukas Mikelionis contributed to this report. President Trump declared his administration the "most transparent in history" Saturday, saying his White House staff has supplied more than a million pages of information to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigators. In a Twitter message Saturday evening, the president said he allowed White House attorney Don McGahn and others on the White House staff to "fully cooperate" with Mueller in a bid to show there was "no collusion" and "no obstruction." The president's message followed reports that McGahn had spoken with investigators from Muellers investigative team multiple times, which Fox News confirmed Saturday. The revelation came amid a New York Times report, citing multiple sources, indicating that McGahn willingly spoke to the team members who are looking into, among other things, whether President Trump obstructed justice for 30 hours over the course of at least three separate occasions. He reportedly gave insight into Trump's demeanor regarding Muellers investigation. The special counsel is investigating alleged Russian meddling and potential collusion with Trump campaign associates in the 2016 presidential election. Specific incidents mentioned in these conversations included moments surrounding Trumps decision to fire former FBI Director James Comey, and his reported preference that Attorney General Jeff Sessions oversee the investigation, according to the Times. (Sessions ultimately recused himself.) Trump seemingly responded to the Saturday's report tweeting: "I allowed White House Counsel Don McGahn, and all other requested members of the White House Staff, to fully cooperate with the Special Counsel. In addition we readily gave over one million pages of documents. Most transparent in history. No Collusion, No Obstruction. Witch Hunt!" A source familiar with the investigation confirmed to Fox News that McGahn spoke to Mueller at length on three occasions. However, the source played down the Times article, saying that there didnt seem to be anything revelatory in the reports information and adding that it was already known that Trump instructed McGahn to cooperate with Muellers team. The special counsel declined to comment when contacted by Fox News. McGahn initially began working with Muellers team at the behest of Trumps original team of lawyers, the Times reported. McGahn and his own lawyer, William Burck, were surprised by this decision, sources told the newspaper, and questioned whether he was potentially being set up. As a result, they reportedly decided to cooperate in order to clear McGahn of any wrongdoing. Burck released a statement saying, "President Trump, through counsel, declined to assert any privilege over Mr. McGahn's testimony, so Mr. McGahn answered the Special Counsel team's questions fulsomely and honestly, as any person interviewed by federal investigators must." John Dowd, Trumps former lead outside attorney, told Fox News that Don McGahn was a very strong witness for the president. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told Fox News, The president and Don have a great relationship. He appreciates all the hard work hes done, particularly his help and expertise with the judges and the Supreme Court. The Times report comes amid pressure from Rudy Giuliani, Trumps personal attorney, for Mueller to conclude the monthslong investigation. Time for Mueller investigation to file report, Giuliani tweeted earlier Saturday. We will release ours. Dont interfere with election like Comey. The President had nothing to do with Russians. He didnt obstruct an investigation. 1.4 million documents and 32 witnesses no privilege raised. Fox News John Roberts and Ellison Barber contributed to this report. Microsoft is clamping down on the sick Momo suicide challenge, which recently infiltrated the wildly popular online game Minecraft. The tech giant owns Minecraft developer Mojang. The vile Momo suicide game has been garnering attention after spreading on WhatsApp, prompting police warnings. "Momo" is a viral challenge that asks people to add a contact via WhatsApp - they are then urged to commit self-harm or suicide. The "game" has fueled comparisons to the sinister "Blue Whale challenge" that led to reports of suicides in Russia and the U.S, as well as the online fictional character of "Slender Man." In 2014 two 12-year-old girls in Wisconsin attempted to kill a classmate in an attempt to please the horror character. The Buenos Aires Times recently reported that police in Argentina are investigating whether Momo is linked to the suicide of a 12-year-old girl in the district of Escobar. SICK WHATSAPP 'MOMO SUICIDE GAME' INFILTRATES 'MINECRAFT' The grotesque image associated with Momo recently appeared as an avatar in Minecraft. The avatar is a so-called mod a personalized addition to Minecraft made by a user, known as a modder. The macabre avatar reportedly chases Minecraft players while brandishing a mobile phone with the WhatsApp icon. Microsoft told Fox News that it is dealing with the sickening mod. This content, which was independently developed by a third party, does not align with our values and is not part of the official Minecraft game. This is a misuse of the platform and we are taking action to restrict access to the mod, said a Microsoft spokesperson. The appearance of Momo on Minecraft is particularly worrying given the video games popularity with children. A police officer in Ohio recently told WTOL that his seven-year old son was watching Minecraft content on YouTube when an ad for Momo popped up. SINISTER 'MOMO SUICIDE CHALLENGE' SPARKS FEAR AS IT SPREADS ON WHATSAPP Police forces around the world have already issued warnings about the revolting game. "Momo" threatens to appear in the night or lay a curse on the users if they do not respond, according to Mexican police. Criminals can use the game to steal personal information or even incite users to commit suicide or violence, investigators add. The "Momo" image was taken from an Instagram account and then circulated on WhatsApp, according to police. WhatsApp cares deeply about the safety of our users," a WhatsApp spokesperson said, in a statement about Momo emailed to Fox News earlier this month. "Its easy to block any phone number and we encourage users to report problematic messages to us so we can take action. Sam Webb, Fox News' Nicole Darrah and the Associated Press contributed to this article. Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers This is a rush transcript from "The Ingraham Angle," August 17, 2018. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated. DAVID WEBB, FOX NEWS HOST: Good evening and welcome to this "Ingraham Angle" special, Trump versus the intel resistance. I'm David Webb for Laura tonight who is on vacation, and boy do we have a show for you. Security clearances stripped, media biases exposed and a potential major, major setback for special counsel Robert Mueller. We'll have it covered throughout the hour. Earlier the week the White House made big news when it announced that President Trump had stripped John Brennan of his security clearance. In case you're not familiar with Mr. Brennan's work, he's the guy that went from Obama's CIA director to a far-left cable news pundit and from almost the moment President Trump took office. Here's what he said tonight. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOHN BRENNAN, FORMER CIA DIRECTOR: What really gets under my skin is Mr. Trump's lack of decency, integrity, honesty, and his lack of commitment to this country's well-being and national security. And Mr. Trump time after time I think has really just disappointed millions of Americans, which I'm trying to give voice to. And so I know a lot of people think that a former intelligence official shouldn't be doing this. I don't consider when doing it political at all. (END VIDEO CLIP) WEBB: Now, 15 top former intelligence officials from both political parties -- you see them on screen -- have come to Brennan's defense, releasing a statement that said in part, and I quote, "We all agree that the president's action regarding John Brennan and the threats of similar action against other former officials have nothing to do with who should and should not hold security clearances and everything to do with an attempt to stifle free speech." It goes on to say, "Decisions on security clearances should be based on national security concerns and not political views." Later today, 60 former CIA officers also released a letter criticizing Trump's action against Brennan, but President Trump is sticking by his guns. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I've gotten tremendous response from having done that because security clearances are very important to me, very, very important. And I've had a tremendous response for having done that. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President, what is (inaudible) you're trying to silence your critics by taking away security clearances? TRUMP: There is no silence. If anything, I'm giving him a bigger voice. Many people don't even know who he is, and now he has a bigger voice and that's OK with me because I like taking on voices like that. I've never respected him. I've never had a lot of respect. (END VIDEO CLIP) WEBB: And Brennan by the way might not be the only one who loses his clearance. The Washington Post report in tonight that White House officials have drafted documents that cancel security clearances of several current and former officials. The Post reports that Trump wants to sign most, if not all of them due to his anger over the Russia investigation. Joining me now for reaction are Buck Sexton, a former CIA analyst, Jim Hanson, president of the Security Studies Group, and Chris Hahn, who is a former aide to Democrat senator and the senior senator from New York, Chuck Schummer. Gentlemen, good evening. Good to see you here again. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good to see you. WEBB: All right, so let's dive right in and begin with John Brennan. This is what he had to say earlier on MSNBC with Rachel Maddow. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BRENNAN: I was very concerned and aware that the Russians were trying to leverage U.S. citizens in order to achieve their objectives in the presidential election. RACHEL MADDOW, MSNBC HOST: While you were in office as CIA director before you left on inauguration day, did you conclude that U.S. persons were successfully leveraged in that effort? BRENNAN: No. (END VIDEO CLIP) WEBB: Now, I'll go to you first, Buck. If the question is asked if the concern was there and the answer is no then why is John Brennan going the way he does against the president? BUCK SEXTON, FORMER CIA ANALYST: That's a question that I don't think anybody can answer including John Brennan if you push him enough. People are talking a lot here, David, about how it's unprecedented to pull a clearance in this way by a president. But what's also unprecedented is for, not just a former intel chief but the most recent CIA director not to just be critical of the president, but to be actively undermining the president, calling him a traitor, in fact, to the country. This man is the commander-in-chief and Brennan's allegations have gone far beyond what you see in normal political discourse to a point where you could even say its undermining institutions, to borrow from one of the common Democrat lines in terms of Trump on all things. And I see this now as a time when there are a few levels here, David. One, is I don't think that people who don't have government business should maintain clearances. I think that should just be a general rule. And you certainly shouldn't maintain a clearance if you're going on T.V. and suggesting that you have secret information about the president, but you can't really tell but it's what's informing your judgment that he's actually guilty of treason. That's a big problem. WEBB: All right, so Chris, especially with what Buck just said, John Brennan going on T.V., his clearance carrying the specter giving his words more weight. I think that's fair to say for anyone in that position, but his answer was no so I'll put the same question to you. If the answers is no and given what Buck just said, then is John Brennan being honest or somewhat disingenuous in what he's doing on CNN or any of the other channels? CHRIS HAHN, FORMER AIDE TO SENATOR CHUCK SCHUMER: I watched a lot of that interview earlier and he did not say that the president was out of line and he did not -- he did say though that he had new information that was widely publicized, including the Don, Jr. meeting in Trump Tower that most of us didn't know about until this last summer. So, there are more information that has come out and I think this has led him to believe that there has been some sort of collusion, not necessarily with the president, and maybe a conspiracy that involved Americans, that needs to be dealt with and needs to be uncovered by Mueller. As for the president stripping his clearance, look, I don't think any of us believe that a president should use the power of his office to retaliate against his political opponents. That is un-American. It is a banana republic-like move. This is not something we associate with the American president. This is like Nixon's enemies list, except for Sarah Sanders goes to the podium and reads the names on the enemies list. And if we had a Congress that was doing its job, it would investigate exactly why this president was doing this. And I think come January, we will have a Congress that will do its job under the constitution and hold this president accountable through checks and balances. WEBB: Well, if they take the Congress I think we can expect that from the Democrats. Jim, to you on this issue of security clearances. They're kept because if needed, they will call back these advisors. This has been common throughout administrations. However, if the administration has made a decision that they are not going to call you back because of, as they see it, John Brennan is standing out against the administration, they may not trust his advice, and they have the right. Then what is it really all about to remove his security clearance if they're not going to call him back? Why should he keep it if they're not going to call him back? JIM HANSON, PRESIDENT, SECURITY STUDIES GROUP: There's absolutely no reason for him to keep it because no one is going to trust his judgment now having said what he did. Now, he basically claimed that the president has committed treason. So the idea that this is something that the president did, that it's Donald Trump's fault, it's not. It's John Brennan's fault and the rest of the clown car of Obama National Security officials who jammed (ph) up an investigation into Trump-Russia based on a few minor players in Trump's orbit. Then they added in the DNC funded Steele dossier to the mix, and the problem is there was no Trump-Russia. So now what we're looking at is the Democrat deep state collusion blowing up in their faces like it was a Wiley Coyote ACME smear generator. There's no there there. WEBB: All right, gentlemen. Let's bring this into the mix. This is John Brennan again on MSNBC talking about the special counsel Robert Mueller. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BRENNAN: It's called the duly appointed special counsel who is given the mandate to investigate what Russia did in terms of interference in our presidential election and who might have been working in support of Russian objectives and who might have committed a crime in that process. And that's why Robert Mueller is a real national treasure. He needs to be able to continue with this investigation unimpeded. (END VIDEO CLIP) WEBB: So, Chris Hahn, does removing Brennan's security clearance in any way impede Robert Muellerahis ability to carry out his investigation? HAHN: I don't think so. I think if the president acts towards going after Mueller anymore, I think he's going to lose some -- additional support in Congress from even people in his own party. Look, the bottom line is this. The president did not consult with his national security apparatus before he took the clearance away from Brennan. Those people might have said, "Mr. President, we might want to work with him on things he had worked on prior to leaving office as a continuation of government, some institutional knowledge." He didn't do that. This is a decision made I the president's press shop to distract from the Omarosa story. And we're told today or earlier this evening that the president has several others lined up to distract as needed if the news cycle gets away from him as it did this week. That's despicable. He's playing games with our national security and that's not right. And I would like to hear what Dan Coats has to say. I would like to hear what the current CIA director has to say. I would like to hear what they have to say about this because I don't think they are too keen on this. They were saying that they did not know. They were not consulted. And that's just wrong. There is procedure -- WEBB: All right. So, let me got to Buck Sexton. HAHN: -- we're taking away. There's a process to take away these clearances, David, and the president didn't follow it. WEBB: Well, he is the executive, Buck, and he has the right and consultation is not legally required. But you were in the shop and the CIA director is not the only one who has the information. He's certainly the head of the agency and maybe within that agency, the highest classification authority. But others have the information. So, is the CIA director the only one that can be called back if they need information? SEXTON: No, I think that's pretty overstated. Also, anybody who's spent in the time in the intelligence community will tell you that there are a lot of people working on any one issue and there is a tremendous amount of institutional knowledge from people who aren't political appointees who stay in these agencies for decades and decades of their career. So, the notion that you're going to have this crisis situation where you can't bring back some director to find something out, I think it's just preposterous. That's honestly why you also hear it described in a press report as a courtesy. And that's why a lot of these individuals hold their clearance, but it's a different thing to have that courtesy when you're somebody who's then in private life versus somebody who is clearly trading on that recent (ph) access, not just for media appearances. And by the way, the whole thing about being silenced is just on it's face (ph), ridiculous. He's clearly not being sound. He's on T.V. practically every five minutes. You're seeing Brennan and all the other anti-Trump folks who here getting lots and lots of airtime and additional play here. And then also David, look, I can understand there's some concern about political retaliation. I think that's a fair point to make for some people in some cases. HAHN: Thank you. SEXTON: But one, I think Brennan is the exception so far and two, this is not that big a deal. The people that are suggesting that this is the equivalent of, you know, the Japanese being interned in camps or anything like that are going way overboard, but that's what we tend to see from Trump -- HAHN: Where does it end, though? Where does it end? WEBB: Well, we certainly see the hyperbole. Let me bring in Rush Limbaugh into this. Of course, you know, Rush has been very upfront about this, and here he talks about essentially trying to overthrow a duly-constituted elected president. Let's play it. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RUSH LIMBAUGH, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Where is it written that John Brennan above all else must be granted his security clearance when this guy is actively engaged in overthrowing a duly-constituted elected president? Well, you know the answer to the question. It's because the left doesn't care about the constitution. It doesn't care about the rule of law. It cares only about its power. And, folks, none of those are cliches. None of those are exaggerations. (END VIDEO CLIP) WEBB: Well, Jim Hanson, you heard it from the Rushster himself. So, what do you say to that? HANSON: I think we saw this. It started during the election. It ran through the transition, and continued once President Trump was inaugurated. They had been trying to stop him. They'd been trying to discredit his administration, and now they're trying to get him removed and there's nothing to remove him on. There is no collusion with Russia. There is, however, a collection of former Obama officials and DNC folks who did conspire to create a controversy and who were leaking information, a lot of it potentially classified, to the media. That includes Brennan who's a prime suspect in that, along with Clapper and other people who signed these letters in support of Brennan saying he shouldn't have lost his security clearance. So they're the ones -- I think the problem for him it may flip to be looking at them as opposed to Trump and they may get some unintended consequences. WEBB: Al right, gentlemen, I know the debate is going to continue but we've got to cut it here. Quick last word Chris. Go ahead. HAHN: You know, the people who wrote this letter supporting Brennan include the man who led the mission to kill Osama bin Laden which Brennan oversaw. HANSON: He didn't lead the mission. He commanded (inaudible). Completely different. HAHN: (Inaudible) about our national security not some conspiracy nonsense that you just spouted and that Rush is whining about, come on. WEBB: All right, Chris. I gave you the last word. We've known each other a long time. I was fair to you, my friend. HAHN: Thank you, David. WEBB: Gentlemen, thank you. Bob, Jim, Chris, thank you very much. Stunning new revelations tonight about DOJ official Bruce Ohr's involvement in the Steele dossier and President Trump, he's ready to take action. Don't go away. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) WEBB: Well, more anti-Trump by the DOJ. More anti-Trump activity exposed. DOJ official Bruce Ohr reportedly caught in contact with Christopher Steele, that's the ex-British spy and the author that we now know of the infamous Russia dossier. By the way, financed by the Democrats throughout 2016 and '17, and in a major news story, FNC's Catherine Herridge reports that Ohr wrote in an e-mail saying Steele was, "very concerned about former FBI Director James Comey's firing -- afraid they will be exposed." I wonder what he meant by that. The president went after Ohr today. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: I think Bruce Ohr is a disgrace. I suspect I'll be taking it away very quickly. I think that Bruce Ohr is a disgrace with his wife Nelly. For him to be in the Justice Department and to be doing what he did, that is a disgrace. That is disqualifying for Mueller. (END VIDEO CLIP) WEBB: Well, joining me now for reaction, Wall Street Journal columnist Kim Strassel, retired FBI agent John Iannarelli, and former Democratic Pennsylvania congressman, Jason Altmire. Good evening to you all. Kim, ladies first. I mean, you heard the president right there. What's your reaction? KIM STRASSEL, COLUMNIST, WALL STREET JOURNAL: Well, he's absolutely right to think that something highly improper went on here. You have a senior Justice Department official who is operating with the dossier author with the opposition research firm that was funded by the Clinton campaign and the DNC. He is collecting this information from them even after Christopher Steele had been fired by the FBI for breaking the rules and talking to the press. And he is doing this without revealing on financial disclosure forms or presumably to his superiors that his wife is working for the same opposition research firm and profiting from that work that he is passing on to the FBI. WEBB: All right. So let's go to Jim Jordan now. He's someone who is a contender for the speakership. Let's hear from him. He had this to say earlier today. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. JIM JORDAN, R-OHIO: No, he's the key guy. The FBI was in fact getting parts of the dossier from Bruce Ohr, a top Justice Department official. Bruce Ohr's wife worked for the firm that the Clinton's hired to put together the dossier. She has given it to Bruce Ohr. He's given it to the FBI. It is never supposed to work that way in the United States of America, but in fact it did. (END VIDEO CLIP) WEBB: Well, I mean, the question is about smoke and fire can be put together. Jason, let me go to you, to get you to weigh in on this. Is there nothing to see here? JASON ALTMIRE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: I think the issue that was mentioned with regard to him not reporting the fact that his wife worked at Fusion GPS, that's a relevant issue. But this is a senior Justice Department official who had nothing whatsoever to do with the Russia investigation. He was not involved in it. I don't know what the problem is with him having a conversation. He understands the investigation is going on. He passes information on relevant to that investigation. I don't know what else he did other than the reporting issue that was inappropriate. WEBB: OK, process and procedure. Right to you, John, I mean, here we have process, procedure, Ohr and, you know, we don't know what was said and what he had between he and his wife. But there has to be some trouble and concerns about the dossier and after it were discredited and what went on after that. JOHN IANNARELLI, RETIRED FBI AGENT: There's absolutely a problem here with process and procedure. The FBI's is part of the Department of Justice and I'll tell you, you can't have an agent whose spouse works for an agency that is producing information from a source and then passing it back to the FBI. Why should DOJ be doing the exact same thing? You've got to have people who are unbiased and no connections here. This would be a problem in the FBI and frankly, a fireable offense. WEB: All right. So, Kim, the president tweeted this earlier today. And I want to read this. "Very concerned about Comey's firing, afraid they will be exposed." I mean, those are pretty straightforward words. He goes on, you know, basically reference the connection, the phony and discredited Trump dossier. We've heard that before. He finishes in that tweet, "A creep thinking he would get caught in a dishonest act. Rigged Witch Hunt." Is the president making -- is he going too far? Is this a reach? STRASSEL: Well, I don't think it's too far to ask question of what did he meant when he said exposed because the charitable explanation here is that he was worried that he would be exposed, his name would be out there. But guess what, Christopher Steele was already out there. He sat for an interview with Mother Jones months before and blew the lid on the FBI investigation, which was why he was fired by the FBI. So he can't be worried about his name being out there. So that would suggest that the exposure they fear is something different, maybe the methods that this was all put together, maybe who was financing it, which we now know. Maybe the unorthodox ways in which it was put across. Look, to go back to the process and procedure thing here, what on earth was the FBI doing interviewing Bruce Ohr 12 times for the information he got from Christopher Steele. The FBI had already dismissed Steele as a source because he had broken the rules. So, this goes beyond just Bruce Ohr. It goes to the institution's behavior who knew about this at DOJ and who signed off on it at FBI. WEBB: So, John, inspector general's office and the reports and the ongoing investigation, (inaudible) investigation that initiated by the attorney general. Where should they be looking? Is it process and procedure alone? Are there individuals that frankly have responsibilities? The sign offs on all of these conversations and call it interviews? IANNARELLI: I think we have to look at who is signing off on these things because first of all, it's perception. Even if nobody intended to do anything wrong, the American public have to have confidence in the FBI and the Department of Justice. That's why we have these procedures. Who was allowing this sort of communications and transactions to take place? Who authorized it? Who instructed people to go out and do it? That's what I want to know. We need to get that cleared up so Director Wray can take the FBI forward from what is all the problems created under Strzok and McCabe and others. WEBB: Speaking of Strzok, he tweeted and this is what he had to say, "Jesus. More BO leaks in the NYT." And BO likely to be a reference to Mr. Ohr obviously in the "New York Times." So, right back to you, John. I mean, here we see yet more interchanges, more interactions, more concerns, texts, and tweets. IANNARELLI: Well, we all know Peter Strzok is very comfortable around a cell phone, whether it's tweeting or texting. For God's sake, he needs to stop that. He's not helping himself. He is certainly not helping the men and women of the FBI who are trying to do their jobs. He should stay out of it at this point. WEBB: All right Jason, the politics of this. As someone who has sat there in Congress, the politics of this plays into what's coming with the midterm elections. How do you see this playing out for the Democrats? Is there a way for them to use it? ALTMIRE: I think that what I said earlier is true. There's little evidence that anything inappropriate happened regarding Ohr, but the president has found with regard to Strzok and some others that if he uses his bully pulpit in a way that he's able to raise the stature of this issue, you can certainly paint it in a way that's unflattering. And who knows what will come out of it? So, I think the Democrats -- WEBB: But how are the Democrats going to use this? ALTMIRE: Well, I think the Democrats should be concerned that there is a point at which it does taint the Mueller investigation if Ohr were to come out and if the avenue that the president goes down does lead to some nefarious activity, then certainly that would undermine the credibility of the investigation. That has not happened yet. But what happened with Strzok and what happened with Ohr, these are unfortunate circumstances that do lend to people who were inclined to disbelieve what Mueller comes up with that lends credence to that concern. WEBB: Well, Kimberly, we are only hours away from the late night hours. Does Strzok, as he said in testimony, tweet in the middle of the night? And I'll kind of throw it to you. How do the Democrats plan to use this? How do you think they could use this? STRASSEL: Well, I think what Democrats should be concerned about is that the drum that they have beat for two years, pretty much ever since President Trump was elected, of Trump-Russia collusion, they have not yet been able to yield any public evidence that that has happened. And that has what has enabled the president to talk about this as a witch hunt in terms of the way it got started and the unorthodox procedures that came about as part of it. I mean, Democrats will continue to suggest there's something nefarious, but they've gone a bit quiet on this and it's becoming harder for them to use it as a campaign issue because most of what we're hearing is about problematic procedures and behavior by the prior administration in terms of this investigation. WEBB: Kim, gentlemen, thank you very much. Our special Trump versus the intel resistance continues, next. Is Bob Mueller's team headed for a major setback in its first trial? New developments, that's coming up. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) WEBB: You know, a question on many minds tonight, is Bob Mueller's team headed for a major setback. The special counsel's office first test in an American courtroom is the tax and bank fraud trial of former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort. Fox News correspondent Kristen Fisher has been following the trial and she's here with the latest, Kristen? KRISTIN FISHER, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, David. Well, just as jurors were settling in for their second day of deliberations, President Trump was weighing in on the trial of his former campaign manager. First he was asked by reporters if he would consider pardoning Manafort. He said, he wouldn't talk about it but he did descend (ph) him. Listen to this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) -- TRUMP: I think the whole Manafort trial is very sad when you look at what's going on there. I think it's a very sad day for our country. He worked for me for a very short period of time. But you know what, he happens to be a very good person. And I think it's very sad what they've done to Paul Manafort. (END VIDEO CLIP) FISHER: While the president was making those remarks, Manafort was sitting inside a small jail cell inside the courtroom with no TV, no reading material. But it didn't take long for word of the president's remarks to reach his defense team. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any reaction to the president's comments this morning? KEVIN DOWNING, PAUL MANAFORT'S DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Great comments. Mr. Manafort really appreciates the support of President Trump. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How are you feeling? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think the jury deliberating longer favors your client. DOWNING: I do. And he does. (END VIDEO CLIP) FISHER: So the jury has now deliberated for 14 hours over the course of two days, and during that time, they've asked the judge several questions. They've asked him to redefine reasonable doubt, the legal threshold for acquitting a defendant. The judge obliged that request, but he refused another one. The jury asked for an updated exhibit list, connecting each piece of evidence to corresponding charge in the indictment. Keep in mind, there are 18 charges and nearly 400 exhibits. It's easy to see how a jury could get very confused. But the judge refused that request. So the jury has to sift through mountains of evidence without any index or key connecting particular documents to these individual charges. This afternoon they know they were not close to a verdict because they asked the judge to leave early at 5:00 so that one of the jurors could attend some kind of event in the early evening, and the judge actually let them leave early. But they'll be back first thing Monday morning, David. DAVID WEBB, FOX NEWS HOST: Kristin, the judge has spoken now, and I'm hearing that he said he's gotten some threats. What's that all about? FISHER: Yes, he said this today in court, and he said that he's received threats to the point where he now needs U.S. Marshals protection. He brought it up because he needed to explain why he didn't feel comfortable releasing the names of jurors before the end of the trial, and he had to do that because several news organizations had filed a motion to intervene, requesting that the names of the jurors should be released. The judge heard them out, but in the end decided to keep their names sealed at least until after the end of the trial. WEBB: Kristin, thank you for joining me. Joining us for legal analysis, Kendall Coffey, former U.S. attorney, and Randy Zelin, a defense attorney and former prosecutor. Kendall, first to you on this. Paul Callan had this to say earlier on CNN about the president speaking out on Manafort. Let's play this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: The one thing I would worry about as a prosecutor, if there's somebody on that jury who's a diehard Trump fan, you have the president of the United States yesterday making comments about this deliberating jury. Even if Jeff Sessions said it rather than Donald Trump, if a lawyer said it, he would be held in contempt of court. (END VIDEO CLIP) WEBB: Is contempt really an issue here or is that a deflection, Kendall? KENDALL COFFEY, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY: Not at all. And we're all talking heads talking about the trial, breaking it down, giving predictions and things like that. The system has to assume that the jurors are going to honor. But nevertheless, if you're Paul Manafort, this is kind of an intriguing development because, let's face it, there's got to be statistically speaking three or four jurors in that group that probably supported Trump. Got to think that somebody is getting word about it. Maybe, maybe not, but when jurors go home for the weekend, do they talk to family, do they talk to friends? Maybe they're not supposed to but maybe a lot of times they do. And we all know that a lot of people that support Trump don't back down easily with their views of what the president says and what the president believes. So now you've got an indication that there's a clear endorsement of Paul Manafort, and, by the way, a very harsh condemnation of his trial. So whatever Paul Manafort has been going through, this has got to be the last couple days, two of the best days he's had in a long time WEBB: Randy, I mean, here we are, and the trial, the megaphone obviously of the president. We've talked about a lot of big cases before. You've handled a lot of big cases. When you look at this, how much does that play into it with the jury? And what about the judge's instructions and the jury being charged to judge the merits, not what they hear from the outside. RANDY ZELIN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, working backwards, you would love to think that jurors will honor the oath of sympathy has no place in the courtroom, your personal feelings have no place in the courtroom, don't listen, don't read anything, don't watch anything. But there's a concept that we've all learned, the right way, and also the hard way, which is jury nullification, which is where a juror will say, "I don't care what the law is. I don't care what the judge tells me. I'm going to vote with my conscience, I've going to vote with my heart, and be damned what the law is." But what is so bizarre here, this is, how everything is politicized. Chocolate versus peanut butter. But remember the executive branch, who sits at the top of the executive branch? The president. Where does the Department of Justice fall? Under the executive branch. You've got the most important person in the executive branch basically saying that the Department of Justice under his watch doesn't know what they're doing. None of this makes any sense. And Mr. Coffey, I must respectfully disagree, because if you as a lawyer are discussing a case that you're involved in where that could prejudice the tryer of the fact, a juror, that is a potential disciplinary violation. We've got the most important person in the country, perhaps in the world, speaking out while a jury is deliberating. WEBB: Well, Kendall, as they say in the debate business, when your name's been mentioned, you get to defend your position. So what do you say? ZELIN: Of course the president has a right to speak out about issues of public interest. He didn't plant this. A reporter asked him about the issue and he responded spontaneously. And if the suggestion is being that the president is somehow subjected to discipline, I've got to very strongly disagree with that. But I think what was going to be fascinating for the trial going forward is this is a very, very tough case for Paul Manafort to win. It would be one of the biggest upsets if he got acquitted on everything since, well, Donald Trump won the election against Hillary Clinton. But what would be a big victory for Manafort and for those who would be a hung jury. And so the questions we got yesterday, maybe they impact, President Trump's statements. There could be some things adding up to suggest that there are at least a couple of jurors that have some skepticism about the prosecution's case, and perhaps a reasonable doubt. It's much too early for Paul Manafort to be getting optimistic. We can recall cases such as Arthur Anderson, the accounting giant, such as Scooter Libby, the former chief of staff of Vice President Cheney, where the jury deliberated for 10 days and came back with a guilty verdict. Nevertheless, it isn't a pro-prosecution stampede, and given everything that Paul Manafort is facing in this trial, that might be a small glimmer of hope. WEBB: All right, so let's bring Senator Chris Murphy, the Connecticut senator, into this. This is what he had to say. And he tweeted this. "So I generally choose not to hang on every twist of the Mueller investigation, but if Trump pardons Manafort after maybe having promised a pardon to get him not to cooperate and gets away with it, then we're in a banana republic. We just are." He may not be the president, Randy, but he is a sitting senator. ZELIN: Once again, what is happening with our system of justice where once upon a time, yes, transparency, you can go into the courtroom and watch what's going on. But we have everybody weighing in from a political standpoint. Suddenly we're a banana republic. The point remains that we have a system of justice that at its essence is based upon the public, us, as citizens being confident that the right result is going to happen and with the -- whatever the word is, politics, everything is about politics. My God, what is happening in this country? As far as Mr. Manafort is concerned, he is presumed innocent until such time as the jurors go in and begin their deliberations. Their verdict should be based upon the evidence and nothing else, how the president feels, how Senator Murphy feels, how you feel, how I feel. It's simply based upon the evidence. And somehow that has so gotten away from us. WEBB: All right, gentlemen, thank you both. Great legal analysis. Kendall, Randy, great to see you both. How the media is colluding with the intel resistance to take down President Trump, details next on this "Ingraham Angle" special. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) WEBB: All right, I've got a question for you. Is the media establishment colluding with intelligence resistance to try and take down President Trump? I want you to think about that for a minute. If you look at the past 24-hour media coverage of Trump, it doesn't seem that far off. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: If you look at John Brennan's tweets, they are emotional. They are energized. This is someone who sees the sort of denigration of America's security and national security apparatus. JENNIFER GRANHOLM, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: People who worked for Brennan were very clear that he was not a partisan. So you can say it on the outside because he feels a duty now to say something to save our country. STEVE HALL, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: I've personally known and worked with John Brennan and the same with Jim Clapper. Those people have more integrity and more intelligence and more honesty in their little fingers than this president could ever have. (END VIDEO CLIP) WEBB: Here with reaction, Candace Owens, communications director for Turning Point USA, along with Democrat and radio talk show host Garland Nixon. So now you're in trouble. We've got a talk show host, Candace, but I'm still going to give you the upper hand on this. And ladies first. I'm a gentleman. Just old school. So #freepressday yesterday, and the newspapers across the country, some 300, and here we are today. What do you say, the media and the president? CANDACE OWENS, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, TURNING POINT USA: Absolutely they have been colluding with Robert Mueller in trying to get out this very false story that somehow Trump's campaign colluded with the Russians. And listen, it's evident in every single day. I bet if we looked back and counted how many times they said the word "Russia" and then take a step back and realize not a single shred of evidence has been produced in the 18, 19 months that Donald Trump has been in office tying him to the Russian campaign. This is absolute madness. And at a certain point you have to wonder when are we going to start acknowledge that these people are conspiracy theorists. They are pushing and peddling a conspiracy theory every single day. WEBB: So Garland, let me go to you on this. When you look at the media coverage on this -- and we're a couple of talk show hosts. We get hours of time to go over there. But the media gets a headline, sometimes a sound bite, the pundits. Just an analysis of the coverage, how do you see it? GARLAND NIXON, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST AND RADIO HOST: It may surprise some people, but I'm a person that wants the Democratic Party to be healthy. And I for some time have been uncomfortable with incestuous relationship between the intelligence community, certain elements of the media, and the Democratic Party. I've felt that the party should be focusing on a platform. We're almost to the midterms and the Democratic Party is so focused on this, they don't have a platform. So to be honest, I would have to agree with you based on what I see. I think the intelligence community has kind of taken over, kind of like an octopus and taken over a lot of parts of the mainstream media and the Democratic Party. And I don't think the Democratic Party is any better for it. I don't know if they're blind or if they're just going along with it, but it's not helping them. WEBB: So let's talk about the leaks. I'll just ping-pong between the two of you. We've got you right here. The leaks coming from intelligence, Candace, how troubling is that as you see it? OWENS: It's troubling beyond Democrat or Republican. That stuff doesn't even matter. The implications here are much more severe. What's going to happen afterwards? If we've lost faith in our intelligence community, where are we going to be at in the country when we can't trust them. This is why this issue, I try to tell people, this is not about what side you're on. This is about right and wrong, not right and left. And it's been very troubling for quite some time. And by the way, breath of fresh air. I'm so glad to hear somebody with some sanity say that there is no platform here. There is nothing else going on. And they seem obsessed with this, obsessed with getting Trump and they're not realizing that you're losing a bunch of Americans in the process. We've grown apathetic with this. We've grown apathetic with hearing about the Russian collusion and nothing is going on. Paul Manafort is sitting in a cell by himself in solitary confinement over a tax charge. It's incomprehensibly corrupt. WEBB: Garland, we won't get into the legal analysis. We're two talk show hosts and one very brilliant young lady. But let's get into the narratives that are out there. You're talking to people in your audience. Are they echoing your concerns about the Democrats and running with this versus a winning message? Democrats used to have a message about helping the underserved, about jobs, about economy, but now that seems to have been taken away from them. NIXON: Yes. What doesn't get reported on is what we refer to as like the Bernie people and points left, who actually are, believe it or not, focused on policies. If you look at who's talking about policy, it's the left wing of the party. The liberal or right wing of the Democratic Party or centrist wing of the Democratic Party are so focused on the Russia issue, they're so focused on the investigation, that if this falls through, which it's certainly starting to appear as though it will -- and let's just say my background was law enforcement. I was a commander of the investigations division. And looking at this investigation, it's so tainted now, I don't see how you could ever charge anyone with this investigation and that it could survive the rigors of discovery. I think discovery would tear this investigation apart. And so I look at the Democratic Party, and right now it's not a party that looks very healthy going into the midterms. They could really put a hurting on the Republicans in the midterms, but I suspect they'll inch away with a few victories and call that a blue wave. OWENS: What a breath of fresh air this guy is. WEBB: This is almost too rational. I don't know what we're going to do with this. All right, New York Times, and this is the "New York Times" executive editor on President Trump's remarks towards the press. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DEAN BAQUET, NEW YORK TIMES EXECUTIVE EDITOR: I'm deeply concerned. Not only concerned, by the way, about what happens inside the United States at some of the volatile Trump rallies. I think that the president has sent a message to despots abroad that you can disrespect the press. We've had presidents attack the press. We've never had a president go on foreign soil and attack the press. (END VIDEO CLIP) WEBB: Candace, first to you. Quick response to this, quick response to the New York Times editor? OWENS: Sure. Look, the press is completely out of touch with American people. They have been for quite some time. They've almost become a cult against just hating Trump and not listening to Americans. They're referring to Americans as racist and sexist, as misogynist, putting them in all of these boxes because they don't understand how Americans are feeling. That's something that President Trump is tremendous at. That's the reason why he's sitting in the Oval Office today is that he actually blocked out their nonsense and started to listen to the concerns of the American people. They're doing themselves no favor in this regard and they're in many just going to help him get re-elected in 2020. WEBB: Garland, talk show host to talk show host, I've got to throw the last words to you, quick one. NIXON: Yes. I think the bottom line is I think that you're not going to go wrong now attacking the press when it comes to how it's going to affect you politically. The president went after the press prior to the 2016 election and won, so I think that people that are going to defend the press and think that's going to help them with the electorate are making a big mistake. The polls simply say that the press overall isn't very popular right now. WEBB: Candace, Garland, thank you first. OWENS: He's my favorite person. He made my night. (LAUGHTER) WEBB: Kumbaya moment. Good to have you both here. Really great to see you both. Intel chiefs claim their rabid anti-Trump behavior is patriotism. But they may only be playing into the hands of America's enemies instead, and we will explain right after this. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) WEBB: If you asked the former intel and law enforcement chiefs slamming President Trump, they'll pretty much say they're doing it to save the country and our standing in the world. But in reality they may be doing the exact opposite and playing right into our enemies' hands. Joining me now with more is New York Congressman Lee Zeldin. He's a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. And Jamil Jaffer is the director of national security law and policy program at George Mason University. Gentlemen, let's get right into it. Playing into our enemies' hands -- Russia wants to undermine America's faith in its system or constitutional republic. And congressman, it's working in some quarters. Are they playing into his hands, into Putin's hands? REP. LEE ZELDIN, R-NEW YORK: Absolutely. You're doing Russia's work for them. You're doing our adversary's work for them when internally you have people, whether they're inside our government or they're now recently outside of our government, seeking to undermine our own country, our own democratically elected government. So you're absolutely right. That's a real concern I have. And it's really one of the reasons why John Brennan shouldn't have a security clearance. You should make an example of him. And if you analyze him and you look at just emotionally, mentally whether or not he has it all together, and also whether he understands rules right now when he's accusing the president of high crimes and misdemeanors after the Helsinki summit and saying there's treason, if you do an analysis on John Brennan, it's important that we're not only making an example of him, we're sending a strong message, but we actually take away his security clearance, because while you have a right to a First Amendment, you do not have a right to a security clearance, especially when you're as unhinged as this man is right now. WEBB: So let's go right to it. This is video from CNN, Jim Sciutto, asking the question about Putin, Brennan, and the security clearance. Let's play this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You have a president firing a former leader of the intelligence committee and citing the Russian investigation. Does Putin cheer this kind of thing? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Of course he does. It's just more chaos, more dismantling of the U.S. system, of the Tran-Atlantic alliance. At this point, sanctions doesn't matter. It's all about shaking up our system and taking it down a notch instead of bringing Russia up. (END VIDEO CLIP) WEBB: Jamil, your reaction to that. JAMIL JAFFER, FORMER SENIOR COUNSEL, HOUSE INTEL: Look, David, the problem here is this is a problem of the president's own creation. He didn't need to strip Brennan of his security clearance. Brennan was doing a good enough job on his own making himself look partisan. The president has not continued this conversation, got in the way of his own message about tax cuts, regulatory reform, conservative judges. The president has created this problem for himself. He doesn't need to do this. He needs to stay on message and not worry about John Brennan. John Brennan was doing a good enough job on his own making himself irrelevant. WEBB: So Lee, there's been some critique about the method in which this played out, that the president, according to some, could have just done it, let it happen, not give John Brennan even a bigger megaphone. But the president said he's elevated him. What do you say? ZELDIN: First off, I don't think John Brennan should have gotten a security clearance in the first place. This is a man who admitted to voting Communist Party for president of the United States. And now fast forward to currently he's seeking to monetize his position as former CIA director, and as I mentioned earlier, he has become unhinged. For the president of the United States to make an example of him, he's sending a strong message to others that there are rules, that you do have a right to your First Amendment freedom of speech, you do not have a right to your security clearance. And you also need to follow the rules of the U.S. government. You can't set your own rules on what's right and wrong, because one of the biggest threats if not the biggest threat that we have seen historically as far as access to classified information is when you have an individual gone rogue who is setting their own rules and deciding their own moral compass is one that supersedes and overcomes any type of guidance that the government puts out on John Brennan and anyone like him. So I think it's important to very publicly make an example that this conduct by this man right now is exactly what disqualifies you and will result in losing your security clearance. I think it's great that he's making a public example of this man. WEBB: Jamil, the public example, how does this play out in the political world? The intel chiefs, their letters, will this last? Will it have any effect as you see it? JAFFER: The problem, David, is that the congressman is right to make the point that maybe you want to make an example of somebody. The problem is by making an example of John Brennan, the president has now got bipartisan opposition from all these intelligence officials, 60 former CIA officers. It's going poorly for the president. This is not working. This is an unforced error. It was a tactical mistake. It could have strategic consequences. The president has to get out of his own way and stay on message and not worry about it, not worry about Bob Mueller. That investigation is going to happen. The president should focus on his own message, and focus on that. And listen to his aides who are telling him, by the way, stop doing this stuff. This is not good business. WEBB: Gentlemen, thank you very much, appreciate it. We'll have to call Vladimir Putin and ask him if he is cheering this on. We'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) WEBB: That's all the time we've got. Thanks for tuning in for this "Ingraham" special. It's been a pleasure filling in for Laura Ingraham this evening. Also, be sure to tune in to my show weekdays from 9:00 to noon eastern on Sirius XM Patriot 125, and check out my regular column in The Hill newspaper. And please follow me on Twitter @DavidWebbShow. Shannon Bream coming up next. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone. Good night from New York City. END Content and Programming Copyright 2018 Fox News Network, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Copyright 2018 CQ-Roll Call, Inc. All materials herein are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of CQ-Roll Call. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. One Florida man recently threw fit at the American Airlines ticket counter at Orlando International Airport after staffers summoned police for his erratic behavior ahead of his scheduled flight. After police arrived on the scene, the doctor, 59, staged a meltdown that he later claimed was to prove a point about police use of force and said that if I was a black person, Id be terrified. On August 16, Jeffrey Epstein arrived at the ticket counter at 6 a.m. to check in for his 6:24 a.m. flight to Philadelphia, a rep for American Airlines confirmed to Fox News. WARNING: Video contains expletive language. Set to be rebooked for the next available flight, Epstein became irate at the airline staffers as well as at other passengers and children in the area, the spokesperson said, and they summoned law enforcement. UNITED AIRLINES PLANES COLLIDE ON THE GROUND AT CHICAGO O'HARE AIRPORT When police arrived on the scene, the Lakeland man began to scream and foam at the mouth, Fox 35 Orlando reports, and went off on the officers in an expletive-laden meltdown. This guys trying to provoke me. Do you have training, genius? Epstein taunts an officer in footage captured by a bystander. Theres no alcohol, you want to test me? Want me to count backwards? he asks, as he throws up his arms. Come arrest me, he chides, as police move in. Theyre arresting me. Theyre arresting me. Theyre really de-escalating things, he yells, as he throws himself onto the ground, brining three law enforcement officials down with him. Oh my god I cant believe they are doing this, Epstein exclaims as he is handcuffed, as airport travelers watch the scene confusion. He continued shouting that he was "not resisting, you are treating me like a f---ing black person! The man later charged with battery, resisting arrest, trespassing, disorderly conduct and possession of marijuana less than 20 grams, NBC News reports. Since returning home after bonding out of jail on bond, he told WESH 2 news that he staged the scene to prove a point. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS "If you're going to do this to a white doctor, who's 59-years-old, for doing nothing, then why would black people trust you?" he said. "Im a conservative Republican, Im a Trump guy. But until the police fix this problem, I dont blame black people for being upset when they get arrested, he told the outlet. He also shared similar sentiments with Fox 35. I figured a white guy getting arrested at an airport might get some attention to these black people who I think are legitimately concerned. If I was a black person, Id be terrified," Epstein said. He says that he hoped the stunt could teach the carrier a lesson in customer service. "I was no danger. I was being loud because I wanted everyone to see. I wanted everything to be out in the open. Big companies have to take care of their customers, and when they call the cops in, they got to deescalate, not escalate," he said. Representatives for Orlando International Airport did not immediately return Fox News request for additional comment on the story. Police and school officials in Oklahoma said Friday that a 14-year-old boy accused of repeatedly stabbing a female classmate during a school assembly had no history of causing trouble before bringing a pocket knife a 4-inch blade onto campus. Luther Public Schools Superintendent Barry Gunn declined to discuss the boy further, citing federal privacy laws. State law does not appear to address knives on campus, but Gunn said a blade that size to school is against the rules. "It would be against school policy to have a weapon on campus and a knife larger than 2-inches is described as a weapon," Gunn said. The boy is being held in juvenile custody on an arrest warrant for assault and battery with a deadly weapon, Luther Police Chief David Randall said. Interviews with students and staff have revealed that the boy and girl, who is also 14, were acquainted, Randall said. But he declined to say whether the girl was a random victim or a target of the Thursday knife attack at the school in a town of about 1,200 people about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of Oklahoma City. "That's what I'm trying to nail down right now," Randall said. "Going through the statements I see a trend on something ... that would give me a motive." Randall said that until the investigation is complete, he does not know what potential charges he would recommend to the district attorney's office. The school has no security system in place, Randall said. "They didn't have metal detectors or a school resource officer," Randall said. "I don't think a resource officer could have stopped this, but having a presence might make them think twice before acting out." Randall says the boy "blurted out some statements that made no sense" after he was taken into custody Thursday, and that he showed no remorse. The district school board earlier in the week approved a plan to allow staff members on campus to carry concealed weapons, but none were armed during the attack as the policy, which requires training and approval by the superintendent, has not been implemented. Classes resumed Friday morning with Randall on campus. He said all were trying to make sense of what had happened. Gunn said the attack was shocking, but not necessarily surprising. "In today's day and time, it happens in movie theaters it happens in restaurants, churches, everywhere," Gunn said, Elbert Williams, a civil rights activist and member of the NAACP, was killed and his body was dumped in a river 78 years ago in Brownsville, Tenn. But his case has not been forgotten. Tennessee plans to reopen his case as part of a new law that seeks to reopen civil rights killings that had long ago gone cold. Williams is believed to be the first NAACP member killed because of his civil rights work. It is part of a national effort to solve civil rights cases that many thought would never be revisited. The Tennessee law, passed in May, gives investigators the right to reopen decades-old civil rights cold cases if there is sufficient evidence. We cannot do all in 2018 that should have been done in 1940, Garry Brown, the district attorney for the 28th judicial district in Tennessee, said in a news release this month. But Justice and historic truth demand that questions about the case of Elbert Williams death, and the identity of his killer(s), that should have been answered long ago, be answered now if possible. We will do what we can. "Justice and historic truth demand that questions about the case of Elbert Williams death, and the identity of his killer(s), that should have been answered long ago, be answered now if possible." Garry Brown, district attorney for Tennessee's 28th judicial district The case is reminiscent of the federal governments recent effort to reopen the investigation into the 1955 killing of Emmett Till, who was lynched after a woman said he offended her. The woman has since recanted. Activists say they hope to bring justice to families wronged by violence and lychings of the pre-civil rights era. According to accounts from the time, police took Williams from his home on June 20, 1940. The Brownsville police interrogated him about his work with the NAACP and his efforts to register African-American voters. Three days later, his battered body was found on the bank of the Hatchie River. There was never a trial for his death. His killing will be the first such case to be reopened under the three-month-old Tennessee law. Political leaders and those in the community said Williams deserves a place as a martyr of civil rights period even though his story is not as well-known as others from the era. State Rep. Johnnie Turner, D-Memphis, was one of the main sponsors of the civil rights cold case law. Its kind of like this hidden secret that has been passed down for generations and generations and you had no hope that justice would ever be done, Turner told Fox News. Its kind of like this hidden secret that has been passed down for generations and generations and you had no hope that justice would ever be done. Tennessee state Rep. Johnnie Turner, D-Memphis Turner expects more cases to follow. The NAACP estimates that between 1882 to 1968, 4,743 people were lynched in the United States. African-Americans account for nearly 73 percent of lynching cases, with the majority of cases taking place in the South. Gov. Bill Haslam signed the bill into law in May, making Tennessee the only state in the country with a law to re-open civil rights cold cases. Jim Emison, a retired lawyer from Tennessee, help breathe new life into the Williams case after he read about it online. Emison had been trying to solve the murder for at least six years and was pivotal in uncovering new evidence for the case. He strongly believe police officers are behind his killing, and that federal investigators covered it up. Back in those days black people couldnt vote in Haywood County, Emison said. Thats what caused all of this. Thats why Elbert Williams died. [He] was trying to get the vote. Back in those days black people couldnt vote in Haywood County. Thats what caused all of this. Thats why Elbert Williams died. [He] was trying to get the vote. Jim Emison, retired lawyer seeking justice for Elbert Williams Emison presented Brown, the district attorney, with evidence, including un-redacted FBI files from an internal investigation surrounding the agencys handling of the case ordered by J. Edgar Hoover. That investigation found that the FBI failed to chase leads and question important witnesses. NAACP special counsel Thurgood Marshall, who later became a Supreme Court justice, tried to bring attention to the case. But it was closed in 1942 and no one was ever arrested. Shortly after police removed Williams from his home, his wife identified his body bruised, swollen and with two holes in his chest that appeared to be by bullets. His remains were found along the bank of the nearby Hatchie River. The first part of the investigation into Williams death will involve finding his remains. He was buried in an unmarked grave in a historically black cemetery in Haywood County. Williams great grandniece, Leslie McGraw, donated DNA to help a team identify him. I wasnt expecting the district attorneys decision last week, that was a complete shock I was really surprised, McGraw said this week. McGraw said she hopes that by drawing attention to Williams murder, the country can avoid repeating the same mistakes it made in the past. The main reason weve got to tell this story is to be honest with ourselves about what we are, Emison said. And when you dig into this you begin to understand the depths of the wounds this inflicted and those wounds dont go to the grave with Elbert Williams generation they live on. Whatever the result, legally we think that the investigation itself is a great positive and that the end result will be a reconciliation. A forensic team from the University of Tennessee will begin searching for Williams remains this fall, signaling the first major step in the investigation in nearly 80 years. The Colorado man who has been accused of killing his pregnant wife and two young daughters is in protective custody, officials said Friday. Chris Watts, 33, was being isolated from other inmates at the Weld County Jail because of publicity surrounding the murder case, officials told Denver's KMGH-TV. Watts is accused of killing his wife Shanann, 34, and their daughters Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3. Their bodies were found inside oil and gas tanks on the property of Watts' former employer, according to reports. Officials told the station they still have several days of work, including interviews, to compete before Monday's deadline for charges to be filed, the report said. Watts is not currently able to receive visitors because he has not been in the jail system long enough, the Weld County Sheriff's Office told the channel. He is currently held without bond and is due in court next Tuesday. The family's two-story home is just outside Frederick, about 30 miles north of Denver. Click here for more from KMGH-TV. The death toll among Egyptian pilgrims on the hajj in Saudi Arabia has risen to 18, a statement by Egypts health ministry said on Saturday. Health ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said that a 62-year-old pilgrim from Upper Egypt has passed away in Mecca due to hypotensive shock. Around 2 million Muslim pilgrims are preparing to travel to Mecca for the annual Islamic hajj on Sunday. Deaths from heat exhaustion, fatigue and natural causes are a common occurrence among pilgrims on the hajj in Saudi Arabia, which takes place this year from 19 to 24 August. Around 80,000 Egyptians are expected to go on hajj this year, Egyptian officials have said. Search Keywords: Short link: The defense attorney for Christopher Watts, the Colorado man accused of killing his pregnant wife and two young daughters, filed a motion Friday requesting that DNA samples be taken from the recovered bodies of Shanann Watts, and daughters Bella and Celeste Watts. But a Weld County District judge dismissed the motion, citing concerns about the credibility of the forensic expert consulted by the attorney, the Denver Post reported. Authorties haven't yet revealed why they believe Christopher Watts is a suspect in the deaths of his family, but a sealed affidavit is expected to be made public Monday, the newspaper reported. Media reports Friday said the bodies of the two girls were found this week submerged in oil and gas tanks on the property of their father's former employer, while the mother's body was reportedly found in "close proximity." The defense motion filed Friday by defense attorney James Merson suggests that the girls were strangled, the Post reported. The court document cited Richard Eikelenboom, a forensic expert, who said any evidence of strangulation should be present on the necks of the girls, in spite of the fact that the remains were in oil for four days. Eikelenboom further recommended obtaining DNA samples from Shanann Watts hands and nails. After samples are taken the nails should be cut preserved, Eikelenboom was quoted in the document. I have a lot experience taking samples from dead bodies getting good results after strangulation. The hands of the children should be sample as well. But according to the Post, Eikelenboom admitted during a 2016 sexual assault trial that he had no experience with DNA extraction or analysis and a Denver District Court judge subsequently barred Eikelenboom from testifying as an expert witness. The coroners office announced Friday it is has positively identified the victims as Shanann, Bella, and Celeste Watts, Denver's KMGH-TV reported. Further results from the laboratory were not released. Christopher Watts is being held at the Weld County Jail on suspicion of murder. He is due back in court next week where he is expected to be formally charged in the deaths of his wife and two daughters. The Associated Press contributed to this story. The bodies of two missing Colorado girls, ages 3 and 4, were submerged in crude oil for four days before they were recovered Thursday, court documents revealed. The girls father, Christopher Watts, stands accused of murdering his pregnant wife, Shanann Watts, 34, and their two daughters, Bella, 4, and Celeste Watts, 3. The girls may have been strangled to death, the Denver Post reported. Sources told Denver's KMGH-TV that the father may have placed the girls' bodies inside oil and gas tanks on his employer's property in order to prevent passersby by from smelling the corpses. The body of Shanann Watts was found nearby, authorities have said, but details were not disclosed, the station reported. Christopher Watts attorney, James Merson, filed a motion Friday defending his client against accusations that he killed his wife and children. Authorities separately announced Friday that the Weld County Coroner's Office had performed autopsies and confirmed the bodies as being those of Shanann, Bella, and Celeste Watts, Denver's FOX 31 reported. Before his arrest Wednesday, Christopher Watts told reporters he missed his wife and daughters and that he longed for the simple things like telling his girls to eat their dinner and gazing at them as they curled up to watch cartoons. COLORADO DAD'S LAWYER SEEKS DNA SAMPLES FROM DAUGHTERS' BODIES, BUT JUDGE REJECTS FORENSICS EXPERT: REPORT Police have not released information on a motive or how the mother and daughters died. More testing is planned to help determine the cause of their deaths. Watts, an oil and gas worker, who authorities said dumped his wife and daughters' bodies on his employer's property, is expected to face formal charges Monday. Police said the mother, Shanann, was found dead on property owned by Anadarko Petroleum, one of the state's largest oil and gas drillers, where 33-year-old Christopher Watts worked as an operator. Investigators found the bodies of Bella and Celeste nearby. Watts was fired Wednesday, the same day he was arrested, the company said. The family's two-story home is just outside Frederick, which is about 30 miles north of Denver. CHRIS WATTS IN PROTECTIVE CUSTODY BECAUSE OF PUBLICITY SURROUNDING TRIPLE-MURDER CASE: REPORT Christopher Watts reportedly began working for Anadarko as an operator in early 2015, according to a bankruptcy filing from June that year. Shanann Watts was then working in a call center at a children's hospital, earning about $18 an hour. Records suggest that the couple, who earned a combined income of $90,000 in 2014, faced mounting debt, including thousands of dollars in credit card debt, student loans and medical bills. Details about what led police to arrest Watts late Wednesday night on suspicion of three counts of murder and tampering with evidence likely are to be revealed next week. Prosecutors will ask a court to unseal the affidavit for Watts' arrest after filing formal charges, which are due by mid-afternoon Monday, said Krista Henery, a spokeswoman for district attorney Michael Rourke. Family and friends have been left to reconcile the Wattses' ostensibly good reputation with the pending charges. "I just don't understand it," said Ashley Bell, a close friend of Shanann Watts, who described Christopher Watts as a loving father. "She didn't give me an indication that there was anything wrong. She seemed pretty happy," said Joe Beach, the next-door neighbor of Shananns parents. The case, which includes the death of Shanann Watts unborn child, has brought renewed focus on Colorados lack of a law allowing homicide charges in the violent death of fetuses. Proposals to allow homicide charges in the violent deaths of fetuses in Colorado have been stymied by debate about how to avoid infringing on abortion rights. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A double amputee who climbed Pikes Peak and the Manitou Incline in Colorado was arrested this week for alleged DUI and assault of a medic, a report said. Police said officers smelled alcohol on Mandy Horvath's breath and said her speech was impaired, after a man called police when he saw her leave a bar and drive into a curb, Colorado Springs' KRDO-TV reported, citing an arrest affivadit. Horvath then slapped a medic in the face when he arrived at the scene, according to the affidavit. Horvath, 25, was charged Tuesday with assault on a peace officer, Colorado court records stated, according to the station. She was known for climbing up more than 2,700 steps at the Manitou Incline in April and then summiting Pikes Peak about a month later, the report said. "One person's struggle is their struggle, but at the same time, we all have them," Horvath previously told the station. "Nothing is impossible, and there's always hope." Horvath lost her legs in Nebraska when she was hit by a train in 2014, KRDO-TV previously reported. She said she had a few drinks, then blacked out and woke up in an ambulance where medics worked on her legs. She told the station she believes she was given a date-rape drug, because she had no memory leaving the pub or going to the train tracks. Since February, Horvath had reportedly been arrested for DUI two times prior to Tuesday's arrest. A father and daughter from central Georgia were arrested Friday for allegedly running a drug operation in which they targeted local teenagers for clientele, authorities said. Daniel McGregor Williams III, 51, and his 17-year-old daughter, of North Forsyth, Georgia face numerous drug-related charges, Atlantas FOX 5 reported. Several months ago, narcotics agents received a tip that a student from North Forsyth High School was selling marijuana to other students, and later were told that her father was allegedly complicit in the drug operation, Forsyth County News reported. A drug task force raided the Williams Forsyth home and a storage unit Wednesday night, uncovering more than 85 ecstasy pills, two pounds of marijuana, and $22,000 in cash, FOX 5 reported, citing photos shown by law enforcement. Williams and his daughter were being held at Forsyth County Jail with no bond. Fox News is withholding the daughter's name because of her age. The Williams family had already been on authorities radar, FOX 5 reported. In 2015, Elaine Williams the mother and wife was arrested for allegedly posting an ad on Craigslist, seeking to buy a baby for her then-14-year-old daughter. She was charged with domestic-unlawful advertisement inducement for adoption of children, but the charge was later dropped, Forsyth County News reported. Daniel Williams was arrested recently on suspicion of DUI and possession of prescription pills, police said. A letter from George Washington will be read at the nation's oldest synagogue to celebrate freedom of religion. The annual reading is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday at the 255-year-old Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island. Touro Synagogue holds an important place in the history of the nation's commitment to religious liberty. In 1790, Washington visited Touro, then sent its congregants a letter saying the government of the United States "gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance." The synagogue, dedicated in 1763, is a national historic site that draws tens of thousands of visitors annually. U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat, plans to join Salve Regina University President Jane Gerety at the synagogue for the 71st annual reading of the letter by the Touro Synagogue Foundation. A Kansas letter carrier was unable to carry out some of those Postal Service duties on Friday, after finding a snake on someones mailbox, police said. The scaly creature was found wrapped around the wall-mounted mailbox and railing outside a residents home, the Overland Park Police said on Twitter. MASSACHUSETTS POLICE CAPTURE JAW-DROPPING BOA CONSTRICTOR FROM UNDER CAR HOOD The red tail boa constrictor, which appeared on Broadmoor Street, is believed to have broken free from a neighboring home, police told The Kansas City Star. Once discovered, the carrier called for help from animal control, police said. The poor resident did not receive their mail today (obviously), police said, before joking that officers tried to convince animal control to put the snake under the @OPPD_Chief desk, but they won't. MASSIVE PYTHON SLITHERS UP AUSTRALIAN MANS HOME IN SHOCKING VIDEO Authorities are hoping someone reaches out to them about a missing snake, Officer John Lacy told the outlet. After the capture, the animal was brought to the Great Plains SPCA, Lacy said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. More than 100 people gathered outside the Watts family's home in Frederick, Colo., Friday night to remember a woman and her two daughters -- all of whom were found dead this week. Prosecutors believe Christopher Watts, 33, murdered his pregnant wife Shanann, 34, and their two daughters, Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3. Throughout the day, neighbors, friends, and the general public placed flowers, stuffed animals, and handwritten notes in the front yard, the Denver Post reported. This is to celebrate, mourn and get closure for a family that didnt deserve this," Kelley Trippy, who organized the vigil, told the newspaper. "This is a horrible, horrible, horrible story. Its affected all of us whether you do know them or dont know them." We see this on the news and were sad. But it's away from us," another vigil attendee said. "But (now) its right next door when its in your own community. Thats the hard part. This is to celebrate, mourn and get closure for a family that didnt deserve this. This is a horrible, horrible, horrible story. Its affected all of us whether you do know them or dont know them." Kelley Trippy, organizer of vigil for the Watts family One attendee live-streamed the vigil for Shanann Watts family on the East Coast. God bless all of you. Thank you so much, Shananns mother reportedly said. Authorities arrested Christopher Watts, 33, on Wednesday, two days after his pregnant wife, Shanann Watts, 34, and their two daughters, Celeste, 3, and Bella, 4, went missing. Shanann Watts body was found Thursday on property owned by Anadarko Petroleum, where Christopher Watts worked as an operator. The bodies of Celeste and Bella were found later that day, submerged inside oil and gas tanks in close proximity to their mothers body, according to reports. Christopher Watts is expected to face formal charges next week and is due back in court on Tuesday. Two former students of a south Georgia teacher missing since 2005 told friends at a party that they had killed her and burned her body, new court documents suggest. Ex-students Ryan Alexander Duke and Bo Dukes reportedly made the stunning admission within two weeks of Tara Grinstead's disappearance in October 2005, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported, citing court documents. Documents filed this week in Irwin County Superior Court said their comments were reported to police but they weren't arrested until 2017. "It is undisputed that Irwin County law enforcement knew of these crimes within months of the disappearance of Tara Grinstead," a court motion states. "In fact, a search of the area where Ms. Grinstead's body was allegedly burned was conducted ... " Duke's attorneys say in court motions that because it took so long to arrest them, all but the murder charge should be dropped, due to the statute of limitations. Grinstead, 30, an Irwin County High School teacher and former beauty queen, was last seen Oct. 22, 2005, when she left a cookout and said she was going straight home. Two days later, she was reported missing when she didn't show up to teach history. Her house was found locked, with her cellphone inside. Her dog and cat were home and her car sat parked in the driveway. But Grinstead's purse and keys were gone. A latex glove the type worn by police officers and medical workers was found in her front yard. "So many people have been hurt by this," Connie Grinstead, Tara's stepmother, said. "We hope with time this community can have closure and start to heal from this." "So many people have been hurt by this. ... We hope with time this community can have closure and start to heal from this." Connie Grinstead, Tara Grinstead's stepmother Investigators said Duke had attended the high school and graduated in 2002, three years before Grinstead's disappearance. Because Duke and Dukes were identified as suspects later in 2005 but not charged until 2017, all but the murder charge should be dropped, Duke's public defenders claim in one of two dozen motions filed in the past week. "Duke and Dukes were identified as suspects and known to law enforcement in 2005," the motion states. "By a generous application of the statute of limitations of four years, the statute would have run (expired) near December of 2009." The Georgia Bureau of Investigation declined to comment and referred questions to the district attorney who could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon. In another motion, Duke's attorney asked that his indictment be dismissed because the language used is too "vague, ambitious and indefinite." In April 2017, a grand jury indicted Duke on six counts, including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, burglary and concealing the death of another. In June 2017, Dukes was indicted on charges including concealing a death, tampering with evidence, and hindering apprehension of a criminal. A hearing on the motions has been scheduled for Sept. 20 in Irwin County. The Associated Press and Fox News' Samuel Chamberlain contributed to this report. Russian President Vladimir Putin brought singing Cossacks, controversy and his dancing shoes to the wedding of the Austrian foreign minister Saturday. Putin was a surprise guest at the wedding of Karin Kneissl, an independent who was selected for her post by Austrias pro-Russian far-right party, according to reports. Guests watched as Putin danced with Kneissl who married businessman Wolfgang Meilinger at a vineyard in Austrias Styria state. PUTIN EATS TRUMP'S LUNCH IN HELSINKI - THIS IS NO WAY TO WIN AGAINST RUSSIA Putin warmly greeted the bride, giving her a beautiful bouquet of yellow and white flowers, according to Russian state news agency Tass. He was reportedly invited during a visit to Austria last year. The Russian leader was said to have brought along a troupe of all-signing, all-dancing Cossacks as a wedding gift, Sky News reported. The channel reported that Putin was a controversial guest to what was billed as a private affair that has drawn a lot of criticism from liberal-minded Austrians. Austrian authorities imposed tight security measures around the site of the ceremony, according to the Associated Press. US TO IMPOSE NEW RUSSIA SANCTIONS FOR 'CHEMICAL OF BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS' USE AGAINST BRITISH EX-SPY Putin attended the wedding before heading off to Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel later on Saturday. His meeting with Merkel takes place at the German government's guesthouse in Meseberg, north of Berlin. Topics during the bilateral talks include Ukraine, Syria and the planned Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany that the United States and some European countries object to. The two leaders planned to make statements before the talks. The Associated Press contributed to this report. German prosecutors on Saturday said they are investigating after a 19-year-old Yazidi woman who survived an ordeal as an ISIS sex slave claims she ran into her jihadi captor in Germany. Ashwaq Haji Hami was only 14 when she was sold in her home country of Iraq for $100 to an Islamic State fighter named Abu Humam. She told the Associated Press that Humams real name was Mohammed Rashid and that after fleeing, she allegedly encountered him in Germany in 2016 and again this February. She reported the incidents to police, but fearing for her safety, she moved back to Iraq in June. SUSPECTED ISIS MEMBER ACCUSED OF KILLING IRAQI POLICE OFFICER IS CAPTURED IN SACRAMENTO, OFFICIALS SAY Spokeswoman Frauke Koehler told the Associated Press that the woman's statement to authorities "wasn't precise enough" and when they tried to follow up, she had left Germany. Koehler said prosecutors want to speak to her again if she returns to Germany. ISIS fighters took thousands of Yazidi woman as sex slaves, including Ashwaq, the BBC reported. Raped and beaten, she managed to escape three months later and then went to Germany with her mother and one brother, according to the BBC. It is Germany that she says she encounter Humam, outside a supermarket in February. "On the way back to school a car pulled up next to me, she said. He was sitting in the front seat. He talked to me in German and asked: 'Are you Ashwaq?' I was so scared I was shaking. I said: 'No, who are you?'" She said he then replied: "I know you are Ashwaq, and I am Abu Humam." AL QAEDA AT 30 SHOWS SIGNS OF RESURGENCE AFTER ISIS ROUTED Ashwaq said he then started to talk to her in Arabic and told her not to lie to him. "I know you, he said. And where you live and who you live with. He knew everything about my life in Germany." She said: "I left my family and my country and went to Germany to forget the beating and the pain. The last thing I expected was to meet my IS captor and that he would know everything about me." Duzen Tekkal, an activist and the founder of Hawar.Help, a Berlin-based organization which campaigns for Yazidi rights, told the BBC she has heard of other cases where female Yazidi refugees recognized ISIS fighters in Germany. Ashwaq is now living in a Yazidi camp in Kurdistan, the BBC reported. Her family is now applying to live in Australia as part of a special program for women abducted by ISIS. The Associated Press contributed to this report.